Rate The Last Movie You Saw

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The Wackness - (2008)

This was a rather refreshing coming of age film. Main character Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) is a dope dealer on the verge of graduating high school who only has one friend in the world - psychiatrist Dr. Jeffrey Squires (Ben Kingsley), who hovers around "Bad Santa" levels of disgrace and unusualness. Squires is a drug addict whose marriage is failing, and his advice to Luke is to enjoy his youth while he still has it. Luke is a cool enough guy, but forging relationships is foreign to him, so when the doc's step-daughter takes a romantic interest in him Luke falls hard, and ends up out of his depth. Man - I thought Ben Kingsley was hilarious in this, and I liked his performance, but all he ended up being nominated for is a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor. Apparently his showings in The Love Guru and War Inc. figure into the equation - maybe he was trying to break out in this direction and ended up with a schtick that critics ended up being bugged by. Anyway, The Wackness highlights a lot of the painful parts of being in your late teens, when life isn't exactly as rosy as they usually are in coming of age movies. That's why I liked this one - it wasn't so full of wonder and fortune, and therefore felt a little more genuine.

7/10


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That Sugar Film - (2014)

Remember Super Size Me? Well, Damon Gameau copies the formula exactly here, except that he starts eating sugary foods (not candy, junk food or chocolate - just products with lots of sugar in them) and because this is a guy exceedingly careful when it comes to his diet, his body reacts to the changes - of course. What doesn't help is that Damon isn't the most expert onscreen presence when it comes to not being too cutesy or annoying. There's a lot of good information, so this film is to be lauded for actually trying to educate people, but the fact that it steals some other guy's process in such a corny manner means the end product isn't very enjoyable.

5/10


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The Cremator - (1969)

All-up, I think this movie evocatively highlights the power movies have to demystify and undress the horrors of murderous states - a testament to it's greatness. Full review here, in my watchlist thread.

9/10


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The Manitou - (1978)

We all need a movie like The Manitou from time to time - out of this world while not taking itself too seriously, it keeps it's audience entertained throughout. It might be ridiculous, but I'd say that a copy of The Manitou would be a welcome addition to my movie collection, and hope that there's a really nice boutique version on Blu-Ray for me to buy one day. It's a hoot - no doubt. Full review here, in my watchlist thread.

7/10

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Prom Night (1980)

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[ J ] - [ S ] - [ F ]

Why do you say that?

The Curse of the Necklace (2024) Directed by Juan Pablo Arias Munoz. An antique necklace is a conduit for evil that threatens a woman and her two teenaged daughters. I've been wanting to see this movie since I first heard about it. This is the first time that sisters Madeleine and Violet McGraw star in a movie together and I am a big fan of both. Madeleine previously starred in The Black Phone and Violet was in M3GAN. My thoughts n the film: it's a fairly average horror movie with a generic screenplay, but is redeemed by the McGraw sisters. Two of the most promising and talented young horror stars, sisters Madeleine and Violet McGraw, elevate this mediocre film with engaging and interesting performances. It's worth watching for them.

Leviathan (2014)

An intriguing Russian film about a gruff and violent man played by Aleksei Serebryakov fighting against having his land being appropriated by the local bureaucratic councillors and Russian Orthodox authorities. He is a character that is difficult to sympathise with as he constantly has outbursts and permanently has a chip on his shoulder. His treatment of his second wife and son leaves much to be desired. *However* through the careful direction it allows you a window into his rage and you can understand if not quite empathise. Screwed over and feeling impotent he grows even closer to madness. 1st time watch and I thought it was excellent. What's implied to the viewer reflects Koyla's mindset. An achievement.

Chicago: A Terry Kath Experience - 10/10

You don't even need to know the band to love this. And you'll find some great songs hopefully. Terry's daughter made this. She was 2 when he accidentally shot himself.

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SF = Zzzz

Viewed: Amazon Prime




[Snooze Factor Ratings]:
Z = didn't nod off at all
Zz = nearly nodded off but managed to stay alert
Zzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed
Zzzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed but nodded off again at the same point and therefore needed to go back a number of times before I got through it...
Zzzzz = nodded off and missed some or the rest of the film but was not interested enough to go back over it

Cure - A-
Christine- B

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Member since Fall 2002
Top 100 Films, clicky below

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My very well developed Spidey senses are tickling. A lot.

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Seven Pounds - (2008)

I knew what I was going to get here, and although I have a heart I appreciated how everything neatly wrapped up in the end more than I appreciated the attempt to get my feelings all messed up. That's probably because I knew what Gabriele Muccino was up to here with this sad man tale. "From the maker of The Pursuit of Happyness" pretty much told me what I needed to know. A man, Tim Thomas (Will Smith) has a terrible secret, and a gift to bestow on 7 worthy people once Tim finds them - including the gift of giving his heart to someone. Pray you never become as troubled as Tim Thomas, who is a bit of a douchebag verbally, but has the heart of a saint regardless. Yeah, it's not subtle. Too much, even for Oscar consideration. Will Smith is trying though, and has talent.

6/10


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Wall Street : Money Never Sleeps - (2010)

I've never seen a movie threaten to become good so often, only to consistently let me down. It's almost like Oliver Stone tried too hard, and couldn't narrow his focus down to the potential of having Gordon Gekko let loose in the lawlessness of today's Wall Street. There are some good ideas that are at various times upturned, or let go. Don't even get me started on Shia LaBeouf, who doesn't have the look or gravitas needed for the role he takes on.

5/10


By Unknown author - https://www.johncoulthart.com/feuill...xandra-sorina/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/inde...urid=144893597

The Hands of Orlac - (1924)

I thought there was a lot about The Hand of Orlac that was outstanding, and only it's age and a handful of issues stopped me from absolutely loving it. Full review here, in my watchlist thread.

7/10

To Be Or Not To Be (Ernst Lubitsch, 1942)



The easiest five stars I have given out in a while. I loved this film so much. Full of comedy, but all sorts of different gags, some slapstick, subtle stuff, recurring gags, satire... full of thrills and excitement working as a spy film, full of warmth... it's astonishing how such a multi-dimensional, ambitious screenplay/idea is handled with such aplomb. Wonderful stuff.

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Well, I've seen it and I can pm you a few thoughts about.

The Wild Robot (2024)


Incredibly lovely movie all-around. The story isn't new (it actually felt very similar to last year's animated movie Migration at times), but the emotion and themes are deeply felt. My daughter was practically bawling at one point...

Only criticism I have was the end felt a bit overlong and silly in a sense.

This weekend's films...


Hunt-Duffy, 2024





A taut, single location Irish horror about a group of young test subjects taking part in a clinical trial for a new drug. The group is administered an escalating dose of the drug, and it isn't long before things go sideways, the facility is locked down, and the true nature of the drug starts to become apparent.

A film like this rests almost entirely on the performances of the cast, and they are good across the board. I was reminded of the film Cube multiple times, as this borrows from it in both concept and execution - a shot latter in the film is almost a direct reproduction of one of the more memorable sequences in Cube.

Hey, nothing new under the sun, right? This is an intense little film, and my wife especially really enjoyed this one.



Miner, 1982





One of the more divisive of the series, Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3D is a gimmick-filled cheese fest with what I feel is one of the best and most memorable casts of annoying victims in the entire run. It also features absolute badass Kristy as the final girl, who hands the hulking Jason Vorhees his ass over and over again. She screams and shrieks up a storm while easily repelling his every attack. She also clocks him with a piece of firewood as he is walking out a door, sending his flying ass over tea kettle through a porch railing as if he was hit by a Mack Truck. Kristy is one of my favorite final girls in all of horror, topping even the ridiculously hilarious Lar Park Lincoln from Part VII.

Let's face it, this film has quite possibly one of the stupidest screenplays this side of Troll 2, with strings of nonsensical dialogue and characters making senseless and obviously bad decisions in almost every scene. Add in Shelly, one of the most annoying characters ever put to film, and I see what this holds an 11% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Whatever. My friend's older sister snuck our 11 year-old selves into the theater back when it came out, and man did we have a great time. I have a conversion van full of nostalgia for this one, and I never get tired of it. Terrible film, and I love every second of it, from the tech-disco infused main theme to the those-eyeballs-are-obviously-on-wires head mashing goodness.



Beck/Woods, 2019





I think this is my third time seeing this film since release, and I must say it is pretty damned good. After having my wife sit through Friday 3, it was her turn to pick the film, and she likes these haunted house flicks quite a bit. This features some good craftsmanship, with fun set design, and an excellent ramp-up of tension as it goes along.

I do scratch my head a bit at the reveal of the people running the haunt at the end of the film, as I do wish we got at least a bit more backstory, but that's not why we go to extreme haunts now is it?

Perhaps one of the better films of this nature, and one of the stronger entries in recent years.

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Rewatch of this Belgian movie. Excellent movie led by a 7 years old.



Didn’t need to be so long. Touching, but slow from Iceland.



Rewatch. Terrifying excellent movie. McAvoy looks so very young in this movie.



Meh. Did George Clooney really think this a good movie. He’s made some bad choices lately.

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3rd Rewatch...After two previous nominations, Julia Roberts won an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in this deliciously entertaining docudrama that, according to the epilogue, doesn't sacrifice the facts for entertainment. Roberts plays the title character, a financially strapped, divorced single mom of three who talks her way into a job at a small law firm headed by one Ed Masry (Albert Finney) who finds herself at the forefront of a class action lawsuit where a giant utilities corporation is accused of poisoning the water in a small community causing sickness and death in people and animals. The classic David VS Goliath story is given exemplary care by Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbegh (Traffic) that unfolds slowly by the end, you are cheering. Roberts has never been better, but was she really better than Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream?

Brilliant movie I’ve seen many times.

2nd Rewatch...They were the two biggest movie stars on the planet at the time, but that doesn't change the fact that this is one of the most tiresome romantic comedies ever made. Burt and Goldie play Richard Babson and Paula McCullen, screenwriters who work together and live together and have no desire to be married. Of course, a third of the way into the film, Richard does talk Paula into marrying him, and, of course, the relationship changes as we watch them take a road trip to inform her parents (Jessica Tandy, Barnard Hughes) and his parents (Keenan Wynn, Audra Lindley). The film is based on the real life relationship of Oscar winner Barry Levinson and Valerie Curtin (who appears in one scene as Goldie's BFF), but that doesn't make this film any less boring than it is.

Umpteenth Rewatch...This energetic film version of the Broadway musical based on the 1960 Roger Corman film is still fun for the most part. Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene are delightful as the leads and there is a scene-stealing turn by Steve Martin as Orin Scrivello, DDS and a hysterical cameo by Bill Murray playing the role that Jack Nicholson played in the 1960 film. And you gotta love Tichina Arnold, Tisha Campbell, and Michelle Weeks as the Greek chorus known as the urchins. The film is a lot of fun until the plant gets really big and mean and then becomes squirm-worthy, but it's still solid musical entertainment.

Umpteenth Rewatch....Penny Marshall directed Tom Hanks to his first Oscar nomination in this delicious comic fantasy about a 12 year old boy named Josh Baskin who goes to the carnival with his parents one day and makes a wish that he could be big. He goes home and forgets about it, but the next morning when he wakes up, he discovers he has been turned into a 30 year old man. I don't know what else to say about this movie that hasn't been said...Hanks is perfection and so is his supporting cast and Marshall's direction.