American Sniper: first the theater was packed on a Sunday morning. (But it was very close to where Chris Kyle lived). When it ended there was applause and then near dead silence.

The movie hit nearly every mark and beat it needed to hit. It did stray some from the book. But I was very well done.

Also I did not notice a SINGLE race, religion, or ethic based slur or term. It had some audio of call to prayer and he mentions a Quran twice. (in the same sentence)

It showed the pain and anguish most service men have when they have to stop a beating heart.

I say this is a must see movie. I give it a 9/10 (I wanted to see more pre-SEALS stuff and more about how and why he was a SEAL.)

Ace said:

He's Chris Rock's favorite filmmaker.

Manhattan's worth it just for Gordon Willis' stunning cinematography alone.

I love Match Point. What'd you think of that? And Hannah and Her Sisters isn't on your really-need-to-watch list? Was very popular and critically-acclaimed (won Oscars, etc.). I have a problem with the ending, but still a great film.

That's not surprising about Chris Rock. There was a great interview with him in New York magazine recently and Woody Allen came up multiple times.

I really liked Match Point. It was a great second first impression having seen none of his work since Sleeper almost twenty years earlier. It helped that it wasn't a typical Woody Allen movie.

I have developed a bit of an obsession with the Sight & Sound poll so seeing any movie on it is a priority for me whenever the opportunity arises (like when the Film Forum here recently screened The Magnificent Ambersons (#81) which I rated a few days ago). How much I like Annie Hall and Manhattan will determine how many of Woody Allen's other movies I investigate afterward.

Maleficent (2014) - A vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess, only to discover that the child may be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land.

I did like how the old Sleeping Beauty fairy tale was turned upside down. 1/2

The Other Woman Funny but hate the ending, typical hollywood ending. CD looking old.
12 Years A Slave Too hard to watch sometimes.
Something About Mary CD looking young. lol
Gothicka Only watched until I found out this was a demonic type of movie... eek
Big Eyes 1/2

sexton said:

Ace said:

He's Chris Rock's favorite filmmaker.

Manhattan's worth it just for Gordon Willis' stunning cinematography alone.

I love Match Point. What'd you think of that? And Hannah and Her Sisters isn't on your really-need-to-watch list? Was very popular and critically-acclaimed (won Oscars, etc.). I have a problem with the ending, but still a great film.

That's not surprising about Chris Rock. There was a great interview with him in New York magazine recently and Woody Allen came up multiple times.

I really liked Match Point. It was a great second first impression having seen none of his work since Sleeper almost twenty years earlier. It helped that it wasn't a typical Woody Allen movie.

I have developed a bit of an obsession with the Sight & Sound poll so seeing any movie on it is a priority for me whenever the opportunity arises (like when the Film Forum here recently screened The Magnificent Ambersons (#81) which I rated a few days ago). How much I like Annie Hall and Manhattan will determine how many of Woody Allen's other movies I investigate afterward.

Yes, I read that interview.

I know it was often reviewed that way, but Match Point wasn't all that atypical. He's made straight dramas from as far back as Interiors (see also September, Another Woman, Cassandra's Dream, Blue Jasmine...half of Melinda and Melinda...). Generally - with the exceptions of MP and BJ - they tend to get panned, but there's good stuff in all of them.

When Annie Hall came out, it was revolutionary. But it's been imitated so often, it (ironically) might seem a little clichéd to you. Frankly, while it's a great film, it's not one of my favorites. Same with Manhattan (although the cinematography in that is mind-blowing and it had some innovative blocking). Don't get me wrong: both great movies, but I tend to prefer his later work.

Checking out the Sight & Sound poll (which I'd heard of, but never sought out). Thanks!

i liked this movie, quite entertaining! (imo)

sexton said:

Maleficent (2014) - A vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess, only to discover that the child may be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land.

I did like how the old Sleeping Beauty fairy tale was turned upside down. 1/2

The Hobbit - Battle Of The Five Armies (2014)

Serviceable but anticlimactic.

.75

Begin Again (2013) - A chance encounter between a disgraced music-business executive and a young singer-songwriter new to Manhattan turns into a promising collaboration between the two talents.

I was surprised that I liked this movie. It's such a Hollywood mainstream view of the indie music scene and yet, it left me in a very good mood at the end. 1/2

sexton said:

Begin Again (2013) - A chance encounter between a disgraced music-business executive and a young singer-songwriter new to Manhattan turns into a promising collaboration between the two talents.

I was surprised that I liked this movie. It's such a Hollywood mainstream view of the indie music scene and yet, it left me in a very good mood at the end. 1/2

I hated the hippy-dippy ending in the closing credits, but otherwise enjoyed it. If "Lost Stars" doesn't win Best Original Song, something is very, very wrong (corny lyrics, but musically gorgeous); Gregg Alexander is a master hook-maker.

Saw three very good & fairly disturbing movies this weekend:

Gone Girl B+

Under The Skin B+

We Need To Talk About Kevin A-

The latter two are streaming on Amazon Prime now. And GG just dropped to normal rental price.

All three had incredible sound design, especially the Kevin movie... most disturbing soundtrack since Eraserhead.

Ace said:

sexton said:

Begin Again (2013) - A chance encounter between a disgraced music-business executive and a young singer-songwriter new to Manhattan turns into a promising collaboration between the two talents.

I was surprised that I liked this movie. It's such a Hollywood mainstream view of the indie music scene and yet, it left me in a very good mood at the end. 1/2

I hated the hippy-dippy ending in the closing credits, but otherwise enjoyed it. If "Lost Stars" doesn't win Best Original Song, something is very, very wrong (corny lyrics, but musically gorgeous); Gregg Alexander is a master hook-maker.

It was perfect closing with the performance of "Lost Stars" before the credits.

bobzilla77 said:

Saw three very good & fairly disturbing movies this weekend:

Gone Girl B+

Under The Skin B+

We Need To Talk About Kevin A-

The latter two are streaming on Amazon Prime now. And GG just dropped to normal rental price.

All three had incredible sound design, especially the Kevin movie... most disturbing soundtrack since Eraserhead.

I bought the Under The Skin soundtrack after seeing the movie--one of my favorite albums of 2014.

sexton said:

Ace said:

I hated the hippy-dippy ending in the closing credits, but otherwise enjoyed it. If "Lost Stars" doesn't win Best Original Song, something is very, very wrong (corny lyrics, but musically gorgeous); Gregg Alexander is a master hook-maker.

It was perfect closing with the performance of "Lost Stars" before the credits.

I don't remember: That was the Levine live performance, followed by her on the bike?

Ace said:

sexton said:

It was perfect closing with the performance of "Lost Stars" before the credits.

I don't remember: That was the Levine live performance, followed by her on the bike?

That was it.

sexton said:

Ace said:

I don't remember: That was the Levine live performance, followed by her on the bike?

That was it.

I´m a big Woody Allen fan ( love the artist, hate the person ) and I think Whatever Works is one of his most underrated masterpieces. It fell so much under the radar when it came out that if it wasn´t for some late night TV screening of it I wouldn´t even know that it existed (ok, I should´ve looked it up or read about it somewhere.

The interesting thing about it is that you can tell immediately that the script is older, yet he brilliantly transported it into current times. Wish he would´ve played the main character in it but I guess he´s too old for that. That dude playing the main character did a great job though.

Unlike most people, I also happen to like Woody´s newer movies, such as Matchpoint, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and all the other new movies he did. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is such a feelgood movie, yet raises so many interesting questions, at least for me.

Ace said:

sexton said:

He's Chris Rock's favorite filmmaker.

It wasn't until he used Scarlett Johansson as bait that I gave in and of course realized that I was wrong.

Sleeper (I saw this in high school I think)

Match Point

Scoop

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Midnight In Paris

To Rome With Love

Blue Jasmine

I know, I really need to watch Annie Hall and Manhattan at the very least. Both of those were on the last Sight & Sound top 250 poll so I've made them a priority.

Manhattan's worth it just for Gordon Willis' stunning cinematography alone.

I love Match Point. What'd you think of that? And Hannah and Her Sisters isn't on your really-need-to-watch list? Was very popular and critically-acclaimed (won Oscars, etc.). I have a problem with the ending, but still a great film.

Other Woody "classics":

Crimes and Misdemeanors

Husbands and Wives

The Purple Rose of Cairo

Broadway Danny Rose

Zelig

Less-popular ones that I personally love:

Alice

Deconstructing Harry

Celebrity

Whatever Works

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

Shadows and Fog

In terms of the 'early, funnier ones', I think my favorite's Bananas.

Haven´t watched it yet and I doubt I´d ever pay to see it but the tweets I saw from those who watched it were disgusting, to say the least. Absolutely horrible, racist and disgusting, full of the jingoistic, racist, warmongering , one dimensional and undiffirentiated thoughts you´d expect from certain viewers.

I have also read that the movie is not really based on facts as much as it claims it is.

What did you like about it?

OnlyNDaUsa said:

American Sniper: first the theater was packed on a Sunday morning. (But it was very close to where Chris Kyle lived). When it ended there was applause and then near dead silence.

The movie hit nearly every mark and beat it needed to hit. It did stray some from the book. But I was very well done.

Also I did not notice a SINGLE race, religion, or ethic based slur or term. It had some audio of call to prayer and he mentions a Quran twice. (in the same sentence)

It showed the pain and anguish most service men have when they have to stop a beating heart.

I say this is a must see movie. I give it a 9/10 (I wanted to see more pre-SEALS stuff and more about how and why he was a SEAL.)

KoolEaze said:

I think Whatever Works is one of his most underrated masterpieces.

Wish he would´ve played the main character in it but I guess he´s too old for that.

He could've played it. I think he was worried people would take the character's caustic opinions for his own (which they are). He's had enough image problems since the (false) child molestation accusation from Mia.

That dude playing the main character did a great job though.

Larry David.

Selma

I really enjoyed this. They did a good job portraying Dr. King as a not only a leader, but as a regular man as well with self doubts and apprehensions. Shame that the director was snubbed by the Academy Awards. 4/5 stars


.

[Edited 1/20/15 15:26pm]

also watched, Beginners

I love Christopher Plummer in this. The romance with Ewan McGregor and the female lead is dry though. I gave it 3/5 stars.

five stars for this one! abolsutely comical, quite an effective send-up of the James Bond movies. recommend, for a laugh or ten

KoolEaze said:

Haven´t watched it yet and I doubt I´d ever pay to see it but the tweets I saw from those who watched it were disgusting, to say the least. Absolutely horrible, racist and disgusting, full of the jingoistic, racist, warmongering , one dimensional and undiffirentiated thoughts you´d expect from certain viewers.

I have also read that the movie is not really based on facts as much as it claims it is.

What did you like about it?

it was not racist at all, it was not pro-war at all. Parts may have been changed to drive a story (but Selma flat out LIES about LBJ was that disgusting to you?)

They used the word evil twice. once was in general the other was when a person did something evil. But it by no means glorifies violence or war.

Why anyone would just attack something they admit they know nothing about is weird. To go out of your way to troll me over it is worst.

Edit: not feeding the troll.

[Edited 1/22/15 8:59am]

Song of the Sea (2014) - Saoirse, the last of the selkies, escapes from her grandmother's home to journey to the sea and free fairy creatures trapped in the modern world.



This is my favorite of the Oscar-nominated animated films this year. 1/2

XxAxX said:

five stars for this one! abolsutely comical, quite an effective send-up of the James Bond movies. recommend, for a laugh or ten

We saw this with the kids years ago. You're right - it was hilarious!

TUSK.....3 1/2

Empress said:

Boyhood - great movie. No flashy stuff, just good old fashioned story telling and good acting.

The only problem I had with boyhood and I understand why is how some of the characters just disappeared after a time jump. Like what happened to the step kids after mom divorced the drunk?

OnlyNDaUsa said:

KoolEaze said:

Haven´t watched it yet and I doubt I´d ever pay to see it but the tweets I saw from those who watched it were disgusting, to say the least. Absolutely horrible, racist and disgusting, full of the jingoistic, racist, warmongering , one dimensional and undiffirentiated thoughts you´d expect from certain viewers.

I have also read that the movie is not really based on facts as much as it claims it is.

What did you like about it?

it was not racist at all, it was not pro-war at all. Parts may have been changed to drive a story (but Selma flat out LIES about LBJ was that disgusting to you?)

They used the word evil twice. once was in general the other was when a person did something evil. But it by no means glorifies violence or war.

Why anyone would just attack something they admit they know nothing about is weird. To go out of your way to troll me over it is worst.

Where did I say that the movie was racist? Learn how to read, I said I´ve seen many tweets from people who watched the movie and those tweets or messages were racist, jingoistic and disgusting. And stupid. Hence my skepticism regarding such a movie. First I thought I might watch it but now I am 100 % sure that I am not going to watch that movie, simply because YOU like that movie.

And where did I troll you? Just because you misunderstood my post (which wasn´t even that complicated) does not mean I´m trolling you. Why would I troll you? When have I ever trolled you? When have I ever trolled ANYONE here on the org since I became a member in 1999 ? You are not that important.

I thought I could ask you a simple question such as "What did you like about it?" because I happen to like the director of that movie and was genuinely interested in reading your opinion. I thought you´d be more level-headed outside the P&R forum but I guess I was wrong.

Now I see why some people ignore you in P&R.