oldboy

a fine lovely film.
lovely lovely if a bit tough for the squeamish.
it has the recursive story structure that korean horror films seem to prefer, to be built around. so the narrative level is actually interesting.
definitely recommended.

David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch: One thumb up

Bizarre, but not as bizarre as it seems. Definitely an interesting and enjoyable ride.

Eastern Promises. 7/10
This movie was actually pretty good, but suffered from awkward dudity. I can stand dutity in a movie when it's a part of the story, necessary or in some way adding to the story or character, but in this I wasn't cool seeing Arogorn's ass (and more). The storyline was actually quite brilliant, and the twists were subtle and very well portrayed. Naomi Watts is one of the most talented actresses out there, but I wish they would have given her character one more dimension in order to utilize her potential. Armin Mueller-Stahl can do no wrong in my eyes and has been a personal favorite since Shine. He does quite well in this, which actually made me want to see a back story on him. Viggo Mortensen was a force of nature. His performance was almost distracting it was so good. Cept the dudity. Vincent Cassel played every prick you knew in high school that was Spoiler: actually gay and a complete drunk. He played it off so well, I found myself wanting to hit him in the face. Cronenberg has a unique directorial style that he's really starting to develop. History of Violence really turned me off to him, but he shows a great deal of promise in Easter Promises (I made a funny!). I'll be watching his career with great interest.

I'd hope to see a sequel to this movie, as the story and characters have a lot more than a few hours to give, but I won't hold my breath.

Wow, I couldn't disagree more about the nudity, or about the worthiness of a sequel. I think it's perfect ending just where it did. As for Cronenberg, his career has already spanned four decades and 36 films, and I think his directorial style is pretty well-developed actually ;)

Oh well, to each their own.

I'm actually a big fan of Cronenberg, but History of Violence was my least favorite film of his. I'm interested to see which perspective (of my own) that this Cronenberg film appeals to.

I'm with SecretMethod70 on this one, Viggo Mortensen's nudity in this film was anything but gratuitous. It certainly wasn't there for the "oooo penis" factor. It worked perfectly within the context of the scene to portray the vulnerability of the situation.

I agree that Naomi Watts is very good, but I don't think they needed to use her more. I think her life/character as a contrast and foil to the Russian lives/characters works better when it's not overly complicated.

And yeah, Cronenberg has been around for quite some time, his career isn't exactly developing. ;)

I liked eXistnZe, but it really didn't feel like Cronenberg came into his own as a director until History of Violence.

Martin Campbell has been directing since the 70s, but he didn't really make anything noteworthy until GoldenEye. It was then that he could make things like Mask of Zorro, Beyond Borders, and Casino Royale.

I don't know. I think it's even more bizarre than it seems. Consider that in William Burrough's own mind, this was a true story. Cronenberg did an excellent job capturing the fucked-upedness that was William Burroughs which is why I give it a 8/10 even though I find it nearly impossible to watch unless I've altered my mind considerably.

Resident Evil: Extinction = 7/10

Original Dawn of the Dead (Romero)= 9/10

cronenberg is interesting...but i basically agree with mm that history of violence was my least favorite of his. dead ringers, on the other hand, is the shit.

i liked naked lunch quite alot. the book is much better--and ticket that exploded much better than naked lunch (i think anyway)---i am a big fan of the ornette coleman soundtrack and i thought that cronenberg caught something interesting about burroughs curious world that was interesting on its own (apart from the book).

i dont find burroughs fucked up----i find him to be a fascinating writer.

Resident Evil: Extinction. It actually wasn't as bad as people make it out to be. Sure, it was a bit empty, but so have the other RE movies been. I'll give it 6/10. I was entertained.

A Scanner Darkly - 2/10
The imagination made a better story after reading the Netflix synopsis than watching the movie produced. This movie had nothing going for it. I couldn't even finish it because it was so fucking boring. I only give it 2 points because I got further into it than I did Mystery Men.

Heh...well, it was written and directed by the same guy that did Before Sunrise/Sunset ;) While I don't have the same negative opinion of it as you do, I definitely agree it could have been better. I wish Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) had ended up doing it (he wrote a script [pdf], but the project fell through).

3:10 to Yuma ~ 2 Eyes opened*

I've never been a huge fan of westerns, but ever since I saw the ads for this movie I knew I wanted to see it. I wasn't disappointed. Not only was the cast excellent, the story line was very interesting and I had no idea how it was going to end. I don't know if this is because of my lack of western watching or if it really was that good.

The editing was a bit choppy in the beginning. Transitions were not put together well and the camera work reminded me of watching a movie in standard form. But it wasn't anything too distracting, just noticeable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Narcoleptic Movie Rating Guide
*2 eyes wide opened
*2 eyes opened
*1 eye opened
*fell asleep halfway through
*didn't even stay awake through the opening credits

Godzilla: Final Wars 4/10

I love kaiju (suitmation) movies. I've always been a fan since I was a kid, and from time to time even enjoyed watching Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (pink ranger was a bonus!)

This was by far one of the best potentials since they brought lots of kauji out for a movie before mothballing Godzilla for another 5-10 years. Hedorah, Ebirah, both make minor cameos, as does Manda, Zilla (American CGI Godzilla,) and Rodan.

Anyways, the movies normally are quite campy but this one was really extra campy.

LMAO, of course!

Knocked up: 6.5/10 I really liked some of the Dialog, Especially between Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd. It had i's moments but wasn't as funny as everyone had lead me to believe. Maybe expectations got the best of me.

BUG.. 11/10.. Wow.. Wtf.. Weird and interesting role for Ashley Judd.. I gave it an 11/10 because the movie is just beyond giving an accurate score..

Zodiac - 5.5/10
It was a good story, and it moved along quite well in the beginning, but it was SO SLOW toward the middle and end. Over 2 hours of a story that you know won't end with any excitement is a bit much.

Leaving Las Vegas 7/10
excellent performance by Nicholas Cage, story was VERY depressing. I still don't know who Elizabeth Shue was talking to in some of the scenes.

Top Gun 8/10
I feel the need for speed!
jets flying about....

Good Luck Chuck

6.5/10


I think my rating may be a little harsh but I think it was a fairly cliche romantic comedy. The premise was unique in that every girl he slept with found their true love with the next guy they hooked up with. and it WAS a funny movie, there were parts that had me laughing pretty damned hard. But you know, I just walked out going "well, that was funny, but formulaic"

so if you're ok with it being another "guy meets girl, guy screws things up with girl, guy wins girl over" movie, then you're good to go.

3:10 to Yuma

Liked it a lot. It reminded me of many of the classics, which is why I consider it worth a watch. I figured the idea behind classic westerns was lost long ago...Not to mention it was quite inspiring.

-Will

Rocky Balboa - wow, I never noticed how shitty Stallone was as an actor. The movie wasn't particularly enjoyable. 4/10

House on Haunted Hill - bleh. For a horror movie, this wasn't even scary and the "darkness" effect looked cheesy as hell. Not a single cool death either. 3/10

The Good Shepherd - not the type of movie I particularly enjoy. I watched it in two parts due to its almost 3 hour length. I'll give it a 6/10 for finally picking up in the latter half.

Ouch, sounds like a rough time renting lately Logan.

Next - 3/10
The opening 10 minuets or so were pretty damn cool. But after that it was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. He looks like a perv with that haircut of his, getting Biel with that?!? I don't think so.

Black Snake Moan - 6/10
Better than I thought it would be, not at all what I expected.

The Host - 6.5/10
Once again not at all what I expected. I thought it had alot of plot elements that went no where and were not explained. Not a bad movie though as far as they go.

Blades of Glory (I think thats what its called) - 4/10
The new one with Napoleon Dynamite and Will Ferrell in it. Not that great, parts of it were funny and Napoleon's GF was pretty hot. Over all very disappointing with lots of boring moments.

Smokin' Aces: 6/10
a dumb movie with enough action and debauchery to salvage the experience. With a little more discipline, it could have been a real good flick.

1408
the version I saw was the director's cut so the ending is very different from the cinema. I must say that it toook way too long to get to the point but once we were there, it was not bad. I felt like there needed to be much more deaths in a creepy way to make this movie better. overall, i recommend it if you want to see an ok horror movie that's different from all the teen slasher flicks.
My Overall Rating for this Movie is: 6.9/10


Blades of Glory
Quick review: it's got some laughs. But don't expect a great story. It's all in the preview!! For a night when you don't want to use your brain, this is the movie to get.
My Overall Rating for this Movie is: 6.5/10


Knocked Up
wow. completely over hyped! I still liked this movie and it did have some very funny parts but the overall experience was not as good as the 40yr old Virgin.
It did have some good acting though. just not enough funny dialogs to keep me interested the whole way through. I will still recommend it IF you haven't seen any previews and you have no expectations.
My Overall Rating for this Movie is: 7/10


Superman DOOMSDAY
This is the animated movie that just just came out. I actually really enjoyed this for a superman movie. SPOILER: The story follows superman a while after the original serie. he's now older and dating Lois. Lex is still trying to kill him in everyway possible. His drilling team find a spaceship DEEP under the rocks like 5miles underground. they wake up a monster called DOOMSDAY who was created by the Kriptonians so now he wants revenge and the only Kriptonian left is superman...

the animation is not bad and the voice acting is pretty great! I really enjoyed the story even if some say it's not accurate to the comic book.
My Overall Rating for this Movie is: 7.5/10

In the Valley of Elah
 

Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon
In the theater.
This is a powerful movie about the disappearance of a soldier after returning from Iraq. Great performances by Tommy Lee [the father] Charlize [detective]
and I always enjoy Susan Sarandon[ the mother]. No matter what your politics are or your level of patriotism or national ties I recommend this movie to adults.
Do not see this movie if you want to keep your head buried in the local sand.

9/10
:expressionless: :orly: :expressionless:

The Pursuit of Happyness
8/10
story you can pick, either person achieving the american dream rags to riches, or a story about a boy and his father. a touching story either of them. reminds me that I have to not settle for anything but accomplishment.

Waiting - 6.5/10
[Buy - Rent - Download - Avoid]

Not bad, by any means, but definitely not the Citizen Kane of "angst-riddled teen-to-twenty-somethings in dead-end job" movies. I suppose if you've ever been a waiter, the anger and frustrations of the characters will indulge you a bit more, but only because you'll sit there yelling, "I'VE HAD THAT CUSTOMER!" to the screen and thinking about what you did, didn't do, or got away with at the time.

Kudos for representing real party atmospheres without succumbing to the usual device of having stoner jokes just because there is marijuana being smoked. Thumbs-down to the casting choices... a lot of the "customers" are like caricatures (but not in a good way) and some of the main supporting cast is pretty limp... fairly one-dimensional and underdeveloped.

Still though, funny/fun movie.

The Jacket - 8/10
[Buy - Rent- Download - Avoid]

Adrien Brody is, I think, officially addicted to indy films... and that's great, because independent filmmakers need someone of his high caliber to stay interested in doing the less-Hollywood, low-budget stuff. He's constantly doing indy films. Keira Knightly is also great, as always, and hot as hell. Brody and Knightly, themselves, are "worth the price of admission".

Plot-wise, I was very happy with the way things progressed. It was interesting, and had a fairly unique storyline. The interplay between Brody and Knightly was especially good, taking into account the wide degree of emotional change they both go through. My negative take on it would be the pacing might seem a bit slow at points. Generally, this does not concern me personally unless I think it's actually detrimental to the movie. For this, it seemed the pace slowed a little at times because of good storytelling, not bad. My other point would be that the ending left me wanting a little more... not an explanation, but more climax. The story progression lends itself well to the build-up of tension to the climax, and I just don't feel it was driven to full potential, hence this movie is 8/10 instead of 9/10.

Really, though, it's still a great movie, and not disappointing in the end.

The dead girl 9-10
georgia rule 8-10
crank 6-10

I'll just quote this, as it was my exact experience.

Bent - 3/10

Garbage. Take a poor quality holocaust movie, throw in Clive Owen as a self-hating homosexual in love with a fellow prisoner, for some reason give it an NC-17 rating, pour in at least 45 minutes of absolute boredom, and stir until your eyes roll out of your head.

The Princess Bride
10/10
Because it's just so funny to watch over and over and over it's inconceivable (You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.) to rate it any lower.

I just watched Transformers on HD DVD. Lemme tell ya, I have a 110" Projector and watching this movie was quite possibly one of the funnest experiences I've had with it. If there's any movie that will sell HD DVD it's this. The movie is freaking beautiful. I gave the movie an 8/10 after watching it at the theater. I gotta give it a 10/10 on HDDVD.

The Jacket 9/10

I liked it immensely, despite Kiera Knightly's horridly repulsive appearance. she freaks me out anyway, but she dressed the part. I wasn't expecting some of the twists, but it was surprisingly intelligent. If you liked Das Experiment, etc, you'd dig it. Plus, an emaciated Brody was interesting to watch.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - 1/10 (one point for the hot redhead in glasses.)

Fucking retarded movie.

Downfall 8/10

Based on two accounts of Hitler's last days, but primarily from his secretary. Makes some attempt to humanize the people in the Nazi regime (secretaries, doctors, soldiers), without apologizing for their crimes. The suffering of the citizens of Berlin is pretty heartwrenching.

FRACTURE 9/10 not Hopkin's usual good guy role ,he's a real bad ass in this one.

Outsourced, 8.5/10 I'll post the review I'm writing of this here when I'm done. It's a cute romantic comedy, sweet story of a man that discovers India when he is sent there to set up his department that's been outsourced there. I started a thread on it here

Knocked Up - 6/10
Just was not that funny, really long and really draggy. The only really funny part that had me laughing out loud was when he was having sex with his pregnant GF.

28 Weeks Later - 6/10
As far as modern horrors go I suppose it was okay. It was mostly people throwing blood up on each other though, meh.

1408 - 5/10
Really really draggy. I rented this and there were a lot of scenes in the commercial that I did not see in it, I don't know what is up with that but it really pissed me off.

I would not recommend any of these movies to anyone.

We Own the Night - 8/10

Joaquin Phoenix did a top-drawer performance. The car-chase scene is one of the best you'll see--truly gut-wrenching. There were some pacing and believability issues. If it weren't for the latter, it would have been a 9 or a 10.