Anyone But You (2023)
Its a fun Rom-Com loosely based on Much Ado about Nothing by Shakespeare. The chemistry between the leads Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell is undeniably great and that made the movie very entertaining for me.
3/5
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Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Japanese epic kaiju film. It's about a giant monster emerging in post war Japan. I have watched all 36 Godzilla movies up to this point so I think I can fairly rate this one, too. And it's so good, I'd place it safely in third place after Godzilla (1954) and Shin Godzilla (2016). A great Godzilla movie has to have a great human story as well, and this one definitely does. It's genuinely a great movie and if you've only seen American Godzilla movies you should definitely watch this one. Also, if you're waiting for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) to come out, why not kill some time by watching this? Maybe it'll even convert you to the Japanese movies. So yeah, all in all I think this a great movie that I can only highly recommend. Shame that no cinema near me showed this one when it came out last year.
Okay, so with this I've also finished the Best Visual Effects category and this movie would be my top pick... if it wasn't for The Creator (2023).
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My fingers are tightly crossed for the win here, but unfortunately I have a feeling The Creator is more likely to nab it. Hoping to be proven wrong!
Personally still kinda sad it didn't get any other nominations. Visual Effects nomination is well deserved, but I feel like it should've at least gotten one for Music as well.
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The Creator (2023) didn't have a lot going for it story-wise, but the visual language and the VFX were incredible, especially when seeing it on the big screen. If it was up to me I'd give them both an Oscar. :D
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Sorry to bump again, but just wanted to let it out: Yay, so glad for Godzilla Minus One win! Japanese VFX has come a long way and definitely deserves the recognition. :D
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I've been a big fan of Godzilla ever since I watched all (then) 35 movies in the franchise in January of 2021. And hearing the theme last night when it won the Oscar was just so great.
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Perfect Days (2023)
Japanese-German drama film. It's about a toilet cleaner in Tokyo reflecting on himself and his life. Very slice-of-life with a great performance by Kōji Yakusho. Overall I really liked this one and can highly recommend it.
Finished the Best International Feature Film category this year with this. I feel like it's either gonna be this or The Zone of Interest. But the other nominees were also very good.
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I still have this one to see from the nominations and after reading your thoughts on other nominees(I won't spam you with comments :D), I'm very interested to watch this one soon.
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I always appreciate feedback and other people's thoughts on the movies I'm watching, so if you want to spam, spam away. :D
And yeah, it's a beautiful, peaceful movie. Definitely go check it out whenever you can.
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Finally seen this one. The very definition of a mundane slice-of-life movie, but definitely in a good sense. Despite very little actually happening, it didn't feel long at all and was an enjoyable watch with some nice tunes to back it up. I'd definitely agree it has a chance of winning, but still will put my prediction on The Zone of Interest instead.
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Right? It's just such a nice experience. Like you're just following this guy around for a while and then you leave again. You get a small glimpse into his everyday life and that's it. Sometimes that's all a movie needs to be.
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Robot Dreams (2023)
Spanish-French animated tragicomedy film. It's about the friendship between a dog and a robot in Manhattan in 1984. It's a very good movie that I can definitely recommend.
And with this I finish the Best Animated Feature category and also the whole thing. All 53 nominated feature and short films. People have told me to watch this one last and now that I've done that I definitely agree. So... yeah, the Oscars can't come soon enough now.
Same thing I did last year, if I'd be a voting member of the Academy this is what I'd vote for:
Best Visual Effects: The Creator
Best Film Editing: Anatomy of a Fall
Best Costume Design: Poor Things
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Society of the Snow
Best Cinematography: Oppenheimer
Best Production Design: Barbie
Best Sound: The Zone of Interest
Best Original Song: What Was I Made For? - Barbie
Best Original Score: Poor Things
Best Animated Short Film: Ninety-Five Senses
Best Live Action Short Film: Knight of Fortune
Best Documentary Short Film: The Last Repair Shop
Best Documentary Feature: 20 Days in Mariupol
Best International Feature Film: The Zone of Interest
Best Animated Feature Film: The Boy and the Heron
Best Adapted Screenplay: Oppenheimer
Best Original Screenplay: The Holdovers
Best Supporting Actress: Da'Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
Best Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer
Best Actress: Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Actor: Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers
Best Director: Yorgos Lanthimos – Poor Things
Best Picture: Oppenheimer
And if you've watched any of them I would love to hear your thoughts on any of these choices and on the movies themselves.
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I wasn't really shocked they chose to snub Lily Gladstone. Not taking anything away from Stone's performance ofc, Gladstone was the superior choice but you know... she started making speeches in Blackfeet language and suddenly she became too "political" for the Oscars, who really only care about diversity when it's for show.
I was really bored by Oppenheimer. I was very familiar with the story and I didn't feel the movie was bringing anything but a dry report of facts despite the mostly talented cast. I found the script of American Fiction deserved that win.
Robert Downey Jr wins for "best actor you know made unrecognizable by makeup artists" though, as many have before.
Sadly Giamatti and Lanthimos are just not Hollywood enough to ever win an Oscar despite their best efforts.
The only thing that made me really happy was The Boy and the Heron winning. It's good that Disney-Pixar have gone down the drain. It leaves room at the top for more genuine animation and people who were long deserving to finally get their reward.
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Lily Gladstone was great in KotFM, but Emma Stone was great in Poor Things, so for me it could've gone either way.
I was surprised by American Fiction winning Best Adapted Screenplay but it definitely deserves it. And Cord Jefferson's speech about making twenty $10M movies instead of one $200M one was great. I'm all for more mid-budget movies like that.
I'm just hopeful that with the Oscar in his pocket RDJ will get to make more serious dramas and stuff where he can shine.
Paul Giamatti really flourished in his role in The Holdovers and you can see Yorgos Lanthimos in every second of Poor Things. But yeah, against something as oscar-baity as Oppenheimer (which by far isn't Christopher Nolan's best movie) they seemed to have had no chance.
For a second I thought they'd go with the expected Spiderverse movie, but I was so happy when TBatH won, because it's a really special movie for me. I only got into Studio Ghibli movies last year and then I was able to experience a new one on the big screen so despite not being Miyazaki's best I'm so glad he won.
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Lily Gladstone was great in KotFM, but Emma Stone was great in Poor Things, so for me it could've gone either way.
You're right ofc but I guess Emma Stone will be up for others. I doubt Gladstone ever get another shot, movies being as they are these days.
Paul Giamatti really flourished in his role in The Holdovers
I told a friend Giamatti was so underrated and he said "well, considering he's not Ryan Gosling, and he managed to get to a point where even I know who he is, I guess he's done better than he could have in Hollywood", which I guess is right. Still, I wish he'd been recognized this one time.
For a second I thought they'd go with the expected Spiderverse movie
Heh nah, super heroes are not cool anymore, haven't you heard? ;)
It was a good animated movie but nowhere near the same league as Studio Ghibli. I didn't get to see TBAtH on the big screen but maybe the oscar will get a few of the indie theatres around here to show it.
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Dream Scenario (2023)
American black comedy fantasy film. It's about an unassuming professor who suddenly starts appearing in people's dreams. Very creative concept and Nic Cage was definitely the right person for the lead role. It's funny, but also some very anxiety-inducing scenes later on. Overall very enjoyable. Can recommend.
The Invisible Man (2020)
Australian-American science fiction horror film. It's about a woman who believes she is being stalked and gaslit by her deceased ex-boyfriend after he acquires the ability to become invisible. Rewatched this yesterday and it's still great.
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The Iron Claw (2023)
British-American biographical sports drama film. It's about the Von Erich wrestling family and how the father groomed his sons for success in the wrestling world. And the movie is actually very good. Not good enough that I'd replace any of this year's nominees with it, but still a lot better than I expected. I even teared up a bit at the end. So yeah, despite not caring about wrestling at all, I can definitely recommend this movie.
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in the theater? endgame. Was fun, but I haven't been back since.
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Damsel
Its about a mother dragon and brutality of greedy humans.
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Dune Part II
Bit disappointed tbh. I liked the first movie and had great hopes for the second but the pacing was all wrong and the screenplay wasn't at the level of the first.
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Spaceman (2024)
American science fiction drama film. It's about an astronaut sent on a mission to the edge of the solar system who encounters a mysterious traveler that helps him put his earthly problems back together. I went into this with no expectations at all and I was blown away. Definitely one of Adam Sandler's best performances and a movie that might rival Interstellar (2014) with all the metaphysical stuff, at least for me. I can only highly recommend this!
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Speed Racer with John Goodman.
It's literally one of the most random movies I got to watch about an animated series that stayed true to the source material. The fact everyone did their roles remarkably well and it's even got a monkey.
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Dune Part 2 and I was riveted! Yes, it could have been better coughChrisWalkensuckedcough but what we got was incredible IMO
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The Fearless Vampire Killers, or Pardon Me but Your Teeth Are in My Neck (1967)
British-American comedy horror film. It's about a vampire hunter and his assistant travelling to a small village where they find the tell-tale traces of vampirism. The story is pretty basic but it's a fun watch so I can recommend it.
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Poor Things and i loved it.
I knew right away it was my kind of jam but was surprised by the film, beats and twists i wasnt expecting.
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David Brent: Life on the Road (2016)
British mockumentary comedy film. It's about Ricky Gervais' David Brent, a character he played in the BBC television comedy series The Office, who has a film crew that shadows him as he travels up and down the country living his dream of being a rock star. Just finished The Office today (on to the US remake soon) so I had to finish with this movie. It's not quite as good as the series, but then again, it came out 15 years after that. But I still think it's a nice farewell to the character, so I can recommend it.
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Pacific Heights (1990)
American psychological thriller film. It's about a couple renovating their dream house and renting out some apartments to pay for it, but one of their tenants is not as easygoing as he first seemed. Good cast (Melanie Griffith, Matthew Modine, Michael Keaton, Tippi Hedren and more) who are delivering great performances, especially Micheal Keaton. Overall I definitely enjoyed this one. Recommended!
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Bottle Rocket (1993)
American crime comedy short film. It's about three friends planning and executing a robbery. Yes, this is the short film Wes Anderson made with his friends Robert Musgrave, Luke Wilson and Owen Wilson. It was screened at Sundance and caught the attention of filmmaker James L. Brooks, who financed Anderson and his friends into making it into a feature film, Bottle Rocket (1996). We can really see that Wes Anderson already grew as a filmmaker between the short and the feature. It's definitely very interesting to see where he got his start and on top of that it's also a very good short film, if not a bit short, but that's where the feature comes in. Definitely recommended!
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Two Cars, One Night (2003)
New Zealand comedy drama short film. It's about two young boys and a girl meeting in a pub's carpark and at first they're teasing each other but then they just talk. Taika Waititi had been acting in a few movies by this point but this was one of his first directorial efforts. Very slice of life, just some kids making a connection for a moment and then probably never seeing each other again. I feel like everyone has had an experience like that at some point during their childhood. Overall I think this is a great short film, especially for how simple it is. I can highly recommend it!
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Yakuza Apocalypse (2015)
Japanese action fantasy–yakuza vampire film. It's about a Yakuza boss who is secretly a vampire. I was in the mood for some weird Japanese movie and immediately thought of the great Takashi Miike. So while I was browsing through his filmography this one caught my eye (for understandable reasons). Just from the genre description alone, I knew I was in for something fun. And it did not disappoint. Definitely something I can recommend.
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Ricky Stanicky (2024)
American comedy film. It's about three kids inventing a fictional character named Ricky to cover up a prank gone wrong, but they still rely on him as adults, which turns into a problem when their families finally want to meet him. Good cast in a nice mid-budget movie and that's all there is to say. It's actually quite good and it's certainly enjoyable, so I can recommend it.
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Kingpin (1996)
American sports comedy film. It's about an alcoholic ex-professional bowler who becomes the manager for a promising Amish talent. Very good cast (Woody Harrelson, Bill Murray, Randy Quaid and more). Interesting story and overall just a good movie. Can recommend!
It's also funny that I coincidentally watched two Peter Farrelly movies in a row.
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Next Floor (2008)
Canadian dark comedy short film. It's about a group of eleven people endlessly gorging themselves on raw meats at a banquet. Well, in my journey of watching great directors' early short films today I watched this, an early short film by Denis Villeneuve. This one is not as early as the others I've seen, considering Villeneuve already made three other short films and two feature films before this one. Still fascinating to see something this grotesque and absurd (but still very well made) from the guy who made Incendies (2010), Prisoners (2013), Enemy (2013), Sicario (2015), Arrival (2016), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024) to much international acclaim. Overall I can definitely recommend this!
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Here we go, I'll start.
Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (2010) - This movie is a joke. At first it's interesting, then it's boring and then it's just funny/pathetic. And they put it in a "horror" genre. Words are not sufficient. Nosferatu is turning in his grave. 3/10
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