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Amph What was the last movie you saw? (Ver. 2)

Discussion in 'Community' started by Violent Violet Menace, Nov 17, 2017.

  1. Rogue1-and-a-half

    Rogue1-and-a-half Manager Emeritus who is writing his masterpiece star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 2, 2000
    [​IMG]

    Annabelle Serpentine Dance
    (1895) – William K.L. Dickson, William Heise

    After this film, Dickson leaves the Edison company to form his own film production studio and so he mostly disappears from our journey through the early Edison films. But he goes out with an impressive effort in one major technical way. This film features Annabelle Moore, who previously appeared in Annabelle Butterfly Dance. This dance is more obviously intended to be sensual, but it’s pretty typical fare for the films of the 1890s except for the fact that, yes, it’s in color. This is another example of a film technology getting out there well before I knew it had. This film was hand-colored, which sounds pretty labor intensive, but it was largely distributed in color, making this one of the very first commercial color films in cinema history. The film itself is entirely unremarkable, but it is certainly nice to see some color again on this journey. 0 stars.

    tl;dr – unremarkable dance film has one claim to fame: being hand-tinted for release and thus being one of the first color films in cinema history. 0 stars.

    [​IMG]
     
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  2. gezvader28

    gezvader28 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2003
    ^ still better than Geostorm .
     
  3. Master_Lok

    Master_Lok Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 18, 2012
    I actually love the color tint on this, but yeah, I've seen more interesting dancing on the subways.
     
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  4. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    The Death of Stalin. I’ve been a big Armando Iannucci fan for a long time, and I was not disappointed in this. Wickedly funny, a dark satire that takes the piss out of totalitarianism’s absurdities without losing sight of its evil. Hilarious insults, zippy banter, intricate maneuverings, and great bits of physical comedy abound. Clever, vicious, outrageously funny. Just a brilliant film. One of my best of the year.
     
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  5. Drac39

    Drac39 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 9, 2002
    Respectfully disagree but

    Dang I can get behind a savage review...
     
  6. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    Blade Runner 2049

    Wow. I'm not a fan of the original, but this blew me away. It's too long of course and of course Jared Leto is terrible, but I found this superior to the original in every way.
     
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  7. Sith_Sensei__Prime

    Sith_Sensei__Prime Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    May 22, 2000
    Ant-Man and the Wasp
    [​IMG]

    In a word: Light

    In comparison to the last MCU film, Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp is a light film in terms of tone, story, characters and thrills.

    The plot of Ant-Man and the Wasp is pretty simplistic and straight forward, and doesn't offer much in twists or turns. Within the first 20 minutes of the film, all the story lines are laid out and everything unfolds accordingly. Same goes with the characters, as they state their motivations and don't deviate from them. As such, the villains are mostly obstacles/foils for the heroes rather than nemesis that demands the heroes full attention. Moreover, they don't do much to drive the narrative forward, but this is a MCU film where most of their movies are driven by the hero. And like some of the MCU films, I feel Ant-Man and the Wasp spent a good amount of time planting seeds that will pay off in an upcoming MCU flick, namely Avengers 4. The "Ghost" character was nicely done and has really good screen presence, meaning, when she's onscreen she commands attention. I felt the chemistry between Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly hit most of the time, but there were quite a few misses; meaning, I haven't fully bought into the romantic side of their relationship. The super hero tag team part of their relationship, sure but not so much romantically, mostly because of the plot and story telling. Which brings me to the story telling, which is divided up between the various characters and therefore lacks a strong central narrative, and therefore made me feel like the movie is watered down.

    I think the saving graces of the film are the action sequences and the humor, as both are really well done and nicely timed. The movie once again does an astonishing job of showing the benefits and advantages of being ant size, as well as having the power to increase the size of various objects. The jokes and humor for the most part work, especially involving Paul Rudd's Scott Lang.

    That being said, I like the original Ant-Man flick better because it has more charm and stronger central plot and narrative, plus, having the fingerprints of Edgar Wright all over it. There was more nuance to Scott Lang and the microverse. Additionally, the chemistry between all the characters played much better.

    There are two post credit scenes. The first one is well worth watching, but the second one, not so much. If you just want to leave the theater after seeing the first credit scene, I would recommend doing that and just reading up on the second post credit scene because half of it is reused footage (or appears that way) from the movie.

    Overall, The Ant-Man and the Wasp is a light film that doesn't provide a lot more depth to the characters and the plot is straight forward. And like the original film, it's overall tone is light and humorous. I feel like there were seeds planted that will payoff in Avengers 4, but this film is not something you need to go out and see in a theater, but rather wait until it's available on home video later this fall.
     
  8. Rylo Ken

    Rylo Ken Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Dec 19, 2015
    Jumanji

    Finally free on cable. I see the appeal. It wasn't outright terrible, and The Rock's charm is immense. I really liked the Breakfast Club setup, but after that I have a hard time remembering anything that happened. The Rock was in it.
     
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  9. Sith_Sensei__Prime

    Sith_Sensei__Prime Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    May 22, 2000
    Yeah, I thought that young kid was out of place too and I don't recall how he was invited to the wedding either, much like the Craig Robinson's and Lisa Kudrow's characters. They mentioned in the film at one point or another, but it didn't register with me.

    I have too have to respectfully disagree with Havoc's opinion of The Shape of Water, but I do find it an interesting perspective on the film, which seems to be more focus literal interpretation than metaphoric. IIRC, it's the second bad review of the film I read on this board.
     
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  10. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) - Plot;
    Serving out the last days of a house arrest for his role aiding Captain America against the Avengers, Scott Lang is called upon to aid Hank Pym and his daughter Hope in their effort to rescue Hank's wife from the Quantum Realm.

    In a genre where cities are routinely flattened and the world often hangs in the balance, it's refreshing to have a scale that is more intimate and where the stakes are more personal. Like the first Ant-Man, AM&TW is an action-comedy, not merely an action film w/some humor. That humorous component serves it well and never undermines the drama.

    Despite mounds and mounds of pseudo-scientific gobbledygook, the basic story (and that basic story is basic) is solid and serves as a capable vessel for the action and humor, both of which land w/an impressive consistency. The MVP is of course Paul Rudd, who is effortlessly likeable once again in the title role. The cast around him all, ahem, rise to the occasion, and the result is a fun bit of cinematic sorbet to cleanse our pallet after the heavy full course meal that was Infinity War. - 7.5/10
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2018
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  11. Sarge

    Sarge Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 1998
    TLJ, first time on the small screen. Like RotJ, it has issues at the beginning, more issues in the middle, but ends strong.
     
  12. Rogue1-and-a-half

    Rogue1-and-a-half Manager Emeritus who is writing his masterpiece star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 2, 2000
    What did Three Billboards say when Darkest Hour walked into the Best Picture nominations room?

    Get Out.

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Dagobahsystem

    Dagobahsystem Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Dream Warriors

    The third entry in the Nightmare On Elm Street is quite good. It involves an ensemble cast at a psychiatric facility who are being haunted in their dreams by Fred Krueger. Heather Langenkamp returns as Nancy and she does a good job in the role.
    I feel bad for the kids in this movie; the story and their acting make their plight sympathetic. There are many suspenseful scenes and some off the wall practical effects that are really creepy.
    This is the second best film in the franchise after the original.

    Eyes Wide Shut

    Kubrick's final picture is fascinating and hypnotic. It is a meditation on jealousy, relationships, and loyalty. There is a dream like quality to the entire film, and as usual with Kubrick, the cinematography and camera set ups are impeccable.

    The use of Ligeti's two note piano motive creates a lot of suspense. It's interesting how they get so much out of such a minimalist score. There is also a classic orchestral piece used at a party as well as some atmospheric string and synth music, which creates tension and adds to the hypnotic, dream like quality of the film.

    I think this is maybe Tom Cruise's best performance. He is really convincing in his portrayal of Dr. Bill. And Nicole Kidman is outstanding. I saw this in theater back in the day and I didn't really understand it too well. I've seen it several times since, and it improves every time, as more secrets and details are revealed. Recently upgraded to blu ray and it looks beautiful. Has some great special features too.
     
  14. Ahsoka's Tano

    Ahsoka's Tano Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 28, 2014
    I'm pretty sure the Robinson/Kudrow couple was invited because one of the relatives was affiliated with their restaurants.
     
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  15. AndyLGR

    AndyLGR Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 1, 2014
    Quite a light weekend film wise.

    Ace Ventura When Nature Calls I really like the first film, a quirky comedy held together by Jim Carrey. But I've always thought its sequel tries too hard from the outset, hitting you over the head from the off with the outlandish humour (which I don't think happens so much with the original). I saw this again last night and my opinion hasn't changed at all. It tries too hard as Ventura is even more over the top, the story isn't very engaging and it looks like they never left America to film this. Of course it has some very funny moments, but I can't help feeling it was a quick cash in on the success of the original.

    American Pie 2 The American Pie series (featuring the original characters not the spin offs) is one of my guilty pleasures. It may not be saying much to say that they are the pick of the 90s/00s college gross out comedies. But theres something about these that I really like, the daft but likeable characters and the gross out situations set them above the imitators. They are far away from an intellectual viewing experience, but as stupid comedy goes they work fine for me.
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2018
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  16. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    My friends and I enjoyed the movie a lot when it came out (Bumblebee Tuna!), but it definitely isn't as good as the first film. I think what makes it feel like it comes up short more than anything else is that Ace, unlike in the first film, is not in control and out of his element in the film- and that's part of his appeal. He may be an obnoxious, goofy guy, but he always had a plan in mind and it (usually) works out in some way with Ace on top. In the sequel, it's mostly a series of events of Ace losing.

    I would recommend not missing it, but rather paying attention to the environment.

    It's "recycled" footage from the trailers but not the film, IIRC. But the important stuff isn't the ant, but rtaher the TV and other details, to which the Ant becomes a contrasting punchline to, rather than a gag in of itself.
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2018
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  17. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    Split (2016)

    I'm not a horror fan, they don't do as much for me as others, but I enjoyed this about as much as I'm capable of. Didn't know this
    was a sequel, I loved the reveal that this was in the same universe as Unbreakable. Classic Shyamalan, I got a nice thrill out of it.
     
  18. TiniTinyTony

    TiniTinyTony JCC Super Bowl Pick 'Em Winner star 7 VIP - Game Winner

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2003
    Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) - Caught this on HBO flipping through the channels last night. Surprising, it still holds up. The giant bee still looks good and believable. The giant ant is clearly animatronic, but it still doesn't stop you from falling in love with it and caring about it when it dies. The story is solid, most of the cast is tolerable save for a few querky/corny acting here and there, but I would definitely be sharing this with my kids, if I had any. 4 out of 5 stars.
     
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  19. Sith_Sensei__Prime

    Sith_Sensei__Prime Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    May 22, 2000
    Molly's Game
    [​IMG]

    In a word: Fine

    Molly's Game reminded me alot of Aaron Sorkin's other film The Social Network, in that the main character is a very driven over achiever and not all that much social. As a result, the character's ambition and determination leads them towards a path of consequences and regret.

    For the most part, I couldn't emotionally connection or get invested in Jessica Chastain's character, Molly Bloom, despite her performance. Probably because Molly is so driven and self involved in the shark tank she found herself in. Moreover, like the Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, Molly Bloom comes off somewhat cold and distant. However, there were moments of sympathy for the character.

    The story and plot is somewhat of a rags to riches story, but not in that "feel good" kind of way, but rather, that "you have to break alot of eggs to make an omelette" kind of way. The poker elements are cool, but it's not the heart of the story, so don't expect something like Rounders.

    Molly's Game is a fine film, but no something I'd ever watch again.
     
  20. Rogue1-and-a-half

    Rogue1-and-a-half Manager Emeritus who is writing his masterpiece star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 2, 2000
    [​IMG]

    The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots
    (1895) – Alfred Clark

    In this brief film, a woman is led to the chopping block, forced to kneel and then her head is neatly lopped off. One could imagine audiences fainting at the time and maybe that’s the reason many film buffs call this the first horror film. It’s something even more interesting though: it’s one of the first films to feature an intentional jump-cut and so this is one of the very earliest special effects driven films. This film features an actress being led to the block and kneeling; then a dummy is placed at the block and beheaded. The cut is really surprisingly seamless, even when you’re looking for it. Perhaps that’s because the quality is poor enough that there’s a lot of debris and grain on the shot as it is. Still, it’s pretty cool and surprisingly sophisticated for the 1890s. 1 star.

    tl;dr – special effects reproduce a beheading with startlingly good results; probably the most sophisticated film prior to 1896. 1 star.

    [​IMG]
     
  21. Jedi Knight Fett

    Jedi Knight Fett Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2014
    Man of Steel, not that bad.
     
  22. Reynar_Tedros

    Reynar_Tedros Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 3, 2006
    Hereditary. I almost had to leave the theater because I thought I might vomit after one particular scene. Never had a movie mess me up quite like this one did. There are horror movies, and there are horror movies. It's extremely well acted and well made, but I hesitate to recommend it considering how miserable it made me feel. Took me over an hour to fall asleep that night. Just an unrelentingly brutal film.
     
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  23. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    I grew up in the 80s when the "Teen sex comedy" was ubiquitous (It's a genre kinda close to my heart, as it's what my Dad and I bonded over. For some father/sons it was baseball, for the old man and I it was Porky's [face_dunno]). It sorta fell out of fashion in the 90s only to see a bit of a revival thanks in no small part to the success of American Pie. What was different about it and its sequels (even those direct to DVD spin-off/expanded universe ones) is that unlike so many films in the genre prior to them, they had heart. The relationship between Jim and his Dad. The romance between Jim and Michelle in AP2. The relative growth of Stiffler. It gives some balance to the gross out gags and the raunch.

    I actually purchased a box set of the 4 theatrically released AP films a while back and had planned on a binge watch, possibly on my vacation in a few weeks. Now I'm kinda feeling like starting today.

    I think the MVP there was McAvoy. Even during the moments when it threatened to fall apart he held it together. But overall I thought it was a solid return to form for Shyamalan.

    From the criminally underrated Joe Johnston. It actually opened against Batman that Summer. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it found its audience and made some serious bank of its own.
     
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  24. AndyLGR

    AndyLGR Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 1, 2014
    Yep Porkys is a classic of its day. It was one of those films that every year or 2 would get a late night showing here in the UK in the mid to late 80's and I remember going in to school and us shouting off lines from the film and discussing the scenes. Of course back then without the benefit of anyone owning a video recorder you had to rely on your memory, and sometimes the scenes and lines took on a life of their own as we inadvertantly embelished them over time. A fun film for sure thats still worth a watch today.

    I have the American Pie 4 film blu ray set and as I mentioned earlier I'm with you on the thing that sets them apart, its the characters. None of the spin offs or imitators achieved such a likeable cast dynamic, even Stifler is likeable to me.

    Totally agree, I watched this when it popped up on Sky a couple of weeks ago. It still holds up now. I saw this at the cinema back when it came out. 1989 IIRC? I was 16 and maybe too old for its target audience but I still enjoyed it immensely. What a great year of films that was with Last Crusade, Batman, (the ultimately disappointing) Ghostbusters 2, Licence to Kill, Leathal Weapon 2, Back to the Future 2, Tango and Cash, National Lampoons Xmas Vacation all out in that year.
     
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2018
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  25. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    My Dad and I actually saw Porky's @ the theater. I was 8. Needless to say, Mom never knew about that one. In the 80s you had that convergence of the VCR and pay cable. I had Cinemax in my room, and then got my own VCR for my 13th birthday. Needless to say I wasn't recording The 700 Club.

    And it had a TON of imitators. But like you said, what many of them seemed to be missing was the heart/sincerity/sympathetic characters. I will say that I did like one of those straight to DVD American Pie spinoffs; Band Camp. The humor works, and like the big screen films, you have the growth of the lead character (In this case Stiffler's little brother).
     
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