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sailor
12-26-2011, 11:23 AM
gotcha
isnt it sposed to be more brutal then the american version that just came out ?
No clue.
cougarjake13
12-26-2011, 11:30 AM
No clue.
http://youtu.be/25lDX4wA1SQ
Dan G
12-26-2011, 11:55 AM
Yeah, but there's probably a dubbed version out there.
Boo! People, do yourself a favor and never choose a dubbed version.
I saw the Swedish version and really liked it. Wasn't a fan of part 2, but part 3 rebounded, but still not as great as the first.
Will be seeing Fincher's version sometime this week.
Pitdoc
12-26-2011, 12:59 PM
The Great Race (1965) - A slapstick comedy directed by the late Blake Edwards. This was as close to watching a live action cartoon as you could get.
Taking place in the early 1900s, this is about a race around the world, from New York to Paris.
A lot of the antics found in this are more often found in cartoons. For instance, there’s a scene where the evil, Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon) has a bomb with a homing device that’s targeted for The Great Leslie (Tony Curtis). The homing device is triggered by sound, so as The Great Leslie is driving his very loud speed boat, the bomb immediately races toward it. As it gets closer to the boat, Professor Fate and sidekick, Max (Peter Falk) get to their car to getaway. The car starts backfiring and so the bomb changes direction, runs on land and then you see a big explosion. Like a cartoon, the characters never die, they just come back and concoct a new, devious plan.
Professor Fate reminded me so much of the cartoon character, Dick Dastardly from Wacky Races.
http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/5170/dickdastardly.jpg
After the film, I went to its IMDB page and saw that Wacky Races came out after this and was inspired by this film. Natalie Wood is also in The Great Race and her character inspired Penelope Pitstop.
This was really funny, but also really long, at over 2 and half hours.
"Push the button ,Max!!!!!!
Pitdoc
12-26-2011, 01:04 PM
My brother in-law won't let me change the channel, so ive watched
A Christmas Story,A Christmas Story,A Christmas Story,A Christmas Story,A Christmas Story,A Christmas Story,A Christmas Story,A Christmas Story,A Christmas Story,A Christmas Story,A Christmas Story...merry xmas.
Never heard of it. Is it playing on TV any time soon?
And I saw Melancholia while I was in NYC a couple of weeks ago. If he shot it, Lars Von Trier would make a blowjob depressing.
Chigworthy
12-26-2011, 02:02 PM
If he shot it, Lars Von Trier would make a blowjob depressing.
If?
fezident
12-26-2011, 02:12 PM
I can not wait to see Meloncholia.
Also on the docket... Young Adult (I absolutely love Jason Reitman's work)
and also Mission Impossible.
Dan G
12-26-2011, 02:59 PM
Here's what I watched this week:
The Apostle (1997) - Religious based film written, starring, and directed by Robert Duvall.
Duvall plays a preacher, separated from his wife. After a physical altercation with the man sleeping with this wife, the preacher leaves his church and state behind mysteriously, and begins a new life in a small town in Louisiana where he hopes to build a church and add followers.
I liked this a lot.
Always cool to discover frequent Ron and Fez sounders. A clip from this is often played when returning from commercial breaks.
Babes in Toyland (1934) - My first time seeing a Laurel and Hardy film.
I was confused by two things. First, I’ve always heard that this was a popular film to play around Christmas. After watching it, it has nothing to do with Christmas. It actually takes place in July. Yes, Laurel and Hardy play toy makers, but this was more of a Mother Goose fairytale story.
The second confusing thing is the title. I bought this on Blu-ray and the title reads March of the Wooden Soldiers. Yet, when I press play the title card reads Babes in Toyland, no mention anywhere of the other title. So, alphabetically this goes with the M’s on my shelf, but it should be with the B’s.
As for the film, I did find it funny and look forward to seeing more of Laurel and Hardy.
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1982) - David Bowie plays a POW in a Japanese war camp during WWII.
Not much action in this, it’s just basically about some Japanese soldiers being much more lenient with their prisoners than others.
Kind of boring, actually, and the grammar (or lack thereof) in the title really annoyed me.
A Christmas Tale (2008) - I watched this simply because of the time of year and that it was a Criterion release. I didn’t read anything about it. All I knew was that it was in French. I honestly expected a black and white film from the 1940s to begin playing. I had no idea it was such a recent release.
A dysfunctional family reunites in the days leading up to Christmas to be together for their mom, who although she appears extremely healthy, has just discovered she has cancer.
This is dialogue heavy, but I wasn’t really bored at all. The soundtrack helped. I love recognizing American music in foreign films. “Lyric Fathom” by Blackalicious gets a little play during one scene.
Crispy123
12-29-2011, 07:11 PM
http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Alvin-and-the-Chipmunks-3.jpg
It was as good as the first two.
realmenhatelife
12-30-2011, 05:58 AM
gotcha
isnt it sposed to be more brutal then the american version that just came out ?
I would say no, the American version is probably a bit harsher. There is a scene earlier in the movie that is probably the one most people are thinking of, and I remember it being on par with the original. Then, all the sortof accumulated violence through the rest of the movie may not be so much worse, but just the matter of picture and audio quality make it resonate more. Fincher has a style that lends itself more to this kind of thing.
The original is fine, I agree I never would've guessed that it was as huge as it was had I not known better. I get that Lisbeth is a really enigmatic character, but I do find it hard to judge how people are acting in a language I'm super unfamiliar with, like Swedish. But they're both good, the American version is definately worth watching.
Troll Hunter- docu style horror movie about a guy who is paid by the government to hunt trolls, really liked it.
Meek's Cutoff - Good if you like a slow, really sparse western. It was good but maybe too spare for me. I think the entire thing may have been shot on natural light only, including night scenes which were really hard to see on my tv. Good cast that feels a little underused, lots of whispering and mumbling. I would've watched it with the subtitles on if not for netflix streaming. On the whole I think the movie was just a tad too ambiguous, like just a dash more of anything would've made it a really hit for me. Michelle Williams is more convincing as a dirty ass pioneer woman in a bonnett than the worlds best looking homeless woman.
realmenhatelife
12-30-2011, 07:59 AM
The Last Circus: bizarre spanish movie about the violent love triangle between a meek sad clown, a masochistic trapeze artist, and her violent/abusive happy clown boyfriend. Also pulls in stuff about the spanish civil war and basque terrorism. The trailer made it look like it was going to be way more frenetic, but it's still kindof crazy and surreal. Alex di Iglesias who directed Accion Mutante and Perdita Durango.
Dan G
12-31-2011, 02:24 PM
Here's what I watched this week:
Senna (2010) - I have never followed Formula One racing, but I was familiar with the name Ayrton Senna, as highlights of his would frequently show up on ESPN when I used to religiously watch that network.
This is an amazing documentary on the life of Senna. You don’t have to have any knowledge of racing to enjoy this. Like I said, I don’t follow the sport yet I was totally fascinated with the feud between Senna and fellow driver, Alain Prost, as well as Senna’s views on the behind-the-scenes politics of racing.
The way it plays is really cool, too. Most documentaries will show stock footage and then a current interview with someone about said subject. In this, it’s like a chronological video timeline of Senna’s life.
I really wanted to see this theaters when it came out this past summer, but it never showed up near me, so had to settle for streaming on Netflix.
I highly recommend this one.
Amadeus (1984) - Been putting this one off for a while. I wanted to watch it since it was a Best Picture winner, but that 3 hour length was keeping me from it. Recently discovered that it was expiring from Netflix on New Years Day, so finally put it on.
I wasn’t aware of this until I started it, but this was actually the Director’s Cut. A full 20 minutes longer than the theatrical version. Having never seen this before, I have no idea what was added or extended.
This is basically a historically fictionalized account of Mozart’s life, told by an old jealous, fellow composer.
It was good, but some of those opera scenes seemed to go on way too long. Mozart’s laugh was also very annoying.
Spirits of the Dead (1967) - Three short films by 3 different directors based on 3 short stories by Edgar Allen Poe. The directors are Roger Vadim, Louis Malle, and Federico Fellini.
I was really bored with Vadim’s film. Though it did feature Jane Fonda, who seemed to have a love interest in her cousin, who just happened to be played by her brother, Peter Fonda. Also, everyone spoke French, but you could tell Jane was speaking English, though it did sound like her own voice actually speaking French, so I guess she just dubbed herself afterward.
Malle’s short was better, but not by much.
Fellini saved this film, thanks to a strong and believable performance by Terrance Stamp.
The Great Train Robbery (1903) - Closing out the year with the 324th film I’ve watched in 2011, also just happens to be the oldest film I have ever seen.
This is a true silent film. No musical accompaniment and no text dialog to read. It’s just a straight narrative about a train robbery.
For a film that’s over 100 years old, there were still elements in it that amazed me. For one, I was not expecting to see color being used, but it was, and in a very cool way.
I’m so glad I finally watched this.
PapaBear
12-31-2011, 06:33 PM
Thanks for the heads up on Senna. I didn't realize it was on Netflix now. Gonna watch it tonight.
fezident
12-31-2011, 08:18 PM
AMADEUS is one of my all time favorite films. On every front, I consider it to be one of thee greatest movies ever made.
Furtherman
01-03-2012, 06:50 AM
Fright Night. The remake that came out last summer. I'm not a horror movie guy, and even less of a vampire fan, but this movie was very well done. It was quick, funny and had great performances. Especially by McLovin and David Tennant.
Apollo 18. Put together nicely so it looks like "lost footage". The story starts off interesting but just kinda fizzles at the end, with no real resolution for the characters - or even a purpose that 17 other Apollo missions could have dealt with. Disappointing. With the exception of one scene involving a trip into a dark crater, not very "scary" at all. Cheap cuts for "scary" effects.
underdog
01-03-2012, 06:58 AM
Best Worst Movie - interesting documentary behind the people who were in the IMDB rated worst movie ever, Troll 2.
Troll 2 - watched this after Best Worst Movie, and I think that's the way you should watch it. You know what to look for in the film. It is amazingly bad.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams - started watching this and it was great, but then I dl'd the 3D version and watched that and it's fucking great. It uses 3D better than any movie I've seen, and between Herzog's accent and the long, drawn out shots, it's almost comical at times. Great, great doc.
Kublakhan61
01-03-2012, 09:02 AM
Best Worst Movie - interesting documentary behind the people who were in the IMDB rated worst movie ever, Troll 2.
Did it strike you that almost all of the males who were far too into Troll 2 were very likely latent homosexuals?
underdog
01-03-2012, 10:00 AM
Did it strike you that almost all of the males who were far too into Troll 2 were very likely latent homosexuals?
A bit, yeah. But I think that's just that culture. It's very feminine.
Crispy123
01-03-2012, 10:03 AM
Fright Night. The remake that came out last summer. I'm not a horror movie guy, and even less of a vampire fan, but this movie was very well done. It was quick, funny and had great performances. Especially by McLovin and David Tennant.
I saw this recently and liked it too. Campy but funny.
StanUpshaw
01-03-2012, 11:43 AM
I saw this recently and liked it too. Campy but funny.
And you know funny.
Crispy123
01-03-2012, 12:33 PM
And you know funny.
Funny is subjective. Take your statement above for instance. I find it hilarious, others maybe find it confusing. Who's to say?
fezident
01-04-2012, 03:13 AM
Well alrighty then!
I saw the trailer for the new Fright Night, and thought "that actually looks really good but... I just don't ever enjoy horror flicks." but after reading here that it actually IS a good little movie... I'll def check it out.
JerseyRich
01-04-2012, 11:51 AM
AMADEUS is one of my all time favorite films. On every front, I consider it to be one of thee greatest movies ever made.
Agreed.
spoon
01-04-2012, 11:53 AM
Agreed.
what the!?
:blink:
JerseyRich
01-04-2012, 11:55 AM
Hey pal!
Love Amadeus.
Fine film.
That and Empire of the Sun were my two favorite films growing up.
spoon
01-04-2012, 11:59 AM
yah never caught it but you know why I was really surprised!
did ur internet gps blow up?
:innocent:
JerseyRich
01-04-2012, 12:02 PM
Don't keep secrets.
TELL ME!
yojimbo7248
01-04-2012, 12:57 PM
I went in to the Artist not expecting much but it was great. Fun movie to watch and very well make.
Dan G
01-08-2012, 11:59 AM
Here's what I watched this week:
Dazed and Confused (1993) - I bought the Criterion Blu-ray of this a few months ago, mainly because it was by Criterion, but also because I heard it was so great.
Finally popped it in and at first I wasn’t really getting the admiration. It seemed like a typical high school comedy that I’d seen before, but then Wooderson showed up. Matthew McConaughey’s character as an older guy still hanging out with high school kids and chasing after the younger girls, was hilarious to me. From then on I loved this.
California Suite (1978) - When I saw that TCM was playing this, I recorded it because there is one particular scene that I remembered as a kid where Richard Pryor and his wife are playing a mixed doubles tennis match against Bill Cosby and his wife. I always loved this scene as a kid and it was one of those movies that I could never remember the title.
As I watched it, I realized that I had seen the entire thing before, but as a kid, I’m sure there were many references that I didn’t get. The Pryor/Cosby scene was memorable because it was full of pratfalls...funny stuff to a kid. As an adult, those scenes seem so out of place. Not going to lie, I still laughed.
The rest of the film is a bit more dramatic, with a little bit of humor thrown in. Though, there is a scene where Walter Matthau is trying to hide a drunk, passed out prostitute in his hotel room while his wife is in the same room. Funny, but too silly compared to the stories that really carried this film.
My Week with Marilyn (2011) - True story of Marilyn Monroe’s time in London to film Sir Laurence Olivier’s The Prince and the Showgirl.
I had read before seeing this that actors and directors hated working with Marilyn because she was notoriously late and was terrible at remembering her lines.
This film touched on that, as well her drug use and philandering ways.
Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe was amazing. Definitely a contender for Best Actress.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - I watched the Swedish trilogy a few months ago and was kind of reluctant to see this so soon after. The original was still fresh in my head, so I pretty much knew what was coming with every scene. The ending did throw me a bit because it wasn’t the same as the original. Overall, it was decent.
Rooney Mara was just as good and believable as Lisbeth Salamander than Noomi Rapace was.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) - I went into this not knowing anything about it. Never saw a trailer or poster. I didn’t even know who was in it. All I heard was that people were saying this will be on best of 2011 lists.
I wasn’t even aware that this was previously made into a British TV mini-series by the same name, though it uses proper grammar.
Very light on action, but still very captivating. Something that needs to be seen twice to fully grasp.
I really did like the grainy, faded look to it.
GoldenEye (1995) - A few years ago I decided to see all the James Bond films, starting from the first one, Dr. No. TCM ran all the Sean Connery ones in one month, though they they didn’t play them in order, so I had to DVR them all month and then watch them in order on my own time. Last year I got Netflix and decided to continue watching the remaining Bond films. They didn’t have them all, so I just had to wait for them to be added. Last year I got all the way caught up to the Timothy Dalton era. Last month I checked to see if more had been added and saw that the next three were available, so I added them, but didn’t watch them. A few days ago I see a Tweet that says several Bond films will be expiring on January 8th. Sure enough, the three I had recently added were on that list. Yesterday I had a 3-film Bond marathon.
This was Pierce Brosnan’s debut as 007. Not really going to go into detail on these, though they did get worse with each one. I will say that I really did like Brosnan as Bond. The other Bond films I watched yesterday were Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and The World Is Not Enough (1999).
Pretty sure I only have 3 more to see before I’m all caught up. One more Brosnan film before I get to see the current Bond, Daniel Craig. Hopefully I’ll have seen them all in time to see Skyfall in theaters whenever that gets released.
Dan G
01-14-2012, 08:45 PM
Here's what I watched this week:
Island of Lost Souls (1932) - In the 90s I really loved The Island of Dr. Moreau starring Val Kilmer and Marlon Brando. I wasn’t even aware that it was a remake. Turns out it was a remake of a remake. There was one in the 70s which I have never seen.
When it was announced that Criterion would be releasing this film, it was then that I discovered that this was the original film. I bought this as a blind buy and after watching it, I have no regrets on this purchase.
This was so, so good. Immediately I felt it shit on the 90s version, though I did like that little guy, Nelson de la Rosa.
Killer of Sheep (1977) - This follows a black family in 1970s Los Angeles. It feels almost like a documentary, until there’s dialog and then you see how poorly acted it is. That’s not saying this was bad, I loved following all these characters and some were very funny.
Cropsey (2007) - A documentary about an urban legend that was popular in the 1970-80s in Staten Island, NY.
Legend had it that a man named Cropsey, who once stayed at the now closed down asylum, still lives in the building and is now a hook-handed, axe-wielding child murderer.
The creators of this documentary decided to explore this urban legend, but what they found was a real-life Cropsey in the name of Andre Rand, who was accused of killing special needs children in Staten Island.
Similar to the legend of Cropsey, Rand was known to have lived in the empty asylum and he was once employed there.
This documentary covers the search for these missing children, some of which still have not been found.
Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop (2001) - I ordered this DVD the day it was announced via Danny Hoch’s web site back in 2004. I bought it on the strength of Whiteboyz, a film starring Danny Hoch, which I really love.
This week is when I finally decided to watch it.
It’s basically Danny’s one-man stage show in which he plays several different characters in separate vignettes. It’s filmed in a way in which you’ll see Danny acting on stage, then the story flows with him performing in front of a group of prisoners, then it’ll shift to him continuing the story in front of an audience in a park, and then you’ll see what he’s performing actually being acted out with other actors, so you can visually see what his one-man act is trying to convey. The transitions are pretty cool and not distracting at all.
One of the performances is just Danny telling a story about the time he was hired to appear on the TV show, Seinfeld. It was a cool story.
This DVD was never released in stores and I have now discovered that it is rare and sells for a lot on eBay. I can’t imagine this getting re-released anytime soon, so I’ll be holding on to mine. There is an audio CD version that I listened to immediately after watching this. It’s the same stage performance, but some segments are a little longer than on the DVD.
The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1959) - In the early 1900s, a group of people, including a hired American, are set to rob a highly secured bank. They believe that there is at least one loophole into the bank’s security that will get them in and out, undetected.
Watching this, you just know they’re going to get caught, just how and when?
It was short, so easy to get wrapped up in. I did enjoy the ending.
deliciousV
01-16-2012, 11:28 AM
So late last night, all drunked up, I watched "Soul Surfer" because my wife had it on our DVR, and I was a little drunk. I'd been wondering what had become of Helen Hunt, turns out, from the looks of her, that she's been dead for about 6 years.
CountryBob
01-16-2012, 11:31 AM
So late last night, all drunked up, I watched "Soul Surfer" because my wife had it on our DVR, and I was a little drunk. I'd been wondering what had become of Helen Hunt, turns out, from the looks of her, that she's been dead for about 6 years.
Haha - not where I thought you were going ...
Chigworthy
01-16-2012, 02:58 PM
Small Town Murder Songs
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1a/Small_town_murder_songs.jpg/220px-Small_town_murder_songs.jpg
I saw this compared to a Coen Brothers film, then I saw that it stars an actor that played one of the Coens' creepier characters (Fargo woodchipper guy), so I thought it would be a slam dunk. It just didn't make it for me. I was surprised after watching it that it got such good reviews. What I saw was a clumsy attempt at imitating a Coens movie. It also felt like they stretched a 30 minute short into a feature. I am completely ok with movies that don't wrap everything up for you, or where "nothing happens", but typically that type of film has to be a quality character driven affair. It almost feels like the middle act got cut. I've liked Peter Stormare in just about everything he's done, but it just felt like he was calling it in here. Aside from the thin story and character development, there is the score/soundtrack. Brimstoney modern gospel songs erupt out of this film just about every ten minutes with the volume so high that it jars you right out of the small town mood of the film. I actually liked the songs but the gimmick of having them so jarringly looud just bothered me. The pros: The film is shot beautifully and the location is interesting.
In the end it comes off like something produced by film students who somehow got a nice budget to make their first film.
realmenhatelife
01-17-2012, 03:45 AM
Another Earth - It blew. The one funny thing though is how the writer/director have no idea what poor/depressed people look like. The male lead is an ex yale professor whose life is totally shattered after the car accident that opens the movie. So he's living in alchoholic squalor in a dirty rundown house, plaster falling off the walls, unfinished ceiling, the whole thing, but he's getting drunk on good booze and wine, and puts his scotch in a crystal decanter. Like there's takeout containers all over and he doesn't have heat, but he's got a crystal scotch decanter.
One really good moment when the director of SETI is contacting the second earth which has emerged from behind the sun, makes you wish the movie was a little less introspective and did actually deal more with the macguffin.
Terri- Basically it's Angus, only for adults. It's decent but that all comes from John C Reilly as the vice principle, played as an actual person instead of how school administrators are usually played. It's kindof an average movie with one really great scene and a few good scenes mixed in.
Dan G
01-21-2012, 10:16 AM
Here's what I watched this week:
Winnebago Man (2010) - Documentary about a guy who made an informational video about an RV in 1989. The outtakes from these videos where he would become increasingly angered at himself over forgetting lines, were spread across the nation via VHS tapes, and became even more widespread with the help of the Internet.
As famous as these videos were, this was the first time I had ever seen them. As a matter of fact, in this documentary they compared his fame to other viral videos and I sat there looking at all these unfamiliar videos. I have never had any interest in watching viral videos. If a video is longer than 20 seconds I usually bail out. Even videos I’ve created myself, I’ve never sat through in their entirety.
Having said that, I was familiar with these videos, though I didn’t know Jack Rebney by name, I was aware of “The Angriest Man in the World” videos even though I had never watched them.
I liked how this documentary started with the search for Jack Rebney, not even knowing if he was still alive or where he could possibly be. Once he was located it was like, okay, you found him, big deal. It was nice that Jack got to see just how much people loved him and his outtakes.
Overall, I enjoyed it. Someone more familiar with these videos would absolutely love this.
House (1977) - With all of Criterion’s releases, this one had the biggest buzz that I’ve ever seen. I was not even familiar with it until Criterion announced it in 2010. They even had t-shirts made. With all its hype, I held off on buying it. However, when I saw that it was going to be on Turner Classic Movies this month, I immediately set my DVR to record it.
This was, by far, one of the strangest horror films I have ever seen.
Japanese film about a group of teenage girls spending a week at the aunt’s home of one of the girls. Of course it all starts normal, but then one of the girls goes missing, then more and more mysterious things begin happening, including a girl eaten by a piano...I told you this was strange.
This was fun to watch and had a great soundtrack.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) - Well, you know I don’t watch viral videos, but I also don’t watch animation either. I have no problem watching cartoons from my childhood (Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Flintstones, etc...) but I still have never seen a Pixar film. The last animated film that I watched was The Iron Giant, but that was because my girlfriend at the time and I took her nephews to the theater to go see it.
The only reason for seeing this was because it was directed by Wes Anderson. There’s only a few directors that I try and see everything they’ve done (Woody Allen, Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Tom McCarthy) so if any of them make an animated feature, I’ll watch it.
I liked the stop-motion look to this. I thought it was very well done. The story was cool, too, though I wasn’t familiar with the book.
This was a one time viewing for me, no need to ever see it again.
Prince of the City (1981) - A nearly 3 hour film based on a true story about a NYPD Narcotics Agent that agrees to wear a wire to uncover police corruption. His caveat is that if any of his friends somehow are involved he will not rat against them.
That begins to prove more difficult as his friends do start getting involved and now he suddenly has to choose sides.
I had never heard of this until I saw that it was playing on TCM. It was directed by Sidney Lumet and when I saw that I decided to give it a chance. So glad I did. This was incredible. Great performances by everyone. I was into it the whole way.
The Right Stuff (1983) - This is more than 3 hours long and for that reason I always held off on watching it. It took until this week when I discovered that it was expiring from Netflix.
This really could have been 2 separate films. It starts off with Chuck Yeager’s attempts at breaking the sound barrier in the late 1940s, but then as time and technology moved on, it begins to follow the US’s attempts at space travel, which Yeager was not a part of.
Yeager still remains a part of the film as it continues following his Air Force career, while also following the astronauts and their many space missions through the 1950-60s.
I was much more interested/entertained by the astronauts portions of the film.
Night Moves (1975) - Wasn’t expecting this to be a noir, but it was and it was really good.
Gene Hackman plays a retired football player turned private investigator. He gets hired by a washed up actress to help find her runaway teenage daughter. By the way, the daughter is played by Melanie Griffith and is shown naked a lot for an under-aged girl.
A young James Woods is also in this.
This was just a great film with a cool ending.
Them! (1954) - Leftover radiation from a nuclear explosion test 9 years prior has caused ants in a New Mexico desert to grow as large as 15 feet. The human population is now in danger as these ants begin a killing spree as they spread to other states.
The 1950s must’ve been a fun time for moviegoers as there were a lot films with similar themes out during that decade, all meant to cause fear amongst the general public.
I liked how this was a black & white film, yet the title was shown in full color. From what I’ve read, this was supposed to be a 3-D color film, but the studio panicked days before shooting and opted for a standard black & white.
It was cool to watch. The little girl at the beginning that’s wandering the desert alone was amazing.
Greased Lightning (1977) - Richard Pryor stars in this true story about the first black stock car racer.
Not nearly as funny as you’d expect a Pryor film to be.
This was more of a drama, with some silly moments thrown in. Probably would’ve been more effective if it wasn’t Pryor in the lead.
Slacker (1990) - I didn’t know what to expect from this. It starts with a guy catching a cab in the early morning hours. He’s telling this long-winded story, just boring the hell out of the driver, then exits the cab at his destination and witnesses a hit-and-run. From there the film just continues following random people on a typical day in Austin, Texas. Everything was scripted, so it’s not like this was a documentary.
It was decent, some characters I wished were followed longer than others. I was impressed with how few cuts were used in this.
Melvin Goes to Dinner (2002) - This was like a modern My Dinner with Andre, but funnier and much less intellectual.
Bob Odenkirk directed this film about a group of people meeting for dinner at a restaurant. The topics of discussion range from religion to infidelity.
It probably sounds boring to watch a film about people eating and talking, but it was really enjoyable, and being under 90 minutes makes it easier to digest (pun intended).
I liked this a lot and especially its “holy shit” ending.
The Artist (2011) - This was my most anticipated film of 2011, but as the weeks passed after its release, it still had not shown up at the 3 theaters which I frequent. Finally, yesterday it showed up at the closest one to me, so that was convenient.
This film was amazing. It looked so authentic, from its full screen presentation, the opening credits, and the great music.
It didn’t look like they were making a silent film, it looked like a silent film.
I really loved it.
newport king
01-24-2012, 06:09 AM
Bad Teacher might be the worst movie i've ever seen. And i've seen Gigli and Battlefield Earth. It was like Eastbound and Down without the funny.
Friends With Benefits watchable chick flick, Mila Kunis kept me interested.
Moneyball im sure i'll like this more than most oscar nominees but you know, the whole, they didn't win the world series so what the fuck am i watching this for? feeling wouldnt go away. One thing they leave out is they had Tejada who at the height of his steroid use was very very good. As was Chavez. Oh yeah 3 Cy Young caliber starters in Mulder, Hudson and Zito probably helped too.
weekapaugjz
01-24-2012, 06:15 AM
Moneyball im sure i'll like this more than most oscar nominees but you know, the whole, they didn't win the world series so what the fuck am i watching this for? feeling wouldnt go away. One thing they leave out is they had Tejada who at the height of his steroid use was very very good. As was Chavez. Oh yeah 3 Cy Young caliber starters in Mulder, Hudson and Zito probably helped too.
i watched that last night. i don't think tejada's name was mentioned once, and only shown in one of the "real" highlight clips once quick. and zero mention of mulder or zito, and only showed hudson pitching in the playoff game.
cougarjake13
01-24-2012, 06:50 AM
Finally saw avatar overall not bad I just don't see why they'd teach him their ways knowing he wasn't one of them
Misteriosa
01-24-2012, 06:54 AM
Finally saw avatar overall not bad I just don't see why they'd teach him their ways knowing he wasn't one of them
they taught him because their tree goddess chose him with the little seeds (according to their symbol/divination system)
http://amaliehoward.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Jake-with-tree-seeds.jpg
cougarjake13
01-24-2012, 06:59 AM
Yeh I saw that I was just thinking that since they knew he was a fraud they wouldn't tell him shit but I guess that's our human complex brain thinking
Whereas they're primitive in some ways thinking and trust in enya
Misteriosa
01-24-2012, 07:03 AM
Yeh I saw that I was just thinking that since they knew he was a fraud they wouldn't tell him shit but I guess that's our human complex brain thinking
Whereas they're primitive in some ways thinking and trust in enya
of course they trust in eywa. they have daily contact with their goddess. their goddess is real. they plug into her every day. she freaking transferred jake from one body to another. their goddess is tangible and lives there with them, not on some cloud looking down on them.
CountryBob
01-24-2012, 07:06 AM
of course they trust in eywa. they have daily contact with their goddess. their goddess is real. they plug into her every day. she freaking transferred jake from one body to another. their goddess is tangible and lives there with them, not on some cloud looking down on them.
Life here would be so much easier if it was this way - I loved the Avatar experience.
booster11373
01-24-2012, 08:44 AM
Jackie Brown
cougarjake13
01-24-2012, 09:02 AM
of course they trust in eywa. they have daily contact with their goddess. their goddess is real. they plug into her every day. she freaking transferred jake from one body to another. their goddess is tangible and lives there with them, not on some cloud looking down on them.
It just seemed that at that point there was enough distrust in what he did
At first I thought they were gonna do back to him what he was doing trying to get into the human mind and way of things
But that's not the kind of people or entities that they were
underdog
01-25-2012, 06:44 PM
The Rum Diaries
Meh.
CountryBob
01-26-2012, 04:36 AM
Saw Haywire last night and it was good. The movie was filmed in a different way than most movies that come out now. It was a great mystery of doublecross and the chick does a great job.
She can kick some serious ass!
Furtherman
01-26-2012, 07:10 AM
The Ides Of March. A very good film. Inspiring, disheartening, and then overly realistic. You wish for a better outcome. But what price would you compromise? Excellent performances all around.
Dan G
01-28-2012, 04:16 PM
Here's what I watched this week:
Louis C.K.: Hilarious (2009) - It feels weird listing this as a movie I watched since it’s just a stand-up comedy show, but it is considered a concert film. Is it because it was shot in a widescreen format? Or maybe because it was released theatrically? I really never understood why Bill Cosby, Himself or Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip are films, but Dave Chappelle: Killin’ Them Softly and Patrice ONeal: Elephant in the Room are considered comedy specials.
This was a very funny show, but not nearly as funny as the show he has on his web site for $5. Still, it was very much worth watching.
The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) - I recorded this off of TCM based on the title alone.
This is based on a true story about a killer in Texarkana, Arkansas in 1946. It starts off almost like a documentary with narration about the characters we’re meeting, but then it goes into a horror film, with views from the killer’s perspective and seeing the fear in the victim’s faces, as well as the violent kills, including death by trombone.
At times it tried to add comedy...badly. That was my only issue with this. Aside from the failed attempts, this was still a great watch.
Stir Crazy (1980) - When I was a kid I really wanted to see this film. It must’ve been the VHS cover seeing two grown men wearing chicken costumes. I never did see it until this week. As a kid my family always had HBO, but I’m thinking this might’ve been a Showtime exclusive, because surely I would’ve watched it.
This was just as funny as I expected it to be. I was shocked to see that it was directed by Sidney Poitier.
Ace in the Hole (1951) - The Interrobang suggested a weekend of Billy Wilder films. Of the 8 they suggested, this was the only one I hadn't seen. It had been on my DVR for months, so figured now was a great time to finally see it. I am so glad I did.
Kirk Douglas plays a newspaper reporter, fired from every place he’s worked. He ends up in New Mexico hoping to land a big story that will bring him attention and get him his job back in New York. After a year in New Mexico he coincidentally stops to get gas, when he hears a story about a man just recently trapped in a nearby cave. The reporter investigates, even going into the cave to see and speak to the trapped man. As rescue efforts begin, the reporter manipulates the rescuers, the sheriff, and the wife of the trapped man, all so he can sensationalize the story and attempt to drag everything out slowly so that he can write more and more and hopefully be discovered by the NY paper he desires to work for.
This was really good and can easily be related to in today’s times.
Donkey Baseball (1935) - A short film about a game of donkey baseball. In donkey baseball, all players except for the pitcher and catcher are on donkeys. The batter isn’t on a donkey while hitting, but when he hits the ball he has to get on a nearby donkey and run the bases.
This was silly, absurd, and thankfully short.
In a Lonely Place (1950) - Humphrey Bogart plays a screenwriter accused of murder. This was really, really good. There were some seriously funny parts in this, too.
Learned a valuable lesson from this as well. If you have road rage and call someone a “blind, knuckle-headed squirrel” you might get a rock to the skull.
The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1958) - A black miner gets trapped in a mining cave for 5 days. He finally frees himself to discover that he is a survivor of an atomic blast. He travels from Pennsylvania to New York, hoping to find survivors. After a few weeks in New York he meets a younger white woman. They become friends, but he creates racial tension between them. Several months later a white man on a boat rides in. Racial tensions heat up more now that there’s competition for the woman.
I loved the shots of a desolate New York City. Amazing how they could capture such a busy city and make it look completely abandoned.
I did strongly hate the ending.
CountryBob
01-30-2012, 09:56 AM
The Grey.
Pretty good movie - makes you feel cold and really appreciate a good fire.
Not expecting the ending and there were a few moments that I jumped up in my seat.
booster11373
01-30-2012, 11:13 AM
Kill the Irishman
eh.......
One thing movies dont seem to do well anymore is recreate the recent past.
Pitdoc
01-30-2012, 09:53 PM
Kill the Irishman
eh.......
One thing movies don't seem to do well anymore is recreate the recent past.
The reason for that is it had such a low budget , as can be evidenced by the HORRIBLE CGI when they had to show a car blowing up. Still, some good acting and a bit of a feel for the era(I lived in the Cleveland area then ,and there was a panic that summer as all those car bombs were going off)
Furtherman
02-06-2012, 07:34 AM
Drive - I really enjoyed this movie. Almost a modern day noir set in a sparce Los Angeles. Great performances all around. It almost comes across as just a slice of the "Driver's" life, with so much that probably happened before, but left to the imagination. Well directed too.
In Time - this came and went in the theaters very fast, but it is actuall a decent sci-fi thriller. A story if true class warfare that is not too far from he truth, any lagging plot points are filled in by great performances. Justin Timberlake can act, and Amanda Seyfried is unusually gorgeous, but grows as a character that eventually her distraction is set aside.
Dan G
02-06-2012, 05:52 PM
Here's what I watched this week:
Out of the Past (1947) - Great noir film with Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas. Really loved the dialog in this.
The In-Laws (1979) - Comedy featuring Peter Falk and Alan Arkin as 2 fathers whose children are marrying each other.
Peter Falk lives a secret life as a CIA agent. He asks the soon-to-be father in-law of his son to help him retrieve something, but things don’t go as planned and they end up in Central America chasing counterfeiters...all days before the wedding.
Really funny film.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) - Comedy/musical about a slave in the Roman Empire days who can free himself if he can help a man get the woman of his dreams.
I’m sure this was hysterical in the 1960s, but I was pretty bored.
Trees Lounge (1996) - Steve Buscemi stars/wrote/directed this one about a loser guy, always hanging out at the local bar, who has aspirations to make his life better, but just can’t seem to find a way to do it.
I liked this one a lot and it featured a great supporting cast.
For Your Consideration (2006) - With the Academy Awards coming up, I figured it was about time I finally saw this Christopher Guest film. I’ve loved all the others I’ve seen of his.
Was surprised this wasn’t a mockumentary, but it didn’t bother me at all. I really like how Guest uses pretty much the same cast members from his other films. Especially Fred Willard. That guy cracks me up every time he shows up on screen.
The Window (1949) - A 9-year-old boy who’s known to tell lies witnesses his upstairs neighbors killing a man. Of course, his parents don’t believe him.
At first I thought this was just going to be some kid friendly film, but it got dark and tense. This turned out to be surprisingly good.
Shaun of the Dead (2004) - My second time watching this. Still funny and enjoyable.
The Firemen’s Ball (1967) - Supposedly this one of the greatest comedies of all-time.
A Czechoslovakian film about a firemen’s ball to honor an 86-year-old former firemen. Nothing goes right at this ball. The raffle prizes keep getting stolen, the beauty pageant contestants are not beauties, and a fire breaks out across the street.
It did have funny moments, but I don’t think I could rate it as highly as I’ve seen others rating it.
Chigworthy
02-08-2012, 08:11 AM
I went on an indie tear recently, and ended up watching a bunch of films by the so called "mumblecore" directors, and some indie horror films directed by friends of theirs. I've always liked well-made indie horror, but never really paid too much attention to indie relationship dramas. Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed these.
Baghead (Duplass Brothers)
http://cdn-7.nflximg.com/en_us/boxshots/gsd/70084237.jpg
My little film festival started with this, which I rented on a whim from Zune. I watched The Puffy Chair a while back, but I think I fell asleep because I don't remember a thing from it. Anyway, this film is by the same brothers that made The Puffy Chair. Watching the trailer, this appeared to be a horror film. What it turns out to be is a well-acted character-driven snapshot of the relationships between four people. Sexual tension and friendship are the main components, and the horror element is a backdrop to these. A few frightening moments punctuate a few days in the life of two friends and their romantic interests attempting to write a screenplay over a weekend at a remote Big Bear cabin. As is the case in all of the films I watched, very realistic acting and events are what makes this film enjoyable. This is the first film I noticed Greta Gerwig in and I thought they had just found some dumb drunk girl to be in their film. Little did I know this was just the power of her performance.
Uncle Kent (Joe Swanberg)
http://cdn-8.nflximg.com/en_us/boxshots/gsd/70170068.jpg
I watched this thinking I would not like it all. The very concept of "Mumblecore" seemed kind of hipstery, douchey, and boring. This is a very "Mumblecore" film, but I couldn't stop watching it. Indie Illustrator/Writer/Actor/Director Kent Osborne seems to be playing himself and we get to watch an interesting weekend in his life. He lives alone with his cat in a small LA house. He has made a female friend on chat roulette who he is interested in but she is not available. She is going to be in LA for the weekend and comes to stay at his house as a friend. Over the weekend, they subtly explore romance and sex. The boy doesn't get the girl, but you do get to see a fine example of penis puppetry at one point.
Hannah Takes the Stairs (Joe Swanberg)
http://cdn-9.nflximg.com/en_us/boxshots/gsd/70074309.jpg
Another film that I surprisingly enjoyed. Greta Gerwig is fantastic as a young unsuccessful screenwriter with relationship problems. She falls head over heels for someone and cultivates a passionate relationship which she burns out on and becomes disgusted with in a short time. She does this over and over. One scene is where she reluctantly spends a day at the beach with a boyfriend she wants to dump, and actually has a good time. That evening at her apartment, her boyfriend is trying to close the deal after a good day, and she becomes physically sick at his touch. Her performance actually made me feel ill. Also, if you are like me and love seeing a naked couple in the bathtub playing a terrible classical trumpet duet, then this film is for you.
I Can See You(Graham Reznick)
http://cdn-7.nflximg.com/en_us/boxshots/gsd/70120337.jpg
A psychedelic horror movie. A little bit of David Lynch can be seen in this film that tells the story of three young men who are working on an ad campaign that highlights the nature of their area. In order to complete the job, they go camping in the woods for a weekend. Some of their hipster friends show up one evening for a party, and one of the ad guys' hooks up with an old friend, who decides to stay with them for the weekend. The following day, things get weird, people disappear, other people hallucinate, other people fight with each other, people reappear, someone gets beheaded, and that's about it. If you are ok with a film that doesn't fill in any blanks for you, and if you like David Lynch, you will probably like this.
A Horrible Way To Die (Adam Wingard)
http://cdn-2.nflximg.com/en_us/boxshots/gsd/70152652.jpg
A serial killer movie. Yep, the same old tired concept of a serial killer ruthlessly killing random people and terrorizing the rest. But this is different. The performances are fantastic, and the killer shows a psychotic remorse and self-disgust that I have never seen before.
Trigger Man (Ti West)
http://cdn-8.nflximg.com/en_us/boxshots/gsd/70082258.jpg
An early Ti West film about 3 friends who head upstate for a day of hunting. Ti West tends to make films that build slowly and this is no exception. Eventually, someone starts hunting the friends. It sounds like a movie that has been made before, but this is atmospheric in a way that others aren't.
realmenhatelife
02-08-2012, 08:41 AM
Mumblecore movies are another great one to check out on IMDB because someone is always just livid that the movie exists. The Future is a good movie for people that kindof like mumblecore but are kindof annoyed by it. Like mumblecore characters in a movie with more plot.
I watched Drive, and I liked it. But 1. Ryan Gosling is a retard and some of the over affected parts of the movie were just silly. Like, I cant believe the silent stoic went and picked out his leather gloves. It bugged me to imagine him in a store shopping for them. 2. Albert Brooks and an Academy Award? Just stop, he wasn't playing against type, he was playing albert brooks the gangster. 3. Ron Pearlman makes some interesting choices.
Why was Christina Hendricks in this?
booster11373
02-08-2012, 08:54 AM
Boogie nights.
Maybe the best use of music in film to set an feel and time
underdog
02-08-2012, 09:29 AM
I don't think I had ever heard the term mumblecore before, but those first few movies sound interesting and I will check them out.
Chigworthy
02-10-2012, 05:48 PM
The Oregonian
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTr--x7WcmzjjsVm2D_caXYwKIhSl-5NfYewMVkqXPdrkeI5vGY
I saw the trailer for this a while ago and thought it looked interesting. Kind of a indie backwoods horror flick. Well it is available on Hulu's Sundance channel, and there it is described with the term "Grindhouse". Cool, a modern horror grindhouse movie sponsored by Sundance. This has got to be good.
No. I will try to make my review as annoying to read as this movie is to watch:
This movie is not horror nor grindhouse. In my estimation, the filmmaker is a big fan of David Lynch and psychedelics. I used to love David Lynch. I think I saw Eraserhead when I was about 5. I watched Twin Peaks faithfully on prime time. I started losing interest in his work when it became less about spooky oddball storytelling populated by eccentric characters and more about spooky oddball inexplicability populate's least accesible work and pedestalizes it, then runs it through a bld by overly eccentric exagerations of characcters. This film is takes Lynchender and soacks it in a buket of Asid to leech all plot from from its. Nein thank ye.
CountryBob
02-14-2012, 12:53 PM
Saw Safe House
I was pleasantly suprised that I liked this movie. lot of action - and my theater had the sound up so loud, I actually jumped like 10 times.
World known fugitive has to turn himself in and carnage insues.
if you like Denzell - he gives his normal 100%
Dan G
02-14-2012, 02:46 PM
Here's what I watched this week:
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) - Very cool silent film about a traveling carnival hypnotist that shows up with his constantly entranced subject. Suddenly, murders start happening with their arrival.
The sets looked cheap, yet amazing at the same time.
The Bank Dick (1940) - A happy-go-lucky drunk inadvertently catches a bank robber. As a reward, he is hired to be a security guard at the bank.
This was really funny and had a hysterical final car chase scene.
Another thing I loved is there’s a scene where he’s showing a group of kids tricks that he can do with his cigarette. He puts in his ear and blows smoke out of his mouth, then puts the cigarette in his nose and smoke comes out of his mouth. Totally bewildering the kids, showing them how cool smoking can be. Then he comments to the kids that they’re too young to smoke and then says, “I started when I was 11.”
My Brother’s Wedding (1983) - A man who has a much more successful brother, whom he really doesn’t get along with, must decide if he can be his brother’s best man or attend the funeral of his recently deceased best friend. Both events coincide on the same day and time.
Much like director Charles Burnett’s first film, Killer of Sheep, which I just recently watched, this is a cast full of unknown actors.
I liked it.
Panic in the Streets (1950) - A very sick man’s body is found on the streets of New Orleans with 2 bullets in him. An autopsy reveals that he was also carrying a plague. This sets off a desperate attempt to find out who this unknown man was and where he has been in order to stop the spread of this potentially deadly plague.
Jack Palance plays a mob guy named Blackie and he had such a menacing look about him in this film.
It was a fun watch.
We Can’t Go Home Again (1976) - Experimental film by Nicholas Ray. Experimental does not mean it was good. Not at all, at least in this film’s case.
Most of it was split screen and using crazy visual effects.
Not even the crazy amount of nudity helped me enjoy this. I didn’t like this at all. As a matter of fact, I had also recorded a documentary about the making of this film, but I hated this so much, I didn’t care how it was made, so I deleted the documentary without giving it a chance.
cougarjake13
02-19-2012, 04:50 PM
RAMBO
as bloody and gory as everyone here said it was
not sure if it was necessary for him to go home at end
EQUILIBRIUM
some weird movie with christian bale where in the future they outlaw emotions and take viles of some medicine so the dont feel
bale is like a emotion cop who goes after the people resisting the change to non emotion who eventually succumbs to his emotions and leads the resistance
very nazi like overtones with a tinge of matrix and terminator
Chigworthy
02-19-2012, 06:07 PM
A Serbian Film
Jesus fucking christ.
Now I'm trying to watch some shit movie called "Rosewood Lane": or some shit. This is more atrocious than the scene in A Serbian Film where the guys is tricked into raping his infant son in that Rose McGowan used to look like this:
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTG3_daAoPfvMN8EmQB6Ua6OLEaF3n-eSJ0YYZB2JbdOprQcw3d
And now looks like this:
http://img857.imageshack.us/img857/4858/23475933.jpg
It's hard to tell in the picture, but she looks horrendous. I imagine that if you walk down the street in Hollywood, all the women have balloon lips and squinty eyes. They must think that it looks good, and the only way that is possible is if the majority of their peers look just as terrible. I know she had some kind of facial injury, but I would take a broad with a facial injury like the joker over this horseshit. Her voice is all weird now too, like the baglips are interfering with her enunciation. Like if you pinched someones lips together and told them to speak. Or you put a bunch of bee venom in someone's collagen syringe and they shot it into their lips, then did it again.
underdog
02-19-2012, 07:12 PM
Watched Take Shelter today.
Thought it was a great, intense film. Not sure if i liked the ending, though.
IamFogHat
02-19-2012, 07:15 PM
Have you guys heard of this new site letterboxd? It's not up yet, but it's a social networking site explicitly dedicated to movie watching. I'm really fucking excited for it.
here's the proto-site
http://letterboxd.com/
Chigworthy
02-19-2012, 07:21 PM
Watched Take Shelter today.
Thought it was a great, intense film. Not sure if i liked the ending, though.
I really liked that. Despite his gargoyle face, Michael Shannon is pretty strong in just about everything he does. Shotgun Stories was good. I liked the ending, but then again I always seem to like ambiguous endings.
Snacks
02-19-2012, 07:47 PM
Hugo, beautiful visually, and good cast but the screenplay/story wasnt all that great. He should have just made a movie about the director instead of using the Hugo character and creating a fairy tale story mixed with some truth to give you insight about one of the original cinema directors.
I was going to watch Take Shelter but something came up, maybe next weekend.
IamFogHat
02-19-2012, 07:58 PM
Hugo, beautiful visually, and good cast but the screenplay/story wasnt all that great. He should have just made a movie about the director instead of using the Hugo character and creating a fairy tale story mixed with some truth to give you insight about one of the original cinema directors.
.
I've heard other people frustrated by that but I totally disagree. I haven't read the book but I found it a really original and satisfying way to tell that story.
underdog
02-21-2012, 04:31 AM
Melancholia
Garbage. I sat through that whole movie just waiting for something to click or for some sort of good movie to come out of it, but all I got is fake, over the top depression and shaky cameras. Nothing about that movie makes any sense.
realmenhatelife
02-21-2012, 04:35 AM
Twilight: Breaking Dawn part 1- Wow. The sexual politics are just wow. And he tears it open with his teeth, like a bag of chips. Wow.
underdog
02-21-2012, 06:11 PM
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Loved this movie. The film was shot so perfectly and the acting and story were awesome. One of the better films I've seen in recent memory.
Dan G
02-23-2012, 07:02 PM
Here's what I watched this week:
Nazi Agent (1942) - I’m scrolling through my nearly full DVR looking for something to watch and I decide on this. As soon as I pressed play, the opening scene looks really familiar to me, so I pause it and get online and pull up my list of watched movies. I started keeping track in 2005, but this movie doesn’t show up on the list, so I resume it and more and more scenes are becoming familiar to me. I must’ve watched it in 2004. I really don’t remember too much of the plot, so I watch it all the way through.
A German-American lives a happy life, working in his own bookstore, but he has an evil twin brother (both played by the same actor) who is involved in a spy ring.
There was a great scene where the twins are talking to each other and they both shake hands. It looked so real, considering how old this film is.
The Interrupters (2011) - Documentary about a group of former gang members in Chicago who attempt to keep the peace amongst current gang members and troubled teens/young adults.
It was good. There’s kids in this that are like under 10-years-old that have seen more violence in their short lives than my white suburban ass.
The Spirit of St. Louis (1957) - True story based on the memoirs of Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight from New York to France.
It was directed by Billy Wilder and stars James Stewart as Lindbergh. With those 2 names I expected so much more. It just felt like a basic biopic.
Black Narcissus (1947) - A group of English nuns are sent to the Himalayas to start a convent. Tensions rise between the nuns, as well as the temptation of lust.
A little slow and kind of boring, but the ending was really strong.
The Train (1964) - Set during WWII in occupied France. A German colonel is determined to steal valuable art from a French gallery and transport it back to Germany via a train. A small group of French railroad workers intend to keep the artwork where it rightfully belongs.
This was excellent. I loved it.
Awakenings (1990) - True story about a doctor in 1969 that gave a group of catatonic patients a high dosage of L-Dopa. The results “awaken” the patients to where they can communicate and move freely on their own.
Robin Williams was great as the doctor and Robert DeNiro was outstanding as one of the patients.
I was expecting this to be some sappy, feel-good type, but it was actually really good.
The Body Snatcher (1945) - A doctor who also runs a medical school pays a cabby to bring cadavers to his school so that students can learn to dissect them.
One of the students becomes suspicious when bodies start showing up that he had seen in good health shortly before their arrival.
This was cool to watch and had a fun, crazy ending.
The Day of the Jackal (1973) - A French terrorist group angered that President Charles de Gaulle has liberated Algeria attempt to assassinate him. When that attempt is failed and members are arrested, they decide to hire a professional from outside the country to do the job.
While we’re seeing the hired assassin prepare himself throughout the film as he’s making contacts and creating aliases, we’re also seeing the French police already on the hunt for him as they have sources of their own.
It was slow, but highly suspenseful, which made it enjoyable.
What-No Beer? (1933) - A Buster Keaton talkie where he teams up with Jimmy Durante. They both think prohibition is over so they decide to start their own brewery.
Buster was good, but Durante seemed over-the-top. I had never seen Durante before, but I knew his voice since he narrated Frosty the Snowman and sang the title song, so every time he talked I kept thinking about Frosty.
deliciousV
02-28-2012, 11:41 AM
I watched Tower Heist , I will admit that it was a disappointment, but it just seemed like they had too much movie and had to cut it up, it was disjointed, it jumped a few times leaving questions. I think it could have been good, it had a few laughs, but too many cuts.
Snacks
02-28-2012, 03:16 PM
Tower Heist
Thought it would be funnier and as Delicious said it jumped all over the place and too much going on.
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Talk about an overrated movie. Since when did movies that have too much awkward silence, flashbacks and very limited story while having no real ending become great film making? Its like the new artsy thing to do is just end a movie and leave it up to everyone to guess what happened.
The Rum Diary
A movie about a drunk writer who moves to Puerto Rico to work for a newspaper in the 1960s. He drinks too much, hangs out with a drunk who is a chicken fighter who also works for the newspaper, gets a trouble, drinks too much and falls for Amber Heard. A movie that went nowhere, the only redeeming quality was Amber Heard looked amazing!
Drive
Very disappointed. Was expecting so much more from this movie. Similar to Martha Marcy, the movie had lots of silence with a weird fucking 80s score and style. Another movie trying way too hard to be artistic while giving no clear cut ending.
50/50
Thought it would be funnier but happy it wasnt. Turned out to be the better of all the films I watched recently. Seth Rogan plays the same stoner character in everything and is getting annoying but the overall movie was good with a good character development between all the main characters. You can really catch or understand the fear of dying at such a young age while also being pissed at the world. It shows how sometimes the people you want to help or be there for you arent and the ones you try to get away from are the one who will. You also never know where you might find something or someone new in your life.
realmenhatelife
02-28-2012, 05:44 PM
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Talk about an overrated movie. Since when did movies that have too much awkward silence, flashbacks and very limited story while having no real ending become great film making? Its like the new artsy thing to do is just end a movie and leave it up to everyone to guess what happened.
Ambiguity in movies has been going on for awhile, and it's been going on in lit for even longer. This was probably my favorite movie from last year.
Snacks
02-28-2012, 06:36 PM
Ambiguity in movies has been going on for awhile, and it's been going on in lit for even longer. This was probably my favorite movie from last year.
true and works better in literature but it seems to be the new, independent film artsy thing to do. to me it has become very lazy, lack of creativity and used only when they cant figure out how to end it.
underdog
02-28-2012, 06:38 PM
Ambiguity in movies has been going on for awhile, and it's been going on in lit for even longer. This was probably my favorite movie from last year.
yeah, agreed. It was a great movie.
realmenhatelife
02-29-2012, 03:38 AM
true and works better in literature but it seems to be the new, independent film artsy thing to do. to me it has become very lazy, lack of creativity and used only when they cant figure out how to end it.
I think the film makers have a point of view about how that movie ends, but they want you to think about it. You leave it where you leave it and then the audience gets a sense of what Martha is feeling. I have a strong opinion about what I think is happening at the end and thats enough for me to not wonder if I'm right or wrong. Essentially I'm right because I think I am.
But sometimes it's a crutch, sure. Lost in Translation I'm looking at you.
I think she's cracking up and noone is following her
Chigworthy
03-02-2012, 05:32 PM
Just watched Evidence (2011)
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSXVE9cbf_toq742zXQfbkA79fTkiMJm 3HKZTbXOvE_4UlH1ggKtA
Another in the long line of found footage creepers. Those who still nurse their hate-boners for Blair Witch will probably hate this, but I usually like these flicks. I really liked this one. Normal found footage premise: Two friends and their girlfriends set out for a camping trip with their camera. One mechanic that these films need and this one successfully employs is the slow build to insanity. Things get pretty creepy with strange noises and one well-executed daylight scene reminiscent of the bigfoot on the creekside film. Things just don't improve for our poor campers. The great part of this movie is the third act, which goes beyond the normal fare and plunges you into what feels like
an opening level of half-life or doom3.
The above spoiler, though vague, will definitely spoil, so if that shit bothers you leave it alone.
I think most indie-horror afficianados will like this one.
newport king
03-02-2012, 05:43 PM
I watched Goon today. Enjoyed it
Dan G
03-05-2012, 07:33 PM
Here's what I watched this week:
The English Patient (1996) - Another Best Picture winner to my watched list. So glad Ralph Fiennes was recently on The Ron & Fez Show or else I’d be pronouncing his name the way it looks rather than the way it’s intended (Rayf Fines).
WWII romantic drama about a guy seriously injured in a plane accident. A nurse tends to him in an abandoned house in Italy. While he recuperates, we see flashbacks of him and his love interest, leading up to his accident.
Naveen Andrews (Sayid from Lost) has a pretty big role in this. He kind of plays a Sayid-esque character, even using the accent instead of his natural British accent.
It was really long, but not nearly as boring as I expected it to be. It was actually pretty good.
Stripes (1981) - One of my earliest memories is seeing this at a drive-in with my parents when I was 7-years-old. The only part I remembered was the nude bar with the mud wrestling ring. This week was the first time seeing it since I was 7.
Bill Murray loses his job, girlfriend, and house. With no real future, he convinces his best friend to join the Army with him. Hijinks ensue.
I certainly got more of the jokes this time around and I still loved the mud wrestling scene.
Good Night, Nurse (1918) - I still have a ton of Buster Keaton films on my DVR from when TCM played them back in October.
This one was more of a Fatty Arbuckle silent, but Buster plays a really big part.
Fatty plays a drunk whose wife sends him to a sanitarium, where Buster plays a doctor. Fatty does whatever he can to escape, while Buster attempts to foil every chance.
Funny stuff, but needed a good Coke bottle scene.
The Adjustment Bureau (2011) - Matt Damon plays a rising congressman who falls in love with a woman he was never supposed to meet, at least according to the people who decide peoples fate.
The premise sounded promising, but the execution just seemed dull. The running through random doors was cool, but ultimately I was bored with this.
One Million Years B.C. (1966) - Remake of One Million B.C. from 1940.
Raquel Welch was nice to look at. Ray Harryhausen did the stop-motion creature effects. Those were cool, but this was film was pretty terrible.
A Separation (2011) - As much as I love foreign films, I’ve never seen one in a theater. I just don’t live near any arthouse theaters. I was surprised to see my AMC had the 2011 foreign language film of the year.
I haven’t seen any of the other nominated films, though a trailer for In Darkness played before it and that looked excellent.
A wife of 16 years wants a divorce from her husband and custody of their 10-year-old daughter so they can live abroad. The husband refuses because he must stay in Iran to care for his father who has Alzheimer’s. With his wife moved out and his daughter in school, he must find a caretaker for his father while he’s away at work. Things just become so messy with the new help. Most of you will probably never give this a chance, but I still don’t want to spoil anything.
I will say that I wish I had gone to see this with someone, that way at the end I could lean over and say “I guess we’ll have to wait for the sequel.” If you’ve seen this you can go ahead and laugh at my joke. If you haven’t and intend to, you can always bump this thread and give me an LOL.
I was floored at how great this Iranian film was. I think what helps in enjoying foreign films so much is that a lot of these actors are new to me, so they come off as much more believable to me.
Snacks
03-08-2012, 01:59 AM
Take Shelter
Starts off very slow and to be honest I was bored at first. but as I got more involved in the story and as we get to understand the characters it gets better and better and by the end it all comes together and is a really good movie. I read many things that said Jessica Chasstain should have been nominated for this movie as well as The Help. I agree and so should Michael Shannon, he is really coming into his own and his growth as an actor over the years has been really good. This might be his best acting I have ever seen him do!
Dan G
03-12-2012, 07:45 PM
Here's what I watched this week:
Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964) - The classic Robin Hood story this time set in 1930s Chicago.
Frank Sinatra plays Robbo, who along with his band of merry gangsters feud with a rival gangster all while stealing from the rich to help the poor.
This was also a musical, so at random times throughout the film a song would break out. It was actually pretty cool.
The Stunt Man (1979) - A man on the run from the police is spotted by a movie director who then hires him as a stunt man for the movie he’s currently filming. The director, knowing full well of the advantage he has over the wanted man, insists on seriously dangerous stunts. The stunt man believes the director is out to kill him on camera.
I liked this one a lot.
One, Two, Three (1961) - Billy Wilder directs this comedy about a Coca-Cola executive based in Germany who has to watch over the CEO’s 17-year-old daughter for the weekend. Teenagers are never easy to watch and this one is no different.
Being based in Germany just after the Cold War, a lot of the humor derives from the then current conditions.
Not my favorite Wilder comedy, but it did have some very funny parts.
Kwaidan (1965) - Japanese film featuring 4 different short ghost stories.
Each of the stories was cool, though I didn’t like how the first 2 ended. The first one definitely caught me off guard. I know the Japanese have a thing about ghosts with really long hair, but I just didn’t get the ending of that one.
Saving Face (2011) - This won the Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject).
Not an easy watch. In Pakistan, more than 100 women a year are doused with acid, usually by their own husbands. The men are almost always found not guilty due to lack of witnesses.
This documentary focuses on these badly disfigured women as they attempt to pass a law against these horrible crimes seeking justice against the men responsible. It also focuses on a plastic surgeon who surgically repairs their faces.
Some of these stories were rough, including one lady who had acid thrown on her face by her husband, his sister then poured gasoline on her, and their mother set her on fire. Somehow she lives to tell this story, then breaks down and cries when she admits to apologizing to them so she can continue living in their home.
The stories were worse than seeing their actual faces.
OSS 117: Lost in Rio (2009) - Directed by the guy who did The Artist and starring the lead in that film. This is the sequel to the 2006 OSS 117 film.
The first one was funny, but this one was so much better and had many more laughs. The opening scene is hysterical and just rolls on from there.
realmenhatelife
03-14-2012, 05:06 AM
Take Shelter
Starts off very slow and to be honest I was bored at first. but as I got more involved in the story and as we get to understand the characters it gets better and better and by the end it all comes together and is a really good movie. I read many things that said Jessica Chasstain should have been nominated for this movie as well as The Help. I agree and so should Michael Shannon, he is really coming into his own and his growth as an actor over the years has been really good. This might be his best acting I have ever seen him do!
I liked this too. But man did that marriage seem unbalanced, she is so far out of his league, and wayyy too hot to be living in some tiny, tornado alley Ohio town. People were really pissed about the ending, I didn't hate it but I thought it was a little clumsy because the whole movie you're dealing with a certain kind of imagery, and have an understanding of that imagery, and then at the end you get an abstract image thats very easy to confuse with the imagery in the rest of the movie. Or where I guess the imagery early in the movie is both abstract and literal at the same time, transitions to just being abstract at the end. I dont think he was trying to be confusing or ambiguous, I think he just chose a poor way to convey that last idea.
I also watched The Alcove, which is a documentary about a British playwright named Andrea Dunbar, who grew up and lived in a really shitty council estate and became slightly famous after winning a youth writing competition. It's mostly about her kids and the continuing legacy of broken homes and substance abuse. The audio is all from interviews with the real people, but there are actors mouthing the audio track. It works out better than you'd think.
Last night I went to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I liked it a lot, it's kindof slow and confusing, but that's the point. It's supposed to make you paranoid and jumpy. There's a lot of that british I'm acting by not saying anything in it. You definately get a sense of ambivilance for intelligence agents too, you want George Smiley to succeed but you know he's just a rotten bastard. And everyone is backstabbing everyone for personal gain. There's a lot of good subtext for how much working in intelligence just ruins these people.
Dan G
03-18-2012, 04:23 PM
Here's what I watched this week:
The Man Who Would Be King (1975) - Sean Connery and Michael Caine play 2 British soldiers stationed in the India army. Seeking adventure and fortune, they decide to travel to a small country north of Afghanistan where they feel they will be treated as kings.
This was a great story and the chemistry between the 2 was really fun to watch.
Alphaville (1965) - I’ve seen a few Jean-Luc Godard’s films; wasn’t impressed by all of them. This one I really loved.
French sci-fi noir about a society whose citizens lives are all dictated by a super computer known as Alpha 60. People are not allowed to have free thought.
I thought the voice of Alpha 60 was cool. I read on IMDB that people would mute their TV’s when Alpha 60 spoke and just read the subtitles. I liked it, added to the whole weirdness of the film.
The Andromeda Strain (1970) - A G rated sci-fi thriller about a US satellite that has crash landed in a small New Mexico town. All but 2 of the towns inhabitants suddenly died. A team of scientists discover a small living organism that apparently had attached itself to the satellite before plummeting to the earths atmosphere.
The story was scary because of how real it felt, but it was a little long, especially the scenes of the scientists preparing themselves before actually working on what actually it was that killed everyone.
There was a wild scene where they want to see if it was an air born virus that killed people, so they bring a caged monkey into the room with the satellite. After a few seconds, this normal appearing monkey suddenly just falls over dead. It looked way too real and I know special effects in 1970 could not have made it look as real as it did. Reading up on IMDB, they put the monkey in a room with only carbon dioxide, so the monkey breathed it in, began spasming and then nearly died. I say “nearly” because the film then cuts to the scientists reaction, meanwhile, off camera a veterinarian was on hand monitoring the filming and immediately rushed in to provide oxygen to the monkey to revive it. IMDB states that if you watch closely just before the cut you can see the reflection of the people about to run in to resuscitate the monkey. I didn’t notice that. Still, it was a crazy scene.
By the way, I mentioned this was G rated. Shows how much film ratings have changed in 40 years. You’d never see scenes like that in a G rated film. Also, the story was not exactly family friendly and there was a scene where 3 guys are nude and showering, though you only see their asses. Plus, one of the dead people in the New Mexico town was a topless woman.
Something Wild (1986) - Melanie Griffith plays a free-spirited woman who convinces a businessman on his lunch break (Jeff Daniels) to let her give him a ride back to work. She actually takes him across state lines to add a little adventure and spontaneity to his life. They hit it off, staying at motels, having sex and stuff. Great nude scenes in this.
The first half of this seems like a quirky romantic comedy, but when Ray Liotta shows up, holy shit, does this take a serious turn.
I loved this film.
Harry and Tonto (1974) - An elderly man who lives alone with his cat is forced out of his NYC apartment building when it’s being demolished to make room for a new parking lot. After staying a few weeks with his son and his family, he realizes he’s in the way, plus he misses his freedom. He decides to go on a cross country trip with his cat, Tonto, stopping along the way to visit his children spread out across the country.
More of a drama, but had some funny moments.
Art Carney, who plays Harry, won the Best Actor for this. His competition that year was amazing, beating out Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Albert Finney, and Dustin Hoffman.
cougarjake13
03-18-2012, 04:36 PM
Watching Lars and the real girl
Totally fucked up
Chigworthy
03-18-2012, 07:55 PM
Finally went back and watched Pop Skull, which I had started months ago.
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTN5uu_8N5q6I7AlkP0sMkmXljuqyQDn 4iPBHBZbcTmz6miwjL4JQ
It started slow, middled decent, and then finished meh. Indie psych horror about ghosts and southern-fried pill-popping murder with epileptidelic interludes.
Pitdoc
03-18-2012, 10:43 PM
The Andromeda Strain (1970) - A G rated sci-fi thriller about a US satellite that has crash landed in a small New Mexico town. All but 2 of the towns inhabitants suddenly died. A team of scientists discover a small living organism that apparently had attached itself to the satellite before plummeting to the earths atmosphere.
The story was scary because of how real it felt, but it was a little long, especially the scenes of the scientists preparing themselves before actually working on what actually it was that killed everyone.
There was a wild scene where they want to see if it was an air born virus that killed people, so they bring a caged monkey into the room with the satellite. After a few seconds, this normal appearing monkey suddenly just falls over dead. It looked way too real and I know special effects in 1970 could not have made it look as real as it did. Reading up on IMDB, they put the monkey in a room with only carbon dioxide, so the monkey breathed it in, began spasming and then nearly died. I say “nearly” because the film then cuts to the scientists reaction, meanwhile, off camera a veterinarian was on hand monitoring the filming and immediately rushed in to provide oxygen to the monkey to revive it. IMDB states that if you watch closely just before the cut you can see the reflection of the people about to run in to resuscitate the monkey. I didn’t notice that. Still, it was a crazy scene.
By the way, I mentioned this was G rated. Shows how much film ratings have changed in 40 years. You’d never see scenes like that in a G rated film. Also, the story was not exactly family friendly and there was a scene where 3 guys are nude and showering, though you only see their asses. Plus, one of the dead people in the New Mexico town was a topless woman.
It's still a classic science fiction movie for me. Not the special effects necessarily , but the SETS were all functional and futuristic , and the science was handled like a scientist would, not an action hero. The remake from a few years ago tried to tie time travel & geopolitics in it, and the sets blew .
Still, as a 12 yr old boy, when going to a cool G-rated science fiction movie, and you see a topless woman in the first 15 minutes....BOING!!!!!! (granted, for only 1 second, but that was enough in those days)
realmenhatelife
03-19-2012, 04:43 AM
The Skin I Live In was ok, but only really ok. It has an odd structure.
underdog
03-20-2012, 06:05 PM
Winnebago Man
I liked the movie, but I felt weird watching it. You go through this weird range of emotions and it feels very exploitative.
I Think We're Alone Now
Yikes. Good movie, but horrified me. I'm so happy I'm not famous and I suddenly feel sorry for celebrities.
cougarjake13
03-20-2012, 06:31 PM
Finally went back and watched Pop Skull, which I had started months ago.
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTN5uu_8N5q6I7AlkP0sMkmXljuqyQDn 4iPBHBZbcTmz6miwjL4JQ
It started slow, middled decent, and then finished meh. Indie psych horror about ghosts and southern-fried pill-popping murder with epileptidelic interludes.
is that tiffinai amber theisen ?
Snacks
03-24-2012, 01:10 PM
Winnebago Man
I liked the movie, but I felt weird watching it. You go through this weird range of emotions and it feels very exploitative.
I Think We're Alone Now
Yikes. Good movie, but horrified me. I'm so happy I'm not famous and I suddenly feel sorry for celebrities.
I just finished I think we're alone now. Holy shit those 2 are fucked up individuals. I felt bad for Tiffany and now for Alyssa Milano. Seems the one guy is now switching his love towards her.
The movie itself was avg what would have made it better would have been an interview with Tiffany to tell her side of this truthfully to see if she is afraid of them, tired of this, really does appreciate them or anything. I really wanted to know he thoughts about them and if anything has changed from when it all started to now?
Winnebago Man has been on my list of docs, Im going to try to get to in in the next few days.
Dan G
03-25-2012, 09:48 AM
Here's what I watched this week:
Die Another Day (2002) - Ever since TCM played the Sean Connery James Bond films 4 years ago, I have tried watching them chronologically. Netflix helped out with the remaining titles, but they stopped at 1999’s The World Is Not Enough. A couple of weeks ago I visited my brother and was checking out his DVD collection and what do I find? The final 3 James Bond films that I haven’t seen. I borrowed them and just now getting to watching them.
This was Pierce Brosnan’s final portrayal of Agent 007. Halle Berry was great to look at as the Bond girl, but this just wasn’t good. Bond films have been known for great stunt work, but in this it was all mostly replaced by CGI, which looked terrible. Even the gadgets were bad, leaning toward the more absurd than even remotely entertaining. Bond drives an invisible car, but not to be outdone, his nemesis has thermal imaging built into his own vehicle, thus counteracting Bond’s invisibility. Dumb.
Casino Royale (2006) - I was losing faith in the Bond franchise after suffering through the last several, dreadful duds. Daniel Craig’s debut as James Bond certainly rejuvenated the series. The crazy stunt work was back. That opening foot chase was crazy.
My only real complaints about this was that it didn’t really feel like a James Bond film. To me, it was a typical action film. Famous Bond characters like Q and Moneypenny were nowhere to be seen. The gadgets were gone. Also, Bond dressed to casual in this. Still, if this is the direction that the Bond franchise is going, I’ll take it. I really liked this.
Quantum of Solace (2008) - Perhaps I spoke too soon. Okay, maybe I’m being too harsh, but this fell a little flat for me. It was still alright, and miles better than the last several before Craig took over.
I have now seen every James Bond film in chronological order. That includes the original Casino Royale where Peter Sellers, Woody Allen, and several others all played the James Bond character, as well as Sean Connery’s unofficial return as James Bond in 1983 in Never Say Never Again. For that one I had to actually look up the release date since Octopussy came out that same year.
I’m now looking forward to the newest Bond film, Skyfall, which should be out this November.
Time Limit (1957) - The only film that Karl Malden was credited for as Director.
Considered a courtroom drama, but not one scene actually takes place inside a courtroom. This is more like an interrogation drama.
After being held captive in a North Korean prison camp, one of the 16 POW’s, a Major, is accused of collaborating with the enemy. An Army colonel is in charge of the investigation and finds that the Major refuses to defend himself against the allegations. So he digs deeper to find out what really happened in that camp.
Decent film.
The Drowning Pool (1975) - I hate when I watch something only to find out afterward that it was actually a sequel. That’s what happened after I finished watching this. In 1966 Harper came out. Nine years later, Paul Newman returned as the Private Investigator, Lew Harper.
I’m sure I missed some backstory on how Harper came to be, but as a standalone film, I still found this to be really good.
Chigworthy
03-26-2012, 08:55 AM
is that tiffinai amber theisen ?
No.
Next question.
StanUpshaw
03-26-2012, 09:13 AM
No.
Next question.
Can you recommend any movies featuring tiffinai amber theisen ?
Chigworthy
03-26-2012, 12:47 PM
Can you recommend any movies featuring tiffinai amber theisen ?
No.
Next question.
Dan G
04-01-2012, 10:07 AM
Here's what I watched this week:
Modern Romance (1981) - TheInterrobang.com had a “lock yourself in weekend,” where they suggest a director or actor and recommend several films of their’s to watch over a weekend. Last weekends pick was Albert Brooks. I’ve liked what I’ve seen of Brooks’ films, but there were still several that I had not seen. I watched 3 this week.
This first one I watched is probably his best. Albert stars, wrote, and directs this film where he plays a film editor who breaks up with his longtime off and on girlfriend. From the moment he breaks up with her he knows he’s made a mistake and tries to win her back. Everything he does and says is basically the wrong thing.
Really, a very funny film, similar to Woody Allen romantic comedies. That male, neurotic perspective.
Defending Your Life (1991) - When you die, before going to Heaven or Hell, in Albert’s vision you’re sent to Judgment City, a place that looks exactly like earth where judges overlook how you lived your life and decide where you go afterward.
Not nearly as funny as the previous film, but still very enjoyable.
The Muse (1999) - This film wasn’t on the list of recommended Albert Brooks films, but it was available on Netflix and since I had never seen it I decided to give it a shot.
Albert plays a screenwriter who seems to have lost his edge. His friend recommends that he see his muse, a goddess that inspires, played by Sharon Stone.
Some great cameos in this by people who all seek help from the muse, including James Cameron and Martin Scorsese.
Out of Africa (1985) - Slowly I am getting around to watching every Best Picture winner. After this I have 17 remaining.
Almost 3 hours long, this was not the easiest film to sit through. Pretty boring love story set in Africa between a married Meryl Streep and the man she’s having an affair with, Robert Redford.
I’m just glad I can wipe this off of my list.
Un chien andalou (1929) - I was never really familiar with Luis Bunuel until I saw him portrayed in Woody Allen’s film Midnight in Paris. From that brief scene I gathered he was a surreal director. Decided to go on Netflix and see what they had and found these next 3. Quite a difference in release years, so I have no idea what I’m missing between the 1930s-70s. I did see that TCM will be playing 2 of his films at the end of April, so I’ll be sure to set my DVR for those.
This is a 15 minute silent film that he collaborated with Salvadore Dali. Speaking of Dali, I live maybe 10 minutes from the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, FL. I’ve never really been a fan/understood art, but I’m thinking I really should go there sometime.
Back to the film, this was just sheer craziness. Like watching someone’s dreams. What I wasn’t expecting was to see an eyeball sliced open by a razor blade. What the fuck?
I never did bother to see what the title translates to. I suppose I should probably do that now.
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) - A “comedy” about a group of 6 people who try to dine together. Every attempt is a failure as something bizarre always happens before the food can be eaten. This happens in real life and in the dreams of the group.
Had its moments, but the comedy wasn’t always there for me.
That Obscure Object of Desire (1977) - Luis Bunuels final film.
An older man falls for his newly hired 18-year-old chambermaid. They act like a couple, but she consistently refuses his sexual advances. This really bothers him, but she will not do it.
Nothing surreal about this one, although I was really confused as to why 2 different were playing the love interest. Throughout the entire thing I thought my eyes were deceiving me. Had to confirm it with IMDB afterward.
Grumpy Old Men (1993) - I’ve always loved Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau films on TCM. I never wanted to see them in their old age, so I held off on watching this. I saw an alert that said that this film was soon to expire from Netflix, so hours before it was to be gone I added it to my queue and watched it.
The Odd Couple will always be a favorite, but this wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. I ended up liking it. Though, I laughed the most during the closing credit outtakes.
weekapaugjz
04-01-2012, 07:19 PM
just finished the american version of girl with the dragon tattoo. not nearly as good as the original.
Dan G
04-07-2012, 09:34 PM
Here's what I watched this week:
Mr. Bean’s Holiday (2007) - It was 20 years ago when I first heard of Mr. Bean and the man who portrays him, Rowan Atkinson. I remember so vividly seeing promos on HBO for this upcoming British series. It looked hilarious to me. I was so excited for Thursdays in April at 7:30pm (I told you I remembered it vividly). The character and the show lived up to the hype for me. I’d record the shows on VHS and watch them repeatedly.
When Bean came to theaters 5 years later, I was happy to get to see the character on the big screen. Sadly, I was disappointed with it. It was not the Bean I was expecting. It was Americanized and awful. Because of that, I was not enthusiastic when another Bean movie was coming out 10 years later. I didn’t even bother going to see it. The last one left a bad taste in my mouth and I didn’t want to further damage the memories I had of the series I first saw on HBO.
A few days ago as I’m scrolling through the on-screen guide, I see that HBO was playing the latest Bean film. I decided to give it a chance.
While it wasn’t great, at least it seemed to have gone back to the original series. This was the Bean I remembered from 20 years ago.
Pulp (1972) - Michael Caine plays a writer of gangster fiction, hired to write the memoirs of an ex-actor with mob ties.
It was an action/comedy, but the comedy was silly at times. One scene has a Humphrey Bogart lookalike who sees a bird up on perch. He asks the guy next to him, “what kind of bird is that?” The man replies, sounding exactly like Peter Lorre, “it’s a Maltese Falcon.” I laughed, but it seemed so out of place and weird.
A Story of Floating Weeds (1934) - I was surprised to see that TCM was playing this. I knew Ozu made the 1959 version, but I had no idea that was a remake of this version which he also directed. I watched them both in the same day.
This is a silent film about a traveling group of actors. When they arrive at their latest city, the master secretly visits his ex-girlfriend who had his baby 19 years ago. The baby, now an adult, had been told at a young age that his father had died. The man visiting, whom he has seen every few years is known to him as his uncle. The current girlfriend of the master becomes very jealous of his mysterious visits to this woman and young man. She soon discovers the truth and threatens to tell the boy who his uncle really is.
This was really good and intrigued me as to why Ozu felt the need to remake it.
Floating Weeds (1959) - Exact same plot as the previous, even some of the sets looked identical. This was in color and had sound, so those were the notable differences.
I thought I would really like one more than the other, but I thought this was just as great as the original.
-30- (1959) - Such an ambiguous title, I had no idea what it could mean, so that’s mainly why I watched it.
This is about the people behind making a newspaper and finding the right story that’ll sell copies. The main story ends up being a little girl who fell into a sewer. It’s funny how times have changed. In this, the newspaper is trying to come up with breaking news, but they’re competing with television. Nowadays, the newspaper is the last place to go for current news.
There was a subplot that I called as soon as it was introduced. Any of you who would watch this would call it, too. An older lady who’s been writing for newspapers for 40 years thinks she has a great story. The Navy is testing jets from Hawaii to NY. Her boss doesn’t think it’s an interesting story, but then she says her grandson is one of the test pilots. The boss then greenlights the story and the woman is so excited to follow the flight pattern and write her big story. Gee, guess how that story ends up?
This was actually pretty good though. Not quite Network, but still entertaining.
Oh yeah, apparently when a journalist was finished with an article, he/she would end it with -30-. That way the editor knew it was complete.
Going Home (1971) - Starts off with Robert Mitchum killing his wife in front of their 6-year-old son. 13 years later, Mitchum is released from prison and the son, now 19, wants revenge. Good start, but it never really went anywhere. He basically just freeloads off his dad, staying in his RV with him. The only “revenge” he gets is writing in grease on the bathroom mirror of his dad’s job, “BEWARE: Henry Killed His Wife.” He does do something a little more violent toward the end, but it dragged.
This played like it was a made for TV movie. Mitchum was great, but that was it.
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1961) - Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe all work in a drugstore. Next door, their shy friend is building a time machine. The Stooges decide to play around with it and suddenly they’re all whisked away to ancient Greece.
I could watch 3 Stooges shorts all day, but movies are never as funny. Even though I didn’t really like this, I’m sure it’ll be a million times funnier than the Stooges movie coming out this month.
-30-
underdog
04-07-2012, 09:59 PM
I watched Scenes From The Suburbs tonight. I grabbed Shame, but didn't watch it yet.
underdog
04-08-2012, 07:30 PM
Shame
I thought it was pretty decent, originally, then I started talking to my friend about it (who liked it), and I started thinking about it more. I'm pretty sure I hated it. I could talk about virtually every scene in this movie and destroy it. It's like someone tried to make a deep, provocative movie, but they forced every thing.
I did like the ambiguity of the whole story. Nothing is explained, but you're able to draw your own conclusions.
Dan G
04-14-2012, 06:41 PM
Here's what I watched this week:
Tiny Furniture (2010) - HBO has really been promoting their upcoming new show Girls, created by and starring Lena Dunham, who also is responsible for this film, her feature debut. Criterion also felt this is a worthy film, releasing it on DVD/Blu-ray last year.
It’s a story about a college graduate moving back in with her mother and younger sister, really unsure of where her life direction is going.
It’s a quirky type comedy, but I really didn’t find it all that funny. I was more annoyed than anything.
I will say that Lena Dunham is a brave woman. She’s not exactly eye candy for guys, but she isn’t afraid to show off her body on screen. It’s like she’s proud to have scenes where she’s walking around in her panties, or parading herself in a bikini. She’s not even doing it for comedic purposes. It’s like she’s saying “this is who I am, I don’t give a fuck what you think.” I have to commend her for that.
While I didn’t exactly like this film, I did gain a respect for her and will be giving Girls a chance after the finale of Eastbound & Down.
Quiz Show (1994) - True story about a scandal involving the popular television game show 21.
It was a show where 2 contestants would square off and answer trivia questions. The winner would continue until another contestant would oust him. Winners could show up for weeks or even months until they were finally beaten.
The producers of the show knew they had a hit, but when they felt a contestant would reach his plateau, they would stage the show and give the incoming competing contestant the questions and answers in rehearsal, thus creating a new champion.
I don’t think you could really fault the contestants for accepting. I mean the money was really good, especially for the 1950s. You do kind of feel cheated as a viewer knowing that it was staged, but then again, it was still entertaining and that’s what television is supposed to do.
I really liked this and didn’t know that Robert Redford directed it.
The Raid: Redemption (2011) - I only heard of this a couple of weeks ago. I avoided all trailers because I didn’t want anything given away. All I read was a brief synopsis. It basically said “a SWAT team must get to the 15th floor of a heavily guarded apartment building to take out a drug kingpin.”
Holy shit this was great. This was like the hospital shootout scene in Hard Boiled except that it lasted 90 minutes longer.
I am already prepared to leave open a spot on my alphabetized DVD/Blu-ray shelf for whenever this gets released. As of now it’ll fit nicely between The Purple Rose of Cairo and Rat Race.
Chigworthy
04-14-2012, 07:33 PM
I watched Melancholia last night, which is available on Netflix streaming now. I enjoyed the whole thing, although Part 1 seemed like most of it could have been pruned if they wanted a shorter movie. I thought Part 2 kind of ran for a while with the melancholy misery of life thing that Part 1 dove into. The end of Part 2 really had a subtle terror to it. It wasn't subtle in the sense of an arthouse movie hinting at banalities that combine to terrorize people in a dramatic fashion. And it wasn't terror in the sense that mankind's fate hinges on Bruce Willis and his steely jaw destroying the incoming meteorite. It was just pure subtle terror in the sense of a coming doom that there is absolutely nothing to be done to stop it. Frightening.
I also liked the series of foreshadow-esque vignettes at the beginning of the movie that kind of mimicked events that would transpire later in the film. It was kind of like how reality is distorted in dreams. Part of me thinks that maybe these where actually dreams that Dunst was having that she knew would come true and that was part of what led to her misery. Also, her tits are pretty fun to look at.
Chigworthy
04-14-2012, 07:40 PM
I also watched Knuckle on Netflix recently. It is a documentary about a feud between related Irish Traveler families that is settled (or perpetuated) in bareknuckle fights. I'm sure the example of Brad Pitt in Snatch has been used plenty of times to describe this movie, but that is what comes to mind when you watch these people. But no one is pretty. The director filmed with these families for over a decade to document the ongoing feud. He spends some time here and there talking about his own involvement with the feud and how it effected him. Reading a lot of the reviews on Netflix, which are a bastion of the modern day armchair movie reviewer, it seems that there are a lot of people who hated this thing for one reason or another. Complaints range from hating Irish Travelers thus hating the movie to complaints about how they don't fight like MMA guys so the movie is stupid. I hate Netflix user reviews, but I loved this documentary.
IamFogHat
04-14-2012, 08:18 PM
I watched Melancholia last night, which is available on Netflix streaming now. I enjoyed the whole thing, although Part 1 seemed like most of it could have been pruned if they wanted a shorter movie. I thought Part 2 kind of ran for a while with the melancholy misery of life thing that Part 1 dove into. The end of Part 2 really had a subtle terror to it. It wasn't subtle in the sense of an arthouse movie hinting at banalities that combine to terrorize people in a dramatic fashion. And it wasn't terror in the sense that mankind's fate hinges on Bruce Willis and his steely jaw destroying the incoming meteorite. It was just pure subtle terror in the sense of a coming doom that there is absolutely nothing to be done to stop it. Frightening.
I also liked the series of foreshadow-esque vignettes at the beginning of the movie that kind of mimicked events that would transpire later in the film. It was kind of like how reality is distorted in dreams. Part of me thinks that maybe these where actually dreams that Dunst was having that she knew would come true and that was part of what led to her misery. Also, her tits are pretty fun to look at.
Finally It's on Netflix. I will watch it tomorrow. Thanks budday.
underdog
04-14-2012, 08:23 PM
Finally It's on Netflix. I will watch it tomorrow. Thanks budday.
I keep seeing people liking it, but it might literally be the worst movie I've ever seen. I don't think I've viscerally hated a movie more in my life.
IamFogHat
04-14-2012, 08:33 PM
I keep seeing people liking it, but it might literally be the worst movie I've ever seen. I don't think I've viscerally hated a movie more in my life.
Have you seen any other of his movies?
Pitdoc
04-14-2012, 08:41 PM
I watched Melancholia last night, which is available on Netflix streaming now. I enjoyed the whole thing, although Part 1 seemed like most of it could have been pruned if they wanted a shorter movie. I thought Part 2 kind of ran for a while with the melancholy misery of life thing that Part 1 dove into. The end of Part 2 really had a subtle terror to it. It wasn't subtle in the sense of an arthouse movie hinting at banalities that combine to terrorize people in a dramatic fashion. And it wasn't terror in the sense that mankind's fate hinges on Bruce Willis and his steely jaw destroying the incoming meteorite. It was just pure subtle terror in the sense of a coming doom that there is absolutely nothing to be done to stop it. Frightening.
I also liked the series of foreshadow-esque vignettes at the beginning of the movie that kind of mimicked events that would transpire later in the film. It was kind of like how reality is distorted in dreams. Part of me thinks that maybe these where actually dreams that Dunst was having that she knew would come true and that was part of what led to her misery. Also, her tits are pretty fun to look at.
I was angry at this movie for a couple of reasons..
First- You get the feeling that the Dunst character was less a depressive than just a pure c**t, as witnessed by her stunt on the golf course. Redeemed slightly by the ending.... .
Second- In the second half, what happened to Kiefers character was so antithetical. I know it was supposed to show how people could flip, but he was the rational, thinking one then, and he didn't deserve that fate..shit
And if they had about 10 minutes more of the fantastic shots that open the movie ,it might have changed my mind. Kind of like how people say if they shot WATCHMEN like the opening credits ,they'd have had a hit(and I liked that movie)
Also, saw Cabin In the Woods today. Very meta, very funny(not that scary though) and a movie you want to get the blu ray for and slow down the last half to get all the good little horror references
underdog
04-14-2012, 08:58 PM
Have you seen any other of his movies?
No. Antichrist has been on my queue for a long time, but I just never watched it.
underdog
04-14-2012, 09:00 PM
In the second half, what happened to Kiefers character was so antithetical. I know it was supposed to show how people could flip, but he was the rational, thinking one then, and he didn't deserve that fate..shit
This is something I hated so much about the movie. The theme was so fucking heavy handed, and the rest of the movie was just pointless.
I do give it credit for making me think about it more after I watched it, but the more I thought about it, the more I fucking hated it.
Chigworthy
04-14-2012, 10:07 PM
This is something I hated so much about the movie. The theme was so fucking heavy handed, and the rest of the movie was just pointless.
I do give it credit for making me think about it more after I watched it, but the more I thought about it, the more I fucking hated it.
I'm not so sure that Von Trier wants people to enjoy his films as much as be effected by them somehow. I bet he is very comfortable with people hating them.
Crispy123
04-14-2012, 11:05 PM
Got this from Redbox.
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS1C1-cJATfQpxwasT1cCnVM5lIi1Wz9xGLiDkpn8GJ3j5VIcN4FSPEs-4S
Thank the Gods it was free cuz it sucked bouncing baboon balls.
Chigworthy
04-15-2012, 05:30 AM
Got this from Redbox.
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS1C1-cJATfQpxwasT1cCnVM5lIi1Wz9xGLiDkpn8GJ3j5VIcN4FSPEs-4S
Thank the Gods it was free cuz it sucked bouncing baboon balls.
Just the name, tagline, and photo on the box tell me that it sucks bags of blistered bat dicks.
Dan G
04-25-2012, 05:10 PM
Here's what I watched this week:
Cape Fear (1961) - Finally saw this while avoiding the remake all these years.
Is there a bad Robert Mitchum role? He is such a menacing character, he steals every film he’s in. This one was no exception. Really liked this and am actually looking forward to see how the remake compared.
Big Leaguer (1953) - Robert Aldrich’s directorial debut. Edward G. Robinson plays a former baseball player who now is the head instructor at the New York Giants baseball academy in Melbourne, Florida. It’s a place where unsigned players aged 18-22 hope to impress coaches and perhaps get a Minor League contract.
Some predictable drama and an expected ending. Still, it was cool to see a film about the NY Giants and also some players had cameos, including Hall of Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell.
Rushmore (1998) - As much as I’ve loved Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket and The Royal Tenenbaums, for some reason it’s taken me this long to see this one. With Moonrise Kingdom coming out next month, I want to make sure I’ve seen all of his films. I still have yet to see The Life Aquatic, but since I own the DVD, I’ll knock that one out real soon.
This was pretty much what I expected from a Wes Anderson film. Beautiful cinematography, quirky characters, and great dialog.
The Wolf Man (1941) - Of the big name Universal Monsters, this was the only one I hadn’t seen.
It’s funny what was once considered scary. It’s still a classic though.
Kes (1969) - British film about a boy bullied at home by his brother and at school by his classmates. His only happiness seems to come when he finds an injured Kestrel Falcon and rehabs it on his own.
Some parts played like a documentary, especially when he’s teaching the falcon how to hunt a moving target. That scene was amazing to me.
This was really good.
realmenhatelife
04-26-2012, 03:35 AM
The Descendants ate so much balls I wanted to shit in its' dead eyes. They aren't descended from good actors, nomesayin?
realmenhatelife
05-04-2012, 03:58 AM
We Need to Talk About Kevin- Kinda sucked, which is a shame because the book is so good. It kindof drops all of the dialogue and monologue and really interesting questions and unreliable narrator. It even kindof dissapates the tension that's really important through the book, between the mother and son, mother and husband, mother and society.
Too stylized, although I get the point of it. It's very similar to the directors other movie, Morvern Callar with the really sparse dialogue and surreal, disjointed images, but less successful to me. Both movies are about people dealing with trauma, but it fails because it's such a different kind of trauma and so much of the story takes place prior to that coming to a head.
Tilda Swindon hot/looks like david bowie.
deliciousV
05-14-2012, 04:09 PM
I just finished God Bless America, it really is good. I felt stuff, now I need to drink, so I won't.
Chigworthy
05-14-2012, 05:12 PM
Entrance
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQTsO9BrGFftT17FE4bjx-NV0CsIpF5HL2gxFY5H0a5SfKwadEi1A
For some reason, as I've stated recently in this thread, I find myself inexplicably liking mumblecore movies. Due to my egotistical need to place myself apart from anything but pure Rollinsesque individualism, I should detest these kinds of movies. From the hipster clothing, the hipster liberalism, the hipster understatement, to the hipster 20-somethings and their hipster generation Z lifestyles, I should despise these films. But I tend to like them a lot. This one was good, not great, and I would call it mumblehorrorcore. Basically, an understated hipster girl trudges through life being fairly afraid of the world around her. Then there's a hipster party, and shit ends just about as bad as it possibly can.
Furtherman
05-22-2012, 06:26 AM
Battleship.
As a sucker for sci-fi alien invasion movies, I figured it would be OK going in. And it was. About a half hour too long, it was a Michael Bay movie directed by Peter Berg. The plot was plausable, the effects were great and even the actors all turned in fine performances.
What didn't work was the actual motive for the aliens. There was a quick, done a thousand times glimpse through mind reading but it was never expanded on, nor explained why they were fairly easy to defeat. I'm not giving too much away here, but:
If you're not a threat, as in pointing a gun or physically attacking them, they will not attack. Why? Is there some kind of moral war code there? Don't they want to invade, so they would kill all the humans? Again, it's never clear why they are there.
The good about the movie - the scenes where the game of Battleship comes in was actually clever and worked well. The second act involves WWII vets helping out and as sentimental and sappy as it was, I really liked it. There were also many actual Navy sailors and veterans used. You can tell them from the actors, but they were good nonetheless.
underdog
05-22-2012, 05:36 PM
Battleship.
As a sucker for sci-fi alien invasion movies, I figured it would be OK going in. And it was. About a half hour too long, it was a Michael Bay movie directed by Peter Berg. The plot was plausable, the effects were great and even the actors all turned in fine performances.
What didn't work was the actual motive for the aliens. There was a quick, done a thousand times glimpse through mind reading but it was never expanded on, nor explained why they were fairly easy to defeat. I'm not giving too much away here, but:
If you're not a threat, as in pointing a gun or physically attacking them, they will not attack. Why? Is there some kind of moral war code there? Don't they want to invade, so they would kill all the humans? Again, it's never clear why they are there.
The good about the movie - the scenes where the game of Battleship comes in was actually clever and worked well. The second act involves WWII vets helping out and as sentimental and sappy as it was, I really liked it. There were also many actual Navy sailors and veterans used. You can tell them from the actors, but they were good nonetheless.
I refuse to believe that a movie with Rihanna acting in it had "fine performances".
Chigworthy
05-22-2012, 05:44 PM
Battleship.
As a sucker for sci-fi alien invasion movies, I figured it would be OK going in. And it was. About a half hour too long, it was a Michael Bay movie directed by Peter Berg. The plot was plausable, the effects were great and even the actors all turned in fine performances.
What didn't work was the actual motive for the aliens. There was a quick, done a thousand times glimpse through mind reading but it was never expanded on, nor explained why they were fairly easy to defeat. I'm not giving too much away here, but:
If you're not a threat, as in pointing a gun or physically attacking them, they will not attack. Why? Is there some kind of moral war code there? Don't they want to invade, so they would kill all the humans? Again, it's never clear why they are there.
The good about the movie - the scenes where the game of Battleship comes in was actually clever and worked well. The second act involves WWII vets helping out and as sentimental and sappy as it was, I really liked it. There were also many actual Navy sailors and veterans used. You can tell them from the actors, but they were good nonetheless.
Regarding your spoiler:
Maybe that's just the easy way out for them to justify all the senseless violence and death that they love to put in these kids movies.
Furtherman
05-23-2012, 05:59 AM
I refuse to believe that a movie with Rihanna acting in it had "fine performances".
I digress: Most of the actors turned in turned in fine performances.
Liam Neeson, Alexander Skarsgård, and many of the supporting characters did a great job. The lead was decent too. There was actually a real life veteran amputee with a supporting role who did a great job.
Rihanna’s ‘Battleship’ Dialogue, All In One Post (http://screencrush.com/rihanna-battleship-dialogue/)
Anyway, save your money. It'll be out on DVD in no time.
Chigworthy
05-23-2012, 06:37 AM
I digress: Most of the actors turned in turned in fine performances.
Liam Neeson, Alexander Skarsgård, and many of the supporting characters did a great job. The lead was decent too. There was actually a real life veteran amputee with a supporting role who did a great job.
Rihanna’s ‘Battleship’ Dialogue, All In One Post (http://screencrush.com/rihanna-battleship-dialogue/)
Anyway, save your money. It'll be out on DVD in no time.
Digress, or disagree?
Furtherman
05-23-2012, 06:50 AM
Digress, or disagree?
Digest.
*burp*
newport king
05-23-2012, 09:28 AM
Chronicle Theres an hour and a half i'll never get back. I dont even know what the point of it was.
Furtherman
05-23-2012, 10:30 AM
Chronicle Theres an hour and a half i'll never get back. I dont even know what the point of it was.
I liked Chronicle. Besides the point of a teenage fantasy involving superpowers, the message of the movie was that people don't change, even when given extra-ordinaly circumstances.
The strong minded and kind stay that way, even improve upon oneself. The detached and angry become even more so.
That's one of the reasons I liked it. There was no "redeeming" or "becoming a better person" that you see in so many movies. It was more realistic in that point more than others.
CountryBob
05-23-2012, 03:47 PM
Chronicle Theres an hour and a half i'll never get back. I dont even know what the point of it was.
I liked Chronicle too!
realmenhatelife
05-24-2012, 05:01 AM
I'm not saying Fight Club is heavy handed but I do believe it shares glovers with Ben Grimm and Andre the Giant's dad.
It's just that Fight Club and King Kong Bundy walked hand in hand and for the first time in his life Bundy felt really, really safe.
Fight Club high fived George Foreman and George was like "Ow, shit man. Take it easy."
Dan G
06-03-2012, 08:15 PM
Been over a month since I’ve posted in this thread. Really haven’t watched all that many movies during that time, just been lazy. Now I’ll do my best to see if I remember what I liked/disliked on what I’ve seen.
She’s Gotta Have It (1986) - Early Spike Lee film. Cool to see the origins of Spike’s ‘Mars Blackmon’ character since I had only seen him in the Nike ads with Michael Jordan.
Freaked (1993) - Silly, but it worked for me.
Sleeping Dogs Lie (2006) - Bobcat Goldthwait’s directorial debut. Mentioning the plot pretty much gives away the whole thing. Best to go into this not knowing anything. It was well worth it. I loved it.
World’s Greatest Dad (2009) - Bobcat’s second film. Robin Williams plays a dad who thinks he’s doing the right thing by protecting his son’s image. Liked this one a lot. Bobcat has now become a director that I look forward to seeing each project of his. I was hoping to see his latest, God Bless America in theaters, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be playing anywhere near me. Will probably catch it on PPV soon. It’s only $6.99 right now, cheaper than a theater, anyway.
The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) - Never saw the remake, just knew that it was a musical. I was surprised to see that this one wasn’t a musical. It was pretty cool. I didn’t even recognize a very young Jack Nicholson in his film debut.
Seven Chances (1925) - My DVR had to be replaced a couple of weeks ago. It was 70% full of unwatched films. Knowing the cable guy was coming the next day, I had to decide what was crucial for me to watch. I chose this one and the one following.
This is a Buster Keaton silent film where he inherits a million dollars under the stipulation that he’s a married man on his 27th birthday. Ironically, the day he learns of this inheritance is on his 27th birthday.
Features a funny chase scene where 100’s of women in wedding dresses are chasing Buster down the street to the chapel.
The Great Ziegfeld (1936) - Picked this one because it was a Best Picture winner. Biopic on Florent Ziegfeld, the famous show promoter. Nothing great, just one more award winner to knock off my list.
Wings of Desire (1987) - Always heard great things about this. Definitely lived up to the praise. Beautifully shot and a very cool storyline.
Melinda and Melinda (2004) - I like the majority of Woody Allen’s films, but I didn’t like this one. The dialog just didn’t seem believable. I had a hard time with Will Ferrell, too. He wasn’t playing a character, it seemed like he was just doing a Woody Allen impression throughout the entire film.
Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012) - Not really sure why I watched this. Prior to seeing it I couldn’t name one Hemingway novel offhand and I had no clue who Gellhorn was.
I’d like to think I learned a little bit on both, but I have no idea what liberties were taken on what was true and what was fabricated.
It was alright, though a little too long. The blending of the characters into stock footage looked authentic in some scenes, so that was cool.
The Panic in Needle Park (1971) - This was a tough watch, not because it was bad or boring, it was neither, but because it seemed so real and sad.
I really liked this.
The Great Train Robbery (1978) - Michael Crichton wrote the book this film was based on and also directed the film.
Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland team up to steal a very large amount of gold from a moving train. The stunt work was amazing and you can tell that Connery did his own stunts. The stuff he did atop of the moving train was insane.
The Front (1976) - Set in the 1950s when many in the entertainment industry were blacklisted for sympathising with communists. Woody Allen plays a bar cashier/loan shark. He agrees to help out his friend, a blacklisted TV writer, by posing as a front, so that his friend can still continue working.
It was funny, but as it went on it became more of a drama. Really good though. The end credits were cool because several people involved in this were blacklisted at one time themselves, so next to their name in the credits it would state the year they were blacklisted. Made me appreciate this a little bit more.
Out of Sight (1998) - Always blew this one off, just figured it would be some bad J-Lo romantic adventure film. It was all that except it was a lot of fun, too. So many big names in this that I had no idea about.
I highly enjoyed this.
What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969) - A woman who always lived in wealth expects a big inheritance from her deceased husband. At the reading of the will it turns out he was living on borrowed money and his insurance policy was to cover all his debts, thus leaving her with nothing. She ends up moving to a cottage in the desert in Arizona where she hires old women as housemaids, then kills them, buries them in her garden and steals their savings.
This was so, so good. I loved it.
StanUpshaw
06-03-2012, 09:41 PM
Bridge to Terabithia was on TV. I decided to watch it because it's been far too long since I've been reduced to a weeping, blubbering manbaby.
realmenhatelife
06-19-2012, 09:33 AM
Michael is available on netflix streaming. About a boring Austrian office worker that happens to have a kid locked in a rape dungeon in his basement.
If you like Michael Haneke movies you'll probably like this, the guy is a protege of Haneke's and the movie has a similar vibe. Creepy, quiet movie with sudden outbursts. I enjoyed it.
Misteriosa
06-19-2012, 09:39 AM
i finally saw the girl with the dragon tattoo (the old one, not the remake). i enjoyed the movie. i also was *very* angry during the "probation officer" scenes. i dont think ive ever had movie scenes anger me so, which is a testament to the movie. (she didnt kick that shit in far enough)
im gonna catch up on the other 2 parts when i can.
Crispy123
06-28-2012, 05:57 AM
watched Bobcat Golthwaits movie, God Bless Amerika last night. wow what a dark twisted movie. It was great.
The weakest scene was when they were going after the Bill Orielly/Glen Beck type character. the dialogue seemed a little forced & weak.
Dan G
07-20-2012, 06:13 PM
I used to be so good at keeping up with posting here, but I just haven’t been watching movies as much I used to. It was typically a daily thing thing for me, but so far in the month of July I’ve only watched two. So, here’s a recap of movies I mostly watched in June except for the last two.
Forbidden Games (1952) - Sad foreign film about 2 children in occupied France during WWII that create their own cemetery for dead animals they find. Great film with such a heartbreaking ending.
Red River (1947) - I know John Wayne was in this, but I honestly don’t remember much about it.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) - This was the only Wes Anderson film I hadn’t seen, so I wanted to make sure I caught it before catching Moonrise Kingdom.
I like this one a lot and thought it was much better than The Darjeeling Limited.
Godzilla (1954) - Finally broke out my Criterion Blu-ray and watched this. This was really great and looked incredible. Effects weren’t hokey at all.
Once Upon a Time in China (Trilogy) (1991-92) - I’ve owned these on DVD for several years and never watched them.
Can’t really remember plot points of the 3, but I do know the second one was my favorite.
Pretty Poison (1968) - There seems to be a theme here with my reviews of what I’ve watched. I’m not remembering shit about them.
Anthony Perkins stars in this and that’s about all that I remember. I know I liked it.
The Wrestler (2008) - Great depiction of a career wrestler wrestling past his prime. I remember watching this the day before I was planning on going to MovieStop to trade in
some DVD/Blu-rays. After it ended, I liked it so much that I decided I wanted to keep it.
Moon (2009) - Watched this not knowing anything about it. All I knew was that David Bowie’s kid directed it.
I was really bored during the first 20 minutes. It seemed like it was just a 2001 remake, but then it got strong and never looked back. Ended up loving it.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) - Not the funniest Wes Anderson film, but still decent. The kid actors were actually pretty great. The biggest laughs for me weren’t from the film, but from audience reactions around me. The first was a lady who brought 2 boys probably each 12-years-old. During the scene where the 2 kid leads start kissing and the girl feels the boy’s dick against her and says “it’s hard” and that she likes it, this mother got up, pointed to the 2 boys and promptly exited the theater. My other laugh came with these 3 old ladies sitting directly behind me. One of them hated this film and at one point said to her friend, “I’ve seen better acting in high school plays.” During the ending credits her friend said out loud, “I thought this was going to be the Woody Allen movie.” Old people are funny.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) - I went in the morning minutes after reading about the horrible tragedy in Colorado. Admittedly, it was hard to enjoy this after knowing what went down 12 hours earlier. I just kept imagining the chaos that must’ve went down that night.
I did find it ironic that during the fight scene with Batman and Catwoman against Bane’s thugs, Batman knocks a gun from Catwoman’s hands and says something to the effect of “no guns,” but then at the end when Catwoman shoots and kills Bane, she says to Batman, “I have a problem with your ‘no guns’ rule.”
Not being a comic book reader, I was unfamiliar with Bane. He turned out to be a very good villain.
It was long, but honestly didn’t feel like it. It was enjoyable, but I probably would’ve liked it much more if events in Colorado hadn’t taken place.
Furtherman
08-06-2012, 08:05 AM
John Carter Of Mars. I don't think this movie deserved the bad rap it got when it was released. I thought it was a fun sci-fi flick with amazing effects. Yea, there were scenes that have been done before (and would have fit in fine with the Star Wars prequels), but I didn't find it terrible.
underdog
08-07-2012, 04:34 AM
John Carter Of Mars. I don't think this movie deserved the bad rap it got when it was released. I thought it was a fun sci-fi flick with amazing effects. Yea, there were scenes that have been done before (and would have fit in fine with the Star Wars prequels), but I didn't find it terrible.
I agree.
Chigworthy
08-07-2012, 06:33 AM
I watched Hit So Hard on Netfliz a few days ago. It's a "Rockumentary" about Patty Schimmel, the main drummer for the band "Hole". I was never a fan of Hole, but I never hated them either. I never knew too much of their story. The film focuses on Schimmel, but the story of Hole, as well as the connection to Cobain and his death, is also explored. Schimmel's story is a typical celebrity arch of humble beginnings, hard work to succeed, major success, followed by a huge fall, and then a regeneration. Some atypical rock-doc themes are explored in that Schimmel is a female drummer, as well as a lesbian. I was kind of in a vortex when Hole was so big, so I never realized just how famous they got in the mid-90's. And I'm guessing most people, casual Hole fans included, never knew how far Schimmel fell after being removed from the studio recording of Hole's follow-up album and subsequently descending into the world of homeless drug addiction. The film ends with an uplifting profile of Schimmel today, who, while not rockstar successful, has achieved a fulfilling personal and professional life including being sober for 5+ years, getting married and having a child with her wife, and doing charity work. Not a bad "Rockumentary" at all.
Dan G
08-17-2012, 06:11 PM
The Intouchables (2011) - True story about a wealthy quadriplegic who hires a street thug to be his daily caretaker. With nothing in common, the 2 bond and become great friends. I was a little confused at the end when they showed the actual people this film was based and had some text updating their current situations. In the film, the caretaker was a black man named Driss, but when they showed the real guy, it was an Algerian named Abdel. So far, this is my favorite film of the year.
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) - Film about a young girl and her wild imagination as she and her father try to survive heavy rainstorms in their bayou community. I don't think there are any known actors in this, pretty sure these are people that were locals and asked to participate in the film. All were great, especially the young lead.
The Raid (2011) - Saw this in the theater 4 months ago, but this time I watched it on Blu-ray with the original music. I thought it was a nice touch that when you watch it with original music you also get the original title card, so this was The Raid and not The Raid: Redemption. It was also unrated, but this movie is so violent, I didn't notice any scenes that weren't shown when I saw the theatrical version. The original music was great, but I don't know which I prefer. Still, this is just a fun watch. I really enjoy this one.
Killer Instinct / Public Enemy Number 1 (2008) - French films told in 2 parts about real life criminal, Jaques Mesrine. When I started watching it, I had no idea this was based on a true story, but as it played I started realizing that this was an actual person. Both films were great, though the second was more violent and played like an action film, with some scenes seeming to be more fictional than factual.
cougarjake13
08-19-2012, 12:26 PM
watched let the right one in
a swedish movie about a boy who gets bullied and befriends a girl vampire of same age
only she might not be a girl
cool movie
realmenhatelife
08-23-2012, 04:16 AM
I watched Margaret last night. It was good, maybe a little long. It's one of those movies that has been stuck in litigation for years because the director wouldn't finish editing it, and the studio stopped paying him, and eventually martin scorcese and some other people wound up finishing it for him.
It's about the death of innocence and the transition from childhood to adulthood. And also the ways people struggle with becomming emotionally disengaged. I dont think it makes a lot of judgements which made it better.
But Anna Paquin witnesses/slightly causes a fatal bus accident and struggles with her guilt amidst adults that are probably treating her as way more of a peer than they should be, who are all fucked up in their own right. Matthew Broderick, Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo, Kieren Culkin, Allison Janney, Jean Reno and a bunch of character actors you'll recognize. Paquin gets naked and this is technically pre True Blood.
realmenhatelife
09-06-2012, 04:42 AM
Check out Last Days Here on netflix streaming. It's a doc about the band Pentagram, it's kindof like Anvil crossed with a really heavy episode of Intervention. I enjoyed it, you might if you like stoner/doom metal.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/c7JTD_73kpI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Also, why hasn't someone made a show where Phil Anselmo just talks crazy about shit?
Chigworthy
09-06-2012, 05:30 AM
Check out Last Days Here on netflix streaming. It's a doc about the band Pentagram, it's kindof like Anvil crossed with a really heavy episode of Intervention. I enjoyed it, you might if you like stoner/doom metal.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/c7JTD_73kpI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Also, why hasn't someone made a show where Phil Anselmo just talks crazy about shit?
I was glad to finally see that after Ian Christie has been talking about it for years on Liquid Metal.
And as metal music settles into it's convalescence, I'm sure we will get all kinds of documentaries.
realmenhatelife
09-19-2012, 04:17 AM
I watched the guard last night, which was funny especially if you liked In Bruges. It's one of those movies where the plot is meaningless and basically just provides pretense for the actors say say darkly comic and absurdist Irish shit.
Rides the likeability of Brendan Gleeson really hard, Don Cheadle is actually a really terrible actor in it.
Furtherman
09-19-2012, 08:38 AM
Starrrrrrr Warrrrrrrrrs!!!!
weekapaugjz
09-19-2012, 12:55 PM
watched let the right one in
a swedish movie about a boy who gets bullied and befriends a girl vampire of same age
only she might not be a girl
cool movie
i've wanted to see this, i've read the book and the u.s. version, let me in, was decent.
Chigworthy
09-20-2012, 08:58 AM
i've wanted to see this, i've read the book and the u.s. version, let me in, was decent.
The US version, if I remember correctly, was almost a shot for shot remake.
Furtherman
10-15-2012, 06:07 AM
Also, saw Cabin In the Woods today. Very meta, very funny(not that scary though) and a movie you want to get the blu ray for and slow down the last half to get all the good little horror references
I loved it! Hilarious and a total new take on the monster genre. It was smart and didn't take itself too seriously. Definitely a movie I have to see again.
Furtherman
11-12-2012, 01:39 PM
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xE94RKIE7xQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Loved it. Very funny and even had some heart.
Furtherman
11-26-2012, 06:12 AM
The Expendables 2.
This was absurd action and terrible scriptwriting at its finest.
The one stand out example of something that could have been great was Van Damn as the bad guy. He didn't say much, and spend most of the time posing in sunglasses, but when he did - he was actually very good. I could see him taking a bigger role in some other awful action movie after this...
Arnold and Willis weren't much to the story but you could tell they were having a good time. I would rather have seen more scenes with them than with the Expendables themselves, which were just god-awful.
Dan G
11-30-2012, 01:01 PM
Wow, haven’t posted in this thread since August. Here’s everything I’ve watched since then.
Bridesmaids (2011) - My second time seeing it. I had a girl over and she wanted to watch a movie so I let her pick one out from my collection. She had never seen it. I wanted to watch the unrated version, but I couldn’t find it. This disc is loaded with extra features and I had no idea where to look. Ended up finding it after the movie ended, but wasn’t about to watch 2+ more hours of this.
Thief (1981) - One of those films I’ve always heard great things about, but never got around to seeing. All the praise for this was justified. This was great.
Bound (1996) - A Wachowski brothers film, back when they were still all brothers. Had no idea how sexual this was going to be. Really liked this one.
Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1971) - This was basically watching a film being made while it was shooting. It was alright.
The Tree of Life (2010) - Beautiful to look at, but ultimately pretty boring.
Mulholland Drive (2001) - David Lynch films can get really weird, so I had no idea what to expect. Surprisingly, it was pretty much straight forward, easy to follow, and really good. Loved this.
Picnic (1955) - A drifter shows up in a town on Memorial Day, a day where where everyone in town gets together for a picnic. I thought it sounded promising, but it ended up being a love story.
Niagara (1953) - Felt like I was a Hitchcock film, which is quite the compliment to Henry Hathaway who directed this. Marilyn Monroe was great.
Equinox (1969) - Student film with some great effects. Only caught this because I had noticed that Criterion released it.
Kuroneko (1968) - I really liked Onibaba which Kaneto Shindo directed and this was his followup. Japanese ghost stories can be creepy. This was good. I liked Onibaba better, but this was still pretty strong.
The Master (2012) - First half of this was amazing, but then it kind of fizzled out for me.
Germany Year Zero (1948) - The third film in Roberto Rossolini’s War Trilogy. Great ending.
The Lord’s of Flatbush (1974) - Sylvester Stallone plays the leader of a gang in 1950s NY. They don’t fight with others, it’s basically him and 3 guys that pick up girls and do innocent pranks. Henry Winkler also plays a gang member and looks exactly like his “Fonzie” character from Happy Days. It was good.
Number, Please? (1920) Never Weaken (1921) - TCM played these back to back one night so I set my DVR for them. Started watching them and realized I had already seen them. Still, they’re each under 30 minutes, so it was fun to revisit them.
Looper (2012) - I’ll be honest, I never noticed JGL’s makeup to make him look more like Bruce Willis. I had heard people were distracted by it. Maybe I’ll notice it if I catch it on Blu-ray, which I intend to pick up. This was good, especially the kid.
The Bat (1959) - Vincent Price plays a man obsessed with bats, meanwhile there’s murders taking place at a mansion by a mysterious killer known as ‘The Bat.’ It’s your typical “you think you know who did it, but then it’s someone else” type of horror. It was still good, though.
American Graffiti (1973) - George Lucas directed this non-sci-fi film about high school kids spending their last night together before each heading off to college.
Argo (2012) - Ben Affleck is becoming a director whose films I am looking forward to seeing. This was great. Was amazed at how closely each actor looked like the person they were portraying. Well, except for Ben’s character, but he was still solid.
The Wrath of God (1972) - This was really good. Caught it on TCM. It was a terrible print, but still watchable.
Harper (1966) - Earlier this year I watched The Drowning Pool, not knowing that it was a sequel to this. I still enjoyed it and wasn’t lost or anything. It was nice to see the first, though. I’d recommend them both.
The Bad Seed (1956) - A mother fears her young daughter is a murderer. This was so good and the little girl was great.
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974) - Watched this not even knowing that Martin Scorsese directed it. Was shocked when I saw Vic Tayback playing his “Mel” character which he later portrayed in the TV show Alice. Had no idea that show was inspired from this film. Great film.
Bye Bye Braverman (1967) - Four friends get lost in New York while looking for the funeral of their recently deceased friend. Had some funny moments. Sorrell Booke “Boss Hogg” from The Dukes of Hazzard played a NY’er and I didn’t even recognize him. The mom from Arrested Development was also in it and she was extremely hot.
The Devil’s Disciple (1959) - Burt Lancaster plays a preacher and Kirk Douglas a non-believer/outcast from his own family. Takes place during Colonial times, Douglas’ father is hanged by the British. Douglas steals the body to bury it in Lancaster’s cemetery. The British discover the grave, not knowing who stole it, and arrest the preacher, but it’s actually Douglas they arrest, so when Lancaster discovers what happened he then tries to save Douglas.
The Four Feathers (1939) - Really good film about a pussy English soldier who leaves the war. At home he receives an envelope containing 4 feathers. Apparently, receiving a feather means you’re less than a man and he knows he received 4 because he had 4 friends he had enlisted with. Deciding to man up, he attempts go to where the fighting takes place in disguise so that he can help out his friends and his country.
Pandora’s Box (1929) - German silent film about a promiscuous woman whose affairs with men lead her to trouble. Watched it just so I could say that I’ve watched it.
The Great Gatsby (1974) - A remake is coming out in 2013, so I at least wanted to see the original. Well, turns out this version was the 3rd at attempt adapting the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel to the screen. It was really cool to a younger “Hershel” from The Walking Dead have such a big role in this. The upcoming 2013 film with Leonardo DiCaprio will be in 3-D. I’m going to have to say that this will be the most pointless 3-D film ever.
Skyfall (2012) - I made sure to be all caught up on every Bond film before seeing this one, my first in a theater. I thought this was great.
Exterminating Angel (1962) - Weird film about a group of wealthy people having a party at a mansion. Suddenly the group are confined to one room in the house and cannot leave. Days go by and they are still unable to exit. Food and water is diminishing and the people are getting very ill. It was crazy and worth watching.
Lincoln (2012) - Daniel Day-Lewis will win the Oscar for this. So very believable watching him portray the 16th President.
Ip Man (2008) - Had no idea this was based on a true story. Every time I saw the DVD case I thought it was some future movie called IP (pronouncing each letter) Man. Surprised at how much I liked this.
CountryBob
11-30-2012, 04:23 PM
Skyfall was so fucking good! :happy:
cougarjake13
11-30-2012, 04:36 PM
I batched multiple x watching bridesmaids
realmenhatelife
12-11-2012, 05:58 AM
Sound of my Voice- It's about a couple infiltrating a cult to make an expose about it, and being involved with the cult effects them in different, unexpected ways. The cult leader is an enigmatic young woman who claims to be from the future which is torn by a civil war.
It's not a bad movie, it's a little light but it's pretty tactful. Brit Marling is the cult leader and I didn't like her other movie, Another Earth, but she's a really good actress. It feels more like a short film stretched into feature length, so the impact is a little dilluted. It isn't nearly as intense as Marcy May Marlene.
You need to be comfortable with ambiguity to like this movie, it's aggressively ambiguous at times, but that's kindof the point. As the audience you're supposed to color the different things you see with your own experience, the same way that the people in the cult choose to believe or disbelieve based on their own predelictions. Ambiguity needs intention behind it to be good, the intention behind this ambiguity is ambiguity, so that was a neat little feeling.
Keep your eye on Brit Marling.
PapaBear
12-14-2012, 10:32 PM
I'm re watching The Deer Hunter right now. I just did a search and found that there is a doc on John Cazale called I Knew It Was You. I have temporarily disabled my Netflix account. Does anyone know if it's available there?
spoon
12-14-2012, 10:33 PM
nope
PapaBear
12-14-2012, 10:35 PM
nope
How do you know that no one knows? :furious:
cougarjake13
12-15-2012, 03:31 AM
How do you know that no one knows? :furious:
spoonyclaus is omnipotent
realmenhatelife
12-15-2012, 04:32 AM
I'm re watching The Deer Hunter right now. I just did a search and found that there is a doc on John Cazale called I Knew It Was You. I have temporarily disabled my Netflix account. Does anyone know if it's available there?
It is. You can get it on disk, and for some reason it comes up as "rediscovering John Cazale" even though the full name of the doc is "I knew it was you: Rediscovering John Cazale."
spoon
12-15-2012, 06:37 AM
told ya!
PapaBear
12-15-2012, 07:41 PM
It is. You can get it on disk, and for some reason it comes up as "rediscovering John Cazale" even though the full name of the doc is "I knew it was you: Rediscovering John Cazale."
Thaaaaaank you!
spoon
12-15-2012, 07:44 PM
Thaaaaaank you!
you are welcome
PapaBear
12-15-2012, 07:49 PM
you are welcome
Eat Norv's poo!
spoon
12-15-2012, 07:50 PM
Eat Norv's poo!
not very nice to the guy who helped you out so much
deliciousV
12-16-2012, 08:13 AM
since I've always been a fan of the Alex Cross novels I watched the new movie starring Madea. As a simple stand alone action/thriller it is worth watching, on cable. Mathew Fox as a bald skinny creepy bad guy was decent. But other than the main characters name I saw no resemblance to an Alex Cross novel, especially the one this thing was loosely based on. Alex Cross is a DC detective, this movie takes place in Detroit, the timeline is fucked up, he only has 2 kids in this movie, his partner is Ed Burns, who is white and has a different name than his partner in the books.
Anyway, why get the rights to an Alex Cross project, and then change everything?
realmenhatelife
12-17-2012, 04:16 AM
I saw the Hobbit which I liked, but I kindof wish they were doing two movies instead of three to kindof beef up the adventuring. The problem is you have to drop back down to act one after act three of Lord of the Rings.
Bernie- Which is the movie where jack black kills a rich old lady that everyone hates, and he's so well liked in the community no one really minds. It's Richard Linklater. Aside from liking the quirkiness of Texas I kindof didn't enjoy it. I realize that the old lady is a rotten bitch, but willfully chewing your refried beans to get under someones skin doesn't quite amount to getting shot in the back. And the movie is very pro bernie, but doesn't exactly earn it to me. The whole thing is handled so breezily it's hard to believe that it really examined motive and intent. Jack Black isn't bad, but by far the best part of the movie are the inserts of real people shit talking this dead woman.
Two Years At Sea - A documentary shot on 16 mm about a guy that lives in the middle of the woods, alone, in Scotland. There's no dialogue and almost no sound track, it's mostly just ambiant sounds and this dude chopping wood and whistling. It isn't bad, kinda wish I didn't see it in a theater because the home movie gives an overall effect but wouldn't have been spoiled on TV. I feel like the most interesting story is missed because you never talk to the guy and find out why he decided to isolate himself, or hear him comment on his lifestyle. Either that or shoot in a higher video quality so you can see more the appeal. The movie is trying to recreate memory but it doesn't share those memories.
Dan G
01-01-2013, 07:50 AM
Finished 2012 having seen 165 movies.
Ip Man 2 - Great sequel following the life of martial artist, Yip Man.
Scrooged - Wanted to see at least one Christmas movie this month. Ironically, this was my first time seeing this. Very funny take on the Dickens classic.
Django Unchained - Loved this. Great dialogue and action scenes. The bag scene, while funny, seemed like a deleted scene from Blazing Saddles.
realmenhatelife
01-07-2013, 03:28 AM
Bones Brigade: An Autobiography Was very good if you are about my age which was ripe for the late 80s early 90s skating boom. It's very similar to Dogtown and Z boys but the perspective doesn't seem as narrow because they talk to so many more people both inside and outside of the group. The most surprising thing is they start getting into the negative impact that dealing with high expectations had on Rodney Mullen, Tony Hawk and Lance Mountain. I wish they would've been a little more detailed on those experiences, and thrown in a little more skating footage. Plus, I actually wanted Peralta to talk a little more about his methodology as a coach because the idea that these kids had to dedicate themselves so fully to skating, and ignore the other trappings of fame plus the criticism that they were too clean cut had to come from somewhere.
Furtherman
01-07-2013, 06:06 AM
Sound of my Voice- It's about a couple infiltrating a cult to make an expose about it, and being involved with the cult effects them in different, unexpected ways. The cult leader is an enigmatic young woman who claims to be from the future which is torn by a civil war.
It's not a bad movie, it's a little light but it's pretty tactful. Brit Marling is the cult leader and I didn't like her other movie, Another Earth, but she's a really good actress. It feels more like a short film stretched into feature length, so the impact is a little dilluted. It isn't nearly as intense as Marcy May Marlene.
You need to be comfortable with ambiguity to like this movie, it's aggressively ambiguous at times, but that's kindof the point. As the audience you're supposed to color the different things you see with your own experience, the same way that the people in the cult choose to believe or disbelieve based on their own predelictions. Ambiguity needs intention behind it to be good, the intention behind this ambiguity is ambiguity, so that was a neat little feeling.
Keep your eye on Brit Marling.
I liked this movie too. It left me with a feeling of wonder - although I can see how for some it would be disappointment - but a good story on faith and belief.
fezident
01-07-2013, 08:00 AM
Brit Marling is amazing!
I loved her in Another Earth. In fact... I absolutely LOVED that movie, and the ambiguity (sp?) is perfectly presented. I've had a couple of endlessly circular discussions after that movie.... based on that final frame.
I can't wait to see her other movie.
Thanks for posting about it. I completley forgot about it!
realmenhatelife
01-07-2013, 09:14 AM
Her next movie that she wrote with the guy who directed Sound of my Voice looks similar, about a person infiltrating and anarchist group, also has Ellen Page in it.
Dan G
01-12-2013, 05:14 PM
The Blues Brothers (1980) - For the last few years I started a tradition where I would watch a highly praised film that I had never seen before as my first film of the year. Last year it was Dazed and Confused and the year before that was Fight Club.
I have no idea why it has taken me all these years to finally see Jake and Elwood attempt to save the orphanage they grew up in.
This was so much fun to watch. It’s one of those films where you know everyone who saw it in theaters 33 years ago all had a great time. The comedy, the car chases, the music, and the amazing cameo appearances. It had everything.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) - I know I’m in the minority, but I did not like this...at all. I wanted to like it, I really did. I would not have watched it if I didn’t. I realize every character is supposed to be over the top. I got that, it’s just that the jokes seemed forced/expected. I honestly only laughed once, and that was when Luke Wilson had his arm ripped off for the second time. Oh, I also liked when they showed an outtake from Smokey and the Bandit II in the closing credits for no reason, other than an homage.
While everyone will be looking forward to the return of Ron Burgundy, I can safely say that is one sequel I will not be seeing.
The Driver (1978) - I never heard of this film until after I had seen Drive. That is when I started hearing that it heavily influenced Refn’s film.
My cable company recently removed FOX Movie Channel from the movie package and now made it a part of the basic HD package. So, when I saw it was airing between the hours of 3a-3p (only time the movies are commercial free), I DVR’d it.
This is pretty much like Drive, but much less violent and without the 80’s sounding score.
I liked it a lot and wonder if I would’ve liked Drive less had I seen this one first.
Skyfall (2012) - My second time seeing this. The first was in IMAX. I now can appreciate how much better the experience is in IMAX. Not taking anything away from the film, it stands on its own just fine. So good to see a Bond film that’s entertaining throughout. There have been many duds in the 50 years of Bond, the majority of those within the last 20+ years. I hope the momentum of this one carries on to the next Bond film. I’m certainly looking forward to it.
Night of the Creeps (1986) - Of all channels, Turner Classic Movies played this one one Friday night as part of their weekly TCM Underground series.
This pretty much summed up all 1980s B-Movies. Silly plot, cheesy dialog, nudity, and, oh yeah, entertaining.
As bad as it was, it was still a lot of fun to sit through.
The Brothers McMullen (1995) - Drama about 3 adult brothers, all living together while each struggles with personal issues. One brother is incapable of falling in love, another lets being a Catholic get in the way of a love life, and the 3rd brother, whose house they all live in, is cheating on his wife.
It was alright. The acting seemed a little stiff. Felt like a student film.
Ministry of Fear (1943) - A man released from an asylum accidentally uncovers a Nazi spy ring.
I’m a sucker for films revolving around Nazi’s (well, not the pro-Nazi agenda ones). This was a good Nazi-noir type film.
Midnight Run (1988) - Robert DeNiro plays a bounty hunter assigned to track down an accountant who has skipped bail. This accountant also happens to be wanted by the mafia, as well as a competing bounty hunter.
This one was a lot of fun.
Life of Pi (2012) - Never been a fan of 3-D, but I knew by the time this left theaters I would have no interest in ever seeing it. So, on the day that it received 11 Academy Award nominations, I decided to go and see it before it was too late.
I was not familiar with the book and had only heard that it was virtually unfilmable. I have no idea if anything from the book was changed or omitted, but I found this to be visually stunning.
I can’t imagine waiting for this on DVD or Netflix. If you don’t see this in 3-D, the way the director intended, you are truly missing out.
Furtherman
01-14-2013, 05:41 AM
Dredd.
I thought it was great! A futuristic Die Hard. Violent and fun. Much better than the original. Too bad it did not do well in the theaters. There probably won't be another one.
newport king
01-15-2013, 12:51 PM
Lincoln found it to be incredibly boring. Almost turned it off twice.
realmenhatelife
01-15-2013, 01:44 PM
Lincoln found it to be incredibly boring. Almost turned it off twice.
The other people in the theater would've been pissed.
realmenhatelife
01-17-2013, 06:35 PM
The Loneliest Planet. It's about a young engaged couple backpacking through the Caucaus Mountains with a local Georgian guide. They're confronted with a sudden threat, and their reactions have a lasting impact on their relationship.
I liked it a lot. You have to like slow, subtle movies. There's a lot of mumbling. Everything is played under the surface, but there are a lot of layers. The characters struggle with how they relate to eachother and how they relate to themselves generally in the absence of communication. And there is some really amazing scenery.
Zero Dark Thirty. Man this thing is overrated. It is definitely no hurt locker, wish I would of gotten a bit more sleep instead of staying up and watching it...
Chigworthy
01-18-2013, 08:53 AM
The Loneliest Planet. It's about a young engaged couple backpacking through the Caucaus Mountains with a local Georgian guide. They're confronted with a sudden threat, and their reactions have a lasting impact on their relationship.
I liked it a lot. You have to like slow, subtle movies. There's a lot of mumbling. Everything is played under the surface, but there are a lot of layers. The characters struggle with how they relate to eachother and how they relate to themselves generally in the absence of communication. And there is some really amazing scenery.
This sounds good. I haven't heard of it until now. Where did you find it?
realmenhatelife
01-22-2013, 04:05 AM
This sounds good. I haven't heard of it until now. Where did you find it?
It's streaming on Netflix. I read about it on AV club, I dont remember why they had written it up. It was either a review or in some film festival round up.
Also, the trailer for that new Britt Marling movie is out, The East.
realmenhatelife
01-22-2013, 04:13 AM
Sleep Tight: It's a spanish horror movie, really more of a thriller. If you saw REC or the American remake Quarantine this is the same guy. A depressed door man in an upper class aparment building can only find meaning in his life by making others miserable. He becomes dangerously fixated on a perpetually upbeat woman and has to escalate his attempts to ruin her life.
It kindof reminded me of Rosemarys Baby, it's good. The horror is built on tension and creepiness instead of big scares like REC. The guy is a total creep and plays the character well where you can see how people like and maybe feel a little sorry for him which works as his cover. It's never really all that farfetched either, nothing he does is a perfect crime, he's just playing this game over and over before the risk level gets too high and he has to move on to the next place. I think it's filmed in the same building as REC too, which if you've seen both movies is kindof funny to see it in two different lights.
newport king
01-22-2013, 05:53 AM
Skyfall was pretty awesome
hanso
02-20-2013, 08:45 AM
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FKFDkpHCQz4?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Saw Evil Dead II some days ago and Army of Darkness last night has to be my favorite of this type
Searched around for info on the original to watch next and found this above remake 2013
realmenhatelife
03-17-2013, 06:49 AM
If you've never seen The Thing you should go watch it right now. I've been on a bit of a John Carpenter kick.
I also dont think that the ending of this movie is too ambiguous, to me only one possibility makes sense.
realmenhatelife
03-25-2013, 05:30 AM
I thought Killer Joe sucked balls but if you want to see a crazier, more enjoyable Matthew McConaghay vehicle then you should Netflix The Paperboy. Just way way wackier. Like I went out and got the book from the library just so I could see where all the wacky originated from.
realmenhatelife
03-31-2013, 06:45 PM
Zero Dark Thirty. I didn't find it all that pro torture. It wasn't anti torture for sure, but if you really discuss torture in the movie I think it's hard to say 'pro.' It's a movie about people that are pro torture, so that doesn't help. But there are people that doubt the value of torture in the movie, too.
Pitdoc
03-31-2013, 07:55 PM
Zero Dark Thirty. I didn't find it all that pro torture. It wasn't anti torture for sure, but if you really discuss torture in the movie I think it's hard to say 'pro.' It's a movie about people that are pro torture, so that doesn't help. But there are people that doubt the value of torture in the movie, too.
I think they screwed up in the movie by implying that torture got "THE" key piece of evidence; the Courier, when in actuality the information was gotten by standard FBI questioning months after the guy had stopped being tortured. But in reality the Maya character still pieced things together .It's too bad, as I think it was the movie of the year , but Hollywood liberals couldn't reward a movie that MIGHT have condoned torture( even though it didn't)
realmenhatelife
04-01-2013, 04:29 AM
I think they screwed up in the movie by implying that torture got "THE" key piece of evidence; the Courier, when in actuality the information was gotten by standard FBI questioning months after the guy had stopped being tortured. But in reality the Maya character still pieced things together .It's too bad, as I think it was the movie of the year , but Hollywood liberals couldn't reward a movie that MIGHT have condoned torture( even though it didn't)
I actually didn't think it was good enough to win best picture, I had some trouble with the structure, some of the acting and the writing, but I really like Jessica Chastain. But even with the torture they still needed to do some heavy spy stuff and buy a guy a lamborgini. I think the movie does a good job of showing that in a chaotic situation everything becomes skewed very easily.
It's tough when you're making a movie based on previous material because you have to edit and compress time, and people can look at that as partisanship.
realmenhatelife
05-10-2013, 03:15 AM
Jack Reacher wasn't bad. It's kindof nice to have a big dumb movie where people say and do totally stupid stuff and mostly just beat each other up. It's a nice change from 'high tech' action movies.
Gutter
05-10-2013, 04:48 AM
I finally got to watch Prometheus. I thought it was cool for the most part....but the movie kind of boils down to "Everyone in to the cave! HOLY CRAP EVERYONE OUT OF THE CAVE!! Ok, we'll try that again in the morning.....EVERYONE OUT OF THE CAVE!!!! Phew, that was close....ok, fuck that cave. Damnit I've gotta go back into the CAVE!!!! ehhhh, lets go check out another planet.
They never really get to explore the most interesting character who is clearly the android..forget his name...Andy? I wanted the movie to explore more of his character. The daddy issues with Charlize's character were dumb and forced but it was only one or two clips really so it didn't detract too much. I found myself just wishing that the planet they spent the most time on was just a jumping off point really. If they had gone there, figured out it the planet was just a staging area earlier, the two dudes get left in the cave and the other guy gets infected and burned alive and then the remaining crew goes to the next planet, then more of the story could have unfolded and it would have been way more awesome.
Chigworthy
05-10-2013, 06:06 AM
I finally got to watch Prometheus. I thought it was cool for the most part....but the movie kind of boils down to "Everyone in to the cave! HOLY CRAP EVERYONE OUT OF THE CAVE!! Ok, we'll try that again in the morning.....EVERYONE OUT OF THE CAVE!!!! Phew, that was close....ok, fuck that cave. Damnit I've gotta go back into the CAVE!!!! ehhhh, lets go check out another planet.
They never really get to explore the most interesting character who is clearly the android..forget his name...Andy? I wanted the movie to explore more of his character. The daddy issues with Charlize's character were dumb and forced but it was only one or two clips really so it didn't detract too much. I found myself just wishing that the planet they spent the most time on was just a jumping off point really. If they had gone there, figured out it the planet was just a staging area earlier, the two dudes get left in the cave and the other guy gets infected and burned alive and then the remaining crew goes to the next planet, then more of the story could have unfolded and it would have been way more awesome.
I have the feeling that there are more Prometheus stories being planned, and for me, the pacing wasn't slow, so where it ended seems to be a logical end to the chapter. I really don't get all the hate for this movie; I think it comes down to that inexplicable set of variables that can either make someone like or dislike a movie, and if you dislike it, then you can find all sorts of plot flaws.
Gutter
05-10-2013, 06:29 AM
I have the feeling that there are more Prometheus stories being planned, and for me, the pacing wasn't slow, so where it ended seems to be a logical end to the chapter. I really don't get all the hate for this movie; I think it comes down to that inexplicable set of variables that can either make someone like or dislike a movie, and if you dislike it, then you can find all sorts of plot flaws.
I didn't think the pacing was slow, just that some of the story line was a bit repetative....overall I enjoyed the movie. Some of the scenes were really cool visually, and there was enough going on that I was hooked for the duration. I definitely want to see more, so I hope a sequel is in the works.
underdog
05-10-2013, 07:11 AM
I have the feeling that there are more Prometheus stories being planned, and for me, the pacing wasn't slow, so where it ended seems to be a logical end to the chapter. I really don't get all the hate for this movie; I think it comes down to that inexplicable set of variables that can either make someone like or dislike a movie, and if you dislike it, then you can find all sorts of plot flaws.
I wanted to love it and it was filled with every movie cliche possible. It was bad. The dialog was awful, too.
I'll still go see the sequel.
newport king
05-10-2013, 02:07 PM
I forget where i heard it but i saw or heard someone say you know Prometheus wasnt good when everyone that saw it, says it was visually amazing.
Watched Avengers for the first time the other day. Horse shit.
underdog
05-10-2013, 02:17 PM
I forget where i heard it but i saw or heard someone say you know Prometheus wasnt good when everyone that saw it, says it was visually amazing.
It's like leading with, "she has a great personality!"
brettmojo
05-10-2013, 02:38 PM
The only part of Prometheus that I couldn't deal with is the two retards in the cave who didn't run the instant that cobra thing slithered out of the ooze. I they tried to run and those things hauled them down then it would have been fine but c'mon... Who isn't running from some weird faceless space cobra thing?
Other than that it was really well done. I didn't see it being packed with cliche other than that cobra scene. Weyland having ulterior motives behind the expedition was kinda' a nice nod to the original Aliens movies. This article was a great read afterwards and added a lot more depth making the rewatch of the movie more interesting. (http://screenrant.com/prometheus-alien-connection-benk-176223/all/1/)
The Place beyond the pines - I really enjoyed the movie. Only downfall was it was a bit drawn out, and long. It is split into 3 separate parts where different characters are examined in depth. The first part, with ryan gosling is easily the best.
Flight - Denzal could've won an oscar here easily. Great movie.
underdog
05-10-2013, 04:36 PM
The only part of Prometheus that I couldn't deal with is the two retards in the cave who didn't run the instant that cobra thing slithered out of the ooze. I they tried to run and those things hauled them down then it would have been fine but c'mon... Who isn't running from some weird faceless space cobra thing?
Other than that it was really well done. I didn't see it being packed with cliche other than that cobra scene. Weyland having ulterior motives behind the expedition was kinda' a nice nod to the original Aliens movies. This article was a great read afterwards and added a lot more depth making the rewatch of the movie more interesting. (http://screenrant.com/prometheus-alien-connection-benk-176223/all/1/)
Really well done? Seriously?
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-BWnTW4rL0U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
underdog
05-10-2013, 04:40 PM
And in that video, there isn't even a mention of Charlize Theron going, "we spent ONE BILLION dollars!" like fucking Dr. Evil at one point in the movie.
brettmojo
05-10-2013, 07:52 PM
At least the angry video game nerd's videos were entertaining. These things always sound like spoon bitching about the Yankees.
underdog
05-10-2013, 08:35 PM
At least the angry video game nerd's videos were entertaining. These things always sound like spoon bitching about the Yankees.
:laugh:
spoon
05-10-2013, 08:49 PM
At least the angry video game nerd's videos were entertaining. These things always sound like spoon bitching about the Yankees.
and you somehow found a way to bitch about my take on the spanks even more
congrats you soft bitch
Pitdoc
05-11-2013, 01:38 PM
And in that video, there isn't even a mention of Charlize Theron going, "we spent ONE BILLION dollars!" like fucking Dr. Evil at one point in the movie.
Actually, I think she said a TRILLION dollars , which makes it a bit dramatic.But, then, maybe the old guy gets immortality ?
I saw Upstream Color, which is even more of a mindfuck than Primer ( first movie by that director in 9 years) .Not as satisfying as Primer, but better acting ( the female lead has a natural beauty) and gorgeous cinematography . Still, psychic worms connecting people to pigs to orchids? WTF???
TripleSkeet
05-12-2013, 07:11 PM
Finally got to see Django Unchained. Loved it. Samuel L. Jacksons character became one of my favorite movie characters ever after about 6 minutes on screen.
newport king
05-13-2013, 01:58 AM
Id love some Whhhite Cake.
realmenhatelife
06-03-2013, 06:25 AM
I watched Upstream Color. Meh. It was ok. I got it. I'm not a gigantic fan of really visually composed movies. I like some good shots but I think when you try to do that very lyrical visual thing, especially when the narrative is equally lyrical, over the course of an entire movie it really burns me out. It makes me unfocus from the story. He's telling an actual narrative story but also making a more abstract point. I'm ok with that but at some point you are really just telling a story in a much more obtuse way than you need to, and that isn't abstract it's just omissive. I realize it would be hard to fit in the raw exposition you would need, but hey you chose this premise not me.
Theres maybe one componant too many in this movie. And the cast is too small. By only seeing the main characters, who have gone through the same trauma, interact with eachother you have trouble locating and realizing them fully. Do people think they're nuts? Or assholes? Does anyone believe their story? We see there is a sizeable community who have gone through the same thing presumably in the same area, what about them? Can we see someone who things have gone especially badly for so we understand the stakes?
There is unreliability and ambiguity in the movie, and thats cool, but again the story is told obtusely so I dont know that we get it to the full extent. You're maybe confused enough about whats going on to really thing about the state for the main characters prior to their trauma and what have they brought of that with them.
Basically I'd like this movie to feel more like characters with a situation applied to them rather than vice versa. This movie seems a little 'face blind.'
underdog
06-03-2013, 10:02 AM
Mud.
I have no idea why it's so highly rated. It's not bad, but it's not particularly good.
Furtherman
06-04-2013, 04:41 AM
Finally saw Midnight In Paris. Loved it. Such a great original story that's funny and smart at the same time. The literary greats of the 20s were perfectly cast too.
CountryBob
06-04-2013, 03:11 PM
Mud.
I have no idea why it's so highly rated. It's not bad, but it's not particularly good.
Yeah - shouldn't they have made dirt and water first or sumphin....?
realmenhatelife
06-17-2013, 07:02 AM
I watched Oz the great and powerful. Its not really a good movie, it'd kindof mediocre, but it shows you what a good genre director can do with even flimsy material. There are flashes of greatness, and certainly an understanding of style.
Of the trio of women Rachel Weisz was the best although I kept thinking how I wish it had been Anne Hathaway. Mila Kunis was servicable, certainly better at the beginning of the movie playing a character we dont know than when she morphs into one we're more familiar with. Michelle Williams stunk on ice.
Franco plays a really ambivilant Oz who is neither bad enough to be bad or good enough to make you hope for his redemption. He is basically an inveterate p word hound.
The prostetics on the wicked witch of the east were terrible. It's not that I mind physical prosthetics, I actually really like them, but they destroyed the facial features of the actress and looked too clownish. I think it would've worked better to walk the line between beautiful and horrible instead of a butt chin and really bad eye brows.
CountryBob
06-24-2013, 03:38 PM
World War Z
Anything with zombies works for me and they really give you that feeling of run for your life.
A lot of plot holes and such but I don't look for nothing but brainless fun when watching these type movies. I enjoyed it!
cougarjake13
06-24-2013, 06:14 PM
some plot holes in movies are so glaring you're like how the fuck could they not see that or did they just not care
others are so minuscule it's irrelevant
but some people weigh them all the same and let it ruin the movie for em
PapaBear
06-25-2013, 02:30 PM
If I can suspend disbelief enough to accept the existence of zombies, I can deal with a few plot holes.
deliciousV
06-25-2013, 03:56 PM
last night I sat drunkenly thru Rock of Ages. I am ashamed of myself, as Tom Cruise and Alec Baldwin should also be. What a flaming turd.
PapaBear
06-25-2013, 03:59 PM
last night I sat drunkenly thru Rock of Ages. I am ashamed of myself, as Tom Cruise and Alec Baldwin should also be. What a flaming turd.
Too many plot holes?
deliciousV
06-25-2013, 04:08 PM
Too many plot holes?
the whole movie was a black hole, it sucked the goodness out of some really good classic music.
TripleSkeet
06-25-2013, 09:41 PM
I watched Goon the other night. Didnt plan on it, just happened to turn it on. Pretty funny, not bad. The worst part was Stiflers character was supposed to be just some dumb ass and he kind of played it like he was retarded. Still, I enjoyed it.
deliciousV
06-30-2013, 12:12 PM
On Friday night I watched "Olympus has Fallen", it's Die Hard in the white house, a fun watch though. Last night I watched a Bruce Willis movie I had never heard of called "Fire With Fire" on Netflix, another fun action movie, I enjoyed it. Neither will be considered for any awards, but definitely entertaining.
newport king
06-30-2013, 12:42 PM
Watched A Good Day to Die Hard. (The latest one.) Weakest one since part 2.
deliciousV
06-30-2013, 12:57 PM
Watched A Good Day to Die Hard. (The latest one.) Weakest one since part 2.
2 was terrible, but it kicked the shit out of Good Day! Not only was Good Day a bad Die Hard, it was one of the worst movies I've ever seen! Willis never even acted like McClane, 80% of his dialog was saying "Jesus". And I'm a big fan of the Die Hard franchise, but this one blew.
PapaBear
06-30-2013, 07:08 PM
Saw Searching for Sugar Man. Really cool doc! I kept waiting to find out it was just an Onion stunt.
fezident
07-01-2013, 04:13 PM
Spring Breakers was fucking amazing in every way.
It is NOT the movie people think it is. It takes a turn. It becomes another movie. I fucking loved it.
World War Z was fun. It's definitely worth seeing on HBO or Netflix or whatever. There were some great moments of quiet tension mixed in with the total chaos. Very well done indeed. The effects sucked shit though. It was hard to get passed the cartoony zombies. Other than that... well done.
How To Make Money Selling Drugs. Really interesting and surprisingly entertaining.
Also...
I stumbled across a interesting little B-movie on iTunes called TRIANGLE.
(featuring Melissa George) it wasn't quite a "horror" movie. It's more of a supernatural thriller.
It was kinda like a 2 hour long episode of The Twilight Zone. (meaning... things are never fully explained... and that's okay)
It looks quite cheezy but... it was more substantial than the chintzy effects would lead you to believe.
It sticks with you a bit.
realmenhatelife
07-08-2013, 04:12 AM
Anna Karenina- It was good. It was filmed in an old theater and it's staged a lot like a play, all on physical sets instead of location shooting. They do stuff like use models to force perspective when in a traditional movie you'd just do a crane shot. It's very stylized but very well done.
Sometimes it can be a little hard to get your bearings because it's a bunch of intersecting stories, but if you just chill it comes together. It isn't hugely successful drawing parallels between the three relationships in the movie, but all three stories are engrossing. A lot of good acting, Jude Law and Keira Knightly are both really good and then there are just a bunch of good character actors. Worth the watch.
fezident
07-08-2013, 04:37 AM
STOKER
Amazing movie.
This is one of those movies where I simply wouldn't change a thing.
Stoker is about a small wealthy family (mother, husband, daughter) with some skeletons in their mansion's closets... as it were.
The father dies in a car accident... and his charming younger brother moves in with the two girls. Creepy weirdness ensues.
This movie is IMMACULATELY directed. Every single prop, gesture, and shadow within every single frame of film is part of the tapestry. It has meaning.
It's Fincher meets Hitchcock.
I give this movie the highest possible praise.
A+
realmenhatelife
07-08-2013, 06:26 AM
You're always a week ahead of Netflix released, because I'm getting spring breakers tomorrow and I'm getting stoker next week.
Stoker guy directed Old Boy, which is great.
fezident
07-08-2013, 10:17 AM
I watched Oz the great and powerful. Its not really a good movie, it'd kindof mediocre, but it shows you what a good genre director can do with even flimsy material. There are flashes of greatness, and certainly an understanding of style.
Of the trio of women Rachel Weisz was the best although I kept thinking how I wish it had been Anne Hathaway. Mila Kunis was servicable, certainly better at the beginning of the movie playing a character we dont know than when she morphs into one we're more familiar with. Michelle Williams stunk on ice.
Franco plays a really ambivilant Oz who is neither bad enough to be bad or good enough to make you hope for his redemption. He is basically an inveterate p word hound.
The prostetics on the wicked witch of the east were terrible. It's not that I mind physical prosthetics, I actually really like them, but they destroyed the facial features of the actress and looked too clownish. I think it would've worked better to walk the line between beautiful and horrible instead of a butt chin and really bad eye brows.
As a fan of the movie The Wizard Of Oz... I have an immediate problem with the new Oz Great & Powerful movie in that it makes Oz a "real" place.
It's no longer a dream.
Oz was not "real". Dorothy's family never leaves her side. She's laying unconscious in her bedroom while she has the fantasy. A dream. A hallucination brought on by a concussion. Whatever you want to call it... she didn't GO anywhere.
Now that we have a prequel that depicts many of the same locations and characters... we've crossed the line between fantasy and "reality". Now... we are to believe that Dorothy DID, in fact, go somewhere. She went to a real place.
That's fucking retarded.
PapaBear
07-08-2013, 08:38 PM
I saw it and what I "believe" is, I saw a movie. It was entertaining, but I really can't stand James Franco.
deliciousV
07-08-2013, 08:45 PM
I saw it and what I "believe" is, I saw a movie. It was entertaining, but I really can't stand James Franco.
Franco is funny in "This is the End" But they all were, Though McBride stole the movie.
realmenhatelife
07-15-2013, 04:08 AM
I didn't especially enjoy Spring Breakers. I think there's a good idea there. Young girls who are saturated by the casual sex, violence and degradation of culture are thrust into the world that culture coopts to varying results. It freaks some of them out, and sucks others futher down the rabit hole. James Franco was a really weak link, but the character is written as a weak link. Is he a suburban white kid who went down the rabit hole too? Or is he a legit gangster taking these girls under his wing played goofily by Franco because MTV would never give you money to make a movie where Gucci Mane has tagteam sex with Vanessa Hudgens and another white teen? I really hate that montage style that makes you feel like the movie never quite slips out of exposition. It took me forever to get used to it in Friday Night Lights, too.
I did like Dark Skies. The guy who made paranormal activity makes a movie about alien abduction. It's really minimal and sometimes the way it apes Paranormal Activity is glaring, like when the patriarch of the family reviews security camera footage. But it's a horror movie in the 80s vein of take a real, social/personal issue and express it through supernatural expressions. In this case the movie is abuot how suburban mallaise threatens to dissolve the family. It's a little obvious in the message sometimes, but I appreciate that it was there at all. Has some genuine creepy moments but for the most part its about tension between the family members. JK Simmons has one scene in it, but he's pretty good.
deliciousV
07-16-2013, 04:08 PM
I finally got around to watching The Prestige , I enjoyed watching it, the acting and the story were good, but then there was cloning! So by the time it was over I wasn't so sure I liked it as much, does that make any sense?
cougarjake13
07-16-2013, 04:24 PM
I finally got around to watching The Prestige , I enjoyed watching it, the acting and the story were good, but then there was cloning! So by the time it was over I wasn't so sure I liked it as much, does that make any sense?
was that the one with Ed norton ?
or the bale jackman one ?
deliciousV
07-16-2013, 04:25 PM
was that the one with Ed norton ?
or the bale jackman one ?
Bale and Jackman
newport king
07-16-2013, 06:23 PM
Watched Benjamin Button today. Fell asleep in the middle but pretty good
underdog
07-16-2013, 07:14 PM
Saw Pacific Rim yesterday.
It was really fucking awesome. Had all the typical shitty dialog and bad comic relief that blockbusters do, but I felt like a kid again watching it.
Pitdoc
07-16-2013, 07:33 PM
Saw Pacific Rim yesterday.
It was really fucking awesome. Had all the typical shitty dialog and bad comic relief that blockbusters do, but I felt like a kid again watching it.
I felt the same way.Then I looked & saw a chocolate -covered turd like Grown Ups 2 grossed more this weekend. The sci-fi action movie genre is doomed . Come on, Elysium
underdog
07-17-2013, 05:09 AM
I felt the same way.Then I looked & saw a chocolate -covered turd like Grown Ups 2 grossed more this weekend. The sci-fi action movie genre is doomed . Come on, Elysium
Elysium looked pretty bad.
Gravity looked hopeful, though.
Pitdoc
07-17-2013, 08:21 PM
Elysium looked pretty bad.
Gravity looked hopeful, though.
I have hope for it..Blomkamp did so much with so little with District 9 . Can't wait to see Gravity in IMAX & in 3D. One complaint I have with that is that (at least in the trailer) there's sound in space.But I understand its hard for regular audiences to understand that.Its why 2001 was so frustrating to people.
realmenhatelife
08-05-2013, 05:07 AM
Silver Lining Playbook was a hunk o'shit. I hated the book too so I dont know what I was expecting. It's one of those movies that is completely devoid of subtext.
The Chesire Murders which is part of HBO's summer doc series about a home invasion/triple murder in a idyllic Connecticut town. Pretty interesting, I hadn't heard of the case because I dont watch a lot of 24 hour news networks, but they indicate it was pretty visible. Really horrific stuff and the two perps were caught more or less red handed. It turns into a meditation on the death penalty and what it's really worth. I think you'd probably take out what you take into it. I'm an anti death penalty person so I say "oh, it's gonna cost upwards of $7mill and take 20 years to confirm the death penalty in this case in a state that just outlawed the death penalty which guarantees that they'll never actually be put to death, when they tried to plead out to life with no parole and the whole thing could've been done in 3 weeks." and I imagine a pro death penalty person would say "look at the recidivism of the defendents and the horrific nature of the crimes, look how much pain it puts this family and this community and the sociopathic nature of the criminals etc."
It does a good job with minimal direction to show all the different aspects of death penalty opinion. It talks to both the victims families and the convicted's families, who are victims in their own right. It's interesting to me that the lawyers come off as the most rational people, who never try to explain or mitigate the crimes and can put themselves in the mindset that they are defending justice, rather than the criminals.
underdog
08-13-2013, 10:53 AM
Only God Forgives - watched this twice. I love this film. It's so stylized and beautiful. Every scene could be a piece of art. Very little dialog, but it also had a very Kubrick feel to it.
I'm Not Here - great mockumentary. Really trolled entertainment media and the starfuckers that fill the awful clubs. Really had to distinguish between the real and the fake in the film.
Furtherman
08-17-2013, 08:17 AM
Oliver Stone's Savages was the worst piece of shit I've seen in a long time. Even with good performances by Benecio Del Toro and Salma Hayek... the ending completley ruins whatever premise the movie was trying to deliever. Shit sandwich.
The Company You Keep - with Robert Redford and Shia Lebouf. About former Weatherman radicals on the run and hiding in plain sight. Great premise, story, but terrible execution. Slooooooow and boring.
newport king
08-17-2013, 08:21 AM
The Place Beyond the Pines. Started watching this last night. About an hr into it i was bored after the lead got killed and bradley cooper came in. Figured id gut it out for the next 1/2hr. Then looked, there was an hour 20 left to go. Turned it off.
underdog
08-17-2013, 08:31 AM
The Place Beyond the Pines. Started watching this last night. About an hr into it i was bored after the lead got killed and bradley cooper came in. Figured id gut it out for the next 1/2hr. Then looked, there was an hour 20 left to go. Turned it off.
The movie is in 3 parts. The middle part is pretty boring, but the first and third acts are beautiful. I loved that movie, but they could have cut most of the middle stuff.
CountryBob
08-17-2013, 09:37 PM
Elesium
It was a pretty cool concept, acted well and I enjoyed it!
Elesium
Furtherman
08-18-2013, 02:40 PM
Elesium
It was a pretty cool concept, acted well and I enjoyed it!
Elesium
Elysium. I thought it was very good too. Great concept and script, however, the "shakey-cam" action sequences (there were quite a few of them) were awful. Especially the hand to hand fighting - it was a mess.
Sharlto Copley stole the movie as one bad-ass mercenary. A fantastic character.
realmenhatelife
08-18-2013, 04:06 PM
I watched Gangster Squad so we all had a little Ryan Gosling weekend. Pretty bad and generic.
realmenhatelife
08-25-2013, 07:40 AM
Clear History which was lame, sortof bland. Like I think even Larry David is getting a little tired of it. He's supposed to be this guy that everyone loves on Martha's Vineyard but he does nothing but be a total prick to everyone.
Trance It was good, fun. Visually composed really well. Not the deepest trickiest plot but it was nice how all these things that seemed poor through the movie worked out in its' favor. Rosario Dawson does full frontal and they get the camera up in there. It's Danny Boyle but if you told me it was Luc Besson I would believe you. I always liked Vincent Cassel. I almost just called him Seymore Cassel, who I also always liked.
realmenhatelife
09-03-2013, 07:11 AM
The Worlds End was good, especially once it gets rolling. More challenging thematically than I expected, but certainly fitting in that trilogy. Also Edgar Wright knows how to pace a fight to keep it interesting.
Evil Dead was a lot better than I thought it would be. Lots of practical gore which had a lot of impact. Like good horror movies based in a social fear. Bad cast though, really generic people you dont give a shit about.
sailor
09-03-2013, 07:28 AM
The Worlds End was good, especially once it gets rolling. More challenging thematically than I expected, but certainly fitting in that trilogy. Also Edgar Wright knows how to pace a fight to keep it interesting.
Trilogy? Like with SotD and some other movie, or am I missing something fundamental?
realmenhatelife
09-03-2013, 08:03 AM
Trilogy? Like with SotD and some other movie, or am I missing something fundamental?
SothD and Hot Fuzz. The Guns and Cornettos Trilogy I think they call it.
jennysmurf
09-03-2013, 08:55 AM
SothD and Hot Fuzz. The Guns and Cornettos Trilogy I think they call it.
I'm waiting to see World's End until I can watch it in November with my British friends. Yeah, that's right, I'm going to England for my Smurfday this year cause I roll hard.
disneyspy
09-03-2013, 09:04 AM
this thread is called the movie you just watched not what movie are you waiting to see
realmenhatelife
09-03-2013, 09:11 AM
I'm waiting to see World's End until I can watch it in November with my British friends. Yeah, that's right, I'm going to England for my Smurfday this year cause I roll hard.
You may be screwing yourself, there. It's not going to be in the theaters still and it wouldn't be on dvd yet, right?
Also good point spy.
jennysmurf
09-03-2013, 09:18 AM
You may be screwing yourself, there. It's not going to be in the theaters still and it wouldn't be on dvd yet, right?
Also good point spy.
Don't encourage spy, he's terrible. I was commenting on a movie someone else said they watched, so it still belongs in this thread. So there.
Also, of course it will be out by then. I watched the first two with my Brit friend, and so it's only fitting that I watch the third with him also.
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