Last film you watched and your rating

Wedgie wrote:

Oblomov Boblomov wrote:A Quiet Place 2

My expectations were too high for this. I am a big fan of the original. I still enjoyed it overall but I certainly won't be rushing to a repeat viewing.

Some things really irritated me, mostly involving Cillian Murphy's character. How very worn out is the lone survivor main characters stumble upon who claims he can't help them, orders them to leave etc and then goes on to help them via a dramatic rescue sequence. Yawn. Also, I don't care what kind of apocalypse you've been through, you don't forget that deaf people can't hear! The flashbacks showed us he knew that family and even learned a bit of sign language in order to communicate with the daughter, yet later on he's all surprised when she can't hear him speaking, as though he assumed she would have magically overcome her deafness?!

There were a few too many crappy jump scare/tropes in there as well. Who on earth, when releasing a film in the year 2021, thinks it's still effective to have a non-main character slowly backing away from the main character, the music reduces to nothing, the camera slowly edges out while the non-main character starts babbling away and then BANG, oh no, sudden attack and he's dead that's a new one. Even the 'sound removed to show perspective of deaf girl, ooh her head is obscuring the background, I wonder what will suddenly be there when she moves her head' was beyond obvious.

As a deaf person myself, you wouldn’t believe how many times that have happened to me. So it isn’t really surprising.

You often get sudden attacks from alien beings?

Wedgie wrote:

Oblomov Boblomov wrote:A Quiet Place 2

My expectations were too high for this. I am a big fan of the original. I still enjoyed it overall but I certainly won't be rushing to a repeat viewing.

Some things really irritated me, mostly involving Cillian Murphy's character. How very worn out is the lone survivor main characters stumble upon who claims he can't help them, orders them to leave etc and then goes on to help them via a dramatic rescue sequence. Yawn. Also, I don't care what kind of apocalypse you've been through, you don't forget that deaf people can't hear! The flashbacks showed us he knew that family and even learned a bit of sign language in order to communicate with the daughter, yet later on he's all surprised when she can't hear him speaking, as though he assumed she would have magically overcome her deafness?!

There were a few too many crappy jump scare/tropes in there as well. Who on earth, when releasing a film in the year 2021, thinks it's still effective to have a non-main character slowly backing away from the main character, the music reduces to nothing, the camera slowly edges out while the non-main character starts babbling away and then BANG, oh no, sudden attack and he's dead that's a new one. Even the 'sound removed to show perspective of deaf girl, ooh her head is obscuring the background, I wonder what will suddenly be there when she moves her head' was beyond obvious.

As a deaf person myself, you wouldn’t believe how many times that have happened to me. So it isn’t really surprising.

Fair enough! That must be hugely frustrating.

In the Heights - 6/10

Nice and up-beat but somehow felt both slight - with no songs really hitting home as standalone bangers as opposed to plot-advancers - and yet also a bit too long. Tone in general also felt a little too twee at times. But Anthony Ramos was great and hugely likeable (and Melissa Barrera had abs, man).

Anyway pleasant but nothing in it is as good as Satisfied from Hamilton (though, what is?). Also I suppose the more hip-hop stylings of Hamilton was more to my taste than the Latin-stuff of most of ItH.

But a question for any cinephiles here: I do think my enjoyment of the film was significantly affected by the cinema's poor sound mix. The whole thing felt a little quiet and underpowered and the bass and the middles felt thin - so the songs never really felt like they kicked off and filled the cinema. I've noticed this a couple of times at Empire Cinemas (though it's probably my favourite multiplex chain otherwise) - is this a standardized thing per cinema chain? Or per cinema? Are things calibrated to any proper standard daily or anything, or just gut feel? I actually emailed Empire afterwards just to see what's up as frankly I'd have more fun watching it on my sound system at home

Also the visuals never really popped in terms of colour nor brightness - combined with the sound this made the whole film feel a little distant and removed, hard to really engage with. I've noticed this everywhere in the last few years and wonder if it's a new cinema standard like HDR or something? Because even at home I often turn off HDR depending on the thing watched as I find with some thing it gives a slightly dark dullness to the whole thing (even if the blacks are so black etc).

Any know-how appreciated!

Tomous wrote:

Wedgie wrote:

Oblomov Boblomov wrote:A Quiet Place 2

My expectations were too high for this. I am a big fan of the original. I still enjoyed it overall but I certainly won't be rushing to a repeat viewing.

Some things really irritated me, mostly involving Cillian Murphy's character. How very worn out is the lone survivor main characters stumble upon who claims he can't help them, orders them to leave etc and then goes on to help them via a dramatic rescue sequence. Yawn. Also, I don't care what kind of apocalypse you've been through, you don't forget that deaf people can't hear! The flashbacks showed us he knew that family and even learned a bit of sign language in order to communicate with the daughter, yet later on he's all surprised when she can't hear him speaking, as though he assumed she would have magically overcome her deafness?!

There were a few too many crappy jump scare/tropes in there as well. Who on earth, when releasing a film in the year 2021, thinks it's still effective to have a non-main character slowly backing away from the main character, the music reduces to nothing, the camera slowly edges out while the non-main character starts babbling away and then BANG, oh no, sudden attack and he's dead that's a new one. Even the 'sound removed to show perspective of deaf girl, ooh her head is obscuring the background, I wonder what will suddenly be there when she moves her head' was beyond obvious.

As a deaf person myself, you wouldn’t believe how many times that have happened to me. So it isn’t really surprising.

You often get sudden attacks from alien beings?

Nope, just from stupid people.

They might be aliens after all.

Often I’ll get asked if I can lipread. My answer is always no. They still try to make me lip read anyway. I just blank look at them and told them better to write it down.

Even my manager did this. It’s a pain trying to hold in the urge to bitch slap her, and screaming that I CANNOT LIPREAD. She’s been my manager for 5 years.

Also there’s people who sudden back off after they discover I’m deaf, like frighten mice, afraid that it’s contagious. (Handy if you walk through a lot of charity people in the high street.)

Wait.....you can catch deaf?

Moggy wrote:Wait.....you can catch deaf?

Apparently so, to the charity workers or awful stalls where they try to get you sign up to a new electric company or whatever, that work on the high street.

Handy tip: just point at your ear, mouth “I’m deaf.”

They’ll either back off graciously or look terrified.

Funny enough this works for those who are fronting a deaf charity too.

Happy Death Day 2U - 6/10 - enjoyable enough, but not as good as the first because of the added layer of complexity.

The Predator - 7/10 - A fun movie with some great action sequences, might have gained an extra point but i watched when i was feeling really tired so i'm not sure i was able to get the best out of it.

District 13 - 7/10 - haven't seen this one in years, for anyone who never got around to seeing it, it's a french action movie which uses parkour, and does so really well.

Black Widow

Some ropey CGI aside, that was comfortably high tier Marvel.

Black Widow - I can't decide whether its a 7 or 8 out of 10. Enjoyable regardless. Felt weird going to the cinema after so long but there were only 8 or so people in and massively spaced out so didn't feel overly anxious.

Ravenous - 6/10

The soundtrack in this movie is mostly a misstep. I don't think I've ever heard a movie soundtrack that felt more out of touch than this one. It just doesn't work for me.

Robert Carlisle was pretty strawberry floating great in this though. He was so unsettling in certain scenes.

The Tommorow War. I must have not been paying attention at the start so maybe someone can help me but. Watchable though.

Rapidly-Greying wrote:The Tommorow War. I must have not been paying attention at the start so maybe someone can help me but

how could Chris Pratt be transported to the future but still live for 7 more years in the past?

. Watchable though.

They only spend a week in the future and are transported back if alive.

I thought the film was ok but the fact that they didn't seem to give anyone even the most basic weapon training before sending them into a warzone where almost everyone dies is a bit stupid.
At least show them how to bloody reload .

Also, was that the world cup final between Brazil and Scotland where the future people first popped in?
Time travel is fine but Scotland in a world cup final are they having a laugh .

Peter Crisp wrote:

Rapidly-Greying wrote:The Tommorow War. I must have not been paying attention at the start so maybe someone can help me but

how could Chris Pratt be transported to the future but still live for 7 more years in the past?

. Watchable though.

They only spend a week in the future and are transported back if alive.

I thought the film was ok but the fact that they didn't seem to give anyone even the most basic weapon training before sending them into a warzone where almost everyone dies is a bit stupid.
At least show them how to bloody reload .

Also, was that the world cup final between Brazil and Scotland where the future people first popped in?
Time travel is fine but Scotland in a world cup final are they having a laugh .

They were supposed to undergo training first but they got emergency called up as the facility in Miami was under attack.

The reason Chris Pratt’s character was selected was because he wasn’t alive when the aliens attacked 30 years in the future. They only picked people that fell into this category. It didn’t matter when or how they died between now and the initial attack.

Black Widow- 7/10

It was aggressively fine.

Midsommar - 5/10

This movie could have done with a lot of editing. It takes far too long to get to where it needs to be. Also parts of it were unintentionally hilarious.

Police Story Lockdown; a slower paced more acting focused Jackie Chan film that’s still decent - 6/10. No Police Story theme though

Bridget Jones Diary - 7/10 - seen a post somewhere saying it was 20 year old and I’d never known what all the fuss was about, looking forward to watching the sequels.

Fear Street Part 2 1978 - I thoroughly enjoyed this more than the first film, where I felt Part 1 was a hodgepodge of lots of horror films this felt like a modern Friday 13th - 7/10.

Charlie’s Angels [2019] - nowhere as bad as some of the reviews make out and I didn’t realise Jasmin from the live action Aladdin was in this, kind of bumped up the score 5/10.

Squinty wrote:Midsommar - 5/10

This movie could have done with a lot of editing. It takes far too long to get to where it needs to be. Also parts of it were unintentionally hilarious.

Where did you watch it? You may have
unintentionally seen the directors cut.

Buffalo wrote:

Squinty wrote:Midsommar - 5/10

This movie could have done with a lot of editing. It takes far too long to get to where it needs to be. Also parts of it were unintentionally hilarious.

Where did you watch it? You may have
unintentionally seen the directors cut.

Netflix.

deathofcows wrote:In the Heights - 6/10

Nice and up-beat but somehow felt both slight - with no songs really hitting home as standalone bangers as opposed to plot-advancers - and yet also a bit too long. Tone in general also felt a little too twee at times. But Anthony Ramos was great and hugely likeable (and Melissa Barrera had abs, man).

Anyway pleasant but nothing in it is as good as Satisfied from Hamilton (though, what is?). Also I suppose the more hip-hop stylings of Hamilton was more to my taste than the Latin-stuff of most of ItH.

But a question for any cinephiles here: I do think my enjoyment of the film was significantly affected by the cinema's poor sound mix. The whole thing felt a little quiet and underpowered and the bass and the middles felt thin - so the songs never really felt like they kicked off and filled the cinema. I've noticed this a couple of times at Empire Cinemas (though it's probably my favourite multiplex chain otherwise) - is this a standardized thing per cinema chain? Or per cinema? Are things calibrated to any proper standard daily or anything, or just gut feel? I actually emailed Empire afterwards just to see what's up as frankly I'd have more fun watching it on my sound system at home

Also the visuals never really popped in terms of colour nor brightness - combined with the sound this made the whole film feel a little distant and removed, hard to really engage with. I've noticed this everywhere in the last few years and wonder if it's a new cinema standard like HDR or something? Because even at home I often turn off HDR depending on the thing watched as I find with some thing it gives a slightly dark dullness to the whole thing (even if the blacks are so black etc).

Any know-how appreciated!

Not seen this film in particular, but I would say the sound mixing for films for about the last decade has been absolutely horrible. Tenet seemingly being the straw that broke the camel's back for a lot of people. Discerning speech from a background of explosions and gunfire and music is absolutely horrendous these days. For the life of me I don't know why they haven't yet implemented an ability at home to adjust the score, background noise and speech independently of each other, like games have been doing for years.

Fear Street 1978 - 8/10

I enjoyed the first movie but thought 1978 was much better. I'm looking forward to seeing how it ends next week, hopefully they don't Britta the ending.

Mild spoilers: