List of movies i watched in August 2015

Watched: August 1st 2015

My Opinions: Wow. I really hate this trilogy. As with the previous two films, the film's script sucks. The dialogue is dumb and full of cheesy one liners that fail to be funny. The story is basically the same as with the previous films and its predictable. This may be the worst of the trilogy, its action sequences suck! That's the one thing I like about these films, the action. The action in this film though is just the opposite... Its boring, lacking in flair and spectacle and fun. The action lacks energy. There isn't any fun to be had with this film at all. I wanted to turn it off half way through. I also have to criticize the introduction of younger members of the expendables... They get more screen time then some of the real expendables... That's not supposed to happen. The one saving grace of this film are the excellent performances. Mel Gibson is great and does the best with his role. Gibson made his own dialogue sound better then it actually was. Mel Gibson was fun to see on screen. Another newcomer (and delight) was the energetic and funny performance of Antonio Banderas. I think that he got the best material of the script. Banderas' dialogue is usually funny and he plays it perfectly. Sylvester Stallone is still doing his best.

Verdict: D-

Watched: August 1st 2015

My Opinions: I was pleased by the on location shooting. The film's action scenes looked fresh and the premise is original but the story needs work and feels unfinished and character development is scarce. The ending isn't satisfying and the dialogue is... Ehhhh.

Verdict: C-

Watched: August 2nd 2015

My Opinions: I don't agree with everyone else when they say that Chappie is a bad film. Its not a bad film, its not a great one but I dare say that it is better then average. I thought that Chappie was better then both 'District 9' and Elysium (Both were very underwhelming science fiction films). The story in 'Chappie' is clichéd. Its a way more dark and mature and violent copy of 'Short Circuit'. Seriously, the story basically matches it. The lead robot matches the lead in 'Short Circuit. What redeems this film is the emotional core of the film, some may call 'Chappie' too sappy but I liked it. The direction from Neill Blomkamp is great,he gave true vision into the visual effects and tone. I liked the setting. It looks really grounded and fresh and real. I like that Blomhamp sets his films in Johaansberg... He seems to be the only director to do s, so his films set out in terms of locations we see on film. I do wish that the characters were more likable. Too many of the characters I didn't like. Sharlto Copley gives great vocal work as Chappie and Hugh Jackman and the supporting cast shine and give real performances. I applaud the castings of Watkin Tudor Jones (Ninja) and Yolandi Visser of the South African zef rap-rave group Die Antwoord. Inspired casting. The colors pop in this film. The music is great. Again, visually this film looks great, really great. The robots look real. Although the story isn't original and the characters are mostly unlikable, the visuals are spectacular and the direction isn't to beat and the drama works. I liked it more then I thought I would.

Verdict: C+

Watched: August 8th 2015

My Opinions: The editing is a nonsensical jumble, the directing suck and the found footage technique is overused, hard to follow, and headache inducing. The scares aren't scary. The dialogue is amateurish... While the make up effects are great, everything else sucks. The visuals suck. The story is one dimensional as are the THREE characters. That's it. There were only three characters to develop and the script didn't develop any of them. This is a very poorly made, cheap film that is very hard to follow.

Verdict: F

Watched: August 9th 2015

My Opinions: J.K Simmons and Miles Teller gave phenomenal performances with the earlier doing award worthy work. Simmon's performance as a high in status musical teacher at the prestigious school for those gifted at music was great. Simmons gave so much power and anger into his dialogue and performance that you really hated the character he played but he also gave the character shades of remorse, sadness, gratitude... J.K Simmons made his character both likable and unlikable... This is a rare feat. The script is original and develops its two lead characters and its story wonderfully. The dialogue is well written and the pacing is delightfully fast. The score is great and so is the directing and editing. The sound mixing is great. I still feel that the film was missing something, missing one more layer. It almost hit all the notes but it missed one. I don't know what one but it missed a beat somewhere 3/4 of the way over and that last 1/4 of film didn't quite measure up to the first 3/4. Whatever. I love a line in this film spoken by J.K Simmons "Not quite my tempo."

Verdict: B

Watched: August 11th 2015

My Thoughts: Wow, what a good western. The film features good performances all around and good costume and set design. The cinematography and directing is spot on and the characters and story are developed. I would say that the film was rushed though and could've had more material in it but over all it was a good film. Morgan Freeman was, unfortunately, underused.

Verdict: B

Watched: August 13th 2015

My Thoughts: No, no. This was one of the least painful horror films of 2014 but it was not the best. This was a film that featured a one dimensional and clichéd story with one dimensional and clichéd characters and only pop out scares. Few scares scored and most failed. The PG-13 rating really anchored the film in a bad way. If only allowed more freedom to express itself in a more gruesome way this film might've worked more. Olivia Cooke makes for a great lead but her supporting cast fails her. This is not a film where you will scream at a characters stupidity (thank god) but it is not a film where you'll leave it saying "I hope they make another."

Verdict: D

Watched: August 15th 2015

My Thoughts: Its fun and Humphrey Bogart gives a great performance as a greasy, grimy, manly, alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking boat captain of The African Queen. The cinematography is excellent, the visual effects are greats, the thrills are higher and the dialogue is well written. The film features a smart screenplay with an original story. The film was shot in the African jungle and thus provided a real and refreshing look to itself.

Verdict: B+

Watched: August 16th 2015

My Thoughts: Could've been so much better. It pails in comparison to Marion Cotillard's other 2014 release 'The Immigrant', this film lacks interesting and compelling characters and a well rounded story. The performances are real but not enough. This is just not a good enough effort. Its not bad by any means but its just not good enough. Its forgettable.

Verdict: C

Watched: August 20th 2015

My Thoughts: Nothing in this film is original. The characters are clichéd, sometimes annoying, and one dimensional. Another thing, all the black guys die in the beginning and so does the one interesting character in the film. The cast is fine and give reasonable performances. Sylvester Stallone is Sylvester Stallone in this role, he doesn't give a performance over the standards anticipated for a film like this. Viggo Mortenson on the other hand... The visual effects are excellent but the thrills aren't and neither is the script which offer us a story straight out of the manuel for action-disaster movies. We just watch one action scene after another, plot point after plot point. A new twist and stake after another. Edge of your seat thrills that aren't putting you at the edge of your seat.

Verdict: D

Watched: August 20th 2015

My Thoughts: Ill admit that the make up effects and directing and sets and cinematography and cast are excellent. The make up effects are beyond excellent. If there was ever a film I thought looked better in black and white then in color it would be this film. The black and white sets the mood for the story and makes the film creepier and more atmospheric and clean. Boris Karloff makes a great Frankenstein's monster and both Dwight Frye (As Frankenstein's assistant) and the man who played Frankenstein himself, Colin Clive, are scene stealers. Clive definitely gives off a mad vibe and Frye is delightfully creepy in his few scenes. The real problems with this monster movie are that the screenplay isn't sound nor does it feel complete and it has so many plotholes in it. The script scimps on all character development and thus we are presented with one dimensional figures. One of the things that didn't quite make sense in the story (and is never explained) is why Fritz (Dwight Frye) tortures the monster. Its never explain. Plus, when we are shown his death we see Fritz HANGED... How is that possible? The monster would have strangled him not hung him... How would the monster know to hang Fritz? I also didn't understand how all the character's reactions to the monster being created were so plain... Unbelievable, if I were them, id be screaming my head out! I'd be saying "HOLY *beep* etc. One other plothole i found was when the little girl's father comes into the village carrying the dead girl, he says that she was murdered... How would he know that, if i were him and i found the little girl in the water dead I would've assumed that she fell in and drowned... I wouldn't have raised it up a level and immediately thought she was murdered! Its a WAY HIGHER possibility that she fell in the water and drowned then she was murdered... Sigh, that scene was there simply to motivate the villagers to join up and kill Frankenstein's monster. I also found the film to be too short and not faithful to the book AT ALL. For example, Victor Frankenstein is now HENRY Frankenstein. That simple name changed irked me more then it should've but it did. Fans of the novel by Mary Shelly should probably stay clear of this adaption for it will simply disappoint. The film offers some solids thrills and it entertains but their are too many flaws. The film could've went so much further in its examination of Frankenstein and his monster... This movie only touched the surface. Dracula was a better novel adaption of a classic monster story.

Verdict: C+

Watched: August 22nd 2015

My Opinions: TBA

Verdict: B-

Watched: August 22nd 2015

My Opinions: TBA

Verdict: B-

Watched: August 23rd 2015

My Opinions: I can't say I found it as good as others found it, nor do I believe that it deserved all of the many awards it received at the Academy Awards... I can say this: this film may very well be one of the most beautiful films of the year 2014. The cinematography is great and colors pop out at you. The sets are great and so are the costumes. Visually, the film 'wows'. The story however... Not so much. The story is very straight forward and weak and the characters a little too weird. The film is way too long. The performances are fine but no one stands out (Not in a bad way)... Not a film that I would've nominated for best picture.

Verdict: C+

Watched: August 23rd 2015

My Opinions: TBA

Verdict: B-

Watched: August 24th 2015

My Opinions: This was such an excellent film. Its shocking how good this film turned out to be. The film was released and was forgotten and I had heard little of it until the day I watched it on Netflix. The direction is spot on... Adam Wingard directed another fantastic film, 'You're Next' and he directs this one and he keeps it tight and tense. The score is perfect. The story is alittle uneven and not quite as fleshed out as it should be. Dan Stevens is spectacular in the lead role. He plays charming, yet frightening very well. Excellent performance... Its one that I feel should've gained an awards nomination at the Academy Awards... Very well made horror-thriller. Loved it.

Verdict: B+ or A-

Watched: August 26th and 27th 2015

Watched: August 28th 2015

Watched: August 28th and 29th 2015

Watched: August 30th 2015