Movies you've just watched

[Ixmucane2]

Deadpool

A straightforward, almost boring story (well told in flashbacks, starting from an important day in Deadpool's plans) with modest photography, special effects, direction in general (vague minor characters, unclear action scenes, low-budget character design).
I wasn't particularly impressed by the protagonist's sense of humour; many scenes and lines are funny, but many aim for cheap novelty (for example, almost all instances of Deadpool addressing the film audience) or cheap pop culture references (for example, Deadpool's wristwatch) or cheap naughtiness (including, but not limited to, Deadpool's sex life).

[Ixmucane2]

Zootopia

There are no humans; predators have learned to overcome their violent instincts a long time ago, and now bipedal sentient animals of all sorts live together peacefully, or at least that's the theory.
Judy Hopps is the first rabbit in the city police; after initial struggles (larger species, like rhinos, are more traditional) her successes make her a respected officer and she finds love (a fox!) according to common story patterns, but the way to get there is unusually full of despair, social pressure, racist hate, aberrant violence and slippery politics.

Amazingly well written and well edited; even the least special moments are superior to their obvious models. Very funny when appropriate, sometimes with multiple high profile gags going on at the same time, but also full of feeling when dealing with the sad side of life.
As good as a PG-rated noir can be (in fact, sex and death would be a distraction, and their avoidance is an opportunity to be even more fun and heartwarming).

[Vexorg]

Zoolander 2: ***1/2

By far the dumbest movie I've seen in years, and I've seen Anchorman 2. And yet in spite of that I still left the theater entertained. The plot goes straight for the bottom of the barrel and then magically finds a pickaxe from there to keep digging, but it's one of those movies that you turn your brain off for (we don't drink, but I suspect it would help in this case,) stop trying to make any sense out of the plot, and just watch the idiocy unfold, facepalming as necessary. Obviously tastes vary (quite a bit), but this seems like exactly the type of movie my wife and I would sit on the couch on a Friday night snarking at.

[EmperorIng]

I saw Tremors for the first time with my little sister and her boyfriend. We all had a really good time! Lovely-looking worms, and a really great cast of characters that managed to be more than idiot fodder for the monsters.

I really liked how typically, in movies, the gun-toting rednecks would be played up as the clueless comic relief types, but here the gun-nuts were some of the most entertaining and well-prepared characters in the movie. Everyone was not "Hollywood pretty", which made the cast that much more likable. Lots of fun banter, jokes, and clever pacing. I wasn't expecting the movie to have as much heart as it did.

I take it I can leave the sequels in the dirt?

[boagman]

Quite a few later-to-be-famous faces appeared in that show. Jack Black and Giovanni Ribisi are in the same episode together. Weird.

Used to be way into that show back in the day, and I remember that episode well. I kept trying to identify all the games in the arcade more than anything else.

[boagman]

No Country for Old Men: Still fucking awesome.

I have one semi-problem with that one: the protagonist and antagonist never really have a proper denouement, and as a result (especially as a result of what ends up happening with the protagonist), I'm left feeling a bit unsatisfied at the end. Great performances, but there needed to be something more that happens between them when all the buildup is taken into consideration.

[GaijinPunch]

No Country for Old Men: Still fucking awesome.

I have one semi-problem with that one: the protagonist and antagonist never really have a proper denouement, and as a result (especially as a result of what ends up happening with the protagonist), I'm left feeling a bit unsatisfied at the end. Great performances, but there needed to be something more that happens between them when all the buildup is taken into consideration.

I think that was the point, especially considering Tommy Lee Jones was technically the main character. It's definitely not a traditional narrative, and I get where you're coming from, but I think that's what makes it stand out.

[Skykid]

No Country for Old Men: Still fucking awesome.

I have one semi-problem with that one: the protagonist and antagonist never really have a proper denouement, and as a result (especially as a result of what ends up happening with the protagonist), I'm left feeling a bit unsatisfied at the end. Great performances, but there needed to be something more that happens between them when all the buildup is taken into consideration.

I think that was the point, especially considering Tommy Lee Jones was technically the main character. It's definitely not a traditional narrative, and I get where you're coming from, but I think that's what makes it stand out.

The first time I watched it I loved it but didn't quite get it, because I was expecting the same kind of upshot boagman said left him unsatisfied.

The second time I saw it, it clicked that Tommy Lee Jones was the main character and it was just fucking sublime. It's a great movie.

[Mischief Maker]

No Country for Old Men: Still fucking awesome.

I have one semi-problem with that one: the protagonist and antagonist never really have a proper denouement, and as a result (especially as a result of what ends up happening with the protagonist), I'm left feeling a bit unsatisfied at the end. Great performances, but there needed to be something more that happens between them when all the buildup is taken into consideration.

Tommy Lee Jones is the protagonist, and his conflict is trying to rescue Josh Brolin in an increasingly violent world that is exemplified by Javier Bardem, but not limited to him.

Spoiler

What we're supposed to take as heroic qualities in Brolin are actually stubborn qualities that push him further and further into danger.

[boagman]

I have one semi-problem with that one: the protagonist and antagonist never really have a proper denouement, and as a result (especially as a result of what ends up happening with the protagonist), I'm left feeling a bit unsatisfied at the end. Great performances, but there needed to be something more that happens between them when all the buildup is taken into consideration.

I think that was the point, especially considering Tommy Lee Jones was technically the main character. It's definitely not a traditional narrative, and I get where you're coming from, but I think that's what makes it stand out.

The first time I watched it I loved it but didn't quite get it, because I was expecting the same kind of upshot boagman said left him unsatisfied.

The second time I saw it, it clicked that Tommy Lee Jones was the main character and it was just fucking sublime. It's a great movie.

I guess I haven't looked at it that way. And I wasn't necessarily looking for "upshot", per se, but a denouement between the two characters. Didn't have to be neat, tidy, fun, or all-encompassing, but I did/do want something there that would provide a bit of resolution between them.

Again: great movie, and I'm not throwing out the baby with the bathwater. It's just that "one thing" that bothers me a bit. It really is a pretty incredible movie.

[boagman]

No Country for Old Men: Still fucking awesome.

I have one semi-problem with that one: the protagonist and antagonist never really have a proper denouement, and as a result (especially as a result of what ends up happening with the protagonist), I'm left feeling a bit unsatisfied at the end. Great performances, but there needed to be something more that happens between them when all the buildup is taken into consideration.

Tommy Lee Jones is the protagonist, and his conflict is trying to rescue Josh Brolin in an increasingly violent world that is exemplified by Javier Bardem, but not limited to him.

Spoiler

What we're supposed to take as heroic qualities in Brolin are actually stubborn qualities that push him further and further into danger.

And I hadn't really thought of TLJ as the protagonist. His role wasn't as prominent, I thought, as Brolin's character's was, and therefore was more of a supporting character, though he does get a good bit of screen time...it's not hard to say, though, that TLJ's scenes are outside of the main action, which is true. The protagonist is usually the one around which the main action occurs, so my confusion is due to that.

I'll have to watch it again bearing this in mind. I'm pretty sure that the issue will still remain, but it may give me a different perspective by which to gauge it.

[Mischief Maker]

And I hadn't really thought of TLJ as the protagonist. His role wasn't as prominent, I thought, as Brolin's character's was, and therefore was more of a supporting character, though he does get a good bit of screen time...it's not hard to say, though, that TLJ's scenes are outside of the main action, which is true. The protagonist is usually the one around which the main action occurs, so my confusion is due to that.

I'll have to watch it again bearing this in mind. I'm pretty sure that the issue will still remain, but it may give me a different perspective by which to gauge it.

Watch this scene again.

Brolin thinks he's the hero, too, but if TLJ doesn't get ahold of him he's doomed.

[boagman]

And I hadn't really thought of TLJ as the protagonist. His role wasn't as prominent, I thought, as Brolin's character's was, and therefore was more of a supporting character, though he does get a good bit of screen time...it's not hard to say, though, that TLJ's scenes are outside of the main action, which is true. The protagonist is usually the one around which the main action occurs, so my confusion is due to that.

I'll have to watch it again bearing this in mind. I'm pretty sure that the issue will still remain, but it may give me a different perspective by which to gauge it.

Watch this scene again.

Brolin thinks he's the hero, too, but if TLJ doesn't get ahold of him he's doomed.

Not hero, protagonist. While many protagonists do end up being the story's "hero", not all protagonists are such. No, my definition of protagonist would be "main character", and to me, that's how Brolin's character was depicted as per the script. As I said, I'll rewatch it with the idea of TLJ's character being the main character and see if that doesn't help me come to terms with that a bit better.

[GaijinPunch]

Watch this scene again.

"You don't understand..."

Spoiler

While we're all here, anyone care to debate just what the fuck when down just before Sheriff Bell entered the motel room towards the end?

And for shits and giggles, here's something share worthy. Been exposing someone to what I consider the finer points of cinema. She continuously told me she had seen No Country, but then showed up at mine one day when I was halfway through it and was like, "what's this?" When I told her and questioned how she could be so sure she'd seen it, she was like, "Oh... sorry... I got that confused with Brokeback Mountain". True story.

[boagman]

She continuously told me she had seen No Country, but then showed up at mine one day when I was halfway through it and was like, "what's this?" When I told her and questioned how she could be so sure she'd seen it, she was like, "Oh... sorry... I got that confused with Brokeback Mountain". True story.

"Well, they're both cowboy movies, right?"

[Skykid]

I saw Tremors for the first time with my little sister and her boyfriend. We all had a really good time! Lovely-looking worms, and a really great cast of characters that managed to be more than idiot fodder for the monsters.

I really liked how typically, in movies, the gun-toting rednecks would be played up as the clueless comic relief types, but here the gun-nuts were some of the most entertaining and well-prepared characters in the movie. Everyone was not "Hollywood pretty", which made the cast that much more likable. Lots of fun banter, jokes, and clever pacing. I wasn't expecting the movie to have as much heart as it did.

I take it I can leave the sequels in the dirt?

I actually seem to remember the second one being surprisingly good fun.

[lilmanjs]

Jayhawkers
A basketball movie with an entirely Jazz soundtrack and it fits surprisingly well. The movie itself is about Wilt Chamberlain's time here at Kansas University. Basketball games are done in a unique way as well and even with it being quite honest about this town in the 1950s, it has some good humor in it. They got one of the forwards playing on the basketball team at the time (2012 and 2013 it was shot). I recommend this. I was expecting a less than good movie but it surprised me.

[dan76]

No Country for Old Men: Still fucking awesome.

I have one semi-problem with that one: the protagonist and antagonist never really have a proper denouement, and as a result (especially as a result of what ends up happening with the protagonist), I'm left feeling a bit unsatisfied at the end. Great performances, but there needed to be something more that happens between them when all the buildup is taken into consideration.

I know what you mean. For me it's nothing to do with the story, but how it's handled.

Spoiler

What happens to Brolin happens offscreen. That's the problem.

From what I remember we last see him chatting to a woman by the pool, then there's a cut to Tommy Lee Jones heading there and it's all over. There's a shot of Brolin dead but it doesn't really look like him, or it wasn't clear when I was watching it. Its just the way it was shot and edited. It's the only thing I don't like about it.

[GaijinPunch]

Spoiler

What happens to Brolin happens offscreen. That's the problem.

From what I remember we last see him chatting to a woman by the pool, then there's a cut to Tommy Lee Jones heading there and it's all over. There's a shot of Brolin dead but it doesn't really look like him, or it wasn't clear when I was watching it. Its just the way it was shot and edited. It's the only thing I don't like about it.

Spoiler

Confused: So you've got no problem with him dying offscreen or the way that it was shot and edited? I admit it does happen quite fast. It took me forever to figure out the person dead in the pool was the lady that was flirting with him. She was right though - you can't ever seen what's coming.

[dan76]

Should've read "It's what happens to Brolin..." Fucking typing on an ipad.
So, I've got no problem with what happens. The problem is how it's done. It's confusing.

Another problem is that it's always on TV and I've seen it too many times now. Got to give it a few years before the next watch.

[qmish]

Several Sion Sono movies.

Shinjuku Swan - awesome, beautifully shot, better "yakuza" atmosphere than official Ryu Ga Gotoku movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=invEJcVDtcc
Why Don't You Play in Hell - over the top crazyness about yakuza fighting each other in process of making a movie. Some scenes are very heartwarming.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-wHR4VNf84
Cold Fish - well, it's a bit eh... I like antagonist better than protagonist in that movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm-rrXaK0Qg

p.s.
And yes i liked Strange Circus earlier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUBTVug4SP8

[iconoclast]

Speaking of Sono, I watched Tag recently. That's one of the strangest movies I've seen in a long time. Definitely not his finest work, but it's very entertaining.

[options]

a friend of mine strongly recommended I watch Love Exposure, which I believe is a Sono movie. he said it's something like 4 hours long, which made me stall, but I'll get around to it eventually.

[iconoclast]

Love Exposure is the best Sono movie that I've seen, and it's one of my favorite movies in general. It's long as fuck, but it's worth it.

[qmish]

Speaking of Sono, I watched Tag recently. That's one of the strangest movies I've seen in a long time. Definitely not his finest work, but it's very entertaining.

Watched it too!

Surprised me a bit. That wedding scene was WTF. Also, those "different life" thing reminded me Satoshi Kon's "Millenium Actress". But, hey, movie ended up being some kind of answer to Kronenberg's eXistenZ (or at least how i got it).

p.s.
Main actress is beautiful.

[Skykid]

Ex Machina


Well this was nice. It was like, a real film for a change. Been a while since I saw one.

Obviously superior to the likes of Interstellar by virtue of having some artistic depth. It wasn't perfect, in that the story lacks a certain required complexity for this sort of thing - but there's a lot of cold sci-fi success here nonetheless, and I appreciated the aspects of its simplicity (small cast, single locations, subtle music) that it did well.

It's well written in that there's very little crap and a lot of good uses of silence, with only one notable point of exposition regarding the Turing Test that's difficult for anyone to write around. Considering Alex Garland is the writer/director it certainly met expectations in that department.

Otherwise it was intriguing, well shot, curious and nicely composed in terms of flow and doses of horror.

If more movies could be films the world would definitely be a more interesting place.

[Opus131]

I saw Tremors for the first time with my little sister and her boyfriend. We all had a really good time! Lovely-looking worms, and a really great cast of characters that managed to be more than idiot fodder for the monsters.

I really liked how typically, in movies, the gun-toting rednecks would be played up as the clueless comic relief types, but here the gun-nuts were some of the most entertaining and well-prepared characters in the movie. Everyone was not "Hollywood pretty", which made the cast that much more likable. Lots of fun banter, jokes, and clever pacing. I wasn't expecting the movie to have as much heart as it did.

I take it I can leave the sequels in the dirt?

I loved this movie as a kid and i still watch it occasionally even now. At heart it his just a silly monster movie but the fact the filmmakers went out of their way to portray all of the characters in a sympathetic light (including the paranoid redneck "survivors". The scene where they unload everything they had into one of the worms was hilarious) is what makes this film endearing. I think the lack of humanity displayed by so many filmmakers today is what makes a lot of recent movies so forgettable. I just can't be bothered to care when everyone on screen is an insufferable douche or an outright monster.

[lilmanjs]

Several Sion Sono movies.

Shinjuku Swan - awesome, beautifully shot, better "yakuza" atmosphere than official Ryu Ga Gotoku movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=invEJcVDtcc
Why Don't You Play in Hell - over the top crazyness about yakuza fighting each other in process of making a movie. Some scenes are very heartwarming.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-wHR4VNf84
Cold Fish - well, it's a bit eh... I like antagonist better than protagonist in that movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm-rrXaK0Qg

p.s.
And yes i liked Strange Circus earlier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUBTVug4SP8

Why Don't You Play In Hell worth seeing? Library has that in the new section and it never seems to be checked out.

[iconoclast]

Why Don't You Play in Hell is amazing.

[qmish]

Yes, while it's "omg trash" it's also a manifest of a true love of cinema as art.