Discuss and Rate the Last Film You Watched

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Johnny Novgorod

Bebop Man
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Feb 9, 2012
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The Sentinel (1977)

For a movie so plainly aping its influences it manages to be bizarre and deeply upsetting at the same time. It takes place in a New York brownstone ala Rosemary's Baby, complete with old nosy creeps banking on some kind of mystery ritual; the story kicks off in foreign land then cuts to the protagonist who's an actress involved in a troubled shoot ala The Exorcist, and there's a whole brotherhood of priests conspiring in the background (also themes of suicide and an epic stand between the forces of good and evil) ala The Omen.

On top of that it's built up from your basic 1970s movie starter kit: gratuitous nudity, sleazy characters, pessimistic outlook, jarring hard cuts, women giving high-pitched ear-splitting screams and practical effects that are somehow gross despite being very obviously fake. There's also a rather distracting phenomenom in that the cast is rife with golden age stars in supporting roles (Ava Gardner, Martin Balsam, Burgess Meredith, John Carradine) as well as a lot of then-unknown actors in even smaller parts (Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Walken, Jerry Orbach). Also Beverly D'Angelo, who makes her film debut by furiously masturbating on a couch in front of the lead actress, then spends the rest of the movie with her tits out. I'm reading the director got #MeToo'd once he was dead.

I'll give this to the movie - it's pretty upsetting to watch when it's not being boring (and there's a lot of that in the middle). It just has that air of nastiness about itself. So much so that even the best possible outcome to its twisted plot is depressing as hell.
 
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Xprimentyl

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Aug 13, 2011
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Parasite: ...Ok? / Great

Finally brought myself to watch this highly acclaimed Korean film from 2019 and... I saw it.

A lower-class family, one by one, deceptively coopt the positions of servitude to an upper-class family; secrets are discovered; mistakes are made. Not really sure what they were going for as the film changes tonally rather jarringly about mid-way through. Starts off as a comedy (maybe,) then it takes, an "oh, you're REALLY serious" turn. Have no idea why it got the acclaim it did; nothing about it is stellar in any regard. And maybe it's a "lost in translation" thing, but the subtitles are eye-rollingly bad at times. There's a scene where the husband and wife start making love and the wife, in a moment of passion, says "buy me drugs." Like, I'm almost positive that's not what she said in Korean. Anyway, overall inoffensive, innocuous, bland, and ultimately pointless.
 

Piscian

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Apr 28, 2020
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Parasite: ...Ok? / Great

Finally brought myself to watch this highly acclaimed Korean film from 2019 and... I saw it.

A lower-class family, one by one, deceptively coopt the positions of servitude to an upper-class family; secrets are discovered; mistakes are made. Not really sure what they were going for as the film changes tonally rather jarringly about mid-way through. Starts off as a comedy (maybe,) then it takes, an "oh, you're REALLY serious" turn. Have no idea why it got the acclaim it did; nothing about it is stellar in any regard. And maybe it's a "lost in translation" thing, but the subtitles are eye-rollingly bad at times. There's a scene where the husband and wife start making love and the wife, in a moment of passion, says "buy me drugs." Like, I'm almost positive that's not what she said in Korean. Anyway, overall inoffensive, innocuous, bland, and ultimately pointless.
Sounds like you missed out, that sucks. Korean films are considered their own genre of film because they don't adhere to the laws of tonal consistency or genre. For instance Train to Busan uses a zombie horror setting to bring an estranged father and daughter together in a kind of layered family drama. In regards to Parasite it lulls the audience into a false sense of security with a sort of family comedy crime story and then turns it around in the final act with a horrifying bloody classism twist that shocks the audience. There's more layers to it than that, but the point in this one and most of that directors work is to affect peoples emotions, not necessarily to tell a story with any purpose or moral. If you go in expecting familiar plot beats, empathetic characters and payoffs this kinda of Cinema is, more often than not, going to be a let down. I waited months to see Parasite, because I'd seen his other films and knew it was gonna be a deal where I'd have to be in the right mood to just relax and absorb the film.
 
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happyninja42

Elite Member
Legacy
May 13, 2010
8,577
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For instance Train to Busan uses a zombie horror setting to bring an estranged father and daughter together in a kind of layered family drama.
That's not unique to Korean films. Big Tragedy brining estranged family members together (usually by the father taking charge and protecting them, thus absolving them of their past deadbeat dad sins) is kind of stock standard action fare for disaster films. I'm 100% sure there is a trope about it, just don't know the name for it.
 
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Xprimentyl

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Sounds like you missed out, that sucks. Korean films are considered their own genre of film because they don't adhere to the laws of tonal consistency or genre. For instance Train to Busan uses a zombie horror setting to bring an estranged father and daughter together in a kind of layered family drama. In regards to Parasite it lulls the audience into a false sense of security with a sort of family comedy crime story and then turns it around in the final act with a horrifying bloody classism twist that shocks the audience. There's more layers to it than that, but the point in this one and most of that directors work is to affect peoples emotions, not necessarily to tell a story with any purpose or moral. If you go in expecting familiar plot beats, empathetic characters and payoffs this kinda of Cinema is, more often than not, going to be a let down. I waited months to see Parasite, because I'd seen his other films and knew it was gonna be a deal where I'd have to be in the right mood to just relax and absorb the film.
I wouldn't say I "missed out" per se, just didn't get the hype. Might very well have been a great Korean film; I just might not get Korean films. It just kept jumping around with its tone; one minute, it's a comedy, the next its a drama, the next it's a crime drama, etc., I just couldn't keep up. When something attempts to be all things, it fails to excel in anything, imho, and that's what this film was for me: exceedingly average, a mask wearing a mask, less clever than it thinks it is.
 
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Agema

Do everything and feel nothing
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Mar 3, 2009
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Parasite: ...Ok? / Great

Finally brought myself to watch this highly acclaimed Korean film from 2019 and... I saw it.
Really? I thought Parasite was very good. It is comedy and drama-tragedy, but I think it marries them together effectively; it's well scripted, acted, and it makes its point about society effectively.
 

Gordon_4

The Big Engine
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Apr 3, 2020
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Australia
Just ridiculous in the fact that of all antagonists, they chose the one that is absolutely the most absurd. Like, I imagine in the writing room, everyone was high, then Cheech and Chong hollered from the corner: "Hey, mayne, let's use the giant fucking starfish from outer space," and everyone else (still high) said "fuck yeah; let's make a fucking fuck-off movie!"
I’m only pissed that - yet again - WB used a villain for the suicide squad who was frankly above their pay grade. Look at that cover; that’s Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and The Flash. And okay it’s the Silver Age and their stories are notorious for being absurd and weird to modern eyes and this one was no exception. Starro's weakness was Lime (the calcium compound one) and he was basically beaten by Green Lantern boosting a few barrels from a farm. But it still took everyone on the cover working together to beat him. The collection of X-grade chumps that make up MOST of the Suicide Squad should have had Starfishes on their faces within minutes of Starro coming out.
 

McElroy

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Apr 3, 2013
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Pig
Nicolas Cage is looking for his truffle pig. Refreshing to see Cage in a movie that works as a whole. He is supported by Alex Wolff (Hereditary) who is also good here. It's an odd story, but at least you are given only one thing at a time to wonder about. 7/10
 
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Samtemdo8

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Hellboy with Ron Pearlmen.


......I gotta say it, this movie kinda blows. The biggest problem with this is that this movie feels unfocused and undercooked.

If something like Batman v Superman was too bloated and complicated, this movie is anorexic and meandering

The biggest issue of all with this movie is THIS GUY


This boring, nobody FBI agent that is essentially meant to be the audience avatar. Being introduced to the world of Hellboy. But he got way more screentime then he deserved. WHY AM I FOLLOWING FBI AGENT MAN WHEN I SHOULD BE WATCHING HELLBOY
 
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Samtemdo8

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So you have chosen, death.

I kid, but I think you’ll get more mileage out of Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Way better film in every respect - and I like the first Hellboy.
Boring FBI Agent guy isn't there?

I haven't seen Hellboy II since I saw it in theaters
 
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Piscian

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Hellboy with Ron Pearlmen.


......I gotta say it, this movie kinda blows. The biggest problem with this is that this movie feels unfocused and undercooked.
I'm a huge Guillermo Del Toro fan as well as an avid hellboy reader. I wanted to like the Hellboy movies a lot more than I did. Still like to pretend I like them than I actually do. Theres a ton of beautiful scenes and set pieces, great acting. I think Ron is probably the best we're ever going to get for hellboy, but I think "undercooked" is probably the best description of both hellboy films. They just don't quite work. They remind me a lot of the pre-marvel era of superhero films shooting less for comicbook accuracy, but in tone and writing and more for thematic vision adaptation. I feel like neither film is very tight in the storyboarding or writing department. I think the first Hellboy is a fairly solid film that didn't quite reach greatness and the second is kind of a mess. More comics accurate, but man the pacing really killed it for me.

I will say the comicbook author co-wrote the first two films so you can't quite blame hollywood. They are fair to the book where as in the latest film the director/producers went insane, going far as to kick Mike Mignola off the project and toss his script/story work in the trash.

If I were in charge of doing the original hellboy film I would have done a much more straight forward adaptation of the comicbook storylines it was based on and make it much more noir and gothic. I think too much time was spent on muppets and hijinks that Gilermo enjoyed doing a bit too much. The FBI agent can stay, but theres better more mature versions of that audience surrogate in the books. I also did not like Selma Blair as Liz. She's much less annoying in the books. Abe was actually fine.
 

Samtemdo8

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I'm a huge Guillermo Del Toro fan as well as an avid hellboy reader. I wanted to like the Hellboy movies a lot more than I did. Still like to pretend I like them than I actually do. Theres a ton of beautiful scenes and set pieces, great acting. I think Ron is probably the best we're ever going to get for hellboy, but I think "undercooked" is probably the best description of both hellboy films. They just don't quite work. They remind me a lot of the pre-marvel era of superhero films shooting less for comicbook accuracy, but in tone and writing and more for thematic vision adaptation. I feel like neither film is very tight in the storyboarding or writing department. I think the first Hellboy is a fairly solid film that didn't quite reach greatness and the second is kind of a mess. More comics accurate, but man the pacing really killed it for me.

I will say the comicbook author co-wrote the first two films so you can't quite blame hollywood. They are fair to the book where as in the latest film the director/producers went insane, going far as to kick Mike Mignola off the project and toss his script/story work in the trash.

If I were in charge of doing the original hellboy film I would have done a much more straight forward adaptation of the comicbook storylines it was based on and make it much more noir and gothic. I think too much time was spent on muppets and hijinks that Gilermo enjoyed doing a bit too much. The FBI agent can stay, but theres better more mature versions of that audience surrogate in the books. I also did not like Selma Blair as Liz. She's much less annoying in the books. Abe was actually fine.
All this accomplishes in the end is now making me want to read the Comics themselves especially appreciating Mike Mignola's art style
 
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Xprimentyl

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Really? I thought Parasite was very good. It is comedy and drama-tragedy, but I think it marries them together effectively; it's well scripted, acted, and it makes its point about society effectively.
Didn't say it was bad, just didn't know where all award nominations/awards came from. It was a perfectly serviceable film, just not one I'd run out and tell all my friends and family they must see.

I’m only pissed that - yet again - WB used a villain for the suicide squad who was frankly above their pay grade. Look at that cover; that’s Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and The Flash. And okay it’s the Silver Age and their stories are notorious for being absurd and weird to modern eyes and this one was no exception. Starro's weakness was Lime (the calcium compound one) and he was basically beaten by Green Lantern boosting a few barrels from a farm. But it still took everyone on the cover working together to beat him. The collection of X-grade chumps that make up MOST of the Suicide Squad should have had Starfishes on their faces within minutes of Starro coming out.
I don't know DC well enough to have an opinion on any given character's over/underutilization, but "Starro" (if that's the thing's name) was just the right level ridiculous for a film that clearly wasn't taking itself seriously (at least I hope they weren't taking themselves seriously.)
 
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Samtemdo8

Elite Member
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I'm a huge Guillermo Del Toro fan as well as an avid hellboy reader. I wanted to like the Hellboy movies a lot more than I did. Still like to pretend I like them than I actually do. Theres a ton of beautiful scenes and set pieces, great acting. I think Ron is probably the best we're ever going to get for hellboy, but I think "undercooked" is probably the best description of both hellboy films. They just don't quite work. They remind me a lot of the pre-marvel era of superhero films shooting less for comicbook accuracy, but in tone and writing and more for thematic vision adaptation. I feel like neither film is very tight in the storyboarding or writing department. I think the first Hellboy is a fairly solid film that didn't quite reach greatness and the second is kind of a mess. More comics accurate, but man the pacing really killed it for me.

I will say the comicbook author co-wrote the first two films so you can't quite blame hollywood. They are fair to the book where as in the latest film the director/producers went insane, going far as to kick Mike Mignola off the project and toss his script/story work in the trash.

If I were in charge of doing the original hellboy film I would have done a much more straight forward adaptation of the comicbook storylines it was based on and make it much more noir and gothic. I think too much time was spent on muppets and hijinks that Gilermo enjoyed doing a bit too much. The FBI agent can stay, but theres better more mature versions of that audience surrogate in the books. I also did not like Selma Blair as Liz. She's much less annoying in the books. Abe was actually fine.
Forgot to mention, when it comes to Del Toro, I've watched The Shape of Water and I did liked that one.
 
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thebobmaster

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Fear Street, Part 1: 1994

It's pretty much exactly what I expected, but with some exceptions. It takes a lot of cues from Scream, as befitting the time period that the movie takes place, and the main cast is serviceable, but little else. They all do a fine job, and feel like real people, but I wouldn't go around raving about them being fantastic, either.

Where the movie really caught me off guard was how delightfully brutal the kills were. I wasn't expecting much out of a Fear Street movie, even after hearing about how bloody is was, but every kill felt as brutal as you'd expect in real life, with one in particular (involving a bread slicer) actually making me wince, something that I don't do too often after how desensitized I've gotten to movie violence.

The other thing I wasn't really expecting was the soundtrack, and unfortunately, this isn't nearly as much as a positive. This is a movie that uses its soundtrack to constantly remind you it takes place in the 1990's. And I mean, constantly. The movie is only about an hour and 45 minutes long, but there are a total of 20 songs on the soundtrack, most of which are simply used as background songs. I remember scenes where it literally switched songs mid-scene just because, which was completely unnecessary.

That said, it was still a decent watch, with some great slasher violence, a pretty interesting conceit, and some interesting commentary between two of the main characters who are a former lesbian couple...but given the time period, there's some issues with that.