What is the latest movie you watched and what did you think of it?

[IdolEyes787]

Yeah I saw that and the CSI producers promise ( being serious here) "more comedy this season".
The only good part is that there is going to be a long story arc about Katherine being passed over as head whatever it is again.
Truthfully though CSI hasn't been that great ever since Grissom left.

[thebazzla]

i must admit i have only watched a couple of the episodes with Laurence fishburne in it. and like you say its not the same without him .
and hell i am nearly as old as ted. well not quite that old but still come on he is not going to catch any suspects...oh and back on track i better find a movie to review or a can see an infraction coming my way.

[IdolEyes787]

i must admit i have only watched a couple of the episodes with Laurence fishburne in it. and like you say its not the same without him .
and hell i am nearly as old as ted. well not quite that old but still come on he is not going to catch any suspects...oh and back on track i better find a movie to review or a can see an infraction coming my way.

I started to watch Shark Night but I decided that I don't like to see people die unpleasantly . Not even unlikeable underwritten stereotypes.
Funny thing I was basically raised on old horror movies but I guess then it wasn't simply all about the death.

[thebazzla]

well i am a big horror and thriller fan myself hence thc and cinemaggedon being my 2 fav sites to watch all kinds of wonderful and not so wonderful stuff .
i like documentaries and the like but not so keen to watch stuff with animals either killing or being killed...

[Artemis]

well i am a big horror and thriller fan myself hence thc and cinemaggedon being my 2 fav sites to watch all kinds of wonderful and not so wonderful stuff .
i like documentaries and the like but not so keen to watch stuff with animals either killing or being killed...

You probably will like Identity then, it is a psychological thriller with a fairly gruesome twist, and builds the suspense well. Despite what grumpy says, it is a good film for it's genre.

[thebazzla]

well i am a big horror and thriller fan myself hence thc and cinemaggedon being my 2 fav sites to watch all kinds of wonderful and not so wonderful stuff .
i like documentaries and the like but not so keen to watch stuff with animals either killing or being killed...

You probably will like Identity then, it is a psychological thriller with a fairly gruesome twist, and builds the suspense well. Despite what grumpy says, it is a good film for it's genre.thank you Artemis i will take a look ...

[IdolEyes787]

well i am a big horror and thriller fan myself hence thc and cinemaggedon being my 2 fav sites to watch all kinds of wonderful and not so wonderful stuff .
i like documentaries and the like but not so keen to watch stuff with animals either killing or being killed...

You probably will like Identity then, it is a psychological thriller with a fairly gruesome twist, and builds the suspense well. Despite what grumpy says, it is a good film for it's genre.

Just don't expect it to make any sense.

[thebazzla]

You probably will like Identity then, it is a psychological thriller with a fairly gruesome twist, and builds the suspense well. Despite what grumpy says, it is a good film for it's genre.

Just don't expect it to make any sense.ok Mr grumpy will watch it tomorrow and let you know if i made any sense of it..

[IdolEyes787]

I'm was going to watch the Fright Night remake and do a in depth comparative review between it and the original but I see Big Brother is on tonight.:mellow:

[thebazzla]

I'm was going to watch the Fright Night remake and do a in depth comparative review between it and the original but I see Big Brother is on tonight.:mellow:which big brother are you talking about idol.

[IdolEyes787]

The one where a bunch of people are sequestered in a house and the object is to see who can be the biggest fame whore.

Sort of like the Kardashians except for the sequestering part.

[thebazzla]

g
The one where a bunch of people are sequestered in a house and the object is to see who can be the biggest fame whore.oh dear the incredibly boring celeb thats a laugh big bro 2011 has just finished. and i would just like to say that there is a god up there after all....

[thebazzla]

just finished watching identity . and it was a real dark film literally.
the movie wasn't bad in places and the motel shot at the start of the film reminded me of bates motel.overall i would give it a 7/10 rating

[Kocour]

21 Gramms. Quite a mediocre story slightly enhanced through the use of clever editing, which allowed the director to create a vague intrigue. I'd give it a meh 5.5/10.

[IdolEyes787]

I finally got around to see Due Date as it was on cable and I apparently don't steal anything anymore.
Anyway I was pleasantly surprised as it was a lot better than I thought it would be.

Sure there is only the barest bones of a story and the ending is by far the worst part of the whole thing but before that there are many truly funny scenes with (shockingly ) enough nuance to make me feel the writer actually cared about what was happening onscreen.
I actually thought it (Due Date) was better than the oft praised The Hangover. Possibly because Robert Downey is both a better actor and infinitely more likable that Bradley Cooper.

If you take the movie for what it is, a collection of pretty funny stuff and don't look to hard for either sense or story then Due Date isn't half bad at all.

[A]

Got to Watch Man from No where, a korean flick. Nice movie, nothing that stands out thou. Koreans make great Villains, its like its in their blood to look badass. And I don't know if its me or not, but whenever I watch Japanese, Chinese or similar Asian flicks; the people acting in it fall into exactly two categories: They are beautiful/handsome or they are not. There seems to be no middle ground there.

[Artemis]

I watched The Siege http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133952/ again. Although naive in it's outrage that American forces took a suspected terrorist leader by force (since we all know about rendition now) the film is eerily prophetic about the motives of the terrorists in wanting to strike back at a country they saw as abandoning them when the political winds shifted.
Of course now we know that the plans of the terrorists can be far more elaborate than those in the scope of this film, yet it shows a series of terrorist attacks from both sides, and also goes deeper than just good versus evil, showing that the so called good can be evil. The movie is a clever moral play underneath the veneer of the action and is definitely one of Denzel Washington's better roles.

[IdolEyes787]

I watched The Siege http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133952/ again. Although naive in it's outrage that American forces took a suspected terrorist leader by force (since we all know about rendition now) the film is eerily prophetic about the motives of the terrorists in wanting to strike back at a country they saw as abandoning them when the political winds shifted.
Of course now we know that the plans of the terrorists can be far more elaborate than those in the scope of this film, yet it shows a series of terrorist attacks from both sides, and also goes deeper than just good versus evil, showing that the so called good can be evil. The movie is a clever moral play underneath the veneer of the action and is definitely one of Denzel Washington's better roles.

I saw it ( also again) recently and like you the thing that really struck me was that this was released a year before 9/11 and probably in pre-production for a couple of years prior to that.
Prophetic yes.Eerily prophetic I don't know as the American response of blind ethnic profiling detailed in the film dates back to the American-Japanese in WWII.

[beccamour]

Just watched "The Devil wears Prada" and actually enjoyed it

Whoa. I had JUST read that on post #14 like... word for word :blink:

I just watched Hall Pass - awesome movie! I'm not married but I know a lot of the shit that goes on in that movie is spot on! haha. I haven't laughed that hard since She's Out Of My League (another hilarious flick)

[iLOVENZB]

Just watched "The Devil wears Prada" and actually enjoyed it

Whoa. I had JUST read that on post #14 like... word for word :blink:

I just watched Hall Pass - awesome movie! I'm not married but I know a lot of the shit that goes on in that movie is spot on! haha. I haven't laughed that hard since She's Out Of My League (another hilarious flick)

I take it you're more into slap stick humor?

[IdolEyes787]

Beverly Hills Cop 7.5
Beverly Hills Cop II 2

[iLOVENZB]

Read this: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910842/

Then this: http://movies.sky.com/ratner-murphy-stalling-beverly-hills-cop-4

Poor guy, at least he knows when to quit :\

[Scene]

Last movie what I watched, was Thor. It was one of the best movies in this summer. What could be better? If there would be more scifi effects!

[clocker]

Last movie what I watched, was Thor. It was one of the best movies in this summer.
I agree, it was genius.
I thought the plot twist where it turns out Anthony Hopkins character is a narcoleptic was brilliant ("Will he wake up? Will he continue napping? Is sleep-acting hard?").

[iLOVENZB]

Anyone watching any of them Indie films that got released in the last couple of weeks? (Bereavement, Griff the Invisible (original idea), Page Eight, Setup, The Guard etc) What are your thoughts on them?

The Speed of Thought reminds me of Jumper but the low rating on IMDb is turning me off it. Another interesting one is called Trust (2010) and has a decent rating on IMDb; might give that a watch tomorrow.

TRS reviewed Contagion the other day and spoke very highly of it, asserting that it was suspenseful and a true reboot of the "disease infection" genre of films that were popular in the 90's. TRS's, Dan Trachtenberg recently did the Portal short if you haven't seen it already. It's called "No Escape"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4drucg1A6Xk

Don't expect anything to suspenseful ... or even remotely to do with Portal, apart from the gun :)

[clocker]

Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Bonehead movie title of the year. Really Hollywood, what was wrong with the perfectly obvious "Rise of the Apes: Electric Boogaloo"?

Finally, the entry in the franchise that makes it obvious how apes took over...these guys are fast, furious and crazy agile.
The apes are beautifully realized, the (ape) action sequences fluidly intense.
Apropos of nothing...it occurs to me that apes would easily understand the Battle Room lessons in Enders Game.

Rise is of course a blockbuster summer movie, so nuance and subtlety are not highly valued (and wasted on the apes anyway) but the broad strokes aren't terribly overdone and the whole shebang is glued together by the amazing job of creating Caesar.

Given that Caesar is the ur-ape and center of the whole film, it was absolutely vital that his screen presence be not just believable, but sympa/empathetic.
And he is.
He outactresses the (titular) humans in the movie (except maybe John Lithgow who does "confused" very well) and is the pinnacle of modern CGI (that I've seen lately).

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is exactly what a big sloppy summer popcorn flick is supposed to be...entertaining.

I do have one small quibble...
After years of isolation, when Caesar finally escapes, wouldn't one of his priorities be getting laid?
You know, kind of a simian Rumspringa?

[Skiz]

Everything Must Go

I had been wanting to see this for months. I saw the trailer for it when I saw 'Win:Win' (great movie also) and waited for the release date. The only theater in Austin that was showing it, didn't do so for long and I missed out. I was not happy. I finally found it in the NZB Index and watched it. Great fuckin' movie. I thought Will Ferrell nailed his role of a homeless, out of work, relapsed alcoholic. The young black kid in the movie is "Biggie's" son, so that was interesting. Anyhow, check it out, it's a solid flick.

[A]

Saw Knocked Up. One of the best movie I have watched after a very very long long long time from Hollywood. That movie is pure awesomeness. Its like awesomeness is flowing and leaking through the cracks and stuff. Must watch. Never felt this good recently after watching a movie ( except for Little miss sunshine ).

[iLOVENZB]

Little Miss Sunshine was horrible! Maybe it's because I'm not a pedo and expected it to be a comedy!

[thebazzla]

final destination 5 all i can is it was much better than final destination 4. but of course it wasn't titled that, it was called the final destination.
i thought that was going to be it but the movie was so bad they made final destination 5 to compensate it and thats an understatement.

[jlsq]

pianist 2002

simply awesome perfomance from adrien brody;)

[Artemis]

Well for me, continuing on my classic phase (at least they don't disappoint) I watched Topkapi http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058672/ .This is THE classic caper movie and a blueprint for many very successful movies since (think of Oceans 11, The Thomas Crown Affair etc) and is still a formula used to this day. The main cast are superb in their roles, with Peter Ustinov shining brightly as the bumbling small time conman, although Melina Mercuri seemed a bit old for the vamp she portrayed in the movie. Maximillian Schell did a creditable performance as the mastermind.
The tools, and the alarms/problems the thieves have to defeat seem simple and dated by todays standards but then this movie is from the early 60's almost 50 years ago, yet beyond that, the carefully planned heist, the precision and timing needed and the problem solving needed when plans change all combine to make this movie still a great watch, and it is still a great yarn. A very fun and entertaining movie, if you enjoy the genre I highly recommend this.

[iLOVENZB]

Johnny English Reborn // 2011

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1634122/
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/johnny_english_reborn/

I watched this last night, although I love Rowan Atkinson for making me laugh all through my childhood I couldn't help but feel when it comes to big feature films he makes me feel dissatisfied (Rat Race, Johnny English 1 & 2). I don't know if it's because he was a brilliant writer/actor for sitcoms or because he's run out of ideas.

Agent Tucker annoyed me more than anything, the film would be a lot shorter if he just did his job eg. He sees an Assassin with a gun and then runs to tell Johnny.

All up, a nice watch for a lazy Sunday if you have NOTHING to watch. Wouldn't avoid but don't expect much. Typical Americans fucking up British humor. :dry:

[clocker]

A Fish Called Wanda- Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin and John Cleese.

Wanda is comedy perfection, full stop.
They really just don't make 'em like this anymore.

The tightly written script by Cleese (known for the care he lavished on his stories...that's why their are so few Fawlty Towers- cause he spent so much time writing them) is a love story wrapped in a crime caper and could just as easily been a straight drama...which is exactly why it makes such a great comedy.
Everything the characters do makes perfect sense, it's the way they do them that's amusing.

Jamie Lee Curtis- say what you will about her looks- totally rocks it (much like Trading Places), and is wonderful as the amoral (maybe) Wanda.
John Cleese is uptight barrister Archie Leach and nobody does longing/pathos better than a comedian.
Kline and Palin are inspired casting choices as lethally inept Ken (Palin) and psychopathically omnipresent Otto (Kline)- their torture scene is genius.

A Fish Called Wanda is a good movie, you should see it.

[IdolEyes787]

A Fish Called Wanda- Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin and John Cleese.

Wanda is comedy perfection, full stop.
They really just don't make 'em like this anymore.

The tightly written script by Cleese (known for the care he lavished on his stories...that's why their are so few Fawlty Towers- cause he spent so much time writing them) is a love story wrapped in a crime caper and could just as easily been a straight drama...which is exactly why it makes such a great comedy.
Everything the characters do makes perfect sense, it's the way they do them that's amusing.

Jamie Lee Curtis- say what you will about her looks- totally rocks it (much like Trading Places), and is wonderful as the amoral (maybe) Wanda.
John Cleese is uptight barrister Archie Leach and nobody does longing/pathos better than a comedian.
Kline and Palin are inspired casting choices as lethally inept Ken (Palin) and psychopathically omnipresent Otto (Kline)- their torture scene is genius.

A Fish Called Wanda is a good movie, you should see it.

One of the greatest comedies of all time with some of the funniest dialogue ever written.

[Artemis]

It's k-k-ken coming to kill me ! :glag:

[iLOVENZB]

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World // 2010

Erm, creative cinematography to say the least most. I did enjoy Michael Cera get beaten up though :shifty:.

[IdolEyes787]

It Might Get Loud (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1229360/) " A documentary on the electric guitar from the point of view of three significant rock musicians: the Edge, Jimmy Page and Jack White".

I'm always a little hesitant to watch documentaries concerning music as it tends a pretty hit or miss affair but I seriously enjoyed this movie.
It combined my interests in pop culture ,music and history into one watchable , never boring ,package.
Nothing astonishing but for anyone who has ever played along on air guitar to Whole Lotta Love or Steady As She Goes not to be missed.

[clocker]

Really, so you liked that, huh?
I've seen it mentioned before and just couldn't get that interested (primarily because I don't think any of the three are actually very good guitarists) but if you liked it...well, maybe.

[IdolEyes787]

I never liked U2 much as their early stuff while passionate enough was musically very simplistic and their later career basically is synonymous with the word sellout.
As for White I never really thought of him as a guitarist but watching the movie I read up a bit and he is ranked #17 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

Surprised me too.:mellow:

Jimmy Paige is only #9 btw.I'll give you one guess for who is #1:afro:

[clocker]

Too easy.

BTW, I just watched It Might Get Loud...still processing.

[OldIronTits]

Bridesmaids. It is forgettable.

[iLOVENZB]

Brothers // 2009

I actually enjoyed it. That Spiderman cunt still doesn't belong in anything except for a pubescent, dorky, loner 'superhero' character.

[ziggyjuarez]

Death Note - japanese dub movie.very good stuff.any1 else know of it?

[Artemis]

So there was an old Sci-Fi movie that had always been on my list, but one I had never seen Damnation Alley http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075909/ . Being from the same era as Logan's Run and being a post apocalyptic tale (something I have always enjoyed) released by Fox, I figured it was about time to watch it.
All I can say is it is so epically B-Grade and cheesy that Roger Corman must have been seething with jealousy that he was not at the helm.

Now to review this fondue: First the continuity, seriously who ever was looking after continuity for this movie must have just discovered the wonderful world of hallucinogenic drugs. The movie starts in a missile silo bunker in California (really, silo's in shakeyland ?)and the bombs go off. Incidentally the 'interceptor missiles' did a remarkably better job of the anti-missile task than the later Patriot missiles with a creditable 40% hit rate. Then the mushrooms kicked in on the continuity guy, and suddenly we are two years in the future and one of the guards is painting trees on the outside of the bunker, some of the soldiers are still being soldiers while others in early 70's fashion have turned against the establishment, but still oddly live there.

Unfortunately though the nuclear hardened missile bunker is not hardened against stupidity and a guard having a furtive smoke dozes off, dropping said ciggy onto his literature of choice a Playboy magazine. This causes the missile silo to explode ? killing virtually everyone, but luckily for the survivors the garage intact. So it's time for a road trip in two freaky heavily armed (seemingly built for the purpose) recreational vehicles (slight buzz from the continuity man, the vehicles are never properly explained).

So now it is a cross country road trip to find the source of a radio message from Albany. Along the way of course the protagonists must meet some foes, the first of which are some killer cockroaches (yep I think the writers had some shrooms too at this point).It is at this point that the token black guy (this is the 70's) gets completely retarded and instead of running away from the insects he climbs in a car....... so much for the token.

The next set of baddies were swiped from the supporting cast for 'Deliverance' and thrown rather oddly into the middle of the desert with not a banjo in sight. They want to have a party with the feminine interest of the piece, but she is saved from all the nasty men with big guns by a teenage boy with a rock.

The hallucinogens catch up with continuity dude again and suddenly we are in Detroit looking for spare parts for the 'Landmaster' (heavily armed RV). The second one apparently wasn't as well constructed as the first and went tits up in the first few minutes of the roadtrip. With parts from a salvaged truck in hand the merry band jump back aboard the RV just in time for a dam to burst (this dam by the way must have been truly homeric in proportion, it drowned poor Detroit and many miles of surrounding area under 50-60 feet of water. Luckily the RV is waterproof and capable of propelling itself through water.

They land (sigh of relief) and tune into a radio broadcast from Albany and head off to find an idyllic place with horses and farms and well dressed people unaffected by the ravages of a devastating nuclear war. Lucky Albany, being a legislative center and the capital of New York state , the city should have been a huge crater with smoke and shit pouring out in any realistic nuclear scenario....
Swelling music, people hugging each other, not a gun in sight.... THE END
Thank fuck for that!

Next the acting: George Peppard with a truly magnificent mustache or option b a black squirrel died directly under his nose, along with Jan Michael Vincent as his sidekick are so wooden in the roles that I kept looking for the strings. Paul Winfield was entertaining but being the token he was bound to be toast at the earliest opportunity and the cockroaches did for him fairly early on.
The rest of the cast including the female interest Dominique Sanda, were completely two dimensional, they might as well have been cardboard cutouts for the amount of emotion they brought to the roles.

Considering that this movie was released the same year as Star Wars, it is a seminal study in how to blow a big budget and not make a good Sci-Fi film, and as I said earlier Roger Corman, or even maybe Ed Wood, would have been immensely proud.

[IdolEyes787]

I hate to disagree but it is technically impossible for any movie featuring the end of civilization, giant insects and Jan Michael Vincent to be less than awesome.
In much the same way anything with JMV and a helicopter is a guaranteed win.
Wordy cretin.

Anyway watch A Boy and his Dog with Sonny Crockett and then understanding the intricacies of drug addled 70's sci-fi will be easy.
Sonny's wife before she ran off with some Spanish cat starred in Cherry 2000 which is also truly post-apocalyptic award worthy. Here's where it gets really confusing .Sonny's wife is also the daughter of the woman from The Birds.

[clocker]

Artemis, I don't believe the "continuity man" is the one responsible for the lapses you cite.

As I understand it, continuity folk are responsible for keeping the details straight from shot to shot; stuff like making sure that scars don't migrate, the sofa hasn't changed location...shit like that.

I would think that the writer, director and editor would be more accountable for plot holes and jarring/nonsensical segues.

[Artemis]

Anyway watch A Boy and his Dog with Sonny Crockett and then understanding the intricacies of drug addled 70's sci-fi will be easy.
Sonny's wife before she ran off with some Spanish cat starred in Cherry 2000 which is also truly post-apocalyptic award worthy. Here's where it gets really confusing .Sonny's wife is also the daughter of the woman from The Birds.

The difference is I like Cherry 2000, it had no pretensions to be anything else than it was, and was pretty good in it's own right, but with Fox studio's behind this one shirley at some point during the rushes or the previews, didn't at least one of the executives go WTF ????


Artemis, I don't believe the "continuity man" is the one responsible for the lapses you cite.

As I understand it, continuity folk are responsible for keeping the details straight from shot to shot; stuff like making sure that scars don't migrate, the sofa hasn't changed location...shit like that.

I would think that the writer, director and editor would be more accountable for plot holes and jarring/nonsensical segues.

I do realise that a continuity man has a different function, it was the writer/director who were to blame. It just seemed that the story was so disjointed that I needed to blame an individual on drugs, and not have several severely incapacitated persons responsible, a poetic license on my part if you will.

[clocker]

Captain America: The First Avenger- Tommy Lee Jones, the bad guy from The Matrix and no one else I know.

After Planet of the Apes, Captain America is the best popcorn movie of the season.
The production design is gorgeous- like Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow but not as stylishly artificial.
Hollywood steampunk, as it were.

As a "superhero" I thought Capt. A integrated into the world more logically than most and his relatively minor modifications give him an advantage but not overwhelming superiority.
This keeps his exploits to a lower level of incredulity and makes him much more human.
Both good things, I think.

A few random thoughts...
-The bad guys always get the best uniforms. Starting with Nazis, then on to Stormtroopers and now Hydra,
evil comes to the party dressed to the nines and we show up in garb from a K-Mart camping department.
Tim Gunn would be appalled.

-Although not as egregious as Taken, once again the bad guys are astoundingly bad marksmen.
Despite overwhelming numerical, tactical and technological superiority, they apparently spent all their time getting fitted for the spiffy uniforms
and none training as soldiers (although, to be fair they are are also quite good at formations and could probably pull off a fabulous flash mob).
William Tell would be appalled.

-Jingoism is implicit rather than overt.
The bad guys are of no particular race or nationality ( and the leader is weird as fuck) so there's none of that "US against the Krauts/Nips" stuff but on the other hand,
with one major exception there don't seem to be any other people than Americans involved at all.
So, although nominally situated during WWII, the conflict in Captain America is actually much more analogous to Iraq or Afghanistan- except it's the way we wish those wars had gone.
Despite their name "Hydra", the evil army is a totally old school organization- battalions, tanks, etc.- basically, the kind of enemy we are equipped to fight instead of the grassroots, amorphous foe we really face.
If we could get Al-Quida(?) or the Taliban to don uniforms (the cooler, the better because they'll be worth more in surplus stores later), mass up in ranks and march into battle, the War on Terror would be over tomorrow.
And we'd win.


Anyway, Captain America is a good movie all by itself and doesn't need any tie in to the Nick Fury nonsense to be enjoyed.
It has a pretty cool car too.

[gamercliff]

New Star Wars Bluray... it's ok I guess

[mr. nails]

New Star Wars Bluray... it's ok I guess

what was ok with it? did u get the box set of it? if so, how's the packaging? also, was it pretty @ 1080p? lastly, how'd u like the emperor's new voice over death scene? thx!

[iLOVENZB]

I'm gonna get the Blu-Ray 3D set. Space battles in 3D while drunk or stoned == win! That scene in Attack of the Clones where Skywalker is jumping from spacecraft to spacecraft would be awesome!!!!11!1

[brightsid]

Drive
Me recent suggestions in this topic were "foreign" films. "Drive" is an exception, it is an "American" film although Nicolas Winding Refn is from Denmark. Actually his award at Cannes was the reason for choosing this film at first place and it was a great choice. Gosling performance as an almost silent but fully tensioned driver for a crime syndicate is almost perfect. As in all good noirs he is just in the wrong place the wrong time. But he is tough and he can become really violent to protect what he thinks is important and to be honest Mulligan is more than beautiful even my wife agreed .

I hate spoilers in an action thriller and believe me this movie is the best of it's genre so that's all for the story. All the actors are great, photography is fantastic and the director is a genius

If I'm not mistaken one of the regulars of this topic likes Michael Mann atmosphere in movies and he is enjoying watching good car chasing in LA. Don't miss it.

9+/10

[ducray]

Last thing i watched at the movie theater was the last Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.I thought: good movie but the others were better. I liked the 3D thing ,btw.

[dragosd90]

hawaii 5-O

[abitoffile]

I had actually never seen Twin Peaks before. I really like it.

[IdolEyes787]

Considering the last two posts I am either missing something or am lost.

[abitoffile]

Well--I suppose they aren't movies per se. Is that what you mean?

[IdolEyes787]

Considering the thread title per se.

[Artemis]

Drive
Me recent suggestions in this topic were "foreign" films. "Drive" is an exception, it is an "American" film although Nicolas Winding Refn is from Denmark. Actually his award at Cannes was the reason for choosing this film at first place and it was a great choice. Gosling performance as an almost silent but fully tensioned driver for a crime syndicate is almost perfect. As in all good noirs he is just in the wrong place the wrong time. But he is tough and he can become really violent to protect what he thinks is important and to be honest Mulligan is more than beautiful even my wife agreed .

I hate spoilers in an action thriller and believe me this movie is the best of it's genre so that's all for the story. All the actors are great, photography is fantastic and the director is a genius

If I'm not mistaken one of the regulars of this topic likes Michael Mann atmosphere in movies and he is enjoying watching good car chasing in LA. Don't miss it.

9+/10

The description you give reminds me of The Driver starring Ryan O'Neal with Bruce Dern. This movie attempted to be Noir through almost artificial means, there was virtually no dialog just alot of pathos most of the time, but the characters were very ambiguous, confusing the situation. An interesting though not great movie, but I will watch out for Drive, I really enjoyed Ryan Gosling in Fracture.

[megabyteme]

I just finished watching Drive, and I found it enjoyable- a bit slow for what I was expecting, but it remained interesting. With many people speaking so highly of it, I was hoping for a new milestone in the genre; a new high for action/thrillers. When compared to great movies (ones I would give a "9" to, as several people have been throwing out) such as Usual Suspects, or Braveheart, or even (ones I would give an "8" rating to) Sin City, or Saving Private Ryan, the film pales. However, if you are in the mood for a slow-paced, silent hero (some Charles Bronson movies come to mind) with violent bursts, it is worthy of the time spent.

The actors are all good in their roles, the filming is modern, and the story holds up (not flawlessly, but) well. I give it a solid 7/10, and would watch it again if I happened to stumble across it flipping through channels, or if it got uploaded when I was without good, newer options.

[brightsid]

@Artemis considering the look of Gosling in the movie my guess is that O'Neal in the film you mentioned is a prototype for the character. But Gosling is more brutal although he looks as charming.

@MBM For me this a top level work and an unbelievable transformation for Refn considering his previous work the Vahala shit. You're probably right it's not in the same level with Usual Suspects especially as a story(a bit different genre though) but IMHO considering the latest action movies it's not an achievement but it is the best I've seen this year. Also you underestimate the supporting cast and my guess is that you don't like the sweet beauty of Mulligan :P

[megabyteme]

It certainly was no made-for-television movie-of-the-week. It has got good production value to it. The stunts/special effects are well done. Heck, I even liked Albert Brooks' character- and I've NEVER said that before...

Yes, Mulligan is sweet, and fragile, and just needs to find a "good" man. She was good, too.

There's really nothing wrong with the show, it is simply more of a limited pallet than some of the more deeply-developed films I mentioned above. It is a good late-summer blockbuster (and has received favorable reviews from fans, and critics), but I doubt it will stand up as "great" over the test of time. There are better stories, more powerful actors, better directors, and certainly better sound tracks... It won't last as a "classic". It is more of a modern day [Charles Bronson] vigilante-style movie that is cool, but not GREAT.

[clocker]

Green Lantern- Ryan Reynolds.

I've managed to see all the big blockbuster films this summer (No, not Transformers...yet. I've been saving that one for a special occasion that I have yet to conceive.), so I was more or less obligated to see this one despite having no interest.

RR is an engaging screen presence and clearly buff enough for the part (although I suspect the CGI is pervasive and extensive) but really, the entire concept of The Green Lantern is shitballs stupid
and for me the viewing experience was a teetertotter of Ryan's likeability versus the script's insult.
Not a fair fight, as it turned out.

I think Green Lantern was storyboarded by a focus group of eight year old white males.
Applying Occam's Razor allows for no better explanation of the generic and derivative look and and limp plotline...preteens don't care about story but they sure do love shiny, 'splody setpieces
and GL steals- with little attempt at obfuscation- from all the movies you'd expect a kid to reference.
They may as well have added subtitles..."Hey! Look! The Mummy, here it comes...Hellboy! and get ready! It's...The Incredibles (aawww!).

Not only do youngsters prefer the familiar but, as Green Lantern consistently demonstrates, they have a decidedly "simple" sense of power and splendor.
Two examples (non-spoilery ) will suffice:

-Given that the primary ability granted the Lantern Corps (secretly funded/controlled by Coleman, I suspect citation needed...Ed.)
is materializing in energy anything you can conceive, the "constructs" that our hero comes up with are all based on toys that any middle class kid would have.
I think his weapon in the grand finale is a slingshot but TBH, I couldn't tell what the fuck was going on, so there's that but he definitely envisions a Gatling gun at one point and creates a
slot car track for another.
All the greatest weapons in the Universe turn out to be from Toys-R-Us, just made out of green light instead of plastic.

-Only a prepubescent boy would think that the Corps home planet made any sense whatsoever.
Created especially for the Corps by the Elder Immortals (or you know, "Mom & Dad")* and despite hosting regular and massive pep rallies, there doesn't seem to be any sort of auditorium or stadium for the participants.
Mainly because it would be much cooler to just hang out in the hills with all two million of your homies and celebrate by shooting into the sky at appropriately stirring moments.
Because that is what seems awesome before you hit puberty and discover girls and then reach adulthood and discover comfort.

Even the obligatory Easter egg setup for the sequel pissed me off.
Come on, the LEADER of the good guys is name "Sinestro" and uses Satan as a stylist, yet no one suspects he will betray them in the (literal) end?
Anyone who's seen Office Space saw that one coming from jump.

I guess I could say I didn't enjoy this movie.
In fact, writing this was more fun.


*Like all recent movies that feature supergod/elders, they are always depicted as living statues (almost literally in Green Lantern and Clash of the Titans).
This is because kids have no fucking clue what their parents do all day; if they're not directly in the kids face, they just disappear and stand waiting for the next parent/child interaction.
As an elderly person I can assure you that given unlimited power and life, I would not stand around on a spire, exposed to the elements and nap with my peers.

I do that now, actually.

[brightsid]

If you liked Albert Brook performance then we agree MBM:D
Anyway just watched Hanna and the only comment I have is that La Femme Nikita was good and there is really no need for the blond version
Too much american action movies this weekend for me

[megabyteme]

The original La Femme Nikita was FAR superior to the remake with Bridgit Fonda. No comparison, really. I will certainly give a nod to Drive as a superior film to the American Nikita remake, and Hanna.

Honestly, I liked the blonde girl in Hanna, and Eric Bana held his own with a solid performance. Unfortunately, Cate Blanchett has fallen into the category of actor who has grown arrogant in his/her career, and their portrayals come across as caricatures of what gave them notoriety in the first place. She's a female Al Pacino at this point, and she bogged down anything that the movie had going for it.

[brightsid]

Totally agree for Blancett MBM and I usually like the bad "guys" in the movies.
Speaking for worse remakes just watched The Experiment. I'm trying to remember a worst remake and nothing comes to mind. I'm getting older or the remakes are getting worse

[Artemis]

Totally agree for Blancett MBM and I usually like the bad "guys" in the movies.
Speaking for worse remakes just watched The Experiment. I'm trying to remember a worst remake and nothing comes to mind. I'm getting older or the remakes are getting worse

I'm not sure about that, the remake of Andromeda Strain was truly awful, almost to the point where I needed to drive a large nail into my head to relieve the pressure.

[IdolEyes787]

The Longest Yard .It is my most fervent wish that Adam Sandler meet with an unfortunate accident.
The Day the Earth Stood Still otherwise known as Keanu Reeves is out acted by a robot named Gort.
Swept Away.One word :Madonna.
The Wicker Man.Jesus H. Christ kill me.
The Killer Elite. A movie doesn't have to make sense to be good but it sure helps.
Get Carter.Sylvester Stallone is no Michael Caine.At this point he isn't even Sylvester Stallone.

I could add more but that would work against the years I spent in intense psychotherapy trying to forget them.

[Artemis]

Some of the worst offenders have been the classic TV series remakes:
Lost in Space : Dr Smith is an alien spider wtf???????????
Miami Vice : it is hard to pick one thing that sucked more, the whole production was awful, Colin Farrell should be ashamed.
Starsky & Hutch : Ben Stiller is one of those comedians who is rarely brilliant, the rest of the time his humor is pedestrian, and this take sucked bawls!

Of special mention for me in the why did they bother department is Flight of the Phoenix, I both read and enjoyed the book and adore the original, while the remake is a study in how production houses rely on CGI to carry a story these days, there was little character development in the remake and so the sub-plot(s) are almost completely missing.
Idol, the Wicker Man is another movie I enjoy and knowing that it was a Hollywood remake of a classic british film with Nicholas Cage as the star, the only way I will watch it is if someone nails me to a chair in front of a screen and tapes my eyelids open.

[IdolEyes787]

Idol, the Wicker Man is another movie I enjoy and knowing that it was a Hollywood remake of a classic british film with Nicholas Cage as the star, the only way I will watch it is if someone nails me to a chair in front of a screen and tapes my eyelids open.

Edward Woodword is pure class while Nic Cage is pure something else.Anyway for English language films nothing tops the Brits for being able to create an underlying but undefinable sense of dread.
Ok maybe hillbillies /southern gothic hence probably the relocation of Straw Dogs from Cornwall to Mississippi.

As for Lost in Space and Starsky and Hutch I totally agree.Lost in Space was just ridiculous and turning Starsky and Hutch into a comedy was just a bad idea which the casting only made worse(see Green Hornet).

I didn't hate Miami Vice even though it basically missed the entire point . There were still some nice bits though like the scene with Gina facing down the Aryan which is an obvious homage to Don Johnston's "Maybe you won't even twitch". That and Edward James Olmos' Lt Castillo was sorely missed but then again Phillip Michael Thomas not so much.
Btw PMT gave one of the most regrettable quotes ever when flush with the initial success of the old series he bragged how he was going to win an Emmy ,Grammy ,Oscar,Tony ( the laughable EGOT) in the next few years.:mellow:

[Artemis]

Another tidbit about Phillip Michael Thomas, during production of the original series, in which he always stressed he was a ladies man, he announced that he wanted to release a line of designer womens lingerie, the idea never came of anything probably because he wanted his initials to signify the brand and a woman wandering around with PMT on her jim-jams wasn't ever going to go over well....

[username-]

Contagion. 5/10
I thought it was going to be awesome! So maybe I hyped myself up too much for this one.

And Kimjongilia - 8/10
Very interesting.

[clocker]

Transformers: The Dark Side of Nimoy.

It all boils down to this...
How does a film with an unlimited budget depict Washington DC so inaccurately?
I'm not being a curmudgeon on this seemingly trivial point, I think it's the underlying problem with the whole movie.

It was a given that Transformers was going to be a CGI sausagefest and huge swaths would be pure imagination...we all knew that going in.
This sort of digital wizardry works best when tethered to a recognizable reality (for example, think of the opening scene of Star Wars and the "apes in the trees" from Rise of the Apes...both amazing visuals but the apes seem "real" while the spaceships are "cool", you know they're fake) and the imagineers of Transformers are too lazy to make DC even remotely realistic, so their chances of making the major CGI plausible were slim.

Basically, none of the big action setpieces make any more sense than the Bizarro world Washington DC.
Of course, the nonsensical CGI pales before the conundrum at the heart of the franchise...how does Wit(less)wicki manage to get these smokin hot girlfriends?
Related question: who in Hollywood decided that Shia LaBoeuf was an action hero/franchise star?
Because really, he isn't.

[zigzagon]

3:10 to yuma
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381849/
nice movie
8/10

[mjmacky]

Meet Bill (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790623/) 8.5/10

Aaron Eckhart first got my attention in Thank You for Smoking (which I give a 9.5/10). I found it strange that a movie this good with a cast of actors & actresses I enjoy, like Olyphant (Justified), Wiig (SNL), and Alba (google image search), somehow managed to slip my attention for several years. I happened to catch the title and synopsis while browsing Hulu's movies. It's for the most part a comedy, about a guy having a bit of a crisis (identity crisis?). Sometimes I really enjoy movies that just drag your mood down with them (Everything Must Go), but this stays pretty light, and things don't actually get that bad for him... so it's actually nothing like those types of movies.

[iLOVENZB]

Company Men // 2010

A socialistic view about corporate businesses during the economic crisis. Ben Affleck went from dropout construction worker (Good Will Hunting) to a successful Sales position for GTX (Company Men). The plot is as follows (quoted from RT):


Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) is living the American dream: great job, beautiful family, shiny Porsche in the garage. When corporate downsizing leaves him and co-workers Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper) and Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones) jobless, the three men are forced to re-define their lives as men, husbands, and fathers.

Bobby soon finds himself enduring enthusiastic life coaching, a job building houses for his brother-in-law (Kevin Costner) which does not play to his executive skill set, and perhaps the realization that there is more to life than chasing the bigger, better deal. With humor, pathos, and keen observation, writer-director John Wells (the creator of "ER") introduces us to the new realities of American life. -- (C) Weinstein

I hardly noticed any of the plot in the film, if it was it was watered down to the point you didn't notice it. The plot jumped from place to place without finishing events. For instance, Bobby being redefined as a "good" father is shooting a hoop (literally) with his son.

[Glod]

The latest film was Star Wars: A New Hope, which I had not seen since early childhood. A friend recommended that I revisit the original trilogy, so I am doing so. Unfortunately, most of the characters are shallow archetypes; Han Solo as the dashing rogue, C-3PO as comic relief, etc. Backstory was minimally provided, and every attempt at instilling some sense of purpose to Luke Skywalker's decision of assisting the rebels fell flat. I mean, the film only lingered for around 5 seconds on the smoking, skeletal remains of his parents before moving back to Luke, who seemed mildly irritated. The whole premise struck me as absurd, and characters are pulled along on strings to suit the overarching plot, which is equally ridiculous. Don't even get me started on the dialogue, which was cringe-inducing and could have been written by an 8-year-old. Humor has its place, but casual jesting while stormtrooper rifles are sending laser pulses 2 inches from your face doesn't strike me as realistic in the least.

The only redeeming quality is the Star Wars universe itself, which is filled with breathtaking settings, a plethora of alien creatures, and varied worlds spanning across an entire galaxy. If only the characters who populated it had convincing motives and were part of a coherent story.

[IdolEyes787]

Two words,space opera.
There is science ,there is fiction and then there is science fiction.Fine you didn't "buy into it" I can live with that but lambasting a movie especially a sci-fi one for being "unrealistic" is just silly.:ermm:

On another wholly opposing note I believe that the characters are what carry the film and your criticisms speak only to the now dated nature of the movie and not to it's initial quality.
( An exceedingly small) Part of what was bad about the ensuing series(ie Episodes 1-3) is that unlike the original(s) the characters were basically unlikable and consequently no one ended up caring in the least about them.

[Artemis]

The latest film was Star Wars: A New Hope, which I had not seen since early childhood. A friend recommended that I revisit the original trilogy, so I am doing so. Unfortunately, most of the characters are shallow archetypes; Han Solo as the dashing rogue, C-3PO as comic relief, etc. Backstory was minimally provided, and every attempt at instilling some sense of purpose to Luke Skywalker's decision of assisting the rebels fell flat. I mean, the film only lingered for around 5 seconds on the smoking, skeletal remains of his parents before moving back to Luke, who seemed mildly irritated. The whole premise struck me as absurd, and characters are pulled along on strings to suit the overarching plot, which is equally ridiculous. Don't even get me started on the dialogue, which was cringe-inducing and could have been written by an 8-year-old. Humor has its place, but casual jesting while stormtrooper rifles are sending laser pulses 2 inches from your face doesn't strike me as realistic in the least.

The only redeeming quality is the Star Wars universe itself, which is filled with breathtaking settings, a plethora of alien creatures, and varied worlds spanning across an entire galaxy. If only the characters who populated it had convincing motives and were part of a coherent story.

While a little less harsh about your summation than my mildly irritated Canadian friend (he still hasn't recovered from his trip to the woods), I think you need to take classic movies at face value for their time in order to enjoy them. Society has changed a great deal in the last 3 decades since the original Star Wars trilogy was produced, particularly morals and how people actually interact with one and other. For it's time Star Wars was cutting edge in so many ways and in terms of the acting the actors were actually far more emotional than in a lot of 70's and early 80's movies, where most of the time dark and brooding and saying not very much was a sign of being 'cool'. If you go back and look at most of the classic Sci-Fi movies from the 70's (which reminds me, time for me to review a classic) the acting did seem 'wooden' by modern standards and alot of the motivations are left unexplained.

This is as much to do with the style of movies being produced at the time as it does with the quality of the acting, and I would hardly say that Sir Alec Guiness and Harrison Ford are exactly slouches as actors. Also Star Wars was the first time that a robot was ever really imbued with a likeable personality for a movie, yet this was such a hit that many other movies within a few years had tried to emulate this feat (Black Hole, Buck Rogers etc.) so the character development overall (for the time) was far more in depth that we see from alot of movies from that era.

I find in general, in 70's movies that alot of motivations are simply left unexplained, I often find myself going huh ? but have accepted that this seems to be something to do with the style of the era in general. Charles Bronson made a massive career in the 70's out of wasting entire gangloads of baddies, while saying very little, looking deeply and smoulderingly around at every one, and with little or no dialogue as to why, the same with Chuck Norris. In these movies there is one or two cruel acts perpetrated on the good guy by the baddies, then he snaps and goes on a murder spree which we are supposed to cheer, while showing little emotion and explaining himself (themselves) not one jot.

Pithy witticisms were also par for the course for alot of movies of this time, once again Arnold Schwarzenegger made as much of a career out of pithy one liners as he did with his huge muscles dispensing hundreds of bad doodz in a single sitting.

I believe in general to truly enjoy movies from these era's you have to move past your preconceptions, and take them for the classics that they are, far more inventive and capable of transporting us to another world more easily and believably than the current crop of schlock, that is simply trying to out effect each other in a 'my one's bigger than your one' contest while sacrificing any real character development or depth and layering to the movie.

[megabyteme]

I believe in general to truly enjoy movies from these era's you have to move past your preconceptions, and take them for the classics that they are, far more inventive and capable of transporting us to another world more easily and believably than the current crop of schlock, that is simply trying to out effect each other in a 'my one's bigger than your one' contest while sacrificing any real character development or depth and layering to the movie.

@Glod: One of Star Wars' greatest feats was how far forward it pushed special effects at the time. When comparing a classic to newer films, it is VERY important the viewer keeps in mind all of the new ground/next-level that film brings to the genre. One of the characteristics of the Sci-Fi genre is, of course, special effects. Lucas developed (or improved) so many techniques with these movies that he started Lucasfilm (http://www.lucasfilm.com/inside/history/) which is still one of the largest, most advanced production companies in the world. Not only were the SE's ahead of their time, but the creation of multi-channel theater sound resulted, as well.

Movies are remembered for what they contributed to the body of works as a whole, and Star Wars is undeniably one of those films that sent permanent ripples through the industry- and changed consumers' expectations as to what could be done from that point on.

[ducray]

The latest film was "Trade",it's an awesome movie...about child trafficking.

[megabyteme]

The latest film was "Trade",it's an awesome movie...about child trafficking.

Awesome? From that, can we assume a high amount of interest in the subject matter? :unsure:

[mjmacky]

If you like children, then you should also think child trafficking is awesome. It supposedly reduced the occurrences of child injury and death

87463

[megabyteme]

Good point. Hopefully a cop won't issue them tickets for walking in a manner he doesn't like... Feet- one in front of the other. No shuffling!

[vikrant]

Die Hard 2
After long tym :-)
It is better than Die Hard 1

[IdolEyes787]

Die Hard 2
After long tym :-)
It is better than Die Hard 1

No you liked it better than Die Hard 1.
The only thing "better" about Die Hard 2 was that ,as is pretty requisite for sequels, everything was "bigger". Other than that all it did regurgitate,not expand,on everything that happened in the first movie.
That and all without the presence of Alan Rickman who was obviously the best thing in the original.

Yippy-Kay-Yay Motherfucker.

I watched I Am Number Four .
Sort of set a new high water mark for stupid but was still well done.
The story is about a largely unlikable hero with a hot but bland girlfriend battling aliens with a little transmogrification as a bonus which as I said was technically well done but jaw-droppingly silly yet oddly familiar.
Then the credits rolled and I saw that it was produced by Michael Bay and then everything made sense.:mellow:

After that I downloaded Restraint (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441782/) a little known Australian film starring Stephen Moyer aka " Bill"from True Blood which desperately tries to be a smart kidnapping story but in the end was pretty flat and ultimately unrewarding.
On the plus side it had the woman from I Am Number Four naked. :idunno:

[iLOVENZB]

Eagle Eye // 2008

Eagle Eye is about the negative extremes of social media, written by an over protective mother. Having said that it was a decent watch for a lazy Sunday and LaBeouf was actually tolerable.

The Experiment // 2010

About a group of people who volunteered for an experiment about psychology responses. Couldn't help but notice this is a religious film set in the present.


"Red" light represents God, Prisoners are civilians and the Guards are the church


Bit of a WTF moment at the end. It's as if the author/writer got bored and said fuck it I know a perfect way to ruin it.

[IdolEyes787]

Eagle Eye // 2008

Eagle Eye is about the negative extremes of social media, written by an over protective mother. Having said that it was a decent watch for a lazy Sunday and LaBeouf was actually tolerable.



You really got that the premise of the movie was to demonstrate the negative extremes of social media?
I thought it was just an easy hook to hang a bunch of silly,clearly impossible stunts on.
Also killing off the only non-one dimensional sympathetic character was just more talentless contrived attempt at easy audience manipulation and added nothing to the story.

About LaBeouf he irritates me less than Justin Timberlake,another "actor" who I can't figure out why he has a career so I give him that.

[Artemis]

Eagle Eye // 2008

Eagle Eye is about the negative extremes of social media, written by an over protective mother. Having said that it was a decent watch for a lazy Sunday and LaBeouf was actually tolerable.



You really got that the premise of the movie was to demonstrate the negative extremes of social media?
I thought it was just an easy hook to hang a bunch of silly,clearly impossible stunts on.
Also killing off the only non-one dimensional sympathetic character was just more talentless contrived attempt at easy audience manipulation and added nothing to the story.

About LaBeouf he irritates me less than Justin Timberlake,another "actor" who I can't figure out why he has a career so I give him that.

Negative extremes of social media ???? Really ? And here was me thinking it was another rehash of the government is watching you/rogue computer storylines and a plot that required a great deal of suspension of belief, or maybe I just didn't strike my head against the door the requisite number of times first ?


Also killing off the only non-one dimensional sympathetic character was just more talentless contrived attempt at easy audience manipulation and added nothing to the story.

Before the peremptory bumping off of said multi-dimensional character, he did manage to deliver a brilliant line in characteristic southern drawl:

'If you're staring at me, it better be because I'm the goddamn suspect. Because if I don't get some good leads soon, you're all gonna be demoted into something that's gonna require touching shit with your hands. '

[IdolEyes787]

Freerunner (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1579232/) (2011) A short review(more or less)

Note to self.
Just because the movie seems popular and the premise sounds interesting and you've heard of the lead actor and parkour is "cool" and the movie is highly rated by (presumably ) special needs children on IMDB, pause for a minute and consider that these are currently the top downloaded movies in btworld then step away from the computer.

87688

Seriously if I could grab the director and shove that shaky hand-held camera down his talentless throat.......
Doubly seriously in the realm of" race for your life for the pleasure of the unwashed masses "movies, Freerunner makes Death Race 2000 comparatively look like Shakespeare.

In fact it was so bad I momentarily considered watching Louie instead.:mellow:

[mjmacky]

In fact it was so bad I momentarily considered watching Louie instead.:mellow:

:o

From that list, I actually liked Horrible Bosses, and to a small degree, Thor. Everything else I've simply refused to watch with the exception of Fast Five, which of course turned out to be as crappy as I expected it to be.

[IdolEyes787]

I think you should watch Arena since it has Samuel Jackson and modern day gladiators in it so clearly it can't be bad.

Also (God help me) I watched Spread with(God help me) Ashton Kutcher and Alfie it ain't.

Not even the remake and you have to go a bit to be that bad.

I mean any movie that ends with a shot of a toad being fed a mouse and considers that to be a profound statement on what has previously transpired.......

[megabyteme]

Freerunner (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1579232/) (2011) A short review(more or less)

Seriously if I could grab the director and shove that shaky hand-held camera down his talentless throat.......

I, too, gave it a shot due to its popularity. I forced myself to stick with it for 10 minutes past the credits. That said, the credits were obnoxious enough to make me reach for the remote- not to hit "stop", but to THROW at the television. The first scene served as a reminder to not shake babies, and the remaining minutes of story outline (which had already repeated the "rules" of the chase game, for those who could not follow its complexity the first time, within 3 minutes) made me appreciate just how "exceptional" the plot and dialog were in Arena and Tactical Force. :frusty:

This is, without exaggeration, worse than anything I have seen in the past 5 years- possibly longer. And not even watchable in terms of "bad movie" snickers. If a group of Down's Syndrome kids made this film, I would be disappointed in their "efforts".

[mjmacky]

If a group of Down's Syndrome kids made this film, I would be disappointed in their "efforts".

This earned an lol and that makes me think you stole it from me

[megabyteme]

I am reasonably sure they got a tax break for hiring a cameraman with Parkinson's. :mellow:

[Glod]

Two words,space opera.
There is science ,there is fiction and then there is science fiction.Fine you didn't "buy into it" I can live with that but lambasting a movie especially a sci-fi one for being "unrealistic" is just silly.:ermm:

On another wholly opposing note I believe that the characters are what carry the film and your criticisms speak only to the now dated nature of the movie and not to it's initial quality.
( An exceedingly small) Part of what was bad about the ensuing series(ie Episodes 1-3) is that unlike the original(s) the characters were basically unlikable and consequently no one ended up caring in the least about them.

Regarding the realism of the film, the characters portrayed are all humanoid and presumably have a fear response. When you are inches away from death, joking about it is beyond unrealistic, it's downright stupid, and the fact that humor was included at such an otherwise tense moment in the plot disappointed me and somewhat deflated the excitement, since few directors would follow that up with Han Solo's face being blasted off. When they joke around, you know they're going to escape the situation with a witty quip and several pats on the back.

A few of the characters were entertaining in spite of their complete one-dimensionality, but I can't see how you would consider them anything more than that. Luke Skywalker is the epitome of the boy becoming a man, to such a degree that he comes across as a caricature. He's like the All-American, go-get-'em, screw the consequences do-gooder with an enormously lopsided conception of personal responsibility. "Ooh, a princess?! Why, I must save her, obviously!"

I don't particularly care about a film's initial quality. I judge films based on their own merit, regardless of the time period or the intention of its creator. Star Wars: A New Hope is, to my mind, a big and dumb film for teenage boys, and no amount of consideration for its place in film history will change that conclusion. I fully agree that it was technologically impressive for its time, a triumph of the imagination, and extremely influential, but its merit as a film to be enjoyed and appreciated is quite weak.

To you, Artemis, I realize that individuals in that era behaved differently and films in general were drastically different in style. However, the characters compare unfavorably to those of later and earlier films. Two films from the same decade that spring to mind are Annie Hall and Deliverance. Those aren't space operas, but the characterization is clearly much deeper and involves great displays of emotion. Han Solo's motivation was obviously greed, and some others are easy enough to figure out, but the most important ones are markedly absent or painfully rudimentary; they aren't fleshed out, they're led along by invisible strings. Again, Luke Skywalker, the thoughtless protagonist. I attribute much of this to the shoddy writing, which limits the range of an actor's expression. As Harrison Ford said, “George, you can type this shit, but you sure can’t say it.”

Anyway, my judgement of A New Hope isn't preconceived. I simply place no value on historical importance or outdated innovations. The film, as you allude to, is very much part of the '70s, and while it can perhaps be viewed differently with such knowledge held in mind, that has no bearing on its overall quality when evaluated by itself, separate from the competition.


While a little less harsh about your summation than my mildly irritated Canadian friend (he still hasn't recovered from his trip to the woods), I think you need to take classic movies at face value for their time in order to enjoy them. Society has changed a great deal in the last 3 decades since the original Star Wars trilogy was produced, particularly morals and how people actually interact with one and other. For it's time Star Wars was cutting edge in so many ways and in terms of the acting the actors were actually far more emotional than in a lot of 70's and early 80's movies, where most of the time dark and brooding and saying not very much was a sign of being 'cool'. If you go back and look at most of the classic Sci-Fi movies from the 70's (which reminds me, time for me to review a classic) the acting did seem 'wooden' by modern standards and alot of the motivations are left unexplained.

This is as much to do with the style of movies being produced at the time as it does with the quality of the acting, and I would hardly say that Sir Alec Guiness and Harrison Ford are exactly slouches as actors. Also Star Wars was the first time that a robot was ever really imbued with a likeable personality for a movie, yet this was such a hit that many other movies within a few years had tried to emulate this feat (Black Hole, Buck Rogers etc.) so the character development overall (for the time) was far more in depth that we see from alot of movies from that era.

I find in general, in 70's movies that alot of motivations are simply left unexplained, I often find myself going huh ? but have accepted that this seems to be something to do with the style of the era in general. Charles Bronson made a massive career in the 70's out of wasting entire gangloads of baddies, while saying very little, looking deeply and smoulderingly around at every one, and with little or no dialogue as to why, the same with Chuck Norris. In these movies there is one or two cruel acts perpetrated on the good guy by the baddies, then he snaps and goes on a murder spree which we are supposed to cheer, while showing little emotion and explaining himself (themselves) not one jot.

Pithy witticisms were also par for the course for alot of movies of this time, once again Arnold Schwarzenegger made as much of a career out of pithy one liners as he did with his huge muscles dispensing hundreds of bad doodz in a single sitting.

I believe in general to truly enjoy movies from these era's you have to move past your preconceptions, and take them for the classics that they are, far more inventive and capable of transporting us to another world more easily and believably than the current crop of schlock, that is simply trying to out effect each other in a 'my one's bigger than your one' contest while sacrificing any real character development or depth and layering to the movie.

megabyteme: Agreed on Star Wars' contribution to special effects and film in general. Again, no bearing on the individual quality of A New Hope, at least to me. Influence on other directors doesn't translate to enjoyment by me as a viewer.


@Glod: One of Star Wars' greatest feats was how far forward it pushed special effects at the time. When comparing a classic to newer films, it is VERY important the viewer keeps in mind all of the new ground/next-level that film brings to the genre. One of the characteristics of the Sci-Fi genre is, of course, special effects. Lucas developed (or improved) so many techniques with these movies that he started Lucasfilm (http://www.lucasfilm.com/inside/history/) which is still one of the largest, most advanced production companies in the world. Not only were the SE's ahead of their time, but the creation of multi-channel theater sound resulted, as well.

Movies are remembered for what they contributed to the body of works as a whole, and Star Wars is undeniably one of those films that sent permanent ripples through the industry- and changed consumers' expectations as to what could be done from that point on.

[IdolEyes787]

No offense but you're amazingly eloquent for a retard.

Like the Indiana Jones films, the point was to merge the sensibilities and somewhat the structure of the old episodic matinee cliffhangers with the (then ) cutting age technical effects.
If you don't like it or don't "get it" fine but you are basically in effect arguing that just because you think so any music without a 3/4 drumbeat is inherently bad.

Again. Luke Skywalker stereotypical hero ,sort of the point.:mellow:
Also it's not knowing or not knowing what is going to happen , as with a rollercoaster it's all about how enjoyable the predictable thrills are going to be.

On an end note ,I don't disagree about it being pure pulp or Lucas ( as later more evidently proven) being a hack of a writer but Skywaker was the only character in the whole thing to really have any kind of arc to his story so one dimensional no.Initially intentionality a bit too earnest, sure.

Ffs I wasted my 17th millionth post on arguing with an overly serious pseudo cinephile.
And I was really hoping to use that one to try and get laid.

[Glod]

I would appreciate some modicum of civility. The insults are unnecessary and don't substantiate your argument in any way. If it makes you feel better, go ahead, but don't expect much of a response.


No offense but you're amazingly eloquent for a retard.

Like the Indiana Jones films, the point was to merge the sensibilities and somewhat the structure of the old episodic matinee cliffhangers with the (then ) cutting age technical effects.
If you don't like it or don't "get it" fine but you are basically in effect arguing that just because you think so any music without a 3/4 drumbeat is inherently bad.

Again. Luke Skywalker stereotypical hero ,sort of the point.:mellow:
Also it's not knowing or not knowing what is going to happen , as with a rollercoaster it's all about how enjoyable the predictable thrills are going to be.

On an end note ,I don't disagree about it being pure pulp or Lucas ( as later more evidently proven) being a hack of a writer but Skywaker was the only character in the whole thing to really have any kind of arc to his story so one dimensional no.Initially intentionality a bit too earnest, sure.

Ffs I wasted my 17th millionth post on arguing with an overly serious pseudo cinephile.
And I was really hoping to use that one to try and get laid.

[IdolEyes787]

Like I said overly serious.

[megabyteme]

megabyteme: Agreed on Star Wars' contribution to special effects and film in general. Again, no bearing on the individual quality of A New Hope, at least to me. Influence on other directors doesn't translate to enjoyment by me as a viewer.

But don't underestimate how much certain pinnacle films have had on the re-hashed versions of "new" movies you are enjoying. There IS something special about ground-breaking efforts. Think of them as an original document compared to one that has been plagiarized. Those who have the creativity, and talent, support generations of those followers who have neither.

@Idol: If Glod wants to get laid, he'll just create a man in his own image. :yup:

[IdolEyes787]

You must be a regular barrel of monkeys on a date.

Anyway lacking insult to further my point I would suggest your apparent total lack of what is in scientific terms called the "fun gene " makes it basically impossible for you to like anything that you don't see as being "deep" or as I like to refer to it "why does my head hurt?"


are[/I] enjoying. There IS something special about ground-breaking efforts. Think of them as an original document compared to one that has been plagiarized. Those who have the creativity, and talent, support generations of those followers who have neither.



Star Wars has long been considered to be a rip off of The Hidden Fortress.:unsure:
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
So I was watching the trailer to this movie The Raid (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1899353/) and I was thinking to myself at the 1'34'' mark what's the motivation when the guy uses the machete on the other guy's neck?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWlmhMSnVdM

[megabyteme]

Star Wars has long been considered to be a rip off of The Hidden Fortress.:unsure:



Influence

George Lucas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lucas) has acknowledged the key influence of The Hidden Fortress on Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_IV:_A_New_Hope),[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hidden_Fortress#cite_note-kaminski-1) particularly the technique of telling the story from the points of view of the film's lowliest characters, C-3PO (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-3PO) and R2-D2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R2-D2).[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hidden_Fortress#cite_note-2)[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hidden_Fortress#cite_note-kaminski2-3) Kurosawa's use of frame wipes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wipe_%28transition%29) (sometimes cleverly hidden by motion within the frame) as a transition device also influenced Star Wars.

There is still a lot to respect Star Wars for- even though it is not one of my top films.




So I was watching the trailer to this movie The Raid (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1899353/) and I was thinking to myself at the 1'34'' mark what's the motivation when the guy uses the machete on the other guy's neck?

[video]


They are Asians, they just do that sort of thing. :idunno:

[IdolEyes787]

I thought they used nunchucks and samurai swords and maybe the occasional hammer.

[thebazzla]

been away for a week and a bit has anything decent been released that's watchable?

[Artemis]

no

[thebazzla]

nothank you it saved me some Google time.

[clocker]

Drive- Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman and Bryan Cranston.

A pretentious load of bullocks, Drive is.
Part Miami Vice visuals, part portentous playlist and acting slowed to a crawl, Drive is only marginally better than Valhalla Rising, the director's previous effort.
The plot is Legoed together from multiple sources and everyone was apparently convinced that extraordinarily long pauses in conversation would be like really deep, man.
The Slowskis (Comcast's turtles) would love this movie.
I have normal reflexes, therefore, I did not.

These days Ron Perlman kinda plays Ron Perlman all the time and Bryan Cranston is de-Heisenberged and re-Haled.
Carey M. is fragile and sweet and I guess is the unattainable "normal" life symbol that Gosling's character longs for, assuming he has emotions that deep.
Most of the time I thought Gosling was either retarded or dead, so "longing" might be beyond his skillset.

Is it really true that you can walk around LA covered in (increasing amounts of) blood and nobody cares?
Cause that's kind of depressing.

[iLOVENZB]

Terra Nova (TV: S01E01-02) // 2011
A blockbuster heart with a TV budget

Shit acting, shit sets, shit dinosaurs, shit initial plot ... but room to expand to be a decent popcorn series.

[Shared]

Agreed megabyteme :D

The latest film was "Trade",it's an awesome movie...about child trafficking.

Awesome? From that, can we assume a high amount of interest in the subject matter? :unsure:

[thebazzla]

The.Howling.Reborn which i did find surprising good .and for once i did watch it the whole way through without skipping large chunks of the film.....

[RulzM]

War.2007...Very good movies with surprising final

[Artemis]

War.2007...Very good movies with surprising final

Don't you just hate it when they expire from the effort of trying to write something semi-literate, before they get to the end of the brain fart that is ?

[IdolEyes787]

I basically gave up on the post after the part saying War was a good movie anyway.

To be fair RulzM if you would like to explain exactly how War was a good movie and after watching it why I shouldn't have felt like I wanted to hire a surgically altered ex-cop /hitman to kill all involved then please do.

No wait I see he gained access to the invite section so what was I thinking,fait accompli . The chance of him now actually returning here are about the same as that of Jason Statham winning an Oscar.

[liviues]

Terra Nova

[iLOVENZB]

Terra Nova

This is by far the laziest attempt I've ever seen!

[IdolEyes787]

Terra Nova

This is by far the laziest attempt I've ever seen!

This can't end well.:no:

I tired to watch a copy of the Fright Night remake that I gleaned off the internet but being sourced from 3D and the encoder being presumably an idiot the thing was too dark to tell what was going on. So I turned it off and just did my best to pretend the whole thing hadn't happened.

I'm pretty sure if I had watched it though I would have been disappointed that in ( almost) three decades since the first one, original thought has been replaced by the equivalent of people jumping out and going "boo" and things blowing up real good .:mellow:

[marejada]

Nowadays I remember "Thor" DVD and Bluray Seems Fantastic !! :):)

[Artemis]

Nowadays I remember "Thor" DVD and Bluray Seems Fantastic !! :):)

Alzheimers in one so young..... tragic.

[marejada]

the best are always Spielberg Film... for me

the best are always Spielberg Film... for me

[zizo22]

stay
is the perfect film is wonderful

[marejada]

I never seen where i find information about this?

[Artemis]

I never seen where i find information about this?

You know what you win, that is the dumbest thing I have ever seen posted in a movie thread yet. There has been some stiff competition since this thread is used to spambomb on the way through to the requisite number of posts to gain access to the invite section, but no you stayed and poured your stupid over us all.

Just in case your day job is as a crashtest dummy, a couple of hints for you: google use the search terms 'stay movie' and you will surprisingly get a series of hits, the first of these hits will be the imdb link (you know the internet movie database) the place where all moronic questions like this are satisfied.

Now if your day job doesn't involve hitting solid objects with your head, you should be ashamed of yourself....

[mjmacky]

but no you stayed and poured your stupid over us all.

His preparedness to give us a double dose of stupid was foreshadowed in his earlier post (#4371)

[marejada]

I'm surprised his education

[mjmacky]

I'm surprised his education

I think you meant to say, "I'm frightened by education"

[IdolEyes787]

Shockingly only one of the previous two posters has any fear of accusations of spamming.

[eohjun]

Contagion. not as good as expected. :(

[IdolEyes787]

The Three Mouseketeers Musketeers (2011) - Alexandre Dumas' classic by way of Jules Verne if Jules Verne was a 21st century spastic schoolboy.

A film so epically ill-conceived that as we speak History is desperately trying rewrite itself to remove any previous mention of musketeers just so this movie could never have been made.

On the plus side Justin Chambers is grateful that he will no longer now be viewed as the worst D'Artagnan ever.

Other than that someone clearly forgot to tell the producers that Shanghai Knights wasn't suppose to be taken seriously.:mellow:

Oh course if you thought the Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. was spot on brilliant and swashbuckling requires closed captioning for the thinking impaired or airships or Matrix-like slow motion fight scenes then this is probably just your cup of armagnac.

[marejada]

yesterday I whatched Assasination games not bad

[Startear]

H.P. Lovecraft's: Necronomicon, it was good for a low budget movie

[iLOVENZB]

Just got Transformers 3 and might watch it tonight with teh boys. Don't really care about the reviews, I need something to make my eyes jizz.

Last night we sat through 682 minutes (682 / 60 = 11.3666667) worth of Lord of the Rings (Extended BluRay). Have to say this is a fucking masterpiece for this generation (and by the looks of the current titles, possible future generations). Everything from the sets, to the score, to the cinematography, to the acting is just superb (esp. for a early 2000 series)! Not a huge medieval fan but enjoyed LOTR. You could tell that J.R.R Toilkien was trying to force his religious and political views of the mid-1900's into a past setting (middle ages). Still that didn't worry me.

At times the plot felt very coincidental. eg The Two Towers: At the time just before all seems lost, Gandalf comes with remaining army of Westfold. Still it shits over films today by miles! I remember watchign this back in the day and felt very suspenseful, especially the scenes with the Orcs and Merry/Pipin

If I had any gripes with the LOTR series, it would have to be with the rock sets and probably Legolas' performance (felt very cheesy)

[IdolEyes787]

Loved the books , hated certain liberties Peter Jackson took with them. Sure you have to cut out a lot but the worst and totally unnecessary obscenity is basically anything that takes place within Minas Tirith.

Btw it's ironic that you feel that Tolkien was "trying to force his religious and political views of the mid-1900's into a past setting". He hated allegory ( said as much regarding C.S. Lewis' books - you want religious overtones try Narnia and Aslan on for size) and was simple trying to tell an epic tale in a world that he created .

[Glod]

I watched Terri (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terri_(film)) last night. I thought it would provide a thoughtful window into the life of a misunderstood kid and serve as a sharp, poignant character study. Unfortunately, Terri and his friends engaged in a number of bizarre actions that were contrary to anything high school students might actually do, and the relationship between Terri and his vice principal was revoltingly romanticized. I don't care how small the town may be, there are professional boundaries that a vice principal (and adult) would never cross with a high school student. The whole thing struck me as unreal, and it was also billed as a drama-comedy; there was no comedy to be found, every scene was a depressing monotone of desperation and isolation.

[mjmacky]

I don't care how small the town may be, there are professional boundaries that a vice principal (and adult) would never cross with a high school student

Well now that likelihood goes up in certain states (where the education is poor and extremely underfunded).

[Glod]

I don't care how small the town may be, there are professional boundaries that a vice principal (and adult) would never cross with a high school student

Well now that likelihood goes up in certain states (where the education is poor and extremely underfunded).

Perhaps, but the candor between the two was sudden and extreme. People tend not to express their deepest feelings of inadequacy and most fragile hopes to others without a fair amount of prior interaction, especially when such interaction is between a volatile authority figure and a severely bullied student who has learned to bury his emotions. The progression from awkward first contact to complete comfort in one another's presence was so abrupt that it seemed forced and unnatural.

[mjmacky]

Perhaps, but the candor between the two was sudden and extreme. People tend not to express their deepest feelings of inadequacy and most fragile hopes to others without a fair amount of prior interaction, especially when such interaction is between a volatile authority figure and a severely bullied student who has learned to bury his emotions. The progression from awkward first contact to complete comfort in one another's presence was so abrupt that it seemed forced and unnatural.

I'll take another crack at it. If these two were emotionally damaged and at least 1 of them was superficial, it'd be prime. It might be obvious that I've now switched to being an observer to such a dynamic. It settled just as nonsensical to me while witnessing it amongst my social circle as this movie seems to have unsettled you. I'm now actually pretty curious about this movie, which before now I've never heard of.

[mr. nails]

The Thing 2011

First things first. This movie is a prequel to the 1982's The Thing. I liked it and the back story was semi-refreshing, but the CGI was horrible and looked about 10 years old. There's a good 10+ human meals to be had during this 100 min movie and the director takes advantage of it. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is just gorgeous with her big brown eyes, her pretty lips and... sorry. Um, um. I was a little disappointed with how fast the story tells you about the alien. There's no imagination to wtf is going on and is literally served to you on a warm plate early on. Unlike the original where you don't really know what's going on until later. I guess that's not too bad for those who've seen the 80's version, but for newcomers it might not be as "thrilling". Lastly, you'll wanna stick around at the end of the film so you can get a brief 2 min continuation into the 1982's The Thing. I liked it and it was worthy of my loot. Mimics, blow torches, and false teeth. 7/10

[IdolEyes787]

The Thing 2011

First things first. This movie is a prequel to the 1982's The Thing. I liked it and the back story was semi-refreshing, but the CGI was horrible and looked about 10 years old. There's a good 10+ human meals to be had during this 100 min movie and the director takes advantage of it. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is just gorgeous with her big brown eyes, her pretty lips and... sorry. Um, um. I was a little disappointed with how fast the story tells you about the alien. There's no imagination to wtf is going on and is literally served to you on a warm plate early on. Unlike the original where you don't really know what's going on until later. I guess that's not too bad for those who've seen the 80's version, but for newcomers it might not be as "thrilling". Lastly, you'll wanna stick around at the end of the film so you can get a brief 2 min continuation into the 1982's The Thing. I liked it and it was worthy of my loot. Mimics, blow torches, and false teeth. 7/10

So the story,special effects,acting,direction and cinematography were worse than the original. So explain to me again the point of this movie?

[clocker]

Because special effects.

Oh, BTW...I watched Cowboys & Aliens the other night.
That's about all I have to say about it.

[IdolEyes787]

Because special effects.

Oh, BTW...I watched Cowboys & Aliens the other night.
That's about all I have to say about it.

But there were cowboys and aliens so any chance of a lawsuit has pretty much flown out the window.

[Frabky]

Drive, actually, it was best film in this year.

[Artemis]

Drive, actually, it was best film in this year.

That's not saying much, the films 'in' this year have been a letdown by and large. The Ghost Writer and Inception being two that didn't suck, while I've yet to see Four Lions, which looks promising.

[iLOVENZB]

You didn't like Warrior (http://filesharingtalk.com/threads/437214-Warrior-2011-8.2-10-(1-066-votes)-Tom-Hardy!!!1!11) (RT (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1212910-warrior/)) Artemis?

Apparently Drive is slow but when it gets into gear it's a ripper of a flick, is this true? It's not getting screened here for a while, haven't even seen a trailer or even a poster at the local cinema. We have some "coming soon" posters for Warrior, that looks awesome btw!

[mjmacky]

Inception

Inception (2010) is your vote for a good film 'in' this year?

A couple of great films this year if I try to recall them. Win Win (2011), Kill the Irishman (2011), X-Men First Class (2011). The last of those surprised me, I thought I was going to hate it, but then the TRS review convinced me to give it a shot. So I don't know whether it was low expectations (which can skew the relative perspective) but it was a great movie.

[Artemis]

Inception

Inception (2010) is your vote for a good film 'in' this year?




Errrr....good point, the lights are on but nobody is home right now (at least that is my excuse & I'm sticking to it) :snooty:

[iLOVENZB]

TRS = Totally Rad Show? I thought I was the only one on this board to watch Revision 3 shows :\

I'm starting to lean toward TV shows for entertainment. Some series have more substance even though they have 1/4 of the budget ... Terra Nova being an exception :sick:

[mjmacky]

Yes, the Totally Rad Show. They review shows and movies in a way that I can pick apart what I'll like about it and what will disenchant me. Usually I tend to use it to reinforce my original opinion, but some of their review have gotten me to watch certain shows/movies that I had refused to otherwise. Examples, X-Men, Avatar: the Last Airbender (animated series), and I know there's more. I did stop watching for awhile after seeing Public Enemies, one of the worst fucking movies I've ever seen, and they had all these praises for it.

[iLOVENZB]

My views too. Pretty much agree with most of Jeff Cannata opinions.

Anyway, just finished Transformers 3. Yet again, Michael Bay has succeed in making my eyes bobble out of their sockets. Turned off my brain for 2 hours and watched what $195,000,000 (estimated) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1399103/business) get's you in the industry. An underwear model and shit blowing up!

I feel Sheila LePoof has the same issue that Vin Diesal has, he tries too hard to act. Although his performance in Eagle Eye was decent, maybe it's Michael Bay's influence?

[IdolEyes787]

I feel Sheila LePoof has the same issue that Vin Diesal has, he tries too hard to act. Although his performance in Eagle Eye was decent, maybe it's Michael Bay's influence?

I guessing that Michael Bay's direction consists entirely of two phrases, "Fuck subtly ,make it bigger" and "Get the second unit to shoot that".

[mjmacky]

I guessing that Michael Bay's direction consists entirely of two phrases, "Fuck subtly ,make it bigger" and "Get the second unit to shoot that".

You forgot, "Pan the camera!"

[IdolEyes787]

Conan the Barbarino (2011)

After all the less than glowing reviews it was nowhere near as terrible as I thought it would be.

Probably it's saving grace is that ( somewhat incredibly) Jason Momoa makes a pretty decent Conan.So does the kid who plays his younger version .

Other than that not much to recommend.It tries to give a good mix of sword and sorcery and it does have it's (brief) moments but I felt the film never really captured the essence of Howard's Hyborian Age, being for all the blood and gore , much too PG friendly if only in attitude not execution.

I do get the feeling though that with a more engrossing story and a couple more memorable supporting characters they might have actually had something here.
As it is though not good,not bad but if you do decide to watch it at least you won't hate yourself for doing so.

Btw I'm a big fan of sword and sorcery/ sword and sandals stuff so I don't know if that made me more or less critical of this movie.

[mjmacky]

Conan the Barbarino (2011)

After all the less than glowing reviews it was nowhere near as terrible as I thought it would be.

Probably it's saving grace is

greetz idoelyes you like conan barbarian, that's cool bro

[IdolEyes787]

Stop stalking me .Have I offended you or something?

Also get a life.

[mjmacky]

sorry if offended bro

[IdolEyes787]

I told you I prefer brah. All the cool kids at the gym say that.

[Artemis]

So I have been watching movies lately, I just haven't gotten off my arse to review any. However recommending a 'gritty' movie to Megabyteme gave me a hankering for the same kind of film.
So I watched (again) Get Carter, no not the homogenised, neutered sad and pointless Hollywood remake, the real hard cunt british classic.

This movie has been called the quintessential British gangster movie and I would have to agree, all the elements are there, yet there is far more to this movie than that. There is of course Michael Caine at his most ruthless and menacing, but there are no 'good guys' and 'bad guys' in this picture, it isn't all black and white like an american movie needs to be.
The characters are all various shades of reprehensible, from vaguely dislikable through to thoroughly revolting human beings and they all seem to have the morals of slugs.

The backdrop too is depressing, a northern town in the mid-seventies was a depressing place anyway, unemployment was beginning to soar, but this movie manages to capture the seedy side so well, and there are many depressing moments in the movie that have nothing to do with the plot. The four people turning up for the funeral for instance (really depressing), the bad singer at the pub, or the bingo announcer talking in a monotone, all these things are cleverly woven into the story to give an overall feeling of a lackluster dull surrounding.

Even our hero Jack Carter is an anti-hero, he is a better class of thug but still a thug and utterly amoral to those around him, he is just slightly less distasteful than the people he is hunting for in an effort to find out why his brother died. Even the deaths of the 'bad' people are gritty and depressing, while the reason for Jack's revenge is a depressing and horrible one.

Yet for all this, and the fact that the action in the movie is very raw and believable, not antiseptic and prewrapped like a U.S. feature these days, you still feel emotion and are invested in the characters in this movie, even if at times it is disgust. Ultimately Jack is a rogue, but although amoral, he is a likable rogue in many ways, and you feel justified in what he is doing.

This is not a movie with a happy beginning, it does not get happier as the movie progresses and it has a very unhappy ending, yet it is far more riveting and believable than anything produced by Hollywood in years, I highly recommend this film if you have not already seen it.

[IdolEyes787]

So I have been watching movies lately, I just haven't gotten off my arse to review any. However recommending a 'gritty' movie to Megabyteme gave me a hankering for the same kind of film.
So I watched (again) Get Carter, no not the homogenised, neutered sad and pointless Hollywood remake, the real hard cunt british classic.

This movie has been called the quintessential British gangster movie and I would have to agree, all the elements are there, yet there is far more to this movie than that. There is of course Michael Caine at his most ruthless and menacing, but there are no 'good guys' and 'bad guys' in this picture, it isn't all black and white like an american movie needs to be.
The characters are all various shades of reprehensible, from vaguely dislikable through to thoroughly revolting human beings and they all seem to have the morals of slugs.

The backdrop too is depressing, a northern town in the mid-seventies was a depressing place anyway, unemployment was beginning to soar, but this movie manages to capture the seedy side so well, and there are many depressing moments in the movie that have nothing to do with the plot. The four people turning up for the funeral for instance (really depressing), the bad singer at the pub, or the bingo announcer talking in a monotone, all these things are cleverly woven into the story to give an overall feeling of a lackluster dull surrounding.

Even our hero Jack Carter is an anti-hero, he is a better class of thug but still a thug and utterly amoral to those around him, he is just slightly less distasteful than the people he is hunting for in an effort to find out why his brother died. Even the deaths of the 'bad' people are gritty and depressing, while the reason for Jack's revenge is a depressing and horrible one.

Yet for all this, and the fact that the action in the movie is very raw and believable, not antiseptic and prewrapped like a U.S. feature these days, you still feel emotion and are invested in the characters in this movie, even if at times it is disgust. Ultimately Jack is a rogue, but although amoral, he is a likable rogue in many ways, and you feel justified in what he is doing.

This is not a movie with a happy beginning, it does not get happier as the movie progresses and it has a very unhappy ending, yet it is far more riveting and believable than anything produced by Hollywood in years, I highly recommend this film if you have not already seen it.

You sure you didn't just inadvertently watch a season of Breaking Bad?

Other than that by comparing the original with the Stallone remake ,you get to see Hollywood do it's usual copout at the end , not giving the audience any credit and totally lessening the impact of the film.

[clocker]

Conan the Barbarino (2011)

After all the less than glowing reviews it was nowhere near as terrible as I thought it would be.
Based upon this one review I decided to watch Conan and afterwords realized how artfully deceptive Idols wording was.
"Nowhere near as terrible" leaves a lot of room for crap and Conan oozes in to fill the available space.
Had Rob Schneider been cast as the thief, Conan would have been exactly as bad as feared.

Mamoa certainly does embody the archetype well (although I doubt he'll ever be the Governor of California), possessing the body mass, the hair and even unfettered access to Johnny Depp's man-kohl supply.
The other notable performance came from Ron Perlman, who plays "Wise Chin" (Conan's father).
The creepy witch daughter of the bad guy reminded me of Abby from NCIS (with a nod to Gary Oldman's Dracula)...kinda weird, actually.

My question about the story...
How come it takes Conan 20 years to find his arch enemy when everyone else seems to know exactly where he is and what he's up to?
Has he never heard of Google maps?

I came prepared with very low expectations, so was not filled with self disgust when it finished.
In fact, Conan shall from now on be my go-to reference example of "The Quiet Moment" in moviemaking.
The Quiet Moment is a favorite of screenwriters and is abundantly employed in Conan...Conan's birth scene (which opens the movie) is a perfect example of the trope.
Amidst a swirling battle, Conan's mother and father (The Chin!) have a quiet tender scene that ends with a birth- the flying arrows and rampaging attackers thoughtfully subside for the precious moment.
Conan's fresh born body is lifted skyward and not hacked to bits and set aflame as one might expect...because that would be totally logical and really fuck with the storyline.
The movie ends with a very similar setpiece moment as Conan and his ho take down the bad guy in his underground temple.
It's inevitable that the place will come thundering down...and it does, but it stops collapsing long enough to allow for the requisite faceoffs and rescues before finally tumbling into the ocean.
It's a geological formation with an exquisite sense of dramatic flair, possibly the most adroit acting in the whole film.

The copy I watched was truly wretched...very dark and horrible sound.
I don't expect a DVD rip would change my impression.


Btw I'm a big fan of sword and sorcery/ sword and sandals stuff so I don't know if that made me more or less critical of this movie.
And yet you continue to deny yourself Game of Thrones.

[IdolEyes787]

As far as fantasy goes I like my protagonists to be as heroic as possible so sue me.

Btw I was originally going to put that Momoa was the one saving grace but then I figured fuck it , it's not like I'm Ebert and get paid for dong this.:idunno:

[ClaireGreen]

Fast and Furious 5 :)

[mr. nails]

Fast and Furious 5 :)

porn usually makes me :)

[Artemis]

Fast and Furious 5 :)

porn usually makes me :)

porn usually makes me :drool:

[anigav]

Seven Pounds
Liked... great story

[ShadowHunter]

The Transformers 3 It was very good I really enjoyed it

[sunsak]

Captain America, is a good movie .)

[clocker]

Real Steel- Hugh Jackman, an adorable little boy, some robots and Kim Kardashian (I think).

So, how do you screw up a movie about fighting robots?
Well, you could ask Michael Bay but that would be taking the easy way out. Real Steels producers decided to go another route and simply graft robot boxing onto a generic Lifetime network plot.
Substitute a cheerleading competition or a 4H Club hog fair and you'd have the identical movie...that's how peripheral to the story the robots are.

There is not a single scene- for that matter, very few lines- that you haven't heard/seen before and the emotional tides of the movie are as predictable as they are trite.

The robot fights, which should be highlights, are brief and maddenly stupid.
The bad guys have Mohawks...really?

I like splashy setpieces, I can abide sentimentality, I'm all for simple entertainment...but Real Steel is just lazy and pointless.
It was good to see the Iron Giant again though, he's been quiet since his breakout starring role.

[yurferner]

How Do You Know. It was just for fun with my girlfriend:P

[iLOVENZB]

How Do You Know. It was just for fun with my girlfriend:P

Did she happen to be a dyke in order to like softball more than redneck Americans?

[jcsites]

Real Steel. Nice movie and entertaining... :P





we were born to succeed, not to fail:P

[Artemis]

Real Steel- Hugh Jackman, an adorable little boy, some robots and Kim Kardashian (I think).

So, how do you screw up a movie about fighting robots?
Well, you could ask Michael Bay but that would be taking the easy way out. Real Steels producers decided to go another route and simply graft robot boxing onto a generic Lifetime network plot.
Substitute a cheerleading competition or a 4H Club hog fair and you'd have the identical movie...that's how peripheral to the story the robots are.

There is not a single scene- for that matter, very few lines- that you haven't heard/seen before and the emotional tides of the movie are as predictable as they are trite.

The robot fights, which should be highlights, are brief and maddenly stupid.
The bad guys have Mohawks...really?

I like splashy setpieces, I can abide sentimentality, I'm all for simple entertainment...but Real Steel is just lazy and pointless.
It was good to see the Iron Giant again though, he's been quiet since his breakout starring role.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions clocker, after seeing the 2minute mini movie version (i.e. trailer) I was struck by that same old schmaltzy feeling. You have confirmed that they just wheeled out formula movie script #541 with fighting robots to give it some 'originality'.

[Shahrukh]

The Hangover 2 BD RIP

[IdolEyes787]

The Hangover 2 BD RIP
Call me quick to judge but it only took five words for me to form an opinon of you.

[clocker]

after seeing the 2minute mini movie version (i.e. trailer) I was struck by that same old schmaltzy feeling.
"Schmaltz" is exactly the word I should have used.
I tried to work in "hackneyed horseshit"- because I'm a fan of alliteration-but it didn't make the final editorial cut..."schmaltz" works much better.

Note: With this second post about the movie, I've now spent more time on the script than the writers did.

[IdolEyes787]

The Way Back (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1023114/) (2011)
In 1941 group of prisoners escape a Soviet gulag and attempt a 4000 mile walk to freedom.

I almost bypassed this movie as it seems to have gotten mixed reviews condemned as it is by some for lack of proper characterization.I though didn't have a problem with that as the movie really isn't ( to me ) about conflict but about more unity and indomitably and colouring of character was therefore far less necessary.
Character development or not , through the skill of director Peter Weir and the talent of the cast(Ed Harris,Jim Sturges , Mark Strong, Saoirse Ronan - someday she's going to be a major star) I still really felt for these people.

Other than that it's ,for all the scope and life or death situations, a very "quiet" movie which probably a lot of people looking for overt action will see as a negative. I again didn't as it made everything that transpires as the more significant and (perhaps) meaningful.
Unfortunately as much as I enjoyed everything up to that point, by far the weakest part of the movie is the end where Weir seems at a loss as to what to do to tie it all up properly on the required high note.Not that it was bad just very rushed and anticlimactic.

Otherwise I have nothing but good things to say about The Way Back.Peter Weir again demonstrates he is one of the most talented directors of his generation.

[clocker]

Thanks for the reminder.
This was on my radar months ago and I'd forgotten all about it.

[clocker]

And now I've watched it.
The Way Back is absolutely worth a watch despite some serious flaws.
As Idol mentioned, the acting is fine (Ed Harris has become the embodiment of "grizzled") and thanks to the involvement of National Geographic, the scenery is spectacular.

The story (and as stories go, this one is a corker) seems too big for director Peter Weir to fit into his movie.
The mindboggling scale of this groups journey required three major setpieces but Weir runs out of steam in the middle of the second and the third (the Himalayas in winter, no less!) is fleeting to the point of absurdity.
There were also jarringly abrupt time/location changes...at one point I was wondering if I was seeing the same film because I couldn't recognize anyone and they were suddenly in caverns instead of the snowy forest. It was weird.

It is a "quiet" movie by today's standards but it doesn't insult the audience and it's very nice to look at, so it's already better than most of the competition.

[mjmacky]

cant wait for a Way Back: Darkside of teh Moon

[Funkin']

Just saw Paranormal Activity 3. The only thing entertaining was when the usher and cop came in the theater to kick out all the dumb ass teenagers that were acting like fools.

It was nowhere near as good as I was hoping it to be. I still haven't seen the first one though and most people I've talked to said it was the best of the three so I'll probably watch that next.

[IdolEyes787]

Battle: Los Angeles.

What an odd film.
Grab every cliche from a 1940's Hollywood war movie, replace the Nazis and Japs with aliens (who have slightly, but not overwhelmingly, superior weaponry and truly execrable tacticians*) and spice up the action scenes with today's de rigueur jumpy cutting...voila!, I give you Battle: Los Angeles.
It's competently produced and not terribly acted.
The CGI (which had to be extensive) is OK.
The aliens seem kind of crude and are mostly seen from afar or blurred by speed or smoke.

In many ways, B: LA is just a poorer, stripped down Independence Day with some Hurt Locker pretensions mixed in.
I didn't hate it but didn't feel engaged or even manipulated...it was basically rather boring.

*About the alien invasion...
If your goal is to siphon off our oceans, why the hell are you attacking our coastlines and engaging land forces?
Plop your weird alien asses down in the middle of the ocean- conveniently free of pesky natives- and start sucking away...it shouldn't take long (after all, it's mentioned on a background TV that the ocean levels are already falling measurably- a mere few hours after the invasion has begun. With whizbang alien tech like that, completely draining the planet should take maybe three weeks, tops) and your ground troops are spared losses storming assets you have no strategic interest in.

A counterpoint.

Battle: Los Angeles: :mellow:

If some told me that they thought this movie was good my first two questions would be "Do you speak English?" and " Are you clinically insane?"

Not only does it seem to drag every hoary old War movie cliche up but it does it with such a total lack of believability that if someone told me that I was watching a parody and not a serious attempt at a movie then I would have no problem believing them.
I won't go as far as saying that the director is totally devoid of talent because obviously he has a real talent for bringing forth the very worst performances from his actors.:mellow:
Other than, that going by the old adage "if you can't say something nice,don't say anything at all" that about does it. :mellow:
Actually no, this move was so bad that the addition of Adam Sandler might actually have improved it.:mellow:

OK now I'm done.

[hdonkey]

wall street (the old one) it was really good!

[rastafara]

watching second human centipede, so bad its good:D

[IdolEyes787]

watching second human centipede, so bad its good:D

The real irony here is that I would burn at the Cross anyone that is sick enough to enjoy that shit.

[mholic]

Johnny English Reborn is one hell of a hillarious movie. One of the funniest for me now :)

[clocker]

Johnny English Reborn is one hell of a hillarious movie. One of the funniest for me now :)
Where do you buy your drugs?
I want some.

[Artemis]

Johnny English Reborn is one hell of a hillarious movie. One of the funniest for me now :)
Where do you buy your drugs?
I want some.

http://i.imgur.com/5ParE.jpg


*About the alien invasion...
If your goal is to siphon off our oceans, why the hell are you attacking our coastlines and engaging land forces?
Plop your weird alien asses down in the middle of the ocean- conveniently free of pesky natives- and start sucking away...it shouldn't take long (after all, it's mentioned on a background TV that the ocean levels are already falling measurably- a mere few hours after the invasion has begun. With whizbang alien tech like that, completely draining the planet should take maybe three weeks, tops) and your ground troops are spared losses storming assets you have no strategic interest in.

An interesting and point, and yet another example of Hollywood wanting us to suspend all brain function rather than just disbelief. The most magnificent example of this though must be Signs, where in aliens travel across the void of space to come to earth to take it over, yet although capable of galactic travel are incapable of getting through a wooden door ? Seriously ?
When you go off to invade someone, you usually take handy things for the invasion like weapons, and explosives and weapons (at least battle LA had weapons even if only slightly superior to our own ?).

[clocker]

Atlas Shrugged: Part 1
As if there will ever be a Part 2.
This dreary adolescent political wet dream was only brightened by the appearance of Quark (Start Trek: Deep Space Nine)- Yeah! He's really in it!- whose Ferengi wiles and charm briefly
made the rest of the actors appear awake.
If Sarah Palin was too complex, Atlas Shrugged has leveled down to assist...this is propaganda for flatliners.

Who is John Galt?
Don't fucking care.

[mjmacky]

Atlas Shrugged: Part 1

Do you sacrifice yourself on purpose, some mission of martyrdom for the glimmer of hope that you've shielded others from the blast?

[clocker]

As attractive as martyrdom may be, the reason I watched was more prosaic...I couldn't talk shit about the movie till I'd seen it.
Besides, it's a very exclusive club, apparently nobody watched Atlas Shrugged as it flickered through a narrow release on it's way to the DVD bargain bin.

Atlas Shrugged was the first part of last night's Cognitive Dissonance Theatre, I followed up by watching Margin Call.
Margin Call features a much better cast (Stanley Tucci, Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons, et al.) who portray a trading house (Goldman, Lehman?) on the verge of failure.
It's remarkably free of techno-finance speak and tries to focus on the human side of the disaster although everyone in the film is a despicable cad.

Atlas Shrugged is ideology disguised as entertainment,Margin Call shows what happened when the ideology is made real.
In Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand asserts that The Producers-, i.e., The Rich- are held back by an intrusive government and the weight of the undeserving masses.
Margin Call is the logical progression of Rand's philosophy.

Of the two, Margin Call is the better film but that's saying very little.
It's pretty bloodless and calm given the calamity it describes.
Can't say I gained any new insights about the financial collapse, we've seen all this info before.
A ridiculously good cast makes it watchable but not memorable.

Atlas Shrugged is a peabrained (or should that be "Teabrained"?) philosophical wank fest that tries to pass itself off as a movie, its closest relative would be Battlefield Earth...which pretty much says it all.
It does have Quark though.

[mjmacky]

As attractive as martyrdom may be, the reason I watched was more prosaic...I couldn't talk shit about the movie till I'd seen it.

I get that, but I found that I could bullshit about most terrible films (not having seen them) and pretty much stay on mark (though I would have had to known about the movie beforehand). It feels like the predictable direction of most bad ideas lends me that only advantage. Basically, I lie about seeing bad films and subsequently denounce them as bad films after having a near impeccable record of predicting how subjectively great/shitty I'll deem the movie. I don't watch many movies these days...

[megabyteme]

Atlas Shrugged is ideology disguised as entertainment,Margin Call shows what happened when the ideology is made real.
In Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand asserts that The Producers-, i.e., The Rich- are held back by an intrusive government and the weight of the undeserving masses.
Margin Call is the logical progression of Rand's philosophy.

I downloaded it when I came across it the other night. My mother is a devout follower of Rand (and, not surprisingly, a shitty mother), and had made countless attempts to get me to read Atlas Shrugged. I believe her best offer was in the ballpark of $0.25/page (considering the size of the book, roughly enough to attend college- or something else). However, I decided moving out and not speaking to her for a decade was a better option.

That said, I never did get around to reading the book, so I thought I would give the WORLD'S LONGEST EXPANSION OF A BUMPER STICKER PHILOSOPHY 2 hours instead of enduring the book. Now it seems, setting myself on fire would be a more enjoyable evening than finding Waldo John Galt.
90847

[IdolEyes787]

I Saw the Devil http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1588170/

After a particularly nasty and successful serial killer murders his pregnant wife , a special agent blurs the line between good and evil in his quest for revenge.

Directed by renowned Korean film maker Jee-woon Kim I didn't find it anywhere as good as some people seem to think it is.
Sure there is a very effective opening sequence with some remarkable acting by Byung-hun Lee but the story because truly silly not shocking shortly thereafter.
That it runs on a good 30 minutes longer than necessary only highlights the fact that everything that needed doing/showing happens fairly early on and after that it becomes not just silly but pointless.

As for "being the most violent movie ever made" , hardly. Given that I Saw the Devil is little more than a stylish cartoon I would say that The Road Runner is more brutal.
Self indulgence on the part of a director seldom a good film makes.

Not terrible not hardly a 7.8 unless you like assumingly the people rating it are 14 ears old and think lack of sense equates to deep and you can be truly savage by cutting up cardboard.
First 15 minutes a 9 everything after that a 6.

[mjmacky]

First 15 minutes a 9 everything after that a 6.

Thus you score it a 6.3

Rounded to 2 sig figs from 6.319149

[IdolEyes787]

First 15 minutes a 9 everything after that a 6.

Thus you score it a 6.3

Rounded to 2 sig figs from 6.319149
I figured it to 6.37200 so I think you're math is off.

Or maybe you just didn't factor in that someone gets his balls bashed in with a pipe wrench.

[mjmacky]

Thus you score it a 6.3

Rounded to 2 sig figs from 6.319149
I figured it to 6.37200 so I think you're math is off.

Or maybe you just didn't factor in that someone gets his balls bashed in with a pipe wrench.

I worked it off a 141 min length.

9*(15/141) + 6*(126/141)
You said, everything after, so I included credits. Shortening the length of the movie would bring it to your figure. No matter how long this discussion carries on, regarding the formula and values used, I'm sure it is more interesting than either of the movies you and Clocker have recently subjected yourself to.

[clocker]

As attractive as martyrdom may be, the reason I watched was more prosaic...I couldn't talk shit about the movie till I'd seen it.

I get that, but I found that I could bullshit about most terrible films (not having seen them) and pretty much stay on mark (though I would have had to known about the movie beforehand). It feels like the predictable direction of most bad ideas lends me that only advantage. Basically, I lie about seeing bad films and subsequently denounce them as bad films after having a near impeccable record of predicting how subjectively great/shitty I'll deem the movie. I don't watch many movies these days...
I understand your approach but think you do yourself a disservice.
"Bad" movies teach you to appreciate "good" ones by exposing the framework behind the image.
My definition of a good movie is simple- emotional engagement propels the story.
If the viewer likes/believes/understands the characters, he'll follow their journey.
Afterwords, you may discover all sorts of inconsistencies or irritations but the viewing experience was seamless.

Two personal examples would be Juno and Chicago, films I unreservedly loved after the first viewing.
I was hooked from frame one and enjoyed the (very different) emotional jolts in both stories.
Subsequent viewings have shown weaknesses in both, but the afterglow of first exposure still glazes them for me and I count them as favorites.

I am predisposed to dislike some genres/actors/stories just like anyone else and admittedly approached Atlas Shrugged like a hate fuck, but I was fully prepared to
admit it was a good movie with an puerile philosophy had that been the case.
It was not.
If you want to see a great movie with a loathsome agenda, watch Triumph of the Will...that's how you sell propaganda.

it is more interesting than either of the movies you and Clocker have recently subjected yourself to.
I would feel a lot more "subjected" had I actually paid to see any of these films.

[mjmacky]

Two personal examples would be Juno and Chicago, films I unreservedly loved after the first viewing.

Funny you mention those two films. While I'm sure there are solid arguments for each of those films, that they aren't terrible flicks, I did not enjoy them. I had already suspected I wouldn't enjoy them, but the Blockbuster rentals (for both, I believe) was tasked by the wife and/or the mother-in-law. I ended up walking out of the living room for both. Chicago just didn't keep me reeled in, and Juno was (IIRC) just irritating. It's not like these were the only two movies I ever walked away from, I have to oust myself from the viewing of many, but these are among the few that I have no reason to label as terrible films. I have a similar outlook for Mad Men, I would say it's a great show, but I couldn't personally remain interested in the series (I will not badmouth that one either).

There are few to no movies that I was strongly certain I would hate/love and ended up opposing my expectations (which means, none that I can recall). It's when the feelings are more muddled in the gray that I end being surprised (in either direction). Example, I thought I might slightly enjoy American Psycho, I ended up hating the film so thoroughly, that I lambasted the friend who recommended it. From the terribly uninteresting story line (why the fuck to people care about Wall Street culture?!) and some absolutely dull acting, if not confused, I fast forwarded the last 30-45 min and still wanted to punch someone in the face for suffering through that. Public Enemies is another that I though I'd enjoy a bit, it was the worst thing I've seen in awhile (these days, I don't make a habit of watching terrible movies). Even worse is that I paid to watch that garbage of a film. Little Miss Sunshine is a movie I thought I'd write off as a forced independent feeling pseudo glorification of pageants. I loved that movie, fuck I want to watch again now.

Basically, if I have strong feelings in either direction, I trust them. I find it a disservice not to trust my stronger senses of intuition. It's that middle area that I keep experimenting with chance, mood and opportunity, and it's starting to really irritate me. I end up buried neck deep in shit holding a match in one hand and topaz in the other. I end up having better luck with TV series and Anime. I could easily just do away with movies entirely.

[clocker]

While I'm sure there are solid arguments for each of those films, that they aren't terrible flicks, I did not enjoy them...Little Miss Sunshine is a movie I thought I'd write off as a forced independent feeling pseudo glorification of pageants. I loved that movie, fuck I want to watch again now.
It's interesting that you disliked Juno yet liked the equally twee Little Miss Sunshine (which I liked also).
Any idea why?


Basically, if I have strong feelings in either direction, I trust them. I find it a disservice not to trust my stronger senses of intuition. It's that middle area that I keep experimenting with chance, mood and opportunity, and it's starting to really irritate me. I end up buried neck deep in shit holding a match in one hand and topaz in the other. I end up having better luck with TV series and Anime. I could easily just do away with movies entirely.
Where do these "strong feelings" about an as-yet-unseen movie come from?

[mjmacky]

It's interesting that you disliked Juno yet liked the equally twee Little Miss Sunshine (which I liked also).
Any idea why?
Not exactly sure, as I actually wanted to like Juno (against my expectations). If forced at gunpoint to recall, I think I remember feeling like the unique dialogue was being forced to fit rather than being naturally woven (like in a Coen brothers or Tarantino film). Of course, I could be confusing it with a critique of a different movie, but I remember feeling irritated (so that's my best guess as to why).



Basically, if I have strong feelings in either direction, I trust them. I find it a disservice not to trust my stronger senses of intuition. It's that middle area that I keep experimenting with chance, mood and opportunity, and it's starting to really irritate me. I end up buried neck deep in shit holding a match in one hand and topaz in the other. I end up having better luck with TV series and Anime. I could easily just do away with movies entirely.
Where do these "strong feelings" about an as-yet-unseen movie come from?

This seems easier to answer with examples of movies I have not yet seen, and how I would expect to respond to them:
Mission Impossible - will hate
Moneyball - will love
Footloose (2011) - will hate
Killer Elite - will love (though I am a mark for Clive Owen action, the International being the only exception)
Harry Potter - will hate
Real Steel - will hate

All the other stuff that's currently out, I'm just unsure of (regardless of direction I'm leaning). As for the strong feelings, I've been exposed to trailers/interviews/synopses and whatever in intuit from those. Some of these being sequels to movies I've previously hated helps as well. I haven't actually seen a trailer for Moneyball, but hearing about it through I think Terry Gross, I'm sold on it (even though I'm not really a Pitt fan).

[clocker]

Here's a Rorschach test for you...
The Fall
Oldboy

Have you seen them and if so, reactions?

[mjmacky]

Here's a Rorschach test for you...
The Fall
Oldboy

Have you seen them and if so, reactions?

Seen and loved Oldboy, never heard of the Fall. Though it has been awhile since I've seen Oldboy, I remember loving the violence, dialogue, storyline and the twist, especially the twist. Seeing his movie also prompted me to see another film by the same director called Lady Vengeance, which I remember just enjoying. Speaking of Korean movies... Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring is another one I really enjoyed.

Should I watch a preview of the Fall and give my thoughts, will it help with your test?

[clocker]

It's not a test...there are no correct or expected answers.
By all means, watch The Fall- preferably without reading about it first.

[Quarterquack]

Here's a Rorschach test for you...
The Fall
Oldboy

Have you seen them and if so, reactions?

Watched both last year.

The Fall was fantastic by all measures. Ye olde tale of a hero's troubles, except it's carried out from a sick and broken man from the confines of nothing than his bed. The cinematography and settings were beyond stellar. The juxtaposition of roles and perceived important/significance in real life also proved some great insight into human perspectives that few other settings could perform without going first-person-view, or overly focusing on one central character.

Oldboy, I believe lost a lot of credibility with me after I could see through the plot before it ended. The idea that people could be brainwashed, the idea that someone could learn techniques and fighting in a room with no actual practice in 15 years is surreal. I guess Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance spoiled me, as I saw the pain, the connections and the plot as a lot more "human" as opposed to robotic or monstrous. However, the roof drop scene apathy on its own makes the movie worth it. If anything was extended beyond being a farce, I felt like it was balanced by the extents we saw Oh Dae Su's turmoil brew.

Macky: Lady Vengeance is part of a fantastic trilogy, along with Oldboy. You might want to look up "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance," as mentioned before, which completes the trio.

[mjmacky]

Macky: Lady Vengeance is part of a fantastic trilogy, along with Oldboy. You might want to look up "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance," as mentioned before, which completes the trio.

Heard of, but never caught. Didn't realize it was all part of some connected thread.


It's not a test...there are no correct or expected answers.

What??? It confounds me that you would have any other reason, other than purely fucking with me, to explain that.


By all means, watch The Fall- preferably without reading about it first.

If and when I happen to catch it (might be a good one for the weekend), might you remember its purpose recommendation? There's a good chance I could slightly delay it and watch it sometime in 2013. Or earlier. Or later. If I remember at all that is. I'm terribly unreliable.

[clocker]

It's not a test...there are no correct or expected answers.

What??? It confounds me that you would have any other reason, other than purely fucking with me, to explain that.

Oldboy and The Fall are both what I would consider to be "extreme" movies, and thus, useful as examples of what moviemaking can do/be.

Oldboy is straight up surreal, not only does the protagonist have no idea what's going on, neither does the audience.
Add in the cultural weirdnesses and the viewer struggles to create a framework in which to feel comfortable.
People think Inception fucked with their minds, IMO, Oldboy did it better.

The Fall has a conventional story structure (very similar to The Princess Bride, in fact) and emphasizes the visual...it ravishes the eye.
There is NO CGI/digital trickery in The Fall, what you see was all actually filmed on location(s).
The Fall is psychedelic in a way that the execrable Yellow Submarine could never be, it's a painting come to life.
Two other examples would be Barry Lyndon and Elvira Madigan, both of which are simply beautiful to watch.

Both movies wildly exaggerate one aspect of the moviemaking craft (to the detriment of others, admittedly) but leave an indelible impression despite the lopsided approach.
Neither are films that I would have expected to enjoy and could easily have missed.
Hence my interest in your reaction (or anybody else's, for that matter).

[megabyteme]

Oldboy is straight up surreal, not only does the protagonist have no idea what's going on, neither does the audience.
Add in the cultural weirdnesses and the viewer struggles to create a framework in which to feel comfortable.
People think Inception fucked with their minds, IMO, Oldboy did it better.


Oldboy is among my all-time favorite films. One element I particularly appreciate is the fact that he is Hell-bent on seeking revenge- yet he is NOT a killer. He has learned, and grown from the experience, but all the years of loneliness, and imprisonment have NOT turned him into something evil. He even lets the overly-injured go to the hospital.

Brilliant, twisted, enjoyable film. I place it up there with Usual Suspects.

[Artemis]

My most recent watch was Unknown http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1401152/

This movie was a pleasant surprise, it reminded me of the Bourne Identity in it's structure and feel, and it is a theme plot we have seen before, but the action was tight fast and gripping with a good believable cast. An action movie with nary a robot/alien/cgi baddie in sight I was deeply heartened by this simple fact, and the plot relied on the good old build up of suspense.
The twist as well is clever, and a surprise (everything a plot twist should be) and leaves you re-evaluating the emotion you have invested into the characters. I may be biased I enjoy Liam Neeson's action films because he is an understated and believable action hero, he does not do superhuman wire moves in slo-mo he is just slightly better than the opposing force and for me the movies are more enjoyable for it. I also enjoyed his previous action adventure Taken http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/ . He plays the underdog, or at least the 'ordinary' man in extraordinary circumstances very well.
For me this movie was a good solid couch gripper, and an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours, I do recommend it.

[mjmacky]

The Fall has a conventional story structure (very similar to The Princess Bride, in fact) and emphasizes the visual...it ravishes the eye.
There is NO CGI/digital trickery in The Fall, what you see was all actually filmed on location(s).
The Fall is psychedelic in a way that the execrable Yellow Submarine could never be, it's a painting come to life.
Two other examples would be Barry Lyndon and Elvira Madigan, both of which are simply beautiful to watch.

I know you mentioned to avoid reading about it, but I now have accidentally acted against that recommendation. I have never been swept away by visual effects or visual artistry, but it in fact tends to illicit a net zero response from me. Movies like Yellow Submarine and Fantasia, are ones I prefer to leave alone, I feel nothing in response to them. Speaking of which, I did watch and manage to enjoy listening to Across the Universe, the story was shite but at least it demonstrates I'm not a complete enemy to music/musicals (visualizations ignored, as usual). Basically, I feel like my potential interest in The Fall just vaporized on account of the visual sale.

It seems your reply went to address my original question, thanks for that, though I still think you were making a dig at me by wording out the point to a Rorschach test.

[IdolEyes787]

The Fall is psychedelic in a way that the execrable Yellow Submarine could never be, it's a painting come to life.
Two other examples would be Barry Lyndon ....... are simply beautiful to watch.



Yes but then you still have to factor in Ryan O'Neal so it's more like a painting come to life with a bland halfwit running around in the foreground.

[clocker]

Beauty comes at a price.

[clocker]

Haven't watched anything in a few days.
I'm sure that everything I missed was great though.

[brightsid]

Even the Rain (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1422032/)
One of the most interesting political committed movies I've seen the last few years. A spanish director and his crew went to Bolivia to film his dream movie about Christopher Columbus as a conquistador. The country was a cheap choice, as they could hired the locals for 2 $ per day. At the same time American Water Company tried to privatize the drinking water service in the town and the same people had to pay 400$ for the water that it used to be free. Director is describing investors in poor third world countries as the conquistadors of our days. A nice screenplay without the overdose of political corrects that are usual in these kind of movies. All the actors are great from the drunk Columbus to the poor wild Hatuey who is trying to combine his fighting beliefs with the need of keeping his family safe.

[TorGil]

I saw In Time last week, and it was very bad. I like JT, and Olivia Wilde and that other chick were hot, but the writing was terrible. It's like they took a substandard screenplay thinly written about the Occupy movement and went ctrl+f replacing 'money' with 'time' So bad. It made me miss Logan's Run

[killuminati96]

Return of the Living Dead II

pretty good movie with a touch of comedy in the mix

[clocker]

Helvetica.

Yup, a documentary about a typeface.
Normally, a film about something so arcane and semi-elitist (do proles care how their food stamp coupons look?) would be right up my alley but Helvetica left me with less
appreciation for the nuances of graphic design than I started with.

Created in 1957, the Helvetica typeface has become THE default look for corporate branding and public signage and after Apple made it the main typeface for their GUI (followed quickly by Microsoft)
it became the look of most printed material everywhere.
It's a weird phenomenon if you think about it and the viewer wonders why and how it came to be and more broadly, so what?

Unfortunately, the documentary spends half of it's time on repetitive street montages of signage/logos (all in Helvetica, natch!) and the other half with talking heads who mostly blather in the abstract.
I kept waiting for a side by side comparison with another typeface that would show why Helvetica was more legible/forceful/beautiful- basically, a practical example of the concepts being spouted, but no, t'was not to be.
Helvetica asks the viewer to accept statements like "each Helvetica letter exists in a tightly bound negative space" without showing an example of WTF they're talking about.
Another head claims that the discerning eye (his, presumably) can tell the nationality of the designer by the spacing between letters but he doesn't demonstrate this miraculous skill or explain why it might be important.
Back to another montage.

I like documentaries.
I've suffered with French pastry chefs, cared about the national spelling bee and marveled at the fucked up life of penguins.
I've enjoyed being carried along by a filmmaker's passion for an apparently trivial subject ("Wow, I did not know Donkey Kong was still a thing!") and looked for Helvetica to amuse/educate me about a subject I already had an appreciation for.
It did not, so I can't imagine why someone with no previous interest in the subject of typography would waste their time.



Yup, a documentary about a typeface.
Normally, a film about something so arcane and semi-elitist (do proles care how their food stamp coupons look?) would be right up my alley but Helvetica left me with less
appreciation for the nuances of graphic design than I started with.

Created in 1957, the Helvetica typeface has become THE default look for corporate branding and public signage and after Apple made it the main typeface for their GUI (followed quickly by Microsoft)
it became the look of most printed material everywhere.
It's a weird phenomenon if you think about it and the viewer wonders why and how it came to be and more broadly, so what?

Unfortunately, the documentary spends half of it's time on repetitive street montages of signage/logos (all in Helvetica, natch!) and the other half with talking heads who mostly blather in the abstract.
I kept waiting for a side by side comparison with another typeface that would show why Helvetica was more legible/forceful/beautiful- basically, a practical example of the concepts being spouted, but no, t'was not to be.
Helvetica asks the viewer to accept statements like "each Helvetica letter exists in a tightly bound negative space" without showing an example of WTF they're talking about.
Another head claims that the discerning eye (his, presumably) can tell the nationality of the designer by the spacing between letters but he doesn't demonstrate this miraculous skill or explain why it might be important.
Back to another montage.

I like documentaries.
I've suffered with French pastry chefs, cared about the national spelling bee and marveled at the fucked up life of penguins.
I've enjoyed being carried along by a filmmaker's passion for an apparently trivial subject ("Wow, I did not know Donkey Kong was still a thing!") and looked for Helvetica to amuse/educate me about a subject I already had an appreciation for.
It did not, so I can't imagine why someone with no previous interest in the subject of typography would waste their time.

Edit:
Originally I intended on being subtly snarky by formatting my post in a different typeface but realized that I had the perfect example of how Helvetica could have worked at hand.
So, I copy pasted the body of text (in Helvetica this time) and present a side by side example of the power of type.
In the space of this one post I've given you more insight than the entire documentary.

You can thank me later.

[Jimbo76]

Just watched the directors cut of Romero's Dawn of the Dead. probably the best film ever made imo. 10/10.

[mjmacky]

FONT=Book Antiqua

It was fucking up my eyes making me feel like my vision is blurry again. Maybe step up a font size? I too am yearning for another great documentary, it's been a few months.

[Artemis]

I had a very pleasant surprise in Monsters http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1470827/ . The short review, this is everything that Skyline is not.

The long review. This is yet another the aliens are coming, movie, a genre that seems to be trendy with American viewers post 9/11 despite the fact that they have managed to blast a couple of countries back into the 19th century and really there is no one left to lob a laser guided smart bomb or task a predator UAV at.
The difference is this movie breaks the mold in some significant ways. The first of these differences is that ala M Knight Shamalan, you only get to see the aliens briefly, but you get to see alot of carnage and destruction caused by them, something that cleverly builds the suspense.
The movie was done on a small budget sans the CGI extravaganza (although there is CG imagery in the movie it does not overwhelm the movie) and it is the better for it. Instead of the pitched battles we see in other recent movies, this story is about how people are learning to adapt to an alien presence which is spreading, and it is fascinating to see the subject handled in this way.
All in all a genuine surprise for me, and a movie I thoroughly enjoyed.

[mjmacky]

I had a very pleasant surprise in Monsters http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1470827/

Oh the one with the dude and the chick trying to get back to the U.S. via Mexico? <--? Yeah that was a good one.

[IdolEyes787]

I had a very pleasant surprise in Monsters http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1470827/

Oh the one with the dude and the chick trying to get back to the U.S. via Mexico? <--? Yeah that was a good one.

If there is any smart studio executives out there they should hire you to write tag lines.
................................................................................
Universal Soldier: Regeneration

Yes I know.

Well for a few moments there around the 1'08" mark it wasn't that bad. After that everything that you need to know quality-wise can be surmised by the fact that it's Universal Soldier:Regeneration.
Although I do think having Jean-Claude Van Damme play a mindless automaton was overdoing the irony a little.

[HeLLboy1]

The Devils Double
Pretty good(8/10)

[Funkin']

Puss in Boots.

Hilarious throughout. I swear that these cartoon movies are more enjoyable than 99% of what's being released these days. The only thing is you have to have the mind of a child to really get into them. Thankfully I have one and hope I always will.

[dreamgirl]

Finally got around to watching Trainspotting. I really, really liked it! Can't believe I waited this long to watch it.

[IdolEyes787]

Limitless or How Can I Know Everything But Still Be so Clueless?

A failed writer and all-around douche(a typecast Bradley Cooper) stumbles upon an unknown drug that gives him "limitless" intellect.........or something.

Besides the truly awe inspiring badness of the direction and the many things the plot introduces only to abandon or not bother explaining, I found myself constantly asking myself " Self, if the douche on the screen is capable of anything then why is he wasting all his time boring the fuck out of me?" That and " Didn't anyone think to kill the movie's writer and replace him with someone competent somewhere along the line?"

Anyway truly horrible nonsensical movie and those people that have posted on FST that they like it are obviously on drugs or something.

I did mention that the goes off on so many tangents but never satisfactorily resolves even one of them that I felt like I was in withdrawal ,didn't I?
If not then it did and I do.

[Artemis]

Your editor still isn't back from his hols then I take it ?

[mjmacky]

Limitless or How Can I Know Everything But Still Be so Clueless?

A failed writer and all-around douche(a typecast Bradley Cooper) stumbles upon an unknown drug that gives him "limitless" intellect.........or something.

Besides the truly awe inspiring badness of the direction and the many things the plot introduces only to abandon or not bother explaining, I found myself constantly asking myself " Self, if the douche on the screen is capable of anything then why is he wasting all his time boring the fuck out of me?" That and " Didn't anyone think to kill the movie's writer and replace him with someone competent somewhere along the line?"

Anyway truly horrible nonsensical movie and those people that have posted on FST that they like it are obviously on drugs or something.

I did mention that the goes off on so many tangents but never satisfactorily resolves even one of them that I felt like I was in withdrawal ,didn't I?
If not then it did and I do.

I came up with almost the exact conclusion when watching the trailer.

[megabyteme]

Puss in Boots.

Hilarious throughout. I swear that these cartoon movies are more enjoyable than 99% of what's being released these days. The only thing is you have to have the mind of a child to really get into them. Thankfully I have one and hope I always will.

Admit it. You downloaded it with expectations of porn.

Perv. :thumbsup:

[zootman]

Everyone knows it's The Usual Suspects. Seconded by The Shawshank Redemption.

[IdolEyes787]

Everyone knows it's The Usual Suspects. Seconded by The Shawshank Redemption.

Please step away from the glue and read the thread title again.

[anigav]

Rise of the planet of the Apes

Looking forward to its sequel now..

[Artemis]

Rise of the planet of the Apes

Looking forward to its sequel now..

I hate to rain on your crazy parade, but Rise is a prequel to the Planet Of The Apes series, so luckily you don't need to wait, the other five movies were made in the late 60's early 70's. Roddy McDowall with full ape prosthetics still looked like Roddy McDowall (go figure).


N.B. The new The Thing movie is a prequel to the original John Carpenter The Thing movie as well.....

[mjmacky]

Rise of the planet of the Apes

Looking forward to its sequel now..

I hate to rain on your crazy parade, but Rise is a prequel to the Planet Of The Apes series

:lol:
I didn't pay attention to his post but how wonderful of you to point it out.

[megabyteme]

Rise of the planet of the Apes

Looking forward to its sequel now..

As Art pointed out, there's the entire 60's & 70's series, and a more modern sequel (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133152/) that came out in 2001.

[anigav]

Rise of the planet of the Apes

Looking forward to its sequel now..

As Art pointed out, there's the entire 60's & 70's series, and a more modern sequel (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133152/) that came out in 2001.

Thanks for pointing that, I was not aware of the previous series..

[mjmacky]

As Art pointed out, there's the entire 60's & 70's series, and a more modern sequel (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133152/) that came out in 2001.

Thanks for pointing that, I was not aware of the previous series..

Being that it's kind of an iconic series, you would have to be either very young or very foreign.

[IdolEyes787]

Hey I just saw this great OK shite I smashed my TV and now need to buy another one movie called Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and the ending seemed to set up for a sequel. I sure hope somewhere down the road they continue the story and tell what happened to the baby.

Also kill Jar Jar Binks.

[anigav]

you would have to be either very young ...

Thanks for the compliment :blushing:
:lips:

[megabyteme]

Hey I just saw this great OK shite I smashed my TV and now need to buy another one movie called Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and the ending seemed to set up for a sequel. I sure hope somewhere down the road they continue the story and tell what happened to the baby.

Also kill Jar Jar Binks.

Like anyone would watch that. :dry:

Well, maybe 5 movies of slow torture of Jar Jar, but no more than that.

[mjmacky]

me thinks yous guys are just a bunch of racists ANI!

[Quarterquack]

Puss in Boots.

Hilarious throughout. I swear that these cartoon movies are more enjoyable than 99% of what's being released these days. The only thing is you have to have the mind of a child to really get into them. Thankfully I have one and hope I always will.

Went to watch it with the Mrs. and I completely agree.
The script was part of a sub-textual musical that we both thought was brilliantly executed without being too in-your-face or forcing the movie to slow down too much.


Everyone knows it's The Usual Suspects. Seconded by The Shawshank Redemption.


Rise of the planet of the Apes

Looking forward to its sequel now..

You two made me laugh really hard. Thank you.

[Funkin']

Went to watch it with the Mrs. and I completely agree.


Were you two also the only older couple there without a child? Everytime me and my girl goes to see one of these movies(which is pretty much whenever one comes out) this is how it is for us.



Admit it. You downloaded it with expectations of porn.

Perv. :thumbsup:

*shivers* Porn is so penis inverting for me. I have no idea how people get addicted to that stuff.

[mjmacky]

Were you two also the only older couple there without a child? Everytime me and my girl goes to see one of these movies(which is pretty much whenever one comes out) this is how it is for us.

Just because you don't go in there with a child, doesn't mean you have leave without one as well.


*shivers* Porn is so penis inverting for me. I have no idea how people get addicted to that stuff.

Have you tried amateur porn?

[megabyteme]

me thinks yous guys are just a bunch of racists ANI!

I tend to agree with this assessment on the wikipedia page:


Allegations of racial caricature Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal described the character as a "Rastafarian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastafari_movement) Stepin Fetchit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepin_Fetchit) on platform hoofs, crossed annoyingly with Butterfly McQueen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_McQueen)."[11] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jar_Jar_Binks#cite_note-10) Patricia J. Williams (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_J._Williams) writes that many aspects of Jar Jar's character are highly reminiscent of the archetypes portrayed in blackface (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface) minstrelsy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show),[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jar_Jar_Binks#cite_note-Williams-11) while others have suggested that the character is a "laid-back clown character" representing a black Caribbean stereotype.[13] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jar_Jar_Binks#cite_note-12)



I'm certain there are more detailed discussions of the topic, but the links included in the quote are very interesting in terms of what used to be "acceptable" in past American cinema and television. :ermm:

*Note the citations are currently numbered incorrectly. The bottom of the Jar Jar Binks page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jar_Jar_Binks) gives accurate links to material used.

[mjmacky]

I'm certain there are more detailed discussions of the topic, but the links included in the quote are very interesting in terms of what used to be "acceptable" in past American cinema and television. :ermm:

Though annoyed by the stereotype elements that manifest in Jar Jar Binks, his species/community was not one that really mirrored the black community. I think it was just a poor assumption to think that including it would be met with any kind of appreciation. The example I found even more atrocious was the ghettospeak autobot they used in the second Transformers movie (or were there 2 of them?).

Now, Deadwood, which is at the top of my list of all time favorite shows, had a black woman (Lucretia Aunt Lou Marchbanks, based on actual person (http://www.legendsofamerica.com/sd-auntlou.html)) that seemed to have had most of her lines written by Tyler Perry (single-handedly the worst thing about the show, but that falls on a very short list for me). I don't know if it's a valid approach to her character if you base it off the notion that most of our "uppity nigger" stereotypes were formed post Emancipation, but it simply doesn't resonate with the accounts of her history.

[clocker]

Killer Elite- The Statham, The Owen and The DeNiro.

Killer Elite makes the same mistake as The Expendibles...it assumes that simply putting all the testosterone ever in one film automatically makes for awesome.
It really doesn't.

Nobody plays The Statham like Jason does and he's perfectly serviceable here.
A very believable action hero guy, he is.
Also, he has the world's most consistently perfect beard stubble (in my experience, the first few days growing a beard are quite odd...itchy and noticeable...so I've been bemused by the trend in stubble as a "look"); the film spans several weeks but he's never clean shaven, yet never grows a beard...just a perfect few millimeters of stubble. His kissing scenes with the "girlfriend icon" must have played havoc with her skin (why do I think of these things?).

The Owen is saddled with two insurmountable disadvantages in Killer Elite.
His character is part of a shadowy group of ex-SAS agents called The Feathermen.
Ooohhh, scary.
Then he was apparently styled by the same person who did Tom Hanks in the daVinci movies...i.e., very oddly.
If they were shooting for John Cleese, they nailed it.

I think The DeNiro was cast





...actually, I have no idea why.

One thing I did appreciate was the cars.
Everyone drives really crappy cars and there are several chase scenes, I found them kind of amusing.

[mjmacky]

One thing I did appreciate was the cars.
Everyone drives really crappy cars and there are several chase scenes, I found them kind of amusing.

One of my favorite car sequences in the past decade was from Four Brothers.

[megabyteme]

Though annoyed by the stereotype elements that manifest in Jar Jar Binks, his species/community was not one that really mirrored the black community. I think it was just a poor assumption to think that including it would be met with any kind of appreciation. The example I found even more atrocious was the ghettospeak autobot they used in the second Transformers movie (or were there 2 of them?).

Now, Deadwood, which is at the top of my list of all time favorite shows, had a black woman (Lucretia Aunt Lou Marchbanks, based on actual person (http://www.legendsofamerica.com/sd-auntlou.html)) that seemed to have had most of her lines written by Tyler Perry (single-handedly the worst thing about the show, but that falls on a very short list for me). I don't know if it's a valid approach to her character if you base it off the notion that most of our "uppity nigger" stereotypes were formed post Emancipation, but it simply doesn't resonate with the accounts of her history.

The community element is a great point. I had not looked past the character himself. According to Lucas, Jar Jar was put in "for the kids"- as was the entire series. Intentional, or not, it teeters so close to poor taste- especially since the actor who played the character was black, and so many blacks were made to play the buffoon for so long in blatantly racist shows.

I'm not one who seeks out such material to call it "racist", or not, but Jar Jar did strike a nerve in me. I don't remember the Transformers GhetoBot, but I may have just dismissed it as a lame character and moved on. There really wasn't much memorable about Transformers*- I seem to remember explosions, car advertisements, an irritating "star", robots, and an out-of-place piece of eye candy in the form of a female- dark haired in the first, blonde in the second. However, the "ghettospeaking" characters are becoming far too numerous, and may find themselves in their own shame lists for this time period. Modern cinema/television is still guilty of racial stereotyping characters- it's interesting what can be considered acceptable when using a CGI character and a black actor doing voices...:pinch:

*Apologies for revealing the entire plot to those who may not have seen either film.

As for Deadwood, that is one show that has so far passed me by. The name has popped up occasionally, and I think I may have to add it to my list of series to watch based on your high recommendation.

[Quarterquack]

Were you two also the only older couple there without a child? Everytime me and my girl goes to see one of these movies(which is pretty much whenever one comes out) this is how it is for us.

Actually, there was something else that stuck out for me.

It was movie night, so naturally we ran into people we know. One specific acquaintance wanted to watch Harold and Kumar and insisted on us watching it with us, so we decided to watch both movies, with Puss in Boots as the follow-up. The H&K theater was packed. I literally had to scout the seats for a good 5 minutes before I found some place for us all to sit.

After it was done we went for PiB, and the theater was empty. It was just us, and another three people who looked like they were about to have a threesome after the show was done. Made me run a sanity check after myself once I was done. It was such a wry attendance that I literally had to bring up the fact that Eric Schmidt was listed as a producer to regain some semblance of sanity in conversation with the would-be-threesome. I've been to off-the-top of my head, Cloudy with a chance of meatballs, Monsters, The Princess and The Frog and that water animation movie last year, but none that had an attendance this low. That's what shocked me.

[mjmacky]

As for Deadwood, that is one show that has so far passed me by. The name has popped up occasionally, and I think I may have to add it to my list of series to watch based on your high recommendation.

Upgrade it to my highest recommendation. I'll even stop asking Idoleyes to watch Louie to use as credits towards recommending this show to you. There is one caveat, show kind of stop being produced at conclusion of third season, there were some issues with actor contracts and they were going to wrap it up with a movie once they realized they couldn't do season 4. It's mostly based on the history of the Black Hill territory (Dakota), and they tend to slightly fiddle with some details to make the story work. Includes some notable historical US figures, Wild Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane, Seth Bullock, George Hearst, the Pinkertons, even Wyatt Earp showed up in an episode.

That's not even the good part, the writing/dialogue for the show tends to be heavily Shakespearean, with a tendency to play with phrases, but includes within it copious amounts of "foul" language. You even see other elements of Shakespearean style including soliloquies, a slow dissent into madness, talking to a "skull". The show is just brilliant.


Cloudy with a chance of meatballs... The Princess and The Frog

Are these ones worth a watch? After watching How to Train Your Dragon, I was thinking alright these new animation movies aren't so bad. Then I watched Tangled and immediately regressed.

[megabyteme]

Upgrade it to my highest recommendation. I'll even stop asking Idoleyes to watch Louie to use as credits towards recommending this show to you. There is one caveat, show kind of stop being produced at conclusion of third season, there were some issues with actor contracts and they were going to wrap it up with a movie once they realized they couldn't do season 4. It's mostly based on the history of the Black Hill territory (Dakota), and they tend to slightly fiddle with some details to make the story work. Includes some notable historical US figures, Wild Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane, Seth Bullock, George Hearst, the Pinkertons, even Wyatt Earp showed up in an episode.

That's not even the good part, the writing/dialogue for the show tends to be heavily Shakespearean, with a tendency to play with phrases, but includes within it copious amounts of "foul" language. You even see other elements of Shakespearean style including soliloquies, a slow dissent into madness, talking to a "skull". The show is just brilliant.



I'll be up most of the night anyway. Why not? :)