MovieMeditation’s Diary Reviews // “Come and meditate with me!”

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I thought San Andreas was pretty good, tho it was a little cheesey. The Rock does make the movie more enjoyable than it is tho.
His acting range is debatable, but he does have a pretty good screen presence indeed.



"""" Hulk Smashhhh."""
His acting range is debatable, but he does have a pretty good screen presence indeed.
Yeah he's pretty cool. I really like him in the FF movies.
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Yeah he's pretty cool. I really like him in the FF movies.
Yeah, Hobbs is awesome!

I haven't seen San Andreas or Magnolia, but masterful as always MM
Get watching!

With Magnolia of course, don't bother with the other crap - unless we are talking the GTA game... then bother!

But man, CiCi, go watch Magnolia dammit! Oh, and thanks for the kind words.



MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... viewing day count
230 .......................... 265

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September 22nd

—— 1977 ——
The Many Adventures Of
WinnieThePooh

—— animation ——
DISNEY CLASSIC no.22

REWATCH
Wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way,
in their enchanted place on top of the forest, a little bear will always be waiting


In parallel with the enduring presidential election I would like to enlist pooh for president – that bear knows what’s up and is at least honest about being a bear of very little brain. All jokes aside, this charming and endlessly heartwarming emblematic hug of a movie is just a joy to watch. In a lot of ways, the universe within ‘Winnie the Pooh’ is essentially the essence of childhood, with its dreamlike fantasy world full of wonders and wild adventures, starring wildly different characters in weirdly different stories. It is also one of those features that you find yourself returning to, remaining in and reminiscing about, simply because of the calm and comfortable atmosphere characterizing the Hundred Acre Wood...

‘The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh’ consists of a perfect collection of previously released short stories and the way you just drop into this world is amazing; four smaller stories set in a world of trees is simply too good to be a one-time walkthrough only. In ‘Winnie the Pooh’, there is no need for an enormous and important set-up and pay-off, you simply sit down and just let it pay-off as it comes off. You can’t really count on anything and no one is held accountable for anything either – it is a harmless but far from charmless little adventure that lives off of impulses and inventiveness. The short-story-structure truly brings out the spirit of the books and makes the movie feel grounded, while the fourth wall breaks and page to picture puns propels the story to an amusingly loose and light-weighted level of entertainment.

The universe is easier than ever to adapt to and its weak points is pretty much its strong points – meaning how the film is far from stuffed with complexity is what makes it compelling – and the stuffed bear and his friends are fully capable of filling out the missing links and potential plotholes all on their own; like those Gopher keeps falling into, which is a fun parallel to make. The humor is on point and it is worth pointing out how the movie is easily one of the most harmless and dramatically “hollow” outings made by Disney, but somehow the sweeter-than-honey approach seems to work wonders on this occasion. I invite you to take a vacation in a world where nothing needs an explanation, nothing is expected to exceed expectations and every little piece of its simple foundation is what ultimately makes this movie a complete revelation. Also, ‘Winnie the Pooh’ might just be the best name for a character since forever, I sh*t you not.


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Loved that as a kid . I haven't watched anything Winnie the Pooh related since i was 10 or something so i don't know what i'd think of it now, but i think it is a good idea for watching with my nephews/nieces.



Loved that as a kid . I haven't watched anything Winnie the Pooh related since i was 10 or something so i don't know what i'd think of it now, but i think it is a good idea for watching with my nephews/nieces.
Pooh is always the answer!

Anyways, I wanted to post a string of reviews but I had to go out the door...

So later, I will have reviews up for Ted and Terminator Genisys as well. Gotta jump back in it with style.



One of my favorite childhood songs is Kenny Loggins "Return to Pooh Corner". Whenever I think of Winnie and co., I think of me mum. She's a big fan.



MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... viewing day count
231 .......................... 267

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September 24th

—— 2000 ——
PLATFORM
—— pile of poo ——



Nope.

I can't review a movie I didn't care for at all when I watched it. But it wasn't like the movie seemed
to do anything to actually make me care. So for now, I hate this movie with a passion.




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MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... viewing day count
232 .......................... 269

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September 26th

—— 2015 ——
T E R M I N A T O R
G E N I S Y S

—— action ——



"We're here to stop the end of the world"
"I can work with that"


The ‘Terminator’ franchise contains elements of time travel and therefore have the ability to enclose itself into an evil circle of never-ending cross-cutting storylines, which will spawn an endless amount of alternate universes and timeline-lunacy, whether you like it or not. ‘Terminator’ was pretty much terminated after the first film, not because it was bad, but because the story stood just fine on its own. That said, while the concept can be endlessly expanded, there is wrong and right ways to do so, and why mind if what is made is ultimately a masterpiece? With ‘T2: Judgment Day’, James Cameron followed the rules of what I personally call a perfect continuation, where he kept things familiar all the while expanding on the concept and elevating the stakes. Unfortunately, the franchise never quite found its footing after this, with the later films feeling far too mechanic and artificially assembled in style and story structure…

‘Terminator Genisys’ is the 5th round of robotic wrongdoings and works as both a remake, reboot and sequel to the original timeline and film. But the question is, whether the creators took their time to get a proper hold of the happenings or is this another curious cash grab that confuses more than it conquers? Well, at least Arnold is back again and he definitely doesn’t back out from saying that he’s back either… like he has been saying back-to-back for the past many decades. Nevertheless, it is a great joy to see him back at it, talking with a wooden mechanical accent and winging out one-liners… like he has also been doing for the past many decades. All jokes aside, I actually enjoy watching Arnold do what he does best, even though this fifth film in the franchise doesn’t do his character justice. As with the dinosaur-driven ‘Jurassic World’, this doomsday-driven machine movie breathes through a filter of heavy nostalgia, and unfortunately ‘Genisys’ does a lesser job at it than ‘Jurassic’.

The opening of the movie replicates the monotone monologue of mass destruction, which has graced the last few films as well, while continuing to show us glimpses of a dark future, which is also frighteningly familiar material. But to be honest, I didn’t hate these things and as it turns out I came to like these elements the most about this entry. Because, apart from the visually appealing action-heavy opening, the film feels grounded and gritty throughout, with every punch at the past feeling a little more fun than the other. Whether you like it or not, this is the freshest the franchise has been in a while, despite of how the time-tested tissue is beginning to feel worn out and the cross-cutting timelines is working way past its own deadline. ‘Genisys’ doesn’t quite succeed, but it honestly feels like it tries on a few occasions. The story is interesting but ultimately messy and the execution is grounded though ultimately blown out of proportions. I find basic enjoyment in almost everything up until the twist, which I don’t hate, but everything after that feels like every other bloated blockbuster out there and everything before is fun but never fearlessly intelligent or relevant like it once was.






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MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... current day count
233 .......................... 270

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September 27th

—— 2014 ——
INHERENT VICE
—— comedy ——
CINEMA REVIEWS

REWATCH

After three full viewings, I might have noticed a bit more detail, I might have found it easier to just move along with and I might like it just a litte bit better than with my first watch. But that said, almost everything I said in my original review and all the same thoughts I had I still stand by. The movie is a messy and convoluded journey that just isn't groovy or trippy enough to carry itself on characters and fractured semi-funny scenes. If I try to follow the story very closely it is definitely possible to do, but it's not fun or interesting and when I try to just look at the characters I become a bit bored as well.

An uneven film that looks like the receipe to a predestined cult hit, but without a bong hit I'm not sure where I'm at here.
I think I know what this movie wants, but I don't really like it too much...


CLICK FOR PUFF PUFF PAST REVIEW


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MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... viewing day count
234 .......................... 271

__________________________


September 28th

—— 2012 ——
ted
—— comedy ——
REWATCH


No matter how big a splash you make in this world whether you're Corey Feldman,
Frankie Muniz, Justin Bieber or a talking teddy bear, eventually, nobody gives a sh*t


Personally, I wouldn’t call myself a fan of Seth MacFarlane, at least not of his previous works. I think that is mainly because his animated television shows were never really that popular where I live, so I was never properly introduced to him. ‘Ted’ was my first real collision with his subjective sense of humor, including odd comical outcomes and pop culture references, which are all spiced up with his raunchy provocative charm. I admire his fearless delivery of comedy without a filter, which is both a gift and a curse, especially when he takes it not just one step but several feet further than most would dare or be dumb enough to do. But how does he handle his first feature length live action comedy, which features himself as a talking teddy bear and Mark Wahlberg as his confidential companion…

‘Ted’ is a tad too tone deaf when it comes to its own material, which is less of a flaw with the film and more so with the director and his sense of humor. I won’t even weigh that element as being extremely relevant to the movie, since part of why it works so well is because it dares to be different and do things others would only imagine. When you step out of line you are bound to either fall or fly and MacFarlane happily takes that chance because it works wonders when an audacious joke actually gets airborne. And when a terrible joke falls flat you definitely feel it, but because of MacFarlane’s comedic timing and tempo, the movie never makes mistakes it can’t correct in the very next scene. MacFarlane moves fast and delivers the dialogue and jokes with such a density that you rarely ever have time to think of the faults in the comedic material.

His biggest weakness is perhaps the pop culture references, which can outdate any movie when the jokes are no longer relevant. With that said, MacFarlane does keep things fresh and funny in the midst of monotone moviemaking, where jokes are endlessly recycled into eternity. Because no one wants to listen to the same joke for years on end, which is why America must stop sending votes to Donald Trump – and look, if you read this review in a couple of years it just won’t have the same impact on you – unless Trump triumphs and takes over the world of course, which is an option I won’t rule out. But anyways, ‘Ted’ is in fact one heart-less foul-mouthed idiot we do enjoy listening to and Seth MacFarlane did a great job making a genuinely solid film.

Ultimately, ‘Ted’ is a funny and realistic scenario of how it would look if teddy bears could actually talk, which leads to one happy little kid, some very terrified parents, a huge celebrity phenomenon and all the things which eventually follow when the world is no longer an adventure; like pot smoking and stripper parties for example. The surface of the film is indeed amusing, but the layers underneath have more depth to them than what meets the eye; like when the fairytale ends and you have to grow up and take responsibility or when a true love challenges friendship. All are things we have seen before, to some degree, but the way everything spins around in the world of Seth MacFarlane, you can’t quite say that you have seen it all happen the way it does. And with a climax that spoofs your typical action flick and sports an unexpected emotional impact, ‘Ted’ is a homerun for original R-rated comedies and quite a ball on its own.






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I have to return some videotapes.
Didn't even realize you were gone... I guess you didn't leave a great impression on me

Kidding, obviously! I just came back too.

++++ rep for Inherent Vice and Ted. Both I thought were really good. Ted more than Vice but I still need to see it again in the future to fully grasp it.



MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... viewing day count
235 .......................... 272

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September 29th

—— 1992 ——
B A R A K A
—— documentary ——



Learn your A, B, Cs and how to count to one, two, tree
and you will learn what Baraka is and what it can be...


Baraka is an amazing atypical adventure, with beautiful broad backgrounds of characteristic cultural cornerstones. Different and daring depictions and endlessly expressive elegance forms a fundamentally fantastic film. With a gripping and gasping guidance through honest, haunting and heartbreaking imagery, we interplay intelligently with a jaw-dropping and jarring juxtaposition or a king-sized kabbalistic kaleidoscope of loneliness, lucrativeness and life.

A masterful and metaphysical movie that nourishes without nursing nature, opting to overcome omission by painting a pretty painful picture, while proving a point and provoking a few people; with a question of quality over quantity. Both radical rightness and religious righteousness smash silently and seamlessly together, taking the terms of thinking out of uniformity and into the unanswered universe of uncertainty. All vicious vendettas vanish in the wilderness of our world and will whitewash all xenophobia in xenomorphs and xenogenesis alike, with only you, the youth and your zealous mind standing between zero and a zillion years; all the way from Christ to cohesive science and from little cells to entire cities... We are the world and Baraka is the spirit within it...

And of course, one might say that this movie focuses too much on steady and silent pictures of trees instead of talking and teaching us about the world. But there is something for everyone to learn here, and only five minutes into this film you are completely caught up by it, and when it ends you are surprised it wasn't one of those less than sixty-minute wildlife episodes on BBC... Shot on seventy millimeter and with more a lot than eighty days to travel the world, Ron Fricke has captured ninety minutes of pure cinema magic, which will feel new and exciting even ten or twenty years from now... Baraka is forever eternal...






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Master of My Domain
The rating you gave for Platform shows that you're nothing but a wee plebeian.

Ted looks interesting, but I hate Seth MacFarlene and his sense of humor (shown in Family Guy) so I'm planning to skip it. Inherent Vice on the other hand look good.
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Anybody read my review for Baraka?
A B C D... haha took me a second to realize that. Great stuff . I was seriously thinking wow there's three l words in a row then three m ones

Love Baraka. Neiba nominated it for the Docs HOF and it ended up finishing very high on my list.