chazas wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 6:11 am
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, on Disney+ (4K projection/Atmos home theater). I normally don’t like Marvel movies, but it was really really good. So many strong performances/roles, almost all Asian and so many women! Beautifully filmed and written, other than all the obligatory MCU stuff.
+ 1, on Disney+.
Really enjoyed it, funny too.
Some fight scenes reminiscent of Yuen Woo Ping's choreography from Crouching Tiger.
rockstar wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 2:42 pm
latest Spider-man movie. It was good, not great.
I have really low expectations for superhero movies. Completely agree, it was good, not great, but nonetheless probably the best Marvel film and maybe best superhero movie of all. My mom and stepfather are taking my kids to see it again, tomorrow. Seeing the same movie twice in 4 days is not for me.
rockstar wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 2:42 pm
latest Spider-man movie. It was good, not great.
I have really low expectations for superhero movies. Completely agree, it was good, not great, but nonetheless probably the best Marvel film and maybe best superhero movie of all. My mom and stepfather are taking my kids to see it again, tomorrow. Seeing the same movie twice in 4 days is not for me.
I like the first two more than this one. I'd check out Hawkeye too. It's probably the best of the series so far.
staustin wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 5:15 pm
Westside Story, in the theater. One of the few apparently.
It's long, but very well done.
My parents went to watch this the other day with my youngest sister (18), having heard nothing but rave reviews....they were all tempted to walk out. Certainly not my cup of tea, but I was surprised to hear from them how much they disliked it after hearing nothing but good things from others. Did say both of the leads had incredible voices.
rockstar wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 2:42 pm
latest Spider-man movie. It was good, not great.
I have really low expectations for superhero movies. Completely agree, it was good, not great, but nonetheless probably the best Marvel film and maybe best superhero movie of all. My mom and stepfather are taking my kids to see it again, tomorrow. Seeing the same movie twice in 4 days is not for me.
I like the first two more than this one. I'd check out Hawkeye too. It's probably the best of the series so far.
I pretty much watch everything.
I have a Marvel obsessed (specifically Spider-Man) 6yr old, I've seen them all. I think this one was significantly better than the other two Tom Holland Spider-Man films (and he is BY FAR the best of the three), but to each their own. We actually have been watching Hawkeye and it is enjoyable, definitely one of the better superhero series (Netflix's Daredevil and Punisher were good, but pretty much everything else was not IMO).
jginseattle wrote: ↑Sat Dec 18, 2021 2:54 pmThe Hand of God. Paolo Sorrentino's breezy coming-of-age story is set in Naples in the 1980s. An enjoyable film by one of the best directors working today. On Netflix and in theaters. I saw it in the latter.
I knew I was going to like it as I have vacationed and toured Naples, Capri and even cruised by Stromboli at night to see the active volcano... However, I'm still trying to figure out what the heck I was watching! My wife asked me what it was about and I said "... I can't begin to explain it". It helped a lot to see the 8 minute recap of the locations with the director and now have read a review of it.
Bottom line: thought provoking, beautifully filmed in one of the most beautiful places on earth art house type movie... I liked it more than a little but still can't figure out the signifigance of some of the scenes. (What the heck was the Saudi Shiek and his "girlfriend" on Capri all about???)
Now off to find "The Great Beauty" 2013 which he won an Oscar for.
The Soloist (2009)
Free on YouTube.
True story of a mentally ill musical talent on the streets of LA and the reporter who "finds" him.
RDJ and Jamie Foxx are outstanding.
Saw Nightmare Alley today in the theater. Overall, well executed film noir but the story was a little predictable and I never thought much of Bradley Cooper as an actor, he did nothing to change my opinion. The supporting cast around him had some really good performances though and the cinematography is worth seeing if you're into Noir.
mancich wrote: ↑Thu Dec 23, 2021 5:30 am
Matrix: Resurrections on HBO Max last night. It was just as confusing as the first 3
I didn’t understand the first one. I rejiggered my home theater, so I played a few minutes of the latest one to evaluate my changes a bit, but decided to rewatch some parts of Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scott’s which I know the sound of well. Much better use of my time.
These kinds of movies always make me wonder what their “draw” is.
mancich wrote: ↑Thu Dec 23, 2021 5:30 am
Matrix: Resurrections on HBO Max last night. It was just as confusing as the first 3
I didn’t understand the first one. I rejiggered my home theater, so I played a few minutes of the latest one to evaluate my changes a bit, but decided to rewatch some parts of Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scott’s which I know the sound of well. Much better use of my time.
These kinds of movies always make me wonder what their “draw” is.
The draw of the first one was twofold:
1) Groundbreaking special effects ("bullet time"). Like it or not. It changed cinema.
2) Another take on artificial intelligence ruled dystopia. "The Terminator" had a warlike view. "The Matrix" went more in a hacker simulation view.
mancich wrote: ↑Thu Dec 23, 2021 5:30 am
Matrix: Resurrections on HBO Max last night. It was just as confusing as the first 3
I didn’t understand the first one. I rejiggered my home theater, so I played a few minutes of the latest one to evaluate my changes a bit, but decided to rewatch some parts of Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scott’s which I know the sound of well. Much better use of my time.
These kinds of movies always make me wonder what their “draw” is.
The draw of the first one was twofold:
1) Groundbreaking special effects ("bullet time"). Like it or not. It changed cinema.
2) Another take on artificial intelligence ruled dystopia. "The Terminator" had a warlike view. "The Matrix" went more in a hacker simulation view.
I’ll agree on #1 and don’t have a view in #2. The special effects are probably why I watched a few minutes to evaluate my sound system changes using Matrix rather than Great British Baking Show.
staustin wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 5:15 pm
Westside Story, in the theater. One of the few apparently.
It's long, but very well done.
My parents went to watch this the other day with my youngest sister (18), having heard nothing but rave reviews....they were all tempted to walk out. Certainly not my cup of tea, but I was surprised to hear from them how much they disliked it after hearing nothing but good things from others. Did say both of the leads had incredible voices.
What would they have walked out for? It was really good. If you liked the original, I don't see how you would not like Spielberg's version.
Film about Lucille Ball (Lucy Ricardo) and Desi Arnaz (Ricky Ricardo) before
and during the I Love Lucy era. The movie highlighted the bickering and
rivalries between cast/writers/producer/sponsors, Desi Arnaz's cheating on
Lucille Ball, and the scare that was generated when accusations were made
that Lucille Ball was a communist (which were disproven.)
The film gave some interesting history of how the hit show, that mesmerized America
in the 1950s, came into being. The sets and equipment looked very authentic to the
times. Nicole Kidman was a believable Lucille Ball particularly when she was Lucy on
set. The characters who played Desi Arnaz, William Frawley, and Vivian Vance were
less believable but J.K. Simmons, who played William Frawley, had an amusing wit.
Recommended
Viewed on Amazon Prime
Braved the theaters last weekend despite the Spider Man crowds to see Spielberg's West Side Story on the big screen.
The new choreography by Justin Peck is superb. The musical numbers are fantastic. If one cannot see musical theater live on stage, this is as close as it comes. The film is fantastic!
staustin wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 5:15 pm
Westside Story, in the theater. One of the few apparently.
It's long, but very well done.
My parents went to watch this the other day with my youngest sister (18), having heard nothing but rave reviews....they were all tempted to walk out. Certainly not my cup of tea, but I was surprised to hear from them how much they disliked it after hearing nothing but good things from others. Did say both of the leads had incredible voices.
What would they have walked out for? It was really good. If you liked the original, I don't see how you would not like Spielberg's version.
None of them had ever seen the original (nor have I, but I know it's not for me). They really didn't like it, especially my mom.
The King's Man - walked out with about 30mins left. Just too all over the place to waste more time with it. Shame because I really liked the first movie in the series a lot.
We started the new Matrix movie on HBO but needed to pause it for something and didn't really feel like turning it back on.
LadyGeek wrote: ↑Sun Nov 07, 2021 6:32 amArrival on Amazon Prime in 4K UHD ($3.99), PG-13, 2016, directed by Denis Villeneuve, Forest Whitaker. A linguist translates an alien language after 12 ships land on Earth. A sci-fi drama that makes you think instead of looking at special effects. This movie won an Oscar and was nominated for a bunch of awards. I liked it.
Don't confuse this with The Arrival (1996) starring Charlie Sheen.
After reading Ladygeek's post this morning, I decided to watch today. It was well worth my time. Thanks.
I watched on Paramount+. Comes with the subscription if you have it.
I found this a hard to understand movie (very tired on first watch), but ended up watching multiple times and now love it. The female lead is play by the lead in “Julie and Julia”. Very good actress.
LadyGeek wrote: ↑Sun Nov 07, 2021 6:32 amArrival on Amazon Prime in 4K UHD ($3.99), PG-13, 2016, directed by Denis Villeneuve, Forest Whitaker. A linguist translates an alien language after 12 ships land on Earth. A sci-fi drama that makes you think instead of looking at special effects. This movie won an Oscar and was nominated for a bunch of awards. I liked it.
Don't confuse this with The Arrival (1996) starring Charlie Sheen.
After reading Ladygeek's post this morning, I decided to watch today. It was well worth my time. Thanks.
I watched on Paramount+. Comes with the subscription if you have it.
I found this a hard to understand movie (very tired on first watch), but ended up watching multiple times and now love it. The female lead is play by the lead in “Julie and Julia”. Very good actress.
A couple of weeks ago, I watched a movie that was so bad, I didn't report on it... "The Vast of Night". The blurb read: "One night in New Mexico, in the late 1950s, a switchboard operator and radio DJ discover a strange audio frequency which could change the future forever." Sounded good, right? But the switchboard operator was so annoying and her acting was so bad, I cringed the whole time. But the premise of the show sounded similarly intelligent as "Arrival". I think I'll watch the latter when I get a chance. Sounds much better!
Paisa - a film by Rossellini about end of war and post war Italy. It’s five or six short stories about Italians and American soldiers, communicating and miscommunicating in poignant and sometimes tragic ways. With subtitles.
LadyGeek wrote: ↑Sun Nov 07, 2021 6:32 amArrival on Amazon Prime in 4K UHD ($3.99), PG-13, 2016, directed by Denis Villeneuve, Forest Whitaker. A linguist translates an alien language after 12 ships land on Earth. A sci-fi drama that makes you think instead of looking at special effects. This movie won an Oscar and was nominated for a bunch of awards. I liked it.
Don't confuse this with The Arrival (1996) starring Charlie Sheen.
After reading Ladygeek's post this morning, I decided to watch today. It was well worth my time. Thanks.
I watched on Paramount+. Comes with the subscription if you have it.
I found this a hard to understand movie (very tired on first watch), but ended up watching multiple times and now love it. The female lead is play by the lead in “Julie and Julia”. Very good actress.
A couple of weeks ago, I watched a movie that was so bad, I didn't report on it... "The Vast of Night". The blurb read: "One night in New Mexico, in the late 1950s, a switchboard operator and radio DJ discover a strange audio frequency which could change the future forever." Sounded good, right? But the switchboard operator was so annoying and her acting was so bad, I cringed the whole time. But the premise of the show sounded similarly intelligent as "Arrival". I think I'll watch the latter when I get a chance. Sounds much better!
They are 180 degrees different!
I appreciate budget indie efforts like Vast, but the film felt too thin in story. Visually it had a few high points.
A better indie minimal budget scifi movie is "Coherence.". Much of the dialog is improvised and yet it comes off well.
This movie was long on my radar, but I just kept forgetting to see it. Really enjoyed it, and its as good as the reviews say. I'll just list the blurb for it, in case there's someone who does not know about it.
In a future society, time-travel exists, but it's only available to those with the means to pay for it on the black market. When the mob wants to eliminate someone, it sends the target into the past, where a hit man known as a looper lies in wait to finish the job. Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is one such hired gun, and he does his job well -- until the day his bosses decide to "close the loop" and send Joe's future self (Bruce Willis) back in time to be killed.
Tonight, I watched Lust for Gold: A Race Against Time, a documentary about a few folks searching for the legendary Lost Dutchman treasure in Arizona's Superstition Mountains.
wilson08 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 23, 2021 11:49 amBeing the Ricardos (2021)
Film about Lucille Ball (Lucy Ricardo) and Desi Arnaz (Ricky Ricardo) before
and during the I Love Lucy era. The movie highlighted the bickering and
rivalries between cast/writers/producer/sponsors, Desi Arnaz's cheating on
Lucille Ball, and the scare that was generated when accusations were made
that Lucille Ball was a communist (which were disproven.)
The film gave some interesting history of how the hit show, that mesmerized America
in the 1950s, came into being. The sets and equipment looked very authentic to the
times. Nicole Kidman was a believable Lucille Ball particularly when she was Lucy on
set. The characters who played Desi Arnaz, William Frawley, and Vivian Vance were
less believable but J.K. Simmons, who played William Frawley, had an amusing wit.
Recommended
Viewed on Amazon Prime
+1. I really enjoyed the movie. Nicole Kidman was excellent. The rest were very good.
As a kid I watched the I love Lucy episodes multiple times, so this was a must see.
wilson08 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 23, 2021 11:49 amBeing the Ricardos (2021)
Film about Lucille Ball (Lucy Ricardo) and Desi Arnaz (Ricky Ricardo) before
and during the I Love Lucy era. The movie highlighted the bickering and
rivalries between cast/writers/producer/sponsors, Desi Arnaz's cheating on
Lucille Ball, and the scare that was generated when accusations were made
that Lucille Ball was a communist (which were disproven.)
The film gave some interesting history of how the hit show, that mesmerized America
in the 1950s, came into being. The sets and equipment looked very authentic to the
times. Nicole Kidman was a believable Lucille Ball particularly when she was Lucy on
set. The characters who played Desi Arnaz, William Frawley, and Vivian Vance were
less believable but J.K. Simmons, who played William Frawley, had an amusing wit.
Recommended
Viewed on Amazon Prime
+1. I really enjoyed the movie. Nicole Kidman was excellent. The rest were very good.
As a kid I watched the I love Lucy episodes multiple times, so this was a must see.
I liked the movie. I could have done without the documentary-like interviews with the “older” versions of the producers and writers (played by Ronny Cox, Linda Lavin et al). Those seemed unnecessary and perhaps a little confusing to me. I was dubious about the casting of Nicole Kidman, but she was outstanding, as usual.
Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza tells the story of a fifteen year-old actor and hustler's relationship with a twenty-five year-old woman in the San Fernando Valley of the 1970s. It stars Cooper Hoffman, the son of the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Alana Haim from the music group HAIM. The movie is a lot of fun and the two stars are perfect together.