Last Movie You Saw, Name & Review Movie • Page 122

I liked that movie in college but have next to no desire to rewatch

 

I don’t think I like Jim Jarmusch films, that’s relatively controversial

 

Good place to plug this in case anyone missed it and wants in before the deadline: The Chorus.fm Users Definitive Films List • forum.chorus.fm

 

Sonic the Hedgehog - 6/10

 

Full Metal Jacket (Stanley Kubrick)
7.5/10
Common criticisms about the second half feeling disjointed and somewhat pedestrian apply, but this is still a great film with an extremely effective and unsettling first half (not to mention its unforgettable closing scene).

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Jeremiah S. Chechik)
7.5/10
More of a nostalgic watch than a laugh out loud one for me -- it doesn't quite reach the heights of the original Vacation -- but it's still a comfort film with some amazing back and forth alongside the obviously iconic one-liners. It's a damn shame Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid died tragically immediately after peaking in this film, never having the chance to do anything insane or problematic that would stain their legacies forever

Mank (David Fincher)
6/10
It's funny, I felt intimidated by Citizen Kane due to its age and reputation, but this was a far, FAR more difficult watch, though it does mostly succeed in offering a fascinating life story through the lens of classic studio films. It's just a shame the pacing is so bizarre and the timeline is somehow made more confusing by the fact they tell you whenever you're seeing a flashback (lol). Sporadically dull and strange in a not fun way, but the parts that do work make it worth the watch for those interested in Hollywood history.

 

Forgot about this thread for a bit. Here's a handful from the past couple of weeks.

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (Alan Rafkin)
8.5/10
I have a theory that this was everyone's grandpa's favorite movie. My grandparents had the VHS tape and I just have watched/borrowed it dozens of times. Revisiting it, there's no way it didn't have a profound effect on both my sense of humor and love of horror, even if the self-playing organ isn't as scary as it used to be. Just a wonderful, feel-good little watch from front to back.

Silent Night (Camille Griffin)
6/10
Well-executed, funny in the right places and genuinely affecting, but the more I think about it, the less I like it. It's predictable and has a real whiff of "bleak for bleak's sake" a'la The Mist, which is honestly one of my least favorite kinds of movies. Technically interesting with a very solid premise, but unfortunately, it fails to do much of anything with it other than be watchable.

Spider-Man 3 (Sam Raimi)
7.5/10
I don't mean to shit on the MCU anymore than is necessary, but it's just insane how much more you care about these characters without the film being like 80% fan service. This may be the weakest of the Raimi Spiderman trilogy, but it's still a good film in a great series. It's tough to put into words, but there's a certain theatricality and touch of old Hollywood that really makes these movies feel the way a blockbuster should. Emo Peter Parker is funny and the jazz club scene is good, and I will die on this hill.

Reno 911! The Hunt for QAnon (Ben Garant)
6/10
Not as good as I remember Miami being, but sporadically very funny (minus a very weak opening scene) with Patton stealing the show. A pleasant surprise!

Don't Look Up (Adam McKay)
7.5/10
I seem to be in the minority here, but I thought this was quite good. Never as smart as it thought it was, but funny when it was supposed to be (Jonah Hill in particular), surprisingly effective, and rather enjoyable to watch despite being overlong. Dr. Strangelove, it ain't, but it is a step up from Vice that makes me think McKay had not only a vision, but the actual skills to comment on the lofty and topical themes he's presenting here.

 

Don’t look up -5/5

licorice pizza 5/5

 

Love Don Knotts so much

 

I LOVE The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. It has NO reason to be as awesome as it is.

 

Arrival - 6.5/10

I'm very ambivalent about this one

 

The French Dispatch 2.5/5

good visuals as always but the second 2 stories didn’t do much for me.

 

Don Knotts and a self-playing organ are reasons enough!

 

Goodnight Mommy (Severin Fiala & Veronika Franz)
7/10
My biggest gripe with this is that I was looking for something with a twist I didn't know about, and unfortunately, this one became rather predictable about halfway in. If you can get past that, this is a well-written, directed, and performed psychological horror film that sets a tense stage for Franz and Fiala's second film, The Lodge (which is a step up from this one). Twist aside, this is a memorable and unique vision.

Dude Bro Party Massacre III (Tomm Jacobsen, Michael Rousselet, Jon Salmon)
7.5/10
At least 20 minutes too long, insanely hit or miss, and it reeks of 2010s internet sketch humor. But when it hits, it's got bits that could rival The Naked Gun. You know what they say about writing a joke a page? This has at least five. It almost makes you miss spoof movies. An absurd, bizarre, and uniquely funny love letter to its source material.

 

Hah! I was so fired up with how great it was that I went to The Incredible Mr. Limpet....which is not so good.

 

Dressed to Kill - 7.5/10

 

Cape Fear 3/5

finally saw it and was let down, didn’t feel like a Scorsese

 

The Simpsons episode is better.

 

Blood Games (Tanya Rosenberg)
8/10
Weirdly funny in a very dark way given its content, at least in the first hour or so, but even if the tone feels slightly inconsistent, Blood Games is an extremely satisfying, expertly paced throwback to 70s revenge thrillers that gives you the violent back and forth you expect while taking the time to really carve out each of its individual protagonists. It's not subtle at all, but that's okay! These movies aren't supposed to be!


Predators (Nimród Antal)
6/10
Much like The Strangers, I've seen Predators a handful of times and I always enjoy it but never remember it. My most insane film take might be that I enjoy these two newest Predator films over the original two. And this one's not great, so that's saying something.

The dialogue is atrocious and Fishburne is really hamming it up here. BUT, the vibe...as silly as that sounds, there's something about these mid-late 2000s TroubleMaker Studios films. They're gritty. They're shamelessly style over substance. Danny Trejo is hanging around. You can really feel Rodriguez's influence throughout.

Ultimately, Predators succeeds at what Predator movies do best, and that's being big, loud, and dumb. The film looks great, Louis Ozawa Changchien's field scene is genuinely amazing, and the twist is SO absolutely batshit crazy that it's hard not to respect it. So while Predators is a bit of a mixed bag as a standalone film, it definitely delivers on what fans of the franchise are looking for.


Machete (Robert Rodriguez)
8/10
Exactly what the trailer promises (if not more) and likely the closest we'll ever get the a Grindhouse sequel. This one toes the line between homage and parody really well. It's not perfect, but it's exactly what it's supposed to be. Machete don't text.

 

Honestly, the original just smokes it.

 

It’s on the list.

 

Before I wake - 5/10

Didn't realize this was a Flamnagan movie until after but it definitely makes sense. From the visuals to the writing and the whole fairy tale feel to it all. At times it felt like a standard haunted child type flick but then it also had more wonder to it all. Good scares, good boos.

But, by God, kate Bosworth pulled this whole thing down. Did they purposely tell her to have the same stoic expression the entire movie? Making breakfast, husband eaten by clay monster, driving to the bank, dead spiderwebbed people plastered on walls..... doesn't matter to this girl, just another Tuesday.

And it's dramatic I know, but her lack of fear and "normal" reactions to such incredible things, killed the entire movie.

 

The Running Man 3.5/5

Just super fun cheese and dumb violence that you don't see in modern films. The casting choice of an actual famous game show host to play the evil game show host antagonist instead of an actor was kind of brilliant. Jesse Ventura was so fun as Captain Freedom "THIS IS A SPORT OF DEATH AND HONOR! CODE OF THE GLADIATORS!"

 

I fucking loved this film as a kid. Haven't watched it in 15 years probably, but I have fond memories of it.

 

Wild things - 4/10

It has the potential to be surprisingly fun. Doing the on purpose trash, b movie, noir, mystery thing....I think it could have worked. But once the reveal of the 3 working together...it falls apart and gets silly without it being funny. I think if this thing had humor in it, it would still work, its just the twists got stupid and eye rolly and you just stop caring.

I skipped it in 1998 and I now know why

 

Belle - 10/10
Power of the Dog - 7.5/10