God bless people like Armando Iannucci. I'm not sure how many people could have pulled this off, but the end result is an incredibly dark and funny look at a pretty fascinating time.
I'm worried there's some Taika Waititi bias slipping in here, but this movie looks great, is fun, fits into a larger narrative while still maintaining it's own story and is honestly, legitimately funny.
You might want to make sure you're in the mood for it, but this is very enjoyable little movie that captures a lot of (what I understand) 80's LA was like for a lot of people. Plus it's a lot of fun.
Part del Toro, part Tarantino, part Mad magazine. W&B definitely has a lot of say about sexism and gender stereotypes, but more importantly it's a fun story with a lot of charismatic actors. This is my first Alex de la Iglesia movie, but it definitely won't be my last. Watch it.
It's fun and scary, and somehow manages to be both original and new while feeling familiar enough to earn nostalgia points. Something about the dialogue or writing or acting choices really kept me off balance the whole time (still undecided on how I feel about that). Watch it.
Completely deserving of all the awards and accolades, I haven't enjoyed a movie this much in a long time. Keaton (and to a slightly lesser extent, the rest of the cast) is fantastic obviously. Is it too late to buy some Iñárritu stock?
Not an "easy watch" by any means, but definitely worth the time and effort required. I resisted this for a while simply because ScarJo is in it, but she does a great job of not being a distraction. Jonathan Glazer gets two out of three right, I guess.
Incredibly energetic and raw film boasting the performances necessary to pull it off. Perhaps a couple of minor missteps with the strange early exposition and the (slightly) hammy camera trickery, but all is forgiven by the time you're done watching. Really great Canadian film.
I hate to say Spacey carried this movie because it is well written and I usually really like movies like this, but I really don't know how watchable this is without him. Whaley tries to go shot for shot with Spacey at one point and it was like watching a father-son hockey game.
Incredible cast that make the most out of every line and every scene. Once or twice the translation from stage to screen didn't really work for me, but this is truly a joy to watch. The fact that Pacino was the only one to get an Oscar nod out of it is a crime. Watch it.
This doc is never really sure of what it's trying to say, and it left me with more questions than answers, but 30 points for being slightly informative and 10 points for cute shots of salmon.
T&DvE may bang away at the same drum for a while, but it's a fairly original concept, has some legitimate laughs, and commits itself admirably to the lampooning of it's inspirations. We could use more movies like this.
Slick zomedy (tm) with enough gore to get the job done. I don't find it as re-watchable as I thought it would (I blame Zuckerberg), so it loses points there, but it's fun and the star power really helps it along. A welcome addition to the zombie universe canon.
Atmospheric horror that works well, but is ultimately a limp imitation of the original. I like Jennifer Carpenter and all that, but it's hard to justify watching this when you can just watch REC.
Compared to the book, this is something of a light comedy and maybe that's why it never felt to me like this film found it's footing for me. On it's own, it's a grimy trawl through the psyche of a sociopath, that's well acted and at times very striking. Worth a watch.
A throwback to 80's thrillers that manages to be utterly predictable while somehow feeling fresh and fun. Comes with a decent soundtrack and some interesting acting choices, give it a watch.
Very enjoyable and not at all what I expected. I could have done without them pounding away at the economic collapse allegory, but the "lack of story" everyone is talking about is exactly what I found interesting. Not everything is important.
What a mess. I'm not sure what the director/writer was even going for here. Morality tale? Zombie apocalypse prequel? Indie body horror? Slut shaming manifesto? An incredibly frustrating movie. Be ready to ask yourself "Why did that happen?"....and also..."How did that happen?".
I was worried it was going to be another "Rubber" but I was pleasantly surprised that, though it may have been heavy handed on the metaphors, I did find myself genuinely enjoying the experience. Also, there's lots of crawling in and out of people's asses, so that's something.
It does well to establish atmosphere as well as some fun baddies, but the whole thing is ultimately undone by numerous plot holes and poor storytelling in general. Also, no need to shoehorn that "love story" in, it only proved to be a corny distraction.
Aside from some suspect acting on behalf of a couple of the mains, this move gets most things right. Surprisingly funny at times and contains enough scares and gore to deliver on the promises made by it's marketing.
Come for the jugs, stay for the pit. Despite it's faults, I really liked this movie (though I have a feeling I might adjust this rating down a bit later, upon some reflection). It's original enough and well acted enough that it deserves to be seen. Go see it.
Wicker Man, but with the guy from The Dark Knight Rises that says "HE DIDN'T FLY SO GOOD". A simple, fun, independent throwback. Produced by Hammer Films no less!
Part campy 80's horror, part psychedelic freak-out, part slapstick comedy. Unfortunately, the writers, while clearly capable, didn't put a great amount of care into making the story all that coherent. Still fun, but nowhere near as much fun as it should be.
DANIEL LARUSSO'S GONNA FIGHT!!
For those of you that haven't seen it (or don't remember it clearly) this is actually an excellent movie. The plot may not be...totally original, but it's filled with great little moments that are warm, fun, funny, and performed very well.
Entertaining and well acted, but a little long. Not a typical Scorsese film at all, though I personally enjoyed that about it. I would watch it but don't go out of your way.
How great is Joaquin in this? Really great. Original story, subtle yet effective set and costume design, incredible performance from my man JP and, for the first time in my movie going experience, Scarlett Johansson acts well enough that I didn't find her a distraction. Watch it.
Better than the first one. Maybe. I don't really remember the first one. Go see this if you like to watch people running from things, then dropping things, then picking those things back up at the last minute. Also, how do they manage to make the CGI worse with every movie?
Obviously it's one giant skating cliché, but it's hard not to enjoy it. 9/10 for entertainment, 4/10 for quality, and a 10/10 for nostalgia. That adds up to about 60, right?
It's remarkable this movie worked at all, Branagh deserves a lot of credit. They took a silly idea (even for comic book standards) and turned it into a seriously fun movie (and massive money-making franchise). Also includes the worst on-screen kiss ever.
A lot of brave decisions were made in the filming of this movie and they all worked. See it even if you don't think you're interested, you won't regret it. A truly great movie.
Incredibly important action film with some truly iconic scenes and lines (along with a few cringe-worthy ones). Make sure this is on your alternative Christmas watch-list.
It's almost hard to understand why this movie works. On it's face, the story is comical, the acting is overdone (not including Jeff Daniels) and the character's motives are thin at best. But man, it works.
Tons of legitimate scares and tension in this very creepy Romero remake. Whether it's a zombie movie or not is irrelevant, it's a good movie and Olyphant looks great in a sheriff's outfit, as always.
Even at a buck thirty, this movie felt really long at times. The story itself isn't a terrible idea, but the bloody bits went from gross to gruesome to goofy in a really bad way. Leave more to the imagination, tighten up the story and you got yourself a decent movie.
A few plot holes and a little more suspension of disbelief than I would have preferred, but overall a decent enough movie. Slightly original storytelling bumps up the score a bit.
It should be noted that I couldn't care less how similar or dissimilar the movie and the book are.
I know some people rag on it's mixed tones, but a true honest-to-god plot twist like this is rare and I think the world would be better off with more of them. It's the kind of film where even QT's acting seems somehow fitting...if that means anything to you. See it at a drive-in.
Has some promise but it is neither good enough or bad enough to be truly entertaining and ends up falling into an awkward middle ground of entertainment....like a made for TV movie.
Sometimes a little too crass and sometimes a little too silly, but I have a soft spot in my heart for it. If nothing else, it's worth a watch for the story, some of the performances and some good 90's nostalgia. I would pay to see a remake.
More of a 90 minute Lonely Island sketch than a movie (this is what I assume anyway, I kept skipping ahead looking for a sex scene with that girl from the Disney movies). I laughed twice. 10 points for Ian McShane.
It's a faithful retelling of an unbelievably true story, but sadly, retelling alone is not enough in this case. No context is provided by Zobel or the actors (both of which can be very "indie" at times) and you're left shaking your head for 98 minutes. I can't recommend this one.
If you told me this was satire, I would believe you. It gets 15 points for Marky Mark breathlessly talking to animals are various points and for Danny Glover's braces that he spends the whole movie trying to hide. Shooter.
This should have been a great (or at least incredibly enjoyable) movie, but it wasn't, it was decidedly mediocre. RJD/Sir Ben were great but Cheadle sucks the fun out of everything he touches. It sounds strange to say this, but I feel like this was a lost opportunity.
More of a Wayne Gretzky propaganda tape than a documentary, but it's a lot of fun, a lot of 90's, and it really gives you an idea of just how remarkable Gretz was in his prime. The most dominant athlete of his generation (and possibly all others).
Poor editing and unclear vision are not offset by the occasional glimpse of insight this documentary provides. There's no reason why this had to be this bad. Blah.
Three gripes: it is a bit self-indulgent at times, Jamie Foxx is in it, and Leo's limited screen time was a crime. That aside, this is still a great flick. Waltz is a joy to watch and QT's ability to tell a story really shines. QT is the Pixar of live action movies.
First half was a hackneyed Pixar copycat, stuffed with all-too-obvious call-outs to all things vintage and ironically funny about video games. The second half had some actual heart and used the universe in an intelligent/moderately original way. In the end, I was enjoying myself.
What a great time! RDJ in the role he was born to play (and I say that only half-jokingly) and Jeff Bridges does the job as always. The setpieces are fantastic, the jokes work, and the story is on the high end of comic book fare. One of the top 3 origin stories of all time.
I've had a really difficult time rating this...an 80 seems about right considering the acting, originality of the script, score, Tom Hardy's accent. But part of me isn't sure that the story, while intricate and interesting, is really as intelligent as it seems on it's surface.
An oft-overlooked holiday treat, this film not only features great performances by the three leads, but you basically get 30 minutes of Denis Leary stand-up thrown in. It has some moments of real honesty, decent laughs and the usual holiday morality play. Kevin Spacey is a treat.
Fun enough. Goofy, no great laughs, but inoffensive holiday fare that doesn't have any glaring deficiencies. Sometimes, while watching this movie, I think to myself "Hey! Zooey Deschanel has blonde hair!" and other times I think "Ugh. Santa's sleigh runs on "Christmas spirit"?".
Not sure where to start with this one...A+ dialogue, pacing, character development, story, authenticity, etc, etc. It's basically a lesson in filmmaking. Tommy Lee Jones is absolutely mesmerizing.
Both effortless and unstoppable at the same time, Lincoln moves along like a freight train in first gear and a boffo performance from DDL is it's engine. Even though there may be some Spielberg-y moments, this is far better than the Oscar-bait tag it's been saddled with.
Though it's popularity has been hindered by the fact it's based around a hockey team, this movie is about hockey in the same way Fight Club is about punching. It's original, dirty, funny, depressing, remarkably authentic, and features a wonderful turn from Paul Newman.
This had a chance to delve into our culture of sports-worship and what drives our primaeval need to make sense of random events, but instead it takes the exit to Crazytown and spends 105 minutes looping two video clips and asking asinine "what if?" questions. Kill me.
This survives only on the collective hopes and dreams of those of us that wanted to see another Alien. It plays out like it was written by 15 people, none of whom had ever seen Alien, and none of whom had ever written anything requiring more plot than a toothpaste commercial.
While very much a product of its time, this movie is far more charming and witty than you might expect (or remember). Super-Hunk Christopher Reeve ends up being the perfect choice for our hero, playing both the hapless Clark Kent and the God-Man-in-Tights with equal dexterity.
Legitimately hilarious and incredibly smart. Iannucci handles multiple locales, a convoluted story and a cast of (nearly) thousands with remarkable deftness. Without hyperbole, this is one of the funniest movies you'll ever see.
Starts as a brimming-with-potential, alien invasion movie with a twist. Ends as a hamfisted love story/war parable/illegal immigration allegory. That it was made on the cheap is something to be proud of, but if this movie had cost $50,000,000, we wouldn't be talking about it.
Clever borderline Genre Bendre. Unfortunately, while I spent the first half of the movie having a great time and enjoying Robert Carlyle's performance, I spent the second half of the movie annoyed and daydreaming about cool things Robert Carlyle and I could do together.
Though I left the theatre happy, I expected more from this movie. Mutant Tier A is tons of fun, Mutant Tier B (with the exception of ScreachFace) is downright embarrassing. Fassbender & McAvoy crush it, obvs.
Good at making you fret that bad things will happen, terrible at making you care that bad things will happen. Never have I wanted a demon to kill people so badly. Seriously, just close the door, problem solved, idiots.
Watchin' this movie's not like going down the pond chasin' bluegills and tommycods. This movie, swallow you whole. Little shakin'...little tenderizin'...an' down you go.
