Talk about whatever you want to here, but stay correct
#326115 by EphelDuath666
Sat Aug 04, 2018 3:30 pm
Bookwyrm83 wrote:Fallout: arguably the best of the series.  There were a few callbacks to each of the prior movies but not many, focusing mainly as a follow-up to Rogue Nation.  Thankfully the story is told well enough to be self-contained and easy to pick up, though I'm not sad to have done my homework.  Cruise was his usual self but put the character first and with a great level of nuance.  Henry Cavill and his mustache stole the show, giving one of the best antagonists in this series and (mostly) making up for Justice League.  Excellent fight scenes, genuinely great twists and probably the darkest tone of lot.  I'm glad I saw this on the big screen.

Not sure if I'll come back to these movies anytime soon but if I do, I know I'll have something fun to watch.


I wanna see this one too. Ilove most of the MI movies except for the second one, yeah that one made no sense. It was overall more concerned looking cool...and it didn't even look all that cool.

But yeah, loved the first one, the 3rd was OK and Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation were really, really cool. Can't wait to see Fallout.

When it comes to movies I watched mostly older stuff the past few days. Movies such as 'Seven Day in May', 'Twilight's Last Gleaming', 'The Final Countdown' 'On Golden Pond', Sweet Smell of Success', 'The Quiet Earth', 'The Front Page', 'Kiss of Death'and 'Sorcerer'...all pretty great.

Also watched Valerian. Actually knda liked it. I mean, didn't LOVE it but it was quite a visual spectacle. And I enjoyed it quite a bit. Especially fun in 3D.
#326116 by Bookwyrm83
Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:40 am
The Meg

Jason Statham takes on a 70 foot shark. If it sounds ridiculous, it is. It's also better than it has any right to be.

About on par with Jaws 2 and Deep Blue Sea, this flick has all that you'd expect from a shark movie these days: clunky dialogue, silly characters and a thin plot nearly stretched to breaking point. It's not completely stupid and seems aware of how silly it is, but nor is it especially smart. There are also a few gags that pay homage to the original Jaws but these are at least respectful.

Thankfully, the effects are great and at times beautiful, with the Megalodon having a fairly realistic design. True, it's obviously CG but it's not merely a great white made larger. There are also some good jumps and a few moments of earned tension. As mentioned, it isn't too serious yet does allow for gravitas during scenes many shark movies would skip over to get to the next shoddy effect.

The final fight between Statham and Meg alone is worth the watch but as a whole, this offers a good escape and manages to have enough blood to entertain despite its PG-13 rating. If you haven't got much else to do, give it a look.
#326130 by Bookwyrm83
Sat Sep 15, 2018 6:12 pm
The Predator

I saw this yesterday and have noticed this is quickly becoming the most polarizing movie of 2018, with many calling it the year's biggest disappointment (I guess they forgot Solo and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), where several others like the movie whilst acknowledging its flaws. I'm in the latter camp.

Of course I grew up with Predator. It is an 80's classic that elevated what was B-grade material into an influential and widely recognized icon, and I still love watching it. The sequels I at first didn't care for as much; Predator 2 was essentially a cop exploitation flick with an alien serial killer, and while Predators tried to emulate the first film and add a twist to the creatures' hunting habits, it went a little too far to be like the original. As time goes however, I enjoy both sequels more and consider them underrated. I wonder if I'll feel the same way about this new movie.

After first viewing, I do enjoy The Predator to a point. It is funny, bloody and doesn't skimp on the alien action. The creature design for the classic Predator looks great and the actor in the suit conveys personality along with physicality. There is a larger monster in the movie (the Mega Predator) and this one was clearly a motion capture performance; in some shots it looks fine, but in brighter light, you can tell it's an effect. The cast is fine, with our heroes being a motley group of jokers with PTSD or other mental issues. Boyd Holbrook plays a decent hero, though his one-liners are hit and miss. Olivia Munn as the beleaguered scientist also turns out good performance, even if her abilities get ridiculous by the end. Sterling K Brown as the human villain is a hoot and Jacob Tremblay as a boy with autism (the main target of the film's detractors) did well with what he was given.

The main problem with the movie is tone. It doesn't have the suspense of the original nor the other two sequels, barring one scene where the Predator is stalking Olivia Munn's character; instead this is all about graphic action laced with comedy, allowing for some touching moments on occasion. So, pretty much what you would expect from a Fred Dekker or Shane Black film, when you consider their filmographies. The fact that the word "pussy" was thrown in several times seems like evidence of Black really trying to connect to his contributions to the first movie. The last third of the movie also falls prey to the modern action style of quick, jumbled editing and an over-reliance on CGI to tell the story. The film's coda also tries to be clever sequel bait but is kind of embarrassing in its resolution.

In short, this movie is fun but has a lot of issues. Maybe with age it'll get better reception, maybe not. It is a fry cry better than the AVP films and thankfully has no apparent connection to them. Go in with lowered expectations and you might have a good time.
Edit - treated myself to a second viewing and picked up a couple things I missed. My verdict remains the same, though I have dropped my score from a 7 to a 6, maybe 6.5 at most.

Spoiler: show
Ok, time to get some things off my chest. First, I liked the arguments of calling the aliens "predators" or "hunters" and didn't hate the subversion of two classic lines - "You're one beautiful motherfucker" got a big laugh and even though I groaned when the line "Get to the choppers" was said, I did have a light chuckle when I saw motorcycles were being referred to.

The fact that the Mega Predator can analyze his environments and bring up a HUD in his vision without a mask bothers me. I get they've been upgrading their bodies with the DNA of other species but are they now introducing cybernetics to themselves? What is he, a Borg? The movie's assertion that autism/Asperger's syndrome is the next step in human evolution as the reason the Mega Predator wants to kidnap and harvest McKenna's son also comes across as unsound. Why they need to extract DNA from spinal fluid to upgrade themselves from any creature they fight isn't clearly explained and one can only assume it is to make them more adaptable and impervious to attack. So much for honorable hunting.

Brown's death scene was played as a you-blink-you-miss-it joke and I thought his character deserved a better send-off than him being a klutz and blowing his head apart with a plasma caster by aiming it the wrong way (and being barely visible in an already fast-paced sequence). By contrast, Thomas Jane and Keegan-Michael Key shared one of the better death scenes in the movie, which makes me wish their characters had been given just a touch more development. Another thing that seems to be bothering people are the Predator dogs; are they meant to be the equivalent of dogs on the Predator home-world are are they also hybrids? They look nothing like the hounds in Predators, after all. I like to think they aren't hybrids but just a different species of dog. A shame one just ends up becoming a deus ex machina for several scenes.

I guess I understand why the first Predator went on a killing spree despite coming to Earth to "save us" from the other creatures. Edit - replacing the next two sentences after watching it a second time tonight and picking up a missed detail. When he first crash lands and goes on a little hunt, I noticed that the escape pod appeared to have been shot down, likely by government agents who happened to show up a few minutes after. When he later finds himself strapped to a table and surrounded by guns and parts of his gear missing, naturally he's going to be pissed, so these acts of violence can be justified as self-defense. He later appears to be more merciful when negotiating, after all. The Mega Predator however gives less of a shit, and I found he was more capricious than any of the Predators previously on screen. It was funny when he mentioned that he enjoyed watching humans kill each other.

The final reveal of the Predator Killer suit as the gift to humans to defend themselves from the upgraded monsters was cheesy and though it might look cool in a sequel, the flippant one-liner from Holbrook and that this movie ends with its door wide open, rather than with the slight ambiguity of its forebears did have me rolling my eyes. Though I don't mind the autistic kid having his own desk and government job by the end while others do; I figure they're taking a Fly II approach and tutoring him as an aside to his help with Predator technology. Yes, I know how silly that sounds. But this whole movie is silly, and its merits can be the subject of a very long conversation, so I'm going to end it here.
Last edited by Bookwyrm83 on Tue Sep 18, 2018 4:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
#326136 by Bookwyrm83
Fri Oct 05, 2018 4:50 am
Venom

Basically a late 90's screenplay that was shot in 2004 and not released until now, this was a mess from the opening shot to the cheesy finish.
Tom Hardy puts in more effort than this movie deserves and is a decent Eddie Brock and Venom alike; a big improvement over Topher Grace. That's where my compliments end because objectively, Spider-Man 3 is still the better movie. Hell, The Predator is a better movie if we're talking hybrid aliens threatening mankind.

The visual effects were somewhere between Spawn and Ang Lee's Hulk, the action and pacing were more impatient than a video game and the plot was derivative as hell, with almost no regard paid to logic or decent storytelling. I'm willing to bet the ink was barely dry on the script every day of shooting. I also a doubt an R rating would've saved the movie; kills would look cooler but that's about it.

That being said, I did have quite a few laughs (whether intended or not) and there's enough fun to be had to not completely write this film off. I'm honestly wondering which will be worse - this or Aquaman. For now, I'll just place Venom in the back of the "guilty pleasure" corner. Stay after the credits for a reward.

Spoiler: show
The mid-credits set up for Carnage was embarrassing. If that's the best they can do, I worry for the character. He's too awesome to be set up as Charles Manson meets Ronald McDonald (and not in a good way).

The post-credits clip of Into the Spider-Verse is short but fantastic, more than making up for the movie you have to sit through to see it.
Last edited by Bookwyrm83 on Sun Jun 02, 2019 7:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
#326139 by EphelDuath666
Mon Oct 08, 2018 8:53 am
Bookwyrm83 wrote:Venom

Basically a late 90's screenplay that was shot in 2004 and not released until now, this was a mess from the opening shot to the cheesy finish.
Tom Hardy puts in more effort than this movie deserves and is a decent Eddie Brock and Venom alike; a big improvement over Topher Grace. That's where my compliments end because objectively, Spider-Man 3 is still the better movie. Hell, The Predator is a better movie if we're talking hybrid aliens threatening mankind.

The visual effects were somewhere between Spawn and Ang Lee's Hulk, the action and pacing were more impatient than a video game and the plot was derivative as hell, with almost no regard paid to logic or decent storytelling. I'm willing to bet the ink was barely dry on the script every day of shooting. I also a doubt an R rating would've saved the movie; kills would look cooler but that's about it.

That being said, I did have quite a few laughs (whether intended or not) and there's enough fun to be had to not completely write this film off. I'm honestly wondering which will be worse - this or Aquaman. For now, I'll just place Venom in the back of the "guilty pleasure" corner. Stay after the credits for a reward.

Spoiler: show
The mid-credits set up for Carnage was embarrassing. If that's the best they can do, I worry for the character. He's too awesome to be set up as Charles Manson meets Ronald McDonald (and not in a good way).

The post-credits clip of Into the Spider-Verse is short but fantastic, more than making up for the movie you have to sit through to see it. The friend I saw it with was giddy with delight and can't wait for December. I agree with her.


Bummer. I was kind of looking forward to this one but looks like the majority of critics and audiences agree that this one is rather 'meh'. Oh well. I think I'm generally a bit tired of superhero movies. I haven't even seen the last Spider-Man, Thor, Black Panther and Avengers movies yet despite knowing that they're probably either good or friggin awesome. But Disney has oversaturated the market. Oh heck....I forgot the last Ant-Man movie. Can't even keep track anymore. Maybe slowing things down a little would help. But of course these movies make tons of money so that probably won't happen. I'm glad Disney will slow down a little when it comes to Star Wars, at least.

Watched a lot of Vincent Price horror movies so far this month. Since Halloween is coming up. Love, love, LOVE them.
#326142 by Bookwyrm83
Thu Oct 25, 2018 10:08 pm
HALLOWEEN (2018)

I make no secret of the fact that the original movie is one of my all-time favorite films. I also have an affinity for this series, even its weaker instalments. The only exception of course being Resurrection, which I shun completely (and find it difficult to think of a movie I viscerally hate more; maybe Mamma Mia). Reading up on this newest movie, I was sceptical but also had a glimmer of hope. As it finally came out here yesterday, I saw it last night and am of the opinion that it is one of the better, if not best, follow ups to the original. But I still place it below the first.

I do enjoy that David Gordon Green and co. are making a concerted effort to be as close to John Carpenter's movie as possible, mirroring the opening credits and certain sequences, while also recognizing that this needs to be their own movie and treating it as such. It doesn't go overboard with nasty characters and gore like the Rob Zombie films but rather outlines traumatic events in a more realistic fashion, keeping Michael more mysterious and Laurie sympathetic while teetering on the edge of sanity. There are callbacks aplenty and in my opinion just the right amount, though I can see why some may find them too much. Loved seeing the Halloween III masks show up, even though I saw them in the trailer. Removing the familial subplot of the prior sequels also adds to Michael's threatening nature here.

There is more suspense in this movie than many of the sequels and the last half gets quite tense, however like many modern horror films, it doesn't shy away from jump scares or a high body count. In fact, this has one of the highest number of deaths in the series outside of the Zombie movies and I think Halloween 5. With that said, it doesn't go too over the top with the bloodshed, just enough to be creative; so while it's certainly less subtle than the first movie, it's not as gratuitous as several of its predecessors.

Although several side characters are written to be obvious victims, some of the drama is uneven and there are twists you could see coming easily, in my opinion there are enough surprises, strong performances and creepy shots that elevate this movie over the average slasher. Having John Carpenter return to write the score with his son and godson (who co-wrote and performed on his recent solo albums) naturally adds to the experience. I am going to see it again and recommend it for fans of the series.

Spoiler: show
Michael's new doctor turning out to be a bad guy wasn't difficult to predict but it was fun to see him commit a little murder of his own before getting his head stomped.
I read they are considering a sequel to this and while I think this movie ends just fine, I can see an opening for how this could continue. It's not as definitive as Michael getting his head cut off in H20 as we've seen him survive getting burned before (see original Halloween II), but the way they roast him here has a sense of finality to it. And if he does survive, at least it is less likely to feel like a cop out than the bullshit in the abominable 8th film.
Nevertheless, I will try to not excite myself for any follow up, and if they do, I hope they don't call the thing Halloween II again. Come up with a better subtitle; this movie could've used one, after all.


Side note: I saw the movie with one of my sisters and her partner at their local cinema, which is up in the hills and so had the perfect rural suburban atmosphere for the movie. A funny thing happened during the climax - during a long, quite intense scene where Laurie is looking out for Michael, the cinema had a brownout that turned off the projector. Power outages happen occasionally up there and it impacted the whole building. While they were fixing the problem, we all joked the Michael Myers was in the projection booth, killing the staff. It was nice of them to rewind the movie a couple of minutes once they ready to go so we didn't lose the mood.
#326154 by Bookwyrm83
Sat Dec 15, 2018 10:48 pm
Once Upon a Deadpool
Fun if non-essential viewing. The Fred Savage framing sequences were great, and there are a couple of scenes directly after the credits worth staying for. The rest of it however is just a watered down TV edit of Deadpool 2, with some scenes from the extended version thrown in, while several other gags were either removed or sanitized. If you prefer to watch the proper version(s), you'll lose nothing by skipping this. That's not to say this version has nothing to offer but it's nothing to be too excited about.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
"Amazing" doesn't begin to describe this movie, but it certainly fits. The animation is fantastic, the character designs are truly a comic book come to life and the story was not only rich enough for one character, but managed to juggle half a dozen Spider-people without coming off as burdening the audience with too much information. This movie succeeds where many other live action Spider-Man movies have fumbled with their characterization and story-telling. This could also have been purely about Miles Morales and been perfect, but giving us different Peter Parkers, different universes and twists on established characters leaves you wanting to explore more of these aspects, rather than waiting for the movie to end.
Speaking of Miles, I'm not as familiar with his character but I thought they presented him wonderfully, giving him the perfect level of depth and empathy as a teenager afflicted with new powers (and thus, responsibilities) while trying to balance his family and every day life. Comparatively speaking, the first Spider-Man, first Amazing Spider-Man and even Homecoming fall short of this, all being done well enough but just having something that feels like there could be a bit more (eventually evolved in a sequel). Impressively, the other five Spiders also get a similar treatment, and although they aren't the main focus of the story, you learn everything you need to know about them and can connect with them. I would genuinely like to see spin-offs with these characters after experiencing them here.
Overall, I highly recommend this and hope it is successful enough to create its own animated universe.
#326155 by EphelDuath666
Fri Dec 21, 2018 4:19 pm
Bumblebee

it was....good...it was....really good! I couldn't believe it. Was almost shocked. The Transformers looked the way they are supposed to look. The story was good and not as silly as the other movies's stories. Pretty good performance by the main lead too. The silliness was siginificantly toned down. The humor in this movie is actually funny....yes...this is an actually funny Transformers movie. Who saw that coming? Just goes to show...Michael Bay was the problem all along, even if he produced this one. Heck, the action was great! Not as hectic and over the top as in the other movies. The CGI was great but this was no Michael Bay-type CGI demo reel. Everything was much more grounded. I came away impressed. Bumblebee was better than all 5 previous movies combined. Now it's not a masterpiece or movie of the year material. But fans of the original series should be pleased with this….at long last.
#326179 by fragility
Wed Feb 20, 2019 7:55 am
Just to reduce the level of cool here...

Mary Poppins Returns (first time I’ve been to the cinema in nearly 5 years!)

I’m not going to lie. I loved it. No idea wtf was going on with Mary’s accent, I honestly thought it was an American playing her until my husband corrected me. I loved the story, it made me smile, songs were ok and just really enjoyed it...even if spent half of it sobbing uncontrollably and trying to hide said sobbing from my kid so as to avoid a loud “mummy, why are you crying?!” in the middle of the cinema, haha!
#326183 by EphelDuath666
Wed Feb 20, 2019 1:17 pm
fragility wrote:Just to reduce the level of cool here...

Mary Poppins Returns (first time I’ve been to the cinema in nearly 5 years!)

I’m not going to lie. I loved it. No idea wtf was going on with Mary’s accent, I honestly thought it was an American playing her until my husband corrected me. I loved the story, it made me smile, songs were ok and just really enjoyed it...even if spent half of it sobbing uncontrollably and trying to hide said sobbing from my kid so as to avoid a loud “mummy, why are you crying?!” in the middle of the cinema, haha!



I totally wanna see that one too. And I don't have kids. So I'll just tell everyone I watched it with my niece.
#326216 by EphelDuath666
Sun Feb 24, 2019 10:20 am
watched Hereditary yesterday. That was actually really, really good. Pretty damn weird and unsettling too. The first hour is pretty much just family drama. Which makes me wonder how many people shot the movie off after an hour thinking "the hell....this ain't no horror movie?!!" But after the frist hour things get more and more intense and fucked up. Glad I finally watched it. And I think it makes sense to watch it again too, just to get a better understanding of what the hell is going on in the movie.

Also watched the original The Thing From Another World from 1951 which Warner Archieve released in the US on Blu-ray recently. Made me really happy because now I can throw away my defective German DVD of that movie. Yay. Anyways, great movie and obviously John Carpenter thought so too :-D
#326235 by Sarpale
Wed Feb 27, 2019 3:58 am
I did go out and saw Bohemian Rhapsody.

Partially I have to admit I wasn't the hugest fan of the film, and did struggle in the beginning to get into the movie.
I kept thinking "well other Mr. Queens have approved this so I better keep watching" and the movie got better towards the end.
Felt a bit bummed I didn't get to see the sing-a-long version :D
I was entertained in the end and loved Brian May (who doesn't!), he was great!


Saw also 2018 Predator, which was silly and a somewhat entertaining.
As you might expect :D

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