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- Thread starter adgy-san
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jerseydevil
I'llPutPenniesOnYourEyes
Got mine @ Best Buy so...don't know about the exclusive. But you should have this. STILL a terrific and hilarious flick. Oh PeeWee!!!!!!
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LetTigerIn
Lurker
Got mine @ Best Buy so...don't know about the exclusive. But you should have this. STILL a terrific and hilarious flick. Oh PeeWee!!!!!!
Bob Clark!
jerseydevil
I'llPutPenniesOnYourEyes
see, this guy gets it.
IceDogsFan
Prospect
I thought the part at the beginning when the dwarfs invited them selves to Bilbo's place was too long and the bits with that crazy brown wizard was stupid but overall it was pretty good.
adgy-san
PJ Harvey is God
Stoker - Ok, so... where to start? This movie is very strange. I read a couple of reviews that said it was Chan-wook Park's most conventional film to date, but I didn't get that from it at all. Maybe when I see it again I'll feel differently, but this movie had me disoriented and bewildered a lot. I had no idea what was going to happen next most of the time. Initially, the way the camera moves and the shots that are chosen felt very strange to me, like something I'd never seen before. I don't know why that is. It just felt very foreign to me, and I don't mean international.
Overall, I really liked the movie. It's far from perfect and there is very obviously layers of subtext that were not apparent to me on first viewing, but hopefully will be more so when I see it again. There are a lot of questions left unanswered, most importantly the motivations of the characters for doing some of the things they do. A lot of it is not explained, or not explained well. I tend to give Park the benefit of the doubt and say that he was operating on a level I was not, but many reviewers would, and have, called it sloppy. I wouldn't argue it at this point. The film seemed to be pointing toward a revelation about the... nature of the characters that I don't know I should spoil, but if you read some of the plot details when the movie was still in the planning stages or if you read into the name of the film (and family), you might be able to figure out what I mean, that never came. I think if that revelation had occurred, it would have answered a lot of the questions left lingering and maybe been more satisfying for a lot of the audience, although some other things would have had to be changed.
Having said that, the performances were great, the level of tension and atmosphere is excellent and some of the scenes are just incredibly great. Some of the scenes. I really need to watch it again because I feel like I missed so much. I'd love to read a review written by a Psychology professor or psychoanalyst, because I bet they'd have a field day with it.
For me, I really just want to watch it again. My dad, who has seen Oldboy but has no real attachment to Park (and so is maybe less biased about the movie) just said the movie was "weird". My mom asked him if that was good or bad, and he said "yes." So... there you go.
Admission - A little formulaic, maybe, but it has a lot of funny bits and it's just 90 minutes of Tina Fey and Paul Rudd doing what they do best. Neither of them seemed to have to step out of their comfort zone much (although Tina gets more emotional than I'm used to seeing), but since I like both of them being themselves, it didn't bother me. I enjoyed it.
Grand Prix - Said to be the best race car film ever made by a whole bunch of IMDB reviews, I decided to watch this 3 hour flick solely because Toshiro Mifune is in it. His part was smaller than I'd been hoping, but it was enough I didn't feel cheated. And the movie was pretty good, too. It's about the lives of a few Formula 1 drivers and how what's happening to them off the track affects them on the track.
Like I said, it was pretty good. Bonus points for being the first time I've seen a young Jessica Walter since becoming an Arrested Development fan. Damn, she was pretty. I need to watch Play Misty For Me again sometime...
High Noon - Put simply, this is probably the best pre-Clint Eastwood western I've ever seen. I don't know why I waited so long to see it.
Burden Of Dreams - A documentary about the making of Fitzcarraldo, my favorite Werner Herzog movie. The filming of it was a serious goddamn adventure and the documentary was fascinating. I really think Herzog is probably the single most interesting guy on the planet and I could listen to him talk all ****ing day. Still haven't checked out the commentary, but will do so soon.
Justice League: The New Frontier - Great comic, meh movie. For running time's sake, a lot is left out and the story suffers for it. It still has some great bits and pieces, but overall... ehh. Read the book instead.
The Duellists - Ridley Scott's first full length feature film about two French military men who have numerous duels over the period of their military service. Very interesting to see Scott's early stuff have so many of the trademarks of his great stuff. The lighting, the close-ups, the fog in every room. I really liked the look of this movie, and I liked the story quite a bit, too. The climactic battle scene is really well done. Definitely recommended.
Diehard
Elegant
only seen a couple movies worth writing about
I read adgy's review, and I have no idea how people think this movie is Park's most conventional. In my mind it's certainly less conventional than Thirst, for instance. It was, though, the most slow-paced film by Park's I've seen. But at no point does the film drag. The pace is simultaneously slow and deliberate, no easy feat for any director. At its heart Stoker is a deep, intense character study, and in a twisted sort of way a coming of age tale for an enigmatic, introverted and seethingly intense girl. I know a lot of people think it's a mess, but I don't really see it that way. It doesn't throw the plot in your face, it uses ambiguity effectively. And as the film progresses the characters' actions make more sense. I got an on-screen crush on Mia Wasikowska, and Matthew Goode was creepy as ****. He seems to get cast in those types of roles a lot. Nicole Kidman doesn't get as much screen time as the aforementioned stars, but her on-screen presence commands almost every scene she's in.
Highly recommended.
Watched Law Abiding Citizen again. I liked it a lot better the second time. One of the better thrillers out there.
Gangster Squad isn't bad, but I wasn't exactly blown away either. Great cast but only a mediocre story. Probably won't watch it again.
I read adgy's review, and I have no idea how people think this movie is Park's most conventional. In my mind it's certainly less conventional than Thirst, for instance. It was, though, the most slow-paced film by Park's I've seen. But at no point does the film drag. The pace is simultaneously slow and deliberate, no easy feat for any director. At its heart Stoker is a deep, intense character study, and in a twisted sort of way a coming of age tale for an enigmatic, introverted and seethingly intense girl. I know a lot of people think it's a mess, but I don't really see it that way. It doesn't throw the plot in your face, it uses ambiguity effectively. And as the film progresses the characters' actions make more sense. I got an on-screen crush on Mia Wasikowska, and Matthew Goode was creepy as ****. He seems to get cast in those types of roles a lot. Nicole Kidman doesn't get as much screen time as the aforementioned stars, but her on-screen presence commands almost every scene she's in.
Highly recommended.
Watched Law Abiding Citizen again. I liked it a lot better the second time. One of the better thrillers out there.
Gangster Squad isn't bad, but I wasn't exactly blown away either. Great cast but only a mediocre story. Probably won't watch it again.
Diehard
Elegant
I liked Life of Pi, glad I got to see it in 3D. Didn't like it as much as I expected though, guess I'm not the biggest Ang Lee fan.
Julia's Eyes is a solid mystery/thriller about a woman with degenerative eyes trying to catch a killer before she loses her sight. Some people have classified it as horror but I didn't really think it was scary.
Another solid Spanish flick, Sleep Tight is about a concierge at an apartment that does some pretty ****ed up ****. It's a really creepy character study that delivers.
Finally watched the infamous Ichi the Killer. Was very underwhelmed. Lots of gore and ****, didn't really do much for me.
B
BigBrown
Lurker
Two movies in sort of the same vein, where the main characters have personal issues they have to confront to move forward. Dramas with a touch of comedy here and there, strong acting... Two quality movies I'd recommend.
IceDogsFan
Prospect
and
B
BigBrown
Lurker
Pretty funny, not great but had enough interesting stuff going on for it to be worthwhile. Good b-movie.
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LetTigerIn
Lurker
Margaret, in short, is one of the best movies of the last decade. However, it does have its shortcomings, and I would not recommend it to everyone. It is 152 minutes, and that's the "short" version. That's the version that's on HBO this month, and it is purported to be the inferior version. I plan to watch the extended (186 minutes) cut soon, both to get the full experience and, hopefully, to confirm my admiration of this film. It's likely you'll either love the movie as much as I, or loathe it.
I recorded this entirely on a whim when it came on late at night after a showing of Used Cars, of all things.
I recorded this entirely on a whim when it came on late at night after a showing of Used Cars, of all things.
jerseydevil
I'llPutPenniesOnYourEyes
Been really curious about Margaret. I have to see the original/as intended long version. The story re:the making and delayed release of this movie is fascinating too. Pretty sure all you need to do is google the title and/or maybe the director to pull it up. One of those 'only in Hollywood' stories.
adgy-san
PJ Harvey is God
Superman: Unbound - At WonderCon, a couple of the friends we went with wanted to see a screening of this new animated Superman flick. It's based on a story by Geoff Johns that seemed to basically be re-telling the origin of Brainiac. It was pretty decent and had some funny lines, especially from Lois Lane, but the way Brainiac was defeated was a little too... Signs-esque for me. I've certainly seen worse animated films and I never read the source story, so I thought it was alright.
Lego Batman: The Movie Dc Superheroes Unite - Another one watched at Wonder-Con. i think I would have liked this a lot better had I not already seen almost all of it while playing the video game. As it was, it was cute enough and had a couple funny Joker bits, but it's clearly geared more towards kids than me.
The Five Year Engagement - Much like the engagement period the title refers to, this movie was way too damn long. Over two hours long, and it drags in parts. Other than that, though, it was fine. Relatively funny, Emily Blunt is cute, Chris Pratt was pretty great and there were a lot of cool cameos. It was a pretty enjoyable film that gets dragged down in the middle. Could have used some more editing.
Alfie - In my continuing quest to watch everything Michael Caine has ever done, Alfie was showing on Turner Classics. I actually had to think twice about watching it because I remember seeing the trailers for the Jude Law remake and thinking it looked horrible, but I stuck to my vow, watched it and ended up being really glad I did. It's basically about this womanizer who goes through life not caring what his actions do to the the women he loves and then leaves and then some stuff happens and he realizes the error of his ways. Simple enough.
I really liked that Caine breaks the 4th wall, though, and talks to the audience. It was funny and, even when being a total bastard, he's charming as hell. I bet he could have talked me out of my pants. There's a scene towards the end, one of the ones in which he begins to realize the error of his ways, that was extremely well done and very affecting. I liked the movie a lot.
Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker - Watched this one at the urging of my comic shop guy. I was a really big fan of Batman The Animated Series when it first came out, and I still enjoy watching re-runs of it on Hub sometimes, but I never really watched Batman Beyond. So we borrowed this and watched it and I think it's probably the best animated comic book film I've seen to date. Not too surprising given some of the names shown during the credits, like Pail Dini and Bruce Timm (who did the original Batman TAS) and voice work by Mark Hamill, Kevin Conroy, Angie Harman, Dean Stockwell, etc.
It was a lot darker and more violent than I'd expected. I read that for it's initial release, it was censored quite a bit. I actually thought the "twist" was fairly clever, too. Good movie.
Blood And Bone - I tried watching this once before on TV, but it was an edited version, so I got through about 10 minutes of it before I shut it off. Those first 10 minutes took place in a prison bathroom where a bunch of big dudes, including Kimbo Slice, were trying to shank Michael Jai White and he was kicking their asses. The fighting was cool, but I couldn't deal with all the bleeping. So I was glad to see it pop up unedited on one of the movie channels.
The plot is pretty simple, but the action is the star here, and it performs pretty well. Michael Jai White isn't quite as charismatic as someone like Bruce Lee, and this movie is VERY Bruce Lee, but he holds his own. A surprisingly solid supporting cast including Julian Sands, Eamonn Walker and a cameo by Gina Carano help, too. It's a little silly overall, but it knows it's silly and doesn't try to hide it or overplay it. I liked it quite a bit.
Safe House - Put simply, this is a bland, predictable action flick that is elevated only by the performances of the two leads. I give props to Ryan Reynolds for doing a good job with the drama, and not a wisecrack in sight. Denzel is... Denzel. It's the kind of movie where you know exactly how it's going to end about 15 minutes into it, and with lesser performances, I would have just turned it off. I'm going to call it solidly average, which is probably being generous, but I do enjoy watching Denzel work.
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LetTigerIn
Lurker
Yeah, I was curious about this after watching the movie. It was filmed in 2005 but not released until 2011. In 2006, it probably would have been my favorite movie of that year. In 2011, not as much, but 2011 was a pretty great year for movies. In terms of thought-provoking movies of 2011, Margaret would have fit in between The Tree of Life and Sleeping Beauty for me, I think; closer to The Tree of Life. (Incidentally, I was happy to see my favorite 2010 film, The American, get a mention a few posts above.)
Among the things I found when looking for information about it was a scathing review by Armond White which only made me enjoy the film more, actually. Despite his, IMO, unreasonable disdain for the film and its supporters, White brings up a salient point about Kenneth Longeran's lack of visual cinematic prowess, reinforced when he calls Margaret "a morose version of a Woody Allen film." He considers this a negative. I do not.
While I don't give out any spoilers, go ahead and stop reading if you want to preserve your freshness to the film.
Anyway, rather than the visual, the movie's strength lies in its extremely deep and realistic characters, its measured narrative and its universal themes.
This is one of the areas where White's review falls way short. He harps incessantly on the allusions of the film to post-9/11 America, but I agree with the late, great Roger Ebert's assessment: "Actually, 9/11 figures only marginally; what's important is the conflict between the young woman's perfectionism and things as they are." I'm so glad I went back to the Google to find that White review, because I didn't find the Ebert quote until now. Anyway, it's impossible to make all the universal references Lonergan makes in the film without touching on universal themes.
Ebert ranks the film #14 best for 2011. I rank it higher than that, but I don't want to oversell the film too much. Plus, I do need to see it at least once more to be sure I'm not.
BTW, apparently Lonergan enlisted the help of Martin Scorsese to help him cut the film down to the 153-minute version. When pointing this out in the review, White belittles Scorsese for being unable to make a good film in the past decade. Ummm... Hugo?! Yeesh. This kind of stupidity is one of the reasons White's review did not soil my opinion of the film. Hugo is also a 2011 release, incidentally, and #4 on Ebert's Best of 2011 list.
jerseydevil
I'llPutPenniesOnYourEyes
Ok. Very late to the game. But maybe enough so that the WAVES of hype died down enough for me to judge this with fresh eyes. First of...Knee crunchingest, fist slappingest, stabby stabby stabbiest thing I have seen in a bit. Superhuman. Yeah, plays like a videogame...run, run, BOSS fight...lather rinse repeat. Still, was never bored. Deftly paced/directed, considering I am not a huge fan o'chopsocky...not bad. Looking fwd to the sequel, which should be easy to figure as far as plot wise. As far as the Dredd comparisons, which are valid...I think Dredd used the 'up we go' thing a lot better.
OOOOh this is a 'not for everyone' flick. First off, mad mad mad mostly practical old school fx. Some of the wackiest **** I have seen since that Treat Williams/Piscopo flick where the butcher shop got reanimated. Very trippy/existential plot(blame the book) and you will either buy in...or you won't. Clancy Brown and Paul Giamatti try to 'cult-flick' this up, but the leads are a little wooden, and it MAY be too much for most to forgive. Me, I dug it big time. Recommend to the rare few who have some sick **** on their minds. It's the SAUCE man...
Ok. Clever idea. Cuban movie that models itself(only slightly) after my beloved Shaun of the Dead. I admit, I have only a rudimentary grasp of the Cuban socialist slant that goes on here. I do know that, like most Zed word flicks tend to do, this one has YONKS of social commentary. History class schmistory class...is it good? Glad to say, hell yes. Good characters and fine storytelling are the universal language. This is available on HBO on demand, available on most cable systems. Cannot recommend enough. As far as the fx...a little too much reliance on cgi, not terrible...but it does not have a HUGE gore quotient. You will laugh...and be moved...and make sure you stay through the excellent animated credits which are finely paired with Sid Viscious' version of MY WAY. Love this little movie.
And the lord smiled upon me, because this has been a HELL of a movie watching week. Ok...clowns...awesome practical fx with gags predicated on clown-ish elements, decent enough victims, a GREAT iconic killer, and oh yeah...CLOWNS. When the religious ceremony involving undead clowns started up, I knew I was watching a winner. Nice postscript too, which I won't spoil...but 2 words...clown head. Tee Hee what a blast. I WANT A SEQUEL!!!!!!!
adgy-san
PJ Harvey is God
Lords Of Salem - Only noticed this had been released on accident. When my dad bailed on going to see Obilvion with me, I found myself with a few free hours and decided to see what else was happening. This was... an interesting failure. There are things that I really liked about it and things that I didn't, but for the most part I left the theater unsatisfied. I did appreciate the atmosphere Zombie was able to build (with the help of some excellent original music by John5) and I liked the idea of the story and the fact that there wasn't any CG at all, but... well, I don't want to spoil anything. I'm not sure Sherri Moon was the best choice for the role, though she isn't bad, but I never really connected to her or cared much about her either way. Jeff Daniel Phillips was really the only actor who managed to come across as sympathetic and made you care.
It wasn't bad enough for me to give up on Rob Zombie as a filmmaker (dammit), but it wasn't good enough for me to think The Devil's Rejects makes him anything more than a one-hit wonder, so to speak. I would be interested in reading the book, which supposedly goes into much more detail about stuff, but I'm not going to actively seek it out.
Sleuth - Since deciding to watch every pre-1980 Michael Caine movie, I come across, Sleuth is my second favorite. Great performances by both Caine and Laurence Olivier, funny dialogue and a good story. Some of the dialogue is so rapid-fire that I had trouble catching all of it through their accents at first, but once I picked up the rhythm, I was fine. Enjoyed the movie immensely.
Strange Circus - Damn, man, this movie is ****ED UP. Twisted, weird and just ****ed. Loved it. Sion Sono <3 XOXOXOXOX.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - The lady wanted to watch this, and I agreed to it because a movie with Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Penelope Wilson could not possibly be bad. And it wasn't. It's a kind of sad movie about getting older and it's sad just watching all these awesome people be old, but it was a nice movie.
Going To Pieces: The Rise And Fall of The Slasher Film - A documentary about slasher films. It focuses mostly on the start of the genre and features interviews with people like John Carpenter and Wes Craven and such. It was pretty good, even if not all that informative. I was glad that there were a lot of kills straight out of the movies included, giving me a chance to see some of them again and some I'd not yet seen. Worth watching.
jerseydevil
I'llPutPenniesOnYourEyes
Wow, you had a really different opinion on Lords of Salem(Me & Mondo weighed in on the dedicated thread). Just ordered the soundtrack(cause the music was tip top), but the book...is based on the original script. Which, due to budgetary constraints, got culled rather severely according to Rob Zombie. Also I think some stuff got left out because of the death of Richard Lynch during filming. A lot of the Amazon reviews claim it's kind of hard to read because its so stylized. And yeah, that Going to Pieces doc is terrific.
