MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 11 .......................... 9 __________________________ January 1st The Party (1968)* http://i58.tinypic.com/r8ictl.png Just plain old slapstick humor! I love this one, and although it mainly plays on gags and fun without much story, it doesn't try to be anything but that. You are just having a great time and it is ideal to watch with a bunch of friends or family members. Peter Sellers is awesome and the fact that everything is mainly improvised makes it even better. There is so many classic scenes in it that it makes up for what is less great! Beauty and the Beast (1991)* http://i59.tinypic.com/2djw6jt.jpg One of my favourite Disney classics. The animation is gorgeous to look at, with swift and smooth panning, through all these stunning and colorful images. The story is perhaps cliché but the execution is grounded and surprisingly dramatic for an animated film. It feels ambitious and only loose it a bit towards the end when it relies to much on comic relief. Apart from that this is a strong consistent Disney film. Predestination (2014) - http://i61.tinypic.com/nqo5k3.jpg The movie itself doesn't really make sense when it comes down to it, but it's still a lot of fun, even despite the fact that this isn't really an action sci-fi thriller. This is actually a drama, even though it was promoted otherwise, but anyways good performances, nice looking visuals and a fine soundtrack. Just unfortunate that it gets lost in its own mess and think it's better and wiser than what it really is. In an attempt to quickly catch up to today's date, I will simply toss out all of the movies, going all the way from January 1st to January 8th, with nothing but a pathetic rating and not one single thought, pictures, whatever... January 2nd Area 407 (2012) January 3rd Hellraiser (1987) - http://www.scifinow.co.uk/wp-content...er-300x200.jpg I think it was a bad idea to show Pinhead that clearly in the first couple of minutes of the movie, it really made him appear less intimidating right from the start. Also, I will also just come with something right from the beginning here: Pinhead felt like a cool character but honestly totally out of place in this story in my opinion. He just popped up once in a while and never felt entirely threatening, which was most likely because of bad scriptwriting and story build-up. The acting was fine, but the story was so incomplete that it felt like an entire novel desperately turned into a 1,5 hour picture. It never finished all of what it had started and appeared quite messy overall – even considering that it wasn’t exactly what you would call a big and wide-reaching movie. But I really liked the fun and pretty well done practical effects, and the idea of the blood bringing you back etc. Overall I just wasn’t impressed at all though… Rocky III (1982) January 4th You're Next (2011) http://www.scifinow.co.uk/wp-content...00-300x200.jpg I have actually been looking forward to finally watch this film, mainly because I see the director, Adam Wingard, as a great newcomer to the horror genre and cinema in general, and I truly think he has potential to become a memorable moviemaker of this time On one occasion, I watched the first 25 minutes or more of it, but it didn't entirely catch my attention and I thought I had better give it another go some time, when I felt more up for it. It would be a shame if my mood was what would end up ruining my experience with the film. Now, when it received a nomination in the Horror HoF there's no excuses or ways around it, and I’m happy to finally be able to see it. Unfortunately, I can't really say I left this film feeling satisfied in any way... First off, it actually seems like it wasn’t me who was in the wrong mood back when I turned this off half an hour into the film. Right from the start it does a lazy job at getting our attention. The build up is quite poorly done and the characters introduced come across as totally uninteresting. First off we get the obligatory opening horror kill sequence, and there is really nothing new here. Then we slowly and monotony get introduced to the various characters, which pretty much all lack any kind of depth or development. But since this is a horror film I can forgive this area though, and perhaps they will change over time as the movie progresses… When things start to go down, I instantly became annoyed with the characters, which just confirmed my observation even further. They were all simply yelling and screaming for an unbroken period of 10 minutes or so, and not in a frightened and well-acted kind of way, but just plain annoying screams and you couldn't separate one from the other. Obviously, there was the girl who ends up becoming the leading character, who was pretty much the only one with a sense of variation from the others. Not only were the characters annoying and one-sided, they acted completely stupid in a way you would never do and that pissed me off, especially combined with the many clichés. I hate it when suspense or terror is created purely out of the fact that the characters must be brainless to follow through with a plot point... You're Next is filled with clichés as well, which didn't truly annoy me at first, since I know the director has a soft spot for doing homages to different genres and eras of cinema. But this just wasn't done in a respectful or inventive manner, or even lifted the movie to a higher level of originality or enjoyment. It just became utterly predictable, and you could simply just sit there and point out pretty much everything that would happen next (I really didn't know the title of the film referred to the many clichés of the horror genre... who would have thought?) The humour in the film threw me off several times as well. In my book it is hard to balance humour and horror unless you go all the way to one side (like Shaun of the Dead or Tucker and Dale vs. Evil). For me it didn’t work at all, because I had no idea when to laugh and when not to. It felt like it tried to hard to be funny and it just came across as unprofessional and poorly directed instead. When it comes to the soundtrack, it was a bit all over the place. Towards the end it slowly turned into this 80s synthetic sounding ballad, which reminded me of his recent film The Guest which I really enjoyed. I guess it was okay. At least better than the aggressive and repetitive soundtrack coming before it, which wasn't good in my opinion. The visuals were fine, the acting acceptable, but overall I had a hard time enjoying this because of all the stupidity, mistakes and mishaps to be found, which ended up completely over-shining the greater parts of the film. January 5th Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) - http://m3.paperblog.com/i/47/477023/...-L-tDLY7m.jpeg Okay, so this was actually a huge surprise to me and oddly enough I loved it as it went on, even though I wasn't really a fan the original at all... I think they exploited the concept and characters a lot more in this, and also explored the actual idea of a connection between life and dead. I loved how it began right after the first, and it sort of reminded me of a Hellraiser version of the quite successful Halloween II. It seemed as if the director and writer wanted to use more time on creating an interesting follow-up, and because of all the flashbacks and connections to the original this could actually be seen on totally its own, which I really liked the thought of since I enjoyed it so much. But then, suddenly out of nowhere, it pretty much turned to **** from one second to the other. I don’t know what happened, it seemed as if another director took over, or maybe the director didn’t trust in the slow but tense atmosphere he had created, and instead went with campy effects, campy humour and totally insane decisions. What happened? I even liked the movie as they entered Hell because of it feeling quite crazy but controlled. But around the time when the doctor turned inhuman - which was totally unnecessary in my opinion and Pinhead was once again a secondary character - that is when it just fell to the floor, and got worse and worse as time went by. The last half hour sort of reminded me of an extreme R-rated version of Poltergeist meets The Never-ending Story, and just came across as a fantasy family-orientated film – in its execution, not story or gory-wise. It is such a shame because I actually really loved it up until then. It was self-aware and had a perfect balance of the horror elements and the more dramatic elements, and it was well-developed and very well shot as well. I love when the camera in a horror movie acts lively and sort of dwells in various corners and corridors throughout the film (sort what James Wan is doing today as well). It even had some impressive symmetry in its shots and the soundtrack was fittingly epic and godlike in its scale and sound. Typical, yes perhaps, but defiantly effective. My rating of 3/5 may be a bit too much considering the fact that it is pretty much two different films together in one. But there was so much I liked, and I just don’t want to **** all over the film when it actually was quite great most of the time. I think we are talking about 1 hour and 15 minutes worth of a good horror film, and then about 25 minutes of campy stupidity... January 6th Whiplash (2014) January 7th Garden of Words (2011) + January 8th Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)* |
Originally Posted by MovieMeditation (Post 1234644)
[center]FEATURING MOVIEMEDIATION IN...
"HIS FILM DIARY 2015" or: HOW HE LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND ONLY MAYBE WATCH ONE MOVIE PER DAY BUT DEFIANTLY MOST LIKELY WATCH A WHOLE LOT OF THEM AND THEN POST ALL OF HIS THOUGHTS IN HOPE OF MOFOS ACTUALLY WANTING TO CHECK IN ONCE IN A WHILE AND MAKE MOVIEMEDIATION VERY HAPPY INSIDE I always look forward to your thoughts and write-ups in other threads, MM, so I'll definitely be dropping in on this thread quite often. Loving the layout so far, too. http://cdn-www.i-am-bored.com/media/...ock[1].jpg Let's meditate! |
MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 14 .......................... 12 __________________________ January 9th Whiplash (2014)* http://i61.tinypic.com/10ruvib.jpg Even after a rewatch this is an incredibly powerful film. Obviously, it is fairly implausible to top the viewing experience it gave me the first time around, but I still stand by all of what I thought was great, but of course it has a few flaws here and there. Some movies though, I feel like you shouldn't judge like any other movie - and this is one of them. The movie never needs time to get going, it is already moving fast and controlled from the very beginning. 'Whiplash' made me sweat and sit on the edge of my seat like I was watching the most intense bomb disposal scene in a great and exciting action thriller. It simply just drums away for a virtually unbridled pace and torpedoing all mediocre melodramas in its path... Such a great film overall in my opinion. January 10th Suspiria (1977) + http://i62.tinypic.com/28up5qw.jpg Read my full review in the Horror HoF thread The very first time I watched this film I wasn’t sure what to expect but in fact I ended up being quite impressed with its experimental soundtrack and visuals, as well as the overall feel of the film. And when watching Suspiria for the second time, I could focus more on the different elements of the film; the ones I noticed the first time, and those that went by fairly unnoticed. The soundtrack is still something I respect, where the soundscape perhaps isn’t listenable on its own, but actually tries to get under our skin using unfamiliar techniques and unique approaches. But unfortunately the soundtrack showed more flaws the second time around. The visuals wasn’t as impressive this time around either, but I still really like them, and together with the soundtrack I still think it does a great job at creating this strange and gloomy atmosphere that lifts the film from being a truly boring watch… Unfortunately, it all have a potential that is higher than its unbalanced and hit-or-miss execution. Still, with all the flaws I could probably find myself watching this again at some point. January 11th Pale Rider (1985) http://i59.tinypic.com/22gqar.jpg Eastwood has done thousands of westerns, and it is hard not to see this one as rather, well, pale in comparison. It feels like it takes on a tired and old storyline that you have seen many times before, and made in 1985 it also feels like it came a few years too late. Not that you can't make westerns nowadays, but this one just felt more like a camping trip than a real classic western. Eastwood is great at capturing the atmosphere and all the small stylistic features that make a western what it is. But unfortunately the script truly suffers, as I thought it was mostly poorly written and clumsy. But still, you can never deny that you almost always have a pretty decent time when Mr. Eastwood puts on his cowboy hat and pull out his six shooter... |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
I'll be checking in to see what you've been watching MM!
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I'll be looking forward to checking out all your updates. Whiplash and Garden of Words are 2 I'd like to see.
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MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 19 .......................... 16 __________________________ January 12th Fury (2014) http://i60.tinypic.com/e8jrit.jpg It was pretty much as I expected it to be, but not what I hoped for. Unfortunately, it was this clichéd Hollywood mess, with too much stupidity, mediocre writing and forced heroism. The characters weren't really that interesting, the story was paced and writing kind of unbalanced and overall I just wasn't at all impressed by this film. It is more of an insult to the ones fightning in the war to be honest... January 13th Nightwatch (1994) http://i58.tinypic.com/35miqkw.jpg Review from the Horror HoF thread I will come off here and say right off the bat that this film was actually much better than I expected or that it had any right to be for that matter. I think I might have seen bits and pieces of it a long time ago, but even though it is a pretty well known and well-respected danish horror film, I have never watched it in its entirety as far as I can remember. So I'm really glad this got nominated and without further ado, here are my thoughts on it... Though I indeed think it did a fairly good job at making a pretty entertaining little thriller I don't think it is anything that special, and people from around the globe might not be as impressed or captivated as some Danes got, especially around its original release. 'Nightwatch' is basically just the danish people making (or trying to make) a horror movie; nothing more nothing less. It plays out much like a typical danish drama thriller, with the danish humour and all that. But apart from some slight originality here and there, I feel like it borrows a whole lot from the well-valued vault of classic horrors. All the way from the music, to the story, to the visuals – all are exactly what you’d come to expect from every other film from its genre. Only difference is that this is a lot less scary and a lot more danish lol. I will admit the acting was fine, and there were two absolutely hilarious scenes in it, and a few shots actually looked gorgeous and was build-up impressively well for a danish independent horror film. The story, unfortunately, doesn't exactly keep you guessing as much as you would like to, but it is a fun little film that doesn't impress you much maybe, but it is pretty entertaining for just a relaxing afternoon or something. It is also extremely fun to see all these danish actors in their younger up-and-coming days. Not many on this forum will understand, except for maybe Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, which a lot of y'all know from Game of Thrones. Some may know Kim Bodnia, but that is pretty much it... :D It is a hit or miss movie, maybe you will like it, maybe you won't, but I don't think it is that bad or anything, it has just been done many times before and to me it doesn't really stand out – not as a film and not at all as a horror. It is more a thriller to me, but I'm still really glad it got nominated. Always fun to see something you always wanted to see or that you never even heard of. :) January 14th Birdman (2014) N/A http://i61.tinypic.com/wrfexw.jpg Currently fixing up a full review for this movie, which will be in my Cinema Review thread soon... |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
I didn't like Fury much either, I did a review of it and gave it 2.5, I pretty much agree with you. Really hoping you liked Birdman.
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Is there lots of gore in Fury? Call me sick but I like a fair amount of blood and gore in war films. They look very cool.
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MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 19 .......................... 16 __________________________ January 14th Possession (1981) http://i57.tinypic.com/91j8ue.png Review from the Horror HoF thread I knew very little about this film going in, and that is almost always a great thing. When you can simply sit down and immerse yourself into something that has nothing but your interest, and you are without any form knowledge, experience or anything of that matter. I had barely read the plot synopsis, so I was actually pretty excited. Unfortunately it didn't turn out at all like my kind of movie... So, basically we are just thrown into the midst of things without much knowledge of who the characters are and what is going to happen, and I liked that. The way it was set up and the way the first half hour of the movie moved forward, almost felt like Rosemary's Baby, which of course was a great plus! I love horror movies that are not necessarily full-blown genre flicks, but instead seamlessly cross between other genres. Especially drama works great, as you are sometimes left in the dark to what is happening, which is also what this movie used, and I liked that. But as the film progressed, it just became worse and worse to me. It went from feeling mostly professionally made and well acted, to some extremely weird and campy indie feature or something. What the hell was that about? The story gets quite messy and incoherent, and you are never really told much about anything. And it doesn't help much either, when it all just gets weirder and more f*cked up as time goes by. My most hated aspect was when the characters in the film was "possessed" or looked like being possessed. Waving their hands around the air and acting like they tried to get accepted into the amateur play in middle school. Especially when the female lead was in the tunnels of the subway station, and out of nowhere, began to do this impression of a crack head doing heavy-metal head banging to the sound of absolute silence. That is, forgetting about the annoying screams she continues to do throughout the scene. That scene just went on forever, and suddenly I just broke out into laughter and couldn't believe what was happening. The character was just rolling around the floor and tossing herself around and up the walls while screaming and shouting like a mad person! I mean, what am I supposed to feel here, exactly? And from there on, it even gets weirder than that; tons of unexplained things happening, people bleeding, people dying, people screaming, people getting eaten, and people having sex with inhuman creatures. I mean, what the hell am I supposed to think of all this? I feel like my eyes began to hurt from all this, and my brain got badly insulted and began to melt out of my ear, in about two hours or more. And what is even worse is that it looked to be such a great film in the beginning. The visuals were nice and natural, the soundtrack was not that present but very experimental and haunting when it was there, and the acting seemed great and I really love Sam Neill as well. But sorry, this just wasn't for me at all. It was missing consistency, focus, and control. It was just an ugly mess in my opinion… unfortunately. January 15th The Night Stalker (1972) + http://i62.tinypic.com/6edrut.jpg Review from the Horror HoF thread Okay. So after a streak of somewhat mediocre, disappointing or downright dreadful movies, I was really hoping that one of these Horror HoF films would come to my rescue some day. And finally, the most unexpected wonder happened out of nowhere, when I witnessed this little unknown made-for-television flick called 'The Night Stalker'. Thank you, hello101 for recommending it into this HoF! This is a rather short movie, with a running time lasting only about 74 minutes, and thankfully we jump right into the story in the very first frame, so luckily there is no time wasted. The movie is basically set up and played out just like an investigation crime thriller, and we have this voice-over popping into focus once in a while, giving us the facts and findings in this murder mystery that once happened. It is a great approach, as it makes the movie feel like a noir-type film, and it really suits the movie greatly. And as we get to know all the characters I quickly realized that even those were well written and, not to forget, extremely well acted too. So, where does the horror come in? Well, as I have said before I love horror films that cross between genres, and this was a crossover I hadn't really seen before; at least not like this... It is basically a cross between a noir crime thriller and a horror vampire flick. The way they have balanced it all out is quite unique and impressive, because as I said earlier, it plays out like an investigation of "just another case" in a crime universe, and therefore the character of the vampire is treated like any other murderer in town. Like, if someone really stumbled upon a vampire in real life and had to figure out what to do. But the vampire aspect is just as interesting and followed through, as we hear about all the classic myths and find out exactly how this person lives, sleeps and all other interesting vampire facts. It is definitely a small film, but still impressively made and nicely paced. We are thrown into the midst of it all from the start without much warning, as I said, then we hear about what happened and how no one seems to be able to make sense of it all, then we hear about how they proceed and how they get closer to the murderer, then all the theories starts to come forward and they are closing in on the suspect, and so on – exactly how you would experience a real life investigation, and you really feel like you are a part of it all. Not only because of the way the story builds up, but also because of the way it is filmed, scored and acted. A perfect noir crime thriller with a great little TWIST, and I had so much fun with this! It worked better than I could have imagined, and now it looks like my Top 50 Horror List needs a little changing before I post it... |
Originally Posted by hello101 (Post 1239394)
Is there lots of gore in Fury? Call me sick but I like a fair amount of blood and gore in war films. They look very cool.
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Have you watched the newest Rambo?
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Originally Posted by MovieMeditation (Post 1239395)
Especially when the female lead was in the tunnels of the subway station, and out of nowhere, began to do this impression of a crack head doing heavy-metal head banging to the sound of absolute silence. That is, forgetting about the annoying screams she continues to do throughout the scene. That scene just went on forever, and suddenly I just broke out into laughter and couldn't believe what was happening. The character was just rolling around the floor and tossing herself around and up the walls while screaming and shouting like a mad person! I mean, what am I supposed to feel here, exactly?
and she obviously delivered the goods |
Originally Posted by hello101 (Post 1239398)
Have you watched the newest Rambo?
Originally Posted by BlueLion (Post 1239400)
She was told by the director to "f*** the air" in that scene.
and she obviously delivered the goods And I must say, that acting was a bad interpretation of a woman suffering, but a quite impressive "air f*cking" scene, yes. :D |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Glad to see you enjoyed Night Stalker so much MM. I'm a big fan of the Kolchak films and TV show, so is honeykid. While most people prefer the first I've always liked the sequel, The Night Strangler, more.
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Yeah, I knew nothing about it going in, and not before honeykid mentioned it I knew nothing about the existence of anything before or after.
So I definitely gotta check out that sequel, and the tv series as well! Thanks for mentioning! :up: |
I'm still disappointed that you didn't like Possession, but I'm looking forward to Nightwatch very much now.
I still would like to see Fury. |
Originally Posted by MovieMeditation (Post 1239386)
Birdman (1994)
N/A http://i61.tinypic.com/wrfexw.jpg Currently fixing up a full review for this movie, which will be in my Cinema Review thread soon... I'm looking forward to your review, MM. I haven't seen Birdman yet, but I have very high expectations. If it isn't my favorite movie of 2014, or at least in my final top three, once I've seen everything I want to see, I'll be disappointed. That's how much I expect to love it. Of the four westerns Eastwood directed, I think Pale Rider is easily the weakest. I like Suspiria just a tad more than you. I haven't seen any of the other movies you've meditated about lately. My excitement for Whiplash rises with every enthusiastic response I read on here. I don't have high expectations for Fury, but I think I'll like it more than you and Daniel M. The made-for-TV designation initially turned me off, but after reading your review, I've added The Night Stalker to my watch list. Namaste. |
Originally Posted by Captain Spaulding (Post 1240428)
The made-for-TV designation initially turned me off, but after reading your review, I've added The Night Stalker to my watch list.
Namaste. Yeah, I guess I kind of have raised the bar for the how good The Night Stalker is, and got you and cricket very interested about it. But honestly, it is not something you will necessarily be blown away by. But I think I stated all the reasons why I think it is good in my review, even if it is a smaller film, so I will not defend it if you hate it haha. And hey, 74 minutes? Even if it sucked it wouldn't be that big a deal now would it? :D |
Originally Posted by Captain Spaulding (Post 1240428)
Birdman is a 1994 film? Man, talk about flying under the radar! 10 years and I've never heard a single thing about it until a few months ago! ;)
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Oh snap!
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Originally Posted by JayDee (Post 1240574)
So you're mocking MM for being out of date and yet you're apparently only living in 2004! :p
I never should've accepted a ride from that weird dude in his DeLorean. |
Originally Posted by Captain Spaulding (Post 1240639)
I never should've accepted a ride from that weird dude in his DeLorean.
You died in 1978, remember? Or well, you were supposed to die that year, riding towards some cops like some wanna-be-cool idiot and you got shot to death and sh*t. So I'm glad the DeLorean dude saved ya! :D :up: |
MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 24 .......................... 21 __________________________ January 16th Birdman (2014)* N/A http://i61.tinypic.com/wrfexw.jpg Still working on my full review of this film... I finished the danish version yesterday exclusively for all the danish folks haha! :p but next I will of course get to the english version, and as I said earlier, it will be up by end of this month in my Cinema Review thread so look out for it! January 17th A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) - http://i57.tinypic.com/14jvrkw.jpg Review from the Horror HoF thread I have actually had this movie on my watchlist and it has been there for quite some time... Finally I had an opportunity to check it out in this Horror HoF, and usually I love these kinds of horrors as well. For example, I remember the original Japanese Grudge films to be much better and a lot more scary than the remakes. Generally they just know how to create frightening imagery and disturbing frame compositions that works to great effect. So as you can tell I was very excited to see what this one could bring to the table of the foreign horror genre, more specifically, South Korean horror, but really I just slam them all in there in the same category as with the Japanese ones. No racism intended lol. Major plot spoilers ahead... So the movie opens a little slow if I should say so, but when the girls arrived to the house I began to see the effort that was put into the cinematography and the overall atmosphere. But I have to say something here right off the bat: as soon as the girls went inside and met with their aunt or whatever, and the one girl grabbed the other girls wrist and all, that is exactly where I had already figured the plot out. Anybody else thought this was just too obvious? I was just like "oh, she's dead" and whatever, but really it doesn't matter. If the movie is good it doesn’t need to rely on twists. And actually, throughout the movie it did try to change my opinion back, because of some of the directorial decisions, which I thought was pretty smart. But in the end of it all I thought they were the straight up opposite... Because, the way all this is handled is quite poor if I should say so. Now, I do think that I got the most of what was happening, but reading through the IMDb reviews I saw many who had their own idea of what was going down, and some who had no idea, and it really seemed like the director and writer got lost in their own little wicked world. Like if they really just "went for it" and wanted to create as much confusion and questions as possible, but in the end the director just lets too much float unanswered in the air. Not in an “open ending and free interpretation” kind of way, but more just lazy in my opinion. And the ghost elements brought nothing new to the table either; apparently Samantha from The Ring had some time off to come star in this movie as well. The acting was good though, the cinematography really well handled and the actual dialogue seemed well written also. But the story was just one big mess (or at least it ended up like that) and it is a shame since it seemed like a grounded and smaller horror film at first, trying to capture the claustrophobic terror and disturbing and broken relationships between characters and their past. For me the story is simply the key element to a good movie. I just can't help but notice how many flaws it has and how messy it all becomes. It particularly goes miles too far at the end of the film, as far as conclusion goes, where the director just shoves all of what he has left, in there, instead of interweaving it all nicely throughout the film, and in that way build up the tension. I don't want one big draggy epilogue with a bad attempt at concluding the events that happened. It seems lazy to simply deliver it like the director did, and just leave everything to the viewer, eagerly praying that they are blown away to great extent by the "twist(s)" that he will have great success with audience. Nope, doesn't work for me. Sorry. January 18th The General (1926) http://i62.tinypic.com/vq2jw5.jpg I love silent comedy films and Charlie Chapin was what mainly introduced me to silent movies of that era. Buster Keaton on the other hand I knew about, but I had actually never seen a film of his before and therefore The General is my very first introduction to his films and comedic style... and how did I just love it! I would never compare Chaplin and Keaton, since they seem to have a completely different comedic and cinematic vibe. I saw similarities at the beginning of the film, but as it progressed I realized just how different they were. And this film is just so great and feels really ahead of its time. Very big set pieces with the trains and all, but still really grounded as well. It is a great story about love but I liked how he interweaved the war elements in this one and made it both fun and satirical. The comedy is just gold and everlasting as well, I loved all the gags and they were truly inventive. Also, there wasn't a gag just for the sake of jokes, there was a point with it all. Sometimes I thought to myself "well this is a little stupid" but then the point of it all came just after. I will gladly watch this one again someday! January 19th Boyhood (2014)* - http://i57.tinypic.com/14cqsqv.jpg One of my favourite elements about this film is simply the grounded and human feel of it. You can feel the characters and their emotions, you feel the atmosphere, the time period and the human interaction. It is a masterful work and a great accomplishment in cinematic history in my opinion... And since I have reviewed this film before, in a review of which I still stand by, I will simply refer that: so check out my review if you haven't in my Cinema Review thread. January 20th Foxcatcher (2014) + http://i58.tinypic.com/j7qln4.jpg A very interesting real life story about a great tragic. But I really feel like this movie didn't capture much of it. It felt too open and too stiff to actually capture any real emotion. I love a dramatic "slow burner" once in a while, but for that to succeed it needs either a true underlaying layer of terror, or, a great big pay off in the end. This had a little bit of both but not nearly enough. I loved the peformances and with this simplistic approach they all really got to shine. The look and feel of it was good, but again I just felt like it was too distanced from any real emotion or understanding with the characters. Mark Ruffalo was really great in it, Channing Tatum was good, and Steve Carell was very intriguing and disturbing to follow but a lot his performance seemed to work because of the prosthetics. Yes, he needed to play the character very subtle and with inner troubles, and he did that tremendously well, but an Oscar nomination? Really? Carell above Gyllenhaal? I don't think so, damn Academy... |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
I think Steve Carell gives the best performance of the year. I'm not sure how he downplays the character, he's one of the most troubled and genuinely frightening movie villains I can remember in a while.
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
I think I like Keaton more than Chaplin simply because I'm a lot like Keaton in real life, I think. Of course, you're right - they're different and shouldn't be compared. Both rule.
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Originally Posted by Daniel M (Post 1242414)
I think Steve Carell gives the best performance of the year. I'm not sure how he downplays the character, he's one of the most troubled and genuinely frightening movie villains I can remember in a while.
I actually like his peformance a lot but I may seem to talk negative about it simply because of the fact that I feel it's SO overrated. |
Originally Posted by Swan (Post 1242425)
I think I like Keaton more than Chaplin simply because I'm a lot like Keaton in real life
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Originally Posted by Captain Spaulding (Post 1242474)
How so?
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
And there was that time your house fell on you.
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
I'm also a master stuntsman.
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Talking about Buster Keaton, he seriously put himself in danger several times lol. But to great comedic success! :D
What's the best Buster Keaton movie in your(everybody's) opinion? |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Sherlock Jr. gets my vote. Back in the day I might have said Steamboat Bill, Jr. though.
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I still haven't seen a Buster Keaton movie, but I'm planning on seeing Sherlock Jr. soon since seeing it recently in Swan's thread.
I may also try Boyhood this coming weekend. |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
I like The General a lot. It was in my last top 100.
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MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 28 .......................... 25 __________________________ January 21st Toy Story (1995)* http://i.share.pho.to/ca6bc39a_o.jpeg It’s always such a great pleasure to revisit the timeless childhood classics of your youthful years, which will forever be full of joy and amazing memories! But unfortunately, not all of them stand the test of time and growth. Thankfully I can comfortably say, that after watching the first Toy Story and its 1999 sequel at least three or four times in my recent years, they both still hold up as great movies on their own and in this time. I have always been fonder of the second film in the series, but there is no denying that the original is very closely following my favorite entry in the series. It is the one that started it all of course, and the one that has the most down to earth story of them all as well. It is simple, yet so damn effective! It starts off on a high note with the beautiful introduction to the toy world and the following spy mission of the gifts Andy receives on his birthday. After that we are introduced to Buzz for the first time of which is also extremely well handled. The animation is beautiful, the jokes are inventive and spot on, and as I said it just sets up the film in such a great way. You are instantly in this world of commonly inanimate figures, which are now full of heart and soul. The story following it all is surprisingly grounded and close to the heart, with great themes of togetherness, trust, jealously, self-acceptance and more. Everything it touches upon is handled smoothly and expertly without ever moving away from the smaller story it sets out to be. Woody and Buzz ends up out in the big human world but to me it never feels extremely big, but more just… human. Mainly because of the center of the story being the strong bond between Andy and the toys. I will expand on that in the review of the sequel. Furthermore that is what makes the bigger finale work so great. You never really expect it, and man is that one intense and emotionally strong finale. Overall I just adore this film, and it is always so fantastic to go back and revisit it over and over again. __________________________ January 22nd Toy Story 2 (1999)* http://i.share.pho.to/ab041d45_o.jpeg This film is one of the best sequels ever made in my opinion, and therefore it is always odd and kind of sad to hear it mentioned as the weakest of the series by quite a few, here and there. Yes, it is a childhood favorite of mine, and yes, it probably holds some nostalgia, but I don’t see it take away the true qualities of the film. I have tried to revisit some childhood favorites before, which unfortunately ended falling kind of flat, so it is not always a guarantee to love a past favorite. But this film still stands strong with me, no matter how many times I watch it. Since it is quite relevant for this review and the entirety of the actual film, I will simply say it right from the start: what makes the sequel superior to the first one, in my opinion, is that it expands and develops on all aspects of which generated quite a lot of curiosity when seeing the first one. It does it in a natural but quite ambitious way, and to my surprise it manages to keep everything balanced and afloat, without ever breaking from the pressure. It references the original film in fun and inventive ways, but it never carries the entire film, and it has so much that is new and bigger, but it never ruins the core of the actual story. It is bigger and more fun and adventurous, which perhaps makes it great in other ways than the original, so which you prefer is not really that important. I always use this slightly odd comparison with the Alien-franchise, since the grounded and more simplistic original is made bigger, and to some extent better, with the more adventurous and action-filled sequel that also develops greatly on its original atmosphere and ideas… Let’s get back on track, sorry – Right from the fantastic opening sequence with Buzz actually being realized as a true universal galactic hero, which I am sure some were curious about in some way. And we now get to see what “planet Buzz was living on” during the first film and what his past is basically all about when realized. Same goes for Woody, when he is introduced to what kind of character he is, or rather was, and he almost takes on the role that Buzz had in the first one… And in connection to the story, instead of Andy receiving things like he did in the original, he is now giving things away on a yard sale… Woody is kidnapped by this toy collector, which is quite a fine way to expand on the story and universe, since it discusses the opportunity of toys not being meant to be played with, and this creates a whole new perspective on things… The rescue mission executed with Buzz in the lead is fun and quite adventurous, and this is also where I think it manages to go even bigger but with the character-driven atmosphere still intact. In the original, I felt like Buzz and Woody only quickly touches opon the human world, and somehow it also comes across as less big and dangerous. Besides, we are quickly back in the smaller settings again, at Sid’s house. But in the sequel the toys are truly introduced to the great big world and how dangerous and enormous it actually is. Not only thinking of – the amazing road scene, the huge baggage-travel madness, following the even bigger plane chase and rescue scene – but also the fact that a few cheese puffs spread across the floor suddenly seem extremely big and dangerous. There is truly a lot of talent behind this film, making it all seem so enormous, even the everyday stuff. The story touches upon some of the same aspects as the first, but it develops on them and creates new ones as well. It is still about togetherness, trust, and so on, but it is fun to see the tables turned a bit this time, with Woody doubting his entire life and with the film now touching upon self-discovery, abandonment and outgrowing the past. It feels natural and fresh even when it reflects on past ideas used in the original… It is just such a fun, big and adventurous ride, which feels so huge and crazy with all your hopes being fulfilled almost at once… We get experience the backstory of Buzz, Woody and some new characters, as well as being introduced to the evil emperor Zurg, an actual toy store, Buzz meeting “himself”, toy collectors, basically the entire world, and so much more! http://i59.tinypic.com/vqii54.jpg this is me as a kid with my favourite sweater! told you I love this movie! :p __________________________ January 23rd American Sniper (2014) http://i60.tinypic.com/alt79e.jpg Surprisingly not as patriotic or laughably heroic as I thought. The action was fine, but I really wanted to see more of his struggles and personal issues. The scene at the bar for example, why wasn't there more of that? But as we know a lot of topics were left out, some of which may put Chris "The Legend" Kyle in a bad light, and we can't have that for a "True American Hero" now can we? In all seriousness though, it felt like going from point A to point B in a way that was beautifully shot, decently written and really well acted, but it was really missing some edge. Not to sound like a makabre son of a b*tch, but I was eagerly waiting to see the big climax, on how he died in rather unfortunate and unheroic manners. But nope, I guess that's too "unworthy" for him. Felt kind of lame though, to just end with some text on screen. You didn't have to see the actual shot and kill, but maybe just a bit more emotion... especially since I had no emotional connection to the story what so ever. But it was a decent watch overall. __________________________ January 24th Toy Story 3 (2010)* http://i.share.pho.to/a4fc5a99_o.jpeg This is probably the third time watching this, and I must say I have been in doubt for a long time on how to rate this... When it was released it got so much praise and people tend to love it all over the world, even more than the past films. But I just can’t see how you can be a major fan of the two originals and then watching this feeling it is the best one. I can understand it the other way around when experiencing the third one first, but if you really love the series before the third film, this really doesn’t bring much new or interesting stuff to the universe… I will admit of course that it is still a fun time, we are still together with all of our favorite characters, and it is a natural step in a great and fresh direction to let Andy be too old for his toys and going to college. But to me, much of it feels like “been there done that” as far as execution, because the main idea is pretty great and I see what they wanted to do… Already in connection to the very opening of the third film, with the train and all, it just feels like a lesser version of what the previous sequel already did so fantastically with the realistic take in the Buzz opening – and in shorter time too. This felt like going on for too long and trying too hard, though it is not too bad. And the same goes for the backstory of the Lotso, which is slightly different but still seen before and much better, with the backstory of Jessie in the first sequel, and Buzz being evil is also kind of seen in the first sequel, as is many other things. Anyways, back on track again: After the opening, then the montage of Andy playing comes on, and I guess that worked fine, at least it triggered some emotions and nostalgia – a fine way to get to the present situation of our characters. Then Woody has to go save toy(s) again, like he did in the first sequel... But anyways, we end up in Sunny Side and that is when it goes flat. The other two in the series are always moving, but when they are at Sunny Side it kind of stays in this mediocre pace, with mediocre and worn-out references, and mediocre jokes and gags with too many characters at once. The side-story with Woody is pretty great though, and the introduction of Bonny is very well handled, as we see just how great she is to play with her toys and in that way helps making the ending perfect. But to me it isn’t until the movie turns into a prison break mission, that it starts to get interesting. Unfortunately here, and in other places around the film, it relies too much on crazy coincidences and that is kind of a shame. The scene where they go from behind an edge to under a bucket 1 meter away without being spotted, although looked upon the entire time, is a good example of that. But it is pretty fun, though just a shame it all starts an hour into the film… But still it sets up the start of the completely amazing third act, and that is when Toy Story finally feels edgy, ambitious and fresh again! It is so grand, so emotional and so epic that to some people this may make up for what came before it. But I cannot view a movie purely out of content seen in 1/3 of the film, unfortunately. The prison break is pretty fun, the disposal factory scene is amazing, and the actual ending is fitting and almost perfect. But to me it is not a complete film and nostalgia cannot save it… |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
My problem with the third Toy Story is it rehashes a lot of story elements from the second film and overall it's script isn't that great, and yet it gets a Screenplay nomination at the Oscars. That is the definition of overrated.
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Exactly. That is also one of the main points I'm trying to make.
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Originally Posted by MovieMeditation (Post 1244977)
In all seriousness though, it felt like going from point A to point B in a way that was beautifully shot, decently written and really well acted,
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
I actually was hoping all the way through the film that they didn't show Kyle's death at the end, it would have been easy to include that and for it to be a tear jerker for some, but I'm glad they went down the more respectful, subdued route which with the closing credits, seemed just as powerful to me.
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Originally Posted by honeykid (Post 1245019)
Isn't this pretty much every Eastwood directed film? That's neither praise nor criticism from me, just how I see them.
I think it was one of the problems here though, a lot of elements were added in the second half in order to give the story a more straightforward narrative that would make sense to casual viewers, such as giving us a villain. It felt like a movie that was stronger as an idea than actually a cinematic story, but I found it very interesting and well made at the least, even though I'm not sure what to think about the real man. |
Originally Posted by honeykid (Post 1245019)
Isn't this pretty much every Eastwood directed film? That's neither praise nor criticism from me, just how I see them.
Originally Posted by Daniel M (Post 1245020)
I actually was hoping all the way through the film that they didn't show Kyle's death at the end, it would have been easy to include that and for it to be a tear jerker for some, but I'm glad they went down the more respectful, subdued route which with the closing credits, seemed just as powerful to me.
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MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 35 .......................... 31 __________________________ January 25th Zero Day (2003) http://i.share.pho.to/a737b14f_o.jpeg I don't know exactly why I enjoyed this... But honestly, I genuinely thought it was a very interesting look behind the scenes of these awful events and the young minds behind it. Even when knowing that the footage is not real, it is still a provocative and rather interesting social commentary on these events and America in general. Some scenes are indeed inspired by what we knew about the two killers, so it is not just plain dumb and rude fun. Oh, and to those who don’t know and are too lazy to look it up, this film is about the two boys behind the ‘Columbine School Shooting’. In the beginning of the film I thought the acting was pretty awful, which is quite a bad thing when you have a found footage movie on your hands – you need good acting to make it believable. Luckily though, the acting developed over time and became much better, and the characters also evolved into something that was never unbelievably insane, but still you felt their mentally twisted thought process slowly building up throughout the film. It’s a slow movie, and I think you really have to be interested in the shootings to “enjoy” this one, but I did. I think it is a pretty brave execution and definitely a smart and grounded film that keeps building up and gives its audience just the right amount of lies and reality to leave satisfied – or at least with the intended haunting emotion in their brains and guts. __________________________ January 26th Audition (1999) http://i.share.pho.to/e698f95c_o.jpeg Review from the Horror HoF thread Here is another one of those movies I have had laying on my watchlist for a long time, but since it is already filled up with hundreds of movies, I never got around to it. I actually even remember why I put it on there in the first place… I searched for great horror movies and somehow this kept popping up. Obviously I had heard of the director before, and it holds decent ratings with both critics and audiences alike. Now, after finally watching it I must say it was nothing of what I expected. It took many turns in multiple directions and you could never quite predict it, and I liked that aspect of it. The first hour or so is nothing like a horror film. It doesn’t even hint at it, really, and when it gets a little creepy it mostly feel like a mystery thriller. As others have said it has a varied mix-up of genres going from comedy to drama and from thriller to horror… very interesting build-up indeed. It is definitely a slower film but I was never bored with it, and I loved how the characters were fleshed out more in this one (some more than others if you know what I mean lol). But seriously though, I was more invested in the characters than your average horror flick, and it was actually a fun time to go from all the different aspects of it and finally ending up in this big nightmarish world at the end. That brings me to the biggest change-up in the film, which is the “main attraction” so to speak: the actual horror. Miike has really gone for something far out when it comes to constructing the last act of the film. It is a bit confusing, but it leaves you with questions that you want to answer yourself, and there are plenty of different viewpoints to it. Also, the whole build-up with the protagonist loosing his wife and finally beginning to date again, and all the reflections and concern that you consider in the process, really makes for an interesting character-study. It is not as symbolic or tightly scripted as I wanted it to be, but it does the job well. You feel what is going on below the surface and you are pretty interested in all of what is happening. I had heard the words “gross” and “macabre” often mentioned by fans of the movie and those who hated it as well. But I must say it wasn’t that bad at all. I fell upon some random critic describing the well-handled violence in the film as done by “a director who knows just when to cut” so that it stays pretty disturbing and slightly gross, but never downright sickening. And that is very true in my opinion… Overall in relation to the entire film, I wished it had an even tighter story, and that we dived further into the mind of the main characters, as well as all the backstory and general aspect of violence (and the thereto image of violence of which it creates)… but interesting and a fairly good time. I liked it more than I thought I would and less than I hoped I would. __________________________ January 27th WALL·E (2008)* http://i.share.pho.to/235a1f9e_o.jpeg This was a rewatch that was long overdue. I loved this film the first time around, but I felt like there was so much more to experience with this film. It is so ambitious and not the least different in its approach and execution, and I am truly stunned by the final result. The movie looks stunning and Pixar really went in so many brave directions with this one. I honestly think this is Pixar’s greatest achievement yet. I don’t necessarily mean the best or that it is my favorite, but the amount of detail and the choice of subject matter as well as characters… it is simply amazing. Everything. It takes the film about 40 minutes or so until we hear human dialogue for the first time, and it is really a brave choice to rely so much on the impact of its visuals and the gags and emotions happening. That brings me to the marvelous success of making two central characters robots, with very little room for big expressions (you would think). Yet we are moved by them, and feel and understand every little gesture they make. Seriously though, think about it. The robot EVE only has two digital eyes to create like 80% of the emotion, and it works so well throughout the film. Even the visuals are absolutely stunning, and perhaps even the most detailed and cinematic animated Disney-Pixar film as of yet! But again, that is what is going to happen when you study someone as great as Roger Deakins when doing your film – you get success and a beautiful movie, and his signature yellowish look is clear in the beginning of the film. Everything is just great in this one – the detailed and relevant story, the stunning and inventive visuals, the great soundtrack and the amazing and unique characters. It is probably the most adult Pixar to date, but I don’t complain that’s for sure… __________________________ January 28th Bad Boys (1995)* http://i.share.pho.to/9b82ce6a_o.jpeg Here is yet another rewatch, but it wasn’t as pleasant as the one above. Not that it is straight up garbage, though I’m sure many think exactly that, but since I remember wathcing this when I was a younger movie fanatic, it kind of brings back some memories. Well, maybe not this particular entry in the series, but the indeed sequel does, which I will speak upon in my next update tomorrow. I liked ‘Bad Boys’ less this time around, unfortunately. It feels too uncomfortable with what it wants to be and is just all over the place. It feels the most as a buddy cop comedy flick, but sometimes goes for the straight up horrifying drama anyways, and that is quite off-putting to me. It simply doesn’t fit, at least not to that extent and with that execution. Many of the jokes are also driven too far out and the scenes sometimes go on for too long. Most of the time it feels like your typical 90’s action flick all the way from the visuals, to the music, to the characters and so on... I had a pretty fun time, but it is fairly forgettable and ultimately didn’t hold my attention enough of its runtime. __________________________ By the way, if you haven't yet be sure to check out MY FULL REVIEW OF BIRDMAN (2014) http://i61.tinypic.com/wrfexw.jpg |
MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 35 .......................... 31 __________________________ January 29th Up (2009)* http://i.share.pho.to/37694d4c_o.jpeg By this rewatch I think I have seen this flick quite a few times now. And just like WALL·E, it is one of those I really like but still have been in doubt of how to really grasp everything and getting my head around it. Not that it is a complicated film, it really is far from it actually, but I’m just not sure how I feel about it. But by now I’m pretty sure where I stand and this is definitely a great film and I like it just a little bit more every time I watch it. It is so weird when I see certain people comment on whether or not it would be possible to lift a house with balloons, when there is a bunch of talking dogs in the film. And furthermore, they eventually end up flying in freaking airplanes. So how and why do you end up worrying about a freaking house being lifted by some freaking balloons?!? Also, the very core of the movie is also the power and importance of dreams and adventures as well as believing in the unbelievable and so on. It is simply a fun and exciting joy to experience, and although I do agree that it is somewhat better in the beginning, I have begun to like what it develops into more and more every time. Yes that montage in the beginning is stunning and extremely well made, but honestly there is plenty of stuff to enjoy later on, even though it is very different from how the film opens… The visual style is great and fun to look at, the voice acting is amazing and I absolutely love the soundtrack! Simply a great and original Pixar film. __________________________ January 29th Bad Boys II (2003)* - http://i.share.pho.to/cca48dc5_o.jpeg As I mentioned in my review of the first film I have always liked the sequel more… and surprisingly enough I still do. Yes, it is completely mindless fun and there is plenty of Bayhem and offensiveness to enjoy in this one. But I also feel that it is more comfortable with what it is than the first one was. This is more fun, more outrageous, more action-packed and that is exactly how it should be. Critics pretty much sabotaged this film back when it was released, but I think they totally missed the point of it, if you can put it like that. Honestly, I think it was a bit ahead of its time when it was released. Now hear me out, I’m not referring to how great it potentially is, but more of the fact that it was offensive and wrong on so many levels, but critics seemed to hate that expect back then. Nowadays, we see plenty of offensive and outrageous films and critics tend to praise them. Either way I will continue to love this film for what it is… Seriously though, how can you forget what is possibly the best scene in the film – the big and action-packed highway chase scene? Or, who can forget the completely insane and extreme downhill shack-smacking Humvee chase? I think this film is full of fun stuff but on its own terms of course. I also think that it is quite clear that Michael Bay knew exactly what kind of movie he was making and he went all the way with every aspect of the film. I actually enjoy a lot of the shots he pulled off in this one as well, some of which he unfortunately ended up completely overusing in future films. I feel like this is where he aimed the highest before slowly turning to complete sh*t. I know it sort of sounds like I am completely praising the f*ck out of this film, but for what it is I really enjoy it. I don’t care what anybody else think. __________________________ January 30th Nightcrawler (2014)* http://i.share.pho.to/a3a75bea_o.jpeg Once again I don't feel like writing a completely new review for a film I have already seen and review in full... I stand by what I said in my full detailed review, so if you haven't read that one please go check it out in my Cinema Review Thread. I would greatly appreciate it! :) |
It's been a few years but I used to love Bad Boys. I'm not to keen on mixing action and comedy but I think it's one of the best, along with Midnight Run and Beverly Hills Cop. I thought the sequel was just ok.
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
I like Bad Boys more than Bad Boys 2, both are fun movies.
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MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 40 .......................... 35 __________________________ January 31st The Haunting (1963) http://i.share.pho.to/10edf047_o.png Review from the Horror HoF thread This was one of the nominations I was really looking forward to in this Hall of Fame. I have heard of this before quite a few times, and generally it just seemed like my type of horror. I like horror in almost all of its forms, but there is something about the drama-centered and smooth horrors, diving in and out of genre-typical elements without showing too much but undoubtedly making its presence known. This seemed like that type of horror film and it also kind of was. I must admit I expected more from it though, but overall it was a fine watch. The film opened in this weird way that made it seem like the movie was, in some way, one long prologue. I have experienced this only once before, and that was with Citizen Kane. It is like when a movie opens with a decent beginning, but has this voiceover hovering over it like an introduction to story, which oddly enough ends up being present all the way throughout the film. In the beginning I thought it was just a way to introduce this creepy house and all of its unsettling stories and mysteries, but sadly it just kept going. I want to say I actually love voiceovers in film, but here it didn’t work for me. I guess it really didn’t bring much to the story and it wasn’t as interestingly written as it could have been. Also, the main character was pretty boring and quite annoying and I would have preferred the main focus to be on another character or just leave the voiceover out entirely. Overall I quite enjoyed a few things in the film. I especially loved the elements of reality and mystery. Like when the professor constantly tried to figure out what was going on and it led up to some really interesting discussions on the phenomenon of haunted houses, and ghosts and spirits in general. I do think these discussions could have been held together by a tighter story with more control, although I do understand that the supernatural kind of just happens, and you aren’t really suppose to “control” it. But I’m also mostly referring to the fact that the story itself just couldn’t hold my attention and it didn’t build up as well as it could have, and didn’t utilize its characters, setting, atmosphere and ideas as well either. The weirdest thing about this movie, to me, is that it is from 1963. It seriously feels like a film from the 40s or 50s at the latest. My first thought was that it might be intentional to try and capture a certain feel of old school classic horror, but as the movie progressed it kept on feeling too “dated” and low-budget for its own good. I mean, just think of Psycho three years earlier or Rosemary’s Baby five years later. Too hugely acclaimed classics, I know, but still it is only a simple comparison. Both of those films hold up extremely well today and don’t at all feel the same as this movie did. Maybe it just hasn’t aged that well I guess... But as I said, it was often a fun watch and I mostly enjoyed it, but I do think it could have been much better and overall it is just pretty forgettable to me. __________________________ February 1st Sherlock, Jr. (1924) - http://i.share.pho.to/d4b13783_o.jpeg Only my second Buster Keaton movie, the first one being The General, and I loved this almost as much. Well, I actually give this pretty much the same rating but I think I prefer The General just a little more. I think the story is better in the former, but Sherlock Jr. has many of the signature Keaton gags and visual wonders that you just can’t help but being amused by. There is so many inventive stunts, which must have been both tough and dangerous to pull off, and everything just keeps on building on top of the other and I loved that. I must say many of the technical efforts seem quite revolutionary for a film of that date as well. I’m especially thinking of the cinema screen gag with constantly changing backgrounds, or even some of those gags that happen so quick that you can’t even manage to see them all. He is almost like a movie star wizard at times; it must really have been impressive back in its time. I also forgot to mention how awesome the score was back when I reviewed The General, but I can comfortably put it in here, since this film has a score just as great. Many old movies, both silent and sound, often sound the same when it comes to their score. Keaton’s films seem to sound both different and inventive, and they are constantly changing throughout. He really puts effort everywhere possible in his films and the payoff is simply amazing – another lovely film from Buster Keaton! __________________________ February 2nd Cars (2006)* http://i62.tinypic.com/2l460y.jpg I remember watching this way back in the day, right about when it came out I think, and I remember mostly enjoying it. I recall that it wasn’t really up to par with many of the other Pixar films, but still that it was pretty good. But this rewatch really changed my mind… it simply wasn’t good at all. Well, if it hadn’t been for the last 20-30 minutes this would get a rating that was even lower… It was mostly boring, poorly executed and way too cartoonish for the animation we usually see from Pixar. And I’m not talking simplistic or minimalistic, because they pulled that off extraordinarily well with the WALL·E characters, which worked both emotionally and the way that they evolved over time. ‘Cars’ had some decent themes and morals but I don’t think they explored them enough, at least not in the best way, and for being the longest Pixar film to date it really didn’t say much in my opinion. Also, I was just bored most of the time to be honest. The characters are probably the weakest of any Pixar or even Disney movie for that matter. They are so cliché and many of them extremely stereotypical for what they are supposed to represent. You know, there is the hippie, there is the hillbilly, there’s the Mexican and so on... It seems as if they kind of realized how bad an idea it was to make all the characters freaking automobiles, that they then had to turn to overblown stereotypes to get some (forced) variation and recognition into their film. But I wasn’t taken by it. I wasn’t sitting there like “Ohhh I know what they are referring to here! How funny!” It was forced, uninventive and stupid. Movies usually don’t offend me when they do this, and Disney has done it many times before, just not to this extent. It felt so pathetic. Offended might be the wrong word to use here, but I guess the word can mean many things in relation to this so I will just leave it at that… As I said the movie was saved by the last 20-30 minutes, and that is where things finally started to happen and evolve, and while I obviously expect a movie to make introductions and build-ups before turning to a big finale, I just think that everything before the finale was awfully handled. The only Pixar film I still have yet to see is Cars 2 and I’m not looking forward to it at all, as it got a lot of mediocre and bad reviews, while this one actually got a few good ones… oddly enough. Thankfully, Cars is widely known as the weaker Pixar outing so I’m glad I’m not the only one thinking it is a bad film… |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Glad you liked Sherlock dude. :up:
|
MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 43 .......................... 39 __________________________ February 3rd Adam's Apples // Adams Æbler (2005)* http://i.share.pho.to/ab3e2931_o.jpeg I thought about nominating this for the 6th Hall of Fame at one point, before I ultimately decided to not participate. I wanted something unusual, far out and a little strange. Definitely not something that would be too obvious. So I went through Danish cinema, which is why I fell upon this and the one review following this one. It is a great and fun story, but with very dark and Danish-like humor. I have no idea how others would react to this, but I love the film… The movie is an iconic Danish comedy and it was, until recently, acclaimed director and writer Anders Thomas Jensen’s last directed feature (but he is back now after 10 years a new film). He has written many scripts and actually led Susanne Bier to her Oscar with Hævnen, or A Better World, which he wrote. But honestly, he is at his best when he does comedy, especially using his signature style with violence, obscure stories and dark humor. This is no exception. Everything is far out, but still so elegantly controlled. The movie holds many A-list actors and everyone does a great job with their respective characters. I honestly don’t know what to say about this film or how to review it, because it is so different and far out that you just have to see it to believe it. __________________________ February 4th Klown // Klovn: The Movie (2010)* http://i.share.pho.to/4c9767b7_o.jpeg This film develops further upon the Danish sitcom called Klovn, which is sort of a Danish version of Curb Your Enthusiasm, or at least some say it is. I have always loved the series though it didn’t hold its level at its highest all the way through its six seasons. But now with a movie they can do pretty much anything, though they already broke a few boundaries with the television series if you ask me. It is very funny and at times truly cringe-worthy, but I love it and it is surely my type of humor, but if the movie would be as good as the series I wasn’t sure of… Thank God, it is indeed a great follow-up to the series. I think they took the correct approach to the bigger scope of film, and went ahead and kept every little detail intact that made the series great, while also developing on the characters and trying to give fans as much as they could hope for. Most importantly the story is one that can keep a whole movie going, and it touches upon very sensitive subjects and handles them bravely and at times childishly – as expected. But honestly though, this is the most grown-up the show has ever been. The characters are how we know them, but the story this time around actually hides something much deeper underneath the surface. In my opinion, the creators, Casper Christensen and Frank Hvam, understand how to make a funny and outrageous movie in the spirit of the series, and still come out on the other side with a complete and stand-alone film. I would recommend this film to everyone, really, if they dare to experience something a little more far out and explicit than what you usually see in American comedy cinema. You can easily watch this even if you don’t know and have never seen the series, but of course it is a bit funnier when you know the universe and the various celebrity cameos and so on. Cricket, you like outrageous stuff right? I recommend you this then! ;) And everyone else too, because at one point I actually thought about nominating this for the 6th Hall of Fame, partly because I wanted to choose something very unusual. I haven’t got a clue though what people would think of this though, if they saw it haha. I'm doing another update tomorrow with the rest of the films I'm missing... |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
MM, I haven't seen all the movies you've reviewed but I'm digging the thread and I was really jazzed to see The Night Stalker get quite a bit of love, and not just from you. It may be somewhat forgotten now, but I remember seeing the premiere on television and the rave critical
reception it got back then. Someone mentioned The Night Strangler, the sequel, also. Yes, that one was great as well. The series that followed was fun but nowhere near as good or serious. Still, TNS started my appreciation of Darren McGavin. Keep up the good work, MM! |
Originally Posted by MovieMeditation (Post 1252453)
MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 43 .......................... 39 __________________________ February 3rd Adam's Apples // Adams Æbler (2005)* http://i.share.pho.to/ab3e2931_o.jpeg I thought about nominating this for the 6th Hall of Fame at one point, before I ultimately decided to not participate. I wanted something unusual, far out and a little strange. Defiantly not something that would be too obvious. So I went through Danish cinema, which is why I fell upon this and the one review following this one. It is a great and fun story, but with very dark and Danish-like humor. I have no idea how others would react to this, but I love the film… The movie is an iconic Danish comedy and it was, until recently, acclaimed director and writer Anders Thomas Jensen’s last directed feature (but he is back now after 10 years a new film). He has written many scripts and actually led Susanne Bier to her Oscar with Hævnen, or A Better World, which he wrote. But honestly, he is at his best when he does comedy, especially using his signature style with violence, obscure stories and dark humor. This is no exception. Everything is far out, but still so elegantly controlled. The movie holds many A-list actors and everyone does a great job with their respective characters. I honestly don’t know what to say about this film or how to review it, because it is so different and far out that you just have to see it to believe it. |
Originally Posted by MovieGal (Post 1252563)
You know this is one of my favorite comedies.. I hate American comedy films but Danish comedy rocks!! Plus it has Mads in it!! and Ulrich Thomsen, which is amazing actor as well...
Thanks for checking in MG and meditating with me! :up: |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
More great write-ups, MM.
I especially enjoyed reading your Pixar retrospective. Our opinions on those films are very similar. Like you, I haven't been able to muster up the desire to watch Cars 2, which is the only Pixar movie I haven't seen. So far I've only watched three Keaton films: The General, Sherlock Jr. and Steamboat Bill Jr.. I think The General is his greatest technical accomplishment, but Sherlock Jr. is the one I enjoyed the most. I think Bad Boys II is better than the first one, but I'm not a fan of either film. Never heard of Zero Day, but it sounds interesting. I have a morbid curiosity about the subject matter (as I imagine many people do, especially those who were still in school when such shootings became commonplace). If the movie successfully probes the mindsets of the characters, as your write-up seems to suggest, then I'm willing to check it out despite my general dislike for found-footage style films. Just out of curiosity, have you seen Elephant? |
Originally Posted by Captain Spaulding (Post 1252663)
More great write-ups, MM.
I especially enjoyed reading your Pixar retrospective. Our opinions on those films are very similar. Like you, I haven't been able to muster up the desire to watch Cars 2, which is the only Pixar movie I haven't seen. So far I've only watched three Keaton films: The General, Sherlock Jr. and Steamboat Bill Jr.. I think The General is his greatest technical accomplishment, but Sherlock Jr. is the one I enjoyed the most. I think Bad Boys II is better than the first one, but I'm not a fan of either film. Never heard of Zero Day, but it sounds interesting. I have a morbid curiosity about the subject matter (as I imagine many people do, especially those who were still in school when such shootings became commonplace). If the movie successfully probes the mindsets of the characters, as your write-up seems to suggest, then I'm willing to check it out despite my general dislike for found-footage style films. Just out of curiosity, have you seen Elephant? And yeah looks like we have a lot in common, I have also only watched three Keaton's, and that is exactly those mentioned. And I agree with everything you said there. And finally someone who prefer Bad Boys II. I understand if you aren't a fan though, they aren't really masterpieces now are they? :p THANKS FOR MEDITATING! |
MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 43 .......................... 39 __________________________ February 5th Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) - http://i.share.pho.to/74a1f270_o.jpeg This is my third Buster Keaton picture and I have had a tremendous time watching his creative, inventive and hilarious style so far. I really loved The General, which was a fun and adventurous (train) ride of a film, with a great and satirical story centered on war, with the obvious and obligatory love story at its core. Just such a great technical and practical achievement and probably also my favorite Keaton thus far. Then shortly after I watched Sherlock, Jr. – another one, which I was also blown away by. The story wasn’t as tight or well done as it could have been, definitely not as well handled overall as The General, in my opinion, but the visual gags and revolutionary technical achievements were somewhat even better this time around. It was a ride that was even more energetic and full of amazing gags than previously seen. So obviously, I was really pumped for what Steamboat Bill, Jr. had to offer me. But unfortunately, I was rather disappointed with it. Not that it was straight up bad, but it was a lot slower than the other two of his films, and the story itself wasn’t strong enough on its own when the gags were at its minimum. I just didn’t think it was as funny or as touching as what I have seen by Keaton beforehand, and it wasn’t until the impressive final act with the stormy and windy spectacle that I was once again amused and impressed. This film has the classic and memorable falling house gag, but apart from that, and all of the storm sequences there isn’t really a lot to remember this by. It also seems as if Keaton was on autopilot most of the time, although he was still what kept me watching, since the story and the other characters weren’t nearly as strong. The soundtrack was once again great as in every Keaton film I have seen, and there were small hints of greatness here and there in the overall film. When it comes down to it though, it was a rather dull experience to be honest. But I’m definitely up for more Keaton in the future! __________________________ February 6th Taken 3 (2014) http://i.share.pho.to/d89f8b71_o.png The first Taken film I actually enjoyed, and I honestly didn’t mind the second one as much as some did. Although I must admit it has been a long time since I watch either of those films. I love Liam Neeson as an action heroic bad-ass and the image fits him perfectly, and he is one of the few people who could make a TV commercial for “fruity coconut flower power juices”, while wearing a pink skirt and red lipstick, and still make it sound extremely serious, dangerous and not the least believable. He is just that awesome simple as it is... But unfortunately though, this outing in the Taken-franchise couldn’t be saved by anything. Not even Liam Neeson being awesome. And yes, it sucked quite a lot… I did think I would hate it even more than I did, like if my rating isn’t low enough as it is already, but seriously I thought I would give it an absolutely pathetic rating… like half a popcorn or something. Anyways, I did really hate this film though, but I could somewhat sit through it without a too great desire to leave the room. Though it must be said, that the hectic, spontaneous and epileptic editing did make me think twice on several occasions… For example, when Liam Neeson jumps from a window down on a container 10 feet below, and the editors then decide that 5 edits is suitable for such a “two-second scene”. Then you just know it is bad. And when you see Liam Neeson open a door and enter a room, in a setting which is completely calm and forgettable and has nothing to do with anything, but the editors/director also decide to do that scene in 5 edits as well. Then you know it is not only bad, but also really awful. It simply cannot be saved. The story itself is messy, unnecessarily stupid and incoherent, and not the least full of idiotic sequences and laughable directorial decisions – which doesn’t just sucks on their own terms – but also expands from a “story trigger-point”, which is completely and absolute nonsense. There is basically no need for the entire film to even take place, and especially not in the way that it does. The “villain(s)” are pathetic and cliché, and not even Liam Neeson seem to take this film very serious… By the way, I always saw it as a joke by Neeson when he said he would only do another Taken movie “if no one got taken”. He thought something like, “Yes! Now they won’t get me to do another” and out of nowhere comes this crap that has nothing to do with Taken – unless you talk about the money that it pulls out of peoples pockets. But then again, if you actually pay for this film you only have yourself to blame... __________________________ February 7th The Theory of Everything (2014) http://i.share.pho.to/569020c6_o.jpeg There really isn’t much to hate about this film even though not everyone are all that happy with it. You could easily criticize a few elements of the film and its execution, you could also slam the movie for what it simply isn’t, but to me this was a fine film that does exactly what it should do and nothing more. Yes, there was a lot of room for exploring, especially because of the great genius of this man, but the film decided to focus on the more personal life of Stephen Hawking and so be it. I agree it goes from point A to point B without daring to be too different or too experimental, but as I said, you can’t really hate the movie for it. What it does it does fairly well in my opinion, and it is definitely a textbook example of how to make a biopic, but it isn’t offensive or rude against the real life characters of which it portrays and it is beautiful and touching to look at and listen to. It is not overly sentimental either, but of course it does go for the heart and feelings from time to time. And yes, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Eddie Redmayne is absolutely stunning and completely out of this world in his performance as Stephen Hawking. If nothing else does it for you, at least his performance will make the movie worth your time. A great film but not this year’s best, and not a masterpiece by any means either, but enjoyable and well done it definitely is if you ask me. |
MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 50 .......................... 45 __________________________ February 8th Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)* http://i0.wp.com/flippkids.com/wp-co...size=300%2C200 I have been meaning to rewatch this ever since it came out. I did like it the first time around, but my judgment was honestly too clouded by the enormous hype it received at its release. But now I can finally focus more on the details and I think I’m pretty sure where I stand. The opening with how he left earth and how his mother died, and so on, was a bit too clichéd and typical for its genre. But then short after, the amazingly groovy and tone-setting scene came on, with Chris Pratt entering in grand style to put it lightly. It was fun, inventive, original and brave. And most importantly, it sets the mood for the whole movie. The best films are honestly those who know what they are from within the first 10 minutes or so… those who know how to introduce characters and storyline in a “simple” yet extremely effective way. And this film did that. All the way from the music, the title introduction, the action and the wickedness. The film actually holds itself up most of the way through, with plenty of great characters that all receives equally great introductions. The villain(s) are a bit cliché though, and not really interesting, the main storyline is so overused and you know what to expect in the finale but don’t really care. BUT what you do care for is the way there, and how we get there… The characters are so fun to follow, and when accompanied by music and visuals that are spot-on, then you got yourself an entertaining and well-made film. Unfortunately, it does dive straight into the what-you-have-come-to-expect scenario of superhero and action flicks: an ending that blows every smaller and more effective moment out the way, and replaces it (them) with an overload of CGI-crap and completely stupid and shake-your-head-ish scenes. BUT when we land on earth and Pratt does his little dance we kind of know what the movie still wants to be, and what it mostly are, thankfully. Overall this is a solid superhero film that dared to spice things up a bit, and it worked, most of the times tremendously. It is really a lot of fun! Oh, and the 3D is for once amazing for this one… __________________________ February 9th Inherent Vice (2014) N/A http://i.share.pho.to/5a8485d5_o.jpeg Full review for this film is coming up, and will be in my Cinema Review thread soon... __________________________ February 10th Dances with Wolves, Extended (1990) http://i.share.pho.to/39af62de_o.jpeg I’m not sure if I have seen the original cut, but if I have, it is such a long time ago that I don’t remember anything. It is a long movie indeed, clocking in at 3 hours for the original cut, and the extended director’s cut is a whopping 4 hours long – and I had to watch it in one day, or else it wouldn’t count for my one-film-per-day habit, and I did almost in one sitting. And damn was it long… But if I have to be quite honest with you, I was really never what you would call ‘bored’ during the 4 hours, nor do I think it was necessarily ‘dragging’. It is one of those movies where you definitely feel the running time getting to your body and mind, but it doesn’t really hurt the film nor the actual experience you have with it. I thought it was a solid piece of filmmaking from Costner and co. It took some time to get going, but once Costner was at that abandoned house and when the Indians started to come and all that, it really became interesting. It is a great and epic film with plenty of heart and soul, and a decent portrayal of the Indian culture – or just a dying culture in general. I don’t know what more to say, this is a classic film and I personally think it has a deserved spot in the category of great epics. I think it felt kind of like Braveheart in its execution and approach, though I do think that Braveheart is a better film. That's not entirely relevant to this discussion though, so I will just leave it at that. Dances with Wolves is great, and I could see myself watching it again, but next time it will probably be the “short” version, and it won’t be any time soon either. ;) __________________________ February 11th Crank (2006)* http://i.share.pho.to/67d238d5_o.jpeg This is a film where I really feel like I have to justify my rating, because it could easily be dismissed as nonsensical senselessness by others. To many, this is probably just another film that is too stupid for its own good and too much for anyone to care for. There is brains getting blown to pieces in this film indeed, but it is definitely not the directors’ brains – despite of whatever crap film they might have produced beyond this one. ‘Crank’ is one of the best movies of its kind, and here is why… I have always said that the following is one of the most important aspects of a film, and that is more than true in connection to this one - a film has to be comfortable a d proud with what it is. Then, it will most likely succeed. And in no place whatsoever does this film try to be anything but badass. I’m writing this review extremely late, so I will try to keep it short and simple, and hopefully not loose you all, on what I mean by all this… The film is far-out, far-fetched and completely ridiculous, but it does it all in a way, that is both controlled and totally out of control at the same time... It is basically controlled chaos, so to speak. One would probably write this off as nothing but mindless action. But if you pay attention there is so many details in it. Some are thoughtful, others seem just thrown in there… but both work equally as well. It is visual extravaganza of the highest caliber, and when some movies are expertly made in the drama or thriller genre, this is expertly made at being visually impactful and heartpumpingly awesome! The black humor and tongue-in-cheek style is just perfect, and Statham delivers a stunning performance. This film is just great in my opinion, and all of the crazy visual gags and weird scenes honestly just lift the movie for me. I don’t see it as stupid or unnecessary but the exact and complete opposite. I can rewatch this in eternity, it is a milestone in the action genre and the abilities of visual style, editing, picture composition and ****-the-system attitude. This film is badass, just ****ing badass. Simply **** **** **** **** **** awesome, that's how awesome it is! :D __________________________ February 12th Cars 2 (2011) http://i.share.pho.to/033f75c7_o.jpeg This film doesn’t even deserve a review… It is much worse than the first film and pretty much overdo everything of which sucked in the first one; the characters, the stereotypes, the quirkiness and so on... And it makes the classic mistake of making a “famous” side character the main character. Ew. The original is still the worst though, in some way, since it started all this… with a sequel, spin-offs, and countless of shorts and animated shows. This film is just bad, and I can’t believe Pixar has this film in its catalog of an amazingly high standard. This is straight-to-dvd material. And worst of all, it is directed by John Lasseter – the man who brought us the first and original Toy Story, which was also the first Pixar feature film ever. That man is gone now, he has tossed his Hawaiian shirt in the ring and bowed under for the mediocrity and easy escapes… I am already getting ready to hang myself when he comes out with his next film… the fourth Toy Story film, yes he is indeed attached as a director to that one. He can’t see him ever reaching the same highs as he did for the original, I simply can’t. The amazing and talented John Lasseter is gone. Reviews for The Abominable Dr. Phibes and Kramer vs. Kramer coming up tomorrow... |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
More good stuff, MM.
I enjoy watching Liam Neeson enact his "particular set of skills" in Taken, but the sequel was terrible and the third entry looks just as bad. I was unsure about Guardians of the Galaxy when I first saw trailers for it, but everyone seems to love it. I own Dances With Wolves, but I rarely revisit it due to its length. It's a great movie, though. You make me want to give Crank another chance. I disliked it the one and only time I watched it. I actually preferred the sequel, which elevated things to such a ridiculous level that I found myself laughing and having a good time despite myself. I haven't seen Cars 2, but your write-up confirms my preconceptions. I had no idea they were making another Toy Story movie. I'm not happy about that. Even though Toy Story 3 was the weakest of the trilogy, I felt that it was a perfect swan song for the characters. Looking forward to your review for Inherent Vice! |
MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 56 .......................... 50 __________________________ February 12th The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) - http://i.share.pho.to/3f407396_o.jpeg A little too campy and weird for my usual likings, but I do enjoy such things once in a while… Mostly though, I just think the story could have been executed, much better than it was. I liked the way it handled the story of revenge and love for this twisted human being, and I liked the fact that they wanted to interplay it with a crime atmosphere as well. But personally I thought the movie was pretty uneven throughout. Sometimes it was (trying to be) funny, other times it was really serious, and the pacing shifted a bit too much for it all to feel coherent and pleasing. Overall there were too much that didn’t work for me, but the idea of the film was pretty great and some aspects I enjoyed. A shame I didn’t like it more than I did, because it really did have potential to be a classic romantic horror story of its own league… __________________________ February 13th Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) http://i.share.pho.to/9ee21287_o.jpeg There will be spoilers in this review… I have wanted to watch this for so long, especially because of my growing interest of the great Dustin Hoffman, and the fact that it won Best Picture and also because it is a fairly beloved film all over the cinematic world. But to be honest, I feel like I ended up with two movies in my hands; one was decent but clichéd, the other was daring and heartfelt. I had a hard time seeing any form of originality and true greatness in the beginning of this, as everything just felt overdone, typical, too obvious or simply too safely played. We got the father who works too hard and therefore isn’t there for his child nor his wife and the relationship with both of these people. He is suddenly put to the test when he looses his wife, in which he discovers how much he has lost by not being there with his son, while also realizing how bad his relationship was with his wife and how he cannot change that now, though he is now more than ever willing to change, and so on… Not much new there, and not that well executed either. I especially hated the pancake scene, as it felt so forced, but I did see the point and contrast of this scene, when we were introduced to the "same scene" later on, with the same subject and a much more down-toned atmosphere... Anyways, even the courtroom scene didn’t really get to me, nor did I really care for it, or the characters' positions. It wasn't until Hoffman went into the bar and said he had lost the custody of his child, and when he had to tell his son why he must leave to be with his mother instead. The boy was now completely in focus, and his innocence and confusion was clear as ever. That also brings me to the phenomenal performance by the boy in this film. He was so believable in the role and outshined both Hoffman and Streep in my opinion. And please don’t say the classic argument that children of a young age don’t “act” - because that is bullsh*t… Anyways, decent film but the originality and its will to actually be different and go all the way came too late in the film. I was hoping for the film to go on for a longer time than it did, since it just started to be great, but that ending is extremely perfect though. __________________________ February 14th A Few Good Men (1992) - http://i.share.pho.to/13b951ca_o.jpeg I don’t think I have ever watched this though I know how well-known it is, mostly for that classic line which I think I have heard a thousand times… Anyways, this film was pretty good, nothing that amazing but it was acceptable. The writing was extremely great as expected by such a talented writer, and the directing was decent though I couldn’t really feel any “personal fingerprints” that made it his own. The story was, in my opinion, a little too much going from point A to point B, though I do see the point of climbing up the courtroom ladder and finally getting to the “main target” of their case. I love courtroom dramas, but this didn’t really rise to greatness until the last 30 minutes or so. But it is obvious why it became good, since those scenes was what you were waiting for the whole time through. The acting was good, especially from Nicholson but he is always great. The soundtrack I really didn’t like. It felt like something from a horror film, and intentional or not, it just didn’t work for me. Overall this movie is one of those that you watch, you kind of like, and that’s pretty much it… At least that is how I felt. __________________________ February 15th The Tree of Life (2011)* http://i.share.pho.to/5f5999cb_o.jpeg I was really fascinated when I watched this the first time. I liked the way it looked, the overall feel of it, and how it was executed. But still, it kind of felt too hollow, it felt overly ambitious and pretentious, and it just distanced me too much from the film. But this time I knew what were going to happen, I knew what kind of film this was, and this time I was blown away… The easiest way to explain the feeling that it gave me, and in what way others should approach this, is; this is an experience, not a film. And if that doesn’t make sense I will elaborate. This film relies so much on visual storytelling and metaphoric and incoherent storylines. It jumps in time, in space, in life, and it can be hard to get your head around it. I’m not saying you shouldn't make thoughts while watching this, but you shouldn’t try too much to figure it all out at once, you should just let yourself flow weightless into this amazing experience of a film, which touches upon all of your senses at once, and twist them around. This film simply has to be seen with a great screen and great sound system if you want to be fully captivated by it. This time I had the opportunity to turn my sound system way up and watch it on a rather large screen, and I just disappeared into Malick’s beautiful world – or simply, our world. That 20-minute long sequence in which Malick tells the story of how the universe was created, how life came to be and how it evolved; that was one of the best sequences I have ever seen. The music the visuals are set to lifts it all up to a much higher level, and the breathtaking visuals are out of this world. If you really pay attention you can see just how much focus there is on detail and how one frame goes into the next. It is crazy, as is the whole visual aspect of the film, and personally I think it is my personal pick for the most beautiful film ever made. It balances natural lightning, handheld and steady-cam, practical and special effects, long takes and short takes, and so on... Many say the whispering is what really makes this film pretentious, but I don’t think they listen to what is said, or what the point is. Without going into analyze-mode here, the film deals with God and belief, and how and why we are here on this earth, what our purpose is, and I think it is a great way of presenting us with the characters’ thought-process, how they pray, and how they show both trust and distrust toward a higher power… Anyways, if there is anybody who wants to give this film another chance, or have never seen it but really wants to, I can just say this: know that that this film is very visual, very ambitious and very hard to figure out at times – but don’t try to decipher too much, make some thoughts about how a given scene can be interpreted, but just try to let your senses get captured by the perfect blend of music, visuals, framing, editing and so on... Personally, I will continue to love this film for eternity! __________________________ February 16th Alyce Kills (2011) http://i.share.pho.to/5bf5e493_o.jpeg There will be spoilers in this review… I hoped to like this, but I kind of expected not to, so I wasn’t that surprised or let down by the end of it. It pretty much played out how I expected, which was a shallow and empty piece of muddled filmmaking. I thought the development of the main character was extremely poor, and I don’t think the film dived deep enough into her mind, and her reasons for becoming the kind of person that she became. She was weird indeed, but not much more, really, at least not according to the film. That is a weak move in my opinion, to just choose not to actually develop your character or make reasons for her behavior. The story was also pretty much non-existent. It relied mostly on coincident and wherever our main character felt like going and what she felt like doing. I didn’t feel like it progressed greatly enough, or most of what she did felt like an excuse for a bad writing. And those Alice in Wonderland references… seriously? A great idea that could have been fun and could have helped make a great story and, if used properly, it could have helped explain her character more. The way it was handled just felt unnecessary and like a last minute adding to get some laughs or whatever. I liked ONE SCENE quite a lot though, which was the very last scene of the film where she comes through her apartment door, dragging body bags and looking like a complete lunatic, and simply say “what?” That was pretty funny I must admit, and I wish it went more in that direction, honestly, since the story was so poor. If it had been totally over-the-top and completely outrageous and funny, then you would have forgot about the story. |
MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 62 .......................... 56 __________________________ February 17th - 19th The Jackass Movies (2002-2010)* ratings are beneath http://i.share.pho.to/093ed849_o.jpeg Jackass: The Movie (2002)* Basically this is the perfect extended episode of an already entertaining TV show, and it is definitely dumb fun and all, but still enjoyable on its own low standards. It doesn’t try to do much else than what got it famous in the first place, and I respect that. Therefore, fans of the show’s stupidity and home-video-style filmmaking will be pleased, while others better stay far away. It is crude humor, brainless stunts, and childish fun – and personally, I have a great time with it! If you can get past all the overly gross stuff and overplayed idiocy you will have fun with it, but not everybody will enjoy this kind of humor, and that is most definitely understandable. - __________________________ Jackass Number Two (2006)* In an attempt of, verbally, being just as crude and insulting as the show is physically, I will stand comfortably alongside the movie critic who called this “the Godfather Part 2 of tasteless prank films”. This tops the first film in every way, and it is a natural extension of what we already know the Jackass-crew for. It is basically a bunch of Jackasses acting dumb and rude – but with a bigger pile of money! The great thing is, though, that the film never feels overly ambitious or forced, because you never truly feel that the Jackass guys are any less themselves. They don’t give a f*ck if there is a studio depending on them or not, or if people will get even more offended this time around – they are just having fun and the audience are just as entertained! They want to lift the bar, not only for the audience, but for themselves as well. And c’mon, is there any better way than opening your film with a scene of furious bulls chasing the crew down a street – in slow motion – accompanied by Ennio Morricone’s legendary masterpiece ‘Ecstasy of Gold’. And right after that, the audience is introduced to the very first prank of the film, which doesn’t hold anything back! This sequel is just amazing for fans of the series and film, and of crude and dumb fun in general. Everything is just bigger, more rude, more insane, and every bit funnier than the first film. It is the perfect balance between a bigger budget and a stronger film, with more control of the uncontrollable madness – if that even makes sense. It is definitely the best Jackass-film in my opinion! - __________________________ Jackass 3D (2010)* With the third Jackass entry in the film series, this is where things ultimately went downhill. As a fan, it is still nice to see all the guys back again for more insane stuff, but unfortunately, they kind of appear too old to still be fooling around like this. And there is a big sense of forced humor and a much lesser feel of unpredictability throughout the film. While the second Jackass movie had a bigger budget than the first, the Jackass crew was still at their best; having fun and doing whatever they wanted. In this film, it is like they used more time setting things up instead of just doing it. Most of that comes from the decision of doing the film in 3D, carrying around heavy equipment, and the “point and shoot”-factor got a bit lost. Also because of their fame, they had to do almost the entire film on closed sets, away from fans and other interested individuals, which lead to a sense of dullness and emptiness when filming. The atmosphere really gets lost when there isn’t people around them shouting and having a laugh. Instead we get a few one-punch jokes, which then quickly gets laughed to the ground in a manner that feels so forced it could very well be a sitcom. There is some really great laughs to be found in Jackass 3D, and a good sense of nostalgia that especially stands strong at the end credits. It does, at times, feel like a nice ending to the Jackasses that some of us have enjoyed following since day one, but as a stand-alone film, there just isn’t enough to make this a fantastic farewell… On the other hand, the “leftover footage” found in the accompany piece, Jackass 3.5, is actually a much better film that is much truer to the vision of Jackass. Back again is the feel of home video shooting and fun and stupidity, though, you can’t help but feel like they are definitely too old and worn out to pull this one home in grand style. - __________________________ February 20th Crank 2: High Voltage (2009)* http://i.share.pho.to/15beee09_o.jpeg I got encouaged to give this one another chance, after The Good Spaulding said he enjoyed the sequel more than the first film, and also because the reviews, surprisingly, wasn't that bad. As you probably saw earlier in the thread, I am a huge fan of the original, and I think it does all that it aims to do to absolute perfection! But that film was a "lucky bullseye", as the film really shouldn't have worked as great as it did. The directors felt like they had control of much more than you would think, and although some things seemed thrown in there for whatever reason, much of it felt smart and witty... The sequel, however, is just one big stupid mess. You physically get a headache from the even shakier shaky-cam and the even quicker quick-cuts. It is basically the actual execution that I hate, because I really don't mind the idea of this follow-up. We know how dumb and far-out the first one took us, so obvious I'm all ready for Chev Chellios with a artificial heart that needs to be electrocuted once in a while. That is a great way of keeping the same adrenaline-fueled style of the first film. But unfortunately it is all so chaotic. They wanted to up every element of the first but gets completely lost in their own mess. I didn't love the first one just because it was stupid and over-the-top, and the directors seem to think that was the only reason the first film worked. They even duplicate many of the same scenes of the first film, and just makes them dumber and more insane. I'd rather want to just see the first film then, instead of a copycat like this. Statham is still awesome, and the first 15-20 minutes are not bad, but it just goes downhill from every minute... And the soundtrack is awful as well, and that is also one of the main reasons for that headache I was talking about. Anyways, it is a shame this is so bad compared to the first. I will never grow to like this, but at least I gave it another shot. __________________________ February 20th The Fast and the Furious (2001)* - http://i.share.pho.to/262bed4b_o.jpeg My rating for this film is pretty high considering the fact that it is just a dumb and reckless car wreck in many people's eyes. But I read a few critics stating that this is "a film that shouldn't work as great as it does" and that is extremely true. It isn't really because it brings anything all that new to the table, neither is it too special in any other area. But what it wins us over with, in my opinion, is what also drives the entire Fast-franchis: family. And with countless of rewatches and being the first film in a seven-part franchise, seeing the characters meet and bond is very nostalgic, but still well-handled even fore a first-time watcher. It has always been family, friendship and overall togetherness that has driven this franchise... With this rewatch, I was honestly surprised over how good the dialogue was. I know, I know, that doesn't sound right considering which kind of movie this is, but when you think about it, it is a perfect portrayal of a group of people with gasoline in the veins and a heart as strong as a V8. Many of their dialogues and life understanding pours from the overall concept of racing and winning and loosing. If you can look deeper into a film like this, it actually is much greater than what it appears to be. It is flashy and straight forward when it wants to be, but it can easily shift down to a much more calmer pace that even suits the movie surprisingly well. This film just gets better and better with each viewing for me. __________________________ February 21st Fargo (1996)* + http://i.share.pho.to/de46f026_o.jpeg I know that this may seem like a low rating for some, and I know how respected this film is. But I can calm you all down by saying, that this received an even lower score from me the first time around. I had no idea what to expect, and all of what it tried to be kind of failed with me. I was really annoyed by the constant outbreaks of "yah" and the very very dark humor that at times seemed too dark for its own good. It was like it tried to be funny, but it didn't work at all... This time though, I liked it a lot more. I knew what to expect now, and I wasn't at all annoyed by the humor. In fact, there were a lot of jokes I didn't even catch the first time around, which hit me perfectly this time around. The humor is still, at times, very dark and sometimes I am doubting myself on whether or not I should laugh. But overall this is great; I love the atmosphere and especially the soundtrack is fitting and really amazing. Pretty much all the characters are smartly written and have their own unique presentation, so to speak. This is the type of film I can see myself falling in love with more and more as I watch it. It is mainly the atmosphere that you fall in love with, and therefore the rewatches will be a very pleasant revisit back at the crazy spectacle happening in Fargo. __________________________ February 22nd Big Hero 6 (2014) http://i.share.pho.to/6c9c04ae_o.jpeg I really thought I'd hate this, considering the fact that I have heard a lot of negative stuff about it - mainly that it was too action-orientated, and too cliché... But every single Disney film as of late has dealt with a lot of the same subjects, and so does movies in general. What worked here for me, was simply that it was your typical Disney flick, but one that was a whole lot of fun. I like the approach to the story and the themes as well - even if they have been seen before. The plot wasn't the best, but the characters were pretty fun - especially Baymax! That robot is simply the best thing about this flick! And together with Disney's signature emotional touch this is a great film and a whole lot of fun! __________________________ February 23rd 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)* http://i.share.pho.to/29e9cad9_o.jpeg Unfortunately, for all the praise I gave the first film in the franchise, this does the exact opposite and isn't at all comfortable being "just a racing film". This dives right into the clichés that the first one elegantly drove past, and ends up being your typical buddy-comedy action film with a "plot" centering around money and with a stupid villain. Furthermore, this entry in the series is all too flashy for its own good, looking like a rap music video a lot of the time. The first one had a slight rap soundtrack and stuff, but this is just a straight up hood movie with cars. Not to be racist, but it is clear to see that the director is black. The dialogue, which I just sort of praised in the first one, is absolutely cringe-worhy in this. So stupid and stiff that it hurts the ears. The only good thing is the chemistry between the characters of Paul Walker and Tyrese Gibson. When you can accept this movie for what it wants to be, then you can have a fairly good time with those two characters. But the plot is definitely pushed to the side in favor of flashy visuals, rap music, over the top action, and cliché tension and characters. It is average entertainment at best. __________________________ February 24th Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)* http://i.share.pho.to/bb8db2aa_o.jpeg This was a film that I somehow of knew I would completely fall in love with on a second viewing, but still, this film surprised me even more than what I could have hoped for and it could easily end up being an all time favourite of mine. The Coen brothers are very much hit or miss for me... 'No Country for Old Men', for example, is one of my aboslute favourite films of all time - as many of you probably already know - while 'O Brother Where Are Thou' is a film that I have never been able to get through, even considering the fact that it is shot beautifully and has great actors in it. But The Coens are a lot about a certain atmosphere in their films, which is probably why I love some and hate others; either you like the spend time in the atmosphere and specific world that they are creating, or maybe you just want to get out of there... But with this film, that specific element of atmosphere was a winner for me. I love the gloomy and greyish visuals combined with the amazing folk song soundtrack. The story is very down to earth but it has a lot more to it than what meets the eye (for example the thing about the cat). It is a fun film to study, a great film to listen to, and overall it is just an amazing joy to experience this period in time, perfectly executed by the Coen brothers. I'm already looking forward to a third watch! |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
If I'd had to watch that ****, I'd be lazy too. :D:p Though maybe that's why you watched it?
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Originally Posted by MovieMeditation (Post 1261369)
Jackass: The Movie (2002)*
Jackass Number Two (2006)* - The Fast and the Furious (2001)* - Fargo (1996)* + |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
I'd give The Abominable Dr. Phibes half a popcorn more, but your thoughts mostly echo my own.
I don't think Kramer vs. Kramer would've felt clichéd to you back in 1979. Of course, I wasn't around back then, so I can't say for sure. From what I've heard, though, Kramer vs. Kramer was one of the first movies to break ground when it came to role reversals between mother and father. Even if its cultural importance no longer stands out, the film worked on an emotional level for me just due to the excellent performances. It's a shame you felt so distanced from it. With the exception of a few classics (12 Angry Men, Anatomy of a Murder, To Kill a Mockingbird), I don't typically like courtroom dramas. For a Few Good Men is certainly well made, but it's not something I've ever had the desire to revisit. On a side note, my friends and I used to prank call people using a soundboard consisting solely of Nicholson's quotes from the film. Good times. :D If I had never seen a Malick film, I might really dig The Tree of Life, but it contains all the annoyingly pretentious traits that I've come to dread about his films. Cricket and I seem to share similar taste when it comes to horror films, so I was planning on watching Alyce Kills based on his recommendation, but all the reactions in the Horror Hall of Fame made me put it on the back burner for the time being. Hearing that the film doesn't really justify the MC's downward spiral turned me off a bit. I also roll my eyes now anytime a film alludes to Alice in Wonderland, which is turning into a cliché of its own. It's hard for me to rate the Jackass movies, but they're certainly entertaining in their own way and I'm amazed at the pain tolerance those guys display. I'm glad that you went back and added write-ups, because I was going to ask you about the low rating for Crank 2, which surprised me since you love the first one so much. Considering that I disliked the first one and really enjoyed the sequel, though, maybe our differing opinions aren't surprising after all. What appeals to me about the sequel is what you despise about it. Basically, I viewed Crank 2 as an action-comedy; it's a live-action cartoon that feeds on violence and insanity. I still get amused thinking about the random Godzilla-style showdown. I wouldn't rate it more than , so it's not like it's a great film or anything, but I thought it was very entertaining. I've never been that interested in cars or racing, so The Fast and the Furious franchise never appealed to me. I've seen some of the films, but they've all blended together in my memory. Fargo is a movie I desperately want to re-visit. I haven't seen it in many years. I thought it was okay, albeit overrated, the first time I watched it, but my taste in movies has evolved since then. I've become a big fan of the Coen Brothers over the years, so I think I'd appreciate the film's humor much more now than I did when I was younger. The Fargo television series is brilliant and highly recommended. I was surprised that Big Hero 6 took home the Oscar. I'm looking forward to watching it. Inside Llewyn Davis was one of my favorite movies of 2013. I saw you finished up the nominations for the Horror Hall of Fame, but you haven't posted your thoughts on Nosferatu the Vampyre yet (unless I missed it), so I'm really curious to see if you liked it or not. Oh, and :up: for your Whiplash review. |
Wow that's a hell of a write-up there Spaulding! Thanks for wanting to discuss and talk about the film and our opinions. :)
I just want to say that YES I did think about the fact that Kramer vs. Kramer probably broke more ground for a movie of its time than it did for me today. I still stand by what I said though, and I like the film still, just with mixed feelings. And don't worry, my next update will contain thoughs on Nosferatu the Vampyre. I thought I would wait and do a few movies in one update, therefore I have yet to post my opinion on it. Soon... :p |
MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 70 .......................... 64 __________________________ February 25th Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) + http://i.share.pho.to/94b2fb4a_o.jpeg Review from the Horror HoF thread Okay, here is a review that has been long overdue, so I'm sorry if I don't cover every single aspect of the film in great detail. I remember all of what I liked and didn't like about it, thankfully, but obviously it doesn't shine as bright in my head as it did back when I had just watched it. Anyways... I have been looking forward to this one a lot. My plan was to watch the original first, since I still haven't watched that, but unfortunately my copy f*cked with me and I wasn't able to watch it, and therefore I chose to just go straight ahead with Herzog's version. Already by the opening minutes we know exacty what kind of movie this is - well, in some way, at least. We got the hand-held low budget freaky kind of atmosphere, as well as the music and the overall style. The film looks and feels older than it is, and that is only a positive thing in my opinion. It adds to the atmosphere and the respect of the original as well. The hand-held simplistic style worked great at times, and other times I was a bit annoyed by it. Personally I think it was a rather weird mix to have such big beautiful landscapes and set pieces, and not choose a style in respect of that. On the other hand, I see where they were going though, and for the most part, I liked it. In the bigger picture, it was only more effective to stay grounded and simplistic, so you could get completely captured by it, instead of during a lot of big broad shots from up high and from a distance. That would only distance us from the film, and ruin the close and claustrophic atmosphere that it had just build up, and all the soulless, cold and lonely elements. Also, the music was great; or perhaps I should say the absence of it. Because in the soundscape as well, it also aims at a more minimalistic and effective approach. I must admit I really loved this aspect of it. It is daring, original, and truly effective. Even when something big and frightening was happening, Herzog left the actors and the atmosphere alone with the responsebility, so to speak. And together with the many long takes, as an audience, we get to dwell in the specific scenes and get truly captured by what is going on. The acting was, of course, great, as was the story. Overall I really liked this one. Although a little slow at times, which was totally intentional, I was really entertained for the most part. It felt classic as well as fresh and original. A very unique piece of cinema right there... __________________________ February 26th The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)* http://i.share.pho.to/d85eff70_o.jpeg Okay, so after the first sequel removed Vin Diesel and the rest of the recognizable cast except for Paul Walker, this third outing in the Fast-franchise took out every single character and pretty much made a spin-off movie. Honestly though, I have no problem with the concept of going in a completely different direction, but when you hire a guy like Lucas Black as your main character then you are pretty much doomed from the start. I have rewatched this many times now, and I think I’m pretty sure where I stand now. This film is pretty forgettable and uneven overall, but let’s get all the good stuff out first: I like the theme of drifting and the setting of Tokyo, as well as the character of Han. That is pretty much it… The script is bad, the way the story develops is typical and uninteresting, many of the characters are extremely flat and those who aren’t are just cliché, a lot of the story and characters are made unbelievable right from the start, and Lucas Black is playing a 17 year old looking like a 30 year old man child... Damn, that was a lot of bad stuff right there. Anyways, what the film sort of gets right is many of its action parts. It is well filmed and fascinatingly set up. I particularly enjoy the part where they are drifting in and out of traffic, the final head-to-head battle, as well as some of the scenes in the very first race between our main character and “DK”, the Drift King. And although the tension and excitement kind of raises towards the finale, it is still pretty dull overall, and this will now be the second sequel in the series, to look really damn bad compared to the first film. __________________________ February 27th John Wick (2014) http://i.share.pho.to/0a24ffae_o.jpeg I said to myself I would make these couple of updates a bit shorter, but when you love to just write stuff out and talk about movies, it tends to get a bit lengthy and detailed. Not that it is a problem, but it does take more time than it should. :p Anyways, I will try to shorten things down… (edit: after finishing writing out all the updates of today, it looks like I didn't quite succeed. Well f*ck it then lol) John Wick, a film I have been looking forward to but was mostly disappointed with. The story was weak and the characters extremely flat. I prayed for a bit more backstory and development even considering the specific action subgenre it aims to reach. I have heard a lot of praise for the atypical directing, which is said to be very well handled and anti-Hollywood. I partly agree. It is nice to see less editing and more flow to the action scenes, but I still think the choreography could have been better and more creative. The villain(s) were weak as well and there were plotlines left hanging, and overall the movie felt like an excuse for action, but not cool enough to stand on its own, or dumb enough to cover for its implausibility. Honestly, I also think the movie felt like a straight to dvd thing – one of the better of those maybe – but still you could clearly see they were amateur directors… I especially noticed a lot of focus problems and weird framing/editing at times. A disappointment overall. __________________________ February 28th Ivan's Childhood (1962) http://i.share.pho.to/ffbcba37_o.jpeg My second Tarkovsky and I’m still not captured by his films. I have to get some things straight before this review, so you don’t go straight ahead and bash me for my rating and comments on the film and director. Tarkovsky is very unconventional and obviously I’m not going to jump straight in with both feet and love everything from the get go. Not that I don’t wish to, but it is simply impossible. There is so much going on, and I have to figure out for myself where the genius is and what he is trying to do with his film – most importantly, I need to get captured by his personal and very unique style. It will probably take a while, but some day I will hopefully get there… As of right now, and in relation to this film, I’m not convinced. The film was beautiful to look at, despite of its subject matter of course, and I liked elements of it here and there. I’m still on the fence of what he really wants to say with each of his films, but I guess it is because they hold so much that I will need one or more viewings to dive properly into them. I left with the same feeling as with ‘The Sacrifice’; that I had just watched a fine film, but I couldn’t pinpoint anything or really make sense of it. He throws out questions but it is not always easy to see the answer, and I feel like most of his themes are pretty clear, while their respective answers and definitive directions seem clouded. I still look forward to my next Tarkovsky though, and he is definitely an interesting director. But as with directors who go this far away from what you find natural and comfortable, you often ask the question, “is this pretentious ambitious and hollow crap, or is this creative deep and thought provoking brilliance?” I hope to find out for myself some day. Whether it is the former or the latter that I resign with. __________________________ March 1st Fast & Furious (2009)* - http://i.share.pho.to/a6a44084_o.jpeg Finally we are back to form... The entire memorable cast from the first movie is now back, and this film further defines what the series has ended up becoming at this point. It is something, which I don’t mind at all, since the main theme of family and togetherness still stand strong, as well as a car-orientated plot. I have always been a sucker for inventive and crazy action movies as well as a badass macho approach – as long as said movie is comfortable being what it is, and this film certainly is. Why this installment doesn’t get as much praise and love as the fifth in the franchise is largely because this seems to be made for hardcore fans of the series. I don’t say others won’t enjoy it, but the references of past films are endless, and the bond between these characters is really strong if you have followed them all since way back when. I actually noticed that there were references to each and every installment that came before it. The opening hijacking pays homage to the first film, the villain who sets up a race to get good drivers is a not to the second film, while I noticed some drifting and subplots that pointed towards the third film. Apart from that there is of course plenty of one-liners and little details to find, which is great fun for a fan. It is obviously hard to me to comment on this from a non-fan point of view, but looking past every reference and all characters’ past lives, this is still a solid yet overly implausible action film. If you like over the top action and especially if you like cars, this should still be a pretty decent watch. After all this is where the franchise begun to leave all the racing and stuff, which is only natural since I cannot see this franchise going past more than one sequel with plots centered on racing, money betting, small family troubles and so on… |
MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 77 .......................... 70 __________________________ March 2nd The Apartment (1960) http://i.share.pho.to/2c3f293d_o.jpeg Once again, I admittedly waited a little too long before I finally sat down to write up this review. But given that I’m quite busy at the moment there really isn’t another way to do it, and I simply won’t let my thread die because of it! :p Anyways, this is obviously a movie I have been wanting to watch for a long time, especially ever since I saw ‘Sunset Blvd’, and it has been on my watchlist for forever. First off, this does feel like your typical Billy Wilder film on many aspects. It has a great and original script with well-written dialogue, and a decent and thoughtful structure to it. Unfortunately for me, I just wasn’t really that captured by what was going on most of the time. I didn’t really care for any of the characters nor did I care for the actual story much. I mean I kind of liked the idea of it, I sort of liked the execution and it is quite clear to see all the professionalism behind the film, but still; I just wasn’t into it much. Basically it was one of those experiences where I kind of enjoyed the film, but there wasn’t much that stood out to me, other than it was a good film overall and that it was well made. Definitely a solid piece of filmmaking I just wished I liked it more. Maybe a rewatch will do wonders, some day... __________________________ March 3rd The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) - http://i.share.pho.to/b9d3ecf8_o.jpeg Here is another film that I kind of left with a disappointed feeling. A lot of the story, its message, and the characters felt forced and unrealistic at times, which kind of threw me off. I guess back in the day they didn’t make stories that were too complicated, and if they ended up being a little too much for the general audience, they often explained a whole lot so nobody was left in the dark. Unfortunately that just adds to one of the reasons why this film doesn’t quite hold up today. I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m completely bashing the film, but it just felt like it was trying too hard at times, or that it simply went in the easiest direction possible. I have to say; James Stewart is probably one of my favorite actors of all time, and yet I felt like he wasn’t at his strongest here. Mostly it was John Wayne and his character I loved to follow, and he was a hell of a lot more interesting than Jimmy’s character. The soundtrack though was great in this one, the visuals were pretty decent, but what I really couldn’t get past was the fact, that the film often looked so obviously false. Often you could clearly see that it was an indoor stage they had used, and that kind of bugged me and took me out of the movie at times, though not a huge deal. It was a decent film overall, but I left disappointed. I’m probably a little generous with the rating here, considering the fact that I liked it less by the sound of it, than what my rating suggest – I just hope I will like it more next time. __________________________ March 4th Fast Five (2011)* - http://i.share.pho.to/bdffd5a0_o.jpeg Now, here’s a movie that I would undoubtedly enjoy to the fullest! It is no other than the fifth film in the Fast-franchise, and believe it or not, this is where the series hit its high mark. Soon after the series slowly left all the street racing and smalltime family problems, it has now moved on to become a nitro-fueled franchise racing in fifth gear all the way through, and ending enormously with an absolute highlight for the series! And yes, there are still plenty of slick cars and beautiful women to enjoy, as well as a few fun references to past films for those who miss that from the old days. But for newcomers this is not as overstuffed with nostalgia as the fourth film in the series was. And also, this is clearly where the Fast-series finally departed completely from its past self, turning to bigger missions and more ambitious scales than previously seen. The action set pieces seen in this fifth entry is breathtakingly awesome, and easily the best and most memorable collection of car-carnage and explosive macho-attitudes. I love everything going from the train heist, to the running scene in Rio, all the way up to the crowning work of this franchise: the vault heist. If you can get past the fact that it isn’t even possible to drag a vault of this size and weight and that physics and reality is generally being shat on, this is an awesome piece of adrenaline-pumping big scale madness! Also, it is not only my favorite action set piece in the series, but also one of my favorite action scenes of all time to be honest… After a few rewatches now, the film does drag a bit in the middle, when the crew is just stuck in this warehouse trying to figure out their next movie, but thankfully it ends perfectly on a grand scale as you have come to expect from this franchise. Overall just an awesome action film. __________________________ March 5th Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) http://i.share.pho.to/fea7a34c_o.png Well, I just came home from a visit at a great sushi restaurant and was both oddly and fittingly in the mood for a movie about sushi. Usually I’m not a big fan of sushi but the quality sushi that they served where I visited kind of changed my mind, and I suddenly became a bit interested in the story behind good sushi. Furthermore, this documentary was on netflix and I felt lazy on top of that, so this was an easy press of a button and I was good to go… This documentary feels a lot like meditative experience rather than a true documentary in the sense of explanation and a heavy subject. I’m not saying documentaries should be as described, but this just had so little to it that I didn’t leave thinking I had just learned something in any way. I liked it, but I wish that they had dived deeper into either the story behind sushi from ocean to plate, or the story of the man behind the famous Japanese sushi restaurant. It went a little bit in both directions, but it kind of just stayed at the surface of it all, thinking the audience would be pleased only being fed with philosophical life lessons and beautiful images of sushi being prepared. There just wasn’t enough to this documentary in my opinion, but it was still enjoyable on its own level. |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Just had a quick look in your thread for now, but I'll have a proper look later on. Toy Story 3 ????. I thought it was the strongest in the trilogy.
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Originally Posted by Optimus (Post 1268593)
Just had a quick look in your thread for now, but I'll have a proper look later on. Toy Story 3 ????. I thought it was the strongest in the trilogy.
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Yeah I watched them in order of release. But lately I've watched all 3 of them about 50 times each and that's not an exaggeration. My 3 year old boy loves them, and there on from morning till night on repeat every day haha. In my opinion Toy Story 1 is the weakest. It's still a fantastic movie, but not as good as it's sequels. I thought the trilogy just got stronger as it went on.
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Yeah it's cool man, a lot of people prefer the third film to the others. What I'm really worried about though, is that fourth film with the romantic comedy aspect and all. Now THAT'S frightening! :D
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I have mixed feelings about a fourth movie. The Toy Story trilogy is one of the best trilogy's ever made. It was all tied up nicely in the third movie so a fourth might feel out of place. Or maybe it could work and be just as good as the rest. I mean I love the little mini movies that have been released, there still fun. Have you seen Partysaurus Rex?.
https://vimeo.com/67093161 |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Thankfully the fourth one isn't going to be a continuation of the trilogy, but I still wish they would just leave these characters and this universe alone. At least feature-film-wise.
And no, I have yet to see any of the Toy Story shorts. Don't know why but I just never got around to them. |
MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 79 .......................... 72 __________________________ March 5th Thank You for Smoking (2005) http://i61.tinypic.com/2a8583d.jpg This was a fun satirical piece of filmmaking with some good performances all around... I must admit I actually hoped for more from this one, but it kind of pulled it home towards the end. At times it was like it wasn’t sure if it should go all-in with the jokes and satirical references, but when it did it sure worked great. This was definitely my type of movie, only a lesser version of it though, but there were quite a few great moments in it. I have seen this “type” of film done before and better, but I have always had a soft heart for wacky voiceovers and hilarious or frightening character studies. Thank you for “Thank you for Smoking”, Jason Reitman, it is a fine film indeed… __________________________ March 6th Fast & Furious 6 (2013)* + http://media.giphy.com/media/xTiTnev...Dj2w/giphy.gif Finally we are at the last part of this binge watching up until the premiere of ‘Furious 7’ on April 2nd. And well, this franchise has only gotten more insane and over-the-top as it moved forward, and this definitely ups the stakes of the fifth one by quite some miles. That doesn’t mean that it is necessarily better though, because I still stand by the fact that the fifth film was probably the high point of the franchise, even considering the fact that this definitely isn’t a bad follow-up. I enjoy the continuation of the story in this, and it is a relief to finally tie up the loose ends that from the oddball in the series, that is ‘Tokyo Drift’. The script for these films are still stiff and forced and at times even cringe worthy to listen to, but that only shows the director has his priorities straight – this is an action film in every sense of the word. And I love many of the action scenes in the film, though they aren’t as great of a combo as the ones in ‘Fast Five’. Here, it all gets a little more ridiculous to be honest, and in my opinion, there is a difference between ridiculous and over the top. My favorite action moment in this entry is definitely the “Dom and Letty mid-air catch” even if it is on the verge of being ridiculous. I just think it is so far out and yet so well done that I kind of surrender to it. Also, it is a quick scene so it is not like it is being dragged out and torn apart by itself. You just see it and go “wow” and then it gone. That isn’t quite the case though, when it comes to the end with the plane and stuff. That is when the film kind of moves into being completely ridiculous even for this franchise… It all feels so rushed and in-your-face that you just can’t quite enjoy it all as much – and it is dragged too far. It is still fun in some way, but this is where the film kind of went on autopilot and just kept driving upwards without any form of control what so ever. Yes, I really do think that the director, Justin Lin, has had some kind of control throughout his time directing this franchise, but this is the first time I feel like he kind of lost control of all the “vehicular warfare” that he has created. But I still can’t deny how fun it is to watch these films, and I love all the characters a whole lot by now. By the way, R.I.P. to an amazing person, Paul Walker; I will look forward to the last ‘Fast’-movie with you in it… __________________________ March 7th The Graduate (1967) http://i61.tinypic.com/6s4aic.jpg As I said back when I was just about to watch it: this is probably one of the biggest movies that I have had on my watchlist for ages without ever actually watching Dustin Hoffman is an amazing actor, so that obviously had me interested enough on its own, but also the fact that I have seen so many classic scenes from the film by now I feel like I already know and love it before even watching it. And I was kind of right, because I absolutely loved this film... It is not perfect, but there is many groundbreaking things about it and it sort of holds a good balance between controlled and lively filmmaking. What I mean is, that the film hasn’t got a problem being smart and witty while also pulling of some interesting and inventive shots and frame-compositions. I think the story it wanted to tell was extremely interesting though quite obvious at times, but overall you just have such a fun time with it that you don’t care whether or not it departures from what it set out to be – or that it wants to have more fun than what it should be “allowed to”. This already stands as one of my new favorite films, I think, and I can’t wait to watch it again some time. __________________________ March 8th Primer (2004) - http://i59.tinypic.com/2yzg3dz.jpg I like complicated films, as long as they are well structured in some way, or have a purpose or meaning that are obvious enough for you to be interested in the outcome. For me, this film seemed to make up its purpose as it went along, and you often struggled to make sense of it all, as there really wasn’t any room for breathing throughout. It is a very low budget film and that fact is almost too obvious. I appreciate how they managed to make it for such a low amount of money and cast, but still it kind restricted itself that way. Therefore it was a very mixed bag of opinions that I had with this film when it ended, because I liked some elements of it but overall I just wasn’t interested enough with it.... +1 for the effort though. ;) __________________________ March 9th The Imitation Game (2014) http://i62.tinypic.com/w8l55y.jpg This is the definition of Oscar-bait if you ask me. A historical piece of filmmaking about a real-life genius who experiences problems in his life, which are all told quite obvious or in a melodramatic way, but still manages to succeed in life in some way and become famous later on so this type of movie can be made. I honestly don’t feel like writing much about this film, it is just forgettable and following a typical kind of structure that you have become tired of with time… Benedict Cumberbatch was good but not amazing in my opinion, and the writing seriously won an Oscar? Well, okay then… |
MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 84 .......................... 76 __________________________ March 10th Inherent Vice (2014)* N/A http://i62.tinypic.com/1qg3ev.jpg Even though I’m totally busy lately, I still feel like giving y’all a full review of this film. One of the main reasons that I want to post it is, that I have given many positive reviews by now, but not a single bad or mediocre one. And since I wasn’t exactly blown away by Anderson’s newest film, I thought this was the review that could separate itself from the crowd. And yet, I still haven’t started on the review… Although, I do have the Danish version done and published and just need to get around the English version. I can’t promise anything, but I hope to begin writing it very soon… __________________________ March 11th Batman Returns (1992) http://i60.tinypic.com/2e5krxh.jpg I might have seen this one as a kid but I really don’t remember anything from it; except for maybe the villains… So, since I kind of enjoyed Burton’s first take on the Batman universe, even though I didn’t exactly love it, I thought I had to give this sequel a look – especially because it seems like a highly regarded sequel and there is even some who think it is actually better than the first. It got to be said though, that even if I enjoyed the first one, it was mainly because of the always-great Jack Nicholson and his performance, as well as an atmosphere that was typical Burton but definitely more on his darker side. Also, it was minimalistic yet effective and Burton had his signature style clear from the beginning but except for when The Joker was around, it was never overly silly or going all costume-crazy... With ‘Batman Returns’, however, it seems as if Burton gained full control over the project and was allowed to mess around with it as much as he wanted to. And oh my God how did I hate this film! I read many reviews stating this film brought back nostalgia to them; well, I didn’t see it as a kid so this was the weirdest piece of filmmaking in a long time… Yes, it’s definitely clear to see who directed it, but to me it felt like Burton on some heavy drugs or something. And the atmosphere was so clunky and weird that sometimes blood would squirt all over the place, and in the next scene penguins were wearing bombs on their back to supposedly comedic effect. What the freaking hell? And considering the clear evidence of A-list actors, they all seemed so distant in the film, like if they didn’t know what to do either, or how they should approach their character and which tone to go for. And seriously, how can anyone love DeVito in this? Even considering the campiness of this flick. I have never seen someone overact more than him playing this role. I always wondered how the hell the Batman-franchise ended up like it did in ‘Batman Forever’, and maybe more importantly, how it ended up being George Clooney with Bat-nipples and a bunch of oversaturated set-pieces and more overacting actors in the God-awful ‘Batman & Robin’. Looks like this sequel was the answer, because I really had a hard time looking from Burton’s Batman from 1989 to Schumacher’s Batman in 1995, only 6 years later... Anyways, to end the discussion, ‘Returns’ was a clumsy, campy, weird, senseless, annoying, pessimistic piece of pathetic filmmaking – at least in my opinion – and I know there is people out there who love the film, but it seems pretty certain that I will never ever grow to love this in my life. __________________________ March 12th The Kid with a Bike (2011) http://i57.tinypic.com/2agpyyw.jpg This is my fourth Dardenne-film I think, and this brotherly directing-duo definitely knows how to make genuinely good films, using their very own unique style of filmmaking. Their signature style leans towards a special kind of subgenre that I really enjoy, and if I had to describe it, I would call it a humanistic and super-realistic take on the modern world and society’s many problems. All their films seem very distinctive and following a certain simplistic style that perhaps would bore the crap out of you in the hands of other directors. Somehow The Dardennes just lift so much life out of the most simple and grounded scenes, and somehow the result always feels fresh. And this film was certainly no exception, and I really loved it as well. The thing is though, that it is weird how The Dardennes can take even the smallest of things and make something big and interesting out of it. And they also do that extremely well in ‘The Kid with a Bike’… The only real problem I have with their films is that the message and meaning of which they try to push forward, is often pushed way too hard, and you are left thinking “okay, I totally get what you want to say here just move on already!” Not that it annoys me as much as it may seem, but there is no doubt that what drives their story forward towards a climax is not something that original. On the other hand, all the scenes of which the story consists of, are always original and interesting, and therefore carry their explicit message home, in an implicit and not the least elegant way. All of their films often consist of long takes, hand-held camera and a minimal use off-screen sound. All of this works to great effect, and helps make all the important things shine even brighter. That means that every single actor gets to shine, every scene takes its time, and every location seem even dirtier and more unpleasant, than if we had the mood of the film forced-fed to us with happy or sad music. In some way all of their films look and feel the same, and yet I find myself wanting to watch every second of it all the while feeling like this is the most original The Dardennes have ever been. I definitely need to watch all the films I’m missing from their filmography! __________________________ March 13th Top Five (2014) http://i61.tinypic.com/2h5oe3o.jpg Comedies are generally a hit and miss for me, but I guess that is how it is for pretty much everybody, since humor is an individual thing and not everything will make us laugh as much as the next person. If I have to break it down easy, then British humor is almost never a miss for me, and American humor is rarely something that hits the spot. I will say that there are exceptions though; like ‘Superbad’, ‘Pineapple Express’ and ‘22 Jump Street’. But although I like those mentioned, they still “suffer” from the same stuff all American comedies do: vulgar and silly humor. But actually, it is kind of unfair to mention all that in this particular review, since it wasn’t nearly as bad in this one. But I will say, that what I simply didn’t enjoy about ‘Top Five’ was mainly the silly and vulgar stuff, so I guess it is relevant after all... Overall, it was as if the movie did have a great story somewhere in all the mess, but it didn’t get to really shine, nor did Chris Rock dare to go too much in that direction. There was a glimpse or two of something a bit heavier and a bit more well handled, but unfortunately the silly and stupid stuff tried to take home all the easy points, instead of being a bit more edgy. In the first ten minutes of the film, I honestly thought this film was going to evolve into something really amazing. It seemed to be directed nicely with a lot of room for the actors to breath, as well as deliver their dialogue and tell their jokes properly. And then, it suddenly turned into everything I hoped it wouldn’t be – raunchy humor, silly jokes and stuff we have seen a thousand times before. I kind of get that it tried to make fun of a lot of what is wrong with today’s comedies and celebrities and so on, as well as Chris Rock trying to take a few shots at himself on the way. But I really do wish that he had gone deeper than what he did, because he did have the right recipe just not the correct ingredients. |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Batman Returns is damn fine. The best of either Batman franchise. Also, I love De Vito in it and Chris Walken's great, too. :p:D
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
What happened to the awesomeness of Michelle Pfeiffer? Never have been a fan of the Dardennes, the masters of the camera that walks behind their actors. :)
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Originally Posted by honeykid (Post 1272439)
Batman Returns is damn fine. The best of either Batman franchise. Also, I love De Vito in it and Chris Walken's great, too. :p:D
Originally Posted by mark f (Post 1272471)
What happened to the awesomeness of Michelle Pfeiffer? Never have been a fan of the Dardennes, the masters of the camera that walks behind their actors. :)
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Originally Posted by mark f (Post 1272471)
Never have been a fan of the Dardennes, the masters of the camera that walks behind their actors. :)
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Originally Posted by MovieMeditation (Post 1272479)
And how can you seriously think it is the best of either franchise!? Oh yeah... you are honeykid. It all makes sense now :D
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Never seen the one from '66 so can't tell anything in relation to that. I'll maybe check it out some day though. But it looks like you enjoy the campiness of it, which was what mainly threw me off - though I do like camp once in a while...
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
The camp is Batman. You can't take that crap seriously.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whgBnumr3QQ Batman as it's meant to be. :D |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Damn. I sure have to see that! Camp-overload you just can't go wrong here! This is camp or go-home! 100% freshly brewed camp! I actually think I'll watch it very soon no kidding! ;)
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MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 88 .......................... 80 __________________________ March 14th The Dark Knight (2008)* http://i62.tinypic.com/2e3zfye.jpg "If you're good at something, never do it for free." Movie Commentary with Swan & rauldc14 I really love this movie a whole lot, but somehow I feel like it is definitely debatable, even between me and myself, whether I should really throw this that perfect rating or maybe just take it down a notch. But if I have to be honest, for all of what the film is trying to do it succeeds extraordinarily well, and there are plenty of amazing aspects that have the potential to completely overshadow every single possible flaw of this film. It is a powerhouse tour de force of a film, slowly changing into complete madness and chaos – but without ever loosing its edge or its down-pulled control. The movie balances on a fine line between blockbuster and drama material, and it never turns into your typical overbloated blockbuster mess, which is what I really love about it. Basically, it is a dramatic crime thriller disguised as a superhero blockbuster, and it is fantastic just how bravely Nolan executed his vision without ever thinking he had to make a certain kind of film to please the studio and/or audiences. If you really think about it, the amount of action this film has is truly at a minimum, and even the big climatic closing is not your typical overbloated and explosive computer generated mess that we are used to these days. It is something a lot closer to the core and spirit of the story and what it sets out to be. And there is really no need for me to praise the hell out of Heath Ledger here, because we all know just how damn great that performance is, but we shouldn’t forget that the character is actually well-written also – even considering the fact that the strong side of the Nolan brothers has never been with the scriptwriting and general dialogues; something that, to me, seems to have turned far worse over time… For a film that supposedly revolves around the theme of “chaos”, it has a surprisingly high amount of control and focus to it, with a lot of attention paid to even the smallest of things. The amount of cringe-worthy dialogue is thankfully at a minimum and the script actually has plenty of great quotable lines that I have come to love over time… FAVORITE SCENE // The Interrogation Scene __________________________ March 15th Escape from L.A. (1996) - http://i61.tinypic.com/2nitv2w.jpg "Welcome to the human race." I’m not a huge fan of the first but I do really enjoy it, and the character of Snake Plissken is fun and interesting to watch and follow. But when I heard the sequel was supposedly just a lesser and almost retold version of the first one, I was already kind of let down. And not only that, but it was supposed to be extremely cheesy and campy as well, which many people saw as a negative factor about it. So yeah, it should be clear by now that I went into this with pretty low expectations to put it nicely, but still I was kind of looking forward to watch it. And honestly it wasn’t even as bad as I thought it would be, and I generally enjoy it quite a bit – especially for its campiness and silliness. It is also clear that the film doesn’t want to be anything but a fun ride, with a few hints of social commentary and satire here and there only to lift the campiness even higher. It isn’t a great movie, by no means, but for a rainy Sunday it works just enough to be worth it although I will probably just stick with the original. FAVORITE SCENE // Hollywood Plastic Surgery Scene __________________________ March 16th I Origins (2014) http://i60.tinypic.com/2qw1puo.jpg "What would you do, if something spiritual disproved your scientific beliefs?" I like films that deal with the unexplained in a scientific way, leaving its audience in a sort of convinced and thought provoked state, which ultimately helps making the story all the more intense and frightening. It doesn’t even has to be a subject that exists, which is then developed further on for the purpose of the movie; it can even be something that has never been dealt with but is being discussed on a fun and philosophical level. I just love to watch those kinds of movies. ‘I Origins’ has a first half that many prefer, but I honestly like the second half more. I understand that if you want a sort of try-hard love story with a little science then that may be the reason for the love, but with the second half they finally started to discuss what they set out to discuss. Of course this is also where the movie leaves its “safe zone” and begin to take it further than what some people may be comfortable with, but honestly it does it in a great and not too edgy way. Personally I wished that they had gone even deeper than they did, but generally it was still a pretty fun and interesting film to follow. And don’t get me wrong, I like good character development and a story that is set up right, but to me it simply went on too long with a story too thin to handle an hour or so of “surface love”. I wished they had cooked it down to 20-30 more intense and focused minutes, and then used the rest to keep on diving deeper into all the theories and such. In the end it just feels like only a small percentage of the story has been dealt with, and that is a shame. But overall an enjoyable and very interesting film. FAVORITE SCENE // Girl in the Crowd Scene & Elevator 1 and 2 Scene __________________________ March 16th Interstellar (2014)* critical // entertaining - http://i57.tinypic.com/294jmt1.jpg "We used to look up at the sky and wonder at our place in the stars, now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt." EXTENDED REVIEW This movie disappointed me greatly when I first watched it, and I guess that is mainly because of my hopes that all the ambition of the project was to be realized. Especially because I know that Nolan can take your typical blockbuster and make something far more out of it, even considering the fact that he seems to have lost his way by now. Still I hoped that somehow this could bring back the Nolan I once knew, and give me something that could live up to the ambition of the project… But unfortunately, what I got was a boring and totally stretched out 40-minute opening, with not nearly enough character development or even a sense of a story that is actually moving towards a point, which would make the 40 minutes of nothing worth it. It is stiff, uninteresting and overall a poor attempt at making us care for these individuals and understand their characters. Anyways, when you get past those 40 minutes, what you get is a collective mess of people discussing semi-scientific plot points in an overly scientific way, often complicating even the simplest of sentences, and walking around in the dark even more so than the audiences do. Many times it felt like the movie wanted to be way smarter than it actually was, and because of its heavy themes it wanted to have a equally heavy script. But because most of the film is just people looking in the dark for answers they don’t even know if exists, it ends up being so extremely boring for the viewer to follow – or at least try to follow. The film is loaded with overwriting and overstuffed apathy and it seems as if the movie isn’t even sure what it wants to do. There isn’t really enough interesting stuff to keep the movie going by itself either, and it feels like it kind of stays on this level between the edgy and the all-too-comfortable, and it doesn’t at all dare to go all the way until maybe the final act of the film... But when we finally get there, it actually begin to become interesting, because here Nolan finally explores the theories instead of just talking about them, and also plays with own ideas, wich somewhat succeeds, although still holding some of the same clichés and stupidities a blockbuster usually has. But even for all of its ambition and science it is mostly a fun popcorn movie, which I think was what mainly took me out of the film the first time I watched it. I expected more from the story, something that was only semi-realized in the last act, and I was already quite disappointed by then. There is no denying that the movie generally looks great visually, though Nolan seems to rush his direction more than usual, perhaps because he doesn’t want to distract his audience from what he thinks is a very heavy and strong script. But I was really missing some signature camera work from Nolan, because I honestly think he felt so anonymous on that department. The soundtrack and general sound mixing and editing was amazing though (except for the problems already raised by many) and really completed the experience for me – again, a very fun time on the surface of it all. The actors assembled in this film are all of great talent, but that doesn’t mean you will get great acting. I don’t think I have ever seen a movie with such great talent wasted, neither do I think McConaughey was right for the lead role. I like him as an actor, but I think because of his raising popularity he just got asked to do pretty much everything – and this just wasn’t fit for him, at least in my opinion… And also, every actor seemed to deliver a performance on autopilot, and I don’t really know if that was because of the script or their own commitment to the film – probably the former, since they most likely had no idea of what kind of character they had to play, in such a muddled and overly ambitious script. And yes, the script really is overly ambitious, and I know there are people out there who will say something along the lines of “you are just too stupid to understand the film.” I’m not calling myself superior in the intelligence department, but this really isn’t as deep and complicated as it wants to be. Yes, it is very possible that all the theories, physics and math make total sense in their respective areas, but that doesn’t make a great film on its own. The science should help drive the actual story of the actual script forward, instead of driving it to the ground and overcomplicating everything. The science aspect simply doesn’t fool me one bit, I don’t want a movie that sounds smart I want it to actually be smart. I don’t care for a movie discussing theories on a correct level if it doesn’t try to prove or disprove them. Why raise a bunch of theories if you aren’t going to do nothing but let it float there in mid-air? What is even more fun about that is, when Nolan finally reaches his last act, he actually leaves most of what he set up beforehand, by finally delivering his vision and ideas and develop further himself. And that is also why we as an audience have so much fun in the end, because we are finally watching a movie and not a documentary of some sort. I don’t understand why he purposely want to leave his audience in the dark for so long, other than he wants the movie to be “smart and scientific”, and when it comes down to it he doesn’t at all want to make a scientific movie. Because the overall film and its story, is just a big bloated blockbuster disguised as a science film, and everything from the central story, its characters, the visuals and the soundtrack makes that aspect quite clear. Only the script is in doubt of whether it should be wise or fun, and the result is an average script where someone accidently spilled the content of a science book onto it and added a little love and a little sentimentality here and there for impact-value… ‘Interstellar’ is an ambitious film with great and interesting ideas but it is simply executed so badly that, on every other level than entertainment, it fails. So if I had to rate it on that kind of level, I would give it a very low grade, but thankfully, on a second watch, I was able to see past all that and just enjoy it for the overall entertainment value, good visuals and a great soundtrack – and that made me like it a whole lot more, and if I continue to view this as pure entertainment I probably won’t mind watching it again some day. FAVORITE SCENE // Spinning Endurance Scene & Journey and Fall to 5th Dimension Scene __________________________ |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Really like your thoughts on The Dark Knight. It used to be one of my favourite movies ever. I still love it, but I've seen it that many times that it's effect has wore of a little.
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Originally Posted by Optimus (Post 1275834)
Really like your thoughts on The Dark Knight. It used to be one of my favourite movies ever. I still love it, but I've seen it that many times that it's effect has wore of a little.
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MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 93 .......................... 84 __________________________ March 17th Bambi (1942)* DISNEY CLASSIC no.5 http://oi62.tinypic.com/219wj9f.jpg "Man was in the forest." This is one of those Disney films that I’m fairly sure I haven’t watched since childhood, but it is certainly a film that I have wanted to revisit time and time again. I even bought the film on Blu-ray, but still it just remained on my shelf, unopened and unwatched. Anyways, suddenly I ran into some time-consuming problems and I was desperately in need of a shorter film to watch – and finally, with a runtime of only 70-minutes, ‘Bambi’ was the perfect choice of the day! And my God, why in the hell haven’t I revisited this until now... I remember, as a child, that throughout the film there was a beautiful controlled atmosphere present, with an unmatchable combination of music and visuals, which simply seemed to go perfectly in hand with each other. Though, as a child it was quite obvious that I only noticed all this vaguely, mainly because of my natural senses being triggered by the present emotion on screen, and not because I was a 5-year-old movie expert or anything. Now, however, I’m able to dive into every little detail of it, and just by referring to the beautifully handled opening scene with the forest slowly waking up and coming to life, it is simply amazing what they have achieved with this film. And with a perfect mixture of classic old-school Disney and a more mature style of animation and storytelling, I think this film succeeds on so many levels. Honestly, the film could be titled anything from ‘The Life of the Forest’ to the ‘The Course of Nature’, and it would still be surprisingly fitting for the themes and general approach of the film. The reason I’m not awarding it with a higher score, is because of a few mishaps here and there, mainly when the movie goes “full Disney”, talking about love and such in a very silly and forced way. I know that Disney always insists on a comic relief in their films, whether it is just a single character or an entire scene, but this time I just thought a certain kind of silliness didn’t fit in with the rest of the film. I enjoyed Bambi’s amusing and uplifting encounters with frozen water, snow and other animals of the forest, but all this was kept on a fitting minimum for the purpose of the film and its story. Anyways, minor complains aside, this is a beautifully told and not the least beautifully animated film about heavy themes – and even for the golden age of a more edgy and unsettling kind of Disney – it is mostly using lighter settings and characters to stay away from total and absolute dread and depression. :p FAVORITE SCENE // The Opening Scene & The Ending Scene __________________________ March 18th Superbad (2007)* - http://oi57.tinypic.com/245zgqb.jpg "I am McLovin." As I have said before, comedies are very much a hit or miss for me more than anything else, mainly because it all depends on the humor, the jokes, the actual approach and so many other things. But one specific element, which is more important than anything else when you are dealing with a comedy, is the sense of confidence and comfort with being what it is and doing what it does. If the jokes and humor that the film wants to reach and handle successfully are all delivered in an uncertain and forced way, it simply won’t work… Thankfully, even considering the fact that this is a comedy in the spirit of America’s signature raunchy and rather childish comical approach, it actually succeeds surprisingly well in my opinion, and that is probably because of the same exact statement I mentioned above – it knows what it is doing and it is immensely proud of it. It doesn’t hold anything back when it comes to the jokes and general comical settings, but somehow it pulls it all off in grand style. First of all, I think it is because of the fact that the setting and main plot of the movie knows where it has to take its jokes to be taken “seriously” in the comedy world, and secondly the film somehow manages to be really well-written considering the fact that it contains a “****” or “sh*t” or “d*ck” in pretty much every single line. And even though I’m totally aware that the following is a minor underlying element of the film, I really enjoy the more dramatic undertone about friendship and general youthful high school life. And I know it is unusual to discuss such things in a comedy, but the characters of the film are actually a little more complex than what meets the eye. Not that we got a deep character study on our hands here, but every detail about our main characters have been thought about and played around with to such an extent, that it actually creates some fun minor elements that may or may not be noticeable, but when you do notice them it makes the film a whole lot better. I must admit that this film has lost a bit of steam now when I have gotten older, and also because I am watching even more movies than back then, but I can’t deny that it is a well made comedy of its subgenre and style, and a rare success in my eyes. I really love British humor, but the American humor is, most of the times, too silly and over the top for me to enjoy. I need something more, apart from the jokes, which of course have to be well written and well delivered on their own, and ‘Superbad’ seems to bring me just that. Together with last years ‘22 Jump Street’ I have found hope in the fact that good American comedies still exist and resurface from time to time, while movies like ‘This is the End’ and ‘The Interview’ are examples of the genre at its worse in my opinion… FAVORITE SCENE // The Fake ID Scene __________________________ March 19th Winter Sleep (2014) + http://oi62.tinypic.com/20ppvtc.jpg "“Not seeing a man for what he is, idolizing him like a god, and then being mad at him because he's not a god. Do you think that is fair?”" I have held back from watching this film ever since it was widely released to audiences across the world, and I even considered reviewing it myself when it was offered to me on the page I do reviews for. But in the end I chose to skip it at the cinemas, and perhaps you are asking yourself why I did that, if it was a movie I really wanted to see and could do so for free. Well, the shortest answer to that question is: it is freaking 3 hours and 16 minutes long. So, as an audience, do you at all feel the extensive minutes when you are watching the film, and does the running time slow the movie down in any way? Yes and no to both questions, actually. I don’t think it comes as a shock to anyone that I did acknowledge the long runtime of the film when watching it, but I will say, even considering the dramatic slow-burner that it is, you really don’t feel its extensive length in a torturing way at all. Once you are captured by it, you invest yourself enough in the story to see the minutes fly by surprisingly fast, in the company of some very lengthy and thoughtful discussions about relationships, work, beliefs, and pretty much anything in the world that you could think of. I must admit, I thought this was going to be some very long and boring 3 hours when I was watching the first hour of the film, but suddenly it somehow went deeper into specifics of the story and the characters as well, and this was also more emotionally driven than the confused and hectic first hour. If you can see yourself enjoying long discussions, which are of course executed perfectly on pretty much all levels of filmmaking, then this film should definitely be worth a watch for you. It looks great visually, rather breathtaking at times, and I love how the story evolves and constantly progresses throughout. And even for the long running time it gives you plenty of food for thought to fill up the runtime all over again. There may not be much going on, on the outside, but there is a hell of a lot going on, on the inside. But I do wish an hour or maybe just half an hour was cut out, because 3 hours and 16 minutes is admittedly a bit too long; even considering that it generally works great. But for all its greatness it really does test your patience and your butt-cheeks, as said by some reviewer, and although that is a rather amusing statement, it is also very true… FAVORITE SCENE // First Lengthy Discussion Scene __________________________ |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
I really need to give Superbad a second chance. I feel like the only person that thought it was a below average comedy.
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Great reviews, I really like Superbad as well.
Have you seen Tropic Thunder? |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Oh yes I have, and I love it as well!
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Originally Posted by seanc (Post 1275903)
I really need to give Superbad a second chance. I feel like the only person that thought it was a below average comedy.
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Even though your ratings for both films are respectable, I'm disappointed that you felt a disconnect with The Apartment and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Those are two favorites of mine, especially The Apartment, which is firmly entrenched in my top ten.
I don't think I could be less interested in Jiro Dreams of Sushi. I've seen Thank You For Smoking, but don't remember much about it except not particularly caring for it. Glancing over Eckhart's filmography, I seem to dislike almost everything he's been in. Dude's a very dull actor, in my opinion. Your tepid response to The Apartment is similar to my response to The Graduate: liked it, didn't love it; respected it more than I enjoyed it. I've only seen it once, though, and that was several years ago, so I'm definitely going to revisit it before submitting my 60's list. When it comes to confusing, mind-puzzle type of films like Primer, I seem to prefer them with either a heavy dose of surrealism or a tint of schizophrenia. Primer, on the other hand, just seemed too drab and clinical. I imagine the film appeals to people who solve complicated math equations for fun. I was bored to death by it. Carruth's followup, Upstream Color, was more interesting and boasted some great visuals, but I still felt that same level of detachment. I know Swan's a big fan of both films, but his mind is broken. :p I expect my reaction to The Imitation Game to mirror your own. Batman is my favorite superhero film, so I've seen it dozens and dozens of times, but as a kid I never cared as much for Returns, so I'm much less familiar with it. I haven't watched Returns in ages, although I actually own the DVD now. I'm looking forward to watching it sometime soon and seeing how I respond to it as an adult. If anything, I expect to like it a lot more now than I did back then, especially considering how much I miss camp in this new era of gritty, overly serious superhero films. I haven't seen or heard of The Kid with a Bike. The "vulgar, silly" humor you complain about in American comedies is my bread and butter (because I'm a god damn patriot!), so some of the aspects that turned you off from Top Five are likely to appeal to me. Even though I enjoy Chris Rock's stand-up, though, I rarely find him funny on screen. I'm not in a rush to watch Top Five, but I'll rent it somewhere down the road. I feel like a hater when it comes to The Dark Knight, but only because I get so annoyed with all the "OMG GREATEST FILM OF ALL TIME!" declarations. I think the first two-thirds of the film is excellent, but I've always felt that it loses its momentum after the climactic showdown in the street between Batman and The Joker. If I'm watching it on TV or something, I usually turn the channel after The Joker's escape, since the movie is all downhill from there. Not a fan of Escape From New York, so I've never bothered with Escape From L.A. I Origins is on my watch list. The middling reviews don't leave me hopeful, even though I enjoyed Another Earth. I regret not making a point to watch Interstellar while it was still in theaters. Your review and your rating seem out of sync. I love your write-up for Bambi. It was always my favorite of the classic Walt Disney films. I also love your write-up for Superbad. I've seen the movie so many times by now that it's started to lose its luster a little bit, but I still think it's one of the best, most quotable comedies of the 2000's. I'm happy that the movie is good enough to transcend your typical dislike for raunchiness. I had never heard of Winter Sleep until recently when Lucas or someone wrote about it on here. If I remember correctly, he said the same thing you did about the length, but was still impressed enough with the film to give it a good rating. I'll add it to my watch list. |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Another great write-up Spaulding! Thanks for finally being able to do some meditation with me. :D
I only want to point out you response to my Interstellar review, because I know what you mean, but I thought I made it clear why I rated it as I did. Anyways, if I had to rate Interstellar for the scientific movie it wants to be, I'll probably rate it as low as , but if I had to rate it like your typical blockbuster action flick it would score like I rated it back there. The reason why my review is so much more about why I think it is a bad film is, that I haven't really wrote my thought about that movie anywhere, and in as great a length as I did here. Despite being entertained the second time, Interstellar is one of my most "hated" movies of all time. What I mean by that is I hate all the praise it gets from people, and I wanted to make sure to point out every single flaw which bothered me with this film... So, I guess my review was more in general than actually covering my rewatch of it only. Hope you see my point. So yeah, the review and rating are actually kind of two different opinions on the same film, and I see how stupid it might look now. |
MovieMeditation presents... HIS FILM DIARY 2015 total movie count ........... current day count 102 .......................... 92 __________________________ March 20th Alien (1979)* + http://i57.tinypic.com/30a8l02.jpg "What kind of thing? I need a clear definition." One of the greatest and most inventive sci-fi horror films ever put to the screen. It starts off slow and secretive with a grand and detailed showcase of the various halls and rooms of this rather enormous spaceship, which is made to appear like a very small and tight-spaced claustrophobic place. The pacing is key to this film in my opinion, and how the film builds itself up is almost perfection, and I love how audiences are left in the dark for a long period of time only to get everything thrown at your face when you are least expecting it. The effects, the soundtrack and the visuals are all fantastic, and together with the acting this is a powerhouse of a film. The last 30 minutes are crazy intense and a rather surprising level of excitement and scale, since you wouldn’t expect that the film would reach such highs if you compare this to the very first minutes of the film. This is definitely a film I never get tired of rewatching and it has plenty of iconic scenes and exciting moments to make everything worth it every single time. FAVORITE SCENE // The Chest-Burst Scene, Tight Air Tunnel Scene & Ending Scene __________________________ March 20th The New World, Extended (2005)* http://i59.tinypic.com/2m5jgpk.jpg "Love... shall we deny it when it visits us... shall we not take what we are given?.." If you are the kind of person who doesn’t love how Malick usually dwells in beautiful imagery for too long, then you would probably appreciate a shorter version of the film, but personally I’m definitely a fan of Terrence Malick as a director and as a true visionary, so I don’t mind. I hate how pretentiousness has almost become synonymous with his signature style of filmmaking, because I think some people just don’t want to look further into his works than on the outer shell of it all. It is a shame in my opinion, because although he sometimes aims too high, he is mainly a master at storytelling through nothing but pictures and sound. He understands that filmmaking is a free medium, which doesn’t have to be approached in any particular way. The best way to describe Terrence Malick is that he makes pictorial poems. If you envision filmmaking is written material, then a novel would be your typical film, while Malick would make poems instead. A novel follows a story with a plot while poems are more thought provoking material made to discuss certain themes of messages, which is exactly what Malick does with his films. Anyways, The New World is a great and humanistic love story and furthermore a great and authentic view into the life of a completely different culture. I love how Malick portrays both of these elements, and overall it is also a good depiction of the story of Pocahontas. And yes this is the extended version and yes it is long and challenging to watch, but in the end it is all worth it in my opinion. FAVORITE SCENE // The Learning Between Cultures Scenes & Battle Scene __________________________ March 21st Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004) http://i57.tinypic.com/2mevcbc.jpg "Welcome to rehab, baby." The first one was a major surprise for me, and it worked as an extremely refreshing and inventive twist on some generally old and tired werewolf flicks from the past. This was a lot of fun and crosses in and out between many genres and styles, but without ever loosing steam or becoming boring or stupid. I was actually surprised of how well the whole theme was handled and how certain and confident it was when delivering it. With this sequel, however, it doesn’t use this theme or style anymore, which is actually fine since it would be tiring. Honestly though, I can’t see why the first one needed a sequel… The sequel is just your typical werewolf flick and a boring one at that. I really didn’t like much about this one; I thought the story was stupid, uninteresting and poorly put together. The sequel is still called ‘Ginger Snaps’ but ginger is nowhere to be seen except in ghostly and hauntingly presentations. I still want to see the second sequel, but my expectations are truly lowered and I guess that can only benefit the film. FAVORITE SCENE // none. __________________________ March 22nd Aliens (1986)* http://i59.tinypic.com/343ohkw.jpg "Get away from her you bitch!" I had the extreme pleasure of rewatching this on the big screen due to a special classic event being held at my preferred cinema. I really must say it was a great experience, especially because I have always seen this sequel as my favorite in the franchise and because it is a great big and adventurous sci-fi flick with pretty much everything a fan of the first, and of the general genre, could ask for. It is also quite unusual for a sequel to departure completely from what the previous one set up. The first one is basically a sci-fi horror-thriller through and through, while the second one is definitely more of a sci-fi action adventure. I don’t mind at all though, especially since the master of sequels, James Cameron, is in charge of all the exciting madness! It’s funny, the perfect recipe to a great sequel is actually just taking the general plot of the first film, add something bigger and crazier while balancing it with control, and lastly add something that expands on what the previous film(s) created. Not that this is an easy task, because many films fail while doing this, but if you do it right you have a great sequel on your hands. Think about it, the film is about our main character and some associates going to a planet where they get attacked by strange creatures. After all is picked out one by one the main character is the last one standing to get the job done, who then has to get out before the entire thing explodes and hopefully killing every sign of the creatures. Unfortunately the creature gets with her on board, and she jumps in a special suit and flush out the alien in an air vent. Okay, was it the first film or the second I just described there? :p Both could totally fit that description but I don’t care, they are both great for different things. I love how this almost naturally up the stakes of the first one and develops further on the story, where the big high point is the actual “egg layer” being shown and the general action and tension in the film. I love the small more claustrophobic scene, slightly paying homage to the first one, where Ripley and Newt is trapped in the small room with the face huggers. Anyways, I do think my thoughts about which is my favorite of the franchise has changed to the first one, but it looks like my preference sort of paddles back and fourth between them, and I guess it doesn’t really matter. Both are really great films when it comes down to it no matter which is your favorite. FAVORITE SCENE // Every Scene With The Mother & The Trapped-In-Room Scene __________________________ March 23rd Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) http://i62.tinypic.com/33484er.jpg "What time would you go back to? If you could." A surprisingly fun and entertaining low budget flick by the director of the upcoming ‘Jurassic World’. I must say that is quite some confidence put onto this fairly new and untried director, but there is no doubt he knew what he was doing when being behind the camera on ‘Safety Not Guaranteed’. The script was funny and inventive, the story was weird and interesting, and the end result was mostly a great success in my opinion. Of course it had some problems here and there, but that doesn’t change the fact that it was overall a joyful experience full of countless ideas and great ambition. I don’t know if I could see myself ever watching it again, but it is a movie I definitely don’t regret watching – a fun movie for a rainy day. FAVORITE SCENE // The Break-in Scene __________________________ |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Disagree about Ginger Snaps 2, but +rep for Alien. :)
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Originally Posted by Swan (Post 1279537)
Disagree about Ginger Snaps 2, but +rep for Alien. :)
- and I know you love Alien, but hey, who doesn't? :D |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
I used to prefer Aliens, but it peaked for me with the first viewing, whereas Alien gets better and better with every re-watch. Both movies are favorites, though, even if Alien ranks considerably higher.
I'm one of those people who labels Malick as pretentious, but I still agree with everything you said about him, especially the part about his films being visual poems. Even though I'm not a fan, I have great respect and admiration for his films. I'm always impressed by his work. It's just that I'm often bored and frustrated by his unconventional approach. Aesthetically, his films are magnificent, but I rarely feel any emotional connection to the story or the characters. I don't feel invested. The same thing applied with The New World. It's like staring at a gorgeous piece of artwork on a gallery wall. Not seen Ginger Snaps, so of course I haven't seen the sequel, either. I'm interested in watching Safety Not Guaranteed. I remember hearing a lot of good things. |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
The third Ginger Snaps isn't worth watching either. Save yourself the dissappointment. Only the first one is good.
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Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Nice Write-ups yet again Med.
There a few movies you have wrote about above that I really enjoyed. Superbad is fantastic. It's one of the best comedy movies of the past 10 years. I know it's daft, and rude, but it also nails some of the childhood banter and problems that I had with my friends growing up, which is probably why I find it so funny. It's a very fun movie, with a great cast. And who ever thought Jonah Hill would come all this way after his performance here.? Crazy. Aliens as you know made my top Top 100 favourites. It's a great action movie and in my opinion the best of the franchise. Alien however, meh. I know it's a classic and a very well received movie but I didn't enjoy it at all. I thought it was the weakest out of the original 4 movies :). It just felt to damn slow and long for me. Not much really happens, plus it probably doesn't help that it was actually the last movie in the franchise that I watched. Keep em coming. |
Re: Film Diary 2015 // "Come meditate with MovieMeditation!"
Thanks for checking in to meditate, Optimus! It's very much appreciated! :up:
Those comments about the first Alien really hurts, I must admit. I guess it may be because it was the last one you watched, and because it is older and much more downtoned than the rest. But I do think potential rewatches would do it for ya... If you know that it builds slow, if you know it is less action-packed, then maybe you can learn to appreciate it for what it is, with further viewings. :) |
Originally Posted by MovieMeditation (Post 1280530)
Thanks for checking in to meditate, Optimus! It's very much appreciated! :up:
Those comments about the first Alien really hurts, I must admit. I guess it may be because it was the last one you watched, and because it is older and much more downtoned than the rest. But I do think potential rewatches would do it for ya... If you know that it builds slow, if you know it is less action-packed, then maybe you can learn to appreciate it for what it is, with further viewings. :) |
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