Last Movie You Watched

[Calm]

4 hours ago, blackstrap said:

Very little humor.

That’s shocking

[Dario_M]

I always listen to soundtracks of good movies. Like The Crown. 

 

[Tony uk]

Not watched a new movie in some time. However, I've watched NCIS on television since the early days.

[Tacenda]

Went to see "White Bird" at a local theater that isn't the big box theaters because most movie seats were sold out for the current popular movies. And boy I was glad I did! Excellent film, 100 percent recommend this movie and think it should be shown to students world wide. 

[bluebell]

5 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

Went to see "White Bird" at a local theater that isn't the big box theaters because most movie seats were sold out for the current popular movies. And boy I was glad I did! Excellent film, 100 percent recommend this movie and think it should be shown to students world wide. 

What it’s about?

[Tacenda]

3 hours ago, bluebell said:

What it’s about?

I'm not the best at relaying movies but here goes. It starts out with Helen Mirren's role as a grandmother and she is speaking with her grandson. He had been suspended the previous year for how he bullied the boy in the movie "Wonder" that was born with a physical defect. He was starting school at a new place and the first day it seemed he hadn't changed much from the experience, for the better. So she precedes to tell him about what happened to her growing up in France. She is Jewish and it was the start of the Nazi's invading her town and taking away all the Jews and what had happened to her where she hadn't been very nice to a boy at her school that had polio and walked funny and was made fun of by some at the school and then what happened after when the Nazi's showed up at the school and had a list of the Jewish students and they rounded them up and put them in a truck, but she was able to escape with the help of the boy she wasn't nice to. And it goes into all that happened. The acting, the scenery, the story line, all of it was so good. Don't want to give too much away. After the movie many in the audience clapped and I tried not to cry, but it was beautiful. 

[bluebell]

11 hours ago, Tacenda said:

I'm not the best at relaying movies but here goes. It starts out with Helen Mirren's role as a grandmother and she is speaking with her grandson. He had been suspended the previous year for how he bullied the boy in the movie "Wonder" that was born with a physical defect. He was starting school at a new place and the first day it seemed he hadn't changed much from the experience, for the better. So she precedes to tell him about what happened to her growing up in France. She is Jewish and it was the start of the Nazi's invading her town and taking away all the Jews and what had happened to her where she hadn't been very nice to a boy at her school that had polio and walked funny and was made fun of by some at the school and then what happened after when the Nazi's showed up at the school and had a list of the Jewish students and they rounded them up and put them in a truck, but she was able to escape with the help of the boy she wasn't nice to. And it goes into all that happened. The acting, the scenery, the story line, all of it was so good. Don't want to give too much away. After the movie many in the audience clapped and I tried not to cry, but it was beautiful. 

It sounds like a really great movie.

[bluebell]

Not a movie, but Hulu has a new 4 part documentary by National Geographic about the 2004 Christmas tsunami in the Indian Ocean. It's archival footage and survivor interviews and is extremely heartbreaking and touching at the same time.

I always feel like I need to watch stuff like this as a way to honor the people who suffered and died--kind of a witness to their testimony and life I guess. It's history in the making and for most of history (and the suffering that so often comes with it), it fades into obscurity so quickly that in the blink of an eye it's as if the event and the people who went through it never were.  

We live in such an amazing age in the history of the world where suffering and courage can be witnessed and shared for decades or hundreds of years even.

[Tacenda]

4 minutes ago, bluebell said:

Not a movie, but Hulu has a new 4 part documentary by National Geographic about the 2004 Christmas tsunami in the Indian Ocean. It's archival footage and survivor interviews and is extremely heartbreaking and touching at the same time.

I always feel like I need to watch stuff like this as a way to honor the people who suffered and died--kind of a witness to their testimony and life I guess. It's history in the making and for most of history (and the suffering that so often comes with it), it fades into obscurity so quickly that in the blink of an eye it's as if the event and the people who went through it never were.  

We live in such an amazing age in the history of the world where suffering and courage can be witnessed and shared for decades or hundreds of years even.

I bet you've seen it, but this movie is based on a true story about the tsunami: "The Impossible".

[Dario_M]

Man. I'm watching a movie with my boyfriend right now. But the movie sucks big time. But my boyfriend seems to injoy the movie because he has no tast. And need to pretend as if i injoy this crap. Me and my boyfriend are having some problems in the relationship anyway. 😣😓

[bluebell]

5 hours ago, Tacenda said:

I bet you've seen it, but this movie is based on a true story about the tsunami: "The Impossible".

Yes, that movie is so heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time!

[bluebell]

5 hours ago, Dario_M said:

Man. I'm watching a movie with my boyfriend right now. But the movie sucks big time. But my boyfriend seems to injoy the movie because he has no tast. And need to pretend as if i injoy this crap. Me and my boyfriend are having some problems in the relationship anyway. 😣😓

I'm sorry Dario.  It's hard when relationships are struggling.

[Dario_M]

3 hours ago, bluebell said:

I'm sorry Dario.  It's hard when relationships are struggling.

Yes it is indeed. He's being a jerk on the moment. And when i get upset he act suprised. Well...luckely the movie is over now....it's the next day here allready. But that was such a bad movie. God forbid. 

Edited December 2, 2024 by Dario_M

[Amulek]

After a long Thanksgiving break with little rest (and thankfully only mild family drama), I decided to treat myself and go see Wicked, Part 1 at the good theater.

I was worried it was going to be way too long. The film clocks a 2h 40m runtime, which is roughly equivalent to the entire Broadway show, but the film only tells the first half of the story - up to where intermission would be at the theater.

I don't mind a long film so long as it's good, and this one ended up being pretty good. I didn't care for some of the casting choices - namely Michelle Yeoh, and to a lesser extent Jeff Goldblum - but I thought the two leads were great.

If you like the musical, I think you will enjoy the movie. Most of the changes are expanded backstories and a bit more character development here and there. A couple of the songs get expanded a bit too. I thought those mostly worked, but I would have been fine if they had left them alone completely.

That being said, I don't see anything better coming out between now and the end of the year - maybe some end of the year Oscar contenders, but those usually only get limited release and won't be shown more widely until next year anyway - so might be worth checking out while it's still on the big screen.

 

[Pyreaux]

Dear Santa (2024)

Dear Santa staring Jack Black offers a quirky, humorous twist on the holiday genre, with a standout comedic moment when a young dyslexic boy accidentally misspells "Santa" as "Satan" on the envelope containing his wish list. This leads to an unexpected response: Jack Black, the Devil himself, whose never been written to by children, answers the letter, and appears to offer the boy three wishes. So, it's a wish-fulfillment fantasy with an amusing, seasonal and unique premise. Watching Satan navigate the world of childhood wishes is funny and brings some lighthearted chaos to the typical holiday movie format.

However, while the film is written for children and is fun, it has a somewhat sophomoric and sacrilegious feel, the filmmakers are struggling to make it both child appropriate and understandable, yet around something that is not naturally those things. The friendly portrayal of Satan and the overall tone might not be great for very young children from religious households. The casual treatment of a character like Satan could be a little too lighthearted and irreverent for its intended audience.

In conclusion, "Dear Santa" is a fun, inventive film that mostly has its heart in the right place, it will appeal to those looking for a holiday story with a twist. It may not be the best choice for younger children, who may enjoy it but may not learn the best lessons from it.

Spoiler in white: One aspect that is confusing was the big secret about the boy’s dead brother, which is kept until the end. While this narrative choice allows for a big reveal, it left me wondering why the boy never wished for his brother’s return earlier in the film. The brother’s return is the emotional climax, but it felt a bit contrived.

Edited December 6, 2024 by Pyreaux

[Pyreaux]

A Christmas Carol (2019)

Guy Pearce was well suited to portray Ebenezer Scrooge, I did like how they tried to do something different, intense, complex and a refreshing twist on the traditional version if you are tired of it (not me, my favorite is the 1999 version with Patrick Stewart). I guess I don't like they didn't change the title to reflect that this is not true to Charles' book. It centers around the three extensive creative liberties written to explain Scrooge's past, dark yet believable reasons why any person could be justified in becoming like Scrooge, and how one night's intervention has solid reasons for his transformation beyond him discovering the true spirit of Christmas. It had chills and thrills, but no seasonal charm, joy or color, and so unChristmassy. It has a gritty tone and edgy writing; we learn all the awful lessons from his awful father and how all the most awful events all happened on Christmas and so created an awful anti-Christmas Scrooge.

I did like how they cleverly expanded the lore and exploring what made him what he is. I just feel like it weakens the original story. Perhaps there was no "good" reason Scrooge was Scrooge. And only God saw the good that could be. Did the film makers feel people need to have valid excuses in order to be given a second chance to be saved? 

In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge's transformation is fundamentally about redemption and grace, rather than a result of understandable, rational justifications and then showing him that he is wrong, there are truly good people. The supernatural intervention reveals to him the consequences of his choices and the possibility of a better path. We aren't given a "good" reason for Scrooge's bitterness, and that's part of the power of the story. Scrooge was capable of a real change, not because of a tragic backstory, but because he opens his heart to love, generosity, and connection.

The filmmakers seem to be aligning with modern sensibilities, where they think modern viewers expects a complex, psychological explanation for the protagonist you are following, even making films about villains rewritten so you can be able to enjoy following along, they get portrayed as misunderstood characters you can relate to. It shouldn't be. necessary to be given "excuses" or explanations for all their actions, then especially so when it comes to their redemption arc. It's as though the filmmakers might have believed that viewers need a deeper rationale for why Scrooge behaves the way he does before they can accept his transformation. This might be driven by a cultural shift toward emphasizing understanding and empathy for someone's past in order to justify their ability to change. They were really good all along.

Part of the beauty of A Christmas Carol lies in its simplicity and its focus on the spiritual, rather than psychological, elements of transformation. It never let Scrooge off the hook for his behavior because of some tragic event in his past; instead, he shows that the possibility of change exists within everyone, no matter who they are or their history. The narrative suggests that, ultimately, Scrooge's salvation came from grace, God saw potential for good where even Scrooge himself sees none. And the possibility of redemption can all depend on simply the willingness to open one's heart.

Not for children: With the sad themes of cruelty and child abuse, seeing Tiny Tim die and brief TV buttocks.

Edited December 13, 2024 by Pyreaux

[bluebell]

"Fly Me to the Moon".  It's available on Apple Tv and probably to rent on prime.

It's a romantic comedy (kind of, there are funny parts but it's not focused on trying to be funny), about a man who works for NASA and a woman who is hired to try to make NASA more appealing to everyone so they can get better funding and make money on endorsements.  He takes his job very very seriously and believes it debases the space program to be focused on "selling" the moon and the Apollo 11 mission, and she's a bit of a con artist who is willing to dupe people if it achieves a necessary end.

It's got Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson as the two main leads, with Woody Harrelson and Ray Barron playing supporting characters.  Best of all, it was PG-13 so pretty family friendly (aside from a few 'lesser' swear words and the one obligatory F word that they have to throw in to all PG-13 movies to try to convince people that it's a movie worth adults taking seriously). 

[sunstoned]

My wife and I watched the latest Tom Hanks movie this week (on demand).  It's called "Here".  The reviews are mixed, but we liked it.

[bluebell]

11 hours ago, sunstoned said:

My wife and I watched the latest Tom Hanks movie this week (on demand).  It's called "Here".  The reviews are mixed, but we liked it.

I've contemplated whether or not that was worth seeing.  I worry that it will be kind of boring since the camera and location never change.  Did it hold your attention well for the whole time?

[Tacenda]

5 hours ago, bluebell said:

I've contemplated whether or not that was worth seeing.  I worry that it will be kind of boring since the camera and location never change.  Did it hold your attention well for the whole time?

I saw it, and at first wasn't sure I'd like it. But it grew on me, and something about it being AI made me have pre-judgements. 

[sunstoned]

12 hours ago, bluebell said:

I've contemplated whether or not that was worth seeing.  I worry that it will be kind of boring since the camera and location never change.  Did it hold your attention well for the whole time?

It did hold my attention.  It was a little sad as it traced the spectrum of several lives over the years.  At times, the plot was a little complicated but both my wife and I enjoyed it.

[bluebell]

Netflix has Six Triple Eight playing right now, the true story of the only Black female unit in the army to be stationed in Europe.  They were sent to try to figure out the mail problem, mostly to prove how incapable black women soldiers were.  It's a very inspiring story but it will make you angry to see the mistreatment they went through.

[sunstoned]

My last film was American Primeval.  My review is in the general discussion forum.  Very violent. I feel I need to wash my eyes out with soap and water so that I can unsee it.

[Tacenda]

13 hours ago, sunstoned said:

My last film was American Primeval.  My review is in the general discussion forum.  Very violent. I feel I need to wash my eyes out with soap and water so that I can unsee it.

Good to know, sorry you had to. 

[Rain]

We watched the Barbie movie (Netflix). I had heard it was better than you would think and also that it was really good.

There were a few places I laughed out loud and a few thing I liked, but overall I thought it felt flat. Also, I'm a feminist, but overall it actually bothered me though I can't put my finger on why. It just felt like the makers didn't actually understand feminism. Then also, the music and dancing weren't great.  Not much of a plot. 

Edited January 15 by Rain