MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > What did you watch this week 23/07-29/07

What did you watch this week 23/07-29/07


Hey Y'all, Im a bit disapointed (and drunk) as I write this. I wanted David Cormier to beat Jon Jones but Im glad he won with class. UFC 214 was pretty facking good, except for Woodley and Mia)

Here are my views this week, thanks for all your contributions to this thread and again, don't forget commenting on my reviews.

Cheers

San Andreas (2015 DVD): A friend of mine sold me a bundle of about 100 DVD’s for 40$. This one was among them, otherwise I would’ve never bought it. Well, you know what they say about judging a book by its cover. I expected this to be tedious, shallow and just worth a headache. I was wrong. Except for the first and the last 10 minutes which were both pretty pathetic, it actually kept me engage, the action was decent and I even cared about the characters. 6/10

Small Soldiers (1998 DVD): The 13 years old me enjoyed that one when it came out in the theatre, you can take my word for it! I still remember it, imagine. I think I might have fallen in love with Kristen Dunst at the time. It’s like the perfect movie for young boys. Rewatching it with my 3 yrs old was a great experience too and I still enjoyed it. 13 yrs old me: 10/10 31 yrs old me: 7.5/10

Cloud Atlas (2012 DVD): This un’s a ruddy-bloody gem and that’s the True-true. T’is long, close to three rounds o’the clock but its story justifies it all. Hard for a Frenchie like me to cog all the yibberin’, what with all the words and worrins like a wasp’s nest poke’d and prod’d by the characters. It was captivating nonetheless. Beautifully shot with great settings and special FX. The cast, writers and directors did a formidable job to form a tightly woven tapestry of poetry, humanity, music and history. Fugitive lovers fighting for revolution in a futuristic world, an old publisher trying to escape from a retirement home, a primitive civilization of the future, a crew on a ship fighting against slavery , a middle-age music composer and finally, a journalist investigating an oil/nuclear scam; don’t try to figure it all out while watching, just let yourself go and follow the conductor. 8.5/10

Good Neighbors (2010 DVD): ‘’ Victor is new to Montreal and attempts to make friends with the wheelchair-bound Spencer and the cat-loving Louise, but everybody is on edge with a serial killer terrorizing the neighborhood.’’ Some people qualified this all-Canadian thriller to be a ‘’quirky film noir a la Coen’’. I say close, but not quite. The atmosphere is unique and quirky, good cinematography and good acting but the story fell flat for me. It’s more or less the story of a woman who is obsessed with cats and what happens when they get killed. The greatest thing about the movie was the deleted scene that explains how one of the characters got in a wheelchair. (In the movie he just mentions it being caused by a car accident that also killed his wife.) Let me describe the scene for you: A good-looking couple drives on a snowy road, anger and tension fills the air, he turns on the radio, she turns it right off. He smiles at her. She says: ‘That’s it, you got nothing more to say? Your done?’ He says: ‘Yeah, Im done!’ and brutally turns the steering wheel to crash in the ditch on her side. Then the scene fade out on her bloody head sticking out the window as we hear him giving one the eeriest, evilest laugh ever. It left be speechless. 6/10

I don’t feel at home in this world anymore (2017 Netflix): Now THAT was a good quirky black comedy! The overall feel reminded me of one of my beloved movies; Pawn Shop Chronicles (that also star Frodo). Its fun, funny and deadly serious. What made the movie stand out though was the chemistry between the two characters. It had been a while since I had felt a unique vibe like this one, really enjoyed it. The snake scene near the end was not necessary or credible IMO but still, another cool Netflix Original. 7.5/10

Indian in the cupboard (1995 DVD): I could say the exact same things as for Small Soldiers; one of my favorite movies of my youth and it was a fun experience seeing it again with my son. The actors playing the Indian, the cowboy and the military were all great and the kids are good. 10 yrs old me: 10/10 31 yrs old me: 7/10

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The Wailing (‘‘Goksung’’ 2016 Netflix): Gosh do I love those South-Korean flicks! Actually, I love the South-Koreans, period. I like the way they eat, the way they talk (woun-deo!!), their facial expressions, their little houses, their dark humour and most of all, their brilliant, wicked minds. Writer/director Hong-jin Na (The Chaser, The Yellow Sea) proved, once again, that he does fit the mold with this hard-hitting treat of a thriller/horror. It’s that type of movie where the credits roll and you just sit there staring at the screen, processing what you just saw, just to end up to with one single conclusion: Fuuck! One thing though, I can’t help but think, that little actress girl must have been somewhat traumatized because all scenes she’s in (and there is quite a few) she’s either screaming, convulsing or crying. Also, the last act could’ve been shorten of about 15 minutes but still, I rate it a 8.5/10

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I have seen three of yours

I agree that San Andreas was much better than I had expected - would give it a 7.5/10

Cloud Atlas - I will give you credit for getting through it. Maybe I should give it a second try after five years 5/10

The Wailing - I have become hooked on South Korean horror movies but this one had too much going on - demon ?? virus ?? WTF ?? and the fat cop was a joke. 6/10

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I loved the fat cop's facial expressions. Yes, there was à lot of things going on but bottom line, it was all about Shamanism (evil) and Christianity (good).

Cloud atlas has even more going on and I can see How it could become Hard to watch for one who dosent instantly get into the Story. For me, its à rare case where I enjoyed every single layer.

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Arrival (2016) - I was disappointed with this movie. More of a fantasy than a pure sci-fi. 7/10

Flight (2012) - I somehow missed this five years ago. Well acted with a good story line although the last 10 minutes seemed like an AA commercial. 8/10.

The Girl on The Train (2016) - I wanted to like this but found it very slow and plodding. Blunt seemed to be miscast. 7/10

Line of Duty (2017) Season 4 - The show seems to get better. Thandie Newton was great as the corrupt cop. 8.5/10

Split (2016) - Struck me as a comic book movie not to be taken too seriously. 7/10.

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Flight was okay but from the critics I expected way more. I agréé with what you said. 6.5/10

Split's trailer looks mad real!

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I briefly thought about watching The Girl on The Train, but after I hated to book so much, not even Blunt (who I love) could convince me to see it. Glad to read I made the right call :D.

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Murder!-1930- directed by Alfred Hitchcock-A really good early Hitchcock thriller-7.5 My review-
https://moviechat.org/tt0021165/Murder/597c3c0b6df9030011f90761/Early-Hitchcock-classic

Earrings of Madame de...1953-Charles Boyer, Danielle Darrieux-directed by Max Ophüls An outstanding movie that was
impeccably directed. -8.5 My review https://moviechat.org/tt0046022/The-Earrings-of-Madame-de/597c47a16df9030011f90791/Unhappiness-is-our-own-invention

The Children's Hour-1961-Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner- Two teachers who have their life turned
upside down because of one lie. -7.5 My review- https://moviechat.org/tt0054743/The-Childrens-Hour/597d78688d005c00119f11d7/The-power-of-lies

La Promesse-1996-Story of a father and son who are into the exploitation of illegal immigrants.-outstanding -8.5 My review
https://moviechat.org/tt0117398/La-Promesse/597d55498d005c00119f10d0/A-lesson-in-morals


Hold Back the Dawn-1941-Charles Boyer, Olivia de Havilland, Paulette Goddard - A really good movie about a Bulgarian
gigolo who marries an american women to become a U.S. citizen. Boyer and Havilland were good in this movie but I
think Goddard was hands down the best.-7.5

Rio Grande-1950- John Wayne. Part of the cavalry trilogy this film doesn't disappoint. Good story and plenty of comedy.-7.5

Age of Adaline-2015-Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford - A story about a woman who is in an accident
and stops aging. It goes on to show her life now and flash backs through out all her years.
This isn't really my "type" of movie but I liked it better than I thought I would. -6.5


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A French movie, cool! Havent seen any of them, sorry.

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San Andreas - Too bad I turned it off at 10-minutes in, so I might not gave it any justice. Still, I'll rate it 2/10 for the 10 minutes.

Small Soldiers - This is one of my favorite too when I was younger. I want to show this to my 4yo son but I'm not sure if it's too terrifying for him or not. I'm glad your son enjoys it.

Cloud Atlas - This movie is a mess. Interesting. But still a mess. I don't like it at all. Still better than Jupiter Ascending tho'.

Indian in the Cupboard - Yes! Another good memory! I still remember watching it on my dad's VHS. Maybe he still has the cassette somewhere in the cupboard lol.

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Haha, im Glad I mentioned the first 10 mins was aweful.

For me Cloud atlas had either good moments, or great ones. So even if it was à bit convoluted, it all worked for me.

Sounds like we are from the same génération! Cheers

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Oh, about the movies I watched this week they are:

Galaxy Quest - A sci-fi comedy gem. It always gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling everytime. And young Signourey Weaver was unbelievably hot

Fences - Denzel Washington is superb. But the real star here is the story, so touching, so emotional. Maybe I am getting older, but I love these "slice of life" stories. I wrote a lenghty movie theory about it here at it's board.

Fate of the Furious - I can't believe it myself, but this series still going strong in the 8th iteration. They keep trying new things to evolve the franchise forward. It's so fun and the spectacles are great. Every scenes with Jason Statham are gold!

Life - Ridiculous and, may I say, a weak movie. You can just watch the trailers then proceed to fast forward the actual movie to the ending. Everything in between felt like a random filler. The ending is the only thing that is rather interesting, but even that is butchered by how badly it was shot and a terrible choice of soundtrack.

Ghost in the Shell - Not as bad as the Internet suggested. I skipped watching this at the theater because of the bad reviews. The only bad thing about this movie is that the makers don't look quite sure about to whom this movie is for. The original anime was obviously for a mature audience with its dark adult theme all around, while the live-action remake is... confused; too dumbed down, pseudo-nudity and all. Come on, we all already saw her tits in Under the Skin. Also I don't mind the whitewashing, but I believe Scarlett Johansson was still a miscast.

Idiocracy - Also a classic sci-fi comedy gem. Can't be better than this! In fact, this movie seems more and more to be true these days. I think it should be played in every schools.

Kong Skull Island - Actually, this is the first movie I watched this week but I haven't finished it yet because it's sooo boring. Still, I would like to see to the ending so maybe some other time when I have no other movies in my queue.

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I agree with that,actionkamen...that scene with statham protecting that baby and fighting at the same time...I really liked it.

Underworld:blood wars...it is very similar with the RE series...her blood is the cure😉

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I Remember enjoying Idiocracy but need à rewatch.

Fences I want to see for sure.

Galaxy quest is one of those movies I know I should see but somehow never did.

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Oh, do go watch Galaxy Quest. For me, it's one of those movies that I watch anytime I catch it on TV, and it never fails to entertain. Even Tim Allen is good in it!

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Galaxy Quest is really really great.

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👻

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Hey!

The player sounds like something I'd like. I love Timmy.

Yeah, Cerrone fought well too, no shame.

Finally, another Cloud Atlas fan!

Cheers

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Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: The only movie I actually watched this week. Not quite what I was expecting, but good. Beautiful special effects; I loved (almost) all the aliens. Acting and plot were somewhat lacking, but not terrible. A few scenes that didn't seem to belong. But I'd definitely see it again. 7/10

As to the ones you saw:

San Andreas I watched once a while ago. Not quite my kind of movie, but enough suspense to keep me watching to the end.

I believe I liked Indian and the Cupboard as a kid, but I don't really remember that much of it. One of my elementary school teachers read the book to my class.

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Ah,never heard of that one before. I'll look it up

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Valerian is still in theaters. It's actually an independent film, which is why you may not have heard of it.

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I watched (in chronological order)

Dunkirk (2017) 9/10
Stalker (1979) 9/10
Layer Cake (2004) 7/10
Grudge Match (2008) 7/10
Mud (2012) 6/10
Orange County (2002) 8/10
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006) 9/10
Say Anything… (1989) 7/10
Dam Street (2005) 7/10
Time (2006) 8/10

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Thats à Big movie week for ya!

Layer Cake: lost me in a few places but good in the whole 7/10

Grudge match: not bad at all 6.5/10

Mud: interesting characters, good acting but expected more of it. 6.5/10

Tenacious D: Glad you loved it, its awesome. 8/10

Say anything been on my watchlist for a long time. Time looks highly intrresting to me and I plan on seeing Dunkirk

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I finished Season 14 of Family Guy with the only problem being that one episode was shown twice. I will never get to see Family Guy Episode 2 in Season 14 (or maybe I will at some later point of my life).

https://moviechat.org/tt0182576/Family-Guy

While watching youtube, I also came across episodes of "World's Strictest Parents". This was one of those shows that use to be my favorites; however, I never had a chance to really watch too many of them. Most of the ones on youtube are from UK, but they are pretty decent. I still cannot believe that if one were unruly, you could pretty much get an all expense paid trip to anywhere in the world (to be admonished by parents of another family.) I was never that unruly to be sent off; however, man, these unruly kids get an all expense trip AND publicity!

https://moviechat.org/tt1451362/Worlds-Strictest-Parents

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Nice! Have a good week Arvin!

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You too!

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The Samurai I Loved (Japanese title: "Semishigure" (蝉しぐれ), which means more like "the singing of the cicadas") (2005, Japan)
In Japan during the Edo period, a young samurai named Bunshiro finds himself ostracized when his father ends up on the wrong side of a power struggle within the fief they serve. Bunshiro's father is forced to commit seppuku, and his family is shamed and made to live in poverty. Years later, Bunshiro's family is restored to the lord's good graces and he's given a position as a magistrate. But then he finds out that his childhood love, Fuku, has become the lord's concubine and given birth to a son who is targeted for death by the lord's wife as a potential rival to her own son. Bunshiro then finds himself dragged into the same feudal politics that killed his father, as he tries to save Fuku and her baby. Excellent movie, with a very bittersweet ending.

The Book Thief (2013, US/Germany)
In Nazi Germany, a young girl named Liesel is adopted into a new family when her mother, a communist who's running for her life from the fascist authorities, is unable to raise her any longer. Liesel has difficulty fitting in with her new family and community, particularly when it's revealed that she is illiterate and is made fun of by the other schoolchildren. But her stepfather Hans (played by Geoffrey Rush, one of my favorite actors) teaches her to read, and she soon becomes a voracious reader. When a young Jewish man on the run turns up and Liesel's step-family takes him in and hides him, Liesel befriends him, and steals books from the town mayor's library to read with him. It's a nice, heartwarming movie, though it has a fair amount of cliches as well, and I wasn't as enamored with Death's narration (don't worry, that's not a spoiler; it's made clear right from the beginning of the movie) as many seem to be; it just felt like it was being poured on too thick. But aside from that, it is a nice film.

Size limit reached; to be continued.

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