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shots fired? we run!
(08-06-2012, 06:46 AM)
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Originally Posted by Net_Wrecker:
And when it comes to something like Jesse James, I'm clearly in the minority, as most opinions about it are overwhelmingly positive. I say, you watch it for yourself and make up your own damn mind. |
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Best Buy is my bitch
(08-06-2012, 03:07 PM)
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Michelle Williams is a fine actress, but she doesn't exactly set the screen on fire with her presence & personality. I mean she hardly has a great movie to her name, let alone a performance as absorbing and fun as Monroe's in The Seven Year Itch, for example.
My Week with Marilyn is about as bland a movie you could make and it's pretty hard to start with a story about Marilyn Monroe and end up with something so boring & pedestrian. One day I might start watching movies again.
Last edited by nskinnear; 08-06-2012 at 03:38 PM.
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Professional Schmuck
(08-06-2012, 03:46 PM)
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Just caught The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I can't say I have an opinion much different than the common wisdom, other than I probably liked it a touch more than most. I never saw the Swedish version, so I'm probably a bit more forgiving. Loved the opening.
Here's the thing, though. It starts out like an amazing mystery (one review I read compared it to a Judy Bloom book) and corporate cover-up. Right up my alley. Then there's the extremely disturbing and graphic scenes, which make me uncomfortable even mentioning, but there they are. The film slowly devolves into something much more like Silence of the Lambs, which isn't necessarily a slam on either, but not really my bag. That said, the film has a post-script after the big reveal which I actually thought was great. Most people thought it went too far, but I found myself thinking, oh, there's more! Didn't realize how much I liked the characters until Fincher was tying up various loose ends. The last scene was disappointing. 2.5/5 -- Good rental, long, disturbing. |
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MBA in pussy licensing and rights management
(08-06-2012, 04:10 PM)
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Rushmore: 8/10. Technically a rewatch, though I saw it 14 years ago. I thought I might find it annoying now but I liked it a lot. Still has the greatest joke ever committed to film ("oh are they?"). Olivia Williams, man.
Viridiana: 8/10. Pretty sure I'm going to hell after watching this. Great movie, it's sensual, funny, and touching. And by touching I mean a cow's pendulous teat. Stalker: 9/10. http://i.imgur.com/27fuJ.gif Incredible atmosphere, which I guess is good since only like 3 things happen in the whole 2 and half hours. Really made me want to play the game again, even though I've stalled out twice already. Get out here stalker. The Truman Show: 7/10. One of those ubiquitous movies I've never seen. It was cute. Everyone Says I Love You, Deconstructing Harry, Celebrity, Sweet and Lowdown, Small Time Crooks, Cure Of The Jade Scorpion, Hollywood Ending: 6, 7, 4, 7, 4, 6, 3. Ugh, really getting in to the dregs now. |
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Member
(08-06-2012, 04:15 PM)
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Originally Posted by Borgnine:
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Fclvat sbe Pnanqn, ru?
(08-06-2012, 07:01 PM)
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Arrietty: After this and Tekkon Kinkreet, I've had my fix for really pretty anime for a while, I think. Both movies in their own ways excel in the visual department but didn't impress much storywise. It's pretty, it's cute, it's even touching at times, just not in the way older Ghibli material resonates with me. Thinking about it, it's been a while since any (feature length) anime movie moved me. Time to do some homework.
Lust, Caution: Good, but not great. Maybe I'm missing out boatloads being mostly unfamiliar with Chinese culture. Subtitles might've missed stuff too, I dunno. Don't really have more to say about it. |
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Banned
(08-06-2012, 07:08 PM)
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Monroe couldn't act, couldn't sing, couldn't dance. In Some Like it Hot, for example, you can 100% tell that she barely knew her lines, and no matter what, she was ALWAYS just Marilyn, with no real ability to inhabit any other character or to stretch herself. Hell, Williams's dancing in MWWM blew pretty much anything Monroe ever did out of the water, and you can tell that she has a better control over how she moves her body and uses her voice because she's a real, trained actress, not a sex icon. Monroe was a beautiful woman (though even then, there've been MANY more beautiful women to light up the screen), but she's probably one of the most overrated parts of American cinematic history.
Last edited by Snowman Prophet of Doom; 08-06-2012 at 07:14 PM.
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Member
(08-06-2012, 07:09 PM)
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This past weekend I saw Baraka and Beasts of the Southern Wild.
There were parts of Baraka I liked. My favorite part was the extended footage of what looked to be a semi-improvised, vocal percussion chorus that preceded the volcano. Unfortunately, a great deal of the movie had time-lapse footage of landscapes, cityscapes, and traffic that have become something of a cliche at this point and I was feeling a little knocked out by the antihistamines I was on. It felt a little too much like a set of new age music videos. Beasts of the Southern Wild was something extraordinary. It is a fantasy of sorts, but it would possibly have been just as good as a non-fantasy; I'm not sure how I feel about the titular beasts and their place in the movie, but it's also possible that I may not have gone to see this film if not for such a hook. |
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Member
(08-06-2012, 07:20 PM)
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Watching the Man with the two Brains right now for the first time and to my amazement in that scene where he first takes the brain home he wraps it in an Austrian Newspaper, the Kurier to be exact. How in the world did that happen?
Also watched Final Destination 5, ok movie, some nice deathscenes (I lold when the girl landed atop of the sailing boat's mast. Actresses could've been prettier and the story was pretty bad, even for a FD movie BUT the ending was amazing. Yeah I should've seen it coming from a mile away but I didn't. So all in all it was good watch, pretty much what I expected. |
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Member
(08-06-2012, 07:21 PM)
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Originally Posted by Borgnine:
Seriously though I found it on the whole to be amusing, with the tacky apartment and the 'learning the dictionary' gags being pretty hilarious. It's entirely obvious and hardly vintage Woody, but I didn't think it was bad. The shot of the conversation on the rooftop with the sun setting in the background is one of the finest shots in any of his films.
Originally Posted by Snowman Prophet of Doom:
She even manages to be striking in The Asphalt Jungle and Monkey Business and these are mere cameos. You ever seen Joe Dallesandro act? It seems an insult to what we know as 'acting' to say he acted and yet it's hard to take your eyes off him when he's on screen, his sheer presence and charisma carries him through, much as it did Monroe.
Last edited by Jo Shishido's Cheeks; 08-06-2012 at 07:31 PM.
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Member
(08-06-2012, 07:37 PM)
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Quote:
Lol why do they never have actors that speak the native language, that is NOT austrian. |
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shots fired? we run!
(08-06-2012, 07:39 PM)
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Originally Posted by Snowman Prophet of Doom:
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Banned
(08-06-2012, 07:41 PM)
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Eh. I'll just step out on this one. I found myself more drawn to Williams doing Monroe (really, she was the only thing not horrible about the film) than the real Monroe in any film of hers that I've seen. I find arguments that somebody "lit up the screen" despite not having any real talent rather unconvincing. From what I can tell, Monroe was basically a poor man's Grace Kelly, and the consummate star - all personality, no substance.
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MBA in pussy licensing and rights management
(08-06-2012, 07:45 PM)
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Originally Posted by Jo Shishido's Cheeks:
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Member
(08-06-2012, 09:17 PM)
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Watched The Last Picture Show again. I've never seen another Peter Bogdanovich film, not entirely sure what's worth checking out, but the Last Picture Show has got to be in my top ten movies of all time. He was sweeping you sons of bitches, he was sweeping!
Such an eerie breeze of a film, it's among the best coming of age stories put to screen I think, and a tragic but perfect elegy to an America that doesn't exist anymore. |
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MBA in pussy licensing and rights management
(08-06-2012, 09:27 PM)
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Paper Moon is one of my favorites, it sounds like you'd be in to it from what you liked about Picture Show. It's kind of also a similar coming of age story and an elegy to an America that doesn't exist anymore. Except the age is younger and the America is older.
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Member
(08-06-2012, 09:38 PM)
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Originally Posted by Borgnine:
Okay so 4 = not good and 3 = bad, got it! *makes notes* But, what are 5, 2 and 1???
Originally Posted by EliCash:
I really need to see more Bogdanovich, been wanting to watch Targets for years now... |
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Member
(08-06-2012, 09:42 PM)
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Yea I'll check out Paper Moon, thanks.
Apparently it's similar to Down By Law, King of Comedy and Kind Hearts and Coronets - which are three of my favourite films. And Last Picture Show obviously. Edit: not similar, "people who liked this also liked" thing.
Last edited by EliCash; 08-06-2012 at 09:52 PM.
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Member
(08-06-2012, 10:13 PM)
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King Kong 2005
I hadn`t watched this one since it first came out. Wow, this isn`t as good as I remembered it, or maybe my taste in film has changed a bit. At times it felt too scripted, some of the dialogue is a bit dumb/unnecessary. The bit when Hayes first met Driscoll and tells him about Jimmy felt so out of place, it`s not like driscoll was asking him any of that information. Everything is a bit too convenient. The moment the captain decides to turn back and turn Denham to the police it`s already too late and the got to the island. Also, the events in the film feel like it was a video game sometimes. It`s like ok, we got over this stage, here comes the next. The scene when Kong pushes everyone off the tree/bridge is an example of how scripted the movie is. Considering the time gap between the time they fell and were unconscious, why didn`t the insects attack them while they were out? why did they wait to eat them until they started to defend themselves. If this was a completely original script and the original King Kong didn`t exist this movie`s story would be even worse because there was no sense of real thread to the main characters. Jackson put up all this huge risks but you know they main characters are going to make it to the end so immersion is lost. He throws so much at them yet you know they will come through. If Darrow could scream so loud that Kong could hear her from afar why didn`t she scream when she was captured in the ship? What happened to the natives. Did they just step aside or were they exterminated that they didn`t try to defend their land/cast the intruders away? why weren`t they there by the time Denham and company set the trap for Kong? If kong could just easily jump/climb through anything what was the point of the wall? Specially when the wall has plenty of room to grab onto. in that case how is it the natives still exist lol. Another problem this movie has is that the inclusion of so many powerful monsters takes away from the danger/threat of Kong. How was is that the obese old camera man who clearly didn`t have the stamina survived the stampede? To make it more dramatic when he was devored by the raptors? How many people were on that ship , they just drop like flies, that`s another thing that makes me care less. Another thing, why oh why did everyone do everything Denham asked if they knew he was a piece of shit? I could keep going... I will say though that the production values are good and the film was entertaining to me. More for its goofiness than anything else but entertaining. 2/4 |
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Member
(08-06-2012, 10:14 PM)
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Midnight Cowboy
One of those movies Mr. Netflix keeps bothering me to watch. I did like it, but I kinda feel like it was a weak version of the Graduate. It had some of the same tone and themes and the same artistry and experimentation. A story about discovering yourself and the world around you not necessarily being a good thing. A story about maybe not belonging anywhere and dealing with that realization. I'm been letting the movie sink in for a while, and I think it all comes down to a couple of things: 1. Does the pretentious approach to a simple idea have merit? Like the Graduate, i think it does. It's effective. You will feel as disoriented watching this movie as a cowboy in new york city. At times, the craziness comes at you, but that's how cities are as well. That's how memories are. You don't plan on thinking about the things that might have traumatized you, but they will come when they do. So, I bought the editing, the director's approach just fine, I believe. It just took me a while to absorb it all. However: 2. Do the actors sell it? It's a character study, so of course, what about the characters? Am I buying what they're selling? And this is where I think I wasn't. I kinda bought Jon Voight's character. He was tormented, but didn't show it really...very different than the Graduate, where the main character wore his teenage angst on his sleeve. There was supposed to be a bit more subtlety to the mind of this cowboy wannabe, and I was kinda buying at times, but as the movie carried on, Voight just kinda turned into a bumpkin idiot and not so much a optimistic man with a bit of awkwardness to him. Who I wasn't buying was Hoffman as Rizzo. First thing, his accent disappeared. He became rainman. I know that's not fair. I know, but that's what kept returning to my mind. I wasn't buying his coughs, his affection for miami, or his eyes, or his life or his acting. It just seemed so fake, which is weird because I totally bought him in the Graduate hook line and sinker. Other than that, i loved the depiction this movie had of the 60's (and the lower class folk at the time who were stuck in the 50's). The movie, now, is worth more than when it was released because it depicted a time and at the time which is now history and will never be again. You can not replicate the authenticity in which this movie depicts its chronological subject matter and the people that lived then. And the only part of the plot itself in which I disliked was how it kept pushing the envelope when it comes to Voight's past. First he had a lover. Then the lover was raped. Then he was raped. Then he was blamed for the rape of the girl and sent to jail because she said her one one line (what a twist). Enough already. You're trying too hard to garner sympathy. You had me at girl he loved was raped. Hell, you had me at the depiction of texas in which he lived. I'd be out of my mind if I lived there for fifteen minutes. Still, I recommend it. Good movie that frustrates me because it should be great.
Last edited by Mr. B Natural; 08-06-2012 at 10:17 PM.
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Member
(08-07-2012, 12:07 AM)
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Yo, first contribution to this thread, While babysitting I recently re-watched one of my favourite movies, and probably my favourite Disney movie, The Lion King.
 It's still a really great movie, but I did notice some flaws that I hadn't seen before. First off, I just wanna say that the animation is still majestic and holds up very well on a good HDTV. Scenes such as the stampede, the celebration of Simba's birth and the final battle at Pride Rock look amazing. The movie is just so vibrant and colourful, popping out at you through every scene, be they comedic or tragic. It's just a really pleasant film to look at from start to finish, and it really helps sell the scale of the movie. Speaking of scale, I love how huge this movie is. From the mass congregation of animals at the beginning to the desolate nature of Pride Rock at the end, you can tell that the personal drama these characters go through has far-reaching effects throughout the kngdom. The scene in which Mufasa shows Simba "everything the light touches" and teaches him about the Circle of Life are great examples of how the animation shows how big the world these characters inhabit really is. Speaking of characters, I really do like most of them. I suppose you could argue that child Simba was a bit annoying and obnoxious but to be honest, I think most kids are like that. Plus, he did actually learn his lessons. After the events at the elephant graveyard, he doesn't look for trouble, he's more manipulated by Scar. He's not like Mowgli for instance, who never fucking learns even at the end of the Jungle Book. Furthermore, that scene where he cradles himself under Mufasa's dead body is still incredibly heartbreaking. He's an easy character to get behind from child to adult, and goes through a nicely developed character arc. A simple but good protagonist. Scar is still one of my favourite Disney villains, especially for the first half of the film before he becomes king. He's just so fun to watch as he continuously manipulates things around him to get his way and antagonises everyone through snarky yet dignified put-down. I also love how he can be dark and threatening one second and then camp and comedic the next, usually all in the space of one scene. It helps that Jeremy Irons does a great job voicing him, but I'll get to that later, as I will with his great song. Plus, he fucking killed Mufasa on-screen, and that still gets to me. A very fun villain. The rest of the characters are pretty good on the whole. Mufasa is a likeable king and moral figure, and his brief scenes with Simba do sell the relationship and make his death more impactful, particularly the pouncing scene. Zazu is amusing if a little inconsequential to the proceedings. Nala's pretty cool, has good chemistry with Simba throughout and isn't annoying as a love interest, which is nice. I find Timon and Pumba to be like/hate with a lot of people, and I think that applies to their movie as well. Personally, I thought they were fine, they raise a few laughs and their philosophy on life contributed decently to Simba's development as a character. The hyenas are pretty funny too, and much like Scar they can be comedic and harmless at one point and then fiercely menacing the next. Their scavanger ways also contrast nicely with Scar's prim and proper nature, and makes their scenes together pretty fun to watch...even when they're tearing him apart at the end. Rafiki is good too, helps guide Simba through the second half of the movie and has a great scene where he goes all kung-fu on the hyenas at the end. I kinda wish Sarabi got more interaction with Simba, but for what's there, it's fine. I don't think I can really mention anyone else here. I also like how the story is presented. You can tell it's an adaptation of Hamlet, if only because it doesn't shy away totally from the source material, it's still pretty dark. There's death, there's violence and there's angst, but it's all balanced out by that happy and colourful Disney nature. You can still tell it's a Disney movie, as they simplify Hamlet's plot and mould it into this movie, but it's still compelling and engaging. The voice-acting is mostly stellar, with the stand out performances being Jeremy Irons and James Earl Jones as Scar and Mufasa respectively. Irons just sells each and every line with a slimy and snarky yet dignified menace, while Jones' performance resonates with both warmth and power, which are key aspects of the character. The scene where he talks to Simba from beyond still gives me chills. The rest of the voice acting is solid, although Matthew Broderick does struggle at times with his emoting, an example being that aformentioned scene with Mufasa. He does a good job overall though, which can be said for the cast as a whole. So, the story is well-told, the animation is beautiful, the voice acting is nicely done and the characters are engaging. What does this movie slip up on? Well, first off there are the songs. Now don't get me wrong, I love most of the songs in this film. Circle of Life is dazzling when coupled with the animation. Hakuna Matuta is ridiculously catchy and bouncy, though I suppose it's more of a love/hate song like the characters who sing it. Be Prepared is fucking amazing, and highlights all the different and best aspects of Scar's character perfectly. Hans Zimmer's score throughout is good, particularly the final battle between Simba and Scar The other songs are where my problem lies. Just Can't Wait To Be King isn't horrible, and I can tolerate it fine through the film, but it's just so incredibly obnoxious and doesn't really sell Simba as a character. Now, I did say that I like Simba's character, and I suppose this song was a good contrast for the lessons he would later learn, but I find it more annoying than anything else. I also saw Morning Report due to the DVD being the recently released version, and while it was...okay, it really wasn't worth adding in and it took away from a good scene between Mufasa and Simba. Can You Feel The Love Tonight...I fucking hate this song, which is a shame because I like Simba and Nala as a couple. Their romance wasn't the centre point of the movie, but their scenes together were mostly well done, with their reunion and t the argument after the song being examples of this. But this song...urgh. It's soppy, it's cringeworthy, it's annoying and it doesn't really seem to gel very well with the characters it involves, or even the scenes shown while the song plays. Maybe I'm being harsh but this song really makes me shudder, and I wish the three or so minutes had been dedicated to either developing the romance and/or subsequent argument. While I hold a lot of love for Scar, I do feel he suffers from a lack of exposure in the second half of the film, and he doesn't seem to have that same charm that he did in the first half when he appears. I did like that you saw the effects of his rule at the same time Simba did, with Pride Rock being desolate and all, but I dunno. There's actually a scene in the musical which highlights Scar's growing madness and explains why Nala runs away in the film. I think that would've been a good scene to have (instead of that fucking love song), and would have given us more insight into the character now that he has actually gained his power. My last point was something I didn't really notice until Doug Walker (Nostalgia Critic) bought it up in his Disneycember reviews. With that in mind I won't go into too much detail other than the moral, while a very good one, is botched in its execution slightly. Other than that though, I still really enjoyed this movie, and it's still my favourite Disney movie. Is it as perfect as I remember? No. It is still stunningly beautiful and engaging though, and deserves to be ranked among Disney's best. 9.5/10 Also, this was the first epic fight of my childhood, and one my favourite scenes in film. I love how the music goes from barely audible to booming in conjunction with the fight: Simba vs Scar
Last edited by TrueBlue; 08-07-2012 at 12:10 AM.
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安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安
(08-07-2012, 12:56 AM)
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Watched the Napoleon mini-series. I liked it. They seem to have made Josephine a bit too innocent though. Budget constraints also limits the series. Napoleon's ships getting destroyed in Egypt is only mentioned in past tense as if it was with little importance. We don't actually see him basically ditching his troops in Egypt and going back to France. So overall I think it ignores some major flaws of both characters.
Watched also Les Miserables with Liam Neeson. Good movie, nice sets and costumes. |
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Member
(08-07-2012, 12:56 AM)
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Hell yeah at all the Carpenter talk. His endings and films are awesome, although he hasn't really been the same since the mid 90s.
@Snowman Prophet of Doom: Thanks for giving me your thoughts on the ACO book, I always enjoy hearing yours thoughts. That being said, I actually agree on Monroe. Even with my viewings of her films being only The Seven Year Itch (1955) and Some Like it Hot (1959), she didn't really impress me. @EliCash: Paper Moon is in my top 3 favourites, definitely recommend it. |
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Member
(08-07-2012, 01:29 AM)
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Originally Posted by Borgnine:
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Member
(08-07-2012, 07:19 AM)
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I watched The Color Wheel tonight. Good grief. I want to watch more movies like this, that have the 16mm grainy look that this movie does. That have the misanthropic kinds of characters that this movie does. That have the fucking incredible ending that this movie has.
Want to watch it again right now. |
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Hemp Hemp Hooray
(08-07-2012, 08:20 PM)
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Stumbled upon this while looking for Korean movies to watch. Re-posted from the Asian Film Thread.
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Member
(08-07-2012, 08:21 PM)
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Originally Posted by Meliorism:
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Member
(08-07-2012, 10:36 PM)
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Originally Posted by EliCash:
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Member
(08-08-2012, 02:21 AM)
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Originally Posted by Charles Foster Kane:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhwfQDPVSYg#t=2m24s |
