The Cinema Thread

[GoCubsGo]

The Shape of Water did zero for me.

Did you see Pan's Labyrinth?

Did not.

[Whack9]

Who else is planning on watching this movie?

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt4009460/

[Vrede too]

Who else is planning on watching this movie?

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt4009460/

Darn it, my policy is to never watch anything that's rated lower than 1.4/10. Let us know how it is.

0% Tomatometer, 30% Audience Score
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kirk_c ... _christmas

Die Hard is my favorite Christmas movie.

[billy.pilgrim]

My house, not necessarily my picks, but I do like
Elf,
It's a Wonderful Life,
Bad Santa,
A Christmas Story and
Die Hard.

More from the family and some of my occasionals

Miracle on 34th St (1947)
Scrooged
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Carol (1951)

[O Really]

Christmas Chronicles
(in addition to "Christmas Vacation" above)
Original "Home Alone"

[Whack9]

Trump vs the Illuminati

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt12969958/

In the distant future, a clone of Donald Trump survives the Earth's destruction by stowing-away aboard the last space-bound shuttle. At the same time, across space, the human race continues to fight a costly battle against Illuminati forces.

[GoCubsGo]

Trump vs the Illuminati

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt12969958/

In the distant future, a clone of Donald Trump survives the Earth's destruction by stowing-away aboard the last space-bound shuttle. At the same time, across space, the human race continues to fight a costly battle against Illuminati forces.

A 2.1 rating on imbd and not rated at all on Rotten Tomatoes.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/trump_ ... illuminati

I'm scared for you.

[Vrede too]

Trump vs the Illuminati

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt12969958/

In the distant future, a clone of Donald Trump survives the Earth's destruction by stowing-away aboard the last space-bound shuttle. At the same time, across space, the human race continues to fight a costly battle against Illuminati forces.

A 2.1 rating on imbd and not rated at all on Rotten Tomatoes.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/trump_ ... illuminati

I'm scared for you.

Trump vs The Illuminati Trailer
"possesses eternal life and large hands"

Based on a true story.

It's not the movie we wanted, but we may just have fucked up enough to deserve it.

this movie is so stupid it's my favorite movie so far

Guys this is not a joke. I hosted a quarantine viewing party with no intention of looking into it's political leaning or anything like that and we had to stop watching half an hour in due to its horrible animation and nonsensical, boring, and hard to follow plot. It's not even so bad it's good, it's literally vomit inducing. And I'm voting for Biden. Seriously it looks fun and harmless in the trailer but the movie is abysmal

no I'm serious. I thought this was a so bad it's good movie. It's just bad. Really really bad. I'm trying to warm you

I think I'm chilled, instead.

Trump vs the Illuminati (Review)
Rating – 2/5

... . Overall, Trump vs. the Illuminati is a huge missed opportunity. I would love to see a film more focused on the story rather than mocking Trump. Don’t get me wrong, fuck Trump, but mocking him can’t carry a film. Skip it.

Trump vs the Illuminati
Story and writing: 0/5
Animation: 0/5
Characters and voice acting: 0/5
Overall score: 0/15
Rating: Burn in Hell (0/5)

... I have no words to say about this. This was absolute garbage....

It's so bad it makes every Dinesh D'Souza documentary look believable....

[neoplacebo]

So far I've not seen it. I don't know if I can withstand much more of my eyes bleeding from the shit I see on LNF. I fear watching the movie in that it might induce even more eye bleeding. Hell, I'm typing this through narrow slits in the bandages I've had to use since watching LNF. I can't risk any more eye bleeding.

[billy.pilgrim]

Trump vs the Illuminati

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt12969958/

In the distant future, a clone of Donald Trump survives the Earth's destruction by stowing-away aboard the last space-bound shuttle. At the same time, across space, the human race continues to fight a costly battle against Illuminati forces.

A 2.1 rating on imbd and not rated at all on Rotten Tomatoes.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/trump_ ... illuminati

I'm scared for you.

I agree with the ratings and agree that it was ill conceived, but there were some notable characters like foot.
The Chinese gave trump huge hands
clone trump was able to see his namesake assassinated.
At 23 minutes he does some great dancing (skip the rest, but this is inspiring.
And wow, what a suspenseful ending, leading to a sequal.

[Vrede too]

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes critics 78%+

The trailer looks cool. In theaters and on HBO Max on March 31, 2021.

Could not finish.

Yeah, it sucked. I slept through most of it.

Despite the BRD critics' consensus I couldn't resist rottentomatoes' 75% Tomatometer 91% Audience Score.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/godzilla_vs_kong

critics consensus
Delivering squarely on its title, Godzilla vs. Kong swats away character development and human drama to deliver all the spectacle you'd expect from giant monsters slugging it out.

audience says
This long-awaited blockbuster matchup makes it easy not to think about the so-so story and characters by serving up plenty of action and incredible effects.

I agree, the plot was thin and didn't matter, but I thought the effects other than Mechagodzilla were good.

[Whack9]

Been watching some stuff directed by Terrance Malik.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrence_Malick

He directed Thin Red Line, which some of you've probably seen.

New World was really good.
Days of Heaven was decent.

He's got a really trippy style with limited dialogue. The way the scenes are filmed and the music all tie together to look like a painting imo.

[Vrede too]

The Great Debaters is a 2007 American biographical drama film directed by and starring Denzel Washington. It is based on an article written about the Wiley College debate team by Tony Scherman for the spring 1997 issue of American Legacy.

The film co-stars Forest Whitaker, Denzel Whitaker, Kimberly Elise, Nate Parker, Gina Ravera, Jermaine Williams and Jurnee Smollett....

Plot

Based on a true story, the plot revolves around the efforts of debate coach Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington) at Wiley College, a historically black college related to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (now The United Methodist Church), to place his team on equal footing with whites in the American South during the 1930s, when Jim Crow laws were common and lynch mobs were a fear for blacks. The Wiley team eventually succeeds to the point where they are able to debate Harvard University....

Critical response

As of November 20, 2012, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 80% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 132 reviews. The site's consensus reads: "A wonderful cast and top-notch script elevate The Great Debaters beyond a familiar formula for a touching, uplifting drama." Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 65 out of 100 based on reviews from 32 critics....

Intelligent and inspiring.

[Vrede too]

Duel
1971, Mystery & thriller, 1h 35m

89% Tomatometer
84% Audience Score

critics consensus
Duel makes brilliant use of its simple premise, serving up rock-solid genre thrills while heralding the arrival of a generational talent behind the lens.

Movie Info
David Mann (Dennis Weaver), a mild mannered electronics salesman, is driving cross-country on a two-lane highway when he encounters an old oil tanker driven by an unseen driver who seems to enjoy annoying him with dangerous antics on the road. Unable to escape the demonic big rig, David finds himself in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the monstrous truck. When the pursuit escalates to deadly levels, David must summon his inner warrior ...

Steven Spielberg 4 years pre-Jaws. Great cinematography despite being 50 years ago in a made for TV movie. I clutched my pearls a time or two.

[Whack9]

This was an enjoyable documentary:

The Pine Barrens - Stories from a million acre remote wilderness within the most crowded state in the most crowded region in America - New Jersey.

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt8865066/

[Vrede too]

This was an enjoyable documentary:

The Pine Barrens - Stories from a million acre remote wilderness within the most crowded state in the most crowded region in America - New Jersey.

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt8865066/

I canoed there in my teens, loved it. I didn't know that it's a million acres. That's as large as MT's Bob Marshall Wilderness.

[Whack9]

This was an enjoyable documentary:

The Pine Barrens - Stories from a million acre remote wilderness within the most crowded state in the most crowded region in America - New Jersey.

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt8865066/

I canoed there in my teens, loved it. I didn't know that it's a million acres. That's as large as MT's Bob Marshall Wilderness.

Do you remember what river you canoed down?

[Vrede too]

Do you remember what river you canoed down?

No, not at all. It was somewhat narrow, a creek or stream by some definitions. Don't they all look the same?

[Whack9]

I wonder if it was the mullica river.

[Vrede too]

I wonder if it was the mullica river.

Long day trip, no camping. Given the longish drive more southerly and more accessible seem likely. I found this list, but nothing rings a bell.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category: ... ew_Jersey)

I got a faint tickle for Toms River, but nothing to bet on. Back then my adult buddy with a canoe did most or all of the planning and navigation. We paddled all over MD, some PA and VA, and this one NJ trip.