I watched Call Me By Your Name over the weekend and it must be one of the best book to movie conversions of all time. Just magnificent. I can't wait for Andre Aciman's sequel.

Michael Stuhlbarg is a (underrated) fantastic actor. Boardwalk Empire, Shape of Water, Fargo, this - excellent.

Just back from seeing Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Definitely the most I've enjoyed a Tarantino film in a loooong time. Close to Jackie Brown and Reservoir Dogs. Looks like there may be 3 Tarantino films on my Tarantino vs. Coen brothers list.

I’ve been avoiding this thread since Once Upon a Time in Hollywood came out in the US anyway..

Danger Close The Battle of Long Tan:
Really good Australian Vietnam war film.
Has Travis Fimmel in it (Ragnor from Vikings)

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood:

Great movie, I avoided as many as spoilers as I could but hearing about a controversy surrounding the film made me think it something more substantial than the Bruce Lee stuff.

SPOILER: Click to show

I loved that the film ended in a happy fairy tale ending, was expecting it to have an incredibly violent end considering there’s hardly any bloody violence in the movie..for a Tarantino film at least

Unplanned:
Watched it out of morbid curiosity as one of Sandra’s religious relatives were organising a night to see it. Watched it online instead and man is it gruesome. I can handle some of the goriest movies ever but this was cringe inducing. Other than that it’s just a propaganda film presented as a Hallmark movie.

The Velocipastor:
Fucking amazing, I loved this movie so much.
If you like movies like Sharknado etc give this a look.

I did a review of it for my YT channel:

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Just got out of the cinema, and my initial thoughts are: very good movie, but not Tarantino's best, not really close to his peak. I'll expand more on the Tarantino countdown.

Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling and Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus were both pitch perfect revival films, like they'd never left. If you're a fan you'll love 'em, probably not gonna convert non-believers.

Just saw Static Cling myself. Was scared I wouldn't like it since the last few times they released comics for it I have not enjoyed them at all. This was good. Bit of a head scratcher behind the reason for a change, but ehh still enjoyable.

Turned Chappie off halfway through.

Visual effects seemed great, but story just didn't seem to be figured out. Shame. Seemed like it could've had potential had it been as concise and well thought out as District 9.

Watched Detective Pikachu. Meh. Not as good as we were hoping. Not bad. But not rewatchable. Major plot hole destroyed it.

Watched movie version of What We Do in the Shadows also. Just as great as the show.

Love Taika and Clement.

The Intruder: Gave this a watch, mostly cause Michael Ealy is in it (I liked him on Almost Human, awesome series by the way). As for the film itself, I’ll be honest, I was pretty bored watching this. While it’s not the worst movie, to come out this year that I’ve seen, it’s pretty damn close.

Stuber: Absolutely loved this, hilarious as fuck and had me laughing out loud throughout the film. I really like Batista as an actor, he’s grown on me a lot and is making quite the name for himself.

2019 Movie Rankings

SPOILER: Click to show

16. Triple Frontier
15. The Intruder
14. Godzilla: King of Monsters
13. Hellboy
12. Shaft
11. Men in Black: International
10. Aladdin
9. Stuber
8. Captain Marvel
7. X-Men: Dark Phoenix
6. Shazam!
5. The Lion King
4. Detective Pikachu
3. Alita: Battle Angel
2. Spider-Man: Far From Home
1. Avengers: Endgame

Take The Truman Show, replace Jim Carrey with Michael Douglas, and then crank up the creepy factor by a couple dozen notches and it turns out you wind up with the best movie David Fincher has made by far. I loved everything about this 1997 thriller from start to finish. Very heavy on the suspense with the typical mindfuck style of Fincher but better because it's also hilarious. Not that it's a traditional comedy in any sense. It is clearly meant to be funny, but like most Fincher movies it is a thriller through and through. Shot like one and written like one. But the reason it is funny is due to the sheer absurdity of the situation as things just keep getting more creepy and weird. But the best part is Michael Douglas' outstanding performance. He carries a "what the fuck" take-no-shit attitude throughout the entire journey that is absolute gold. His character is rational and intelligent, but the situation quickly becomes more and more irrational as he struggles to figure out what is going on, just as the viewer is doing. This oscar-worthy performance displays the full range of human emotions at different times in a very deep, realistic, and convincing manner despite being in a film with a rather silly and weird, yet awesome, premise.

I also very much appreciate the moral of the story and its subtle yet still-relevant critiques. Even people with good hearts can be transformed into assholes by the dull-drum of society.

The Kitchen: I really enjoyed this, I haven’t read the comic it’s based on but I thought it was a great drama. Surprised by negative reviews.

Angel has Fallen: Its the definition of an average action movie.

Parasite: Maybe it was lost in translation but this was incredibly boring, unsure how it was meant to be a comedy. I normally love Korean movies but this wasn’t one of them.

——
Bad Company: Just above ok, Chris Rock carried the movie.

The Big Sleep: Good film though Bogart just casually smacking women across the face nonchalantly definitely showed this films age.

Tombstone: Fantastic movie, only heard quotes and little things here and there but I loved it once I finally watched it.

Sept 2, 2019 17:09:07 GMT Lionheart said:

Take The Truman Show, replace Jim Carrey with Michael Douglas, and then crank up the creepy factor by a couple dozen notches and it turns out you wind up with the best movie David Fincher has made by far. I loved everything about this 1997 thriller from start to finish. Very heavy on the suspense with the typical mindfuck style of Fincher but better because it's also hilarious. Not that it's a traditional comedy in any sense. It is clearly meant to be funny, but like most Fincher movies it is a thriller through and through. Shot like one and written like one. But the reason it is funny is due to the sheer absurdity of the situation as things just keep getting more creepy and weird. But the best part is Michael Douglas' outstanding performance. He carries a "what the fuck" take-no-shit attitude throughout the entire journey that is absolute gold. His character is rational and intelligent, but the situation quickly becomes more and more irrational as he struggles to figure out what is going on, just as the viewer is doing. This oscar-worthy performance displays the full range of human emotions at different times in a very deep, realistic, and convincing manner despite being in a film with a rather silly and weird, yet awesome, premise.

I also very much appreciate the moral of the story and its subtle yet still-relevant critiques. Even people with good hearts can be transformed into assholes by the dull-drum of society.

"The best movie David Fincher has made" ... "by far"

Whelp, that's the shocker of the year.

The Upside (2019)

Heart-warming, thoughtful, human stories are my favourite kind of film plot, and The Upside is an excellent modern example. The plot, based on a true story, centres around Dell Scott (Kevin Hart), a convicted man on parole character, who stumbles into a job taking care of a quadriplegic billionaire Phillip Lacasse (Bryan Cranston). On the surface the story is similar to that of the Al Pacino classic "Scent of a Woman", and the broad strokes versions of the plot are alike, but the difference lies in the details.

The film explores well-trodden ground such as the disparity between the rich and the poor, a father struggling to connect with his neglected child, and the crippling loss of a wife. However these motifs are explored with a tenderness and realism that is rare. The film expertly weaves comedy and drama, both executed sublimely. Hart is a stand up comedian,(?) so it's no surprise to see some outstanding delivery and comic timing. Cranston is the perfect double act partner, himself no stranger to seamlessly melding humour and heart. The humour is effective, and this is the main difference between The Upside and the serious, dark Scent of a Woman.

The only other character with a significant amount of airtime is Yvonne Pendleton (Nicole Kidman), barely recognisable as the stern, uptight business assistant of character with a heart of gold hiding under a barrier of formality. It is worth noting that the rest of the supporting cast, all appearing for two or three scenes at most, do an excellent job in their own right.

If I had to toss one criticism into the melting pot of praise, and it is a minor one indeed, it would be the decision to tease us with a high tension opening scene and then transport the viewer back in time six months to see how they got there. While appropriate for a thriller, I don't think this is the kind of film that merits such a scene. The strength and depth of the characters is so strong that such an in-your-face scene setter is unnecessary, but it doesn't really hurt the film either.
 
A modern masterpiece that is highly for fans of heavy dramas with a side order of comedy.

Sept 3, 2019 21:57:06 GMT Emperor said:

The Upside (2019)

Heart-warming, thoughtful, human stories are my favourite kind of film plot, and The Upside is an excellent modern example. The plot, based on a true story, centres around Dell Scott (Kevin Hart), a convicted man on parole character, who stumbles into a job taking care of a quadriplegic billionaire Phillip Lacasse (Bryan Cranston). On the surface the story is similar to that of the Al Pacino classic "Scent of a Woman", and the broad strokes versions of the plot are alike, but the difference lies in the details.

The film explores well-trodden ground such as the disparity between the rich and the poor, a father struggling to connect with his neglected child, and the crippling loss of a wife. However these motifs are explored with a tenderness and realism that is rare. The film expertly weaves comedy and drama, both executed sublimely. Hart is a stand up comedian,(?) so it's no surprise to see some outstanding delivery and comic timing. Cranston is the perfect double act partner, himself no stranger to seamlessly melding humour and heart. The humour is effective, and this is the main difference between The Upside and the serious, dark Scent of a Woman.

The only other character with a significant amount of airtime is Yvonne Pendleton (Nicole Kidman), barely recognisable as the stern, uptight business assistant of character with a heart of gold hiding under a barrier of formality. It is worth noting that the rest of the supporting cast, all appearing for two or three scenes at most, do an excellent job in their own right.

If I had to toss one criticism into the melting pot of praise, and it is a minor one indeed, it would be the decision to tease us with a high tension opening scene and then transport the viewer back in time six months to see how they got there. While appropriate for a thriller, I don't think this is the kind of film that merits such a scene. The strength and depth of the characters is so strong that such an in-your-face scene setter is unnecessary, but it doesn't really hurt the film either.
 
A modern masterpiece that is highly for fans of heavy dramas with a side order of comedy.

Have you seen the French film it's based on?

Wife and I saw that first and absolutely LOVED it, despite her not being a big foreign film fan.

Wonder how the remake compares.

Aug 11, 2019 23:43:17 GMT @admin said:

I watched Call Me By Your Name over the weekend and it must be one of the best book to movie conversions of all time. Just magnificent. I can't wait for Andre Aciman's sequel.

Michael Stuhlbarg is a (underrated) fantastic actor. Boardwalk Empire, Shape of Water, Fargo, this - excellent.

I was trying to remember what my impressions were of this movie and stumbled on this terrible review I wrote earlier.

This line made me laugh.

Call Me By Your Name - I wanted to check out some reviews since I'm not apart of the demographic it's going for. I was relieved that a lot of issues I had with the movie were shared and I wasn't missing anything. The issue I had with the movie is that they try to sell you on how magical this relationship is between these two guys, but it felt completely unearned. They spend a couple of nights together, they say some pseudo-intellectual stuff to one another and then Armie dances like Carlson from Fresh Prince. And...that's it...

That's another catchphrase stolen from me, you're welcome Lionheart .

The scene that ruined the movie for me was Stuhlbarg's speech about love which I remember ringing false. It was a really good speech, it was just that the relationship didn't deserve it.

Sept 4, 2019 7:13:09 GMT Big Pete said:

Aug 11, 2019 23:43:17 GMT @admin said:

I watched Call Me By Your Name over the weekend and it must be one of the best book to movie conversions of all time. Just magnificent. I can't wait for Andre Aciman's sequel.

Michael Stuhlbarg is a (underrated) fantastic actor. Boardwalk Empire, Shape of Water, Fargo, this - excellent.

I was trying to remember what my impressions were of this movie and stumbled on this terrible review I wrote earlier.

This line made me laugh.

Call Me By Your Name - I wanted to check out some reviews since I'm not apart of the demographic it's going for. I was relieved that a lot of issues I had with the movie were shared and I wasn't missing anything. The issue I had with the movie is that they try to sell you on how magical this relationship is between these two guys, but it felt completely unearned. They spend a couple of nights together, they say some pseudo-intellectual stuff to one another and then Armie dances like Carlson from Fresh Prince. And...that's it...

That's another catchphrase stolen from me, you're welcome Lionheart .

The scene that ruined the movie for me was Stuhlbarg's speech about love which I remember ringing false. It was a really good speech, it was just that the relationship didn't deserve it.

Perhaps so, but no one cared when you said it. I brought the mad heat along with the catchphrase like only Lionheart could and turned it into a forum-wide phenomenon.

It: Chapter Two

Huge disappointment. It’s as if after the success of the first chapter they decided they wanted it to be summer blockbuster style.

Mike exists only for exposition, it’s an unbalanced mix of comedy and horror which is mid-2000’s quality.

Anyway time there’s a serious moment or a jumpscare (which gets old quick) someone cracks a joke and makes light of the situation and kills any suspense. If I wanted to watch The Big Bang Theory I would.

4/10

SPOILER: Click to show

The meta joke about the changed ending got old really quick, though the King cameo was cool

A lot of critics are ripping into it for going 3 hours. Does it actually justify the time or?

That was my biggest issue with the first movie. It goes for well over two hours and certain scenes felt like they could have been cut for time. It just seemed like they were worried about achieving a decent balance between thrills and character moments, that you got all these cheap scare scenes thrown in for the sake of it.

Shazam (2019)

I caught the trailer of Shazam at some point and loved the humour. After watching the whole thing, turns out the humour of Shazam finding himself, similar to how Tom Hanks did in "Big", was the only good part of the movie, and genuinely funny. Before that there's 30 minutes of boring exposition, after that there's a lot of generic and banal action that was probably aimed at an audience much younger than myself with the hokey Power Rangers villain/monsters.

Fantastic trailer, worked me into wanting to watch a pretty lame movie.

Sept 4, 2019 16:18:10 GMT Big Pete said:

A lot of critics are ripping into it for going 3 hours. Does it actually justify the time or?

That was my biggest issue with the first movie. It goes for well over two hours and certain scenes felt like they could have been cut for time. It just seemed like they were worried about achieving a decent balance between thrills and character moments, that you got all these cheap scare scenes thrown in for the sake of it.

Not at all. It’s just drags on and an easy 45 mins could have been cut.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a similar length and that felt a lot shorter.

Boo. You are slow to watch it and wrong. Shazam is a thousand times better than Harry Potter and is a way better 70s movie.

Sept 4, 2019 7:13:09 GMT Big Pete said:

The scene that ruined the movie for me was Stuhlbarg's speech about love which I remember ringing false. It was a really good speech, it was just that the relationship didn't deserve it.

Yep, I can agree with that. There were some aspects of the plot that were left fairly ambiguous in the movie - the shifting dynamics of Elio and Oliver's relationship were a lot more nuanced in the book, but obviously time constraints make that difficult.

Skyscraper. Well it the Rock in it. So you know it was entertaining. Glad to see Nev Campbell in it.

John Wick 3: Parabellum-More excellent action and world building, first is still the best, could go either way with 2 and 3. Looking forward to a 4th and whatever spinoffs come down the pike, looks like we're looking at war with the Table...bring it on.

It: Chapter 2-Eh, it wasn't as good as the first, and was a bit long in the tooth, but was a solid enough conclusion...better than the original at least (sans Pennywise). Give it a C+/B-.

It: Chapter Two - I loved it , I thought that despite being almost three hours long that it flowed really well and the beginning act actually went a little too fast at times but totally understood why. Thought it was funny , plenty scary , Pennywise is even more of an iconic villain because of Skaarsgaard and the adult cast was brilliantly cast and brilliantly played.

I wouldn't put it as high of quality of the first one , which I consider one of the most important horror movies in a long time but it's close. I'd give it an 8/10 as a completely fun , enjoyable and satisfying conclusion to a great first movie.

Interesting comment UT. Why do you think It part one is so important?

The absolute worst X-Men movie of them all by a considerable amount. The X-Men movies aren’t exactly all masterpieces, but what they are is cool as fuck. I’ve been a fan since I saw the first one which was a pretty straightforward action movie that kicked ass. There was nothing cool about this movie whatsoever.

The movies certainly got more intricate and complex over time. I was blown away by how amazing Days of Future Past was when I went in expecting about the same. Then again when Logan topped even that and was probably the best movie of the year.

To have the great streak tarnished by Dark Phoenix is a disappointing disgrace. Some movies had Hugh Jackman being amazing. Some had awesome character dynamics and personality development between Xavier and Magneto. They all had badass action scenes.

What did Dark Phoenix have? The flattest and most simple characters I’ve seen in a long time, gaping plot holes right from the get-go and even setting up the whole premise, the lack of a real villain at all (two scenes of a robotic woman stabbing people while not speaking does not make a villain), the hackneyed plug and play plot of aliens thinking “oh we’ll just kill them all to make this our new home” with zero background that is barely even touched upon.

There’s barely any time focused on any single character. Things just keep happening without pause with no coherent theme. The Dark Phoenix just keeps doing slightly moody things until the end where she decides to suddenly be good again. And that’s it. Nothing cool or interesting ever happens. It’s like the characters are just being dragged from one place to the other like the audience is for no reason.

This is why you don’t get someone with zero directing credits to suddenly take over your hundred million dollar franchise. It boggles my mind how much faith is put in people with no experience directing a movie for things like this all the time.

I guess it’s really just who you know or are related to for decisions like this.

Sept 8, 2019 17:50:44 GMT Emperor said:

Interesting comment UT. Why do you think It part one is so important?

Just the exposure , the mainstreaminess , the records it broke at the box office all catapulted horror to a different level and proved that it can be more than just a niche genre. It broke all kinds of horror records , broke September records in a year that overall was way down at the box office , broke R-Rated records and broke Youtube records for views of the trailer - I just feel that it was very important for the horror genre to get a movie with THAt much success and mainstream exposure and money. There have been movies that came before that broke the barrier and have and they all went on to be tentpole movies in the genre in the states and IT could be that years down the line. 

All that also set up Chapter Two to be the first billion dollar R-Rated movie (probably not , but it was potentially projected). And if it does it would largely be because of the success of the first. Also the way the first was done allowed them to go on and get huge names for the second part as without said success I don't know that Hader , Chastain and McAvoy sign on - so it opened doors in that respect too. 

Isn't it Romantic and Pitch Perfect were both very fun, silly date movies. I enjoyed them and Rebel Wilson rules.

Midsommar: could have been an amazing 90 min film...but its 147 runtime was not justifiable in anyway. They are now releasing the director’s cut into theatres which is 171 min from memory...as if it wasn’t long enough! Cool editing and concept, especially for a horror film that’s almost entire set in daylight.

At the end of the day the plot is still your typical horror movie, annoying characters make dumb decisions..dressed up for art critics to like. Hereditary was much better. Reminded of The Wicker Man with Nic Cage as there’s a fair amount of unintentional comedy.

SPOILER: Click to show

Dani’s boyfriend is drugged and coerced into having sex and Dani ends up sentencing him to death for it. If roles were reversed people wouldn’t be as forgiving.

There’s something strange about the Johnsons:
Powerful short film by the same director, if only he had this time restraint with Midsommar. Didn’t know that the guy in the bathtub meme was from this either.

Weathering with You:

Found a cinema that had $6.50 tickets so we decided to see this, as tickets in my area are $12 and up. Absolutely loved this, such a fun movie and it was something I knew very little about it. Out of the 3 movies I wanted to see this was on the bottom of the list and it ended being better than Midsommar and It 2.