What Movies Did You Watch in January 2020?

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vamp2syd

Well-known member
As a horror movie junkie, I come across a lot of off beat Horror movies as well as the run in the mill straight to video. I will share my thoughts of the ones that I see this month. So, if you seen a movie new or old and want to share your thoughts go ahead, and if its horror, even better!!!!

I will edit in my horror views here with my rating scale on how I liked it.....

8 = Donnie Darko
7 = Excellent !!!!!
6 = Great
5 = pretty Good
4 = OK/Good
3 = not good
2 = Bad
1 = Unwatchable

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#3993 Scalps (US-1983) ... 4.5/8

#3994 Selfie From Hell (Canada-2018) ... 2.5/8

#3995 Mikey (US-1992) ... 3.5/8

#3996 Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (US-2019) ... 4.5/8

#3997 Red Riding Hood (US-2011) ... 5.5/8

#3998 Hellboy (US-2019) ... 4.0/8

#3999 Sweetheart (Japan-2019) ... 5.0/8

#4000 Lake Placid vs Anaconda (US-2015) ... 2.5/8

#4001 Midsommar (US-2019) ... 5.5/8

#4002 Cinemaphobia (Australia-2009) ... 4.5/8

#4003 Ready or Not (Canada-2019) ... 2.5/8

#4004 Zombie Massacre (Italy-2013) ... 1.0/8

#4005 Siren (US-2016) ... 5.0/8

#4006 Dracula (UK-2020) ... 4.5/8

#4007 Animal Among Us (US-2019) ... 2.5/8

#4008 Open Water 3: Cage Dive (Australia-2017) ... 5.0/8

#4009 El Paramo (Colombia-2011) ... aka The Squad ... 2.5/8

#4010 It Comes At Night (US-2017) ... 5.5/8

#4011 The Barn (US-2016) ... 2.0/8

#4012 Eli (US-2019) ... 6.5/8

#4013 Velvet Buzzsaw (Us-2019) ... 4.5/8

#4014 Assimilate (US-2019) ... 5.0/8

#4015 Polaroid (US-2019) ... 5.0/8

#4016 Rattlesnake (US-2019) ... 5.0/8
 
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Hobbs & Shaw: 5.75/8


Didn't expect the humor that this movie had. Some of the cameos helped in that respect. Johnson and Statham made a good duo with good chemistry. I'm not a big Statham fan but think he worked well in this. Overall I think it's near the top of the Fast franchise overall. And of course a sequel is set up.


Marriage Story: 6.75/8

This movie did not go at all the way I was expecting. That's neither a good or bad thing. Both Scarlet Johannsen and Adam Driver are excellent in the film. I would not be shocked if either got award nominations. If I had to choose one, it would be Adam Driver who is pretty much great in everything and quickly becoming one of the best actors working today, if he isn't already. I know the direct is also getting awards buzz, and deservedly so.

As someone who's married with kids, some of the scenes hit home for you and in some respects things you hope you never have to experience. The story does a great job of relating to married people, or even unmarried people with kids, and showing how it can go so wrong so fast in the blink of an eye. It really makes you think.

There's only two small nitpicks I had with the movie: 1) it's a tad long, maybe 10 minutes or so and 2) I couldn't quite tell if it's set in present time or not. Some of the clothing maybe question whether it was. What year it is has no bearing on the story though, just something I noticed.
 
PantherProud said:
Hobbs & Shaw: 5.75/8


Didn't expect the humor that this movie had. Some of the cameos helped in that respect. Johnson and Statham made a good duo with good chemistry. I'm not a big Statham fan but think he worked well in this. Overall I think it's near the top of the Fast franchise overall. And of course a sequel is set up.


Marriage Story: 6.75/8

This movie did not go at all the way I was expecting. That's neither a good or bad thing. Both Scarlet Johannsen and Adam Driver are excellent in the film. I would not be shocked if either got award nominations. If I had to choose one, it would be Adam Driver who is pretty much great in everything and quickly becoming one of the best actors working today, if he isn't already. I know the direct is also getting awards buzz, and deservedly so.

As someone who's married with kids, some of the scenes hit home for you and in some respects things you hope you never have to experience. The story does a great job of relating to married people, or even unmarried people with kids, and showing how it can go so wrong so fast in the blink of an eye. It really makes you think.

There's only two small nitpicks I had with the movie: 1) it's a tad long, maybe 10 minutes or so and 2) I couldn't quite tell if it's set in present time or not. Some of the clothing maybe question whether it was. What year it is has no bearing on the story though, just something I noticed.
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Marriage Story is based on the director’s marriage and divorce from Jennifer Jason Leigh. The topless scene, him being a director, etc. I’m pretty sure it’s set in the mid 00s
 
Uncut Gems - 4/8

I think people are making a big deal out of this movie because it's the first Sandler flick in a looooong time that isn't terrible. But it just isn't that good. Sandler is fine I guess but the writing is awful.
 
Us: 5.5/8


Admittedly not the type of movie I typically watch, so it was a bit difficult to get into at first. I appreciate that it's a really unique story though, and the cast all nails their parts. It has one of those endings where you don't necessarily have to see what happens next, but you kind of want to.
 
BlueJayFan said:
Marriage Story is based on the director’s marriage and divorce from Jennifer Jason Leigh. The topless scene, him being a director, etc. I’m pretty sure it’s set in the mid 00s
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Aaaaaaaaah, Stacy Hamilton in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. She could have the career of Meryl Streep, but the teenage boy in me will always remember her for that role.
 
The Aeronauts - From Amazon Studios, a very entertaining and informative film about lighter than air aviation of the late 19th century. Based on a number of true stories (the female lead being a composite of several real people and the male lead being dead on biographical).

5/8
 
Scalps (1983)

Horror: Archaeology students disturb an ancient Indian burial ground and uh, well, you guessed it. This was pretty decent cheesy bad movie!!! Well, alright.... 4.5/8
 
Selfie From Hell (Canada-2018)

Horror: A girl's cousin shows up and becomes ill. She investigates and learns that she was dabbling on the dark web and has become cursed. No, we were all cursed by watching this.... blah blah blah.... 2.5/8
 
The Irishman - Fine film, about 40 minutes too long. Pesci had a great performance. The biggest disappointment was with DeNiro. It wasn't that his performance was bad. I understand Scorsese wanting to use his old friend and reliably great performer in this film, but DeNiro was miscast. First of all using blue contact lens to make DeNiro look less Italian was a total failure. The man's very essence is Italian and you can almost smell the capocollo on his breath when he is on the screen. The blue eyes were nothing but a distraction. The second issue was the age range that needed to be portrayed. Just darkening his hair was insufficient to make him appear as a young man. DeNiro has an old man's walk and posture and that could not be hidden by make-up and hair dye. It would have been better to cast a younger man and then age him with make-up than to cast an old man and attempt to youthen him. DeNiro should have been cast as Hoffa if Scorsese insisted that he be in the film.

A non-artistic comment is of a political nature. I know DeNiro is a Democrat and a very vocal opponent of President Trump. That in and of itself does not bother me in the least. What did bother me is the hypocrisy highlighted by the film. So, as indicated in the film, DeNiro is aware that JFK won the election by his campaign and his family colluding with organized crime. He is also aware of JFK's affair with the mistress of a mob boss. Finally, he aware of the international embarrassment and a sign of incompetence and moral deficiency evidenced by the Bay of Pigs incident. Even in the scene that was to honor DeNiro's character just about all of the VIPs present in the scene were mob members, corrupt union heads or corrupt politicians (all Democrats) including Ohio's own James Traficant. So, since it is clear that DeNiro is aware of this collusion and corruption of the Democratic Party it makes his support of the Democrats and opposition to Republicans, especially Trump, incredible and hypocritical.

6/8
 
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Mikey (1992)

Horror: 9 year old Mikey has some issues which could be deadly for those who wrong him. Struggled with the believability (I think I made this word up) of this one..... 3.5/8
 
Dolemite Is My Name: 5.75/8

I don’t think I knew until the end that this was based on a true story. Nice to see Eddie in a role again that he cares about. Further, Wesley Snipes was on camera for almost thirty minutes before I recognized him, and I knew he was in the movie. I saw someone recently say that Uncut Gems May set the record for most f-bombs in a movie. This would give it a run for his money. I’m no prude, but this was a hot crude at times. Don’t recommend it to grandma lol.


The Irishman: 5.75/8


First off, way too long. Easily by 30 minutes if not more. Heck the epilogue alone was thirty minutes long. The acting was solid all around, no complaints there. One thing though, at no point does DeNiro have an Irish accent, playing someone of Irish descent. I suppose he could have been born in America, but it’s not stated. DeNiro just comes off as his typical Italian self. He’s Irish in name only. Every time I see a movie with Joe Pesci, I want to go watch Jersey Boys (which includes Pesci’s real life as a teen for those who don’t know).
 
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019)

Horror: Kiddies sneak into an abandoned haunted house and awaken a spirit that tells stories as they happen. Something like that.... a bit disappointed in this one. Not an anthology...... 4.5/8
 
Red Riding Hood (2011)

Horror/Fantasy: Medieval days where a village is being stalked by a big bad wolf. Sacrifice or fight back.... this one was pretty good that kept me guessing who was the wolf.... 5.5/8
 
My second annual Best/Favorite Movies that came out in the last year. Not necessarily a rankings of the best films, or my favorite, but taking both into consideration. If it's not on the list, I didn't get around to seeing it.

5430
 

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The computer enhancements to make Pesci, DeNiro and Pacino look younger definitely did not work in The Irishman. Interesting technology, but completing the formula by fixing things like posture, movements and mannerisms leave an important part out of the equation.
 
clarkgriswold said:
The computer enhancements to make Pesci, DeNiro and Pacino look younger definitely did not work in The Irishman. Interesting technology, but completing the formula by fixing things like posture, movements and mannerisms leave an important part out of the equation.
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I thought it worked overall. The only times it was noticeable to me was when you had them doing big movements, like when DeNiro was curb stomped the one guy. He moved like an old man still. They should have had a stunt double.
 
Bachelor Party (1984) 4/8 One of Tom Hanks early movies. A wild group of guys throw a bachelor party for Hanks and chaos ensues. There's an angry father in-law, an angry ex, the hot chick from the White Snake video, a donkey, and a bunch of hookers in different states of undress. All the makings of a crazy night. Some funny parts, but not outstanding. I remember liking it a lot more when I was a lot younger.

Queen and Slim (2019) 6/8 This movie won't be for everybody, but I liked it. The story develops quickly. A young couple meet for a Tender date and on the ride home an incident with the police leads to them to go on the lam and a nationwide manhunt. A little longer than it needed to be, but the love story side was kept to a minimum and you kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
 
Purplemojo said:
The Irishman - Fine film, about 40 minutes too long. Pesci had a great performance. The biggest disappointment was with DeNiro. It wasn't that his performance was bad. I understand Scorsese wanting to use his old friend and reliably great performer in this film, but DeNiro was miscast. First of all using blue contact lens to make DeNiro look less Italian was a total failure. The man's very essence is Italian and you can almost smell the capocollo on his breath when he is on the screen. The blue eyes were nothing but a distraction. The second issue was the age range that needed to be portrayed. Just darkening his hair was insufficient to make him appear as a young man. DeNiro has an old man's walk and posture and that could not be hidden by make-up and hair dye. It would have been better to cast a younger man and then age him with make-up than to cast an old man and attempt to youthen him. DeNiro should have been cast as Hoffa if Scorsese insisted that he be in the film.

A non-artistic comment is of a political nature. I know DeNiro is a Democrat and a very vocal opponent of President Trump. That in and of itself does not bother me in the least. What did bother me is the hypocrisy highlighted by the film. So, as indicated in the film, DeNiro is aware that JFK won the election by his campaign and his family colluding with organized crime. He is also aware of JFK's affair with the mistress of a mob boss. Finally, he aware of the international embarrassment and a sign of incompetence and moral deficiency evidenced by the Bay of Pigs incident. Even in the scene that was to honor DeNiro's character just about all of the VIPs present in the scene were mob members, corrupt union heads or corrupt politicians (all Democrats) including Ohio's own James Traficant. So, since it is clear that DeNiro is aware of this collusion and corruption of the Democratic Party it makes his support of the Democrats and opposition to Republicans, especially Trump, incredible and hypocritical.

6/8
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This was my beef as I pointed out a month ago on the November Movie thread. The use of CGI to make DeNiro look 30 or 40 did not do the trick. Plus Sheeran was a big man and no matter how they tried DeNiro came off as about 6' at the most.

As for the political end I think you are reaching...

I would not hold any Republican actors responsible for simply being Republicans and acknowledging the criminal behavior of Nixon.
 
PantherProud said:
I thought it worked overall. The only times it was noticeable to me was when you had them doing big movements, like when DeNiro was curb stomped the one guy. He moved like an old man still. They should have had a stunt double.
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They simply should have cast someone who was in their 40's or even 50's rather than a 76 year old man.
 
NewOldBlood said:
Bachelor Party (1984) 4/8 One of Tom Hanks early movies. A wild group of guys throw a bachelor party for Hanks and chaos ensues. There's an angry father in-law, an angry ex, the hot chick from the White Snake video, a donkey, and a bunch of hookers in different states of undress. All the makings of a crazy night. Some funny parts, but not outstanding. I remember liking it a lot more when I was a lot younger.

Queen and Slim (2019) 6/8 This movie won't be for everybody, but I liked it. The story develops quickly. A young couple meet for a Tender date and on the ride home an incident with the police leads to them to go on the lam and a nationwide manhunt. A little longer than it needed to be, but the love story side was kept to a minimum and you kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
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Love Bachelor Party. Wish I owned it.
 
irish_buffalo said:
As for the political end I think you are reaching...

I would not hold any Republican actors responsible for simply being Republicans and acknowledging the criminal behavior of Nixon.
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Big difference; even if currently voting Republican and even if they like some of the things Nixon accomplished (ping-pong diplomacy or getting us out of Vietnam) I know of no Republicans that hold Nixon in high regard or support the notorious things with which he was involved. Whereas Kennedy is still held out as a Democratic "saint".

I am not one to give a darn about an actor's political views. The contrast just took me out of the film for a moment and that is never good.
 
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