The Unofficial Ongoing Current Movies in Theaters thread

[dookeyXXX]

RE: EVIL DEAD RISE:

It is my understanding that this “rebootquel” will be more along the lines of the 2013 remake in that it will be less 3 Stooges and more visceral and extreme horror.

I was not terribly fond of the 2013 film as it took out the slapstick and went all serious. That said, I may have to revisit it prior to this film, which I was initially turned off by not only the trailer, but the fact that I was not a fan of the director’s previous film The Hole in the Ground.
However, the trailer has been growing on me the more I see it on the cineplex screen…

[dookeyXXX]

I stand corrected…

Apparently Evil Dead Rise is gonna be like a mash-up of the original trilogy’s quirky, comedic vibe and the more somber, extreme vibe of the 2013 remake. At least according to the RT contributing critics who have seen the film.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/evil_dead_rise/reviews

Then again, seeing as how I don’t regularly follow any of the RT approved critics, I have no idea what their taste in films is like, let alone their credentials or reviewing track records…so who knows what the film is gonna be like in reality.

[dookeyXXX]

After a somewhat dry Jan/Feb/March next week sees the release of a spate of intriguing looking films, including the aforementioned Evil Dead Rise…

BEAU IS AFRAID




CHEVALIER



THE COVENANT

[Supermoon]

I saw Dungeons and Dragons the other day. It was dumb, predictable, but entirely entertaining. I laughed the whole time, and the 2.5 hour run time went by very quickly. Go in without any grand expectations and I’m sure you’ll have a good time.

My only complaint is that Vin Diesel didn’t get a cameo since he’s a well known D&D nerd.

I got the see it in this quirky old theater in Amsterdam, too, so that was a bonus.

[dookeyXXX]

I saw Dungeons and Dragons the other day. It was dumb, predictable, but entirely entertaining. I laughed the whole time, and the 2.5 hour run time went by very quickly. Go in without any grand expectations and I’m sure you’ll have a good time.

My only complaint is that Vin Diesel didn’t get a cameo since he’s a well known D&D nerd.

I got the see it in this quirky old theater in Amsterdam, too, so that was a bonus.

That theatre looks really cool. I dig the reading lamps on the OG recliners. And the throw pillows are a nice touch, too.

[Supermoon]

That theatre looks really cool. I dig the reading lamps on the OG recliners. And the throw pillows are a nice touch, too.

Yeah it was sweet. They had two screens, and the other one was a legit three-level theater that looked like you’d stage a broadway play on it.

[dookeyXXX]

Yeah it was sweet. They had two screens, and the other one was a legit three-level theater that looked like you’d stage a broadway play on it.

Looks like that theatre was voted #1 Most Beautiful Cinema in the World by Time Out:

https://www.timeout.com/film/the-50-...s-in-the-world

[Supermoon]

Woah! That’s awesome.

[dookeyXXX]

Woah! That’s awesome.

Guess I’ve got some traveling to do!
I’ve only been to three on the list.
#50: I grew up seeing Disney films at The Grand Lake in Oakland, when it was a massive single screen art deco gem (while it’s still standing and showing films, they turned it into a 4 screen venue).

#25: I went to The Orinda a few times growing up, as well.

#18: And I hit up The Castro a few times when I lived in SF, though I now regret that I didn’t make an effort to go there every week as they used to have an insane calendar, showing classic and vintage double-features.

And while it’s not on the list, I saw a few flicks at the original Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, when it was upstairs above a Chinese restaurant…

[mcski]

Shocked I’ve inadvertently been to more of those theatres than dookey

[Supermoon]

Definitely need to make it to the Labia Theater sometime

[dookeyXXX]

Shocked I’ve inadvertently been to more of those theatres than dookey

I’ve been to a coupla cinemas in London. Saw Guy Ritchie’s Revolver when it came out. Was the first time I’d been to a cinema that had you reserve seats beforehand and they showed ads (a lotta ads) before the trailers. Can’t recall the name of the theater, though.
Also saw Wolf Creek at some single screen arthouse on the outskirts of London when it came out, but again can’t remember the name of the theater.
I never really thought about going to the movies when I have traveled. Plus it’s been years since I’ve been overseas.

Here’s another cool Time Out list of funky cool movie theaters:
https://www.timeout.com/uk/news/here...cinemas-041223

[dookeyXXX]

HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE
This is a wonderfully taut and streamlined little thriller that pounces out the gate with verve and intensity and maintains those qualities throughout its lean 104-minute running time. Filmed in an almost verite manner it feels like a hyped- up documentary. The incessant Blade Runner esque (ne Vangelis-styled) score creates a doom laden ambiance that permeates the film and adds loads of tension to the mix.
And the thespian turns from all involved are fervently restrained, emitting an undercurrent of slow burn magnetism that only adds to the overall action.

RIYL
American Animals

[dookeyXXX]

CHEVALIER
I am a sucker for a good costume period piece.
Chevalier more or less delivers, maintaining its watchability largely in part because of Kelvin Harrison Jr.’s tour de force performance.
The story is pretty basic, but his acting chops elevate it just enough to warrant recommending.
The set design, costumes, and music are equally as brilliant and the many montages are slick and inventive. The story lacks some exposition and has some holes in terms of secondary character development, but again Harrison Jr. is beyond mesmerizing.

RIYL
Amadeus

[dookeyXXX]

Guy Ritchie’s THE COVENANT
Eschewing his familiar lad bent crime injected hijinx, Mr. Ritchie’s latest endeavor may just be his most direct and decidedly mainstream film ever.
Mixing together some tried-and-true tropes (“the noble savage,” “the great white savior,” “the white man’s guilt,” to name the most obvious) and bristling action, both in regards to blazing guns combat and hunters and prey chases, this film is more or less entertaining, thanks in large part to Ritchie’s streamlined direction and solid turns from both leads.
Jake Gyllenhaal serves up a believable badass Afghanistan based Sgt, while Dar Salim provides some charismatically stoic counterpoint.
The film falters a bit during the second act, which could have been trimmed down and rendered as a slick montage. Additionally, the film’s tone gets a bit muddled between the ideals of brotherhood and condemning the bureaucracy of war. But the lean and mean action sequences which bookend these segments more than make up for it.

[dookeyXXX]

Better be a cameo….

From Bruce or the Delta?

[dookeyXXX]

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4
The fourth entry in the Keanu Reeves starring saga of Baba Yaga is entertaining enough, but easily could have been trimmed down by 49-minutes; a lot of the action set pieces dragged on too long, plus many of them reeked of deja vu from previous set pieces in the other films. And the redundant gun-fu and badass-being-chased-by-lesser-badasses storyline has definitely begun to wear thin by this point.
Thankfully, Donnie Yen was a welcome blast of fresh ass-kicking goodness and he, along with a wonderful cameo from the sorely underrated and underused Scott Adkins, basically saved the film.
Oh yeah, can’t slight newcomer Shamier Anderson and his canine co-star, who also steal the show. I’d definitely watch a spin-off with his character.
In the grand scheme of the John Wick films, here’s my rankings:
1. John Wick: Chapter 2
2. John Wick
3. John Wick: Chapter 4
4. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

[dookeyXXX]

I am genuinely intrigued by both of these films, which drop on Friday:

This looks like what would happen if Michelle Yeoh did a Bollywood film:



And this just looks badass:

[PB]

Ritu Arya is the hotness.

[Mike Pow]

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4
The fourth entry in the Keanu Reeves starring saga of Baba Yaga is entertaining enough, but easily could have been trimmed down by 49-minutes; a lot of the action set pieces dragged on too long, plus many of them reeked of deja vu from previous set pieces in the other films. And the redundant gun-fu and badass-being-chased-by-lesser-badasses storyline has definitely begun to wear thin by this point.
Thankfully, Donnie Yen was a welcome blast of fresh ass-kicking goodness and he, along with a wonderful cameo from the sorely underrated and underused Scott Adkins, basically saved the film.
Oh yeah, can’t slight newcomer Shamier Anderson and his canine co-star, who also steal the show. I’d definitely watch a spin-off with his character.
In the grand scheme of the John Wick films, here’s my rankings:
1. John Wick: Chapter 2
2. John Wick
3. John Wick: Chapter 4
4. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

Gave up after Tokyo for lots of the reasons you mentioned

[dookeyXXX]

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER
I finally broke down and saw James Cameron’s latest.
It was better than expected, though I went in with super low expectations.
It’s pretty much like watching a 3-hour cutscene/in-game cinematic, which took me about 45-minutes to get used to given that the uncanny valley, which while not deep, is still there.
The underwater sequences were pretty great, but not surprising given Cameron is an avid diver. The sea life, especially these mutant whales, are incredible. The final battle in Act III is pretty great, too; beats the pants off anything in a Marvel movie.
The worst part of the film, however, is the character of Spider. The actor who portrays him is horrible. How horrible, you ask? Remember how wooden and horrible that kid who played young Anakin in The Phantom Menace was? Well, this kid makes him look like Lawrence Olivier thanks to rigid line readings and appearing like he’s never looking at the characters he’s talking to/engaging with. Sadly, he had way too much screen time and was rather distracting.
Otherwise, it was fairly entertaining, though I don’t feel that it needed to be 3-hours and 12-minutes long.

[bobz]

Avatar 2, in most aspects, was a pretty good to very good bit of forgettable mass-market entertainment. I thought the biggest negative was that I could barely tell some of the characters apart from each other; everybody being a CGI smurf kind of gets in the way of character development.

Where the movie completely excelled was as a visual treat. Even the above-water imagery was great, and the underwater stuff... wow. And, James Cameron being a perfectionist stereoscopy geek makes such a difference. He knows his stuff (he worked, pretty early on, with my former boss who developed the tech that was acquired by RealD, he designed his own camera that did offset projections and continuously variable camera separation in line with all the best stereoscopy science), and the result was a pleasure to watch.

[dookeyXXX]

^ I interviewed James Cameron in another career life back in 2005, and he talked about his use of 3-D quite a bit:

https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/01...-james-cameron

[bobz]

Thanks, interesting. That interview was just before stereoscopic digital cinema came together (2005 was the year of the tech acquisition I mentioned above). The first gold-standard live-action 3D movies were just a few years later. Coraline (2009; animated but filmed in live-space) was the first one where I went "holy shit, the potential has finally been realized".

[dookeyXXX]

While I find the depth and texture aspects of Real D kinda cool and the glasses aren’t as annoying as the old red/blue cardboard ones, I still miss the whole in-yur-face gimmicky nature of old school 3D…