What movies have you seen lately? Now with reviews!Movies

[Imbissbrunto]

I watched Miami Vice last night after not having seen it in ages (the last time must have been around 2007). I absolutely loved the atmosphere and general vibe of the movie, especially the cinematography with it‘s cold and gritty digital aesthetic.

 

[Sprite]

View attachment 1565751

I watched Miami Vice last night after not having seen it in ages (the last time must have been around 2007). I absolutely loved the atmosphere and general vibe of the movie, especially the cinematography with it‘s cold and gritty digital aesthetic.

I enjoyed this film too. To be honest I think it’s quite underrated.

 

[Nacho Libre]

Yesterday I had a double dip of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, both on 4K transfers for Netflix, just as the rest of the classic lineup of I through VI.

After the plodding ST:TMP (that is not without merit, as noted in my little review) ST II transforms almost everything that came before and the result is certainly the best ST movie IMO, even if it upended the original vision/direction of Gene Roddenberry at the time. 9.5 out of 10, and the transfer looks and sounds great in my OLED TV.

ST III is better than I remember as the second act of what turned to be a trilogy. It's fun and fast moving and complements ST II quite well: It's the filling in the Oreo cookie. 8 out of 10.

Update: Of course, logic dictates I watched ST IV: The Voyage Home Next. Althought time travel has become an abused trope in the Star Trek universe, here it works perfectly to deliver a touching and timely ecological message and return our heroes home. I still laughed at the same classic jokes (Computer? Just use the keyboard! Keyboard! How quaint! ) and was moved by the whale's imagery which I learned are incredible animated miniatures created by ILM that no CGI will ever match or surpass. The perfect dessert to this 3-course meal. 9/10.

 

[Imbissbrunto]

I enjoyed this film too. To be honest I think it’s quite underrated.

100% mate, I‘d honestly consider it Michael Mann‘s best movie after Heat.

It has a very unique cinematography that I have never seen anywhere else, especially considering it’s a mainstream Hollywood movie. The closest one I can think of would be Wong Kar Wai‘s Fallen Angels in the sense that both films portray loneliness and alienation through visual means.

 

[Nacho Libre]

I rewatched Denis Villeneuve"s Sicario, It's certainly one of the darkest and bleakest of movies on the drug war, with outstanding direction and acting. 8.5/10.

Also I rewatched Star Trek V and is as bad as I remember: Bad plot, bad direction and acting, and apparently made on a $3 dollar budget. 2/10 only because there are a couple of scenes that I like.

 

[Nacho Libre]

I needed a palate cleanser after ST V, so today I walked to the nearest theater playing Resident Evil (RE: Night Zero here in Mexico). Now, I remember playing the original games in PS1 and up to the Dreamcast, from RE to Code Veronica, but I didn't follow the series thereafter, and I just played the RE2 remake last year, so I'm not the biggest fan of the series.

And yet, this movie evoked in me the anxiety and jump scares from the PS era games almost perfectly, and the references thereto are quite clever. It doesn't take itself too seriously and that's both refreshing and darkly humorous, and is vastly superior to what I remember of the former RE series of movies, which is not much to be honest. It's a side story that neither reconnects nor references characters/locations of the games, although I daresay it's biggest influence is probably Nemesis, as our hapless protagonists is relentlessly pursued almost up to the finale, which IMO doesn't lead to a direct sequel. I'm happy I didn't had any expectations and I had a thrilling hour and a half in return. 8/10

 

[Nacho Libre]

Over the weekend I also rewatched Letters from Iwo Jima, one of the two WWII movies directed by Clint Eastwood about that war scenario, the other being Flags of Our Fathers.

Anyways, Letters from Iwo Jima (filmed almost completely in Japanese) recounts the final days of the defenders of the aforementioned island. Through vignettes and flashbacks we follow the stories of the many commanders and soldiers stationed there while exploring a wide range of behaviors, from the honorable to the despicable, which gives them depth in the middle of what is, from the start, a lost cause. The movie probably starts to drag a bit towards the end, but remains a powerful meditation in the ultimate futility of war. 8.5/10.

 

[Touring Mars]

Weathering With You (Makoto Shinkai, 2019)



As per @VBR's recommendation, I watched this on Disney+ the other night having already watched Shinkai's "Your Name."

I really enjoyed it, and particularly loved the sheer accuracy and detail of downtown Tokyo; it's a really compelling story and a beautiful, visual treat throughout.

Your Name. is also brilliant, and I've recommended both films to my nephew - I reckon he might find these films more relatable than the average anime movie.


edit: From today...!

There was one scene in particular that I absolutely loved - I even guessed at the location of it, and turned out it was...

Spoiler

The Mori Tower in Roppongi, which was one of the first places I visited in Tokyo - it's a GT7 Photomode location and it is a spectacular vantage point over the city, as the roof itself is the observation deck.

--

View attachment 1565751

I watched Miami Vice last night after not having seen it in ages (the last time must have been around 2007). I absolutely loved the atmosphere and general vibe of the movie, especially the cinematography with it‘s cold and gritty digital aesthetic.

Have you watched Manhunter?

It's an earlier Michael Mann film, and is the original movie version of 'Red Dragon', which would later be remade/rewritten as The Silence Of The Lambs. It comes over more like a TV movie, but it actually works really well - I think it is a much better film, and in fact there's a new edition coming out shortly.

 

[Imbissbrunto]

Have you watched Manhunter?

It's an earlier Michael Mann film, and is the original movie version of 'Red Dragon', which would later be remade/rewritten as The Silence Of The Lambs. It comes over more like a TV movie, but it actually works really well - I think it is a much better film, and in fact there's a new edition coming out shortly.

I‘ve heard of the film but haven‘t watched it yet. Thanks for the suggestion mate, I‘ll add it to my steadily growing backlog of interesting movies I need to watch! 😂🤝

 

[Nacho Libre]

Today I rewatched Silence of The Lambs, a perfect film to start October. It has aged well thanks to the outstanding acting of everyone involved (except maybe Anthony Heald as Dr. Chilton, who feels rather forced, IMO), the script, the direction, the film score, and the support of the FBI, which helps ground everything.

Clarice Starling, as played by Jodie Foster, is probably the ultimate film heroine who, as a young agent, has to face male violence in so many forms, institutional and otherwise, from the manipulations of her own boss, the machinations of vain Dr. Chilton, the scorn of the local police forces, and, of course the diabolical minds of Hannibal Lecter and the deranged Buffalo Bill. And she mostly prevails, not through kung-fu or over-the-top, unbelievable action, but through guts, brains, and a bit of luck, and she is not unscathed in the end.

Maybe a couple of famous lines have become a bit cringy over time, only because they have been overused in pop culture, but this movie still retains much of its original impact and horror. Oh, and it will show you the power of the close-up. 9.5/10, an all-time favorite of mine.

 

[sirjim73]

Today I rewatched Silence of The Lambs, a perfect film to start October. It has aged well thanks to the outstanding acting of everyone involved (except maybe Anthony Heald as Dr. Chilton, who feels rather forced, IMO), the script, the direction, the film score, and the support of the FBI, which helps ground everything.

Clarice Starling, as played by Jodie Foster, is probably the ultimate film heroine who, as a young agent, has to face male violence in so many forms, institutional and otherwise, from the manipulations of her own boss, the machinations of vain Dr. Chilton, the scorn of the local police forces, and, of course the diabolical minds of Hannibal Lecter and the deranged Buffalo Bill. And she mostly prevails, not through kung-fu or over-the-top, unbelievable action, but through guts, brains, and a bit of luck, and she is not unscathed in the end.

Maybe a couple of famous lines have become a bit cringy over time, only because they have been overused in pop culture, but this movie still retains much of its original impact and horror. Oh, and it will show you the power of the close-up. 9.5/10, an all-time favorite of mine.

Even better watch when you've got a nice glass of Chianti handy 🍷

 

[Nacho Libre]

Even better watch when you've got a nice glass of Chianti handy 🍷

Unfortunately, I'm just a rube who wears cheap shoes and doesn't really drink wine... But I bet Clarice prefers beer so next time I'll have one and toast her.

 

[Nacho Libre]

Yesterday I watched Nuremberg (2025), a film about the trials that centers on Hermann Göring and his relationship with an Army psychiatrist appointed to evaluate his and other war criminals' mental status before being tried.

Oddly enough, some of the exchanges between Göring and Douglas Kelley, the shrink, reminded me of Silence of The Lambs, but rather between Hannibal Lecter and Dr. Chilton who, like our protagonist here, is way over his head and unaware he's being played by a much superior and malevolent intellect.

I think the idea is better than the execution overall. Russell Crowe does his best work in years as the charismatic and devious Göring, and Michael Shannon does well as Justice Robert Jackson, who engineered the trials in the first place, but Remi Malek is just not good. Kudos to Richard E. Grant who plays the British magistrate (Sir David Maxwell Fyfe) who literally steps in as a relief pitcher to save the game with the bases loaded.

If you want to watch a superior and more impactful film on the subject look for Judgement at Nuremberg (1961). This Nuremberg gets a 7/10 from me. It's good, but it should've been great.

 

[Nacho Libre]

Over the weekend I watched Good Boy, the movie about the dog that sees/senses a malevolent supernatural presence around his ailing owner. I don't think it lives to its premise, it takes too long to get going, with little payoff, and the narrative is lacking, and also fails to explain or develop the "rules" of the haunting.

Indy the dog is lovable, but also rather mild mannered. Put a Chihuahua in the lead role and you would have a really scary movie. 6/10.

 

[sirjim73]

Over the weekend I watched Good Boy, the movie about the dog that sees/senses a malevolent supernatural presence around his ailing owner. I don't think it lives to its premise, it takes too long to get going, with little payoff, and the narrative is lacking, and also fails to explain or develop the "rules" of the haunting.

Indy the dog is lovable, but also rather mild mannered. Put a Chihuahua in the lead role and you would have a really scary movie. 6/10.

With a review like that, I think I'll stick to The Littlest Hobo

 

[Nacho Libre]

On Sunday I watched The Sheep Detectives (Amazon Prime) and I was charmed by it, but I also could see why it didn't resonate with audiences, at least regarding the box office: So, it has talking sheep so you would think its aimed at children, but the story revolves around the murder mystery of their shepherd (Hugh Jackman, who gets the top billing although is in the movie about 5 minutes or so) and other weighty subjects such as rejection, death and remembrance, so it's not exactly kid-friendly, and it was not going to attract the teenager audience. 8.5/10, you'll love it if you like Agatha Christie-type mysteries with some good humour and sentimentality.