Amph What was the last movie you saw?

The Sound of My Voice

I honestly don't know what to think of this movie. Has anyone else seen it? It's a slow burning atmospheric drama? Thriller? If anyone is familiar with the old "man from the future" John Titor story, this is pretty much the movie version of that phenomenon except with a female lead. Basically it follows the path of 2 documentary filmmakers who want to expose a cult leader who claims she is from the future, and how each one gets sucked into the claims...or not.... Interesting movie, it keeps you interested, even though it has a slower, deliberate pace. Although I do share criticism over the weakness of the ending, and how the movie kind of runs out of steam.

The cult leader is played by Brit Marling, who was also in another independent Sci-Fi drama Another Earth, if anyone watched that one.

 

Disney's Peter Pan - Really fun movie.

 

Thor: The Dark World

 

Just got in from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I liked it. It's basically All The President's Superheroes.

 

It was an odd choice considering how successful the first film was. I wonder if they got a lot of complaints from parents groups about the first one ? It reminded me of what they did with Conan the Destroyer. In both instances they seemed to be trying to soften things to broaden the appeal, and each time the result was substantially less money at the box office.

SotO really missed Elias Koteas' Casey Jones, but you're right, he likely would've been wasted here (his role in III is insultingly inconsequential). I'm still trying to decide what I think of Paige Turco as April vs. Judith Hoag. I think Turco looks and acts more like the animated version of April (as you said, probably trying to steer things closer to the cartoon), but I think Hoag is a better actress. I was a bit surprised to learn that Hoag is actually a few years younger than Turco. She comes across much older.

 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Lots of blam pow kaboom whoosh type stuff. We had fun.

 

Okay, I’ve somehow let myself get behind again! So, this isn’t what I saw during the past week, but the week before.

Saw Mr. Peabody & Sherman and had an absolute blast. It’s witty, charming and warm-hearted without being stupid, saccharine or cloying. It functions as a genuine adventure film in a way that even The Lego Movie really doesn’t and the wit is surprisingly outside the box. Great voice cast, particularly Ty Burrell who nails the intelligent, but caring Mr. Peabody. And so many great quotes: “I’ve done worse” is probably my absolute favorite, but “It . . . was . . . creepy” is a close second. **** stars. You gotta see this.

As to Noah?I thought it was thought-provoking and excellent. Aronofsky’s direction is typically stylish and evocative and Crowe gives another in a long line of genuinely excellent performances. It would be easy to coast on the beard and the glower (he is playing a Biblical patriarch after all), but he digs deeper than that. Anthony Hopkins’ Methusaleh is a pure pleasure as are the imaginatively designed and realized Watchers. And, my God, Aronofsky’s vision of the Creation Narrative is one of the most purely visually exciting things I’ve seen in a theater in a long time. It found some dark philosophical places to go, but ended with hope. Hell, even the action sequences were good. This was an all-around great movie. **** stars. You gotta see this.

Then I checked in at The Grand Budapest Hotel. Ever so glad I did. It isn’t perfect; the young love relationship between Zero and Agatha doesn’t really feel like anything and when Anderson tried to swing things to the melancholy at the end, I didn’t really feel like indulging him in that, so I just kept chuckling through the long litany of deaths. But the film is just so sprightly and wonderful. The cast is great, especially Fiennes (more comedy, please, sir), Dafoe, Goldblum and Brody. The movie is really a suspense/caper film in Anderson’s wonderful style. There’s a chase down a snow covered mountainside that was just . . . so wonderful. And a sequence of two characters playing cat and mouse in a deserted museum that was just pure pleasure. Kudos for ending that latter with one of the most shocking, yet hilarious, acts of violence I’ve seen in a while. Also, A Fish Called Wanda may have actually been removed from the “Most Hilarious Pet Death” throne. I’ll say no more for the sake of spoilers, but seriously, if you’ve seen it, you know. That shot out the window down at the sidewalk? Right, right? Oh, God. But, anyway, pure pleasure; a sugar rush of a movie. A few flaws can’t detract. If I withheld at this moment, I would have to be a Grinch of the highest order. **** stars. You gotta see this.

 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

In my opinion, the best Marvel movie outside of The Avengers. I've never understood the idea that Cap is "no one's" favorite character, as I was pulling for him quite a bit when dealing with his more snarky or cynical cohorts in The Avengers (though I have to admit, Bruce was still my favorite). He embodies the straight arrow traditional good guy while still seeming genuine and never crossing over into camp. Once again, we're shown you can have a character like him work in a modern story.

Unfortunately, the movie's major twist was spoiled for me (though another, slightly smaller one involving an old computer was not, so that was fun), but it still worked and it's amazing how much the universe is shaken up by the events here. Add in some great supporting characters each getting their own amazing moments and some truly spectacular and thrilling action, we have an easy winner here. For once, a box office record-breaking film deserves it.

Ouch, I knew I should have caught up on Agents of SHIELD after the internet went a little nuts a couple weeks ago.

 

I think you'll enjoy it just as much as he does.

 

Oh yeah, Noah! Saw that last week.

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I liked that it took a more mythological tone, making the ancient world more fantastical than you might expect in a Bibilical film. One of the few things I liked about Oblivion was the look of the abandoned, nearly uninhabitable earth. We have a similar aesthetic here, and I think that goes a long way in establishing the setting. Crowe gives a decent performance as do Hopkins and Logan Lerman, though not all of the acting worked for me. I also thought the second half lost some of its way, but overall it worked. It's great to get to see Noah's moral conflict with carrying out his god's instructions and what that does to him and those he loves. Plus, yeah, the creation story scene was one of if not the highlight.

 

Trawling the waters of Netflix...

20 Feet from Stardom - Really good. What is it about Sting though? Every time he talks, I want to punch him. A genius. But want to punch him. The Gimme Shelter story is fantastic.

Grabbers. A lovely Shaun of the Deadish take on the alien invasion/monster movie. Really great. Shows what can be done with digital effects on a tiny budget. Likeable cast, and since it was the Irish making fun of Irish drunkenness, I guess that's ok.

 

Noah is indeed a beautifully realized film, but those effects that were used for the birds in flight were atrocious. Like, Birdemic-bad.

 

Let us never speak of Two Face again.

TLJ's best performances were in The Fugitive, which he won an Oscar for and in Under Siege.

 

It wasn't his fault. If I recall, he wanted to do an edgier take on the character, but Joel wouldn't let him. It's still a horse**** performance.

 

His Gerard was really great, but his imitation of Harrison Ford was the real show stopper.

I'd say his best was No Country For Old Men.

 

This is the only Two Face you need to know about.

 

TLJ's Two Face is the second best part of that eminently enjoyable film.

 

Jodorowsky's Dune

I was blown away; must see documentary IMO.
The movie might have been brilliant or terrible but we'll never know. What you can know is that the story of the epic sci-fi fantasy movie that was never made is fascinating.

I went straight from the theater to the comic book store and bought $130 worth of Jodorowsky comics.

 

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Good laughs in here, but also a pretty slick three-act script, all things considered.

 

Pacific Rim.

It was kinda awesome.

 

Rush I enjoyed this a hell of a lot better than I thought I would because ew, Formula 1. Good acting, good characterization, good pacing, good direction. And it said over and over again how stupid it is to drive a death machine in circles as fast as you can.

Frozen It reminded me a lot of Disney Renaissance films from the 1990's-- other than the animation style, of course. Not the most complex plot of a children's film (Why does Elsa have powers? "Who cares?! IDINA MENZEL, *****ES"), but it was enjoyable. And yeah, Adele Dazeem was obviously the highlight.