Thursday, May 26, 2016

It Follows [2015] review

The crux of the movie is that something follows you and it can take any form it wants. The only way to stop it from following you is to have sex with someone else, then it will start following that person. Unfortunately, if it kills that person, then it will come back after you again. Unfortunately, only you can see it so if your friends try to help, you just look like a crazy person running from nothing. "It" takes a couple bullets in the film but keeps coming. "It" walks towards you so you can get away from it, but if it touches you, you're pretty much a goner as it has super strength.

I found the movie pretty creepy, but not super scary. The soundtrack is just a series of repeated creepy sounds like you'd hear walking through a haunted house; it became slightly comical as the movie progressed. If you like fantasy horror mysteries, you'll like this film, otherwise you'll probably want to steer clear.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

The Hateful Eight [2015] review

As expected, the movie was very Tarantino, with the violence and the cursing, which I loved, but also very slow at parts.  I felt it spent a little too much time in the carriage.  I didn't realize that essentially the carriage and the Haberdashery would be the only two set pieces, but I enjoyed the mystery of it all once everyone was at the Haberdashery.  The use of the N word seemed a little overboard than usual, but only because my girlfriend pointed it out which made me more aware of it during viewing, otherwise it didn't bother me.  Most of the acting was excellent save for Jennifer Jason Leigh who seemed to be channeling Melissa Leo, Tim Roth who seemed to be doing a poor impression of Christoph Waltz, and Zoe Bell who seemed a little too over enthusiastic for her small part in the flashback scene (the scene itself felt very similar to the scene before the Massacre at Two Pines in Kill Bill V2 - needed, but too much happy in it and less normalcy if that makes sense).

Despite the above little nitpicks, I enjoyed this film and would choose to watch this again soon over Django.  Sam Jackson definitely steals the show and I loved the idea of the Lincoln letter.

***

My ratings of Tarantino's 8 films:
(best to least)
Pulp Fiction, (1994)
Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, (2003-04)
Reservoir Dogs, (1992)
Inglorious Basterds, (2009)
The Hateful Eight, (2016)
Django Unchained, (2012)
Jackie Brown, (1997)
Death Proof, (2007)

Monday, May 9, 2016

Captain America: Civil War [2016] review

"Captain America:  Civil War" definitely felt like Winter Solider 2.0 to me which isn't bad.  I loved Winter Solider more upon subsequent viewings so I expect the same for this film. 

At first pass, it felt sad. I knew going in the good guys would be divided and I looked forward to those actions scenes, but at the end of the day, you don't want to see your "friends" fighting. You want to see the good guys fighting the bad guys. It didn't feel like anyone won in the film, but that they all lost, especially when the movie ended with Bucky going back on ice.

Other thoughts:
Nitpicks
 Where was Vision during the battle against Crossbones? Did they say Crossbones in the movie? If they did, it must of been during the chaos of the first act and I missed it.

 I didn't like the use of the shaky cam with all the action going on in the first act. While on the vehicles, maybe, but once off the vehicles I would have preferred a more steady shot, but during the part with Black Widow it seemed like the camera was just shaking just to make the scene more intense for someone with no "powers".

 So did Bucky remember Steve in their first scene together? Was Bucky aware of his actions when he was brainwashed or not? Was there just brainwashed and non-brainwashed Bucky or was their a third personality? I wasn't sure when we were dealing with what Bucky especially since we were getting a lot of his back story which I think was the point. I think this will definitely help with future viewings.

 Tony Stark was funny, but not as funny as Tony normally was in other films. Not only were he and Pepper on a break, but he was fighting with his best friend. Then when you think things are looking up they hit you with the twist.

Praises
 Spider-man was great. I thought it was really good that the movie took the time to have the Tony/Peter scene in his bedroom before throwing him into the fray. Very smart and very well done. Once he appeared in his suit, I think he acted accordingly and was very true to the character. One of the best exchanges was between him and Steve about him having a lot of heart and booth of them mentioning where they were from (Brooklyn/Queens connection).

 Everything Ant-Man was very funny and the trick up his sleeve took me by surprise and I was smiling the whole time. I'm glad that it wasn't spoiled in the trailers.


 The end scene where you thought Captain America might decapitate Iron Man and then left behind the shield that his father made for him. Very powerful scene and very well done.