Thread: What are you watching?
Simon Birch (1998)

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I watched this one ~20 years ago and remember it being a very heartfelt and touching film. All these years later I feel the same way. Its a simple story of a kid who is born different (and tiny), his faith and how it impacts those around him. Takes place in a small town where there a tons of negative Nancie's who cant see how a 2ft tall kid could ever be a hero. Despite this contact objection, he keeps his faith that he was born the way he was for a reason. To be a hero one day. It will probably play your emotions like a fiddle, but still recommended.
 
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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

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Had been meaning to watch this one for a while. But every time I thought about watching the 2:41 runtime turned me off. I have seen Sergio Leone's In the West and in America, so I was sort of expecting and homage to them, just set in Hollywood in the 60's. Well it was nothing like those films. Was no where near as epic and expansive. Though that didnt hurt it honestly. Brad Pitt and DiCaprio were on point throughout and gave the story some real meat.

Wasn't sure what I thought through most of the film. It was right there on the edge edge of great and ok. Again being carried by the performances of the leading men. There would be a fantastic scene (like Bruce Lee getting spanked) and then there would be some real valleys (Tate at the movies).

But
When the Manson family attacked and got the tar beat out of them it really placed its self in the awesome category. A tripping Pitt womping on dirty hip[pies made my night. And he beat those fucks mercilessly. Then add in the one getting (literally) torched by DiCaprio and you have one hell of a happy ending.

So yea, nothing like the title would lead one to believe, but a good time is had. Tarentino did a nice tribute to the douche-ocity that is Hollywood. Having spent a few year partying in the Hollywood hills it did feel very familiar...even if my adventures were a few decades later. Recommended.
 
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Yeah it's so hard for me to put my opinion of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood into words. I didn't really like it, yet it was also extremely well made. Some scenes have me melting into the movie and others pull me out. And in the end, I just didn't care enough about the actual event in history for this to hit as hard as something like Inglorious Basterds.
 
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

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This one had been on my 'to watch' list for two decades. When I was starting to get into anime and was searching for good ones, this title would always come up. Everyone who had seen it would claim that it was both incredibly sad and one of the best anime films ever created.

Now that I have seen it I think they were being a bit hyperbolic on both comments. It was a good film with a very heavy plot that focuses on the unseen victims in war. Very much the stuff that Hollywood often ignores (or marginalizes) to focus on the Hero warrior kicking ass. It was sad. But for some reason I was never near tears. I have a heavy heart for sure, but due to the slow burn of the tragedy I think I was at peace with the outcome long before the final events unfolded. Or maybe its because I know what its like to bury a younger sibling when you yourself are still a child and this topic no longer fazes me (or maybe its just my coping mechanism kicking in). IDK, YMMV.

But if you are ever in the mood for a somber, yet touching tale of children making due in a time of suffering, I would recommend Grave of the Fireflies.
 
Psycho (1960)

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Last time I watched it I came away less than impressed. Still feel the same way. I am sure it was something special in 1960, but today is barely worth watching beyond understanding pop culture references. Story is slow and boring. Basic plot isn't bad, but its executed poorly. The acting is beyond awful. The only remotely decent actor is Anthony Perkins (Bates) and even he is pretty wooden. But the rest are just god awful. And that exceedingly long prologue is such a waste of time. Could have been done in 5min and instead was dragged out for over a half hour.

Music was solid though. And it was well shot. So production was clearly high.
 
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The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Director: Peter Jackson

Finished The Hobbit Trilogy for the first time earlier. This final chapter in the trilogy is my favorite among the three Hobbit movies. The Hobbit is a timeless classic one of the greatest tales of all time and I'm glad to have finally gotten to watching them all. Below are my favorite scenes from the movie, and they're powerful moments. Felt like Peter Jackson closed it off strong





 
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I just remember feeling like I had wasted a few hours of my life when I came out of the theater for that 3rd Hobbit movie. And I enjoyed the first 2 enough to go and see them twice each!

Seeing the first Hobbit in high framerate 3D was an interesting experience too.
 
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The Battle of the Five Armies is by far the greatest of the films imo, the first and second were good though. I can never forget how badly they butchered Beorn’s character, and his quarters plus the level of hospitality and guidance he showed to the company in the movies, that was a missed opportunity to the fullest extent. That’s why the first and second cannot win the same amount of praise. But the confrontation of Smaug in their own lair and homeland under the Lonely Mountain was a great touch, cuz in the book it was only Bilbo who handled Smaug in Erebor

The greatest scene in BotFA has to be when Lord Dàin of the Iron Hills arrives upon the hill with his army prepared for war. That guy was a fucking beast. Made the Dwarves look even more formidable than the elves
 
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The Fountain (2006)

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Probably the 10th time viewing. I just absolutely love this one. It is epitome of beauty. Both in visual effects and messaging. Every time I watch it I weep in sadness and awe of beauty and the infinite. Some might not like (or get) its 'choppiness' but I think it is clear as day what is being told and the parallel (and intertwining) stories are imperfectly congruent. Definitely one of those films that must be watched at least once.

Great film



^ This scene always gets me in the feels. Probably Jackman's most emotionally raw performance outside of Prisoners

Holy shit cyberpunk edge runners on Netflix is really good. I am only two episodes In but animation is on point and the story has me hooked.

Yeah I've heard good things, which is encouraging
 
Back when the $10 Movie Pass was a thing I randomly went to the theaters to see this movie Upgrade completely blind. Saw no previews, knew nothing go in.

Ended up being one of my favorite movies of all time. The director's next movie, The Invisible Man was also really good.
 
I started watching Lost a few weeks ago, and absolutely love it. Wished I watched it sooner. I'm mucho sads that I'm on the last season.
 
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Currently rewatching The Hobbit Trilogy. Bought the 4K set the other day. Looks fantastic. Waiting on the LoTR 4K set to arrive.
Also watching Top Boy on Netflix, and The Rings of Power on Amazon.
When all this is over I think I'm gonna take a break from the screen and get back to my Wheel of Time books. The Dragon Reborn is next.
 
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After all the positive talk and complete ennui to carry on with Rings of Power I figured I'd give Cyberpubk Edgerunners a watch. Pretty enjoyable, though I swapped to the English voices as trying to watch the action and the subs was too much. Haven't finished it, but get a fair few in. Positive thumbs up.

Also on Netflix been watching this German Show Kleo, set in 1987, it's about an East German Stasi assassin who gets sold down the river and then when she gets released after the wall comes down, goes after the people who set her up. Black Comedy, but quite enjoyable.

 
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Everything everywhere all at once is one of my top 5 movies. It was so fucking weird and I felt like I was on a drug trip. Overall really well done but not perfect.

 
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Always a pleasure
This is (far and away) my favorite film in the LOTR trilogy. IMO its the only great film and the others are just decent. The fellowship[ was something special and sorely missed since.

Last night I watched
Millennium Actress (2001)
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Was a re-watch of a film I immensely enjoy. It one that keeps you engaged to the end while tickling both your mind and emotions. I am hard pressed to think of a film that is similar. Honestly the The Man Who Killed Don Quixote by Terry Gilliam is probably the closest western example. Its a tale of re-telling a story that includes a portrayal of stories over a lifetime. The way it jumps back and forth between the films stories and the actual real world events (and modern interview) are fantastic You have to watch to understand.

Overall the story is exceptional and moving. Its a Satoshi Kon so you know its something special.
 
@CloudNull @Grisham @Catphish and anyone else interested, if you wanted to add your lists to the top 20 movies of all time thread, you can add them before the end of the weekend HERE . I forgot we even had a what are you watching thread and should have mentioned it before, someone reminded me to search for people who may be interested in adding their movie picks. It will be similar to Hostile_18's thread, where user lists will be combined and then the movies will be pitted against each other every weekday to get to a final set of top movies as voted by DPAD members.

Also for what I am watching:

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Just saw this again with my extended family. The Studio Ghibli blu rays are quite nice and the stories are usually pretty chill as well.​
 
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Been forever since I watched these films. Maybe since the 90s. I remembered it being overly gory but with a cool lore aspect. My memory was solid. BUt add in dumb plots and bad acting. Some of the best bad movies. The story concept, the cenobites, hell/afterlife and the cube/puzzle are so cool that it overcompensates enough to cover a flailing productions.
 
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movie was not at all what I expected, which was nice. overall not a bad flick but was hoping for more from Ti.

honestly, The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers are both better.

which reminds me, it's definitely time for a rewatch of The Innkeepers this Halloween.

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The Americans

It's not the best show ever or anything, but I've been enjoying my time with it. I'm in the 3rd season now.

The main characters are KGB agents who were sent to America to pretend to be a married couple. They are not allowed to ever speak Russian or even speak with a Russian accent (which is great since they can get away with hiring actors who can't pull an accent off anyway).

They have kids and inject themselves into American society all while carrying out spy missions. Meanwhile, we also see the life of an FBI agent desperately trying to move up the ladder who has no idea that his neighbors are KGB, right under his nose.
 
Doing a rewatch of all of Peter Jackson's Middle Earth movies on Amazon Prime, which of course they made available because they needed to hype up the release of Rings of Power. Jjokes on them though, a watching these movies makes their excrementof a Tolkien series look even worse in comparison. Even with some missteps on Jackson's part his adaptation of Tolkien's work is still a 100 times better than any shite that Amazon can come up with.

So with that out of the way, here's my thoughts. I'm doing a break from tradition though, and watching all the movies according to the order of Tolkien's books. The Hobbit first then The Lord of the Rings.

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The Hobbit trilogy (An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug, The Battle of the Five Armies) - So after watching these movies again, I've come to the same conclusion as I did years ago. They are very FLAWED and really don't live up to the LOTR trilogy. That said there are some good things in here that are worthy of praise.

PROS

Casting - Martin Freeman is perfect as Bilbo Baggins. Also good are Richard Armitage as Thorin, Ken Stott as Balin and James Nesbitt as Bofur.
Retuning Cast - Ian Mckellen as Gandalf is always a pleasure to watch, as are Hugo Weaving as Elrond and the late Christopher Lee as Saruman. Cate Blanchett as Galadriel though, is the best performance of the old cast and shows us why the Lady of Lorien is to be feared (see Amazon? This is how you portray Galadriel you fucking hacks)
Smaug - Bar none, the greatest dragon ever put to screen. And he's voiced and mocapped by Benedict Cumberbatch who gives a sinisterly great performance.
The Music - Can't go wrong with Howard Shore, who gives the Dwarves a great theme that plays multiple times throughout the trilogy. And I know some people may hate him, but I really liked Ed Sheeran's I See Fire, which is the end credits song to the second film.

CONS

Visuals - The trilogy has this bright, glowy color palette that's always bothered me. It doesn't have the grounded visual look of LOTR, which really help sell you that Middle Earth was a real place. Maybe because it was shot in digital rather than film, in addition to being made for 3D. The Hobbit trilogy really looks like it was shot entirely on green screen and comes off looking worse as a result.
Too many CGI characters - What the hell Weta? Why'd you go and make the orcs and goblins bunch of cgi npcs? What happened to your awesome makeup and prosthetic work to create the Goblins of Moria and the Uruk Hai of Isengard? They looked awesome in comparison to Azog and Bolg.
The Necromancer subplot - I do not give a shit about finding out who the Necromancer is, because anybody who's read the books will know it's Sauron. It's an unnecessary detour that drags down the films and distracts from the real plot, which is the Dwarves' quest to reclaim Erebor.
Greenwood Elf jerks - Why'd they have to turn the Elves of Mirkwood into a bunch of hateful jerks? They weren't assholes like this in the books so why did Jackson turn up their animosity towards Dwarves up to 11? I just want to punch the screen everytime that jerk King Thranduil pops up onscreen, and a returning Orlando Bloom as Legolas is just as unpleasant to watch. On that note...
Legolas the Super-Elf - Back in LOTR, Legolas' feats of superhuman ability happened on rare occasions and looked AWESOME. Here, it seems in every other scene he's doing some AWESOME thing that it verges on the ridiculous. It's completely over the top and runs counter to the grounded and somewhat believable action of the LOTR trilogy. And Legolas is not the only guilty of this, as the Dwarves do have their moments of ridiculousness, particularly the River chase scene.
Elf/Dwarf loving - Oi vey. Did we really need a romantic subplot between Evangeline Lilly's Tauriel and Aidan Turner's Kili? What purpose does it serve to the plot? At least Aragorn and Arwen's romance had a reason for being there in the LOTR trilogy.

Whew. There's my thoughts on watching The Hobbit films again. Am halfway through The Two Towers now and I'll be giving my impression on the LOTR trilogy soon.
 
So I kind of got sidetracked with my rewatch of LOTR, as I'm currently watching an anime on Amazon based on an amazing manga I read years ago.

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Golden Kamuy - Based on the manga by Satoru Noda, Golden Kamuy is set in the aftermath of the Russo Japanese War in 1907 (though it's never eally officially confirmed what year it is). Suichi Sugimoto, a veteran of the conflict, is panning for gold in Hokkaido to make ends meet. Nicknamed the Immortal Sugimoto for his reputation of being hard to kill, he happens on a tale of 24 escaped prisoners from Abashiri prison who all bear unusual tattoos. The tattoos when linked together are said to form a map that leads to a hidden stash of gold somewhere in Hokkaido. The stolen gold, which was taken from the native Ainu people, is now being sought out by numerous groups, many of whom are willing to kill for it. Wanting the gold for his own reasons, Sugimoto is soon joined by a young Ainu girl named Asirpa, who is an expert hunter and knows much about the wilds of Hokkaido.

I first read the manga years ago (though I never finished it) and even then I thought it was amazing. It's a rollicking historical adventure that's equal parts violent, funny, heartwarming and tragic. It also contains a lot of info and insight into the culture of the Ainu people thru the character of Asirpa. And can I just say it's refreshing to have a anime protagonist who's not a clueless male idiot half the time. Sugimoto is a fucking badass and more than lives up to his reputation of being "The Immortal." And then there's Asirpa, who is just as badass and capable but thankfully is free of any current year strongk womyn bullshit. Her strength comes from being an experienced hunter with a breath of knowledge of the land and it's dangers.

I'm enjoying this series a lot, and if any of you have the chance you should check it out as well.
 
The Jacket (2005)

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This was a second viewing. I watched it when it dropped on DVD back in the day. At the time I wasnt too impressed with it and thought it was kind of a dumb concept. A decade and a half later I have chanegd my mind. Sure its not part of the upper echelon of film or storytelling. BUt it was fairly solid. It was very much a more heartfelt (and smaller scale) version of 12 Monkeys. Same concept of a guy going back and forth in time and trying to figure something out and alter history. Where as 12 Monkeys they were trying to save humanity, here they are trying to save a couple kids.

Its a slow start, but picks up and keeps a good pace after the first time trip. Adrian Brody was good, as was Keira Knightley. She played the 'troubled' girl well and teh two had some decent on screen chemistry. Kris Kristofferson was Kris Kristofferson. Also I absolutly forgot that Daniel Caig was in this one. Was a pleasant surprise.

This was my favorite Craig scene.
 
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A Ghost Story (2017)

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This is I think my fourth viewing of this work. It is exactly what a modern art or indie or what ever you want to call a non trivial or mass appeal work of cinematic relativity, should be. The pacing, the tone, the aspect ratio.... all make it stand out like the ghost that lingers throughout. It really makes you feel something.... or more it makes those who don't, desperately wish they did. The feelings of hollowness and longing for belonging are cataclysmic. Seeing what you love and are attached to fade away in a blink of an eye and repeatedly replaced with the new and now. Never filling that void. Only making you yearn ever deeper for what you took for granted. Until one day you give in to the nothingness.... and it begins all over again. Bringing with it hope and wonderment beyond your wildest comprehension. And now the pain becomes so sweet that you savor it. Its the darkness that shines down on the light and makes everything so clear. So magnificent. So... special.

A magically beautiful film that most will overlook.
 
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Willow (1988)

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Still my all time favorite fantasy film. This has to be close to my 100th viewing. Its simply as magical as the events it depicts. I watched my VHS copy until it wore out as a kid. When watching today I thought about how this film pretty much ticks all the woke boxes.... without being woke. The hero is a small person. The strongest characters and ultimate show down is two women. Older women at that! The premise is to save a baby girl. Yes there is the super badass Madmartigan, but he is honestly a supporting character. Just a little bit ahead of Sorsha. Add in that the most bad ass Nelwyn is a black little person (Vohnkar!!!!). But yet it all feel incredibly natural. Never does any of it feel forced like the horse shit scene in Return of the King "I am no man" (Barf!) Its just a great story that hits on all cylinders.

While watching I also thought about how its this film that made me engjoy the Jackson LOTR films so much. I was so starved for a high production fantasy film after Willow. I still think The Fellowship is a great film. But the Two Towers and Return of the King are real stinkers. They in no way compare to Willow or Legend (my second favorite fantasy film).

And the Music! It may not be John Williams, but it does the same impact of adding mood and excitement to scenes.

I fully acknowledge that Willow is pretty much a Star Wars meets LOTR story. But god damn is it brilliant. One of my all time top 5.
 
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Willow (1988)

b3N0ZXIuanBn


Still my all time favorite fantasy film. This has to be close to my 100th viewing. Its simply as magical as the events it depicts. I watched my VHS copy until it wore out as a kid. When watching today I thought about how this film pretty much ticks all the woke boxes.... without being woke. The hero is a small person. The strongest characters and ultimate show down is two women. Older women at that! The premise is to save a baby girl. Yes there is the super badass Madmartigan, but he is honestly a supporting character. Just a little bit ahead of Sorsha. Add in that the most bad ass Nelwyn is a black little person (Vohnkar!!!!). But yet it all feel incredibly natural. Never does any of it feel forced like the horse shit scene in Return of the King "I am no man" (Barf!) Its just a great story that hits on all cylinders.

While watching I also thought about how its this film that made me engjoy the Jackson LOTR films so much. I was so starved for a high production fantasy film after Willow. I still think The Fellowship is a great film. But the Two Towers and Return of the King are real stinkers. They in no way compare to Willow or Legend (my second favorite fantasy film).

And the Music! It may not be John Williams, but it does the same impact of adding mood and excitement to scenes.

I fully acknowledge that Willow is pretty much a Star Wars meets LOTR story. But god damn is it brilliant. One of my all time top 5.
Truly an excellent film.
 
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movie was not at all what I expected, which was nice. overall not a bad flick but was hoping for more from Ti.

honestly, The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers are both better.

which reminds me, it's definitely time for a rewatch of The Innkeepers this Halloween.

the-innkeepers-sara-paxton.gif

You ever watch The Roost?

Ti is awesome, I just wish he'd learn to write better endings to his movies. Dude has a distinct voice. My favorite of all those mumblecore directors.

I went and saw Barbarian at a matinee

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What a weird, smart little horror movie.

One of those "Less you know the better" deals. If anyone here can catch it, I give it a 👍
 
Doing my third run through of Cheers in the last five years. God damn does the show fall off hard in season six. Rebeca Chambers is the worst ducking character. The supporting cast is firing on all cylinders but the Sam/Rebecca/Drake but is like an anchor dragging it down. Season five was already hit or miss with Sam/Diane bit getting old. They should have just left the Paradigm as it was (Sam owns the bar) and simply cycled through females for Sam to court every few episodes.

Oh well as long as Frasier, Cliff and Norm are funny the show is still enjoyable.
 
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Stfu @O-N-E it looks tight



Okay I definitely enjoyed myself here.

Is Don't Worry Darling reminiscent of other movies? Yes it wears them on its sleeve. Is there a feminist theme to the movie? Yes, absolutely, and its tastefully done. Is Florence Pugh inarguably stunning throughout the entirety of the film? Yes, and her electric performance shines through even moreso. Nick Kroll was also an absolute joy to watch as he chewed up what screen time he was allowed. Trippy visuals and an engaging story throughout, even if it'll remind you of a few movies you've seen before.

Easy 7.5/10 for me. Had a blast.

It's Stepford Wives meets Eternal Sunshine meets Logans Run meets Black Swan meets Pleasantville. Very cool and a visual treat.
 
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The Watcher review: The Netflix series strays from the original, and is too  convoluted and long to make a thriller qualify as one


Fantastic mini-series on Netflix that is super creepy. I would give it a solid 8.5/10 and pacing was great except episode 6 felt a bit like filler. Extra creepy because it is true and I remember hearing about the story on Podcasts and being like "what the fuck". I highly recommend it.
 
The Watcher review: The Netflix series strays from the original, and is too  convoluted and long to make a thriller qualify as one


Fantastic mini-series on Netflix that is super creepy. I would give it a solid 8.5/10 and pacing was great except episode 6 felt a bit like filler. Extra creepy because it is true and I remember hearing about the story on Podcasts and being like "what the fuck". I highly recommend it.
My dad was recommending this to me as well, i might check it out.
 
Watched the first four episodes of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners of Netflix

Enjoyed it overall, thanks to the great setting and atmosphere. Some really bad stuff in it. Like the conversation between D and his mother in the car. The voice work was incredibly bad, like some random person from the street just read those lines. Not well written either.

The visual presentation is somewhat charming but also not great. It could've been done so much better. Even on an OLED, it wasn't impressive or anything. Generally very low detail art style. With a buzzing Cyberpunk setting, a lot more could've been achieved.

Still liked it so far because the setting and the world are very strong. Will watch more.
 
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