47 Ronin

IMDB

First time viewed: Yes

Current Release: Yes

A classic tale told a billion times before, although still pretty much unknown in the western world. So we get a big hollywood blockbuster 3D version. Filmed with and entirely Japanese cast and shot twice, once in Japanese and then in English. I don't know if the Japanese version will ever exist except for on the cutting room floor but I'd love to see it one day. 

As it is, I found the english version pretty darn fun actually. I always appreciate it when a film bothers to shoot in 3D and with real, massive sets. It's a very cool looking film (even if you can really tell they shot in London whenever there's exterior landscape shots, no matter how much they matte paint it up...) and the action is good and the story is a classic, and they don't cop out on the ending, even though they had to add a white guy to the cast and a romantic subplot.

I don't think this film will be to everyones tastes, and I can see some problems with it, but it was exactly what I felt like watching when I went to the cinema so I am overlooking a lot of the muddily bits. 

The Dirties

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

Pulling off the authenticity of a found footage movie is much harder than it seems. These kids manage to create some good characters and for the most part a nice gradual slide into some very very dark material but the motivations of their camera are pretty woeful and constantly took me out of the film.

It's dicey stuff they are playing with, and while there's a very dark comedic tone, I'm not sure quite where I lie with the climax yet, I might have to watch it again in a few years. But I'm interested to see what these young guys come up with next.

Escape Plan

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IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Leith

Bahaha. Yeah, it's not that great but some of it is kinda fun...

Paradise

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IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

Diablo Cody has made the jump to the director chair. And the result is a fun coming of age story with some eclectic characters and much of her sardonic dialogue. It's not nearly as biting as Young Adult, it's a simpler journey and the characters are much more straight forward, which makes for an easy and fun watch but won't leave you with much more than a mildly enjoyable experience. Still, it is far more successful than not, so perhaps Cody will continue to direct as well as write.

In a World...

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler, Amberly

Lake Bell has made herself a fine film, a nice set up for a story, good characters and cast to play them and rather funny too. Quite enjoyable.

Short Term 12

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IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler, Amberly

A great debut for Destin Cretton. And a showcase for Brie Larson. John Gallagher Jr. makes a good foil too. It's a sweet little drama and manages to keep a pretty even tone whilst dealing with the subject matter of troubled teens. It doesn't sugar-coat or lapse into the melodramatic. Keeps that air of realism. Really good watch.

Elysium

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler, Jordan

Write Up.

Pain and Gain

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler, Jordan

Write Up.

All I can see is the Teal and Orange colour grading now.

Ghost Team One

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IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler, Jordan, Leith

A very silly movie. A fun take on the over-abundant found footage paranormal movies with some really great ideas and funny moments and almost equal parts stupid low brow humor that didn't do much for me. It's almost like gross out style American Pie-ish characters are starring in the next Paranormal Activity.

There's enough good stuff to make this one worth a look, or if you're sick of how saturated the market is with these found footage horrors, this could be a breath of fresh air.

You're Next

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Jordan, Tyler, Leith

Write Up.

So much fun.

Haunter

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IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Jordan, Michael

Vincenzo Natali tries his hand at the haunted house genre and true to from, manages to twist things up quite a bit. Using a familiar twist as his starting point he develops his story from another perspective and  still manages to create some spookiness and surprises from the limitations of his single setting. It's not the scariest haunted house film but it's one of the most fun I've had watching one in a long time. Definitely one to seek out.

The Uninvited

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IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No
Watched With: Jordan, Michael

It's getting harder to find good haunted house movies, but there's still plenty of classics to go through. I'd heard a little about this one although nothing much about the specifics of the plot. It's a really great classic set up and must be some very early examples of classic haunted house staple.

It also has a very odd set of relationships. A very close brother and sister, and a romance between a young girl and a much older man. Just comes off as a bit suspicious today I guess. Also very odd by todays standard is the shifts in tone. There's some really great spooky stuff going down but they always feel the need to make a really goofy terrible joke every 10 minutes, which really kills it.

A curious film but I'm glad to have seen it, I think it's a great story that could use an update.

Cloud Atlas

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Leith

Write Up.

Her

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IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler

Spike Jones has made a beautiful sci-fi romance that speaks so well about our current social interactions and hypothesises what the next steps could be. This is a film so brimming with ideas that it'll probably take more than one viewing to really appreciate. Even so, it's left me thinking about it for days after.

But on top of all these great ideas is a great drama with wonderful characters. Add to that a beautiful soundtrack and cinematography and you've got one of the best films of the year. Can't wait to see this one again.

Inside Llewyn Davis

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

The Coen Brothers' latest is an ode to folk music and perfectly captures that rambling poetic melancholy you associate with the form. I have to admit, I really don't like folk music and while I can appreciate the tone they were going for, it's not really my cup of tea. However there's a really great cast and plenty of great dialogue exchanges and humor. And seeing Adam Driver sing that ridiculous bass line is a real delight.

Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel has given the film a rather extreme colour grade. I've never been a fan of that overly diffused look. But I guess it suits the setting and tone.