Movie opinions thread (what have you seen, what did you think?)
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The Limey - brilliant crime drama from Steven Soderbergh, starring the late, great, Terence Stamp as an English gangster who comes to LA to find out what happened in the death of his daughter.
While that may sound like the film has undertones of Get Carter, the two films are completely different in execution. Stamp is brilliant as the Cockney geezer, who isn't going to take fuck off for an answer as he tries to put together the puzzle of his daughter's death. There are solid supporting turns from Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzman, Barry Newman, and Peter Fonda. There's even a cameo from Bill Duke as a DEA agent.
It feels a little slow to get going, but when it does, it keeps its foot down to the end. It's also really funny in places, especially when Stamp reels off long pieces of dialogue riddled in rhyming slang and no one can understand him.
While that may sound like the film has undertones of Get Carter, the two films are completely different in execution. Stamp is brilliant as the Cockney geezer, who isn't going to take fuck off for an answer as he tries to put together the puzzle of his daughter's death. There are solid supporting turns from Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzman, Barry Newman, and Peter Fonda. There's even a cameo from Bill Duke as a DEA agent.
It feels a little slow to get going, but when it does, it keeps its foot down to the end. It's also really funny in places, especially when Stamp reels off long pieces of dialogue riddled in rhyming slang and no one can understand him.
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A Better Tomorrow- While The Killer and Hard Boiled are more well known this is the one that really set the standard for Hong Kong action/crime movies of the era. The opening scene with the money and the hallway/restaurant shootout are classic Woo. It‘s not quite as stylish or bombastic with its action as his later movies it still holds its own. Chow Yun Fat steals every scene he’s in and Waise Lee is great as the villain. Lots of drama as well, which is mostly engaging though it does drag in a couple spots. Still, overall it’s good stuff and definitely holds up.
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The Getaway - Crime thriller from Roger Donaldson and remake of the earlier flick that starred Steve McQueen. This 1994 film has Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger as the stars - a married couple who also happen to hand at pulling off heists. Things go awry when they kill a mob boss (James Woods at his slimeiest), take the money they stole for him and begin their escape toward the Mexican border.
There's great chemistry between Basinger and Baldwin (who were married at the time), and Michael Madsen is pretty decent as the main protagonist. Film moves along at a decent pace, and there's a good supporting cast that includes Phillip Seymour Hoffman, David Morse, and Meg Tilly. And for you pervs, you get to see Basinger's boobies, and a quick shot of her muff.
It's a well executed and entertaining movie, but never feels like it hits the notes its cast are capable of, and Donaldson just doesn't ratchet up the tension enough. Still, pretty much forgotten about nowadays, worth catching up with for fans of 90s thrillers with plenty of tits and ass thrown in because that was the style back then.
There's great chemistry between Basinger and Baldwin (who were married at the time), and Michael Madsen is pretty decent as the main protagonist. Film moves along at a decent pace, and there's a good supporting cast that includes Phillip Seymour Hoffman, David Morse, and Meg Tilly. And for you pervs, you get to see Basinger's boobies, and a quick shot of her muff.
It's a well executed and entertaining movie, but never feels like it hits the notes its cast are capable of, and Donaldson just doesn't ratchet up the tension enough. Still, pretty much forgotten about nowadays, worth catching up with for fans of 90s thrillers with plenty of tits and ass thrown in because that was the style back then.
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Death of a Unicorn
A lot more horror than anticipated. I enjoyed it, the wife did not. The trailers cover the entire premise of the movie. There's not many surprises. Special effects were all over the place, like many current movies. Some of it was quite impressive, but a lot of it looked like I was watching the Scoprion King from decades past. I felt like I was watching a 90's movie, so I guess it's fitting. The gore level is pretty high, so I'm not sure who is the intended audience. The topic and plot is YA, but the rating is R.
A lot more horror than anticipated. I enjoyed it, the wife did not. The trailers cover the entire premise of the movie. There's not many surprises. Special effects were all over the place, like many current movies. Some of it was quite impressive, but a lot of it looked like I was watching the Scoprion King from decades past. I felt like I was watching a 90's movie, so I guess it's fitting. The gore level is pretty high, so I'm not sure who is the intended audience. The topic and plot is YA, but the rating is R.
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Carrie
DePalma is pretty hit or miss, but I like this one. I'm glad he actually made the end of the movie. I feel like in the '70s, even well into the '80s, movies would end at the climax. That's what she said. Carrie actually going home, having the confrontation with her mother, and the house collapsing actually gives it an ending.
Panic Room
What a weird follow-up to Fight Club. It's a constant "How are they going to get out of this one?" movie, which almost always means there's a gimmick. With this one, the gimmick is in the title. Jodie Foster and Kristin Stewart are pretty unlikeable, and Jared Leto goes almost full Nic Cage as the villain. Not worth a watch unless you want a Y2K era TNT movie of the week (which, TBF was what I was looking for today).
Warfare
I was surprised that I liked this, though I don't like that A24 is losing their identity. A group of SEALS commandeers a multi-family home in Iraq. Militants try to flush them out and it turns from a surveillance mission into a rescue mission. It's one of the few movies that treats the subject of the military in a matter of fact way. There are no bromances and no Jesus with an AR –– just people being told to invade a place and then getting attacked for invading the place.
DePalma is pretty hit or miss, but I like this one. I'm glad he actually made the end of the movie. I feel like in the '70s, even well into the '80s, movies would end at the climax. That's what she said. Carrie actually going home, having the confrontation with her mother, and the house collapsing actually gives it an ending.
Panic Room
What a weird follow-up to Fight Club. It's a constant "How are they going to get out of this one?" movie, which almost always means there's a gimmick. With this one, the gimmick is in the title. Jodie Foster and Kristin Stewart are pretty unlikeable, and Jared Leto goes almost full Nic Cage as the villain. Not worth a watch unless you want a Y2K era TNT movie of the week (which, TBF was what I was looking for today).
Warfare
I was surprised that I liked this, though I don't like that A24 is losing their identity. A group of SEALS commandeers a multi-family home in Iraq. Militants try to flush them out and it turns from a surveillance mission into a rescue mission. It's one of the few movies that treats the subject of the military in a matter of fact way. There are no bromances and no Jesus with an AR –– just people being told to invade a place and then getting attacked for invading the place.
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Blade Trilogy
I never watched these befoee
First one - not bad nice start to series
Second one - did not like this trying too hard to be the Matrix
Third one - I’m sure this is the one that killed the series like the third movie usually does, but I didn’t mind this. It’s weird seeing young Triple H and Parker Posey is out of place but hams it up pretty good. I guess the movie depends on your tolerance for Ryan Reynolds because the character he plays is almost the same as the one he plays in Deadpool. He and Jessica Biel really are the main characters and it was fine to me at least better than the second one.
I never watched these befoee
First one - not bad nice start to series
Second one - did not like this trying too hard to be the Matrix
Third one - I’m sure this is the one that killed the series like the third movie usually does, but I didn’t mind this. It’s weird seeing young Triple H and Parker Posey is out of place but hams it up pretty good. I guess the movie depends on your tolerance for Ryan Reynolds because the character he plays is almost the same as the one he plays in Deadpool. He and Jessica Biel really are the main characters and it was fine to me at least better than the second one.
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I just want to see Warfare since it’s the same director as Civil War which I liked.
Speaking of A24 did you watch Legend of Ochi? I liked that and Janet Planet by them.
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It definitely feels similar to Civil War, but not necessarily like Garlin’s other stuff. If you haven’t seen Annihilation, definitely check it out.
I haven’t seen those ones yet. I think the most recent ones I’ve seen are Love Lies Bleeding, A Different Man, and Heretic. Might watch Friendship soon but I do want to check Ochi.
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The Vampire Lovers- Hammer movie from 1970 starring Peter Cushing and Ingrid Pitt. I believe this is the first of Hammer’s loose Carmilla trilogy. It’s a little slow but the production values are pretty good and there’s ample T&A with not so subtle lesbian undertones. If you like glamorous women with serious cleavage running around castles and fog in sheer dresses then you can’t go wrong with this.
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The behind the scenes on the production of this is pretty nuts. Apparently Reynolds and Biel are essentially the main characters because Wesley Snipes was so difficult to work with they basically had to rewrite the movie on the fly. He refused to talk to anyone and only communicated using Post-It notes. Famously there’s a shot where they had to CG eyes onto Snipes because he refused to open them.
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Hahaha that's so childish it's brilliant. There must be a backstory to the backstory, surely? Did they fuck him on pay? Is he just a cock?
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Naked Gun (2025) - About what I expected. The tone isn't quite right compared to the Zucker movies and there are way more sex/dick jokes than those movies tended to have but the movie mostly gets it right and Liam Neeson and Pam Anderson both understood the assignment (playing it straight while ridiculous shit happens all around them). The jokes themselves didn't hit as often for me but I appreciate that that's subjective and there were a few laugh-out-loud moments. My only real disappointment is that there were significantly fewer background/scenery jokes. The Zucker movies were a constant barrage of things happening in the foreground and background that were never called out to the point where there was almost always a joke on-screen and while they made a point of making sure there were silly moments like that sprinkled in (the Spirit of Halloween immediately replacing the police station got a legitimate chuckle out of me), it just didn't seem as stuffed with jokes as those old movies were.
All in all, it was a breath of fresh air to watch a comedy that wasn't unwatchable dogshit and it was a remake that didn't feel the need to constantly remind you of things you liked from the originals. Not a home run but a solid double.
All in all, it was a breath of fresh air to watch a comedy that wasn't unwatchable dogshit and it was a remake that didn't feel the need to constantly remind you of things you liked from the originals. Not a home run but a solid double.
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There was some hubbub between him and Reynolds as well. One of them called the other retarded, I think? It was referenced in the 3rd Deadpool movie, DP says "I thought you were retired" and Blade retorts with something like "Did you call me retarded??"
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You have chosen wisely.
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I thought Blade 2 was pretty okay as far as sequels go. Blade 3 is comically bad.
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Blade 2 has Donnie Yen in it so it’s automatically pretty awesome.
The very obvious Matrix vibes I can look past since that was just the style at the time.
Gumby CG Blade is pretty bad though. But so was Gumby CG Neo in the second Matrix and people ate that shit up.
The very obvious Matrix vibes I can look past since that was just the style at the time.
Gumby CG Blade is pretty bad though. But so was Gumby CG Neo in the second Matrix and people ate that shit up.
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Matrix 2 would be an infinitely better movie if they just cut several scenes short. The stupid sweaty cave rave/sex scene, Neo vs Smiths (end the fight before Neo picks up the pole to use as a weapon), etc. Even the highway chase/chateau fight, which are awesome, go on about 5 minutes too long.
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While I would not entirely disagree with that take on Matrix 2, my view is basically quite stark -
All content in Matrix = good
All content outside Matrix = bad
They should have just cut all the "real world" scenes out as they're all pretty shit, especially the scenes in Babylon or whatever the fuck its called.
The third film is just hot garbage.
Nowadays I just watch the first film only, as it doesn't end in such a way as you have to watch the sequels.
All content in Matrix = good
All content outside Matrix = bad
They should have just cut all the "real world" scenes out as they're all pretty shit, especially the scenes in Babylon or whatever the fuck its called.
The third film is just hot garbage.
Nowadays I just watch the first film only, as it doesn't end in such a way as you have to watch the sequels.