View Full Version : Movie Tab II
linespalsy
10-07-07, 09:48 PM
Yesterday I went and saw Into the Wild, then rented and watched:
Night at the Museum and Naked. Naked was awesome, so glad I saw it. "Thanks for the mammaries", kept chuckling to that over and over again, also "Not that I'm homophobic. I like the Iliad, and the Odyssey." Anyway, it's not just a bunch of clever quotes, the whole movie is awesome. But the dialog is very memorable, right up there with Hal Hartley and Bruce Robinson for clever writing. Not sure I liked the ending but then, what's a good way to end a movie like that?
Sinny McGuffins
10-07-07, 10:58 PM
Sunset Blvd. (1st time)
5
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a7/SunsetBoulevardWilliamHolden.jpg/270px-SunsetBoulevardWilliamHolden.jpg http://www.paulmcelligott.com/images/sunset_blvd.jpg
Up next for me...The Apartment. Lookin' forward to it. :yup:
Iroquois
10-08-07, 07:42 AM
Point Break - 7.5/10
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51B7DF9DFCL._AA240_.jpg
They Drive by Night (1940) :)
I liked it. I had seen parts of this years ago and am glad I was finally able to see the entire movie.
I forgot how strong an image George Raft can be.
Holden Pike
10-08-07, 05:41 PM
They Drive by Night (1940)
I liked it. I had seen parts of this years ago and am glad I was finally able to see the entire movie. I forgot how strong an image George Raft can be.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/07/Nocturnefilm.jpg/200px-Nocturnefilm.jpg http://www.webflix.ru/upload/persons/acf8e3c.jpg
Yeah, Raft was great. If you haven't seen it, try and track down Nocturne (1946). I love him in that one. He plays a Police detective trying to solve the murder of a womanizing songwriter, using the last piece he was working on as a clue. And he and Cagney are great together in Each Dawn I Die (1939). And Johnny Angel (1945), he's fantastic in that one.
linespalsy
10-08-07, 10:47 PM
Tapeheads. Cheesy good.
Caitlyn
10-09-07, 12:21 AM
The Crying Game (1992) 4½/5
Pyro Tramp
10-09-07, 03:39 PM
The Crying Game (1992) 4½/5
Was that your first time? If so, any opinions on the 'twist'; did you know it / guess it?
Thursday Next
10-09-07, 03:54 PM
Now, Voyager 4/5 A very silly film, but that's not to say that it wasn't good.
Iroquois
10-11-07, 08:30 AM
The Departed - 6/10
Bah, Infernal Affairs was better.
Tacitus
10-11-07, 11:03 AM
Was that your first time? If so, any opinions on the 'twist'; did you know it / guess it?
May I hop in here? I remember the 2nd time I watched The Crying Game, along with 3 or 4 blokish lads who spent most of the film muttering "Phoarrrr! I'd give 'er one!" etc etc.
I kept my own council with a small, self-satisfied smile on my face...
Sinny McGuffins
10-11-07, 11:15 AM
The Apartment
http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/callingtheshots/images/the_apartment.jpg
4
Sinny McGuffins
10-11-07, 09:28 PM
Chimes at Midnight aka Falstaff
http://www.sensesofcinema.com/images/06/cteq/chimes_at_midnight.jpg
4_5
The batte was amazing, one of the best in film history. And a brilliant performance from Welles.
I know he put on a few pounds in his later life, but was he really that big? Did he purposely gain weight to play Falstaff or what?
Iroquois
10-12-07, 06:32 AM
Dazed and Confused - 8.5/10
Thursday Next
10-12-07, 03:49 PM
The Player 4/5, Thought I wouldn't like it at first, but as it went on it became clear that the structure of the film is quite deliberate, using and subverting movie cliches. Good clean postmodern fun :)
Mean Girls 4/5 Surprisingly fun teen comedy.
I am thinking about revisiting the thread on whether watching a lot of good movies raises your average mark because I seem to be enjoying everything and giving it 4/5 these days...
Caitlyn
10-12-07, 08:19 PM
Was that your first time? If so, any opinions on the 'twist'; did you know it / guess it?
I think it was about my 4th viewing… the first being sometime in the mid to late 90's… but I remember being rather surprised by the twist… which is one of the reasons I love it. Normally I pretty much figure out what is going to happen but this one got me… brilliant movie with awesome performances all the way around.... :)
May I hop in here? I remember the 2nd time I watched The Crying Game, along with 3 or 4 blokish lads who spent most of the film muttering "Phoarrrr! I'd give 'er one!" etc etc.
I kept my own council with a small, self-satisfied smile on my face...
You're 'evil'… :D
Last film viewed:
Miller's Crossing (1990) 4½/5
Iroquois
10-13-07, 05:41 AM
I am thinking about revisiting the thread on whether watching a lot of good movies raises your average mark because I seem to be enjoying everything and giving it 4/5 these days...
I know the feeling. Judging from all the marks I've given movies over the past year or two, I think I rarely give anything less than a 7/10.
EDIT
Almost forgot...
Death Wish - 4/10
Thursday Next
10-13-07, 11:35 AM
McCabe and Mrs Miller 4/5 (again)
Sir Toose
10-13-07, 03:16 PM
The Last Picture Show
8/10
It's on my top ten now. I completely identified with it.
Bullet in the Head(John Woo 1993)-I thought that it was something like Hard Boiled but it's not even close to Hard Boiled although it had it's John Woo shootouts 3
I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry(Denis Dugan 2007)-it's not the best comedy of the year but it was still a lot of fun.while watching I was having a snack and chocked twice out of laugh(it wasn't a pretty site:blush:) 4
Iroquois
10-14-07, 06:03 AM
Bullet in the Head(John Woo 1993)-I thought that it was something like Hard Boiled but it's not even close to Hard Boiled although it had it's John Woo shootouts 3
1990, not 1993.
Bullet in the Head was never really meant to be a John Woo film in the sense that Hard-Boiled is a John Woo film. It's closer to A Better Tomorrow in that it's more focused on the character's relationships with one another than on the action. To really appreciate it, you can't watch it expecting Hard-Boiled. It's like watching Jackie Brown and expecting it to be like Pulp Fiction. Same creator, different tones.
1990, not 1993.
Bullet in the Head was never really meant to be a John Woo film in the sense that Hard-Boiled is a John Woo film. It's closer to A Better Tomorrow in that it's more focused on the character's relationships with one another than on the action. To really appreciate it, you can't watch it expecting Hard-Boiled. It's like watching Jackie Brown and expecting it to be like Pulp Fiction. Same creator, different tones.
http://www.hkcuk.co.uk/reviews/dvd/images/bith_dvd.jpg
This was the cover of the DVD.What impression does it give you when you see it and it was a package with Hard Boiled and couldn't read the review on the back.
The Faculty(Robert Rodriguez 1998)-I felt like watching it again absolutely love it 5
Mchael Clayton - A definite 5
Elizabeth the Golden Age 4_5
Is this where I post my latest mini-reviews/ratings? Where do I get those cool popcorn boxes? They kinda remind me of Diner and Ripley's.
My last viewing was 1408. I'm a little hesitant to review yet, but my first impression is that it's worth about 3 popcorns/5. However, it could be an extra half, but I'm not ready to commit to that. Sorry.
Holden Pike
10-15-07, 12:08 AM
Where do I get those cool popcorn boxes? They kinda remind me of Diner....
For anybody who still hasn't taken my advice from the '50s Movie thread and seen Barry Levinson's Diner, you should at least check out the scene Mark is referencing. Like just about everything else, it is on YouTube. Click the popcorn box below for the cinematic moment in question (it has the set-up of the bet, which involves getting a date to touch a part of his anatomy, then cuts to the night where they brilliantly stage an urban legend...then more brilliantly talks his way out of it). And I guess I should warn you kiddies, the material, while not graphic in what it shows, is slightly risqué and would at least warrant a PG-13 in some circles. But, I ain't your Daddy...
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:HKCkfkEVxbU9bM:http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/15/91/23039115.jpg http://img.youtube.com/vi/Rg3ZYVVPlWg/2.jpg http://img.youtube.com/vi/ARvdUBkNoDU/2.jpg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARvdUBkNoDU)
Prospero
10-15-07, 12:23 AM
Eastern Promises in the theater today. Good, but up to the standard set be A History Of Violence.
3.5
Just finished watching The Da Vinci Code for the first time tonight. Meh. The phrase that comes to mind is "unfulfilled possibilities." I don't think, given the source material, it ever had the promise of greatness, but it could have been much better in a more capable director's hands. I wonder what it would have been like had Ridley Scott directed it.
2 (I might give it 2.5 if I was in a better mood, but certainly no more than that.
linespalsy
10-15-07, 09:04 PM
Saw the remake of Sleuth (Branagh, 2007) on big screen in N.Y. followed by Blade Runner (also on big screen, also in N.Y.) Saturday. Yesterday I saw Death to Smoochy. Death to Smoochy is amazing. It got a 1/2 out of 4 *s from Ebert, so that's gotta be worth something. C'mon, go see it if you haven't. One thing that surprised me about it was how cool it looked, and there was some great mise en scene such as when some characters walk into a flashback and the camera pans into a completely different mood without cutting. I really liked all the actors in it too, even Robin Williams, I will say that I normally don't like his style but thought he was very fitting here (as a vulgar washed up spiteful sexually frustrated paranoid maniac clown) and pretty damn funny. Also Catherine Keener was pretty appealing in this: "something of a kiddie show host groupie" heh!
The Sleuth remake was a lot of fun too, lot stranger than the original, with a unique style (something like Panic Room meets Beetlejuice) and a third act that actually was a new level of gamesmanship compared to the first two, abandoning obvious deception for some really dynamic role-playing, rather than just more of the same. I would like to see this again before I commit to loving it, but right now I like it as much as anything I've seen so far this year. I like the original too.
You Kill Me(John Dahl 2007)-4
Iroquois
10-16-07, 07:55 PM
This was the cover of the DVD.What impression does it give you when you see it and it was a package with Hard Boiled and couldn't read the review on the back.
It certainly doesn't have the same kind of aggression as the covers for Hard-Boiled or The Killer, so that kinda clued me in. Still, I already knew a fair bit about Bullet in the Head before I watched it, so I knew what to expect.
linespalsy
10-16-07, 11:02 PM
Yesterday I re-watched The Goat (1921), watched Deathtrap, and today I saw Noises Off. The Goat was the only really great movie of the three, but both the other two were pretty good (especially Noises Off).
I haven't seen The Goat in ages, but it's definitely my vote for the funniest, most astonishing, silent short I've ever seen. How were you able to watch it?
P.S. I do have a soft spot for René Clair's Entr'acte, but that's a completely different animal.
Don Juan (1926) :)
I liked it for the most part...t'was fun to watch. There are some story quirks I could pick at but...eh...don't feel like it today. John Barrymore was ok, a bit hammy in parts...could be the style of acting at the time. Loved seeing Mary Astor and Myrna Loy in their young days (they were dolls~).
Pandora's Box (Die Büchse der Pandora) (1929) :)
Still thinking about this one. I liked it. It was slow in parts. Drove me crazy in other parts. Some parts I had to keep reminding myself of the time period and of the different moral code of that era. Louise Brooks was worth watching this though...very striking and hard to forget.
linespalsy
10-17-07, 11:00 PM
I haven't seen The Goat in ages, but it's definitely my vote for the funniest, most astonishing, silent short I've ever seen. How were you able to watch it?
I own it on DVD. Actually the Kino Keaton box set was the first thing I ever bought on DVD. I've watched all of those discs many times but I have to say I go for the shorts especially (except for Sherlock and Steamboat Bill Jr.) The Goat, The Play House and One Week are three of my favorites. A few years ago I drove to north Jersey to see Steamboat Bill, Jr. and One Week at an out-door screening with live musical accompaniment.
Oh yeah, and I just watched Night Shift. Pretty lame but Michael Keaton was good. Wish he was in better movies.
Iroquois
10-18-07, 03:29 AM
Repo Man (7th viewing) - 9.5/10 (in spite of how many goofs I noticed, it's still good)
The Shining(Stanley Kubrick 1980)-5
Ratatoullie(Brad Bird 2007)-2
Iroquois
10-18-07, 08:22 AM
Schindler's List - 6/10
Nah, it doesn't work for me.
undercoverlover
10-18-07, 04:14 PM
science of sleep - beautiful
ash_is_the_gal
10-21-07, 01:39 PM
since the last time i was here, i really have watched a lot but unfortunately can't even remember half of them, so i'll just list the ones that come to me;
The Motorcycle Diaries 9/10
1408 5/10
The Philadelphia Story 9/10
the Birds 8.5/10
Superbad 7/10
Broken Flowers 8.5/10
Four Weddings and a Funeral possibly the only Hugh Grant i will ever like. 7/10
Iron Jawed Angels 8/10
a Room for Romeo Brass 9/10
TV Shows - i've watched the first 2 seasons of Curb your Enthusiasm, which i loved, and i've just started Peep Show: Season 1
linespalsy
10-21-07, 05:41 PM
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
also watched the first 1/2 of Hamlet (1996) late last night, I'll finish it some time this week.
Really liked Much Ado About Nothing. Maybe I'll re-watch Love's Labour's Lost. Didn't really like it the first time (the adaptation, I do like the play), liked this one a lot though.
PimpDaShizzle V2.0
10-21-07, 07:00 PM
Transformers :down: :down:
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/u4/62/u46233hn4k6.jpg
What a piece of crap. I thought Transformers used to be about transformers, not about some dumb kids. Awful. Michael Bay, you suck. Since when did robots get lips? Awful.
Planet Terror :up: :up:
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/u4/53/u45350ziakz.jpg
This movies a million times better than QT's Death Proof. Interestingly enough, one of the worst characters in the movie was QT. He's an idiot with a couple good movies and a bucket full of movies that suck.
I watched a lot of other movies I just can't remember what they were. Dang.
linespalsy
10-22-07, 05:58 PM
didn't the cartoon version of the Transformers have lips too? Just sayin cos that always bugged me as a kid, I always liked the ones without lips the best: Optimus Prime and Soundwave and so on. Eh, I enjoyed the movie though, guess it was the right sort of visual noise for me and guess I'm just a sucker for all that zooming around and so forth.
I finished Hamlet (Branagh's version), which is awesome and yesterday I bought Death to Smoochy and watched it twice. That makes it 4 times for me so far. Just thinking about that movie makes me smile.
Tacitus
10-22-07, 06:15 PM
I finished Hamlet (Branagh's version), which is awesome
Listened to the commentary track yet? It's one of the best I've heard in a while. I've watched Hamlet 3 times in the past week which prompted me to revisit Henry Vee and Much Ado About Nothing.
For a simple lad from Belfast, no one alive does Shakespeare better...
linespalsy
10-22-07, 06:46 PM
I haven't checked out the commentary yet, as this was my first viewing. I'm usually a bit wary of commentaries (they can be fun but more often they're just painful, self-serving trivia) but since you say so I'll give it a spin, maybe on my third viewing. One scene I've watched a few times already is Cheston's first speech. It's so weird seeing John Gielgud act out Heston's words, makes me wonder if Branagh was playing some sort of prank. Anyway, I'll watch it again soon and get to the commentary. Saw Much Ado a few days ago and going to see Henry 5 before soon.
Sir Toose
10-24-07, 09:46 AM
Gaslight (1944) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036855/)
http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/24/42/46m.jpg
Great film, dark and creepy just like I like 'em. I might have to actually review this one when I feel like arsing with it. Watch it though, you'll like it if you like the old sexually repressed B&W's like I do.
The Comebacks
Gone Baby Gone
Rendition
Resident Evil:Extinction 2007-F***in' stupid.Post apocalyptic movies suck 1
Good Luck Chuck 2007-now that was refreshing after that sh1t^^there,it was really funny although the end was kind of stupid as always for this kind of movies 4
Crash (Cronenberg, 1996) - I loved and hated this film. While it was technically very well done, the characters were too icy and distant for me to become interested in them. I admired the craftsmanship from afar, but the film was bleak and cold, so I didn't get involved in the events of the film. More of a clinical study than a film with a life of its own...
4
http://www.donostiakultura.com/terror/2006p/fotos/crash.jpg
Rating it pretty high, because it is clearly a good film, just not one I personally vibed with...
Tacitus
10-25-07, 06:20 PM
While it was technically very well done, the characters were too icy and distant for me to become interested in them. I admired the craftsmanship from afar, but the film was bleak and cold, so I didn't get involved in the events of the film. More of a clinical study than a film with a life of its own...
Cronenberg in a nutshell, for me.
I generally like his films but my gut reaction while watching them reminds me of sitting in the kitchen with your wife the morning after getting royally drunk and making a pass at her best friend (not that that ever happened *cough*). Or something...
Cronenberg in a nutshell, for me.
I generally like his films but my gut reaction while watching them reminds me of sitting in the kitchen with your wife the morning after getting royally drunk and making a pass at her best friend (not that that ever happened *cough*). Or something...
Oh, that may or may not have happened to me...um, twice...
But....yeah....
Moving on....
linespalsy
10-25-07, 10:40 PM
Lust, Caution.
Pretty intense sex scenes, very excellent movie. See it. I've seen a couple thrillers like this in theaters over the last year or so. The Departed, Breach, this is better than either of them. Lots better than The Departed.
Ðèstîñy
10-25-07, 11:05 PM
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61EbuRrcPVL._AA240_.jpg
James Garner - Jefferson F. Pike
Eva Marie Saint - Anna Hedler
Rod Taylor - Major Walter Gerber
I really loved The Americanization of Emily, which is why I am so surprised as to how much more I love 36 Hours. This movie is now a favorite, for sure. It gets your attention, and it does NOT let go.
I honestly thought it was going to be a lot different than it was. The line on the box cover . . . "Give me any American for 36 hours, and I'll give you a traitor." is what did that. I didn't read up any on this film, and I had it in my head, that James Garner had some skill of tricking anyone. Little did I know.
Aniko, you said you were going to check out The Americanization of Emily, but make sure you see this one as well. Thanks Holden, for bringing this one to my attention. I'm getting every last soul I know to view this movie. I'd watch it again, but I best get to some others I have waiting.
One for the Holiday, that I have seen before, but wanted to sit through with the kids is . . .
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ccF9PETEL._AA240_.jpg
Fun for all ages. ;)
linespalsy
10-27-07, 01:22 AM
War of the Roses and Young Adam. I think Young Adam was kind of what a movie like The Weight of Water wants to be. Tilda Swinton is awesome. Ewan, never really paid much attention to him before. Maybe I was wrong. I liked the ending. The engraved mirror was a pretty decent metaphoric device and I like how the image blurred out after he threw it away. Guess these are all pretty bland observations but I liked the movie, would even watch it again.
War of the Roses was good but I was a little disappointed, given it's DeVito. Not as funny as Throw Momma From the Train or Death to Smoochy (especially Smoochy) is what I'm saying.
Caitlyn
10-27-07, 08:38 AM
The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) 4½/5
Iroquois
10-27-07, 10:00 AM
A couple of repeat viewings but nonetheless...
They Live - 5
In the Mouth of Madness - 3.5
Ðèstîñy
10-27-07, 01:51 PM
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41BG37M4YKL._AA240_.jpg
OK, this is why 98% of the time, I do not read anything about a movie. I want to go in, totally blind. Some people can't get why I do that, but it makes for many more surprises, confusions, and can really keep your interest going. I'm so glad I did that with this movie.
The irony. Here I thought, "Is she completely mad, trusting some stranger, some man that she knows nothing about, to just come into her home, and do these things?"
:indifferent:
I guess so! lmao
This was the best one yet!
Saw IV 4
American Gangster Oscar Screener 5
Caitlyn
10-28-07, 02:35 PM
The 13th Warrior (1999) 2½/5
Dracula III: Legacy (2005) :rolleyes:/5
Goodfellas (1999) 4½/5 (I need to move this one up on my top 100)
PimpDaShizzle V2.0
10-28-07, 03:15 PM
Feast :up: :up:
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/t8/77/t87792ffnbf.jpg
Perfect for Halloween.
Midnight Cowboy (1969, Schlesinger) - What a performance by Hoffman and Voight. A seminal piece of work, glad someone gifted me a copy...
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews20/a%20John%20Schlesinger%20Midnight%20Cowboy%20Voight%20Hoffman%20DVD/title%20John%20Schlesinger%20Midnight%20Cowboy%20Voight%20Hoffman%20DVD%20.JPG
4_5
linespalsy
10-29-07, 11:10 AM
Nightmare Before Christmas 3-D, Into the Wild (second time), and Heavenly Creatures. All good.
PimpDaShizzle V2.0
10-29-07, 11:55 AM
Army of Darkness :up: :up:
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/t0/12/t01210bedvh.jpg
"Primitive screw heads." The sound design is what makes this movie watchable. I like.
undercoverlover
10-29-07, 08:48 PM
Stardust: - brilliant. Robert di Nero stole the show as the camp captain of a flying ship. Fantastic special effects, Claire Danes was wonderful. Pheiffer a little of par, couple of nice little cameos - dexter fletcher, mark williamson, the princes. I hated Ricky Gervais in it - he just played ricky gervais.
the hours - brilliant
Tacitus
10-30-07, 12:59 PM
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979, Werner Herzog)
4/5
As I prepare to endure the most over-hyped Pagan festival since that one at the tail end of December I remembered this little beauty.
Mad Werner, Bonkers Klaus, that epitome of 70s lovliness Isabelle Adjani and Wagner. Lots of Wagner. Great big tides of Wagner crashing against the speakers. Huge massive...ermmm...ok. :suspicious:
Not anywhere near the list of my favourite Herzogs but supremely gloomy and evocative. Kinski is, how can I say this, remarkably restrained as the toothsome undead Goth bloke.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b69/greenspagbol/nosferatu.jpg
Werner later remarked that, even though Kinski was his truculent self when making the film, Adjani proved to be the real handful...
:D
Superbad(Greg Motolla 2007)-Supercrap indeed.Thank God I received my paycheck today or otherwise I would kill myself for spending my last money for this piece of sh1t.The movie had those moments that you want bash your head into the desk 2-only because it had a few good moments(like DTF-those who have watched it know what I'm talking about)
P.S.:IMDB are idiots
Near Dark (1987, Bigalow)
http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/53/53_images/53neardarksunrise.jpg
A well executed genre blend. Loved it.
American Gangster(Ridley Scott 2007)-5
adidasss
11-01-07, 08:45 PM
Transformers - Lol! I think I should've seen it in the theater...3
Thursday Next
11-03-07, 11:55 AM
Stardust: - brilliant. Robert di Nero stole the show as the camp captain of a flying ship. Fantastic special effects, Claire Danes was wonderful. Pheiffer a little of par, couple of nice little cameos - dexter fletcher, mark williamson, the princes. I hated Ricky Gervais in it - he just played ricky gervais.
Couldn't agree more.
the hours - brilliant
Couldn't disagree more ;)
Watched last night: Frenzy (1972). Clever in many ways, but not one of my favourite Hitchcocks. Along with rape and murder there was a surprising comic streak which almost gave the film a campy quality. The most effective moment was when Babs and the killer go through the door and he says to her 'You're my kind of girl' and the camera just trails down the stairs and out the door, almost more chilling than the earlier attack which is shown in all it's nasty detail.
Tacitus
11-04-07, 07:40 AM
Aye, Frenzy is an underrated Hitch in many ways. Not seen it in years though.
undercoverlover
11-04-07, 12:46 PM
Couldn't disagree more ;)
Wha!?
American Gangster: 4_5
Go see this movie. I loved it. I would bet my life on Oscar nom number 6 for Denzel, and quite possibly win number 3.
Sinny McGuffins
11-04-07, 09:40 PM
BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID
George Roy Hill, 1969
4
BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID
George Roy Hill, 1969
4
I'd add an extra half on there, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. That ending is really kickass.
http://images.tomshardware.com/2007/07/18/the_top_20_movie_shootouts/butch2-small.jpg
American Gangster: 4_5
I would bet my life on Oscar nom number 6 for Denzel, and quite possibly win number 3.
A quick question....Ok, Denzel is being nominated for best actor in American Ganster but what do you mean oscar #6?...and quite possibly win #3. Number 6 and number 3 of what?
Number 6 Oscar Nom and Number 3 Oscar Win?
Thursday Next
11-05-07, 02:23 PM
A quick question....Ok, Denzel is being nominated for best actor in American Ganster but what do you mean oscar #6?...and quite possibly win #3. Number 6 and number 3 of what?
Academy Awards and nominations
1987 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987) - Nominated - Best Actor in a Supporting Role (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Actor) - Cry Freedom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cry_Freedom)
1989 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989) - Won - Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Glory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glory_%28film%29)
1992 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992) - Nominated - Best Actor in a Leading Role (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Actor) - Malcolm X (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_X_%28film%29)
1999 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999) - Nominated - Best Actor in a Leading Role - The Hurricane (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hurricane_%281999_film%29)
2001 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001) - Won - Best Actor in a Leading Role - Training Day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Training_Day)
Prospero
11-06-07, 12:45 AM
Tideland: Terry Gilliam back in fine form. I much preferred this over his other 2005 release The Brothers Grimm. I need to digest this one a bit before I write a review, but for now I'll say 4.
American Gangster - 4th Time
Flirting with Disaster (1996) ~ It was ok. I liked it for the most part. Not hilarious, but it was a fun disfuntional family type, road movie. Liked the cast.
La Bûche(1999) ~ It was ok. I shouldn't have read any reviews before watching this because I ended up being disappointed. It was beautifully done and the actors and acting were great...but this wasn't as charming as the reviewers made it out to be. It did have alot of potential and the characters were interesting, but by the end, the movie wasn't satisfying and the big build up fizzled out for me.
PimpDaShizzle V2.0
11-06-07, 02:15 PM
Mr. Brooks :up: :up:
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/u4/52/u45253jnd1f.jpg
Overall, I liked it. I'm not a fan of Dane Cook's acting. His conscience character was pretty radical.
Spider-Man 3 :up: :down:
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/u4/35/u43588l9eq9.jpg
I cannot stand Peter Parker. What a whiny b_tch. I swear to GAWD that's the type of person you punch in the face for no reason. When he was Venom he was actually more likeable, until he hit his ho. A good pimp never has to hit his ho. One thumb down for Parker and the way he acts like a little b_tch.
Hostel 2 :down: :down:
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/u4/44/u44408mepo1.jpg
What a piece of crap.
You know what really sucks.....? I know I'm going to hate Saw IV, but I'll see it anyways. Dang.
Thursday Next
11-08-07, 02:42 PM
Die Falscher (The Counterfeiters) 4/5. Recommended.
Evil Dead 3:Army of Darkness(Sam Raimi 1992)-3
Chinatown(Roman Polanski 1974)-Only 4 words:Jack Nicholson is Brilliant(Where is the worship smilie when you need it) 5
Iroquois
11-09-07, 09:04 AM
I had a "weird movie" double-up tonight...
Gummo - 3
El Topo - 4
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h122/js0573/Movie%20Posters%20and%20Promos/thposter_p2.jpg 4
When he was Venom.....
To be technical, Parker was attacked by alien Symbiotes which made his outfit black. When his anger was released pouring onto Eddie Brock....he became Venom
Iroquois
11-10-07, 08:26 PM
Requiem for a Dream - 4
Well, I finally saw Spider-Man 3 - 3/5
I actually enjoyed most of it, but there was a stretch about 60% in, where all the busted-up romance, lousy "Annie Hall" singing, and a few strange choices (Peter Parker dancing and having what was supposed to be a "dangerous, sexy" haircut, but he just looked like he was some emo kid) distracted and irritated me slightly. Just for others who may care (don't know why), I give the first two 3.5/5.
HD-DVD
Kill Bill Uncut: The Whole Bloody Affair
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Extended Edition
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended Edition
Pyro Tramp
11-11-07, 02:54 PM
El Topo - 4
Have you seen any other Jodorowsky? I got into him a little while ago, definitely wish i'd seen El Topo before the majestic and absurd surrealistic brilliance of The Holy Mountain. Santa Sangre is well worth a look after as well. If you haven't already.
PimpDaShizzle V2.0
11-11-07, 04:27 PM
Cabin Fever :up: :down:
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/t3/95/t39586nza27.jpg
I'd compare it to Feast, which was better, but it's still got a little somethin'-somethin' that makes it appealing.
Alexander (Final Cut) :shrug:
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/u2/83/u28307czahl.jpg
I didn't finish it because I didn't like it. Unf'.
Powdered Water
11-11-07, 06:40 PM
Thanks to the Lists I just finished To Catch A Thief, Cary grant and Grace Kelly, about half way through I realized that I must have watched this with my mom or something when I was little because I knew who the thief was. But anyway still an excellent film. And man Grace Kelly is just a knockout!
PimpDaShizzle V2.0
11-11-07, 09:03 PM
To be technical, Parker was attacked by alien Symbiotes which made his outfit black. When his anger was released pouring onto Eddie Brock....he became Venom
http://xa0.xanga.com/d4a8345243768102506059/w72310215.jpg
http://xa0.xanga.com/d4a8345243768102506059/w72310215.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h122/js0573/Movie%20Posters%20and%20Promos/JackAss.jpg
Caitlyn
11-12-07, 11:25 AM
Fargo (1996) 4/5
Tacitus
11-12-07, 02:37 PM
Fargo (1996) 4/5
Did it offer any work-related tips Caity?
I got loads from watching Glengarry Glen Ross... ;)
Caitlyn
11-12-07, 08:56 PM
Did it offer any work-related tips Caity?
Just to keep a closer eye on car salesmen and the weird guy down the way with his woodchopper… ;)
I got loads from watching Glengarry Glen Ross... ;)
:D
Today my niece and I watched Toy Story ~ 4/5
Prospero
11-12-07, 09:20 PM
Thank You for Smoking: I've heard about this movie for a while now, and it was every bit as good as I expected. 4
Rich and Famous: So-so Hong Kong gangster flick. Chow Yun-Fat and Andy Lau were good, but there are many other movies where they've been better. But it was good enough that I'll watch the sequel Tragic Hero. 3
I can't believe it, PimpdaShizzle gave me positive Rep for calling him the Jackass of the week. :cool:
linespalsy
11-12-07, 10:34 PM
Pimp's a pretty easy-going sort, jrs. Either that or he just likes it when you talk (sort of) dirty.
PimpDaShizzle V2.0
11-13-07, 12:09 AM
:rotfl:
I don't know why I find all of this so funny, but it is!
Iroquois
11-13-07, 12:35 AM
Have you seen any other Jodorowsky? I got into him a little while ago, definitely wish i'd seen El Topo before the majestic and absurd surrealistic brilliance of The Holy Mountain. Santa Sangre is well worth a look after as well. If you haven't already.
No, all I've seen is El Topo. They recently got an official release over here - as a box set I think, because the copy of El Topo I rented looked like part of a box set. I'm still looking for said box set, because I figure it'll be cheaper than buying the $40 import copy of Holy Mountain I found yesterday.
Anyway...
A History of Violence - 3
His Girl Friday - 3
Pimp's a pretty easy-going sort, jrs. Either that or he just likes it when you talk (sort of) dirty.
I'm sure he is. I just easily get pissed off sometimes even by the smallest of things
adidasss
11-13-07, 05:35 AM
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00005N52K.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
3
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3c/Dieterpstr.jpg
4.5
Thanks to Holden for recommending it a while back, one of the best documentaries I've seen.
Tacitus
11-13-07, 06:01 AM
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3c/Dieterpstr.jpg
4.5
Thanks to Holden for recommending it a while back, one of the best documentaries I've seen.
I bought that a few days ago myself.
*hint* Watch The White Diamond. I think it's even better. ;)
adidasss
11-13-07, 07:41 AM
Will do...so many films to watch, so little time...*sigh*
Tacitus
11-13-07, 08:32 AM
Will do...so many films to watch, so little time...*sigh*
Heh, tell me about it. I'm in the market for another DVD cabinet - purely for the films I've bought and not watched yet.
Anyway, The White Diamond is probably the best documentary I've seen since Capturing The Friedmans. A profoundly affecting, bordering on ethereal, film - strange words on the surface as all it appears to be about is a bloke who builds an airship.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b69/greenspagbol/rad5ED14.jpg
Dunno quite why I missed it for so long...
Iroquois
11-13-07, 09:03 AM
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse - 3.5
Prospero
11-14-07, 12:09 AM
Hoax. Another great movie from Lasse Hallstrom. 4
undercoverlover
11-14-07, 11:45 AM
i might do proper reviews later but here it is for now
Joe's Palace----\
Capturing Mary--both by Stephen Poliakoff
Fury by Fritz Lang
Bourne Identity by Doug Liman
Distant Voices, Still Lives by Terence Davies
Thursday Next
11-14-07, 05:35 PM
10 Things I Hate About You - A teen romance movie cliche, prom night and all, lifted above mediocrity by Heath Ledger, who is sex on legs ;)
adidasss
11-14-07, 07:17 PM
http://www.sofacinema.co.uk/guardian/images/products/2/8112-large.jpg
5
Jesus Christ...I'm speechless....absolutely perfect...:|
The Candy Snatchers (Guerdon Trueblood, 1973) 2
A '70s time capsule, which seems to incorporate three different script ideas, each one-third finished. The movie is watchable if you can stand '70s cult films, but there are few flourishes here. Once the basic "story" is set up, it's pretty obvious what will happen, but even so, Tarantino stole part of this film for Kill Bill. It's not worthless, just not as interesting as it could have been. God, I really wish mommy had gotten decapitated!!
http://www.mondo-digital.com/candysnatchers3.jpg
Qui êtes-vous, Polly Maggoo? (William Klein, 1966) 2
A '60s time capsule, directed by an American in France. This film is very stylish, surreal, and beautifully-designed. Unfortunately, it's concerned with unlikable characters (did I comment on those elsewhere?), and although it's pretty watchable, it's extremely maddening because the basic premise is so immature and underdeveloped that if the script had been tweaked, this would have been a 4/5 movie. Needless to say, for adventurous viewers, this is better than the previous and crammed with pre-Monty Pythonish stuff, but ultimately you have to want to watch it all the way through the end of the artistic end credits. And I have my doubts that most viewers will stick that long.
http://www.fashionisspinach.com/images/0707/pollymaggooimage.jpg
Prospero
11-14-07, 11:46 PM
http://www.sofacinema.co.uk/guardian/images/products/2/8112-large.jpg
5
Jesus Christ...I'm speechless....absolutely perfect...:|It's great, isn't it? Avoid the American remake at all costs.
Prospero
11-14-07, 11:48 PM
10 Things I Hate About You - A teen romance movie cliche, prom night and all, lifted above mediocrity by Heath Ledger, who is sex on legs ;)I liked this one. The Taming of the Shrew in high school. No, it's not great, but it's not bad either.
Iroquois
11-16-07, 06:15 AM
Sonatine - 4
As of writing, this is the only Kitano film I've watched twice. It's that good. Maybe I should watch Hana-bi again.
Léon - 4
I really wish this was out on DVD in Australia.
adidasss
11-16-07, 12:52 PM
http://www.nfi.no/sysimg/sisutitles/org/7446.jpg
4.5
Extraordinary (and emotionally draining) experience. The mid (shell shocked) section is amazing...I don't think I've ever seen absolute terror and madness of war portrayed so effectively, mostly due to a brilliant use of sound. It seemed to ran out of steam near the end though. Kudos to Alexei Kravchenko for an excellent performance (especially in the above mentioned shell shocked section).
Blade Runner:Final Cut (Scott, 2007)
5
Blade Runner:Final Cut (Scott, 2007)
5
How was it ? I won't see it till it offficially comes out December 18th on HD-DVD
Kes, (Ken Loach, 1969) 3
This is a very tough, realistic flick, which in many ways reminded me of The 400 Blows. The boy grows to love his falcon, just as I did. Trust me; I would have contemplated killing his ******* brother much more readily than the film does!
Monterey Pop, (D.A. Pennebaker, 1967) 3
I find this to be a wonderful evocation of the Summer of Love, even though it's whittled down to 80 minutes. Even so, I highly recommend it to everyone interested in the music and the era. They just don't make 'em like they used to!
adidasss
11-18-07, 06:49 AM
http://www.usc.edu/dept/TSA/gifs/city-sadness.GIF
4
http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2007/03/14/22/217-Fires-On-The-Plain_1_.embedded.prod_affiliate.4.jpg
5
Holden Pike
11-18-07, 07:54 AM
I saw Blade Runner: The Final Cut for a fourth time earlier this week.
Holden Pike
11-18-07, 08:40 AM
Kes, (Ken Loach, 1969) 3
This is a very tough, realistic flick, which in many ways reminded me of The 400 Blows. The boy grows to love his falcon, just as I did. Trust me; I would have contemplated killing his ******* brother much more readily than the film does!
Are you going to send a personal thank you note to Tracy Ullman? She was Turner Classic Movies' celebrity guest programmer last night and her choice of Loach's Kes marked the first time it had played on that great network. I've seen it a few times before so I was walking in and out of the room while it was on last night, but I did catch her wrap-up with Robert Osbourne.
Monterey Pop, (D.A. Pennebaker, 1967) 3
I find this to be a wonderful evocation of the Summer of Love, even though it's whittled down to 80 minutes. Even so, I highly recommend it to everyone interested in the music and the era. They just don't make 'em like they used to!
Get a hold of the Criterion Collection boxed set The Complete Monterey Pop Festival. In addition to the 80-minute Monterey Pop it also has Pennebaker's Jimi Plays Monterey (50 minutes), Shake! Otis at Monterey (20 minutes) and a whole disc of outtake performances; two hours of footage not used in the other three with songs by The Association, Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Blues Project, The Byrds, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Country Joe and the Fish, The Electric Flag, Jefferson Airplane, Al Kooper, The Mamas and the Papas, Laura Nyro, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Simon and Garfunkel, Tiny Tim, and The Who.
So yes, the original Monterey Pop doc is only 80 minutes long, but thanks to Criterion you can stretch that experience out to four and a half hours (Ooohhh, but are you experienced? Have you ever been experienced?).
How was it ? I won't see it till it offficially comes out December 18th on HD-DVD
It was fantastic, just as expected. Also, it is officially out...in theaters. I saw it on the silver screen, as it just opened Friday here in Boston. I will see it again, for sure, perhaps even today.
Powdered Water
11-18-07, 04:28 PM
Just finished The Thin Man Collection, absolutely fabulous! My favorite line that I will be stealing and using for years to come is... "That's an old saying that I just made up."
Get a hold of the Criterion Collection boxed set The Complete Monterey Pop Festival. In addition to the 80-minute Monterey Pop it also has Pennebaker's Jimi Plays Monterey (50 minutes), Shake! Otis at Monterey (20 minutes) and a whole disc of outtake performances; two hours of footage not used in the other three with songs by The Association, Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Blues Project, The Byrds, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Country Joe and the Fish, The Electric Flag, Jefferson Airplane, Al Kooper, The Mamas and the Papas, Laura Nyro, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Simon and Garfunkel, Tiny Tim, and The Who.
I watched the Criterion Disc 1 of Monterey Pop (it was a mail rental), but I don't have the other two discs. However, back in the old days, when AMC was a good station, they used to have annual Film Preservation marathons, and I taped tons of stuff off of them. One of the things I taped was the entire four-and-one-half hours of Monterey Pop. :) I'm sure the DVD has better sound and picture, but mine's pretty good.
It was fantastic, just as expected. Also, it is officially out...in theaters. I saw it on the silver screen, as it just opened Friday here in Boston. I will see it again, for sure, perhaps even today.
That' the worst part. It's nowhere near me. :(
Iroquois
11-19-07, 08:58 AM
Duck Soup - 3.5
Mad Max - 3
Caitlyn
11-19-07, 10:26 AM
Charlotte Gray (2001) 3/5
His Girl Friday (1940) 4/5
Cellular (2004)2½/5
The Nanny Dairies-2
Shoot em' Up-4
PimpDaShizzle V2.0
11-19-07, 06:15 PM
Samurai Trilogy
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto :up: :up:
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/t4/21/t42180yr50l.jpg
Completely beautiful. Highly recommended. Awesome story. Makes your average Hollywood movie look even more routine and boring: which they are. See this.
adidasss
11-19-07, 08:00 PM
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/Bigsleep2.JPG
3.5
At times charming and funny, but a bit of a mess really...:/
linespalsy
11-19-07, 10:38 PM
The War Zone (Roth, 1999)
I had really high hopes for this and that it didn't fully live up to them probably says more about my expectations than it does about the quality of the film. For one thing it was dealing with a pretty gut-wrenching situation (abusive family, you've probably seen plenty of movies about that before but probably not quite this sick and miserable). It leaves you with a few ambiguous things to think about after the fact but I don't think it was especially cerebral, and even though it's very pretty most of the power of the film is actor-centric. As such, the scenes that worked best for me were ones involving all members of the family having multiple spoken and unspoken conversations.
Orlando (Potter, 1992)
I technically finished watching this but I need to see it again. I had just got through a bit of a marathon of movie watching and was kind of zoning out a bit. It seemed pretty good.
The Tempest (Jarman, 1979)
This was a really fascinating adaptation. Not quite as amazing as Prospero's Books (not surprising as Books is my second-favorite film of all time). The girl who played Miranda was interestingly cast and cute, I'll have to see what else she's been in. Also loved the sets. I don't know the source text quite well enough to point out specific examples but there were definitely things I noticed that were missing or rearranged from the play.
Away From Her (Polly, 2007)
This was quite good, but I really found myself despising Gordon Pinsent's character. Just spent the whole movie feeling sorry for himself (yeah I know he was going through something really hard and that came across well, but I still found him really condescending and obnoxious in his dealing with other people, then again there are a couple times when he gets called on this so maybe that was the idea).
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/Bigsleep2.JPG
3.5
At times charming and funny, but a bit of a mess really...:/
Is that your first viewing? That's a good rating if it is. Repeat viewings reveal the shaggy dog nature to add to the charm and humor. :cool:
adidasss
11-20-07, 05:28 AM
I'm sorry, what does "shaggy dog nature" refer to? I'm foreign...:(
It was my first viewing and I don't have a particular desire to see it again. I've read up on it a little bit and it seems that both the script writers and the original author of the novel got a little confused by the plot themselves (what happened to the chauffeur? Why was Geiger murdered? If Mars didn't kill Regan, why did his wife go into hiding to keep the police from investigating? and so on...)
I'm sure there are far better Bacall - Bogart films out there...:\
Thursday Next
11-20-07, 03:10 PM
The War Zone (Roth, 1999)
I had really high hopes for this and that it didn't fully live up to them probably says more about my expectations than it does about the quality of the film. For one thing it was dealing with a pretty gut-wrenching situation (abusive family, you've probably seen plenty of movies about that before but probably not quite this sick and miserable). It leaves you with a few ambiguous things to think about after the fact but I don't think it was especially cerebral, and even though it's very pretty most of the power of the film is actor-centric. As such, the scenes that worked best for me were ones involving all members of the family having multiple spoken and unspoken conversations.
I see you went for your Tilda Swinton film-fest, then ;)
I don't think that The War Zone ever pretends to be cerebral. It is , as you say, sick and miserable. It is an uncomfortably intimate portrait of a messed-up family, with strong performances.
Caitlyn
11-20-07, 03:28 PM
Meet Joe Black (1998) 4/5
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/Bigsleep2.JPG
3.5
At times charming and funny, but a bit of a mess really...:/
A mess? The screenplay IS a bit of a mess, but, that is a known fact. Part of old film lore, in fact. Still, you watch this film for Bogie and Bacall, and they KILL IT. Such great chemistry, and I love the back lot look to some of the sets (like where Bogie gets a flat). I love this film, and can't give it any less than 4_5. I didn't like it as much the first time I watched it, though. Still, all the character actors and the two leads are so great, IMO.
adidasss
11-20-07, 04:23 PM
A mess? The screenplay IS a bit of a mess, but, that is a known fact. Part of old film lore, in fact.
Well I didn't know that...:\
Like I said, I'm sure there are far better Bogie/Bacall films out there, ones that make more sense perhaps...;)
The Big Sleep is my favorite Bogie/Bacall. Check out Key Largo and Dark Passage, see if you like those a bit more. None of the dialogue touches The Big Sleep, IMO.
That said, Ray Chandler himself had trouble following along in The Big Sleep. Not the most watertight narrative. ;)
Gotta love the vibe, tho... great ****!
Hey, don't forget To Have and Have Not! You know how to whistle, Sedai?
http://www.avclub.com/content/files/images/to-have-and-have-not-still.article.jpg
Iroquois
11-21-07, 08:55 AM
Children of Men - 4
undercoverlover
11-21-07, 01:12 PM
Hey, don't forget To Have and Have Not! You know how to whistle, Sedai?
http://www.avclub.com/content/files/images/to-have-and-have-not-still.article.jpg
incredible film, i recently bought the 'bogey and bacall' boxset and so far the only one ive seen is this one.
'You ever get stung by a dead bee?'
SiCKO (Michael Moore, 2007) 3.5
This flick creeps up on you until you have to just say WTF? too many times. Yes, it's a Moore film, so it has an agenda. Does he skew the total picture? I don't know, but I'm sure he probably does. Is what he presents mostly the true state of the way things are, politics aside? I also think that's a yes, especially for the people involved. Is it an entertaining, humorous, yet maddening discussion of a topic well-worth watching? You betcha. The stuff in Cuba is frosting on the cake. :cool:
http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2007/0705/sicko0518.jpg
Rock Star(Stephen Herek 2001)-4
Iroquois
11-22-07, 03:42 PM
Blue Velvet - 3
EDIT
Dead Man's Shoes - 3.5
adidasss
11-23-07, 09:28 PM
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000056Q9S.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
5
I'm pretty sure I've had a few nightmares like this. A hundred and eight minutes of absolute terror. Haneke toys with your emotions mercilessly and I fell for it hook, line and sinker. I loved it when he says in the extra documentary on the Kino DVD version, "If you stayed until the end, you needed to be tortured". I'm not sure if I needed to go through this, but I certainly stayed until the end...spectacular performance from Susanne Lothar. A thought occurred to me during the film that she gives Naomi Watts a run for her money...and then I go on IMDB and to my great shock find out that Haneke has done a remake...with none other than Naomi Watts. That aside, for the life of me I can't understand why. From what I've read about it, it's almost identical to the original (I also thought Frank Giering reminded me a little of Michael Pitt, and lo and behold, he's in the film too). The immediate thought was, Spoorloos, although Haneke's reputation is far greater than his Dutch colleague). I'm not sure what the (artistic) motivation behind doing the same exact thing twice (only in different languages) is...isn't he a bit too serious of an author for something like that?*bemused*
In any case, now I really want to see everything he's made (plus Caché for the second time because it left me with a bitter taste of unresolved issues the first time around).
Pyro Tramp
11-23-07, 09:34 PM
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000056Q9S.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
5
I'm pretty sure I've had a few nightmares like this. A hundred and eight minutes of absolute terror. Haneke toys with your emotions mercilessly and I fell for it hook, line and sinker. I loved it when he says in the extra documentary on the Kino DVD version, "If you stayed until the end, you needed to be tortured". I'm not sure if I needed to go through this, but I certainly stayed until the end...spectacular performance from Susanne Lothar. A thought occurred to me during the film that she gives Naomi Watts a run for her money...and then I go on IMDB and to my great shock find out that Haneke has done a remake...with none other than Naomi Watts. That aside, for the life of me I can't understand why. From what I've read about it, it's almost identical to the original (I also thought Frank Giering reminded me a little of Michael Pitt, and lo and behold, he's in the film too). The immediate thought was, Spoorloos, although Haneke's reputation is far greater than his Dutch colleague). I'm not sure what the (artistic) motivation behind doing the same exact thing twice only in different languages...isn't he a bit too serious of an author for something like that?*bemused*
I watched Funny Games a few weeks back, pretty good if a bit pretentious, and not as good as Hidden imo. Funnily enough had a lecture on him the other day, think part of the remake's motivation is how Haneke in his films critiques the desensitisation of audiences, particularly American- a theme quite obvious in Funny Games with Brechtian devices and questions of audience complicity in the violence so a to allow the film to reach the audience he's criticising guess a remake does that. Very curious as to how it will received, as it is shot for shot from what i've heard as well, imagine a lot of people are going to be disappointed, expecting a gorno flick. Irony is, people who understand the point are the people who'd see the original though.
Pyro Tramp
11-23-07, 09:36 PM
Oh, and adi- saw you edited, Seventh Continent is HARD work for the viewer, i gave up with it in the end. I have The Piano Teacher but yet to watch- like seeing another Haneke fan, even if i'm not entirely convinced by him.
adidasss
11-23-07, 09:40 PM
Why would you say it's pretentious? I thought it was very straight forward...mind you, I saw the extra documentary where he explains the intention of the film word for word (basically what you mentioned). But even without that (and the "obvious" tools which were supposed to make us more aware of the fact that we are accomplices), I thought it was an amazing horror film, one that managed to frighten/disturb me far more than any Asian or subsequent American remake ghost story ever could have.
Iroquois
11-24-07, 05:41 AM
Kindergarten Cop - 3
Waking Life - 4
Children of Men (Cuaron, 2006) 4_5
King Kong (Jackson, 2005) 4
Taxi Driver (Scorsese, 1976) 5
Labyrinth (Henson, 1986)
http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Labyrinth-Advance-Poster-C10120884.jpeg
Wow. AM I glad I picked this up in the bargain bin for 4 bucks. The nostalgia! I had always shied away from buying this flick, leaving it to memory of an easier time, a younger time. I thought that, if I watched it now, it would seem silly and childish, ruining some of the fond memories. This thing has held up after all these years, with all the heart and fun I remember.
Iroquois
11-25-07, 01:25 AM
Top Secret! - 3.5
Labyrinth (Henson, 1986)
http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Labyrinth-Advance-Poster-C10120884.jpeg
Wow. AM I glad I picked this up in the bargain bin for 4 bucks. The nostalgia! I had always shied away from buying this flick, leaving it to memory of an easier time, a younger time. I thought that, if I watched it now, it would seem silly and childish, ruining some of the fond memories. This thing has held up after all these years, with all the heart and fun I remember.
That may be true, but you also love the young Jennifer Connelly, no shame in that. :)
Kill, Baby...Kill! (Mario Bava, 1966) 3
This is Bava's stylistic masterpiece, at least of all the ones I've seen. True, it's similar in many ways to the best of Corman's Poe adaptations, but this film is far more single-minded than either Tomb of Ligeia or The Masque of the Red Death. It's not that the flick is original storywise, but it's gripping and holds your interest even though you can predict what will happen. When you can do that and still be entertained, you know you are in the presence of a master. Bava's use of lighting and sets is comparable to anyone you want to call the best in this non-stop atmospheric, low-budget flick.
http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/3294/killbaby3zi8.jpg
http://www.blogdecine.com/images/2007/07/balls%20of%20fury%20psoter%20nuevo.jpg
Balls of Fury 2007-4
http://www.thehouseofoojah.com/audiobooks/media/ccp0/prodsm/TheSecretCD.jpg
The Secret 2006-5
http://www.waytoblue.com/media/image/Shaun_of_the_Dead_group.gif
Shaun of the Dead 2004-5
http://up.kupatrix.com/f//89/snapshot20071125172302.jpg
Catacombs 2007-4
The Warriors (Hill, 1979)
http://gothamist.com/attachments/jen/2006_07_warriors1.jpg
adidasss
11-26-07, 11:31 AM
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/417tEi1jm3L._AA240_.jpg
Thank you to OG for recommending this, I probably never would have heard of it otherwise. A very clever little SF drama with absolutely no special effects, that touches upon everything from biology to morals and religion through a discussion about immortality...clever and at times quite educational. And it didn't do any harm that the main character was uber sexylicious...http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc220/diezelpower/drool.gif :randy:
4
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51dbKABbhfL._AA240_.jpg
Not as entertaining as I thought it would be. I love Cary Elwes, he has immense comedic talent which was underused in this film. Plus, for an 80's fantasy, it's a little lacking in that department. Oh and Robin Wright Penn does a terrible British accent (actually, is there any American actor that does a decent job at that?) and I couldn't understand 90% of what Montoya and Fezzik were saying (no subtitles...:(), so I'm sure I missed a few clever jokes.
3
Caitlyn
11-26-07, 03:01 PM
The Namesake (2006) 3/5
http://www.coffeecoffeeandmorecoffee.com/archives/filmstills/knivesofavenger.jpg
Knives of the Avenger (Mario Bava, 1966) 2
Talky medievel adventure with Cameron Mitchell and his dyed hair in the lead. It doesn't have an abundance of Bava's trademark style, but the outdoor photography is beautiful, especially the shots out to sea. There are also some good fight scenes in the final half hour, but you have to get through a lot of exposition first. Even so, this is not nearly as hokey as you might think.
linespalsy
11-26-07, 05:40 PM
I see you went for your Tilda Swinton film-fest, then ;)
I don't think that The War Zone ever pretends to be cerebral. It is , as you say, sick and miserable. It is an uncomfortably intimate portrait of a messed-up family, with strong performances.
Yep. It's an ongoing thing though and I borrowed but still haven't gotten to The Last of England. Still gotta do that.
About the War Zone, I don't want to criticize it too harshly since I did like it and also I'm not entirely sure what its intentions were so don't want to make up some crap about how it should have been this or should have been that. Still I felt it was missing something, like it could have somehow added to my imagination but instead just strung me along with its emotional intensity. One interesting and somewhat creepy thing was the casting for the daughter. I read somewhere Tim Roth basically just found her working some crap job and cast her in his movie. Her resemblance to Tilda was pretty striking.
Watched a lot of stuff that was on tv (and re-watched some favorites) with family last weekend:
The Long Goodbye - Since the first time I watched this I've read several Chandler novels. Haven't read this one but I like this version of Marlowe better than the one in the novels. He's still the most sympathetic character (one of only two [?] in the movie) by far but is more of a dupe and a loser than in the books. I'd like to try and write more about it some time, a lot of really great ideas came out of this movie and it's one of my favorites. Even better than Chinatown (well, maybe. I have only seen that one once and this one about 6 times.)
5/5
Death to Smoochy - I'm not sure if this movie deserves as much love and attention as I've given it lately but that hasn't stopped me. The two ice shows at the end crack me up. There are so many clever editing tricks and design elements and camera setups and they're so gaudy that it's almost like watching a more accessible Orson Welles film. The dialog is artistically vulgar in a David Mamet-like way. The cynicism is so over the top cartoonish that I don't know if it has much bite, but it is funny and some of the things really do work, especially ones aimed at dramatic/cinematic conventions and over the top acting. There's a shot of a girl's face when the cookie bag is descending and her expression is so urgent and mesmerized that I wonder how they got that out of her. It looks like she's about to pee her pants or something. I guess part of the fun is that it makes fun of dopes like me who really do get into the whole over the top circus act on a basic sentimental level (hey, look at all the pretty lights).
5/5
The Prince & Me - the only really remarkable thing about this movie is how it manages to be simultaneously half-assed (seemingly automatic ups and downs, repulsive characters [well, the prince anyway] un-self-consciously presented as though they are appealing by default) and off the wall (whoever's idea it was to have a Butterfly flutter out of the Prince's hand when he proposes to Julia deserves a high five). Oh yeah, and somewhat funny and appropriate references to Shakespeare: the made up prince of made up Denmark comparing himself to Hamlet. Which would make Julia Stiles Ophelia. This could have been better (looking at her filmography on IMDB she actually played Ophelia in film version of Hamlet from 2000. Maybe I'll track that down now.)
2/5
You, Me and Dupree - I liked this. I know it's pretty mediocre but I just find it hard to dislike Owen Wilson in anything. I enjoyed the rest of the cast too.
2/5
Stranger than Fiction - I don't know how to score this. On the one hand, it seems somewhat ambitious and I enjoyed it. On the other hand I found it confused and perhaps trite. For those who don't know it's a movie about a guy who wakes up and hears a voice in his head that tells him his life is boring and mundane and that he's going to die and then tries to turn it around and meet his maker, so to speak. I don't want to spoil it but I was really bothered by the resolution through presenting a very artificial dilemma, the exposition around which should cause a colored light labeled "wtf?" in everyone's heads to start flashing.
http://blogs.citypages.com/amadzine/images/joe1.JPG
JOE (John G. Avildsen, 1970) 4
What can you say about Joe after all these years? The main thing I can say about it is that it's a massive ball of contradictions, but in almost every way, the more positive one turns up for me. The film is, by turns, dated and prescient; racist and satirical; low-budget and high-inspiration; amateurish and well-made; shocking and thought-provoking; hokey and mind-blowing.
Norman Wexler's original script, which could be accused of appealing to the lowest common denominator, is also a textbook example of a screenplay which is confident enough to let itself build through all its twists and turns, milking almost every conceivable situation for what it's worth before moving on to the next one. Remember, this film was made at the height of the Viet Nam War and pre-Watergate, but it still features the classic "Would You Buy a Used Car From This Man?" poster of President Nixon. Which, to that, the right-wing, racist, titular character, played by the awesome, never-remotely-better Peter Boyle, spouts, "If you can't buy a used car from the President, who can you buy one from?"
http://img.rp.vhd.me/2473138_l2.jpg
The world which Joe painted (and still paints, for me) is not a black-and-white world, even though the use of racial and other epithets, nudity, extreme drug use and overall anti-social behavior would cause it to be unable to be remade nowadays in honest terms due to PC-constrictions. The film shows flower children to be drug-crazed thieves and both the rich and the poor older generation to be vigilante murderers who need to use violence to somehow get in touch with their kids. You could say that it's an exaggeration, but maybe not as much as you may like to believe. I feel that for most of its running time, Joe is a message movie crossed with a satire. It's only at the end, sort of like Dr. Strangelove, where you find that you can't laugh anymore because you've just destroyed your entire world; that is when its truth really hits you.
http://www.anniemayhem.com/blog%20pics/PeterBoyleMontage.jpg
Joe is the character in the bottom right. R.I.P. Peter Boyle.
Hitman 4_5
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h122/js0573/Movie%20Posters%20and%20Promos/hitman19.jpg
PimpDaShizzle V2.0
11-27-07, 03:02 AM
Samurai Trilogy
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/t4/21/t42180yr50l.jpg
Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple :up: :up:
Probably my least favorite out of the three, but it's still very good. The character's development, especially of the crazy female, is amazing.
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island :up: :up:
This rounded off what I consider to be one of the best stories ever told in film. The final duel between the samurai's is awesome-radical!
GOTTA RESPECT IT!
Oceans Thirteen :up: :down:
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/u4/87/u48780c6rme.jpg
Meh', for some reason it wasn't doing it for me. Too much, "This, then this, then this, but this, well then this, for this, to this...." Whatever. A lot of it looked good.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry... :down: :down:
I didn't like this at all. I get that it was suppose to be offensive in parts and stupid. I get they were trying to have a meaningful end message. It's too bad it was wrapped tight in a superficial package. Won't be seeing this again. :p
A Catered Affair(1956)... :up:
I loved this little gem. A great cast and a story that's relateable today. It might be slow for some, but I was glued to it.
Also I've been re-introducing my daughter to alot of classics we have at home recently. Holiday, The Awful Truth (and she's been bitten by the Cary Grant bug...yeah! ), Kiss Me Kate and others...
I love The Catered Affair and try to watch it about once a year. It's starting to hit home to me that Sarah is getting too old. :)
Thursday Next
11-27-07, 05:30 PM
Innocence (2004). Weird, brilliant film. A film about a ballet/boarding school which is filmed like a horror film. The creeping sense of unease which fills the film is very well done. There were so many things which didn't make sense, but it is probably supposed to be a mystery. Made me think of Company of Wolves without the wolves.
Iroquois
11-27-07, 10:51 PM
Predator 2 - 2.5
Harold and Maude - 5
linespalsy
11-27-07, 11:48 PM
I just watched Conversations with other women staring Helena Bonham Carter and Aaron Eckhart. Didn't blow me away but as far as "conversation movies" go this one was good. Not great like My Dinner With Andre but pretty solid like Before Sunset, with very strong writing and acting and an interesting and pervasive use of split screen.
Tacitus
11-28-07, 07:45 AM
The Tempest (Jarman, 1979)
This was a really fascinating adaptation. Not quite as amazing as Prospero's Books (not surprising as Books is my second-favorite film of all time). The girl who played Miranda was interestingly cast and cute, I'll have to see what else she's been in. Also loved the sets. I don't know the source text quite well enough to point out specific examples but there were definitely things I noticed that were missing or rearranged from the play.
The lisping thesp is none other than Toyah Wilcox, ex punk/pop singer and erstwhile daytime TV presenter.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b69/greenspagbol/200px-Toyah_brave.jpg http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b69/greenspagbol/toyah_wilcox_203_203x152.jpg
Did you know that the guy who played Caliban, Jack Birkett, was blind? ;)
linespalsy
11-28-07, 09:51 AM
The lisping thesp is none other than Toyah Wilcox, ex punk/pop singer and erstwhile daytime TV presenter.
Interesting. Her music any good?
Did you know that the guy who played Caliban, Jack Birkett, was blind? ;)
I didn't realize that but now that you tell me it seems like I should have. There was definitely something a little "off" about his performance. I thought it worked pretty well. Anyway, thanks for turning me on to that movie.
Tacitus
11-28-07, 12:29 PM
Interesting. Her music any good?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RnD0eyDQsw
Hear for yourself. ;)
I never thought much of Toyah but as she was releasing records when I was still at Primary school that's probably not surprising. She wasn't Duran Duran, after all... :D
I didn't realize that but now that you tell me it seems like I should have. There was definitely something a little "off" about his performance. I thought it worked pretty well. Anyway, thanks for turning me on to that movie.
Pleasure. :)
I didn't realise myself 'til I'd bought the DVD and listened to the commentary (by Toyah and (I think) the DP).
My old English teacher made us watch the film as part of our study on The Tempest and I bought it on VHS a couple of years later but, yeah, I always thought there was something strange about Birkett's Caliban but, with Jarman, it's often best to go with the flow and immerse yourself in the oddity of it all.
Watching it again armed with this knowledge leads me to shout to myself "Of course he's blind! What were you on when you watched it first time?" ;)
Re: Prospero's Books
This is a film i am convinced I shall never get to see. I just can't hunt a copy down on DVD for under 50 bucks, and I can't spend that on a DVD these days. I really want to see it.
Tacitus
11-28-07, 03:01 PM
It's one of the most visually arresting films I own (and I was lucky to pick it up reasonably cheaply a few years ago), pops up on TV occasionally here so the only advice I can give is to move to the UK and do nothing but watch C4/Film4 for 18 months...
It's gotta be worth it in the long run - think of the football matches you'll be able to see! :D
linespalsy
11-28-07, 03:10 PM
Re: Prospero's Books
This is a film i am convinced I shall never get to see. I just can't hunt a copy down on DVD for under 50 bucks, and I can't spend that on a DVD these days. I really want to see it.
I'm curious where you found a copy of that for $50? I'd easilly pay that for a decent (ie no extras but good quality picture/sound and original aspect ratio) dvd of that movie. ****, as it is I'm seriously considering plunking down for the 130+ Euro Kalverliefde box set that has it (that also has 24 other movies that I haven't seen).
EDIT: oh yeah, and it's definitely a movie worth owning. It's so visually rich that it's pretty much impossible to take in in one viewing. Heck, I didn't really start enjoying the movie until my third or fourth time through.
Matchstick Men (Scott, 2003) 3_5
Charming little flick. Fun performances all around, entertaining plot that put one over on me... I don't know what to say. I liked it.
Notes on a Scandal (Eyre, 2006) 3_5
Somewhat disappointing. I really liked the perspective of Judi Dench's character, and felt that this was the strongest and most harrowing aspect of the film. But it didn't seem like there was a clear focus, if any. The affair between Cate Blanchett's character and the boy needed to be very believable for everything to work, and it just wasn't: there was no chemistry between them, and thus, no overt reason for infidelity on her part. And the film did a lot of "telling, not showing" with regard to how unremarkable her marriage was supposed to be, as I kept thinking to myself, "They seem fine to me." Still, it's a pretty layered film despite its flaws, and you can't go wrong with performances by Blanchett, Dench, and Bill Nighy (who, for me, almost stole the film).
Iroquois
11-30-07, 12:42 AM
Trainspotting - 4
The Big Lebowski - 5
The Thing - 4.5
http://www.devildead.com/corbucci/django02.jpg
Django (Sergio Corbucci, 1966) 2.5
This is a pretty good spaghetti western. Even though all the "plot twists" are readily apparent, it's quite enjoyable, plus it's amazing how the film presaged many other better westerns, including The Professionals and The Wild Bunch. It's also got the coffin gimmick, a rope bridge, quicksand, redneck racists, irrational Mexicans (at the end), a faux Elvis Presley theme song, and Django doesn't even need to recuperate from broken hands like Brando did in One-Eyed Jacks. I guess that means Django IS the man!
voneil7
11-30-07, 05:35 PM
Bug - 3
Captivity - 1
adidasss
11-30-07, 06:51 PM
http://images.apple.com/moviesxml/s/miramax/posters/eaglevsshark_l200703201532.jpg
A charming, offbeat little New Zealand comedy with the star from The flight of the conchords, Jemaine Clement excelling as the dorky Jarrod on a revenge mission, and Loren Horsley (who unlike Jemaine isn't particularly convincing) as his dorky, on-again-off-again girlfriend. Great soundtrack too...
4
Lost Horizon (Frank Capra, 1937) 4
The most successful and Award-winning filmmaker of the 1930s had his most-personal project edited so that it would make more money during its WWII reissue. They chopped about 20% of Lost Horizon out so they could play it one more time a day and earn those extra War Bonds. Those edited scenes are either gone forever or preserved in low-quality visuals. It kind of explains why the movie is great in the first place, since the film advocates living life to the fullest and being open to all of life's possibilities.
http://www.jimandellen.org/gothic/LostHorizon.jpg
This is a movie where I may diverge with some of my fellow MoFos. I hope I'm wrong, but I can understand how some people might find the "Christian idealism" expressed in Lost Horizon as hokey beyond belief. To me, the film smoothly presages Temple of Doom, Gunga Din, The Man Who Would Be King and all the "socialist" flicks of the '30s/'40s (you guess which ones), to tell a highly adventurous story, but to fill it with beautiful philosophical overtones. Of course, it doesn't hurt that you have Thomas Mitchell and Edward Everett Horton spouting some humorous homoerotic sexual innuendo, especially when the native children repeat it, all because they love "Lovey".
http://www.eeweems.com/capra/_imagery/_lost_horizon/lost_horizon_470.jpg
This film starts out as a great adventure with guns blazing and planes flying. Then it turns into a philosophical tale; one which is very dear to my heart. In the middle of the Great Depression and before WWII, its theme of mankind looking out for itself through total love and care is heartwarming and enticing. For me, it's the scenes with the High Lama and Chang which push this movie up to 4. Even if you think those scenes are too hokey for words (i.e. you don't cry), you should still enjoy the uniqueness of a 70-year-old film which seems more politically- and socially-current than 95% of what's out there now and give it at least 3
Ultimately, Lost Horizon may never find its full support because the lost scenes will never be found. I guess you just have to have faith that the movie is as good as it seems. Either that or blow off one of the most unique films ever nominated for a Best Film Oscar.
No Country for Old Men (The Coen Brothers, 2007) 4_5 One of the best movies this year. The Coen Brothers always deliver. The ending though was a little hoakey.
linespalsy
12-02-07, 12:36 AM
Beowulf 3-D
Yakuza Graveyard
Buffalo Bill and the Indians
Munich
The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes
I can't really think of anything to say about this batch individually. Overall I didn't love any of them but Munich and 'Piano Tuner' were both good, Buffalo Bill was okay and the other two I wouldn't bother with.
Powdered Water
12-02-07, 11:32 AM
All the President's Men, man this was good.
Network, this too was really good.
The Grinch, I know a lot of people hate the movie version but we really like it.
The Polar Express, enjoyed this more this year for some reason.
Holden Pike
12-02-07, 11:50 AM
The Polar Express, enjoyed this more this year for some reason.
Drunk, I expect.
Hot Rod-5
Bio Dome-5
The Departed-5
The Conversation (Coppola, 1974)
http://blog.dvdideas.com/images/The_Conversation.jpg
Every time I show this film to someone that hasn't seen it, I hear the saame thing.
"Why haven't I heard about this movie?"
"Why isn't this more popular?"
4_5
Runaway Jury (Fleder, 2003) 4
Solid film.
The Prestige (Nolan, 2006) 4
There was more thought here than I expected to find. The plot is, by nature, a difficult one to handle (not to mention disorienting time shifts), but Nolan and crew did very well. There were a few inconsistencies, but the focus was clear the whole way through, and performances by Bale, Caine, and a few supporters were quite captivating.
Tears of the Black Tiger (Wisit Sasanatieng, 2000) 2.5
http://www.worstpreviews.com/images/tearsoftheblacktiger.gif
This is a stylish Thai romantic melodrama, filled with sad love songs on the soundtrack, yet it seems to fancy itself to be a western at times. Most of the film seems to be set in the mid-20th century with characters riding in cars and the police riding in trucks. But the "bad guys" all ride horses and wear clothes which would most likely be found worn at a dude ranch. Yes, they use pistols and shotguns, but sometimes they use machine guns and bazookas too.
For the most part, the film is very melancholy, which does keep it firmly planted in the East Asian tradition, but when the violence erupts, it's pretty graphic. The director uses many stylistic devices, including painted backdrops (see above), colored filters, and computer technology to sometimes drain the film of its color or other times to add in pastels. The film is watchable, but the mishmash of genres and time periods, ultimately make it seem like too much of a gimmick movie. I'd recommend that one watch it because it might really hit home with you, but for several others, one viewing will be enough, or perhaps, even too much. That said, the director is a talent to watch.
Monkeypunch
12-03-07, 12:11 AM
Shrek the Third - bits of it were funny, but not as good as the first or second films.
linespalsy
12-03-07, 03:40 PM
My Favorite Year (1982)
3.5
Showbiz comedy similar to (but earlier than) Soapdish, Noises Off and Death to Smoochy. Liked it better than each of those except Smooch, but still found it pretty avg. minus two exceptional things that I will recommend seeing this for: 1) Peter O'Toole's performance as Alan Swan, a pathetically charming movie star drifting through a series one-night stands and drunken misadventures still afloat on his movie-stardom. 2) one of the plots involves TV comedian King Kaiser parodying a "real life" union-boss on his show, and there's a great scene where the boss comes into the studio to intimidate them into dropping the sketch. Kaiser shows up in costume to pull a sort of Groucho/Harpo mirror routine with the two acting almost identical stereotypical gangsters. In terms of writing and execution that was the best scene in the movie (and pushes it from a 3 to a 3.5)
Thursday Next
12-03-07, 05:27 PM
That Forsyte Woman (1949) A rather silly, melodramatic version of the first part of The Forsyte Saga. Soames' violence towards his wife is significantly toned down which rather takes the sting out of the tale, and the ending is poor.
adidasss
12-03-07, 07:55 PM
http://www.ricksvideo.com/afi100/box_art/AFI_thumbs/th_maltese_falcon.gif
Another pleasant surprise from the lists (sounds daft I know, but I haven't liked all the films I've seen from them), well written, intelligent and fast paced but easy to follow (as opposed to the disastrous The big sleep). Too bad Bacall wasn't in it...
4.5
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000BMY2NS.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
Another brilliant documentary by an extraordinary director about another extraordinary man that had my stomach in a knot for an hour and a half. I haven't seen a bad film from Herzog yet and I'm very excited and anxious to explore his back catalog further.
5
PimpDaShizzle V2.0
12-04-07, 12:06 AM
Shrek the Third :up: :down:
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/u4/91/u49119aegcn.jpg
I gave it a thumbs down because I can't not compare it to the first one, which I would give two thumbs up. I tried and tried and tried to think about it as a self containing movie, but I failed, miserably. Oh well. I don't even remember a lot of what happened in the movie. Shrek's kind of an A-hole. A little aggressive toward his, "friends." The donkey shouldn't put up with his crap, now that he's dating, or married to, a dragon with kids. He's got to set an example unless he wants his donkey-dragon kids to be side kicks when they grow up. He should really work on that, I'm talking about the donkey, he should work on that. That cat, Puss In Boots, is a playa'playa fo' realz'. I was like, "Daaaaaang." Maybe I should stop watching dumb movies like this one, even though it might not be entirely dumb, but maybe it is.
Oh. And what's with them puttin' hippies in the movie? I'm talkin' about the wizard. Pacifists are just as dangerous as warmongers. I'm talkin' about polarization people! Don't let it fool you.
PimpDaShizzle V2.0
12-04-07, 12:12 AM
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000BMY2NS.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
Another brilliant documentary by an extraordinary director about another extraordinary man that had my stomach in a knot for an hour and a half. I haven't seen a bad film from Herzog yet and I'm very excited and anxious to explore his back catalog further.
5
Grizzly Man is pretty amazing. I like his way of being. Like a flower or a samurai.
Waitress :up:
I really liked it. Loved both Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion. He was pretty adorable as the befuddled Dr. Great date movie.
The Grass Is Greener (1960) :)
I liked it alright, but nothing special. Nice cast. I love Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr together. However, I've liked their other flicks better like An Affair to Remember and Dream Wife. Also...it's pretty unbelievable that any woman who had Cary Grant as a husband would have an affair. :p
Thursday Next
12-05-07, 06:22 PM
The Grifters Didn't really like it.
Holden Pike
12-05-07, 07:00 PM
The Grifters Didn't really like it.
Wuh-wuh-whuh?
Care to elaborate why not?
Monkeypunch
12-05-07, 08:55 PM
Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End - Fantastic looking film, fun to watch all around, a bit long, but better than part two.
Iroquois
12-06-07, 04:23 AM
Hitman - 3
I know, I know, it's Hitman, but you've got to take it for what it is - a mindless videogame-based movie. As that, it wasn't too bad.
Sinny McGuffins
12-06-07, 09:07 AM
The 400 Blows(Francois Truffaut, 1959)
Second viewing, and as good as I remembered. The closing minutes are just beautiful to me.
4_5
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)
Gets better everytime I watch it. Possibly the best film of the century.
5
I can definitely see a bit of myself in both Antoine and Joel.
Thursday Next
12-06-07, 06:25 PM
Wuh-wuh-whuh?
Care to elaborate why not?
You know, when I wrote that, I couldn't really explain why (or else I'd have put it down to start with). I didn't dislike it exactly. It was nasty, stagy, slow and lacking in the twists and double crossing you might expect (although perhaps this a flaw in expectation rather than the film). I had seen this described as 'neo-noir', but beyond the 'crime and betrayal' angle, it was no Body Heat. I admit the incest angle made me a bit queasy too.
I always find it hard to warm to character focussed films when the characters are unpleasant, however good the performances. It's not the crime, it's the human relationships (or lack thereof). I like Stephen Frears a lot, but just don't rate this as one of his best films.
If anyone wants to say what they thought was so great about it, feel free to try to change my mind ;)
PimpDaShizzle V2.0
12-06-07, 07:30 PM
The 400 Blows(Francois Truffaut, 1959)
Second viewing, and as good as I remembered. The closing minutes are just beautiful to me.
4_5
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)
Gets better everytime I watch it. Possibly the best film of the century.
5
I can definitely see a bit of myself in both Antoine and Joel.
The 400 Blows is awesome, more awesome than Eternal Sunshine.... But still, we can agree that The 400 Blows is awesome.
You want to know what isn't awesome?
Superbad :down: :down:
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/u4/85/u48534da912.jpg
Holy-moly, this was a horrible movie. Does Seth Rogen act? Is he an actor? He changes costumes for different movies, but his character stays the same. How's he do that? That's a neat trick. The humor in this movie is something you've seen a million times before. "You're gay." "No, you're gay." And on, and on, and on. I wish I would have never seen this movie.
Powdered Water
12-07-07, 12:03 AM
Santa Claus is Coming to Town, the old Rankin and Bass Claymation stuff. Man we just love those I hope to collect a few more of them this year. 9/10
ELF I know its corny and stupid but I love it and that's that. 8/10
30 Days of Night(David Slade 2007)-4
Live Free or Die Hard (Len Wiseman, 2007) 2
In many ways, I can accept this as a "decent" thriller, which would mean I'd probably raise it a half a popcorn box (sorry, Holden), but after watching all these other wacko movies lately and remembering all the other Die Hard movies, I'm going to draw the line. This flick seems to have not one original thought in its head, plus if I want to watch crazy freeway/downtown action scenes, I'd much rather check out Blue Thunder and/or Darkman. Those are much more realistic and entertaining, and neither one is remotely realistic. :cool:
http://images.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2007/06/27/live_free/story.jpg
Hairspray (Adam Shankman(!!), 2007) 4
I never wanted to see this version of Hairspray. I liked John Waters' version enough to call it at least tied for his best movie, but Travolta looked even weirder than Divine in the trailer, and I figured it was just another Grease cashout/lowest common denominator-type flick. Plus the director isn't exactly known for doing anything exciting or entertaining. Wow! This movie is so adorably enthralling that I couldn't believe it. This is one of the better musicals (yeah, that dirty word) made in the last 30 years. It also has a very solid story about racial tolerance and is highly satirical about the way things used to be, and in some cases, continue to be. But, just remember, you can make it better by overcoming all the old, hateful prejudices, plus you can shake your booty at the same time! This flick is like a new candy bar; forget about the Almonds, this is just JOY! The most joyous contributor is the infectious Nikki Blonsky.
http://content8.flixster.com/photo/87/75/11/8775118_tml.jpg
linespalsy
12-08-07, 02:15 AM
Yesterday I watched The Super Ninja followed by the first half of Singapore Sling. After The Super Ninja, I think I've seen enough cruddy camp films (intentional or not) for quite a while. After watching it, I just felt a bit like I've filled myself to capacity with bad movie experiences, not sure for how long though. I'd hate to not finish a movie that I started, but I also just wasn't getting into Singapore Sling at all. It's not that it was too gross or kinky (if anything it wasn't enough, at least so far, and I say that after getting through the "dining scene"). Maybe it's just after The Super Ninja, I needed something a little more nourishing than a slightly watered down John Waters (as if he wasn't already Watery enough, ho ho) film.
So tonight I watched The Sun's Burial, a 1960 film by Nagisa Oshima. I've heard that his films from the 60s are by and large phenomenal, but up to now I'd only seen a samurai film he made in 1999 (the title of which eludes me at the moment, but I didn't love it) and the first ten or so minutes of In the Realm of Senses. This was a promising start to get me checking out the rest of his films. It kind of reminded me of Shohei Imamura's Pigs and Battleships, as it's about pimps, gangs, and smugglers in post war urban Japan, told from a similarly "low" perspective. Other than the ending, I liked this better though, especially with it's beautiful color cinematography (lots of browns and reds) and a really great score. I'm going to try and watch it again before the weekend is over.
Then I re-watched The Blade (Tsui) and Zatoichi (Kitano). The Blade is always interesting to re-watch, as it can almost seem like an entirely different movie each time. Still love it, but in different proportions to every other time I've seen it (I've lost count). Zatoichi was kind of my "fun" movie for the night, because I didn't feel like concentrating and wasn't ready for bed. Anyway, it filled that role it filled quite well.
Oshima is a wacko. My main connection to him is In the Realm of the Senses, a hardcore sex film which is just as boring as an average hardcore sex film, even if it's based on a true story! I'll admit that Empire of Passion IS better.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/graphics/2003/07/19/bfsense.jpg
I'm actually glad that anyone has the guts and desire to watch Singapore Sling! How many times have you watched Laura?
PimpDaShizzle V2.0
12-08-07, 02:29 AM
http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1149494/photo_05_thumb.jpg (http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1149494/photo_15_hires.jpg) http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1174220/photo_15_thumb.jpg (http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1183404/photo_12_hires.jpg) http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1174220/photo_08_thumb.jpg (http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1174220/photo_01_hires.jpg)
I love Seth Rogen. Loved him on "Freaks & Geeks", loved him on "Undeclared", loved him in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, loved him in Superbad and I loved him as the lead in Knocked Up. I'm not saying he has a huge range as a thespian and is going to be playing Hamlet or Stanley Kowalski anytime soon, but Judd Apatow casts him perfectly in those parts.
I think.
Diff'rent strokes, I reckon.
I was looking back at all my awesome reviews, you know, reliving the glory days, and I came across this post. I looked at the pictures and I've come to this conclusion. I'm not going to like the movie if Seth Rogen pushes his eyebrows together in an upward angle throughout most of the movie.
Examples:
Knocked Up
Notice the eyebrows moving upwards and across his forehead?
http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/dvd/large/u4/37/u43760yh8qa.jpg
Superbad
See his eyebrows? They're doing it again.
http://www.collider.com/uploads/imageGallery/Superbad/superbad_movie_image_seth_rogen_and_bill_hader.jpg
Does that make anyone else angry?
Not at him, and probably not even at you! :cool:
linespalsy
12-08-07, 02:42 AM
I've never watched Laura. I'll check it out if you say to though. I really liked the begining of Singapore Sling but lost interest after that. It reminded me of Sunset Blvd.
I actually own In the Realm of the Senses (got it when the local Suncoast was going out of business a couple years ago). I didn't mind what I saw of it, but I think at the time I tried watching it I had company and it was making them a little uncomfortable. I'll get around to it eventually. I was reminded of it when I saw Lust, Caution recently.
But I think next I'm going to go to Cruel Story of Youth. I've heard very good things about Death by Hanging and a few others. (Now that I think about it, I've also seen some parts of Ninja Bugeicho, which is very interesting. It's an animated film he did in the 60s, based on a popular Marxist ninja manga [if you can imagine such a thing]).
linespalsy
12-08-07, 02:53 AM
I know a guy who couldn't make it through The Long Goodbye because of his overwhelming hatred of curly hair. Compared to that, hating Seth Rogen because of a facial expression seems downright reasonable.
I say to check out Laura before you tackle Singapore Sling again ...though...:cool:
Thursday Next
12-08-07, 02:18 PM
Y
Nagisa Oshima. ... up to now I'd only seen a samurai film he made in 1999 (the title of which eludes me at the moment,
Gohatto (Taboo)
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Z70M5T9EL._SX220_.jpg
linespalsy
12-08-07, 03:57 PM
That's right, thanks. I really should have remembered, since we talked about that in your review thread recently. I think I'll give it watch it again once I've exhausted the rest of the short list of Oshima films that are available.
I just added Laura and Empire of Passion to my (already way too long) Netflix queue. That is such an odd-looking word.
I've seen Taboo too. My bro, who's a Beat Takashi freak, showed it to me. But, when I say that In the Realm of the Senses is hardcore, yes, it's a XXX movie. True, it's art, but it was crappy art if you ask me. (I don't like being edited, especialy when I'm discussing hardore flix!)
undercoverlover
12-09-07, 08:45 AM
Bride of Frankenstein - incredible movie, karloff is so touching as the monster but its ust a same its so short and that we dont see elsa lanchester more
Powdered Water
12-09-07, 11:48 AM
Continuing with Christmas movies last night we watched Love Actually this one is rapidly becoming one of our favorite Christmas movies, well written and a good cast. Hugh Grant plays the type of character you may be used to seeing, but Bill Nighy is just over the top funny as an over 50 pop star that is trying to regurgitate an old song with the word Christmas substituted for Love. There are several other stories as well, all with some pretty decent actors in my book. Emma Thompson is one of those people that I could watch read the phone book, I often think she is Britain's version of Meryl Streep.
If you don't like Romance/Christmas movies then do not watch this movie it is sappy and full of tear jerking moments. And we love it.
5
Billy Mack: "Hiya kids. Here is an important message from your Uncle Bill. Don't buy drugs..." "Become a pop star, and they give you them for free." :p __________________
No Signature Required
Thursday Next
12-09-07, 05:15 PM
Sunshine. Loved it. Effective as a gripping sci-fi thriller whilst also managing to be elegant and intelligent. Loved the music too.
Monkeypunch
12-09-07, 05:25 PM
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World - So many friends of mine are totally obsessed with this film that I had to see it for myself. It's insane, and very funny in an old-timey shtick-y sort of way. Jonathon Winters owns this entire movie.
Skins (Chris Eyre, 2002) 3
This is a deceptively potent and heartfelt tale depicting Lakota life on the Pine Ridge Reservation, sixty miles south of Mount Rushmore, centering on the lives of two brothers. The younger brother (Eric Schweig) is a police officer who tries to help his people using unorthodox methods. His older brother (Graham Greene) is a Vietnam vet who spends most of his time drinking. There are murder mystery and arson subplots, but most of the film is spent in the loving, yet contentious relationshipship between the brothers and how their lives serve to illuminate the still-current struggles of Native Americans with poverty, alcoholism and hopelessness.
http://images.contactmusic.com/images/reviews2/skins.jpg http://www.turtletrack.org/Issues02/Co09212002/Art/skins4.jpg
Before I make it sound like the film is too heavy, I want to say that it's also pretty funny. Although I liked it a lot, I believe my rating to be fair. However, I will have no problem watching it again with my loved ones because I believe it's something which they should see and undoubtedly will like. Kudos to Caitlyn for putting it on her Favorite Movies List because I probably would have missed it otherwise.
The Avenging Fist (Wai-keung Lau & Corey Yuen, 2001) 2
This film was accidentally sent to me instead of the one I requested (Zelary), but I decided to watch it anyway. It's a Hong Kong sci-fi martial arts flick which is basically just a live-action video game. Most of it is so ridiculous that it borders on camp, but there are enough action and effects to hold one's attention, at least if one's into this sort of thing. The only actor I recognized was Sammo Hung.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51M52CKX75L._AA240_.jpg
American Pie Presents:Beta House-4
Bad Boys 2-there was nothing else on TV
The Long Kiss Goodnight-riding the action wave
Caitlyn
12-10-07, 10:35 AM
Skins (Chris Eyre, 2002) 3
This is a deceptively potent and heartfelt tale depicting Lakota life on the Pine Ridge Reservation, sixty miles south of Mount Rushmore, centering on the lives of two brothers. The younger brother (Eric Schweig) is a police officer who tries to help his people using unorthodox methods. His older brother (Graham Greene) is a Vietnam vet who spends most of his time drinking. There are murder mystery and arson subplots, but most of the film is spent in the loving, yet contentious relationshipship between the brothers and how their lives serve to illuminate the still-current struggles of Native Americans with poverty, alcoholism and hopelessness.
http://images.contactmusic.com/images/reviews2/skins.jpg http://www.turtletrack.org/Issues02/Co09212002/Art/skins4.jpg
Before I make it sound like the film is too heavy, I want to say that it's also pretty funny. Although I liked it a lot, I believe my rating to be fair. However, I will have no problem watching it again with my loved ones because I believe it's something which they should see and undoubtedly will like. Kudos to Caitlyn for putting it on her Favorite Movies List because I probably would have missed it otherwise.
Oh wow... Skins is very special to me and I am so glad you liked it... :) I actually wrote a "review" for it a few years ago... which you can read here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=6639) if you're interested....
As to what I've watched lately....
The Golden Compass (2007) ~ 3/5
It's A Wonderful Life (1946) ~ 4½/5
A Christmas Carol (1984 tv) 4/5
X-Men: The Last Stand (Ratner, 2006)
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? (Coens, 2000)
linespalsy
12-10-07, 11:30 AM
I went to No Country for Old Men over the weekend. I liked it, but I'm still mulling it over. Especially the ending. It was interesting to watch this in the same weekend that I re-watched The Blade, another, very different movie about fate and the costs and risks associated with certain choices.
Tacitus
12-10-07, 03:48 PM
Blade Runner (Original theatrical cut) (1982, Ridley Scott)
4/5
I unpacked my VCR for this.
Having watched Dangerous Days yesterday I fancied a crack at something I'd not seen in a long time - the original version of Scott's ground breaking Tek Noir.
Do I need to tell you about the film itself? Nah, I'm not gonna insult your intelligence with "The ending is crap!" (it is) and "Ford's voiceover is just plain stupid in it's banality!" (it, also, is) and keep things brief. Ish.
The voiceover, actually, fascinated me this time around after listening to Scott, Ford and the lisping Bud Yorkin (top comb over!) describing its gestation and eventual, difficult birth. I'd heard the rumour that Ford was so hacked off at this point that he deliberately read poorly in the hope that the whole thing would be scuppered but Dangerous Days has a different and, no doubt, more truthful take.
Firstly, it was a surprise to see Harrison actually sitting there interviewed about Blade Runner, embarrassing dad earring and all. I had visions of his legs tied to the chair and the director holding photos of his kidnapped children up behind the camera, encouraging the grizzled star to be positive about his experience of shooting the film.
He is relatively positive, though, but it seems to be done through gritted teeth...
To cut a dull story short, HF maintains that he gave the Blade Runner narration his full professional attention - outtakes show him and Scott struggling over its format before the whole thing was taken out of the director's hands and the eventual voiceover cobbled together by a hack.
That he sounds like he's not really interested in what's going on is probably explained by a couple of things:
1. By this point, Ford and the rest of the crew were completely knackered.
2. He's not exactly the most expressive actor in the world, now, is he? A great movie star, yes, but a great actor?
The narration (though another rumour I'd heard - that the film was originally intended to have a Marlow style voice track - turned out to be true: Fancher's original draft had such a thing), removal of the 'unicorn' scene and silly ending assert only the dumbed-down nature of this cut. The producers in their shortsightedness thought that we, the audience, were mugs and Scott in his weary desperation went along with the idea.
The film is still, even in this well-worn VHS form, a visual treat. ;)
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b69/greenspagbol/284136437_831e597bf0_o.jpg
What the hell a VW Beetle was doing at the end of the film is, frankly, anyone's guess...
Curious as to why you used the VHS copy. Didn't you score your brandy new 5-disc version of The Final Cut? If so, disc 3 contains the original theatrical cut. That said, if you wish to watch that version, Pop in the International Cut, as it contains the stuff they thought too violent for USA audiences, but is, in essence, the original cut.
Tacitus
12-10-07, 03:59 PM
I've ordered the blu ray 5 disc set, Seds, which isn't released until the 18th. I'm getting it posted out a few days before that but, with the Christmas post, it'll probably not turn up til after the 25th.
I bought the 2 disc DVD a few days ago, though, and am about to watch the Final Cut. ;)
Excellent. I saw it theatrically recently, and I loved every second of it...
linespalsy
12-11-07, 12:06 AM
Tonight I saw Amar Akbar Anthony
http://www.cafedreams.com/images/items/preview/amba-36.jpg
A 3-hour Bollywood tragicomic-soap-opera-martial-arts-wrestling-musical-romance. Honestly, it could have lasted another 3 hours and I wouldn't have minded one bit. I'm not sure how to rate it though. For one thing I haven't seen many Bollywood films so have little to compare it to. For another surely part of its appeal is simple "tourist" appeal, based on its being fairly exotic. Still, if you want to start getting into Indian musicals, this one has a pretty high level of craft and cinematic flair (much more than you might expect: much higher than the vast majority of Hong Kong films I've seen from this era, for example) and is actually pretty funny, at least part-intentionally. I really did love it.
EDIT: Aw heck, I'll just grade it a 5, at least until I find some better example of the genre at which point maybe I'd drop it to a 4.5 or a 4. And that's my final offer!
The Master of Low-Key French Spiritual Cinema, Robert Bresson, just reeled me in, with Pickpocket. I feel a little guilty, but my initial reaction is that it's worth a 2.5. Bresson's constant theme of love conquering all is present, but it all plays out a little too schematically. I was moved, but I felt manipulated also. The highlights were the pickpocket scenes which very well could have been BS but were also spellbinding.
P.S. I'd do anything to please Jeanne, if I had a chance to have her as mine. Bresson is a pretty earthy spiritualist.
http://www.timeout.com/img/2993/w513/image.jpg
Powdered Water
12-11-07, 05:26 PM
Ok, the last couple of days we have been a little Christmasy and a little old timey. (intentionally misspelled:p)
Nat'l Lampoons Christmas Vacation " Sh*ter's Full!"
4
Lethal Weapon "Hate him back; it works for me."
4
Holiday, Grant, Hepburn 1938
4.5
Adam's Rib, Tracey, Hepburn 1949
5
Holiday, Grant, Hepburn 1938
4.5
I had my daughter watch this with me recently. It's an old standard I love to watch this time of year. I love Cary and Katharine together. I also love Lew Ayres as Kate's unhappy brother and Edward Everett Horton as Cary's befuddled friend. My favorite scene is when they're all in the upstairs playroom having their own quite celebration while the formal party is going on downstairs.
Powdered Water
12-11-07, 08:21 PM
I had my daughter watch this with me recently. It's an old standard I love to watch this time of year. I love Cary and Katharine together. I also love Lew Ayres as Kate's unhappy brother and Edward Everett Horton as Cary's befuddled friend. My favorite scene is when they're all in the upstairs playroom having their own quite celebration while the formal party is going on downstairs.
Yeah I love that part too, also love this line.
"When I find myself in a position like this, I ask myself what would General Motors do? And then I do the opposite!"
I certainly enjoy the 1938 version of Holiday, but my pop told me his fave movie was the 1930 version, and I've still never seen it and really want to catch it before I croak. Edward Everett Horton plays the same role he did in the '38 version, but I guess my pop was kinda in love with Ann Harding. I fear unless there's a miracle, I'll never see it.
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/images/MASTOSprofiles/0382_dixie_harding.jpg
Powdered Water
12-12-07, 11:06 AM
That looks good mark.
Watched The Muppets Christmas Carol, I didn't realize this was made after Jim Henson Passed away. I'm assuming Brian Henson is his son? It was still enjoyable though, even with several of the voices being a little different.
3.5
It's A Wonderful Life, what can I say that hasn't already been said about this movie.
5
Tacitus
12-12-07, 01:03 PM
Blade Runner - The Final Cut (1982/2006? Ridley Scott)
5/5
Is Blade Runner the most loved film on MoFo? Quite possibly...
Not much to say that's not already been said by me and others apart from noticing Batty saying "I want more life, father" instead of "I want more life, f*cker" to Tyrell.
Scott doesn't mention why in the commentary (and what a croaky, squeaky commentary it is - Ridley must have had a bugger of a head cold when recording it) and can only assume that it's to humanise Batty a bit earlier and, thus, make him more sympathetic. Earlier.
The print looks gorgeous, a Michaelangelo painted in neon and dirt...
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b69/greenspagbol/roy_batty_tattoo.jpg
linespalsy
12-12-07, 03:44 PM
I saw Tekkon Kinkreet yesterday. I can't give too many thoughts on it because I didn't finish watching it (second movie I've done that to recently). It had some nice animation but it wasn't enough to keep me interested in watching. I'll have to wonder why (why I like AKIRA but not this or Ghost in the Shell, for instance). Maybe I'll give it another try sometime. Paprika is next in my queue and maybe that will be better.
Thursday Next
12-12-07, 06:23 PM
Tommy. This was a crazy movie. I bet if I had seen this a couple of years ago I wouldn't have liked it. There was little semblance of a plot even at the end. But I liked the way there was no speech, and some of the visual elements were quite effective and symbolic. The Who are not among my favourite bands, but the music was decent and appropriate to the film. 4/5
Underworld(Len Weisman 2003)-4
Underworld:Evolution(Len Weisman 2005)5
Hitman(Xavier Gans 2007)3
Powdered Water
12-13-07, 07:39 PM
Watched Scrooged last night, I just love Carol Kane anytime I see her in something no matter what the role is or how small.
4
I rented The Silence of the Lambs again, just to see if Hopkins really is irreplaceable. After seeing it, I did notice that the movie feels a bit dated. The Jodie Foster character, a young an ambitious woman fighting to be successful in a man's world, has become something of a cliché in the past years, and Foster's (in my opinion) a bit over-the-top performance doesn't help either. And I have noticed a few plot holes here and there.
That said, excellent directing and dark cinematography give the movie an extremely creepy look. The directing is dramatic and unique, for example, there are lots of close-ups during the dialog scenes, and during them actors look directly into the camera (or a bit left, I'm still not sure), which I haven't seen in many other movies. It makes for a really intense thriller, plus its shocks still work, even on repeat viewings (head in the jar, face-off, just to mention a few), and Ted Levine was a great casting choice for Buffalo Bill, with his scary persona and deep monster-like voice.
And, of course, the man this movie wasn't about, but it became just that because of his performance, Anthony Hopkins. Despite how many times I've already heard most of his lines and despite the already tiresome praising his 15 minutes long performance gets every time this movie gets reviewed, he really is great, and there's not much more I can say about it that's not already been said, except how I can never get enough of the Goldberg Variations scene. "Ready when you are, officer Pembry".
linespalsy
12-14-07, 10:02 AM
Saw Derailed yesterday. Rather, saw roughly the first 20 minutes and the last 20 minutes. Skip it. Go get the Spanish Prisoner or something else instead.
The Heartbreak Kid(Farrelly Brothers 2007)-5
The Ten(David Wain 2007)-4
Thursday Next
12-14-07, 06:13 PM
The Bourne Identity - Silly, but fun.
adidasss
12-14-07, 08:23 PM
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc220/diezelpower/once.jpg
I didn't really dig the music but the very enthusiastic performances made up for it somewhat. A very enjoyable watch...made me all warm and fuzzy inside...:yup:
4
Edit: Sorry about that, the pic was showing for me. Oh and Holden, that was an amazing guess if all you had to go by was the text...*impressed*
P.s.: I read that they're actually dating in real life now...http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc220/diezelpower/radosnice.gif
Monkeypunch
12-14-07, 08:25 PM
Superbad - Loved it. It's screamingly funny, almost every line is hilarious, and the two cops made the entire thing for me. I will ahve to watch this again.
vBulletin® v3.8.0, Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.