1. The Huntsmen: Winter's War (rented)

2. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (rented)

3. John Wick (rented)

4. XXX (rented)

5. XXX: State of the Union (rented)

6. XXX: Return of Xander Cage (theater)

7. Logan (theater)

 

 

Watched two more films tonight! First off was a re-watch of The Sound of Music (1965), haven't seen it since I was a kid but I loved it then and it really does stand the test of time, the songs are glorious and the children are so cute too :lol:

 

Second was Brokeback Mountain (2005), that ending is a complete gut punch! I wasn't expecting it to end like that at all but the whole last 15 minutes had my heart-breaking. The acting from all involved is phenomenal and the story itself is really beautiful. Crazy to think that it didn't win Best Picture at the Oscars :o

Making my wya through some recent Oscar bait and movies.

 

Blue Jasmine - meh, didn't take to this really, Cate was good but Oscar worthy? No.

Dallas Buyers Club - ble wme away, the tow leading men totally deserved their awards and Jen Garner was superb too.

 

Some others:

 

Carnage - amazing, amazing that a movie set in one place with just 4 peoples could be so enaging.

Triple 9 - loved it. Whatever people think of Casey Afflekc, there's no denying his talents (or looks, hunky hunk)

I'm also making my way through some Oscar winners/nominees too at the moment Grant!

 

Watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button yesterday, perhaps a little on the long side but it definitely started off and ended really strong (the ending was soooo sad, they sort of grew old together in a bittersweet way :'() and it was rather funny in places which I liked too. Brad did a great job but I'm a bit shocked about the lack of love that Cate Blanchett got for her role (she basically did the same as Brad, portraying the same person in different stages of their life and she brought a lot of emotion to the role). Taraji P Henson was very lovable as usual too (I really wish she got her second Oscar nomination for Hidden Figures :() :wub: Glad I've finally seen it, it's been on my watch-list for ages.

 

Just bought a few DVDs this past week and hoping to make my way through them soon, top of my list is The Master, Frida, Mighty Aphrodite, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Sophie's Choice :D

Watched two Meryl films in the past two days for the first time :wub:

 

First was Kramer vs Kramer, it had me hooked from the beginning really, the middle section of Ted and Billy learning to live together alone was really touching in places and the final third act with the court case scenes which were really thrilling and I loved how brutal the lawyers were to both characters. Dustin Hoffman was fantastic and I probably even preferred him to Meryl in this even though she was great too, you massively feel for both leads in the very final scene. The little boy was really good too and did the emotional scenes expertly (still the youngest acting nominee ever! :o)

 

Then today I watched Julie & Julia which I really enjoyed too. Meryl's storyline was loads of fun and there loads of funny parts too which I enjoyed, her performance took a bit of time getting used to but I loved it by the end and thought she was hilarious. Amy Adams' plot was sweet too and I loved the scenes of making the lobsters and the aspic :lol: Chris Messina was also incredibly likeable too, it's the best role I've seen him in! The ending was a bit bittersweet though, I'm glad they both ended up happy but it killed me when Julie found out that Julia

wasn't a fan of the blog

. In my head, I had envisioned an ending of them finally meeting and getting on really well so that made me a bit sad :(

Julie & Julia is one of my all time faves :wub:

 

Watched the live action Cinderella since it's on netflix now and I have no memory of it other than....

http://instinctmagazine.com/sites/instinctmagazine.com/files/styles/large/public/images/blog_posts/Nigel%20Campbell/2015/03/27/richard%20madden%20bulge1_0.jpg

Three more Meryl movies down :lol:

 

Silkwood (1983) - Surely one of her best performances, very different for her but she manages to make the character very sympathetic. The whole cast here is great, especially Cher as well who steals the show in the little screen time she has. The ending is also really interesting, it gets you thinking what companies could do to just save their backs.

 

Sophie's Choice (1982) - What a roll she was on with her performances back in the 80s *-* Largely regarded as one of the best female performances of all-time, it's not hard to see why. She absolutely NAILS the Polish accent and you completely forget you're watching Meryl Streep and not a real-life documentary. The scene where the title gets its name from is totally heart-breaking. I've never taken much notice of Kevin Kline before either but he was incredible here, utterly petrifying at times and extremely lovable at others, a shame he didn't pick up a nomination.

 

Adaptation (2002) - Probably one of the most unique films I've ever seen and it is the screenplay here that really steals the show, the whole idea of making a film based around adapting a book then including yourself in the film is incredibly interesting, and clever too. Acting wise, Chris Cooper was the highlight for me so I'm glad he got most of the awards recognition that year, very believable as Laroche. I liked Meryl too but it was one of her more subtle and understated performances, until the ending of course when everyone just goes wild x_x

 

Overall, I loved all three. I have Out of Africa too on DVD but it looks kinda boring, I guess it's a classic though so it must be good!

I loved Silkwood :wub: if you've not delved into Cher's filmography I really recommend it, she's a wonderful actress.

I loved Silkwood :wub: if you've not delved into Cher's filmography I really recommend it, she's a wonderful actress.

I've ordered Moonstruck from MusicMagpie too so I'm excited to see that! :D

Moonstruck is fabulous *.* Mask and Tea With Mussolini are also fab. The latter has an amazing cast.

The Master (2012) - Wasn't really huge on the film itself, I don't have the biggest interest in cults such as Scientology so I wasn't massively invested in the storyline and it also dragged a little for me. The acting from the two main leads was fantastic though, Philip Seymour Hoffman was captivating in his parts as the charismatic leader and Joaquin Phoenix put in another excellent performance. Amy Adams didn't really do much it was nice to see her pop up too :lol: Overall, it was just a bit of a slog really, cut have done with a bit of trimming down in my opinion.

 

Mighty Aphrodite (1995) - I like most Woody Allen films anyway and this was no exception, some of it was hilarious and I was never bored as all of the characters were all incredibly likeable, I didn't realise Helena Bonham Carter was going to be in this either so that was a great surprise! The real reason I watched it was to see the Oscar-winning performance from Mira Sorvino, not your stereotypical winners performance at all but she easily provided the most laughs and it's very different from how she is in real life. I can't believe it actually won an Oscar over the likes of Kate Winslet and Joan Allen, what was that Miss Piggy voice :lol:

 

Far from Heaven (2002) - Same director as 'Carol' so I was pretty hyped for this and whilst not so beautiful, it was still an enjoyable movie. I liked seeing the homosexual story line done from the wife's perspective and I thought Julianne Moore did a great job as the lead character, especially in the more emotional scenes. Both stories regarding homosexuality and racism were both gripping so I really enjoyed it. Dennis Quaid did a good job too, probably deserving of an Oscar nomination for his work here in my opinion. Shout out to the costume designers too, Julianne looked flawless throughout the whole film *-*

No Escape

 

The most UN Owen Wilson movie I've ever seen :lol: but wow can he do action/drama well. Plotwise a bit "bene there done that" but no less tense or thrilling. Massive fna of Lake Bell which is what drew me in and she was amazing in this, especially when

she beat that guy to death with the boat oar, so badass.

Kids were a bit annoying but then again, most are.

 

Sunshine Jr.

 

Naomi Watts NEEDS an Oscar, she is such a talent. No change in this. Not much of a plot, but it's an emotional story and she carries the movie and stops you from wanting to switch off especially in the more darker scenes. Never had mmuch of an opinion of Matt Dillon but he was relly good in this too, and very hot :kink: one of the hottest 50+ actors out there.

 

Transamerica

 

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7pk891xdp1qdev1jo3_500.gif

 

The more I see this the more angry I get about Felicity losing the Oscar to Resse f***ing Witherspoon who gave such a lackluster performance compared to some of her other movies.

Felicity put everything into this role and tackled a really hard subject with grace and thoughtfulness. You laugh and cry and will on Bree throughout the whole stroy. Praise is due for Kevin Zegers too, someonoe i'd never heard of before but shows real promise.

Edited March 19, 20178 yr by Regina

Transamerica is really high on my watch-list. Felicity Huffman looks phenomenal in it and everyone always says she should have won the Oscar that year. I really liked Keira Knightley in Pride & Prejudice that year lots too though!

Second was Brokeback Mountain (2005), that ending is a complete gut punch! I wasn't expecting it to end like that at all but the whole last 15 minutes had my heart-breaking. The acting from all involved is phenomenal and the story itself is really beautiful. Crazy to think that it didn't win Best Picture at the Oscars :o

Ooh I just watched this a couple weeks before you did. Very well done and it didn't turn out the way I expected it to either, my reaction was similar to yours! Haven't seen Crash though so I still can't judge which was more deserving of Best Picture.

Kong: Skull Island- 9/10 Great film there topped the 2005 film for sure.

 

Crash (1996)- Very odd to watch, one of the strangest films I've seen.

 

 

Iris (2001) - I liked both sides to the story of this with young and old Iris but Judi Dench's parts were certainly my favourite, it was absolutely heart-breaking seeing her deteriorate and her performance was painfully sorrowful, especially in the latter scenes and it was awful to see Jim Broadbent's character lose it at her at times as you can tell he loved her more than anything in the world. Kate Winslet's parts were much more fun but I liked them too. It sort of reminded me of an older version of Still Alice due to the similar plots.

 

Death Becomes Her (1992) - I haven't laughed this hard at a comedy in absolutely ages, all of the jokes just seemed to be my sense of humour. I was dying at the part where Meryl Streep's neck gets stuck the wrong way around and when they fall apart at the end after falling down the stairs :lol: Both of the female leads were hilarious and sexy at the same time and they helped to make the film a lot of fun, I had no idea that Bruce Willis could do comedy this well either, the best role I've seen him in for sure!

 

The Hours (2002) - I know this is probably most famous for providing Nicole Kidman's Oscar winning performance but I'd probably say she was my least favourite of the three story lines, aside from the drastic change in facial appearance, I found her character a little boring and it only really got exciting during the train station scene. Julianne Moore's plot was probably the most enthralling for me and I think it weighed heavier due to her having a young child, her scenes right at the end as an older Laura were fantastic too. Saying that, I think the best performance was from Ed Harris, I don't think I've even seen him in anything before but he completely stole the show in every moment he was in and the window scene was incredibly sad.

 

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - I can't believe this was only nominated for two Oscars! The screenplay was definitely the highlight so I'm glad Kaufman won for that, I adored the way that the introduction came about once again at the end but even then it did not end the way I was expecting at all as it seemed to be heading in a different way. The performances were spectacular too and Jim Carrey nailed it in one of his more serious roles (though there is still moments of light and excellent humour, I loved the scene where his mum works in on him :lol:) but Kate Winslet was definitely the most captivating I've seen her yet in this, she's vibrant and fun but also unpredictable, the best role I've seen her in yet :wub:

Totally with you on The Hours, Julianne's story was the more gripping and I'm still unsure how Nicole won the Oscar.

 

Death Becomes Her :wub: Meryl and Goldie were comedy gold in that. This movie is literally like a week older than me :lol: I feel old :drama;

Updated:

1. Bad Moms

2. My Scientology Movie

3. Secret In Their Eyes (Remake)

4. La La Land

5. Passengers

6. Misconduct

7. Manchester By The Sea (Re-Watch)

8. Monster Trucks

9. La La Land (Re-Watch)

10. Brooklyn (Re-Watch)

11. Lion

12. Sing

13. Lights Out

14. 10 Cloverfield Lane (Re-Watch)

15. Middle School: The Worst Years Of My Life

16. The Angry Birds Movie

17. Garden State (Re-Watch)

18. Hacksaw Ridge

19. Hunt For The Wilderpeople

20. Pitch Perfect (Re-Watch)

21. Daddy's Home (Re-Watch)

20. The Space Between Us

21. Denial

22. Crazy Stupid Love

23. Hidden Figures

24. Moonlight

25. Hell Or High Water

26. Fences

27. Sing (Re-Watch)

28. La La Land (Re-Watch)

29. A Hologram For The King

30. Fury

31. Fight Club

 

Probably still forgetting films!!! :lol:

On some of the films you guys have watched!

 

Want to check out No Escape! It has just popped up on Netflix so will give it a shot soon

Yasss Josh that you loved Eternal Sunshine!! <3 I saw it just over a year ago after a teacher recommended it to me and it is one of my favourite films of all time nowadays! It really should've swept the Oscars and Jim/in particular Kate are phenomenal in it! <3

I still haven't got round to seeing Brokeback Mountain ( :( ) but I have seen Crash and my gosh BM would literally have to be the worst film on earth to be undeserving of winning best picture that year. Crash is on revenant levels of bad and I don't get how the heck it got nominated let alone win??!!

 

I really want to start checking out more previous Oscar nominated films! Would anybody be interested if I curated a list of Oscar films from the last 20 years or so that are available on Netflix or Amazon prime?!

Sense and Sensibility (1995) - I'm not so keen on period dramas so I was never going to adore this but I did quite enjoy it. Much like Pride & Prejudice, there are some juicy twists and turns that maintain your interest even though there are far too many dry moments in between and I was checking the clock a fair few times waiting for this to hurry up. The performances were strong too (especially Kate Winslet who was my highlight, she brought a lot of bubbly-ness and warmth to the film. Plus Emma Thompson was solid too and she did a good job writing the script as well.) so I was fairly entertained even if it wasn't the most exciting film ever.

 

Nine (2009) - I know critics mainly despised this but I had such a great time watching it. I love a good musical so I was hooked from the opening number tbh, it was great seeing so many stars in one film as well. As an Italian, I loved the Italian setting and scenery and though Daniel Day-Lewis was fun in the lead role. My main highlights were Penélope Cruz (she always steals the show and I loved how she balanced being pure sex on legs and incredible vulnerability at the same time) and Judi Dench (who is always lots of fun in these sorts of roles and her musical number was great!). A shame it was so disliked by critics by at least got a deserving Oscar nomination for it!

 

Chicago (2002) - I was in a musical mood after Nine so thought I'd stick on another that I hadn't seen but had been meaning to for a long time. I'm fairly clued up on musical theatre so I had heard "All That Jazz" and "Cell Block Tango" elsewhere and was glad they turned about to be just as great to watch as they promised to be, especially the latter which was captivating and also really hilarious (I was really shocked at how funny most of this was, I was laughing out loud way more than expected!). I had never heard of "We Both Reached for the Gun" before but that was a huge musical highlight for me too, I loved the choreography especially. Zellweger was surprisingly great in the lead role actually, definitely the best thing I've seen her in but Zeta-Jones definitely caught my attention the most, she was giving it all in the musical numbers!