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Pulp Fiction (1994)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
1994 | Crime

"Pulp Fiction was probably one of the first films I ever saw that really kind of took effect on me. I was about four years old — obviously wasn’t supposed to be seeing that film; my sister kind of sneaked it out and we got to see it. She’s older than me. That was something I always used to watch. I loved the scenes with John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson; when I was older I could understand a little more. It was funny, me and my sister would have this little running thing where we’d know the lines to Ezekiel 25:17. My sister actually bought me a wallet that had “Bad Mother F**ker” written on it. But yeah, Tarantino. That was where my appreciation of directors began. It was beyond the actors at that point. Everything he’s touched I’ve loved. I became a huge fan of him and his work."

Source
  
The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)
The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)
2017 | Action, Comedy
Michael Bryce is a triple A rated executive protection agent. Well... he was, up until he lost one of his high profile clients. Now he's living in the less than luxurious life, with less than A rated clients. What he needs is to get his reputation back, and when his ex appears asking for his help, he could get more than his reputation back.

It's just another job, until he see's who he's supposed to be protecting. Darius Kincaid. Master assassin.

Kincaid needs to get to The Hague to testify against Vladislav Dukhovich, merciless dictator of Belarus. With all the other witnesses dying he's Interpol's last hope. But with Kincaid and Bryce both thinking they know the best way to survive the trip, will they both get there in one piece?



Honestly, I love all the trailers for this film, but this one has the song in it. There's just something catchy about Samuel L. Jackson singing along with a bunch of nuns.

Anyway, to the film. Straight off the bat I'm going to say I loved it. Award winner? Nope. Dramatic master piece? Nope. Hilarious? Abso-motherf***ing-lutely. Reynolds and Jackson play really well off each other all the way through, but for me, the highlight was Salma Hayek. She really was an unexpected gem.

I read views of this online and it made me a little mad... some people just need to lighten up. Some films are just made to be entertaining, and this one had the bases covered... excessive mindless violence, car chases, romance, singing nuns... you couldn't really ask for more... apart from maybe more nudity of Ryan Reynolds. (Just me? Never mind then)

Probably the most entertaining Unlimited screening I've seen, and I think everyone else agreed. I haven't been in a cinema where that many people have been laughing out loud. I honestly think that is a great achievement in a film.

I'll be buying this one on DVD when it comes out, I think everyone should, it'll really brighten up your day and help you relieve some stress... if like me you enjoy seeing random things getting destroyed. (Only on screen, not in real-life, no need to panic!) Possibly not for those of you who don't like swearing though, as Samuel L. Jackson does get to use swearing like punctuation... and the writers were clearly fond of excessive commas.
  
Captain Marvel (2019)
Captain Marvel (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure
Chemistry between Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson (1 more)
As always, END CREDITS SEQUENCE
Rocky first half hour (0 more)
A Marvel-ous "Buddy Cop" film
For those of you who read my reviews regularly know, I am a fan of the films produced in the MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE. There has been a bit of a hiatus in these films (the last one was ANT MAN AND THE WASP last July) so it was with some excitement that I headed to the multiplex to check out the latest installment in this film franchise.

And...after an opening that paid tribute to the late, great Stan Lee, I settled in for what, I hoped would be a fun time at the movies. I started to become a little concerned in the first half hour of this film as it jumbled things around, trying to tell an origin story of a person who has no memory of where she came from while Jude Law was "man-splaining" the new worlds and the new people that the audience needs to know about it. I was becoming concerned that this film was going to become a "hot mess".

And then came Samuel L. Jackson.

Mr. Jackson is a MOVIE STAR and his presence in this film instantly catapulted it to another level. The star power, energy and pacing of the film improved and (if I am honest with myself) the performance of Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel improved as well. The film stopped being an "alien Super Hero" film and it become a "buddy cop film" along the lines of LETHAL WEAPON, 48 HOURS and (my personal favorite) MIDNIGHT RUN.

The chemistry between Jackson and Larson is undeniable and they play off of each other very well, bantering and bouncing lines back and forth while chasing - and being chased - by the bad guys. This dynamic raised the level of this film from a "middle of the road" SuperHero film to a fun action/comedy that is in the upper third of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Aside from Jackson, Larson (eventually) is terrifically cast as the titular character. She has a difficult balancing act to fulfill in the first 1/2 hour of the film, since her character has no memories, she also was in danger of having no personality. I've heard the word "bland" thrown around to characterize her performance, but I wouldn't quite go there (especially once Jackson shows up and her character's memories start to return). This is a well rounded, fierce performance and I don't think we've really seen the "best" that this character - or Larson's portrayal - has to offer.

Jude Law, Annette Benning(!) Lashana Lynch and Clark Gregg are all "fine" in supporting roles, but they pale in comparison to Larson/Jackson. Only Ben Mendehlson was able to "up" his performance to match these two, so when Jackson/Larson/Mendehlson were on the screen together, things crackled. Oh...and I would be remiss if I didn't mention one of the best feline performances in film in quite some time - GOOSE, the cat (yes, named after the character in TOP GUN). The less I say about this character the better - but it was really fun. The only disappointment for me was the usage of Gemma Chan (CRAZY, RICH ASIANS) as Minn-Erva. She just didn't have much to do, probably because at the time of filming Chan was not much of a "name". I know here character is crucial to some Captain Marvel storylines in the comics, so I am hoping they bring her back and use her more in the future.

But...as for this film...it is a fun romp, with good action and a truly memorable pairing of Jackson/Larson - one that does not disappoint. Stay, of course, for the TWO end credits scene - the first one sets up AVENGERS: ENDGAME and the last one is...

Letter Grade A-

8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)
  
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
2015 | Mystery
Avengers meets John Wick
Having been completely unfamiliar with the source comic book material, I was unsure the tone or visuals I viewed in this film are consistent with that or not, so I just have to judge on their own merits.

Anyone who follows my reviews knows I am not the hugest fan of nonsense or robust excessive CGI in place of good acting story and screenplay, so I have to say this film suffered from a little bit of that. Some of the kill scenes bordered on a little silly, having been done much better and more realistic in John Wick.

Having said that, I was never bored while watching and thought the acting, especially that of Samuel L. Jackson, was pretty good for the most part.

It definitely feels like more style than substance in some parts, but maybe that was the point. I will always side with realism over hyper-realism unless done very well, and I feel this film falls a bit short.
  
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PhoebeLV (147 KP) rated 1408 (2007) in Movies

Jul 28, 2020  
1408 (2007)
1408 (2007)
2007 | Horror, Mystery
Great Acting (2 more)
Great Characters
Enjoyable Storyline
One of the best supernatural movies
Contains spoilers, click to show
1408 follows the story of Mike Enslin (John Cusack), a man who writes ‘true-horror’ books for a living; he stays in ‘haunted’ hotels and locations for his inspiration. One day, he receives a postcard of the Dolphin Hotel telling him not to stay in room 1408. Despite the warnings of the hotel manager (Samuel L. Jackson), he proceeds to stay in there anyway.
Before watching this, I considered it being The Shining all over again. However, it was not. Apart from the hotel and the book writing, it was quite different.
Enslin starts by seeing a few ghosts and then strange things start happening.
In the middle, it starts messing with your head and you think ‘was this before the hotel? is this real? is he imagining everything?’. I know I did.
I couldn’t really find any bad things with this and I would 100% recommend this to any horror fan and Stephen King book lover.
  
Captain Marvel (2019)
Captain Marvel (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure
Brie Larson and Samuel Jackson had great chemistry on screen, Ben Mendelssohn totally stole the show and was my favorite character, really great cast of supporting characters. (0 more)
No the most engaging Marvel movie, a couple scenes felt forced, Nick Fury's eye, really ?!? Lol (0 more)
Hate It or Love It: Captain Marvel Has Arrived - 8/10
Captain Marvel is a 2019 superhero action/sci-fi movie based on the Marvel Comics character Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. It was produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The movie was written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, with the screenplay also being contributed on by Geneva Robertson-Dworet. Starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jude Law.


On planet Hala, the capital of the Kree Empire, a female warrior named Vers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) suffers from nightmares involving a woman she doesn't recognize. She doesn't remember much from before her time on Hala. With assistance from her commander and mentor, Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), she's learning to control her powers and emotions during battle as is the Kree way. Her unit, Starforce, are given a mission to rescue an undercover Kree operative who might be compromised by enemies called the Skrull, a race of shape-shifting aliens. They must act quickly or the information the operative has will fall into the wrong hands. During the mission things don't go well and Vers/Captain Marvel is captured by the Skrulls who use a device to scour her memories which include the lady from her nightmares. She learns the woman's name is Dr. Wendy Lawson (Annette Bening), and that her memories from her past suggest that she has spent some time on Earth. She is escapes to Earth 1995, where she must find the woman and the secrets to her past.


 This movie was pretty awesome. I really liked it and enjoyed it very much. I thought it went by smoothly and the writers had a clear plot, but might not be the most engaging for some people. I know this movie got a lot of hate before it even came out but honestly I didn't see a lot to complain about. Yes it is empowering for females but I didn't feel like it was forced; save for maybe a couple of scenes. It was rated PG-13 so some of the themes might be beyond what children can fully understand but definitely a good fit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I really like the chemistry between Captain Marvel and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). To me there was an exclusively entertaining character in the Skrull Talos (Ben Mendelsohn). He was a pleasant surprise and pretty funny. I thought the casting was very well too, even for the supporting characters like other Kree, Skrulls, and even Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers b.f.f. Movie was generally fun and pretty action-packed. I give it an 8/10.
  
Glass (2019)
Glass (2019)
2019 | Drama, Thriller
An ambitious but flawed finale
M. Night Shyamalan is back behind the camera! Quick, run! Joking aside, Shyamalan’s career is as convoluted as his signature third-act twists. Starting off with the fabulous The Sixth Sense and then almost derailing his career with catastrophic failures like The Happening, After Earth and dare I mention it, The Last Airbender, it appeared we had all but lost that once promising directorial flair.

Thankfully in 2016’s Split, Shyamalan returned to form somewhat with a nicely paced, tense thriller starring James McAvoy as Kevin, a guy with multiple personality disorder. Of course, the infamous twist, possibly Shyamalan’s best, that this film was set in the same universe as the fabulous Unbreakable was almost too much to handle.

Fast-forward three years and Glass is the film that rounds out the surprise trilogy, bringing together McAvoy, Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson for the mother of all showdowns. Or that’s what the trailers would have you believe. But what’s the finished product like?

Three weeks after the conclusion of Split, Glass finds Bruce Willis’ David Dunn pursuing James McAvoy’s superhuman figure of The Beast in a series of escalating encounters, while the shadowy presence of Elijah Price (Samuel L Jackson) emerges as an orchestrator who holds secrets critical to both men. Sandwiched in between this is Sarah Paulson’s Dr Ellie Staple who desperately wants to prove that these men simply hold delusions of grandeur.

As a rule, trilogy closers generally tend to the weakest of the three films with Spider-Man 3, Return of the Jedi and X-Men: Apocalypse cementing my point and Glass unfortunately follows a similar pattern. While by no means a bad film, Shyamalan desperately tries to add too many plot threads into the mix at the end resulting in a messy climax that trips all over itself.

Thankfully, the first act, and the majority of the second live up to expectations. James McAvoy is absolutely exceptional as Kevin and his multiple personalities. Switching between them at the flash of a light, he is staggering to watch and is the highlight in a film that for the most part, gets the best out of its stars. Samuel L Jackson and Sarah Paulson are great with the former looking like he’s having an absolute blast reprising a role that’s been dormant for 19 years.

The less said about Bruce Willis the better. He seems to be sleepwalking through the entire film, so it’s probably for the best that he appears fleetingly every now and then as this is very much McAvoy’s film.

Glass is a film that is both longer and weaker than its two predecessors but can still get by on its own merits thanks to a stunning performance by James McAvoy
The script is typical Shyamalan. It’s clunky, filled with overly expositional dialogue and sometimes downright jarring, but the intriguing premise allows you to overlook this more often than not. There are some nice touches as Sarah Paulson’s character tries to explain away the powers of the main trio, making them and us as the audience doubt their superhuman abilities.

Those expecting a film packed with action will be disappointed. Glass is very much a character piece. The action that is there is well-filmed and realistic considering the film’s incredibly small budget, but it’s limited to the beginning and end of the movie, though the finale is such a mess that it’s really not worth mentioning.

Much of Glass takes place within the Raven Hill Memorial Hospital and follows Paulson’s daily studies of the trio and while this does dampen the pacing somewhat, it’s a refreshing change to the action-packed blockbusters that we have become accustomed to in the genre.

When it comes to cinematography, again, it’s typical Shyamalan. Long-tracking shots, super close-ups and peculiar camera angles are all present and correct. In Split, the impact of his unusual camerawork wasn’t too grating, but here it creates quite the distraction. There’s also another Shyamalan staple: the director’s cameo. The one in Glass is overly long and completely unnecessary, but it’s something we’ve come to expect over the last couple of decades.

Overall, Glass is a film that is both longer and weaker than its two predecessors but can still get by on its own merits thanks to a stunning performance by James McAvoy, the class brought by Samuel L Jackson and Sarah Paulson and a great sense of ambition. Unfortunately, budgetary restraints have resulted in a film that is subtle to the point of being dull and while praise should be given for effort, Glass proves to be just a little underwhelming.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2019/01/19/glass-review-an-ambitious-but-flawed-finale/
  
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Lee (2222 KP) rated I Like Films in Podcasts

Feb 15, 2019  
I Like Films
I Like Films
TV & Film
8
6.5 (4 Ratings)
Podcast Rating
Enjoyable movie podcast with some great guests
Jonathan Ross has been a familiar face/voice on British television and radio for many years now. His connection to film goes way back to 1999 when he took over hosting duties on the BBC TV show 'Film', reviewing and discussing movies. He is also married to Jane Goldman, writer on numerous movies including Kick-Ass and Kingsman.

I've always been a fan of Jonathan Ross, although it's fair to say that his TV talk show has taken a serious dip in the quality of guests in recent years. In this relatively new podcast, the simply titled 'I Like Films', Jonathan just chats with some of the big names in the movie world - about their careers, about whatever movie they're currently plugging. I've not caught all of the episodes, but the ones I have listened to have always been very interesting and have made this podcast one of only a handful that I'll download the moment an episode becomes available. Robert Zemeckis, Samuel L Jackson, M. Night Shyamalan and Joe Cornish have all featured recently and each episode is just relaxed, informative and really enjoyable.
  
The Legend of Tarzan (2016)
The Legend of Tarzan (2016)
2016 | Action
Better than I thought it would be
On the recommendation from a friend I bought this movie used for like 3 bucks and it was worth every penny! ?

This isn't really an origin story of Tarzan, more of him coming back to where he was raised to attempt to save the day. His origins are revealed in flashback which helps the audience understand his motivations and reservations for returning to his homeland.

When the bankrupt king summons an evil henchman to help him cleanse the land of its inhabitants for the raw diamond lot, our heroes are summoned to stop them.



Alexander Skarsgård, Margot Robbie and Samuel L. Jackson were all really good and believable. For some reason I normally love Christoph Waltz, but I think he's played the villain too many times now and this time it felt a little generic to me.

CGI for the most part was acceptable, although any CGI gorillas will always be compared to the recent Apes reboot trilogy which is still far superior.

The action scenes were decent if you can accept humans battling giant gorillas an kept me entertained throughout.

You will certainly not be disappointed with this one in my opinion.

  
Unicorn Store (2017)
Unicorn Store (2017)
2017 | Comedy
Magical and meaningful
I'm surprised at Brie Larson. Instead of picking something intensely serious and dramatic for her directorial debut, she goes for the whimsical Unicorn Store, and I commend her for it as it isn't half bad.

This is a very silly surreal film about a young woman who still believes in rainbows and unicorns and all things most people grew out of as children. Brie Larson is charming and loveable as the main character Kit and her turn at directing is also quite good too. It was also nice to see her and Samuel L Jackson back together again after Captain Marvel, and it was fun to see him looking silly and covered in streamers.

This might have a silly sounding plot about a unicorn store and there is a few laughs thrown in too, but beneath all of the sparkles and glitter this film has a few serious messages about life and love. To the point where I was almost shedding a tear at the end (and also wishing I had a unicorn and lots of rainbows and glitter in my life).

This film isn't perfect and I probably wouldn't watch it again, but it's a very heartwarming watch that should bring out the child in everyone.