Movies you've just watched

[lilmanjs]

In the Line of Duty 4
This is one of those movies where almost every single fight and shootout has that magical slowdown somewhere in it. And it also is one of those rare movies that it doesn't actually feel like it is too much. Cynthia Khan and Donnie Yen star in this. One of the rare 80s movies that Donnie was in that is actually capable of showing off his skills. He joins Cynthia Khan as a cop from America trying to chase down a suspect who has seen the ending to a botched drug deal and lost a roll of film that would have gotten everyone. Action galore as they try to uncover the real truth behind everything including a crooked cop.

[GaijinPunch]

Die Hard | 35mm print at Christmas Mayhem Double Feature

This was coupled with Gremlins at the Music Box theater here in Chicago. I couldn't make Gremlins, but watched this last night. Was nice to do my Xmas tradition in the theater. There was a good turnout, and as expected, quite a bit of audience participation in the form of laughing and clapping. As usual, quite enjoyable. The print has managed to stay pretty clean too, other than the first 5-10 minutes of the first real. Why is that always the case?

Oddly enough, it had the trailer for Diehard 2 after the credit roll, which reminded me how much I dislike that one.

[Xyga]

Only Yesterday (Omoide Poro Poro - Ghibli/Takahata 1991)

Very unlike their fantasy stuff, basically a drama-comedy about a single 27yo office lady reminiscing about her childhood while doing farming out in the sticks for a breather.
Quite nice and beautifully executed, but can we call that josei ? No, still clearly the target audience is near~30 crisis women.

[GaijinPunch]

Only Yesterday (Omoide Poro Poro - Ghibli/Takahata 1991)

Very unlike their fantasy stuff, basically a drama-comedy about a single 27yo office lady reminiscing about her childhood while doing farming out in the sticks for a breather.
Quite nice and beautifully executed, but can we call that josei ? No, still clearly the target audience is near~30 crisis women.

I watched this a few months ago for the first time. In my nerdier years (1st year college student) a guy in the local anime circle had the LD and the timed script, but I never bothered. I remember my tutor telling me it'd be pretty hard to follow, due to all the ancient pop culture references. It was definitely enjoyable, but moreso after having spent some time outside of Tokyo.

Side-note: I was not a huge fan of the script of my subtitled one. Don't remember anything in particular but there were some liberties taken, I recall.

[Xyga]

I remember my tutor telling me it'd be pretty hard to follow, due to all the ancient pop culture references. It was definitely enjoyable, but moreso after having spent some time outside of Tokyo.

Honestly I got practically everything it's about, as well as most of the cultural references.
There's nothing to brag about decades of watching and reading craptons of Japanese media of all natures on a regular basis while not understanding the language, but it still helps a lot.

I've just read what wikipedia says about the film and the bit about what Takahata intended, and I was slightly surprised because all I felt was like 'why yes, of course'.
When you know Ghibli and their recurrent ecological-humanist message, it's something you expect, but I also know it's something in Japanese society (though in its own fashion), sorta like an ecological-spiritual nostalgic conservatism totally in contrast with the hypertechnourban life, yet fitting almost perfectly into the country's frame.
It's not just Ghibli's films, I don't know in how many anime, manga and movies I've seen various shades of this 'more intimate' side of the Japanese mind. Not much in the shit for teenagers, but hey, there's a greater world beyond weabooism. :p
Also as someone who happily returned to the cuntryside after living an urban life all of my twenties, that kind of sentiment speaks to me, although the spiritual side isn't really there and the nostalgia is different.

The real first novelty for me was to hear anime characters act and speak like real non-fictional non-comedy people/adults, which is definitely rare by animu (and drama) standards.
Sure I don't speak Japanese but, hey, it's just something you know when you hear it. Also the flashbacks can't make anyone miss that the kids don't talk like that, which is expected after all.
Second the protaganist is a young (well not so by local social standars) woman, like, the movie speaks some universal but also more female-focused themes, you know what I mean (and no, I'm not refering to the obvious periods episode) which - I've always been under the impression - aren't the most common things in a rather machocentric society.
I mean by pop media standards the Japanese woman is not so much an individual but either a loli fuckdoll, a working girl, or a nadeshiko, the rest only existing to empty fish entrails and apply nail polish, right ? :p

Side-note: I was not a huge fan of the script of my subtitled one. Don't remember anything in particular but there were some liberties taken, I recall.

It's a lighthearted drama full of feels anyway, with a message from the Ghibli Fathers, not a marvel of animu explosion meant to be dissecated by experts (even though it puts a fucking ton of productions to shame in any case, we're still talking Ghibli here).
To me not at all like your usual weaboo material, but still completely legit Japanese IMHO.

Whatever, I wish Japan produced more adult-oriented feature anime like that, even though I realize that's asking a lot, considering it's fucking 2016 and soon overfucking 2017.

[GaijinPunch]

Whatever, I wish Japan produced more adult-oriented feature anime like that, even though I realize that's asking a lot, considering it's fucking 2016 and soon overfucking 2017.

As do we all, but I'm not gonna hold my breath. At all... You realize this is a culture that value immaturity when realize all the hookers are out of a job at 26.

[Ixmucane2]

Rogue One

An interesting hybrid between typical Star Wars plots about the adventures of distinguished heroes and villains and straightforward war movie plots about interesting random people in battle. Compared to The Force Awakens, it offers an unsurprising but coherent and touching story of heroism instead of a coldly heartless imitation/"reboot" of the old trilogy, putting similar amounts of fanservice to good use.

Particularly good at describing the Star Wars universe (something interesting about the Force and about the Death Star, the political and military side of the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, very little gratuitously exotic aliens and places) and fitting like a glove around A New Hope, with some expansions (more spaceships, more Imperial uniforms with funny headgear).

Some plot holes, such as an heroic effort to contact the Rebel fleet and tell them to do something obvious they have already been doing for a while, and strange battle tactics. The true purpose of Imperial Star Destroyers is revealed.

[soprano1]

Sing (2016)
It was an ok movie. Watched it dubbed, since we went with my 11yo cousin, and they used known "singers" here. Weirdly, the songs weren't dubbed.
I loved the racoon idol jpop group who didn't speak a word of English.

[Vexorg]

The BFG: ***1/2

Another Roald Dahl story, and generally follows the typical pattern for those stores (terrible childhood, some sort of magical event occurs, badguys get some sort of deserved comeuppance while others live happily ever after) but overall I liked it reasonably well. Some of the CGI looked fake and even with the captions on it was a bit hard to understand what was going on with all of Roald Dahl's assorted wordplay, and the movie plot takes some liberties with the book, but it worked reasonably well.

[GaijinPunch]

Certainly I can't be the only one that calls that movie "The Big Fucking Giant" in their head, can I?

[atheistgod1999]

I watched Shrek in English class today. I remembered Shrek 2 and 3, but not the first. It was surprisingly good, considering that it's a kid's film. I don't even see how "Do you think maybe he's compensating for something?" could even refer to anything other than a dick, or how "physical relationship" could mean anything other than sex

Spoiler

the donkey almost got fucking RAPED by the dragon. AND IT'S A KID'S FILM.

8/8, m8. Shrek is love, Shrek is life. *smokes blunt*

[Kaiser]

Certainly I can't be the only one that calls that movie "The Big Fucking Giant" in their head, can I?

Not just you and probably not just us

In meantime, i've seen two enjoyable movies..... starting with Krampus from 2015!

Krampus (2015)

This movie starts off with a perfect yet unfortunately accurate satire of Black Friday shopping where everyone is pushing each other, willing to kill each other for dumb shit .

And then the actual movies begins, I was caught off guard by it, here's why: PRACTICAL EFFECTS, just oh my god they went all out with those practical effects, only using CGI where it's absolutely necessary, this movie goes full on Gremlins in the second half and that's when I really loved it. It's funny, it's unsettling, it even has some scary moments but all in all, it's a great christmas movie.

Nightcrawler (2014)

I've just seen that one yesterday, it's still fresh on my mind but holy crap, this movie kept going deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole, that was Louis Bloom's (Jake Gyllenhaal) twisted ambition to earn money the fastest and easiest way, as a freelance camera man, the perfomance kept getting better and better, reaching full on Norman Bates in the second half with pinches of Travis Bickle, AND IT KEPT GOING, the ride didn't end until the credits. This is one dark film, strangely it's also a great satire of today's media and capitalism, I applaud the director for making a dark film on TOP of his own social commentary.

If anyone wants a movie with the most unlikeable, sleazy, creepy main character that is not a horror villain, go watch this movie. You will not be dissapointed.

[gbaplayer]

Schöne Bescherung (Christmas Vacation, 1989)

Simply the BEST christmas movie ever. Can laugh about everytime i watch it. Perfect with friends.

[GaijinPunch]

Nightcrawler (2014)

Agree -- this one surprised me at how much I liked it. I've definitely warmed up to Jake since then. I thought Demolition was excellent as well.

Simply the BEST christmas movie ever. Can laugh about everytime i watch it. Perfect with friends.

It ranks up there with Diehard. The full culmination of Cousin Eddie is unparalleled in modern cinema.

[JBC]

After watching The Force Awakens & Rogue One I decided to go back through the originals. Ep IV-VI are still pretty likable, but the prequels are nigh unbearable.

I made it through ep I & II last night but couldn't stand another. I mean they are unbelievably bad and it's no wonder I hated Star Wars throughout my teens. I'm glad I only have one more to get through & then I'll probably never watch them again unless I need another recap in 10 years or so.

It really helps me to see just how good we've got it now. Ep VII may not be a perfect movie but it's so far beyond the last batch it's hard to see them as part of the same fictional reality. Rogue One is even better about putting the cool back in Star Wars. I noticed they avoid showing most of the goofier aliens & droids from previous films.

[Sinful]

I made it through ep I & II last night but couldn't stand another. I mean they are unbelievably bad...

I personally can't wait till folks start saying that about the Disney Wars. And restore balance in my faith in humanity.

[Mischief Maker]

I made it through ep I & II last night but couldn't stand another. I mean they are unbelievably bad and it's no wonder I hated Star Wars throughout my teens. I'm glad I only have one more to get through & then I'll probably never watch them again unless I need another recap in 10 years or so.

It's not necessary to torture yourself like this.

Not only are the prequels inferior films to the original trilogy, you really shouldn't consider them "canon" because they're chock full of things that contradict events in the original trilogy. Trekkies were able to take a stand and declare Star Trek V non-canon, why are Star Wars fans slaves to Lucas' bizarre whims?

Instead of watching the prequels, just enjoy these instead.

[Lord Satori]

Saw Rogue One earlier today.

I have to say that if this movie doesn't please you, then don't bother seeing another Star Wars movie because this is the best you're going to get.

People treat Star Wars way too much like a fuckin religion nowadays, I swear.

[Skykid]

Ender's Game

"Ended" it after 40 minutes.

Not unwatchable but also not worth watching. Atrocious acting, casting and dialogue didn't help what was a clichéd and implausible plot that felt too much like a kiddy army.

[Ixmucane2]

Ender's Game

"Ended" it after 40 minutes.

Not unwatchable but also not worth watching. Atrocious acting, casting and dialogue didn't help what was a clichéd and implausible plot that felt too much like a kiddy army.

The "kiddy army", and more specifically treating Ender as a tool rather than as a person and the other teenagers as highly expendable, is the main point of the plot.
I suppose you know how it ends; there could be much less plausible ways to crush Ender and build his personality as a character than a war against aliens.
Most clichés are straightforward, deliberate and effective psychological manipulation of Ender's feelings and motives, so they are completely justified.

[Skykid]

Ender's Game

"Ended" it after 40 minutes.

Not unwatchable but also not worth watching. Atrocious acting, casting and dialogue didn't help what was a clichéd and implausible plot that felt too much like a kiddy army.

The "kiddy army", and more specifically treating Ender as a tool rather than as a person and the other teenagers as highly expendable, is the main point of the plot.
I suppose you know how it ends; there could be much less plausible ways to crush Ender and build his personality as a character than a war against aliens.
Most clichés are straightforward, deliberate and effective psychological manipulation of Ender's feelings and motives, so they are completely justified.

Oh well in that case it's just a shame it's a fucking piece of shit movie in almost every facet of execution that matters.

Who's counting, really?

[Stevens]

Certainly I can't be the only one that calls that movie "The Big Fucking Giant" in their head, can I?

Not just you and probably not just us

In meantime, i've seen two enjoyable movies..... starting with Krampus from 2015!

Krampus (2015)


Nightcrawler (2014)

Thank you for the Krampus review. Was waffling on that one for some time, going to give it a shot.

Saw Nightcrawler a while back. He is one creepy dude in that movie.

[JBC]

I did make it through ep III yesterday which is a little more tolerable than the first two, but still pretty godawful. Never again.

I think sometime this weekend I'll probably see Rogue One again just to wash the taste out. I feel like the fans who complain about the new stuff should really do what I've just done & recap the whole series. VII & R1 get it right for the most part.

[Opus131]

Just saw that new Tarzan movie. Woman in the house wanted to watch it because she's in love with the lead (or his abs probably). All i can say is: lol what? I despised Greystoke since it neutered Tarzan and made the film all about feelings instead of heroism and bravado, but compared to this new one it was a timeless masterpiece. Major issues include the following:

1) CGI. Just, like, stop. Fucking stop. Spielberg did it right with Jurassic Park but apparently Hollywood looked at his example and went "lol no way we HAVE to make it retarded". I don't want to watch a video game. I want to watch a movie. Just, why.

2) Slow motion is cancer. I assume 300 is to blame for this but i'm not sure. Either way, i hate it.

3) Samuel L. Jackson. Why does he have to be in every move now? He is good at what he does but he can pretty much just play one character and you can't just shove Jules into everything, put a frack coat on him and make him act like he doesn't just want to kill motherfuckers.

4) Politics. Lol ok i get it white people = evil incarnate while black people are all pure and noble and everything but what the hell does any of that got to do with Tarzan? How the hell do you turn a film about a monkey man into a statement about the evils of slavery and the plight of black Africans?

[GaijinPunch]

Star Trek Beyond

Cool space station. And that's about it. I'm not a Treky by any stretch, but I assume Leonard Nimoy is rolling in his grave.

[Skykid]

I did make it through ep III yesterday which is a little more tolerable than the first two, but still pretty godawful. Never again.

I don't know why people consider III to be more tolerable than the first two (some people actually rate it as 'decent' believe it or not). For me it was absolutely awful - in many ways I consider it the worst of the three. There's so much more that's offensive about it because the developments are more critical than 2 and 3.

[Sinful]

Saw Rogue One earlier today.

I have to say that if this movie doesn't please you, then don't bother seeing another Star Wars movie because this is the best you're going to get.

People treat Star Wars way too much like a fuckin religion nowadays, I swear.

If by best you're going to get you mean from Disney, then yeah, whatever. I already know they will all suck since TFAs. But if you're saying that's the best we can hope to get from today's Star Wars movies, your standards are rock bottom in my opinion. Don't agree with me? Well, only time will tell how these Disney Wars movies hold up. Seems like the Star Wars franchise is such a shiny object for today's movie goers, that we have to wait until the hype wears off just so that we can get a clear headed opinions out of them. Again, at least the way I see it. So don't let this upset anyone, as the same thing happened with the prequels after all. And happening to TFAs.

[GaijinPunch]

I did make it through ep III yesterday which is a little more tolerable than the first two, but still pretty godawful. Never again.

I don't know why people consider III to be more tolerable than the first two (some people actually rate it as 'decent' believe it or not). For me it was absolutely awful - in many ways I consider it the worst of the three. There's so much more that's offensive about it because the developments are more critical than 2 and 3.

Going off of memory from the one time I saw it at the theater (and maybe once on DVD for some reason):

Pros
- Minimal Jar Jar
- Decent action/fighting
- Yoda vs. Emperor was actually pretty cool

Cons
- Younglings
- The dialogue

It is the better of the prequels by a long shot, but parsecs (pun intended) from any thing else. Christmas Special material, really. Lucas can't direct, and Anakin Skywalker can't act. There was less cheese in the script than the other two, but what is there is creamy Velveta.

Just my take -- I'm always right though.

[BIL]

Instead of watching the prequels, just enjoy these instead.

Goddamn fuckin straight. IDGAF about Star Wars and I was still dying. YEEEAAA BOYEEEEEE

[Squire Grooktook]

I did make it through ep III yesterday which is a little more tolerable than the first two, but still pretty godawful. Never again.

I don't know why people consider III to be more tolerable than the first two (some people actually rate it as 'decent' believe it or not). For me it was absolutely awful - in many ways I consider it the worst of the three. There's so much more that's offensive about it because the developments are more critical than 2 and 3.

Going off of memory from the one time I saw it at the theater (and maybe once on DVD for some reason):

Pros
- Minimal Jar Jar
- Decent action/fighting
- Yoda vs. Emperor was actually pretty cool

Cons
- Younglings
- The dialogue

It is the better of the prequels by a long shot, but parsecs (pun intended) from any thing else. Christmas Special material, really. Lucas can't direct, and Anakin Skywalker can't act. There was less cheese in the script than the other two, but what is there is creamy Velveta.

Just my take -- I'm always right though.

Myself, I'm conflicted on which one I hate most.

First movies plot and direction is such a clusterfuck of nonsense that I have a hard time even calling it a movie.

Second is in some ways the most tolerable (comparatively speaking) but also has some of the worst moments. The Anakin/Padme romance is the scene that I fell asleep in theaters and had to be woken up by my Dad after it was over.

Third is like the first but with more action. Nothing makes sense and it has no direction, but at least it replaces nonsensical political babble with tensionless indulgent fight scenes. Both are banal, but the former is a bit more facepalm inducing.