there's another alien vs earth type movie that got bad reviews, but I generally like those unless they are really terrible and cast Keanu Reaves. ;) I think that's the one genre that I have lower standards for than most critics.
Prometheus looks awesome.
I'm looking forward to the new Aliens movie of course.
I saw Lost is on Netflix and I started watching it a second time through. I thought it would just be the first episode, but I've made it though quite a bit of the whole first season. I actually think the show is better if you know the premise. It's still kind of annoying though. And yet so hard to stop watching....
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was awesome! I really, really enjoyed it. :)
People who think his films are pretentious hogwash should stay away. I liked it a lot though. ;D
The occasional original tracks were a relief similar to finally reaching the porcelain gods to drop a load.
btw Ted was funny.
I felt the same way. Only thing I really liked was the production value, cinematography, and Keira Knightley sex scene. But it was a chore getting through the rest.
Saw Dark Knight Rises last night and made it home safe and sound.
I thought it was pretty good. A clear step behind The Dark Knight but I really loved The Dark Knight, which (on top of being a great action movie) was great at blurring the lines of morality. This one didn't quite have that special sauce.
-A disappointed in Bane as a villain. He was great at being big, burly and scary. But he's also supposed to be a master tactician which didn't come through well in the movie.
-Anne Hathaway did not suck as much as I expected. I actually liked her overall. The Catwoman character wasn't particular well-written though (no real depth to her).
-Although I LOVE Christopher Nolan, one of my minor gripes is that I have trouble with his pacing sometimes (ie. I would've cut about 40 minutes off Inception). This one has a similar stretch in the second half of the movie. Would elaborate, but don't wanna spoil anything for now.
-Overall, a very fun movie.
I also wasn't a huge fan of the overarching "problem" in the movie - no spoilers, but I didn't like the thing that had to be resolved. It felt out of place.
Currently watching Bela Tarr's The Turin Horse. Finally.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1316540/
Good God, I'm saddened to know that this will supposedly be Tarr's final film. Truly one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.
Ashamed to say I'm not very familiar with his movies. Any particular one I should start with?
Can't wait for this! Hopefully Stevey doesn't turn it into a Disney Melodrama and goes back to his Schindler roots.
http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/daniel-day-lewis-called-mr-president-spielberg-lincoln-192139553.html (http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/daniel-day-lewis-called-mr-president-spielberg-lincoln-192139553.html)
The Descendents - loved it. Was better the second time though. Amazed at George Clooney's range. I think it's hard to do a story like this well. The last scene is beautiful.I watched it a few weeks back & loved it too.
The Descendents - loved it. Was better the second time though. Amazed at George Clooney's range. I think it's hard to do a story like this well. The last scene is beautiful.I watched it a few weeks back & loved it too.
Another Year (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1431181/) - A very down to earth portrayal of lives of few everyday people adjusting with the fact that they are no longer young. I enjoyed it immensely but its the kind of movie that leaves you feeling a bit depressed, so you have been warned!
Couple movies I've seen recently:
Prometheus- WTF. A pretty disaster. Plot doesn't even make sense. It's like a rough draft was handed to a gifted visual artist. So sad. I saw it twice and the second time I picked up more that he was trying to do.... but I'd still say it was like a shitty remake of Mission to Mars...which was already a flawed movie (but way better IMO)
the orginal Alien movies- pretty good. Got a bit sick of the repetitive and simplistic reasons for someone to go wandering down a hallway alone without a plan to get picked off by the alien, but still good. Sigourney Weaver gives me the heebey geebies. I will always see her as posessed by an alien space dog.
The Descendents - loved it. Was better the second time though. Amazed at George Clooney's range. I think it's hard to do a story like this well. The last scene is beautiful.
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World - I liked it actually and expected it to be much worse from the 55% tomato rating. Kind of failed to deliver the real punch that it could have given the premise and the way it was setup. It kept a kind of removed and dry tone. Which worked for most of the movie, but I would have liked it to break free and let it all out at a few key moments, like the end, which also felt restrained. But the movie was well done in many ways. I also just think the premise is interesting and like both the main actors.I had the exact opposite experience! Hadn't read the reviews but I like both the lead stars & thought the premise had promise, went in with high hopes & came out a touch disappointed. I agree with you almost completely on your impressions the movie itself though ! :P
I still yearn for a Bond film akin to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Nobody has seen Lincoln yet? Well, I'll report back later...will get to see it today.
Nobody has seen Lincoln yet? Well, I'll report back later...will get to see it today.
Lincoln was good. DD Lewis is getting another gold statue. My only criticism was a typical over idealized and romanticized Spielberg projection at times but it sits around a 9/10 for me. The trailers don't do it justice.
Seems to be a slight trend of some trailers being worse than the actual movies all of a sudden.
End of Watch - 8.5/10
Not what I anticipated. This one resonated as I actually cared for the characters in the end. Yes, it does play to certain stereotypes, but this isn't exactly a cop show in the mold of The Wire. The dramatic elements are well done though, and adds to the immense tension that builds as the film reaches crescendo. Enjoyed the soundtrack as well.
Wreck it Ralph was a much more solid film than I thought it'd be and the video game references were tastefully done. Was kind of surprised to see a seemingly unlicensed Star Craft 2 cameo take up so much screen time and contribute as many characters as it did.
Gemma Arterton in leather. No appeal?
HOUSE aka HAUSU
http://www.head-fi.org/t/626954/the-diary-entries-of-a-little-girl-in-her-30s-part-2/19305#post_9940895
File under: crazy-ass 70s low budget art film about a haunted house that eats young virgin girls. Includes scenes of a girl getting eaten by a piano and rafting down a river of blood on a mattress.
I haven't seen the 2nd, but the 1st Hobbit movie really could have done without the white orc. I didn't remember that character in the book, so I wondered if they got him from other resources and looked it up. Turns out the orc character is real but did actually die in the battle the movie referred to...or something like that. I felt all of those scenes containing the white orc were completely useless and that otherwise the movie was pretty darn good. I REALLY liked that the 1st movie started alluding to events that took place during LOtR. I felt that was a good way to flesh out the tale.
I think a lot of critics bitched because they saw it in HFR 3D. I read that they watched 2D version this time around for reviews. Doesn't surprise me one bit.
Another movie impression: copy paste from Head-fi post.
Sin City (Extended Edition) - 7,5
4 little stories (one of them being a mini story) in the Neo-noir atmosphere of Sin City.
I have mixed feelings about this movie. Not regarding the moral paradigma behind the stories of course, but about some cinematic aspects.. I really like the Neo-noir concept recreated here and there's a lot to apprecciate in this movie - the intelligent monologues of the protagonists, the noir atmosphere carved by the unique and interesting cinematography and color treatment, the smart and mastertfull way how the several plots develop, etc...
But... this is the sort of cinema that ideally transports the viewer into a different world, a fantasy, a dreamlike experience and this movie fails to do so (with me) on a consistent level and as a result it falls short of what I'd consider deserving of reverence.
As I watched the movie I often found myself distracted and annoyed by an apparent amateurish nature and/or lack of skill in some technical aspects. I'm talking primarilly about some of the acting and sound work, things here could had been a lot more polished. For example, several characters didn't leave up to the demands of the movie, it seemed like some actors and actresses didn't give enough commitment or that they simply lacked the acting skills for their roles, they looked fake, forced, not authentic at all. The sound design and editing also lacked, in my opinion, as it often failed to immerse me into the Neo-noir atmosphere of the movie, I feel that this aspect was overlooked.
Being a multi-plot movie, these shortcomings affected each story by different degrees and I felt that "The Big Fat Kill" was the worse case. It was by far the one I least cared for, pretty boring and little of interest, I often couldn't help but gaze away and sigh due to the lack of polishment in the aforementioned and several other aspects. The plot itself was also the least interestingly developed and the end was... well, uneventful and boring despite what it was... I just didn't feel like I was watching the same movie as the other stories at all... the character played by Benicio Del Toro was probably the only one remotelly interesting to observe in "The Big Fat Kill".
"The Hard Goodbye" is a complete 180º turn though. I really liked this one, it was my favorite and if I had to score it alone, it'd be a solid 9. The main character is a brutal and amazeballs badass monster guy expertly played by Mickey Rourke, great work here! most of the acting in this story is pretty competent and the plot masterfully develops at the right pace and the sound design didn't let me down too much. This was the definitelly the immersive and dreamlike Neo-noir experience Sin City movie was supposed to be. The only oddity in my opinion was the character played by Elijah Wood... cmon man really?? so pathetic and amateurish looking!, it could had spoiled it all, but fortunatelly the overall work in "The Hard Goodbye" was solid and high quality so this nuissance didn't detract my enjoyment so much, but still it's the only stronger reason why I wouldn't give this single story a 10 if I had to.
On a general note special effects also looked excessivelly weird and unpolished a bit to often, it's just a small detail but nonetheless still has it's detracting influence on the screen .
I feel that the consistency of Sin City is damaged by the lack of consistency between the several stories that form the whole movie, but maybe it's unrealistic to expect the same quality standard throughout so many different plots and such big cast with a "mere" 40 million USD budget...
Laying my thoughts on the available resources and the technical challenges present in the creation of this work I can see how this film may have been too ambitious for it's own good...
I ansiously look forward to the next Sin City film and I hope it doesn't disappoint it's own aspirations.
47 Ronin
This film could not have been released at a better time to actually get me to a theatre to see it. Knowing it starred K. Reeves would normally be enough to keep me away, but with vacation time on hand and the other worthwhile movies already consumed I found myself agreeing to sit through this one. Hey, I love the movie popcorn, so it couldn't be all bad... or could it?
Destined for late night insomnia viewing only, the story has massive potential never quite met. The huge budget created some spectacular effects lost to actors who never seem to come together in a single story that draws you in. Keanu couldn't even convince me that there was any depth to his love interest in this one... he's a cold fish as usual.
Save this one for when you're extremely bored and have little other choice.
The Hunt (Jagten) - 9,5
Very Good.
Disturbing and convincing movie that shows how an innocent miscommunication or lie from a child can absolutelly destroy another persons life.
It displays the ambiguity of human relations and the fragility of the foundations of a social construct where, no matter what happens, our past always hunts us.
This movie compels us to reflection and does it well!
All thanks to the excelent acting and directing.
Thomas Vinterberg didn't forge this work strictly through the formal rules of "Dogma 95", but the film still manages to fulfill extremelly well the primary premisse behind the manifesto:
to make itself worth only by the acting and storytelling merits while saving on techological resources and production artificialisms, all this to bring the viewer closer to the core of the movie. It worked with me for sure.
This picture has a realistic and fleshed out style and powerfull impact thanks to intelligent directing, minimalism of resources and almost immaculate acting.
Very touching to observe the unfair suffering of the main character.
Praise must be given to the little girl who played apparently disturbed Klara, very convincing!, great acting skills from such a young child!
Great film!
Eraserhead - 10I have to entirely agree - this is definitely on my Top 10 list.
Go to your basement alone, make sure it's completelly dark and silent then playback this movie and let yourself go.
This is David Lynch cinematic language in all it's surreal and bizarre magnificence.
To me this movie defines a whole new category of it's own.
I know it for a long time but I'm never fully done with it, no matter how many times replayed I cannot free myself from the need to watch Eraserhead again.
No other movie is able to make me feel like I'm daydreaming, as if Lynch had extracted a dream from my head and made it a movie.
Maybe that's why I'm not able to find anything less than perfect with it and to give it a more imparcial score, seems like every single technical aspect of this movie was literally sculpted to it's last detail to induce me into dreaming, everything here works for the experience, perfection of a singular work.
I love this movie fuck all the rest!
Nice list Ken. I'll have to check out a couple of those that I haven't seen.Okay, just to be clear, the Personal Favorites are ones that appeal to my personal tastes and that I think are excellent in some way, while the Top 12 are ones that are acknowledged as excellent by a more significant group (for example "Aguirre" is also in Roger Ebert's Top 10-20). But I expect that any one person is going to dislike one/some/all of the Personal Favorites, and one/some of the Top 12... so, maybe check out reviews first. :)
I find it scarier than any horror movie - there are nightmare scenes that are so "realistic" (in that convoluted logic that a dream sequence could be such a perfect reproduction of what a dream is like, and thereby be "realistic").
Memento - 6,5
cheating it's way up among the dumb critics I'd say.
He is using the numbering system where "," indicated the start of the fractional portion.Memento - 6,5
cheating it's way up among the dumb critics I'd say.
You're tough KK! It's been a long time since I've seen this movie, but I recall it being a solid 6, if not a 7. I guess I'm among the dumb critics! :)p13 I'll have to go back and watch this one again...
Actually I have already reviewed Inception here, I believe it's in page 11, I gave it an 8 just like The Dark Knight Rises.
I do think that these 2 movies are cinematically much more accomplished than Memento, I'm not talking only about story, I just find that Nolan definitelly grew up and matured in his later works.
Among his movies I like 'Batman Begins' the best and 'Prestige' was okay too, its been all downhill since then.
Didn't care about the TDK and I actually dozed of for a bit while watching Inception and didn't bother to catch up later.
TDKR was awesome to me because I thought introducing the Joker and using Heath Ledger to do it was mission impossible. Turned out phenomenal.
The villain in TDKR was Bane, the big guy with that stupid mask in his face. (I still haven't figured out how he eats but whatever... it's comics so I forgive it lol)
The Joker was in preceding The Dark Knight (2008), I also apprecciated Heath Ledger work here.
Don't remember much else of this movie, long time since I saw it.
He is using the numbering system where "," indicated the start of the fractional portion.Memento - 6,5You're tough KK! It's been a long time since I've seen this movie, but I recall it being a solid 6, if not a 7. I guess I'm among the dumb critics! :)p13 I'll have to go back and watch this one again...
cheating it's way up among the dumb critics I'd say.
So, I believe his rating is halfway between 6 and 7, which is exactly what you thought.
Yeah, he was too busy getting Rachel BBQ'd. That movie had a lot of moving parts (Gordo, Dent/Rachel, Rachel/Alfred, Mob, the Dim Sum waiter, the snitch, mass hysteria, etc), I guess I was pleased that it didn't come out worse for it. But as you say, it was close enough to spot on that getting the DK that extra edge or strategic polish would have taken it to the next level. Though I don't know how if that would have worked with the trauma of losing Dent and Rachel. I see the argument for his emotional imbalance thus having to fall back on tech as the only thing he had left he could rely on at that point. I have to say, the Bruce Wayne portrayed throughout the series has never been much on strategic thinking, but more tactical and full of heart. Kind of falls in line with his deviation with the League and constant blindness to their tactics.
but instead the day was saved by the inherent goodness in the hearts of citizens of Gotham.
Yes and it would have been the perfect ending had it not been totally against the grain of what had happened earlier in the movie.
During the entire movie upto that point, Joker shows a remarkable understanding of people's psyche and especially of their reactions when confronted with overwhelming fear. He is able to manipulate ganglords,predict Batman's love interest, turn the people against batman, convince Dent to the dark side and suddenly we are supposed to believe that Joker had no concept/grasp of human nature.Dunno, I just found that a bit hard to swallow.
I like seeing Jim Carey in a more serious-type role.Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
A couple of my favorite movies are Donnie Brasco and The Truman Show. Even though the Truman Show was considered a "Comedy" I felt it was more of a drama. I like seeing Jim Carey in a more serious-type role.Truman Show mentioned in my Top 12 list at http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,281.msg36455.html#msg36455 .
I still have to see North by NorthwestDon't hesitate - it's a classic !
The Wolf of Wall Street is scary. More like a parody of a black comedy, it is bitterly unfunny in parts. As you watch it you come to the realization that instead of detesting and feeling bad for the psychopathic leads that some people will choose to idolize them, just as they did with previous Scorsese mob scumbags. Halfway through I let go of that concern and settled for a weird maturely formulaic yet childish film.
Don't hesitate - it's a classic !
They did a great job of Digital Restoration on it - the opening city scenes look amazingly realistic, you will think you went back in a time machine.
The original Dracula with Bela Lugosi//www.youtube.com/embed/OKRJfIPiJGY?feature=player_detailpage
Dallas Buyers Club - 8
In a wasteland of opportunity and standardized living, a mere urgent fight for survival can change our lives and lead us to do things we never dreamed of.
This was the case of AIDS patient Ron Woodroof in real life.
In his way he had to deal with homophobic bias, AIDS stigma, opposition from governmental institutions, legal obstacles, personal losses.
A biographical drama that depicts the herculean hurdles he fought which ended up enriching him as a person.
A story of survival and resistance that opens our eyes for some of the menacing quirks of society and capitalism and shows how things can be dealed with from another perspective.
A great lesson.
Impecable acting from Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto which fill this movie with life and authenticity.
American Hustle (2013) - 7,5
A fiction told in flamboyant scenic style (highly influenced by Scorcese) based on real events. I do appreciate this narrative style but the acting and direction didn't keep up with the aspirations of this work in my opinion. I liked Jennifer Lawrence and always enjoy seeing Robert De Niro playing a badass Gangster, most other characters lacked some authenticity and the dialogues could had been more accomplished (felt like some actors/actresses weren't at ease with the reportedly improvised acting). I couldn't help but notice some rhythmical incoherence or inconsistence thoughout this movie, it didn't flow or dance as smoothly as I'd like (and as it was trying to?) mostly due to lack of insight in the editing department and in the way how the narrative is conveyed in tone. American Hustle deserved more technical commitment and clairvoyance from the direction, I think the screenplay is perfect to be explored by this cinematic style. A bit more competence and a modern classic should had been born... for the better or for the worse. I enjoy it as pure entertainment, great soundtrack, exciting and comical moments to be lived... but a few fails as well...
I feel based on the Oscar hype you may have been expecting something of a polished Coppola Godfather-esque production here, and I feel this approach would have been completely wrong for it.
Thx for reminding me about this classic, have to put my eyes on it.
Can't remember ever seeing this film, shame on me!
About the acting, my qualm is not with it's nature per se, I do like the almost exagerated and caricatural ways of the characters it fits well in AH, it's just that I found some of the dialogues lacking more creativity, kind off monotonous at times and this distracted me only because of the contrast it made with the whole movie being so stylish, of course I wouldn't expect shakespearean inspired talk, just more authenticity to it... but there are some brilliant lines as well, it must be said.
American Hustle (2013) - 7,5
A fiction told in flamboyant scenic style (highly influenced by Scorcese) based on real events. I do appreciate this narrative style but the acting and direction didn't keep up with the aspirations of this work in my opinion. I liked Jennifer Lawrence and always enjoy seeing Robert De Niro playing a badass Gangster, most other characters lacked some authenticity and the dialogues could had been more accomplished (felt like some actors/actresses weren't at ease with the reportedly improvised acting). I couldn't help but notice some rhythmical incoherence or inconsistence throughout this movie, it didn't flow or dance as smoothly as I'd like (and as it was trying to?) mostly due to lack of insight in the editing department and in the way how the narrative is conveyed in tone. American Hustle deserved more technical commitment and clairvoyance from the direction, I think the screenplay is perfect to be explored by this cinematic style. A bit more competence and a modern classic should had been born... for the better or for the worse. I enjoy it as pure entertainment, great soundtrack, exciting and comical moments to be lived... but a few fails as well...
...this is the last moment I'd want to express this but I have to...
^^^ Crap, that's all crap! I just re-watched American Hustle and now I wonder what the hell was I thinking when I wrote all that Bull***. Any critique I made concern only details of this master work. Hell, I love this movie so inteligent and so well done, it invites us to a wonderfull dance, an amazingly engaging emotional ride, seems like the very first time I saw it there was some Cognitive Dissonance going on or something... I take back all my negative commentaries about the incoherence, editing and tone, this is nothing less than a master work. Classic! Revaluating to 9,5.
You never really get the sense that anyone is in real danger, even when Bale has the bag over his head. Everything mostly works out for everybody.
Contrast that with Casino, where most of the major characters don't make it out alive.
It was very good. I'm not sure it matches Goodfellas or Casino when those movies were at their best, but it counters with tighter pacing. Casino in particular really feels as long as it is, whereas American Hustle is over before you know it. Also, as compelling as the characters are, the stakes for them never feel as high. You never really get the sense that anyone is in real danger, even when Bale has the bag over his head. Everything mostly works out for everybody.
Contrast that with Casino, where most of the major characters don't make it out alive.
Well I felt sheik scene had some serious bad juju coming and Jlaw's boyfriend was ready to do some cleaning. I didn't feel they were safe.
Mob characters dying at the end is pretty formulaic compared to the unknown waiting for the AH crew if you ask me. It also doesn't work out for everybody and the bad guys still win the match even if they lose the game.
I'm just not sure that people are going to still be talking about it 30 years from now.
Kumonosu-jō (Throne of Blood) (1957) - 8,5
Magical film from Akira Kurosawa. The japanese director made Macbeth, play by Shakespeare, the pseudo-script for this film temporally set in Sengoku period in Japan. Very inspired cinematic glance at the eternal tale about the thirst for power led to the limits of sanity and self-integrity of men. Throne of Blood easily transports me into a dreamlike, haunted world but there are a few dragging moments that distract a bit. The nature of the acting is ludicrously caricatural as was customary in this period, this brought good and bad things to my experience but in the end I always like it because everything has a way to flow coherently in old japanese cinema for which I've been lusting these times. Beautiful film, recommended!
Django Unchained/Desolation of Smaug/Lone Ranger/In Fear - Didn't suck. I found them mostly entertaining for what they were, with Django being notable for not boring me like some of Tarantino's other recent work. John Malkovich is good in anything.
I could never get into Pulp Fiction but did like Reservoir Dogs, does that make a bad person?
Noah - 5.5/10
Usually love Aronofsky but this was the Old Testament meets LoTR meets Al Gore. Apparently the story of Noah is about global warming, carbon capture and veganism. I had no idea that our canines were the work of the devil. The perfectly tailored and stitched clothing made from old potato sacks really was a distraction that made no sense.
I wonder if I shouldn't rate it lower....
Ran (1985) - 9
Once again Akira Kurosawa adapts a Shakespeare tragedy, King Lear, to the Sengoku period of Japan. Just like Throne of Blood, Ran easily engulfs me in a magical world of great enchantment, but this is a chaotic and cruel world. A world made of suffering where gods will not save Men from himself and where the thirst for power is the mirror of the natural struggle for survival, ethics and morality are subdued by the samurai conduct and interests of the powerful. Film of great symbolic significance, to watch Ran is like watching an epic and blazing Noh (form of Japanese classical theater) performance that reveals the true gist of human nature and existence. Tecnically superb work with countless memorable scenes, hauntingly beautiful soundtrack by Toru Takemitsu (whose work I highly appreciate), top-notch cinematography, camera work and acting, all in perfect harmony to create a deeply melancholic, beautiful and exciting universe. Ran is not without its shortcomings though. I may speak for a minority, but this would be a virtually perfect film in my eyes, if not for Kurosawa's maniac obsession with redundant battle scenes, especially in the last half hour or so (yet again, for what?!), some dragging moments ought to be chopped out with more insightful editing work to keep up with the standards of the rest of the film, enough is enough. And hard for me to believe that no life was lost during those crazy shoots. Fortunately, these distractions are relatively minor here, not as bad as in Kagemusha, so it doesn't prevent Ran from becoming one of my favorite movies ever. The heartbreaking final scene also enters into my favorite list, perfect expression of how helpless we are in the world. Masterpiece from Kurosawa, highly recommended!
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) - 7,5
This is my premiere of Wes Anderson Cinema, a comedy-drama revolving around the Tenenbaum family. This director exerts an unmistakable cinematic style and reveals great attention to detail in all aspects that might influence the mise-en-scene and the expressive quality of the movie, scenery, sound, camera and editing work, cinematography, soundtrack, costumes and even the acting are all conditioned by the formal etiquette of the direction, technical virtuosity serving a somewhat baroque aesthetical sensibility that might not be to everyone's taste. Manneristic Cinema is how the work of this American director has been described. I find it a very appealing style and I think it has great potential to be interestingly developed in future works. Very funny and interesting the way that Wes carves his characters, not being exactly caricatures they have somewhat restricted behavioral patterns and eccentricity, yet they display a certain degree of complexity and this brings out psychological and emotional nuances that escape perception in many other films, but enhance the dramatic and comic effect of Wes Cinema. Artificial or not, the characters make perfect sense the way they are, that's the way they have to be. This film genre is not usually very interesting to me, but Wes Anderson stylized and bittersweet comedy offered me moments of pleasure and was music for my eyes (and ears), the only thing that I didn't care for was the story itself, Wes style and writing works very well to develop these humorous family tales, but it still seemed redundant to me, perhaps a good platform of cinematic experimentation for those starting out. The Royal Tenenbaums is worth a watch for those who enjoy these witty and tender comedies, Wes style fits like a glove in this genre and enriches it with a different cinematic quality.
I'll be checking out more stuff from Wes in the coming days or weeks, but I have so many things in my watchlist that I can't see his entire ouvre, I'm aiming for his most notable stuff plus whatever looks interesting to me. He certainly has a very appealing style.In addition to what you've seen, I'd probably put Rushmore and Moonrise Kingdom as my other two favorites.
Has anyone seen Ida?
It's set in Poland after WWII (appropriately in B/W for a Polish winter). An orphan girl raised in a covent who has become a novice is about to take her vows when the Mother Superior tells her she has an Aunt. She goes to meet her relative and discover the story of what happened to her parents.
It's well worth watching and it'll win some foreign picture award, no doubt.
If you see it, let me know what you thought of it.
Has anyone seen Ida?
Apocalypse Now Redux (1979) - 8
....
^No chopped heads, no big explosions? bah... :P
Two movies surprised me recently...
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - Stuck in a hotel room with literally nothing else to watch because the internet connection sucked, I gave this a try and was pleasantly surprised. Watched it again with the family when I got home and they all enjoyed it as well.
Chef - Nothing else to see but we wanted to get out for a movie, how about Chef? Great nods to foodies, good chemistry between actors, and simple story to lay back and enjoy without having to work hard at it. Another really good one that had stayed off my radar until now.
Bill Murray along with Naomi Watts playing an Eastern European hooker, the movie of my dreams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duZJnlpnmCQ
Transcendence - possibly the worst, most pretentious pedagogical dreck I've been exposed to since being forced to read Daniel Quinn's Ishmael.
Gone Girl - 9/10. Rosamund Pike, you go girl!! Want to knock it for Affleck trying to hard to entrap the audience. Get over yourself dude.
Watched Suspiria and Inferno. Neither did it for me. Interesting visuals, but the plot, acting, and actual chill was paper thin. Oh, and apparently the recent versions of Suspiria have vocals that are too quiet and music is absurdly loud.
Watched Suspiria and Inferno. Neither did it for me. Interesting visuals, but the plot, acting, and actual chill was paper thin. Oh, and apparently the recent versions of Suspiria have vocals that are too quiet and music is absurdly loud.
Watched Suspiria and Inferno. Neither did it for me. Interesting visuals, but the plot, acting, and actual chill was paper thin. Oh, and apparently the recent versions of Suspiria have vocals that are too quiet and music is absurdly loud.
I tried getting into Argento's stuff but like you it was just arthouse with blood, not really horror/suspense. Rather watch a Hitchcock anyday.
Just thought I put this here, it looks absolutely amazing. If they bring it to my place, would absolutely pay for an IMAX tix for it. http://www.wired.com/2014/10/astrophysics-interstellar-black-hole
Considering the amount of trouble Chris Nolan had with using 'time', I suppose it was only inevitable he'd mess up 'space' too. I hope it's good because I used to love his stuff but it's been getting worse and worse. It's like he's trying to copy Michael Mann's decline.
Don't get me started on Inception... it made no sense.Just thought I put this here, it looks absolutely amazing. If they bring it to my place, would absolutely pay for an IMAX tix for it. http://www.wired.com/2014/10/astrophysics-interstellar-black-hole
Considering the amount of trouble Chris Nolan had with using 'time', I suppose it was only inevitable he'd mess up 'space' too. I hope it's good because I used to love his stuff but it's been getting worse and worse. It's like he's trying to copy Michael Mann's decline.
Don't get me started on Inception... it made no sense.
Depp kinda phoned in...
I liked Inception for what is was, a sci-fi popcorn flick. I don't have a background in actual science though, and grew up on "if it doesn't completely sound absurd/offensive, just let it go" plots.
Interstellar (IMAX) 8.75/10 - Think Inception meets 2001 Space Odyssey. Far better than the first, not quite the latter but good enough. Gave bonus points for Matt Damon revealing his true self. Gave demerits for poorly integrated score that was overbearing (just like Inception) and the overall theme of the film seemed like a his attempt at redemption for Inception. Nice homage to Kubrick's piece with the plaid and updated HALs.Matt Damon is in Interstellar? Weird.
Birdman - 9.25/10 - Liked it quite a bit!
Matt Damon is in Interstellar? Weird.
I loved Matt Damon in Team America World Police and True Grit. He's really good at playing retarded or semi-retarded characters.
His best performance was Tom Ripley, a gay sociopath. :)p8He was fantastic in that... also, the last time I liked Gwenyth Paltrow.
Big Hero 6. Entire family hated it. The movie fails on so many levels. (BTW, family loved X-Men: Days of Future Past)Oh I think Anax meant Matt McConaughey. I was gonna say "Matt Damon is in this but not in the trailer?"Maleficent. It was OK, but kinda sucky.
- Too long - it should have been a 30 minute short - seemed like an idea sketched on a napkin and then stretched out
- Movie couldn't figure it was supposed to be about: kid and puffy robot bonding? super hero movie? mystery? morality tale? coming to grips with death? It was like three different episodes glued into one. Never felt cohesive as a whole.
- Way too predictable - you knew what was going to happen way way way before it happened.
- Lots of scenes didn't work - fell kinda flat - lots of stuff already kind of done before. My boy fell asleep. I squirmed around in my seat waiting for the scenes to end.
- Disney sucks. They should have gotten Marvel to do it (since Marvel can't fail), or Pixar.
I loved Matt Damon in Team America World Police and True Grit. He's really good at playing retarded or semi-retarded characters.
- Twist on the tale that fails on so many levels. Premise makes no sense considering Angela Jolie is like a level 96 mage and humans are like level 4 warriors at best. The King douchebag thing doesn't work. It like part episode of the Bachelor - the one with the douchebag loverboy soccer player.
- Like above, way too predictable. You already know how Aurora is going to wake up.
- Half of the characters are annoying. Disney should have killed Prince charming and the three old ladies in most horrible ways, a la Scorsese to make the movie more interesting
- Border between fairly land and human land makes no sense. I mean WTF? Is this Stardust?
- All the flaws could have been overlooked if Angela Jolie was able to steal and carry the show. She doesn't. Yeah yeah, she acts all upset at her metaphorical rape, seems kinda pissed, whatever. I just realized she's kind of a mediocre actor in a lot of the movies she's in.
- Disney sucks. They should have gotten Marvel to do this.
Oh I think Anax meant Matt McConaughey. I was gonna say "Matt Damon is in this but not in the trailer?"
His best performance was Tom Ripley, a gay sociopath. :)p8
Matt Damon is in Interstellar. That's more than you should know, if you're still planning to watch it.Interesting! I will check it out then. Does he buy another zoo in this one :D
He is in the trailer. You never saw his face though.
Does he buy another zoo in this one :D
Oh my, was all the good Big Hero 6 stuff in the trailers? Anax=sad Panda.
Black Sunday (1977) - 8/10
An easily overlooked gem (overlooked simply by being a part of the cinema-summit 70's). Robert Shaw is frightening and magnetic as he always is, when at his best (see -- A Man For All Seasons). The locales are insightful, as you really find yourself immersed in several international settings (minus the awful glitz and glamour that has become a staple of modern filmmaking). The ending is a little protracted and overwrought, but this is easily forgiven as the rest of the piece is taut, with few missteps. There is a great tension that accompanies the film and amazingly manages to grip for over an hour with little letup.
I've been visiting some of the more overlooked treasures from the 70's and can lump this alongside The Gambler, Fat City and California Split (* these specifically only because I saw them most recently; there are dozens more of course) as fine movies that are seldom mentioned; unjustly in my opinion.
Birdman 7/10
Too pretentious. 'Nuff said. Giving it 5 just because Emma Stone is in it. 2 more for trying to be different and original.
Some other great '70s thrillers at the top of my personal list are Three Days of the Condor and Marathon Man.
Disney sucks.
AFAICT Disney these days is no worse than Pixar, who have cranked out three turds in a row (Cars 2, Brave, and Monsters U) and is now digging up the corpse of Toy Story for another cash/merch grab. I think Pixar is running on empty.
In summary, Interstellar didn't have enough spaghettification (i.e. it had none - and, yes, that is a scientific term, if you did not know). I was pretty disappointed by that. To elaborate, I just felt there was too much pseudo-science in a movie that seemed to present itself as rather scientific in most contexts ("But we had a theoretical physicist consult us!"). Then the whole love transcending time and space nonsense which, while I get what they were going for, could have been left out without affecting the plot.
-snip-
Watched it too, some obvious pseudo science going on but I love the CG! Really gives life to the science. Shed manly tears at the last scene though yeah it was too short lol.
August: Osage County
Oh gawd. This is fricking unwatchable. Julie thought Transformers 4 was better. BTW, Cumberbatch is in this film too.
There should really be a class action suit against this movie for damages inflicted upon the audience.
The Good Shepherd (2006) 2/5 or 3/10
For the second or third time in my life, I watched most of a movie before realizing I'd already seen it. It's completely unmemorable and colorless. It could be argued that it suffers from the so-called imitative fallacy: portraying a colorless character colorlessly. But I don't believe that.
The only interesting moment is a brief, slightly offensive dialogue between the spymaster and a mafioso.(click to show/hide)
The substance of those remarks is no longer true, but it's worth thinking about what's different since then and what's next.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Jesus_Angleton
William F. Buckley's Spytime is a much, much better portrait of Angleton (though not quite adequate).
Golitsyn's an interesting guy too.
Anybody watch the Interview?
I want my money back...
Let's just say...
Seth Rogen and James Franco have done better.
You weren't supposed to watch it sober.
So I need to say that I watched John Wick for the second time.I also enjoyed it and loved the celeb cameos. I also saw Lucy and while the ending was "out there", I did like most of it up until then.
I don't know if it's the "pseudo-noir" setting it has going on, or the interesting "assassins club" with their own payment methods and shit or if it's just the kick-ass action, I think I might buy it!!! :eek:
If people haven't seen Timbuktu, which is up for an oscar in the foreign movie section, then I'd recommend seeing it. I'd pick Ida over it for the foreign oscar, but Timbuktu has some moving and interesting scenes, that makes it a worthwhile time.
Btw, saw Whiplash on the airplane. Fantastic movie and performance, Oscar well earned. 9/10
Seven Samurai (1954) - 8,5
Saw Interstellar this weekend. Good movie too relax and chew on popcorn . Lot's of issues though.
One of the best movie ever made. Get the Criterion version if you can.
This spawned the American Western version The Magnificent Seven -- also recommended.
One of the best movie ever made. Get the Criterion version if you can.
This spawned the American Western version The Magnificent Seven -- also recommended.
Marvel Can Fail: Avengers 2.
Suffers a similar problem as Big Hero 6. Can't figure out what kind of movie it's going to be. This problem is compounded by the following: 1) lack of story; 2) introduction of even more heroes, villains, and other crap from the comics, e.g. Wakanda, vibranium, is that supposed to be the Flash? Klaw? Vision? Huh? What? Who is that girl with red magic powers? 3) a main villain that seemed menacing enough, however at no point we believed would be successful with his evil plan - unlike Loki in the first where we felt a strong sense of urgency - that he could have actually pulled it off; 4) an incredibly stupid McGuffin which allowed Ultron to be defeatable - I didn't know Marvel was taking lessons from Harry Potter. The movie was ran too long and was a torture fest for my kids.
Verdict: -28 stars. Slightly worse than Transformers 3. This movie would have been better had Michael Bay directed it.
Marvel Can Fail: Avengers 2.
Suffers a similar problem as Big Hero 6. Can't figure out what kind of movie it's going to be. This problem is compounded by the following: 1) lack of story; 2) introduction of even more heroes, villains, and other crap from the comics, e.g. Wakanda, vibranium, is that supposed to be the Flash? Klaw? Vision? Huh? What? Who is that girl with red magic powers? 3) a main villain that seemed menacing enough, however at no point we believed would be successful with his evil plan - unlike Loki in the first where we felt a strong sense of urgency - that he could have actually pulled it off; 4) an incredibly stupid McGuffin which allowed Ultron to be defeatable - I didn't know Marvel was taking lessons from Harry Potter. The movie was ran too long and was a torture fest for my kids.
Verdict: -28 stars. Slightly worse than Transformers 3. This movie would have been better had Michael Bay directed it.
Anyone excited for the new Mad Max movie?! (Me like post-apocalyptic films!!!)
But at any rate I still enjoyed the movie from a "shut off the brain and watch stuff happen" standpoint.
I think the run time is fine, but it's not evenly delegated throughout. For example, a lot of time is spent on establishing Hawkeye character and his family, but in the end when he "retires" and goes home, I didn't missed him at all, kinda glad he's gone to be honest.
Mad Max, anyone?
One of the best action movies of the friggin decade, methinks.
Mad Max, anyone?
One of the best action movies of the friggin decade, methinks.
Mad Max, anyone?
One of the best action movies of the friggin decade, methinks.
Inside Out
Definitely see this, it's great. Pixar still knows how to tell a great story. Lewis Black as anger is the perfect casting ever.
I certainly don't regret watching it but I'm not sure how much I'd have missed out on had I not seen it, given my prior knowledge of the topic.Given your prior knowledge on the topic?
Maybe it will help promote emotional intelligence (EI) in children, which would be good. Some of the stereotypes--Joy is a cute, blue-eyed blonde and Sadness is a chubby brunette with glasses--are mildly irksome.
I wondered how accurate it was regarding current psychology and brain research. This review, http://www.businessinsider.com/what-pixars-inside-out-gets-right-and-wrong-about-human-psychology-2015-6 (http://www.businessinsider.com/what-pixars-inside-out-gets-right-and-wrong-about-human-psychology-2015-6), tries to explain some of it. But I find it hard to get past the notion that joy is or ought to be a person's default setting or that people are controlled solely by their emotions. I simply don't believe that everyone's more or less alike.
Chappie. Uh... it was interesting. The one big thing (of likely many things) that bothered me, and could've been just something I missed *SPOILERS* where did the device capable of copying human consciousness come from? I know there was a helmet that allowed someone to pilot the Metal Gear, but I thought that was what Chappie took to the lair? And if they have do have such a device... why is it completely downplayed in the film? Like, a fuckin' helmet that can copy and upload human consciousness (or just memories and processes) with complete ease? Kind of makes the discovery of AI look... lackluster.
Terminator Genisys:
Suffers the same problem as Avengers: Age of Ultron. Gaping holes in storyline, lack of substance in plot, and too many random jokes inserted.
However, if you are a fan of the Terminator series, I think it's not too bad of a movie.
Otherwise...agree with poor reviews. Transformers: Age of Extinction tier...
Testament of Youth - For me 10/10. Based on a true story about WW1 from a woman's perspective. If it had flaws I pretty much missed them due to Alicia Vikander's amazing performance.
Thanks. I'll have to check it out.
What did you think of A Very Long Engagement? Some really impressive camera work.
K, I'm watching this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x08iNZ8Mfc
Testament of Youth - For me 10/10. Based on a true story about WW1 from a woman's perspective. If it had flaws I pretty much missed them due to Alicia Vikander's amazing performance. She was great in Deus Ex Machina, but this was a whole other level. Definitely a new on-screen crush for me. Bye bye Charlize (and your dog faced mummified BF). Hello Alicia!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tP7k4wqVJo
An American actor pulled of lines Peter Sellers could utter in his sleep and he still sounded cool. I agree...I think Cavill is British.
I think Cavill is British.
Interesting...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzayf9GpXCI