Movies - Take Two. Action!

[TheLoony]

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Sounds like a flick I'd like to see. Cool title also.

Anyone ever picked up a book and read it from the middle to the end of the middle? I didn't know when I started but I just did that with The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.

Not great but not awful and it does have Giancarlo Esposito, Alan Tudyk and Patricia Clarkson.

I'm still unsure exactly what the heck is going on and how things got to be the way they are as I not only missed the beginning of the movie but the flick before and after that and possibly many more I don't know of. Sort of a Hunger Games type of thing with lots of teens being the center of the action as they are the key individuals in this sci-fy zombie apocalypse scenario.

[nosebone]

American Psycho (2000)

First re watch since 2000.

I didn't like it in 2000 and dislike it even more now.

I also hated the book which I read in 1991 amidst its controversial release.

It's supposed to be a black comedy about the excesses of the elite class in 1980s NYC

But really just a confusing mess with zero resolution.

Typical Bret Easton Ellis.

[aith01]

A Quiet Place - some spoilers ahead.

I thought this was excellent. Probably a good example of the need to do just a smidgen of research into a movie before you watch it, rather than do the 'Oh that's that horror movie that's supposed to be really scary, lets go see it' thing. I'm not even sure I would call it horror anyway, more a suspense thriller with mild sci fi and horror overtones. God...I hate labels. But it really helps to know the basic premise of this movie beforehand.

I thought it was very clever how the family had learned to survive by avoiding making noise. I loved the little subtle details like putting sand on the pathways around the house so their footsteps would not make a sound, and even painting the areas of the stairs in the house where they could walk without making a creaking sound.

And the sound was extraordinary. You really need a surround system to appreciate it, at times it really made me jump. And for once in this type of movie its not used as a cheap scare tactic. I have read some silly comments about it being boring, nothing happening, not seeing the aliens etc...wrong, wrong and wrong.

Thank you! I'm glad to see some folks here who appreciate what this movie was doing.

Ant Man and the Wasp - Very enjoyable. Definitely on the lighter side of the MCU, like the Guardians movies. A lot more humour than the first one too.

I know a few have said that there was no threat, the characters never feel like they are in jeopardy etc, but I didn't mind that, I just went with it.

After the heavy stuff we got in Infinity War it comes as a bit of light relief.

I also liked that Michael Pena and his 'crew' got more to do here.

Very enjoyable.

Loved Ant-Man And The Wasp! I didn't mind the lighter tone at all, and thought it stood out as unusual (for a comic book movie) in how it didn't really have a "villain". The movie even does a neat fake-out by making it look like it's going to go with a particular over-used trope, only to neatly sidestep it in a perfectly logical way.

And Michael Pena stole the show, for me.

[GuitarGeek]

The Out Of Towners - \.

Yeah, that's a good movie. According to Wikipedia, the manhole cover explosion was real. The manhole cover apparently missed Jack Lemmon by mere inches when it came down.

[GuitarGeek]

American Psycho (2000)

First re watch since 2000.

I didn't like it in 2000 and dislike it even more now.

I also hated the book which I read in 1991 amidst its controversial release.

It's supposed to be a black comedy about the excesses of the elite class in 1980s NYC

But really just a confusing mess with zero resolution.

Typical Bret Easton Ellis.

The most interesting I thought about American Psycho was about the discussion of how the movie ends. There's a lot of talk (which I prefer to agree with) that the whole thing is just going on in the guy's head, he didn't really killing all these people, he just thinks he has. And there were theories going around explaining all the stuff like the dead body he left in the one apartment being missing when he comes back later, etc. Then the director chimed and explained that, no he really did kill the people, but she apparently took responsibility by "messing up" the ending or whatever. She apparently meant for it to be "ambiguous" but it ended up being too ambiguous, or whatever. (shrug)

But what do you want from a book/movie about a guy who apparently think Huey Lewis And The News were better than The Beatles.

[nosebone]

^ Your right!

They didn't know how to end it or try to explain it.

[Rogue Mail]

Yeah, that's a good movie. According to Wikipedia, the manhole cover explosion was real. The manhole cover apparently missed Jack Lemmon by mere inches when it came down.

I can believe that because it looked pretty realistic, it went up very close to him and it also landed very near him as well. No cutaways either. Lucky I guess, though I doubt Lemmon thought so at the time...

[Rogue Mail]

Yeah, that's a good movie. According to Wikipedia, the manhole cover explosion was real. The manhole cover apparently missed Jack Lemmon by mere inches when it came down.

Another thing I noticed about The Out Of Towners this time round was the airport staff who informs Lemmon of his lost luggage is a very young, fresh-faced Billy Dee Williams.

[GuitarGeek]

Another thing I noticed about The Out Of Towners this time round was the airport staff who informs Lemmon of his lost luggage is a very young, fresh-faced Billy Dee Williams.

Yeah, there were a lot of names listed in the cast on the Wiki page that I didn't actually remember seeing when I watched the movie a few years ago. It's actually an interesting film, in that it kinda depicts the sort of state of dilapidation and degradation not just of cities like NYC during that era, but also of things like passenger railroad systems were in.

[DocProgger]

The most interesting I thought about American Psycho was about the discussion of how the movie ends. There's a lot of talk (which I prefer to agree with) that the whole thing is just going on in the guy's head, he didn't really killing all these people, he just thinks he has. And there were theories going around explaining all the stuff like the dead body he left in the one apartment being missing when he comes back later, etc. Then the director chimed and explained that, no he really did kill the people, but she apparently took responsibility by "messing up" the ending or whatever. She apparently meant for it to be "ambiguous" but it ended up being too ambiguous, or whatever. (shrug)

But what do you want from a book/movie about a guy who apparently think Huey Lewis And The News were better than The Beatles.

I thought it was pretty clear that the murders weren't really happening, and it was all in his head, to signify the pent up rage, hypocrisy and turmoil inside in contrast to keeping the faux veneer on the facade of the greed based yuppie culture of the 80s which was being satirized and mocked. In that sense, I thought the dark humor worked very well in many places, like the whole silly comparison of their business cards, the need to get a table at the most hip restaurant, and the scene where they are talking to the "aspiring models" and she asks what Wall Street job he has, and he replies "Murders and Executions" and the bimbo is so oblivious she thinks he said "Mergers and Acquisitions" etc. Those same ideas would have been more deftly handled with a Kubrick, Scorsese or Lynch etc, but although the film is excessive at times, I think the idea got across pretty well. And fyi, the movie was poking fun at the protagonist's love for Huey Lewis, 80s Genesis etc.

[nosebone]

I thought it was pretty clear that the murders weren't really happening, and it was all in his head, to signify the pent up rage, hypocrisy and turmoil inside in contrast to keeping the faux veneer on the facade of the greed based yuppie culture of the 80s which was being poked fun at. In that sense, I thought the dark humor worked very well in many places, like the whole silly comparison of their business cards etc. Those same ideas would have been more deftly handled with a Kubrick, Scorsese or Lynch etc, but although the film is excessive at times, I think the idea got across pretty well. And fyi, the movie was poking fun at Huey Lewis, 80s Genesis etc.

According to the director and Easton, Bateman did commit a few of the murders.

But they were kind of vague about which ones.

I dunno, the whole thing seemed weird and uninspired to me.

Originally it was to star Leonard Dicaprio with Oliver Stone to direct, but Mary Harron ended up directing.

Having a woman direct would perhaps neutralize the controversy?

[GuitarGeek]

According to the director and Easton, Bateman did commit a few of the murders.

But they were kind of vague about which ones.

Yeah, that's what I remember hearing too, though I thought they said he had committed all the murders. But I liked the idea that he's so deranged, he only thinks he killed these people.

I thought American Psycho was reasonably good, though I have no real desire to ever see it again (there's only so much Huey Lewis And The News fanboy silliness I can take).

American Psycho 2, on the other hand, I didn't think was very good. I mean it had Mila Kunis and William Shatner in it. That's about all it had going for it. Apparently, it wasn't conceived as an American Psycho sequel. Mila Kunis even claims that when she agreed to do the movie, it wasn't yet a sequel. It was only after they started working on the movie the studio demanded the Patrick Bateman allusions to be tossed in.

[DocProgger]

I don't know what ambiguous statements the writer or director made about the intent, and I didn't read the book, so I can't speak to how the plot twists turned out there, but in the movie Paul Allen is not killed as is revealed late in the film, as Batemans colleague just had dinner with him he says. The detective says he's not under suspicion for any murders. Bateman goes back to the apartment and expects to find a bloody mess after killing the 2 women, and the place is spotless and up for sale, and no one knows anything about murders or dead bodies.

It's all in his head. He confesses to his lawyer and is laughed off. That's the only way the closing soliloquy by Bateman makes sense. He knows he's this terrible vacant vacuous person who has *thoughts* of committing horrible murders, and it's so real to him he thinks he should be punished, but he's not--because he didn't do anything--but he thinks he deserves to be punished because he knows he's a terrible person. Confessing all these horrible thoughts provides no catharsis. So he goes back to the banal conversations with his Wall Street buddies, still seething with torment. That's exactly what makes the movie interesting. imo.

And again, the fact that Bateman loves songs like Hip to be Square and Sussudio is being made fun of, ie satirized, not celebrated.

I think some directors purposely like to be obtuse and ambiguous about movies like this to stir interest, and thus make confusing comments. See Ridley Scott re all the Bladerunner endings etc. And some movies are made to be ambiguous on purpose to "make you think", ie see David Lynch films.

[GuitarGeek]

[QUOTE=DocProgger;833923]

Bateman goes back to the apartment and expects to find a bloody mess after killing the 2 women, and the place is spotless and up for sale, and no one knows anything about murders or dead bodies.

Someone on IMDB once explained that as being the owner of the building cleaning up the mess and keeping it on the down low, so as to not generate "bad publicity". Of course, we don't actually see this, but it kinda sounds like something a realtor would do, at least, one in a movie who cares more about selling or renting/leasing property than finding out how killed the two women who were found in the apartment.

And again, the fact that Bateman loves songs like Hip to be Square and Sussudio is being made fun of, ie satirized, not celebrated.

Your point being what?! It's still obnoxious to listen to someone talk about that stuff. I liked some of Huey Lewis' songs, but the guy was a pop singer, who can play harmonica reasonably well, well enough to get invited onstage to jam with Thin Lizzy, as heard on Live And Dangerous. Beyond that, his other claim to fame is his former bandmates backed up Elvis Costello on his first album.

[Klonk]

This conversation you two are having is giving me the same feeling I get when I'm done taking a crap and see that I have no more toilet paper left.

[nosebone]

Anyway, moving forward, I can't recommend American Psycho.

The social satire and violent imagery just wasn't enough for a book or a movie imo.

[DocProgger]

Someone on IMDB once explained that as being the owner of the building cleaning up the mess and keeping it on the down low, so as to not generate "bad publicity". Of course, we don't actually see this, but it kinda sounds like something a realtor would do, at least, one in a movie who cares more about selling or renting/leasing property than finding out how killed the two women who were found in the apartment.

Yeah, all the real estate agents I know routinely clean up properties that have had bloody double murders, dispose of the bodies, and don't report the homicides to the police, because after all, getting that sale is most important.
Of course, there are people in this world that actually strangle their own little daughters and then dispose of the bodies of their own children in drums of crude oil, so I guess anythings possible....

.
Your point being what?! It's still obnoxious to listen to someone talk about that stuff. I liked some of Huey Lewis' songs, but the guy was a pop singer

The point being, for the last time, that the movie is a dark humor satire of the 80s, and part of the satire is making fun of some of the most popular tunes of that era.

Now if you'll excuse me I've got to go deposit an ICBM, I just got a huge shipment of Charmin Ultra Strong in my turlet room, which I always like to keep well stocked

[Jerjo]

I just thought of this film, which I first saw in college in the late 70s. I haven't seen it since getting my wife to watch it in the 80s (that didn't go well). I thought it was uneven but ground-breaking.

[TheLoony]

Eraserhead. I've never seen it. Thoughts?

[DocProgger]

Eraserhead. I've never seen it. Thoughts?

Bizarre and surreal. Well worth it if you can accept Lynch's off center world view.Also doesn't hurt to be a little buzzed. If you are a person who expects rationality, realism, linear logic and/or a lot of action in your movies, you probably won't like it.

[GuitarGeek]

Yeah, all the real estate agents I know routinely clean up properties that have had bloody double murders, dispose of the bodies, and don't report the homicides to the police, because after all, getting that sale is most important.

You do understand I was talking about characters in movies, right? I wasn't talking about real life realtors. Real estate people in the movies are always more interested in money than justice or morality or whatever.

The point being, for the last time, that the movie is a dark humor satire of the 80s, and part of the satire is making fun of some of the most popular tunes of that era.

And I don't care what the intent was, it's nothing something I want to listen to ever again! Am I allowed to make that decision for myself?!

I just thought of this film, which I first saw in college in the late 70s. I haven't seen it since getting my wife to watch it in the 80s (that didn't go well). I thought it was uneven but ground-breaking.

Wizards is another of my favorite animated pictures. It's playing on the Fox Movie Channel this next week, check your local listings.

I've seen a few of Ralph Bakshi's pictures, but Wizards and American Pop are about the only ones I really liked. The others came off as being too preoccupied with being "shocking" or whatever. (shrug)

Interesting story about Wizards: it was released by 20th Century Fox, and the original title was going to be Wizard Wars. But George Lucas was concerned having a movie wtih that title out at the same time as Star Wars would somehow confuse the public, so he asked Bakshi to change the title, which he did (I guess Lucas couldn't call his movie "Stars", huh?).

When Wizards first came out (at about the same time, or maybe just a little ahead of Star Wars), it was actually doing really good business (certainly good business for an animated feature film that wasn't produced by "The Mouse"). It had made back it's budget, and it looked the sky was the limit, until...

it became apparent that the public demand for Star Wars was exceeding the number of theaters the picture was playing in. People were cuing up around the block, and waiting horus on end, to see it. So 20th Century Fox pulled Wizards (and, I reckon, most of it's other movies that were playing at the time) out of the theaters that were showing it, and swapped in Star Wars, to meet the demand for the Lucas picture.

There's some other interesting stories on the Wizards DVD. Susan Tyrell, the actress who did the narration during the film's prologue, refused to let Bakshi put her name in the credits, I guess because he had become "notorious", after Fritz The Cat, Heavy Traffic, and Coonskin. Years later, she apparently told Bakshi that she actually got a lot of work from doing that bit, and she wished she had let him put her name in the credits.

[DocProgger]

And I don't care what the intent was, it's nothing something I want to listen to ever again! Am I allowed to make that decision for myself?!

You can watch Molly Ringwald flicks all day for all I care. I was simply answering your question.

[BravadoNJ]

The Godfather I & II
most Sci-Fi movies (Star Trek, Star Wars, Fifth Element, Hitchhiker's Guide..., etc...)
Godzilla ('14)
Matrix Trilogy

[Vic2012]

I hated the 5th Element. Ruined by Chris Tucker. Just awful.

[GuitarGeek]

You can watch Molly Ringwald flicks all day for all I care. I was simply answering your question.

And you can watch movies about sadistic vermin all day for all I care. I was merely responding to your inane answer.