Going to the Movies: past, present, future.

Town Heretic

Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
Slowly catching up with some of the movies I missed at the theater.

Arrival was a surprising bit of film making where what appeared to be the thrust of the plot was only the vehicle for moving the heart of the narrative along. Very well done. I went in expecting an interesting variation on Contact and left with a good deal more.

Jack Reacher II had all the elements of an entertaining action movie, but something was missing from it that I can't put my finger on. It had peril and an undercurrent of romance, family, but all that felt like plot points that somehow didn't manage to connect either with one another or the acting. If there's a third I hope they fix that.
 
ok doser

ok doser

lifeguard at the cement pond
Town Heretic said:
Jack Reacher II had all the elements of an entertaining action movie, but something was missing from it that I can't put my finger on.
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humor


the first film had the inept morons attacking jack in the house, the inept morons attacking jack in the bar, jack playing off pike in a way he never did with smulders

and robert duvall
 
Town Heretic

Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
ok doser said:
humor

the first film had the inept morons attacking jack in the house, the inept morons attacking jack in the bar, jack playing off pike in a way he never did with smulders

and robert duvall
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:think: You know, I think that's exactly right. Son of a gun.
 
Arthur Brain

Arthur Brain

Well-known member
"Last Night".

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0156729/

An 'End of the world film' with a difference. Billed primarily as a comedy drama, it plays more as an exploration of human dynamics and relationships, from family to strangers and connections made within the last few hours before the earth is destroyed. There's no explanation as to the cause although that becomes apparent in the latter stages. Essentially there's six hours left to live and how characters use that time and their priorities - and how those can be changed. For some it's wanting to be with family, for others it's sex, for others it's partying until the end but the main two characters are at the core - and the final five minutes and the ending itself has to be one of the most poignant moments I've seen in a film with subject matter like this...Beautifully done. The almost constant use of music in the film, from Christmas carols to pop to rock and modern classical is a masterful touch too.
 
ok doser

ok doser

lifeguard at the cement pond
Watched Elysium a couple days ago - had seen it before, but it's a good 'un

Elysium.jpg



the villain (one of the villains) is played very well by Sharlto Copley, a south african actor with whom I had been unfamiliar

so i searched him on imdb and ran across this gem:

onesheet.jpg


in which he plays (very well again) a very different role

I highly recommend both of them, if you like sci-fi.
 
Town Heretic

Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: surprisingly good, to me. But then I was never a fan of the Potter movies. The effects are remarkably good and the casting was spot on. Entertainment for most ages and family friendly, unless you think the use of magic on the part of the good guys is morally problematic...in which case you're likely as not avoiding movies for any number of reasons.
 
annabenedetti

annabenedetti

like marbles on glass
Get Out was excellent. I'm so glad I went to see it - it's rare for me to see something classified as a horror movie but there was such a good buzz about it, I thought I'd see if I could handle it. Glad I did, there's a deft social commentary that runs smoothly through it before everything starts falling apart, and during the falling apart there are a few unexpected twists that make things really memorable. (There are a couple places where I couldn't look so the degree of actual gore is unknown to me :eek:).

But go see it, it's terrific, and with a budget of less than $5 million, writer and director Jordan Peele has seen the gross go over $150 million, breaking multiple records along the way. Daniel Kaluuya is so likable in this (you might recall him from Sicario, another great movie with parts I couldn't watch, now that I think about it :chuckle:).
 
Tambora

Tambora

Get your armor ready!
LIFETIME MEMBER
Hall of Fame
annabenedetti said:
Get Out was excellent. I'm so glad I went to see it - it's rare for me to see something classified as a horror movie but there was such a good buzz about it, I thought I'd see if I could handle it. Glad I did, there's a deft social commentary that runs smoothly through it before everything starts falling apart, and during the falling apart there are a few unexpected twists that make things really memorable. (There are a couple places where I couldn't look so the degree of actual gore is unknown to me :eek:).

But go see it, it's terrific, and with a budget of less than $5 million, writer and director Jordan Peele has seen the gross go over $150 million, breaking multiple records along the way. Daniel Kaluuya is so likable in this (you might recall him from Sicario, another great movie with parts I couldn't watch, now that I think about it :chuckle:).
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I watched it.

In a way it reminded me of the Scary Movie movies that used satirical stereotype in a mixture of horror and comic.
And it had a Stepford Wives vibe to it also.
 
Town Heretic

Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
annabenedetti said:
Get Out was excellent. I'm so glad I went to see it - it's rare for me to see something classified as a horror movie but there was such a good buzz about it, I thought I'd see if I could handle it. Glad I did, there's a deft social commentary that runs smoothly through it before everything starts falling apart, and during the falling apart there are a few unexpected twists that make things really memorable. (There are a couple places where I couldn't look so the degree of actual gore is unknown to me :eek:).

But go see it, it's terrific, and with a budget of less than $5 million, writer and director Jordan Peele has seen the gross go over $150 million, breaking multiple records along the way. Daniel Kaluuya is so likable in this (you might recall him from Sicario, another great movie with parts I couldn't watch, now that I think about it :chuckle:).
Click to expand...
I'm the worst possible movie date for a horror film. Half the time I get tickled. No idea why, but I can't suspend disbelief in them and unless you want a riff track, I'm better left at home. I can become completely engrossed in musicals without a second thought to people spontaneously bursting into song and dance, but horror? Can't do it. :eek: Glad you enjoyed it though.

Watched He Never Died again last night. Not a great film, but the way Henry Rollins plays the lead (Jack) is worth the price of admission. IMDB describes it this way, "Jack, a social outcast, is thrust out of his comfort zone when the outside world bangs on his door and he can't contain his violent past."

That's about as encompassing as describing Moby-Dick as a fishing film.

A few lines might give you a better idea:

Cara: This is you?
[pointing to an old photo]
Jack: Yeah.
Cara: Isn't that your dad or grand dad?
Jack: I'm not even sure if I even had a father
Cara: [holding picture up so Jack can see] This person... in this picture... is you?
Jack: Yeah.
Cara: From 1914?
Jack: Yeah.
Cara: I don't believe that.
Jack: OK.
Cara: How old are you?
Jack: I have no idea. But I'm in the Bible if that means anything.
 
Nick M

Nick M

Black Rifles Matter
LIFETIME MEMBER
Hall of Fame
I have seen a couple of decent musicals. They aren't my main thing either. Blues Brothers 2000 was terrible, but the music is excellent.
 
Town Heretic

Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
Watched Brigadoon last night with the family. Sweet hearted movie. Noticed something that tickled me. Gene Kelly's best friend, played to the hilt by Van Johnson, is a great deal like the character Gene Kelly plays in Inherit the Wind. Anyway, Jack thought it was entertaining and I have to agree. Also watched Zulu the other night. Michael Cain's first feature role and a rewarding if historically stretched film.
 
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