r/movies

over the last couple days I’ve watched the Martian, interstellar, gravity and now Apollo 13, all absolutely fantastic imo, what other “must see” space movies do i need to add to the list ?
i think interstellar is my favourite so far, but i would love to see something take its place, let me know what your favourites are any why 😄 (no spoilies pls)

I have almost finished this book, and I love it sm! I tried watching 2 episodes of the miniseries (to see the book come to life), but it is so inaccurately adapted. Obviously small changes here and there that comes with adaptations from book to screen. But there were changes of the whole story?

Spoiler:
The whole idea in the book is that after Edmond escapes prison, we as readers «loose» our connections with him. It is through narration clues that we can piece together the ideas and plans for his revenge. He doesn’t tell us anything and he DOESNT reveal any of his plans of hidden identities to anyone??? In the miniseries it’s literally the first thing he does. To both Jaqopo and Caderrouse up to that point. I couldn’t keep watching.

Is there an adaptation that stays true (at least in these aspects) to the original book?

I saw Mortal Kombat II the other day and was genuinely shocked at how reduced Lewis Tan's role was coming from the first film where he essentially served as the central protagonist the entire previous film. Granted, I think it was a smart move to shift the focus away from his character and make the sequel more about the ensemble - it just took me by surprise because when a franchise/series tends to make that drastic of a shift, the original actor hardly ever returns (see Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation).

The only other significant cases I could come up with where a main character goes from front and center in one movie to virtually nothing in the follow up were:

- Hugh Jackman's Wolverine going from the main character in X-Men, X2 and primary supporting character in X3 only to return in First Class for a bit cameo

- Adrienne King returning as Alice in Friday the 13th Part 2 >!just to be killed off before the opening credits hit!<

- Jamie Lee Curtis returning as Laurie Strode in Halloween Resurrection after starring in H20

I haven't looked up the actual screen time but I'm guessing Hugh Jackman going from X3 to First Class is the biggest drop, but I'm curious if there are any others I'm forgetting? Again, not counting recasting the role (like Patricia Arquette being replaced in Nightmare on Elm Street 4) or characters being written out entirely (like Devon Sawa in Final Destination 2). What's the largest drop-off where the original actor actually reprised the role for a sequel in the most significantly reduced capacity? Bonus points if they actually survive in the reduced role

I'll point out from the start that I really enjoy all of the John Wick movies. While I recognize the "realism" angle fell off after the first one, they're still incredibly well put together movies and I'll happily watch further installments for the fight choreography alone. That said...

The bullet proof suit is the worst thing they ever added to this franchise. It completely nullifies any anxiety about John needing to worry about gunfire in fights. The number of times he raises his vibranium jacket collar to block a hail of bullets is so frustrating, mostly because of where this franchise started off.

In the first John Wick, John felt like an incredibly tactical presence. There was a lot of talk when it came out about the choreography's "realism" but more than anything for me things felt like they had stakes. Corners needed to be checked, he needed to watch his back, it showed the audience he needed to be smart about approaching situations because if someone gets the jump on you in that universe they will shoot you and you will die.

Ever since the inclusion of the Iron-Man-Hugo-Boss so much of the "careful" nature of the fight scenes has disappeared. I've truly lost count of the number of times John should be dead at this point if he wasn't wearing it and that makes the character feel less effective. This character isn't supposed to be scary because he can tank bullets to the chest, he's supposed to be scary because you never got the opportunity to pull the trigger.

I think about a famous shot in the first movie during the first action scene where the masked men invade John's home. There's a bad guy on one side of the wall and John on the other. The camera shows both of them at the same time and John falls downward, shooting behind him up at an angle to avoid the bad guy's shots while still taking him out. If that shot happened again today, he'd just raise his coat a little higher and shoot back. That bums me out.

I was thinking about movies recently and I feel like they’re one of those things that pretty much everyone has some kind of opinion on, even if they’re not a huge movie person. Like not everyone watches sports, not everyone plays games, not everyone reads books, not everyone cares about music in a deep way, but almost everyone has seen movies. Even if someone says they don’t really watch movies that much, they still probably have a few they like, a few they hate, and a few they remember from when they were younger.

That’s kind of what makes movies interesting to me. They’re just such a normal part of life that people don’t even always think about it. You watch them with family, with friends, on dates, alone, in theaters, at home, on airplanes, in hotel rooms, randomly on TV, whatever. Some movies you actually sit down and pay attention to, and some are just kind of on in the background while you eat or scroll your phone. But either way, they’re always around.

I also think it’s funny how people talk about movies differently depending on the situation. Sometimes you’re having a serious conversation about acting, directing, writing, cinematography, pacing, all that stuff. Other times you’re just saying “that movie was cool” or “that ending sucked” and that’s really all you need to say. Not every movie conversation has to be some deep film analysis. Sometimes the whole opinion is just that the movie was fun or boring or way too long.

The theater experience is also its own thing. Watching a movie in a theater is not the same as watching at home, even if your TV is good. There’s something different about sitting in a dark room with a bunch of strangers and everyone is reacting at the same time. If the movie is funny, the laughs feel bigger. If it’s scary, the tension feels better. If it’s a big action movie, the sound and screen make it feel more like an event. But also theaters can be annoying if people are talking, checking their phones, eating loud, or showing up late. So it can be great or kind of irritating depending on the crowd.

Watching at home is obviously easier though. You can pause it, eat whatever, sit however you want, not worry about anyone else, and if the movie is bad you can just turn it off. That’s probably why streaming became so normal. It’s just convenient. There are so many movies available now that sometimes the hardest part is actually choosing one. You can scroll for 30 minutes and then somehow end up watching nothing, which is kind of ridiculous but also happens all the time.

I think that’s another funny thing about movies now. There are more options than ever, but sometimes that makes it harder to just pick something. When you had fewer choices, you just watched what was on or rented whatever looked good. Now you can look through Netflix, Max, Hulu, Prime, Disney+, YouTube, whatever else, and every service has a bunch of stuff, but a lot of it starts blending together. You see posters, trailers, descriptions, ratings, and somehow still don’t know what you’re in the mood for.

Movies also have this weird thing where your mood can completely change how you feel about them. A movie can be good, but if you’re not in the mood for it, it might not hit. Or a movie can be kind of average, but if you watch it at the right time with the right people, you remember it way better than it probably deserves. There are movies I know are not masterpieces, but I still like them because I watched them at the right point in my life or with the right group. That counts for something.

I also think people sometimes act like every movie has to either be amazing or terrible, when a lot of movies are just fine. Some movies are just okay. You watch them, you enjoy parts of them, maybe you forget them later, and that’s not always a crime. Not everything has to be one of the greatest movies ever made or the worst thing ever released. Sometimes a movie is just a decent way to spend two hours.

At the same time, bad movies can still be entertaining depending on why they’re bad. Some bad movies are just boring, which is the worst kind. But some bad movies are fun because they’re messy or weird or accidentally funny. There’s a big difference between a movie that is bad but interesting and a movie that is bad and feels like homework. I’d rather watch something messy with some personality than something technically fine but completely forgettable.

I think actors are a big part of why people watch certain movies too. Sometimes you’ll watch something just because one actor is in it, even if the plot doesn’t sound that exciting. Some actors just make movies feel more watchable. Then there are directors where people do the same thing. If someone likes a certain director, they’ll watch their new movie just to see what they did this time. That’s pretty cool because it shows movies are not just about the story, but also about the people making them and the style they bring.

Sequels and franchises are another big part of movies now. Some people love them, some people are tired of them, but they’re everywhere. Superhero movies, horror sequels, action franchises, reboots, remakes, legacy sequels, all that. Sometimes it works and sometimes it feels like they’re just keeping a brand alive because people recognize the name. But I get why studios do it. It’s easier to sell something people already know than to convince everyone to care about a totally new thing.

Original movies are still cool though, especially when one breaks through and gets people talking. It’s always nice when a movie that is not attached to a huge franchise still gets attention. But even then, sometimes people say they want original movies and then don’t actually go watch them. That’s probably part of the problem. People say they’re tired of franchises, but then the franchise movies are the ones that make the most money. So studios keep making them because that’s what people show up for.

Awards movies are their own category too. Some of them are great, some of them feel like they were made specifically to win awards, and some are probably both. I don’t always watch all the Oscar-type movies, but I get why people care about them. They give people a reason to talk about film in a more serious way. But sometimes the award conversation can also get kind of annoying because people start treating movies like homework again. Like you’re supposed to respect something more than you actually enjoyed it.

I think that’s why I usually just care if a movie sticks with me. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be deep. It doesn’t have to have the best reviews. If I keep thinking about it later, or if I want to tell someone else to watch it, then it did something right. Some movies are technically great but I never think about them again. Other movies are flawed but they have one scene, one performance, one idea, or one feeling that stays with me.

There’s also something nice about rewatching movies. The first time you watch something, you’re mostly following the story and wondering what’s going to happen. But when you rewatch it, you notice different stuff. Sometimes it gets better. Sometimes it gets worse. Sometimes you realize a movie you loved as a kid is not actually that good, but you still like it anyway because it has nostalgia. Other times you rewatch something you didn’t care about before and it hits harder because you’re older now.

Nostalgia is a huge part of movies too. People love the movies they grew up with, even if those movies are not perfect. That’s not a bad thing. It just means movies get tied to memories. You remember where you were, who you watched it with, what point of life you were in, what it felt like at the time. That can make a movie mean more than just what’s on screen.

I also think movie opinions are funny because people can be so intense about them. Someone says they didn’t like a movie and people act personally attacked. Someone likes a movie everyone hates and now they have to defend themselves like they’re in court. But that’s also part of the fun. Movies are subjective, but people talk about them like there’s a scoreboard somewhere. Sometimes it gets annoying, but sometimes those arguments are entertaining too.

At the end of the day, I think movies are just one of those things people will always talk about because they’re easy to share. You can recommend one, complain about one, quote one, rewatch one, argue about one, or just have one on while doing nothing. Some are amazing, some are terrible, some are just okay, and most people have a mix of all three in their favorites whether they admit it or not. So yeah, I guess I just like movies as a thing. Not every movie has to be important. Not every movie has to change cinema. Sometimes it’s just nice to sit down, watch something, feel something for a bit, laugh, get annoyed, be surprised, get bored, enjoy a performance, hear a good score, see a cool shot, and then talk about it after. That’s probably why movies still work so well. They’re simple to watch, but there’s always something to say about them after.

Chinatown (1974) -> The Two Jakes (1990)

Terms of Endearment (1983) -> The Evening Star (1996)

The Hustler (1961) -> The Color of Money (1986)

The Shaggy Dog (1959) -> The Shaggy DA (1976)

The Decline of the American Empire (1986) -> The Barbarian Invasions (2003)

What else can we add to the list...?

Recently I watched this movie for the first time and I absolutely loved it. It's very rare that a three hour movie keeps me engaged like this. The settings are gorgeous (it has to be the most ghibli-esque live action movie I've ever seen), the song sequences are nice and the character development is great. I also like how it is willing to show some nastiness alongside the wholesomeness (e.g.: >!Liesl's boyfriend leaving her to become a nazi soldier!<). It makes the wholesome parts look real rather than naive.

So yeah. Great movie. I really can't find anything negative to say.

If the movie came out today in 2026, the "20-year jump" would drop the characters right into 2006. Instead of neon leg warmers, hair metal, and cassette players, the nostalgic throwback would be to a completely different era.

Here is what the "retro" universe looks like if that hot tub turned on today:

In the original film, the guys use their knowledge of the future to make a fortune (like betting on famous sporting events or "inventing" Google). If they traveled back to 2006 today, the jokes would swap out completely:

Instead of trying to explain a smartphone to a guy in 1986, they’d be trying to explain cryptocurrency, TikTok, or streaming services to someone text-messaging on a T-Mobile Sidekick.

A character would probably try to buy up as much Bitcoin as possible the second it launched a few years later, or warn people to short the housing market before 2008.

It really puts into perspective how fast time moves. 2006 feels like it was just a few years ago, but biologically and culturally, it's the exact same distance to us now as the 1980s were to the guys in the movie!

I finally got my home theater setup mostly done, and I’m starting to understand why some people stop going out to movies as much.

My current setup is a Jmgo N3 ultimate throwing onto a 120-inch ALR screen, with a decent Denon/Klipsch 5.1 surround system and blackout curtains. I basically went all in to create a dedicated dark room environment.

And honestly it’s more comfortable. Nobody’s talking, no bright phone screens, I can pause if I need to, and the screen is big enough that it still feels like a proper movie night. My girlfriend keeps saying we should go see Project Hail Mary at a theater nearby, and I’m like, we literally have a 120-inch screen at home 😭

If you can already watch it at home, what still makes you go to the theater?