I Just Watched... (Movies/TV/DVD)

[Fall of Epic]

Man, Arlington Road doesn't get enough love. I'm always waiting for a resurgence of appreciation among the newer generations for this flick but really not a lot of people talk about this one probably due to its grim ending. Excellent performances by both Bridges and Robbins. Probably my favorite movie where the villain wins.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

Almost through with S1 of Justified: City Primeval. Quick thoughts:

-It's great to see Olyphant back as Raylan Givens. As far as career characters go? I don't think he could do better.
-Boyd Holbrook is solid as Clement Mansell
-Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is someone I never realized I've seen in so much, and it's insane to think she was in Undercover Brother 20 years ago. Probably my favorite part of the entire cast, including Olyphant.
-Olyphant's real daughter, Vivian, leaves something to be desired...but she's only in a few episodes, and her entire purpose seems to be "disaffected teenager," so it is what it is.
-The supporting cast of Detroit Homicide are better actors than the supporting cast of Marshals in the original series, overall, but Art (Nick Searcy) is sorely missed. Marin Ireland (Maureen) and Victor Williams (Wendell) bring some fire when they need to, though, so it almost evens out.
-I'd be remiss not to heap a lot of praise on Vondie Curtis-Hall as Sweetie, who keeps the blood pumping for the first 3/4 of the season.
-The relocation from Harlan County, KY to Detroit is...meh? The show loses so much of its charm without the backwoods hillbilly crime, and Mansell is nowhere near as compelling a villain as Boyd Crowder. That's the single biggest gripe I have with City Primeval, actually, because the world crafted in Harlan was so palpable and unique, but Detroit makes this just an above-average crime drama.

Still a lot of of fun, but I don't think they'll be able to crank too much juice out of this setting, or if that's even the plan.

 

[Youth N Asia]

Boyd Holbrook was indeed great, but I just never felt like the character had a real big bad feel to him.

Tim O’s daughter… yeah. There’s nothing really to say there.

Art, and Gutterson were missed for me.

Even at its worst Justified is still quality tv. As a Michigander I internally cheap popped at some name drops, and such.

Hopefully the ending means there’s more to do in this world.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Man, Arlington Road doesn't get enough love. I'm always waiting for a resurgence of appreciation among the newer generations for this flick but really not a lot of people talk about this one probably due to its grim ending. Excellent performances by both Bridges and Robbins. Probably my favorite movie where the villain wins.

That's one of those movies where I love the performances and I always go, "That was a great movie," yet I think its fatal flaw is that it's largely unmemorable. The ending sort of is but it's more about the twist than the actual scene itself, which kind of hurts it too.

 

[Brocklock]

Watched Mommie Dearest and legit really liked it. I don't understand why it's a camp classic, because it's not a fun movie at all. The wire hanger scene is ridiculous out of context, but terrifying in the movie. I thought Faye Dunaway was outstanding, although I get why some hate the performance or find it silly. It's mega acting before Nicolas Cage was doing it regularly. I was expecting something fun and cheesy, but ended up pretty uncomfortable. Loved that about the movie and could see it staying with me like Star 80 but not as grimy.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

Alligator (1980) is just as much fun now as it was when I was a teenager exploring cult flicks for the first time. There's plenty of choppy dialogue and poor writing, sure, but there's so much to love about a Jawsploitation flick that takes no prisoners and at least tries to say something. The subplot of herpetologist Marisa Kendall (Robin Riker) being the previous owner of the gator in question was something I'd forgotten about, and it seems like just a piece of character trivia anyway. 6.5/10

Lou (2023) follows the Netflix original trend of being a handful of good ideas and good casting that just doesn't quite hit the mark, but isn't bad. Allison Janney jumps in on the "retired badass" trend and delivers believably because she's Allison fucking Janney, and the twist is solid...but better attention paid to the villain (the ever-underrated Logan Marshall Green) would've made this so much better. It's above competent in most areas, though, so not a bad way to kill an hour 45. 6.5/10

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

The Gray Man (2022) is further proof that nobody can make an action flick quite like the Russo Brothers in the modern age. They have an innate ability to fill a 2 hour runtime with plenty of variety, even if the end result is a foregone conclusion. The writing may be generic (a CIA operative gets burned and needs to get revenge on his pursuers), but the cast and crew deliver with a smorgasbord of fist fights and gunplay that assault the senses like a blitzkrieg without ever feeling redundant or pointless. The very first action scene, ending in a fistfight in the pit of a fireworks display, felt as though it could have been the finale of any other flick of this type, yet it was topped as the movie went on. The massive chaos of the Prague shootout is beautiful in tempo and construction, and even the finale, as generic a setup as they come (the hero and an ally embark on a rescue mission that sees the hero and his evil counterpart in a fistfight to the death), stands out from the rest.

That's the key to a great action movie: each scene needs to have a different flavor than the ones preceding and following it. The Gray Man adheres to that mentality each step of the way. 7.5/10

 

[Gary]

"Bottoms" is the funniest movie I've seen this year, and comes as a high recommendation. Also, there was one other person in the theater, an older man who needed a cane to walk. I mention this because he left 15 minutes in and never came back. This further proves my theory that the elderly will pay to see any movie, no matter what it is.

 

[RedJed]

I still need to see Bottoms, heard nothing but great things. Hoping to check that out tomorrow before it leaves the local theaters here.

Have been ridiculously busy this past month transitioning to a new career so been trying to catch up on theatrical releases

Haunting in Venice: I wouldn't fully call this horror but it was far more suspenseful than the other previous films in this franchise. I would assume this is a finale to a trilogy of the Poirot character perhaps as well....I can't see where they go from here, but then again there are tons of novels and roles with this character they could utilize, even a television series. But this didn't do much box office wise...so I can't see any future installments really. That said, really enjoyed this one. Interesting cinematography all across the board and nice twists, turns, and even some low level scares at times.

Expendables 4: This easily was the worst sequels of the year, a really unnecessary film that had some of the worst mainstream GCI I've seen. They jumped the shark bigtime with a swerve of a major character being killed off for the majority of the film, replaced by, of all people, Megan Fox in a lead role. These films are so hard to suspend disbelief but this one took it to a whole new level of absurdity.

Equalizer 3: Another trilogy finale, or felt like it. The Denzel character felt fully arced here. Would gladly take another one of these films though as they get brazenly more gorey and wild in the kills, felt like almost taking a step forward into John Wick like territory here.

Outlaw Johnny Black: This was a kind of spiritual sequel to Black Dynamite......same actors, probably same production crew, same kind of humor....only this was in a spaghetti western setting. Can't say I enjoyed this as much as BD, but this was still really fun from start to finish.

Retirement Plan: This had Coen Bros inspired characterizations and tone, but ultimately felt like this was kind of a flat film for the most part. I couldn't tell if they were parodying these type of crime-based action comedies or leaning into the themes a little too seriously given the whole story. Its an easy watch but forgettable one. Decent star power but mostly phoned in performances.

Gran Turismo: How did I not know this was a real situation that they actually took a gamer and made him an actual driver? This was a fascinating watch in that aspect. I thought this was far better than this concept had any right to be. Well worth a look.

Retribution: Can Liam Neeson stop these cookie cutter roles already? This is something I swear I've seen from him a handful of times. Nothing new here, and in fact it was pretty fucking lame to sit through.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

I binged all 3 seasons of "Dark" in the last couple days. Fantastic show. Also something you could watch several times and get something new from each time because of all the storylines in it.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

People should see the Stop Making Sense rerelease if they have even the vaguest interest in The Talking Heads.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

Finished all of Sex Education last night. Brilliant show that knows how to perfectly balance humor, insight, and drama. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the relationship between. Otis and Maeve is oddly similar to one I had with an ex when we were still in high school (yeah, that one).

The oddly roughest parts involved a side character named Lily and her S3 arc (she's a complete alien-obsessed nerd who receives some overly harsh treatment by the head teacher), and a scene involving Otis's mother and her boyfriend arguing (rough because it reminded me of when my parents decided to file for divorce).

Excellent, excellent show. S3 ends with a level of ambiguity about everybody and their futures, both far and immediate, and I'd actually be happy if the series ends with this and doesn't get picked up for a fourth season.

Well, a fourth season has come and gone, and I don't think the phrases "bittersweet" or "don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" can apply to any other series I've seen (except Community).

S4 starts on the rough side as a plethora of new characters are introduced and subplots form, but it all comes home in the last two episodes that just nail it out of the park. The finale might very well be the best series finale I've seen, leaving it open enough for a potential follow-up or spin-off down the road but definitely closing the book on everything so far. Beautiful writing and acting.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

The Dark and the Wicked (2021) continues the trend of "psychological" horror that serves only to present a half-cocked idea stretched out to feature length and filled in with generic "oooohhhh creeeeeepyyyy" moments. Shame that there are some amazing actors in this as they have fuck-all to do with their abilities.

"Mama done did herself in outta grief BY THE DEVIL.

Fuck outta here with that bullshit. Either come up with a way to make your 90 minutes interesting or make a short. 4/10, all because of Marin Ireland. She's great.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

Blood Quantum (2019) is half brilliant and half average. Its premise is unique enough to warrant a look in a world overcrowded with zombie movies, the dead start to rise up and seek flesh but only members of the Red Crow tribe in a small isolated Canadian fishing village are immune. The entire first half sets up so much hope for something truly classic, from its mood to its use of Native actors and incorporation of Red Crow lore into familiar zombie territory, that the average second half (set six months after the dead have risen) falters.

However, there's some greatness throughout the entire film, with actual character arcs that result in some real tragic moments by the finale. Brothers feud, a sick turn on the plague blankets is revealed, and we're left with an ambiguous journey to flee from home with only a fraction of the characters. Their futures are bleak, but there is some hope.

If this movie, as it's written and shot and everything, was released during the first days of the zombie revival in '04ish? Instant classic. It has the grime and earnestness of the legendary 70s/80s zombie movies with a political message that isn't battered over the viewer's head, and if I was just getting into these kinds of movies now as opposed to 25+ years ago? I'd rank it among my favorites.

This gives you some meat to chew on, for sure. Just don't be surprised if you're left longing for more even after finishing the char. 7/10

 

[Fall of Epic]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer still holds up as cheesy fun. The cast is great and the action is still badass.

I thought I spotted a young Natasha Lyonne during the Vampire basketball scene but IMDB says it wasn't her. Boo.

 

[RedJed]

The Creator: It's too bad this got so lost in whatever shuffle there was in the fall here....I thought this would have been better served as a more end of the year tentpole film or even more in the weeds of the summer schedules. Whatever the case, a really excellent sci-fi film that felt bigger than most. I also saw this for the first time in a format called Screen X, which was something else in certain scenes....incredibly immersive. This is a off-shoot of a Cinerama format....super widescreen and the gimmick is 270 degree projection. Basically you have a very widescreen screen in front (which was ideal for this film particularly given how it was filmed) and then the walls on each side are angled in such a way where they can also be used as seperate projection points with specific projection cameras built into the corners of those walls. Very expensive ticket but the experience was unique.

Dumb Money: I can't say I enjoyed this as much as others in a similar vein like Blackberry, but still was very engaging for a story that shouldn't be nearly as entertaining than this ended up being. And for the complicated real story behind it, the narrative was easy to follow.

Freelance: The less said about this, the better. Bordering on one of the worst of the year, but Cena and Alison Brie's performances, while wacky and weird, were acceptable. But the story itself was really awful, really not knowing what it wanted to be from scene to scene. It currently holds the elusive 0% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes too, so there's that.

 

[Fall of Epic]

I took the day off from work and watched David Fincher's The Killer on Netflix this morning.

Fincher is one of my favorite filmmakers (Panic Room is super underrated. Fight me) and I was looking forward to seeing his follow up to the mixed reaction that Mank got (I liked it).

The movie kicked ass. It takes a bit to get going but really picks up when it does. Fassbender is fantastic and the cinematography and score are on point as always. Only negative I'll share is the product placements becomes distracting at times. A more of return to form for Fincher.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

I took the day off from work and watched David Fincher's The Killer on Netflix this morning.

Fincher is one of my favorite filmmakers (Panic Room is super underrated. Fight me) and I was looking forward to seeing his follow up to the mixed reaction that Mank got (I liked it).

The movie kicked ass. It takes a bit to get going but really picks up when it does. Fassbender is fantastic and the cinematography and score are on point as always. Only negative I'll share is the product placements becomes distracting at times. A more of return to form for Fincher.

I also watched this and liked it. My only real flaw with the movie was

Spoiler

the fight scene with the brute

as it felt a little too long and started getting overly comical in some aspects in re: to what they were being put through and still moving around afterwards.

6.5/10

 

[Hawk 34]

I took the day off from work and watched David Fincher's The Killer on Netflix this morning.

Fincher is one of my favorite filmmakers (Panic Room is super underrated. Fight me) and I was looking forward to seeing his follow up to the mixed reaction that Mank got (I liked it).

The movie kicked ass. It takes a bit to get going but really picks up when it does. Fassbender is fantastic and the cinematography and score are on point as always. Only negative I'll share is the product placements becomes distracting at times. A more of return to form for Fincher.

That was among the best parts of the movie repeatedly expressing the ease of commercialism in our lives in addition with explicitly only using the Smiths for good comedic fodder in a movie full of delicious comic moments.


This was a very good emotional heft of a movie, the weight of failure and all that classic Fincher goodness we come to know and largely admire.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

Hey kids! Do you like action movies? (Yeah!) Do you like revenge stories? (Yeah!) Do you like it when Nazis get all of the shit beaten the fuck out of them?! (HELL YEAH!) Then let's give Blood & Gold (2023) a try!

As the Allies close in on Berlin, Heinrich (Robert Maase) deserts his platoon, led by SS officers Lt. von Starnfeld (Alexander Scheer) and his sadistic enforcer Dörfler (Florian Schmidtke), having realized the horrors of his country's actions and learning of the deaths of his wife and son. He is caught and lynched, saved by local farm girl Elsa (Marie Hacke) and her brother with Down syndrome, Paule (Connor Long), just outside of Sossenberg.

Heinrich is nursed back to health and yearns to find his daughter, left in the care of family friends, but finds that he needs to fight his way back home as von Starnfeld has holed up in Sossenberg, himself on the hunt for gold that once belonged to the Lowenstein family, tipped off by their son during interrogation in one of the Camps.

With direction that feels equal parts Quentin Tarantino and Chad Stahelski, the interweaving plots of the gold heist and Heinrich's quest for revenge (aided by Elsa following an encounter with Dörfler) deliver in glorious fashion, with each scene building in escalation and delivering on gorgeous, fascist-destroying violence.

I've said before that Netflix is cranking out some of the best action flicks around these days, and Blood & Gold is sitting pretty in the top half of that list. 7/10

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1724431920245752049

Also, dafuq does the original Tweeter mean by "without saying Justice League"? What asshole's favorite Ben Affleck movie is Justice League? Hell, I'd pick Jersey Girl before I picked Justice League: Justice League barely makes the list of Top 3 CB movies with Ben Affleck.

 

[Valeyard]

His career didn't exist before super heroes duh

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

What asshole's favorite Ben Affleck movie is Justice League?

This needs to be the sub-title for this forum. Hey @cobainwasmurdered , what say ye, boss?

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

lol, I'm not sure how the subtitles we even have got grandfathered in when we switched over. I'll take a look sometime this week if I get a chance because I'm kind of curious now.

 

[Valeyard]

Serial pillist is still funny though

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Really really liked The Holdovers, really nice throwback, edgily heartwarming dramedy. Super well acted all around.

 

[Brocklock]

Maybe my brain cells are finally dying, but I watched Thankskilling yesterday and laughed my ass off. Made for 4,000 dollars and it obviously shows. It might be the first intentionally bad movie that actually worked for me. I usually can't stand Sharknado, Gingerdead Man, Evil Bong, Rubber, etc. But, this one has an endearing trashiness about it. The acting is completely awful, but the characters were weirdly likable for the most part. Especially the nerd, fat guy, and Dollar Tree version of Emma Stone who keeps delivering this sick JonBenet Ramsey burn at one of her friends.

It just is so stupid. Something about people just talking to a lame turkey puppet like it's an actual person never fails to make me laugh. And, a lot of the intentional humor worked for me. It almost had a Cannibal The Musical "lets make a ridiculously stupid low budget movie" charm to it.

I watched Dead Meat's episode about the sequel though and I'm avoiding that completely. Looks excruciating. Like the worst Wonder Shozen or Adult Swim sketch. The puppets look like rejected Crank Yankers characters and my god the voice acting.

 

[Hawk 34]

Really really liked The Holdovers, really nice throwback, edgily heartwarming dramedy. Super well acted all around.

It’s super great to see Giamatti back to being in quality stuff again, it was concerning seeing him shill for cell phones last year but this was always the role meant for him.

It’s such a departure from so many things right now but it felt comfortable and lived in already, already feels like an old friend you’ll revisit on repeat viewings. I’m glad it’s being so warmly received by audiences as well as the award circuit to come.

This has been a very good year for movies after the barren wasteland we endured the past couple years.


I also saw Thanksgiving. Hilariously terrible and unoriginal and exactly what I wanted from it so all in all, a rewarding movie double header there.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

It’s super great to see Giamatti back to being in quality stuff again, it was concerning seeing him shill for cell phones last year but this was always the role meant for him.

The actor who played Tully was really great too and could be one to watch in years to come.

Spoiler

Honestly, I’d be down for a sequel with Giamatti being a miserable, pretentious dork traveling throughout Italy and Greece.[/spoilers]

 

[Fall of Epic]

I haven't watched it yet but glad that Alexander Payne is back in everyone's good graces after the mostly negative response Downsizing got.