Movies Rate and Discuss the Last Movie You Saw v.16

[Pittie Petey]

Watched a pretty good post apocalyptic action thriller last night, It's called Elevation and it stars Anthony Mackie and a few other people as some of the last humans on Earth after huge giant scorpion wolf killing beasts invade the planet and quickly decimate 95% of the planet's population in only a few weeks


But here's the rub, for some reason these unstoppable murder machines of death cant go past 8,000 feet elevation so the only people left alive are scattered about in random mountain towns all over the globe and every day is a new fight for survival


Dun! Dun! Dunnnnnn...


Im a fan of Anthony Mackie and he does a solid job here, like he usually does, the blonde chick actress is really good also, she's like a Tremu version of Florence Pugh but in a good way, didnt care for the other chick too much but she wasnt supposed to be likeable so I guess she got the job done


There was a whole lot of gorgeous Rocky Mountain scenery and I dug that very much, the CGI monsters looked kinda cheap but not too bad for the level of movie this was


There was some really solid action, including a heart racing chase scene on a Sky Ride and my carnival loving ass popped good for that, the story was intriguing enough to keep you interested, everything moved at a quick pace and they wrapped it all up in 90 minutes so it never seemed to drag


The ending was predictable but serviceable and didnt take away from the thrilling ride we just went on, absolutely loved the final scene


All in all, it was a solid Redbox Saturday Night type action flick that aint gonna win any awards but aint gonna make you wish you had that 90 minutes back, either



Available to stream on HBO Max



4.7 Thumbs Up Outta 7

 

[llperez22]

Watched a pretty good post apocalyptic action thriller last night, It's called Elevation and it stars Anthony Mackie and a few other people as some of the last humans on Earth after huge giant scorpion wolf killing beasts invade the planet and quickly decimate 95% of the planet's population in only a few weeks


But here's the rub, for some reason these unstoppable murder machines of death cant go past 8,000 feet elevation so the only people left alive are scattered about in random mountain towns all over the globe and every day is a new fight for survival


Dun! Dun! Dunnnnnn...


Im a fan of Anthony Mackie and he does a solid job here, like he usually does, the blonde chick actress is really good also, she's like a Tremu version of Florence Pugh but in a good way, didnt care for the other chick too much but she wasnt supposed to be likeable so I guess she got the job done


There was a whole lot of gorgeous Rocky Mountain scenery and I dug that very much, the CGI monsters looked kinda cheap but not too bad for the level of movie this was


There was some really solid action, including a heart racing chase scene on a Sky Ride and my carnival loving ass popped good for that, the story was intriguing enough to keep you interested, everything moved at a quick pace and they wrapped it all up in 90 minutes so it never seemed to drag


The ending was predictable but serviceable and didnt take away from the thrilling ride we just went on, absolutely loved the final scene


All in all, it was a solid Redbox Saturday Night type action flick that aint gonna win any awards but aint gonna make you wish you had that 90 minutes back, either



Available to stream on HBO Max



4.7 Thumbs Up Outta 7

Interesting premise and beautiful scenery indeed. But this movie legit made me mad with how awful it was. I guess I wasn’t able to shut my brain off enough to ignore the flaws. The writing , the dialogue, the emotions and actions from the actors were just so non sensical that I couldn’t ignore it

 

[Kryptt]

Interesting premise and beautiful scenery indeed. But this movie legit made me mad with how awful it was. I guess I wasn’t able to shut my brain off enough to ignore the flaws. The writing , the dialogue, the emotions and actions from the actors were just so non sensical that I couldn’t ignore it

Agree, that flick irked me

 

[triptych]

Here I am, staring at the TV set and trying to decide whether to watch Life Of Chuck by Stephen King or first read his short story that goes by the same name (it first appeared on his If It Bleeds collection).
Problem is I didn't know the film was an adaptation of a SK story.
Anyway, I'll have to decide or turn the channel and watch The Conjuring instead

 

[Pittie Petey]

I guess I wasn’t able to shut my brain off enough to ignore the flaws.

Thats something ole Pete never has to worry about

 

[revoltub]

The happening (2008)
-

This was torn apart by everyone when it came out so i never gave it a shot. It is as bad as it was warned to be but I'm not sure how unintentional that is. All of the acting in the film was pretty bad. From everyone. The question to me is why. Was it just a perfect storm of bad acting? Bad editing? It almost seemed like Shymalan one shotted every scene or that the worst takes were chosen in the editing room.

The story starts out with potential but doesnt have much direction after a while. At one point i thought Shymalan could have made this into a decent horror road trip film moving deeper into rural Pennsylvania but instead its just people running from wind In a field.
Needless to say it isn't a good movie. But it's kind of entertaining in a perplexing way. As in, how did Shymalan not see this for what it is, if he didn't.

4/10 range

 

[ufcfan4]

The happening (2008)
-

This was torn apart by everyone when it came out so i never gave it a shot. It is as bad as it was warned to be but I'm not sure how unintentional that is. All of the acting in the film was pretty bad. From everyone. The question to me is why. Was it just a perfect storm of bad acting? Bad editing? It almost seemed like Shymalan one shotted every scene or that the worst takes were chosen in the editing room.

The story starts out with potential but doesnt have much direction after a while. At one I thought Shymalan could have made this into a decent horror road trip film moving deeper into rural Pennsylvania but instead it just people running from wind In a field.
Needless to say it isn't a good movie. But it's kind of entertaining in a perplexing way. As in, how did Shymalan not see this for what it is, if he didn't.

4/10 range

Did you ever see Lady in the Water? Curious whether you’d rate that one higher or lower.

Good call on the acting. And people downplay Wahlberg but I actually think he’s more often than not good, certainly in the roles I’ve seen him in. But this one was just a bizarre film overall. If you told me Night was sort of doing some exercise in subtle genre parody, I’d believe it. But that’s probably not the case.

 

[revoltub]

Did you ever see Lady in the Water? Curious whether you’d rate that one higher or lower.

Good call on the acting. And people downplay Wahlberg but I actually think he’s more often than not good, certainly in the roles I’ve seen him in. But this one was just a bizarre film overall. If you told me Night was sort of doing some exercise in subtle genre parody, I’d believe it. But that’s probably not the case.

Yeah I like Wahlberg in a lot of stuff. I think he's underrated as an actor and as a leading man. Versatile too.

I haven't seen Lady in the Water in a long time but from memory I think I would rank it higher than The Happening. I was planning on watching it again after watching this one so I'll get back on that. But from what I remember Lady in the Water wasn't good but had some mystique that kept me intrigued for a certain amount of time. But again I'm very fuzzy on that.

 

[ufcfan4]

Yeah I like Wahlberg in a lot of stuff. I think he's underrated as an actor and as a leading man. Versatile too.

I haven't seen Lady in the Water in a long time but from memory I think I would rank it higher than The Happening. I was planning on watching it again after watching this one so I'll get back on that. But from what I remember Lady in the Water wasn't good but had some mystique that kept me intrigued for a certain amount of time. But again I'm very fuzzy on that.

I think he sometimes gets bogged down in the mythos he creates for some of these films. Lady in the Water was a key example of that. I remember scenes where it’s just everybody in the housing complex gathered around talking about the situation, transfixed by the rules of this universe. Another odd movie. I didn’t enjoy it.

I feel that Unbreakable and Split, in contrast had just the right amount of world building/creating a mythos that complemented the narrative. Unfortunately, it didn’t work cohesively when those two films worlds got paired in Glass.

M. Night has had an interesting career. Still doing his thing at least. Coming out of the gate with The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs consecutively is impressive to me. Still his best films in my opinion.

 

[llperez22]

I think he sometimes gets bogged down in the mythos he creates for some of these films. Lady in the Water was a key example of that. I remember scenes where it’s just everybody in the housing complex gathered around talking about the situation, transfixed by the rules of this universe. Another odd movie. I didn’t enjoy it.

I feel that Unbreakable and Split, in contrast had just the right amount of world building/creating a mythos that complemented the narrative. Unfortunately, it didn’t work cohesively when those two films worlds got paired in Glass.

M. Night has had an interesting career. Still doing his thing at least. Coming out of the gate with The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs consecutively is impressive to me. Still his best films in my opinion.

I got hooked to m night after his early movies and he’s just one of those guys that his films all seem to have an intriguing premise so I watch all of them going in knowing full well there is a more than likely chance I will leave disappointed.

His inconsistency is mind boggling. “Old” is in the running for the worst film he’s ever done. But I enjoyed “Trap” far more than most

 

[revoltub]

I think he sometimes gets bogged down in the mythos he creates for some of these films. Lady in the Water was a key example of that. I remember scenes where it’s just everybody in the housing complex gathered around talking about the situation, transfixed by the rules of this universe. Another odd movie. I didn’t enjoy it.

I feel that Unbreakable and Split, in contrast had just the right amount of world building/creating a mythos that complemented the narrative. Unfortunately, it didn’t work cohesively when those two films worlds got paired in Glass.

M. Night has had an interesting career. Still doing his thing at least. Coming out of the gate with The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs consecutively is impressive to me. Still his best films in my opinion.

I thought glass had its moments but I didn't like how it all ended. Plus it felt tonally off with both films.

I think he just had such a great string of 3 films that it would be hard for any director to match. Beside happening and lady in the water though I think he has done okay. Haven't seen his Airbender movie though.

 

[revoltub]

I forgot he directed after earth. That was a weird movie too.

 

[ufcfan4]

Batman Returns

I have to say that I love the Burton Batman movies. I think Nolan delivered the best Batman film to date and that his trilogy as a whole is great. That said, if you told me I could only watch either the Burton films or the Nolan films ever again, I’d pick the former.

I’m a huge fan of this film, so much so that I have it ranked as second among all Batman films so far. Watching it again, I was taken by a couple of things with DeVito’s performance. I really appreciate how Burton and co. do a solid job of keeping his plan and his sheer malevolence under wraps for a bit. We know, of course, that he’s a villain and that he is causing chaos with the Red Triangle Circus Gang. But even the scene when he blackmails Shrek doesn’t fully exhibit his evil intentions. It’s a slow burn before the viewer knows what he is plotting.

As far as Shreck is concerned, all Cobblepot wants to do his be accepted in Gotham society. So we get a couple of scenes in which DeVito explains what he wants and conjures sympathy among the Gotham citizenry. The way Danny delivers his lines in those scenes is great- soft-spoken, slow-paced, emotional. It’s a great contrast to what we see of the character once Shrek convinces him to run for mayor. From that point on, the veneer is completely gone. Penguin is an unabashed lewd, bitter, meanspirited character. Devito, well-versed in playing sleazy characters, gives a great performance.

I think there is a cool element to the characterization of Penguin, too. The resentment and bitterness over his parents’ rejection is palpable throughout the film. He has an absolutely gruesome, dark plan (so did Napier in the original) but he seems to deviate from that plan entirely when Shreck convinces him to run. I think it’s an underrated element of the plot of that film. Cobblepot hates Gotham but, when it comes down to it, he revels in the adulation and respect that he gets. There’s no reason to believe he’s going to abandon his nefarious plot if he gets elected. In fact, he’d probably look to use the additional power to facilitate that plan. But the fact that he is blinded by the light of stardom makes sense, given the way that his character is written.

Pfeiffer is excellent in this movie. Still, the best iteration of Catwoman and there have been multiple good ones. She and Keaton have great chemistry, when playing the costumed versions of their characters or the alter egos. She does an awesome job of conveying the change from a self-critical, insecure person to a more emboldened, assertive, dominant force. It is one thing to make Catwoman walk the line between good and bad- that’s been done many times. But Pfeiffer makes the viewer feel that ambivalence and turmoil.

Walken is great, too. I’ll always say that Batman Returns is one of those films that execute a plot that involves multiple villains very well. It’s not easy to do. Contrast it with Spider-Man 3, which shoehorned in villains, writing each of them out of the film for glaringly long periods of time because there was not an organic manner by which to weave a story with all of them. Shreck, by contrast, ties in with the Cobblepot and Kyle stories very effectively. I love the scenes between Keaton and Walken, too.

“Mayors come and go. Bluebloods tire quickly. You really think you can go fifteen rounds with Muhammad Shreck?”

“Yeah, well, maybe if I had a crime boss like Cobblepot in my corner..”

I never got the logic that Keaton is relegated to the margins or overshadowed in this film. The film utilizes him very effectively and he gives a great performance both as Wayne and Batman. His interactions with all the other principals, and with the late, great Michael Gough are very important aspects of the film’s success.

Great score by Elfman. Memorable opening scene. Very good art direction, cinematography, etc.

Awesome film to revisit every few years.

Classic/10

 

[eddymotto]

Body Heat (USA, 1981)

Rating: 8.5/10

Imagine Double Indemnity went on vacation to Florida, got a tan, and started doing pushups in the mirror while whispering “you got this” to itself. That’s Body Heat.

Kathleen Turner captures the essential truth of any great femme fatale: you believe men would ruin their lives for her.

William Hurt, meanwhile, plays a lawyer with the instincts of a golden retriever and the critical thinking skills of a damp sponge. He’s perpetually confused—like a man who knows he’s in a noir but still thinks it’ll all work out. The film crew almost certainly got tired of seeing his penis.

Ted Danson dances. Mickey Rourke wanders in just to say “hey, this is a terrible idea” and then leaves. Everyone is drenched in sweat. The ceiling fans deserved an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

It’s pulpy. It’s essential noir. It’s unapologetically ridiculous and unashamedly horny. What’s not to love?

 

[revoltub]

Batman Returns

I have to say that I love the Burton Batman movies. I think Nolan delivered the best Batman film to date and that his trilogy as a whole is great. That said, if you told me I could only watch either the Burton films or the Nolan films ever again, I’d pick the former.

I’m a huge fan of this film, so much so that I have it ranked as second among all Batman films so far. Watching it again, I was taken by a couple of things with DeVito’s performance. I really appreciate how Burton and co. do a solid job of keeping his plan and his sheer malevolence under wraps for a bit. We know, of course, that he’s a villain and that he is causing chaos with the Red Triangle Circus Gang. But even the scene when he blackmails Shrek doesn’t fully exhibit his evil intentions. It’s a slow burn before the viewer knows what he is plotting.

As far as Shreck is concerned, all Cobblepot wants to do his be accepted in Gotham society. So we get a couple of scenes in which DeVito explains what he wants and conjures sympathy among the Gotham citizenry. The way Danny delivers his lines in those scenes is great- soft-spoken, slow-paced, emotional. It’s a great contrast to what we see of the character once Shrek convinces him to run for mayor. From that point on, the veneer is completely gone. Penguin is an unabashed lewd, bitter, meanspirited character. Devito, well-versed in playing sleazy characters, gives a great performance.

I think there is a cool element to the characterization of Penguin, too. The resentment and bitterness over his parents’ rejection is palpable throughout the film. He has an absolutely gruesome, dark plan (so did Napier in the original) but he seems to deviate from that plan entirely when Shreck convinces him to run. I think it’s an underrated element of the plot of that film. Cobblepot hates Gotham but, when it comes down to it, he revels in the adulation and respect that he gets. There’s no reason to believe he’s going to abandon his nefarious plot if he gets elected. In fact, he’d probably look to use the additional power to facilitate that plan. But the fact that he is blinded by the light of stardom makes sense, given the way that his character is written.

Pfeiffer is excellent in this movie. Still, the best iteration of Catwoman and there have been multiple good ones. She and Keaton have great chemistry, when playing the costumed versions of their characters or the alter egos. She does an awesome job of conveying the change from a self-critical, insecure person to a more emboldened, assertive, dominant force. It is one thing to make Catwoman walk the line between good and bad- that’s been done many times. But Pfeiffer makes the viewer feel that ambivalence and turmoil.

Walken is great, too. I’ll always say that Batman Returns is one of those films that execute a plot that involves multiple villains very well. It’s not easy to do. Contrast it with Spider-Man 3, which shoehorned in villains, writing each of them out of the film for glaringly long periods of time because there was not an organic manner by which to weave a story with all of them. Shreck, by contrast, ties in with the Cobblepot and Kyle stories very effectively. I love the scenes between Keaton and Walken, too.

“Mayors come and go. Bluebloods tire quickly. You really think you can go fifteen rounds with Muhammad Shreck?”

“Yeah, well, maybe if I had a crime boss like Cobblepot in my corner..”

I never got the logic that Keaton is relegated to the margins or overshadowed in this film. The film utilizes him very effectively and he gives a great performance both as Wayne and Batman. His interactions with all the other principals, and with the late, great Michael Gough are very important aspects of the film’s success.

Great score by Elfman. Memorable opening scene. Very good art direction, cinematography, etc.

Awesome film to revisit every few years.

Classic/10

I always thought the whole mayor/high society subplot in the film was a way to combine the more traditional iteration of the penguin with Burton's more vile, raw fish eating one, with him ending up being a good compromise of both. It also supplies some great comedic moments.

"Alright I'll be Mayor."

I appreciate Walken in the film more every time I watch it. Like you mention he has the best lines in the film. I would also put him up there as one of the best original characters in a superhero movie that I can think of.

 

[GoodBadHBK]

Got lucky again and I'm in theater by myself about to watch Sinners

Edit: nevermind I left

 

[mb23100]

Titan:The Oceangate submersible disaster 9/10

Really well done documentary. I've gone down this Youtube rabbit hole several times but there was still a lot of new info and footage I had never seen before. It just gets crazier and crazier. There are also recently released documentaries about it on HBO and Discovery(this is the one on Netflix) but this one was the best I thought.

Not sure this is the right thread for documentaries tbh.

 

[HenryFlower]

Restless (UK, 2024) - 3.5/5

this one will hit for anyone who has lived in close quarters w/ an unruly dickhead neighbor. it’s a familiar scenario that unfolds in a way that is part stressful nightmare that’ll make your skin itch; part savory wish fulfillment that’ll satisfy your hunger to at least some degree w/o making a complete meal out of it.

The Assessment (UK/USA/Germany, 2024) - 2.5/5

a very sleek, modern dystopian thriller that collapses under the weight of its premise, but the great performances, pretty photography, & impeccable set design help it to limp across the finish line

Three Kings (USA, 1999) - 3/5

i want to use this space here to shoutout the unsung fourth king—Spike Jonze

A New Leaf (USA, 1971) - 4/5

Elaine May’s first feature starring Walter Matthau as a recently-impoverished trust-fund kid & May as a socially awkward botanist who happens to have sole proprietorship over her deceased father’s fortune. Matthau schemes to wed, then murder, the wealthy weirdo, so that he can seize her wealth & continue w/ his lifestyle of frivolous decadence. Matthau & May are both in top form, but the movie is also populated w/ hilarious side caricatures—Jack Weston as May’s scummy lawyer, George Rose as Matthau’s personal butler, & James Coco as his wealthy uncle, whose ostentatious antipathy is at a perfect pitch.

so many A+ quotables

“i have seen many examples of perversion in my time, but your erotic obsession with your carpet is probably the most grotesque and certainly the most boring i have ever encountered.”

Predator: Killer of Killers (USA, 2025) - 3/5
as w/ many anthology films, the mediocre segments kinda have the good/great ones by the balls. the murky color palette doesn’t quite vibe w/ the low FPS animation style either. fortunately, the lows aren’t so low to completely stain an otherwise entertaining, albeit forgettable, adult animated movie

Compliance (USA, 2012) - 2.5/5

Clueless (USA, 1995) - 34/5
what’d you do, turn in some extra-credit rate & reviews?
Nope.
you mean to tell me that you argued your way from a 3 to a 4?
Totally based on my powers of persuasion. are you proud?
honey, i couldn't be happier than if they were based on real ratings.

 

[ufcfan4]

Restless (UK, 2024) - 3.5/5
View attachment 1099236
this one will hit for anyone who has lived in close quarters w/ an unruly dickhead neighbor. it’s a familiar scenario that unfolds in a way that is part stressful nightmare that’ll make your skin itch; part savory wish fulfillment that’ll satisfy your hunger to at least some degree w/o making a complete meal out of it.

The Assessment (UK/USA/Germany, 2024) - 2.5/5
View attachment 1099237
a very sleek, modern dystopian thriller that collapses under the weight of its premise, but the great performances, pretty photography, & impeccable set design help it to limp across the finish line

Three Kings (USA, 1999) - 3/5
View attachment 1099238
i want to use this space here to shoutout the unsung fourth king—Spike Jonze

A New Leaf (USA, 1971) - 4/5
View attachment 1099239
Elaine May’s first feature starring Walter Matthau as a recently-impoverished trust-fund kid & May as a socially awkward botanist who happens to have sole proprietorship over her deceased father’s fortune. Matthau schemes to wed, then murder, the wealthy weirdo, so that he can seize her wealth & continue w/ his lifestyle of frivolous decadence. Matthau & May are both in top form, but the movie is also populated w/ hilarious side caricatures—Jack Weston as May’s scummy lawyer, George Rose as Matthau’s personal butler, & James Coco as his wealthy uncle, whose ostentatious antipathy is at a perfect pitch.

so many A+ quotables

“i have seen many examples of perversion in my time, but your erotic obsession with your carpet is probably the most grotesque and certainly the most boring i have ever encountered.”

Predator: Killer of Killers (USA, 2025) - 3/5
as w/ many anthology films, the mediocre segments kinda have the good/great ones by the balls. the murky color palette doesn’t quite vibe w/ the low FPS animation style either. fortunately, the lows aren’t so low to completely stain an otherwise entertaining, albeit forgettable, adult animated movie

Compliance (USA, 2012) - 2.5/5

Clueless (USA, 1995) - 34/5
what’d you do, turn in some extra-credit rate & reviews?
Nope.
you mean to tell me that you argued your way from a 3 to a 4?
Totally based on my powers of persuasion. are you proud?
honey, i couldn't be happier than if they were based on real ratings.

Matthau- legend. I never saw that one. Gotta check it out.

Haha. Well played with Clueless. Very fun movie. And Hedaya is great in every scene.

“What’s with you, kid? You think the death of Sammy Davis left an opening in the Rat Pack?”

I’m very nostalgic for 90s films at this point.

 

[I Am Legion]

The Accountant 2--7/10

Ben Affleck has really made something different with these movies. Who would have thought someone deep on the Autism spectrum could be become an action hero? He really nails it, as a "savant" with numbers and puzzle solving and fighting abilities, but lacks emotional depth, social cues, and empathy. In this movie they tackle the dark side of this massive immigration problem we have had over the last handful of years--trafficking of women and children. Tons of action, some humor mixed in. Not as good as the 1st, but an entertaining watch. Jon Bernthal is great in this as well.