Saw a few good films recently. My wife didn't really like any of them and said she will be picking movie night next.
The Batman: It's like they turned the grittiness of Nolan's Batman trilogy up to 11 including making Bruce Wayne full on emo. I did enjoy the darker mystery aspects with Batman trying to solve a mystery with a personal connection. Also loved how this looked with some beautifully shot scenes that gave both comic book and noir vibes. Problem was this felt self indulgent at times with most of the 2nd act ending up meaningless and then going on for another 30 minutes after a logical ending point. No way this needed to be 3 hours. Also not getting the praise for Farrell's Penguin. He was covered up in so much prosthetics it could have been almost any actor giving that performance. 8/10
Everything Everywhere All At Once: A fun ride with some laughs, action, and a lot of creativity but drags at times including at the end. I enjoyed the sci fi premise with the multiverse and inspiration from the Matrix that provided some great moments. This started off really fast paced but had trouble sticking the landing. There were great themes around choices but too much time was spent making them obvious. Thought some of the side stories could have been shortened while the style of story telling created an odd feeling of multiple endings. 8/10
Glass Onion: A stylish fast paced mystery with Rian Johnson adding his twist to an Agatha Christie inspired story about an island murder. Daniel Craig is fun in the lead as is the ensemble cast. Much of the humour is derived from the stupidity of the characters which is also a major theme. Unfortunately the story is also kind of stupid and it's best not to think about it too much in detail. 7/10
The Menu: A dark comedy with some horror/thriller elements that pokes fun at foodies and fine dining. Lots of clever humour and Ralph Fiennes brilliantly plays a celebrity chef. Wanted more with the ending feeling pretty quick and straightforward after all the preceding twists. Thought additional time could have been spent getting into the characters or having more horror moments. 8/10
Top Gun Maverick: My favourite of this group. Just a lot of fun and feels like 80s action movie but created with modern technology. The story was kept simple and, despite being a reboot, it felt like a genuine sequel to the original. Did feel at times like they were just ticking boxes for nostaligia and to set up the final act. It was an epic finale though. Good times. 9/10
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Last edited by FireGilbert; 02-05-2023 at 08:51 PM.
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Infinity Pool: Really dug it, but not for everyone me thinks. A really interesting exploration of the shadow self and what unlocks it, and how that relates to our kinks etc.
To Die For: Somehow I thought this was an erotic thriller my entire life, probably due to poster/VHS box art. It rules, a Buck Henry script directed by Gus Van Sant? Yes please.
McCabe and Mrs Miller: In terms of Robert Altman's experiments in subverting classic genres I think I dig The Long Goodbye more, but I do prefer Film Noir to Westerns. McCabe is incredibly bleak and for that it rules.
Persona: Holy fata, I can't wait to rewatch this.
Crash (1996): I think this one will grow on me over time. But the charged sexual energy permeates though out this entire film. Holly Hunter and James Spader..hello.
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Thats why Flames fans make ideal Star Trek fans. We've really been taught to embrace the self-loathing and extreme criticism.
Infinity Pool is definitely not for everyone, I really liked Cronenberg's last film "Possessor" so I was definitely interested. Huge fan of Skarsgard and Mia Goth but I didn't love it, sci-fi like this can go pretty far out there and drag you along if it's compelling but I just wasn't going along with it.
The Menu: A dark comedy with some horror/thriller elements that pokes fun at foodies and fine dining. Lots of clever humour and Ralph Fiennes brilliantly plays a celebrity chef. Wanted more with the ending feeling pretty quick and straightforward after all the preceding twists. Thought additional time could have been spent getting into the characters or having more horror moments. 8/10
We watched this on Saturday as well and really enjoyed it. I would also give a solid 8/10.
Infinity Pool was excellent. Complex story that you had no clue where it was going, and very creepy moments reminiscent of The Strangers and Clockwork Orange mixed in with a dash of his Dad's body horror. Brandon Cronenberg is 2 for 2 for me and one of the most exciting new directors.
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"This has been TheScorpion's shtick for years. All these hot takes, clickbait nonsense just to feed his social media algorithms." –Tuco
Infinity Pool was excellent. Complex story that you had no clue where it was going, and very creepy moments reminiscent of The Strangers and Clockwork Orange mixed in with a dash of his Dad's body horror. Brandon Cronenberg is 2 for 2 for me and one of the most exciting new directors.
I liked Possessor so I will have to give this one a look.
Damnit. I knew it would suck but part of me was hoping M. Night might have pulled it off. Ah well.
Bautista is really good. Great, in fact. The opening of the film is strong, before the premise kind of wears out its shock and intrigue
Its one of those Shyamalan movies where there just isn't a lot going on. It tries for tension to substitute for that and yet somehow it just didn't hit in the suspense department, at least for me
The dialogue isn't as bad as recent M Night entries, but I think by now he might never figure out realistic human dialogue. Depending on the movie/plot, I suppose that can be part of the charm though
Yeah Bautista is by far the best part. He's become a fantastic performer honestly.
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"This has been TheScorpion's shtick for years. All these hot takes, clickbait nonsense just to feed his social media algorithms." –Tuco
Yeah I was interested in Knock at the Cabin because of Bautista. He seems to turn in some very strong understated performances, contrast to Drax and his WWE career.
