rate the last movie you saw

[mkaroly]

FINDING DORI - 7/10. Quickie review. Entertaining (the octopus voiced by Ed O'Neill was brilliant casting and character development); I did think it went on too long and could have used a 5-10 minute trim. In addition, I felt it was trying too hard to pull the heart strings. NEMO, from what I remember, was not so obvious where that was concerned. But then again I only saw it once and don't remember a whole lot from it. Newman's score was good but I felt like one could substitute its music for NEMO and no one know the switch had been made (except for people who knew the NEMO score well).

[AndyDursin]

Secret Life of Pets
5/10

More proof that the almighty Tomato Meter is a waste of time, this lackluster effort from the Minions crew manages to be almost entirely unappealing, clumsily written and dull. A huge disappointment being inexplicably well reviewed. About midway through Theo started asking me for Thomas the Tank Engine. I agreed with him!

[Monterey Jack]

There has been a particular glut of "wacky talking animal" CGI kiddle flicks as of late...it's like one has been released every two weeks since JANUARY. At least there's the cool-looking Kubo & The Two Strings coming soon to break up the monotony. Kids movies don't HAVE to be crammed with wacky animals, you know. Even the wildly overpraised Zootopia wasn't especially great. Can we get back to some human characters again?

[Paul MacLean]

Walkabout (9/10)

Nicholas Roeg's film tells the story of a teenage girl and her younger brother stranded in the Australian outback, and the Aboriginal boy who rescues them. The film is difficult to describe -- and utterly unique. It is rife with seeming contradictions -- the story is relatively straightforward, but told with often-abstract imagery. It deals with the concept of sexual awakening (and has nudity), yet possesses a childlike innocence.

Roeg served as not only director, but cinematographer as well, and he creates indelible images that capture the sensual beauty -- and visceral severity -- of primitive living. The cast is first-rate, with 16-year-old Jenny Agutter as a frightened -- but irrepressibly proper -- English school girl, thrust into a life and death situation. Equally fine is Lucien John as her younger brother, who is so naturalistic in the role, one gets the sense he wasn't even acting at all. David Gulpilil makes his debut in this film, and he likewise seems less to be acting than going about the business of his tribal upbringing. Verisimilitude bursts from every frame of this film, with its remote locales and shots of Gulpilil actually spearing and killing kangaroos while the cameras are rolling.

John Barry's score is one of his best-ever, rife with his inimitably lush string-writing and gorgeous choral passages drawn from nursery rhymes. It's a crime this soundtrack was never released as an album (and sadly, the master tapes of this score are reportedly lost).

This is also a picture that could only have been made in the early 70s. It's astonishing to think there was a time when a film could show a teenage girl swimming naked in the wilderness and it was accepted as natural and innocent (which in context it really is). In fact, my older brother's school class was actually taken to see Walkabout because it was considered to be of educational value!

Had this film been made in the 1980s, it would have been in the "soft core" style of The Blue Lagoon (or worse, Paradise). Were it made today it would be a sanitized Disney movie shot against a green screen, with goody-two-shoes characters and heavy-handed statements about "racist white people" (with a lousy Zimmer-esque score) -- or it would be an overlong, boring, pretentious independent movie full of gut-wrenching violence...and heavy-handed statements about "racist white people" (with a lousy Zimmer-esque score).

Walkabout is one of those special films whose tone and atmosphere are so alluringly captivating, and palpable, it leaves you with a lingering feeling long after it is over.

[Monterey Jack]

-Lights Out (2016): 6.5/10

Moderately effective horror piece underlines the flaw inherent in talented filmmakers padding out a well-regarded short film to (barely) feature length...even at a scant eighty minutes, Lights Out has alarmingly little plot, a vague backstory that's poorly filled-in, and lacks strong characterization mainly because it's not long enough to develop any of its characters beyond easily-scannable archetypes. With another ten minutes' worth of exposition, this might have been something special, and still would have clocked in at only ninety minutes. Still, for what it is, it has its effectively eerie moments, and even a decent score courtesy of Dario Marianelli associate Benjamin Wallfisch. It's no Conjuring 2, but you could do worse for summertime shivers.

[sprocket]

I like Benjamin Wallfisch's music, although he lacks the incisiveness of a really great composer.

One of his that I like is Summer in February. One track that impressed me, called The Storm, is actually old fashioned "storm music", which just isn't done anymore. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it online, but here's a "making of" the music video.

[mkaroly]

MAN OF STEEL - 1/10. As I watched this film I kept thinking back to SUPERMAN '78; I thought of the scenes between Clark and Jonathan Kent, how Jonathan died, the funeral, and Clark's realization that he had to leave his mom behind and figure out his purpose in life/destiny. I remember the sweeping music, the scenic backgrounds, and how Clark was this small person in a huge world destined to make a other-wordly difference. I thought of Clark's interaction with Jor-El in the Fortress of Solitude as his father tried to answer his questions. Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando, Glenn Ford...I felt the emotional impact of all those scenes and was genuinely moved...I still get moved to this day when I see those scenes in SUPERMAN '78. Maybe that movie is dated in a lot of respects, but it had heart, soul, depth, and delivered on its emotional moments.

I say all that to say this: MAN OF STEEL was the exact opposite of everything that was good about the 1978 film. MOS has no depth, is empty of emotion, has no heart and exhibits a dark soul. I cannot for the life of me understand why this film was made the way it was. If Zachary Snyder was going for an emotional punch, he swung and missed badly. I felt nothing for Clark, his parents (would you want to be brought up by parents like that in the movie??), Zod, Jor-El...they were all empty, nebulous characters without dimensionality. The whole Christ imagery stuff also rang very empty for me; this Superman has nothing of the character, depth, or sense of responsibility that the '78 Superman did. Maybe it's unfair to compare the two films, but since MOS seemed to be an attempt to reimagine SUPERMAN I and II, I have to say that it was insulting that they even attempted it.

I did like the Lois Lane character (to an extent) - I did not mind that she knew Superman's identity (and I thought it was a nice twist on the story that others in Smallville knew who Superman was but kept silent), but to be honest I wasn't able to really fell anything deep towards her. Again, the movie's heaviness and cynicism made it impossible for me to connect with any charac ter in the film at all. Hans Zimmer's score (or Junkie XL's score...who the heck knows where one begins and the other ends) is an awful collection of cacophonous crap - how and why he continues to get jobs baffles me. I don't know what else to say except that this movie has to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I don't mind a dark Batman; this "Superman" is not Superman at all. It's a huge waste of time that makes SUPERMAN RETURNS look like gold by comparison (even the score is better in that one!).

[mkaroly]

STAR TREK BEYOND - 7/10. You know what? Not bad...I went in with low expectations and was surprised by how entertaining it was. It was very light (and the trailer does give away the identity of the villain) and I liked that it tried to develop/strengthen the relationships between Kirk, Spock, and Bones. The whole Sulu-is-gay thing was a brief moment that was no big deal (except that I agree with Takei that they should have just created a new character instead of making Sulu gay). Admittedly I cried in the two scenes/sequences which paid homage to Spock - very, very well done. I also liked that the whole Spock/Uhura thing was toned down. On the downside the movie got a little silly at times, including the use of some Public Enemy and Beastie Boys music; and in the climax it seemed like things happened so fast - one time Kirk was in one place and then all of a sudden, BOOM...he's confronting the villain in a place it should have taken him a while to get to. Giacchino's music is forgettable...I don't remember a single theme from it except the main Star Trek theme. All-in-all though I was pleasantly surprised - it isn't a home run...more like a solid double.

CAFE SOCIETY - 6/10. I would describe this as neither good nor bad but "comfortable." Jesse Eisenberg effectively channels the Woody Allen persona as Bobby Dorfman and pretty much carried the movie for me as the center of attention. Kristen Stewart is good as are the rest; perhaps the best cast members/moments were centered around Dorfman's family, an eccentric bunch. The film's humor comes mostly from Allen poking fun at Jewish families and religious beliefs; the film as a whole is rather light (a welcome change from MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT and IRRATIONAL MAN). Allen pokes fun at the artificiality of Hollywood agents and stars back in the 30s; you kind of know how things are going to go (hence the "comfortable" description above), but not entirely. There is a weird moment in the film between Vonnie and Bobby towards the end that made me a little uncomfortable, and I'm not entirely sure that either Vonnie or Bobby by the end could claim the high ground. It is a pleasant enough little film that has its moments.

[mkaroly]

BATMAN VERSUS SUPERMAN (Ultimate Edition) - 2/10. I realize that everyone included elements from the whole Doomsday storyline in the comics, but this whole Superman reboot and such is just poorly executed, from MAN OF STEEL to this film, in my opinion. I found it very frustrating that Lois kept telling Superman what a hero he was and how much he meant to people, but the scenes that actually showed him as a "hero" were practically non-existent which made Lois' words ring hollow since the scenes we did get to see (nearly all the time) were negative. I am also aware that Batman and Superman fought each other in the comic books at some point, but it seems incredibly silly to me the way it played out in the film (and I imagine I would have had the same problem if I had read the comic books).

The movie is incredibly boring; I will give some props to the Lex Luther character BUT the actor seemed to playing him as if he was in competition with Heath Ledger's Joker for "most insane." The music, as always, added nothing to the film but noise. I guess I am not impressed with this whole enterprise; maybe Warner Bros. and DC felt obligated to go in a darker direction with everyone since Marvel went lighter. I shudder to think of all the criticism the reviewers will get if WONDER WOMAN ends up being as hollow and empty as these films have been and they say as much (I can hear the cries of "anti-feminist" coming already). The brief inclusion of Aquaman in BvS made me laugh - I never cared for him as a super-hero and feel he was always kind of worthless. Anyway, I gave it 2 out of 10 because I don't mind Batman being a dark, shadowy figure. Otherwise, I will never watch this movie again.

[Paul MacLean]

In The Name Of Ben-Hur (2/10)

No, seriously, that's the title.

Ever watch a movie so terrible you're not just embarrassed for the people who made it, but embarrassed yourself for having sat through it? I stumbled on this picture when scanning Pay-Per-View for something to watch. It didn't look promising even in the trailer, but I could see it was shot in some of my favorite locations in North Wales, so I figured I could put-up with a mediocre cheapie flick just for the scenery.

But what an embarrassment. The story takes place in Britain during the reign of Nero, and concerns a headstrung young man who wishes to rally his fellow countrymen in revolt against the Roman occupation. After being roughed-up by some Roman legionnaires, a strange old hermit comes to the young man's rescue, and beats the Roman soldiers to a pulp. The hermit turns-out to be none other than Judah Ben-Hur, who has left his home in Judea to retire in Britain -- which makes a lot of sense, considering first century Jerusalem was a modern city with nice weather, and Britain a rainy, muddy, untamed province overrun with barbarians.

Production value is bottom-drawer, and far-below that of even most low-budget TV movies. The costumes are ludicrously inaccurate (ordinary legionnaires are shown attired in mail shirts and not "lorica segentata" -- which was de rigueur for foot soldiers; centurions and higher ranking personnel wore mail). The entire number of performers who appear in the film -- actors and extras combined -- amounts to maybe 25 people total. The climax entails a chariot chase on a beach -- in which the horse hoof-prints and tire tracks from previous takes are plainly visible in the sand. The score (as usual) just apes the "Zimmer sound" and is mostly white noise.

Sadly this film does not even offer much in the way of even unintentional laughs. It is pathetic and pointless, and the work of people of dubious vision who are over-reaching beyond their talent and resources. History Channel dramatizations have better production value than this movie. I've even seen seen student films which were more impressive.

Nice scenery though.

[Eric Paddon]

Swiss Family Robinson (1960) 7.5 of 10

-I've always found this and "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" to be my top two favorite classic Disney live action movies, and subliminally the fact that both influenced a couple classic Disney park attractions (the Swiss Family Treehouse is still at Disney World though the original Disneyland one got a late 90s makeover and rethemeing to the animated Tarzan movie; sadly the Nautlius subs are long gone from Florida) may make me more prejudiced toward them, but there is no denying that both benefit from terrific production values, casting and for the most part, mature storytelling. "Swiss Family Robinson's" location photography is quite effective with no sign of fake studio set models at all and that helps overcome a slightly weaker final section where the final battle with the pirates comes off a little too much like a live action cartoon but still represents great family entertainment.

[Eric Paddon]

As a supplement to my Swiss Family Robinson review, for the first time I noticed that one of the bonus features on the DVD set was a streamlined 20 minutes of the long-suppressed 1940 RKO version of "Swiss Family Robinson" starring Thomas Mitchell that Walt Disney bought the rights to for the sole purpose of suppressing it and not letting his version be compared to it. The telling of the story is as radically different from Walt's as Irwin Allen's would be in the 1970s so I really don't think it was something he had to do. But what surprises me is why Disney couldn't have just put the whole film in as a bonus? The 20 minutes they included basically give you the entire streamlined version of the story from beginning to end.

[sprocket]

Mother (2009) 8/10

Another interesting and rather weird South Korean film.

A school girl is murdered and a simple-minded man is charged with the crime. An open and shut case for the police as it is ridiculously easy to get a confession out of the man and evidence does point to him having committed the crime. However, his Mother doesn't believe it and, in all honesty, the son doesn't think he did it, either. So she decides to find the killer herself ...

This may sound like a by the numbers Hollywood procedural, but there is a lot of subtlety and surprises along the way. The acting is first rate with the actress playing the mother (Kim Hye-ja) just astonishing.

Oasis (2002) 7/10

A man falls in love with a woman. Does it matter that the man has trouble relating to people, is hated by his family and was just released from jail for killing the woman's father? Can a woman with severe celebral palsy have a normal relationship with such a man, especially when he almost rapes her the first time they meet?

This is another Korean film that would never be made for North American audiences. It is too raw and Western 'world-building' doesn't encompass a woman who is drolling and cross-eyed one minute and dancing with elephants and Indian boys the next. I know I didn't quite buy that, although actress Moon So-ri's performance was good enough that some of these flights of fancy were quite unsettling.

This film has a lot to say about people's prejudices against, well, just about everything. It does a good job of setting things up a certain way, then pricking the ballon and showing the hypocrisy of those involved. I didn't like it enough to say that its a great film (unlike Mother), mainly because I had a hard time believing the main actress was so handicapped, but it is a good, different film.

Incidently, Roger Ebert has reviewed a lot of these movies and his review of Mother has some very appropriate words, given the current state of North American film.

A film like "Mother" is an adult film, not in the sense that it contains X-rated material, but in the sense that it appeals to intelligent grown-ups. A bright 10-year-old can understand most Hollywood films. Disney recently announced it will make only 3-D "event" movies, comic hero stories and franchises like "Pirates of the Caribbean." It has essentially abandoned films about plausible human beings. It isn't a luxury to see indie or alternative films. It's a necessity.

"Mother" will have you discussing the plot, not entirely to your satisfaction. I would argue: The stories in movies are complete fictions and can be resolved in any way the director chooses. If he actually cheats or lies, we have a case against him. If not, no matter what his strange conclusions, we can be grateful that we remained involved and even fascinated. Why do we buy a ticket? To confirm that a movie ends just the way we expect it to?

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mother-2010

With that in mind ...

Godzilla (2014) 5/10

Well made and the director's personality did show through (as I could recognize from seeing and liking his previous 'edited on the kitchen table' film Monsters). What was wrong? Oh, the usual suspects: plot, characters ... some nice shots of Godzilla, though.

[AndyDursin]

RAIDERS! THE STORY OF THE GREATEST FAN FILM EVER MADE
6/10

A group of enterprising Mississippi kids spent the better part of their youths shooting a scene-for-scene remake of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Completed save the movie’s big airplane fight set-piece, the video by Tim Skousen and Jeremy Coon ultimately found its way into the hands of underground VHS collectors before debuting at Harry Knowles’ film fest over a decade ago.

Sadly, this documentary does not actually show their efforts, but rather charts their filming of the incomplete sequence in a heartfelt, watchable production that nevertheless feels incomplete. It’s impossible to really feel the cumulative impact of their lifelong pursuit – or the novelty of watching “Raiders” performed by 10-year-olds – when the actual film isn’t included here. Instead, we see fragments of scenes – all of which are fun and amusing – and lots of talking heads discussing how entertaining it is...but not, sadly, the full show.

Drafthouse’s Blu-Ray/DVD offers a 16 page booklet, commentaries, deleted scenes, a Q&A from the 2003 Alamo Drafthouse screening, trailers, a digital download, a 1080p transfer and 5.1 Dolby Digital sound.

Not as worthless as "Elstree 1976," but still a case of "who cares".

[mkaroly]

SUICIDE SQUAD - 5/10. I'll take this movie over either MAN OF STEEL or BvS any day of the week. The flashbacks got a bit annoying, and while they honored the backstory of Harley Quinn and Joker in this movie that was in the video games, I kind of wished they had spent a little more time developing that relationship. Leto's Joker was okay but he wasn't on-screen enough to make an impact. Will Smith was okay as was the rest of the cast, but sometimes I thought they tried to hard to inject humor into what should have been darker (after all, we are talking about super villains who do not turn good after all is said and done). At least I felt more sympathy for the villains in this movie than I did with Superman in either of his recent appearances, which is why I am giving it a 5/10. This movie also convinced me that there is a plot afoot among people who compose "music" for films to put in an obligatory "fight music in 7/8" theme in every action film...lol...not sure who to blame, but I will blame Hans Zimmer. Not a great movie but watchable, much more so than MOS and BvS for my money.