08-07-2022, 12:08 PM | #14041 |
Higher. Further. Faster.
Posts: 20,921
|
This post is sponsored by the Sedgewick Hotel
Prey: 2 1/2 stars out of 4.
I mean, extra points for a lot of new things they want to try out, even with the "new" look for the Predator but it relies on the formula without putting enough of a unique spin on it. There's more humanity to it as opposed to just pure macho all the time but they could've handled the female lead angle better. The effects are a bit wonky at times. Also, it doesn't really end so much as it just stops. I don't know, for every positive thing there's an awkward thing that stops it from gaining a lot of traction. I think it's going to be one of those films that's divisive. |
08-07-2022, 12:25 PM | #14042 |
World Class References
Posts: 30,773
|
It made Native American men look pretty awful, both physically and by virtue of their atrocious actions.
Also here’s a niggle…flint tools would not survive repeated use, especially the way in which the lead uses them. Flinging a flint axe around is only going to break it. |
08-08-2022, 04:55 PM | #14043 |
World Class References
Posts: 30,773
|
I’ve decided to start a low budget franchise review only I’m starting from the last film and going backwards. Whatever I miss in continuity will be made up for in lack of continuity because as far as I can see the only constant is the lead, and he jumps from support to starring role once these bad boys go straight to VHS.
I chose “Relentless” a series of detective/police thrillers starring Leo Rossi in what must be his only shot at leading a film. He’s commonly known as the most enthusiastic bar patron in the bar scene in Jodie Foster’s semenal classic “The Accused”. He really gave that role an identity beyond “Guy that cheers on rapists”. Let’s see how he does with a serial killer. He’s fat now but no less enthusiastic hopefully. |
08-10-2022, 05:34 PM | #14044 |
World Class References
Posts: 30,773
|
https://www6.f2movies.to/movie/chiefs-68291
For Triple A, Ossman, Slik and anyone else that finds abject history amusing in a gross sort of way. It’s a 19 minute long documentary on a police convention in Hawaii. Lots of interesting looking middle aged men in 1968. Men who lived through multiple wars and came home disappointed that they can’t just blow all of their problems to bits like they used to. Did u no in 1968 all cops were white and looked like our fathers do now. |
08-10-2022, 05:38 PM | #14045 |
World Class References
Posts: 30,773
|
I want to know what I’d look like if I was 35 in 1968… I look pretty young, I can’t imagine a diet of boiled meats, liquor and cigarettes set to a backdrop of almost perpetual war would do me any good.
Hopefully I wouldn’t be one of them with an eyepatch, they were thick on the ground for a couple of decades. The ones with stumps were probably just industrial accidents. No respect. |
08-13-2022, 09:58 PM | #14047 |
World Class References
Posts: 30,773
|
Did you at any point get grossed out by the bodies of the men?
There was no muscle anywhere… I felt victimised. |
08-13-2022, 11:41 PM | #14048 |
Large Marge sent me
Posts: 32,301
|
Nah. Didn't even notice. Maybe because I was spacing out whenever the Predator wasn't there.
|
08-14-2022, 08:17 AM | #14049 |
World Class References
Posts: 30,773
|
Watch it again and body shame the natives, it is what we exist for.
|
08-15-2022, 10:36 PM | #14050 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,215
|
The Gray Man - 7/10
I put off watching this thinking Ryan Gosling, who's a great actor mind you, just didnt work as a lead in an action flick. Most times that would probably be right but the Russo Brothers put together a very good action film here. Its not just Gosling thats good here though Jessica Henwick, Billy Bob Thorton and Julia Butters all have a pretty good showing here despite this not being an "actors movie." This film doesnt rely on characters or dialog as its an action film and its not ashamed of that. That is of course with the exception of Chris Evans. His character is the only character in the film really but even still he's really excellent and his villian is up there with a lot of classic action villains. It should prove to be a very memorable role. The action is very solid to good thoughout and the scenes are largely practical save a few key moments (one ill touch on in a bit.) The do a realy good job not over cutting and still keeping the pace up. The plane scene however is a visual mess both from the CG and the cinematography. Really poor sequence. But the film makes up for it in big ways. The climactic fight is legitimately one of the best climaxes to an action film in at least 20 years. All in all if you're in the mood for an action flick and youve got 2 hours give it a watch. It leans into tropes and it doesnt apologize for it. Last edited by Destor; 08-16-2022 at 01:24 PM. |
08-16-2022, 04:17 PM | #14051 |
TPWW Fire Pro Champ
Posts: 33,998
|
Bullet Train - 3.25/5
Fun comedy action flick. Cameos galore. Some unnecessary. |
08-16-2022, 09:03 PM | #14052 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,215
|
Molly's Game - 9/10
Im struggling not giving this a 10. I tend to feel that a 10 is either a film that fundamentally changes the way you think or dramatically influences in a permanent way or it pushes a genre so far forward that everything that follows will have to take it into account in perpetuity and this i dont think reaches that height...but its as close to a 10 as a 9 could hope to be. Aaron Sorkin has always been a writer the writes how i think. Fast and as precise as he can muster. As a director he's just as lean. There's not a second of this film that I'd say needed to be edited down. Also Kevin Costner and Iris Elba give unforgettable performances. Outstanding film. |
08-17-2022, 02:04 PM | #14053 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,215
|
The Northman - 7/10
Fine revenge film. I had a good time. I find Anya-Taylor Joy mesmerizing. The film falters in the action. Particularly the larger scale scenes. Its well shot. Tons of great oners. The issue is the choreography itself. Stunt men waiting on their marks to be hit. Not put together very well. Its solid though. Id watch it again after a few years for sure. |
08-17-2022, 05:59 PM | #14054 |
Posts: 10,642
|
I think that’s the most spot on review of the Northman I’ve read.
|
08-19-2022, 04:15 PM | #14055 |
The Classic Dylan Staples
Posts: 51,194
|
Slumdog Millionaire
Good storytelling. Clever framing around the game show... the bollywood dance at the end was really stupid |
08-19-2022, 04:49 PM | #14056 |
is brat
Posts: 88,143
|
No besmirching the musical number at the end please
|
08-19-2022, 09:31 PM | #14057 |
The Classic Dylan Staples
Posts: 51,194
|
Palm Springs
Pretty good for a romm comm... Lonely Island guys have matured slightly. Very much a hulu movie |
08-19-2022, 11:34 PM | #14058 |
2 Dicks out for Trips
Posts: 17,196
|
|
08-24-2022, 12:02 AM | #14059 |
Prince Of The Forum
Posts: 3,548
|
Made my girlfriend watch Inside Out for the first time. I know all the sad parts are coming but I still got teary eye as fuck.
|
08-24-2022, 12:03 AM | #14060 |
It's all Bullshit
Posts: 6,924
|
Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance
3.5/5 |
08-24-2022, 01:22 AM | #14061 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,215
|
My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission -7/10
The first 2 MHA films were generic and soulless. This marks the first good MHA film. The series is an easy 10 but the films have 5s at best. Its because of one central failure: the films have been typical shonen and MHA goes far far beyond Shonen. Standard Shonen is most typically represented in franchises like Dragon Ball and One Piece. They portray heroism as power. Goku becomes a better hero, and saves the day, by finding new skills that allow him to overcome his adversaries by force. MHA challenges the Shonen tropes at their core and instead says power is not what heroism is. It is instead more akin to reciprocity. Selflessness. Sacrifice. Determination. Compassion. Relentless desire to achieve a goal not for yourself or your loved ones but for all. Because. Simply because. Because right and wrong exist and so does good and evil and I've chosen a side. This is illustrated in many ways throughout the run of the series but no more clearly than the iconic chracter All Might, the single best representation of a hero since Superman. All Might is, like the name suggest, mighty. And beyond all. His powers are all brawn all the time. But that has nothing to do with what makes him the greatest Hero in over 7 decades. His herodom comes in the form of inspiration. Through his will and endless fighting spirit he inspires others to be better. The previous films were Shonen. This film finally taps in the soul of what a MHA story is made of and for the first time delivers something that resembles the high notes of what is the best ongoing anime today and what will hopefully end up being the best "shonen" ever made. Is it as good as the shows highs? No. Not at all. But it holds it's head high all the same. The animation deserves criticism here though. Its an industry standard now by mapping traditionally animated 2D characters onto digital 3d background and it is excessively done here; several sequences are very ugly to look at. 2 scenes they digital camera work is particularly awful. The 2 in particular being some of the most difficult to follow sequences ive ever seen. The action in these films always seems pointless because theyre noncanon and we know everyone established is safe leaving the fight scenes that arent integral to the climax feeling pointless at best. All in all though i think this film has a ton of heart and the new character really had an outstanding arc, im very happy it finally released physically after nearly a year of waiting. This feels like a perfect time to post my sig Last edited by Destor; 08-24-2022 at 01:27 AM. |
08-24-2022, 02:19 AM | #14062 |
Prince Of The Forum
Posts: 3,548
|
I was actually under the impression the mha movies were canon.
|
08-24-2022, 02:26 AM | #14063 | |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,215
|
Quote:
In the 2nd film Baukkugo and Deku lose all memory of the events so the joining with one another so it has 0 value. The 3rd film happens mostly out of Japan and nothing about it adds to any greater arc or is left unresolved. So effectively it never happened. And thats the deal. Even the 1st film beyond getting set up mid season, inside a single self contained ep that could easily be called filler and simply not watched, the films dont add anything. They "happened" but since what happens doesnt matter they essentially never happened at all. Its cannon in name only. Last edited by Destor; 08-24-2022 at 02:36 AM. |
|
08-24-2022, 02:30 AM | #14064 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,215
|
And once we the audience recognize this we then know that at the end of the film everything will be left as we entered like a procedural anthology series so there's no tension in anything beyond the new characters. No characters are going to die for example. So the fights have no drama.
|
08-24-2022, 02:33 AM | #14065 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,215
|
And tbh id prefer the films not be canonical. Just focus on where the drama does exist instead of "well we gotta shine up our main trio so lets get a B and C fight going to give them something to do."
|
08-24-2022, 02:41 AM | #14066 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,215
|
Just give Todoroki and Baukkugo something interesting to do inside the central conflict instead of out of it. Even if its inside the central theming and not the central fight. Run your B and C fights but use them to explore the main theme as a juxtaposition. What they've repeatedly done is literally just throwaway fights void of any narrative. Fights for fights sake.
|
08-24-2022, 09:15 AM | #14067 |
World Class References
Posts: 30,773
|
|
08-24-2022, 09:36 AM | #14068 | |
In His hands...
Posts: 25,281
|
Quote:
I definitely don't get into shows/movies to this level, but often enjoy reading your in-depth reviews. This one is spot freakin on. I didn't understand the hype around "another anime show" until I started watching with my son. This is one of the best series I've watched in AGES. I've finished the series before my son did, hehe. I was big into Ghost In The Shell and Stand Alone Complex (I know, low bar of entry, blah blah blah). Enjoyed the series MUCH more than the movies. The Laughing Man, The Individual Eleven and Hideo Kuze..... god damn those are some great stories. Got sidetracked...... kinda wanna go watch SAC or 2nd Gig now. |
|
08-24-2022, 10:04 AM | #14069 | |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,215
|
Quote:
And the low barrier shows are the place to start imo. Theyre popular for a reason.GitS is a classic. |
|
08-24-2022, 10:29 AM | #14070 |
It's all Bullshit
Posts: 6,924
|
|
08-24-2022, 10:35 AM | #14071 | |
In His hands...
Posts: 25,281
|
Quote:
My senior year in high school a friend brought in a VHS of Ninja Scroll. I had never watched it nor knew anything about it. My Econ teacher was truly a moron, and I'm not trying to be disparaging at all, she really was not "all there". FFS, we played a "stock market" game and she called Boeing, Boing. Like the god damn cartoon noise.... Anyway, she had no plans, so I popped that movie in and the whole class watched. The scrambling when the nudity hit was hilarious. The teacher tried to get to the tv, but of course we were all yelling and cheering and being teenage twats, so she couldn't. I was lucky I didn't get suspended for showing "porn" to the entire class. If that shit happened in a class today, I don't wanna think about it... |
|
08-24-2022, 10:39 AM | #14072 |
In His hands...
Posts: 25,281
|
FUck yeah, memory unlocked!!
Violence Jack. I remember my local Blockbuster (lmfao) started getting a small anime section. I rented all of the Violence Jack ones they had and holy shit batman....... Vampire Hunter D - I remember that one too, now. |
08-26-2022, 11:49 PM | #14073 |
World Class References
Posts: 30,773
|
You are an odd wee fella
|
08-27-2022, 11:15 AM | #14074 |
In His hands...
Posts: 25,281
|
A'thank you.
Took me a while to get here, and I'm not interested in having a shrink undo all my hard work. |
08-30-2022, 12:02 AM | #14075 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,215
|
Last Night in Soho - 7/10
I always struggle to rate films im mixed on. I'll start with praise cause there's a fair amount to appreciate Immediately this film is visually striking. It has a clear voice and it grabs you in the first few frames. You're able to feel like youre in good hands and it really lets relax and go on this journey. and the 1st act has some great visual effects and some wildly complex practical effects thats are just super interesting to look at. Casting is excellent. Thomasin McKenzie id had only seen in JoJo Rabbit but she was outstanding there and she is here too. Anya-Taylor Joy is sex personified and leans into it in a way that allows her to command every scene she has. I'll try and be vague about the plot here because this does live and die on the plot and the less you know the better. I'll say that it unravels its mystery in a way thats very satisfying. Unfortunately the plot is incredibly discordant. Tonally its 3 films and they blend pretty poorly where they butt up against one another. That said once the "new" film gets momentum they do manage to get you back but id be lying if i said it didnt take me out of the film multiple times with these hard pivots. SPOILER: show Ultimately i think the film is a visual treat and should probably been seen just for the sake of SEEING it. These mirror effects are mostly practical and theyre wild technically and the rest is just icing on the cake. |
09-01-2022, 01:01 AM | #14076 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,215
|
Ikiru (1952) -10/10
I've always enjoyed Akira Kurosawa and was falsely under the impression that he only made samurai films. I come to find out he made contemporary dramas as well. This was the highest recommended one so I watched it first...and it's one of the best films I've ever seen. A scathing critique of bureaucracy and a deep look at the meaning of life. A man stares forward toward his death and looks back at his life and sees nothing in both directions. There is a millennia of wisdom baked into this film and I think the world would be better if everyone had seen this film. Beautifully acted and well written. Easily a masterwork. |
09-01-2022, 05:11 PM | #14077 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,215
|
Lolita (1962) - 9/10
Very racey film for the peroid. It remains visually striking like all of Kubricks work. He frames his shots like theyre paintings making even the dullest scene interesting, not that any of these scenes are dull. In a lot of ways this film is echoed later with Eyes Wide Shut but in obviously very different ways. The subject matter is more taboo today than then and it was way very taboo then. Kubrick is fearless though and goes headlong into a tale about sexual obsession with a minor and in this film there are no winners save the audience. |
09-01-2022, 05:58 PM | #14078 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,215
|
Best quote from the film:
Wife: "Oh honey when you touch me i go as limp as a noddle" Husband: "...yes dear i know the feeling" |
09-01-2022, 08:36 PM | #14079 |
World Class References
Posts: 30,773
|
I prefer the sexy 90’s version
|
09-01-2022, 08:42 PM | #14080 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,215
|
I might check it out someday but i cant imagine Adrian Lyne making a better picture
|