Discuss and Rate the Last Film You Watched

[thebobmaster]

Let me know when you get to Bumblebee & Rise of the Beasts.

A ★★★★★ review of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)

“Promise. Cross my Spark and hope to die. Wow, that was corny when I said it out loud.” This film follows an ex-soldier named Noah (Anthony Ramos), who is attempting to get a job to help his younger brother Kris (Dean Scott Vazquez) with his health issues and hospital bills, but is having...

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[Thaluikhain]

A ★½ review of Hellboy (2019)

"You made me a damn weapon?” “I just wanted to help you become the best... you.” “Some dads give their kids Legos.” This was originally intended as a sequel to The Golden Army, but Guillermo Del Toro left the project for creative difference reasons, and Ron Perlman refused to continue without...

letterboxd.com

Yeah, this one didn't stick the landing. Pointless unpleasantness getting in the way, and some characters that were just dull, or not explored properly.

 

[Piscian]

Is this movie on a streaming service? If so, which one? The theater I go to is not playing it.

I think its coming out today on streaming.

 

[Xprimentyl]

The Boys In The Boat: Good / Great

The story of the highly unlikely rise of the 1936 USA Olympic rowing team during the Depression era.

Really good story of the underdogs of all underdogs. No raw talent, no experience, no money, basically no chance, and they defied all those odds to prove to the world that sometimes, all you need is heart. Really cool.

 

[thebobmaster]

Yeah, this one didn't stick the landing. Pointless unpleasantness getting in the way, and some characters that were just dull, or not explored properly.

Also, call me petty, but the way they consistently mispronounced Nimue's name was so annoying to me.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

Unforgiven (1992)

Now this is the good shit.

Unforgiven is a western that sees Clint Eastwood directing himself again, this time as retired outlaw William Munny. Having left a life of violence behind, Munny is a widowed farmer raising pigs at a remote ranch with his two children. When times grow dire, he begrudgingly agrees to take on one last bounty, hunting down a cowboy who violently abused a prostitute together with a hot headed rookie everyone calls Kid and his old partner Ned.

If this sounds like a "retired badass coming back for one last job and kicking ass" movie... well, it's very decidedly not that. Unforgiven, very much in opposition to Pale Rider, might be the ultimate anti-romantic western. If the genre is characterized by the tension between lawmen and outlaws, Unforgiven has no faith in the nobility of either. It postulates that the only righteous way to deal with a violent society is to turn your back on it and never look back. The entire movie deals with the lengths of brutality people are willing to go to to uphold what they consider to be justice.

Was the drifter who cut up a prostitutes face for laughing at his penis justified? Was the sheriff who let him simply pay off his crime justified? We're the prostitues who put out a bounty of a thousand dollars and invited all manners of trigger happy gunslingers to their town justified? Was any of what happened as a result of that justified? No, is the answer to any neutral observer, but all of them certainly thought that what they did was just.

Unforgiven is a dark movie about wicked men doing what they think is right. And the innocent men who let themselves be convinced of it. The key figures next to Eastwood's Munny are Kid, played by Jaimz Woolvett who bought into the myth of the noble bounty hunter wholesale. He is neither physically nor mentally prepared for that kind of life and next to Mummy and Logan, played by Morgan Freeman, it becomes clear just how naive his image of the outlaw life is. The other one is Gene Hackman as Sheriff Little Bill. A man who is capable of clearly and succinctly pointing out just how much of a lie the myth of the heroic outlaw is, yet upholds an idea of justice that is no less of a sham at the end of the day. Running a town on fear and threats as the only way he knows to maintain order.

It's a story about the spiral of violence and the futile attempt to determine who is the most or the least guilty in it. In the end, no one is absolved of it, even though everyone was convinced they only did what they had to do. Perhaps the only silver lining is that it does concede that it's possible to walk away from it. Ending on a note that might register as unduly optimistic to many. For the most part it's about as gritty and about as fatalistic as you can treat this kind of material. Eastwood taking a wrecking ball to the entire genre and its perceived morals. Identifying the illusion of frontier justice as a devastating maelstrom of violence crushing everyone who gets drawn into it. And in doing so he might have made one of the all time great westerns.

 

[thebobmaster]

A ★★★★ review of Labyrinth (1986)

“That’s not fair!” “You say that so often. I wonder what your basis for comparison is.” This film follows a 15 year old named Sarah (Jennifer Connelly). After she wishes for her infant brother Toby (Toby Stroud) to be taken away by the Goblin King Jareth, only to be surprised when the real thing...

letterboxd.com

 

[Xprimentyl]

A ★★★★ review of Labyrinth (1986)

“That’s not fair!” “You say that so often. I wonder what your basis for comparison is.” This film follows a 15 year old named Sarah (Jennifer Connelly). After she wishes for her infant brother Toby (Toby Stroud) to be taken away by the Goblin King Jareth, only to be surprised when the real thing...

letterboxd.com

As a black man, I dismiss the assertion that the Fire Guards' portrayal/song was in any way "racist." Yes, the song had a very distinct-if-tonally-dissonant "soul" vibe, but it's presence alone does not make it "racist." We already live in a hypersensitive culture; mistaking inclusion for exploitation is the exact sort of knee-jerk reaction that adds nothing substantive to the conversation of the whole save imagined reasons for the hypersensitive to apologize for like there's not already a million made-up reasons they've already found over the most innocuous shit.

Labyrinth is a fantastic movie, a fond one from my childhood, and of all it's flaws age has exposed, "racist" is by far and away the least if it exists at all.

Now, review "The Wiz," and virtue signal about the lack of white representation given all they contributed to the source material.

 

[thebobmaster]

As a black man, I dismiss the assertion that the Fire Guards' portrayal/song was in any way "racist." Yes, the song had a very distinct-if-tonally-dissonant "soul" vibe, but it's presence alone does not make it "racist." We already live in a hypersensitive culture; mistaking inclusion for exploitation is the exact sort of knee-jerk reaction that adds nothing substantive to the conversation of the whole save imagined reasons for the hypersensitive to apologize for like there's not already a million made-up reasons they've already found over the most innocuous shit.

Labyrinth is a fantastic movie, a fond one from my childhood, and of all it's flaws age has exposed, "racist" is by far and away the least if it exists at all.

Now, review "The Wiz," and virtue signal about the lack of white representation given all they contributed to the source material.

I apologize, wasn't trying to offend anyone with that, just giving my impression of the scene. It wasn't even just the song/tone of the song that made me feel the way, but the way the Fire Guards spoke and acted that gave me that impression. I wasn't trying to say the entire movie was racist, or that anyone who didn't see it as racist was wrong, or anything that far reaching. Just explaining the vibes that I got from the scene. Sorry for being hypersensitive.

 

[Gordon_4]

As a black man, I dismiss the assertion that the Fire Guards' portrayal/song was in any way "racist." Yes, the song had a very distinct-if-tonally-dissonant "soul" vibe, but it's presence alone does not make it "racist." We already live in a hypersensitive culture; mistaking inclusion for exploitation is the exact sort of knee-jerk reaction that adds nothing substantive to the conversation of the whole save imagined reasons for the hypersensitive to apologize for like there's not already a million made-up reasons they've already found over the most innocuous shit.

Labyrinth is a fantastic movie, a fond one from my childhood, and of all it's flaws age has exposed, "racist" is by far and away the least if it exists at all.

Now, review "The Wiz," and virtue signal about the lack of white representation given all they contributed to the source material.

I just think Chilly Down is a crap song, so much in fact the talents of Danny John Jules is insufficient to save it. The whole sequence also feels like padding. And that is the worst thing I can say about Labyrinth overall. It had one shitty song on an album full of bangers and a single shitty sequence in a film full of stuff so beautiful you remember why film shots are called ‘frames’.

 

[thebobmaster]

A ★ review of Peter Pan & Wendy (2023)

“Captain Hook?” “Yes?” “I don’t think I like this adventure.” This film generally follows the plot of the original story and movie, but with a few twists. This time around, Wendy's (Ever Anderson) problem isn't merely being told to grown up, but being on the eve of being sent to boarding school...

letterboxd.com

 

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, people complain about that song being bad, but never seen it accused of anything race related before.

EDIT: And now I've got that song in my head because it's so catchy. I think the main thing wrong with it was some bad green screen and the theme's link to the movie's theme isn't as clear as it could be.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I apologize, wasn't trying to offend anyone with that, just giving my impression of the scene. It wasn't even just the song/tone of the song that made me feel the way, but the way the Fire Guards spoke and acted that gave me that impression. I wasn't trying to say the entire movie was racist, or that anyone who didn't see it as racist was wrong, or anything that far reaching. Just explaining the vibes that I got from the scene. Sorry for being hypersensitive.

No, my apologies to you. I re-read my response, and realize now that in the moment of incredulity at the notion, I leveled an unwarranted and pointed response during a moment of my own (ironically) hypersensitivity. You're fine; carry on.

 

[Piscian]

As a black man, I dismiss the assertion that the Fire Guards' portrayal/song was in any way "racist." Yes, the song had a very distinct-if-tonally-dissonant "soul" vibe, but it's presence alone does not make it "racist." We already live in a hypersensitive culture; mistaking inclusion for exploitation is the exact sort of knee-jerk reaction that adds nothing substantive to the conversation of the whole save imagined reasons for the hypersensitive to apologize for like there's not already a million made-up reasons they've already found over the most innocuous shit.

Labyrinth is a fantastic movie, a fond one from my childhood, and of all it's flaws age has exposed, "racist" is by far and away the least if it exists at all.

Now, review "The Wiz," and virtue signal about the lack of white representation given all they contributed to the source material.

I am so lost are you guys talking about the fire gang - chilly down song? I can't recall or find anything online about fire guard.

 

[Summerstorm]

NEXT!

BOY KILLS WORLD

Do you like subversive 80s robocop inspired ultraviolence and comedy?

Do you like The Raid Redemption?

10/10 I lol'd while simultaneously grossed out.

I watched it yesterday. I had given i a 7/10. There were a few problems with it, in my opinion.

But i do like that it was unashamed and weird. Had a few great action set pieces. (For example i just loved that when a "random buff stranger", maybe looking for violence, comes into the kitchen, the cooks straight up all grab some knifes and pans and get ready to fight (No slinking back, no getting the guards or some shit - That guy doesn't belong, lets kill him in a gruesome knife-fight.)

Now i would say: The camera, as so often, was a bit too animated, too near and the cuts were too fast. Not as bad as many Hollywood action movies, but come on.
Storywise it had a nice twist, which i did saw partially coming, but because of the way it is told, and what you see as a viewer it tricks you a bit.

The end also brought down the tone of the movie and it went from "irreverent, fun violence" to gruesome real quick. Storywise/tonal and also horrific injuries (not played for laughs, like at the beginning).

It had some great action, some real awesome abs (male and female), some stylish ideas (narration, worldbuilding), me going: "Oh, it's Mad Dog, fuck yeah" and "Wow... Dave DOES have a problem". Bill and Famke acting the shit out of a handful of words/no words.
But it felt rushed, sometimes not as clever as it should be... and, as i said, the camera/cinematography and partially the fight and action chorography had some holes in it.

Also, i am in the mood for some really dark cosmic horror. (Something which makes you think, and is MAD, EVIL and terrible to know and see; psychological and body-horror optional) Anyone has seen something like that recently?

 

[Phoenixmgs]

Civil War - 3/10

This movie is just meandering for the most part. It's a road trip movie basically of reporters going from New York to DC during a Civil War. Every sorta situation they come upon is rather weak. There's a The Last of Us "set-piece" where there's an unknown guy shooting at them from a house, they get to cover, find a couple military dudes and after 5 minutes or so, one of the military guys fires their gun and is like "I got 'em" and that's the end of the situation. It doesn't really say much politically at all for a movie about a civil war. The most it seems to have to say is that reporters are super important and the characters act like they better than everyone else. They get upset when the soldiers from the aforementioned TLOU "set-piece" don't say what side they are on and just reply back with "does it matter?". And the reporters get really mad at the people from this one town they stop at for just living life normally and not really caring too much about the war; you think everyone is going to be fighting in a civil war? Are the people not fighting got to be sitting at the edge of the seats watching TV or listening to the radio and can't just simply live? One of the reporters is pretty angry that they won't even be able to get the story they were trying for after another character dies acting like they died for nothing. If you got the story, they would have still died for nothing, that story was hardly very important to begin with. The movie doesn't feel like an Alex Garland movie at all; even Men that I really didn't like was all-in what it was about, anyone could've written and directed this movie.

 

[thebobmaster]

I am so lost are you guys talking about the fire gang - chilly down song? I can't recall or find anything online about fire guard.

Yes, that's the one.

 

[thebobmaster]

Also, i am in the mood for some really dark cosmic horror. (Something which makes you think, and is MAD, EVIL and terrible to know and see; psychological and body-horror optional) Anyone has seen something like that recently?

It's a bit camp still, but Colour Out of Space would probably fill that void for you. Came out just a few years ago, one of Nicolas Cage's movies where he's in his "I'm doing this film because I want to" phase.

 

[Piscian]

It's a bit camp still, but Colour Out of Space would probably fill that void for you. Came out just a few years ago, one of Nicolas Cage's movies where he's in his "I'm doing this film because I want to" phase.

I watched it yesterday. I had given i a 7/10. There were a few problems with it, in my opinion.

But i do like that it was unashamed and weird. Had a few great action set pieces. (For example i just loved that when a "random buff stranger", maybe looking for violence, comes into the kitchen, the cooks straight up all grab some knifes and pans and get ready to fight (No slinking back, no getting the guards or some shit - That guy doesn't belong, lets kill him in a gruesome knife-fight.)

Now i would say: The camera, as so often, was a bit too animated, too near and the cuts were too fast. Not as bad as many Hollywood action movies, but come on.
Storywise it had a nice twist, which i did saw partially coming, but because of the way it is told, and what you see as a viewer it tricks you a bit.

The end also brought down the tone of the movie and it went from "irreverent, fun violence" to gruesome real quick. Storywise/tonal and also horrific injuries (not played for laughs, like at the beginning).

It had some great action, some real awesome abs (male and female), some stylish ideas (narration, worldbuilding), me going: "Oh, it's Mad Dog, fuck yeah" and "Wow... Dave DOES have a problem". Bill and Famke acting the shit out of a handful of words/no words.
But it felt rushed, sometimes not as clever as it should be... and, as i said, the camera/cinematography and partially the fight and action chorography had some holes in it.

Also, i am in the mood for some really dark cosmic horror. (Something which makes you think, and is MAD, EVIL and terrible to know and see; psychological and body-horror optional) Anyone has seen something like that recently?

Oh yeah now that I think of it Bug (2006 film) probably fits that bill, body horror film with MIchael Shannon.

Obviously any clive Barker film

Jacobs ladder - Veitnam vet having hallucinations

Midnight meat Train (not gross, a photographer I think is following a serial killer on murdering people on the last train, turns existential)

In the Mouth of Madness - In the Mouth of Madness pays tribute to the works of author H. P. Lovecraft in its exploration of insanity, and its title is derived from the Lovecraft novella At the Mountains of Madness.

As above so Below - a found film that always sticks with me as existential horror. Urban explorers accidently find a tunnel to hell.

I haven't watched it yet, but somebody on here had good things to say about "Mad God (2021)", something about stop motion animation and a journey through hell. Forever on my to watch list.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

Also, i am in the mood for some really dark cosmic horror. (Something which makes you think, and is MAD, EVIL and terrible to know and see; psychological and body-horror optional) Anyone has seen something like that recently?

If an aggressively slow pace doesn't turn you off, check out Beyond the Black Rainbow. It's about a girl with psychic powers attempting to escape a research facility, but it has this super disturbing, kind of psychedelic tone and visual style to it. Goes for sort of a 70s/80s arthouse throwback feel. And there's a super sick drug trip sequence that looks like something out of Begotten.

On that note, you might also like Begotten.