Shane Black is the master of the buddy picture. The biggest surprise here is that there were no references to Christmas at all. Laughs were had all the way through. Most of them as a result of Ryan Gosling, who played perfectly with Russell Crowe. This is how you create characters that are incompetent but sympathetic without demeaning them.
Yeah it was funny and I laughed a bit in parts. But it wasn't riotous laughter nor would I classify this as "this generation's Spinal Tap." Even now, about half a day after seeing it, I can't recall a single joke that wasn't in the trailer.
A lot of this worked for me. But that is perhaps due to the fact that I was barely paying attention. I rather enjoyed the modern pop soundtrack and the party scenes certainly looked fun. That being said, I still don't care for the story and the characters are especially cartoonish here.
Reading the book in high school was painful. I never truly understood why so many people claim this is their absolute favorite work of literature. It is well written but it is populated with cardboard characters centered around a love story between a shrilling banshee of a woman and a guy who just won't take "no" for answer. In a modern context, Gatsby would probably be the kind of guy who would sexually assault women and run away when the accusations started to pile up.
The sole redeeming quality of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Great American Novel" is his vivid descriptions that open every chapter and are peppered throughout. Lacking that, watching this adaptation is torturous with the actors unable to bring their talents to elevate the work beyond what already existed on the page.
To put off watching this until the ideal situation came up was completely worth it: at the Alamo Drafthouse with the Demon Dog of American Literature (James Ellroy) presenting the film and Dave Peel (Bud Hamilton) singing during the pre-show. Any other exhibition, specifically one at home, would not be adequate. A film such as this needs to be experienced in the theater where your attention can be completely focused on the sights and sounds before and around you. I am not a fan of country music, but this film made me realize that what I actually don't like is modern pop-country music. The songs in this film were catchy and if the actors were not trained or professional singers, they certainly had me fooled. Altman's oft-imitated, never-replicated style of multiple intersecting stories is perhaps at its best here.
You want to talk about America? It is Nashville. A public shooting and the show still goes on...only in God's Country.
Like Aliens to Alien, this sequel changes everything that is loved (or hated, depending on the viewer) about the original and manages to be a meta-fictional examination of why 2001 is such a masterpiece. Personally, the political tension worked and really elevated the stakes. What failed for me, besides the special effects which failed to even come close to matching the brilliance of its sixteen year old predecessor, was the ending. The creation of a second star that disrupts the ecosystems of Earth inspires world leaders to peace ("stay away, there be monstars here, everything else is yours to fuck up"). It is the equivalent of telling someone not to think about an elephant and knowing that is all they are thinking about.
On the whole, I am able to watch this on its own merits without thinking too much about Kubrick's landmark film. While it is an obvious sequel, the opening "Mission Status" pretty much fills the audience in on everything they need to know without having to dissect the master's visual storytelling.
One day Jeff Nichols will make a masterpiece that will endure the test of time. This is not to take away from any of his current work which has started off great with Shotgun Stories and somehow has only gotten better with each progressive release. He works within well-established genres but infuses them with great character work that really connects with the viewer.
Perhaps the most criminally underseen and underrated movie of Tom Hanks' career. A mandatory watch for anyone not pleased with their life/job/wife/etc.
The stunt people should be recognized as gods among men. Such good fun although I started becoming uninterested during the rooftop sequence but then the Queen-sized adrenaline boost kicked in and I was right back in it and then it was over.
Friggin' masterpiece. I will admit to not truly liking this when I saw this for the first time in the seventh grade, but every subsequent viewing every few years only serves to increase my appreciation of this exhibition of pure cinematic excellence. With each view, I grow to love the opening Dawn of Man sequence even more, for there are more ideas in that opening salvo than in the top ten box office winners of the past ten years combined. And it is bookended perfectly with Bowman's evolution into the Star Child. High or sober, this is one cinematic experience that absolutely NEEDS to be ingested on the biggest screen possible.
Hunger is a thing that unites us all. Man and beast alike live their lives according to how combat their hunger. What separates man from beast is man's ability to abstract their hunger and find inventive ways to diminish it. Man will even willfully starve himself to death just to make a statement. I would like to see a grizzly bear ignore the happy picnickers just to prove to his sleuth that he is more than the sum of his fur and roar! Maybe later he write a blog post about how although he was hungry, eating a weaker species would only incur their wrath and that would be no good for his family due to their lack of firearms.
The lesson here is: don't fuck with bears and learn about culture through food.
The best of Windows 98 CGI featuring Snake Plisken surf down Sunset Blvd, paragliding from the Hollywood sign, a basketball game at the LA Coliseum but fantastic characterization from Kurt Russell. After The Hateful Eight, I don't know why we aren't asking for a sequel rather than a reboot. I would watch the shit out of Old Snake even if the movie around him is not deserving of his talents.
I understand the hate that this is getting seeing as how we have been spoiled by excellence within the genre over the past decade. There is a good movie here, perhaps even a great one, the only problem is that Zack Snyder did not learn from the failings of prior missteps. Case in point, the sudden introduction of an underdeveloped third act villain which forces a premature finish to the title fight but results in the team up that everyone has been anticipating. I think it would have been better to just end on a massive cliffhanger telling people to wait for the next team-up chapter (coming in a few years) while focusing on each hero's individual story in the interim. Yet DC (and Warner Bros.) are so eager to play catch-up and establish their own Extended Universe that they might force the superhero fatigue that Spielberg and others foresaw a few years ago. I can keep rambling on this movie's failings but others are far more eloquent in their criticisms. So instead I'll wrap-up with what worked (for me).
The first hour of the movie is really good. Zack Snyder once again demonstrates his ability to provide a lot of exposition in a beautiful visual manner (granted it is one that we are all familiar with at this point and is almost not necessary; infact he loved this sequence so much that he decided to revisit it when the collective groans became exceedingly frequent just to remind the audience of the early promise of the movie). The 9/11 imagery is very effective with the decision to see the previous movie's conclusion from a different perspective. The discussion that Man of Steel's destruction instigates asks a lot of interesting questions that definitely should have been more fleshed out but at least are good steps towards forcing the audience to think beyond the spectacle that they have showed up for. The casting was excellent, as Ben Affleck plays the best overall version of Bruce Wayne/Batman since Michael Keaton, and the decision to give him more screen time than his counterpart was a brilliant move. Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg is quite an inspired choice as he is playing a character that we have yet to see from the young actor. I'm used to Lex Luthor to being an evil calculating genius that oozes menace rather than a twitchy Aspie millennial that has unclear motives.
Overall, this movie succeeded in its base purpose: entertaining. Like I said before, we have been so spoiled by far superior works in the superhero genre that you cannot expect greatness every time you sit down to watch one (especially from Zack Snyder).
You're like a 70's housewife that does steroids and fucks girls during the day.
Malick's films aren't for everybody yet they are made for everyone. Every film you view, you bring in your own experience that form the foundation for what you will build from over the next few hours. To call Knight of Cups shallow or dull is to say the same about yourself. This film is a mirror that reflects the self back at the viewer. You will see all the ugly parts about yourself that you need to work on or have already addressed. And maybe even see a vision of your potential future. Malick is trying to work out the nasty bits of his soul through illusionary recreations of his life using a synchronistic improvisational style that mimics human existence.
A rather dull anthology full of discarded ideas not suitable for feature length.. The cameos are cool if you like that sort of thing. Tobe Hooper's Eye is the best of the lot because Mark Hamill is doing the finest work of his career.
Comments 51 - 75 of 235
Movie comment on The Nice Guys
fonz
Shane Black is the master of the buddy picture. The biggest surprise here is that there were no references to Christmas at all. Laughs were had all the way through. Most of them as a result of Ryan Gosling, who played perfectly with Russell Crowe. This is how you create characters that are incompetent but sympathetic without demeaning them.Movie comment on Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
fonz
Yeah it was funny and I laughed a bit in parts. But it wasn't riotous laughter nor would I classify this as "this generation's Spinal Tap." Even now, about half a day after seeing it, I can't recall a single joke that wasn't in the trailer.Movie comment on The Lobster
fonz
I would be a dolphin. Or an owl.Movie comment on The Great Gatsby
fonz
A lot of this worked for me. But that is perhaps due to the fact that I was barely paying attention. I rather enjoyed the modern pop soundtrack and the party scenes certainly looked fun. That being said, I still don't care for the story and the characters are especially cartoonish here.Movie comment on The Great Gatsby
fonz
Reading the book in high school was painful. I never truly understood why so many people claim this is their absolute favorite work of literature. It is well written but it is populated with cardboard characters centered around a love story between a shrilling banshee of a woman and a guy who just won't take "no" for answer. In a modern context, Gatsby would probably be the kind of guy who would sexually assault women and run away when the accusations started to pile up.The sole redeeming quality of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Great American Novel" is his vivid descriptions that open every chapter and are peppered throughout. Lacking that, watching this adaptation is torturous with the actors unable to bring their talents to elevate the work beyond what already existed on the page.
Movie comment on Keanu
fonz
I laughed. A lot. Throughout the whole thing.Movie comment on Avril et le monde truqué
fonz
This made me want to re-read Tintin and I just re-read the entire run of Tintin a few months ago. The cat coulda used a bit more snark.Movie comment on Green Room
fonz
Tight, suspenseful coming of age story with more violence than a Tarantino filmMovie comment on Nashville
fonz
To put off watching this until the ideal situation came up was completely worth it: at the Alamo Drafthouse with the Demon Dog of American Literature (James Ellroy) presenting the film and Dave Peel (Bud Hamilton) singing during the pre-show. Any other exhibition, specifically one at home, would not be adequate. A film such as this needs to be experienced in the theater where your attention can be completely focused on the sights and sounds before and around you. I am not a fan of country music, but this film made me realize that what I actually don't like is modern pop-country music. The songs in this film were catchy and if the actors were not trained or professional singers, they certainly had me fooled. Altman's oft-imitated, never-replicated style of multiple intersecting stories is perhaps at its best here.You want to talk about America? It is Nashville. A public shooting and the show still goes on...only in God's Country.
Movie comment on 2010: The Year We Make Contact
fonz
Like Aliens to Alien, this sequel changes everything that is loved (or hated, depending on the viewer) about the original and manages to be a meta-fictional examination of why 2001 is such a masterpiece. Personally, the political tension worked and really elevated the stakes. What failed for me, besides the special effects which failed to even come close to matching the brilliance of its sixteen year old predecessor, was the ending. The creation of a second star that disrupts the ecosystems of Earth inspires world leaders to peace ("stay away, there be monstars here, everything else is yours to fuck up"). It is the equivalent of telling someone not to think about an elephant and knowing that is all they are thinking about.On the whole, I am able to watch this on its own merits without thinking too much about Kubrick's landmark film. While it is an obvious sequel, the opening "Mission Status" pretty much fills the audience in on everything they need to know without having to dissect the master's visual storytelling.
Movie comment on Midnight Special
fonz
One day Jeff Nichols will make a masterpiece that will endure the test of time. This is not to take away from any of his current work which has started off great with Shotgun Stories and somehow has only gotten better with each progressive release. He works within well-established genres but infuses them with great character work that really connects with the viewer.Movie comment on Joe Versus the Volcano
fonz
Perhaps the most criminally underseen and underrated movie of Tom Hanks' career. A mandatory watch for anyone not pleased with their life/job/wife/etc.Movie comment on Kill List
fonz
Even upon a rewatch, this film is haunting. Great atmosphere and tension building that really doesn't go where you expect.Movie comment on Hardcore Henry
fonz
The stunt people should be recognized as gods among men. Such good fun although I started becoming uninterested during the rooftop sequence but then the Queen-sized adrenaline boost kicked in and I was right back in it and then it was over.Movie comment on 2001: A Space Odyssey
fonz
Friggin' masterpiece. I will admit to not truly liking this when I saw this for the first time in the seventh grade, but every subsequent viewing every few years only serves to increase my appreciation of this exhibition of pure cinematic excellence. With each view, I grow to love the opening Dawn of Man sequence even more, for there are more ideas in that opening salvo than in the top ten box office winners of the past ten years combined. And it is bookended perfectly with Bowman's evolution into the Star Child. High or sober, this is one cinematic experience that absolutely NEEDS to be ingested on the biggest screen possible.Movie comment on A Clockwork Orange
fonz
If you ever dress up for Halloween using one of the costumes from this film, you have my respect.Movie comment on Schizopolis
fonz
Why doesn't Soderbergh act more/do things like this?Movie comment on City of Gold
fonz
Hunger is a thing that unites us all. Man and beast alike live their lives according to how combat their hunger. What separates man from beast is man's ability to abstract their hunger and find inventive ways to diminish it. Man will even willfully starve himself to death just to make a statement. I would like to see a grizzly bear ignore the happy picnickers just to prove to his sleuth that he is more than the sum of his fur and roar! Maybe later he write a blog post about how although he was hungry, eating a weaker species would only incur their wrath and that would be no good for his family due to their lack of firearms.The lesson here is: don't fuck with bears and learn about culture through food.
Movie comment on Escape from L.A.
fonz
The best of Windows 98 CGI featuring Snake Plisken surf down Sunset Blvd, paragliding from the Hollywood sign, a basketball game at the LA Coliseum but fantastic characterization from Kurt Russell. After The Hateful Eight, I don't know why we aren't asking for a sequel rather than a reboot. I would watch the shit out of Old Snake even if the movie around him is not deserving of his talents.Movie comment on Sarkar
fonz
Vito Corleone tries to be Mahatma Gandhi while Fredo/Sonny want to kill him and all Michael wants to do is start a software company.Movie comment on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
fonz
I understand the hate that this is getting seeing as how we have been spoiled by excellence within the genre over the past decade. There is a good movie here, perhaps even a great one, the only problem is that Zack Snyder did not learn from the failings of prior missteps. Case in point, the sudden introduction of an underdeveloped third act villain which forces a premature finish to the title fight but results in the team up that everyone has been anticipating. I think it would have been better to just end on a massive cliffhanger telling people to wait for the next team-up chapter (coming in a few years) while focusing on each hero's individual story in the interim. Yet DC (and Warner Bros.) are so eager to play catch-up and establish their own Extended Universe that they might force the superhero fatigue that Spielberg and others foresaw a few years ago. I can keep rambling on this movie's failings but others are far more eloquent in their criticisms. So instead I'll wrap-up with what worked (for me).The first hour of the movie is really good. Zack Snyder once again demonstrates his ability to provide a lot of exposition in a beautiful visual manner (granted it is one that we are all familiar with at this point and is almost not necessary; infact he loved this sequence so much that he decided to revisit it when the collective groans became exceedingly frequent just to remind the audience of the early promise of the movie). The 9/11 imagery is very effective with the decision to see the previous movie's conclusion from a different perspective. The discussion that Man of Steel's destruction instigates asks a lot of interesting questions that definitely should have been more fleshed out but at least are good steps towards forcing the audience to think beyond the spectacle that they have showed up for. The casting was excellent, as Ben Affleck plays the best overall version of Bruce Wayne/Batman since Michael Keaton, and the decision to give him more screen time than his counterpart was a brilliant move. Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg is quite an inspired choice as he is playing a character that we have yet to see from the young actor. I'm used to Lex Luthor to being an evil calculating genius that oozes menace rather than a twitchy Aspie millennial that has unclear motives.
Overall, this movie succeeded in its base purpose: entertaining. Like I said before, we have been so spoiled by far superior works in the superhero genre that you cannot expect greatness every time you sit down to watch one (especially from Zack Snyder).
Movie comment on The Ten Commandments
fonz
Definition of artistry.Movie comment on Knight of Cups
fonz
You're like a 70's housewife that does steroids and fucks girls during the day.Malick's films aren't for everybody yet they are made for everyone. Every film you view, you bring in your own experience that form the foundation for what you will build from over the next few hours. To call Knight of Cups shallow or dull is to say the same about yourself. This film is a mirror that reflects the self back at the viewer. You will see all the ugly parts about yourself that you need to work on or have already addressed. And maybe even see a vision of your potential future. Malick is trying to work out the nasty bits of his soul through illusionary recreations of his life using a synchronistic improvisational style that mimics human existence.
Movie comment on Body Bags
fonz
A rather dull anthology full of discarded ideas not suitable for feature length.. The cameos are cool if you like that sort of thing. Tobe Hooper's Eye is the best of the lot because Mark Hamill is doing the finest work of his career.Movie comment on Creative Control
fonz
What would happen if Kubrick wanted to direct Her and watched nothing but Vice docs as research.Showing items 51 – 75 of 235