Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F - I love it! That's it.
Discuss and Rate the Last Film You Watched
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This...may be a bit of a hot take.
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A ★★ review of Avengers: Endgame (2019)
This review may contain spoilers. Visit the page to bypass this warning and read the review.
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Honestly, my biggest problem with the Vormire sacrifice scene, is that it doesn't actually involve someone sacrificing someone else. In Infinity War Thanos deliberately kills Gamora, with the rules being 'you need to sacrifice someone you love to get the Soul Stone'. Makes sense. In Endgame both Hawkeye and Black Window are trying to kill themselves before the other can to give the survivor the Souls Stone, which would fly against the rules. When Black Widow dies, it isn't Hawkeye who sacrificed her, because she killed herself - He never should've gotten that stupid stone.This...may be a bit of a hot take.
A ★★ review of Avengers: Endgame (2019)
This review may contain spoilers. Visit the page to bypass this warning and read the review.
Also, the whole time travel to make all those deaths like they never happened was incredibly lame. Sure, one or two stuck, but it pretty much nullifies the ending of Infinity War, especially now that you can just watch them back to back.
A ★★★ review of Stepfather 2 (1989)
“I mean, if people stuck to tradition, maybe there would be a lot more happiness and fewer divorces.” Following up from the ending of the original, this film follows the titular character (Terry O'Quinn), having been placed in a psychiatric hospital due to the events of the first film. After...
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Monkey Man (2024)
Finally sat down and watched Monkey Man. It was pretty solid, but I was left a tad disappointed. The movie opens up with a fairly quick series of small escalations. You get a very real sense of the protagonists motivations, anger, determination and purpose.
Hes planning to kill somebody and hes rapidly, but methodically taking steps to accomplish his goal. The film really gets to excited.
When the fire works go off its wonderful and wonderfully shot action.
However when the initial action of the first act concludes the movie grinds to a screeching halt. It nearly stops dead as we get the usual tropes of the hero recovering like Raphael in a bathtub, character motivations, a training montage, a flashback.
While it was well acted and interesting, I literally paused a checked the time cause I was like "Is this gonna have time for a 3rd act? Is this a 2 parter or something?"
There's a significant amount of time spent showing the full back story of why hes angry. This is very emotional, but, and maybe Im part lizard, it felt unnecessary. The movie does an amazing job of using subtle hints and flashbacks in the first act to show you essentially the same information. I would have at minimum cut it down a tiny bit.
There's just a lot going on in the 2nd act I would have just trimmed here and there.
When the final action kicks off its great and the movie ends on a high note.
I also have to concede, to some extent Im not the target audience. This was written, produced, starring and I believe directed by Dev Patel, star of The Green Knight and there's clear jabs at Indias governmental corruption, homophobia, and antisemitism towards Muslims that I feel like is going to appeal more to Indian immigrants. To no surprise, while not outright banned in India it hasn't been "approved" to play there and likely never will.
Overall Id say like 7.8/10. Like It was an 8/10, but not something Id watch again.
Finally sat down and watched Monkey Man. It was pretty solid, but I was left a tad disappointed. The movie opens up with a fairly quick series of small escalations. You get a very real sense of the protagonists motivations, anger, determination and purpose.
Hes planning to kill somebody and hes rapidly, but methodically taking steps to accomplish his goal. The film really gets to excited.
When the fire works go off its wonderful and wonderfully shot action.
However when the initial action of the first act concludes the movie grinds to a screeching halt. It nearly stops dead as we get the usual tropes of the hero recovering like Raphael in a bathtub, character motivations, a training montage, a flashback.
While it was well acted and interesting, I literally paused a checked the time cause I was like "Is this gonna have time for a 3rd act? Is this a 2 parter or something?"
There's a significant amount of time spent showing the full back story of why hes angry. This is very emotional, but, and maybe Im part lizard, it felt unnecessary. The movie does an amazing job of using subtle hints and flashbacks in the first act to show you essentially the same information. I would have at minimum cut it down a tiny bit.
There's just a lot going on in the 2nd act I would have just trimmed here and there.
When the final action kicks off its great and the movie ends on a high note.
I also have to concede, to some extent Im not the target audience. This was written, produced, starring and I believe directed by Dev Patel, star of The Green Knight and there's clear jabs at Indias governmental corruption, homophobia, and antisemitism towards Muslims that I feel like is going to appeal more to Indian immigrants. To no surprise, while not outright banned in India it hasn't been "approved" to play there and likely never will.
Overall Id say like 7.8/10. Like It was an 8/10, but not something Id watch again.
A ★½ review of Stepfather 3 (1992)
“Because I’m not the kind of guy to come into town and try to take advantage of a single mother. I’m just not that way.” Taking place after the events of Stepfather II, The Stepfather (Robert Wightman), after going through plastic surgery to change his face (because Terry O'Quinn decided "off is...
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I just watched Furiosa: a Mad Max Saga, and it was... an uneven ride. It was pretty good, but there's some real lulls.
The start is pretty fantastic, I loved the whole sequence of the mother going after the kidnapped Furiosa. It had a quiet, creeping tension that Mad Max never really had before. A lot of quick and clever visual storytelling, like the first instinct of anyone during an accident or death being 'what can I salvage'.
Chris Hemsworth as Dementus was a stand-out, and his character kinda repesents the feel of this movie overall; crazy, but sad and pathetic. Out of all the Mad Max movies Furiosa feels the most dour. Whereas in the previous movies you could revel in the insanity, in Furiosa you feel more subjected to it. There's some pretty nasty shit that happens here that doesn't exactly have that Mad Max goofball flair to it, like the pit with the lady and the... If you've seen it you'll know what I mean. The fact that a lot of the road warrior action scenes are shot from a zoomed out perspective helps along with this. Maybe this was done for budgetary reasons, but it shows how pointless and insignificant all this chaos really is. I couldn't help but hear Bruce Spence's line "like angry ants".
The movie kinda deflated for me with the introduction of Pretorian Jack. We see Furiosa bond with him, but I honestly didn't really feel it. It felt a bit 'we need to give Furiosa someone to lose', and I can't say their scenes together were very engaging. This is also when we get an action sequence that tries to measure up to Fury Road, but unfortunately falls very short. The visuals in this movie while fine and sometimes even great can suffer from very obvious compositing, and this action chase scene is severely hampered by it. There's almost never a sense of actual motion during this car chase, feeling more like they're in a stationary truck with the environment moving instead of them. It's also just kinda boringly shot. There's a handful of fun moments, but overall it was probably the most dull scene in the film.
There's a pointless Max cameo.
I quite like the final confrontation between Furiosa and Dementus, but the movie really should've ended there, not feel the need to wrap it up for Fury Road.
The start is pretty fantastic, I loved the whole sequence of the mother going after the kidnapped Furiosa. It had a quiet, creeping tension that Mad Max never really had before. A lot of quick and clever visual storytelling, like the first instinct of anyone during an accident or death being 'what can I salvage'.
Chris Hemsworth as Dementus was a stand-out, and his character kinda repesents the feel of this movie overall; crazy, but sad and pathetic. Out of all the Mad Max movies Furiosa feels the most dour. Whereas in the previous movies you could revel in the insanity, in Furiosa you feel more subjected to it. There's some pretty nasty shit that happens here that doesn't exactly have that Mad Max goofball flair to it, like the pit with the lady and the... If you've seen it you'll know what I mean. The fact that a lot of the road warrior action scenes are shot from a zoomed out perspective helps along with this. Maybe this was done for budgetary reasons, but it shows how pointless and insignificant all this chaos really is. I couldn't help but hear Bruce Spence's line "like angry ants".
The movie kinda deflated for me with the introduction of Pretorian Jack. We see Furiosa bond with him, but I honestly didn't really feel it. It felt a bit 'we need to give Furiosa someone to lose', and I can't say their scenes together were very engaging. This is also when we get an action sequence that tries to measure up to Fury Road, but unfortunately falls very short. The visuals in this movie while fine and sometimes even great can suffer from very obvious compositing, and this action chase scene is severely hampered by it. There's almost never a sense of actual motion during this car chase, feeling more like they're in a stationary truck with the environment moving instead of them. It's also just kinda boringly shot. There's a handful of fun moments, but overall it was probably the most dull scene in the film.
There's a pointless Max cameo.
I quite like the final confrontation between Furiosa and Dementus, but the movie really should've ended there, not feel the need to wrap it up for Fury Road.
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I say this with no real evidence but: I wonder if this movie and Fury Road are prime examples of "you can't do x in today's world", x being have an incredibly difficult, dangerous, even toxic production that led to a masterpiece of a final product. By all accounts Fury Road was a ***** of a movie to make, maybe Miller was asked or was forced to tone it down and that's what led to this prequel coming out so visually uneven.
The decision to shoot Fury Road in Namibia is probably what created the most trouble for everyone involved, but you have to admit, it's also a significant part of why the movie is so good. The cast of Furiosa has also said that Miller had a bigger focus on safety this time around. I've watched a few retrospectives on the Mad Max movies, safety was clearly not a primary concern when shooting for a lot of them.
So yeah, I guess the question is, did Miller's decision to do things "better" actually result in a worse movie? As someone who hasn't even seen the movie, I'm not saying I wish Miller almost got people killed for the sake of a cooler action scene. But it is interesting to think about.
I reckon that's what it is. I saw the behind the scenes of the Fury Road truck flip, where George Miller nearly has a heart attack thinking the actor for Nux was actually in the truck as it flipped, because he's probably been so on edge this entire production. Also, with his age I don't blame him for taking it easier.
The problem is, that many other vehicular action scenes in Furiosa, compositing and all, work very well - it's the truck chase though just appears rather static. Even if most of what was on screen was in-camera it would still suffer from rather flat angles, but with the compositing it sticks out greatly.
A ★★★★½ review of Predators (2010)
“This planet is a game preserve. And we’re the game.” This movie didn't have a troubled production...once it actually started. Getting there took some time, however, as the original script was written in 1994 by Robert Rodriguez. However, 20th Century Fox wasn't willing to budget for what was...
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A ★★★★½ review of Predators (2010)
“This planet is a game preserve. And we’re the game.” This movie didn't have a troubled production...once it actually started. Getting there took some time, however, as the original script was written in 1994 by Robert Rodriguez. However, 20th Century Fox wasn't willing to budget for what was...
Mostly. I actually like the lack of character development. You never got that in the original either. It feels like somewhat respect for the pacing and plot.
If They took time to have exposition for all the characters I think it would probably drag down a bit. I like when they ask why the Yakuza is quiet he shows them his two missing fingers and just says "I talk too much" and it kinda tells you everything you need to know about him.
If I wanted anything it would be a couple more shots of Noland being a badass. Like maybe unusual camouflage watching them land.
I can see that. Like I said, the chemistry among the actors made up a lot for the lack of character depth, but this film was also a lot more character focused compared to the original for me, so it felt like a bigger deal. I did like that scene, and again, Topher Grace honestly surprised me with how good he was in this movie.
"former IDF sniper Isabelle". I thought she was still in the IDF.A ★★★★½ review of Predators (2010)
“This planet is a game preserve. And we’re the game.” This movie didn't have a troubled production...once it actually started. Getting there took some time, however, as the original script was written in 1994 by Robert Rodriguez. However, 20th Century Fox wasn't willing to budget for what was...
Anyhoo, making another movie in a franchise so long after the previous one...that's usually a terrible sign, but this film worked. Perhaps not as good as the original, but a worthy successor, IMHO.
That could be. I couldn't recall if she was former or a deserter/rogue IDF.
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
The documentary is already nine years old (new to Netflix though!…*crickets*) and the “church” is still apparently growing in power even when faced with shrinking membership. The irony of all that’s discussed and revealed is multifaceted, as several members interviewed who’d only then-recently broken free of it had to confront their involvement in several abhorrent human rights violations and other illegal activities. Perhaps LRH’s biggest accomplishment is proving how easy it is to prey upon the gullible and weak if you keep them curious and give them hope, using them for one’s own personal gain and convincing them it’s all part of the journey of their own unique spiritual awakenings. Maybe the true awakening is finding the strength and mental clarity to leave it all behind after being dragged down into the worst of it.
Really, some of this shit was beyond batshit and the cruelty often makes even me too stuff seem tame, yet there’s no public outcry because it’s ultimately considered “voluntary” participation? At the same time though, it’s surprising that any of these people managed to get out considering these coercive, virulent, sadistic mindfuckers made the goddamn IRS bend the knee.
But as long as Tom Cruise and John Travolta say it’s ok then it must be I guess.
The documentary is already nine years old (new to Netflix though!…*crickets*) and the “church” is still apparently growing in power even when faced with shrinking membership. The irony of all that’s discussed and revealed is multifaceted, as several members interviewed who’d only then-recently broken free of it had to confront their involvement in several abhorrent human rights violations and other illegal activities. Perhaps LRH’s biggest accomplishment is proving how easy it is to prey upon the gullible and weak if you keep them curious and give them hope, using them for one’s own personal gain and convincing them it’s all part of the journey of their own unique spiritual awakenings. Maybe the true awakening is finding the strength and mental clarity to leave it all behind after being dragged down into the worst of it.
Really, some of this shit was beyond batshit and the cruelty often makes even me too stuff seem tame, yet there’s no public outcry because it’s ultimately considered “voluntary” participation? At the same time though, it’s surprising that any of these people managed to get out considering these coercive, virulent, sadistic mindfuckers made the goddamn IRS bend the knee.
But as long as Tom Cruise and John Travolta say it’s ok then it must be I guess.
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I just watched Bevery Hills Cop: Axel F, and that was actually kinda fun.
It sounds so simple to just point at an 80's action movie and say 'just do that again', but most action movies today can't seem to manage. Either too plain dull or too wrapped up in their own franchise. Axel F just goes though. It doesn't waste your time, doesn't try to convince you of itself, it just goes.
Seeing all those old ass names from the 80's pop up during the intro credits gave some heebie jeebies, but it thankfully didn't come across as cringey as I thought it would. It was actually Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Foley's daughter who ended up being the weakest presence in this movie. The whole estranged daughter and parent felt incredibly lazy as a hook, but it could've worked fine if they got an actress that had more energy than a sleepy hamster.
Anyway, it was fun, Eddie Murphy was fun, I had fun.
It sounds so simple to just point at an 80's action movie and say 'just do that again', but most action movies today can't seem to manage. Either too plain dull or too wrapped up in their own franchise. Axel F just goes though. It doesn't waste your time, doesn't try to convince you of itself, it just goes.
Seeing all those old ass names from the 80's pop up during the intro credits gave some heebie jeebies, but it thankfully didn't come across as cringey as I thought it would. It was actually Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Foley's daughter who ended up being the weakest presence in this movie. The whole estranged daughter and parent felt incredibly lazy as a hook, but it could've worked fine if they got an actress that had more energy than a sleepy hamster.
Anyway, it was fun, Eddie Murphy was fun, I had fun.
A ★★★½ review of Saw (2004)
“Live or die. Make your choice.” As some casting trivia, the role of Dr. Gordon was originally given to Greg Kinnear, but after he was forced to drop out, he was replaced. This film follows two separate, but connected storylines. In one, two men named Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) and Adam...
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The Beast (2023)
French surreal high concept science-fiction drama directed by Bertrand Bonello and starring Lea Seydoux, who sure has been in a lot of things lately, and George McKay. In a dystopian future governed by machines, people undergo a treatment to "purify their DNA" by removing the memories of trauma from past lives. Undergoing this procedure, Seydoux's Gabrielle learns of a tragic love story she shared with a mysterious stranger throughout her past lives and starts to have doubts about the procedure. What follows is a tale of two star crossed lovers throughout three time periods.
In the 1910's, they're wealthy socialites, their first interaction a reference to Resnais Last Year in Marienbad. In 2014, she's an aspiring actress and he's a violent stalker who seems directly based on misogynist serial killer Elliott Rodgers. In 2044, the movies present, they have yet to find each other. Events, conversations and visual motives echo throughout all three time periods as their mood and presentation shifts between melancholy, dread and surrealism. A doomed love plays out throughout the ages as Bonello plays with the tropes of genre fiction.
It's difficult to trace the breadth of different inspirations that resonate inside Beast. From period dramas, to the utilizations of speculative science-fiction as psychological drama that brings to mind Spike Jonze or early Charlie Kaufmann, to the lost, alienated strangers in the city dichotomy of Jaques Rivette to the somewhat abstractly existentialist beats of late Lynch and Cronenberg. Bonello attempts to synergize all the existential musings about human connection in a world estranged from itself into a highly ambitious thesis statement that doesn't always resonate, but is definitely always interesting. It's interesting that this stars Lea Seydoux, an actress my first introduction to was in her supporting role as Fragile in Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding. Strangely enough another production I felt reminded of, not for any nerdy, overly elaborate world building, which Beast is pretty sparse on, but for its cheeky blending of futurism and surrealism.
It's a movie clearly made by a guy who has done a lot of thinking lately. Some of it definitely of a strange and unproductive nature but some of it also very evocative. As Seydoux and McKay navigate three different time periods worth of frustrated longing and sinister premonitions, all culminating in one where the optimal human is one who has let go off their own humanity. It's treatment of reincarnation being compared to Buddhism, it's more concrete mechanics of arcane technical procedures to excorcise past life trauma in favour of improving human performance however coming off more like a riff on Scientologist mythology.
It all comes together like a kind of shadow self to the Wachowski Sister's pièce de résistance Cloud Atlas, a century spanning melodrama not about the inevitable triumph, but the inevitable failure of love as the force of humanities redemption. It is a bleak tale, alright, one which Seydoux and McKay who are not exactly the only, but definitely the only central characters, play with exactly the right amount of dramatic intensity. As much as the Elliott Rodgers shtick seems like it should slip into the realm of poor taste, they manage to wring genuine tragedy out of it.
The Beast is a mostly very effective conceptual drama, although one whose pacing in the earlier half sometimes drags its feet and whose more abstract flourishes occasionally approach a degree of obscurity that feels unearned. It is all tied together by a sense of genuine existential tragedy and unmistakable ambition that makes it impossible not to respect. Not to mention Seydoux putting everything into her performance. It definitely is one of the most interesting things I've seen this year and likewise something I might have very easily missed. As sinister as its outlook is, Bonello realized it quite impressively.
French surreal high concept science-fiction drama directed by Bertrand Bonello and starring Lea Seydoux, who sure has been in a lot of things lately, and George McKay. In a dystopian future governed by machines, people undergo a treatment to "purify their DNA" by removing the memories of trauma from past lives. Undergoing this procedure, Seydoux's Gabrielle learns of a tragic love story she shared with a mysterious stranger throughout her past lives and starts to have doubts about the procedure. What follows is a tale of two star crossed lovers throughout three time periods.
In the 1910's, they're wealthy socialites, their first interaction a reference to Resnais Last Year in Marienbad. In 2014, she's an aspiring actress and he's a violent stalker who seems directly based on misogynist serial killer Elliott Rodgers. In 2044, the movies present, they have yet to find each other. Events, conversations and visual motives echo throughout all three time periods as their mood and presentation shifts between melancholy, dread and surrealism. A doomed love plays out throughout the ages as Bonello plays with the tropes of genre fiction.
It's difficult to trace the breadth of different inspirations that resonate inside Beast. From period dramas, to the utilizations of speculative science-fiction as psychological drama that brings to mind Spike Jonze or early Charlie Kaufmann, to the lost, alienated strangers in the city dichotomy of Jaques Rivette to the somewhat abstractly existentialist beats of late Lynch and Cronenberg. Bonello attempts to synergize all the existential musings about human connection in a world estranged from itself into a highly ambitious thesis statement that doesn't always resonate, but is definitely always interesting. It's interesting that this stars Lea Seydoux, an actress my first introduction to was in her supporting role as Fragile in Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding. Strangely enough another production I felt reminded of, not for any nerdy, overly elaborate world building, which Beast is pretty sparse on, but for its cheeky blending of futurism and surrealism.
It's a movie clearly made by a guy who has done a lot of thinking lately. Some of it definitely of a strange and unproductive nature but some of it also very evocative. As Seydoux and McKay navigate three different time periods worth of frustrated longing and sinister premonitions, all culminating in one where the optimal human is one who has let go off their own humanity. It's treatment of reincarnation being compared to Buddhism, it's more concrete mechanics of arcane technical procedures to excorcise past life trauma in favour of improving human performance however coming off more like a riff on Scientologist mythology.
It all comes together like a kind of shadow self to the Wachowski Sister's pièce de résistance Cloud Atlas, a century spanning melodrama not about the inevitable triumph, but the inevitable failure of love as the force of humanities redemption. It is a bleak tale, alright, one which Seydoux and McKay who are not exactly the only, but definitely the only central characters, play with exactly the right amount of dramatic intensity. As much as the Elliott Rodgers shtick seems like it should slip into the realm of poor taste, they manage to wring genuine tragedy out of it.
The Beast is a mostly very effective conceptual drama, although one whose pacing in the earlier half sometimes drags its feet and whose more abstract flourishes occasionally approach a degree of obscurity that feels unearned. It is all tied together by a sense of genuine existential tragedy and unmistakable ambition that makes it impossible not to respect. Not to mention Seydoux putting everything into her performance. It definitely is one of the most interesting things I've seen this year and likewise something I might have very easily missed. As sinister as its outlook is, Bonello realized it quite impressively.
A ★½ review of The Predator (2018)
“Gentlemen, they're large, they're fast, and fucking you up's their idea of tourism.” To say this film had a troubled production is an understatement. A lot of it was the result of constant rewrites, which mostly affected the third act, especially the ending. There were plans for an ending to...
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