What was the last movie you've seen?

[dsheinem]

So I am catching up on the last year of films…

Zombieland (2009) – After watching quite a few stinkers lately, this was a breath of fresh air. This is probably one of the most fun films I’ve seen in the last year or two, and the most fun zombie film since Shaun of the Dead (though it isn’t quite as good as that film). Woody Harrelson is clearly in his element here, and the look of the film – lots of bright, neon colors very sharply contrasted against dark backgrounds really makes it pop visually. Ruben Fleischer strikes me as a director to keep an eye on, as there are lots of great effects and other visual touches throughout. The Bill Murray scene elevates it from a good movie to a great movie, and the final showdown is one of the more memorable zombie attack sequences I can recall in recent films in the genre.
Grade: 4/5

An Education (2009) – A coming-of-age film isn’t usually something that interests me, as they tend to be overly sappy and predictable. However, this film really blew me away by how intriguing and well paced it was. Sarsgaard is wonderfully creepy/charming in a way few on screen characters have been, and Carey Mulligan is an absolute revelation. In all honesty, they do more to drive the film along than the plot, as they rise above what is an only-decent script and make it really live and breathe. The characters are believable, the set pieces are remarkable, and it all comes together in a highly recommended package. The last 5 minutes or so brings the grade down a half letter grade, as it ties things up to neatly/nicely…
Grade 3.5/5

Precious (2009) – Here’s another young girl coming of age film! This one, however, is harrowing. It is also my current pick for the best picture of 2009, but I still have a few more contenders to see (as mentioned below). A beautiful blend of a stomach punching script, inspired directing, and SHOCKING performances makes this a film you won’t soon forget. In a nutshell, it’s the story of a 16 year old obese and illiterate teenage mom in late 80s Harlem. The film follows her attempts to rise above her circumstances, but rarely have those circumstances been committed to film in quite this way, with this level of authenticity. Monique is absolutely haunting and horrible, and how Lee Daniels was able to coax such strong performances out of folks like Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carey (who is almost unrecognizable in appearance and in acting ability) is beyond comprehension. Very highly recommended.
Grade 4.5/5

Inglourious Basterds (2009) – I suppose I shouldn’t expect Tarantino to hit a home run every time out, and this one is still at least an extra-bases hit….it’s also probably my least favorite Tarantino film. That’s not to say it isn’t good or stronger than much of what’s out there in the cinema, but the two strengths of most Tarantino films – snappy dialogue and novel directing choices – only make cameos in Basterds (for example, the opening scene is probably the best example of classic Tarantino in the entirety of the film – it also features the best acting). One problem: Tarantino can’t write dialogue as well in languages other than English. This especially hurts scenes like the bar-room scene which, prior to its concluding moments, is grounded in dialogue and, as a result, it's one of the more boring and plodding parts of any recent war film I’ve seen. And aside from an interesting bit of camera movement during one particular translation scene, there wasn’t anything especially interesting going on visually until the climax of the film (which is mostly effects driven). Still, the film works well as a revenge fantasy, and few do that better than Tarantino.
Grade: 3.5/5

Next Up: Most of the rest of the 2009 Best Picture nominees: Up, The Hurt Locker, A Serious Man, Up in the Air, and District 9

[Jrecee]

I really want to buy Moon and District 9 but they're 19.99 everywhere... my limit for barebones dvd releases is 15.99.

[jfe2]

I just watched Couples Retreat with my wife. Meh.

[Luke]

That makes you want to see it?

I'm just messing around. I actually want to see it cause I'm a big Kevin Smith fan.

Just to let you know, there's little K.Smith dialogue in the movie, as he didn't write the script. It's more of a "crowd pleasing" movie so he can get more bucks to back up his next big film.

I think RED STATE is paid for, and he's got his Slap Shot-esque movie in prepro, so I'm all for him making money. Just don't expect the regular K.Smith movie for COP OUT.

I just hope it does well in theaters. The guy deserves to catch a break after the whole Zack and Miri thing.

BTW, do you listen to Smodcast? Just curious. I'm a huge Smod fan!

In related news.

Ugh:

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/director-kevi ... t/35864?nc

[jfe2]

Yeah, apparently that's what the latest Smod is about. Can't wait to hear what he has to say...

[Luke]

Yeah, apparently that's what the latest Smod is about. Can't wait to hear what he has to say...

I almost doubt the validity of the story, but if it truly happened, holy $#!T.

edit* fuckballs: http://www.smodcast.com/smods/smodcast106.html

[Jrecee]

Wow I didn't think he was THAT fat.

Anyway, Just watched zombieland, it was really good. Even better than I was expecting in fact. Not enough movies really capture that fun/suspenseful/exciting/comedic thing anymore. Those are my favorite types of movies, like Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Iron Man, etc.

[Pulsar_t]

Perhaps I was harsh on Zombieland. But every time I think of the scene with Bill Murray I cringe



Doghouse was fun. Pity they didn't know how to end it properly.

[fastbilly1]

Blues in the Night - one of the films that inspired Matt Groening when he came up with the Simpsons. It certainly shows in some of the early seasons too. The film itself was soso, nothing really to write home about.

[Limewater]

Inglourious Basterds (2009) – I suppose I shouldn’t expect Tarantino to hit a home run every time out, and this one is still at least an extra-bases hit….it’s also probably my least favorite Tarantino film. That’s not to say it isn’t good or stronger than much of what’s out there in the cinema, but the two strengths of most Tarantino films – snappy dialogue and novel directing choices – only make cameos in Basterds (for example, the opening scene is probably the best example of classic Tarantino in the entirety of the film – it also features the best acting).

Actually, one thing I really liked about Basterds was that the dialog seemed a lot less masturbatory than Tarantino's previous work. I always liked his dialog as well (except in Death Proof), but I do feel like sometimes he includes lines in his movies just because he thinks they're clever and not because they advance the story or reveal anything about the characters.

And seriously? Did you really like Death Proof more than this one?