WestRider Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 57 minutes ago, paxmiles said: I love your description. One of the reasons I enjoy watching less-than-great movies is coming up with snarky descriptions or commentary for them :) 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestRider Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 The Hills Have Eyes (1977): I find that older films generally fall into one of three categories. The vast majority are in the first category, of films that have aged poorly, and just seem cheesy and outdated. Most of the remainder fall into the second category, classics that do stand the test of time and are still a good watch for an average viewer interested in that genre. The Hills Have Eyes is one of the few I've seen that falls into a third category: It has been surpassed by later films of its type, and no longer has the impact it did when originally released, but it's still clearly a strong film, and easy to see why it had such an impact in its day. Definitely an interesting watch from a historical perspective PoV. Somewhat shakier on pure entertainment grounds. Tonight She Comes: This one has received really uneven reviews, and it's not hard to see why. It kind of feels like there's something here to push just about anyone away. For me, the hard part was getting through the beginning, which felt like some kind of hipster horror flick, like if Vincent Gallo decided to try his hand at the genre. I found it to get progressively better as more and more of the annoying characters got killed off. For many other people, that's where things started becoming difficult, tho. I have never seen anything else that used blood like this. I've seen more sheer quantity, but nothing like the way the characters interact with the gore here. It's hard to describe without spoilers, but I will say that it was clear that many of the reviewers had trouble with the fact that a significant amount of it is not from violence, but is menstrual blood. There's also some major nudity, that is impressively non-sexualized by the cinematography, even as it is blatantly sexualized by some of the characters. But, just to be 100% clear, this is more explicit nudity than I've ever seen in something that wasn't outright porn. On a totally different note, I also found the soundtrack to work very well. Felt kind of like an homage to stuff from old Carpenter films like Prince of Darkness. There is a bunch of great stuff here, and I really liked the movie, but it's all entangled with a ton of squicky stuff, and I wouldn't recommend it unless you're certain you can handle some very disturbing imagery. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 7, 2018 Report Share Posted July 7, 2018 Power Rangers (2017) 3/5. Saw it on Hulu. Decent. Target audience is probably 6-10yrs or adults on drugs. Seems to be more about visuals than anything else. No swearing, no blood, no religion - a good kids film. Good for high people too (the film is very slow paced, but features lots of colors and plot requires zero intelligence to follow). Reminded me of the Godzilla (2014) movie. Both are probably better films than what they are/were remaking, but as remakes, they aren't very impressive films. I wouldn't have seen either if not for their original, but I also thing that my rating would be higher if they were the original and I actually saw them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestRider Posted July 7, 2018 Report Share Posted July 7, 2018 Star Wars: The Last Jedi: I hadn't wanted to believe some of the other reviews I'd read, but that was impressively awful. Down there with the prequel trilogy. Tonally, thematically, and narratively incoherent. It felt like it doubled down on the flaws of TFA, while tossing out most of what that movie did well. It wasn't all bad. Luke and Leia's stuff was pretty much all solid. Rose was great. The porgs and vulptex were adorable. As with the prequel trilogy, there were a bunch of things with excellent potential, that just got wrecked in the actual implementation. And I'm getting tired of fights and battles with horrible tactics and technique to "heighten the drama" or whatever. The whole side quest to Planet Casino basically felt like the writers had no idea what to do with Finn, so they just shoved him out of the main arc. The Poe/Holdo arc was incredibly awkward and heavy handed. Beyond all that, tho, both of these films so far raise a major question for me: How did the former rebels manage to screw up running the New Republic so badly that the galaxy is as badly off as at any point during the Empire's domination, and arguably worse? In only a couple of decades? It feels like this trilogy just threw away all the gains made in the first one, for no reason other than to be able to repeat the same story of plucky outmatched rebels against an evil empire. I would have vastly preferred to see something with a functional New Republic, perhaps cleaning up remaining chunks of the Empire, a la Timothy Zahn's sequel trilogy. Or, here's an idea, maybe even dealing with some entirely new problems. Perhaps really dig into the premise implied by the title and marketing of this one and look at how messed up the old Jedi Order really was. Something more, not just more of the same. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestRider Posted July 7, 2018 Report Share Posted July 7, 2018 1 hour ago, paxmiles said: Reminded me of the Godzilla (2014) movie. Both are probably better films than what they are/were remaking, but as remakes, they aren't very impressive films. I wouldn't have seen either if not for their original, but I also thing that my rating would be higher if they were the original and I actually saw them. Having seen them all, my take is that the 2014 Godzilla remake is better than the US re-cut of the original, but not better than the actual Japanese version of it. I mean, the 2014 one clearly wins on special effects and visual polish, but Godzilla even felt more menacing in the original, and the storytelling, acting, and cinematography were all better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Glacius Posted July 7, 2018 Report Share Posted July 7, 2018 Ant-Man and Wasp - 8/10 what a fun film. Took the family to see it last night. Everyone enjoyed it. This seems to be Marvel's version of Ocean's 11. The series as a whole I mean. Its part caper, part super hero action, and its all about the ensemble cast. Have to say, Paul Rudd really pulls it all together. They nailed the casting with this series and it just gets better. Perfect summer time fare. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 7, 2018 Report Share Posted July 7, 2018 8 hours ago, WestRider said: Having seen them all, my take is that the 2014 Godzilla remake is better than the US re-cut of the original, but not better than the actual Japanese version of it. I mean, the 2014 one clearly wins on special effects and visual polish, but Godzilla even felt more menacing in the original, and the storytelling, acting, and cinematography were all better. If the 2014 was the original, and the concept was brand new, I think I would have respected that film more. That was my point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestRider Posted July 7, 2018 Report Share Posted July 7, 2018 1 hour ago, paxmiles said: If the 2014 was the original, and the concept was brand new, I think I would have respected that film more. That was my point. I probably should have trimmed that last sentence from my quote. I was only really trying to reply to the first two that were there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudra34 Posted July 8, 2018 Report Share Posted July 8, 2018 Jurassic World: FK - Not a bad movie, but could have used some editing to fix the pacing through the middle. You won't get anything deep or particularly new to the Jurassic park series, but it's a fun actiony movie with dinosaurs. 7/10 overall, 9/10 for dinos. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psilence Posted July 8, 2018 Report Share Posted July 8, 2018 Independence Day (Will Smith original) 4/5 For just right nostalgic campy goodness. It falls into the same category as most of the old sci fi in that a lot of the sweet sweet effects (back then) are noticeable by today’s standards. But like Big Trouble in Little China (best movie ever) these old school films are nice to revisit for a little mental relaxation. On a side note: I think this sound track and the original Star Gate movie (Kurt Russel again?.. I’m noticing a patten here) were written by the same guy. There were multiple parts while I was painting wolves where I could see the score used for both flicks. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestRider Posted July 9, 2018 Report Share Posted July 9, 2018 4 hours ago, Psilence said: On a side note: I think this sound track and the original Star Gate movie (Kurt Russel again?.. I’m noticing a patten here) were written by the same guy. There were multiple parts while I was painting wolves where I could see the score used for both flicks. For all of their attempts to make the aliens strange in that, the most "out of this world" thing in the flick is Kurt Russell's haircut. You could set a coffee cup on top of that and it looks like it would stay 😄 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfestedKerrigan Posted July 9, 2018 Report Share Posted July 9, 2018 26 minutes ago, WestRider said: For all of their attempts to make the aliens strange in that, the most "out of this world" thing in the flick is Kurt Russell's haircut. You could set a coffee cup on top of that and it looks like it would stay 😄 What aliens? In Star Gate?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psilence Posted July 9, 2018 Report Share Posted July 9, 2018 8 minutes ago, InfestedKerrigan said: What aliens? In Star Gate?? “There is no Daina, only Go-ah-uld”. 😉 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkie Posted July 10, 2018 Report Share Posted July 10, 2018 On 7/7/2018 at 2:08 AM, WestRider said: Beyond all that, tho, both of these films so far raise a major question for me: How did the former rebels manage to screw up running the New Republic so badly that the galaxy is as badly off as at any point during the Empire's domination, and arguably worse? Because the reality of human history is that revolutions rarely result in a stable government being successfully installed. The idealistic fervor behind a revolution is not what's needed for an established government and the transition is difficult to pull off. "Down with those guys!" is not an acceptable political platform, and becomes very easy to abuse once you've got an already violent revolutionary force at your back. Suddenly, political rivals and former allies start to look a lot like those guys. And the whole process repeats itself. The many French Revolutions are a good example. Something like 8 regime changes in under 100 years? Amidst all that Chaos, a Napoleon starts to look real good. The French tried 2 more times before they finally gave up on Napoleons. It's actually one of the components I really like about the new trilogy. The good guys didn't just win forever after defeating the Empire. It seems the New Republic had gotten complacent, probably assuming the galaxy would just adore them forever since they defeated the Emperor. But that's not enough. Not for long. They seemed blind to the fact that the military dictatorship sandwiched between 2 galactic civil wars creates a wartime economy and hurt feelings that don't just go away because it's all over. They let the First Order grow in the far parts of the galaxy, content to let an aging Leia go off on one of her little adventures-- chasing ghosts. And they paid for it. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestRider Posted July 10, 2018 Report Share Posted July 10, 2018 1 minute ago, Munkie said: Because the reality of human history is that revolutions rarely result in a stable government being successfully installed. The idealistic fervor behind a revolution is not what's needed for an established government and the transition is difficult to pull off. "Down with those guys!" is not an acceptable political platform, and becomes very easy to abuse once you've got an already violent revolutionary force at your back. Suddenly, political rivals and former allies start to look a lot like those guys. And the whole process repeats itself. The many French Revolutions are a good example. Something like 8 regime changes in under 100 years? Amidst all that Chaos, a Napoleon starts to look real good. The French tried 2 more times before they finally gave up on Napoleons. It's actually one of the components I really like about the new trilogy. The good guys didn't just win forever after defeating the Empire. It seems the New Republic had gotten complacent, probably assuming the galaxy would just adore them forever since they defeated the Emperor. But that's not enough. Not for long. They seemed blind to the fact that the military dictatorship sandwiched between 2 galactic civil wars creates a wartime economy and hurt feelings that don't just go away because it's all over. They let the First Order grow in the far parts of the galaxy, content to let an aging Leia go off on one of her little adventures-- chasing ghosts. And they paid for it. I'm not saying that the New Republic shouldn't have fallen. I'm saying "show, don't tell". I'm saying it would have been more interesting to have that be the story than to just have it all happen offscreen and basically return to what feels like the status quo as of the start of A New Hope. Have the organization that overthrows them not be just a copy/paste of the Empire. Do something genuinely new, at least as far as the SW feature films are concerned. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkie Posted July 10, 2018 Report Share Posted July 10, 2018 1 minute ago, WestRider said: I'm not saying that the New Republic shouldn't have fallen. I'm saying "show, don't tell". I'm saying it would have been more interesting to have that be the story than to just have it all happen offscreen and basically return to what feels like the status quo as of the start of A New Hope. Have the organization that overthrows them not be just a copy/paste of the Empire. Do something genuinely new, at least as far as the SW feature films are concerned. That's fair, there is a lot of space to fill. I suspect the long term plan is to fill it. It's not as if the stories have been told in chronological thusfar. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfestedKerrigan Posted July 10, 2018 Report Share Posted July 10, 2018 4 minutes ago, WestRider said: I'm not saying that the New Republic shouldn't have fallen. I'm saying "show, don't tell". I'm saying it would have been more interesting to have that be the story than to just have it all happen offscreen and basically return to what feels like the status quo as of the start of A New Hope. Have the organization that overthrows them not be just a copy/paste of the Empire. Do something genuinely new, at least as far as the SW feature films are concerned. Snoke represents Fandom. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkie Posted July 10, 2018 Report Share Posted July 10, 2018 6 minutes ago, InfestedKerrigan said: Snoke represents Fandom. The brains and the assholes? 😚😉😂 Sorry, couldn't help it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestRider Posted July 10, 2018 Report Share Posted July 10, 2018 2 hours ago, WestRider said: I'm not saying that the New Republic shouldn't have fallen. I'm saying "show, don't tell". I'm saying it would have been more interesting to have that be the story than to just have it all happen offscreen and basically return to what feels like the status quo as of the start of A New Hope. Have the organization that overthrows them not be just a copy/paste of the Empire. Do something genuinely new, at least as far as the SW feature films are concerned. Thinking about it some more, the fall of the Old Republic got a while trilogy. The fall of the Empire got a whole trilogy. The fall of the New Republic happened offscreen. Really seems out of balance when I look at it like that. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yarbicus Posted July 10, 2018 Report Share Posted July 10, 2018 Speaking of Star Wars: Solo As a heist movie: 8/10 (enjoyable and energetic) As a Ron Howard movie 10/10 (seriously, the most Ron Howard feeling movie I have ever seen) As a Star Wars movie 5/10 (every SW element felt forced) 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkie Posted July 10, 2018 Report Share Posted July 10, 2018 16 minutes ago, Yarbicus said: Speaking of Star Wars: Solo As a heist movie: 8/10 (enjoyable and energetic) As a Ron Howard movie 10/10 (seriously, the most Ron Howard feeling movie I have ever seen) As a Star Wars movie 5/10 (every SW element felt forced) Agree on all points (and also my most recent movie in theaters). It's more of a Star Wars synopsis (which frankly I'm fine with). While it's silly they crammed every Han Solo backstory nod in a single movie, it really didn't need to be multiple installments. One tidy package for me, thank you! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestRider Posted July 11, 2018 Report Share Posted July 11, 2018 Coming back down to earth, I just got back from seeing Ant-Man and the Wasp. When I saw the first Ant-Man, I said that I liked it, but wished it had been more of an ensemble piece, since there were so many great secondary characters. The sequel delivers. Very fun flick, highly recommended if you liked the first one. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romans832 Posted July 11, 2018 Report Share Posted July 11, 2018 Ant-Man and the Wasp - 9.5/10 - OH SNAP... Uh I don't think I can say more than that... was there a spoilers thread somewhere for this one?! Well said WR 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestRider Posted July 11, 2018 Report Share Posted July 11, 2018 49 minutes ago, Romans832 said: Ant-Man and the Wasp - 9.5/10 - OH SNAP... Uh I don't think I can say more than that... was there a spoilers thread somewhere for this one?! Well said WR Seriously. It is so hard to talk about that movie without spoilers! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romans832 Posted July 12, 2018 Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 18 hours ago, WestRider said: Seriously. It is so hard to talk about that movie without spoilers! True that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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