Dude, that's kind of spoilerish. Also, I didn't like the first one all that much because the acting was meh and it just felt too much like an adaptation. I feel like the second film improved on that... though not on the overall impression. I haven't read the books so I can't really say, but I'd guess that these adaptations are either a modest success or a modest failure.
Vacation - 1.5 out of 5 Fairly predictable, and aside from a few giggles here and there, it's pretty uneventful. The Taking of Deborah Logan - 1 out of 5 It really starts promising with the idea of people with mental illnesses being more susceptible to possession, but then the film gets lazy and goes into a weird, not scary place.
[thumb]https://offtherecordontheqt.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/12-angry-men3.jpg[/thumb] 12 Angry Men (1957) - 5/5 Nothing short of amazing.
[thumb]http://i2.wp.com/bitcast-a-sm.bitgravity.com/slashfilm/wp/wp-content/images/blackmass-depp-gunpoint.jpg[/thumb] Black Mass (2015) - 6.5/10 I'm just going to get this out of the way first: Johnny Depp's peformance was fucking great. It was good to finally see him playing a character that isn't just Jack Sparrow #500. The acting in the film was great in general. That being said, the film was just, okay. The film had no real structure to it. Rather than being a story with a clear beginning, middle. and end, all it really was, was a string of loosely connected vignettes spread across a number of years about Whitey Bulger's rise to Crime-Lord of Boston. On top of this, there is no definitive protagonist or antagonist, so you're not rooting for anyone. You're just seeing a series of events unfold that you're really not that invested in. Lastly, the way the film wrapped up left a bad taste in my mouth. It just ends ends abruptly with little resolution, and tries to make up for it by doing the "where they are now" schtick, but falls real flat. It may seem like I'm shitting on this movie, but I'm not. It was a decently entertaining film that didn't meet the expectations the trailer set up for me. Having what was probably the best scene of the movie as the opening scene for the first trailer really did this film a disservice. It's worth seeing, just don't pay it to see it in a theater.
Birdman - 9/10 Amazing. Thor: The Dark World - 7/10 Visually, a step up from the previous incarnation. Unfortunately the film falls flat with a terribly written villain, and by the third act, you'd be hard-pressed to care. The inklings of an aesthetic charm from both the costumes and cast were the only saving grace in my viewing experience.
[thumb]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rpa0wHIf6jc/U6AhBdlc7nI/AAAAAAAADGI/sjHl_EXAlgk/s1600/0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000005448484848.png[/thumb] Apocalypse Now (1979) - 4/5 [thumb]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AJk4uT33xfY/Tb9AXrgt75I/AAAAAAAAAAQ/VXOYSv3JxGM/s1600/Annex%252520-%252520Brando%252C%252520Marlon%252520%2528Apocalypse%252520Now%2529_12.jpg[/thumb] Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991) - 5/5
[thumb]http://www.lagkill.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/akira-2.jpg[/thumb] Akira (1988) - 9/10 The inlfuence it's had on anime, videogames and Western movies is almost palpable. Amazing imagery and intriguing story. That isn't to say the movie is without its faults. Most of the characters are severely underdeveloped and are mostly there to serve the plot. However, despite not being able to show the story to the extent the manga does (which is over 2000 pages long), it still manages to get the point across. And like I said, it's a feast for the eyes (mahgawd, that promotional poster). In short: while the level of execution for the story isn't what I expected, it still deserves all the praise it gets. [thumb]http://www.themarysue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/gits-post-1.jpg[/thumb] Ghost in the Shell (1995) - 8/10 Another awesome looking anime. It did end quite unexpectedly, though. Because of that and the movie's short runtime, it kind of ends around the time you start caring about the characters. Not really what you want out of a movie. There's a sequel out there, so I'll be sure to watch that, but I hoped it explored the characters a bit more in this one as well. Despite that, I still enjoyed it a lot. Hopefully the sequel doesn't disappoint.
[thumb]https://s3.amazonaws.com/tribeca_cms_production/uploads/image/gallery_image/5432bb435cae2b89be000003/jason_dree.jpg[/thumb] Listen Up Philip (2014) - 2/5 Started off great but then it starts meandering and just keeps dragging on and on. The movie could've worked really well if it was shorter and if the characters were more focused.
...I didn't know we had this thread. The past month (literally all Disney but one lol): Make Mine Music - 2/10 Fun and Fancy Free - 6/10 The Matrix - 8/10 The Lion King 2 - 4/10 The Lion King 1 1/2 - 7.5/10 Song of the South - 5/10 Melody Time - 6/10 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad - 6/10 Cinderella - 7/10 Alice in Wonderland - 8/10 Lady and the Tramp - 6.5/10 Sleeping Beauty - 6/10 One Hundred and One Dalmatians - 7/10 The Sword in the Stone - 5/10 The Aristocats - 7/10 Robin Hood - 7/10 The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - 6/10 The Rescuers - 4/10 I opted not to explain my ratings for obvious reasons.
[thumb]http://www.tasteofcinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Ghost-in-the-Shell-Innocence.jpg[/thumb] Ghost in the Shell (2004) - 6/10 Definitely not as good as the first one and, arguably, completely unnecessary. The movie is filled with too much philosophical dialogue, making the characters sound more like plot devices than anything else, and the story, like I said earlier, isn't really worth telling to begin with and kind of difficult to understand. The art was cool, the action looked great and there were some memorable moments, but other than that: not really worth the watch.
"I Know That Voice" available on NETFLIX. 9/10. It was fun to match the voices with the actors, to which most I wasn't aware of. The documentary doesn't go too in depth but it gives you better perspective in the world of voice acting. Film is heavy with interviews, not a negative but would like to have seen more "in the process" moments of the voice actors.
Gravity - 8/10 I appreciate the film and scored it high for the craft behind the film. While I understand the buzz it received during its release, I personally found the experience to be pretty bland and predictable.
I saw it in theaters and it was amazing. I felt like I was right there in space with them. I don't think I'll watch it again though. No way it'll feel the same at home. Though the behind the scenes are awesome to watch if you're into the production side of things.
[thumb]http://cdn.hitfix.com/photos/975558/The-Godfather-Part-II-1974.jpg[/thumb] The Godfather II (1974) - 4.5/5 [thumb]http://kahramangiller.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/marsli-7.jpg[/thumb] The Martian (2014) - 3.5/5 I liked it but it felt more safe than I thought it would be, given all the praise it's been getting. I figured it would explore more of the psychological aspects of surviving alone but it adhered mostly to the technical aspects. I thought some of the song choices felt really out of place and it took away from moments of tension and suspense-building. The score alone was going a fine job but injecting those 80s songs so often got really annoying. The lightheartedness of the film overall also didn't sit very well with me. Many of the weighty moments were undercut by a sudden quip that felt out of place. Overall, I guess it delivers on what it promises... just a competently made survival film with not a lot to offer in the way of unexpected twists and turns. I just wish the bigger moments had more weight behind them to really elevate the whole experience. [thumb]http://i.imgur.com/rOz2onO.png[/thumb] Beasts of No Nation (2015) - 5/5 Quite possibly one of the best war films I have ever seen. Reminded me of City of God in how unapologetic and true to life it's portrayal of this miserable condition was. Idris Elba gave a strong performance but that's to be expected of an actor of his caliber. The kid was the one who truly stole the show. [thumb]https://lintvkimt.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/elm3.jpg[/thumb] A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - 4/5 Really enjoyed this. Lots of great and unique imagery that you barely get in horror films of today. Some of the acting was pretty terrible but that has its charm. [thumb]http://screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Gift-Movie-2015-Joel-Edgerton-Gordo.jpg[/thumb] The Gift (2015) - 4.5/5 Very well made thriller where the commentary never felt heavy-handed. Joel Edgerton has slowly become one of my favorite actors around. And now he's also shown talent behind the camera. Jason Bateman was also played a very convincing asshole.
Some of what I've seen in the past few weeks: [thumb]http://www.hdwallpapers.org/walls/godfather-marlon-brando-corleone-wide.jpg[/thumb] The Godfather (1972) - 8.5/10 While it was definitely very, very good, I felt like it was a bit overly long. It doesn't stop it from being an amazing film however. Once the shit hits the fan, this really picks up. The scene where Michael Corleone is attending the baptism of his godson, that is intercut with him taking out all of the Dons in New York, is absolutely INCREDIBLE. [thumb]http://multimedia.pol.dk/archive/00476/godfather2_30-09-20_476054a.jpg[/thumb] The Godfather Part II (1974) - 9.5/10 What can I say about this that hasn't already been said? This is an absolute incredible piece of work. It expands on the first film wonderfully, and is perfect at showing the fall of Michael Corleone. The only thing keeping this from a 10 for me are the flashbacks with Vito Corelone. While they are good, they lack any real depth to them. I feel like I'm watching a history book during these scenes, not a complex narrative. Nevertheless, one of the best sequels ever. [thumb]http://korokimono.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/die-hard-1.jpg[/thumb] Die Hard (1988) - 8.5/10 A very sweet action flick, that holds up very well. John McClane is a very relatable action hero, and Alan Rickman plays on of the memorable villains I've seen in a long time. The only fault I have with this movie is that it is a little short on action, at least the amount I was expecting from it.
[thumb]https://lintvkimt.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/halloween3.png[/thumb] Halloween (1978) - 4.5/5 I loved how much of a slow-burn this was. It's very meditative and takes its time with building suspense. A big chunk of it takes place in broad daylight but it still manages to be creepy. Some of the decisions taken by the characters seemed stupid but I guess its part of the slasher genre trope. The suspense and slow-burn nature elevates it. [thumb]http://extra.globo.com/incoming/12262521-b5e-e58/w976h550/massacreGLOBO.jpg[/thumb] The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - 5/5 Okay, this could be one of my favorite horror films of all time. First off the film looks gorgeous! The cinema-verite style of filming almost makes the camera's presence invisible and makes it feels like you're watching actual people. It's found-footage without found-footage and yet ten times more realistic. For a film that is over 40 years old it holds up incredibly well and can give any horror film of today a run for their money. It's genuinely unsettling and horrifying and a lot of that has to do with how realistic everything feels.