Not much here. Only a watered down version of every gangster drug movie you've ever seen. Craig's character stood out as an unusual one. At times we were expected to believe that he is a shrewd, drug dealing criminal but most of the time we see him in situations where he's confused and scared. For example, I found it hard to believe that he was dealing $1 million worth of cocaine and totally unfamiliar with guns. For those who havent seen this, I would recommend rewatching something like Go, New Jack City, Blow etc. before sitting through this lame attempt at the double crossed, drug dealer genre.
First Person (T.V. Series 2000)
I decided to go back and watch some of the episodes I missed in this T.V. series by Errol Morris. Morris' subjects have amazing stories with the personalities to match. The manner in which Morris pulls storytelling from the people in this documentary series is not something you will soon forget.
I'm not exactly the target market for the film- I prefer my Disney films to have more wit and be more fun (although I do find Lady and The Tramp very romantic)
so wait. are you saying that Lady and the Tramp isn't witty and fun?
Still a favourite of mine despite its relative weakness and being a little too dark (literally).
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Peter Weir, 1975) -
I may be underrating this (or even overrating it, as I was initially going to rate it a little lower) but I kind of like it. The film feels like it could've been trimmed quite a bit in some spots, but as it stands it's an interesting if mildly tiresome experience.
Gallipoli (Peter Weir, 1981) -
At once so similar yet so completely different to the previous film, this is a much more immediately gripping film that also moves at a fairly slow pace for the most part and could also do with some trimming, but it builds to one of the better cinematic conclusions I've seen in a long time.
The Book of Eli (Hughes brothers, 2010) -
It may have some fairly flash production design, but the rest of the movie feels largely unremarkable. Everything about it feels pretty passable, though the plot had some half-decent developments. Pretty disposable.
Ten Canoes (Rolf de Heer, 2006) -
A genuinely interesting little film based around a handful of Aboriginal tribesmen going hunting, with the focus being on one tribesman telling another a fable. It's far superior than it sounds and I may even be underrating it here. Surprisingly good developments, carried by naturalistic non-professionals and photographed incredibly well, filled with vibrancy and humour...it's just an all-around good film.
Away We Go (Sam Mendes, 2009) -
Sure, it's got that whole "Hollywood indie" thing going on, but underneath it is a simple but compelling road movie narrative. It's nothing particularly special or memorable, but it's got a fair amount of humour and some surprisingly well-executed sentiment.
I have no idea why I waited so long to see this... but I'm kicking myself for doing so... 'tis a beautiful film... and when I get around to redoing my top 100, Sunshine will find a spot in it... the whole cast is excellent... but Cillian Murphy is fast becoming one of my favorite actors... the part where he left the message was so touching because you knew that he knew the end of his message was never going to happen... but he had to say it anyway... My only complaint about the whole film was a few of the scenes dealing with Pinbacker seemed a little far fetched to me... other than that, I can't believe they shot this with the budget they did... some folks should take a lesson....
The Chumscrubber (2005)
Tagline: A darkly satiric story about life crumbling in the midst of a seemingly idyllic suburbia.
And that is exactly what it is... with a great cast who made it so compelling I wanted go arrest them... or at least turn their arses in... this film takes dysfunctional to a whole new level... but a level that everyone should check out if they haven't already...
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
I loved this film years ago... and still do... probably because it's a wee bit different than your average romance... Rex Harrison should have kept the beard...
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
The story is a little lacking but the film, itself, is beautiful... I wasn't overly impressed with Alice (Mia Wasikowska)... and as for Depp, I thought he did a good job on the Mad Hatter but he's played so many quirky characters now, that I think a few characteristics of the others are going to pop up from time to time in each new character he plays... and we're probably going to be judging him, perhaps a little too harshly, at times, because of it... the real stars, for me, were the Red Queen (Helen Bonham Carter) and Stayne (Crispin Glover) I didn't even recognize Glover at first... my niece loves this so much, I'm sure I will OD on it before long...
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Great little film full of quirky characters that are so engaging that you can't help but end up liking each and everyone of them... and they show you from beginning to end what being a family is really about... My Mom used to own a VW that had to be pushed off the same way...
Killers (2010)
I wasn't expecting much so wasn't disappointed... I figured the whole thing out pretty quick but there were still a few moments of kinda silly cheesy fun...
Letters to Juliet (2010)
My younger cousins loved this... and it's a cute film... not great... but cute. I had no idea 'Juliet's secretaries' really exist until one of my cousins told me she had looked it up... anyway, I enjoyed getting to see Vanessa Redgrave...
I also watched:
My Life in Ruins (2009)
The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
Admissions (2004)
And I tried to watch Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) but the DVD messed up and I haven't bothered to get it again...
__________________
You never know what is enough, until you know what is more than enough.
~William Blake ~
that's about all it had to offer, in my opinion. as i can recall, i was completely underwhelmed when i watched it a few years ago.
You didn't like it? Ah well, like I said, I loved it... but we all like different things... I'm sure you like a few films that I would use for target practice...
A bank robbery goes a little different than planned when one of the robbers takes a hostage. Doug (Affleck) has to duty to check up on the hostage after she is let go, to see if she knows anything about the crew. Surprise, they start dating. Can he continue his life of robbing banks and have a love life? Will his crew accept that he is with her? Will she ever find out? This is The Town.
Gone Baby Gone was his first directorial effort set in the city of Boston, The Town is his second. Ben obviously loves the city and if he keeps making films like these two, I'll be happy with some more Boston. I'm not going to preach about which film is better, their both different. Gone Baby Gone has more of an emotional punch with it's climax and tough decisions. The Town doesn't reach those heights, but it's a well made tense action thriller with a bit of a romance thrown in.
This time Affleck is in front of the camera as well. He seems to have left his pretty boy blockbuster image behind him. I'm thankful, I can only take so many Armageddons or Pearl Harbors. He's matured as an actor, this is evident by his roles as of late. State of Play and Hollywoodland are two examples. Of course he's had some fun films in between, but he's probably the best thing about those. Extract anyone?
For The Town he has assembled quite the cast. Jeremy Renner, who is hot off of The Hurt Locker plays his buddy with an attitude who won't think twice about pulling the trigger if you're in his way. Mad Men's Jon Hamm who is the FBI agent on their trail, his partner is Man in Black actor Titus Welliver, who was also in Gone Baby Gone. I wouldn't mind seeing more of him in films and if he's Affleck's good luck charm, all the better. Blake Lively has a small role and she does skanky a little too well. She has a thing for Affleck's character and she has a daughter, but he's obviously fallen for someone else. Rebecca Hall, who has the hard role of playing the woman who is dating her abductor. Things don't look too well for this relationship.
The Town shows Affleck's ability at directing action sequences. Gone Baby Gone wasn't full of gunfights and car chases, but The Town is. There are three separate heists in the film, the opening, the middle section and the climactic ending. All three are different from each other, one is in a bank, the other a truck and finally a baseball stadium. Each heist was exciting to watch and gave you those Heat moments. It's obviously the Heat was influential in the making of this film. It seems all movies that have robberies in them look to Heat.
Ben Affleck had a hand in writing the film, he of course won an Oscar with Matt Damon for writing Good Will Hunting. It appears he's found his footing once again and hopefully the allure of the blockbuster won't claim him once more. The Town is a successful film made for adults. It's slick, well acted and has enough thrilling moments to keep those who seek it entertained. The film centres mostly on Affleck and his new love and the heist bits are second fodder. Renner is the only one who gets some spotlight from the crew, the other two are simply background faces. The Town does it's job as a movie and Ben Affleck has found himself a new career.
__________________ "A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."
Instead of being a serial rapist, Zeus is a jolly old god with a magnificent chest and his wife is a goddess, not a mortal that he raped. Just go with it, okay? Because this is a fun film.
Okay, I'll admit I'm a sucker for this kind of film... and I did really like this... the costumes and sets were awesome... and for the most part, the actors delivered... even a few really silly lines... so yeah, I had a problem with the story/script itself... and my backside was a bit on the numb side when it was over because it is just too drawn out... or at least the Director's Cut was, I haven't watched the Theatrical version yet. I also had to distance myself from believing Crowe was Robin Hood much in the same way I did with Costner's version... considering this was an origins story, Crowe seemed a little too old for the part... as did Cate...
If I were to rate the DVD... I would give it a for including both the Theatrical version and the Director's Cut... something I've always thought they should do with all DVDs...
Before I type anything else, let me see how long it takes to put up the ratings for the films in my last post and the ones I've seen since then. After that, maybe I can add some comments or, if people actually care, I'll try to write something up more worthwhile if somebody specifically asks for it.
The previous batch:
The Last of Sheila (Herbert Ross, 1973) + - Cool, fun parlor game about Hollywood backstabbing (sometimes literally), but it could piss you off that most all the characters are unlikable.
Stormy Weather (Andrew L. Stone, 1943) - Razzamatazz musical comedy with an all-black cast flies by in about 80 minutes but is non-stop entertainment.
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The Wrong Man (Alfred Hitchcock, 1957) - Often cited as the least Hithcockian flick the master made, this docudrama still has plenty of subjective camerawork and Hitchcock curveballs to identify it as his work. What it really lacks is his twisted sense of humor.
Blow Out (Brian De Palma, 1981) - De Palma pays homage to both Blowup and The Conversation and comes up with a couple of bravura moments, but overall it doesn't really hold together and ends on a sick joke (which you may like but I found too easy).
Ruggles of Red Gap (Leo McCarey, 1935) - Fun combo of screwball comedy and sentimental Americana contains one of my fave scenes, English gentleman's gentleman Charles Laughton's quotation of Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address".
A Fistful of Dollars (Sergio Leone, 1965) - I realize that this film is highly thought of, but I find it draggy and overlong, especially in the middle section. It's still watchable but I think it's the least of Leone's spaghetti westerns (sorry viddy).
Hang 'Em High (Ted Post, 1968) - Clint wanted Leone to direct his first American western inspired by the Trilogy, but instead journeyman Ted Post handled the chores (he later made Magnum Force). I'll admit it's nothing special but it seems smoother (and shorter) than the last film.
The Odessa File (Ronald Neame, 1974) - Thoroughly compelling mystery thriller about reporter Jon Voight trying to track down a Nazi concentration camp commandant (Maximillian Schell) in 1970s Germany. What pushes it past the "only good" zone is the killer revelation at the very end of the film which explains the reporter's motivation.
The Day of the Jackal (Fred Zinnemann, 1973) - Superb film which follows the efforts of a mysterious hitman (Edward Fox) to kill French President Charles De Gaulle while a French detective (Michel Lonsdale) does his best to find him even though he basically knows nothing about him. The target practice scene is an all-time classic.
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One Deadly Summer (Jean Becker, 1983) + - Twisty thriller shows off the acting skills of Isabelle Adjani as well as her gorgeous naked body. It's almost impossible to predict the film's awesome ending, but be prepared to feel as if the world is an uglier place after it occurs.
The Grass is Greener (Stanley Donen, 1960) - Witty comedy about marital love and sexual bliss, played out at a lovely English estate by four world-class actors: Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons.
Where's Poppa? (Carl Reiner, 1970) - Tasteless cult comedy which has many "classic" scenes depending on your tolerance level (meaning that it's a cult fave for a reason). Ruth Gordon thinks her dead husband is still around, but meanwhile her son George Segal would like nothing better than to throw here out his apartment's window down to the street below. Add in the tush scene, the gorilla rape scene and the hilarious first courtroom scene, and you probably won't mind that it's an elongated comedy sketch milked as a short movie.
First Monday in October (Ronald Neame, 1981) - Semi-serious look at the U.S. Supreme Court's first female justice (Jill Clayburgh), from behind the conservative "Orange Curtain" (just like me, HA!) and how she clashes with the wise old liberal of the Court (Walter Matthau).
Young Man with a Horn (Michael Curtiz, 1950) - Gorgeous B&W photography accents Kirk Douglas's powerful portrayal of a rebel trumpeter who is only slightly masked as the actual tragic wunderkind Bix Beiderbecke. Juano Hernandez adds his usual awesomeness as Douglas's mentor, and Lauren Bacall and Doris Day are the women in his life.
Bright Leaf (Michael Curtiz, 1950) - Gary Cooper stars in something resembling a Gone with the Wind about the manufacturing of cigarettes in the Deep South after the Civil War. It's superficially-entertaining all the way through with a solid cast (Gary Cooper, Lauren Bacall, Patricia Neal, Jack Carson, Donald Crisp, Jeff Corey). It's another striking B&W flick directed by Curtiz in 1950.
Gentleman's Fate (Mervyn LeRoy, 1931) + - Interesting early gangster flick where John Gilbert and Louis Wolheim play unlikely sons of a local Godfather, although Gilbert never knew who his father was until Daddy was on his deathbed. Marie Prevost has a significant supporting role, and if you've ever heard Nick Lowe's song about her shocking real-life death, then you'll find this unknown flick, directed by LeRoy immediately after his archetypal Little Caesar, even more significant.
The new batch:
Passengers (Rodrigo Garcia, 2008) - Survivors of a plane crash get together to try to support each other through a seemingly-never-ending series of traumatic experiences. Anne Hathaway and Patrick Wilson are a good team, and there is certainly an air of mystery but it's not all that compelling overall.
Words and Music (Norman Taurog, 1948) - Lightweight but colorful "biographical" musical about Richard Rodgers (Tom Drake) and Lorenz Hart (Mickey Rooney) is full of hooey but has their monumental music.
Get Carter (Mike Hodges, 1971) - Idiosyncratic yet crowd-pleasing revenge thriller seems to have Hodges and Michael Caine on the same wavelength. Caine certainly turns in one of his better performances (among dozens) but here he works in a similar shorthand as does his director, and the whole seems to be better than the sum of its parts.
Song of the Islands (Walter Lang, 1942) - Old-fashioned, corny, but colorful Betty Grable musical with Victor Mature (her co-star in four movies) has just enough silly fun and comedy bits (mostly provided by Jack Oakie, Thomas Mitchell and Billy Gilbert) to make it watchable for fans of the cast.
This Could Be the Night (Robert Wise, 1957) - Slight but entertaining flick which gets by mostly due to its cast of Jean Simmons, Paul Douglas and Anthony Franciosa. It's not too realistic but it involves an "innocent schoolteacher" who goes to work at a nightclub run by borderline gangsters.
Phantom of the Paradise (Brian De Palma) Entertaining rock opera musical involving true love contains homages to many flicks. The "shower scene" is wonderful, Jessica Harper is excellent in her debut, William Finley proves that he deserved to be more than a De Palma extra, and Paul Williams gets to be a real jerk. I honestly believe that it's more deserving of cult status than The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and besides that, it's rated PG!
Forgotten Silver (Costa Botes and Peter Jackson, 1995) - Wild and crazy documentary about Colin McKenzie, a New Zealander who was basically unknown until a cache of film was discovered about all his mind-boggling exploits in the early 20th century. The less you know about the movie, the better it is, so please, nobody spoil it.
Bad Taste (Peter Jackson, 1987) - Ultra low-budget gorefest was Jackson's calling card and seems to be his preparation for the much-better Dead-Alive (Braindead). It has some highlights, mostly near the end, and Jackson gives what must be his largest "performance" in any film.
Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968) - Perfect realization by the adapter/director of Ira Levin's novel makes one of the greatest horror films ever made. The tension is non-stop, the dark humor is rampant, the acting is incredible, the visuals and music could scarcely be better, and please, don't ever call this movie slow-moving again, if you remember who you may have been. HA!
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Von Ryan's Express (Mark Robson, 1965) - Big-budget combo of a POW camp movie and a WWII action adventure gets better and better as it moves along. Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard make a good team as friendly rivals. The film isn't really as good as Frankenheimer's The Train, but it would make a solid double bill with that terrific film.
Kick-Ass (Matthew Vaughn, 2010) - Bigtime entertainment which also critiques the idea of how some of the super hero movies whitewash their violence. I know nothing of the source material but the flick is almost a tidal wave of cool situations, dialogue and action, even if you think you've seen it before. There were a few times when I was watching this that I thought it made The Dark Knight seem like a kindergarten girl's birthday, but hey, maybe it was Hit Girl's 6th birthday party. Kudos to Nic Cage for his Adam West impression.
I also watched Naked Killer for the movie trade-off do-hickey, but I'll get to that later, as well as Tales from the Gimli Hospital.
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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden My IMDb page
Dunno if any Robin Hood will compare to Robin of Sherwood.
At least Angry Russ doesn't sport a mullet, like Costner did in that other Robin Hood film...
__________________ "Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how theTatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan
Dunno if any Robin Hood will compare to Robin of Sherwood.
When I read this, I heard Connor McLeod saying, "There can be only one!" (in my head, of course... where silly things tend rattle around ... )... in the case of Robin of Sherwood... I guess there were actually two... but still, he/they were and perhaps always will be the Hooded Man/Robin in the Hood...
I'll admit it... I love Enya... she has an absolutely beautiful voice... and I would be hard pressed to pick out my number one favorite of her songs...
Easy mistake to make for anyone who's not from the Provence of Ulster, although I'm guessing that Enya lives in a magical palace somewhere on the outskirts of Tír na nOg.
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