What movie did you see in the theater or on DVD?

I caught the end of a film called Cliffs of Freedom. It was pretty good. Now I will have to watch it from the beginning! 🙄

Dune.

I was not disappointed at all and I'm excited about another one. They are in talks to make it a full trilogy since the book itself is broken into three parts. Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune.

On a side note, it really does need to be seen on the big screen.

Quote by Molly
Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune.

Actually, those are three separate novels, though Messiah should have been the final part of Dune since it finishes Paul's story. I believe this movie was only the first part of Dune, wasn't it? So I think the next movie will just be finishing Dune. Though Messiah is fairly short so they might be rolling it in. Children is another whole novel, though, so that's another entire movie. And when I was reading Dune, that's all there was. God Emperor came out just about the time I was reading it but I kind of gave up after Children. I do that a lot with series. If I feel the series has reached a logical ending, I tend to stop reading/watching at that point even if the creator finds reasons to continue for years after.

Quote by Molly

Dune.

I was not disappointed at all and I'm excited about another one. They are in talks to make it a full trilogy since the book itself is broken into three parts. Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune.

On a side note, it really does need to be seen on the big screen.

I am SO PYSCHED to see this. Tuesday, with youngest daughter, hopefully. Talia has NO interest in seeing it. All I read was the first book, but I did really enjoy it. It doesn't even have to be great, it just needs to NOT SUCK! and I will be happy.

Quote by verbal
I read was the first book

Which, really, is enough. The law of diminishing returns kicked in pretty quickly. The series is technically still going but Kevin J. Anderson, well known as a mediocre writer of media tie-ins and franchise novels, is writing the new novels with Herbert's son Brian. I hear they have already retconned some important stuff from Frank Herbert's originals.

I tried to watch Dune but could not get into it. I think part of the problem is it needs to be seen on a big screen. I read three of the novels many, many years ago. I'll probably give it another try later.

I've been rewatching a lot of movies lately. The Gift with Cate Blanchett and Rosemary's Baby were this week.

Point Break.

I was channel surfing (unintended pun) while watching something else (I can’t recall what) and landed on a show discussing cult movies. It talked about this one. Never saw it before. Didn’t know anything about it other that Keanu had cheesy lines, the blood looked fake, it was filled with clichés, and it had my favourite movie uncle actor, Gary Busey (remember him in Silver Bullet? Love the chemistry between him and young Corey Haim of Lost Boys fame).

Anyway, as early-Keanu-Reeves-movie-feeling it had, it was far better than expected. Patrick Swayze was excellent. Watching him full of life made me sad. I was never a hardcore fan, but I adored him in this flick. Maybe Matthew Alright, alright, alright, could have played this role, but Patrick was charismatic and mesmerizing. I liked his long, surfer hair and the darkness he brought to the role. It was as dark as he was f’n creepy in Donnie Darko.

I judge movies by what they leave me with. The more I think about them, the more I want to think about them. And that I like. This movie moved me in a weird, unexpected way. It was cheesy, for certain. But there are a few underlying messages that have got me pondering on this thing. It garnered a whole new respect for Patrick. I am even more saddened by his passing, and especially saddened for his fans.

Suspend your beliefs and absorb. But there is lots of reality in this one. James Cameron? Really? Katheryn Bigalow? No way. Yup. This was one of theirs. I was shocked. When I watch it again someday, I’ll watch with a more analytical eye. But for now…

Quote by Ping
Katheryn Bigalow?

Bigelow is an interesting director and her career has had quite a trajectory. I'm a huge fan of Near Dark, the modern-day vampire western that was her debut. Bit of a B-movie feel to the plot but with main feature quality directing and acting. Not sure if she was involved with Cameron yet at that point, but Lance Henrikson and Bill Paxton, who had both been in Terminator and Aliens, were in it so the connection might have been there.

Getting ready to watch World War Z. Oh, that Brad Pitt. If he was a preacher, I’d attend mass at his church. 🤣🤣🤣

World War Z is AWFUL. Good book though.

We saw Last Night in Soho and really liked it. Not perfect, but really great performances and set decoration and music. Worth seeing.

We saw Belfast too. Not as memorable, but very good. Best picture Oscar bait.

Quote by verbal

World War Z is AWFUL. Good book though.

We saw Last Night in Soho and really liked it. Not perfect, but really great performances and set decoration and music. Worth seeing.

We saw Belfast too. Not as memorable, but very good. Best picture Oscar bait.

Really?!? WWZ is awful? 😩 Awful like most The Rock blockbuster albeit entertaining movies or awful like Killer Tomatoes and most things Marvel?

Grumble. Grumble. I really wanted to watch it. I guess I’ll go back to my first pick, Stillwater. Damon can’t be worse than that stupid zoo movie or that even stupider Mars mish-mash… could it/he?

Quote by Ping

Quote by verbal

World War Z is AWFUL. Good book though.

We saw Last Night in Soho and really liked it. Not perfect, but really great performances and set decoration and music. Worth seeing.

We saw Belfast too. Not as memorable, but very good. Best picture Oscar bait.

Really?!? WWZ is awful? 😩 Awful like most The Rock blockbuster albeit entertaining movies or awful like Killer Tomatoes and most things Marvel?

Grumble. Grumble. I really wanted to watch it. I guess I’ll go back to my first pick, Stillwater. Damon can’t be worse than that stupid zoo movie or that even stupider Mars mish-mash… could it/he?

Awful as in I saw it at the DRIVE IN and I still didn't like it. Drive in movies are a mighty low bar: as long as there's dancing popcorn boxes and hot dogs I'm happy. It's mindless, and the book is so good (Mel Brook's son wrote it).

The Martian is stupid!? The Martian!? Thems fighin words.

I think we agree The Rock is pretty silly.

Quote by verbal

Quote by Ping

Quote by verbal

World War Z is AWFUL. Good book though.

We saw Last Night in Soho and really liked it. Not perfect, but really great performances and set decoration and music. Worth seeing.

We saw Belfast too. Not as memorable, but very good. Best picture Oscar bait.

Really?!? WWZ is awful? 😩 Awful like most The Rock blockbuster albeit entertaining movies or awful like Killer Tomatoes and most things Marvel?

Grumble. Grumble. I really wanted to watch it. I guess I’ll go back to my first pick, Stillwater. Damon can’t be worse than that stupid zoo movie or that even stupider Mars mish-mash… could it/he?

Awful as in I saw it at the DRIVE IN and I still didn't like it. Drive in movies are a mighty low bar: as long as there's dancing popcorn boxes and hot dogs I'm happy. It's mindless, and the book is so good (Mel Brook's son wrote it).

The Martian is stupid!? The Martian!? Thems fighin words.

I think we agree The Rock is pretty silly.

I remember thinking what a stupid movie The Martian was. Poo potatoes et al. IDK. Didn’t see it at a drive in so the bar was set to a mediocre height and it still didn’t clear it.

As I type this, I’m trying to remember the movie. The explosion and the end are the only two other things I recall. Like my memory and writing skills, that flick was mediocre at best. Had they called it, The Mediocre Martian Movie that simpletons might like, I’d have not held it to such a low-lofty standard. But since I can’t remember anything worthwhile about it, I accept your challenge and shall meet you at the monkeys bars after school to throw some hands. 😁

I watched The Harder They Fall on Netflix. I really liked this. There were things about it that may have needed a little tweaking, but with that cast how could you go wrong? It was a fun Western.

Idris Elba is a favorite of mine, but I admit Jonathan Majors stole every scene he was in. I loved him in Lovecraft Country and he didn't disappoint here.

Ended up watching Watcher in the Woods ..rented it from the library. It was made in 1980 and has Bette Davis and David McCallum (Ducky from NCIS) It is so good.edge of your seat scary

An American family move into a British country house only to encounter malevolent spirits. The ghost of the owner's daughter, long missing, torments the family's young girl.

Just read my first review of Spielberg's take on West Side Story. I was skeptical, both because Robert Wise's film version is so iconic and Spielberg has (a) never done a musical and (b) been off his game a bit of late. However, Barry Hertz, the Globe & Mail's movie columnist, gave it a fairly good review. I love the music (by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim) and the story is classic (a loose adaptation of Romeo & Juliet) so maybe I'll give it a whirl. I have not watched a Spielberg movie in quite a while.

Oh, and the wonderful Rita Moreno, who won an Oscar for her part in the original, has a supporting role so they at least had the class to acknowledge their predecessor.

Comedy-Disaster. That’s how Netflix described it. At the very least, it was highly entertaining. It has a little of everything. But Jennifer Lawrence. Wow. She more than holds her own. She dominates the screen. Some amazing performances. Not the best movie, but very, very far from worst. The juxtaposition of metaphor is…I don’t know. I don’t have the words. It just saddens me.

Quote by Ping

Comedy-Disaster. That’s how Netflix described it. At the very least, it was highly entertaining. It has a little of everything. But Jennifer Lawrence. Wow. She more than holds her own. She dominates the screen. Some amazing performances. Not the best movie, but very, very far from worst. The juxtaposition of metaphor is…I don’t know. I don’t have the words. It just saddens me.

I really liked this too. The comedy gets a little overly broad, particularly when dealing with Meryl Streep's president, but it's angry and powerful and moving and funny. And Jennifer Lawrence in total nerd mode is pure fantasy for the likes of me. Seriously dig those bangs. She can do NO wrong.

I watched Matrix Resurrections on HBO Max. It was entertaining, but a lot of it was just rehashed from the original movie. I'm still confused about many things in all the Matrix movies. A large portion of the film was devoted to extended fight scenes. They get too repetitive and don't add a lot to the movie. They could have cut out at least twenty minutes, in my opinion.

Quote by gillianleeza

I watched Matrix Resurrections on HBO Max. It was entertaining, but a lot of it was just rehashed from the original movie. I'm still confused about many things in all the Matrix movies. A large portion of the film was devoted to extended fight scenes. They get too repetitive and don't add a lot to the movie. They could have cut out at least twenty minutes, in my opinion.

They could have cut an HOUR of fighting from that movie. Jeez. It's endless. I respect how original the original was, but this was the same old ideas and the same old fight scenes.

Station Eleven is next on my watch list. Talia rarely does sci-fi, so I'm on my own for this one.

Glad to hear the thoughts on M4. Maybe I’ll see it, maybe not.

After watching The Ring with my kids (we all were underwhelmed, seriously), my daughter said there needed to be more carnage and death. 😳 She’s twelve in March.

I’m seriously impressed. She has such an excellent grasp of Hollywood versus reality. No nightmares. No jump scare antics or effects. Ice water runs through her veins.

So, we then watched another two Christmas movies, A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place 2. I still think both are excellent movies. She says they were, “Interesting.” I think I’ve found my thriller-horror muse. If I can write something that scares the bejesus out of her, I’ve possibly succeeded as a storyteller and writer, but failed miserably as a father. No guts! No glory! Therapy can deal with the rest. 😜

I really want to watch Dune but I don’t want to commit to three hours of something I may dislike. I’ll wait until the time and mood is right. Same with, The Hobbit. I know it’s not as good as LOTR, and I fear it may tarnish that masterpiece. But my son really, REALLY wants to watch it (and the other Hobbity movies) with me. We started. To be continued…

Another movie I’ve avoided on principle is Guardians of the Galaxy. Just more stupid Marvel/DC/whatever crap. But sooo many people and reviews speak highly of this movie. If I go into it with extremely low expectations, as I would, then maybe it might be okay. I’m being drawn to it like gravy to mashed potatoes and stuffing.

Lastly, my son and I really enjoyed, Venom. It was funny and Tom Hardy was wonderful in it. I sense the sequel is going to be watched before school returns after the now, COVID-19 variant extended Xmas break. Yup. Kids are getting an additional week so the schools can better prepare for everyone’s safety.

Spider-Man, No Way Home.

It had to be done 🕷🕸

Quote by Ping
Lastly, my son and I really enjoyed, Venom. It was funny and Tom Hardy was wonderful in it.

Tom Hardy is wonderful in everything 😍

Anyone else watch Locke? Takes a good actor to pull off that role. Not sure about the ending, but overall it’s a winner in my book

Quote by Welshdreamer42

Quote by Ping
Lastly, my son and I really enjoyed, Venom. It was funny and Tom Hardy was wonderful in it.

Tom Hardy is wonderful in everything 😍

Thanks sounding a bit desperate there, including your unintended? innuendo. 🤣🤣🤣

Sorry. I’m a very bad boy.

I wish Tommy McHardly was a few years younger. Now that I’ve seen him in a number of productions, I think he would have/still could be, an AMAZING 007. Certainly better than everyone after Connery and before Craig.

Tom Hardy as 007? Okay 😍

I’m not a fan of Bond, but I could be ;)

Quote by Welshdreamer42

Tom Hardy as 007? Okay 😍

I’m not a fan of Bond, but I could be ;)

He was the favorite to succeed Craig at one point. I am hearing that may not be the case anymore, though.

I saw Ghostbusters: Afterlife. What an excellent and well-considered sequel to the original. I loved it.

I couldn’t sleep and watched this crazy stupid mid 70s sci-fi movie about space ants taking over the world called Phase Four. It was PERFECT.

Quote by verbal

I couldn’t sleep and watched this crazy stupid mid 70s sci-fi movie about space ants taking over the world called Phase Four. It was PERFECT.

Oh yeah, that's an oldie but a goodie, eh. Frankly, though, I don't think we need space ants to take over the world. Regular old ants are pretty much there already. IIRC, the biomass of ants vastly exceeds that of humans.

A Scooby Doo double feature last night both were silly but fun .

Scooby Doo and Scooby Doo 2 : Monsters Unleashed