2015 Films thread

[caulfield12]

I just saw Ex Machina. Liked it, didn't love it. I think the philosophical, thought-provoking parts were strong and two of the three performances were strong (didn't fully buy the writing and/or acting of Caleb). The twists were good, too, although I thought one or two were predictable. Overall, it didn't blow me away. It was entertaining, but didn't leave a lasting impression on me like a great movie does.

 

Maybe our collective standards as a society are slipping...what I mean is, we're so desperately looking for anything inventive/original/non-derivative to the point that we can't recognize "greatness" anymore in films.

 

When we are pleasantly surprised by something, we perhaps tend to overvalue and overrate it.

 

As the expectations run high, like with Avengers 2, we're tougher on those films...and movies like Ex Machina and Snowpiercer that become critical darlings also start to become over-hyped, to the point where it's hard to separate the objective merits of a film because of the preconceived notions we bring to a viewing.

Edited May 25, 2015 by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

Pitch Perfect 2......wow was that bad....

 

 

I just watched it online.

 

There wasn't one laugh out loud joke in the entire movie (especially Fat Amy/Rebel Wilson, who the surprise breakout star of the first one).

 

The constant jokes about women's empowerment and the whole presence of the "Nicaraguan" girl who bombed about 10 jokes individually about immigration, just tone dead or flat. All of the interaction with their German rivals.....ridiculous.

 

Can't remember a non-action movie sweeping to so much financial success that's so completely off-kilter and lacking in humor...other than the last decade of Adam Sandler. It really was THAT bad, as juddling stated.

 

The ONLY thing that was fun about it was the music. That's it. Naked cash grab. The 2015 White Sox with all their flaws are clearly better.

Edited May 25, 2015 by caulfield12

[danman31]

Maybe our collective standards as a society are slipping...what I mean is, we're so desperately looking for anything inventive/original/non-derivative to the point that we can't recognize "greatness" anymore in films.

 

When we are pleasantly surprised by something, we perhaps tend to overvalue and overrate it.

 

As the expectations run high, like with Avengers 2, we're tougher on those films...and movies like Ex Machina and Snowpiercer that become critical darlings also start to become over-hyped, to the point where it's hard to separate the objective merits of a film because of the preconceived notions we bring to a viewing.

This is a real factor, but it's definitely not anything new.

[Iwritecode]

Our town Drive-In got turned into a Walmart as well.

 

Same here. I actually know a guy that worked at the drive-in before they tore it down. Then he got a job working at the Wal-Mart that was built over it. He's still there.

 

He's literally been working at the same location longer than the Wal-Mart has existed.

[GoSox05]

I usually head up to the McHenry Drive in a couple times a year. Late in the summer and early fall they do some cool horror movie stuff.

 

Last year they did all three Back to the Future movies.

 

I would go more often if it wasn't so far away, but we always have a good time.

[southsider2k5]

I usually head up to the McHenry Drive in a couple times a year. Late in the summer and early fall they do some cool horror movie stuff.

 

Last year they did all three Back to the Future movies.

 

I would go more often if it wasn't so far away, but we always have a good time.

 

Nothing replaces the Drive In experience. Sure you get better technical stuff from 3D and Dolby sound etc, but the experience can't be replicated.

[NorthSideSox72]

Don't get to movies very often, but saw Mad Max with the wife this weekend. That was really, really good. I've grown tired of most of the action movie genre the past few years, with most (but not all) just not doing it for me. This one was not only really fantastic in terms of action sequences, but the characters were interesting, tne plot lines had some unique features, and there wasn't that over-reliance on CGI you see so much of now. Fun dialogue too. Only negative I'd say was, at times, I think they tried a little too hard with the weird-world stuff to get that point across, but it wasn't a big deal.

 

I will say this though - I usually love the previews section before the movie. The previews with this movie were universally awful, and I don't think I've seen that before. Jurrasic Park reboot, San Andreas, National Lampoon's Vacation reboot, and Terminator Genesis. I hope that isn't a sign of how the summer movies will go, because if it is, I'd rather watch the slow motion car wreck that is the White Sox. Horrible looking movies.

 

[knightni]

My favorite film rental this year has been The Equalizer.

 

What's yours?

[caulfield12]

My favorite film rental this year has been The Equalizer.

 

What's yours?

 

 

P.K.

 

Starring amir khan, hindi movie. It has the same director as Three Idiots. Broke lots of box office records in India...

 

There are 7 reviews at rottentomatoes, 6 positive and one negative.

[bmags]

Don't get to movies very often, but saw Mad Max with the wife this weekend. That was really, really good. I've grown tired of most of the action movie genre the past few years, with most (but not all) just not doing it for me. This one was not only really fantastic in terms of action sequences, but the characters were interesting, tne plot lines had some unique features, and there wasn't that over-reliance on CGI you see so much of now. Fun dialogue too. Only negative I'd say was, at times, I think they tried a little too hard with the weird-world stuff to get that point across, but it wasn't a big deal.

 

I will say this though - I usually love the previews section before the movie. The previews with this movie were universally awful, and I don't think I've seen that before. Jurrasic Park reboot, San Andreas, National Lampoon's Vacation reboot, and Terminator Genesis. I hope that isn't a sign of how the summer movies will go, because if it is, I'd rather watch the slow motion car wreck that is the White Sox. Horrible looking movies.

 

Yeah previews at Mad Max were bad. There was a lot of hype around Jurassic World, but it looks just as contrived as JP2 and JP3.

 

Mad Max was awesome. Maybe one of my favorite movies now. No extraneous plot. Well executed. Just so well executed.

 

The best part is if someone tried to create a world like Mad Max in a new movie, they would spend 20-30 minutes of exposition explaining why everything is what it is. Screw that, just go! It's okay to leave people in the dark on things.

[caulfield12]

Yeah previews at Mad Max were bad. There was a lot of hype around Jurassic World, but it looks just as contrived as JP2 and JP3.

 

Mad Max was awesome. Maybe one of my favorite movies now. No extraneous plot. Well executed. Just so well executed.

 

The best part is if someone tried to create a world like Mad Max in a new movie, they would spend 20-30 minutes of exposition explaining why everything is what it is. Screw that, just go! It's okay to leave people in the dark on things.

 

 

 

Tomorrowland would probably fall into that category. It's a decent movie, but more was expected from Brad Bird for $180 million and because of his past track record.

 

In his pantheon, it's a misfire in the same sense Interstellar was.

 

 

[Brian]

Tomorrowland would probably fall into that category. It's a decent movie, but more was expected from Brad Bird for $180 million and because of his past track record.

 

In his pantheon, it's a misfire in the same sense Interstellar was.

 

The reviews worry me but I still want to see TomorrowLand simply because it reminds me of the movies like The Rocketeer I saw growing up and hope it brings back some kind of nostalgic factor.

[HuskyCaucasian]

Saw Pitch Perfect 2 last night.

 

Mini Review-

The start was very slow and forced.

Movie hit it's stride about 30 minutes in.

Music was great.

Some jokes fell flat, but I laughed a lot. However, i laughed more during Age of Ultron.

[Brian]

Outside of a few long winded scenes, I enjoyed Tomorrowland. Definitely felt like old school Disney adventure.

[LDF]

 

i just went to see tomorrowland with my lady friend.

 

for starters it is a movie for young couples with young children. not a movie for old timers like me. i almost walked out several times but i stayed to the end. don't get me wrong, great acting the 3 young stars were great, make that beyond great. they are going to have a great future in movies.

 

plain and simple, no cussing, no major violence. a overall great family movie.

 

bravo..... need more family movies like this.

[shipps]

Cascade drive in in West Chicago opening this weekend with Pitch Perfect 2 and Mad Max. I'm there

.....

 

Love that drive in. I will be making the trip there a few times within the next few months for sure.

[shipps]

i just went to see tomorrowland with my lady friend.

 

for starters it is a movie for young couples with young children. not a movie for old timers like me. i almost walked out several times but i stayed to the end. don't get me wrong, great acting the 3 young stars were great, make that beyond great. they are going to have a great future in movies.

 

plain and simple, no cussing, no major violence. a overall great family movie.

 

bravo..... need more family movies like this.

 

This lady friend must be a serious relationship LDF. A George Clooney movie is next level type s*** man.

[LDF]

This lady friend must be a serious relationship LDF. A George Clooney movie is next level type s*** man.

 

haha ..... at my age, you know you need a motivating factor to get there. but i wish i remember what to do next.

 

[caulfield12]

Martin Scorcese's HUGO is a much better version of Tomorrowland, fwiw.

[LDF]

Martin Scorcese's HUGO is a much better version of Tomorrowland, fwiw.

 

i never saw hugo. but tomorrowland is a great family movie.

 

the kind that i would see in the 60's with a disney hype and a huge family event.

[Brian]

i never saw hugo. but tomorrowland is a great family movie.

 

the kind that i would see in the 60's with a disney hype and a huge family event.

 

Hugo is ok. Kinda dull. I don't really see how it can be compared to TomorrowLand though.

[LDF]

Hugo is ok. Kinda dull. I don't really see how it can be compared to TomorrowLand though.

i wouldn't know, i never saw Hugo.

[Brian]

Looks like another dud for Cameron Crowe. "ALOHA" getting 11% on RT.

 

Think Almost Famous is the only film of his I really liked. Say Anything was fine and Jerry McGuire is highly overrated.

[caulfield12]

We Bought A Zoo didn't do especially great at the box office, but it's still an enjoyable rental movie.

 

Vanilla Sky was very controversial from the beginning...any remake will be...but I enjoyed watching it. There was a lot of talk at the time about Penelope Cruz and Tom Cruise and what was going on in their personal lives, which was a distraction.

 

The one most people disliked was Elizabethtown, although Kirsten Dunst made it watchable. It depends on your opinion of her. Orlando Bloom, well....he's one of those actors that has only one gear to shift to.

[caulfield12]

Looks like another dud for Cameron Crowe. "ALOHA" getting 11% on RT.

 

Think Almost Famous is the only film of his I really liked. Say Anything was fine and Jerry McGuire is highly overrated.

 

 

How you mess up a movie with Cooper, Stone and McAdams...not easy to do.

 

Then again, I would have thought that Sofia Vergara and Reese Witherspoon couldn't possibly collaborate for a similar (RT/metacritic) score and they recently pulled that one off as well.

 

 

(Maybe it's the Adam Sandler Jinx...due to the movies he shot in Hawaii. Akin to the SI Jinx. The common thread is Brooklyn Decker, since she was in "Just Go With It" with Hawaii scenes and Battleship, which were also cursed by Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor. Joking. Well, there's always Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Hawaii didn't screw that one up completely.)

Edited May 29, 2015 by caulfield12