Movie Record 2023 Edition - The Bear and Badger

Moot_Geeza

He co-wrote Candyman too, which was so dull I didn't finish it. Such a shame, was expecting that one to be good.

Raiziel

Moot_Geeza wrote:

He co-wrote Candyman too, which was so dull I didn't finish it. Such a shame, was expecting that one to be good.

There’s some nice cinematography in there, but that’s about it. I watched the original (first saw it at the cinema because I love me some Barker) a couple of months ago and it holds up.

Dark Soldier

Get Out and Us are two of the worst horror films in decades.

Nope is fucking amazing.

hylian_elf

They are the worst horror films but not the worst films. If you’re expecting horror then yeah. If you just want to watch a decent movie then no.

LivDiv

Yeah I dont think they really fit into Horror, more psychological, especially Get Out.

Raiziel

Nope is bad film with some great ideas buried inside it. Us and Get Out are merely decent.

Gremill

Dark Soldier wrote:

Get Out and Us are two of the worst horror films in decades.

Nope is fucking amazing.

Really? What was it about it that your loved so much? Genuine question. I found it very dull and then ludicrous, but punctuated with a few moments of greatness.

Kow

I thought Nope was a pretty good sci fi horror. His other films go in the bin, though, especially Us, which is borderline unwatchable.

Wookienopants

But what did you all think of Interstellar?

hylian_elf

What’s that? Sounds shit. Probably has a gimmick-director.

Dark Soldier

Gremill wrote:

Dark Soldier wrote:

Get Out and Us are two of the worst horror films in decades. Nope is fucking amazing.

Really? What was it about it that your loved so much? Genuine question. I found it very dull and then ludicrous, but punctuated with a few moments of greatness.

Loved the visuals, loved that it doesn't take itself seriously at all. Has some fantastic scenes. Felt like he was having fun making it and it came across that way.

Gremill

Dark Soldier wrote:

Gremill wrote:

Dark Soldier wrote:

Get Out and Us are two of the worst horror films in decades. Nope is fucking amazing.

Really? What was it about it that your loved so much? Genuine question. I found it very dull and then ludicrous, but punctuated with a few moments of greatness.

Loved the visuals, loved that it doesn't take itself seriously at all. Has some fantastic scenes. Felt like he was having fun making it and it came across that way.

Cheers. Yeah, I can see that. I might give it another go - it wasn't what I was expecting it to be so I kind of set myself up for disappointment.

Dark Soldier

I went in expecting Us or Get Out so it was a fantastic surprise. Shows how mindset can set things up, I despised Cabin in the Woods first watch but seen it about five times now and its great fun.

Minkymu

did Whedon finger anyone whilst directing that one?

Dark Soldier

probably

davyK

A Quiet Place Part 2 I enjoyed the first part. Enjoyed this too. Not as tight but still a good watch. Ends the story well.

Cos

Life has been getting in the way of movie watching lately but some stuff I have managed to watch over the last couple of months:

13. The Whale
A very good but also overrated movie. I think someone commented on it being an adaptation of a play and how they retained that style when filming which I thought was a great setup, made if feel much more intimate. Fraser was definitely good in the lead role but I didn't see it as an award winning performance - if anything, it felt like he decided/was directed to 'act more' in certain moments that just came off as over the top. Also thought his friend/nurse was the far better performance and put him to shame at times. The daughter was a terrible mistake, awful character and performance that just didn't fit for me. An interesting character piece but with enough flaws to keep it from being truly great. [7]

14. Minari
Drama about a South Korean family that move to the rural US in the 80s to follow the father's dream of starting a Korean produce farm. It's fairly slow and quiet overall, punctuated with moments of heartbreak as the family struggle to make a new life. The father is determined but inexperienced and it puts a strain on his wife and kids, all of whom are wonderfully realised and really bring the story to life. It's subtle but moving and builds to quite the crescendo. [8]

15. Together Together
Middle aged single guy finds a surrogate and romcom hijinks ensue. Not quite hijinks so the film is nowhere near as terrible as that sounds. It's more on the 'endearing' end of the scale but does have enough about it to not follow all of the tropes and there are plenty of good laughs throughout to keep it entertaining. Light and forgettable but a fun watch nonetheless. [6]

Cos

16. A Quiet Place Part II
I liked the first one well enough but had absolutely no interest in a sequel. Should have stuck to that instinct as this was fucking dreadful and probably only serves to taint any good will the first one earned. Terrible writing, acting, direction, the whole shebang. Cillian Murphy not surprisingly the best thing in it but mostly wasted, there's maybe 2-3 moments of interest but drowned in garbage. I can't even get into the final act which is a fucking joke. [2]

17. Clerks III
Power to Kevin Smith for his openness in just making films he wants to make, with people he likes. This feels like something for only the most hardcore of fans though, it's meta on meta and is essentially a retelling of the first film bringing back all the original cast for cameos. There's some evidence of Smith's snappy dialogue that got a couple of hearty laughs, the two goths and their outfits were brilliant but the rest is just a curio. The most impressive bit is that actual good actors show up at points but it only really highlights the chasm between them and everything else. [4]

Gremill

Yeah, credit to Smith for just doing whatever he wants to do. It's a pity his films are absolute dogshit though.

Minkymu

Gremill wrote:

Yeah, credit to Smith for just doing whatever he wants to do. It's a pity his films are absolute dogshit though.

I wont have a bad word said about Red State

RedDave2

Minkymu wrote:

Gremill wrote:

Yeah, credit to Smith for just doing whatever he wants to do. It's a pity his films are absolute dogshit though.

I wont have a bad word said about Red State

Fuck yes. Also dogma just about holds up.

Gremill

Minkymu wrote:

Gremill wrote:

Yeah, credit to Smith for just doing whatever he wants to do. It's a pity his films are absolute dogshit though.

I wont have a bad word said about Red State

That's fair. Red State might be his best film.

b0r1s

Is that the Waco one?

I still enjoy Dogma some good stuff in that still about god n stuff in Smith’s usual heavy handed style. But no one can complain about watching Rickman with his pants down.

Minkymu

b0r1s wrote:

Is that the Waco one?

I still enjoy Dogma some good stuff in that still about god n stuff in Smith’s usual heavy handed style. But no one can complain about watching Rickman with his pants down.

yeah the waco esque one. its not actually about waco. john goodmans in it

b0r1s

Yeah, pretty sure I enjoyed that, though only seen it once.

Minkymu

if it was ages ago its well
worth a revisit. its batshit at the end

Cos

18. The Outfit
Hitchcockian crime drama set in a tailors shop in 50s Chicago. Mark Rylance continues his trend of being excellent in pretty much everything he's in as the tailor whose shop is used by one of the local gangs as a drop off for money. The single setting succeeds in providing a claustrophobic feel as events start to spin out of control over the course of one evening. The attention to detail when the tailor is working and Rylance's voiceover is oddly soothing so it's noticeable when that disappears and the tension is ratcheted up. Good support from Johnny Flynn as the mob enforcer and the rest of the cast are decent. Really enjoyed it for the most part but unfortunately don't think it quite stuck the landing, partly just one scene too much, though would still recommend. [7]

19. John Wick: Chapter 4
Aaand fucked it. Diminishing returns for sure at this point and the absolutely ridiculous almost 3 hour run time was probably one of the key factors. They left themselves with so much time to fill that I just couldn't buy into the overtly silly nature of the world for that long. I didn't really care for the lore they've created over the years either so that didn't help. It's a shame as there are still some absolutely stunning sequences (Osaka hotel) but others were borderline embarassing (Arc de Triomphe and steps) and I was itching for it to finish after 2 hours or so. Went back and watched the first one afterwards and a tight 90 minutes of action is where this series should have stayed. [5]

20. Last Flag Flying
An American veteran asks two old friends to help him transport and bury his son who was killed in action. It's a pretty sparse movie and Steve Carrell is oddly quiet for most of it but still has a couple of powerful scenes. Fishburne is solid support but Cranston is the outstanding one of the three - seems like he's just having an absloute ball with the character and it's fun to follow along. The more sombre moments are well balanced and it's an interesting ensemble piece with something to say. [7]

davyK

Cos wrote:

16. A Quiet Place Part II I liked the first one well enough but had absolutely no interest in a sequel. Should have stuck to that instinct as this was fucking dreadful and probably only serves to taint any good will the first one earned. Terrible writing, acting, direction, the whole shebang. Cillian Murphy not surprisingly the best thing in it but mostly wasted, there's maybe 2-3 moments of interest but drowned in garbage. I can't even get into the final act which is a fucking joke. [2]

I obviously enjoyed this more than you. Cillian was the best thing in it and the ending was annoying - just press the fucking button!!

It was unnecessary really - pt1 was a nice clean little picture and we didn't need to see any more after that first killing. It didn't need a sequel. It almost downgraded the first film to TV mini series level by making it. But hey ho. We got one.

Cos

davyK wrote:

Cos wrote:

16. A Quiet Place Part II I liked the first one well enough but had absolutely no interest in a sequel. Should have stuck to that instinct as this was fucking dreadful and probably only serves to taint any good will the first one earned. Terrible writing, acting, direction, the whole shebang. Cillian Murphy not surprisingly the best thing in it but mostly wasted, there's maybe 2-3 moments of interest but drowned in garbage. I can't even get into the final act which is a fucking joke. [2]

I obviously enjoyed this more than you. Cillian was the best thing in it and the ending was annoying - just press the fucking button!! It was unnecessary really - pt1 was a nice clean little picture and we didn't need to see any more after that first killing. It didn't need a sequel. It almost downgraded the first film to TV mini series level by making it. But hey ho. We got one.

Spoiler:

davyK

Cos wrote:

davyK wrote:

Cos wrote:

16. A Quiet Place Part II I liked the first one well enough but had absolutely no interest in a sequel. Should have stuck to that instinct as this was fucking dreadful and probably only serves to taint any good will the first one earned. Terrible writing, acting, direction, the whole shebang. Cillian Murphy not surprisingly the best thing in it but mostly wasted, there's maybe 2-3 moments of interest but drowned in garbage. I can't even get into the final act which is a fucking joke. [2]

I obviously enjoyed this more than you. Cillian was the best thing in it and the ending was annoying - just press the fucking button!! It was unnecessary really - pt1 was a nice clean little picture and we didn't need to see any more after that first killing. It didn't need a sequel. It almost downgraded the first film to TV mini series level by making it. But hey ho. We got one.

Spoiler:

It was also the creature getting to the island on the boat that made me lol. As if that wasn't daft enough, everyone suddenly acted like they'd never seen one before.

yeah..know what you mean

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