Movie Tab II

[ash_is_the_gal]

Spider Man II (Raimi, 2004) - MJ is sort of a knob in this one.

you said knob... hee!

[Aniko]

This past month....

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969) ~ I really liked this. Suzanne Pleshette was quite the dish in her day and I love her voice. With tweaking and polishing, this movie/story could be a cute re-make. T’was a fun cast with lots of quirky characters.

Wings of Desire (1987) :) I liked it. It’s beautifully done. I loved the use of B&W and color. I wish there was more to the romance part of this though. I loved the cast, including Peter Falk in a supporting role. Thanks for the write up and recommendation Dave. :)

Foreign Agent (1942) ~ :up: I liked it alot. T’was intriguing...and I always love watching Herbert Marshall and George Sanders. First time I’ve seen Laraine Day and I liked her alot. Thanks for the recommendtion Holden. :)

The Longest Day (1962) ~ :up: I loved it. It was well done on all fronts. Great cast.

Big Momma’s House 2 (2006) ~ :indifferent: Part of this new breed of silly ‘C’ family movies being churned out. Some funny bits here and there, but story wise it seemed like a mishmash of The Pacifer (which, I would watch again over BM’sH 2), Uncle Buck and Mrs. Doubtfire. And, when it comes impersonating a woman...Martin Lawerance is no Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams nor as comical as Nathan Lane's woman bit in The Birdcage.

Adventures of Don Juan (1948) ~ S’ok Errol Flynn costume flick. Not his best nor his worst. I've seen this before, but this time I could see re-hashes of fight scenes from his other movies and re-hashing music, but it was still good to see him do his thing here. I liked Viveca Lindfors as Queen Margaret and it was interesting to learn that this was Alan Hales’ last movie.

The Adventures of Quentin Durward (1955) ~ :p Cheesy, predictable, over-done and doesn’t outlive the dated quality. The end fight was poorly done and a little embarrasing to see Robert Taylor look like a buffoon unintentionally. But because of Kay Kendal...I still liked it and can file it under crap movies I like pile.

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) ~ :up: Still an all-time favorite that always makes me laugh.

Pocketful of Miracles (1961) ~ :) Frank Capra remade his own movie Lady for a Day (1933), which I liked better. It was still ok and Bette Davis is alway good to watch. Robert Osborn’s commentary afterwards as to why this was Capra’s last film was interesting.

June Bride (1948) ~ :) I liked it for the most part, but the ending was pretty unbelievable. Very un-Bette like.

And, alot of other Bette Davis movies, I've seen over and over again and still love.

[Piddzilla]

Swimming Pool (2003 - François Ozon)

Ok hitchcockian suspense drama/thriller... I wasn't too impressed though. Ludivine Sagnier does have a certain appeal, that I have to admit... And Charlotte Rampling seems to be the English version of Isabelle Huppert.

[jrs]

Hulk, 2003, third time, third enjoying it, and not only for Jennifer, it's drama, it's theater, it's several reasons to like it

Awesome that you liked it and I enjoy the flick myself. I just don't get why people dislike it so much.

[Holden Pike]

And Charlotte Rampling seems to be the English version of Isabelle Huppert.
http://movie-gurus.com/review_images/nightporter_1974_image.jpg (http://www.wunderblogs.com/deuscanino/archives/nightporter.jpg) http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/33/33_images/under_rampling.jpg

It's the other way around: Huppert is the French Rampling.

Charlotte has been around cinema since the 1960s, and with her roles in Visconti's The Damned (1969) and Liliana Cavani's The Night Porter (1974) she really pioneered the kind of emotionally raw, complicated and sexually charged female roles that later actresses like Huppert would inhabit further down the line.

Swiming Pool is ultimately disappointing, but Rampling and François Ozon's previous film, Under the Sand (2001) is terrific, and for my money Charlotte gives one of the five best performances of this century thus far.

[Golgot]

The Roaring Twenties - Oh yes, fiesty fun indeed. Wonderful range of styles, and feeling of context, for such a fast-paced gangster-flick. Loved the Lang-with-bells-on montage which ushered in the final act. Great performances all round and barely a moment wasted in this high octane tale of an everyman taken down by tumultuous circumstances. (My only real gripe would be that Cagney's character slides a bit too easily into his role as a hood, but his sparky and crafted performance makes it all good). What can i say - highly recommended.

(Oh, and thanks for recommending it on one of the welcome threads senyor Pike. Reminded me it was about time i tracked it down ;))

[SamsoniteDelilah]

The Up Side of Anger - eeeh... it was ok.

[Piddzilla]

http://movie-gurus.com/review_images/nightporter_1974_image.jpg (http://www.wunderblogs.com/deuscanino/archives/nightporter.jpg) http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/33/33_images/under_rampling.jpg

It's the other way around: Huppert is the French Rampling.

Yeah I guess that's the correct way to put it. I came to think of Huppert during the film and thought to myself that the Sarah Morton character is a typical Huppert character. If Morton had been French, that is.

I will check out Under the Sand if I get the opportunity...

[Sedai]

X3 (Ratner, 2006) - Oh Famke, how I love thee. Yeah...this film made me realize jusrt how much I love the X-men stuff, and how big a part of my childhood it was. I had a blast watching these events unfold on screen, and became involved in the characters. That said, the film had a fair amount of trouble, as well. The finale was spectacualr, but came to soon, as this film seemed to not have a second act. What gives? Clearly the best material of the three films, it managed to not be the best film. I blame Ratner. This dude is WAY uneven with his direction. He handled some scenes wonderfully (like the Prof X/Phoenix showdown), while he trashed other scenes. As feared, he couldn't handle the ensemble cast, and some characters got blown off or lost in the shuffle. Still, the dude killed some characters, changed some others, blew up many virtual sets, and had some GREAT X-men action going.

Not what it could have been, but my X-geek ass had fun watching for sure.

3_5

[Ophelia]

Rosemarys Baby - I was fine until I turned off the television....then the chanting began next door.

[ash_is_the_gal]

Rosemarys Baby - I was fine until I turned off the television....then the chanting began next door.

ohh weee ohh, ohhhhh-oh!

[Piddzilla]

Akira (1988 - Katsuhiro Ôtomo)

Pretty amazing... I can understand why anime enthusiasts consider it to be such a classic.

[Aniko]

Nora Prentiss (1947) :up:
I had seen bits and parts of this through the years and am very glad I watched the whole thing last night. I loved Ann Sheridan as Nora. And I loved the story of the successful Dr. and family man who self-destructs in a mid-life crisis. Perfect ending.

[Revenant]

X-Men 3: 4/5
Way too much going on, but I enjoyed it just the same.

[chicagofrog]

The Sisters, Thailand 2004, pure ***** with bad acting, trite and too well known story, no surprises, "ideas" copied from Ju-On and Ringu and such... my second thai movie in 2 months, my second confirmation they are far from having found any originality, unlike Koreans e.g., - man, they do needa find their national character in movies still...

[SamsoniteDelilah]

The Lost Weekend a bit melodramatic. Taken in historical context, it is a bold move toward addressing a serious issue that was swept under the carpet at the time. It's not aged all that well, but the central character is very well-acted by Ray Milland.

[Tacitus]

Raining Stones (1993, Ken Loach)

4/5

An unemployed family on a Manchester council estate struggle to buy their daughter a dress for her First Communion.

Pretty grim stuff, you'd imagine, but a crackling screenplay by Jim Allen, a powerful central performance by Bruce Jones and able support from the ever-reliable Ricky Tomlinson turn Raining Stones into a poignant, humorous but hard-hitting drama about unemployment, class struggle and family expectations.

Granite edged, then, but with a soft centre. One of my favourites from Red Ken and the beginning of my Loachathon which will take me up to The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Ken's Palm d'Or winning take on Ireland in the 20s... :)

http://www.follow-me-now.de/assets/images/Raining_Stones-1.jpg

[nebbit]

I really liked Raining Stones, glad you liked it :yup:

[jrs]

I like the Rolling Stones :D

[Tacitus]

I really liked Raining Stones, glad you liked it :yup:

It's a film I used to watch pretty regularly but, as my VCR is making noises like a baby elephant having a mud bath, I've not had the chance until buying the DVD the other day. ;)

I've always liked Ken Loach, his passion and idealism are still second to none even though he's now pushing 70.

[Sinny McGuffins]

I blame Ratner. This dude is WAY uneven with his direction. He handled some scenes wonderfully (like the Prof X/Phoenix showdown), while he trashed other scenes.Can you give an example of a scene he trashed?

As feared, he couldn't handle the ensemble cast, and some characters got blown off or lost in the shuffle. Still, the dude killed some characters, changed some others, blew up many virtual sets, and had some GREAT X-men action going.Ratner didn't lose any characters in the shuffle, the writers did. The writers were also the ones who did the killing off.

Ratner did a good job, I reckon. He was the one who saved the movie from being crap.

I thought X3 was decent, but it just felt like it had too much crammed into it. And they could have handled the Pheonix story a lot better than they did.

[Sinny McGuffins]

http://image.ohmynews.com/down/images/1/todd_288013_1%5B450639%5D.jpg

United 93, Paul Greengrass, 2006
I got caught up in this one. Greengrass handled the tragedy well, and did it with care. An important film that I'm glad I watched.
GRADE: A

[SamsoniteDelilah]

The Producers - the old one. I can see why this was redone. The play within the play is hilarious. And the storyline of the producers was acted in a style no longer palatable. Hey, Mr Mostel? Loud =/= Funny.

[Piddzilla]

Vera Drake (2004 - Mike Leigh)

[Tacitus]

Vera Drake (2004 - Mike Leigh)

What'd you think? :)

[Piddzilla]

What'd you think? :)

Yeah, sure, I liked it. Very good acting and all...

[gummo]

Falling Angels http://services.windowsmedia.com/dvdcover/cov150/drt500/t584/t58436z6cuy.jpg

3 Women http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/coverv/02/224502_thumb.jpg

Surviving Picasso http://www.twinkle.com.hk/intposter/poster/e0441.jpg

[Iroquois]

Akira (1988 - Katsuhiro Ôtomo)

Pretty amazing... I can understand why anime enthusiasts consider it to be such a classic.

It's the Star Wars of anime.

Army of Darkness - 8/10

Whoa, this version had the original ending in it!

[Tacitus]

Yeah, sure, I liked it. Very good acting and all...

Vera Drake disappointed me actually. It was lovingly and sincerely put together but didn't move me in the was Leigh's films usually do.

Glum-overdrive, in fact, though I guess that was the point. :)

[chicagofrog]

Nostradamus Kid, Australia 1992, well not so bad, i wish i could have understood the main character's Aussie accent better though :( (*no* subtitles in the Aussie DVD edition! :eek: )
but i got Miranda Otto naked all the same, accent or not...
and
The Omen 666, 2 days too late but well... i wonder, with all the millions they spend doing movies,
1) how can they expect us not to notice it's Prag and not London (architecture...)... but much worse:
2) how didn't *anyone* notice, at least when they checked the movie during postproduction, that, when the father drives the car through town, the shops have all their names in Czech :eek: :( :eek:
else, apart from a few illogical things, twasn't so bad, alright.

[Aniko]

Marked Woman (1937) :up:
I really liked it for the most part. Betty Davis and Bogie work well together and Eduardo Ciannelli was perfect as the cruel gangster. At times Davis over acts (compared to her subtle acting in Little Foxes), but it doesn't ruin the compelling story. It's interesting too that this movie was based on the true life story (happening during that same time period) of real life gangster Lucky Luciano brought down by the prostitutes who were forced to work for him. The movie center's mostly on how the women finally find the courage to stand up to and testify against a man they deeply feared. Bogie's end court room speech is a gem.

Also, the DVD has an extra feature with some great interviews and tidbits of this movie, Jack Warner and Bette Davis. For that time period especially, I really respect Ms. Davis for her strength in standing up for what she wanted and for what she thought was best for herr character. Great stuff.

[Piddzilla]

Vera Drake disappointed me actually. It was lovingly and sincerely put together but didn't move me in the was Leigh's films usually do.

Glum-overdrive, in fact, though I guess that was the point. :)

I understand what you mean. I have to say that I was moved here and there but that the film sort of, you know, began, went on for a while, and then ended. It's a well made film with very fine actors and actresses, but it didn't blow me away.


8½ (1963 - Federico Fellini)

Now, this is something different all together. I can't quite work out what to think of it... It's at the same time fascinating and annoyingly self-absorbed. I mean, it's telling us stuff about Fellini in a very fascinating way - which is interesting, yes - but it's not saying much about ME and US. Or is it? I don't know... I love how the scenes look and so on... but I can't help to feel alienated in a way. Hmmm...

But I do want Mastroianni's shades. And look at Claudia Cardinale through them..... :D

[Golgot]

It's at the same time fascinating and annoyingly self-absorbed. I mean, it's telling us stuff about Fellini in a very fascinating way - which is interesting, yes - but it's not saying much about ME and US. Or is it? I don't know... I love how the scenes look and so on... but I can't help to feel alienated in a way. Hmmm...

That's why i've avoided it so far. I find it annoying when directors/writers create 'self commiserating' 'eulogies' to their own professional/personal perogatives - whether overtly or 'covertly'. It does seem so self-absorbed - and occluded from normal life.

Guess i'll give 81/2 a go anyway tho, at some point, just to see the craftsmanship at work.

[i apologise for using the word occluded. And eulogy. And for the 'speech marks' too ;)]

[Sedai]

Can you give an example of a scene he trashed?

Ratner didn't lose any characters in the shuffle, the writers did. The writers were also the ones who did the killing off.

Ratner did a good job, I reckon. He was the one who saved the movie from being crap.

I thought X3 was decent, but it just felt like it had too much crammed into it. And they could have handled the Pheonix story a lot better than they did.

Points taken, but I still maintain it was Ratner. I read a nice article about X2, and how a TON of rewrites were done on set, by Bryan Singer, Patrick Stewart, Ian Mckellan, et al. So yes, the writers do write the script, but they absolutely do not have the last say on how a film is shot and performed. There are many, many films where this is the case. So yeah, I blame Ratner, and his inability to doctor a script with his crew when needed. One of the very reasons I feel X2 came out as well as it did, is because of those from-the-hip writing sessions that went down on the set when trouble in the script was discovered (which according to Singer, was a lot). Ratner just didn't have the clout, nor foresight to do this, being a ****ty, narrow of scope, all-thumbs director. Yeah, I am also still a bit pissed about how this trilogy got trashed by corporate bull****. That said, they did a bang up job with the talent they did keep and the ham fisted idiot they had at the helm. The film wasn't horrible by any stretch. I totally agree on the Dark Phoenix comments as well. My fav X-girl and all... And man, what did they do to Psylocke?? I did enjoy a lot of the other fan service though!

As for the scenes he trashed, pretty much all the drama scenes, every one. The first X-gathering was terrible, with trite, recycled Chris Claremont-esque dialogue, and oh great, we are back to X-position here in the third frippin film. I liked Singer with X2 because he tried not to disrespect his audience in X2, didn't waste a ton of time on exposition, even with new characters, and his films had a second act, where I could actually get into the characters and then care about what is happening to them in the finale of the film. X3 was missing what seemed like an entire chunk in the middle. Like Harry Potter 4, this crew had the best material to work with, and yet... the film somehow felt rushed, skipped over, and incomplete, because they failed to flesh out story threads and characters.

Now, I enjoyed X3, but I feel it was such a missed opportunity to make one of the best comic films out there. I really liked some of the scenes, and I think Ratner nailed a good protion of the more kenetic sequences. He just didn't have the vision to tighten the film up enough to be a great film. Also, the final battle was lit poorly, and I was pulled out of the action by odd blocking more than once.

Juggernaut made me laugh out loud with one of the worst one-liners ever filmed. What bumper-sticker manufacturer wrote that tripe?

I sure love the x-men though, and will probably watch X3 again when it hits disc....

[Piddzilla]

That's why i've avoided it so far. I find it annoying when directors/writers create 'self commiserating' 'eulogies' to their own professional/personal perogatives - whether overtly or 'covertly'. It does seem so self-absorbed - and occluded from normal life.

Guess i'll give 81/2 a go anyway tho, at some point, just to see the craftsmanship at work.

[i apologise for using the word occluded. And eulogy. And for the 'speech marks' too ;)]

That's allright. I haven't got a clue of what it means anyway.

But yeah I agree in a way. But I guess all you can do is to watch these big auteurs express themselves and then afterwards decide if their piece of art made a difference to you on a personal level or not. I have to admit that I have been thinking of 8½ a bit since yesterday, but it's not like I'm eager to see it again in a near future.

[Iroquois]

Big Trouble in Little China - 8/10

Hells yeah, this is my kind of movie.

[chicagofrog]

i needa see more Jesse Franco and Tinto Brass's movies...

[Ophelia]

Ratcatcher - what a beautiful smile.

[undercoverlover]

josie and the pussycats - proper tom foolery but enjoyable, some lines actually made me laugh out loud

[Escape]

The Omen 7/10

[SamsoniteDelilah]

Pride and Prejudice (2003) (...a Latter-Day Comedy) - whoa. Freaky. This was like someone planted a new story in my memory. It made me more curious about the work by Jane Austin.

Pride and Prejudice (2005) (the one with Keira Knightly) GORGEOUS!!!! Positively gorgeous story, very well done. I haven't read the book, so pardon me if I'm easily satisfied but I really enjoyed watching this. My only complaint would be Elizabeth's costumes were rather drab, even considering that she's middle-class. Otherwise, this was really fun. Thanks, Annie, for the recommend and your patience. And yeah, I see what you were saying. heh

Breakfast on Pluto - I liked this very much. Am looking forward to seeing it again, in prep for discussing it, or just because it deserves a second watch.

[Escape]

The Breakup 7/10

[jrs]

The Rundown
Dazed and Confused

[Golgot]

That's allright. I haven't got a clue of what it means anyway.

It means i'm pretentious ;)

I have to admit that I have been thinking of 8½ a bit since yesterday,

Ah, well, i was sure it had some allure. I believe i will do my cinematic duty, n watch it sometime soon ;)

Pride and Prejudice (2003) (...a Latter-Day Comedy) - whoa. Freaky. This was like someone planted a new story in my memory. It made me more curious about the work by Jane Austin.

The novel is pretty ingenious for its time. Very arch and cunning, in the way it plays like a melodrama, but holds a tongue-in-cheek undercurrent in perfect balance the whole while.

If you want a really decent delve into some the issues surrounding why it was such a canny achievement, you could check out the 'lecture' A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf. It's more about the difficulties faced by the female novelists of that time, than Austen alone, but it does shed some classy light on her social millieu.

[/pretention ends]

I can't believe i said millieu ;)

---

The Dirty Dozen - Ach well, i'd never seen the beginning ;)

[SamsoniteDelilah]

The novel is pretty ingenious for its time. Very arch and cunning, in the way it plays like a melodrama, but holds a tongue-in-cheek undercurrent in perfect balance the whole while.

If you want a really decent delve into some the issues surrounding why it was such a canny achievement, you could check out the 'lecture' A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf. It's more about the difficulties faced by the female novelists of that time, than Austen alone, but it does shed some classy light on her social millieu.

[/pretention ends]

I can't believe i said millieu ;)
Sounds interesting, Gg. Thanks for the heads up. :)

[chicagofrog]

Aeon Flux, 2005, filmed in Berlin, i recognized so many places of my present city, and not so bad a movie as i expected...
September, Woody Allen 1987, well, okay, but well...

[undercoverlover]

Pay it Forward

Was expecting to hate this film but i now am completely in love with it. Another terrific performance from Spacey and Osment. And a surprising turn from Helen Hunt, really good if not slightly unbelievable as an ex alcoholic white trash single mother. The plot pulled along wonderfully with a sense that even if you don't relate to the characters, you should because they're real, they seemed more real to me than most other films i've seen recently. They were flawed, they were funny, they hurt and they were scared and it was believable. And not to spoil but for anyone else who has seen this movie, I cried like a freakin baby at the you know what part.

[Caitlyn]

Transamerica (2005) 4/5

[birdygyrl]

Here is the latest installment from the past few months.

Taxi Driver - 1976 - Martin Scorsese - A
Wedding Crashers - 2005 - David Dobkin - B
The Graduate - 1967 - Mike Nichols - A
Kinsey - 2004 - Bill Condon - C
Les Miserables - 1998 - Bille August - B+
Sleeper - 1973 - Woody Allen - A+
Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone - 2003 - Robert Allen Ackerman - B-
Sylvia - 2003 - Christine Jeffs - B
Blazing Saddles - 1974 - Mel Brooks - A+
Girl With A Pearl Earring - 2003 - Peter Webber - C
Valmont - 1989 - Milos Foreman - B-
History of Violence - 2005 - David Cronenberg - C
Ned Kelly - 2004 - Gregor Jordan - B-
Apres Vous - 2005 - Pierre Salvadori - A+ (Thanks Sammy)
The Thin Man - 1934 - W.S. van Dyke - A
Everything Is Illuminated - 2005 - Liev Schreiber - B
It Happened One Night - 1934 - Frank Capra - A+
Schultze Gets the Blues - 2005 - Michael Schorr - A
Me & You & Everyone We Know - 2005 - Miranda July - C
East of Eden - 1955 - Elia Kazan - A
Winter Solstice - 2005 - Josh Sternfeld - C
Hawaii Oslo - 2004 - Erik Poppe - B
Anatomy of a Murder - 1959 - Otto Preminger - A
Braveheart - 1995 - Mel Gibson - A+
Armageddon - 1998 - Michael Bay - A (I always cry like a baby....)
Mystery Men - 1999 - Kinka Usher - A (A guilty little pleasure...)
Pirates of the Carribean - 2003 - Gore Verbinski - A
A Room With a View - 1986 - James Ivory - A
Kiki's Delivery Service - 1989 - Hayao Miyazaki - B
The Reckoning - 2004 - Paul McGulgan - B+
Northfork - 2003 - Michael Polish - ?
Tristan and Isolde - 2006 - Kevin Reynolds - B-
Mostly Martha - 2002 - Sandra Nettlebeck - A
Empire Records - 1995 - Allan Moyle - B+
Memoirs of a Geisha - 2005 - Rob Marshall - B+
Brokeback Mountain - 2005 - Ang Lee - A+
Arsenic and Old Lace - 1944 - Frank Capra - A
Shine - 1996 - Scott Hicks - A
Artemisia - 1998 - Agnes Merlet - B
Butterfly - 2003 - Phillippe Muyl - A
Fargo - 1996 - Joel Coen - B
Strictly Ballroom - 1002 - Baz Luhrmann - A
The Pianist - 2002 - Roman Polanski - B
In the Mood for Love - 2001 - Kar Wai Wong - A (Thanks again Sammy)
Muriel's Wedding - 1994 - PJ Hogan - A

[Iroquois]

The Replacement Killers - 7/10

[Piddzilla]

The Third Man (1949 - Carol Reed)

Fantastic film. Still feels fresh, doesn't it? And I love Orson Welles.

[Tacitus]

The Third Man (1949 - Carol Reed)

Fantastic film. Still feels fresh, doesn't it?

Indeed it does. Especially the subject matter. ;)

[Piddzilla]

Kôkaku kidôtai / Ghost in the Shell (1995 - Mamoru Oshii)

Fantastic! I have to see the second part soon...

[jrs]

X-Men: The Last Stand 4
The Break-Up 3_5

[Aniko]

Pride and Prejudice (2005) (the one with Keira Knightly) GORGEOUS!!!! Positively gorgeous story, very well done. I haven't read the book, so pardon me if I'm easily satisfied but I really enjoyed watching this. My only complaint would be Elizabeth's costumes were rather drab, even considering that she's middle-class. Otherwise, this was really fun. Thanks, Annie, for the recommend and your patience. And yeah, I see what you were saying. heh

I’m glad you liked it Sammy. You might like Emma (1996), which is also well done and alot of fun...as well as Persuasion (1995), which is quieter than the other two, but the second chance at love story and acting is top notch.




Apres Vous - 2005 - Pierre Salvadori - A+ (Thanks Sammy)
Mostly Martha - 2002 - Sandra Nettlebeck - A


I’m glad you finally got to see these. I loved them both too. :)
How'd you like the scene in Mostly Martha when Martha goes back into her kitchen after Mario had just cooked them dinner? :D


............

Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal (1999) :up:
I loved this prequel to the Rurouni Kenshin series. Even if you’ve never seen the series and are into Samurai movies, you’d like this. Based on real life characters and set in 1864ish Japan, the story of how an orphan becomes an assassin in an effort to help bring peace in turbulent times is compelling in handling not just the political strife of the time, but in handling how the characters deal with their lives....and how Kenshin finally comes to terms with who and what his is.

Samurai X: Reflection (2001) :up: :bawling: :bawling:
I loved this too and this was a real tear jerker for me. This story is first set in 1893 and shows what happens to Kenshin after the wars and wandering for 10 years trying to atone for his sins and his meeting Kaoru. Obviously, from the title the story revolves around a reflection of Kenshin and Kaoru's life together upon meeting in 1875ish and intertwined with the present. This is definatley done in a darker and more serious tone than the series was, which fits perfectly with how Trust & Betrayl was handled.

My only beef about this movie is they changed Kaoru’s character from the series from a spunky, lively girl who could fight, into a quieter, meeker person more like Tomoe (in Trust & Betrayal). Eventhough I know they had to tone down her character to fit the mood of the movie, I wish they (character developers) kept her spunk alive.

The animation in both movies is beautiful and much more sophisticated than the series. Great stuff. However, I do like the character designs of Kenshin and Kaoru better in the series.

[birdygyrl]

I’m glad you finally got to see these. I loved them both too. :)
How'd you like the scene in Mostly Martha when Martha goes back into her kitchen after Mario had just cooked them dinner? :D






I thought it was priceless. I just adored the whole movie.

[SamsoniteDelilah]

Jules et Jim - Pretty people with pretty lives that they don't enjoy because it isn't fashionable, and who cause each other no end of pain. bah.

Shopgirl - a bit slow, and Steve Martin wasn't all that beautifully cast, but Claire Danes and Jason Schwartzman were great and I liked the story. Interesting locations for this - it's mostly a middle class look at LA, not the usual ends of the economic spectrum.

[Piddzilla]

Aguierre, der Zorn Gottes (1972 - Werner Herzog)

Pretty amazing, dream/nightmarelike story... Fantastic visuals... I don't know if it's because of all the stories surrounding the shooting of the film, but can't you sort of tell that they all thought it was hell for real?

[Ophelia]

Wah-Wah (2005) Richard E. Grant

Ultimately this film would suit the title 'Blah-Blah'.

Superb performances from Gabriel Byrne, Miranda Richardson, Emily Watson and 'About a boys' Nicholas Hoult. But even they couldnt save it. It falls short, at times the scenes are uncomfortable, too staged...poorly edited, the music accompanying scenes does not mesh well. You have a giggle but overall 'Wah-wah, wah-wah wah'.

A good effort, i'm glad to see Richard E. Grant expanding his horizons, but I feel it was a project too close to his own experiences to offer anything to me, I felt slightly alienated watching, I couldnt relate and which did not surprise me, as it is his upperclass teenage years, growing up in Swaziland at the end of the 60's when it was gaining its independence from British Rule.

It feeds on the stereotypes, which were no doubt raging back then and in full swing, you can only giggle at so many stiff upper lips before it becomes exceedingly dull. How very un-hubbly jubbly.

Toodle pip old chaps.....

[Piddzilla]

Maria Full of Grace (2004 - Joshua Marston)

Good one... And oh my that girl is beautiful....

[Golgot]

JSA - Great movie. Some of the English delivery is horribly stilted, but some of the directing is wonderfully assured, and the structure and storytelling are pretty much classy throughout. There's some implicit condemnation of the North Korean mind-hold, and plenty of digs at the South too, but generally a healthy level of human equivilance holds true. Slight missed-beat in the 'reveal' for me, but the final shot-n-pan end-piece is quality.

[Altho the suggested alternative ending in the extra i saw was intriguing too]

[Iroquois]

Quite a bit here...

Ferris Bueller's Day Off - 7/10

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! - 6/10

The Thing - 9/10

The Silence of the Lambs - 8/10

Jules et Jim - 7/10

Rock Star - 5/10

[Tacitus]

JSA - Great movie.

I'm pretty sure that, after I watch it a few more times, JSA will become my favourite Chan-wook Park film...

[Pyro Tramp]

I'm pretty sure that, after I watch it a few more times, JSA will become my favourite Chan-wook Park film...


I found it to be a finely structured and constantly engaging film but had nothing on the punches Oldboy pulled.

[Tacitus]

I found it to be a finely structured and constantly engaging film but had nothing on the punches Oldboy pulled.

True, but sometimes we're not just looking for punches. :)

[Piddzilla]

The Woodsman (2004 - Nicole Kassell)

I liked it. Mos Def was good....

[Alvin]

Casablanca. I'm embarrassed to admit I had not seen it before, but wow, what a film. Immediately ordered the DVD.

[SamsoniteDelilah]

The New World (no comment at this time)
Shadow of the Vampire (heh! Funny and creepy.)
Deadwood: season 1, episodes 1-7 (good stuff! great acting (except one guy) and brilliant writing)

[Piddzilla]

Before Sunset (2004 - Richard Linklater)

I really, really liked this film... I thought it was fantastic.

[Sinny McGuffins]

great acting (except one guy)Which guy?

[Alvin]

Before Sunset (2004 - Richard Linklater)

I really, really liked this film... I thought it was fantastic.

Have you seen the first one? I thought it was much better, although I have a fairly strong dislike of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, which damaged my opinions of both films.

[SamsoniteDelilah]

Which guy?
I think the guy who plays Bullock has some of the most awkward line-deliveries I've heard since high school. He's in the "Good Thing He's Pretty" category, for me.

[Tacitus]

I think the guy who plays Bullock has some of the most awkward line-deliveries I've heard since high school. He's in the "Good Thing He's Pretty" category, for me.

Agreed. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, he may have been told to go for a 'young Clint' vibe. Pity he hasn't got an ounce of Eastwood's charisma or (admittedly limited, especially in his younger days) acting ability. ;)

[SamsoniteDelilah]

Agreed. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, he may have been told to go for a 'young Clint' vibe. Pity he hasn't got an ounce of Eastwood's charisma or (admittedly limited, especially in his younger days) acting ability. ;)
Yeah... which, if that is the case, then he really is the suck, because usually when you tell a less-experienced actor to mimic someone, it opens them up a bit. That poor guy... well, my ATM is more personable.

[Tacitus]

That poor guy... well, my ATM is more personable.

So's mine, but it'd be a close run thing if Tim Olyphant started bleeping and spitting tenners at me...

Maybe the real Seth Bullock was a bit of a nomark? :D

Luckily Olyphant doesn't ruin the show, there are quite enough fantastic character actors on display to more than make up.

Of course, union rules could have dictated that there was just too much talent on show and it had to be diluted lest the viewership have a few too many unsightly televisual orgasms...

I'm in a generous mood tonight. :)

[SamsoniteDelilah]

So's mine, but it'd be a close run thing if Tim Olyphant started bleeping and spitting tenners at me...

Maybe the real Seth Bullock was a bit of a nomark? :D

Luckily Olyphant doesn't ruin the show, there are quite enough fantastic character actors on display to more than make up.

Of course, union rules could have dictated that there was just too much talent on show and it had to be diluted lest the viewership have a few too many unsightly televisual orgasms...

I'm in a generous mood tonight. :)
He doesn't come close to ruining it. The rest of the cast is all top-notch. As for the union, you just never know. :D

[Holden Pike]

http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/2006/06/08/e060819A.jpg http://www.shakefire.com/frivolous/Timothyolyphant1.jpg

Really? I like Olyphant's Bullock a lot. Especially in season two. When he and Swearengen finally square off and take that tumble off the balcony...great stuff. Yeah, I like Olyphant as an actor in general, before "Deadwood" (specifically Go and The Safety of Objects), and think he's just right as Seth Bullock.

But to each their own, I reckon.

[SamsoniteDelilah]

Well, I haven't gotten that far yet, Holden. Maybe the rest of the cast will rub off on him. ;)


Just watched Silverado, which was awesome, but I'm still a bit ouchy about Danny Glover's dad. That just wasn't ok.

[Piddzilla]

Have you seen the first one? I thought it was much better, although I have a fairly strong dislike of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, which damaged my opinions of both films.

I have seen the first one but it was a real long time ago, so I can't really say which one I like the most. I can tell you that I was probably not as enthusiastic about it as about this one. I was probably disappointed that Linklater made a chick flick, being a huge fan of Slacker and Dazed and Confused as I was.

I don't have anything against Delpy but I have been annoyed by Hawke a few times in the past. Not in this one though. I thought the chemistry between them was brilliant and the dialogue too. Sometimes I thought that the things they talked about were a bit pretentious, but then again... that's the kind of things you talk about when you meet who you think's your soulmate, no? The last scene with Delpy seductively dancing in the apartment was cool... I almost got into some kind of Lynchian mode there for a while!

No, I liked this film a lot more I thought I would.... Maybe it's because I'm in that age now or something. Wondering "hey, where the hell did my life go??"... ;D

[Tacitus]

Really? I like Olyphant's Bullock a lot. Especially in season two. When he and Swearengen finally square off and take that tumble off the balcony...great stuff.

I kinda see where you're coming from in that Bullock has a lot more to do in S2, more of the cast to play off instead of being stuck in the store with John Hawkes selling pickaxes to blokes with beards. The whole show has been ramped up a notch by then, though, and I still think Olyphant's lack of presence lets him down.

Ok, he's always gonna come second to Ian McShane, Powers Booth, Brad Dourif etc due to the nature of the character he plays but I feel that, say, Garret Dillahunt or Titus Welliver would have made a better Bullock.

Just not as pretty. ;)

[Aniko]

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) ~ :up: I absolutely loved this! I loved the characters, the story, the warm animation style...t’was truely charming in every aspect. I may buy this one on DVD.

The Place Promised in Our Early Days ~ :) I really liked this anime. The animation is positively gorgeous. The story itself a bit confusing at times, but the characters and their relationships are well thought out and touching. I only wish the ending matched the build up and was a little more clear as to what really happened.

Into the Woods (1991) ~ :up: I loved it. I hadn't seen this before and since my daughter will be doing this in drama camp this year, I was dying to see it. After seeing act 1, act 2 was a surprise to me. I loved Bernadette Peters and the two fellas who played the Princes. They were perfect.

The New World (2005)...I’ll wait for Tacitus to start. :D


And, my daughter and I have been into Laurel and Hardy lately, so....

The Devil's Brother (1933) ~ :up: It's set in early eighteenth century, Northern Italy and based on an operetta. The story is a bit slow at first in setting up who Fra Diavolo/Marquis de San Marco is, but once Stanlio and Ollio get into trouble by impersonating the bandit, the fun begins and the boys do their thing. Very funny stuff.

Way Out West (1937) ~ :up: Great fun. Highlights: When Stan and Ollie try to get back a document from a couple who conned them. Not sure which is funnier...the initial chase around the apartment or the sneaking back in to the hotel to steal it back.

Block-Heads (1938) ~ :up: Starts slow again, but some great gags through out and ends on a big laugh. Ollie discovers that Stan wasn’t killed in the war and after 20yrs the boys are reunited. Ollie invites Stan home to meet his wife and to have a good home cooked meal...and the fun begins as they try to leave the Old Soldiers home.There’s alot of misunderstandings at play in this one and seeing the boys get into trouble...is so much fun.

Chickens Come Home (1931) ~ :up: The past comes to haunt Ollie and he’s being blackmailed. Between trying to calm her, hide her and misunderstandings both boys end up getting into trouble with their wives. Again, a big laugh at the end.

[Escape]

"Walk The Line" ..........couldnt even finish it. Boooooooring. :sleep:

[SamsoniteDelilah]

Into the Woods (1991) ~ :up: I loved it. I hadn't seen this before and since my daughter will be doing this in drama camp this year, I was dying to see it. After seeing act 1, act 2 was a surprise to me. I loved Bernadette Peters and the two fellas who played the Princes. They were perfect...
yyyaaaaaayy! :D That show is SO much fun to do! Your daughter will have a ball. (no pun intended)

[Unas]

Lucky Number Slevin
Nice and fun movie, like the plot, but they could've made more of it i think, feels as if there's something missing

[Sedai]

The Silence of the Lambs - (Demme, 1991)

[Aniko]

yyyaaaaaayy! :D That show is SO much fun to do! Your daughter will have a ball. (no pun intended)
Thanks...I was hoping it would be a fun show for her. It's already lead to some interesting conversations about the image of prince charming. :D

What characters have you played in Into the Woods?

[Piddzilla]

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986 - John McNaughton)

[SamsoniteDelilah]

Thanks...I was hoping it would be a fun show for her. It's already lead to some interesting conversations about the image of prince charming. :D

What characters have you played in Into the Woods?
Florinda... Cinderella's slappy stepsister
and in a different production, the Witch... one of my all-time favorite roles. "You're so nice. You're not good. You're not bad. You're just... nice." God, I love that woman. :D


I love the take on Prince Charming, in that show. Good for you, taking the opportunity to talk about it with your daughter. Recognising true charm is a life skill. ;)

Who is K playing?

[Pyro Tramp]

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986 - John McNaughton)

Is this film any good? I've seen it around quite cheap but always thought it looks like a cheap film though heard it's quite good..

[OG-]

Is this film any good? I've seen it around quite cheap but always thought it looks like a cheap film though heard it's quite good..

It's a very decent film, but I think a lot of people overplay how good it is. I'd hardly call it a portrait. More of a polaroid.

[Piddzilla]

Is this film any good? I've seen it around quite cheap but always thought it looks like a cheap film though heard it's quite good..

Yeah, I agree with OG-. It is kind of a B-movie but pretty good for a B-movie. Not so much character as the title suggests really, but still worth seeing...

[Tacitus]

The Proposition (2005, John Hillcoat)

4/5

I loved Hillcoat's Ghosts...of the Civil Dead and Nick Cave (The Proposition's screenwriter) is one of my favourite songwriters. Add a cast that includes Ray Winstone, Emily Watson, Guy Pearce, Faramir and John Hurt and you've got a surefire Tatty winner?

Very nearly. :)

The Outback scenery is stunningly incorporated by Hillcoat, akin to the way John Ford used Monument Valley or Leone's Almeria. It's a character in itself.

The speaking parts are maybe a bit thinly drawn but that adds to the wistful feel. Pearce's Irish accent isn't bad either and there are many great beards in the film.

Picnic At Hanging Rock meets For A Few Dollars More then. Slight but tremendously atmospheric...

Top marks for the opening shootout as well. ;)

http://ffmedia.ign.com/filmforce/image/article/698/698776/the-proposition-20060328015932141-000.jpg

[Aniko]

The Proposition (2005, John Hillcoat)

4/5

Picnic At Hanging Rock meets For A Few Dollars More then. Slight but tremendously atmospheric...


As always, I love reading your take and insight on movies. You're so cool. :)


Florinda... Cinderella's slappy stepsister
and in a different production, the Witch... one of my all-time favorite roles. "You're so nice. You're not good. You're not bad. You're just... nice." God, I love that woman. :D


I love the take on Prince Charming, in that show. Good for you, taking the opportunity to talk about it with your daughter. Recognising true charm is a life skill. ;)

Who is K playing?


The Witch had some great songs and lines. I'll bet you were perfect in both roles. K won't start drama camp for a couple of weeks yet. I'll let you know when she finds out what part she'll be playing. :)

There were so many great lines in that show. As far as the Prince goes, I got alot of milage talking to K about his...
...I was raised to be charming, not sincere. ;D

Speaking of Prince Charmings and great lines...
I just watched Roxanne (1987) again. I still love this and just love C.D. Now he's a charmer without trying to be one, and when he does turn it on in those letters...welll...I want one of those from my Ray. :D

[Iroquois]

Flash Gordon - 7/10

Halloween - 6/10

Oldboy - 7/10

Infernal Affairs - 8/10

Happy Together - 7/10

It's A Wonderful Life - 9/10

Reservoir Dogs - 7/10 (I've fallen out of love with it :( )

The Terminator - 7/10 (same here)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail - 10/10 (but at least I still love this)

[jrs]

Cars 5
The Lake House 4_5
Nacho Libre 3_5

[Pyro Tramp]

Crikey Jrs, Cars and The Lake House both looked a bit poo.

[jrs]

Crikey Jrs, Cars and The Lake House both looked a bit poo.

Well crikey Pyro..both were good

[Sleezy]

Syriana (Gaghan, 2005) 4
A little disorienting early on, and the middle act tended to drag with no apparent enthusiasm, but the finale is well worth the time spent getting there. I was really impressed not only with Matt Damon's performance, but with the facetious character that was written for him. But what really stirred me, of course, was the haunting depiction of America's "snake-in-the-grass" oil pursuit in the Middle East.

The Squid and the Whale (Baumbach, 2005) 3_5
Fascinating dialogue and characterization by Baumbach, and a big "jolly good show" to Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, and the kids for really making their roles come alive. But the larger message, if there was one, eluded me. I expected a universal examination of relationships as they bend and contract from the collateral effects of divorce, but the family stole the show (and not my heart, unfortunately).

The Majestic (Darabont, 2001) 4
Finally got around to watching this one after scoring it from the bargain bin. It hit me hard for more than a few reasons, including: (1) there just aren't enough wholesome films of this type out there these days; (2) Jim Carrey continues to impress me with a genuine talent to act, and to make me care; and (3) the social commentary the film provided about free speech and sacrifice never seemed contrived or out of place. Additionally, I was treated to some wonderfully sincere, charming performances by Martin Landau, Laurie Holden, and Gerry Black.

[Tacitus]

Hidden Agenda (1990, Ken Loach)

3/5

Interesting thriller from Our Ken which sees Frances McDormand and Brian Cox blundering around pre-Ceasefire Northern Ireland primarily investigating the police force's 'shoot-to-kill' policy against suspected terrorists. An even bigger sore starts to open...

As with everything Loach does, Hidden Agenda is extremely partial with his Ulster full of noble freedom fighters and corrupt politicians pulling the strings of dim Law-enforcement officers.

I wouldn't have it any other way - let someone else tell the other side of the story and Ken gets on with his. He may be passionate, idealistic and too vehemently left-wing (which manifests itself in blatant Irish Republicanism here) for some but Loach isn't a fanciful director. Like it or not there's truth in everything he does and sadly, for many, there's a great deal of truth behind what he chooses to show in Hidden Agenda.

McDormand is ok, as is Brad Dourif and fortunately they play Americans as the Norn Iron accent is notoriously difficult to master. Factor in a belligerent Brian Cox and various actors who play bit-part priests in Father Ted and we have a perfectly adequate political thriller.

It just doesn't shout "I'm a Ken Loach Film!"

And I'd loved to have seen Ricky Tomlinson as Gerry Adams. Lost opportunities, eh? :)

http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/galleries/kenloach/images/bfi-00m-le8.jpg

http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/galleries/kenloach/images/bfi-00m-l6y.jpg

[Piddzilla]

The Indian Runner (1991 - Sean Penn)

Strong piece. Pretty amazing that it's a directoral debut by the then only 31-year old Penn.

[Iroquois]

Taxi Driver - 9/10

Repo Man - 9/10

Escape From New York - 9/10

Big Trouble in Little China - 9/10

What can I say? I love them all.

[chicagofrog]

Stay, 2005, as beautifully made as complicated, loved the pics and ideas, found it very difficult to understand if i hadn't seen the extras though...

[Tacitus]

The Filth & The Fury (2000, Julien Temple)

5/5

It's amazing how quickly your musical tastes change when you're a kid. The Sex Pistols usurped U2 (before that it was Duran Duran :D) as my favourite band (a full 7 years after Sid Vicious' death, to boot) from the very moment I heard the opening chords to Anarchy In The UK on a tinny walkman at school.

The Filth & The Fury was Temple's second attempt at immortalising The Pistols on film, the first being the dreadful, Malcolm McLaren-inspired bit of onanism that was The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.

Lydon, Jones, Cook, Matlock and McLaren are all heard but never seen beyond in-shadow talking heads in the manner of a crime victim, who wants to remain incognito, being interviewed on the news. The visuals are made up from cleverly edited archive news reports, rare concert footage and parts of the director's filmed chat with a clearly muddled Sid Vicious from 1978.

John's on-camera breakdown when telling of his despair over the futility of Sid's heroin fuelled spiral from junkie to murder rap to suicide at the age of just 21 brings a lump to my throat every time I watch it.

At their best The Pistols were a chilling live act though we're treated to all facets of their performances from the 100 Club in 1976 to the final shambles at Winterland two years later.

A must-see for fans, then, but also essential viewing for anyone who's remotely interested in the history of popular music. :)

http://www.entertainment-news.org/images/full_size/sex-pistols-skynyrd-finally-in-rock-hall-of-fame.jpg

[jrs]

Superman Returns 4_5

The best movie I have seen so far this summer. Totally outstanding. Brandon Routh is absolutely perfect as Clark Kent/Superman. It was like watching Christopher Reeve all over again. Kevin Spacey, with his sharp wit and great humor to the his role as Luthor was just superb. Nobody else could have done it better. And as for Kate Bosworth as Lois well she was simply adorable.

Bryan Singer did one hell of wonderful job in continuing the Superman legacy and I can't for the Superman saga to continue.

http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/warner_brothers/superman_returns/supermanreturns_bigreleaseposter.jpg

[Piddzilla]

The Filth & The Fury (2000, Julien Temple)

5/5


At their best The Pistols were a chilling live act though we're treated to all facets of their performances from the 100 Club in 1976 to the final shambles at Winterland two years later.



I was struck by how good they sounded live, at least in this movie. There's a difference between the punk bands who weren't equilibristic, so to speak, and those who simply couldn't play at all. The Pistols could play for sure. Sid being the exception of course.


Sympathy for the Devil / One Plus One (1968 - Jean-Luc Godard)

The so called "director's cut".

Although it seems as it's supposed to be anti-intellectual on some level, it is very intellectual in that '68 anal kind of way. A good document of that era though and it's always interesting to watch music history in the making. It's also interesting to see how anonymous Brian Jones was in the creative process at this stage of his time with The Rolling Stones. I do believe he left just around this time. Keef rules though. And Jagger too actually. And Watts of course. Wyman is a dork as usual...

[chicagofrog]

and these poor people living in Fritzland have to wait some more time, about two months, to enjoy the Superman... ah... cultural thirdworld :(

[Escape]

Enemy of the State 7/10

One thing I couldn't understand and this question contains spoilers from the movie. Why did Jack Black's character start taping the convo near the end there while they had both Will Smith and Hackmen in the van? What possible reason was there to do this since it was all sensitive incriminating evidence against them? Did I miss something there? :confused:

[Piddzilla]

Inside Deep Throat (2005 - Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato)

Pretty interesting...

[chicagofrog]

... more than the original... maybe?

[Piddzilla]

Actually, I wouldn't know... I haven't seen the movie the documentary is focusing on. But it's an interesting "study" on the breakthrough of the porn flick and the sexually liberated time during which Deep Throat was released. And so on...

[Lance McCool]

Wordplay (d. Patrick Creadon - 2006)

I defy you to find a more suspenseful film about crossword puzzles.

[blibblobblib]

The Majestic (Darabont, 2001) 4
Finally got around to watching this one after scoring it from the bargain bin. It hit me hard for more than a few reasons, including: (1) there just aren't enough wholesome films of this type out there these days; (2) Jim Carrey continues to impress me with a genuine talent to act, and to make me care; and (3) the social commentary the film provided about free speech and sacrifice never seemed contrived or out of place. Additionally, I was treated to some wonderfully sincere, charming performances by Martin Landau, Laurie Holden, and Gerry Black.
I like this film too Sleezy. It doesnt have the impact of Green Mile and Shawshank but it certainly does have the shmaltz. And i love shmaltz. And i agree on your review of Martin Landau, i love that man and he plays the role of the father perfectly in this. Breaks ya heart!Crikey Jrs, Cars and The Lake House both looked a bit poo.
The Lakehouse is poo. Im no time travel expert (Well I have built my own but weve all tinkered havnt we?) but there is a massive floor in the story. The other thing is that Sandra Bullock really needs to learn how to smile. They more or less attempt to make her character likeable by just using the element of her being an inexperienced doctor, who is a woman, who gets upset when her patients die - as a likeable quality. Oh and she wiggles her stephoscope alot.

[Piddzilla]

Il Vangelo secondo Matteo / The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964 - Pier Paolo Pasolini)

I would have to agree, yes, it is a masterpiece. I did expect stronger allusions to Christ's alleged homosexuality though.

[Iroquois]

Evil Dead II - 8/10

Friday - 7/10

[Monkeypunch]

Superman Returns - RULED. Best movie of the year so far.

[chicagofrog]

The Dark, 2005 US/Mannin
1) the landscapes make one feel like traveling to the Isle of Man, no doubt, wow :cool:
2) if the movie was filmed in the Isle of Man, and is supposed to be set in Wales, why not just take Mannin/Isle of Man into the scenario??, since they are Celtic people too, with the same kinda traditions and legends and mythology (which by the way is just Indo-European in its origins, so the idea of Annwn/Realm of the Dead is not very original, not only in movies, but in mythology as a whole, being the same like the Greek limbo/érebos and the Germanic or Indian (etc!) traditions)
3) i liked the fact that when the American mother tells her daughter they're gonna visit her father in "England", Sarah (the daughter) corrects her and precises: Wales! a bit of differentialism and culture is always good to bring to California...
4) sheep can be scary, really, that was a discovery...
5) the atmosphere is dark throughout the movie and i liked that too
6) i prefered the girls' performance than Bello's, too hysterical starting already at the beginning of the movie, too early for my taste
7) do watch the alternative ending in the dvd extras, it's much better, darker and touching

overall, lacks originality of scenario, but has a few ideas and spectacular settings that make it worth a watch.

[Sleezy]

Munich (Spielberg, 2003) 5
Five popcorn buckets. Easy. A really haunting story not just about the Munich massacre, and the sociopolitical events surrounding it - but also about the nature of terrorism and its relation to any given side's pursuit of "peace" in the name of "righteousness". Some REALLY nice imagery and symbolism here, like the uncontrollable nature of the team's strategic bombs (the desire to control violence is erroneous because violence itself is chaotic and uncontrollable). Excellent performances by Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, and especially Goeffrey Rush for understanding his role and bringing it to life, rather than stealing the show like a lesser actor might have done.

[linespalsy]

The Thin Red Line

The House of Yes

[hazii82]

June
6.01 Control (2004) // Infection (2004) // Dead Presidents (1995)
6.02 Fright Night (1985) // Rikers High (2005)
6.03 The Sisters (2004)
6.05 Date Movie (2006) // Audition (1999)
6.06 Empire Records (1995) // X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) // The Omen (2006)
6.07 Like Mike 2: Streetball (2006)
6.09 Glory Road (2006)
6.11 Elf (2003)
6.14 The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 (1985)
6.17 Gattaca (1997)
6.18 Varsity Blues (1999) // Left Behind 2: Tribulation Force (2002)
6.19 The Lake House (2006)
6.20 Night Watch (2004)
6.21 The Jerk (1979)
6.23 Firewall (2006) // The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
6.24 The Boondock Saints (1999) // Room 6 (2006)
6.27 Under Suspicion (2000) //
6.28 The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
6.29 The Method (1997)
6.30 Oldboy (2003) // Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)

[chicagofrog]

*****, Alibi was complete, so i had to see American Dreamz, 2006, which was kinda funny though, liked the president more than the actual one... a film to watch and have some smiles (more than laughs), and then forget about it, it won't leave sequels...

[Sexy Celebrity]

Shopgirl -- I thought it was just terrific. Very glad I rented it.

[SamsoniteDelilah]

In Her Shoes - faithful adaptation of a good book. It's a light-hearted but touching story about sisterhood.

Identity - smarter-than-average thriller with some nice twists. Very well-acted and I'm becoming a fan of director Jim Mangold. He works smart and really loves what he's doing, and it makes for a nice product.

[jrs]

Men in Black
Eight Legged Freaks
Terminator 3:Rise of the Machines
Hills Have Eyes (2006)
The Fifth Element

[chicagofrog]

Kontroll, Hungary 2003, had missed it in the theaters

[Piddzilla]

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964 - Stanley Kubrick)

I hadn't seen this one since I was a kid. It is such a fantastic film... Such funny lines... And Sellers is of course amazing...

[ash_is_the_gal]

i watched Sometimes in April on Saturday afternoon... has anyone else seen this? and what were your thoughts on it? (can someone direct me to a Mofo review?)

[susan]

moon zero two...had to write a review on this one..cute overlooked film..made in 69 and takes place in 2021....interesting how they portray the 21st century...acting and action scenes are good and some of the jokes are clever..worth a look

[Iroquois]

Brazil - 9/10

Not as good as I used to think it was but it's still pretty good.

The Blues Brothers - 10/10

Still good.

Star Wars - 9/10

Apart from the sound editing, excellent.

Raiders of the Lost Ark - 5/10

It's official. I don't like it anymore. :(

Army of Darkness - 7/10

I hate the S-Mart ending that came with the DVD. I want the real ending. (movie + original ending = 8/10 )

[jrs]

Raiders of the Lost Ark.....It's official. I don't like it anymore. :(

What happened?

[Iroquois]

What happened?

I would say my tastes have shifted and I'm no longer into Indiana Jones movies.

It's a pity because I've seen Raiders countless times ever since I was old enough to watch movies. It's very sad that I just don't like it any more.

[Terminator734]

Superman I and II

watched it a couple times now since i seen SR in theaters

[Revenant]

Over the Hedge 4.5/5
Just the right pace of humour and length, on par with Ice Age!

[Sleezy]

Superman Returns (Singer, 2006) 3

Problematic, but enjoyable. I still don't know why they wanted to spring-board off the first two Superman films. Nevertheless, it was Superman, and I came out of the cinema feeling pretty fantastic. You can read my official review here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=333870#post333870).

[Aniko]

Bonnie Scotland (1935) :up: :laugh:
I loved this Laurel and Hardy movie. T’was very funny with their brand of physical humor and gags...with a big laugh at the end. The commentary with Leonard Maltin and Richard W. Bann was equally great with alot of interesting tidbits about L&H and all of the supporting cast members as well. Very well done and interesting.

If a Man Answers (1962) :)
I liked this movie alot. Very fun. The first half spends alot of time setting itself up, but the last half is very funny. Nice cast too with Sandra Dee, Bobby Darin, Micheline Presle, Cesar Romero and Stefanie Powers. The movie has the feel of a Doris Day/Rock Hudson movie.

I could definately see this being updated, revamped and redone. It would be perfect for someone like Reese Witherspoon. The concept of a young newlywed using a puppy training book as a guide to handle her husband...and the effects of her mother’s advice is a real hoot. :laugh:


Lust for Life (1956) :up:
I loved it. Kirk Douglas was wonderful as Van Gogh and it followed his life pretty faithfully. I was also impressed with Anthony Quinn as Gauguin. I had forgotten that they had been friends at one time. The movie made me want to go back and re-read my art history book on Van Gogh's life.

One, Two, Three (1961) :laugh:
I finally saw this and it was great fun. Cagney was perfect as was the writing with alot of great lines. The time period was pretty interesting too.

Failure to Launch (2006) :)
Very cute date movie...and I liked the cast alot. I loved Zooey Deschanel, Justin Bartha and Kathy Bates inparticular.

[blibblobblib]

Shopgirl -- I thought it was just terrific. Very glad I rented it.
Oh i love dis film. Beautiful score.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964 - Stanley Kubrick)

I hadn't seen this one since I was a kid. It is such a fantastic film... Such funny lines... And Sellers is of course amazing...
Oh i love dis film too.

[chicagofrog]

Mirrormask, 2005, Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean in one more fruitful collaboration
Dark Memories, 2005, nothing new at all...

[Pyro Tramp]

Pirates of the Carribean 2: Dead Man's Chest- 2

Review following....

[Sleezy]

Six Days, Seven Nights (Reitman, 1998) 3_5

Not particularly engaging, but really fun. Excellent chemistry between Anne Heche and Harrison Ford. The island location is really nice, but it isn't shown off enough. Yeah.

[Aniko]

Fallen Angel (1945) :)
I liked this alot. The cast was solid. Loved Dana Andrews as the con man and Linda Darnell was perfect as the hard, self-centered beauty. She usually plays the good girl, but here she was convincing as girl from the wrong side of the tracks playing every angle. Alice Faye was ok, but a little stiff. I couldn't believe her character could fall so easily for Andrews, but it didn't spoil the story for me.

[chicagofrog]

O. C. California, started the second season.

[Iroquois]

Apart from a few old ones (Full Metal Jacket, Goodfellas, A Clockwork Orange) the latest new one is...

Team America: World Police - 9/10

[Escape]

"Stir Of Echoes" and "Armageddon" Both 7.5-8/10

[ash_is_the_gal]

Hustle & Flow - i was impressed!

has anyone done a review on one? or Sometimes in April?

[Strummer521]

Hustle & Flow - i was impressed!

has anyone done a review on one? or Sometimes in April?

You should do one. anyway...

Fargo :up:

Analyze This :down:

Absolute Power :down:

Short Cuts :up:

[adidasss]

Hustle & Flow - i was impressed!

has anyone done a review on one? or Sometimes in April?
i was a little annoyed by the southern accent....:-/

[Holden Pike]

Hustle & Flow - i was impressed!
Has anyone done a review on one?

YES (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=270803).

[ash_is_the_gal]

ahem... thanks!

just got done watching the Station Agent--this was a feel-good one for me (a smart person would wait til the end of the day to list all the movies they watch on a Saturday afternoon but i am kind of digging at it with an ice pick).

[ash_is_the_gal]

You should do one. anyway...

Fargo :up:

Analyze This :down:

Absolute Power :down:

Short Cuts :up:

i'm not good at those... i just like reading them. Strummer, you should do one. you're excellent with words.

[ash_is_the_gal]

i was a little annoyed by the southern accent....:-/

um.... okay.

[Strummer521]

i'm not good at those... i just like reading them. Strummer, you should do one. you're excellent with words.

Thanks but I can't. I haven't seen either film. It's true that I haven't written a review in a long time, but I have several short stories in various stages of completion (1st and 2nd drafts mostly) that I'll send you if you're interested.

[adidasss]

um.... okay.
sorry, can't take much of it...plus, i think Terence Howard is along with Samuel L. Jackson the most powerful african american actor on screen today, i just want to see him in roles that get to express his eloquence, and not make him look dumb...

[undercoverlover]

fast and the furious: tokyo drift
------------------------------
fast, violent and sexy. Thin plot line but since the action is so damn hot it doesnt really matter.



The Lake house
---------------
even though we're only halfway through this year i would put my money on this as being the best film of the year (nothing else springs to mind, please tell me of other good contenders). Touching and literally edge of my seat stuff, praying that ill be given the happy ending that modern films have so long denied me. Beautiful performances and I dont know anyone who doesnt want to live in the beautiful set of the lake house.



rewatched pirates of the caribbean the curse of the black pearl
-------------------------------------------------------------
such a good film, just wanted to remind myself of it before i see the sequel tomorrow, johnny depp is ridiculously good looking


Finding Neverland
-----------------
awesome, the 'big' shot i the theatre still sends tingles down my spine

[ash_is_the_gal]

Thanks but I can't. I haven't seen either film. It's true that I haven't written a review in a long time, but I have several short stories in various stages of completion (1st and 2nd drafts mostly) that I'll send you if you're interested.

check your Netflix... i sent you a couple suggestions (i know for a fact you will like the Station Agent--it is a Ben kind of movie!)

[ash_is_the_gal]

check your Netflix... i sent you a couple suggestions (i know for a fact you will like the Station Agent--it is a Ben kind of movie!)

scratch that. i see you rated it already on Netflix (three stars? how can i be so wrong?!?!?)

[Garrett]

Kalifornia (1993)

Shopgirl (2005)
Really disliked this. But the score was wonderful.

[undercoverlover]

Prime
-----

funny but not as funny as it could have been. Meryl Streep was fabulous as usual. quite long and disappointing ending.

[undercoverlover]

just got back from seeing the new pirates of the caribbean movie
--------------------------------------------------------------

pretty disappointed actually. This seemed to be Gore Verbinski trying his hand at at least trying to make a kind of grown up version of the porevious movie. Pretty dark in places it doesnt come close to the last one and does a pretty pi$$ poor attempt of following on from it. Unclear and generally crap plotline. Best bit by far was not any of the annoying scenes with the kraken but the sexual tension with jack sparrow and elizabeth.

Not giving away any secrets as it was on tv and stuff but when they finally kiss it was underplayed when it should have been a bigger moment with better screen angles. i cant stress how bad the plotline was- i got confused at parts (that may well be because im alittle slow but thats by the by) it shouldnt have been that hard to follow for a disney movie. I'm pretty disappointed.

[Sedai]

Master and Commander : The Far Side of the World (Weir, 2003) 4

Troy (Petersen, 2004) 3

The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (Adamson, 2005) 2

Alexander (Stone, 2004) 0_5

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Liman, 2005) 4

Star Trek : First Contact (Frakes, 1996) 4

Superman Returns (Singer, 2006) 4

[B-card]

I watched Old school once again
and before that X3

[Sedai]

The Game (Fincher, 1997)

The Day After Tomorrow (Emmerich, 2004)

[ash_is_the_gal]

The Game (Fincher, 1997)

well???? how was it?

[SamsoniteDelilah]

In Her Shoes - a faithful screening of a poignant story about two sisters.

Powder - an interesting central character, but a bit hokey, especially at the very end. Sean Patrick Flanery did a great job in the central role and the rest of the cast is excellent. Of particular note: Lance Henriksen, as the sherrif, has a moment at the end that is truly beautiful.

Whispers of the Heart - review in my review thread. I think it's my favorite version of the story Miyazaki keeps telling. ;)

Tuck, Everlasting - lush photography and solid acting dress up a unique, but slightly thinly plotted 'doomed romance' tale of young love. It's a bit haunting though, and I'd recommend it.

[Sedai]

well???? how was it?

I really liked it. It's no Se7en, but I really enjoyed it.

[Escape]

I really liked it. It's no Se7en, but I really enjoyed it.

But didnt you find it odd how near the end there, they knew exactly where he would jump, and that he would jump at all? Perhaps they had a back up plan if he didnt jump but still cant figure out how they knew he would jump in that exact spot with the air bags.

[Sedai]

But didnt you find it odd how near the end there, they knew exactly where he would jump, and that he would jump at all? Perhaps they had a back up plan if he didnt jump but still cant figure out how they knew he would jump in that exact spot with the air bags.

Yeah, a few scenes in the film like this, but I guess I had to suspend disbelief with the whole psyche profile thing. The end was a bit much, but overall I liked the mystery of the film. Good call, though.

[Piddzilla]

Walk the Line (2005 - James Mangold)

I am impressed...

[Strummer521]

Election

to quote Piddzilla: "I am impressed."

This brings up a question I want to ask of my fellow Mofos, but I don't think the amount of content or response it will produce merits it having its own thread.

Do you know a movie is one of your favorites upon first viewing, or does it take time to sink in? Personally I usually am quick to judge, but usually make sure it holds up very very well to repeat viewings to confirm it's status.

[Tacitus]

Do you know a movie is one of your favorites upon first viewing, or does it take time to sink in? Personally I usually am quick to judge, but usually make sure it holds up very very well to repeat viewings to confirm it's status.

Do you mean films that you initially didn't like or films that you just weren't 100% on? Either way, I'm with you in the main - the vast majority of my favourite films hit the spot on first viewing. Election was one that grabbed me immediately, for example. ;)

I'm also terrible about not giving films a second chance if I didn't like them. It's probably 50% ego and 50% 'there's so many more good films to watch so why waste my time on trawling my way through this again'.

Ok, make that 75% ego. :D

[SamsoniteDelilah]

Election

to quote Piddzilla: "I am impressed."

This brings up a question I want to ask of my fellow Mofos, but I don't think the amount of content or response it will produce merits it having its own thread.

Do you know a movie is one of your favorites upon first viewing, or does it take time to sink in? Personally I usually am quick to judge, but usually make sure it holds up very very well to repeat viewings to confirm it's status.
Count me in on the Election love-fest. From the first blurry freeze-frame, I was hooked. :D

The only time I've hated a film at first and later came to love it was Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I didn't get it, the first time through. I could see what it was about, but I didn't understand that we were being taken along on the ride, and found it all sort of pointless. I needed a day off, basically. After seeing it another time or two though, it clicked and now it's one of those that I can't think of without smiling.

[Strummer521]

Do you mean films that you initially didn't like or films that you just weren't 100% on?

What I mean is this: do you decide that a film is one of your favorites upon first viewing, or do you rewatch it at least once before you give it a place in that upper eschelon.

[ash_is_the_gal]

Strummer to answer your question, i was just thinking about this the other day.......... many, many of the films that i would now consider my favorite i either did not like upon the first viewing or just thought was mediocre.... its the ones that i go out of with my mind actively racing about.... sometimes without even rewatching it my opinion changes. does that make any sense?

i made a Top 100 list but never posted it and i know Election is on it. i am pretty sure i loved it from the first view though.

EDIT: after reading what Tat wrote, i am not good at giving films second chances either, but i try to be better about it now because some of my favorite films were due to giving them second chances. barring anything extreme...

[B-card]

Natural born killers great movie just became one of my favourites

[Piddzilla]

Munich (2005 - Steven Spielberg)

I thought it was very good. That SS is king of classical narrative is no news but this one was surprisingly substantial as well...

[Sleezy]

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Verbinski, 2006) 3

Confused and seemingly rushed, but I still had fun. You can read my review here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=335312#post335312) (beware of spoilers!).

[Sedai]

Fantastic Four (Story, 2005) - Pretty bad, but not as horrible as I had heard. Still, nothing really ever happened in this film. Seemed like an extended trailer. 2

[Monkeypunch]

On an 80's kick, so:

Lethal Weapon
Die Hard
Beverly Hills Cop.

all hold up surprisingly well, except the music.

[B-card]

Blair witch project
it wasn't scary at all

[Sedai]

It was certainly tense. No film has ever "scared" me. I liked Blair a whole hell of a lot in the theater....

[Strummer521]

Blair witch project
it wasn't scary at all

Doesn't have to be scary to be good though does it? You have to at least respect its innovation.

[ash_is_the_gal]

the camera movements made me queasy.

it wasn't scary.

[jrs]

Click - Adam Sandler's best film to date. Highly entertaining and a yet emotional at times. Great makeup work too. 4_5

[Tacitus]

Lucky Number Slevin (2006, Paul McGuigan)

2.5/5

A wisecracking, noiry (with a small 'n') mess of a film with an appealing cast but a rather poor script - like something Guy Ritchie threw in the bin. If you don't spot the twist within 10 minutes then...ermmm...you're certainly not me.

Harmless enough but I think I've forgotten most of it already.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hollywoodreporter/photos/2006/01/lucky_number_slevin_300x170.jpg

Kevin Soze?

[B-card]

orginally posted by Strummer521
Doesn't have to be scary to be good though does it? You have to at least respect its innovation.

no it's just that a friend of mine told that it was a really scary movie that i should see it and it wasn't that good

Anyway i just watched Strange Days which was a really good movie filled up with violence.For those who haven't seen it they might enjoy it as well

[undercoverlover]

Just got back from Superman Returns

Can i just take a moment to congratulate the person who took a look at Brandan Routh and said 'Hey he might make a good superman.' I think he was a star find and I hope to see him flexing his well toned muscles in more to come.

Amazing special effects, i kind of felt let down at most films effects but since the budget was big enough the effects were superb. The only negative things about this film are minor in comparison to the pros of it. Lex Luthor's master evil plan was well...pretty pi$$ poor. They could have come up with something a little better.

Also, if lois did superman, why the hell didnt we get to see it! I wanted to see superman and lois finally get it on!

[Monkeypunch]

Also, if lois did superman, why the hell didnt we get to see it! I wanted to see superman and lois finally get it on!

We do, it was in Superman II, which this is supposed to be in continuity with. :D

[Pyro Tramp]

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang- 4
The Boondock Saints- 2_5
The Shield: Season 1- 5
The Shield: Season 2- 5
Twin Peaks: Season 1- 5
Videodrome- 4_5
Carlito's Way- 4
Casino- 4_5
Anchorman- 3_5
I, Robot- 3_5
Poseidon- 3
Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest- 2
Hard Candy- 3
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within- 2_5
Blue Velvet- 5
Tomorrow Never Dies- 4
The World Is Not Enough- 4
Die Another Day- 4
The Hills Have Eyes 2006- 5
Underworld: Evolution- 3
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome- 3_5
Enter the Dragon- 4
SPL- 3
Magnolia- 4

[Sleezy]

Can i just take a moment to congratulate the person who took a look at Brandan Routh and said 'Hey he might make a good superman.' I think he was a star find and I hope to see him flexing his well toned muscles in more to come.

Don't you mean his "well-toned muscle suit"? He bulked up for the role, but it wasn't all him. And while Routh might end up becoming a fine actor, he still wasn't the right choice for Superman.

Glad you enjoyed the film, though. :)

[Sedai]

Batman Begins (Nolan, 2005)

[Aniko]

Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (2005) :)
I liked this alot. It was a bit confusing at points, but I really like how it was done and loved the cast.

[ash_is_the_gal]

Gidget (1959)

[jrs]

Pulse - 3_5

[Escape]

You, Me, and Dupree 5/10

[undercoverlover]

We do, it was in Superman II, which this is supposed to be in continuity with. :D


ah that makes more sense, ill have to rent it again

[Sleezy]

The Longest Yard (Segal, 2005)

3_5 (with your buddies)

2 (sans buddies)

[Frank Booth]

Superman Returns - 3/5

I prefer it to any of the originals, although I thought Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey were crap.

[undercoverlover]

^^^really? Agree with you on the bosworth front but i thought kevin spacey managed well with it

[Frank Booth]

^^^really? Agree with you on the bosworth front but i thought kevin spacey managed well with it
I didn't think he added much to the character.

[Golgot]

Last Year in Marienbad - pretty pretentious review here (http://movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=9013&page=4&pp=20)
(The short review = "Very pretty. Very pretentious." ;))

Cinema Paradiso
A touch overlong and overly-broad in scope perhaps, but this ode to a lost, formative, life creates a classy balance between nostalgia and bite. The cinema stuff is good too :)

Floating Weeds
Somehow very restrained, despite frequently centring on an ageing actor calling women whores. Great acting from the leads - and lots of familiar conundrums tied up in their curious traditions. (Intriguing being left not knowing whether you like or despise the main character as well ;))

Being There
Alright, and well made, but frankly very silly. Sellers is good and all, but the material didn't really work for me. A one joke film in many ways. At least the ending seemed to cheekily lampoon the whole concept.

[Aniko]

Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School (2005) :)
I really liked this touching story and it's well done. I wish a few scenes could have been cut or shorthened (feet scenes) and gaps filled in more (sister/step-brother relationship), but I still really like it...mostly due to Robert Carlyle. I have to admit, I haven't seen him in anything before....he was wonderful. I need to look up what else he's been in.

[Monkeypunch]

Police Academy
Police Academy 2
Police Academy 3

(Cause I'm on a nostalgia trip currently, and as stupid as they may be, I watched these a lot when I was a kid. Bobcat Goldthwait is strangely hilarious. "Don't make me flare my nostrils!")

[Piddzilla]

Manderlay (2005 - Lars von Trier)

Not sure exactly what I think of it. I do think I like it more than Dogville, at least I wasn't irritated all the way through it up until the end. There are things about von Trier's filmmaking that I will always have problems with, but it has less to do with his skills as a director (or as an auteur - because he really is one) than about a differentiation in views and opinions. This time, however, it was the dialogue that bugged me a bit. To me it felt like a Dane writing a script in Danish, then translating it directly, word by word, into English. It gives a very un-naturalistic feel to the dialogue, but as Willem Dafoe said in the interview on the disc: that might not necessarily be a bad thing. The text might perhaps be the most important thing of this film. Anyway, I wasn't instantly wild about it, but I am still thinking about some of it. Which is a good thing.

Brokeback Mountain (2005 - Ang Lee)

Liked it. A lot.

Dom za vesanje / Time of the Gypsies (1988 - Emir Kusturica)

Fantastic film. The scene when Perhan, his sister and the others leave their village and the musicians play a farewell song was so beautiful... Lots of hillarious details, as in Black Cat, White Cat, like the turkey for instance... I have only seen Underground too besides the allready mentioned two films by Kusturica. This one was a bit rawer and colder, I think, even if Kusturica deals with these horrible issues with a lot of warmth and humour.

[Golgot]

Police Academy
Police Academy 2
Police Academy 3

(Cause I'm on a nostalgia trip currently, and as stupid as they may be, I watched these a lot when I was a kid. Bobcat Goldthwait is strangely hilarious. "Don't make me flare my nostrils!")

I've decided, after much thought, that the only truly funny thing in those films is the way the Commandant says "Many, many, many".

Apparently the actor based his performance on an old-school Russian comedian (who i think had royal blood, or something). Who knew ;)

Time of the Gypsies...

Gah, i've been hankering to see that for ages. Hankering i tell you.

[Sedai]

The Sixth Sense (Shyamalan, 1999) - Of course, I had seen this before, numerous times, but for some reason, this time around, it hit me a different way. I was riveted to this film. Love it.

[Piddzilla]

Gah, i've been hankering to see that for ages. Hankering i tell you.

Enough with the hanky panky allready! Just see it!!!

[B-card]

Benchwarmers

[undercoverlover]

9 to 5 --- cant help but love this movie. Fantasy scenes were a lil long but i found it was a real laugh out loud comedy.

[mack]

Kelly's Heroes 54/5
Clint Eastwood and Donald Sutherland....YOUNG! :D

The Omega Man 5/5
Good stuff - cant believe I havent watched it sooner.

[Golgot]

Doh - just watched a wrenching short which involved a genuine set of Indian street kids, the main one of which had elephantitis (feet) - and i didn't catch the bloody film's name.

I recommend it anyway.

(If anyone else in the UK still up - there's a bunch of good shorts on BBC2 at the mo)

[B-card]

National Lampoons After school special-kind of stupid movie i don't recomend it

[Frank Booth]

Miller's Crossing - 4/5 Excellent.

[B-card]

Ultraviolet-if they had put another 30-40 million dollars in that movie it would have been great,because the effects kind of sucked and that disapointed me
3/5

Unbreakable-another good movie Written,Produced and Directed by M.Night Shyamalan which was great
5/5

[wiseman]

V for Vendetta

[Golgot]

Chopper
Very Aussie. Brash, jovial, violent, inventive. Liked it a lot. Grim in places of course, but in an utterly fitting way. The director seems to have 'reinvented' the story well - if perhaps 'glamourising' a touch too much in certain ways. Bana nails the role completely. (And the extras with 'Chopper' himself, and his commentary, are class additions incidently).

Glengarry Glen Ross
Powerful acting all the way. Some nice little twists n turns keep it interesting - altho its the stars doing their thing that really makes it work (not that it isn't surprising in the first place that a story about salesmen could be engaging). Translates the close-n-personal theatre-derived story to the screen in a very effective way.


The Grapes of Wrath
Despite a slightly 'folksy' start, it was much more knotty and up-for-a-scrap than i'd expected. Shame some of the more extreme examples from the original book (which i've read about) couldn't have made it past the censors of the day to give it an even real-er feel - and to increase its parable potential too.

[ash_is_the_gal]

Maria Full of Grace 4/5

[Sedai]

Full Metal Jacket (Kubrick, 1987) - Never fails to floor me. So amazing.

Grandma's Boy (Goossen, 2006) - So, so stupid, but I laughed my ass off. I guess I have another guilty pleasure. Man, what a horrible movie... and yet....

[Piddzilla]

Scarecrow (1973 - Jerry Schatzberg)

I loved it! It's kind of typical for its time, isn't it? Hackman and Pacino were terrific, especially Hackman. It also reminded me of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

[Sleezy]

Grandma's Boy (Goossen, 2006) - So, so stupid, but I laughed my ass off. I guess I have another guilty pleasure. Man, what a horrible movie... and yet....

Yeah, and when you think back over the film, you realize that it wasn't really even about anything. There was no real goal, no harrowing tension. Just jokes. And somehow, it still works. Another film best watched with buds (and I don't mean marijuana, although it would have been appropriate). :laugh:

[ash_is_the_gal]

Sophie's Choice 5/5 - so lovely, and such a breathtaking performance from Meryl Streep.

[Lance McCool]

The City of Lost Children
(d. Jeunet & Caro)

http://issho.net/q/cityoflostchildren.jpg

I love this movie so much - It's one of the most visually striking things I've ever seen. Everyone is so quick to say that Amelie is Jeunet's finest work, but this one stays with me longer. The second hour is just about perfect.

Plus, it's easy to root for Ron Perlman.

[ash_is_the_gal]

Derailed 4/5 (shush)

[Iroquois]

Groundhog Day - 8/10

Better than I expected.

Evil Dead II - 10/10

Good. Real good.

[Piddzilla]

Nashville (1975 - Robert Altman)

Fantastic piece of work. Altman at his best and the music is amazingly dorky and just amazing at the same time.

[B-card]

Because my father was playing cards with his friends and the PC was off limits,so I've made a movie marathon and i watched these movies from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. in the morning


The Fly(1986)-good movie I liked it Cronenberg did his job fantastic and the Physical effects were great 5/5

Little Nicky(2000)-one of Adam Sandlers comedies actualy they are all the same but they awlays make me laugh out loud 4/5

*batteries not included(1987)-wasn't that good i just had the chance to watch it on TV because you can't rent it from the video store 3/5

Jaws(1975)-the movie was awsm it deserves the two Oscar's that recieved back then 5/5

American Haunting(2006)-it had its scary moments but wasn't that good 4/5

American Dreamz(2006)-That movie was made by the creators of American Pie and was amazingly good the idea of the movie was great it had its funny moments i recomend it to those who haven't watched it yet 4/5

[Sedai]

The Manchurian Candidate (Frankenheimer, 1962) - Bold and memorable, and VERY dark. Quite applicable today, as well.

[Piddzilla]

Punk: Attitude (2005 - Don Letts)

Pretty interesting documentary about, yeah you guessed it, punk. It was good because interesting people were being interviewed; members of Velvet Underground, MC5, New York Dolls, Ramones, Pistols, Clash, Black Flag and on and on. Some bands were overlooked though. Can't see how they failed to mention Misfits or Bad Religion, for instance, when talking about punk rock in the 80's and into the 90's and 00's.

[Tacitus]

Brazil (1985, Terry Gilliam)

5/5

Brazil was on TV last night and I managed to make it through the first half hour before realising that I had the DVD sitting 6 feet to my left...the final 90-odd minutes was thus experienced in glorious DVD-ovision.

Dystopian perfection. 'Nuff said. :)

http://cosmodromemag.com/files/brazil.jpg

[ash_is_the_gal]

Shopgirl - I'm still deciding!

[Aniko]

La Belle et la bête (1946) :)
I liked it lot. I had seen bits and pieces over the years, but never the whole thing. I loved the costumes and the dark feel to it. My daughter and I were comparing this story with Disney's version, which was interesting. There were things about both that we liked. We love Disney's ending better though.

Ladyhawke (1985)
It's been a long time since I had seen this...it's not as timeless as I remember. I still love the story for the most part, and visually it still holds up for me (great castle scenes). I still liked Rutger Hauer as Captain Navarre and Michelle Pfeiffer as the beautiful Ladyhawke Isabeau...but Matthew Broderick wasn't as as endearing as mouse this time around....dunno why (maybe it was the como of the acting and writing?).

Unfortunatley the music is so dated....in an 80's techno cheesy way that doesn't match the earthy Medieval times feel of the movie. I usually like cheesy...but this wasn't a good match...the music drove me crazy to the point that I almost turned it off.


The Manchurian Candidate (Frankenheimer, 1962) - Bold and memorable, and VERY dark. Quite applicable today, as well.

Angela Lansbury was incredible. I never thought of her as chilling before this movie...but wow she pulls it off.

[Golgot]

Ghost World - Lah. That's some well 'framed' perky angst. I identified with most of the themes far too much - despite not being a rebellious girl or a 40-year-old nerd.

(I'm now slightly worried that i might be something in between ;))

[ash_is_the_gal]

Ghost World is one of my favorites eva, Golg. and don't worry, you rate more as the rebellious one than the nerd.

um, for what its worth.

me!:

Lady in the Water - far exceeded my expectations. Giamatti is ace... i'd look up a Mofo review, but im too tired.

[Strummer521]

Before Sunrise innovative and beautiful

Lady in the Water self-indulgent and full of lazy, poor writing.

[Monkeypunch]

Clerks 2 - About the funniest movie I think I'll see all year. The fact that Kevin Smith likes his characters and never stoops to ridiculing them, makes it work even better than it could have.

[voneil7]

Clerks 2 and I finally got around to watching Munich, which works out well, since it won the vote for discussion in the next movie club :D

[Alvin]

The Three Colours Trilogy. I watched them back-to-back, first time I'd seen them and I loved them all.

[Sedai]

A Scanner Darkly - (Linklater, 2006) 3_5

[B-card]

People vs. Lary Flynt-5/5

[Sleezy]

Elizabethtown (Crowe, 2005) 3

A nice stab at the father/son/family theme thrown over the romantic comedy, but it never really comes together. The all-important father is virtually nonexistant, and the relationships aren't very well-defined. Still, the performances are quirky and enjoyable, and I think that's what Crowe wanted to push.

*NOTE* - For me, this film was an exciting watch: because not only was it filmed on my stomping grounds (Louisville and E-Town, KY), but it goes out of its way to make you aware of that fact. My city hasn't been featured in a film of note since Demolition Man (and Stripes, most notably), and never to this degree. It was really nice to see home on the big screen - places I'd been, roads I'd driven, and the very types of people I know so well. :)

[blibblobblib]

A Scanner Darkly - (Linklater, 2006) 3_5
How was it Sed? Im really looking forward to this. Although i have the feeling i shall be coming out of it picking my brains from my ear.

[Escape]

11:14 Loved this film. Sorta like Crash with the colliding of the characters though I felt the only moral teaching here was that crime doesn't pay hehe.

[Sleezy]

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Black, 2005) 4_5

F***ing great.

[Strummer521]

Creepshow

F***ing ok.

[Piddzilla]

Syriana (2005 - Stephen Gaghan)

F***ing A.

[Sedai]

The Big Lebowski (Coens, 1998)


Blib. I really liked A Scanner Darkly, aside from some pacing issues. Yes, it's quite thought provoking, and somewhat unsettling.

[voneil7]

War of the Worlds (new version) 3/5

[Piddzilla]

V for Vendetta (2005 - James McTeigue)

I really think this film pretty much sucked. As I understand it, it's developed some kind of cult following and according to imdb.com it's the 150th best film ever made. I beg to differ. It's really unoriginal. Take one part Beauty and the Beast, one part Phantom of the Opera, add lots of Matrix and Zorro and a twist of that Vega character in Street Fighter. Have an unexperienced debuting director mix it all together and, voilà, you have V for Vendetta! It totally failed to engage me on any level all the way through it. Sorry all you fans...

[Sedai]

Star Trek IV - The Undiscovered Country (Meyer, 1991)

[Strummer521]

Session 9

[ash_is_the_gal]

Mean Creek

[Sleezy]

Stay (Forster, 2005) 2

Recommended by a co-worker. It had all my "WTF" wheels turning, which is fine so long as the film meets me at the end with some logic in hand. It didn't.

My Cousin Vinny (Lynn, 1992) 3

Pretty sharp, but not overly impressive. A fun flick with a few enjoyable performances.

[Aniko]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds(1985) ~ :up:
First time seeing this and I loved it. It's nice to see a young girl whose strong of character instead of the silly young girls thrown into the movie factory these days.


Howl's Moving Castle(2004)~ :up:
Watched it again and still love it. Hits my soft spot.