The Unofficial Ongoing Current Movies in Theaters thread

[toast2266]

There is nothing he can do to atone for his complicity in the Transformers series. Lifetime ban.

Transformers I can overlook. He was young, and it was easy money.

But the Indiana Jones reboot - that was unforgivable. A steaming pile of LaTurd that shat all over a staple of my childhood. Him and Hayden Christianson should make a movie together so that I can refuse to go see it.

[Dantheman]

Saw 1917 the other day. Really enjoyed it. In some ways it’s your normal war epic, but the way it was done was really interesting.

It’s filmed in two long, continuous shots and it happens in real time. (If you look you can see them use camera pans and CGI to stitch some disparate shots together, but may seem to run minutes with no interruption. Kudos to the actors and the continuity team on that one.)

They also really bring to life the utter hopelessness of WWI, especially for those on the front lines.

I’m not expert enough to know if it’s Oscar worthy or not, but it was entertaining and emotional throughout.

I haven't seen 1917 yet, but since you liked it I'd highly recommend listening to the Hardcore History series "Blueprint for Armageddon" about WWI. It's long as fuck, there's six parts to it that each run ~4 hours, but well worth it. Calling it outstanding (along with every other episode of Hardcore History) is a massive understatement.

[dookeyXXX]

Transformers I can overlook. He was young, and it was easy money.

But the Indiana Jones reboot - that was unforgivable. A steaming pile of LaTurd that shat all over a staple of my childhood. Him and Hayden Christianson should make a movie together so that I can refuse to go see it.

Gonna call "FOUL!!!" on your timeline, man.

The first Transformers was released in 2007.
The Indiana Jones reboot was released in 2008.
He was just as young and the money was just as easy...


His performance in The Peanut Butter Falcon was fantastic and his performance in Honey Boy (his cinematic memoir/origin story) was compelling. I personally think he should have gotten a GG and/or an Oscar nod for either of those (so, too, should have Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, and Wesley Snipes)...

[Supermoon]

I haven't seen 1917 yet, but since you liked it I'd highly recommend listening to the Hardcore History series "Blueprint for Armageddon" about WWI. It's long as fuck, there's six parts to it that each run ~4 hours, but well worth it. Calling it outstanding (along with every other episode of Hardcore History) is a massive understatement.

Love HH and that one in particular. I kept thinking back to Carlin’s descriptions of the dead soldiers becoming the walls of the trenches when they would show those exact same things. Lots of little HH nuggets throughout if you’ve heard the podcasts when you watch the movie.

[toast2266]

Gonna call "FOUL!!!" on your timeline, man.

The first Transformers was released in 2007.
The Indiana Jones reboot was released in 2008.
He was just as young and the money was just as easy...

Ok, fine. But the transformers didn't ruin anything, they just weren't all that good. The Indiana reboot was just a goddamn travesty though.

[dookeyXXX]

Ok, fine. But the transformers didn't ruin anything, they just weren't all that good. The Indiana reboot was just a goddamn travesty though.

Yes, that film was horrible, but was the IJ reboot a travesty because of Shia? I think not. It was just a poorly written and muddled production on the whole; an incredibly misguided venture regardless of who was in it. In short, everything about that film was wrong. Shia just happened to be a part of it. I mean we should also point fingers at Ford and Allen and Winstone and Blanchett and Spielberg...they all took the $$$ and were part of the project, as well. To lay the whole blame on Shia is kind of unfair, imho. I blame the screenwriters and the director, if I were to blame anybody for the fiasco.

That said, I still stand by my statement that the two films he was in this year--The Peanut Butter Falcon and Honey Boy-- showcased stellar acting chops and a mature LaBeouf who can easily hold his own with any of the actors who were nominated for GG's and AA's this year.

Personally, I'm more "mad" at him for his egregious plagiarism of comic legend Daniel Clowes as opposed to his poor cinematic choices when he was younger (but, as has been said, "he was young and the money was easy"). I also think he was smart to do stupid, big budget "tent pole" action films when he was young and now he's making his way into more mature, well-written material.

[dookeyXXX]

1917 quick take:

This is a gorgeous film from a cinematic perspective. Shot in warm earth and cold sepia-tinged tones it alternates between being visually serious and visually surreal (Roger Deakins is THE MAN in regards to the short list of great cinematographers). The "one shot take" is really cool as it creates a tight focus on the characters and action; it was refreshing to watch a war film that wasn't all jump cuts and chaotic editing.
The acting is superb (although the high profile cameos from Colin Firth, Mark Strong, and Benedict Cumberbatch were wholly unnecessary, imho).
Even though the film is a bonafide "arthouse war movie", I never felt that it glorified war.
I also appreciated how screenwriter/director Sam Mendes never showed people dying, but he showed plenty of death, thus getting across the horror of war in a more detached and quiet manner.
Definitely needs to be seen on the BIG screen, imho.

[dookeyXXX]

An interesting aside in regards to 1917:

When you Google "Movies like 1917" the two movies that keep showing up on the various lists that pop up in that search are Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory and the Aussie war pic Gallipoli...two films I have not seen, but both of which are currently streaming on Amazon Prime...

Looks like I'mma have to participate in a home studies film school...

[PNWbrit]

An interesting aside in regards to 1917:

When you Google "Movies like 1917" the two movies that keep showing up on the various lists that pop up in that search are Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory and the Aussie war pic Gallipoli...two films I have not seen, but both of which are currently streaming on Amazon Prime...

Looks like I'mma have to participate in a home studies film school...

You have not seen Paths of Glory?

You should be ashamed of yourself. I think it's easily Kubrick's best.

Gallipoli is slightly above mediocre IMHO.

[PB]

Looks, this has you written all over it:https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/color_out_of_space/

[PB]

Dooks, this has your name written all over it:https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/color_out_of_space/

[PB]

Dooks, this has your name written all over it: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/color_out_of_space/

[dookeyXXX]

Dooks, this has your name written all over it: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/color_out_of_space/

Yeah it has been on my radar since it started popping up at genre film fests this past summer.
Not sure if it is getting a theatrical release, though...

[dookeyXXX]

THE GENTLEMEN
4 out of 5

The latest Guy Ritchie flick sees a return to form for the laddish director (after taking "time off" to put out 2 Sherlock Holmes joints, a misguided Man From U.N.C.LE. vehicle, a King Arthur re-imagining, and an Aladdin live-action film). This film is more along the lines of Snatch and Rock 'n Rolla (it has a similar narrative structure to the latter).
While not particularly new or fresh, the film unfolds as a wonderful thematic mash-up of gangsta, neo-noir, and whodunnit films.
Ritchie gives some crisp direction buffered by engaging dialogue. Add to that the fact that both the pacing and visual sleight of hand elements are quick and well honed; clever diversions and interesting plot twists abound.
The cast is brillaint and every actor is in top form. There is a delicious performance from Hugh Grant and a sublime turn from Colin Farrell.
And the soundtrack is pretty damn bueno, to boot.

[Meadow Skipper]

THE GENTLEMEN
4 out of 5

The latest Guy Ritchie flick sees a return to form for the laddish director (after taking "time off" to put out 2 Sherlock Holmes joints, a misguided Man From U.N.C.LE. vehicle, a King Arthur re-imagining, and an Aladdin live-action film). This film is more along the lines of Snatch and Rock 'n Rolla (it has a similar narrative structure to the latter).
While not particularly new or fresh, the film unfolds as a wonderful thematic mash-up of gangsta, neo-noir, and whodunnit films.
Ritchie gives some crisp direction buffered by engaging dialogue. Add to that the fact that both the pacing and visual sleight of hand elements are quick and well honed; clever diversions and interesting plot twists abound.
The cast is brillaint and every actor is in top form. There is a delicious performance from Hugh Grant and a sublime turn from Colin Farrell.
And the soundtrack is pretty damn bueno, to boot.

^ Saw it tonight, and agree. RIYL The Usual Suspects, though it’s somewhat lighter.

[ICantLogIn]

1917 quick take:

This is a gorgeous film from a cinematic perspective. Shot in warm earth and cold sepia-tinged tones it alternates between being visually serious and visually surreal (Roger Deakins is THE MAN in regards to the short list of great cinematographers). The "one shot take" is really cool as it creates a tight focus on the characters and action; it was refreshing to watch a war film that wasn't all jump cuts and chaotic editing.
The acting is superb (although the high profile cameos from Colin Firth, Mark Strong, and Benedict Cumberbatch were wholly unnecessary, imho).
Even though the film is a bonafide "arthouse war movie", I never felt that it glorified war.
I also appreciated how screenwriter/director Sam Mendes never showed people dying, but he showed plenty of death, thus getting across the horror of war in a more detached and quiet manner.
Definitely needs to be seen on the BIG screen, imho.

It was good my bro inlaw ruins war movies for me. He says "oh that's not how we would enter a room" or "we would never just run down and into an abandoned building without watching it for a while first". The images were really great.

[From_the_NEK]

It was good my bro inlaw ruins war movies for me. He says "oh that's not how we would enter a room" or "we would never just run down and into an abandoned building without watching it for a while first". The images were really great.

Did you inform him that the cannon fodder teenagers that got fed to the trenches likely didn't have months of modern warfare training under their belts?

[Meadow Skipper]

Did you inform him that the cannon fodder teenagers that got fed to the trenches likely didn't have months of modern warfare training under their belts?

Or that he should just STFU?

[toast2266]

Did you inform him that the cannon fodder teenagers that got fed to the trenches likely didn't have months of modern warfare training under their belts?

In fairness to the teenagers, I'm sure modern warfare training is based on all the mistakes they made.

[mcski]

Wolverines!!!!

[dookeyXXX]

Birds of Prey: And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
3/5
Like its psychotic lead character, this latest DC silver screen entry is a manic, crazy, uneven, and over-the-top endeavor. Borrowing several chapters from Tank Girl (the 1995 film), plus a few pages from Deadpool (both films), and the 1960’s Batman television show, it unfurls as a loud, brash, and obnoxious film dominated by a blaring soundtrack and bravura performance from Margot Robbie. Sure, it has its moments, but more often than not gets bogged down by too many deja vu elements (both visually and story-wise).
But Robbie.
Oh man.
She is simply delicious, even though she’s kinda channelling Lori Petty’s cinematic incarnation of Rebecca Buck something fierce (albeit as if jacked up on meth). Right behind Robbie is Jurnee Smollett-Bell, who smolders and kicks serious ass as Black Canary. The rest of the cast, however, just feels like generic filler. Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the Huntress is wooden and Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain never really blossoms. And Ewan McGregor is nothing short of a tediously one-dimensional villain; a whining, sociopathic man-child with nary an iota of originality whatsoever.
Adding to this lackluster menagerie is a rather thin story-line, a ho-hum plot that mainly works as a wobbly foundation for Robbie’s antics.Thankfully the film moves along at a brisk pace, rarely letting you take a breath to realize the mundanity of it all. Likewise, the look of the film is all neon pastel and vintage MTV music video excess (there’s a great “Material Girl” era Madonna dream sequence along with other kinetic visual flair).
Of course this wouldn’t be a “superhero” film without action and there’s plenty of that. At times the fight sequences are mildly ingenious in their choreography, though several smack of John Wick lightness; others just feel tepid and routine. That said, the roller derby finale is kinda cool, a PoMo punk update on the Indiana Jones truck chase (or perhaps it’s meant as an ode to Rollerball and Solarbabies?).
While largely trying a bit too hard to be snarky and mean-cute, overall it’s a somewhat mindlessly entertaining diversion, a hyper glossy film that slides by the eyes with ease and might just possibly gain minor cult status a few years from now.
One thing is for certain: it’s quite a bit better than Suicide Squad was.

RIYL
Tank Girl; Thor: Ragnarok; Deadpool

[dookeyXXX]

fwiw, PARASITE is being re-released this week in Black & White...

This is an interesting neo-trend (or perhaps micro-trend is more accurate?).
I know they re-released Mad Max: Fury Road in b/w, as well...

[MontuckyFried]

I know they re-released Mad Max: Fury Road in b/w, as well...

Correction: "Black and chrome."

Silly marketing adjectives aside, it IS a freaking awesome experience in that version. I bought it and was absolutely blown away when I paired it with Atmos (on an incredible sound system) and a glorious 120" screen.

[dookeyXXX]

[dookeyXXX]

I guess I should consider starting an "Upcoming Movies" thread...


This one looks good: