What Movie Are You Watching?

[DT]

And actually, “Army of the Dead” is probably better for having Tig Notaro in it. She’s terrific as the hardcase helicopter pilot.

She has a funny "talk show" titled Under a Rock with Tig Notaro. The basic premise is she's totally out of touch with pop culture (TV, stars, etc.), so they have someone on who's famous in that capacity and she interviews them trying to figure out who they are, what they do - supposed to be totally legit too (like she really doesn't know the person being interviewed). It's under the Funny or Die web network, and I think it's sponsored by Alexa (i.e., Amazon), free, just search.

 

[Thomas Veil]

That could’ve been me.

Seriously, there’s times the headlines are filled with reality show contestants and obscure musicians, and I’m like, Who are these people? And why should I care?

 

[Thomas Veil]

Seriously, I know why she’s likable. She looks like the love child of Richard Belzer and Rachel Maddow.

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That, or a female Steve Dallas.

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[Thomas Veil]

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“Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium,” a movie which I’ve always dismissed as being aimed at little kids. Then I came across it on HBOMax. I didn’t mean to stop and watch it, but I was immediately pulled in.

It’s full of imagination and heart, Dustin Hoffman is superb, and as far as who it’s aimed at…it’s the little kid in you.

Highly recommended for everyone.

 

[Alli]

“Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium,” a movie which I’ve always dismissed as being aimed at little kids. Then I came across it on HBOMax. I didn’t mean to stop and watch it, but I was immediately pulled in.

One of my favorites.

 

[Thomas Veil]

I was very moved by it.

And I'm lucky enough to have discovered two good movies in one afternoon.

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"Greenland" (HBO) is a movie I remember coming and going from theaters almost instantaneously. That's undeserved.

This is not one of those cheesy movies like Michael Bay's "Armageddon". This follows one family on the day everyone gets the message that pieces of a huge comet are about to hit Earth. It's going to be an extinction level event, and the only hope of survival is to make it to underground government bunkers in...guess where.

Naturally, the family--Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin (Gotham) and their son--goes through hell to try to get there. A lot of humanity's worst comes out (much like that Twilight Zone story "The Shelter"), but there's also love and heroism.

As happy and bright as "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" was, this is so dark and intense. And extremely realistic. If such an event ever happens, this is what it'll be like.

To paraphrase a bit of PR, if you see only one extinction event movie, see this one.

 

[JayMysteri0]

In case anyone has ever thought my tastes in film was suspect, allow me to confirm that suspicion.

Saw this on sale on iTunes, after it always being too expensive and had to have it. It's so friggin' silly I absolutely love it. Martial Arts + gun wielding Yakuza zombies = Sure why not?



I loved this film when it came out so long ago. Bought a Japanese copy of the DVD to replace my bootleg copy. Unfortunately I used to lend my films out, which really means I gave them away unsuspectingly. Also the company had a bad habit of repacking the film with "more" extras seemingly every year that I gave up on owning it again and it never seemed to appear for streaming.

Now I get to enjoy the silliness again this weekend.

 

[DT]

Excellent, I'm aware of this movie, but haven't seen it, hahaha, looks like delicious fun.

 

[DT]

OH MY STARS!!

The little G wants to do the full MCU run with me this summer (she got all into it from some recent trailers like Black Widow and Eternals ...)

Finally, her full nerd is blossoming

(she's also stoked to see The Batman, though that's next year ...)

 

[Huntn]

Army of the Dead (Netflix) low expectations, conforms to zombie lore, shamblers vs alphas, acceptable story, a heist in the quarantined zone, Vegas trashed, thumbs up.

​

 

[Hrafn]

Love and Monsters. Great cast, good soundtrack. This was a fun movie.

 

[Alli]

Army of the Dead (Netflix) low expectations, conforms to zombie lore, shamblers vs alphas, acceptable story, a heist in the quarantined zone, Vegas trashed, thumbs up.

I was rather disappointed on the whole.

Yesterday we ventured out for our first movie at the fancy theater with reclining seats and dinner service and saw Cruella. Mind you, I think Emma Stone can do no wrong and she lived up to expectations. She make a wonderful Cruella. Not quite the same character that we’ve all come to hate from the original Disney movie though.

Great fun family movie. Absolutely enjoyable from start to end, and the sound track is AMAZING.

 

[Huntn]

I was rather disappointed on the whole.

Yesterday we ventured out for our first movie at the fancy theater with reclining seats and dinner service and saw Cruella. Mind you, I think Emma Stone can do no wrong and she lived up to expectations. She make a wonderful Cruella. Not quite the same character that we’ve all come to hate from the original Disney movie though.

Great fun family movie. Absolutely enjoyable from start to end, and the sound track is AMAZING.

Honestly Army of the Dead was a thumbs up because of my low expectations. It had some elements I liked, but overall it did not click, and it’s not a movie I’d own.

 

[DT]

I realize yesterday that, 1) the wife had never seen Lucy (after we watched Synchronic) and 2) I had picked up a 4K copy on the cheap and never watched it. So resolved both of those last night

The 4K / Dolby Vision was stunning, I think the TV may have gotten an update, I need to check my firmware version log.

Lucy (2014) is pretty fantastic, there's some key moments that are really affecting, the conversation with her mother is amazing, the opening/ending circle, also incredibly well done. I think some people get too caught up in the x% of brain concept, clearly, that's unscientific as hell, and I __believe__ the idea they were suggesting wasn't x% of brain, but how effectively we use the 100% of our capacity, which is informed by knowledge (or lack of ...).

It's about being human, and how that's both a beautiful state, a simple collection of atoms/molecules/cells, a part of a greater whole, while being isolated by the flesh. Analyzing the time related ideas, or deep diving into kooky pseudoscience is not how to watch this.

 

[lizkat]

The original version of Jaws is leaving HBO Max tomorrow so I revisited that one. Hard not to root for the shark once they get serious about trying to do away with it by any means...

There are a few more in that category [ films that are leaving, not shark flicks ] so for once on a holiday weekend I'll be engaged in a sort of binge-watch I guess. Well it's a distraction from the weather anyway.

Next up in my selection of Last Chance offerings is Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff? Also in the queue, if I manage to make time, All the President's Men and maybe even Dirty Dancing as a nod to what's supposed to be summer weather already, gee.

 

[Pumbaa]

The original version of Jaws is leaving HBO Max tomorrow so I revisited that one. Hard not to root for the shark once they get serious about trying to do away with it by any means...

Saw it the other night as well. I really love how little the shark is visible on screen despite being such a central part of the story and how the actors are portraying humans rather than superhumans.

 

[Huntn]

I realize yesterday that, 1) the wife had never seen Lucy (after we watched Synchronic) and 2) I had picked up a 4K copy on the cheap and never watched it. So resolved both of those last night

The 4K / Dolby Vision was stunning, I think the TV may have gotten an update, I need to check my firmware version log.

Lucy (2014) is pretty fantastic, there's some key moments that are really affecting, the conversation with her mother is amazing, the opening/ending circle, also incredibly well done. I think some people get too caught up in the x% of brain concept, clearly, that's unscientific as hell, and I __believe__ the idea they were suggesting wasn't x% of brain, but how effectively we use the 100% of our capacity, which is informed by knowledge (or lack of ...).

It's about being human, and how that's both a beautiful state, a simple collection of atoms/molecules/cells, a part of a greater whole, while being isolated by the flesh. Analyzing the time related ideas, or deep diving into kooky pseudoscience is not how to watch this.

Spoilers
While I can agree with your evaluation, on face value, the premise is if we only use 10% of our brain, if we could unlock the other 90% who knows what abilities might be hidden away? ...and they just run with that. The major critique of this movie is that the ending is underwhelming, I propose that with the abilities Lucy possessed, there would be no fight, no contest with bad guys, if that was what she was focused on, but instead she was focused on the future of the human species as she transforms into something beyond flesh and blood. Very similar to the star child in 2001.

 

[Thomas Veil]

...Next up in my selection of Last Chance offerings is Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff?

Mrs. Veil and I saw that the other night. It certainly is a movie "of another time". I somehow can't see something like it being made today. (Or if it was, it would have Transformers or super villains in it.)

I'll be interested to see what you thought of it. With appropriate spoilers, of course.

"All the President's Men" is a personal favorite. I must've seen it four or five times already.

"Dammit! When is somebody going to go on the record with this thing??"

 

[Hrafn]

First Deadpool. I still love this movie.

 

[DT]

First Deadpool. I still love this movie.

Wife's side of the office