|
Post by Harry on Mar 27, 2010 21:42:32 GMT -5
"Star Wars", "Mulan", "The Rescuers Down Under", and "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" for me.
|
|
|
Post by RyanGoslingFan99 on Apr 8, 2010 2:55:51 GMT -5
The Collector (2009) The story is pretty simple, guy goes to rob a house that suppose to be empty but finds a family being held captive by a killer. Still, I decided to sit down and watch it and was pleasantly surprised. It's from the writers of Saw so it get's alittle messy at times but overall it's entertaining. I can see a series of movies being made from this franchise, whether that's good or bad we' ll have to wait and see. I would like to go further into detail but there really isn't a whole lot else going on in this movie, out of fear of spoiling anything I decided to keep this short. Rent
|
|
|
Post by Harry on Apr 8, 2010 5:48:44 GMT -5
"A Serious Man" A twister?
Really?
|
|
|
Post by Her 69 Eyes on Apr 9, 2010 2:55:52 GMT -5
Oh come on, you can say more than that! I think it's one of the most brilliant endings in the last decade. There are clearly two ways to analyze the film: as either a fable in which God exists or one about a world of pure Godless chaos. I find that my enjoyment of the film is heightened when I assume that, in this universe, a God exists, and he does all in his power to test Larry throughout the course of the film. And Larry never cracks until the very end. Once he finally loses sight of himself and changes the grade, he must suffer. There is no better ending than what is on screen. I can watch that movie every single day for the rest of my life. Perfect cast, perfect script.
|
|
|
Post by Harry on Apr 9, 2010 13:25:50 GMT -5
The thing is, I enjoy most Cohen brothers films up until the last 5 or so minutes. It's happened so many times that I'm starting to think a cruel prank is being played and the last act of each film has been replaced with something they didn't write.
The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading, and now this.
|
|
|
Post by AD on Apr 9, 2010 16:45:33 GMT -5
You should watch Barton Fink, now that movie has one hell of an ending.
The endings are actually the best parts of most Coen brothers movies. Especially No Country For Old Men and A Serious Man (and Barton Fink, of course).
|
|
|
Post by Rishlicious on Apr 9, 2010 18:20:18 GMT -5
What's wrong with the ending of The Big Lebowski? I thought it fit quite nicely. I haven't seen a Serious Man yet but I wholeheartedly agree about the endings of Barton Fink and No Country being tremendous, especially Barton Fink.
Burn After Reading, however, took a nosedive about 40 minutes before the ending, which is a shame as I found it to be really funny for the most part.
|
|
|
Post by Harry on Apr 9, 2010 21:01:22 GMT -5
I guess the reason I disliked the endings of the aforementioned movies was because (with the exeption of "A Serious Man"), I was just a casual moviegoer at the time who liked cheap comedies. I still like them from time to time. I guess I enjoyed (or atleast understood) the ending to "A Serious Man" alot more than the others, mainly because A) I just finished a film course and B) I knew what I was in for. No Country for Old Men though, still not a fan. They kill the main protagonist off camera, with five minutes left?
|
|
|
Post by Atomsk on Apr 10, 2010 1:38:19 GMT -5
Alice (SyFy's version) I loved it, honestly. It's a two-part miniseries, but overall it's around 3 1/2 hours, so I'll take it as a Movie. Honestly, I thought Andrew Lee Potts was great as Hatter and Scorsone was decent as Alice, but the best actor in the movie was definitely Frewer as The White Knight. Not a lot of people loved it, but honestly, I thought his character was perfect. When they meet Alice, he acts like he's a brave knight, but later on in the movie, he says otherwise. When he's alone with Alice at a campfire, he pretty much tells a heartfelt story in a VERY emotional scene about how he's just a squire, and how the rest of the knights were killed off, and he's only alive because he was a coward. When they take Alice, Hatter and the Knight attempt to save her, but instead of doing the "brave thing", he flees just as Hatter runs in. When he gets back to the ruins, he looks at the remains of the White Knights, the King in particular, and realizes he was a coward, so he fights smart instead of brave, while still being brave for trying. Overall, a very enjoyable movie. I highly recommend it.
|
|
|
Post by RyanGoslingFan99 on Apr 10, 2010 6:01:58 GMT -5
What's wrong with the ending of The Big Lebowski? I thought it fit quite nicely. I haven't seen a Serious Man yet but I wholeheartedly agree about the endings of Barton Fink and No Country being tremendous, especially Barton Fink. Burn After Reading, however, took a nosedive about 40 minutes before the ending, which is a shame as I found it to be really funny for the most part. I gotta agree with Burn After Reading. I still liked it, but not as much as other Coen films, my favorites are still No Country, Lebowski and Blood Simple
|
|
|
Post by Harry on Apr 11, 2010 7:04:35 GMT -5
I missed Eric's spoiler-tagged explanation the first time around.
Okay, now it actually makes sense. Are there deeper explanations like that for the other Cohen Brothers movies?
|
|
|
Post by AD on Apr 11, 2010 16:28:36 GMT -5
I missed Eric's spoiler-tagged explanation the first time around. Okay, now it actually makes sense. Are there deeper explanations like that for the other Cohen Brothers movies? Of course. It's all about subtext. Like all the best storytellers, they aren't going to spell it out for you in big bold letters. They provide the questions, you provide the answers. Alright, so maybe movies like Burn After Reading, or The Big Lebowski aren't particularly deep, but that doesn't mean they aren't thoughtful stories. No Country For Old Men, on the other hand, is an extremely deep story, and extremely thoughtful. I'm not going to go into great detail on it now, but I would definitely suggest watching it a second time (I find it to be one of the most re-watchable movies I've ever seen). You really need to pay attention to every moment to fully appreciate it, but the two scenes toward the end I think you should really pay special attention to are Tommy Lee Jones' characters speech about his two dreams involving his father, and his scene with the old man in the wheelchair in the house with all the cats. Lines like "I always thought when I got older that God would just sort of come into my life, but he didn't" are of particular importance. I think when you come to fully appreciate the movie you'll realize that the story couldn't possibly end any other way.
|
|
|
Post by SS press on Apr 17, 2010 2:36:35 GMT -5
The trailers for this movie would make you think it is a full-on comedy. But in reality, this is a major roller-coaster of emotions. Jumping between Action, Drama, Romance, and of course Comedy at the drop of a dime. And while the movie kept me entertained the whole time, it was kid of weird to have a comedy moment in the middle of what is supposed to be a very scarring scene near the end of the movie. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. If you like College Nerd humor and gratuitous violence, then this is your movie. But thanks to the connection between characters, you might find yourself at times shocked and maybe even sad. If you like action or comedy, go see this movie now. However, I know this might not be everyone's taste. I know some critics don't like the idea of an 11 year old Hit Girl mercilessly killing people and getting shot at. A lot of people think she steals the show, and while she is an amazing part of the movie, it is Nicholas Cage who shocked the hell out of me as the somewhat demented yet very loving "Big Daddy". You might be wondering what kind of man would have his daughter in such an environment, but at all times, you know he genuinely loves her. Plus this might be the best arranged soundtrack for a movie I have heard in a long time. Seeing Hit Girl killing thugs while "Banana Splits" by The Dickies or the epic final battle punctuated by a very memorable scene with Elvis playing in the background just punctuates everything very well for me. Overall, I am glad that I saw the movie. The pacing is all over the place and certain questionable things like a night-vision first person view scene keep it form being a classic, but it's so entertaining you cannot take your eyes off of it. It is an attack of the senses and worth seeing in a theater with like-minded people. Just keep in mind, this is NOT a full-on comedy. Yes there are rather hilarious moments, but I actually saw it twice today (Once alone, and again with friends) and both times I heard people coming out of it shocked at how intense the action and drama is. So just be prepared.
|
|
|
Post by Atomsk on Apr 17, 2010 16:07:27 GMT -5
A Guide to Recognizing Your SaintsWow...that's pretty much all I can say. I was expecting this to be just decent, but I was blown away by this movie (Maybe because I didn't really have high expectations). Basically, a movie about a very successful writer named Dito (Robert Downey Jr.) who leaves Queens, NY when he is still young (Young Dito is played by Shia LaBeouf). While he's gone, his father (Chazz Palminteri) has been getting sicker and sicker, and refuses to go to the hospital. Dito's mother (Dianne Wiest) calls Dito, and asks him to come visit. As he makes the trip coming back (And when he's there), he has many memories from the past that led up to when he left. Now, I'm unsure about who had the best performance in this movie, but it probably goes to Channing Tatum, who plays as the young Antonio, Dito's childhood friend. Most of his scenes have so much emotion in them, two in particular being by the train tracks with his brother and Nerf, and the funeral scene after. I highly recommend picking this up and watching it. There are a lot of intense scenes that will be worth watching (Ending is one; spoiler tagged it).
|
|
|
Post by AD on Apr 19, 2010 17:14:08 GMT -5
Kick-Ass (2010) One struggles to categorize a movie like “Kick-Ass.” Is it a comedy or an action flick? A deconstruction, or a celebration, of super hero mythology? A smart satire, or an idiotic display of clichés and mindless violence? The truth is that it’s all of these things, which puts it in danger of failing as all of these things, but I don’t think it ever crosses that line. You might call it the superhero movie equivalent of “Zombieland,” it’s just not quite as good. This is a funny film, there’s no doubt in my mind about that, but it’s not nearly as funny as it seems to think it is, and this leads to stretches where it becomes almost insufferable. The computer generated carnage is much more fun than what you’d see in crap like “Ninja Assassin,” but there’s no escaping that it is in the same vein, and a little of that goes a long way. Once the movie became wall-to-wall action I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was suddenly watching the same type of movie that was being made fun of earlier in the story. Oddly enough, in a movie that clearly revels in being an assault on the senses and sensibilities of the viewer, the scenes that work the best are the quieter, more (dare I say it?) understated moments, but even those are a mixed bag. The main character’s social problems are refreshing and relatable (he‘s not socially retarded like so many movie geeks, just a normal awkward kid who is ignored by girls), but the resolution to this is disappointingly by-the-numbers. There is one scene of true white knuckle suspense, but it’s undermined by ill-advised attempts at comic relief. There is one thing about this movie in which I can’t find any fault: the villains. In the first half of the movie you may wonder how this inept hero manages to avoid ever encountering a street thug who carries a gun, but sit tight because the story is building to that. The real “serious” criminals are occasionally made to look silly, but when you get right down to it they are a bunch of truly reprehensible characters. There are no scenery-chewing super villains (they‘re clearly saving that for the sequel), just bad people who shoot to kill and don’t give a fuck if a teenage kid or a little girl are their targets. I can certainly understand why some people have been put off by this, but I find it strangely admirable. It’s definitely preferable to more of the safe, sanitized escapism that Hollywood markets. I guess “Kick-Ass” could be described, in a phrase, as one big fucking schizophrenic mess of a movie. For every joke that works there’s one that doesn’t. For every fun action sequence there is a superfluous one. For every strong dramatic moment there is a “who gives a shit?” moment. It also overstays it’s welcome. It’s a really good 90 minute movie stretched into a pretty decent two hour movie. Despite it‘s flaws, I can’t deny that I did enjoy what I was watching much of the time, and for that I have to give it a mild recommendation. Other Stuff (spoiler tagged for size) Alice in Wonderland (2010) - This is the “Alice” movie for the post-Lord-of-the-Rings era of movies. Tim Burton’s visual style is delightful, but the by-the-numbers storyline (complete with epic struggle between good and evil) and lame action climax (complete with Alice dawning a suit of armor and wielding a magical sword against a very un-frightening Jabberwocky) are a big disappointment.
Shutter Island (2010) - Suffers from what one might call “M. Night Shyamalan syndrome,” but (as is the case with Shyamalan’s “Signs”) even though the destination is a letdown, this particular journey is still worth taking.
Brothers (2009) - This is a film that one can either love for what it is (a superbly acted melodrama about a family torn apart by war) or despise for what it isn’t (a convincing psychodrama about the effects of war on the human psyche). I fall into the first category.
The House of the Devil (2009) - The best true horror movie of 2009. A throwback to those wonderful days in the 1970’s when no-budget movies like “Black Christmas” and “Halloween” were producing scares and suspense on a level greater than what most reputable Hollywood productions could generate. Despite the attempts at recreating a once-popular genre, this is not a campy movie at all. It is a must see for fans of the genre.
The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008) - Despite the terrible title, this is a gloriously uninhibited romp of an action-comedy-western pastiche. It may be light on the dramatic side, but it’s very funny without being campy, and the three major action sequences are among the most energetic and entertaining of the past decade. This is a perfect 10 on the entertainment meter.
Cache (2005) - When Michael Haneke isn’t aggressively berating his audience with shit like “Funny Games” he really is one of our most gifted living filmmakers. Here he tackles the inherent voyeurism of film, and a nation’s subconscious guilt over all-but-forgotten atrocities, while crafting one of the tightest, most stimulating thrillers I’ve ever seen. If ever there was a movie that demands to be seen more than once this is it.
A Bittersweet Life [/b] (2005) - A deliciously atmospheric Korean neo noir. Has style to spare, but doesn’t show it off at the expense of the story. The combination of grace and brutality in the violence is on a level I’ve never witnessed before, including in the best films of John Woo. Memories of Murder (2003) - One of the most brilliantly plotted serial killer investigation movies ever made. Deserves to be put in a class with “Zodiac” and even “The Silence of the Lambs.” I responded stronger to this than I did to “The Host” (from the same director) and that’s no knock on “The Host.” JSA - Joint Security Area (2000) - A touching and tragic story of friendship hidden inside a fairly straightforward political thriller. Could’ve come off as sappy and preachy in a lesser director’s hands, but Park Chan-wook keeps it grounded on a more intimate and relatable level. The Korean auteur’s most humanistic work. Fitzcarraldo (1982) - A monumental production in more ways than one. Only Werner Herzog could take a story about a mad man who dreams of building an opera house in the Amazon and turn it into one of the most inspiring movies of all time. Watching that steamship being dragged across land, and knowing that it wasn’t done with special effects, thrilled me in a way I can’t quite compare to any other movie experience. Don’t Look Now (1975) - This is as cerebral as horror gets. Doesn’t try to create false danger, no jump scares or anything like that. Just a slow building, ever-present feeling of inevitable doom. The rare horror film that demands a second viewing. Also has one of the best sex scenes ever, if you’re into that sort of thing. Samurai Rebellion (1966) - A devoutly anti-authoritarian, even feminist, parable. A story of severe emotional tension created by the rigid social structure of feudal Japan. Among the best samurai films I’ve seen. The Manchurian Candidate (1962) - I’m not sure why it took me so long to see this movie, but I loved it! It’s thrilling, and suspenseful, and surrealistic, and hallucinatory, and funny and satirical, and just about everything else you wouldn’t expect a Frank Sinatra star vehicle from the early 60’s to be.[/spoiler]
|
|