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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Happy Death Day
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Sun Oct 15, 2017 8:55 pm |
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tree and a half
Cream of the Crop
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 11:38 am Posts: 2084
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Re: Happy Death Day
Happy Death Day is a self-acknowledged riff on the Groundhog Day formula, but what a virtuoso riff it turns out to be. The story is an exceedingly well-crafted puzzle box of a mystery, that uses just a soupçon of humor to spice up the horror. Jessica Rothe is a bundle of ardent charm and seriously impressed me with her versatility as Tree. I loved HDD - what a great movie! (Which makes two in a row for director Christopher Landon.) *A+*
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Mon Oct 16, 2017 12:32 am |
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thompsoncory
Rachel McAdams Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am Posts: 14544 Location: LA / NYC
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Re: Happy Death Day
I thought it was a blast. Incredibly entertaining and clever. Jessica Rothe is going to be a star - she reminded me of a young Rachel McAdams. A-
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Mon Oct 16, 2017 6:36 am |
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publicenemy#1
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:25 am Posts: 18879 Location: San Diego
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Re: Happy Death Day
Way more enjoyable than I thought it'd be. Tone and the lead made the movie.
Use of Demi Lovato's Confident was aces.
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Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:17 am |
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thompsoncory
Rachel McAdams Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am Posts: 14544 Location: LA / NYC
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Re: Happy Death Day
publicenemy#1 wrote: Use of Demi Lovato's Confident was aces. That scene was hilarious.
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Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:47 am |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am Posts: 34876 Location: Minnesota
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Re: Happy Death Day
thompsoncory wrote: publicenemy#1 wrote: Use of Demi Lovato's Confident was aces. That scene was hilarious. Yeah I laughed so much throughout this sequence. I absolutely loved this movie. Honestly one of the most fun times I've had at the movies all year. It's hilarious. Definitely more of a comedy than a horror film. I thought Jessica Rothe was terrific and a joy to watch. I plan on seeing it again for sure. 9/10 (A-)
Last edited by Magic Mike on Tue Oct 17, 2017 1:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Tue Oct 17, 2017 1:28 am |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am Posts: 34876 Location: Minnesota
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Re: Happy Death Day
thompsoncory wrote: Jessica Rothe is going to be a star - she reminded me of a young Rachel McAdams. A- Personally she reminded me of Blake Lively.
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Tue Oct 17, 2017 1:29 am |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Re: Happy Death Day
I feel a bit of a grouch saying it, but I did not enjoy this very much. It is so "cute." This wafer-thin Ariana Grande pep-rally song of a movie dressed up as a slasher in the absolute friendliest, mildest, most suspense-free sense. Jessica Rothe is a fetching and charismatic actress, though. Definite star potential. C+
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:53 pm |
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Flava'd vs The World
The Kramer
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am Posts: 23787 Location: Classified
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Re: Happy Death Day
A bad twist ending aside, this movie was pretty great. It's not too scary, but its great at building tension. The lead, who is basically Serena from Gossip Girl and that is just fine, really sells that sense of dread when night comes and she knows the murderer is close. You need a worthy protaganist for this type of movie to work, someone with enough flaws for this situation to fix, but not someone with so many that they don't deserve to be fixed. Tree balances that perfectly and the payoff for that, the day where she makes everything right, is wonderful because of it.
But the obviously better ending would have been a Clue-like "everybody is the killer." She has so many enemies that each day the killer is different and becoming a better person is literally what saves her. The roommate doing it alone, the entire time, "for a guy", is just dumb. Not only that, but the killer performed incredible feats of strength and athleticism throughout the film that the roommate just wouldn't be capable of. It doesn't ruin the movie, but it takes it from Very great to Pretty great.
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Tue Oct 24, 2017 11:35 am |
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Jack Sparrow
KJ's Leading Idiot
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:15 pm Posts: 36923
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Re: Happy Death Day
A little bit of those plot holes and poor expected ending but this was still fun to watch. The lead Jessica Roth is good in here. Some of the slasher bits are pretty good and I loved the slasher song sequence. Its fun but definitely could have been better.
5/10
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Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:37 am |
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Dil
Forum General
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:48 pm Posts: 8942 Location: Houston, Texas
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Re: Happy Death Day
The trailers for this were pretty bad IMO, but I surprisingly enjoyed it quite a bit. It's super light and cutesy to the point of corniness, but for some reason it works. It's a fun movie and the lead girl is insanely charismatic and likable, but a part of me still wishes it was R-rated, because it feels so watered down and they really could have got creative with the deaths. I also wasn't buying the final reveal either and the reason for it is especially weak, but I must give this movie credit where credit is due, because for a PG-13 slasher it's better than it has any right to be.
B
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Sun Oct 29, 2017 4:05 am |
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stuffp
Keeping it Light
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2015 8:06 am Posts: 11204 Location: Bright Falls
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Re: Happy Death Day
This is a fun enough murder mystery film. It's Groundhog Day concept is nothing new, but Jessica Rothe in the lead keeps the film interesting all the way through. While it undeniably copies elements from other films it aptly combines them well to be a solid flick in it's own right. It's neither a scary (felt the trailers heavily played on a horror angle) or outstanding film, but the college setting is enjoyable and I liked the final twist.
B
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Wed Nov 01, 2017 8:04 am |
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Algren
now we know
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:31 pm Posts: 67043
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Happy Death Day
This is an enjoyable, if unspectacular, ninety minutes. It reminded me of Valentine in terms of the killer, who is creepily effective but underused -- or used in such a way that it does not conjure enough fear. It also gave me a Scream vibe. The Live.Die.Repeat. structure is fairly limited so I have no problem that it feels samey - there's just not much else you can really do with it besides adding a little to your investigation as each day is repeated. The problem with Happy Death Day is that it focuses too much on the concept, and not enough on scares, or at all on scares. The final twist is pretty good, and I did not see it coming. Christopher B. Landon is building a nice portfolio of interesting horror films, and Jessica Rothe was effective as the college bitch with daddy issues. But the film is restricted by its concept and not enough is done to maintain energy in the repetitions. At one point she walks through campus naked (or at least I think she is naked) but the camera never moves below her collar bone so unless you are paying absolute attention you may miss it. And, I know modern films think they are trying to be trendy and cool by including hipster elements like the closet gay, but I did not appreciate it. Leave that to other films and concentrate on scaring us, damnit! Though to counter that, it is refreshing that the film has an entirely white cast.
B-
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Sat Nov 04, 2017 8:58 pm |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am Posts: 34876 Location: Minnesota
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Re: Happy Death Day
Guess you watched the edited version over there. Here you saw above her buttock during the scene walking through campus.
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Sun Nov 05, 2017 2:26 am |
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Algren
now we know
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:31 pm Posts: 67043
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Re: Happy Death Day
I watched a version hardcoded with Chinese subtitles, so I am guessing it was a Hong Kong version. Surprised it was edited in any way, though. Never known Hong Kong to do that.
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Sun Nov 05, 2017 2:50 am |
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stuffp
Keeping it Light
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2015 8:06 am Posts: 11204 Location: Bright Falls
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Re:
Algren wrote: the film has an entirely white cast. Well, entirely? The main cast was white I guess, but Becky was black, there were two Asians, but sure in small appearances only, and Tree's roommate looked quite Latin to me too.
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Sun Nov 05, 2017 8:58 am |
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Algren
now we know
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:31 pm Posts: 67043
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Re: Happy Death Day
lol. There was also a guy at the back of the diner that was slightly Asian looking! Of course, you can play Where's Wally in every film and pick out a black person, but for all intents and purposes, the cast is white. Yes, there is Becky, a black girl, at the sorority meeting, and she has all of ... 0 lines. And that Asian roommate that has nothing to do with the story but says "fine vagine". Killer role! Nobody cares. The cast is white. Also lol that you went and checked the film again to spot non-white. Troll much?
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Sun Nov 05, 2017 9:22 am |
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stuffp
Keeping it Light
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2015 8:06 am Posts: 11204 Location: Bright Falls
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Re: Happy Death Day
Well, I was just trying to say, the film didn't come across to me as noticeably white. But I feel you're right that this film is much more white than other films I've recently seen.
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Sun Nov 05, 2017 11:09 am |
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