Yeah, I know.
I went in with very low expectations, so there's that ....
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Yeah, I know.
I went in with very low expectations, so there's that ....
:D:cool::DQuote:
Originally Posted by PB
Lol. Yup. You may have noticed that in my review, I called it "fun" as opposed to "good." Sometimes it's ok to sorta check your brain at the door and just go with it sometimes. Prey won't be winning any Oscars or anything but I found it to at least be a pretty fun time, and sometimes that's good enough for me, depending on my mood. Not everything has to be the Godfather, ya know? But then again, I also get enjoyment out of schlocky B-movies at times too. Maybe what helps is when I go in with pretty low expectations to begin with. Haha. What I don't like is when Hollywood pukes out a movie with an obscene budget, a total CGI visual eye-candy kaleidoscope, hyped to hell, promising us the moon, and then it's end up being another paint by numbers snoozefest. Insert most MCU films as of late. Thus, I had fun with Prey. Worth the price of admission at least, ie free Hulu subscription I get with Verizon.Quote:
Originally Posted by dookeyXXX
Sent from my Pixel 3 using TGR Forums mobile app
I dunno, I don't think it's too much to ask for a film to be both fun and good...Quote:
Originally Posted by MontuckyFried
:D
I was also being kind of facetious about me needing to lighten up.
I have enjoyed a bevy of fun films over the years, many of which have largely been panned.
Some recentish examples:
Shadow in the Cloud - I enjoyed the hell out of this film, which was generally panned by critics and audiences.
xXx: The Return of Xander Cage - slagged by critics, who I feel missed the wink-wink, nudge-nudge humor and absurdity of it all.
The Suicide Squad - Loved this reboot, but quite a few Mags around here felt otherwise.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw - again, another action flick that I found fun and enjoyable (and better than most of the post-Tokyo Drift films), but was dumped on by critics and audiences.
At any rate, my long-winded point is that I do fancy fun films, but on the whole, I felt Prey took itself far too seriously.
Plus the Predator franchise has literally been presenting us with the same story over and over again, just transposed to different locales. They really need to tweak the plot.
I also idiotically succumbed to the pre-release hype, so my expectations were higher than they should have been. :eek:
And, sadly, unlike you who enjoyed it for "free," I extended my 30-day trial just to watch it, so I essentially paid $12.99, which it definitely wasn't worth, IMHO. :cool:
Don't forget Titane! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by dookeyXXX
Sent from my Pixel 3 using TGR Forums mobile app
https://youtu.be/JfemIEDwVZI
In that video, I learned about Dan Trachtenberg's short film "Portal: No Escape"!!! Woah! Timely discovery since the kiddos and I are in the middle of playing Portal right now.
https://youtu.be/4drucg1A6Xk
Sent from my Pixel 3 using TGR Forums mobile app
:biggrin::eek::biggrin:Quote:
Originally Posted by MontuckyFried
Dunno if I would call Titane fun…
ALL MY FRIENDS HATE ME
This is a wicked little British psychological thriller/uber dark comedy that unfolds like a mean spirited riff on The Big Chill, albeit with less sex and heavier drugs.
On one level the film examines the awkwardness of reunions, yet it also focuses on the fallibility of memory.
The paranoia and dread experienced by the main protagonist is palpable to the point of creating unease in the viewer and the ambiguous ending is not only jarringly abrupt, but deceptively brilliant.
RIYL
Loaded; Backgammon; The Black Bear
Loved itQuote:
Originally Posted by dookeyXXX
SEXY BEAST
This is a dark and sharp British crime/gangster/neon noir featuring some killer performances by Ben Kingsley and Ray Winstone.
RIYL
The Long Good Friday; Gangster #1; Romeo is Bleeding; Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
loooooved Sexy Beast. Saw it shortly after seeing Gandhi, bit shocking.
Agreed. But then I am pretty much game for anything with Sir Ben in the cast. I found his performance very raw in Sexy Beast, and yes, quite the opposite of his portrayal of Gandhi.
DOGMAN
What happens when a mild-mannered dog groomer gets pushed to the edge?
Well, you’ll have to watch this slow-burning, quietly incendiary small town Italian crime joint to find out!
Written and directed by Matteo Garrone, best known for Gomorrah.
RIYL
Gomorrah; A Prophet; Piranhas
BORDER
I don’t really know how to describe this quietly disarming Swedish dark fantasy. It’s hypnotically engaging, though, that’s for damn skippy.
On the one hand it’s about feeling isolated in society on the other hand it’s about discovering your familial roots. Yet it’s much more than that, plus it’s got a decent weirdness factor.
RIYL
Thale
UN VIE DE CHAT (aka A CAT IN PARIS)
I can’t recommend this wonderful French animated film enough. For my money, the French have churned out some of the best and most uniquely entertaining animated films over the past 15 years.
This film has art that resides somewhere between Picasso, Matisse, and underground comix legend Richard Sala.
It was nominated for an Academy Award in 2010, but lost to Rango.
I am partial to the original French version…
However, if you are one of those lazy fools who can’t be bothered with reading subtitles, Hulu’s got you covered with the dubbed version (I think the English voices are horrible, but ymmv)
THE PAINTED BIRD
Not quite as succinct in its vision as the 1985 Soviet film Come and See, but this anti-war, historical slice of fiction is not only mesmerizing, but definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. Animal cruelty, rape, murder, bestiaity, and more are interwoven with beautifully stark cinematography and an engaging, albeit harrowing, take on the coming-of-age theme. Unfurling as a cross country odyssey, our young protagonist embarks on the kind of adventure that nightmares are made of.
Challenging viewing to be sure, yet hard to look away from.
The only mar on the production are the number of various high profile cameos from non Polish/Eastern European actors; I swear they dubbed Harvey Keitel’s part. Not sure what the impetus was for those casting choices, but I found that they took me out of the film. The kid who plays the lead, though, is fantastic.
RIYL
The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey; The Virgin Spring; Come and See; Aguirre: The Wrath of God; The Thin Red Line; Dead Man
I liked Not Okay. But not everyone might. It's about a vapid unlikeable character (amongst other vapid unlikeable characters) playing the game of trying to Be Somebody in online media, both social media, and at the internet magazine, Depravity, where she works. Trouble is, she's really really vapid, and so she needs to invent a trip to a Paris writers conference, where, as luck would have it, there would turn out to be an actual terrorist attack, which she would then pretend to have been traumatized by. Her media star power rises. And it doesn't end well for her.
The parade of millennial douchebags occasionally makes for some good cringe comedy. And, even if the story isn't all that satisfying, there are some fun vignettes along the way.
I'm two episodes into Reboot. It's pretty good. Plus, boobs in like the first 5 minutes.
It's a growerQuote:
Originally Posted by Danno
Has The Patient been mentioned yet? Super good psychological thriller with Steve carell. The episodes are frustratingly short but worth it.
Loving itQuote:
Originally Posted by Yonder_River
Reboot's good (watched first ep last night)! I'm too much of a Rachel Bloom (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4hh1YhDfbA ) fan to miss it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Danno
THE FORGIVEN
This would make a good companion watch to Triangle of Sadness; entitled rich people behaving poorly is the running modus operandi.
Written/directed by John Michael McDonagh, the oft overlooked brother of Martin, this is a biting social commentary about privilege and the remnants of colonial excess.
Playing out like a snide noirish Shakespearean dramedy, it is anchored by some searing thespian turns from all involved and further buoyed by excellent pacing and a predictable, yet no less potent ending.
***Also streaming on Kanopy
THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS
This is a really cool doc about triplets who were separated at birth and then found each other when they were 19.
The story starts out as a wonderful human interest piece and quickly morphs into something much deeper.
Honestly, the less you know going in, the more potent and mindfuggingly good it will be.
***also streaming on Kanopy
***not including the trailer as it contains spoilers which could affect your viewing pleasure and ruin the bugged out twists…
Thumbs Up on Boston Strangler. Film Noir done really well, with strong acting all around. Carrie Coon is always on point and Chris Cooper is perfect as the grizzled newspaper editor. Give it a shot
Idiocracy is now streaming on Hulu.
Wife and I just watched that one last weekend! I hadn't seen it in many years. Whereas before it was more hilarious, now it's more depressing than ever since it was a bit TOO prophetic. I mean, Mike Judge was always correct in the overall trajectory, but I don't think any of us were expecting so much of it to become reality quite so fast. From Crocs to advertising to self checkout. It's too much. Haha. HIGHLY recommended if you haven't seen it already. So quotable. The beginning scene is one of the best ever.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peruvian
That's over the lineQuote:
Originally Posted by MontuckyFried
Second season of The Bear. I don't think it's as good and cohesive as the first season, but some definite high points.
Binged the first season fri & Sat, started second yesterday. Its really good, but a bit much in places.Quote:
Originally Posted by Danno
Also put me to sleep a few times.
100%Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodsy
Season 2 is a very, very slow burn barely on the simmer
Then Episode 6 'Fishes' gets you right between the eyes
Then it's on like Donkey Kong until the finish
Loved it
How does Carmie not knife/punch cousin
Agreed…Bear season 2 starts slow…but it is getting really good.
Just finished S2 of the Bear. Highlight for me was definitely "Forks", ep7. The finale was so unsatisfying and wrenching.
^^Forks was great…..we said that episode “made” the show….we have 9 and 10 still to do.Quote:
Originally Posted by Danno
CRIMES OF THE FUTURE
While by no means up there with the cream of David Cronenberg’s oeuvre, his latest endeavor is still heads and tails more interesting, perplexing, and thought provoking than 90% of the films released over the past few years. Perhaps not as provocative or gory and twisted as the trailer suggests, there is still enough detached dystopian flair and slow burning angst to keep one continually engaged.
The story borrows some elements and nuances from eXistenZ, though where that film loosely tackled virtual reality, here the theme seems to be on pollution.
There are a few plot holes that will leave you scratching your head at the end and I am not sure if their vagueness is meant to elicit discussion or just create a sense of mystery and dread.
At any rate, Viggo Mortensen gives a riveting and off-kilter performance, skulking around the screen like a ninja clad Quasimodo, Kristen Stewart is wonderfully over-the-top as a mousey bureaucratic office drone, and Lea Seydoux is beguiling as a performance artist surgeon.
Visually interesting and entertaining
Watched the first 2 Skyline movies over the weekend. Skyline, which is on Hulu, and its sequel, "Beyond Skyline" which is on Netflix. I have yet to see the 3rd installment but it's not on any streaming service I currently have.
I saw Skyline when it first came out and remember it being pretty much a B-movie with shockingly great CGI for a film of its meager budget. Revisiting it, yup. That still feels like what it is. I remember loving the end though, and sure enough, whatever one may think of the majority of the movie, the last 10 minutes or so kicks you in the balls with one of THE best conclusions to a movie I've seen. Almost makes up for the rest of it. Even still, I had a great time with the movie through the lens of watching it as if its pretty much your standard zombie survival horror flick, just with aliens instead. If you haven't seen it before, but like sci-fi with a touch of schlock, then you owe it to yourself to watch this one. It's low-rated on IMDB, but I think it deserved a point or two higher. . The aliens are definitely one of the most genuinely terrifying versions conceived due to their methods of invasion. I had fun, even if it can drag at times. Now on to the Netflix section for my review of the sequel... See: https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...82#post6900782
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnoW5-DmIUM
Dune is on Hulu, if anyone is looking to watch it.