What are ya watch'n [MOVIES]

[hepcat]

This is pretty close to my thoughts as well. ...it's certainly better than Alien 4!

It's primarily because I'm a huge Jean-Pierre Jeunet fan, but I thought Resurrection wasn't THAT bad. Jeunet was not a good fit for a gritty horror survival film though, I will admit.

Spoiler:

I think this leaned a little too hard in to Resurrection territory with the hybrid baby.
I couldn't roll my eyes hard enough.

Also, i get it Hollywood, you like call-backs and fan service, but word-for-word quotes always takes me out of the movie.

Finally watched Romulus. Good lord, the part you’re taking about was when I went from “meh, it’s mediocre, but not horrible” to “screw this, it sucks”.

Spoiler:

It made zero goddamn sense. It went from 1 foot 2 inches and 8 pounds to 8 foot 7 inches and 500 pounds in 9 seconds? If nothing else, it’s the perfect counter to ozempic. I get it, you’re a horror director and you wanted to lean into that with the hybrid baby, but it came across as a last minute addition that no one thought through.

God, I wanted to throw my tv out the window through that entire ending,

[Sudy]

Speak No Evil - McAvoy is delightfully unhinged. Davis and McNairy are hotties, delighted to see them reunite after Halt and Catch Fire. Muted but enjoyable subtexts questioning masculinity, family roles, and parental trauma. Mostly predictable plot and the trailer gives away too much, but the production value overshadows these downsides. A-

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - Fun, but rarely laugh-out-loud funny. Creative, imaginative, and visually delightful. Overstuffed. Enough subplots for 1.75 movies crammed into a 104-minute runtime. Bellucci's and Dafoe's characters are fantastic but underdeveloped and really kind of extraneous. (I would love a Beetlejuice/Deetz-family-free spin-off set solely in the underworld, but it would probably be disappointing.) Confusing in-universe rules. Surprisingly, Keaton isn't overused. For as much as they tried to bury Jeffrey Jones (figuratively and literally), his character and likeness sure turn up a lot, which is bold and actually kind of refreshing in a weird sense. But when I say a lot I mean a lot, to the point of distraction. O'Hara is gorgeous at 70. Theroux is a great addition to the cast, but his arc/resolution is kind of simplistic and disappointing.

Overall an enjoyable way to spend two hours, but ultimately an unnecessary sequel despite a surprisingly restrained degree of fan service. Really having trouble remembering a nostalgiploitation film that's been a worthy franchise extension, though I imagine there have been a couple. Unfortunately this isn't one of them. B+

[Jeff V]

I watched The Breakfast Club last night. I think its the only John Hughes film from the 80s I didn't watch. Saw all the others. Not sure if I would have enjoyed it more as a teen or something but I found it alright. Kinda dragged as its in one room really. But I liked it. Didn't hate it.

Had you watched it when it came out, it would have seemed more relevant and you'd have liked it more.

[YellowKing]

Finally got around to watching MaXXXine, the third in Ti West's "X" trilogy. Mia Goth was excellent as always, and Kevin Bacon chews the scenery in a ridiculous but fun role. But ultimately it fell a bit short for me compared to the other two. There's a real-life true crime event as a backdrop that never really pays off, and I felt like there was a missed opportunity to really lean into the giallo references and make it as much a homage to Italian horror as X was an homage to Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

[hepcat]

Speak No Evil - McAvoy is delightfully unhinged. Davis and McNairy are hotties, delighted to see them reunite after Halt and Catch Fire. Muted but enjoyable subtexts questioning masculinity, family roles, and parental trauma. Mostly predictable plot and the trailer gives away too much, but the production value overshadows these downsides. A-

The original version is on Shudder. I really enjoyed it. I try to avoid remakes unless they get great word of mouth, so I'll probably avoid the new version.

[Sudy]

Yeah, I dislike Hollywood remake culture but I'll give anything a try that has decent reviews. I read some opinions that this one is worthwhile for its change in scenery and McAvoy's performance. I don't know anything about the original other than that a friend said that in it the

Spoiler:

guest families didn't speak the same language

which made a meaningful difference/improvement to the plot.

[hepcat]

It does. They use English to communicate when everyone is talking, then revert to Dutch or Danish (depending on the couple) to converse amongst themselves for private asides. It makes the confusion over what's REALLY going on so much more believable.

[YellowKing]

Surprisingly I enjoyed the Speak No Evil remake despite the atrociously spoilery trailer. James McAvoy was definitely a big part of that.

However, the original is a much bleaker, more terrifying film.

[hepcat]

I was burned by Oldboy, so I tend to avoid American remakes of films I really love.

[Isgrimnur]

atrociously spoilery trailer

Honey, I Shrunk the Plot

[Skinypupy]

Took the kids to see The Wild Robot this afternoon. While I generally cringe at kid's movies, the fact it had a 98% rating with both critics and audiences had me intrigued.

It certainly lives up to the reviews, and is an absolutely wonderful film. Kinda reminds me of a mash-up of Iron Giant and Big Hero 6 with jaw-dropping animation and truly remarkable voice acting. Matt Berry steals the damn show (as always), but Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O'Hara, Bill Nighy, and Mark Hamill are are all stellar as well. Be warned, it'll be a big punch in the gut if you're a parent, but is absolutely worth it.

Shame it's received exactly zero marketing as it's one of the very few kids movies that I found to be fantastic for both young and adult audiences. 8/8 tentacles, without question.

[disarm]

I took my 10yo son to see Transformers One last weekend and it was surprisingly good. I was very unimpressed with the trailers, but then it started getting good reviews, so we took a chance. While the beginning isn't anything special, the second half really takes off and the ending is pretty great. If you have young kids or were into Transformers back in the day, I would highly recommend it.

[Daehawk]

I was gonna watch that on streaming but cost too much.

I watched Love At Stake toninight. A 1987 Salem witch comedy starring the late beautiful Kelly Preston. It was ok.

Next I may watch Night of the Living Deb.

[hitbyambulance]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - Fun, but rarely laugh-out-loud funny. Creative, imaginative, and visually delightful. Overstuffed. Enough subplots for 1.75 movies crammed into a 104-minute runtime. Bellucci's and Dafoe's characters are fantastic but underdeveloped and really kind of extraneous. (I would love a Beetlejuice/Deetz-family-free spin-off set solely in the underworld, but it would probably be disappointing.) Confusing in-universe rules. Surprisingly, Keaton isn't overused. For as much as they tried to bury Jeffrey Jones (figuratively and literally), his character and likeness sure turn up a lot, which is bold and actually kind of refreshing in a weird sense. But when I say a lot I mean a lot, to the point of distraction. O'Hara is gorgeous at 70. Theroux is a great addition to the cast, but his arc/resolution is kind of simplistic and disappointing.

Overall an enjoyable way to spend two hours, but ultimately an unnecessary sequel despite a surprisingly restrained degree of fan service. Really having trouble remembering a nostalgiploitation film that's been a worthy franchise extension, though I imagine there have been a couple. Unfortunately this isn't one of them. B+

actually that sounds kinda Gilliam-esque... may have to see it now.

[Sudy]

It's not nearly that phantasmagoric, wacky, and deranged I'm afraid. It's Burton. It's Hollywood. But it's a worthy enough continuation. But I'm a pretty big Gilliam fan.

[hepcat]

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I fully expected to be disappointed, but it’s a solid story. Not great, but much better than most sequels that call back to previous films in a series with very thin connective plots.

Spoiler:

The sixth sense plot twist was done nicely (heck, it caught me by surprise). And it’s always great to see Catherine O’Hara (there’s a throwaway scene early on at Charles’ funeral in which the priest walks up to her and says some meaningless platitudes and O’Hara just pauses and says in an exasperated tone “what?” that made me laugh out loud).

I have zero clue as to why they included the entire soul sucker side story though. It went nowhere and served no purpose. She kills her way through the afterlife to find Beetlejuice for revenge…and promptly gets eaten by a worm. Really?

Anyway, not sure if nostalgia played a larger part in my enjoyment or not, but I did enjoy it all the same.

[Hyena]

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I fully expected to be disappointed, but it’s a solid story. Not great, but much better than most sequels that call back to previous films in a series with very thin connective plots.

Spoiler:

The sixth sense plot twist was done nicely (heck, it caught me by surprise). And it’s always great to see Catherine O’Hara (there’s a throwaway scene early on at Charles’ funeral in which the priest walks up to her and says some meaningless platitudes and O’Hara just pauses and says in an exasperated tone “what?” that made me laugh out loud).

I have zero clue as to why they included the entire soul sucker side story though. It went nowhere and served no purpose. She kills her way through the afterlife to find Beetlejuice for revenge…and promptly gets eaten by a worm. Really?

Anyway, not sure if nostalgia played a larger part in my enjoyment or not, but I did enjoy it all the same.

Your spoiler was exactly my thoughts. They could easily have made two movies out of this one, but instead botched two story lines.

Spoiler:

The baby absolutely sent me. My neighbor and I were sitting next to each other and we looked at each other in shock and then just LOST it.

[Daehawk]

Just watched Harlock: Space Pirates. Pretty good anime movie. A little confusing as all anime seems to be to me but I liked it and it had a good ending.

[hepcat]

I love the animation on Harlock. But I'm also a Captain Harlock fan boy. I used to love that anime.

[Sudy]

Conclave (theatres) - A

Visually striking, fascinating in its portrayal of Roman Catholic/Vatican culture that often seems bizarre to outsiders, and deeply moving to me as someone who continues to wrestle with faith and belief (though I'm not Catholic, and am highly critical of many aspects Catholicism). The acting is phenomenal, Fiennes is spellbinding. The story and themes are at times simplistic, and the dramatic timing of a couple of events feels contrived. As well, a portion of the conflict seems dated (though is still extremely relevant). But viewed as a thematic parable, it works completely and allows for some beautiful staging and stunning cinematography. The music is perfect. Lithgow and Rossellini feel underused, but provide significant gravitas. The primary resolution is easy to see coming, but the denouement was a surprise, with a bold progressive statement (even if it's a mere baby step within its own world). This is probably my favourite film of the year so far.


Will and Harper (Netflix) - B+

A moving documentary and road movie exploring the transgender experience. It's very relevant to me as a cishet person who was raised with a fairly conservative mindset but is continuing to try to evolve a philosophy of love, acceptance, and understanding. I'm in a similar position of having a close friend from high school who's in the process of transitioning and have had many of the same thoughts, questions, and hesitancies as Farrell as he navigates the changes to his relationship with his friend and colleague Harper. I regret that my perspective is limited to Farrell's experience. I feel that's one of the ongoing challenges to acceptance, that those of us on the outside tend to view the transgender experience as a separate existence rather than an element of the entirety of the human tapestry. Visually, it's beautifully shot but as with many documentaries portions of it feel very staged and it's easy to see the seams. (But these things are extra noticeable to me as someone who took a television production class.)

While secondary, I unfortunately don't find Will Ferrell or most of his SNL contemporaries very funny or enjoyable (though he seems to be a well-intentioned, genuine, and sensitive individual, and I can relate to the method of his silliness as a fellow agent of chaos and absurdity even if his specific brand of humour doesn't generally hit for me). But his presences serves to increase the accessibility of this picture and I think that's important. There are certainly ways it detracts from it as well, but as a result the film provides a secondarily interesting exploration of celebrity and its effects on those in celebrities' social circles. But at its core it remains a story of Harper's and Farrell's friendship, and it that sense it's very successful.

[Holman]

I recently watched Jaws on Netflix. I've seen various scenes from the Jaws movies, but I don't remember ever watching Jaws from beginning to end, so I consider this my first viewing.

And wow, is it ever good! There's something timeless about Steven Spielberg's movies.

Here's a short video on film editing that considers Jaws a master class in it:



It's also just a terrific little video in its own right.

[Hipolito]

Thank you, that was very enjoyable. I didn't know about the wide-into-cut technique. And the video reminds me that Alien is another movie I have to see for the "first" time. It's been so long that I remember very little of it.

[Holman]

Thank you, that was very enjoyable. I didn't know about the wide-into-cut technique. And the video reminds me that Alien is another movie I have to see for the "first" time. It's been so long that I remember very little of it.

The whole series of technique videos from RocketJump Film School is great.

[Kraken]

Yeah, very informative video. Now I have a hankering to see Jaws for the first time. I’ve seen many clips over and over but never sat through the whole film from start to finish.

[Daehawk]

The Good Witch and The Good Witch's Garden.

I had watched both of these with my wife back in the 2010's and remembered them as being feel good Halloween time movies so watched them again. Im not sure how many of them she saw but I figure Ill try and watch them all. Just didn't know there were so many plus a short run tv series. But thats ok..nothing else to do.

[Carpet_pissr]

Shaun of the Dead. I finally saw this. And after all of the hype and great things I heard about it I was disappointed. I didn't like it at all. His dead beat friend was just annoying. Their accents made it difficult to understand. Their entire reaction to everything around them annoyed me. I mean why would they act like that? I suppose it was to be funny but I think I smiled twice during the whole movie. I just didn't like it.

And because it was so bad ive now marked off seeing The World's End.

Wow. That is surprising. I just re-watched it recently. I thought it held up very well. Still brilliantly done. There are so many little subtle touches. The dialogue alone was worth the price of admission.

I will say that I was a lot less impressed with The World's End. But Hot Fuzz was also brilliant.

Same. Watched it (Shaun) again last night in fact. That’s probably the 4th or 5th viewing for me. Absolutely brilliant film.

[Kraken]

It Came from Outer Space (1953). Seventy years ago sci-fi was strictly B-movie territory. This movie, based on a story by Ray Bradbury and with a first screenplay by Bradbury, is one of the better relics of that cinematic ghetto. Russell Johnson (The Professor) is always a treat, and Barbara Rush was a babe. I realized about 10 minutes in that I'd seen this film before but I continued to watch anyway. It was released in 3D and those shots use some distracting camera work for the first several minutes, but that quickly settles down. I recorded it off TCM many months ago.

[hepcat]

I love B horror/sci fi from the 50s.

[Kraken]

According to the TCM setup, Spielberg said that Close Encounters wouldn't have been made if he hadn't seen It Came from Outer Space six times when he was a kid.

[GreenGoo]

Watched Seventh Seal with subtitles, on youtube. Daughter decided this is something we should watch. I enjoyed it.

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

[Daehawk]

I thought you meant The Seventh Sign with Demi Moore from the late 80s. That was a good movie.

[Kraken]

It being Halloween, I finally got around to The Raven, 1963. Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, screenplay by Richard Matheson. With that pedigree I did not expect a comedy, and indeed it wasn't very funny. More of a charmingly goofy sendup of the genre. And in a minor role, a very young Jack Nicholson wearing such a silly hat that I didn't recognize him until the credits rolled.

[hepcat]

….and Richard Matheson.

[Daehawk]

So far Ive watched

The Good Witch
The Good Witch's Garden
The Good Witch's Gift
The Good Witch"s Family
The Good Witch's Charm
The Good Witch"s Destiny

And I STILL have 6 to go.....if the cast changes dont ruin them for me...its un avoidable when xhild actors grow up.

[Pyperkub]

We went with the Season of the Witch this year too. Finished Agatha All Along last night, rugby after a viewing of The Craft.

Down, down, down the witch's road..

[hepcat]

I'd be perfectly fine not hearing that song for a full year or so.

[Punisher]

I'd be perfectly fine not hearing that song for a full year or so.

Bit it's SOOO catchy.. i absolutely have an ear worm and suggest you get one too.

[GreenGoo]

I love B horror/sci fi from the 50s.

Me too.

[hepcat]

I'd be perfectly fine not hearing that song for a full year or so.

Bit it's SOOO catchy.. i absolutely have an ear worm and suggest you get one too.

No thanks.

[Punisher]

I'd be perfectly fine not hearing that song for a full year or so.

Bit it's SOOO catchy.. i absolutely have an ear worm and suggest you get one too.

No thanks.

What if I make a Golden Girls parody of it?