NOW CLOSED ; List some movies you've watched recently. Theatre, rental, TV... and give a */10

[MongGrel]

Have been watching The Sopranos again.

9/10

Didn't watch some of the original seasons before, so went a bit retro for some I hadn't seen.

 

[Xonim]

Sicario -- 9/10
Went to see this on my day off yesterday, mostly because Emily Blunt is one of my favorite actresses. Was a bit slower than I anticipated it would be, but it was SUPER tense. The score certainly added to that.

Had some of those those moments that made you go "WTF?!". Really liked the ending, even if the credits started rolling a tad sooner than I expected. My reaction was something along the lines of "oh already?!" followed by "well, that's a great way to end it".

 

[JEDI]

A good one you'll never hear about, but might be happy you've seen :

Wild Tales - Foreign Academy Award Winner 8/10

A movie of short stories all with a theme, but subtitled. I picked it up at my library because award winners usually are good, and I wasn't disappointed.

It's in Spanish, and subtitled, and you might have a hard time relating; but it's a piece of well acted and produced cinema you should see. The kind of film that makes you think. Wonderful.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=37503130&postcount=9407
we have the same taste.. heh
u still play Path of Exile?

 

[JEDI]

Sicario -- 9/10
Went to see this on my day off yesterday, mostly because Emily Blunt is one of my favorite actresses. Was a bit slower than I anticipated it would be, but it was SUPER tense. The score certainly added to that.

Had some of those those moments that made you go "WTF?!". Really liked the ending, even if the credits started rolling a tad sooner than I expected. My reaction was something along the lines of "oh already?!" followed by "well, that's a great way to end it".

yeah.. the girl being idealistic and naïve was wtf, especially in the end.
she's not a rookie. she leads the kidnap recue team for gods sake. she's seen the horrors of the drug trade.

Spoiler

I still don't get her trying to stop him near the end of the film when they emerge from the tunnel in Mexico?

 

[doox00]

The departed 9/10

 

[Xonim]

Spoiler

yeah.. the girl being idealistic and naïve was wtf, especially in the end.
she's not a rookie. she leads the kidnap recue team for gods sake. she's seen the horrors of the drug trade.

I still don't get her trying to stop him near the end of the film when they emerge from the tunnel in Mexico?

Spoiler

My understanding is that it has more to do with her wanting to do things by the book instead of seemingly just killing because -- hence why she had such a hard time signing that paper saying "it was all by the book."

 

[SAWYER]

I just watched a movie called Goodnight Mommy, it was very weird and I am not real sure what I think of it just yet. I figured out the twist before the reveal at the end
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzSsE5t7JNk

 

[Perknose]

The Leftovers -- 9.5/10 -- I seem to remember watching, like, one and a half eps last season and then abandoning it. But the teasers for this season looked good, so I watched the first ep of season 2 the other night. It was absolutely fantastic! My 9/10 rating is based solely on this one ep, Axis Mundi, and does not pertain to the first season at all.
.
Concurrently subtle and ominous, the Axis Mundi ep was as good as it gets. I still can't get over how good it was! Lol, my first clue was when they started off with one of favorite songs by Iris DeMent, Let the Mystery Be.

Since I don't know how best to describe it, I'll just quote this imdb review:

From the heavy handed metaphoric opening scene, to the spoon in the disposal, everything seemed very ominous and tense. Like something terrifying was being held at bay behind a very thin curtain and you can see it pushing towards you, shapes and all, only to have it rear back into the abyss.

The tension was playful at times, then outright shocking as we slowly got to know the people of Miracle, but what I think I liked best was that this episode showed just how uncertain the world is now in a more subtle way. There were signs (some violently/graphically bloody, others innocuous like the hidden cricket) that kept the viewer in a state of unease yet left us wanting more.

The new additions to the main cast were phenomenal. Such powerful and believable performances particularly from Regina King and Kevin Carroll. The way he casually brought up his time in prison as a way to warn the new neighbors not to cross him and his family was very well played and well written.

Director Mimi Leder knocked this one out of the park, and the script had just the right beats to bring us back for more.

I cant wait to see where this show takes us next.

The Leftovers S2 Ep2 -- 5/10 -- Well, dang. Now I remember why I stopped watching this show last year. It's like, weirdness and semi-ominous vagueness for the sake of weirdness and semi-ominous vagueness. Still, the first ep was so good, so spot on and well done, that, this time I'm going to give it a more extended try. <shrug>

 

[Harrod]

American Loser: 8/10 This movie has Sean William Scott in it, it's about some guys life that had several learning disabilities and other crap going on in his life. In my opinion it's just a combination of several crazy stories of how the guy gets though various parts of his life. I would classify it as an awkward comedy.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0783601/

 

[SphinxnihpS]

You and I are in the minority on this one. I thought it was excellent.

I tend not to agree with most people on movies, because most people are willing to forgive insipid writing in favor of special effects. Mise en scène is there to elevate the story, not replace it. I find I agree with certain people.

Cloud Atlas was stupendous on all accounts.

 

[Charmonium]

The Leftovers S2 Ep2 -- 5/10 -- Well, dang. Now I remember why I stopped watching this show last year. It's like, weirdness and semi-ominous vagueness for the sake of weirdness and semi-ominous vagueness. Still, the first ep was so good, so spot on and well done, that, this time I'm going to give it a more extended try. <shrug>

The only real difference between the episodes was the fact that you had no idea what was going on in episode one. Even if you'd just binge watched the first season, you'd still be like 'wtf?' They just dropped you naked and screaming into the new plot with nothing to hold onto. The second episode drew most of the connections you needed to incorporate the first episode into the grander story.

 

[Perknose]

The only real difference between the episodes was the fact that you had no idea what was going on in episode one.

I respectfully disagree that this was "the only real difference." The premier ep was deft, lyrical and really well done. The second was pedestrian. Maybe my expectations were too high, but it was a let down. Maybe it takes a while to get with the vibe they're going for, and maybe this series is just a disjointed, over-ambitious Lost/Twin Peaks wannabe. At this point, I really don't know.

The second episode drew most of the connections you needed to incorporate the first episode into the grander story.

I read enough reviews of season two, plus trailers and having previously watched a bit of season one, not to need ep 2 to understand what was going on.

I'd be interested to know what your overall rating of this series is, and why.

 

[Charmonium]

Season One was ok but a little boring - at least from what I remember. They tried to deal with the different psychological effects of being left behind. For example you had the one woman who was the only one in her family of 4 that was spared and the survivor's guilt she had to deal with. Then you had the religious fanatics who took a vow of silence - for reasons that I still can't recall and don't know if they ever actually dealt with. The creepy middle-aged/older woman who now haunts the former sheriff was their leader IIRC.

So I liked that aspect of it but they didn't really spend much time on the actual disappearances. That was just sort of a background event that everyone understood had happened but no one dealt with directly. It was all about how a select group of survivors reacted - which was ok the various stories didn't seem to feed and support one another. It felt more like an an anthology. Also there was way too much drama with the sheriff's family. I mean if you're going to have a show with a supernatural or paranormal premise like this, then you really need to explore that aspect or it's just another soap opera.

They seem to be ready to tackle that aspect this season and maybe that's what you saw in the first episode. But you're really going to need to understand the backstories of the sheriff and his "family" to appreciate everything that it looks like they're gearing up for.

 

[JamesV]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=37503130&postcount=9407
we have the same taste.. heh
u still play Path of Exile?

Taking a break from it; kind of burned out on it atm.

American Genius - National Geographic TV series - 6/10

An interesting look at some inventors/innovators, but suffers the same issue almost all TV does now - looooong and drawn stories with things repeated over and over and over.

However, I did enjoy the one about TV (Farnsworth vs RCA), and the Wright Brothers vs Curtiss.

 

[A Casual Fitz]

Enemy - 8/10 Great performance by Jake Gyllenhaal and it was pretty twisted.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Gravy - 7/10 - Interesting Halloween themed horror comedy. It's kind of quirky, the kind of dry, quirky humor I enjoy. It's rather gory, and I don't want to give too much away about the plot but it has a few interesting cameos and characters and worth a watch.

Knock Knock - 2/10 - This had potential to be a decent movie, except...and screw it I'll spoil it. There is NO twist at all. It is what it is, and that is it. Just the fact there is no twist ruins any potential this movie had to be something deeper than what we are given. There are all these little "info drops" that lead you to believe there is something bigger happening here, but it ends up, they are red herrings and mean absolutely nothing. Keanu Reeves is miscast as well. He simply didn't have the emotional direction required for what is being attempted here either. It is basically a plotless Eli Roth movie (which isn't anything new). It gets points for bewbs and sex scenes but beyond that, meh.

 

[JamesV]

San Andreas 5/10

The almost universally panned The Day After Tomorrow is far better than this film. Both films stretch the imagination, but San Andreas treats reality in any sense as secondary. When a skyscraper falls into the water the wake is less than a kayak would produce.

Plus, SA rips off other similar films, and doesn't do it well. It takes (directly) scenes from 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, and even crappy scenes from the Guardian and re-uses them.

I buy a few movies a year. This one was a mistake, even though it only cost me $14 at Wal Mart.

Get it through Netflix or another streaming service. DO NOT buy.

 

[SAWYER]

The Martian 7/10
Felt way too long, nothing special but not bad

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Ya, Martian is definitely overrated. It must set a record for most cliffhangers in a film.

 

[MongGrel]

I respectfully disagree that this was "the only real difference." The premier ep was deft, lyrical and really well done. The second was pedestrian. Maybe my expectations were too high, but it was a let down. Maybe it takes a while to get with the vibe they're going for, and maybe this series is just a disjointed, over-ambitious Lost/Twin Peaks wannabe. At this point, I really don't know.



I read enough reviews of season two, plus trailers and having previously watched a bit of season one, not to need ep 2 to understand what was going on.

I'd be interested to know what your overall rating of this series is, and why.

The whole thing just seems sub Twin Peaks to me, I haven't watched them all so I honestly really can't give an overall rating personally, though you weren't asking me to begin with.

I guess the fact I haven't watched them all says something about my humble opinion.

Into season 6 of the Sopranos again myself, just rewatching some I missed was a nice trip.

 

[A Casual Fitz]

The Gift - 7/10 Really intense thriller that kept me uncomfortable throughout the movie. Jason Bateman did a great job.

 

[MetalMat]

The Martian - 6/10

Pretty good flick, I was not into the hype at all and never read the book but did enjoy it. I found it a bit lame that they censored out the cuss words Mat Damon yelled out.

My biggest complaint, spoilers, is:

Spoiler

So when the hell did Matt Damon's character all of the sudden become a Chemist/Computer Scientist/Engineer ? It was clearly stated that he was a botanist, it seems far fetched that he would suddenly acquire all those skills in the first half of the movie before he made contact with NASA. I'm also a bit surprised that more bad things did not happen on Mars, except for the debacle with his farm and the opening scene storm it was literally smooth sailing.

 

[ImpulsE69]

The Martian - 6/10

Pretty good flick, I was not into the hype at all and never read the book but did enjoy it. I found it a bit lame that they censored out the cuss words Mat Damon yelled out.

My biggest complaint, spoilers, is:

Spoiler

So when the hell did Matt Damon's character all of the sudden become a Chemist/Computer Scientist/Engineer ? It was clearly stated that he was a botanist, it seems far fetched that he would suddenly acquire all those skills in the first half of the movie before he made contact with NASA. I'm also a bit surprised that more bad things did not happen on Mars, except for the debacle with his farm and the opening scene storm it was literally smooth sailing.

Spoiler

My guess is even though he's specialized as a botanist on the mission, since they sent him to Mars, he probably was very smart and had more scientific knowledge than just plants. It made sense he would know about chemicals and engineering because at anytime anyone on the mission could have died, and someone else have to pick up their work.

 

[Oyeve]

Saw (don't judge me!) 50 first dates last night. The movie left me feeling disturbed. I thought the ending was rather sick and cruel.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Saw (don't judge me!) 50 first dates last night. The movie left me feeling disturbed. I thought the ending was rather sick and cruel.

The ending?? The whole movie was kind of cruel if that's the case. lol.