# Movies you've seen recently (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [September 29, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906 "2014-09-29T21:53:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 496
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9920 "2024-08-04T18:12:19Z")
Just on my way back from a cinematic screening of Don Hertzfeldt’s “It’s Such A Beautiful Day” plus his new short film “Me”. I’ve seen ISABD a couple times already (in fact I have it on disc) and it remains beautiful and banal and profound and comic and thought-provoking and sad, all of which characterize most of Hertzfeldt’s oeuvre (well, maybe not “Billy’s Balloon”). I would say those descriptions also apply to “Me” but tbh it’s going to take a while before I feel like I really understand wtf it was about. There are some obvious (and not-so-obvious) themes, the animation remains an ingenious mix of the simplistic and the complex and innovative, and the music drives the mood as much as the visuals, but there’s no real dialogue or narration so it’s up to the viewer to piece it together. If any epiphanies coalesce, I’ll let you know. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9921 "2024-08-05T04:31:08Z")
**Hundreds of Beavers**. I had no idea I could still laugh at slapstick. Absolutely brilliant filmmaking. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9922 "2024-08-05T05:37:29Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > I like the early 80s callbacks Saw Longlegs tonight, and would rate it 75% or so (good. Entertaining, but not earth-shattering) I noticed something in the movie, and I’m not seeing any on-line discussion on it: Above someone’s mirror was the album cover for Lou Reed Transformer. Music credits included Walk on the Wild Side. Another house had a Nagel print on the wall - not sure if it was the same one from Duran Duran, but Rio was in the movie. Now, when this movie is streaming, I’ll have to watch it looking for others. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9923 "2024-08-05T15:09:05Z")
Oh, that’s good, I’ll look for that on rewatch. I said early 80s, but with Bill Clinton featured multiple times, I guess early 90s? But all the wood paneling etc felt older than that to me. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9924 "2024-08-05T15:23:51Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > I said early 80s, but with Bill Clinton featured multiple times, I guess early 90s? But all the wood paneling etc felt older than that to me. Os Perkins, the director, said it was set in 1993. He didn’t want George Bush on the wall, so he bumped it from 1992 to 1993 to Clinton’s picture would be there instead. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9925 "2024-08-05T15:29:25Z")
**Monkey Man**. I get it’s an action film and they feel the need to crank it to 11, but the punching in the face never stopped. The plot was weak even for the genre and the action was all of the same variety. It wasn’t engaging or compelling, it was just extreme violence I didn’t really care about. Why this was different from other John Wick style murder fests I typically enjoy, I cannot say. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9926 "2024-08-05T15:58:26Z")
Finally got around to seeing **Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning**. The whole “evil sentient AI that can predict the future” bit is absolutely ridiculous. But it’s just a MacGuffin, really, so I could look past that. Lots of really fun and imaginative action sequences with questionable physics. The plot beats were mostly predictable, but with a twist or two I didn’t see coming. Definitely worth the ride if you don’t think about it too hard. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9927 "2024-08-05T16:02:57Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > The plot beats were mostly predictable, but with a twist or two I didn’t see coming. Definitely worth the ride if you don’t think about it too hard. I enjoyed it, but it struggled to be made during the pandemic and it shows. “The key. What does it open? Who has the key. I have the key. I don’t have the key, but am the only one who knows what it does or opens! The key! Ethan stole my key!” When they filmed the great car chase sequence in the middle of the movie, they did not have a full script or even total clarity on what the conflicts were between characters. They filmed it in different ways and put it together in post-production. The final train sequence, starting with Ethan crashing into the train, was one of the few sequences in the movie that: - was not trimmed down - was unaffected by the pandemic - feels like a perfect, excellent mission impossible sequence I enjoyed it, but probably the least good one since about Mission Impossible 3, or even 2. MI:2 is terrible, though, a huge step down. ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9928 "2024-08-05T16:26:34Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > When they filmed the great car chase sequence in the middle of the movie, they did not have a full script or even total clarity on what the conflicts were between characters. They filmed it in different ways and put it together in post-production. To me the whole thing was mostly stunt pieces in search for a plot. The final sequence went on too long in my opinion. `//i\\` ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9929 "2024-08-05T16:32:49Z")
**Kneecap** - Just your average tale of an Irish-language hip-hop group, with a bit of political background around the suppression of the Irish native language in the 90’s. The band members play themselves in the movie, doing a surprisingly good job (in fact, I assumed one of the protagonists had to be a seasoned actor brought in to play the part until the credits scenes of the band, he was that good). The music is catchy, if unintelligible if you aren’t a speaker of Gaelic) though there are subtitles), but if you don’t like hip-hop, you’ll want to stay away. The plot is based on the true story of the band, but “based on” doesn’t mean “entirely true”. It’s more like an _8 Mile_ version of a true story. Recommended to those who don’t hate hip-hop, subtitles galore, and massive unredeemed drug use (never mistake the ketamine for the coke before a gig!). ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Sponge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dark_sponge/32/121_2.png) [@Dark\_Sponge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Sponge)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9930 "2024-08-05T16:53:15Z")
**Trap** - a Dexter-like from M. Night Shyamalan. I felt a bit of a ‘10 Cloverfield Lane’ vibe as well? Really enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2024, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9931 "2024-08-06T01:13:33Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Os Perkins, the director, > [@Mahaloth](#): > > Good, even great at times, but not Os Perkins best movie > [@Mahaloth](#): > > One thing I’ve admired about Os Perkins **Oz** Perkins. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2024, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9932 "2024-08-06T02:47:23Z")
_Ghost Story_ 1981 _Ghost Story_ was the final film for Fred Astaire and Douglas Fairbanks jr. Melvin Douglas completed filming and died before its release. Douglas had a great role in _Hud_ with Paul Newman in 1963. Both men won Academy Awards for their work in Hud. The film assembled a terrific cast of classic movie stars. Anyone that watches TCM knows these actors. I saw it in the 80’s on vhs. I like the older, slow paced storytelling. It may not be received well today. The cast is very good. They deserved a better screenplay. I’d grade it a C. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2024, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9933 "2024-08-06T03:16:50Z")
This was such a terrific book by Peter Straub, I was always bummed that it got such crappy cinematic treatment. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2024, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9934 "2024-08-06T16:29:56Z")
**Shakespeare in Love** Just like Shakespeare (for me), it started off slow and became a rollicking good time by the end. If you haven’t seen this one since the 1999 Oscar season, give it a shot. **Bridget Jones’s Diary** It’s a cute date movie, Renee Zellweger at her most Renee Zellwegerness, Hugh Grant at his most Hugh Grantness, and Colin Firth at his most Colin Firthness. We have already decided to eshew the two sequels as the first one said that all needs to be said. Both of the above are on HBO Max. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2024, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9935 "2024-08-07T14:21:46Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > **Wicked Little Letters** - This felt like a film with not quite enough plot so instead they filled it with little semi-comic character vignettes. Some outstanding performances across the board, which elevate a rather tepid (if roughly true) story to something actually entertaining. We saw this last night, and agree. And it’s not quite as madcap as the trailer makes it appear, but recommended. I don’t think Olivia Colman has made a film that I haven’t enjoyed. (Reading the reviews on IMDB and one of the lowest scores was from someone who doesn’t approve of color-blind casting. If that bothers you…get over yourself.) ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2024, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9936 "2024-08-07T15:41:19Z")
> [@Dark\_Sponge](#): > > **Trap** - a Dexter-like from M. Night Shyamalan. I felt a bit of a ‘10 Cloverfield Lane’ vibe as well? Really enjoyed it. I saw this last night. Not my usual kind of movie but I’m one of those gullible peeps that continues to see everything with the Shyamalan name on it. I’m also one of the few who didn’t despise “The Happening”, though I certainly didn’t love it. I feel about the same with _Trap_. I don’t usually have a problem with suspending my disbelief but not one single aspect of this was believable. I found it so weird and implausible that I was sure there was going to be a big reveal at the end; not because it’s M. Night, but because I figured there had to be a reason people acted the way they did and how everything went so perfectly for Cooper until the last minute. Also, kind of odd casting for Hayley Mills. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Sponge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dark_sponge/32/121_2.png) [@Dark\_Sponge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Sponge)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2024, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9937 "2024-08-07T19:59:26Z")
I can usually guess the “surprise” ending of most movies, and enjoy it when I’m wrong. The big surprise to me was discovering that the wife was NOT helping him. I spent most of the movie expecting to find out one or more of his family members was the butcher’s accomplice. As to the believability, I went into it expecting to watch a supervillain movie. I’m surprised it was reviewed so poorly. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2024, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9938 "2024-08-07T20:13:11Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](#): > > Also, kind of odd casting for Hayley Mills. Well the plot is about a “Trap” set for a “Parent”. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2024, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/9939 "2024-08-07T20:16:01Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Well the plot is about a “Trap” set for a “Parent”. That actually did occur to me but the people I saw it with would not have gotten the joke. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906.md?page=495) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906.md?page=497)