What have you watched recently? (Please use the hide function for spoilers or plot lines)

[1nutkruk]

Been playing catch up on a lot of 2014 stuff recently:

 

 

Calvary - Dark film with enough humor in it and an array of weird characters to make it through the dark subject matter. The opening interaction sets the tone for the movie. 

 

 

Fury - Cliche war film that has action scenes that go along way to make up for it. Shia LaBeouf is surprisingly decent in it.

 

 

 

Obvious Child - Slightly enjoyable comedy that I feel is getting a lot of praise for it's take on a controversial subject than actually for how good it is. It's basically the reverse version of Knocked Up, with a very terrible love interest.

 

 

Force Majeure - Great subtle comedy about a family who goes on a skiing trip and while eating at a restaurant, witness a controlled avalanche that gets dangerously close and the father reacts pretty poorly, and what that does to the family. Also visually one of the best looking movies of last year.

I will give Fury a try when it comes on Starz.  The other films you have mentioned I haven't heard of so I will have to look them up.

 

I am looking forward to American Sniper when it is widely released.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Fury was good because of brad pitt. He played the role well, michael pena was solid and the other 2 were decent. The action scenes were done well, some of it a little too hollywood though. Overall the movie was entertaining byt a little too hollywood, and as said above, cliche.

I wont bore anyone by being the salty veteran that points out little things that are off, but all the reviews saying ita realistic arent done by veterans....its about as realistic as end of watch is. Entertaining movies, but shouldnt be taken too seriously.

[Adam]

I watched a couple B movies on Netflix

 

The Iceman - 8/10

 

True story about Richard Kuklinski, a contract killer. I enjoyed it. 

 

The Tall Man - 4/10

 

Stupid flick about Jessica Biel kidnapping kids

[happybat4]

I don't watch movies very often, but saw some over Christmas Break.

 

A River Runs Through it (9 out of 10)- Been on my to watch list for a while. Excellent movie, really want to read the book now. Direction was great and cinematography was beautiful, I can see why it one the Oscar. Very well acted as well. Abraham from the Walking Dead had a small part in it.

 

The Normal Heart (10 out of 10)- I thought this was a great, touching movie. Julia Roberts was terrific. There was some very powerful scenes. Mark Ruffalo was a little over the top at times, but I supposed that was what he was asked to do. Matt Bommer from White Collar was terrific. Jim Parsons did a great job as well, he had some touching moments. Makes me wonder how many lives could have been saved if more effort was put into aids funding from the beginning.

 

Tennis Anyone (5 out of 10)- This is a small little Indy movie with Donal Logue and Jason Issacs. Paul Rudd has a few funny parts. If you are into tennis there was some good scenes. If you don't like tennis you probably wont like this movie at all. Its about a guy with a failing marriage and reconnects to his love of tennis.

 

Chef (10 out of 10) - Loved this movie. Makes me want to eat. Great father son story and very funny.

 

Moonrise Kingdom (7 out of 10) - Good movie, a little slow at times. If you like Wes Anderson you will like this.

 

Grand Budapest (8 out of 10) - Great movie. Could easily be 9 out of 10. Ralph Fiennes is brillian, as it several other actors with small parts in it. Very funny and great story that had my attention the whole time.

 

Darjeering Limited - (6 out of 10) - I was a little disappointed. I felt it could have been better. Not one of my favorites from Anderson.

 

Secret Life of Walter Mitty (8 out of 10) - Ben Stillers directing debut and it was great. Stiller did a great job not going over the top like he usually does in movies. Quit dreaming and start living is the message. I did not like Kristen Wig in the movie. I keep thinking about the scene where he goes down the mountain on his skateboard.

[Tank]

"Secret Life of Walter Mitty (8 out of 10) - Ben Stillers directing debut and it was great. Stiller did a great job not going over the top like he usually does in movies. Quit dreaming and start living is the message. I did not like Kristen Wig in the movie. I keep thinking about the scene where he goes down the mountain on his skateboard."

 

i was expecting so much more from this movie. it almost completely ignored the fantasizing of being a hero that was so prevalent in the original, and i felt ripped off by that. 

[T.G.]

Unbroken...

 

It was absolutely a terrific movie.  Intense!

[mrwicked]

Two words: Downton Abbey.

F*ck yeah Season 5 just started.

[Brandon]

Two words: Downton Abbey.

F*ck yeah Season 5 just started.

One of these days. I hear it's slow, but like Mad Men which I assume may be similar.

[OregonLAA]

Happybat-

Very surprised you liked Budapest the most out of those 3 movies. I absolutely loved Kingdom. That is a top 3 Anderson movie for me. Budapest is probably one of my least favorites and Limited is somewhere in the middle, maybe bottom

[Lou]

One of these days. I hear it's slow, but like Mad Men which I assume may be similar.

 

yeah, people keep telling me to watch it but i'm not sure i will

 

I watched the first 2 seasons of Mad Men then got bored 

[Brandon]

I can see how Mad Men isn't for everyone. I rank it with the heavyweights but don't bat an eye if someone doesn't like it like Sopranos, Breaking Bad, or The Wire.

The better half stopped and is the one that said I wouldn't like it because of how slow it is. However, there are a couple people whose opinions I respect that talk highly of it.

I'll at least give it a try at some point.

[NrM]

yeah, people keep telling me to watch it but i'm not sure i will

 

I watched the first 2 seasons of Mad Men then got bored 

 

same thing happened to me

[nate]

I am with Lou, Mad Men seemed very over produced and over done.  It bored the hell out of me.  Plus it is basically a soap opera.

 

We gave Breaking Bad a second try and I definitely like it.  It has a lot of super heavy themes though so I have a hard time binge watching it.  Have to just do a couple episodes at a time.

 

The Wire is just epic.

 

I am sure most wont agree but Brooklyn 99 is a funny sitcom.  I enjoy watching it every week.  It is nothing spectacular but I usually get a couple big laughs.  Andre Braugher is really good in it.

Edited January 7, 2015 by nate

[Brandon]

I have a hard time with any network tv show since the premiums stepped it up and really raised the bar on tv.

[Brandon]

Naw, the Draper train is too much, so even if you think there is a lull his arc is just aces. But there is usually enough company or corporate issues in the business arc to keep everyone going.

Tying in two, it's like McNulty from The Wire with his own show. They also have the Walter White redemption aspect, but Draper is unique with a James Bond appeal.

I'm not going to change anyone's mind, but it may be tops for me by the time it finishes. Hard to beat The Wire, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones but I think it may do it. I will have to binge it going into the final part in April.

For me there is no shield like meth, castles, or cops and robbers. It's purely about humans, human psyche, and society...kind of a stripped version of all the top tier shows, like what made Tony Soprano special or Walter White...humanity, their flaws, etc.

[nate]

GoT is spectacular.  Boardwalk Empire was also spectacular the first three seasons until it just absolutely fell apart into garbage.  Can't think of another show that went from great to awful like BE did.

[Crampknees]

The new years day Walker Texas Ranger marathon was ass-kickage. 

[Adam]

House of Cards returns 2/27

[Stradling]

GoT is spectacular. Boardwalk Empire was also spectacular the first three seasons until it just absolutely fell apart into garbage. Can't think of another show that went from great to awful like BE did.

Just started season 4 of Boardwalk Empire, season 3 was outstanding.

[Brandon]

House of Cards returns 2/27

Really excited about this. One of the better shows out now.

[Brandon]

more power to you.

i didn't give a **** about any of the characters by halfway through season 3. the writers became either complacent or indifferent...or their talent was just tapped out.

the same happened to the sopranos, but it took until the end of the 4th season for that. the wire and breaking bad were consistently better year in and year out until the end for me in terms of story writing and character development. it's part of the reason i was fine with deadwood ending when it did as well because there was nowhere for any of those characters to go anymore.

The thing with the Sopranos is he wanted it to end but HBO didnt, which is why it dragged at the end.

Ironically, the reason Mad Men is great is Matthew Weiner was also one of the main writers for Sopranos.

[nate]

Just started season 4 of Boardwalk Empire, season 3 was outstanding.

 

It was.  Then season 4 happened.  Season 5 was 100x worse.  They weren't even trying.

[Adam]

The thing with the Sopranos is he wanted it to end but HBO didnt, which is why it dragged at the end.

Ironically, the reason Mad Men is great is Matthew Weiner was also one of the main writers for Sopranos.

 

Sopranos suffered a bit at the end, but it was still very enjoyable I thought. And, I am with Brandon. I really like Mad Men. 

[Stradling]

Mad Men is great and I can't pinpoint why I love it.

[mrwicked]

I wouldn't say Downton Abbey is slow at all.

It's f*cking insane awesome.

Give it a try gents.

I assumed it would be stuffy - but I was hooked after the first episode.

And it's just jaw dropping gorgeous (especially on a 65" zt60, holla!)