Movies

You’ve seen “Under Siege” dozens of times...?...like at least 2 dozen times?

There’s some actors that I like in this but they couldn’t save it. Jolie was particularly bad.

[hide] Some of the scenes were ridiculous, like the scene where they cross the field of lightning...come on. she gets struck by lightning and then plays it off “oh it just missed me”. Also amazing how the fire advances only when it’s convenient for the characters [/hide]

I'd guess at least twice that. Maybe more over the years.

Nomadland (Netflix disc):

A woman in her sixties, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.

I can see why this was up for awards, critically acclaimed. An honest peek into the life that modern nomads live in. Clashes of two different worlds to survive. Reading into it, I was unaware that most of the "actors" in the movie were real nomads, just living the life. It's slow, but very interesting.

Army Of The Dead (Netflix streaming, watched it last night, forgot to post a review):

Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.

Someone please take away the Slo-Mo option from Zack Snyder. Please. JFC...other than that, it was an entertaining enough movie. A surprising highlight is Tig Notaro is actually amusing in her role (never liked her stand-up comedy). Theo Rossi is, well, Theo Rossi, although I'm still a fan of his. He plays the fake tough guy, as usual, and does it well. Dave Bautista is solid as the lead. Sort of The Rock V.2. Good time-killer. After seeing it, my first thought was Ocean's Eleven: Zombie-Style.

Mosul a film about an Iraqi SWAT team gone rogue while trying to finally expel the last remaining vestiges of ISIS in 2016 Mosul. Based upon a true story it’s very engaging and adrenaline inducing, was not overly clichéd and it was interesting to watch a war film from the perspective of other peoples not draped in the Stars & Stripes or “hoorah”.

Added (Netflix streaming). Thanks!

Final Score (Netflix streaming)

Dave Bautista takes his niece to a soccer game that ends up being taken over by terrorists. If you saw Sudden Death with Jean-Clause Van Damme, it's essentially the same movie but stretches credibility even further. I can only recommend it so you can see just how much you have to suspend disbelief.

p.s. One of the thugs in the movie might be the tallest most musclebound bad guys I've ever seen in a movie. I would have thought he would be in the final battle but he was not.

I assume you're talking about Martyn Ford. He's a monster. 6'8" 320 lbs.

Yep, that's the guy. Massive!

He was a guard in Kingsman Golden Circle too. He's a very large man.

I could take him.

I don't care how many drugs you are on, not even in your hallucinations would that be true;

The Girl Next Door (Netflix streaming; re-watch):

A teenager's dreams come true when a former porn star moves in next door and they fall in love.

Basic movie, but entertaining. I think it still holds up overall, a good coming-of-age movie with some touching moments and many comedic moments (T&A or otherwise). Being a Timothy Olyphant fan, and have been since his role in "Go" (1999 vs 2004), you can see how why his career has bloomed even though he sort of pigeon-holed into a certain type of character.

WSJ Technology Alert: Netflix Strikes Deal With Filmmaker Steven Spielberg

https://www.wsj.com/articles/netflix-strikes-deal-with-filmmaker-steven-spielberg-11624293296?mod=djemalertNEWS

Minari (Netflix disc):

A Korean family starts a farm in 1980s Arkansas.

A slow narrative, but deliberate. A slice of life movie, dealing with the difficulties of a major lifestyle change. It was a bit different than I expected, the culture shock/changes were more subtle in the delivery. I was expecting more of a pitchfork nation approach due to the family being Korean, and it was far from that. The major conflicts were internal to the family, not from outsiders.

It's a solid watch, but I think you have to be in the mood to watch a movie such as this one.

The Ice Road (Netflix streamingj

From IMDB

“ After a remote diamond mine collapses in the far northern regions of Canada, an ice driver leads an impossible rescue mission over a frozen ocean to save the lives of trapped miners despite thawing waters and a threat they never see coming.”

I really liked this movie. Liam Neeson stars. Interesting story with good action that held my interest.

My wife and I liked it too.

The only thing I really had an issue with is the scenes where they were driving the rigs practically nose to tail across the ice. I watched enough episodes of "Ice Road Truckers" on the History Channel to know you just don't do that. Typically figure at least 1/2 mile between vehicles.

Being familiar with trucking, I'm interested in this movie for a couple reasons:

Liam

The logistics/reasoning you mentioned.

Either way, thanks for the heads up, you guys!

12 Mighty Orphans (theater)

Inspired by the true story of Harvey "Rusty" Russell and the Masonic Home of Ft. Worth, TX football team.

I'm not a polished movie reviewer like [mention]The Rube[/mention] , so I'll just hit the main points.

Luke Wilson plays Russell, a WWI vet who is hired to teach Math/Science, and coach football at the Masonic Home for Orphans in depression-era Texas. He convinces a group of boys (who don't know the first thing about football) that it would be better to play football than work ("you can work in the field, or you can play in the field.") Outnumbered and outsized, Russell resorts to innovative offensive schemes (Wing T and the spread offense) to counter his opponents' size advantage. The culmination of these efforts result in their appearance in the Texas State Championship game - I won't reveal the outcome.

It's definitely a "feel-good" movie, and I did have an issue with some of the artistic license taken by the writers (while it makes for a good story line, Russell is NOT an orphan). That said, my wife and I both enjoyed the movie. One of the most inspiring parts of the entire movie was during the credits, where they displayed biographical footnotes outlining Russell's and the players' accomplishments.

If I was polished, I'd be getting paid for it.

The Hitman's Bodyguard (Netflix Disc)

Ryan Reynolds and Sam L star as Ryan Reynolds and Sam L. It's a mix of John Wick, Lethal Weapon, and a dash of (insert any Jason Statham movie outside of Snatch). Quite entertaining as a popcorn movie, looking forward to the sequel that recently came out.

And side note: Salma Hayek is still hot, and she kinda plays a badass in this one, in her limited role. Hope her role is expanded in the new one.

Just watched this. Just about anything and everything one knows about trucking (in actual practice) can be thrown out the window. I was fully entertained, don't get me wrong, but man, even as a Liam fanboy, this was over the top. I almost want to re-watch it, just to count how many times the trucks would actually not get past each jackknife that happens, not to mention the aforementioned posts about driving on ice roads.

Additionally, can we stop with the villain that never seems to die? Please?

I will say, the chemistry between the cast really works, that part felt very natural. The miners, the truckers, you felt they really had that bond in their respective careers. The stuff that outsiders might not truly understand.

Grab the big tub of popcorn, and give it a whirl.

The Manchurian Candidate (2004 version, Netflix streaming)

In the midst of the Gulf War, soldiers are kidnapped and brainwashed for sinister purposes.

Tinfoil hats on, anti-government mistrust in full force, and lots of money being paid out. Go.

Took a bit for me to get into, but rather meh movie overall. For the tinfoil hat movies, I think Enemy Of The State was quite a bit better. It was a bit more plausible, even as over the top it presented itself. Denzel plays the calm, cool character that you should probably listen to, Jon Voight is not as MUCH of a dick as he usually is, and Liev Schreiber is the dry personality that actually is an okay guy. Any of those sound familiar?

I was curious about the movie, and it satisfied my curiosity. That's about it.

Wr watched The Innocents (1961) a horror film based on the same novella that inspired The Hauntiny of Bly Manor and The Haunting (1963) inspired by the novel that spawned The Haunting of Hill House.

These are both as good as it gets in the horror genre and I could not recommend them enough.

I also watched The Nightcomers (1971) a prequel adapted using the same characters used for The Innocents. Thus one is completely forgettable. Boring and uninspired. Skip it.

The Informer (Netflix disc):

An ex-convict working undercover intentionally gets himself incarcerated again in order to infiltrate the mob at a maximum security prison.

Solid cast, great acting. The big names (Rosamund Pike and Clive Owen) actually take a back seat overall, compared to Common (rapper/actor) and Joel Kinnaman (probably best known as playing Rick Flag in Suicide Squad). The plot does well, inserting twists and turns at the right times, without it being over the top. There's a lot of action, without there being any action, if that makes sense. You will definitely find yourself figuring out the long game at times, and that's an asset to this movie. Very much worth the 2 hours viewing time.

T2 (Netflix streaming)

You all know the story, and everything still holds up. The plot, the effects, everything. One of the all time greats. Phenomenal popcorn movie.

Black Widow finally comes out this week! As an MCU addict I'm real excited for this.

Me too! I’m going on Saturday. Not only for a new Marvel, but my first movie in a theater since last February!

Me also on all of this (except it might not be Saturday)

Gone Girl (Hulu).

From IMDB: "With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent."

I've heard a lot about this movie but had never seen it. Mrs. Zwak and I watched it over the weekend. We really enjoyed about 95% of it. Ben Affleck was really good as the husband. Rosamund Pike was good as the wife but she does give off a vibe that she is up to no good. So you knew something was fishy.

I also thought the ending was a little disappointing. Not that every movie should end up with a "tidy" ending but I thought this one was going to. Anyway, I still recommend it.

Rosamund Pike plays a conniving b*tch extremely well. Also see: I Care A Lot,

She does, that's why as soon as I saw her I knew something was going to be fishy. I did see I Care a Lot and really enjoyed it.

On another note, RIP Richard Donner. I am far from a film auteur but he was a prominent director in my younger days and his reputation was such that I would see a movie simply because he directed it. I still need to see the Director's Cut of Superman 2. Theater version is one of the best superhero movies ever.

The director's cut is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better. I do not say that lightly.

Rookies.... It's called the DONNER CUT!!!

Whichever one wants to call it...it's better than what the theatrical release was (which was okay.....but not what it was supposed to be).

Going Thursday night, second movie in a theatre.

Ever?

Yes

Memoirs Of A Geisha (Netflix Streaming):

Nitta Sayuri reveals how she transcended her fishing-village roots and became one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.

Big fan of Ziyi Zhang, and much of the rest of the cast. It was one of those movies that I had forgotten about, and then wondered if I'd like it. Gave it a whirl, and I really liked it. As with much of Asian cinema, it's told almost in a poetic form. It gets to the point in a roundabout way, very artistic. The simplest of points is told in an epic fashion, but the most complex are laid out in a straight-forward fashion, though you might not realize this.

Definitely recommend.

The Best Of Enemies (Netflix streaming):

Civil rights activist Ann Atwater faces off against C.P. Ellis, Exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan, in 1971 Durham, North Carolina over the issue of school integration. Based on a true story.

The cast was spot on. Great acting. It made you really understand where all the characters were coming from. While it was a Hollywood drama ending, that didn't matter (there's a dramatic final speech, which I hoped wouldn't happen, b/c obvious, but it did). It was the journey that makes this movie good. Nothing over the top, the trek makes it worthwhile. These are real people with real thoughts and concerns about real issues (at least in their mind). It gives a touch of the human persona throughout, and WHY they are who they are.

Definitely recommend.

Human Capital (Netflix Disc):

The lives of two different families collide when their children begin a relationship that leads to a tragic accident.

The movie starts at the critical point (the accident), then goes Rashomon-style narrating (or for you younger views, the movie "Go") and gets up to that point from all the different perspectives of the viewer. Awesome cast, and all do very well in their roles. The characters are very much real, you identify and understand each character's feelings and viewpoints of everything presented.

A very nice slow burn, and a surprise that this style of movie was about 100 minutes. Many times, these are drawn-out epic-style movies. Pretty sure they cut out some of the fat, and if they did, none was missed. Thumbs up from me.

Hitmans wife’s bodyguard

This is the second hitmans bodyguard movie. I didn’t see the first one but likely if you liked that one you’ll like this one. Ryan Reynolds, Samual Jackson, Selma Hyak is the wife. This is a typical running dialogue of Ryan Reynolds type movie. Reminded me of Woody Allen movies with his constant talking and how victimized he is. Only every chance to insert Mother F’er was not missed. I didn’t realize how much swearing there is in his movies. Mother F’er was in every conversation.

Plot is bad guy (Antonio Banderas) hires bad guy hacker to inject a computer virus into the internet with a diamond drill (sparkly diamonds, not industrial type but never mind) that will destroy financial markets since he’s pissed Greece didn’t get financial support from the EU. There’s a bad guy hacker who demonstrates it and it was amazing how well it worked. Ryan, Samual, and Selma have to stop him. So suspend all reality and just enjoy the swearing and violence.

I haven't seen the sequel...yet. I stress yet. But I think we are on the same page here, with the movies.

Saw Black Widow this morning. Really enjoyed it. Lot of fun action scenes, lots of funny moments, and some really interesting tie-ins from references in other movies.

Interesting second post-credit scene. Especially if you've been watching all of the Disney+ MCU series. ??

I'm looking forward to it for David Harbour.

I'm looking forward to Snake Eyes.

Is there a less interesting MCU character than Renner's yet I believe he's getting a stand alone?

Yeah he's getting a series. I assume it'll be used to lead into the young avengers, as Kate Bishop is a character in it.

Almost without a doubt it'll be largely about introducing Kate Bishop.

While I largely agree Hawkeye is the least interesting of the core group of the Original Avengers, I'm not sure I'd call him boring. He does have some interesting plotlines they could touch on in the show that we've only seen glimpses of in the MCU. What happened in Budapest (touched on in Black Widow), his Ronin saga after The Snap, his time under Loki's mind control from the scepter... all things that could theoretically have been big plot lines that got set aside (namely Budapest and Ronin Hawkeye) due to movie time limits. Hell, how he even got the skills that he has basically hasn't been discussed.

Hawkeye in a TV environment could be good. Especially with what they did in the Black Widow movie. Black Widow was top 5 Marvel for me. Maybe top 3.

I find Ryan Reynolds absolutely adorable, even swearing. It’s like watching a cute fluffy kitten hiss at you! Adorbs!