The last movie I saw was...

[GretelhasGingerBread]

The Shape of Water

 

Hmm - very underwhelmed. It was OK but the storyline was transparent, even the twist!

 

 

I watched this over the weekend myself and didn't feel like it was Oscar material. It was a good 'period' piece and take on the 1950s B-movie, but I didn't feel grabbed by the story line. I, sort of, predicted the end. I might have to watch it again for giggles as some movies need to be seen more than once to get a good feel of it.

[korifugi]

Wifey convinced me to watch The Greatest Showman.

 

I'm not one for song-y type films (Not sure if there's enough songs to class it as a musical), but it certainly wasn't terrible.

[mavhc]

I watched this over the weekend myself and didn't feel like it was Oscar material. It was a good 'period' piece and take on the 1950s B-movie, but I didn't feel grabbed by the story line. I, sort of, predicted the end. I might have to watch it again for giggles as some movies need to be seen more than once to get a good feel of it.

 

https://soundcloud.com/thedirectorscut/the-shape-of-water-with-guillermo-del-toro-and-baz-luhrmann-ep-121 very informative to listen to between your first and second viewings

[LeMarchand]

The Shape of Water

 

Hmm - very underwhelmed. It was OK but the storyline was transparent, even the twist!

 

I watched this over the weekend myself and didn't feel like it was Oscar material. It was a good 'period' piece and take on the 1950s B-movie, but I didn't feel grabbed by the story line. I, sort of, predicted the end. I might have to watch it again for giggles as some movies need to be seen more than once to get a good feel of it.

 

I'm not sure it was a twist as such, as you could also see it as the hope of the narrator/artist guy.

 

I'm wondering if the Oscar was combination of the way the film could be taken as a parable for acceptance of non-"standard" love and "'bout time we gave some awards to some o' them thar Mexicans". The latter would also explain the incomprehensible win of "Remember Me" over "This Is Me" for Best Song. I've only seen "Dunkirk" out of the nominees and will probably catch "Get Out" and "Three Billboards" at some stage. I'm surprised that a more "worthy" film didn't win, but wish "Get Out" had - purely so Jason Blum could put "From Oscar Winning Producer of Get Out" on EVERY film he releases.

[StevieM]

The Shape of Water... the storyline was transparent...

 

I tend to find that water usually is.

[LeMarchand]

Not sure if there's enough songs to class it as a musical

 

11 songs taking up 37% of the running time* and sung by the cast (rather than heard on the radio etc) to further the plot/explain emotions etc. Yep, you've watched a musical.

 

*From OST listing where one song is merged with it's reprise, so probably 12. Yes, I've been listening to it. A LOT.

[LeMarchand]

Transformers: The Last Knight

 

I enjoyed the rest of the series (albeit in a "brain off" sort of way) but this left me cold. Maybe it was the pitcher of Ginberry Fizz (recommended way more than this film!) at 'Spoons at lunch, but I even dozed off at one stage. It's way too long and muddled and makes even less sense than its predecessors. Michael Bay keeps things beautifully shot, but it's for the die-hard fans only.

[sonofsanta]

Annihilation on Netflix. Very strange, hypnotic, unsettling, creepy, beautiful, dreamlike... and also largely nonsensical. I enjoyed it, and reckon it's worth a watch, but where Arrival was genuinely intelligent, this is a load of first-year-at-Uni metaphysical mumbling.

 

Also not particularly related to the book beyond the idea of Area X and a couple of character details, tbh. Plot is almost entirely different.

[mavhc]

Sunrise, 1927, first film with audio on the film itself, although still a silent film, released about the same time as The Jazz Singer.

 

Farm Man has affair with City Woman, who asks him to drown his wife, he can't go through with it and they end up in the city together and rekindle their relationship. Then on the way back, sailing across the lake, a terrible storm, who will survive?

 

Amazing special effects, they basically invented the tracking shot in this film, then it was lost for years as everyone wanted talkies (loud camera in soundproof box, can't move, terrible microphones hidden in plant pots, etc).

[pooley]

Annihilation - Bored me to tears, just wasn't worth my brain matter to try and work out wtf they were trying to achieve. You wan't a movies about terraforming then watch "Evolution" 2001

 

Transformers: The Last Knight - Entertaining, as are all the transformer movies, this left a few unanswered questions and seems more like a link movie to what I assume will be the final one of the franchise.

[phreak]

The entire family was all ill this weekend so we ended up just watching a lot of movies.

 

Watched 2 newer and 2 older films. I'll give them the rankings that my kid gave them.

 

1. The Spiderwick Chronicles 8/10

Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures.

 

2. Willow 7/10

A reluctant dwarf must play a critical role in protecting a special baby from an evil queen.

 

3. James and the Giant Peach 8/10

An orphan, who lives with his two cruel aunts, befriends anthropomorphic bugs who live inside a giant peach, and they embark on a journey to New York City.

 

4. Gnomeo & Juliet 6/10

The neighboring gardens of Montague and Capulet are at war, but the gnomes, Gnomeo and Juliet, are in love.

[ICTDirect_Dave]

The entire family was all ill this weekend so we ended up just watching a lot of movies.

 

Watched 2 newer and 2 older films. I'll give them the rankings that my kid gave them.

 

1. The Spiderwick Chronicles 8/10

 

 

2. Willow 7/10

 

 

3. James and the Giant Peach 8/10

 

 

4. Gnomeo & Juliet 6/10

 

Not seen Willow in years, but I love that film! One of Warwick Davis' best roles!

[BKGarry]

Tried to watch "The Land Before Time" the other day, for nostalgia (as I used to love it as a kid)

 

As an adult I was an emotional wreck, I had to turn it off when I was crying at the scene more heart wrenching than Marley and Me

[DJ-1701]

Not seen Willow in years, but I love that film! One of Warwick Davis' best roles!

 

Impressive, I would never have guessed he played her.

 

[ICTDirect_Dave]

Impressive, I would never have guessed he played her.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]48162[/ATTACH]

 

It's amazing what you can do with makeup these days!

 

Though I think you may have forever ruined one of my teenage crushes!

[LeMarchand]

The entire family was all ill this weekend so we ended up just watching a lot of movies.

 

Watched 2 newer and 2 older films. I'll give them the rankings that my kid gave them.

 

1. The Spiderwick Chronicles 8/10

 

 

2. Willow 7/10

 

 

3. James and the Giant Peach 8/10

 

 

4. Gnomeo & Juliet 6/10

 

I'd broadly agree with that (possibly lower on "James"). Spiderwick deserves more love than it generally seems to get.

 

Tried to watch "The Land Before Time" the other day, for nostalgia (as I used to love it as a kid)

 

As an adult I was an emotional wreck, I had to turn it off when I was crying at the scene more heart wrenching than Marley and Me

 

I'm not a fan. I remember being severely disappointed after Don Bluth's "An American Tail" and (especially) "The Secret of Nimh" and IIRC the annoying yellow dinosaur remains a complete B throughout the film.

[StevieM]

Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

 

I've watched this a couple of times before and thought is was ok but never really understood why it is so highly regarded. Last night, however, I started to come round to the popular way of thinking; it really is a fantastic film.

 

[LeMarchand]

Tomb Raider (2018)

 

Inspired by the more modern games, which I have to confess I've yet to play), this sees a younger Lara Croft set out on her first adventure in an effort to find out what happened to her missing-presumed-dead father. She discovers that he may have found the tomb of Queen Himiko, which is said to contain a terrible power.

 

This one left me cold. Alicia Vikander is fine in the title role, and the screenwriters do their best to try to show that she isn't just a spoiled little rich girl, but then have her as a fully paid up member of my second-least favourite road users (after BMW/Mercedes/Audi drivers): reckless cyclists. It's one of those films where it's hard to suspend your disbelief as they keep trying to make it grounded, to the extent of removing the supernatural elements from the story, so I was constantly thinking Why don't they? and Where did that come from?. Plus most of the fight scenes are shot too close (as in most films) and Lara goes from her first kill to a cold-blooded dead-with-one-arrow archer overnight.

 

If you have to see it, I'd suggest waiting for home release. Judging by the few people in the cinema I'm not sure it was worth them setting up for potential sequels...

[LeMarchand]

Despicable Me 3

 

I loved the first 2 and even enjoyed the Minions movie, but found this one a bit of a chore to get through; even the Minions weren't as amusing as normal. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood or *shudder* have finally grown up?

[HarryMonkey]

Despicable Me 3

 

Maybe I just wasn't in the mood or *shudder* have finally grown up?

 

Neither. It wasn't as good.

[mavhc]

The Message (1976), biopic of Mohammed and the beginnings of Islam, 3 hours long, but there's a lot to cover. Of course he's not shown, or heard in the film, sometimes the other characters look directly at the camera when they address him, which has the side effect of the viewer somewhat becoming him. I learned quite a lot.

[StevieM]

The Baader-Meinhof Complex - German film about the terror organisation ‘The Red Army Faction’. The story is based on true events, although I can’t vouch for accuracy. Very good film. Trailer NSFW due to violence.

 

https://youtu.be/FanVI8-zlsA

Edited March 26, 2018 by StevieM
Anthropomorphism!

[phreak]

Neither. It wasn't as good.

 

Not to mention the fact that any funny bits that were in the film were spoilt by being in all the trailers.

[unixman_again]

The Badger-Meinhof Complex - German film about the terror organisation ‘The Red Army Faction’. The story is based on true events, although I can’t vouch for accuracy. Very good film.

 

I saw it on the big screen when it was released. Excellent film, and accurate too from what I remember of the events. There are, of course, a few production goofs.

[LeMarchand]

The Badger-Meinhof Complex - German film about the terror organisation ‘The Red Army Faction’. The story is based on true events, although I can’t vouch for accuracy. Very good film.

 

I saw it on the big screen when it was released. Excellent film, and accurate too from what I remember of the events. There are, of course, a few production goofs.

 

Well, changing the species of the group to woodland animals seems a bit more than a goof.