Which movie did you watch today and how would you rate it?

[angelo]

Had another look at Charles Bronson in Death Wish I Iove vigilante movies. 6/10

 

[aeebee50]

God is not dead. 10/10 Had me teary eyed. It was not what I expected. I may have to read the book.

 

[repoman]

God is not dead. 10/10 Had me teary eyed. It was not what I expected. I may have to read the book.

Quit your trolling!

 

[MarkW]

The Manchurian Candidate (1962 version)

9.5/10

One of the best political thrillers ever. The story of an American soldier captured in the Korean War and brainwashed to be an assassin still holds up very well today. Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey headline the cast, but the performance you'll remember is Angela Lansbury, giving probably her best film performance as one of the creepiest villains ever.

 

[angelo]

God is not dead. 10/10 Had me teary eyed. It was not what I expected. I may have to read the book.

Quit your trolling!

 

[angelo]

The Great Escape Steve McQueen and James Garner plus Richard Attenborough at their best. They don't make movies like this today. A truly great film.

9.5/10

 

[bradw]

Mud (2012)

I tried to imagine what it would be like to be a 14-year old boy who found a boat hanging in a tree and a mysterious stranger hiding in the woods.

From that perspective, I found the first half of this overly-long movie to be fairly entertaining.

But slowly the story became less and less plausible, until I finally had to stop.

4/10 for the 80 minutes of this 130 minute movie. They did a fine job of creating atmosphere, and even with Matthew McCounaghey as the lead, the actors were not too pretty or healthy looking for this story set in the working class rural south. It's just the story that fell apart.

 

[Ford]

Mr. Nobody

Not quite sure what rating to give it as I'm not quite sure if it is a deep, beautiful look into the possibilities of life, or just pretty, pretentious crap.

Jared Leto is Nemo Nobody, the last mortal man in the world. On his deathbed, he recalls his life, but he's remembering more than just one. There's the life he had if he'd stayed with his mother when his parents split. The one where he stayed with his father. There's 3 women he falls in love with, but the situations change depending on which life he chose. He is, alternately, a rich executive, a middle class average guy, a poor pool cleaner, an astronaut, a science show host, and a writer. He also dies in several of his lives.

It is a beautiful film with beautiful people that jumps around the different timelines very deftly, but is also a bit heavy-handed at times.

I'll have to watch it again.

 

[angelo]

Gran Torino Leading role, Directed and produced by Clunk Eastwood. Far superior to other similarly themed vengeance flicks, and all done with a cast of unknowns. This movie showcases Clint Eastwood's many talents.

9.5/10

 

[Underseer]

Mr. Nobody

Not quite sure what rating to give it as I'm not quite sure if it is a deep, beautiful look into the possibilities of life, or just pretty, pretentious crap.

Jared Leto is Nemo Nobody, the last mortal man in the world. On his deathbed, he recalls his life, but he's remembering more than just one. There's the life he had if he'd stayed with his mother when his parents split. The one where he stayed with his father. There's 3 women he falls in love with, but the situations change depending on which life he chose. He is, alternately, a rich executive, a middle class average guy, a poor pool cleaner, an astronaut, a science show host, and a writer. He also dies in several of his lives.

It is a beautiful film with beautiful people that jumps around the different timelines very deftly, but is also a bit heavy-handed at times.

I'll have to watch it again.

Sometimes I like slow and weird pacing. In fact, it's one of the few things I like about M. Night Shyamalan movies. However, for some reason the slow and weird pacing of Mr. Nobody bugged me so much that I had to stop watching it. No idea why. Anyway, the plot seems to be structured around the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics: all possible paths are taken. If the quantum mechanics metaphor holds up, then somewhere at the end of the movie a "measurement" is taken, and his life would snap into only one of the possibilities (analogous to the wave function collapse in quantum theory).

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Rush - A nice fictional account about historical race car drivers in Formula 1. A not so good honest portrayal of the real-life interaction between said historical race car drivers in Formula 1. Days of Thunder for Formula 1. I'm growing tired of historical films that are fictionalized. 2.5 of 4

 

[Daioh]

Godzilla vs Megaguirus
5/10
I remember having watched this a long time ago, and now having rewatched this I can say it is one of the weaker movies
And it is generally weaker all across the board
Godzilla is criminally underused in this movie, and seems devoid of any real purpose in the plot other then as a vague "big evil" that never really does anything
The Human characters just aren't all that interesting, most never really moving beyond their basic characterisations and brought down even more by some wooden acting
The special effects just don't mesh, the practical effects and CGI effects are not done well together to the point that it either looks cheap or silly and when together just don't cut it
And the plot is kinda hamfisted and meandering to the point that it really doesn't go anywhere and it's message is forgotten
So in the end, it is a mediocre movie that isn't the worst Godzilla has done but not the best either

 

[Ford]

Sometimes I like slow and weird pacing. In fact, it's one of the few things I like about M. Night Shyamalan movies. However, for some reason the slow and weird pacing of Mr. Nobody bugged me so much that I had to stop watching it. No idea why. Anyway, the plot seems to be structured around the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics: all possible paths are taken. If the quantum mechanics metaphor holds up, then somewhere at the end of the movie a "measurement" is taken, and his life would snap into only one of the possibilities (analogous to the wave function collapse in quantum theory).

It goes in a completely different direction which requires a considerable suspension of disbelief about...well...maybe you should just watch the rest of the movie.

 

[MarkW]

The Killers (1946 version)

9.5/10

One of the textbook examples of film noir. The first 15-20 minutes, a very faithful adaptation of Hemingway's short story of the same title, are incredibly intense, with Charles McGraw and William Conrad as the "killers" of the title, and Burt Lancaster in his screen debut as their target, the Swede. The remainder of the film is less excellent, but Lancaster (in flashbacks) dominates every scene he is in, Ava Gardner is an effective femme fatale, and Edmond O'Brien and Sam Levene are very good as a pair of rigidly righteous servants of law and order. The main theme from Miklos Rosza's score, with a change of tempo, became the theme for TV's "Dragnet."

 

[angelo]

The Killers (1946 version)

9.5/10

One of the textbook examples of film noir. The first 15-20 minutes, a very faithful adaptation of Hemingway's short story of the same title, are incredibly intense, with Charles McGraw and William Conrad as the "killers" of the title, and Burt Lancaster in his screen debut as their target, the Swede. The remainder of the film is less excellent, but Lancaster (in flashbacks) dominates every scene he is in, Ava Gardner is an effective femme fatale, and Edmond O'Brien and Sam Levene are very good as a pair of rigidly righteous servants of law and order. The main theme from Miklos Rosza's score, with a change of tempo, became the theme for TV's "Dragnet."

Wasn't this remade more than once? I seem to have the image of a Angie Dickinson in one version.

 

[MarkW]

The Killers (1946 version)

9.5/10

One of the textbook examples of film noir. The first 15-20 minutes, a very faithful adaptation of Hemingway's short story of the same title, are incredibly intense, with Charles McGraw and William Conrad as the "killers" of the title, and Burt Lancaster in his screen debut as their target, the Swede. The remainder of the film is less excellent, but Lancaster (in flashbacks) dominates every scene he is in, Ava Gardner is an effective femme fatale, and Edmond O'Brien and Sam Levene are very good as a pair of rigidly righteous servants of law and order. The main theme from Miklos Rosza's score, with a change of tempo, became the theme for TV's "Dragnet."

Wasn't this remade more than once? I seem to have the image of a Angie Dickinson in one version.

You are quite correct. Don Siegel directed a remake in 1964, and Angie Dickinson more-or-less took the role played by Ava Gardner in the original film. This was also the last film Ronald Reagan made before going into politics. It was intended initially as a TV movie, but NBC decided it was too violent to show on TV so it was given a theatrical release. I watched it once a few years back--it's not too bad but not the classic that the 1946 film is.

 

[angelo]

Yep, that's what reviewers said as well.
Watched the original The Hangover last night. A good gag taken far too far in the sequel. This original rates 6/10.

 

[spikepipsqueak]

K-PAX. 8/10

I still love this film though not as much as I remember at first viewing. The potential for ambiguity is icing.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Total Recall (201x verstion) - It was better than the corny original, mainly because special effects are nicer these days. Honestly, however, there was no reason to make this film. It didn't add much to the original. I was hoping for a nice twist, but it never came. Honestly, I just don't think it was worth watching to see Biel. 2 of 4

 

[angelo]

Total Recall (201x verstion) - It was better than the corny original, mainly because special effects are nicer these days. Honestly, however, there was no reason to make this film. It didn't add much to the original. I was hoping for a nice twist, but it never came. Honestly, I just don't think it was worth watching to see Biel. 2 of 4

Oh I don't know about that! I thought Biel would be worth at least another point!

 

[ksen]

Elysium

At least 9/10. The action didn't take away from the message at all imo. And Sharlto Copley was, as always, excellent.

 

[Narapoia]

Gran Torino Leading role, Directed and produced by Clunk Eastwood. Far superior to other similarly themed vengeance flicks, and all done with a cast of unknowns. This movie showcases Clint Eastwood's many talents.

9.5/10

I liked the film but the appalling acting by some of the supporting cast just yanked me right out of it on a number of occasions.

 

[angelo]

Gran Torino Leading role, Directed and produced by Clunk Eastwood. Far superior to other similarly themed vengeance flicks, and all done with a cast of unknowns. This movie showcases Clint Eastwood's many talents.

9.5/10

I liked the film but the appalling acting by some of the supporting cast just yanked me right out of it on a number of occasions.

Because Clint used unknowns in his film.

 

[angelo]

I watched Wedding Crashes last night, my third viewing of this comedy. It promises much, and most reviewers rate this movie very highly. It must be my dislike of Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughan's wooden acting that stops me from seeing what the fuss is all about. I rate it 5/10 and that's being generous.

 

[James Brown]

Gran Torino Leading role, Directed and produced by Clunk Eastwood. Far superior to other similarly themed vengeance flicks, and all done with a cast of unknowns. This movie showcases Clint Eastwood's many talents.

9.5/10

I liked the film but the appalling acting by some of the supporting cast just yanked me right out of it on a number of occasions.

Because Clint used unknowns in his film.

"Unknown" does not always equal "appalling actor."

 

[Narapoia]

Gran Torino Leading role, Directed and produced by Clunk Eastwood. Far superior to other similarly themed vengeance flicks, and all done with a cast of unknowns. This movie showcases Clint Eastwood's many talents.

9.5/10

I liked the film but the appalling acting by some of the supporting cast just yanked me right out of it on a number of occasions.

Because Clint used unknowns in his film.

"Unknown" does not always equal "appalling actor."

Pretty much. Eastwood set himself a tough task to find new actors amongst a relatively small ethnic population, I think that relaxing this requirement may have resulted in an overall higher quality film. Plenty of films have introduced previously unknown actors that have been amazing and gone on to long and successful careers. Grand Turino does not fall into this category.

 

[Ford]

After Porn Ends

A documentary that profiles the lives of adult film stars after they've left the business. Some try to return to a normal life. Some find religion. Some find it difficult to walk away.

It deals with the porn industry in a matter-of-fact way, and always up front is the fact that once you've done porn, you can never go back. Plenty of interesting stories, and of course lots of nudity and sex.

6.5/10

 

[credoconsolans]

Captain America 8.5/10

Great sequel. Really enjoyed the 70s style plotline and fight sequences. This is the least funny Marvel movie. The plot is grim and the characters do not get much of a chance for levity. It is a story about betrayal on many levels, trust and it deserves the kudos and box office it has earned.

Spiderman 2 (2014 version) 6.5/10

Let me start off by saying I'm not a Spiderman fan. He's OK as a superhero, but I've never really been a fan. So, watching this movie in IMAX 3D was awesome, but the classic Spiderman-swinging-through-the-city sequences are all digital, so they look as fake as they are. Lotta people liked them, but I'm not one of them.

I never saw Spiderman 1, but it wasn't needed. I knew the general gist so I was able to dive right in. I did love the rapid fire dialogue and some comments, scenes and lines were hysterically funny and very enjoyable. Andrew Garfield is an excellent actor. The love relationship - since it is real - comes across very real.

The problems:

Problem #1 the actors are too old for their parts.

They're playing high school graduates.

Garfield has a very evident 5 o'clock shadow and Emma has a 'been around the block' look about her.

So you have to suspend your disbelief about how they look.

But luckily the two are sufficiently talented that they act like high schoolers with all the melodramatic angst, hurt feelings, sad mooning, hanging up on each other and "oh, I changed my mind after putting you through emotional pain" rebounds that you expect from teens.

So their romance is teenager-ish and exhausting and not the kind of romance you enjoy seeing going through its paces.

Problem #2 is that the lead up to

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how Gwen was killed was lame. She insists, super insists, overwhelmingly insists to Peter that she can help him fight a bad guy because of her genius technical and scientific knowledge. And how does she apply that knowledge? She flips the big red switch.

Duh.

Problem #3 was that

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the Green Goblin was almost like an afterthought. Something tacked on to the end of the movie because the first bad guy was done away with on their first try. But yet he's defeated quickly too so they can get to the tragic death of Gwen scene. Both bad guys are easily defeated. The producers should have not put in 2 bad guys and just concentrated on one bad guy and made him a bit more difficult to overcome. The actor who plays Harry Osborn though, Dane DeHaan is definitely too good to be in a comic book movie. Like Garfield, an excellent actor.

So, not so great plot. Next to it, Captain America 2 is like the Scorsese of comic book movies.

An OK romp. Don't pay to see it in IMAX or 3D unless you like video game level Spiderman-swinging-around- town-like-Tarzan effects.

 

[angelo]

Gran Torino Leading role, Directed and produced by Clunk Eastwood. Far superior to other similarly themed vengeance flicks, and all done with a cast of unknowns. This movie showcases Clint Eastwood's many talents.

9.5/10

I liked the film but the appalling acting by some of the supporting cast just yanked me right out of it on a number of occasions.

Because Clint used unknowns in his film.

"Unknown" does not always equal "appalling actor."

Not to mention that Clunk saved a fortune by having very ordinary folk in his movie who more than likely got paid zilch.

 

[angelo]

There's Something About Mary Ben Stiller and the truly delicious Cameron Diaz star in this laugh out loud comedy which is top notch of it's gentry.
The plot is along these lines: A man hires a private detective to search for the girl he was infatuated with during high school. This movie strikes a match with me as I went through the very same thing all those years ago. Diference being I went searching for her myself, no PI. When I did find her, she was nothing like I remembered her.
Anyway, my rating 9/10

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Spiderman 2: 7/10

This movie got some iffy reviews so I went in with lowered expectations and was pleasantly surprised by it. The action scenes were good and they captured the somewhat goofy and wisecracking nature of Spiderman quite well. The scenes with Peter and Gwen were really good and the actors had great chemistry together. The final scene with his fight with Rhino was just way too corny on too many levels, though, and the Hobgoblin was dumb after Harry Osburne having a really good role before putting on the suit and laming up the place. They could have left the part of the storyline dealing with the Sinister Six to the next movie where their storylines could have spent more time in the editing room.

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One thing I did really like was the fact that Gwen died. In so many action movies, they have the tired old trope of the hero trying to distance himself from the woman he loves to prevent her from being harmed by his enemies and then she blathers on about how it's her choice to face the risk and then he saves her and they live happily ever after. In this one, they talk about the risk and all that but the first time a supervillian notices she's with him, she's dead two minutes later. The consequences of being a regular person linked to a superhero are played out in the fashion one would expect them to be and the rationale behind wearing the mask in the first place is validated.

 

[MarkW]

Le nom des gens/The Names of Love

8/10

A quirky French comedy/romance; don't expect this one to adhere to the conventions of Hollywood rom-coms. Do watch it to see a very good performance from Sara Forestier, which garnered her a Cesar (French equivalent of an Oscar) for Best Actress. Forestier, who I've been following for several years now, is sort of a French cinema equivalent to Jennifer Lawrence: made a big splash while still a teenager, won the top acting award before she turned 25, etc. I am looking forward to enjoying her work for many years to come.

 

[angelo]

Wall Street Money Never Sleeps Oliver Stone has produced another blockbuster. Not often sequels are better than the original, but this one is an exception. Highly recommended for those who haven't yet seen it.
9.5/10

 

[blastula]

Under the Skin - 8/10

Very artsy sci-fi starring Scarlett Johansson. In fact, she's the only name in the movie. A very gutsy film choice for her, though I don't think it needed a big name for that role, it wasn't a very difficult task acting wise, but it was brave.

I gather it's been received as a polarizing love it or hate it film, as art films tend to be. It's not action packed, and very little dialogue and there's a grating score. I'm on the love it side though. I felt like I was watching something fresh. It's filmed in Scotland and uses locals in some roles (which I guess is a red flag for some of you ). I've read that some of the scenes were filmed without the people knowing first. Some of their dialogue would benefit from subtitles. I don't want to give away much else since it's probably better not knowing what's in store.

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She plays an alien who preys on humans by driving around town and picking them up and ]uring them back to her lair where she disposes of them in an unusual way. The locals are the men she picks up. I'll also mention there is a scene involving a baby in peril that may be disturbing.

Oh yeah, she does get full frontal nekkid in the movie, but I wouldn't go see it just for that since the scenes are dimly lit. You could find the screen grabs online if interested.

 

[TV and credit cards]

Labor Day 7/10


You've seen this story before. Can't really spoil this one but just in case:

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Single mother meets man, are pulled apart, and eventually reunited to live happily ever after.
So he's an escaped con, escapes while at the hospital, kinda kidnaps and holes up at single mom's house, falls in love, plays dad, kid runs his mouth, police catch on, he goes back to prison, serves his time, gets out and hooks back up with mom.

Now he's just plain old Josh Brolin, but she's Kate Winslet glistening with perspiration, in a well worn summer dress. So it's worth four dollars and seven points.

 

[angelo]

That sounds like the eternal love story. Will add it to my too see list.

 

[angelo]

The Last Tycoon [drama] 1976. A little long in the tooth now but this underrated film sees Robert De Niro at his best and also starring pretty boy Tony Curtis who gave us the delicious Jamie Lee Curtis.

8/10

 

[MarkW]

Near Dark

8/10

With overtones of Westerns, film noir and "lovers on the run" movies, Kathryn Bigelow's first film as a solo director is an inventive take on vampire movies. Don't expect fancy spfx from this modestly-budgeted 1980s film, and definitely do not expect sweet-natured, sparkly vampires a la Meyer. Do expect a tightly-paced film with suspense and good character development, as well as good performances from a solid cast headed by Adrian Pasdar and Jenny Wright, joined by Lance Henrikson, Jenette Goldstein and especially Bill Paxton

 

[angelo]

2009 Film
The Box is a 2009 American psychological horror film based on the 1970 short story "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson, which was previously adapted into an episode of the 1980s iteration of The Twilight Zone.
Starring Cameron Diaz, [who esle] Frank Langela and a cast of talented little known stars who make this an excellent thriller in the Twilight Zone genre. Langela is at his brilliant best and Diaz at her beautiful best.
8/10

 

[Sabine Grant]

Released in France under the original title "La Môme", "la Vie En Rose" retraces the life of Edith Piaf. Marion Cotillard via her own uniqueness was able to capture Edith's uniqueness. There were moments when I could have thought it was Edith interpreting herself in her own role. Edith's biography is enhanced throughout the film by the thoughtful connection of specific songs she would interpret, to the dramatic episodes of her life. The crowning moment being the final scene of Edith's last hours, while she relives her performance of " Non, je ne regrette rien".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8xtj9gFE90



Some of you may be familiar with the song from the movie "Inception".

 

[chrisengland]

Goal 2
4/10
Very slow and not a patch on the original. Wanted to turn it off half way through.

 

[bradw]

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

A watered-down version of a Tennessee Williams play (or so I read). Paul Newman plays Brick, a man who for some mysterious reason has no sexual interest in a devastatingly hot Elizabeth Taylor.

After much melodrama, we get to the reason, and it's not very satisfying. As I understand it, Williams' original play made more sense.

Once I accepted that this was presented as a play and not a movie, I found the style and pacing less irritating.

6.5/10 for the movie. 11/10 for Liz

 

[MarkW]

The Big Easy

8/10

No prize for guessing that this romantic crime film is set in New Orleans, LA. The crime thriller/police corruption elements of this story are executed very competently but not distinctively. Much more impressive are the film's effective evocation of the unique culture of what is probably America's most cheerfully corrupt major city, and even more so the steaming chemistry between leads Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin. A nice supporting cast features good work from Ned Beatty, Lisa Jane Persky, and playwright/stage actor Charles Ludlam in one of his few film roles.

 

[angelo]

The Postman Always Rings Twice A sizzling hot movie about infidelity. Stars my all time fav actor Jack Nicholson and a once delicious Jessica Lange. Made in 1981, and so much better than the remake.

7.5/10

 

[C_Mucius_Scaevola]

Bring Me the Head of ALfredo Garcia 7.5/10

Standard Sam Peckinpah fare, all slow-motion kills and unsympathetic characters, with the usual pessimistic ending. Warren Oates and Isela Vega gave very good performances as Bennie and Elita.

 

[Daioh]

Godzilla, Mothra and Mechagodzilla: Tokyo SOS
6/10
This is a solid little movie
The acting is all kinda average (about par for a Godzilla movie) but there are no really bad performances so it doesn't really matter in the end
The action is all well done and it has alot of back and forth monster fights to satisfy the need for destruction and considering it's short run time I was surprised just how much time was devoted to giant monsters (And a robot) just destroying stuff
Now the biggest problem was the overall script, which comes in with a really good idea (Mothra will protect Tokyo in exchange for the humans destroying Mechagodzilla) but it isn't really followed up on and the human characters just sort of half heartedlyn pursue this plotline before the end just kinda gives up on it
So that kinda felt like wasted potential
But then again this movie has alot of giant monster fights, and with a short run time it doesn't overstay itself
So in the end just a solid installment in the Godzilla saga

 

[dendrast]

Jackie Brown (1997)- unfortunately, only better than average, in spite of everything. It should've been a winner. Based on 'Rum Punch' by Elmore Leonard, directed by Quentin Taratino. Pam Grier as Jackie Brown is beautiful, Robert Forster got an Oscar nomination as the bail bondsman Max Cherry. Samuel L Jackson is the villian, and people like Robert DeNiro and Michael Keaton in supporting roles.

Good story, too, but it was supposed to be an homage to the old 'blacksploitation' flicks, and gets lost in the dialogue. Too much, 'Huh fool, whatchewtalkin' bout muthafucka', and shit like all that.

Still worth watching, has some fun moments.

 

[Narapoia]

Ha, Daioh.I can always tell when it's you reviewing from the title of the film in the post. You catch some out there titles dude.

Godzilla, Mothra and Mechagodzilla: Tokyo SOS
6/10
This is a solid little movie
The acting is all kinda average (about par for a Godzilla movie) but there are no really bad performances so it doesn't really matter in the end
The action is all well done and it has alot of back and forth monster fights to satisfy the need for destruction and considering it's short run time I was surprised just how much time was devoted to giant monsters (And a robot) just destroying stuff
Now the biggest problem was the overall script, which comes in with a really good idea (Mothra will protect Tokyo in exchange for the humans destroying Mechagodzilla) but it isn't really followed up on and the human characters just sort of half heartedlyn pursue this plotline before the end just kinda gives up on it
So that kinda felt like wasted potential
But then again this movie has alot of giant monster fights, and with a short run time it doesn't overstay itself
So in the end just a solid installment in the Godzilla saga

Watched The Intouchables last night. Very good French film about a disadvantaged criminal/beneficiary that ends up as a caregiver to a very wealthy quadriplegic in Paris. Some great moments, excellent humour and fantastic acting. Well worth a watch and based on a true story 8/10.

 

[angelo]

I watched an oldie action thriller from Clunk Eastwood last night. Tightrope Not one of his best in the same genre, but entertaining nevertheless. 6/10 Next week the same digital channel is showing Magnum Force the movie that made the saying........Go Ahead..Make My Day famous.

 

[James Brown]

I watched an oldie action thriller from Clunk Eastwood last night. Tightrope Not one of his best in the same genre, but entertaining nevertheless. 6/10 Next week the same digital channel is showing Magnum Force the movie that made the saying........Go Ahead..Make My Day famous.

It's interesting how many people know the line but can't name the movie it came from.