Rate The Last Movie You Saw.

[Still Servant]

To me, the SAW movies are a guilty pleasure. The two standout scenes for me are the girl jumping into the pit of hypodermic needles (which I could not fully watch), and the detective using his ball point pin to give himself a tracheotomy so he wouldn't drown.

I finally saw THE DISASTER ARTIST, under the mistaken impression it was about ROOM (which I've seen) and not THE ROOM (which I never heard of). So I went in ignorant of the movie's premise, which is just the way I like it, and enjoyed the movie. 7.5 out of 10 for me.

I almost NEVER watch trailers, unless they're for a movie you'd have to pay me to go see, like SUPER TROOPERS 2 for instance. They run 7 or 8 before every movie at the AMC and I go late to avoid them, if I can. I will never understand why anyone would want to know the beginning, middle and end of a movie before one goes to see it. It takes all the fun away and leeches out all the surprises, whether good or bad. One of the best movies I ever saw at the theater, FARGO, was a last minute choice because I arrived at the wrong time for the movie I was planning on seeing, and turned into one of the best movie going experiences I've ever had, and I only went because it was starting in 5 minutes. Not knowing a thing about it was fantastic! Of course, this can also turn around and bite you in the ass (MORTDECAI for example), but to me it's worth the chance.

I get that, I've been taking it easy on trailers too. That said, I follow enough movie news that I knew The Disaster Artist was about this terrible film called The Room, despite the fact I hadn't seen it at the time.

I'm just interested in your thought process. I don't think I would have ever gone to see a film about the making of Room. Great film, but not great enough to make a film about the making of it.

Unless you're saying you go in completely blind on all films. That's a risky endeavor.

[DoctorZaius]

Not gonna waste a lot of time on this. Took the wife and my daughters to see Pitch Perfect 3 last night. The previous two were guilty pleasures, and the girls were begging. Nothing pleasurable about this one. 3/10.

Good thing I am seeing Star Wards: The Last Jedi at 2:30 this afternoon. Hoping for a better time.

[Still Servant]

To me, the SAW movies are a guilty pleasure. The two standout scenes for me are the girl jumping into the pit of hypodermic needles (which I could not fully watch), and the detective using his ball point pin to give himself a tracheotomy so he wouldn't drown.

I finally saw THE DISASTER ARTIST, under the mistaken impression it was about ROOM (which I've seen) and not THE ROOM (which I never heard of). So I went in ignorant of the movie's premise, which is just the way I like it, and enjoyed the movie. 7.5 out of 10 for me.

Not gonna waste a lot of time on this. Took the wife and my daughters to see Pitch Perfect 3 last night. The previous two were guilty pleasures, and the girls were begging. Nothing pleasurable about this one. 3/10.

Good thing I am seeing Star Wards: The Last Jedi at 2:30 this afternoon. Hoping for a better time.

I really enjoyed the first Pitch Perfect, the 2nd one was not very good, but tolerable. The 3rd smells like a rental to me.

[Mattrick]

The Shape of Water - Much like any Del Toro film, the quality is in everything happening that isn't happening. The sets, the score, the costumes, the atmosphere. The mixing of dingy interiors, otherworldly interiors (that reminded me a lot of Richard Ayode's The Double) and ultra-clean depictions of early 50's/60's sets (which, in comparison, feels like the real fantasy world) really set the tone. The performances from Hawkins, Shannon, Sthulberg, and Spencer are all solid, but to me it was Richard Jenkins who stole the film. He's been a favourite character actor of mine since Six Feet Under and I'm always happy to see him get a good role and get recognition for it. The score by the best Hollywood composer working today, Alexandre Desplat, is the biggest highlight of this film for me, and it being a strong contender for the Oscar wouldn't surprise me. I'd love to see a version of the film before Desplat did he recording with the Punch Drunk Love score, which Del Toro used over the footage as he was making it, as he's a huge fan of that film, as am I. The creature effects were fantastic and the makeup job should see it be a strong contender for the oscar as well. With all this said, I can't help but be disappointed with the movie overall. It's certainly not a bad film, and there is a lot of artistry to appreciate, but as I find often with Del Toro films, there is a certain hollowness underneath it all, something intangible missing that leaves me detached from the end result, the same something which has left me never quite loving any of his films since Mimic. Maybe it's just me, and not a problem with the movie, but his films play like earworm cinema. ****


Lady Bird - Lady Bird is a special kind of film. It's a coming of age story about teenage angst and the trials and tribulations of growing up and growing out, and in that respect it's nothing original or groundbreaking. But what Lady Bird does so well is depict its characters in ways that make them all fallible, imperfect, and unable to be slotted into categories. No one in the film is portrayed as good people or bad people, and all the archetypal roles you'd expect in a coming of age film are missing. Even the smaller characters of the film, such a priest at their catholic school suffering from depression after his wife died, are portrayed as people, defiant at the idea of being defined by any limiting role (except for the football coach, who is just simply the funniest part of the movie in his brief time). Saoirse Ronan is excellent as always, and Greta Gerwig's semi-autobiographical script gives her a lot to work with. But the real stand out is Laurie Metcalf, most famous as Aunt Jackie on TV's Roseanne, as her mother. A great deal of the interaction between mother and daughter is mostly bickering, but it's bickering that is true in that I think we all know some parent/child relationship that is like this, where love is expressed through criticism to the point neither party even knows how to actually express genuine compassion for each other and they instead push and pull as if living a never-ending game of tug-of-war with each other, and this is usually because both people, at their cores, are so similar to each other that they resent each other for being so similar....this isn't necessarily a never-before-seen dynamic in fiction, but it's so well done here. *****

[fernandito]

I loved Shape of Water, but your hollowness sentiment is one that I share, Matt.

Still, everything else is firing on all cylinders and the way the film marries sound, music and visuals is just outstanding.

[Heather19]

I also really enjoyed it. But I too agree with the lack of something. Not sure what though, and it didn't hinder me from liking the film as much as I did. I'd probably give it an 8/10. The film was beautiful to watch visually and the score was just as wonderful.

Matt did you not enjoy Pan's Labyrinth?

[Mattrick]

Pan's Labyrinth is one I need to watch again. I waited a long time to watch it and let the hype die away. But it too was missing something. I remember not quite understanding the point of the film when it was over and done with. I enjoyed Crimson Peak more, but I'm a sucker for Gothic Romance and am biased towards Mia Wasikowska. My favourite part of Pan's Labyrinth was the captain or whatever he was. Quite the vile character, and the graphic violence wasn't something I was expecting. The only Del Toro I have to see now is Devil's Backbone, which I have and just haven't gotten around to yet. Well, I guess Pacific Rim too, which I always forget is a Del Toro. I did feel what I felt after The Shape of Water, even more so with Pan's Labyrinth. His films just don't resonate with me on that emotional level, but the artistry in them is fantastic. But I think that's just the kind of filmmaker he is. Not all filmmakers can excel at telling emotionally engaging stories, but he knows his strengths and he uses them to their best effectiveness.

[Heather19]

That's a bummer. Pan's Labyrinth is my favorite of his. I wonder if you'd like it more on a rewatch. If you ever get around to it, let me know.

[Heather19]

So I just finally got around to watching Mother! I can now see where all the bad reviews are coming from. That was a weird movie, and not in a good way. I love Darren Aronofsky, but I wasn't a fan of this one.

[Mattrick]

I just got my hands on Mother! Can't wait to rewatch it with the sound cranked.

[Still Servant]

So I just finally got around to watching Mother! I can now see where all the bad reviews are coming from. That was a weird movie, and not in a good way. I love Darren Aronofsky, but I wasn't a fan of this one.

That's understandable for sure. It's one of those films that when somebody tells me they hated it, I completely get that. Once you heard what the film was actually about, did you at least appreciate it more? I know once I told some of my friends they at least could see what Aronofsky was going for.

[Heather19]

So I just finally got around to watching Mother! I can now see where all the bad reviews are coming from. That was a weird movie, and not in a good way. I love Darren Aronofsky, but I wasn't a fan of this one.

That's understandable for sure. It's one of those films that when somebody tells me they hated it, I completely get that. Once you heard what the film was actually about, did you at least appreciate it more? I know once I told some of my friends they at least could see what Aronofsky was going for.

I went and read what it was about right after I finished it. I guess I can see what he was going for, but it didn't make me like it any more. It was still too out there for me. I do agree with Matt though, the sound was excellent, but I need more than that in a film.

[DoctorZaius]

Finally say Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the day after Christmas. Loved it! 9/10! Took the wife and daughters to see The Greatest Showman today, and loved it too. Predictable but good cheesey fun! 8.5/10!

[Mattrick]

Logan Lucky - I've always been a fan of Steven Soderbergh, especially Out of Sight, which is a film so rarely mentioned on the interwebs. You can tell he's one of those directors who really knows how to work with his actors, which is probably why he's able to assemble such talented ensembles. And that's the real highlight of Logan Lucky, this talent ensemble from the major characters, down the smaller characters which are brought to life by Hilary Swank, Dwight Yaokam, Katherine Waterson, and Katie Holmes. It's fun seeing these actors play these quirky, funny characters with their thick accents. Daniel Craig is unlike we've ever seen him before and the real standout. Channing Tatum continues to impress me year after year considering I had him pegged for another heartthrob who lacked any real acting chops, like Josh Hartnett, but his choices of challenging, diverse roles has really helped him mature and develop as an actor. Adam Driver is very good too and demonstrates how versatile he is. Seeing this movie, along with Ocean's Eleven, and other solid heist movies, is how Rogue One should have been done...there is so much enjoyment in watching a group of people come together with individual strengths and roles and spend a bunch of time planning a heist, and then getting to see how they pull it off, and deal with problems along the way. All in all, an entertaining film that takes the heist film formula and changes it up in a refreshing way. I do think the movie could have used some tightening up, and as much as I enjoyed the fallout from the heist, it was a little too long, or maybe it was the beginning that was a little too long which made the end feel a little too long. It is fun seeing how dumb and smart these characters are, such as a great scene involving gummy bears, and a hard science explanation on how it is part of an explosive ****

I, Tonya - I have a love/hate affair with biopics. Sometimes I find the subject fascinating and the movie dull, or the subject dull, but the movie fantastic, or sometimes I get a double dose of fantastic or dull. But there are times where I get a biopic about someone whose name I know, but I know nothing about them, which is the case with Tonya Harding. In this sense, everything that happens is news to me and I really get taken along for the ride because I honestly have no idea where it's going despite it being history(sic). I, Tonya tells a great story about growing up poor in a rural, southern region, the negative and positive effects of parenting, and a strong depiction of an abusive and toxic, codependent relationship. The performances are all very strong. Margot Robbie lacks all her usual glamour and is unrecognizable for the most part. Allison Janney (who I've been a fan of for years) gives us the best work of her career. The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Shaw) hid underneath a mustache the entire film and I didn't even recognize him. The soundtrack is great and the film definitely has a kinetic, quirky energy which is reminiscent of David O. Russell's latest offers like The Fighter, Joy, and American Hustle. Craig Gillespie's filmography has been pretty hit or miss with his best work a decade before in Lars and the Real Girl, and while I, Tonya isn't as good as that one, it's definitely his second best film. It's actually hard to believe this story could be true. If it was fiction, I'd probably be criticising it for being ridiculous. ****

[Still Servant]

I wanted to see Logan Lucky in theaters, but it was gone in like two weeks. I've been putting off renting it, but I hope to see it soon. You're right, Out of Sight is a somewhat forgotten film. Steven Soderbergh in general is an underrated director. Another film that didn't get a ton of attention was Side Effects.

I, Tonya is another film that refuses to open up near me. I love Margot Robbie and I remember the whole Tonya Harding scandal really well.

Speaking of films not opening up near me, I had to travel just to see The Shape of Water. I thought it was a beautiful film both visually and thematically. You're right, the score is amazing. I've always thought Sally Hawkins was beautiful in a quirky way and she's really fantastic in this.

[Still Servant]

THE SHAPE OF WATER - 8 out of 10
LOGAN LUCKY - 5 out of 10
MOTHER - 9 out of 10

Some koo-koo caraaaaazy movies I really, really like:

There are some great ones here, except for the one smack dab in the middle. Aeon Flux is one of the worst films I've ever seen. That film and Ultraviolent came out around the same time. Seemingly trying to capitalize on the Matrix franchise and both are terrible.

[Ricky]

The Shape of Water never opened around me either, Mike. I kept waiting for it because I knew it was going to be released at the end of December, then looked at showtimes to see it wasn't even near me. If the same thing happens with The Post, I'm gonna shit a brick.

[Still Servant]

The Shape of Water never opened around me either, Mike. I kept waiting for it because I knew it was going to be released at the end of December, then looked at showtimes to see it wasn't even near me. If the same thing happens with The Post, I'm gonna shit a brick.

This a growing concern and it's happening more and more it looks like. I'm sure it's only people like us here that gives a shit, but it's becoming worrisome.

[Heather19]

The Shape of Water never opened around me either, Mike. I kept waiting for it because I knew it was going to be released at the end of December, then looked at showtimes to see it wasn't even near me. If the same thing happens with The Post, I'm gonna shit a brick.

This a growing concern and it's happening more and more it looks like. I'm sure it's only people like us here that gives a shit, but it's becoming worrisome.

Funny thing is that these movies have been playing in multiple theaters by me lately. Granted I do include the closest indie theater which is about 30-35min away. Some have only played for 1 or 2 weeks at the big theater, but they did come by for a bit.

[Mattrick]

Mike, blame Star Wars and all these blockbuster type movies around this time of year. Movies either get released in Fall Season and don't get the visibility, get muscled out of theatres in December, or they push the release into near the end of January. Phantom Thread does get a wide release for another two weeks. This was our season, and sure some of us might still enjoy the blockbuster types, but they interfere in theatre availability for all of us. Last year I missed out on Manchester by the Sea because I think it was here for two weeks max. I barely caught Lady Bird. It's extra bad this year because my theatre is currently transitioning to recliner seats, so there are usually a couple of theatres being renovated at any given time. Actually saw Disaster Artist last night in the old seats, a cinema they haven't gotten to yet.

[Still Servant]

Mike, blame Star Wars and all these blockbuster type movies around this time of year. Movies either get released in Fall Season and don't get the visibility, get muscled out of theatres in December, or they push the release into near the end of January. Phantom Thread does get a wide release for another two weeks. This was our season, and sure some of us might still enjoy the blockbuster types, but they interfere in theatre availability for all of us. Last year I missed out on Manchester by the Sea because I think it was here for two weeks max. I barely caught Lady Bird. It's extra bad this year because my theatre is currently transitioning to recliner seats, so there are usually a couple of theatres being renovated at any given time. Actually saw Disaster Artist last night in the old seats, a cinema they haven't gotten to yet.

Oh, I know. The good news is there won't be a Star Wars film released in December next year, so it shouldn't be as bad.

[Mattrick]

I was surprised Solo is out so quick. There will still be Fantastic Beasts and a comic book film or two though. But it shouldn't be as bad.

[Shannon]

Killing Of A Sacred Deer
Rating: Fuck Off (out of Five)

You special people that liked Ghost Story will LOVE this piece of shit.

[Mattrick]

I'll be watching A Ghost Story soon

[Still Servant]

Killing Of A Sacred Deer
Rating: Fuck Off (out of Five)

You special people that liked Ghost Story will LOVE this piece of shit.

Those films are artsy. They're certainly not for everyone. Is there a reason why you can't identify these films before putting yourself through them? They're pretty easy to recognize.