Rate The Last Movie You Saw

Volver (2006) - Pedro Almodovar



Surely Almodovar Knows a thing or two about how to tell a story...Cruz was excellent in this one. Overall a very nice film...hopefully, the message of the film is not something like - All Men Are Monsters.

8.5 out of 10

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To Suggest Is To Create, To Name Is To Destroy

Bad Education (2004) - Pedro Almodovar



Not Bad...but in no comparison with the two other films I have seen off late (The Skin I Live In and Volver).

7 out of 10

Footlight Parade (1933)

James Cagney movie that is loads of fun. Directed by prolific director of the time, Lloyd Bacon, with musical numbers directed by musical great Busby Berkeley. Cagney is stressed out by "talkies" becoming more popular than his staged musical comedies. So he comes up with the idea of "prologues," shorter musical events staged to play before the movie. It's funny because, by the last part of the movie, there's no way that these things are short----they're huge, knockout Berkeley kaleidoscopes, but no matter, it's a fun comedy for most of the movie, then mainly musical in the last third and Cagney gets to do some of his famed hoofing. A real treat for movie lovers.





April in Paris (1952)

Doris Day and Ray Bolger star in this musical about a State Department man with an obscure title (Bolger) who mistakenly sends an invite to chorus girl Day to represent the U.S. at an expo for the arts in Paris. Bolger is engaged to the daughter of a State Department bigwig, but falls for Day on the ocean trip to Paris, and comedic mix-ups happen. Lots of fun, with a show-stopping two-part number, "I'm Going to Rock the Boat," and "I'm Gonna Ring the Bell Tonight" that takes place in the ships kitchen with all the cooks, waiters, Doris, Ray, and even the ship's band taking part. Great stuff and recommended.

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"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."

My favourite movies by Almodovar are All about my mother and Women on the Verge of a nervous breakdown

Watched All About My Mother about 10 years ago, I remember that I liked it, but I need a re-watch...

Splice (2010) - Vincenzo Natali (Canadian Horror)
Pretty decent horror film thanks to Sarah Polley & Adrien Brody putting in good performances. It started to lose me a bit towards the end though because it changed from a sci-fi/horror movie dealing with interesting themes relating to genetic engineering into a kind of fantasy/action movie - lessened its impact a bit.

Ohhh this is very good. I need to watch it again soon.

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"I've noticed the more we doubt, the more we cling to a false lucidity, in hope of rationalizing what feelings have made murky." - Contempt

The Way Way Back (2013)

Awkward teen Duncan (Liam James), spends vacation with his mom (Toni Collette) , her jerk boyfriend (Steve Carell) and his rude daughter (Zoe Levin). They stay at a cottage next door to the mom's goofball friend (Allison Janney), who has a young son and a teen daughter (AnnaSophia Robb) who slowly makes friends with Duncan. But the person who really brings Duncan out of his shell is Owen (Sam Rockwell), who works at a local waterpark and hires Duncan. Owen is easy-going, goofy, and refuses to take life seriously. In contrast to Duncan's would-be-dad browbeating him constantly, Owen always lifts Duncan up and despite their age difference, they became great friends. All the performances are fine, but I've got to single out Rockwell. He is consistently funny throughout the movie and has all the great lines. I've seen almost everything Rockwell has done and I'm a big fan of his, but this is my favorite "fun" role of his (yes, even over Galaxy Quest). A great movie I could watch over and over.

Ace Attorney (2012) - Takashi Miike (Japanese Comedy)
Made with Miike's usual visual flair this is an amusing movie based on a video game. I got the feeling that if I knew the game I would have enjoyed it more but it was still entertaining enough and had some really good moments. Only problem was it was about 45 minutes too long and really started to drag.

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Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) - Colin Trevorrow (American Comedy)
Nice quirky Indie comedy with Aubrey Plaza. Plaza is a bit like her tv co-star, Chris Pratt, in that they only ever really play one character ... but fortunately for them it's a really likeable character and it tends to work (or they make it work) in a range of different settings.

It was a slight disappointment for me that it got a bit cliched towards the end but the actual ending of the movie was great. Without the cliches I may have rated it half a popcorn box higher but it was stll enjoyable.

I was thinking of watching some Miike...shall this one be a good start?

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou OVA (1998)



Magnificent OVA from the 1990's. One of the best ever made for sure. Slice of life greatness in it's full bloom. Should have nominated it for the Hall of Fame instead of K-On! (it's the same genre but this is actually great work of art). No plot at all. no drama, no comedy. no action, no tension, just pure atmosphere.

This "slice" of it shows how atmospheric it can get:

Godzilla (Gareth Edwards, 2014) -

Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón, 2013)

Guardians of the Galaxy

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100 Favourites From The Future: REWIRED

Probably not - it was the weakest of the 8 films of his I've seen. My ratings have been:

Audition
13 Assassins
The Bird People in China -
Crows Zero II-
3 Extremes
Crows Zero
Ichi the Killer

3 Extremes is a horror anthology film with Park Chan Wook & Fruit Chan but Miike's part was the best IMO. Not sure how you feel about horror in general so maybe best to avoid Audition and go with 13 Assassins or The Bird People in China.

I would recommend Shinjuku Triad Society in addition to what Sane recommended. If you watch Ichi the Killer, make sure it's the extended cut. That movie is all about violence, and the theatrical cut removed the most violent parts from every violent scene. It ruined the movie.


Edit: I think I'll have to watch Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou sometime. It looks like it has a lot of charm.

Talk to Her (2002) - Pedro Almodovar



Very sensuous...vintage Almodovar

8.5 out of 10

Broken Embraces (2009) - Pedro Almodovar



Not everything fell in place like it would in the best of Almodovar and sometimes too much melodrama killed it...still worth watching though.

7.5 out of 10

That's my favourite Almodovar film - just ahead of The Skin I Live In and All About My Mother.

Adventureland (2009) - Greg Mottola (American Romance)
A Reasonably good movie set in an amusement park. I liked it for the most part but didn't find any of the characters to be people I could particularly relate to so I was left feeling somewhat disengaged. The performance from Jesse Eisenberg was ok but I found Kristen Stewart & Ryan Reynolds to be kind of annoying. Overall it was decent.

I think if I never see another movie with Ryan Reynolds I will be a happy man.