What movies have you been watching?

[Tigerpine]

Splash (1984)  Used to like this movie when I was a kid.  It's still cute.

Overboard (1987)  If you can get over the premise, it's an entertaining movie. 

[Metalcat]

Watched Palm Springs this weekend.  The description was so vague, I thought it was just a mumblecore-descendant rom-com.  I was pretty shocked when suddenly the main character was being shot by a guy with a crossbow and then it took a sci fi turn.  It was still a silly rom-com, too, but it was pretty fun and different.

I really liked it. I didn’t know anything going in and was delighted by the turn it took.

I loved Palm Springs.  Great writing and acting.  Also didn't know anything about it going in, and was really happily surprised - it's about as good as rom-com gets.

Same, absolutely loved it, every minute of it. Will definitely watch it again.

[slackmax]

'Color out of Space' with Nicholas Cage. Since cage was in it, I watched it. It was OK, not great. Cage's role wasn't the type I like for him. In this movie, he is a mild-mannered husband and father who goes Berserk after a meteor lands in his back yard, and alien life merges with his wife and daughter.   

Some fun sci-fi scenes.  I guess I recommend it for sci-fi fans, and maybe for Cage fans, if they can enjoy this untypical role for him.   

[GuitarStv]

'Color out of Space' with Nicholas Cage. Since cage was in it, I watched it. It was OK, not great. Cage's role wasn't the type I like for him. In this movie, he is a mild-mannered husband and father who goes Berserk after a meteor lands in his back yard, and alien life merges with his wife and daughter.   

Some fun sci-fi scenes.  I guess I recommend it for sci-fi fans, and maybe for Cage fans, if they can enjoy this untypical role for him.

It was a very Lovecraftian movie.  That's good if you like Lovecraft . . .

[sonofsven]

Splash (1984)  Used to like this movie when I was a kid.  It's still cute.

Overboard (1987)  If you can get over the premise, it's an entertaining movie.

I never saw the original Overboard, but I did see the 2018 remake. It was entertaining and fun. In this version it's a struggling single mom and a rich playboy.

[Tigerpine]

Splash (1984)  Used to like this movie when I was a kid.  It's still cute.

Overboard (1987)  If you can get over the premise, it's an entertaining movie.

I never saw the original Overboard, but I did see the 2018 remake. It was entertaining and fun. In this version it's a struggling single mom and a rich playboy.

Never saw the remake.  In the original, the roles are reversed.  It's all about suspension of disbelief, right?  As long as the movie's logic is internally consistent, you can forgive quite a bit.  But I have a hard time believing that the police would allow someone to be discharged based solely on the basis of a positive identification of a birthmark. 

[Metalcat]

I finally watched "The Lobster." I've had it on my watch list for years, and have heard such good things about it, so after seeing it on this thread, I watched it yesterday.

Well...uh...okay...so I was expecting something weird, and a bit twisted, but with some irreverence, kind of like Brazil. This is not that. It has more of a Handmaid's feel to it than a Brazil feel, heavier on the cynical dystopian vibe than absurdist vibe.

I can sum up the experience of watching it as follows:

Everyone is really awkward.
Everyone is horrible.
Becoming an animal seems like, by far, the best option.

Spoiler: show

If they had the option to just go to the city and be together once they fell in love, why bother staying with the obligatory single people living in the woods who would force them to have genital mutilating sex if caught? The thing she says she's most terrified of.

Up to the end, I kept thinking it was interesting that they were stuck between a rock and a hard place l, that they couldn't be "free" with the single people, but I assumed they couldn't just go back to married society and be together. So when it became clear that that was an option, it made no sense to me that they ever bothered staying in the forest.

If he was willing to blind himself to be with her in the city, then why not just go sooner?

I was willing to subscribe to the horrid reality of it up to that point, but that's where they lost me and I was like "wait...what?"

[StarBright]

'Color out of Space' with Nicholas Cage. Since cage was in it, I watched it. It was OK, not great. Cage's role wasn't the type I like for him. In this movie, he is a mild-mannered husband and father who goes Berserk after a meteor lands in his back yard, and alien life merges with his wife and daughter.   

Some fun sci-fi scenes.  I guess I recommend it for sci-fi fans, and maybe for Cage fans, if they can enjoy this untypical role for him.

My husband and I are about to start a Nic Cage-a-thon this week! If we can handle a second round later in the summer I may check this out. I love bad Nicolas Cage movies and I think he is amazing. It doesn't always work, but he's always going for something, be it Stockhausen or Nouveau Shamanic or whatever :) 

[slackmax]

'Color out of Space' with Nicholas Cage. Since cage was in it, I watched it. It was OK, not great. Cage's role wasn't the type I like for him. In this movie, he is a mild-mannered husband and father who goes Berserk after a meteor lands in his back yard, and alien life merges with his wife and daughter.   

Some fun sci-fi scenes.  I guess I recommend it for sci-fi fans, and maybe for Cage fans, if they can enjoy this untypical role for him.

My husband and I are about to start a Nic Cage-a-thon this week! If we can handle a second round later in the summer I may check this out. I love bad Nicolas Cage movies and I think he is amazing. It doesn't always work, but he's always going for something, be it Stockhausen or Nouveau Shamanic or whatever :)

If you haven't already, check out 'Mandy', for a bad Nic Cage movie fix. Warning: it is a lot more violent and out there than 'Pig'.   But just as romantic, idealistic, and heroic.       

I can't even remember the first Cage movie I saw.     

[sonofsven]

'Color out of Space' with Nicholas Cage. Since cage was in it, I watched it. It was OK, not great. Cage's role wasn't the type I like for him. In this movie, he is a mild-mannered husband and father who goes Berserk after a meteor lands in his back yard, and alien life merges with his wife and daughter.   

Some fun sci-fi scenes.  I guess I recommend it for sci-fi fans, and maybe for Cage fans, if they can enjoy this untypical role for him.

My husband and I are about to start a Nic Cage-a-thon this week! If we can handle a second round later in the summer I may check this out. I love bad Nicolas Cage movies and I think he is amazing. It doesn't always work, but he's always going for something, be it Stockhausen or Nouveau Shamanic or whatever :)

If you haven't already, check out 'Mandy', for a bad Nic Cage movie fix. Warning: it is a lot more violent and out there than 'Pig'.   But just as romantic, idealistic, and heroic.       

I can't even remember the first Cage movie I saw.   

Rumble Fish was the first movie I saw him in (Tom Waits!), but Valley Girl was the first time I noticed him, loved both movies.
It blew my mind when I learned that the actor that played Tommy, the frat boy "villian" from Valley Girl was also the evil meth gang leader that kept Jesse captive in Breaking Bad.
I knew that Tommy was no good!

[Tigerpine]

Time Bandits (1981) I LOVED this movie as a kid.  It's still a good fantasy story.

The Boss (2016) I must admit that I'm not a fan of Melissa McCarthy, but my wife is.  This movie was ok for what it was.

[LaineyAZ]

Can I add my name to the list of fans of the new "Elvis" movie?  Austin Butler did a fantastic job, and Baz Luhrmann should definitely get a Best Director nomination.
I wasn't an Elvis music fan when he was alive but this movie captures his essence and how much he moved people.

[Tigerpine]

Soul (2020) I would highly recommend this movie.  It was pretty deep for a mainstream animated movie.

[evme]

I haven't watched it yet but I want to see "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On". Leonard Maltin gave it an excellent review and the trailer actually looked surprisingly poignant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k98Afd7Nf3Y

[slackmax]

C'mon, C'mon.  Starring Joaquin Phoenix. I was hoping for something different, I guess. I liked Phoenix in The Joker, but in this he disappointed me. The film is about family connections, selfishness, and people not wanting to be inconvenienced by kids (in my opinion. Others can disagree, yes).

There is a social commentary, I guess, which is admirable.

Very plain vanilla acting. No one shines. And the male kid in the movie talks like a 35 year female social worker, and has really affected mannerisms. I guess kids like this do exist, though, so.... whatever, right?

Anyway, I thought it was a 'blah' movie, unfortunately.

Oh, and it is shot in blurry black and white, which I think improved it simply because it distracted from the boring plot. 

[Metalcat]

C'mon, C'mon.  Starring Joaquin Phoenix. I was hoping for something different, I guess. I liked Phoenix in The Joker, but in this he disappointed me. The film is about family connections, selfishness, and people not wanting to be inconvenienced by kids (in my opinion. Others can disagree, yes).

There is a social commentary, I guess, which is admirable.

Very plain vanilla acting. No one shines. And the male kid in the movie talks like a 35 year female social worker, and has really affected mannerisms. I guess kids like this do exist, though, so.... whatever, right?

Anyway, I thought it was a 'blah' movie, unfortunately.

Oh, and it is shot in blurry black and white, which I think improved it simply because it distracted from the boring plot.

Why are movies so boring now?

I keep watching these well reviewed movies and so many of them are painfully boring. I find myself on my phone for over half of it. Is that how movies are designed now? To be watched while doom scrolling?

I used to love movies, but now it's like less than once every few months that I'm willing to take the risk, and so often they just end up painful.

I felt like watching a movie recently and said to DH "I want to watch 'Free Guy' because it looks like it might be benignly enjoyable." And it was. It was not great, but it was not boring.

DH wanted to finally watch 'Moonlight' but I refused after Googling "Moonlight boring" and finding endless reviews saying that they found it painfully slow.

Is that it? Have I become someone who watches 'Free Guy'???

Am I getting dumber? Am I getting old? Like in an old creaky voice saying "movies back in my day used to be smart AND exciting! Let me tell you about LA Confidential!" while all of the young people roll their eyes and then try to explain to me AGAIN how "The Power of The Dog" wasn't boring, it was poignant.

Is that it? Am I getting dumb and old?

[lost_in_the_endless_aisle]

C'mon, C'mon.  Starring Joaquin Phoenix. I was hoping for something different, I guess. I liked Phoenix in The Joker, but in this he disappointed me. The film is about family connections, selfishness, and people not wanting to be inconvenienced by kids (in my opinion. Others can disagree, yes).

There is a social commentary, I guess, which is admirable.

Very plain vanilla acting. No one shines. And the male kid in the movie talks like a 35 year female social worker, and has really affected mannerisms. I guess kids like this do exist, though, so.... whatever, right?

Anyway, I thought it was a 'blah' movie, unfortunately.

Oh, and it is shot in blurry black and white, which I think improved it simply because it distracted from the boring plot.

Why are movies so boring now?

I keep watching these well reviewed movies and so many of them are painfully boring. I find myself on my phone for over half of it. Is that how movies are designed now? To be watched while doom scrolling?

I used to love movies, but now it's like less than once every few months that I'm willing to take the risk, and so often they just end up painful.

I felt like watching a movie recently and said to DH "I want to watch 'Free Guy' because it looks like it might be benignly enjoyable." And it was. It was not great, but it was not boring.

DH wanted to finally watch 'Moonlight' but I refused after Googling "Moonlight boring" and finding endless reviews saying that they found it painfully slow.

Is that it? Have I become someone who watches 'Free Guy'???

Am I getting dumber? Am I getting old? Like in an old creaky voice saying "movies back in my day used to be smart AND exciting! Let me tell you about LA Confidential!" while all of the young people roll their eyes and then try to explain to me AGAIN how "The Power of The Dog" wasn't boring, it was poignant.

Is that it? Am I getting dumb and old?

Power of the Dog was pretty boring, and I like some rather slow cinema now and then. Though "boring" might be an imperfect word for what I experience when watching certain movies; it's more a problem of movies lacking any core thematic element that I find compelling. Dunkirk is another example. By contrast, Haneke's The Seventh Continent is definitely a boring movie but is one of my favorites given that this is on purpose in order to depict

Spoiler: show

an existential crisis of meaninglessness and the resulting murder/suicides

As another example, Koyaanisqatsi would be boring if you don't like Philip Glass and/or the aesthetics of the cinematography, but again, one of my top 10 favorites.

By contrast, I find action movies (especially superhero movies, which were something like 35% of Hollywood revenue last year) to be unwatchable because I find them vacuous; i.e., I can't get myself care about a single thing going on in them. And combining sequels, remakes, and adaptations, those represent maybe 80-90% of US film industry revenue in recent years. There are simply no new ideas being funded because it turns out a lot of people will watch Fast & Furious sequels forever. So I would agree the trend has not been favorable, at least for the traditional & most salient of movie production houses.

[Metalcat]

C'mon, C'mon.  Starring Joaquin Phoenix. I was hoping for something different, I guess. I liked Phoenix in The Joker, but in this he disappointed me. The film is about family connections, selfishness, and people not wanting to be inconvenienced by kids (in my opinion. Others can disagree, yes).

There is a social commentary, I guess, which is admirable.

Very plain vanilla acting. No one shines. And the male kid in the movie talks like a 35 year female social worker, and has really affected mannerisms. I guess kids like this do exist, though, so.... whatever, right?

Anyway, I thought it was a 'blah' movie, unfortunately.

Oh, and it is shot in blurry black and white, which I think improved it simply because it distracted from the boring plot.

Why are movies so boring now?

I keep watching these well reviewed movies and so many of them are painfully boring. I find myself on my phone for over half of it. Is that how movies are designed now? To be watched while doom scrolling?

I used to love movies, but now it's like less than once every few months that I'm willing to take the risk, and so often they just end up painful.

I felt like watching a movie recently and said to DH "I want to watch 'Free Guy' because it looks like it might be benignly enjoyable." And it was. It was not great, but it was not boring.

DH wanted to finally watch 'Moonlight' but I refused after Googling "Moonlight boring" and finding endless reviews saying that they found it painfully slow.

Is that it? Have I become someone who watches 'Free Guy'???

Am I getting dumber? Am I getting old? Like in an old creaky voice saying "movies back in my day used to be smart AND exciting! Let me tell you about LA Confidential!" while all of the young people roll their eyes and then try to explain to me AGAIN how "The Power of The Dog" wasn't boring, it was poignant.

Is that it? Am I getting dumb and old?

Power of the Dog was pretty boring, and I like some rather slow cinema now and then. Though "boring" might be an imperfect word for what I experience when watching certain movies; it's more a problem of movies lacking any core thematic element that I find compelling. Dunkirk is another example. By contrast, Haneke's The Seventh Continent is definitely a boring movie but is one of my favorites given that this is on purpose in order to depict

Spoiler: show

an existential crisis of meaninglessness and the resulting murder/suicides

As another example, Koyaanisqatsi would be boring if you don't like Philip Glass and/or the aesthetics of the cinematography, but again, one of my top 10 favorites.

By contrast, I find action movies (especially superhero movies, which were something like 35% of Hollywood revenue last year) to be unwatchable because I find them vacuous; i.e., I can't get myself care about a single thing going on in them. And combining sequels, remakes, and adaptations, those represent maybe 80-90% of US film industry revenue in recent years. There are simply no new ideas being funded because it turns out a lot of people will watch Fast & Furious sequels forever. So I would agree the trend has not been favorable, at least for the traditional & most salient of movie production houses.

I also find action movies boring. I went on a rant about it in this thread recently.

I feel like I might be broken.

I seriously used to LOVE movies so much, I went to the theater multiple times a week for a long time. Now they mostly feel like a chore.

[GuitarStv]

There's a very fine line between being too artsy and getting boring/pretentious and being too commercial and ending up as mental pablum.

[Metalcat]

There's a very fine line between being too artsy and getting boring/pretentious and being too commercial and ending up as mental pablum.

Is there though?

As I said, I used to love movies. There used to always be a movie out that I could really enjoy, artistic or blockbuster.

Plus the 90s was frickin' legendary for indie movies.

[GuitarStv]

There's a very fine line between being too artsy and getting boring/pretentious and being too commercial and ending up as mental pablum.

Is there though?

As I said, I used to love movies. There used to always be a movie out that I could really enjoy, artistic or blockbuster.

Plus the 90s was frickin' legendary for indie movies.

I bet millennials ruined movies somehow.

[Metalcat]

There's a very fine line between being too artsy and getting boring/pretentious and being too commercial and ending up as mental pablum.

Is there though?

As I said, I used to love movies. There used to always be a movie out that I could really enjoy, artistic or blockbuster.

Plus the 90s was frickin' legendary for indie movies.

I bet millennials ruined movies somehow.

But...but...I *am* a millenial...

[GuitarStv]

There's a very fine line between being too artsy and getting boring/pretentious and being too commercial and ending up as mental pablum.

Is there though?

As I said, I used to love movies. There used to always be a movie out that I could really enjoy, artistic or blockbuster.

Plus the 90s was frickin' legendary for indie movies.

I bet millennials ruined movies somehow.

But...but...I *am* a millenial...

:P

Me too!  Damn us!

[getsorted]

There's a very fine line between being too artsy and getting boring/pretentious and being too commercial and ending up as mental pablum.

This is a version of the George Carlin problem: everyone who drives faster than you is a maniac; everyone who drives slower is an asshole.

[getsorted]

'Color out of Space' with Nicholas Cage. Since cage was in it, I watched it. It was OK, not great. Cage's role wasn't the type I like for him. In this movie, he is a mild-mannered husband and father who goes Berserk after a meteor lands in his back yard, and alien life merges with his wife and daughter.   

Some fun sci-fi scenes.  I guess I recommend it for sci-fi fans, and maybe for Cage fans, if they can enjoy this untypical role for him.

It was a very Lovecraftian movie.  That's good if you like Lovecraft . . .

VERY Lovecraftian... Almost as if Lovecraft himself wrote it. ;)

[slackmax]

'Drive my Car' a Japanese film by Hamaguchi. Finally a movie that does not suck, lol.

I liked it a lot. It has Japanese actors and the characters in the movie have respect for themselves and others, with a strong sense of integrity.

As usual, I can't say exactly what makes it a good movie, but things like character development, acting, interesting plot, and everything makes sense.

It is a 'morality play' in my opinion. That's no doubt partly why I liked it.

Lots and lots of scenes with two people just talking. People you as the viewer are interested in, and like. 

The Japanese actors have a different look, slightly different facial expressions, and mannerisms from Western actors, and that makes things interesting.

And there is a bond of good will among the characters. The movie is about good folks living life and helping one another out along the way. 

It is a long movie. 3 hours!  But it never drags. You're too interested in the characters for it to drag.

 

[StarBright]

re: amazing films in the 90s vs. being bored now. Don't you think part of it just getting older?

When I was in my teens and 20s I remember being so annoyed with my parents for not wanting to engage with difficult or interesting movies.

Now I have a job and kids and health problems and I am perfectly happy to watch Free Guy or Spiderman and I can't often bring myself to watch international/artsy movies anymore. I get it now. I don't need to be challenged or depressed by movies -the real world offers plenty of it.

That being said - I still loved Everything Everywhere All at Once  (and my parents hated it!). I enjoyed Spencer because it was well crafted and had a very clear vision, and spooky vibes. Palm Springs was fun! But beyond those three I can't think of another indie movie that I've enjoyed this year. Dune felt like an indie but with a monster budget and it was beautiful, but I was bored. Production design and a great DP can't save a movie.

[GuitarStv]

great DP can't save a movie.

What genre are we talking about here?

[FIRE Artist]

re: amazing films in the 90s vs. being bored now. Don't you think part of it just getting older?

When I was in my teens and 20s I remember being so annoyed with my parents for not wanting to engage with difficult or interesting movies.

Now I have a job and kids and health problems and I am perfectly happy to watch Free Guy or Spiderman and I can't often bring myself to watch international/artsy movies anymore. I get it now. I don't need to be challenged or depressed by movies -the real world offers plenty of it.

That being said - I still loved Everything Everywhere All at Once  (and my parents hated it!). I enjoyed Spencer because it was well crafted and had a very clear vision, and spooky vibes. Palm Springs was fun! But beyond those three I can't think of another indie movie that I've enjoyed this year. Dune felt like an indie but with a monster budget and it was beautiful, but I was bored. Production design and a great DP can't save a movie.

My issue is feeling the need to multitask means that I rarely “watch” movies unless it is something I am really excited to see.  I am either on my iPad or painting while the movie is playing so anything with subtitles is out, anything with a complicated plot line is out.  I have recently focused on taking the time to just read books again and I think that is improving my ability to concentrate, perhaps in say a year, I will challenge myself to actually sit and engage with movies again.  I did try to sit and watch Dune, and likewise, was bored. 

[StarBright]

great DP can't save a movie.

What genre are we talking about here?

um - I had to google to figure out your question. Fingers crossed I don't get a call from work IT.

I meant Director of Photography but I bet my comment read as pretty funny :)

[wenchsenior]

re: amazing films in the 90s vs. being bored now. Don't you think part of it just getting older?

When I was in my teens and 20s I remember being so annoyed with my parents for not wanting to engage with difficult or interesting movies.

Now I have a job and kids and health problems and I am perfectly happy to watch Free Guy or Spiderman and I can't often bring myself to watch international/artsy movies anymore. I get it now. I don't need to be challenged or depressed by movies -the real world offers plenty of it.

That being said - I still loved Everything Everywhere All at Once  (and my parents hated it!). I enjoyed Spencer because it was well crafted and had a very clear vision, and spooky vibes. Palm Springs was fun! But beyond those three I can't think of another indie movie that I've enjoyed this year. Dune felt like an indie but with a monster budget and it was beautiful, but I was bored. Production design and a great DP can't save a movie.

My husband I noticed the same thing, I think it started at around age 40, and it extended to books as well. We were used to really engaging emotionally and with excitement with media in our youth, but I think at a certain point there's a flattening of the curve simply b/c  fo what you say here (less emotional bandwidth and energy to engage with hard/challenging material, and more everyday existential demands and distress that reduces your desire to engage with material that might also be difficult or distressing) and also simply b/c by age 40 we'd seen or read many variants of the same stories or themes already.

I have found that I do a bit better with this if I simply force myself to try stuff that I'm not actively excited about, b/c I often do end up enjoying it to some degree, but it is tough to find things that I feel truly excited about/rave about the way I did when I was younger.

I also think that movies have changed a lot in the past 20 years. The international market dictates more of the movies that are made (super hero movies, most of which I find only mildly diverting) and certain genres have become much less common (costume/historicals, rom coms), so movies feel a lot more 'samey' than they did in the 90s and early 2000s.

It is interesting that when I look back on the past couple of years of viewing, most of my 'favorites' are not new movies, but either old movies or tv shows (tv is where it's at now, IMO).  Having said that, recent movies that I found interesting/entertaining and would recommend (to the right audience) include The Dig, Da 5 Bloods, Promising Young Woman, First Cow, Midsommar, Barb & Star Go to Vista del Mar, Another Round, Arctic, the new Emma, Pig, Eurovision Song Contest, The Last Duel, The Power of the Dog, West Side Story, and Dune. Granted, I don't feel like truly raving about any of these, but I'm not sure I really expect that super intense emotional response from films any more...

ETA: I laughed so much at malcat's 'Grandpa Simpson' type hypothetical "back in my day" conversation.  But honestly, I think it's a little unfair to put your average movie up against LA Confidential. Sometimes a movie is kind of a world-shaker AND has also holds up to rewatch AND sometimes even has a lot of cultural relevance decades later (I was thinking nostalgically of how awesome moviegoing was in 2007, even despite my developing apathy back then). But not many movies are as good as LA Confidential, even back then.

[GuitarStv]

great DP can't save a movie.

What genre are we talking about here?

um - I had to google to figure out your question. Fingers crossed I don't get a call from work IT.

I meant Direct of Photography but I bet my comment read as pretty funny :)

:P

[Metalcat]

re: amazing films in the 90s vs. being bored now. Don't you think part of it just getting older?

When I was in my teens and 20s I remember being so annoyed with my parents for not wanting to engage with difficult or interesting movies.

Now I have a job and kids and health problems and I am perfectly happy to watch Free Guy or Spiderman and I can't often bring myself to watch international/artsy movies anymore. I get it now. I don't need to be challenged or depressed by movies -the real world offers plenty of it.

That being said - I still loved Everything Everywhere All at Once  (and my parents hated it!). I enjoyed Spencer because it was well crafted and had a very clear vision, and spooky vibes. Palm Springs was fun! But beyond those three I can't think of another indie movie that I've enjoyed this year. Dune felt like an indie but with a monster budget and it was beautiful, but I was bored. Production design and a great DP can't save a movie.

My husband I noticed the same thing, I think it started at around age 40, and it extended to books as well. We were used to really engaging emotionally and with excitement with media in our youth, but I think at a certain point there's a flattening of the curve simply b/c  fo what you say here (less emotional bandwidth and energy to engage with hard/challenging material, and more everyday existential demands and distress that reduces your desire to engage with material that might also be difficult or distressing) and also simply b/c by age 40 we'd seen or read many variants of the same stories or themes already.

I have found that I do a bit better with this if I simply force myself to try stuff that I'm not actively excited about, b/c I often do end up enjoying it to some degree, but it is tough to find things that I feel truly excited about/rave about the way I did when I was younger.

I also think that movies have changed a lot in the past 20 years. The international market dictates more of the movies that are made (super hero movies, most of which I find only mildly diverting) and certain genres have become much less common (costume/historicals, rom coms), so movies feel a lot more 'samey' than they did in the 90s and early 2000s.

It is interesting that when I look back on the past couple of years of viewing, most of my 'favorites' are not new movies, but either old movies or tv shows (tv is where it's at now, IMO).  Having said that, recent movies that I found interesting/entertaining and would recommend (to the right audience) include The Dig, Da 5 Bloods, Promising Young Woman, First Cow, Midsommar, Barb & Star Go to Vista del Mar, Another Round, Arctic, the new Emma, Pig, Eurovision Song Contest, The Last Duel, The Power of the Dog, West Side Story, and Dune. Granted, I don't feel like truly raving about any of these, but I'm not sure I really expect that super intense emotional response from films any more...

ETA: I laughed so much at malcat's 'Grandpa Simpson' type hypothetical "back in my day" conversation.  But honestly, I think it's a little unfair to put your average movie up against LA Confidential. Sometimes a movie is kind of a world-shaker AND has also holds up to rewatch AND sometimes even has a lot of cultural relevance decades later (I was thinking nostalgically of how awesome moviegoing was in 2007, even despite my developing apathy back then). But not many movies are as good as LA Confidential, even back then.

True, I did pick an unusually spectacular movie for my example.

But still. Virtually every critically acclaimed movie these days is slow as molasses. It's tedious to the point that I've started avoiding movies with a Rotten Tomatoes review over 90%.

Except for Pig. Pig was GREAT. And yet is was pretty much totally snubbed at the awards last year.

But yeah, I loved Pig.

[Tyson]

For quality older movies, I find the Criterion Channel to be an excellent, well curated option:

https://www.criterionchannel.com/browse

Edit to add, a quick teaser for stuff in July - https://www.criterionchannel.com/videos/july-2022-channel-teaser

[StarBright]

re: amazing films in the 90s vs. being bored now. Don't you think part of it just getting older?

When I was in my teens and 20s I remember being so annoyed with my parents for not wanting to engage with difficult or interesting movies.

Now I have a job and kids and health problems and I am perfectly happy to watch Free Guy or Spiderman and I can't often bring myself to watch international/artsy movies anymore. I get it now. I don't need to be challenged or depressed by movies -the real world offers plenty of it.

That being said - I still loved Everything Everywhere All at Once  (and my parents hated it!). I enjoyed Spencer because it was well crafted and had a very clear vision, and spooky vibes. Palm Springs was fun! But beyond those three I can't think of another indie movie that I've enjoyed this year. Dune felt like an indie but with a monster budget and it was beautiful, but I was bored. Production design and a great DP can't save a movie.

My husband I noticed the same thing, I think it started at around age 40, and it extended to books as well. We were used to really engaging emotionally and with excitement with media in our youth, but I think at a certain point there's a flattening of the curve simply b/c  fo what you say here (less emotional bandwidth and energy to engage with hard/challenging material, and more everyday existential demands and distress that reduces your desire to engage with material that might also be difficult or distressing) and also simply b/c by age 40 we'd seen or read many variants of the same stories or themes already.

I have found that I do a bit better with this if I simply force myself to try stuff that I'm not actively excited about, b/c I often do end up enjoying it to some degree, but it is tough to find things that I feel truly excited about/rave about the way I did when I was younger.

I also think that movies have changed a lot in the past 20 years. The international market dictates more of the movies that are made (super hero movies, most of which I find only mildly diverting) and certain genres have become much less common (costume/historicals, rom coms), so movies feel a lot more 'samey' than they did in the 90s and early 2000s.

It is interesting that when I look back on the past couple of years of viewing, most of my 'favorites' are not new movies, but either old movies or tv shows (tv is where it's at now, IMO).  Having said that, recent movies that I found interesting/entertaining and would recommend (to the right audience) include The Dig, Da 5 Bloods, Promising Young Woman, First Cow, Midsommar, Barb & Star Go to Vista del Mar, Another Round, Arctic, the new Emma, Pig, Eurovision Song Contest, The Last Duel, The Power of the Dog, West Side Story, and Dune. Granted, I don't feel like truly raving about any of these, but I'm not sure I really expect that super intense emotional response from films any more...

ETA: I laughed so much at malcat's 'Grandpa Simpson' type hypothetical "back in my day" conversation.  But honestly, I think it's a little unfair to put your average movie up against LA Confidential. Sometimes a movie is kind of a world-shaker AND has also holds up to rewatch AND sometimes even has a lot of cultural relevance decades later (I was thinking nostalgically of how awesome moviegoing was in 2007, even despite my developing apathy back then). But not many movies are as good as LA Confidential, even back then.

Thanks for this list - I've enjoyed most movies on it (except for Dune after the first hour) so I am definitely going to click on the Last Duel (which I have almost watched a dozen times at this point). And I will search out First Cow and Arctic because I haven't heard of them.

I have watched "Barb and Star" and "Eurovision" twice each and they both gave me a lot of joy!

And to add to to the chorus - yes, "Pig" was fantastic (we watched it last week) and StarHus and I both talked about how it reminded us of movies we watched when we were in high school/college.

And I loved "Promising Young Woman"! It was so clear in casting and music choices, and it had a solid through line, nice twist, loved the rage, and as someone who lives in Ohio, it really did a great job of capturing the non-entity that is the midwest. It wasn't perfect, but it was close for me!

[Metalcat]

re: amazing films in the 90s vs. being bored now. Don't you think part of it just getting older?

When I was in my teens and 20s I remember being so annoyed with my parents for not wanting to engage with difficult or interesting movies.

Now I have a job and kids and health problems and I am perfectly happy to watch Free Guy or Spiderman and I can't often bring myself to watch international/artsy movies anymore. I get it now. I don't need to be challenged or depressed by movies -the real world offers plenty of it.

That being said - I still loved Everything Everywhere All at Once  (and my parents hated it!). I enjoyed Spencer because it was well crafted and had a very clear vision, and spooky vibes. Palm Springs was fun! But beyond those three I can't think of another indie movie that I've enjoyed this year. Dune felt like an indie but with a monster budget and it was beautiful, but I was bored. Production design and a great DP can't save a movie.

My husband I noticed the same thing, I think it started at around age 40, and it extended to books as well. We were used to really engaging emotionally and with excitement with media in our youth, but I think at a certain point there's a flattening of the curve simply b/c  fo what you say here (less emotional bandwidth and energy to engage with hard/challenging material, and more everyday existential demands and distress that reduces your desire to engage with material that might also be difficult or distressing) and also simply b/c by age 40 we'd seen or read many variants of the same stories or themes already.

I have found that I do a bit better with this if I simply force myself to try stuff that I'm not actively excited about, b/c I often do end up enjoying it to some degree, but it is tough to find things that I feel truly excited about/rave about the way I did when I was younger.

I also think that movies have changed a lot in the past 20 years. The international market dictates more of the movies that are made (super hero movies, most of which I find only mildly diverting) and certain genres have become much less common (costume/historicals, rom coms), so movies feel a lot more 'samey' than they did in the 90s and early 2000s.

It is interesting that when I look back on the past couple of years of viewing, most of my 'favorites' are not new movies, but either old movies or tv shows (tv is where it's at now, IMO).  Having said that, recent movies that I found interesting/entertaining and would recommend (to the right audience) include The Dig, Da 5 Bloods, Promising Young Woman, First Cow, Midsommar, Barb & Star Go to Vista del Mar, Another Round, Arctic, the new Emma, Pig, Eurovision Song Contest, The Last Duel, The Power of the Dog, West Side Story, and Dune. Granted, I don't feel like truly raving about any of these, but I'm not sure I really expect that super intense emotional response from films any more...

ETA: I laughed so much at malcat's 'Grandpa Simpson' type hypothetical "back in my day" conversation.  But honestly, I think it's a little unfair to put your average movie up against LA Confidential. Sometimes a movie is kind of a world-shaker AND has also holds up to rewatch AND sometimes even has a lot of cultural relevance decades later (I was thinking nostalgically of how awesome moviegoing was in 2007, even despite my developing apathy back then). But not many movies are as good as LA Confidential, even back then.

Thanks for this list - I've enjoyed most movies on it (except for Dune after the first hour) so I am definitely going to click on the Last Duel (which I have almost watched a dozen times at this point). And I will search out First Cow and Arctic because I haven't heard of them.

I have watched "Barb and Star" and "Eurovision" twice each and they both gave me a lot of joy!

And to add to to the chorus - yes, "Pig" was fantastic (we watched it last week) and StarHus and I both talked about how it reminded us of movies we watched when we were in high school/college.

And I loved "Promising Young Woman"! It was so clear in casting and music choices, and it had a solid through line, nice twist, loved the rage, and as someone who lives in Ohio, it really did a great job of capturing the non-entity that is the midwest. It wasn't perfect, but it was close for me!

EXACTLY! It was like an old 90s indie movie

[iris lily]

Pig is on my list to watch so I need to move it to the top.

My disenchantment with films may have something to do with being old as people have mentioned, and less emotional and less engaged with stuff. On the other hand, when Hollywood produces something as fascinating as the television show Succession I will be there. Of course that Tv show has a huge advantage over film because it goes on for hours and hours to sink into our memory.

And that is probably part of my problem with films, that my attention span is honed now to something like 42 minutes, A typical run time of Tv dramatic episode.

I saw Drive My Car  and thought it was decent but nothing great. I liked Promising Young woman quite a lot. Power of the dog was stunning and I will probably watch that again, and I REALLY regret not seeing that on the big screen in the movie house. Pieces of a Woman was released the same year and I liked it quite a bit.

Anymore, my method for choosing a film to watch ( and I watch very few) is to go to my favorite reviewer (link below) and see what he’s listed as getting a letter grade A or B. After that, I have a local film discussion forum that I frequent and I pay attention to one of the contributors.


https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critics/frank-swietek/movies

[Metalcat]

IDK about the getting older thing and not enjoying movies as much. I still get super ultra jazzed when I like a movie, and I don't even need to love it, it just has to have *something* great about it and I'll be into it.

It's just getting harder and harder to find these movies that have any kind of spark.

[lost_in_the_endless_aisle]

IDK about the getting older thing and not enjoying movies as much. I still get super ultra jazzed when I like a movie, and I don't even need to love it, it just has to have *something* great about it and I'll be into it.

It's just getting harder and harder to find these movies that have any kind of spark.

Have you seen Force Majeure? That was a happy surprise for me recently.

[getsorted]

IDK about the getting older thing and not enjoying movies as much. I still get super ultra jazzed when I like a movie, and I don't even need to love it, it just has to have *something* great about it and I'll be into it.

It's just getting harder and harder to find these movies that have any kind of spark.

There's also just the problem of being an educated filmgoer. My brother is a filmmaker and he has trouble finding films that really do it for him, because his standards get higher and higher as he learns more about storytelling and techniques. Similarly, I got an English degree and it kind of ruined reading for pleasure for me. I came to a point where the only books that didn't bore me were so... I don't know what the word is. Chewy? Anyway, it got to a point where reading them wasn't leisure anymore. Like, if I don't have to work at it, it doesn't feel worth it, but I also don't want to come home from a long day and then work at apprehending difficult literature.

Maybe when I'm cooling my heels in a nursing home, reading will be fun again.

[MoseyingAlong]

Top Gun: Maverick

I'm actually mystified at how much I loved this movie. I think it's the first movie since the 80s that I've seen multiple times in a theater. Wasn't a huge fan of the original but this one...wow.

Probably some combination of it stirring memories of my time in the military and the photography of the flights. Hope to see more about how they filmed them.

[charis]

Top Gun: Maverick

I'm actually mystified at how much I loved this movie. I think it's the first movie since the 80s that I've seen multiple times in a theater. Wasn't a huge fan of the original but this one...wow.

Probably some combination of it stirring memories of my time in the military and the photography of the flights. Hope to see more about how they filmed them.

Loved it. My family of all ages loved it. I can't recall the last time I paid full price for a movie and thought it was worth it. 

But I came here to profess my renewed appreciation for the brilliantly mustachian 80s movie, Baby Boom (HBO max, etc.).  The title is terrible but the film is very underrated. Diane Keaton is at the top of her game and the supporting cast is fantastic. The reviews are underwhelming, but the film is more relevant now than it's probably ever been and I think critics largely misunderstood why it's a feminist film.

[slackmax]

IDK about the getting older thing and not enjoying movies as much. I still get super ultra jazzed when I like a movie, and I don't even need to love it, it just has to have *something* great about it and I'll be into it.

It's just getting harder and harder to find these movies that have any kind of spark.

One of the movies I loved was the first 'The Hunger Games'.  But why? It's a smash, bang, action movie, which I say I don't like.  But it had a star, Jennifer, that I liked.  And it had something new, the dystopian sci-fi thing (new to me, anyway?)   

 

[MustacheAndaHalf]

There's a very fine line between being too artsy and getting boring/pretentious and being too commercial and ending up as mental pablum.

Is there though?

As I said, I used to love movies. There used to always be a movie out that I could really enjoy, artistic or blockbuster.

Plus the 90s was frickin' legendary for indie movies.

I bet millennials ruined movies somehow.

But...but...I *am* a millenial...

:P

Me too!  Damn us!

I hated The Power of the Dog.  Maybe it was made for movie critics who never get to talk about imagery and sweeping themes in their reviews - the critics went apeshit for it.  I just thought it was like watching paint dry... and I got the movie.  I understood the undercurrents and knew where the plot was headed.  Maybe it played better during the pandemic, when watching the arid outddoors scroll by slowly was considered a vacation.

I liked the actors - especially Benedict Cumberbatch (from the series Sherlock, among others).  I just think this was a 20 minute movie stretched out over 10 hours.  Well, it felt that long.

I don't know who spoiled movies, but I'd recommend Millennials blame Gen Z instead of yourselves.  :)

[sonofsven]

The Gray Man: meh. Too many explosions, not enough story.

[wenchsenior]

The Gray Man: meh. Too many explosions, not enough story.

Yes, it was 'fine'.  The action scenes were mostly pretty bad and killed any interest the movie generated. It didn't suck, but it wasn't good. Waste of a fine cast, though at least Chris Evans got to have a bit of fun.

A sequel has already been approved, so maybe the general public is really liking this kind of bland movie?

[uniwelder]

IDK about the getting older thing and not enjoying movies as much. I still get super ultra jazzed when I like a movie, and I don't even need to love it, it just has to have *something* great about it and I'll be into it.

It's just getting harder and harder to find these movies that have any kind of spark.

One of the movies I loved was the first 'The Hunger Games'.  But why? It's a smash, bang, action movie, which I say I don't like.  But it had a star, Jennifer, that I liked.  And it had something new, the dystopian sci-fi thing (new to me, anyway?)

I also like The Hunger Games, but wouldn’t describe it as smash/bang action. It’s really quite emotionally engaging.

[GuitarStv]

IDK about the getting older thing and not enjoying movies as much. I still get super ultra jazzed when I like a movie, and I don't even need to love it, it just has to have *something* great about it and I'll be into it.

It's just getting harder and harder to find these movies that have any kind of spark.

One of the movies I loved was the first 'The Hunger Games'.  But why? It's a smash, bang, action movie, which I say I don't like.  But it had a star, Jennifer, that I liked.  And it had something new, the dystopian sci-fi thing (new to me, anyway?)

I also like The Hunger Games, but wouldn’t describe it as smash/bang action. It’s really quite emotionally engaging.

Felt like the Hunger Games kinda tried to do a similar thing to what Battle Royale did more than a decade before . . . but didn't do it quite as well.

[Metalcat]

IDK about the getting older thing and not enjoying movies as much. I still get super ultra jazzed when I like a movie, and I don't even need to love it, it just has to have *something* great about it and I'll be into it.

It's just getting harder and harder to find these movies that have any kind of spark.

One of the movies I loved was the first 'The Hunger Games'.  But why? It's a smash, bang, action movie, which I say I don't like.  But it had a star, Jennifer, that I liked.  And it had something new, the dystopian sci-fi thing (new to me, anyway?)

I also like The Hunger Games, but wouldn’t describe it as smash/bang action. It’s really quite emotionally engaging.

Felt like the Hunger Games kinda tried to do a similar thing to what Battle Royale did more than a decade before . . . but didn't do it quite as well.

I didn't know what Hunger Games was when I rented it from Blockbuster. It just seemed like a dystopian fantasy with big actors so I was interested. And it started well enough, but by the end I was like "what in the Harry Potter kind of YA crap did I just watch?"

And that's when I found out it was based on a YA book series, and then it made perfect sense.

[Michael in ABQ]

We just watched Apollo 13 as a family. Good solid movie, the CGI actually looks pretty good for being nearly 30 years old (released in 1995). There was a fair amount of cursing for a PG movie, but I'm still not sure why Amazon considered it 16+.