Rate the latest movie you've seen.

[Munch]

I also popped in a few old movies yesturday, since I couldn't find anything interesting to download on steam.

One of the most comforting studios I enjoy watching movies from is hayao miyazaki and studio ghibli films (the ones he made). I'm just in love with his movies so much, I can even remember seeing laputa castle in the sky as a child and loving that movie so much, glad I have it in my collection.

But yeah anyway the one I watched yesturday was howls moving castle, I know this didn't get as ground breaking a write up as spirited away, which really is one of the best movies, but I've just for a soft spot for howls moving castle, the animation is incredible, the characters are enjoyable, the background of the movie is rich, and the depth of the main character is surprisingly relatable. I've watched it so many times aside from it not having the complete childlike innocence of some of his films, its still a well written story, and some of the finest animated sequences in any movie.

Also since i mentioned it earlier, Laputa castle in the sky is one of my all time favorite classic animated movies, the music in this movie is so good for its time, the plot is again deep and thought provoking, the characters are memorable and premise and mystery of laputa is just enchanting, I really recommend anyone who loves anime to just download or go out and buy this movie. Just listen to that end credits score, just gorgeous.

[Hydra009]

Not since 2001: A Space Odyssey has there been such a confounding ending. And that one at least can be explained.

You have blown my mind, sir.

[PickelledEggs]

Finally saw Hunger Games.  7.5/10

It's a fairly fresh idea, very well put together, and it definitely got me invested in the protagonist's plight.  I liked it.  I really did.

But it took a surprisingly long time to get to the titular games, some of the action was noticeably off (like grabbing a spear with your armpit bad), lots of missed opportunities (showing more about the society and its history, fleshing out the tribute characters and the mentor, etc) and lots of headscratchers (Everyone in district 12 is herded together to watch the Hunger Games that apparently goes on for days?!  What's the significance of the mockingjay? What do the champs get?  Why is District 12 whiter than Maine?  Wouldn't the districts be called by actual names rather than numbers?  How do you get your name in the hat 42 times today if they only pick tributes once a year?  And seriously, how many times do people fall from considerable heights and apparently not seriously hurt themselves in this movie?)  Also, I think there was some social commentary going on about the rich-poor divide but it was too subtle for me to get.

And finally, I definitely would've implemented the Hunger Games system differently:

[spoiler]All tributes are handled separately and not allowed to fraternize at all.  That includes training.  Otherwise, they could hurt each other, glean information about their opponents ahead of time, form emotional attachments or even alliances.

Immediately prior to the games, tributes are escorted by security and locked inside an elevator tube that is raised to the surface instead of tearful farewells in a pointless room culminating in a leisurely stroll onto the tube (there's a pretty good chance involuntary tributes wouldn't voluntarily leave the room, duh)

The elevators reach the surface and unlock simultaneously after a brief introduction.

Tribute starting locations are equidistant from each other around a central supply cache approximately 1 km away.  There's also a meager supply cache immediately next to the tribute starting locations.

Unscalable walls surround the Hunger Games site and tributes are warned not to attempt to scale the walls or lethal force will be used against them.

Outside interference in a game in progress is forbidden.  No sponsors.  No airdrops.  No nothing.

Games officials cannot change the rules of the game; the game continues until there is a sole victor.  In the unlikely event that the victor is fatally wounded, the victor is celebrated posthumously.   In the absurdly unlikely event that the last two tributes refuse to fight, the game goes on until only one is left alive, however long that is, and the victor is imprisoned and ultimately executed for cowardice and dereliction of duty.

The victor receives fame and fortune as well as a sizable grant for the district.  Tributes would most likely be entirely voluntary at this point.

Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor.[/spoiler]

I saw it a while back...  I would give it a 6/10 though. It's not really a fresh idea. In fact is a pretty blatant rip off of Battle Royale. I still enjoyed it, but it didn't live up to the hype everyone I know gave it.

Sent from your mom

[Atheon]

Boyhood. 9/10. Excellent.

[LoriPinkAngel]

Just saw Chef.  7.5/10  A good movie about rediscovering one's passion.  There was a lot of music that I liked.  Made me hungry for a Cubano.

[SGOS]

100 Foot Journey  5/10

Nothing special about this movie.

[SGOS]

Blood Ties

I got so bored I put the thing on fast forward, so I probably shouldn't rate it, having only watched an annoyingly boring half hour.

[the_antithesis]

So I finally saw Wreck-It Ralph. Kind of odd that it took me this long to see that one seeing as I'm a nut for classic video games and shit, but that's life.

On the whole, I was disappointed. I think the Lego Movie spoiled me already what with having Batman be a major supporting character. I think Wreck-it Ralph would have benefited from having a recognizable video game character do likewise, like maybe Q*bert follows Fix-It Felix Jr. through the story or something. I don't know. It would have elevated things a bit. But it's probably unfair to compare the two since Lego came out later. It just would make the inclusion of classic video game characters seem less like cameos and pop-culture references, which do not effect me the way they do others. Most people get that shock of recognition from seeing something they haven't seen in twenty years. I was playing Q*bert just the other day, so it's less of a shock for me.

However, the plot became surprisingly complex when Ralph must choose to betray a friend for their own good. And then even that turned out to be more than it seemed. that was good.

Less good was the needless H plot of the alien bug things taking over the game. I know they needed to raise the stakes, but that was a cheap way to do it. particularly since it was unconnected to the plot I mention above. I might have liked it better if the alien bugs had, I don't know, personality?

So the video game stuff was like pop culture references in a bad Shrek movie and the plot had some good parts and some bad. I'm not a fan.

[Solitary]

I watched the silent picture version of Uncle Toms Cabin last night. A must see picture. Solitary

[Savior2006]

Just remembered I watched all the Alien franchise stuff with dad.

Aliens: 10

Alien: 8

Alien Resurrection: 6

AVP: 6

Alien 3: 4

AVP2: An insult to horseshit.

[SGOS]

A Most Wanted Man  6/10

It was never made clear enough to me what was going on.  I think that was the writer's intended device.  Who are the good guys?  Who are the bad guys?  Is the main bad guy really a bad guy or a good guy?  You never really know.  Add to that, I didn't understand exactly what the opposing factions were trying to accomplish.  I had a general idea, but not enough to make something sensible out of all of it at the end of the movie.  It felt like something was missing.  People were doing things, even interesting things, but I was left without a sense of purpose.  I read an in depth synopsis afterwards, and yes, it pretty much described what I thought I was watching, but I still keep asking myself, "Yeah, but why bother to even write this story?"

Phillip Seymour Hoffman did his usual job of solid acting, and managed to leave us with his credibility intact.  Even though he has been widely acclaimed, he always seemed underrated to me.  I guess you need to be better looking to get the kind of praise I think he deserves.

[Hydra009]

AVP2: An insult to horseshit.

Yeah, AVP:Requiem was an oddly fitting title.  When I saw it, I said "Well, there goes the franchise."  It was basically just a slasher with a predalien instead of Jason.

The funny part is that it made close to $130 million on a budget of $40 million.  Laughing all the way to the bank.

[SGOS]

November man  8/10

Pierce Brosnan as an aging spy.  This was trashed by critics, but I'm always out of sync on what I like.  I enjoyed the intrigue, although it did kind of overdo a lot of the typical spy movie clichés.  There may have been some obvious plot holes, but I have a hard time following a lot of spy movies, anyway.  So I don't worry about how this guy knew that, or what that guy's motive really was.

James Bond movies always drive me nuts.  How come he's in Morocco now?  Why is he suddenly in Rio?  Now he's in Budapest!  What's actually going on?  And why does this one criminal mastermind think he can take over the world?  I just go to Bond films for the babes.

[SGOS]

Heaven is Real  2/10

It includes all the devices necessary in a good Christian Drama.  A miracle happens.  At first, no one believes the boy, until he relates some things about the family to his father.  These things are supposedly things he could not know.  The father struggles with it and accepts the boys story as real.  Now everyone thinks the father has gone over the deep end, including his wife, and they want to fire him as minister of their church.  The father becomes a martyr, but then the boy relates other things that get the doubters on board.  Finally, the minister's wife believes while she is in tears over something the boy tells her about the family that he could not possibly know.  Everyone joyously reunites in their newly deepened faith and they all become friends again.  Throughout the movie there are many scenes of people praying by themselves and in groups.  They are good Christians walking in God's path, but they are shown the light and reborn once again.

It's profoundly Christian sap and gooey schmaltz of sickening proportions.

[Hydra009]

A little kid saying stuff he couldn't possibly know?  Pssh.  Amateur.