Movie News, Reviews, and Discussion Super-Thread

[etiolate]

I thought they were mercs, but mercs by the way of former highly trained soldiers. Not sure though.

[The Fake Shemp]

Outside of Ralph Feinnes' character, none seem very well disciplined. One in particular looked kind of overweight.

[WrikaWrek]

http://www.firstshowing.net/2010/03/25/the-other-guys-motion-poster-with-will-ferrell-mark-wahlberg/

[Raban]

http://www.firstshowing.net/2010/03/25/the-other-guys-motion-poster-with-will-ferrell-mark-wahlberg/

This was funny until the slapstick came into play. What the fuck is up with American comedy and idiotic physical gags? Fucking hell.

[Bebpo]

Tried to watch The Dark Crystal tonight, but I'm reaaaally tired and it's reaaaaaally slow.  Made it 30 mins but I'm gonna have to finish it tomorrow.  The costumes ere really cool.  Though the main guy reminds me of voice acting in early 90s PC adventure games like Loom.  It's all weird and stilted dialogue when he talks.  Everyone else sounds normal as they can be for being strange creatures

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

I was too scared to finish that movie last time I saw it, I wonder how it is.

to be fair, I was a kid.  Yep, most 17 year olds wouldn't get too far into that I'd think.

[Robo]

Watched Sunshine last night and really enjoyed it in spite of all the horrible things I've read about it.  Ah, the power of low expectations.

[Great Rumbler]

Watched Sunshine last night and really enjoyed it in spite of all the horrible things I've read about it.  Ah, the power of low expectations.

The first two-thirds of the movie is fantastic. It's the final one-third that drags everything down, although I really liked the last couple of scenes. It could have been so much greater, but, as it is, it's certainly not a bad scifi movie.

[Robo]

I wasn't all that irritated by the sudden appearance of Freddy Krueger, but he seems underutilized when so much effort is made to shoe-horn his ass in there in the final stretch.  If the same tonal shift had occured earlier on, it probably would've been better recieved, but then more of the movie is wasted fulfilling slasher cliches.  Boyle's not the best at genre blending, but I'm not disappointed with the way it turned out.

The special effects are really amazing too.  If nothing else, I'd watch it again just for the finale.

[Mr. Gundam]

Gonna go see Chloe and Greenberg this weekend.

[Great Rumbler]

I wasn't all that irritated by the sudden appearance of Freddy Krueger, but he seems underutilized when so much effort is made to shoe-horn his ass in there in the final stretch.  If the same tonal shift had occured earlier on, it probably would've been better recieved, but then more of the movie is wasted fulfilling slasher cliches.  Boyle's not the best at genre blending, but I'm not disappointed with the way it turned out.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I think it would have been better without the captain of the other ship killing everyone in the final third. I mean, they'd set up this feeling that the crew, though all highly trained and highly skilled people, were beginning to break down from the stress, even to the point of attacking one another. Even without an outside force, it's not unreasonable to think that they might have gotten into just as much trouble on their own. That's what happened to the first ship, after all.

[close]

[Bebpo]

Got roped into seeing Hot Tub Time Machine matinee

It was ...ok.  There was a lot of potential for jokes, but it's more grin a little amusing than lol funny.  Might be worth a matinee.  Wouldn't pay full price for it.

Gonna go see Chloe and Greenberg this weekend.

I want to see Greenburg, but it's not playing down here yet.  Chloe...will wait for bluray.  I've liked Atom Egoyan's other films, but this is scoring pretty low (for his stuff) on RT.

[fistfulofmetal]

Triangle

crazy ass movie. really like movies like this that's sole purpose is to screw with your perceptions and expectations. Probably full of plot holes but i don't really give a shit. a lot of fun to watch

apparently it's fairly well received. thats cool. i just read a wikipedia article about it explaining the plot. i still have a hard time grasping it and seeing the overall picture :\

[Bebpo]

Yeah, I really want to see Triangle.  Heard lots of good stuff about it.

I finished up The Dark Crystal and it was decent.  It's one of those movies that stands the test of time as a piece of film history and it's interesting to see how it predated a lot of fantasy tropes and what it did for puppet films and Jim Henson, yet for pure entertainment purposes it's very dated and doesn't have a whole lot of substance.  The skeksis were freaky as fuck, I think any kid seeing this would be screwed.  And some of the location designs are really imaginative.  But it's really slow paced and a bit dull imo.  It almost put me to sleep both days I watched it.

Then I finally watched the deleted scenes roll for In the Loop.  Sooooooo good.  The Chad/Liza stuff is lololol

[Mr. Gundam]

Just got done watching Greenberg. Wife and I enjoyed it, but the people behind us did not and were very vocal about it the entire time. Ahem, you're not seeing a Ben Stiller movie, you're seeing a Noah Baumbach film. Did you really think a film that is playing on one screen in Seattle currently would be a laugh riot Stiller movie?

[Great Rumbler]

Triangle

crazy ass movie. really like movies like this that's sole purpose is to screw with your perceptions and expectations. Probably full of plot holes but i don't really give a shit. a lot of fun to watch

apparently it's fairly well received. thats cool. i just read a wikipedia article about it explaining the plot. i still have a hard time grasping it and seeing the overall picture :\

Make sure you check out Timecrimes too.

[Bebpo]

Ok, watched The Box and I don't get the hate.  I thought it was a solid sci-fi twilight zone movie with great suspense and pacing ala Donnie Darko, a great score, and solid performances.  It also looked fairly nice in terms of the visuals.  I checked the reviews on RT and most of the negative ones just go on and on about how nothing in the movie has any point or makes any sense and the story is ridiculous.  Maybe I just wasn't looking deep enough, but it seemed pretty straight forward to me as long as you believe in

spoiler (click to show/hide)

aliens with technology beyond human comprehension

[close]

Between Donnie Dark & The Box I'd say Richard Kelly is a better M. Night than M. Night ever was outside of Unbreakable.

Now I'm thinking I gotta check out Southland Tales because everyone says it sucks, but then everyone said The Box sucked too!

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

I very much liked The Box, but man, I can really understand anybody not digging it.  It gets capital S strange, and I'm not even talking about the plot, moreso about the tonal shifts and the deliberate inscrutability of the whole thing.

good point about the music, which might be the one unassailable strength of the film.

[fistfulofmetal]

The Objective

crap. main character is annoying. it's shot terribly with no style whatsoever. and the ending is a complete mess

[fistfulofmetal]

Make sure you check out Timecrimes too.

yup yup
pretty darn good. lays it's plot out much better than Triangle. I'll say I like the setting and the explanation for why it's happening in Triangle more, but Timecrimes is much more cohesive.

[brawndolicious]

Hot Tub Time Machine

Damn funny and pretty clever at times.  Ending was a bit cheesy/gay but whatever.

[Great Rumbler]

Make sure you check out Timecrimes too.

yup yup
pretty darn good. lays it's plot out much better than Triangle. I'll say I like the setting and the explanation for why it's happening in Triangle more, but Timecrimes is much more cohesive.

I agree.

[Bildi]

Housesitter

I haven't seen this in years, but damn, I really enjoyed it.  I always liked Goldie Hawn.

Make sure you check out Timecrimes too.

Pretty good is it?  I was thinking of getting that along with a bunch of other movies like Primer, Pi, Requiem for a Dream and maybe Cube.  Might check out Triangle and The Box too.

[fistfulofmetal]

The Last Winter

Garbage.

[Great Rumbler]

Primer, Pi, Requiem for a Dream and maybe Cube.

Definitely check these four out.

And Timecrimes too, of course.

[brawndolicious]

I hated Pi.  There was no resolution at all in the ending.  He just becomes clairvoyant and "gets it".

[Bildi]

Primer, Pi, Requiem for a Dream and maybe Cube.

Definitely check these four out.

And Timecrimes too, of course.

Cool, thanks.

[Eric P]

Don't get the love for Cube.  It's a bunch of cliches in a box for an hour and a half. 

[fistfulofmetal]

Felon

Damn, what a movie. Heard good things awhile back but kept neglecting to actually watch it. Only problem was that they made the guards a little too evil for my tastes. Val Kilmer was the shit tho.

[Eric P]

just finished Fantastic Mr Fox

it was awesome

[Powerslave]

Training Day


Denzel


Movie has some faults but overall it's badass and oh... Denzel

[fistfulofmetal]

I'm going through some old classic films thanks to netflix. First up:

Seven Samurai

Pretty awesome. Slow build leading up to some great battle sequences. Great characters. Surprised it was gonna be that long.


the movies i'm eyeing next: Seventh Seal, M, Yojimbo, Nosferatu, Solaris (original), and Sanjuro to name a few.

[Ichirou]

just finished Fantastic Mr Fox

it was awesome

You mean, it wasn't...fantastic?

[Eric P]

i try to not be internet twee

also saw the informant.  i was riveted the whole time

i guess you could say i found it...informing

 

[Mr. Gundam]

I was looking at the selection of OnDemand movies available on our 11 hour flight next Saturday...

A Serious Man    English
Alvin and the Chipmunks 2     English, French, Russian
Amelia    English, Russian
District 9    English, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic Subtitles
Fantastic Mr. Fox    English, French, German
Invention of Lying    English, French, German, Hebrew Subtitles
Law Abiding Citizen    English, German, Portuguese
Love Happens    English, French, German, Japanese, Chinese Subtitles
Michael Jackson's This Is It    English
Pandorum    English, Latin Spanish, Canadian French
Paper Heart    English, Latin Spanish, French
Paranormal Activity    English, Latin Spanish
Precious    English, Chinese Subtitles
The Blind Side    English, Latin Spanish, Portuguese,Hebrew Subtitles
The Damned United    English, Arabic Subtitles
The Informant!    English, Latin Spanish, French, Hebrew Subtitles
The Men Who Stare at Goats    English
The September Issue    English
Twighlight: New Moon    English, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese Subtitles
Up in the Air    English, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic Subtitles
Where the Wild Things Are    English, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese Subtitles
Whip It!    English, Latin Spanish, Italian, Chinese Subtitles
Whiteout    English, Latin Spanish, Russian
Paris    French, English Subtitles
Amreeka    English and Arabic with English Subtitles
Kaiji    Japanese, English Subtitles
The Laughing Policemen    Japanese, English Subtitles

[Ichirou]

You didn't find it...informative?

[Mr. Gundam]

Great movie, but I had heard the This American Life episode about the actual events before seeing the movie, so it wasn't as surprising to me.

[Raban]

I'm going through some old classic films thanks to netflix. First up:

Seven Samurai

Pretty awesome.

Hell yeah.

Slow build leading up to some great battle sequences.

No way. The final battle has aged incredibly poorly. Basically they open a gate, some riders come in, get trapped and get stabbed by peasants with sticks. Over and over and over. Terrible battle scenes. Great everything else.

[etiolate]

Mmistakes were made. And there is something powerful and elegant about the way Shimada stands atop the mound with the bow.

[BobFromPikeCreek]

Just watched Triangle based on the vague comparisons made to Timecrimes. I don't quite understand the timeline of the movie.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

If the same chick gets on the yacht at the start of the cycle, why doesn't she remember the billions of other times she's lived that sequence?

[close]

[fistfulofmetal]

the nap she takes on the boat. it's a plot contrivance but it's the answer they've created.

[BobFromPikeCreek]

Really? Eh.

It really was similar to Timecrimes, but Timecrimes was much more clever and fun to watch.

[Eric P]

You didn't find it...informative?

dun dun DUNNNNNNNN

no

[Ichirou]

Matt Damowned.

[fistfulofmetal]

Really? Eh.

It really was similar to Timecrimes, but Timecrimes was much more clever and fun to watch.

i agree with you on that, as i stated before. i think timecrimes constructs it's plot much better and is much more clear in how it relayed information to the audience

buuut, i think "time machine" is kind of boring. Triangles use of greek mythology strikes the right cord with me (especially recently thanks to GOW), and I like the idea of her being punished for being a shitty mother for the rest of eternity.

[BobFromPikeCreek]

Yeah, I agree. Triangle had some interesting ideas, but Timecrimes' execution of its ideas was just so much better.

[Ichirou]

I've been wondering what Timecrimes was.  I saw that movie! The Spanish title is, like, Cronocrimenes or something.

[Diunx]

Solid Snake making his debut as director with Wolves.

http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/03/29/amc-orders-six-episodes-of-walking-dead-jonny-lee-miller-expected-to-star/

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

I'd love to be around the set where he tries to relate to his young actors by recounting tales from the shoot of 'The Guyver 2'.

He's great in interviews, and obviously owner of a great set of pipes, but he hasn't actually written any movies that weren't an adaptation.  But what the hell, its not like he can make a worse werewolf movie then what's already out there, so more power to him.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

I've been wondering what Timecrimes was.  I saw that movie! The Spanish title is, like, Cronocrimenes or something.

doesn't that just translate to "Timecrimes"?

anyways, I saw The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo today and man, what a head spinner.  Its the kind of movie that's a little tricky to appraise, as its a Swedish mystery thriller, but subtitles aside is very much done in a slick, Hollywood style.  However, its exceptionally rare to see a big-budget American thriller that dares to be as uncompromisingly dark in its subject matter, to be as cruel to its characters, and to be as disinterested in courting the young and pliable minds that mainstream movies are made for these days.  So its not really distinctly Swedish, but it is distinctly European (lotsa nudity).

A burned out, disgraced journalist and an off-kilter gothy hacker chick investigate the family of a business magnate and the decades old disappearance of one of the few non-evil members of the clan.  During various occasions in the film shit gets real, and then the shit gets even realier.  Despite the long running time and sprawling plot, pretty much everything is presented clearly.  The "pretty much" part is where the slight score deduction comes from, but minor complaints aside, its very much a very good film and I'm now anxiously awaiting the other two parts of the trilogy.


***1/2

[CajoleJuice]

I just finished the book and I really really want to check out the movie. Would need to drive about 20 miles. I think it could easily be better than the book.

Also, I'm sure the already-planned American version is going to be terrible.

[Cormacaroni]

Read the book recently too - the first couple of hundreds of pages are dry as dust but it turns into quite the page-turner after that. Really enjoyed it by the end. Know that I know the plot, I guess whether I like the movie will hinge on the portrayal of Salander, just like Manhunter/Silence of the Lambs hinged on who played Lecter.

[CajoleJuice]

Read the book recently too - the first couple of hundreds of pages are dry as dust but it turns into quite the page-turner after that. Really enjoyed it by the end. Know that I know the plot, I guess whether I like the movie will hinge on the portrayal of Salander, just like Manhunter/Silence of the Lambs hinged on who played Lecter.

The second book is EXACTLY the same and this time around it's really annoying me. I'm 180 pages in and I think it's finally kicking in.

[Cormacaroni]

Character A: So Character B, the plot points we shall be exploring over the next 400 pages are these:

WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT

and the history of every character, however peripheral, is as follows:
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT

Character B: ...

Character A: I also know some seemingly obscrure trivia which will turn out to be hugely important later on!
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT

Character B: Can I go pee now?

Character A: But you haven't even heard about the events of the great herring shortage of 1948 yet!
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT
WALL OF TEXT

[ManaByte]

He didn't even really write X-Men. He transcribed it. X-Men had so many writers they had him sit on the set and transcribe it so FOX only had to give him credit for it.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

Read the book recently too - the first couple of hundreds of pages are dry as dust but it turns into quite the page-turner after that. Really enjoyed it by the end. Know that I know the plot, I guess whether I like the movie will hinge on the portrayal of Salander, just like Manhunter/Silence of the Lambs hinged on who played Lecter.

the actress who plays Lisbeth is really freaking good.  Her character isn't terribly emotive, but the way she's played is just dang captivating.

[Cormacaroni]

Well, yeah - she's basically a sociopath.

[ManaByte]

October 5th:


Theatrical re-release for the 20th anniversary (in 3D) tentatively 2/11/2011.

[ManaByte]

Too many Disney discs this year:

Summer - Dumbo, Fantasia/Fantasia 2000, Black Cauldron SE (DVD only)
October - Beauty & the Beast
November - Toy Story 3 and Finding Nemo

[Cormacaroni]

Beauty and the Beast at last! By far my favorite Disney movie.

I have a very nice 720p rip of it that my daughter has watched about 50 times already. The BR will get watched about 200x I predict.