I’ll start: “Happy Death Day”
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
I didn’t think the trailer looked good and it felt meh, but I ended up loving the movie a lot.
It was super attentive to d&d details such as almost all the classes of the party using intelligence as dump stats or the specifics of the spells mechanics while also not needing the audience to know any of that to have a good time and understand what was going on.
And the use of d&d lore and mechanics were woven into the characters and narrative, it wasn’t just hey remember this thing from d&d. Way underrated, probably bad marketing.
The Cabin in the Woods. Only seen it once so far and I’m still floored thinking back on it and how well it did its thing.
I was about to say the same, the purge was such a creative joy
WWF wrestler discovers magic sunglasses and yuppie aliens. It’s a John Carpenter film and has one of the longest fist fights.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is always a good mention.
It’s a fun and very accessible movie.
I may be biased, as an RPG nerd, but man, they hit all the notes so damn well. That was such a good movie.
I never played d&d or any games of that style, and probably missed out on a bunch of the catered moments, but I still enjoyed it very much
Agreed. Also doesn’t hurt that I enjoyed Pine when he played Kirk
It’s very much worth watching the older dnd movies just to see how amazingly bad they were(i still like the first one they did but acknowledge how bad it is)
I thought it might be a stupid movie to hate watch but I enjoyed it. The bread crumb trail quest line type of movie scratched the itch for me.
Which is precisely the problem: I am not, and not only was I mildly bored, I also found the narrative to be just plain incoherent. It was obvious to me the story was driven by some Reference Guide on RPG stuff, and not on captivating an audience.
I guess it hit every nail on the head. That’s all it hit, actually.
I sometimes like to pride myself on my ability to take a different viewpoint, but today it’s absolutely failing me, lol. I really thought this was a movie everyone could at least enjoy.
I guess it hit every nail on the head. That’s all it hit, actually.
That’s a fascinating statement. Could you elaborate a bit?
Not much to it outside of trying to convey “perfect by RPG standards, tropes and parameters (probably)”, but failed to “hit” me in any way.
Watching it, I was expecting to see something akin to a Franchise movie, where you may miss a bit or two if you’re not in on all the lore. But I was also expecting true entertainment with striking visuals, gripping storytelling, stuff like that
Imagine watching a spy movie. 20% in you have adversarial hierarchy, 30% in the car chase, 66% in the romantic pause, 80% in the unexpected traitor, 95% in the final hand-to-hand fight to avert the end of the universe or whatever… And it’s boring, but everybody around you is telling you it was so great because it’s got it all, the car chase the traitor the, the.
Doesn’t make a good movie.
On the contrary, the best part about it is that it’s not a compilation of references the audience is supposed to already know about. It’s just a fun adventure movie. The reason the RPG crowd sing it praises is that in addition, if you know how to read it, the actual plot is “girlfriend is curious about what we’re all doing every Tuesday evening”
Yeah, the entire story follows the major beats of a group of people playing DND. Everything that happens would be familiar to a player. Your party always gets captured and thrown in a prison from where you must escape. Dungeon Masters (the people running the game) will frequently introduce an overpowered “helper” NPC to move the party along in the right direction, but that character won’t engage in the fights. Parties will find several puzzles that the DM has spent hours creating, only for the party to use some magic or tool in a creative way to bypass the entire puzzle.
To someone expecting standard fantasy storytelling, it’s jarring and weird. The anachronistic language, the character decisions that don’t make sense, the magic artifacts that seem to just happen to be exactly what the party needs in the moment, it’s all stuff that would happen around a table in someone’s basement. It helps to think of each character as a regular person you know today playing a game where they make all the decisions for the character. Convenient contrivances or frustrating failures are the DM having fun with the story. Sometimes the dice rolls 20 and you do something miraculous, and sometimes you roll a 1, trip over a pebble and stab yourself in the face.
You don’t have to be a dnd player to enjoy the movie, but you do need to understand the lens through which you’re watching it. Otherwise, the tone and pacing seem really strange.
It had a lot of heart and you could almost “feel” the good/bad dice rolls happening.
The Paladin had me in stitches
I loved the 5 questions.
This movie took me completely by surprise by how good it was. I feel like you could tell everyone involved had experience playing TTRPGs, from the director, to the writer(s), all the way down to the catering crew!
Although the interviews with the cast are hilarious just because Hugh Grant doesn’t have a single clue about DnD but also couldn’t give a single fuck about it.
Should he need to? He’s an actor. He can pretend to know what he is doing.
No, of course not. But it’s funny how he openly admits to his ignorance. He still gives a great performance and was obviously very well liked by the rest of the cast.
One of the best movies of the year for me, and I was expecting hot garbage.
Good call! Wife and I watched that one on a whim, thinking it would be a good “bad” movie to watch while having a few drinks and were pleasantly surprised!
You probably need be at least familiar with RPG/fantasy tropes to fully enjoy it, but it definitely felt like it came from a place of love and self-awareness, rather than the cynical cash-grab I was expecting.
Pine as a character and narrator def carried a lot of the weight.
I don’t rewatch movies unless its been a few years and I really enjoyed.
Ive provably watched that movie 10x by now. Jarnathan would know what I’m saying if he were here.
Absolutely loved that movie. It’s mixture of slapstick humor and melodrama are a perfect representation of actual D&D.
And the 80s Dungeons and Dragons movie is… well, it has Tim Curry.
I just went and watched it for the first time because of this message. FANTASTIC movie! Excellent recommendation!
Originally, Pirates of the Caribbean. A movie made because of a Disney ride seemed like a stupid idea.
The first one was fairly clever in that they had probably 50 years of collective ideas and inspiration to work off of. It’s a story that needed to push no boundaries and hold to established tropes, with no expectations because it was a ride: perfect for Disney.
Now when Disney gets their hands on an established franchise full of expectations…
Johnny Depp fucking carries that franchise.
He nailed Jack sparrow so damn hard I can’t picture anyone else in that role. It sets the pace of the movie too.
He not only nailed it so hard no one else can play the role, he nailed it so hard he became synonymous with the role.
I remember people thinking he was crazy when he first stepped into the role and was swaying and shit.
The balls it took to fully immerse yourself like that. Paid off in spades.
The first step off the boat sets the pace.
I just think of it as a live action Monkey Island.
Does that actually work? I have only played the 1st 20 minutes of Monkey Island lol
They have a lot of similarities.
According to wikipedia, Monkey Island was inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and Pirates of the Caribbean was rumored to be based on a cancelled script for a Monkey Island movie.
The first one was my obsession when it came out in dvd
Wait…the movie is based on the ride, not the other way around?
Dude, way to make me feel old lol.
They updated the ride after the movies, so… It’s kind of circular at this point.
Clue
Movie based on a board game? Blegh
But it’s awesome. Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Lesley Ann Warren
It is then we’re reminded of the ability of good writers and performers to take even a low-potential idea and fucking kill it. With a pen. In the study.
This is top 3 of all time for me. There is so much happening in every scene you can watch it multiple times and still catch little jokes or sight gags each viewing.
No matter how many times I see it I can never figure out if it was 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 or 1 + 2 + 1 + 1.
It was 1+2+1+1 or 1+2+2+1
Unless Scarlett is right!
I also expected a disaster. I wasn’t prepared for how entertaining it was!
Having John Landis write the story didn’t hurt.
Absolutely one of my favorite movies
Tucker and Dave vs. Evil. Looks like another dumb Netflix original, but it was one of the best horror/comedies I’ve seen.
Speaking of the genre, big nods to another one - Little Evil.
It Follows - just read the premise of the film and tell me it doesn’t sound dumb… Then go watch it
Oh and Colossal!!! Ann Hathaway stars in this bizarre and very deep movie about a giant monster that can be controlled from a playground. Amazing movie. Trust me
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil! Amazing movie! I put it on one day just so I could check it off my list of new things out and, figured if I love the Evil Dead series (and also, as someone else mentioned in the thread, the Re-Animator) how awful could this be… it wasn’t. It was fantastic.
Enjoyed Little Evil too. So, I’m putting Colossal on my list right now!
I think Colossal will surprise you. It’s not exactly a horror comedy, but a very serious film wrapped in a ridiculous story
Similar vein: Slaxx. I’m not sure how vampire pants fits into things but boy does it start a conversation about using cheap labor for profit and the cost of life for that profit.
It Follows… Amazing
I think I wtched it follows, fully expecting to be awestruck and it just ended.
Colossal was weird, but i liked it. I could see where people would be thinking, what is this and why am I watching it, but it felt like real life to me. For a movie about monster avatars unwittingly being controlled from half a world away, anyway.
Tremors
Looks like a B movie, cheesy horror flick.
It’s got a great cast with supurb acting. The script is easily one of the tightest ever written. Every line is important to the overall story. And it’s just fun to watch.
There’s also Tremors 2: Aftershocks.
Plus there’s Tremors 3: Back to Perfection.
Followed by Tremors 4: The Legend Begins.
Then Tremors 5: Bloodlines.
Don’t forget Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell.
One might think Tremors: Shrieker Island, AKA Tremors 7: Island Furry (I spelled that wrong on purpose, it has nothing to do with furries) would be enough for Michael Gross to quit his acting career but how else was he going to pay for his ludicrous railroad memorabilia obsession and also the railroad he owns and the ‘safety first when crossing railroad tracks’ campaign?
So no, it didn’t end there. They kept the franchise going, choo! choo! with the imaginatively titled television series, Tremors: The Series.
If you skip the credits, you can watch all of it in less than 24 hours.
If you skip the credits, you can watch all of it in less than 24 hours.
LMAO, any Tremors fan around here?
I’m still waiting for a Tremors vs Critters vs Gremlins movie. We have the technology to make it but what would Hollywood do after such a masterpiece? It would be pointless to make movies after that, none could ever top it.
No, but what else are you going to do stuck up power pylon.
The first sequel is so so, but the others that are all centered around Burt Gummer are plenty of silly fun too.
Came here to say exactly this. Only commented cause I can’t upvote twice.
Omg, Tremors…I haven’t watched it in years. That was such a good movie.
Con Air
It is absolutely not well written but I just love how the film and all the actors are completely aware of how dumb the entire thing is.
Oh, and casting Chief Engineer Miles O’Brien as the jerk that everyone hates is the icing on this guilty-pleasure cake.
I loved this movie when I was younger but it’s been a while… I’m sorry, WHAT?! O’Brien?! oh I need to see this one again
Con Air is an amazing “Sunday evening after eating too much dinner” film.
Sucker punch.
Looks like a mindless action with titties, but it’s actually a good movie. Give it a try if you haven’t.
This description reminded me of Club Dread, loved that movie as a preteen/teen
I watched a lengthy video essay about this movie that really made me want to watch it. Was definitely shocked by the level of thought put into the symbolism within the film.
Disney’s “The Black Hole”. It came from a time just after Walt Disney had died and they were still figuring out their shit.
So they made an extremely dark SciFi flick with a cute robot that appeals to children which is such a weird combination, but I liked it a lot. I can’t even say why.
The U.S.S. Cygnus looks fucking badass, too. One of the best ship designs in a SciFi movie, change my mind.
Disney writer #1: Let’s make a Tower of Babel parable, but set it space!
Disney writer #2: Are we going to end the movie with the antagonist being sent to actual-factual Hell?
Disney writer #1: You fucking know it!
A space-ship that’s 60% glass, 20% stiffener bars and 20% normal space-ship stuff,
Then throw an air traffic control tower on top.
Yeah I can only imagine the number of untraceable air leaks in that thing, especially as it ages and the DAP around the glass starts to crack
Smallest of crack in the glass? Flex-Seal
Perhaps that was transparent aluminum, and not glass.
They were trying for their Star Wars.
Oh yeah that thing is a classic.
Free Guy
Generic video game movie stuffed with trendy references and fanservice is actually a really good singularity story
Osmosis Jones.
A half-and-half cartoon and live action film with Chris Rock as the titular character from the late-90s/early-00s. The movie was a flop, but I think it had more to do with lousy marketing. It was actually pretty good and a fun way to look at how things affect the human body.
David Hyde Pierce as the enormous Pill was a great choice, and Bill Murray was hilarious.
And Laurence Fishburne as Thrax. He was pretty horrifying when he would let loose and make people explode.
It was fantastic. The spin-off show was good too
Around the time this came out, I, having had no idea about the movie or its premise, wrote a story that was along similar lines in creative writing. Specifically, it featured the immune system and other cells as characters and whatnot.
I was accused of ripping off the idea.
I love this movie!
“The Adventures Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension” 1984
Great script, great cast, young Johnathan Lithgow and Christopher Llyod, Peter Weller in one of his best rolls, and bonus Jeff Goldblum as they new guy.
Whole thing is still a perfect package, looking like a B movie you’d totally skip.
Such a great movie!
I got this at a DragonCon. They did a pre-release showing and gave these out to the audience.
That’s a real treasure! Very nice.
Jealous!
I’m lucky it’s survived so long. I got it in HS, and in between:
- Did a tour in the Army
- Went to college
- Lived in Germany
- Have moved over a half dozen times
So many valued possessions have gone missing in that time, due to roommates and sheer carelessness, it’s a minor miracle it’s still with me. The only original possession I have that’s older is a Bloom County Opus plushy that I got in junior high.
One of my all time favorites, so quirky
Thank you. I still watch the end credits from time to time. Brings back these sweet eighties memories!
I like to think of it as a sci-fi movie sequel/equivalent to the short story (but not the movie) “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”
Pandorum. At a glance it like like just another bad sci-fi, but it’s really good horror sci-fi mind fuckery with a fantastic twist. Dennis Quaid is great in it.
Pandorum was fantastic. I need to watch it again.
Yes! Unexpectedly good movie!
