Mark Vader Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 The month of November is here and so the "Holiday Season" of movies has returned. The flurry of big name titles and Oscar contenders both big and small will be thrust upon us for the remainder of 2014. With the weather getting colder and schools closing for holidays, weekends will be super busy at the multiplexes. As always there will be something for everybody this month. One movie franchise in particular has many moviegoers very anxious. The red hot and fully clothed Jennifer Lawrence returns with "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I". In District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever, Katniss Everdeen works to save Peeta and a nation moved by her courage under the leadership of President Coin and the advice of her trusted friends. Also starring Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrellson, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci, Julianne Moore, Toby Jones, Jena Malone & Philip Seymour Hoffman. Matthew McConaughey stars in director Christopher Nolan's, "Interstellar". A team of explorers travel through a wormhole in an attempt to find a potentially habitable planet that will sustain humanity. As is usual with Nolan, trailers for this movie have been vague, adding to the intrigue. The remaining impressive cast includes Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow, MacKenzie Foy, Casey Affleck, Wes Bentley & Ellen Burstyn. Disney brings it's latest animated tale, "Big Hero 6". The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes. Starring the voices of Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Jamie Chung & T.J. Miller. Steve Carell, Channing Tatum & Mark Ruffalo star in the festival darling, "Foxcatcher". Wrestler Mark Schultz forms a relationship with his new sponsor, millionaire John du Pont, as they train for the 1988 games in Seoul - a union that leads to unlikely circumstances as both men feel inferior to Mark's revered brother, Dave. Both critical acclaim and Oscar buzz are high on this one. Also starring Sienna Miller & Vanessa Redgrave. A spinoff from another animated franchise comes in with "Penguins of Madagascar". Super spy teams aren't born...they're hatched. Discover the secrets of the greatest and most hilarious covert birds in the global espionage biz: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private. Starring the voices of Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights & Benedict Cumberbatch. Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels & The Farrelly Brothers reunite with "Dumb & Dumber To". 20 years since their first adventure, Harry finds out he has a daughter who was adopted. Lloyd and Harry try to find Harry's adopted daughter. Also starring Rob Riggle and Laurie Holden. In "Horrible Bosses 2", Dale, Kurt and Nick decide to start their own business but things don't go as planned because of a slick investor, prompting the trio to pull off a harebrained and misguided kidnapping scheme. Starring Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Chris Pine & Christoph Waltz. In "Rosewater", Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari is detained by Iranian forces who brutally interrogate him under suspicion that he is a spy. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Kim Bodnia, Dimitri Leonidis & Haluk Bilginer. In "Beyond the Lights", The pressures of fame have superstar singer Noni on the edge, until she meets Kaz, a young cop who works to help her find the courage to develop her own voice and break free to become the artist she was meant to be. Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver & Richard Colson Baker. Finally, in "Jessabelle", Returning to her childhood home in Louisiana to recuperate from a horrific car accident, Jessabelle comes face to face with a long-tormented spirit that has been seeking her return -- and has no intention of letting her escape. Starring Sarah Snook, Mark Webber, Joelle Carter & David Andrews. Calendar with Trailers. 11/7 "Interstellar": https://interstellar.withgoogle.com/ "Big Hero 6": http://movies.disney.com/big-hero-6/ "Jessabelle": http://www.jessabellethemovie.com/ 11/14 "Foxcatcher": http://sonyclassics.com/foxcatcher/ "Dumb and Dumber To": http://dumbanddumbertointl.com/intl/ww/ "Beyond the Lights": http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi941337625?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_20 "Rosewater": http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2238688281?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1 11/21 "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I": http://www.thehungergamesexplorer.com/us/epk/mockingjay-part1/ 11/28 "Horrible Bosses 2": http://horriblebosses2.com/ "Penguins of Madagascar": http://madagascar.dreamworks.com/?gclid=CNn6w6iB9sECFQZffgod1bMAMg That's all for now. I'll post the Independent films later. Until then.....Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 We went to see "Intersteller" on Monday Mark Very good. Might be a bit slow for some as they may have been able to cut it down by 20 minutes or so. I still very much enjoyed it. Went to a RPX theater. Totally worth it for a movie like this. 8.0/10 . It's the only movie I've seen on your list Jessable looks like it might be good though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Bills Fan Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Cant wait to see Foxcatcher CBF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Interstellar - good. Even very good. It was definitely heavily influenced by 2001. Scientific accuracy was reasonable (it didn't stretch my suspension of disbelieve very badly). Visuals were astounding, I didn't think the end was nearly as hokey as some critics say. Matthew McConaughey's performance was good enough that I eventually forgot I was watching him. And the cast also includes a cameo by Matt Damon. But for God's sake...can we stop the practice of cranking the sound effects to eleven? I couldn't hear half the dialog - I found myself at some points wishing the movie had subtitles. My wife had her ears plugged for a full ten minutes at one point. If I wanted to hear loud bass and no dialog, I'd go see a Michael Bay movie. I give it one penguin out of five. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 It's been a while since I've known I'm going to see multiple movies in this thread. Interstellar and Horrible Bosses 2 are the top ones on my list. I'll probably check out Dumb and Dumber once it hits redbox. The wife will want to see Hunger Games: Return of the Jedi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Interstellar - good. Even very good. It was definitely heavily influenced by 2001. Scientific accuracy was reasonable (it didn't stretch my suspension of disbelieve very badly). Visuals were astounding, I didn't think the end was nearly as hokey as some critics say. Matthew McConaughey's performance was good enough that I eventually forgot I was watching him. And the cast also includes a cameo by Matt Damon. But for God's sake...can we stop the practice of cranking the sound effects to eleven? I couldn't hear half the dialog - I found myself at some points wishing the movie had subtitles. My wife had her ears plugged for a full ten minutes at one point. If I wanted to hear loud bass and no dialog, I'd go see a Michael Bay movie. I give it one penguin out of five. I'm surprised that you were okay with the scientific accuracy. I agree with it being visually stunning and well-acted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Cant wait to see Foxcatcher CBF Never heard of it, and just watched the preview and googled the real-life players. This seems fascinating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Bills Fan Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Never heard of it, and just watched the preview and googled the real-life players. This seems fascinating. Yeah I agree. I am hearing a lot of Oscar buzz around Carrell and Tatum CBF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Yeah I agree. I am hearing a lot of Oscar buzz around Carrell and Tatum CBF No surprise that we both are itching to see this! I need to come to Canada so we can have a movie marathon together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Yeah I agree. I am hearing a lot of Oscar buzz around Carrell and Tatum CBF There's a sentence I never thought I'd see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 (edited) Interstellar - good. Even very good. It was definitely heavily influenced by 2001. Scientific accuracy was reasonable (it didn't stretch my suspension of disbelieve very badly). Visuals were astounding, I didn't think the end was nearly as hokey as some critics say. Matthew McConaughey's performance was good enough that I eventually forgot I was watching him. And the cast also includes a cameo by Matt Damon. But for God's sake...can we stop the practice of cranking the sound effects to eleven? I couldn't hear half the dialog - I found myself at some points wishing the movie had subtitles. My wife had her ears plugged for a full ten minutes at one point. If I wanted to hear loud bass and no dialog, I'd go see a Michael Bay movie. I give it one penguin out of five. Matt Damon was a pleasant surprise and I thought he did a very good job. To bad he's such a jerk off but I will give him his due for being very good at his job. He manages to play lots of different roles effectively which is how I grade actors. I agree on the sound but in my theater it was the cranked up music that was distracting. I didn't notice the sound effects being to loud. Or did you really mean the music? Edited November 13, 2014 by Dante Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Bills Fan Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 No surprise that we both are itching to see this! I need to come to Canada so we can have a movie marathon together. Haha sounds like a plan! CBF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 I agree on the sound but in my theater it was the cranked up music that was distracting. I didn't notice the sound effects being to loud. Or did you really mean the music? No, I meant the effects (though the music was, too). It seems like the industry is going for some sort of "full immersion" effect in post-production, so that the audience REALLY feels what it's like to be in a spaceship with rockets firing, or on a battlefield surrounded by explosions, or whatever. Except it doesn't work. I don't go see sci-fi movies to be immersed in a space travel experience. I go see them to see the characters immersed in a space travel experience. I don't need to actually hear rockets firing at 120 decibels to enjoy the movie, any more than I needed to get punched in the mouth by a burly German airplane mechanic to enjoy Raiders of the Lost Ark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deranged Rhino Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 No, I meant the effects (though the music was, too). It seems like the industry is going for some sort of "full immersion" effect in post-production, so that the audience REALLY feels what it's like to be in a spaceship with rockets firing, or on a battlefield surrounded by explosions, or whatever. Except it doesn't work. I don't go see sci-fi movies to be immersed in a space travel experience. I go see them to see the characters immersed in a space travel experience. I don't need to actually hear rockets firing at 120 decibels to enjoy the movie, any more than I needed to get punched in the mouth by a burly German airplane mechanic to enjoy Raiders of the Lost Ark. Punch-O-Vision was originally attempted in a theater in Times Square, they hired a little person to hide in the darkness and pop out and punch the viewer at exactly the right moment. It was better received than Smell-O-Vision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted November 14, 2014 Author Share Posted November 14, 2014 (edited) We went to see "Intersteller" on Monday Mark Very good. Might be a bit slow for some as they may have been able to cut it down by 20 minutes or so. I still very much enjoyed it. Went to a RPX theater. Totally worth it for a movie like this. 8.0/10 . It's the only movie I've seen on your list Jessable looks like it might be good though. I saw "Interstellar" a few days ago, and I was very impressed. There is no question that Nolan is inspired by "2001" or "Solaris". The story is very compelling and very creative. The creativity of this movie seems to be drawing the most criticism, but c'mon people, it's a movie and it's science fiction, get over yourselves. All of the acting is on point and for a nearly 3 hour movie the pace is very good. Loved the look of the robots. I also appreciate Nolan going the old-fashioned route by using models for the ships instead of relying completely on cgi. Excellent job again, Mr. Nolan. What's next? Oh and one more thing, it sure looked like MacKenzie Foy could grow up to look like Jessica Chastain. Nice casting job there. Interstellar - good. Even very good. It was definitely heavily influenced by 2001. Scientific accuracy was reasonable (it didn't stretch my suspension of disbelieve very badly). Visuals were astounding, I didn't think the end was nearly as hokey as some critics say. Matthew McConaughey's performance was good enough that I eventually forgot I was watching him. And the cast also includes a cameo by Matt Damon. But for God's sake...can we stop the practice of cranking the sound effects to eleven? I couldn't hear half the dialog - I found myself at some points wishing the movie had subtitles. My wife had her ears plugged for a full ten minutes at one point. If I wanted to hear loud bass and no dialog, I'd go see a Michael Bay movie. I give it one penguin out of five. There were a couple of times when the effects got really loud at the theatre I saw it at. But it wasn't as bad an experience that you may have had. The music at times got a bit loud but it only added to the aspect of the movie. I understand what you mean, I hate it when the sound effects or sound mixing drowns out the dialogue. But that was not too big of an issue for me with this movie. Edited November 14, 2014 by Mark Vader Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 Cant wait to see Foxcatcher CBF You and me both. I wrestled with a lot of guys who wrestled with Schultz. He is one of this country's best wrestlers all time. I ended up going to Iowa the two Summers after he died to wrestle and remember the Brands brothers talking about him quite a bit. Being in Iowa, NCAA Championships in 91, 92, 93, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, ridiculous. Getting to wrestle dudes on that team that were NCAA championships, Olympics Qualifiers, in 97 they had just had five guys win the NCAA. That was amazing being out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 I went to see Interstellar this weekend. It didn't feel nearly as long as its actual running time, so that's always a good thing. I can't help but wonder how confused my wife was throughout the whole thing when most of the science is way over my head. Anyway, I wasn't too crazy about the ending. Everything after the black hole just didn't feel right to me. Still, I enjoyed it. I noticed the complaints earlier about the sound. I don't know if I was in a weaker theater or what, but I never noticed any issues. One sound thing did drive me crazy though. The entire movie I was trying to place the voice of the robot. He sounded so familiar to me but I couldn't figure it out. Then when I got home and looked it up, it was some guy I have never heard of. That was a bit of a letdown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 I went to see Interstellar this weekend. It didn't feel nearly as long as its actual running time, so that's always a good thing. I can't help but wonder how confused my wife was throughout the whole thing when most of the science is way over my head. Anyway, I wasn't too crazy about the ending. Everything after the black hole just didn't feel right to me. Still, I enjoyed it. This sounds like a redbox movie for me, where my wife falls asleep on the couch 10 minutes in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Saw Mockingjay this weekend. While it was essentially a teaser for the finale, still a completely watchable flick. I guess they filmed all of them before Seymour-Hoffman decided to off himself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Saw Mockingjay this weekend. While it was essentially a teaser for the finale, still a completely watchable flick. I guess they filmed all of them before Seymour-Hoffman decided to off himself? I was wondering what they were going to do without Philip Seymour-Hoffman. The movies in this series have all been solid-- can't wait to see this one and embarass my wife again, by raising up my hand with the mocking jay hand sign in the middle of the movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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