Movies/Shows you're watching.

[Wolkenkrabber]

Seen Dune part 2 today.
Guy working in imax turned up the volume to the max.
It was fantastic. 

Saw it in a regular cinema about a week ago, and the sound was very loud there too. Must have been a choice by the film-makers.
I realise that these Dune films are a higher quality than the campy original 80s version, but at least David Lynch kept it down to one film. This thing is split over THREE films. I feel like we were all catfished with the first one when we realise at the end: "oh there's another one coming". And then at the end of the second one: "oh it's still not over..."

it's interesting how 30-40 year old franchises are being revived. I never would have expected it.

Speaking of old franchises, I see that the Screen Junkies people have just released a compilation of all their Ghostbusters Honest Trailers to date. And as it happens, I stumbled upon Ghostbusters 2 (1989) on TV a few days ago. Perhaps because I watched it with zero expectations (I vaguely remembered it being a re-tread of the first one), I actually managed to enjoy it. The film also reminded me of an old thread on the (old?) forum where somebody posted Jackie Wilson's (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher without comment. At the time it didn't occurr to me that anyone woudn't already know the track, as it's really famous (unlike most Chemical samples/influences). But I guess if you're young, it's possible that you may have heard Snow by The Chems without ever having heard this Jackie Wilson classic. And as if to prove the point (that it's famous) the song pops up not once but TWICE in Ghostbusters 2.

The story here is supposedly that inanimate objects covered in slime will be able to move because the slime picks up on good (or bad) vibes around it, and um, reacts to those vibes... or something.

So slime + uplifiting song makes toaster dance
Or slime + uplifting song makes Statue of Liberty walk (why doesn't it dance too?).
(volume levels vary here)

(jump to 1:07)

Dune 2 is the first thing I've seen in the cinema since Mission Impossible 7 last September. Did we really need a 7th MI film? Nah, but who else is making films with action quite like this? Yeah Tom Cruise is weird, but you can't fault his dedication to almost killing himself in the name of a cool stunt. 
Speaking of Cruise, I was surprised to see that Top Gun Maverick got a regular TV airing here recently. It doesn't seem like that long since it came out. As the Pitch Meeting guy said "they did a Star Wars". Yeah they kinda did. I think with a hint of Firefox - a Clint Eastwood military plane stealing movie from 1982, which I've always thought was more fun than the stuffy critics suggested it was. Check it out kids!

Other recent-ish films I've watched:

Road House: Once Conor McGregor popped up I found myself saying: "Oh Jake (Gyllenhaal), what were you thinking? The money must have been good". The first half was quite enjoyable though, even if Billy Magnussen's bad guy is a bit too dumb.
The Covenant (2023): Ah, Jake Gylenhaal in a better movie here. I've pretty much had my fill of US military guys in Iraq/Afghanistan etc, but this just goes to show that if you do something well enough, it can be worthwhile. Fair play to director Guy Ritchie who released TWO films in 2023 (I guess catching up with releases post-pandemic). This was the better of the two. Ritchie's Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre was...watchable but silly.
Bob Marley: One Love: I actually would have liked more songs in the film. There were two or three songs in the closing credits and I wondered why they weren't in the film proper. Watchable but somehow a bit by-the-numbers. Missing a bit of sparkle, I think.
American Fiction: Very funny in places. Give Jeffey Wright more leading roles!
Madame Web: Ok it's underwhelming, but 3.8 on IMDB? I guess this is mostly from "comic book" fans who expected more. It's OK for watching on TV. Dakota Johnson is quite likable, and Sydney Sweeney was less annoying than usual.
Sometimes I Think About Dying (but hold on cause Rey is on the waaaay). Daisy Ridley goes low key. At one point there's a conversation about a staple remover. OK you can go back to Star Wars now Daisy.
Poor Things: good. I'm not surprised Emma Stone won the best actress Oscar. Could have been about 20 minutes shorter though.
The Beekeeper: If you like Jason Statham action movies, you'll like this. Otherwise...you won't.
The Killer: Directed by David Fincher, starring Michael Fassbender. This was bound to be....um ok. Maybe not as good as might have been hoped. But any contract killer who listens to The Smiths on headphones whilst lining up his sniper shot is ok by me. A future cult classic?
Saltburn: This felt like a film that might win oscars, but apparently Amazon couldn't be bothered to get it nominated. It made "Murder On The Dancefloor" a hit again. I never really liked that song, but I'll always think of this movie now when I hear it.
The Holdovers: Wasn't crazy about the ending but I can see why it won an Oscar. A good low key movie.
Oppenheimer: Long but Good. Oscar-central! Fun fact: Cilian Murphy is the first Irish born actor to win a best leading actor Oscar. Ever.
Pistol(mini series): Entertaining series about the Sex Pistols directed by Danny Boyle. Additional music score by Underworld (!).
Snack Shack. Brand new film; I watched half of it last night. So far, so good...

[Bosco]

where somebody posted Jackie Wilson's (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher without comment. At the time it didn't occurr to me that anyone woudn't already know the track, as it's really famous (unlike most Chemical samples/influences). But I guess if you're young, it's possible that you may have heard Snow by The Chems without ever having heard this Jackie Wilson classic. And as if to prove the point (that it's famous) the song pops up not once but TWICE in Ghostbusters 2.

better use of song here:

legitimately a great ending scene for this type of dark comedy. I haven't seen this movie in a really long time, but I forever remember this clip whenever Robin Williams comes into conversation. Love it.

[Enjoyed]

Dune 2 is the first thing I've seen in the cinema since Mission Impossible 7 last September.

Same! There was some kid behind my seat sniffing the whole time and I decided that I really do prefer watching movies at home. Though I think for future MI and James Bond (soon please, Mrs Broccoli), I will go see it BIG.

I loved Dune Part Two, and also had the ear blasting IMAX experience, which I've been recommending to everyone. Some scenes felt truly elevated by the cacophony of sound filling the auditorium.

The Killer: Directed by David Fincher, starring Michael Fassbender. This was bound to be....um ok. Maybe not as good as might have been hoped. But any contract killer who listens to The Smiths on headphones whilst lining up his sniper shot is ok by me. A future cult classic?

I enjoyed this one. Darkly funny in places. And beautiful to look at in that grainy Fincher way. Not up there with his best, but still a good time.

I also finally got round to watching Barbie, which I thought was great. The Photoshop joke in the last act really resonated with me. Very funny and super enjoyable.

Also saw The Green Knight recently. I love Dev Patel, and have missed seeing Alicia Vikander on screen (I would have watched another Tomb Raider 2.0!). This was another beautiful film with a captivating, yet simple story. Very A24 in the ways I very much enjoy.

Wife and I are watching 3 Body Problem too. Still a few episodes to go, but it's been fun. Gruff, down to earth Benedict Wong has been the most enjoyable part of the show. The CGI, less so.

[Wolkenkrabber]

I don't tend to watch many TV Shows - the kind where you have to watch all the episides. I'm not prepared to commit that much time to something that may end up disappointing me (Game Of Thrones fans didn't seem too happy with the ending?).

But Amazon kindly offered me a free month of Prime just as Fallout dropped. I've never played the game, so didn't really know what to expect.
Just 8 episodes (so far), so it wasn't too big an investment of my time. And hey! I liked it. Currently 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.6 on IMDB. I'm told that the show recreates the vibe of the game very well and I really haven't seen/heard anyone complain about it.
Also @sandelic keeps popping up on posters and computer screens in the show. So thats a bonus!

I think the final episode did enough to give us a reasonable amount of satisfaction and exposition following the intrigue of the previous 7 episodes, but it also left enough fruit hanging to potentially lure us back for another series. Well done Amazon. Now, when does the next series of The Boys drop?

[Csar]

But Amazon kindly offered me a free month of Prime just as Fallout dropped. I've never played the game, so didn't really know what to expect. Just 8 episodes (so far), so it wasn't too big an investment of my time. And hey! I liked it. Currently 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.6 on IMDB. I'm told that the show recreates the vibe of the game very well and I really haven't seen/heard anyone complain about it.

Yeah, I watched it too last week because it was advertised over and over and other available content wasn't that appealing so I gave in. It turned out to be not bad and the setting had an interesting atmosphere and some sort of unpredictability (I, like you, don't know the game). I liked Lucy a lot and her innocent, yet perky and adventurous character. The Ghoul/actor was also intriguing.

Also @sandelic keeps popping up on posters and computer screens in the show. So thats a bonus!

Dude! I was constantly mulling where I know this cartoon from. It felt so familiar and I was so sure I had seen it somewhere else before, believing it must have been some sort of real-world cartoon that was just used in the game. So I tried googling it but got nothing but game references. It was @sandelic all along I was thinking of!!! Duh!! Thanks for pointing it out!

Now, when does the next series of The Boys drop?

The Boyz will be back making some noiz on June 13. Can't wait for the new season as well. What will Homelander be up to going forward?

[sandelic]

You guys made me laugh, thanks for that!
Vault Boy for the win!

I too liked the Fallout show. I'm glad they didn't f it up.
I always like the Fallout aesthetics and I feel they did it justice.
Good thing too, because I would like to see more and it's definitively gonna happen. People seem to like it.

[Bosco]

I too liked the Fallout show. I'm glad they didn't f it up.
I always like the Fallout aesthetics and I feel they did it justice.
Good thing too, because I would like to see more and it's definitively gonna happen. People seem to like it.

Basically my sentiments, too!


I will add, that through my experience with playing the games (Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Fallout 4), it is my opinion that the main storyline/plot is not what gets you hooked. It's the world-building and quirky and unexpected subplots that you come across through venturing  the wasteland. It's oddly addictive. There is a great quote by the Ghoul in Episode 3:  "Thou shalt get sidetracked by bullshit every goddamn time", and that's basically the beauty of the game in a nutshell.

So basically what I'm saying is, the storyline for the TV show is kinda just okay, to me. The aesthetic is nearly perfect, love the cameos, adore the music, and excited for a second season!

Happy to hear positive feedback from people unfamiliar with the game.

[Bosco]

Seeing as everyone is kinda on a Fallout kick, and it's probably another year or two before we see another season...

I recommend the rom-com "Blast From the Past"

It doesn't dive deep into the sci-fi angle like Fallout, but it has similar story line as the vault dwellers. A great cast: Brendan Frasier, Alicia Silverstone, Christopher Walken, Sissy Spacek, and maybe most importantly (for crossover appeal), Dave Foley.

Dave Foley also voice of "Yes Man" in 'Fallout: New Vegas' (and maybe season 2 of TV show?):

[Bosco]

Ready for another Willem Dafoe starred Nosferatu (Robert Eggers) film?

This time he's not The Count!

However, If you want to seem him play The Count...

trailer is sooo outdated. I get the feeling this has mostly been forgotten until the announcement of the new one. A classic Malkovich performance, and Dafoe was is just so wonderfully weird in all that makeup. You don't get too many of these anymore. Check it out!

[Bosco]

So the sequel to 'TWISTER', 'TWISTERS', is set to be released in theatres next weekend.

(Warning, a lot of shameless stealing from the first film. However some amazing camp depicted!)

I guess this a reminder to see the first one, and I'm open ears to reviews for anyone who goes to see the new one.

Anyways, fun cast, stupid premise, great sound effects, and oozing with dated nostalgia. Twister (1996) is one of the best disaster movies to popularize the genre.

A scene in the film captures a twister at a drive-in movie theatre, and I was lucky enough to experience this movie at local drive-in back when they were still in operation.

[Enjoyed]

I am personally VERY excited about the 'sequel'! We've been planning a back to back with the original for a while now! Not long to wait.

And will definitely report back once we see it.

[Bosco]

Apparently Mother Nature is really excited for the release of TWISTERS, because the last 3 nights the Chicagoland area has been hit with severe tornadic weather. Unfortunately, something of a concerning trend we've been having over the last 5 years...

an eerie clip of sirens echoing downtown earlier tonight.
https://x.com/metaplexmovies/status/1813042218577670633

[Enjoyed]

Apparently Mother Nature is really excited for the release of TWISTERS

We also got a totally unexpected thunder storm on the day I went to watch the movie! Some of the loudest BOOMING I've ever heard. I thought the construction site nearby had had some huge accident. Definitely got me super hyped for the movie when we eventually got hail. Big props to Mommy N!



The movie? I honestly loved it. I felt like it managed to recapture a lot of the magic of the first one, but with a somewhat surprising modern framing (makes sense when you see it, but I guess I just wasn't expecting it). I saw Kermode's review and he talked about the story and the emotional narrative of the main characters being essentially non-existent. I actually disagree. The story is similar in ways that any sequel/soft reboot is likely to be, but for me - the characters' story felt a little more interesting and made it easy enough to route for Daisy Edgar-Jones's, Kate (despite an EXTREMELY questionable American accent). A lot of fun set pieces, definitely a lot of destruction that does seem at times to be kind of unimportant to a lot of people on screen - but ultimately, it delivered on what I was looking for: another great tornado based disaster movie, centered around an interesting enough narrative with likable (eventually... you'll see what I mean) characters.

I give it 8 twists out of 10.

[Bosco]

I'm pretty sure I've posted some of these before, but my favorite indie theatre does amazing hype videos for their themed movie festivals. If you have an affinity for cinema or maybe a burgeoning interest, please check these out:

70mm

Morricone

Stop Motion

3D series

Hollywood on Hollywood

Godzilla

and plenty more to see on their youtube channel

[Stefan]

Watching M. Night Shyamalan's new movie "Trap" on the same day that Taylor Swift's three sold out shows in Vienna got cancelled due to terrorist threats was certainly a bizarre experience.

[Bosco]

Excited for this casting:

https://www.ign.com/articles/fallout-season-2-casts-macaulay-culkin-as-a-crazy-genius-type-character-report

[Fine Time]

Anyone excited for Noah Hawley's Alien : Earth , coming Summer 2025 on Hulu ?   I've faith in him as a producer , director and writer , that he'll make this into an intriguing part of the Alien franchise. I'm basing this on his previous work with the Fargo series , and the , mostly , excellent Legion (2017). I've not seen Romulus yet , but i've heard it doesn't break any new ground , just plays all the hits , and comes in at a mediocre 5/10 , will probably watch it before the year's out.

Film(s) of the year for me :  Dune Part II  , and The Substance.

[Stefan]

I agree with Dune Part II (also Part I for me, which I saw this year for the first time)

The Substance was also great, though I think the final part was a bit over the top for me (I guess this was entirely intentional).

Strange Darling was another fantastic movie this year.

[Bosco]

Anyone excited for Noah Hawley's Alien : Earth , coming Summer 2025 on Hulu ?  I've faith in him as a producer , director and writer , that he'll make this into an intriguing part of the Alien franchise. I'm basing this on his previous work with the Fargo series , and the , mostly , excellent Legion (2017). I've not seen Romulus yet , but i've heard it doesn't break any new ground , just plays all the hits , and comes in at a mediocre 5/10 , will probably watch it before the year's out.

Film(s) of the year for me :  Dune Part II  , and The Substance.

I greatly enjoy the Fargo series on FX (season 2 being my favorite!) so thanks for the heads up!

[Enjoyed]

'Tis the season!