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Forgive the double post.
This was basically my response as well. Technically brilliant movie and I understand that it was a passion project for Eggers but I thought it was kind of a mundane use of his time and skill.
Movie opinions thread (what have you seen, what did you think?)
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Forgive the double post.
This was basically my response as well. Technically brilliant movie and I understand that it was a passion project for Eggers but I thought it was kind of a mundane use of his time and skill.
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Yes, this was, I believe, my own criticism at the time. A great movie but one we've already seen.
Still, as vampire films go, it was refreshing to see in this wine aunt hellscape of softcore SA porn. My view on the film has changed a bit from 'too close to the vest' to 'maybe what the genre needed at this particular time in cinematic history.'
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Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City- Terrible. I don’t understand how it’s as bad as it is though. It’s like they went out of there to fuck everything up while still being somewhat accurate to the early games. It’s kind of impressive actually.
It’s horribly written, the story beats, the characters, the dialogue, everything is bad. Every single character is miscast. The CG looks like shit. The game references and fan service are cringe. Plus a lot of it doesn’t make make sense. Like Leon not hearing a fucking semi tanker crash, slide down the street and explode 50 feet from him. Oh, he had headphones on? Gtfo with that bullshit. The movie is full of that kind of nonsense.
I think I’d actually rank this below the first (maybe even second) Milla movie as far as being entertaining goes.
Oh well, maybe we’ll finally get a good one from Zach Creggar.
It’s horribly written, the story beats, the characters, the dialogue, everything is bad. Every single character is miscast. The CG looks like shit. The game references and fan service are cringe. Plus a lot of it doesn’t make make sense. Like Leon not hearing a fucking semi tanker crash, slide down the street and explode 50 feet from him. Oh, he had headphones on? Gtfo with that bullshit. The movie is full of that kind of nonsense.
I think I’d actually rank this below the first (maybe even second) Milla movie as far as being entertaining goes.
Oh well, maybe we’ll finally get a good one from Zach Creggar.
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Hoppers - Pretty intense subject matter wise for a kids movie, but I think that was its charm. Objectively I didn’t think it took either side to a degree. It was kind of Matrix/ Avatar ish. It’s was about an idealistic college age girl that is able to hop into the body of a robotic beaver to stop the progress of a thru way. Her idealism hurts and helps the animals in the community instead of being more preachy. It’s a kids movie but it does have adult sensibility to it.
Past Lives - I’ve been meaning to watch this and finally did. Two Korean man and woman connect after years apart and the iwoman is married to a white husband. Kind of made me think of those Before Sunrise movies. Dealt with the Korean term inyeon and the connection of people. Everyone was arguably good in the movie, just a story of fates and what ifs and what could have been.
Past Lives - I’ve been meaning to watch this and finally did. Two Korean man and woman connect after years apart and the iwoman is married to a white husband. Kind of made me think of those Before Sunrise movies. Dealt with the Korean term inyeon and the connection of people. Everyone was arguably good in the movie, just a story of fates and what ifs and what could have been.
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Ghost World- Quintessential late 90’s girl slacker dramedy. It really captures the surreal mundanity of American life as well as the difficulty of transitioning from high school to the real world. It shares a lot in common with other angsty 90’s slacker media like Daria and Clerks but with a decidedly detached artsy perspective. Excellent performances by all three leads and some standouts in lesser/background roles.
It’s been awhile since I last saw this and it holds up well and makes me a bit nostalgic being the same age as the girls were at the time and having known quite a few just like them.
It’s been awhile since I last saw this and it holds up well and makes me a bit nostalgic being the same age as the girls were at the time and having known quite a few just like them.
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Just wanna see the huge hooters. Also the record choices were pretty tight
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The War Lord
Charlton Heston & Richard Boone
1965
123 minutes
In some recent YT vids about Excalibur, this film was brought up as a 'companion piece' of sorts to Boorman's Arthurian epic, a distant cousin that echoed some of its visual identity and thematic elements. I'd never heard of 'The War Lord' before this so I was, of course, immediately compelled, giver what a fan I am of Excalibur.
The movie isn't being provided as part of any of my streaming subscriptions so I was forced to purchase it on BD for 15 bucks through Amazon and I can say that it was money well spent. While it is an antiquated piece of cinema that shows its age, it's also a surprisingly deep film with some interesting questions about class relations and the nature of temptation and what it does to us the longer we are exposed to it. The production values, for their time, are quite impressive, especially as it concerns the stunt work of so many men-at-arms being thrown about or falling to their deaths off of siege towers and bridges.
In the film, Charlton Heston plays Lord Chrysagon, a knight tasked by his master Duke William of Ghent with taking governance of a Norman coastal settlement in order to protect it from Frisian raiders (the film takes place in the 11th century, by the by). Chrysagon has been given instructions to be mindful of the customs and traditions of the village's inhabitants and not to trample on their beliefs, which are pagan and not at all in alignment with those of their Norman rulers. But Duke William is a savvy sort of fellow and understands that rulership is not simply about beating your subjects into submission but allowing them their proclivities because politics is as much about the socio as it is about the economic and the tactical.
Chrysagon falls for one of the village's girls, a beautiful young woman named Bronwyn (Rosemary Forsyth) and he learns that the ancient pagan rite of 'prima nocte' is in full effect here. The village elder, Bronwyn's foster father Odins (Niall MacGinnis), tells Chrysagon that if he is going to do this, it must be under the old ways so that it is an act of permission rather than the violation of rape. But Chrysagon finds himself smitten with Bronwyn and when the morning comes, he refuses to allow her to return to her home as was part of the custom. Add to this that Bronwyn is likewise attracted to Chrysagon and you have a situation where two people that have fallen in love are both breaking from their traditions and agreements in order to be with one another. This leads to the villagers aligning with the Frisians, who have their own axe to grind with Chrysagon (he unknowingly abducted the Frisian chief's son in the opening battle of the film and they want him back) and you have all the makings of a revolt via alliance of convenience.
I suppose that the parts of this film that coalesce with Excalibur are in its emerald depiction of forested lands and its themes of the old world of paganjism clashing with the new (relatively speaking, since it's the 11th century) faith of the One True God. In Excalibur, Merlin seemed all too willing to leave the world behind, recognizing that his time and the time of his ways had come. In The War Lord, however, Duke William's own permissiveness of pagan rites is a short term solution always ready to cause problems. I'm not so certain I understand the relation between the two films beyond this but I suppose I'll have to think more about it to draw a parallel.
The action scenes, in particular the sword fighting, is quite energized and well choreographed. There is an immediacy and an intensity to them that isn't even present in most modern day films, although I suppose that has a little to do with the fact that women are almost never going to be convincing in martial roles unless they come from that background (Gina Carano, Cynthia Rothrock, et. al). And unlike a lot of modern fare which is often overchoreographed to the point of absurdity, Heston's motion is pure, essential and necessary for the act. No flipping or unnecessary flourishes here, just brutal strokes and counterblows. But Heston seems a deft hand with a sword in this movie and I am convinced of his ability in this respect. We don't see guys like Heston anymore; rugged looking dudes that seemed to materialize out of the wilderness in such a way that you believe they've lived there all their lives and only graced us with their presence for the running length of a feature film. Nowadays, guys are all super buff war machines (Arnold can be thanked/blamed for that, I suppose) or pathetic candy asses that can move their hands really fast, which passes for combat prowess. Heston, for all of his dramatic presence, seems like a guy that was made from building decks and working on manual transmissions.
I give the movie a 4 out of 5. A cinematic curiosity with a lot more to say than I was expecting.
Charlton Heston & Richard Boone
1965
123 minutes
In some recent YT vids about Excalibur, this film was brought up as a 'companion piece' of sorts to Boorman's Arthurian epic, a distant cousin that echoed some of its visual identity and thematic elements. I'd never heard of 'The War Lord' before this so I was, of course, immediately compelled, giver what a fan I am of Excalibur.
The movie isn't being provided as part of any of my streaming subscriptions so I was forced to purchase it on BD for 15 bucks through Amazon and I can say that it was money well spent. While it is an antiquated piece of cinema that shows its age, it's also a surprisingly deep film with some interesting questions about class relations and the nature of temptation and what it does to us the longer we are exposed to it. The production values, for their time, are quite impressive, especially as it concerns the stunt work of so many men-at-arms being thrown about or falling to their deaths off of siege towers and bridges.
In the film, Charlton Heston plays Lord Chrysagon, a knight tasked by his master Duke William of Ghent with taking governance of a Norman coastal settlement in order to protect it from Frisian raiders (the film takes place in the 11th century, by the by). Chrysagon has been given instructions to be mindful of the customs and traditions of the village's inhabitants and not to trample on their beliefs, which are pagan and not at all in alignment with those of their Norman rulers. But Duke William is a savvy sort of fellow and understands that rulership is not simply about beating your subjects into submission but allowing them their proclivities because politics is as much about the socio as it is about the economic and the tactical.
Chrysagon falls for one of the village's girls, a beautiful young woman named Bronwyn (Rosemary Forsyth) and he learns that the ancient pagan rite of 'prima nocte' is in full effect here. The village elder, Bronwyn's foster father Odins (Niall MacGinnis), tells Chrysagon that if he is going to do this, it must be under the old ways so that it is an act of permission rather than the violation of rape. But Chrysagon finds himself smitten with Bronwyn and when the morning comes, he refuses to allow her to return to her home as was part of the custom. Add to this that Bronwyn is likewise attracted to Chrysagon and you have a situation where two people that have fallen in love are both breaking from their traditions and agreements in order to be with one another. This leads to the villagers aligning with the Frisians, who have their own axe to grind with Chrysagon (he unknowingly abducted the Frisian chief's son in the opening battle of the film and they want him back) and you have all the makings of a revolt via alliance of convenience.
I suppose that the parts of this film that coalesce with Excalibur are in its emerald depiction of forested lands and its themes of the old world of paganjism clashing with the new (relatively speaking, since it's the 11th century) faith of the One True God. In Excalibur, Merlin seemed all too willing to leave the world behind, recognizing that his time and the time of his ways had come. In The War Lord, however, Duke William's own permissiveness of pagan rites is a short term solution always ready to cause problems. I'm not so certain I understand the relation between the two films beyond this but I suppose I'll have to think more about it to draw a parallel.
The action scenes, in particular the sword fighting, is quite energized and well choreographed. There is an immediacy and an intensity to them that isn't even present in most modern day films, although I suppose that has a little to do with the fact that women are almost never going to be convincing in martial roles unless they come from that background (Gina Carano, Cynthia Rothrock, et. al). And unlike a lot of modern fare which is often overchoreographed to the point of absurdity, Heston's motion is pure, essential and necessary for the act. No flipping or unnecessary flourishes here, just brutal strokes and counterblows. But Heston seems a deft hand with a sword in this movie and I am convinced of his ability in this respect. We don't see guys like Heston anymore; rugged looking dudes that seemed to materialize out of the wilderness in such a way that you believe they've lived there all their lives and only graced us with their presence for the running length of a feature film. Nowadays, guys are all super buff war machines (Arnold can be thanked/blamed for that, I suppose) or pathetic candy asses that can move their hands really fast, which passes for combat prowess. Heston, for all of his dramatic presence, seems like a guy that was made from building decks and working on manual transmissions.
I give the movie a 4 out of 5. A cinematic curiosity with a lot more to say than I was expecting.
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Boogie Nights- Easily my favorite PTA movie and it’s especially impressive considering he was something like 27 at the time. Already a visionary with a total command of his craft.
The film works on a lot of different levels, it’s a character study, a social commentary, an examination of family, a time capsule and an essay on self destruction and redemption.
Incredible performances across the board from one of the greatest casts ever assembled, an amazing soundtrack and fantastic cinematography. Really everything about it is outstanding. On top of all that it’s also hilarious. Also one of the only times Mark Whalberg doesn’t annoy the shit out of me.
One of the best films of the 90’s and one that’s remained in my personal top 10.
The film works on a lot of different levels, it’s a character study, a social commentary, an examination of family, a time capsule and an essay on self destruction and redemption.
Incredible performances across the board from one of the greatest casts ever assembled, an amazing soundtrack and fantastic cinematography. Really everything about it is outstanding. On top of all that it’s also hilarious. Also one of the only times Mark Whalberg doesn’t annoy the shit out of me.
One of the best films of the 90’s and one that’s remained in my personal top 10.
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Excalibur- Not going to talk about the movie itself since it’s been discussed lately. This is about the Arrow 4k CE set. It’s very nice, the picture upgrade is huge. It’s an odd looking movie what with the intentional softness, reflections and ambient lighting so I was very interested to see how it would clean up in 4k. There’s a huge improvement in contrast and detail with reality striking color highlights while still being faithful to the natural look of the film. They did a great job.
The CE packaging is also really nice and they made great use of Bob Peak’s art.
If you were interested in picking this up it’s definitely worth it whether it’s the CE or standard. The movie finally got the treatment it deserves.
The CE packaging is also really nice and they made great use of Bob Peak’s art.
If you were interested in picking this up it’s definitely worth it whether it’s the CE or standard. The movie finally got the treatment it deserves.
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I thought the lack of a scene selection was a bit bizarre but overall. I agree that this is the best the film has ever looked on any home viewing format I've ever peeped. And the 4K CE package is stellar, with lots of extra content across three discs. Wonderful release of a wonderful film.
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Good luck, have fun, don't die.
I enjoyed this, but I do wish a little more background stuff was explained. Ending was fine, if a bit dark (reminded me of Upgrade and Mrs. Davis for some reason). But I thought it ended well. Very Skynet-esque.
I just wish
more had been explained about how they were just willy nilly cloning kids. My wife kept saying "this is a game or virtual reality" through the whole movie, and I tend to agree. But at the same time it was like they just randomly said "oh so your kid was shot in a school, did you wanna just clone him?" outta the blue, lol.
Im one of those guys that wants to know more about the background stuff. For example, in the movie Drowning Mona, a fantastic movie with Bette Midler, William Fichtner, Neve Campbell, Danny DeVito and Casey Affleck that is a clear homage/riff on Rashomon - there is a scene where Fichtner's character Phil Dearly comes into a little bar and sees the 3 idiot cops sitting at a table. He greets them with a "Bonsoir, gentlemen" and they all kinda giggle.
Complete throwaway line, not meant to catch anyones attention, but Im like what are these dudes giggling about? Why is Dearly saying bonsoir to these dudes. Whats the story behind that. Just funny stuff I wanna know about.
Anyway, fun movie. Sam Rockwell kills it like he does in every other thing he does. And a real treat and a surprise for me was the appearance of Zazie Beetz. You put ZB in your movie and DD is a happy dude. She purdy.
I enjoyed this, but I do wish a little more background stuff was explained. Ending was fine, if a bit dark (reminded me of Upgrade and Mrs. Davis for some reason). But I thought it ended well. Very Skynet-esque.
I just wish
more had been explained about how they were just willy nilly cloning kids. My wife kept saying "this is a game or virtual reality" through the whole movie, and I tend to agree. But at the same time it was like they just randomly said "oh so your kid was shot in a school, did you wanna just clone him?" outta the blue, lol.
Im one of those guys that wants to know more about the background stuff. For example, in the movie Drowning Mona, a fantastic movie with Bette Midler, William Fichtner, Neve Campbell, Danny DeVito and Casey Affleck that is a clear homage/riff on Rashomon - there is a scene where Fichtner's character Phil Dearly comes into a little bar and sees the 3 idiot cops sitting at a table. He greets them with a "Bonsoir, gentlemen" and they all kinda giggle.
Complete throwaway line, not meant to catch anyones attention, but Im like what are these dudes giggling about? Why is Dearly saying bonsoir to these dudes. Whats the story behind that. Just funny stuff I wanna know about.
Anyway, fun movie. Sam Rockwell kills it like he does in every other thing he does. And a real treat and a surprise for me was the appearance of Zazie Beetz. You put ZB in your movie and DD is a happy dude. She purdy.
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- Jul 26, 2008
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Undertone
A24 and horror meant I was instantly sold. Until now. This is the worst movie I’ve seen since Shin Li and the Nine Rings. The concept is cool - paranormal podcasters accidentally summoning an entity - but the execution is cliche to the point where people in the theater were laughing. Crayon stick figures holding decapitated heads, children singing nursery rhymes, search engine montages. And that’s not to mention the acting. The co-podcaster is only heard over the phone, and the ADR is laughably stiff throughout the movie. The best thing about Undertone is that it’s only 90 minutes long.
A24 and horror meant I was instantly sold. Until now. This is the worst movie I’ve seen since Shin Li and the Nine Rings. The concept is cool - paranormal podcasters accidentally summoning an entity - but the execution is cliche to the point where people in the theater were laughing. Crayon stick figures holding decapitated heads, children singing nursery rhymes, search engine montages. And that’s not to mention the acting. The co-podcaster is only heard over the phone, and the ADR is laughably stiff throughout the movie. The best thing about Undertone is that it’s only 90 minutes long.
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Send Help - Really enjoyed going to see this and I wish Sam Raimi would make more non-superhero movies. Can't believe it's been 17 years since Drag Me To Hell. Definitely a good movie to see at a theater with a crowd.
Scream 7 - Went in not expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. Worth checking out if you're a fan of the series. Great opening with Stu's house as an AirBnB and they didn't go over the top with the meta stuff like the last few movies.
Scream 7 - Went in not expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. Worth checking out if you're a fan of the series. Great opening with Stu's house as an AirBnB and they didn't go over the top with the meta stuff like the last few movies.
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A24 has pretty much ruined their reputation at this point. I’m not sure what’s going on behind the scenes but someone is making really bad choices. The Unicorn movie, Y2K, that movie with The Rock they’ve totally lost it.
I knew Undertone was going to be shit from the trailers. It’s Blumhouse level creepypasta junk for braindead teens.
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- Jul 9, 2001
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War Machine - I had no idea this was a Predator type movie. It really followed that script had a low budget feel to it to me, but it was entertaining.
Tiger’s Tail - There is a Simpsons episode “The Computer Wore Menace Shows” where Homer is replaced by an Evil Homer and the family learns to not mind it. In a way this was like that. Brendan Gleeson finds out he has a twin when the man goes to wash his windshield for money. The man goes on to assume his identity but in the end they turn out to he bros in this John Boorman movie. It was ok it didn’t have the dramatic end I was anticipating. Kim Catrall was stunning though
Tiger’s Tail - There is a Simpsons episode “The Computer Wore Menace Shows” where Homer is replaced by an Evil Homer and the family learns to not mind it. In a way this was like that. Brendan Gleeson finds out he has a twin when the man goes to wash his windshield for money. The man goes on to assume his identity but in the end they turn out to he bros in this John Boorman movie. It was ok it didn’t have the dramatic end I was anticipating. Kim Catrall was stunning though
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- Oct 22, 2000
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Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die
Sam Rockwell is one of my favorites. I had seen one trailer so I knew this was something sci-fi related.
I did not expect an AI meta storyline, with the depth of YA fiction. My wife and I just paused after the movie was done and we asked each other wtf did we did watch.
There are some good moments in here, but the plot doesnt help. I first 30minutes of the movie are the best, and it goes downhill from there. You want jokes about AI and prompts? this is your movie. Otherwise, it's a lot of wasted potential. Sam is amazing the entire movie, the supporting characters are great. I just wasn't prepared for the tone of the movie. It feels like a serious movie at first, but you quickly realize it's all comedy. it reminds me of those movies made during Covid that are about making movies during Covid.
Sam Rockwell is one of my favorites. I had seen one trailer so I knew this was something sci-fi related.
I did not expect an AI meta storyline, with the depth of YA fiction. My wife and I just paused after the movie was done and we asked each other wtf did we did watch.
There are some good moments in here, but the plot doesnt help. I first 30minutes of the movie are the best, and it goes downhill from there. You want jokes about AI and prompts? this is your movie. Otherwise, it's a lot of wasted potential. Sam is amazing the entire movie, the supporting characters are great. I just wasn't prepared for the tone of the movie. It feels like a serious movie at first, but you quickly realize it's all comedy. it reminds me of those movies made during Covid that are about making movies during Covid.
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- Mar 22, 2016
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Not very.
It's definitely doable.
edit: Also, as goofy and as much of a mess as it looks to be - its got Emily Blunt.
Ima marry that girl one day. So I'll buy a ticket.
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- Sep 11, 2002
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I was ok with them handwaving that away with
Spoiler:
Sadly since nobody saw it in the theater we're not getting anything else which is a shame as it is one of my top three favs for the year, it is either a "you get it or you don't" movie.
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- May 4, 2004
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Hard Boiled- Possibly still the greatest action movie ever made. Certainly a massively influential one. Easily the best of Woo’s Hong Kong era stuff. Even though I like The Killer just as much I have to acknowledge that HB is better in just about every way.
On a side note I have to complain about the Shout Factory 4k release. I’m glad I waited to get this till it actually went on sale. Even at almost 40% off I still think it’s a little overpriced. The Excalibur set that just came out from Arrow was cheaper and is way nicer.
The transfer, supplements etc fine but the packaging is lazy and dull looking. Especially considering what it initially retailed for and in comparison to other boutique companies. I would have been pissed if I preordered this at or near full price. At least the actual content is solid.
On a side note I have to complain about the Shout Factory 4k release. I’m glad I waited to get this till it actually went on sale. Even at almost 40% off I still think it’s a little overpriced. The Excalibur set that just came out from Arrow was cheaper and is way nicer.
The transfer, supplements etc fine but the packaging is lazy and dull looking. Especially considering what it initially retailed for and in comparison to other boutique companies. I would have been pissed if I preordered this at or near full price. At least the actual content is solid.
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- May 4, 2004
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Thief- The Michael Mann classic starring James Caan. Visually gorgeous with neon lit wet streets, nighttime driving shots and smooth camera work. It has Mann’s signature coolness.. It’s also a very heavy movie. Between Caan’s damaged character, criminal and personal life everything just feels like it’s about to go horribly wrong despite his tough and icey persona. It’s a slow movie but it always feels deliberate and stays engrossing. All of that is backed perfectly by the Tangerine Dream score.
It had been quite a while since I’d last seen this and I’m really glad I revisited it. It’s an exceptional movie.
It had been quite a while since I’d last seen this and I’m really glad I revisited it. It’s an exceptional movie.
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- May 4, 2004
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Heavier Trip- A Scandinavian comedy about a metal band that escapes from prison to play the Wacken festival. It was okayish. The dry Scandinavian humor mostly worked but whenever it tried to get goofy it just fell flat. Not funny enough to overcome bad writing and how haphazard everything felt. I did laugh a few times and Baby Metal was in it kind of a lot which was unexpected.
It kind of felt like one of the bad SNL movies from the 90’s.
It kind of felt like one of the bad SNL movies from the 90’s.