[Movies] Talk about the last movie you saw 2: Electric Threadaloo
- Thread starter Dave
- Start date
Did you download Pirates of the Bubble Bath Sea again?
Phantom of the Paradise STILL a classic, and a story that just REEKS "This is only slightly less horrifying than working in the actual recording industry".
Mad God THAT was freaky, barely have an idea about what it was about but I'm glad I watched it!
Mad God THAT was freaky, barely have an idea about what it was about but I'm glad I watched it!
Also Ghostbusters. In both cases, some jerk has to be all, "Everything is fine! Enjoy yourselves!"
--Patrick
GasBandit
Staff member
You have it backwards, Ghostbusters was lionizing capitalism. The villain was government regulatory agencies.
Oh, I didn’t mean it was capitalism. I just meant that both boil down to one egocentric idiot pushing everyone to go ahead into harm’s way because they don’t want to lose face.
—Patrick
Last edited:
The true life Weird Al story was everything I wanted out of his story.
Dave
Staff member
Its an amazing movie.
The Menu
The worst dinner reservation ever, but a pretty good film. Suspenseful with some self-biting critiquing of the food service industry and at what point does food simply become art instead of something you just enjoy eating? Performance wise I would say that Ralph Fiennes is the only actor who really has the opportunity to shine. Ana Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult have some pretty strong moments. But even great cast members like John Leguizamo are under used. It's not nearly as fun as something like Ready or Not, but it definitely has its share of some tense moments.
The worst dinner reservation ever, but a pretty good film. Suspenseful with some self-biting critiquing of the food service industry and at what point does food simply become art instead of something you just enjoy eating? Performance wise I would say that Ralph Fiennes is the only actor who really has the opportunity to shine. Ana Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult have some pretty strong moments. But even great cast members like John Leguizamo are under used. It's not nearly as fun as something like Ready or Not, but it definitely has its share of some tense moments.
Strange World
Warning: Very mild spoilers ahead.
In short. Wanted to like it. Walked away feeling a little disappointed in what should have had more potential. This one will be on Disney + in like a month tops, so don't waste your money unless you have really been looking forward to this one.
Warning: Very mild spoilers ahead.
Rotten Tomatoes has it at a 73% right now. I'm surprised it even got that high. It's not garbage or anything, but it's one of those Disney films that feels like Disney told the director (Don Hall) "Thank you for directing/writing these other big hits for us. What would YOU like do to?". Which isn't a bad thing or anything, cause that's how we get fun experimental films like Treasure Planet. But just like Treasure Planet this film is likely going to flop just because Disney didn't put money into marketing for something that's not a "sure thing." Unlike Treasure Planet this film doesn't have much beyond some pretty environments to keep it afloat. The pacing is too eccentric for its own good, and doesn't ever really take it's time with anything, including moments for the characters to connect. Not that the characters have much to connect with as the writing is also pretty sloppy, with a script that's full of jokes that do not hit. Also there is plenty of exposition that is thrown at you (after being wrapped around a brick). "HEY! YOU'RE THE GUY WHO INVENTED THE THING. WOW. LIFE HAS SURE BEEN BETTER NOW THAT WE HAVE THE THING." They try to disguise it as humor, but again, the jokes don't ever hit. And I always come to these films wanting to laugh, and in a crowded theater I always get a chuckle or two at least from just the energy in the room. I don't think I laughed once during this one that I can remember and that's pretty terrible for a film that is pretty much ALL jokes. The plot resembles that of one of Disney's other red headed step children: "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". An expedition to the center of the world sets out utilizing steampunk style vehicles. Sadly, again, Strange World can't even emulate the fun of Atlantis because it's missing memorable characters and story. The movie only focuses on like five people, despite there being an entire team that has gone on this expedition, and all of them are there entirely for comic relief or just background. One crewmember even straight up dies (I say this, because he never turns up again so I have to assume he's dead) just so someone else can take his position on the ship. An ongoing plot thread in the film is how the son of a great adventurer hates his father for trying to make him be something he's not, as he himself is insisting his own son wants to be a farmer like him. It's a dull and overused plot point and this conflict between these three generations goes on way longer than it should. There is one twist in Strange World that I enjoyed, but with everything else it felt wasted on this movie. As for the news mention that this film features an openly gay character, this is true. Him being gay thankfully changes nothing on how he is viewed by any single character in the film. It does, however, feel like it was shoehorned in just so the movie can make that claim (the character being in a relationship or not would change nothing about the plot), but that's the least of any concerns this movie has.
Last edited:
Marketing is the big problem with this movie. The first trailer was a horrible mess and the second doesn't explain much either or make me want to watch it.
Did a double feature tonight, starting with...
Enchanted
Saw this in theaters when it originally came out, seen it many times, but it's been ages since I last watched it.
It still holds up. I like that it's both a love letter to Disney and a criticism of its romanticized fairy tale tropes. Amy Adams, of course, completely steals the show as it was her major breakout role at the time. Susan Sarandon is clearly having a blast in the role as evil stepmother. And Patrick Dempsey does a great job keeping things grounded with his cynicism.
What I always liked about the movie is its theme about optimism vs cynicism. To me, it reads that it's okay to be a little more romantic and optimistic in life, but that it's also okay to be a little more realistic and cynical about some things. It's both a criticism of Disney's romanticizing, but also saying it's okay to romanticize a little. Giselle becomes a little more realistic and Robert embraces being a little more optimistic. It's about a balance of the two.
(Of course, Enchanted also came out around the height of the manic pixie girl era of romantic interests and Giselle is like an uber manic pixie girl.)
And I watched this as a set up for...
Disenchanted
I liked it...for the most part.
Except for two songs, most of the musical numbers aren't all that great. Idina Menzel FINALLY gets a musical number and it rocks. And Amy Adams does a duet with Maya Rudolph that they clearly put way more work into it over anything else in the movie. Even including those two, There's no real banger like "That's How You Know" from the first one.
The concept is interesting enough, where the world transforms into a fantasy land early in (that's in the trailer, so not really a spoiler, and it's the movie's main hook). Unfortunately, it's drawn out far too much. They could have sped some things up or made some cuts because it drags until we get to the end. The big world-ending threat could have been spread out better instead of feeling tacked on at the end.
Most of the story is either about Giselle and Morgan, her stepdaughter, or Giselle vs Maya Rudolph's character and it feels like the movie couldn't really decide which was more important to focus on. Patrick Dempsey feels largely sidelined, like they didn't really know what to do with him, so he's in kind of a holding pattern until the end, as well. James Marsden is as charming as ever and chews the scenery more than ever.
Still...I don't know. I liked it more than I didn't, but it definitely pales in comparison to the first. I'm glad it exists and don't regret watching it, but I feel like it needed a few more run throughs by a script doctor.
Enchanted
Saw this in theaters when it originally came out, seen it many times, but it's been ages since I last watched it.
It still holds up. I like that it's both a love letter to Disney and a criticism of its romanticized fairy tale tropes. Amy Adams, of course, completely steals the show as it was her major breakout role at the time. Susan Sarandon is clearly having a blast in the role as evil stepmother. And Patrick Dempsey does a great job keeping things grounded with his cynicism.
What I always liked about the movie is its theme about optimism vs cynicism. To me, it reads that it's okay to be a little more romantic and optimistic in life, but that it's also okay to be a little more realistic and cynical about some things. It's both a criticism of Disney's romanticizing, but also saying it's okay to romanticize a little. Giselle becomes a little more realistic and Robert embraces being a little more optimistic. It's about a balance of the two.
(Of course, Enchanted also came out around the height of the manic pixie girl era of romantic interests and Giselle is like an uber manic pixie girl.)
And I watched this as a set up for...
Disenchanted
I liked it...for the most part.
Except for two songs, most of the musical numbers aren't all that great. Idina Menzel FINALLY gets a musical number and it rocks. And Amy Adams does a duet with Maya Rudolph that they clearly put way more work into it over anything else in the movie. Even including those two, There's no real banger like "That's How You Know" from the first one.
The concept is interesting enough, where the world transforms into a fantasy land early in (that's in the trailer, so not really a spoiler, and it's the movie's main hook). Unfortunately, it's drawn out far too much. They could have sped some things up or made some cuts because it drags until we get to the end. The big world-ending threat could have been spread out better instead of feeling tacked on at the end.
Most of the story is either about Giselle and Morgan, her stepdaughter, or Giselle vs Maya Rudolph's character and it feels like the movie couldn't really decide which was more important to focus on. Patrick Dempsey feels largely sidelined, like they didn't really know what to do with him, so he's in kind of a holding pattern until the end, as well. James Marsden is as charming as ever and chews the scenery more than ever.
Still...I don't know. I liked it more than I didn't, but it definitely pales in comparison to the first. I'm glad it exists and don't regret watching it, but I feel like it needed a few more run throughs by a script doctor.
Now that it’s after Thanksgiving the wife is binge watching Hallmark Christmas movies.
Just once, I would like to see a Hallmark movie where the flannel-wearing widower from Mistletoe Falls or Kringle Bridge travels to Chicago in order to save the family cocoa hut. He meets a pretty lawyer or banker who shows him around the city. He is instantly won over by Lake Shore Drive, cultural events, and educational opportunities for his cherubic daughter. At the end of the movie, he decides that the big city has all he needs, sells the cocoa hut, pays for his parents to retire to Phoenix, and moves into a penthouse condo with his new girlfriend. And his daughter is delighted to be away from their exclusively white town that, looking back, is kind of a hole in the ground.
Just once, I would like to see a Hallmark movie where the flannel-wearing widower from Mistletoe Falls or Kringle Bridge travels to Chicago in order to save the family cocoa hut. He meets a pretty lawyer or banker who shows him around the city. He is instantly won over by Lake Shore Drive, cultural events, and educational opportunities for his cherubic daughter. At the end of the movie, he decides that the big city has all he needs, sells the cocoa hut, pays for his parents to retire to Phoenix, and moves into a penthouse condo with his new girlfriend. And his daughter is delighted to be away from their exclusively white town that, looking back, is kind of a hole in the ground.
Knives Out: Glass Onion
Oh yeah, that was one heck of a movie and will probably be the third of my top 3 this year (along with Everything Everywhere All at Once, and 3000 Years of Longing.
If you're like me and loved the first one, you'll love this one, too. As a bonus, the whole movie is basically making fun of Elon Musk. But it's a great mystery, some great twists, and some great performances. Don't miss out on it. See it in theaters if you can while it's on a limited run.
Oh yeah, that was one heck of a movie and will probably be the third of my top 3 this year (along with Everything Everywhere All at Once, and 3000 Years of Longing.
If you're like me and loved the first one, you'll love this one, too. As a bonus, the whole movie is basically making fun of Elon Musk. But it's a great mystery, some great twists, and some great performances. Don't miss out on it. See it in theaters if you can while it's on a limited run.
Great film. I did not think it was as good as the first, but I still had a very good time.
Just saw it tonight and I loved it.
Violent Night
A little girl and her family are taken hostage by a group of military trained thieves in an attempt to break into the family vault and disappear with the millions held within. Little do they know that a very real Santa Claus has found himself caught up in the situation and begins dispatching the villains one at a time in an attempt to rescue the family.
If this description makes you think "That sounds stupidly delightful" then go see the film. It's for you.
If you at all question this concept and aren't really into a film that is basically Die Hard meets Bad Santa meets Home Alone, then just skip this one. There is not enough that sets it apart from other darkly humorous and gory action films to really justify recommending it to someone that isn't into these kind of films.
While this isn't a masterpiece, I laughed quite a bit during this film as well as made several joyous out-loud "Oh no..."s as you can see where some of the violence is going to lead, such as a scene involving some cleverly placed nails. David Harbour works just fine as Santa, who in this film is basically going through the motions of delivering gifts on Christmas out of loyalty despite having lost faith in today's children and humanity as a whole. John Leguizamo plays "Mr. Scrooge" the Hans Gruber style villain and does a pretty decent job of it. If the movie has a failing I would say that it is most of the rest of the cast, especially the family. While the young daughter and Santa's interactions brought some joy, the other characters are mostly purposely unlikable or just not explored enough. This movie really needed some character drama to give it some love when Santa isn't beating the crap out of people with a sledgehammer. I also had some issues with some of the "twists" in the film, as they show up without feeling earned.
Again this is a film that you really have to want to see for you to have any hope of enjoying it. It's funny, it's dark, it's gory and has quite a few squeamish moments. For some this could end up being a Christmas tradition if your other traditions include watching films like Die Hard, Gremlins, and Krampus.
6/10
A little girl and her family are taken hostage by a group of military trained thieves in an attempt to break into the family vault and disappear with the millions held within. Little do they know that a very real Santa Claus has found himself caught up in the situation and begins dispatching the villains one at a time in an attempt to rescue the family.
If this description makes you think "That sounds stupidly delightful" then go see the film. It's for you.
If you at all question this concept and aren't really into a film that is basically Die Hard meets Bad Santa meets Home Alone, then just skip this one. There is not enough that sets it apart from other darkly humorous and gory action films to really justify recommending it to someone that isn't into these kind of films.
While this isn't a masterpiece, I laughed quite a bit during this film as well as made several joyous out-loud "Oh no..."s as you can see where some of the violence is going to lead, such as a scene involving some cleverly placed nails. David Harbour works just fine as Santa, who in this film is basically going through the motions of delivering gifts on Christmas out of loyalty despite having lost faith in today's children and humanity as a whole. John Leguizamo plays "Mr. Scrooge" the Hans Gruber style villain and does a pretty decent job of it. If the movie has a failing I would say that it is most of the rest of the cast, especially the family. While the young daughter and Santa's interactions brought some joy, the other characters are mostly purposely unlikable or just not explored enough. This movie really needed some character drama to give it some love when Santa isn't beating the crap out of people with a sledgehammer. I also had some issues with some of the "twists" in the film, as they show up without feeling earned.
Again this is a film that you really have to want to see for you to have any hope of enjoying it. It's funny, it's dark, it's gory and has quite a few squeamish moments. For some this could end up being a Christmas tradition if your other traditions include watching films like Die Hard, Gremlins, and Krampus.
6/10
Last edited:
figmentPez
Staff member
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
I enjoyed this immensely. This was exactly what I expected it to be. A dumb, nearly nonsensical plot where people "learn" some vague lessons about the meaning of Christmas, cheesy bad acting, shoe-horned in musical numbers, some action sequences, sugary-sweet character moments, all wrapped up in pretty lights and gaudy Christmas decor. The epitome of a cash-in Christmas special.
Cosmo really did need a better voice, though.
I enjoyed this immensely. This was exactly what I expected it to be. A dumb, nearly nonsensical plot where people "learn" some vague lessons about the meaning of Christmas, cheesy bad acting, shoe-horned in musical numbers, some action sequences, sugary-sweet character moments, all wrapped up in pretty lights and gaudy Christmas decor. The epitome of a cash-in Christmas special.
Cosmo really did need a better voice, though.
Dave
Staff member
Troll
I wanted to like this I really did. But the people in it are so incredibly STUPID! Every act. Every decision. Every move anyone makes is just fucking dumb. They show a troll. A guy says, "It's a troll!" The other characters - who are seeing this same creature - "Gee, I don't know what this is!"
It's just inexplicably dim people doing dim things for no reason. Again, I really, REALLY wanted to like this. But I just don't.
I wanted to like this I really did. But the people in it are so incredibly STUPID! Every act. Every decision. Every move anyone makes is just fucking dumb. They show a troll. A guy says, "It's a troll!" The other characters - who are seeing this same creature - "Gee, I don't know what this is!"
It's just inexplicably dim people doing dim things for no reason. Again, I really, REALLY wanted to like this. But I just don't.
Seth's Dominion
This is documentary about the Canadian cartoonist, Seth. I don't think his work is widely known, but I've only recently started to really read and appreciate his work. Someone at my local comic shop recommended this to me when I was looking for his work, so I bought the DVD. It's only about 40 minutes, but it's quite enjoyable. Seth is an interesting, quirky guy with his own style both in comics and in life. And I liked the extra effort by the animation team to bring his work to life. Too bad he doesn't work more in animation because his art style lends well to animation.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
A.k.a.: that movie where Nic Cage plays himself.
It's...fine. Not great, not terrible. It takes forever to get to anything particularly exciting or interesting and then kind of rushes through to the ending in a muddled mess.
I probably would have appreciated it more if I was more well-versed in Cage's filmography. There are countless references, quotes, and even some reenactments of Cage's work. Unfortunately, I can't remember the last time I even watched any of his work. I might have watched Face/Off twice in my life and it was probably decades ago. Ditto The Rock. In fact, I realized while watching this movie that there's a lot of his work I've never seen at all, like Leaving Lost Vegas. Raising Arizona, or Gone in 60 Seconds.
So yeah, disappointing, but I didn't really go into this with high expectations, anyway.
This is documentary about the Canadian cartoonist, Seth. I don't think his work is widely known, but I've only recently started to really read and appreciate his work. Someone at my local comic shop recommended this to me when I was looking for his work, so I bought the DVD. It's only about 40 minutes, but it's quite enjoyable. Seth is an interesting, quirky guy with his own style both in comics and in life. And I liked the extra effort by the animation team to bring his work to life. Too bad he doesn't work more in animation because his art style lends well to animation.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
A.k.a.: that movie where Nic Cage plays himself.
It's...fine. Not great, not terrible. It takes forever to get to anything particularly exciting or interesting and then kind of rushes through to the ending in a muddled mess.
I probably would have appreciated it more if I was more well-versed in Cage's filmography. There are countless references, quotes, and even some reenactments of Cage's work. Unfortunately, I can't remember the last time I even watched any of his work. I might have watched Face/Off twice in my life and it was probably decades ago. Ditto The Rock. In fact, I realized while watching this movie that there's a lot of his work I've never seen at all, like Leaving Lost Vegas. Raising Arizona, or Gone in 60 Seconds.
So yeah, disappointing, but I didn't really go into this with high expectations, anyway.
My husband and son have been obsessed with this song for a week now.I just finished the Guardians holiday special. This song has been stuck in my head all day. I hope to teach it to my future children one day. My wife is Hallmark's target audience. Boy is she gonna hate that.
