The "last movie I saw" thread

[MarkGrace]

Think I forgot to mention that I saw Pain and Gain and really enjoyed it. It was entirely different than what I expected from that trailer. I didn't expect the degree of dark humor (I lol'ed several times) and it's absolute skewering of the American Dream. I also didn't expect the degree of satire and that it would be such an exaggerated take on reality (which I actually think worked well in this context); this seemed like one of the few times ever that Bay was self-aware and had his tongue planted firmly in cheek as he went right over the top.

Every year I think it's interesting to see how a handful of movies kind of cluster around a similar theme. This year at least a handful have emerged (The Bling Ring, Springbreakers, Pain and Gain) dissecting entitlement to the American Dream (and the more I think about it, Breaking Bad is very much about this as well) and the sort of debauchery that can go along with it. Of those three Pain and Gain was the most purely enjoyable and entertaining for me.

[MarkGrace]

The Stories We Tell

Documentary by actor/director Sarah Polley about her attempt to discover her biological father. The film plays out almost like a mystery, but as the name suggests is about how a narrative takes shape around the biases and distorted recollections we bring to it. It dissects the idea of memory and how simple facts can alter the way we shape a story, to the point that each person brings so many preconceived ideas of what happened that it's almost impossible to nail down a core truth. I thought it was pretty interesting and there are a couple reveals at the end that flip it on its head and sort of force the consideration of these various ideas.

[Katy Lied]

Been trying to rent The Stories We Tell for a week now, but Red box is always out. That movie is seriously understocked.


Edited: Didn't care for it.

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[Katy Lied]

I keep getting offers to sneak previews of Don Jon, which leads me to conclude that the producers are nervous about this one? It stars one of my favorite actors. Has anyone heard any advance buzz on this movie?

Synopsis: New Jersey bartender Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) knows what's important: his friends, his family, his car, his church, his sexual conquests -- and porn. In fact, Jon is a porn addict and has never had a genuine relationship with a woman. However, when he meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson) he has to change his operating methods, because Barbara won't be bedded easily. For the first time in his life, Jon begins a real courtship, but his obsession with erotica threatens to ruin everything.


...because your normal guy's choices are porn or Scarlett Johansson.

Comment posted at IMDB:

Hi. I'm a guy, I've watched porn in my life.

Got a girlfriend who said she was fine with that, but after a couple of times she found porn in my internet history and broke down crying, it became clear that she wasn't okay with it. So I quit, haven't watched porn in about a year and a half. Her feelings are just more important.

The thing is, she still gets upset about it, and now every time an advertisement for this movie comes up she gets all mopey for a while.

So... *beep* you guys, my life has become that much more of a pain in the ass because of this movie. (and, since I know the counter argument, because my SO doesn't have thick enough skin to see a commercial and not be bothered by it.)

Even still, pretty obnoxious seeing adds for this movie. I'm rather uninterested in the plight of those who take porn too seriously right now.

[MarkGrace]

I keep getting offers to sneak previews of Don Jon, which leads me to conclude that the producers are nervous about this one? It stars one of my favorite actors. Has anyone heard any advance buzz on this movie?

Synopsis: New Jersey bartender Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) knows what's important: his friends, his family, his car, his church, his sexual conquests -- and porn. In fact, Jon is a porn addict and has never had a genuine relationship with a woman. However, when he meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson) he has to change his operating methods, because Barbara won't be bedded easily. For the first time in his life, Jon begins a real courtship, but his obsession with erotica threatens to ruin everything.


...because your normal guy's choices are porn or Scarlett Johansson.

Comment posted at IMDB:

There hasn't been a big buzz or anything, but the reviews have been generally positive.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/don_jon/

We may go see it this weekend.

[Katy Lied]

Just saw The Book of Manning. Awesome, awesome.




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[Commando]

I keep getting offers to sneak previews of Don Jon, which leads me to conclude that the producers are nervous about this one? It stars one of my favorite actors. Has anyone heard any advance buzz on this movie?

Synopsis: New Jersey bartender Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) knows what's important: his friends, his family, his car, his church, his sexual conquests -- and porn. In fact, Jon is a porn addict and has never had a genuine relationship with a woman. However, when he meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson) he has to change his operating methods, because Barbara won't be bedded easily. For the first time in his life, Jon begins a real courtship, but his obsession with erotica threatens to ruin everything.


...because your normal guy's choices are porn or Scarlett Johansson.

Comment posted at IMDB:

I do know that this was the movie to see at Sundance this year- impossible to get in-- and if you were lucky enough to score admission, you did so understanding the caveat that it's good but totally not for prudes (obviously). I actually can't wait to see it.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Rush was great. Ron Howard seems to be getting better, this was my favorite movie from him. The German actor playing Lauda is really good and easily captures the German-ness of Lauda (who was Austrian, but Austrians are to Germans what English Canadiens are to Americans).

[Commando]

It's been a great lazy sunday- counting down until breaking bad is over and available on bit torrent Meanwhile, I've gone on a bit of a run on movies I'm supposed to see but haven't:

Saturday Night Fever
Serpico
Apocalypse Now


The 70's were clearly not messing around!

[The_Douger]

We watched 42 on Redbox last night.

We likedi t.

[TripletDaddy]

It's been a great lazy sunday- counting down until breaking bad is over and available on bit torrent Meanwhile, I've gone on a bit of a run on movies I'm supposed to see but haven't:

Saturday Night Fever
Serpico
Apocalypse Now


The 70's were clearly not messing around!

All 3 of those movies are awesome.

[PaloAltoCougar]

All 3 of those movies are awesome.

They were; the '70s had some great ones. I'd also include the first two Godfathers, Patton, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Chinatown in that decade's Top Ten.

[Donuthole]

"In A World . . ."

Pretty fun movie starring Lake Bell, Rob Corddry, and Demetri Martin (yep, the guitar/whiteboard comedian), among others. A fairly original story line about a woman trying to break into the world of big-time voice over (hence the title). Lots of very clever dialogue (maybe just a hair too much, even) and solid acting. Some funny cameos from well-known actors like Eva Longoria and Cameron Diaz were also a nice touch. I also appreciated that they wrapped it up in 90 minutes, instead of unnecessarily dragging it out for another 30, like so many movies would have.

The tone and pace felt a lot like Safety Not Guaranteed and other similar shows. jaysantos, it's getting 7.3 stars in IMDB, so it's right in your wheelhouse. I think your wife would enjoy it, a handful of F-bombs and one hairy (male) ass notwithstanding.

[Katy Lied]

Don Jon. I saw it in a theater with lots of single guy watchers (No sig others or friends with them) carefully spaced far away from other watchers. It felt porno-ish that way, even before it started. I went to see it because I love JGL who wrote it, directed it, and stars in it. The content was way more explicit than I would have liked, I talked to my coworkers about this, and they thought so as well, even the ones who take selfies and dance with molly.

The movie's themes were interesting, but when you think about it, far from novel.

Spoiler for The rest of this is SPOILER:

Here are the themes:

1. Protagonist goes from "all guys do porno" to "well maybe a deeper emo relationship is more fulfilling" [Hardly a new idea]
2. The concept of the white knight on his horse coming to rescue the fair maiden is just as unrealistic as porn. [I think it was Stephen King who said that the Twilight Series is porn for white pre teen girls.]
3. The Catholic Church (and other churches) doesn't really address the loss of quality of life due to porn, most concentrating on the act of consuming porn and less on the escapism from life [someone posted in Donut's porn thread about the LDS Bishop who said that porn was nothing about desire and everything about escapism.]
4. He wastes a lot of his life on porn. [Nothing new]
4. His porn consumption led him to her, and her "porn" consumption led her to him. And they used each other in conjunction with their porn addictions. And he wakes up to the fact in the end (aided by her busting him) where she never knows what she is doing. [This was probably the most interesting theme.]

[Surfah]

I haven't used Redbox in a couple of years but we rented This Is the End the other night. I was surprised at how much Gidget laughed. Pretty darn crude. But I laughed. A lot. We were both rolling during that explicit Danny McBride and James Franco exchange. My only gripe with it was Paul Rudd not getting caught up to heaven. I love Paul Rudd and I can't believe he is a bad dude.