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.
I'm a little shocked to hear this. The trailers make it look like it would be one of the worst movies of the year. I love me some medieval nonsense and Ridley Scott, so it's going on the list. Thanks!
I watched Black Widow last night. It was about as expected. Black Widow is my least favorite Marvel character (Scarlett Johannes isn't very good in any of the movies, and the writing is even worse), but her sister saved the movie. I can recommend the movie for her if nothing else.
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.
I'm a little shocked to hear this. The trailers make it look like it would be one of the worst movies of the year. I love me some medieval nonsense and Ridley Scott, so it's going on the list. Thanks!
I watched Black Widow last night. It was about as expected. Black Widow is my least favorite Marvel character (Scarlett Johannes isn't very good in any of the movies, and the writing is even worse), but her sister saved the movie. I can recommend the movie for her if nothing else.
I was shocked that I loved it as much as I did, but I really dug the story structure and the final duel is one of the best and most brutal to ever be put on film. For sure the surprise of the year for me so far.
Bummer to hear about Black Widow, that was another movie that I ended up liking way more than I thought I would, but BW is also one of my favorite comic book characters so I’m real biased. I disagree that ScarJo isn’t very good as the character, but absolutely agree that they haven’t given her shit to do this whole time.
I really love the espionage/assassin/political thriller corner of the MCU, and it’s a real shame that we didn’t have a trilogy of Widow movies this whole time.
And yeah, Florence Pugh exploding on the scene for mainstream audiences is probably the best thing that came out of this movie. Looking forward to seeing her in the Hawkeye series.
Just want to double down on what Fred said. I had no intention of watching this movie but dammit if your review didn’t change my mind also. I rewatched the trailer and got over some of the things about it I didn’t like that doesn’t really matter if it’s a Ridley Scott banger. I love swords and armor shit too. Thanks man.
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.
I really enjoyed this one too. It gets pretty damn creepy. Not to mention uncomfortable at the beginning with some of the main characters. I am probably due for a rewatch.
Dune - I don't know what it would be like for folks who haven't read the book or seen the other movie version, but I found it epic and amazing. If you can brave going to a theater, see it there.
I didn’t see the original movie and I’ve never read the book, but I feel like Denis Villeneuve may have created the beginning of the greatest sci-fi epic of all time.
For anyone watching Dune, whether you've seen it or plan to see it, I hight recommend these videos. They're done by a D&D nerd (I say that with affection!) who developed the Dune collectible card game and the original Dune RPG. I don't think that there's anything spolier-y in the videos, he just picks some things from the books that often get overlooked, things that are critically important but don't get more than a paragraph or so in the actual books. Understanding these things will give you a much deeper understanding of what's going on.
Just saw Dune at the movies. I want my money and 2 1/2 hours back. Loved the books. The movie is shit.
Care to elaborate? I thought the actors playing the mother and son were a bit weak but I was otherwise happy with the adaptation.
The actors mumbled, the music was way too loud and pretty sure they stole the theme song from The last Kingdom. The lead actor Timothee does nothing but pout. Worst actor ever. The actress that played his mother is equally as bad. they dragged out the “part 1” of the story. Not sure Denis Villeneuve could make a more sloooooow and boring film. Oh wait - yes he can. Blade Runner 2049.
edit: I was with three others that did not read the books and they had no clue what was going on or why they should even care. Totally agree with @CretanBull
Just saw Dune at the movies. I want my money and 2 1/2 hours back. Loved the books. The movie is shit.
Care to elaborate? I thought the actors playing the mother and son were a bit weak but I was otherwise happy with the adaptation.
The actors mumbled...
That annoyed me too. The leader of the Harkonens in particular was difficult to understand at times and there were a few lines that were said during important scenes that were completely lost on me.
Glad to know it wasn't just me and my sound bar. I also had to rewind and hit the captions a few times to understand some of the dialogue. I believe there was some dramatic whispering I missed the first time around.
Glad to know it wasn't just me and my sound bar. I also had to rewind and hit the captions a few times to understand some of the dialogue. I believe there was some dramatic whispering I missed the first time around.
V/H/S/94 I was optimistic about this one as it was toted as a "return to form". Then I was reminded that I hadn't been all that enthused about the original form to begin with. There is still a certain novelty to the concept. One of the shorts starts in a pitch perfect imitation of those random, cheap, short, locally made VHS tapes you could buy for a few bucks back in the day, where some guys with a basic camera set recorded an hour long movie promoting whatever small time operation they had going. And like V/H/S/2, the best short is set in Indonesia and is oddly in HD.
It's essentially a live action first person shooter intro
, which I appreciated. The framing device is probably the worst part of the film, but might scratch some nostalgia itches for people who missed the old schlocky 90s horror flicks you might have grabbed at random at a video store. There's some fun to be had, but if they make another one, I'll probably skip it, no matter how good the reviews happen to be.
His House Now this is more like it! A couple of years ago, A.Ron and Cecily watched Tigers Are Not Afraid, an effective horror film that not only brought the spine tingles, but also proved to be a commentary on the real life horrors of the Mexican Drug Wars. His House also proves to be topical by looking at the refugee crisis, centering on a pair of Sudanese refugees trying to start a new life in the UK, but unable to escape the horrors they carry with them. While not too scary (though one jump scare got me), it works pretty well. Plus it stars Lovecraft Country's Wunmi Mosaku, turning in another great performance. It's on Netflix and I very much recommend it.
I loved Dune. I knew very little other about it other than some of the basics of the world building going in so I don't have any particular attachment to the themes or specific characters or anything like that so maybe that helped. Like Tenet, definitely glad I watched it with subtitles on but I've been doing that with everything lately. Everything was gorgeous and the sense of scale kind of made me wish I'd gone to the theater.
I do wish we got to see more of how people other than the royal families and some of the soldiers lived. Not really the point of the movie I guess but I don't remember seeing anything that wasn't either inside a palace, on a battlefield, or wandering around landscape. Can't really imagine what the dudes standing on the rain planet in formation with the guys strung up to drain their blood behind them do when they clock out.
It also had one of my least favorite things in TV/movies where a character "sacrifices" themselves to buy people time to escape and then they all huddle around where they were anyway and watch them die. Can you imagine letting yourself get brutally murdered to buy precious seconds for people to escape and you look back and they're all just standing in the hallway where you left them crying as you die? In this case it seems like it wouldn't have mattered anyway but I always hate it when they do that.
I’d be hard-pressed to think of a more interesting visual filmmaker than Edgar Wright. The camera work in this movie is so unbelievable, and the way he plays with the mirrored shot concepts and the staging just had me sitting there in wonder. Also, almost nobody uses music better than he does.
I didn’t find the actual plot of the film to be all that compelling to be honest, but it’s such a blast to watch and Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy really glow and are so delightful on screen that I almost don’t even give a shit about the story.
All right, the last horror movies of Halloween's month:
Possessor Very good but brutal. Brandon Cronenberg seems to be following in his father's footsteps rather well. The ending bummed me out, though.
Spring Nice palette cleanser after Possessor. Body horror and romance by the guys who would later go on to do The Endless. You get a similar style and feel at times and the explanation for what was going on caught me completely by surprise. While it certainly doesn't reach the heights The Endless would, it's worth a watch. Fear Street Trilogy I had a blast with this one. I was really into Goosebumps when I was a kid, but never got into Fear Street. Even so, these films were right up my alley and really don't pull any punches. A great way to wrap up the big day.
Free Guy - appreciated all the video game/AR glasses references but story was aimed at ~10-yo gamers, not me. Also felt weird watching "Steve Harrington" from Stranger Things in an adult role.
Jaws (rewatch) - Was listening to the podcast on it and decided to stop and rewatch. It does hold up.
I don’t know what everyone else was talking about but I loved this. It’s much more of a philosophy study with some Marvel fights thrown in. I found it all pretty damn fascinating.
The Harder They Fall
If you’re in the mood for a movie that just whips ass from beginning to end, then this is the one. Absolutely stacked cast with fantastic performances and great anachronistic humor and soundtrack. I’ll definitely be watching this one again.
i saw a movie with a similar title The Harder They Come, With Jimmy Cliff. A Jamaican gangster movie. Much like this movie it had a awesome soundtrack. The Jimmy Cliff one is my favorite soundtrack album. As for the movie I would say it would have been better on the big screen. I watched it on Netflix. Most of the actors I didn’t know except Elba and King who I usually like. Overall it was a good action movie. Some of the stylized action was over the top but I think that was the point. It reminded me of the days of John Woo. Not in my top whatever of westerns but it was a good add to the genre.
i saw a movie with a similar title The Harder They Come, With Jimmy Cliff. A Jamaican gangster movie. Much like this movie it had a awesome soundtrack. The Jimmy Cliff one is my favorite soundtrack album.
That's a great movie, and you're right - the soundtrack is incredible too!
This movie is gorgeous and KStew continues to be a fucking icon, and this is probably her best performance to date.
Johnny Greenwood’s score, Claire Mathon’s breathtaking cinematography (crucially shot on film), and a dazzling, threadbare performance from Kristen Stewart all comes together to give me yet a new #1 film of the year.
On one hand, I'm happy to finally see this classic of cinema, a cultural titan that has resonated through culture to this very day. On the other, I reached the end and had a bit of "So, that was it, huh?" feeling. I think part of it was that in retrospect, I realized I had already seen literally every spiritual encounter in this film in some clip somewhere over the years, with the exception of the bathroom conversation. I think I expected the film to feel even more insane than it was by the end. That said, what an unsettling atmosphere Kubrick resonates throughout this film. And listening the Bald Move's podcast after watching it gave me a deeper appreciation of it.
At the very least, I have finally rectified the strange situation I was in of having watched the TV miniseries version when it came out decades ago without having ever watched this much more famous and better film adaptation.
Doctor Sleep
Speaking of things giving me a deeper appreciation of The Shining, this is a pretty good follow up! First of all, in an age where we are at the cusp of older and dead performers being replaced with CGI versions of themselves, I appreciated the decision to cast actors to impersonate the previous movie's characters. Carl Lumbly in particular deserves a shoutout in embodying Scatman Crothers' portrayal as Hallorann. This probably is a movie that would have benefitted from not seeing the trailer because the moment Danny tells Abra they're going to Colorado would have been quite the reveal. Anyway, good movie that I'm a little sad didn't do better at the box office.
Comments
I watched Black Widow last night. It was about as expected. Black Widow is my least favorite Marvel character (Scarlett Johannes isn't very good in any of the movies, and the writing is even worse), but her sister saved the movie. I can recommend the movie for her if nothing else.
By 'bad take' I mean that while the movie followed the plot and events of the book, it striped it of all meaning, subtext etc
edit: I was with three others that did not read the books and they had no clue what was going on or why they should even care. Totally agree with @CretanBull
V/H/S/94
I was optimistic about this one as it was toted as a "return to form". Then I was reminded that I hadn't been all that enthused about the original form to begin with. There is still a certain novelty to the concept. One of the shorts starts in a pitch perfect imitation of those random, cheap, short, locally made VHS tapes you could buy for a few bucks back in the day, where some guys with a basic camera set recorded an hour long movie promoting whatever small time operation they had going. And like V/H/S/2, the best short is set in Indonesia and is oddly in HD.
His House
Now this is more like it! A couple of years ago, A.Ron and Cecily watched Tigers Are Not Afraid, an effective horror film that not only brought the spine tingles, but also proved to be a commentary on the real life horrors of the Mexican Drug Wars. His House also proves to be topical by looking at the refugee crisis, centering on a pair of Sudanese refugees trying to start a new life in the UK, but unable to escape the horrors they carry with them. While not too scary (though one jump scare got me), it works pretty well. Plus it stars Lovecraft Country's Wunmi Mosaku, turning in another great performance. It's on Netflix and I very much recommend it.
I’d be hard-pressed to think of a more interesting visual filmmaker than Edgar Wright. The camera work in this movie is so unbelievable, and the way he plays with the mirrored shot concepts and the staging just had me sitting there in wonder. Also, almost nobody uses music better than he does.
Possessor
Very good but brutal. Brandon Cronenberg seems to be following in his father's footsteps rather well. The ending bummed me out, though.
Spring
Nice palette cleanser after Possessor. Body horror and romance by the guys who would later go on to do The Endless. You get a similar style and feel at times and the explanation for what was going on caught me completely by surprise. While it certainly doesn't reach the heights The Endless would, it's worth a watch.
Fear Street Trilogy
I had a blast with this one. I was really into Goosebumps when I was a kid, but never got into Fear Street. Even so, these films were right up my alley and really don't pull any punches. A great way to wrap up the big day.
I don’t know what everyone else was talking about but I loved this. It’s much more of a philosophy study with some Marvel fights thrown in. I found it all pretty damn fascinating.
If you’re in the mood for a movie that just whips ass from beginning to end, then this is the one. Absolutely stacked cast with fantastic performances and great anachronistic humor and soundtrack. I’ll definitely be watching this one again.
i saw a movie with a similar title The Harder They Come, With Jimmy Cliff. A Jamaican gangster movie. Much like this movie it had a awesome soundtrack. The Jimmy Cliff one is my favorite soundtrack album. As for the movie I would say it would have been better on the big screen. I watched it on Netflix. Most of the actors I didn’t know except Elba and King who I usually like. Overall it was a good action movie. Some of the stylized action was over the top but I think that was the point. It reminded me of the days of John Woo. Not in my top whatever of westerns but it was a good add to the genre.
This movie is gorgeous and KStew continues to be a fucking icon, and this is probably her best performance to date.
On one hand, I'm happy to finally see this classic of cinema, a cultural titan that has resonated through culture to this very day. On the other, I reached the end and had a bit of "So, that was it, huh?" feeling. I think part of it was that in retrospect, I realized I had already seen literally every spiritual encounter in this film in some clip somewhere over the years, with the exception of the bathroom conversation. I think I expected the film to feel even more insane than it was by the end. That said, what an unsettling atmosphere Kubrick resonates throughout this film. And listening the Bald Move's podcast after watching it gave me a deeper appreciation of it.
At the very least, I have finally rectified the strange situation I was in of having watched the TV miniseries version when it came out decades ago without having ever watched this much more famous and better film adaptation.
Doctor Sleep
Speaking of things giving me a deeper appreciation of The Shining, this is a pretty good follow up! First of all, in an age where we are at the cusp of older and dead performers being replaced with CGI versions of themselves, I appreciated the decision to cast actors to impersonate the previous movie's characters. Carl Lumbly in particular deserves a shoutout in embodying Scatman Crothers' portrayal as Hallorann. This probably is a movie that would have benefitted from not seeing the trailer because the moment Danny tells Abra they're going to Colorado would have been quite the reveal. Anyway, good movie that I'm a little sad didn't do better at the box office.