I do not recommend this movie. The plot is both ridiculous and uninteresting. The movie wants to be futuristic, sci-fi and film noir. It is none of those things. From now on I’m avoiding any show that says “writer/director/producer Lisa Joy.” Westworld season 1 was her one-hit wonder.
I gave it one star for the actors doing the best they can with a horrible script and one star because Thandiwe Newton added a W to her name.
Werewolves Within - I found this a fun little movie with some nice work by the two leads. Some of the other actors' performances can be a bit trying but didn't ruin the movie for me.
I do not recommend this movie. The plot is both ridiculous and uninteresting. The movie wants to be futuristic, sci-fi and film noir. It is none of those things. From now on I’m avoiding any show that says “writer/director/producer Lisa Joy.” Westworld season 1 was her one-hit wonder.
I gave it one star for the actors doing the best they can with a horrible script and one star because Thandiwe Newton added a W to her name.
i heard it was an eye rolling noir janky Inception with wolverine haha
In the lead up to watching The Suicide Squad, I watched a few related movies (and one episode of an old cartoon).
Batman: Arkham Asylum The one movie I'd already seen and jjust about as good as I had remembered. A tie-in to the Arkham series of video games, the movie featured Batman more prominently than I had remembered, which, duh, his name is in the title. The voice cast is quite good, featuring Squad mainstays like Waller, Deadshot, Harley, and Captain Boomerang. I also believe this was my first introduction to King Shark, who seems to have unexpected romantic tension with Killer Frost here. This is also the animated era where a series of actors voicing the Joker were trying to do a Mark Hamill impression. Still, fun to revisit, especially with Kevin Conroy voicing Batman and CCH Pounder reprising Waller.
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay Part of the animated film continuity that WB ran from 2014 to just recently, this entry has the advantage of being totally Suicide Squad focused, rather than in an ensemble with a heavy hitter like Batman. I'm not sure the voice cast is quite at BAA's level, at least in the cases where the same characters are used (Waller, Deadshot, Harley, Boomerang, and Killer Frost) and Vanessa Williams' take on Waller made it sound like she was doing a CCH Pounder impression at times. It even does the same gag that BAA did, showing a scene where the Squad are all experiencing something painful, while Harley is laughing and clearly enjoying it. The movie does enough to stand on its own, though, and is one of the more memorable films I've seen from that DCAMU continuity. There's a twist toward the end that I appreciated that reveals it to be an unexpected sequel to an earlier entry. I liked Bronze Tiger's arc, too.
Justice League Unlimited, "Task Force X" Okay, not a movie, but still thematically linked. I remember liking it as a kid and I think it still holds up pretty well, which isn't too much of a surprise from a Timm/Dini show. I remember back when Justice League transitioned to Unlimited, there was a lot of online criticism that the switch from the first show's two-part episode format to standalone half hour episodes made for shallower stories, but this one feels complete. Also, great use of The Clock King.
It did make me realize that of the five Suicide Squad adaptations I've seen/plan to see (the two live action movies, the two animated movies, and this episode), only two characters are in all of them: Amanda Waller and Captain Boomerang. No doubt Deadshot would have made that list, too, if the 2016 movie hadn't been so bad.
Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn Definitely one of the DCEU's stronger entries, but still uneven and that made it more enjoyable and diverting than great. Logic often gives way to pretty decent action (the police station sequence comes to mind) and for stretches I wasn't sure what the movie wanted to be. The climactic sequence is really good, though, Black Canary's power reveal nearly made me fist pump when I realized the moment had come, and it has one of my favorite villain deaths I've seen in a while. It sounds like The Suicide Squad is a step up, so as fun as this movie was, I'm looking forward to that one even more now.
Candyman (2021): Man, I was not a fan of this movie. I think I ended up being more disappointed than the average viewer because I am a huge fan of the original and really love Jordan Peele's other stuff. It felt like just a very messy, unfocused film. There was virtually no lead up or tension, it does that thing where it preaches it's points instead of letting them be explained in a more natural way, there were scenes which had no bearing on the rest of the film which I am still wondering why they included them. At the end of the day I think I am more upset because I saw some really cool ideas that were thrown at the wall haphazardly with poor execution. That said, RottenTomatoes has it at 85% and an audience score of 75%, so other people are liking it a lot more than me.
PIG - From the trailer and the Cage factor I was expecting some kind of over the top John Wick knockoff but I think this movie is genuinely really good. It has violent moments but not anything like I thought it'd be, it's a pretty thoughtful movie with an effective ending that wasn't where I thought we were headed. His main power is exactly what we need nowadays - the miracle ability to make fancy rich jerkoffs feel bad about themselves. FWIW my partner hated it and it's not exactly Oscar bait, there were plenty of parts where I was laughing but it was not the movie I was expecting.
Candyman (2021): Man, I was not a fan of this movie. I think I ended up being more disappointed than the average viewer because I am a huge fan of the original and really love Jordan Peele's other stuff. It felt like just a very messy, unfocused film. There was virtually no lead up or tension, it does that thing where it preaches it's points instead of letting them be explained in a more natural way, there were scenes which had no bearing on the rest of the film which I am still wondering why they included them. At the end of the day I think I am more upset because I saw some really cool ideas that were thrown at the wall haphazardly with poor execution. That said, RottenTomatoes has it at 85% and an audience score of 75%, so other people are liking it a lot more than me.
Pretty much everything you’ve said here. The dialogue is cringe-inducing almost the entire way through, and I was shocked to learn that Peele co-wrote the movie when I thought he was just a producer. There’s not a single scare in the whole movie and there’s not really any actual central conflict, it’s just a bunch of shit that’s happening.
It’s even more annoying because the pieces are all in here to make a really great and prescient movie, but it’s so embarrassingly on the nose that I can’t believe it wasn’t rewritten. I’d almost rather see this same team slap a ‘The’ in the front and run the whole thing back again with a different script in a couple years.
Alright, so this was way better than I expected. Still a cheesy comedy, but felt very modern and in touch with how a lot of real young couples are. This is despite the crazy occurrences and situations. John Cena is the same as he is in every other comedy. Lil Rel Howery is doing his best Kevin Hart impression. The rest of the cast is forgettable. All that being said, I did not mind this movie. Great stay at home date night movie, but I would hesitate to call it a Rom Com. I give it 3 crazy girlfriends out of 5.
I can't remember if it was Jim or A.Ron who said something about putting their money on Shang-Chi being the better martial arts movie or Snake Eyes but they were 100% accurate. I think it was a easy call but damn Shang-Chi did not disappoint. The action and choreography was phenomenal. I think it's a bit early for me to say but it's definitely up there on my standalone character movies.
In addition to Guillermo from What We Do in the Shadows, Splett from Veep, and The Spaghetti Monster from True Detective season 1. I'm all in!
Anyone end up watching Werewolves Within? Was it enjoyable or was it not for you?
I started it last night, but was beyond exhausted. It was really funny from what I saw. Milana Vayntrub and Sam Richardson have some great chemistry. I am planning to watch it tonight. I bailed last night because of how much I liked it. I didn't want to watch it while completely tired and risk not being as into it as I would otherwise.
Went and saw the movie Small Engine Repair last night and damn that was a good movie. Didn't really know much about it going in but Bernthal is in it and figured I'd give it a shot. Set in Manchester New Hampshire so heavy accents and lots of bullshitting and reminiscing between friends but man once it hits that point in the movie... Holy shit.
Also saw Malignant and I'm still not 100% sure how I feel. It's a very different movie than anything I've seen. It wasn't a bad movie but it wasn't great either. Definitely has some fairly graphic scenes but overall James Wan puts up an interesting movie that has a pretty split opinion on it seems.
In honor of Disney+ posting all the Pirates of the Caribbean, I watched them all. I had seen most of them before.
If you haven't seen the first one ( Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl ) in a while, it's worth revisiting. Very nicely balanced between action and humor. Only the CGI dates it in some scenes. A minor modern classic.
The rest of the movies are...inoffensive retreads of the same basic material (pirates, "the sea", Caribbean magic, age of sail sea battles, treasure, tropical islands, etc). Overly long, huge amounts of CGI, nobody we care about really in danger despite the explosions and other action.
Aside: On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers is a novel completely different from the PoC movie with that subtitle and worth reading.
Free Guy Didn’t know anything about it, but my daughter - who has the pop culture knowledge of an 80 year old - recently discovered Ryan Reynolds and wanted to watch it. For the first couple of minutes as I was realising it was set in a video game, I thought I was in for two hours of boredom as I am not a gamer. But I ended up really enjoying it - it was just a fun, funny movie, and surprisingly sweet.
Tony Soprano has a quote from the show that goes, "'Remember when..." is the lowest form of conversation. Reminiscing can be fun and heartwarming, but there is a certain laziness to it. I hate sitting at reunions and talking about "that one time at band camp." Anyway, the movie reminded me of that quote. I enjoyed it, laughed, appreciated the fan service Easter eggs, and liked revisiting the characters, but I didn't think much of it as a movie. The pacing was a bit weird, the plot and new characters did not have time to develop, and I honestly wanted to see more about the Newark riots (looking for documentaries now).
It's basically a reunion/prequel, like Han Solo or El Camino. It didn't need to happen, doesn't live up to the quality of the material before it, but it still was worth the watch. Sopranos fans should think of it like a class reunion, IMO.
I enjoyed Many Saints well enough, and everybody is really good in it, but there just wasn’t nearly enough time for all the plot lines and characters to develope.
It really, really should have been an 8-10 hour limitied series. It sounds like Chase is interested in bringing Terrence Winter on board for the follow-up(s), and I just hope it’s a series next time, or if it is another movie, to make it a little more focused and not like 4 different movies smashed into one.
This film is a blast, which is pretty much what I'd expect from a James Gunn property. A violent, raunchy, obscene good time, and I loved every minute of it. Though I will say that it was a bit strange watching this back to back with Birds of Prey as Harley's characterization doesn'treally match up. That makes some sense I suppose, going from a starring vehicle to an ensemble.Similar feeling tomoving from Thor: Ragnarok to Infinity War.
This was so stunning and gorgeous and weird, and I think it’s my new favorite movie of the year. This is absolutely not going to be for everyone because it is a super slow burn, but fuck is it exactly my shit.
Also saw Titane last week and was left motionless and silent in my seat for like 5 minutes.
This was so stunning and gorgeous and weird, and I think it’s my new favorite movie of the year. This is absolutely not going to be for everyone because it is a super slow burn, but fuck is it exactly my shit.
Also saw Titane last week and was left motionless and silent in my seat for like 5 minutes.
God damn I love movies when they’re bizarre.
Man, I am jealous I wanted to carve out some time to see Lamb this weekend, but I don't think it is going to happen. I've heard some amazing things about Titane also--I really want to see it. I have no clue what it is about and that is part of the appeal.
Ouija: Origin of Evil. Pretty effective, which wasn't too surprising when I realized it was a Mike Flanagan joint in the very first scene. Though it's a bit funny to watch this and Midnight Mass at the same time as Flanagan uses essentially the same kind of scare in both of them early on when ramping up the terror. It has shades of The Conjuring, though doesn't quite reach that film's lofty status.
Host. Got to watch this one after getting a free month-long Shudder trial. I'd heard good things and it was fine. It reminded me a lot of Unfriended from a few years ago, except this one is Zoom and COVID-lockdown specific. It has a brief runtime (50 minutes), so that was nice. I was rather annoyed at one of the characters, though, for not using expertise to warn the other characters that taking certain actions might lead to horrifying consequences. Worth a watch, though, if only because you're in, out, and on with your life.
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum. I had high hopes for this one. Korean found footage flick set in an abandoned asylum. It could have been next level. And it does have its moments. I think it takes a bit too much time of setting up before things go bad. Once they do, it works pretty well, albeit all too briefly in my opinion.
Hell House LLC - I've been kinda out on found footage movies for a while after the big rush of them in the 00's/10's but this is one of the better ones. Has some creepy stuff, doesn't drag it out and it was a good time.
The Last Duel I can’t believe Ridley Scott is still cranking out bangers at his age, but god damn is this movie incredible. Probably one of the last times we’re ever going to see a movie like this honestly. Epic and intimate all at the same time, and still a very prescient Rashomon-style story told from multiple perspectives with an absolutely killer performance from Jodie Comer. Affleck is excellent too and just having a blast, while Damon and Driver do exactly what they’re supposed to do. Currently sitting at #2 for me on the year.
Comments
2/10
I do not recommend this movie. The plot is both ridiculous and uninteresting. The movie wants to be futuristic, sci-fi and film noir. It is none of those things. From now on I’m avoiding any show that says “writer/director/producer Lisa Joy.” Westworld season 1 was her one-hit wonder.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
The one movie I'd already seen and jjust about as good as I had remembered. A tie-in to the Arkham series of video games, the movie featured Batman more prominently than I had remembered, which, duh, his name is in the title. The voice cast is quite good, featuring Squad mainstays like Waller, Deadshot, Harley, and Captain Boomerang. I also believe this was my first introduction to King Shark, who seems to have unexpected romantic tension with Killer Frost here. This is also the animated era where a series of actors voicing the Joker were trying to do a Mark Hamill impression. Still, fun to revisit, especially with Kevin Conroy voicing Batman and CCH Pounder reprising Waller.
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
Part of the animated film continuity that WB ran from 2014 to just recently, this entry has the advantage of being totally Suicide Squad focused, rather than in an ensemble with a heavy hitter like Batman. I'm not sure the voice cast is quite at BAA's level, at least in the cases where the same characters are used (Waller, Deadshot, Harley, Boomerang, and Killer Frost) and Vanessa Williams' take on Waller made it sound like she was doing a CCH Pounder impression at times. It even does the same gag that BAA did, showing a scene where the Squad are all experiencing something painful, while Harley is laughing and clearly enjoying it. The movie does enough to stand on its own, though, and is one of the more memorable films I've seen from that DCAMU continuity. There's a twist toward the end that I appreciated that reveals it to be an unexpected sequel to an earlier entry. I liked Bronze Tiger's arc, too.
Justice League Unlimited, "Task Force X"
Okay, not a movie, but still thematically linked. I remember liking it as a kid and I think it still holds up pretty well, which isn't too much of a surprise from a Timm/Dini show. I remember back when Justice League transitioned to Unlimited, there was a lot of online criticism that the switch from the first show's two-part episode format to standalone half hour episodes made for shallower stories, but this one feels complete. Also, great use of The Clock King.
It did make me realize that of the five Suicide Squad adaptations I've seen/plan to see (the two live action movies, the two animated movies, and this episode), only two characters are in all of them: Amanda Waller and Captain Boomerang. No doubt Deadshot would have made that list, too, if the 2016 movie hadn't been so bad.
Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
Definitely one of the DCEU's stronger entries, but still uneven and that made it more enjoyable and diverting than great. Logic often gives way to pretty decent action (the police station sequence comes to mind) and for stretches I wasn't sure what the movie wanted to be. The climactic sequence is really good, though, Black Canary's power reveal nearly made me fist pump when I realized the moment had come, and it has one of my favorite villain deaths I've seen in a while. It sounds like The Suicide Squad is a step up, so as fun as this movie was, I'm looking forward to that one even more now.
Alright, so this was way better than I expected. Still a cheesy comedy, but felt very modern and in touch with how a lot of real young couples are. This is despite the crazy occurrences and situations. John Cena is the same as he is in every other comedy. Lil Rel Howery is doing his best Kevin Hart impression. The rest of the cast is forgettable. All that being said, I did not mind this movie. Great stay at home date night movie, but I would hesitate to call it a Rom Com. I give it 3 crazy girlfriends out of 5.
HO. LY. SHIT.
Anyone end up watching Werewolves Within? Was it enjoyable or was it not for you?
Also saw Malignant and I'm still not 100% sure how I feel. It's a very different movie than anything I've seen. It wasn't a bad movie but it wasn't great either. Definitely has some fairly graphic scenes but overall James Wan puts up an interesting movie that has a pretty split opinion on it seems.
Tony Soprano has a quote from the show that goes, "'Remember when..." is the lowest form of conversation. Reminiscing can be fun and heartwarming, but there is a certain laziness to it. I hate sitting at reunions and talking about "that one time at band camp." Anyway, the movie reminded me of that quote. I enjoyed it, laughed, appreciated the fan service Easter eggs, and liked revisiting the characters, but I didn't think much of it as a movie. The pacing was a bit weird, the plot and new characters did not have time to develop, and I honestly wanted to see more about the Newark riots (looking for documentaries now).
It's basically a reunion/prequel, like Han Solo or El Camino. It didn't need to happen, doesn't live up to the quality of the material before it, but it still was worth the watch. Sopranos fans should think of it like a class reunion, IMO.
This film is a blast, which is pretty much what I'd expect from a James Gunn property. A violent, raunchy, obscene good time, and I loved every minute of it. Though I will say that it was a bit strange watching this back to back with Birds of Prey as Harley's characterization doesn't really match up. That makes some sense I suppose, going from a starring vehicle to an ensemble. Similar feeling to moving from Thor: Ragnarok to Infinity War.
Ouija: Origin of Evil. Pretty effective, which wasn't too surprising when I realized it was a Mike Flanagan joint in the very first scene. Though it's a bit funny to watch this and Midnight Mass at the same time as Flanagan uses essentially the same kind of scare in both of them early on when ramping up the terror. It has shades of The Conjuring, though doesn't quite reach that film's lofty status.
Host. Got to watch this one after getting a free month-long Shudder trial. I'd heard good things and it was fine. It reminded me a lot of Unfriended from a few years ago, except this one is Zoom and COVID-lockdown specific. It has a brief runtime (50 minutes), so that was nice. I was rather annoyed at one of the characters, though, for not using expertise to warn the other characters that taking certain actions might lead to horrifying consequences. Worth a watch, though, if only because you're in, out, and on with your life.
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum. I had high hopes for this one. Korean found footage flick set in an abandoned asylum. It could have been next level. And it does have its moments. I think it takes a bit too much time of setting up before things go bad. Once they do, it works pretty well, albeit all too briefly in my opinion.
7.8/10
Another great psychological horror by Ben Wheatley. Relevant somewhat to the pandemic. Good folk horror vibes as well.
I can’t believe Ridley Scott is still cranking out bangers at his age, but god damn is this movie incredible. Probably one of the last times we’re ever going to see a movie like this honestly. Epic and intimate all at the same time, and still a very prescient Rashomon-style story told from multiple perspectives with an absolutely killer performance from Jodie Comer.
Affleck is excellent too and just having a blast, while Damon and Driver do exactly what they’re supposed to do. Currently sitting at #2 for me on the year.