The Movie Thread v. Return of the Jedi

[WDADU]

Saw Ghostbusters in theatre ofver the weekend. It's one of my favourite films of all-time, so I had to see it. Definitely one of the best theatre experiences I've had. Like watching the movie for the first time.

[Accelerando]

Watched Godzilla for the second time. Fockin' perfect Godzilla flick, and better than what I'd originally imagined. I loved the back and forth between the humans and monsters and that ending sequence made up for just showing the monsters in bits and pieces throughout. I hope the next movie will focus a little bit more though on the aspect of the monsters. KING GHIDORAH FTW. God I hope they include him even if its not the next one. They'd fuck the Earth up SO BADLY!!

I loved the slow burn to the reveal of Godzilla. Other than the original 1954 film, It actually reminded me a bit of Jaws, where you were made to wait a bit, building a genuine sense of tension.

HOW BOUT THAT FINAL KILL 

I would love a DESTROY ALL MONSTERS film, but maybe it's too early in this franchise for that 

[hefdaddy42]

Just finished The World's End.

lol

[Zantera]

I saw the new Jon Favreau movie, Chef. It was really nice. I wasn't blown away or anything, but it was a nice feel good movie, slightly predictable but gave you a warm little feeling in your heart. I suggest you eat something when you watch it though, otherwise it will have you running to the kitchen. 

[jammindude]

I saw the new Jon Favreau movie, Chef. It was really nice. I wasn't blown away or anything, but it was a nice feel good movie, slightly predictable but gave you a warm little feeling in your heart. I suggest you eat something when you watch it though, otherwise it will have you running to the kitchen. 

I'll never look at corn starch the same way ever again. 

[hefdaddy42]

Watched Bears with the family. Very cute, and very entertaining.

[Zantera]

Movie recommendation time! Don't think I have seen this movie mentioned here, but I just saw it, really liked it and I think some of you might like it as well.

So the movie I'm talking about is called Dark City, and it's a 1998 neo-noir science fiction film, directed by Alex Proyas (who made The Crow) and is also co-written by David Goyer (who co-wrote the Nolan Batman-movies). The main character is played by a guy I didn't quite know before, Rufus Sewell, but he is surrounded by a couple of familiar faces in Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt and Kiefer Sutherland.

It's a very dark movie, and I would say it shares a lot of similarities with The Matrix, in fact the cinematography is very similar, and both movies were shot using some of the same sets (The Matrix came out a year later) and they both deal with similar topics, like what is real/what is just an illusion and so on. The story in itself sounds simplistic and like it has been done a million times before, but in the context of the movie it works. The main character wakes up with no memory in a hotel room with a dead prostitute. He's being chased by shadowy men in a city that's always dark and never has any daylight, while he's trying to figure out who he is and what's happening.

I would say it's a very bizarre and mindfuck kind of movie, but we're not talking David Lynch levels of mindfuck. Again, I think comparing it to The Matrix is fair. Both are easy to "understand", but you get a lot of levels of ideas/topics that you can discuss or think about afterwards, a lot to analyze. Christopher Nolan even said Inception was partly influenced by it, it has a 7.8 on IMDB and Roger Ebert named it his favorite movie of 1998 when it came out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_City_%281998_film%29
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118929/

Maybe some of you have already seen it or something, but if not, I highly recommend it. It was quite fascinating and pulled me in right away.

[bout to crash]

Dark City is awesome! Saw it a couple years ago for the first time.

Bout to watch Bottle Rocket, another "oldie" that I haven't gotten around to yet.

[King Postwhore]

Dark City is awesome.  There is something about Rufus Sewell that even if he's good or bad, he creeps you the fuck out.  I like a ton of characters he'd played.

[Orbert]

Another thumbs up for Dark City.  Great movie.  Lots to think about.

[bout to crash]

Bottle Rocket was a lot of fun. It was interesting to see how Wes Anderson and those Wilson boys started out. Wes's style has definitely changed a bit over the years but not his ability to create awesomely weird characters. Even if they're total losers and/or assholes, you can't help but adore them. Owen Wilson can be a little much for me sometimes, but this is a reminder of how truly charming and ridiculous he can be.

[Mister Gold]

This may sound blasphemous, but I finally watched Taxi Driver for the first time last night. Incredible movie.

[BlackInk]

Saw How to Train Your Dragon 2. Great movie, some of the most amazing animation I've seen.

Also caught the Rover. Guy Pierce was really awesome, and even Robert Pattinson did a great job. Not sure about whether I liked the ending though, I'll have to sleep on it. (and by that I mean the very ending, I loved the "climax" parts before that)

[Kotowboy]

This may sound blasphemous, but I finally watched Taxi Driver for the first time last night. Incredible movie.

Meh. I've never seen it. I try to make a point of not seeing "classic" movies. Because if you don't enjoy it - people act like there's something wrong with you instead of accepting that you didn't enjoy it.

[TioJorge]

That...I think, is perhaps the most inane reason in the omniverse to not see a movie.  That makes zero sense to me but hey, to each their own; that's a whole other level of shit giving I could never achieve.

On that same token, I watched Captain America 2 the other night with some friends and was the only one (in the world, apparently) who thought it was disgustingly predictable, had pretty flat characters, and was until the ending sequence, kind of boring. Action packed, but the action itself was boring to me; I was never all that invested in Captain America, and haven't really liked him as a character (SURPRISE, CAUSE I'M SO PATRIOTIC) but I thought I'd like this one because of The Winter Soldier. Alas, he was a drama queen. Just about the only aspect that I really did like was Robert Redford and I'm completely biased on that front because he was my first favorite actor growing up and is still one of my favorites. I just didn't like it nearly as much as any other Marvel movie; I didn't think it was a bad movie per se but for what I had heard and was expecting given the Phase 2 giddiness...I was disappointed and yawning when it ended.

[Kotowboy]

Let me see a movie because I want to see it. Because I saw the trailer and it intrigued me. Because I like the actor or the director involved.

NOT because 10 film critics all said it was amazing. That's not gonna sway me one fucking iota.

I've seen plenty of " FILMS YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU FUCKING DIE " that i've absolutely HATED...

[TioJorge]

Ahhh, I gotcha. I was of the mind that you'd purposefully not see a movie simply because you'd get shit for it if you disagree with the masses, even if you were interested in it. I'd still personally say you're doing yourself a disservice since you'll never really know until you see it, but I suppose if the material covered/general topic of the movie isn't interesting to you, it doesn't matter whether it's universally praised or not. I know how that is, I still haven't seen Black Hawk Down simply because not only am I tired as hell of war movies but my entire male (and one female) family is either Army or Marine (or ex-) and I've heard plenty of eyewitness accounts and actual stories without Hollywood bullshit thrown in to know the movie would only annoy me (again, a bit of a disservice because maybe I'd love it because I've heard so much; doubtful but maybe). The hundreds of glowing, amazing reviews didn't do jack to sway me. So in that light I concur! 

P.S. Despite the fact that I couldn't care less about post count, this is the first time I've actually noticed I lost some because I recently hit 5000. Innnnteresting *cries in corner*.

[Zantera]

Shouldn't the fact that a lot of other people loved it give you some more interest in the movie though? There has been several times for me where I wasn't too interested or had any plans on watching a film, but after hearing great feedback I changed my mind, and ended up really liking it. Sometimes the best movies are the ones where you have no interest in it beforehand, but it manages to suck you in anyways.

With that said, there are still certain types of movies I struggle with. 3 hour dramas is a good example. Unless the topic/setting is extremely appealing, or it stars several favorite actors of mine, it's not just something I can sit down and watch. I think a movie like Lincoln for example, is a movie I will never watch. Sadly, many movies with Daniel Day Lewis falls under that category. The little I have seen from him, he is brilliant no doubt. But most of his movies (at least the most recent ones) are 2 ½ - 3 hour drama films in a setting that I don't necessarily find appealing. Now, I could probably force myself through 3 hours and end up loving it, but with many movies I need that initial spark that gets me pumped to watch it.

[King Postwhore]

I know this isn't always true but it's always been a good guideline for movies.

If a lot of movie goers and critics like it----It's probably good.

If the is a mixed bag on a movie from both fans and critics --- I still will see it to make my own judgement.

If it's panned buy both -- I probably won't like it.

[Kotowboy]

But as we've discussed on this board at length - critics and film fans all hate Avatar - yet Chino and I loved it immensely.

There's no such thing as a "wrong" opinion.

Of course a film getting a shit ton of praise will pique my interest but If I then hate that movie - I'll have no problem saying so.

[King Postwhore]

I don't think that all critics and fan's hated Avatar.  The internet did.

It was good but not up to the standards that James Cameron set.

[Kotowboy]

My point is that just because something is hated/loved does not mean i'll automatically hate/love it.

[TioJorge]

Shouldn't the fact that a lot of other people loved it give you some more interest in the movie though? There has been several times for me where I wasn't too interested or had any plans on watching a film, but after hearing great feedback I changed my mind, and ended up really liking it. Sometimes the best movies are the ones where you have no interest in it beforehand, but it manages to suck you in anyways.

With that said, there are still certain types of movies I struggle with. 3 hour dramas is a good example. Unless the topic/setting is extremely appealing, or it stars several favorite actors of mine, it's not just something I can sit down and watch. I think a movie like Lincoln for example, is a movie I will never watch. Sadly, many movies with Daniel Day Lewis falls under that category. The little I have seen from him, he is brilliant no doubt. But most of his movies (at least the most recent ones) are 2 ½ - 3 hour drama films in a setting that I don't necessarily find appealing. Now, I could probably force myself through 3 hours and end up loving it, but with many movies I need that initial spark that gets me pumped to watch it.

I mean, if I have a vested interest in the general subject of the movie, if the premise intrigues me then sure, good reviews will definitely spur that interest further. But with a movie like Black Hawk Down, for me, everyone telling me to watch it and how amazing it is...is just annoying; I've got no motivation to watch it and no interest in the material, even if it is an amazing movie, unless I'm locked in a room with the film then I'm not gonna watch it even if it is the most renowned war movie. Especially with the techno-domination (new form of porn) these days, I have so many movies/shows to watch that I'm interested in (which is really the main bullet point for me).

I do agree on the topic of going into a movie with no interest or knowledge whatsoever and how awesome it is when you end up loving it; but that, for me at least, is extremely rare (especially with the aforementioned technology saturation) and unrealistic when speaking of movies in general. But yeah that happened to me with Coherence and it's now one of my favorite movies of all the timelines. It'd also more than likely have a horrible success/fail ratio for me considering my opinions and likes when it comes to film; I'm pretty sure I'd hate the majority and mostly waste my time. 

[King Postwhore]

I think that's where the middle ground I posted about.  Opinions are always so strong but truly bad movies are just bad and the average ones are the ones you and I are talking about.  We form out own opinion on them.  I agree with you.

Hey!  Sometimes I want to see dumb. brainless movies that people shit on because I am just in the mood for it at that time.

[TioJorge]

Exactlys. 

Hellz yes to that last sentiment, I wouldn't have my immense love for The Room if it weren't for the 100% negative reviews.






(I almost immediately regretted even mentioning that movie for fear of starting a fire)

[Kotowboy]

Sometimes I want to see dumb. brainless movies that people shit on because I am just in the mood for it at that time.

My brother and I went to see the Total Recall remake, Die Hard 5 and Robocop 2014 expecting them to be shitty and make fun of them.

We were right about TR and DH5 but Robocop 2014 was a lot of fun.

[Zantera]

Avatar hated? It has 7.9 on IMDB. 83 on metacritic and rotten tomatoes. Avatar is just one of those movies where the flaws are very clear and easy to pick apart, and that's why a lot of people dissect it on the internet and the reason we've gotten so many memes. I believe it won 3 academy awards and was nominated for nine, so overall the response/reception was really good. It's the highest grossing movie of all time, and that should say something. I know that a popular movie isn't necessarily a good movie, you have the Transformers-franchise to prove that, but Avatar was straight out of the blue, something new James Cameron created, so it being so popular says a lot about how well it was received. With Transformers, you have an established franchise and people who are fans of the franchise will watch those movies no matter what. With Avatar they kept coming back.

But Avatar aside, I think King brings up a great point. A movie that's universally loved is probably a good movie, a movie that's universally panned is probably not a good movie. These are of course subjective, but it's guide lines you can start from. I don't always agree with the popular opinion, but I'd much rather see a universally loved movie with 8.5 on IMDB than a panned movie with a 4.5. I think odds are I will enjoy the first one, even if it's not carved in stone. Movies with mixed reception is where it gets trickier. They might really appeal to you if you are into the subject matter, but might bore you to death otherwise.

[King Postwhore]

I look at National Treasure 1 & 2 as dumb fun.  Funny though, I've cut out that in going to the movies and only when I watch on HBO for example.  To expensive these days to blob good money on crappy films.

[Kotowboy]

I think people online magnify flaws as huge problems which cannot be overlooked.

When I go to the cinema - It costs about £10 - £15 a time - so I want to be entertained first and foremost.

If a film is exciting and enjoyable then I can overlook the flaws.

A lot of "internet critics" are the other way around - if a film has a "plot hole!!!!" then they can't enjoy it at all.

[Mister Gold]

This may sound blasphemous, but I finally watched Taxi Driver for the first time last night. Incredible movie.

Meh. I've never seen it. I try to make a point of not seeing "classic" movies. Because if you don't enjoy it - people act like there's something wrong with you instead of accepting that you didn't enjoy it.

See, that's fine and all, but I think it's a disservice to yourself to deliberately not watch a movie that happens to have a reputation for being a 'classic.' Because yeah, inevitably, we all have our own opinions. I for example think that Brazil is a complete mess because of its pointless endings, 2001: A Space Odyssey is a bunch of awesome philosophical short films that are sewn together but don't quite fit together and Citizen Kane is one of the most insanely overrated movies ever made and is relatively simple in comparison to quite a few other more masterful cinematic works.

But the important thing is that I don't say "Brazil sucks ass" or the like, I actually criticize the film in question. I can recognize its positive features, but also call it out on its weaknesses too. So if someone asks me, "How can you not like this film," I can actually give them a legitimate answer.

[Kotowboy]

" How have you not seen [insert movie here] ??!!! "

" Because I haven't got time to watch every movie in existence ? "

 

[masterthes]

Personally never saw the first National Treasure as dumb fun. I think it's a legitimately good movie. The second one, yes

[bout to crash]

I know that hype can kill a lot of movies because it certainly has for me, but I'd never NOT see something people considered classic just because I might disagree with that opinion. There are classics I've never seen simply because the topics don't interest me, but there are also a lot of them that sound cool to me, regardless of how other people feel about them, so I'll eventually see them. If I end up not liking them, whatever. But I also may end up loving them.
I guess the bottom line is I don't feel like I HAVE to see anything that's considered a classic, but I just thinking "making a point" to not see certain films because they're considered classics is kind of lame.

[bout to crash]

" How have you not seen [insert movie here] ??!!! "

" Because I haven't got time to watch every movie in existence ? "

 

Well of course- it drives me crazy when people say that, too. But that's not the same as saying you've made a point not to watch it.

[Zantera]

The thing with movies is that your first impression isn't always necessarily what sticks around. I've gone out of cinemas and felt happy with the movie, but after thinking more about it, realizing that maybe it wasn't so good. Enjoyment and having a good time is the most important with cinema, and some movies trick you. In the same way I've seen movies, been happy at first but then grown to dislike a movie more, I've also seen movies that I didn't love initially, but after thinking a lot about them, I re-watched them and ended up liking them.

Prometheus is a good example of this for me. I walked out of the cinema happy after seeing that movie. Visually it was stunning, a great "spectacle" kind of movie, and while it wasn't Alien or Aliens, I was happy with the money I spent. After a couple of days of thinking about the movie and reading some points other people pointed out, I realized that it wasn't as good as I initially thought. There's a lot of stuff you can miss on a first viewing.