Last movie you saw?

[Adami]

Watched Some Kind of Monster, the Metallica documentary after a very long time. I think I'm watching it after at least 10 years. Very well made and never felt long even with the 2hr 20 mins run time. It was interesting to revisit the band's mindset right after Jason left and all the uncertainty surrounding them at the time. The therapist definitely seems like an odd presence for a band this big and the band themselves seem to be 50/50 about it. In hindsight I'd love to know what the band think now of the therapist's usage at the time. It seemed like James was really the one who needed help the most with not having a father figure in his own life and all the personal shit he was going through at the time.

Dude made 40,000 dollars a month giving Metallica therapy.

Career goals.

[faizoff]

I'm sure, though not shown in the movie, it was Metallica's management that insisted a therapist be hired to try and sort out their issues. Don't know who ultimately footed the bill I'm guessing the band did.

[King Postwhore]

Of course the band did.  It's part of their budget with the record label.

[Orbert]

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Pretty fun time.  I like a good satire, although strictly speaking I'm not sure if this was satire or a just plain demented adaptation.  My wife will watch anything based on Jane Austin, my daughter heard it was funny, my son will watch anything with zombies, so I figured it was a good choice.

I'm not sure if it helped or hurt that I'm almost completely unfamiliar with the original story.  There were times when I said "This guy's a complete idiot" and both my wife and daughter said that he's exactly like that in the book.  Obviously the original doesn't have zombies in it, so I asked what all the soldiers are doing in the original, and they're just there.  There's always military dudes around for all the young ladies to fall in love with; these guys actually had a reason to be there, fighting the zombie apocalypse and all.

Also, since it's Jane Austin, lots of pretty young women in low-cut dresses, so ridiculous cleavage everywhere.  The girl who played Elizabeth was super hot.  "She's Cinderella!"  What?  The new live-action Cinderella from 2015.  Never seen it.  "She's in Downton Abbey."  Never seen that, either.  "Wrath of the Titans?"  Nope.  Look, I don't care what she's been in before, I just need to know her name so I can see if I can find pictures of her naked on the Internet later, okay?  I might not have said that last part out loud.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Just saw Passengers and I urge every sci-fi fan to not ignore this movie for the wrong reasons. I have a hunch that many may skip it just because Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt is in it or thinking it's to much of a love story or to much cheese or whatever. What i'm saying is that the movie is more than those things, it's actually a good sci-fi movie with lots of cool visuals. It's a well made sci-fi movie basically, with a love story that dosen't extend more than necessary and it makes sense given the circumstances.

Don't get wrong i'm not taking about a deep movie like Interstellar or The Martian but it's actually a pretty clever sci-fi movie compared to many others. The story is interesting with an interesting premise together with great visuals.

Not much for grading movies but 3/5 seems reasonable to me.

[Kotowboy]

WHIPLASH (2014)

Meh I just watched it. Everyone was a dick to everyone else. It was ok I guess ?

[Adami]

WHIPLASH (2014)

Meh I just watched it. Everyone was a dick to everyone else. It was ok I guess ?

Thank you!

[Kotowboy]

I was waiting for the Kevin Spacey in Swimming With Sharks moment where you find out that Fletcher had been abused himself or something.

Nope.

Just a total dick.

Also Neiman is a total dick to everyone. He turns into an arrogant arsehole literally overnight.

And everyone in the band is a dick.

MEH.

What's the lesson ? Be a prick to everyone and you'll achieve your dreams ?

[mikeyd23]

WHIPLASH (2014)

Meh I just watched it. Everyone was a dick to everyone else. It was ok I guess ?

Yeah, I had mixed feelings on this one... On the one hand it was about a topic that was really interesting (especially to me) and it was a really well-done film....But, I struggled to find any character in the film to actually root for. Weird.

[Tomislav95]

And that scene when he's hit by a truck but Fletcher doesn't care because he was late? Wtf?   

[Adami]

Yea, it's amazingly well directed/acted. It's just not a great story.

[Kotowboy]

Yea, it's amazingly well directed/acted. It's just not a great story.

Yeah JK Simmons acting is amazing. Especially since he seems the exact opposite in reality. But yeah there's really no protagonist. Everyone is an Antagonist

Andrew asks that girl out and like two scenes later he just dumps her.

I also don't get why he was suddenly a complete dick to everyone at the dinner table after getting the part. ( over confidence ? he was a dick in reality already ? Establish that... )

Also - when Fletcher found out that kid he bullied hanged himself - he had NO REMORSE.

( ok - he did cry in class when he told the students - but he knew it was because of him - and he didn't make any effort to change ).



Oh - he lost his job - boo hoo. He had NO COMEUPPANCE.

And at the end - he was finally impressed with Andrew. Whoop de do. Felt pretty pointless in a lot of ways.

[BlackInk]

I have basically never been as tense watching any movie ever as I was watching Whiplash. It's hard to explain since your points are all valid, everyone's a bit of a dick. But I love the movie to bits, it was such an interesting watch.

[Kotowboy]

I have basically never been as tense watching any movie ever as I was watching Whiplash. It's hard to explain since your points are all valid, everyone's a bit of a dick. But I love the movie to bits, it was such an interesting watch.

Yes. That scene when Fletcher is talking to Andrew outside the band room before his first audition. It's like "ok- he's obviously just pretending to be nice or getting some info about his home life

to throw back in his face later. " Then the rising tension as he gets more and more furious.

But as I said before - he has no comeuppance beyond just losing his job. I hate that.

If he is a convicted bully and one of his students had committed suicide and another was badly injured - he should be in prison.

[NoseofNicko]

I have basically never been as tense watching any movie ever as I was watching Whiplash. It's hard to explain since your points are all valid, everyone's a bit of a dick. But I love the movie to bits, it was such an interesting watch.

^This. It's actually one of my favorite movies.

[Kotowboy]

I'd like it a lot more if Andrew didn't turn into a selfish prick overnight and learned a lesson at the end.

But KB - his single-mindedness got him into a car accident and he nearly lost everything.

And BAM - as soon as an opportunity arises - he takes it instantly.

Why did he even go in that club ? If I saw who was performing - i'd have avoided like the plague.

Also - Fletcher was an absolute monster who never got what he deserved.

At the end - was that supposed to represent Fletcher finally seeing Andrew at his full potential ?

If so - so what ? The end 100% did not justify the means. As I said - he should have lost a lot more than just his job.


--------

The moral seems to be - if you want something badly enough - fuck everyone else and you'll get it if you nearly die for it. And if you 're a total c*nt - you'll get no comeuppance

or learn any valuable life lessons.

[BlackInk]

I just see it as a really interesting character study of how far some people will go to achieve "greatness" in their field.

[Kotowboy]

I just see it as a really interesting character study of how far some people will go to achieve "greatness" in their field.

There is that. It explains Andrew. But not how Fletcher can do what he does without getting any penalty.

[KevShmev]

I caught The Secret of My Success on cable recently I hadn't seen that movie in forever.   I was a big fan of it back in the day, but it has not aged well. 

Full disclosure: 1987 was when my family first got some of the cable movie channels, and I remember watching a lot of Dragnet, Summer School and The Secret of My Success, three movies that came out in 1987 and were on cable all the time.  Dragnet has probably aged the best of the three.

[Phoenix87x]

I love when Michael J. fox has the conductor baton and is conducting the people in the other apartment having loud, obnoxious sex 

[Orbert]

That's a great scene.  He knows exactly how it plays out, every time!  Popping the can open at the climax is awesome.

Also, Helen Slater looks the best she's ever looked in that movie.  She was hot.

[T-ski]

I caught The Secret of My Success on cable recently I hadn't seen that movie in forever.   I was a big fan of it back in the day, but it has not aged well. 

Full disclosure: 1987 was when my family first got some of the cable movie channels, and I remember watching a lot of Dragnet, Summer School and The Secret of My Success, three movies that came out in 1987 and were on cable all the time.  Dragnet has probably aged the best of the three.

I must have watched this one at least once a day back then.  Kirstie Alley was hot back then.

[rung]

PASSENGERS - Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence are wonderful and share decent chemistry

[Jaffa]

Yea, it's amazingly well directed/acted. It's just not a great story.

Yeah JK Simmons acting is amazing. Especially since he seems the exact opposite in reality. But yeah there's really no protagonist. Everyone is an Antagonist

Andrew asks that girl out and like two scenes later he just dumps her.

I also don't get why he was suddenly a complete dick to everyone at the dinner table after getting the part. ( over confidence ? he was a dick in reality already ? Establish that... )

Also - when Fletcher found out that kid he bullied hanged himself - he had NO REMORSE.

( ok - he did cry in class when he told the students - but he knew it was because of him - and he didn't make any effort to change ).



Oh - he lost his job - boo hoo. He had NO COMEUPPANCE.

And at the end - he was finally impressed with Andrew. Whoop de do. Felt pretty pointless in a lot of ways.

These are all perfectly valid points.  I would include all of these points on a list of reasons why I loved this movie so much.

I like that we don't get a protagonist.  One of the most important themes of this movie was that the music was bigger than any of their emotions or social conventions.  These characters really didn't care about any of those things.  They were aiming for greatness, and they were willing to sacrifice just about anything along the way to pursuing it.  That is absolutely central to what made this movie so tense and fascinating for me - I desperately wanted to know how far these characters would go and how far they would be pushed, yet at the same time I was afraid to find out, because they were going to some pretty dark places.

In fact, I'll actually argue that Fletcher was even more of an asshole than you thought.  You mentioned that he might have shown a little remorse by crying in class.  I'm not sure that was remorse.  With my understanding of Fletcher and his character, I feel like  he was probably less upset about the lost life than he was about the wasted musical potential.  Because life doesn't seem to matter to him, and people don't seem to matter to him.  The music is all that counts. 

And that makes him a dick.  Maybe it even makes him a monster.  I like that the movie didn't shy away from that.  Sometimes people are assholes and they get away with it.

Sure, there was a part of me that wanted an emotional payoff.  I wanted to see Fletcher either get what was coming to him or have a change of heart and become a better person.  But I liked that the movie denied me that emotional payoff.  I like that the movie kept the music front and center right up until the end, refusing to relieve any of the tension or settle any of the conflicts. 

(For the record, this post isn't meant to be argumentative.  I just love Whiplash and wanted to talk about it a little bit.  We obviously have different opinions, but that's cool!  )

[KevShmev]

I love when Michael J. fox has the conductor baton and is conducting the people in the other apartment having loud, obnoxious sex 

That's a great scene.  He knows exactly how it plays out, every time!  Popping the can open at the climax is awesome.

I think the funniest part of that whole scene is when they are still going at it when he has the pillow over his face and he does the conductor with his hands with his face sill unseen under the pillow. 

Also, Helen Slater looks the best she's ever looked in that movie.  She was hot.

I would say she was more cute than hot.  Her cuteness made up for her being a terrible actress.  Her delivery is so laughably bad sometimes.

Summer School

I must have watched this one at least once a day back then.  Kirstie Alley was hot back then.

Yep, that was probably as attractive as she's ever been.

[NoseofNicko]

Got the Hellraiser Scarlet Box today, so...

Hellraiser (1987):

Fab. Great gore and special effects and the scenes with the cenobites are chilling. 8/10

Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988):

Fab. Again great gore and special effects and a lot of really cool dark creepy imagery. Some things don't make much sense and the last scene sucks, but I don't care. 8/10

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992):

Not so fab. Pretty entertaining with some decent gore, but Pinhead is nothing like in the first 2. They turned him into a Freddy Krueger-like villain. Lame. Generous 6/10

[hefdaddy42]

I agree with Jaffa about Whiplash.  I like that it didn't turn out how you might want or expect, and just showed them at their worst in pursuance of greatness.

[Kotowboy]

I agree with Jaffa about Whiplash.  I like that it didn't turn out how you might want or expect, and just showed them at their worst in pursuance of greatness.

It more than succeeded in that regard. But i'd love it if Andrew actually beat the shit out of him at the end

[hefdaddy42]

Monday afternoon, I caught Star Wars: Rogue One, and it was awesome, but there's an entire thread for that.

Monday night we saw Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.  I am of two minds about this film.  On the one hand, it seemed to be marketed as another Tina Fey comedy (even down to the title), which is why I wanted to watch it.  In that regard, it was a total failure, because that's not what it was at all.  It was actually a drama, with some Tina Fey one-liners sprinkled throughout, but definitely not really a comedy.

On the other hand, the film that it actually was is not bad, if I'm being honest.  Fairly well written, well directed, well acted.  But I'm not sure that I would have watched the film that it WAS if I didn't go in thinking it would be the film that it WASN'T.

So, it was good, but I feel betrayed by it.

[Adami]

Monday afternoon, I caught Star Wars: Rogue One, and it was awesome, but there's an entire thread for that.

Monday night we saw Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.  I am of two minds about this film.  On the one hand, it seemed to be marketed as another Tina Fey comedy (even down to the title), which is why I wanted to watch it.  In that regard, it was a total failure, because that's not what it was at all.  It was actually a drama, with some Tina Fey one-liners sprinkled throughout, but definitely not really a comedy.

On the other hand, the film that it actually was is not bad, if I'm being honest.  Fairly well written, well directed, well acted.  But I'm not sure that I would have watched the film that it WAS if I didn't go in thinking it would be the film that it WASN'T.

So, it was good, but I feel betrayed by it.

I think it wasn't 100%  sure what it wanted to be either. It would have really succeeded as a drama if it went full into that. But it kept going back to random comedy moments that took me out. The politician guy constantly hitting on Tina Fey and doing a silly dance just killed the serious dramatic mood it had going for it.

[hefdaddy42]

Also, Alfred Molina is not an Afhgani in any way.  Tremendous actor, but not sure why they had to whitewash that particular role.

Yeah, I liked that film AND I hated it.

[Lepprador]

Last night I saw Star Trek Beyond for the first time. It looks fantastic, but somehow it was quite boring. How do you guys rate it ?

Thanks MrBoom_shack-a-lack. Without your post I'd skip the movie.
Oh, and if Interstellar and The Martian are deep movies, I don't like deep movies. The only deep I can see in them, is when....

[BlobVanDam]

I haven't seen Interstellar (and have no intention to), but The Martian is not a deep movie. It's just science fiction that relies more on actual science fiction than explosions and action.

[ReaperKK]

I thought The Martian was good, nothing memorable, just a good movie.

I think Interstellar is probably least favorite of the Nolan movies, it's enjoyable but that's about it .

[faizoff]

Interstellar is a movie that's trying to pass off as being deep and profound when it actually isn't. It's worth watching for the space visuals. Probably some of the most cinematic sequences you'll ever see. Storywise it's very iffy and somewhat shaky but I'd say it's worth a watch. For me it's the dialogue that's very contrived and often meandering.

Dracula Untold. Meh, it could've been better I suppose but overall didn't care much for it.