What Movies are you Watching?

[the_wolfs_howl]

Chilling Romance

This is a Korean rom-com horror movie. Yes, you heard me right. Rom-com horror. I decided to watch it because I couldn't understand how two seemingly incompatible genres could be smushed together, and...strangely, it worked ._. It was legitimately a romance, legitimately a comedy, and legitimately a horror all at once. It definitely leaned more towards the rom-com side of things, and there was a lot of parodying of horror tropes, but there were also some actually creepy bits! I stand amazed.

Star Trek (the Chris Pine one)

I'm not a Trekkie by any stretch of the imagination; the only Star Trek thing I'd seen was Into Darkness before this. But since I liked that movie quite a bit, I figured I should probably see the prequel and find out how all the characters ended up together. It was a fun ride, though I thought most of the relationships weren't given enough development or time to believably turn into the strong friendships you see in Into Darkness. The highlight for me, though, was seeing Chris Hemsworth playing Chris Pine's father :laugh:

9

This one had been on my list for a loooooooong time, I guess since I saw the first trailer for it in theaters. For one reason or another, I just never got around to seeing it until now, but OH MY GOODNESS. I love this movie now and want to rush out and buy it! Beautiful animation, really intriguing post-apocalyptic setting and story, and I loved the couple of alchemic references they threw in there. Really cool movie.

[Zeldafan2]

Recently watched Hotel Transylvania. While a few gags here and there hit the mark, there was way too much potty humor, and the plot was pretty cliche. On the plus side, though, the art direction was quite interesting. I'm echoing many others in saying it's the best part of the movie.

[the_wolfs_howl]

The Truman Show

A really interesting movie I've been wanting to watch for years, about a man raised in an artificial world for the purpose of making a TV show about his life without him knowing about it. I realize now that Bolt was definitely inspired by this movie, which just makes me like it more. Really intriguing, and it makes the artificiality of TV really apparent. It's easy to forget all the subtle things that are used to elicit an emotional response in us viewers.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Home

I loved this movie! It was hilarious to watch the Boov (especially Oh, of course), and it ended up being surprisingly touching as well. I really sympathized with both Oh and Tip. And there were so many cute things in this movie, too! XD

The Water Horse

Probably the best Save The Endangered Animal movie I've ever seen (I...don't like those movies <_<). Mostly because it was set in WWII and was about a fantastical creature. Still not worth a rewatch, though.

Where the Wild Things Are

This book was never a staple of my childhood (I think we got it when my younger sisters were at the appropriate age, so I first read it as a teenager), so I didn't feel strongly one way or another about the adaptation. The whole thing just felt kind of awkward and depressing, though. Not sure if that was the intent or not, but I didn't really like it.

Coraline

Loved this movie. The animation (and the lighting!) was absolutely gorgeous, and the story was like a dark fairy tale come to life. I could definitely see this giving me nightmares as a kid, but I love its darkness and creepiness now.

One-Hour Photo

I wanted to see Robin Williams in a non-comedic role, and boy did this deliver! T_T It was so horrifying and sad at the same time; it really gripped me. Now it makes me look at people working in supermarkets a little differently. Even though they're laughing and smiling...who knows what they might be struggling with in their own lives.

Upstream Color

@_______________________@ Um...what the heck did I just watch?! This is quite possibly the trippiest, most confusing movie I've ever seen in my life.

Post Grad

Very applicable to my life right now (having recently graduated from college and currently looking for a job). Mostly just a throwaway comedy, but I really liked her quirky family (and her brother is played by the adorable kid in Martian Child! >3<)

Also rewatched the BBC Pride and Prejudice, the BBC Sense and Sensibility, Primer, and The Dust Factory.

[the_wolfs_howl]

M

I had this on my list as a movie about a "child murderer." I put it on there because I thought that meant a child who was a murderer, and I find that premise fascinating. Turns out it's just about a serial killer who goes after children So I was a little disappointed about that, but it was still very interesting to see such an old movie and watch how they told stories in this relatively new medium.

Island of Lost Souls

Another old movie that was mostly just interesting to see how they crafted it back in the '30s. I imagine the book's better.

The Road

THIS MOVIE IS SO DEPRESSING OMG. But very, very well done. I'm kind of in awe.

[Mullet Death]

Some time this week I'm making time to marathon all three Hobbit movies followed immediately by all three Lord of the Rings movies in one epic session. The extended versions of course. I wanted to find someone to do it with me but I don't think I'll be able to convince anyone.

[Sheenar]

Some time this week I'm making time to marathon all three Hobbit movies followed immediately by all three Lord of the Rings movies in one epic session. The extended versions of course. I wanted to find someone to do it with me but I don't think I'll be able to convince anyone.

My guy friend and I did this, but the reverse (LOTR movies, then the Hobbit movies) --all extended editions. It was so fun!

I'd watch with you if I were closer. I love these movies (though I have to forget about the books while watching them or they bother me xP).

[the_wolfs_howl]

Because it's been a couple months since I've posted in here (and since I don't like just sitting here talking to myself, I was waiting for someone else to post first ), I'll just post a quick list of the new movies I've seen since my last post:

Good Will Hunting
Inside Out
Let the Right One In
The Imitation Game
Corpse Bride
Gaslight
Kind Hearts and Coronets
Live Die Repeat/Edge of Tomorrow
In Time
Authors Anonymous
Premonition
The Green Mile
Beastly
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Act of Valor
The Dark Crystal

[Panda4christ:3]

Recently I watched two different kung-fu sports movies and a few Godzillas with my boyfriend, really fun movies tbh.(The titles escape me)
Finished off the Harry Potter series, though I'm still on the last book.
Star Wars episode VII which was good, I've never been obsessed, but it was still good.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Mona Lisa Smile

A thought-provoking story of a feminist art teacher trying to teach the best and brightest students in the most conservative all-girls school in the country. Though I normally find feminist diatribes annoying, there were some good points made in this movie, and they actually put forward a pretty balanced view.

Black Lightning

My description of this is "Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang meets Spiderman" A kind of cheesy Russian movie about a guy who becomes a vigilante hero when he discovers that his car can fly.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Hilarious. I'd never been particularly interested in this movie - I thought it looked too dumb - until I realized that Martin Freeman is in it. And I will put up with a lot for Martin Freeman's sake XD He rocked, of course, and all of it was pretty hilarious. My favorite part: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtqXLwNj2RE

[MomentOfInertia]

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Hilarious. I'd never been particularly interested in this movie - I thought it looked too dumb - until I realized that Martin Freeman is in it. And I will put up with a lot for Martin Freeman's sake XD He rocked, of course, and all of it was pretty hilarious. My favorite part: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtqXLwNj2RE

An excellent movie, and that's one of the best parts too. Did you catch that Alan Rickman was Marvin?

[the_wolfs_howl]

Did you catch that Alan Rickman was Marvin?

Absolutely. His voice is kind of hard to mistake

Hellboy

An okay action movie, but overall kind of meh. The characters didn't have much depth or development.

[Kaori]

Schindler's List

I don't know what I could possibly say about this film that would be adequate, but I also feel like there is nothing that needs to be said because it is already so highly regarded that nothing I could say would significantly add to that.

Fritz Lang's Metropolis

This film is old enough that it is in the public domain and can be legally watched online for free, which is what I did.

The plot was based on a 1925 novel by the same title, which was very much about things like the Industrial Revolution and industrial working conditions and revolutionary movements (not glorifying them, however), and it was also very Romanticism-influenced, with the message being that the Heart is needed to mediate between the Head (planner of the city) and the Hands (the common workers).

It also had several plot holes the size of Texas, like SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the male lead (Freder) not being the spoiled brat we expect him to be after being fed with a silver spoon all his life; his father (the guy in charge of everything) having the idiotic idea to let all the workers run amok deliberately so that he could use force against them rather than allowing them to continue to be placated by religion (the only thing that was keeping them from revolting); and the workers destroying a machine the destruction of which would result in their entire workers’ quarters being flooded (which would have drowned all of their children had they not evacuated).

Also it was rather plagiaristic both in terms of visuals (the cathedral was based on Notre Dame) and music; I was particularly unimpressed by the score, which was a mishmash of famous classical music themes ranging from Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique to the Marseillaise.

But it had some very great moments in terms of cinematography, and it was very interesting to see how films told stories back in the days of silent films and how heavily they had to rely on visuals and visual symbolism for everything. For example, it communicates wordlessly, in a way that is not literal-realistic but symbolic-realistic, the way that the workers are like cogs in a machine and are moving mechanically. The visual symbols surrounding that concept and the way that things like the workers’ jerky, machine-like movements were symbolic rather than realistic, very powerfully conveyed what the director was communicating about the dehumanization of the working class, I think perhaps much more powerfully if the film had stuck to strict realism.

Also it was quite interesting to see the ways in which Tezuka Osamu’s Metropolis (which I love) is similar to and different from this. I had read previously that Tezuka Osamu’s Metropolis actually had very little to do with Fritz Lang’s. However, after having seen this I can see the ways in which the latter is a tribute to the former and also how Tezuka took some of the ideas and changed them, while still keeping some of the same structure. The most obvious tributes are in visual imagery, but there are some strong plot similarities as well.

Overall I am glad to have seen this classic and seminal film.

[the_wolfs_howl]

The movies I've watched since my last post:

Dark City
Drive
Nell
The Shop Around the Corner
Zootopia
North by Northwest
Strangers on a Train
Suspicion
I Confess
The Wrong Man
The Monuments Men

[Kaori]

That's a lot of Hitchcock there. What did you think of I Confess?

[the_wolfs_howl]

That's a lot of Hitchcock there. What did you think of I Confess?

Yeah, I was on a bit of a...Hitchkick *badum bum tish!*

*cough* I really liked I Confess - it was a fascinating premise, of a priest being suspected of murder because he can't reveal what he knows about the murder since it was revealed to him in confession. I thought it would have been more suspenseful if the audience didn't know the priest was innocent right from the start, but then I'm not exactly sure how you'd work that out. Maybe if everything was from the police's POV or something. Not my favorite Hitchcock movie, but still a good one.


Well, I finally got around to watching The Hunger Games (because I was busy with college during the height of this fandom, I decided to wait until all the movies were out before getting started). I can certainly see why it's so popular, though I have major problems with the Hunger Games themselves. (Even setting aside a couple of logical issues, I would much rather have seen something like Liar Game, where the rules are given exhaustively at the beginning and then all the contestants have to work within those rules to become the only winner, rather than the ones running the game just changing the rules willy-nilly whenever they feel like it.) At first I wasn't sure I liked Jennifer Lawrence (lookswise; her acting is fine)...but then she smiled. And she's beautiful when she smiles. And I've been a huge Josh Hutcherson fan for years, so it was definitely a plus to see him - though I do not think he pulls off blond hair very well >_< I think my favorite thing about this movie is that, while I don't know if it's a good adaptation or not (having never read the books), it's a pretty good movie in its own rights. And that's an achievement to be proud of for any book-to-movie adaptation.

[Kaori]

I Confess is actually the only Hitchcock film I have seen, but although it has its problems and obviously isn't perfect, I liked it quite a bit, so I'm glad to hear you also enjoyed it.

Occasionally I think about maybe watching some other Hitchcock films, but I don't have a particular interest in the thriller/suspense genre and such, and most of my interest in and enjoyment of I Confess was tied to the premise and the themes that were explored: the moral dilemma of a priest who has a dilemma between protecting the secrecy of the sacrament of confession and saving his life; the integrity of the main character, his commitment to the priestly vocation, his self-sacrificing love; the parallels drawn between the priest and Christ; the religious symbolism; and so on. So as classic as they are, I just don't think that Hitchcock's other movies would have the same interest to me.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Just watched Last Knights. My thoughts, from the first time I saw the trailer to now, are: "Epic sword fights + Morgan Freeman = YES PLEASE AND THANK YOU."

[John_Smith]

Captain America: Civil War. Go team Capt! But Black Panther managed to be amazing. Move over Spiderman!

[ClaecElric4God]

My roommate has introduced me into a genre I never thought I would partake in: romance comedy. I get the feeling I should be appalled or depressed that I've actually found that I like it. We watched She's the Man, which I absolutely loved, and laughed a little bit too much.

On the other hand, finding things she likes is quite the challenge. Plus finding things that aren't PG-25 is a little difficult anymore. I did manage to introduce her to Father of the Bride, which she loved. The last time I watched it was with my family when I was like 5, so I didn't remember it at all. It was fun and a little ironic, because both the first and the second hit really close to home for me. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: My dad is not only notorious for pretty much freaking out whenever any guy comes into the lives of me or my sisters (Part 1), but he also had some of us kids pretty late in life (Part 2). When me and my dad go out to eat people always mistake him as my grandpa!

Does anyone have good suggestions for things that fit into the genre/same general concept or setting as Father of the Bride, Cheaper by the Dozen, etc?

[the_wolfs_howl]

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR ALSDGJSDLKGJDF:GKJSFL:KSDJGLASFKS:DLGJASDGL:KJSDFL:SDKF *dies*

There are no words. I am obsessed, and loving it.

Other movies I've seen recently:
Elysium
Law-Abiding Citizen
Ex Machina
Locke
Saving Grace

[SincerelyAnomymous]

I've recently seen the Zootopia movie. I thought it looked kinda corny at first from the trailers, but then it surprised me with the message it delivered and the depth it had. As usual, the visuals were good for a Disney movie. It was also pretty funny as well!

[Thunderscream872]

Captain America Civil War - 8/10. Team Iron Man all the way!
X-Men Apocalypse - 7/10. Pretty good.
Batman v Superman 4/10...yeah, I didn't really care for it.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Captain America Civil War - 8/10. Team Iron Man all the way!

<_< ........ >_> Team Cap 100000000000000000000000%

I've recently watched Shadow of a Doubt, another good Hitchcock movie. After Earth was actually pretty good - the only good M. Night Shyamalan movie I've seen in a long time And then I watched the Warcraft movie, which was awesome for a big Warcraft fan like me.

[SincerelyAnomymous]

I saw Finding Dory! I thought it was pretty good, but nothing could come against the original one. I felt Dory was kinda funny here, but she was much more random and hilarious in the previous one. Overall, pretty good movie

[the_wolfs_howl]

A quick list of the movies I've seen since my last post:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Here Comes the BOOM
The Hunger Games (all)
Man on a Ledge
The Martian
Crimson Peak
The Book of Eli
Star Trek Beyond
Gallipoli
I Am Not a Serial Killer
Empire of the Sun
Concussion
The Scorch Trials

[SierraLea]

I just saw the live-action Beauty and the Beast a few days ago. It's gorgeous and brilliant transition from animation to live-action and the new musical numbers are breathtaking.

[Furen]

I just watched Mean Girls again.
I've watched it before, but I didn't pay a whole lot of attention before. I knew it was funny before, but not remembering it was great.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Also saw the new Beauty and the Beast recently! Loved it! Totally unnecessary, but completely awesome, remake XD Other movies I've seen in the interim:

Interstellar
Finding Dory
X-Men: Apocalypse
Gravity
Criminal
6-4
Pompeii
Notorious
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Moana
Ladyhawke
Cinderella (most recent live-action version)
Rogue One
Saving Mr. Banks
Total Recall
Taking Chance
In the Heart of the Sea
Jane Eyre (William Hurt version)
A Dog's Purpose
LEGO Batman
Doctor Strange

[SincerelyAnomymous]

I saw Beauty and the Beast ^.^ Such a excellent remake and definitely fixed some plot-holes and added more depth to the characters, with the back story and such. I actually don't mind Disney making live action remakes, as long as they make them differ enough from the original and fix problems with it.

I also saw Rogue One. While it was enjoyable and so much more original than The Force Awakens, character development was almost non-existence (Except for maybe Jyn Erso and Cassian) and other characters felt kind of useless. If it didn't have Star Wars attached to it, it probably wouldn't be so critically acclaimed and successful.