The Films You Watched Thread VI: The Undiscovered Movie

[fuse]

Stuck on Licorice Pizza as a thing we both were interested in. Firstly: absolutely nails the setting and there's some great performances. With that out of the way: I get that it's not meant to have this big overbearing plot and instead it just follows a couple of characters as things unfold around them, and that would be fine if I found the moment-to-moment interesting, but it wasn't until the last third or so that any of it got my attention. Not helped at all by the fact that the eyes you see most of the movie through are of a 15 year old boy who has so much opportunism and bravado to make me feel very uncomfortable, and not in a way that felt like I was intended to.

Also watched Triangle of Sadness. It's in three parts and is a pretty on-the-nose satire of class / wealth. If you wanted The Menu to go further with these ideas, definitely check it out. It's unsubtle, there's a quite extended gross-out section, and it could definitely stand to lose a bit off its runtime, but I laughed a lot and had a pretty great time with it. I love Woody Harrelson's character so much. Evergreen warning that the trailer spoils a lot of the more noteworthy moments.

[wakka]

Triangle of Sadness sounds really intriguing. I'm definitely going to check that out.

Shame that you didn't enjoy Licorice Pizza too much. It's one I'd like to watch at some point, but there's a bunch of other PTA efforts I need to get round to first - starting with Boogie Nights.

[Atticus]

a bunch of other PTA efforts I need to get round to first - starting with Boogie Nights.

[wakka]

I've owned it on Blu-ray for years, there's really no excuse!

[QualityChimp]

https://www.youtube.com/@DarrenVanDam

Stumbled across this chap on Y'Tube and really like his content.

The algorithm suggested the video below and I'd seen some of the films, but not all, but could tell I'd like the rest because of that.
He avoids spoilers and is pretty positive about most films, being honest with what to expect, but if a film is worth your time.

He does some nice collated lists too like by streaming service, by genre, Indie films and so on:
10 Perfectly Puzzling Movies to Solve
Gloriously Graphic Movies, Free to Stream on Tubi!
10 Remakes That Surpass the Original in, Every Way
HBO Max Just Added 13 Criminally Underrated Movies
Netflix’s EPIC February Lineup!
20 Gloriously Graphic Netflix Movies You Should Watch Tonight
Netflix Starts 2023 With a BANG!
20 Stunning Sci Fi Movies on NETFLIX You Need in Your Queue
20 Stunningly Underrated NETFLIX Movies You've Skipped for Too Long
10 Terrific Movies Netflix is Hiding From You

[Dogg Thang]

I watched a couple of interesting movies recently. First up is Bodies Bodies Bodies. A group of young people spend the night together at a friend's house playing a murder game. And of course one of them ends up getting killed for real and then it kicks off from there. The movie is pretty obvious in many ways but it doesn't really matter because it's a lot of fun watching it play out. It's silly in places and leans into the fun. I enjoyed it.

Then I watched Bit, a vampire movie from a few years ago. A trans girl moves to LA and ends up joining a group of feminist vampires with a strict set of rules. It's really silly and a whole lot of fun. It reminds me a lot of 80s movies, but built around more modern views. The vampire stuff is really enjoyable and it moves along at a nice pace so it never gets boring. I liked it.

[fuse]

Crossed one off the long-term 'must watch' list, as Mubi keeps reminding me that they're about to delist Metropolis. Was a little worried it'd feel more like homework - not helped by my girlfriend making it very clear that the last time she did watch it was actually as homework - but as it happens I did actually enjoy it of its own merits. The short cuts, exaggerated lighting/makeup/acting, and ever-present soundtrack make for a pretty intense watch that doesn't ever really let up, which is amplified by it being 2 and half hours long. Maybe not something that I'll be rushing to re-watch, but did like it a lot, and am glad to have finally seen it.

[Colin]

Everything, everywhere, all at once for us tonight. Some incredible set pieces, great scenes and imagination along with good humour. BUT, the highs didn’t flow as a full film for me and I found myself zoning out with boredom on several occasions. I don’t keep up massively with new film releases, but if this takes the best film Oscar as my wife insists it might, this must be a poor year.

[Brad]

Everything , everywhere was the best film I’ve seen in a decade I reckon.

Agree with chimp on Jojo rabbit, except it didn’t bother me as much I think.

Game Night is fantastic as has been said and yes, Jesse Plemons plays his part to absolute perfection.

[Neon Ignition]

E.T: The Extra Terrestrial
Finally got the kids to sit through this, they struggled at first as it's a very quiet film in general but at about the halfway point they got more into it when they realised it wasn't all going to be playing with E.T in Elliot's bedroom. Jr2 was the one to crack and break down when E.T died, nice to get them through something non-animated for once.

[wakka]

Oof when he's all white and in the river? That really upset me as a kid!

What a wondrous film that is.

[Atticus]

E.T. is my fave Spielberg film. It made such a connection with me as a kid. I wanted to live in that house and ride my BMX round the neighbourhood.

[wakka]

Me too. I was really obsessed with aliens and space, including real life astronauts and NASA spacecraft, as well as tall tales of UFOs and abductions (many of which were in a 1980s 'The Unexplained' compendium published by St Michael which was exceptionally well thumbed during my childhood and still on my bookshelf today). My parents sat me down in front of the videotape of E.T. - I had no idea what it was - and they said 'You are gonna love this'.

And boy did I

Aw man, I really want to watch it again now.

[QualityChimp]

Just seen Cocaine Bear.
It was okay. Some laughs and gore along the way, but pretty silly.

[prinnysquad]

Wrath of Man (2021)

Jason Statham plays Jason Statham in this Guy Ritchie-esque Guy Ritchie heist film. JS is a security guard with a history, newly-employed in a cash truck business that keeps getting hit.

I was pleasantly surprised by this. It’s a very decent, engrossing film, with fine performances and a nice pace. Some of Ritchie’s direction is very good indeed, and the split narrative works surprisingly effectively. Statham is great - the embodiment of ice coldness, and with a backstory that’s not as black and white as it seems, leading to some confused sympathies for the viewer. The runtime isn’t short, but there’s not much flab to the script, and it’s aided by a brooding soundtrack.

7/10 from me. Would watch again.