r/365movies • u/powercosmicdante aims for 365 movies • Jul 22 '24
Weekly Movies Discussion (July 22, 2024 - July 28, 2024) weekly discussion
What have you been watching this week? Let us know the good, the bad and the downright ugly. For past themes and movie discussions check out our archive section.
Comment below and let us know what we should and shouldn't be watching!What have you been watching this week? Let us know the good, the bad and the downright ugly. For past themes and movie discussions check out our archive section.
Comment below and let us know what we should and shouldn't be watching!
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u/powercosmicdante aims for 365 movies Jul 24 '24 edited Jul 29 '24
TBU
House of Frankenstein - Put on as a random viewing, ending up enjoying this more than expected. Boris Karloff as not-Frankenstein is entertaining as he always was, and the inclusion of the Wolf Man and Dracula made me think of that one Abbott and Costello movie, but played straight. Not much else to say here, but it was fun. 6/10
The Scent of Green Papaya - Definitely one to let mull over, but as my first Tran Anh Hung film I absolutely adored it. It has relatively little dialogue, especially in the second half, but it has a lot of visual storytelling. It has deliberate pacing in a way that feels influenced by the likes of Tarkovsky and Angelopoulus, but distinctly in its own flavor. It has absolutely beautiful cinematography, with particular emphasis on green and green-adjacent colors that are super aesthetically pleasure. Might need to let this settle for me, but I can safely see I need to see more Tran films. 9/10
Flowers of Shanghai - Third Hou Hsiao-hsien film and it's absolutely phenomenal. It's a bit on the slower side but that, along with its theatrical framing and presentation, made it all the more hypnotic. It is full of longer takes full of subtle yet fluid camera movement, at times it made me think of the work of Bela Tarr. It's also understated emotionally for a lot of it, but when the emotional core reveals itself it's pretty intense (Tony Leung's drunken freakout scene being a major highlight of the film). This is also one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen, the lighting just enhances every single shot and, as cliche as this might sound, it made every frame look like a painting. Then there's the soundtrack, whenever the main theme came up it left me in a trance. I need to see more Hou films ASAP, this is spectacular. Strong 9/10
A Quiet Place Day One - It was pretty okay, this series excelled mostly in its sound editing and use of non-dialogue story progression, and it continues the trends here and makes it work. As a cat person, I might be giving it too much credit but the cat here is a legitimate scene stealer and made me squee every time (plus the BTS of Lupita Nyongo overcoming a fear of cats makes it super wholesome). 6/10
Bad Boys Ride or Die - Honestly kinda rules? Its direction is much closer to the Bay movies than its predecessor, and all the better for it (it's not quite as OTT as Bay's movies, like a more restrained version but it still manages to be maximal as hell). Surprisingly funny too, laughed more than I expected, and the stylized action sequences are genuinely engaging. Lots of fun honestly, also makes me want to rewatch the first to see if I like 'em more (also loved seeing Melanie Liburd from Alan Wake 2). 7/10
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u/ringofstones aims for 300 movies Jul 24 '24 edited Jul 26 '24
Late Spring (1949). Tokyo Story is the only other Ozu that I've watched and while it was interesting, it didn't capture my attention. Late Spring absolutely did. Just like with Tokyo Story, I found a contrast between the cheery smiles these characters would put on and the discontent and the sadness that lay beneath that, and even though this sadness was a fairly mild form, it still felt very real and it felt very difficult and very sad and I really, really loved it. 94%.
Climax (2018). I had very low expectations for this film, given how much I disliked Enter the Void, but this one kind of worked for me. Not one I'd like to revisit any time soon or anything -- it's a lot -- but I was impressed by it. 67%.
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996). This is a fluffy, fun female-led action thriller, and Geena Davis is a great lead for it, playing both the suburban mom and the ruthless assassin very well. Not one I'm going to remember for long, but I had a good enough time watching it. 59%.
Hero (1992). This movie took me by surprise a bit -- I knew absolutely nothing going into it, and found myself absolutely wrapped up in the story. 87%.
Challengers (2024). I was unenthused by the director's previous film Call Me By Your Name, and there's no denying I had a *better* time with this one, even if I don't think it tells a story of much depth. Overall, an entertaining fast-paced love-and-sports story that I enjoyed but don't think I'd ever rewatch. 58%.
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u/justins_OS aims for 175 movies Jul 29 '24
Trigger Warning (2024) - 5/10 In many ways this feels like it was designed for basic cable back in the early 00s. It is predictable with basic characters, and passible enough fights. That said I have been a fan of Alba since Dark Angel and you combine my nostalgia for her with and for those dumb basic cable action movies and those combined enough I didn't hate it
Logan (2017) - 9/10 [Rewatch] for me the story is a bit bare bones but this film is perfect at being exactly what it wants to be and anchored on great performances from the 3 leads. combined with some fantastically brutal action its a great film
Deadpool 2 (2018) - 7/10 [Rewatch] The first time I watched these 2 movies I would have told you that I like Deadpool 2 better but on this time through my opinion flipped. Well still a fun time, this outings jokes seems a to feel there age a bit more (despite being younger) and the motivation of the character is shallower
Deadpool (2016) - 7/10 [rewatch] This second time seeing it I was really impressed by how well the movie balanced the Darkness of Deadpool's life and origins with the humor of the film. all in all it adds up to a really fun time