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What Is The Last Film You Watched? (Newer Films)


King Mark

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2 hours ago, crocodile said:

Comedy and horror are more subjective than others. I can agree with that.

 

Indeed.  They're the most subjective of genres, and the former more than the latter.

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Isn't "comedy" being a painfully huge generalization part of that? There's all kinds of very different subgenres requiring different levels of intelligence, awareness, culture or taste. Black, morbid, grotesque, repetitive, visual, absurd, pun, toilet... Most pieces of comedic media use some kind of a mixture of a smaller selection or just one, and different people respond to differnet kinds.

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What makes a "newer films" and "older films" for the purpose of these Last Movie You Watched? topic?

 

Anyway, watched Blockers last weekend and it was a pretty good comedy - hit me in the soft spot that I have for coming-of-age teen comedies, and also functioned as a coming-of-age parent comedy which hit me in what is apparently a new soft spot.  Also it had Gary Cole in a bit part which was performed almost exclusively nude.

 

1 hour ago, Holko said:

Blasphemer! 

Every episode should be watched in full, the segways add a lot to the creative absurdity.

 

Agreed - same with other sketch shows like Upright Citizens' Brigade and Mr. Show - each episode's sketches interlace and interact in a way that makes the whole much better than the parts.  We watched a few all-time great Mr. Show sketches recently on YouTube for reasons, and they really suffer out of context.

 

Live shows like SNL/MadTV don't usually suffer in the same way, because they've always been such a hodgepodge.  I also don't particularly like SNL, except when they hit their absolute most absurd notes.

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2 minutes ago, mstrox said:

What makes a "newer films" and "older films" for the purpose of these Last Movie You Watched? topic?

 

Newer = in theaters now / just recently arrived on home video/streaming, Older = older than that.  

 

 

2 minutes ago, mstrox said:

 

Anyway, watched Blockers last weekend and it was a pretty good comedy - hit me in the soft spot that I have for coming-of-age teen comedies, and also functioned as a coming-of-age parent comedy which hit me in what is apparently a new soft spot.  Also it had Gary Cole in a bit part which was performed almost exclusively nude.

 

The movie was partially a gender-swapped American Pie and partially about the parents stupid quest, and was weaker than the sum of it's parts because it couldn't go too deep into either story since it had to keep swapping between the two.  I would have preferred more of the kids and less of the parents.  All three kid actors were really good and I suspect they'll have good careers.  

 

 

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Comedy definitely has the reputation as being extremely nebulous from a lay perspective: analyze a pretty flower, kill it in the process. While that's not inherently untrue, I would consider it very naive to believe that there's no way to view comedy critically. (Besides, haven't people been trashing The Simpsons for almost twenty years, now?) With comedian friends, and the way they nerd out about certain famous comedians, I can assure you that most (decent) comedians write their material with a process similar to how John Williams writes his themes: tweaking a joke multiple times to improve the timing, the climax or punchline, the inevitability of the joke, etc. To classify their efforts as "Eh, either it makes you laugh or it doesn't" is superficial and frankly disrepectful. 

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1 minute ago, Jay said:

 

Newer = in theaters now / just recently arrived on home video/streaming, Older = older than that.  

 

 

 

The movie was partially a gender-swapped American Pie and partially about the parents stupid quest, and was weaker than the sum of it's parts because it couldn't go too deep into either story since it had to keep swapping between the two.  I would have preferred more of the kids and less of the parents.  All three kid actors were really good and I suspect they'll have good careers.  

 

 

 

Agreed - the parent story is a little weak - in the fact that none of the parents had ever considered and reconciled their children's transition in adulthood at all until prom night, etc.  And the humor in their story was much more broad than the kids' side.  I liked the arc between Ike Barenholtz and his daughter, as his intentions in "saving his daughter" were slightly better - and his character growth in the end was more related to his failings as a parent, and not based solely on his concern for his daughter's virginity.  The kids were all great.

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16 minutes ago, mstrox said:

Agreed - same with other sketch shows like Upright Citizens' Brigade and Mr. Show - each episode's sketches interlace and interact in a way that makes the whole much better than the parts.  We watched a few all-time great Mr. Show sketches recently on YouTube for reasons, and they really suffer out of context.

 

One of my favourite Python examples is the Fish-Slapping Dance, which is the one sketch all Pythons share as a favourite (or at least all thought it was worthy of including in the first best of collection). If you watch it on its own, it's just a piece of nonsense. If it's in the middle of the episode, it hits you with its nonsensicalness by coming out of nowhere and you can't help but laugh at the absurdity of what you've just witnessed after it already swiftly moved on.

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1 minute ago, Nick Parker said:

Comedy definitely has the reputation as being extremely nebulous from a lay perspective: analyze a pretty flower, kill it in the process. While that's not inherently untrue, I would consider it very naive to believe that there's no way to view comedy critically. With comedian friends, and the way they nerd out about certain famous comedians, I can assure you that most (decent) comedians write their material with a process similar to how John Williams writes his themes. To classify their hard work as "Eh, either it makes you laugh or it doesn't" is superficial and frankly disrepectful. 

 

There certainly is a craft to jokes that should be respected, but I must admit I don't personally find it very interesting to dive into those wonky details.  I prefer criticism that basically analyzes around the jokes, diving into the themes, performances, mise-en-scene, and whatever.  Like, an essay that intelligently talks about Beverly Hills Cop subverting cop drama tropes and underlying themes of racism in policing rich suburbs vs. inner city, stuff like that.

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4 minutes ago, mstrox said:

 

Agreed - the parent story is a little weak - in the fact that none of the parents had ever considered and reconciled their children's transition in adulthood at all until prom night, etc.  And the humor in their story was much more broad than the kids' side.  I liked the arc between Ike Barenholtz and his daughter, as his intentions in "saving his daughter" were slightly better - and his character growth in the end was more related to his failings as a parent, and not based solely on his concern for his daughter's virginity.  The kids were all great.

 

Yup Morgan and the lesbian daughter was definitely the best storyline.  Apatow's wife and the blonde was the weakest, and Cena's was in the middle

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15 minutes ago, Jay said:

 

Newer = in theaters now / just recently arrived on home video/streaming, Older = older than that.  

 

 

 

The movie was partially a gender-swapped American Pie and partially about the parents stupid quest, and was weaker than the sum of it's parts because it couldn't go too deep into either story since it had to keep swapping between the two.  I would have preferred more of the kids and less of the parents.  All three kid actors were really good and I suspect they'll have good careers.  

 

 

The older/newer is just an OCD nightmare. It is absolutely retarded. One thread is all thats needed.

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1 minute ago, Disco Stu said:

 

There certainly is a craft to jokes that should be respected, but I must admit I don't personally find it very interesting to dive into those wonky details.  I prefer criticism that basically analyzes around the jokes, diving into the themes, performances, mise-en-scene, and whatever.  Like, an essay that intelligently talks about Beverly Hills Cop subverting cop drama tropes and underlying themes of racism in policing rich suburbs vs. inner city, stuff like that.

 

I guess I was referring to more "naked" comedy (my comedian friends are all involved with stand-up, stage performances, etc.). As a piece of cinema, I can agree that I personally enjoy thinking more about the aspects you describe (though like in the case of the essay you mention, I should make an addendum to say that not all comedic analysis is of course as microcosmic or esoteric as my previous post might suggest, in a way similar to that there are more ways to analyze Raider's March than discussing "A-B structure", etc.). In fact, the ingredients you describe are why I don't watch modern comedy movies much, like the average Melissa McCarthy movie: not only are they unfunny joke conveyor belts, but they're just so bland and uninteresting as films...really makes me miss the maestros like Blake Edwards and Joe Dante.

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7 minutes ago, Nick Parker said:

In fact, the ingredients you describe are why I don't watch modern comedy movies much

 

Comedies that are also interesting movies are indeed few and far between.  Wes Anderson is probably the current master of that for me.  I think his movies are laugh-out-loud funny, but his humor's not for everyone.  The funniest comedy that was also an interesting movie I've seen recently is Paddington 2!

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4 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

Comedies that are also interesting movies are indeed few and far between.  Wes Anderson is probably the current master of that for me.  I think his movies are laugh-out-loud funny, but his humor's not for everyone.  The funniest comedy that was also an interesting movie I've seen recently is Paddington 2!

 

Eh, Wes Anderson either is funny to some, or not funny to others. No reason to review his movies, really.

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4 minutes ago, Nick Parker said:

 

Marvel! The whole world is a happy place with Marvel genre films.  ☺️ ☺️ ☺️ ☺️ 🙃 🙃 🙃

Don't like Marvel films all that much.

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2 minutes ago, Nick Parker said:

 

Do you know what normal is, Steve? Normal is what everyone else is and you are not.

Why, thank you!

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Set it Up - Solid Netflix original film (rare for me to say that). It's actually pretty funny, and entertaining. Also between this and Everybody Wants Some, Glen Powell is becoming one of my favorite of the current "young actors". He's really good. - 7 / 10

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Tag - reasonably amusing based-on-a-true-story comedy about a group of buddies who have kept the titular game going between themselves for the month of May ... for 30 years. With Ed Helms, Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher and Jeremy Renner.

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The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter - Really offbeat "black comedy" of sorts, set in and around North Carolina. Not sure I really enjoyed it, but I did like the father / son relationship, and Josh Brolin is great (though I'm definitely feeling a bit Brolin overload this year), I guess I appreciated it for what it is was, even if in all honesty it only got some laughs out of me. - 6 / 10

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The Man Who Invented Christmas. Its my Christmas in July treat. 

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2 hours ago, Fancyarcher said:

The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter - Really offbeat "black comedy" of sorts, set in and around North Carolina. Not sure I really enjoyed it, but I did like the father / son relationship, and Josh Brolin is great (though I'm definitely feeling a bit Brolin overload this year), I guess I appreciated it for what it is was, even if in all honesty it only got some laughs out of me. - 6 / 10

I thought this one looked pretty good. Not sure if it’s playing anywhere near me. 

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Ant-man and the Wasp

 

So much fun! Go see it if all you’re looking for is a great time at the movies. Great humor, a surprisingly compelling villain, and standout acting; the chemistry between Rudd and Lilly practically leaps off the screen. I had my occasionally nitpicks with the movie, but overall, it’s a noticeable improvement over its predecessor, and just a really funny and likable addition to the MCU. I feel really invested in these characters, and I can’t wait to see more of them. 

 

**** and 1/2 out of *****

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15 minutes ago, John said:

Ant-man and the Wasp

 

So much fun! Go see it if all you’re looking for is a great time at the movies. Great humor, a surprisingly compelling villain, and standout acting; the chemistry between Rudd and Lilly practically leaps off the screen. I had my occasionally nitpicks with the movie, but overall, it’s a noticeable improvement over its predecessor, and just a really funny and likable addition to the MCU. I feel really invested in these characters, and I can’t wait to see more of them. 

 

**** and 1/2 out of *****

 

I didn't like it this much but it was a pleasant, breezy surprise.  The action was also surprisingly good.  That Frisco car chase was a ton of fun.

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48 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

I didn't like it this much but it was a pleasant, breezy surprise.  The action was also surprisingly good.  That Frisco car chase was a ton of fun.

 

If you're ever in San Francisco, for your own sake, please, don't call it "Frisco".  Or next time you vanish from this place we probably won't hear from you again.

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8 minutes ago, Nick1066 said:

 

If you're ever in San Francisco, for your own sake, please, don't call it "Frisco".  Or next time you vanish from this place we probably won't hear from you again.

 

Gives "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" a whole new meaning!

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Incredibles 2 - almost as much fun as the original (after I moved away from the family seemingly treating the cinema as some sort of fucking indoor picnic area, that is. It was an 11:00 am screening, couldn't they have had breakfast before turning up? GAH).

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Sorry to Bother You - Ambitiously strong satire about capitalism and corruption, set in the near future. Lakeith Stanfield is a great lead, and the film is really funny, and witty. Unfortunately it falls apart at the end, when it gets too heavy in its message. That being said, it overall is a very confidently made  film, and for a first feature Boots Riley shows a lot of promise. It also gets really crazy, which I admire. Good stuff. - 7.5 / 10

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10 hours ago, Richard said:

 

Why not watch DIE HARD, a real Christmas-in-July treat?

Because as much as I love Die Hard, A Christmas Carol is simply the greatest tale of all time

 

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There are many films with the title of greatest Christmas movie ever.

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Ant-Man and the Wasp

 

It's fun and inconsequential, but also annoying at times (Michael Pena one chief example). Rudd and Lily are reliably good, Hannah John-Kamen is a conflicted villain, Walter Goggins phones in another villain role, and both Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer are underused. Pfeiffer looks amazing, both as her 1988 de-aged self and her 2018 Janet. But during portions of the film, I lost interest in "finding Janet" subplot as well as the lab being stolen by two different villains.

 

But this film reminds me how B-list Ant-Man is. As cool as his powers and character line-ups are, it's a bit too niche and silly. Another overrated MCU film.

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