The Last Movie You Watched (no spoilers)

[Omar 382]

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs: 3.5/5 stars. Very entertaining film throughout, outside of the second set with James Franco and the guy whose always playing blind characters (can't think of his name). Like a lot of Coen Brothers' films, I think a second viewing, especially on the last set, may prove very useful.

Vanilla Sky: 1.5/5 stars. Man, I know the script was all over the fucking place, the dialogue was pretty bad, and the entire concept was kinda bullshit to the point that Stanley Kubrick would have trouble pulling out a half-decent film; but how the fuck did Tom Cruise go from his performances in Magnolia (3.5/5 stars) and Eyes Wide Shut (4/5 stars) in 1999 to this performance in 2001? Those two performances are among the 50 greatest performances from any actor of all time, for me, and (even though it surely wasn't entirely his fault) this performance was so bad.

But I did get to see Michael Shannon pre-hitting it big, so that was worth something.

 

[beardown07]

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs: 3.5/5 stars. Very entertaining film throughout, outside of the second set with James Franco and the guy whose always playing blind characters (can't think of his name). Like a lot of Coen Brothers' films, I think a second viewing, especially on the last set, may prove very useful.

Vanilla Sky: 1.5/5 stars. Man, I know the script was all over the fucking place, the dialogue was pretty bad, and the entire concept was kinda bullshit to the point that Stanley Kubrick would have trouble pulling out a half-decent film; but how the fuck did Tom Cruise go from his performances in Magnolia (3.5/5 stars) and Eyes Wide Shut (4/5 stars) in 1999 to this performance in 2001? Those two performances are among the 50 greatest performances from any actor of all time, for me, and (even though it surely wasn't entirely his fault) this performance was so bad.

But I did get to see Michael Shannon pre-hitting it big, so that was worth something.

I actually thought Cameron Diaz was pretty good in that, and it's worth the watch cuz of Penelope Cruz's perfect titties en sech.

 

[Omar 382]

Spoiler

Okay, apparently they are all confirmed dead in a Q&A. The last act was the last one written after they looked at the other 5 and realized that they all had to do with death so they wanted one where everyone was dead. Its actually pretty straightforward

Weird, I did not get that at all, and until I watch the movie again, that's not how I'm interpreting it (Death of the Author and all).

Spoiler

I interpreted the three non-bounty hunter travelers to all be alive and people who believe themselves knowledgable about the world and its workings (the argument about two types of people, whether or not the husband really loves the woman). Then they discover that the two men are bounty hunters, and the talkative bounty hunter says something along the lines of "I love to watch them squirming, making sense of it all, as they pass from this world into... whatever else there is."

I assumed that all three of them were guilty of some crime, and as they walked into the inn, they were all very tentative (not wanting to get out of the stagecoach first, not wanting to open the door to the inn first), and they knew they were going to be killed by the bounty hunters.

There is a beautiful shot, where the stairs upward are illuminated so as to represent "whatever else there is," or heaven/the afterlife. Then the French guy watches the stagecoach go, kind of looking at it longingly as if he's considering whether or not to run back and get back on it, and then he turns and makes up his mind by tapping his hat and enters the inn. I actually couldn't find the image online, so I went on to Netflix and took a screenshot of the scenes I'm talking about.





This scene ties into the "passing between two worlds" speech, but also a comment by the talkative bounty hunter where he tells the three travelers something alone the lines of "You like a story about something related to you. You want it to apply to you, but yet you don't want to actually be that person." In other words, the travelers like stories about people who are killed by the bounty hunters for their sins, because it resonates with them, but they don't actually want to be the person(s) killed by the bounty hunters for their sins.

I thought the last scene was a beautiful sequence of shots, and the whole act was very good. That's my interpretation of it now, I'll have to watch it again to see if I change my mind.

Amazing, a ~15 minute bit in anthology movie, and me, you, and @night all seem to have come up with three different interpretations of the ending. When the Coen Brothers are on, they're fucking on.

 

[Omar 382]

I actually thought Cameron Diaz was pretty good in that, and it's worth the watch cuz of Penelope Cruz's perfect titties en sech.

I know I'm going to get the "You're gay" comments, and while I would certainly hit it, I thought Cruz's ribs were gross. Her tits were nice, but her ribs bulged two feet from her chest. There are certain women with this feature; I do not like this feature.

Diaz was meh for me. Actually kind of annoying, but that was mainly because the whole goddamn film was annoying. I saw she got nominated for a Golden Globe and a slew of other more minor awards for that role, so I realize I'm in the minority. But her psycho stalker girlfriend bitch routine made me want to punch her (or kill her, like Cruise did).

I much prefer Diaz's work in the cinematic classic, Bad Teacher.

 

[beardown07]

I know I'm going to get the "You're gay" comments, and while I would certainly hit it, I thought Cruz's ribs were gross. Her tits were nice, but her ribs bulged two feet from her chest. There are certain women with this feature; I do not like this feature.

Diaz was meh for me. Actually kind of annoying, but that was mainly because the whole goddamn film was annoying. I saw she got nominated for a Golden Globe and a slew of other more minor awards for that role, so I realize I'm in the minority. But her psycho stalker girlfriend bitch routine made me want to punch her (or kill her, like Cruise did).

I much prefer Diaz's work in the cinematic classic, Bad Teacher.

ya, ninja, u ghey

 

[Omar 382]

ya, ninja, u ghey

That's fine. I'll think of her rib cage tonight to delay my ejaculation if Tinder can come through.

 

[beardown07]

That's fine. I'll think of her rib cage tonight to delay my ejaculation if Tinder can come through.

 

[DetroitDevil]

Gosnell. 1 of 5 stars

Knew the story going in... learned nothing new. The acting was extremely bad, right up There with Madonna in "whos that girl". Waste of $10.

 

[Clayton]

Weird, I did not get that at all, and until I watch the movie again, that's not how I'm interpreting it (Death of the Author and all).

Spoiler

I interpreted the three non-bounty hunter travelers to all be alive and people who believe themselves knowledgable about the world and its workings (the argument about two types of people, whether or not the husband really loves the woman). Then they discover that the two men are bounty hunters, and the talkative bounty hunter says something along the lines of "I love to watch them squirming, making sense of it all, as they pass from this world into... whatever else there is."

I assumed that all three of them were guilty of some crime, and as they walked into the inn, they were all very tentative (not wanting to get out of the stagecoach first, not wanting to open the door to the inn first), and they knew they were going to be killed by the bounty hunters.

There is a beautiful shot, where the stairs upward are illuminated so as to represent "whatever else there is," or heaven/the afterlife. Then the French guy watches the stagecoach go, kind of looking at it longingly as if he's considering whether or not to run back and get back on it, and then he turns and makes up his mind by tapping his hat and enters the inn. I actually couldn't find the image online, so I went on to Netflix and took a screenshot of the scenes I'm talking about.

View attachment 191237

View attachment 191238

This scene ties into the "passing between two worlds" speech, but also a comment by the talkative bounty hunter where he tells the three travelers something alone the lines of "You like a story about something related to you. You want it to apply to you, but yet you don't want to actually be that person." In other words, the travelers like stories about people who are killed by the bounty hunters for their sins, because it resonates with them, but they don't actually want to be the person(s) killed by the bounty hunters for their sins.

I thought the last scene was a beautiful sequence of shots, and the whole act was very good. That's my interpretation of it now, I'll have to watch it again to see if I change my mind.

Amazing, a ~15 minute bit in anthology movie, and me, you, and @night all seem to have come up with three different interpretations of the ending. When the Coen Brothers are on, they're fucking on.

The gist I've gotten is that the main idea is that the one thing we all have in common is that we all die. How we deal with that is up to us

 

[Clayton]

Saw LA Confidential.

I honestly feel like this could've been four hours longer and they still would have had more twists and turns. I need to read the source material. Proof that you don't need money to make a great movie. The ending was a rather unexpected way to end things. Total guy movie though the bromance seemed like a stronger connection than the romance.

A

 

[BigFin]

Saw LA Confidential.

Probably my favorite or 2nd favorite movie.

 

[chf]

Kinda' surprised at the Buster Scruggs high marks.

You kinda' needed a snort of cocaine to avoid slitting your wrists after watching that. I guess I just don't think of the ol' West when I think nihilistic we're all doomed rhetoric.

Well made, as always from the bros, but good grief, what a downer.

 

[Omar 382]

Kinda' surprised at the Buster Scruggs high marks.

You kinda' needed a snort of cocaine to avoid slitting your wrists after watching that. I guess I just don't think of the ol' West when I think nihilistic we're all doomed rhetoric.

Well made, as always from the bros, but good grief, what a downer.

??????????????

You would only need coke to watch that movie if you were a coke addict. And need coke no matter what you’re doing. Like watching a movie.

Are you a cocaine addict?

 

[Clayton]

Kinda' surprised at the Buster Scruggs high marks.

You kinda' needed a snort of cocaine to avoid slitting your wrists after watching that. I guess I just don't think of the ol' West when I think nihilistic we're all doomed rhetoric.

Well made, as always from the bros, but good grief, what a downer.

Its a huge downer. I'm not sure if its the type of thing you tell people until after they see the movie, though. I'm sure many people are going in thinking 'oh, a bunch of stories....this is going to be fun' and then they get hit with a Pink Floyd album.

 

[Omar 382]

Once Upon A Time in the West: 2.5/5 stars. Very, very captivating set-up; the pacing was awesome, great performances, very realistic and beautifully shot to create a classic-feel location in the wild west.

What in the fuck was the climax? Sorta made me feel that the whole exercise was rendered useless. I swear the kid that Frank put the harmonica into his mouth was like Mexican or maybe Asian. Charles Bronson is white.



!=



That shit had me confused as to who the kid was. Not to mention that the ending was pretty anti-climatic in general. I’m not saying there had to be a twist ending, but I kinda already figured that Bronson was wronged by Henry Fonda at some point..

 

[chf]

??????????????

You would only need coke to watch that movie if you were a coke addict. And need coke no matter what you’re doing. Like watching a movie.

Are you a cocaine addict?

Replace coke with the upper of your choice.

 

[Omar 382]

Its a huge downer. I'm not sure if its the type of thing you tell people until after they see the movie, though. I'm sure many people are going in thinking 'oh, a bunch of stories....this is going to be fun' and then they get hit with a Pink Floyd album.

Again, ?

This movie was not a cinematic classic by any means, but it was a very good movie. I felt happy after it was over.

And given your metaphor, The Wall (the album) made me feel very happy/uplifted when I finished it the first time. I’ll agree Animals wasn’t happy go lucky but I wasn’t like depressed after listening the first time.

 

[Clayton]

Again, ?

This movie was not a cinematic classic by any means, but it was a very good movie. I felt happy after it was over.

And given your metaphor, The Wall (the album) made me feel very happy/uplifted when I finished it the first time. I’ll agree Animals wasn’t happy go lucky but I wasn’t like depressed after listening the first time.

I don't know if I'd say I was anything close to happy after the movie. Movies like this remind me of how exposed we are in life and not to take things for granted, not to live in fear, not to always anticipate certainties, etc.

Its bleak but in the same ballpark as Synecdoche, New York and The Road.

 

[chf]

and The Road.

See, I LOVED that book (movie was...okay), but it was tough slogging, ESPECIALLY if you have kids. I had to take breaks while reading it.

And to Omar - I don't have to be 'happy' to like something. I love 'No Country,' which also has a bleak fucking ending, but what I said was, I'm SURPRISED by the high marks for it. (Scruggs)

No Country got a rough ride around here forintsance.

 

[Omar 382]

And to Omar - I don't have to be 'happy' to like something. I love 'No Country,' which also has a bleak fucking ending, but what I said was, I'm SURPRISED by the high marks for it. (Scruggs)

Being "SURPRISED" at the high marks/good reviews a movie gets usually means you didn't think it was deserving of those good reviews (thus the surprise). If, instead, you meant that you were surprised at the fact that others liked it because it was bleak (in your opinion), then I see I misunderstood what you meant.

I guess the clinching remark for me was

Well made, as always from the bros, but good grief, what a downer.

but it is certainly possible to like a depressing movie, as you mentioned.