What did you watch this week? (07/02 - 07/08)

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I watched a bunch this week.

The Rite (2011, US)
Another in the exorcist genre. A young American seminary student, Michael, who's skeptical about religion, is sent to Italy to study the rite of exorcism. There he meets a veteran priest who takes him under his wing and attempts to exorcise a teenage girl. Things soon spin out of control and Michael is forced to confront his doubts as he battles the demon. The movie was ok, not the best exorcism movie i've seen, though it has Anthony Hopkins in it so it can't be that bad. It had some genuinely creepy moments too.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011, UK)
Cold War espionage film set in the 1970s, about a British spy who's tasked with investigating a potential Soviet mole in his own organization. This one seems quite popular but I found it really underwhelming. I had a hard time following the plot and keeping track of who was doing what and why, and the ending left me baffled. No doubt it didn't help that politically I can't sympathize with the British in the Cold War, but even putting that aside, it just didn't do it for me as a movie. Apparently there's a series of the same name from the 1970s that's supposed to be better, so i'm going to give that a try.

Deewana Mastana (1997, India)
A small-time crook named Raja and his buddy Ghafoor make a living selling black market tickets on a train station in their little town. One day they manage a successful heist and flee with their newfound riches to Mumbai, where they encounter a beautiful young psychiatrist named Dr. Neha. Raja is intent on wooing her, but finds himself competing with one of her wealthy patients, Bunnu, who has the same goal and seems to monopolize her time. A hilarious feud ensues between Raja and Bunnu over who can win over Dr. Neha. Very entertaining and funny movie. I didn't think the music was Bollywood's best, though it did have one or two great songs.

To be continued

Last Knights (2015, UK)
Set in a fictional multi-ethnic medieval kingdom, a respected lord is hounded to his death by a corrupt minister in the emperor's court, after which his retainers go their separate ways, taking up new employment where they can find it, while biding their time to take revenge. The story is almost exactly the classic Japanese story of the 47 Ronin, with almost no variation from it aside from the locale. It's a decent movie in its own right, but the Japanese movies about the 47 Ronin (NOT the godawful American version from 2013!!!) are much better.

Beginning of the Great Revival (2011, China)
Starting with the great republican revolution of 1911, this movie tells the story of the sociopolitical tumult in China in the 1910s, leading up to the historic foundation of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921. It's a pretty good movie which has been unfairly lambasted by anti-communists as "propaganda" (as if most Western political films glorifying their own history, or attacking communism, are anything less) and has an undeservedly low rating on IMDb (I rated it 7/10). That said, it was a bit dry at parts and could be hard to follow for someone who isn't reasonably familiar with the names and events of the period. Knowledge of Chinese history helps. Anyway I liked it, it was a good movie. I think it was better than the 2009 movie "The Founding of a Republic", because this one had a bit more life in it and concentrated more on the social revolution, not just the political revolution as the 2009 film did. But Mao-era Chinese political movies were still better than both.

The Breakfast Club (1985, US)
Five high school students from different social circles are thrown together in a Saturday detention under the eye of their authoritarian principal. At first they seem to have little in common, but gradually as they bicker over the course of the day with each other and their bullying principal, they develop a certain camaraderie and realize they aren't so different after all, as they explore their lives under the pressures of school, family and social background. Really a good movie, and I think one of the few movies ever that comes close to capturing what it's like to be a teenager.

I was on my 10 day Canada Day vacation. Here goes:

Moonlight (2016) - my low expectations were met. One word to describe this movie - pointless. Can't believe it won the Oscar for Best Picture. 6/10.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016) - better than Moonlight but not great. I thought it was over the top in places and Vince Vaughn seemed to be miscast. 7.5/10

Shetland (2013) Season 1 to 3. Another UK small town crime drama which I do love. Seasons 1 and 2 were great. Season 3 was not so good as I thought there were plot holes. Very well acted and shot. I was going to give this an 8 or 8.5 but can only go to a 7.5/10.

Witness (2017) Season 2. A French crime drama in a small town. Very well done all around. Season 2 was a bit weak on the script/plot but very watchable. 8/10.

Here Alone (2016). Another post apocalyptic zombie movie which I didn't have high hopes for but turned out pretty decent. Focuses on the relationships of three survivors. 7.5/10.

Jordskott (2015) Season 1. A Swedish horror/fantasy/crime drama. This tried to do way too much. Much more of a fantasy than a horror. I should have bailed out early but stuck to the end. 6/10.

Strange Magic: A very strange movie. A cross between Shrek (1, 2, and 4), Arthur and the Invisibles, Epic, and Beauty and the Beast. In this iteration, Fiona/Belle (Marianne) initially falls for Prince Charming/Gaston (Roland) until she catches him cheating. Then she becomes a tough girl and refuses to fall in love again (yet she finds herself later falling in love with an unlikely character). Fairies, elves (more like gnomes), goblins, other mythical creatures, love potions gone wrong, and "popular" songs thrown in. Oh, and it's also by Lucasfilm. Kinda cute, but not something I'd watch again. 5/10
https://moviechat.org/tt4191054/Strange-Magic

The Space Between Us: Not a great movie, but not as bad as the critics make it sound. A boy born on Mars falls in love with a girl on Earth. He goes to meet her and find the father he never knew, but his body can't hold up against Earth's gravity for long. Is it thought-provoking? Not really. Is it scientifically accurate? Nope. It's a light romance with a handful of futuristic elements thrown in. 7/10
https://moviechat.org/tt3922818/The-Space-Between-Us


The Great Wall: A fantasy action movie set in ancient China. The Great Wall protects against monsters/aliens that come every 60 years in the same spot, but they learn quickly. Two European mercenaries get sucked into the battle while searching for black powder (so no, it isn't white-washing if they weren't supposed to be Chinese). Again, not much thought required to enjoy it, but it is somewhat interesting. 6.5/10
https://moviechat.org/tt2034800/The-Great-Wall

(Continued)

I liked Logan. I enjoyed the more... realistic treatment (as realistic as you can get with something like this), and I think it worked here. I also liked the portrail of these aging mutants and the loss of contol over their abilities. Though, it did get a bit Thunderdome-y in the end there.

I love Zoolander, but Zoolander 2 was so unnecessary. And what exactly was Kristen Wiig doing with that accent? They really went number two on the first one... ba dum tss.

Zelly and Me (1988)
After the loss of her parents, Phoebe now lives with her cruel grandmother, and her French nanny Zelly. The two share a special bond. After a stuffed animal is sadistically washed and other unpleasant events, they decide to run away. Also David Lynch has a small role. The relationship between Phoebe and Zelly was endearing, and the film dealt with some interesting things, but it was a bit on the dull side for me.
https://moviechat.org/tt0096501/Zelly-and-Me

I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)
After his brother OGs (death by too much gold chain), Spade recruits some old-timers to help stop the local crime lord, Mr. Big. As soon as he tells his mother to stop beating people up for him, that is. Hilarity ensues. I wish I knew more about blaxploitation movies to get this fully, but even without all that this film was funny. I loved Chris Rock’s little role in it. I really enjoyed this one.
https://moviechat.org/tt0095348/Im-Gonna-Git-You-Sucka

I kind of had to take a step back from watching movies and instead, I watched some Family Guy https://moviechat.org/tt0182576/Family-Guy

Additionally, I watched a lot of CBC on youtube. Pretty interesting things I had found.

https://www.youtube.com/user/cbcnews

Hot Rod-2007- Andy Samberg Some good laughs but nothing too special-6.5

On the Town-1949- Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra One of my favorite musicals. Great cast, great story and great songs -8

Sicario-2015-Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro I really liked this movie. Blunt plays a FBI agent who
joins a task force to help take down a drug king pin. I thought it well done and great cinematography -8

Mad Max:Fury Road-2015- Still a good action movie. 7.5

Ant-Man-2015 Don't watch a lot of these super hero movies anymore but this one was fun.-7

Une Parisienne-1957-Charles Boyer,Brigitte Bardot French romantic comedy. This isn't a great classic but
it was a nice change of pace and got to watch Bardot for a couple hours. -6.5

Watched season 3 Better Call Saul. Love this series.

Haven't seen Zoolander 2. Didn't like the first one enough to watch the second one.
You already know I loved Stripes.