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joshyates1980
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The Last Kingdom (2015)
The best!
I'm not sure if any series of episodes has ever hooked me into a story so strongly such as The Last Kingdom. The story itself, magnificent. The actors/actresses, superb. The cinematography pulls me into the realm.
Jeom-bak-i: Han-ban-do-eui Gong-ryong 3D (2012)
Dino Dana fan with a twist.
My 5 year old daughter really like Dino Dana on Nickelodeon. She watched this movie and it touched a nerve for her. She cried because of sadness and happiness. I allowed her to continue watching this movie because of it's great story and the realistic approach that was lacked in Dino Dana. Now my daughter got a glimpse of what the dinosaur world could have been really like instead of the imagination of a Dino Dana girl. I respect both shows.
The Deer Hunter (1978)
War Veterans.....be careful watching this movie.
I believe that no U.S. Military Veteran returns home from war with the ability to just slide back into society without being mental and physically F'd up. This movie touches that side of me I keep tucked away deep within me so I can play the game of lies our society unfolds every day I walk the streets. I must because of my 4 year old daughter. After I returned from Iraq in 2003, this American dream looked disgusting. Each year, it continues to get worse as I age (my perspective).
I forced myself to watch this movie today because it's more real than any escape from reality Hollywood produces for $$$$. I thought the acting was surreal, especially the POW scenes. After the POW scene escape, the after effect was to strong to escape, hence the continuous Russian roulette. The PTSD monster had a stranglehold and already won the death prior to the bullet in the head.
The movie really did not help my depression at all, but I cope with a power greater than myself which is my 4 year old daughter; otherwise I never would have watched this movie again. My daughter's mom is dead so I'm sole responsible parent otherwise my PTSD monster would be the power greater than myself.
War Veterans.....be careful watching this movie.
In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)
Very good.
Great acting, good plot, and I enjoyed the obsessive route which the cop took in order to attempt closure for his dead wife. Then, the entire ying and yang of time travel while he's trying to kill his granddaughter. Most of the reviews I've read hate the ending, but I loved it. Hell ya, the tight little bubble plot of how everyone and everything is connected. The flying pigs scene in the van during the fight was my favorite. Great job directors, producers! I watched that scene 10 times because of the slow motion effects. I noticed the philosophical message of a father who lost his wife, raised a child alone, obsessed with solving a case, and finally holding his granddaughter in the twilight of his life. Closure finally consumed. Good movie., thanks.
Time Trap (2017)
Thoroughly enjoyed.
Great movie. My five year old daughter even loved it.
Super plot. Thanks.
Choke (2008)
Individually defined.
Well, I'm a big fan of Fight Club. Today, I watched Choke. Overall, great movie because I thought the process of self discovery becomes the main point as it seems in most of Chuck's books. Let go and avoid the lies of society. Society doesn't define the individual although the individual might become a product of society if caught in the gravitational pull of conformity.
The movie was very good because I can relate to a lot of the behavior, ideas, and even the rooms of 12 steps. The deranged individuals who do not subscribe in a society of exceptions, artificial success, and abstractions of systems appear to be the most free. To play games in the show of life all but makes life more interesting, hence Chuck's snippets in Fight Club (car scene) "just let go", Choke (bus scene) "sometimes you just go to jump".
I enjoyed the small, simple living in the movie. Little house in a below average income area in town; the low stress job; also, the creativity of making money by choking on food. A good nihilist plot: just let go. less is more.
Bushwick (2017)
Very enjoyable.
I'll probably attend the next gun show held next month in my city. I need to stock up on some ammunition and prepare for the Marshall Law that will soon come in my lifetime. That's the message I received from this movie. Stir up America and create a new civil war.
Overall, the movie was great. I really enjoyed the floating camera effect. It appeared the entire movie never had a "Cut". Acting was good.
Brain on Fire (2016)
Excellent movie
The movie was very educational. Great acting. Great movie.
Terminus (2015)
Too much emotions and less focus on the space rock.
The daughter could not let go of her mother's death throughout the entire movie. That was annoying. 20 minutes of the movie was talking to the mother's tombstone, her clothes, and father/daughter arguing about something related to the dead wife/mom. The space rock keep me watching the movie, not the actors or plot....and especially not the daughter. The movie did not improve as I kept watching it and I thought it would finally catch my interest. Never did.
It Follows (2014)
Death is certain.
I'm going to jump straight to the end of the movie. The girl in the hospital bed reading the book, kindle, whatever the electronic device is called kind of created some closure to how "It" will die. I think....I'm still scratching my head. "It" doesn't die, but the young boy and girl will die and it will be certain. So, the young Romeo and Juliet holds hands and walk into death together.
Creep (2014)
Bravo on shaky camera film.
The "creep" was a master at passive aggressive behavior and mending emotions of the man who was hired to film. Insecurity, curiosity, and fear. The movie was one hour and not a minute was wasted. The ending was excellent. Bravo on shaky camera filming.
The Invitation (2015)
Suspicious, Uncomfortable, and Social Pressure
Good cult movie. First, the individuals who are blind to the suspicious behavior that the house owners raises a red flag for the invites. Of the invitees, only one picked up on the weirdness. Ok, gullible individuals who probably deserves to die.
Secondly, the uncomfortable smiling, cult behavior, such as get everybody loose and drunk. Again, only one individual that appears aware of a possible setup.
Thirdly, why the only individual who was aware of the cult motives lets his emotions over take him a few times is beyond me. If he was a little more perspective, then he could had quietly left. Social pressure kept him at the house. The constant, "I'm sorry." Why label thyself sorry? Nobody owes anyone an apology for anything.
I criticized the movie a little, but overall it was very good. The last few minutes of the movie was my favorite scene.
Small Crimes (2017)
Great movie! Pulp Fiction type.
Nothing ever comes clean with time after a hard past. Second chances are nothing more than covering up the man inside trying to break out. A coiled snake waiting for the circumstances to fall into place and then....powerlessness.
After six years contained, Joe is released back into society. His mindset is to become a father again to his two girls, but outside circumstances, old ideas, and people muddy his path to the fantasies he had six years to create in jail.
The movie zig zagged from scene to scene and I was not able to predict what would happen next. That is what made this movie great and reminded me of Pulp Fiction.
The Bad Batch (2016)
Philosophical view toward society.
The movie attempts to drive home a lot of transparencies that societies provide with safety and comfort and can become a detraction to life. The bad batch consist of individuals who where labeled unfit for society and released into an open unlawful land. It was refreshing to see Arlen reject the area called "Comfort" and continue to wonder the desert. The man called "The Dream" said Arlen was a sailboat at sea without any wind because she was not happy at "Comfort".
Essentially, death and survival was more probable than behind the walls of "Comfort". The wide open of nothing. But, the individuals labeled the "Bridge People" appeared to have a different perspective than the "Comfort People".
I watched the movie twice. Not because of entertainment purposes, but because it reminds me of the illusions that the American society has created. If everything was stripped away, no food, clothing, or shelter....then the reptilian brain wakes up and survival instincts are re-enabled. Each day would consist of finding food and survival.
The Eyes of My Mother (2016)
Cinematography masterpiece
This film had some of the best cinematography since I watched Stalker. The story was simple and excellent. The girl was just trying to do the best she could since that was all she knew (I generalized for individuals who had not seen the film). Overall, great movie and I would like to make posters out of scenes from this movie.
Synchronicity (2015)
Time is our only real currency.
I stumbled across this movie on Netflix and it was very good. The story was a little far fetched, but overall I do not regret spending my time to watch it. The physics talk throughout the movie was enjoyable. Also, the 3 scientist were very passionate about their experiment and successful creating a worm hole.
Two great movie quotes that I saved in my memory bank:
"Time is our only real currency" and "Time is the greatest teacher that eventually kills all of it's students."
The ending was good. It explains a lot of the behavior that the lady portrayed throughout the movie.
The Thirteenth Floor (1999)
Inside the park home run
Overall, the movie was one of the best I've seen in many years. As a software developer professionally and as a hobbyist, I watched this movie and became more motivated to develop more virtual reality applications.
The movie begins with a shady bartender reading a confidential letter that was not intended for him to read. He was suppose to hand it off to another individual. Next, there were some murders for the viewer to try and figure out the murderer.
Without spoiling the plot, the simulated world has more layers of mystery than I thought over halfway through the movie. I kept thinking the movie was about time travel because our reality appears linear.
Before I began watching the movie, I was expecting a base hit or maybe a double. But, by switching my perspective to a more physics standpoint or high dimensional, then the movie rounded the bases for an inside the park home run.
Within my reality, I can not classify this movie as fiction.
Magnolia (1999)
Powerful movie about reality.
"Be kind. For everyone you encounter is fighting a hard battle." - Socrates
This movie was an excellent reminder of how everyone can become so self-centered that individuals do not realize wars that are consistently being fought by other individuals. It's not a war between two or more individuals, it's a war with the individual's own nervous system.
Anyone who needs a good dose of reality should watch this movie.
Trudno byt bogom (2013)
Humble thyself.
The movie provided excellent visuals of stripping away a society and categorize individuals into two compartments: Survivor and Weak. It appears most of the people did not know much of anything other than the muddy domain where they reside. The movie reminded me that my reality could consist of this lifestyle, but as of today I'm living in a society with borders. As the Roman Empire collapsed, no laws or borders protected the people that took safety for granted. Power can be transparent in the American society, normally gauged by money or government ranks. "Hard to be a God" provides a story with very little plot, which would be a society that collapsed. The daily routine would be wake up, find food, try not to die.
Lo imposible (2012)
Watch the Tsunami scene...and that's it.
The movie attempts to feed off of the viewer's emotions. I could just watch the Tsunami scene multiple times from different camera angles or through other characters' view point, then I would have enjoyed the movie. Natural disasters are a wonderful reminder how small, weak we humans are and can die quickly.
This movie is probably really good for a family that needs to hug and display comfort to one another. I could not finish the movie because the entire plot is about a rich family that becomes separated and I'm assuming they get back together. The acting was not that great from the parents and especially the oldest boy. His screaming for help gave me a headache.
Once again, I could not finish the movie.
Phenomenon (1996)
Everything is on it's way to Somewhere
"Everything is on it's way to Somewhere" was a wonderful quote from the movie. All three individuals share eating the apple and it becomes part of them...forever.
Anyway, the movie was decent. Too much emotional strain on a lot of the characters, but that seems to be typical, modern homo homo sapiens behavior (and Hollywood.) The science talk and science experiments throughout the movie was my favorite, even though there was a non- believable mysterious light that came from the sky and made John T. super smart.
The town appears to be very close with one another. The woman John T. displays interest for throughout the movie demonstrates a "hard to get" attitude. That was annoying to watch because women who display that selfish behavior can live alone for the rest of their lives for what it matters. Overall, it was a decent movie.
Cape Fear (1991)
Fear
If you hang onto the past, you die a little each day.
I was 11 years old when this movie came out and I remember all the "grown ups" talking about Cape Fear. Finally, at 37 years old I watched the movie since it was on Netflix. I thought it was great!
I studied the characters in detail and how their daily lives where fear based (for obvious reasons.) But, the plot was great because it brought out some sins tucked away. Each day that passed, their fear grew stronger.
Numbers 32:23, "Thy who chooses not to, behold, thy sinned against'd the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out."
Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte did an excellent job going back and forth as lawyers.
Indignation (2016)
Choices, random chance, and reason.
The young man, Marcus Messner, was fortunate to attend college instead of being drafted by the military because of the Korean war. Marcus had huge potential for his academic journey due to his ambitious reason to leave his small town and begin his higher education.
After arriving at the college, he slowly begins to experience cultural shock. One experience after another, Marcus begins to become unease and his studies are no longer a top priority. A young beautiful woman, Olivia Hutton, distorts his thinking after she relieves Marcus from some sexual tension.
Marcus' encounter with the college dean is an amazing scene. The young man displays principles he believes in and not any organized religion. The dean begins to provoke Marcus indirectly about being an atheist. As Marcus tries to retreat from the dean's office, Marcus continued to slice through the dean's attempt to make him fold. The dean would not let Marcus leave gently.
Ultimately, Marcus failed to "fit in" and throughout the movie his reason and choices determine his unprecedented outcome, which is not college. Sprinkle some random chance on Marcus' particular situation that resulted from his experience at the college, the young boy's destiny was far from his expectations after his initial small hometown escape.
The Number 23 (2007)
I have a mild case of obsession with numbers.
The movie had my attention the entire time. Probably because I'm always noticing patterns with numbers throughout my day. Robert Alton Wilson said, "When you start looking for something you tend to find it." That is exactly what happened to Walter Sparrow in this movie. The movie was an extreme case of obsession, which could cause great fear and panorama.
The movie had a great plot and twist that kept me guessing up until 2/3rds of the movie. 2/3rd...23. This post is at 10:31pm 2 ones and a 3. On 1/12/2017 = 1-1 = 0 2/2017 = 2+0+1=3
The obsession can go as far as I want it to go and the movie displays this kind of behavior throughout the entire movie.
Alcoholist (2016)
Reminder not to drink.
If you are an alcoholic, the movie has a lot of scenes on why not to drink. Plenty of reminders! Overall, the story was good but I did scratch my head and wonder about the ending of the movie. Throughout the movie, the alcoholic is not the only person with an obsession. Individuals who reach out to help the suffering alcoholic and say, "Trust me" are not always to be trusted. Although, the movie includes many pathological altruistic people who are helping alcoholics not drink, the recovery is not healthy due to some of the controlling behavior enforced by the non alcoholic individuals. Another good reminder not to drink.