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Post by The Kevstaaa on Mar 30, 2019 15:50:17 GMT -5
#88 The Frozen Ground8/23/13 | Director: Scott Walker | Rotten Tomatoes: 60% | Runtime: 105 minutes | Platform: DVDPremise: An Alaskan state trooper and a prostitute work together to take down a notorious serial killer. Strengths: I liked the way the plot throughout this movie unfolded. There wasn’t any mystery to it, since we knew the killer from the start. However, you’re left on the edge of your seat trying to find out if this guy would get away with it all. He came close several times. Nicolas Cage (Jack Halcombe) has become something of a joke but every once in a while, he reminds you that he is an Academy Award winning actor. He does some of his best work in this movie. The true scene stealer is Vanessa Hudgens (Cindy Paulson). She portrays the broken prostitute very well. It’s an emotional performance where she has to be very vulnerable. She’s a frustrating character, which is what she should be because she’s been through so much. John Cusack (Robert Hansen) is also solid as the sadistic killer/rapist. Weaknesses: Though the performances are strong, the characters are quite thin. There’s nothing unique about them and they never get much time to develop. They are also full of clichés. In fact, the plot is riddled with those. While the movie is based on a true story, they could have done a few things that weren’t typical in the genre. I’ve never seen a Scott Walker movie before, but he didn’t seem too great as a director. There’s nothing about any of this that feels special or unique. Overall: A mostly generic thriller that gets lifted up by some really good acting from the three leads. A handful of tense moments also helps. [***]
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Post by 'Foretold' Joker on Mar 30, 2019 18:50:02 GMT -5
15. Fisherman's Friend - light but enjoyable 'based on a true story' film.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2019 18:52:29 GMT -5
Late to the party but here we are:
1. Dillinger (1973)—really good movie about 1930s gangster John Dillinger, the original Public Enemy #1
2. Pain & Gain (2013)—one of my favorite mindless movies to watch. No clue why but I really enjoy it.
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Mar 30, 2019 20:14:18 GMT -5
47. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. I HATE anything with Ben Stiller but this wasn’t as bad. Mostly because I fell asleep halfway through.
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Post by BlackoutCreature on Mar 31, 2019 15:57:41 GMT -5
34. The Black Cauldron (1985) 35. Aloha, Scooby-Doo! (2005)
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Post by stevec484 on Mar 31, 2019 16:04:40 GMT -5
Primal Rage
A B movie about people lost in the woods being hunted by Bigfoot
Was pretty much the movie predator but with a young married couple and a pack of idiot yocal hunters all be stalked and killed.
Sasquatch wants the young wife for himself and there is a short bigfoot rape scene. The chick is pretty hot and for a movie this poor there are usually mandatory topless scenes for the hell of it. Unfortunately, not in this case.
Special fx are really really good and use practical make up for the gore and costumes.
Also the bigfoot shoots bow and arrows
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Post by BlackoutCreature on Mar 31, 2019 17:36:31 GMT -5
34. The Black Cauldron (1985) 35. Aloha, Scooby-Doo! (2005) 36. Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004) 37. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Apr 1, 2019 6:10:50 GMT -5
48. Dawn of the Dead (1978). I didn’t appreciate this movie when I first saw it but I’ve since come to recognize it’s status as a classic. It’s not my favourite zombie movie but there’s nothing to complain about with this one. The zombies sure are dumb in this one.
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Post by burdette25159 on Apr 1, 2019 13:28:31 GMT -5
48: Over the Top (1987) ****1/4
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 1, 2019 20:33:59 GMT -5
#89 and #90 If Beale Street Could Talk12/14/18 | Director: Barry Jenkins | Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | Runtime: 117 minutes | Platform: HuluPremise: An African-American woman struggles to clear the name of her wrongfully accused boyfriend to get him out of jail before their child is born. Strengths: Barry Jenkins seems to be a director who can get the best out of his actors. His films have called for big time emotion and powerful performances. Again, this delivers on both fronts. Regina King (Sharon Rivers) isn’t the lead but I’ll mention her first because she’s the best thing in the movie. I might not have picked her for Best Supporting Actress but she definitely deserved that nomination. KiKi Layne (Clementine Rivers) and Stephen James (Alonzo Hunt) both do a great job as the two main characters and their chemistry helps to carry this movie to some truly special moments. I also liked the smaller work from the likes of Pablo Pascal (Pietro Alvarez), Brian Tyree Henry (Daniel Carty), and Emily Rios (Victoria Rogers). On the subject of emotional scenes, that are two or three that truly stand out. The highlight was probably the scene where the two families discuss the upcoming baby. It’s emotional and tense. The cinematography is wonderful. There are moments that feel dreamlike and almost magical. Weaknesses: Honestly, this movie has several scenes that kind of just feel boring to me. Despite all the emotion and great acting, I wasn’t entirely sucked into the story the way I wanted to. I’m not sure how to fix it, but it needed something to make it more captivating. It’s just one major gripe I had with the movie, but it’s enough to keep it from being truly great. Overall: There’s so much to like about this movie. It does almost everything right. Except it has plenty of scenes that feel kind of dull. [***½] WALL-E6/27/08 | Director: Andrew Stanton | Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | Runtime: 98 minutes | Platform: DVDThe Plot: A trash compactor robot, designed to clean a deserted Earth covered in garbage, falls in love with a search robot and pursues her across the galaxy. Strengths: It is hard to craft a story ripe with heart, romance, action, and one that manages to have a clear message without much dialogue. WALL-E excels there. For most of the first half of the movie, there’s barely any talking. And yet, WALL-E’s love for EVE is evident from the start and you feel for everything that happens. I was more invested in their relationship than ones in most other films that get hours and lots of dialogue to showcase their chemistry. It’s a testament to the story told and the work the filmmakers did that this romance works so well. The fact that this flawed protagonist goes to great lengths for his love takes him on a magnificent adventure. The bigger story about the human race having spent 700 years in space and having to get back down to Earth was well done. It tied in to WALL-E’s story with ease and allowed his act to have a greater meaning. There’s also a fair bit of humor included in this cute tale. As always, Pixar’s animation style is among the best in the world. Weaknesses: The lack of dialogue can make this a tough watch for some. I’ve heard plenty of people who couldn’t get into the movie because of this. It can come across as boring if you aren’t willing to put the time in for the story to reward you. Overall: A beautifully crafted story told in a way that really makes you feel. The animation is top notch, the characters are easy to invest in, it’s sweet, and tells a brilliant love story. The genius of it all is honestly underrated. A classic. [****½]
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El Pollo Guerrera
Grimlock
His name has chicken in it, and he is good at makin' .gifs, so that's cool.
Status: Runner
Posts: 14,739
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Post by El Pollo Guerrera on Apr 2, 2019 0:52:29 GMT -5
My list so far... {Spoiler}{Spoiler}
1) 2019-01-06 "Laser Mission" - 1989 2) 2019-01-13 "Kung Fu For Sale" (Gong Fu Da Pai Mai) - 1979 3) 2019-01-13 "Kung Fu: The Punch of Death" (Fang Shi Yu) - 1972 4) 2019-01-20 "Halloween" - 2018 5) 2019-01-27 "Missing In Action" - 1984 6) 2019-01-27 "Missing In Action 2: The Beginning" - 1985 7) 2019-02-03 "Braddock: Missing In Action 3" - 1988 8) 2019-02-10 "The Born Losers" - 1967 9) 2019-02-10 "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark" - 1988 10) 2019-02-17 "Suspiria" - 2018 11) 2019-02-24 "The Night Stalker" - 1972 12) 2019-02-24 "The Night Strangler" - 1973 13) 2019-03-03 "Silent Rage" - 1982 14) 2019-03-03 "Boss" - 1975 15) 2019-03-10 "Gods of Egypt" - 2016 16) 2019-03-17 "Atlas Shrugged Part 1" - 2011 17) 2019-03-24 "Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse" - 2018
18) 2019-03-31 "Atlas Shrugged Part 2" - 2012 Based on the controversial novel by Ayn Rand, the second of the trilogy. {Spoiler}{Spoiler}
Story: film opens with Dagny piloting a jet through a mountain range, trying to chase down another jet... that flies into some kind of force field and disappears... then it cuts to a "Nine Months Earlier" screen. OK, they needed to open the movie with a little action, to get the gears turning, I get that. The first was a bit of a box office bomb ($5 million made on a $20 million budget), so they wanted to show people that something will be happening, just stick with them and they'll get there.
My problems with the story continue from the last movie, though...
1) The government has shifted from being "evils of socialism" to being straight-up "evil". They arrest Reardon and put him on trial for having an 'unauthorized transaction' with a coal mine, and when he stands up to them (on national TV) the courts find him guilty and then suspend the sentence because they don't want to make him a martyr.
2) The government blackmails Reardon into signing over the patents to his new metal, and THE REST OF AMERICA in signing over all patents to the government.
3) The government passes a law that freezes all wages, locks all working employees in their jobs (which means people can't get fired for any reason...), and forces all businesses and all citizens to spend what they spent in the last year?
4) At James Taggart's wedding, the groom gets into a very public argument with d'Anconia, who is still walking around a free man after DEFRAUDING hundreds of people (most of whom were at the wedding) out of HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS with absolutely no legal repercussions.
5) some political bigwig forces Taggart's railway to bring in a diesel locomotive to pull the train he was on so that he could get to the West Coast for a meeting (train's original engine crapped out), which starts a domino effect that ends with the largest (and deadliest) railway disaster in the US ever... how the hell does the railway become "the most reliable mode of transportation in the US" and not have the BASIC SAFETY PROCEDURES to keep two damn trains from being on the same line in the same tunnel?
And, of course, people are still disappearing. Dagny's trying to get to a scientist who is working with her found super-engine before he disappears with it, and she sees him getting on a jet, which loops us around to Dagny's jet chase at the beginning. Dagny's jet flies through the field, crashes in a meadow on the other side, and the first person she meets is John Galt himself... end movie.
OK, I've seen movies with aliens, magicians, super-heroes, talking animals, zombies, vampires, killer furniture, Patrick Stewart as a neo-Nazi, Frodo as a serial killer, Richard Pryor as God, Denise Richards as a scientist... and "Atlas Shrugged" is still the most implausible BS I've seen.
However, I will say that the acting is better. The cast from the first has been replaced with people who know what they're doing. A lot of recognizable faces, too... Samantha Mathis, Jason Beghe ("Chicago PD"), Esai Morales as d'Anconia, the scientist is Diedrich Bader, Michael Gross (Tremors), Ayre Gross (Ellen), Bug "Little Rascals Alfalfa" Hall as an adult, even Robert Picardo (the doctor-hologram from "Star Trek: Voyager") is in the beginning. Funniest is D.B. Sweeney, whose name is on the poster and during the opening credits, who plays John Galt, and yet you never see his face.
(there were only three actors I recognized in the first movie, and one was Armin Shimerman, aka. Quark from "Star Trek", and the thought that ran through my mind when I saw him was "How much money do you have to pay a Ferengi to appear as a socialist anti-capitalist in a movie like this?")
Still a damn mess, but I gotta see how it ends...
Pray for me.
EDIT: forgot to mention one thing... Teller (of Penn & Teller) is in this, one scene, about 10 seconds of screen time, and says one line. Guess he figured any of his fans of his other work would stay miles away from this movie.
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Apr 2, 2019 8:04:28 GMT -5
49. Tag (2015, Japan). This is some weird ass coming of age movie mixed with extreme surreal violence. It’s like the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants meets Silent Hill meets the last Rambo movie. The CGI is pretty bad and the violence is so over-the-top that it’s funny. And the western white male audience was obviously in mind because there is a lot of fapping material. But it’s cool. I’ve seen way better Japanese movies but this was cool. The music was awesome.
Speaking of the music; there’s an instrumental song that plays in a lot of the tense scenes that I’ve heard somewhere else before. It may have been used in a lot of WWE pay per view promos around 2002-2004.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2019 16:24:52 GMT -5
20. Bumblebee (2018) - 8/10
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 2, 2019 21:32:25 GMT -5
#91 and #92 D2: The Mighty Ducks3/25/94 | Director: Sam Weisman | Rotten Tomatoes: 20% | Runtime: 106 minutes | Platform: HBOPremise: Coach Bombay returns to lead his peewee team of misfits at the Goodwill Games to represent their country. Strengths: Think about what worked in the first film and apply it here. The people who made this understood what appealed to everyone. The hockey scenes are fun and comical. Each character is given at least one weird trait to help them stand out, even if they aren’t developed or fleshed out. The soundtrack stands out in this one, with two notable Queen songs playing at memorable moments. The stakes are higher and there’s a legitimate feeling villain here, which helps add to everything. Just a blast of a movie from start to finish that I thoroughly enjoy whenever I watch it. Weaknesses: The kids in this one are somehow more immature than when they were younger. They bicker and whine that they aren’t the Ducks anymore. It feels petulant and annoying, making it hard to root for some of them. None of the acting is anything to write home about, but Kathryn Erbe (Michelle McKay) is truly awful. I know you can’t get too worked up about that in a family movie like this but it’s distractingly bad. Overall: It gets a much higher score than you’d think simply because this movie is so much fun. I love it. [****] A Star is Born10/5/18 | Director: Bradley Cooper | Rotten Tomatoes: 90% | Runtime: 135 minutes | Platform: 123moviesfree.comThe Plot: A hard drinking musician falls in love with a young singer who becomes a star. Strengths: For a first time director, Bradley Cooper does a great job with this. He shoots it in a way that feels realistic and there’s a sense of the drunkenness of his character in the way he shot. That felt intentional. Cooper (Jackson Maine) is fantastic from an acting standpoint. He completely nails every mannerism that comes with the role. You truly feel like he’s a drunken mess, yet in each scene regarding the relationship feels earnest. Even when drunk, it’s clear he’s in love. Lady Gaga (Ally Maine) should also be in Best Actress Oscar conversation this year. It ranks among the best work she’s done from a music standpoint and is easily her best acting. There aren’t many performances more raw in recent memory. Sam Elliott (Bobby Maine) should be a Best Supporting Actor favorite for his portrayal of Jackson’s brother. The scene where he finds out that Jackson idolized him is touching and he doesn’t say a word. The music is tremendous, with the film having the best original songs since The Greatest Showman. Weaknesses: There’s only one real issue that I had with this movie, but it’s a big enough one to keep it from being the best of the year. There’s simply not enough conflict. Films are built on conflict and having tense scenes featuring that is crucial. While it is engaging to watch Ally’s rise to stardom, she almost never faces a struggle. She goes on stage and kills it instantly. Every problem she could face, whether it be a sleazy manager or something involving her husband, gets wrapped up quickly. The couple has just one fight and one major problem throughout. I needed more. Overall: With a little more conflict, this could’ve been a truly special film. The music, acting, and direction are all expertly done. It will go down as one of the best films of 2018. [****½]
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Post by G✇JI☈A on Apr 2, 2019 23:19:30 GMT -5
OK I’ll play... ratings are out of 5 (*’s) March 20: The Shape of Water (2017) ***1/2 (loses half a star for the cat scene) 21. Leave No Trace (2018) **** 22. Captain Marvel (2019) ***1/2 23. Death of Superman (2018) *** 24. Colossal (2016) ***1/2 Being working long weeks. So not many for March.. but hey I made it out to the cinema at least.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2019 23:56:44 GMT -5
I’ll rate the last few films I’ve seen out of 10
Josie 7/10 The Hole In The Ground 6/10 Uncle John 2/10 Marauders 5/10
Anyone have any good recommendations?
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Apr 3, 2019 7:37:13 GMT -5
50. [REC]. Pretty bad found footage movie that’s really hard to watch because it’s Spanish. Subtitles + shakey camera = nausea. The writing is bad and the lead actress is annoying, but she ‘s a total hottie. The last five minutes is pretty intense and makes up for the rest. It was remade in North America as “Quarentine” the following year
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Post by burdette25159 on Apr 3, 2019 10:28:21 GMT -5
49: Bloodsport (1988) ***3/4 50: Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997) **
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Post by BlackoutCreature on Apr 3, 2019 16:36:09 GMT -5
35. Aloha, Scooby-Doo! (2005) 36. Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004) 37. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) 38. The Mighty Ducks (1992)
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Apr 3, 2019 19:03:22 GMT -5
#93 How To Train Your Dragon 26/13/14 | Director: Dean DeBlois | Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | Runtime: 102 minutes | Platform: DVDPremise: Five years after the first film, Hiccup teams with his long lost mother to take down a dragon hunter who wants to take over the world. Strengths: Like its predecessor, this movie boasts some fantastic visuals. The animation style is beautiful and remains that way consistently. Whether it’s a big action scene or just a shot of the landscape, it all looks great. The story is quite good. It doesn’t do anything overly surprising, but it hits all the right beats. There is a lot of emotion here between Hiccup’s reunion with his mother to the death of his father. It goes further than expected in that aspect. Baruchel (Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III) continues to do a good job in the role. He has a unique voice that actually fits perfectly for the character. The rest of the returning voice cast does very well, but the highlights of the new additions were Cate Blanchett (Valka) and Kit Harrington (Eret). I loved the big battle scene where the good guys ultimately lose. It’s the high point of the movie and features some really cool moments. It makes the villain come across as a true threat. Weaknesses: Some of the comedy misses the mark. Kristen Wiig (Ruffnut) and TJ Miller (Tuffnut) are both funny actors, but the stuff involving their characters never hit. They aren’t big characters, but they’re meant to be funny and it doesn’t work. As noted, the big battle is the highlight so the third act that comes after it feels lackluster. It needed to be bigger to follow what we had just witnessed. Overall: This would be a truly special animated film with a better final 15 minutes. It still does more than enough to be great and is about on par with the first installment. [****]
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