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Post by EdoBosnar on Feb 11, 2024 4:40:38 GMT -5
So, continuing with my informal project to catch up on recentish and much-hyped movies that I missed upon I release, I watched The Hateful Eight (2015) last night...
Overall, I was not terribly impressed. On the positive side: the cast is stellar (par for the course with Tarantino's films), with Samuel Jackson, as he often does, doing much of the heavy lifting, although here Walton Goggins gives him a run for his money. There are a number of good individual scenes and the idea of a closed-room mystery set in a cabin in the Old West is pretty amusing. However, I found it over-long (it dragged at places) and generally it left me mostly dissatisfied at the end (Inglorious Basterds had the same effect on me). Here specifically, I was additionally bothered by a few plot/story inconsistencies and found myself fixating on the fact that initially, there were nine friggin' people in that cabin, not eight (yeah, yeah, I know the poor stagecoach driver technically wasn't 'hateful,' but still...)
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,197 
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Post by Confessor on Feb 11, 2024 16:20:43 GMT -5
Depending on the day you ask me, I might say The Hateful Eight is Tarrantino's best film. Even if I ultimately decided that it wasn't, it's still an incredible piece of directing, scripting, and acting by the principal players.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 11, 2024 17:56:51 GMT -5
Depending on the day you ask me, I might say The Hateful Eight is Tarrantino's best film. Even if I ultimately decided that it wasn't, it's still an incredible piece of directing, scripting, and acting by the principal players. It's definitely one of his most entertaining and easily watchable films. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Feb 12, 2024 0:51:23 GMT -5
I saw The Hateful Eight at the theater when it opened and I felt like I was trapped in the cabin with all those horrible people for hours. It’s great! A unique movie experience. I don’t think I want to watch it ever again unless I can see it in a theater once more.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Feb 12, 2024 2:32:41 GMT -5
(...) I might say The Hateful Eight is Tarrantino's best film. (...) I wouldn't. It's not even close to his best film. |
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Post by EdoBosnar on Feb 13, 2024 3:35:31 GMT -5
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then Bigfoot (2018)
I was scrolling through the movies offered on the other, non-HBO streaming platform available to me and the title of this one caught my eye, and then I saw that it stars Sam Elliott and I knew I had to watch it. First, I should say that the title makes it seem like it’s a comedy and/or action film, which it isn’t (despite what the trailer seems to suggest). It’s in fact a sort of low-key drama, in which Elliott’s aging and apparently very lonely character is pondering the life he’s lived and also reminiscing about the one great love of his life when he was a young man. And the life he lived was pretty interesting by the way: during World War II in particular, he was a deep cover operative who found a way to infiltrate the highest ranks of the Nazi regime, which is shown in a number of flashbacks. In the movie’s present (which, based on a few context clues, is some time in the late 1980s), he’s eventually approached by two government agents, one from the FBI and another from whatever the Canadian equivalent is called, to handle a potentially world-threatening crisis in the Canadian woods for which he is uniquely qualified.
Is this a great movie? No, not quite, but it’s still pretty good and really interesting; I found its sort of melancholy tone strangely compelling. Also worth pointing out that the movie was written, produced and directed by someone named Robert Krzykowski, for whom it was apparently a labor of love.
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Post by berkley on Feb 13, 2024 4:07:15 GMT -5
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then Bigfoot (2018) I was scrolling through the movies offered on the other, non-HBO streaming platform available to me and the title of this one caught my eye, and then I saw that it stars Sam Elliot and I knew I had to watch it. First, I should say that the title makes it seem like it’s a comedy and/or action film, which it isn’t (despite what the trailer seems to suggest). It’s in fact a sort of low-key drama, in which Elliot’s aging and apparently very lonely character is pondering the life he’s lived and also reminiscing about the one great love of his life when he was a young man. And the life he lived was pretty interesting by the way: during World War II in particular, he was a deep cover operative who found a way to infiltrate the highest ranks of the Nazi regime, which is shown in a number of flashbacks. In the movie’s present (which, based on a few context clues, is some time in the late 1980s), he’s eventually approached by two government agents, one from the FBI and another from whatever the Canadian equivalent is called, to handle a potentially world-threatening crisis in the Canadian woods for which he is uniquely qualified. Is this a great movie? No, not quite, but it’s still pretty good and really interesting; I found its sort of melancholy tone is strangely compelling. Also worth pointing out that the movie was written, produced and directed by someone named Robert Krzykowski, for whom it was apparently a labor of love.
First I've heard of it but it sounds interesting. I like Sam Elliott but I have the impression that he never got as many really great parts as he should have done for someone with his ability. A strong screen presence that has never been utilised to the full of its potential, or at least not as often as it might have been, unless there's a bunch of stuff I haven't heard about, which is always possible. |
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Post by EdoBosnar on Feb 13, 2024 4:50:32 GMT -5
First I've heard of it but it sounds interesting. I like Sam Elliott but I have the impression that he never got as many really great parts as he should have done for someone with his ability. A strong screen presence that has never been utilised to the full of its potential, or at least not as often as it might have been, unless there's a bunch of stuff I haven't heard about, which is always possible. This is definitely a Sam Elliott showcase. In fact, adding to what I noted before, it's more of a character study than anything else - all of the other characters in the film are really incidental (that's another way that the trailer is misleading, as it suggests that they will have more prominent roles). |
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Post by EdoBosnar on Feb 14, 2024 8:00:46 GMT -5
Equalizer 2, 2018
(linked the BluRay/DVD trailer b/c the official trailers are too long)
Not nearly as good as the first one, but still a kind of watchable, violent romp. One thing I didn’t like quite as much about this one is that it is more of a straight-up revenge story – as Washington’s character McCall goes after the guys who killed his former fellow gov’t operative and good friend (played, as in the first film, by Melissa Leo). Not that seeing him take down a bunch of rogue killers for hire isn’t satisfying, but it seemed to stray a bit from the Equalizer concept. (One thing I *really* didn’t like was the very blatant product placement for Lyft.) Even so, as a baseline Denzel pretty much makes anything he’s in about 50% (at the very least) better than it should be, and it’s a good popcorn movie.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Feb 15, 2024 5:14:06 GMT -5
Not quite new, but not yet a classic: Europa report (2013) by Sebastian Cordero. It's a rare example of a genuine science-fiction movie set in space (by opposition to a space fantasy, of which there are plenty). Like many such movies, it tries to be 2001: a spece odyssey while also trying to be something else, a conundrum I can understandconsidering the impact the Kubrick film still has today. Thankfully, Europa report walks that line successfully. The story tells us of the first journey to Europa, the ice-covered moon of Jupiter, and of a mission to find what life might perhaps be found there. The film is presented as a "found footage" one, where pretty much every shot is taken from an onboard cameras. I loved that idea because it adds to the suspense in that as is the case with most such devices, the cameras stop working whenever power is cut off (meaning "whenever there's a crisis") When the screen goes black on us, there's never a guarantee it will go back on again. Time is therefore compressed at times, allowing a brisk pace even if most of the film is set within a rather tiny spaceship. The images are often gorgeous, especially thanks to stock footage (adding to realism) and to photos of Jupiter and Europa. At times I felt just as if I was watching a NASA documentary. Because of its documentary-like style, the film does not engage the viewer as much as it could emotionally. I don't think that's a fault, but it probably made selling the movie a bit harder. The characters are just how you'd imagine astronauts to be: balanced, professional, engaging, competent. No murdering madman as in Sunshine, no crazy killer machine as in Red planet, no pompous windbag. Just... normal people. That's good, but at the same time you don't get the ancillary soap operas, emotional traumas and assorted personality quirks that spice up most plots; the film has to rely on its story, and on its sense of realism. I don't think I'm spoiling anything by revealing there will be accidents. People die. And thank heaven, they die just like normal people would. In the recent Hobbit movies, I hated how characters would fall off great heights right on solid rock and just keep on ticking; that doesn't happen here. Each death is moving because these people feel real, even if we don't get to know them very much (they don't soliloquize and they don't go on and on about their dog, their failed marriage, their boyfriend who had a tragic accident and so on). The only fault I find with the movie is that it's a bit predictable... but I admit I didn't expect that ending. Good fun. Not a great movie, but one I enjoyed and would probably watch again. Just watched this last night - I'd never heard of it before, and stumbled onto it while browsing through the guide/schedule function on my TV and the title caught my eye (which, for some reason, is translated into Croatian as "Emergency (or Crisis) in Outer Space").
RR summed it up quite well, although I'd disagree that this isn't a great movie, as I thought it was fantastic and a very grounded, thoughtful SF film that compares quite well to 2001 (the pacing on this one is much better for one thing). It gets a high recommendation from me.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Feb 17, 2024 4:27:47 GMT -5
And I wrapped up the trilogy by watching Equalizer 3 (2023)...
Nothing too original here, but then again, you kind of expect a formula when going into a film like this. I liked the sort of dark(er than usual) and somber tone of the first part. Anyway, for those who may not have watched, this one is set in Italy, in a picturesque coastal town on the western coast, where McCall is recovering from a gunshot wound sustained on an 'equalizing' mission at the start. He comes to like the town and its residents, and gets really pissed off when he sees that a branch of the Camorra is terrorizing the locals. You know that ain't gonna end well for somebody. Also, the CIA figures into the story because in that aforementioned job at the start of the movie, McCall inadvertently took out a link in an international, terrorist-connected drug chain.
Like the first one, this one gives you that rush of satisfaction as you watch a big, powerful and heretofore untouchable criminal organization get f-ed up by a single guy.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Feb 19, 2024 4:24:36 GMT -5
Watched The Woman King (2023) over the weekend... ..and quite enjoyed it (with some caveats). It’s an action film set in the kingdom of Dahomey (in modern-day Benin) in the 1820s and centers around the Agojie, the all-female contigent of the Dahomeyan military. The cast is very ably led by Viola Davis as Nanisca, the general who leads the force, and another major character (my personal favorite), Izogie, is played by Lashana Lynch, who many here may recognize as Maria Rambeau from the Captain Marvel movie. The entire cast, though (which also includes John Boyega as the youthful Dahomeyan king), does an amazing job, and this is a good action film, with some wonderfully choreographed battle scenes and some really moving moments as well (although I’m sure some would complain that it’s a little overly melodramatic). I said above that I had some caveats, and this is mainly because this is supposed to be a ‘historical action’ film, but like many Hollywood ‘historical’ blockbusters ( Gladiator comes to mind immediately), it’s what I would call ‘historicalish,’ verging on historical fantasy. First off, except for Dahomey’s King Ghezo, pretty much every other character is fictional, as is the story being told. It’s commendable that the film’s writers and director wanted to shine a light on the slave trade, but its sort of happy end belies the realities of the early 19th century in Africa and beyond. However, like I said, I still quite enjoyed this, and I’m happy to see the Agojie get more attention. This is also probably the closest I’ll ever get to seeing a movie version of Charles R. Saunders’ woman-warrior Dossouye, who’s also based on the Agojie – albeit it in an explicitly fantasy setting. |
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Post by EdoBosnar on Feb 21, 2024 4:55:32 GMT -5
Recently watched a surprisingly entertaining movie called Carter & June (2017)...
I’ll say at the start, this is not a deep movie by any means, but it’s ideal to watch if you want something fun and not overly taxing in the intellectual or emotional sense. It’s sort of caper/heist story, in which the titular characters get involved in a bank heist being organized by a strip-club owner and general New Orleans crime lord to whom Carter owes money and of whom June was a former employee (she’s also in a pretty unenviable financial situation and dealing with a custody battle for her young son). A number of other characters are also involved, all trying to double-cross each other as they angle to get the lucrative proceeds of said heist. The cast members all do a really good job, even though they’re mostly (to me, anyway) unknowns – the only one I recognized immediately was Timothy Omundson (the crusty detective from Psych, among other roles), who chewed up the scenery as the aforementioned crime lord. I also vaguely recognized the actress playing June, Samaire Armstrong, although I had to look her up (she was a recurring character in the Mentalist, which I used to watch a long time ago).
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Post by berkley on Feb 24, 2024 3:23:17 GMT -5
Watched The Woman King (2023) over the weekend... ..and quite enjoyed it (with some caveats). It’s an action film set in the kingdom of Dahomey (in modern-day Benin) in the 1820s and centers around the Agojie, the all-female contigent of the Dahomeyan military. The cast is very ably led by Viola Davis as Nanisca, the general who leads the force, and another major character (my personal favorite), Izogie, is played by Lashana Lynch, who many here may recognize as Maria Rambeau from the Captain Marvel movie. The entire cast, though (which also includes John Boyega as the youthful Dahomeyan king), does an amazing job, and this is a good action film, with some wonderfully choreographed battle scenes and some really moving moments as well (although I’m sure some would complain that it’s a little overly melodramatic). I said above that I had some caveats, and this is mainly because this is supposed to be a ‘historical action’ film, but like many Hollywood ‘historical’ blockbusters ( Gladiator comes to mind immediately), it’s what I would call ‘historicalish,’ verging on historical fantasy. First off, except for Dahomey’s King Ghezo, pretty much every other character is fictional, as is the story being told. It’s commendable that the film’s writers and director wanted to shine a light on the slave trade, but its sort of happy end belies the realities of the early 19th century in Africa and beyond. However, like I said, I still quite enjoyed this, and I’m happy to see the Agojie get more attention. This is also probably the closest I’ll ever get to seeing a movie version of Charles R. Saunders’ woman-warrior Dossouye, who’s also based on the Agojie – albeit it in an explicitly fantasy setting.
I remember wanting to see this when I first heard of it and then losing enthusiasm from feeling that it might be a bit too Hollywood, but now that time and your description here have helped to readjust my expectations my interest is starting to rekindle, so I think I<ll put it back on my list of new-ish movie to watch.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Feb 25, 2024 4:11:31 GMT -5
Watched a rather interesting sci-fi film called The Osiris Child (2016) last night...
It's at some point in the future, on a planet colonized by Earth and run from a giant floating skybase by a military-owned corporation called Exor (yeah, I kept wondering if a pair of teenage twins who look a bit like Donnie & Marie would appear and bump fists). Much of the terraforming work on the planet is done by prison labor and prison riot leads to a bunch of biologically altered humans (an aspect of some highly unethical experimentation conducted by Exor) escaping and going on a rampage. The general in charge of Exor decides that the planet needs to get nuked, but a combat pilot named Kane defies orders and goes down to the planet to rescue his daughter, who's living in the colony's largest city, Osiris.
Like I said, this is an interesting, not great nor too terribly original, but pretty watchable film. The cast does quite a good job, even though most are unknowns to me - the only ones I recognized are Rachel Griffiths, who plays the cold and cynical general, and Temuera Morrison, who plays the prison warden.
Otherwise, I was puzzled by the sub-title "Science Fiction Volume One"; according to IMDB, it was supposed to be the first in a series of SF anthology films which never came about, unfortunately.
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