Rate the Last Movie You Saw

[dannyboy121070]

I saw THE WATCHERS on Max last night. Decent folk-horror tale, directed by M. Night Shyamalan's daughter. Nothing to write home about, but a fun way to pass a few hours. She definitely picked up a few of her dad's tricks.

[Sock Monkey]

It’s been so long since I’ve seen that film that I completely forgot about that. 

I also agree about the abbreviated lifespan.  I think the whole horror of the face-hugger and the chestburster is just how long that process is.  In further reflection, such a quick turnaround in the reproductive cycle kinda undermines the whole cocooning of life humans to use as hosts.  

Absolutely agree about Hardy as Wolverine.  He’d be a great successor to Jackman. 

[dannyboy121070]

I'm sure you're right about Alien: Romulus. I just assumed that it was the combination of how the film was shot and the mode of presentation, but it could very well just be the mode of presentation. It's definitely one of the reason why I plan on rewatching the film. I absolutely agree with your thoughts on the lore built up in Prometheus. I honestly just don't need the explanation for everything. The xenomorphs are just the meanest predator in the universe and they will. kill. you. Done. Nothing else needed. I didn't have a problem with the ending as it seemed like a simple enough element to disregard moving forward. I am curious as to what film the ending resembles, though, as nothing is coming right to mind.

Sorry to hear about the drive-in not being your jam. I mean, honestly, it is a subpar viewing experience, but considering just how terrible theater-going experiences have been for me, it's pretty much the only way I can see a newly released film not at home. We don't have an IMAX theatre nearby or I'd give that a shot. The car battery dying is not uncommon. Two cars died between the movies, but our drive-in had one of those portable car jumpers in the event this happens. I was concerned about this issue so we bought a rechargeable bluetooth radio with FM radio and it worked pretty well. I wish we'd gotten something with a better antenna because there was some white noise in the background, though this could just be the way their audio sounds.

And I just don't know if anyone is gonna top Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. He just nails the character. (Well, except for the height. Jackman is like 6'2" and Wolverine is supposed to be pretty darn short, like almost a whole foot shorter, though that might have changed over the decades. And I think it'd be a weird thing for anyone hang a dislike of Jackman's portrayal on.)

I don't remember how to do the spoiler thing, so....SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





The hybrid baby at the end was a retread of the end of ALIEN: RESURRECTION.





END OF SPOILERS!!!!

And not for nothing, but the way they have shortened the Alien life cycle is ridiculous...they are no sooner implanted in you than they're fully grown and on the hunt.


I doubt Marvel will move on from Jackman, but I think Tom Hardy would do a good job. He's short, nuts, and loves to do accents, so a few "Eh's: and "Bubs" should be right up his alley.

[Sock Monkey]

I'm sure you're right about Alien: Romulus. I just assumed that it was the combination of how the film was shot and the mode of presentation, but it could very well just be the mode of presentation. It's definitely one of the reason why I plan on rewatching the film. I absolutely agree with your thoughts on the lore built up in Prometheus. I honestly just don't need the explanation for everything. The xenomorphs are just the meanest predator in the universe and they will. kill. you. Done. Nothing else needed. I didn't have a problem with the ending as it seemed like a simple enough element to disregard moving forward. I am curious as to what film the ending resembles, though, as nothing is coming right to mind.

Sorry to hear about the drive-in not being your jam. I mean, honestly, it is a subpar viewing experience, but considering just how terrible theater-going experiences have been for me, it's pretty much the only way I can see a newly released film not at home. We don't have an IMAX theatre nearby or I'd give that a shot. The car battery dying is not uncommon. Two cars died between the movies, but our drive-in had one of those portable car jumpers in the event this happens. I was concerned about this issue so we bought a rechargeable bluetooth radio with FM radio and it worked pretty well. I wish we'd gotten something with a better antenna because there was some white noise in the background, though this could just be the way their audio sounds.

And I just don't know if anyone is gonna top Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. He just nails the character. (Well, except for the height. Jackman is like 6'2" and Wolverine is supposed to be pretty darn short, like almost a whole foot shorter, though that might have changed over the decades. And I think it'd be a weird thing for anyone hang a dislike of Jackman's portrayal on.)

[dannyboy121070]

Sock, the darkness you mention in ROMULUS probably had more to do with the projection than the actual photography of the film...we saw it in IMAX last weekend, and I was amazed at how well-lit the film was....And I've decided that, when I do feel the need to venture out to a theater, IMAX is probably the best bet. The slightly higher price seems to always translate to a better class of audience, people who really want to experience the film, and not sit on their phones for two hours, or get up to piss and walk around every 20 minutes. Like you, I thought this was one of the better ALIEN films, but they kind of lost me with that ending...waaaay too much like the ending of a previous film which I just did not like. And I wish they'd forget all about the stupid engineers and the black goo....just let the Aliens be monsters, not part of a genetic engineering plot to seed the universe with new life forms, or whatever the fuck they were up to in PROMETHEUS.

Unpopular opinion: We went to a local drive-in during Covid to see a double -feature of SHANG-CHI and FREE GUY.....I was raised in NYC, so drive-in movies are not a part of my DNA. I felt the experience was horrible, the films looked dark and miserable, I was uncomfortable for four hours....just not for me. My wife, country girl that she is, was in her glory. Somehow she managed to drain the car battery during the films, and we were stuck in the closed theater lot, in the middle of nowhere, until AA came hours later. Having seen every homicidal redneck movie ever, I was sure we were dead.

I fucking hate Ryan Reynolds, and I did not like the previous two DEADPOOL films, but I saw this one solely because I love Hugh Jackman's portrayal of Wolverine. My son and I had a blast, and my wife even liked it. The cameos were great, especially since I made a concerted effort to not view any kinds of spoilers before we saw it on opening weekend. Loads of fun...I'm sure we haven't seen the last of these two characters/actors together onscreen.

[Sock Monkey]

Man, I'm jealous of this the whole way around. We have a drive-in near Phoenix in Glendale, but it doesn't get dark until around 7:30pm right now and stays darn hot outside making me not want to go very often. I might have broken down for that double-billing. I really want to see each film but have resigned myself to waiting for physical releases as I figured the audiences in the theater would be extra annoying for these (they always seem to be when I go to anything Marvel).

It stays pretty light out here in evenings as well causing the showings to start at 830pm and ending around 1230am. However, since I'm situated on California's central coast, we deal more with the cold than the heat, but even our cold doesn't veer too often in the sub 32 degree range. The heat might make this a deal-breaker for me as you'd either have at (a) run the car the whole time to keep the A/C going or (b) roll down the windows and deal with ambient noise and sound from other vehicles. In my case, windows were all rolled up and sound was dampened from neighboring cars and the nearby freeway. I would say that if you could find a good day temperature-wise to hit up with drive-in, it's worth it just for the nostalgia. And, yeah, this double feature hit the dead center of my sweet spot.

[sholloman81]

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.

Man, I'm jealous of this the whole way around.  We have a drive-in near Phoenix in Glendale, but it doesn't get dark until around 7:30pm right now and stays darn hot outside making me not want to go very often.  I might have broken down for that double-billing.  I really want to see each film but have resigned myself to waiting for physical releases as I figured the audiences in the theater would be extra annoying for these (they always seem to be when I go to anything Marvel).

[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!