Movie Walrus: LeVar Goes To The Pictures Part II - Electric Boogaloo... THE REVEAL

Also Starring LeVar Burton

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Eastwood is near 100, hardly a lad he is a good director

You've never heard of "a bunch of auld lads down the pub dribbling into their Guinnesses"?

Sawduck

quickbeam wrote: »

Also agree with everything here. I have negative interest in motor sports but this is a cracking good movie. I also love Goodbye Lenin! Good choice Alfred!

Yeah i detest motor sports so i was a bit hesitant to watch Rush, but it really was a fantastic movie

JP Liz V1

Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »

You've never heard of "a bunch of auld lads down the pub dribbling into their Guinnesses"?

In Cork when I hear lad I think young old feens old fellas used here

Is Bridesmaids going to feature in the Ladies category, can I hold on until later to see

Arghus

Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »

Joined in Last place with 2 pts each are

Sawduck

and

Arghus

Slap Shot (1977)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076723/





Have I Seen It Before: No

LeVar's Approval Rating: 31%

Review:
This was one that I expected to love, as I enjoy Ice Hockey, I really like Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean, underdog stories are my jam, was in the right mood for a good comedy, and it's a Cult Favourite, so was thinking this had all the boxes ticked before I even started watching, and it just dropped the puck spectacularly from the very beginning. It's not particularly funny, so it failed on the Comedy front, but it didn't fit into any other genre either and it all felt directionless and lost to me as a film. Newman and Ontkean were fine, they just didn't have anything worthwhile to work with, and none of the characters were in any way enjoyable, I had no one to root for and therefore didn't care what happened to this team of hockey players, which made the underdog aspect of things pretty much non-existent for me. It's far from the worst two hours of cinema I've ever sat through, thought the ending was a pretty unique way to resolve things (that said it wasn't really earned), and also the soundtrack was quite good. Overall it was a hot mess and I don't really understand why this film is held in such high regard, but each to their own.

Ah, that's a pity. It was touch and go whether I'd recommend it. I think Slapshot is by far the funniest sports film of all time, but it's charms take time. I wasn't gone on it myself either the first time and was a bit puzzled by its reputation, but man-oh-man is it a movie with rewatchability and it grows on you if you rewatch it.

The movie's filled with little tiny details and jokes that can blow by on the first watch and at this stage nearly every line in the movie cracks me up. It really is endlessly quotable.

It is a hot mess. That's part of the appeal, the story is rambling and parts of it don't work, but it just has so much charm. The world of the movie is so dirty, cynical and unglamorous, with that really gritty 70's aesthetic over everything.

aaronjennings

I was torn between nominating Hillsborough or Shaolin Soccer - two movies at complete opposite ends of the spectrum - so I'm glad Osh nominated the latter. And I'm glad you 'enjoyed' Hillsborough, even though that's not the right word

In a similar vein, I'd also recommend United ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1777034/ ), another TV movie, but that one about the Munich air disaster that killed much of the Man United team in 1958. Not as historically accurate, but still a great tribute IMO

Electric Nitwit

aaronjennings wrote: »

I was torn between nominating Hillsborough or Shaolin Soccer - two movies at complete opposite ends of the spectrum - so I'm glad Osh nominated the latter

I toyed with Shaolin Soccer too

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Will get the show underway here in about 15-20 minutes once Kolido has finished up his reveal in the thread next door...

Get more popcorn on and settle in for the reveal of my favourite round of the tournament...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIb6AZdTr-A

Also Starring LeVar Burton

...and we're off!

Also Starring LeVar Burton

8th place with 9 pts is

Arghus

The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1878870/

IMDB wrote:

High-school life gets even more unbearable for Nadine when her best friend, Krista, starts dating her older brother.

Have I Seen It Before: Yes

LeVar's Approval Rating: 89%

Review:
I'm a big fan of films where the main characters are inherently awkward or somewhat cringeworthy, and Hailee Steinfeld perfectly embodies the awkward teenager in this modern teen classic. It's not necessarily a film that offers anything new or particularly unique to this genre, and at its core it's a coming-of-age story we've seen countless times before, but a compelling lead and solid supporting cast help set it apart from other films of its ilk. The scenes between Steinfeld and Woody Harrelson in particular make this movie automatically superior to its genre peers, and the only minor complaint I have here is that they should've doubled down on the Steinfeld/Harrelson scenes and included a lot more of those as those scenes are fantastic. Hayden Szeto is also worthy of an individual mention, as his chemistry with Steinfeld was great, as was his own unique brand of awkwardness, and it was easy to root for him as a potential love interest.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

9th place with 8 pts is

Rikand

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147800/

IMDB wrote:

A pretty, popular teenager can't go out on a date until her ill-tempered older sister does.

Have I Seen It Before: Yes

LeVar's Approval Rating: 85%

Review:
It was because of this film that I always looked forward to studying Shakespeare in secondary school, whilst the majority of my peers dreaded it. In fact, if I had a proper think about, there's a fair chance I could trace back and find that 10 Things I Hate About You was the catalyst that led to me getting a degree in English. In my early teens it was probably my favourite movie and I thoroughly enjoyed my trip down memory lane re-watching it for the first time in about seventeen years. Had forgotten how enjoyable Julia Styles is as the lead, and had to go look up if she was still acting (as aside from a season of Dexter over a decade ago, I can't think of many things I've seen her), and it appears she's been working consistently so must check out some of her more recent work. Always bittersweet watching Heath Ledger movies, was a big fan of his, and hard to believe it's been over thirteen years. The rest of the cast are great, and I must also mention the fantastic soundtrack. Doesn't quite manage to compete with some of the other films in this high-rated category, but great revisiting it after all these years.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

7th place with 10 pts is

cee_jay

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5027774/

IMDB wrote:

A mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit.

Have I Seen It Before: Yes

LeVar's Approval Rating: 93%

Review:
Have always enjoyed Martin McDonagh's films and this is easily my favourite of them, it's not only got a great script, but the performances are superb. The majority of the time I don't give two sh*ts about Oscars or Golden Globes or any other awards, because usually they get it wrong, but was very pleased each and every time Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell got nominated and won awards for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor for this film, because both more than deserved every single one. The rest of the supporting cast are brilliant as well, with Woody Harrelson, Caleb Landry Jones, Samara Weaving, Clarke Peters, and Peter Dinklage deserving a shoutout for their performances. There's a couple of standout scenes that catch you off guard making quite an impact the first time you see the film, and as I was expecting them this time around I didn't think they'd have the same affect, but they were still just as enjoyable even though I knew what was coming.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

10th place with 7 pts is

JP Liz V1

Molly's Game (2017)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4209788/

IMDB wrote:

The true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target.

Have I Seen It Before: No

LeVar's Approval Rating: 83%

Review:
Had been intending to watch this one for years. Initially because it's written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, and anyone who followed my TV Walrus reveal will know that I'm a fan of his, but I just never had gotten around to this one. Then I saw Molly Bloom being interviewed on The Tommy Tiernan Show last year, thought she was a fascinating person, loved what I had heard of her story, and wanted to check this out even more, but even then it was never right at the top of my watchlist, so was excited to see Molly's Game get submitted for this Walrus, and that I'd finally get around to watching it. Really enjoyed it, Jessica Chastain plays an absolute blinder as Molly, and the supporting cast are all great too, particularly Idris Elba who I've always been a massive fan of. It's a great film, I don't have anything bad to say about it, it just didn't necessarily blow me away, and I personally would have loved to see it as a mini-series and just have had everything fleshed out a little more and given a bit more time to breathe, but that's more of a wish than a criticism as I can't fault the pacing of the film.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

6th place with 11 pts is

Kolido

The Descent (2005)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435625/

IMDB wrote:

A caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.

Have I Seen It Before: No

LeVar's Approval Rating: 94%

Review:
Claustrophobic, atmospheric, and inherently creepy ; exactly the kind of horror that I love. Have been meaning to watch this for a few years as it has become a bit of a cult favourite it seems, and I had heard nothing but good things, but for whatever reason I just never seemed to get around to watching it. I had worried the dark lighting (that the film requires considering its underground setting) might bother me a bit, because as a general rule I prefer films to be well lit so I can easily follow exactly what's going on, but there are always exceptions to rules and in this instance the minimal and unconventional lighting only added to the unsettling mood. Liked all of the actors and enjoyed the smorgasbord of accents we got due to the mix of nationalities involved, it made a nice change from having just a bunch of Yanks or a bunch of Brits as the main characters. Also liked that there was a certain level of realism to the "predators" and that they're not necessarily beyond the realm of possibility, it keeps things a bit more grounded and that's something I love in Horror films, as opposed to being entirely other-wordly with demons or evil spirits or aliens.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

11th place with 6 pts is

Irish Aris

La Cérémonie (1995)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112769/

IMDB wrote:

A newly hired maid for a rich countryside family befriends a post-office clerk who encourages her to rebel against her employers.

Have I Seen It Before: No

LeVar's Approval Rating: 81%

Review:
This started out as in interesting character study that I was really invested in, and had the film just stayed on that track, rather than going in a far more convuluted direction, it could have easily been in my top three in this round, but the last twenty minutes or so just disappointed me a bit. That isn't to say that it ends badly, I still enjoyed it, but it was entirely different in tone to the film I had been watching for the preceding ninety minutes, which I personally found a bit jarring and knocked it out of contention of being in the upper ecehlons of this round unfortunately. Really enjoyed the acting, especially the lead, Sandrine Bonnaire, and can't fault anyone in the cast at all. I was invested in all of the characters, and thought there was more drama to explore with all of them, which may be why the shift in tone irked me quite a bit. Can't think of much French cinema that has left a really big impression on me, when it comes to great European Cinema, France wouldn't be my first port of call, but despite the issues I had with it, this has convinced me to explore a bit more of what the French have to offer film-wise.

quickbeam

Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »

9th place with 8 pts is

Rikand

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Love this movie. Highly rewatchable.

Necro

Really enjoyed Molly's Game actually. Sort of agree some of the elements being fleshed out in a mini series might have been better mind.

osh

Enjoyed Mollys game. Think I've read it was Toby Maguire who was Mr X or whoever your man was.

Necro

Edge of Seventeen is going on my watchlist as well, looks like the kind of movie I'd enjoy

ShaneU

Just remembered what I entered for this, this could go badly

Also Starring LeVar Burton

11th place being at 81% is a testament to how much I really loved this round. So many great films across the board in this one, and the Top 5 in this one would all have been worthy of winning the entire round...

Also Starring LeVar Burton

5th place with 12 pts is

Sawduck

Muriel's Wedding (1994)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110598/

IMDB wrote:

A young social outcast in Australia steals money from her parents to finance a vacation where she hopes to find happiness, and perhaps love.

Have I Seen It Before: No

LeVar's Approval Rating: 95%

Review:
I've seen Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths in several things, and never realised that they're both Australian. I had no idea that Muriel's Wedding was an Aussie film. Actually I knew very little about the film beforehand, and was judging it almost entirely on it's name. What I was expecting was a US RomCom that was akin to something Julia Roberts might star in (not that there's anything wrong with that type of RomCom), so it was a breath of fresh air to get an Aussie comedy drama starring people who are such fine actors I've fully believed for many years they were both American. Not to mention it was topped off with an ABBA packed soundtrack, which is always a plus. Sat down to watch this one after a particularly long day, anticipating something fluffy and enjoyable, although not particularly special, but it ended up being an instant favourite for me, hitting all the right notes, and just a damn enjoyable film. Excellent choice.

Irish Aris

Ahh, Muriel's Wedding is a great film, very good choice!!

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Queue some cries of discontent at this next one only coming in 12th place... May cause a slight kerfuffle of controversy..

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Joined in 12th place with 5 pts each are

osh

and

the purple tin

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392190/

IMDB wrote:

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper, and a drifter named Max.

Have I Seen It Before: Yes

LeVar's Approval Rating: 75%

Review:
Saw this in IMAX when it first came out, really loved it, and that's definitely how it should be viewed, because it's a visual masterpiece, but just loses a lot of its shine on a smaller screen ; my TV is fairly big, but it ain't that big. Seeing it for the second time also highlights the fact Fury Road is all about the style and any substance is merely circumstantial. The plot is thin, but its good, and if you want a big loud flashy action movie with a post-apocalyptic backdrop it'll do the job. I'm a fan of Charlize Theron and she definitely carries this movie on her shoulders, without her performance I'm not sure it would be as compelling a film, and I think everyone else is fine, but ultimately unmemorable. I expected to be rating this one a fair bit higher based on my memory of seeing it upon it's release, and I still liked it, it's a good film, but I think it's just one of those ones that thrives on the cinematic experience, and that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible.

JP Liz V1

quickbeam wrote: »

Love this movie. Highly rewatchable.

I love 10 Things I Hate About You too, awesome soundtrack also

quickbeam

Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »

Queue some cries of discontent at this next one only coming in 12th place... May cause a slight kerfuffle of controversy..

Nah, am good with that placing.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

4th place with 13 pts is

Necro

The Shallows (2016)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4052882/

IMDB wrote:

A mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills.

Have I Seen It Before: Yes

LeVar's Approval Rating: 96%

Review:
It's because of films like this that I'm terrified to go in the ocean, but I enjoy being uncomfortable and scared when watching films, so in that regard it ticks all the boxes. A simple, but effective and thrilling movie. Of all the Shark Attack flicks I've seen, The Shallows is easily my favourite. I like that the gore and carnage is minimal, and that its more a film about being isolated and in danger with safety in sight but just out of reach. They do a really good job at building tension and introducing various jeopardies throughout. Blake Lively is great, and despite the minimal dialogue Nancy feels like a fully formed character and is easy to root for. There's not really much else that can be said about this one, it's exactly what someone would expect it to be, but it's well executed and a really enjoyable 80 or so minutes.

Necro

Yay, glad you liked it. I think it's my favourite thriller of the last few years tbh (granted I only saw it for the first time last November or something like that)

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Which means the Top 3 and Bottom 3 (and I really wish there didn't have to be a bottom 3 in this round) in this hotly contested showdown are...

(in alphabetical order)

aaronjennings
AlfredBorden
Electric Nitwit
mustang shelly
Reberetta
ShaneU

We'll have a brief intermission for those nerves to build up while I go boil the kettle and make myself a brew... :pac:

JP Liz V1

I think I read that Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy clashed on Mad Max Fury Road and Theron is not back as Furiosa for the spin off prequel instead Anya Taylor Joy takes over