The Great Wall (2017)

Phil - This is not the monster hunter movie I wanted but it's the monster hunter movie I got. On paper the recipe of this movie has all the key ingredients I love. Man against monster, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" style armies and generals, seigecraft and a dash of fantasy. Unfortunately they also added copious amounts of Matt Damon, standard dumbness, and poor CG design. The resulting movie is minor, another lump of failed potential.

 In contrast to the crap CG, the costume and set design was pretty amazing. This adds further fuel to my contention that CG departments are often incompetent, rogue entities operating outside the artistic influence of the people making the real movie. Obviously there is some coordination going on but I believe that factors such as the high cost and the inability to see the final result during filming lead to a lack of refinement in design and execution. It is a blight on the land, CG has hit a trash plateau and it's hurting a lot of big movies.

 Anyway, the dialogue was pretty silly, but it wasn't without its charms. I guggled at the surprise appearance of Willem Dafoe literally poking his head around a corner early on in the movie. And I don't dislike Matt Damon but he wasn't really needed here. Jing Tian could have easily carried this movie on her own but I have a feeling it wouldn't have reached my rural theater if that were the case and that sucks.

 Really what bothered me most was the lack of ambition, the lack of largeness. Monster Hunter (the game) is a thing that has been out in the world for a while now, long enough to have left a dent in the collective subconscious. It's a game that takes the classic Knight vs. Dragon trope to the extreme edges of plausibility. The scale and stakes of this game are so, for lack of a better word, epic that they begin to take on a primal theme: a few scrappy humans can overcome astronomical obstacles through sheer grit and determination. While there is a HINT of that in this movie, it never really gets there. It instead opts for battles in a style that seems to say, "I saw the battles in Lord of the Rings and decided to do that, except half as intense and twice as dumb." That's mean but this movie really disappointed me, it's budget was 150 million, all the LotR's budgets were under 100 million, there really was no excuse to be almost cool but actually kinda lame. 6/10

The Garden of Words (2013)

Jaiden - Hands down THE most beautiful animation/film I have ever seen. This short makes Studio Ghibli films look like a Saturday morning cartoon. Every single shot was simply breathtaking. The ONLY thing that distracts me is Japan's standard choppy animation. But hey, I can't expect them to change that. So for what this short film is, It's beautiful, immersive, and touching. Flawless. 100% (out of 100).

Train to Busan (2016)

Alex - A Korean zombie flick that actually does a decent job at trying to put its own unique spin on the tired formula. A workaholic father reluctantly agrees to take his daughter to see her mother living in another city. As they board the train, the outbreak is just starting, and about 75% of the film is on this train where an infected got on board. Though it has some cliches you'd expect, it also throws in a heathy dose of K-drama and a pinch of K-humor to keep things rolling. In the end, I wasn't left with a feeling like I wasted my time. 7.5/10

Hell or High Water (2016)

Alex - My only exposure to Chris Pine have been the Star Trek films, which I think he does a fine job. But when I heard he was in a serious film, and that film was getting rave reviews, I was a bit unsure. Well, Chris Pine can act. He does an excellent job alongside Ben Foster and Jeff Bridges.  The story centers on two brothers who are robbing banks to pay off a debt to save their mother'a farm. Bridges is the cantankerous lawman on their trail.  An overall fine film with good performances. 8/10

Asperger's Are Us (2016)

Nick - The first comedy ensemble to include only people with Aspergers, that's Asperger's Are Us. I first heard about these guys in a podcast, all four were on promoting their comedy shows and this documentary. They had a very funny sense of humor, dry, witty and fun of puns. The documentary touches on the relationship of the troupe members and the preparation for their last live show before they're off to college and what have you's. One thing I liked was that the film maker didn't rely on any cheesy V.O but instead let the subjects tell the story. Honestly I feel like every documentary should be this way if it's subjects are alive to tell their tale. The story offers such a small glimpse into a very interesting dynamic and condition these guys share that it really did leave me wanting to dive deeper into what exactly makes these guys motivated. I guess that means I have to look these guys up.. 7/10

The Magnificent Seven (2016)

Nick - I've never been thrown so much on a opinion of a movie as much as this one. A lot of up's and downs.. sadly the downs out weigh the up's. It's a remake of a remake of a remake so it's kind of easy to be unoriginal. But I mean c'mon.. this felt like a rehash of every western i've seen and I haven't seen more than 10 westerns. I haven't even seen the original Magnificent Seven! A forgettable depiction that's no where near being a definitive option. 5.5/10 

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Nick - There's something about watching a professional do their job that makes me feel tingly inside. That's essentially what this entire movie is and because of that it holds a special place in my heart. To top it off it has my favorite actor playing the friendly antagonist. I'm not going to go into too much since this is the probably the 5th time i've rewatched. Love this movie. 10/10

The Visit (2015)

Jaiden - I never was a fan of M. Night. Shyamalan. Signs and the village nearly put me to sleep. I figured I just wasn't into his stories or directing. But I gave 'Split' a chance, and I actually liked it. But 'The Visit' is what made me have a change of heart for M. Night films. Knowing nothing about it, I didn't really know what to expect.Man was it scary. Watched this at night (great idea) and it took me forever to fall asleep because my heart was still beating rapidly! I'm a sucker for scary movies and this hit all the right notes for me. Its more of a drawn-out horror and BOY did Shyamalan pull it off. I couldn't think of anything wrong with it except for ONE scare which I was mad about. -.- It was dumb.

      So watching it, I was kind of excited to see it was (sort of) one of those found-footage films. I know a lot of people hate them, but I love em.  They add this different type of immersion to them, and I find it really interesting, and different (I'll always love you, Cloverfield). And they don't make me sick, so, good for me, eh? Even IF you are sickened by a shakey camera, have no fear, this movie is shot really smoothly. Often is the camera rested on a table or something. The handheld camera "gimmick" fits really nicely for this setting. It wouldn't have been as great without it, honestly. There were a few moments in these found footage movies where you question how/why certain things were filmed, but I cut them some slack, because for the most part, (enough of) their actions are justified especially in this film.

   Terrifying experience, and it was great. I give the Visit a 90% (out of 100 percents).

Alex - All "found footage" movies are inherently flawed. In order to convey enough information to the viewer, the "camera" must continue to record even during the most inopportune times. But if you're willing to except this flaw, some "found footage" films can actually be pretty good. This brings us to The Visit, M. Night's first film after becoming a Hollywood dumpster fire. His return is most welcomed. I really enjoyed this film. Yes, there are implausible scenes and yes, there are a few things that might not click together. But overall, I had a lot of fun watching it. Two kids go to visit their grandparents for the first time. Strange things start happening. Soon they are in peril and must figure out what the heck is going on with their crazy grandparents.  In some of M. Night's better films, he'll include a standout scene  that is quiet and understated, typically a still shot (or in this case, a very slow zoom in), using only the actor's ability to convey everything. The Visit has a very powerful scene involving the young girl being questioned by her brother. That scene alone was worth it for me. There are a few genuinely creepy scenes and a couple jump scares thrown in for good measure. 8.5/10

__________

Previous watched

Nick - 7.5/10

Ally - 9/10

The God of Cookery (1996)

Nick - This was a non reluctant rewatch of one of the funniest Stephen Chow movies. If you're a fan of over the top and slapstick comedy this movie is gold. Seriously can't recommend this enough. I will warn that the production of this movie is on the cheaper side. If you can look over that than you'll be golden.  8/10

Split (2017)

Nick - I feel like M. Night has come across some aspiring event or thing that's pushed him into a stint of great storytelling. This movie does take a turn eventually (as expected) but like his last movie The Visit, M. Night has managed to surprise me and keep me extremely entertained. Plus that ending! Oh that ending.. 7.8/10

Alex - Let's be upfront for a minute. Other than Unbreakable (which I loved), I thought most of M. Night's film were good but with horrible twists (Village, Signs). I stopped watching his films as he quickly transformed into a Hollywood punchline.  M. Night was his own worst enemy. However, I heard he made a decent comeback with The Visit (need to watch that one) and when I saw the trailer for Split, I was on the fence. 5FAW's very own Nick convinced me it was worth a view and so I went.

Split is exciting, tense and well-acted. McAvoy is utterly fantastic. His performance alone is worth the price of admission. And I'll leave you with this:  those last 10 seconds....

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

Nick - I have to admit, i'm a sucker for third act confrontational show downs and this movie did not disappoint. Although, it did disappoint in other areas such as the cheesy dialogue, convenient storytelling and terrible casting on the son. That kid is unbearable to watch let alone listening to him talk. The most unbelievable and annoying character in the movie, it almost ruined it for me. Thank goodness for Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. I think I'll watch La La Land again to get my Gos' and Stone fix. I'm not sure what else to say, this movie has already left my mind, if it weren't for writing this review and that third act reveal I would have already forgotten its existence. 6.5/10

Groundhog Day (1993)

Levi - Groundhog Day was great! I enjoyed the Fantastic character arch for Phil as he wakes up everyday, at first cynical and hated, to humble, generous, appreciated and happy. You felt his frustration when he had good days, to see them melt away as if they never even happened, and the futility of trying everything in his power to escape it, and yet waking up everyday I'm the same situation. Hey that's like a metaphor for life, huh? Ah well, c'est la vie. 9/10

__________

Previously watched

Nick - 9/10

Pineapple Express (2008)

Nick - It's good to revisit some of your favorite movies from time to time, whether to dwell on nostalgic feelings or check in to see if these movies still hold up. Pineapple Express still holds up and can still make me laugh out loud so many times. Literally a stoner comedy by not taking itself seriously but still delivering a solid story, Pineapple can be held up as one of the best ones out there. I still quote this movie and watching it again reminded me of quotes I forgot that i'll definitely be using. 8/10

The Big Short (2015)

Levi - The Big Short is a star studded film about the housing crash that toppled the world's economy in 2008. We were all there, we remember it! But with this movie we have the perspective of bankers and investors on wall Street. This movie is frustrating, it's like watching ‘making a murderer’ because everybody knows the truth and they're ignoring it so that they can keep their money and their jobs on wall Street, but it all blew up in their faces. It was well done, and I liked how sometimes the actors would break the fourth wall to explain something confusing that just happened. Word to the wise: Don't watch if you don't like feeling dumb, and try to catch the edited version on tbs, you'll thank me if you do! 8/10

____________

Previously watched

Allyson - 7.6/10

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

Levi - The DaVinci Code was just a silly, wacky movie. I went into this movie expecting a murder mystery that dealt exclusively with paintings, but what I found is that it's a murder mystery entrenched in religious conspiracy. I mean Leonardo DaVinci painted a lot, right? Oh yeah he was also a part of this weird off shoot of catholicism that was involved in a thousand years long secret war. Definite fact and not complete and utter bull shoot. Such farfetched ideologies cannot render more than a 5/10

Lion (2016)

Nick - The first half of this movie is really great. 2nd half was wasted on constant montages of map staring. Nonetheless I cried like a baby in the end. This movie gives us an insight into a problem in this world that we can help so get to it, watch this movie and pull out your checkbook. 8/10

Julian - It is worth seeing. I feel bad comparing it to slum dog millionaire but when you throw flashbacks in a movie about an Indian boy, who so happens to be the saaaame main character that's in slumdog, and who is looking for someone lost... How am I supposed to put it in the back of my mind?! BUT I tried really hard to not think of that and view it as what it is, a different movie. That being said, I didn't find the motivation backing the main character strong enough. Without spoiling the movie, It seemed like things just happend at random times for him that made him want to go look for what he missed so much. I do appreciate that it was based on a true story and in real life obviously this individual person WOULD actually have the desire and passion to go back home which I respect 100% but as a movie I just wasn't attached to the motives so much because it was kind of thrown at me at random areas of his life it seemed. What is weird is the ending actually made me emotional? Maybe it was because I knew it was based from a true story or maybe the movie actually did its job by making me feel for the character a little? But I overall I wasn't in love with the characters where I would want to watch this movie again and again and again. Saw it once which I'm glad I did because it was a good watch but... I think once was enough. So in conclusion, Slumdog millionaire was a better movie.
I give Lion a 6/10

Capote (2005)

Levi - Capote was about an author who would stop at nothing, and by whatever means necessary to write the story of a lifetime. Truman Capote was a sociopath in every sense of the word, and a little chilling at times, but overall Philip Seymour Hoffman delivered a solid performance definitely Worthy of an Oscar nomination. However, his voice was a little unsettling in this movie, he sounded kind of like an old southern lady. All in all it's fascinating to learn about these people of History but the means of which this man would operate isn't really my cup of tea. I found it hard to sympathize with this man or to relate to his story 6/10.

Spotlight (2015)

Levi - Spotlight showcases one of the most important stories recently reported on in my opinion, that of abuse to minors in the Catholic church. The actors in this movie were phenomenal, and the story was gripping, the 2 hours just flew by. For those who aren't of a weaker disposition, catch the edited version on tbs, because subject matter is kinda spotty in places with this one, but it may just be worth the watch, it's pretty interesting. 8/10

La La Land (2016)

Nick - I have to admit, the opening act was coequal to watching a grand flash mob. A corny mess. Which to me was an interesting choice because the movie does not play out that way going forward, in fact it decides to take itself seriously for the last half. That's where the movie shines the brightest, the conflict of each main characters struggles with themselves and projecting those struggles onto each other. Mixed in of course some fantastic song and dance. Boy are Stone and Gosling talented.. who would of thought actors could sing, dance and be beautiful? The music may seem nostalgic but I feel that's because they played the main theme what seemed to be 5x throughout the entire film, no complaints here, I enjoyed every second of it. Well except that opening..

This movie does deserve a lot of praise. All this talent and direction poured into one seamless movie is a feat that shouldn't be overlooked or misunderstood for a "cash in". It's truly a beautiful tribute to musicals and film. 9/10

Levi - La La Land is a mesmerizing tale of two individuals who have a dream, they've pursued it, and now it's their passion. Whenever their passion grows, it bubbles forth in the form of song and dance. As they meet each other, their passion is shifted, not to fame, stardom and lifestyle, but to each other, and as a result, their passion for each other grows. I watched this movie with the slow realization that the main protagonist and the main antagonist are the same people, which was very interesting, and well done. Also what I've noted is that the love story vibe they've struck in this movie was somewhat old-fashioned. The inclusion of modern things such as a cell phone was included in the scene to almost break the ‘spell’, snapping us back into the modern world. With this film I was captivated from beginning to end, I laughed, I cried, I was shocked, impressed, angry, happy, you name it, I felt it watching this movie. This is now, if not my overall favorite movie, it's in my top 3. 10/10

__________

Previously watched

Allyson 7.8/10

Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)

Levi - Tucker and Dale vs. Evil was thrust upon me during a weekend getaway, and I was kind of glad it was. It was a cool twist on the whole slasher genre and pretty stinkin funny. Kind of a good mindless don't think about it too much movie. 7/10

__________

Previously watched

Nick - 6/10

The Thing (1982)

Alex - I've seen this 1982 sci-fi classic (edited) probably a half dozen times and it still holds up. A group of men stationed in a remote outpost in Antartica must contend with an alien that is able to take over another life form and then become it, fooling everyone around it. Most of the effects are dated and some of the lines/acting is a bit wonky, but overall this is a solid sci-fi horror film that does an excellent job keeping you on the edge of your seat. Kurt Russell and Keith David are in top form and the film's pacing is near perfect.  Oh, and the ending is awesome.  9/10

__________

Previously watched

Nick - 10/10
Levi - 10/10
Allyson - 9/10

The Broken (2008)

Alex - Lena Headey plays a woman searching for doppelgänger in this creepy and slow burning film. Lots of long tracking shots, soft yet unnerving music, and a handful of scenes that will make your skin crawl. I don't want to spoil the overall premise so I'll leave it at that. There is one scene that has a decent amount of blood so beware of that.  If you like creepy films that don't rely on shock and gore, then this is for you.   8.5/10

Timecrimes (2007)

Alex - With a title like Timecrimes, I guess I shouldn't have expected much. But I came across the film while visiting a forum where people were discussing good time travel movies and this was mentioned several times.  It's about a man who sees a woman in a nearby forest and goes to investigate. This leads him to a secluded house where he stumbles upon a time machine. The film does a decent job handling the time loop and all, but the acting is really poor and there are more than a few scenes that are cringeworthy. In the end, what could have been a pretty good time travel film just becomes an untimely mess. 2.5/10

A Street Cat Named Bob (2016)

Levi - A Street cat named Bob, a movie about second chances and not giving up. Also a movie that I left unmotivated and scratching my head, saying to myself "I don't know what I was expecting.." James, our hero, had less personality than the cat, bob, who was stellar. I thought the camera angles were lazy and unimaginative, until they tried to POV Bob, and it's like, man.. careful what you wish for, cuz that was rough. It was meh, but the cat was great! 4/10

Swiss Army Man (2016)

Nick - A movie that has an agenda and also no shame in throwing fart jokes in.. a lot, that's my kind of movie. I love a unique style. The style these two directors have is charming and brillIant with a hint of "WTH??". I've always loved Paul Dano's acting and he does not disappoint. Daniel Radcliffe really shines impersonating a corpse "weekend at bernies" style. Do not watch a trailer to this movie, go in cold and enjoy every flatulent joke they throw at you. I'll probably revisit every now and then to get a good laugh. 

9/10

Ally - Most farts ever in a movie award goes to: Swiss Army Man! Seriously, if you've been looking for a movie where farts are a huge part of the story line, this is your movie. Also, if you're looking for a dramedy that perfectly combines humor, philosophy, a look at human nature, and friendship…this is your movie. Such an unrelatable situation becomes so relatable it kind of feels wrong because it's so gross and disturbing. I'll spoil one thing for you though, the moral of the story is that you should never hide your farts from your friends. I think we can all relate to that.

8.8/10

__________

Previously watched

Levi - 9/10

Ixcanu (2015)

Levi - Ixcanul (volcano) directed by Jayro Bustamante paints a bleak picture of indigenous Guatemalan (?) Plantation workers, as we chime in on a day in the life of this little family. It's your classic "she's in an arranged marriage but doesn't love the dude" scenario, and pepe has what she's looking for, which is basically that he's leaving to the states. Some bad choices were sewn, and repercussions were reaped. This film is RAW, no soundtrack makes you feel like you're right there with them, and if you aren't a fan of watching a pig get butchered, this may not be the film for you. It was alright, pretty rough around the edges. Would I see it again? Naw. 6/10

Hitchcock/Truffaut (2015)

Nick - The problem with documentaries focused on directors is by the end, the director of the documentary will have convinced me that their subject is the best director that ever existed. There's no doubt that Alfred Hitchcock is a genius in film making, a genius in building suspense and genuine horror. This documentary helps solidify that. Although the title is "Hitchcock/Truffaut" this movie focuses mostly on the works and styles of Hitchcock. It touches on his techniques and unprecedented style of writing with a camera. With interesting input and deconstruction of Hitchcocks work discussed from directors such as Richard Linklater, Wes Anderson and Martin Scorsese, this documentary is a must watch for any film makers or film advocates who appreciate the art. 8/10

12 Angry Men (1957)

Jaiden - I've seen a few scenes of this from the 90's remake in middle school, and what I saw impressed me. For what sounds like the most boring premise; 12 (angry) men talking in a room for an hour and a half, the conversations in it were actually very intriguing. I finally got around to watching the original version, and man I must say it holds up very well. The dialogue is very thought provoking, and the conversations feel very real. They don't talk like how people did in all the old movies, *with a big dumb grin, with a pipe in their mouth, talking at a high speed only to pause at every 5th word or so.* No, these people were talking like how normal people would talk and it felt very natural and real, which made you feel like you were there, and involved in the debate. Another area which this movie shines is its writing. Only good writing can hold your attention and keep you interested for however long it wants to. And this film does just that. You can make a movie with aliens, time travel, whatever is the most interesting thing to you, but if the writing is poor, it flops. That's why again I was so impressed that they somehow made an hour and a half movie with some (12) old (angry) men in a room be so interesting. But that said, I can't say this movie is very re-watchable. I know what happens now and I get it. I can't see a time that I'd want to see it again, not anytime soon at least. And I don't expect everyone to be as absorbed as I was. If you're not into it, you're not into it. But I say at least give it a shot. I say it deserves its status as "a classic."

+88% (out of 100%)

Hidden (2015)

Nick - A great film is hidden in Hidden. Sorry, I couldn't resist. The young daughter played by Emily Alyn Lind does an outstanding job portraying the fear and panic of every situation but it unfortunately doesn't save the bad writing and lack of character development this movie has to offer. The Duffer Brothers are learning and growing with this movie, thankfully what came after it (Stranger Things) succeeded ten fold. 

4/10

Ally - The majority of this movie is a mix between frustrating and boring. Things get interesting when you're about to find out who 'the Breathers' are but the excited is stifled by awkward weird dialogue and logic. Even when all is revealed you're left extremely underwhelmed by something that should be climactic and mind-blowing. I'd say the concept of this movie had a lot of promise, the proper execution just wasn't there. Thankfully, the Duffer Brothers redeemed themselves. I'll look past this movie, for now.

3.9/10

The Beatles: Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years (2016)

Levi - The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years directed by Ron Howard shed light on a band I knew almost nothing about, other than they were really popular, then they broke up. This is a cool documentary because this is a Beatles story that doesn't dwell on the tragedies that befell them, but how they started as a group, the hardships of touring in a changing america, and about how they found themselves after they were fed up with the limelight. Lots of footage I've never seen before here, with interviews intertwined, so you'd think you were watching all four of them today recollection about the past right there in front of you. 8/10

Wait Until Dark (1967)

Jaiden - I came in expecting to see an outdated "thriller" film from 1967. First, I was so confused in the beginning that I had to go on wikipedia and read the plot to clarify what was going on. I was paying real close attention but I guess I'm just an idiot (heads up to other fellow idiots interesting in giving this a shot). My bad. The rest was fine though. Also, there might be a time when you start to wonder how this is a horror/thriller flick (there was for me), but just sit back and be patient. You'll be satisfied. And I was genuinely surprised. My heart was pounding and I jumped a couple times! Next time I won't let my guard down when viewing a horror/thriller from the 60's and earlier. The story was really clever and put together nicely. I hope you don't get your expectations high from my rating, for I suggest you go into it with the same mind set I had. And, too, this is just what I thought of it. That said, I personally give it an 87% (out of 100%). It was a nice surprise.

The Prestige (2006)

Jaiden -  I honestly don't have much to say because it simply is a great movie. I never got around to watching it until just the other day (After it being recommended to me by countless people (What's wrong with me, right?)). Well I especially loved the 'shocking' moments and stressful scenes. I felt they were executed well. I will say there were about 2 events I saw coming, but only like 10 seconds before it happened. But it's by no means predictable, the story has you constantly thinking. Like I said, It's a great movie and I say it deserves the praise it gets. I enjoyed it but it  didn't impact me very much. Usually a movie I really enjoyed lingers in my mind for a couple days, but I can't say this one has really stuck with me. Like most of the Christopher Nolan films i've seen, they're great, but I don't get overly attached to them. 
85% of 100%

__________

Previously watched  

Nick - 10/10
Levi - 10/10
Alex - 9/10
Tristan - 7/10
Phil - 7/10
Julian - 9/10

Passengers (2016)

Alex - Passengers… a classic example of Hollywood rubbish that’s put out every year.  The sci-fi fluff piece stars Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, two actors that are easy on the eyes.  The script is poorly written and requires the audience to suspend their disbelief too many times. The film brings up an interesting moral dilemma (I won’t spoil it), but fumbles it throughout the rest of the movie to the point where the audience is forced to cheer the stars on as they handle one mishap on the spaceship after another.  By the end of the film, I was hoping the two characters would die along with the ship.  Only saving grace is Jennifer Lawrence is quite pretty in the film.  3/10

Nick - After reading Alex's review and hearing multiple negative comments about this movie, I went in with lowest expectations possible. In fact I was excited to make fun of this movie with friends. Then the unexpected occurred.. I started to enjoy this movie. Then I started to really enjoy the movie. Then I started to not enjoy it. The very end is left to be desired but it opens up solid and I was thoroughly invested in Chris Pratts character and I was surprising myself about how much I wanted to see what was to happen next. The movie entertained me, I was entertained. J.law was beautiful and that's always a plus. 7/10

Ally - I love me some space sci-fi movies. I love the immensity of space, the amount of time it takes to travel through space, the idea of cryo-sleep and waking up in a completely different time. This movie has the makings of something I would love, but it has also been done several times. Still, I wanted to see it despite the negative reviews. The first 2/3rds of this movie are really interesting and entertaining to me. I loved the set design and the chemistry between the main characters. The last third and especially the very end were very meh. It was a classic convenient, everything works out just right somehow, happy ending. Predictable but not very interesting. I'd watch this move again though, just cuz. 6.7/10

Phil - "What?", "What?", "I hate being lonely", "Do you trust me?", "You're a robot, you don't have feelings." If you find these kinds of lines exciting, Passengers will repeatedly thrill and delight you. 

It also has you covered if you love excruciating paragraphs of sci-fi exposition delivered as dialogue. 

Some of the lines in Passengers actually made me wince and look over at more interesting walls in the theater. Thankfully the movie avoids tragedy by also making the story stupid: "We can freeze and dethaw people for space travel. We didn't bring freezers though, only dethawers because dethawers are failproof. Did I mention we also brought replacement parts for everything? It's just a precaution in case anything fails... except the dethawers, did I mention they were failproof? WHAAT? ONE OF THEM FAIILLEED???!!" This and so many other dumb and poorly thought out contrivances just scream "This is my first movie!" The score happily keeps with this tone by constantly fumbling and tripping over it's own laces with awkward rises and falls and painfully naive attempts at electronic music. Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence do their best to salvage their roles in spite of a movie that is firing on exactly 0 cylinders, and surprisingly they 

sometimes succeed. But by momentarily relieving the pain of watching Passengers with glimpses of the breathtaking movie it could have been, it only hurts that much more to have to sink back into the muck. This is a movie and it's better than Birdemic. 3 / 10 

The Monster (2016)

Alex - I can appreciate when a director tries to put a unique spin on a tired genre. For instance, take The Monster. The premise is simple: a mother drives her 12 year old daughter, with whom she has a strained relationship, to stay with her father and his new wife for a few weeks. As the film slowly makes its way to the predictable spot in the road where their car will break down and some mysterious monster will stalk them (because apparently cars only break down at night and in the rain, and monsters only stalk their prey at night and in the rain), we are treated to flashbacks to show how poor the mother's parenting skills are. It works the first couple of times; but after that third/fourth/fifth flashback, I'm like "I get it!  She sucks at being a mom!"  The rest of the film is filled with the same tired tropes and cliches we've all seen. As the film closes, I asked myself, "What's the point?"  3/10

The Shallows (2016)

Alex - When I saw the trailer for The Shallows, my first thought was "How are they going to make an entire film based on this premise!?"  Now that I've seen the film, I know the answer: YOU CAN'T. Blake Lively plays a surfer who decides to visit a beach in Mexico where her mom used to surf. She decides to go there and surf that area for the first time, and is attacked by a shark. Each scene becomes more preposterous than the last. Example: at one point while being chased by the shark, Blake's character tries to hide within a school of jellyfish... CG JELLYFISH!  For some reason the shark takes everything personal and makes the killing of Blake Lively his sole mission in life. But I must admit: after watching Blake's horrid performance, I felt I could empathize with the shark.  1.5/10

Titanic (1997)

Julian - Some people would call this a guilty pleasure, but not me! I'm not guilty one bit! Love this movie. And No, it's not because of the boobies scene. A poor boy that has an old fashion 'love at first site' towards a girl who is dealing with her own insecurities and that's why they are perfect for each other... makes me feel good inside. I also enjoyed it because an old lady is telling me the story. It brings a warm tone to the film like in the movies sandlot, stand by me and princess bride.
The first Half the movie is romance and the second half is them proving their love for each other by trying to survive a sinking ship (spoiler alert if you haven't seen the movie or lived on the planet earth, the ship, Titanic, sinks) overall this is a complete solid story I usually always come back to watch every time I get sick and go on a movie binge. Hope I feel better soon!
As a love movie I give it a 9/10 icebergs.

__________

Previously watched 

Nick - 7/10
Jaiden 7/10
Phil - 6/10
Levi - 10/10
Alex 2/10

Somewhere (2010)

Ally - I'm a fan of simple movies and movies with hardly any plot. I also just really like Sofia Coppola's style. However, this movie didn't really impress me as much as I'd hoped. I found myself pretty bored and lethargic through most of it, basically mimicking the characters themselves. Maybe that's what was supposed to happen. This film was mostly shots of boredom, laziness, a middle aged man living an empty life, with a lot of shots of contemplation/depression. That in itself isn't necessarily bad, but I didn't get very much substance from it until the end. The most interesting part to me was the moments where the main characters friend (played by Chris Pontius) was interacting with his daughter (Elle Fanning). There was something about how they joked around that I liked watching. Overall, I wouldn't say this movie was a must see. But if you want to feel kinda melancholy about everything for 1h 37m, give it a shot!

6.8/10

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Following (1998)

Nick - Feels like a noir college film and plays as a smart mystery. If this were my first Christopher Nolan experience I would be looking forward to each and every film he produced. Currently envious of those who actually got to follow him from the beginning and watch him grow into what he is today (excluding The Dar Knight Rises). This movie reminded me what a genius Christopher is and how excited I am for Dunkirk. 7.5/10

Tristan - Christopher Nolan's debut film. A one hour and ten minute crime mystery shot in black and white on about a $5,000 budget. I really enjoyed it. Intention or not he foreshadowing to things to come from Nolan was fun to pick out while watching this. 


Ally - I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It was a little bit of a build up but by the time you realize what's going on, you're sucked in trying to piece together the puzzle. I thought it was smartly written and an interesting story. I don't know much about directing "styles" so I can't really comment on how this compares to or foreshadows the rest of Nolan's career, but I can say that I thought it was a fantastic achievement on such a small budget and for a film debut I'm sure it showed a lot of promise at the time for his career. I don't know…it was good.

8/10

Don't Breathe (2016)

Nick - I would only recommend this movie if watched edited on TV.. but boy does this movie deliver. The turns in this movie were uncalled each time and there was never a "What are you doing, get outta there!" moment. One of the smartest, scariest thrillers i've seen in awhile. Makes 10 Cloverfield Lane's suspense seem like a scary episode of a Nickelodeon show. 9.5/10

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Ally - This movie is gooooood, but do not watch it if you don't like intensity from beginning to end. Seriously, there's no part of this movie where you feel relaxed and good about what's happening. That being said, this movie is just all around well made and written. The idea of a blind antagonist is interesting and it didn't disappoint. I don't want to get too spoilery so I'll just sum it up by saying it's one of the best horror movies I've seen. It's…pretty horrifying at parts, and all together a satisfyingly intense experience.

8/10

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Short Term 12 (2013)

Nick - Watched this for the first time this morning. I don't know why I love depressing movies, I should really try to examine that side of me. Anyway, I love this movie. Currently holding position in my "all time favorite" slot. I'd go into why I love it but i'd rather you watch it so we can just talk about it together. Maybe even cry. 10/10


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Levi - Short Term 12 made me feel kind of old, because everyone who worked at 'short term 12' was like mid 20's taking care of underprivileged kids and here I am almost 30. I kept putting myself in their position and I knew right from the get-go that I wouldn't be able to hang with them. There were powerful scenes of struggle and tribulations, but also of friendship and compassion, the latter of which is what really got me. The revealing of character didn't seem pushed or rushed, but very natural, which was refreshing, you didn't expect to learn more about a character, but then you would. Drinking wine while watching this movie and with a cat in my lap, I feel like a single mid 40's mom, and I'm loving every minute of it. 9/10

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Nukie (1987)

Levi - Sometimes in life you know you're about to watch a bad movie, but it surpasses your lowest expectations, and makes you look back on the last hour and a half of your life and you wonder where it all went wrong. I started watching this movie for a few chuckles, I finished watching it so that nobody else would make this same grave mistake that I just made. Nukie, starring Glynis Johns rides on the wave of popularity that movies such as E.T. and Mac and Me started, and smashed it into the ground. An alien, Nukie in Africa, is looking for his brother, Miko, in America. There's a snappy AI, talking monkeys, and zero emotion or motivation behind anybody acting in this movie. This movie is abhorrent. For the love of all that's good and holy, don't watch this movie. However, a movie like this will instill hope in someone like me, because it makes me feel like I can write something better. I can't, but now there's hope, thanks to Nukie. 1/10

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To Catch a Thief (1955)

Levi - To Catch a Thief featuring Cary Grant, a Hitchcock directed film in which a renowned and retired jewel thief must track down a copycat for the sake of himself not being arrested himself (again) is a movie that throws you into his life in France. At first, you feel excluded because everyone is speaking French, and there's no subtitles, the backdrops are gorgeous French landscapes but everything seems so distant that i couldn't help but feel small while watching this movie. Once it got going though the story picked up and dialogue started pouring, I found myself laughing a few times, I was captivated by the storyline, and intrigued by the Characters. Cary Grant broke character for one second in one scene and it was great! I thought to myself, "There's that lil' heart throb!" This is a classic, but not necessarily a must see. 5/10

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Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World (2016)

Nick - Werner Herzog is so bleak and dry that it's off putting at first and then you start to get it, and then you start to like it. This documentary explores the genesis of the internet, where it went, where it's at and what our internet future beholds. It's not fear mongering but instead very informal of what man has created. I wouldn't put this up there with Grizzly Man but it was definitely interesting pieces of information. That said, there's not too much to grasp in this documentary. Much of this is information that can be sorted through and examined on.. you guessed it, the internet.  5/10

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Levi - Lo and Behold reminds me of that ride 'Spaceship Earth' at Epcot in Disney World, it's a progression of communication achieved by humans, but of an extension building on that of the internet. Through a series of awkward questions presented by Werner Herzog , we glide through the origins of the Internet, the follies and woes the Internet can bestow on an individual, to what the future may hold for humanity in terms of what the Internet can offer. Basically what I got is that the Internet could be this great thing, but it was created without protocols and whatnot, so it's kind of this terrible place that has potential to do awesome things but we aren't quite there yet. Lots of People are also obsessed about going to Mars, instead of improving life here, so there's that too. If you can get past all the Crackpot theorists and focus on the educational aspect of the film, it's not too bad! 6/10

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Midnight Special (2016)

Nick - This movie opens up cold and it stays cold throughout. If you're interested in exposition you'll be slightly disappointed. Subtly is an art form and when done correctly it can spark many thoughts and raise questions that you'll be dying to answer. Although this movie is filled with subtly the story is wrapped up in a nice tight bow that you can look at and think, "That's nice." I'm very back and forth with this movie. The sci-fi elements frustrated me, the rules are translucent and when you think you figured something out they introduce a new factor. But what the director did a great job in handling was the tension. On the edge of my seat for a lot of scenes. Can't say I loved it, can say I liked it. 7/10


Ally - This movie seemed like it was going to be really interesting, but it never really got there for me. Things kept happening that were cool and seemed like they were going to lead somewhere exciting but they never really did. By the end I had the same understanding of what was going on as I did when the movie started. I had high hopes for it and as a whole it was unfortunately pretty boring to me. 4.8/10

__________

Previously watched

Alex - 6/10

Colonia (2015)

Ally - My favorite part of this movie was the villain, and what made him even more evil is that he was a real person. The story is based on true events, a colony in the middle of nowhere in Chile during the Cold War started by a Nazi that had extreme control over all of his followers. He was also working with the government so he had a lot of political power as well. This place basically doubled as an interrogation/torture station for government prisoners. The story follows two people trying to escape, and all of that seems interesting enough to me. I thought the inclusion of a romance between fictional characters in a non-fiction setting was pointless and took away from the overall message of the movie. Also there was some useless exposition. I still think it was worth a watch on Netflix though, for the intense bits and a glimpse into a creepy and dark part of Chilean history. 5.5/10

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Chaplin (1992)

Levi - Chaplin starring Robert Downey Jr. Was a pretty good movie. I'm fascinated about the start of movies, silent films, slapstick comedy, political satire of old, the introduction of 'talkies' that stifled Charlie Chaplin's career, so this was right down my alley. This movie dragged on a bit, so getting through it was a bit of a chore, but it was nice in the end, getting to know the history, and filling in some blanks between 'Hugo' and 'Trumbo'. For film buffs it may be an interesting watch, but to others, it may be a bit daft. 6/10

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