What Was The Last Movie/Anime You Watched?

[kamikazekeeg]

I had kinda higher hopes for this season.  I enjoyed the first season a good bit, originally having it second to Daredevil till Punisher came in to that slot (A show with a few of its own issues), but I was left disappointed.  What's here is still a solid, well acted, drama, but this is ostensibly a super hero show, or what is meant to be one, but that's barely a factor here if we overlook the through line of this season.  I know this is a problem with the Marvel shows in general, I do like them, but they try their hardest to avoid being comic book shows as much as possible, and connecting as little as possible to the movies in general. I feel like it's at its worst here.  Jessica still can break doors, jump out of multi-story windows, and there's a super powered threat, but it's not like Killgrave which really made season 1 so good, and getting some walls busted or doors broken doesn't make for any sort of serious action.  It's like a normal drama that then remembers it needs to throw someone through a wall every so often.  It's technically not much worse than the first season in that regard, but the threat was SO good, that it helped make the drama work much more.

I feel like overall, this reason is why this season isn't as good.  I'm watching a Marvel show for what Marvel does and I didn't get that. I just started getting bored halfway through, when I started to skip through side stories and romance stuff, and by the last couple episodes, I'm skipping through the main story, hoping to find something to draw me in that was more than what was being given, and then it ended.  Really, I only finished out of a want to at least know the story in case it matters in the future.  If this wasn't a part of the greater Marvel show universe, I probably would've dropped it like half way to 2/3rds through.

It honestly might be a better show for someone that isn't as interested in the super hero elements.  Someone more casual just wanting a drama with a bit of action in it might enjoy this, but that's not me.  Hopefully Daredevil Season 3 and Punisher Season 2 will make up for this.

[tripredacus]

Space Cowboys - VHS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Cowboys

Supported Dolby Surround Stereo, tape was not perfect for this, but well enough. It dropped out of surround perhaps twice, but it only happened during quieter or dialog scenes, so it wasn't too bad. FYI: VHS with Dolby Surround Stereo, is NOT Dolby Surround. The main difference in this mode is that the AVR will enable the subwoofer and may run 4.0 surround sound OR 2x2.1 stereo... It is hard to tell exactly, especially since I am using phantom center channel AND the fact that surround from a VCR is wholy reliant on auto-detection by the AVR and the AVR does not have any indicators as to what sound mode it is currently operating in. This is unlike my 5.1 which will show on the LCD what mode it is in.

ANYWAYS, it is a pretty good movie. A bit longer than I thought it was but there were no boring parts. Tommy Lee Jones character was the best.

[bikingjahuty]

For those of you unfamiliar with Star Wars Despecialized Edition, it is a very impressive fan project by a guy names Harmy who sought to reconstruct the original Star Wars trilogy into an HD Bluray release that is as faithful to each film's original theatrical release as possible, removing all post theatrical edits and enhancements. He did this not only as a response to many controversial changes that have been made to each film over the years, most notably the 1997 Special Editions, but to create the first HD release of all three movies in their original, unaltered form. Harmy accomplished this by taking footage from many different releases of the original trilogy and compiling them, enhancing them, and blending them seamlessly to create something that is truly awesome and special. If you want a much more in depth explanation behind how he did this I'd recommend watching the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGrXO2RDzLg

There is no doubt that this release, while unauthorized and unofficial, is the most definitive way to experience the original Star Wars trilogy not only because of its incredible visual quality, but also because of its preservation of these films in a version that preserves the original vision of Lucas and the production staff who created these movies. I found myself noticing things I'd never seen, not because they were added (although that was the case a handful of times), but because this release made them noticeable and almost significant. It was almost like rewatching these movies for the first time as I picked up on so many details I'd never seen before due to the excellent visual quality and restoration of older film footage in each movie.

The only negative part about the Despecialized Editions is obtaining them. While it is a little tricky to find them online, to get the best version of these films literally took me weeks to obtain. Still, I preferred doing this as opposed to paying assholes on Ebay selling the Despecialized Edition for $100. I'd certainly recommend finding them for free on your own, but be warned that it is a pretty labor intensive process and took me over a week to obtain along with all bonus and supplimental material that goes along with it.

After watching these films, i can still appreciate the Special Editions in several ways, however there is no doubt that unless I just need to be reminded of what changed from the original version, I will always watch the Despecialized Editions of Star Wars. The only thing that comes close to them is the 2006 Limited Edition DVD releases which include both the Special Edition and non-special edition releases of each movie. However, the the non-special edition is ripped from the 1993 Laser Disk releases without any enhancements done to the picture quality whatsoever. What this means is that it is presented in non-anamorphic standard definition, which kind of sucks. But the reason you'd watch these versions is because you want a convenient way of seeing the original Star Wars Trilogy on DVD. The other alternative would be tracking down the 1995 or earlier VHS or Laser Disk releases.

With it being incredibly doubtful that Disney will ever release the original, unaltered trilogy in HD, the Despecialized Edition is an absolutely essential thing to own for any hardcore Star Wars fan, especially if you value the releases of Star Wars prior to the 1997 Special Editions. Just be warned that you will have to work for these releases, pay a lot of money to someone who doesn't deserve it, or be lucky enough to have a friend that can burn you a copy. The Despecialized Edtions are an absolute must for all Star Wars fan in my opinion.

[burningdoom]

From my understanding, it was Lucas himself that didn't like the original versions, and wanted to push his true vision that was the Special Editions. So now that Disney has control of the franchise, rather than Lucas, I think there's a good chance Disney will release the original versions. But they also know they've got a collectors thing with it, and you know how Disney loves their Vault releases. So it'll be a limited release thing, when they do it, I bet.

[bikingjahuty]

From my understanding, it was Lucas himself that didn't like the original versions, and wanted to push his true vision that was the Special Editions. So now that Disney has control of the franchise, rather than Lucas, I think there's a good chance Disney will release the original versions. But they also know they've got a collectors thing with it, and you know how Disney lives their Vault releases. So it'll be a limited release thing, when they do it, I bet.

I want to believe they will do this, but if what they did for the Bluray releases of these films is any indication they have no interest in showing people the original, unaltered versions, especially since it would take a lot of effort on their part, as it did with Harmy, to reconstruct them in HD. Not only that, but they've been super careful about their vision of Star Wars and have made sure that all pre-existing materials related to Star Wars have fit their vision and plans for it. This includes a lot of the post Special Edition edits.

Given these factors I'd be genuinely shocked if Disney actually released the original trilogy in some unaltered form that wasn't completely half assed like the 2006 Limited Editions which were just SD transfers of the Laser Disk versions. What Harmy did was a pure labor of love and it definitely shows. He didn't do it to sell it or to make money; he did it because of how much he loves these movies and wanted them to be seen as close to their original versions as possible in HD. If Disney was smart they'd simply take his version and throw it on an official release, but they wont since this whole project was done without their consent and they probably don't want to be seen as encouraging this sort of thing. Part of the reason I got so motivated to find these is because I can see Disney tracking them down and removing them completely, making them even harder to track down.

[kamikazekeeg]

What an odd, but interesting film.  Del Toro really has such an impressive eye for detail and design.  A really well crafted movie, from the filming, to the sets, to just how much is real, but then enhanced digitally when needed.  Rarely does anything feel out of place and it all looks so good, it's all so striking visually. 

As brought up in the extras, it's a new take on the beauty and beast story, just that there's no transformation at the end.  Some elements here and there I don't really get, I'm not exactly a deeper picture guy.  I can understand themes and basic surface level elements, but if you are telling me that the lighting and colors used are meant to signify a certain feeling, I'm just not likely to get that as I watch, because I'm more engrossed in the the story itself, rather than the underlying elements and what they may signify.

This isn't a movie I'd likely rewatch, as the story doesn't quite interest me enough to see more than at once, even if the cinematography is fantastic.  Del Toro just does interesting things and I'm glad the movie did so well for him as I want him to make whatever he wants with as much freedom as possible.  It sounds like they could've used Del Toro back for Pacific Rim 2 unfortunately...

[kamikazekeeg]

Had a weird hype train for Pacific Rim: Uprising, as initially, I was 90% for this movie.  Super excited, loved the first one, but because it wasn't Del Toro in charge, that is a reason to think it won't be as good.  Then the reviews start coming out and I hear stuff like "Oh, it's as bad as Transformers!", so I carefully reel my hype in to like a 40% level, going in to expect some issues.  Coming out of it, I'm at like a 70%. 

This is still a good movie.  It is not as good as the first for sure, it lacks the same impact the first did in favor of being flashier.  It's also trying to be abit more broad in its appeal I guess with the younger group we deal with, and it doesn't always work.  The people saying it's as bad as Transformers? Objectively wrong and it's really absurd to say.  I wish Transformers was even half as good as this movie.  Transformers fails because of terrible robot designs, fucking awful subplots and characters, ridiculous story nonsense, and are more about the people than the transformers too often.  There's so much more awful in those movies.  A few bad jokes in Uprising doesn't bring it to that level.

In the end, it's a giant mechs vs giant monsters and it still works.  I think they need to get a better grasp of the series if they plan to continue on (I know they want to make it a "universe" or bigger franchise), reorient it abit to put it into a better feel like the first film, but it's still a fun time.

[bikingjahuty]

Scratching another Ghibli movie off my list of movies from the studio I haven't seen, I had the fortune of being able to see this one in the theater as part of this year's Ghibli Fest. I LOVED Ghibli fest last year and went to every movie except Totoro due to some medical issues I was having when it was playing. But anyhow, my thoughts on Ponyo.

I really enjoyed this movie despite it very clearly being made for 3 to 8-year olds, making it the Ghibli movie geared towards the youngest audience that I've seen yet. Despite this it still possessed that endearing quality that most Studio Ghibli movies have and also was pretty funny at times as well. Ponyo is a really cute character, and the rest of the main characters are memorable and likable as well. I wouldn't necessarily say this is one of the best Ghibli movies I've seen, but it's definitely a good one that I can see myself watching again in the future like I do with many other titles from the famed studio.

[muntyjack]

anime Violet Evergarden

[pacgamer89]

Anime: Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku

Movie: Aladdin

[bikingjahuty]

With the exception of the original Star Wars Trilogy, the original Lord of the Rings Trilogy is the best movie franchise I've ever seen. All three movies are timeless masterpieces that will never get old or feel outdated, or obsolete. The first film, Fellowship of the Ring, is currently on Netflix and I decided to put it on while I did stuff around the house on Sunday. What ended up happening is I ended up getting sucked into watching Fellowship and getting way less done than I had intended. However, despite seeing this movie probably 20-times since it came out, I thoroughly enjoy it every single time.

Again, the movie is an incredible masterpiece and is an experience to watch every single time. The music, the cinematography, the acting, the sets and effects, all of it is just near perfect from start to finish. There are a few parts of this movie that drag slightly for me, mainly the beginning that establishes the hobbits and the ring coming to Frodo, but after that it is almost none stop wonderful. There also also a few parts involving CG that haven't aged the best, but they don't distract from what is otherwise an amazing experience.

I've been inspired by Fellowship to rewatch all of the films, including the Hobbit trilogy. I even plan on rewatching Fellowship again even though I just watched it; it's that good! I'll post mini-reviews on each film after watching them. I'm particularly interested in my opinion of the third Hobbit movie and Return of the King since I have watched these either the least or in the case of Return of the King it's been probably over a decade since i last watched it. Very interested to see what I think of these two films specifically.

[burningdoom]

I don't even know how to explain this movie besides it was awesome. It was awesome in all the right ways. Raunchy, irreverent, hilarious, 80s, and unique. If you love trashy 80s movies, this is like the holy grail of 80s trashy movies. It was just so much fun to watch.

I saw it free, on YouTube, and it actually had decent video quality. Look up "Street Trash Legendado". I just happened to keep watching the next suggested video after watching the following movie:



An early 80s slasher that is obviously low-budget. And has acting nearly as bad as the House of the Dead games. But something about it just had this charm that kept me glued to the screen. It had some gruesome kills. And it had this thick-forest and small hicktown setting that added to it's charm. If you're a slasher fan, check it out.

Also watched this one free on YouTube, and again with decent video quality (well as decent as this film will allow, you can see a lot of cigarette burns and such in the film).

[kamikazekeeg]

Rampage is just a fun time.  It's basically what you expect looking at it, your big dumb action movie with giant monsters and it is that, but I think what keeps it from being average is that it doesn't play things too safe.  Often in movies like this, you don't see people getting killed as much, or much blood, lots of cut aways, or like a moment of a stomp and one person goes, but these monsters wreck the place.  Honestly, make the movie abit darker, tone down the humor, and just go abit further with the violence, and you got an R-rated monster movie.  The human stuff is a mixed bag, very cheesy, but I didn't mind it a ton.  Transformers is always brought up now in regard to big action movies and issues with stuff like this, but again, much like I said with Pacific Rim 2, I wish those movies were as watchable as these ones.

This movie is good if you keep expectations low and just go in wanting to see stuff with big monsters.

[bikingjahuty]

Given this series was born from what used to be my least favorite movie in the Star Wars franchise, Attack of the Clones, I literally had no interest in it for years and years. It wasn't until Disney fucked up Star Wars and I decided to embrace the old Expanded Universe they retconned that I began to take notice in this series.

Despite this series being the only non-movie piece of canon carried over to Disney's Star Wars I was at first hesitant to watch it, but when realized the show had been produced and developed mostly before Disney got their filthy hands on the franchise I decided that I would give the series a try. And after binging Season 1 this last week I can say that I'm very happy I did give this series a chance. It's good, like really, really good.

Even though the show revolves around various, almost random battles and conflicts resulting from the Clone Wars, each episode manages to be interesting and fresh. The backdrop of the overall war only serves as a vehicle to explore many different aspects of not only the Star Wars universe, but also to develop many old and new characters way beyond what was possible in the films this series is based off of. Probably my favorite part of this show thus far is how they've really fleshed out the clone troopers and their humanity despite being carbon copies of each other, created for the soul purpose of fighting for the Republic. Each clone is given a unique personality and presence within the show, although they still come across as self aware that they are all essential from the same mold. The main clone in the series, Rex, has become one of my favorite new additions to the story, as well as Anakin's padowan, Ahsoka Tano who is just awesome. There are many other characters that were in the Star Wars movies, but never developed that I have also thoroughly enjoyed seeing in the show and watching the show develop their characters effectively.

In terms of entertainment I rarely found myself uninterested or bored, save a series of three episodes towards the end of the season that involve the liberation of a Twilek planet, but it still wasn't bad on the whole. The season finale, while entertaining, also felt too much like a regular episode rather than the official end of the season. And of course, I couldn't write this without mentioning how insufferable Jar Jar Binks is in this series, just as much as he is in the movies. I'm actually surprised that Jar Jar was in this series as much as he was given the backlash his character and Phantom Menace received because of him.

Perhaps what I liked most about this series though was the fact that it still feels like Star Wars while being new and creative at the same time. While I have not read the Clone Wars comic series, I hear there is a decent amount of overlap, but overall they compliment each other more than copy one another. The action and battles in this series are surprisingly good as well which is always something Star Wars has been awesome for.

Depending on my schedule I may start watching Season 2 as soon as tonight and I hope that once I am done with it I carry the same high opinion of it I have towards Season 1. I'd love for this to be another part of the old Expanded Universe that I can really enjoy and care about.

[turf]

Rampage is just a fun time.  It's basically what you expect looking at it, your big dumb action movie with giant monsters and it is that, but I think what keeps it from being average is that it doesn't play things too safe.  Often in movies like this, you don't see people getting killed as much, or much blood, lots of cut aways, or like a moment of a stomp and one person goes, but these monsters wreck the place.  Honestly, make the movie abit darker, tone down the humor, and just go abit further with the violence, and you got an R-rated monster movie.  The human stuff is a mixed bag, very cheesy, but I didn't mind it a ton.  Transformers is always brought up now in regard to big action movies and issues with stuff like this, but again, much like I said with Pacific Rim 2, I wish those movies were as watchable as these ones.

This movie is good if you keep expectations low and just go in wanting to see stuff with big monsters.

I watched this one too.  I dig it for what it is.  It's a big, dumb 80's action movie with a modern budget and tech.  It was fun, but be sure you grab your popcorn and suspend disbelief.

It's not going to win any awards, but it's still a lot of fun to watch.