Seen any movies lately?

Charlie St. Cloud

Very predictable...but I still enjoyed it. I know I've mentioned it before, but I still think Zak Efron is incredibly talented and it's entertaining to watch him mature as an actor.
3.5 out of 5.

*********************


Ramona and Beezus

Great film for kids...but might be a little tedious for adults.
3 out of 5.

Right at Your Door

Not sure if I talked about this one. Almost laughable at times, but here we go: It's a combo of liberal fears about government response placed very bluntly throughout during this plot about a terrorist attack on L.A. Dirty bombs are set off and this guy tapes off his house after his wife leaves for work. She comes back and he's afraid to let her in because he doesn't want to get infected. Slight twist ending that didn't get a reaction out of me. I did not care, just like most Shyamalan endings. Wouldn't recommend watching it.

Layered Cake

It's the Guy Ritchie film he didn't make. A British crime-drama based around a cool-headed, smart-playing drug dealer (Daniel Craig) that, although he makes all the good moves, gets fucked over by the big dogs and he has to smooth everything out. It wasn't as fun as it could've been because it doesn't clue you in on the conspiracy of the movers and shakers until the story felt like it. Like a story that pays the audience for paying attention. Instead it came off as convoluted when it came time for a reveal and a hyper-rush to get that chapter out of the way in a long paragraph of narrative. :/ It wasn't bad by any means. Worth renting. Had a pretty surprising ending.

(Free if you have IFC OnDemand.)

BlueMaxx wrote:

Astro13Zombie wrote:Predators

What'd you think?

It was alright.
Definitely could have been better.
Wish the Preds had more screen time.
But I liked it.

^ That is true. Hopefully they'll get more next movie. Although I'm really digging the diversity of prey they put on the planet. Hopefully it won't go into Xenomorph territory anytime soon, but a chamber of them or habitat scenario could work out pretty well.

Astro Boy--thoughts? Heh. (Nosey.) I didn't like Blood. So...IDK, ADHD & boring with the plot. The fights weren't even that fun.

Night Moves - a bizarre but fascinating 1975 revisionist detective story, starring the great Gene Hackman. If you've read a lot of mystery novels or seen a lot of detective movies, you'll probably get more out of it. 4.5 out of 5 sinking airplanes.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

^ Epic part [3:04]. Scott vs. Vegan Superman!

Really, really liked this movie. Kind of stealing from a few who've said this before, but it's the best video game movie yet. Really had the jump-around humor the books had down without it becoming messy. Again, really, really liked it. Might watch again this week.

Just finished Mutants (2009) by David Morlet. The whole movie was in French, which I didn't know when I got it from Netflix, but I watched it anyways. It wasn't that bad, it was actually a lot better than some low budget zombie movies you see in the states. The makeup was amazing. But my only issue was the entire time all I could do was yell at the main actress. How much do you have to go through before you'll shoot an infected love one!?

^ I'd watch it.

Dead Like Me: Life After Death

Should've left the series alone and not made this. Understand what fans were talking about. Pretty much uneccessary. Although the Reggie and Joy's side of the story stayed solid. Made the mythos that much more inconsistent as a whole.

Robin Hood


Not bad, not great, but not bad. I'd like to see a sequel where it deals with the traditional legend and not how he became who he became.

This movie made me want a Green Arrow movie even more.

I also have to say, and this is nothing against her, but I find Cate Blanchett to be distractingly unattractive.

Watched Survival of the Dead last night.

I was disappointed. I'd forgot that someone told me that it was linked to Diary of the Dead (which is better, IMO). I guess it was this thinly-veiled, yet not very deep, allegory of the conflict between Northern & Southern Ireland, and some Hatfield/McCoy thrown in. The acting...Romero's movies usually have wooden dialogue, but this felt like I was watching a bad play about zombies. At best, a crappy, college undergrad directed film with a big budget. Me am sad.

I guess getting them to eat something other than humans was another notch on the Romero zombies = mindless consumerism and how we need to ween off of things, like fossil fuels, etc. But, at face value, it didn't work. And that's where it's suppposed to be its strongest. Who cares if the zombies learn to eat other things. They'll just eat more. I mean, didn't he already have them eating mice in Night and something else in Dawn? Can't remember.

Movies I've watched over the last few weeks:

The Road - I kind of liked it and I totally get the whole "father's love for his son" side of it and that truly is a great part of the story but man it was hard going and grim. I just did not feel good after watching it and I kept just wanting something redeeming to happen. I don't know what, just something. Anyway, it looked fantastic and the acting was top notch (even small roles from unrecognisable Robert Duvall and Guy Pearce). I wouldn't have realised the boy was an Australian actor. I'm giving it 2.5 out of 5. I feel it was very well made but I just couldn't get into it.

The Book of Eli - Watched this the night after The Road which was kind of funny in a way. Both filmed in a very similar fashion and dealing with post apocalyptic worlds. This one was obviously a bit more of an adventure movie and not a bad one with some pretty cool twists at the end (which I though were always evident during the movie if you were looking for it). Denzel Washington was very good in his role but at the end I thought his was okay without being outstanding. It's a 3 out of 5 for me.

The Other Guys - I probably found this a movie that overall wasn't all that great but it had some outstanding and hilarious moments all through it that saved it. I don't normally like Mark Wahlberg but I thought he was great in this and a terrific foil for Will Ferrell. With some pretty damn funny moments I'll give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Hot Tub Time Machine - Yep, it was a dumb concept and probably not that good but I didn't seem to care. I'm the same age as the guys in the movie and was a teenager in the 80s and it all hit home pretty well to me. John Cusack's involvement was a great touch. I had a really good time with this film and I'd give it a 3 out of 5.

BlueMaxx wrote:Watched Survival of the Dead last night.

I was disappointed. I'd forgot that someone told me that it was linked to Diary of the Dead (which is better, IMO). I guess it was this thinly-veiled, yet not very deep, allegory of the conflict between Northern & Southern Ireland, and some Hatfield/McCoy thrown in. The acting...Romero's movies usually have wooden dialogue, but this felt like I was watching a bad play about zombies. At best, a crappy, college undergrad directed film with a big budget. Me am sad.

I guess getting them to eat something other than humans was another notch on the Romero zombies = mindless consumerism and how we need to ween off of things, like fossil fuels, etc. But, at face value, it didn't work. And that's where it's suppposed to be its strongest. Who cares if the zombies learn to eat other things. They'll just eat more. I mean, didn't he already have them eating mice in Night and something else in Dawn? Can't remember.

Agree. Watching Survival really felt weird. It just didn't seem to go with the other Dead movies. I was disappointed. The ac ting seemed really low grade, like watching elementary students act out a play.




Just finished watching Doghouse.

The makeup was good for the "zombies" but the movie in general was meh. The story was slightly okay and it felt almost like watching the first house of the dead movie. I say 2/5 I couldn't really tell if they were trying to go for a comedy or horror, if they were trying for either they failed.

^ Almost borrowed that. Decided against asking. Lot of really meh zombie movies punching through doors these past 2 or 3 years. Still thinking of renting Aaah! Zombies!! Looks kind of fun(ny). (And what's up with Revenant? It's been tied up since 2008. Hopefully, like Trick 'R Treat, it turns out to be goodness that's been delayed for no good reason.)

The Ice Harvest.

It was good, I liked it. Sort of a noir Fargo with it being a layered crime-drama during a heavy snow--even had a "lady in the red dress"--meets Very Bad Things with the domino effect of awful happenings.

^ Oh I want to see that. Big John Cusack fan.

I also so Red last week. I thought it was great fun. John Malkovich just about steals the film but I thought everyone was good (Mary Louise Parker was excellent actually). It's a 3.5 out of 5 for me.

Aussiemandias wrote:

I also so Red last week. I thought it was great fun. John Malkovich just about steals the film but I thought everyone was good (Mary Louise Parker was excellent actually). It's a 3.5 out of 5 for me.

I loved RED, I give it a 5 out of 5. I'd even go see it again in theaters.

Aussiemandias wrote:^ Oh I want to see that. Big John Cusack fan.

I also so Red last week. I thought it was great fun. John Malkovich just about steals the film but I thought everyone was good (Mary Louise Parker was excellent actually). It's a 3.5 out of 5 for me.

Same here on John Cusack. Loved Grosse Pointe Blank, one of my favorite movies.

^ That's what I forgot to mention. John Cusack is great. Even with these under-the-radar films, he sells it.

Just finished The Centurion, great movie. Was it ever out in theaters? I don't remember. Bit it really was a good movie. It brought up a lot of good and bad things about those times. I got pissed at the end though when the gate guard shot the guy for no reason (yes I know his garb was different but he wasn't wielding a weapon or anything) But the ending did bring it to a good closure. I give it a 4/5

The Graves
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
The Stepfather (2009)
The Monster Club

Leaves of Grass

Very surprised by this. The trailer made it seem like another pot comedy, but it was actually pretty deep. About identical twins, both of whom are prodigal sons of a genius that took very different paths in life, are brought together by the trouble-making, pot dealing brother that fakes his death to get his good-natured, philosophy teaching brother to come down for his wedding and see their mother that he hasn't seen in years. Plot thickens nicely with the "loser" brother's intentions of using his identical brother to pose as him to escape debt and death from a local drug lord, amongst other things.

The movie really isn't even about pot, it's more about these brothers discovering themselves. One, who is all about philosophy, still feeling confused about life and his family, and the other, who is seemingly a simpleton and a fuck-up, seems to have everything pretty much figured out. It was never said, but Brady, the "loser" brother, seems to have a left-brained type of mind, with mathematics and memory (oddly, the pothead), while Bill, seems to be right-brained, with creativity and verbal. But in the end it turns around, and the philosophizing Bill really is just revealed to have been memorizing as much wisdom as he could to make sense of it all, and really forming anything on his own. Brady figured things out on his own, in his own unorthodox way.

Odd characters, great story--again, don't let the trailer fool you, this was a complete 180° from my expectations of a lame pot comedy. I only gave it a chance because of the cast.


MacGruber

Gotta say, I didn't hate it. Had a Matt Stone/Trey Parker humor to the story. Not saying it was done as well, just wasn't bad. Not a movie I'd bring up in conversation, but it's a nice finality to that sketch that was played way out.

I give it 2 & 1/2 throat rips out of 5. Almost a turkey. *rimshot with a blank stare*

BlueMaxx wrote:
MacGruber

Gotta say, I didn't hate it. Had a Matt Stone/Trey Parker humor to the story. Not saying it was done as well, just wasn't bad. Not a movie I'd bring up in conversation, but it's a nice finality to that sketch that was played way out.

I give it 2 & 1/2 throat rips out of 5. Almost a turkey. *rimshot with a blank stare*

I was just in Malaysia on holidays and had to pick up a "cheap" copy of this due to the fact that the blurb on the back was for what sounded like the movie 2012 and not MacGruber! Haven't watched the disc yet but I'm not expecting good quality!

I highly enjoyed Let The Right One In and am looking forward to checking out the remake when it hits DVD to see how it compares.

^ Same. February 1st.