Movies You've Watched Recently

Paltrow annoyed the hell out of me but that was probably in her contract.

I think Paltrow's performances in the series overall is the best thing she's done in the past 10 years. That said, this statement made me laugh.

By the way, in IM3, when Stark is infiltrating the Mandarin's stronghold wearing civilian clothing and using handmade weapons, am I the only one who felt a Martin Riggs vibe about the scene? This movie was made by the guy who created Lethal Weapon, after all. All the scene needed was a guitar lick by Eric Clapton on the soundtrack.

You say Riggs like it's a bad thing.

All in all, I mentioned that shit and my wife was like "what?" Anyways, still a fucking spectacular movie in all sense of the word. It was a motion picture.

My thoughts will be withheld until we discuss it more.

I love Lethal Weapon. There's no way it's a bad thing to me.

Yeah, I felt Lady Vengeance holds up as a standalone piece that really holds up under multiple reviewings. Not to mention

Spoiler:

Just got back from Kick Ass 2. If you liked the first you need to do yourself a favor and see this one. So much damn fun. It takes the fucked up to new levels to the point where I felt uncomfortable at times, but they fit in with how fucked up this movie is save one which was just gross out but it has a payoff later.

Thing is though that the good stuff is so fucking amazing. Mother Russia (one of the villains who is now my avatar) in particular is the best thing I've seen in a superhero movie since Heath Ledger's Joker. Jim Carrey is great also, but don't expect something on par with Nicholas Cage in 1. And this is coming from someone who likes a movie more for having Jim Carrey and likes one less for having Nicholas Cage

Critics are disagreeing with you (not at all saying that in a snarky way, critics are often swept up in opinion as opposed to making their own), but glad to see you enjoyed it. I was never super impressed with Kick-Ass 1, but I didn't dislike it. Considering how expensive movies are in theaters here I'll probably wait for the DVD.

On an unrelated note though, Star Trek: Into Darkness finally comes out here next week. Better late than never right?

Most of those critics seem to say the film can't keep a consistent tone. I think it's ironic that they can't keep a consistent list of what to criticize. One minute the violence is too tame the next they're bitching about the shit McLovin (refuse to learn his real name) and Mother Russia do. It's funny how the most positive things I can say about game critics is at least they're not film critics.

The movie won't be for everyone. Anyone who balks at the name Kick Ass is pretty much those people, which is most film critics unfortunately. My opinion is the more you think like Kay the more you'll like it. They call that "bad taste" but I just think it's different than theirs. I'd say calling The Artist best film of the year or saying Argo is better than Django Unchained (and I really liked Argo) is bad taste, but you don't see me putting them down.

I just watched the first one with my family on Netflix. Can't say my parents were super-impressed with it, but they still watched the whole thing and seemed to enjoy it. I can't say I enjoy watching bodies explode into a gory mess either but I still liked it.

Finally watched the first two Back to the Future films for the first time yesterday. Fun stuff. Might finish the last one tonight.

Back to the Future's so great. I could watch those movies anytime. Just be prepared for 3 to not be as good Rainjar. Still good, but knowing you a plot point or two will drive you nuts.

I think having Kick-Ass ride a jetpack with twin gatling guns was fucking stupid (does Hit Girl and Big Daddy get their weapons from Q Branch?). Otherwise, the first film is a lot of fun.

Once Hit Girl was introduced anything that was stupid was counted as a positive for me in Kick Ass. The jetpack being the pinnacle of it all.

Fair enough. I had no problem with Hit Girl doing crazy stuff (she's a trained killer) but the whole point about Kick-Ass is that he's a normal guy with no training. I would've preferred that he was in the building fighting alongside her. Again, no biggie.

That's the thing though if Kick Ass was in the building alongside her, he would have been killed. Hit Girl only got through because she's Hit Girl. That's why he was the one fighting Red Mist instead, they're both normal people while Hit Girl and the mob boss (blanking on the name) are the real fighters. The way Hit Girl told him to learn how to use the jetpack in five minutes though made it seem easy for him to do, so it made sense for him to do that instead of fight.

If it bothers you it bothers you though. Like you said, no big deal.

I gotta admit that I was thinking the same as Avid about the jetpack. Nothing else at all struck me as not fitting except that part

I always thought they should have really gone into the whole "he has nerve damage so he can't feel as much pain" bit and shown him bumbling through more fights. I mean, if you had that where pain was dulled you'd get through almost any fight one way or another.

Also, saw War Horse...meh. If anyone would like me to go further into that, then I will, but otherwise...meh.

I liked War Horse. It's not top of the line Spielberg but I preferred that over Tin-Tin.

Saturday night I saw Lethal Weapon 3 with a commentary track by the hosts of the Entertainment Landfill/Nowhere In Mulberry podcast. I never thought that highly of the movie (and haven't seen it in a while) but holy shit it is terrible. Considering what this and LW 4 did, I wish they used Shane Black's original script for Lethal Weapon 2 where, among other things, Riggs was killed off.

God Bless America is friggin hilarious. It's a mix of Super, Falling Down and Idiocracy. Bobcat Goldthwait(sp?...whatever) wrote and directed it but don't let that deter you from Netflixing it. Bill Murray's cousin or brother or whatnot (dude from the John Cusack "cute and fuzzy bunnies" movie...help me out, avid) is excellent in it. I won't go any further for fear of spoiling the jokes. Which are abundant.

Because I was so outclassed by you guys on those movie lists in the other thread, I started to find the movies on my own to-watch list that lined up with the ones I hadn't seen. Tonight I watched Night of the Hunter, what an awesome and creepy performance by Mitchum. Very unusual pacing for a film of that era, bu one that delightfully had the fat trimmed off. It moved at a really great pace, if not a bit too fast, but some really wonderful cinematography and visuals as well. Very impressed.

Good choice. I love Night Of The Hunter.


On a private message board, I'm in a debate about Man of Steel over the same issues. I couldn't help myself. I took the bait. This shit will never end.

Film debates tend to get ugly, that's why I try my best not to with you guys. Plus, I don't have the attention span to write up a long debate on a message forum. If we were on skype or google or something where we could just talk I'm all for it.

We should do that sometime, watch a movie, have a few beers, talk on skype. Potential good times.

Night of the Hunter is so great. It doesn't crack my top 20, but is damn close.

Watched Django Unchained again. I think it's Tarantino's best work. Even the characters with little screen time and/or no lines are really good. Next top 5 should be westerns. If you guys are cool with that, post it up. I'm so down for a western discussion.

Yeah, I love that German expressionist style that was all the rage back them, made for some absolutely lovely black and white photography.

YEEEEEEEES, Westerns. If I recall spiddy you're more of a classic, pre-revisionist western sort of guy? Or am I just remembering a different person?

Throw up the top 5 and let's find out

I'll put three up there. Most of them technicalities.

Watching Commando. I loved this movie growing up. It's still awesome, despite being horrible.

Just got back from The World's End. If you dig Edgar Wright movies, you'll love this. I'm not ready to say where I rank it in the Cornetto Trilogy but I do feel that it's equal to both. It's just 2 hours of happiness. One of the best soundtracks as well.

Finally got around to watching Looper. Been meaning to watch it for some time now. Decent movie but I kind of thought it would be a little better considering all the good things I had heard about it.

I wasn't a fan of Looper. I think it may have been the awful, awful make up that had me biased from the start.

I thought the exact same thing on looper. Didn't live up to the hype.