Rate the Last Movie You Saw

[WestRider]

Prodigy: Trite, oversimplified, cliched, and more reliant on emotional manipulation than a Lifetime Original. Pretty sure no one who had creative control in this has ever had any kind of therapy, any experience with trying to get a government organization to change its course, or even ever played chess. Savannah Liles is pretty good for a child actor, and will probably be very good in a few years if she keeps working at it. But "pretty good" being the high point of the movie more or less sums it up.

Terrifier: Even if nothing had happened, this would have been scary. That clown is creepy as #^(*

[WestRider]

The Fly: That was gross. I'm actually not sure I've ever seen anything purely visual (i.e. not involving scent or texture or something) that grossed me out as much as some of the later stages of the transformation. In the earlier parts, tho, I've never seen Jeff Goldblum with that much hair before.

[InfestedKerrigan]

Rewatched Infinity War last night. It doesn't hold up to rewatchability scrutiny as well as Dr Strange, Iron Man, or the previous Avenger films. Thankfully, it is still a stronger film than Star Wars of late. Although, much like Enders Game, the little 10 minute vignettes both advance things, but give little for development.

[InfestedKerrigan]

Doom: 1 / 5 marines surviving

Just watch Aliens, instead. I'm doing you a favor, unlike Westy.

[Munkie]

11 hours ago, WestRider said:

The Fly: That was gross. I'm actually not sure I've ever seen anything purely visual (i.e. not involving scent or texture or something) that grossed me out as much as some of the later stages of the transformation. In the earlier parts, tho, I've never seen Jeff Goldblum with that much hair before.

Flies disgust me to this very day because I watched that movie too young. Ugh.

[WestRider]

12 hours ago, Munkie said:

Flies disgust me to this very day because I watched that movie too young. Ugh.

For me, it's spiders, due to watching Arachnophobia when I was too young for it.

Mindscape (listed as "Anna" on Hulu): At first, this seemed like it was just going to be a slightly more science-fictional version of Prodigy, but it got rather more interesting as it went on. I'm not going to call it a masterpiece or anything, but it's much better than its rating on Rotten Tomatoes would indicate.

[Guest]

On September 7, 2018 at 9:14 PM, WestRider said:

The Fly: That was gross. I'm actually not sure I've ever seen anything purely visual (i.e. not involving scent or texture or something) that grossed me out as much as some of the later stages of the transformation. In the earlier parts, tho, I've never seen Jeff Goldblum with that much hair before.

I always think of this film in video games when using Town Portals, Waygates, teleportation spells, and so forth. Would be a really fun random encounter if you gains your random insect powers because you teleported with a bug too close....lol

[InfestedKerrigan]

The Imitation Game

An embellished look at Prof Turings involvement in WW2.

[Ish]

Re-re-re-re-[and so forth]-watched Zulu last night during my graveyard shift. Never fails to give me a thrill during the finale battle, never fails to give me a chill during the Zulus’ initial appearance on the ridge, and if your heart doesn’t swell with manly pride every single time Colour Sergeant Bourne utters any line he has... Can you really call yourself a wagamer?

”’Cause we’re ‘ere, lad. No one else.”

[splinx]

2 hours ago, Ish said:

Re-re-re-re-[and so forth]-watched Zulu last night during my graveyard shift. Never fails to give me a thrill during the finale battle, never fails to give me a chill during the Zulus’ initial appearance on the ridge, and if your heart doesn’t swell with manly pride every single time Colour Sergeant Bourne utters any line he has... Can you really call yourself a wagamer?

”’Cause we’re ‘ere, lad. No one else.”

Being A Brit this is one of my favorite films of all time. I spent my university time up in North Wales and many friends knew the “men of Harlech” by heart. Great film and superb location setting and acting! 

[Romans832]

Mission Impossible: FallOut - 8.5/10 - Enjoyed the plot twists and the action

[Guest]

No game No Life zero (On Hulu)

3/5

Anime series prequel film. So for starters, the TV series (No game no life) is excellent. This film is decent, but it's not really the same target audience as the TV series, which I feel is a mistake. This film is more about action and the futility of war. The TV series, on the other hand, isn't really action and is more good-natured. This was apparently released in 2017, while the series ended in 2014. I hope that this film is an indication that the series will start again, but I'm not holding my breath. 

I don't think it's really worth watching having not seen the TV series, but I suppose you don't have to have seen the TV series to understand this film, so there is that. 

[WestRider]

Antihuman: At first when I started watching this, I thought I was having trouble following it because I was tired enough that I was starting to have auditory processing issues, and there are a couple of different accents, and a lot of the dialogue is pretty quiet. After forcing myself to pay more attention for a while, I realized that I was actually having trouble following it because it makes no damn sense. Maybe it's just because I randomly ran across some stuff about it earlier today, but it brings to mind some of what I've read about the Blue Öyster Cult album Imaginos: That was supposed to be an epic, sweeping story, spread over three double albums, but all they were actually able to make was one disc, which had the track order changed by the record label, and was a mess of multiple layers of re-recording and remixing over the course of 8 years. Antihuman didn't take that long to make, but it also feels like we're getting about a sixth of the actual story, out of order, and with essentially un-filmable sections.

Beyond the plot, there are a bunch of more technical issues. The soundtrack is way overwrought, and sometimes drowns out the often quiet dialogue. There's no real sense of pacing here. They basically try to hold the tension level at about 9/10 from very start of the movie, and that just doesn't work. It needed more variation. Other parts, later on, felt very much like a filmed version of something intended for stage performance, with the dialogue a little too stiff and awkward, some of which comes from the actors trying hard, but not succeeding, to impart deep meaning to fundamentally meaningless statements, and to make 2AM stoner philosophy into cosmic horror.

Honestly, the most unsettling part for me was when someone said something about one of the two female leads having a husband, because she and the other female lead were so gay together that I assumed they were either a couple, or at the very least, really needed to have a long conversation about suppressed feelings.

I'm also kind of trying to figure out why I'm writing so much about a movie that failed so badly. I think it's because it's one of those where there was a spark of something genuinely worth exploring in there, but I can't even figure out what it was. In the final analysis, all I can really say is that the reason this sort of thing is called experimental film is that experiments don't always succeed.

[Psilence]

I read the title of the above  as “Antman”, then the review.

I was like, what the heck? So I checked the title again.

Phew, crisis averted. 

[WestRider]

42 minutes ago, Psilence said:

I read the title of the above  as “Antman”, then the review.

I was like, what the heck? So I checked the title again.

Phew, crisis averted. 

Shove all the plot holes in the MCU into one flick, and it would still make more sense than Antihuman did.

[Brick Bungalow]

Sicario: Day of the Soldado. 

On it's own it's a competent if forgettable action movie. As a sequel to one of the best movies of 2015 its nearly unforgivable. For every mold broken by the original the sequel crazy glues that mold back together and regurgitates it with all the finesse of vintage Schwarzenegger. . It reunites much of the original cast and presumes to carry on the story of those characters but in a far weaker story. It gives formerly brilliant characters silly and cliched lines to recite and the actors appear visibly embarrassed by the obligation. The original was enigmatic and utilized ambiguity to heighten tension. The sequel needs dialogue exposition AND repetitive close ups AND many cloying references to the first movie as if to say that it knows perfectly well what a weak imitation it truly is. I could go on but why bother. 

Learn from my pain. Don't watch this. The world will be a better place. 

 

[WestRider]

Phoenix Forgotten: An actually good Found Footage Horror Movie. Not only that, but it's a good Found Footage Alien Abduction Horror Movie, which is something I've never encountered before. The number one factor, I think, is that the characters are pretty likeable. One of the common failings of FFH for me is that the characters are often so annoying that I just can't care. The three in this one seem like some nice kids. The central one, Josh, is obsessive and enthusiastic enough that it can get a little off-putting, but you kind of need someone like that, because anyone else would have turned off the camera and gone home long before things went this far. It also helps that it's inspired by a true event, and includes some actual news footage from '97 covering that event, which was only ever partially explained.

Apparitional, a.k.a. The Haunting of Cellblock 11: Not actually Found Footage, tho the concept has usually been done as FFH in the past. The crew of a Ghost Hunting TV show, needing a hit episode before they get cancelled, spend the night in a former prison, where all sorts of horrible things are said to have happened. It's straight to video, relatively low budget, but uses the setting and poor lighting well to raise tension, saving the effects budget for key moments, and using some practical effects very well. The plot is somewhat contrived, but not horribly so; it does what it needs to. Most of the acting is pretty solid as well, making for a pretty good chunk of creepshow overall.

[Yarbicus]

9 hours ago, Brick Bungalow said:

Sicario: Day of the Soldado. 

On it's own it's a competent if forgettable action movie. As a sequel to one of the best movies of 2015 its nearly unforgivable. For every mold broken by the original the sequel crazy glues that mold back together and regurgitates it with all the finesse of vintage Schwarzenegger. . It reunites much of the original cast and presumes to carry on the story of those characters but in a far weaker story. It gives formerly brilliant characters silly and cliched lines to recite and the actors appear visibly embarrassed by the obligation. The original was enigmatic and utilized ambiguity to heighten tension. The sequel needs dialogue exposition AND repetitive close ups AND many cloying references to the first movie as if to say that it knows perfectly well what a weak imitation it truly is. I could go on but why bother. 

Learn from my pain. Don't watch this. The world will be a better place. 

 

Thank you for this. I have been wondering about it and wasn't even sure it was out yet. Sicario is a masterpiece and I had high hopes for the sequel. Now I will just pretend that it doesn't exist.

[Brick Bungalow]

14 hours ago, Yarbicus said:

Thank you for this. I have been wondering about it and wasn't even sure it was out yet. Sicario is a masterpiece and I had high hopes for the sequel. Now I will just pretend that it doesn't exist.

If I can spare at least one person the experience... 

[Raindog]

 

Unforgiven: Arguably, the best Western ever made, deconstructing every Western before it. As a bonus, it has one of the best and most realistic gunfights in a movie.

Quote

 Its a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away everything he's got and everything he's ever gonna have.

  Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman. I have watched it at least 5 times and I'll watch a few more times.

Quote

 I was lucky in the order, but I've always been lucky when it comes to killin' folks.

10/10

[ROGRE]

On 9/17/2018 at 2:42 PM, Raindog said:

 

Unforgiven: Arguably, the best Western ever made, deconstructing every Western before it. As a bonus, it has one of the best and most realistic gunfights in a movie.

  Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman. I have watched it at least 5 times and I'll watch a few more times.

10/10

You're so Munny!

[WestRider]

The Lodgers: There should be a genre classification for movies that fail at being horror movies, but are still nicely atmospheric and have a cool aesthetic. I mean, by definition, no one could ever deliberately make one of them, but some of them can still be pretty enjoyable, just for the vibe. This was one of those. No real horror, but a really cool setting in a gloomy old mansion, and some good cinematography. Also,  couldn't shake the idea that the brother was less interested in following the terms of the curse because he was afraid of the consequences of breaking them, and more because he really wanted to bang his sister.

[WestRider]

Van Helsing: Substantially better than Brothers Grimm, but not nearly as good as Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. There are some scenes that show the potential here, but it doesn't manage to sustain that or make the whole thing quite click together. Some really cool effects, tho, including some great bits with the Brides of Dracula, and possibly the best version of Frankenstein's Monster I've seen. Dracula should have been played by Christian Kane, tho.

[WestRider]

As Above, So Below: Disappointing. Especially because I really wanted to like it. The premise is very cool (found footage record of an attempt to find the Philosopher's Stone in Nicholas Flamel's grave, which is hidden in the Paris Catacombs. It was actually filmed in the catacombs, too.), as are a couple of the effects and creepy scenes, but it pretty much completely fails in every other regard. The "clues" leading them to tomb are bad, the main character is super impatient and disregards all the advice of the person she got to guide them through the catacombs, the visibility and audio is even worse than usual for Found Footage, and many of the important scenes are just completely incoherent. It even fails to maintain the Found Footage conceit, since there's really intrusive background music all through it. Oh, there was one other interesting fact, which is that one of the characters is claustrophobic, which was apparently written into the film because the actor is claustrophobic, and had trouble holding it together in the catacombs.

Murder Party: This one, on the other hand, was a whole lot of fun. Random boring dude picks up an invitation to a "Murder Party" off the sidewalk, and since he has nothing else to do on Halloween, decides to go to it. From there, things descend into a wonderful mess of pretentious hipster artists, drugs, jealousy, and, yes, murder. It's rough in spots, and clearly no budget, but they work wonderfully with what they do have.

[Brick Bungalow]

 

Fahrenheit 11/9

I'm glad we have a tradition of activist film making and a lot of issues is in this movie resonated with me but its a mess. Michael Moore follows a similar tack as with earlier films but the man-on-the-street stunt setups just don't gel. We also get an awful lot of content and theme from earlier films. 

I'm not really sure how to evaluate something like this because it feels bigger than just a movie but in the context of craft it really does fall short. I suppose I'd have to break it up. Strong for relevance. Strong for ethos. Mixed for accuracy. Mixed for clarity. Mixed for film craft. Weak for coherence. Weak for focus. Weak for reliance on ad hominem attack.

I thought his closing conclusions were pretty apt but I wish his premise was tied together better. We'll always have 'Roger and Me'.