NBAluke579's movie reviews.

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I have mixed feelings about Battle Royale. I like it, I rated it slightly lower than you, but in a weird way it disappoints me that it is so popular outside Japan when it doesn't actually represent Japanese cinema very well. It almost caters to what the "general public" think a Japanese movie would be like when their cinema is amazingly diverse and there have been many better movies come out of that country in the last 15 years. Takeshi Kitano himself has directed at least three of them - Dolls, Sonatine & Hana-bi. The topic of student violence is quite common but has been done better by Nakashima in Confessions and Iwai in All About Lily Chou-Chou amongst others.

Anyway, I'm probably over-thinking it - it's a good film



I have mixed feelings about Battle Royale. I like it, I rated it slightly lower than you, but in a weird way it disappoints me that it is so popular outside Japan when it doesn't actually represent Japanese cinema very well. It almost caters to what the "general public" think a Japanese movie would be like when their cinema is amazingly diverse and there have been many better movies come out of that country in the last 15 years. Takeshi Kitano himself has directed at least three of them - Dolls, Sonatine & Hana-bi. The topic of student violence is quite common but has been done better by Nakashima in Confessions and Iwai in All About Lily Chou-Chou amongst others.

Anyway, I'm probably over-thinking it - it's a good film
Actually, Sonatine is older than I thought so change that to Zatoichi



Pulp Fiction is my favourite, then Bastards which I think is a brilliant film, but after that I have a hard time putting them in order, all depends on my mood, I guess.

Nice reviews Lucas, Rashomon, Seven and Battle Royale are all very good films, and of course, The Godfather is brilliant
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Finished here. It's been fun.
Psycho









This truly is a horror classic, and one of Hitchcock's greatest films and arguably his best. The movie is chilling,incredibly well made and with superb acting. Right from the beginning the film immerses you, and from there the suspense never quite ceases. I really wish that I had not known the "Twists" that come along with this movie. I feel me already knowing what happens detracted from my viewing experience a bit. It's not a flaw with the film, it's just that if I had seen the film knowing absolutely nothing , then the entire experience would have been even better.

The film is brilliant visually, and all the shots are extremely well placed and timed. The lighting is fantastic and there's this ominous,mysterious mood lingering throughout the entire film.The film holds up remarkably well today, and it amazes me to think how ahead of it's time Psycho was.The script is great, and the film is entertaining throughout.There is one gripe I do have with the film and that is a scene towards the end of the film, where we are given exposition that is entirely unnecessary.It's a completely pointless scene that adds nothing to the film and only spoonfeeds the viewer. Regardless Psycho is a film classic and one of the best films out there, personally I would give the film a
. It's a really good movie, just wish I came out into it not knowing anything ahead of time.



I knew the twists when I first watched it, I still loved it though. But a few months ago, I watched it with a friend who didn't even know what the premise was, he only knew it was a renowned classic. Watching it with him I sort of watched the film through his eyes, he never saw either of the twists coming, and it was a fun viewing experience for me. He loved it, and it's actually the oldest film he's seen, so that just shows how good a film it is, if it can stand the test of time to even a casual film goer.

I love the score. It's just perfect. And Anthony Perkins is great.
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I have not seen Django Unchained because I swore off Tarantino after Inglorious Basterds. A movie I really really hated.
What turned you off from Inglorious Basterds? You seem like the kind of guy who would enjoy a good old fashioned shoot em up.
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Here, if you have a milkshake, and I have a milkshake, and I have a straw. There it is, that's a straw, you see? You watching?. And my straw reaches acroooooooss the room, and starts to drink your milkshake... I... drink... your... milkshake!
-Daniel, There Will Be Blood



I don't know how I managed to, but when I watched Psycho for the first time I went in cold, also without knowing any of the twists, and I loved it. I have actually seen it a couple of times since and I would probably give it a higher rating now than originally, I think it's because I have been able to watching it more critically and approach the fantastic direction behind everything, I know what's coming up, so I can take in each scene better. It really is one of the best horrors, and even films ever made for me, and one of my very favourite Hitchcock films

I've mentioned it before on here, but when I first watched it the scene where the detective walks up the staircase in the house genuinely made me jump, I had the volume up really loud on my headphones as the sound seemed a little quite, and BOOM, the violins and what happened on screen made me jump, something not a lot of horror films do



What turned you off from Inglorious Basterds? You seem like the kind of guy who would enjoy a good old fashioned shoot em up.
If by old fashioned shoot em up you mean talk my head off for 20 minutes with Tarantino's dialogue which I hate, then make the Basterds side characters in their own damn movie to some French chick I barely saw in the damn trailer! Who is he paying homage to this time? Michael Bay's Transformers? And to make it worse, it goes on for too damn long. QT need a damn editor!



Finished here. It's been fun.






This movie in my opinion is a prime example of how Not to do a good gangster movie. This film is clunky,one-sided,cliche and dare I say....cheesy. I really expected more from this film. The acting is all over the place, and Kevin Costner's wooden performance as Elliot Ness doesn't help the situation. The movie's score is laughably dated, and the entire tone of the film is a complete mess.If it weren't for occasional scenes of graphic violence, I would genuinely believe that this film was produced by Disney.The characters are one-dimensional,dull and lack any semblance of depth or personality. DeNiro is an exceptional actor, but he gives one of his weaker performances in an over the top,mustache twirling portrayal of Al Capone. The dialogue is hammy, and the entire film just feels completely off.


There are some positives to this film. The cinematography is quite solid, and the sets,costumes, and period setting are done well. There are even a few sequences that are quite good, it''s just that the film feels so disjointed. Watching this movie, I was just baffled at how corny some sequences were.While films like Goodfellas and The Godfather immerse you into their brilliant stories and take you on an incredible journey, The Untouchables never does that. It just feels artificial and forced.Beneath it's glossy surface, it's a dull,soulless affair.If you want a good prohibition mob movie I recommend Miller's Crossing. I give The Untouchables a
. It's one of the weaker films in the gangster/crime genre.



Weaker gangster movie? Definitely. But I do not think it is AS bad as you say. Though easily the best part of that movie is Sean Connery. And "They bring a knife you bring a gun, they send one of yours to the hospital you send one of theirs to the morgue. That's the Chicago way." is one of my favorite movie quotes.



Finished here. It's been fun.
Weaker gangster movie? Definitely. But I do not think it is AS bad as you say. Though easily the best part of that movie is Sean Connery. And "They bring a knife you bring a gun, they send one of yours to the hospital you send one of theirs to the morgue. That's the Chicago way." is one of my favorite movie quotes.
Hey man I'm glad you enjoyed it. I just found it extremely weak compared to other mob films in the genre, i expected more from a film with such a cast.Nothing about it was particularly memorable or great.



Hey man I'm glad you enjoyed it. I just found it extremely weak compared to other mob films in the genre, i expected more from a film with such a cast.Nothing about it was particularly memorable or great.
Oh I agree with you it is definitely weaker. Mostly because I am not a big De Palma guy, and Scorsese and Coppela are the *****. And outside of Connery there really is not a whole lot special. I just love Sean Connery when he is ornery.



Must be doin sumthin right
Yeah can't think of a disney movie where Sean Connery goes around drinking whiskey and calling people "dirty wops"

Originally Posted by Lucas
Nothing about it was particularly memorable or great.
Train station shootout?



Train station shootout?
Only memorable because of its use of the Odessa Steps montage.

Lucas, it's a pleasant surprise to see someone who sees this film as I did. I've not seen this, probably, since the late 90's, but I've always thought of it much as you did. I don't agree with you saying Disney could've made it, but pretty much everything else.
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Yeah,not a huge fan of Untouchables,too,although I tend to agree more with Gunslinger,the movie is a bit dull for me yet it's interesting to watch.It also has Andy Garcia playing the gangster,soo...
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I didn't loved the Untouchables, but I liked it more than you. Sean Connery is the best part of the film and even though it's cliche it has great moments.
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I do not speak english perfectly so expect some mistakes here and there in my messages



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
won't argue with your description about untouchables, it can be quite cheesy and they are one-dimensional characters, but, like gunslinger says about connery and there are several scenes that make me chuckle, like the accountant who steals drinks out of a shot up barrel and others that I enjoy.

As for psycho, i think i was 8 when i first saw it on tv. Made taking a shower a very terrifying scenario all the way into my teens. ALWAYS watching for shadows on the shower screen. . . and like daniel mentioned the detective on the staircase is a heart pounder. Nowadays i enjoy the film's nuances and smile at how this used to scare the hell outta me in my childhood.

Keep the great reviews coming, lucas!



Finished here. It's been fun.






This is without a doubt in my mind one of the best action films of all time, and even one of the best films of the 1980's. It is extremely entertaining,very fun, and pretty damn badass. It just has that 80's aura around it, and it's a film I feel can be rewatched numerous times and still be alot of fun.

The story is set in near future Detroit where crime and corruption is almost uncontrollable. Police forces are no longer feared, and are basically just target practice for the scum that run the streets.The movie follows the cop Alex Murphy, who on his first assignment has a run in with one of the city's major criminals and things quickly turn awry. It's a familiar story, but it's effective enough for what it is. The direction,effects,acting are all quite solid. It's a film with solid production values that hold up pretty well even today.The action sequences are well filmed and satisfying, and the film never feels tedious or dull. It's just alot of fun.It's a very bloody film as well, and it definitely lives up to it's R-rating.

In this film there's some clever satire interwoven with the action, and that's something I really admire. Robocop in sum is a thrilling,entertaining and potent action film with some good satire.Now it's mandatory for me to insert this sentence. They don't make em' like they used to.I give Robocop a
+.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
oh hell yes!! been quite a while see i've watched this and really need to again, but yes, all around solid action flick with some really great satire