It's Back: Exceelent Movies I've Seen Lately

[johnnya24]

... and yet more reviews:

Fury - I thought it was really good up until the ending. It was trying to be a modern style war movie depicting a "warts 'n all" view of war. Which in fairness it achieved, that is up until the end when they reverted to an unbelievable sentimental Hollywood style hero-fest. I still enjoyed it though.

Gone Girl - I have to say, I enjoyed this a lot despite the fact it was completely fucking ludicrous in the end. It's like The Game (another Fincher movie) ... overall a good movie, really interesting and engaging up to the end, then just fucking mind-bogglingly stupid ... to the point where it's so stupid you just say "fine ... whatever". But yeah ... whatever, it was still a decent movie ... and I left the cinema with a smile on my face, and a slightly furrowed brow.

Lucy - Been a while since I saw this, but I recall really liking it up to a point, then it just completely fell apart into stupidity.

The Equalizer - Simple movie, enjoyed it as I usually do with Denzel movies. Definitely worth the entrance fee, and ... wait for it ... I really liked the 80's style set piece ending. At last, a movie where I liked the ending!

Looking forward to Intersteller and Nightcrawler ... might try and find time to see the the latter over the weekend. Haven't seen The Maze Runner ... anyone any views on that? Wan't really into seeing another dodgy teen fiction movie when it first came out.

[heyelander]

Finally got around to seeing The Equalizer. Reminded me of those late 80's hero-action-thrillers: simple story, Russian bad guys, regular folk, industrial back drops, old style diners, trashy looking hookers. Would like to see more of these kinds of movies.

i enjoyed it a good bit except for the end fights.... he's dropping guys that are carrying automatic weapons using stuff laying around a home depot, but you would think after the first one, he would pick up one of their guns instead of rube goldberging another trap for the next bunch of guys. Anyone who has played even 5 minutes of video games over the years knows you rifle the bodies of your fallen opponents.

[johnnya24]

i enjoyed it a good bit except for the end fights.... he's dropping guys that are carrying automatic weapons using stuff laying around a home depot, but you would think after the first one, he would pick up one of their guns instead of rube goldberging another trap for the next bunch of guys. Anyone who has played even 5 minutes of video games over the years knows you rifle the bodies of your fallen opponents.

By that stage it'd already given myself over to the 1980's ... even the really dumb bit when he used the other civilian co-worker as bait. Still could have done with a few more kill-catchphrases though ... there wasn't an "It's hammer time" or a "nailed it!" anywhere to be found. Disappoint.

[heyelander]

Agree on lucy... early on it seemed like it had a chance to be an interesting movie, but it was just stupid.

[mjl]

Gould was married to Roddy McDowell??!

I think it was his daughter Andie.

[Teenwolf]

Agree on lucy... early on it seemed like it had a chance to be an interesting movie, but it was just stupid.

I went crazy for Lucy, and the depths of ridiculousness that it reaches. Laughed out loud repeatedly over the final half hour. I enjoy these types of schlocky movies if they can make it convincing, and Scarlett was awesome in her role. I've heard that Under The Skin is another great performance from her, but in a more serious, super-slow Kubrick styled sci fi... so that's now immediately at the top of my list of things to see.

The Guest - This was unbelievably awesome, and I already went in with high expectations after this writer/director team's previous film, the excellent home invasion horror film You're Next. These two, and especially this latest film, are the best approximation I've seen of John Carpenter's peak films, ever.

I've watched a million films lately. I'll list more faves later.

[johnnya24]

I've heard that Under The Skin is another great performance from her, but in a more serious, super-slow Kubrick styled sci fi... so that's now immediately at the top of my list of things to see.
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It's also quite disturbing in places, especially the beach scene.

[johnnya24]

Nightcrawler - Brilliant movie.

[/review]

[revo]

Saw Chef last night -- very enjoyable. Great cast that includes Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johanssen, Oliver Platt, John Leguizamo & Bobby Cannavale. The only ridiculous thing is that Favreau's character was somehow divorced from Vergara and dating Johanssen -- puh-leeze.

[Fresno Bob]

Snowpiercer is on Netflix streaming, and is a beautiful movie

[johnnya24]

Snowpiercer is on Netflix streaming, and is a beautiful movie

Funny you should bring that up, just saw it recently. Still trying to get my head around the middle part of the movie ... it was almost like a dream sequence, where one section of the train was so radically different to the previous. It was as if the prior events just never happened. Watching it the first time, I'm not sure it really worked, because I wasn't really expecting that. Like the car with the schoolkids just after the slaughter in the previous car, then the nightclub. That was just weird. If that was the style of the whole movie, you'd just absorb it, like a Wes Anderson movie. But the start of the movie was like an action movie, so it was a bit of a shock to see it switch into a completely different genre almost.

But overall, a really thought provoking and prescient movie. I especially like the premise of the movie ... I think a lot of folk are gambling that technology can somehow save us from the ecological disaster we have inflicted on the planet.

[swampdragon]

I saw St Vincent over the weekend

Bill Murray plays a crotchety old man, for a change (with an accent that comes and goes). Good story, predictable, needs editing in the middle but enjoyable and watchable. The kid actor is great in it.

Next up to see - Michael Keaton as a crotchety old man.

[swampdragon]

Snowpiercer is on Netflix streaming, and is a beautiful movie

wow - just watched - thanks for the tip

[bryanbutler]

Snowpiercer is on Netflix streaming, and is a beautiful movie

just watched. not a bad movie - hate, hate, hated the ending. could have been so much better.

[Gregg]

We just watched Maleficent last night. I was very impressed as was my whole family.

I was shocked to see critics at Rotten Tomatoes only gave it 49%. They did give Jolie props by saying that she out shined the special effects, but couldn't get past the weak story. I think they are nuts. Story line was great with a satisfying ending.

IMBD gave it 7.1/10.

Jolie was perfect for the part. She was spot on and fun to look at.

Filming was fantastic and special effects were more than well done.

The movie was not with out it's flaws. Sharlto Copley was miscast as the love interest as well as the villain. Elle Fanning was just not very good as Aurora.

This was not a prequel as some critics have suggested. It is the telling of a fairy tale from a different point of view. One that is worth seeing.

We will definitely watch this again.