Author Topic: Movies you've seen lately (Read 591865 times)

Shades · « **Reply #175 on:** August 24, 2013, 11:04 AM »

Now you see me - This one I really liked. Robin Hood style robbery using magic tricks and a lot of misdirection that make for fine plot twists. And it comes with Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.

40hz · « **Reply #176 on:** August 24, 2013, 01:04 PM »

Friday night is re-watch night for me. Digging through the pile I ran across an oddball film I hadn't watched in years...

Definitely not for family viewing: Demonlover.

I suppose the cast alone should be a giveaway for that. Any movie with Connie Nielsen, Gina Gershon, or Chloë Sevigny in it has a high probability of general weirdness. Put all three of these ladies in a film together and 'disturbing weirdness' becomes a certainty.

This cyber-cult film deals with the sleazier underside of Asian manga and the web. You have two firms battling for control of an emerging 3D anime porn market. During one of the negotiation sessions, Elaine Si Gibril (played by Gina Gershon) brings up the illegal and completely underground website Hellfire Club, which she describes as: "An interactive torture site. Very difficult to access. Very successful."

What follows is a disturbing journey into one the darkest worlds the Internet can bring to your computer. An interesting if unpleasant movie made back in 2002 that accurately predicted some of what has since come to pass with the technology that was supposed to "liberate humanity." And while the web has liberated us in many ways, it also has unchained a few demons in the process. As hate sites, the criminal darknet, and now the recently exposed and out of control government monitoring programs have demonstrated.

This is one of those films where the real horror of it doesn't hit you right away. It's only after the movie is over - and the story has had a chance to crawl around in your subconscious for an hour or so - that the utterly vicious creepiness (dare I say evil?) really sinks in.

Viewer discretion and 'appropriate age audience' strongly advised for this one.

nosh · « **Reply #177 on:** August 24, 2013, 02:31 PM »

An interactive torture site. Very difficult to access. Very successful.

Sounds fascinating. I recall a movie with a similar theme with Diane Lane in it (IMDB to the rescue: Untraceable (2008)) - found it fairly average, IIRC - it didn't creep me out, but then I'm _extremely_ jaded.

Two movies that did creep me out:

Spoiler

8mm (1999) - which was about snuff films. Don't let the fact that it has Nic Cage in it discourage you. And Joaquin Phoenix was brilliant in it.

and Mulholland Dr. (2001) - This is one of a handful of movies I'll take to my grave. It had a huge impact on me, I'm certain I've mentioned it here before. I've lost quite a bit of sleep to it and I don't think it technically even falls under the horror genre.

Lynch has a way of getting into your sub-conscious and showing you the horrible things you didn't even know existed. If for some odd reason, you've never seen a David Lynch movie, Mulholland Dr. would be a great place to start.

I've seen three mostly average movies during these last few days.

Deadfall (2012) - Olivia Wilde, Eric Bana and a run-of-the-mill plot. Casino robbers on the lam end up at a family thanksgiving in the dead of winter. Yawwwn.

Ironman 3 (2013) - Ten million things being juggled all at once, trying to compensate for the lack of a solid, gripping storyline. There's only so much spectacular CGI can do to hold my interest. This movie's so long I swear I could hear the ironman suit creak during the last few scenes.

The Great Gatsby (2013) - I'd rate it higher than the other two. The visuals are typically 'Luhrmann' - the kind of visual assault I imagine a Mantis Shrimp

Spoiler

encounters on a day to day basis. Gatsby gets a

from me.

40hz · « **Reply #178 on:** August 24, 2013, 04:15 PM »

An interactive torture site. Very difficult to access. Very successful.

Sounds fascinating. I recall a movie with a similar theme with Diane Lane in it (IMDB to the rescue: Untraceable (2008)) - found it fairly average, IIRC - it didn't creep me out, but then I'm _extremely_ jaded.

-nosh (August 24, 2013, 02:31 PM)

I'm pretty jaded too. That comes with age I suppose. But the part that made Demonlover so creepy (for me) is that you aren't dealing with a serial killer or other freelance psycho in that movie. I'm of a similar mind to Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman when she said something to the effect of not minding the psychos because you always knew where you stood with one of those.

Demonlover's premise was a lot more (to my mind) disturbing once it completely sunk in what was going down.

Don't want to do spoilers so I'll let it go at that.

Definitely a weird flick.

nosh · « **Reply #179 on:** August 24, 2013, 04:31 PM »

On my watchlist!

superboyac · « **Reply #180 on:** August 24, 2013, 10:51 PM »

The Great Gatsby (2013) - I'd rate it higher than the other two. The visuals are typically 'Luhrmann' - the kind of visual assault I imagine a Mantis Shrimp encounters on a day to day basis. Gatsby gets a from me.
-nosh (August 24, 2013, 02:31 PM)

I love Mantis Shrimps. Hard to say, but definitely one of the most interesting creatures in existence.

4wd · « **Reply #181 on:** September 09, 2013, 10:21 PM »

Just watched The Dyatlov Pass Incident - another FFF, (Found Footage Film).

It's a "what if" film based on a true event, Dyatlov Pass Incident^w.

The Dyatlov Pass incident generally refers to the mysterious deaths of nine ski hikers in the northern Ural mountains on the night of February 2, 1959.

All-in-all, I find FFFs rather tedious and boring but this one I rather enjoyed, mixing references to The Philadelphia Experiment and Das Jesus Video, and I always love the remote Russian scenery.

Renegade · « **Reply #182 on:** September 10, 2013, 07:13 AM »

Just watched The Dyatlov Pass Incident - another FFF, (Found Footage Film).
-4wd (September 09, 2013, 10:21 PM)

Director: Renny Harlin

That was a very cool flick! I really liked it. Horror is about the hardest to get done really well. That had a good plot & story.

Renegade · « **Reply #183 on:** September 10, 2013, 07:31 AM »

Ironman 3 (2013) - Ten million things being juggled all at once, trying to compensate for the lack of a solid, gripping storyline. There's only so much spectacular CGI can do to hold my interest. This movie's so long I swear I could hear the ironman suit creak during the last few scenes.
-nosh (August 24, 2013, 02:31 PM)

Finally saw that last week (or the week before - time blurs). You're rather kind in your assessment.

If you want a much better storyline and plot:

1) Open up YouTube.
2) Type in "CGI special effects"
3) Download about 20 videos at random.
4) Do another search for "3D animation".
5) Download another 20.
6) Pick 10~20 of those at random and put them in a playlist. Adjust the number for however long you want your story to be.
7) Congratulate yourself for being a better story writer than most of the top Hollywood studios.

40hz · « **Reply #184 on:** September 10, 2013, 11:10 AM »

All-in-all, I find FFFs rather tedious and boring but this one I rather enjoyed,
-4wd (September 09, 2013, 10:21 PM)

Agree. We can thank the Blair Witch Project for coming up with the concept (gimick?) that set the stage for an endless stream of low-budget and indie copycats.

Still... every so often a good one (yet another fake documentary with 'found' footage) comes along. I thought this 90-minute Austrailian crowd-funded indie did a creditable job. It's called The Tunnel.

Here's the trailer, which doesn't really do it justice. Check out the first five or so minutes on one of the links below to see if it works for you.

You can watch it in full on YouTube here or here. Not HD by any stretch, but it's adequate for viewing.

Shades · « **Reply #185 on:** September 10, 2013, 06:30 PM »

R.I.P.D - Action story about undead cops that doesn't take itself too seriously and that makes the movie a lot more entertaining and funny than the recent Hollywood blockbuster "bomb"-ardment over here. Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges do deliver in this one.

4wd · « **Reply #186 on:** September 10, 2013, 07:45 PM »

Agree. We can thank the Blair Witch Project for coming up with the concept (gimick?) that set the stage for an endless stream of low-budget and indie copycats.
-40hz (September 10, 2013, 11:10 AM)

OMG, the number one mistake made by some of them - you don't get timers showing how much tape/battery you have left, or anything else you'd expect to see in the viewfinder of a camera, on the supposedly "found" footage.

You can watch it in full on YouTube here or here. Not HD by any stretch, but it's adequate for viewing.

It's also available for 720p HD download on VODO.

I'm not quite sure I'd class that one as "found" footage since the survivors brought it back with them

I watched it not long after it's release and although I found it entertaining enough to watch all the way through, there was a bit too much seemingly mindless running around, night-vision, yelling, etc, that seems to characterize these types of film - unfortunately, in this case it's mostly what you'll get when it's all done in the dark.

nosh · « **Reply #187 on:** September 10, 2013, 08:26 PM »

I've seen six films since my last post.

Demonlover (discussed above) - held me solidly for the most part, but the reveal didn't freak me out as much as I would have liked. I likened it to reading a Stephen King novel, enjoyable while everything's sane and normal and a slight letdown when the shit hits the fan... (I've always thought King writes brilliantly about normal life... too bad he has to live up to his reputation as a horror writer and is compelled to insert some 'crazy' in all his books.) Back to Demonlover: I loved the realistic vibe the film had - very subtle and believable performances throughout.

Star Trek Into Darkness - a fun ride but nothing to write home about. Hardcore Trekkies would appreciate it more, I suppose.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist: Deals with the problems faced by a young Muslim-American man post 9/11 and his subsequent (suspected) radicalisation. It makes some valid points but I found it a bit too left leaning for my taste... the message it tries to put out is not to see everything in black and white. Ironically, it comes across as exactly that... a B&W film that panders to bleeding hearts. A watchable film, nonetheless, provided the Qawwali music, so generously used throughout doesn't put you into a deep depression.

La princesse de Montpensier: If you liked Dangerous Liaisons, this should be on your watch list. Les Françaises, la guerre, la passion!

Finally, two Stanley Kubrick masterpieces:

Paths of Glory - an anti-war drama. I'm not one for war flicks but this movie isn't so much about actual warfare. It's a cynical look at politics playing out within the army, with the soldiers/pawns sacrificed to facilitate their superiors' personal ambitions. I can't say I enjoyed it a lot but it's considered one of his masterpieces so YMW(probably)V!

Barry Lyndon: I saved the best for last. It's a period film that deals with an Irishman's rise to fortune. I found it a bit Forrest Gump-ish in the beginning, but it gets better and takes a darker path in its latter half. Probably the best movie I've seen all year. It runs slightly over three hours - beautifully paced, the time just flies by. I loved every minute of it. How can I put this gently?...

If you don't watch this film, you lose! And little kids everywhere get to point their fingers in your direction and laugh.

Renegade · « **Reply #188 on:** September 10, 2013, 09:04 PM »

Star Trek Into Darkness - a fun ride but nothing to write home about. Hardcore Trekkies would appreciate it more, I suppose.
-nosh (September 10, 2013, 08:26 PM)

I just saw that a short while ago, and I wasn't particularly impressed. Again, as mentioned above about Ironman, special effects and CGI took up a huge amount of the movie, with little in the way of a decent plot or story to be found. I like Star Trek, but there was nothing compelling about this movie, and certainly nothing about it worth recommending. I liked "The Dyatlov Pass Incident" much more. It had some nice twists in it, and the CGI/effects in it were used to actually advance the storyline.

mahesh2k · « **Reply #189 on:** September 11, 2013, 01:52 AM »

I have plenty of found footage movies collection and I can tell you that blair witch is not the first found footage movie. Besides that blair witch project is very boring movie.

I watched "Dytlov pass incident", didn't liked it much. There wasn't anything creepy in it. However here are some of the found footage movies that I enjoyed watching

V/H/S
V/H/S 2

I just love V/H/S series. I do agree that they have few bad stories in it but definitely worth watching if you are found footage movie fan.

Grave Ecounters (Part 1, and avoid watching second part).
Lost Coast Tapes (Creepy atmosphere for Big foot movie)
The Collingswood Story
National Geographic Lost Tapes

I have few other titles worth suggesting but considering the gore and sexual content in it, worth not listing here.

I also enjoyed this years Evidence(2013) movie which is mix of found footage and CSI theme.

Edit: If you want to see a good found footage documentary, Search for "Troll Hunter". You'll love this movie.

Renegade · « **Reply #190 on:** September 11, 2013, 02:27 AM »

I watched "Dytlov pass incident", didn't liked it much. There wasn't anything creepy in it. However here are some of the found footage movies that I enjoyed watching
-mahesh2k (September 11, 2013, 01:52 AM)

SPOILER ALERT - DO NOT READ IF YOU PLAN TO WATCH

I found the end really good. The way the creatures DON'T kill them, then herd them into the "time/teleport tunnel", then when/where/when they pop out really worked out nicely. The tattoo behind the ear was a good touch. They set up everything for that just perfectly. You have all the clues there in front of you, then the pop out and connect all the dots. That kind of stuff is what makes a movie really good. I tend to read a lot while I watch some movies, and missed a few of those key things, which worked out well enough as the ending then came as a surprise.

With a lot of horror films, the entire movie is simply a long setup for that killer ending. The best horror films blow you away at the end with something that you didn't expect, but that they'd already told you about earlier.

Oh, and thanks for the recommendations!

4wd · « **Reply #191 on:** September 11, 2013, 06:02 AM »

I thought pretty much the same as Renegade, although as soon as they found the video camera I kind of had an idea where it was going, (hence the reference I made to Das Jesus Video).

A few of good touches in it, eg. the tongue, the footprints. When the camera is sitting on the ground with Holly and Jensen talking and the others moving around camp in the background, it took my brain about 15-20 seconds to realise that something else had moved even further in the background. From then on I started paying more attention to what happened in the background

The way they interwove facts about the incident into the story was done rather well I thought.

40hz · « **Reply #192 on:** September 11, 2013, 08:21 AM »

Edit: If you want to see a good found footage documentary, Search for "Troll Hunter". You'll love this movie.
-mahesh2k (September 11, 2013, 01:52 AM)

+1! Troll Hunter is absolutely awesome. Excellent premise, great characters, well done minimalist script, spot on internal integrity with no plot holes, excellent pacing, and a totally logical but very surprising ending. Full points for this one! Easily one of the best films of this type ever made.

Renegade · « **Reply #193 on:** September 11, 2013, 08:54 AM »

Edit: If you want to see a good found footage documentary, Search for "Troll Hunter". You'll love this movie.
-mahesh2k (September 11, 2013, 01:52 AM)

+1! Troll Hunter is absolutely awesome. Excellent premise, great characters, well done minimalist script, spot on internal integrity with no plot holes, excellent pacing, and a totally logical but very surprising ending. Full points for this one! Easily one of the best films of this type ever made.

-40hz (September 11, 2013, 08:21 AM)

Hmmm... I usually read while watching, so I tend to shy away from subtitled non-English films, but looks pretty darn good!

40hz · « **Reply #194 on:** September 11, 2013, 09:02 AM »

@Ren - you'll love the ending. The ending was made for people like us.

Renegade · « **Reply #195 on:** September 11, 2013, 09:40 AM »

@Ren - you'll love the ending. The ending was made for people like us.
-40hz (September 11, 2013, 09:02 AM)

SHHH! No more! I felt bad enough seeing the trailer! I hope that doesn't spoil the movie. And don't tell me if it does! I like going into movies blind and not knowing anything more than the absolute bare minimum. That's what makes movies like Ironman tolerable enough to finish watching, and films like Fallen simply spectacular!

("Batman" was about the worst movie I've ever seen. It was hyped to death and when I saw it, it was a horrible let down. And it had the stupidest line that just made me cringe in uncomfortable embarrassment for the movie, writers, and Michael Keaton -- "Who are you?" "I'm Batman." I just about lost my cookies. What freaked me out though was that a lot of people actually liked that line and thought it was cool.

After that... no more trailers or anything for me.)

Renegade · « **Reply #196 on:** September 11, 2013, 09:46 AM »

I'm currently watching a 3 DVD set documentary on 9/11. (I'm watching the online version.)

http://www.globalres...pearl-harbor/5348868

Some very interesting information in there. The way the science is addressed is new as I'd not heard a lot of it. e.g. Airplane speed at different altitudes, etc.

It's available for free online.

Deozaan · « **Reply #197 on:** September 11, 2013, 12:30 PM »

Somewhat off topic, but I was listening to this track:

When I started watching this video:

When the narrator's voice kicked in (in the shrimp video) I thought maybe the music was also the soundtrack to the shrimp video, since his voice matches the vocals in the song.

I'm probably not explaining that very well. But try it yourself. Play the Lemon Jelly song first, and then start the Mantis Shrimp video about 20 seconds later. (c:

Maybe I'm just weird. Maybe it only works if you're already familiar with the song and the song's narrator guy person.

Shades · « **Reply #198 on:** September 19, 2013, 11:09 PM »

This is the end - This one is best enjoyed with either liquid or smoke. Not one bit serious, way over the top and lots of cameyo's. Near the end some body parts are thrown around that you probably should not show to children. But it is a fun ride, if you like the humor of Seth Rogen, that is...and you are not easy religiously offended.

40hz · « **Reply #199 on:** September 20, 2013, 07:11 PM »

Finally got a chance to watch Die Farbe (The Color) a B&W indie based fairly closely on H.P. Lovecraft's short story The Colour Out of Space. This movie was part of one of those humble bundle deals a while back.

All in all - not bad. Not bad at all. Plays out and looks just like a Bergman movie. You can really feel the influence of Bergman's The Seventh Seal in both the look and the framing story.

Pretty well done for the most part. And it adheres to Lovecraft's story better than most films that are supposedly based on his works. I did have a little disconnect since Lovecraft is permanently linked in my mind with New England - so the German setting threw me for a loop at first. But it worked out rather well once I stopped analyzing everything and just sat back and enjoyed it.

If you're expecting special effects or a lot of action, you're going to be disappointed. This movie moves at a very sedate (my GF characterized it as "glacial" in places) pace. And the cinematography can best be thought of as vintage Euro-Arthouse. Some very creepy moments and visuals. And all of it refreshingly low-key as opposed to the over-the-top "gore" approach most modern horror movies are taking. Truth is, it takes a certain talent with a camera to make a slow pan of an empty field or the exterior of a well maintained farmhouse look and feel sinister.
Good flick IMHO. Even if the ending didn't really quite cut it (for me) since it didn't completely follow plot-wise - and seemed both rushed and almost tacked on as an afterthought.

That aside, this is probably one of the better Lovecraft "inspired" movies done to date. Not the definitive Lovecraft effort by any stretch. But still an enjoyable movie if you're an HPL fan. Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!