hanshotfirst1138

Standing in the Shadows of Motown- Exuberant documentary about the Funk Brothers, the little-know house band for Motown Records during their 1960s and 1970s heyday, recording on dozens of top hits for the label's signature blend of pop, R&B, blues, and soul. Bolstered by its extraordinary soundtrack, it tells an extraordinary story of the behind-the-scenes hard work that went into the music and the stories behind the amazing musicianship. Soulful and heartfelt, both a nostalgic remembrance of an amazing time in pop music, and a remind of how vital it still is. Wonderful. Shot on 16mm, an excellent choice for the film's wonderfully analog and lo-fi story. If you're not tapping your feet by the end, you have no soul.

Gran Torino- Dirty Harry grows in Clint Eastwood's elegiac requiem for a lost era, sentimental but bittersweet, the tale of a bigoted loner who slowly learns the joys of multiculturalism and the melting pot. Though a bit pat in its politics, they largely fit the deliberately old-fashioned storytelling on display, and the film is warm, frequently funny, and ultimately touching, anchored by its superb central performances, including an absolutely vintage central one from Eastwood himself. An old-fashioned morality play with old-fashioned values, but this smallness is part of the film's charm, a simple story, simply told, and nicely affecting, with Eastwood slyly mounting a sometimes self-depricating satirical edge to go with the film's themes about generational relationships, what we are, what we become, and what we leave behind, giving the movie a quiet intelligence. Some nice local color too . Nicely shot with a quiet, evocative verisimilitude. Flawed, but immensely enjoyable and pleasingly low-key.

Kiniest

Out Of The Dark - 0/5
Everly - 2/5
Wild Card - 2/5
McFarland, USA - 2.5/5
Still Alice - 3.5/5
Mr. Turner - 4/5
Fifty Shades of Grey - 2.5/5
Kingsman: The Secret Service - 3/5
The Last Five Years - 2.5/5
Hot Tub Time Machine 2 - 1.5/5
The DUFF - 3/5

I'm reconsidering my scores for McFarland, Wild Card, and The Last Five Years:

I might go ahead and give McFarland the 3/5.

Wild Card, a 1.5/5.

And I should rewatch The Last Five Years. The script is solid (I mean, the play won a Tony, if I remember correctly). The problem is, the acting and direction are totally uninspired. Perhaps I should buy the original play on Blu-Ray and give that a chance, instead.

Inhumans99

Terminator 3 (AMC) - I love this film, and feel that not only is it a good terminator film, but just a well put together action movie.

joe_b

Being There - Brilliant comedy. I need to check out more of Hal Ashby's films.

iNCREDiPiNOY

Here we go...

Fifty Shades of Grey - 4/5 - My 4th time viewing from post-screening.
The Lazarus Effect Unofficial Premiere - 3/5 - Silly movie. I got bored. Cast were there minus Olivia Wilde.
Kingsmen: The Secret Service 4DX - 5/5 - I loved the motion experience in 4D.
The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water 3D 4DX - 3/5 - I hated the smell of shitty water spray and fog. The bubble was a nice added touch.
Jupiter Ascending 3D 4DX - 4/5 - This it way too much. Whenever it shoot on screen I get punched in the back so frickin hard and felt like someone stabbed me in the back. lol
Focus IMAX Premiere - 4/5 - It was an awesome movie! Margot Robbie did a pretty great job.

printerati

One wonders what it would take to earn a 2, 1, or 0.

LorenzoL

Can somebody tell me what's 4DX?

inri222

EddieMoney

The Theory of Everything - 3.5/5 - Solid biopic, nothing amazing. Decent performances, and clearly Redmayne studied DDL's performance in "My Left Foot" quite a bit.

joe_b

Gloria (1980) - Gena Rowlands is a bad-ass.

FiveO

Just watched this last night myself. Redmayne's performance was very good. I'd give it a 4/5. Have to buy Birdman soon to compare Keaton's performance.

iNCREDiPiNOY

$traight 0utta Com9ton - 5/5 - It was awesome movie!

JimRochester

I liked it. A little strange at the end but good action. At only 82 minutes its worth taking the chance

Brack

In Your Eyes on Netflix streaming. Screenplay by Joss Whedon. A very good little romantic flick that is in the same genre as The Lakehouse. It's not perfect but it's one of the better straight to VOD releases I've seen in a while.

OldBoy

Whiplash...again, still mesmerizing!

tonyc3742

Kingsman: the Secret Service.
Really liked it. Great fight scenes, good humor throughout, juuust slightly ridiculous in places but still fun and exciting.

JimRochester

Miss Meadows Can't remember how this got on my rental list. Strange is the word that comes to mind with this movie about Katie Holmes as a vigilante

DJariya

Beyond the Lights (2014)


Really liked this movie a lot. Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Nate Parker were really good in their respective roles and there was a pretty decent supporting cast. Really dealt with how fake the music industry can be and how 2 total opposites can overcome that and fall in love. Had some really sweet moments. A total chick flick and I have a soft spot for movies like this.

Nate Parker kind of reminded me of a young Denzel Washington. Not necessarily the looks, but he has the charm.

I'd give this movie a solid B

Giles

A young woman is about to marry a Doctor, but is forced to repeat her wedding day - day after day - (i.e, Groundhog Day) til she discovers what true love is ...

so sappy, but oh so Hallmark.

inri222

Maps to the Stars - 4.5/5

Ghost story/black comedy about the dark secrets and eccentricities of a middle aged actress who will do anything to stay relevant, and the dysfunctional family of a child actor.
Excellent film in which David Cronenberg explores territory covered in Sunset Boulevard & Mulholland Drive but yet gives it his own fresh take.

inri222

Gravity - 3/5

Alfonso Cuaron's technically magnificent sci-fi film had me for the first 2/3 and then let me down with a disappointing third act that sinks into typical Hollywood clichéd storytelling.

Why So Blu?

The Captive
The Humbling

DJariya

Nightcrawler (2014)

Really awesome and dark movie. Gyllenhaal was super creepy. Part of it felt like I was watching a snuff film. Rene Russo was also really good as the news director.

LorenzoL

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
What more can be said that haven't said before... The fighting scenes are not very long or elaborate but this movie shines on the training and challenges sequences. I have yet to see another Kung-Fu movie that outclasses 36th Chamber in regards to the above.
The role of a lifetime for Gordon Liu and he takes full advantage of it. Phenomenal!

Enter the Dragon
I don't think we will ever see another Martial Arts actor like Bruce Lee. Many credit him as being the actor that popularize the Martial Arts genre in the West and you can't find fault in that theory specially in the above movie.
The movie has Bruce at his best as he goes off to participate in the tournament and just radiates cool and charisma. I highly doubt the movie would had the same impact with another actor. Great fight choreography and the surprise here is Jim Kelly. Also it has the brief appearance by Angela Mao.

The movie is far from perfect as it has the basic plot of a Martial Arts movie: a former student from the Shaolin temple is bringing disgrace and Bruce is in charge of stopping him. Also Bruce's looking for revenge for his sister's death. The main villain is laughable and not very threatening. Hey, I'm Han and I have a detachable knife hand to kill you with!!! Plus you have John Saxon as a Martial Arts fighter.
Even with its faults, there's no question that this is a must see for any person interested in watching a Martial Arts movie. Top 5 for sure.
One of my favourite movie line of all time: "Boards don't hit back!"

oncease

I saw these two movies two years ago. The dialogue is impressive and I'll watch Before Midnight this weekend.