Rate the last movie you've seen

[MinionZombie]

It's funny though. I can laugh at 'Wolfenstein', but get irritated by 'Battlefield V'. A bit odd when I think about it. Well I suppose the difference is that the Wolfenstein series has never really been serious (although the recent games have serious moments - in The New Order you get thrown into a prison camp and have to escape from one of the Nazi's notorious ovens!!! ) what with Mecha Hitler at the end of the first game. The Battlefield franchise, meanwhile, hasn't been about humour or over-the-top so much - only OTT in so far as the chaos of a multiplayer game. The Wolfenstein franchise has always been broader and more based in the sci-fi and horror genres with all sorts of things going on (plus full blown, dual-wielding carnage). Meanwhile, that couldn't be farther from, say, Battlefield 1 (set in WW1) where the hopeless horror of it all is laid on thick.

[MinionZombie]

Attack of the Adult Babies - 5/10 Great title, cool poster ... missed opportunity of a movie. It doesn't really live up to the full promise of the exploitation flick set-up, but the film's main issue is the jumbled script. Structurally speaking it's a bit messy and leaves viewers totally oblivious to pertinent information until the very end (info which could have made certain aspects work better earlier on, etc), and some of the acting is ... oof ... although many of the actors are quite game in their approach to the material. For such a setup it lacks the sleaze you'd expect of it, and it instead skews more towards awkward comedy. That said, the head nurse and her assistant were two enjoyable characters - I wanted more of them, and to explore their curious relationship (for lack of a better term). Generally the film could have worked so much better if another writer had given the script a polish up and explored a few aspects a little bit more (e.g. we could have done with a better introduction to the mansion and the whole 'adult baby' aspect, and seen it introduced via the newbie nurse ... likewise it would have been nice to learn a bit more about the 'adult babies', as in the film it pretty much just boils down to 'pervy rich & powerful folk'. Fans of Lee Hardcastle will enjoy a portion of the final act which is done in claymation by the man himself, although it does feel rather disjointed as you suddenly get this gory blast of action that is obviously beyond the film's budget. So all-in-all it's very hit and miss. Some bits were rather enjoyable while other bits were frustratingly disappointing. A more focused script with better structure, plus some more 'exploitable elements' to live up to the premise/tone of the title & poster, and a bit more cash in the budget would have really pushed this one over the top.

[blind2d]

Attack of the Adult Babies - 5/10 Fans of Lee Hardcastle will enjoy a portion of the final act which is done in claymation by the man himself, although it does feel rather disjointed as you suddenly get this gory blast of action that is obviously beyond the film's budget. . Cool! Sounds like I might have to check it out then. Annihilation: 9/10. I really really enjoyed this movie. Great effects, good acting, very interesting premise... Shoot, did I already review this one? I don't remember, hold on... Nope! Cool. So, anyway, yes, very good film, would recommend. The Lobster: Good acting. Interesting premise. Well shot... Yet I just didn't dig it that much. I can see where it was trying to go, and it went there really well, but... Just not my thing, perhaps. Sad, really. 7/10.

[bassman]

I also loved Annihilation! So great to see a really unique sci-fi film like that. And sweet tap dancing baby Jesus, that “bear scene” was horrifying!

[shootemindehead]

/\ Agreed. One of the best sci-fi movies I've seen in years. And yeh, Bassy, that fecking bear scene...*shudder*. With   Gina Rodriguez's death being pretty gruesome. Great stuff. Have to give it another spin.

[bassman]

Quick Change This one is a bit of a rarity, as it’s Bill Murray’s only directorial effort(Co-Director) and bombed at the box office, so it doesn’t have much of a home video release. I finally gave it a spin, and it’s quite surprising. It’s a great combination of Murray’s early comedy, while also marrying it to the thrill of a heist film, and a bit of the more modern and dramatic Murray. The plot is simple enough, they rob a NYC bank and the next ninety minutes are Murray, Geena Davis, and Randy Quaid trying to get out of town. Needless to say, it’s not all that easy. I really enjoyed this one, it’s a shame it did so poorly at the box office, it deserved better. If they ever release it on blu Ray, it’ll be a day-one purchase for me! 8/10 - - - Updated - - - Bohemian Rhapsody Not the best music biopic ever made, but I really liked it! They do a great job of showing the contributions of every memeber of the band and Mercury’s personal/love life are handled ins pretty respectful way. I don’t recall another music biopic that leans quite so heavily on the musical performances. Rami Malek, while he may not have the exact look of Mercury, nails his performance, IMO. The climax of the movie is of course live aid in 85, and the film heavily leans into this, making virtually the entire final 20 minutes an intimate on-stage recreation of that performance. It has its flaws, but I didnt notice any obvious spots where it either was or wasn’t Bryan Singer’s direction. The whole film felt pretty solid, for the most part. Looking forward to watching it again today. 8/10 EDIT: I forgot the one part I disliked: Mike Myers’ role. I won’t spoil the details, but they completely halt the flow of what feels like a real, dramatic film to remind the audience of something Myers has done in his career. You can probably figure it out from there, but sheesh....it was a cringe-worthy reference. Like the ones in the Ghostbusters remake, it just ruins their own film. Should’ve been left on the cutting room floor....

[MinionZombie]

Solo: A Star Wars Story The movie gets off to a rocky start (we're just kind of chucked into the middle of something we don't really understand, or why we should feel energised by it) and then all of a sudden with little fanfare there's the title ... but once it gets going it starts to settle down and find a groove. Not every damn thing needs an explanation, so some of those scenes feel a bit forced. Some work (Han's weapon - just casually tossed to him) while some are over-the-top (the origin of the name "Solo" or the dice, although I appreciate the emotion connected to the memento). The arrival of Chewie is what makes the movie work - indeed, all the Han/Chewie stuff in the movie is jolly good fun and by the end of the movie I was thinking I'd like a sequel that focused even more on the Han/Chewie friendship, although I doubt that would happen. There's some good action here and there and it's quite stylish. I enjoyed the gambling scenes between Han and Lando, but the L337 droid felt a bit forced at times. Most of the problems with the film relate to the stuff surrounding its production, and I would have quite liked to have seen the Lord & Miller version of this movie. Certainly the weakest of the recent four SW movies, although it's also certainly not the disaster that some have made it out to be. It's very flawed in some regards, but there are various parts that work quite well. So, a very mixed bag, but if the troubles of this film make the SW folk (and Disney) take a step back and reassess their approach then it'll all be a good thing. A rush to make too many movies didn't help, not everything needs a backstory, and the relentless and pervasive advertising campaigns need to be scaled way back (I really enjoyed The Last Jedi, imperfections aside, but the volume of advertising for it was sickening).

[JDP]

Bohemian Rhapsody Not the best music biopic ever made, but I really liked it! They do a great job of showing the contributions of every memeber of the band and Mercury’s personal/love life are handled ins pretty respectful way. I don’t recall another music biopic that leans quite so heavily on the musical performances. Rami Malek, while he may not have the exact look of Mercury, nails his performance, IMO. The climax of the movie is of course live aid in 85, and the film heavily leans into this, making virtually the entire final 20 minutes an intimate on-stage recreation of that performance. It has its flaws, but I didnt notice any obvious spots where it either was or wasn’t Bryan Singer’s direction. The whole film felt pretty solid, for the most part. Looking forward to watching it again today. 8/10 EDIT: I forgot the one part I disliked: Mike Myers’ role. I won’t spoil the details, but they completely halt the flow of what feels like a real, dramatic film to remind the audience of something Myers has done in his career. You can probably figure it out from there, but sheesh....it was a cringe-worthy reference. Like the ones in the Ghostbusters remake, it just ruins their own film. Should’ve been left on the cutting room floor.... Do they reference Queen doing the Flash Gordon (1980) movie soundtrack?

[bassman]

Do they reference Queen doing the Flash Gordon (1980) movie soundtrack? Not that I recall. They also don’t reference “Under Pressure” or Bowie, but the song is heard at one point. There are a few artistic licenses taken throughout, including creating a gap in the band’s history in the few years prior to Live Aid, making it appear as a reunion concert, when in fact they’d released albums and toured during that time. Being that it ends with Live Aid, it doesn’t cover any of their work post 1985, including the Highlander soundtrack and Mercury succumbing to AIDS.

[shootemindehead]

Solo: A Star Wars Story The movie gets off to a rocky start (we're just kind of chucked into the middle of something we don't really understand, or why we should feel energised by it) and then all of a sudden with little fanfare there's the title ... but once it gets going it starts to settle down and find a groove. Not every damn thing needs an explanation, so some of those scenes feel a bit forced. Some work (Han's weapon - just casually tossed to him) while some are over-the-top (the origin of the name "Solo" or the dice, although I appreciate the emotion connected to the memento). The arrival of Chewie is what makes the movie work - indeed, all the Han/Chewie stuff in the movie is jolly good fun and by the end of the movie I was thinking I'd like a sequel that focused even more on the Han/Chewie friendship, although I doubt that would happen. There's some good action here and there and it's quite stylish. I enjoyed the gambling scenes between Han and Lando, but the L337 droid felt a bit forced at times. Most of the problems with the film relate to the stuff surrounding its production, and I would have quite liked to have seen the Lord & Miller version of this movie. Certainly the weakest of the recent four SW movies, although it's also certainly not the disaster that some have made it out to be. It's very flawed in some regards, but there are various parts that work quite well. So, a very mixed bag, but if the troubles of this film make the SW folk (and Disney) take a step back and reassess their approach then it'll all be a good thing. A rush to make too many movies didn't help, not everything needs a backstory, and the relentless and pervasive advertising campaigns need to be scaled way back (I really enjoyed The Last Jedi, imperfections aside, but the volume of advertising for it was sickening). Thought 'Solo' was absolutely meh myself and completely unnecessary into the bargain. I was never once convinced that Alden Ehrenreich was Han Solo, so one wonders what the whole point was. Money, of course, but other than that??? Also, everyone and his dog knew that this thing was just going to be a checklist of "Han stuff", enshrouded in a "heist" story, and guessed all of the beats before the script was even written. That's why, almost, the entire fanbase shrugged when it was announced. It was the most lukewarm reception to a Star Wars film that I've ever seen. Plus. when those items on that checklist were ticked off they were done so in an incredibly duff manner and some of them were cringe worthy...how Han Solo got his name? Ugh...no, just no. Even Chewbacca's entry was awful. Chewie's a man eater now? WTF? Into the bargain, the lore behind Solo is that Chewbacca owes him a "life debt" for rescuing him and other wookies from slavery. But, in the film, that looks absurd. He owes Solo a "life debt" for that? What? Sure, Disney have discarded every bit of Star Wars expanded universe. But, they can, at least, replace it with something good. And Han Solo speaking wookie...jesus wept, that was terrible. Shades of Lord and Miller there I suspect. In the end, 'Solo' is just pointless and it's made all the more worse because it's Han Solo (but not really) at the centre of the film. It really should have been about a completely new set of characters involved in the underworld of the Star Wars universe. That would have made for an interesting one off movie. But this? This was just mediocre cinema...at best. Was it awful? No. Was it good? No. Was it something the fans actually wanted to see? No. Thank christ it failed. Hopefully that's the lid closed on any more Hank Solo stories. If there's one good bit that's come out of the 'Solo' debacle (and the fan reaction to 'The Last Jedi), its that it's caused Disney/LFL to stop all their empty promises and announcements, rejig their film production departments and rethink their approach to this thing that they paid billions for. Because aside from 'Rogue One', it's been pretty poor output.

[blind2d]

Thought 'Solo' was absolutely meh myself and completely unnecessary into the bargain. I was never once convinced that Alden Ehrenreich was Han Solo, so one wonders what the whole point was. Money, of course, but other than that??? Also, everyone and his dog knew that this thing was just going to be a checklist of "Han stuff", enshrouded in a "heist" story, and guessed all of the beats before the script was even written. That's why, almost, the entire fanbase shrugged when it was announced. It was the most lukewarm reception to a Star Wars film that I've ever seen. Plus. when those items on that checklist were ticked off they were done so in an incredibly duff manner and some of them were cringe worthy...how Han Solo got his name? Ugh...no, just no. Even Chewbacca's entry was awful. Chewie's a man eater now? WTF? Into the bargain, the lore behind Solo is that Chewbacca owes him a "life debt" for rescuing him and other wookies from slavery. But, in the film, that looks absurd. He owes Solo a "life debt" for that? What? Sure, Disney have discarded every bit of Star Wars expanded universe. But, they can, at least, replace it with something good. And Han Solo speaking wookie...jesus wept, that was terrible. Shades of Lord and Miller there I suspect. In the end, 'Solo' is just pointless and it's made all the more worse because it's Han Solo (but not really) at the centre of the film. It really should have been about a completely new set of characters involved in the underworld of the Star Wars universe. That would have made for an interesting one off movie. But this? This was just mediocre cinema...at best. Was it awful? No. Was it good? No. Was it something the fans actually wanted to see? No. Thank christ it failed. Hopefully that's the lid closed on any more Hank Solo stories. If there's one good bit that's come out of the 'Solo' debacle (and the fan reaction to 'The Last Jedi), its that it's caused Disney/LFL to stop all their empty promises and announcements, rejig their film production departments and rethink their approach to this thing that they paid billions for. Because aside from 'Rogue One', it's been pretty poor output. But Donald Glover was a fantastic young Lando! Other than that, yeah... Pretty meh. I thought it was interesting how they put the droid into the ship's navcomputer. Makes sense to me. Although their personality might have been a little one-note at times. Still I liked the character. They could've handled the Wookie stuff way better, yeah. - - - Updated - - -

[bassman]

It seems as though I enjoyed Solo more than most. It no doubt has it’s issues, some of them being outright poor decisions, but as a whole I had a lot of fun with it. It was just fun, which Last Jedi and Rogue One were missing. I like those too, they were just quite dark, while Solo felt more like the old Star Wars adventures. Bumblebee It’s probably not a huge achievement when you take the previous five films into account, but Bumblebee could very well be the best Transformsrs film yet. While I’ve enjoyed classic 80’s Transformers, I was never a big fan like some, but this film is so clearly more influenced by those early years of the franchise. It starts on Cybertron with a battle sequence, something that fans have been wanting since Michael Bay’s films began, and the human characters are written quite well. These two things alone put it above the previous five. 7/10 Side note: after some of his more recent work, I’m starting to enjoy John Cena’s acting career. He seems to be finding his groove a bit more these days and he’s quite good at playing comedy!

[EvilNed]

Side note: after some of his more recent work, I’m starting to enjoy John Cena’s acting career. He seems to be finding his groove a bit more these days and he’s quite good at playing comedy! Agreed on Cena. He doesn't take himself too seriously, and it pays off.

[MinionZombie]

The Last Movie Star 8/10 Burt Reynolds plays "Vic Edwards", an ageing movie star who gets invited to the 'International Nashville Film Festival' (a little fest run by fans out of a bar) but is lead to believe it's the prestigious 'Nashville International Film Festival'. Naturally, he's not best pleased when he turns up and proceeds to get drunk and beligerant. However, his personal assistant/driver for the weekend (Ariel Winter as an artistic punk with boyfriend troubles) takes him to his home town of Knoxville where he goes on a trip down memory lane, which includes visiting his first wife who now has Alzheimers. The few interludes where the film inserts old Burt/Vic into scenes from classic Burt/Vic movies (e.g. Deliverance, Smokey and the Bandit) are a little bit cheesy, but if you get beyond that it's all part of this man (who starts the film having to have his dog put down) trying to come to terms with his life as he stares down the barrel of his mortality. It's a bittersweet comedy drama that works surprisingly well and Burt Reynolds really gets to shine and splash a lot of truth up on the screen, being that he himself was close to the end when the film was made. The odd couple pairing of Reynolds and Winter works really well, too.

[shootemindehead]

^ Saw this the other night too. Not bad. Not 8/10 good, but not bad.