So while in Amsterdam, we watched a lot of movies because the room had a DVD player and a somewhat hilariously eclectic selection of what I'm pretty sure were pirated DVDs. Some of them one or other of us had already seen, some of them neither of us had.
Orphan: This movie is fucked up, I'll spoiler in case you want to see it.
The vast majority of it is an effective but unoriginal creepy kid horror. Then at the end it turns out that the little girl in it actually has a genetic disorder that means she looks like a little girl but is really like 38 or something, and that she has spent years hiding out as a little girl, trying to seduce her adoptive fathers and then killing them if that doesn't work. The thing is, they cast an ACTUAL little girl for this. I mean obviously this is a movie, not real life, but the girl still had to act like she was trying to seduce the father at one point, including some physical intimacy although nothing particularly horrifying (Blank Cheque is a lot worse). I can't imagine what parent would allow their child to act this role out, or how fucked up this kid must be now.
Everybody's Fine: This film is dark as shit. I thought it was like a black comedy or something but it's one of the most depressing movies I've ever seen, even if the ending was telegraphed from a mile off. Brilliant performances by everyone involved, mind. And the DVD cover practically spoils the ending on its own.
17 Again: Genuinely can't believe how good this film is. I mean don't get me wrong, it rips off Big, Back To The Future and 13 Going On 30 on about 40 different levels each and it is far from a classic, but it's surprisingly effective and I don't hate Zac Efron in it at all. Thomas Lennon basically carries the movie, too. He is hilarious throughout.
Paranormal Activity: The first time I saw this it scared the shit out of me, but this has absolutely no rewatch value. You start to pick holes in it and when you decide that when she is talking about 'this thing' she is referring to her vagina, it becomes a vastly improved film.
I Love You Phillip Morris: We watched this in French subtitles because the remote was broken. While I was tripping balls. I remember basically nothing, but I have this on DVD because it's one of my favourite films ever.
Funny People: This film was a revelation. It is at least half an hour too long, don't get me wrong, but it is a remarkable film. Hilarious and full of pathos and with the best work I have ever seen from Adam Sandler (not that that's really saying much). Sandler plays the star but also basically the villain of his own movie, Seth Rogen is hilarious, Jonah Hill is good, Jason Schwartzman is perfect; and there's a cavalcade of cameos that I'm not going to spoil but are one of the highlights of the movie. One exchange between two celebrities (one a rapper, one a comedian) is such a bizarre match up that it might be my favourite cameo of all time.