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

[Jay 37,373]

Neither title is great.

Operation: Downfall would have been better

or Full Metal Bitch

[Sweeping Strings 2,364]

A Walk Among The Tombstones - solidly enjoyable private-eye thriller (although the title would equally suit a Western) with Liam Neeson. Prefer to see him in stuff like this than 'ageing action man' roles, he's too good of an actor to keep making Taken variations.

[Jay 37,373]

Hmmm, the commercials made it look like another Taken variation...

[nightscape94 965]

Don't worry, you'll all get your chance.....with Tak3n

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,373]

Nah, that's pretty dumb as has nothing to do with the movie

Operation Downfall is the name of the actual Operation depicted in the film

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,373]

I know it's the name of the novel (not manga, though there is also a manga based on the novel) the film is based on, but it's still a stupid title.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[nightscape94 965]

"Edge of Tomorrow" sounds like it was regurgitated out of a sci-fi movie title generator.

[Jay 37,373]

Yea, it's way too generic.

How about these titles:

Groundhog Troopers

Man Vs Mimic

Under The Louvre

Alpha Omega

Invasion of the Mimics

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,373]

Time Blood

[Quintus 5,399]

Do Horny Old Androids Dream About Mutton Dressed As Lamb?

[Jay 37,373]

Next up over the weekend for me was:

Blue Ruin

FANTASTIC FILM. To describe the plot would be unfair, as the way it unfolds is one of the best aspects of the film. I've never seen a film before where the viewer is never once ahead of the characters, on the contrary the film is always 2 steps or more ahead of the viewer. Apart from 2 very predictable elements, the entire storyline is unpredictable, and it's fascinating to watch how it unfolds and where it goes next.

A short intro to the film is that it's a revenge flick, about a man living basically out of his car (the titular blue ruin) his parents where murdered in, who finds out their murderer is being released from jail, and he plots to kill him. Nothing remotely goes right or according to plan, likely because he has no plans, and that's about all you need to know.

The film doesn't outstay it's welcome - it's not only a brisk 90 minutes, but there's also no wasted scenes or characters.

If I can liken this film to another it'd be No Country For Old Men, though of course this is without the powerhouse performances that film had (the entire cast of this film are unknowns). But there is a similar cat and mouse type situation, and a similar style of cinematography and setting (all rural).

Highly recommended, one of the best films of the year.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The Maze Runner

The latest in a series of young adult films, the first of a trilogy, surely.

This is actually quote a good film. Competently directed and well shot. With convincing effects when it comes to portraying the giant maze. And the scorpion/spider creatures were actually quite cool

The cast of mostly unknown do very well. (i only knew Patricia Clarkson, and the skinny kid from GOT).

The story, while naturally taking elements from other works of fiction felt quite fresh and interesting in how it was handled. The ending, is the inevitable cliffhanger, meaning just as you are about to find out more, the film ends. But I was suitably impressed enough to actually consider another trip the the cinema next year.

Wiki states the budget for this is 34 million dollars. It actually looks like it could be over double that. I guess hiring an inexpensive cast pays of in that way.

Music was competent if on the generic side when it came to action. Meaning lots of ostinato's and pounding drums. But it sounded more orchestral then the usual RCP score.

Over the weekend I saw three newish movies. First up was:

Edge of Tomorrow

I thought it was good! Directed by Doug Liman (Swings, Go, Bourne 1, Mr & Mrs Smith), Tom Cruise is cast against type as a total puss coward, an ad executive who becomes an enlisted officer when aliens land in Europe and begin taking over the Earth in the near future. Due to a sequence of unfortunate events, he ends up being sent to join the front line in a planned attack on a beach in France against the aliens. He ends up dying minutes after landing, but immediately returns to the prior date, at the base preparing for the attack all over again. I won't say more about the story, but everything gets explained and the story is always involving. The explanation for the rebooting might not make any sense, but this is the kind of film where you just go with it.

It ended up being a nice blend of good action scenes (including both ground assault battles and some escape/chase scenes), comedy, and some mystery and sci-fi stuff. Emily Blunt plays an awesome solider who uses a helicopter blade as a sword and is seen as the hero of the war, since she massacred a large amount of aliens at a prior battle (you find out early on this is because she had repeated that day over 300 times herself).

Recommended, especially for Emily Blunt fans, as she is quite hot in it!

The score by Christophe Beck was atrocious, basically all RCP power chords with Inception/Pacific Rim BWAMMMS throughout.

Isnt this thread strictly for films now playing in the cinema?

[King Mark 3,631]

See, I said Edge of Tomorrow was good

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Do Horny Old Androids Dream About Mutton Dressed As Lamb?

A day in the life of Alex Cremers.

[A24 4,346]

I hear The Maze Runner isn't afraid not to spare the sensitive souls of its young audience. I suppose that means the violence is a lot more graphic than what see in other teenager angst franchises like The Hunger Games.

[crocodile 8,020]

Excellent picks, Jason. Both gilms are among the very best of 2014. For me, anyway.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I hear The Maze Runner isn't afraid to spare the sensitive souls of its young audience. I suppose that means the violence is a lot more graphic than what see in other teenager angst franchises like The Hunger Games.

It's PG13, but has a few intense (death) scenes.

[Quintus 5,399]

I know little about it but I like what I have seen. Looks good.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The only critisism I could have is that it ends on a cliffhanger, but I knew that going in.

And costing "only" 36 million means its not filles with CGI in every frame.

[Jay 37,373]

And the third film I saw last weekend was

 

 

Under The Skin

 

The second movie I watched over the weekend about an alien invasion that begins in Europe. Unlike Edge of Tomorrow though, the film offers no exposition or even the slightest bit of explanation for who the aliens are, where they come from, and what their plan is on Earth. In fact there is very little dialogue at all, with director Jonathan Glazer relying more on acting, visuals, and music to tell the story.

 

Scarlett Johansson stars and is the only recognizable face in the film. She plays a seductress who lures lonely men in Scotland into her apartment, where their skin is harvested to presumably be used to make more disguises for more aliens (There is a male on a motorcycle who assists Scarlett's character in the beginning of the movie, and as her harvests increase, so does the amount of motorcyclists working together). The way her seduction and the harvesting is visualized is amazing and original. It is an all black room with a reflective floor, with the men sinking right into it like it's a liquid molasses-y abyss. This is just one of the many cool visual tricks Glazer employs.

 

I don't want to ruin the film for anyone, which is why I've described nothing beyond what happens in the first act. It would be a boring movie of course if all that happened was Scarlett repeatedly harvesting men in the same mannner; Where the story goes next is logical and while it may not be an original idea, the way it develops and is shown certainly is. I greatly enjoyed the journey Scarlett's character goes on and was invested in every moment. Scarlett's performance completely sells this character arc, she really was perfectly cast in this. You not only needed someone with chops, but also total beauty, but also A list celebrity status, I think, to really sell this. It would have been a different film if we were watching a completely unknown Scottish actress lead the film instead of Scarlett freaking Johannson. BTW I am curious what Scots think of her Scottish accent, and if she pulled it off or not (I wouldn't know).

 

I understand why some find the film pretentious, but I did not think it was, though maybe it comes close a few times. I found it artful, but in a good way, and ultimately thought provoking, and deeply involving. It's a terrific film, it's another one of the best of the year. One of the rare films I immediately re-watched certain scenes after it was over (and not, not just the naked ScarJo scenes, which there are more than a few of )

Almost a week later, I still think about various imagery and moments from the film.

 

 

I forgot to mention the score. It's deeply disturbing! Completely non-traditional, and I honestly don't know what the listening experience would be outside the film, but within the film it's an essential component. Often times the music tells us something creepy is happening even though the visuals haven't necessarily keyed us in yet (IE, all we are seeing is Scarlett driving around in a van). The music for the seduction and harvesting scenes was brilliant, completely off putting, makes you feel uneasy type stuff. Really everything just works together perfectly in this film.

 

[A24 4,346]

Is this on netflix?

[Jay 37,373]

The Red Box at the gas station down the street from me had the blu ray for $1.59

 

Also, learn to use this website:

 

http://www.canistream.it/search/movie/under%20the%20skin

[A24 4,346]

Yes!

Looks very '70s! Love the flare shot! Abrams could learn from that!

[Jay 37,373]

The film has lots of cool imagery

NSFW:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yeiHE3wqaK4/VBt6e8VnSSI/AAAAAAAAA3A/em40qg9JPzw/s1600/ijXxf1a.gif

[KK 3,307]

Looks very interesting. I'll check it out this weekend.

The only critisism I could have is that it ends on a cliffhanger, but I knew that going in.

And costing "only" 36 million means its not filles with CGI in every frame.

I read the book a while back because I was pestered into it. It was pretty juvenile stuff. I guess the film handles the content better?

[A24 4,346]

Do I detect a Nicolas Roeg vibe?

[Jay 37,373]

I think I'm going to see Lucy tonight. How annoying that I have a night to myself and feel like going to the movies, and that's the only thing remotely interesting still playing (Sin City 2 is gone already!). Where were all my free nights when all the big summer movies where playing? Bah!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,373]

Gardians of the Galaxy is still playing, but I saw that one. Wish I could see Sin City 2, Dawn of the POTA, HTTYD2, X-Men 4, etc but they are all gone. Oh well no worries. Lucy will be fun.

[KK 3,307]

I wish I got to check out DotPotA.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

And the third film I saw last weekend was

Under The Skin

The second movie I watched over the weekend about an alien invasion that begins in Europe. Unlike Edge of Tomorrow though, the film offers no exposition or even the slightest bit of explanation for who the aliens are, where they come from, and what their plan is on Earth. In fact there is very little dialogue at all, with director Jonathan Glazer relying more on acting, visuals, and music to tell the story.

Scarlett Johansson stars and is the only recognizable face in the film. She plays a seductress who lures lonely men in Scotland into her apartment, where their skin is harvested to presumably be used to make more disguises for more aliens (There is a male on a motorcycle who assists Scarlett's character in the beginning of the movie, and as her harvests increase, so does the amount of motorcyclists working together). The way her seduction and the harvesting is visualized is amazing and original. It is an all black room with a reflective floor, with the men sinking right into it like it's a liquid molasses-y abyss. This is just one of the many cool visual tricks Glazer employs.

I don't want to ruin the film for anyone, which is why I've described nothing beyond what happens in the first act. It would be a boring movie of course if all that happened was Scarlett repeatedly harvesting men in the same mannner; Where the story goes next is logical and while it may not be an original idea, the way it develops and is shown certainly is. I greatly enjoyed the journey Scarlett's character goes on and was invested in every moment. Scarlett's performance completely sells this character arc, she really was perfectly cast in this. You not only needed someone with chops, but also total beauty, but also A list celebrity status, I think, to really sell this. It would have been a different film if we were watching a completely unknown Scottish actress lead the film instead of Scarlett freaking Johannson. BTW I am curious what Scots think of her Scottish accent, and if she pulled it off or not (I wouldn't know).

I understand why some find the film pretentious, but I did not think it was, though maybe it comes close a few times. I found it artful, but in a good way, and ultimately thought provoking, and deeply involving. It's a terrific film, it's another one of the best of the year. One of the rare films I immediately re-watched certain scenes after it was over (and not, not just the naked ScarJo scenes, which there are more than a few of )

Almost a week later, I still think about various imagery and moments from the film.

I forgot to mention the score. It's deeply disturbing! Completely non-traditional, and I honestly don't know what the listening experience would be outside the film, but within the film it's an essential component. Often times the music tells us something creepy is happening even though the visuals haven't necessarily keyed us in yet (IE, all we are seeing is Scarlett driving around in a van). The music for the seduction and harvesting scenes was brilliant, completely off putting, makes you feel uneasy type stuff. Really everything just works together perfectly in this film.

You should cut and paste it in my thread in the rewiews section. We can talk there without spoilers.

I agree that it's an amazing film.

Btw, her accent was clearly English, and NOT Scottish.

[Jay 37,373]

Well the FIfth Element is one of my favorite films of all time and I love Scarlett Johannson, so I'm cautiously optimistic!

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I think I've given up on disturbing cinema. The older I get, the more these things give me nightmares!

[Jay 37,373]

It's a disturbing film at times, but ultimately it's about what it is to be human

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Yeah that humanity/existential stuff gives me night terrors too.

[Jay 37,373]

Should I see Tusk tonight after Lucy?

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I'm looking for movies to see in theaters too, and nothing interests me. A Most Wanted Man, Magic In The Moonlight, and Boyhood are still running in my local art house but each one only has like 2 showtimes a day. The Drop could be good.

[Quintus 5,399]

Steef, what was the name of that sci-fi movie you watched last week which you mentioned on FB?

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Under The Skin?

[Quintus 5,399]

Was it this one? I thought it was something else. Hmm, looks more like a Mallick movie than sci-fi. Or Darren Aronofsky.

[A24 4,346]

I know what you're saying. I feel a The Man Who Fell To Earth (Nicolas Roeg) vibe.

[Jay 37,373]

Jonathan Glazer, the guy who directed Under The Skin, has previously directed Sexy Beast and Birth, to give you an idea of the directing style. Birth was 10 years ago; He's spent the last 10 years directing very highly regarded music videos and commercials while developing this film

In the end, Under The Skin is only technically a sci fi film, it's really more of a character study and much more about being human than anything alien.

[Quintus 5,399]

Sexy Beast is a gem.

[A24 4,346]

It's like Sexy Beast?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

No, not at all.

Sexy Beast is a slick and fast gangster film with a load of dialogue.

Under The Skin is almost a silent film at times. It's beautifully shot and edited.

Jason, what did you think of the baby on the beach?