For thracian dog (and I respect ALL your opinions):
Just for the hell of it, in another year or two watch two of my fave "westerns" again: the flippant Kid and the underachieving Cowboy. I mean, you're "young" (sorry, I know it's a cliche, but they often are true), but those movies have two sets of the most-complete characters ever presented on film...
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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden My IMDb page
Have no worries Mark. Both Butch Cassidy and the Midnight Cowboy are great films that I certainly won't hesitate to revisit many more times.
What I can't promise is whether or not these films will resonate more deeply in the future---or more to the point, will they appreciate in my esteem? That depends on so many things.
I'd be the first one to agree that my "cinematic insights" are somewhat laughable, but I do know it's motivated in an attempt to understand and articulate these flickering moments of film. I'd like to grow as a cinephile, but maybe that's ultimately out of my hands.
Last edited by thracian dawg; 07-03-11 at 05:31 AM.
Reason: spell
Senses Fail: The Fire Concert DVD (Adam Rothlein, 2010)
A small little concert film I got with the CD, The Fire doesn’t fail, but doesn’t wow me either. The band itself is a tricky thing for me, I like the music they make, not so much on them as people. Buddy (their front man) is such a pr*ck some days, and I’m indifferent to the others. Still, they’re more intellectual than about 87% of the bands out there, and lyrically, I’ll put them toe-to-toe with any other modern Hardcore band. Still, great energy from their shows and I hope to catch one live someday. Weird they didn’t have any of their new album performed though.
To be honest, I was very much looking forward to this show, the commercials made it look like Psych goes to Law School and I was down for that. This show does come short of the greats USA has, but it can stand on it’s own two feet.
Coming from a drug deal turned bad, genius with a photographic memory Mike Ross (Patrick Adams), scores an interview with big-time attorney Harvey Spector (Gabriel Macht), and through a bit of luck and knowledge, gets the job and with that a new life. The writing isn’t much to write about, it’s just not good, the dialogue is just unrealistic to me, and the plot asks you to suspend disbelief a bit to much. However, the two do play off of each other well, Gabriel being the mentor, and Patrick being the cocky, and smart, newbie, make this show at least something to watch if you catch it late at night or something. I’ll defiantly finish out the season to see where this is going. +
&feature=related Romeo + Juliet (Luhrmann, 1996)
I freaking love this movie. So energetic and full of life (yes, I did pun there.) Just a beautiful looking movie, and a great modern update along with the classic script. Good performances all around, not even does great but good, and I just love it so. I'd write more, but I do feel a full on long review coming soon.... maybe.
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I used to be addicted to crystal meth, now I'm just addicted to Breaking Bad.
Originally Posted by Yoda
If I were buying a laser gun I'd definitely take the XF-3800 before I took the "Pew Pew Pew Fun Gun."
For whatever reason I have this on DVD. It actually starts out with a lot of energy and fun. Walken gives Adam Sandler time control remote, then the remote breaks and bad crap happens. The first half where Sandler is abusing the remote for whatever he wants is the good part, the second half is overlong by 30 minutes with not nearly enough material or decent performances to keep it afloat.
Bonus points for a scene where Adam Sandler is having a heart attack while Christopher Walken dances in a sparkly purple suit in front of a bubble machine.
2001 : A Space Odyssey 1968
I probably watch this movie more than people who love it. This will likely be the last time for a good while. To cut down all the talk of it's high philosophical content, 2001 is simply a special effects showcase. An old special effects showcase. This movie is dated in a lot of ways, but even still looks great. Just not good enough to warrant the dead crawl pace it runs at. What's worse is that it runs out of momentum at such a rate, it's hard to make it through the final act. The acting performances are unnecessarily withdrawn, a man calls his daughter from space and hangs up without even saying "I love you". Another guy has his whole team killed and gets locked out of his own ship, does he get angry ? Hardly. That's what Kubrick didn't see coming. Once all the flair of the effects wore off, you have a very weak story behind it.
It still maintains it's very own aesthetic of still space. Things move slow in the stars. It takes patience to watch 2001 and believe me I know what I'm getting into when I watch it. Often times, great films that move slow build monumental tension. This one is just too, too slow. With the payoffs being the special effects. My favorite acts are the first two, but I do enjoy the third as well, as slow and dully acted as it is.
I actually ended up hating the finale even more this time. It really is grand canyon footage with stupid color schemes put to it. I guess they ran out of money ? Those idiots shots really are far out of place. The "star gate" effect is actually brilliant to this day, probably the best effect from the whole thing.
I'm not gonna bother with what it's about. It's widely open to interpretation, a fact not open to interpretation. Some themes are much more prevelant than others : isolation and exploration. It's probably the coldest, scariest rated G movie on the market. It's methodical timing provokes you into overthinking the scenes. This backfires when I think about how they could be better.
"Awesome"
"Not awesome"
American Gangster Extended Cut 2007
I'll knock off half a point for this cut. I assume the theatrical version is Ridley Scott's preferred cut, because all the added scenes in this version are completely pointless. One scene is even a remake of an earlier scene. All the others completely and utterly pointless. A half hour of pointless scenes no less. Still a good movie with or without dumb parts.
The only new comment I can make about your latest discussion of 2001 is that I find it to move about 5-10 times "faster" than your recently-discussed The Ass of Jesse James by the Cow Bob Ford, but now that I think a little, it must be because Jesse's Ass is in a sling.
I probably watch this movie more than people who love it. This will likely be the last time for a good while. To cut down all the talk of it's high philosophical content, 2001 is simply a special effects showcase. An old special effects showcase. This movie is dated in a lot of ways, but even still looks great. Just not good enough to warrant the dead crawl pace it runs at. What's worse is that it runs out of momentum at such a rate, it's hard to make it through the final act. The acting performances are unnecessarily withdrawn, a man calls his daughter from space and hangs up without even saying "I love you". Another guy has his whole team killed and gets locked out of his own ship, does he get angry ? Hardly. That's what Kubrick didn't see coming. Once all the flair of the effects wore off, you have a very weak story behind it.
It still maintains it's very own aesthetic of still space. Things move slow in the stars. It takes patience to watch 2001 and believe me I know what I'm getting into when I watch it. Often times, great films that move slow build monumental tension. This one is just too, too slow. With the payoffs being the special effects. My favorite acts are the first two, but I do enjoy the third as well, as slow and dully acted as it is.
I actually ended up hating the finale even more this time. It really is grand canyon footage with stupid color schemes put to it. I guess they ran out of money ? Those idiots shots really are far out of place. The "star gate" effect is actually brilliant to this day, probably the best effect from the whole thing.
I'm not gonna bother with what it's about. It's widely open to interpretation, a fact not open to interpretation. Some themes are much more prevelant than others : isolation and exploration. It's probably the coldest, scariest rated G movie on the market. It's methodical timing provokes you into overthinking the scenes. This backfires when I think about how they could be better.
Right on, meatwadsprite!!! Never saw anything particularly scary about 2001, but I hate it for all the other reasons you mentioned. I do like the soundtrack--came out wishing I'd bought the album instead of the movie ticket. I liked the opening scenes with the apes and the docking of the space craft with the space station in time with the musical background was kinda interesting. But it quckly ran downhill from there. Never could understand why people were thrilled by those weirdly colored negatives at the end of that movie. Slow?--like watching paint dry! Dull paint.
Cars - Ok, so this movie was adorable. I loved it, it put a HUGE smile on my face. (though it's weird, how can there be an entire world only inhabited by sentient cars? And how can the one hippie bus guy be listening to Hendrix? Was Hendrix a car in this world? And if so, can cars really play guitar like that, or at all? and who's painting all the signs in car world? Cars don't have hands, they can't paint! Woah. Now my head hurts...)
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"You, me, everyone...we are all made of star stuff." - Neil Degrasse Tyson
Never could understand why people were thrilled by those weirdly colored negatives at the end of that movie.
Because they were off their ****, that's why. That, and they hadn't sat there and watched the film. They'd get stoned, then go in for the last 20 minutes.
A sample from my review thread. I figured, it's Die Hard, I want more people to see it:
DIE HARD
(directed by John McTiernan, 1988)
Die Hard is probably the best bad movie ever. I don't really think this film is all that realistic and staged correctly with how people behaved and how the events transpired, nor do I believe a character like John McClane (Bruce Willis), an NYPD cop visiting Los Angeles and getting caught in a building taken over by terrorists and defeating them all, could really pull off such a stunt and make it out alive. But Die Hard is one hell of an action movie - beautiful on Blu-ray - full of adrenaline and testosterone and that big ape man himself, Bruce Willis, strutting around in a wife-beater and talking smack through a walkie talkie to the bad guys.
You all know the story - and if you don't, let me introduce you: It's Christmas Eve and Bruce Willis has just arrived in Los Angeles to visit his wife and kids -- his wife, played by Bonnie Bedelia, lives apart from him and they don't see each other often - I think it's been six months since they last saw each other when this film begins. She got a great job at this Nakatomi Plaza building, but he wants to continue working as a cop in New York. Now... this is a part of the movie I do not understand. Bruce Willis... and Bonnie Bedelia... together? And he's not cheating on her? One of the sexiest men of the world in 1988 ... is married to Bonnie Bedelia ... and, I guess, is faithfully not having sex with other women for months and months at a time ... because he wants Bonnie Bedelia?
I don't get it.
I don't think the film gets it, either, because there's a lot of shots of John staring at bimbo blondes strutting around him (you know, earlier in the movie before he's real busy) and there's even random Playboy centerfolds hung up around the building just to tease John as he's roaming about with his machine gun. All that man -- and it's to be celibate inbetween visits with Bonnie Bedelia? No wonder he survived this movie -- God must think he's the biggest saint ever.
Anyway, there's a big party going on at Nakatomi Plaza when John gets there to see his wife -- they get separated and then the terrorists arrive and take over and John ends up running around the building everywhere, in vents and things sometimes, hiding from the terrorists (the leader is brilliantly played by Alan Rickman), trying to get the police to help him, and, most bizarrely...
Chattin' it up hard with Officer Carl Winslow from Family Matters... ?????
Yes - Die Hard is a strange, mysterious concoction that seems to have otherworldly forces coming together to complete the picture and give it a throne to sit its hot Bruce Willis ass on. I really don't know what all to say about this film. I think - and I hope its already been done - that you could delve deep into this movie and do a huge analytical study on it. It has a lot of game pieces sitting around its playing board -- issues about America, issues about cops, issues about terrorists and foreigners and black people, the media, immigration, masculinity, New Yorkers, women in power, stupid Americans, stupid men, codependency and transferences, Vietnam, religion, the government, entertainment. It's quite a soup. I'm not sure where to even begin -- this is only my first viewing of Die Hard in about... oh, I'd say five years. And even then I think it was my first time.
Die Hard isn't perfect. There's way too much footage of the terrorists or the cops or somebody doing boring things - things like showing us what they're doing to get their jobs done and all that. It's a little unnecessary and boring - there's times where it seems like John McClane has been offscreen for far too long and he's really the heart and soul of this movie. I think Die Hard, which runs at 131 minutes, is a little bit too long. Sometimes events we expect to happen - like when the terrorists learn that Bonnie Bedelia is John McClane's wife - don't really pack as much of a punch. Besides all of these casualities, Die Hard is still one of the greatest blockbuster movies ever -- dark and shimmering, ageless, big breasted, and bona fide bedazzling super supreme pizza sure to keep any hungry, starving spirit of the wind nourished and conscious.
Last edited by Sexy Celebrity; 07-08-11 at 04:14 PM.
So heres some films that Ive watched in the last week and I gotta say Ive watched some really good stuff all thanks to the mofo movie tournament. Manhattan 1979 Woody Allen
" I think people should mate for life, like pigeons or Catholics"
What I learned from film is that Woody loved 17 year olds,Ha ha I'm just kidding. Manhattan is a film about a group of neurotic New Yorkers and their struggles with love and dating.I did like this film but its defiantly not my favorite Woody Allen film but its a fun comedy and somewhat entertaining and I like the black and white.
Solaris 1972 Andrey Trakovsky
" Man was created by Nature in order to explore it. As he approaches Truth he is fated to Knowledge. All the rest is ********."
Solaris is a wonderful sci-fi flick and I have honestly never seen anything like it.This is a wonderful film and I'm really developing a huge fondness for Tarkovsky.I don't really wanna go into the plot because I don't really wanna give anything away but for it was one of those films that just blew me away.I loved the imagery,the acting,the dialouge and the story.It really is just a great film.
Dr. Strangelove or; How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 1964 Stanley Kubrick
" I know how it is, baby. Tell you what you do: you just start your countdown, and old Bucky'll be back here before you can say "Blast off!"
Another great film I watched this week.I totally fell in love with this film.Honestly I don't think I have laughed so much in my life.This probably my favorite Kubrick film that I have seen so far and it definitely is on of the best dark comedy's I have seen.
K my kids are starting to go crazy so heres the rest Ive watched and if I have time Ill let you know what I think later.
For knowing absolutely nothing about this before watching it, I was pretty surprised. I had no idea Anderson's first feature film would be one of my favorites from him. It was a rather interesting film to say the least, unlike anything I've really seen before. You were kind of thrown right into the plot without really knowing much about it all. The ending was very rewarding, though.
Boogie Nights (Paul Thomas Anderson, 1997) - +
It was definitely a good movie, but I don't know if it's something that can stay consistently good. I just feel like my rating is going to drop more with re-watches. I had seen most of it before, but I never watched the ending for some reason. It probably has one of the biggest ensemble casts that I've ever seen in a movie before, and that's always a good thing to see in movies. I understand that there was a lot going on, but I did feel like it dragged in parts, and it didn't really need to be two and a half hours long. Still though, I did like it.
Punch Drunk Love (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2002) - +
I feel I'm actually being slightly generous with this rating, and that says something. I don't know what happened here really, because I enjoy all of Anderson's films other than this one. The first hour was a complete waste of my time and I even considered to stop watching it at some points there, but it did get a little bit better once Hoffman finally came into the film and the whole phone sex sub-plot was a little bit watchable. It still wasn't enough to save the film overall and it's not something that I'm going to be going to watch again sometime soon.
The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955) -
Incredibly simple compared to some of the things I've been watching lately, but it was a good thing. It was a nice relief from everything else I've been watching. I really enjoyed it, and I can see myself coming to like it more and more upon re-watches. Oddly enough though, right now I'm at a blank for what else I can say about it really.
The Brothers Bloom (Rian Johnson, 2008) - +
I love Brick so much that I just had to watch this sooner or later. I enjoyed it very much, even though it wasn't quite on the same caliber as Brick for me. I love the brief cameos from Levitt and Haas, it made me chuckle. I've been growing more and more of an appreciation for Adrian Brody lately, and I enjoyed him quite a bit in this as well.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson, 2009) -
If The Darjeeling Limited hadn't left such an impact on me after watching it, then this would be my favorite film from Wes Anderson. I love it so much. The animation is done perfectly for Anderon's style of film, and all the characters are just so unique as with every film Anderson does. The soundtrack is no exception either, though it's not as strong as some of the other soundtracks.
Being John Malkovich (Spike Jonze, 1999) - +
Quite possibly the weirdest film I can ever remember watching. I really don't know what to say about it. I liked how unique it was, but I'm not really sure if I liked it all to be honest. I've just never seen anything like it.
Adaptation (Spike Jonze, 2002) -
A little more on the normal side, but still one of the weirdest films I've ever watched. I definitely enjoyed this one a lot more, which is a plus. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, but it wasn't horrendous. Nic Cage did a really good job at playing the crazy guy, but I imagine that wasn't much of a stretch for him.
No Strings Attached (Ivan Reitman, 2011) -
Your traditional run of the mill romantic comedy. There were some funny moments throughout, but it wasn't even laugh out loud type of humor other than at like 3 different scenes. The most predictable ending ever, but everyone saw that coming. Natalie Portman is always a joy to look at, but as far as her recent films goes, I'll stick with Black Swan.
Blue Valentine (Derek Cianfrance, 2010) - +
It's not at all like I had expected it to be, so maybe that's why my scores a bit on the lower side. Gosling and Williams both give very incredible performances though, even if the story wasn't at all like I was expecting it to be. The fact that the entire score was instrumental versions of Grizzly Bear songs also had a huge part in my rating. I guess it's somewhat sad when the music in a film has such a big effect on the rating, but I really love listening to Grizzly Bear.
I went in to this film knowing absolutely nothing about it. I just happened upon it on Netflix and this was probably the best way to watch this film - with no perspective at all. The Nines is a very ambitious film and I give John August a lot of respect for his execution. Some awesome themes that are right down my alley of interest and some great acting across the board. I would say the first act was the strongest with some crazy creepy horror elements.
Slap Shot (1977)George Roy Hill
The Hanson brothers had me in stitches. Great sports comedy, with some rather important messages sprinkled in. I can see myself re-watching this one many times down the road.
__________________ If I had a dollar for every existential crisis I've ever had, does money really even matter?
Went on a movie bender trying to catch up over the last few weeks:
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows #1 - 1.5/5 Harry has been incredibly underwhelming these days. I'd been skipping over it and finally was bored enough to give it a go. Shouldnt have as it was ...meh.
The Mechanic - 4/5 I like Jason Statham, and as far as his kill-em-up movies go, I'd say he's getting better at it. Maybe theyre just getting better at writing tightly woven stories that make a modicum of sense, OR maybe its just that this one at least had Donald Sutherland. Still in all, his co-star really held his own, and mightve even stole the show if he hadnt been so morbidly violent. I admit that was rooting for him at certain points during the film - quite entertaining.
Iron Man 2 - 3/5 I think they shouldve gone ahead and paid Terrance Howard the money because he lends the story and the role a certain comedy and lightheartedness that Cheadle couldnt do on a sunny day. Plus I think Howard had a certain chemistry with RDJ's offbeat quirky humor that worked....better. No matter. Cheadle was a servicable Rhodie, and other than that the film was quite a bang. Nice to see Mickey Rourke, and for awhile there, I WAS rooting for him.
The Dilemma - 4.5/5 Gots to love Vince Vaughn. Seriously. This film is supposed to be a comedy, but you end up watching it thinking, WHAT IN GODS NAME IS THIS TRAIN WRECK? Id say it drags on in the beginning as more relationship drama rather than rom-com, but just when you get to that point where you think Vaughn may have lost his touch, he does what he does best (which is run his mouth ) - I admit that I was laughing so uncontrollably that I had to rewind the toast to watch it several times. Channing Tatum is hilarious as well. Not sure I agree with the conclusions the film makes, but for anyone who's ever been the person who knows someone they love is being cuckolded(?), this one's worth at least a once thru.
Sanctum - 1.5/5 I was into the whole diving/caving thing, so I got this film. Bad idea. Its a B movie and fails to accomplish any real goal, which is a shame for one of the actors (the guy bankrolling the dig), who I was certain was A-list. The only thing I could think while watching the film was "So THIS is what has become of him!" or alternatively, "I KNOW he can act better than that!" The movie is by no means scary or terrifying in any way - its as though the writers werent sure which bang they wanted for their buck, so the deaths seem unnecessary and even almost cavalier, the decisions made by the supposed "brightest and best" in the business seem to show little thought, and actual, wanton disregard for personal saftey. And some things made no sense. I literally spent an entire sleep-hazed morning randomly wondering how they reconciled a certain decompression problem.
Cross - 1/5 This. This is what has become of Brian Austin Green. And he was so good in Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles. This is a clear C level or below movie (if there is such a thing), and the only way I can reconcile it is to imagine that they intentionally made it look that bad or that cheesy. It was awul. And I sat thru it. Miss it if you can.
Unknown - 3/5 A good film, if youre into psychological mysteries. The setback for me was that this concept has already been done before, and better. The approach is also so formulaic that I had already figured out the plot 1/3 the way thru the film, so most of it was just waiting for the big reveal. So all during the film, I was naming off films in my head that had done this plot - and I was right. Nice if youre a Liam Neeson fan.
I Am Number Four - 2/5 I must say I cant believe I waited for weeks to get this from Netflix before finally getting it myself from BB - and I wished I hadnt been so impatient. It was a cute little film that I'd chalk up more as a family movie of the teenage Disney variety (though of a truth, the folks they had playing "teens" were clearly grown, save for probably the nerd). Its like watching Superman - unrealistic, and without any real backstory. Its as if someone decided to cash in the superhero movie craze and created the fascinating story out of whimsy. That said, it IS a well-done film, beautifully acted, beautiful scenery and just the right mix of violence and romance for the sedate. Reminded me of Under the Mountain.
Battle: Los Angeles - 3.5/5 This one gets a bump down, because for some strange reason I expected it to be more than it was - probably because it was so hyped. Always best to undersell and overproduce, I maintain. I liked it, but then, I like things that go "BANG!" However, I couldnt help but think it was one huge advertisement for the Army, and I was like "Since when did Hollywood start openly doing PSA's for the government?" I liked seeing Michelle Rodriguez show back up kicking butt and taking names, endured the tired but true lesson of "old guy is wiser than young guy," and other than that the best part was .
Reply to Topic
+1
) - I admit that I was laughing so uncontrollably that I had to rewind the toast to watch it several times. Channing Tatum is hilarious as well. Not sure I agree with the conclusions the film makes, but for anyone who's ever been the person who knows someone they love is being cuckolded(?), this one's worth at least a once thru.