Discuss and Rate the Last Film You Watched

[BrawlMan]

I also watched the Friday the 13th reboot/remake/whatever, and it fucking sucked. I think this was made around the same time as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, which was actually kinda decent, but this movie was just trash. And not the entertaining kind. First of all the movie is too darkly contrasted to properly see anything, and then you add the shaky cam for even less visual fidelity. And the characters, Jesus Christ! Maybe that's why Scream's characters felt so great, since I watched it after Friday. I think the only character I sorta liked was the asian dude. This is my first time watching a Friday the 13th movie though, so maybe this is par the course. Garbage movie.

The reboot for me was just okay, but I understand your sentiments. The F13th films are entertaining for me, but they really don't start getting really entertaining or "good", until Part 6. That said, if you must, watch Part 1-4, then 6 & 7. Watch 8 for the so bad, it's good territory. Skip Jason Goes To Hell. It's a shitty version of The Hidden. Jason X is meh, so risk it if you want. Then go watch Freddy vs. Jason. And make sure to watch the Nightmare on Elm Street films if you have not already.

At least you can appreciate the first Scream, unlike a certain loud and proud movie critic that claimed that the Scream films "killed" horror and slasher film. And insulted people's intelligence for liking them or giving them proper credit. I was not that big in to Scream, but did see the original trilogy. I never watched 4, nor did I see the short lived TV series. They were milking it at that point, so no interests.

 

[Samtemdo8]

Back to back watch of:

Return of the Jedi, Forrest Gump, and Young Frankenstein.

1. Wasted Opportunity that the final battle wasn't going to be on the Wookies homeworld of Kashykk.

2.This movie earned its Oscar despite the fierce competition.

3. I'd argue the first half of the movie was the funniest part. Kinda drags a bit in the second half.

 

[Ezekiel]

Back to back watch of:

Return of the Jedi, Forrest Gump, and Young Frankenstein.

1. Wasted Opportunity that the final battle wasn't going to be on the Wookies homeworld of Kashykk.

Too expensive to dress that many actors up in wookie costumes, so not really worth complaining about. There were many things that didn't make it into the movies due to budget. The ewoks were fine.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

3. I'd argue the first half of the movie was the funniest part. Kinda drags a bit in the second half.

Yeah, feel the same about the movie. As much as each situation is individually funny (the song and dance is my favorite sequence in the movie), storywise it feels like a waste of time having the monster escape at the halfway point.

 

[Kyrian007]

Back to back watch of:

Return of the Jedi, Forrest Gump, and Young Frankenstein.

1. Wasted Opportunity that the final battle wasn't going to be on the Wookies homeworld of Kashykk.

2.This movie earned its Oscar despite the fierce competition.

3. I'd argue the first half of the movie was the funniest part. Kinda drags a bit in the second half.

1. The best thing about the ewoks... at that party... they were eating roast stormtrooper, right? At one point they were going to cook Han and Luke... and they made those drums out of empty helmets. They ate those stormtroopers. Had to be weird for Han, Leia, Luke, and Lando afterword. "I didn't want to turn it down, that might have seemed rude."

2. In my opinion (with all the hindsight) Shawshank was easily that year's best picture... but yeah, Hanks easily earned best actor. '95 Shawshank v. Pulp Fiction v. Gump... tough call.

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

Green Room. Patrick Stewart as a neo-nazi bar owner is a helluva sinister sight to behold. Anton Yelchin, member of a struggling punk band on the road in desperate need of money enough to accept a gig in some ominous bar at the end of buggerfecking nowhere, does a fine job portraying the fear and dread in what is essentially a horror film: the most effective type of horror in which you can easily see it as something too real happening in life. Imogen Poots, who's name i can't help but picture as some upper-class fruit dessert in a pretentious restaurant somewhere sunny, also has an appreciated presence and arc. Everyone in general is strong, the direction is grounded, grimy but stylised, you know you don't want to be in this place yet you can't tear your eyes away. Ended well enough too. It is Halloween, nazis are scary, you do the math. Or don't. Instead you could read some asshole like me telling you it might be a good film for this time of year as if i had any idea what i'm waffling about.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Rocky IV

Rocky/Sly has finally bought into his own myth and suffers from delusions of grandeur. Rocky IV is as far removed from reality as possible, and fittingly so would Stallone in 1985 after Rambo II grossed 12 times its budget and broke any number of box office records internationally. Draped in the American flag and talking about world peace Rocky's finally elevated to superhero status. He can go to Russia, beat the carefully engineered monster of cold Soviet science (because Rocky has HEART) and get the crowd cheering for him as he lectures them about world peace. I believe Chernobyl happened the year after.

The series fully dives into signature 80s "dumb and awesome" as boxing gloves collide in a titular explosion, Rocky gifts Paulie a robot so completely out of place you'd think you're watching science fiction, and MTV madness takes over editing duties as we get music video after music video of Rocky either training (over and over, like every 5 minutes) or reminiscing in clip show format (the quiet, gritty scenes from the first movie looking like they belong in a different series altogether by now). Whereas you believe everything in the first movie and the characters feel unique and authentic, here everything has been turned to shtick. Just as 2 copied 1, now 4 copies 3 as Rocky's mentor/friend dies at the halfway point and that means it's PERSONAL. We're up to 2 fights now per movie and the bouts get longer and more violent while the movies themselves have gone from 2 hours to 90 minutes. Which tells you everything, really.

 

[BrawlMan]

Rocky IV

Rocky/Sly has finally bought into his own myth and suffers from delusions of grandeur. Rocky IV is as far removed from reality as possible, and fittingly so would Stallone in 1985 after Rambo II grossed 12 times its budget and broke any number of box office records internationally. Draped in the American flag and talking about world peace Rocky's finally elevated to superhero status. He can go to Russia, beat the carefully engineered monster of cold Soviet science (because Rocky has HEART) and get the crowd cheering for him as he lectures them about world peace. I believe Chernobyl happened the year after.

The series fully dives into signature 80s "dumb and awesome" as boxing gloves collide in a titular explosion, Rocky gifts Paulie a robot so completely out of place you'd think you're watching science fiction, and MTV madness takes over editing duties as we get music video after music video of Rocky either training (over and over, like every 5 minutes) or reminiscing in clip show format (the quiet, gritty scenes from the first movie looking like they belong in a different series altogether by now). Whereas you believe everything in the first movie and the characters feel unique and authentic, here everything has been turned to shtick. Just as 2 copied 1, now 4 copies 3 as Rocky's mentor/friend dies at the halfway point and that means it's PERSONAL. We're up to 2 fights now per movie and the bouts get longer and more violent while the movies themselves have gone from 2 hours to 90 minutes. Which tells you everything, really.

All that is true and I still like Rocky 4. The soundtrack even more so. They're actually pretty great for workouts.

 

[happyninja42]

I think that's a fair interpretation. And I'm not absolutely opposed to Yoda using a lightaber - I mean, I like the duel between him and Palpy in Revenge.

On the other hand, our first introduction to Yoda was as a wise wizard-like character who moved things with his mind, and dismissed the idea of a "great warrior." So there's definitely some dissonance between that mindset, and him jumping around in Clones.

It's not a dissonance, it's him simply not carrying any weight with his military history. I work with veterans, and the ones that actually were in the shit, and got all those big medals and stuff, REALLY don't like hearing people talking them up. They dismiss it, wave it off, and basically act like Keanu Reeves in that one YT clip where he is being made VERY uncomfortable by that interviewer, who keeps commenting about him being the nicest person in the world. Yoda doesn't measure his merit as a Jedi on his war victories, and probably considers that the worst part of his life, and his greatest failure. In fact I think he even says that in Revenge of the Sith to Senator Organa doesn't he? "Failed I have, into exile I must go." So being reminded of his military history, and being called by this little kid as a "great warrior", would of course make him scoff at the idea of being a great warrior. That doesn't mean he wasn't a combat badass, he just doesn't really care to think about it.

I think in part is that there's no emotional connection between him and Dooku, and it's come off a prior lackluster lightsabre duel. Him dueling Palpy avoids this problem given the narrative stakes and (visual) themes.

That I agree with, the first time I saw it, I did enjoy it a lot, because they did a lot of little things that made me smile about watching Yoda open up a can of sithy whoopass. Like how he doesn't actually draw his saber, he just force pulls it to his hand, making the classic hilt draw even that much cooler for this ancient power house. The way, right before that, Dooku is harping about how he's so powerful, and does the Epic Force Lightniiiiiiing!!!!!!!.....which Yoda just calmly absorbs into his hand, with barely a shake afterwards, like it stung a little bit. And then that badass line, made even more badass by it being in Yoda Speak "Much to learn you have." I was SO ready to see them do more force fighting, but you know, SFX budget and all that. Easier to just film 2 stunt doubles twirling about on a green screen. But with time, I've found it more disappointing because of the lost potential of that scene.

 

[Gordon_4]

It's not a dissonance, it's him simply not carrying any weight with his military history. I work with veterans, and the ones that actually were in the shit, and got all those big medals and stuff, REALLY don't like hearing people talking them up. They dismiss it, wave it off, and basically act like Keanu Reeves in that one YT clip where he is being made VERY uncomfortable by that interviewer, who keeps commenting about him being the nicest person in the world. Yoda doesn't measure his merit as a Jedi on his war victories, and probably considers that the worst part of his life, and his greatest failure. In fact I think he even says that in Revenge of the Sith to Senator Organa doesn't he? "Failed I have, into exile I must go." So being reminded of his military history, and being called by this little kid as a "great warrior", would of course make him scoff at the idea of being a great warrior. That doesn't mean he wasn't a combat badass, he just doesn't really care to think about it.

That I agree with, the first time I saw it, I did enjoy it a lot, because they did a lot of little things that made me smile about watching Yoda open up a can of sithy whoopass. Like how he doesn't actually draw his saber, he just force pulls it to his hand, making the classic hilt draw even that much cooler for this ancient power house. The way, right before that, Dooku is harping about how he's so powerful, and does the Epic Force Lightniiiiiiing!!!!!!!.....which Yoda just calmly absorbs into his hand, with barely a shake afterwards, like it stung a little bit. And then that badass line, made even more badass by it being in Yoda Speak "Much to learn you have." I was SO ready to see them do more force fighting, but you know, SFX budget and all that. Easier to just film 2 stunt doubles twirling about on a green screen. But with time, I've found it more disappointing because of the lost potential of that scene.

Christopher Lee did as much of his own stunt work in those scenes as he could; if only because out of all the cast he actually knows how to handle a sword. There’s even a quick passage in the novelisation that mentions Obi-Wan and Anakin being at a disadvantage because their training is mainly fighting against blasters where Dooku is a master swordsman.

I agree that fight should have been better constructed but I don’t think any bad blade work was the culprit.

 

[happyninja42]

Christopher Lee did as much of his own stunt work in those scenes as he could; if only because out of all the cast he actually knows how to handle a sword. There’s even a quick passage in the novelisation that mentions Obi-Wan and Anakin being at a disadvantage because their training is mainly fighting against blasters where Dooku is a master swordsman.

I agree that fight should have been better constructed but I don’t think any bad blade work was the culprit.

I didn't say anything about bad blade work. The quality of the sword play never once came up. I was commenting on why they decided to go with the saber duel, instead of doing more force related combat, which myself and @Hawki would've preferred.

Also it's fine to hear that Christopher did some of his stunts, but you can CLEARLY see the green screen of his head at multiple points in that fight. That also doesn't really have anything to do with my point at all. Whether it's the real actors doing it, or stunt doubles, is irrelevant. The fact is they went with a saber duel, over a force duel, which many people feel was a lame use of Yoda's reported abilities with the force.

 

[Gordon_4]

I didn't say anything about bad blade work. The quality of the sword play never once came up. I was commenting on why they decided to go with the saber duel, instead of doing more force related combat, which myself and @Hawki would've preferred.

Also it's fine to hear that Christopher did some of his stunts, but you can CLEARLY see the green screen of his head at multiple points in that fight. That also doesn't really have anything to do with my point at all. Whether it's the real actors doing it, or stunt doubles, is irrelevant. The fact is they went with a saber duel, over a force duel, which many people feel was a lame use of Yoda's reported abilities with the force.

Nah a wizard duel would have been awesome. I’m personally struggling to imagine how it would have gone but I’m generally lacking in that area. But it would have been way more thematically appropriate I quite agree.

 

[happyninja42]

Nah a wizard duel would have been awesome. I’m personally struggling to imagine how it would have gone but I’m generally lacking in that area. But it would have been way more thematically appropriate I quite agree.

Yeah I'm not sure what they would do either with force powers. They've always been WAY more saber focused in the films, and let the rest of the franchise expand on the various force powers. The movies pretty much only ever do Force Push/Choke/Lightning, and then physical augmentation (which is pretty much why old Yoda was able to do all the physical stuff, so that never was an issue for me). So while I would prefer the more wizard duel, I am equally unsure how they would do that in the films and make it enjoyable.

I think they tried to expand more on it in Revenge, with the fight with Palps, where they are throwing the senate at each other. But a lot of the truly powerful force abilities in the franchise, are subtle things, like Battle Meditation. Which doesn't make for an action packed scene in itself.

Now, I still LIKE the saber duel with Yoda, it has elements that I mentioned, that still make it fun to watch for me. But it doesn't make me feel that thrill like when I first saw it. Whereas other fights in other films/tv shows, that I love, always evoke the emotional response from me. Like Morpheus' first fight with Neo in the Matrix.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Rocky V

If Rocky IV jumped the shark then Rocky V is the long way down. The series is once again being directed by Avildsen (from the original Rocky) in an attempt to bring down and hark back to the gritty glory days, but it's absolutely misguided. Regardless of quality ever other Rocky movie has followed Stallone's own career honestly. And while you could make the argument that Stallone was making nothing but bombs at this point and the 90s were spelling out more doom, he never suffered as Rocky does in V, all broke and back to square one. This is just a phony plot to get his underdog card back after single-handedly winning the Cold War, and I call bullshit.

A retired Rocky is now Jedi Master to Tommy Gunn's Anakin, who eventually sells out to a big time promoter because Rocky and the Philly shitbox he lives in fucking suck. Can't blame him. More than anything the movie's about Rocky learning to connect with his son, I guess. I call bullshit again: Sly and Sly Jr. are playing father and son in the movie already, so this feels more vain than terribly important. Not that the kid is awful at it but the whole new kid at school subplot feels perfunctory as hell. I dunno. Every new sequel feels like a natural conclusion to Rocky's story, but this one is the weakest of the whole lot.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Nosferatu

The 1920 one, black and white silent film that is now public domain but only exists due to pirates copying it rather than letting all copies be destroyed over a copyright issue with Bram Stoker's estate.

Also interesting for coming up with the Orlok look, and inventing the idea that sunlight kills vampires, so any vampire older than 100 years old was created in a time when sunlight wasn't such a problem.

 

[Ezekiel]

Nosferatu

The 1920 one, black and white silent film that is now public domain but only exists due to pirates copying it rather than letting all copies be destroyed over a copyright issue with Bram Stoker's estate.

Also interesting for coming up with the Orlok look, and inventing the idea that sunlight kills vampires, so any vampire older than 100 years old was created in a time when sunlight wasn't such a problem.

Is there a version that doesn't look cleaned up or badly compressed, though? I hate most pirates uploaders (Can't really say public domain is pirated, right?) for being so cheap. The biggest version I found looks much softer than the source (top). But they made sure to include an uncompressed DTS-HD MA soundtrack, which I always find funny. Kill the picture to save space, keep the huge audio. Typical.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Rocky Balboa

Promoters seek to capitalize on nostalgia by bringing back Rocky for one last exhibition match with the current world champion (ie. let's make another Rocky movie!). Stallone directs once more and comes the closest to recapturing the 1976 movie's grit, now the story of a has-been rather than the never-was. To make things even more somber and mournful Adrian is dead. Fair enough. Rocky III claimed Mickey, Rocky IV claimed Apollo. Paulie is still around being a nuisance, and we get a nice set of call-backs to other characters in the series.

This is probably the best Rocky movie Stallone ever directed, and he also does some of his finest acting as well, but despite the 16 year gap there's a pervading sense of rehashing old plot points. This is Rocky VI by any other name and Rocky V already did the reconnect-with-your-kid subplot (as Rocky III already did the "still got it" arc). Still, it's a more conclusive ending than Rocky V delivered and makes for the perfect bookend to the franchise. Or it would if Stallone still wasn't milling around in them Creed movies.

 

[deleted20220709]

DELETED

 

[Thaluikhain]

X-men: Dark Phoenix
I like most of the X-men movies, even The Last Stand, and find them to be enjoyable popcorn movies. I found Days of Future Past to be really good and Apocalypse was decent, mostly held up by the actors in grounding all the over the top action. Dark Phoenix is bad. It is so bad that I didn't finish it. The dialogue is stilted, the conflict between Xavier and Raven being a case of Raven suddenly turning into an ungrateful, spoiled idiot ("you risk children's lives but don't go out in the field yourself!" she says, ignoring that the 'children' are all in their mid-20's and that Xavier definitely was in the field in Apocalypse) and the cool supporting cast like Quicksilver and Nightcrawler way underused. Production values are great and the cast are working over time to make the script work, but both the writing and the direction is terrible. With about a third of the movie to go I feel absolutely no desire to see it through to the end.

You didn't miss much. Once you have the seen where Xavier says no kids will be discriminated against ever again because people like mutants now (gah), the scene where Raven says they should re-name the X-Men the X-Women because they do all the work (followed by the rest of the film being about a woman being emotional and dangerous because she's escaped from male control, and the only female character of note beyond an evil space monster), nothing else happens.

Maybe the bit where the MCU comes in to destroy the X-Men in a hilarious in joke?

 

[MetalHead]

Rocky V

If Rocky IV jumped the shark then Rocky V is the long way down. The series is once again being directed by Avildsen (from the original Rocky) in an attempt to bring down and hark back to the gritty glory days, but it's absolutely misguided. Regardless of quality ever other Rocky movie has followed Stallone's own career honestly. And while you could make the argument that Stallone was making nothing but bombs at this point and the 90s were spelling out more doom, he never suffered as Rocky does in V, all broke and back to square one. This is just a phony plot to get his underdog card back after single-handedly winning the Cold War, and I call bullshit.

A retired Rocky is now Jedi Master to Tommy Gunn's Anakin, who eventually sells out to a big time promoter because Rocky and the Philly shitbox he lives in fucking suck. Can't blame him. More than anything the movie's about Rocky learning to connect with his son, I guess. I call bullshit again: Sly and Sly Jr. are playing father and son in the movie already, so this feels more vain than terribly important. Not that the kid is awful at it but the whole new kid at school subplot feels perfunctory as hell. I dunno. Every new sequel feels like a natural conclusion to Rocky's story, but this one is the weakest of the whole lot.

I actually thought V was one of the better ones. Didn't really care for 2 & 3 that much.

On the Sly Stallone note I kinda felt the same about the Rambo movies. Thought the last couple were the best of the series.