01-07-2006, 12:28 PM | #1362 (permalink) | |
Human
Administrator
Location: Chicago
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Quote:
Anyway, Session 9 8/10 Made by the same guy that did The Machinist, this movie is definitely interesting and entertaining. Overall, I would say it is very good. It is aesthetically and thematically similar to The Machinist, but it has more of an ensemble cast and a less open ending.
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Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling |
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01-07-2006, 04:00 PM | #1363 (permalink) | |
Kick Ass Kunoichi
Location: Oregon
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Quote:
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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau |
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01-07-2006, 04:33 PM | #1365 (permalink) |
Young Crumudgeon
Location: Canada
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Just saw King Kong this afternoon.
A solid remake all around. Jackson doubled the length of the film from the original 90 minutes to 180, but the best thing I can say for it is it doesn't feel like a three hour film. I walked into the theatre wondering how he could possibly stretch the plot into three hours and I walked out wondering the same thing; as in, it didn't feel like three hours had passed, because the film was quite engrossing. It was predictably action intensive, but the Hollywood Hobbit put the extra time to good use by developing the characters a good deal more than they were in the original, causing the end result to resonate quite a bit more on an emotional level. Having said that, there were a few moments that provoked a raised eyebrow on my part... Spoiler: For one, there was the fight with the three Tyrannosaurus Rex's on Skull Island, where we saw what I can only describe as 'Kung Fu Kong'. Seriously, I didn't think gorillas could pull off a shoulder throw so effectively. Also, the slow-motion/blur effects seemed a bit overused - at points I think it would have been wiser on Pete's part to simply trust the skill of his actors to convey the necessary emotion. This was also a quibble I had with Lord of the Rings, in that he used CG effects where none were really necessary; most notably in Bag End, where a CG shadow filled the room behind Gandalf. I should think Sir Ian McKellan could pull off the necessary presence without the special effects; after all, he was knighted for a reason. So all in all, a few minor quibbles with an otherwise great film. I was pleasantly surprised by Jack Black's performance; I was a bit ambivalent about him in a semi-serious role, but he managed to pull it off quite effectively. Early in the film, I actually thought he might steal the whole show, but I ended up being wrong on that count; Kong definitely commanded the attention for the greater part of the picture. At no time did I lose my suspension of disbelief; the acting and CG work were both good enough to actually convince me that the characters really were interacting with a 30 ft gorilla. I can think of no higher praise. I give it a 9/10.
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I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said - Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame |
01-07-2006, 04:38 PM | #1366 (permalink) |
"I'm sorry. What was the question?"
Location: Paradise Regained
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November - starring Courtney Cox
This little gem of a film was given some attention at Sundance, but appears to have slipped off most peoples radar, and I don't know why. Well, I do, sort of... because it's actually good film. It's dark, it's mysterious, it messes with your head... The film follows Cox's character through one day, November 7, a day in which the main characters boyfriend is killed in a botched convenience store robbery... Cox's character tries to find understanding and deal with the grief of losing her loved one. The film seems to not be linear, not following any real connected stream, it seems to bounce back and forth, but over the same day. The viewer is left asking a lot of questions as the film progresses: Is all this real or imagined? Is all this happening on the same day? Is there a mysterious murderer? Is Cox the murderer? It turns out all the questions are answered in the last 30 seconds of the film. Everything makes sense to Cox, and everything makes sense to the viewer now. All in all, I realized I liked this film a lot. I liked that I watched this movie and didn't think of "Monica" once. Cox shows some real depth and acting ability. I give this movie 8/10 which from me is a glowing endorsement.
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I have faith in a few things - divinity and grace But even when I'm on my knees I know the devil preys |
01-08-2006, 03:46 PM | #1367 (permalink) |
Fancy
Location: Chicago
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All About My Mother: directed by Almadovar
8/10 This movie was good and followed the typical Almodovar formula. It involves tragedy after tragedy, but is interesting to watch the lives of people fall apart. Penelope Cruz is one of the big names in the movie and is very good in it. There are a few places where it doesn't quite make sense and has some gaps, but it gets filled in toward the end. Anyone that like this director should check it out.
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Whatever did happen to your soul? I heard you sold it Choose Heaven for the weather and Hell for the company |
01-08-2006, 10:19 PM | #1368 (permalink) |
Junkie
Location: San Francisco
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Fun with Dick and Jane-
7.5/10 There's not one Jim Carrey movie I haven't enjoyed. I was weary when going to see this because I feel it was hardly advertised and was worried it might be the first JC letdown for me. Once again, however, he delivered and I liked the film. It's definitely not one of his best and actually is more suited for the lower tiers of his work, but still worth seeing IMO. I'd put it in line with Liar Liar, Me Myself and Irene, and Bruce Almighty (which is probably my least favorite of all). I'd recommend checking it out, in theater or not, if you're a true JC fan.
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Embracing the goddess energy within yourselves will bring all of you to a new understanding and valuing of life. A vision that inspires you to live and love on planet Earth. Like a priceless jewel buried in dark layers of soil and stone, Earth radiates her brilliant beauty into the caverns of space and time. Perhaps you are aware of those who watch over your home And experience of this place to visit and play with reality. You are becoming aware of yourself as a gamemaster... --Acknowledge your weaknesses-- |
01-19-2006, 02:18 PM | #1369 (permalink) |
Likes Hats
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
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The Fog 1/10
I've seen Solid Mechanics exams that were scarier by far. It wasn't that it was cheesy or anything (that would've made it better!), it was the pacing and everything that was just bland and off. I found myself doing decorative knotwork with my candy strings in the middle of the movie. |
01-19-2006, 07:41 PM | #1370 (permalink) |
Muffled
Location: Camazotz
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Land of the Dead 6/10
It was a solid outing by Romero, and the main characters turned in good performances, but it lacked punch, somehow. There was plenty of gore, but it wasn't horrifying or disheartening like the other ones were. Still fun, though.
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it's quiet in here |
01-22-2006, 08:03 AM | #1373 (permalink) |
Upright
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watched the movie "waiting"
its got Ryan Reynolds as main star, i only watched it coz i thought van wilder was hillarious and he made that movie this wasnt too bad, alot of 1 liners, and i think most of the jokes were very similar watch this movie if u dont want to think hehe |
01-22-2006, 08:13 AM | #1374 (permalink) |
Muffled
Location: Camazotz
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King Arthur(Director's Cut) 3/10
It was honestly better than I expected, but I expected it to be pretty bad. The historical inaccuracy is about the laziest thing I've ever seen (trebuchets and crossbows in the 5th century?) and the story was dull, although the take on the character of Merlin was sort of interesting and the Keira Knightly "blue and leather" getup might even have replaced Princess Leia in the gold bikini for hot and ridiculous outfits.
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it's quiet in here |
01-22-2006, 09:10 AM | #1375 (permalink) |
Junkie
Location: Connecticut
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I saw Brokeback Mountain. I like it very much -- 8/10
I'm from South Dakota, and the scenes from the open prairies made me miss the Great Plains area very much -- the big sky, lots of solitude, etc. Heath Ledger was fantastic. In this movie he stands shoulder to shoulder with young Marlon Brando. Great example of acting without much dialogue. I had a gay cousin in South Dakota, my age, and I thought of him all through the movie. He died in Nevada a few years ago of a heart condition, but he left South Dakota to hide his sexual orientation from his family. The story of these guys reverberated with me.
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less I say, smarter I am |
01-22-2006, 01:54 PM | #1376 (permalink) |
Let's put a smile on that face
Location: On the road...
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I saw Underworld Evolution
I give it a 8/10 The only real problem I had with the movie were all the flashbacks back to the first movie. I imagine most people would not like this movie as it doesn't have a whole of anything special going on, but I really enjoy it for some reason. If you liked the first one then defanitly go see this one. If you didn't really like the first one then stay away from this one because you will not like it either. |
01-23-2006, 08:44 PM | #1377 (permalink) |
Who You Crappin?
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
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"The Forty Year Old Virgin" - 7/10
Pretty funny stuff, but a really funny comedy isn't exactly the thing of legendary film making. Still, I laughed a lot. It was way funnier than Old School or some of the other films produced by the same guy (Anchorman, etc.) "Saw" - 8/10 Despite the highly unplausible story (which shouldn't matter considering the genre) it was definitely a wild ride. Why did I watch this by myself at night? Some great twists that you'd never in a million years see coming. Is Saw 2 worth a viewing?
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"You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel |
01-25-2006, 07:49 PM | #1381 (permalink) |
Upright
Location: Long Beach, CA
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"Fun With Dick And Jane" 8/10
While I'm not a big Jim Carrey fan, I did enjoy this film and found myself laughing out loud with the rest of the half-filled theatre. But I was laughing more at Tea Leoni's character as she tried unsuccessfully to play the "straight-man" to Carrey. The comedic timing was very good, too. I got a kick out of the mud handprint on Jane's pajama top. |
01-25-2006, 08:37 PM | #1382 (permalink) |
Let's put a smile on that face
Location: On the road...
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"Terror Firmer" 1/10
Okay, I like my Troma, I will admit it. Troma makes some great B movies. But this has to be one of the worst pieces of garbage I have ever seen. They should have named it "Random scenes stuck together to make a movie". I like my random, but not THAT random. All it was was dick and fart jokes, shit and puke onscreen, and boobs. If you want to see a good Troma flick then check out "Citizen Toxie". That is The Toxic Avenger Part 4. |
01-26-2006, 11:58 AM | #1384 (permalink) |
Addict
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
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Hostel
4 out of 10. Although there were a few inspired moments most of it was unengaging nonsense. If you're going to make a torture film don't torture us with meaningless backstory that just draws out the runtime.
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------------- You know something, I don't think the sun even... exists... in this place. 'Cause I've been up for hours, and hours, and hours, and the night never ends here. |
01-28-2006, 06:11 PM | #1385 (permalink) |
...is a comical chap
Location: Where morons reign supreme
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The Cave.
Masterful dialogue. Brilliant acting. Exciting, totally non-formulaic thriller with no chance of guessing what was going to happen next. Clever plot twist at the end. Geh...is my nose as long as Pinocchio's yet? 1/5
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"They say that patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings; steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you king" Formerly Medusa |
01-28-2006, 07:29 PM | #1386 (permalink) | |
Une petite chou
Location: With All Your Base
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Ichi the Killer. 9/10
And here I thought my life was nuts.
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Here's how life works: you either get to ask for an apology or you get to shoot people. Not both. House Quote:
The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me. Ayn Rand
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01-28-2006, 07:39 PM | #1387 (permalink) | |
Une petite chou
Location: With All Your Base
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from the last few days
Better Luck Tomorrow.... 6/10. A little too MTV, but pretty entertaining. The War Within... 9/10. Fantastic look inside a terrorist's mind. Match Point... 4/10. And it only got that many because I got to stare at Jonathan Rhys-Myers' lips. Too predictable. Underworld: Evolution...8/10. For entertainment value. Revolver...9/10. I've seen it four times in as many weeks. I'm still trying to get all of the nuances. Amazing. The Punisher... 5/10. John Travolta at almost his most annoyingest.
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Here's how life works: you either get to ask for an apology or you get to shoot people. Not both. House Quote:
The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me. Ayn Rand
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01-30-2006, 03:41 PM | #1389 (permalink) | |
Une petite chou
Location: With All Your Base
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The Matador... effin' awesome. a 10. I hate Pierce Brosnan with a passion but he was so smarmy in this movie that I couldn't help but love him. I thought I had it all figured out and it kept tripping me up. Fantastic.
__________________
Here's how life works: you either get to ask for an apology or you get to shoot people. Not both. House Quote:
The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me. Ayn Rand
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02-01-2006, 08:17 AM | #1390 (permalink) |
"I'm sorry. What was the question?"
Location: Paradise Regained
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A Streetcar Named Desire
It's probably not fair that I watched this movie now, at the age of 26, having grown up on Karate Kid, Young Guns, and the like; pure shit movies that have no artistic or creative qualities, but were made for a huge profit. You see, I didn't grow up watching the classics. I grew up watching movies whose goal was immediate gratification. Lots of action, very little dialogue. It's the way that most movies are made today. Long scenes of pure dialogue tire the viewer. Generally they need more kiss-kiss-bang-bang... Streetcar was and is a classic film. I enjoyed Brando's performance even more than Leigh's although I thought they both did great jobs. I thought all the themes and morals of the film were excellent and very neatly packaged. But I just couldn't help but feel drained 3/4 of the way through the movie...so much dialogue...such looooong drawn out scenes... OKAY WE GET IT! She's going insane...That guys gonna take her to the mental hospital!!!! The scene with Blanche and Karl Malden's character on the deck outside the dance....enough!!! We get it! Please! Don't stone me yet. It's not my fault. I grew up on films and I learned to love films who brought about a solid message, with excellent acting and superb scripts in a LOT LESS TIME. I learned on speed movies... I guess I'm an ADHD film watcher. Trust me, I've seen my fair share of 'dialogue' movies...(the have made some since colour film came out) and there's nothing I appreciate more than a script that sucks you in and leaves you hanging on every word... I guess I just found that Streetcar had too much to say and it took too long to do it... Okay, you can start throwing...... Streetcar Named Desire 6/10 ...now!
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I have faith in a few things - divinity and grace But even when I'm on my knees I know the devil preys |
02-01-2006, 12:05 PM | #1391 (permalink) |
Life's short, gotta hurry...
Location: land of pit vipers
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The Constant Gardener
Some of this was very good. But something about the film missed for me. And I think it's that it just wasn't believable.
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Quiet, mild-mannered souls might just turn out to be roaring lions of two-fisted cool. |
02-01-2006, 12:38 PM | #1392 (permalink) | |
"I'm sorry. What was the question?"
Location: Paradise Regained
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It's a snow day, so I rented another one...
The Dreamers - An NC-17 movie that I rented specifically because it was NC-17. About this film, the IMDB says this: Quote:
2/10 (and thats for the full frontal male and female nudity)
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I have faith in a few things - divinity and grace But even when I'm on my knees I know the devil preys |
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02-01-2006, 03:42 PM | #1393 (permalink) | |
Junkie
Location: France
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Quote:
However, I do recommend you read the play, by Tennessee Williams. Excellent piece of literature. You really have to pay attention on the stage directions, the music that accompanies the play and why, and how Blanche seems to react in function of these. The dialogue, you'll see, is much more free flowing and interesting once you've read it and are familiar with the book. |
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02-01-2006, 05:22 PM | #1395 (permalink) |
Alien Anthropologist
Location: Between Boredom and Nirvana
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"The Island."
Interesting sci-fi plot and the film technique is watchable, esp. Ms. Scarlet Johansson. Better than I expected so I'd give it a 6 outta 10. (I'm in a generous mood these days!
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"I need compassion, understanding and chocolate." - NJB |
02-02-2006, 01:32 PM | #1397 (permalink) |
Life's short, gotta hurry...
Location: land of pit vipers
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I had to drive two hours to catch Brokeback because it wasn't playing in my town. It was well-worth the trip, and it was a very interesting experience.
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Quiet, mild-mannered souls might just turn out to be roaring lions of two-fisted cool. |
02-02-2006, 02:59 PM | #1398 (permalink) | |
Une petite chou
Location: With All Your Base
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memoirs of a geisha... not as good as the book. wtf happened to the sister? but the cinematography and acting were exceptional given the amazingly intricate material from the book. 9/10
__________________
Here's how life works: you either get to ask for an apology or you get to shoot people. Not both. House Quote:
The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me. Ayn Rand
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02-02-2006, 07:12 PM | #1399 (permalink) |
"I'm sorry. What was the question?"
Location: Paradise Regained
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My movie watching week continues...
Tuck Everlasting We read the book in my Gr.5 class and so today we watched the movie. This was the book on fast forward, catching none of the beauty, the tone or the message of the book. Instead they turned it into a cheesy romance. Bledell's acting was unconvincing, and for such a stellar cast of supporters, very little was done with them. The book, which I actually found ended poorly, is still better than the movie by far. 3/10 Broken Flowers My first Jim Jarmush film. I've already seen Bill Murray play that character...in Lost In Translation, which was a better film. I liked this film as a character study, but it was draggy in many many parts. I also found the end sagged and disappointed. 5/10
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I have faith in a few things - divinity and grace But even when I'm on my knees I know the devil preys |
02-03-2006, 02:10 PM | #1400 (permalink) |
Insane
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Bride and Prejudice (wife's blockbuster online pick that she did no research on). It was an Indian musical that was very vibrant and colorful. Music was good too. Pretty decent if you're in to that type of thing.
Watching Lord of War tonight, I can't wait. |
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