Movie Critics Thread

[Juke_spin]

Someone called my bluff while I was moaning about the "cultural dolts" of the CCC and challenged me to start this thread and leave it to anyone to put up a movie each week to be round-robin critequed by a self-appointed panel.:)

Here it is.

I'm nominating myself as moderator; anyone can second or put forward their own nominations...and awaiting the first movie to be critiqued.:mega: Once one has been started, I suggest an approximate week having a go at it, etc.:D

[2jazzyjeff]

wonder who called your bluff? :thinking: i'm not one to watch the tube as this link depicts....

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showpost.php?p=556597&postcount=7

but i will try one here and there... :)

[christopher]

Alright, I'll bite.

Leon (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110413/)

Do you think this movie promotes pedophilia? Kind of pertinent to current events, huh? I don't but I'll expand my answer if/ after I hear some other opinions.

[2jazzyjeff]

geez ck.. i watched this flick back when it came out. to my best recollection, i don't remember it being that way or atleast i didn't take it that way. it's hard to remember all the specifics tho. you said that you don't, so what's the tie to possible pedophilia? :thinking:

[Juke_spin]

Alright, I'll bite.

Leon (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110413/)

Do you think this movie promotes pedophilia? Kind of pertinent to current events, huh? I don't but I'll expand my answer if/ after I hear some other opinions.
Thanks for the link ck, it affords me an opportunity to air a girpe about the IMDB's (Internet Movie Data Base - for all you dolts) photo gallery.

Granted, this is an aside, but a valid one and I'll explain why. Want to see a photo of Natalie Portman as she looked back when she made the movie; when she was twelve years old? Well you not going to see any such pics by searching the IMDB's photo gallery.

It seems that the IMDB gears the presentation of its photo gallery to casting agents, producers and directors. Never mind that the vast majority of internet surfers perusing their galleries have nothing to do with the motion picture industry or the creation of film.

:back2top:In asnswer to the the pediphilia question: do you think the adult in the film, Leon (played by the then mostly unknown Jean Reno (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000606/)), develops any inappropriate (carnal) feelings for his young charge throughout the span of his interaction with her? Because, if not, where is the potential pedopheliac audience supposed to get a feeling of support for their fetishism?

[cali]

ooo ooo! juke! i second you! i don't know tons of movies...but i know a decent amount.

[Juke_spin]

ooo ooo! juke! i second you! i don't know tons of movies...but i know a decent amount.
How about Léon (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110413/) aka The Professional; this current week's kick around movie? Could you be induced to watch it; it's well worth the time, Gary Oldman at his over-the-top best and the budding Natialie Portman supported by a solid Jean Reno in a very good psycho/action thriller?

[cali]

How about Léon (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110413/) aka The Professional; this current week's kick around movie? Could you be induced to watch it; it's well worth the time, Gary Oldman at his over-the-top best and the budding Natialie Portman supported by a solid Jean Reno in a very good psycho/action thriller?

i could definitely be induced, however, getting out to rent it is another matter in itself :(

but! i definitely could see clips on youtube.

may i suggest pulp fiction for next week?;)

[christopher]

Yeah, I always thought the relationship between Leon and Mathilda was more a father/ daughter kind of relationship. She was just confused about her feelings, seeing as she never really had a father figure in her life previously.

IMDB doesn't have many photos at all dating back to 1995, especially for current actors. But if you do a google image search of 'Leon' the first pic is this:

http://www.tcp.com/~jrwatkin/ts/portman/leon-02.jpg

[Juke_spin]

i could definitely be induced, however, getting out to rent it is another matter in itself :(

but! i definitely could see clips on youtube.

may i suggest pulp fiction for next week?;)
Not sure I can or should pass on this; even the idea of having a moderator for this thread seems kinds specious. Maybe a kind of Master of Ceremonies or Movie Show Host?

At any rate, being seconded isn't enough.

It's a little early, I think, for choosing another movie but I'll go with whatever the rest of whatever self appointed panel decides.

Are you telling us that a definite CCC super-gimp can't manage getting herself or someone out to a video store in the next five - six days? Where is it that you live again? The Yukon?:D

[cali]

Not sure I can or should pass on this; even the idea of having a moderator for this thread seems kinds specious. Maybe a kind of Master of Ceremonies or Movie Show Host?

At any rate, being seconded isn't enough.

It's a little early, I think, for choosing another movie but I'll go with whatever the rest of whatever self appointed panel decides.

Are you telling us that a definite CCC super-gimp can't manage getting herself or someone out to a video store in the next five - six days? Where is it that you live again? The Yukon?:D

ooo baby PLEASE make me part of you self-appointed panel!:lovingeye

i live in a bomb shelter in jeff's swamp;):p

no, i guess i could, there's one like 2 minutes away...i guess it's just a little guilt complex of mine since i just can't go and do it myself yet. i have to get over that.

[Juke_spin]

ooo baby PLEASE make me part of you self-appointed panel!:lovingeye

i live in a bomb shelter in jeff's swamp;):p

no, i guess i could, there's one like 2 minutes away...i guess it's just a little guilt complex of mine since i just can't go and do it myself yet. i have to get over that.
What's unclear about "self-appointed"; you want in; you are in!

Lucky Jeff. This accounts for his hip waders and general fatigued appearance.:agog::p:laughabv::director::doh::help:

[2jazzyjeff]

me Jeff? :thinking: am i finally lucky? :D

[Juke_spin]

Yeah, I always thought the relationship between Leon and Mathilda was more a father/ daughter kind of relationship. She was just confused about her feelings, seeing as she never really had a father figure in her life previously.

IMDB doesn't have many photos at all dating back to 1995, especially for current actors. But if you do a google image search of 'Leon' the first pic is this:

http://www.tcp.com/%7Ejrwatkin/ts/portman/leon-02.jpg Mathilda doing her Madona "Like a Virgin" impersonation! The interplay in these scenes between her and Leon, with his wooden, unimaginative impressions, was priceless.

So what did you think of the movie overall? Of the ending?

[christopher]

It's one of my favourite movies. The plot is a unrealistic but movies aren't history lessons. I liked the relationship between Leon and Mathilda, my favourite Gary Oldman performance, the opening scene, the bathroom scene with Stansfield and Mathilda, the scene where she's knocking on the door, the overall pacing of the film... all of it.

I just found her first interview with Conan O' Brien here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ftu9WJTddU&mode=related&search=)

[cali]

What's unclear about "self-appointed"; you want in; you are in!

Lucky Jeff. This accounts for his hip waders and general fatigued appearance.:agog::p:laughabv::director::doh::help:

sorry buddy, i thought you meant self-appointed as you being the "self" part.

ha nah he bought those waders from me for 5 bucks...for all that deep shit he gets into.:p

[christopher]

So should we move on to Thelma and Louise?

[Juke_spin]

So should we move on to Thelma and Louise?
I don't know; Cali wants Pulp Fiction. Now I don't like PF but do like a couple of thing about it and can always come up with something as long as I've seen the flick. I DO like Thelma and Louise and could always watch it again. Cali's the big CCC celebrity girl of the moment.

What say we let Jeff have the deciding say as the thread was his idea from the get?

[cali]

I don't know; Cali wants Pulp Fiction. Now I don't like PF but do like a couple of thing about it and can always come up with something as long as I've seen the flick. I DO like Thelma and Louise and could always watch it again. Cali's the big CCC celebrity girl of the moment.

What say we let Jeff have the deciding say as the thread was his idea from the get?

celebrity girl?:thinking: i'm just a country bumpkin.:p

[Juke_spin]

celebrity girl?:thinking: i'm just a country bumpkin.:p
Yeah, and I'm a drooling, senile illiterate.:p So, you're the CCC Celebrity Girl...(drum roll) because you're getting so much cool return.:agog::applaud::applaud:

So, how about letting Jeff decide? Or just settling for having Thelma & Louise up now and Pulp Fiction up next? Why Pulp Fiction, btw?:confused:

[cali]

Yeah, and I'm a drooling, senile illiterate.:p So, you're the CCC Celebrity Girl...(drum roll) because you're getting so much cool return.:agog::applaud::applaud:

So, how about letting Jeff decide? Or just settling for having Thelma & Louise up now and Pulp Fiction up next? Why Pulp Fiction, btw?:confused:

o well thank you!:notworthy

jeff can decide...*gulp* i haven't seen thelma and louise:mdramatic

i like pulp fiction! i like how they go from scene to scene, and my favorite part is where they accidentally shoot marvin in the head.

[Juke_spin]

o well thank you!:notworthy

jeff can decide...*gulp* i haven't seen thelma and louise:mdramatic

i like pulp fiction! i like how they go from scene to scene, and my favorite part is where they accidentally shoot marvin in the head.
The scene you mention is my least favorite one in PF, but let's keep it light.:bounce::innocent:

Film Critiquing Word for today:verisimilitude: ver‧i‧si‧mil‧i‧tude*

When I watch a movie I need a number of things to be happening for me to engage with the characters as people I care about. Likewise, I need for certain things not to be happening and perhaps foremost of these is that the flick not fail to maintain a certain level of plausable verisimilitude throughout. Depending on the nature of the film and the "reality universe" it poses, this level will vary.

Let me ask you how much blood and brain matter you suppose would be the maximum amount that could realistically be looked to to leave a persons head that had been shot in the way Marvin was shot by Vincent? OK, let's suppose, just for arguement, that it was enough to make the mess we see Marvin's heads ejected contents making in the movie. Even so, can you believe that it could find its way onto all the cars surfaces that it does in the movie?

There is another variable where the cutoff point for verisimilitude violation is found in each movie; how engaged/engrossed I am when the offending scene or scenes take place. In Pulp Fiction, with the exception of one notable sequence, that point was very low because I failed to establish any kind of empathy for the characters. Vincent is superficial and vain and so is his partner, Jules; in fact everyone in the movie seems to be carrying a supersized load of vanity, but then that is one of the essences of pulp fiction (and one of the reasons I've never cared for the art from).

I'd like to think, for your sake at least, you are kidding about not being able to get out to shop with a whole week to do it. Tell me it aint so.:thinking::(


*http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/verisimilitude

[cali]

The scene you mention is my least favorite one in PF, but let's keep it light.:bounce::innocent:

Film Critiquing Word for today:verisimilitude: ver‧i‧si‧mil‧i‧tude*

When I watch a movie I need a number of things to be happening for me to engage with the characters as people I care about. Likewise, I need for certain things not to be happening and perhaps foremost of these is that the flick not fail to maintain a certain level of plausable verisimilitude throughout. Depending on the nature of the film and the "reality universe" it poses, this level will vary.

Let me ask you how much blood and brain matter you suppose would be the maximum amount that could realistically be looked to to leave a persons head that had been shot in the way Marvin was shot by Vincent? OK, let's suppose, just for arguement, that it was enough to make the mess we see Marvin's heads ejected contents making in the movie. Even so, can you believe that it could find its way onto all the cars surfaces that it does in the movie?

There is another variable where the cutoff point for verisimilitude violation is found in each movie; how engaged/engrossed I am when the offending scene or scenes take place. In Pulp Fiction, with the exception of one notable sequence, that point was very low because I failed to establish any kind of empathy for the characters. Vincent is superficial and vain and so is his partner, Jules; in fact everyone in the movie seems to be carrying a supersized load of vanity, but then that is one of the essences of pulp fiction (and one of the reasons I've never cared for the art from).

I'd like to think, for your sake at least, you are kidding about not being able to get out to shop with a whole week to do it. Tell me it aint so.:thinking::(


*http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/verisimilitude

i guess i liked it for it's dark humour and the fact that i didn't have to get attached to any certain character in order to enjoy it.

of course it isn't very realistic but i like that scene purely for the unexpected event. and how vincent was so casual about it. actually, i also liked how jules has the pieces of it in his hair and acts like it's nothing. i just liked the dark humour in it.

as for the shop thing, it's everyone's chore and honestly, i'm not too keen on hearing how much of a pain in the ass it is for everyone to take a tape back when in reality it's no big thing. martyr moms and dads are frustrating.:mad:

[2jazzyjeff]

did that end the Pulp talk? :) i didn't care for it the 1st time around nor would i like Natural Born Killers to be a choice, but hey, who the hell am i? :thinking: cali girl is the Superstar. :p

Heat comes to my mind, but Thelma and Louise wouldn't be a bad choice..

[cali]

did that end the Pulp talk? :) i didn't care for it the 1st time around nor would i like Natural Born Killers to be a choice, but hey, who the hell am i? :thinking: cali girl is the Superstar. :p

Heat comes to my mind, but Thelma and Louise wouldn't be a bad choice..

yea i guess pulp talk is over, i thought more people would have something to day about it but i was wrong. ah well, no biggie.


:(i didn't see heat either. i suck...

[christopher]

Vincent is superficial and vain and so is his partner, Jules; in fact everyone in the movie seems to be carrying a supersized load of vanity, but then that is one of the essences of pulp fiction (and one of the reasons I've never cared for the art from).

Continuing on this point, wouldn't the final scene bring this theme around full circle? Dressed in shorts and T-shirts, being held up by a couple of two-bit wannabe hoods, Jules has a revelation about all the bad stuff he's done, while Vincent's taking a dump. In not sharing in Jules' revelation, Vincent ultimately gets shot by Butch (Bruce Willis), by his own gun, while taking a dump. In a Shakespearian tragedy, everybody dies, a la Reservoir Dogs. In a Shakespearian comedy, almost everyone lives, a la Pulp Fiction (with the exception of Vincent, of course). Personally, I find Pulp Fiction easily watchable, but ultimately its fluff embelished with cool, funny dialogue and situations. As a work of art, I find Reservoir Dogs to be the better film.

[betheny]

I love Thelma and Louise. I'm not a good movie critic but I'm a human woman and I love that movie. I'd love it even if Brad Pitt didn't make his first-ever smoking hot entry into my consciousness, leaving me shouting "Don't turn it off! I want to read the credits! WHO is that slimy lil smokin' hot cowboy!?!"

I was hoping to have the chance to thank Susan Sarandon for that movie at the rally this year. If she had never contributed one other wonderful movie (which she has), she did her part for humanity with Miss Louise. Just as her husband did with Duchesne in Shawshank Redemption.

Oooohhhh, Shawshank. You guys need to watch that one too!

If I were doing a Tarantino movie (I'm not a huge fan), I'd do Kill Bill. For a classic cheeseball movie, also Tarantino I think (he acts in it), you might consider "From Dusk Till Dawn". It's probably lacking in versimilitude but once the blood and guts are knee high, who's counting?

I'm an expert on that one because it has Selma Hayek nearly naked. My menfolk are incapable of surfing past it...I've seen it an estimated 118 times now.

[christopher]

Yeah, its my favourite buddy movie. I love Thelma's husband. What a knob! I saw it in the theatre when I was 18 and even I was thinkin', 'who was that hot cowboy?'. After I was finished drooling over Geena Davis. That sex scene was hawt.

And Ridley Scott, the director... from Alien to Blade Runner, T & L, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down... he makes alot of different styles of movies! And he's not afraid of directing strong female characters.

[cljanney]

Just chimed in to this thread... a little late.

Feel good/suicide movies are great if you can pull it off; Thelma and Louise... Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, Dr. Strangelove (the last scene), etc. (any more)?

On/Off topic kinda... anyone see La Femme Nakita (http://imdb.com/title/tt0100263/), Jean Reno's character's introduction as 'The Cleaner' that later became 'Leon' in The Profession? Great film! Subtitles..., but he kicks it in it!

[Juke_spin]

Continuing on this point, wouldn't the final scene bring this theme around full circle? Dressed in shorts and T-shirts, being held up by a couple of two-bit wannabe hoods, Jules has a revelation about all the bad stuff he's done, while Vincent's taking a dump. In not sharing in Jules' revelation, Vincent ultimately gets shot by Butch (Bruce Willis), by his own gun, while taking a dump. In a Shakespearian tragedy, everybody dies, a la Reservoir Dogs. In a Shakespearian comedy, almost everyone lives, a la Pulp Fiction (with the exception of Vincent, of course). Personally, I find Pulp Fiction easily watchable, but ultimately its fluff embelished with cool, funny dialogue and situations. As a work of art, I find Reservoir Dogs to be the better film.
I'll like to have another go at this before we move on. That one character is possibly showing indications of becoming less vain and shallow by the end of the movie does almost nothing as regards my objection to the saturation of the film by characters for whom a combination of superficiality/vanity, or that and violence, are their dominant personality traits.

Ridiculous case in point: The Wolf. The clown twins, Jules and Vincent are so lost as to how to clean up the mess caused by Vincent's extreamely unprofessional "accident" that they must contact their boss, Marcellus Wallace. Wallace solves their problem by sending "The Wolf" to orchestrate a clean up, the particulars of which any group of reasonably bright Cub Scouts could have worked out on their own. But before the bumbling duo can proceed, Vincent and The Wolf must work out which of them has rightful calim to the larger share of vanity.:director::help:

The one sequence of the film that worked for me and worked well is the one that began when Butch (Bruce Willis's character) is spotted by Marcellus on the street. Butch runs down the pedestrian Marcellus and gets T-boned in the intersection and a chase ensues that ends in a pawnshop where a bizarre sequence of events unfolds in which the two principals figure as little more than spectators until the very end. But the way the sequence ends affords about the only time we get to see the movie's characters acting with humanity and compassion. Not to mention that the dramatic element becomes compelling at the same time that Willis's character undergoes some positive development. In spite and perhaps because of, the bizarre nature of what proceeds, the sequence works very well and is the exception which proves the rule where the rest of the film is concerned.

Betheny, I've got to say that I agree with all you said about Thelma and Louise. I don't generally notice males as sexually significant but Brad Pitt's J.D. (juvenile delinquent?) is exceptional in that he just about dripped bad boy sexiness, making the sex scene between him and Thelma that much more plausable. Of course the ending was a female rendering of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and, resoundingly, a Ridley Scott trademark but worked wonderfully for the film.

[cali]

betheny, i love shawshank! finally, i movie i've seen!

i really don't think anyone wants to hash out my favorite movie....
i just like it for the novelty, not that it's a really good movie

the goonies:agog::mega:

[Broknwing]

awww Cali, I think you'll get a TON of people who love Goonies ;)

[rollin64]

i gotta go with cali now. PULP fiction is one a my faves. anything tarantino i LIKE........."from dusk til dawn"...."jackie brown"..."reservoir dogs".

hey cali...

if ya haven't seen it, whenever you get to the video store...try "jackie brown". :D

[Juke_spin]

i gotta go with cali now. PULP fiction is one a my faves. anything tarantino i LIKE........."from dusk til dawn"...."jackie brown"..."reservoir dogs".

hey cali...

if ya haven't seen it, whenever you get to the video store...try "jackie brown". :D
I so (I thought) dispised Q. Tarantino that I had to go check who directed "..Dogs" and "Jackie Brown", as I like them both. Yep, the goofey, overrated sob did direct both those borderline great movies. I'm indepted to that fashiion disaster, SnazzyJeff for suggesting this thead, although I suspect he'll not be going along with me on this one.:nono::p:D

I sill think his lameos far outnumber his good stuff and that he's vastly overrated, though.

[2jazzyjeff]

I sill think his lameos far outnumber his good stuff and that he's vastly overrated, though.now this is a comment that i can get on board with.. :applaud:

[christopher]

Kill Bill is definitely overrated imho. A classic case of style over substance.

[Juke_spin]

Kill Bill is definitely overrated imho. A classic case of style over substance.
Agreed, ck.

I'm proposing Heat (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113277/) for critique.

In spite of the presence of Al Pacino, who I've always grudgingly granted has some talent but I've always detested on a personal level, this is imo, one of the seminal crime dramas of its decade. Michael Mann outdoes himself with this masterpiece, marred only by some stilted dialogue, most of it comming from the film's weakest actor (Diane Venora (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0893204/) playing Justine Hanna, Pacino's wife in Heat) and the over-the-top antics of ham Pacino, who needs a firm director reigning him in at all times.

Justine Hanna (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0893204/): You sift through the detritus, you read the terrain, you search for signs of passing, for the scent of your prey, and then you hunt them down.

Justine Hanna (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0893204/): I may be stoned on grass and Prozac, but you've been walking through our life dead.

[christopher]

Yeah, I watched Heat again a few months ago, and I really enjoyed it. Michael Mann took what he learned from Miami Vice and created a slick 90s action flick. Deniro is rock solid, even Val Kilmer is more than just a pretty face.You're right about Pacino. Whatever happened to the actor that played Michael Corleone with such nuance and subtlety? A tense cat-and-mouse game culminating in an AWESOME gun fight in downtown LA. Although, for cat and mouse movies, The Departed has taken Heat's place as #1 for me.

[Juke_spin]

Yeah, I watched Heat again a few months ago, and I really enjoyed it. Michael Mann took what he learned from Miami Vice and created a slick 90s action flick. Deniro is rock solid, even Val Kilmer is more than just a pretty face.You're right about Pacino. Whatever happened to the actor that played Michael Corleone with such nuance and subtlety? A tense cat-and-mouse game culminating in an AWESOME gun fight in downtown LA. Although, for cat and mouse movies, The Departed has taken Heat's place as #1 for me.
Got to quibble about your use of culminate here as the shootout at at the airport would have to be the culmination of this great crime/action cat and mouse film.

We're definitely on the same page about Pacino; the early promise of the depth and complexity shown in Michale Corleone's character got lost in the ego bing of celebrity and it shows even in the actor's facial characteristics. Here's a guy that's so oral, so in love with the sound of his own voice, that he must chew when he's not vocalizing and vocalize even when clearly inappropriate. Michael Mann gives the two main leads, De Niro and Pacino their own heads in interpreting the script to the screen and it's a positive decision all the time where De Niro is concerned but only occasionally with ham Pacino. You pick up from the director's commentary track that Mann was in awe of these two actors, regarding them as "The two finest dramatic actors in film today." Which brings me to one, and only one, of my reasons for making a strong recommendation for the use of the "Special Features" or "Bonus Material" found on modern DVDs today; particularly the "Director's Commentary".

To many, the "Let's have coffee" scene in Heat is the pivotal scene of the movie. Michael Mann describes it as such in the DC track. But he reveals both his awe of Al Pacino and how he seemed to allow him special latitude at, imo, the expense of the overall quality of the film. It is interesting, too, that whereas Mann cites real-life characters for the sources of most of the leads in this film including De Niro's (Niel McCauley), he does not do so for that of Vincent Hanna, Pacino's character. During the "coffee" scene there is an interchange between the principals which Mann considers the high point of this "most pivotal" scene; the exchange of dreams between them. Although Mann only hints this may be true, Hanna's dream, steeped in implausability as it is, would seem to be a Pacino construction. The dream:

You know I have this...ah, recurring dream. I'm sitting at this big banquet table and all the victims of all the murders I've ever worked are sitting there starring at me, and they're lookin at me with these black eyeballs because, they've got eight-ball hemorages from the head wounds. And there they are, these big, baloon-people because I found them two weeks after they'ed been under the bed; the neighbors reported the smell. And there they are; all of them just sitting there.
Mann seems to think this dream construction brilliant but I beg to differ. The dream is supposed to make sense; of Hanna and to McCauley but it contains major breaks with verisimilitude; with "trueness-to-life". Obviously, not all of Hanna's murder victims had the head wound he attributes to the people in the dream. Likewise, not all of them were discovered only after neighbors reported the smell of two week dead courpses. While we must allow the latitude that the rendering of a dream requires, the dream, so clearly a break with both reality and a composite from an accurate history of the character, can't work nearly as well for McCauley as the detective would want it to in this strongly focused part of their back-and-fourth. Had Hanna made some self deprecating remark on the lack of accuracy and/or verisimilitude, as could have been expected from most anyone in such an exchange, it would have bridged the credibility gap for us, McCauley and the film. He don't and, most significaltly, the director is blind to the need for either a more believable/accurate dream or something more from Pacino's character in its conveyance to smooth out the ripple it creates.

Getting back to why the Directors Commentary is so important here (as only one example of many), we only learn of his awe of Pacino, and the latitude this seemingly lead him to extend to him, through his comments.

Heat's strengths, however, far outweigh its weaknesses.*


*More on this later.

[christopher]

Well, Juke, one things for sure... you're waaaay smarter than me. And you know your movies. My favourite DVD extra commentaries are Fight Club and Lord of the Rings. I like actors just being themselves. You can almost hear the bong going in the background.

Scarface was great but so over the top he was a caricature. Glengarry Glen Ross was a decent understated performance, but that was Jack Lemmon's movie.

re. Culminate... true, but once again, I'll refer to Shakespeare because it makes me feel smart: The shit always goes down in the third act. :p

And just for shits and giggles: It's insistent! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZdzv0f02go)

[Juke_spin]

And just for shits and giggles: It's insistent! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZdzv0f02go)
Well, ck, one good turn deserves another: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAbDpAOPmKY&NR

The love&hate of Stewie&Lois

Although you've probably seen it already.

[Juke_spin]

Well, Juke, one things for sure... you're waaaay smarter than me. And you know your movies. My favourite DVD extra commentaries are Fight Club and Lord of the Rings.
Thanks, ck, but it's probably not so, the first part, anyway.:notworthy

Consider that I'm sixty-two and have had a lifelong passion for film. Then, about eight years ago, my focus and perception deepened to looking at the details of the movie-making process at its roots; the value and quality of the contributions of writers and directors. I'm aware of how significant the contributions of editor, director of photography, special effects, etc., etc. are but have yet to learn much about more that a few of them. With the advent of modern DVDs with their wealth of special features, I began to be able to indulge my new level of interest to a much greater extent; to be able to actually enter the minds of writers and directors. Having much otherwise idle time on my hands, I have watched films I like multiple times, analyzing and reanalyzing them. But there is nothing I've done or do that any reasonably smart guy or gal couldn't.

In fact, one of the things that perplexes me is the seeming lack of interest that most people have in the understanding, analysis and discussion of film. After all, cinema and movies are the dominant artform in the lives of most of us living on the planet today. That we seem to regard film criticism as alien, forbiding or undesireable poses paradoxical questions about the nature of our psyches. While I suspect that many believe that a too thorough understanding of the film-making process would undermine the magic of film, I can attest that it is not so. For me the deepening of my understanding has enhanced my appreciation of film in gereral and specific movies in particular.;)

I'd really like to see more people consider the idea of "self-appointment" as occasional critics and start contributing to the thread without concerning themselves with their relative level of sophistication. Or to at least watch more movies and think more about why they like them; what makes them work and what makes them not work.:agog::thinking:

[betheny]

My favorite thing about movies tends to be dialogue. I yawn or flinch during action scenes etc.

Of course, a good story is essential. At heart, I'm a reader. I prefer a good book to any other entertainment media. If I love the story, and it is taken to the screen fairly faithfully, I'll probably love the movie. (Too bad that seldom happens.)

Shawshank is a good example of that. It's a gem of a short story, and a gem of a movie. The opposite of short story, but equally well-done, which I also love is the Lord of the Rings movies. I can't believe they managed to make movies I love out of mongo books that I have loved for decades.

[Juke_spin]

Of course, a good story is essential.

Shawshank is a good example of that. It's a gem of a short story, and a gem of a movie.
Yes, a good story is at the heart of any worthwhile movie, and I'll take good dialogue over the hottest, most visually appealing action sequences any day. I often watch the movies of the "Golden Age of Film"; the 40s and 50s, and, listening to the witty dialogue between Myrna Loy and Dick Powell or Joseph Cotten and Ingrid Bergman, wish some of today's films could do so well.

If ck, callie and whomever are OK with it, I'll put Sawshank at the top of my queue and we can have some fun with it. I don't recall liking it all that much but that was probably because of having a general dislike for Tim Robbins. I do recall liking the ending, though, and wouldn't be surprised if I revise my whole take on it once I've seen it again.

Now if they only have a director's commentary.:thinking::bounce::D

[Chaz19]

Just Saw "Borat".... last week. A hilarious social commentary that blows any sort of politically correctness apart.....I highly recommend it but it's probably not for everyone.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443453/

[keps]

Nothing to do with films, but after seeing the youtube videos of Family Guy put up by Steve and Christopher, I wanna see all the series. If those clips are an indication of the how-ever-many series, it means many hours of hilarity that I've been missing out on.

I'd never seen even a minute of FG...now I want it all on dvd.

*rubs hands greedily*

:)

[Juke_spin]

Stewie Griffin's music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBF0xZae9-Y&mode=related&search=

Stewie Sings About A Fat Chick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiDBpYC2AvQ

[christopher]

I like Shawshank. Morgan Freeman makes whatever movie he's in ten times better. And you can't help but feel good at the end.

[cali]

I like Shawshank. Morgan Freeman makes whatever movie he's in ten times better. And you can't help but feel good at the end.

yeah lets talk about shawshank!

i love brooks i felt for him so much, especially about the raven.

[Juke_spin]

Originally Posted by christopher
I like Shawshank. Morgan Freeman makes whatever movie he's in ten times better. And you can't help but feel good at the end.

yeah lets talk about shawshank!

i love brooks i felt for him so much, especially about the raven.
You's can go ahead but I'll take about 3-4 days to ketchup. I've just put it at the top of my queue but have to return Stay (a beautiful looking but pretentious effort sporting a lot of name actors and a New York that's never looked like it's rendered in the film*) so Sat.'s the earliest I'll be getting it.:bounce:

*I was raised in the burbs but visited NYC lots and worked on a survey team in the CITY for six months before I was shot and gimped. I got to see the Big Apple from the slums of Spanish Harlem (hot girls) to the town houses of Park Ave (couples with poodles;)).

[JCAT]

[quote=Juke_spin] Then, about eight years ago, my focus and perception deepened to looking at the details of the movie-making process at its roots; the value and quality of the contributions of writers and directors.

Juke,

I have started to appreciate movies about a year ago.
My male friend and I now spend our weekend watching classic movies.

We look closely at the credits and seek out directors and the way a scene is projected, like the way michael curtiz uses mirrors and shadows. I can name a few director that has captured my interest : Demille, Hitchcock, Preminger and Wells.

This weekend is the1939 movie "The Women" directed by George Cukor, with a cast of Hollywood Beauties.

After each or during the movie(s) we search the internet for infomation on the cast and directors. Its very entertaining. I've seen movies I wouldn't
even consider prior.

Our DVD collection is out of control as of date 535 DVD from Westerns, Classics, Horror, etc....

A excellect place to get the classics is Turner Classic Movies web site.

Avid Movie Watcher

j

[Juke_spin]

[quote=Juke_spin] Then, about eight years ago, my focus and perception deepened to looking at the details of the movie-making process at its roots; the value and quality of the contributions of writers and directors.

Juke,

I have started to appreciate movies about a year ago.
My male friend and I now spend our weekend watching classic movies.

We look closely at the credits and seek out directors and the way a scene is projected, like the way michael curtiz uses mirrors and shadows. I can name a few director that has captured my interest : Demille, Hitchcock, Preminger and Wells.

This weekend is the1939 movie "The Women" directed by George Cukor, with a cast of Hollywood Beauties.

After each or during the movie(s) we search the internet for infomation on the cast and directors. Its very entertaining. I've seen movies I wouldn't
even consider prior.

Our DVD collection is out of control as of date 535 DVD from Westerns, Classics, Horror, etc....

A excellect place to get the classics is Turner Classic Movies web site.

Avid Movie Watcher

j
Hi, JCAT and welcome to what eveyone that's got a real interest in film should avail themselves of.:);)

I've let most of my "Golden Era" viewing go since dropping my cable feed but your comments and reminder of the excellence of most of the Turner offerings has got me thinking about getting it again. I spent many an enjoyable hour at Turner Classic Movies:

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is a cable television channel featuring commercial (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_commercial)-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turner_Entertainment) and Warner Bros. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros.) film libraries, which include many MGM (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM), United Artists (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Artists), RKO (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RKO) and Warner Bros. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros.) titles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turner_Classic_Movies

..and I just now added two great old Preminger flicks to my queue;Advise & Consent and Laura.

Of the modern movies I've seen lately, I really liked Wilby Wonderful (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383717/) (2004), an unpretentious little film with a lot of heart by the Canadian filmmaker Daniel MacIvor (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0532914/), and here's the best song from the film, sung by one of the main actors, Rebecca Jenkins:

http://eisakay.vox.com/library/audio/6a00c2251e5aca549d00cd9784dd0df9cc.html

Have you got a classic you'd like to do general (or just you/me) discussion on? One of the two Preminger films I just queued up, maybe? Anything?

Another Avid Film Watcher,

Steve S.

P.S. I recall The Women and liking the beginning throught the middle of the film; having just checked some reviews, this seems to have been the consensus.

P.P.S. If you're a real film nut I recommend you read Flicker: A Novel (http://www.amazon.com/Flicker-Novel-Theodore-Roszak/dp/155652577X/sr=1-1/qid=1163149074/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-2063214-5740012?ie=UTF8&s=books) by Theodore Roszak, for a very eye-opening and bizarre ride.

[JCAT]

[quote=Juke_spin]Hi,
I've let most of my "Golden Era" viewing go since dropping my cable feed but your comments and reminder of the excellence of most of the Turner offerings has got me thinking about getting it again. I spent many an enjoyable hour at Turner Classic Movies:

Juke,

Finding a good classic movie to buy is very expensive unless
you get lucky and find one or two in the clearance section.
So, when I purchased my first classic movie from Turner Classic
they sent a book with every movie thats available on vhs/dvd,
pricing is reasonable.

My first purchase was Hitchcocks thriller: Stranger on the train
with Robert Walker (excellent actor) died in his early thirtys.
After I goggled his bio there was another movie I wanted to
see, Vincente Minnelli's 1945 movie "The Clock" with Robert Walker & Judy Garland. A little romantic flick with colorful charaters and a genuine flare of what romance should be.

Movie's I've seen in the last three months.

A Tree grows in Brooklyn
What a way to go - Shirley Mcclain
To Kill a Mocking Bird
In Cold Blood
Soilet Green
Imitation of Life
Valley of the Doll

Just to name a few.. as far as directors its hard for me to pin point one I enjoy most at this time.. But to throw one out there I would need to say...
Orson Wells.

What is your all time favorite movie?
I know there are so many to choose from.

See ya at the Movies..
j

[chick]

JCAT,

If you haven't yet, a Patch of Blue (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059573/) and Tampopo (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092048/)

:)

[JCAT]

JCAT,

If you haven't yet, a Patch of Blue (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059573/) and Tampopo (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092048/)

:)

Chick,

Patch of Blue was on AMC about six weeks ago.

My friend and I were debating on what to do that evening so we turn on the t.v. just to entertain us while we decided.
And there it was Patch of Blue I insisted we spend the night in and watch it. So, we put on the PJ's and micro some popcorn and we enjoyed the flick.

I can't define which character I like the best, the racist, slut mother the drunken pa, the innocent (done over) daughter or the mild manner black man.

I recommend this under-rated movie, its worthy.

I never seen or heard of Tampopo. Any Good?

J

[Juke_spin]

Nothing to do with films, but after seeing the youtube videos of Family Guy put up by Steve and Christopher, I wanna see all the series. If those clips are an indication of the how-ever-many series, it means many hours of hilarity that I've been missing out on.

I'd never seen even a minute of FG...now I want it all on dvd.

*rubs hands greedily*

:)

Good one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL6iLGX0tOc&NR

[JCAT]

To any avid movie viewer.

I was able to squeeze in three movies this weekend.
Black/White Classics

1.) 1953 "The Robe" Directed by Henry Koster.
A Bibical story of Marcellus the soldier who wins Jesus robe in a game of dice. After. he has nightmares and is convience he's going mad and seeks out who this man was "the one" they call the son of God.
Starring : Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature.
Very Good

2.) 1939 "Women" Directed by George Cukor
Mary Haine's (Norma Shearer) husband Stephen is embroiled in an affair with a perfume clerk Crystal Allen (joan crawford).
With a little help from her friends & her pride Mrs Haines loses her husband to the gold digger Crystal. After two years Stephen is miserable with his new wife and his daughter Mary innocently tells her mother. With drawn claws Mary seek out to win her husband back.
This movie was far better than what I thought It would be. A lot of cattiness, jealousy and betrayal but yet they remained friends.
Worth the effort

3.) 1962 "Lolita" Director Stanley Kubrick
Vladimir Nobokov's novel
This movie was my favorite, it was Kubrick at his best.
Far better then his last movie "Eyes Wide Shut"

I do so want to comment on this flick but i've ran out of time.

until next time... j

p.s. I am unable to proof read. hope is okay

[keps]

Good one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL6iLGX0tOc&NR


Thanks. As soon as I have the dough, I am going to be buying FG discs. Ooooooooooh yeaaaaaaaaahh.


:)


Sidenote: I love how Americans say "tube". ;)

[christopher]

I'm back! What'd I miss? I wish we had a Turner Classic movies channel up here. I haven't even seen Casablanca OR Gone With the Wind.I did like Double indemnity tho.

[JCAT]

I haven't even seen Casablanca OR Gone With the Wind.I did like Double indemnity tho.

I haven't seen Casablanca either, I have it my collection but every
time its mentioned to see I alway choose another movie.
Gone with the wind and Doubl indemnity are excellect.
You need to see Gone with the wind, get a friend and a bowl
of popcorn a "Rent" it. TC
J

[christopher]

OK. So who's cooler? Han Solo or Indiana Jones?

As much as I love bounty hunters with a heart of gold, no one comes close to being as cool as Indiana Jones. Raiders of the Lost Ark, to me, is a perfect film. Maybe it has to do with my age. From beginning to end, an intoxicating blend of escapism, adventure, damsels in distress, and snakes on a motherf**king plane. As a boy, Indiana Jones embodies everything I ever wanted to be in a man. All I need now is a degree in archaeology.

http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Reviews/IndianaJones/Images/Indy.jpg

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to see Borat. High five for sexytime!

http://www.borat.tv/ms_blog/cannes.jpg

Nice!

[Juke_spin]

OK. So who's cooler? Han Solo or Indiana Jones?

As much as I love bounty hunters with a heart of gold, no one comes close to being as cool as Indiana Jones. Raiders of the Lost Ark, to me, is a perfect film. Maybe it has to do with my age. From beginning to end, an intoxicating blend of escapism, adventure, damsels in distress, and snakes on a motherf**king plane. As a boy, Indiana Jones embodies everything I ever wanted to be in a man. All I need now is a degree in archaeology.

http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Reviews/IndianaJones/Images/Indy.jpg

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to see Borat. High five for sexytime!

http://www.borat.tv/ms_blog/cannes.jpg

Nice!
ck, w/o the chicks in the above pic, I'd puke.

How can you dither about Harrison Ford movies and compleatly pass over Blade Runner? Seems to me you have had a warm spot for the flick, even in this very thread.


Originally Posted by christopher
Yeah, its my favourite buddy movie. I love Thelma's husband. What a knob! I saw it in the theatre when I was 18 and even I was thinkin', 'who was that hot cowboy?'. After I was finished drooling over Geena Davis. That sex scene was hawt.

And Ridley Scott, the director... from Alien to Blade Runner, T & L, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down... he makes alot of different styles of movies! And he's not afraid of directing strong female characters.

But then, you weren't praising Ford's performance, necessarily, just Ridley Scott's direction.

My youngest brother had a problem with the character portrayed by Harrison Ford in BR and it was based on the expectations generated by the Indiana Jones character. In Blade Runner*, Ford's character, Deckerd, isn't much of a hero, rather he's a bounty hunter doing a very questionable and dirty job. The film's "hero" is the lethal Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer); an android with near superhuman intelligence and physical abilities who's headed up a small band of renegade androids and brought them back to earth seeking a solution to the dilemma of android's short-term life spans.

Below:
Joanna Cassidy's lethal Zhora of the renegade team:



http://dandalf.com/dandalf/bladezhora.gif

Harrison Ford's, Deckerd undergoes much soul searching and achieves considerable insight and character growth by the end of the film. It is just such plausable, positive character development that I seek in film and that often makes for the most enjoyable movie watching experience.

The character portrayed in The Sand Pebbles, Jake Holman (played by Steve McQueen) is a notable example of the type of film and character development I crave and love in film. Sure, he dies in a grubby rear-guard shoot up, but he does so a much transformed character.

*I'll bet Callie hasn't seen Blade Runner either.:(

[christopher]

I do love Blade Runner. I think TESB, Raiders and Blade Runner was Ford's 'Holy Triumvirate', akin to Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street. But as you mentioned, he wasn't very heroic. He didn't triumph over Roy Batty. He was only human. Humanity is in the essence of all of Ford's characters which makes him an 'everyman's' hero I guess.

re: Blade Runner, there's a point where I have to stop being a critic and enjoy the movie as a moviegoer. It's about a brutally, more realistic future as opposed to a fantasy world or an idealized past with clearly defined heroes and villians. I don't get worked up with giddy, childish excitement over Blade Runner like I do over Star Wars or Indy.

I think it has to do with the cinematic experience as well. I never saw Blade Runner in the theatre. Star Wars and Jaws invented the 'summer blockbuster', and I've seen almost every one from Jaws to Jurrasic Park. These days, movies aren't events anymore, they hardly last three weeks.

Ack, I'm kind of rambling.

[Juke_spin]

My two favorite dialogue exchanges from "Fresh (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109842/)"; one of the most underappreciated films of 1994*:

Scene: Aunt Francis and Nicole sit on a bed talking while "Fresh" stands uncomfortably in doorway listening as Francis tries to talk Nicole into staying instead of taking the clothes she came for and going.

Francis: Well,...I guess I'll leave you alone with your brother for a while. Maybe he can talk to you about staying with us a little longer.

Nicole: Michael aint no one to talk to nobody about nothin.

___________________________

Scene: Michael/Fresh has gone to the storefront heroin distribution place of James, with whom Nicole is staying because James supplies her habit. Fresh wants to know what's going on with his sister and they talk in a bedroom.

Fresh: You ain't "ain't nothin"!

Nicole: Michael,...fuck off, alright?

Fresh: Don't aunt Francis think you ain't nothin. She think you somthin!

Nicole: Aunt Francis is a fuckin saint! Aunt Francis loves every damm dog in the street the same as she loves me. Ain't no shit to be loved by no fuckin saint.

Fresh: I love you.


* In 1994 both Pulp Fiction and Fresh were released and Samuel L. Jackson stars in both films. In my opinion, Jackson's characterization as Fresh's father in the later film embodies a far superior example of the depth and strength of his acting abilities than does that of the superficial Jules of Pulp Fiction.

[betheny]

Indiana Jones is cooler than Han Solo.

One of my favorite movies is "Tank Girl". Has anyone else seen it?

[darkeyed_daisy]

My favorite movie is "A river runs through it" followed by an "officer and a gentleman" followed by "grease" followed by "Shane"....

I could go on and on but I like old movies and movies about the old....and chick flicks. Thelma and Louise was great and made me want to jump in the car and take off for parts unknown....

[JCAT]

I am a huge JT fan..

My all time favorite movie is (don't laugh) Urban Cowboy.

J

[van damn]

Just watched ''See No Evil'' with WWE wrestler Kane.It's out stupid and ends stupid.Save on effects because he wore no makeup.Honest he's that ugly.:zombie:

[Juke_spin]

Just watched ''See No Evil'' with WWE wrestler Kane.It's out stupid and ends stupid.Save on effects because he wore no makeup.Honest he's that ugly.:zombie:
Hey, van damm.:) So S.N.E didn't even start to quell your bloodlust? Or was it simply such poor entertainment as to convince you you'd wasted your time and rental fee?

Strangely (or not), Phillip Stephens of the movie critics site I favor (for the nonce), has qualified praise for the flick:

http://www.pajiba.com/see-no-evil.htm

...but the commentors posting below his review weigh in with quite different opinions::D


"...is there a more deplorable fan base?"
I'll bite, since no one else has and you're probably pouting about it. I'd suggest that anyone who finds a depiction of a young woman having a cell phone shoved down her throat part of "a reasonably good diversion" has plumbed depths of deplorability greater than that of the usual wrestling mark. Just sayin'.
Posted by: Brett at May 23, 2006 09:57 AM

i was having a crap day and he was trying to cheer me up. he took me to see the last show of opening day. we came out laughing our asses off. lately it has been TRADITION to go see the horror movies and laugh. it made my day.

Posted by: rachel at May 23, 2006 07:09 PM

The link (above) will take you there if you'd care to add a comment and, at any rate, the site features fun and usually good reviews.

christopher/ck turned me on to the site and I'm enjoying it and, if you're interested, passing it on.;) It might save you some time and $$ in the future.

[van damn]

Hey, van damm.:) So S.N.E didn't even start to quell your bloodlust? Or was it simply such poor entertainment as to convince you you'd wasted your time and rental fee?

Strangely (or not), Phillip Stephens of the movie critics site I favor (for the nonce), has qualified praise for the flick:

http://www.pajiba.com/see-no-evil.htm

...but the commentors posting below his review weigh in with quite different opinions::D




The link (above) will take you there if you'd care to add a comment and, at any rate, the site features fun and usually good reviews.

christopher/ck turned me on to the site and I'm enjoying it and, if you're interested, passing it on.;) It might save you some time and $$ in the future. I was waiting for a choke slam.I mean let a beast be a beast.:D

[JCAT]

If I'm not mistaken... I haven't see a post about "SCARFACE"

I thought you MEN will be all over it..

J

[2jazzyjeff]

Went to see The Santa Clause 3 bc Deja Vu didn't start for another hour.. * I guess I have to give it a star, but it doesn't deserve it. Oh boy, I should have waited. :zombie: Talk about a terrible movie. This was nowhere near being as good as the original, as most aren't. It wasn't Tim Allen's fault, it just never took off. The jokes were flat and I might have chuckled twice. It is really an adult-oriented movie. Thank goodness the theater I attend let's disabled patrons and 1 guest in for free.. ''Sped'' says no on this flick.. :nono:

On to a terric flick.. The Hurricane with Denzel Washington. ***** 5 stars easily. IMO, Denzel doesn't make a bad movie. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0174856/ It's been several movies since I've seen one this enjoyable. I'd be interested in the opinions of others on this one.

[antiquity]

I saw this Sunday night and absolutely loved it. This part narrative, part ethnographic documentary is about a Mongolian family's efforts to persuade a mother camel to accept her newborn. The overall pace is slow but the storyline and scenery are mesmerizing. I didn't realize how expressive camels eyes are and I loved that the family maintained their cultural identity within the semi-modern landscape. I give it 5 stars!

[Juke_spin]

..The Story of the Weeping Camel...is a movie I haven't seen.

I did find a positive review of it by Harvey Karten, a critic I like, respect and often agree with.

We won't spoil the conclusion by revealing whether they succeed. You'll want to catch this movie, which would probably be supplemented with a book if Disney were distributing, but now we'll just have to hope that the indie firm of THINKfilm will think of further marketing.

The pace is sloooooooooow, better to give us the spirit of the lives being led here. There's no rush hour and yet everyone is happy.
http://www.imdb.com/Reviews/370/37026

[SCI-Nurse]

If you liked the Story of the Weeping Camel, be sure to see the Cave of the Yellow Dog (out in theaters now). By the same director, also the story of a Mongolian herding nomadic family.

Saw "Miss Potter" tonight at the Cinema Society. Renee Zellweger plays Beatrix Potter. Very well done, beautiful cinematography....will make you want to go to the Lake District in England NOW! Will open sometime in January 2007.

I can also recommend "Sweet Land" which we saw last night. It is a tender and touching story. Not going to be a commercial success, but an art film in the true sense of the word, and by a first-time director.

I also enjoyed "We Are Marshall" and "The History Boys".

Leonardo DiCaprio was good in "Blood Diamond" as was Djimon Housun, but it was very violent and bloody, so be warned.

(KLD)

[2jazzyjeff]

Being that I watched Clerks II last week, I had to watch Accepted last night. I really liked this one over C II.. Yes, it is a cheesey college movie, but if you want a cheap laugh, this one has it. It actually has a story line....er, kinda. :) Lotsa cute girls and rude behavior.. I have to move on to John Tucker Must Die.. I guess. :thinking:

Just watched JTMD.. Overall it was very amusing. It is more of a teenie bopper's flick, but for those who can remember high school, it will take you back. I would recommend it and it's not bad at all for kids.. of course there are 2 versions. I haven't seen the unrated yet.. maybe there is some boobage..:D

[van damn]

I watched Santa's Slay.It's star Bill Goldberg as Santa.Cheesy twist of how Santa was created.He is evil and know mess's with Goldberg.

[rdf]

Saw Rosenstrasse yesterday, I liked it. It's based on the true story of german gentile woman standing up the the nazis who have taken their jewish husbands to a "holding" center building on Rosenstrasse...before they're to be shipped to the camps.

It's a little known fact that these german woman stood up to the Nazis for their jewish husbands' lives, and I believe but am not certain that most of the jewish men married to german gentile woman survived the war.

Good flick, least to me :applaud:

[Juke_spin]

I've come on about how I look for movies that have difficult but believable character development. And I've said that I need to like someone in a movie in order to suspend my disbelief and feel interested enough to want to watch it. But there are movies that are so brilliantly and deliciously black that they can break these rules and still register as great and well worth recommending.


Such a movie is Happiness. Happiness is written and directed by Todd Solondz (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001754/), who brought us the excellent Welcome to the Dollhouse, a film almost as dark as Happiness.


But then, I'm no movie critic::), or at least I'm nowhere near as competent at the craft as is James Berardinelli, who gives it three and a half stars:


Anyone who saw Todd Solondz's breakthrough feature film, Welcome to the Dollhouse (http://www.reelviews.net/movies/w/welcome.html), has the kernel of an idea about what to expect from the director's latest effort, the ironically-titled Happiness. Welcome to the Dollhouse is a dark comedy that takes an uncompromising look at the life of a socially unpopular adolescent girl. The film's hallmark is that it does not romanticize the lead character - she is as unpleasant as her tormentors. And, although the movie is a grim experience, it offers plenty of laughs, many of which are mean spirited.

http://www.reelviews.net/movies/h/happiness.html


Then there's this perspective, offered by Harvey Karten:


"Happiness" is, and always will be, the ultimate reward, a concept that eludes perhaps most people whether rich or poor, with a distinguished career or a menial task to perform.
Now the writer- director has taken away the International Critic's Prize at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival and also the Metro Media Award at the 1998 Toronto Festival with his two-and one-half million dollar production, "Happiness." Inspired by a tabloid story of a Russian serial killer of children who surprisingly enough had a stable marriage and a couple of kids, the story intertwines vignettes from the lives of the members of ...

http://www.imdb.com/Reviews/146/14641

[2jazzyjeff]

Watched Invincible with Mark Wahlberg yesterday. It's about a walk-on 30 year old football player trying out for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1976. This is a true story and Wahlberg did an outstanding job in this movie. I give this ***** 5 of 5 stars.

[darkeyed_daisy]

I watched Identity last night.

http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/identity/index.html

I screamed a few times......then the twist at the end!!!!! Definately not a Christmas cheer film....LOL

[2jazzyjeff]

Identity is decent.. I wasn't expecting the ending to turn out quite that way, but still a good movie.

My usual Christmas movies that I have watched since last night and just now..

It's A Wonderful Life
Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Story
Christmas with the Kranks
Miracle On 34th Street (I watched the 1947 version last night)

[Juke_spin]

Identity is decent.. I wasn't expecting the ending to turn out quite that way, but still a good movie.

My usual Christmas movies that I have watched since last night and just now..
It's A Wonderful Life
Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Story
Christmas with the Kranks
Miracle On 34th Street (I watched the 1947 version last night)
All those Christmas movies and not one version of Scrooge (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044008/), when the 1951 movie with the great old English actor Alistair Sim playing Scrooge is so great?

For shame, Jazzy, ketchup.:p

[darkeyed_daisy]

All those Christmas movies and not one version of Scrooge (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044008/), when the 1951 movie with the great old English actor Alistair Sim playing Scrooge is so great?

For shame, Jazzy, ketchup.:p

I have that version of scrooge. My "oldtimers" disease has kicked in because I cant find it.....

Then again, maybe it just conveniently walked off since things around the house seem to do that with a teenager within its confines....LOL

I could be scrooge!!! bah humbug!!!


I am now watching Toby Keith's movie "Broken Bridges" on CMT. It doesnt come out in stores until January 9 and I have already placed my order at Amazon......
Cant get enough of Toby....droooollll city LOL!!!

[2jazzyjeff]

All those Christmas movies and not one version of Scrooge (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044008/),And I'm still awaiting your list that you actually watched.. I'm not assuming that you watched Scrooge either.. :nono: :)

[2jazzyjeff]

Just finished Butterfly Effect 2 http://imdb.com/title/tt0457297/ I really liked this movie. If you liked the 1st, you will enjoy this one as it's the same premise.

[Juke_spin]

And I'm still awaiting your list that you actually watched.. I'm not assuming that you watched Scrooge either.. :nono: :)
Well, I have watched it.:o

Look, pal, I am Scrooge; I don't need to watch it. I'm just waiting for the last part of the movie to happen but, in true Scrooge style, I'm skeptical.:p;):)

I say "Bah, humbug...and peace on all the skeptics of the world.":p:p:p

[24/7 Quad]

Jeff, that is freakin' hilarious!!!

[Juke_spin]

Just finished Butterfly Effect 2 http://imdb.com/title/tt0457297/ I really liked this movie. If you liked the 1st, you will enjoy this one as it's the same premise.
Er, don't know if you noticed when you posted the link, but IMDB user index is at a low 4.2 for this movie.

I like the concept but:
In some ways, it's hard to blame studios for remakes like this. Bean counters must love pitches for movies like The Butterfly Effect 2: take a popular movie, write a script built around the same premise, hire some b-list actors to populate the frame, crank it out in a 20-day shoot, rip off the name of the original, and hope that people will snap it up when it comes to DVD.
The concept does remain intriguing. Nick Larson (Eric Lively, The L Word) loses his girlfriend Julie (Erica Durance, Smallville) in a car accident, only to learn that he has the power to go back and change that single event. Doing so allows her to live, but he finds that he doesn't like some of the other things that have changed. He makes another change, and then another, but soon things are spiraling out of control. Can he save her and not ruin everything else?
The actual butterfly effect is a concept in chaos theory that explores how interconnected everything in our universe truly is. One tiny change in behavior can alter any number of things, all over the world. It's a scary notion, and one that has a solid mathematical basis. The problem with The Butterfly Effect 2 is that it doesn't take this concept nearly far enough. The film restricts itself...
http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/butterflyeffect2.php

[rollin64]

Just finished Butterfly Effect 2 http://imdb.com/title/tt0457297/ I really liked this movie. If you liked the 1st, you will enjoy this one as it's the same premise.

i really liked the first one. dunno if a part 2 will have the same "Effect" on me, hehe, since i'll already know the basic plot. but i'll still check it out. :D

[2jazzyjeff]

i really liked the first one. dunno if a part 2 will have the same "Effect" on me, hehe, since i'll already know the basic plot. but i'll still check it out. :DI actually thought it was easier to follow and enjoyed the characters better than the 1st. I'm curious as to what you think rollin.

For Scrooge.. I actually did notice the low rating. I joined IMDB to vote and gave it an 8, scrooge you very much.. :p

[leschinsky]

I saw the film "Mail Order Wife" the other night, it's a mockumentary, rather understated, not for those with ADD. For the first 45 min it was pleasant enough but then came a scene that made it worthwhile, I'll call it the "pig scene". I was laughing like I haven't in a long time, kinda reminds me of the knome scenes in "Amelie". I won't describe it because I can't do it justice, if you have the Sundance channel keep an eye out for it.
http://www.sundancechannel.com/film/?ixFilmID=7100

[2jazzyjeff]

Watched Superman Returns this morning.. If this movie would not have had 4 previous installments, it would have been better. Luckily it wasn't a preceed like all the other series have been doing. Brandon Routh is no Superman. CR was a more mature Clark Kent and Brandon fell way short, by like a decade. Made me think of the miscast of Di Caprio in Titanic. :zombie: Overall the movie was decent.. Kevin Spacey was the only standout as Lex Luthor. It is a struggling *** 3 stars.

They shouldn't have made this movie, IMO.. Also, they left it wide open for a another installment. :nono:

[Juke_spin]

Sooooo, we shouldn't see the movie?:thinking::p Wanna see a very well done superhero movie? See Batman Begins (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372784/) .;) Four and a half unstruggling stars.:thumb::thumb:

Christian Bale can carry off a larger-than-life role; anyone who's seen him in American Psycho knows this is true.

[Hunker]

Dukes of Hazzard made me laugh http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6009518470999461163&q=duke+of+hazzard:)

[leschinsky]

I saw this Sunday night and absolutely loved it. This part narrative, part ethnographic documentary is about a Mongolian family's efforts to persuade a mother camel to accept her newborn. The overall pace is slow but the storyline and scenery are mesmerizing. I didn't realize how expressive camels eyes are and I loved that the family maintained their cultural identity within the semi-modern landscape. I give it 5 stars!

Oh god Sen I can still hear the crying of that poor camel. Weird thing happened when the tv came on in the middle of the night the dvd was still in the player and I awoke to sound of the weeping playing over and over on the menu screen. Just heartbraking.

[christopher]

Sooooo, we shouldn't see the movie?:thinking::p Wanna see a very well done superhero movie? See Batman Begins (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372784/) .;) Four and a half unstruggling stars.:thumb::thumb:

Christian Bale can carry off a larger-than-life role; anyone who's seen him in American Psycho knows this is true.

Gotta agree with you there Juke. For my money, it's the best superhero movie made (sorry CR :( )

[CapnGimp]

I saw this Sunday night and absolutely loved it. This part narrative, part ethnographic documentary is about a Mongolian family's efforts to persuade a mother camel to accept her newborn. The overall pace is slow but the storyline and scenery are mesmerizing. I didn't realize how expressive camels eyes are and I loved that the family maintained their cultural identity within the semi-modern landscape. I give it 5 stars!


I saw it also, LOVED it. Watched it primarily because I know a handful of long-term missionaries living/lived there.
They are wonderful people as this docu protrayed. I am watching TONS of movies now, I have DirectTV and a zillion channels. I've laughed, cried, hoot n hollered and just generally enjoyed the shiRt out of myself. Okay, I've caught up on a few threads after a long absence here, I'm gonna go watch a movie :D

[CapnGimp]

Oh god Sen I can still hear the crying of that poor camel. Weird thing happened when the tv came on in the middle of the night the dvd was still in the player and I awoke to sound of the weeping playing over and over on the menu screen. Just heartbraking.

Had it been the music and singing they were doing to 'join' them , I could've listened all nite. Wonderful people, I could live with them.

[leschinsky]

I recently saw Little Miss Sunshine, loved Steve Carrell and enjoyed the film but I had too much expectation, I really must stop doing that.

I also finally watched Lost in Translation and liked it though I really shouldn't be watching melancholy films right now. Would anyone object to me in a pink bob wig or can I pull it off? :)

Last night I watched Everything is Illuminated, which is about a young Jewish American man who endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village, that was ultimately razed by the Nazis, with the help of a local who speaks weirdly funny broken English. It was funny, poignant but again melancholy, with good music, Russian ska punk. Liev Schreiber's directorial debut I believe.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0404030/

The title is a quote from Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being: "In the sunset of dissolution, everything is illuminated by the aura of nostalgia, even the guillotine." The passage refers to the philosophical idea that the greatest tragedies in life can only be experienced to their fullest if we are able to relive them."

[betheny]

So, Les, how did you like Everything Is Illuminated?

I loved it, even got jukey to watch it.

I watched it again the other day, man Alex makes me laugh SO HARD. Then I can't stop trying to talk that way!

So, Jonfen, you and your grandfather were proximal, yes?

Many girls want to be carnal with me because I am premiere dancer.

You got much rrrrrrre-pose?

I do not want to be making the petrified perrrson, but some bad people like to steal the things from Americans. Also kidNAPping.

And best of all...

This is the seeing eye bitch of my grandfather, Sammy Davis Junior Jr.

[2jazzyjeff]

Today I watched Snakes on a Plane. It was surprisingly good. I thought the computerized snake scenes were going to be cheesey, but they weren't. I mean, it was unrealistic, but very enjoyable to watch. There were a few funny scenes and they were mostly at the end.. **** 4 stars.

Went back 7 years yesterday to watch The Legend of Bagger Vance. For some reason I had forgotten about this one. This was one of the best movies I've seen in a while. You don't have to like golf to get enjoyment from this feel good movie. I highly recommend this one. **** 1/2 stars.

Watched Miami Vice the other day. If you liked the tv series, I believe you will like this. Jamie Foxx and Colin Farell do a great job as Crockett and Tubbs. A little too much dialogue, but still plenty of action and nice scenery.. *** 1/2 stars.

[leschinsky]

So, Les, how did you like Everything Is Illuminated?

I loved it, even got jukey to watch it.

I watched it again the other day, man Alex makes me laugh SO HARD. Then I can't stop trying to talk that way!

So, Jonfen, you and your grandfather were proximal, yes?

Many girls want to be carnal with me because I am premiere dancer.

You got much rrrrrrre-pose?

I do not want to be making the petrified perrrson, but some bad people like to steal the things from Americans. Also kidNAPping.

And best of all...

This is the seeing eye bitch of my grandfather, Sammy Davis Junior Jr.
Jesus, I forgot to mention that! I liked it very much, will have to see it again because cc distracted me a little. Alex cracked me up, after all that anti-semitism was over.

[antiquity]

Oh god Sen I can still hear the crying of that poor camel. Weird thing happened when the tv came on in the middle of the night the dvd was still in the player and I awoke to sound of the weeping playing over and over on the menu screen. Just heartbraking.

I know! It was like being introduced to a world I didn't know still existed, not just the ethno-cultural aspect but I had no idea that camels were so expressive. It was refreshing to see that communication and respect between humans, nature and animals is still regarded as central to a harmonious existence in a few of the worlds remaining cultures. Western interactions with animals is typically cruel and brutal. There is a lot we could learn from indigenous husbandry.

[Juke_spin]

I watched ...The Fockers a little while ago; betheny made me do it. Yes, betheny is to blame for you having to read this.

Just kidding, she mentioned it a few days ago and I queued it up immediately and got it through Netflix today. I'd say "a word to the wise...etc." but it's more like, "a whisper to a movie nut", particularly when the source has delivered before.

The movie: well, I found it a little uneven and slow getting into the funny grove but the wedding scene was the most satisfying I've ever witnessed. Somehow, knowing the idiosyncratic peculiarities that virtually make up the two families makes the joining of them both real and satisfying. Go figure.

[christopher]

I'm gonna go see Children of Men tomorrow. I hear its good. Gotta see Volver too this week.

[LaMemChose]

I saw "Charlotte's Web" this week. Although I'd read the book as a girl, I still wanted to see the movie.

I'm so glad I did. It was great!

Yes, so it's a kids' flick. :o

It was still kewl. :)

[Juke_spin]

...British director Garth Jennings is fumbling for the right Hollywood vernacular to describe the meeting of his romantic leads, Warwick Davis (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001116/) and Zooey Deschanel. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0221046/)

"It's a perfect little 'sweet meat'" he says, and Warwick and Mos Def (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0080049/) crack up. They supply the term he was looking for, it's ____ ____ ?*.:)


http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0371724/HGC-13200.jpg (http://imdb.com/gallery/ss/0371724/HGC-04774.jpg.html?path=pgallery&path_key=Davis,%20Warwick%20%28I%29&seq=2)



Trillian (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0221046/): Let's go somewhere.
Arthur (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0293509/): Sure, where?
Trillian (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0221046/): Madagascar.
Arthur (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0293509/): That new club on Dean Street?
Trillian (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0221046/): No, it's a country. Off the coast of Africa.


http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0371724/HGC-03722.jpg (http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0371724/HGC-13200.jpg.html?path=pgallery&path_key=Davis,%20Warwick%20%28I%29&seq=3)













* "Meet cute".:p

[van damn]

I watched '''Sting-The Moment of Truth''.It's a story about his life.It shows how wrestling made him and almost destroyed his personal life.The hook is how he turned to God.It's a good story for people who have turned their life around.

[Juke_spin]

..I've gleened this YouTube gem found here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMy6hDOanOc&mode=related&search=) .

The trio of honky-tonk troubadours who have been serenading us throughout the film (and zombified alongside most of the town’s denizens) burst into a rap/country ballad while a host of the undead line-dance with choreography derived from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”
http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/23/79/29f.jpg (http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0350774/104-0483_IMG.JPG.html?path=gallery&path_key=0350774&seq=2)

For the review page:

http://www.pajiba.com/pajibas-favorite-craptastic-horror-films.htm

Pajiba is one of my favorite review sites.:D

[JCAT]

..I've gleened this YouTube gem found here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMy6hDOanOc&mode=related&search=) .


http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/23/79/29f.jpg (http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0350774/104-0483_IMG.JPG.html?path=gallery&path_key=0350774&seq=2)

For the review page:

http://www.pajiba.com/pajibas-favorite-craptastic-horror-films.htm

Pajiba is one of my favorite review sites.:D


Juke,

My last list of movies...I mentioned that I might of missed one or two.

Yes indeed..

Trilogy Of Terror a 70's T.V. Movie starring Karen Black.

I've had this movie for 6 weeks and is reluctant to see it. Little tiki dolls killing people it is a far reach for me to grasp. Is it a must see ?

I stayed home from work on Tuesday (flu) and was able to watch a movie : (2000) What Lie Beneath...W/Michele Pfeiffer - Harrison Ford.
A suspenseful movie

I tried to add a link for both movie(s) like you... Unable to fiqure out the format.

J

[Juke_spin]

Juke,

My last list of movies...I mentioned that I might of missed one or two.

Yes indeed..

Trilogy Of Terror a 70's T.V. Movie starring Karen Black.

I've had this movie for 6 weeks and is reluctant to see it. Little tiki dolls killing people it is a far reach for me to grasp. Is it a must see ?

I stayed home from work on Tuesday (flu) and was able to watch a movie : (2000) What Lie Beneath...W/Michele Pfeiffer - Harrison Ford.
A suspenseful movie

I tried to add a link for both movie(s) like you... Unable to fiqure out the format.

J

JCAT, as I remember, the Karen Black (she played Jack Nicholson's airhead g/f in Five Easy Pieces) tiki doll trilogy was better-than-average horror.

I'm PMing you on the links.

[JCAT]

JCAT, as I remember, the Karen Black (she played Jack Nicholson's airhead g/f in Five Easy Pieces) tiki doll trilogy was better-than-average horror.


Juke,

Karen Black also played in another 1976 Horror Movie called: Burnt Offerings. The typical 70's haunted house flick. The movie is about a house that rejuvenates a part of it's self with each death that occurs on its premises. It's not scary nor suspenseful...(Maybe in the 70's)..
Other cast members are : Bette Davis & Oliver Reed......

J

[CapnGimp]

just copy the link from your browser's address bar and paste it into the forum

[mattblan]

I just watched "Children of Men" with Clive Owen. It wasn't too bad. Kinda different.

[Juke_spin]

I just watched "Children of Men" with Clive Owen. It wasn't too bad. Kinda different. Originally Posted by christopher
I'm gonna go see Children of Men tomorrow. I hear its good. Gotta see Volver too this week.
So, ck, how did you like "Children of Men"?

After reading Matt's comment I surfed up a few reviews. I'm intrigued by the way some of my reliable review guys pan it but Peter Travers, a way perceptive dude, puts it in a class by itself:

...Theo (Clive Owen), a former activist playing out his days as a bureaucrat for the Ministry of Energy. Owen's powerfully implosive performance lets us see past the barriers Theo has erected around his emotions. Theo is a shell of a man until... Those motives can be maddeningly unclear at times. But a second viewing, which Children of Men richly rewards, deepens our understanding....he does, not just in the person of Jasper (a hilarious and heartbreaking Michael Caine), a former political cartoonist now devoted to weed, rap music and sticking it to the system,http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/7405482/review/12987116/children_of_men

[Juke_spin]

I'm not an anime (Japanese Animation) fan of any great commitment, just appreciate that the genre has produced some very worthwhile TV series and movies. The genre has made a few partially successful efforts at creating a viable cyberpunk reality but comes closest, perhaps, in the original TV series, Serial Experiments: Lain.

Youtube clip of: Serial Experiments Lain (http://youtube.com/watch?v=5aCdK2nbBqY)

http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/images/lain5.jpg


...the classic definition of cyberpunk according to Gibson and Sterling is-- a paranoid moral and psychological parable that centers around the relationships between people and their devices, their technology, and how this relationship affects their relationship with others. All of this changes when one of Lain's classmates, Chisa, commits suicide under mysterious circumstances. Lain's classmates are upset, and their unease is compounded when some of them start recieving email from Chisa. I just abandoned my body, the message reads, I still live here. Is it a prank, or is Chisa somehow still alive? Lain is intrigued enough by this to dust off her elderly Navi (personal computer) and look at the Wired (this story's euphamisn for the internet), and discovers an online world that she'd never knew existed.

http://www.abcb.com/lain/sel_t001.jpg

Her father is only too happy to indulge her by buying her the latest and greatest Navi, a high-powered, ultra-customizable version of her old kiddie toy. Her new friends, who reached out to the disaffected Lain when Chisa killed herself, are surprised-- Lain's constant communication with others on the Wired is making her sociable, even downright amiable. But something is very, very wrong here-- it seems like the Wired is having an adverse affect on people, with a computer programmer having hallucinations and seizing up, an overszealous Doom fan gunning down a little girl (who, post-mortem, ends up hauntingly depicted as a shapeless form under a sheet in the pivotal scene), and the apogee comes when a Lain and her friends are visiting the trendy club Cyberia-- a clubgoer, high on the stimulant drug Accela, kills a few people. Everyone runs from him-- everyone except Lain. But he recognizes her, and holds back from shooting at her-- how is this possible?

Things get incredibly weird, but still manage to stay remarkable cohesive. http://www.animejump.com/index.php?module=prodreviews&func=showcontent&id=201

I've been watching the first four episodes and have yet to get a strong take on the series. I think, after reading some more on the impact of the series, that I may have to hook a decent sound system into the dvd player:

One of the most prominant is the powerfully intrusive 60 Hz hum from the overhead powerlines which criss-cross the city skyline. In one of the first scenes, Lain is on a train, and she finds herself overwhelmed by the onslaught of the constant noise from her surroundings -- the chatter of her fellow travellers, or is it noise from electrical interference? I was struck by the sheer impact of the scene, especially when the interference is shattered, leaving only the noise of the train itself. (You must watch -- and listen -- to this series on a system which can take advantage of a rich audio track. The tinny sounds from your average TV just won't give you the same impact; the use of audio here is just as important as the visuals.) http://www.abcb.com/lain/sel_t001.htm

http://www.animecubed.com/galleries/lain/pics/WallLain1-800.jpg

Overview: Serial Experiments Lain is a psychedelic, post-modern cyberpunk series that one wonders how the director ever managed to make. Lain centers on a very shy school girl who slowly begins to figure out that she is not what she seems to be. After getting a computer and connecting to the “wired,” something with is far more expansive than the internet, Lain begins to realize that she may not be human, and that truly, reality and the “self” is exists (or does not exist) on many different levels. As the story progresses, Lain “evolves” in terms... http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/movie/decade/1990-1999/serial-experiments-lain/

I'm going to stick with this series for now as it's intriguing even when it's unclear what's really going on or being said.

http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/images/lain4.jpg

[leschinsky]

I just watched Amelie again, such an enchanting and imaginitive film. I had forgotten the story line was about taking a risk for love. If you haven't seen it yet I recommend renting it, Audrey Tautou is just beautiful too.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211915/

[christopher]

Sorry Juke, I didn't get to see Children of Men yet, but I will. I did see Volver though, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Penelope Cruz is absolutely delicious. Gay directors sure know how to make sexiness transcend gender!

I haven't seen Amelie in a while, but I totally agree that she's beautiful as all get out. Lots of girls like that around here.

But my latest crush is Bethany McLean (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethany_McLean). I was halfway through Enron: The smartest Guys in the Room (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0413845/) when I realized Wow! That girl's got it all!

Is that wierd?

[Myc0]

Hey Jukey, Serial Experiments Lain is cool, but I'm a little fuzzy on the details as I watched it 2-3 years ago in my past life. I'm not a big anime fan, but I really like Ghost in the Shell, SE:Lain and Akira are cool too.

[leschinsky]

Sorry Juke, I didn't get to see Children of Men yet, but I will. I did see Volver though, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Penelope Cruz is absolutely delicious. Gay directors sure know how to make sexiness transcend gender!He padded her booty, did you notice?

I haven't seen Amelie in a while, but I totally agree that she's beautiful as all get out. Lots of girls like that around here.I find myself watching her eyes and eyebrows, is that weird?

But my latest crush is Bethany McLean (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethany_McLean). I was halfway through Enron: The smartest Guys in the Room (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0413845/) when I realized Wow! That girl's got it all!

Is that wierd?
From that pic yes. :p Maybe it's a political crush.

[antiquity]

OMG, that movie scared the heck out of me but I was a kid when I saw it. Still can't watch it tho.

Juke,

My last list of movies...I mentioned that I might of missed one or two.

Yes indeed..

Trilogy Of Terror a 70's T.V. Movie starring Karen Black.

I've had this movie for 6 weeks and is reluctant to see it. Little tiki dolls killing people it is a far reach for me to grasp. Is it a must see ?

I stayed home from work on Tuesday (flu) and was able to watch a movie : (2000) What Lie Beneath...W/Michele Pfeiffer - Harrison Ford.
A suspenseful movie

I tried to add a link for both movie(s) like you... Unable to fiqure out the format.

J

[Juke_spin]

I've been dealing with this misperception for over a decade now and I'm takikng this time to try to make it plain: actors, and I mean that term to emcompass both females and males, are pawns in the movie making process; directors play the game, the rules of which are dictated by the writers. It is as much a glaring error to attribute the success or failure of a film to the presence and/or performances of its actors as it is to seek out good films based on what actors are in them.

That said, a good director will often get an outstanding performance out of a relatively unknown and unpolished actor. Further, better scripts being advanced and backed by the more sucessful production groups will often garner name actors; in other words, the presence of "name" actors in a film can be an indication that the writer and director are distinguished and/or have done work that impresses the bigger, more successful production companies.

It is an understandable irony that advertisments for films will always list the name actors in it before they mention the director, that is if they mention the director at all.

If you want your satisfaction and enjoyment of movies to climb, the best way to do it is to find directors and film reviewers who's work and opinions about film are a good fit for your own likes and dislikes. It's a bit of work but it will reward you tenfold in time spent truly enjoying the movies you choose.

[christopher]

He padded her booty, did you notice?

I find myself watching her eyes and eyebrows, is that weird?


From that pic yes. :p Maybe it's a political crush.

I was told afterwards about her added 'junk in the trunk'. I was also told her boobs were fake. Dammit! I never usually fall for the fake ones. She deceived me!

ITA about Audree Tautou's eyes. If I looked into those things, I'd get lost for, like, ever or something.

Juke, heres my take:

A good actor is someone whose personality we can identify with. A good writer writes about fantastic (or not so fantastic) experiences we can identify with. And a good director is the middle man. It takes all three of these things to make a good movie.

[leschinsky]

I was told afterwards about her added 'junk in the trunk'. I was also told her boobs were fake. Dammit! I never usually fall for the fake ones. She deceived me!we all do a little something to enhance features which we feel are lacking, I guess I'll have to leave my "special" bras behind when we shack up together :p

Juke, heres my take:

A good actor is someone whose personality we can identify with. A good writer writes about fantastic (or not so fantastic) experiences we can identify with. And a good director is the middle man. It takes all three of these things to make a good movie.
Do you have to identify with the actor(s) to enjoy a film? hmmm something for me to ponder.

[JCAT]

It is an understandable irony that advertisments for films will always list the name actors in it before they mention the director, that is if they mention the director at all.

If you want your satisfaction and enjoyment of movies to climb, the best way to do it is to find directors and film reviewers who's work and opinions about film are a good fit for your own likes and dislikes. It's a bit of work but it will reward you tenfold in time spent truly enjoying the movies you choose.

Hello ! :D Juke,

I have a hard time finding a Good Movie(s) these days. I wait until it comes out on DVD and purchase it. Cost the same to buy as to go out
and view it once.

The last movie I've seen at the cinema was Black Dahlia it was a misleading title for the movie. The director danced around the murder
and hypothesise the actual event.

I've been reading reviews on the movie "Bobby" (2006) Emilio Estevez directing debut. Majority of the critic(s) gives it rave reviews..I'll spend money on this one. ( I like movies of historial events)

Directors are not fashionable as they were from the 40's thru the 70's
I can name off excellent directors from these era(s) appose to directors now. Reason being they are not mentioned or acknowledged as they we're before. Next time you watch a classic movie notice the first thing that is shown, it's the directors name in big bold letters.

There are several directors that started out working on independent films
before breaking into the ivy leauge, Quentin Tarantino, Spike Lee,Sofia Coppola and now Emilio....

As far as advertisment of movies it's all about the money..
Big studios uses Big Stars to generate the big dollars.


J

[Juke_spin]

Hello ! :D Juke,
I have a hard time finding a Good Movie(s) these days. I wait until it comes out on DVD and purchase it. Cost the same to buy as to go out
and view it once.
J
Hi! JCAT,
Why not get your movies as "rentals" from Netflix?

We offer a wide range of plans to suit your movie watching needs. We encourage you to try out different plans and find the one that fits you best!

Up to 2 rentals a month - up to 1 movie out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $5.99. Learn More (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:learn_more%281,2%29;).

I've been getting their five at a time deal for $29.99 a month. Here's a list of the movies I've seen through this package for the past month:



1. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, 2006 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=70044894&trkid=64596)


2. Lain #1: Navi, 1999 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=20667779&trkid=64596)


3. Meet the Fockers, 2004 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=70011215&trkid=64596)


4. The Age of Innocence, 1993 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=60011002&trkid=64596)


5. Capote, 2005 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=70038130&trkid=64596)
The Descent, 2006 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=70053469&trkid=64596)


6. Citizen X, 1998 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=60001326&trkid=64596)


7. Take the Money and Run, 1969 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=1023018&trkid=64596)


8. Hope and Glory, 1987 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=60010457&trkid=64596)

9. The Rules of Attraction, 2002 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=60023651&trkid=64596)

10. Cache, 2005 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=70035177&trkid=64596)


11. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum, 1975 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=60026724&trkid=64596)


12. Identity, 2003 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=60026150&trkid=64596)


13. Happiness, 1998 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=11819494&trkid=64596)


14. A Scanner Darkly, 2006 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=70042671&trkid=64596)


15. Imitation of Life: Double Feature (1934, 1959), 1934 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=60034247&trkid=64596)


16. Ponette, 1996 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=865037&trkid=64596)

17. Tsotsi, 2006 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=70041142&trkid=64596)


18. The Hurricane, 1999 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=60000421&trkid=64596) 12/04/06 12/21/06 Report Problem (http://www.netflix.com/ShippingProblems?line_id=1710904940)


19. The Sweet Hereafter, 1997 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=1154970&trkid=64596) 11/22/06 12/21/06 Report Problem (http://www.netflix.com/ShippingProblems?line_id=1691178882)


20. The Tin Drum, 1979 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=60028805&trkid=64596) 11/14/06 12/18/06 Report Problem (http://www.netflix.com/ShippingProblems?line_id=1429476814)


21. Swann in Love, 1984 (http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=70000280&trkid=64596) 12/01/06 12/18/06 Report Problem (http://www.netflix.com/ShippingProblems?line_id=1707867958)

[JCAT]

Juke,

Rental is a good option for me on some of the independent movies I have
been reading here on this thread. Thanks for the Netflix infomation.

Can you order a catalog from Netflix before signing up ?

As you know I collect DVD and just bought a good one this week..
"The Deer Hunter" I remember some of the story line but not the entire movie. I will get to it this weekend for sure.

This last Saturday I did watch the Citizen Kane (finally) it is the number one movie of all time. Sadly for me I did not like the movie at all, I fell asleep half way through it. I will watch it again, maybe I was just too tired to appreciate the story line and the direction of this movie.
(Too much wine) :p shhhh

J

[Juke_spin]

Juke,

Rental is a good option for me on some of the independent movies I have
been reading here on this thread. Thanks for the Netflix infomation.

Can you order a catalog from Netflix before signing up ?

As you know I collect DVD and just bought a good one this week..
"The Deer Hunter" I remember some of the story line but not the entire movie. I will get to it this weekend for sure.

This last Saturday I did watch the Citizen Kane (finally) it is the number one movie of all time. Sadly for me I did not like the movie at all, I fell asleep half way through it. I will watch it again, maybe I was just too tired to appreciate the story line and the direction of this movie.
(Too much wine) :p shhhh

J
JCAT,

I never was able to see the monumental qualities of Citizen Kane either. Maybe the critics did a job on each other but I'll suggest Citizen X (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112681/) over Kane any day. Citizen X puts Stephen Rea (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001653/)* in the part of a Russian forensics expert who'd catapulted into the "temporary" position of chief investigator of a real-life serial killer who racked up fifty-two victims before being run to ground. If you can grit your teeth and get past the horrendous murder scenes this movie is sure to deliver.

*You may remember Stephen Rea from The Crying Game (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104036/), where he was inappropriatly cast as an IRA tough who gets in over his head with the lover of a man his IRA cell has killed and who he feels responsible for.

[SCI-Nurse]

JCAT, you can go to the Netflix website to look at their catalog without signing up. They have thousands and thousands of titles, many quite obscure, so it is easiest to use their search feature for specific titles, directors, actors, etc. They don't have a downloadable catalog as they are adding titles constantly. I have yet to find anything that is available on DVD that they don't have. This includes a huge selection of independent and foreign films. You can even reserve films that have not yet been released.

You can sign up for just 2 weeks and try it for free, and if you sign up for one of the paid plans, you can cancel at any time. I highly recommend it.

(KLD)

[artsyguy1954]

Hi! JCAT,
Why not get your movies as "rentals" from Netflix?



I've been getting their five at a time deal for $29.99 a month. Here's a list of the movies I've seen through this package for the past month:
For all Canucks out there, the Canadian equivalent to NetFlix would be www.zip.ca (http://www.zip.ca) They claim to have 52 000 titles and adding on every day. That should keep a movie nut like me busy for a while. Netflix doesn't do business in Canada, I found out.

My latest movies watched? 2 come 2 mind. The Blue Lagoon. Nice fluff. and Fiji still looks every bit as good now as it did 27 years ago, (especially with a foot of snow outside and -10 C in my part of the world.) I don't know if the same can be said of Brooke Shields.:D

Oh, and 12 Monkeys. 11 years, a smoked joint and a second viewing later, this Terry Gilliam gem actually made sense to me, (kind of, sort of!). Or so I thought. I am always suspicious of movies involving time travel. Throwing time travel (not flash backs, mind you, big difference here) into the mix always seems to give the director licence to make a mess of the the plot and at the same time appear weighty and deep.

*** out of five for each flick, and only :thumb: up.

[leschinsky]

Anyone see Chrystal with Billy Bob Thornton? He portrays a man from the Ozarks who's son dies when Thornton is being chased by the police. The wife is "crippled" [she can climb a tree still, but is in a lot of pain from broken neck] and an emotional wreck. He returns after 20 years in prison and tries to put things right. It's heavy, a little slow but shows a part of US I am unfamiliar with so it was interesting. And again melancholy!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362506/

Tag tagline is: Life is hard. Love is simple.

No kidding.

[Juke_spin]

Anyone see Chrystal with Billy Bob Thorton? He portrays a man from the Ozarks who's son dies when Thorton is being chased by the police. The wife is "crippled" [she can climb a tree still, but is in a lot of pain from broken neck] and an emotional wreck. He returns after 20 years in prison and tries to put things right. It's heavy, a little slow but shows a part of US I am unfamiliar with so it was interesting. And again melancholy!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362506/

Tag tagline is: Life is hard. Love is simple.

No kidding.
Hi Nicole, the movie, including Lisa Blount (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089408/), (remember her from An Officer and a Gentleman (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084434/), just twenty-five years ago?), was avoided by most reviewers but The Onion has this to say:


In the balance the film (http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=5349#) itself is an interesting study in a man’s quest to rectify, or at least address, the problems he caused in his past. But the story is distancing in that it takes very long to unfold and Thornton takes the role of introspection a little too far. Repressed emotions are one thing, but character paralysis is also what takes place on occasion and the story ends up coasting to a stop before it laboriously begins to wind back up to a pace that was already methodical. By the time it winds up we are left with a two-hour film that contains a story that could have been smoothly detailed in thirty minutes.
http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=5349

[leschinsky]

Definitely character paralysis. But hey it was free on the Sundance channel! I don't remember Blount.

[CapnGimp]

I've watched it 3 times since we moved here in October, got a zillion channels on DTV sat. It first caught my eye because we both had the same occupation, lol. I have since retired ;)
It was a great movie in many respects. Sad ending though.

[leschinsky]

I've watched it 3 times since we moved here in October, got a zillion channels on DTV sat. It first caught my eye because we both had the same occupation, lol. I have since retired ;)
It was a great movie in many respects. Sad ending though.
Yes sad ending. It really pissed me off about the dog, why do they always have to kill off the animals in those kind of flicks?! I also had a cat named Precious :o Too bad you retired!

[artsyguy1954]

Anyone seen ScaredSacred by Velcrow Ripper? (good ol' BC boy) Best indie movie I have seen lately. Strongly recommended.

[leschinsky]

Anyone seen ScaredSacred by Velcrow Ripper? (good ol' BC boy) Best indie movie I have seen lately. Strongly recommended.
"The film's locations are all places of intense suffering, destruction and fear; the most challenging places in the world to look for hope and beauty. The film's search for the "ground zeros of the world" takes us to Bhopal, Israel and Palestine, Sarajevo, Kabul, Hiroshima and the killing fields of Cambodia."

Sounds like a real upper! Fits in well with the other films I've been watching :(

[artsyguy1954]

"The film's locations are all places of intense suffering, destruction and fear; the most challenging places in the world to look for hope and beauty. The film's search for the "ground zeros of the world" takes us to Bhopal, Israel and Palestine, Sarajevo, Kabul, Hiroshima and the killing fields of Cambodia."

Sounds like a real upper! Fits in well with the other films I've been watching :(
I thought you would enjoy this one;) Political animal that you are. Had to think of you, Les, when I watched it.

[Juke_spin]

Fron Schemablog:

Ripper captures several simple and beautiful images that possess the same essence as a haiku or a Buddhist tale. One of the most memorable was a shot inside the ruins of a cinema in Kabul: strips of old film held against windows by young Afghan boys. Weaving stories of different characters...
http://www.schemamag.ca/viff/archives/000076.html

Sounds interesting. If Netflix has it I may queue it.

[Juke_spin]

While surfing for reviews for ScaredSacred I found this Ausie site's review for:

BOY WHO PLAYS ON THE BUDDHAS OF BAMIYAN, THE SYNOPSIS:
In 2001 the Taliban destroyed Afghanistan's 1600 year-old Buddhas of Bamiyan. The film examines the lives of refugees in Afghanistan who now lives among the ruins... in particular an eight year old boy named Mir. The film follows Mir's life through the seasons of summer, winter and spring. It also documents, through anecdotal reports by some of the refugees, many of the atrocities committed by the Taliban, who are Sunni Muslims, against the Shia Muslims.
Review by Andrew L. Urban:
Filmmaker Phil Grabsky says he wants people to engage with Mir and identify with his youthful experience and excitement. "The similarities between people of different nations far exceed the difference." I had read that short statement just as I was about to weatch the film, and was immediately struck by the first images. A young Afghan boy, back to camera and wearing traditional cloth head-dress, is guiding a hoop as he ...
http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=9137&s=Reviews
...which seem a film in the same vein as:

Geschichte vom weinenden Kamel, Die (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373861/) (2003)
aka "The Story of the Weeping Camel"
...but I'll have to wait until Netflix is back up to see if I can queue either of these films.:(

[christopher]

This weekend I watched:
An Inconvenient Truth: Man I wish Al Gore won.... yada yada yada :p.

Bad Education: Meh, I liked Volver better. I couldn't really empathize with any of the characters.

V For Vendetta: Nathalie Portman, you're beautiful. But I liked Fight Club better. The comparison between the future totalitarian British state and the present was pretty scary though.

[Juke_spin]

V For Vendetta: Nathalie Portman, you're beautiful. But I liked Fight Club better. The comparison between the future totalitarian British state and the present was pretty scary though.
So you would say we're living in a dystopian society, then?:thinking:

[Broknwing]

This weekend I watched:
An Inconvenient Truth: Man I wish Al Gore won.... yada yada yada :p.

DAMN GOOD wasn't it? I bought it for my mom for Christmas...I wish Gore won too...

[Juke_spin]

Trying to evaluate An Inconvenient Truth by sampling my favorite movie critics illustrates an aspect of the necessary refinement of this method. Steve Rhodes gives it a poor review,

http://www.imdb.com/Reviews/405/40501

..but then I know that Rhodes is very right wing in his outlook, so I check out a four star liberal, Peter Travers of Rolling Stone;

,basically a lecture by Al Gore about global warming, including a multimedia slide show and shots of the former veep on the road, giving speeches and plugging thoughts into his Apple computer on environmental issues that have obsessed him for two decades. Dull? Not a bit. It grabs you like a thriller with an ending that will haunt your dreams. Gore keeps us riveted by being charming, literate... http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/9144850/review/10383624/an_inconvenient_truth

..who gives it three stars.

That, of course, isn't enough, so I check out what James Berardinelli has to say about the flick:

Content-wise, An Inconvenient Truth contains compelling information. It also avoids the polarization that often surrounds discussions of Global Warming. Like an anti-Conspiracy Theory movie, it debunks several of the myths perpetrated by those who ignore scientific data while not embracing the sky-is-falling hysteria embraced by some fringe believers.
http://www.reelviews.net/movies/i/inconvenient_truth.html

...who also gives it three stars.

I could go on but, as the final words of one of my all-time favorite SF short stories (Damon Knight's "The Pattern") ends, "The pattern is clear.":D:mega:

[chick]

V For Vendetta: Nathalie Portman, you're beautiful. But I liked Fight Club better. The comparison between the future totalitarian British state and the present was pretty scary though.I liked both, but YES, Fight club was better.

FC was more an internal, self-imposed "totalitarianism" and struggle, while V was external/governmental regime imposing its will.

[SCI-Nurse]

Has anyone else seen Letters from Iwo Jima yet? I saw it yesterday. I thought it was very well done. I know a lot of people don't like subtitles (they don't bother me), but the theater was packed and there were many tears at the end.

(KLD)

[2jazzyjeff]

Want 2 excellent movies? We Are Marshall with Matthew McConaughey and The Gridiron Gang with The Rock. Both are true stories and revolve around football. ***** 5 stars for each.

[JCAT]

I didn't get to watch the movie i'd wanted to see this weekend, Deer Hunter. Instead I watched two movies we've had for sometime.
GIGI, A 1958 musical starring Leslie Carson, it was cute and entertaining
but I really was in the mood to watch some action.

Second movie was A 1930's movie with Jean Harlow : Bombshell, This movie is very good, Harlow's portrayal of a flighty movie star is extremely funny and poignant. Harlow's character wants to adopt a child and marry a nice man and retire only to be thwarted by her agent who insist on
instigating endless lurid headline for Lola (Harlow).

J

[JCAT]

http://oscars.movies.yahoo.com/nominee/

Movie Fans,

Oscar time is here! check out the nominee's and post your favorites.
I was a little disappointed with some of the nominee's but then again I haven't seen the performance they have projected on the big screen.

One of my favorite and under rated actor is Forrest Whitaker. I haven't seen his new movie The Last King Of Scoutland but I look forward to seeing it before Oscar night.

"Best Picture", I've only seen one The Departed and what a surprise that Jack Nicholson was not up for an award for his role in this movie. Frankly I thought Leonardo Dicaprio was going to get a nod for his performance.



J

[leschinsky]

I watched Domino with Keira Knightly, a film that was a little over the top for me but I really enjoyed the satire against Springer and the 'Beverly Hills 90210' boys, Ian Ziering and Brian Austin Green, playing themselves as the two 'celebrity hostages' :applaud: Quite a visually aggressive flick though.
http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=150850

[CapnGimp]

Yepper, watched this one 3 times so far also. Actually, partially 4, as the first time I only caught the last half hour or so. I really liked it. Plus it was my introduction to Kiera Knightly. I'll have to admit, she's easy on the eyes.
Anything ol Mickey Rourke plays in is usually good. I like his style, he's real in the roles, believable. I rate this one with my all time favorites. Yeah, I know, it isn't real, it's a movie. But it sure kept me awake, lol.
If I made a movie about some of the things in my life, those who didn't know me would think IT was fiction. I've had a few people and two pastors ask me to write a biography. Their interest was NOT the action/adventure but how great a change God made in my life. I won't write a book, they still might put me under the jail, lol, but I do often talk with folks coming into the church who think life has insurmountable problems. Sometimes, it helps them to see that all things can be overcome.
Anyway, I REALLY liked it where she broke gurly boy's nose for the smart aRse remark. I'd a hit it TWICE.

[Juke_spin]

The Hughes Brothers, the directorial team responsible for the excellent "Menace II Society" have stepped so far out of their league that the egg on their faces should be of the green, Dr. Seuss variety. In making their interpretation of a `Jack the Ripper' period film, the directors, while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, seem to have crossed some line between the real and surreal as well .

The Ripper's `hunting grounds' of 1888 through 1889 was the Whitechapel and Spitlefield area which suffered a poverty and filth that beggars the imagination, at least where these hapless filmmakers are concerned. A decade after the Ripper crimes, Jack London went undercover in the East End to see for himself what it was like, and he related terrible stories of poverty and filth. In the East End, he reported, an attempt at cleanliness was a "howling farce," and when the rain fell it was "more like grease than water."

Without analyzing any other aspect of the film, From Hell fails on its verisimilitude as regards the conditions of the streets haunted by its demented killer. The cobbles, far from appearing to have been the running sewers they were, look as though a diligent crew with scrub brushes and mops has just finished with them, or at least as though a street cleaning machine has just passed.

The characters, for the most part, suffer from the same overabundance of cleanliness. London's "Unfortunates", as prostitutes were called, were forced by circumstance to wear all of their possessions and sleep in human warehouses. Heather Graham looks scrupulously scrubbed. In reality, Johnny Depp's character would have had ample reason for being apprehensive about bodily contact with his leading lady.

A guiding principle taught all aspiring novelists is to "write what you know". In filmmaking, the same principle would seem to apply as well. In constructing the sets and filming the streets of the 1993 "Menace II Society", the Hughes brothers were working within a milieu they knew well. When they tried to project themselves across an ocean and a century, they seem to have disassociated themselves from some basic realities of inner city life. The Watts, L.A. environment they knew enjoys a level of prosperity and cleanliness an order of magnitude (10 X) above that of the London, East End of 1888. Poverty is endemic to all the inner cities, but while dealing with a subject matter grounded in a much greater degree of poverty than that of their local neighborhoods, they have removed the filth that polluted its lifeblood and vitiated everything else they might have done.

Two out of five stars; two and half if they'ed have "cleaned up" those pristine streets and prostitutes.:D

[betheny]

I'm glad all filmmakers don't live by the principle "Write what you know." We need the period pieces. I guess they should be certain to thoroughly learn the details about the times of which they write. I never noticed too much cleanliness in "Into Hell", but I get what he's saying.

I recently saw "The Libertine", another Depp movie which he, as usual, rocked completely. You actually did see (and almost smell) the filth in the 17th century streets in this one, where the main character suffers an ignoble end. More, or better, versimilitude, in this one-however you are supposed to phrase it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375920/

I went to a museum in York England once that had a ride, like an amusement park ride, that took you back in time in that community. It had smells, bad ones LOL. Merry Olde England (or anywhere, I guess) was far from pristine.

[Juke_spin]

Regarding the comments of the senior member above, you'll notice I only rated the lack of verisimilitude/over-cleanliness a half star differential.:tape::help::waving:

I know what "she's" saying, though.:D:mega:

[betheny]

Oh hell, did you write that review? Whoops!

I know what YOU were saying though!!! Have you seen The Libertine?

[Juke_spin]

Oh hell, did you write that review? Whoops!

I know what YOU were saying though!!! Have you seen The Libertine?
I know you need this change when you're missing nicknames. No, I haven't but I'm likely going to:


"Anyone can oppose. It's fun being against things. But there
comes a time when one must be for things." This is the advice
that Charles II (played by John Malkovich) gives supreme cynic
John Wilmot (Johnny Depp) in the film THE LIBERTINE, directed by
Laurence Dunmore from a literate and intelligent screenplay by
Stephen Jeffreys based on his play. http://www.imdb.com/Reviews/396/39682

Then Travers of RS gave it three and a half out of four stars:

...the dazzlingly debauched John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester. It's hard to tell what shocked seventeenth-century England the most about the earl. His depraved poetry? His skill as a cocksman with both ladies and gentlemen? His play about Charles II (John Malkovich) that portrays the king as a giant dildo? http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/6142832/review/8798983/the_libertine

It definitely looks like a goody...so I just moved it to the top of my queue.

Thanks for the heads-up.:D

[Juke_spin]

It was necessary to hyjack this post by another senior member:;):p

Originally Posted by betheny
I love that you guys admit you watched Mean Girls! My best friend Gina (the movie critic from hell) hasn't watched a teen movie since I made her watch Clueless. Obviously that was a few years back. :rotfl: Our past 2 phone convos I have had her ask "Why do they keep giving Lindsay Lohan parts in MY movies? (Prairie Home Companion, the Robert Kennedy one, etc.) while I explain that underneath it all, Lindsay is GOOD. Gina won't give poor Linds an inch past The Parent Trap.

(BTW: Clueless = Best Teen Movie In History imo...except, of course, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Even Gina watches Ferris once a year. )

Speaking of Crazy MacCrazyPerson-Old Linds is taking right to that rehab structure, isn't she? What, did she find the only rehab on the planet with valet parking? That place should be sued, letting her bring her manicurist, leave to shop and work. Sheesh. They're robbing her and quite possibly killing her too.


...to get this topic rolling, but what was the best ever teen movie?

I give Clueless high marks and this topic wouldn't make much sense without advancing American Graffiti but I think the cult classic, Heathers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097493/), should take the honor, with its compounding the talents of Wynona Ryder and Christian Slater, it's a dark comedy that get down to the basic mean spiritedness of HS kids in a way that's never been done before or since.

What's your idea of the best teen movie ever? Why would be nice, too.

[SCI-Nurse]

I'd nominate Fast Times at Ridgemont High (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083929/). Stellar cast, great screenplay by Cameron Crow.

(KLD)

[betheny]

For the sake of this discussion (Best Teen Movie Ever) I move that we give Ferris Bueller his own category. This should probably have become standard practice years ago.(Moment of silent reverie here, reflecting upon the Ferris Bueller Theme Song: Ah ooomp Bahhh...huhhhhhh...uhhh...Tchikkka tchikkkkaahh.)

I have seen an alarming number of teen movies for a woman my age. I like them.

The dark edge that critics tend to rave about, most notably found in the movie Heathers, is overrated to my eyes. You see it, or an attempt at it, everywhere. The River's Edge, Jawbreakers, it is overdone in my opinion.

I just don't find teenagers to be that deep. Even when they are involved in deep things-sex, drugs, theft, abuse, molestation-they remain entirely, sublimely, shallowly self-absorbed. (One might say Clueless. :p)

Winona Ryder rocked Heathers, as she did everything back then. Remember Beetlejuice? Perfection. My personal favorite coming-of-age movie, Reality Bites, ditto.

I guess I loved Clueless because the script matches the subject matter and the subjects.

"Hi. My name is Cher. My mother was a total Betty. We lost her in a tragic accident related to a routine liposuction."

In response to armed mugger's command to lay on the ground: "As IF! This is an Alaia!"

The speech that clues Cher in to her dreamboy's sexual preferences "He's a disco-dancing, Oscar Wilde reading, Streissand ticket holding friend of Dorothy, know what I'm saying?"

Oh, I could go on for hours. Heathers just never sang to me like the script for Clueless. I leave you with one more gem...

Amber: Ms. Stoeger, my plastic surgeon doesn't want me doing any activity where balls fly at my nose.
Dionne: Well, there goes your social life.

Why do you (and everybody, it seems like) love Heathers?

[betheny]

Oh yeah, Fast Times! Now THAT was a script! And the teens were suitably Clueless!

[2jazzyjeff]

Pristine "From Hell" Setting Fails Film I agree.. Depp's worse film to date. I tried watching it twice a few years back. The 1st go I fell asleep and the 2nd I just had to stop. * 1 out of 5. Now Secret Window is a completely diff. story.. a must see. **** 4 out of 5.

I second Fast Times as ALL TIME best teen movie!!! BUT, my personal favorite is Can't Buy Me Love http://imdb.com/title/tt0092718/ For all you Grey's Anatomy ''McDreamy'' fans, you will love this one. ***** 5 out of 5.

[leschinsky]

clueless and Mean Girls were good but my fav "teen" flick is Saved because of course it's satirical. Mandy Moore and Macaulay Culkin, who plays a para btw, were excellent. The plot invovles a Baptist teen who sleeps with her boyfriend to help "make him straight". Moore plays the popular bully at the Baptist school who in one scene hurls her Bible at Jena Malone while hollering, "I am FILLED with Christ's love!". This is one hilarious flick and not mean spirited, a kind of modern day John Hughes film. Highly recommend it!
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/05/28/DDGFL6SDKH1.DTL&hw=saved+christian+review&sn=004&sc=900
http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=137861
http://www.religioustolerance.org/savmovie.htm

[betheny]

I forgot about that one Nic, Culkin did the w/chair acting pretty well, it was good.

[leschinsky]

I forgot about that one Nic, Culkin did the w/chair acting pretty well, it was good.
He did, I heard he did a lot of research.
In fact, he knows about weight shifts even
http://movies.about.com/cs/saved/a/savedmc051704_2.htm

Beth how do you remember so many lines from movies? I always blame my meds for my bad memory :)

[betheny]

The Clueless ones I really remembered. Usually I remember part of a line and go to imdb to "refresh my memory". Yay for the internet!

My son ( who is still a teenager, the poor thing) suggested The Breakfast Club as a contender.

[Juke_spin]

He did, I heard he did a lot of research.
In fact, he knows about weight shifts even
http://movies.about.com/cs/saved/a/savedmc051704_2.htm

Beth how do you remember so many lines from movies? I always blame my bad memory on my meds :)
I suppose that's better than blaming your meds on your bad memory.:p

Beth left out that the "Memorable Quotes" section in imdb will often, but not always, fill you in. If they (imdb) didn't make the whole process so cumbersome, I'd be leaving good quotes daily; as is I suffer in (relative) silence.:nono::thinking::D

[leschinsky]

I suppose that's better than blaming your meds on your bad memory.:p



grrr I was in a hurry.

[betheny]

Has anyone seen Dreamgirls? If you hate musicals you won't like it. I bless the geniuses that decided America was ready for the occasional musical. I love them.

First, Eddie Murphy knocked it out of the park. I had forgotten how talented, and just what a great performer, this guy is. He throws himself into his role, he becomes Jimmy Early. Bravo, standing ovation. Stole the show.

Second, we're hearing a lot about Jennifer Hudson. With reason. Well done. I could have done without one little hissy fit but other wise, very nice. And she doesn't do that Mariah Carey thing of searching vocally until she finds the note, thank God! She knows where it is, she goes to it, she nails it, and I am very grateful to be spared the searching process!

Beyonce-Ehhh. Actually much better than I expected. And she is just painfully beautiful. Is her waist 14 inches, or what?

Jamie Foxx-Very nice. He always does what he sets out to do. His role (hello, Quincy Jones) could have been bigger.

Now supposedly this is not the story of the Supremes. LOL, yeah right. It is too, they just changed Effie's ending. In real life her name was Florence Ballard and she landed a lil bit harder. The costumes are fabulous. The music had me bopping. I cried lots.

The story starts in the very early 60's. I was born in 1960, so watching it was like watching a lot of my earliest TV memories. To a lot of people on Carecure it will be as distant as the Civil War, I guess. It goes on through the disco days...1980 or so. Again, the costumes are so timely. The fashion, political and musical changes over the course of a few years in those days were dramatic.

I go 4 stars on Dreamgirls. I'm not sure it is as good as Chicago but it's in the running and that pleases me!

Signed-

A Sucker For Musicals :)

[JCAT]

Now supposedly this is not the story of the Supremes. LOL, yeah right.

My watching the promo's I thought It was about the Supremes.

The story starts in the very early 60's. I was born in 1960, so watching it was like watching a lot of my earliest TV memories.

Like the Ed Sullivan Show or American Band Stand?

A Sucker For Musicals :)

__________________________________________________ ____________

[betheny]

JCAT_

JUST like Sullivan and Clark. They both made several appearances in this movie.

I don't know why they are denying that this is about the Supremes. The names are slightly different. Quincy is named Curtis, Diana is named Deena, Florence is named Effie. And they happy-ed up the ending...but that IS the Supremes on that movie screen.

[2jazzyjeff]

So I've been ''knocking down'' several movies here lately. I won't bore everyone with some, but will mention some that are decent.

The Night Listener with Robin Williams http://imdb.com/title/tt0448075/ Plot Outline: In the midst of his crumbling relationship, a radio show host begins speaking to his biggest fan, a young boy, via the telephone. But when questions about the boy's identity come up, the host's life is thrown into chaos.

Not usually my type of flick, but it held my interest. I give it a better review than above. *** 1/2 out of 5.

I recommended this to jukey and hopefully he will comment on his viewpoint.

The Illusionist with Edward Norton http://imdb.com/title/tt0443543/ Plot Outline: In turn-of-the-century Vienna, a magician (Norton) uses his abilities to secure the love of a woman far above his social standing. (more) (http://imdb.com/rg/title-tease/plotsummary/title/tt0443543/plotsummary)

Not the action-packed usual, but this movie is superb. Norton is stellar and Paul Giamatti is excellent and it's always nice to see Jessica Biel. I highly recommend this. ***** 5 out of 5.

Waiting for Feb. 20th for The Prestige to be available.

[JCAT]

OOP'S....
I wanted to add more to my last post but I ^&%$*'d-up.

I like muscial's as well, seen all kinds.. of course, Grease is a favorite.
I don't watch shows like American Idol, but got hooked up on the show
Your the one that I want. The singing and dancing is getting better each week.

This week movie...

The last King of Scotland.. I wanted to see Forrest Whitaker performace
before the Oscars.. Wow, he did an excellent job. The movie didn't focus too much on the horror of the 300,000 Uganda's that were slaughter under his regin but focus more on the Idi Amin paranoia and brutality under the
eye of his personal doctor. Good Flick

J

[darkeyed_daisy]

Molly Ringwald is still my all time teen actor. She is in a broadway show now that I want to go see...called Sweet Charity. Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink are my favorites. Although For keeps is a distant second favorite.

[JCAT]

Molly Ringwald is still my all time teen actor. She is in a broadway show now that I want to go see...called Sweet Charity. Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink are my favorites. Although For keeps is a distant second favorite.

d/daisy

Sweet Charity is a musical about a night club dancer who tries to find
true love in 1960's New York. Shirley Mac Laine played Charity Hope,
in the 1969 Movie version and those are big shoes to fill. Mac Laine
was beyond excellent in this role, if your are a fan of Mac Laine you'll
know what a great dancer/singer she is. FYI

J

[darkeyed_daisy]

d/daisy

Sweet Charity is a musical about a night club dancer who tries to find
true love in 1960's New York. Shirley Mac Laine played Charity Hope,
in the 1969 Movie version and those are big shoes to fill. Mac Laine
was beyond excellent in this role, if your are a fan of Mac Laine you'll
know what a great dancer/singer she is. FYI

J

I will have to find the movie. I would very much like to see it before I see the stage version with Molly.

One of my friends took me to a Broadway show last year and I have been hooked ever since. None have compared to first time I saw Rent and I actually like to watch the DVD occaisionally.

I hate that I missed Hairspray. I did get to see the 25th anniversary of Cats on Monday. Still nothing compares to Rent...LOL

[betheny]

LOL, Daisy, I love me some Broadway musicals. I haven't been to NYC for a fix in farrrrr too long. Cats got me hooked, years ago, but omg it sucks to me now! I'm a Renthead too. I hope Molly doesn't let you down!

I knew somebody would mention Pretty In Pink/16 Candles. Those 2 are just connected.

Oh, one more thing about Dreamgirls...my 17 year old son was in trouble so he had to go to it with me. :rotfl:

[JCAT]

I will have to find the movie. I would very much like to see it before I see the stage version with Molly.

One of my friends took me to a Broadway show last year and I have been hooked ever since. None have compared to first time I saw Rent and I actually like to watch the DVD occaisionally.

I hate that I missed Hairspray. I did get to see the 25th anniversary of Cats on Monday. Still nothing compares to Rent...LOL

d/daisy

I've never had the opportunity to see a Broadway show (ever) frankly, I am a little envious. My daughters seen Wicked and recommended it very highly, but at $100 a pop I am reluctant to spend that kind of money.
Call me cheap (i've been call worse) lol .....
j

[betheny]

If you ever drop $100 on a special occasion (and who doesn't? We all should!) Broadway or its foreign equivalents is a darned good place to drop it. Beats fancy dinner with wine imo anyway...

When I lived in Houston we had good travelling theater come through, a year or two after hitting Broadway. Not in Oklahoma City tho, sigh. I miss that. I also miss going to NYC or London every year or 2 to catch the latest shows. Man I need a good job LOL.

[JCAT]

If you ever drop $100 on a special occasion (and who doesn't? We all should!) Broadway or its foreign equivalents is a darned good place to drop it. Beats fancy dinner with wine imo anyway...


betheny,

I don't know about that. I will need to experience a play to determine if it's better then or as good as a fancy dinner with wine.
My bf and I were talking this weekend about a summer vacation. We do not know where to go. Of course our first choice was Paris, Italy or Greece but the price is little more then what we want to spend. So, maybe a trip to NY to see the city and a broadway show.. hmmmm.
Good Thought.
J

[leschinsky]

d/daisy

Sweet Charity is a musical about a night club dancer who tries to find
true love in 1960's New York. Shirley Mac Laine played Charity Hope,
in the 1969 Movie version and those are big shoes to fill. Mac Laine
was beyond excellent in this role, if your are a fan of Mac Laine you'll
know what a great dancer/singer she is. FYI

J
I don't usually do musicals but years ago I saw in SF Debbie Allen as the lead and she was great.

[christopher]

South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut. Now THAT'S a musical!

[darkeyed_daisy]

What I have seen would never compare to actually going to Broadway but I have enjoyed what I have seen touring through our area. I saw the Billy Joel one last summer "movin out". There was alot of good music. http://movingout.uvision.net/tour_feb/index.html#firstDRUM
I wasnt a big fan of Billie Joel but the way it is arranged and the story line was excellent.

I cant wait to see Dream girls...that was a great punishment Betheny. I guess a cartoon would be the punishment for my kid...LOL The extracting the keys works pretty good too...LOL

The second time I saw Rent has been my only gripe..nothing will live up to the first tour of it I saw. I would have loved to see it on Broadway. Maybe we should save up or stand on a street corner to get funds for a trip to Broadway...LOL I would love to go.

I got West side Story on DVD but I havent watched it yet. I hope I like it too...I think I remember watching it on TV but I was too young to appreciate the singing and dancing...LOL

[Juke_spin]

The Night Listener with Robin Williams http://imdb.com/title/tt0448075/ Plot Outline: In the midst of his crumbling relationship, a radio show host begins speaking to his biggest fan, a young boy, via the telephone. But when questions about the boy's identity come up, the host's life is thrown into chaos.

Not usually my type of flick, but it held my interest. I give it a better review than above. *** 1/2 out of 5.

I recommended this to jukey and hopefully he will comment on his viewpoint.


Jukey comments: I thought enough of it to pass on Jeff's recommend to my Transit driver lady friend as she was ferrying me and my groceries home from the market four days ago. She's a literary and literal type who responded to my statement, " Movies are the literature of our time." with, "I read a lot of books.":p:)

If the film did nothing worthwhile other than immerse us in and validate the life of an intelligent, sensitive and very aware gay man (living in the heart of the Big Apple, no less), it would be worth wiewing, but it does so very much more. By the time its very short eighty minutes are over, we have been give a very real look into the mind of a very gifted and uniquely disturbed and disturbing individual.

This film, based on a true story, is not to be missed!

[leschinsky]

Jukey comments: I thought enough of it to pass on Jeff's recommend to my Transit driver lady friend as she was ferrying me and my groceries home from the market four days ago. She's a literary and literal type who responded to my statement, " Movies are the literature of our time." with, "I read a lot of books.":p:)

If the film did nothing worthwhile other than immerse us in and validate the life of an intelligent, sensitive and very aware gay man (living in the heart of the Big Apple, no less), it would be worth wiewing, but it does so very much more. By the time its very short eighty minutes are over, we have been give a very real look into the mind of a very gifted and uniquely disturbed and disturbing individual.

This film, based on a true story, is not to be missed!
Yes by local boy Armistad Maupin, I'll have to rent it.

[Juke_spin]

Yes by local boy Armistad Maupin, I'll have to rent it.
You'll want to watch the ten minute Bonus feature on this one, "The Night Listener Revealed".;)

[rdf]

Saw Downfall today.

Great German movie about Hitler's last few days in his bunker. I really enjoyed the film, but I feel that Hitler was portrayed as too sympathetic a character.

Besides that, I'd recommend it to all.

[2jazzyjeff]

Watched Flyboys today. http://imdb.com/title/tt0454824/ Plot Outline: The adventures of the Lafayette Escadrille, young Americans who volunteered for the French military before the U.S. entered World War I, and became the country's first fighter pilots.

Regardless of the 6.6/10 rating, this movie was GREAT!! Awesome cinematography.. Lots of non-stop action. ****1/2 out of 5 stars.

[Juke_spin]

Asked what she will be doing after the funeral, Veronica says, "I dunno. Mourn, maybe watch some TV." For a while she is glad to be rid of Heather, figuring the world will be a better place without her. Alas, Heather the Second, perhaps even nastier, is crowned; the body count climbs and suicide becomes the "in" thing at Westerberg High.

Deadpan reactions to grievous ills are the stuff of black comedy, but the notion that murder-suicide is funny is bound to cause a ruckus. But Daniel Waters, who based the screenplay on a high school newspaper column, means to send up suicide, to strip it of any glamor or nobility. He and debuting director Michael Lehmann haven't quite done that, though they have devised a strangely hilarious morality play.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/heathersrkempley_a09fb6.htm

Cautionary note: "Heathers," a stiletto-sharp comedy about getting ahead in high school at any price -- even murder -- makes insidious jokes about teenage suicide and pokes fun at jocks, princesses, geeks, homosexuals and fat people.

But it also happens to be funny, wickedly funny. In fact, "Heathers" may be the nastiest, cruelest fun you can have without actually having to study law or gird leather products. If movies were food, "Heathers" would be a cynic's chocolate binge.

But their privileged flunkie Veronica (Winona Ryder), tired of performing the Heathers' dirty deeds for them and genuinely heartsick at the way people have been treating each other, links up with mysterious, squinty-eyed newcomer Jason Dean (Christian Slater) and turns the tables.

"I don't like my friends," complains Veronica. "Yeah," says Jason, who talks like a young Jack Nicholson with a little "Omen"-child menace thrown in. "I don't really like your friends either."

Veronica's a bitch-warfare veteran and Jason has picked up a thing or two about firearms, "suicide"-rigging and building detonation. They make a lethal team -- too lethal a team, in fact. It's better not to reveal who buys the farm, but Westerburg soon becomes the teenage-suicide capital of America.Movies

Underneath the jokes, director Michael Lehmann and screenwriter Daniel Waters have produced a message about the way we treat each other, not only in high school but in the world. But let's face it, the message is an excuse for us to enjoy the social art of killing without getting caught in the crossfire. And that's murder most sweet.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/heathersrhowe_a0b1f9.htm

[JCAT]

[QUOTE=darkeyed_daisy]What I have seen would never compare to actually going to Broadway but I have enjoyed what I have seen touring through our area. I saw the Billy Joel one last summer "movin out". There was alot of good music.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

darkeyed_daisy

Looked at the video today of "movin out" and the music and dancing is very familiar to Staying Alive the 1983 movie w/ John Travolta and Finola Hughes.

Tony Manero tried to make it as a professional dancer on Broadway in this
sequel to Saturday Night Fever.

My favorite line in the movie: Men like you are not relationships your exercise.


J

[christopher]

I watched a cool Asian film tonight, called Full Time Killer (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286635/). It borrows liberally from The Matrix, Leon(The Professional), Heat and a hint of Fight Club. 'Honour among killers' is the theme of this cat and mouse game and it. is. violent.

[Juke_spin]

I watched a cool Asian film tonight, called Full Time Killer (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286635/). It borrows liberally from The Matrix, Leon(The Professional), Heat and a hint of Fight Club. 'Honour among killers' is the theme of this cat and mouse game and it. is. violent.

Hey, ck. While surfing for good reviews on this Hong Kong actioner I had to contend with a basic problem; this kind of genre film, while it may be good for its sort, will not be getting much notice by the top notch film reviewers. So it came as no surprise when I discovered that James Berardinelli, Steve Rhodes (NOT to be trusted on most films but an action freak), Peter Travers, etc., failed to have given the flick a review.

Harvey S. Karten did and liked it, while pointing out the inevitable weakness:
The principal flaw of the movie is that there is really nobody you can care about, but then who says every movie has to have a sympathetic character? There's lots of action, particularly the ballet-like obligatory finale, which is orchestrated ironically to Beethoven's "Ode To Joy" a musical piece dedicated to universal brotherhood. http://www.imdb.com/Reviews/343/34304

For fun I clicked the Guardian/Observer (http://film.guardian.co.uk/Film_Page/0,4061,980867,00.html) (UK movie buffs have scant patience for what they generally regard as "Hong Kong action dreck") but the two reviewers on display were predictably jaundiced in their appraisals.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/125249_killer06q.html)'s SEAN AXMAKER had some genuine praise for Fulltime Killers:

The dueling assassins of "Fulltime Killer" deliver their share of bloody shootouts and daring escapes, but Johnny To's sleek action dream owes more to the elegance and introspection of Wong Kar Wai than John Woo's bullet ballet and modern martial chivalry.

[Juke_spin]

..and more.

I watched Heaven's Burning over four years ago; I watched it three times, more or less in a row. I had to have it. It's now a part of my VHS library and I wish I had it on DVD. It's a borderline guilty pleasure.

Read the excerpts and reviews below and I think you'll at least see why it's a pleasure.

More than any of the genre's critical or popular successes,... Heaven's Burning remaps the Australian landscape to speak directly to the experience of.... Moreover, it does so with the distinct Australian accent of playwright and screenwriter, Louis Nowra, keen observer of..
...it remaps the Australian landscape for a tourist gaze and a corporate takeover even as it peoples it with the road movie's cast of outlaws, ratbags and no-hopers; its characters are beyond integration into a multicultural ideal; three out of four of its father-son couples are spectacularly non-viable; and Russell Crowe takes the recessive Australian hero (Colin) to a new level of passivity while Youki Kudoh's inspired rendition of Midori's transformation from bride, hostage, bank robber to romantic outlaw leaves the Hollywood action heroine in the shade.
There is however another logic to the film which proposes that outback Australia offers a (mostly dystopian) landscape of open roads and empty spaces as some sort of reprieve from international contamination by corporate culture. The reprieve takes on different forms... http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/00/9/heaven.html

One of the most satisfying aspects of Heaven’s Burning is the richness of the setting, from the characters to the locations, and even the storyline itself. Yes, it’s a love story, but that love story does not suffocate a ... http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=554&s=Reviews

...Crowe and Kudoh pair up, and much reckless romanticism ensues -- but considering its frothy premise, the movie's denouement is a surprisingly ruthless one. (And that's a point in its favor -- for me, at least.) -- G. F.
http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_09.04.97/film/filmfest4.html

Written by Louis Nowra and directed by Craig Lahiff this movie is quite good, it does have some rather dark elements to it though. Several quite graphic and shocking scenes which are shown in such a way that they might be misconstrued as an everyday occurrence. http://www.dvdbits.com/reviews.asp?id=682

[SCI-Nurse]

I finally saw Aaltera this weekend. I thought it was a hoot. Black and white, and not enough subtitles, but otherwise I thought this story of two guys with SCIs on a road trip for justice (in Finland!) was very funny.

(KLD)

[RehabRhino]

I saw Hot Fuzz on Friday. British comedy cop film by the guys behind 'Shaun of the Dead'

It was hilarious. Loads of film references and ridiculous action. It's essentially Lethal Weapon set in rural England. Great fun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7J_vYN5ZkY

[christopher]

I watched Election (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126886/) this weekwend. I really enjoyed it. And the king of all 'rockumentaries', This is Spinal Tap (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088258/). I could watch that movie a million times and still find it funny.

[leschinsky]

I watched Election (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126886/) this weekwend. I really enjoyed it. And the king of all 'rockumentaries', This is Spinal Tap (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088258/). I could watch that movie a million times and still find it funny.A satirical weekend! Two excellent films.

I saw Match Point (http://imdb.com/title/tt0416320/), it was good but cynical. I like some humour in my Woody Allen films. It was nice though for a change to not see the ending coming.

[Curt Leatherbee]

I saw Norbit the other day. Thought it was great, I really like Eddie Murphy comedies. Going to see "ghost rider" soon.

[CapnGimp]

hadn't heard of this yet, thanks 4 the heads up Curt! I googled it, looks like another winner for him and the yahoos in it,lol. Comedies are my favorite type.
I've saw Election before, it's killer!
Rhino, 4 some reason I never hear about Brit comedies, gotta look into this one.

[Juke_spin]

A satirical weekend! Two excellent films.

I saw Match Point (http://imdb.com/title/tt0416320/), it was good but cynical. I like some humour in my Woody Allen films. It was nice though for a change to not see the ending coming.
Agreed on the unexpected ending in Match Point (http://imdb.com/title/tt0416320/), Nichole but you have got to start making use of the reviews before watching a movie so you'll have some idea what to expect unfront. That way you're not disapointed by a director jumping his usual genre.:p;)

I saw Aaltera and, out of consideration for those who might get something out of it, will forgo any comments.

On a recommend from another member I watched Flags of Our Fathers and, in spite of my advice (above), had no expectation of what it turned out to be. It's worth watching but this is no "war movie" in the usual sense. I guess all those years in front of a camera gave Clint Eastwood some good ideas about what to do behind one. Now in his mid-seventies, he continues to surprise by his resourcefulness. I guess "Unforgiven" should have told us that this isn't just another over-the-hill screen star.;)

[CapnGimp]

Jukey, I've been wanting to see Flags of Our Fathers since I heard about it. I don't really get into the producer/director thaang, I just WATCH'em. But I sorta figured if Clint made it, it had to be good.
I JUST got through watching Grandma's Boy on tv. I laughed my non-existant aRse off! It is one of them that you just GOTTA see! It comes on CinemaxW again in a few hours, 1am Eastern. I'm going to watch it again. I missed the first few minutes. It's got some familiar actors in it, like Kevin Nealon, David Spade(short part), George Castanza's mom(name escapes me)and a bunch of others,just don't know their names. If you like partying comedies, adults, not kids, rent this puppy. It is HI-freakin-larious! Best one I've seen in a long time. Now it's not highbrow comedy, and it has a few nude scenes, even has Mrs. Partridge in it...she talks about giving Charlie Chaplin a hand :D Just SEE it. Trust me on this one.
Put the juniors in another room though.
read about it here at the bottom of the page
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456554/

If you DON'T like Adam Sandler movies, don't watch it. Just go have someone pull that stick outta yer butt, before ya hurt yourself :applaud:

[JCAT]

I had a wide varity of movies to see this weekend.. The three that
were chosen are Life is Beautiful, Infamous, Running with scisscor.

Life is beautiful: is a touching story told with imagination and humor.
Infamous: is based on Truman Capote life while he was writing his
book In Cold Blood. If you seen the movie Capote don't bother with Infamous, same story line.
Running with Scisscors: Funny, A son's memoir of his alcholic father,
unstable (poet) mother, and the quirkey therapist and his dysfunctional family where Augusten (the son) has gone to live while is mother tries to
put her life back together.

My other options were: Sweet Charity, Flag of our Fathers, Departed,
and Lillies of the field.

J

[chick]

Jukey, I've been wanting to see Flags of Our Fathers since I heard about it. I don't really get into the producer/director thaang, I just WATCH'em. But I sorta figured if Clint made it, it had to be good. I am planning on watching "Flags.." in the next day or so (have the DVD, just gotta see it). I wanted to see it BEFORE going to see "Letters from Iwo Jima" which is playing across the street. I hear that :'Letters" is a better stand alone film, tho seeing both complements and helps perspective and some context (even in certain shots, which may not reveal in full in 1 film, you see shot/angle differently in the other). I thought it was interesting that Eastwood made a film about the public/media manufacture of "heroism", esp. in light of his politics and current state of affairs. It makes it more interesting, and am curious to see how he portrays both films. I'm encouraged by the reviews which discuss these films as not being simply chest thumping self serving patriotic crap :)

[chick]

BTW. All you who are familiar with Frank Miller's graphic novels (Sin City), there is a movie of 300 coming out in a few weeks. However, if you are on Myspace and living in Toronto, Chicago or San Fran, you can gain admission to a FREE IMAX screening of it, Feb. 21st (this Wed. night), by bringing in a printed copy of your page with Black Curtain and 300 showing on your top list.

[2jazzyjeff]

Just watched The Departed.. This flick has an all-star cast and really the only movie that I could tolerate Leo DiCaprio. Non-stop action with several surprises. A must see. ***** 5 stars. :)

[leschinsky]

Agreed on the unexpected ending in Match Point (http://imdb.com/title/tt0416320/), Nichole but you have got to start making use of the reviews before watching a movie so you'll have some idea what to expect unfront. That way you're not disapointed by a director jumping his usual genre.:p;)
When I go to the theatre or pick up a rental yes, but when I put on HBO or Sundance, nah.

[Buck_Nastier]

Norbit sucked. I love Eddie Murphy, but shame on him.

[SCI-Nurse]

Movies I have seen in the last week and liked:

Pan's Labyrinth

Breach (Chris Cooper was great)

The Lives of Others

Flags of Our Father's (I thought Letters from Iwo Jima was better)

Music & Lyrics (who knew Hugh Grant could actually carry a tune??)

SherryBaby

The Notorious Bettie Page

(KLD)

[2jazzyjeff]

Norbit sucked. I love Eddie Murphy, but shame on him.I betcha' it didn't suck near as bad as Hannibal Rising. I could not wait for the movie to get over. Pure torture. * 1 star

[Juke_spin]

Movies I have seen in the last week and liked:

Pan's Labyrinth

Breach (Chris Cooper was great)

The Lives of Others

Flags of Our Father's (I thought Letters from Iwo Jima was better)

Music & Lyrics (who knew Hugh Grant could actually carry a tune??)

SherryBaby

The Notorious Bettie Page

(KLD)
Are you sure your're seeing enough movies, KLD?:agog::thinking::p:D

Salon.com [Stephanie Zacharek] (http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2007/02/16/breach/index.html?CP=IMD&DN=110) reviews "Breach":

That story sounds more like a movie (http://www.salon.com/dir.salon.com/topics/movies/) than like real life, the sort of material that could lure even a smart filmmaker into the wilds of overdramatization and overkill. But the director of "Breach," Billy Ray, is too wily, too hip to the value of understatement, to make that mistake. Ray -- also the director of the 2003 "Shattered Glass," (http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/2003/10/31/shattered_glass/index.html) another movie about a creepy guy leading a double life -- likes to explore that murky gray area where self-delusion and the deception of others blend into a kind of egotistical religion of the self. http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2007/02/16/breach/index_np.html?source=CP=IMD&DN=110


Peter Travers (Rolling Stone) on The Lives of Others:

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck -- his name is a mouthful, but remember it. He's that good. In his feature debut as director and screenwriter, von Donnersmarck burrows into the erotic, engrossing and thoroughly nasty business of spying. http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/10617357/review/13247240/the_lives_of_others_das_leben_der_anderen


James Berardinelli's ReelViews (http://www.reelviews.net/movies/s/sherrybaby.html) who gave "Sherrybaby" ***:

Often, no matter how good a portrayal is, we're cognizant on at least some level that we're watching an actor. What differentiates truly great performances from those that are "merely" good is the sense that the actor has fully inhabited the character. From the first frame in Sherrybaby, Maggie Gyllenhaal is Sherry and the illusion never dissipates.
Peter Travers (again) on The Notorious Bettie Page


Harron (who directs) needed just the right actress to play Bettie. And she lucked out big time. Gretchen Mol (The Shape of Things) is hot stuff in every sense of the term. She delivers the first performance by an actress this year that deserves serious Oscar consideration. There's not a touch of self-consciousness or shame in Mol's portrayal, despite the nudity.


http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0404802/2497.jpg (http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0404802/7055.jpg.html?path=gallery&path_key=0404802&seq=2)

[Juke_spin]

When I go to the theatre or pick up a rental yes, but when I put on HBO or Sundance, nah. :o:cry::sorry::baby::tape:

[pash8605]

We went to Ghost Rider on Friday. Definatly not my type of movie! The acting was really bad in it.

[betheny]

I want to see Music and Lyrics. My son said he read it was just like Hugh Grant's other romantic comedies. My response, of course-In that case it must be ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!

Ah I'm a sucker for an articulate chick flick.

Doesn't Ghost Rider have Sam Elliott in it? It looks dumb but yummm re Sam.

Bettie Paige movie looks good to me. Thanks for the opinions, all. I rely on them heavily.

[orangejello]

Comedies are my favorite type.
I've saw Election before, it's killer!


I agree. I saw Election without knowing what it was about or even who was in it. It was a very pleasant surprise. What an absolutely rocking movie :)

I want to go rent it and watch it again now

[antiquity]

Ugh. I hated The Departed. The acting was excellent and several cast members definitely deserve Oscar nods but the storyline was implausable. I thought I'd scream if I heard the C word again. Scorcese went a little overboard with the perjorative language. Overall, I'd give it a C+.

I thought Nicholson was miscast, he relied on his standard bad guy act which was basically the same performance from Batman but he fell short of epitomizing an aging Irish gangster. Brian Dennehy or Ed Harris would have been better choices.

[Curt Leatherbee]

Ugh. I hated The Departed. The acting was excellent and several cast members definitely deserve Oscar nods but the storyline was implausable. I thought I'd scream if I heard the C word again. Scorcese went a little overboard with the perjorative language. Overall, I'd give it a C+.

I thought Nicholson was miscast, he relied on his standard bad guy act which was basically the same performance from Batman but he fell short of epitomizing an aging Irish gangster. Brian Dennehy or Ed Harris would have been better choices.


I agree, way to much blood and violence for me on this movie. It really jumped around all over the place. I could not follow it for the life of me.

[keps]

I want to see Music and Lyrics. My son said he read it was just like Hugh Grant's other romantic comedies. My response, of course-In that case it must be ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!



As far as I can tell, Hugh Grant is exactly the same in every film he's in ie Hugh Grant.
He looks out from under his eyelids and does that quivery-mouth thing in every film, it seems. :)

[leschinsky]

I saw the film Longford (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0759612/) last weekend, an excellent drama that won an award at Sundance this year. HBO purchased it, it's playing now catch it if you can. Samantha Morton plays an infamous woman convicted of murder with her boyfriend and Jim Broadbent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Broadbent) is the eccentric English lord who befriended her. He was a lifelong advocate for prision reform. Don't get turned off by that their portrayls are riveting performances. Morton had to be convinced into taking the part ultimately saying:

"I believe it is my duty as a performer to raise issues in the world of things we're afraid to look at."

Indeed. There are some provocative lines at the end of the film that I'm dying to know if are accurate. I won't repeat them because it will give the ending away. A must see.

[SCI-Nurse]

I got to see Pride (http://www.pridefilm.com/site.php) with the Cinema Society tonight, and I would recommend this film to anyone. Be sure you take your hanky though...as it is a tear-jerker. Terrence Howard was very good, and even Bernie Mac (who usually sets my teeth on edge) was good in this film. Based on a true story, with great 1970s music (mostly funk).

(KLD)

[Juke_spin]

Durring a discussion about horror on the boards, I recently made a few statements to the effect that I am a fan of the horror films of Italian filmmaker Dario Argento. It's not really true.

The reality is that IMO, the anchor of Argento's accomplishment and reputation lies in just three films of the forty he has made so far, and two of these were released over thirty years ago.

The horror gem in the Argento gamut of efforts is by far and away Deep Red, or as it got renamed for U.S. audiences, Deep Red, the Hatchet Murders, released in 1975.

For Dario Argento, PROFONDO ROSSO was the film in which he really came of age as a stylist. His camera technique is seductive and unusual, cleverly drawing the viewer into the proceedings. His use of lighting and colour is at times magical, and the murders are shocking and deftly staged with razor sharp editing. It is a beautiful, artful film despite its dark premise and boasts a bizarre, intriguing storyline with relatively few holes. Once again, Argento's use of music is magnificent, easily on par with the stunning Goblin soundtrack he used later in SUSPIRIA. After three scores with Ennio Morricone, PROFONDO ROSSO marks Argento's first collaboration with Goblin whose peculiar brand of gothic rock is wonderfully macabre here despite its frequently upbeat tempo. Even better is the snippet from a haunting child's song that recurs throughout the film, a crucial element from the killer's past that becomes a vital clue in Hemmings' attempts to solve the mystery. http://www.imdb.com/Reviews/116/11673

From the highpoint of Deep Red, Argento went on to bring us both SUSPIRA, in '77' and Creepers (aka Phenomenon) in '85'. Both these films are successful in creating a wonderfully deep and pervading atmosphere/mood and have the trademark and effective Goblin soundtracks but both are deeply flawed.

[van damn]

Saw eragon last nite.It was alright.

[2jazzyjeff]

Saw eragon last nite.It was alright.Watched it yesterday as well. As I'm not big on fantasies, this one was really good. Jeremy Irons is always great, IMO. I'll be waiting for part II now.

[van damn]

Watched it yesterday as well. As I'm not big on fantasies, this one was really good. Jeremy Irons is always great, IMO. I'll be waiting for part II now.
I like dragons.I like the older movies like Excalibur and stuff.

[Juke_spin]

I like dragons.I like the older movies like Excalibur and stuff.
Geno & Jeff, being a fan of Jeremy Irons and having been one for decades, I've got to suggest Dead Ringers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094964/) if you haven't already seen it. In it, Irons gets to play twin genius surgeons who do corrective and cosmetic procedures on women in a huge, wealthy Canadian "Institute" where the surgical garb is blood red.

They go strange.:D

[van damn]

Geno & Jeff, being a fan of Jeremy Irons and having been one for decades, I've got to suggest Dead Ringers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094964/) if you haven't already seen it. In it, Irons gets to play twin genius surgeons who do corrective and cosmetic procedures on women in a huge, wealthy Canadian "Institute" where the surgical garb is blood red.

They go strange.:D
Thanks Juke, I'll rent it.

[JCAT]

Juke,

You always seem to find good & interesting movies to view.

I intend to stick to the main stream of movie viewing.
I did step out of the box two weeks ago and attempted
to watch John Water's 1986 movie; Pink Flamingo.
A family of rednecks and a pair of swingers battle with one
another for the right to the title of The filthiest people alive.
I found it a little ghastly some what humorous. Apparently, it's a cult classic. It's a movie to watch if there is nothing else is on.

Next:

Rocky Balboa (2007) If you're a huge Rocky fan you can
enjoy this movie.. I did.

Next:

Blood Diamond, this movie had me on the edge of my couch
from start to finish. I wept (softly) for majority of the movie.
A ex-mercenary (Leonardo Dicaprio) and solomon (Djimon Hounsou)
Their fates become joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond that can transform their lives.

It's heart wrenching to watch these people of Sierra Leone and
what they have to endure each day of their lives.

Very Good....

J

[RehabRhino]

Juke

Thought you might like this trivia site

http://www.notstarring.com/oscar-trivia.html

[Juke_spin]

Juke

Thought you might like this trivia site

http://www.notstarring.com/oscar-trivia.html
At eight minutes post your post, I'm on it. Get back to you.:)

edit: So far, so good. Thanks Rhino.:thumb:

[2jazzyjeff]

Was bored so I went to see Blades of Glory today. :zombie: OMG, where do I start? How sorry could a movie be? Please don't waste your time or money ppl. I wouldn't even waste it on it when it's released on DVD. I almost left b4 it was over a cpl. of times but didn't. I hardly grimaced at any part. All of the decent funnies were what they showed on the previews. I get in free and almost asked for my money back. :)

Switching gears to an absolute hysterical movie.. Wild Hogs!!! I've seen it twice already in the theaters and will go for a third if someone wants to go. Non-stop laffs from the opening scene all the way thru. A def. comedic must-see.. :D

[SCI-Nurse]

A few that I can recommend: The Host: Korean monster movie with a twist (it doesn't take itself too seriously). Great special effects. Fracture: Anthony Hopkins at his evil best with Ryan Gosling playing the prosecuter in a thriller/mystery/courtroom drama. Don't let anyone tell you the ending! Believe in Me: I'm a sucker for the sports film that shows people succeeding against all odds and finding their passion. This one is based on a real women's basketball coach (who is male) in OK. Bruce Dern gets another good villian role. (KLD)

[Juke_spin]

A few that I can recommend: The Host: Korean monster movie with a twist (it doesn't take itself too seriously). Great special effects. Fracture: Anthony Hopkins at his evil best with Ryan Gosling playing the prosecuter in a thriller/mystery/courtroom drama. Don't let anyone tell you the ending! Believe in Me: I'm a sucker for the sports film that shows people succeeding against all odds and finding their passion. This one is based on a real women's basketball coach (who is male) in OK. Bruce Dern gets another good villian role. (KLD)
Hey KLD, you come up with some goodies. The Korean monster flick seems like it might be fun and, since I just took a free trial membership in an Asian movie rental site, TigerCinema, I'll probably rent it. TigerCinema's not nearly the deal rental-wise that Netflix is and I'll likely drop it after the trial perid but they sure take/allow a personal interest in their customers with emails to explain whatever you might be wanting to know, etc..

Re. Bruce Dern, the last time I saw him in anything was as the only real friend of Aileen Wuornos in Monster. He's old enough to be over-the-hill but he's still real. He had a throwaway part in one of my guity pleasures, Blue Tiger, which I'm probably such a sucker for b/c of the fierce love Virginia Madsen shows for her dead son. I guess never having had any left a vacuum in me that's never really going to fill. At any rate, I never tire of it and pop the trusty vhs in the player at least five times a year.

[keps]

Was bored so I went to see Blades of Glory today. :zombie: OMG, where do I start? How sorry could a movie be? Please don't waste your time or money ppl. I wouldn't even waste it on it when it's released on DVD. I almost left b4 it was over a cpl. of times but didn't. I hardly grimaced at any part. All of the decent funnies were what they showed on the previews. I get in free and almost asked for my money back. :)


Oh...I really wanted to see Blades Of Glory. I'd thought the ads looked great, but if they contained all the good stuff...hmmm.

[antiquity]

Just saw Pan's Labyrinth. Very good directorial achievement. I hated Guillermo's version of Blade but absolutely loved this. Masterfully spun, surreal and tragic. I couldn't stop crying at the end. 5 stars.

[Juke_spin]

Just saw Pan's Labyrinth. Very good directorial achievement. I hated Guillermo's version of Blade but absolutely loved this. Masterfully spun, surreal and tragic. I couldn't stop crying at the end. 5 stars.
Thanks for the reminder; I just bumped it to the head of my netflix queue.:):mega:

[JustinB]

Spider Man 3 succccckkkkkeeeeedddd.

They can keep my money, I want three hours of my life back.

[chick]

LOVED Pan's Labyrinth. I posted my thoughts on it in another thread (quoted below) (http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?p=594663#post594663). My post below is in response to some discussion/disagreeement relating to the mix of reality and fantasy themes in the story. The two stories are fascinating on their own merits, but the interplay of real world and fantasy was integral to the story. The little girl who loves books and mystical tales, escapes into her world away from the pain, loss and danger that exists in the real world. Ofelia's world of fantasy, fairies, and strange creatures, is escapism and means of understanding and coping. It's also her way of helping and confronting the challenge thrust upon her (I won't go into detail, for those not having seen the film).

It is a fantasy film, but it is also very political. Not only is this about the political events taking place in Spain, but it is about challenging beliefs and questioning authority and the status quo. This is a parallel theme reflected in the story, which can be seen in the intermix between fantasy/reality, as the ethical/moral/philosophical challenge is at once subtle and internal, and overt and blatant.

There's a balance between following rules, questioning them, and daring to risk challenging them.

Consequences of individual decisions and actions, extend beyond Self ...
There is also religious undertones in the story.

The political story is specific but the themes surrounding it is very relevant and timeless.

Sen, I agree it is tragic. I also found it beautifully powerful and uplifting (in the end) -- Ofelia's decision and what she claims.


Other must see movies:
DIGGERS and Little Children - both really really really good. Two of the better movies I've seen in a while. Funny too.

Diggers is a simple story centered around a group of guys - great characters, with relaxed pace but very engrossing. I wished it was longer!

Little Children, is unique in how the story is told. Kinda wouldn't be surprising if one of the characters just stopped, stared into space and shouted ..."just shut the fuck up already!"

[chick]

Rhino - I remember you posting somewhere about this movie but can't seem to find where...

but

28 weeks Later is pretty good as far as zombie flicks go, but not as good as 28 Days. Won't spoil it, but I see 28 Months Later, in the horizon. Ha.
I heard some review about this being a bit anti-American, but I didn't see it really. If you wanted a metaphor, I guess you can find/create one, and I won't say what in case you haven't seen it, but I think it's a stretch.

I wonder how much of it was filmed on location - imagine filming all those crazy fast zombies thru the streets of London!

[chick]

A Trio of films based upon a theme of Vengeance:

1. Oldboy
2. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
3. Lady Vengeance

These stories are independent of one another, but made as a series, a trilogy, on Vengeance. I liked Oldboy and Lady Vengeance best. Sympathy for Mr. V dragged on too long, for me, so despite the interesting story, I was impatient for it to end.

Violent, twisted, and funny.

This is Korean, with subtitles.

[Le Type Français]

I saw Disturbia in the theater this past weekend and I thought it was an excellent thriller. Go see it!

[antiquity]

ITA Chick. Thanks for linking the other thread.

It was a poignant window into a child's escapist world in the midst of personal tragedy (her fathers death and mothers illness) and social upheaval. The sad aspect was the ending with the semi-dissolution of the fantasy she desperately clung to. Although her death was real, as she lay dying, she transformed herself permanently into the plot of the fairy tale. As any grieving child would want to be reunited with their dead parents, her death ultimately represented the culmination of her wishes.

Saw 28 weeks later too. I'm glad I didn't read the reviews prior to going because they all mentioned anti-American/anti-military overtones which I didn't notice either. If anything there was pro-American sentiment with the US soldier sacrificing his life to save the group. I loved 28 days later and felt that this one fell short although it was still a good movie. 3 stars.

[keps]

A Trio of films based upon a theme of Vengeance:

1. Oldboy
2. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
3. Lady Vengeance




Funnily enough, I just looked at Oldboy in a shop today. It wouldn't usually be my type of film, but I'm reading the manga.

[Juke_spin]

Review by Peter Travers of Rolling Stone
...informs Brewer's Black Snake Moan. But, oh lordy, when the music stops, this movie needs a respirator. Look, I'm not knocking Brewer -- the dude has a real talent for evoking atmosphere -- and the eye-filling sight of a mostly naked Christina Ricci, playing Tennessee white trash with her own spin on "she's gotta have it," is unassailable. But this time Brewer substitutes provocation for substance. And that dog won't hunt. No sooner has Rae (Ricci) sent her boyfriend, Ronnie (Justin Timberlake), off to the Army and Iraq, she's getting it on with her drug dealer, the football team and Ronnie's best friend -- he's the jerk who rapes her and leaves her for dead on a dirt road. Rae's awakening comes courtesy of -- symbol alert -- Lazarus, played by a graybeard Samuel L. Jackson. Lazarus, a former blues musician (Jackson sings, effectively), takes in this wild child, chains her to his radiator and gets fired up to cure her of her sex sickness. Offensive on multiple levels -- if only the plot had any levels at all --


Review by James Berardinelli
Black Snake Moan is designed to look and sound like a B-grade exploitation flick. It opens with a hot sex scene followed shortly thereafter by the sight of a girl writhing on the ground in apparent sexual frustration. Later, there's booze and blues and black-and-blue marks. There's a (white) girl in chains and a (black) man holding the key. The film pushes more buttons than an elevator operator but, in the end, Black Snake Moan works to turn expectations upside down. The movie has things to say about race and religion and the pain of loneliness,?????????

Or, what ever happened to Christina Ricci?

[Juke_spin]

Here's a nice little clip with some movers, shakers and stunners.

http://www.premiere.com/video/3118/women-in-hollywood-video.html

[chick]

WOW

A powerful and moving film.

Charlize Theron was amazing. It was intense, watching her. I sympathized, while I also found strength in her desperation.
She (the character, as Theron protrayed) was heroic in her own way.



Theron was really really good. Can she get any sexier???

[Scorpion]

She (the character, as Theron protrayed) was heroic in her own way.
Yeah... until she became a serial killer. :)

Excellent movie.

It's hard imagining her sexier. :p :yumyum:

[keps]

Saw Snakes On A Plane recently. It was dumb fun.

[Scorpion]

Saw Snakes On A Plane recently. It was dumb fun.
I liked that movie! It was dumb, and it was fun. :) I liked all the different stupid ways people were being killed by snakes.

RE: Oldboy manga -- I saw, after seeing the film, that Dark Horse was publishing the English language version of the manga (manga is Japanese for comic book, for the non-geeks, also a style of comics based on the Japanese style), but I haven't checked it out. I'm not really into manga, but some of what I've seen is really cool; and I really liked the movie, so I'm interested to see what the English translation of the Japanese manga translation of the Korean film is like. :)

[keps]

I liked that movie! It was dumb, and it was fun. :) I liked all the different stupid ways people were being killed by snakes.

I'm glad someone agrees with me. :) I saw horrible reviews for the film here. Quite unwarranted, too.
Some of those snakes were stupid-looking too, weren't they? But it just added to the fun. :D


RE: Oldboy manga -- I saw, after seeing the film, that Dark Horse was publishing the English language version of the manga (manga is Japanese for comic book, for the non-geeks, also a style of comics based on the Japanese style), but I haven't checked it out. I'm not really into manga, but some of what I've seen is really cool; and I really liked the movie, so I'm interested to see what the English translation of the Japanese manga translation of the Korean film is like. :)

Apparently, the film was based on the manga. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Boy_%28manga%29
I have volumes 1 and 2 of the manga. I won't be bothering with subsequent volumes; although the storyline is a good one, the books move way too slowly.

I only recently started reading manga - after seeing an article on Junji Ito (horror mangaka extraordinaire). His Tomie stories are superb chilling reading. I recommend them. :)

[chick]

Keps, I forgot to ask earler... what the heck is a "manga"?

I found out what it was, and was going to ask if you followed it, cuz was curious how close the book and movie were. Given the story of Oldboy, it can't be an ongoing series, right?

Sidenote: just wondering, with your interest in Japanese - do you know the language?

[keps]

Keps, I forgot to ask earler... what the heck is a "manga"?

I found out what it was, and was going to ask if you followed it, cuz was curious how close the book and movie were. Given the story of Oldboy, it can't be an ongoing series, right?

Sidenote: just wondering, with your interest in Japanese - do you know the language?

Well, there's 8 volumes to the manga, but the storyline is spread really thinly. It would have done better to be condensed. (I haven't seen the film - it may be too scary for me).

Alas, no, I do not know Japanese. I just find there is much in Japanese culture to love. :)