Solid Snake

There were 2 other guys w/ me in the theater. Sad.. cuz this movie was so fucking good. It deserves a bigger audience and I know it would be liked by a lot of people if they just saw it. It's got great compelling drama that just reels you in so well.

dex14

Yea... I didn't have time to see it this week and the one theatre still playing it this weekend has cut showtimes in half.

Dan

One other guy in my theatre. This location was showing it on two screens, which seemed like too much, considering.

This will find its audience on Netflix, for better or worse.

Solid Snake

Yeah. I think this'll pick up more eyes on Netflix or whatever.

Finisher

Will give Nichols a pass on this one, but what a piece of shit. Basically the entire movie is driving the kid to the pickup location.

Solid Snake

they did do those 3 movies about taking a ring to drop down a volcano. It's not about what it's about.. it's about how it is done.

dex14

Why So Blu?

WB did not know how to market this. As I mentioned before - it will be a critically acclaimed bomb.

Throwing Copper

They're too busy going to see the latest superhero movie that's been shoved down their throat.

Damn shame this just now went wide, after a month, where everyone can see it. But at this point, who cares. The fucker will be on video before too long.

dex14

I saw it over the weekend and pretty much agree with this and the previous comments about too many unanswered questions.

dave-o

Finally got to see this and man it was worth the wait. I loved every minute of it. It's one of those movies that I can't stop thinking about. I'd put it second behind Take Shelter, but I'd like to see it again and see if it holds up or not. Great acting, excellent direction, I loved the score, and just all around, edge of your seat tension (and I loved the payoff at the end).

Orbi-Wan Techno

Here is the review I just posted to my Facebook page, Orbi-Wan Goes To The Movies.

As summer approaches, everyone is getting excited for all the big-budget comic book, action, sci-fi, and animation offerings that will soon fill our multiplexes. But every once in a while, a small film comes out that literally no one sees and that theaters aren't showing. In some cases, it's a crying shame because these movies can bring substance and intelligence to the movie-going experience that city-destroying, explosion-laden spectacles just miss the mark on (I'm looking at you, Independence Day: Resurgence).

I had the pleasure of seeing one such film today at a local military theater, of all places. Midnight Special was actually released nationally less than a month ago, and I am hoping some of our local second-run theaters will choose to show it, because it really deserves more that just getting dumped in Redbox and Netflix in a few months.

Midnight Special is basically a pursuit film with a sci-fi twist. A father has rescued his 8-year-old son from a cult, though not the kind of cult you might expect. With the help of a high-school friend who is now a state trooper, father and son have a very short amount of time to get from central Texas to the Florida panhandle to a specific set of coordinates, while evading not only the cult, but also government agents from the FBI and the NSA. The cult wants the boy back because they believe he is a messenger and gift from God. The government wants him because those messages seem to include next-level encrypted classified information from top secret spy satellites above the earth.

On top of that coolness, the young boy exhibits other unusual behaviors - his eyes will randomly shoot out beams of light (he wears goggles for most of the film), he has a sensitivity to sunlight, and his brain captures random radio frequencies from the ether. Oh, and he seems to be able to yank said satellites from orbit. However, every time one of these powers manifests itself, it causes the boy pain and seems to consume him from the inside.

Enough about the plot, though. There are plenty of surprises left to discover in this surprisingly low-key and deliberately-paced film. There are some good performances from familiar actors - most recognizable are Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst, Joel Edgerton, Adam Driver and, briefly, Sam Shepard as the cult leader. There are scenes and situations that echo classic films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star-Man, ET, and even the recent film Tomorrowland.

Although PG-13 for a couple of scenes involving gun play and some blood, to the best of my recollection, no one died, there were two mild profanities, and absolutely no sex or sensuality of any sort. However, kids are not the audience - they will likely squirm throughout the entirety of the movie - but older teens may appreciate the smart story and the interesting developments and details as the film moves along. Adults looking for something different will enjoy it, as well.

I am giving Midnight Special a solid 4 out of 5 star. It is highly recommended and, I believe, worth your while.

Count Dooku

How the fuck would you market this?

I saw it and I couldn't describe it in 10 minutes. How would you make a commercial for this?

From the director of Mud (a movie nobody has heard of) and starring that creepy guy whose name you don't know.

RichC2

I think they did fine on advertising (I just saw another ad that made me really want to see it again), but people are just more particular about what they're seeing in theaters nowadays. This is the kind of movie that needs a big star to provoke conversation about it, though.

wmansir

I agree with the people who were more "meh". Although I'm not in the "too much left unexplained" camp, in fact I think it would have been a bit more compelling with some revelations left out.

Why So Blu?

I'm not in the marketing department, bruh.

Get folks that know how to market quirky or off the wall shit. I know it's WB and all but with their resources it shouldn't be that hard to get folks that specialize is stuff like this.

mrhan

I thought it was a decent movie then I started thinking of

inri222

Jeff Nichols does it again

4/5

Thrush

I enjoyed this and thought this was fairly well done.

TomOpus

Popped up at the library and I remembered this thread so I rented it. Enjoyed it very much. I went in blind, not recalling trailers or specifics of this thread. So, it kind of unfolded as I watched the film. I had also rented Nocturnal Animals again, so it was a Shannon double-feature. Good stuff.