I saw Annihilation. First, it has almost no relation to the books. Second, it is different than the trailers make it seem. I liked it, but didnât completely understand it (much like the book). I donât think it is nearly as great or intellectual as the reviews seem to think.
The Raid 2. The original Raid (not gonna call it âRedemptionâ) almost single-handedly ruined all other movie fighting for me both retroactively and in perpetuity (but Ip Man is still a great âmartial arts movieâ). This movie was not as good, which is probably to be expected given its wider focus and story of family betrayal rather than the first movieâs simple plot of âstay alive, make it to the top of the tower,â but it also sadly strays further into âmovie fightâ territory than its predecessor, which was also not without sin in that regard, but much less so. The scene in the prison yard towards the beginning of the movie might be the most brutal thing I have ever seen, though, holy shit. Worth watching.
Having gone back and watched the original again, I can honestly say the choreography in the sequel is on the whole better, sharper and âbrutaler,â which is a real achievement. Shame about the movie bullshit and that some of the scenes go on a bit too long, but that was true of the first some, too, I now see without the fog of memory.
And
Hammer Girl from Raid 2 on the beach there in that Headshot trailer. Her subway train scene was probably the most âmovie bullshitâ part of Raid 2, but I canât hold that against her. Well, that or her boyfriend (brother?) killing people with a baseball.
The Death of Stalin. A whirlwind through a rather tumultuous period, beginning with mass arrests and executions and ending with some more unpleasantness, although on a rather smaller scale. Shot very much in The Thick of It style, though with hardly any handheld, the film largely consists of viewing conversations from the POV of someone standing slightly outside the group, watching it all happen. Itâs an excellent system for making the viewer feel like an onlooker to the weaving of the conspirational web, although with very little variety. Very funny throughout, with plenty of good lines, and I found the rather grim subject matter only made it more amusing.
Repo Man. Not even sure what to say. Seems like the grimy cousin to the same yearâs Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, which has always been one of my favorite movies. Caught lots of little gags and probably missed a few more. Watch stoned or otherwise impaired, probably.
Watch stoned is also my recommendation for Buckaroo Banzai, but I love both movies.
Also, Jeff Goldblumâs cowboy character 
Repo Man is the shitty little brother who keeps getting into fights at school because the teachers wonât shut up about how nice it was having Buckaroo in class.
Brawl in Cell Block 99. A Vince Vaughn epic (no) of a tall impassive man going to prison and then another prison. Why itâs 2+ hours, Iâm really not sure. Jennifer Carpenter wasted in a wife role, and Don Johnson has a small part (allegedly) as a cruel warden of a maximum security prison. The film is a mess, with more than half its running time being essentially a prologue before Vaughn goes to real prison and kills some people there. Fights arenât bad, effects are.
My reaction to this phrase precisely.
Good Time. Sparkly vampire turned bank robber seeks to free his mentally handicapped brother. Biggest surprise was the excellent electronica soundtrack, but the filmâs pace is unrelenting, and it flies by in no time. Pattinson is excellent, constantly scrambling for leverage under time pressure, and Safdie is even better as the brother, playing Lenny to Pattinsonâs George.
Accident Man. Low budget and looks it. Assassin who kills people in âaccidentsâ finds out his pregnant ex is killed and so on. Toned down from the comic in terms of the elaborate accidents (budget), but has some respectable fight choreography, especially as all the actors are doing the majority of their own fights. Vaguely enjoyable nonsense, but not funny enough or expressing enough character to really stand out.
Annihilation. Strange one this. Itâs not really an adaptation of the book; the bare bones of it are there, but the rest is different. Definitely lacking the Vandermeer strangeness, it still has some visuals that are horrible and beautiful simultaneously. Portman gets the most Vandermeer character, as the film follows her exclusively yet she remains a cipher throughout. Any film made these days without foregrounding plot and offering the viewer a ton of exposition is an achievement.
This. I want to see it just because Iâve heard it doesnât spoonfeed the audience. Iâm so tired of anything with a comic book character in it that Iâll take a grown up movie that lets me think even if itâs not perfect.
I saw Lady Bird and loved it. Hit all the right buttons for me. Love coming of age stories in general, and this one was nearly perfect. Not to mention Saoirse is one of my favorite names and what we were going to name our youngest if he had been a girl. I also really Saoirse Ronan since I first saw her in Grand Budapest Hotel.
Lady Bird was excellent. Seen Hanna?
I havenât. I will put it in the queue.
I, on the other hand, wish to never see, read or hear one again as long as I live. I cannot think of a more overdone genre.
Loved that movie!
