Iron Man (2008) - After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.

With my extra free time during this global pandemic, I'm revisiting in order the Marvel Cinematic Universe series of films, most of which I haven't seen since they were screened in theaters. This was a great beginning to the franchise with Robert Downey Jr, absolutely nailing the character of Tony Stark. 4/5

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (of 4)

I finally saw this last night. I am still trying to figure out how much I liked it. It was definitely worth seeing for the great performance by DiCaprio and Pitt. This is further evidence that DiCaprio is one of the best actors of his generation. I remeber see here on the Org someone saying that it was a great movie until the last portion. I think that was a good assessment. Sometimes Tarantino get so cheesy and in love with the violent ballet of his images that it undermines the credibility of what otherwise would be a terrific movie.

Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) - The story of a mistreated donkey and the people around him. A study on saintliness and a sister piece to Bresson's Couchette.

This is another movie I watched twice to get a proper grasp of its legacy. It's a highly regarded film, considered one of the best ever made and while I do think it's indeed very good and the religious symbolism clever, it didn't completely sway me. 4/5

The Darkest Hour (2017)

Gary Oldman and Kirstin Scott-Thomas carry the day in a great film centered around the pivotal events for the United Kingdom in May of 1940, as Churchill, leading a team of rivals, makes fateful decisions that prevent the swift collapse of the British Army. Ben Mendelsohn also shines as King George.

.75


The Two Popes (2019)

Anthony Hopkins and Johnathan Pryce deliver masterful performances as Benedict XVI and Cardinal Bergoglio. the future Francis I. I thought it was a great meditation on regret, disillusion, and redemption.

gandorb said:

EmmaMcG said:

gandorb said:

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (of 4)

I finally saw this last night. I am still trying to figure out how much I liked it. It was definitely worth seeing for the great performance by DiCaprio and Pitt. This is further evidence that DiCaprio is one of the best actors of his generation. I remeber see here on the Org someone saying that it was a great movie until the last portion. I think that was a good assessment. Sometimes Tarantino get so cheesy and in love with the violent ballet of his images that it undermines the credibility of what otherwise would be a terrific movie.

I loved the ending. It needed to be violent. SPOILER ALERT. This movie is pure fantasy, hence the name. It's not just a cheeky homage to Once Upon A Time In The West. It's basically Tarantino's fairytale ending. Righting a wrong of real life. Those people were scum. They deserved the ending Tarantino gave them.

More SPOILER ALERT!!! This particular violence didn't bother me, and I agree that the "victiums" earned their keep. The violence just seemed unbelievable given that the Pitt character was tripping his ass off and DiCaprios's sleeping wife (really???) was also to help kill off the intruders. The cheesy part, was the occasioanl hammy narrator, which I am sure was meant to be an homage to the FBI series freqentlyreferenced in the flim. However, it just created more unnecessary distance between me and being involved directly with the film. Despite these reservations, I still liked the film.

The Incredible Hulk (2008) - Bruce Banner, a scientist on the run from the U.S. Government, must find a cure for the monster he turns into whenever he loses his temper.

This is another Marvel Studios film I hadn't seen since its theatrical release and I remembered it being somewhat mediocre. Rewatching the first 2/3, it was very good--with the subtle nods to the TV series among other things--and I considered that it maybe aged better than I thought, but then the big final fight scene started which reminded me why I rank this at the bottom of the franchise. However, I do like Edward Norton as Bruce Banner more than Mark Ruffalo. 3/5

I watched Get Out for the first time. It was quite interesting and kind of unique. I enjoyed it and thought the male star was very good. His buddy was hilarious!

Empress said:

I watched Get Out for the first time. It was quite interesting and kind of unique. I enjoyed it and thought the male star was very good. His buddy was hilarious!

It's a good movie, and premise is quite original, however highly overrated callin it one of the best movies of the last decade.

EmmaMcG said:

gandorb said:

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (of 4)

I finally saw this last night. I am still trying to figure out how much I liked it. It was definitely worth seeing for the great performance by DiCaprio and Pitt. This is further evidence that DiCaprio is one of the best actors of his generation. I remeber see here on the Org someone saying that it was a great movie until the last portion. I think that was a good assessment. Sometimes Tarantino get so cheesy and in love with the violent ballet of his images that it undermines the credibility of what otherwise would be a terrific movie.

I loved the ending. It needed to be violent. SPOILER ALERT. This movie is pure fantasy, hence the name. It's not just a cheeky homage to Once Upon A Time In The West. It's basically Tarantino's fairytale ending. Righting a wrong of real life. Those people were scum. They deserved the ending Tarantino gave them.

From the scene when the little girl actress is talkin to DiCaprio's character up to the end is the best part of the movie, before it I wasn't that much interested in the film. The ending is great, very Tarantino, you wish that was the real life story, unfortunately it wasn't. I really like this film.

namepeace said:

The Darkest Hour (2017)

Gary Oldman and Kirstin Scott-Thomas carry the day in a great film centered around the pivotal events for the United Kingdom in May of 1940, as Churchill, leading a team of rivals, makes fateful decisions that prevent the swift collapse of the British Army. Ben Mendelsohn also shines as King George.

.75


The Two Popes (2019)

Anthony Hopkins and Johnathan Pryce deliver masterful performances as Benedict XVI and Cardinal Bergoglio. the future Francis I. I thought it was a great meditation on regret, disillusion, and redemption.

LOve this movie and the performances, Hopkins is the best out of the two performances, it made kind of have some kind of empathy with pope Benedict. It was a great film.

Singin' in the Rain (1952) - A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.

I couldn't find any fault with this--perhaps the greatest musical ever made. 5/5

sexton said:

Ottensen said:

Rocketman (2019) 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A musical odyssey following the life of Elton John from 1950s boyhood to sobriety circa late 80s. It was great insofar as contemporary musicals go, with electrical jolts of fantasy strewn throughout. The movie also had moments of tremendous heartbreak and poignancy, and contained inventive use of Elton John arrangements that enabled me to see his songs from an entirely different perspective given the dark mental space he was in for so many years. The only reason I'm holding back a star is because I had hoped they would have been more clear that when Elton got his start playing for a US soul review in London - he was backing the Isley Brothers & Patti LaBelle & The Bluebells! What a golden nugget of musical trivia that was left so vague, you had no idea who those people were supposed to be. I remember Patti LaBelle always speaking of Elton, who she still calls "Reggie" so fondly as a youngin'. Rocketman, btw, also made me want to punch Elton's manager in the face, as he was an archetypical, crooked scoundrel-lover who had nothing set aside for Elton but abuse and blatant opportunism. First he blew out Elton's back, progressed to blowing his mind, then made sure he could blow through Elton's money in addition to dealing the occasional blow across his face. He was the worst. [Edited 5/3/20 11:48am]

I loved it, however i think the use of the music should have been much more subtle or used in a better way, it wasn't it was very in your face unlike something like Ray, a film that made great use of the music, very natural and organic unlike RM.

sexton said:

Singin' in the Rain (1952) - A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.

I couldn't find any fault with this--perhaps the greatest musical ever made. 5/5

With the best dance number ever in the movies!

Iron Man 2 (2010) - With the world now aware of his identity as Iron Man, Tony Stark must contend with both his declining health and a vengeful mad man with ties to his father's legacy.

While the action sequences were fine, this movie tackled too much combining Whiplash and Crimson Dynamo into one character, introducing both War Machine and Black Widow, and incorporating the "Demon in a Bottle" plot from the comics making it the least appealing of the franchise. 3/5

gandorb said:

sexton said:

Singin' in the Rain (1952) - A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.

I couldn't find any fault with this--perhaps the greatest musical ever made. 5/5

With the best dance number ever in the movies!

One of my all time faves!

slyjackson said:

The Two Popes (2019)

Anthony Hopkins and Johnathan Pryce deliver masterful performances as Benedict XVI and Cardinal Bergoglio. the future Francis I. I thought it was a great meditation on regret, disillusion, and redemption.

LOve this movie and the performances, Hopkins is the best out of the two performances, it made kind of have some kind of empathy with pope Benedict. It was a great film.

I had the same thoughts. Pryce was wonderful but Hopkins delivers a signature performance.

Thor (2011) - The powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth), where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.

For me this is where the Avengers movies get exciting and the tone set for all the films in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe is clearly evident. And you'd never know from the way he's underused in his first appearance here that Tom Hiddleston becomes an MVP of the franchise. 3.5/5

4/5

ImperfectAngel said:

4/5

Really? is it any good'

a beautiful day in the neighborhood 5/5

PURplEMaPLeSyrup said:

a beautiful day in the neighborhood 5/5

gandorb said:

PURplEMaPLeSyrup said:

a beautiful day in the neighborhood 5/5

I have been checking out the services I subscribe to and haven't found it. Where did you see it?

(

gandorb said:

gandorb said:

I have been checking out the services I subscribe to and haven't found it. Where did you see it?

(

netflix dvd

slyjackson said:

Ottensen said:

Rocketman (2019) 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A musical odyssey following the life of Elton John from 1950s boyhood to sobriety circa late 80s. It was great insofar as contemporary musicals go, with electrical jolts of fantasy strewn throughout. The movie also had moments of tremendous heartbreak and poignancy, and contained inventive use of Elton John arrangements that enabled me to see his songs from an entirely different perspective given the dark mental space he was in for so many years. The only reason I'm holding back a star is because I had hoped they would have been more clear that when Elton got his start playing for a US soul review in London - he was backing the Isley Brothers & Patti LaBelle & The Bluebells! What a golden nugget of musical trivia that was left so vague, you had no idea who those people were supposed to be. I remember Patti LaBelle always speaking of Elton, who she still calls "Reggie" so fondly as a youngin'. Rocketman, btw, also made me want to punch Elton's manager in the face, as he was an archetypical, crooked scoundrel-lover who had nothing set aside for Elton but abuse and blatant opportunism. First he blew out Elton's back, progressed to blowing his mind, then made sure he could blow through Elton's money in addition to dealing the occasional blow across his face. He was the worst.

b][Edited 5/3/20 11:48am][/b]

I loved it, however i think the use of the music should have been much more subtle or used in a better way, it wasn't it was very in your face unlike something like Ray, a film that made great use of the music, very natural and organic unlike RM.

I didn't mind the way the music was used, oddly. At first, I thought, "dear gawd, this is going to be a bit much." But then once I resigned myself to accepting that it wasn't a straight-ahead drama, rather than a traditional "musical" that was more like an odyssey in nature requiring you to suspend disbelief and simply go on the ride. From the pacing and interesting use of re-arrangements of really popular song favorites, there were moments when I was reminded of Baz Lurheman's work in musical films like Moulin Rouge. But I hear ya. I went in thinking it was going to be a straight-ahead biopic then realized I was smack in the middle of something that was half-biography, half-fantasy. It definitely felt as if it was originally written as a musical for the stage, or at least written to become one at a later date.

Ottensen said:

slyjackson said:

I loved it, however i think the use of the music should have been much more subtle or used in a better way, it wasn't it was very in your face unlike something like Ray, a film that made great use of the music, very natural and organic unlike RM.

I didn't mind the way the music was used, oddly. At first, I thought, "dear gawd, this is going to be a bit much." But then once I resigned myself to accepting that it wasn't a straight-ahead drama, rather than a traditional "musical" that was more like an odyssey in nature requiring you to suspend disbelief and simply go on the ride. From the pacing and interesting use of re-arrangements of really popular song favorites, there were moments when I was reminded of Baz Lurheman's work in musical films like Moulin Rouge. But I hear ya. I went in thinking it was going to be a straight-ahead biopic then realized I was smack in the middle of something that was half-biography, half-fantasy. It definitely felt as if it was originally written as a musical for the stage, or at least written to become one at a later date.

I felt the same after the first three numbers, I didn't mind later on into the movie. I loved it, however I missed Candle In The Wind inclusion, I don't get the reasoning behind the omission of such an essential song in his career, more importantly, such a great song.

I hardly watch movies anymore. But I did watch the entire Up Series over New Years. That took many hours. 3.5/5

heartbeatocean said:

I hardly watch movies anymore.