The Resident Bitch's Movie Log

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Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
I'm in the same boat as you.in that I also didn't massively care for The Lego Movie (not to the level most did anyway) so am not overly desperate to see the Batman version. Part of that is that I also didn't think Batman was the absolute star of The Lego Movie as so many reviewers and fans were saying. Plus I'm also just really burnt out on Batman as a whole. But I'm glad you enjoyed it. Did you like it more than The Lego Movie then?

And damn that's some sh!tty customer service you had to deal with. I'm pleased to hear about the end result though. Though I think you should sell the passes on ebay and use the money to go to another cinema; take your valued patronage elsewhere!



And damn that's some sh!tty customer service you had to deal with. I'm pleased to hear about the end result though. Though I think you should sell the passes on ebay and use the money to go to another cinema; take your valued patronage elsewhere!
Nah, that's too much effort. Besides, I don't much care for the cinema in the next town over. Also I sneak in food, so they're not going to get any money out of me even at the concession stand anyway.

And, yeah, I liked The Lego Batman Movie better than The Lego Movie, but that's not saying much.



I've been meaning to post about these for over a week now, but visiting family and a crazy work schedule have taken up my time and drained my energy. Apologies for the crap quality of my writing.



Lou (Dave Mullins, 2017)
Imdb

Date Watched: 6/22/17
Cinema or Home: Cinema
Reason For Watching: It’s Pixar
Rewatch: No


This is the short that appears before Cars 3. The visuals in this didn't blow me away like Piper did and the basic story it tells - of a bully made to see the error of his ways - isn't particularly original. However, Lou has a very unique take on the tale and presents its themes in a very creative and entertaining way. As was the case when I saw Finding Dory, I found myself more impressed by the short than by the feature that followed it.



* * *



Cars 3 (Brian Fee, 2017)
Imdb

Date Watched: 06/22/17
Cinema or Home: Cinema
Reason For Watching: It’s Pixar
Rewatch: No


Despite it often being maligned by other film fans, I've always really loved the original Cars. I appreciated how everything the characters did felt really familiar and yet still was very car-like, if that makes any sense. Then Pixar kind of threw that out the window with the spy-themed Cars 2 - which I enjoyed but it was definitely a let-down. Now Lightning McQueen and company are back with a film that returns to that more car-like world and basically puts blinders on to the existence of the second film.

Unfortunately, though, it too fails to quite capture what the original had. Some of the new characters don't quite seem to serve much purpose and there are wasted opportunities for some real excitement, like the demolition derby that leaves Lightning dirty but without a single scratch on him. There's also a sort of Girl Power theme running through the second half in particular that feels a bit forced and culminates in an ending that I don't quite buy.

I also found much of the soundtrack irritating and the inclusion James Bay's lackluster cover of Tom Petty's "King's Highway" didn't help matters

This is a film that will never make any future favorites lists of mine, but I had fun with it and it's certainly something I'll revisit later on.



P.S. Among the trailers that preceded the film was one for Olaf's Frozen Adventure - the short that is set to run before Pixar's Coco when it hits theaters in November. The damn trailer for the short was just as long as the one for the feature! Also - Really Disney? I f**king hated Frozen and I look forward to Pixar's shorts just as much as I do their features and you're gonna stick the audience with this s***?! I'll have to try to remember to show up late to the cinema so I don't have to suffer through it.





Sing (Christophe Lourdelet and Garth Jennings, 2016)
Imdb

Date Watched: 05/13/17
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: A friend gave me the bluray for my birthday
Rewatch: No.


If this had not been an animated movie with cute animal characters, I probably would've hated it. I don't watch American Idol or The Voice or any of the other singing/talent competition shows, because I find them irritating. I also avoided this movie at the theater because it looked a little too much like a musical.

But it was an animated movie with cute animal characters and it wasn't a musical. It was actually quite funny and the animation was rather well done. I genuinely laughed and enjoyed myself. I even liked the music. Granted, it's no Pixar movie. It didn't make me cry and I didn't have a strong emotional investment in the characters, but it was very entertaining.

I watched this recently and also thought it was entertaining. Not great, but it does the trick if you're in the mood for something lighthearted. Though, one thing's been bugging me ever since...

WARNING: spoilers below
What the hell happened to Mike?





Lady Macbeth (William Oldroyd, 2016)
Imdb

Date Watched: 7/21/17
Cinema or Home: Friend's house
Reason For Watching: I stumbled across the trailer on YouTube quite awhile back and thought it looked intriguing.
Rewatch: No


Possible Spoilers Ahead

Having seen the trailer multiple times, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect from the plot: Unhappy and stifled by an arranged marriage to a cold man, a woman finds comfort in the arms of a stable boy while her husband is away and turns to murder in an attempt to maintain that happiness and freedom.

What I wasn't expecting though was just how chilling Florence Pugh's performance would be. Though she begins the movie as something of a victim, that does not last long. She is calculating and remorseless. The dread felt by those around her is palpable - and none more so than her maid Anna, played wonderfully by Naomi Ackie. Absolutely nobody is safe. And yet this was not a character that I looked at with any sense of revulsion, even when her murderous eye turned to truly innocent victims. Instead I couldn't help but admire the brazenness of her actions.

Also admirable is the film's cinematography and set design. The old house in which she lives is almost a character itself - as dark, oppressive, and stifling as the husband from which she seeks to free herself - while the outdoor scenery is beautiful and inviting.

But despite its relatively brevity (at only about 90 minutes) and the inclusion of ample sex and violence, this movie is a bit of a slow burn. It spends a lot of time building tension and it does so with a score that is nearly absent. It's a film that is all about performances and Florence Pugh carries it well.




Surprised you liked it that much, didn't think it looked like your sort of film. Not that i've seen it or read your review, just by the look of it.
It's a costume drama with lots of sex and violence. I would think that it should seem like exactly my kind of movie.

Well except for the lack of hot men, anyway.



It's a costume drama with lots of sex and violence. I would think that it should seem like exactly my kind of movie.

Well except for the lack of hot men, anyway.
Didn't know about the sex and violence, it makes sense now. Are you generally a fan of costume drama's though? Quills is one obviously but i always thought that was an outlier for some reason.



Didn't know about the sex and violence, it makes sense now. Are you generally a fan of costume drama's though? Quills is one obviously but i always thought that was an outlier for some reason.
It really depends on the subject/time period of the film, but yeah I've got a bit of a soft spot for a good period piece. It probably has something to do with all those sh!tty romance novels I read as a teen/young adult.





Intruders (Adam Schindler, 2015)
Imdb

Date Watched: 7/21/17
Cinema or Home: Friend's house
Reason For Watching: My friend picked it
Rewatch: No


Possible Spoilers Ahead

So after watching a movie about a woman who manipulates and kills men, my friend and I watched a movie about a woman who manipulates and kills men. Only this one at first tries to play itself off as something else.

The film centers around an agoraphobic woman named Anna, who acts as caretaker for her cancer stricken brother, Conrad. After Conrad passes away, three men plot to rob Anna's home while she is away at his funeral, not realizing that her phobia would prevent her from attending the services. What they also don't realize is that Anna is not the meek and helpless person she appears to be.

The basic premise of the film is not particularly original and the acting was pretty mediocre, but overall the film did not fail to entertain. The particulars of Anna's methods and motivations, coupled with a nice pace, kept me from losing interest and there were a few unexpected twists and turns along the way.

Definitely worth a watch, though probably not something I'll revisit.

+





The Sandlot (David Mickey Evans, 1993)
Imdb

Date Watched: 8/10/17
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: I felt like it
Rewatch: Yes


I was twelve years old when The Sandlot hit the theaters and my mom suggested we go see it. I wasn't all that keen on the idea of watching a movie about a bunch of boys playing baseball, but I reluctantly agreed to go. I loved it and 24 years later I still love it.

Although the film centers around baseball, it isn't about the game at all. It's about making friends, having fun, and conquering your fears. And although it slips into some cheese a time or two (the "thumbs up" scene at the end makes me cringe every time), it's never preachy. Instead, it's packed with memorable characters, quotable lines, and hilariously over the top situations. And it does this while maintaining a sense of innocence - there's never anything mean spirited or dark in its humor.

It's an absolute joy to watch and is something I would recommend to anyone who is still a child at heart.






The Help (Tate Taylor, 2011)
Imdb

Date Watched: 8/11/17
Cinema or Home: Friend's house
Reason For Watching: Friend picked it
Rewatch: Yes


I rewatched this about two weeks ago but have been too damn lazy to write it up.

I don't have a whole lot to say about it. The performances are mostly strong, especially Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, and Jessica Chastain, who gives genuine emotion to what could easily have been a totally one dimensional and irritating character. Emma Stone does fine but is mostly forgettable. The story is funny, engaging, and heartfelt - and that's definitely saying something from me considering its overload of estrogen - but it definitely slides a bit too frequently into melodrama and schmaltz.

-





The Hurricane (Norman Jewison, 1999)
Imdb

Date Watched: 8/23/17
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 14th Hall of Fame, rauldc14's nomination
Rewatch: Yes


Technically, I've seen this movie before - in 1999 while it was still in the theater - but I remembered virtually nothing about it.

I thought Denzel Washington gave a very strong performance, but Rubin Carter - or at least the Rubin Carter of the film - isn't exactly a likable guy. He may be innocent of the crimes for which he was accused - and he may have had good reason for being the way he was - but he had a sometimes violent temper (see the bar scene) and he's a racist, which makes him hard to really root for though the film does try to gloss over his negative traits.

And this issue I had with Carter could have been easily tempered by strong supporting characters. However, Lesra, Lisa, Sam, and Terry felt more like caricatures than characters and Della Pesca was no better. And I can't put too much blame for this on the actors playing those roles. They really weren't given much to work with.

Overall it was a decent if largely unimpressive film. The story was interesting enough, though I think the two and half hour runtime was unnecessary for what was presented, but I have to wonder just how much creative license was taken to make Carter out to be such a pure heroic victim of circumstance. It didn't feel like we got the whole story or anywhere close to it.

+



I dislike both Cars flicks, though the second movie is downright atrocious imo. I can get through the first one without suicidal thoughts... Anyways, the mature teaser trailer for Cars 3 had me excited but not exactly charged to see it.

I have never seen The Sandlot and I find that to be quite embarrassing. I couldn't get into the 20 mins I watched of The Help and I don't think I have even heard of Hurricane...



Sorry if I'm rude but I'm right
Nice work Bitch
This made me laugh way too hard.
__________________
Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.





Barton Fink (Joel and Ethan Coen, 1991)
Imdb

Date Watched: 8/26/17
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 14th Hall of Fame, Yam12's nomination
Rewatch: No


I had pretty mixed feelings about this one. I thought the performances were all pretty strong - John Turturro's facial expressions were quite amusing - and the cinematography and costume design were on point. However the comedic elements were much more subtle than I'd hoped for from the guys that brought us The Big Lebowski and Burn After Reading. I did find myself chuckling quite a few times, but I also found myself checking my watch almost as often.

A good movie overall, but not something I'm likely to revisit.

-

I also rewatched Ernest and Celestine. I had a friend over Saturday night and she hadn't ever heard of it. I think I'd still rate it a 4+. My friend enjoyed it a lot, too.