Hooray for Movies On Demand for my transatlantic flights this week:

On the way to Amsterdam, I saw "Curse of the Golden Flower". I really liked it, surprisingly good considering many critics gave it very blah reviews. It's not as action packed as Hero, but it has all the aspects of a Shakespearean/Greek tragedy.

On the way back, i saw Pan's Labyrinth. Really, just great. So hard to explain why, but every little thing worked.

You know, I read this earlier in the evening and thought...."Well, Will is just being a bit cantankerous as is Will's way sometimes and surely, surely Spiderman 3 cannot so bad as to wish burning hell on Sam Raimi."

Then I went to the late show. Burning hell is not enough....not nearly enough.

There is so much to say about this movie that I don't have nearly the space to write it all. Let us just say that this movie....Spiderman 3 is a stinker. If I had been by myself, I would have walked out on this movie. The only saving grace of this atrocious crapfest was the special effects and while they were nice, even they couldn't save this big, giant turd of a movie.

Do not see this movie. Do anything....anything else with the $20--give it away, light a cigar with it, crumple it up and throw it away, rent a Uwe Boll movie, anything just do not waste it on this movie.

I hope that post was in jest and you really didn't watch it without the MST3K commentary. It's one of my favorite MST3K episodes. I'm sorry if you watched it for real. hehe


MM: I agree with most of your reviews, but I really emjoyed The Good Girl. Come on, invisible paint and a Senor Tuna celebration dinner. :lol: Oh well...

WOW, we had the worst movie marathon last night. :lol:

Land of the Dead: I didn't watch this one last night, I cooked, but I've seen it before and besides the original Night of the Living Dead, I think it's the best one that has recently come out. But I'm not a fan of zombie movies typically. 5/10

Cabin Fever: This was the best movie of the night...kind of telling about how the night went. :lol: This movie was so out bad. The director actually put the stupidest stuff towards the end of the movie because he figured if people made it past the hour mark, they really don't care about quality and reality at that point. Funniest quote: 'I feel like I'm on a crashing plane and everyone around is screaming and I just want to fuck the person next to me. *looks at guy* So...*cut to sex scene*' This is while they are all getting flesh eating diseases...YUCK!
What Evil Dead could have been if it had been worse than it was. 6/10

Andre the Butcher: This was the funniest movie. Plot: 4 cheerleaders, escaped cons, and 'Andre the Butcher will make sure you pay for your sins'. Lesbian sex scene that will make foot fetish people either cringe or get turned on. :lol: Eating baked beans off the toes. This movie is so funny I thought I would pee holy water laughing. Best quote: See signature. They really needed holy water and the ex-con was a priest. They saved the day with holy piss...oops spoiler, but honestly...doesn't matter much. 10/10 for making fun of it. 3/10 for quality entertainment.

Tamara: I can't even comment on this movie. Bad, BAD! You can't even make fun of it because it's trying too hard. Just bad! 2/10

Mr Beans holiday - 7/10

It was a good film to sit through, but i think the years away from the role have definatly affected the way atkinson plays him. He seems a little bit too clever, and a little bit less 'get out of my way whilst i do this crazy scheme' that i loved so much. Plus breaking the fourth wall with mr.bean is just a no no! Some parts had me in histerics, other parts were ruined by the little shit sitting behind me who laughed in the most shirll child voice ever, god i wanted to kill him...but beyond that, lol.

I can't wait for an extended cut, there were some scenes that were so blatently edited down.


A night at the museum - 8/10

Very funny film, definatly a must to watch, jed and octavius were the funniest characters i've seen in a long time! The end was a tad lame, but they could make such a funny sequel just about anywhere!

jiri barta: labyrinth of darkness

mindblowing.
some of the coolest and most fucked up stop action animation that i have seen--barta is easily as good as the best svankmajer and brothers quaye---
but with a greater style range (you dont see a whole lot of pop art from the brothers quaye...svankmajer is much more versatile...barta though...damn...)

you must find this dvd. you must. you dont understand.

"the club of the layed off" and "disc jockey" are particularly great.

10.

Have you ever seen Bruce Bickford's clay animation, rb?

You can see him on Frank Zappa's Baby Snakes ...and Zappa made another documentary about him titled The Amazing Mr. Bickford...I think.

At any rate, he is a mindblowing animator, too.

nice mm--another element for the list of things to see--thanks.

barta though. jesus christ....

Can't believe I forgot to review the only film I've actually seen in a movie theater recently...

300 - 9/10

Maybe I shouldn't have enjoyed this film. But I did, immensely. It's what Peckinpah might look like in heaven. Beautifully rendered gore and violence with convincing performances. This film could have so easily kissed major ass. But they pulled it off. I loved it.

I will check him out...I do like "underground" animation.


http://www.brucebickford.com/


I'm surprised Bickford has a website and is still working...

Silent Hill: 9/10

The acting was pretty good for the most part, but everything just shined in this movie to me. The music is some of the best I've heard in a movie, ever. Although the music was all taken from the games, so that probably has something to do with it.

I highly reccomend seeing it.

Wow, and apparently there's been a documentary made about him recently.

I'm so chronically out of touch...

You can see some of his animation in this trailer.

http://www.brighteyepictures.com/mon...ilerflash.html

oh, and all of his work isn't as violent as it appears in the trailer...at least his earlier work was not as violent...

Notes on a Scandal with Judy Dench and Cate Blanchette. Neurotic housewife meets desperate spinster (complete with cliched cat). Two fabulous talents wasted on so so film with predictable outcome.
Very disappointed--5/10

The Covenant: Brotherhood of Evil. Mistakenly rented this instead of the new movie called The Covenant that came out recently. Holy shit, did it suck. Edward Furlong has let himself go and is now fat as hell. Plot and acting were horrible. Only the female roles were somewhat decent. 2/10.

The Descent. BLEEEEEHHHHHH. Perhaps I've been anticipating too much since this movie was being hyped as the best horror film of recent time. Umm, okay. 4/10 for some very nice looking ladies.

Domino Eh, the story was ok, but I was extremely turned off by the fast cut shooting style of the movie. I stopped it twice to get myself a snack. something I never do during a movie I like. Even Keira Knightley's topless sex scene couldn't save it for me. 6/10 for Mickey Rourke.

I had a dream the other night. Uncomfortable and uneasy, I was left sitting in what seemed to be a chair. There I sat, with flickers of discontent seen about the room with every flash from the screen as I fiddled with the zipper on my jacket. Unsure of what to do next, I mistakenly returned my gaze back to the front of the room. Dumbfounded. Frustrated. Angry. Sad.

This was no nightmare; this was Spiderman 3. The only redeeming factor of this film was its eventual ending. An ending which alowed me to flee from the theater, go home and openly weep in ecstasy that it was finally over.


2/10 (generous).

bad movie night results.

little miss sunshine: well, i dunno. it was alot of things, it was nothing. it was kinda dirty dancing in the stupid finale, it was kinda welcome to the doll house in the choice of glasses olive wore; it was kinda royal tennenbaums except it wasnt. it was kinda funny in places, it had a cast that was far tooo good for the script, it had underwritten characters wandering around. but it had a proust scholar. it seems indicative that his primary function was to say over and over "i am a pre-eminent proust scholar." the cast was good though. i like kinnear--but it is kinda sad to think that talk soup had better scripts.

however, compared to the other film, it was a masterpiece.

must love dogs. sometimes when you decide "tonight is a good night for stupid movies" you are punished for it. punished with unreasonable severity. watching this film made me feel like i had walked through some invisible wall and landed in a place where boredom is a sport. in this sporting event, a good cast gets wholly defeated by a cheesy script: see diane lane look fabulous through a bare-knuckled cage match against Bad Writing which she looses, which she cannot but loose, the outcome being obvious from the opening bell; see john cusak play the same character he played in the early 80s except slightly better and with boats; see stockard channing reduced to the status of a mobile lamp, the shade of which is a horrifying mullet-perm. i found myself paying close attention to christopher plummer's segments because i wanted to know if his moustache was glued on or not. hunting for irregular moustache movements caused by glue was the most interesting thing about it. GODDAMN what a steaming pile of shit this was. and it lasted for days. DAYS i say.

moral of the story: hollywood romantic comedies are bearers of the plague. run away from them. run away.

Night At The Museum
This is the kind of movie you rent with the family. There's no swearing, no nudity and no gore so it's very PG. The story is kinda simple: Larry(ben stiller) needs a job so he applies at the museum as a night guard but at night, everything comes to life. The most interesting thing of this movie is that everything that comes alive is what they're supposed to be. So the Cavemen in the exhibit start to yell and try to start fires, the animals attack everyone, etc... And they did a great job with the 3d. don't expect great dialogue or storyline. plus the end was sorta dead. I'll still recommend a rental.
overall:7/10

Amélie
The 2nd time I watch this awesome movie. I'm french so it's even better to not have to read the subtitles. I can't really explain this movie. it's nothing like you would see in Hollywood. the story is sorta like this: "amelie finds something that belongs to someone else from a long time ago. she'll give it back and if it changes the persons' life in a good way, then she'll start helping people. if not, then too bad."
The colours of the movie and camera angles and voice overs are the best parts for me. And it's pretty funny for a romantic comedy! if you're into well made movies that you can watch over and over, this is it. go buy it!
overall:9/10

Brokeback Mountain 8/10

Finally got around to the Brokeback. Heath Ledger - awesome. I really loved this film. I thought it was poignant and very, very real. Beautiful photography. Great performances by everyone.

Sherrybaby: Verdict is still out.

It was sort of too LMN for me. I hate those type of movies. I had no pity for the main character and was torn as to whether I should have it or not.

In a nutshell, a woman is released from prison for drugs and put on parole. She wants to have her child back, but has issues with the brother and sister-in-law who has been taking care of the 5 year old since the mom got put in jail.
Yuck, typing that made me come to a conclusion. If you like Lifetime Movies..check it out. If not, don't waste your time. Since I'm not a fan, 3/10.

The Holiday - 2/10

Oh my god...it hurts so deep.

I haven't seen so much forced perkiness since the last time I was at a pep rally...which would have been around 1980 in jr high. Long time.

Thank god it was saccharine or I would have surely gained 5-6 pounds.

"moral of the story: hollywood romantic comedies are bearers of the plague. run away from them. run away."

"Oh my god...it hurts so deep.

I haven't seen so much forced perkiness since the last time I was at a pep rally...which would have been around 1980 in jr high. Long time.

Thank god it was saccharine or I would have surely gained 5-6 pounds."

I'm coming here for my humor from now on. I just had my chuckles (and then some) for the day from this thread.

This had me laughing out loud.

Hot Fuzz - 10/10

Flawless. A great send-up of buddy action pics. Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright are geniuses, and Timothy Dalton gives possibly the best performance of his career.

MOAB, I had no idea you were French (I am too).
I was watching this movie for the 3rd time a few days ago, and it just makes you feel awesome.
I recommend this movie to anyone. Just see it.

Coolé, French. I'll watch based on :thumbsup: reviews from both of you.

I just saw The Descent: 9.265/10
I don't think I got it. Just as well, I am never gonna see this movie again.

Lucky You ... or should be renamed.....Eric Bana Plays Poker

I don't play poker, and I don't like poker. It was like watching GSN.

3/10 It would have been lower but for the one redeeming character....Telephone Jack

"Pursuit of Happiness" 3/10 - Will Smith's performance is the only thing to enjoy in this film. In a nutshell it's the true story of a fella who gets every bad break imagineable. The fact that most of the events come out of sheer coincidence makes the movie annoyingly contrived and pointlessly depressing. Of course it all turns around ... but that happens only in the last 5 minutes of the film and it's something you knew was inevitable - only you expected more to happen after that. Bad, bad movie.

film = spiderman 3
rating = shite

I watched two movies last night...

Notes On a Scandal - 5/10
While this was a well-made and exceedingly well-acted film, I just couldn't latch onto it. I didn't like any of the characters and the storyline was excruciating. I don't think it could figure out whether it wanted to be a serious drama or a thriller. *shrug*...just didn't work for me.

Secretary - 6/10
I can't say this was a *good* movie, but...:suave:
The best spanking scene I've ever seen in a film that didn't come out of the little back room in the video store.
I related to it immensely for personal reasons, but the film buff in me knows that it was an average film in all respects.
...but :suave:

Freedom Writers

This movie was recommended to me by the school secretary because Hilary Swank reminded her of me. I've put off watching it since February and figured I'd better watch it before the school year ends since she has asked me every week since then if I've watched it. I'm a horrible liar so I figured I might as well watch it.

I went in very skeptical, but was pleasantly surprised. It was good and since it was based on a true story was realistic. I cried a bit, laughed a lot (probably at parts most people wouldn't laugh at, but I can totally relate to the beginning of the film), and just watched in admiration. It's a feel good movie and not a total waste of time.

8/10

thank you for smoking

i enjoyed this film: it was smarter than i expected it to be, a good satire of corporate pr and its opponents, the snyews media, etc...good acting structured by an admirable degree of cynicism--which made arguments like those advanced by the main character nick something (cant remember) that tobacco corporations are like socially oppressed people laughable--which they are--and the idea that one can chooose to be a reactionary as a mode of defiance into the joke that it is.

but then i made a mistake.
i watched one of the special features: a segment of the charlie rose show in which the film-maker spun the film as a "libertarian" project and its reception as some kind of vindiciation of that smirking form of conservative acquiescence that is libertarian "politics"---you know what i mean--based on a vacant adolescent sense of superiority that follows from having read ayn rand and confused her with a philosopher and on that basis *maybe* read some nietzsche and got that wrong as well, which results (in this case) in an idiotic posture that infuses a defense of corporate actions with some kind of individual heroism, that accuses critics of corporate action as being "sheep" because they "just go along with what is fashionable" and "what is fashionable is the 'politically correct'" as if the only reason folk might wonder if contemporary capitalism is more than a little fucked up lay in its "being fashionable"...from there, these people posit a typically lame "libertarian" inversion--a one-dimensional egalitarianism as some kind of logical successor to oppositional politics---one "stands up for corporate actors" as a way of "being an individual" in the face of some halluncinated "pc"....

so when the film-maker and christopher buckley talk, they turn the film to shit.

but if you do not pay attention to this "liberatarian" drool and just watch the film, you see a pretty good lampooning of exactly this kind of "libertarian" defiance of a simplistic inversion of the figure of "The Man"...

from which a lesson: often the people who make something are stupider than what they make is. often it is better to just take in the film and let it remain open for your interpretation, and to ignore what the people who made it think they were doing in it.

another way: dont bother with the special features.

The Departed--I'm not convinced it was Oscar worthy, but then again, neither was Titanic. It was Okay for its genre, but there were big holes in the plot and the characters. On the upside, I am now convinced Leonardo DiCaprio can act.
7/10.

Volver--if you love this director, you'll love this film. Over the top plot line, men are of no consequence except that they're shite and women bond all over the place.
Penelope Cruz can act in Spanish, not so much in English.
8/10

Spiderman 3. 5/10. Not quite the 'pan-fest' from this thread, but incredibly bad performances from Maguire, Dunst and Franco. Way too long and too many bad guys crammed into one movie. Action sequences were good, but the mulitiple camera angles and rapid-fire shots were disorienting. On the plus side, Kirsten Dunst was looking pretty hot.

I hear ya about the camera angles and rapid-fire shots.....(aka the 1st Harry / Peter battle).

SM 3 sucked.:mad:

I think you ought to be fair to your tastes and rate this film much higher - I would.
I agree It's a terrific "spanking film" because of its sensitive and honest treatment of some of the underlying emotional and psychological dynamics of this sort of relationship (you don't really get that angle from "backroom spanking videos"). That earns it a 9.5/10 in my book.

I think film ratings are a matter of taste anyway. Someone who doesn't care for the subject will rate it lower, of course. But that goes the same for action films, sci-fi films and romantic comedies.

On a personal level I once had an intense year long relationship like in "The Secretary" with a woman I met on on a flight from NY to SF. The film touched a lot of memories for me and I cried while watching it.

I think I was extremely fair. The film was flawed. But I enjoyed it very much on a personal level, as well. So go figure. Yes, it's a matter of tastes, but more importantly to me in rating a film, being a film buff as well as a happy kinkster, are the technical and narrative aspects. In which this film was far from superior.

Still, I intend to purchase a copy for myself very soon. :suave:

I watched two movies last night:

Borat - 7/10 - Yes, it had it's funny moments. Yes, it was sometimes outrageous. But it had no way of living up to the hype. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more in a theater full of people. Funny, but not as funny as most people have said.

Clerks 2 - 8.5/10 - I avoided this movie for a long time because the original Clerks is one of my favorite movies, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was utter shit. I was SO happy that this movie was not only funny, but really good. Randall Graves is one of the best characters ever.

True, my copy isn't on the shelf next to Persona, The Unbearable Lightness of Being or The Double Life of Veronique.
I'll give you that.

Spiderman - AWESOME!!!

Spiderman 2 - Awesome!

Spiderman 3 - Pretty damn good.

I really enjoyed it. It's defenitely feels different from the last two movies. In fact, I'd say that Spideys 1 and 2 are almost the same. Pete has super powers. Is uncertain about crime fighting. Has trouble with girls (well, with M.J. anyway). Super villians mess with Spiderman's loved ones.

Spoiler: The final clash with Harry and Peter against Venom and Sandman was fun to watch. "The Adventures of Spiderman and the Millionaire Kid" I heard that Sam Raimi wanted a the Sandman to star, and the executives wanted Venom. So they did both, and it really shows with how they the depth (or lack their of) of Sandman's tragic story, and the lack of screen time given to Venom. Hell, the word Venom wasn't even mentioned through out the film. Personally, we could have told the entire black suit saga in this film, and save the apperance of Venom for another movie.

And another thing, did you guys notice that we didn't have any SpideySense used in this film?

And the ending got too sappy.

And isn't MJ going to mention that Harry threatened her to dump Peter?

And when Peter wears his black suit, and messes with his hair in the mirror, some gal behind me says, "Hey, it's Emo Spidey!". I couldn't stop laughing.

Also, I was hoping for more screen time with Gwen and Betty. Oh well.

Fracture
I thought this movie revealed too much from the preview. It wasn't that it gave the story but it didn't leave much suspense. What the movie is about is simple: a man apparently kills his wife and surenders to the cops. During the trial, it seems like it's a closed case but, one by one, the evidence becomes useless and it's not sure they can put him away. The acting was well done from almost everyone. I think that if anthony hopkin wants to act again, he should get so far away from the vilain. this was like Hannibal or silence of the lamb. There was some long scenes that seemed pointless. the acting of the female role(i forget her name) was pretty bad and there was no chemistry with the main character.

If you have not seen the preview, I would recommend it if you want to see an interesting court/police/suspense movie. If you've seen the preview, i'm not sure i can recommend. It's definitely not worth paying full price for this. wait for a rental or download it. you'll see why.
Overall rating:6.5/10

The Prestige 8.5/10
Revenge 7.5/10

Wild Hogs - 8/10 such a funny film, definatly on par with road trip. I can't wait until a directors cut comes out, it had me laughing so hard it hurt at times!

Pan's Labyrinth - Last night I watched Pan's Labyrinth with my wife. I was really looking forward to it. I'm fond of the new cadre of young hispanic directors (Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro González Iñárritu, etc.)

Visually, it was impressive, but overall I was I was disappointed. My primary complaint is that most of the characters (other than Mercedes, played by Maribel Verdú) were underdeveloped. The characters didn't grow or change and their background stories were incoherent.

I hate ratings. I would give it a 7.5/10. I'm a tough grader. For recent movies by that group, see amores perros, y tu mama tambien, children of men, babel, 21 grams, all before you see this movie.

Freak Camp
 

Jesus Camp

:oogle:

I thought this movie would be hilarious, but it was too creepy on so many levels to me to be funny. I cannot understand why people choose ignorance. I guess it's because if they let people have educated choices they would lose their blind followers. I'm still in aww.

I will say that the last deleted scene was hilarious since Ted Haggart resigned because of homosexuality. He had a whole 'sermon' about Aaron's rod which had very definite sexual undertones. :shakehead: And people want us to think that extreme Christianity is the way to salvation.

I cannot say whether this movie should be watched or not. I'm still :oogle: about the whole experience.

Shrek 3

Terrible. Watch the trailer; every funny part in the movie is condensed into those 3 minutes and you can save yourself the cost of your ticket, popcorn, and misspent time. My son hardly even laughed and he loves the first two movies.

Spiderman 3-- 4/10. I was not impressed. The special effects were good but the story was entirely dragged down by the romance story line and the stupid Peter Parker dance/overconfidence montages. Peter Parker never had emo hair.... ARRRGH!!! :grumpy: I wish Venom had eaten him. I still think they should have given me my money back twice-over... since I should have been paid to see the movie, not the other way around.

Battle Royale---9/10. I loved this movie. It was absurd and bizarre. A bunch of class C kids from Japan are thrown on an island and forced to kill each other in three days... one winner to survive. The director was immensely creative and the relationships between characters were developed just enough to keep it interesting but not enough to drag it down. Yay!

Grindhouse---7/10. Meh. Great selection of what makes each director awesome. And the "trailers" were great. But it just kept going. Seemed like it was more to earn money than for the joy of filmmaking. Wouldn't watch it again, but not sorry I watched it the first time. Unlike freakin' Spidey.

28 Days Later-- 8/10. Saw it last night in prep for a matinee of the new one today. I must say, I was impressed. It scared the holy beejeezus out of me... more than the "zombie" films I'm frequently pressured into watching. I think it was more because it focused on base human /animal rage, rather than "Hey, we died and came back to life to eat you." Plus, I love it when characters lose it out of desperation. And that's not a spoiler, anyone saw that coming. :D

Hot Fuzz---9.5/10. I flipping LOVE these guys. Witty, flashy, absurd, fabulous. I can only hope they continue to make movies cause I don't know what I'd do without 'em. Yar, good movie. If you didn't like it, jog on, there's something wrong with your sense of humor. :lol:

I'm not even going to rate the Jan Svenkmajer shorts and Faust because that man creeps me out. I liked Little Otik to a point a few years ago but the man gives me the heeby-jeebies.

Completely with you. Even the Chaplain at work had a hard time explaining her thoughts after just a clip of the kids with the red tape and then crying on the floor. And the Adam and Eve dolls. It still give me the creeps.

Ong-Bak: Thai Warrior - 2/10
The action is really the only reason to watch this movie. I was rolling over in my grave after observing the acting and storytelling.

Bound - 8/10
This movie is very intriguing. Great film noir. You think it's going to become just a dumb thug movie, but it always remains smart. You do have to give yourself up to the film noir theme, though.

F*ck - 5/10
This felt like an HBO comedy special rather than a documentary. It's just a montage of interviews with comedians, singers, clergymen and right wingers about the word Fuck. With 800 uses of the word fuck, I don't imagine anyone other than people who aren't bothered by it in the first place to be watching it. For a documentary, that's fairly short sighted.

Shrek 3 7/10

Loved it! Laugh a minute.... went where so many animated films wont. Still, it was missing a little something but well worth watching. Even for 9 bucks a pop in New Hampshire.

Something about Snow White singing the Immigrant song...

jean-pierre melville: army of shadows

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064040/

excellent film on the french resistance to nazi occupation....none of the usual hollyweird insistence on clear "hero" characters and happyface plotline...rather, a complex meditation on time and experience, ambiguity and brutality. life within a horizontally organized underground is reproduced within the film (the situation you are moved through is not explained to you: borders are fluid; meanings unstable...) it is incidentally a salutary (if accidental, given that the film was released in 1969 in a very limited way, and again in 2006) glimpse at the nazi use of the discourse of terrorism.

an excellent, powerful and distubing film.

Shaun of the Dead 5/10 - the basic premise was good - but wasted about every opportunity to be funny. The best bits are in the trailer ... and were funnier in the trailer, too.

Flags of Our Fathers 10/10 - I like any film that defies most expectations of a genre and delivers a good, honest story

The Double Life of Veronique 10/10 - actually saw it years ago and just saw it again. A poignantly beautiful film in every way.

I thought that Shaun Of The Dead was hilarious, and I hate zombies, but I was able to sit through the whole movie (by myself). 8/10

I just watched Dukes Of Hazzard on Dvd and it was really really good!! I am NOT a big fan of Jessica Simpson, however, I think she did well in her part. I loved Seann Williams Scott and Johnny Knocksville as Bo and Luke. And I think that Willie Nelson played the BEST Uncle Jesse they could've ever found, and I was pleasantly surprised to see Linda Carter (Wonder Woman) cast in the movie also. It had great racing and action scenes, hilarious comedy, and an absolutely awesome cast. I also loved how they incorporated the cast from Super Troopers. 9/10

Apocalypto
A movie about a forrest tribe getting taken over by the Mayans. Talks about the hardships that the indians had to go through just to live and how cruel that they could be to each other. It was a pretty graphic movie, but it did seem a little slow. Other than that it was a pretty interesting movie. Also, it has subtitles for the entire movie because everyone speaks mayan and what not.

Born to Fight 8/10.... by the same guys that brought out Ong-Bak and something else I can't remember. The stunt director, Panna Rittikrai, is amazing. Half the cast should be dead for what they accomplished physically throughout the entire film. It has its hokey moments, as most thai movies do, but I loved it and even backed up the film in an attempt to catch mistakes... which I didn't find. The fights were overblown a bit, but extremely entertaining. I'd watch it again, which is rare these days. :D

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End 9/10
Perhaps I am too easily entertained, but I thought this movie was fantastic. The acting by all of the cast was very well done (except maybe Bloom...but then again I've always disliked him). The visuals were astonishing. The action scenes were great. Honestly, I was entertained for every second of the movie, whether it be by action, suspense, or Depp's hilarious lines.

Pan's Labyrinth - 8/10

This was a pretty cool movie, but I would have preferred that a little more time been spent on the supernatural aspects of the story.

The Good German - 6/10

Long boring movie. The only highlights were Spoiler: what happened to Tobey's character, and the always impressive performance by Cate Blanchett. Aside from that, it's not worth seeing, especially considering the retardedly lame ending which is Spoiler: a direct rip-off of Casablanca.

Perhaps you should watch it again and pay attention to what happens on-screen. There are a dozen moments where the dialogue comes true or the cinematography unveils subtle humor. It is a solidly funny movie, and I think most everyone who has seen it will agree on that.

I completely agree. This was the first zombie move I ever liked. I fell in love with it and have watched it many times. Now I'm a zombie movie addict. :lol:

It's British humor whic some people don't enjoy, but I found it to be fucking hilarious.

I disagree with this and I know what i'm talking about. The preview gave away too much of the funny parts. This was a standard boring zombie movie. 28days later was much much more entertaining than SOTD. and don't tell me it's because i don't understand british humour.

I haven't seen hot fuzz but I hope it's way better than their previous attempt.

You know, I enjoy british humor, and SOTD was funny, but I expected it to be funnier. Maybe because so many people have recommended it to me, and said it was great.

I think Hot Fuzz was an absolute triumph in landmarking the ideal essence of British Humor.

Although I scarcely remember how good Shaun of the Dead was, I highly doubt it tops Hot Fuzz. A great movie by any standards. :D

Comparing 28 Days Later with Shaun of the Dead causes you to lose your "I know what I'm talking about" credibility, buddy.

I wish there was a block or ignore button on this forum. Now let's get back to the movie talks. :)

Click on that person's avatar. When their page comes up, from there you can either click to add them to your buddy list or add them to your ignore list.

Why are people refuting other peoples' opinions?? Come on...


Anyway, it has been a while since I've posted on here and I can't even remember all the movies I've seen since my last post so I won't even try. Here are 3 that stood out to me...

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - 3/10
I really wanted to like this... and there were parts of it I enjoyed, but there were far too many other parts that had me rolling my eyes or going "what the fuck?" The acting was acceptable, though not stellar. The visual effects were pretty good and not too over-the-top... but whoever's vision they used for this movie was trying waaaaaaay too hard. I loved the first POTC because it stands alone and tells a great story. The 2nd and 3rd were approached with the idea, it seemed, that "we have to make these huge blockbusters... lets get out our trusty formula and apply it to pirates so we can make millions."

Apocalypto - 9/10
I wasn't sure what to expect from ol' Mel in this movie... but I was pleasantly surprised. It was quite violent, which I am fairly indifferent towards. I think what I enjoyed the most was how it told a good story without very much dialogue. The scenery and cinematography were spectacular, as well.

Pan's Labyrinth - 9/10
I don't really want to say a whole lot about it, b/c it's almost better to just slip it in the DVD player and get sucked into the story without knowing what to expect. I definitely recommend it, though.

Such violence... When did this become an opinion conforming thread? Fuck that. (Yes I just dropped a very rare F-bomb) Last I checked people had the right to their own opinions and there was a back button if you didnt like them. Now, go back to your sand boxes and play nice!

The Hot Chick 8/10

I laughed til I cried and then I laughed some more. Rob Schneider playing a chick who woke up a man and now has a pecker to pee from..... Oh woe is he/she! Solid movie but not for family enjoyment.

Anytime you have people sharing opinions there will be clashes of some sort, particularly when someone puffs up their chest and throws out imaginary "I know what I'm talking about" credentials in a condescending manner.

That's really unfortunate. I was hoping it would be worth the price of admission, but I guess The Formula™ is more important than making quality movies.

Pirates of the Caribbean 3 6/10
I'm not a fan of the first two films, but this one wasn't bad. Considering what a let down Spider-man 3 was, this was a miracle. Decent story, if a bit odd. Kiera Knightly is gorgeous.

Spiderman 3 - 9/10 - If you're a fan you'll understand a few subtle allusions in the film. For instance: Spoiler: the whole bit about Spiderman rescuing Gwen Stacy from falling. No doubt a reference to the way she died in the comics. I do believe Sam Rami just wanted to film a scene where Spiderman actually saves her. But only someone who read the comics in the 60s and 70s would understand.
A lot happens in the film and it's probably tougher to endure if you're not already a fan.

longbough, I will henceforth ignore every opinion you state. Giving that blister of a movie anything more than 2 stars is an atrocity in the face of good taste and standards of entertainment.

I curse your children as well.

Jackass 2 - 9/10

I was laughing through 95% of this movie non stop. There were a couple parts that were really needlessly gross (it was the unrated cut) but over all, this movie just kicked ass.

I LOVE Secretary!!! I would rate it an 8 though

I havent read this whole thread so I have no idea if this movie has been mentioned but I just saw Music and Lyrics and yes....Dave and I both give it a 10/10

yes it was fluff, but it was a pleasure to watch..and it was funny. Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore were awesome together.

I also watched The Last Sin Eater, Im a huge fan of the book so I can only give it a 7/10..BUT if I hadnt read the book I'd give it a 9

Spoiler: I think I have that issue around somewhere. That was the second great guilt of his life after Uncle Ben. I was shocked when she resurfaced (as a clone, of course).

Hey, tastes vary, and right now, I am hankering a burger from Checker's. :p

"Sorry I'm Away So Much" adequately defines my presence here. I have been under the spell of great films and have spent the past few weeks just indulging myself in every film I could find. Now, time comes for me to review them...Ohhhh! I'm not rightly adept or expertly-trained to rate and critique films, I just know what I like and would could appeal to others. So, I will try to back-track and give a fair assessment of all the movies I have recently viewed so others could perhaps find the enjoyment, or abandon the urge, whichever, to view these films as well. :D

Here goes, with my most recent watching:

The Gravedancers

This particular movie was released in limited screenings during the Horrorfest weekend that was present in the States.As I was watching it, I thought that this was one of the better movies, but I still couldn't help but wonder why its budget was so big. These particular six(?) films were supposed to be produced by independent film studios, yet the effects and actors within it seemed to be high-end.

The basic premise of the entire film is that a group of three friends, who have recently lost another dear friend, decide to, instead of continuing their depressive mourning, celebrate the departed's death with some good ol' partying and debauchery at the local cementary. What good is a party at the graveyard without a bit of burial desecretation. Needless to say, some spirits get rightly pissed, start haunting them, and there you have a horror movie.

The movie was a real pleasure to watch.
It has a very intense opening scene, and some very supsenseful moments at times as well. Yet there are also some clichéd instances of bad horror movie etiquette; I mean, the eventual ending is really painful to watch because it is so cheesy. But the good moments in this flick solidly outweigh the bad, and it is a very promising film to partake in.

I rate it as good? I'm not sure I want to get tied in with generic numerals for a rating; I liked it, and have a good sense to guess that most would also enjoy it too, so here's a recommendation to go rent it.
I suppose I'll figure out how my future rating system will pan out, but for now, you get either choice :thumbsup: OR choice :thumbsdown:

Spoiler: I also have the 1973 issues where Gwen Stacy dies then the one where the Green Goblin dies. I stopped reading them somewhere in the mid-late 80s so I didn't get to the "clone" story - nor the whole Symbiote/Venom deal.

just saw pirates.

i am a huge fan of the first one. i absolutely loved that movie.

the second one i defended when people said how bad it was. i enjoyed it. it wasn't great but it was good enough for me.

begin rant:

as much as i hoped and prayed the third movie would make it all worth it...it sucked. i feel almost cheated. i feel as if they took advantage of the first movie, raped it, even.

the series could have been something great. but whoever decided to make the plot diverge in 40 directions only to try to tie things back together really killed the series. as much as i love the first one, it's tarnished for me now. i am pretty fucking pissed.

maybe it's not this bad. maybe i just expected a lot because i loved the first one. but the movie ended 4 hours ago and i still think it sucked. i was not at all satisfied. i don't feel they did justice to the first movie in any way. with how a lot of big trilogies have been ending, i wanted SO BADLY for this to be great. what made the first one so good was that its plot wasn't overdone. it didn't try to deal with 4030849374893 things at once. pirates 3 did. i just think they tried to introduce and resolve a lot of things that they could have left out. they tried to get fancy and couldn't deal with all the things they introduced.

end rant.

summary: my opinion is that they should have approached this like they did the first. a manageable and entertaining plot. the plot of pirates 3 was simply unwieldy. too much happened that didn't need to.

Pirates 3 -- 8/10

I have no idea why everyone is slamming so hard on this movie. It's not the most glorious example of modern cinema but look at it for what it is, which is a very good wrap up for one of the more creative series of movies to have come around in recent memory.

Pirates is not a simple, stupid movie to watch with your brain off while you munch popcorn and snog your girlfriend. Contrary to the review above, Pirates does actually require you to pay attention to what is happening and what is going on between the various characters. People backstab each other, people make lots of deals and there's a crazy background story of an ocean goddess and a pirate council. People who think this movie is too complicated just aren't paying attention. I got most of it the first go around, but it took my girlfriend a second viewing to pick up most of the details and put things together.

This movie has some fan-fucking-tastic moments in it and, while it certainly does have a few others when it falls back on its established jokes, I don't think that's enough to flop the movie like so many people seem to think it does.

You do need to pay attention and, honestly, you do need to be "into" the series and its mythology in order to really enjoy it. But if you can do those two things, I think you'll find that the movie wraps up the existing plotlines in an enjoyable and reasonable fashion. Go with friends. Maybe have some rum beforehand. It's not going to be the best movie you've ever seen, but it's a solid entry in this summer's movie fare.

The Bridge to Teribithia: 5/10.

It was pretty bland, chock full of every Disney movie cliche you would expect, but it had its moments. Brought back nostalgia from reading the book in Jr High. It was certainly worth putting on the headset during a five-hour flight ;)

POTC 3 - not good or bad, but just not for me

I'm not going to give this a numerical rating because this film, as well as SP3, is a film that you like or you don't like. There is not much room for an opinion in the middle. I liked P1, not 2 and not 3 at all. I wanted more of a plot. I'm that kind of movie goer. Pirates are fun, but I like more of a slant towards reality and possibility than towards let's stretch the imagination this way. I found myself trying to read the text message of the guy who was sitting in the row in front of us. That's not good. Maybe he was distracted as well. Costumes were outstanding. Special effects were great. And I'm happy for those of you who got what you wanted. Hey, it keeps the movie industry busy. Maybe Oceans 13 will do it for me.

Oh, we were two of the 10 people out of 400 who saw this showing who stayed for the surprise after the credits. Check it out.

Volver

I recently watched Volver by Pedro Almodóvar. I really enjoyed it. It was very funny and beautifully shot. If you haven't seen any Almodóvar films and you have any interest in Spanish film, I highly recommend his films.

I don't like Penelope Cruz in American films, but enjoyed her in this film.

28 Weeks Later... scared the holy crap out of me. And here I thought the first one was creepy. I still see the "first" of the new zombies (no spoiling) hanging out in my doorway at night. I'm still wonderfully entertained by having the beejezus scared out of me when I've got someone next to me to keep me "safe", but this one outdid itself. I get more freaked out by stuff that sorta could happen. I liked it, but it was a bit predictable at times. 7/10

Shaolin Soccer 9/10 baby. Only cause I've never seen a 10 movie. This was freakin' hilarious. The absurdity with the martial arts skills were perfectly and oddly well-matched. Purposefully cheesy, they pulled it off masterfully. I LOVE asian dance montages!

Pirates 3

I was disappointed in the ending. I was disappointed in the surprise.

I like Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly in other stuff but they both phoned this one in. As did the writers.

Johnny Depp was awesome, but he's one of the great actors of the generation.

Effects were good, but can anyone explain who Callipso is and what her powers are supposed to be?

I agree with most here on Spidey 3. Having a reference to Gwen Stacy (and you don't need to have read the issues from the 60's and 70's to be a "real fan") doesn't save the movie. Nothing does, because it just doesn't work as a movie.

I saw Shrek the Third on May 27. It was cute and everything, but I didn't find it quite as enjoyable as the first two. I took a client from work though and she kept asking me for popcorn and she can't have it coz she's on a minced diet yada yada yada (work in a group home with disabled adults). That kinda distracted me from the experience, not that it requires a lot of attention or anything. I'd probably watch it again when it is on DVD, one of those things to pass the time. I can't say much bad about it, I just didn't like it as much as I had hoped.

3 movies. 1 recommended.
 

clicking the movie title will bring you to the IMDB page for each movie
clicking the rating will bring you to how I rate my movies.

Fargo
I recently watched this movie to show my gf what it was like. This is one of my favorite movies I've watched this year even though it came out in 1996.
The story is simple enough: "A man hires 2 guys to kidnapp his wife so that his wife's dad will pay the ransom which he will split with the 2 other guys"

It sounds simple but thats when it gets complicated and interesting. The characters have got to be the best part of the movie. The acting is just awesome and Steve Buscemi is once again funny as hell.

It's under 1hr and 40min so it's good when you don't want to be in front of the TV for too long. If you haven't seen it yet, go buy it. you'll be glad you did.
overall rating:9/10


Step up
This is the last chickflick I saw with my gf. I was expecting the worst but this was decent. The acting is not that great and the plot is completely predictable but for some reason, it was watchable.

the story is simple enough:"3 friends(~16-18yr old) from the hood decide to break in a school(an art school with dancing and music etc..) and trash the place. 1 of them gets caught so he has to do some community hrs at the school to pay for the damage he caused. At the same time, in the school, a girl is preparing for her final project which is a big dance concert. her partner breaks his foot so guess who's gonna replace him?!"

If you realllly don't want to think and you like dance movies, check it out.
btw: the chick in the movie is REALLY hot! maybe that's why i enjoyed it!
overall rating:5.5/10 Rental.


Four Rooms
Another old movie from my collection. This one is very very odd. 4 movie directors put their ideas together to make 1 movie. The concept is: "it's new years eve at a hotel in hollywood and theres just 1 person working. Ted the bellhop." So you see his night in 4 different rooms. Every room is split up like a short. the 2 starting rooms are very odd and boring. the next 2 are directed by Robert Rodrigez(#3) and Quentin Tarantino(#4). these are the reason to watch the movie. i can't really recommend it unless you want to see something out of the ordinary or if you're a big fan of RR or QT.

room1: 5/10
room2: 4/10
room3: 8/10
room4: 7.5/10

overall rating:7/10

All the King's Men - 5/10
Not a bad movie, but I was bored.

Apocalypto - 9.5/10
I really really enjoyed this movie. Very well done. Subtitles didn't make it difficult at all either.

I kept meaning to ask about this... I remembered there was something after the credits, but only after I had started up my car. Could you (or someone else who saw it) post it in a spoiler tag for those of us that missed out? Much appreciated! :-)

Finally saw Citizen Kane. It was as awesome as I hoped. I can see why it is considered one of the best films. I loved the opening sequence. Not much more to say about this except I don't know why it took me so long to watch it.
9.75/10

From wiki:
Spoiler: In a post-credits scene set ten years later, Will reunites with Elizabeth and their son. As the Dutchman appears, it is accompanied by a green flash, signalling Will's return to the living world.
It's a bit 'Superman Returns', but w/e.

Nuts, there was a bit after the credits? I was straight out the door and into the toilets when the movie ended.

I'd give pirates 3 - 7/10.

Good film overall, but very long winded and kinda didn't know what it was doing for big chunks. Keira Knightleys leg at the end though, to use waynes world: Shving!

Bug:

8/10 *Ashley Judd Naked* makes this movie start at 7/10 from the get go, but the movie it's self was actually pretty awesome.

Actually they re-did that scene in Spiderman 1 with MJ and the Goblin. Although he did the right thing and dove off instead of using a line.


On to the movie ratings

Pans Labrynth 9/10 -- I dont know weather to feel happy or sad at the end. I think happy, but it is sad too.

clicking the movie title will bring you to the IMDB page for each movie
clicking the rating will bring you to how I rate my movies.

Ghost Rider
There's not much to say about this movie. The story is simple enough: "a kid(Johnny) sells his soul to save his dad. the next day, his dad dies. a couple of years after, the devil turns Johnny into the ghost rider. At night, the ghost rider turns him into a flaming skeleton with special powers. he's supposed to collect demons and bring them back to hell."

The concept is great but it fails on many levels. The acting is REALLLY bad but that could be because nicolas cage is in it. eva mendez is also in this movie. her acting is not better. The special effects should be awesome but they were a letdown for me. in the end, i wasn't interested in finishing this movie. I cannot recommend this. It's just another pointless boring comic book movie.
overall rating: 5/10

Borat
On my 2nd viewing of this movie, all the jokes were kinda boring. Without the crowd laughing with me, this felt like a really unfunny movie. I'm still recommending it for anyone who hasn't seen any of the Borat character.

overall rating: 7/10

10 Items or Less - 9/10
To be honest, I can't remember why I added this to my Netflix queue... but I got it in the mail yesterday and watched it after work today. The concept isn't terribly brilliant, there really isn't a lot of plot, and there are basically a half-dozen characters in the entire movie. However... for some reason, I couldn't help but enjoy every single minute. It's just one of those movies that is good to watch after a tough day... it helps you regain some perspective, appreciate the little things in life, and it makes you want to go out and make a new friend or two.

sounds good! i'll check it out! thanks for that review!

I checked out the movie: 10 items or less as recommended by dirtyrascal7

Its weird movie. I wasn't sure what to expect but it's definitely a concept I've never seen before! I liked the characters enough and it kept me interested enough to finish it even if there was no action. This is one of those movies that you might want to watch more than once to get the full effect because for me, at 1st, i was waiting for the movie to start and it was just there slowly growing and then boom, its done. Some parts are weird like when "the actor" tries to imitate everyone.
in the end, if you're not in the mood for the usual, then this might be what you're looking for.

overall rating:7/10

Being There - 9/10
This is quite an intelligent comedy. I really enjoyed it. I came away thinking about all of its social and societal implications. I would recommend this movie to anyone who appreciates observation as an art form.

Mondo Cane - 4/10
I heard a lot of things about this documentary before I ever saw it, so I was expecting a lot. I wasn't expecting it to be good or anything like that, but I was expecting to see a lot of crazy things. A lot of those crazy things never really satisfied... in fact the scenes that did satisfy were not as long as they needed to be, while the focus on uninteresting aspects of life seemed to linger a little too long. The best scene in the film was the final clip, showing the "Cargo Cult" which is so fascinating to me. In the end, i was geared up for more than was delivered.

Pan's Labyrinth - I was perusing through this thread one day and saw it mentioned--I think it was Hal, if I remember right--and he gave it a pretty good review so I checked it out.

Wonderful movie. Absolutely brilliant. I really don't know what else to say after that. :thumbsup: 10/10

POTC III: curse of the revenge of the black dread pirate's chest of pearls. - As the end of the trilogy, I thought this movie was pretty good. It was pretty, the special effects were subtle, which I dig and the story was pretty good despite the confusing double crossing stuff (you can't double cross me...I double cross YOU!!!!) and the Calypso/Davey Jones story. It tied it all up pretty well. However, in the grand scheme of things--and this is really a holdover problem with number 2--it doesn't really sit on its own all that well. That is to say, the first movie was great. Beginning, middle, ending. That's it. Bad guy done in, good guys go home. The second and third are inextricably tied to together and I think that lessens them somewhat. It's like the Empire Strikes Back all over again. A very strong movie that fails because the payoff is in the next installment, which is filled with loads of filler and dancing muppets--or, in this case, CGI-itus.

Either way 7/10 as it does exactly what it is supposed to do and it's fun to watch.

I have not seen this film in a long time, but it has always been a favorite. I appreciate sophisticated humor rather than the gross-out extremes that we are offered today. So many theories on the last two scenes........... now I'm going to have to watch it again.


Knocked Up

Great. Fabulous. I laughed a lot, and for that it gets an ultra-high rec. The ticket seller warned of the crudeness. Do I come across in a manner that someone thinks he needs to warn me about a film? No ticket seller, taker, or popcorn seller has ever warned me about excessive gore or violence. And we talk to this guy quite often. Interesting.

Pirates - 6/10 ... LONG as hell, and drawn out in a lot of parts. The story was great though, that alone was worth it for me, but wow, don't drink anything beforehand, you'll end up running out in the middle (it's ok, a lot of it is so drawn out, the scene will still be going on by the time you come back).

Pirates 3 7/10

Judging from the previews, I didnt think I would like this after having loved 1&2. Although the movie was quite pradictable for me, I still enjoyed it and spent much time laughing.

My fav part... seeing how the "will you marry me" line from the previews played out.

Silly Pan drank his large coke and my large coke sans the 5 sips I got out of it before he snagged it. Never saw a man run so fast in my life.

A Bronx Tale
I had to download this one because i can't find the DVD anywhere.
Now I'm a big fan of the mafia/gangster genre so this was a must see movie for me. The story is pretty good though. It's the story of 1 kid who sees a murder in his neighborhood by the mafia boss but doesn't tell the cops so the mafia guys start taking care of the kid. at the same time, the father of the kid(played by Robert De Niro) tries to raise his son in an honest way without getting mixed in the mafia.

The acting is pretty good on most part. and the story is good. It's not godfather or any of the big time mafia movies but still pretty good. It reminds me a bit of the start of goodfellas. If you're a fan of the genre, I'd recommend this as a rental. it should keep you entertained.

overall raiting: 8/10

Knocked Up
I was afraid that this movie was going to disappoint by having all of the funny parts in the trailer but the trailer only showed a couple of the really funny part. The script was deeper than I was imagining. It ran a bit long towards the end but overall the funny parts were so much better than the longish bits.

Overall: 9/10