What Was The Last Movie/Anime You Watched?

[kamikazekeeg]

U-571 - Back to some random war movie watching.  I remember watching this back in the day, generally enjoying, I still think it's solid, very tense, there isn't a lot of downtime once it hits a certain point.  I've been looking up movies on Wiki after I finish them to see their reception for the time and it's apparently completely fictional, but setting that aside, if just wanting a tense bit of submarine action, it's quite good.  Gets me watching to watch another, like I might go and watch The Hunt For Red October next.

[Cartagia]

Clifford - A movie I absolutely did not get when I was a kid. I think I kinda liked it back then, but I definitely like it more today.

It's wonderfully dark and demented but those bookends do it no favors, trying to make what should be a mean acerbic little film into something it isnt.

Hard Time - It's not as effortlessly cool as The Warriors, but it definitely a contender for my favorite Walter Hill film.  Coburn and Bronson are just magnetic.

[kamikazekeeg]

Fast X - This movie is dumb and not in a good way lol I kinda went into it expecting a dumb movie, the last like...2 kinda went off the deep end into just outrageously ridiculous territory.  I was cool with the movies getting over the top when they hit Fast V I think it was.  It turned the movies into something fun for abit.  Then it started to get into like ridiculous, cartoon-esque, territory, where they are going to space in a car, and then in this one, there's a neutron bomb rolling towards the Vatican, and Dom takes out two helicopters with his car and uses the bodies of those helicopters like maces to take out guys.  It sounds fun, but there's this veneer of seriousness to it all that I think undercuts the movie more than it needs to.

What works? Some of the car stuff is solid when it's not turning into CG nonsense.  Jason Mamoa though, steals the whole thing.  He understands what this, it's schlock, he's a Batman villain, a supervillain, like Batman Forever/Batman & Robin era practically.  He's having fun and he has all these horribly implausible plans that all work exactly how he plans it, even though it makes no sense lol

Also screw this movie being a "Part 1" lol I didn't know before hand that this was a two parter, like they think this is some Infinity War/Endgame level stuff lol

I wouldn't recommend it, but if you liked the last two enough, this is probably fine, I honestly probably think it's one of the weaker of the newer ones they've done since starting on this track of films.

[Cartagia]

Shanghai Noon - Eh, it's fine.  It's a bit too long and there's not quite enough wild Jackie Chan stunts.  Xander Berkley is just eating that scenery, though.

Bottoms - Pretty easily the funniest movie of the year.  The football game plot was so insane it felt like a deleted thread from Wet Hot American Summer, and that's a good thing.  It does have some tonal balance issues, and is far stronger when it is being irreverent and madcap, but the attempts at earnestness don't fully work.

Air - Comparisons to Moneyball are pretty much right on target, although this script isn't as airtight.  Lots of Mad Men DNA in here, too.  Helluva picture.

[kamikazekeeg]

The Hunt For Red October - Continuing the little submarine flicks with some 90's cold war drama. I remember that Sean Connery was in this, forgot that it also had Tim Curry, Alec Baldwin, and Sam Neil in it, which is a solid crew and I like how they start in Russian with them and movie into a clear transition to English for the rest of the time to make up for the fact that most of the main actors aren't Russian lol I forgot that there was this whole run of Tom Clancy movies, where it's more of a drama than an action flick, starring Jack Ryan played by different actors over the years.  Overall, it's a solid flick, good tension, it's a decent watch.  This was the sort of stuff I'd end up watching with my dad on TV back in the day.

World War Z - Decided to give this a new watch as I haven't seen it since it came out.  I was pretty pissed at the time with it, with them taking the name of a favorite book of mine and making something entirely unrelated to the book.  I remember thinking it was an okay zombie flick, but now I'm going into it with less of that annoyance I initially had (It's still there abit, I hate that we don't have like an HBO series for World War Z at this point).

I think the start of this is pretty decent, everything leading up to the boat is good suspense, it's a strong opening. I see how they are trying to do the "World War Z" aspect, Pitt is a journalist, trying to find the source, traveling the world, it doesn't make for a good adaptation, but having it be a traveling zombie story does make for its own decent idea.  The one thing I was expecting to not enjoy still is the crazy zombie stuff they do, which is having the zombies act like...ants or something, climbing over each other, like a rushing wave, it is kinda terrifying, but it also looks very goofy.

I think the story is fine, though there's almost a comedy of errors at points I feel, kinda goofy plot elements, like the scientist tripping and killing himself, or that Brad Pitt and the Israeli solder are the only ones to survive a plane crash that happens to land not far from where they need to go, it's plot points for the sake of plot, rather than what feels like convincing story.  Not the worst for sure, but feels like they could've done better.

Overall, I'd say I like the movie a tad more than I originally did, decent zombie flick, I just wish we had a proper World War Z adaptation.

[Cartagia]

Dazed and Confused - Happy 30th Anniversary!

Crank - I genuiney can't tell what parts of this movie are funny because they suck or because they are actually funny.

Martial Law - This one kicks off with a bang and a load of energy and charm, but starts losing momentum after about 30 minutes.  The fights remain a highlight throughout, and that David Carradine charm keeps it afloat when the pacing struggles.

Disturbing Behavior - Once you get past the sloppy as hell first act you are left with a fast paced fun little thriller.  It definitely reeks of all the studio meddling, but I think a Director's Cut would only get you a slightly better movie, not a great one.  It also feels so much like an episode of The X-Files due to the involvement Nutter and Mark Snow that I wanted Mulder and Scully to show up.

Police Story 3: Super Cop - The climax of this movie is insane.

Ticks - It's schlocky, dumb, cheap, and the creature effects are incredible. Exactly my kind of trash.  Needed a bigger body count, though.

The Empty Man - Weird, dark, unsettling, existential. Doesn't really nail the landing, but everything that comes before is just too good.

No One Will Save You - Making the aliens bumbling doofuses is an idea that feels like it shouldn't work but completely does.

Under the Skin - I'd held off on this for a while because I was afraid that it would be too plodding and filled with navel gazing. Thankfully it's not, but it comes real close. When it works it really works, though.

Perfect Blue - Maybe overhyped for me a tad, but that climax still had me holding my breath and on the edge of my seat.

Manhunter - An absolute heartstopper when it is at its most Michael Mann, but impossible for me not to contrast with, probably unfairly, The Silence of the Lambs.

[Cartagia]

Jaws 2 - Bigger, dumber, bloodier and filled with a smorgasbord of disposable teens - though far too few of them bite it. Overall not too bad for such a blatant a cash grab sequel.

Prom Night (1980) - It's just so boring.  There's a couple of decent scenes towards the end, but not enough to make watching this super worth it.

[kamikazekeeg]

Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) - Randomly watched this after watching a review of a recent "sequel" to the original, though I had never seen the original beyond a few clips and then what I've seen of the recent video game.  Figured it's the season for it, so why not. 

I ended up not liking it lol I don't watch tons of horror movies, I'm into abit of Friday the 13th, Evil Dead series, some zombie stuff, but I thought I'd possibly be into this, but I mostly just found it boring and obnoxious.  Some scenes were dragged out too long or were just oddly paced, I thought there would be more stuff happening at the house, like there would be a whole big deal to an escape from it, but there's not.  Everyone gets killed off pretty quick and that just leaves Sally screaming for like the last...20 minutes? There's some good creepy tension here and there for sure, I can see why Leatherface is well liked by fans, but that ending sucks, it's so baffling to me lol

Probably won't watch anymore of the series, because if this is considered the "good one" from the ratings I saw, I don't really want to see the rest lol

Black Demon - I thought this was gonna be just a goofy, SYFY tier, shark movie and while I wouldn't say this is like...Deep Blue Sea or The Meg, I think this is a reasonably fine shark film.  It's above the crap budget tier stuff with some overall decent effects, actually fairly well acted, and the story is good enough.  The elements that I don't think work are kinda the odd supernatural stuff, it feels kinda half-assed to me and there isn't really that much shark in the movie.  Honestly, having it be a shark feels kinda unnecessary and only is there to fit into the shark genre flicks.  If they wanted to lean on the supernatural element, having it be something that isn't every truly clear, like maybe it vaguely looks like a shark at some point, and then maybe it's more monstrous in other parts, then play more into the hallucinations to amp up the terror, it could've been better.

I wouldn't say I recommend this, but if you got a thing for lower budget flicks for a casual watch that aren't anything amazing, but totally watchable, this is at least something good for that.

Nope - And finishing my random day of watching flicks, is Nope.  I mostly managed to avoid spoilers on this somehow and overall I found it pretty entertaining.  I don't want to talk specifics, on this one, but I dug it.  It's a little weird, but interesting and unique, I can say it's not a movie of this type I've seen before.  There is a sub-story that feels so weird to include, like I understand how it factors in for the viewer, but I'm not sure it actually adds to the film overall lol Some character stuff was also a tad odd. 

But I think it's good, I'd recommend it.  I've never seen any of Jordan Peele's stuff before, but might have to watch Get Out and Us sometime.  I've been spoiled on those films, but I'm kinda curious to see them now still.

[Cartagia]

Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II - Lots of interesting stuff going here, but unfortunately limited by the budget and overall execution. Kind of a top tier "sequel in name only" franchise entry, though.

The Nun - Woof.  Barely a movie.  Plodding, boring, no tension.

We're All Going to the World's Fair - Yeah, nah.  Conceptually I like what it's got going on, but this didn't really connect with me at all which was disappointing after how much I dug to opening. 

Inferno - Nobody makes movies that look like Argento's.  Generally really dug this, bit it felt too fragmented.  A bunch of good to great sequences that don't really hang together as a cohesive experience.

Body Bags - I don't think I've seen this since the night it originally aired, and I absolutely didn't remember just how straight up fun it was. I also love that isn't afraid of it's own seams and it just looks like props on a cheap folding table 80% of the time. "Hair" was easily my favorite.

Deep Rising - It's fun as hell, but the script is terrible and tonally all over the place.  The horror elements totally work while the action adventure stuff is a complete crap shoot.

The Night of the Hunter - The movie looks the way it does because of the shadow Robert Mitchum casts over it.

Anaconda - Big, dumb, under 90 minutes.  Worth it for the puppets and Jon Voight.

The Munsters - Actually kinda funny?  It's clunky in spots, especially in the middle, and the guy playing Herman is wildly inconsistent, but I liked it way more than expected.

[Cartagia]

Hugo - If anyone ever tells you that Scorsese only makes gangsterfilms, or movies that glorify crime, make them watch this.  Totally delightful and charming family adventure.

Beyond the Black Rainbow - Completely gorgeous but also a total snoozefest.

Street Trash - The special effects sequences are cool as hell, but the middle of the movie is a chore.

Tourist Trap - Very moody and creepy little flick.  Got some super effective moments in it.  Not great, but it's close.

Nosferatu the Vampyre - Gorgeous but pretty dull, unfortunately. Not awful, but I wanted to like it more than I did.

Training Day - First rewatch in close to 20 years.  Antoine Fuqua and David Ayer have been chasing this same high since 2001.  Never even gotten close.

The Thing from Another World - Actually really dug this.  Obvious not as good as the Carpenter version, but very solid for its time.

Sick - Solid little slasher from Kevin Williamson, the writer of Scream.  Very fun, well paced, no nonsense, kinetic.

V/H/S/94 - Huge step up from that abysmal third film.  The wraparound story is really bad, but the individual stories range from alright to damn near great.

[kamikazekeeg]

The Stranger by the Shore - Thought I was watching another slice of life, anime series, but turned out to be a movie.  It's a "Boys Love" genre romance/slice of life story that I thought was going to be kinda sweet and nice, I really don't watch romance stuff often, let alone gay ones, but unfortunately the movie struggles with weirdly fast pacing and it's only one part of the full story.  That pacing really undercuts the cute story happening, because it's just rushing through stuff and there's very little time spent on the actual friendship turned relationship that happens.  It's also only part 1 of the story that has two parts in manga form and seeing that it's been out for three years with no sequel, all that is left is one hour long part of an unfinished story. 

A shame as it's a nice little story, good visuals, characters I liked, more mature than I was expecting, which isn't something I see often in a lot of anime I watch, but it's incomplete and therefore kinda lacking.

[Cartagia]

Brain Damage - Totally wild ride.  Funny, gross, nasty.  Total blast to watch.

[kamikazekeeg]

Five Nights At Freddy's - This is an odd franchise for me, because I've never played any of the games (Picked up Security Breach just recently, haven't played it yet), but I've seen a ton on it, from Let's Plays to videos on the lore.  I always find the setting kinda interesting, while never being that interested in the gameplay loop. But I was actually kinda looking forward to this as I saw there was practical suits and they kinda nailed all the aesthetics, giving it a nice appeal. 

I'm a very casual horror fan, I don't watch tons, but this looked like very light-hearted horror, and it mostly was.  The subject material is very dark, but it's PG-13.  The vibe where it's kinda super dark, but kinda not, feels like something you would see from the 80's and 90's where there were those more intense horror movies for kids that kinda bordered on being almost too dark at times.

I dug the movie, like I said, all the suits, the setting, it's great. It actually got pretty dark for PG-13, more than I was expecting lol  I thought they did a pretty great job for the story, because most of the games don't actually have story, there's lore to piece together, but for the most part they aren't story driven.

Overall, it's pretty decent, I'd recommend it if you want something for the season to watch.

[Cartagia]

Salt - What an overly convoluted action movie.  A couple of decent setpieces, but also dumb as hell.

Threads - Incredibly impressive as a TV movie from 1984. Takes a little too long to really get started, and is a bit inconsistent with the documentary aspect, but once it gets going it is utterly harrowing. And what was up with speed running the long term effects? That epilogue was bleak but pretty superfluous.

Possession - Absolutely unhinged and out of control while simultaneously extremely pointed and deliberate. Also features cinema's worst private investigator alongside the most intense rocking chair sequence of all time.

[kamikazekeeg]

Willy's Wonderland - When I was seeing criticism for FNAF, I saw some people going "This should've been more like Willy's Wonderland, that was fun!", so I figured why not, I'll give it a watch.

I think it kinda sucks lol

I get what people are seeing, they just wanted more gore and violence, but this movie is just low rent FNAF.  It's a slasher tone, but it ends up being Nicolas Cage who is the threat.  I can admit that part is kinda funny and at times the ridiculous violence against the animatronics is kinda funny, but that's about it.  The story is bad, the characters are bad, the effects are a mixed a bag.  FNAF might not have been a wildly violent kill-fest, but I don't know, it makes sense as a FNAF thing that fits with what FNAF mostly is, a light horror property with some darker elements to it, but it's not a Friday the 13th, or Puppet Master, or something.  Also having a movie where Nic Cage doesn't say a word? I can't agree with that choice. 

Overall, if you just like cheesy slasher-type horror movies, especially low budget stuff, it's what it is, they know it's dumb and goofy, but I got very little out of it.