posted by Fab4Runner

Don't forget the yearly crying about Starbucks cups. Both sides are equally lame.

Agreed 100%, the yearly outcry about "Happy Holidays" is completely stupid, and I am a Christian. I just laugh at all of them that get all bent out of shape about it.

I mean it is really that hard when someone says Happy Holidays to just say 1 of 3 things back to them: thank you, Happy Holidays, or Merry Christmas. There is no need to get upset that they said something else other than Merry Christmas to you.

posted by jmog

Agreed 100%, the yearly outcry about "Happy Holidays" is completely stupid, and I am a Christian. I just laugh at all of them that get all bent out of shape about it.

 

I mean it is really that hard when someone says Happy Holidays to just say 1 of 3 things back to them: thank you, Happy Holidays, or Merry Christmas. There is no need to get upset that they said something else other than Merry Christmas to you.

Ad Astra - 8/10. 
Really liked it but the ending kind of dragged on. 

Joker.  Very intense.

posted by Trueblue23

Joker.  Very intense.

I thought it started out slow and got intense fast. It was a very good Joker origin story. If you go in thinking its a typical comic book action flick you will be highly disappointed. 

Go into the movie thinking its a psychological look at how someone with a psychological issue/problem could be transformed into a sinister evil mastermind like the Joker. 

I saw it as almost the prequel to Heath Ledger's "Joker" in The Dark Knight.

With that in mind, I viewed the movie as a very solid 7.5/10. If you go in thinking it will be a comic book action flick, you will think I am an idiot for rating it so high.

It was a psychological drama trying to dive into the mind of an insane comic book villain. I thought they did it very well overall.

Joker 8/10

I came in knowing it was more taxi driver/ king of comedy than Batman film. I agree it started slow, but picked up speed really fast. I didn't really enjoy it, some of the scenes were rough,  just found it like fascinating to watch. I agree that I viewed the movie as if you took Heath Ledger's Joker, gave it a back story and made it an R rated movie. The actors in it, even with small roles, was impressive. 

I could have done without all the Wayne storylines actually. That is probably my only complaint with it. 

Hall Pass

6.5/10

posted by ptown_trojans_1

Joker 8/10

I came in knowing it was more taxi driver/ king of comedy than Batman film. I agree it started slow, but picked up speed really fast. I didn't really enjoy it, some of the scenes were rough,  just found it like fascinating to watch. I agree that I viewed the movie as if you took Heath Ledger's Joker, gave it a back story and made it an R rated movie. The actors in it, even with small roles, was impressive. 

I could have done without all the Wayne storylines actually. That is probably my only complaint with it. 

 

Agreed with everything you said. I didn't "enjoy" the movie but found it interesting I guess. It's hard to "enjoy" something that dark overall.

Watched the Election duo of Hong Kong movies (Election, Triad Election). Read that they were kind of considered the Hong Kong Godfather and if you take both movies together, they're about the combined length of one Godfather movie. Overall, good; although you (a) have to read subtitles and (b) have to be into HK/Chinese traditions to fully understand them.

The first movie dragged a bit for me because of the "tradition" stuff, as most of the movie was about two rival gangs fighting to gain possession of a staff that was to them very important, but to my way of thinking was nothing more than a ceremonial artifact. But to them, it was a symbol of power and you weren't really the leader of the Triad if you didn't have control of the staff.

The second was a lot better in my eyes. The guy who won the showdown in the first movie decides to fuck tradition and run for a second two-year term as Chairman of the Triad. The guy who was the Uncles' (ie: older dudes who were former Chairmen and are now advisors) main choice didn't want the job as he was looking to be a legit businessman, but due to legal issues, was told by the Chinese that the only way he'd be allowed to do business in China would be if he had the clout that came with being a Triad Chairman. Cue a violent power struggle as he decides to be Chairman and has to deal with the older guy who isn't stepping down.

El Camino.  Interesting wrap up, flashback.  I think I might have been a ploy to have me start BB over again...

Good Boys 7/10

I felt guilty laughing at some of it

Terminator: Dark Fate

6.5/10

Better than every Terminator movie since T2 except maybe Terminator: Genisys. 

Starts off "quick" with good action and a big surprise at the beginning, drags for a bit, then good ending action sequence.

Get Hard

Stupid funny

Blended 6/10

Good Boys: 8.5/10

Den of Thieves: 10/10

Diehard 3

8/10

posted by ptown_trojans_1

Joker 8/10

I came in knowing it was more taxi driver/ king of comedy than Batman film. I agree it started slow, but picked up speed really fast. I didn't really enjoy it, some of the scenes were rough,  just found it like fascinating to watch. I agree that I viewed the movie as if you took Heath Ledger's Joker, gave it a back story and made it an R rated movie. The actors in it, even with small roles, was impressive. 

I could have done without all the Wayne storylines actually. That is probably my only complaint with it. 

 

posted by thavoice

Last two:

Gomorrah: Italian (ie: sub-titled) mob movie concerning how mafia rule affects the citizens in Italy, from their legitimate businesses involving the "disposal" of hazardous waste causing pollution and sickness among rural folk, to how warring mob clans can make simple existence really hellish for people. 7/10. Kind of uneven. Five mostly unconnected "mini-plots" that it constantly switches back and forth from makes it a bit tricky to keep up, at least on a first watch. And some of those plots aren't as good as others. Watching a legitimate businessman guy in charge of waste disposal and placating disease-ridden locals doesn't exactly have the same interest factor as, say, watching the two impulsive and common-sense-deprived teens trying to be gangsters to the annoyance of the clan rulers of their area.

Donnie Brasco: 9/10 -- One of the classics that was just a lot of fun to watch again. It always kind of amazes me how Pacino played a different kind of character in each of his big mob roles. From the cold, calculated Godfather trilogy role, to the more warm and personal character in Carlito's Way, to the hot-headed near-psycho with a moral code in Scarface to this, where he's bitter about his stagnant role, but still a loyal hitman who is really enthusiastic about having a younger guy to be a mentor to.

Midway. I thought it was pretty good. I'

The Lives of Others (German): 8.5/10.  Great film set in East Berlin in the 1980s about a Stasi agent who finds his humanity while spying on a writer and his girlfriend suspected on subverting the East German regime.

Goodbyle Lenin (German) 9.5/10.  Awesome movie about a son who's mother is dedicated to the East German state.  While she suffers a heart attack and is in a coma for 8 months, the wall falls.  When she awakes, her son attempts to persuade her that nothing has changed so that she will not be upset and suffer another heart attack.  Funny, interesting and moving.  

Zombieland 2 Double Tap 7/10

A Beautiful Day

I’m not sure. Hanks is brilliant. Movie was interesting and touching. I’m a poor movie critic. I give it a 7.5 but it might be a 10

posted by Verbal Kint

El Camino.  Interesting wrap up, flashback.  I think I might have been a ploy to have me start BB over again...

I watched this last weekend and ended up starting BB again this week.

My wife and I started our annual Christmas movie binge last night with White Christmas.