The Unofficial Ongoing Current Movies in Theaters thread

[dookeyXXX]

[huckbucket]

So I finally caught The Creator today. And my overall takeaway pretty much echoes what Bagtagley and EO stated previously.
In a nutshell, I enjoyed it.
It exceeded my expectations, however, I went in with very low ones given that I haven’t been all that impressed by the director’s previous films.
In terms of the overall look of the film and the story, it’s a hodge-podge of innumerable other films including, but not limited to Blade Runner, District 9, Elysium, A.I., Ex Machina, The Terminator franchise, Altered Carbon, Oblivion, Avatar, Alita: Battle Angel, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and many, many others. Yet I still found it visually interesting, perhaps because of all the deja vu.
Oh, and the ending was a bit treacley, but I almost teared up regardless.
It is by no means a classic, and in the grand scheme of sci-fi films it's pretty routine, but it was damn entertaining; I never once got bored during its 2+ hour running time.
Oh yeah, I had a private screening that only cost me $5.50 ( okay, more like $20 if you factor in gas).

One extra note: the screening I saw kept having digital glitches throughout where pixels broke up the picture. I actually started to think it was part of the film and that it was going to end up being an A.I. fever-dream or a recording of past events and the glitches would be damaged footage. Alas, it turns out I just saw a messed up digital projection. This is the first time that this has ever happened, but damn it made me really miss film...

It could have been soooooo much better with a tightened plot and better cultivation of the emotional thread. So much potential although I enjoyed it nonetheless.

[dookeyXXX]

SILENT NIGHT
When I first saw the trailer for this and John Woo’s name attached, not to mention Joel Kinnaman and Kid Cudi, I was kinda excited.
Sadly, Woo’s return to guns-n-bullets action is pretty lackluster; safe to say it won’t become the new X-mas action classic a la Die Hard ( I was really hoping it would, but it falls way short of the mark).
Sure, there are momentary (emphasis on “momentary”) bursts of JW’s old brilliance, but not enough to make this worth a trip to the cinema; this really should have gone straight to streaming.
And the gimmick, while kinda cool, is ultimately wasted on a routine revenge plot that comes off like Death Wish Lite.
Wait for it to hit one of the streaming services you subscribe to or Redbox when you have a $1.75 off code.




Addendum
Roger Ebert.com gave it 4 stars?????
And The New York Times called it a “critic’s pick”!!!
I am guessing perhaps they saw a different version of the film than I did as this is one of the most tepid action films I’ve seen in years.

[dookeyXXX]

DREAM SCENARIO
The latest Nic Cage cinematic vehicle is worth a watch.
It ended up being much different than I expected, but it’s very inline with previous A24 horror/thrillers (it was produced by Ari Aster and has a similar vibe to his Beaux Is Afraid).
The story is multi-layered, examining social media “fame,” cancel culture, and fly-by-night trends. There’s a wee smidgen of neo-incel/entitled white male persecution tossed in for good measure.
Cage is legit as a sad sack professor.

RIYL
Manodrome, Men, Beaux Is Afraid, The Art of Self Defence, Vivarium

[Mike Pow]

It was OK, but didn't really go anywhere IMHO

Think this is better

Lucky Hank
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1978521...lucky%2520hank

[plugboots]

Saw “The Holdovers” last night. Loved it. It been a while since we saw a movie like that, maybe that’s part of it. dookey’s review was great. It seems any Giamatti movie is one to see.


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[PB]

Saw “The Holdovers” last night. Loved it. It been a while since we saw a movie like that, maybe that’s part of it. dookey’s review was great. It seems any Giamatti movie is one to see.


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Oh, I wouldn't go quite that far ...... https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/big_mommas_house

He does have an amazing history, though, starting in 1990. And definitely above average quality over-all.

[plugboots]

Oh, I wouldn't go quite that far ...... https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/big_mommas_house

He does have an amazing history, though, starting in 1990. And definitely above average quality over-all.

Ooooo, I take that back.

[dookeyXXX]

Saw “The Holdovers”… dookey’s review was great.

Thanks for reading ‘em!

I’ve fallen behind in writing reviews due to ski season starting (even though we are experiencing extremely low tide here in Tahoe), but I’ve seen a number of films since Thanksgiving holiday:

Still formulating reviews, but here’s the quick takes:

NAPOLEON - uneven

EILEEN - great retro-styled genre mash of a thriller

THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES - surprisingly entertaining

DIE HARD - 35th ANNIVERSARY - still one of the greatest action films of all time and a classic Christmas movie to boot

GODZILLA MINUS ONE - F$&king epic. Pretty much blows away anything Hollywood has put out in the past decade in terms of melding grand scale action and melodrama. Only cost $15M (!!!) and was better than most Marvel films costing 17x that.

THE BOY AND THE HERON - Japanese Version
Classic Miyazaki. Very much in the vein of SPIRITED AWAY.

[mcski]

Really annoyed I didn’t go see Die Hard at the soon to be deaded Castro last week.

[dookeyXXX]

Really annoyed I didn’t go see Die Hard at the soon to be deaded Castro last week.

You only have yourself to blame, man!

I bet it was on film, too, probably 35mm...

[dookeyXXX]

NAPOLEON
Ridley Scott’s latest is uneven, both in tone and structure.
It can’t seem to figure out if it’s satire, historical epic, a love story, or a gritty war film. Sure, it coulda been all four, but it never quite gains a measured balance betwixt them all.
That said, Joaquin Phoenix is damn near magnetic on the screen, even though he appears unable to decide if he’s suppo0sed to be playing it straight or sardonically ironic.
Oh, and the battle scenes are pretty epic; it's hard to tell where the practical elements end and the CGI takes over.

If nothing else, this film has made me realize that I hold Scott in the same company as Michael Mann and David Fincher: all have made a few really great movies along with a lot of mediocre ones...

[dookeyXXX]

THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES
I can't decide if this film is entertainingly forgettable or forgettably entertaining.
Regardless, I enjoyed it while I was watching it.
The cast is solid, though Viola Davis steals the show with a Bride of Frankenstein hairdo and maniacal glare.
Close second, in terms of onscreen magnetism, goes to Rachael Zegler, who has an amazing set of pipes (the film contains several musical numbers and one in particular, featuring a writhing den of snakes, should send chills up your spine.
The story is an origin story of the character portrayed by Donald Sutherland in the previous four films and Tom Blyth does a solid job of playing the young narcissist.
The film largely succeeds due to even pacing and the aforementioned gonzo bonkers turn from Davis.
By no means essential, but if you've read the books (I have not) or seen the previous films, then it's definitely worth a gander,

[dookeyXXX]

EILEEN
It's a shame that this wonderfully wicked little indie film got lost in the holiday shuffle post-Thanksgiving/pre-Christmas.
Gloriously mashing up a variety of genres ranging from coming-of-age, to dysfunctional family melodrama, to noir, and sociopathological intrigue, the story never goes where you think it’s headed. In the end it's a wonderfully twisted melange that harkens back to the days of gritty 1970s Hollywood films.
The ending is fantastic as it leaves much to the viewer's imagination.
Underrated and overlooked, it's definitely worth a watch if you like quietly unnerving and low-key psychological thrillers.

[dookeyXXX]

DIE HARD: 35th ANNIVERSARY
This flick still holds up as one of the greatest action movies ever made.
Streamlined plot, whip quick pacing, solid acting, and OG practical stunts make it a winner.
It’s most definitely a Christmas movie (I finally noticed that composer Michael Kamen liberally sprinkles recognizable snippets of holiday classics throughout his score, furthering the Christmas cheer wrapped around the story).
And after 35 years, I finally learned that it’s based on a novel…

[dookeyXXX]

THE BOY AND THE HERON
I saw the orignal Japanese version because I'm a purist.
The story is very reminiscent of Spirited Away, although the backdrop here is WWII just before the bomb drops.
While I am still trying to figure out all the symbolism, it deftly blends reality and fantasy and features a number of elements akin to both Alice in Wonderland and The Chronicles of Narnia (i.e. on the surface it's a "portal fantasy").
It’s quiet and introspective, but also teeming with some moments of fantastical energy.

[dookeyXXX]

GODZILLA MINUS ONE
Holy shit!
This film is legit!
Rush to the cineplex to see this joint stat!
I got chills up and down my spine.
I laughed.
I cried.
I shouted at the screen several times to the annoyance of my fellow moviegoers.
There are so many moments of awe and WTF?!, as well as a sentimental humanistic element; it's a veritable rollercoaster of emotions.
Sure, the story is trope laden with cliched one-dimensional characters, but it works.
The FX are solid and the action sequences are well done.
The pacing is fantastic and keeps everything moving at just the right speed.
Hollywood needs to take note since they haven’t been able to make a watchable, uncringe worthy GZ flick yet.
And this film only cost $15M!!!
It looks and feels more epic than any of the recent Marvel or DC films which cost close to sixteen times as much.

[PB]

Finally got to see The Creator.


So much potential ....... so little product.

[huckbucket]

If you haven't seen Whiplash, stream it on Netflix. Well worth your time. Super well acted. Intense and a little dark. Use good speakers.

[dookeyXXX]

Man, oh man…

Quite a lotta prequels, sequels, and threequels hitting the cineplexes in 2024.

Not a lotta original fare…

https://variety.com/lists/most-anticipated-movies-2024/

[otto parts]

SILENT NIGHT
When I first saw the trailer for this and John Woo’s name attached, not to mention Joel Kinnaman and Kid Cudi, I was kinda excited.
Sadly, Woo’s return to guns-n-bullets action is pretty lackluster; safe to say it won’t become the new X-mas action classic a la Die Hard ( I was really hoping it would, but it falls way short of the mark).
Sure, there are momentary (emphasis on “momentary”) bursts of JW’s old brilliance, but not enough to make this worth a trip to the cinema; this really should have gone straight to streaming.
And the gimmick, while kinda cool, is ultimately wasted on a routine revenge plot that comes off like Death Wish Lite.
Wait for it to hit one of the streaming services you subscribe to or Redbox when you have a $1.75 off code.




Addendum
Roger Ebert.com gave it 4 stars?????
And The New York Times called it a “critic’s pick”!!!
I am guessing perhaps they saw a different version of the film than I did as this is one of the most tepid action films I’ve seen in years.

Yup



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[Meadow Skipper]

No one’s seen Poor Things yet? Movie of the year IMO, maybe tied with Barbie…but for different reasons.

Brilliant, I think Lanthimos has evolved from The Lobster and KOaSD. It’s funny and the production is stunning. Stone and Ruffalo are great.

[Supermoon]

I haven’t been able to see it yet, but it’s on my list for sure.

Just saw Godzilla Minus One and holy moly that movie was so good. Just a well executed monster movie without any of the Marvel/DC bullshit and a compelling plot along with the action. How they did it for $15 million I’ll never know.

[dookeyXXX]

No one’s seen Poor Things yet? Movie of the year IMO, maybe tied with Barbie…but for different reasons.

Brilliant, I think Lanthimos has evolved from The Lobster and KOaSD. It’s funny and the production is stunning. Stone and Ruffalo are great.

Been on my radar for months.
Hoping to see it this week.
I have enjoyed the bulk of Lanthimos’s films (if you haven’t seen Dogtooth…whoa!).

I haven’t been able to see it yet, but it’s on my list for sure.

Just saw Godzilla Minus One and holy moly that movie was so good. Just a well executed monster movie without any of the Marvel/DC bullshit and a compelling plot along with the action. How they did it for $15 million I’ll never know.

They didn’t have a dozen A-list actors all demanding $20M apiece… Sadly, Hollywood still primarily operates on name recognition actors over solid characters and engaging storylines.

[toast2266]

If nothing else, this film has made me realize that I hold Scott in the same company as Michael Mann and David Fincher: all have made a few really great movies along with a lot of mediocre ones...

Curious which Fincher movies you consider to be the great ones, and which ones are mediocre?

Personally, I'd probably put him close to the top of the list of directors with a consistently strong track record. Aliens 3 is the only movie I've seen from him that was less than great (actually pretty terrible).

Agreed as to Scott and Mann though. Some really great movies, and a bunch of ok-ish movies. Scott's high points are better than Mann's.