I'm in love with a mooooooooooooooovie and it's this one.

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - 9/10 (8.3)

Wow, this was fantastic. It's been years since I was able to so thoroughly enjoy a blockbuster. Fantastic performances seeping with deep emotion from interpersonal aswell as internal conflicts, wonderfully enhanced by Bryan Singers direction, and especially John Ottmans musical score, and his great editing of wonderfully vibrant, restrained cinematography. Speaking of the cinematography, it's so incredible to see vivid, unrestrained color in a blockbuster. Some scenes are very "overlit" in that sense, and the use of distinct color is very obvious, but it's so gorgeous that it's impossible to dislike.
Also I could have sworn this was shot on film, but looks like it's the Arri Alexa. They've added some great texture and tone curves to mimic film, this film looks great.

2 Guns (2013) - 7/10 (6.8)

Mainly Action-comedy. Great chemistry between Wahlberg and Denzel. Interesting plot with multiple parties after a big chunk of money. Almost impossible to predict, very interesting ride. Bill Paxton plays a bad guy, and he does it very well.

The Expendables 3 (2014) - 4/10 (6.3)

Incoherent, unfocused, monotone, droning chaos. Doesn't work as a throwback action film, modern action film, or action film in general. There's some glimpses of what could have been when Mel Gibsons villain gets to have dialogue, and some short 1-minute segments that are kind of charming, but mostly this is a film that looks like an action film, but has none of the thought necessary behind it to make the on-screen visuals interesting or engaging in the slightest.

Take Shelter (2011) - 8/10 (7.4)

I only knew Michael Shannon as Zod from Man Of Steel. Then someone recommended this film, and it seemed kind of interesting. A guy gets increasingly worried something very bad is coming for the world.
Turns out this is a superb film. It's got alot of involvement from the FX company HydraulX, but unlike my expectations this is a wonderfully subdued and incredibly down-to-earth and powerfully acted film. Not saying anything else, but if you want a film with some very powerful, moving performances and a constant uneasy tension, this is great.

Star Wars (1977) - 8/10 (8.7)

Hadn't seen it in ages, and it's almost impossible to guess the same film-maker made the prequels. Such a simple, clear narrative, and distinct execution. Even more remarkable considering the risk involved in creating this universe and the characters, which on paper probably made more than one studio executive wonder just how this strange fantasy world could work.

Patriot Games (1992) - 7/10 (6.9)

Harrison Fords first film portraying Jack Ryan. Fine film. Not mindblowing, rather procedural, but perfectly entertaining. Feels nice and slow and "classic" in that sense. Enjoyable, it feels like you're entering a real universe.

Clear and Present Danger (1994) - 7/10 (6.9)

The follow-up to Patriot Games. In a similar vein to the film before it, the same director aswell. Jack Ryan is a bit more hands-on action-hero here, but also works well, and it's entertaining.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) - 7/10 (8.6)

I really enjoyed it. I like James Gunn, and he did a fine job. Good cast, and the plot is pretty good for a blockbuster, though it can get a bit overwhelming if you don't remember all the names and relationships between characters. It's not dissimilar from other Marvel tentpole movies, but here we atleast have a director who isn't afraid to put a distinct mark on the film with how individual scenes are directed and performed, aswell as using the soundtrack to create a nice and playful tone.

Of all the movies where Emily Browning escapes from a mental institution, this is probably my favorite.

2013 was an amazing year.

All is Lost is on Netflix now so I finally caught up with it. Trey was right, what a fantastic movie. All visual storytelling, tense, believable, no bullshit. The thing I really didn't expect is how great it looks, there's gotta be VFX all over this thing but everything looked photo-real to me, and there's lots of stuff that had to be real that looks fantastic

I didn't know there was an original, so to speak. I saw the Timothy Olyphant version from 2008 or so and really liked it. From your description though the remake is more geared as a more conventional zombie film, lacking any real commentary on politics, and one can only infer those discussions from the actions of the military.

I liked the new one, there's a particularly terrifying scene in it that I'm not likely to forget, but I've not seen the original. Oh well.

Last edited by paulou (2014-09-14 04:13:08)

I think I'm over the grieving process at this point and excited for new Ridley Scott movies again. Really if you look at his career it's always been hits and misses, with really big highs and really big lows. Just in the last decade, you've got Kingdom of Heaven, Matchstick Men, and American Gangster as highs, and Prometheus, Robin Hood, and The Counselor as lows. I'm super stoked for Exodus.

The man's on a bit of a downslope, no doubt about it 
But then I watch this again and I get excited. Even the bad movies look gorgeous.

Ashik Kerib is great.

I saw No Good Deed the other day because I was assigned to review it and OMG it is unbelievably boring.