The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

So Iñárritu actually got that culture down to textbook detail.

Indeed, your co-worker fulfilled the Tower of Babel scriptural passage - we all speak different languages (or eat different ways, etc), leading to much confusion.

Unless of course, one becomes SE like those of us who love Babel and one realizes that there is no confusion, just people speaking different languages, and instead communicate with each person on a level deeper than mere words/culture. Yes, every geographic region in Babel spoke different tongue and had different culture, but they all had

[Show spoiler]equivalent human emotion being displayed, upon exposure to trauma, etc. Humans from vastly different languages/cultures could communicate 100% on that basis. Blanchett being sung a lullaby by the Moroccan lady, as she stroked her forehead (even though neither woman could speak ONE WORD to each other) is one example that sticks out

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Indeed, your co-worker fulfilled the Tower of Babel scriptural passage - we all speak different languages (or eat different ways, etc), leading to much confusion.

Unless of course, one becomes SE like those of us who love Babel and one realizes that there is no confusion, just people speaking different languages, and instead communicate with each person on a level deeper than mere words/culture. Yes, every geographic region in Babel spoke different tongue and had different culture, but they all had

[Show spoiler]equivalent human emotion being displayed, upon exposure to trauma, etc. Humans from vastly different languages/cultures could communicate 100% on that basis. Blanchett being sung a lullaby by the Moroccan lady, as she stroked her forehead (even though neither woman could speak ONE WORD to each other) is one example that sticks out

Great input! I will add that the way Iñárritu chose to shoot the scene provokes viewers foreign to the culture to perceive savagery. In that sense, he symbolically constructs cultural barriers for the viewer to catch himself like the effect on my co-worker. All while using close-ups to force us to see those differences and bring out a sense of realism--you can almost taste the food like a Carl's Jr. commercial.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Great input! I will add that the way Iñárritu chose to shoot the scene provokes viewers foreign to the culture to perceive savagery. In that sense, he symbolically constructs cultural barriers for the viewer to catch himself like the effect on my co-worker. All while using close-ups to force us to see those differences and bring out a sense of realism--you can almost taste the food like a Carl's Jr. commercial.

Savagery? Really? "Poor" table manners equates to savagery? No silverware makes one primitive?

Pffft. Ridiculous. I don't even use my hands. Why would I do that? It's far too time consuming and just gets my hands dirty. I just lean forward and slurp my food directly off the table. I do it in restaurants too because it justifies leaving no tip. They dont have to wash the silverware and I dont need a wet-nap so I save them a fortune.

Savage? I think not. Simply an S.E.D.

[Show spoiler]Sufficiently Evolved Diner

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Savagery? Really? "Poor" table manners equates to savagery? No silverware makes one primitive?

Pffft. Ridiculous. I don't even use my hands. Why would I do that? It's far too time consuming and just gets my hands dirty. I just lean forward and slurp my food directly off the table. I do it in restaurants too because it justifies leaving no tip. They dont have to wash the silverware and I dont need a wet-nap so I save them a fortune.

Savage? I think not. Simply an S.E.D.

[Show spoiler]Sufficiently Evolved Diner

!!!

My cat disagrees. She uses her paws to eat.

I think it's fascinating that cultures can hit both sides of the spectrum. In Morocco, the use of silverware is NSED because it is the same material used in currency. On the other hand, you can't even eat pizza with your hands in parts of Europe and South America.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

!!!

My cat disagrees. She uses her paws to eat.

I think it's fascinating that cultures can hit both sides of the spectrum. In Morocco, the use of silverware is NSED because it is the same material used in currency. On the other hand, you can't even eat pizza with your hands in parts of Europe and South America.

Let's not forget chopsticks. A favorite of mine.

I have a friend who uses two forks (instead of a knife or his hands) to eat roasted or BBQ'd chicken. It's actually very efficient. One to hold the bird, the other to extract a serving.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Let's not forget chopsticks. A favorite of mine.

I have a friend who uses two forks (instead of a knife or his hands) to eat roasted or BBQ'd chicken. It's actually very efficient. One to hold the bird, the other to extract a serving.

I prefer getting my nutrition through IV.

[Show spoiler]Too far?

I'll try to double-fork it next time I BBQ. I use a fork for beef ribs when I'm patient enough.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I prefer getting my nutrition through IV.

[Show spoiler]Too far?

I'll try to double-fork it next time I BBQ. I use a fork for beef ribs when I'm patient enough.

I much prefer pork ribs. I try to avoid eating ribs in public.

[Show spoiler]

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I much prefer pork ribs. I try to avoid eating ribs in public.

[Show spoiler]

Savage!

My death row meal would be a cow's rib cage, followed by flan, and coconut water to wash it all down. Not the most sophisticated mix of foods, but if we're strictly going by categorical favorites that's how it would turn out.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Savage!

My death row meal would be a cow's rib cage, followed by flan, and coconut water to wash it all down. Not the most sophisticated mix of foods, but if we're strictly going by categorical favorites that's how it would turn out.

Mine would be sushi. For hours and hours and hours.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Mine would be sushi. For hours and hours and hours.

Story of my life>> http://daviswiki.org/buffets All within a mile from my work.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Story of my life>> http://daviswiki.org/buffets All within a mile from my work.

Lucky bastard.

I lived in OC for the majority of my life, so good sushi joints were plentiful. I'm a sushi nut so I always try restaurants when out of town. Been searching for that perfect place for decades.

True story. The best sushi I ever had (freshness, not presentation) was in a hotel retaurant/bar in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. What the heck??? Just unreal fish. My business traveling partner was a sushi freak too and he agreed.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Lucky bastard.

I lived in OC for the majority of my life, so good sushi joints were plentiful. I'm a sushi nut so I always try restaurants when out of town. Been searching for that perfect place for decades.

True story. The best sushi I ever had (freshness, not presentation) was in a hotel retaurant/bar in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. What the heck??? Just unreal fish. My business traveling partner was a sushi freak too and he agreed.

Yum. I'm more of a sushi roll nut. Americanized sushi as opposed to the real stuff. Mikuni is my favorite, though when I travel I enjoy trying the various creative sushi restaurants. I order based on ingredients: eel/crab/shrimp is my winning combination. Always a bonus when they squeeze some lime on there or torch it.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

I guess I'm one of the only people here to actually like Haywire. I own it and just watched it again about a month ago. Oh well.

If nothing else, I would say the fight scenes are worth remembering, and not just because of the one thing you mentioned (lack of music during them). The fight choreography was quite good, and her fight scene with Michael Fassbender was definitely memorable.

You also have to admit that the end of the movie when she

[Show spoiler]drops down and Antonio Banderas says "oh sh!t"

was a solid way to end the movie.

I loved the ending! I could see how many would be absolutely pissed at how it ended

Fassbender is always great and that scene was excellent. I kept thinking, "the people downstairs are going to be pissed" and then later one when they said, "the people below reported a disturbance" I laughed so hard the guy

[Show spoiler]gets shot, slammed through a glass door, over a table, into walls, she shatters the glass shelves, and yet only a "disturbance" is registered?

the dialogue seemed a bit hollow though and nothing really stuck with me I'll still keep it though as it may grow on me, but usually I love Soderbergh's films from the get-go.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Yum. I'm more of a sushi roll nut. Americanized sushi as opposed to the real stuff. Mikuni is my favorite, though when I travel I enjoy trying the various creative sushi restaurants. I order based on ingredients: eel/crab/shrimp is my winning combination. Always a bonus when they squeeze some lime on there or torch it.

I see you like cooked sushi.



I like the live stuff.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I see you like cooked sushi.



I like the live stuff.

Yep. Like I said, Americanized.

Big fan of wasabi though and an old Asian friend of mine taught me sushi etiquette.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

I loved the ending! I could see how many would be absolutely pissed at how it ended

Fassbender is always great and that scene was excellent. I kept thinking, "the people downstairs are going to be pissed" and then later one when they said, "the people below reported a disturbance" I laughed so hard the guy

[Show spoiler]gets shot, slammed through a glass door, over a table, into walls, she shatters the glass shelves, and yet only a "disturbance" is registered?

the dialogue seemed a bit hollow though and nothing really stuck with me I'll still keep it though as it may grow on me, but usually I love Soderbergh's films from the get-go.

I think it's pretty self explanatory what happens right after the screen goes black though.

Maybe fights happen there all the time. They just got a little rougher. Yeah, that was pretty amusing actually.

I didn't know you blind bought it. I figured it was a rental. At least you're going to give it another shot.

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest movie seen on an airplane: Argo

Yep, a film so great, it won Best Picture.

November 4th 1979, Iranians violently stormed the American Embassy and siezed hostages for 444 days. It was an intense and frightening era in modern history; this film chronicles the daring operation to rescue six of the hostages after they fled the besieged embassy.

I'm not at all familiar with the Iranian Hostage Crisis, so I have no idea how much of Argo is fiction and how much of it is fact (reading up on it, I see that the film is criticized for over-emphasizing the role of the CIA, and for presenting more peril than what really happened). Regardless, the film made the events feel very real. The film does it best to replicate the era, the settings, and the danger to immerse the viewers into the situation and make them feel the suspense. I certainly felt the suspense, as the characters ran up against all manner of political, diplomatic, and cultural barriers in a frantic race to escape a treacherous and unstable country. The film definitely kept my attention and had me at the edge of my seat.

The story is well-told, presenting its ideas and sequence of events on a manner that's both logical and sensical. Even though there is a lot of political intruige involved, the film never looses its audience with jargon or politics. It also looks and feels very realistic; despite some thrilling scenes, the events appear plausible and the various interactions between people and governments appear authentic. Characters have just enough depth and emotion to make audiences care for them, and once again, come off as seeming authentic.

Even the film itself feels authentic, featuring some rough and gritty-looking camera work and editing. The camera is steady and solid, as is the editing, but it looks like a film that could have been made in the 70s, due to the way it's composed and put together. Same goes for its production design, which goes to great lengths to replicate genuine-looking sets, props, and costumes. Acting is decent: Ben Affleck is surprisingly strong in his role, Bryan Cranston is a fun to watch as ever, and everybody else fulfills their parts admirably. Writing is great. Music isn't bad either.

Argo might just stand as a new favorite among political thriller movies; it's certainly one of the most real-looking and historically interesting films I've seen in the genre. Above all, it's intense enough to maintain interest.

4.5/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good)

Recommendation: Yep.

[KingRad]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Next greatest movie seen on an airplane: Argo

Yep, a film so great, it won Best Picture.

November 4th 1979, Iranians violently stormed the American Embassy and siezed hostages for 444 days. It was an intense and frightening era in modern history; this film chronicles the daring operation to rescue six of the hostages after they fled the besieged embassy.

I'm not at all familiar with the Iranian Hostage Crisis, so I have no idea how much of Argo is fiction and how much of it is fact (reading up on it, I see that the film is criticized for over-emphasizing the role of the CIA, and for presenting more peril than what really happened). Regardless, the film made the vents feel very real. The film does it best to replicate the era, the settings, and the danger to immerse the viewers into the situation and make them feel the suspense. I certainly felt the suspense, as the characters ran up against all manner of political, diplomatic, and cultural barriers in a frantic race to escape a treacherous and unstable country. The film definitely kept my attention and had me at the edge of my seat.

The story is well-told, presenting its ideas and sequence of events on a manner that's both logical and sensical. Even though there is a lot of political intruige involved, the film never looses its audience with jargon or politics. It also looks and feels very realistic; despite some thrilling scenes, the events appear plausible and the various interactions between people and governments appear authentic. Characters have just enough depth and emotion to make audiences care for them, and once again, come off as seeming authentic.

Even the film itself feels authentic, featuring some rough and gritty-looking camera work and editing. The camera is steady and solid, as is the editing, but it looks like a film that could have been made in the 70s, due to the way it's composed and put together. Same goes for its production design, which goes to great lengths to replicate genuine-looking sets, props, and costumes. Acting is decent: Ben Affleck is surprisingly strong in his role, Bryan Cranston is a fun to watch as ever, and everybody else fulfills their parts admirably. Writing is great. Music isn't bad either.

Argo might just stand as a new favorite among political thriller movies; it's certainly one of the most real-looking and historically interesting films I've seen in the genre. Above all, it's intense enough to maintain interest.

4.5/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good)

Recommendation: Yep.

I agree with every aspect in your review. And thank you so much for not over criticizing historical inaccuracies. You seem to be one of the enlightened that realizes Hollywood tends to embellish and exaggerate in an effort to produce what they believe to be a more thrilling and/or dramatic film.

[King Troll]

I saw safe haven. I thought it was god awful but the gf loved it.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[jvince]

Deliver Us From Evil (2006)
dir. Amy J. Berg

The Good: Gripping. Powerful. Disturbing. Devastating. Sickening. Mind-blowing. Haunting.

The Bad: None.

The Bottom Line: Way scarier than any other horror film released in the past decade, this timely exposé on the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal is highly recommended.