The Unofficial Ongoing Current Movies in Theaters thread

[dookeyXXX]

GODZILLA MINUS ONE
The 37th--and arguably the best-- film in the Godzilla franchise is stomping back into theaters this week (it opens in some cinemas today, others on Friday) for a limited engagement to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the atomic lizard's birth.

If you missed this joint the first time around, I humbly and highly recommend trying to catch it on the BIG screen.

It's a fantastic film.

What's more is that on a paltry (by Hollywood standards) budget of in the neighborhood of $15M, it looks better than most $150-350M big budget action films. It's also better, in terms of acting, storytelling, pacing, drama, and action than most big budget films, too.

Watching this film will make you scratch your head at what Legendary and Warner Bros. have done to the Godzilla (and Kong) mythos.

Even if you don't like Giant Monster Films, you'll more'n likely dig this one thanks to the solid storytelling and tight melodrama lurking between the frames.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXl8zJ_jhEc

[Mike Pow]

Agree wholeheartedly

Brilliant

[dookeyXXX]

I have seen the trailer(s) for Gladiator II a couple of times now and they have left me underwhelmed. Then again, I was in the minority camp of those who didn’t really dig the original film.

But this sequel that musician Nic Cave pitched?
I woulda been into that!


https://www.nme.com/news/film/ridley...t-made-3811145

[dookeyXXX]

I realize that this listing is incomplete and subject to change, but man next year’s slate of potential theatrical releases initially look hella lame.
Lottsa remakes, reboots, sequels, prequels, and live action interpretations of animated films. Sigh.
Here’s to hoping that there are some unlisted hidden gems that eventually make their way to theaters…

https://m.imdb.com/calendar/?ref_=nv_mv_cal

[Supermoon]

Saw Conclave yesterday. Really well done, beautifully shot, slow burn but with tension throughout and an amazing twist. Feinnes should get an Oscar nod for this. Same for Tucci.

[dookeyXXX]

SATURDAY NIGHT

Saturday Night made me nostalgic for my youth. I was ten when the show debuted and even at that age I remember how the next Monday at school it was all anybody was talking about. Entertaining movie but if you aren't intimately familiar with the players and the show I wouldn't bother.

Went and caught this at the local indie theater on Tuesday evening.
I really dug it.
It’s caustic, sharp, irreverent, and funny.
The cast is great, the pacing is super chaotic for the first two acts—reminded me of an Altman film in terms of rapid fire dialogue delivery—and there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.
Oh, and Milton Berle?!?!?!

I was only 8 when the show debuted and didn’t watch it until my teens during the Eddie Murphy years and I only have a passing knowledge of the original Not Ready For Prime Time Players, but I still enjoyed it immensely.

One of my favorite films of 2024, hands down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ9O_tl5Npk

[dookeyXXX]

CONCLAVE

Saw Conclave yesterday. Really well done, beautifully shot, slow burn but with tension throughout and an amazing twist. Feinnes should get an Oscar nod for this. Same for Tucci.

I just saw it at what was sadly the closing night of my favorite cinema in Reno. I think it was quite literally the last movie they showed.

I completely concur in regards to the look of the film, the well drawn out slow burn tension, and Fiennes and Tucci’s thespian turns.

As for the twist, I found one portion of it really predictable and the other aspect I felt was a bit anticlimactic.

Also I couldn’t quite figure out the tone of the film. Part of it seems to condemn the Catholic Church and their ideals, while the other part seems to be saying “look at how progressive The Church is these days.”
In many ways the film also seemed to be a commentary on the current US political climate.

I did really like the final shot of the film, though. And the first 2 acts are solid.

It will definitely get some Oscar love.

It also proves that German director Edward Berger is no fluke. I loved his rendition of All Quiet on the Western Front and this film, for the most part, is visually and thematically stellar.

[dookeyXXX]

ANORA

So this film won the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes. FWTW.

It's an interesting tale, one we've seen before in countless other films, but here it's rendered with an urgency and immediacy that's mesmerizing.

It starts out soft core, moves into drunken twentysomethings in Vegas territory, then becomes a romcom before morphing into a thriller and chase film.

But lurking underneath the gloss and debauchery is a sobering tale of class distinction, entitlement, and broken dreams.

While whole chunks of the film, in regards to plot and characters, feel familiar, they are delivered with such verve as to make any of the obvious deja vu fresh and vibrant.

Kudos to the core duo of Mikey Madison and
Mark Eydelshteyn, who have a sizzling chemistry and absolutely command the screen. But the supporting cast is just as magnetic, whether it be petulant strippers (Lindsey Normington), henchmen (Yura Borisov, Vache Tovmasyan, and Karren Karagulian), or snotty oligarchs (Darya Ekamasova). Everyone involved acts their asses off with a natural brilliance.

The film does drag in spots and probably could have been trimmed a few minutes here and there, but the performances of all involved keep you enthralled from start to finish.

And the ending? It's pretty damn potent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m6UrWMl18M

[dookeyXXX]

Sadly, we’ve entered that holiday period where big blockbusters, sequels, and regurgitated IP are crowding the cineplexes.
My local theaters purged all the small films I was interested in seeing—A Real Pain, Blitz, Memoirs of a Snail—in favor of stuffing the screens with more “accessible” fare. I get it, they need to fill seats and move concessions.
But to remove all other options kinda sucks. [end rant]

(That said, a co-worker who is not a Broadway musical fan, nor has he read the source novel, gave a huge co-sign to Wicked; he’s been yammering about how awesome it was all week!)

Anyway, if it’s still showing near you go see this film:
HERETIC
I’m giving a Big Ass Thumbs Up to this disturbing, yet thought provoking psychological horror thriller.
Hugh Grant absolutely owns this film.

Watch the full trailer trailer only if you don’t mind spoilers, but this teaser is creepily cryptic enough…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSo0lmONZIU