Rate The Last Movie You Saw.

[Still Servant]

Thanks a lot, Ricky!

Damn, I didn't even think of that. I haven't looked into it, but I think that's the only way the comments work. I will check if there is a way for a person to post without those sites. Some sites offer an anonymous feature. I'm glad to hear Blue Ruin was on your radar, I'd be interested in your thoughts.

[Still Servant]

My review of Guardians of the Galaxy - 9.5/10

[Randall Flagg]

Viewed Calvary yesterday. Set in a small Irish village, a priest is shocked when a confession begins with a person revealing he had been repeatedly raped when a child by a now deceased (and never prosecuted) Catholic priest.
The man says he is going perform an act as random and irrational as the assault upon him. He tells the priest he will kill him in one week.
Father James is a widower who used his grief over his lost wife as a reason to join the clergy. His suicidal daughter travels to spend time with him, arriving the day after his life is threatened.
He goes about his daily business in a town full of people so weird and quirky, they seem straight out of a Twin Peaks episode. Jame's faith is challenged and tested along the way to his coming to grips with his own demise.
Gorgeous scenery surrounds the miserable almost evil village.
6/6 Beers on the RFSPRS.
To reveal much more will spoil the movie. Just find it, and see it.

[DoctorZaius]

Guardians of the Galaxy - 9/10 (great family fun!)

August: Osage County 7.5/10 (better as a play than it is as a movie)

[Ricky]

My review of Guardians of the Galaxy - 9.5/10

Great review! I thought Guardians of the Galaxy looked pretty stupid when I first saw the trailer, and thought there's no way it's going to be a hit. Guess I was wrong! It's been getting both critical and mass audience acclaim, so I'm really surprised. I'm still not dying to see it, but may check it out when it's out on DVD out of curiosity (especially since it seems a little distanced and different from the other Marvel films, which always look cookie-cutter to me).

[fernandito]

Great review, Mike!

I'm still not sure if Guardians has overthrown Avengers as my favorite Marvel film, but it's pretty damn close. The only thing that annoyed me a bit was that the comedy was neutered to accommodate the younger audience (Rocket is a lot more vulgar in the comics), but other than that it's a very faithful representation of the comic series. The way Gunn was able to incorporate the 'Earthling' soundtrack into the film is nothing short of genius. It definitely paid dividends for them from both a marketing and creative standpoint as that is one of the films highlights. Such a damn good blockbuster. Loved it.

[Still Servant]

Thanks, guys! Really appreciate it.

I agree, Fernando. I can only imagine how much more fun it would have been if the film was rated R. I can't wait to see where they go next with the franchise. I personally can't wait to see Tony Stark interact with the Guardians. He is going to have a field day. Iron Man and Rocket in the same scene? Mind blowingly funny.

[Merlin1958]

Guardians of the Galaxy is DA BOMB!!!!!

My review of Guardians of the Galaxy - 9.5/10

Great review! I thought Guardians of the Galaxy looked pretty stupid when I first saw the trailer, and thought there's no way it's going to be a hit. Guess I was wrong! It's been getting both critical and mass audience acclaim, so I'm really surprised. I'm still not dying to see it, but may check it out when it's out on DVD out of curiosity (especially since it seems a little distanced and different from the other Marvel films, which always look cookie-cutter to me).

I realize I don't count here, but....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwKHrBQjzbE

Title sequence is awesome!!!

[fernandito]

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - 8/10

[Jean]

I am sorry I am away most of the time

I'll be back as soon as I feel a little better

at least I can watch films now, which is a great relief and gives hope that I might improve with time

just couldn't help coming here and posting - not a review, bears are not up to it yet - but just a quick remark. Mystic River is fucking good. Not without flaws, but Sean Penn was terrific, and the last 15 minutes are pure genius. Bears are impressed.

[DoctorDodge]

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - 8/10

Glad you enjoyed it, Fernando. Apart from Godzilla, quality wise, it's been a good summer for blockbusters, I'd say.

I am sorry I am away most of the time

I'll be back as soon as I feel a little better

at least I can watch films now, which is a great relief and gives hope that I might improve with time

just couldn't help coming here and posting - not a review, bears are not up to it yet - but just a quick remark. Mystic River is fucking good. Not without flaws, but Sean Penn was terrific, and the last 15 minutes are pure genius. Bears are impressed.

Consider me interested. I'll have to check it out.

And glad to see bears posting at all, especially about something he loves, even if its just a couple of sentences. Hope you're back to 100% soon.

[Mattrick]

I've watched Mystic River many, many times. A great theatre experience there. I quote it a lot, especially Tim Robbins..."How are things looking on that Sprite, Shawn?" "Yeah, sure." "Oh, I get it. You're the good cop. How about a meatball sub while you're at it." And Laurence Fishburne has the greatest name ever for a black cop, Whitey Powers. One of my favourite films. It should have won best picture but noooo, Return of the King (which was the worst of the trilogy) had to get all the Oscars. "Dave, I don't know what you're talkin' about." "Vampires sweetie, werewolves." "You're not making any sense."

[fernandito]

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - 8/10

Glad you enjoyed it, Fernando. Apart from Godzilla, quality wise, it's been a good summer for blockbusters, I'd say.

Absolutely. Apes, Days of Future Past, Guardians - it has been a great year for blockbusters.

Also, Mystic River is fantastic. It's one of those films I just can't imagine someone not liking.

[Still Servant]

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - 8/10

Glad you enjoyed it, Fernando. Apart from Godzilla, quality wise, it's been a good summer for blockbusters, I'd say.

Absolutely. Apes, Days of Future Past, Guardians - it has been a great year for blockbusters.

I agree, it's been a good summer for film in general. In addition to the movies listed above, I'd like to add Edge of Tomorrow, Snowpiercer, 22 Jump Street and let's not forget Captain America: Winter Soldier that came out earlier in the "summer."

[Randall Flagg]

How do you fire 100,000 rounds of ammo, several dozen tank salvos, an RPG or two, kill 900 "bad guys" and only one "good guy" is nicked-all the while staying PG-13?
The Expendables.
You can't say "fuck" twice in a movie, but kill 900+ people with edits that essentially show no blood and any kid with $10 can see it. Make sure not a single breast, or real human emotion is revealed.
Worst movie I've seen in 2+ years.
I want my beer back.
0 beers on the RFSPRS.

[Mattrick]

Sounds as good as the first Expendables.

[Still Servant]

The first two Expendables are actually pretty good. They are what they are. Unfortunately, the studio chose to neuter the third film in hopes of bringing in a bigger audience. The worst part is that the film was shot thinking it was going to be rated R, which means it got hacked to shit in post. You can't have over-the-top 80's action film craziness and make it PG-13, it's just not possible.

[Mattrick]

There were two good things in the first Expendables; Dolph Lundgren and Jason Statham beating up a pick-up basketball game. Truthfully, The Expendables just made me wish they made another Rambo film instead...the most recent Rambo kicked so much ass I needed a cane for two days after watching it.

[Still Servant]

There were two good things in the first Expendables; Dolph Lundgren and Jason Statham beating up a pick-up basketball game. Truthfully, The Expendables just made me wish they made another Rambo film instead...the most recent Rambo kicked so much ass I needed a cane for two days after watching it.

Totally agree. I would love another Rambo although some people might argue that the end of the last Rambo was a perfect way to end the franchise with him coming home again. I would argue that it could be a nice jumping off point for another film. I had a decent idea for another Rambo on US soil, but I don't remember it anymore. I should have written it down.

[Randall Flagg]

I love pop references. I wax nostalgic over 70's obscure songs like "Cherry Bomb" by Joan Jett and The Runaways. "Star Wars" blew my mind as a 15 year old (so did The Godfather, Blazing Saddles, The Exorcist (13 years old) and Jaws to name a few others).

Take parts from most of those, throw in a John Stamos reference; a Walkman running joke (Sony all the way-oh..., and wait 20 minutes after the film ends to see the silly reference to the abject failure (Howard The Duck), a few other quirks, add $150 million in special effects-lots of vegetative matter, a few actors that no one under 40 would recognize, make sure it's 20 minutes too long, and obviously set up for a sequel or three and you have "Guardians of The Galaxy"

I laughed, I yawned, I silently sang along with the songs and of course I had already handed my $15 over for the 3D Imax, so I cried.
I needed a program to keep track of the incoherent names for the villains; each of which is the most powerful and to be feared entity in the universe (until their boss showed up- and they were even more powerful).

Fun, but only 4/6 beers on the RFSPRS, 1 beer added for "Cherry Bomb".

[Still Servant]

You don't need to pay attention to the names of the villains in the slightest. They are inconsequential to the story. A story that is pretty bare bones, to be honest. It's your typical Maguffin story. Guardians was really about the colorful characters interacting with each other in interesting locales. It's one of the best films of the year hands down.

[pathoftheturtle]

Maybe Stallone should have made Rambo part whatever number Rambo got up to while I was not watching instead of starting those "The Expendables" movies which I keep hearing about the existence of ...or maybe he could just get lost already!

[DoctorDodge]

What If?

This is a pretty decent romantic comedy that I wanted to check out when I heard one review say it was the best romantic comedy since (500) Days of Summer. While in some key ways, it's a little more predictable and not quite so bittersweet, it was still a film I really enjoyed.

There were a few little things that really made me appreciate it. Firstly, Daniel Radcliffe's character of Wallace wasn't the traditional romantic male lead, but instead came across as very cynical and very dry while showing a more than slightly dorky side - in other words, he was not only incredibly British, but he was a character that I found myself genuinely relating to at a lot of good moments, so that was an instant plus. Zoe Kazan is also equally likable as Chantry, and there's a lot of chemistry between the two that feels well used within the film and not exploited and thrown in our faces (trust me, the difference between the two can be the crucial difference between "charming" and "nauseating"). The script also has a lot of really decent quotable lines ("You've totally killed my sex/nacho high" and "So your advice is that I should be sleazy, devious or pathetic?" "Well when you put it like that, it sounds like really bad advice" spring to mind), and there's a great soundtrack. It also has one of the most inventive credit sequences I've seen in a long while. Seriously if, like me, you find yourself initially unsatisfied by the ending, stick for the credits, as it really fleshes things out.

I think some weaknesses are that the 'will-they/won't-they' plot has been done a million times before, and, bar a couple of neat little subversions story wise (there's a play on the ol' "big romantic moment" that actually backfires massively in Wallace's face at one point), it really is overall rather predictable. This isn't a bad thing by itself - When Harry Met Sally is an absolutely brilliant film that still followed something of a basic formula - but it's not as good as the greats. Still, it's definitely one of the better romantic comedies I've seen in a while, and like I said, the little things it gets right really make all the difference to making this film stand out from a great deal of the genre. 7/10

[Ricky]

Nice review, James. Your comments seem pretty in line with what I've read about it so far.

[Mattrick]

Two top movies on my list to watch right now are these: