Last movie you watched & your rating

[Claytone]

I've been watching a lot of movies starring Jean-Claude Van Damme lately, with the goal being to watch all of his starring-role theatrical releases prior to JCVD before then watching JCVD if I can tolerate working through the weaker stuff (so far I've been able to). I like a lot of schlocky movies, so I've been having fun with it. Just watched The Quest, which was bad but had some nice martial arts choreography. Next up is Knock Off, which looks like a serviceable action movie.

So far I've loved the incredible Bloodsport and Hard Target. Universal Soldier is fun and also features Dolph Lundgren, which is nice. Timecop was okay. Beyond that it's difficult to recommend anything else I've watched, but I can enjoy seeking out redeeming qualities in bad movies, so I'm still having a good time.

Edit: I also see I'm up to 62 movies watched this year. I know that's a record without checking (if my Letterboxd is accurate, and it should be close, that's over 10% of the movies I've watched in my entire life). It's definitely something I've been prioritizing more in the past few years. I haven't exactly been watching a lot of the "canon" lately (although I did go to a screening of Vertigo the other day at least), but I'm sure I'll get tired of action trash eventually and get around to that.

[Kong Wen]

I've been watching a lot of movies starring Jean-Claude Van Damme lately, with the goal being to watch all of his starring-role theatrical releases prior to JCVD before then watching JCVD if I can tolerate working through the weaker stuff (so far I've been able to). I like a lot of schlocky movies, so I've been having fun with it. Just watched The Quest, which was bad but had some nice martial arts choreography. Next up is Knock Off, which looks like a serviceable action movie.

So far I've loved the incredible Bloodsport and Hard Target. Universal Soldier is fun and also features Dolph Lundgren, which is nice. Timecop was okay. Beyond that it's difficult to recommend anything else I've watched, but I can enjoy seeking out redeeming qualities in bad movies, so I'm still having a good time.

Edit: I also see I'm up to 62 movies watched this year. I know that's a record without checking (if my Letterboxd is accurate, and it should be close, that's over 10% of the movies I've watched in my entire life). It's definitely something I've been prioritizing more in the past few years. I haven't exactly been watching a lot of the "canon" lately (although I did go to a screening of Vertigo the other day at least), but I'm sure I'll get tired of action trash eventually and get around to that.

Love Hard Target! Watched it many times as a little kid.

JCVD is fun, but by the time you get there you start to realize it's just not as good as some of his legit movies, which makes sense. Still, it was one of the earlier big "meta" movies—before The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, but after Adaptation.

Street Fighter is fun, despite its status as a meme film (or because of it). Noticed you didn't mention that one.

[Claytone]

Love Hard Target! Watched it many times as a little kid.

JCVD is fun, but by the time you get there you start to realize it's just not as good as some of his legit movies, which makes sense. Still, it was one of the earlier big "meta" movies—before The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, but after Adaptation.

Street Fighter is fun, despite its status as a meme film (or because of it). Noticed you didn't mention that one.

Interesting thoughts on JCVD! Will be curious to see if I come away with the same feeling.

And yeah Street Fighter is a fun, goofy film. Plenty enjoyable despite its faults. Only forgot to mention it because I had already seen it multiple times before starting this JCVD speedrun.

[Kong Wen]

I watched my twentieth film of the year:

MIssion: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One (2023) — 9.15/10

I've always enjoyed these movies, particularly the batch of them past MI3, and this one is particularly good even in that context. It's a bit more of a "caper" than the last few, with a lot of interweaving parties of interest. Plus Rebecca Ferguson is perfect. Fun set-pieces. Cruise is starting to age though. Not to say that he was looking old, but he's not looking invincible anymore.


2023 in Summary
10-19: 9.15/10 Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One (2023) - laptop in hotel room
09-17: 7.5/10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) - laptop
08-27: 8.1/10 Enemy at the Gates (2001) - home cinema
08-16: 9.55/10 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) - studio TV
08-15: 8.7/10 Asteroid City (2023) - laptop
07-24: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - home cinema
07-16: 7.6/10 Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 (2023) - home cinema
07-05: 9.1/10 Tenet (2020) - other home cinema
07-02: 9.6/10 Arrival (2016) - other home cinema
06-23: 5.0/10 Georgetown (2019) - home cinema
05-20: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - laptop
05-18: 9.0/10 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) - home cinema
05-07: 5.1/10 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) - other home cinema
05-03: 8.4/10 The Suicide Squad (2021) - home cinema
04-30: 8.0/10 John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) - home cinema
04-21: 8.2/10 Nope (2022) - home cinema
04-20: 7.5/10 The Many Saints of Newark (2021) - home cinema
03-23: 8.1/10 The Harder They Fall (2021) - home cinema
02-19: 9.5/10 The Usual Suspects (1995) - other home cinema
01-28: 8.1/10 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - home cinema

[Kong Wen]

I watched my twenty-first film of the year:

Cobweb (2023) — 6.0/10

Most people here will know by now that I don't do horror movies. I usually find them boring, or I sometimes find them preposterous enough to be comical. But it's Halloween and Mrs. Kong is a huge horror fan, so here we are. It's fine. The main strengths of this one lie in the atmosphere and overall feeling of something not being quite right, and in the acting of the parents. A precise amount of off-putting creepiness. The dad is Homelander! He's great at simmering creepiness!


2023 in Summary
11-01: 6.0/10 Cobweb (2023) - home cinema
10-19: 9.15/10 Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One (2023) - laptop in hotel room
09-17: 7.5/10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) - laptop
08-27: 8.1/10 Enemy at the Gates (2001) - home cinema
08-16: 9.55/10 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) - studio TV
08-15: 8.7/10 Asteroid City (2023) - laptop
07-24: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - home cinema
07-16: 7.6/10 Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 (2023) - home cinema
07-05: 9.1/10 Tenet (2020) - other home cinema
07-02: 9.6/10 Arrival (2016) - other home cinema
06-23: 5.0/10 Georgetown (2019) - home cinema
05-20: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - laptop
05-18: 9.0/10 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) - home cinema
05-07: 5.1/10 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) - other home cinema
05-03: 8.4/10 The Suicide Squad (2021) - home cinema
04-30: 8.0/10 John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) - home cinema
04-21: 8.2/10 Nope (2022) - home cinema
04-20: 7.5/10 The Many Saints of Newark (2021) - home cinema
03-23: 8.1/10 The Harder They Fall (2021) - home cinema
02-19: 9.5/10 The Usual Suspects (1995) - other home cinema
01-28: 8.1/10 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - home cinema

Damn, I know 2023 has been a hell of a year for video games, but it's been great for films as well! Cobweb, Mission Impossible, TMNT, Spider-Verse, Asteroid City, SMB, Guardians 3, and D&D all hit my list from this year, and I haven't even gotten to Barbenheimer yet.

[MerlinDrazziw]

Watched The Super Mario Bros. Movie and enjoyed it .. 8/10

[Kong Wen]

I watched my twenty-second and twenty-third films of the year:

My twenty-second was a rewatch of Dead Reckoning on my uncle's professional home cinema. Wild experience. My twenty-third was a new one to me:

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) — 8.7/10

This was a surprise little Wes Anderson short film (~40 minutes) based on a Roald Dahl story, which dropped on Netflix in September. One of my comments on Asteroid City was how theatrical it was in terms of staging and performance, and this takes that to the next level, with sets literally being moved around in the background while action is taking place on screen, makeup and costumes being changed on screen, etc. Anyway, it's an excellent story, and this was a nice format for it. I think it actually works better than Asteroid City, and I liked Asteroid City! Cute short.


2023 in Summary
11-23: 8.7/10 The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) - home cinema
11-11: 9.15/10 Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One (2023) - Warner Bros. private cinema
11-01: 6.0/10 Cobweb (2023) - home cinema
10-19: 9.15/10 Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One (2023) - laptop in hotel room
09-17: 7.5/10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) - laptop
08-27: 8.1/10 Enemy at the Gates (2001) - home cinema
08-16: 9.55/10 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) - studio TV
08-15: 8.7/10 Asteroid City (2023) - laptop
07-24: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - home cinema
07-16: 7.6/10 Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 (2023) - home cinema
07-05: 9.1/10 Tenet (2020) - other home cinema
07-02: 9.6/10 Arrival (2016) - other home cinema
06-23: 5.0/10 Georgetown (2019) - home cinema
05-20: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - laptop
05-18: 9.0/10 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) - home cinema
05-07: 5.1/10 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) - other home cinema
05-03: 8.4/10 The Suicide Squad (2021) - home cinema
04-30: 8.0/10 John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) - home cinema
04-21: 8.2/10 Nope (2022) - home cinema
04-20: 7.5/10 The Many Saints of Newark (2021) - home cinema
03-23: 8.1/10 The Harder They Fall (2021) - home cinema
02-19: 9.5/10 The Usual Suspects (1995) - other home cinema
01-28: 8.1/10 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - home cinema

[Kong Wen]

I watched my twenty-fourth film of the year:

Oppenheimer (2023) — 9.56/10

It was good. Good pace, good early tension, great performances. Nolan actually brings some feeling of action to boardroom argument scenes. Satisfying ending.


2023 in Summary
11-25: 9.56/10 Oppenheimer (2023) - home cinema
11-23: 8.7/10 The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) - home cinema
11-11: 9.15/10 Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One (2023) - Warner Bros. private cinema
11-01: 6.0/10 Cobweb (2023) - home cinema
10-19: 9.15/10 Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One (2023) - laptop in hotel room
09-17: 7.5/10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) - laptop
08-27: 8.1/10 Enemy at the Gates (2001) - home cinema
08-16: 9.55/10 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) - studio TV
08-15: 8.7/10 Asteroid City (2023) - laptop
07-24: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - home cinema
07-16: 7.6/10 Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 (2023) - home cinema
07-05: 9.1/10 Tenet (2020) - other home cinema
07-02: 9.6/10 Arrival (2016) - other home cinema
06-23: 5.0/10 Georgetown (2019) - home cinema
05-20: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - laptop
05-18: 9.0/10 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) - home cinema
05-07: 5.1/10 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) - other home cinema
05-03: 8.4/10 The Suicide Squad (2021) - home cinema
04-30: 8.0/10 John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) - home cinema
04-21: 8.2/10 Nope (2022) - home cinema
04-20: 7.5/10 The Many Saints of Newark (2021) - home cinema
03-23: 8.1/10 The Harder They Fall (2021) - home cinema
02-19: 9.5/10 The Usual Suspects (1995) - other home cinema
01-28: 8.1/10 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - home cinema

[Kong Wen]

I watched my twenty-fifth film of the year:

It Follows (2014) — 8.55/10

Watched another horror movie tonight as a concession to Mrs. Kong's tastes. I heard this was a good, original concept and it was indeed pretty good. Didn't rely on cheap scares or boring monsters that just attack. The run-down setting and the Disasterpeace soundtrack were fantastic, and the atmospheric nature of the central gimmick was well-executed. The fact that they let it chill in the background of several shots without drawing attention to it is great.


2023 in Summary
11-28: 8.55/10 It Follows (2014) - home cinema
11-25: 9.56/10 Oppenheimer (2023) - home cinema
11-23: 8.7/10 The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) - home cinema
11-11: 9.15/10 Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One (2023) - Warner Bros. private cinema
11-01: 6.0/10 Cobweb (2023) - home cinema
10-19: 9.15/10 Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One (2023) - laptop in hotel room
09-17: 7.5/10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) - laptop
08-27: 8.1/10 Enemy at the Gates (2001) - home cinema
08-16: 9.55/10 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) - studio TV
08-15: 8.7/10 Asteroid City (2023) - laptop
07-24: 8.5/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - home cinema
07-16: 7.6/10 Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 (2023) - home cinema
07-05: 9.1/10 Tenet (2020) - other home cinema
07-02: 9.6/10 Arrival (2016) - other home cinema
06-23: 5.0/10 Georgetown (2019) - home cinema
05-20: 8.5/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - laptop
05-18: 9.0/10 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) - home cinema
05-07: 5.1/10 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) - other home cinema
05-03: 8.4/10 The Suicide Squad (2021) - home cinema
04-30: 8.0/10 John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) - home cinema
04-21: 8.2/10 Nope (2022) - home cinema
04-20: 7.5/10 The Many Saints of Newark (2021) - home cinema
03-23: 8.1/10 The Harder They Fall (2021) - home cinema
02-19: 9.5/10 The Usual Suspects (1995) - other home cinema
01-28: 8.1/10 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - home cinema

[Kong Wen]

I watched my twenty-sixth film of the year:

Nobody (2021) — 7.4/10

This is the "John Wick but it's Saul Goodman" movie. It's more comedic and less stylized than the John Wick films, but the "unlikely retired killer comes out of retirement to kill" premise is intact. It has a string of set-pieces involving either killing dudes or confronting them in a supremely confident way, but the ending becomes a full-on Home Alone funhouse of death.


2023 in Summary
12-09: 7.4/10 Nobody (2021) - home cinema
11-28: 8.55/10 It Follows (2014) - home cinema
11-25: 9.56/10 Oppenheimer (2023) - home cinema
11-23: 8.7/10 The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) - home cinema
11-11: 9.15/10 Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One (2023) - Warner Bros. private cinema
11-01: 6.0/10 Cobweb (2023) - home cinema
10-19: 9.15/10 Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One (2023) - laptop in hotel room
09-17: 7.5/10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) - laptop
08-27: 8.1/10 Enemy at the Gates (2001) - home cinema
08-16: 9.55/10 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) - studio TV
08-15: 8.7/10 Asteroid City (2023) - laptop
07-24: 8.5/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - home cinema
07-16: 7.6/10 Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 (2023) - home cinema
07-05: 9.1/10 Tenet (2020) - other home cinema
07-02: 9.6/10 Arrival (2016) - other home cinema
06-23: 5.0/10 Georgetown (2019) - home cinema
05-20: 8.5/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - laptop
05-18: 9.0/10 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) - home cinema
05-07: 5.1/10 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) - other home cinema
05-03: 8.4/10 The Suicide Squad (2021) - home cinema
04-30: 8.0/10 John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) - home cinema
04-21: 8.2/10 Nope (2022) - home cinema
04-20: 7.3/10 The Many Saints of Newark (2021) - home cinema
03-23: 8.1/10 The Harder They Fall (2021) - home cinema
02-19: 9.5/10 The Usual Suspects (1995) - other home cinema
01-28: 8.1/10 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - home cinema