Movies you've just watched

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

That's Roy Skelton (Zippy, Daleks) who does the voice of Darkness' master, right? I've searched all round the internet but can't find a credit for 'evil voice' anywhere.

The swamp witch was Robert Picardo from Star Trek Voyager.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

^N-n-n-n-n-n-no one cares.



2 and a half years on and Gillis and Woodruff Jr. are still apologising for The Thing. This was quite an interesting watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdDwrY5KpvI

Harbinger Down trailer is on monday.

[Volteccer_Jack]

Edge of Tomorrow. Great flick. Already planning to see it again.

Video game parallels are palpable. One guy (named Cage because badass) with no combat training is given a suit of powered armor, not told the controls, and proceeds to die over and over again trying to figure out how to singlehandedly save the human race from an unstoppable invading army. Spoiler Warning:

Spoiler

He has to SHOOT THE CORE

The plot is even structured like a video game, focusing on one section at a time, and moving forward in stages when each one is 'cleared'. It seems to be a tool for pacing the action, but it also does a good job of emphasizing the character arcs.

My expectation going in was basically a simple action movie aping the Groundhog Day premise. I was pleasantly surprised to see that like Groundhog Day of yore, it uses the time loop in a bunch of different ways without them conflicting or feeling tacky. A lot of movies and TV shows (the Lego Movie is a recent example that springs to mind) like to play around with transition between drama and comedy, interrupting jokes with sudden murders and stuff like that, and it always feels annoying and patronizing to me. The best thing I can say about Edge of Tomorrow is that the mood usually appeared to not shift at all. There's one scene where Cage gets his mouth taped shut, and even as it's played for laughs, it's painfully clear that everybody is about to die because they can't hear his warning.

Also Tom Cruise is good in this, I promise! Pulls off the weary soldier struggling through total hopelessness beautifully. Plus he pretty much plays Jerry Maguire for the first few scenes. The grumpy general and love interest/partner are both excellent as well. YMMV on the romance angle, but I like that it's kept within reason. There's the obligatory scene where they argue about who gets to live (the action movie equivalent of "No you hang up") but about the height of their relationship is "I wish I knew you better".

tl;dr it is Groundhog Independence Day starring Tom Cruise. Highly Recommended.

[spadgy]

I've hugged Spadgy too many times I care to remember, and sober too!

Frankly I'm desensitised to it these days, so familiar is the warmth of Skykid's body as he cradles me like a baby.

[Leandro]

Edge of Tomorrow. Great flick. Already planning to see it again.

tl;dr it is Groundhog Independence Day starring Tom Cruise. Highly Recommended.

Oh I'm going to watch this one.

yesterday I went to see the new X-men movie and liked it. I disliked most of the others X-men movies except for First Class, which I loved and made me see this one. It's great how the fate of the heroes isn't decided on huge battles but intead on simple noble decisions. James McAvoy is such a good actor. A blatant flaw is the soundtrack, I didn't even notice it in this one while the predecessor had good tunes. Probably the best Marvel movie I've seen

[Lord Satori]

Just saw Maleficent. It was an excellent movie. It's a very interesting reimagining of a story that everyone knows.

[null1024]

Edge of Tomorrow. Great flick. Already planning to see it again.

Damn. I've been hearing surprisingly good reviews of this, so I'm extremely interested in seeing it myself.

silly things: I was in Spain recently, so I keep thinking of the title as "Al Filo del Mañana" because of all the advertising I saw for the movie over there.

gaaaaah

[Skykid]

Edge of Tomorrow. Great flick. Already planning to see it again.

tl;dr it is Groundhog Independence Day starring Tom Cruise. Highly Recommended.

Oh I'm going to watch this one.

yesterday I went to see the new X-men movie and liked it. I disliked most of the others X-men movies except for First Class, which I loved and made me see this one. It's great how the fate of the heroes isn't decided on huge battles but intead on simple noble decisions. James McAvoy is such a good actor. A blatant flaw is the soundtrack, I didn't even notice it in this one while the predecessor had good tunes. Probably the best Marvel movie I've seen

I saw this the other day and agree: it's the best X Men movie I've seen. I really never liked the original trilogy much, too dull and badly written, memorable for one of the worst lines ever:

"What happens when a toad gets struck by lightning?

The same thing that happens to everything else."

No idea what shit-for-brains came up with that clanger, but boy did it clang.

Having not seen First Class I really enjoyed the 70's setting of this and the Back To the Future plot rip. The writing was actually of a good standard for this type of flick and Fassbender was magnetic, pun intended. James McAvoy is nothing special as an actor but his usual arrogance was well-veiled by a top notch English accent and he and Fassbender do complement each other well.

Out of curiosity I watched First Class the next day and, although it wasn't as good overall and suffered from a little awkward cheesiness, like a movie that was hamming up its 60sness rather than simply representing it as it did with the sequel, it was still enjoyable. It does feature the greatest Wolverine cameo ever though, I lol'd, and Fassbender FTW as usual - although his accent was cracking terribly throughout and he kept slipping into Irish Magneto mode. He obviously improved his voice training a great deal for Prometheus which in turn helped for his role reprisal in this new X Men flick.

I wouldn't say no to more of the same if they can keep the ship steady.

Also, Days of Future Past has the now obligatory Chinese star in Fan Bing Bing, who's very much worth seeing naked in the banned in China Lost in Beijing. Unfortunately it does have Halle Berry, who let's face it, is absolutely useless as an actor and easily the most underserved winner in black Oscars year. Thankfully she has all of three minutes screen time and one line - poorly delivered of course, but at least it's limited to that.

Anyway, that's a recommendation.

[BrianC]

I really never liked the original trilogy much, too dull and badly written, memorable for one of the worst lines ever:

"What happens when a toad gets struck by lightning?

The same thing that happens to everything else."

Poorly written X-Men lines, "Welcome to die!".

It has been awhile since I have seen them, but I remember liking the first two movies, though I haven't seen the third. I definitely agree on that line and some questionable casting (Cyclops, Rogue, and Storm, though Wolverine, Magneto, and Professor X were brilliantly cast). I also liked First Class quite a bit.

[Lord Satori]

I haven't been into X-Men since I watched the X-Men Evolution cartoon as a kid.

[Moniker]

I haven't been into X-Men since I watched the X-Men Evolution cartoon as a kid.

Loved that cartoon. Especially when Sentinels became involved. Which is why I'll probably see this latest one. The original trilogy was meh at best. X2 had a couple of moments but not enough to save it. First Class had enough fresh to sweep out the cobwebs, and solid for its attempt at a Mad Men aesthetic. Never watched the Wolverine movies. I don't like Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Wolverine should be old, stoic, and surly. (Edit: eh, not stoic exactly, but distant with a preference for anger over grief.) Not hunky, emotional, with a sweet candy coating of surly. But I guess that's the writers' fault more than his.

[BrianC]

At least he didn't have a thick aussie accent like the Pryde of the X-Men version (which, oddly enough, is actually what Konami's X-Men arcade game is based on).

[Kaiser]

On Skykid's recommendation in other thread including recommending some Hitchcock films (Vertigo, Rope, Rear Window), i've watched Vertigo. Taking back what I said earlier, Skykid does know his shit.

I gotta say, saying ANYTHING about this movie would spoil it, if you like slow but deep cinema that gets to your very soul by the end of it, this is one movie you should watch. It's so good I won't even bother describing how I felt at the end. It's simply a masterpiece, but you gotta have the right mindset and open your mind, to embrace it's quality. Now, to watch Rope or Rear Window, actually both eventually.

[Skykid]

Do Rope next, because it's quite unique in format (a hint would be to try counting the camera cuts). Rear Window will return to a classic format, but with a very particular view of the action. Both are wonderful pieces of film-making.

Taking back what I said earlier, Skykid does know his shit.

Appreciate that.

[options]

The Adjustment Bureau

A romance drama inside of a science fiction movie with religious overtones, it's all about fate, chance, and the guys who step in to make "adjustments" when someone's life beings to veer too far from its predetermined path.

Matt Damon and Emily Blunt were really good in the leads (EB has been killing it recently—I just saw The Edge of Tomorrow the other day. This is the first role I've seen her in where she's not toting a gun of some sort). The main character's "case worker" (Falcon from the new Capt. America flick) was generally a bit stiff, tho.

Despite having no shootouts, robots, or leather, the whole movie has a whiff of The Matrix to it, with the hopping between the regular world and the behind-the-scenes world of the Bureau, whose members are almost like Agents. Not a perfect movie, but I enjoyed it.

[Aleksei]

Edge of Tomorrow,

good action movie, story is pretty good too, but its not that memorable.

[Lord Satori]

How can you say if it's memorable or not when it's new and just came out?

[Skykid]

How can you say if it's memorable or not when it's new and just came out?

That's the dumbest thing you've ever said.

I forget most Hollywood movies five minutes after watching them.

[Lord Satori]

That's the dumbest thing you've ever said.

I'll admit to that. I wasn't really thinking when I posted that.

I forget most Hollywood movies five minutes after watching them.

That, however, sounds like a "you" problem.

[Skykid]

I forget most Hollywood movies five minutes after watching them.

That, however, sounds like a "you" problem.

Not at all, I speak to many people who deem formulaic claptrap movies full of animated explosive waffle and post-it note dialogue equally forgettable.

It's involuntary: there's nothing of intelligence for your brain to latch onto, so it starts flushing the nonsense you just watched down the mental toilet as soon as the credits begin to roll. It's a bit like when you have alcohol poisoning and you projectile vomit until there's almost no fluid left in your system.

[Lord Satori]

I was only kidding. (kinda) I get what you're talking about.

I haven't even seen the movie yet, though. I might see it during the weekend, but idk.

[Skykid]

I was only kidding. (kinda) I get what you're talking about.

I haven't even seen the movie yet, though. I might see it during the weekend, but idk.

I'm watching it in ten minutes.

[Skykid]

Tired now, thoughts tomorrow, but let it be known Chinese movie theatres are incredible. Watched it in 3D on a screen bigger than God for a paltry £4.80. In England you can just about buy a pint for that.

[President_Obama]

China's delightful, my favourite thing is the mobile execution van they use to execute people at the airport to make it more convenient to take their organs and transport them to the rich in the West. Maybe they eat them? Who knows *chuckle*

[Skykid]

What's that got to do with movie theatres?

[President_Obama]

Absolutely nothing, I just got incredibly high.

[Lord Satori]

Absolutely nothing, I just got incredibly high.

lol, I actually laughed at that one.

[MX7]

Looking forward to your review. I've heard lots of good things about it. It'll be nice to see a sci-fi that's worth talking about.

[blackoak]

I watched Ralph Fiennes' Corolianus last night. Great play, great adaptation. Vanessa Redgrave especially blew me away. I think they made the modern setting work as well as it could, though some suspension of disbelief and appreciation of the artifice itself is probably required. Some dialogue worth quoting, in light of the Heat discussion:

So our virtues
Lie in the interpretation of the time:
And power, unto itself most commendable,
Hath not a tomb so evident as a chair
To extol what it hath done.
One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail;
Rights by rights falter, strengths by strengths do fail.

sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good. this is what "badass" looks like to educated adults, hehe. I also recently read that T.S. Eliot loved Corolianus and placed it above Hamlet and other tragedies, interesting.

going to watch Heat tonight I think, will report back

[GaijinPunch]

I forget most Hollywood movies five minutes after watching them.

I won't argue with that, but the problem is that your sources for high caliber production are totally fucked up, and we've all told you until we're blue in the face. Living in China is no excuse. Use the fucking internets and get some good TV. It is as good as film used to be.