Posts by briskhound2

nimblemarlin6 said:Some weren't actually terrible: part 2, part 4, and H20.

Rob Zombie's Halloween is a bust because he tries to turn this pure incarnation of evil into some psychological thing about childhood trauma. As for his other one—this whole subplot involving Michael's mom doesn't look like it's heading anywhere good.

Uh... yeah, those two are somewhat okay—I guess "two" works because Carpenter actually had a hand in it, and H20 is fine since they brought back Jamie Lee, but "four"... man, that's where the series really starts to slide... (not counting "three" though, since that thing barely even belongs to the franchise as it is)

Betty Sanders said:I’m guessing they mean Resident Evil 4... though that hasn't even hit production yet. Last I heard about that whole project, there wasn't even any confirmation that Jen would actually be starring in it. So... is this officially a thing now?

Sent you the cover via DM.

Betty Sanders said:Is it Devour?

I actually stumbled onto this cover totally by accident while I was flipping through some stuff earlier—forgot the title in the moment... Anyway, it looks like some kind of post-apocalyptic SF flick where this girl is running out of the city and ends up finding a group of regular folks in the middle of nowhere, led by Jensen (who happens to be her ex)... I've been digging through his filmography, but I can't find anything that fits the bill. Any clue what this might be (if it even exists)? Trying to help Valentine wash away that bad taste...

Fair point, you’ve got me there. For me though, the rest of the movie just felt like... I don't know, just another mediocre flick? Nothing special, and definitely not worth a full theater ticket price. Long live torrenting, I guess... As for the movie itself—man, it really had the potential to be something decent. The premise was solid, but if only the writers had used a bit more imagination to turn it into a proper whodunit thriller instead of what we actually got. They really went all out trying to reboot Scream, even if the characters haven't aged a day despite the plot being set ten years later. Jensen has this other movie that caught my eye a while back, but I can't find it anywhere... so I'm just hoping he at least pulled it together there and brought some actual credibility to the role.

Brandon Rivera11 said:They both fit the vibe, Jensen...😍
Maybe even Kerr Smith...🤔 He’s not half bad. 😬

Look, Kerr Smith has exactly one decent horror credit under his belt—Final Destination—but here, both guys just feel totally wasted. Jensen doesn't really have anything solid coming up (I guess he was probably just on hiatus from Supernatural)... and this guy is such a jerk it actually gives me a headache. You know, the whole "secretly seeing some girl from the local shop while lecturing his wife on morality" type of thing... plus the way he just bailed the second the initial slaughter started. I honestly thought the movie would lean into a revenge plot, but then the ending goes in some completely different direction.

@Vepar - From what I caught, there are maybe five or six 3D scenes in total, and honestly, I wouldn't bother sitting through that in a theater—especially if the ticket price is $13... no bloody way. Still, you could probably recommend it as a decent comedy in the vein of Dark Film😁

Lisa Ross65 said:John McTiernan also "blew it." It’s a damn shame—he was one of my favorites—but there was absolutely no reason for him to waste his talent on *The 13th Warrior*, *Rollerball*, or *Basic*...
Don't even get me started on Renny Harlin...

I mean, Basic is practically a masterpiece compared to Rollerball—which was just straight-up depressing. Harlin definitely has talent, I actually rewatched 12 Rounds just yesterday, but it’s like he can’t catch a break with decent casting (Cena was rough) or maybe the producers are just trolling him at this point. The last thing he truly nailed was The Long Kiss Goodnight. But yeah, he'll never hit those Cliffhanger heights again, which is a bummer...

Antarctica. All that snow, winter, ice... it immediately brings back memories of the creature feature vibes from *The Thing*. I just really hope Kate doesn't end up like an aging Kurt... Honestly, Sena was such a lost cause as a director, and even Joel Silver didn't exactly hit the jackpot producing those rushed action flicks with DMX, so maybe there's a slim chance this duo finally finds their groove—even if the whole thing gives me major Stallone's D-Tox vibes. Still, it's definitely one of those movies you'll end up watching regardless...

briskbison41 said:You're calling it a psychological thriller.
The movie is a bit rushed, but still....

Man, this movie is so "scary" (and by that, I mean it's absolutely terrible) that you could actually pass it off as some deep psychological thriller... Sorry, buddy, but if you actually think this is good, then you clearly haven't seen any actual parodies. Just go watch Hot Shots or Airplane and see if that doesn't change your mind...

Justin Wood59 said:I watched the movie, and honestly, even though I read everywhere how bad it was, I was actually surprised. It’s got this total trashy vibe and is pretty funny 😁
It’s not bad at all, but if you were expecting something serious like Las Vegas, you're gonna be disappointed—it doesn't really have that visual style either, not even close 😁

Btw, Miller wrote Las Vegas, so there's no debating how much he helped anyone. He's the author of the story; without that source material, Rodriguez would've had a total flop instead of a hit film.
Spirit isn't Miller's anyway, and besides, it was unconvincing and boring in the original, so I guess they just decided to make fun of it 🤣

Nah, I was actually talking about those little controversies back when their directors' guild wouldn't recognize Miller as a co-director alongside Rodriguez—which led to him threatening to pull out of the whole thing. Their reasoning was pretty ridiculous too, like claiming two people can't direct a single film or something along those lines (completely ignoring the Warshavski brothers, obviously)... but honestly, Spirit doesn't exactly give me confidence that Miller could step up and deliver something better or evolve into a top-tier director. Maybe the movie just didn't land for me because my expectations were through the roof... you know, that whole green screen look and all that...

Honestly, what a total disaster of a movie. It just goes to show how much Miller actually carried Rodriguez during the making of Sin City... seriously. The guy would probably be better off sticking to the drawing board and letting someone else handle the actual directing.

Austin Ward4 said:Ugh, I just can't stand those dance movies... especially with that whole inner-city vibe they try to push... total garbage.

"Ghetto"... yeah, that's exactly the term I was looking for. Thanks.

Check out Varsity Blues first, and then we can actually talk about clichés. This flick is basically just a predictable mashup of teen movie tropes—and since clichés are literally just stuff you've seen a million times before, well... once those girls start up with the exaggerated "ayyy" accents, hands on hips, finger snapping, and that whole "biatch" persona... I mean, why even bother? It’s not worth a deep dive. Honestly, the only thing keeping this from being total bottom-of-the-barrel trash is Kirsten Dunst—and even that’s mostly just because she did > earlier, which gave her enough clout to pull some media attention that the movie itself definitely didn't earn...

crimsontrucker4 said:Yeah, they’re free now, sure—but they’re stuck in some little floating space station 😁
In The Matrix, that freedom actually opened up way more doors...

The future is always a toss-up... honestly, I'd rather have the uncertainty than some forced, cheesy happy ending. But, I get where you're coming from—there's definitely a lot left unsaid in there, and it might not be everyone's cup of tea. Still, as a standalone movie, it made me trust Proyas as a legit director, which is why I'm interested in Knowing, though I'm holding out for a better quality rip...😁

As for The Matrix—man, what a pathetic way to wrap up that trilogy. All that buildup just to land on this shaky, lukewarm truce. It feels like the creators got so lost in their own deep thoughts that the philosophy just became philosophy about philosophy. But hey, the first one? That was a killer piece of sci-fi action... I'll still pop that one on whenever I feel like it.

crimsontrucker4 said:SPOILER
I'm just not feeling it—it feels pretty... stupid and pointless, honestly. Sure, he finally dealt with those clock-watching types, the sun is out, and you've got waves crashing against the shore, but everything else remains exactly the same except for that sunlight. It’s still just this tiny little town floating somewhere in space surrounded by a bit of water—something people haven't grasped yet, even though they want to now; so what? To me, the ending is just incredibly dumb... And besides, Jennifer is just absolutely stunning...😁

Yeah, but now they actually have the power to shape their own destiny—whatever that looks like—and finally carve out their own identity. Basically, the whole thing is driving home the idea that nobody has the right to strip away our free will or our ability to think for ourselves... it’s just wrapped up in this cool SF milieu. And honestly, the best part is how... The Matrix... man, that one just stays with you... Man, he hyped this movie up so many times that the filmmakers probably had to send him a formal thank-you note just to get him to shut up...

I’m all for Jennifer—if she were just a little younger and without that Oscar buzz, though... man, what a waste...😍

Jonathan Collins43 said:But why exactly...?

Look, let me lay it out. If I recall correctly, it’s that flick about these cheerleaders who suddenly realize their main squad—whatever you want to call them—has been ripping off moves from the rival team. And of course, because that’s how these things go, the other team is way more creative, totally underrated, and underfunded, plus they're Black. So, these girls decide to actually take the high road and give them a fair shake, deciding to start building their own routines from scratch. Honestly? It’s just another run-of-the-mill teen comedy loaded with clichés—like, the underdog school wins at the end (shocking, I know), and the white kids happily take second place just to keep things "politically correct"... so calling it a masterpiece feels a little ridiculous, sorry. The movie itself has this... I guess you could call it a certain Rocky charm—that whole vibe where everyone is going to make it on their own merit now—and maybe it sits one notch above the usual stuff, but it’s nowhere near being a great comedy or a drama or... whatever it's trying to be. If you're looking for something in that vein, you're better off sticking to something like Not Another Teen Movie... Varsity Blues So, if you haven't checked it out yet, I’d say it's definitely worth your time... highly recommend.

rustyharbor66 said:It’s honestly refreshing to see people actually putting some decent ideas out there.

Was that—I don't know—just a wild assumption on my part... was that sarcasm? Just trying not to misread the room here...

Let’s stick to movies for a second. Look, I’m an atheist myself, but I definitely wouldn't go about filming something like this just to try and prove my views aren't any more ridiculous than religious ones—instead, it feels like they just wanted to make... let's call it a decent sketch, which, if you ask me, was probably Bill Maher's actual Plan B. You can tell just by looking at who he chose to interview. The issue with this brand of comedy is that there’s always going to be someone pointing out that the film isn't neutral—which is kind of obvious from the jump, so saying it feels like stating the glaringly obvious—and that critique would apply regardless of which side is being filmed. Sure, there are plenty of funny aspects within the American Catholic faith, but to actually portray them realistically, you’d need access to actual believers—the kind who are willing to admit them—who would speak honestly about it, which, obviously, is never going to happen. It would be the exact same thing if a believer went out to make a documentary about atheist positions, just picking up a couple of narrow-minded fanatics who don't even realize what they're rambling about. A scripted version would probably fare much better; I don't recall anyone making a huge stink when Jim Carrey played God and poked fun at various religious themes and Bible references.

bluerider63 said:I watched that documentary and honestly, it’s actually pretty good. It felt like Bill Maher had a rough time filming it—he’s just so blunt and sarcastic when he starts poking at the core of religion and stuff like Jesus. It's such a touchy subject... I really don't think anyone over here would have the guts to go out and film something like that publicly without causing a massive uproar....

You really think so? Documentaries are full of... well, freaks, if you want to call them that. I mean, look at the local characters we have dealing with this global phenomenon, or those types who act like they can just pay off some high-priced lawyer or a miracle worker like Simonica or Anthony to fix their lives through prayer... just try asking one of them about their faith. You wouldn't just have enough footage for one movie; you'd have enough material for three sequels... Religulous was pretty hilarious to me, but if you tried that approach here, it would just come off as pathetic.

northerncrane4 said:Like I said—just another hack Hollywood craftsman, one of thousands. Always has been, always will be. Not a single significant cinematic auteur in the bunch. Now that he's older, he doesn't have the stamina for actual film production anymore, so he just churns out filler for TV. ☕

Well, look, if we're talking about overrated icons, Wes Anderson is right up there for me—someone whose movies most people can barely wrap their heads around. Opinions vary, obviously, but I’d put him in the same boat as David Lynch (minus Twin Peaks), since they're basically running on the same tracks. Just these overblown prima donnas who occasionally drop a spark of actual logic that leads to their biggest hits—and then critics use those moments to justify "standards" that don't even exist in the first place. Personally, if we're stepping away from the pure hacks like Badhem, I think Tarantino is the one who really blew it... He's just sitting there obsessing over some project in his head while his reputation as a top-tier director goes straight down the drain...

northerncrane4 said:I’m not sure how you interpreted this thread, but the point was to discuss directors who actually meant something to the industry before they essentially dried up. This isn't about those endless Hollywood hacks—the ones where you might find two or three movies you thought were cool back when you were a kid.

And, by the way—modern TV production is significantly bolder and more revolutionary than anything coming out of theaters right now. I don't recall anything approaching the quality of "Deadwood" hitting the big screen in ages.

Look, I don't know... I mean, Don Donen was a respected director—at least he was, if nothing else from a purely financial standpoint—and even today, some polls still label him as "cult," which isn't exactly nothing. His work holds up to critical scrutiny too; *American Flyers* is a great drama, and *War Games* sits right at the top of those techno-thrillers from back before that genre even had a formal name... much like Donen himself. And I won't even get started on *Saturday Night Fever*, which is still held in high regard. In my book, Donen is a director who actually left a mark and meant something to the industry, regardless of whether he ever officially cracked the A-list. I mean, Michael Bay might be the king of flashy, big-budget blockbusters these days, but you rarely see his stuff get even a passing grade from critics, let alone an auteur credit...