What was the last movie you've seen?
Re: What was the last movie you've seen?
Just watched Prometheus again and stand by my review of it. The first 90 minutes of this 2 hour movie are really well paced, compelling, top-notch sci-fi stuff. The last 30 minutes, while sometimes visually stunning, is a mess of horrid dialogue, poor plot advancement, and boneheaded character choices that are completely out of line with the rest of the film. I really have to wonder what happened to the last 30 minutes - I am CERTAIN there must be some kind of story there about the studio cutting a 3 hour film down to a 2 hour film, Ridley losing interest, etc. The first 3/4 is just so good that the last half hour feels like I am almost watching something else entirely.
Re: What was the last movie you've seen?
I should have a post up this week letting you know what i think of everything Oscar-related I've seen, but in the meantime I need to dump a bunch of reviews dating back to October...
Some of these are culled from posts elsewhere and gathered together more "formally" here in a movie review post (so that I can link them later). Some are fresher.
Dagon (2001) - I watched this one on noise's recommendation. I thought it was a lot of fun, really well put together, and had a nicely communicated Lovecraftian atmosphere to it. It also had some pretty intense moments that were visually compelling. It did lag in a few sections and it felt a bit uneven at times, but overall well worth the watch.
Grade: 3.5/5
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) – Like Rosemarys Baby, you can tell this film is shot by someone with a real love for filmmaking across genres, as it is one the most stunning looking Dracula-inspired films I have ever seen (I’d probably place this and Vampyr near the very top). While the movie falls apart a bit in the last third or so, it is never not fun. It’s full of biting wit (no pun intended), to-the-edge-but-not-quite-over acting, and a fantastic score. Everything with Hopkins and with Waits was awesome. Most of the England-based scenes are excellent and the acting is generally sharp, but there seems to be too many ideas, too many editing problems, and likely too many egos at work.
Grade: 3.5/5
Nightmare on Elm Street 2 (1985) - I think my biggest issue with the original Nightmare on Elm Street was that it takes itself too seriously and I failed to find any humor in it - just a lot of pre-existing clichés, bad acting, and nice effects work. By contrast, I probably liked NOES2 better because it featured more of the stuff I liked from the first while reveling in its own ludicrousness. I mean for fuck’s sake, it has a killer parrot explode mid air, sports balls attacking a coach, a ton of homoerotic undertones, and a random man-faced dog. It KNOWS that it is ridiculous in a way which the first one skirts around. And for that, I enjoyed it a good deal.
Grade: 3/5
Ernest Scared Stupid (1991) - Scared Stupid always impressed me with how well it was able to tread the line between spooky and silly. I like the effects work (the troll pods and troll deaths hold up pretty well) and there's lots of great slapstick to be found throughout. Like any Ernest movie you have to take the dumb with the fun, but this is one of the better Ernest films in my estimation, and one that has aged better than most.
Grade: 3/5
The Omen (2006) - All you really need to know about this remake is that Liev Schreiber is no Gregory Peck and John Moore is no Richard Donner. I give it some kudos for trying to pay homage to the original, but it somehow shed almost everything that made the 1976 film such a brooding, moody, menacing classic. Mia Farrow is wasted in her role, and this is really just a curiosity that I’d only recommend to fans of the original films, and even then just to remind yourself of how good those are.
Grade: 1.5/5
Nightmare on Elm Street 3 (1987) – I’m new to most of the films in this series and this one is probably my least favorite so far. It had some interesting effects work and well directed scenes as always, but like the first film this one seemed to lack the humor that the second film acknowledged. NOES 3 actually feels much more like an action film than a horror film, and not in a good way.
Grade: 2/5
Obama's America 2016 (2012) - Ridiculous fearmongering grounded in a moronic understanding of post-colonial scholarship and a near infinite number of logical fallacies. Even if one can excuse its incoherency, it is a mess of rote and overbaked documentary film making techniques and really offers nothing worth seeing.
Grade: .5/5
Skyfall (2012) – I think the praise of this as the “best Bond film of all time” is far overblown and ignores some great entries during Connery’s tenure as 007. In fact, I think I am still partial to Craig’s first turn as Bond in Casino Royale rather than to his work in the film here. Living legend Roger Deakins lifts the series’ imagery up a notch and Mendes is a more than capable director, but this film is far from either of their best work. That said, the film is an excellent Bond film, Craig rebounds nicely off his less-than-stellar Quantum of Solace, and there’s a lot of fun to be had with this one.
Grade: 4/5
The Hobbit, Part 1 (2012) – The film critic version of me found The Hobbit to be an audio/visual treat that was nonetheless in need of an editor and a stronger, more defined supporting cast.The lifelong-Tolkien-reader version of me found a lot to quibble with and dislike about about this treatment of The Hobbit, mostly due to the promotion and embellishment of footnoted characters, the shoehorning of LOTR film trilogy references and cameos, and the minor and somewhat major changes to the plot that were done for the sake of film. Fortunately, it was the preteen version of me sitting in the seat in the theater and I was more overwhelmed by the sensation of "OMG I am seeing this on the big screen!" than I was by any negative vibes. I'll see it again (possibly in 3D for a change, though probably not) and see if I can retain this enthusiasm through multiple viewings.
Grade: 4/5
Some of these are culled from posts elsewhere and gathered together more "formally" here in a movie review post (so that I can link them later). Some are fresher.
Dagon (2001) - I watched this one on noise's recommendation. I thought it was a lot of fun, really well put together, and had a nicely communicated Lovecraftian atmosphere to it. It also had some pretty intense moments that were visually compelling. It did lag in a few sections and it felt a bit uneven at times, but overall well worth the watch.
Grade: 3.5/5
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) – Like Rosemarys Baby, you can tell this film is shot by someone with a real love for filmmaking across genres, as it is one the most stunning looking Dracula-inspired films I have ever seen (I’d probably place this and Vampyr near the very top). While the movie falls apart a bit in the last third or so, it is never not fun. It’s full of biting wit (no pun intended), to-the-edge-but-not-quite-over acting, and a fantastic score. Everything with Hopkins and with Waits was awesome. Most of the England-based scenes are excellent and the acting is generally sharp, but there seems to be too many ideas, too many editing problems, and likely too many egos at work.
Grade: 3.5/5
Nightmare on Elm Street 2 (1985) - I think my biggest issue with the original Nightmare on Elm Street was that it takes itself too seriously and I failed to find any humor in it - just a lot of pre-existing clichés, bad acting, and nice effects work. By contrast, I probably liked NOES2 better because it featured more of the stuff I liked from the first while reveling in its own ludicrousness. I mean for fuck’s sake, it has a killer parrot explode mid air, sports balls attacking a coach, a ton of homoerotic undertones, and a random man-faced dog. It KNOWS that it is ridiculous in a way which the first one skirts around. And for that, I enjoyed it a good deal.
Grade: 3/5
Ernest Scared Stupid (1991) - Scared Stupid always impressed me with how well it was able to tread the line between spooky and silly. I like the effects work (the troll pods and troll deaths hold up pretty well) and there's lots of great slapstick to be found throughout. Like any Ernest movie you have to take the dumb with the fun, but this is one of the better Ernest films in my estimation, and one that has aged better than most.
Grade: 3/5
The Omen (2006) - All you really need to know about this remake is that Liev Schreiber is no Gregory Peck and John Moore is no Richard Donner. I give it some kudos for trying to pay homage to the original, but it somehow shed almost everything that made the 1976 film such a brooding, moody, menacing classic. Mia Farrow is wasted in her role, and this is really just a curiosity that I’d only recommend to fans of the original films, and even then just to remind yourself of how good those are.
Grade: 1.5/5
Nightmare on Elm Street 3 (1987) – I’m new to most of the films in this series and this one is probably my least favorite so far. It had some interesting effects work and well directed scenes as always, but like the first film this one seemed to lack the humor that the second film acknowledged. NOES 3 actually feels much more like an action film than a horror film, and not in a good way.
Grade: 2/5
Obama's America 2016 (2012) - Ridiculous fearmongering grounded in a moronic understanding of post-colonial scholarship and a near infinite number of logical fallacies. Even if one can excuse its incoherency, it is a mess of rote and overbaked documentary film making techniques and really offers nothing worth seeing.
Grade: .5/5
Skyfall (2012) – I think the praise of this as the “best Bond film of all time” is far overblown and ignores some great entries during Connery’s tenure as 007. In fact, I think I am still partial to Craig’s first turn as Bond in Casino Royale rather than to his work in the film here. Living legend Roger Deakins lifts the series’ imagery up a notch and Mendes is a more than capable director, but this film is far from either of their best work. That said, the film is an excellent Bond film, Craig rebounds nicely off his less-than-stellar Quantum of Solace, and there’s a lot of fun to be had with this one.
Grade: 4/5
The Hobbit, Part 1 (2012) – The film critic version of me found The Hobbit to be an audio/visual treat that was nonetheless in need of an editor and a stronger, more defined supporting cast.The lifelong-Tolkien-reader version of me found a lot to quibble with and dislike about about this treatment of The Hobbit, mostly due to the promotion and embellishment of footnoted characters, the shoehorning of LOTR film trilogy references and cameos, and the minor and somewhat major changes to the plot that were done for the sake of film. Fortunately, it was the preteen version of me sitting in the seat in the theater and I was more overwhelmed by the sensation of "OMG I am seeing this on the big screen!" than I was by any negative vibes. I'll see it again (possibly in 3D for a change, though probably not) and see if I can retain this enthusiasm through multiple viewings.
Grade: 4/5
-
noiseredux
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 38148
- Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2008 1:09 pm
- Contact:
Re: What was the last movie you've seen?
seriously. Last time I point out that you're looking for humor in a film that was not intended to be humorous...dsheinem wrote: I think my biggest issue with the original Nightmare on Elm Street was that it takes itself too seriously and I failed to find any humor in it
-
BurningDoom
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 5953
- Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2011 12:14 am
Re: What was the last movie you've seen?
I always thought the first NOES comes off a true horror film (and a classic at that), while the rest are intended to be humorous. I also thought that NOES 2 was one of the worst one in the series. At least it wasn't as bad as NOES 5 or the recent remake, though.noiseredux wrote:seriously. Last time I point out that you're looking for humor in a film that was not intended to be humorous...dsheinem wrote: I think my biggest issue with the original Nightmare on Elm Street was that it takes itself too seriously and I failed to find any humor in it
Game Trade/Want List:
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 22&t=28206
Consoles Owned: Atari 2600, NES, SNES, Super GB, N64, Gamecube, GB Player, Wii, Sega Power Base Converter, Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, TurboGrafx-16, PlayStation, PS2 Slim, XBox, XBox 360, Game Boy, GBC, GBA-SP, DS, Game Gear, GG Master Converter
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 22&t=28206
Consoles Owned: Atari 2600, NES, SNES, Super GB, N64, Gamecube, GB Player, Wii, Sega Power Base Converter, Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, TurboGrafx-16, PlayStation, PS2 Slim, XBox, XBox 360, Game Boy, GBC, GBA-SP, DS, Game Gear, GG Master Converter
Re: What was the last movie you've seen?
Recently rewatched this, this time on my personal DVD copy, which is part of the limited Ringmaster's Edition, mine is number 5,154 of 6,660.
Can't wait for the sequel.
Re: What was the last movie you've seen?
I was dumbfounded the first time I realized that Gary Oldman played each version of Dracula.dsheinem wrote: Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
It's not a movie for everyone, but I absolutely love it. And although it's not entirely true to the book, I love how the movie plays out in journal form for most of the film, and the small touches like the blue flame when arriving at the castle and Harker seeing Vlad climb the exterior of the castle.
STRIPTEASE Unrated
Having never seen this before I told my wife "I'm sure there's more to it than boobs". I was sorta right.
There are some genuinely funny scenes in the movie, but other than that, most of the story is filler to get back to showing boobs. Huge boobs at that. And I'm a fan of boobs, but Burt Reynolds is the boob who steals the show. Every one of his gesticulations or facial expressions got at least a smile out of me.
Oh how I wish MST3K had screened this film.
Re: What was the last movie you've seen?
I watched The Specialist the other night. I've seen all of Schwarzenegger's films from the 1980s and 90s, but I've missed a lot of Stallone's movies from the same period, so I figured I would try seeking them out. Unfortunately, that meant I had to watch this movie. Yes, James Wood is delightfully evil and overly dramatic in it, but that just couldn't save this movie and its twisted plot, forced dialogue, and poor characters. Plus, I gotta say that the Stallone/Stone sex scene was really awkward.
Re: What was the last movie you've seen?
Preteen Dsh seems like an awesome guy.dsheinem wrote: Fortunately, it was the preteen version of me sitting in the seat in the theater and I was more overwhelmed by the sensation of "OMG I am seeing this on the big screen!" than I was by any negative vibes.
Blizzard Entertainment Software Developer - All comments and views are my own and not representative of the company.
Re: What was the last movie you've seen?
Disney's JOHN CARTER
I've never read the books, but plan to. I liked this movie. It was fun, adventurous and it had Mark Strong in it. I mean seriously. I don't know why this film bombed? Did it bomb? Am I mistaken? I enjoyed it.
I've never read the books, but plan to. I liked this movie. It was fun, adventurous and it had Mark Strong in it. I mean seriously. I don't know why this film bombed? Did it bomb? Am I mistaken? I enjoyed it.
Re: What was the last movie you've seen?
Re-watched The Devil's Carnival.
Has anyone else seen it? It's on Netflix and Hulu Plus.
Has anyone else seen it? It's on Netflix and Hulu Plus.