Recently watched movies!

[Hybrid Gojira]

Django Unchained - Love this movie, Jamie Foxx, and Christoph Waltz. DiCaprio is awesome. 8/10.

Big Trouble in Little China - Ugh. I had only watched bits and pieces before. I liked some of the creature designs, but overall the movie kinda sucked and was really boring. I really wanted to like it...I just couldn't. 5/10.

[DannyBeane]

But big trouble in little China is such a fun movie though...

[klen7]

Django is my least favorite Tarantino movie and I'm in the Big Trouble Camp, so pretty much I have the opposite feelings on those flicks.

[Hybrid Gojira]

The Thing (1982) - One of the very best sci-fi/horror movies of all time. Incredible creatures, a few good scares, and a terrifying premise. 9/10.

[Dr Kain]

A View to a Kill - An improvement over Octopussy, but mostly that is because of Christopher Walken. That man is just awesome in this movie. Moore is way too old to be playing Bond though, especially when the girl is once again half his age. I give it a 6/10. The soundtrack is awesome.

Kung Fury - WTF is this? My friends showed this to us and I guess it is because they hate us. My god this was so damn stupid. There were maybe three good moments in the entire thing but I wanted my 30 minutes back. The effects looked like they came out of a PS1 game. 4/10 stars and that is really just for the scene of the T-Rex and Robot Eagle trying to hit each other with their small arms/legs.

[jellydonut25]

[jellydonut25]

[lhb412]

Frankenstein Created Woman

Not everything about this movie works, but I think it... uh, mostly works, you know? An interesting premise, good cast, some really neat scenes. It's neat how Cushing's Dr. Frankenstein sort of modulates between outright villainy and not that bad throughout these films.

High Anxiety

Nowhere near as successful a spoof as some of Mel Brooks' others. Maybe trying to ape Hitchcock's pacing slows down the rhythm Brooks needs? Still, there's more than a few great bits. I loved Howard Morris (Professor Little Old Man!) and Madeline Kahn, and Mel singing the theme song is probably my favorite part.

[Dr Kain]

I love High Anxiety, especially the scene when the camera is underneath the table and keeps moving around whenever someone puts their glass in front of it.


Jurassic World - Still a 7/10.

Sweet Smell of Success - I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this movie. The cinematography was absolutely fantastic but the characters were just total assholes and not in a likable way. They were just giant jerk monkeys, but sadly, their punishment was not enough. It is either a 6 or a 7/10.

[Dr Kain]

Odd Man Out - Unfortunately, this movie just doesn't work for me. It had a great beginning and a great ending, but the middle just dragged on for way too much to the point that I got really really bored. The movie started to lose me after Johnny was dropped off by the Taxi driver dude and it didn't pick up until Shell was leading Johnny to the church. Two hours was just way too long which is sad because there is a fantastic 90 minute movie in here. I'll rewatch it sometime next year in hopes that it grips me the second time around, but for now, I'm going to give it a 5/10 and it is my least favorite Film Noir I have watched up to this point.

[XvGojira]

Karate Kid 3 - I swear that they didn't have a full script and Ralph Macchio was just vamping so much it makes it seem like Daniel is all coked up. The "not a love interest" just ups and vanishes part way through, making her character quite pointless. But the villain is the reason to watch it. Hilariously awful. And the fact he bringing vengeance upon Daniel and Mr Miyagi and it end when Daniel wins the tournament again. A man who supposedly super rich, as shown by all of his assistance following him having him sign "the new petroleum deal" and what not, just stops after the kid wins a tournament. Unless part 4 starts with Mr Miyagi getting evicted from his new home and bonsai business because this dude bought the building/land and whatnot, his plan is rather short sighted for having as many resources as he seems to have.

Inside Out - Another Pixar hit. I love how this movie deals with the subject matter and its ultimate resolution. I'll admit I was expecting first-10-minutes-of-Up style water works to happen at some point but it didn't hit me like that at any point. But this was wonderfully executed and a blast to watch. Also that Lava short was just adorable.

[klen7]

Recently...

The Hole: There is a superb horror movie hiding in the first half of this film... unfortunately that gets lost to a conveyor belt of horror cliches from ghost girls to evil clown dolls. It really made me want to see an adaptation of "House of Leaves" by someone like David Fincher.

Gone Girl: I complained about the length of this film before starting it, but in hindsight, i wouldn't cut a scene. Pretty solid work from everyone involved. terrific casting across the board.. and even actors like Tyler Perry and NPH seem to be transformed and taken up a notch.

John Wick: I really loved the build up to the action, it definitely set the stage that John Wick was a bad dude, so once he lets loose it all feels very appropriate. Plenty of CG blood in this one, which interestingly enough is probably why so many people get shot in the head.

[Dr Kain]

Ride the Pink Horse - Wow, what a fantastic movie this was!! It was interesting, unique, and very well put together. The acting was great, especially from the guy that played Pancho, who was down right awesome. I loved the ending because it did not turn out to be anything like what I was expecting. It didn't have as much style as other Film Noirs I have seen have done, but it sure as hell made up for it with its substance. I give it an 8/10 stars.

[Hybrid Gojira]

Pacific Rim - I caught some snippets of this the other night. I love this movie. It's fun, the characters work, and again...it's FUN. I really hope the Godzilla sequel follows suit and ramps up the action and approach that PR (and even Jurassic World) took. It also reminded me how much G14 has waned on me, while my opinion on PR has improved since I first watched it in theaters.

Gladiator - I really like this movie. Some of the CGI has not held up very well (mostly the shots of cities in Rome), but the action is great and I really enjoy the characters.

[lhb412]

The Thing From Another World

When I was a kid I disliked this film because I didn't feel the makeup for the monster was monster-y enough. Thankfully, I've wised up. I could go on and on about this film, but instead I'll just implore you to watch the skies! Keep watching the skies!

The Magnificent Seven

Not quite as good as Seven Samurai, but pretty damn good. It's neat that Eli Wallach kind of steals the movie with a character nonexistent in Kurosawa's original.

To Be or Not to Be (1983)

Doesn't quite match the excellence of the 1942 original, but considering that that film is utter brilliance this one managing to be pretty dang good is quite an accomplishment. Loved Christopher Lloyd, who made laugh in almost every scene he was in.

[Dr Kain]

Terminator Genisys -

The Good - Every time Arnold or JK Simmons talked, awesomesauce poured out. They were utterly fantastic and you could tell Arnold was clearly having fun reprising the T101. Not only that, but the aspect of screwing up time from time travel was a pretty neat idea and the stuff with John would have been really awesome if the trailers hadn't already spoiled it!!

The Bad - Emilia Clark was horribly miscast and she seemed uncomfortable in her role. She is no Sarah Connor and they should have really gone for an unknown for the role. Also, there is a serious lack of character development and the plot does get really awkward when you think about it.

The Ugly - OH MY GOD, the CGI is absolutely atrocious. It looks like a PS3 game most of the time, especially when they have CGI plastered over the 1984 T101. Also, the CGI for the T1000 looks no better than it did in 1992, which is quite sad.

Overall, the movie is by far the best of the sequels that came out after T2, but still far from perfect. However, I went in with very low expectations and came out quite entertained thanks to Arnold's performance. The movie makes a lot of missteps and sequel baits (especially if you stay for the mid-credit scene, nothing after), but it did it well. The whole thing dealing with history changing was cool though and did something I was hoping to see done, so it gets bonus points for that. It is just a shame it did it in such a lazy haphazardly way. Nevertheless, if you go into this movie just wanting to watch an entertaining movie and can ignore how great the first two movies were, you can do much worse. If you are looking for a movie with great characters, a deep plot that makes sense, and the best special effects money can buy, go somewhere else. I give it a 7/10.

[jellydonut25]

[DannyBeane]

Just watched Late Phases which is a werewolf movie that has everything going for it but the werewolves.it's beautifully shot but the werewolves are awful. Also Stake lands Nick Damici was wonderful. The final battle was weak though.

[jellydonut25]

I love Stake Land. Yeah, the wolves stink, but I like pretty much everything else, so it gets a pass.

[DannyBeane]

[jellydonut25]

[Dr Kain]

Blazing Saddles - This was my third time ever seeing this movie and it gets better with each viewing. My only complaint is that Khan's singing scene drags on for too long. The jokes are hilarious and the breaking the fourth wall bits are great. I give it an 8/10.

[lhb412]

^Blazing Saddles is a perfect movie, or at least close to perfect.

The History of the World, Part 1

Like any sketch comedy movie (even when the sketches are rather extended) certain parts are stronger than others. I thought the Roman segment, even with Madeline Khan as Empress Nympho, was quite a bit weaker than the French Revolution one, which had me rolling. Mel was great in the alternating roles of Louis XVI and Jacques. Oh, and I can't forget the Inquisition musical number! Deservedly legendary!

[jellydonut25]

Air Collison - If I just say what the movie's about: A rogue satellite knocking out all communications causing Air Force One to be on a collision course with a regular passenger jet while Reginald VelJohnson sits in an air traffic control tower trying to get communications back online; it sounds really kinda boring. It's not though. It's the most batsh*t insane thing I've ever seen.

Just when you think it can't possibly get any dumber, it reaches new highs (lows?) of absolute brilliant stupidity. Just when the passenger jet is cruising along with the hole in its side blown into it by AFO's sidewinder missile defenses, which were activated by the rogue satellite, which gained sentience for no reason, after the one fat guy had a heart attack and another dude died from...question mark...a woman has a seizure to death in the back row and the first lady is almost sucked out a vacuum into oblivion, while the hot scientist chick who's on the ground is running up and down the same hill five times to give the illusion she's traveling a great distance because she needs to get to...I have no idea...and do...something I assume is important...and now the satellite is shooting people through CCTV monitoring cameras. I absolutely ADORE this wretched pile of garbage. SOOOOO good...or bad...or whatever.

[lhb412]

Watched IT! The Terror From Beyond Space and The Monster That Challenged the World on the old Midnite Movies double feature DVD (probably one of the most fun product lines of the DVD era!). Both occupy a mid-tier place in '50s monster-dom, inferior to classics (like THEM!, Creature From the black Lagoon, and Beast From 20,000 Fathoms) but a few notches above the low ebb of films which are, to put it charitably, probably best enjoyed as MST3K fodder (like The Giant Leeches or Night of the Blood Beast). IT! has an interesting setting with clear tension built into it, what with the astronauts having to retreat further and further up the levels of the spaceship as the monster breaks through the successive hatches. The monster looks great in silhouette and rather poor in full view. The acting is serviceable but unspectacular. Challenged the World is the superior film, with a great cast and the titular giant mollusk is a rather good looking large puppet that gets a nice amount of screen time.