What Was The Last Movie/Anime You Watched?

[telly]

I watched all 8 Harry Potter movies over the weekend.  I'd been wanting to rewatch them for a while - and first watch on about half of them for the GF - but with all the garbage that Rowling has been spewing lately I felt like we needed to get it done before she really put her foot in her mouth.  We didn't quote beat that self-imposed deadline, but we did knock all the movie out.  The first two are probably the worst in the franchise, but I forgot just how dang delightful they are.  3-7 are all really solid, but I have some pretty big niggles about Deathly Hallows Part 2.  Several of the changes made to the Battle of Hogwarts from the book are for the worst.  Still had a good time!

I was recently re-watching all of them but I only got through the 6th one. I personally think the 4th movie is the worst by far. So much angst and stupid teenage drama to be entertaining.

[Cartagia]

I was recently re-watching all of them but I only got through the 6th one. I personally think the 4th movie is the worst by far. So much angst and stupid teenage drama to be entertaining.

That stuff has never bothered me - on top of being pure wizarding fantasy, the stories have always been schoolkid adventures as well.  And with that you are going to get those stories and themes.  I've also generally found that 4 tends to be most people are not super familiar with the franchises favorite, mostly because the Triwizard Tournament provides a narrative structure that almost anyone can follow - it's High School Sport Movie at its core.

[Cartagia]

My Cousin Vinny - Really fun.  Doesn't try to do anything it shouldn't and tells it's story very well.
Moonstruck - Not quite what I thought it would be, but still pretty good.  Surprised about the bear universal acclaim though.
Palm Springs - A ton of fun.  Go in as blind as you can.

[pzeke]

My Cousin Vinny - Really fun.  Doesn't try to do anything it shouldn't and tells it's story very well.

"Uh, everything that guy just said is bullshit. Thank you."

Love that movie. Great cast. Great, simple story. Just funny. One of my all-time favorites.

[bikingjahuty]

Funny enough this was one of my childhood movies; my dad rented it shortly after my parents split in 1997 and remember thinking it was such an awesome, amazing move as a 9-year old kid. I continued to think this movie was incredible throughout my childhood and early adolescence, which was probably the last time I sat down and watched this movie. All I can say after watching it again as an adult in my early 30s is how funny your perception of a film can change with time.


I'll start with what I do like about this movie; the movie plays out like a video game. Pretty much the overall plot to individual scenes would fit perfectly in a PS2 game or something on the XBOX 360. Obviously I love video games, so that part of the movie really worked for me. As a movie from that era of over the top action movies lacking any self awareness, it's also very entertaining on that level as well. This is probably the reason I thought this movie was so good back in the day. But also like when I was a kid, a movie's writing and cinematography were things I just didn't think about that much, and here lies my current issues with the film.


There are so many issues with the story, mostly just how stupid it all is. The entire plot involving a dystopian America that exiles people to a marooned LA that is now an island is certainly a creative idea, but its silliness clashes heavily with how cool this movie is constantly trying to be. That brings me to my next issue with this film; this movie, all of its characters, and many of the scenes in this movie are so over the top and ridiculous they become unintentionally hilarious, which is probably not what the people who made this movie were aiming for. Pretty much by the time the movie ended I felt entertained, however I my thoughts were, wow, what a dumb, dumb movie lol.


The two biggest flaws with this movie are it's ultra outdated CGI scenes, which aren't too numerous, but each time they come up you'll see some of the worst CGI you've ever seen in a feature length film. Like they're almost Mortal Kombat Annihilation bad. Also, a lot of the acting in Escape from LA is bad; some of the acting is barely passable, while other actors, particularly the girl who plays the president's daughter has no place in a big budget film. 


It makes me sad that my opinion of this movie changes so much in the 17 or so years since i last watched it, but I suppose that's to be expected when you're no longer viewing a movie as a naive kid. 

[kamikazekeeg]

Binged through "Japan Sinks 2020", a new anime on Netflix.  It's a disaster survival story, but it's abit mixed.  Not bad, just felt like the story could've been better and had some tone and pacing issues.  Still watchable, but I'd recommend folks watch Tokyo Magnitude 8 over it as I remember that being better.

Also got around to finishing up Dorohedoro, meant to binge it too, but got sidetracked.  I love this anime.  It's weird and ridiculous and it oozes style that you don't see in anime these days.  A big recommend.

*EDIT*

Back to the marathon and Civil War is another one of the good ones, very similar to that of Winter Soldier, where it's not about a lot of big bad enhanced people or world ending threats, it's the Avengers dealing with the problems their fights have caused, even if the fights were necessary.  It's a good story even if it's not the comic version of the same story, but I like it.  It's not in my top 5, but still a good film.  My favorite stuff in this movie, aside from the fights, is just the heroes interacting with each other, especially ones that haven't met yet, so Lang meeting Captain America, Spider-Men with everyone, that stuff is always great.

[kamikazekeeg]

I'm really not sure why I watched this.  It was free on Amazon Prime and I was just kinda willing to check out anything.  This is really not the kind of film I watch, it's very artsy, very metaphorical, very weird, very strange, something I don't usually do well with, but I was kinda drawn in to keep watching the madness unfurl.  I can't recommend it because I can't say I liked it, it's just dark and disturbing and odd...but I won't say its bad or anything like that, it's just not something meant for me.  Robert Pattinson and William Dafoe do a good job, though the accents they went with were so heavy at times I had to turn on subtitles, the apsect ratio and black/white visuals did make for a unique watch, though don't watch it before bed, it's not a movie for that lol

[burningdoom]

So much trash, and it's so good.  Been watching a lot of 80s sci-fi and horror. I just love that period of movies. So since it's been a while since I've been here, I have a bit of list here. What I can remember I watched recently from the top of my head:

Fortress - Starring Christopher Lambert. Much better than it really should have been. Story about a dystopian future where the world is overpopulated. You're only allowed one baby. But Christopher Lambert's wife is pregnant with a 2nd. They try to sneak over the border and get caught, both sent to a brutal prison owned by corporations for profit. He must survive the prisoner's brutatlity and escape with his wife who is being held captive by a lust-struck Kurtwood Smith (Red Forman in That 70s Show, and Clarence Boddicker in RoboCop).

Rabid - Made by David Cronenberg (The Fly). This one is a disturbing body-horror movie. An experimental medical procedure goes wrong after a motorcycle accident and a woman is left with the need for blood to survive. But as she feeds, she infects her victims with the same problem. I know, this sounds like a vampire movie. But it's not, not at all. It's very invasive and disturbing feeling. And these "infected" aren't supernaturally powered or sleep in coffins or anything of that nature. If you know David Cronenberg films, than you know what I mean. It's dirty, sexual, invasive, and just gives you the shivers.

Shivers - Speaking of "shivers", this is another David Cronenburg body horror piece. This one even more disturbing than than Rabid. Similar in plot to Rabid where an experimental medical surgery goes wrong, and causes the victim to infect their victims. This time the scientists are experimenting with parasites in an attempt to breed parasites with the ability to replace damaged organs. Except it causes the victim to become violently sexual in nature. They crave sex to the point that they will physically attack their victims fully against their will, which is disturbing in itself. But then those victims get infected and start doing the same to others. Not many movies make me just feel weirded out after watching them, this one definetly did. I just felt gross after watching it. But then, those type of reactions to movies are the ones that stick with you.

The Crazies (original and remake) - I LOVE George Romero zombie films and the his Creepshow movies. So I decided to purposely seek out some of his other stuff, and this didn't disappoint. This is the story of a small town that gets a virus that causes everyone to literally go crazy. Some people are manic, some psychotic, some violent, some just silly. But all the infected lose it in some way. Soon the military is called in to quell the situation and set up a quarantine zone. A newlywed husband realizes his wife is still in the town when he makes it to the quarantine border and has to go back in to get her. He soon meets up with other survivors and together they must navigate this town of madness and survive while trying to not get infected themselves. Both the original and remake are very good, but have different tones. Both well worth watching.

Deathstalker 3 & 4 - Cheap, 80s, barbarian movies with mindless action and lots of boobs. They're never gonna win any film awards. But if you like this kind of stuff, they are entertaining watches.

Street Fighter: The Animated Movie - It had been YEARS since I've seen this one. It still holds up well. Great action, amazing animation, and respect for the source material. That Chun Li vs Vega shower fight is still hot, and I'm not 12 years old anymore.

X-Men - 80s Animated Movie - This is the animated move released straight to VHS that was intended for a pilot to an animated series that never took off (the same same animated series the X-Men Arcade Game was based on). Great cartoon for the time. Definitely could hang with stuff like The Real Ghostbusters or Thundercats had it become a reality. High-production values for the time, good action, and respect for the comics. Though Wolverine had a thick Australian accent for some odd reason.

Trolls 2: World Tour - I have 5-year old daughter, watched it with her. Just wanted to show it's not all boobs and blood for me. But I swear the plot borrowed a lot of elements from the Brutal Legend game.

[bikingjahuty]

I've been really into Urbex videos recently, particularly ones about abandoned malls. I found one regarding the Sunrise Mall in Corpus Christie Texas which is where a movie called The Legend of Billie Jean was filmed in 1985. I had never heard of or seen this movie prior to hearing about it in this video, and from the clips from the movie shown in the youtube video on the mall it was enough to inspire me to watch this movie and see if it was any good. Probably the thing that drew me into this movie the most was its ultra 80s look and vibe.


And in that regard it did not disappoint. In fact, The Legend of Billie Jean is probably one of the most 80s movies I've ever seen. The fashion, the pop culture, the music, just everything about it perfectly encapsulated the 1980s and I loved every minute of it. Plot and story wise it's the movie isn't half bad either. Essentially the plot revolves around Billie Jean and her brother who are wrapped up in a huge misunderstanding after some bullies beat up her brother and wreck his moped. The cops get involved, the media catches wind of the incident, and essentially Billie Jean goes viral 1980s style. It's just a fun, cool movie that makes me wish I wasn't so young in the 1980s and could have appreciated and remembered more of it. But yeah, not the greatest movie ever made by any stretch of the imagination, but if you're looking for a super underrated 80s flick, this is definitely one I'd recommend.

[kamikazekeeg]

I love Doctor Strange for its crazy reality bending visuals, it gives it such a distinct look and I love how the ending has nothing to do with an actual fight, just simply outwitting the enemy.  Also enjoy the mystical arts magic style, the glowing, sparking, strands, it looks awesome.  Benedict Cumberbatch is great as Strange, absolutely nails it, and the overall story introducing the mystical side of the Marvel universe is done pretty well.  Really looking forward to see what Raimi can do with the sequel.

Also excited to jump into Guardians of the Galaxy 2 again after this, it's been abit and I remembered thinking it was like a Top 5 MCU movie for me.

[burningdoom]

Both Dr. Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 are fantastic movies. Loved the clever ending to Dr. Strange and the alternate-realities scene. And in GotG2, the, "He may have been your father, he wasn't your Daddy," scene gets me every time.

[bikingjahuty]

It's been several years since I first watched this movie and aside from the ending most of the details have faded from memory. Ever since I watched Trainspotting I've always had this strange fascination with it and it's always been a very thought provoking movie. I also love the movies ultra 90s aesthetic. However one thing that I decided to do was no only watch the fist Trainspotting movie, but also its sequel which I've wanted to watch since it first came out. So i watched Trainspoting and T2 back, and I'm very happy I did.





Watching these movies back to back was an awesome experience that not only enhanced my enjoyment of both films, but also made the events and feel of T2 significantly more potent. The theme of change is a heavy part of T2 and it's literally everywhere including the plot, the backdrop of Edenborough where the first film also took place, and also the characters. Despite this the theme of things staying more the same is also present despite the massive change that has taken place in the world around them. Going straight from the events of the first movie and then 20-years into the future definitely made me appreciate their journeys and feelings about the present day even more.


As far as acting goes both movies are excellent and 20-years between films did not dull or dilute any of the characters at all; they all felt like natural progressions of who they were from the first movie and that just added to my enjoyment of each of them. As i said earlier, all the characters had changed in various ways, but deep down many of them were pretty much the same people they were before, just older and more worn by the events of time.


I will say it again, I am so happy I watched these movies back to back, and I enjoyed them so much that I'd personally love to own them if I can find them used and cheap. Definitely great movies that go into the minds of drug addicts, but in a highly entertaining and philosophical way.


 

[burningdoom]

The Guyver

Did you ever see this 90s movie based on the anime and manga of the same name?
Cheesy by today's standards, but eye-popping back then. I loved it when I saw it. And I saw it before I had ever heard of the anime. But then later was exposed to the anime as a result (which is better than most animes, I'm not the biggest anime fan but loved that one. Ultra-violent.)

Stars Mark Hamill, but the marketing makes it seem as if he's The Guyver. He plays a cop that helps The Guyver. Rather The Guyver is just some random guy that happens to be in the right place at the right time to receive the power and get pulled into all this madness (much like Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern). The Guyver is an ancient alien weapon that bonds to host and provides him with a living suit that provides him with superhuman abilities (which sounds a lot like Venom now that I explain it). An evil corporation is after the suit after losing it. They are especially interested in this new Guyver since they were unable to unlock it's power when it was in their possession. They send superhuman experiments they created after The Guyver to retrieve it.

Check it out if you haven't and can look past the early 90s special effects. It's a good time. And it received a sequel, even. The sequel stars David Hayter (who plays Solid Snake in the Metal Gear games).

[spyrofanx]

This anime/manga series right here is a hidden gem that I just discovered recently. It’s a Comedy/Shonen series that focuses on the different aspects of Martial Arts. As of this post, I’m up to Episode 13. (SO NO SPOILERS!) The series is about this guy, Kenichi Shirahama, who up to the start of the series was a cowardly kid that was always being picked on by vicious bullies. Of course, his goal in life is to become stronger, but pretty everyone tells him that’ll never happen and that he should face reality. Kenichi soon meets this girl named Miu Furinji, who Kenichi becomes infatuated with. Of course, Miu is a skilled fighter that lives in a dojo run by her Grandfather who has been raising her, as well as some other Martial Arts masters. Basically this one bully in the Karate Club challenges Kenichi to a death-match in a week and Miu (who has become friends with Kenichi) tells Kenichi about the dojo where she lives and advises that Kenichi should train their so he doesn’t get killed. Kenichi follows this advice, and his training ensues. If you wanna know more, watch the anime or read the manga. You will not regret doing so. (At least I hope not anyway)

[kamikazekeeg]

I had never watched Inception before, it was just one of those movies I kinda skipped out on, never really pushed to watch it for no particular reason, but seeing that it was on Amazon for free and I'm interested in Nolan's upcoming Tenet, I'd thought I'd give this a go.  Watching this, I realized that I have seen most of Christopher Nolan's movies aside from Dunkirk, Insomnia, and his first film, "Following", but the only one I'm gonna watch out of that is Dunkirk eventually.

Inception was good, but not what I expected.  I feel like what I saw of the trailer back in the day, the talk of "dreams in dreams", and some other stuff I heard, that this was gonna be more of a mindscrew of a film, but it's very straightforward and it establishes most of its rules pretty outright, which I like.  I tend to like "rules" established with films most of the time rather than stuff being very vague, or metaphorical, etc... It's interesting and I thought it was cool how much of the cast was involved from the Batman film like Michael Caine, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Cillian Murphy.

It's a solid film and Nolan makes great movies.  In fact an early memory would be watching Memento as a teen late into the night after my buddy fell asleep and just being like "That was crazy" lol Definitely gonna go watch Dunkirk later this week and eventually one of these days when Tenet gets a release, I'll be looking forward to that.