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Movies I've seen recently that were pretty all right, all things considered

By gzt (Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 07:27:37 AM EST) movies, pretty all right, all things considered (all tags)

Given the recent "Worst Movies Ever" diary, I would like to take this opportunity to inject a little bit of a positive feel into this site. It's easy to always crap on everything, but then you're just a crap factory, and nobody likes a crap factory. Here, then, is a positive counterbalance: movies you have seen recently that were pretty all right, all things considered.

I'm limiting it to films you've seen recently, since otherwise this would just degenerate into, "OMG, these are the ten best films EVAR." There are plenty of other places in the world to discuss that.

I'll start.

I recently watched Steamboat Bill, Jr., a fun little Buster Keaton flick. It's the one with the iconic "entire-wall-of-a-house-falling-and-missing-him-because-he's-right-where-the-window-is" shot. It was, all things considered, pretty all right.

I also watched High Noon recently. When I was growing up, I had a knee-jerk reaction to Westerns, thinking them unsophisticated and unworthy of an educated man's attention, but that was just youthful folly and snobbish pretense. Accordingly, I've recently loaded up my Netflix queue with classic Westerns, such as this one, to educate myself and have yet to be disappointed. But, then, I've always been enthralled by classic tales of justice etc, particularly epics and sagas, and good Westerns draw their themes heavily from them, perhaps infused a bit with modern existentialism (which I dig, though more Kierkegaard and Dostoevsky than Camus etc.).

So, that's two films I've seen recently that were pretty all right.

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Movies I've seen recently that were pretty all right, all things considered | 27 comments (27 topical, 0 hidden)

I thought the reaction to Speed Racer was by ObviousTroll (2.00 / 0) #1 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 07:37:32 AM EST

too harsh. My family had a lot of fun with it.

--
Has anybody seen my clue? I know I had it when I came in here.

Brick was the last movie that I watched by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #2 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 07:57:12 AM EST

that I really liked, though I found After the Wedding, bjork, bjork, bjork oddly compelling.

IAWT Speed Racer. by nightflameblue (2.00 / 0) #3 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 07:58:35 AM EST

Marvelous movie, considering what it could have been. Most fun I've had in a theater in years.

Iron Man - damn good. But freakin' everybody says that, so it's pointless.

Cursed - a screwy, goofball teen werewolf flick that ended up pretty OK, but not WOOHOO AWESOME. Had that one dude from Heros in it and Christina Ricci before she became scary thin.

Indiana Jones - the new one was fairly good, considering where most nostalgia flicks end up. I think most of the haters were either never fans, or so far up their own fandom they can't breathe.

Clerks II - took the boys where they needed to go and gave the whole Clerks saga a nice bookend, as well as an interesting end to the ViewAskiewniverse. Not perfect, but fun enough to watch again.

Films by hulver

(2.00 / 0) #4 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 08:15:08 AM EST

I'm just trying to think of films I've seen recently.

The Golden Compass was enjoyable enough.

erm.

I've not watched any films for ages.
--
Cheese is not a hat. - clock

: Yeah, that was sort of my problem. by gzt (2.00 / 0) #6 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 08:24:01 AM EST

I watched a couple that weren't great recently, and those two I mentioned also sort of recently, but before that, it had been months since I'd really seen anything. I had watched a few TV shows on DVD, true, but those don't count for this. I have trouble justifying cutting out two hours of an evening to just sit and look at something passively. 30 minutes, sure, 45 minutes, sure, but two hours? That's an investment.
Especially since I really can't sit for two hours. I can do twenty minutes tops before I have to walk around.

[ Parent ]

Well, by ucblockhead (2.00 / 0) #5 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 08:22:55 AM EST

Forgetting Sarah Marshall wasn't all that bad, considering what it was.

Indiana Jones was a fun amusement.
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[ucblockhead is] useless and subhuman

Surprisingly enjoyable by Merekat (2.00 / 0) #7 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 09:14:38 AM EST

Shoot 'em up. Love the carrot death bits.

: My son and I howled at that one. by ObviousTroll (2.00 / 0) #9 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 09:20:46 AM EST

Once you accepted that the movie was pretty much a parody, it was great.

--
Has anybody seen my clue? I know I had it when I came in here.
[ Parent ]

Good movies recently by Gedvondur (2.00 / 0) #8 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 09:17:47 AM EST

Prince Caspian was pretty good.

Iron Man was freaking awesome.

I think that's all I have seen recently. Been meaning to catch Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but so far haven't been able to make it.

Looking forward to the new Incredible Hulk, Hancock, The Dark Knight and Hellboy II.

Gedvondur
"If you do not sin, then you too may some day float like a big pink Goodyear blimp of The Lord." -theboz

: Hoping to catch Caspian or Indy by wiredog (4.00 / 1) #10 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 09:34:56 AM EST

this weekend.

Earth First!
_{(We can strip mine the rest later.)}
[ Parent ]

I haven't seen any movies recently by wiredog (2.00 / 0) #11 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 09:38:20 AM EST

at least in a theater.

Oh, linked to this diary in mine.

Earth First!
_{(We can strip mine the rest later.)}

A couple of decent westerns by spacejack (2.00 / 0) #12 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 09:40:54 AM EST

I saw recently: Rio Bravo and The Searchers.

: I saw those a while back, too by gzt (2.00 / 0) #13 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 09:43:31 AM EST

They're pretty great. I like how, in Rio Bravo, John Wayne replies to the question, "That's all you've got?" with, "That's what I've got."

[ Parent ]

I watched the first 15 minutes of by MohammedNiyalSayeed (2.00 / 0) #14 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 10:03:03 AM EST

"No Country for Old Men", and it was still good. Really, though, I'm waiting for movies to be shortened to generally around 15 minutes before I start trying to watch them again. At home, I get up around that time to go do anything else, and if I pause it and try to watch later, my interest has waned. At the theater, I assume they won't stop the film after 15 minutes so I can do something, anything, else, so why bother giving them money, if they can't make it convenient for me? Not to mention how the theaters are all outside my door, requiring that I leave said door to go to them. I don't think so, Hollywood, I don't think so.

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You can build the most elegant fountain in the world, but eventually a winged rat will be using it as a drinking bowl.

It's 2008, where are my Cliff Clips for Movies. by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #15 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 11:07:17 AM EST

[ Parent ]

yeah, that's usually how i feel by gzt (2.00 / 0) #16 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 11:14:31 AM EST

i can usually only muster a tv show on dvd - 23 minutes. but sometimes i'm weak and watch a whole movie. i'm trying to be more like you. it's hard.

[ Parent ]

Stay up, stay strong... by MohammedNiyalSayeed (2.00 / 0) #17 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 11:33:59 AM EST

Sometimes even I have trouble being more like me.

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You can build the most elegant fountain in the world, but eventually a winged rat will be using it as a drinking bowl.

[ Parent ]

Me too. by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #18 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 12:20:18 PM EST

Did you know: My BMI's almost over 25 at the moment.

[ Parent ]

I broke 150 lbs today by MohammedNiyalSayeed (2.00 / 0) #20 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 04:31:27 PM EST

But I had to put on boots, two t-shirts, a wool sweater, an outer shell, pants, underwear, and the usual contents of my pockets; my work badge, two knives, a utility tool, 12 keys, a key organizer, one Inova X5, my wallet, 14 quarters, a bic lighter, a Brunton FIrestorm lighter, fleece hat in the pocket, a small spray dispenser of Neosporin (this is the most useful thing I carry, ever) and my RSA key card fob thingamabob. So, naked, 135, then you just add more shit. Make sure you have a good belt, though. Nothing ruins a day like a crappy belt, and having to readjust your pants all damn day.

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You can build the most elegant fountain in the world, but eventually a winged rat will be using it as a drinking bowl.

[ Parent ]

You need suspenders by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #21 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 04:46:02 PM EST

you know UNIX, you can get away with them.

[ Parent ]

I have them by MohammedNiyalSayeed (2.00 / 0) #22 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 04:57:35 PM EST

I'm just not ready to cross that line.

The dude in the office next to mine is the earliest known prototype of a real-life BSD bearded hippie, all the way down to the fact he used to bring his parrot to work. I don't want to be that guy. Don't get me wrong, he's cool and all, I just don't want to be that guy.

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You can build the most elegant fountain in the world, but eventually a winged rat will be using it as a drinking bowl.

[ Parent ]

Did you get that recumbent bike yet? by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #23 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 05:40:35 PM EST

Come on, you know you want one.

[ Parent ]

: This is the Left Coast, baby by MohammedNiyalSayeed (2.00 / 0) #25 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 06:50:40 PM EST

Those things are like 10 years old out here.

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You can build the most elegant fountain in the world, but eventually a winged rat will be using it as a drinking bowl.
[ Parent ]

Snakes on a Plane by johnny (2.00 / 0) #19 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 04:21:53 PM EST

That is pace atreides, all.
Buy my books, dammit!

the only real good movie by alprazolam (2.00 / 0) #24 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 06:25:29 PM EST

that i can recall seeing in the past year or so was Pan's Labrynth. course i'm into fantasy and such.

Ooo yeah by hulver

(2.00 / 0) #26 Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 09:35:26 PM EST

The Orphanage.

I think I blocked it out, because it's one of the most upsetting films I've ever seen.

Very good though.
--
Cheese is not a hat. - clock

(Comment Deleted) by yicky yacky (2.00 / 0) #27 Fri Jun 06, 2008 at 08:31:49 AM EST

This comment has been deleted by yicky yacky

Movies I've seen recently that were pretty all right, all things considered | 27 comments (27 topical, 0 hidden)