Discuss and Rate the Last Film You Watched

[thebobmaster]

A ★★★★½ review of An American Werewolf in London (1981)

"A naked American man stole my balloons." The plot of the film starts off following two American men, David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) as they backpack their way across England. Stopping by a pub by the name of The Slaughtered Lamb, they are warned to stick to the road if they...

letterboxd.com

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

lol, he doesn't know cinema projectors are digital lmao

Not all, but it does raise a point on the limitations of the film format.

"Oppenheimer" 70mm film reels are 600 pounds — and reach IMAX's "outer limit" due to the movie's 3-hour runtime

"Oppenheimer" is set to run in 30 IMAX theaters when it premiers, and director Christopher Nolan recommends seeing it in that format.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Xprimentyl]

Dune (2021): Loquacious / Great

I'm not even going to attempt a synopsis; I have no idea what I just watched. Politics, talking, precious resource, more talking, conflict, more talking, credits.

We watched it because 1.) we hadn't seen it, and 2.) the upcoming part 2 looked tantalizing, but after part 1, I've no interest in part 2 anymore. It was like Game of Thrones meets Star Wars, two franchises that, imho, waste their potential in pretentious, hard-to-follow dialogue while the cool shit is happening elsewhere. And I'm not faulting it for this; I'm completely willing to accept that it could have been simply too intellectual for me. I came in wanting to see massive sand worms and spectacle, and I got a bunch of "normies" chatting up blue-eyed people about their oregano or some shit, and the sand worms got all of 45 seconds of screen time; My bad that my expectations were too far beneath the grander picture. I now know my place, it it is not in theaters for part 2.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

Dune (2021): Loquacious / Great

I'm not even going to attempt a synopsis; I have no idea what I just watched. Politics, talking, precious resource, more talking, conflict, more talking, credits.

We watched it because 1.) we hadn't seen it, and 2.) the upcoming part 2 looked tantalizing, but after part 1, I've no interest in part 2 anymore. It was like Game of Thrones meets Star Wars, two franchises that, imho, waste their potential in pretentious, hard-to-follow dialogue while the cool shit is happening elsewhere. And I'm not faulting it for this; I'm completely willing to accept that it could have been simply too intellectual for me. I came in wanting to see massive sand worms and spectacle, and I got a bunch of "normies" chatting up blue-eyed people about their oregano or some shit, and the sand worms got all of 45 seconds of screen time; My bad that my expectations were too far beneath the grander picture. I now know my place, it it is not in theaters for part 2.

I mean, it's true, but you shouldn't say it.

Nah, just kidding, Dune is a pretty dry affair. It's not exactly my cup of tea either, but the serious Science-Fiction crowd likes that sort of thing. And Denis Villeneuve, who managed to make Blade Runner boring, is the perfect director for it. I'm probably gonna watch the other two Dune movies but I'm gonna be honest, I'm way more excited for the uncut version of Rebel Moon.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I mean, it's true, but you shouldn't say it.

Nah, just kidding, Dune is a pretty dry affair. It's not exactly my cup of tea either, but the serious Science-Fiction crowd likes that sort of thing. And Denis Villeneuve, who managed to make Blade Runner boring, is the perfect director for it. I'm probably gonna watch the other two Dune movies but I'm gonna be honest, I'm way more excited for the uncut version of Rebel Moon.

When you say "the serious Science-Fiction crowd", is "serious" describing the science fiction or the crowd? Meaning is "serious science fiction" a subgenre of science fiction that upstages the fantasy and spectacle with dry discourse and drama, or the "serious fans of science fiction" for whom lasers and aliens are considered cheap, low-effort, and low-brow when it comes to engaging science fiction cinema? Because, apparently, I'm not a not a fan of either.

What's strange is I recall seeing the 1984 version as a i kid and liking it. Granted, I can't recall much of it, even after what I watched last night, but I specifically recall being impressed. I might have to watch that one again for a comparison; maybe I'll learn that my tastes have changed 40 years later.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

When you say "the serious Science-Fiction crowd", is "serious" describing the science fiction or the crowd? Meaning is "serious science fiction" a subgenre of science fiction that upstages the fantasy and spectacle with dry discourse and drama, or the "serious fans of science fiction" for whom lasers and aliens are considered cheap, low-effort, and low-brow when it comes to engaging science fiction cinema? Because, apparently, I'm not a not a fan of either.

What's strange is I recall seeing the 1984 version as a i kid and liking it. Granted, I can't recall much of it, even after what I watched last night, but I specifically recall being impressed. I might have to watch that one again for a comparison; maybe I'll learn that my tastes have changed 40 years later.

The latter, I think. Technically the distinction is between soft science fiction and hard science fiction but Dune isn't even hard science fiction, strictly speaking. There's still too much explicitly fantastical stuff in it.

Well, for better and for worse, the 80's movie told the story the new ones are telling in a trilogy in a single movie. So, it was a hell of a lot faster paced. That did make it a whole lot less long winded.

 

[Ag3ma]

When you say "the serious Science-Fiction crowd", is "serious" describing the science fiction or the crowd? Meaning is "serious science fiction" a subgenre of science fiction that upstages the fantasy and spectacle with dry discourse and drama, or the "serious fans of science fiction" for whom lasers and aliens are considered cheap, low-effort, and low-brow when it comes to engaging science fiction cinema? Because, apparently, I'm not a not a fan of either.

Dune is often viewed as the SF "Lord Of The Rings", in the sense of being the sort of seminal epic of the genre.

Of course, SF was also not really about epic adventures in the same way fantasy was, so Dune wasn't such a monolithic force within SF in the way that LoTR was in fantasy. Science fiction more tended to hard SF back in the day - hard SF being about how technology and science may develop, and/or how society may react to changes in technology, with a strong eye on scientific plausibility.

I think it is fair to say some hard science fiction fans absolutely are interested in the protagonists "sciencing the shit out it" (as "The Martian" put it), but they're unlikely to be watching Dune to scratch that itch: they'll want stuff like Gattaca, Andromeda Strain, etc.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Well, for better and for worse, the 80's movie told the story the new ones are telling in a trilogy in a single movie. So, it was a hell of a lot faster paced. That did make it a whole lot less long winded.

Ah, that makes sense. Hollywood would turn a nursery rhyme like "Three Blind Mice" into a trilogy if they thought it could net them a quick-if-protracted buck.

 

[Phoenixmgs]

The Beekeeper - 5/10

A Jason Statham vehicle trying to be the next John Wick, and it's just OK. The action isn't bad but isn't too good either, it's fine. The tonality of the movie is a bit weird as it's trying to be fun and breezy with the bee puns and all that. And a few of the villains are really over-the-top. However, the whole beekeeper lore and plot ends up moving into a rather serious political commentary and it feels at odds with light and breezy tone. It would be like John Wick getting revenge for his dog and then ends up having to save democracy at the same.

 

[Gordon_4]

Dune (2021): Loquacious / Great

I'm not even going to attempt a synopsis; I have no idea what I just watched. Politics, talking, precious resource, more talking, conflict, more talking, credits.

We watched it because 1.) we hadn't seen it, and 2.) the upcoming part 2 looked tantalizing, but after part 1, I've no interest in part 2 anymore. It was like Game of Thrones meets Star Wars, two franchises that, imho, waste their potential in pretentious, hard-to-follow dialogue while the cool shit is happening elsewhere. And I'm not faulting it for this; I'm completely willing to accept that it could have been simply too intellectual for me. I came in wanting to see massive sand worms and spectacle, and I got a bunch of "normies" chatting up blue-eyed people about their oregano or some shit, and the sand worms got all of 45 seconds of screen time; My bad that my expectations were too far beneath the grander picture. I now know my place, it it is not in theaters for part 2.

I always feel weird seeing Dune compared to Star Wars.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I always feel weird seeing Dune compared to Star Wars.

Don't know how often that happens, but my vibe was simply that a lot cooler shit was there to been seen than tense diplomatic relations. Star Wars, particularly in the later episodes, is notoriously heavy on politics in a franchise with light sabers and the ability to choke people with your mind. I don't know about you, but I don't pay to see the equivalent of a locked session of congress when light sabers and force choking are in the cards.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Hypnotic

Scanners meets Inception. No, it's not that good. But it's bonkers in an entertaining (Robert Rodriguez) way... sometimes. The first half is hokey and generic and kinda boring; to the movie's credit this is a calculated gambit meant to come bite you back in the end. Is it worth waiting for it though? Meh.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

I always feel weird seeing Dune compared to Star Wars.

It is, but it's also what the director did.

https://screenrant.com/dune-star-wars-denis-villeneuve/

 

[thebobmaster]

A ★½ review of An American Werewolf in Paris (1997)

"Claude said no one is to be admitted once the door was locked." "The full moon is rising; would you rather I remained out here with you?" "Uh, no." To say this was a downgrade from the original is an understatement. How does it fail? Let me expound the ways. The plot of the film is focused on...

letterboxd.com

 

[thebobmaster]

I had to know.

A ★ review of Dracula 3D (2012)

"Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!" The plot of this film kind of follows Jonathan Harker (Unax Ugalde) as he takes a job in the castle of Count Dracula (Thomas Kretschmann) as a librarian. While there, he meets a pretty lady named Tania (Miriam Giovanelli), and...

letterboxd.com

 

[Ag3ma]

Don't know how often that happens, but my vibe was simply that a lot cooler shit was there to been seen than tense diplomatic relations. Star Wars, particularly in the later episodes, is notoriously heavy on politics in a franchise with light sabers and the ability to choke people with your mind. I don't know about you, but I don't pay to see the equivalent of a locked session of congress when light sabers and force choking are in the cards.

Star Wars is readily understandable to a 7-year-old, Dune to a 14-year-old. Ultimately, some of that audience age gap requires conversation.

Star Wars has no complexity: evil dude overthrows democracy to become dictator and must be brought down by rebellion, oh and some guys have magic. Simples. The rest is window dressing. Dune has actual politics and factions and ideas. The relationship between the nobility and emperor that has caused the emperor to destroy House Atreides, you need to know what the Bene Gesserit are and what they are trying to do, that the Spacer's Guild and spice are a thing and why, and oh some guys have magic.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

Anatomy of a Fall 9/10

I used to check out all the movies nominated for Oscars every year and try to watch everything I could but I stopped (effectively transferring that level of pop culture dorkdom to video games). But once in a while something catches my interest and this French drama mystery about an investigation and trial into a woman whose husband falls out of his attic to his death.
The running summary from reviewers I saw was like really this movie could be called "Anatomy of a Marriage" because it's a character study really of this woman and her husband and their changing competing needs and wants and if you like "people are complicated and nobody is all good and bad" character drama this is for you. The movie works in the only way it can- by an absolutely brilliant performance by the lead actress, a script that is all meat and no fat, and direction and editing that shows you everything you need but draws you in.

You know... just a good-ass movie for grown-ups. I'm watching this character and in one moment I'm like "ok I see your point and you're right" and then "damn woman that is cold how dare you." Good stuff.

 

[thebobmaster]

A ★★★★ review of The Marvels (2023)

"Okay, no more touching shit. Especially glowing, mysterious shit." The plot of this movie revolves around three main characters: Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel (Imani Vellani). After the former two touch...

letterboxd.com

 

[Gordon_4]

A ★★★★ review of The Marvels (2023)

"Okay, no more touching shit. Especially glowing, mysterious shit." The plot of this movie revolves around three main characters: Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel (Imani Vellani). After the former two touch...

letterboxd.com

For my money, Imani Vellani does major heavy lifting in drawing the audience in with the almost biblical amount of earnest energy and enthusiasm; its absolutely infectious and from someone who I understand to be essentially on their first gig, a damn miracle event. Vellani is hopefully going places other than Marvel. But what impressed me about Brie Larson is, while she's perfectly capable of selling Captain Marvel the cocky superhero, its amazing just how good she is at playing a comedy straight man when she's bumbling through getting to know Kamala and reconnecting with Monica in the montage which is like some unholy but amazing fusion of a Rocky training set-piece and girls sleepover. And how flustered she gets when they get to the singing planet and Monica starts busting her chops over the fact that she's a princess on what is essentially planet Disney.

Also, good girl Goose.

 

[thebobmaster]

Yes, Goose was great. That scene with the flerken eating the crew for their own good, with "Memory" playing in the background...it has been a long time since a single scene made me laugh that hard.