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What Is The Last Film You Watched? (2020 films)


Matt C

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The Grudge (2020)

 

Even die-hard J-horror fans should stay away. Despite the jump scares, fantastic cast and realistic gore, the second U.S. remake lacks any kind of tension or spooky atmosphere. Nicholas Pesce and co-writer Jeff Buhler essentially just make the victims the carrier of the Grudge (they look like refugees from 28 Days Later and The Conjuring), while dispensing with most of the uniquely Japanese elements (Kayako only appears in the beginning). He tries to do what Takashi Shimizu did with the original Japanese film (three separate storylines converging into one), but it's confusing. Even the Newton Brothers' score doesn't come close to the haunting scores Young composed for the 2004 and 2006 movies.

 

This is a rare example where a PG-13 remake is scarier than the R-rated version.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Almost forgot...

 

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn... It was better than Suicide Squad and definitely more fun than all three Zack Snyder films combined (but then, so is being shot in a leg). Was it good? Not really. I liked there were some nice John Wick-flavoured action scenes with (what looks like) real stunts...even if they often don't feel like they belong in this particular movie. Mix it up with Guy Ritchie type of narration and a pinch of Deadpool and you end up with hot mess. It is also paced very poorly...as was the case with every single DC movie since 2013. One genuine saving grace is Margot Robbie who is a pleasure to watch in pretty much every movie and the same can be said here. Her take on the character is pretty much spot on.  I enjoyed it more than it must sound like from my description but it is already fading from my memory.

 

Karol

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Crocs liked it? I've heard it's absolute garbage! Let's see what RT thinks of it ...

 

RT: 79%.  

 

What?! Well, that still doesn't prove anything!

 

 

 

 

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Watched Sonic the Hedgehog and Emma last week. The first one was far from disaster I expected and the second was fine. But I can barely remember anything about either of them.

 

Karol

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8 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

I knew she was destined for more. She already made it to Marvel:

 

 

Which actually will be a horror movie, just set inside a super-hero universe.

 

In any case, she's a good actress, and should do other genres besides horror.

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On 22/02/2020 at 8:31 PM, Edmilson said:

 

Which actually will be a horror movie, just set inside a super-hero universe.

 

In any case, she's a good actress, and should do other genres besides horror.

 

In the latest season of Peaky Blinders, they needed one American actress and guess who they went for?

 

PRI_79490886.jpg

 

Actually, she's an American-born Argentine and English actress.

 

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On 22/02/2020 at 10:54 AM, Alexcremers said:

I remember switching off that movie and thinking that Gwyneth Paltrow is not for me. It only has a score of 6,6 on IMDb so I was right!

 

I guess you're more likely to buy her candles. ;)

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On 2/22/2020 at 4:02 PM, Alexcremers said:

Looks way better! So it's not really good either? Bummer! I thought that girl was going to make it big!

Oh she's fine. I liked her. The film is "fine" too. It's just nothing distinctive. 

 

Call of the Wild. It was cute and heartwarming kid's movie. The marketing is a bit misleading because human characters in this play second fiddle. I suppose having a film told through the eyes of a dog justifies using CGI animals but it would have been much better as an animated feature. The story is quite episodic of course so it sometimes feelslike focus is being lost somewhere. On a plus side it's good to see non-snarky Harrison Ford in a movie for a change.

 

Karol

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15 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

 

In the latest season of Peaky Blinders, they needed one American actress and guess who they went for?

 

PRI_79490886.jpg

 

Actually, she's an American-born Argentine and English actress.

 

 

Did you get to see Thoroughbreds? She's quite good in that.

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Dolittle. You know what? It's not great but probably doesn't deserve all the hate. It's a kids movie and as such works well enough. But what's up with RDJ's accent? It's just bizarre. But it's nice to see him play a different sort of character for once.

 

The Invisible Man. This is bit trickier to assess because some of the elements work really well and some of them do not. As long as the film sticks to the themes of psychological torment and gaslighting it's at its best. However, as soon as the inevitable horror elements take over it starts to fall apart a little or lose a lot of that tense energy. Elisabeth Moss makes the film of course and makes us forgive some of the leaps in logic. Really strong build up and not so great pay off. It was fine.

 

Karol

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39 minutes ago, crocodile said:

The Invisible Man. This is bit trickier to assess because some of the elements work really well and some of them do not. As long as the film sticks to the themes of psychological torment and gaslighting it's at its best. However, as soon as the inevitable horror elements take over it starts to fall apart a little or lose a lot of that tense energy.

 

So Hollow Man's spitting image?

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50 minutes ago, publicist said:

 

So Hollow Man's spitting image?

I don't remember that one much but it felt like it was focused more on the spectacle and visual effects. This one is more muted. The eponymous invisible man is not the focus of the story at all. It's more of a #metoo type of affair (although boiling it down to that might be bit unfair as you can certainly relate to it no matter the gender). Whether that's good or bad, I'll leave it for others to decide. For me, it wasn't necessarily a bad idea to begin with but it is soon betrayed by the generic genre tropes that need to take over at some point. And those showy (or not!) bits are not nearly over the top enough to be truly entertaining given the "serious" psychological tone this story decides to take. So, ultimately, it all isn't as convincing as it should have been no matter which angle you're looking from. It's "fine" and that's mostly down to Elisabeth Moss.

 

Remember the times where the movies were vague enough so that you could bring in your own emotional baggage or interpretation to the table? They invite you to participate in the discussion and ask you as an audience member: "OK this is our presentation. What do you think?". I feel the part of the reasons why so many contemporary "serious" remixes of old tropes don't work for me as well because they tend to be too specific and leave little room for subtlety any other reading. It's not that the themes or subjects they try to tackle aren't worthy of addressing. It's just that all the work is being done for you and that's not terribly satisfying. I can't really remember whether Hollow Man was better in comparison but Verhoeven at his best understood that. All of which makes me glad that films like Midsommar or Parasite exist. They are probably the best recent examples of mainstream cinema that actually allows you to form your own ideas and both successfully address all those trendy topics of class, mental health and female empowerment with a far more grace.

 

The Invisible Man is not offensive in any way but it lacks bite.

 

Karol

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45 minutes ago, publicist said:

It (=HM) was shite except for a few of Verhoeven's naughty boy touches. And Goldsmith.

Well, this one certainly doesn't have Goldsmith.

 

Karol

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2 hours ago, publicist said:

It (=HM) was shite except for a few of Verhoeven's naughty boy touches. 

 

Wasn't he already put on chains because of previous flops?

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Yes. It seems to say "you will do something, because you can".

I'd like to see a "HOLLOW WOMAN".

 

24 minutes ago, publicist said:

Well, he had to direct Hollow Man.

Was he under a contractual obligation?

 

3 hours ago, crocodile said:

Well, this one certainly doesn't have Goldsmith.

Pity.

 

4 hours ago, publicist said:

It (=HM) was shite except for a few of Verhoeven's naughty boy touches. And Goldsmith.

ISOBEL COMES BACK is brilliant.

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Onward. It might not among the very best Pixar films (like Up or Inside Out) but it's still very enjoyable. They just know how to pull at your heartstrings and it's still very much the case here. The animation is beautiful too.

 

Dark Waters. It's an interesting and solid film... But somewhat slow, depressing and dour-looking film. I didn't know anything about this case. Will have to look it up. I was interested in the events but can't say I "enjoyed" it.

 

Karol

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I thoroughly enjoyed the Invisible Man. Its a nice reinterpretation of the classic. Universal should be proud of this remake. Elizabeth Moss was superb. I like the moral ambiguity at the end.

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Saw it yesterday and enjoyed it myself.

Is the 70s David McCallum TV show the only adap that has the titular character using the power to do good (granted, I know he isn't a 'good guy' in the Wells novel)?   

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9 minutes ago, Sweeping Strings said:

Saw it yesterday and enjoyed it myself.

Is the 70s David McCallum TV show the only adap that has the titular character using the power to do good (granted, I know he isn't a 'good guy' in the Wells novel)?   

I believe the Invisible Agent and the Invisible Man returns they did good. Also the Invisible Woman, not Sue Storm.

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3 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

FshXn-1500653107-326-quiz_question_image

 

I was more a fan of The Gemini Man, because he had that watch.

I only vaguely remember  that.

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54 minutes ago, JoeinAR said:

I only vaguely remember  that.

 

You probably don't remember Alias Smith And Jones (with Ben Murphy who later played The Gemini Man) either, Joe.

 

91wHITml2YL._SY445_.jpg

 

Heck, it's been a million years ago, and I still know the tune.

 

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57 minutes ago, Alexcremers said:

 

You probably don't remember Alias Smith And Jones (with Ben Murphy who later played The Gemini Man) either, Joe.

 

91wHITml2YL._SY445_.jpg

 

Heck, it's been a million years ago, and I still know the tune.

 

I remember Alias Smith and Jones quite well. But we barely watched Gemini Man.

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I forgot to mention I liked Benjamin Wallfisch's score. He has a recognizable sound. He is not a 2nd coming of anyone at this point but his horror scores have been effective and not overly heavy handed. 

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