what was the last movie you watched?

[eMBarkat10n]

Movie Pass is the best! I’ve been averaging 8-10 movies a month since I got it. A buddy of mine saw 20 movies last month with it. Not sure how it’s going to last long term at that price but I’m enjoying it while it lasts.

Black Panther was fun. I’m also looking forward to Death Wish, it was supposed to release last year but for some reason they held off for 2018.

Recent movies I’ve seen with Movie Pass:

Annihilation- not my style, interesting though
Black Panther- really enjoyed it, top 5 marvel movie for me
Winchester- ok, made me want to visit the actual house
Early Man- my daughter liked it, I might have napped
Darkest Hour- Fantastic
Den of Thieves- great action movie
Hostiles- great Western, slow at times but I enjoyed it
Downsizing- thought it was terrible
12 Strong- really liked it
Commuter- ok, not my favorite Liam Neeson film
Ferdinand- pretty good animated movie, kept my 3 year old entertained
CoCo- fantastic
Greatest Showman- loved the music
Three Billboards- well acted, dark comedy, enjoyed it
Shape of Water- I didn’t get it
Jumanji- fun
Molly’s Game- surprisingly good
Ladybird- very well done

Probably going to see 15:17 to Paris tonight even though I’ve been warned it wasn’t very good

I was expecting a little more out of "Commuter" myself. I certainly didn't leave the theater feeling disappointed, but I did leave feeling like they could have offered a little more on the plate. "Taken" probably is my favorite Liam Neeson movie. The first one, not any of the others. Not to say that the other "Taken" movies were bad. But the original was probably the best. And, sadly enough, that does seem to be the norm with sequels....The original is, for the most part, the best movie in the series...

I went into "Jumanji" with a slightly higher expectation than I probably should have. My brother hyped up the movie as being extremely funny and full of non-stop laughs and fun moments. I, on the other hand, didn't find the movie to be THAT funny/hilarious. Don't get me wrong, it was fun, and the concept of having it be like a real life video game was super cool. But I felt like, because of the hype I received prior to watching the movie, I left feeling a little disappointed. It probably would have been a lot funnier had my brother NOT said anything before I watched it.

 

[VF21]

So why didn't anybody tell me about the Maze Runner flicks? I recorded the first two on HBO (?) and watched them yesterday. Similar to a number of other sci-fi flicks, but still enjoyable. I'm looking forward to the release of the third one later this year.

 

[LoungeLizard]

So why didn't anybody tell me about the Maze Runner flicks? I recorded the first two on HBO (?) and watched them yesterday. Similar to a number of other sci-fi flicks, but still enjoyable. I'm looking forward to the release of the third one later this year.

The Third one is actually in theaters right now. Only reason I haven’t gone is because I haven’t watched the 2nd one. It’s been so long since I’ve seen the first one, I should probably see that one again too

 

[VF21]

The Third one is actually in theaters right now. Only reason I haven’t gone is because I haven’t watched the 2nd one. It’s been so long since I’ve seen the first one, I should probably see that one again too

I should have been more specific. I meant release on DVD or via PPV.

If you do rewatch the first two and go see the 3rd, let me know if it lives up to the first. (I viewed the second, as with most 2 of 3s, as a segue film.)

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Maze Runners are good??? I'm shocked. Maybe I'll watch when I'm at home this weekend.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I was expecting a little more out of "Commuter" myself. I certainly didn't leave the theater feeling disappointed, but I did leave feeling like they could have offered a little more on the plate. "Taken" probably is my favorite Liam Neeson movie. The first one, not any of the others. Not to say that the other "Taken" movies were bad. But the original was probably the best. And, sadly enough, that does seem to be the norm with sequels....The original is, for the most part, the best movie in the series...

I went into "Jumanji" with a slightly higher expectation than I probably should have. My brother hyped up the movie as being extremely funny and full of non-stop laughs and fun moments. I, on the other hand, didn't find the movie to be THAT funny/hilarious. Don't get me wrong, it was fun, and the concept of having it be like a real life video game was super cool. But I felt like, because of the hype I received prior to watching the movie, I left feeling a little disappointed. It probably would have been a lot funnier had my brother NOT said anything before I watched it.

I went into the Commuter with zero expectation and it was fun but forgettable. I suppose that is why I have Movie Pass. It was Sunday night when I went and I had two hours to kill and I picked the movie with the right start time and running time. It is hillarious that "Liam Neeson movie" is a thing now. I would have never seen that coming but I did at least enjoy the first Taken flick. I hated the second so never watched the third.

I saw Jumanji when Star Wars was sold out Christmas day and my son asked to see it. I think he's seen it three times now.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I Tanya was very good

I loved this a ton. I do think it was a little too Tonya biased and that the 30 for 30 from 2014 was perhaps the fairest to all sides. Allison Janney just killed it though. There's the one point where she breaks the 4th wall and complains that she's dropping out of the story and that just sums up the real Tonya mom all too well.

 

[LoungeLizard]

Red Sparrow last night. Kept me guessing til the very end. Really liked it.

Seeing Death Wish with the fellas tonight. Been looking forward to this one.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Seeing Death Wish with the fellas tonight. Been looking forward to this one.

I mean, since you've already made up your mind to see it, I hope you enjoy it?

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Spoiler: Black Panther

https://twitter.com/statuses/969751723584532480

 

[Warhawk]

Red Sparrow last night. Kept me guessing til the very end. Really liked it.

Seeing Death Wish with the fellas tonight. Been looking forward to this one.

My dad wants to see both. Probably seeing Red Sparrow tomorrow.

Caught part of Hunt for Red October on TV a night or two ago. Forgot how good that movie is - now I want to see the whole thing again!

 

[LoungeLizard]

Death Wish. Bruce Willis was great...and then some.

 

[LoungeLizard]

The Hurricane Heist - slightly embarrassed to admit I went to see this, it was garbage, and not sure how it didn’t end up a straight to DVD movie.

Gringo - had some funny moments. A little disjointed and felt longer than it’s 110 minutes, but overall enjoyed it.

 

[kingsboi]

Atomic Blonde. Charlize Theron was awesome in this movie.

 

[Warhawk]

Atomic Blonde. Charlize Theron was awesome in this movie.

Different kinds of movies with many similarities, but I really enjoyed Atomic Blonde better than Red Sparrow.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I have that one but haven't watched. My UHD blu ray player broke so I was holding out but may just play it on the Xbox.

 

[Warhawk]

I have that one but haven't watched. My UHD blu ray player broke so I was holding out but may just play it on the Xbox.

The stairwell fight scene is amazing. Trust me. Worth the price of admission alone.

 

[Warhawk]

The original Death Wish from 1974 with Charles Bronson - never saw it before. Movies have sure changed over the years - this movie doesn't really age well. The dialogue is very dated and the acting is average. Not a bad movie, but I would like to see the current remake just to see how they compare.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I think that it was Death Wish 2 or 3 that is considered the best of the series but I may be wrong. I never was a huge Charles Bronson guy.

 

[VF21]

The original Death Wish from 1974 with Charles Bronson - never saw it before. Movies have sure changed over the years - this movie doesn't really age well. The dialogue is very dated and the acting is average. Not a bad movie, but I would like to see the current remake just to see how they compare.

It was pretty impressive when it first came out but most of the movies from that era just don't hold up. I'm really anxious to see Bruce Willis in the role. From the previews I've seen, it looks like whomever did the screenplay for the new version tailored it to Willis.

 

[Telemachus]

Death Hunt (not related to the Death Wish movies) was always my favorite Charles Bronson movie.

 

[Padrino]

My wife and I just saw Annihilation last night. It was adapted from a novel by Jeff Vandermeer that I admire, and directed by Alex Garland, who crafted my favorite film of 2015 in Ex-Machina.

Annihilation comes with my highest recommendation. It's like a psychedelic, kaleidoscopic hybrid of John Carpenter's The Thing and Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. If you love engaging with the strange, with the askew, with the unsettling, then this film is for you. It's a fascinating examination of what it mean to know oneself, and what it might mean to touch the truly unknowable--I'd also recommend reading the novel (and its accompanying two sequels), if you want to read something thrillingly different, and heavily indebted to the Lovecraftian tradition of cosmic horror.

Annihilation is by far my favorite film of 2018 thus far, and it will be tough to unseat it, as it joins Ex-Machina, Mad Max: Fury Road, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049 as the most kinetic, visually-distinct, and powerfully vibrant films of the last half-decade, in my opinion.

Edit: Also, if you live in the U.S. and you're interested in seeing Annihilation, you'll want to catch it in theaters as quickly as possible. It was a production embroiled in difficulty, and it's distribution deal likely won't see it in theaters for much longer. If you live outside the U.S., you can actually already watch it via Netflix.

 

[VF21]

I most likely wouldn't have watched if Warhawk hadn't mentioned Death Wish, but in the past two nights I've watched Death Wish 3 and Death Wish 4. They don't hold up too well, either, but I do think #3 was the best of the series. (Don't get too involved with the logistics of the battle at the end, however. It'll make your head explode.) Charles Bronson was an interesting character back in the day. He gained notoriety when he married Jill Ireland, who had been married to David McCallum. He took a lot of flak from McCallum fans who thought Bronson was a homewrecker, etc. Ah, the innocence scandals of the 70s.

 

[Warhawk]

Annihilation is by far my favorite film of 2018 thus far, and it will be tough to unseat it, as it joins Ex-Machina, Mad Max: Fury Road, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049 as the most kinetic, visually-distinct, and powerfully vibrant films of the last half-decade, in my opinion.

I actually thought all the other movies you mentioned here were better than Annihilation (except Mad Max: Fury Road, which was fine for what it was but I didn't think it was THAT great). Too many holes in the story, inconsistencies, and totally predictable ending (in Annihilation) for me to give it that high of a recommendation. Interesting and nice to look at? Yes.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I have to admit I didn't really love Fury Road either. But that may have been a case of by the time I saw it there was no way it could ever live up.

 

[Padrino]

I actually thought all the other movies you mentioned here were better than Annihilation (except Mad Max: Fury Road, which was fine for what it was but I didn't think it was THAT great). Too many holes in the story, inconsistencies, and totally predictable ending (in Annihilation) for me to give it that high of a recommendation. Interesting and nice to look at? Yes.

Holes in the story? I find that an odd criticism. It’s a film that’s intentionally evasive. It wants the viewer to adopt a posture of wondering, and even actively seeks to confound the viewer in its climax. It shows far more than it tells, yet it never fully reveals because there is no vocabulary for that which cannot be described by our limited understanding of the universe. In that respect, Annihilation has a lot in common with Tarkovsky’s Solaris.

 

[Padrino]

I have to admit I didn't really love Fury Road either. But that may have been a case of by the time I saw it there was no way it could ever live up.

Fury Road has a fierce kinetic energy that is simply unrivaled by any contemporary action film. Everything about it feels so tangible, so close to the viewer, so of this earth. In that way, it’s almost the inverse of Annihilation. I admire how it keeps its action in the camera and away from the green screen. The direction is masterful. It has a genuine pulse, a unique signature, and a clear identity in ways you just don’t see very often in big budget features, which are usually crafted by committee and with an eye towards whatever will sell in international markets like China.

 

[Warhawk]

Holes in the story? I find that an odd criticism. It’s a film that’s intentionally evasive. It wants the viewer to adopt a posture of wondering, and even actively seeks to confound the viewer in its climax. It shows far more than it tells, yet it never fully reveals because there is no vocabulary for that which cannot be described by our limited understanding of the universe. In that respect, Annihilation has a lot in common with Tarkovsky’s Solaris.

I get that, believe me, I do. But being evasive doesn't mean it should leave holes.

But the movie is inconsistent with the "end results" of what is going in inside the shimmer. You are told what it does, but that isn't what happens to everyone/thing. They pick and choose the end results for residents there when the event happened, the previous team that went in, as well as the all-female (last) team the movie follows. There is no consistency to what happens.

The actions of the people in the movie are just mind-boggling (type of "insertion" into the shimmer, lack of full analysis/evaluation before sending people in, sending in small teams with no backup, etc., etc.). Would anyone actually do this?

There are others, these are just a couple that I don't think are too spoiler-y off the top of my head.

Maybe the book does a better job? In my experience they typically do as the movies are so time-crunched.

And the ending was totally predictable. No surprise at all. Fell flat.

 

[Padrino]

I get that, believe me, I do. But being evasive doesn't mean it should leave holes.

But the movie is inconsistent with the "end results" of what is going in inside the shimmer. You are told what it does, but that isn't what happens to everyone/thing. They pick and choose the end results for residents there when the event happened, the previous team that went in, as well as the all-female (last) team the movie follows. There is no consistency to what happens.

The actions of the people in the movie are just mind-boggling (type of "insertion" into the shimmer, lack of full analysis/evaluation before sending people in, sending in small teams with no backup, etc., etc.). Would anyone actually do this?

There are others, these are just a couple that I don't think are too spoiler-y off the top of my head.

Maybe the book does a better job? In my experience they typically do as the movies are so time-crunched.

And the ending was totally predictable. No surprise at all. Fell flat.

Spoiler

If the shimmer is so alien as to defy our understanding, then there is no sufficient logic that could be offered for what happens to those who cross into the shimmer. The scientists think they have a handle on what’s occurring, but do they really? Can they really? How else would they come by information about what the shimmer is and what lies behind it but to send expedition teams in? They’d already sent in a number of teams in, and we’re none the wiser for it.

For example, in the physical universe of our understanding, the physicist’s explanation of “refraction” does not actually apply to that which she attempts to apply it to. The point is that nobody can effectively grasp what is occurring with the shimmer, what it is, or why it’s expanding. It is unknowable, and that frustration is clear in the psychologist’s weary command of the situation.

As for the ending, what did you find predictable about it?? I thought the encounter at the lighthouse was absolutely tremendous in its thematic resonance.spoiler

 

[Warhawk]

Spoiler

If the shimmer is so alien as to defy our understanding, then there is no sufficient logic that could be offered for what happens to those who cross into the shimmer. The scientists think they have a handle on what’s occurring, but do they really? Can they really? How else would they come by information about what the shimmer is and what lies behind it but to send expedition teams in? They’d already sent in a number of teams in, and we’re none the wiser for it.

For example, in the physical universe of our understanding, the physicist’s explanation of “refraction” does not actually apply to that which she attempts to apply it to. The point is that nobody can effectively grasp what is occurring with the shimmer, what it is, or why it’s expanding. It is unknowable, and that frustration is clear in the psychologist’s weary command of the situation.

As for the ending, what did you find predictable about it?? I thought the encounter at the lighthouse was absolutely tremendous in its thematic resonance.spoiler

Spoiler

Somehow they were getting video back out. I don't remember now if it was streamed or physically removed. But if there is something potentially alien, why send in a couple small teams to get wiped out? And why go so far in off the bat? Send in tethered/wired drones. Send in large parties that don't try to set up military encampments to get some data and return quickly for analysis. Establish a perimeter around the entire land side of the shimmer and see when her "husband" walked out. It's the prototypical horror movie logic - lets split up and go in small groups so they can wipe us out.

They kept saying how nobody returned, well no ****, you send in small teams and push them to the center of a meteor strike with alien goings-on. What the heck do you think is going to happen? They are going to invite you over for a crab feed? What happened to a quick recon and return?

I was referring to she and her husband being alien and not human at the end. Of course they are alien and didn't make it out "intact". Super predictable.

The lighthouse scene was interesting but I am still trying to figure out what it was trying to get across/accomplish. And if the fact that the audience is just supposed to go "What the heck" and not understand the implications or meaning, I consider that lazy storytelling, or at least, you didn't to a good job telling the story.

I loved "Arrival" - I thought it was a MUCH better movie than Annihilation. Similar with Ex Machina. I thought Blade Runner did a great job living up to the expectation as a successor to the original and being able to capture that magic. Annihilation just didn't do it, at least, not for me.