Rate the Last Movie You Saw

[Sock Monkey]

The wife and I did something this past weekend that I haven't done in over 30 years: Go see a movie in a drive-in theater. We have a local one-screen drive-in and we've been meaning to go check it out since moving to the area two years ago, but never have until I saw that they had a pretty cool double feature going of Alien: Romulus and Deadpool & Wolverine. The double feature was $12 per person, which is pretty darn cheap for my neck of the woods; for reference, the local Regal was charging roughly $20 per ticket for an evening showing of the newest Deadpool movie. I don't know if that's a common cost across the nation, but I think it's pretty stinking expensive.

Anyways, as for the movies, Alien: Romulus was by far one of my favorites sequels in the franchise, battling it out for the third spot with Alien 3, which is decidedly flawed yet so darn interesting. Honestly, I think it would have been a much better film if was not a direct sequel to Aliens and did not have Ripley as the lead. And, for the record, my favorite waffles between the first two films depending on mood. Back on point, the movie at least presents the xenomorphs as being scary and dangerous (something that Prometheus and Alien: Covenant failed to deliver on) and amps up the horror elements quite a bit. I've heard complaints about the fan service lines and the cast being too young, but that seems rather minor quibbles for what was such a fun flick. One caveat, the drive-in experience was not the best to see this flick as it is incredibly dark and being in an uncontrolled environment of the drive-in made it really difficult to make out what was going in certain shots. I do plan on revisiting this when it comes onto physical media. Grade: B+

Deadpool & Wolverine was so much fun. Yes, it is over the top. Yes, the plot isn't necessarily the strongest or character arcs the deepest, but the jokes were a lot of the fun and it provides a great sense of closure (being non-specific to avoid spoilers). I've enjoyed all of these films as the popcorn flicks they are and this one stayed the course and ended strong.

Spoiler!

And it was a lot of fun seeing Wesley Snipes back as Blade. I would absolutely be on board for another Snipes-led Blade film since the third was rather lackluster.

Grade: B

Overall, loved the drive-in experience and would absolutely go back. It can't compete with seeing a movie in the theater, but at least I can't hear anybody talking. Also, the nostalgia of it, is just a blast. Yes, technology moves on, but newer isn't always better when it comes to the totality of experience.

[Sock Monkey]

Watched Pearl over the weekend. Gorgeous movie, old school feel, and I just loved it. 4 out of 5 stars.

I haven't seen Pearl yet, but I really enjoyed X a lot more than I thought I was going to. I'm thinking that about slotting the whole trilogy into my Halloween horror movie viewings this year. My wife hasn't seen West's The House of the Devil yet, so I might add that into the mix as well.

[sholloman81]

Watched Pearl over the weekend. Gorgeous movie, old school feel, and I just loved it. 4 out of 5 stars.

I loved this trilogy of movies so much! In fact, they are one of the few recent movies that I actually broke down and saw in the theaters on opening day. Luckily, the crowds were fine for each showing. Mia Goth is a rockstar IMO and I'd watch her in pretty much anything!

[Ben Staad]

Watched Pearl over the weekend. Gorgeous movie, old school feel, and I just loved it. 4 out of 5 stars.

[dannyboy121070]

I watched a couple of good ones over the weekend. THE BIKERIDERS, on Peacock, about a motorcycle club that grows too large, and becomes a motorcycle GANG. Austin Butler stars, and Tom Hardy and the lead actress, whose name escapes me, deliver the weirdest accents I've ever heard in a drama. Worth seeing for her accent alone.

On the batshit crazy front, Prime Video has THE BEEKEEPER, which finds Jason Statham killing tons of people in a quest for justice on behalf of a scammed senior citizen. If you like a good, old-fashioned "Kill 'em all" revenge film, look no further.

[dannyboy121070]

Thanks for further insight into the decision to turn the rather slim novel version of THE HOBBIT into a three movies. Should have expected that greed was at the center of it. Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed finishing off your rewatch!

I had a good time! I'm in no hurry to watch them again, but it was fun.

[Sock Monkey]

I consider the LOTR trilogy, theatrical and extended editions, some of the finest motion pictures ever made. My wife makes fun of me because I can stumble across them on TV, and get sucked into watching again every time. I still cry when Sam carries Frodo up Mount Doom.

Vice just did a great season of ICONS UNEARTHED about the making of the two trilogies, and THE HOBBIT seems to have been an especially torturous production. Jackson did not want to direct, tapping Guillermo del Toro for that job, but it quickly became apparent that he also did not want to relinquish control, and the studios involved wanted no one but Jackson at the helm. Some of the extras that I've been watching during my Hobbitathon show, in a glancing way, the stress Jackson was under. In some of the behind-the-scenes footage he looks like a living corpse, scarily thin and exhausted-looking. A featurette about Smaug shows that they were still working on his look at the end of the first film two weeks before the premiere date. According to the Vice show, del Toro and Jackson agreed on two films, but the weird rights situation demanded that all profits from the first film be split among all of the involved studios, but any subsequent films would be pure profit for Warner Bros., which made Warner's insist on THREE films, rather than two. You can tell this trilogy was a money-grab, rather than a labor of love, like the first trilogy.

Looking forward to finishing out the trilogy tonight. It served it's purpose by lightening up my grim mood, so...mission accomplished.

Thanks for further insight into the decision to turn the rather slim novel version of THE HOBBIT into a three movies. Should have expected that greed was at the center of it. Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed finishing off your rewatch!

[dannyboy121070]

Enjoy yourself and the film. I'm sure you deserve a little peace.



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Thanks, Ben!

[Ben Staad]

Enjoy yourself and the film. I'm sure you deserve a little peace.

Looking forward to finishing out the trilogy tonight. It served it's purpose by lightening up my grim mood, so...mission accomplished.

 

[dannyboy121070]

I know I saw the first two HOBBIT films, but I don't think I ever watched the third. I think the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy is fantastic--any thoughts on the extended versions of those?--but the HOBBIT trilogy left me a little cold. I think two films would have sufficed. I think that the making of the HOBBIT films is fascinating, though, as it seems to have been rather troubled. If I remember correctly--and I could be wrong--but I remember seeing a making-of that discussed how the second film ground to a halt due to not having a detailed plan for the final battle, which in turn formed the genesis for the third film. Like I said, I could be misremembering this, but if that's the case, I can't imagine the pressure on Jackson and company.

I consider the LOTR trilogy, theatrical and extended editions, some of the finest motion pictures ever made. My wife makes fun of me because I can stumble across them on TV, and get sucked into watching again every time. I still cry when Sam carries Frodo up Mount Doom.

Vice just did a great season of ICONS UNEARTHED about the making of the two trilogies, and THE HOBBIT seems to have been an especially torturous production. Jackson did not want to direct, tapping Guillermo del Toro for that job, but it quickly became apparent that he also did not want to relinquish control, and the studios involved wanted no one but Jackson at the helm. Some of the extras that I've been watching during my Hobbitathon show, in a glancing way, the stress Jackson was under. In some of the behind-the-scenes footage he looks like a living corpse, scarily thin and exhausted-looking. A featurette about Smaug shows that they were still working on his look at the end of the first film two weeks before the premiere date. According to the Vice show, del Toro and Jackson agreed on two films, but the weird rights situation demanded that all profits from the first film be split among all of the involved studios, but any subsequent films would be pure profit for Warner Bros., which made Warner's insist on THREE films, rather than two. You can tell this trilogy was a money-grab, rather than a labor of love, like the first trilogy.

Looking forward to finishing out the trilogy tonight. It served it's purpose by lightening up my grim mood, so...mission accomplished.

[Sock Monkey]

I had some really depressing news that sent me into a funk, so I did what I did the last time I was depressed like this, and retreated into Middle-Earth! I decided to FINALLY watch the extended editions of THE HOBBIT trilogy, and that's how I've occupied the past four nights, probably wrapping up tonight.

Still too long and padded? Yes. I would love to see someone edit these three films down to a close approximation of the book. But the scenes put back into the extended editions really did add a lot to the films. The dwarves are better fleshed-out and more individual, there's more Christopher Lee, which is always a good thing, and there's even a whole new storyline about Thorin's missing father and the dwarf and elf rings. The over-reliance on CGI, especially for the orcs, makes much of the film look like a really nice video-game cut scene, but it's hard to deny that these are some gorgeous films. And be still my heart, there is even a wild Goblin King musical number that was a real show-stopper. Glad I took the time to revisit these films. It didn't change my overall opinion that they are a bloated swing-and-a-miss, but it's been a fun few nights, and it took my mind off of my troubles for a few hours each day.

I know I saw the first two HOBBIT films, but I don't think I ever watched the third. I think the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy is fantastic--any thoughts on the extended versions of those?--but the HOBBIT trilogy left me a little cold. I think two films would have sufficed. I think that the making of the HOBBIT films is fascinating, though, as it seems to have been rather troubled. If I remember correctly--and I could be wrong--but I remember seeing a making-of that discussed how the second film ground to a halt due to not having a detailed plan for the final battle, which in turn formed the genesis for the third film. Like I said, I could be misremembering this, but if that's the case, I can't imagine the pressure on Jackson and company.

[dannyboy121070]

I had some really depressing news that sent me into a funk, so I did what I did the last time I was depressed like this, and retreated into Middle-Earth! I decided to FINALLY watch the extended editions of THE HOBBIT trilogy, and that's how I've occupied the past four nights, probably wrapping up tonight.

Still too long and padded? Yes. I would love to see someone edit these three films down to a close approximation of the book. But the scenes put back into the extended editions really did add a lot to the films. The dwarves are better fleshed-out and more individual, there's more Christopher Lee, which is always a good thing, and there's even a whole new storyline about Thorin's missing father and the dwarf and elf rings. The over-reliance on CGI, especially for the orcs, makes much of the film look like a really nice video-game cut scene, but it's hard to deny that these are some gorgeous films. And be still my heart, there is even a wild Goblin King musical number that was a real show-stopper. Glad I took the time to revisit these films. It didn't change my overall opinion that they are a bloated swing-and-a-miss, but it's been a fun few nights, and it took my mind off of my troubles for a few hours each day.

[Ben Staad]

Attempted to watch "Wicked Little Letters" on Netflix. Made it 28 minutes and had enough. 1 out of 5 stars.

The film looked nice. The dialogue, character actions, and plot, did not fit the time period. The story was supposed to be comical but I found it lacking in humor or intelligence. There wasn't anything in this one for me or my wife.

 

[Sock Monkey]

My wife reminded me that we have a B&N about 12 miles away versus the ~30 I was thinking of.

So I took my duplicate copy of The Others back and picked these up:

• Twister 4k (not a Criterion but the price was better than Amazon (which isn't even in stock on Amazon)
• Thief
• Perfect Days
• Underground Railroad

Very nice. I've been eyeing THIEF for a long time. I want to work my way through Mann's filmography in chronological order, but just haven't committed to it yet. I wound up buying absolutely NOTHING. I was going to pull the trigger on a couple of titles, then Arrow announced the J-Horror Rising box set with NOROI: THE CURSE (which is fantastic if you enjoy Asian horror and/or found footage/mockumentaries) included and that sent me into a period of self-doubt as to what to buy.

[Sock Monkey]

I'd really like to see the new Deadpool in a theater, but this is exactly why I will probably not go. I remember walking out of the last Dr. Strange due to the constant distractions by others. If I ever found a theater that actually ushered people out for using their phones or being obnoxious, I would be a regular attendee for sure! I'm guessing that will never happen due to short staffing/hiring kids and not wanting to turn off potential future business. That being said, I attended Maxxxine last month and had no issues whatsoever; so, maybe the obnoxiousness comes with these big tentpole movies.

I feel the exact same way. Frankly, the fact that people thought it was okay to bring RABBITS in with them to a movie--and that the theater staff was so unaware that they did not notice--as related in dannyboy's post just boggles the freaking mind. Never mind that even without the rabbits, other people couldn't stay off their phones for two hours. I do think that the type of movie attracts a certain type of audience, but I think, especially with these tentpole films, is that you get a lot of people who aren't just casual fans of film but those that are there not for the act of watching the film but to have said they have watched the film. I understand that short staffing/cost may be an issue that prevents having an usher inside the theater to address issues at all times at all films, I do think this could be implemented in a strategic manner. Movies that draw an younger or more casual crowd should be staffed to ensure issues are not a problem. That weird French film that only the most diehard film aficionados are attending, probably not. My local Regal is charging $18,99 and $22.99 for matinee and evening showings of the new Deadpool film. I'm not payihg $40-45 to tempt fate and get an audience that would rather post on social media about being at a film than watch the film itself (or talk incessantly about whatever is on their mind, or bring barnyard pets in with them. No offense to rabbits. I love rabbits. I own a rabbit, who happens to live in our living room and is rather nonplussed about sound from our surround sound system. However, I still wouldn't take him to the theater.) I'd rather wait for it to be released on blu-ray and I'll watch it then.