Movies you've just watched

[Vexorg]

All Of Me: **1/2

A rather bizarre 1984 comedy starring Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin (who both earned Golden Globe nominations for their performances). Steve Martin plays Roger Cobb , an unwitting lawyer to reclusive (and incredibly demanding) millionaire Edwina Cutwater on her deathbed who intends, with the help of a mystic, for her soul to be transferred to a young woman when she dies (played be Victoria Tennant, who would later become Steve Martin's first wife). The soul transfer goes awry, which results in Edwina's soul being transferred into (and controlling half of) Roger's body. Hijinks ensue as they bicker constantly while trying to locate the mystic to fix the situation.

Steve Martin, as usual plays Steve Martin, while Lily Tomlin provides quality snark as his foil. That said, the story is rather choppy and hard to follow, and ultimately feels like a series of random comedy sketches with a thin plot to vaguely hold it together.) Steve Martin also seems to be one of those actors who was just born old; he was 38 at the time this was made and already had almost completely gray hair.

[Sumez]

Was Possession the one where the main characters shout at each other for what feels like 3 hours? Not slagging it off, that's genuinely all I remember about the experience!

That's a hilariously accurate description, but also underselling it a bit. I was blown away by how much shit it has going on, and then just as you think it's about to be over, it shifts gear yet again. Truly a remarkable piece of art, up there with some of my favourite Lynch movies.

I've recently learned however, that apparently there's an old American VHS version of the movie which was heavily recut, and frankly looks really awful. And eyewitness accounts seem to confirm that it is. I don't know how common it is for people on that side of that pond to have seen that one, however? It might still have been super obscure.
From what I hear, it was the only version really available there until the much more recent BluRay releases (or maybe DVD??). But that's just based on what I hear on the internet.
Please make sure you see the right version of the film

[BIL]

Roved Possession! (ver EAA) <333 Sexy crazy Sam Neill! And he bird too! Much crazy shit ensues that will have you saying BRUH and THATS CRAZY and JYEAAA BOYEEEEEE!



Only complaint was the opening credits spoiling one of the neat thingies. No idea if it's in all cuts, but in mine it flings up:

BEWARE uh well, tbh, might be in all cuts anyway

"MONSTER EFFECTS"

and I was like "This is just like when I read The Running Man via The Importance Of Being Bachman!" Stephen King you stupid lobster-bothering fuck, I wish that car had taken your skull you old chomo! More like The Importance Of Being FLATMAN Sorry bros, got a little SUGAR IN ME AND GOIN COOCOO

Yeah but it'd be like darling STANREH's ~Teh Shine~ including

Can you believe it?!

"FURRY DUDE SUCKIN OLD MAN DICK FX"

in its otherwise-flawless opening. Anyway just a small complaint. In a near-perfect picture, it's bigger than it would otherwise be - kind of like my weewee @ young Samly doin he thing in that chair!

I WANNA RAWWWK (YEAAAA)

[PC Engine Fan X!]

All Of Me: **1/2

A rather bizarre 1984 comedy starring Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin (who both earned Golden Globe nominations for their performances). Steve Martin plays Roger Cobb , an unwitting lawyer to reclusive (and incredibly demanding) millionaire Edwina Cutwater on her deathbed who intends, with the help of a mystic, for her soul to be transferred to a young woman when she dies (played be Victoria Tennant, who would later become Steve Martin's first wife). The soul transfer goes awry, which results in Edwina's soul being transferred into (and controlling half of) Roger's body. Hijinks ensue as they bicker constantly while trying to locate the mystic to fix the situation.

Steve Martin, as usual plays Steve Martin, while Lily Tomlin provides quality snark as his foil. That said, the story is rather choppy and hard to follow, and ultimately feels like a series of random comedy sketches with a thin plot to vaguely hold it together.) Steve Martin also seems to be one of those actors who was just born old; he was 38 at the time this was made and already had almost completely gray hair.

Yes, I saw the "All of Me" comedy on the big screen back in 1984 -- it's classic Steven Martin at his best, especially the scene where Roger's trying to do "number 1" at the loo while the "other half of Edwina" won't let him. I was cracking up at this. I'm glad to have seen "All of Me" get the proper silver screen 35mm print treatment (as it was the norm/custom in those days) back in 1984 with the American movie theater chains, drive-ins and indie cinema art-houses.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Lord British]

I WANNA RAWWWK (YEAAAA)

Unfortunately that was the highlight of the movie for me.

I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on On The Silver Globe when y'all get around to it

[Sumez]

Only complaint was the opening credits spoiling one of the neat thingies. No idea if it's in all cuts, but in mine it flings up:

BEWARE uh well, tbh, might be in all cuts anyway

"MONSTER EFFECTS"

Lol yeah that was a weird choice. They could have worded it differently I'm sure.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

Have to admit I only understand half of what BIL's saying... don't know if that says more about him or about me, though

Sounds like this was all a plot to have sex Churchy-san (｀w´メ)

Only complaint was the opening credits spoiling one of the neat thingies. No idea if it's in all cuts, but in mine it flings up:

BEWARE uh well, tbh, might be in all cuts anyway

"MONSTER EFFECTS"

Lol yeah that was a weird choice. They could have worded it differently I'm sure.

truly moronic and aggravating!


anyway,
High life - 6.5/10
Rather bleak existentialist scifi arthouse drama with plenty of biblical/ primal themes & motifs and repressed urges. Good production and sound design, Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche, as usual, were great here, quite a bit of rape & violence but it's looooong and most of the time very little happens.

[Sumez]

Switching gears for a moment, I saw Battle Angel Alita, which is really far from the type of stuff I'd usually watch. In fact I specifically remember when it came out, I thought it looked like Zack Snyder'esque trash.
But I also remember it getting a surprisingly decent suggestion, and I ended up watching it based on a recommendation from a friend who generally also usually prefers, uh... "real movies" instead

And hey, I did end up liking the movie quite a bit.
Of course it's just a big dumb action movie based on a ton of clichés, but it's pretty good at being that. Basically an overblown cartoon, which makes sense given the material it's based on.
Unlike most other modern cartoon action movies, the story is straight forward and coherent, and it feels like it had a script with a story to tell which it just stuck to, rather than drowning in executive decisions. You know, like action movies used to be.
The main character, despite being heavily CGI-ified does a great job acting with just the kind of emotion you want to see for a Pinocchio-style character. Same can't be said for her love interest however, who is definitely the weakest point of the movie. His acting is extremely off-putting, and never really manages to create any sense of chemistry between them. It's also not helped by the awkward pacing which makes those moments feel really hurried, to the point where they never connect emotionally, like the movie wants them to.

Another big flaw is the ending. There's no real third act to the movie, ending instead in a "to be continued" style sequel setup. Would probably be fine if more movies existed, but they don't.

But I enjoyed all the larger than life characters, the over-the-top cyberpunk setting (this might possibly be the most cyberpunk movie ever made? Cyberpunk 2077 wishes it was this cyberpunk), and even the battle in the sports arena was super fun. Feels like the kind of memorable big action setpiece that we just don't get anymore, in spite of every movie trying to make them. Usually they just end up being forgettable due to every cliche having been seen before. But the setup for this one was done well enough that it created the tension needed. Even if the way it was gonna play out was completely foregone.
Though I am not an anime fan in the slightest, I think the movie succeeds quite well in feeling like an anime story done in live action (live action actors anyway). Makes me curious about how fans of the manga feel about this adaptation.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

Without fail, they think the movie is a giant stupid piece of shit

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Switching gears for a moment, I saw Battle Angel Alita, which is really far from the type of stuff I'd usually watch. In fact I specifically remember when it came out, I thought it looked like Zack Snyder'esque trash.
But I also remember it getting a surprisingly decent suggestion, and I ended up watching it based on a recommendation from a friend who generally also usually prefers, uh... "real movies" instead

And hey, I did end up liking the movie quite a bit.
Of course it's just a big dumb action movie based on a ton of clichés, but it's pretty good at being that. Basically an overblown cartoon, which makes sense given the material it's based on.
Unlike most other modern cartoon action movies, the story is straight forward and coherent, and it feels like it had a script with a story to tell which it just stuck to, rather than drowning in executive decisions. You know, like action movies used to be.
The main character, despite being heavily CGI-ified does a great job acting with just the kind of emotion you want to see for a Pinocchio-style character. Same can't be said for her love interest however, who is definitely the weakest point of the movie. His acting is extremely off-putting, and never really manages to create any sense of chemistry between them. It's also not helped by the awkward pacing which makes those moments feel really hurried, to the point where they never connect emotionally, like the movie wants them to.

Another big flaw is the ending. There's no real third act to the movie, ending instead in a "to be continued" style sequel setup. Would probably be fine if more movies existed, but they don't.

But I enjoyed all the larger than life characters, the over-the-top cyberpunk setting (this might possibly be the most cyberpunk movie ever made? Cyberpunk 2077 wishes it was this cyberpunk), and even the battle in the sports arena was super fun. Feels like the kind of memorable big action setpiece that we just don't get anymore, in spite of every movie trying to make them. Usually they just end up being forgettable due to every cliche having been seen before. But the setup for this one was done well enough that it created the tension needed. Even if the way it was gonna play out was completely foregone.
Though I am not an anime fan in the slightest, I think the movie succeeds quite well in feeling like an anime story done in live action (live action actors anyway). Makes me curious about how fans of the manga feel about this adaptation.

With Director James Cameron's Digital Domain studio and the motion-capture technology developed for the first Avatar film, James said that it was a toss-up as go with either making Battle Angel Alita or Avatar and chose to do Avatar first. With the latest improvements in mo-cap technology, James felt that that everything was ready to make BAA as intended and it shows.

If BAA had been made instead of Avatar, the mo-cap technology wasn't as refined and would've been quite a different film, indeed, graphical-wise. Even the manga creator of BAA was blown away with the practical effects used within the live-action film of his namesake that was custom-made by famed Weta Workshop of New Zealand. Also, the bundled Blu-ray set of BAA includes a 3D Blu-ray disc as well making it one of very last commercial BRs to be released in 3D for home theater use (including Dune released as a 3D BR disc too).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Sima Tuna]

Without fail, they think the movie is a giant stupid piece of shit

Manga fan here.

I didn't see it so I won't say it's shit. But it looks like it. Motorball is my favorite part of Alita though.

[RGC]

I remember being mildly entertained by BAA, and it falling into that category of 'big dumb action films' (not that there's anything wrong with that!). We still have the manga kicking about, which my partner read, though I didn't; I think that's how we ended up seeing the adaptation. If I'm not connecting with a movie, I can hunker down and glaze over with the best of 'em. I've survived most of the MCU offerings this way, and can reach a state where I'm settled into looking at the pretty graphics, but otherwise disengaged.

[RGC]

Hell in the Pacific (1968) Dir. John Boorman

Spoiler

After a recent viewing of Point Blank (1967) and a revisit to The Hidden Fortress (1958), this seemed like the next natural stop. Cast from the mold of ‘two opposing soldiers trapped on a remote island’, this forerunner to Enemy Mine (1985), sees Lee Marvin and Toshiro Mifune united on screen under Boorman's careful stewardship.

We're dropped into the situation some time after an unnamed US pilot survives a plane crash on said island. He regains consciousness, and after a little exploration discovers a Japanese naval captain who has established a rudimentary camp on the cliffside beach where he awaits rescue. He’s been harvesting drinking water from the dense bamboo canopy above, which the parched and sun-beaten pilot sets his sights on accessing. But the captain isn't about to share his spoils of fish and water readily, especially given the pilot's twattish behaviour in approaching with a blade drawn.

So, the two face off over the most basic of resources. According to wartime protocol, in such situations they should not attempt to take each other as POW, but should dispatch their enemy without mercy. But in this case, they'll need to work together if they want to escape.

What I like about this one, even though the story has a well trodden feel, is its use of minimal dialogue (mainly reserved for loud outbursts, incomprehensible to the other), and how this draws more attention to their physical behaviour. It's quite comical how they tie up, smoke out, urinate on (!), blindfold, beat with sticks, punch, kick and bury each other with leaves; plus other forms of belittlement to reinforce their personal sense of superiority.
They cooperate so begrudgingly, making no effort whatsoever to learn even ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in the other’s language (this ain't no Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra), and ultimately never really progress beyond enemy status. There are moments of humanity though, and at one point they almost turn a corner, but it's not meant to be. This kinda subverted my expectations as I'd presumed at the outset they'd quickly end up bestest buds.

A superficial point: It's hard to believe Marvin was only 44 when this film was released. He looks considerably older, and not just because of his matching pewter locks and beard (at one point he's clean shaven). Mifune was four years his senior in real life but appears by far the younger of the two and in better physical condition all round.

[RGC]

Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) Dir. Renny Harlin

Spoiler

The film that was a reshoot of the one they released a year later (!). Very bizarre move. This is the weaker of the two by a smidge. It has all the signs of studio meddling that we saw with the theatrical release of Exorcist III (i.e. pointless extra gore and more shoehorned callbacks connecting it with the original). Though to be fair, the Paul Schrader version isn't much better. Both versions have some egregious CG elements that aged them before they even hit DVD release. This one is worse in that department.

Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005) Dir. Paul Schrader

Spoiler

Filmed in 2003, reshot with a new director, then released as a parallel film in 2005! Tells the story of how young(er) Father Merrin regained his faith after dealing with demonic possession while on an archeological dig in Nairobi. Not a high point for Schrader's career.

[RGC]

Was Possession the one where the main characters shout at each other for what feels like 3 hours? Not slagging it off, that's genuinely all I remember about the experience!

I've recently learned however, that apparently there's an old American VHS version of the movie which was heavily recut, and frankly looks really awful. And eyewitness accounts seem to confirm that it is. I don't know how common it is for people on that side of that pond to have seen that one, however? It might still have been super obscure.
From what I hear, it was the only version really available there until the much more recent BluRay releases (or maybe DVD??). But that's just based on what I hear on the internet.
Please make sure you see the right version of the film

Truth be told, I'm not sure which version I saw. It was quite a few years ago now, and quite possibly the butchered one, if I found it via the seven seas. The weird thing is how many times it has been recommended to me since. On paper it ticks the boxes of being the sort of thing I'd be into, so maybe a revisit is due.

Edit: argh, sorry for post spam. Feel free to flex that digit and scroll on by.

[NYN]

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8TH Dimension

First (and finally!). What a marvel this movie was made. Did a ready audience exist for this some 40 years back? Did it require multiple viewings then to catch up with the proceedings? Did the unwashed toss it out as a failure with sub-fun soaps same as Flash Gordon and Barbarella? Did the participants knew through their deadpan acting what would generate from this? Did the subversive spoofs of "man in power", racism, and worker-drone propaganda hit home? I feel I had many decades to get ready for that, and wouldn't miss out on the whole experience. Many faves in scenes, though I pick mine with the BB&The Hong Kong Cavaliers concert that takes a turn, to accommodate the one person who can't feel the joy: because Dr Banzai cares! With all the names and faces I didn't overlook Jonathan Banks among them, however brief the role. Rad space-ship vfx and design. I feel this gets so much stand-out since there was no sequel, thus no franchise. Over the radar, it rides the sky. BIGB00TY

[Lord British]

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8TH Dimension

First (and finally!). What a marvel this movie was made. Did a ready audience exist for this some 40 years back? Did it require multiple viewings then to catch up with the proceedings? Did the unwashed toss it out as a failure with sub-fun soaps same as Flash Gordon and Barbarella? Did the participants knew through their deadpan acting what would generate from this? Did the subversive spoofs of "man in power", racism, and worker-drone propaganda hit home? I feel I had many decades to get ready for that, and wouldn't miss out on the whole experience. Many faves in scenes, though I pick mine with the BB&The Hong Kong Cavaliers concert that takes a turn, to accommodate the one person who can't feel the joy: because Dr Banzai cares! With all the names and faces I didn't overlook Jonathan Banks among them, however brief the role. Rad space-ship vfx and design. I feel this gets so much stand-out since there was no sequel, thus no franchise. Over the radar, it rides the sky. BIGB00TY

Definitely one of those movies that has all the lines and moments but just doesn't work as actual good movie for me overall (see also Wild At Heart). However, I think I'd go see this in the theater if it comes around to watch it with an enthusiastic crowd.

[NYN]

Is this about coherence? Wild@Heart works for me. I heard that being said about Prince of Darkness, that it has a "promising" premise yet fails to pull "itself" together. Can't agree either, it's the most fun I have with a Carpenter. If this sentiment exist about certain films, I certainly felt it, too. As a consequence I can't name them here, for my own rejection of it. Go figure...

(Ah!, maybe They Live; strong message though not much "film" in-between)

[NYN]

TERRIFIER 2

First. Not seen the original or the sequel, yet. Very committed to a specific flavour of slasher movie ideal, with its synth score and slightly washed, anti-HD cinematography, although I cannot say those actually existed in such pretty form back when. A strong contrast to the sheer mayhem carnage and cannibalism of the killings, there are subtle nods and tributes in visuals suggesting the influences or unholy grounds this one dares to tread. With run-time over 2 hours it's a felt risk to go that long with a slasher flick, yet it doesn't wear out as much as it should. To go further with what was the perceived genre mark, if that was a goal, it succeeds easy, and then breaks your momma's cranium, too. It's not just brutality that gets enthused peeps through this, it's just as much as twisted. For most this is the very definition of Art. A very special 21st century act of clowning.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

Battle Angel Alita

With Director James Cameron's Digital Domain studio and the motion-capture technology developed for the first Avatar film, James said that it was a toss-up as go with either making Battle Angel Alita or Avatar and chose to do Avatar first. With the latest improvements in mo-cap technology, James felt that that everything was ready to make BAA as intended and it shows.

If BAA had been made instead of Avatar, the mo-cap technology wasn't as refined and would've been quite a different film, indeed, graphical-wise. Even the manga creator of BAA was blown away with the practical effects used within the live-action film of his namesake that was custom-made by famed Weta Workshop of New Zealand. Also, the bundled Blu-ray set of BAA includes a 3D Blu-ray disc as well making it one of very last commercial BRs to be released in 3D for home theater use (including Dune released as a 3D BR disc too).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Cameron's balls must have been crushed in a car accident or something before he decided to make Titanic, which, compared to his phenomenal offerings before, was a stupid piece of shit as well. Man hasn't made a single decent movie since then. Twas disappointing to see that the man responsible for the excellent first Sin City would make something so brutally disappointing as Alita: Battle Angel (even the title is stupid as hell).

Manga fan here.

I didn't see it so I won't say it's shit. But it looks like it. Motorball is my favorite part of Alita though.

Just don't watch it, you'll regret you wasted valuable time on this dross.

I remember being mildly entertained by BAA, and it falling into that category of 'big dumb action films' (not that there's anything wrong with that!).

I won't tell other people what they can and can't enjoy, let me just say that the manga is a lyrical, philosophical, gritty, at times incredibly dark cyberpunk masterpiece, filled with interesting, multilayered characters, amazing art, and very dynamic and gory action scenes. Seeing it as a borderline retarded disneyfied version is just aggravating.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

TERRIFIER 2

First. Not seen the original or the sequel, yet. Very committed to a specific flavour of slasher movie ideal, with its synth score and slightly washed, anti-HD cinematography, although I cannot say those actually existed in such pretty form back when. A strong contrast to the sheer mayhem carnage and cannibalism of the killings, there are subtle nods and tributes in visuals suggesting the influences or unholy grounds this one dares to tread. With run-time over 2 hours it's a felt risk to go that long with a slasher flick, yet it doesn't wear out as much as it should. To go further with what was the perceived genre mark, if that was a goal, it succeeds easy, and then breaks your momma's cranium, too. It's not just brutality that gets enthused peeps through this, it's just as much as twisted. For most this is the very definition of Art. A very special 21st century act of clowning.

The Terrifyer films are not particularly good films as such (parts 2 and 3 are too long, they don't have much of a specific or interesting style, and the characters are boring/ standard slasher tripe), but hoo boy do they deliver the goods. The handmade effects are fantastic, and part 3 is ranked right below Braindead on the "How much gore can you fit into a single movie?"-meter.

[Lord British]

Is this about coherence? Wild@Heart works for me.

A little perhaps. I just didn't care about what was going on in general.

[Vexorg]

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8TH Dimension

First (and finally!). What a marvel this movie was made. Did a ready audience exist for this some 40 years back? Did it require multiple viewings then to catch up with the proceedings? Did the unwashed toss it out as a failure with sub-fun soaps same as Flash Gordon and Barbarella? Did the participants knew through their deadpan acting what would generate from this? Did the subversive spoofs of "man in power", racism, and worker-drone propaganda hit home? I feel I had many decades to get ready for that, and wouldn't miss out on the whole experience. Many faves in scenes, though I pick mine with the BB&The Hong Kong Cavaliers concert that takes a turn, to accommodate the one person who can't feel the joy: because Dr Banzai cares! With all the names and faces I didn't overlook Jonathan Banks among them, however brief the role. Rad space-ship vfx and design. I feel this gets so much stand-out since there was no sequel, thus no franchise. Over the radar, it rides the sky. BIGB00TY

I don't know why, but my wife seems to have a particularly strong disdain for this movie. I found it to be mostly confusing but I don't think there's any other point in history when this type of thing would have actually worked (my initial short review can be found here and further thoughts can be found here), but it seems to be one of those "cult" movies where mostly people fondly remember about 5-10 minutes of the film and not much else.

[NYN]

Aha, thanks for your opinions. Funny how you say you felt confused by it, it's something I would assume for the very first audiences. I found it not hard to follow at all, perhaps I have some preference with loopy narratives, for example with many Grant Morrison comic books. So that was fun. And my gal partner found herself highly entertained by it. So, that would make us the "other" couple...

[Lord British]

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8TH Dimension

First (and finally!). What a marvel this movie was made. Did a ready audience exist for this some 40 years back? Did it require multiple viewings then to catch up with the proceedings? Did the unwashed toss it out as a failure with sub-fun soaps same as Flash Gordon and Barbarella? Did the participants knew through their deadpan acting what would generate from this? Did the subversive spoofs of "man in power", racism, and worker-drone propaganda hit home? I feel I had many decades to get ready for that, and wouldn't miss out on the whole experience. Many faves in scenes, though I pick mine with the BB&The Hong Kong Cavaliers concert that takes a turn, to accommodate the one person who can't feel the joy: because Dr Banzai cares! With all the names and faces I didn't overlook Jonathan Banks among them, however brief the role. Rad space-ship vfx and design. I feel this gets so much stand-out since there was no sequel, thus no franchise. Over the radar, it rides the sky. BIGB00TY

I don't know why, but my wife seems to have a particularly strong disdain for this movie. I found it to be mostly confusing but I don't think there's any other point in history when this type of thing would have actually worked (my initial short review can be found here and further thoughts can be found here), but it seems to be one of those "cult" movies where mostly people fondly remember about 5-10 minutes of the film and not much else.

It's definitely on my list of "Movies I want to like more than I do"

[RGC]

I remember being mildly entertained by BAA, and it falling into that category of 'big dumb action films' (not that there's anything wrong with that!).

I won't tell other people what they can and can't enjoy, let me just say that the manga is a lyrical, philosophical, gritty, at times incredibly dark cyberpunk masterpiece, filled with interesting, multilayered characters, amazing art, and very dynamic and gory action scenes. Seeing it as a borderline retarded disneyfied version is just aggravating.

Thankfully Mrs RGC was able to make me aware that it's tonally quite different from the source material, and doesn't do it full justice. Not really surprising. The whole 'crap compared with source' thing is as old as cinema itself. But tbh, I generally accept that when a film is based on a book it probably won't live up to the quality of its origin (be that graphic novel or traditional). I suppose that's down to sacrifices and compromises that are usually made at the behest of studio bigwigs in order to maximally broaden the movie's appeal and bring home the megabucks. There are exceptions to the source always being superior though (e.g. Spielberg vs Benchley, Scott vs Dick and -- if I may put the cat among the pigeons -- Kubrick vs King!? ).

[PC Engine Fan X!]

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8TH Dimension

First (and finally!). What a marvel this movie was made. Did a ready audience exist for this some 40 years back? Did it require multiple viewings then to catch up with the proceedings? Did the unwashed toss it out as a failure with sub-fun soaps same as Flash Gordon and Barbarella? Did the participants knew through their deadpan acting what would generate from this? Did the subversive spoofs of "man in power", racism, and worker-drone propaganda hit home? I feel I had many decades to get ready for that, and wouldn't miss out on the whole experience. Many faves in scenes, though I pick mine with the BB&The Hong Kong Cavaliers concert that takes a turn, to accommodate the one person who can't feel the joy: because Dr Banzai cares! With all the names and faces I didn't overlook Jonathan Banks among them, however brief the role. Rad space-ship vfx and design. I feel this gets so much stand-out since there was no sequel, thus no franchise. Over the radar, it rides the sky. BIGB00TY

I don't know why, but my wife seems to have a particularly strong disdain for this movie. I found it to be mostly confusing but I don't think there's any other point in history when this type of thing would have actually worked (my initial short review can be found here and further thoughts can be found here), but it seems to be one of those "cult" movies where mostly people fondly remember about 5-10 minutes of the film and not much else.

It's definitely on my list of "Movies I want to like more than I do"

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension is listed as being the longest movie title according to the Guinness Book of World Records (which still stands today in 2025) with it's theatrical release on the big screen back in 1984.

The ending credits with the characters walking along the futuristic concrete jungle canals of Los Angeles leads to them heading off somewhere in the distance (ala early 1980's MTV video stylized aesthetics/flair/vibe), where to is unknown is quite memorable, cool and something different for a change of pace indeed. Could Dr. Banzai and crew be walking towards a new destination or perhaps leading unto the beginning of a brand new adventure? The possibilities are endless.....whatever that may be.

A sequel to "TAOBBATED" would've been interesting to see but considering it didn't fare well at the American film box office, it never did well to garner a proper follow-up. This particular film is a favorite of mine -- the actress Ellen Barkin certainly has her charms shown throughout the movie.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Sumez]

I won't tell other people what they can and can't enjoy, let me just say that the manga is a lyrical, philosophical, gritty, at times incredibly dark cyberpunk masterpiece, filled with interesting, multilayered characters, amazing art, and very dynamic and gory action scenes. Seeing it as a borderline retarded disneyfied version is just aggravating.

If the books are truly like that, I can fully understand being unhappy with the movie!
It's like that Valerian movie that Luc Besson made, which has pretty much nothing to do with the creative, inventive and often satirical world of the original comic book series.

But as someone who's generally not a fan of anime at all, the Alita movie felt to me like it tapped well into a lot of the silly, stereotypical larger-than-life characters that usually populates anime and manga, and actually managed to make them really fun and enjoyable, unlike most other modern "big dumb action movies". For example I'd put Alita over nearly every Marvel movie I have watched. And definitely way way way above Valerian, even without considering the source material of that.
Ever so often of course, a manga series does come out which offers a bit more than that.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

snip

Haha oh man, I used to have exactly the same avatar as you do (I really like Louis Wain), and every time I scroll down a thread, I am confused for a second before I realize I didn't make a particular post.

[cj iwakura]

Having read most of the Alita manga at this point, and seeing how incredibly dark it gets for the poor girl, I'm almost happy that the movie ends on an optimistic cliffhanger.

It wasn't great, but I enjoyed it, and I think it helped set a higher bar for "serious" adaptations of manga/anime properties, if nothing else.