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aka Doc Savage.
Movie opinions thread (what have you seen, what did you think?)
- Thread starter aria
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Who already did it better 40 years earlier.
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I mean Mathew McConaughey played Dirk Pitt in an equally terrible movie but at least he was believable as the kind of douche who would be named Dirk Pitt.
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I used to love watching the sequence where they raise the Titanic when I was a kid... seeing the bow break through the Atlantic surface was just awesome. I think the practical effects are still pretty good (for their time) today.... shame that if anyone ever revisited this it would all be in CGI, although of course the entire plot of the book/film is now moot because we now know that the Titanic never survived its sinking as a whole ship.
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Most movies from that era would be improved by putting '89 Dalton in the lead role.
Now I'm just imagining Dalton in Shawshank Redemption ripping Boggs' throat out.
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Really, you could just put Dalton in everything.
Dalton instead of Han Solo. Han Dalton.
Dalton instead of Dutch Schaeffer. Dalton Schaeffer.
Dalton instead of Kyle Reese. Dalton Reese.
Dalton instead of Captain Dallas. Captain Dalton.
All of these movies are already cool.
They would be so much cooler with Dalton instead.
Dalton instead of Han Solo. Han Dalton.
Dalton instead of Dutch Schaeffer. Dalton Schaeffer.
Dalton instead of Kyle Reese. Dalton Reese.
Dalton instead of Captain Dallas. Captain Dalton.
All of these movies are already cool.
They would be so much cooler with Dalton instead.
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Saltburn
A loser at Oxford befriends the cool kid, who eventually invites him to spend the summer at his rich parents' castle in the country, where he gets trapped by his own lies.
I liked it a lot. The premise is a wee bit weak, but the cinematography (lots of subliminal gay secks shots) and dark comedy elements make up for it.
A loser at Oxford befriends the cool kid, who eventually invites him to spend the summer at his rich parents' castle in the country, where he gets trapped by his own lies.
I liked it a lot. The premise is a wee bit weak, but the cinematography (lots of subliminal gay secks shots) and dark comedy elements make up for it.
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aka The Talented Mr. Ripley for gen Z'ers.
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Ha, I’ve only seen Purple Noon but definitely similar themes.
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Watched The Blues Brothers for the dozenth time; 1st time in 4K/NR/Extended cut.
The extra bits really made a difference…like Magic Shell on ice cream. The full version of JLH’s ‘boom boom’ was worth it alone; the sabatage scene of the Police cars in front of the concert hall also had me in stitches.
My kids *loved* it. They admitted to having a seat, and “giving it 10 minutes” was just to humor their old man. After the Penguin + the James Brown scene they were staying because they wanted too. ^_^
The extra bits really made a difference…like Magic Shell on ice cream. The full version of JLH’s ‘boom boom’ was worth it alone; the sabatage scene of the Police cars in front of the concert hall also had me in stitches.
My kids *loved* it. They admitted to having a seat, and “giving it 10 minutes” was just to humor their old man. After the Penguin + the James Brown scene they were staying because they wanted too. ^_^
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Dinner In America- This was excellent, the only way I can really describe it is Hesher mixed with Napoleon Dynamite and Ghost World. It's essentially a punk rock romanic comedy. Both of the leads were fantastic and the supporting cast perfectly fit the tone of the movie. The movie has a nice sense of self awareness that really adds another layer to the characters and their interactions. I also really like the ambiguous sense of time and setting. I know it's Michigan in what I assume to be the early 90's but it's never explicitly stated and everything just feels kind of off. It's a very aggressive, quirky and smart comedy and I highly recommend it.
Also I'm kinda jealous of Kyle Gallner, he gets to snog Lea Thompson pretty hard and she is still looking damn good.
Also I'm kinda jealous of Kyle Gallner, he gets to snog Lea Thompson pretty hard and she is still looking damn good.
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Yeah, we were talking about this movie some pages back. It's fantastic.
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Possessor (Uncut) - 2020 sci-fi noir genre-bender about a grimy company that takes contract hits in which their hitman possesses another person's body, performs the hit and then suicides the body to leave no evidence of their involvement. They do this with some hand-waved body horror-ish technology but the process leaves a heavy toll on the hitman to the point that it fucks with their sense of identity and self. The titular possessor in this movie (Mandy's Andrea Riseborough) has done a couple of contracts too many and is a little unstable and has a big contract go sideways which leads to her trying to find a way out.
Interesting premise from David Cronenberg's son that borrows small ideas from a number of different sources. The main character is a broken human being that's spent so much time mimicking other people that she has little to no sense of self and has to practice emotions and conversation with her family and friends the way she would when taking on a new contract. That really stuck with me as an interesting idea. They don't over-explain the science/mechanics which is always good, the acting is strong (a lot of people acting like other people which is always tough to do without being arch), there's a few twists and turns that aren't overly predictable but also not complete nonsense and the ending is dark and open-ended in ways that much of the best sci-fi is. The Cronerbergian signature body horror/weirdness is there in small doses but he doesn't use it as a crutch (primarily in the "possession" sequences where heads and bodies distort and melt like wax in some unnerving ways).
I'm not jumping up and down enthusiastic about it but I was pleasantly surprised. I understand people are a little more mixed on Infinity Pool but I guess I'll have to give that a shot now.
Interesting premise from David Cronenberg's son that borrows small ideas from a number of different sources. The main character is a broken human being that's spent so much time mimicking other people that she has little to no sense of self and has to practice emotions and conversation with her family and friends the way she would when taking on a new contract. That really stuck with me as an interesting idea. They don't over-explain the science/mechanics which is always good, the acting is strong (a lot of people acting like other people which is always tough to do without being arch), there's a few twists and turns that aren't overly predictable but also not complete nonsense and the ending is dark and open-ended in ways that much of the best sci-fi is. The Cronerbergian signature body horror/weirdness is there in small doses but he doesn't use it as a crutch (primarily in the "possession" sequences where heads and bodies distort and melt like wax in some unnerving ways).
I'm not jumping up and down enthusiastic about it but I was pleasantly surprised. I understand people are a little more mixed on Infinity Pool but I guess I'll have to give that a shot now.
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Infinity Pool is such a nasty film.
It is engagingly sadistic, hedonistic, uncaring, cold, and its only real concern seems to want to make you uncomfortable as possible at every turn--it was one of my favorite films of 2023.
If I hadn't had seen Speak No Evil that same year then I'd say it was the most upsetting film I'd seen that year, but regardless, I was completely sold on the sheer mean and twisted privileged brutality of it.
It is engagingly sadistic, hedonistic, uncaring, cold, and its only real concern seems to want to make you uncomfortable as possible at every turn--it was one of my favorite films of 2023.
If I hadn't had seen Speak No Evil that same year then I'd say it was the most upsetting film I'd seen that year, but regardless, I was completely sold on the sheer mean and twisted privileged brutality of it.
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Yes, I went to see it after reading your intro post
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Capricorn One- 70's political thriller centered around faking a NASA mission to Mars. Pretty solid cast with Elliot Gould, James Brolin, Sam Waterson, OJ, Hal Holbrook and Karen Black.
The premise is that at the last second the first manned mission to Mars is canceled due to faulty components on the ship. The contractor who built the components does not want to be investigated and exposed for negligence and inflated government bids. Their solution is to fake the mission on a soundstage and keep the astronauts hidden for a year. Since they're a giant evil corporation they are willing to go to extreme lengths to make all this happen and keep their secrets. Of course their plan doesn't work out as intended and things get out of control quickly.
I'm fine with all that as ridiculous as it is at times but there's a lot of schmaltzy and manipulative stuff in the movie that just doesn't mesh with the conspiracy and political thriller stuff. It also has one of the most awkward and lazy endings I've even seen. The scene before the ending is pretty incredible though, it involves an extended chase sequence with a biplane and helicopters through a canyon, it's legitimately impressive.
Overall it's pretty mid but has it's moments.
Hype!- Documentary of the Seattle music scene in the mid 80's through early 90's and how it morphed into grunge and essentially killed off hair metal. The nice thing about this is that it came out kind of late (96) so it covers how the scene was commodified and destroyed itself in only a couple years.
The premise is that at the last second the first manned mission to Mars is canceled due to faulty components on the ship. The contractor who built the components does not want to be investigated and exposed for negligence and inflated government bids. Their solution is to fake the mission on a soundstage and keep the astronauts hidden for a year. Since they're a giant evil corporation they are willing to go to extreme lengths to make all this happen and keep their secrets. Of course their plan doesn't work out as intended and things get out of control quickly.
I'm fine with all that as ridiculous as it is at times but there's a lot of schmaltzy and manipulative stuff in the movie that just doesn't mesh with the conspiracy and political thriller stuff. It also has one of the most awkward and lazy endings I've even seen. The scene before the ending is pretty incredible though, it involves an extended chase sequence with a biplane and helicopters through a canyon, it's legitimately impressive.
Overall it's pretty mid but has it's moments.
Hype!- Documentary of the Seattle music scene in the mid 80's through early 90's and how it morphed into grunge and essentially killed off hair metal. The nice thing about this is that it came out kind of late (96) so it covers how the scene was commodified and destroyed itself in only a couple years.
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heihachi
Amusaka's Lacky
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Van Helsing - I loved it. Really fun monster movie with cool visuals. Hugh Jackman was meh as the lead but liked all the other casting
Grindhouse - also loved this one. Prefer Deathproof slightly to Planet Terror, but really captures the feel of a grimy B movie double feature.
Freddy Got Fingered - honestly, much better than people give it credit for. I would even go so far as to say it was 10 years ahead of its time. Rip Torn was great as Gord’s dad.
The Girl Next Door - Timothy Olyphant is good, Elisha Cuthbert is hot, but that’s about all worth mentioning here.
Grindhouse - also loved this one. Prefer Deathproof slightly to Planet Terror, but really captures the feel of a grimy B movie double feature.
Freddy Got Fingered - honestly, much better than people give it credit for. I would even go so far as to say it was 10 years ahead of its time. Rip Torn was great as Gord’s dad.
The Girl Next Door - Timothy Olyphant is good, Elisha Cuthbert is hot, but that’s about all worth mentioning here.
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This seems to have become a cult classic in recent years and I just don't get it. I saw it in the theater and have seen it a couple times since then and always find it too stupid and garish for it's own good.
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I can ride with this opinion. I hated Van Helsing when it came out and now I've come to realize that it was never meant to be taken seriously. It's a popcorn movie that you're supposed to laugh with. Kate Beckinsale's line about 'if you're going to kill someone, just do it. Don't stand there talking about it.' is still lame AF and Dracula killing Dr. Frankenstein at the start of the movie is braindead writing but otherwise I can dig it.
There was a time when I liked Planet Terror more than Deathproof but I think that being older and wiser now, I can appreciate the latter for its more cerebral storytelling. They're both pretty great tributes to 70s era trash cinema, though.
Freddy Got Fingered was definitely ahead of its time and is almost too smart for its own good. It's a victim of its own clever writing. Tom Green was working on a level that the audiences weren't expecting. I'd say that this was probably a lot closer to the kind of thing he wanted to do with his career.
heihachi
Amusaka's Lacky
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Van Helsing copies/pays homage pretty liberally. I think that Kate Beckinsale quote is lifted from Good Bad and the Ugly (and is kind of lame tbf). I got a kick out of the monk guy essentially being Q from James Bond though and the Vatican being the MI6 was of hunting down monsters