Board 8 > ~ BCT's Epic 169 Movie Watch-Through (mostly '00s): Topic 1 [THE LIST] ~

Topic List
Page List: 1, 2, 3, 4
BlueCrystalTear
09/15/22 10:21:58 PM
#1:


What the hell am I doing to myself? This will be a long project. Each of you gets five nominations off THE LIST (every DVD I own, sans James Bond movies I have memorized), replacing as I watch them:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kRkfiaMD8dddREBYH37OWtI7jfbhvxoKyyovYxtorD0

How do nominations work?
Each person gets five. No trades allowed. Once I watch one of your five, you get a new vote. All unviewed movies are fair game and I'll pick from those with the most votes, genre depending on mood and timeliness (i.e. watching Elf in December). There may be rare times I'll watch whatever I want; this is the only way I'll rewatch a movie before this is over. Zachnorn and Johnbobb already nominated because I asked them to. Johnbobb gets three more since he did it blind in his top 5s topic.

One caveat: If you nominate a later movie in a series (save for Spy Kids 2), it will defer to the first and move through series order. So a vote for The Dark Knight Rises would start at Batman Begins before moving to The Dark Knight and finally to Rises. You do not replace this vote as it stays as one of your five. This will be denoted on THE LIST with a * for each movie your vote would move to. Keep in mind that I'd like to watch series movies relatively close together, so there's not a huge gap that would require me rewatching the prior movie(s).

How did these movies get decided?
All of these are DVDs, except for the ones colored blue (BluRay) and purple (Disney+). About half were found at my parents' place when they sold their condo. The rest were picked up from the clearance of a used disc store that's closing (RIP). I kinda went crazy and spent more money than I'd have liked but I needed a good splurge for once! Some of you may have voted in my topic surveying definitive 2000s movies - if you didn't figure it out, that existed to help me complete THE LIST. I found all of what I singled out in that topic (all but one legally). Thank you guys for that!

Please note that I will not be adding anything else to THE LIST as of this time. Except maybe a couple MCU movies if needed for Age of Ultron.

Why haven't you seen [MOVIE]?
Because I haven't. Please don't judge me! I was never very social and my mom always hated R-rated movies. If my sister, who worked at the movie theater for a while, let me sneak into one, we'd both be grounded - and my mom WOULD have found out. This topic exists to rectify my past folly and see a lot of good movies that I either never saw or haven't in a while.

How long will this last?
Over a year. I intend to watch 3 per week but there may be times when I only get one or two in. It will depend on how busy or sane I am. I do have other projects here - I have NOT forgotten and will get to them as my life allows.
~~~

My parents also gave me a really nice recliner - one that's better than those at modern movie theaters (lumbar controls!), so that's going to be nice to watch this in. The first one will probably be this Saturday - I wanted to post this a couple days in advance to allow people to nominate. Let me know if you have questions and I'll answer them to the best of my ability!

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Snake5555555555
09/15/22 10:51:13 PM
#2:


American Psycho
Black Swan
Mean Girls
Shaun of the Dead
V for Vendetta

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junk_funk
09/15/22 10:54:55 PM
#3:


Ive seen over 90% of the movies on this list. Theres some great ones for sure, but I feel you should start with something R rated based on the story you told. With that in mind you cant go wrong with Pulp Fiction.

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ElizeLutus
09/15/22 11:31:44 PM
#4:


(Marvel's) Avengers
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
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Johnbobb
09/15/22 11:34:31 PM
#5:


Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
Mullholland Drive
Brokeback Mountain

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MetalmindStats
09/16/22 2:06:51 AM
#6:


I guess my nominations will be:

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Monsters, Inc.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Shaun of the Dead
Spirited Away

I wish you luck with this project, and hopefully you'll enjoy it!

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FarmFox
09/16/22 4:02:56 AM
#7:


Clerks 2 (2006)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

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BlueCrystalTear
09/16/22 10:12:54 AM
#8:


Question for you guys: Should I watch Dawn of the Dead before Shaun of the Dead? AFAIK the latter is a supplemental parody of the former, constantly making fun of it in ways that are more understood and appreciated if you've seen Dawn. While I know Shaun can stand on its own as well, is it better to have seen the movie it's spoofing beforehand?

junk_funk posted...
Ive seen over 90% of the movies on this list. Theres some great ones for sure, but I feel you should start with something R rated based on the story you told. With that in mind you cant go wrong with Pulp Fiction.
After thinking it over, Pulp Fiction is a fantastic starting point. It's one of the earliest films on the list (Fiddler on the Roof being the earliest, but after that it's just Never Say Never Again and the three 80s Rat Pack classics before Pulp), it's the debut film of an iconic director I have three other films by, the film is legendary (and one I've seen many clips and quotes from over the years, but never that much in one timeframe), and it's rated R like my mom would often put the kibosh on. I think this is what I'll go with as an opener, both because it was the first to get two votes and because it's bound to be influenced or referenced in many a film thereafter.

SATURDAY NIGHT: I get Medieval on yo asses!

FarmFox posted...
Clerks 2 (2006)
May I (politely) ask where you got this from? It is not on THE LIST, which is that Google docs link - might want to check it out to see what else I have. This does include Eternal Sunshine, so your vote for that has been recorded :)

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Johnbobb
09/16/22 10:18:09 AM
#9:


I'd say you should be fine to watch Shaun of the Dead first, if you've seen literally any zombie movie you'll have enough context

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Snake5555555555
09/16/22 11:38:48 AM
#10:


Shaun of the Dead bears zero similarity to Dawn besides the use of zombies and taking its namesake. That's pretty much it. You'll be fine! Shaun is more a satire and love letter to the zombie genre as a whole than any one particular movie.

Correction just so you know, Tarantino's debut film is Reservoir Dogs, not Pulp Fiction, if you wanted to watch that first (they're set in the same universe with connected characters).


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BlueCrystalTear
09/16/22 11:55:18 AM
#11:


Johnbobb posted...
I'd say you should be fine to watch Shaun of the Dead first, if you've seen literally any zombie movie you'll have enough context
I haven't seen one of those in a long time. May have to get a context refresher, even if the basic gist of it is obvious.

Snake5555555555 posted...
Correction just so you know, Tarantino's debut film is Reservoir Dogs, not Pulp Fiction, if you wanted to watch that first (they're set in the same universe with connected characters).
I may have to do that, then. Thanks for the info. Will look into it. I should be able to get it for $3 before the store closes (sometime next week).

Are there any other holes in THE LIST that I similarly need to rectify? Prequels or connections that I may have missed?

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BetrayedTangy
09/16/22 12:02:47 PM
#12:


Black Swan
Burn After Reading
Dawn of the Dead
Mean Girls
Office Space

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Snake5555555555
09/16/22 12:11:12 PM
#13:


BlueCrystalTear posted...
Are there any other holes in THE LIST that I similarly need to rectify? Prequels or connections that I may have missed?

The only thing I noticed upon looking through is Indiana Jones, Crystal Skull is the fourth film following Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade. Don't know how concerned you are about that, if you've seen them already or what have you.

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hylianknight3
09/16/22 12:29:14 PM
#14:


Batman Begins
Shanghai Noon
Shanghai Knights
Monsters Inc.
Up

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BlueCrystalTear
09/16/22 12:29:51 PM
#15:


Snake5555555555 posted...
The only thing I noticed upon looking through is Indiana Jones, Crystal Skull is the fourth film following Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade. Don't know how concerned you are about that, if you've seen them already or what have you.
Don't think I ever saw Temple of Doom, and haven't seen the other two in like 20 years.

May be best to go back there, but I'm not sure if they're needed for Crystal MacGuffin. Can each stand alone to an enjoyable extent?

P. S. I'm mobile, will update votes later!

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Snake5555555555
09/16/22 12:32:47 PM
#16:


BlueCrystalTear posted...
May be best to go back there, but I'm not sure if they're needed for Crystal MacGuffin. Can each stand alone to an enjoyable extent?

Yeah I'd say they can for sure! There's only light continuity.

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Johnbobb
09/16/22 1:05:31 PM
#17:


I was curious why the list features Spy Kids 2 and not the original

Also fun fact: the Spy Kids series shares the same universe as the hyper-violent Machete films

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BlueCrystalTear
09/16/22 5:26:04 PM
#18:


Johnbobb posted...
I was curious why the list features Spy Kids 2 and not the original
Couldn't find the original. I believe we had that on VHS. Used disc store didn't have it - believe me, I checked. Interesting fun fact btw

Snake5555555555 posted...
Yeah I'd say they can for sure! There's only light continuity.
Yeah, that's what I thought. Will look into options for watching the first three. Crystal MacGuffin is almost universally considered the worst one anyway. May want to watch at least one of the better ones.

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BlueCrystalTear
09/17/22 2:33:33 PM
#19:


Okay, used disc store is now up to 50% off for their final week. Each of these was anywhere between $1.50 and $3.50, but the following baker's dozen have been added to THE LIST:
Charlie's Angels 2000 (I remember this was good, not great, but the second was an abomination. Let's see how that holds up.)
Eat, Pray, Love (was $1.50 and looked like an interesting enough romcom, and I needed another of those for balance)
Indiana Jones Trilogy (all three for $10)
Reservoir Dogs (tonight's entertainment, possible doubleheader)
Resident Evil (the first four for under $10; I should probably get 5 and 6 since I didn't know there were that many)
Shawshank Redemption (don't think I saw the entirety of this, just half of it, so I should fix that)
Snakes on a Plane (which I watched last year for the first time since 2007)
Spider-Man 3 (since I had the first two, even though this one sucks AFAIK)

If anyone wishes to change their vote to one of these new ones, please feel free! I just saw some of these and felt "I'm enough of a geek to need that." And Snakes on a Plane was such a huge thing here so I had to. Fond memories of "I'm tired of these monkey-fighting snakes on this Monday-to-Friday plane." XD

If you want me to go get something, please suggest it to me. This includes the last two Resident Evil movies or anything you feel is a gaping hole. I don't want to buy too many more but... yeah. Not gonna get another chance.

(P.S. FarmFox: I did look for Clerks 2. No dice.)
(P.P.S. The used disc store's video games got picked clean quickly so there's not much left of the good stuff - all I got from there was Madden 2006 because B8NFLL and FFX-2. Got several music CDs though!)

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Snake5555555555
09/17/22 3:33:19 PM
#20:


I would change one of my nominations to Reservoir Dogs but looks like it's already locked in!

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Johnbobb
09/17/22 3:37:58 PM
#21:


Hell yeah Spiderman 3

Also Reservoir Dogs I won't say much on because it is going to be ranked in the organized crime topic but it's definitely worth seeing

Also still gonna recommend my other suggestions from my top 5 topic

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BlueCrystalTear
09/17/22 4:13:26 PM
#22:


The Emperor's New Groove has been added via Disney+; additionally, I've moved Johnbobb's vote to that (with Brokeback becoming his first replacement vote). Sweeney Todd and The Green Mile will need to be looked into more.

Do I get Resident Evil: Retribution and The Final Chapter, if possible?

What else do you guys think is a glaring hole?

Thanks guys :)

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Johnbobb
09/17/22 5:28:33 PM
#23:


BlueCrystalTear posted...
Do I get Resident Evil: Retribution and The Final Chapter, if possible?
I mean that's up to you but uh

the Resident Evil movies are definitely an acquired taste

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BlueCrystalTear
09/17/22 11:16:36 PM
#24:


Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Written by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Chris Penn (Sean's brother), Lawrence Tierney
Previous status: Never seen

The film starts at a diner with conversation that seems irrelevant after watching it all - this was probably doe to lay the groundwork for how the relationships would form as the movie went on, as well as surprise us with the ending in a way. The only one at the table I recognize instantly is actually Tarantino himself - it takes me a minute to place Steve Buscemi as Mr. Pink (the beard threw me), but the rest of the actors are mostly unfamiliar to me. Looking it up, this was a budget indie release that got Tarantino noticed enough for Pulp Fiction to happen, so that explains some things.

One thing I immediately don't like is how the story is very dialogue-heavy at the start with telling us what happened as opposed to showing, since it's after the heist went south. Non-linear storytelling can be awesome, and it definitely works as buildup in a thriller, but if you put all your dialogue toward the front of the movie and all your action later, it can get dull. This is only the case for the first quarter of the movie, at least, as the buildup starts with a footchase told in flashback. In addition to the heavy early dialogue, it's hard to understand them sometimes, particularly when they're injured. It also can be distraction how fucking much they fucking swear. My mom would've fucking hated this movie for that fucking reason. Me, I think cursing works to an extent - and it does at times in this, but at others it's too much and drowns out what's actually important.

The movie finally catches me off guard when Vic Vega aka Mr. Blonde is abruptly shot as he's about to light the place on fire just to burn his cop hostage alive - after that already gruesome ear-cutting (that was hard to watch, but I made it through) - for lulz. Mr. Orange turns out to be the mole that Mr. Pink smelled. There are plenty of flashbacks after this detailing his backstory, followed by the actual footage of the heist where Mr. Brown is killed (there was a Mr. Blue apparently, too, who never really mattered to the plot at all). Everyone starts blaming each other for a heist gone wrong and they all kill each other, save for Mr. Pink - the ass who doesn't tip, the most vulgar, the one who refused his nickname, and he makes off with the diamonds before the cops show up to finish off Mr. White before he can mercy kill Orange. All of this just blew up because all these criminals have egos and impulses. Sounds about right. When a heist goes wrong, it goes VERY wrong. We never did get to see the actual filching - which is due to budget, but Tarantino worked with it best he could by having it described. That said, in movies, showing is always better if you ca do it - because dialogue is too easy to miss some of, and hard to go back to re-process slowly.

In the end, I enjoyed the movie, even though it's not without its flaws. If those few scenes truncated the cussing to focus on what's meanignful and the story wasn't so dialogue-heavy for too long, and they showed a little more, I'd have absolutely loved it. Instead, I merely liked it, and think I may need to watch it again to fully appreciate everything that went into a film with this budget. Right now, I'd say it's a 4/5.

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BlueCrystalTear
09/18/22 10:00:22 AM
#25:


Morning after things I didn't add last night:
  • The cast was all men, save for the women who were carjacked. This makes sense from a crime perspective but makes some of the movie feel empty. That may be partly why I thought it was too dialogue heavy. It was just redundant male perspectives; the guys were too similar, save for Boss Joe.
  • I loved the storytelling. I really did. I think the dialogue would have worked better in book form. With movies, you're supposed to physically show things. It's visual storytelling. I still enjoyed how it was told regardless - and it matters because budget. I would have expected better if this was a big-budget movie.
  • I presume I'm not getting replies because my target audience here is participating in the ranking topic. I may want to avoid any movies on the list if what is being ranked in the future, saving them for when it's over.
I'm busy tonight and tomorrow so the next one will probably be Tuesday, unless I can squeeze in some time before kickoff tonight (Packers play on SNF). So you're aware, the sports I care about are Packers football and Badgers football and volleyball (yes, I was among the 16,833 people in the record-breaking crowd). That will impact when I can watch. Additionally, if the Brewers or Bucks make the playoffs, I'll watch those. Only playoffs though.

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Snake5555555555
09/18/22 12:22:10 PM
#26:


To me, not showing the heist was an accidental stroke of genius. It really makes the film so laser-focused on the characters, and lets you build up in your head what actually transpired. Like, they actually showed the heist in the PS2 Reservoir Dogs game, and if I feel like if those events were actually in the film it would've been a far weaker movie overall, because it was just a bog-standard affair. Dogs' non-linear storytelling just drives it home even further for me, because it almost feels like you're an investigator piecing together evidence as you're watching.

I love the use of music in the film too - Tarantino picks out music like he's making a musical. "Stuck in the Middle With You" is perfectly apt for example; and the radio DJ just adds this neat texture that both adds to the film's atmosphere and sort of breaks up the film in nice chunks.

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BlueCrystalTear
09/18/22 2:22:32 PM
#27:


Snake5555555555 posted...
"Stuck in the Middle With You" is perfectly apt for example; and the radio DJ just adds this neat texture that both adds to the film's atmosphere and sort of breaks up the film in nice chunks.
100% true. Makes it very effective. It's a hilarious song for torture.

I did like the non-linear storytelling - just not that it was so dialogue-heavy early on, when I was still trying to figure out who was who. I don't like rewinding and watching again and again just to understand what was said. And I was honestly expecting Tarantino to show the actual heist toward the end of the film - but you're right. The budget led to accidental genius. A straightforward heist would have hindered the theater of the mind, which in turn means the movie stews in your head for less time. This is a thinking man's heist movie - and that makes it more enjoyable and less straightforward. I just wish they'd shown a little more earlier, so I could actually picture more parts of it as the plot went on. But maybe that was just my expectation. A rewatch would probably get me to appreciate even more for what it is.

Also, meant to post this last night, but here's my setup with the light on (the only light on during movies is the lava lamp):
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/4/8/AAR0ZFAADr_4.jpg

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BlueCrystalTear
09/21/22 1:16:32 AM
#28:


Pulp Fiction (1994)
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Written by: Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary
Starring: John Travolta, Samuel L. Motherfucking Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis
Previous status: Clips only

"They speak English in What?"

The clips I'd seen before were the two iconic quotes, the one above and "I'mma get Medieval on your ass." I didn't recognize that the latter was said shortly after a scene of sexual torture, but there ya go.

This was definitely a bunch of lessons learned from Reservoir Dogs. The dialogue early in the movie is juxtaposed with events actually occurring, and the characters aren't anywhere near as redundant as they were in Tarantino's first movie. It also helps that Samuel L. Jackson - who is one of my favorite actors, to the point that I'd LOVE to be called a "motherfucker" by him on Twitter (I mean, that's how he got "Motherfucking" in his name) - is here, at a rather young age and with HAIR (most I've seen him have is a buzz cut), and is kicking ass like usual. This also seems to have a higher budget, and certainly a longer runtime.

One twist that caught me completely off guard is when Vincent gets killed off with his own gun with an hour left to go in the movie. Save for the cold open, the plot had been pretty linear until that point so I wasn't expecting last 45 minutes to be flashback to earlier on by then. It also sucks that it was an abelist piece of shit who got away - that one bit of him in the shower using the r-word and mocking disabled people made him wholly unlikable (that wasn't cool back then, either), but hey, Bruce Willis sold the part, and sold it well. It may have to do with him having watched Clutch Cargo in his childhood. Thank goodness Christopher Walken was there to stop him. That's the stuff of nightmares - I recognized those real lips on cartoon characters instantly. Long story short, I had this explained to me a decade ago in a comic strip I followed (one that's since ended).

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Uma Thurman as a sex symbol here. The wig is obvious but it helps her iconic look. Not to mention that she's got "Bond girl" written all over her - especially her spy character. The "catch up" dad joke was... yeah. I wish we'd seen more of her later, but this was after Marsellus had let Butch off the hook for saving his life from the sex torture. Which he had no reason to risk his life to do, but hey, "You saved my life. We're even, now get the hell out of town before I change my mind" was exactly how you'd expect a crime lord to respond. Earlier, though, back at her place, I didn't quite understand what she did to start bleeding because I don't really understand drugs. Didn't realize she'd thought the stuff was some other stuff.

Also "quarter pounder with cheese" didn't make me that hungry. My burger last night had three-quarters of a pound of meat AND cheese. The milkshake didn't make me hungry since I'd just had one before coming home (a convenience store F'real but still). The talk about blueberry pancakes, however......... yeah, that made me hungry lol.

The sheer amount of little gems in here, the storytelling, the twists, the acting... this was a great film. (Ending-ish spoilers) I do wonder what the hell was in that briefcase, though, and I expected to find out after Jules stopped the diner robbery in epic fashion. In a way, I'm glad I didn't - there's a certain mystique to that. My guess was that it was Marsellus's equivalent to Butch's watch - a gold family heirloom that has both incredible monetary and sentimental value. I can see why this is one of those must-see movies. Can it really be anything other than a 5/5? This is definitely one I'll revisit later.

@Zachnorn @junk_funk You both get another nomination!
(P.S. I will be making my final disc-grabbing stop tomorrow - I have a few things in mind that I'll want to pick up if possible, so if you wanna wait until then, feel free.)

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BlueCrystalTear
09/21/22 5:10:01 PM
#29:


The following were obtained via my final trip to PrePlayed:
Black Hawk Down
Caddyshack
Casablanca (as requested by a friend of mine)
Gangs of New York
The Godfather, Parts I, II, & III
The Green Mile
Moulin Rouge!
The Princess Bride
Saving Private Ryan

I also picked up Game of Thrones season 3, as I've only seen the first two; this will not be on THE LIST. They confirmed that they none of Sweeney Todd, Clerks II, and the last two Resident Evil movies, among other things I sought. Worth noting: All this (including the GoT) was just $40. Absolute steal for 11 movies and a TV season.

The following were also added via Disney+:
Captain America: The Winter Soldier & Civil War
Iron Man (will watch this before Avengers btw)
Star Wars Eps 1-3
Toy Story 1-4

This puts my total movie count over 200. Nothing further will be added. I am not gonna overdo the MCU stuff. That's why I had to make some cuts, prioritizing what I haven't seen, but also including the one that started it all, even though I did see that in my late 2020/early 2021 MCU Phase One rewatch. Or whenever that was. I found out after watching just the first phase that the superhero genre had become tired.

Next movie will be Friday. I am booked for tonight (Survivor premiere) and tomorrow (Sunspot event).

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Johnbobb
09/21/22 6:39:29 PM
#30:


BlueCrystalTear posted...
Next movie will be Friday.
I don't recall Friday being on the list

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BlueCrystalTear
09/21/22 6:41:06 PM
#31:


Johnbobb posted...
I don't recall Friday being on the list
I meant that's when I'll be watching one, silly. (I know you knew that :P)

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Mobilezoid
09/22/22 4:31:24 AM
#32:


I will nominate Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

I don't care what anybody says, that's one of the best sci-fi films ever made.

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BlueCrystalTear
09/23/22 12:10:39 PM
#33:


I added your vote. Am hoping for more participation here - so bumping now!

Currently with two votes are:
Black Swan
Mean Girls
Monsters Inc.
Shaun of the Dead
Up

But honestly, since nothing has more than two votes, anything with one vote is fair game too, depending on what strikes my fancy tonight.

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GavsEvans123
09/23/22 1:31:03 PM
#34:


I watched Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs for the first time recently. The dialogue-heavy nature of the film, and the fact that most of the film takes place in a single location, made me think that it could work quite well as a stage drama. I liked the anthology style Pulp Fiction had as well. These two certainly lived up to the hype for me!

I'll start with these nominations, and I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts as you work your way through the list!
300
Gangs of New York
The Green Mile
The Princess Bride
Spider-Man

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BlueCrystalTear
09/24/22 12:05:15 AM
#35:


Added those earlier, thanks for nominating, Gavs!

Tonight, I decided to go with something light. Because... it just works to follow up the heavy crime stuff.

Monsters Inc. (2001)
Directed by: Pete Docter
Written by: Pete Docter, Jill Culton, Jeff Pidgeon, Ralph Eggleston, Andrew Stanton, Daniel Gerson
Starring: John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi, Mary Gibbs, Jen Tilly
Previous status: Saw ages ago

Please note that this first paragraph was written before watching, to recap what I recalled going in; I will do this for any movie marked as having been seen before. (I may be mistaken on some of those and my memories are actually from the trailers, jsyk)
Honestly, I could not tell you the last time I watched this movie. In fact, I don't remember many of the intricate details, just the basics: Monsters waltz into kids' rooms to scare them not out of malice but to protect their own insecurities - they themselves are afraid of the kids (can't recall why). And they suddenly have an unwelcome visitor, a 4 y/o who recognizes this that they refer to as "Boo" since that's what she says. All hell breaks loose but they must face their fears. Sulley and Mike Wazowski are the protagonists (I can't help but say "Mike Wazowski" like Boo does); I remember the smarmy Randall Boggs and the purple woman, but... the details are very, very few and far between, same goes for the relationships. I do remember Mike doing stand-up for a kid at the end, but not much else. Time for some nostalgia. Watching now...

Okay, back.

Yeah, I got several things wrong, and didn't remember some big details. Boo's even younger than I remembered - I remembered her being a bit larger than that, like at the sushi bar. I didn't recall her referring to Sulley as "Kitty." I did not recall at all that the screams and laughter powered Monstropolis. I really only remembered Celia for her design - nothing more, and I may have gotten some details between her role and that of Roz confused. It really has been ages since I saw this! My memory is usually better, but a refresher is always nice. I should do that more often for the movies I like. And get rid of the ones I don't.

One thing that's really great about this is the sheer amount of story they tell in an hour and a half. Like, there wasn't ANY wasted second in this movie. No dumb "watch X walk down a hallway" at an unnecessary time. No cameras panning out to show unnecessary scenery that doesn't even add atmosphere. All of the things like that were necessary for world-building or showing action and building tension. It was very tightly written and produced, and the story makes a lot of sense for it too.

Randall was even slimier than I had recalled - I'd just remembered him being smarmy, not to what lengths he went to. He was certainly an interesting villain - Steve Buscemi being an ass is certainly a carryover from Reservoir Dogs. That said, this time he got a comeuppance, and it was most certainly an amusing death. Changing colors uncontrollably when Boo conquered her fear to smother him and then being thrown into a door to some redneck's trailer where he's subsequently bludgeoned by a shovel until he's donezo.... yeah, that was great.

I honestly am not sure if I liked Waternoose being the Big Bad - it's too normal to have the CEO character be the villain and the Boggs be the henchman, and this was no exception. Boggs did all the dirty work to a point that Waternoose even questioned it - and then suddenly Waternoose was bad again, and got set up hardcore, arrested, and deposed. It felt like there was a huge inconsistency in his character with how he went from questioning his own henchman's ethics to threatening to kidnap a thousand children in a very short amount of time. At least he admitted that he knew that kids weren't really toxic creatures and was just doing that to fuel scares. I don't know if he knew that laughter worked just the same, but produces more power since it lasts for longer. There was also the nice twist of Roz being an undercover agent trying to find the truth. Did not remember that, either, OR the scene at the end with the door being restored (which I should have), probably two years later when Boo was y/o.

Was nice for the easter egg in Boo's room of the Jessie doll and clown fish - easy to spot, sure, but blatant crossovers with other Pixar properties (the latter being the movie after this one, which was certainly already in the works). The amount of detail and craftsmanship here was great, but I still am a little confused about that (spoiler) I mentioned above. That's... a minor issue, honestly. For what this movie is, it's damn good, and even better than I remembered. I'll give it a 5/5.

@MetalmindStats @hylianknight3 You are both allowed another nomination! (yes I also tag people so they know I watched what they wanted me to watch)

The next one may or may not be tomorrow - it depends on how badly the first quarter goes. I already expect it will be very ugly in Columbus since TOSU has our number.

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BlueCrystalTear
09/24/22 11:48:18 PM
#36:


I didn't even last the first quarter, nor do I want to know the final score. It got gory QUICKLY. Also, I may be high...? There's a weird smell of drugs permeating the building. Somebody's getting evicted.

So I wanted to do something more lighthearted once again.... and I thought I'd just, out of nowhere, watch something not on THE LIST. Something that makes a lot of sense, though. Something that I think nobody's gonna mind me watching because it might have received some nominations anyway. And like I said: I want to watch same-series movies relatively close together, and I was just feelin' it after last night.

Monsters University (2013)
Directed by: Dan Scanlon
Written by: Dan Garson, Dan Scanlon, Robert Baird
Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Helen Mirren, Steve Buscemi
Previous status: Never seen

"How do I become a scarer?"

Hot off yesterday's enjoyment, I thought I'd go ahead and watch the prequel that was made with the idea that you'd seen the original movie in mind.... while still being enjoyable on its own, for kiddos who hadn't yet been procreated 12 years prior.

This gives a LOT of backstory for everybody - particularly notable that Mike Wazowski (I can't help but say his full name) wanted to be a scarer himself. I knew immediately why he ended up being a support person: Kids didn't find him scary. They found him funny. This is why, when the company switched over to laughs, he was one of the first comedians hired.

The first twist is that Mike Wazowski has a roommate who's also a scaring major... Randall Boggs, who is a geek with glasses, rather diminutive, and actually seems like a decent guy at first. He doesn't want to use his invisibility cloak for... some reason. When him appearing out of nowhere with a roar is legitimately petrifying. There's also a retcon that Mike and Sulley knew each other before. And Sulley is a dick because his father is a legend and he just thinks he has it made.... and him not thinking Mike has a chance. This is why Mike is studying. He needs to compensate for his size. Sulley's arrogance gets him deservedly flunked out by the headmistress... and Mike does too, because he's just not scary. Mike's testicular fortitude is certainly something, but it leads to him and Sulley having a completely different relationship. This is all fascinating. So is the start of the Sulley/Boggs rivalry.

One thing I notice is that this movie's early going's not as joyous as the original, but it's better in the character development department - at least for the major characters. This is quickly rectified, thankfully, with Squishy's mom interrupting the initiation to do laundry, since the frat house is his mom's house, and then the disastrous first event.... with the predictable DQ. Also predictable: The party being a trap by the bullies. Story of my life. This is why my biggest pet peeve is people. For being judgmental pricks and putting others into buckets. I get ostracized based on the way I look all the time. Trying to prove people wrong gets tiring. That said, Mike actually does it - and it turns out even the announcers were rooting for him, as the unexpected Cinderella story. Sulley.... rigged the machine for the maximum effect.... to get back in the scaring program since he didn't think his team could do it, especially himself. That's a Randall Boggs maneuver, y'know. Mike then tries to prove himself using the campus door chamber and gets caught at a girls' summer camp cabin... welp. Sulley comes to the rescue, tells Mike the full truth, and the two of them pull an insane stunt to scare the shit out of FIVE PARK RANGERS. Y'know, adults, which then causes all the equipment in the room on the other side to go ballistic. The guys get expelled... because there's nothing left for them to learn if they can do that. This leads to them quickly rising through the ranks of Monsters Inc and becoming an unstoppable scare team. Randall... sorta became an afterthought here.

In the end, all this was good. For what it is, it's good - but there's something missing from this that was present in the original. This prequel was written with a different viewpoint - focus more on writing intrigue than witty dialogue. This produced a very engrossing climax, but it did so at expense of how tightly written and thoroughly comedic the original was. This is not one of Pixar's best films, but it's still Pixar. It's still better than anything Disney's main studio did between (but not including) Emperor's New Groove and Frozen. I still can't decide between a 3 and a 4, so I'll just do a 3.5/5. I didn't want to do half-stars but... guess that needs to happen sometimes.

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BlueCrystalTear
09/26/22 10:59:16 PM
#37:


Black Swan (2010)
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Written by: Andres Heinz, Mark Heyman, John McLaughlin
Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel
Previous status: Never seen

"Was I good?"

Yes, you WERE good. Seriously, this one had it ALL. It was not only a visual masterpiece, but there were so many intricacies in the plot that made it one hell of a psychological thriller. Even if there were parts that were a bit gross to watch - when there was excess blood and gore, anyway. First thing that made me jump a bit was the bloody big toe - I had to check that mine wasn't bleeding, given how that toenail's hanging on by a thread (I injured it months ago and the toenail started to fall off in June). It wouldn't have been that bad otherwise, but the gashes and stuff - I'm not squeamish like my dad, but I still don't like the guts.

The most interesting things here were as follows:
  • Using Swan Lake as metaphor for Nina's life, with her character offing herself like... she ultimately did. The dichotomy is also interesting: Mila Kunis's Lily was a more bubbly, upbeat and carefree personality that embodied the dark, seductive Black Swan better in dance, while Natalie Portman's Nina was dark and disturbed, yet her dancing embodied the pure White Swan.
  • The way this started off normal but unraveled as it went along - it became impossible to tell what was real and what was imaginary after a certain point, and I'm struggling to figure out what that point was. Probably the ecstasy in the alcohol. This started feeling like Inception after a point, with multiple layers of Nina's subconscious we were going through - each more emotionally complex than the last, with increasing distortions. A schizophrenic mind is... scary to think about there.
Speaking of that ecstasy, that was ALSO when this suddenly became a porno out of nowhere. Lily just wanted to be friends with Nina. Even though "I feel shitty for what I did, so I stalked you" made no sense.... I do think it was because Lily actually gave a shit. She saw Nina as someone troubled and someone friendless, probably because of Helicopter Mom. BOY do I know that feeling. My mother refused to see me as an adult for the longest time and had to reevaluate things when it was pointed out to her. I can relate to Nina's plight a lot, though I'm glad I never tried drugs. She has hallucinations that distort her reality; me, I just have fantasies that blur with actuality. They're conscious and I know they're not real, and I can distinguish life from dreams.

Something I have to mention is the artistic camera shots, with close-ups, shaky camera, strobe lights, motion shots, and all that used to great effect. Shaky camera sucks in an action movie but here, in a psychological thriller about a schizophrenic dancer, it works wonders. There's still something I don't fully understand, and that's what was causing Nina's injuries. What was that on her back that she pulled out? I don't see any way she could have gotten that in there herself. It became clear that she'd stabbed herself at the end thinking Lily was her doppleganger (they do look like sisters), but it was another hallucination. Like many before it, probably including what happened with Beth in the hospital. And maybe even her inheriting "little princess" from Beth in the eyes of Vincent Cassel's character. Even though... yeah, he character was a prick who sexually exploited his dancers to bring out the best in them. He changed his mind on a dime just because Nina bit his lip. But I think he has good intentions - if it works and he has consent, great. If he doesn't have consent, fuck him.

I also have to say: This was hot. Seeing two actresses I've said many a time are among the hottest dance like this is arousing. The oral sex ecstasy dream was oddly kinky, and the "Was I good?" when Lily found out about it was hilarious. Her tattoo was never explained, though I don't know if it needed to be - or if it was even actually there. I don't know if the other dancers were actually worried about Nina at the end or not, or if that was a hallucination. Her eyes were red, she was losing her mind, and it was insanity. And then, as her character killed herself, she bled out, dying as the film closed. Quite the ending, let me tell you, but it HAD to end there. One thing that was great: This was all from Nina's perspective, so when that perspective no longer can exist, neither can the story. I hope Lily was just as "perfect" in as the Swan Queen.

Overall... a visual masterpiece. A psychological masterpiece. It was HOT. And frankly, I had to take a LOT of notes for this one. Just... look at this:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/2/8/AAR0ZFAADt8k.jpg

This means I give a shit. This means I am engrossed. All this writing means I liked it. I wouldn't trouble myself if I wasn't enjoying it, and I do expect other movies on THE LIST will have very, very short write-ups. This one did not. 5/5. May watch again.

@Snake5555555555 @BetrayedTangy you each get another nomination!

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Snake5555555555
09/26/22 11:22:39 PM
#38:


NICE write-up! The imagery definitely is striking, still sticks out in my brain 12 years on. ESPECIALLY the toe-nail.

Hmmm, next I'll go for Silver Linings Playbook.


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BetrayedTangy
09/26/22 11:41:24 PM
#39:


Glad you enjoyed Black Swan! I watched it a couple months ago and it very quickly became my favorite film.

I never would've thought that a coming of age movie, could be such a good psychological thriller. I also agree on how relatable it is. The overbearing parent is so well done its scary and I love that they actually showed the psychological effect this had on Nina. That kind of trauma can really effect your growth and maturity and it ended up hitting pretty close to home

BlueCrystalTear posted...
There's still something I don't fully understand, and that's what was causing Nina's injuries. What was that on her back that she pulled out?

Most of her injuries were caused by either herself or were just in her head as a result of anxiety. What she pulled out of her back was actually a feather that hasn't fully grown yet. I believe her alter ego was scratching at her back to try and get them to grow faster.

Also I definitely recommend you check out Aronofsky's other work as well. The Wrestler and Requiem for a Dream are both Top 25 movies for me and he's even got one coming out in December starring Brendon Fraser

EDIT: Oh yeah I have another nom. I'll go with Inglourious Basterds

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BlueCrystalTear
09/26/22 11:48:48 PM
#40:


Snake5555555555 posted...
NICE write-up! The imagery definitely is striking, still sticks out in my brain 12 years on. ESPECIALLY the toe-nail.
Thanks! And yeah... lots of visceral imagery perfectly juxtaposed with the hotness of two very, VERY gorgeous women. I looked away from the toenail to check my own in response; I can handle some blood, just not the guts (that's why you don't see many horror movies on here). The timing is very, very eerie to me given how my nail's gonna fall off tonight or tomorrow. It's also Murphy's Law since the pool just closed at my building and that was what was preventing me from swimming, since it was like a "flap" that was super painful. Thus, I can kinda understand how painful that injury was. But yeah, enough on toenail injuries.

Really, Natalie Portman played the role of Nina perfectly. She sold the schizophrenia really well, and that made for a fantastic psychological thriller. She's a great actress so this does not surprise me. Mila Kunis also did a fantastic job - and I could tell the difference between Lily's "real" self and the hallucinations. I think she recognized that she had to treat those as two separate characters - think Persona 5, where there's someone's real-world self and the cognitive version in a Palace (this isn't a spoiler for P5, really).

This is probably the kind of movie you have to watch a second time to fully appreciate. And probably more context from having actually seen Swan Lake instead of just knowing the gist of it.

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BlueCrystalTear
09/26/22 11:52:47 PM
#41:


BetrayedTangy posted...
The overbearing parent is so well done its scary and I love that they actually showed the psychological effect this had on Nina. That kind of trauma can really effect your growth and maturity and it ended up hitting pretty close to home
Yeah, I feel this 100%. I was never able to grow, or to "live a little" - though I don't look for hookups at bars. Not my speed. I want a long-term relationship, not a pity fuck.

Most of her injuries were caused by either herself or were just in her head as a result of anxiety. What she pulled out of her back was actually a feather that hasn't fully grown yet. I believe her alter ego was scratching at her back to try and get them to grow faster.

Also I definitely recommend you check out Aronofsky's other work as well. The Wrestler and Requiem for a Dream are both Top 25 movies for me and he's even got one coming out in December starring Brendon Fraser
That's... interesting. And the alter ego must've been... the swan? She was definitely seeing things, including a doppelganger that wasn't actually one. Lots of confusion with that, but hey, it was a beautifully done movie, and definitely something I want to watch again relatively soon. It will probably end up in my top 25, given all the things it did well.

Unfortunately, with PrePlayed now closed, I don't know if I can acquire those movies. I have zero interest in wrestling anyway. Requiem for a Dream might be worth a look but... THE LIST is plenty long. EDIT: Found it for free. Adding it, with that being your next vote.

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BetrayedTangy
09/27/22 12:15:07 AM
#42:


BlueCrystalTear posted...
That's... interesting. And the alter ego must've been... the swan? She was definitely seeing things, including a doppelganger that wasn't actually one. Lots of confusion with that, but hey, it was a beautifully done movie, and definitely something I want to watch again relatively soon. It will probably end up in my top 25, given all the things it did well.

Unfortunately, with PrePlayed now closed, I don't know if I can acquire those movies. I have zero interest in wrestling anyway. Requiem for a Dream might be worth a look but... THE LIST is plenty long. EDIT: Found it for free (legally). Adding it, with that being your next vote.

Well more specifically the Black Swan. That side of her personality is trying to come out and take over Nina who is the White Swan.

Oh yeah those were just general recommendations, didn't mean for them to be my vote, but if you want to run with Requiem, more power to ya! I was in the same boat with wrestling too, but the movie actually gave me a newfound respect for it!

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MetalmindStats
09/27/22 3:27:10 AM
#43:


I keep forgetting to comment, oops. Anyways...

I've actually seen most of these movies so far, which will not become a recurring theme for me! My own nomination is of course my favorite of those (all except Reservoir Dogs), though I have some highly subjective, difficult-to-describe quibbles that stop me from liking Monsters, Inc. as much as you do - and I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! I mainly went for it because I felt it would be fitting for you to watch the acclaimed 2000s Pixar movies in order to get a sense of how CG animation advanced during the decade, both technically speaking and in terms of plots/themes/etc. With that in mind, I'd now like to nominate Finding Nemo.

Also, I know this discussion is old by now, but I absolutely agree that Shaun of the Dead stands on its own. As Snake said, you hardly have to watched anything with zombies in it to have a more than fair shot at enjoying it - in fact, I don't think I personally had ever seen a zombie-focused movie, TV show, or the like going in.

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BlueCrystalTear
09/29/22 11:54:41 PM
#44:


Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Written by: Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright
Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Nick Frost, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran
Previous status: Never seen

"What do you mean by that?"

In retrospect, it was probably a mistake to not watch Dawn first, because any references were lost on me. In fact, there was a lot of disjointed storytelling early on - mostly about things that didn't matter, mind you. There was a lot left on the table that never got eaten here. Also worth noting: When I hit "Play movie" on the DVD menu, it operated like a first-person shooter. Loved that.

A big problem I noted also was how fucking braindead the characters were - and no, I'm not talking about the zombies. I couldn't tell you who had more brains between the zombies and Shaun's crew, given how many downright stupid things they did. They took forever to realize that something very, very weird was going on. They had no urgency. They failed to improvise weapons on countless occasions (like... fence posts? HELLO!). They fought pointlessly after talking about cooperation. Ed crashed the car for no reason whatsoever other than wanting to drive the Jag. Like... to call him an idiot would be a compliment.

I am curious if all this was done for intentional comedy, because it certainly didn't feel funny, just frustrating. It would've been funny if he'd done some idiot things that somehow caused a miracle to occur - or if the movie did more things like the records scene, which was the only time it actually felt like it was mocking other movies for their characters' lack of urgency. I would've thought there'd be more. But no, they just... did stupid shit that would've ordinarily gotten them killed, and survived because they were supposed to, at least until the end. I did not find this humorous. If you're going to parody a genre where people survive only because the writers want them to, take it a step further than that instead of just doing the same thing. Mock it with ridiculous divine intervention.

I also had thought this was a comedy, but I found it hardly funny for the breadth of it. Funny moments include the following:
  • All the throwing of junk comically bouncing off the zombies, and then them taking the time to decide what records were expendable. This was the kind of satire I expected throughout the rest of the movie: Doing stupid stuff, yet miraculously surviving. Nothing after this accomplished the same.
  • The rehearsing of multiple versions of "The Plan" to "get everyone to safety"
  • The party acting like zombies amid a horde of them to avoid garnering attention... some of them doing better than others.
  • Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" playing during a fight (shades of Reservoir Dogs)
  • The final scene
That's about it. Perhaps I missed numerous references due to my lack of experience with horror in general - largely because I don't like excess blood and gore. I can handle people bleeding reasonably, but not things like David being ripped apart. I couldn't watch. Honestly, everything in the climax after the jukebox fight felt too normal. The Shaun/Liz relationship also felt too normal. Dianne didn't get enough credit for being the smartest person there, at least until her emotional reaction to seeing her husband get ripped apart.

Things I liked included Philip saying he loved Shaun like his own son in his final moments (Bill Nighy just nailed this) and that the commandos just showed up and killed all the zombies. My favorite thing, however, was the commentary about the zombies being retail wage slaves in the end - this tied it all back together to the beginning. It's asking a question: Are we already zombies? Are we soulless wage slaves who have no brains and are just cogs? It's a highly agreeable commentary from me, and I like how it was tied in without being so overt that it was obnoxious. I can also see how this compares to COVID, given how... I worked Fulfillment at Target during the worst of it.

But, honestly? Of the movies I've seen so far, I probably enjoyed this one the least. Perhaps it's because I missed things. Perhaps it's because I couldn't appreciate the references. Perhaps it's because I expected something more satirical than this. Perhaps it's because it's not my genre. I still liked it for what it was but I can't say I'll be revisiting it any time soon (even with this being a "Halloween season kickoff movie"). I'll still give it a 3/5, because it gave me some laughs, even if it didn't quite live up to my expectations. That feels high in some aspects but just right in others.

Sorry if my write-up doesn't live up to your expectations, guys! @Snake5555555555 and @MetalmindStats , you both get new nominations!

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Snake5555555555
09/30/22 12:33:22 AM
#45:


Ah no worries, I enjoyed reading your thoughts regardless. The characters acting like idiots all the time is definitely intentional. Just tying back in to the theme of humans already being braindead zombies in the first place. I guess knowing a little bit more about the genre would've helped even if I still think it's a great standalone zombie movie in its own right already.

Burn After Reading for my next nom

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BlueCrystalTear
09/30/22 12:44:56 AM
#46:


Yeah... it was less of a satire than I thought it would be, honestly, and felt more like a societal commentary than anything parodying the zombie genre. I do think expectation played a great part in why I was ultimately let down, even though I fully enjoyed the movie's message. It does make a very good point about human culture - something that's only gotten worse this year with the "return from the COVID" nonsense. People are expected to be zombies. Me, I rebel against that. I fucking hate being a cog, and that's why jobs burn me out. Hell, I've been playing some Sims 4 lately and my current Sim hates that too, since she comes back home every other day hating her baking job, and having to regain passion for it. Spoiler: She's about to quit, since I no longer need her to have that job for anything. I hope I can make such a thing happen in reality.

Will watch another (TBD) come Saturday or Sunday, followed by Mean Girls on Monday, by virtue of that being October 3rd. (Don't know why I didn't schedule that earlier, but there ya go.)

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GavsEvans123
09/30/22 5:30:20 PM
#47:


I was a little disappointed in Shaun of the Dead when I watched it for the first time recently too. It's one of the iconic British films and I set my expectations too high because of that. It did have its moments though. The biggest laugh for me was during the zombie acting scene when Ed's phone rings and he answers it. I recall hearing somewhere that the film transitioning from a zombie spoof to a proper zombie film as it went on was intentional as well.

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BlueCrystalTear
10/03/22 11:39:20 PM
#48:


Couldn't decide what to watch last night. At least today's one of them "fixed date movies" so I didn't have to choose!

Mean Girls (2004)
Directed by: Mark Waters
Written by: Tina Fey
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tim Meadows, Tina Fey
Previous status: Last saw 2019ish

"It's October 3rd."

Yes, Cady. It is. This is why one watches Mean Girls on October 3rd. But that's not a good enough quote for this.

"That's so fetch!"

That's iconic - something intended to become Millennial slang, which it indeed DID for a time. The love and care that went into this script is astonishing. Tina Fey really knew what she was doing. There are so many little details that she plants and they pay off later, such as "being hit by a school bus" comments early on, Damien's pink polo shirt, Mathletes rapping, the lunch in the bathroom stall, and many little things. There's also that this was set in the northern suburbs of Chicago - a blatant reference to John Hughes doing just the same. One little thing: There was a back building? What kind of Midwestern high school has more than one building?

The movie makes some good commentary on reality. Fickle people do whatever their idols - celebs or people they're jealous of - do since they're too insecure to make their own decisions. What _ does has to be cool, right? And that's wrong - maybe we should just be ourselves. This relates to the "solve the problem in front of you," and to not judge others and not ostracize each other. That school-wide therapy session was ridiculous - if only things worked like that in reality! Then again, there aren't school-wide melees in reality, since educators put the kibosh on that real quick. When I was in high school, four thugs started beating up a scrawny kid - a vice principal and two hall monitors were there in 15 seconds, long before it hit "all hell breaks loose" (the thugs were expelled). Principal Duvall wasn't very effective at quashing the drama, nor did he understand womanhood; it's also weird that it was just girls fighting and none of the guys tried to break it up or help their girlfriends. Regina would have realistically been expelled for throwing those notes everywhere - evidence for her being the prime suspect for the Burn Book, with the other three all blaming her like she blamed them. She said, she said.

I wrote a fuck ton of notes for this because I didn't wanna miss anything. I LOVE this movie. More than a page this time - but that's me doing it for a movie I already know, but I'm surprised at just how much I forgot. Let's go over most of these:
  • "Ashton Kutcher? Is that a band?"
  • Regina's little sister was a Plastic in the making in a hilarious way. Amy Poehler nailed Mrs. George being an enabler... and her dog sucking her tits was funny. Showing Regina's family really shows a lot about how her character became to be so narcissistic and cruel.
  • I noted that Regina dressed up with the bunny ears for the costume party and Aaron told her "You remember it's a costume party, right?" - it feels like a reverse of Legally Blonde when Elle gets tricked into wearing a similar outfit to embarrass her. I do wonder if that was deliberate.
  • The candy cane giving thing was WEIRD to me. Don't recall anything remotely like it in high school.
  • I'd forgotten about Santa's Helpers at the talent show. Cady saved the day when she started singing to recover. And... I'd forgotten how damn good of a singer Lindsay Lohan was pre-meltdown. This was so good and noticeable that it got her a record deal after many failed attempts. Another thing she put in the toilet, sadly.
  • Tina Fey's Mrs. Norbury is pretty awesome. She knew that Cady was tanking tests to talk to a boy, and it wasn't worth it. She knew Cady was responsible for the drug dealer comment, but couldn't be behind the entire book by virtue of being new. She's a logical person, so it makes sense that she's teaching calculus. I doubt there's another - my school had one Calc class, and I took pre-calc my senior year.
  • Janis is also complex - petty, yet brutally honest. Her calling Cady out was great, since Cady had become Regina. Really, everyone hates the Plastics deep down, either out of jealousy or spite. Something the movie makes known. Damien.. .he was just kinda there, but I liked how he was using the girls' bathroom and, uh, was disgusted by the kiss with Janis since he's gay.
  • I also note that Cady mentioned Madison, where I live - but I have no idea what Ladysmith Black Mambazo is. Looking it up, it's some South African vocal group, and this movie really spread their fame since their only renowned song before was a collaboration with Paul Simon in the 80s. I'll see them next time they're at Overture. Cady... well she just had a party. With spiked bunch. And mistakes. Whoops. (Aaron Samuels is pretty generic tbh)
  • The "we all got along in middle school" girl was so obviously an impostor. Middle school is worse than high school since that's when battle lines get drawn.
  • Gretchen was the only one to make no apology during the speeches. She naturally hit Karen with a thud, because nobody else cared to catch her. I'm sure Cady would've been caught for saying many of the same things Janis did.
  • Regina and Cady having a confrontation in the middle of the street was stupid and the consequences were deserved. The bus driver probably hated Regina too. So she "died" - that was quite the fake-out that completely changed the mood. But hey, this is a comedy, it owned it and mocked itself. Loved it.
  • Sending Cady to a public high school blew up in her parents' faces. She turned into someone she wasn't and they acted surprised. Gee, maybe that's because she has new influences, and the teenage angst makes her unable to know what to do with them. Like is normal. Not knowing what "grounding" is made her dad... comical.
  • The math geeks seem to go to the dance at this school. That's usually for everyone except the geeks. I certainly didn't go to any, but I couldn't get a date and I hate crowded noisy places that aren't concerts for bands I like or anime cons where lots of people have anxiety.
  • Lots of hilarious hook-ups at the end - Janis/Kevin in particular. Nice how everything got desensitized, and I wish that real high schools could create accepting environments like that. I think that was part of the intent despite this being a lot of laughs.
Also gotta commend the acting. Lindsay Lohan made Cady Heron a more definitive role for her than the twins in The Parent Trap, by handling both Cady's geeky side ("the limit does not exist") and Plastic side beautifully (damn shame Lohan threw her career away after this). The movie also gains a lot from us hearing Cady's thoughts, which more movies should do, honestly - it feels like a first-person perspective book where we relate to the protagonist far more since we get to hear their thoughts. There are things that are lost without that. But it's not just her. Rachel McAdams did a phenomenal job being a real ***** as Regina - casting against type worked flawlessly. Lacey Chabert was perfect as Gretchen Weiners and all her slips of the tongue - her loose lips sunk ships. Amanda Seyfried nailed Karen Smith being a total dumbass, looking like a deer in the headlights on the regular. "It's like I have ESPN or something" is so hilarious. Delivered flawlessly.

There's also the personal discourse here. Cady is by all means a people pleaser: She wants to be friends with everybody and be liked. She trusts too much and gets burned. I can relate a lot. I just want to be liked and understood. But, uh, I didn't spend my formative years in southern Africa.

Yeah, 5/5, will watch again October 3rd next year.

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BlueCrystalTear
10/03/22 11:45:38 PM
#49:


Since that one went so long (yes, I loved it), I gotta do this in a separate post: @Snake5555555555 @BetrayedTangy you both get another nomination! You guys have good taste since you both have gotten two golds in such a few movies.

Will explain something more here about THE LIST:
  • Anything with a gold bar will 100% be watched again at some point
  • Anything 5/5 without a gold bar will probably be watched again and retained in my collection
  • Anything with a 3/5 or higher will be kept, as I at least partly enjoyed them
  • I plan on ditching anything that fails to get a 3. And I see a few on here that very well might, mostly ones that my sister had back in the day. I didn't want a lot of her movies from the DVD box tbqh because I can only take so many romcoms. Thankfully she has more diversified taste now... but she watches on Netflix, not DVDs. (I only have access to Disney+ and Hulu)

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BlueCrystalTear
10/06/22 11:53:38 PM
#50:


Donnie Darko (2001)
Written and Directed by: Richard Kelly
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Previous status: Never seen

"Have you ever seen a portal?"

Well, since the last psychological thriller about a schizophrenic nut went so well, I thought I'd give this one a go, too. I mean, it's October. I should prioritize the movies with more horror vibes, and this one definitely cut it.

Thing is, I wasn't expecting something so low-budget, but hey, I'll judge it in that manner. It surprised me at first that a mega A-lister circa 2001 like Drew Barrymore would be in such a movie, but then I read she financed it, and thus she took on the role best suited for her: The English teacher who tells Gretchen to "sit next to the boy she finds the cutest." It was that - plus the jet engine and the Patrick Swayze infomercial-like documentary about fear - that made me start to doubt the events of this movie as reality. The jet engine made it clear that Donnie was just plane weird.

...sorry, I had to. My apologies. He IS weird, though, and the movie makes the most of it, telling some of the story through the psychotherapy sessions - things that they didn't have in the budget to show. Thankfully, these are dispersed throughout the movie, so there isn't one point that's so heavy on them that the story drags. I do wonder what these pills he was taking are - after all, this was October 1988, as was obvious even before the screen card due to Elizabeth's words: "I'm voting for Dukakis." With four words, you just established the very month of the setting, and also established that Elizabeth had just turned 18 y/o. Donnie was thus 16 y/o. But back to my point: I don't know what kind of mental health medications existed back then. I thought antidepressants weren't a big thing until the 90s. There's also how the Darkos' kitchen looked - it didn't look like any kitchen from that time period I've ever seen. More flowery wallpaper was necessary.

Gretchen was fascinating to me. She was drawn to Donnie's dark mystery - despite her stepdad being a total fucking psycho who had caused her and her mom to reinvent themselves. I don't see this as too dissimilar from Donnie; he too has serious mental health problems. But Gretchen showed that she was a keeper by asking a very dysregulated Donnie if he was okay, then told him to sit down. I need a woman like that. Someone who will recognize when hinges are coming loose and will screw them back in, no matter how long that takes. I thus liked Gretchen accordingly, and was devastated to see her killed off in the original timeline.

However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the shitbag health teacher, Mrs. Farmer. Seriously, what a total Karen this woman is, and I hate her guts, especially how she's ableist trash who blames Donnie's mental illness on his parents. And she makes some connection between Graham Greene and Bonanza that makes no sense at all. Wrong Greene - we're talking about a writer, not an actor. The worst part, however, was how she showed up to ask Rose to accompany the young dancers (11 y/os shaking their butts? Uhhh..... no thanks) to Los Angeles for the tournament. Apparently defending a pedophile is a much more pressing need than her own daughter's dreams, and how dare Rose want to stay home to make sure her disturbed son doesn't do anything stupid. Rose isn't the one lacking commitment here, it's Mrs. Farmer.

The mystery of "Frank" was intriguing too - and then it turned out he's Elizabeth's boyfriend, and the rabbit costume was real. The wut? Did Donnie perhaps see that thing and that gave form to the voice in his head? It's also worth noting the juxtaposition between Sparkle Fever dancing to "Notorious" and Donnie torching the manor, especially given how his notoriety is increasing and that the jackass who lived there was a pedophile. The same guy who accused Donnie of being afflicted by fear, even though Donnie had the testicular fortitude to tell him he's a fraud to his face. Quite the contradiction. And if Mrs. Farmer likes him, that means he must suck too. I also lol'd at how Donnie found his wallet and weaponized it, much like he'd weaponized the flash card Mrs. Farmer gave him about the same concept by shoving it up her

As for the ending... the plane engine going back in time is weird, especially since we know Samantha survived. I'm surprised Donnie didn't "get up to use the bathroom" when he saw the date, but I think this meant he might not have wanted to live, especially not without the best thing that ever happened to him... who turned out to be alive at that time. I'm still trying to process all the plotlines here: Frank's prophecy must've been that Donnie dies by playing the Song of Time. The time reset must've meant the actual timeline had only Donnie die. There was a lot of full circle here (the plane, the location of the time skip, the thieves), even though this movie was a mess. I think the mess was deliberate, because Donnie was a mess himself. What a mind fuck that whole ending was. I loved it. And, since Tarantino influenced me here, I had thought something was out of order about the plot. The time travel was used as a plot device in a different way, but it was a good way. Really, only the last half hour was truly thrilling - everything before that was buildup.

While I wouldn't say this is as amazing as Black Swan, possibly because I watched that first (or its higher production value, or the hot women, or the using Swan Lake as an allegory more effectively than "The Destructors" is here, or that it's less of a slow burn), I definitely still enjoyed this one. There were a few things that were unclear, like why Drew Barrymore's character got fired just for doing her job, or how Donnie had the gun on him for so long, or the setting inconsistencies. But this is still a solid movie, one that I will revisit at some point. Not as soon as Black Swan, but soon enough. A 5/5 (though not a gold).

@Johnbobb I've moved your nomination back to Mulholland Drive. I'm also tagging you so you can read this!

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