Rate The Last Movie You Saw [Archive] - Page 92

Friendly Mushroom!

02-03-16, 08:56 AM

Nausicaa (1984)
http://www.mildlypleased.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/nausicaa_of_the_valley_of_the_wind_wallpaper_10-wide.jpg

The best animation, no the best movie ever made. To compare it to other movies is almost an insult: this is great art on a transcendental level. Even the rest of Miyazaki's work pales in comparison.

In a timeline, it goes like this:

431 BC: Parthenon
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/The_Parthenon_in_Athens.jpg

1504 AD: David
http://www.italianrenaissance.org/wp-content/uploads/Michelangelo-David-e1429028121909.jpg

1824 AD: 9th Symphony
https://static-secure.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/arts/2003/04/08/9th.jpg

1884 AD: Starry Night
http://greatestpainting.com/images/paintings/thestarrynight.jpg

1984 AD: Nausicaa :D

Although, I still think that the manga is superior. :p

You forgot the Iliad and Bach's Mass in B Minor :)

rauldc14

02-03-16, 12:50 PM

Brooklyn

This is my favorite film I've seen from 2015. And it's the most unlikely choice. This will be a passions classic years down the road. The score is excellent, the acting superb, and the direction is flawless. The story is a beautiful one too. Recommend it to anybody. I loved Larsen in the room but maybe Ronan deserves the Oscar. Will it stand the test of time? I'm not sure but on first viewing it was really quite captivating to me.

4+

colejwalker

02-03-16, 02:59 PM

Miller's Crossing (1990) - Joel and Ethan Coen

http://www.moviepilot.de/files/images/0511/0642/millers-crossing-photo-2.jpg

Really surprised by this, this film is a great love letter to all of the mob movies that come before it. Does it have problems? Sure, but it is still a really good movie. It's basically two hours of double crossing and intricately crafted story arcs all overlapping each other. It also stands out form the average mob story by adding fresh characters to the genre and introducing some comedy sprinkled through. At times, it can get a little ahead of itself and becomes a little too on the nose by trying to pay too much homage to classic cinema, but it is still nice. Marcia Harden gives a great performance that I haven't really seen from her before and she brought some intensity to the role. My problem is that Tom Reagan is very stiff in the film and he doesn't really fit to well in his character; its really noticeable in some scenes too. Another problem, is I don't really buy their relationship at all over the course of the movie. A minor spoiler:

Didn't make much sense to me that she would stay with him for so long after all the ****** ways he treated her, even though in the end they stay together.
Turturro may be called annoying in this part, but I thought he fit it relatively well and he did go over the top a little at times, he still kept me pretty engaged. The ending didn't really satisfy all the build up, but I wouldn't say it left me disappointed either. Overall, it is a fun film with a lot of clever writing and great character interaction, but what holds me back from loving it is Reagan was so wrong for the role.

3.5 +

mark f

02-03-16, 03:07 PM

Gabriel Byrne is great as Reagan. You never know what he's going to do next.

The Sci-Fi Slob

02-03-16, 03:13 PM

My laptop explodes, I go inactive for a while, and 50 new members join. Lol. Anyway...

http://static.srcdn.com/slir/w786-h1164-q90-c786:1164/wp-content/uploads/BOS-1-Sht-v13-sml.jpg

Unfolded in that cloy way that Spielberg war thrillers do - asking you to buy into the over-sentimentality. Solid performances and a passable plot, but nothing really amazing about it. To be honest, I'm surprised it was nominated for an Oscar.

3.5

AboveTheClouds

02-03-16, 04:14 PM

http://images.moviepostershop.com/exorcist-2-the-heretic-movie-poster-1977-1020209538.jpg
2

The first 25 minutes was alright, Linda Blair was actually pretty cute and the concept of synchronized minds through hypnosis was intriguing... Kind of surprised Linda Blair agreed to this when Ellen Burstyn basically lit a torch, grabbed a pitchfork and chased the idea of her appearing in a "sequel" clear out of town. And it's clear she made the right decision, dabbling in African mysticism/christianity, POV shots of locusts in flight, stock footage of animals running on open savannah and at times hilarious set pieces this film never seems to find its footing. Oh well, turns out after 10 years I still don't care for it much, time to move on to the third in the series, which if I remember is at least worthy of being a sequel.

Captain Steel

02-03-16, 04:35 PM

This might catch me some flack, but I finally watched Lawrence of Arabia (1962), but didn't really care for it storywise.

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMzAwMjM4NzA2OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDI0NzAwMQ@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg

I'll be the first to say it's got stunning cinematography, a mesmerizing & beautiful musical score, it is epic in its sweep and the acting by some of the greatest stars ever is good.

BUT, the critics of those who call the movie boring say anyone who isn't engrossed for 4 hours, is not getting into the story.

My problem with the story is there are no sympathetic groups or characters.
It's basically the story of a man leading a people to freedom. But usually, those seeking freedom in a story put on film are depicted as sympathetic - not the case here.

To wit: the only sympathetic Arab is Lawrence's guide who is murdered at the well by Ali (Omar Sharif). Lawrence even calls Ali a murderer, but then ends up making Ali his chief ally. We never really understand why Lawrence loves the Arab people or the desert so much (since his introduction to them is having his only Arab friend murdered and then befriending the guy who murdered him.) Why is Lawrence so intent on fighting for people shown (in the movie) to engage in barbarism and pointless tribal violence? i.e. The protagonists are not sympathetic, nor are the British who are helping the Arabs against the Turks (but shown to be an Imperialist power only using the other parties to pursue their own interests).

Throughout the movie, the Arabs are portrayed as barbaric, unjust, violent, petty, brutal, merciless, thieving, calculating, disloyal - so it's hard to get behind the idea that Lawrence sees a nobility in them worth fighting for. (Again, his right-hand-man is the guy who murdered Lawrence's own guide & friend just for drinking at a well. And again, it might be easier to swallow that Lawrence is a loyal Brit utilizing these Arab pawns for his own government, but we're presented over & over with the idea that Lawrence is serving some far greater cause that supersedes patriotism.)

The characterization we're given is that Lawrence is an idealist with noble values, and he answers to higher callings than simply serving the interests of the British Empire. Yet it seems he devolves from noble values to adopt the barbarism of the Arab tribes.

Early on, he risks his own life & his mission to save a single lost man in the desert (amazing his cohorts at his no-man-left-behind philosophy), but later, summarily executes that same man without so much as a trial or letting the man give his side of the story. In later parts we see Lawrence almost going mad by adopting the blood-lust of the tribal barbarians he's sided with.

So the feeling was lost on me that we're supposed to be inspired by Lawrence or see him as a heroic Moses-type character trying to lead an oppressed people to freedom. In the film, the Arabs aren't presented as oppressed, just as murdering barbarians. Thus, I never got into rooting for anyone in the movie as no one seems worth rooting for.

Hopefully, someone will set me straight! ;)

ursaguy

02-03-16, 04:37 PM

Now I haven't seen many 2016 movies, but sadly Hail, Caesar is the worst one yet.

Hail, Caesar directed by Joel and Ethan Coen - 2
Hail, Caesar can be best described as follows, "wasted potential". You've got the Coen Brothers (not only directing but writing), George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Roger Deakins, boatloads of great talent. The premise of the film itself leaves so much room for good humor and character, and it's just wasted, on a disconnected story I didn't care about at any point during the film. About halfway through you start to realize that nothing matters, the story the film itself in no ways effects the characters or the universe it takes place in. Every person the story tries to make note of and garner your attention with just fails to bring any flourish to the sometimes hammy dialogue and poor scene pacing. In the end, all the jokes, all the ideas, and everything the movie had going for it, just flushes itself down the toilet because you just don't care, and it doesn't really matter. I'm being repetitive because I feel so compelled to stress that this isn't even an okay movie, it's a bad one. And if you're like myself, and had high hopes for it, I urge you to not waste your time. Go watch O Brother, Where Art Thou? again, it'd be more entertaining.

Unfortunately I kind of expected this. If the Coens made a good movie, it would come out in Oscar season, not February.

matt72582

02-03-16, 06:10 PM

A New Leaf - 5/10

Not a very good movie, too much farce and silliness, but something cute about it - Elaine May. I think it's great she wrote it as well. What the movie's theme I took was how men and women in this instance and hopefully in general bring the best out of each other, and to bring out untapped resources they always had.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/A_New_Leaf.jpg

Nausicaä

02-03-16, 06:17 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6b/Horrible_Bosses_2.jpg

rating_2

It sent me to sleep.

matt72582

02-03-16, 06:18 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6b/Horrible_Bosses_2.jpg

rating_2

It sent me to sleep.

I'll stick with insomnia :)

Iroquois

02-03-16, 06:39 PM

Another problem, is I don't really buy their relationship at all over the course of the movie. A minor spoiler:

Didn't make much sense to me that she would stay with him for so long after all the ****** ways he treated her, even though in the end they stay together.

I'm due for a re-watch of Miller's Crossing, but I was under the impression that

they don't stay together in the end. The last scene has Harden attending Turturro's funeral and when Byrne shows up she just storms offs while telling him to drop dead, which is followed by Finney telling Byrne that he's going to marry Harden and Byrne wishing him good luck.

Still could do with a re-watch, of course.

Anyway...

Piranha (1978) - 2.5

"It's SUPERMAN!"

Derek Vinyard

02-03-16, 06:40 PM

Primal Fear (1996) - Gregory Hoblit
http://images2.static-bluray.com/reviews/1098_4.jpg
http://www.screeninsults.com/images/primal-fear-trial.jpg
- Awesome rewatch of one favorite of mine. This movie is something special for me because you know it's the first role of my favorite actor Edward Norton and he is terrific in it. I love courtroom movie and this one is the best in my opinion. The storyline as many very good dialogues and interesting scenes (my favorite is definitely the ''Hey you look at me when I'm talking to you b*tch'' scene).Soundtracks is good, actors are astounding especially Ed Norton and the mood is very nice for a courtroom crime-drama. That ending is awesomeness and it's by far my favorite part of the movie. For me, that's a perfect movie.
5

neiba

02-03-16, 07:02 PM

Caged (John Cromwell, 1950)

http://trueclassics.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/caged-poster.png?w=700

Thoughts posted on the 50s HoF.

4.5 -
----------

Hiroshima, Mon Amour (Alan Resnais, 1959)

http://33.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_livpusdUSV1qzsi8f.png

A fantastic work of art of photography, music, poetry and film.
I'm speechless...

4.5 +

(Damn, two 4.5/5 in the same day, I almost feel guilty)

DrSoup007

02-03-16, 07:05 PM

Phoenix directed by Christian Petzold - 4
It's a very slow and strenuous build that delivers in the best of ways. The initial concept itself starts off solidly, and then each turn it takes opens up room for more compelling drama. And that drama is driven perfectly by the subtle and capturing performances of Nina Hoss and Ronald Zehrfeld. I never quite knew where the story is gonna go, but the film does a fantastic job at never losing my interest, with it's helpful pacing and believable dialogue. I can't quite capture into words how well everything meshes in this movie, it can be a hard one to just pick up, but it pays off. I'd heard a lot about this film, from quite a few respected people, so I'm glad to say that this is a very high recommendation. It's on Netflix so I urge you to check it out when you get the opportunity.

Gideon58

02-03-16, 07:24 PM

https://knightleyemma.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/allthatheavenallows_poster1.jpg

7.5/10

colejwalker

02-03-16, 07:45 PM

I'm due for a re-watch of Miller's Crossing, but I was under the impression that

they don't stay together in the end. The last scene has Harden attending Turturro's funeral and when Byrne shows up she just storms offs while telling him to drop dead, which is followed by Finney telling Byrne that he's going to marry Harden and Byrne wishing him good luck.

Still could do with a re-watch, of course.

Anyway...

Piranha (1978) - 2.5

"It's SUPERMAN!"

Yeah they don't

stay together in the end, but she stays with him for awhile after he practically beats the **** out of her. It just didn't make sense, their relationship is so flawed. Doesn't make much sense her and Finney end up in the end either to be honest.

Still a fun film though so I would recommend a re-watch.

colejwalker

02-03-16, 07:50 PM

Gabriel Byrne is great as Reagan. You never know what he's going to do next.

While I respect your opinion I felt like he was downplaying every scene and it at times made me start laughing because it didn't even seem like he was in the scene. This wasn't every scene, but some. He was good when...

he and Harden were in the rain and she was asking him if he killed her brother. He delivers the "no" line really well, other than that though he just didn't work for me.

mark f

02-03-16, 08:01 PM

The kiss of death - respect. :)

AdamUpBxtch

02-03-16, 08:08 PM

*Rewatch

https://kalafudra.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/the-worlds-end1.jpg
The World's End (2013) 4

"We wanna be free! We wanna be free to do what we wanna do! And we wanna get loaded, and we wanna have a good time! That's what we're gonna do. We're gonna have a good time. We're gonna have a party."

This is one of those comedies that I didn't love immediately after watching it, I liked it, I just didn't love it like I liked Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. I grew to appreciate it more on rewatches, and It is the weakest of the Cornetto Trilogy to me. Though that isn't necessarily a bad thing, that is like saying The Two Towers is my least favorite of the LOTR Trilogy, it may be my least favorite but I still love it. The comedy was not the problem with this movie because it was clever and on point the entire time. The story and the characters weren't the problem either, they were excellent and brilliantly done like in the other two films, especially the character of Gary King, the main character played by Simon Pegg. That character could of become a disaster to watch on screen but the character doesn't become annoying and he really has a lot of layers to him which get slowly torn away throughout the movie. I guess the movie just didn't reach that peak that I wish it would have, I can't really describe it. The scale was obviously up'd from Hott Fuzz, but I guess I just had my expectations too high for an Wright-Pegg-Frost movie. After a few rewatches of this I have warmed up to it and embraced it. There are a few scenes in this movie that easily make my favorite scenes from the Cornetto Triolgy as a whole. Drunk Andy, Nick Frost's character, is a huge highlight in this movie and even though he starts out playing the more grounded character to Pegg's crazy and depressed Gary King, unlike in the two previous films, he still manages to steal the show and everytime I think of this movie I think of him and that character. The arm through the door scene I especially love, if you've seen the movie you know what I'm talking about.

Derek Vinyard

02-03-16, 08:10 PM

^ LOVE The World's End. My second favorite from The Cornetto Trilogy after Hot Fuzz.

Diehl40

02-04-16, 01:37 AM

http://counterforce.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/high_fidelity.jpg?w=549

High Fidelity- 8/10

Nausicaä

02-04-16, 06:52 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a9/Howl_poster.jpg

rating_4

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/df/Cop_Car_poster.jpg

rating_3

this_is_the_ girl

02-04-16, 12:24 PM

The cinematography is amazing but i thought the movie was rather boring.

The only film I've seen by Ophuls is Lola Montes, and it didn't do anything for me at all. Again, the color cinematography was impressive but the film itself was a total bore. Something's telling me I need to check out The Earrings of Madame de... or Letter from an Unknown Woman next - supposedly those are the better films.

Mäx

02-04-16, 12:31 PM

The only other movie i've seen is Everybody's Woman (1934) which was much more interesting and has the same visual appeal - considering the year it was made.

colejwalker

02-04-16, 01:37 PM

Hanna (2011) - Joe Wright

https://ryanthemoviecritic.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/hanna_movie_2011_saorise_ronan_eric_bana_cate_blanchett_movie_pics_stills_images_film_joe_wright1.pn g

The best way to sum this film up is a failed rehash with all the wrong people involved. It is such a bizarre action movie coupled with the a very miscast crew. I find it fascinating nobody talks about this. How did they get star power like this with such a lackluster script? Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana are in this movie about a girl who is a trained solider who must run from a C.I.A. like organization. I'm a big fan of Joe Wright and I really enjoyed the Pride and Prejudice as well as Atonement, but this is very different from those two films. This film is no where close to the stature of those previous 2 movies, all this is is a washed down Bourne movie with terrible fight choreography. The acting is pretty bad by most involved other than Cate Blanchett and the mother of the people Hanna meets, which ends up going nowhere in the end. The style at times works, but overall its got very jarring editing, making it at times painful to watch. The few tracking shots in the film were interesting to look at and I commend them for it, but in the end the cinematography is very bland. There are rare moments in this film though that stick out and make it interesting:

1. The scenery and places the characters travel to are very strange and with a different director could probably be explored better.

2. The relationship between Hanna and the girl she meets takes a couple twists that intrigued me.

3. The imagery they set up throughout the film and in the conclusion was handled well.

4. The side characters she interacts with are very interesting and shy away from the grounded tone that this film tries to portray. If it had embraced the wacky tone the script had (even though it had a lot of flaws) it could have made for a better film.

Theres moments in the film that make it standout, but its so few and far between that to give this a positive rating would just be wrong.

2 ++

Daniel M

02-04-16, 04:36 PM

A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan, 1951) rating_3_5

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/Streetcar_original.jpg

A very good film, well written and with some fantastic emotional scenes as you would expect in an adaptation of a play. All the performances are very good, and Brando is genuinely scary as Stanley Kowalski. Seems slightly trapped between a stage play and film, but Kazan makes good work of space and photography where he can, to aid the story, I was surprised by how dark some of the elements of the story were. I feel like the final scenes after the final confrontation between Stanley and Blanch could have been more explorative of the characters and their relationships rather than feel more like your ordinary wrap-up.

The Best Years of Our Lives (William Wyler, 1946) rating_4_5

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/42/The_Best_Years_of_Our_Lives_film_poster.jpg

A truly fantastic film, and an important one that I think everyone should watch at some point. I think the best way to describe this film is with words such as sincere, patient, delicate. It takes great care in showing us these damaged characters, and does so in a respectful way that feels honest, real. There are some great emotional moments, and it works as a commentary on not only that particular time in America, but war, the effects and the changing world in general. I have to give a special mention to Dana Andrews, who missed out on an Academy nomination, but arguably gives the best performance. Not only in this film, but in general, I am becoming a huge fan of his. He's fantastic to watch, a calming and natural screen presence that brings great humanism to the role, he never over acts but you can't take your eyes off him in any scene.

bluedeed

02-04-16, 04:41 PM

Dana Andrews is a great actor!

rauldc14

02-04-16, 04:42 PM

Really glad you enjoyed Best Years Daniel. It's in my top 100 and I hope it does well in the 9th HOF

Daniel M

02-04-16, 04:46 PM

Dana Andrews is a great actor!

Glad you agree, I also recently enjoyed watching him in Tourneur's Night of the Demon, which I'm sure you'll enjoy, and I ought to watch Canyon Passage soon too :cool:

colejwalker

02-04-16, 05:07 PM

Source Code (2011) - Duncan Jones

http://www.electricsheepmagazine.co.uk/reviews/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/review_SourceCode.jpg

I saw this film way back when it came out and I didn't remember loving it, but I love Duncan Jones's first film Moon (2009); now watching it again there is a lot to like. This is probably (along with Moon) one of the most refreshing films of modern science fiction cinema. Its got a great pace and keeps you engaged for the whole film. Jake Gyllenhaal is as always very good in the part and so is Michelle Monaghan. The storyline is very clear and simple, but still smart enough to respect the viewer's intelligence. The character dynamic is very apparent between Monaghan and Gyllenhaal and you really feel the pain that Jake faces as he keeps going back in. There are a lot of intense scenes and its interesting to watch him keep going back and forth, much like Groundhog Day and Edge of Tomorrow. I do have two problems with this film though:

1. It gets a little cheesy at times, especially during the scene...

when Gyllenhaal is talking to his dad on the phone about how his death affected him. It felt like it was kind of reaching for a sentimental moment when they already had one with Monaghan.
2. I really wasn't a fan of the ending to this film. I won't go into it, but if they ended it literally two minutes earlier it could have been so much better and honestly would have fit the story more.

Source Code is a worthy follow up to Moon, but in the end their are a couple flaws that hold me back from loving it.

3.5

Iroquois

02-04-16, 08:05 PM

An Officer and a Gentleman - 2.5

Went in expecting some hoary military-themed melodrama - I guess that's what I got, but I actually kind of enjoyed it.

edarsenal

02-04-16, 08:31 PM

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/stills/10721-7ee0b76873fa57ac0195b93e1dc5049b/BriefEncounter_w_original.jpg

Brief Encounters (1945) 3.5++ Took full advantage of they youtube link in the 9th HOF thread to enjoy this quiet, subtle lil film. A truly lovely cast.
Thanks Cricket for recommending this.

http://awardswatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Sicario-del-toro-blunt.jpg

Sicario 4 had been very hyped to see this one for some time and it truly paid off. A tense and thoroughly enjoyable ride.

Captain Steel

02-04-16, 09:36 PM

An Officer and a Gentleman - 2.5

Went in expecting some hoary military-themed melodrama - I guess that's what I got, but I actually kind of enjoyed it.

LOL! Yeah, it's actually a chick-flick disguised as a military film!

matt72582

02-04-16, 09:41 PM

LOL! Yeah, it's actually a chick-flick disguised as a military film!

I couldn't stand the status-seeking ****

dadgumblah

02-05-16, 01:24 AM

Watched a few oldies on TCM recently and here they are:

The Human Comedy (1943)

Sentimental film set in a small California town during WWII, but it's not overly sentimental. It's narrated by a dead man who looks over his family during the hard times of the war. Mickey Rooney heads a fine cast as the young teen son of the dead man who takes a job as a messenger boy. He has to deliver good news and bad, sometimes about young men killed in the war. It's hard at first but he matures as the story moves along. It's a slice-of-life of a small town and it follows many characters throughout, particularly Rooney's family. Van Johnson plays Rooney's older brother, who is in the Army, along with his new friend who figures prominently in the film. But it also shows the life of Rooney's boss, played by James Craig as he navigates his romance with a rich gal whose family intimidates him, maybe unnecessarily. Also important to the film is Rooney's co-worker played the great Frank Morgan (the Wizard of Oz himself), who receives the messages coming into the telegraph office, but sometimes has to be cared for by Rooney because Morgan's character is an alcoholic. It is an excellent movie that does have some sad moments but by the end is uplifting. It was nominated for several Oscars, including Rooney for Best Actor. Definitely worth a viewing.

http://745433944.r.lightningbase-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/471211-rooney-morgan.jpg

4.5

Test Pilot (1938)

Rousing action/drama/romance film that takes all those ingredients and blends them together successfully to make a fine viewing experience. Clark Gable stars as the test pilot of the title and Spencer Tracy is his co-worker and best friend. Gable works for Lionel Barrymore who owns the planes that Gable tries out. And by trying out I mean he pushes them to their absolute limit, going faster, higher, rolling them, sometimes having to bail out and let the plane crash. The goal is see what their limit is then manufacture them. Of course Gable doesn't stop at the hoped-for limits, he keeps going. Lots of macho business with Gable and Tracy, which is to be expected with these guys. But Myrna Loy enters the picture and Gable and her fall for each other and are married. Thus begins her anxiety every time he goes up, with her expecting him not to return. Sounds corny but Loy really gives an excellent performance here, one of the very best I've seen from her. I didn't expect much, even given the talent here, but I should have known better. Great stuff.

http://dearmrgable.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/testpilot127.jpg

4

Derek Vinyard

02-05-16, 01:42 AM

Let The Right One In (2008) - Tomas Alfredson
http://www.moviemovie.com.hk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Let-the-right-one-in.jpg
http://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/styles/full/public/image/let-the-right-one-in-2008-003-kare-hedebrant-lina-leandersson.jpg?itok=InovujtB
- This flick is brilliant. Not only it's the best vampire movie of all-time but it's also godd*mn well-acted and very well-made. There's so many cliches stupid vampire flick with idiot plot in the world of cinema but this one is truly a masterpiece of his own. Both young actors are terrific, the supporting cast is top shape and the direction is perfect. As you probably know there's a lot of blood and awesome scenes in this flick but the pool scene is probably one of my favorite of all-time from a horror movie. I love the relation between the two kids they're two different species and they both share the same love for each other that's awesome. I also appreciate a lot the ''bully'' aspect in the movie and it was very well demonstrate. The atmosphere and soundtracks are great. In Conclusion, The ending is amazing and it was one hell of a great watch. One of my favorite foreign flick.
4.5+

Iroquois

02-05-16, 02:03 AM

LOL! Yeah, it's actually a chick-flick disguised as a military film!

I already figured as much before I watched it. I think most of my viewing was motivated by wanting to see Louis Gossett Jr.'s Oscar-winning performance.

I couldn't stand the status-seeking ****

I could at once understand her reasoning but find it disagreeable.

Camo

02-05-16, 03:44 AM

Room - 3.5

http://i64.tinypic.com/tapnxt.jpg

This was very good i thought. It is a pretty messed up story that reminded me of those three girls who were held captive for a decade in the states, still it is very heartwarming in the second half especially watching Jack adapt to his surroundings. Brie Larson was excellent fully deserving of the praise she has been getting IMO, i haven't seen any of the other nominees but it wouldn't be a bad year if she won the Oscar. I must say the kid was very good too, at times he was a bit understandably frustrating like the scene were Brie is trying to describe the world to him but this was clearly meant to be the way he is which is a positive for the kids portrayal in my book. Overall it is a really simple story with excellent acting that managed to bring out a range of emotions.

cricket

02-05-16, 08:56 AM

The Descendants (2011)

4+

http://cdn.moviestillsdb.com/sm/8f22d6446e991b37848f834ae364e1a4/the-descendants.jpg

Thoughts posted in the 9th Hall of Fame thread.

Swan

02-05-16, 09:17 AM

Holes (Andrew Davis, 2003) - 4

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn187/bdfolsom/DXu9yw0NVaU.movieposter_zpscngsqvjy.jpg

Dig it up.

Gatsby

02-05-16, 09:27 AM

I used to love Holes when I was kid, but I don't know if it will hold up if I watch it now.

Swan

02-05-16, 09:29 AM

I used to love Holes when I was kid, but I don't know if it will hold up if I watch it now.

It held up wonderfully for me. Do not underestimate that film - it's surprisingly good storytelling.

Gatsby

02-05-16, 09:39 AM

It held up wonderfully for me. Do not underestimate that film - it's surprisingly good storytelling.
K, I'll be looking forward to the rewatch. Did you know Louis Sachar himself wrote the screenplay?

Swan

02-05-16, 09:40 AM

Yeah, that's probably one of the reasons it works so well. Another writer might have taken out all that backstory, and we wouldn't have Patricia Arquette to look at, and the whole film would be in shambles!

this_is_the_ girl

02-05-16, 10:39 AM

High Noon (1952) 4/5

Didn't Gary Cooper suffer from health problems during the shooting of this film? Well, that definitely gave his acting some extra believability - he really did look genuinely distressed and anguished at some points.

At first I thought the ending was kinda lame and too rushed, and the bad guys died too easily but then it occurred to me that it simply served to accentuate the level of cowardice, weak-heartedness and pitiful conformity of the people who refused to help Kane. I mean, so this is what you were scared of all along? Shame on you! :)

colejwalker

02-05-16, 12:29 PM

Smashed (2012) - James Ponsdolt

http://vb.top-new.net/image/13/09/%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9_%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7_%D9%88% D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D9%88%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A7_y.jpg

I've been keeping tabs on James Ponsdolt ever since I first saw the film Spectacular Now (2013) which was also my gateway into Miles Teller. He's got a great film sense and I really enjoy a lot of his writing, especially in his latest movie, End of the Tour (2015). Smashed interested me because I'm always a fan of watching a debut film because its usually when directors are getting their barrings and coming into their own as filmmakers, which I think is cool. You can really tell that this is a first effort and in some ways thats a bad thing, but in others its a positive. To start with positive, he crafts a very intricate and semi-broken character in Kate who is an alcoholic who's relationship with her husband lasts because they are always getting drunk together. Winstead plays her very subtly and I buy that she had a legitimate problem, which is hard to do. The fault is, I think she is the only interesting character in the film, which is a damn shame since there was a lot of potential. I didn't buy her and Paul's chemistry and I can't tell if that was the point or not, but it just never felt like they could have ever been together. I also think the side story about the vomit got ridiculously out of hand, but I did enjoy her story with Offerman even though it was very strange. I can't help but think with a longer runtime and less emphasis on the vomit side plot it could have used more time to develop characters, thus giving the ending much more of an impact on the viewer. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the ending just not as much as I could have if stakes were higher. Overall, a really fun debut indie film with quirky writing, but is lacking in some fields that Ponsdolt has excelled at later on.

3

Citizen Rules

02-05-16, 12:53 PM

Watched a few oldies on TCM recently and here they are:

Test Pilot (1938)

Rousing action/drama/romance film that takes all those ingredients and blends them together successfully to make a fine viewing experience. Clark Gable stars as the test pilot of the title and Spencer Tracy is his co-worker and best friend. Gable works for Lionel Barrymore who owns the planes that Gable tries out. And by trying out I mean he pushes them to their absolute limit, going faster, higher, rolling them, sometimes having to bail out and let the plane crash. The goal is see what their limit is then manufacture them. Of course Gable doesn't stop at the hoped-for limits, he keeps going. Lots of macho business with Gable and Tracy, which is to be expected with these guys. But Myrna Loy enters the picture and Gable and her fall for each other and are married. Thus begins her anxiety every time he goes up, with her expecting him not to return. Sounds corny but Loy really gives an excellent performance here, one of the very best I've seen from her. I didn't expect much, even given the talent here, but I should have known better. Great stuff.

http://dearmrgable.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/testpilot127.jpg

rating_4

I loved Test Pilot. Is that the one where there trying to build a pressurized cabin so that they can fly higher? If not I might have it confused with a similar Errol Flynn movie.

dadgumblah

02-05-16, 01:53 PM

I loved Test Pilot. Is that the one where there trying to build a pressurized cabin so that they can fly higher? If not I might have it confused with a similar Errol Flynn movie.

No, CR, they didn't touch on the pressurized cabin. This is the one where towards the end they top-loaded the plane with sandbags and other weighty objects. This was to simulate having a plane full of men and equipment going to a war zone. This ended up causing disaster as they climbed to their highest level, breaking a record, but all the sandbags broke loose and shifted forward, pressing Gable and Tracy against the controls while they were in free-fall. I won't tell you who makes it or not. :)

neiba

02-05-16, 03:16 PM

The Hateful Eight (Quentin Tarantino, 2015)

http://static.rogerebert.com/redactor_assets/pictures/569a92ac592cb0213f00016d/Leigh2.jpg

As a proud Tarantino fanboy, I was expecting every review thrashing this film to be completely exagerated, as the ones about Basterds or Kill Bill. But I have to agree, the man really went completely egomaniac.
The credit sequence is beautiful as well the first landscape shots but then we are presented to a boring and pretentious first half. He could have told everything he wanted in half the time he needed and still reach the desired effect but he just chose to stretch the dialogues to a point where I was concidering if I was in the right movie theatre and if this was truly made by the man who changed cinema for good back in the 90s.
During this part, it's fair to say that Ennio Morricone continues proving that, at 87, is still able to make wonderful music, especially in a western, a genre he made his own! And of course Tarantino is a master at choosing the music to his films and when to apply it, even when it's not apparently logical, and he definitely doesn't let down in this department.
Then the blood bath begins and things become a lot more interesting (I didn't think there was too much violence or gore AT ALL, it's a Tarantino movie, it's one of the reasons people go to see it, for God's sake). There's 3 or 4 incredible scenes till the end that in a way make up for the rest and the ending scene is pretty remarkable.
As for the acting, Sam L. Jackson completely owns the screen! It was also great to see Madsen, Russel and Roth back at spitting Tarantino dialogue. Jason Leigh does pretty good too. I didn't quite like Goggins in the first few scenes but he ended up alright.
I left the theatre with the feeling that Tarantino still knows how to produce masterpieces and the day he realizes that he doesn't need to prove anything to noone he will become again the genius everyone knows he is.
As for The Hateful Eight, though it's still better than Django, it left me a bit underwhelmed and nothing pains me more than saying that about something Quentin made.

rating_3

Mäx

02-05-16, 03:18 PM

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Don Siegel, 1956) - 4

Somehow, i wasn't expecting much of this movie but, boy, did it prove me wrong!

Camo

02-05-16, 03:23 PM

Vacation - 2.5+

http://i68.tinypic.com/1z166hl.jpg

This was the first time i watched one of the Vacation movies despite having owned them all for years, i enjoyed it and will probably check out the rest of the series. There were some really funny moments like his random meetings with the woman in the red car especially his dance at the picnic, his father and son talks with Anthony Michael Hall and his demented fun speech; "We'll all have so much ******* fun that we will have to have plastic surgery to remove our god damn smiles" :D. I also love Beverly D'Angelo here, was happy to find out she plays his wife throughout the series even though the kids always change. Overall it could have been a bit funnier not that there wasn't plenty of jokes they were just a bit hit and miss for me at times, still it was a fun 90 minutes and that was all i was really hoping for.

MovieMeditation

02-05-16, 03:28 PM

neiba

02-05-16, 03:31 PM

Glad to hear this - well, I'm not that glad to hear you didn't enjoy it and was let-down, but I'm glad to hear that you kind of felt what I felt too. I'm a fan, I go see the film, but feel like there's something wrong. And ultimately I leave underwhelmed and not happy to say I wasn't wholeheartedly a fan of this one, though I love Quentin.

Anyways, we only have to wait 3-4 years (arrrrrgh!) until we may get something better (or worse). :D

The fact that he still says this is one of his best movies makes me believe that he won't do anything much better than this in a near future, I'm afraid :(

Lucas

02-05-16, 03:34 PM

http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/1280/960/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/c/articles/568e8dfee16d41490412ac38/hail-caesar-quad.jpg

Hail, Caesar 4

Incredible.

seanc

02-05-16, 03:36 PM

http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/1280/960/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/c/articles/568e8dfee16d41490412ac38/hail-caesar-quad.jpg

Hail, Caesar 4

Incredible.

Thank God. Less then two hours for me. Can't wait.

colejwalker

02-05-16, 04:41 PM

http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/1280/960/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/c/articles/568e8dfee16d41490412ac38/hail-caesar-quad.jpg

Hail, Caesar 4

Incredible.

I'm pretty pumped too, heard you either love it or hate it.

colejwalker

02-05-16, 04:42 PM

Camo

02-05-16, 04:46 PM

If its anything like Christmas Vacation I'm gonna hate it.

I'm planning on watching that tomorrow or sunday to cross it off the 90s list.

colejwalker

02-05-16, 04:49 PM

I'm planning on watching that tomorrow or sunday to cross it off the 90s list.

Good luck, cause it really doesn't hold up imo.

Captain Steel

02-05-16, 04:53 PM

honeykid

02-05-16, 05:05 PM

I prefer Vacation to Christmas. But then I think Beverly D'Angelo is the only reason to watch those films, so l would.

Camo

02-05-16, 05:07 PM

I'm wondering if the Vacation movies have become dated? After all, there were no scenes of the kids texting in the back seat, and when the car broke down in the desert, Clark couldn't just call for help on his Smart Phone. ;)

I'm guessing cole was referring to the corny slapstick that has been done so much since and on a much grander scale (not meaning it is better of course), and i know you were being sarcastic ;). Also they had Pac-Man and Space Invaders that could apparently enter Clarks travel plans and eat his car, while the spaceship could fight the Pac-Man ghosts. That film was clearly way ahead of its time.

Miss Vicky

02-05-16, 06:56 PM

Good luck, cause it really doesn't hold up imo.

Pfft. Whatever. That movie is a classic.
February's not really the best time to watch it, but it's great.

https://media.giphy.com/media/lRt2KRqMO8nMA/giphy.gif

edarsenal

02-05-16, 07:41 PM

Daniel M

02-05-16, 08:34 PM

I honestly don't get it. I feel sorry for people who when Roy Orbison came on at the end didn't get goosebumps and didn't walk out the cinema thinking "I just watched a f*cking great film".

BlueLion

02-05-16, 08:37 PM

The fact that he still says this is one of his best movies makes me believe that he won't do anything much better than this in a near future, I'm afraid :(

I agree - and I've said this elsewhere, I don't see QT evolving as a filmmaker at this point. I think IB may have well been his last great movie, but he showed signs of regress even then. Hateful Eight is not just one of his most forgettable films, it's easily one of the year's least memorable, what with the 70mm hype and all that

Daniel M

02-05-16, 08:41 PM

Repeat (seeing as the post I'm mainly referring to has jumped ahead of me)

I honestly don't get it. I feel sorry for people who when Roy Orbison came on at the end didn't get goosebumps and didn't walk out the cinema thinking "I just watched a f*cking great film".

:p

BlueLion

02-05-16, 08:43 PM

Gatsby

02-05-16, 08:45 PM

Boy, I can't wait to see The Hateful Eight...

Daniel M

02-05-16, 08:55 PM

What's so great about the movie?

I know you saw my original "review"/ramblings, but read this, where I attempt to address some of the main issues that MovieMeditation had with it - http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1453187#post1453187

I'd like to see someone reply to that, and I'm open open to discussion about the film, although I feel like I've wrote an awful lot justifying why I loved it already.

In short:

- Great characters
- Great performances (especially JJL, Dern, SLJ and Goggins)
- Great mystery
- Great humour (especially Oswaldo and Bob)
- Great changing relationships
- Great score
- Great photography
- Tense, violent moments
- Great commentary on race relations in America
- Great emotional final scene and song

BlueLion

02-05-16, 09:06 PM

Performances were okay, SLJ did well, but all those things you listed matter very little to me considering I find the film to lack cohesion, which is one of the most important things for me when it comes to evaluating a film.

But anyway...

- Great characters (easily among the weakest in the Tarantino universe)
- Great mystery (I didn't feel any of it, I felt as though the dialogue was aimless and wasn't taking us anywhere)
- Great humour (especially Oswaldo and Bob) (one of weakest QT's weakest as far as this is concerned)
- Great changing relationships (one of the things I liked about the film)
- Great score (one of Morricone's least memorable and one of QT's weakest soundtracks overall)
- Great photography (even Django had better photography and it wasn't even shot on 70mm)
- Tense, violent moments (the most cartoonish of all Tarantino films, he probably outdid that Django shootout scene)
- Great commentary on race relations in America (another thing I liked about the film)
- Great emotional final scene and song (I felt no emotions whatsoever)

edarsenal

02-05-16, 09:12 PM

couple of oldie pirate movies and a jilted tranny, what a movie night! :D

https://travsd.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/captain-william-kidd-charles-laughton-m.jpg

(REWATCH) Captain Kidd (1945) 4 Charles Laughton, as per usual, does a splendid job looking to plunder his way to a lordship.

http://www.imfdb.org/images/thumb/c/cb/Blackbeard_pistol_3.jpg/500px-Blackbeard_pistol_3.jpg

(REWATCH) Blackbeard (1952) 3.5++ Haven't seen this version with the Grand Master of Pirate Articulation; Robert Newton since I was around 8 or 9. Remember the end scene being pretty damn intense to my wee self.

http://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/Screen-Shot-2015-07-08-at-4.48.46-PM-copy.jpg

Tangerine 3.5 Fresh out of jail for the past 28 days, Sin-di finds out from her best friend that her pimp/boyfriend has been cheating on her and sets after the "fish" he's been cheating with.
A crazy, sordid tale filmed with blunt truth AND on an I-Phone that actually compliments the very realistic scenario as if someone happened upon this and followed, believing one helluva youtube video was presenting itself right in their lap.
Beneath all of this there really is some insight into these struggling individuals and their daily hustle.

Swan

02-05-16, 09:53 PM

Hail, Caesar! - 4+

What a great film. Nice to see something so funny and yet so understanding of the language of cinema.

Iroquois

02-05-16, 10:07 PM

I agree - and I've said this elsewhere, I don't see QT evolving as a filmmaker at this point. I think IB may have well been his last great movie, but he showed signs of regress even then. Hateful Eight is not just one of his most forgettable films, it's easily one of the year's least memorable, what with the 70mm hype and all that

Referring to Hateful Eight as one of Tarantino's most forgettable films makes me wonder how exactly you'd go about quantifying a film's memorability (or lack thereof) as opposed to positive/negative qualities. If I were to ask you to rank each Tarantino film (or every 2015 release you've seen) from most to least memorable, how would you go about doing that? Besides, I'd still argue that the isolated chamber drama of Hateful Eight at least makes for a progression away from relatively straightforward revenge epics like Kill Bill, Basterds, and Django - even if it does invite comparisons to Reservoir Dogs, it at least shows that he's willing to focus on character-based drama more so than the flat plot-movers from his last few films. Also, how does 70mm hype translate into "one of the year's least memorable"?

Anyway...

Carrie (1976) - 3.5

Man, the 70s were something else.

Camo

02-05-16, 10:16 PM

What's so great about the movie?

Eveything guy, not sure why you thought this was OK but f u guy!

Ugh.... :mnight:

Camo

02-05-16, 10:17 PM

M.Knight.Shenanigans

neiba

02-05-16, 10:25 PM

I agree - and I've said this elsewhere, I don't see QT evolving as a filmmaker at this point. I think IB may have well been his last great movie, but he showed signs of regress even then. Hateful Eight is not just one of his most forgettable films, it's easily one of the year's least memorable, what with the 70mm hype and all that

Referring to Hateful Eight as one of Tarantino's most forgettable films makes me wonder how exactly you'd go about quantifying a film's memorability (or lack thereof) as opposed to positive/negative qualities. If I were to ask you to rank each Tarantino film (or every 2015 release you've seen) from most to least memorable, how would you go about doing that? Besides, I'd still argue that the isolated chamber drama of Hateful Eight at least makes for a progression away from relatively straightforward revenge epics like Kill Bill, Basterds, and Django - even if it does invite comparisons to Reservoir Dogs, it at least shows that he's willing to focus on character-based drama more so than the flat plot-movers from his last few films. Also, how does 70mm hype translate into "one of the year's least memorable"?

Give me the straightforward revenge epics like Kill Bill or IB any time!

Reservoir Dogs use a similar concept and it works better in every single aspect exactly because it's straightforward, it's simple! You a great script, great actors and everything that happens or that is said is there for a reason. The result is one solid and homogeneous film. In TH8, QT goes from forgettable to brilliant to forgettable again in a matter of seconds.

After Django, it's his least memorable film, IMO!

BlueLion

02-05-16, 10:25 PM

Referring to Hateful Eight as one of Tarantino's most forgettable films makes me wonder how exactly you'd go about quantifying a film's memorability (or lack thereof) as opposed to positive/negative qualities

Well I take lots of things into consideration, the one sin I never forgive a film though is when it feels like an empty experience and it lacks character. Hateful Eight tries too hard to feel authentic when it's anything but. The movie looks and sounds like somebody impersonating QT, the dialogue (especially during the first 90 mins) feels forced and exaggerated and at times cringeworthy. As for the rest of the movie, we've seen it all before, and it's been done better. I just don't feel it offers anything new cinematically, thematically, or even in terms of QT's filmography. It just wasn't worth all the hype and the controversy

If I were to ask you to rank each Tarantino film (or every 2015 release you've seen) from most to least memorable, how would you go about doing that?

PF
Jackie Brown
Dogs
Kill Bill (both volumes)
IB
Django
Death Proof
Hateful 8

Also, how does 70mm hype translate into "one of the year's least memorable"?

What I meant was, was the 70mm thing really worth it? Could've easily been shot on 35mm, considering most of the film takes place in one location and the fact that it's one of Tarantino's least visual films.

BlueLion

02-05-16, 10:26 PM

Hail, Caesar! - 4+

What a great film. Nice to see something so funny and yet so understanding of the language of cinema.

Nice, I'm looking forward to this.

Haven't seen anything by the Coens in a while, might as well rewatch some of their great works

The Gunslinger45

02-05-16, 10:34 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fc/Masters_of_the_universe.jpg

Is it good? No. Is it a faithful adaptation? Not really. Is it awesome? Yeah, it kind of is. This is a premo guilty pleasure. I was a huge He-Man fan back in the day, so naturally I watched this movie a bunch when I was little. It is cheesy, it is pretty low budget (it is a Canon film after all) and it does have the awesome Dolph Lundgren. And a VERY over the top Frank Langella as Skeletor. For all it's flaws it is still fun.

It is not good, but it does have "The Power"

3.5

Iroquois

02-05-16, 11:03 PM

Give me the straightforward revenge epics like Kill Bill or IB any time!

Reservoir Dogs use a similar concept and it works better in every single aspect exactly because it's straightforward, it's simple! You a great script, great actors and everything that happens or that is said is there for a reason. The result is one solid and homogeneous film. In TH8, QT goes from forgettable to brilliant to forgettable again in a matter of seconds.

After Django, it's his least memorable film, IMO!

Most of the stuff that you said about Dogs can easily be applied to Hateful Eight, though. I could argue that it's even less straightforward than Hateful Eight because it shuffles around its chronological order a lot more in the space of ninety minutes than Hateful Eight does in three hours. Also, I have to know exactly which part you're thinking of when you say it goes from forgettable to brilliant and back again in a matter of seconds. While we're at it, are we differentiating between "forgettable" and "memorably awful"?

Well I take lots of things into consideration, the one sin I never forgive a film though is when it feels like an empty experience and it lacks character. Hateful Eight tries too hard to feel authentic when it's anything but. The movie looks and sounds like somebody impersonating QT, the dialogue (especially during the first 90 mins) feels forced and exaggerated and at times cringeworthy. As for the rest of the movie, we've seen it all before, and it's been done better. I just don't feel it offers anything new cinematically, thematically, or even in terms of QT's filmography. It just wasn't worth all the hype and the controversy

If I were to ask you to rank each Tarantino film (or every 2015 release you've seen) from most to least memorable, how would you go about doing that?

PF
Jackie Brown
Dogs
Kill Bill (both volumes)
IB
Django
Death Proof
Hateful 8

Also, how does 70mm hype translate into "one of the year's least memorable"?

What I meant was, was the 70mm thing really worth it? Could've easily been shot on 35mm, considering most of the film takes place in one location and the fact that it's one of Tarantino's least visual films.

Hmm, I suppose I can't tell you how to feel, but I think if I'm going to assess films on the basis of whether or not I consider them empty or lacking in character (and, to a certain extent, I do) then I'd still at least put Hateful Eight ahead of Django and Death Proof. While I'll concede some of your problems with Hateful Eight, I'd also argue that they are present in greater force in those particular films - films don't get much more inauthentic than Death Proof. You do raise a good point about whether or not a filmmaker has to constantly evolve and provide new experiences even by the particular standards set by their own output - the fact that Hateful Eight acts as something of a summary of all of Tarantino's strengths can also come across as a mish-mash of all his flaws too. I grant that it's not that great and the odds of me going higher than 4 are unlikely, but I still liked it for what it was - a film that crystallised the entire Tarantino experience for better or worse. Your mileage may vary, of course.

colejwalker

02-05-16, 11:49 PM

Hail, Caesar! (2016) - Coen Brothers

http://media.salon.com/2016/02/hail_caesar.jpg

This movie is terrible, easily the worst Coen Bros. movie ever made. I strongly urge everyone to not by a ticket to this filth that they thought people would enjoy. There isn't really any story to this film other than George Clooney getting kidnapped and put up for a ransom, but thats hardly even a factor in the grand scheme of it all. Everyone who is top billed on the poster is in the film for 2 minutes aside from George Clooney and Josh Brolin. The acting in the film is really sub-par by everyone involved that at times its hard to watch. The twist at the end on who is running the show is just ridiculously silly. There isn't really any reason to root for the characters and none of them evolve throughout the whole film so it just doesn't feel like there is any point to the film. The writing is the worst I've ever seen from the Coen Bros., I'm talking worse than Ladykillers and I can't even believe I am saying that. In my theater there were hardly any laughs at anything going on, I'm not even sure this is a comedy to be perfectly fair. At the end of the film a woman sitting behind me got up and said, "What did we just watch?" and I replied with, "S*it." This is by far the worst film of the year and it didn't even come out in January.

1.5

Fabulous

02-06-16, 01:07 AM

http://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/movie/movie_poster/garden-state-2004/large_jqfhv16LODEhj04E4EZ1swFRZWX.jpg

The Gunslinger45

02-06-16, 03:10 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/Heavens_gate_post.jpg

Visually this flick is great! Especially seeing this on Blu Ray. The shots are stunning, and really show Cimino's ability to construct a shot. Too bad he loved it so much the budget went through the roof. But that is another story all together. Lets focus on the flick. While the film is a tad over long, outside of a handful of shots I couldn't imagine cutting out anything from the movie. So I could only imagine how terrible the CUT version was that was released in theaters. But thankfully The Criterion Collection restored Cimino's original vision for the film. Over all a good movie.

3.5

Mäx

02-06-16, 06:22 AM

Romancing the Stone (Robert Zemeckis, 1984) - rating_2

MovieMeditation

02-06-16, 07:13 AM

I know you saw my original "review"/ramblings, but read this, where I attempt to address some of the main issues that MovieMeditation had with it - http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1453187#post1453187

I'd like to see someone reply to that, and I'm open open to discussion about the film, although I feel like I've wrote an awful lot justifying why I loved it already.

In short:

- Great characters
- Great performances (especially JJL, Dern, SLJ and Goggins)
- Great mystery
- Great humour (especially Oswaldo and Bob)
- Great changing relationships
- Great score
- Great photography
- Tense, violent moments
- Great commentary on race relations in America
- Great emotional final scene and song
There are a couple of reasons why I didn't reply in full to what you said; one would be then fact that it was very late for me and I didn't feel like I was in a multi-paragraphed writing moment at that point. Secondly, I feel like I have said everything there is to say for me about the movie, in that 4500+ word review. You pointed out my opinion on the Jackson monologue and seemed to have misunderstood, which is why I answered to that one. But all I think about it is pretty much in the review, in subtle or explicit form.

Camo

02-06-16, 07:35 AM

I felt no emotions whatsoever

Jesus, i don't even know how to do that.

Iroquois

02-06-16, 07:57 AM

Steve Jobs - 2.5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plz-bhcHryc

cricket

02-06-16, 11:31 AM

Leave Her to Heaven (1945)

3.5

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-47dkBpzJdAs/VYJxRWnxtAI/AAAAAAAAICo/s_kdYwONipI/s1600/leavehertoheaven.bmp

Thoughts posted in the 9th Hall of Fame thread.

Nausicaä

02-06-16, 05:32 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/46/Silent_running.jpg

rating_3_5

Nope1172

02-06-16, 05:42 PM

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8X_miar-0OY/maxresdefault.jpg
2.5
Disappointing.

edarsenal

02-06-16, 06:13 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/46/Silent_running.jpg

rating_3_5

Here's one from my childhood I haven't seen since! Remembering loving the robots: Huey, Louie and Dewey. Also remember crying at the ending.

Haven't seen it since. I should rectify that.

MovieMeditation

02-06-16, 07:19 PM

Casino (1995)

http://www.jdemirdjian.com/Movies/Movies/Casino%20(1995).jpg

This movie is too damn long... The narration is too damn much... The story is too much and too damn long...

Conclusion: It's too damn long and too damn much of otherwise expert filmmaking.

Side note: As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster... Not a damn Casino owner.

3.5++

Lucas

02-06-16, 07:51 PM

https://wondersinthedark.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/steamboat.jpg

Steamboat round the Bend 4

A southern folk tale full of humor, heart, and warmth. Ford's funniest film.

Steve Freeling

02-06-16, 10:13 PM

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/B51aCXYFKEq0FYSJikss4zZBmq.jpg
5
I expected it to be good, but this movie blew me away.

The Gunslinger45

02-06-16, 11:35 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/Bonnie%27s_Kids.jpg

Sleazy, exploitative, beautiful women, violence, nudity, stolen money, crime, and predatory lesbians. Yup. It is an exploitation movie.

3.5

Nope1172

02-07-16, 12:47 AM

http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/1280/960/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/c/articles/568e8dfee16d41490412ac38/hail-caesar-quad.jpg
4-
Funny and entertaining, but the Coen Brothers can do better

bluedeed

02-07-16, 02:23 AM

https://wondersinthedark.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/steamboat.jpg

Steamboat round the Bend 4

A southern folk tale full of humor, heart, and warmth. Ford's funniest film.

One of Ford's greatest for me. The burning of the historical figures, damn.

Guaporense

02-07-16, 02:30 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ad/Movie_poster_for_%22Witness_for_the_Prosecution%22.jpg

Billy Wilder is pretty good director afterall. Making movies like The Apartment, Sunset Boulevard, Some Like it Hot, Ace in the Hole and this one, all combined by the same guy, makes him the Chris Nolan of the 1950's.

Zappho

02-07-16, 08:28 AM

Spotlight
rating_4

So Spotlight doesn't really do anything special or risky as far as film making (pretty standard really) but the acting and the script were fantastic and told a controversial and disturbing, but at the same time compelling, story with finesse. Especially enjoyed Mark Ruffalos performance. He has this one scene that could be looked at as oscar baiting but when remembering the events leading up to it, the scene feels natural and makes me hope he grabs the gold for best supporting actor. Great film. Can't wait to see it again.

Dirty Grandpa
rating_1_5

Efron and DeNiro were fine together but Dirty Grandpa depended way too much on the raunchy humor to be entertaining and other than a few gags, the humor just fell flat for me. The plot was incredibly predictable. The side characters were either annoying, one note, or clichéd (sometimes a mix of the three) and there was nothing charming or clever about it. Will say this though. Results may very because while I was sitting there hating this movie, there were two guys behind me just laughing their asses off.

San Andreas
rating_2

It accomplishes what it went for but it is so clichéd and does nothing new with the disaster formula. The main characters are disaster movie stereotypes. The Rock is hero guy from Dante's Peak, Paul Giamatti is ignored genius from The Day After Tomorrow, Carla Gugino is divorced wife from 2012, and Alexandra Daddario is living plot point who, and this is something the movie really wanted to show off, has boobs. It was a week ago that I saw this movie and I vaguely remember it. Been done better else where.

The Martian
rating_4

I can say this is the best survival movie I've seen and that's because it didn't stay with the main character the entire time and it had a sense of humor while also giving convincing and tense, but kind of expected, scenes of peril. The acting across the board is great. Especially Matt Damon who ranges from cocky optimism to showing signs of straight up quitting his battle against an impossible situation. The soundtrack was great. I loved hearing Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" during the credits. This is the first movie I actually have to commend on its sound editing because there's this one part where the visor in the main characters helmet cracks while he's in a unpressurised environment and the sound it makes was very convincing. Also the science felt simple enough that I could follow it alright.

End Of Watch
rating_3_5

Let's get the negatives out of the way. It's somewhat found footage so the cinematography can be jarring and shaky when it doesn’t need to be and the antagonists are almost comically written. Big Evil and his posse were really annoying. Negatives done. The storyline was well crafted and paced. It was easy to connect with the two leads because of Gyllenhaal and Pena's almost natural chemistry and, of course, their characters chosen careers that send them into tense and brutal situations (also well realized). Anna Kendrick does great as the love interest (you can just see in her expressions at some scenes that she's really questioning what she's getting into) and she has great chemistry with Gyllenhaal as well. Definitely recommend it.

Hail, Caesar!
rating_3_5

The trailer was a bit misleading on this one. It's not as much a movie about some actor getting kidnapped as it is a love letter to the 1950's film industry and I think it really succeeds when it sticks to that. The kidnapping plot is what I felt kind of hurt this movie because I noticed I would groan when it broke away from Josh Brolin doing his fixer thing to go back to George Clooney with his abductors because of its change of tone and pacing. The film is really well done technically. Loved the choreography and score during the musical scenes. Great performances from Josh Brolin, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum (short but memorable), Ralph Feinnes, and Alden Ehrenreich (the ladder two had the funniest scene in the movie. Really looking forward to seeing more from Ehrenreich). Clooney was a lot of fun when he was in actor mode but I thought he lost quite a bit of energy after the abduction. Scarlett Johansson does what she can while she's there but overall her character felt almost expendable. Same with Jonah Hills. I really enjoyed this movie and I recommend checking it out for the 1950's film love. I just kind of wish they went with a different plot.

Gatsby

02-07-16, 09:55 AM

Wajda (al-Mansour, 2014)

http://i.imgur.com/bOFn4kc.jpg

I don't get people who dislike this movie. It's a simple story about a girl's struggle in a society built around men, with friendship and enjoying little things in between.

All she wanted to do is ride a bike, dammit. :p

3.5

neiba

02-07-16, 10:14 AM

Casino (1995)

This movie is too damn long... The narration is too damn much... The story is too much and too damn long...

Conclusion: It's too damn long and too damn much of otherwise expert filmmaking.

Side note: As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster... Not a damn Casino owner.
rating_3_5++

Thank you!!! I'm glad I'm not the only one with that opinion!!!

Mäx

02-07-16, 10:47 AM

How to Marry a Millionaire (John Negulesco, 1953) - 2.5

The Enemy Below (Dick Powell, 1957) - 3.5

Lucas

02-07-16, 11:05 AM

https://ccpopculture.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/driller-killer.jpg

The Driller Killer 1

Awful. Even one star seems awfully excessive.

Ferrara is hit or miss with me so far. He's certainly an auteur, an interesting one, but this is just terrible. Not a single redeeming quality.

this_is_the_ girl

02-07-16, 11:37 AM

L'année dernière à Marienbad (1961) 4/5

Definitely one of the most inscrutable films I've ever sat through but it was worth it. It was a puzzler not only in terms of what was going on screen - but also in terms of how I felt about it. It just kept slipping away all the time. It was pretentious but brilliant, boring but fascinating, frustrating but enlightening - empty but full of meaning at the same time.
Truly a one of a kind movie.

neiba

02-07-16, 11:41 AM

neiba

02-07-16, 11:55 AM

Strangers on a Train (Alfred Hitchcock, 1951)

http://altscreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Editors-Pick-Strangers-On-A-Train.jpg

As of this day, I'll remember Hitchcock as the man who made tennis look interesting!
First of all, why is this the first time I'm hearing about Robert Walker? The man is like nothing I've ever seen!!! So magnetic...
The direction is awesome, as always with a really interesting plot and another glorious finale. One of Hitch's finest, no doubt! :)

Thanks GBG for pushing this to the top of my watchlist! :)

rating_4

Thursday Next

02-07-16, 12:06 PM

Locke (2013)

2.5

I watched this with my husband who thought it was brilliant and was outraged I would rate it so low, but it was a brilliant concept that didn't completely work for me. Some of the phone calls didn't quite ring true, I don't know whether it was the acting or the script. It is a difficult balance to pull off, making the dialogue realistic but still interesting, and kudos for trying, but it didn't quite nail it. I also thought it lacked tension because things fall apart for him so quickly there's never really any feeling of 'will it work out or won't it'. I didn't like his rants at his deceased father, or the ending. Perhaps it is just intended as a character study in a snapshot of time, but it wasn't quite my cup of tea.

Still, it's definitely my favourite film of the 'takes place almost entirely in the car' kind, beating Ten and Cosmopolis by a long way.

Staceymiller

02-07-16, 01:17 PM

Recently watched one of my all time favorite movies: Count of Monte Cristo! It has romance, action, betrayal, and revenge! (Something for everyone).

There have been several versions of this classic tale by Alexandre Dumas. But it is ONLY the 2002 version with: Jim Caviezel (from Passion of Christ), Guy Pearce, (the late) Richard Harris, and the stunning Dagmara Dominczyk (who plays Mercedès Iguanada) that got it right!

Nope1172

02-07-16, 03:44 PM

neiba

02-07-16, 04:29 PM

Amour (Michael Haneke, 2012)

http://www.film365.co.uk/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Amour%20%2811%29.jpg

This is where European cinema blows the modern Hollywood out of the water - the European cinema hasn't lost its innocence and sincerity.
This is a heart wrenching masterpiece where everything is superbly done! The atmosphere just grabs you and makes you sadder and lonelier each minute. The setting, acting and writing are particularly important on this, as everything becomes emptier and colder as the story develops.
Brilliant!!!

4 +

matt72582

02-07-16, 06:00 PM

Caged - 7/10

Very good pick. A fine movie, made at a good time in American history. The jail system has always been flawed, and I found this interesting also considering how most movies are about men, and we got to see their problems, which are the same problems once you get right down to it. Exposes corruption in the system itself, the double-standard - the prisoners have a sense of justice, and act and rebel accordingly. You also see a lot of sadism, and it's unfortunate, but we do need prisons.

The end reminds me a bit like "On The Beach" (There's Still Time Brother) - a short message for future generations. With "Caged" we hear "She'll be back" because of the high recidivism rate - 80% altogether, but I know the countries in Europe I've visited had an average of 20%, and the peace shows.

I also liked that they showed humanity among the prisoners. Even though each of them probably made a horrible mistake, it doesn't mean they can't be good people the rest of the time, or most of the time. I liked seeing the camaraderie among most of the women.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f9/Caged1_1950.jpg

Stormy

02-07-16, 06:10 PM

Trumbo 2015.
The characters of that blacklisting time are portrayed like martyrs a lot. Kind a weak dialogues. Kirk Douglas reference was very stupid ''I am Spartacus'' lol. Bryan Cranston was great though. The atmosphere of the 40's, 50's was nicely done. I guess 7/10.

Nausicaä

02-07-16, 06:14 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/04/Bernie_film_poster.jpg

rating_3

Yasashii

02-07-16, 06:21 PM

The Good Dinosaur (2015)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/80/The_Good_Dinosaur_poster.jpg

After Inside Out the public have given a breath of relief. Pixar is back in form, it seemed. Sadly, it seems like we got another Brave, folks.

The story is forgettable and pretty much your standard underdog thing, the animation is very good, as per usual Pixar standards, but fails to amaze since there aren't any awe-inspiring scenes, visually, or emotionally for that matter.

The best word to describe this movie is "bland". You would have easily forgotten that you've ever seen this if it wasn't for the fact that it's freakin' Pixar. I'm not saying that you shouldn't show it to your kid. It still teaches the right lesson and is fairly entertaining but it simply isn't what we've come to expect.

I think the studio has run out of pure, condensed awesomeness, and from now on we will have to expect a great movie only now and then. Not every single time.

3.5

gbgoodies

02-07-16, 06:56 PM

ShopkeeperTriumph

02-07-16, 07:00 PM

I saw these two yesterday.

Hail, Caesar! (2016) 3.0
The most underwhelming Coens film I've seen since Intolerable Cruelty, although definitely more enjoyable than that one. This one harkens back to more loopy, screwball comedies of the Coens, although this one is more of a collection of vignettes spoofing 50's Hollywood, some very enjoyable, and on point with what they're pointing the finger at, some a bit obvious, throwaway stuff. The films attempts to have a consistent main storyline, but gets a bit sidetracked to everything else it's trying to juggle around it. Worth a watch, especially if you're pretty familiar with the history of old Hollywood, but I know I won't be coming back to it anytime soon.

The Boy (2016) 1.5
Just a dull watch overall, stuffed with cheap jump scares, and slow scenes of no interest. They maybe thought that taking the Chucky series, and replacing the series's much loved camp, and wisecracks with their own "serious" garbage would work, but as other film's like it before it found out, it just usually doesn't. Oh, and it pretty much shamelessly steals the climax straight from a much better recent horror film. How classy.

Citizen Rules

02-07-16, 07:02 PM

Strangers on a Train is an awesome film noirandRobert Walker makes the perfect stranger. I thought that it had been nominated in the Film Noir Hof, but I checked and nope it wasn't.

FM19

02-07-16, 07:11 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b0/Les-miserables-movie-poster1.jpg
Les Miserables (2012) - rewatch

3.5

Les Miserables features mostly talented performers, great music and lyrics, and good direction from Tom Hooper, however I feel like it's missing something that's keeping it from being truly memorable.

Captain Steel

02-07-16, 07:28 PM

Tomorrowland (2015)

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTQ0MDc5MjAyNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMzU5Mzk1NjE@._V1_UY1200_CR94,0,630,1200_AL_.jpg

Before I "rate" it, I want to find out what others thought.

edarsenal

02-07-16, 08:06 PM

http://lancemannion.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451be5969e201a3fd452195970b-pi

The Big White 4 Now, do NOT focus too much on the plot or it will ruin the movie experience for you. BUT, if you focus on the actors' performances; you will, as I did, laugh and fully enjoy yourself.
A dark comedy that echoes a Coen's production in nearly every facet, in a very good way.
I will be seeing this again and again in the future.

neiba

02-07-16, 10:04 PM

The Trouble with Harry (A. Hitchcock, 1955)

http://news.doddleme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/the-trouble-with-harry.jpg

Hitchcock take on comedy - I certainly wasn't expecting it.
Though it's quite entertaining it's far away from being among Hitch's best!
The photography is gorgeous, the dialogues are really clever from time to time, the acting is solid though not impressive (Shirley MacLaine was so beautiful!!!) and it's funny to a certain extent. I liked the non-sense and dark humour!
Some parts were not exactly well done, I didn't like the ending scene, with all the recap...
But it's nice to see Hitch had a sense of humour, even if a twisted one.

rating_3

Daniel M

02-07-16, 10:07 PM

neiba

02-07-16, 10:11 PM

Glad you enjoyed it although I give it a popcorn higher. I don't think it's a surprise Hitchcock did a comedy though, I think a lot of his films feature his dark humour, and whenever I've seen him in interviews he always comes across as a man with a good sense of humour too :)

Yes, his movies have a very dark comedy touch but I wasn't expecting he made something like this! :) I'm glad I saw it!

Camo

02-07-16, 10:47 PM

Glad you enjoyed it although I give it a popcorn higher. I don't think it's a surprise Hitchcock did a comedy though, I think a lot of his films feature his dark humour, and whenever I've seen him in interviews he always comes across as a man with a good sense of humour too :)

Hitchcock was hilarious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Kx34We40Q

dadgumblah

02-08-16, 04:14 AM

Edarsenal, you've got me real curious and wanting to see The Big White. :cool:

The two most recent I've seen for the first time:

Passage to Marseille (1944)

Very good WWII flick with Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Claude Rains, and George Tobias....the first four together again after Casablanca, this time mostly ship-bound, with tension boiling over between French patriots and Nazi-compliant French. Bogart, Lorre, Tobias and two others are prison escapees from French Guiana who get away when they find out WWII has broken out and they want to fight for their country. When a French ship picks them up, Greenstreet and several other lackeys are already on board, sailing for Marseille. Greenstreet doesn't trust the men they've picked up and plans on ratting them out when they get to Marseille, so Bogart's men and the captain of the ship plan on not going to Marseille. Meanwhile, the men tell their story to a sympathetic Claude Rains. It's interesting because there are flashbacks within flashbacks, which makes for an interesting middle third. Very nicely acted with good atmosphere and tension, and it's always great adventure when Bogart, Lorre, and Greenstreet get together.

http://blog.cheatbook.de/wp-content/gallery/passage-to-marseille-1944/passage-to-marseille-194402.jpg

4

Django Unchained (2012)

Loved this movie. Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz are great as the free-slave and German bounty hunter who team up to chase down some of Waltz's bounties and eventually save Django's wife, whom he was separated from. This has the usual Quentin Tarantino long passages of dialogue interrupted by sudden and graphic violence. This time, in an almost-Spaghetti-Western-setting, it works greatly. There's Tarantino's usual comic touches at inappropriate moments. There's his usual coarse language throughout. And the violence. Some have winced at it, but it didn't bother me at all. I guess I'm getting numb about violence in my middle-age but I found myself laughing when the bad guys would get shot and geysers of what looked like caro syrup would shoot into the air about ten feet. I just didn't take it seriously at all, which is the way I treat most of Tarantino's movies, and I had a great time. The supporting cast is excellent, including Kerry Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, Walton Goggins (love this guy!), Dennis Christopher, James Remar, Don "Miami Vice" Johnson, and Samuel L. Jackson, just to name a few. Whoever did Jackson's makeup did an excellent job. And I laughed out loud when one of my favorite songs by Jim Croce, "I Got a Name," suddenly showed up in the middle of the movie.

http://images7.alphacoders.com/316/316175.jpg

4.5

Iroquois

02-08-16, 05:42 AM

The Big Short - 2.5

Once again, I feel like I need to specify that this is a "conflicted/ambivalent" 2.5 and not an "indifferent" 2.5.

this_is_the_ girl

02-08-16, 08:37 AM

Leave Her to Heaven (1945) 4/5

Gene Tierney is jaw-droppingly gorgeous here but hey, everybody knows that already.

the samoan lawyer

02-08-16, 09:08 AM

Been off work and Mofo for a week or so as was sick, so excuse the long list with zero thoughts.
The Importance of Being Earnest (1952) - rating_4_5
Dr No (1962) - rating_3_5+
Gold Finger (1964) - rating_3_5
Wolf Creek 2 (2013) - rating_3
The Theory of Everything (2014) - rating_3_5
Boy Meets Girl (1984) - rating_3+
The Night is Young (1986) - rating_3_5
Pieta (2012) - rating_3+
Batman:The Movie (1966) - rating_3
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) - rating_3_5
Marriage Italian Style (1964) - rating_3_5
A Matter of Life and Death (1946) - 4
My Darling Clementine (1946) - rating_4
Amy (2015) - rating_3

Lucas

02-08-16, 02:22 PM

http://www.lassothemovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Orphans-of-the-Storm-1921-Poster.jpg

Orphans of the Storm 4+

A visionary work of art. I find it rather odd that this isn't brought up more when talking about the greatest silent pictures of all-time.

The Gunslinger45

02-08-16, 02:27 PM

http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/1280/960/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/c/articles/568e8dfee16d41490412ac38/hail-caesar-quad.jpg

I like the Coen Bros. I don't love 'em, I like em. Fargo and No Country for Old Men are very good, Blood Simple was good, and while I really like The Big Lebowski I am not a fan on the cult level other people are. Top it off, was not a fan of Barton Fink. And after all the mixed reviews on this site, I thought this might be be a letdown. Turns out it was not. I really liked this movie. An obvious love letter to the big studio era of filmmaking circa the 1950's. You have the fake movie Hail Caesar: The Tale of the Christ which is an obvious reference to one of my all time favorite films Ben-Hur, you have several scenes of old fashioned film-making with the water ballet (very Busby Berkeley), the western with a guy who I assume is supposed to be a John "Duke" Wayne kind of character, a musical number with a sort of Gene Kelly maybe character in Channing Tatum, and the Roman/Biblical epic as we have seen in the trailer. But we also get quite a few historical references as well. We hear of the studios loosing their control of the movie studios, we get a tie in to the Red Scare and the Cold War (which I thought was brilliant and hilarious), and how television was becoming the cinema's newest big compitition. Not to mention the cast is awesome. Now everyone knows of the really big names in the movie from the trailer, and yes Brolin, Johansson, Clooney, Hill, and the like were great, but I recognized others that I did not see in the trailer who were really good. Tilda Swinton has TWO roles in the movie as a pair of gossip columnist twins. And most awesome of all, not only do you have Clancey Brown as an actor opposite Clooney's centurion in the fake movie Hail Caesar! The Tale of the Christ, but his Highland costar Christopher Lambert plays a studio director in the movie! That is right, the Highlander and the Kurgen return for a movie together! Top it off Ralph Fiennes is a studio director in the movie too, and they even have a bit of fun that his name is Lawrence, but he pronounces it differently. You know, like how his name is RALPH but pronounces it RAIFF. I thought that was funny. So yeah, I enjoyed the movie. Also, the best scene in the movie for me was the scene where Brolin is in a meeting with the Catholic priest, the Catholic Decency guy, a Protestant, and a Rabbi. Very funny stuff.

4

colejwalker

02-08-16, 04:42 PM

Not the last film I saw, but I did a review of Deadpool on my review page... here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=44446)

Rey Skywalker

02-08-16, 04:46 PM

https://41.media.tumblr.com/06d54a98e67d069c2d04ec33f45cfaa8/tumblr_o1rr4gZ1kJ1tfg6jso8_540.jpg

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

rating_4

https://41.media.tumblr.com/bca2a2db7417e12c03f1ea10e82a3a03/tumblr_o1rr4gZ1kJ1tfg6jso6_540.jpg

The Danish Girl (2015)

rating_4

doubledenim

02-08-16, 05:27 PM

Not the last film I saw, but I did a review of Deadpool on my review page... http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1455440#post1455440 (http://here)

http://gifsec.com/wp-content/uploads/GIF/2014/03/Stare-What-GIF.gif?gs=a (https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwjm7IDxjenKAhXM5iYKHWYrCL8QjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgifsec.com%2Ffunny%2Fstare-what-gif%2F&psig=AFQjCNFmK3KL_hXP7szjpeGUYOWgUmL-kw&ust=1455053220810448)

cricket

02-08-16, 05:43 PM

Les Diaboliques (1955)

3.5+

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_v27hJrrgr_A/RnRiFPqOptI/AAAAAAAAFyE/2L2x8h8gvNw/s1600/vlcsnap-308104.jpg

I remember when the remake came out and how bad it was supposed to be. So despite my love for thrillers, I had no interest in seeing it. I'm glad because I had no idea before watching it about what happens in this movie. I thought it was strange how in the beginning of this movie, the character's relationships and intentions seemed to be crystal clear. Sure enough, the mystery would start later on. I'm not someone who tries to guess twists, but for whatever reason, I saw this one coming. I've probably seen many movies that were influenced by this one. That may have kept me from loving the movie as much as I wanted to, but then again, I had extremely high hopes. It's still very well done and a whole lot of fun.

Gideon58

02-08-16, 05:52 PM

http://www.digitalbusstop.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Raging-Bull.jpg

Movie making magic...8.5/10

Nausicaä

02-08-16, 06:05 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4b/Sicario_poster.jpg

rating_4

TheUsualSuspect

02-08-16, 06:33 PM

Sicario

(Denis Villeneuve)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4b/Sicario_poster.jpg/220px-Sicario_poster.jpg

You saw things you shouldn't have seen.

Villeneuve's recent output has been extremely tight filmmaking. Prisoner was a mature take on revenge and how far one grieving parent will go to get their child back. In the same here he teamed up with Gyllenhaal for Enemy, a mind boggling film about one man's quest to find his purpose after discovering an exact double of his living in the world. To try and decipher Enemy might give you a headache. Now he gives us Sicario, an expertly crafted film from a talented director. So why did I not enjoy the film that much?

Review (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1455512#post1455512)

colejwalker

02-08-16, 06:44 PM

TheUsualSuspect

02-08-16, 06:50 PM

Enemy is probably the most underrated film of the past 5 years... like it just as much as Prisoners I would say.

Shot in my area. The car accident sequence is a road I drive down everyday.

colejwalker

02-08-16, 06:51 PM

Shot in my area. The car accident sequence is a road I drive down everyday.

Hahaha that's cool. I live in LA and in Nightcrawler there is a shot in a mini mall where I eat dinner almost every week.

TheUsualSuspect

02-08-16, 06:52 PM

Hahaha that's cool. I live in LA and in Nightcrawler there is a shot in a mini mall where I eat dinner almost every week.

I imagine a lot of stuff is shot in LA, :p

neiba

02-08-16, 07:14 PM

To Catch a Thief (Alfred Hitchcock, 1955)

A nice way to finish all the Hitch films made in the 50s.
Cary Grant does really well on this type of role and Grace Kelly is just charming! It's like a earlier, not so perfected version of North by Northwest. The script is lovely and, though there are some pacing issues, the movie is entertaining enough.
A very light thriller with some really nice moments and a very nice direction by the usual suspect!

I'm starting to really love the old man!!

3 +

Derek Vinyard

02-08-16, 07:24 PM

Enemy is probably the most underrated film of the past 5 years... like it just as much as Prisoners I would say.

Enemy is without a doubt one of the most boring movie ever made... it's extremely overrated 6.8 on IMDb is way too high :p

Daniel M

02-08-16, 07:29 PM

I'm not particularly sure on ratings, but these two left me dissapointed...

Spotlight (Tom McCarthy, 2015) rating_2

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Spotlight_%28film%29_poster.jpg

Nothing here really impressed me that much. Everything just seemed so standard, like a made for TV documentary but with big movie stars playing the parts. Nothing cinematic in the way the story is told, no through dialogue or visually. I felt like there were a lot of missed opportunities to go beyond what turned out to be a really simple plot. There were scenes, moments which seemed to be begging to explore in greater depth - the church and why the scandal occurred and why it was covered up, the priests who committed the abuse (a scene about halfway through is one of the most memorable relating to this, and is never again revisted), the victims and their story, or those who perhaps could have acted earlier. I'm not sure why everyone is raving about this, an easy comparison to make given the setting but it really is a poor man's All The President's Men. I saw too that Rachel McAdams got nominated for an Oscar for her performance... really really lazy nomination, not that she's bad, but she doesn't really have that much acting to do here.

Room (Lenny Abrahamson, 2015) rating_2_5

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f0/Room_Poster.jpg

Unlike Spotlight, Room at least made some effort to tell its story in a cinematic way. I found myself very interested in the first hour, the scenes with Tremblay and Larson in "room" were very good, the world and characters were developed well, I felt emotional at times, I was on the edge of my seat as to what would happen next. Then in the second half the film goes massively downhill. It's like they had the first hour, the concept of this room, but beyond that had no idea where to take the film. Again, it touches on various different issues, but never really explores or justifies their inclusion in a satisfying way for me.

colejwalker

02-08-16, 08:27 PM

Blue Ruin (2014) review posted here. (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=44446)

Steve Freeling

02-08-16, 09:02 PM

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/7vR4e3ga3mdSEpYe8kMeUv3mgND.jpg
5

matt72582

02-08-16, 10:42 PM

The Man Who Knew Too Much - 7/5/10

Better than expected. I don't dislike the genre, but I've seen a lot of horrible thrillers, mysteries.. With this (unlike Vertigo), there is no supernatural element, so it's interesting. It has good pace, maybe except the beginning of the Albert Hall concert. There's some humor with lines said in nervousness about "what's going on".

Even if there was predictability, it was still good. Good pace, but the situations were great, the best part of the film. Usually the writing is most important, then some acting, maybe actors I like, etc., but this movie surprised me. I almost didn't watch it today, as I was frustrated looking for something, and I felt the same frustration with the movie, in a good way. The lack of communication, usually because of circumstance, but sometimes by director's choice, keep us wondering what they're saying to each other.

I'm glad for this movie, and thank you for the recommendation, Friendly Mushroom! I might see some more Hitchcock in the near future!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/The_Man_Who_Knew_Too_Much_%281956_film%29.jpg

Daniel M

02-08-16, 10:45 PM

But in Vertigo that's what makes the mystery effective, because in no Hitchcock thrillers is there any actual supernatural occurences, so we have to decide whether we believe there are mysterious forces at work or if not then what the hell is going on. This is what is so mysterious to James Stewart too.

In the end it turns out there is nothing supernatural at all.

Guaporense

02-09-16, 02:04 AM

Madoka movie 1
http://cdn.myanimelist.net/images/anime/3/55785l.jpg

2 years later I am not as shocked by its horror manga aesthetics as I was before. Although I am still extremely impressed. It is indeed the most perfectly executed long narrative ever in animation.

The quality of direction and sound is stellar and the art style is of awe-inspiring cuteness and post modern style. It's a perspective on classical European literature through modern Japanese pop culture.

Overall, it's most impressive characteristic is its enormous musculature, I never watched or read anything as "strong" in its unidirectional brutality. It's cute surface is an amplifier of that brutality.

Camo

02-09-16, 02:47 AM

Spotlight 4-

http://i67.tinypic.com/aljjlx.jpg

While i really enjoyed this it is incredibly hard to rate as i don't really feel the need to watch it ever again and if i do i think it would be boring. I enjoyed watching the story unfold because i wasn't already familiar with it, i think most people who are will find this underwhelming. I honestly don't have much to say about this unless i was to go outside of what was featured in the film and talk about my anger about the whole situation. I will say i largely agree with Daniel from the last page even though i clearly enjoyed it more, particularly on two points, them not further exploring the story Daniel uses the perfect example that i'm baffled they didn't revisit assuming we are talking about the same one. The priest who said he was raped?. I also agree on McAdams nomination, the film was well acted i suppose and she was fine but i don't think there was anything award worthy here, she is the only nominee i've seen so far so maybe it was a weak year for Supporting Actress nominations.

BrowningIdentity

02-09-16, 03:04 AM

I gave all of the following a 10/10:

The Silence of the Lambs - Fantastic film that can set such an eerie feeling throughout the entire viewing of it, great acting, great story, just super intense stuff!

Silver Linings Playbook - One of the best romantic comedies I've ever seen, definitely deserved its BP nomination! Great acting, great story, great dialogue, just all-out great!

The Sixth Sense - Even knowing the twist at the end, I was hooked by the story and the amazing acting, especially from the young star Haley Joel Osment! I wish Shyamalan would do films like this more often (not exactly like this, but films that are this good)!

Optimus

02-09-16, 03:48 AM

The Spirit 0

Watched the trailer and thought it looked like Sin City...... wrong. Complete crap putting it nicely.

Derek Vinyard

02-09-16, 03:53 AM

The Spirit 0

Watched the trailer and thought it looked like Sin City...... wrong. Complete crap putting it nicely.

I actually have this movie because I buy a super 5 blu-ray comic book pack
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51r7uH9plkL._AC_UL320_SR254,320_.jpg

I buy this pack because I like 4 of this movies and I didn't watch The Spirit and I'm not interested to watch it :p

the samoan lawyer

02-09-16, 09:40 AM

http://cinemagumbo.squarespace.com/storage/50%20THE%20LADY%20FROM%20SHANGHAI.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1378403364550
The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

If you can get past Welles horrendous 'Irish' accent, this is a quite stunning noir. It does have a bizarre plot however never becomes convoluted and the final scene is just exceptional. Last words go to Rita Hayworth who again, is absolutely stunning.

4.5

TheUsualSuspect

02-09-16, 09:46 AM

Regarding Spotlight: I feel if the film was flashier, it would have distracted from the story. It was about the investigation, they clearly state multiple times to get the facts. That's how McCarthy approached the story, to tell it straight forward in a factual way without having to have any special slickness to the art. The article the journalists work on doesn't have fluffy words to make it look sophisticated, neither does the direction. I think it took great restraint to go with this approach. I could have easily seen someone else try to make the film "look" smooth, but to me it wouldn't ring true to the story.

McAdams gives a good performance, Oscar worthy? I don't know. I chalk that up to a weak category this year. Which also makes it the toughest in our Oscar pool.

Daniel M

02-09-16, 09:58 AM

Daniel M

02-09-16, 10:07 AM

Listen to Me Marlon (Stevan Riley, 2015) rating_3

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d0/Listen_to_Me_Marlon_poster.jpg

Utilising hundreds of hours of never heard before audio footage recorded by Marlon Brando himself, the documentary is interesting in that it is able to show the events of Brando's life from a unique perspective, his own. Unfortunately, most people who this documentary will appeal to, including myself, will probably be familiar with the majority of events and the footage used throughout the documentary, which for me prevented it from being absolutely fantastic as opposed to an interesting take on a story I already knew. There are a few moments of brilliance in here though, that do stem from Brando's own thoughts, I think he had a lot of interesting things to say about life and acting.

Taxi (Jafar Panahi, 2015) rating_4

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/56/Taxi_poster.png

I think a lot of people who aren't really all that interested in foreign cinema would actually enjoy this. It's a really playful, delightful little film that breezes by at under an hour and a half. I'm very familiar with Panahi's story even if I haven't seen his recent major works, so I was very interesting in what he was filming, and more importantly, how he was filming it. I read a comment that you could learn more about Iran watching this than anything you'll ever see on the news, and I can't imagine that being far from the truth. Panahi packs in political and social commentary, but keeps the film clever and aware of his unusual structure in a way that produces some truly great results. I must also say that the "actors" do a fantastic job, each passenger brings with them a great performance, an oddball character with humour of their own.

Gatsby

02-09-16, 11:07 AM

Kung Fu Panda 3 (Nelson, 2015)

http://i.imgur.com/eywyn5U.jpg

I predicted almost every plot point, dialogue, joke, and unfolding of action sequences. An explanation for this, between me having psychic powers or the film having lazy writing and production, is definitely the latter.

2-

AboveTheClouds

02-09-16, 12:18 PM

http://resizing.flixster.com/ByTeB_eJjgIUJmYVKyTJOTnlc7c=/800x1185/dkpu1ddg7pbsk.cloudfront.net/movie/11/19/07/11190713_ori.jpg

It Follows? more like, It Sucks.
1

I do not understand how so many people were fanatical about it, horror 'zines champion it as the best slasher with the most original monster etc.

All I saw was a muddled plot which didn't stick to the rules the director laid out at the beginning of the film. Its almost like he came up with certain concepts on the spot and threw them into the mix right then and there, I really did not like this film. For a film that came out recently and sort of has the same shtick, Contracted was way better.
https://killerkalyn.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/contracted-poster.jpg

Miss Vicky

02-09-16, 12:24 PM

The Spirit 0

Watched the trailer and thought it looked like Sin City...... wrong. Complete crap putting it nicely.

The implication here being that Sin City wasn't crap?

Optimus

02-09-16, 12:48 PM

The implication here being that Sin City wasn't crap?

Sin City was fantastic you crazy person.

Citizen Rules

02-09-16, 12:57 PM

neiba

02-09-16, 01:22 PM

:up: Love that photo, if you don't believe me click my profile.:p

It was my Facebook timeline picture for quite some time too! :) Still can't understand how did this movie so badly in the Noir HoF!

Guaporense

02-09-16, 05:00 PM

Madoka movie 2

https://www.1999.co.jp/itbig20/10201319a.jpg

Couldn't enjoy it as much as I hoped. Since I watched it 9 times I have memorized it and couldn't fully suspend disbelief. Still I couldn't sleep well last night because of it, just too much emotion. ;)

Nausicaä

02-09-16, 05:38 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a5/Thegirlwhoknewtoomuch.jpg
The Girl Who Knew Too Much

2

Camo

02-09-16, 05:50 PM

City Slickers 1.5

http://i66.tinypic.com/25s7no5.jpg

Sorry to any fans of this but i just didn't find this very funny. Especially the first hour with the exception of a few one liners and the classroom scene. Jack Palance was pretty good i guess but this must have been a career Oscar win for him. I have seen all four of the other nominees that year and his was easily the weakest IMO, he only really had one major scene and was in the film for 10 minutes at most half of which was him standing at a fence in the background :D.

MovieMeditation

02-09-16, 05:50 PM

Death Race 2000 (1975)
2-

Death Race (2008)
3.5 rewatch

Camo

02-09-16, 05:52 PM

Death Race 2000 (1975)
2-

Death Race (2008)
3.5 rewatch

Think you are the first person i've seen who prefers the 2008 film, haven't seen either myself.

False Writer

02-09-16, 06:27 PM

These are the movies I've seen in the past week or 2...

Eastern Promises (2007)

A solid crime drama, but I preferred A History of Violence, the other Viggo/Cronenberg collaboration. I'm a huge fan of Viggo and always try to check out his films... but I think I saw TOO much of him! (people who've seen this know what I'm talking about) Also, as far as Cronenberg flicks go, this one was actually pretty tame on the violence factor. Still worth checking out though.

3.5

Man Bites Dog (1992)

Wow. This is one of the most messed up movies I've ever seen. Not so much due to the gruesome images, but just how the killer and the camera crew following him go about with their acts. It starts out pretty messed up and progressively gets worse and even more sadistic. That being said, it was quite the interesting watch! Quite an achievement for a production that had pretty much no money.

4

Wizards (1977)

This is the first film I've seen from controversial animator Ralph Bakshi. I actually really enjoyed it, it was refreshing to see such a different animation style. The story was pretty interesting how they blended fantasy and technology—although it was obvious that it was all an allegory for WW2. Heck, the bad guys literally had swastikas in their base and on their uniforms, and the villain played WW2 stock footage to get his army hyped up for battle. This was apparently a kids movie, but much like Watership Down there's quite a bit of violent images and would probably get an R-rating in today's world. I was quite satisfied with this and recommend it to any fan of animation.

4

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

I got the Signature Collection that came out recently. It's been a long time since I've seen this and was equally blown away this time around. The animation is still so unique and holds up tremendously. Of course I love the dwarfs, with my favorite probably being Bashful, they are still some of the most iconic animated characters ever. Knowing that this was the first animated feature film and how much of an impact it had on animation makes me respect it greatly. It may not be my favorite animated film, but I do believe it is the most important/influential/greatest animated film of all time.

5

honeykid

02-09-16, 06:46 PM

Nice to see that rating for Man Bites Dog, FW. :) It's a top 10 film for me.

Death Race 2000 (1975)
2-

Death Race (2008)
3.5 rewatch

Jesus. :facepalm: MM, what is wrong with you? :D

Gatsby

02-09-16, 07:47 PM

I'm partially with HK on this one. It's true that I dislike the original Death Race 2000, it is far more superior than the really, really crappy remake. MM, if you're trying to be hipster, it ain't working bro. :D

Derek Vinyard

02-09-16, 07:49 PM

Death Race 2000 (1975)
2-

Death Race (2008)
3.5 rewatch

100% agree! same as you MM.:)

colejwalker

02-09-16, 08:00 PM

It Follows? more like, It Sucks.
1

I love this film and it's probably the best horror film to come out in the past 5 years. The cinematography, score, and direction alone should get it higher than a 1.

TheUsualSuspect

02-09-16, 10:59 PM

But what story did it tell? Even the story of the journalists could have been told better to me, like going deeper into Michael Keatons' character, the history of the paper, how people had try to get things published in the past. I'll repeat that I thought I thought there was plenty of opportunities for it to be something interesting but it actually just turned out to be two hours of them trying to get access to some documents.

It wasn't about that, it was about the investigation. Going anywhere else would distract from the story. These are people doing their jobs. Were not getting their life stories.

I think you're selling it a bit too short due to the unimpressive direction and lack of character development. But to me, the film is not interested in those aspects.

For a film that came out recently and sort of has the same shtick, Contracted was way better

Contracted was gross. It felt more redundant than It Follows and doesn't seem interested in having any fun with the tropes of the horror genre, whereas It Follows is all about that.

AboveTheClouds

02-10-16, 02:22 AM

Contracted was gross. It felt more redundant than It Follows and doesn't seem interested in having any fun with the tropes of the horror genre, whereas It Follows is all about that.

Contracted was more of a body horror which is honestly what I would expect from a film that uses sexual disease as it's main plot device. It Follows was just not my cup of tea, as witty as the concept is, and I can appreciate that it doesn't take itself seriously, but I just found it to be lacking in the areas that I would personally enjoy. Anyway.

http://zombiesdontrun.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/spring-movie-poster-2.jpg
Spring (2014)
4.5

Usually I detest anything with romance as a main plot device, but holy ***** was this movie incredible. It blends horror and romance so well, the real scares were minimal, but it's the atmosphere and character development that build the tension and get you there. The story is focused around a twenty something Evan who's made a trip to Italy to try and forget the recent death of his mother and Louise, a strange girl he meets in the coastal town he ends up in. The story does a good job with pacing and doesn't give up the truth before it needs to, you can kind of start piecing things together at certain points, but you're never really sure. The sets were awesome, acting was pretty damn good, the plot was pretty original and overall I really enjoyed it.

bluedeed

02-10-16, 02:33 AM

http://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/escapefromnewyork1.jpg

It's good. I really need to stop subconsiously comparing Carpenter to Hawks. My sensibilities lie much closer with Hawks, and I started to watch Carpenter because I know he's a big fan of him, but they're completely different animals. My favorite parts of Hawks, the feeling of community, the cohesion of a society, is completely missing in Carpenter. This is not accidental, for Carpenter's films are dystopias to Hawks' utopias. Carpenter's dystopias are a fear, an imagination whereas Hawks' societies are a celebration of everything physical and present. It's hard to get a good read on him in terms of his ideas an beliefs when I just view them as foils to Hawks, but it's hard to tune out while I watch his movies. Nonetheless, his soundtrack is great, and Kurt Russell's ambivalence is played just right for me to enjoy it regardless of my qualms.

colejwalker

02-10-16, 03:26 AM

Review for Myth of the American Sleepover right here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=44446).

Iroquois

02-10-16, 06:34 AM

All I saw was a muddled plot which didn't stick to the rules the director laid out at the beginning of the film. Its almost like he came up with certain concepts on the spot and threw them into the mix right then and there

This is somewhat excused by the idea that, since "it" is supposed to be an urban legend and the only people who deliver exposition on it are working off whatever they're told by other victims or what they actually experience themselves, then there's no way of ever knowing for sure what "it" is fully capable of or what rules "it" actually follows. While it does make some sense, it still feels a bit too much of a cop-out. Oh, well.

Double Team - 3

Essential viewing.

kaurrose66

02-10-16, 06:47 AM

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS MOVIES -- 9/10

TheUsualSuspect

02-10-16, 08:24 AM

Double Team - 3

Essential viewing.

Best.

Review.

Ever.

Can't get enough of those Rodman basketball quips.

You got me wanting to do another Van Damme marathon.

Iroquois

02-10-16, 08:43 AM

Best.

Review.

Ever.

Can't get enough of those Rodman basketball quips.

You got me wanting to do another Van Damme marathon.

Yeah, like in a lot of ways I can see how people would hate it, but I think it's a pitch-perfect example of action cinema at its most absurd and all the things that shouldn't work just...do. It's almost like The Room in how the sheer ridiculousness of every single element is part of the appeal, and the fact that it's directed by an action director as competent as Tsui Hark at least means that the action is actually good underneath the superficial silliness of using vending machines to survive explosions or barefoot henchmen kicking Van Damme while clenching switchblades between their toes. It's glorious.

By the by, have you seen the last two Universal Soldier movies?

the samoan lawyer

02-10-16, 08:47 AM

http://cdn3-www.comingsoon.net/assets/uploads/2015/06/martiantrailerheader.jpg
The Martian (2015)

Some of the scenes are breathtaking and Damon puts in a good shift with some pretty funny moments. All in all though, it felt like it was missing something. With a grittier and perhaps more psychological edge it could have been so much better. Still good though.

4

TheUsualSuspect

02-10-16, 08:51 AM

By the by, have you seen the last two Universal Soldier movies?

Damme became a villain or something. I think I stopped after 2. :p

the samoan lawyer

02-10-16, 08:53 AM

Also watched a number of Buster Keaton shorts:-

The Scarecrow (1920) - rating_4+
The High Sign (1921) - rating_3_5
Cops (1922) - rating_4
The Goat (1921) - rating_4+
One Week (1920) - 3.5

Iroquois

02-10-16, 09:04 AM

Damme became a villain or something. I think I stopped after 2. :p

I imagine they'd be worth your time - they are better than their straight-to-video appearance may suggest, which is why I sought them out in the first place. I certainly enjoyed them more than the original (haven't bothered with The Return, which sounds a little too bad even for me).

TheUsualSuspect

02-10-16, 09:14 AM

I imagine they'd be worth your time - they are better than their straight-to-video appearance may suggest, which is why I sought them out in the first place. I certainly enjoyed them more than the original (haven't bothered with The Return, which sounds a little too bad even for me).

I'll keep a lookout for them on rainy nights....;)

cricket

02-10-16, 10:28 AM

Affliction (1997)

4

http://iv1.lisimg.com/image/3257837/700full-affliction-screenshot.jpg

Thoughts posted in February's Movie of the Month thread.

Daniel M

02-10-16, 11:24 AM

Yankee Doodle Dandy (Michael Curtiz, 1942) rating_4-

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/23/Yankee_Doodle_Dandy_poster.jpeg

I haven't seen too many James Cagney film, but based on this and Hawks' fantastic underseen Ceiling Zero, I feel confident in calling him a great actor. He really is fantastic, a very confident and dedicated performance that shows him play the life story of George M. Cohan. Whilst it's content isn't incredibly appealing to me, the film manages to be highly entertaining, with Curtiz' tight direction impressing, there's a number of very well crafted musical sequences throughout.

Spartacus (Stanley Kubrikc, 1960) rating_3-

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Spartacus_sheetA.jpg

A movie with quite a few faults, at times it was boring for me, especially some of the sequences for middle, and I'm not sure if I enjoyed all the actors "hammy" performances, there's just enough here to make it an enjoyable experience overall. Kirk Douglas is likeable as the protagonist, the widescreen cinematography is fantastic, a number of sequences are filmed expertly, and there are a number of real moments that moved me emotionally. I think it's a fascinating film that deserves to be watched and read about: it's easy to see the conflicting auteurship of Douglas and Kubrick on this, then throw in the interesting script (with certain communist/socialist implications) of Dalton Trumbo who I've recently been reading a lot about.

AboveTheClouds

02-10-16, 12:49 PM

This is somewhat excused by the idea that, since "it" is supposed to be an urban legend and the only people who deliver exposition on it are working off whatever they're told by other victims or what they actually experience themselves, then there's no way of ever knowing for sure what "it" is fully capable of or what rules "it" actually follows. While it does make some sense, it still feels a bit too much of a cop-out. Oh, well.

Double Team - rating_3

Essential viewing.

And I can understand the whole "urban legend" mystique of the thing, but it falls flat for the same reason, there's not a lot of substance to the film because of it. And I don't think that's a good excuse for shoddy character development, fly by the seat of your pants directing and boring acting. The girl who played Jay, spent the entire movie stacking logs for me to saw, and I watched it in the early afternoon.

Being as the film didn't really have defined parameters I found the lore behind it all to be lacking or non-existent, I enjoy a back story and the lore associated with it, which this film seemingly has none of. It Follows did not deliver on any of the hype surrounding it, but I seem to be in the minority who think so.

Anyway, +1 for Double Team because it's deadly.

AboveTheClouds

02-10-16, 12:55 PM

I love this film and it's probably the best horror film to come out in the past 5 years. The cinematography, score, and direction alone should get it higher than a rating_1.

I didn't like it, what do you want me to do, give it a higher rating just because you and hordes of other people did? 95% of what I watch is horror Cole, and I was simply not impressed with the film. But we can sit here all day and argue a simple difference of opinion, or we can both just go about our days knowing that our own opinions will not sway the other. :)

TONGO

02-10-16, 12:56 PM

Mad Max : Fury Road 5 out of 5 stars, and kudos to Tom Hardy nailing the character. Tough to follow Mel Gibson when he was in his prime, and he did.

MovieMeditation

02-10-16, 01:01 PM

I didn't like it, what do you want me to do, give it a higher rating just because you and hordes of other people did? 95% of what I watch is horror Cole, and I was simply not impressed with the film. But we can sit here all day and argue a simple difference of opinion, or we can both just go about our days knowing that our own opinions will not sway the other. :)
But your opinion is wrong though. You are a rookie horror fan. Leave the forum, you and your "opinion" is no longer needed.

:eek::D:D:D:D

Lucas

02-10-16, 01:15 PM

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/c5/74/2c/c5742c5ae289dc390d26aae91b30a4ac.gif

The Navigator 3.5+

I felt somewhat impassive towards the first half, but the second half if just spectacular. The final 20-minutes are especially memorable.

matt72582

02-10-16, 01:16 PM

Red River - 7/10

Good movie. At times the pace was slow (middle), and there was so much time spent watching animals move, way too much.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d7/Redriverposter48.jpg

mark f

02-10-16, 01:35 PM

Red River - 7/10

Good movie. At times the pace was slow (middle), and there was so much time spent watching animals move, way too much.
That's a really specific but weird "criticism". Have you been studying meat or Guap? :)

bluedeed

02-10-16, 01:43 PM

That's a really specific but weird "criticism". Have you been studying meat or Guap? :)

Haha I've been thinking the same thing

dadgumblah

02-10-16, 02:39 PM

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

I had no idea beforehand that John Huston had directed it. The cast was excellent. I loved Sterling Hayden in it, and the scene where he was in the lineup and stared through the glass and intimidated the witness was classic! And Strother Martin made a cameo as the silent guy next to Hayden.
I love a good heist movie and Sam Jaffe was super as the mastermind. He was wise with his suspicions and gave off a great air of calm all the way through. Also dug James Whitmore as the driver. His was a great character: hunchbacked, running a diner, dispensing wisdom, and being very loyal to his friends. On the flip side of that, Marc Lawrence was also great as the weak money man who wavered in his loyalties. This is one of the few movies I've seen him in where he was even halfway nice in his demeanor...at first.
What a weirdo Louis Calhern was. One minute carousing with Marilyn Monroe, the next playing cards with his wife, then afraid of being broke, then self-assured that it will all work out, then crying, then suddenly sure every will be fine, then, well, can't give away what comes next. His was the most complicated character to me.
I loved how Hayden kept his greatest goal in mind until the very end, and the touching moment with the animals. I'm trying to keep it vague without using spoilers. A classic film noir, well worth your time.

http://www.tasteofcinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/The-Asphalt-Jungle-1950.jpg

4.5

Swing Shift (1984)

Good but not great Goldie Hawn drama, co-starring Kurt Russell, Christine Lahti, Fred Ward, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, and in a small role, the great Charles Napier. Concerns a housewife (Hawn), whose husband (Harris) goes off to war when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. She wants to work to do her part, so she hires on at the local aircraft factory. A large group of women are hired, and at first the men rebel against this, but over time things smooth out. At the factory, Hawn's lead man turns out to be Kurt Russell, who moonlights as a trumpeter wherever he can get the gig. They end up having an affair for the duration of the war. Christine Lahti is pretty super as her neighbor, who sings part-time, and works at the factory. Lahti was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role. Fred Ward plays her love interest. This is a pretty standard love story but earns its wings due to the fine acting by all concerned. Directed by future Oscar Winner Jonathan Demme.

http://cineplex.media.baselineresearch.com/images/83627/83627_full.jpg

3.5

honeykid

02-10-16, 04:12 PM

That's a really specific but weird "criticism". Have you been studying meat or Guap? :)

Made sense to me. :yup:

meatwadsprite

02-10-16, 04:43 PM

and there was so much time spent watching animals move, way too much.

I mean what are we talking here oxen or like leopards and monkeys ? That's a deal breaker for me.

Nausicaä

02-10-16, 05:29 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f7/La_Belle_saison_poster.jpg
Summertime

rating_3_5

Iroquois

02-10-16, 07:54 PM

Grabbers - 2

Nowhere near as good as that other movie directed by a Wright involving a small-town pub and aliens, but not without its moments.

edarsenal

02-10-16, 09:03 PM

http://amysrobot.com/files/bernie.jpg

Bernie 3.5 I DID NOT expect to like this one. Never, ever had any intention, desire or curiosity to see this and was VERY surprised by it. Good movie.

Lucas

02-11-16, 12:02 AM

https://avistaz.to/images/posters/f/p/g/fpgg9emlburp.jpg

Repast 4+

foster

02-11-16, 12:03 AM

The Pacific 4/5 great 10 part mini series
It was like a really long 'saving private ryan' based off the real military experiences of several individuals.

Nostromo87

02-11-16, 01:49 AM

Fellow MoFo-ites, after a long drought, it's 2023, it's stormy, frigid, Biff Tannen aka Donald Trump's nearing the conclusion of his 2nd term and i've just wrapped up hosting the All-Time MoFo Countdown. Cricket's turned MoFo into a disco godfather charade, Daniel M's an arthouse director, Swan's writing delicate piano concertos, Vinyard's worshipping Ed Norton, honeykid's ripping Kubrick, even Sexy's mellowed out. But that's not the befuddling part. Everyone's fine, almost. It's mark f. Something's got to be done about mark f! What, has he become an azzhole? No, it's his kids! Something's got to be done about mark f's kids!!!

http://oi66.tinypic.com/11r3jwy.jpg

Doc and Marty zoom to the future, but it's Ole Man Biff Tannen who reaps the rewards by swiping Gray's Sports Almanac. starting his Biff Tannen Pleasure Paradise casino. Long live Biff.

http://www.vegasbright.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/back-to-the-future-2-biff-tannens-pleasure-paradise-poker-set.jpg

Oh, plus Elisabeth Shue is in this (https://i.ytimg.com/vi/59BWCEaowC4/maxresdefault.jpg)

Rating: rating_5 10.0 / 10

Theme (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qzEU3hcfFgY)

colejwalker

02-11-16, 01:55 AM

I didn't like it, what do you want me to do, give it a higher rating just because you and hordes of other people did? 95% of what I watch is horror Cole, and I was simply not impressed with the film. But we can sit here all day and argue a simple difference of opinion, or we can both just go about our days knowing that our own opinions will not sway the other. :)

I think you took my response harsher than I intended, I was simply trying to persuade. Your opinion is valid bro ;).

Camo

02-11-16, 02:01 AM

http://amysrobot.com/files/bernie.jpg

Bernie 3.5 I DID NOT expect to like this one. Never, ever had any intention, desire or curiosity to see this and was VERY surprised by it. Good movie.

Bernie really surprised me too. It's probably the weakest out of the eight Linklater films i have seen but i still really enjoyed it. Jack Blacks best performance i know that isn't saying much he was actually good here though IMO, Maclaine was always pretty memorable.

AboveTheClouds

02-11-16, 02:02 AM

I think you took my response harsher than I intended, I was simply trying to persuade. Your opinion is valid bro ;).

Believe it or not, that's just how I am haha, any perceived shortness on my account was not intended, I'm just a little tired of hearing about the film from friends as well as online and in magazines. So I'm at the point where it's kind of "enough already" I gave in and watched it, and confirmed my suspicions.:D

colejwalker

02-11-16, 02:45 AM

Rabbit Hole review up on my page (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1456921#post1456921).

Iroquois

02-11-16, 04:34 AM

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure - 1.5

Even for a film that I knew was supposed to be light-hearted goofiness, it was a serious let-down and got no laughs out of me.

stevegotlen

02-11-16, 06:16 AM

bahubali Bollwood movie, Nice 8/10

the samoan lawyer

02-11-16, 09:53 AM

http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/SANSHO-A-500.jpg
Sansho The Bailiff (1954)

Feels odd to not give this a perfect score as I found it pretty flawless. A cert to feature high on the 50's list.

4.5

Iroquois

02-11-16, 09:54 AM

Norwegian Ninja - 1

I need to start laying off the B-movies.

Salty

02-11-16, 05:28 PM

Kajaki 9/10

It's about a group of soldiers in Afghanistan who get trapped in a minefield. It really had me on edge, I found some bits hard to watch but couldn't take my eyes off it. When the film ended I was almost in tears, Brilliant film and it's a true story.

honeykid

02-11-16, 06:13 PM

^^Nice to see someone watching and enjoying that^^

Nausicaä

02-11-16, 06:35 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6b/Queen_of_Earth_Poster.jpg

rating_3_5

colejwalker

02-11-16, 06:58 PM

Frances Ha (2012) - Noah Baumbach

http://www.filmsfix.com/images/affiches/frances-ha-7.jpg

Not a huge fan of Noah Baumbach in general, even though I haven't seen a lot of his early work which is much more acclaimed, he just doesn't seem to jive with my style. This however is a major exception because I absolutely loved this film and its so enjoyable to see Gerwig travel through New York City with this oddly lovable character. The side characters she interacts with are all interesting and you can clearly tell they are common characters from Baumbach's wheelhouse of hipster stereotypes. A story like this has been done many times before, but they really at least I felt switch it up here and Gerwig's character is so interesting it's hard not to fall into the rabbit hole that is her life. The score is brilliant and although it's not very grand it fits the film so well and is used in a lot of scenes that got me emotionally. The choice of black and white is a very good touch, it seemed like everyone was at their best during the making of this movie because this is by far he has ever done. The writing at times is brilliant and at others a little too new wave for me, but then again it's just preference since I don't tend to like a lot of his work, so his writing falls flat for me in some places. It's just cool to see everything happening in her life and her relatable struggles as a person trying to find herself. The best way I can describe this film to others is it's a love letter to old Woody Allen films and it feels very much in that same vain.

3.5 ++

Camo

02-11-16, 07:19 PM

Not a huge fan of Noah Baumbach in general, even though I haven't seen a lot of his early work which is much more acclaimed,

He hasn't made many films, what have you seen from him?

Zotis

02-11-16, 08:14 PM

Glad you liked it Cole. Did you notice Han Solo's son?

dadgumblah

02-11-16, 08:22 PM

Stars Over Broadway (1935)

Nice, if a bit creaky tale of a promoter (Pat O'Brien) fallen on hard times who finds his meal ticket with a great singer (James Melton) whom he finds working as a bellboy in a hotel. There is also a young woman (Jean Muir) who keeps claiming she is a great singer that the promoter is attracted to. Melton is mainly an operatic singer, and O'Brien is paying him to take lessons from a great opera teacher (William Ricciardi), who trains him for about a year, then drops the bomb that it will take at least five more years to train Melton in the ways of the opera, like in acting, stage presence, etc. etc. O'Brien cannot wait that long or pay the money that it will take, so he promotes Melton as a crooner in all the big night clubs in the city, where he's an instant hit. Melton also gets a swelled head and thinks he can do anything and takes to drinking every day. This gets him in big trouble with practically everyone. The rest of the movie deals with those closest to Melton trying to straighten him out, and with O'Brien wanting to tell Muir, who is a great singer, that she's no good so she won't fall into the trap that Melton did. It's all very dramatic in a 30's manner and mostly a good film. A great supporting actor of the era, Frank McHugh, is on hand as O'Brien's buddy who works at a music publisher, and inserts a few laughs into the mostly downbeat goings-on. But it all ends well. Not a bad movie if you want to see something a bit different.

http://crazywebsite.com/Free-Galleries-01/Girls/Photos_WWII_Vintage_Pinups/Jane_Froman_Stars_Over_Broadway_1935_Cast-01.jpg

3.5

Unfriended (2014)

I had a little bit of difficulty getting into this film at first, simply because of all the typing and messaging that we see from the characters' point-of-view appearing on their computers. Some of the writing was so small, even on my large-screen TV that I had to get closer to the screen. That helped immensely. The movie was pretty decent, although easy to figure out and like a lot of these films of this type, I pretty much had the end figured out. But still, the acting from the young performers was good and helped make the goings-on more believable. It's worth at least one look.

http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Shelley-Hennig-and-Moses-Jacob-Storm-in-Unfriended-movie-2015.jpg

3.5

Run All Night (2015)

I truly enjoyed this action flick. It stars one of our "new" action heroes, Liam Neeson. What I like about this is that Neeson is not really what you'd call a good guy in this. He has a horrible history of killing for the mob. He is estranged from his grown son (Joel Kinnaman), who hates him for leaving the family, although it was to keep them out of harm's way or getting caught up in any of the mob business. Anyway, the mob boss (Ed Harris) is best friends with Neeson, although Neeson is not the great mob soldier he once was. Or so they think. Harris' son (Boyd Holbrook) is out of control, trying to get his dad to deal with drug lords, something Harris has left behind. His son tries to kill Kinnaman but Neeson kills Holbrook first and that sets up the bulk of the film with Harris out for revenge by wanting Neeson's son dead. He sicks all of his mob soldiers on Neeson and son, plus the crooked cops on Harris' payroll, plus a vicious assassin (Common). Neeson and Kinnaman race through the city, with bad guys on their trail the whole way. There is action galore, with car chases, car crashes, gunfights, stabbings, foot chases, explosions, etc. etc. The whole cast is fine, with Bruce McGill and Vincent D'Onofrio lending fine support, plus a nice cameo by Nick Nolte as Neeson's brother. Probably my favorite of the recent glut of Neeson movies.

http://www.thereelword.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Run-All-Night-Movie.jpg

4

Mr.Sparkle

02-11-16, 11:37 PM

Bernie really surprised me too. It's probably the weakest out of the eight Linklater films i have seen but i still really enjoyed it. Jack Blacks best performance i know that isn't saying much he was actually good here though IMO, Maclaine was always pretty memorable.

This film surprised me as well. Not a huge Jack Black fan but he really sold me in his performance.

Citizen Rules

02-11-16, 11:47 PM

https://spaceflightuk.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/martian-spacesuit-3.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1
The Martian (2015)

It could have been great but it missed it's mark.

My Review: The Martian (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1457660#post1457660)

Captain Steel

02-12-16, 12:01 AM

Jim: The James Foley Story (2016 - Documentary on HBO)

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/noYvZ8_Dn_M/maxresdefault.jpg

This one really broke me up. I was pretty much a mess by the end.

The first half is pretty standard documentary stuff: interviews with Jim's family, friends & colleagues as they reviewed his childhood, home life and career.
But then it gets into his captivity, which I knew nothing about... the length of time, the physical & mental torture Jim and the other captives endured at the hands of ISIS, his fellow prisoners who were so comforted, inspired & impacted by Jim's presence.

The recounting of Jim's captivity by those he was with, who survived, was absolutely spellbinding.

There are things I'd like to say that have absolutely nothing to do with any content of the film (like Obama smiling and waving as he went off to play golf shortly after receiving the news that Jim had been brutally murdered, and about the sick, terrorist, religiously-demented ideology of those who killed him), but for now I'll hold my tongue and simply say that the documentary was a sad but beautiful tribute to a truly purpose-driven life and an indomitable spirit.

If you have HBO: On-Demand, you can find it under their documentary section.

As far as interesting biographical documentaries go, I'll give this one a 4.5 out of 5.

colejwalker

02-12-16, 12:05 AM

He hasn't made many films, what have you seen from him?

I saw Mistress America, where I thought Gerwig begins to overcook every single line and her character begins to grow tired and I saw While We're Young which I didn't mind so much, but I ultimately found it to be kind of boring.

Zotis

02-12-16, 12:13 AM

I liked Mistress America a lot.

edarsenal

02-12-16, 12:36 AM

http://images4.static-bluray.com/reviews/11726_5.jpg

Paddington 3.5++ Thanks Suspect for posting a review that got me to rent this from my library.
Very cute film. Had some minor flaws but still very enjoyable and I'm very sure my rating will improve on future rewatches.
Definitely made my inner child smile. And YAY for that.

Daniel M

02-12-16, 02:52 AM

I liked Paddington a lot too. Very good movie with a good sense of humour, not too dissimilar to Wes Anderson I thought.

ursaguy

02-12-16, 03:02 AM

Dallas Buyers Club: 3_5
What a frustrating experience. 2 of the best performances of the decade, as 2 fascinating, three-dimensional characters, and the script doesn't give them anything interesting to do. I wish the whole movie was about Ron accepting the LGBT community, and Rayon's relationship with her father, and how they each help each other become something greater. Those plot lines get a minute and a half each. The actual story is very dry and linear. Event. Event. Event. Event. Event. None of them build into other events, none of them have higher stakes than what came before it. No concepts of the AIDS epidemic are explored on any kind of a deep level, but the film makes sure that it gets a brief touch in on all of those concepts. They should have picked one idea and developed it, and devoted more time to character development. It's still worth the price of a rent just to see McConaughey and Leto give career best work. Nitpick: They do that thing where the audio becomes a flat beep to represent a character's distortion at least 4 times. It's really obnoxious.

The Gunslinger45

02-12-16, 03:27 AM

http://horrorpediadotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/liz11.jpg

4

the samoan lawyer

02-12-16, 08:44 AM

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/stills/130537-ba37ef36bcceb2da7cd1d1b1a05da976/Film_18w_NakedKissB_original.jpg
The Naked Kiss (1964)

Ahead of its time on in terms of subject matter, this is a dark and disturbing drama with a b-movie feel to it, from legendary director Sam Fuller.

4.5

this_is_the_ girl

02-12-16, 10:27 AM

Watched the first two Star Wars movies on Blu-ray - damn, it's been a loooong time!

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (3/5)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (4.5/5)

edarsenal

02-12-16, 12:16 PM

I liked Paddington a lot too. Very good movie with a good sense of humour, not too dissimilar to Wes Anderson I thought.

That's an intriguing insight. Looking back I can seen the association. Now I'm curious to look at it in from that angle next time around. . .

Daniel M

02-12-16, 12:29 PM

That's an intriguing insight. Looking back I can seen the association. Now I'm curious to look at it in from that angle next time around. . .

From the little black and white film within a film at the start, I thought I was going to enjoy it. I thought it seemed like it was made by someone who loved the little details of films. It had a good quirkiness to everything whilst being totally plausible, and looked gorgeous a lot of the time. I laughed at a lot of its jokes, I thought the humour was great. Things like this in particular reminded me of Anderson:

http://www.cantstopthemovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Dream-house.jpg

Citizen Rules

02-12-16, 01:14 PM

Jim: The James Foley Story (2016 - Documentary on HBO)

This one really broke me up. I was pretty much a mess by the end.

The first half is pretty standard documentary stuff: interviews with Jim's family, friends & colleagues as they reviewed his childhood, home life and career.
But then it gets into his captivity, which I knew nothing about... the length of time, the physical & mental torture Jim and the other captives endured at the hands of ISIS, his fellow prisoners who were so comforted, inspired & impacted by Jim's presence.

The recounting of Jim's captivity by those he was with, who survived, was absolutely spellbinding.

There are things I'd like to say that have absolutely nothing to do with any content of the film (like Obama smiling and waving as he went off to play golf shortly after receiving the news that Jim had been brutally murdered, and about the sick, terrorist, religiously-demented ideology of those who killed him), but for now I'll hold my tongue and simply say that the documentary was a sad but beautiful tribute to a truly purpose-driven life and an indomitable spirit.

If you have HBO: On-Demand, you can find it under their documentary section.

As far as interesting biographical documentaries go, I'll give this one a 4.5 out of 5.

Thanks for posting that Captain! I don't have HBO but I did just read about it at IMDB and it has an impressive 8.9 That sounds like a doc that would give me nightmares, because it's true, so I can see it being powerful.

The Naked Kiss (1964)

Ahead of its time on in terms of subject matter, this is a dark and disturbing drama with a b-movie feel to it, from legendary director Sam Fuller.

rating_4_5

Yeah! Another fan of The Naked Kiss. Sam Fuller has what's been described as a gritty realistic tabloid style of film making, I like him!

Paddington rating_3_5++ Thanks Suspect for posting a review that got me to rent this from my library.
Very cute film. Had some minor flaws but still very enjoyable and I'm very sure my rating will improve on future rewatches.
Definitely made my inner child smile. And YAY for that. I really liked a lot about Paddgington, especially the house, the cut away shots of the house and how each room was decorated to have a certain feel about it. I thought the antagonist threat was a little dark for small kids. But for bigger kids like me, it has Nicole Kidman:)

MovieMeditation

02-12-16, 01:15 PM

Watched the first two Star Wars movies on Blu-ray - damn, it's been a loooong time!

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (3/5)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (4.5/5)
:up:

Daniel M

02-12-16, 01:16 PM

The Kid (Charlie Chaplin, 1921) rating_3_5

http://www.cinemacom.com/chaplin/kid.jpg

Another very good Chaplin film, although I don't think this reaches the greatness of his later features. Has all his usual charm, and a number of memorable sequences. Definitely a delightful film, and a sign of things to come in terms of character and beliefs. I'm not sure how someone could dislike this.

The Magnificent Ambersons (Orson Welles, 1942) rating_4_5

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/74/Magnificent_ambersons_movieposter.jpg

Everything in this film is fantastic. The story of a declining family in a changing America shown through fantastic black and white imagery and breathtaking performances. Every scene seems so rich, the camera captures so much as it moves elegentantly, every character is an immensely interesting one and portrayed to perfection. It's a shame that this isn't an hour longer. Not that it's not great as it is, but this is a film that feels like it should be a three hour epic looking in even more detail at these characters, that's my only complaint, that it flew by.

seanc

02-12-16, 01:20 PM

Another Ambersons fan. Someday all of Mofo will believe.

matt72582

02-12-16, 03:18 PM

Twenty-Four Eyes - 6.5/10

Seemed like my kinda movie at first, but there wasn't enough development. It's hard having 12 characters, even if they concentrate on some more than others. I'm not Japanese, and the names weren't very distinguishable. Also, Japan was very homogeneous, making their faces not distinguishable. Also, there are three time periods, so you have these new characters every 45 minutes.

I loved the love the teacher had for the students and vice-versa. Unfortunately, a scene would start, and a topic would start, but end after a few seconds. We barely know a thing about her husband, only a few lines dedicated. I think there's too much small talk, a lot of singing that contributes very little (if hardly anything) to the story. It also seemed 40 minutes was dedicated for the viewer to see people walk. For example, when the students go to her house, they show the kids' every step, hardly anything being said. There is a lot of crying in that scene and throughout, it's a reoccurring theme http://www.movieforums.com/community/data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhDwAPANUAAPfXAPPTAO3NAOrKAOPDAODBAN6+ANi5ANO0ANGyANCxAM2uAMGjAManAMWmAMDAwLyeALmbA LaYALWXALGTAK2PAKyOAKqNAKmMAKKFAKWHAKCCAJ+CAJ1/AJl8AJR3AJJ1AJB0AI1xAI5xAIlsAIltAIhrAIVoAIJmAL+/vwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAEAAA8A LAAAAAAPAA8AAAaUwIdQqCoWh8hH0XBQNCBHpGogGBAOC4YEoxpOA4DAwJBwRCycrlIAKAoKiGJl01UZBoHiOFFEg4oHBFRWWFoY HSFFCgcGBUxOEBQaHiJFDQsJCAkLTxMXHB8lRRAMKg0ODBATFhkqIyd1EhEqERIUF60hJmoqGBYVRkUhJChqShwbHB0eHyMmxUlF ICEiJbDG0cFJQQA7

Did anyone notice theme song sounded like "God Bless America" and towards the end they played the "New Years Song" - (let all acquaintances be forgot...)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Niju-shi_no_Hitomi_poster.jpg