What Did You Watch Today?

[Thrilla]

It Follows

If you have even a passing interest in horror films, you have to see this.

I'm not big on horror but I appreciate a good one when it comes around. I've heard amazing things about it.

Its not worth your time, it is plodding and has a number of ridiculous jumps, particularly the plan in the climax.

[Benji]

IT BEGINS! My journey through Studio Ghibli films starts with Spirited Away courtesy of Film4. Started off slowly, but once it really gets into it, it's an amazing film that really lived up to the hype. The legendary Ghibli whimsy in full effect combined with incredibly atmospheric darkness at points, and it works every time. Funny, dramatic, charming. Just a great way to start the films.

[Monkey D. Lars]

IT BEGINS! My journey through Studio Ghibli films starts with Spirited Away courtesy of Film4. Started off slowly, but once it really gets into it, it's an amazing film that really lived up to the hype. The legendary Ghibli whimsy in full effect combined with incredibly atmospheric darkness at points, and it works every time. Funny, dramatic, charming. Just a great way to start the films.

You should've joined me and Benkid! We started with Nausicaa and do it from old to new! I'm at Kiki's Delivery Service right now!

[Benji]

I meant to back in Jan but couldn't find anywhere for digital download. They just started on Film4 in UK, doing 1-2 a day, which is perfect rate for my 365 thing

[zero]

It Follows

If you have even a passing interest in horror films, you have to see this.

I'm not big on horror but I appreciate a good one when it comes around. I've heard amazing things about it.

Its not worth your time, it is plodding and has a number of ridiculous jumps, particularly the plan in the climax.

??? I thought the movie was incredibly light on jump scares. Hardly any at all.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

I thought Frank was really good, glad I got around to watching it. Fassbender was excellent throughout.

[Benjamin]

I meant to back in Jan but couldn't find anywhere for digital download. They just started on Film4 in UK, doing 1-2 a day, which is perfect rate for my 365 thing

I know a few places

[GoGo Yubari]

It's so simple, yet it's executed so well.

It didn't have me jumping out of my seat in terror, but it's a damn good movie.

My theater got it and I know there were people leaving who were bitching about it. I just saw it tonight and got why; it's way methodical, barely any jump scares or explaining shit. Plus, lengthy Dostoyevsky quotes. It's a pretty effectively creepy, alienating movie.

Also, I think the point of the plan was that it's kind of stupid. They're kids.

[Damian WayLNKe]

I watched Contact for the first time and it was weird seeing McConaughey talk about time dilation again.

[Benji]

How To Train Your Dragon 2 was fun, but not as good as the first. (Major spoiler ahoy!)

Disappointed the dad died, he was the most interesting character in the two films, but I guess they have to advance Hiccup's story somehow.

[Benji]

Ghibli season continues! Watching Arrietty and enjoying it. You can tell how much thought goes into the visuals of these films, even down to the way the velcro rips for the borrowers. My only gripe was with the humans to be honest, they felt more like plot devices than actual people, but I suppose that is kind of the point - the borrowers live in their world and are unfortunately affected by them. Saoirse Ronan (who is fast becoming one of my favourites) and Olivia Coleman are great as Arrietty and her mother respectively, and the actor playing Pod is good in his stoic role too.

[Benjamin]

My Neighbor Totoro can still be charming and warm as fuck, even if your last view of it was less than a year ago. The anticipation waiting for Mei to first meet Totoro can be crazy, though.

Benji, stop watching the lamer Ghibli films

[Benji]

I'm only watching in the order Film4 airs! I've honestly never seen a Ghibli film all the way through (not through choice, somehow I always fell asleep or got interrupted). I don't think either were lame at all to be honest, my only gripes with them have been easily excusable.

[Benjamin]

Not lame, lame-r. Almost all the Ghibli films are amazing,

[Benji]

Oh, also forgot to note I watched Pokemon: Jirachi: Wish Maker in the early hours of the morning. It was pretty naff.

[Colly]

We started watching Spirited Away before panicking at 'parents turn into pigs'. Might have to wait a few years for that one.

[King Ellis]

Recapping 11 films from this week feels like a little too much when it comes to taking up space so spoiler for that sake:

The Land Before Time

I have to give them props for at least the scene where the T-Rex is fighting Littlefoot's mother, that's pretty epic. Other than that though? Booooooring. I guess at one point I was aware that there were a silly number of sequels for this but I didn't realise they've still been doing them through the 00's and they're about to hit 15 this year. The most disturbing thing about watching this though was inadvertently finding out what happened to one of the child actors whilst looking it up on IMDB. Horrible.

30 Minutes or Less

Good fun. These are some truly dedicated friends to help strap a bomb to someone or to help rob a bank because their buddy is under the threat of said bomb blowing them up.

Honey I Blew Up the Kid

The interaction between the kid and Rick Moranis can be cute at times but when the kid does actually get giant, there's not really much weight to it. It's like the characters act like it's only a minor inconvenience when in the first film it felt like this huge thing. Like, the babysitter just doesn't give a shit that the son tied her up and kept her captive in the same house as this giant baby and just goes along with it.

Airplane II

Though it does have it's share of returning characters like the wonderful Johnny, it's disappointing not to have Leslie Nielsen. Kinda weird how things have shifted to space travel instead of just air travel but I suppose that keeps things from being stale. I want to see that some of the jokes got a bit tiresome but I did find myself still sniggering even after they trotted out the '...but that's not important right now.' gag for the 10th time.

Bloodsport

For as much as I remember from this film, the stuff like the 'salt in the eye' comeback, the 'I break you like I break your friend', all that stuff, watching it again made me appreciate some of the other stuff like how even though they don't go into great detail on them, you get a lot of character from all the other fighters in the tournament in the snippets they show of them because of all their various styles. Like the sumo guy or the black guy who just rolls around everywhere. One of his opponents is just the fucking worse because even though the guy is standing only like a few feet when he's doing his monkey shit, the other guy is still swinging at his own height and missing by a huge margin.

The Flinstones and WWE Stone Age Smackdown

Maaaaaaaan, I know everybody raised an eyebrow at the voice casting here for the Flintstones characters but Barney alone makes all the others seem like a reasonable sound alike. It just doesn't make any sense, they at least attempted it for Fred, Wilma and Betty but it's like they just picked someone at random for Barney. Funny to see how they further emphasize the modern-stone age thing by having phones, tablets and computers and I like all the WWE guys here, particular mentions for the Punk/Henry tandem and the bizarre McMahon character who just seems to periodically show up so he can tip Fred.

Kickboxer

Because when one watches Bloodsport, one has to naturally follow that up with Kickboxer. Not sure if it beats out Bloodsport overall but it has some areas where it excels, the finale is a little more epic with the taped fists in glass, even if Tong Po takes ages to actually use the things. And Tong Po himself ends up being a bigger villain because of the fact he rapes JCVD's love interest but even the fact the first time you see him is him just kicking the shit of a pillar is amazing. That and his long ponytail looks awesome when it's whipping back and forth when he gets his shit kicked in at the end.

Back to School

Wasn't sure how I'd get on with this one after being a little off put by Dangerfield in Caddyshack but it's more palatable here, perhaps because whilst the character is rich and buying his way through everything, he still gets grounded by the obstacles put in front of him whereas the Caddyshack guy was just a smarmy dick throughout and never had to suffer for anything. Always nice to see early Robert Downey Jr as well, here with his multi coloured hair. Good to finally see this movie too after only ever seeing Sam Kinison's Nam rage out of context.

The Rugrats Movie

A bit over reliant on crude humour like shit, piss and babies looking at their own genitalia but enjoyable nontheless. Surprisingly dark, like how Tommy reaches the point where he's about to sacrifice his own brother to a bunch of monkeys. Didn't think I'd say that about the Rugrats. Nor that Angelica would end up singing Blondie.

Slap Shot

Oh man, gotta love all that hockey violence. When the Hanson brothers finally get on the ice and just fuck everyone up, glorious. And when one of them gets hit from something from the crowd so they just scale the glass and start a mass brawl? Amazing. "The fans are standing up to them! Security is standing up to them! Even the peanut vendors are standing up to them!" Aren't the Hanson brothers what the Ballard brothers based themselves on? Found myself a little distracted by the fact that the refs don't wear the traditional black/white stripes and it looks like they're wearing Atletico Madrid shirts.

Darkman

Ehhhhhhh. Can't say I'm that fussed for Liam Neeson but at least this has the guy from Dr Giggles! Frankly, I had to laugh at just how absurd this got at times, particularly the fair ground scene with all the effects as Neeson is Hulking up (The green one, not Hogan). "TAKE THE FUCKING ELEPHANT!"

[GhostMachine]

Watched The Hundred-Foot Journey yesterday. I do recommend it. Damned good movie.

Today I watched Love's Kitchen, a 2010 movie starring Dougray Scott and Claire Forlani. It was okay. Funny thing is, the movie has a couple of cameos (with lines) by Gordon Ramsay, and Forlani plays an American in it even though its set in England.

*edit* Will be getting either Interstellar, Big Hero 6 or Boyhood next in the mail from Netflix.

Edited March 29, 2015 by GhostMachine

[Benji]

Film #3 of Ghibli season is Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Beautiful world (CHOCOBOS ), interesting characters, but the story itself just felt really lacking. Also, Shia Lebeouef (sp?) is as abysmal a voice actor as he is a regular actor, thankfully the others make up for it. Weakest of the three so far, but still good.

[Monkey D. Lars]

You should watch them in Japanese!