What movies are you watching?

[Mickey]

I've never seen it either. The Nest was underwhelming so that has tempered my expectations a bit.

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[Mickey]

Soul was really solid. A gorgeous looking film.

One Night in Miami... was full of fantastic performances, competent and compelling writing, and made me miss theater even more than I already do/did.

Mank was one of the biggest letdowns I've had watching a movie in a long, long time. Maybe ever.

Mank has been on my radar for a while but I never actually want to see it. I think we've talked about this before but it suffers from the same overextension of the "old Hollywood" fetish filmmakers tend to indulge in. I love Oldman and I generally like Fincher, but I dunno. I saw Citizen Kane when I was in college and haven't really thought about it since. So I'll get around to this one eventually but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm underwhelmed as well.

[VinylGuy]

yeah, that one was super good.

[tree_]

i'm watching dark knight now... these movies are kinda silly.. with so much cliche dialogue like "harvey! wow you do play it really close to the chest", "i gotta get me one of these! (batmobiles)" sometimes i feel like my eyes might roll right outta my head... ... ... i dunno.. they're pretty well made for comic book action movies in the 2000's but i just struggle to enjoy them much .. and i never understood all the hooplah around this one

[Ms Harmless]

never saw it.. is it streaming anywhere?

I was surprised to find it on the new Disney+ section / tab called Star, Stars or something? but it might be on Amazon too

[Ms Harmless]

I watched Martha Marcy May Marlene yesterday, for the second time after years of kinda forgetting it existed; I love movies about cults and survival from cults, and this is one of the best - absolutely amazing movie

Yeah this movie rules. Hawkes is awesome.

it's one of those "is it a horror movie?" movies, but it's so tense and disorienting, and so much a study on survivor trauma and the way the "outside world" can prolong it, yeah I see it as a horror movie; the presence of Olsen, Paulson and Dancy kind of cements that for me

[epilogue]

I watched Martha Marcy May Marlene yesterday, for the second time after years of kinda forgetting it existed; I love movies about cults and survival from cults, and this is one of the best - absolutely amazing movie

This movie has been on my list forever. I really need to get around to watching it.

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[tree_]

It’s super smart how they present day with her prior cult experience.

i read this 5 times... what?

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[tree_]

oh thank you whew

[epilogue]

Soul was really solid. A gorgeous looking film.

One Night in Miami... was full of fantastic performances, competent and compelling writing, and made me miss theater even more than I already do/did.

Mank was one of the biggest letdowns I've had watching a movie in a long, long time. Maybe ever.

Mank has been on my radar for a while but I never actually want to see it. I think we've talked about this before but it suffers from the same overextension of the "old Hollywood" fetish filmmakers tend to indulge in. I love Oldman and I generally like Fincher, but I dunno. I saw Citizen Kane when I was in college and haven't really thought about it since. So I'll get around to this one eventually but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm underwhelmed as well.

There's literally no reason at all to ever watch Mank.

Fincher is one of my favorite directors. But this isn't a Fincher film. His voice is entirely absent from every frame. I get what he's trying to do but it ultimately doesn't work. There's zero depth, zero commentary, zero effort. Everything about the visuals feels neutered. And the sound is muddy (I'm guessing that's intentional but it's an odd choice that doesn't work either and becomes a pretty big problem at times). This movie works best as a justification to work with his dad. On that level, I get it.

Oldman is completely fine. Anyone could have played this part and someone else should have. Mank is 43 years old. There's no reason why Oldman needed to be cast. The rest of the cast (and the best of them) are underutilized. Charles Dance and Amanda Seyfried are far and away the best aspects of the film and neither is given enough to work with. They make chicken salad of the chicken shit they're given, for sure. But I wanted more of both of them.

The one thing I will say (regarding your love of Hollywood comment) is that this movie is far more in the Hail, Caesar! "old-world-Hollywood" camp than many of the other love letter films out there. I appreciate that about it. The socialism/politics aspect of the film is nice but ultimately half-baked.

In fact, this whole movie feels half-baked.

I adore Citizen Kane and the mythology of Orson Welles but this movie does nothing for either. I would imagine that's even more true (and more deeply felt) for someone who doesn't care for CK.

[tree_]

well said

[Ms Harmless]

It’s super smart how they cut the present day with her prior cult experience.

absolutely, it's disorienting and makes you work hard to pick out past from present, pretty much like actual CPTSD

[tree_]

lol i know i'm not the first to make this astute observation but why the fuck does bruce wayne feel the need to talk with the batman voice when he's alone in a room with someone who already knows his true identity? so stupid

[VinylGuy]

lol i know i'm not the first to make this astute observation but why the fuck does bruce wayne feel the need to talk with the batman voice when he's alone in a room with someone who already knows his true identity? so stupid

he has to stay in character

[Rangi Guy]

lol i know i'm not the first to make this astute observation but why the fuck does bruce wayne feel the need to talk with the batman voice when he's alone in a room with someone who already knows his true identity? so stupid

What if for some reason someone else entered said room by accident or something, and was then all 'Hey Bruce, why are you all dressed up as Batman?' Or if there was audio/video bugging in the room - stuff like that

[tree_]

I guess but UGG also you would think he would cover his entire face if He were that concerned

[Mickey]

The Dark Knight is an incoherent movie because it's basically just an apologia for the War on Terror directed by someone who's not aware that's what he's doing.