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I am usually too horrible to even tab the stuff I watch, but I just wanted to mention/recommend Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cure.



It's a masterpiece on many levels and is certainly the kind of film that will take many rewatchings to finally come to terms with. While it is on the surface simply a serial killer film, the way it goes about reversing just about every expected trope from the genre is sheer genius. The direction is deliberately truncated, always choosing to give the least possible amount of information needed for the viewer to piece it together, sometimes unconsciously, through a series of seemingly random shots. I know I had to go back after the film and rewatch, well, about half of it to even begin to understand the inevitability of the ending. If I was a better audience, I would have simply rewatched the whole thing.

The result is something akin to Haneke's Cache but with a solution in mind, buried deep in Kurosawa's sparse but obvious hinting.

10/10
__________________
"Loves them? They need them, like they need the air."



Kenny, don't paint your sister.


I have to say that I did not want to watch this movie at the time. I was rather made when it was insisted upon, but I was quickly drawn into it. I was worried it was going to be yet another Wyatt Earp story or spinoff until the plot really got underway. Anthony Mann really had a talent for pacing and adding suspense, I think. The early shooting contest scene had me completely absorbed. After that, it was all uphill for me. The cast was excellent, including a young Tony Curtis under the name of Anthony. This definately surpassed the usually more popular The Man from Laramie for me. I liked Winchester far better. I actually look forward now to seeing the rest of the westerns he and James Stewart collaborated on.

Winchester 73:





Obviously this one is cinema gold, but if you go into it expecting a quirky, light-hearted, and fun kind of comedy, it's really enjoyable. Michael Keaton gives an impressive performance, especially since out of the five characters who have more than ten lines he plays four of them. The storyline is unique (although I wonder how he can afford the cloning) and gets really entertaining whenever the original Doug goes away for a few days. It's got a good message too for that overworked soul who wants to get their priorities straight. I could even stand Andie MacDowell, which I usually can't.

Mulitiplicity:






This is my kind of movie or at least my kind of story. Chilli Palmer probably can only be described in one word: cool. I quickly began to like his character, especially the way he quoted movies as he watched them. I can't imagine anybody but John Travolta in the role, but I think I might like to try. Hackman, DeVito, and Russo were perfect, and Farina added a lot of enjoyable moments too. The laughs of the movie are comprised of the screenwriter's jokes and dialouge and the way everything gets so totally "messed up". The rival gangsters are a fun bit too. Again, we're not talking anything monumental, just a good time.

Get Shorty:






Okay, so a mouse probably can't cause this much trouble, but the way he does in this movie had me laughing hard. Nathan Lane brings his special sense of humor and wit to the game, and let the antics begin. He and Lee Evans made a good team, but the mouse rather stole the show. Some might say it's predictable, but sometimes I guess it's just fun to laugh at other people's misfortunes. This is one of those movies, and if you've got a couple hours to kill, this is worth it.

Mouse Hunt:




This was an overall good movie, in my opinion. It was well-directed in the way that the childhood story intertwined with the more recent years. It by no means goes in chronological order, but the director has found a way to make the story shape without flaw, a great balance of keeping you curious and informing you properly. It was well-acted, lead by Hillary Swank. She kinda does her Hillary Swank thing only this time with an accent, but it works. It really works. The rest of the cast is top-notch. Even Minnie Driver steals some scenes, imo. I can't quite say it's well-written because it wasn't a story somebody made up. It's a familar story though and it will have you asking yourself what you would do in situations. It moves a little slow toward the end, but if you're into it, your heart will jump and break just as much as the characters in the movie.

Conviction:
+
__________________
Faith doesn't make things easy, just possible.
Classicqueen13





The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

This adventure of greed and paranoia is well worth watching. The films final 20 minutes is pure genius.

Inside Job (2010)

The fim is interesting and well made. It is worth watching if you can keep your cool and not throw the remote at some of the people on the screen.

Chinatown (1974)

One of the greatest scripts ever written.

Sunset (1950)

Of all the driveways to pull into.

Annie Hall (1977)

By far not my favorite Woody Allen film.

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

A very interesting script and a great performance by Gosling.



Is white trash beautiful
A Prophet (Un prophete) (2009)
Best movie i have seen all year.I really enjoyed the ending.


La Haine (Hate) (1995)
Crazy movie about three teenagers who's friend is put in the hospital by cops,and the youth want revenge against the cops.Great movie,loved the black and white and Vincent Cassel did a great job in this film.


Sonatine (1993)
A very interresting film about a Tokyo based gang who get in to a little bit of trouble and decide to lay low at a beach. I must say that the director,writer and star of this movie Takeshi Kitano did a superb job on this film.

La Dolce Vita (1960)
A masterpiece.


Angst Essen Seele auf (Ali: Fear Eats the Soul) (1974)
Best romance film I have seen in a long time.





Time after time - (1979) ~ Meyer

A blast from the past

The set-up? A Victorian criminal uses H.G. Wells' time machine to escape the future. H.G. goes after the scoundrel.

San Francisco in the 70's is remote enough in time to make this film a period piece. A phone call costs a dime---so does a newspaper. On the Rom-com side, H.G. fancies himself a bit of a rake, however, in the free wheeling days of platform shoes and disco bunnies; he still is, in a way---only the harmless garden variety kind.

In addition to comedy, the time travel element it's also used to subtly highlight period differences. H.G. strongly embodies his time and place. There was a belief that mankind would have used it's big brain to eradicate the simple problems of hunger, inequality and suffering. The way H.G. tries to wrap his head around the concept of world war(s) and robotic killing machines is revealing in the way we no longer do. There's a poignant moment when he sits on the hotel bed channel surfing and you can feel his heart breaking as he realizes he hasn't travelled to an enlightened place.

There's lots of throwaway humour in the background details. When she invites him out for a movie, they see The Exorcist: part 4. Careful observers will notice the "Back to the future" boys borrowed a scene here and there and the idea ... thought them through a little more carefully then tweaked the concept. On the acting level; there's a friendliness between David Warner and McDowell as bitter enemies and a simmering tension between Malcolm and Mary Steenburgen as lovers.

The product placement really pops here, since H.G. has to linger on the object in order understand it's functionality. The state of the art imagery of time travel is comically dated---back then it was still probably called special effects. There's a lively mix of comedy, romance and suspense that works ... most of the time: a very fun watch.




I'm not old, you're just 12.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - There are no words to describe my love of this movie. Sam Rockwell gives the best performance of his life as self-loathing game show producer Chuck Barris, whose lowest common denominator TV hits mask his double life as a C.I.A. assassin...or do they? Did he make all of it up to make himself seem more important than he actually was? The film plays fast and loose with the facts, following the lead of Barris' "unauthorized autobiography" that this film, directed with wit and crazy energy by George Clooney, was based on. It did almost no business in theaters or on DVD, but it's been one of my favorites since I first saw it, and deserves a second look.
__________________
"You, me, everyone...we are all made of star stuff." - Neil Degrasse Tyson

https://shawnsmovienight.blogspot.com/



What I watched recently:

The Ghost Writer (2010, Roman Polanski)


The Illusionist (2010, Sylvain Chomet)


Act of God (1980, Peter Greenaway)


Vertical Features Remake (1978, Peter Greenaway)


Dont Look Back (1967, D.A. Pennebaker)


The Battle of Chile (1975-78, Patricio Guzman)


My Childhood (1972, Bill Douglas)


My Ain Folk (1973, Bill Douglas)


My Way Home (1978, Bill Douglas)


Petit a Petit (1971, Jean Rouch)


The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979, Kazuhiko Hasegawa)


Inside Job (2010, Charles Ferguson)


GasLand (2010 Josh Fox)


Criss Cross (1949, Robert Siodmak)


Bigger Than Life (1956, Nicholas Ray)

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Dimensions of Dialogue (1982, Jan Svankmajer)


Patriotism (1966, Yukio Mishima and Domoto Masaki)


Crac! (1981, Frederic Back)

&feature=related
The Man Who Planted Trees (1987, Frederic Back)


http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...04596032330500
The Mighty River (1994, Frederic Back)


Titicut Follies (1967, Frederick Wiseman)


The Green Hornet (2011, Michel Gondry)
__________________
"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."




All About Eve (1950)

A film about Eve Harringtons ambitions to become a Broadway star.

One Flew Over The Cukoo's Nest (1975)

This film is hilarious, its about a man who gets out of working in prison pretending to be crazy. The tables are turned when he lands himself in a nut house.

Network (1976)

"Im as mad as hell and im not going to take this anymore"

The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)

Guinness, Holden, Hayakawa are excellent in this film. They are just some of the things that make this film amazing and one of the best of all time.

12 Angry Men (1957)

It all starts with one vote of not guilty to start this rollercoaster. One man works legal magic to convince his peers to join him with a not guilty verdict in a case of a young adult on trial for murder.



Is white trash beautiful
Here is a list of films that I have viewed in the last month

Cidade de Deus (City of God) (2002) Fernando Meirelles,Katia Lund
Here is a horrifying story of a bunch of youth growing up in Brazil.I really enjoyed this movie.I did have a hard time watching a bunch of kids shoot up other kids. Its a brutal and honest look at what goes on in Brazil.


Tsotsi (2005) Gavin Hood
Oscar winner for best foregin film.Tsotsi is a film about the life of a troubled ganster living in Johannesburg.



Seul Contre Tous (I Stand Alone) (One Against All) (1998) Gaspar Noe
Gaspar Noe's tale of the struggles of a butcher who is realesed from prison for attacking a man that tried to sexually assault his mentally ill daughter. Make sure to check this movie out , it is my favorite Gaspar film so far.


Aguirre: The Wrath Of God (Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes) 1972

Best film I have seen in a long time.Brillant.



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.
Right now, I can't get to sleep so I'm going to try to write out only the most basic info about the last several movies I've watched. I'll try to come back later to get more in-depth because a few of these, notably The Naked Civil Servant, The Cremator, Pretty Poison, The Loved One and Sympathy for the Devil deserve it.

Animal Kingdom (David Michôd, 2010)
- Well-intentioned but somehow arid Australian crime drama.

Against All Odds (Taylor Hackford, 1984)
- Remake of noir classic Out of the Past has beautiful Mexican locales and steamy sex scenes between Jeff Bridges and Rachel Ward.

The Life of Emile Zola (William Dieterle, 1937)
- Earnest biography concentrates on Zola's (Paul Muni's) attempts to free Capt. Alfred Dreyfuss (Joseph Schildkraut) from Devil's Island.

F for Fake (Orson Welles, 1973)
- Playful, minor Welles examination of liars, big and small.

The Naked Civil Servant (Jack Gold, 1975, TV)
- Witty, thoughtful bio of Quentin Crisp, one of England's first uncloseted homosexuals, is aided by a sensitive lead performance by John Hurt.

The Cremator (Juraj Herz, 1969)
- Creepy, scary Czech film, based on an important Czech novel about the insidiousness of evil at the beginning of WWII. Haunting visuals and music add to the power.

What's Up, Doc? (Peter Bogdanovich, 1972)
+ - Generally funny screwball homage to Bringing Up Baby wraps up with a sidesplitting final 20 minutes.

District 9 (Neil Blomkamp, 2009)
- Solid social statement couched in science fiction features the best human/space alien relationship since E.T.

G.I. Jane (Ridley Scott, 1997)
- Surprisingly serious and entertaining flick about Demi Moore trying to become a Navy Seal.

I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can (Jack Hofsiss, 1982)
- Although often histrionic, this drama about drug addiction is more affecting and honest than Requiem for a Dream.

The Hospital (Arthur Hiller, 1971)
+ - Paddy Chayefsky black comedy about the callousness of the medical profession is shuffled into a mystery about murders of doctors and nurses in an NYC hospital where at least one doctor (George C. Scott) seems to care.

Marty (Delbert Mann, 1955)
+ -Likable Oscar winner, a gentler form of Chayefsky, about a plain Bronx butcher (Ernest Borgnine - Best Actor) who tries to find romance and love before he grows too old.

You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger (Woody Allen, 2010)
- Mostly hohum Allen, set in London, with the characters following predictable arcs but somehow just being much less humorous about it.

Gigi (Vincente Minnelli, 1958)
- - Lerner and Loewe musical about a young woman trained by her grandma and aunt to become a courtesan. The major joys of the film are provided by old pros Maurice Chevalier and Hermione Gingold (their songs, "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" and "I Remember It Well", are the best). Louis Jourdan is actually quite good as a rich man bored to death by everything but his friendship with young Gigi (Leslie Caron).

Under the Tuscan Sun (Audrey Wills, 2003)
- Beautiful scenery (including Diane Lane) and an offbeat sense of what constitutes romance make this featherweght flick watchable.

Deep Red (Dario Argento, 1975)
- Argento in mad slasher mode, with elegant visuals and a Goblin score, builds this mystery thriller slowly but it certainly works up its share of frissons.

The Magnificent Yankee (John Sturges, 1950)
- Humorous, touching tale of Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.'s service on the court from 1902 through 1932 when he retired at age 90. Louis Calhern is great as Holmes.

Hoffa (Danny Devito, 1992)
- Devito directs well and Nicholson is good, even with his fake nose. Most of the film is gripping but it's a tad overlong and the ending obviously had to be made up.

Lord Love a Duck (George Axelrod, 1966)
- Intentionally-silly satire of high schools has 37-year-old Roddy McDowell playing a senior quietly with the hots for Tuesday Weld. The film does get darker as it goes along, and there's a hoot of a performance by Ruth Gordon in the second half.

Dominick and Eugene (Robert M. Young, 1988)
++ - I probably should just give this the higher rating since I enjoy it a lot. It's about the relationship between twins Tom Hulce, a mentally-challenged garbageman, and medical student Ray Liotta. Some strong honest emotions run throughout the film, even when it resorts to melodrama to pump up the volume.

Three Fugitives (Francis Veber, 1989)
- Silly but cute farce about a veteran bank robber (Nick Nolte) released from prison who immediately gets "taken prisoner" by an inept first-time bank robber (Martin Short). The cute part involves the introduction of the latter's young daughter into the mix while the trio are forced to take it on the lam to escape cop James Earl Jones.

Unstrung Heroes (Diane Keaton, 1995)
- Another sensitive film about a family with some mentally-troubled brothers, but this time it's seen mostly through the eyes of a teenage boy who's trying to come to terms with the fact that his mother (Andie McDowell) is dying and he wants to get in touch with his Jewish roots although his dad (John Turturro) is strictly a nonbeliever.

Lost Horizon (Frank Capra, 1937)
- A fantasy about a utopian world deep within the Himalayas, this Capra film uses his populist themes but shades them with others about Eastern philosophy and anti-commercialism. The cast is excellent and the sets and photography are striking.

The Snake Pit (Anatole Litvak, 1948)
- Harrowing story about a young wife (Olivia de Havilland) who finds herself in a mental hospital but doesn't know why. She's aided in her attempts at understanding by doctor Leo Genn.

Red (Robert Schwentke, 2010)
- Predictable action comedy gets by mostly thanks to its cast of veteran stars (Willis, Freeman, Mirren, Malkovich). There's nothing terribly good about it, but then again, it doesn't seem bad either.

Taking Care of Business (Arthur Hiller, 1990)
- Surprisingly-funny little film with overtones of the earlier Grodin film Midnight Run. This time, Jim Belushi breaks out of prison and finds Grodin's filofax and begins to impersonate him. JJ Abrams had a hand in the script.

Dreamscape (Joseph Ruben, 1984)
- A film about getting into people's dreams to try to help them medically is crossed with a political thriller here, a quarter century before Inception. Dennis Quaid and Kate Capshaw have some sexual chemistry, and it's always nice to see Max von Sydow and Christopher Plummer.

The Letter (William Wyler, 1940)
- Exotic drama set in Singapore begins with Bette Davis shooting a man in what she claims is self-defense. This leads to a trial and various machinations involving a mysterious letter which seems to hold the truth to the incident.

Pretty Poison (Noel Black, 1968)
- Although Anthony Perkins plays a character superficially similar to Norman Bates, this is a startlingly-original black comedy where another young man does things for high school honey Tuesday Weld (see the above Lord Love a Duck). The twists and turns keep the film fresh and entertaining over the entirety of its brief 90 minutes.

One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (Milos Forman, 1975)
- Not much to add about this classic film about Individualism versus the System. The cast is huge and notable, the laughs and tragedy are all in place. This is the film I've seen the third most times in the theatre - 20 to be precise.

Raising Arizona (Coen Bros., 1987)
- Although often a bit too hectic and over-the-top, this comedy has enough laughs and cinematics to keep most viewers entertained. Nic Cage and Holly Hunter make a good team.

The Loved One (Tony Richardson, 1965)
- Self-advertised as "the motion picture with something to offend everyone", this often-hilarious black comedy is another one with a huge cast and a thrillingly-irreverent heart in a special place. What starts out as a satire on Hollywood turns into a satire on the funeral business with segues as outrageous as dinner with Mrs. Joyboy, astrophysics with teenage scientist Gunther and advice to the lovelorn from the Guru Brahmin. A truly one-of-a-kind film (in a good way) adapted from the Evelyn Waugh novel by Terry Southern and Christopher Isherwood.

Sympathy for the Devil (Jean-Luc Godard, 1968)
- About half of the film shows the Rolling Stones rehearsing the title song in several trademark Godardian long takes. This is intercut with black revolutionaries quoting the words of some of the Black Panthers and a few other seemingly-satirical scenes criticizing capitalism and the mainstream media. All of these scenes are also in single shots. Apart from these individual shots which mostly have their own chapter title, the only time one sees any traditional editing is during a brief section in the middle involving the Stones intercut with some political graffiti being painted on various English cars and bridges. Over and above everything, one often hears a commentator reading from something resembling a trashy pulp novel set in an alternate universe with characters' names from our own political, pop culture and religious world.

What it all means is very difficult to understand. Godard often seems completely serious even when the scenes are plainly ludicrous, but he seems to want this to fit comfortably in his Communist Revolutionary Era of films. However using a cash cow such as the Rolling Stones either makes Godard someone using capitalism to promote his own agenda or someone who's trying to make fun of the Stones as self-styled revolutionary rockers. Maybe a lyric from the song sums up what the film says to me: "What's puzzling you is the nature of my game."

By the way, if you don't really care for the Rolling Stones, then drop my rating to
.
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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page



Too Fat for Forty - 2010

Another Smith Q&A which he promises is going to be a lot more answering questions, than crazy hour long stories that have little to do with the original question. I think he answers one question in total, which spawns a two hour story.





Thankskilling - 2010

Eventually there comes a time where you have to watch Thankskilling. The opening scene is a period piece, filmed back in the 1300's. It features a woman with large breasts (out) running from a angry looking turkey, when he finally catches her he delivers the bone chilling line "Nice **** bitch", and kills her. If ever a movie knew how bad it was, it's this one.

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I wanted to highlight a couple movies for now, the rest I'll maybe write about later.



Comrades: Almost a Love Story (Peter Chan, 1996)

Maggie Cheung plays an ambitious, lonely girl from Mainland China who has apparently completely redefined herself as a Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong native before she meets a fellow Mainlander (played by Leon Lai) fresh off the boat. At first she takes advantage of his seeming naivete to make a quick buck, but then "almost" falls for his honest nature as someone who wants to make it in in the city without denying where he comes from. That's the basic heart of this movie which spans about 10 years in Hong Kong and (eventually) New York. Two people who form a special connection over their shared past but have different ambitions which keep them apart. Add in several compelling subplots and a strong set of supporting characters (including Eric Tsang as a sympathetic gangster and Cheung's erstwhile boyfriend, and Christopher Doyle as a cheerfully self-destructive gweilo/ English Teacher) and you have a pretty great film.



Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly, 2001)
+
The Lost World (Harry O. Hoyt, 1925)

King Kong (Peter Jackson, 2005)
+
There's a lot to love about this movie. The thing I want to pick out right now is how Jackson uses CGI not just to dramatically pose giant monsters in picturesque vistas but to give an odd, fairly unique degree of motion, scale and dimension to his cinematic world. Effects-wise, that's why this movie stands out from its predecessors (notably Spielberg's Jurassic Park films, which feel downright clumsy next to this) and contemporaries. King Kong also has a lot of dimension as a character in this version, but I have to admit my very favorite scene is where he beats up on three Allosaurus-like monsters. It's funny how degrees of character are set up in this movie. The Dinosaurs are roughly to the humans what the humans are to King Kong: vulgar, predacious buffoons.

Zoolander (Ben Stiller, 2001)
+
Carlito's Way (Brian DePalma, 1993)

One of the better acted (particularly Penn) and characterized efforts by DePalma, that also makes use of his impeccable skills as a choreographer of the cinematic eye, but then, I'm never one to be put off by "too much" flashiness behind the camera.

Sanshiro Sugata (Akira Kurosawa, 1943)

Tony Takitani (Jun Ichikawa, 2004)

Gilda (Charles Vidor, 1946)

Don't Look Now (Nicolas Roeg, 1973)

From Here to Eternity (Fred Zinnemann, 1953)

Detective Dee (Tsui Hark, 2010)
+
Pierrot le Fou (Jean-Luc Godard, 1965)
+
Resident Evil: Afterlife (Paul W.S. Anderson, 2010)



Good whiskey make jackrabbit slap de bear.
The Shining (1980)

Possibly Kubrick's most well known film, but far from his best. Jack Nicholson gives a typically strong turn as Jack Torrance, a writer who takes a job as a hotel caretaker. He descends into madness and begins to attack his wife and child. Kubrick's direction is very good, but this is a slow moving film that didn't grab my attention as much as other Kubrick films.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

A very perverse film about a thug who is subjected to a experiment to change his vile behaviour. This is an iconic film, with an excellent performance from Malcolm McDowell and Kubrick's creative vision is perfectly captured in this brilliant film. Not Kubrick's best though.

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

My second favourite film involving the Vietnam War, but is more about men trained to be killers. I love Lee Ermey's performance as mean D.I Hartman, as well as Vincent D'Norforio as Private Pyle. Kubrick's direction is excellent and I really like the soundtrack to this film. This has always been a favourite of mine.

I'll be watching more Kubrick films, more of his older work, such as Spartacus, Paths Of Glory and re-watching my favourite Kubrick.
__________________
"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."



The Cremator (Juraj Herz, 1969)
- Creepy, scary Czech film, based on an important Czech novel about the insidiousness of evil at the beginning of WWII. Haunting visuals and music add to the power.
I'm so glad you took my advice and watched The Cremator!

The Loved One (Tony Richardson, 1965)
- Self-advertised as "the motion picture with something to offend everyone", this often-hilarious black comedy is another one with a huge cast and a thrillingly-irreverent heart in a special place. What starts out as a satire on Hollywood turns into a satire on the funeral business with segues as outrageous as dinner with Mrs. Joyboy, astrophysics with teenage scientist Gunther and advice to the lovelorn from the Guru Brahmin. A truly one-of-a-kind film (in a good way) adapted from the Evelyn Waugh novel by Terry Southern and Christopher Isherwood.
And is it just me or would these two movies not be an interesting coupling? I feel they have a similar look to them and take place in similar locations... Maybe I'm making superficial connections, but I can't help but put them together in my mind... Even the two shots you posted look similar! This isn't meant as me trying to detract from each film's uniqueness though. Maybe it's just because I like them both so much!
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I always wanted to be an f.





I attempted to watch Highway (2002) which stars my man, Jake Gyllenhaal, but I only got 40 minutes in before I shut it off. It's a really bad movie, so far. I'll attempt to finish it later, but I think if I review it, it's not gonna be pretty. Worst Jake Gyllenhaal movie I've seen (and yes, I have seen Bubble Boy and liked it.) He didn't even look that cute in this -- Jared Leto was much hotter.



Kenny, don't paint your sister.
Contract Killers -

More or less generic plot line with nothing special to offer. A bit of an intriguing mystery that doesn't really hold out. Decently entertaining, but certainly something similar out there done much better. It also bugged me that it felt like 4/5 of the entire movie took place in the middle of the afternoon and felt as though no time had really passed.

The Long Kiss Goodnight -

If you like to watch movies because of how "low-quality" or "bad" they are, check this one out. The only good thing about this movie is Samuel L's character in the first half or so. He's likable and funny right off the bat. The rest is ugh *shudders*. Geena Davis was not a good choice for the lead and I definately didn't by the completely random and sudden switches from sweet lady to hardcore bitch. The movie goes steeply downhill although the way. The ending offers treats such as cringe-worthy one-liners, coming back from the dead, and wounds that relocate between shots .

Ransom -
+

I liked pretty much everything here. Plenty of suspense and well-acted. The direction from Howard was interesting to me, especially some parallelism I sensed he tried to create between the family and the crooks. I watched the special edition extended cut, I believe, but I can't compare it to the original version. Worth a watch, imo.

Return to Macon County -
+

Nothing really impressive here to me, just okay. It was entertaining although some might find (the at times plot driving character) Junell a bit over the top. The soundtrack adds a lot of fun and atmosphere. This flick would probably hold more interest with someone who enjoys antique cars. The standout characteristic of the movie would have to be some impressive acting by the teenage cast, head by Don Johnson and Nick Nolte. I actually forgot they were acting, I guess you could say.

Papa's Delicate Condition -

Cute little classic comedy and a nice father-daughter story. Jackie Gleason was perfect for the character of Papa. The story stays interesting enough throughout and the script has plenty of little laughs. Just one to put a smile on your face on a rainy day.

Bronco Billy -

Funny, heart-felt at times, tale of a troop of cowboys and indians just being who they want to be. Eastwood did a good job directing this is the way that he has some fun with the camera obviously but I think he was probably instrumental in getting Sondra Locke's performance. It's nothing great, but it works well. Just a feeling I got. The comedy fades little as we get deeper into the characters and have to save the wild west show.

Major League -

This movie is just plain goofy, but filled with fun and laughs. The mix of characters and actors that make up the team is perfect. Dennis Haysbert as the Voodoo player was my favorite, probably one of my all-time favorite characters. The final game is more about suspense than laughs but it pays off. I really wanted to go watch a baseball game (even a bad one) during it.



Fear Itself: Skin and Bones (2008)

The main reason I watched this was because it was the latest in Larry Fessenden’s short (but hopefully growing) filmography, and I really wanted to enjoy it, but to my disappointment, Fessenden’s bleak knack for atmosphere isn’t on display here, and beyond the story about a Wendigo, his involvement isn’t too apparent. It seems that the crew tried to make the best of what they had, but the dialogue and acting are pretty lackluster, and the plot, setting and music are a little too similar to the film Ravenous.

Hackers (1995) - Camp rating:

A kitschy look into the hacker sub-culture that seemed to manifest itself in the cinema quite a bit around the mid-to-late 90's. It's over-the-top in a way that would likely vex most viewers, but I doubt that the filmmakers went in with any other objective than to entertain (and they succeeded in my case).

Invictus (2009)
-

I was pretty much forced to watch this, and though it was close to what I expected, I still enjoyed it. Clint Eastwood's ear for movie scores never seems to meet my appeal as they tend to sound too sappy for my taste, but this film is pretty effective regardless.

Vampire Hunter D (1985) -

Love this. A very creative blend of horror and fantasy in a film that, aesthetically, veers from cyberpunk-ish visuals to a Gothic Victorian era look. The relationship between the two main characters could've been built up more, but it's not a major focal point. I'd strongly recommend those who enjoy this to check out the sequel, Bloodlust, as it really excels this film.
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G.I. Jane (Ridley Scott 1997)

42nd Street (Lloyd Bacon, 1932)

Unstoppable (Tony Scott, 2010)
+
The Limits of Control (Jim Jarmusch, 2009)

Hi, Mom! (Brian DePalma, 1970)

The Adjustment Bureau (George Nolfi, 2011)


Re-watches (stuff I watched with my girlfriend):

Death to Smoochy (Danny DeVito, 2002)
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Ratatouille (Brad Bird, 2007)
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Pirates of the Caribbean (Gore Verbinski, 2003)

Die Hard (John McTiernan, 1988)

Jurassic Park (Stephen Spielberg, 1993)

Die Hard 2 (Renny Harlin, 1990)

Shanghai Noon (Tom Dey, 2000)

Rumble in the Bronx (Stanley Tong, 1995)



Death to Smoochy (Danny DeVito, 2002)
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This must be some kind of mistake. The 4 and 1 are really close together on the keyboard, did you hit the wrong button Lines?