I got to see it in 70mm at the music box theater in chicago twice in the past two years :p
they do that every year for the 70mm festival, and it's seriously one of my favorite theaters...
I'm pretty bummed I miss out on the Q&A with Jason Schwartzman there this Friday for "Listen Up Philip".
I admire the premise and the sets and the special effects. The story is about 30 teenager types who mysteriously get sent up a lift shaft (one at a time at a rate of 1 a month) with no memories. At the top is an opening to some woods which lead to a maze. The maze is deadly and nobody has worked out its secrets so the kids sit in the middle of the woods living by rules and regulations until Thomas comes along.....
The ending has one of those Matrix architect type speeches which acts like its telling you everything but ultimately it tells you nothing but riddles. The whole movie is a setup for part 2.
Whilst I enjoyed the ride the unconclusive ending gave it a bit of anti climatic feel. I would hold off until part 2 inevitably arrives so that you can unearth a bit more of the puzzle in one sitting.
4/5
This industry has become 2 dimensional as it transcended into a 3D world.
GaijinPunch wrote:
Never saw it.
The main one I want to see here is Psycho, b/c (yikes) I've never seen it.
Last spring I went on a Hitchcock rampage (can't remember what started it), and bought/watched quite a few of his movies, most of which I had never seen. Some aged fantastically well because they use little SFX and rely on plot/characters for suspense. Some look dated, and what might have been suspenseful is no more. We can see the attempt, but it falls flat. A random ranking of some of the movies I've had the chance to watch:
Top class tier
Rear Window
Psycho
Rope
(I'm refraining from comments on these so they remain a mystery for you)
Excellent tier
North by Northwest (a bit long for my tastes though)
The Lady Vanishes (great setting)
Dial M for Murder (superb script)
All right tier
Vertigo (use of color --)
Notorious (camera work +++)
The Birds (sfx dated)
Rebecca (for story, Fontaine is unbearable in this)
Meh tier
To Catch a Thief (grace kelly+, everything else -)
Spellbound (a mess imo, by Hitch's standards)
I, too, have never seen American Werewolf in London. Never got around to it...
Muchos años después, frente al pelotón de fusilamiento...
After a break due mostly being sick and busy and annoyed with real life things, i'm back to watching movies. Big post incoming.
A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)
It's a Seth MacFarlane movie, it's as "American TV" as you can get with the humor, expect sex jokes, piss jokes, crack jokes, poop jokes, often reaching beyond the limit of what is funny, clearly it's a movie that doesn't give a crap about whether it's offensive or not. And that's Seth MacFarlane movies in a nutshell (Also scary movie series ironically! And many others I could mention)
But! Let's talk about the movie itself, it is a fun goofy journey SUPPOSEDLY about a loser of a farmer failing to maintain his relationship with a woman he loves, only for things to even worse as his love finds a new love interest in a rich guy who has a fetish for moustaches and doing things with his moustache. Trust me, it only goes downhill from here as things get wilder and less sane, if anything, I give this movie much credit for it's rather hilarious finale that nobody would get away with in an any other movie under any other circumstances.
Also I haven't really spoiled it, it's like first 20-25 mins of the movie, because this isn't even what actually this movie is about. It's one giant ride of parodies and gags, it's a rollercoaster of american humor kind.
Can you have fun with this movie? Yes, provided you can take the american humor and not get offended by it, simply, not give a crap about STANDARDS. It works, it's fun, it doesn't take itself seriously from start to the end. Without going too much into details that would require spoilers, I would give it a reasonable 7/10, the script could have been a bit better, some gags would be better off removed (including one involving a sheep) and could overall, use some extra polish.
====================================
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
I waited for the hype to calm down, I forgot about the trailers which were inaccurate to the movie's point anyway. I came in with no expectations, except that it would'nt be as bad as the third X-men movie, oh my god that one was a massive trainwreck.
Now, let's not bush around, this is a popcorn movie at it's core, there's action scenes, explosions, lots of special effects, the standard fare stuff that normal viewers will be satisfied with. BUT! Bryan Singer (Who directed the first two X-men movies which were neat) didn't forget about those with a brain and this is where the movie truly shines above all the usual popcorn bullshit by Michael Bay and his impersonators.
To not give away too much due it being still a recent movie, i'll try to do a spoiler less summary of what worked and what didn't. Also watch past the credits.
Pros:
- Time travel story that actually works and doesn't feel stupid.
- Character development, THERE's a lot of it, but it doesn't overstay it's welcome, it's part of the movie's natural flow
- The action scenes which are memorable
- DEFINITELY THE LAST 30-40 minutes, extremely gripping, suspensful. There's lots of going on, twists included, but somehow the movie doesn't manage to slip on a banana peel and makes it all work in a consistent manner.
- One of the best slow motion scenes ever.
Cons?
- Movie could have been a bit shorter in certain parts but it's nothing major.
- Some characters needed less attention.
MINOR SPOILER! - Pardon the language but the movie manages to unfuck the real shit of a movie mess that was X3: Last Stand and erase it from it's timeline. That was one of the best things of the movie. MINOR SPOILER!
It's a definitive 9/10 for me. Probably the best movie of this year.
====================================
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Now, this is a movie I liked from trailers and was curious on, I liked it's concept of "Live, Die, Repeat". Having finally watched it, I gotta say, it's awesome and VERY "video game like", it has it's flaws but the overall concept works. Here's a bit more in-depth explanation of it.
Basically it's about a guy who's been thrown in the war, completely without any combat training and he's forced to fight in a war against aliens. Only that he finds out that each time he dies, he starts the day all over again. And the movie goes with it for a while until the final act which I won't spoil (said final act I found very suspenful and exciting, despite it's somewhat poorer writing versus the earlier stuff)
Funniest thing about this movie is that by the time it reached the final act, it felt tedious, grindy, I was tired of seeing the same things over and over again..... ironically! This is what happens in games if you keep playing the same checkpoints over and over again if you die, so that's oddly, very video game like. It's a positive you don't notice until you are done watching the movie.
It's fun flick, recommended, I would give it a 8 out of 10. The only things that didn't really work was the writing later on and that the movie COULD HAVE been really shorter by good 10 minutes in the first act or so, and we would lose nothing from removing those grindy 10 minutes.
====================================
And my horror-a-thon finally came back on the track after a bunch of popcorn flicks (needed a break), so, I jumped into a movie I wanted to see for a bit now, Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Where do I begin with this movie, it's a horror movie from horror movie fans. The less you know overall the better.
I'll just say few things, this movie's all about horror stereotypes, in-jokes, referrences and even throws in 4th wall stuff in the blender. If you aren't a horror movie fan or at least you haven't seen good classic horror movies, big chances are, you will not enjoy this movie at all. Don't let the first half put you to sleep, it's intentional to make you think it's boring.
There are few things that didn't quite work with me but there are many that did. INCLUDING the most ironic self-aware death in horror movies of all the time that made me burst out in laughter, I won't say what it is, just watch. Also the ending's fairly awesome for what it is, something unusual.
Kaiser wrote:
A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)
It's a Seth MacFarlane movie, it's as "American TV" as you can get with the humor, expect sex jokes, piss jokes, crack jokes, poop jokes, often reaching beyond the limit of what is funny, clearly it's a movie that doesn't give a crap about whether it's offensive or not. And that's Seth MacFarlane movies in a nutshell (Also scary movie series ironically! And many others I could mention)
"family guy" is a far more accurate representation of seth mcfarlanes abilities as a writer. there are very few piss and shit jokes; the humor lies in the incessant pop-culture references. i know the intent of your review wasn't to bash seth mcfarlane, but let's be honest: there's no way he had autonomous control over either of the films his name was stapled to, like he did/does with "family guy" (which has faded over the last several years, but the first 8 seasons are fucking brilliant.)
GaijinPunch wrote:
Never saw it.
The main one I want to see here is Psycho, b/c (yikes) I've never seen it.
Last spring I went on a Hitchcock rampage (can't remember what started it), and bought/watched quite a few of his movies, most of which I had never seen. Some aged fantastically well because they use little SFX and rely on plot/characters for suspense. Some look dated, and what might have been suspenseful is no more. We can see the attempt, but it falls flat. A random ranking of some of the movies I've had the chance to watch:
Top class tier
Rear Window
Psycho
Rope
(I'm refraining from comments on these so they remain a mystery for you)
Excellent tier
North by Northwest (a bit long for my tastes though)
The Lady Vanishes (great setting)
Dial M for Murder (superb script)
All right tier
Vertigo (use of color --)
Notorious (camera work +++)
The Birds (sfx dated)
Rebecca (for story, Fontaine is unbearable in this)
Meh tier
To Catch a Thief (grace kelly+, everything else -)
Spellbound (a mess imo, by Hitch's standards)
I, too, have never seen American Werewolf in London. Never got around to it...
Awesome! Thanks for the heads up. I'm not very versed on the 60's (and before) so thinking at some point I will try to catch up!
RegalSin wrote:New PowerPuff Girls. They all have evil pornstart eyelashes.
even though I can't go for the Q&A tonight, I saw Listen Up Philip and I'd say it's now my current favorite movie of 2014.
starring Jason Schwartzman, about a writer who finally gets one of his books published and he lets it get to his head - he basically goes back to tell everyone who doubted him to fuck off. Very dry, somewhat dark, and some very funny moments laced through out.
Spoiler
all of his teaching scenes and his lawn mowing scene had me laughing pretty hard
King of Porn John Holmes' moderately budgeted WWII deserted island naziploitation film! This is why the golden age of porn cannot be equaled. Senor Wadd is a WWII sailor stationed in in China with his lover, but unfortunately must leave her and go out to see for 60 days. Disaster strikes after a bit of good-bye copulation, leaving his lover dead. Further disaster strikes as his ocean vessel is destroyed, with Holmes the only survivor! Stranded, he makes his way to shore and reminisces his recently deceased love while he tries to survive by scaling trees for coconuts and walking around naked under water falls. His clothes tattered and becoming accustomed to the life of one cast away, he suddenly discovers he's not alone: Nazi wenches naked in the stream! Furthermore, they aren't alone, for there is a Nazi camp stationed nearby with an evil Commander with a penchant for bondage with a Japanese girl guard. Holmes uncovers that they are holding two female American medics for their sick pleasure and must PENETRATE his ways through enemy lines and rescue them!
Holmes is actually pretty convincing as the love lost sailor. Lot's of shots of contemplation and loneliness by the sea's shore as he spins around the good luck charm his lover left him. Unfortunately, these are the later years of Holmes life, when his coke habit was at large, meaning that his, uh... "talent" wasn't so large. According to Annette Haven, his penis was never particularly hard during intercourse at this time, likening it to "doing it with a big, soft kind-of loofah," which is surprisingly (and disturbingly) accurate. There's plenty of sleaze to go around, and plus for aficionados, it's one of Seka's first big roles, playing one of the Nazi bondage babes. There's plenty of sleaze to go around and a bit of violence, making this a good'un. The amazing company, Vinegar Syndrome, released this bad boy awhile back and I can easily recommend for the entire family.
Final score: 4/5 penises
BIL wrote:
"Small sack, LOTS OF CUM" - Nikola Tesla
Some-Mist wrote:even though I can't go for the Q&A tonight, I saw Listen Up Philip and I'd say it's now my current favorite movie of 2014.
starring Jason Schwartzman, about a writer who finally gets one of his books published and he lets it get to his head - he basically goes back to tell everyone who doubted him to fuck off. Very dry, somewhat dark, and some very funny moments laced through out.
Spoiler
all of his teaching scenes and his lawn mowing scene had me laughing pretty hard
Some-Mist wrote:even though I can't go for the Q&A tonight, I saw Listen Up Philip and I'd say it's now my current favorite movie of 2014.
starring Jason Schwartzman, about a writer who finally gets one of his books published and he lets it get to his head - he basically goes back to tell everyone who doubted him to fuck off. Very dry, somewhat dark, and some very funny moments laced through out.
Spoiler
all of his teaching scenes and his lawn mowing scene had me laughing pretty hard
Recommended? Sounds an awful lot like a mean version of Bored to Death.
I would recommend it. especially if you're a fan of indie films and you enjoy jason schwartzman.
a mean version of bored to death is exactly what it is. he plays a very smug character with his new found fame and it's kinda funny (in a dark way) how he handles it.
Some-Mist wrote:
I would recommend it. especially if you're a fan of indie films and you enjoy jason schwartzman.
a mean version of bored to death is exactly what it is. he plays a very smug character with his new found fame and it's kinda funny (in a dark way) how he handles it.
i was really disappointed when they took bored to death off. the first two seasons were awesome and ted dansons character (& his acting) was a gem.
Space Station 76.
A sci-fi movie from the perspective of the 1970s sci-fi world. More drama than comedy, but it has its moments. Taking place aboard a space station/ship in the present time, with its sparse residents. Not much really to say about this as it was slow moving and had a decent cast. You've got a couple of families where the husband of one and the wife of the other are cheating whenever they can and the captain who's always drunk and such other things. A decent movie that shows it did a good bit with not the greatest budget. Worth to me at least one watch.
rapoon wrote:
i was really disappointed when they took bored to death off. the first two seasons were awesome and ted dansons character (& his acting) was a gem.
Absolute classic -- that guy is like a fine bottle of wine. "I want you to hit me in the face... I got the idea watching TV last night. Fight Club was on..." Hahaha.
RegalSin wrote:New PowerPuff Girls. They all have evil pornstart eyelashes.
rapoon wrote:
i was really disappointed when they took bored to death off. the first two seasons were awesome and ted dansons character (& his acting) was a gem.
Absolute classic -- that guy is like a fine bottle of wine. "I want you to hit me in the face... I got the idea watching TV last night. Fight Club was on..." Hahaha.
Absolute classic -- that guy is like a fine bottle of wine. "I want you to hit me in the face... I got the idea watching TV last night. Fight Club was on..." Hahaha.
he's hysterical. i loved the references to plato's retreat and paris in the 60's.
GaijinPunch wrote:
Never saw it.
The main one I want to see here is Psycho, b/c (yikes) I've never seen it.
Last spring I went on a Hitchcock rampage (can't remember what started it), and bought/watched quite a few of his movies, most of which I had never seen. Some aged fantastically well because they use little SFX and rely on plot/characters for suspense. Some look dated, and what might have been suspenseful is no more. We can see the attempt, but it falls flat. A random ranking of some of the movies I've had the chance to watch:
Top class tier
Rear Window
Psycho
Rope
(I'm refraining from comments on these so they remain a mystery for you)
Excellent tier
North by Northwest (a bit long for my tastes though)
The Lady Vanishes (great setting)
Dial M for Murder (superb script)
All right tier
Vertigo (use of color --)
Notorious (camera work +++)
The Birds (sfx dated)
Rebecca (for story, Fontaine is unbearable in this)
Meh tier
To Catch a Thief (grace kelly+, everything else -)
Spellbound (a mess imo, by Hitch's standards)
I, too, have never seen American Werewolf in London. Never got around to it...
No Shadow of A Doubt? It was Hitchcock's personal favorite film, and I have to agree it's excellent. I'd highly recommend giving that one a shot if you're looking for more from him.
Also saw his The 39 Steps recently, enjoyed that one a lot too.
RegalSin wrote:Japan an almost perfect society always threatened by outsiders....................
Instead I am stuck in the America's where women rule with an iron crotch, and a man could get arrested for sitting behind a computer too long.
Squire Grooktook wrote: No Shadow of A Doubt? It was Hitchcock's personal favorite film, and I have to agree it's excellent. I'd highly recommend giving that one a shot if you're looking for more from him.
Also saw his The 39 Steps recently, enjoyed that one a lot too.
Never watched it, may very well give it a shot.
Rewatched Rope last night - superb movie from start to finish.
Muchos años después, frente al pelotón de fusilamiento...
This is, for all intents and purposes, a Chinese interpretation of ROCKY IV.
Rocky = the humble Ip Man
Drago = the foreign devil "Twister" (except he's British instead of Russian)
We even have corrupt officials, a scene where Ip Man isolates himself from his family in order to train, and the same cheesy "we should all get along" ending.
Guardians of the Galaxy
A standard plot (five badass adventurers team up against particularly horrible bad guys, become friends, and have enough success to be called the "Guardians of the Galaxy" and become professional heroes) which, although very predictable, makes sense and offers a good foundation to several good characters and episodes.
The main merit of the film is not having serious defects; it doesn't try to be anything more than an entertaining adventure story, but it's an almost perfect adventure story.
Bonus points for being, largely, a shmup adventure, complete with intense dodging, ramming and chasing, boss ships and swarms of fighters and corvettes, cool energy weapons, and extremely trigger-happy characters.
Some-Mist wrote:
I would recommend it. especially if you're a fan of indie films and you enjoy jason schwartzman.
a mean version of bored to death is exactly what it is. he plays a very smug character with his new found fame and it's kinda funny (in a dark way) how he handles it.
i was really disappointed when they took bored to death off. the first two seasons were awesome and ted dansons character (& his acting) was a gem.
probably the best part of bored to death
Raytrace wrote:
GaijinPunch wrote:
rapoon wrote:
i was really disappointed when they took bored to death off. the first two seasons were awesome and ted dansons character (& his acting) was a gem.
Absolute classic -- that guy is like a fine bottle of wine. "I want you to hit me in the face... I got the idea watching TV last night. Fight Club was on..." Hahaha.
Ted Danson was amazing in Curb Your Enthusiasm.
one of my favorite characters in curb (other than marty funkhouser) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiEeF8fEOt8
both jeff + larry make this scene fantastic too (especially jeff)
so fucking bad
Even with MST3k riffing on it, it's entirely unwatchable. I aborted 15 minutes from the end, and I'm entirely amazed I managed to get that far.
I'm entirely sure this movie was made just so there could be a reason to have a bunch of women in nightgowns crawling over each other. That's it. Holy fuck.
so fucking bad
Even with MST3k riffing on it, it's entirely unwatchable. I aborted 15 minutes from the end, and I'm entirely amazed I managed to get that far.
I'm entirely sure this movie was made just so there could be a reason to have a bunch of women in nightgowns crawling over each other. That's it. Holy fuck.
Wait, dude: you're telling me that you crapped out on a MST3k movie before it was over? Blasphemy, man. Blasphemy.
Never got around to it...
