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

[909]

The Manchester City documentary series on Amazon Prime is one of the best things ever created. I don't remember watching any documentary where they let camera crews go into this much detail during a season. They had access to everything.

I'm definitely not a Manchester City fan, I hate them, but it's a great series.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

https://www.imdb.com/videoplayer/vi3171922969?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

Eye For An Eye (January, 1996)
Directed by John Schlesinger
Based off a Novel by Erika Holzer

Pretty typical plot of the era. A 17 year old girl is raped & killed at home while setting up decorations for her younger sister's birthday. Mom, Dad, and Sister deal with the ramifications of the aftermath including seeing the alleged killer (cited by DNA evidence) allowed to walk due to a mistake in handling evidence to the Defense. Afterwards, the Mother becomes a vigilante stalking him intent on killing him for revenge over her daughter's death.

It has an All-Star Cast: Sally Field & Ed Harris play the Mother and Stepfather, Kiefer Sutherland plays the alleged guilty suspect Robert Doob, Joe Mantegna is the Detective on the case, Beverly D'Angelo is the best friend to Sally's character, and Armin Shimerman plays the Judge who dismisses the case. There's also a ton of lower roles for actors like: Charlayne Woodard, Philip Baker Hall, Keith David, Donal Logue, and Michael B. Silver.

The movie itself is pretty solid in all facets but nothing really overwhelming or stand out. A lot of it, right down to the plot and its beats throughout, are by the numbers for the type of movie it is. Even the direction is pretty standard with no real memorable shots or moments.

Kiefer Sutherland stands out the most, however, in large part due to his natural screen charisma and his ability to play the creepy role really well. It's probably worth checking this out for his performance alone especially if you want to see more of his roles in under-the-radar films like this one.

Final Score: 6/10

 

[Sabre]

The Manchester City documentary series on Amazon Prime is one of the best things ever created. I don't remember watching any documentary where they let camera crews go into this much detail during a season. They had access to everything.

I'm definitely not a Manchester City fan, I hate them, but it's a great series.

I’ve yet to see it. But it surely can’t compete with the “class of 92” mini series about Salford city.

 

[NoCalMike]

Main problem with Super Troopers 2 for me is that the supporting cast seemed a lot weaker. All the Spurberry PD guys I wish would have been back somehow they really made good rivals to the Highway patrol roster.

Just wrapped up HBO's Sharp Objects. Really solid gothic horror show. I say Horror, but lowercase "h" horror. That ending, wow.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

That's a good take, actually. I thought it leaned too heavily on Farva and bad Canadian jokes, even though the best part was Farva in a wheelchair.

 

[Master Thrasher]

My mom wanted to see Crazy Rich Asians. I really liked the cinematography in it. I want to visit Malaysia and Singapore now.

 

[Gary]

Just wrapped up HBO's Sharp Objects. Really solid gothic horror show. I say Horror, but lowercase "h" horror. That ending, wow.

Probably my favorite show of the year. Everyone involved (especially Patricia Clarkson) deserves awards for it.

 

[Damaramu]

I just watched both seasons of Letterkenny that are on Hulu. I wish the others were available in America now.

I absolutely love this show. I'm fully aware that a lot of the humor is juvenile and I do not care. Any Canadians here that watch it regularly?
Also I really like the lead Jared Keeso. I saw he's also famous for a cop drama called 19,-2. Is that any good?

 

[Damaramu]

This show has a heart to it too. I really like that.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Just saw Searching and it was really good probably a 7/10. Cho was fantastic as the father and the usage of Facebook, Video Chats, and Phone Texts worked flawlessly in large part because this was a Murder-Mystery but those aspects allowed the viewer to become Cho's character and try to piece the clues/figure out what was going on and what it all meant. I had an inkling about the first twist at the end but the second twist legit caught me by surprise.

One of the few nitpicks I had was how Cho's father was able to connect stuff together so fast in terms of certain sequences but the pacing was so good that it didn't really matter to me much. The end did seem kind of rushed but it fit the realism at the same time although it left me a little flat to be honest.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

The House With A Clock In Its Walls 5.5/10
Very solid flick. Well directed by Eli Roth, some great visual effects, and Jack Black & Cate Blanchett were good in their roles. The movie was let down by the lack of a deeper script and deeper character development (Blanchett in particular seemed woefully underwritten to the point that she disappeared for lengthy periods).

If you see this, you'll pretty much be getting what you expect. A very good visual experience, entertaining acting particularly from Jack Black, and a decent enough script to mostly hold up all the way through.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

The Unknown (1927) 7/10
Very solid little thriller of the period with a great performance from Lon Chaney (going over the top with some amazing facial expressions) as a criminal on the run entering a circus atmosphere as an armless entertainer. He ends up falling for Nanon (played by a 21 year old Joan Crawford) as does strong man, Malabar (played by Norman Kerry). Malabar ends up helping her transition over her phobia of hands/arms to the point that Malabar and Nanon are to be married. Alonzo leaves to get his actual arms chopped off after thinking Nanon spotted him killing her father, the ringmaster, and returns only to learn of the potential marriage. Alonzo then comes up with a scheme to try and kill Malabar to get Nanon for himself.

It's pretty well told and the circus events are a fun highlight. Lon Chaney is the obvious standout in this film but Joan Crawford does a good job holding her own and gives her character a bit of a screen presence balancing fear and confidence. There's about 14 minutes that have been lost, mostly covering Alonzo's criminal career it seems, but you can still get a good gist of his character and why he's on the run anyway.

Check this one out if you're a Lon Chaney completionist or want to see Joan Crawford in a very early role in her career.

 

[Fall of Epic]

We all know the Carrie remake from a few years ago with Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore but I watched the '02 remake the other day. It starred Angela Bettis and Patricia Clarkson as Mrs. White. It was pretty bad and entirely too long (over 2 hours).

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

Hell Fest (2018)
A mediocre slasher that, while lacking in both true dread and splatter (though some fine examples are found of both), this knows what it is from the get-go: a "haunted house" experience in theatrical form. The most enjoyable horror I've seen in the theater this year, with a cast that feels like a natural group of friends and with a bit more naturalistic slant on dialogue. We've run the gamut of 80s throwback horror and I, for one, welcome the 90s throwback with open arms if it means characters talk like real people. 6/10

Boys in the Trees (2016)
Not a horror film per se, more a dark fantasy blended with coming-of-age drama, but a fitting addition to anybody's October list. The acting may be stilted at times but it's made up for in both content and some wonderfully shot scenes. I saw the "twist" coming before the halfway point and it only enhanced the ending, with themes of friendship, the cost of dreams, and the true pitfalls of leaving both behind hooking me early on. Writer/director Nicholas Verso clearly knows what he's doing and will be one to watch for in the future. 7/10

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Disobedience (2018)

Directed by Sebastian Lelio

Ronnie aka Ronit (Rachel Weisz) returns to her Orthodox Jewish community, which she had been ex-communicated from for her relationship with a childhood friend, upon the passing of her father, Rav Krushka. She ends up finding her passions re-ignited upon seeing her friends, Esti (Rachel McAdams) and Dovid (Alessandro Nivola) married. Largely instigated by Esti's feelings towards Ronit and women in general, the two rekindle their desires (from when they were children) while the world around Esti and Dovid starts to fall apart as a result.

Weisz, McAdams, and Nivola all do a great job in their roles with an argument between McAdams and Nivola standing out in particular. The struggles between all 3 characters interplay well and the characters are so well-written that there's no "bad guy" in the scenario. It's a man, struggling to handle replacing Rav Krushna's role, while dealing with the reality that his wife has long held feelings towards their best friend, whom just returned into the picture and the struggles between Ronit & Esti as far as re-kindling their relationship while dealing with the ramifications of their faith and the fallout that has and could occur.

One of the highlights of the film for me was how heavily faith effects multiple people from Dovid's heavy faith and emphasis on his continuing in Rav Krushna's footsteps to Ronit's ex-communication and sudden re-appearance to Esti's struggles to try and keep her marriage intact while acting on her desires towards Ronit. You also get a great look into faith and homosexuality where Esti "married" their best friend as a way to try and cure her "mental sickness" (per her faith) while Ronit got ex-communicated and moved to New York instead.

The first half felt like a stronger film overall in that it was subtler and building up to an obvious eventuality but the second half was a better character study of the ramifications/aftermath.

7/10

 

[Brocklock]

The Night Comes For Us - 7.5/10

Basically The Raid without Gareth Evans directing but with pretty much every one in the first two movies in it. Lacks Evans polished style and editing, but Timo Tjahjanto makes up for it with pure brutality. The Raid movies were gory and violent themselves, but this goes to the next level basically combining the brutality in those movies with more absurd gore effects like those in Ichi The Killer or Riki-Oh. The movie has very little dialogue or story and instead is pretty much just a series of increasingly intense fight scenes. The actors all do good, but there's not a lot of acting mostly just fights. At two hours, it gets very repetitive and exhausting, but the ending fight scene is one of the best I've ever seen. I do wish they'd bring so new people with new styles into the fold since it's pretty much the same style of fight every time. But, still this is one of the better action movies I've seen in a while.

 

[Gary]

"Overlord" is a lot of fun, and it's refreshing to see a horror movie that makes no qualms about being a "B-Movie" without winking at the audience. Think a "Resident Evil" movie except actually good for a change. 7.5/10

 

[Fall of Epic]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXE5XM07f5jpoJTzX5iiEvQ

Here's a YouTube channel featuring failed and unaired TV pilots. The two most interesting ones are the Clarissa Now! pilot from Nickelodeon showing Clarissa all grown up and working for a newspaper. I actually remember when that aired on Nick back in the day and wondered why nothing came of it. The other one was an unaired pilot for a John Goodman sitcom in 2000 that never got picked up. I know Normal, Ohio premiered around this time too and was cancelled fairly quickly.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Trust (2011) Directed by David Schwimmer - 5/10
Typically Lifetime-y movie about a young girl who meets an online predator, gets raped, and the fallout which ensues. Notable for its strong cast: Clive Owen, Catherine Keener, Olivia Davis, and Liana Liberato as Annie the protagonist teen. Movie ended weirdly with a sudden cut after a scene that kind of rubbed me the wrong way

Spoiler

with the Dad, Clive Owen, confessing how he didn't protect her/doesn't want her to forgive him and the reconciliation from that

which felt like it thrust the consolation from the actual rape victim to the father.

You Were Never Really Here (2018) Directed by Lynn Ramsey - 7/10
Really strong movie starring Joaquin Phoenix as an Ex-Veteran pursuing missing girls. He finds himself on a case involving a Senator which rapidly dissolves into a conspiracy plot. There's enough here to make the viewer question the veracity of everything that's happened which makes the film work on a couple levels but Phoenix really shines and it's worth the watch for his performance alone.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

The Night Comes for Us (2018)
A solid enough action film with the kinds of CQC and many-versus-one scenes that we've come to love from this crew, but there was always something a little off about it. Much like The Raid 2, there were too many scenes focusing on plot that dragged the pace down until the inevitable action and, also like The Raid 2, the action suffered because of it. Iko Uwais was a bit wasted here, not unlike Tony Jaa in Furious 7, and I would've loved more time given to Zack Lee's character Bobby. As it stands? A very fun action flick that's better than the blockbuster superhero schlock we're getting ad nauseam but not the best work from this team.
6.5/10

Death Race 4: Beyond Anarchy (2018)
It's always something special when a movie, no matter its quality, understands what it is. When Paul WS Anderson rebooted the franchise it was met with derision, turning Roger Corman's classic slice of slapstick dystopian cheese into a grimdark version of Fast and the Furious, but time has been kind to that Jason Statham vehicle and it's obvious that screenwriter Tony Giglio and director Don Michael Paul know what they're doing and how to best use the tools available. The action is consistently fun and PRACTICAL (real cars, real crashes, real KABOOMS) and the awful acting can't stop this mindless stuntfest from being a pleasure. It's b-movie action comfort food: hot women wearing little to nothing, wacky costumes, an oddly straightforward plot with little twists or turns, and a finale that feels like a proper payoff. I'm excited for Tony Giglio's rendition of Doom next year because it's obvious he gets it.
6/10

 

[Master Thrasher]

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

It was on cable but it isn't a Christmas movie. Anyway, Willy definetly has violated FDA and OSHA regulations. I think those Oompa Loopa's are slave labor. Also, turning over a factory to a kid seems like a bad idea.

 

[KingPK]

I've finally started watching Cheers from the beginning because I've never really seen much aside from the last 3 or 4 seasons (my parents loved it). It's kind of amazing how much it hits right off the bat and the chemistry among the cast is clear from the first episode. Coach could have easily been one of the guys at the bar my dad went to and he's such a fucking loveable character. I know the early seasons focused more on Sam and Diane but I can't wait until it becomes more of an ensemble show after Shelly Long left.

 

[Gary]

"Escape Room" is actually not bad for a horror movie opening in January. It's really well acted, is quite suspenseful at times and I actually wouldn't mind a sequel. However...it falls apart in the third act, with a series of twists and promise of a sequel that put me out of the movie some. Still, nothing awful outside of that and as I said, it isn't bad as far as January horror is concerned, so I'm gonna go 5.5/10.

 

[Brocklock]

I've finally started watching Cheers from the beginning because I've never really seen much aside from the last 3 or 4 seasons (my parents loved it). It's kind of amazing how much it hits right off the bat and the chemistry among the cast is clear from the first episode. Coach could have easily been one of the guys at the bar my dad went to and he's such a fucking loveable character. I know the early seasons focused more on Sam and Diane but I can't wait until it becomes more of an ensemble show after Shelly Long left.

I've been watching it for the first time on and off for a while and currently watching Season 10. Shelly Long gets some hate from fans, but I do think she completely owns the Diane character in the early seasons. There weren't many female comedic performances like that on tv at the time and there still aren't a lot now. She's not afraid to play an unlikable character and her physical comedy is really great as well. Danson definitely gets more comfortable in the role after the first two or three seasons. He's pretty great in the later seasons and they toned down his creepiness to make him more of a loser hanging on to his youth. I loved Coach too, but I think I prefer Woody since his line delivery is so good. The writing in the later seasons isn't as tight, but I think having it be more of an ensemble has made the show much funnier. Most episodes focusing on Fraiser and Lilith are classics. Rebecca is kind of a meh character overall and I got tired of Carla. The rest of the cast are all amazing. Norm I think is my favorite character.

 

[KingPK]

I finally started watching Narcos on Netflix. The Escobar stuff is great, but I so do not care about the DEA agent side of the story. It just feels completely generic and the actor is kinda bland (I like his narration at least). I only watched the pilot so maybe it gets better, but I was kinda zoning out by the end of the episode.

So I'm into season 2 and this show gets so much better the less Agent Murphy is in it and we focus on basically everyone else. They probably could have killed him off and the show wouldn't have skipped a beat at all. Wagner Moira is so incredibly awesome as Pablo Escobar and you can't take your eyes off him when he's on the screen.

Spoiler

I just watched the episode where Colonel Carrillo is killed in the ambush. Pablo "returning" the bullet Carrillo gave the kid to give to him was such an awesome scene.

 

[CookieMueller]

I watched the Suspiria "remake" which I initially scoffed at because I hate when good movies are remade. I wish I had seen it in the theater because holy shit was this good. It only has tangential similarities to the original. Tilda Swinton keeps calling it a "cover version" and the director calls it a "reimagination." Both of those work but the idea of doing a cover of a movie is interesting and it works. Both versions of the song "Hurt" are good, the Nine Inch Nails and the Johnny Cash version. I think it just comes to a personal preference and it's nice that such a great song has two different versions (not to mention all the other lesser-known versions) to choose from. And since the story behind Suspiria is so deep and potentially complex, it's great that there's different versions to choose from, depending on your tastes of even your mood.

It's one of those movies that I wanted to watch again almost immediately. I was struck with how good some of the performances were. Tilda Swinton plays multiple characters, some I didn't believe even though the promotional material has made it clear she's playing them. I watched an interview where Tilda is speaking to an audience that JUST saw the movie and when it is mentioned she plays one character in particular, the audience gasps in disbelief so Tilda tongue-in-cheek backtracks and creates a story of an unknown actor they cast to play that role, that it wasn't REALLY her. I was also struck by Mia Goth's performance. Her scenes with the doctor were some of the best scenes in the whole film. I'd never noticed her in any of the other couple of movies she's been in but I think she could be a real breakthrough star in the next few years. She has an early Angelina Jolie quality to her.

It isn't as much as a "horror" movie as the original. Much less gore. I only watch a few horror movies a year, as I usually am not interested in the stories. There's a scene early here that is as brutal as any scene I've ever seen in a film and it contains little (if any?) blood. After that scene I was a little worried it would just be 2 hours of stuff like that but it's really not. The movie is more "supernatural" or "creepy" than straight up bloody and disgusting.

Did anyone else like this movie? How did it relate to the original, in you opinion? I know that it was very polarizing (the mother! of this year, I guess) and won't win any awards but I hope this idea of "covering" movies is explored more in the future.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

I watched the Suspiria "remake" which I initially scoffed at because I hate when good movies are remade. I wish I had seen it in the theater because holy shit was this good. It only has tangential similarities to the original. Tilda Swinton keeps calling it a "cover version" and the director calls it a "reimagination." Both of those work but the idea of doing a cover of a movie is interesting and it works. Both versions of the song "Hurt" are good, the Nine Inch Nails and the Johnny Cash version. I think it just comes to a personal preference and it's nice that such a great song has two different versions (not to mention all the other lesser-known versions) to choose from. And since the story behind Suspiria is so deep and potentially complex, it's great that there's different versions to choose from, depending on your tastes of even your mood.

It's one of those movies that I wanted to watch again almost immediately. I was struck with how good some of the performances were. Tilda Swinton plays multiple characters, some I didn't believe even though the promotional material has made it clear she's playing them. I watched an interview where Tilda is speaking to an audience that JUST saw the movie and when it is mentioned she plays one character in particular, the audience gasps in disbelief so Tilda tongue-in-cheek backtracks and creates a story of an unknown actor they cast to play that role, that it wasn't REALLY her. I was also struck by Mia Goth's performance. Her scenes with the doctor were some of the best scenes in the whole film. I'd never noticed her in any of the other couple of movies she's been in but I think she could be a real breakthrough star in the next few years. She has an early Angelina Jolie quality to her.

It isn't as much as a "horror" movie as the original. Much less gore. I only watch a few horror movies a year, as I usually am not interested in the stories. There's a scene early here that is as brutal as any scene I've ever seen in a film and it contains little (if any?) blood. After that scene I was a little worried it would just be 2 hours of stuff like that but it's really not. The movie is more "supernatural" or "creepy" than straight up bloody and disgusting.

Did anyone else like this movie? How did it relate to the original, in you opinion? I know that it was very polarizing (the mother! of this year, I guess) and won't win any awards but I hope this idea of "covering" movies is explored more in the future.

I think there's a Suspiria thread somewhere but like you said, it was pretty polarizing. I liked some elements but as a whole, I didn't seem to get into it on multiple levels as much as others.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Just watched via Amazon Prime: Safe House from 1998 (released January 1999) starring Patrick Stewart and Kimberly Williams (Father of the Bride, According to Jim).

7/10

Really fun psychological thriller with Mace Sowell (Stewart) being an ex-Defense Intelligence Agent slowly developing Alzheimers and Paranoia over a local Presidential candidate he worked with who's been supposedly killing off members of the squad. Stewart's daughter and son-in-law are trying to get him committed but hire a new maid, Andi Travers (Williams) to take care of him after his last maid quits.

It's a very slow burn but the gradual development of Alzheimers is tough to watch and Stewart does a fantastic job. Williams does an equally impressive job matching up with Stewart and holding her own on screen throughout. The plot is somewhat thin but the pacing is pretty solid with just enough thread to make the viewer wonder whether Stewart really is losing his mind about his paranoia of being killed or if it's possibly a legitimate scenario going on.

Definitely worth the watch if you're a fan of Patrick Stewart or into late 90s psychological thrillers.

 

[909]

Just finished up Sharp Objects. Great show, more people here should watch it. The ending is a hell of a surprise, but the show as a whole is full of great acting and directing performances. Jean-Marc Vallée carried that material as far as anyone possibly could have.

 

[RedJed]

We have been getting hit with shit weather here lately, so been lots of of downtime to catch lots of stuff in the theater. Some quick random thoughts...

Lego Movie 2: I guess the trailer didn't really grab me, so I had reservations going into this one. The first was just so excellent and actually plays well upon additional viewings as well. This script didn't seem as wink wink and "cute" as the first one, but I guess that was to be expected. The self-referencing a-plenty was there, as cameos and pop culture homaging, but I think the difference was simply not as fun and connective of a story as the first. 3D was on point though and the catchy soundtrack was still there. Ultimately this felt rushed too in execution.

The Prodigy: Pretty weak stuff, really. There was some cringeworthy moments particularly in the themes they were trying to address, just diverting over quickly to shock value silliness. Dark and bizzarely dumb third act for sure. Orion's first attempt back into horror if I recall, and they tried to set up a sequel which got an audible groan from me.

Cold Pursuit: This was one unexpected fun flick. I didn't see the Fargo dark comedy tone in the trailer that was heavy in this one. Really well worth going to, Neeson was kinda riffing subtly on the typecast character he usually plays in this and most other films too. The characters in this were real fun and the running gag (wont spoil it) in this film was a nice touch too.