What's the latest movie you watched and how was it?

[Rorschach]

Too Big To Fail

A HBO original movie that debuted last night. The film was about the US' financial collapse in 2008, the collapse of Bear Sterns and Lehman Bros, the bailout of AIG, the stimulus package to the 10 leading banks, and Henry Paulson's (US Treasury Secretary) part in it all.

Ensemble cast included William Hurt as Paulson in the lead, but also performances from Topher Grace, Paul Giamatti, Ed Asner, and a scene-stealing James Woods as the Chairman of Lehman Bros.

I thought it was a real good and well done movie. It isn't the most penetrable, and can seem really esoteric, in the beginning especially. I was particularly interested in this, I am a Commerce degree graduate currently studying to be a CFA, so I was able to follow along no problem. I'm not sure if this will be same for everyone.

The film tries to paint Paulson as a "good guy", someone that kinda fucked up in the beginning, coupled with the financial bubble explosion which created the snowball effect, was backed into a corner to make the unpopular bail out decisions. The film tries to justify the bailouts stating that the financial system and the whole US economy were literally days away from collapsing and something had to be done. The film isn't all kind to Paulson tho, showing him as really naive at the end. In focusing on Paulson tho, they kinda danced around the real issue of deregulation, the real culprit of the collapse and subsequent aftermath of it, only mentioning it a few times throughout and in the epilogue.

Nonetheless, very interesting dramatization that seemed to be at least somewhat historically accurate, thats if your into this kind of thing. There really isn't too much to watch for in plot and character development, so unless your interested in the topic, probably not essential viewing for everyone else.

[Malice Intended]

Attack the Block

I went to a preview screening down in Miami on Wednesday. Absolutely loved it. Best film of it's kind in years. Sure to became a cult classic once it gets released state side. If you love movies like Gremlins, Aliens, Goonies and Shaun of the Dead, you owe to yourself to see Attack the Block ASAP.

My review: http://planetill.com/2011/05/movie-r...ack-the-block/

[Broddie]

True Legend: The action was straight up beautiful at times. The cinematography was also inspired. However it takes such a drastic shift in tone from act 2 into act 3 that it ends up dragging at points and seeming bi-polar in certain ways as well. Worth seeing if you're a fan of Woo-Ping but I don't think it's one for the collection either.

[Dr Doom]

Valhalla Rising, by Bronson director Nicolas Winding Refn. Mads Mikkelsen plays a mute viking warrior called One-Eye who may or may not be (an avatar of) Odin. He escapes from a bunch of pagans by killing the shit out of them, then joins a group of Christian Crusaders who make for the Holy Land, but are instead dragged into a land of doom by One-Eye. Make no mistake though, this is pure arthouse with the story being told primarily through imagery and music (as said Mikkelsen doesn't speak, and the other actors barely got lines). It's religious arthouse with violence and you can either sit through it and love it or you'll hate its fucking guts. I find myself on the former stance.

[Broddie]

Valhalla Rising, by Bronson director Nicolas Winding Refn. Mads Mikkelsen plays a mute viking warrior called One-Eye who may or may not be (an avatar of) Odin. He escapes from a bunch of pagans by killing the shit out of them, then joins a group of Christian Crusaders who make for the Holy Land, but are instead dragged into a land of doom by One-Eye. Make no mistake though, this is pure arthouse with the story being told primarily through imagery and music (as said Mikkelsen doesn't speak, and the other actors barely got lines). It's religious arthouse with violence and you can either sit through it and love it or you'll hate its fucking guts. I find myself on the former stance.

Yeah that was pretty good. That lead guy had a lot of presence didn't think that when I first saw Casino Royale but he could carry a flick. If you haven't yet then I recommend you check out the Pusher films by Refn. They're pretty damn good and more in the style of that upcoming Drive movie you made a thread about as opposed to Bronson and the viking one. At least based on it's trailer it seems to be spiritually linked to those more so than anything else by the guy.

[Dr Doom]

I plan on watching all of Refn's other movies before Drive comes out. The man has quickly become a favorite director of mine.

Back to business, I just watched John Carpenter's The Ward, and it's a shame the screenplay was utter shit and unworkable with because Carpenter still got it. You know the cliché "let's move the camera slowly through a dark hallway" shot that you've seen in a thousand different movies? When Carpenter does it, you can feel goosebumps again because he just makes it work. It's crazy. Simple establishing shots of the psychiatric hospital are the same, the man simply knows how to frame a shot like nobody else does. But as said the screenplay is pure garbage and is just an empty enterprise. The setting has nothing going for it, every character is a faceless/personality-less stock character (menopausal nurse, mean mugging guard, doctor who uses the phrase "I'm trying to help you" too often). So besides Carpenter's direction this movie really has nothing going for it though I will give some credit to Amber Heard for carrying the movie on her back, and knowing how to wear a pair of jeans.

[Broddie]

Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV - There was a point in my life when this was one of my most anticipated movies. When it eventually dropped I was disappointed. I decided to revisit it again after all these years. Now I like it a little better; still not really on the level of the first but much better than part 2 and 3.

[Jack Roller]

Watched Trollhunter. Thought it was great. The suit of armor and the giant syringe were my favorite part.

[Oseru]

I started GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra. I got up and ran errands after about 40 minutes so I didn't finish it, but I'm pretty sure the rest was as aweful as the first half.

[Jack Roller]

The short animated series written by Warren Ellis was a million times better than that shit.