Movie Tab II

On the surface Malick's dream like style in his last three films doesn't seem for me. I have really responded to them though and I believe it is because these films are full of humanity. Obviously they are more than a little bit plot adverse but I see a brokenness in the main characters in these films that speaks right to me. Bale appears to be searching for that perfect intimacy that alludes us all. Things always look better in someone elses arms and that is where he is headed. He falls in love easily, and out just as quickly. Like his last two, this movie is gorgeous to look at and delight to listen too. I really can't say enough about the cinematography. I love the score in this film as well.

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Letterboxd

Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941) - +

Wasn't in good shape while watching this movie, so the rating might go up next time.

Watership Down (Martin Rosen, 1978) - +
Lethal Weapon 3 (Richard Donner, 1992) - +
Yes Man (Peyton Reed, 2008) - +

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"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the war room."

It pains me but I am down grading BTTF for the first time. It was still a fun watch and I was pleased to show it to my seven year old but it is not the movie for me that it used to be. I was never crazy about the fabricated tension at the clock tower towards the end of the movie but it especially bothered me this time around. Also the way he gets his parents back together gets a little sillier with age. Plus, for the love of God, go back a day early to save Doc not ten damn minutes. Obviously it is a comedy/adventure so I am not looking for realism, and I still love the film. I just love it a little less than I used to because of those moments.

Can totally see the downgrade of Back To The Future now that you've seen a lot of varied movies. I personally don't think it will ever fall that far for me though, it just means too much to me and at one point it was my favourite film. Last time i watched it was about two months ago actually with my ex girlfriend, was still as awesome as ever .

Just watched it this afternoon (after spotting it in your post) and I liked it a lot too, Mark! Worked perfectly for me as a hang out film with an undercurrent substance to it (due to some great character interactions). Tyler Hoechlin was especially great in this, I think.

Glad to see you enjoyed it as well!

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Cobpyth's Movie Log ~ 2019

The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) –
The story of Michelangelo begrudgingly painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel while butting heads with ‘The Warrior Pope.’ Grand on a technical level (score, visuals, acting, etc.), but it didn’t really catch my fancy.

Diva (1981) –
Really cool thriller about a young man who naïvely gets drawn into a sort of criminal conspiracy. There are some strange characters, unique sets, and beautiful blue and yellow lighting. I wish the plot was a little more engaging, but I feel like this will get better with repeated viewings.

Brainscan (1994) –
A cheesy love letter to horror about a killer virtual reality game. It’s a nice microcosm of over the top 90s youth culture with some decent cinematography and a nostalgic soundtrack.

Saulnier, 2013





After watching Green Room, I wanted to check out some more work from the director. Another strong entry here, although I liked Green Room a bit more.



Snyder, 2016





The comic genre of films has gotten pretty stale for me as of late. Mostly due to a glut of movies that use a similar formula in structure, tone, and narrative. So much so that I didn't bother to shell out cash for any of the latest crop, including the latest X-Men film, Civil War, and Batman vs Superman. The latter got kicked around by the critics, so I paid very little attention to it when it was in theaters. Silly me. Visually and stylistically, it blows away most of the comic flicks I have seen, and unlike some of Snyder's other work (I'm looking at you, Sucker Punch), it didn't go off a cliff midway through the film. It definitely has its problems, Eisenberg's performance of Lex Luthor being the most egregious problem, but it was nowhere near a bad as I had heard, and some sections we excellent. Snyder has remarkable command of visual style, which I think was a perfect fit for a film like this. I might even watch this one again.



McLean, 2005





I have been watching a fair amount in the thriller/horror genre lately, and this is one of the better low-budget flicks I have seen so far. A couple of scenes had me crawling the walls, which is I guess what one is trying to achieve when they watch films of this sort. Effective and stark with a memorable antagonist.



Gilbert, 1977





This is close to the top of the list for me when considering the camp Bond flicks. Well into the late 70s, Bond films were well into the self-parody period of their existence. This film is shot quite a bit better than most of the others surrounding it, and aside from kind of a dud villain, it's epic and most of all, fun. Cool car chase in this one.



Glen, 1981





I remembered liking this one a lot back when it was first out, but it just doesn't hold up very well now. The tacked-on intro that has nothing to do with the actual film, an aging Roger Moore, and an icy bond girl don't help the cause. It's not all bad, as it has a couple of cool set pieces and an interesting bit player or two. Not one of the better camp flicks for Bond, though.



Glen, 1987





I had a tough time rating this one. In some ways, this film was doing the gritty, post-modern thing decades before Daniel Craig showed up, but the film also suffers from a bit of an identity crisis dude to the time it was made and audience expectations at the time. No maniacal super-villain in a grey suit trying to shoot the moon with a laser or any such nonsense like that. Down-to-Earth criminals and militants doing bad things with guns and drugs are what Bond gets mixed up with this time. A well-played antagonist that never really goes over the top with a believable Russian military defector premise is a strong point, while a doe-eyed moron of a bond girl is not so good. I recall this film getting a luke-warm reception when it was released, with people claiming it just wasn't as fun as the Moore flicks that preceded it. I guess I can see that point. The Living Daylights has a more serious tone, and Tim Dalton's bond, which is excellent IMO, was a different animal completely. This is probably the best Bond film of the 80s. Too bad legal issues put the series on the shelf for six years after the next film, or we may have had more from Dalton.



Spottiswoode, 1997





Next up on the Bond front was 1997's Tomorrow Never Dies. This probably deserves a bit lower on the rating, but I am a sucker for ol' Jonathan Price and Michelle Yeoh was a bad-ass Bond girl. Also, the premise was a bit unnerving given today's media-dominated climate. This one resonates more now than it did then. That said, it;s mostly run-of-the-mill stuff and it could use a bit more development and drama instead of just leapfrogging from one action scene to the next until the end. Probably more of a but I knocked it up a bit for Jon Price.



Laugier, 2008





This flick is so depraved, I had trouble finding a screen shot that didn't violate forum rules. Ultra violent, bleak, and shocking, I doubt I would ever watch it again. That said, I will never forget it. Seriously visceral and very well-made, but I wonder if there is an audience for stuff this extreme. I don't think I am part of it.



Gilliam, 1985





This gets more accurate and therefore more terrifying every year. Our world looks more and more like the world of Brazil every day.

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It was not easy repping that post, Sedai, because of how much I disliked BvS. But I had to because of Blue Ruin!

For once, I love the film. Second, I'm looking forward to Green Room but hadn't really read much about it and therefore not realizing the two movies were by the same director.

Now I gotta see Green Room!

Green Room was excellent. I think you will enjoy it quite a bit.

Yea man, I know people **** all over B v S, but I just didn't think it was that bad. Keep in mind I don't give a rat's hairy arse about maintaining some alleged comic code of conduct in regards to how these people are supposed to act. Applying some strict rules about who does what and why sounds like a way to eliminate the possibility of surprises in the comic films, which is why i think the genre as a whole has stagnated lately. The fact that the characters aren't jumping through familiar hoops and are doing a few unexpected things are what I liked about it. I don't think it's a great film, but it just isn't as bad as it was made out to be/ Snyder clearly has an eye for good visuals in an overly stylized way, which works for a film like this. I also think he showed restraint in the actual showdown between Bat man and Superman when you come pare that sequence to the final fight in Avengers 2, which is a sort of overblown, paint-by-numbers affair in comparison. Avengers 2 was not as good, IMO.

BTW, I watched the 3 hour cut of the film. Maybe it's better overall?

I enjoyed BvS as well and am planning on watching the extended cut later in the month. It still amazes that it gets so much crap but Civil War is considered one of the best superhero films ever made. They are very similar movies.

This means I'll be skipping BvS. I'm another person who doesn't get why Civil War is everyone's new fav.

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Just to be clear, none of these movies are my new fave. I enjoy them for what they are though. They are fun and I enjoy taking my kids to them.

Have you seen Licence to Kill, Seds? It's even more like todays Bond than The Living Daylights, IMO.

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Which goes to show just how far competent execution can get a film in people's eyes. I compare it to the difference between Spectre and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, where a fundamentally lightweight but competently made genre film can win out over a more dramatically ambitious but ultimately self-contradictory work in the same genre (especially considering how both pairs of films have near-identical premises, whether it's superheroes facing off over ideological differences or a superspy going rogue to uncover an evil conspiracy). While I don't totally hate BvS and can at least recognise that it's aiming for something different to the usual superhero sequel (just ask Armond White), I find enough issues with its execution that significantly overshadow its comparatively few strengths (especially when it comes to delivering a film that resonates on a greater emotional level than as a mere battle of wills between Batman, Superman, and Lex). There are also the issues that have to do with the fact that, while the developments of Civil War are at least sort of backed up by multiple MCU films, BvS is trying to go for a grandiose epic without quite managing to put in the necessary legwork to make these characters anything greater than whatever they are supposed to symbolise within Snyder and co.'s apparent deconstruction of superheroes.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

Just to clarify, I didn't think BvS was a great film. It's just that most of the other superhero stuff all seems the same to me lately. BvS was a nice change with its darker tone and I liked the fact that it tried to present at a somewhat different interpretation of the characters. It's clearly flawed, Lex Luthor being front and center in that regard, but to me, most of the superhero stuff is flawed, and they are all sort of throwaway flicks in the end. At least BvS had an interesting visual palette when compared to most of the others.

I agree with the premise of what you're saying but I don't think it applies here. I think both movies are competently made and have mostly the same issues. Underdeveloped and unnecessary villain, side characters who only serve to pay fan service and give the action sequences more visual flair, response to internet complaints about collateral damage, set-up for the next episode, and two beloved main characters that come battle in the end with no stakes because we know we are going to see more of them. Check, check, check, check, and check for both films.

I think that people brought a whole lot of baggage into these films because of their perception of the process. Not saying people shouldn't prefer one over the other. However saying one is garbage and the other is a beacon of what the genre should be. Stretching at best, and more than a little disingenuous in my opinion.

Kusama, 2015





Well-done atmosphere and tension in this one, as well as a generous helping of Hitchcockian misdirection. Sort of a study on grief and depression after major tragedy, it's mostly well-played across the board. Definitely a slow burner, so don;t come looking for non-stop event driven action here. Well worth a watch if you like slow-builders.



Eubank, 2014





This one doesn't quite fit together as well as it should, but I still found it engaging and thought provoking. Also could have used a bit more character development for the three leads. Still, I had a big smile on my face at the end, and the director clearly has some skill. A bit derivative, but what sci-fi isn't these days?

In anticipation for the coming action film, Jason Bourne, I took a look back at the original trilogy to get prepared and excited....

The Bourne Identity (2002)
A competently slick thriller that delivers what a film of this genre and style should. The action is mimimalstic, effective and gritty. The story is interesting and well put together. Damon is great as Bourne. The relationship between the two main characters are believable and especially the female character is for once presented like more than a stupid sex symbol. Despite feeling new in many ways, this still feel like the safest and most straight forward of the three.

There is a scene from each movie I remember really well, for this one it was: the sniper/hidden house scene. Expert tension and great approach.

Other honorable mentions are: the ending with "body diving" and all, as well as the great mid-way fight scene. Those sound effects tho. Bruh.

+

The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
A more personal and mature movie than the first, with more ambition and therefore also a little messier at times. Despite not knowing for sure if sequel were to come, Supremacy still feels like "the weird middle piece" at times. Greengrass brought something great to the franchise though and I liked the direction he took it for the most part. He also like the fact that we often see Bourne get hurt and be woundable throughout the series.

There is a scene from each movie I remember really well, for this one it was: the opening chase and the end chase were both really good. But that fight scene done completely without sound was intense and really great. The Alexanderplatz foot chase was great too but later topped by...

+

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Indeed the ultimate Bourne film! This is also the one I remember the most and with the most memorable scenes. There is of course a reason for that and that's because they are so well done as is the movie as a whole. The way they tie all the movies together is excellent, especially the opening and middle tie-ins directly to and from Supremacy. And of course this is the movie where Bourne's story finally comes full circle.

There is a scene from each movie I remember really well, for this one it was: hands down the waterloo foot chase and the entire (what seems like) half an hour of constant pure intense impressive filmmaking at its finest. Greengrass' sense of atmoshere and tension and adrenaline and how to keep the blood flow pumping without skipping a beat is extraordinary. This scene is towards the opening of the film, but it's good enough to be a great climax to be honest.

Other honorable mentions are: many, many scenes in this one. the foot chase through the city and on rooftops with the ending jump through a window is excellent as is the whole bomb/hunting going on at the same time. The ending chase is not long and thanks for that, because it works great as a shorter and more intense little thing of its own with the awesome crash at the end. And then of course the great big epilogue piece where it all comes together. Love it.

+

I hope they don't screw up with this new installment coming...

I guess that would be getting into the issue of fan entitlement and the merits of either playing into or rejecting a given fandom's expectations, especially when the prevailing logic is that the only way to show people what they need instead of what they want might just be to defy their expectations. However, that still demands that one has to provide a good film to go along with it, and underneath the fanboy complaints of how BvS "ruined" the characters there are still some solid arguments for why their respective characterisations don't work and ultimately hinder the film. I'm not exactly a huge fan of either Marvel or DC (in my reviews, I had Civil War as a high and BvS as a low , so it's not too drastic a difference in opinion) so I couldn't say for certain whether or not Civil War deserves to be seen as a "beacon" or whatnot, but I'd still consider it a fairly solid film that handles its premise noticeably better than BvS does (and I could still make the argument that Civil War does a better job of setting up stakes than BvS does, plus it manages to forgo the predictable conclusion full of city-wide destruction that people had complained about whereas BvS is all "it's okay because it's night-time and there are no people around").

You kidding me? The background PA announcement that the airport had been evacuated didn't seem just as trite to you? Plus the moment at the beginning when Captain's jaw drops when Scarlet Witch throws the bomb into the bldg. He should have just turned and winked at the camera. "We heard you twitter".