What was the last movie you watched?

[jonalame]

Apologies, Kete, I just figured I had seen enough of the Citizen series after the third installment.

[Darth Geek]

Is that the one in space?

[Kete]

It's the one that takes place in Hong Kong.

[jonalame]

It's the one where Laura Poitras gets snowed in.

[RVR II]

Finally watching 2010: The Year We Make Contact on Blu-Ray after waiting for Netflix to send me a replacement disc..

Forgot that a couple actors from Jaws and Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind are in this one

[ScottotD]

Citizenfour
How is this not a big effing deal with everyone?  How is John Oliver able to interview so many people about it without them having a clue about it?  Why are foreign countries even talking to us anymore?

Because "TRAITOR! WE'RE NUMBER ONE! etc" I assume

[Johnny Unusual]

I believe he was only a producer for Halloween III, which was supposed to begin his original vision of a series of unrelated horror films that only shared the day of the year as a theme, with different directors using it at their launching pad.

Oops.

Yeah, cool idea, not so great execution.  I mean, nothing was going to save that movie, but I wonder if that idea would have been more of a success if The Fog was Halloween II instead of another Michael Myers film.

[anais.butterfly]

Citizenfour
How is this not a big effing deal with everyone?  How is John Oliver able to interview so many people about it without them having a clue about it?  Why are foreign countries even talking to us anymore?

Is that the Edward Snowden doc? Did you rent it or stream it?

[Darth Geek]

I believe he was only a producer for Halloween III, which was supposed to begin his original vision of a series of unrelated horror films that only shared the day of the year as a theme, with different directors using it at their launching pad.

Oops.

Yeah, cool idea, not so great execution.  I mean, nothing was going to save that movie, but I wonder if that idea would have been more of a success if The Fog was Halloween II instead of another Michael Myers film.

Now THAT would have been cool. And say what you will about Halloween III, it's not that good overall. But it sure as hell is a lot more interesting than just a boring slasher movie.

[Quirk]

John Dies at the End

I just finished the very good book this was adapted from, and I was expecting next to nothing from this movie. I was so so disappointed, regardless. This is one of those adaptations that makes you wonder... why even bother, you know? The tiny chunks of the book they decided to artlessly put on screen with the help of completely wooden actors don't seem like they even form a story on their own. Does this movie make any sense whatsoever to people who didn't read the book? The tone was completely wrong. Effects were pathetic. The cinematography was utilitarian at best. The only good actor in the whole thing was Giamatti, whose role is probably baffling to people who didn't read the book, so his talent and performance are wasted.

Don't watch this. As little as the actual story is featured in this movie, watching it would spoil the plot somewhat for the exceptional book, so avoid it and read the book instead.

[Johnny Unusual]

I believe he was only a producer for Halloween III, which was supposed to begin his original vision of a series of unrelated horror films that only shared the day of the year as a theme, with different directors using it at their launching pad.

Oops.

Yeah, cool idea, not so great execution.  I mean, nothing was going to save that movie, but I wonder if that idea would have been more of a success if The Fog was Halloween II instead of another Michael Myers film.

Now THAT would have been cool. And say what you will about Halloween III, it's not that good overall. But it sure as hell is a lot more interesting than just a boring slasher movie.

Yeah, and the idea of using the writer they did was good as well, being the creator of the influential horror/sci-fi series Quatermass.  And there is some Quatermass in it (weird cosmic and ancient threats) but in service of a silly, nonsensical plot. As far as bad movies go, though, it's pretty watchable.

[Relaxing Dragon]

John Dies at the End

I just finished the very good book this was adapted from, and I was expecting next to nothing from this movie. I was so so disappointed, regardless. This is one of those adaptations that makes you wonder... why even bother, you know? The tiny chunks of the book they decided to artlessly put on screen with the help of completely wooden actors don't seem like they even form a story on their own. Does this movie make any sense whatsoever to people who didn't read the book? The tone was completely wrong. Effects were pathetic. The cinematography was utilitarian at best. The only good actor in the whole thing was Giamatti, whose role is probably baffling to people who didn't read the book, so his talent and performance are wasted.

Don't watch this. As little as the actual story is featured in this movie, watching it would spoil the plot somewhat for the exceptional book, so avoid it and read the book instead.

By pure coincidence, I just finished re-reading the book, and literally just finished re-watching the movie seconds ago (credits are still rolling and everything).

My opinion on the movie is about the opposite of yours, as I quite like it. It definitely only touches on a fraction of the book; it's pretty dead-on for the first hundred pages, and then just skips right to the end. This and most other complaints I chalk up to the absurdly low budget, which is all a movie like this was ever going to get (even the author has said it would take a James Cameron-esque undertaking just to get the Vegas stuff onscreen. An overestimation I think, but it would certainly need studio money, not indie money). It streamlines things into just dealing with Dave and John battling interdimensional whosits. The creature design is charming in its own right, even if it can't hold a candle to what's in the book. But then, I don't think that would ever be possible in movie form (comic form though... someone get on that!).

The movie worked for me because it had the right attitude. That strange, bizarrely laid-back approach to the insanity around everything. Worked for me. The real big failing of the movie, frankly, was how little Amy was in it, considering how important she is to everything (I think she has barely a dozen lines). But, all part of the streamlining thing. Nature of adaption and all.

With that said, yes, I can absolutely understand this being a disappointment to plenty of folks. I will also admit that I saw the movie first way back when, so I had an easier time adjusting to what I saw. And as much as I like the movie, the book still blows it out of the water.

If you haven't read the sequel yet, get on it. It's a good'un.

[Quirk]

The movie worked for me because it had the right attitude. That strange, bizarrely laid-back approach to the insanity around everything. Worked for me.

My problem with it was that the insanity was goofy, complete with cartoon sound effects, instead of the horrifying stuff that gave me sleep paralysis nightmares. The laid-back part was there, sure. I'll give it that.

I will also admit that I saw the movie first way back when, so I had an easier time adjusting to what I saw. And as much as I like the movie, the book still blows it out of the water.

It's impossible to know what I would have thought had I seen the movie first. Maybe I would have enjoyed it for it's own identity, but having read the book first, I can't SEE the movie's own identity (if it has one). I can only see a butchered version of the book's identity and how it fails to tell the story I knew.

If you haven't read the sequel yet, get on it. It's a good'un.

I intend to, and soon.

[Edward J Grug III]

I haven't read the book, but was pretty underwhelmed by the movie.

[MartyS (Gromit)]

Atari: Game Over

Documentary by those people that dug up the New Mexico landfill to find all those copies of E.T.
It's OK, but if you didn't know any better you would think the video game industry shut down in 1983.  So it could have be better with a little less in the middle and more history at the end after the dig is completed.  It's on Netflix.

Deepsea Challenge

James Cameron builds a sub to go down almost 7 miles to the deepest spot in the Mariana Trench.  Pretty well done, people not interested in how stuff is built and tested might be bored at the beginning, but it really gets interesting once they start testing it in deeper and deeper water.  Only interesting sea creatures filmed are in the test dives, on the 35,000 foot dive there's not a lot to see on the ocean floor.  Also on Netflix.