Rate The Last Movie You Saw - 2

[GLASSJAW]

anyone watch the series premier of HBO's new show "Vinyl" tonight?

It's a show about a record producer from the 70s. Very traditional antihero narrative so far - almost seems like an 18+ version of Mad Men: lots of swearing, lots of drugs, lots of dirty rock music... but not nearly as much charm.

I give the pilot about a 7/10. Wasn't great, but wasn't bad. Written by Terrence Winter (creator of Boardwalk Empire), and Scorsese directed it. and in typical Scorsese fashion, it was intelligent but too over the top for me to love. Too much music, too busy, too loud.

However, the performances are wonderful. Really great acting. The extended scenes of dialogue were good too. Hopefully next week's episode will be more tight and less self indulgent now that Scorsese won't be involved and it'll only be an hour

[Down by the River]

18 hours ago, GLASSJAW said:

anyone watch the series premier of HBO's new show "Vinyl" tonight?

It's a show about a record producer from the 70s. Very traditional antihero narrative so far - almost seems like an 18+ version of Mad Men: lots of swearing, lots of drugs, lots of dirty rock music... but not nearly as much charm.

I give the pilot about a 7/10. Wasn't great, but wasn't bad. Written by Terrence Winter (creator of Boardwalk Empire), and Scorsese directed it. and in typical Scorsese fashion, it was intelligent but too over the top for me to love. Too much music, too busy, too loud.

However, the performances are wonderful. Really great acting. The extended scenes of dialogue were good too. Hopefully next week's episode will be more tight and less self indulgent now that Scorsese won't be involved and it'll only be an hour

Scorsese has disappointed me for about 10 years now. The only thing I can recall liking over that time has been The Departed, and that wasn't even really his movie. 

Watching Vinyl now. Opening walk into that venue was annoying. Too many tracking shots. Also, slow motion and voiceovers, yuck. Robert Plant also seemed to be over-acted.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Down by the River

[Monty]

Two movies watched on Valentine's Day with the old ball and chain.

Man Up - 6/10

British romantic comedy, starring Simon Pegg and Lake Bell.

Quite short, at a shade under an hour and a half. Lake Bell is a woman who is jaded in love and is trying to make her way to her parents 40th anniversary party. Due to unforeseen circumstances, she enters into a blind date with Simon Pegg, who mistakes her for his actual date. Seen as someone who doesn't take chances, she pretends to be his blind date.

The two have chemistry. Pegg is very charming, and Bell is her usual terrific self. Not a great movie, but enjoyable.

 

Pitch Black - 0/10

I really don't know what to say. This was just bad.

[Heretic]

Deadpool - 1/10

Infantile humour.  Almost got up and left half way.  I want my 2 hours back.

[Toni Zamboni]

Star Wars - The Force Awakens...   Great/10

brought me back to my youth in the 70's and was on par with the first movie.

loved the jaded wit of Han Solo...and Chewy was awesome.

looking forward to the next one.... bravo JJ!

[Shift-4]

32 minutes ago, Toni Zamboni said:

Star Wars - The Force Awakens...   Great/10

brought me back to my youth in the 70's and was on par with the first movie.

loved the jaded wit of Han Solo...and Chewy was awesome.

looking forward to the next one.... bravo JJ!

I watched it for the second time yesterday.
So much more enjoyable the second time around.
 

Got chills when Rey and Finn had to resort to the 'garbage' ship to escape the First Order

Edited February 16, 2016 by Shift-4
splelgin

[smokes]

Just watched a documentary called "Murder Rap: Inside the Biggie and Tupac Murders."

I thought it was a very good movie, it dispelled rumours of what happened, went into police evidence, witness interviews. Everything that happened each night. And at the end you learn that someone still famous at the moment is the one who put the hit on Tupac. Brought a lot of memories back especially with thier music and if you were ever a fan of either rapper then I would highly recommend.

[SamJamIam]

16 hours ago, Heretic said:

Deadpool - 1/10

Infantile humour.  Almost got up and left half way.  I want my 2 hours back.

 

17 hours ago, Monty said:

Pitch Black - 0/10

I really don't know what to say. This was just bad.

Lost all credibility/10

[Monty]

2 minutes ago, SamJamIam said:

 

Lost all credibility/10

If I'm missing something from the brilliance of David Twohy and Vin Diesel sci-fi masterpiece, please enlighten me.

[GLASSJAW]

18 hours ago, Down by the River said:

Scorsese has disappointed me for about 10 years now. The only thing I can recall liking over that time has been The Departed, and that wasn't even really his movie. 

Watching Vinyl now. Opening walk into that venue was annoying. Too many tracking shots. Also, slow motion and voiceovers, yuck. Robert Plant also seemed to be over-acted.

well, he's only released like 3 or 4 proper features in those 10 years, but i agree they haven't been anything special. I liked Hugo a fair bit the second time i saw it. first time i didn't care for it at all, IIRC

i don't even remember The Departed, and Shutter Island/Wolf of Wall St all miss my mark too. i really appreciate Scorsese's documentary work in his later years, but he hasn't made a feature that I remember REALLY loving since... Casino (1997)? Even that I'm not sure I remember too clearly, or if it holds up.

Scorsese's peaks are, IMO, some of the highest in American film history. Raging Bull might have my favourite performance of all time, and Scorsese-isms were great during Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, and later Goodfellas (though I think the second half of Goodfellas drags very badly). But yeah, his once-classic and trademark beautiful tracking shots and music usage just seems like parody in Vinyl.

2 days later, I definitely downgrade my Vinyl rating to a 6 or 6.5. I think I really just wanted to like it more than I did. I still have hope that it'll tighten up though.

Edited February 16, 2016 by GLASSJAW

[Down by the River]

17 minutes ago, GLASSJAW said:

well, he's only released like 3 or 4 proper features in those 10 years, but i agree they haven't been anything special. I liked Hugo a fair bit the second time i saw it. first time i didn't care for it at all, IIRC

i don't even remember The Departed, and Shutter Island/Wolf of Wall St all miss my mark too. i really appreciate Scorsese's documentary work in his later years, but he hasn't made a feature that I remember REALLY loving since... Casino (1997)? Even that I'm not sure I remember too clearly, or if it holds up.

Scorsese's peaks are, IMO, some of the highest in American film history. Raging Bull might have my favourite performance of all time, and Scorsese-isms were great during Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, and later Goodfellas (though I think the second half of Goodfellas drags very badly). But yeah, his once-classic and trademark beautiful tracking shots and music usage just seems like parody in Vinyl.

2 days later, I definitely downgrade my Vinyl rating to a 6 or 6.5. I think I really just wanted to like it more than I did. I still have hope that it'll tighten up though.

Thank you for putting it this way. I probably spent 5 minutes trying to talk about how I felt about the use of tracking shots and it kept coming out like jumbled garbage. I'll try again

You know how a child will try and get away with something, but a parent will spot them and tell them to stop, but as soon as the parent turns their back, the child tries to get away with the act once again? That's how I felt about the tracking shots. None of them were impressive. It was like Scorsese started a long tracking shot, some EP or co-director caught him, stepped in, and told him to stop the shot because it was too cliche. Scorsese goes back to shooting normally, notices someone's back turned, wash, rinse, repeat.

None of the tracking shots were particularly gratifying. Tracking shot-ous interruptous.

[SamJamIam]

4 hours ago, Monty said:

If I'm missing something from the brilliance of David Twohy and Vin Diesel sci-fi masterpiece, please enlighten me.

Name another original scifi movie in recent years that isn't based on some other source material (like a novel series) that's spawned multiple sequels and video games?

[Monty]

1 minute ago, SamJamIam said:

Name another original scifi movie in recent years that isn't based on some other source material (like a novel series) that's spawned multiple sequels and video games?

Um, that determines whether a sci-if movie is good? If so, then Looper was terrible.

[riffraff]

2 minutes ago, SamJamIam said:

Name another original scifi movie in recent years that isn't based on some other source material (like a novel series) that's spawned multiple sequels and video games?

Multiple sequels do not equal quality.  I don't think I need to provide a list of sequels that are considered garbage.

 

video games are for kids. 

[GLASSJAW]

amy: ?/10

documentary about amy winehouse that received a lot of attention for some reason. i watched the first 70 mins but got tired. i deleted it earlier today, not really being all that interested in what comes next

pretty much a paint by numbers celebrity tragedy. girl grows up thinking she's unique. turns out she is unique. makes music. runs with bad crowd and men. makes decent music. dies young.

 

[SamJamIam]

17 hours ago, Monty said:

Um, that determines whether a sci-if movie is good? If so, then Looper was terrible.

Surely that means Looper is the best sci fi movie because it is it's own sequel forever and ever (..and ever...)

But generally sequels are made because movies either 1) make box office money or 2) develop a considerable cult following.

Pitch Black certainly doesn't fit under the first category.  Plus if you've not yet seen Chronicles of Riddick, I'd get on that. It's got frickin Judy Dench.

[CanucksSayEh]

I loved pitch black and the sequels. Not the best movies after the 1st, but can't help watching them multiple times. 

[nuckin_futz]

On 2/11/2016 at 6:30 AM, GLASSJAW said:

45 years: 8.2/10

after growing up and watching so many american/hollywood movies where people above the age of 50 don't even exist (except as the occasional sassy sidekick), i've come to really appreciate old people dramas (like Another Year, Amour, etc.)

anyway, 45 years is a very small, but very good movie. kinda bleak, but powerful at the same time. high drama about a marriage being troubled by a revelation. won't be for everyone, as it's a little slow, so i'm certainly not recommending it unless you're in the mood to watch 70 year olds reflect, sometimes depressingly, on the choices they've made. 

45 Years  7.5/10

Saw it and agree with your review. Yes it's slow as molasses but the underlying story is very good. Finding out after 45 years of marriage that you're a replacement for someone else must really suck.

On 2/11/2016 at 11:42 AM, Down by the River said:

Secret in their Eyes: 7/10

I haven't seen the original, so my rating is likely higher than what it should be. Nicole Kidman.... wow. 

Because the movie is based off of another movie based off of a book, it seems that parts of the movie only made sense in the book, where more details existed. Character backgrounds, feuds, etc., were under-explored. The movie also provides flashbacks to scenes that are supposed to make you go 'oh, I didn't get that before'. However, the present was so transparent that you'd figured things out before the flashbacks even happened.

Secret In Their Eyes  6/10

If you've seen the original this isn't even going to come close. The all star cast can't make up for the fact that this didn't need to be remade. Was hoping it would be good but I knew better. Still it's worth a spin if you have the time.

 

Legend 7/10

Kind of true story about the Kray brothers. Who were gangsters in London in the early 60's. The one reason to watch this is Tom Hardy's performance. He plays both Kray brothers and really does a good job. Decent enough story too.

[Monty]

1 hour ago, SamJamIam said:

Surely that means Looper is the best sci fi movie because it is it's own sequel forever and ever (..and ever...)

But generally sequels are made because movies either 1) make box office money or 2) develop a considerable cult following.

Pitch Black certainly doesn't fit under the first category.  Plus if you've not yet seen Chronicles of Riddick, I'd get on that. It's got frickin Judy Dench.

I have heard that CoR is quite decent.

Watched the last one a few months ago, though. Ugh.

[riffraff]

Nightcrawler 6.8/10

 

it kept popping up on me on Netflix so I finally watched it.  It was actually better than I thought it would be and seemed to get more entertaining as it went on.

 

jake gyllenhal succeeded in portraying the greasiest of smart but creepy gutter snipes.  So much so that I doubt if I had the opportunity in real life I would hang with him. Those buggy eyes, sloped shoulders and......ugh yeah. Would get on my nerves.  I dunno maybe he's a total stud.