Picnic at Hanging Rock - Aesthetically this movie does everything right. It has great cinematography, it's wildly imaginative, and it captures the veiled sexuality of the repressed Victorian era quite perfectly;however, plot wise and entertainment wise it's an awful fucking movie. 6/10
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roosters93
Member
127 Hours - Pretty good. Franco was great. Some of things Boyle did irked me a little bit (all the split-screens and stuff) and it feels to me that's he trying too hard sometimes.
Definitely an interesting story and a good performance. The interview scenes made me laugh too.
The Fighter - All the critics say that Christian Bale stole the show in this but I didn't think he was that hot. I thought Wahlberg did just as good a job as him but he physically turned himself into a toned boxer instead of gaunt crackhead. Neither were spectacular. The Wards' mother is a psycho bitch, is it suppose to piss me off that at the end she was still in their corner and shit?
Unstoppable - For a movie about something as boring as trains, this movie ain't that bad. A different storyline but it followed the usual arc. A weird action flick that kept me entertained for 90 minutes.
Definitely an interesting story and a good performance. The interview scenes made me laugh too.
The Fighter - All the critics say that Christian Bale stole the show in this but I didn't think he was that hot. I thought Wahlberg did just as good a job as him but he physically turned himself into a toned boxer instead of gaunt crackhead. Neither were spectacular. The Wards' mother is a psycho bitch, is it suppose to piss me off that at the end she was still in their corner and shit?
Unstoppable - For a movie about something as boring as trains, this movie ain't that bad. A different storyline but it followed the usual arc. A weird action flick that kept me entertained for 90 minutes.
beelzebozo
Jealous Bastard
Hurt Locker. I liked the idea of the movie and the bomb stuff was rather interesting but overall it was pretty underwhelming and cliche filled movie. Especially the main character was so annoying that I almost stopped watching when he was introduced. I still don't understand why this film is so liked. It's not awful film but it's not a masterpiece everyone makes it out be.
You make it sound like its worth a watch.Bowflex said:Witnessed the insanity of The Raspberry Reich the other night. Never have I ever been so confronted or provoked by a film as I was with this movie. Like hairy genitalia right up in your face, this film will at the very least get your attention, if nothing else. It may even shatter your sheltered perception of gender roles, sexuality, and capitalism while its at it.
Probably not safe for work clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSWIrKBMBNk
ChoklitReign
Member
That is all.
Count of Monte Sawed-Off
un33dab@dpu$$y
Thriller said:
And how can this be? FOR HE IS THE KWISATZ HADERACH!
British Monsoon
Member
StuBurns said:
I kinda enjoyed Red, it was just dumb fun and Willis & Mary-Louise Parker worked well together - best bit was clearly Malkovitch's turn as a nutjob gun-nut.
No, i see what you're saying, seriously.HiResDes said:
I love both 2001 and picnic, though i think 2001 is one step ahead.
I'm saying this because even though the story IS barebone and in general not that deep or twisted (not considering all the mental gymnastics the fans do, with interpretations) Kubrick himself said he wanted to "change the form [of filmmaking]" and that was no official interpretation to be made.
So talking about 2001 , i see it as an experiment to shift the focus not on the substance, but on the form, like saying basically nothing, but saying it beautifully.
I see it as a form of meta-art, if you will, kinda like a Funny Games, where the point is not the story itself, but the relation between the film and the audience.
2001 gives you a literally flawless imagery, a photographic perfection, that haunts the audience and suggest nothing and everything at the same time, because it's so strange and beautiful, that it's impossible to not get mesmerized (at least, it must have been at the time) and it works like a masterwork of suggestion.
And all the themes are there in place to make this work: the space travel into the abyss, the alienating slow paced style, the IA that is more amotional than the humen themself(remember i'ts 69) and at the end, the really beyond-immagination's special effects of the tripping Bowman.
So much so, that IIRC, the older movie goers (At the time) disliked the movie, while the younger audience (we're talking '69, so basically hippies) loved it.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
swoon said:
whoa whoa whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves, here. I do like Godard because he's got a golden eye for the camera, but I think that he had, in his prime, a strongly juvenile sense of narrative and characterization that limited him artistically, which is actually similar to the criticism that I lob at Hitchcock (though for very different reasons, of course). I've still yet to see a few of his films (such as Contempt) that I've heard show development on that front, mostly because of my insanely large backlog, but I keep an open mind.
Breathless is extremely entertaining, though.
Also, I watched Machete last night. It's fantastically entertaining.
Edit: Des, how the FUCK could you say the same thing about 2001? There are, like, five better screenplays than that movie, maybe. Indeed, narrative and characterization are the prime reasons that it is so good!
Saw The Book Of Eli yesterday, despite me being very apprehensive after hearing some bad stuff about it from some friends. I don't know the general consensus about the movie, but surprisingly enough I liked it. There was far less action than I expected, but Denzel and Oldman did good with the somewhat thin characters they portrayed. Kunis was average, but Beals did her small part well. The movie was also beautifully shot at parts, especially during the standoff in the
(despite the super-obvious post-production). The cheesy ending drags it down, and I didn't care much for the twist, but overall, I didn't feel like I wanted my two hours back.
cannibal house
afternoon delight
Member
It's been awhile.
The Parking Lot Movie - Documentary filmed in my state, it follows one business for three years: a pay-and-park lot set up across the University of Virginia. A great sociological experiment, on Netflix Instant Watch. For anyone who's ever worked a shitty job.
For All Mankind - Documentary using on-site footage from the Apollo programs, with narration from those that were there. Everyone see it now.
44 Inch Chest - A film that felt like a play that felt like an experiment. Think of a Mamet play, with a kidnapped body in the room. Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Ian McShane, Tom Wilkonson - all verbally sparring in the harshest of terms. Amazing structure too - with all of its allusions to masculinity and how problems present themselves to certain people, it unfolds in a way that is beyond creative and inventive. Loved it.
Lebanon - Interesting, but ultimately missing... something? I don't know. It was very hard to watch, as I was not expecting details on par with Generation Kill. Somehow it floated around a weird line I couldn't quite judge: was it going for fiction or not? How much should I invest? What is the context for these scenes? Besides the focus, it moved quickly, but I might have missed the big picture.
Animal Kingdom - A drama and then some. Intense, tightly woven, with incredible performances. You think it's A, then it's B, then it's C, then you don't know what happens. Some is stretched, some is not.
Pet Sematary - It was exactly what I wanted it to be: an older horror story about normal characters placed in extreme situations. Pretty creepy, too. But don't look for logic.
The Parking Lot Movie - Documentary filmed in my state, it follows one business for three years: a pay-and-park lot set up across the University of Virginia. A great sociological experiment, on Netflix Instant Watch. For anyone who's ever worked a shitty job.
For All Mankind - Documentary using on-site footage from the Apollo programs, with narration from those that were there. Everyone see it now.
44 Inch Chest - A film that felt like a play that felt like an experiment. Think of a Mamet play, with a kidnapped body in the room. Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Ian McShane, Tom Wilkonson - all verbally sparring in the harshest of terms. Amazing structure too - with all of its allusions to masculinity and how problems present themselves to certain people, it unfolds in a way that is beyond creative and inventive. Loved it.
Lebanon - Interesting, but ultimately missing... something? I don't know. It was very hard to watch, as I was not expecting details on par with Generation Kill. Somehow it floated around a weird line I couldn't quite judge: was it going for fiction or not? How much should I invest? What is the context for these scenes? Besides the focus, it moved quickly, but I might have missed the big picture.
Animal Kingdom - A drama and then some. Intense, tightly woven, with incredible performances. You think it's A, then it's B, then it's C, then you don't know what happens. Some is stretched, some is not.
Pet Sematary - It was exactly what I wanted it to be: an older horror story about normal characters placed in extreme situations. Pretty creepy, too. But don't look for logic.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Puddles said:
Considering how shallow most of his scripts were, yes. Psycho is fantastic, as are some of his other works, but a lot of his more acclaimed films (Vertigo especially) have very mediocre scripts. He had a great visual eye and knew how to communicate emotion via cinematography, but he also indulged in a lot of melodrama and plot-heavy scripting.
I think, though, that he was partially a victim of the time when he was making movies. Had his prime been in, say, the 1960's and 1970's, when Hollywood scripts were more unchained from genre cliches and formula, that he could have done some more interesting things.
Edit: Though perhaps juvenile is the wrong word; "undercooked" may be more accurate.
UrbanRats said:No, i see what you're saying, seriously.
I love both 2001 and picnic, though i think 2001 is one step ahead.
I'm saying this because even though the story IS barebone and in general not that deep or twisted (not considering all the mental gymnastics the fans do, with interpretations) Kubrick himself said he wanted to "change the form [of filmmaking]" and that was no official interpretation to be made.
So talking about 2001 , i see it as an experiment to shift the focus not on the substance, but on the form, like saying basically nothing, but saying it beautifully.
I see it as a form of meta-art, if you will, kinda like a Funny Games, where the point is not the story itself, but the relation between the film and the audience.
2001 gives you a literally flawless imagery, a photographic perfection, that haunts the audience and suggest nothing and everything at the same time, because it's so strange and beautiful, that it's impossible to not get mesmerized (at least, it must have been at the time) and it works like a masterwork of suggestion.
And all the themes are there in place to make this work: the space travel into the abyss, the alienating slow paced style, the IA that is more amotional than the humen themself(remember i'ts 69) and at the end, the really beyond-immagination's special effects of the tripping Bowman.
So much so, that IIRC, the older movie goers (At the time) disliked the movie, while the younger audience (we're talking '69, so basically hippies) loved it.
Oh yeah I definitely appreciate 2001 for those reasons, I just feel like I saw it at the wrong time in my life possibly...Whereas Funny Games spoke to me much more, and remains one of my top 20 favorite films of all-time.
rainking187
Member
I just watched Paranormal Activity 2 It was kind of creepy, but
there was a scene early on when there was a bunch of stuff on the kitchen counter, then in the next scene it was gone and the scene after that was back. It's hard for me to pretend the movie is supposed to be real when you've got a continuity error. It wasn't as scary as the first one, there were a lot of bits where absolutely nothing happened. I was also annoyed by the "We installed security cameras, and there's lots of creepy shit going on, but let's not check the footage until it's too late." crap. I also don't understand why the demon didn't just take the baby when it was inside the mother and they were alone for several hours.
Psycho (1960)
Fantastic. Hitchcock is such a master of atmosphere. I've been told it a hundred times and I've seen it in a couple movies of his, and yet I'm still blown away by each consecutive movie of his I watch. Everything about his mise-en-scene work here feels so perfect. The camera movement and scale and costume make it a rich and easily accesible text. The camera movement especially; I found myself thrilled just by the way he would pan in some shots. Astounding. Perkins is superb. He makes his craziness obvious to the viewer, without being so outlandish as to squander all believability. Another favorite part of the film that I had was the imagined dialogue from Marion. In that sequence just of her driving and thinking, we get so much information on her character.
Still, there are problems. I think the order of events is sort of strange. The (probably doesn't need to be spoilered but oh well)
All-in-all a wonderful movie.
EDIT: Almost forgot the soundtrack. Dunno how. It's excellent.
Fantastic. Hitchcock is such a master of atmosphere. I've been told it a hundred times and I've seen it in a couple movies of his, and yet I'm still blown away by each consecutive movie of his I watch. Everything about his mise-en-scene work here feels so perfect. The camera movement and scale and costume make it a rich and easily accesible text. The camera movement especially; I found myself thrilled just by the way he would pan in some shots. Astounding. Perkins is superb. He makes his craziness obvious to the viewer, without being so outlandish as to squander all believability. Another favorite part of the film that I had was the imagined dialogue from Marion. In that sequence just of her driving and thinking, we get so much information on her character.
Still, there are problems. I think the order of events is sort of strange. The (probably doesn't need to be spoilered but oh well)
murder of Marion, the second-most interesting character in the film, so early on left me a bit less interested. I was still captivated by Norman, but trying to make Sam and Lila carry the film from then on felt fruitless. Sam was fine, but Lila was such a bland character.
EDIT: Almost forgot the soundtrack. Dunno how. It's excellent.
WorriedCitizen
Member
I was sick the last few days so watched even more films then usual:
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Didn't do much for me. Pretty decent for what it is tho. Something for fans of the genre.
Infernal Affairs (2002)
Maybe i should just stop watching Chinese/Hong Kong movies altogether. I've never seen one that i liked except for Shaolin Soccer maybe.
The film tries to be stylish but does it in such a cheesy way. What a pain to watch. I'm not a big fan of The Departed but would say it's better in all regards.
Woman in the Dunes (1964)
Excellent thriller. Very unique with beautiful cinematography.
Day for Night (1973)
This was just fun to watch. <3 Truffaut.
Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
Yea i can totally see how Tokyo Story borrowed ideas from this one. It didn't manage to have the same emotional impact on me tho.
And filled some Ghibli gaps:
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Enjoyed it a lot. Nice artwork.
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Completely enchanting. This is probably the best Ghibli that i've seen. Just a fun ride with so many adorable details.
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Don't know why but this film didn't work for me. All the Ghibli trademarks are there, the artwork is nice but something is missing. It felt like it was made of recycled parts from other films.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Didn't do much for me. Pretty decent for what it is tho. Something for fans of the genre.
Infernal Affairs (2002)
Maybe i should just stop watching Chinese/Hong Kong movies altogether. I've never seen one that i liked except for Shaolin Soccer maybe.
The film tries to be stylish but does it in such a cheesy way. What a pain to watch. I'm not a big fan of The Departed but would say it's better in all regards.
Woman in the Dunes (1964)
Excellent thriller. Very unique with beautiful cinematography.
Day for Night (1973)
This was just fun to watch. <3 Truffaut.
Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
Yea i can totally see how Tokyo Story borrowed ideas from this one. It didn't manage to have the same emotional impact on me tho.
And filled some Ghibli gaps:
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Enjoyed it a lot. Nice artwork.
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Completely enchanting. This is probably the best Ghibli that i've seen. Just a fun ride with so many adorable details.
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Don't know why but this film didn't work for me. All the Ghibli trademarks are there, the artwork is nice but something is missing. It felt like it was made of recycled parts from other films.
You are a cool dude, sir. (This, 'cause i love Haneke's style).HiResDes said:
--
Anyway, couldn't watch anything lately, cause i've been busy and used my freetime to finish Deadwood (not that i regret watching it, as it is great) and i'm done with season 2 just yesterday.. so i'm almost done.
Just saw Howl's Moving Castle.
Lots of beautiful imagery and incredible art at times. Still have that cost-effective low framerate that's typical of toons from that region, nothing will match Disney in the golden age it seems.
I think I just have to accept that I can't fully enjoy manga cartoons (or any toons) these days despite the great work seen in this film.
Lots of beautiful imagery and incredible art at times. Still have that cost-effective low framerate that's typical of toons from that region, nothing will match Disney in the golden age it seems.
I think I just have to accept that I can't fully enjoy manga cartoons (or any toons) these days despite the great work seen in this film.
Bowflex
The fact that anyone supports Hillary boggles my mind... I have tested between 130-160 on IQ tests
WorriedCitizen said:
I totally disagree with you here on your Miyazaki opinions. I found Howl's Moving Castle as one of Miyazaki's worst (but still pretty good), and Castle in the Sky to be "completely enchanting" and a wondrous classic adventure made in Ghibli's prime. Howl's Moving Castle on the other hand was hampered by a poor, contrived plot as well as subpar narrative and general pacing problems not found in most Ghibli films. I'll have to watch it again, as its been a while, but from what I remember I was definitely let down.
I agree with you on Nausicaa though, one of the the studio and Miyazaki's best.
Castle in the Sky is an odd one for me. Loved it the first time I saw it many years ago, but I tried to rewatch it fairly recently and couldn't even finish it. Found it really boring.
Saw Nausicaä recently for the second time and still really enjoyed it.
Howl's I remember liking a lot more than others. Found it to be one of the more enjoyable Ghibli films (though probably not in my top 3).
Saw Nausicaä recently for the second time and still really enjoyed it.
Howl's I remember liking a lot more than others. Found it to be one of the more enjoyable Ghibli films (though probably not in my top 3).
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
The Double Life of Veronique (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1991)
A pretty striking example of the "almost" in art. Irene Jacob is absolutely fabulous here, as she is easily one of the best young actresses of the early 90's, shown in this film and in Red; she can effortlessly create distinct characters using only her face and eyes. The cinematography, as well, is absolutely wonderful, some of the most beautiful that I have ever seen. Ultimately, though, it's a little bit too lacking in narrative grounding to really, truly work on the level of greatness, though it comes about as close as any film that misses the mark can. The symbolism and parallelism is just a tad too forced at times, to the point where certain questions (how did Veronique's lover end up with Weronika's stuff? as example) that should be answered and which might make the film even a bit deeper on the psychological level stick out to the viewer as unfulfilled. Still, even if it's just shy of greatness, it's actually extremely interesting, especially when compared to the unquestionably great Three Colours trilogy; so much of the ideas and themes are reused in that later work, but to greater effect and with more craft, that it's a fantastic case study in how an artist can identify and rectify their flaws over time. Highly recommended for any lover of art cinema.
A pretty striking example of the "almost" in art. Irene Jacob is absolutely fabulous here, as she is easily one of the best young actresses of the early 90's, shown in this film and in Red; she can effortlessly create distinct characters using only her face and eyes. The cinematography, as well, is absolutely wonderful, some of the most beautiful that I have ever seen. Ultimately, though, it's a little bit too lacking in narrative grounding to really, truly work on the level of greatness, though it comes about as close as any film that misses the mark can. The symbolism and parallelism is just a tad too forced at times, to the point where certain questions (how did Veronique's lover end up with Weronika's stuff? as example) that should be answered and which might make the film even a bit deeper on the psychological level stick out to the viewer as unfulfilled. Still, even if it's just shy of greatness, it's actually extremely interesting, especially when compared to the unquestionably great Three Colours trilogy; so much of the ideas and themes are reused in that later work, but to greater effect and with more craft, that it's a fantastic case study in how an artist can identify and rectify their flaws over time. Highly recommended for any lover of art cinema.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Thread is dying! Time for a new one perhaps?
TheKaeptain
Banned
We are only 50 pages away from 200 pages. Then we can get a MYHSR PT.2
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
CaptYamato said:
I guess.
Of course, the 50-per-page peasants are at 300 by now. Or they will be in like 6 posts.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Empty said:
No worries of that; being an aspiring actor, I don't really have the freedom to post longer form reviews (lest somebody working in the industry finds them and is offended that I trashed something they did), so these little paragraphs are one of the few places where I really get to express myself.
disappeared
Banned
I watched Catfish the other evening. Thought it was good for what it wanted to accomplish.
CiSTM said:
The Hurt Locker backlash has been sizable. In fact, I can't really think of anyone I talk to off-hand who doesn't have the same opinion that it's merely a decent or good movie, nothing special.
Snowman Prophet of Doom said:
You have to be a 50-per-page peasant now once they switched to Google search, otherwise your search results won't match up. I miss those glorious 100 posts-per-page days.
TheKaeptain
Banned
VALIS said:
I've always held that opinion. More because I have been attached to EOD companies and there was a lot of BS in the movie.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
VALIS said:The Hurt Locker backlash has been sizable. In fact, I can't really think of anyone I talk to off-hand who doesn't have the same opinion that it's merely a decent or good movie, nothing special.
You have to be a 50-per-page peasant now once they switched to Google search, otherwise your search results won't match up. I miss those glorious 100 posts-per-page days.
I just don't search. It's easier!
Just saw Legend of the Guardians: Something Something Something
Beautifully animated; the detailing in the feathers in particular was striking. As was how the mid-air fighting was visualized. But I didn't really like the movie. The tone was all over the place (the pop song montage in the middle was really jarring after such a deadly serious first third, and didn't fit the style of the movie at all) and some of the side characters were a little too quirky; they felt token. And something about the direction of the action sequences didn't work for me; they were somewhat clumsy. At times the story was rushed; one brief flying lesson and
I didn't buy it. Some good character progression and a compelling overall word created, though.
It was violent as hell for a kids movie, as well.
Beautifully animated; the detailing in the feathers in particular was striking. As was how the mid-air fighting was visualized. But I didn't really like the movie. The tone was all over the place (the pop song montage in the middle was really jarring after such a deadly serious first third, and didn't fit the style of the movie at all) and some of the side characters were a little too quirky; they felt token. And something about the direction of the action sequences didn't work for me; they were somewhat clumsy. At times the story was rushed; one brief flying lesson and
they're able to escape while being pursued by the queen and her top soldiers?
It was violent as hell for a kids movie, as well.
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