Movie Tab II

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930, second time)

I have a real hard time enjoying films from this general time period (Edit:except for some comedies). I'm sure it's a fantastic movie for its time, but I find the acting to be downright horrible compared to movie acting decades later, and that just ruins it for me. A+ for achievement, and the bad acting does give me a few laughs, but I really don't care for watching this thing.

__________________
One of the biggest myths told is that being intelligent is the absence of the ability to do stupid things.

Well, it's no Instinct (1999), I'll give you that.

__________________
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

I did not know that. That's interesting. All I remember from the second one is that beginning sequence with the James Bond type car chase. My friend and I thought it was just ridiculous and didn't even finish watching the movie.

__________________

Yes. The acting in Instinct is so superior we might as well be comparing the speed of a Ferrari Testerossa to that of a Ford Model-T.

Cheesy in a good way or a bad way?

__________________
"Like all dreamers, Steven mistook disenchantment for truth."

The Legend of 1900
1998 - Giuseppe Tornatore

So extremely flashy and loud as opposed to classic and elogent.

Eloquent? Elegant? What I saw was just plain goofy compared to the acting in Instinct. FOR ITS TIME is another story, but that movie acting was lousy compared to the movie acting of today. The silly looks on the actors' faces, the other overacting, the robotic, monotone voices; give me a mediocre sized break please.

A couple main reasons come to mind. People were basically just then learning how to act in movies with sound. It's a completely different style than silent movies and stage plays. Another good reason for the lack of quality acting back then compared to today is how much they rushed the actors. Clark Gable, for example, made 10 movies in a year. There's no way you could do that today, or in the 50s for that matter, because of how many more takes there are/were.

Giving people and films their just due is one thing (notice the A+ for achievement in my All Quiet on the Western Front message), but making them out to be something they are not, just because they were impressive, is something else entirely. Keep in mind that this is coming from someone who loves Instinct, so I have no credibility; right, Holden?

Looking For Richard (1996, Al Pacino)

4/5

Enjoyable documentary following Pacino's efforts to dramatise The Bard's Richard III. All star cast - Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey (with shiny bald spot..hooray, he's OUT!), Wynona Ryder etc. Interviews with Gielgud, Branagh, Kevin Kline, Jakobi and Vanessa Redgrave.

The only downside is Little Shouty Al's performance as Richard - in the "Now is the winter of our discontent....HOO HAA!!" mould.

Looking at it from the point of view of an actor in search of his muse though, Looking For Richard is fascinating, though how real is it?

__________________
"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

The Amityville Horror (2005) 1/5

Diner 4/5

Two Brothers 3/5
Fever Pitch 3/5

__________________
letterboxd

Rouge (Kieslowski, 1994)

__________________

Primer - Whoa...Best science-fiction movie I've seen in a while. I can't wait to see what Shane Carruth does in the future.

"Are you hungry? I haven't eaten since later this afternoon."

The Forgotten (2004, Joseph Ruben)

1.5/5 (1 mark for Julianne Moore's very sexy hair)

Easily the funniest movie I've seen all year, especially the 'Whoooshh' sound - exactly like an aeroplane toilet. And it's all so darned serious.

Rosemary's X-File...

Whooshhhhh!!

I didn't like this one either. Way too preachy, way too heavy handed, terrible script.

Even better - on the commentary the director & scriptwriter were comparing it to Kafka!

(I get my money's worth, even from crud)

I laughed out loud at that in the theater, and everyone looked at me.

Anyway.....

Destry Rides Again An interesting twist on the western genre. Jimmy Stewart is the man 3.5/5

Alien vs. Predator This one put me to sleep 1/5

The Legend of Suram Fortress Quite possibly the most visually fascinating movie I've ever seen. Has anyone else seen it? 4/5

Blade Runner (1982, Ridley Scott)

5/5

I needed to cleanse myself after The Forgotten. It's a crying shame that this film hasn't had better treatment on DVD - quality's barely better than VHS, and Scott's 3 disc SE might never see the light of day.

The Time of Their Lives (1946)

__________________

Sideways



Not really up my alley. Had some good moments, but I was checking my watch half way through.