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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: April 3rd, 2018, 9:31 am
by W
Good catch. They just uploaded a scene from Devito's part they cut:


Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: April 3rd, 2018, 1:16 pm
by JohnErle
numbersix wrote: So like his last film it's a strong, fun, slightly shallow film that has just enough of a politically-minded undercurrant to make it feel like more. Also, cute, dogs.
I do love me some undercurrant jam.

Anyway...

Isle Of Dogs – (7/10)

Wes Anderson's second stop-motion animation feature is again a bit of a step-down from his live action films. Working in animation seems to accentuate his fondness for the dry and deadpan, so long sequences in the film feel cold and lacking in energy. The animation and music are wonderful, but this is the least emotional story you're likely to see about the bond between humans and dogs.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: April 7th, 2018, 5:20 pm
by Buscemi2
The Leisure Seeker 3/10

I'm not sure what this Italian production shot in Georgia (the state) was trying to say. Despite having some good moments with the leads, the screenplay (concocted by four writers and based on a book) is hopelessly confused on if it's trying to be a comedy about Alzheimer's (which is kind of offensive but Italy seems to revel in getting a rise out of people), a drama about aging, or a political snapshot (which adds nothing to the plot and seems to only be there to get critical notice, it didn't work in this case). In addition, the whole thing feels like it would work better as a short play focused solely on the two main characters and without all the material with the kids (Christian McKay's performance as the son is terrible and shows you why his film career never went anywhere after he played Orson Welles in that Richard Linklater film) or the attempt to be relevant with the times.

But the showing I attended sold out and the old people liked it so maybe it was just trying to be a crowd pleaser with no point whatsoever. Either way, I don't think the film works.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: April 14th, 2018, 4:28 pm
by Buscemi2
Isle of Dogs 6/10

The weakest Wes Anderson film for one major reason: he misses in his attempt at making a Japanese film and instead makes a film for people who think they know Japan (you know, the snobs who look down on you for never watching Neon Genesis Evangelion but then collect tentacle porn on DeviantArt and think all anime needs to be dubbed). It's more Kubo and the Two Strings/Avatar: The Last Airbender than Miyazaki but luckily has enough positives to excuse the English dialogue (which feels like more like an inferior dub of a Japanese film), Anderson's need to have an English translation for every minute detail (except half of the dialogue) every five seconds, and Greta Gerwig's unnecessary character (and why is she voicing a teenage girl anyway?). The animation is gorgeous (certainly better than anything Laika's come up with) and once the two plots get together, it becomes an interesting "little guy vs. the establishment" movie. Some of the voice acting is pretty good, even with the whitewashing, and the cinematography is excellent (I'm convinced that Tristan Oliver is the real director of this and Fantastic Mr. Fox, seeing how he's criticized Anderson's directing process for animation in the past).

But this could have been a much better film with a Japanese director. With animation, the Japanese talent is better with emotion and the dystopian theme doesn't need to be so quirky. In addition, a Japanese voice cast would have done the film much more justice.

If a Japanese version ever comes stateside, I might change my score. But for now, it's my least favorite Anderson film.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: April 16th, 2018, 6:01 pm
by numbersix
Anyone seen A Quiet Place?

Really mixed feelings about this one.

On one hand it's a very impressive, immersive audio/visual experience. You hold your breath at certain scenes, when a character unwittingly makes a noise and you just know the monster is going to appear. Those moments are well directed, and the tension is very well established. Also, I always appreciate a horror film in which the characters aren't just vessels for exciting sequences, but actual characters with feelings and issues.

On the other, you reall have to suspend your disbelief to get anything out of that. there are so many issues with the logic, from the backstory of how the monsters arrived, to just how sensitive they are to sounds and how characters need to be so silent some times but yet do daily things which are arguably noisey. John Krasinski may know how to direct but his performance is weak, with some key scenes having him rely on his Sad Jim look rather than anything more intense - Emily Blunt's brilliance only highlights how mediocre he is.

But for a film that starts as something character-focused it quickly descends into real b-movie territory, with the ridiculous breaches of logic to the lack of character development to the repetition of scary scenes, so by the end (and that last shot is tonally so different from the rest of the film) you're left with something a lot cheaper than what you think it starts off as.

It's quite like Don't Breathe, another film that's great at tension but when you look beyond that you've got something weak.

6/10

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: April 16th, 2018, 8:18 pm
by transformers2
I really dug A Quiet Place. It's a brilliant exercise in tension with some terrific performances (particularly from Millicient Simmonds and Blunt, who continues to blow me away as an actor), sound design and a surprising amount of emotional resonance. However, I do agree with your criticisms about the odd B-movie turn it takes in its closing minutes. The inevitable reveal of the monster's weakness is pretty silly and the final shot is just baffling. A solid 8/10 from me.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: April 19th, 2018, 9:38 pm
by Buscemi2
Super Troopers 2 8/10

Critics have been tearing apart this film but I have to admit, I quite enjoyed it. What's wrong with making a broad, farcical comedy about border relations anyway where everyone gets made fun of anyway? The film really doesn't say much about politics or seem very realistic but that's not really the point. It's a gag-driven movie and the Broken Lizard team and returning cast members along with the new cast have fun with the premise. It's a silly time-killer designed to make you laugh and it gets the job done.

Meanwhile, the troupe has been talking about a third one but I'm not sure what they can do with it. This was already a big idea as is and it might be reaching to go farther. Though I will take a Potfest.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: April 21st, 2018, 2:35 pm
by Shrykespeare
I'm not going to expound on Six's or tranny's review of A Quiet Place, but I agree with them.


In a movie that's basically about alien invasion, I find it aggravating that we are never ONCE told 1) where they came from, 2) the circumstances of the invasion, or 3) why they came at all. They're big, fast, and scary. The end.

We are given no backstory at all beyond a few vague newspaper headlines. The only one I remember is one calling the aliens "Indestructible", which is so laughable it's not even funny. Emily killed one with a single 12-gauge shot to the head, and mankind is well known for having much scarier and more destructive weapons at their disposal. If mankind has been decimated so thoroughly that this little patch of Earth is apparently indicative of how it is everywhere, the circumstances of the invasion and mankind's futile efforts to fight them off become VERY relevant. But we get none of that at all.

And as for the final act... yeah, no. We know right at the beginning that the aliens are blind (hence why the survivors have no fear about lighting everything up), and hunt by sound alone. Their hearing is so acute they can hear a pin drop a mile away, and yet NO ONE ON EARTH ever considered that high-frequency sound waves might be used as a weapon?


I give the movie props for its originality, its concept, its buildup of tension. The jump-out-at-you scares were effective, the acting was passable (Millicent Simmonds was far and away the most compelling character), and the aliens well-realized.

With any horror movie, particularly ones that involve supernatural or otherworldly elements, a suspension of disbelief is almost always required. This one crossed the line. Not by much, but enough for me to only give it a marginal thumbs up.

6.5/10


I think we can assume a sequel will be green lit. A pray to God we get some of these burning questions answered in Part 2.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: April 21st, 2018, 4:54 pm
by Buscemi2
A spokesperson from Michael Bay's company recently said they would be developing original projects (outside of Bay's directorial efforts) from here on out. If a sequel happens, it will likely be with a different production team while Krasinski and Blunt move on to another expensive home movie.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: April 22nd, 2018, 12:37 pm
by Chienfantome
I've seen "Isle of Dogs" this weekend, and it's another home-run from Wes Anderson. Such a precise, subtle, funny, beautiful, rich, touching film once again. I can't wait to see it again.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: April 24th, 2018, 8:58 am
by transformers2
Super Troopers 2 8/10
Gleefully stupid and constantly amusing sequel to the 2002 cult comedy hit is everything I wanted it to be. It was great to see these goofball characters back on screen after all these years and all of the new additions to the cast effortlessly buy into Broken Lizard's charming absurdity. Now bring on Potfest!

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: April 25th, 2018, 9:35 pm
by Ron Burgundy
I had 2 weeks off recently and went to the movies twice, im regretting not going to see Isle of Dogs or Early Man, but my options were thin: 10AM or 3PM, which didnt work for me.

Anyhoo, i did see:

Ready Player One
I had been waiting for this for many weeks, so expectations were fairly high despite the middling Box Office take. Thankfully it lived up to the lofty standards set by Steven Spielberg. Excellent special effects and a wildly imaginative futuristic world. Even the story was fairly well paced and the emotional crap was restrained. If i had to nitpick things i thought the 2nd and 3rd keys were somewhat glossed over, there could have been a lot more to it. Also really wanted to see T.J Millers character (by far the best) after the whole shebang and see him eat fastfood on the couch or something, but no dice. Ben Mendelson played the villian quite well also. I even had a lump in my throat towards then end, which is a sign that you bought in to the story. Overall, very good.
7.5/10

A Quiet Place
Glad someone else saw it, because i pretty much echo what Shryke says. And six. There were some ok moments but overall it was just a 'shiny' movie. Absolutely agree Krasinksi is a bad actor and agree even more with the suspension of disbelief and the lack of a backstory. I know movies these days like to have ambigous endings, but a start, middle and end? No thanks. Somehow, the audience is just supposed to believe these monsters are here on Earth and you must accept it to enjoy the film. I tried- but the slightly shocking actions of the youngest child (and careless father, yeah, make the little one walk last in line you idiot) and fucking ridiculously stupid with the play aeroplane (and he even found batteries!!- i thought Toys dont come with) at the start of the film did not pave the way for me to enjoy. Overall, how did this shit go blockbuster?! Is it possible audiences are getting dumber? Am i an idiot for paying to see this?! (no, it was the only film on at 11PM)
4/10

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: April 25th, 2018, 10:24 pm
by Buscemi2
A Quiet Place was a success due to marketing, pure and simple. So many indies have had similar themes but remain obscure due to the lack of a promotional push, leading the general public to believe a film like A Quiet Place is original.

As I said before, we've been told there is a new horror revolution but we aren't really seeing a lot of these films because they either got dumped into a few theatres or lurk on demand, leading the only titles to break out are the well-marketed studio films. It's hard to find this material when all we get to see are ghosts, 80's throwbacks, and Blumhouse.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: May 5th, 2018, 6:26 pm
by Buscemi2
You Were Never Really Here 9/10

Joaquin Phoenix might be the best actor working today. Working with the criminally underrated Lynne Ramsay, his performance as a tormented tracker who gets into a deadly plot after rescuing a senator's daughter makes this thriller a cut above most films about hired guns. The slow burn nature gives way to some beautiful cinematography (this is some of the best that New York has looked in a film recently) and lets this small film breathe in its nature as a character study. It's also in a way the closest we will get to a film like Taxi Driver in the modern age. While a studio film would spend its time glorifying the violence, this film studies the effects of violence on our psyche. Either it breaks us or we get used to it.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Posted: May 12th, 2018, 5:23 pm
by Buscemi2
Bad Samaritan 1/10

What starts as a cheap ripoff of Don't Breathe turns into a ridiculous thriller that calls back to the worst direct-to-video thrillers of the 2000's. Dean Devlin's self-financed vanity project has no redeeming values and runs far too long at nearly two hours (twenty minutes of edits could have made things a bit more tolerable). It looks cheap, the characters aren't very interesting (and Six might get a few laughs about the protagonist being Irish for no particular reason), and people seem to be able to survive damn near anything (at least two characters survive long falls that should have either killed them or caused serious injury) but the biggest problem lays in David Tennant's performance. His scenery chewing and attempts at being intense are downright laughable. It's as if he was only cast in the film to bring in Doctor Who fans (the only people who seem to like the film). He is so wrong for this role and he brings no sense of believability to the role (though I'm sure even the best actor couldn't make this script work).

The summer movie season is only two weeks old but we already have a contender for the worst.