And then winter.
Hello reader(s). Its
almost time for just about the only month that I make posts anymore to begin. Movie watching this summer was possibly at an
all time low. The World Cup dominated my
afternoons and I got super into The X-Files at night. Sprinkle in a few video games and boom, we
have a hiatus.
On the other hand, I have been going hard watching movies for
the past month or so there are a few things to discuss at least. I’ve pretty much only watched movies released
in the last two years. There is no real
reason for this but you could say I’m pretty current. Here is a quick break down of the movies I’ve
seen recently (you’ll notice a lack of horror because I’ve been saving up for
October). I made a list of all of them
which you can see here http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075412166/
. On to the reviews
Movies to Watch and Then Re-Watch
The Raid 2
It has been a little while since I watched this but I’m
adding it to the blog because it’s the best movie of the last two years. Sure there are movies with better acting or
plot but nothing gave me a viewing experience like The Raid 2. The first movie was great for strictly action
but the sequel added more of a storyline to the movie. I can’t wait for the next one, especially if
Tony Jaa is going to be in it.
Into it start to finish
Blue Ruin
Blue Ruin was one of the best indie revenge movies that I
can remember. It looks beautiful and the
main actor does a good job leading it.
There are some really tense moments and we get to see what Buzz from
Home Alone looks like now.
Ida
Ida was Poland entrant to the Oscars and just missed making
the final nominations. It’s shot in
black and white and is again, very nice looking. Certainly not a happy movie with a happy
ending, Ida is a well told and acted story.
Snowpiercer
Snowpiercer is an action movie that takes place on a train
with some amazing looking sets. The
ending is so-so but this was a highly entertaining movie.
Calvary
I got hooked on this from the very first scene. It’s a dark movie and yet feels very
lighthearted at the same time. Mad Eye
Moody is a really good actor.
Stoker
Stoker is the first American movie by the South Korean
director who made the Oldboy and other vengeance movies. The script isn’t as good as any of those but
it’s well acted and wonderfully scored.
Worth the Watch
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Another Wes Anderson movie.
Loved the sets in this one.
Fiennes was great but I needed more plot. Some large actor’s characters didn’t really
add to the movie and felt like they were written in just to have them in the
movie. Middle of the pack Anderson movie
for me but still good.
Only Lovers Left Alive
9/10 times I would never watch this movie because of the
title alone. I mean, come on. But I liked the director and gave it a watch
anyway. Like his other movies, not a lot
of things happen and when they do it takes a while for it to happen but the
cinematography and music is top notch.
Tilda and Loki were great and drove the movie.
The Last Stand
The first hour of the movie was very meh and I was ready to
put this lower. Then the final shootout
began and totally redeemed the whole movie.
One of the best shootout’s made recently and worth watching the movie
100%. Will probably be watching this one
again just for that.
22 Jump Street
Literally the same movie but I’m ok with that because I
loved the first. I’ve seen a few people
say they liked 22 more but it had a few less laughs for me. Ending chase was the best/funniest part.
Decent enough movies (they were good but you don’t need to
kill yourself to watch)
Joe
Watched this for Nick Cage and he does a good job acting
here. This isn’t The Wickerman
Cage. Pretty good indie drama here.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Best part of this movie is the locations. It made me really want to visit Iceland. Didn't care for the daydream sequences.
Maleficent
I thought this movie was going to suck but I enjoyed
it. Angelina was great, Copley not so
much. Could of used some more songs
(can’t believe I said that but Sleeping Beauty was a favorite).
Bad Words
I generally don’t like Bateman but this movie was really
funny. Another one that I thought I
wasn’t going to like but ended up enjoying.
Enemy
I could rant on and on about this one. Really, really cool premise. Built up well and there were at least 10
different twists that could’ve ended the movie really well. Unfortunately it ended with the most obvious
one in my mind and a fairly unoriginal one at that. Producer and I were very disappointed. A lot of film people say the ending was great
but I just can’t see it that way.
We’re the Millers
Similar amount of laughs as Bad Words. Pretty
good and fun comedy.
Jodorowsky’ Dune
Documentary about what could’ve been a groundbreaking movie
but was never made. How about you just
make it now?
Godzilla
Needed more Cranston and Watanabe, less Kick-Ass. Had high hopes and ended up being just so-so.
Divergent
The cool and hip parkour teens made me cringe a little in
the beginning but I ended up liking this better than Hunger Games.
Filth
Movie is just James McAvoy being a dirty cop. He does a good job, especially when he goes
crazy. Worth the one-time watch for me but only watch if you’ll think
you will like it.
I Know That Voice
Documentary where voice actors finally get some camera
time. Pretty cool seeing how things are
made behind the scenes.
Neighbors
Pretty funny but not the same amount of laughs as the
previous two comedies in here.
Watch at your own Discretion
The Rover
The tone and cinematography were great but I just had a hard
time getting into it because both of the main characters weren’t very
likable. Still like Guy Pierce.
Draft Day
An of course
unrealistic depiction of a general manager’s coming and goings on the day of
the NFL draft as well as an unwanted romance storyline. I’m a guy who has been a part of a virtual gm
game that takes months online so I did like the behind the scene’s parts of the
movie. Still hate Kevin Costner.
The Amazing Spiderman 2
Spiderman will always be my favorite superhero but this
wasn’t my favorite movie of his. Like
the first, Garfield and Stone were really good but the story line was
so-so. Not feeling the villains in this
one either. Preferred the first
movie. That’s all.
The Zero Theorem
The setting looked like The 5th Element mixed
with 12 Monkeys, which I liked. Waltz
was good like always but the story just isn’t there.
Didn’t Like It
Thor: The Dark World
Better than the first but that still makes it the second
worst Marvel movie.
Transformers: Age of Extinction
You know how I feel about Mark. He makes anything watchable. Movie was waaaaay to long and had terrible
dialogue. Tucci losing it in the elevator
gave me douche chills.
Transcendence
The actors are all very good and the premise is interesting
enough so you have to wonder where it all went wrong. Some of it was the script and some of it was
the directing. So like 2/3 of what
mainly make up a movie were what went wrong.
Million Dollar Arm
Very boring and I love baseball. Didn’t like Hamm in this but that might have
just been because his character was a d-bag.
The Monuments Men
Perhaps the least dramatic drama I have ever seen.
Locke
Even if you are a Tom Hardy superfan like me, you can’t
defend this movie. I was alright with
the storyline of Hardy just talking on the phone in his car the whole time as
long as it turned into something meaningful.
He was just chatting.
Nymphomaniac Vol 2
No I am not confessing that I watched a nudie movie to
you. Another one of the things that I
have this summer is enroll in an Online Scandinavian film class at the
University of Copenhagen (for free of course).
Super legit right? The director
the professor was the biggest current fan of was Lars von Trier who made the
Nympho movies. I saw another one of his,
Antichrist, and didn’t like it at all.
Looked nice but the rest was bleh.
Same story here with Nymphomaniac.
Definitely preferred 2 to 1.
Game of Assassins
Ok so this was a bad movie but I didn’t hate it. That is simply because I like movies where
they show people in hell. Does that make
me weird?
Need for Speed
You don’t need me to tell you this was bad.
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Very basic spy movie.
There are countless better so I would say watch one of those. Kevin Costner.
Child of God
My first James Franco directed movie and maybe the
last. I just got bored. The main actor did a pretty powerful job and
the cinematography was good but that was it.
Pass on this.
Really bad Movies
Sabotage
If you want to watch a recent Arnold movie, definitely pick
The Last Stand instead. The dialogue and
just the way characters were written to act was very frustrating. Action sequences weren’t all that amazing
which makes it even worse.
Space Station 76
I feel like this was made just show they could show people
in space wearing clothes from the 70s.
Big time zzzzzzz. Nothing
memorable happens ever.
300:Rise of an Empire
I knew this was going to be bad but it exceeded my
expectations. Go outside and watch cars
drive instead. Or weed your front
garden. Anything but watching this.
Nymphomaniac: Vol 1
See Vol 2 but with less plot and more D and B (dick and
balls). Not for me.
All Time Bad
Identity Thief
I’m pretty good at finishing movies. The times I have stopped watching one can
probably be counted on one hand. I made
it maybe 30 minutes into this. Not a
single laugh and none in sight.
Characters were acting frustratingly stupid. Melissa McCartney does nothing for me. You hear that Melissa? Nothing!
Wowza that took a long time.
Mostly because it was long but also I can’t stop playing this http://www.clickerheroes.com/. Goodbye random 5 hours of your life.
-Onto the horror!
