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Movie Walrus: LeVar Goes to the Pictures: The Reveal
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In 2nd place with 12 points isJP Liz V1
Three Identical Strangers (2018)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7664504/
Have I Seen it Before: No
LeVar's Approval Rating: 97%
My expectations of this was that it was gonna be a fun, heartfelt, feelgood documentary… and it is for about the first 30 minutes, even though it's obvious from very early on that something is amiss and I've a reasonably fair idea of what it is, so I was mentally prepared for that particular shoe to drop. It's all the other unexpected shoes that start dropping from various directions that really make this a remarkable film. It's quite the rollercoaster of a documentary that will stick with me for many years to come. The pacing is perfect, the story is fascinating, and I love the style and the way the information is framed. It got to a point in my watching of the rest of the documentaries that I didn't think anything would beat this one, but the one that knocked it out of first place just blew me away.0 -
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Irish Aris wrote: »no worries LeVar, as soon as I submitted it I knew that it could come back to bite me.
Sorry you have to spend time on it
There was a worse one, so at least you can say it didn't come last...
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In last place, but still picking up 2 points isNecro
Apollo 11 (2019)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8760684/
Have I Seen it Before: No
LeVar's Approval Rating: 8%
The Moon Landing was faked! The Earth is flat! Australia doesn't exist and anyone who claims to be Australian is just an actor! Covid-19 is a hoax! Ok, just kidding, but in all seriousness a documentary about conspiracy theories would've been at least entertaining. Is it bad to say I don't really give a sh*t about the moon landing anymore though? It's a great historical moment and I'm sure if I had been knocking about 51 years ago, I'd have been loving the fact that man had set foot on the moon, but I'm so over people going on about it, so don't think this ever stood much of a chance. The biggest problem though, is it's just 90 minutes of archive footage of the Apollo 11 mission - no interviews, no narration, mostly just a bunch of lads sitting around mission control at NASA staring at screens. There's only approx 5 minutes of footage of the moon landing itself that I thought was pretty nifty (was gonna say cool, but even thats too strong a word, and nifty fits the era better), and would've looked class on a massive IMAX screen (its very obviously supposed to be watched on IMAX), but I don't have one of those in my house unfortunately. I still liked it better than White Noise and Happy Texas, but that's not saying much.0 -
Which means 1st place (and I really wasn't expecting it to be 1st) and picking up 13 points for making me cry isKolido
Miss Americana (2020)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11388580/
Have I Seen it Before: No
LeVar's Approval Rating: 100%
I'm as surprised as anyone that the Taylor Swift documentary has topped this category. It was the second to last of the documentaries that I watched and I figured before I hit play that it might fall somewhere in the middle of the pack, at best, but it was by far the unexpected standout of the entire Walrus. I didn't really know much about Taylor Swift going in to this, I knew maybe 7 or 8 of her songs, that Kanye West hijacked the mic when she got one of her first awards, and that's about it. I just didn't expect much from this, thought it was one for her fans and would be otherwise superfluous, but it genuinely had me in tears, and I felt so much empathy for her. It's really not even a documentary about Taylor Swift (I mean it is, but it could be about any female celebrity), she's more of a catalyst to highlight the sh*t that's expected of young women in the public eye and the toxic crap they have to put up with. It's also about growing up and becoming an adult, about finding your voice and using your platform, and becoming comfortable in yourself even in the face of criticism. You don't have to be a Taylor Swift fan to get something out of this one, it's just a universal story, albeit on a superstardom scale, but very relatable. Look it definitely isn't one of the greatest documentaries ever made, but it is damn good, and just for evoking such an emotion in me personally, I can't not give it full marks and first place.0 -
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In 7th place with 7 points isRasTa
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2278388/
Have I Seen it Before: Yes
LeVar's Approval Rating: 82%
Sweet Sweet Soundtrack Rating: 90%
Total Average: 86%
I've always really liked Wes Anderson's style and the surrealism of his movies. Had seen this in the cinema when it was released and it's not quite as enjoyable as I remember it being, but still pretty bloody good. The narrative and pacing works really well, and the humour lands really well with me. You can tell all the actors are having a blast here, none more than Joseph Fiennes, who's leading performance is fantastic. Alexandre Desplat's score is the standout in this one though, and creates a wonderful Eastern Europe Folk-y feel, thanks to the heavy use of the Balalaika. It also serves as a great contrast to the actors who use their own accents, to keep the feel of the film localised to its setting.0 -
In 6th place with 8 points istusk
Frozen II (2019)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4520988/
Have I Seen it Before: Yes
LeVar's Approval Rating: 78%
Sweet Sweet Soundtrack Rating: 95%
Total Average: 86.5%
I had watched this earlier this year (I say watched, I had thrown it on in the background while multitasking on other things) and didn't think much of it at the time, felt it lost a lot of magic from the first one, and I wasn't listening properly to the songs either. This time around I found it a lot more enjoyable. Still don't think its as strong as the the first film, and it gets bogged down in exposition a bit too much, but I do think it was a lot more ambitious and wanted to be more grown up, both in the storytelling and the in the music, even if it didn't quite reach the heights it was aiming for. The animation is phenomenal, and I do think the Frozen franchise is the most visually appealing of Disney's animated offerings. The soundtrack and the score are very good, Idina Menzel has long been a favourite of my when it comes to Broadway and Musical stars, so anytime Elsa opens her mouth to sing I know it's going to be good. "Show Yourself" is the shining star of the soundtrack for me, but "All Is Found" and "The Next Right Thing" are also superb and right up there with it ; the emotion behind the vocals in those three songs is top class, which is a testament to Idina Menzel, Evan Rachel Wood, and Kristen Bell. "Into the Unknown", "Lost In The Woods", and "Some Things Never Change" are great too, and while Olaf's "When I Am Older" doesn't appeal to me to the same extent as the rest, it's a lot of fun.0 -
In 8th place with 6 points isfixXxer
South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut (1999)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0158983/
Have I Seen it Before: Yes
LeVar's Approval Rating: 79%
Sweet Sweet Soundtrack Rating: 85%
Total Average: 82%
Shut Your F**king Face, Uncle F**ka! Haha, I remember when I heard that song at the 12 or 13 years of age and thinking it was the greatest thing in the world. Its hard not to love the immaturity of South Park and this is a lot of fun overall, but I can't stand the Saddam Hussein and Satan sub-plot in hell which drags the film down for me quite a bit. Those two also happen to have the worst songs in the movie, "I Can Change" and "Up There", but the rest of the songs are great, and the score throughout is very enjoyable. The best numbers are "What Would Brian Boitano Do?", "La Resistance", "It's Easy MMMkay", "Mountain Town", and "Blame Canada". While not quite as strong musically, I do also love the juvenility of "Uncle F**ka" and "Kyle's Mom's a B*tch".0 -
In 5th place with 9 points isKolido
Pitch Perfect (2012)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1981677/
Have I Seen it Before: Yes
LeVar's Approval Rating: 87%
Sweet Sweet Soundtrack Rating: 87%
Total Average: 87%
For the last eight years, ever since I saw this film for the first time, I have secretly dreamt of being in an A Capella choir, but due to a lack of confidence in my singing voice I've never had the courage to actually pursue that. That being said, it probably won't come as surprise then that I thoroughly enjoy this film. I don't think it's perfect, it's very by the numbers in terms of plot, and there's not a lot of time for character development with all the music (not that I'm complaining about the music), so it feels a bit rushed in parts… it’s a lot of fun though and I really enjoy it. The soundtrack mostly consists of A Capella, Mash-ups, or a combination of the two and I'm a fan of all of those things, even if some of the songs they're covering are a bit meh. Hard to pick any stand-out pieces because it's all very enjoyable and impressive, although I suppose if I had to pick something it'd be the Bellas Finals mash-up of Price Tag/Don't You (Forget About Me)/Give You Everything. Given the nature of the film, the overall film and soundtrack strike a perfect balance for me.0 -
Joint in 9th place with 5 points each areShaneU, Hello 2D Person Below
American Graffiti (1973)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069704/
Have I Seen it Before: No
LeVar's Approval Rating: 73%
Sweet Sweet Soundtrack Rating: 65%
Total Average: 69%
This was an enjoyable easy watch. I tend to like these coming-of-age slice of life films that all take place over one night, and I can tell a lot of later films were inspired by this. Haven't seen Paul Le Mat in anything before, but thought he was fantastic in this, definitely enjoyed his performance the most and his character's story was the most entertaining. I thought the soundtrack fit the backdrop of the early '60s era very well, which I've taken into account in my overall view of the film, but unfortunately its an era that doesn't appeal greatly to me in terms of the music. The music is obviously an integral part and there were 41 songs featured in the film, but really only a handful of them are ones I enjoy, everything else was pretty much background noise. Some of the songs that did stand out from the pack were "Runaway", "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", "Johnny B. Goode", "I Only Have Eyes For You" and "Green Onions".0 -
In 4th place with 10 points iss1ippy
There Will Be Blood (2007)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469494/
Have I Seen it Before: No
LeVar's Approval Rating: 85%
Sweet Sweet Soundtrack Rating: 92%
Total Average: 88.5%
To be perfectly honest, I was dreading watching this one. It didn't seem like something I'd even be able to feign interest in ; just reading the 24 word synopsis on IMDB nearly bored me to tears, and the idea of sitting through over two and a half hours of something dull and dreary was not in the least appealing. What I'm getting at its not the usual thing I'd choose to sit down and watch regardless of how many awards it may have won. So it was quite the surprise that I thought it was fantastic ; it does drag on a bit towards the end, but otherwise its superb. Jonny Greenwood's score is truly excellent and flows seamlessly with the film, almost as if it were a character in it's own right, and does a fantastic job at setting the tone. I barely noticed that the first fifteen or so minutes of the film doesn't have any dialogue, which is a testament to how effective the score is.0 -
In 10th place with 4 points isDeleted User
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190590/
Have I Seen it Before: No
LeVar's Approval Rating: 50%
Sweet Sweet Soundtrack Rating: 83%
Total Average: 66.5%
The film itself I can take or leave to be honest, found it a bit dull at times and was never really invested in the plot. I don't think it's a bad film, it just isn't exactly my cup of tea. The soundtrack however, I very much enjoyed, and is doing all the heavy lifting for this one. It wasn't perfect, but there are some standout songs that I really love. Obviously "I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow" is phenomenally good and I've been familiar with it for many years. Not at all religious, but "Down To The River To Pray" has always been a gospel song I've been a big fan of. Some of the other heavy hitters for me from the sountrack were "Angel Band", "Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby", "I Am Weary (Let Me Rest)", and "Big Rock Candy Mountain".0 -
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In 3rd place with 11 points isNecro
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2015381/
Have I Seen it Before: Yes
LeVar's Approval Rating: 86%
Sweet Sweet Soundtrack Rating: 93%
Total Average: 89.5%
As superhero debuts go, I think this is one of the better ones as it doesn't get bogged down in origin stories and complicated exposition ; it throws the audience into the action straight away, keeps the banter going constantly, sprinkles some character background hints throughout, and keeps the villainous masterplans on a need to know basis instead of spending too much time on that side of things. Hard not to love the Soundtrack on this one, used to great effect and the music used is of huge importance and has significant relevance to the main characters. Soundtrack highlights are "I'm Not In Love", "Come and Get Your Love", "Hooked On a Feeling", "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)", "Cherry Bomb", "O-O-H Child", Ain't No Mountain High Enough", and "I Want You Back" ; ie. most of them.0 -
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In 11th place with 3 points isthe purple tin
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088258/
Have I Seen it Before: Yes
LeVar's Approval Rating: 77%
Sweet Sweet Soundtrack Rating: 54%
Total Average: 65.5%
Okay, I've already gotten in to how I feel about the film overall in the Comedy category, so I'll just dive straight in to the soundtrack here. The songs don't do a whole lot for me unfortunately, they're perfectly enjoyable while watching the film, but there's nothing that makes me want to go listen to any of the songs independently of a This Is Spinal Tap screening. I didn't dislike any of the songs which is always good, but that's about as far as it goes. "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" and "Gimme Some Money" are the two that stand out as highlights within the film itself, but as I already said, I'm unlikely to sit down to listen to them on a whim.0 -
In 2nd place with 12 points isIrish Aris
Atomic Blonde (2017)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2406566/
Have I Seen it Before: No
LeVar's Approval Rating: 81%
Sweet Sweet Soundtrack Rating: 99%
Total Average: 90%
Espionage Thrillers wouldn't usually interest me whatsoever, but I really enjoyed this one, in large part due to the performance of Charlize Theron, but I also just really loved the aesthetic throughout ; I could gladly watch anything filmed in those neon colour palettes all day. The story was grand, but as I said its not really something that interest me, it's the combination of everything else that shone through. The Soundtrack and Score are the real heroes of the piece here for me though. Tyler Bates' score did a phenomenal job at setting tone and atmosphere, and complimented the New Wave and Elector Pop heavy soundtrack flawlessly. No
duds in the Soundtrack either, with the standouts being "Blue Monday", "Major Tom", "99 Luftballons", "Der Kommissar", "The Politics of Dancing", "Voices Carry", "Stigmata", "Behind The Wheel", "I Ran (So Far Away)", and "London Calling" ; yeah as I said, basically the whole thing was just a feast for the ears, and it blended in so well with the action and cinematography.0 -
In last place but still earning 2 points here isJP Liz V1
Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119229/
Have I Seen it Before: No
LeVar's Approval Rating: 15%
Sweet Sweet Soundtrack Rating: 36%
Total Average: 25.5%
Oof. Can someone wake me up when this is over? I thought this film was supposed to be a great comedy, or a great action, or at least a great romance, right? It fails on all fronts and kind of just plods along through what could've been an interesting plot if executed in a different and vastly better way. All of the actors involved are far better than what they churned out here ; Minnie Driver being the only one I actually enjoyed at all in this. There are some solid songs used in the film ("Blister In The Sun", "The Killing Moon", "Sharks Can't Sleep", "99 Luftballons" and a couple of others) and there's also a fair load of dross, but none of it ever adds to the film in any way, never creates atmosphere or enhances scenes, it's usually just playing in the background, barely audible for the most part, so I couldn't even really enjoy it in any way. A soundtrack or score needs to add to the film in some way, so I can't really give it much credit on that basis, but I will acknowledge that there were some good songs selected to be used, even if they were used ineffectively.0 -
Which means the winner and soundest (pun intended) person in this round, earning 13 points isSawduck
Dazed & Confused (1993)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106677/
Have I Seen it Before: Yes
LeVar's Approval Rating: 100%
Sweet Sweet Soundtrack Rating: 100%
Total Average: 100%
"All right, all right, all right!" "That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age." "I only came here to do two things man, kick some ass and drink some beer… looks like we're almost out of beer." "Now fry like bacon, you little freshman piggies. Fry!" "George Washington was in a cult, and the cult was into aliens, man." "Let me tell you this, the older you do get the more rules they're gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin' man, L-I-V-I-N." The quotes alone make Dazed & Confused one of my all-time favourites. They don't make 'em better than this. Absolute classic. And that Epic Soundtrack… "Sweet Emotion", "School's Out", "Free Ride", "No More Mr. Nice Guy", "Low Rider", "Hurricane", "Love Hurts", "Paranoid", "Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo", "Slow Ride", "Rock And Roll All Nite", "Right Place Wrong Time", "Cherry Bomb", "Tuesday's Gone", "Summer Breeze"… 'nuff said. Was hoping this would be nominated, for me it’s everything I want from a film, and nothing could've beaten it in this round. Great choice!0 -
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Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »Which means the winner and soundest (pun intended) person in this round, earning 13 points isSawduck
Dazed & Confused (1993)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106677/
Have I Seen it Before: Yes
LeVar's Approval Rating: 100%
Sweet Sweet Soundtrack Rating: 100%
Total Average: 100%
"All right, all right, all right!" "That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age." "I only came here to do two things man, kick some ass and drink some beer… looks like we're almost out of beer." "Now fry like bacon, you little freshman piggies. Fry!" "George Washington was in a cult, and the cult was into aliens, man." "Let me tell you this, the older you do get the more rules they're gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin' man, L-I-V-I-N." The quotes alone make Dazed & Confused one of my all-time favourites. They don't make 'em better than this. Absolute classic. And that Epic Soundtrack… "Sweet Emotion", "School's Out", "Free Ride", "No More Mr. Nice Guy", "Low Rider", "Hurricane", "Love Hurts", "Paranoid", "Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo", "Slow Ride", "Rock And Roll All Nite", "Right Place Wrong Time", "Cherry Bomb", "Tuesday's Gone", "Summer Breeze"… 'nuff said. Was hoping this would be nominated, for me it’s everything I want from a film, and nothing could've beaten it in this round. Great choice!
It's in my top ten favorite films of all time so I'm happy it did well and got me my first ever first place in a walrus great game laVar, seeing all these great movies has inspired me to try my own movie walrus. Congrats s1ippy on your victory 0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-OF0OaK3o0
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dItOM6eYXY
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