Sep 1, 2014

Monthly Movie Recap - August 2014

Wow, September already! For most of us, that means Halloween is just around the corner, but not Dinosaur Dracula! His countdown starts now and I love him for it.
This blog can only dream to be like his when it grows up. 

If you see a title you like, click to order from Amazon. Even if you don't see anything you like, click a link and find something you do like and buy from Amazon. Every little bit helps!

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Full disclosure: I was in love with this movie from the first trailer and I've been a fan of Rocket since the 80s. I had ridiculously high hopes for this movie. It did not disappoint! I haven't had this much pure fun watching a movie in a long time. I can't wait to see them interact with other residents of the MCU. I need prequels! Rocket & Groot, Nebula & Gamora, Star-Lord & Yondu's adventures!

Cool: The characters, the soundtrack, the gorgeousness...too many things to list!
Lame: It felt like there were throwing a lot of info at me and if I wasn't a comic reader, I don't know that I would have kept it all straight.
Rating: 8.5/10, the only people that shouldn't see this are those that don't like a good time


Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014)
This is loosely based on the Batman video game series, and Bats isn't in it as much as you might think. This is a Suicide Squad movie, despite the title. It's like an Ocean's 11 in the DC Universe.

Cool: You'd be lucky to see maybe two of these villains in a single feature, getting them together is a lot of fun.
Lame: Although Conroy is back, there's still a disconnect between his voice and the animation style for me. There's some characters I do not like in this style.
Rating: 6/10

*Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014)
Yeah, I watched it again! If they do another one, they need to step up their game. I'd like to find out aliens are causing the Sharknadoes.


The Definitive Document of the Dead (2012)
A documentary about the making of Romero's Dead films. The original Document was done in '78 and only covered up to Dawn of the Dead. This release is extended and goes up to Diary of the Dead. Maybe it's because we're spoiled with getting making of's now, but I found the older stuff to be a lot more interesting.

Rating: 7/10, must for Romero fans

Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
Well, this was a bit different than what I was expecting. The trailers don't do anything to promote the secondary plot running through it. I was thinking it might have been a bit dull but it definitely wasn't.

Cool: The performances all around were excellent and a joy to watch; Seeing what little of "classic" Disneyland they showed.
Lame: Secondary plot punches you right in the feels!
Rating: 7/10

Muppets Most Wanted (2014)
I liked it, but didn't love it like I did the previous one. There's some good jokes and I'm always happy to see the gang but it felt like it was missing something. Maybe human protagonists? I think we need at least one here because the gang is without Kermit for a good amount of time.

Cool: Once again, they manage to get just about any Muppet you want in the movie; Fun celeb cameos
Lame: Missing that magical Muppet something
Rating: 6/10

Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony (2013)
I watched about half of the first season of MLP when it started. And I liked it! This documentary looks at a few specific fans and how MLP affects their lives as they get ready to go to Bronycon. One of them is a young boy whose dad just doesn't understand why his boy would like MLP until he meets another dad. Another young man has Asperger's and is able to socially interact with others that share his interest. It's really just about people having fun celebrating what they're geeky about. If more people watched MLP, the world might actually be a little better place.

Cool: Tara Strong and John de Lancie
Lame: On one hand, going out of the country shows the global appeal of the show, on the other, it might have been a stronger doc all around if the travel money was used elsewhere
Rating: 7/10, if you're a passionate fan about anything, you might enjoy this

Children of the Corn (1984)
I've never seen any of these movies and had planned on making it the Previously Unviewed Franchise of the Month, but I didn't get through them all in time. Also, I don't know that I'll finish the series! Because this is the original, I was expecting more from it, even though King's film adaptations usually fall on the "miss" side.

Cool: The opening was fantastic
Lame: and then there's a lot of walking around; The ending got too silly with its animation to be scary
Rating: 4/10

Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice (1993)
They lost me with the old woman getting crushed under a house with her legs sticking out and lamenting "What a world! What a world!" If you're going to make that joke somewhat early in the movie, you have to make the rest of it intentionally silly too.

Cool: That one joke and an obvious dummy in a wheelchair going through a store front window are really the only reason to see this
Lame: The kids aren't creepy, the adults are stupid
Rating: 3/10

*Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
I'm not usually one to see a movie in the theater more than once, but I enjoyed it so much I had to see it again. Plus I had MovieCash from buying drinks at Subway. Although I unknowingly made the mistake of seeing an IMAX 3D movie in an IMAX theater that can't handle the hi-res IMAX footage properly. Never going back that AMC Theater for IMAX 3D again!


Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962)
With a combo like Irwin Allen and Jules Verne, you can't really go wrong. It's a pretty standard family friendly adventure movie only it's more grounded in reality, no fantastical creatures or fantasy elements. I've never seen Red Buttons anything before, so that's another thing I can check off.

Cool: The cast is a lot of fun; Like similar movies, it's beautiful to look at
Lame: Go ahead and watch the trailer and tell me that song doesn't get stuck in your head
Rating: 5.5/10

*The Princess Bride (1987)
This is one of those classic movies that's been talked about so much, there really isn't anything I can add. Except to ask that it never ever gets a remake. Ever.


All Cheerleaders Die (2013)
I didn't know anything about this one going in, I just presumed it involved cheerleaders and killing. While that's not wrong, I was expecting the cheerleaders to be the victims, not the killers! Look, it's not high cinema. Watch the trailer and you'll have an idea what you're in for.

Cool: I like the vibe of it once it gets going, it feels like a horror comic
Lame: I had trouble telling some of the girls apart for the first 30 minutes or so
Rating: 6/10, it's a decent bad movie.


Veronica Mars: The Movie (2014)
If you've never watched the TV series, do yourself a favor and watch all three seasons, unless you hate well written characters, plot, and witty dialog. I'm a huge Mars fan and even when you know all the right people are on a project, there's always that niggling of even if they get the band back together, will they still be as good as they were. The answer is yes, yes they are.

Cool: Kickstarted for $5 million by the fans; Everything is perfect, it's like going to a high school reunion but with people you actually want to see again
Lame: Not a thing
Rating: 9/10. Will you like this if you haven't seen the show? Maybe, but you'll miss a lot, including the joy of seeing the characters later in life. Seriously, watch the series and thank me later.

Month Total
 New: 11  Rewatch:3

Year To-Date Final Total 
New: 70 (+1 incomplete)  Rewatch: 14

2 comments:

  1. I loved GotG too! My favorite Marvel movie so far with Winter Solider and Avengers right behind it.

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    Replies
    1. Yup, I think that is my ranking order as well. But I do need to see Avengers again to be sure.

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