[Movies] Talk about the last movie you saw 2: Electric Threadaloo

So I finally say Hereditary. Watched it in the background while doing something else.

I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a horror movie that I found myself thinking about while trying to sleep at night and having it cause problems. So, well done I guess?
I watched this on a plane and I actually didn't find it very scary, at least not until the last like, 10minutes.

But I *did* find it very sad. I had to pause it and look through pictures of my daughter on my phone.
 
I watched this on a plane and I actually didn't find it very scary, at least not until the last like, 10minutes.

But I *did* find it very sad. I had to pause it and look through pictures of my daughter on my phone.
This was what made me angry in the theater when one old ass was giggling at every scene. Even if someone doesn't find the movie creepy or scary, I can't imagine finding what happens to this family funny in the slightest.
 
I watched this on a plane and I actually didn't find it very scary, at least not until the last like, 10minutes.

But I *did* find it very sad. I had to pause it and look through pictures of my daughter on my phone.
I think they did a good job of keeping an unsettling feeling through the whole thing while dealing with issues of trauma, but yeah, once that last ten minutes kicks in, it kicks hard.
 
I think they did a good job of keeping an unsettling feeling through the whole thing while dealing with issues of trauma, but yeah, once that last ten minutes kicks in, it kicks hard.
Unsettling is a good word for it. Definitely unsettling.

Probably would have found it scarier in a different viewing environment though, I'll admit. Hard to be really scared by a movie when watching it on a 15in screen in business class, getting interrupted by the pilot telling you about turbulence, and the flight attendant bringing your food and drinks.
 
Hardcore Henry

Suh-WEET Jesus that was awesome!
yeah I really enjoyed it. I wanted to watch it with my best friend John but after a few minutes the first person viewpoint made him motion sick.

There were two music videos by the same director for his band, Biting Elbows, that were sort of a prototype for Hardcore Henry - "The Stampede" and "Bad Motherfucker"
 
Annihilation

Huh... so... that was a thing.

I'm still trying to process how I feel about it. It's a good film, definitely, with awesome visuals and a strong cast. There were quite a few moments that were genuinely and memorably tense. But there are a bunch of unanswered questions, and it's left for the audience to decide for themselves which answers or version of events they prefer. Consequently, from a storytelling perspective, I'm left feeling a bit unsatisfied.

Still, though, it's definitely a really good movie, very much worth the watch.
 
That's about how I feel about Annihilation. Well, not so much unsatisfied - it was extremely my jam (though as far as recent weird sci-fi movies go I preferred Arrival) - but there's a little something in the back of my mind that goes "huh" every time I think about things.
 
Just got back from a 1055 matinee of Glass. I enjoyed it immensely. Shamalamadingdong did Unbreakable and Split proud.

Only spoiler I'll give is there is no stinger, but after the movie I was happy to sit through the credits.
 
Welp, just got back from seeing Glass.

I'll try putting this in boxing terms, using a 3-punch analogy.

Unbreakable felt like a knockout punch and I still feel the effects of it long after, but I had lots of time to recover from it (19 years in this case).

After a series of listless punches following Unbreakable, Split was the surprise uppercut I didn't see coming. It made me think, "Holy shit, this fighter's still got some life in him."

The ending promised a big wind up. So I hoped for a really great knockout punch to finish me off.

Glass was...just a solid jab. A good hit, nowhere nearly as sloppy as other hits, but compared to the other two, it just doesn't measure up.

In other words, Glass was...okay. It's not bad M Night. It's not great M Night. It's firmly in the middle.

It has some good things going for it.

-It's INCREDIBLY well shot. M Night has an extraordinary cinematic eye.
-The acting is great from the main cast, though Willis surprisingly doesn't get much screen time compared to the other two.

But for all the build up, it just doesn't stick the landing like I'd hoped. I liked how some expectations were subverted, but the ending dragged FAR too long, like it was trying WAY too hard to be something poignant when it wasn't.

I don't regret seeing it. I didn't hate it. I just didn't love it. I might appreciate it more after reading/watching some analysis on it and maybe some repeat watching.
After 19 years of build up, it just sort of sputters out the great potential.
 

fade

Staff member
I rewatched American Psycho this weekend. According to the writer and co-writer, the ending was not meant to be ambiguous about whether or not Bateman actually committed the murders. They say it was never in question to them, and they would rework the ending if they could to make that clearer. They said the ambiguity was supposed to merely call into question Bateman's perception of the events--that perhaps his version was elaborated in his own eyes. This is something Bateman starts to realize when the cop car explodes unbelievably. But the murders did happen. The big "twist" at the end with the lawyer revealing Paul Allen was still alive was just supposed to confirm the meaninglessness of Bateman's actions and to further the narrative of conformity and loss of individuality.
 
I rewatched American Psycho this weekend. According to the writer and co-writer, the ending was not meant to be ambiguous about whether or not Bateman actually committed the murders. They say it was never in question to them, and they would rework the ending if they could to make that clearer. They said the ambiguity was supposed to merely call into question Bateman's perception of the events--that perhaps his version was elaborated in his own eyes. This is something Bateman starts to realize when the cop car explodes unbelievably. But the murders did happen. The big "twist" at the end with the lawyer revealing Paul Allen was still alive was just supposed to confirm the meaninglessness of Bateman's actions and to further the narrative of conformity and loss of individuality.
That's a shame, because the twist that he might have just been imagining all his vicious crimes is what made it more compelling for me. The fact that the brutal murders were figments of his imagination underscored the sociopathic nature of Wall Street young turks, reflecting the ruthlessness of their financial decisions and obsessive self-gratification.
 
While it felt like it could be ambiguous, I think there are too many inconsistencies in the plot with that interpretation. The ending that makes the most sense to me, as well as feeling the most brutal, is that he killed a lot of people and everyone else protected him without even his asking for their help.
 

fade

Staff member
The loss of individuality theme plays out often in the movie, with Bateman called "Marcus", "Smith", and "Davis" variably, and the identical lobbies in the murder spree scene. Or the argument over business card that are nearly the same. The writer says she understood it that the lawyer just thought he was having lunch with Allen, who was interchangeable with everyone else. In her mind, the lawyer scene was key because it emphasized Bateman's impotence in that no one would believe Bateman's confession. He's ultimately unfulfilled, smothered by the very social blanket that he was fighting with his kills.

Then again, that's just the writers' interpretations.
 

fade

Staff member
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Whoa.

12/10

Just whoa.

Really one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Visually amazing. Spectacular. See this in the theater if you can.
 

Dave

Staff member
Just watched “Mortal Engines”. Interesting movie. I mean, the idea is decent but the execution was a little uneven. It had moments of being a good movie but overall it was pretty average.
 

Dave

Staff member
Okay so the movie was great. Like really, really good. I have only three complaints and NONE of them were the movie's fault.

  1. Kids in movies suck, especially kids who are not disciplined enough or old enough to see a movie in public. We had a dad with his 2-3 year old kid sitting next to us. The kid could not sit still (DUH!) and she was wearing shoes that not only glowed in the dark but had epilepsy-inducing flashes. Oh they turned off their cell phones, but the shoes blinded us during parts of the movie.
  2. HOW FUCKING LOUD CAN IT BE?!? MY EARS ARE STILL RINGING! And that's just the MUSIC. When the action started it go even louder. My head is fucking pounding.
  3. Previews before kid's movies and the commercials that precede them are mind-numbingly awful and so not subtle. The commercials were all for home products - cleaning supplies, $600 sheets (no I'm not making that up), pillows! The previews were about a happy town of ugly people who journey to the depressing town of perfect people. You are perfect just the way you are! (gag) And then there's the one about how doctors don't know what they are talking about but if you BELIEVE IN GAWD he'll heal you! Muh boy was under water for 15 minutes and his heart stopped but GAWD saved him! For fuck's sake.
But the movie itself was well worth all the fucked up bullshit I had to endure to watch it.
 

Dave

Staff member
Did you have the dog movie trailer before it? It was among the ones you mentioned when I saw it.
The trailers were:
  • Whatever the fuck the movie was that talked about the town of ugly things. (Ugly Dolls)
  • How to Train Your Dragon 3
  • Secret Life of Pets 2
  • The Lego Movie 2
  • "Breakthrough" - A story of how the power of prayer can bring your loved-ones back to life if you only believe hard enough.
 
The trailers were:
  • Whatever the fuck the movie was that talked about the town of ugly things. (Ugly Dolls)
  • How to Train Your Dragon 3
  • Secret Life of Pets 2
  • The Lego Movie 2
  • "Breakthrough" - A story of how the power of prayer can bring your loved-ones back to life if you only believe hard enough.
That last one has to be a limited release or something. It wasn't part of my previews.
 

fade

Staff member
I got Breakthrough also. Gag. So what about all the kids who fall through the ice and don't survive despite their parents faithfully praying and surrendering themselves to their faith?
 

fade

Staff member
I also meant to add that the one real knock I had against Spider-Man was the Kingpin character design. It was goofy, and felt out of place in the rest of the designs.
 
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