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Movies Seen in 2015

1) The Imitation Game (2014) - B
2) Selma (2014) - B+
3) Whiplash (2014) - A

Selma is your typical Oscar bait issue film, this time taking on the issues resulting in the civil rights march between Selma and Montgomery. It is aboslutely criminal that the guy who played Dr. King didn't get a best actor nomination as he was terrific and was better than some of the actors I did see get a best actor nomination like Cumberbatch and Keaton. In terms of the overall film, it was very good and emotional, but like I said, it felt Oscar baity.

Whiplash is the movie I hope wins if Boyhood does not. What a great film this was, showing the passion, drive, and determination to be great and where the line is to achieve that greatness. Simmons is a lock for best supporting here as his role of the hardassed instructor and the ending of this film was a pulse pounding exhausting (in a good way) rush that I'm still feeling as I type today.

Theater 3 (+2)
TV/Netflix
Itunes
 
Last edited:
1. Searching for Sugar Man (B+)
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (A)
3. The Imitation Game (B+)
4. Selma (A)
5. Inherent Vice (B+)
6. Foxcatcher (A-)
7. Back to the Future (B)
8. American Sniper (B-)

As a cinematic adaptation of Call of Duty, this would be exemplary -- Eastwood stages the combat sequences with aplomb. As a biography and a film about 21st century warfare and soldiery, it's a more questionable piece. The book it's based on is jingoistic (and more than a bit factually suspect; Eastwood elides his protagonist's penchant for falsehood, and also tones down his bloodlust) -- it's easy to read the film as similarly endorsing the simplistic worldview of Chris Kyle. What's confusing is that there are numerous moments that suggest this isn't true. But at the end of the day, the film doesn't really know what to do with this complexity.

I find this a bit odd, honestly, because if you asked me to identify the main recurrent theme in Clint Eastwood's filmography, it would the legacy and consequences of a life of violence. He's a conservative-minded filmmaker, but I would expect that he would have more to say about Kyle's experiences and his reintegration into society (which is basically dealt with via montage). Bradley Cooper gives a strong, if minimalist, portrayal of Kyle.

Cinema: 5 (+1)
DVD/Blu-ray: 1
Streaming Service: 2
 
Bayonetta: Bloody Fate (7)
Expelled from Paradise (9)
Heaven's Lost Property: Final (2)
Taken 3 (7)

Recently Seen:
American Sniper (8)

Running Total: 5
 
1) The Invasion - C
2) Goodfellas - B
3) Flowers In The Attic - D-

Lifetime presents: "How do the Unsubs on Criminal Minds get their start?" It's hard to hate a movie that is based on a book, but who at Lifetime decided that making this book into a movie was a good idea. The same person who decided that they would also make the three following books into three sequels.

Outside of the characters/plot, which are no doubt derived from the book, so it's hard to fault it that, it was pedestrian looking, nothing special that can save this one.
 
1) The Imitation Game (2014) - B
2) Selma (2014) - B+
3) Whiplash (2014) - A
4) The Lego Movie (2014) - B

I wouldn't say this movie is funny, but I had a fun time watching it. It was solid good entertainment and short and sweet. Pratt was good in the role (He really couldn't do anything wrong in 2014) and I really liked the effects and how everything in the world of Lego's came together. This movie felt like a tamer version of South Park, be it the crazy storyline they thought up and how it all came together. As for that twist at the end, I don't want to spoil it, but I will just say I did not see that coming.

Also, and this dovetails back to my review of Selma, I really hope "Everything is Awesome" wins for best song. I liked Glory until they brought up Ferguson as a song lyric and then I just got angry. Ferguson and Selma are nothing alike, and if that song wins, it will be nothing more than a political reason. Of course this is the same category that awarded 3-6 Mafia, so who knows. In terms of Everything is Awesome, that's a catchy song with a great message.

Theater 3
TV/Netflix 1 (+1)
Itunes
 
1. Searching for Sugar Man (B+)
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (A)
3. The Imitation Game (B+)
4. Selma (A)
5. Inherent Vice (B+)
6. Foxcatcher (A-)
7. Back to the Future (B)
8. American Sniper (B-)
9. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (B)

Having decided to watch one more movie before the weekend was over, after pondering a rewatch of Atonement (among other things), I decided instead for a movie that would almost certainly require zero deep thought (but still had Keira Knightley). And here we are. This movie is actually assembled from an assortment of things I like, also including Kenneth Branagh (whose Henry V is my favourite film of all time; he's now the director-for-hire phase, which, hey, people just aren't buying tickets for filmed Shakespeare) and Tom Clancy, whose oeuvre I read voraciously for a period in the late 1990s/early 2000s. Since we've exhausted the notable novels in the Jack Ryan canon apart from the basically unadaptable-as-a-movie "President Ryan" period, this was the second attempt by the studio to relaunch the character as a younger protagonist of wholly original material.

In some ways this is quixotic, since Jack Ryan is a pretty boring character, and what really made his stories work was always Tom Clancy's pioneering techno-thriller style. The Ryan cinematic canon kind of exacerbated this in that the almost-universally-agreed-upon highlight of The Hunt for Red October, the first and most successful Ryan film, was Sean Connery's co-protagonist Marko Ramius, who doesn't feature in any of the other Jack Ryan stories (in fact, I'm kind of surprised the studio never tried to shoehorn him in). Anyway, this was released last January, and as with the last attempt with Ben Affleck, didn't perform to hopes.

For all that, it's a pretty decent formula spy thriller. Certainly, Branagh lends the film a fair bit of style in what is otherwise a paycheque gig (he also plays the villain). There are a lot of little details that I like -- for one thing, this is really the only cinematic version of the character that has made use of the character's background as an economist, as far as I can recall. The acting is fine all around (though given that Knightley's Cathy is already pretty tangentially related to the book character, why not just let her use her normal accent, instead of the generic American one?), with Pine demonstrating that he's a good everyman action hero; and Kevin Costner's low-key acting style is well-used. The film takes a somewhat unconventional approach to espionage in that the villain is totally aware of Ryan's being some sort of spy, and Ryan knows that he knows, etc., resulting in much of the film being them playing out a mutual charade in public spaces. Until, at least, the villain seemingly forgets this because the plot requires it for about fifteen minutes.

Also, in a surprisingly prescient plot element, the inciting event for the plot is the destabilization of the Russian economy by the collapse of oil prices, which have dropped to a ghastly $79 a barrel at the film's opening, which I'm sure they thought was the stuff of fiction at the time of writing. Heh.

Cinema: 5
DVD/Blu-ray: 1
Streaming Service: 3 (+1)
 
DVD - 1
Cinema - 2
Streaming Service - 2


1 Guardians of the Galaxy
Rewatch.
A Marvel movie. I found it as good as the first time. The story of the Guardians of the Galaxy and how they come to save Xandar from Ronin was well written. Each of the characters (except Ronin, Nebula and Thanos) were well realized. 8/10.


2 Big Hero 6
A Disney Animated Canon movie based on a Marvel property. I found that this was well realized, especially when it came to Hiro's grieving for his brother, Tadashi. His character was well written. The moral quandaries that he and his new friends face as they track down a new villain in San Fransoyko are also well written. 8.5/10.


3 Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Rewatch
A Disney Animated Canon movie based on the novels by Lewis Carrol. I found this movie, just as strange as I remembered. Especially with the Cheshire Cat causing Alice to provoke the Queen of Hearts (not that she needed it much) into wanting to execute her. The other characters, including the Hatter and the White Rabbit are just as strange as I remembered. 7.5/10.


4 The Water Diviner
A movie loosely based on a true story about an Australian farmer who tries to find the bodies of his sons who went to fight at Gallipoli. This movie showed the grief and loss of war very well (and also the impact of trench warfare on the unfortunate participants involved). The characters of the farmer and the people he meets during his quest are well realised. As is the situation in the post-war Ottoman Empire. 9/10.


5 Cinderella (1950)
Rewatch
A Disney Animated Canon movie based on the fairy tale by Charles Perrault. I found this movie just as interesting as I remembered (although I remembered less than with Alice in Wonderland). This story of the kind orphaned girl who is abused by her stepfamily is still quite powerful in an emotional sense. The interaction between Cinderella and her fairy godmother was well done. As was the character of the stepmother. 8/10.
 
I didn't start in the thread till August that year, partial list
  1. Piranha 3D: C+
  2. Book of Eli: B
  3. Lethal Weapon: A
  4. Lethal Weapon 2: A-
  5. Lethal Weapon 3: B
  6. Lethal Weapon 4: C+
  7. The Crow: A
  8. Clash of the Titans: B+
  9. Prince of Persia: B
  10. The Fountain: D
  11. Resident Evil: A-
  12. Resident Evil: Apocalypse: B
  13. Resident Evil: Extinction: B-
  14. Resident Evil: Afterlife: B
  15. Resident Evil: Degeneration(animated): B
  16. Bad Boys: B+
  17. Zombieland: B
  18. The Evil Dead: B-
  19. R.E.D.: B
  20. 30 Days of Night: Dark Days: B+
  21. Conviction: A-
  22. Crazies(2010): A-
  23. Paranormal Activity: A+
  24. Paranormal Activity 2: A
  25. Shutter Island: B-
  26. Gamer: F
  27. Last House on the Left(orig): D+
  28. Thirst(asian film): C-
  29. The Hills Have Eyes: B
  30. When In Rome: B-
  31. Dr.Horrible Sing-A-Long: A
  32. Expelled No Intelligence Allowed(doc): B
  33. Zombie Strippers: D
  34. Mammoth: D+
  35. Everyone Else: D
  36. Dark Ages(doc): A
  37. Batman vs Dracula(anim): A-
  38. Independence Day: A
  39. Robin Hood(2010-Crowe): B
  40. Taken: A
  41. Only You: B-
  42. Momma Mia: C
  43. High Plains Drifter: C
  44. Joe Kid: A-
  45. Tron Legacy: B
  46. Voyage of the DawnTreader: B+
  47. Tourist: B
  48. Duchess: B
  49. Blade Runner: B+
  50. Men In Black: A
  51. Jumper: B-
  52. Interview with the Vampire: A-
  53. Brideshead Revisted: B
  54. Wizard of Oz: A
  55. Gone With the Wind: A
  56. True Grit: A
1. The Fighter: B-
2. Batman(90's saga): A-,B-,C-,D
3. Star Wars OT-Special Edition: B+, A, B
4. The Green Hornet: B
5. True Grit(1969): C+
6. Lord of the Rings saga: (A,A,A)
7. The Machinist: A-
8. Season of the Witch: B
9. Frozen: A-
10. Due Date: B+
11. Planet of the Apes(2001): B-
12. Faster: C
13. Romance: D (French film, subtitled)
14. YPF: C- (YPF=Young People F*&^ing)
15. The Beautiful Truth: B-
16. Strictly Sexual: C+
17. DOOM: C
18. Brothers: B+
19. Men In Black II: B-
20. The Crow: Wicked Prayer: C-
21. The Soloist: C
22. Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love: C+
23. I Now Pronounce you Chuck & Larry: B-
24. Battle in Heaven: C+ (Mexican film, subtitled)
25. Legion: B-
26. Battle: LA: B+
27. Righteous Kill: B
28. Dracula II: Ascension: B-
29. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li: D
30. You Don't Mess With the Zohan: C+
31. Finding Bliss: C
32. Dracula III: Legacy: B-
33. Tangled: B+
34. Paul Blart Mall Cop: C-
35. Chloe: B
36. Kung Fu Panda: B-
37. Centurion: B
38. The People I've Slept With: C
39. Grown Ups: B-
40. The Conspirator: A-
41. XXX: State of the Union: C+
42. Fast Five: B+
43. THOR: A-
44. Priest: D+
45. The Fourth Kind: B+
46. POTC: On Stranger Tides: B-
47. Turtles Forever: A-
48. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story: B+
49. Easy A: A
50. Inception: B
51. #1 Cheerleader Camp: D
52. Freakanomics: C+
53. Green Lantern: C
54. The American: C-
55. Super 8: A
56. Green Lantern: First Flight: B
57. Transformers: Dark of the Moon: B-
58. 9 Songs: F
59. Kings Speech: A-
60. Whiteout: C+
61. Passion Play: D+
62. Captain America: The First Avenger: A-
63. Marley & Me: A
64. Date Night: C+
65. Frantic: B+
66. Presumed Innocent: A
67. Invictus: A
68. Rocky: A
69. Hurt Locker: A+
70. Rocky II: C+
71. Rocky III: B+
72. Rocky IV: A
73. Cowboys & Aliens: B
74. Wonder Woman (DC Animated): B+
75. Rocky V: B-
76. Conan The Barbarian('11): B-
77. Dinner for Schmucks: D
78. Nothing But the Truth: B
79. Snow Angels: B+
80. Everybody's Fine: C-
81. Rise of the Planet of the Apes: A+
82. Fragments: C+
83. Fright Night ('11): A-
84. Cold Comfort Farm: D
85. Machete: C-
86. The Queen: A
87. Public Enemies: B+
88. Drive Angry: D
89. Red Riding Hood: C+
90. Fright Night ('85): B
91. Love & Other Drugs: B
92. X-Files: I Want to Believe - B+
93. Source Code: A-
94. Paranormal Activity 3: A
95. Rachel Getting Married: C
96. Love Guru: F
97. Funny People: C-
98. Win Win: B+
99. Everything Must Go: B
100. Scott Pilgrim vs The World: D+
101. American Ninja: D
102. Revenge of the Ninja: D
103. Lonesome Dove: A
104. Black Swan: B
105. Westworld: B
106. Fireproof: A-
107. Mission Impossible(4):Ghost Protocol: A
108. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: A
109. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows: A-
110. Belly: D-
111. Despicable Me: B+
1. Edge of Darkness: A
2. Star Trek: The Motion Picture: B+
3. Repo Men: B-
4. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier: B-
5. Underworld: Awakening: B
6. Lost City Raiders: C+
7. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist: B+
8. Contraband: B+
9. Kick-Ass: B+
10. Hereafter: A-
11. Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance: B
12. Act of Valor: C+
13. John Carter: B
14. Hunger Games: B+
15. Wrath of the Titans: C
16. Cabin In the Woods: B+
17. The Rum Diary: C
18. The Eagle: C+
19. The Avengers: A+
20. The Adjustment Bureau: A
21. Sucker Punch: B-
22. Knight & Day: C+
23. Mechanic: B
24. Devil: A
25. Dark Shadows: C+
26. Men In Black 3: B-
27. Columbiana: B
28. Haywire: C
29. Snow White and the Huntsman: B-
30. Meet the Parents: A-
31. Meet the Fockers: B
32. Prometheus: B
33. Chernobyl Dairies: B-
34. Little Fockers: B-
35. Halloween III: Season of the Witch: B+
36. Winters Bone: B+
37. Battleship: A-
38. Much Ado About Nothing: B+
39. Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs: B
40. Beauty & the Beast: A+
41. Bambi: A-
42. Sex & the City 2: D+
43. Top Gun: B
44. Abraham Lincoln-Vampire Hunter: B-
45. Brave: B+
46. Kill Bill vol.1: A-
47. Kill Bill vol.2: B
48. The Amazing Spider-man: B-
49. Virgin Territory: C-
50. 21 Jump Street: B+
51. The Dark Knight Rises: A-
52. Sicko: C
53. Capitalism A Love Story: C
54. Seven Pounds: B
55. Hot Fuzz: B
56. Total Recall (2012): A-
57. Total Recall (1990): B+
58. Hardware: D+
59. The Bourne Legacy: A-
60. Once Upon A Time in the West: B-
61. Expendables 2: B+
62. Hangover 2: C
63. Moneyball: A-
64. Adventures of Tin Tin: B-
65. 2016 Obama's America: A-
66. Unknown: B
67. No Strings Attached: B+
68. Megamind: A-
69. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies: A-
70. Halloween 4:Return of Michael Myers: A-
71. Halloween 5:Revenge of Michael Myers: B+
72. Halloween The Curse of Michael Myers: B
73. Halloween H2O: A
74. Halloween Resurrection: C+
75. The Day the Earth Stood Still(2008): B
76. Looper: A-
77. Smart People: C-
78. Atlas Shrugged-Part One: B
79. Dredd: A-
80. Bridesmaids: C-
81. Taken 2: B
82. Atlas Shrugged-Part Two: C+
83. Alex Cross: A-
84. RockNRolla: B-
85. Paranormal Activity 4: B
86. Argo: A+
87. Skyline: F
88. Cop Out: D
89. Skyfall: A
90. Red Dawn (2012): B-
91. Dracula (1979): B
92. Dracula (2009): C+
93. Slither: B-
94. Your Highness: F
95. Goldeneye: A
96. Whistleblower: B+
97. The Town: A+
98. Ted: A
99. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: B+
100. Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: A
101. Jack Reacher: A-
102. Django Unchained: B+
1. A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas: C-
2. Les Miserables(2012): B
3. Lincoln: A+
4. Parental Guidance: C+
5. Warm Bodies: B
6. Waiting for Superman: B
7. Grindhouse: Planet Terror: B-
8. Grindhouse: Death Proof: C+
9. Zero Dark Thirty: A
10. Last Stand: B
11. Red Tails: A-
12. Hansel & Gretel-Witch Hunters: C-
13. Parker: B-
14. Bullet to the Head: B+
15. Judge Dredd(1995): C
16. The Mist: B+
17. A Good Day to Die Hard: B-
18. Fired Up: C+
19. Fling: C
20. Ask the Dust: D+
21. Mulan: A-
22. The Lovely Bones: B
23. The Initiation of Sarah: D
24. Jack the Giant Slayer: C+
25. Oz the Great and Powerful: B+
26. Olympus Has Fallen: A-
27. The Lives of Others: B+ (German film)
28. The Croods: B+
29. Jennifers Body: D+
30. Evil Dead (2013 remake): B+
31. G.I. Joe: Retaliation: B
32. The Dark Knight Returns pt.1: A+
33. The Dark Knight Returns pt.2: A+
34. Batman: Gotham Knight: B
35. Superman/Shazam: Return of Black Adam: A-
36. Batman: Year One: B
37. Batman/Superman: Apocalypse: A+
38. Superman vs The Elite: B+
39. Justice League: Doom: A
40. Green Lantern First Flight: A
41. Oblivion: B+
42. Iron Man 3: B-
43. Planet Hulk: A-
44. Welcome to the Jungle: F
45. The Time Travelers Wife: B+
46. Star Trek into Darkness: A-
47. The Lost Tomb of Jesus: B
48. The Heat: C+
49. Fast and Furious 6: A-
50. Hangover III: C-
51. Now You See Me: A
52. Boot Camp: B-
53. Green Zone: C
54. Ninja Assassin: B
55. Mr&Mrs. Smith: A-
56. Silver Linings Playbook: A-
57. Man of Steel: B+
58. Doubt: A
59. Godfather: A
60. World War Z: B
61. Much Ado About Nothing: A-
62. The Lone Ranger: C+
63. Godfather pt.II: A+
64. Godfather pt.III: B
65. Beyond Sherwood Forest: D
66. R.E.D. 2: B-
67. The Wolverine: B+
68. R.I.P.D.: C+
69. Proof of Life: B-
70. The Conjuring: B
71. Pacific Rim: B-
72. Alone in the Dark: D
73. Apocalypto: A
74. Stargate: Ark of Truth: A-
75. Stargate: Continuum: A
76. Mortal Instruments: City of Bones: B-
77. Pi: C-
78. Riddick: B+
79. Percy Jackson: Lightning Thief: B
80. The World's End: C+
81. The Other Woman: B
82. The Other Guys: B-
83. The Sorcerer's Apprentice: C+
84. Catfish: A-
85. Wild Hogs: C
86. Zach & Miri Make a Porno: B
87. Gravity: A+
88. Supergirl: D
89. Escape Plan: B+
90. Prisoners: A
91. Disappearance of Alice Creed: A
92. Deathrace 2000: C+
93. Thor Dark World: A-
94. Superman Unbound: B+
95. JCVD: B-
96. Drive: B-
97. Hunger Games: Catching Fire: B+
98. War Horse: B
99. How to Train Your Dragon: A
100. Scrooged: A-
101. W: D+
102. 127 Hours: A-
103. Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug: B+
104. Moonrise Kingdom: A
105. Piranha DD: D
1. Saving Mr.Banks: A
2. American Hustle: A-
3. Larry Crowne: B+
4. The Grey: C
5. Real Steel: B-
6. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit: B
7. Just Go With It: A-
8. The Road: B
9. Blue Valentine: B
10. Fifth Element: C
11. Boy in the Stripped Pajamas: A
12. Hachi: A Dog's Tale: A
13. She's Out of My League: C
14. The Lego Movie: A
15. Whip It: B
16. Up in the Air: B
17. 300: Rise of an Empire: B+
18. Splice: C-
19. Mirrors: B-
20. Pitch Perfect: A-
21. Noah: C-
22. 2 Guns: B
23. The Seventh Seal: B+
24. Mongol: A-
25. Captain America The Winter Soldier: A+
26. Munich: B
27. Amazing Spider-man 2: C-
28. The Killer Inside Me: A-
29. Rio 2: B
30. Welcome to the Rileys: B+
31. X-Men: Days of Future Past: A-
32. Atonement: B
33. Charlie Wilson's War: A
34. Frozen: A-
35. Rio: B
36. Godzilla: B
37. Bowfinger: B-
38. Transformers Age of Extinction: C+
39. We Bought A Zoo: A-
40. Chronicle: D+
41. Knights Tale: C+
42. 9: D+
43. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: A-
44. The Help: A
45. From Paris w/Love: B
46. Guardians of the Galaxy: A-
47. Wreck It Ralph: A
48. Land of the Lost: C-
49. Expendables 3: B-
50. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: B
51. Never Let Me Go: D
52. Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary viewing: A
53. Yes Man: B+
54. The Joneses: B
55. The Informant: A-
56. Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore: B
57. Twelve: B+
58. Cyrus: A-
59. We're the Millers: A-
60. Big Hero 6: A
61. Fun Size: B-
62. Friday: A
63. White House Down: B+
64. Metropolis: B/B-
65. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial: A
66. ELF: A
67. THX 1138: C+
68. Dirty Harry: A-
69. Magnum Force: A
70. The Enforcer: B+
71. Sudden Impact: B
72. The Dead Pool: B-
73. In the Land of Blood & Honey: A+
74. Harry Potter & the Philosophers Stone: A
75. Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets: B+
76. Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban: A

The 2015 list:

1. Mockingjay part 1: A-
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: A
3. Dairy of a Mad Black Woman: A-
4. Dolphin Tale: A-
5. The Equalizer: A

Denzel Washington's film about a retired and/or in-hiding CIA operative who gets dragged back into some nasty business when he can't ignore the evil done to those he's grown near.
The first act is a slow burn as it's setting up the characters quirks, mannerisms and interactions with those around him. I'm describing this is a solid blend of suspense & action. The methodology of his actions has you anticipating what's to come vs straight up action films where it's thrown in your face(not that that's all bad per se).
Once you get into the final 2/3 of the movie the pace picks up and while the action is saved for crucial moments it's the intensity and suspense that carries the movie. Denzel is Denzel!

If you've not checked this out yet and it's a type film you enjoy you might bump it up your queue.
 
1. Flame and Citron (2008) ★★★
2. Das Boot (1981) ★★★★
3. Into the White (2012) ★★★
4. Hot Fuzz ★★★
5. Apocalypse Now: Redux ★★★★
6. The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies ★★★
7. M (1931) ★★★
8. What We Do in the Shadows (2014) ★★★
9. Birdman (2014) ★★★
10. 10. Big Hero 6 (2014) ★★★ 1/2
11. Whiplash (2014) ★★★★
12. Laggies ★★★
13. Amour (2013) ★★★
14. Short Term 12 (2013) ★★★★
15. The Counterfeiters (2007) ★★★
 
Saw American Sniper last night. wow what a movie, the silence at the end during the credits was almost defining.

Clint did a great job of directing.

They also played this trailer
[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swWsMRgZmdg[/yt]

I plan on seeing this one as well
 
A Long Way Down - Netflix Instant
Nick Offerman: American Ham- Netflix Instant
The Interview - xbox
The Book Thief - DVD
As Above, So Below - DVD
30 for 30: Pony Excess - Netflix Instant
All Is Lost - Netflix Instant
Get On Up - DVD
Dallas Buyers Club - DVD
American Sniper - matinee
The Conspirator - Netflix Instant
The Bag Man - Netflix Instant

Had my first trip to the theater for the year, went to see Bradley Cooper in Clint Eastwood's American Sniper. Very dramatic, emotional movie, especially the end.

The matinee was crowded, too. Had to share both armrests, and wound up havin' words with the guy to my right about talkin' durin' the movie.

Got back to my sister's and had the livin' room to myself after dinner, so I watched Robert Redford's movie about the civilian woman put on trial for conspirin' to kill President Lincoln. Hell of a cast in that movie.

Watchin' John Cusack and Robert De Niro in The Bag Man via Netflix Intant.
 
1. Searching for Sugar Man (B+)
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (A)
3. The Imitation Game (B+)
4. Selma (A)
5. Inherent Vice (B+)
6. Foxcatcher (A-)
7. Back to the Future (B)
8. American Sniper (B-)
9. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (B)
10. Beloved Sisters (A)

Due to my trip to New York, I was originally not going to be seeing any films this weekend, but after I got through all my planned itinerary for daytime activities on Thursday and Friday, I had pretty much the whole afternoon Saturday with nothing in particular to do. As a result, wandering around lower Manhattan, I came across the Cinema Village on East 12th Street, resulting in my going to the 2:45 PM showing of Germany's submission to this year's Foreign Language Film Oscar competition, though it wasn't nominated. I recall reading a review or two of it some months ago, and unlike various other art films I'd seen advertised around NYC that I'd already had a chance to see, this hasn't come to Kingston's indie cinema yet, nor may not at all, for all I know.

This is an historical-biographical account of the relationship between the German Enlightenment writer Friedrich Schiller and the von Lengefeld sisters, Caroline and Charlotte -- the latter became his wife, but the nature of his relations with both of them have been the subject of considerable historical speculation. The writer/director Dominik Graf takes the view that they were an intellectual and romantic menage a trois -- I have a vision of this script being sent to HBO and somebody at the office impatiently flipping through the lengthy document (the movie runs nearly 3 hours) to find the graphic threesome sex scene, which surprisingly never happens (clearly somebody needed to clue Graf in on how European art cinema attracts audiences).

In all seriousness, I thought this was an excellent film, very attuned to the subtleties of the various characters' interactions and relationships. The presentation of what life was like toward the tail-end of the 18th century feels extremely realistic, and the film gets quite a lot out of the methods of correspondence (the camera is deeply in love with shots of people writing letters and using wax seals; these extended conversations feel fairly gripping, actually, and are generally shot with the people speaking directly to the camera). It's also a film that clearly thinks a lot of its audience's intelligence (which is perhaps just showing self-awareness, given that it's a 170-minute biography of Friedrich Schiller), in a variety of ways -- to a great extent, it assumes we know why Schiller is a major historical figure for instance, as comparatively little of the running time is spent on him doing Enlightenment-type stuff (the one lecture of his we're shown, his inaugural speech as Jena, is terrifically filmed).

Cinema: 6 (+1)
DVD/Blu-ray: 1
Streaming Service: 3
 
A Long Way Down - Netflix Instant
Nick Offerman: American Ham- Netflix Instant
The Interview - xbox
The Book Thief - DVD
As Above, So Below - DVD
30 for 30: Pony Excess - Netflix Instant
All Is Lost - Netflix Instant
Get On Up - DVD
Dallas Buyers Club - DVD
American Sniper - matinee
The Conspirator - Netflix Instant
The Bag Man - Netflix Instant
Patton Oswalt: Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time (2014) - Netflix Instant

One more new to me movie for the night, which was the latest stand up from Patton Oswalt, filmed in San Diego last year.

Not nearly as funny as the last couple of his that I've watched, though still amusin'. It wasn't as long as the others, either, clockin' in at just 59 minutes.

Ah, well...not like I paid for it.
 
HI od0_ital, i supposed you are living in new york, i have a post on my bloghttp://bookfortraveler.com , and i speak a lot of new york city, and i speak about cheat bars, buet id like to speak about the best cinemas from there, and id like to know about the best cinemas, and the movies usually you can see there, can you send my some names, o link to my email? bookfortraveler@hotmail.com, thanks in advance from all our comunity ;)
 
Dear White People - On Demand - The movie is deftly funny, well written, acted and directed. It could be called an updated Do The Right Thing but I think that does injustice to both films. The characters and situations feel right on, it has an almost documentary feel to it. I liked it a whole lot, highly recommend to anyone considering watching.
 
bookfortraveler said:
HI od0_ital, i supposed you are living in new york, i have a post on my bloghttp://bookfortraveler.com , and i speak a lot of new york city....
Click to expand...

Sorry, I've never even been to NYC. If ya look under my profile pic, ya will see that I'm in the middle of nowhere Texas.
 
DVD - 1
Cinema - 3
Streaming Service - 2


1 Guardians of the Galaxy
Rewatch.
A Marvel movie. I found it as good as the first time. The story of the Guardians of the Galaxy and how they come to save Xandar from Ronin was well written. Each of the characters (except Ronin, Nebula and Thanos) were well realized. 8/10.


2 Big Hero 6
A Disney Animated Canon movie based on a Marvel property. I found that this was well realized, especially when it came to Hiro's grieving for his brother, Tadashi. His character was well written. The moral quandaries that he and his new friends face as they track down a new villain in San Fransoyko are also well written. 8.5/10.


3 Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Rewatch
A Disney Animated Canon movie based on the novels by Lewis Carrol. I found this movie, just as strange as I remembered. Especially with the Cheshire Cat causing Alice to provoke the Queen of Hearts (not that she needed it much) into wanting to execute her. The other characters, including the Hatter and the White Rabbit are just as strange as I remembered. 7.5/10.


4 The Water Diviner
A movie loosely based on a true story about an Australian farmer who tries to find the bodies of his sons who went to fight at Gallipoli. This movie showed the grief and loss of war very well (and also the impact of trench warfare on the unfortunate participants involved). The characters of the farmer and the people he meets during his quest are well realised. As is the situation in the post-war Ottoman Empire. 9/10.


5 Cinderella (1950)
Rewatch
A Disney Animated Canon movie based on the fairy tale by Charles Perrault. I found this movie just as interesting as I remembered (although I remembered less than with Alice in Wonderland). This story of the kind orphaned girl who is abused by her stepfamily is still quite powerful in an emotional sense. The interaction between Cinderella and her fairy godmother was well done. As was the character of the stepmother. 8/10.


6 Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
The third in the Night at the Museum series, based on a children’s book. I found that this movie is just as enjoyable and well written as the first in the series. The situations and the various characters involved in this film were well realized. Larry Daley's character growth is impressive, particularly when it came to discussing with his son about the latter's choices about life after school. Additionally knowing that this was Robin Williams' last role made his scenes rather poignant, particularly towards the end. 9/10.
 
16. Tell No One / Ne Le Dis À Personne (2006) ★★★

Pretty good French thriller based on an American novel that kept me thoroughly entertained. It's got a few flaws and its probably a little cartoonish and overly sentimental in a few places, but it's a good way to spend a couple of hours.
 
1. The Woman in Black (2012)
Classic gothic haunted house story, atmospheric but forgetable.

2. 47 Ronin (2013)
Meh in it's purest form.

3. John Wick (2014)
Had myself a mini Keanu marathon. I had heard so many good things about this and it did not disappoint. A simple, hard-boiled revenge story, stylish, brutal and at times funny. Felt a bit like something from a young Tarantino. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favour...

4. Lucy (2014)
Wow, this was just... stupid (not in a good way). And it had by far the worst acting by ScarJo I have ever seen.
 
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