[thumb]https://pgtipsonfilms.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/babadook-amelia-reading-sam-a-story-at-night-the-babadook.jpg[/thumb] The Babadook (2014) – I won't lie, it started off a bit iffy. The vibe I got from it was one from some subpar B-drama. But this segued into something much more authentic, not to mention dark, as the picture progressed and the fear, the madness took over. The Babadook isn't just something a horror film should be, it's what a film should be; legitimately affecting by righteous means, means that have meaning at that. It is nervewracking, it is scary, and it is very, very good. 8/10
TL;DR - These movies are fantastic, go watch them if you haven't done so already. [thumb]http://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/review/primary_image/reviews/whiplash-2014/hero_Whiplash-2014-1.jpg[/thumb] Whiplash (2014) - 5/5 This movie is absolutely incredible; never would I have thought that a film about jazz drumming could be so god-damn intense. The peformances all around are great, but J.K. Simmons stands out as utterly brilliant, without overshadowing the rest of the cast. One aspect I enjoyed quite a but was how the film explored society's reaction to those pursing a career in music, and how major acomplishments of those in that field are often swept under the rug in favor of what has been deemed more valuable and important. A definite recommendation to anyone who loves film. The only negative I have with this movie would be a scene involving the main character later in the film. Something that happens to him is a bit too on the nose with regards to the past of J.K. Simmons' character, though it does serve its purpose well. I look forward to picking up the soundtrack to this movie on record store day. [thumb]https://gonegirl2014onlinehd.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/gone-girl-movie-hd-trailer-captures00002_1_1.jpg[/thumb] Gone Girl (2014) - 4.5/5 Gone Girl is an absolute thrill-ride, though not quite what I was expecting. The movie is split into two distinct halves, with the first half being what I thought the majority of the movie would be. It doesn't bring the film down at all though, and is still quite an experience. As with any David Fincher movie, it is shot absolutely beautifully, as is really twisted. The ending stands out as not quite making sense with regard to character decisions, but this didn't detract from my opinion of the movie too much, which is reflected in my score. I've never seen Rosamund Pike in a movie before this, nor have I heard of her before seeing this, but I am very excited to see what she does next. Her performance was incredible. [thumb]http://cdn6.thisweekinsarasota.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Nightcrawler-2014-Movie-Poster-Wallpaper.jpg[/thumb] Nightcrawler (2014) - 4/5 The greatest strength this movie has is Jake Gyllenhaal's peformance. After seeing this, the idea that he never even got an Oscar nod is absolutely baffling. I adored how, very slowly, the true nature of Gyllenhaal's character unraveled. Despite Gyllenhaal's performance, I feel the movie is a tad overrated, but that may be due in part to me not knowing what kind of movie I was getting into plot-wise.
Have we collectivly as a fanbase stopped watching movies? Divergent - 1.5/5 Insurgent - 1/5 I can barely decide which one was worse.
The Lord Of The Rings - The Fellowship : 4/5 A great start of a great trilogy. The introduction into the story and the start of the journey. Just great. The Lord Of The Rings - The Two Towers : 4/5 As good as part one. The fight scenes are just epic.
X-Men: Days of Future Past: 9/10 This was way better than I expected. I thought it was probably some over-hyped movie but I have to say, it was pretty entertaining and nice. I might not like reading comic books but I really liked X-Men. I used to sit and read their back-stories online. I always thought that the X-Men were interesting characters but sadly had crappy films but the last two movies are pretty great. This was the best X-Men film so far. The plot was cool too. It allowed them to easily undo a certain amount of things and its annoying when stories do that but it also solved some of the plot complications and holes caused by The last stand ha. It had its flaws but it was a solid film. And I like solid films.
I forgot this thread existed. Furious 7 - 4 out of 5 Not as exciting or "grounded" as the previous two installments, but it's still fun and Paul Walker's tribute is absolutely beautiful.
Furious 7 - 8/10 - Still dumb, still preposterous and still logic-defying, but the fun sticks, the cast is still awesome (bonus points to Kurt Russell) and Jason Statham is a terrific villain. Props to the filmmakers for a proper tribute to Paul Walker, which is something not done as well in other films.
Avengers: Age of Ultron - 9/10 - Hot damn. I think I jizzed myself after watching this movie. This is an action, CGI-heavy movie with heart and soul, and Whedon's influence is clearly shown in throughout the movie. Ultron is a terrific villain, and I'm extremely happy that Scarlet Witch, one of my favorite Marvel characters ever, has a large role in the movie (and Elizabeth Olsen ). What's amazing about the movie is how balanced each character has, giving less time to Iron Man and Cap, and a larger role for Thor, Widow, Hulk and Hawkeye. It's Hawkeye, however, who is constantly put front and center (he almost becomes the film's lead), and steals the movie. I'm not sure if this is better than the first movie, but Age of Ultron is spectacular.
Furious 7 - never liked any of the previous, except for the first two cus i was a kid and liked the cars. this one is as shitty as it could be, it's only about explosions and cars doing things that cars can't actually do. but the paul tribute is indeed beautiful, it was the only time i nearly cried with a movie
Big Hero 6 - 9/10 A definite contender to being one of my all time favourite Disney movie out there. The feels during this movie were extreme.
Easy A - 7.5/10 Edit: Dallas Buyers Club - 10/10? I don't know Wow, I haven't watched something serious in a while and Mattew McConaughey and Jared Leto were both pretty great.
[thumb]http://www.hdwallpapersinn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/avengers_age_of_ultron_concept_art-wide.jpg[/thumb] The Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015) - 4/5 Though a superior film to the first, it is far from perfect. It is very noticable that a lot of footage had been cut, which makes me anxious for the extended cut. Even still, the film still is one hell of a blast, and puts a much bigger focus on the characters, which I really dug. I was actually taken aback by how much I began to care for Scarlet Witch, despite the short screen-time she was given. Joss Whedon is fantastic at creating big action set-pieces, and boy, does he DELIVER here.
[thumb]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BIrTrejran8/VPSKc2JWz_I/AAAAAAAADG4/pXEZFB-p1Mg/s1600/Lost%2BRiver%2B-%2BOfficial%2BStills%2B-%2BBones%2B24.jpg[/thumb] Lost River (2015) - 7/10 Some might find this a rating too high for a movie this weird. The plot doesn't make sense and the screenwriting isn't exactly a masterpiece. But this movie speaks to the imagination, just like movies like "Only God Forgives" and, to a certain extent, "Blade Runner". Combine that with the beautiful cinematography and a very nice soundtrack by Johnny Jewel and you have a movie definitely worth watching, despite its flaws.
[thumb]http://www.ew.com/sites/default/files/1427480861/cannesitfollows.jpg[/thumb] It Follows (2015) - 1.5/5 Man I was really looking forward to this film since last year, but it turned out to be huge disappointment. Besides some nice music, visuals and Cronenberg-y aesthetic it sucked. It wasn't scary AT ALL, it wasn't uncomfortable, it wasn't particularly tensed and story made no real sense. Just went through one eye and out the other.
This post'll be interesting. Since the "special extended edition" versions of The Lord of the Rings are split by disc, that's how I'm going to list them here. I watched them all this past week. The Fellowship of the Ring, part one – 2.5/5 The Fellowship of the Ring, part two – 3/5 The Two Towers, part one – 4/5 The Two Towers, part two – 4.5/5 The Return of the King, part one – 4/5 The Return of the King, part two – 4/5
[thumb]http://www.wallpapersas.com/wallpapers/2013/04/Spring-Breakers-900x1440.jpg[/thumb] Spring Breakers (2012) - 7/10 Well, fuck. First of all, let's get this out of the way: what a crazy movie. Really unique and batshit-crazy concept. I didn't expect the movie to be this explicit, but it definitely added a new level of "filth" to it. Now, the acting for the most part is okay, it works but didn't really do much for me (James Franco's having a great time, though). Same goes for the soundtrack: it's nice, but I wasn't exactly blown away by it (aside from a couple of really nice moments). The way the movie's edited is really interesting too, but at times made things a bit preachy/montage-y for me with the constant repetition of certain dialogue. This issue also returns in the sound effects, with the repeated gun clicking when they cut to another scene: works wonderfully at times, but gets a bit overdone after a while. All in all, I really liked to movie but felt messy and unfocused here and there, which is kind of strange knowing the movie is only 90 minutes long.
That movie is so great. Those effects haven't really aged at all. They look so damn good. That movie will be a timeless classic.