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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Amph What was the last movie you saw?

Discussion in 'Community' started by TheEmperorsProtege, Aug 15, 2004.

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  1. Bobatron

    Bobatron Jedi Master star 4

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    Sep 3, 2012
    I watched Son of a Gun partly for that reason, although she had a small part in it.

    A Nightmare on Elm Street. I think the last time I saw this was when I went through the series before seeing New Nightmare in 1994 and I didn't remember anything from this other than Johnny Depp's bed scene, not even the school dream scene. It's hard to view Freddy Krueger as a scary person after he's been such a comedic figure in commercials and MTV spots.
     
  2. Rogue1-and-a-half

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

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    Nov 2, 2000
    I have occasionally liked a post specifically so I would then have the pleasure of clicking an "unlike" link.


    Mr. Holmes (2015) – Bill Condon

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    In this meditative film, a ninety-three year old Sherlock Holmes returns to his final case, the one that’s haunted him for decades, in an attempt to find closure. But while this film has mystery elements, it’s really a drama first and foremost; this movie is about the title character, not his case. It’s an exploration of Holmes as a human being and it really succeeds beautifully. Ian McKellen is beyond brilliant as the aging Holmes; he finds the burden of guilt over the final case and really makes it a palpable thing. It’s a masterclass performance. He’s given able support by a really fine Laura Linney as his long-suffering house-keeper, Milo Rogers as the house-keeper’s precocious son (who gets several big laughs in the otherwise very serious movie) and, best of all, Hattie Morahan as the mysterious woman at the heart of Holmes’ last case. The big scene between McKellen and Morahan, no spoilers, is just brilliant; Morahan holds her own against McKellen with a vivid, emotionally raw performance. But the film is about so many really evocative and relatable things. It’s about the battle between reality & perception (or one could say truth & fiction perhaps) and how both of those things define our lives; it’s also about the battle between logic and emotions and McKellen really shines in the scenes where this struggle comes to the fore; it’s also about despair & loneliness and the battle to escape those things. It’s a surprisingly dark movie at times, very dramatically heavy, and it earns its emotional catharsis with some very emotionally raw and draining scenes. The film is methodical and precise; it’s loaded with strange elements, like a section that takes place in Japan, but this is a film where every single thing on screen means something. It’s slow and brooding; in no way, a thriller, but it’s magnificent and resonant in some really powerful ways. Condon’s created a real masterwork here; everything is in place as a beautifully crafted film, but Condon mirrors the central struggle by letting some extremely messy emotions into this meticulously crafted film. Well done, Mr. Holmes. 4 stars.

    tl;dr – meticulous, meditative film explores questions of identity and despair and humanizes the great detective along the way. 4 stars.

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  3. soitscometothis

    soitscometothis Chosen One star 6

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    Jul 11, 2003
    The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus : For the third time. Not totally successful but I find it kind of fascinating.
     
  4. VadersLaMent

    VadersLaMent Chosen One star 10

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    Apr 3, 2002
    I want to see Mr Holmes but it is not in any theatres in my area yet.
     
  5. Master_Lok

    Master_Lok Force Ghost star 6

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    Dec 18, 2012
    Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) Oscar winner for best foreign film, Elio Petri's black as coal satire is a wicked little commentary on how those in power can get away with anything, in this case, murder. A homicide inspector (Gian Maria Volonte) kills his mistress and purposely leaves clues to see if his department will discover his crime. The level of corruption and excuses becomes increasingly ridiculous as Volonte's inspector grows ever more arrogant and mighty. It is darkly funny and gorgeously staged and shot. Gian has never been more unsettling and Petri's political barbs are equally cringe worthy and fascinating. My second favorite Elio Petri film, I bought this on iTunes today along with a couple more Shaws. As beautiful as the film is in color, the black and white promo shots make me wonder how much more potent this might have been if Petri and co. filmed in B&W. If you love crime films, this is definitely one to see. 9/10.
     
  6. PCCViking

    PCCViking Chosen One star 10

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    Jun 12, 2014

    Same here. Such is the price for living in the Tatooine of my part of the state (the town isn't sparsely populated and has two theaters, but neither of them is showing Mr. Holmes). The closest city that would have a theater showing it is at least 3 hours away.
     
  7. Jabbadabbado

    Jabbadabbado Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Mar 19, 1999
    John Wick. I understand he needs to kill people because of his dog and his car, but I feel there should be a limit somewhere below 50 people. Justice was definitely served before the first hour was up.
     
  8. PCCViking

    PCCViking Chosen One star 10

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    Jun 12, 2014

    John Wick: Bloodier than the Equalizer in less the time.
     
  9. EHT

    EHT Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 13, 2007
    That was probably Jabbadabbado . :p
     
  10. Master_Lok

    Master_Lok Force Ghost star 6

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    Dec 18, 2012
    the Heroic Ones (1970) Very good early Shaw wuxia but [face_sick] the drawn and quarter demise of one of the leads still makes me gag all these years later. After seeing so many awful demises in Italian genre films, this is still one of the very few that really gets to me.
     
  11. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

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    Mar 27, 2004
    Yeah, Freddy has been neutered ex post facto by the game show host persona that he adopted as the series went along, but when I re-watched the series 5-6 years ago (I was cajoled into it by my blog partner. I typically hate horror) I was shocked by how little, if any, of that is in the first two movies. He may have some quips in there, I can't remember, but he doesn't deliver them like he's hosting the Gong Show.

    By the third movie I'm pretty sure audiences went in rooting for Freddy. That was an odd phenomenon. Other horror baddies had become icons before that obviously. In the 60s, kids fell in love with the old Universal monsters whose movies had started playing on TV, but even there those guys weren't cold blooded serial killers in the mold of Freddy Krueger. To actively root for an unrepentant child killer was, to say the least, something new. Or at least I can't think of another case (Anyone else?). Michael Meyers and Jason Vorhees were popular for years before ANOES was even released, but I don't think people were cheering them on they way they were Freddy.
     
  12. Bobatron

    Bobatron Jedi Master star 4

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    Sep 3, 2012
    [​IMG]

    I need to know if there was a trailer for The Force Awakens before that movie.

    I watched The Empire Strikes Back around 4 am into dawn. I reluctantly watched the altered version of the 2006 DVD set, tolerating the wampa and "you're lucky to get out of there" (why???) and stuff, completely skipping the scene with the Emperor, but then when I heard Temeura Morrison's Boba Fett, I had to switch discs and watch that one through the end. I wish I could zone out and forget every modern thing in the world when watching this, and it could be the escape that it use to be.
     
  13. The_Four_Dot_Elipsis

    The_Four_Dot_Elipsis Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2005
    A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014)
    Dir. Scott Frank

    Not too shabby, save for the curious inclusion of a sidekick to lighten the proceedings of a film that needs to be ruthlessly grim by nature, and also the unnecessary "action finale". The shootout in the cemetery is more than enough. Frank directs well enough, Neeson and Stevens are quite good, but for me the standout is a particularly unpleasant David Harbour, who is surely one of the most versatile supporting players going around.
     
  14. Master_Lok

    Master_Lok Force Ghost star 6

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    Dec 18, 2012
    The Magnificent Ruffians (1979) One of the best Venoms films especially if you love weapons-centric Martial arts films. That the Venoms also created all of their weapons choreography here is pretty amazing (especially Lu Feng's 7 moves with his Kuan Do.) I only realized in rewatching what a great fight film it is because I wound up getting sucked into the simple story and good acting. Anyway, Lu Feng is the sociopathic son of the Golden Sword. As China is moving away from Martial arts the bored aristocrat craves combat and begins recruiting martial arts to spar with. Of course, those opponents wind up dead. As the other venoms arrive, it's ultimately a showdown between Lu, Chiang Sheng (performing some beautiful double sword work) and the ever nimble Kuo Chui. It's one of their best end fights ever and I am very glad to have the region 3 dvd. 8/10
     
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  15. Sniper_Wolf

    Sniper_Wolf Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Nov 26, 2002
    Clerks. I have to put my dislike of Smith's recent films and his general persona because Clerks. is still a solid film given its non-budget and Smith's little knowledge of film making. I understand the criticisms of Smith's incompetent visual style, especially twenty years later, but I found that the roughness added to the film's appeal. The characters and the situations are a lot more relatable to me now when I watched Clerks. fifteen-ish years ago since I've worked in those jobs, had similar customer experiences, and know real life versions of Dante (one of which was watching the film for the first time with me, but probably didn't get the point). Like Smith had said in interviews, Jay and Silent Bob are a bit starker in Clerks. than the later films; mainly they are less cartoonish though entertaining and closer to actual drug dealers, which I prefer. I give the film a solid B to B plus.
     
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  16. AndyLGR

    AndyLGR Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    May 1, 2014
    Ride Along. An average comedy with some funny if predictable moments, I can relate to the boyfriend not being good enough for the female family member(daughter or sister). The serious moments were cliched and even I could see what was coming and I'm rubbish at guessing film plots.
     
  17. WriterMan

    WriterMan Jedi Master star 4

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    Nov 26, 2012
    The Theory of Everything

    Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones are great in their respective roles as Stephen and Jane Hawking. The movie drags a bit in the middle--but not for that long. The ending is beautifully bittersweet. Overall, a very worthwhile experience. 8/10

    I want to see all the Oscar nominees from this past year. I think I chose a good place to start.
     
  18. DarthMane2

    DarthMane2 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 20, 2003
    Rogue Nation:

    I think it actually beats Ghost Protocol. All the action set pieces worked. Performances were great. Everybody had something to do. Rebecca Ferguson was a show stealer. Cruise still has it. Some say the villain was weak, but I thought he was pretty good. Some think the plot was a little thin, but I thought it was a good story. A simple premise, but one that felt it had some weight. Good ending.

    Opera House was probably my favorite scene.

    Very enjoyable....
     
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  19. EHT

    EHT Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 13, 2007
    The quoted text was actually VadersLaMent , not me. ;) Perfect image, though.


    Edit: I saw Minions today with my family. We all really enjoyed it. For some reason I went into it half expecting it to be even better than the Despicable Me movies, but it really wasn't; I think all three are pretty even overall. That's not to say, though, that Minions just feels like the other two, because it does have its own identity even though it works well as a prequel.
     
  20. Rogue1-and-a-half

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

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    Nov 2, 2000
    Monkey Kingdom (2015) – Mark Linfield, Alastair Fothergill

    [​IMG]

    Well, it’s 2015 and that means there’s a new DisneyNature documentary and this one is even better than 2014’s Bears, which I quite liked. This movie focuses on a large group of monkeys that live in abandoned ruins in the jungles of South Asia and, in particular, on one female monkey, Maya, and her struggle to survive in the harsh social structure of the monkey kingdom and raise her young baby at the same time. This movie was really just unbelievably entertaining and moving at the same time. The film renders Maya and her child in really great strokes; it’s hard to miss the fact that Maya is essentially a single mother, the male monkey that fathered her child having drifted on to greener pastures before the child was even born. Yes, I know, documentary purists, this is just Disney imposing a narrative. Shut up; it’s a compelling narrative and it’s just fine with me. The film also explores the surprisingly complex social structure of the monkey colony and I was really quite surprised at how deeply the film got into this element and how it was able to play into the overarching narrative of Maya and her baby. The film has several bravura sequences. A scene in which the monkeys invade a small house on the outskirts of the jungle and absolutely demolish a birthday party is raucous and hilarious and a climactic battle between Maya’s group and another group of monkeys encroaching on their territory is genuinely thrilling and exciting. At the end of the day, I walked out of the documentary feeling a connection to these monkeys; sure, I know, anthropomorphizing is bad, but it’s undeniable that these intelligent creatures have something along the lines of interior lives, even if they’re completely different from ours and I’m all for that message spreading through the world. And ultimately, I just found myself really moved, surprisingly so, by Maya’s story of a single mother’s struggles and ultimate triumph in harsh circumstances. I’m not a guy who really thinks monkeys are particularly cute so I wasn’t sure how I’d take to this movie; well, DisneyNature continues its surprising renaissance with this instant classic. 4 stars.

    tl;dr – DisneyNature’s excellent doc examines the fascinating social structures of a group of monkeys and tells the effecting story of one mother monkey and her new baby at the same time. 4 stars.

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  21. Reynar_Tedros

    Reynar_Tedros Jedi Grand Master star 6

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    Jul 3, 2006
    There were actually three sidekicks (and a love interest) in the novel this movie's based on, so count your blessings. :p Glad someone else enjoyed it, really has a great supporting cast with the aforementioned David Harbour, Boyd Holbrook, and the extremely underrated Olafur Darri Olafsson. It's a slow burn, but a compelling one that should satisfy any fan of Lawrence Block's series of Matthew Scudder novels.
     
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  22. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 10, 2005
    My roomates and I watched Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 the other day.

    [​IMG]

    It's a Bollywood, action comedy and it was... something. It was certainly fun to watch in a 'I have no idea what the hell is going on and I don't think having watched the first one would have really helped' kind of way. It might be a good one for JCC watches movies.

    My favorite part was the orangutan who painted masterpieces when he was drunk.
     
  23. Drac39

    Drac39 Force Ghost star 6

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    Jul 9, 2002
    Gosh it's been so long that I sort of forget what to add here.

    'North by Northwest', you know you sort of forget how outlandish and "soap opera-y" Hitchcock could be at times. This one stretches the confines of how much Hitchcock can do while still having a sense of thematic plausibility. I think the film greatly benefits from having Cary Grant in the title role. I think had he collaborated with Stewart again his innocent persona would have been too much. The nice thing about Grant is that you totally buy into the fact that he is having the worst few days of his life. He does sort of have that Joe everyman feel without trying to be a squeaky clean postcard picture. Even better than Grant is James Mason who is one of the few actors in the history of Hollywood who could be charismatic, rip roaringly fun, and terrifying in the same picture.
     
  24. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Force Ghost star 5

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    Mar 27, 2004
    I've long wondered what the poster for a buddy comedy starring Jack Nicholson, Harvey Keitel and Dr. Zaius would look like.

    Cyborg (1989) - Schlockmaster Albert Pyun plops Jean Claude Van Damme into a Mad Mad-like post apocalyptic wasteland and gives his cast more guttural screams than lines of dialog. In retrospect, that's probably a good thing. There are a few good moments in here, but this is more Cybore than Cyborg. - 4/10
     
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  25. burrisjedimaster1

    burrisjedimaster1 Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Jul 31, 2002
    Lion Heart ...inspiring movie that brought us the Street Fighter games
     
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