*** OFFICIAL Movies & Movie Recommendations Thread ***

[bigred]

Besides Star Wars at EOY, anyone else excited for The Martian?

[kingnat]

I want to be excited, but most "space travel" sci-fi movies tend to get some of the simplest things wrong that it'll be annoying.

[a500lbgorilla]

An Honest Liar on Netflix. Incredible documentary about James Randi, a father of modern skepticism. So many worthwhile lessons to learn from this man and his experiences. From emulating and out-doing Houdini, to unmasking charlatans mind-bending spoons and faith-healing cancer, to fooling scientists into believing in psychic forces, to the people who go insane in the face of overwhelming evidence and automatically revert to whatever prior belief they held dear, to spoon-benders and faith-healers still managing to bilk rubes - the central tenet is that you can be deceived, no exceptions.

Also some sappy bullshit about his family... I give it a solid recommend.

[wufwugy]

i wanna watch that. always liked randis the mandis.

[eberetta1]

An Honest Liar looks like it would be interesting. Depressing, but interesting.

[a500lbgorilla]

Bumping this, as it's the right place to put it, but I recommend both Best of Enemies and The Roosevelts: An Intimate History.

Best of Enemies covers the William H Buckley Jr and Gore Vidal debates circa the party conventions of 1968. Both were powerhouse intellectuals on the far reaches of the political spectrum, and their mastery of debate and hatred for each other forever transformed how politics was covered in American media.

The Roosevelts documentary touches on every corner of the Roosevelt family to fully color in the lives of eminent American characters like TR, FDR, and Eleanor. One was a ceaseless warrior for right over wrong fighting for a lawful and just world, the other was so fully secure in himself that lame legs couldn't stop the power of his personality from lifting a depressed nation, and one other was the feminine torch-bearer of the century. Really well done documentary.

[a500lbgorilla]

Star Wars was pretty cool. Definitely a kids movie, though it still had 4 or 5 "that's cool" moments and none of them were Star Wars nostalgic.

Spoiler: Show

I was most disappointed when the Giant of the First Order turned out to just be a giant hologram and is probably normal sized.

[oskar]

An Honest Liar on Netflix. Incredible documentary about James Randi, a father of modern skepticism. So many worthwhile lessons to learn from this man and his experiences. From emulating and out-doing Houdini, to unmasking charlatans mind-bending spoons and faith-healing cancer, to fooling scientists into believing in psychic forces, to the people who go insane in the face of overwhelming evidence and automatically revert to whatever prior belief they held dear, to spoon-benders and faith-healers still managing to bilk rubes - the central tenet is that you can be deceived, no exceptions.

Also some sappy bullshit about his family... I give it a solid recommend.

Oh I fucking love James Randi!


I have not seen any movie that really stuck with me in a while. The most worthwhile was probably Splice, which has a lot of problems, mainly that it feels like they had five different scripts and instead of deciding on one, they just mashed them all together. Which doesn't make for a very convincing story, but it leaves enough open so you can make your own as long as you're willing to put in the work. So I recommend Splice, but make up your own story.

[boost]

If you are anywhere close to a theater playing Hateful Eight in 70mm Panavision, pay the extra money and make the trip.

I'm sure the movie is great on a regular screen as well, but this is how Tarantino intended it to be seen and I think it would be a shame for any Tarantino fan to not get the chance to check it out in this format.

[a500lbgorilla]

Oh I fucking love James Randi!


I have not seen any movie that really stuck with me in a while. The most worthwhile was probably Splice, which has a lot of problems, mainly that it feels like they had five different scripts and instead of deciding on one, they just mashed them all together. Which doesn't make for a very convincing story, but it leaves enough open so you can make your own as long as you're willing to put in the work. So I recommend Splice, but make up your own story.

I fell asleep to that documentary a few days back. I still recommend it. It really is unbelievable how he learned from watching the Master Houdini, then eventually went on to trick the world into learning how easily they can be fooled.

There's one scene where he basically demonstrates some flim-flammer was a joke and an audience member told him, "You may not believe it, but you are psychic," and then they cut to the host berating him and storming off the set to applause. Definitely worth the watch.

[oskar]

It gets a little awkward towards the end, but yeah, worth watching. I didn't even know annything about the fake fake psychics. That just shows the level of commitment of that man. I'll definitely recommend it to people who need to see the light of Randi. Sucks that it's not on Amazon Prime. I don't have Netflix. I rented it on Vimeo which wasn't a great experience. Had to refresh the page a couple of times to keep it playing.

[boost]

OMG FOREST WHITAKER. TAKE MY MONEY DISNEY, TAKE IT NOW.

[JKDS]

I saw 10 Cloverfield Lane.

Worth it just to see Goodman be a creepy, unstable nutter.

[JKDS]

OMG FOREST WHITAKER. TAKE MY MONEY DISNEY, TAKE IT NOW.

I didnt know what you were talking about.

Now I do, and also learned there are a bunch of non-"force awakens" star wars movies coming out.

Awesome

[wufwugy]

John Goodman is easily (easily!) the most underrated actor alive. He's Philip Seymour Hoffman level talent yet continually relegated to supporting and obscure roles. That's what being fat in Hollywood will do to you.

I have a theory that some people don't like working with him because they know he's that much better than they are. He effortlessly brings a level of intensity, mixed with intimidation, mystery, and charisma, that other actors can't.

Goodman and Gyllenhaal and Michael Shannon should do a film together. Or maybe that's too much power for one movie.

[wufwugy]

Leo's Revenant win (he won right?) is just another stone in the building that is the ridiculousness of the Oscars. It wasn't his best performance and frankly I don't think what the role called for showcased great acting. Constant pain and destitution is probably one of the easier things to fake.

Looking forward to Bridge of Spies. I'll watch any Spielberg/Hanks combo. Saving Private Ryan is kinda sorta basically the greatest thing ever made.

[boost]

Damn it, wufwugy, I agreed with every single thing you said in these last two tangential stream of consciousness posts, all the way up until the egregious Saving Private Ryan hyperbole. It's a good movie, but com'on, man.

[wufwugy]

LOL

It was definitely hyperbole.

When it comes to my top film picks, I have a hard time saying they're anything less than the best ever. Schindler's List, O Brother Where Art Thou, Inglorious Basterds, Touching the Void, all a handful of films I don't think are improvable. SPR falls into that category. For the longest time, I underrated SPR because it was really popular, it didn't have any women leads (that's not progressive enough you know), and was a war movie (those are by nature intense and emotionally engaging). But whenever I rewatch it I can't help but find its emotional story the most engaging.

They all die. For what? For nothing. They saved some no-name nobody no different than them from the fate they all suffered because they saved him. Not only did they need to succeed for their efforts to not be futile, but he had to go above and beyond and "earn this." Which he did. The most memorable thing about each of them was how they died. Vin Diesel trying to save a girl, dies clutching a bloody letter in a pool of mud. Giovanni Ribisi with a dozen abdomen holes, fading into his blackness as his companions try to console him. Adam Goldberg in an epic knife struggle as his companion is paralyzed in fear. Tom Hanks shooting a tank with a pistol in the last effort to save the no-name nobody.

It's a marvelous film.

[rong]

LOL

It was definitely hyperbole.

When it comes to my top film picks, I have a hard time saying they're anything less than the best ever. Schindler's List, O Brother Where Art Thou, Inglorious Basterds, Touching the Void, all a handful of films I don't think are improvable. SPR falls into that category. For the longest time, I underrated SPR because it was really popular, it didn't have any women leads (that's not progressive enough you know), and was a war movie (those are by nature intense and emotionally engaging). But whenever I rewatch it I can't help but find its emotional story the most engaging.

They all die. For what? For nothing. They saved some no-name nobody no different than them from the fate they all suffered because they saved him. Not only did they need to succeed for their efforts to not be futile, but he had to go above and beyond and "earn this." Which he did. The most memorable thing about each of them was how they died. Vin Diesel trying to save a girl, dies clutching a bloody letter in a pool of mud. Giovanni Ribisi with a dozen abdomen holes, fading into his blackness as his companions try to console him. Adam Goldberg in an epic knife struggle as his companion is paralyzed in fear. Tom Hanks shooting a tank with a pistol in the last effort to save the no-name nobody.

It's a marvelous film.

Just reading that got me reliving the emotions.

[oskar]

What We Do In The Shadows is one of the better movies I've seen in a while.

[wufwugy]

What We Do In The Shadows With Ur Mom is better.

[boost]

What We Do In The Shadows With Ur Mom is better.

I am Boost, and I approve of this message.

[oskar]

At least my mom is in the movies.
jealous

[oskar]

At the 2014 Oscars 20 Feet of Stardom won best documentary over The Act of Killing, so even though I haven't seen it I must recommend 20 Feet of Stardom as likely the most impactful documentary you can watch. One that exposes our collective responsibility in both participating and ignoring one of the... sing and dancing... that provoked reactions from both chinese and indonesian... stage and light and fame and bleed, bleed, bleed, bleed.

In 2015 the documentary "Amy" about pop starlet Amy Winehouse won best documentary over The Look of Silence, so again... You should definitely go check out Amy... the movie about the survivers of the genocide of pop singer Amy Winehouse who sings and sings and she dances and OUT EVERYBODY OUT! SAVE YOUR LOVED ONES THIS IS THE APOCALYPSE!

[oskar]

It Follows is a really neat little horror movie. It doesn't get pretentious, it's confident enough not to try to ridicule its dumb premise, and it makes filmmaking look effortless. I cannot recommend this enough. This is one of the movies that makes me want to shoot a movie. It's just masterfully executed on a very tight budget.

Also if you've never gotten around to watching Spring Breakers, just watch Harmony Korin's Rihanna music video. Good times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfN4PVaOU5Q

[oskar]

Everything about Under The Skin is fantastic.

#havingfunatthemoviesagain

[JKDS]

I thought Split was a pretty good movie. It was like 10 Cloverfield lane, but weirder.

[VanDam]

John Wick Chapter 2 was awesome, I highly recommend.

[BananaStand]

John Wick Chapter 2 was awesome, I highly recommend.

Would you recommend it to someone who hated John Wick 1?

I dig the fast paced action and all that, and I realize that doesn't need much of a story behind to be entertaining. But did they do better this time than just "man goes on murder rampage over his dead dog"? That disproportionate motivation really fucked up the first movie for me.

The whole time I'm like..."fuck Keanu, just buy a new dog!"

[Portofino43]

I thought Split was a pretty good movie. It was like 10 Cloverfield lane, but weirder.

10 Cloverfield Lane - When I saw this thread I was going to come on here just to mention that movie. I just saw 10 Cloverfield Lane on Netflix a while back and really liked it. John Goodman did a great job playing the role of a mysteriously creepy character, and I always love Mary Elisabeth Winstead. This movie kept me guessing throughout, and the climax as excellent. I've been recommending this one to my friends and family. 4 stars out of 5.

Selma - This was a nicely done account of some of the key moments in the civil rights movement. I have a HUGE respect for Dr. Martin Luther King, and they did a decent job in this movie of portraying some of what he did for not only his people, but all of us in this country. A good story about one of history's truly great men. 4 stars out of 5.

The Unborn - I'm almost 53 years old, and I've seen an awful lot of horror movies in my day. I've watched people die just about every way possible on film over the years, so your typical slasher flick just isn't going to impress me any more. One thing I never get tired of, however, is the sight of a beautiful woman, and for that reason I have to admit that the female stars are what usually get me to check out a movie.

This movie featured Odette Annable, who happens to be gorgeous, so I decided to give it a try. It also had another one of my favorites in the cast - Carla Gugino. The beautiful ladies were reason enough for me to watch it, but I wasn't expecting much. As it turns out, this movie turned out to be pretty good for a jaded old filmgoer like myself. I'd give it a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars, and maybe even 4 stars on a good night. It's worth checking out if you are in the mood for a little horror and suspense.

Blindsided - This one stars Michelle Monaghan as a woman who was blinded in battle in the Middle East. It takes place in her apartment as she is victimized by some of her fiance's business associates. If you like Michelle Monaghan, it's definitely worth watching. If you aren't familiar with her, it may also be worth seeing, not only to check her out, but because it's a fairly decent movie. 3 stars out of 5.

[BankItDrew]

Would you recommend it to someone who hated John Wick 1?

I dig the fast paced action and all that, and I realize that doesn't need much of a story behind to be entertaining. But did they do better this time than just "man goes on murder rampage over his dead dog"? That disproportionate motivation really fucked up the first movie for me.

The whole time I'm like..."fuck Keanu, just buy a new dog!"

If you hated part one, don't watch part two.

What film are we talking about?

oh sorry, doesn't matter

[BankItDrew]

I'm honestly curious as to anyones attempt at proving me wrong. Find a film where you (and maybe me) think that part one of a film duology or trilogy or whatever is shit, whereas the sequal is amazing.

[Savy]

I'm honestly curious as to anyones attempt at proving me wrong. Find a film where you (and maybe me) think that part one of a film duology or trilogy or whatever is shit, whereas the sequal is amazing.

kickass

I can think of loads of movies where the first film is ok but the sequel is much better but not where the first is particularly bad. It's mostly franchises that are big enough they were always going to get a sequel.

I can also think of edgy opinions of mine on films like, Star Wars is bad, Empire Strikes Back is much better but is still bad.

[oskar]

I thought X-Men was trash but I've heard Logan is good. Does that count? I can think of a lot of sequels that were at least as good as the first movie: Aliens, Terminator, Batman Returns... erm... Before Sunset. Ok, I can think of 4. There are a decent amount of remakes that are a lot better than the originals. The Thing, The Fly, Dawn of the Dead, The Crazies, The Grudge, The Ring, Desperado.

Desperado is a sequel! Got it. Dur ya go. El Mariachi was trash, Desperado was great. EZ game, EZ life.

[oskar]

I can also think of edgy opinions of mine on films like, Star Wars is bad, Empire Strikes Back is much better but is still bad.

Exactly. I don't run my mouth about Star Wars because it's like a religion to people, but 5 is clearly a better movie than 4... but was it trash? idk.

[Savy]

I thought X-Men was trash but I've heard Logan is good. Does that count?

Me and a friend were going through the IMDB top 100 yesterday and found it insane that Logan is in the top 100. It's nothing more than a decent action flick.

My thoughts from when I actually watched it.

Logan - I don't really remember the other films all that well, nor the x-men ones but what stood out the most was that it was surprisingly brutal. Claws going though peoples heads, limbs being hacked off. It's basically a family road trip, decent enough. It's too long, some parts are a bit forced but overall it's pretty good.

Exactly. I don't run my mouth about Star Wars because it's like a religion to people, but 5 is clearly a better movie than 4... but was it trash? idk.

They are too of their time, aged terribly. If you were to show someone Star Wars with no knowledge of it they wouldn't be impressed.

[oskar]

That's just it being a new popular movie. Stranger Things was a 9.5 when it came out. The way imdb works the more mainstream and the less disagreeable a movie is, the higher the score will be. Not necessarily a sign of quality. The Neon Demon is a 6.2. The Witch is a 6.8. Truly great movies will never get a good score. If at least half the people don't despise it, it can't really be a good movie. That doesn't translate well to rating systems.

[BananaStand]

I rented "arrival" with Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner recently

I want my $2 back

[oskar]

case in point

[Jack Sawyer]

Watch John Wick now

[Jack Sawyer]

Would you recommend it to someone who hated John Wick 1?

I dig the fast paced action and all that, and I realize that doesn't need much of a story behind to be entertaining. But did they do better this time than just "man goes on murder rampage over his dead dog"? That disproportionate motivation really fucked up the first movie for me.

The whole time I'm like..."fuck Keanu, just buy a new dog!"

Hahahaha


His possessions are bigger than just that. This is an action movie at its finest

[oskar]

Fury Road really does work extremely well in B&W. I want to watch it for a third time now, but in B&W and dubbed in russian. There really isn't any need for dialogue in this movie. It sounds like much of the dialogue has already been ADR'd in the english version, so there already is that weird disconnect between the image and the sound that it shouldn't matter what language you watch it in. I honestly think watching it in a language you don't understand with no subtitles would knock this up from a great movie to a phenomenal movie. My first pick would be Mongolian, because you'd go: what happened there? post-apocalypse america, everyone's speaking mongolian? That would be great, but if you can't find the mongolian version, russian should do.

[boost]

Fury Road really does work extremely well in B&W. I want to watch it for a third time now, but in B&W and dubbed in russian. There really isn't any need for dialogue in this movie. It sounds like much of the dialogue has already been ADR'd in the english version, so there already is that weird disconnect between the image and the sound that it shouldn't matter what language you watch it in. I honestly think watching it in a language you don't understand with no subtitles would knock this up from a great movie to a phenomenal movie. My first pick would be Mongolian, because you'd go: what happened there? post-apocalypse america, everyone's speaking mongolian? That would be great, but if you can't find the mongolian version, russian should do.

This actually sounds like a fantastic idea. Have you seen Valhalla Rising? It's pretty much a movie where a director had the idea you're pushing: highly stylized ultra violent flick with essentially no dialogue. I think there may be one or two lines total, and IIRC it's got a run time over two hours. Definitely worth checking out.

[oskar]

No, but I'll check it out. There's way too much talking in movies these days. One of my favorite movies of the last couple of years is The Neon Demon and it's basically a 2h music video. It's just highly stylized shots and trance music and it's amazing.

[boost]

Off topic, but that makes me think of this-- kinda the same, but inverse, a music video with a ton of talking(for a music video), but it's so good. Good speakers and loud goes a long way, ldo.

https://youtu.be/gHiqPG0526U

[oskar]

Green Room
I'd also recommend the two other movies by the same Director: Blue Ruin and Murder Party - in that order. Blue Ruin is what Daaren Arnofsky would make if he wasn't a pretentious douche and had less funding. Green Room does a great job at taking an absurd scenario and presenting it in a believable way. It goes out of its way to subvert expectations and plays around movie cliches without being in your face about it. Very much recommended. Don't watch trailers or read reviews before watching imo.

And thanks Boost for recommending Valhalla Rising. That's exactly the kind of stuff I like.

[BananaStand]

Watched Rocky 4 last night.

Someone owes me 90 minutes of my life back.

[oskar]

I know, right. Could have gone fuck yourself instead.

[BananaStand]

I know, right. Could have gone fuck yourself instead.

What I really wanna know is how much cocaine does a movie studio executive have to snort before a meeting with Stallone for this to happen....

Stallone: It's a movie, where I win the cold war with boxing. Also Paulie befriends a robot.
Studio Exec: YES!!

[oskar]

Ok so because I really truly have nothing better to do and I don't tend to reminisce over lost time in the same way you do, let me break this down:
Firstly, if you go watch Rocky 4 and you are surprised to see a really dumb action movie, then you should check if you're eligible for disability because you are without the shadow of a doubt mentally retarded.
Secondly, there is a near infinite number of hours of passive entertainment for you out there. It was your choice to see Rocky 4. You sat there till the end on your retarded ass, and now you have the audacity to complain that you didn't like it. If I were to watch Rocky 4, I'm pretty sure I'd feel like I wasted time. But you know why I won't. Because I'm not going to see it! You know why? BECAUSE IT'S FUCKING ROCKY 4! Do people choose movies for you? If you don't like one, stop watching! How can a movie "waste your time?" It's inanimate. It can't hold you down and make you. To complain that a movie wasted your time is so shockingly stupid that it offends me, and I'm not easily offended.

[BananaStand]

Ok so because I really truly have nothing better to do....

This sentence kinda undermined everything else you said after this.

If we're going strictly on my own opinion, there are probably like....eight good movies...ever. Everything else either sucks, really sucks, or is Rocky 4.

And if you're telling me you've never been "sucked in" to watching a dog-shit movie just cause "that's what's on" then you are a filthy liar.

[MadMojoMonkey]

Never fool yourself to think you're wasting old man time,
for surely old man time is wasting you.
-some street performer in Seattle ca. 2000

[Savy]

I remember watching Rocky 6 at the cinema & at the end people applauded. It was shit.

[JKDS]

Rocky wins the cold war and Paulie has robot sex is exactly why Rocky 4 is good.

This ain't some documentary, it's over the top nonsense with something that might be labeled boxing. Sure, it's tame now...but c'mon it's over a quarter century old now.

[Jack Sawyer]

Bright

[Jack Sawyer]

I really want to know what "critics" think of when they "review" movies.

Why are they even needed? These assholes are literally vestigial. I understand the need to review pretty much everything else, but just not movies, as inherent to the review process is spoiling the entire damn thing

[spoonitnow]

The Rocky series is great, but I wouldn't recommend anyone watch just one of them by itself unless it's the very first one. So much of it builds on the previous films.

[Jack Sawyer]

Bright

I'm pretty sure this flick did well with audiences because no one knew shit about it prior to release, it basically dropped out of nowhere

[wufwugy]

Can never go wrong with the two greatest action films of all time:

Aliens
Rambo (2008)

[oskar]

There are some insanely good movies that are widely regarded as action schlock that I think are amazing. Starship Troopers would be on top of that list. RLM did a great breakdown on that one. Robocop, Total recall ldo. Demolition Man maybe... maybe not that many actually.

[oskar]

Catching up on what Casper Van Dien has been up to lately...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2518848/...nm_flmg_act_39
holy shit

[wufwugy]

There are some insanely good movies that are widely regarded as action schlock that I think are amazing. Starship Troopers would be on top of that list. RLM did a great breakdown on that one. Robocop, Total recall ldo. Demolition Man maybe... maybe not that many actually.

You certainly have a style. I wonder how to describe it. Raw, industrial, dystopian, technological, channeling the 80s.

[wufwugy]

After Aliens and Rambo (2008), my picks for 3 and 4 goateriest actions are

Terminator 2
Predator

Am I forgetting any really great ones?

[Jack Sawyer]

[Jack Sawyer]

After Aliens and Rambo (2008), my picks for 3 and 4 goateriest actions are

Terminator 2
Predator

Am I forgetting any really great ones?

Indeed you are, Nakatomi Plaza for instance

[Jack Sawyer]

Indeed you are, Nakatomi Plaza for instance

Also Goldfinger, Django, John Wick, Kingsman (1), Saving Private Ryan, Drive

[wufwugy]

Kingsman 2 was no good? That's unfortunate because I loved the first one.

[spoonitnow]

I think Kill Bill is underrated, largely by people who have no understanding of depth.

[Jack Sawyer]

Kingsman 2 was no good? That's unfortunate because I loved the first one.

The acting in Kingsman 2 is very shitty, it ends up being very stylistic but very hollow imho. A lot of style very little substance

In the same vein, John Wick 1 is loads better than 2, and John Wick 2 is loads better than Kingsman 2

[BananaStand]

What fucking dimensional portal did I stumble into where everyone is insane??

I'm having a problem reading criticisms like....

A lot of style very little substance

...while you simultaneously endorse John Wick multiple times in the same thread!!

You think 'man avenges dog' = substance??

[spoonitnow]

Idris without a doubt imo

[Jack Sawyer]

What fucking dimensional portal did I stumble into where everyone is insane??

None. If everyone is insane in your eyes, the chance that you are the insane one instead increases immensely to the point of being 1

I'm having a problem reading criticisms like....



...while you simultaneously endorse John Wick multiple times in the same thread!!

You think 'man avenges dog' = substance??

If the dog was the last gift given to him by his dying yet now dead wife, who was the only person in the world who could calm him down, with the sole intention of him accepting her impending yet unavoidable death, then yes

Context breeds substance banana. Know that

[Jack Sawyer]

Idris without a doubt imo

I'd say Fassbender, Elba, Hardy or Hiddleston in order

[wufwugy]

Martin Freeman IMO. He might be one of the only Bonds I would watch.

I'd watch Elba though. He can be smooth and suave and dangerous with ease.

[BananaStand]

If the dog was the last gift given to him by his dying yet now dead wife, who was the only person in the world who could calm him down, with the sole intention of him accepting her impending yet unavoidable death, then yes

Context breeds substance banana. Know that

No, the premise is entirely silly.

Lots of people have all kinds of sentimental attachments to pets that die. I've never heard of one going on a vengeful murderous rampage over it.