The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I think you'll be in for a pleasant treat.

I'd be absolutely shocked if it didn't work out that way.

Actually, everything I've watched during my horror run this month has been a blind buy other than Scream.

[jvince]

Outer Space - YouTube

Outer Space (1999)
dir. Peter Tscherkassky

The Good: An amalgam of nightmares, and time, and space, and sound, and film. You've never seen anything like this. You will be entranced. Your mind will be blown. Tscherkassky's Outer Space is impressive on so many levels. Just thinking about the amount of time and work he spent piecing together this 10-minute film is... it's just ridiculous, really. I mean, who has the patience and dedication to do all of that? Using clips from the 1982 horror flick The Entity starring Barbara Hershey, Tscherkassky creates a different beast much like a mad scientist bringing a monster back to life. In Outer Space, the film itself becomes The Entity, forcefully abusing and tormenting poor Hershey. A technical marvel unlike any other. A modern avant-garde masterpiece.

The Bad: Nothing major. (Those flickering lights though...)

The Bottom Line: For a mere 10 minutes of your time, Tscherkassky's Outer Space is a strange, spellbinding place worth journeying to. Epileptics best not venture along though. Trust me, it's for your own good.

[Abdrewes]

At first glance a remake of Brian de Palma’s horror classic seems an ill fit for Kimberly Peirce whom has thus far only directed social issue dramas. It would appear that her involvement is solely due to financial reasons seeing as her last film was a box office failure, but a deeper look would suggest otherwise. From the story of a transsexual drifter in Boys Don’t Cry to American soldiers stationed in Tikrit during the Iraq War in Stop Loss, her films have dealt with the inner turmoil of those marginalized by society. So if anyone can make a modern updating of the story of the ultimate social outsider work, it has to be this openly gay female director with an affinity for painting the surrounding world with her protagonist’s heightened emotional states.

The very first scene of the film informs us of the hyperbolic new tone this remake will take on. Parting ways with the graceful hints at Carrie’s cursed conception of the original, we see the birth scene in full gory detail upon which a single Margaret White considers killing her newborn child. This remake makes explicit through dialogue and action what Brian De Palma suggested with mere camera placement and brief glances. Granted, some of these flourishes can be quite effective and the opening is a primary example. The film does shockingly little with its R rating (sure that I had just witnessed a PG-13 film, I was startled to read an “R” on my ticket stub afterwards), but witnessing long scissors being pointed at a baby’s face is sure to unnerve even the most jaded viewer. It’s a genuine sparks of life in a film that is nothing other than a compromised product—a film that walks the line between an insightful Kimberly Peirce drama and a plodding horror remake.

The key draw of the original was less the visual acuity of a young Brian de Palma (whom was hailed as heir apparent to Alfred Hitchcock upon release in 1976), but the perfect casting of Sissy Spacek and the keen observation of supporting characters. They leapt off the screen due to being uncannily like their off-screen counterparts we have all interacted with at that age. Here, the Carrie’s oppressors are simply not as memorable despite the clever touches which integrate their use of social media into the plot. The horizontal tracking shot which introduces each member of the wicked clique during P.E. in the original did more to instill its characters with personality than the sum of this film. Further, Chloe Moretz is nothing if not miscast in this role as the socially awkward Carrie. She extricates herself well enough from critical scorn, but turning Carrie into one of the prettiest girls in school does nothing if not activate cognitive dissonance in the viewer. Often times incidental details would capture my attention over her plight. During the climactic pursuit of the lead “mean girl”, I pondered how exactly the studio arrived to the conclusion that gas should cost $4.45 as opposed to being simultaneously repulsed and captivated by Carrie’s act of retribution. Was MGM catering to future home video audiences that will inevitably roll their eyes at such a low price for gas?

The shortcomings of this film are numerous, but a few touches are wholly inspired. Chief among them are the liberties taken with Julianne Moore’s portrayal Margaret White. She is made more than just a maniacal Bible-thumping mother by extending her actions to that of cutting herself to jerk obedience from her daughter and jolt her attention when working at her tailoring and dry cleaning shop. Functionality, it seems, can only be awakened the blade. A brief glance at the purple marks that pit her outer thigh inform us of years of such unhealthy behavior which includes banging her head against walls to gain the obedience of her daughter. However, such captivating material deserves to be more than a fringe detail in a film that spends much of it time paying slavish lip service to the 1976 original. There’s a great film about the scarring effects of bullying and the degenerative relationship between a mother and her child here (a more sequestered version of We Need to Talk About Kevin), but it is consistently shoved wayside for checking off the bullet points that any film named Carrie must satisfy.

Though this film doesn’t make the most of its formal devices like the creepy use of the split focus diopter or split screen of the De Palma film, it is luminous in its own right. Steve Yedlin’s lensing is almost classical in the way it builds space and holds on its characters emotions. Before a finale that unfortunately goes too far in scale, the film retains a slick creepiness through use of subtle push-ins and eerily perfect lighting. It will capture your attention from moment to moment, but never enough to make you believe that “the sin never dies” or that high school is a place of everlasting torment. This film is purely a curiosity, a somewhat disposable vehicle to test your knowledge of the original by spotting the various ways it departs from the 1976 film.

½

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by jvince

Outer Space - YouTube

Outer Space (1999)
dir. Peter Tscherkassky

The Good: An amalgam of nightmares, and time, and space, and sound, and film. You've never seen anything like this. You will be entranced. Your mind will be blown. Tscherkassky's Outer Space is impressive on so many levels. Just thinking about the amount of time and work he spent piecing together this 10-minute film is... it's just ridiculous, really. I mean, who has the patience and dedication to do all of that? Using clips from the 1982 horror flick The Entity starring Barbara Hershey, Tscherkassky creates a different beast much like a mad scientist bringing a monster back to life. In Outer Space, the film itself becomes The Entity, forcefully abusing and tormenting poor Hershey. A technical marvel unlike any other. A modern avant-garde masterpiece.

The Bad: Nothing major. (Those flickering lights though...)

The Bottom Line: For a mere 10 minutes of your time, Tscherkassky's Outer Space is a strange, spellbinding place worth journeying to. Epileptics best not venture along though. Trust me, it's for your own good.

I must not be sufficiently evolved. I found it impossible to identify one single aspect of that piece of shit masterpiece that had any artistic, intilectual, emotional, or entertainment value.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I must not be sufficiently evolved. I found it impossible to identify one single aspect of that piece of shit masterpiece that had any artistic, intilectual, emotional, or entertainment value.

I'm afraid I also find myself to be inefficiently evolved to appreciate...whatever that was...

I like the parasite thing better. Reminded me quite a bit of Fantastic Planet...

[Abdrewes]

I liked it JVince It made me want to see Dominoor some Stan Brackhage afterwards

[SilentDawn]

Originally Posted by jvince

Outer Space - YouTube

Outer Space (1999)
dir. Peter Tscherkassky

The Good: An amalgam of nightmares, and time, and space, and sound, and film. You've never seen anything like this. You will be entranced. Your mind will be blown. Tscherkassky's Outer Space is impressive on so many levels. Just thinking about the amount of time and work he spent piecing together this 10-minute film is... it's just ridiculous, really. I mean, who has the patience and dedication to do all of that? Using clips from the 1982 horror flick The Entity starring Barbara Hershey, Tscherkassky creates a different beast much like a mad scientist bringing a monster back to life. In Outer Space, the film itself becomes The Entity, forcefully abusing and tormenting poor Hershey. A technical marvel unlike any other. A modern avant-garde masterpiece.

The Bad: Nothing major. (Those flickering lights though...)

The Bottom Line: For a mere 10 minutes of your time, Tscherkassky's Outer Space is a strange, spellbinding place worth journeying to. Epileptics best not venture along though. Trust me, it's for your own good.

That was absolutely FANTASTIC JVince!!! Simply masterful!

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by SilentxStatik24

That was absolutely FANTASTIC JVince!!! Simply masterful!

I would love to see that on BluRay somehow. I would pop in in several times a week!

[Al_The_Strange]

The Cell

Cases of serial killers can be sick as it is, but trying to analyze what could be going on in a killer's head can be a frightening and harrowing look into the face of evil itself. The Cell is a film that traps its characters, and the audience, in the mind of such a killer. Half of the film plays out like a pretty standard crime-thriller mystery, on a similar level to Silence of the Lambs. The rest of The Cell, however, is a truly unique odyssey.

It can take a while to establish the initial plot points and concepts, but once the plot complications set in, the film dives into some very interesting and nightmarish territory. With the premise of characters literally exploring the subconscious of a killer's mind, the film progresses through a number of unforgettable sequences that are vividly weird, surreal, and extravagant. Some of the scenes are grungy and dark. Others are flowery and artistic. Most are freaky as hell. All of it is something worth seeing and remembering.

The actual story is pretty simple, but it manages to cram in as much as it can, thanks largely to the association of imagery and symbols. Characters aren't the high point necessarily, but the main villain shows a lot of psychological depth that makes him stand out the most, for better or for worse.

This film uses very stylish and awesome photography and editing, including a lot of unique camera angles and unusual movements. Acting is okay: it can be a bit hard to take Vince Vaughn or Jennifer Lopez seriously, but I think Vincent D'Onofrio was the best of the lot. Writing is generally okay. This production uses some extremely extravagant and imaginative sets, props, costumes, and special effects. Howard Shore's score is noisy and weird, for better or for worse.

The Cell is a trippy experience. It has a cool plot that predates Inception, but it's probably most memorable for its far-out images and its freaky exploration of a psychopath's subconscious. If you think you can handle it, it's certainly recommended.

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

Recommendation: Watch it, if you dare!

Got the Canadian Blu-Ray for this. It looks and sounds decent, boss.

PQ: 4.5/5, AQ: 4/5

[jvince]

Ruth Lingford - Death and the Mother (1997) - YouTube

Death and the Mother (1988)
dir. Ruth Lingford

The Good: Wow, that was amazing. Death and the Mother is a 10-minute wordless animated film based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale, The Story of a Mother. Director/animator Ruth Lingford employed a woodcut expressionist style of animation, and while it looks simplistic, the end result is quite a unique and stunning work of art. And that ending... Devastating. This is one story you won't soon forget.

The Bad: Nothing major.

The Bottom Line: One of the best animated films I've seen. Death and the Mother is highly recommended.

[Abdrewes]

I will see it after 8 Mile, JVince! Love the shorts you reccomend.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I must not be sufficiently evolved. I found it impossible to identify one single aspect of that piece of shit masterpiece that had any artistic, intilectual, emotional, or entertainment value.

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I'm afraid I also find myself to be inefficiently evolved to appreciate...whatever that was...

I like the parasite thing better. Reminded me quite a bit of Fantastic Planet...

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I liked it JVince It made me want to see Dominoor some Stan Brackhage afterwards

Originally Posted by SilentxStatik24

That was absolutely FANTASTIC JVince!!! Simply masterful!

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I would love to see that on BluRay somehow. I would pop in in several times a week!

Yeah, it does remind me of Brakhage and Bill Morrison.

It's a divisive type of film, but I sometimes find such unique visions fascinating. I was hypnotized by Michael Snow's Wavelength and that was just 45 minutes of staring at an empty room.

[Steve46]

Captain Phillips (2013)
Action, Adventure, Biography, 134 minutes
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Starring Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed and Mahat M. Ali



I was a huge Tom Hanks fan in the 1990s and the early part of the 2000s, but it's been a while since he turned in an exceptional performance. I enjoyed The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, but Hanks hasn't been great since Cast Away 12 years ago. After hearing the early buzz about Captain Phillips, I was hoping one of my favorite actors would return to peak form.

Although Hanks didn't put a foot wrong, I came away a little disappointed. Let me explain why.

We meet Rich Phillips (Hanks) as he is driving to the airport with his wife, Andrea (Catherine Keener). This introduction is somewhat brief, and Catherine Keener plays no further part in the movie. What it does do is allow us to see how Phillips prepares for a trip. He's aware of the dangers of piracy, but he's an experienced man.

The next characters we meet are the pirates. This introduction is a much longer segment, and is extremely chaotic. We learn that life is hard for these Somali pirates and that they have bosses that they have to answer to. These people felt like standard villains to me, and we end up knowing little about them despite the length of time spent showing us their homeland. They talk in heavy accents when they do speak English, and they have bad teeth. Yep, these are the people we are supposed to hate.

Some of the most impressive scenes in the movie happen near the beginning as we see Phillips go about his routine. Hanks is particularly good at playing understated roles, and he's completely believable. The tone changes when the inevitable meeting with the pirates occurs. If you were to sit down and guess what kind of things might happen from this point, you would probably be pretty close. I know the movie is supposed to be based on real events, so I can't deduct points for lack of originality, but there aren't many surprises.

I'm not going to delve into the plot beyond these scenes which all take place in the first 30 minutes. Anything more would venture too deeply into spoiler territory.

Paul Greengrass also directed The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, which are among the best action movies I own. If you are familiar with those, it won't surprise you to learn that Greengrass employs similar techniques in Captain Phillips. He tries to enhance the action by showing extreme closeups and point of view shots, intended to place us right in the middle of the action. You can also expect to see plenty of shaky cam effects. Although this worked quite well, it will definitely annoy some viewers.

Captain Phillips is a tense account of what can happen in dangerous waters. When you see all of the events transpire, you might be wondering whether it wouldn't be cheaper and safer to hire a few armed guards if you're transporting cargo through the region in question. The ultimate resolution was infinitely more expensive.

I'm happy enough with Captain Phillips, and will be adding it to my collection, but I'm still waiting for a role meaty enough to extract another Oscar-worthy performance from Tom Hanks. Don't avoid it, but temper expectations a little.

Overall score 3.75/5

[SilentDawn]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

The Cell

Cases of serial killers can be sick as it is, but trying to analyze what could be going on in a killer's head can be a frightening and harrowing look into the face of evil itself. The Cell is a film that traps its characters, and the audience, in the mind of such a killer. Half of the film plays out like a pretty standard crime-thriller mystery, on a similar level to Silence of the Lambs. The rest of The Cell, however, is a truly unique odyssey.

It can take a while to establish the initial plot points and concepts, but once the plot complications set in, the film dives into some very interesting and nightmarish territory. With the premise of characters literally exploring the subconscious of a killer's mind, the film progresses through a number of unforgettable sequences that are vividly weird, surreal, and extravagant. Some of the scenes are grungy and dark. Others are flowery and artistic. Most are freaky as hell. All of it is something worth seeing and remembering.

The actual story is pretty simple, but it manages to cram in as much as it can, thanks largely to the association of imagery and symbols. Characters aren't the high point necessarily, but the main villain shows a lot of psychological depth that makes him stand out the most, for better or for worse.

This film uses very stylish and awesome photography and editing, including a lot of unique camera angles and unusual movements. Acting is okay: it can be a bit hard to take Vince Vaughn or Jennifer Lopez seriously, but I think Vincent D'Onofrio was the best of the lot. Writing is generally okay. This production uses some extremely extravagant and imaginative sets, props, costumes, and special effects. Howard Shore's score is noisy and weird, for better or for worse.

The Cell is a trippy experience. It has a cool plot that predates Inception, but it's probably most memorable for its far-out images and its freaky exploration of a psychopath's subconscious. If you think you can handle it, it's certainly recommended.

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

Recommendation: Watch it, if you dare!

Got the Canadian Blu-Ray for this. It looks and sounds decent, boss.

PQ: 4.5/5, AQ: 4/5

I've wanted to see this for awhile now, I might have to check it out!

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Captain Phillips (2013)
Action, Adventure, Biography, 134 minutes
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Starring Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed and Mahat M. Ali



I was a huge Tom Hanks fan in the 1990s and the early part of the 2000s, but it's been a while since he turned in an exceptional performance. I enjoyed The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, but Hanks hasn't been great since Cast Away 12 years ago. After hearing the early buzz about Captain Phillips, I was hoping one of my favorite actors would return to peak form.

Although Hanks didn't put a foot wrong, I came away a little disappointed. Let me explain why.

We meet Rich Phillips (Hanks) as he is driving to the airport with his wife, Andrea (Catherine Keener). This introduction is somewhat brief, and Catherine Keener plays no further part in the movie. What it does do is allow us to see how Phillips prepares for a trip. He's aware of the dangers of piracy, but he's an experienced man.

The next characters we meet are the pirates. This introduction is a much longer segment, and is extremely chaotic. We learn that life is hard for these Somali pirates and that they have bosses that they have to answer to. These people felt like standard villains to me, and we end up knowing little about them despite the length of time spent showing us their homeland. They talk in heavy accents when they do speak English, and they have bad teeth. Yep, these are the people we are supposed to hate.

Some of the most impressive scenes in the movie happen near the beginning as we see Phillips go about his routine. Hanks is particularly good at playing understated roles, and he's completely believable. The tone changes when the inevitable meeting with the pirates occurs. If you were to sit down and guess what kind of things might happen from this point, you would probably be pretty close. I know the movie is supposed to be based on real events, so I can't deduct points for lack of originality, but there aren't many surprises.

I'm not going to delve into the plot beyond these scenes which all take place in the first 30 minutes. Anything more would venture too deeply into spoiler territory.

Paul Greengrass also directed The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, which are among the best action movies I own. If you are familiar with those, it won't surprise you to learn that Greengrass employs similar techniques in Captain Phillips. He tries to enhance the action by showing extreme closeups and point of view shots, intended to place us right in the middle of the action. You can also expect to see plenty of shaky cam effects. Although this worked quite well, it will definitely annoy some viewers.

Captain Phillips is a tense account of what can happen in dangerous waters. When you see all of the events transpire, you might be wondering whether it wouldn't be cheaper and safer to hire a few armed guards if you're transporting cargo through the region in question. The ultimate resolution was infinitely more expensive.

I'm happy enough with Captain Phillips, and will be adding it to my collection, but I'm still waiting for a role meaty enough to extract another Oscar-worthy performance from Tom Hanks. Don't avoid it, but temper expectations a little.

Overall score 3.75/5

Disagree with you about the pirates, you're originally supposed to feel uncomfortable around them, but when you see them

[Show spoiler]forced upon the lifeboat, you begin to see they have no plan of action and everyone has deserted them, once the Navy get involved, you begin to see that they really have no escape, and you really feel sorry for them. Even as Captain Phillips begins to try and save them, you feel they are really hopeless, despite the bad things they've done, you really feel bad for them.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by jvince

Yeah, it does remind me of Brakhage and Bill Morrison.

It's a divisive type of film, but I sometimes find such unique visions fascinating. I was hypnotized by Michael Snow's Wavelength and that was just 45 minutes of staring at an empty room.

Me too! Wavelength is a masterpiece. Mike Snow explores new ways of seeing the world in that film. Each filter change only makes the film that much more fascinating.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I liked it JVince It made me want to see Dominoor some Stan Brackhage afterwards

Originally Posted by SilentxStatik24

That was absolutely FANTASTIC JVince!!! Simply masterful!

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I would love to see that on BluRay somehow. I would pop in in several times a week!

LOL you guys.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

The Cell

[Show spoiler]Cases of serial killers can be sick as it is, but trying to analyze what could be going on in a killer's head can be a frightening and harrowing look into the face of evil itself. The Cell is a film that traps its characters, and the audience, in the mind of such a killer. Half of the film plays out like a pretty standard crime-thriller mystery, on a similar level to Silence of the Lambs. The rest of The Cell, however, is a truly unique odyssey.

It can take a while to establish the initial plot points and concepts, but once the plot complications set in, the film dives into some very interesting and nightmarish territory. With the premise of characters literally exploring the subconscious of a killer's mind, the film progresses through a number of unforgettable sequences that are vividly weird, surreal, and extravagant. Some of the scenes are grungy and dark. Others are flowery and artistic. Most are freaky as hell. All of it is something worth seeing and remembering.

The actual story is pretty simple, but it manages to cram in as much as it can, thanks largely to the association of imagery and symbols. Characters aren't the high point necessarily, but the main villain shows a lot of psychological depth that makes him stand out the most, for better or for worse.

This film uses very stylish and awesome photography and editing, including a lot of unique camera angles and unusual movements. Acting is okay: it can be a bit hard to take Vince Vaughn or Jennifer Lopez seriously, but I think Vincent D'Onofrio was the best of the lot. Writing is generally okay. This production uses some extremely extravagant and imaginative sets, props, costumes, and special effects. Howard Shore's score is noisy and weird, for better or for worse.

The Cell is a trippy experience. It has a cool plot that predates Inception, but it's probably most memorable for its far-out images and its freaky exploration of a psychopath's subconscious. If you think you can handle it, it's certainly recommended.

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

Recommendation: Watch it, if you dare!

Got the Canadian Blu-Ray for this. It looks and sounds decent, boss.

Where/how/how much? I really want it.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

LOL you guys.

You're in the pit.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Where/how/how much? I really want it.

You're out of it.

(I bought my copy on Amazon US).

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Where/how/how much? I really want it.

I originally just ordered it from Amazon.ca. At the time, I think I bought it for about $12 CDN. It may look like it's in French of something, but it should be bilingual with reversible covers.

I do see a copy available on Amazon US as well, but I don't think a US release was ever made specifically, so I suspect that's an import copy available. It looks like the same thing as the Canadian one, but for $10, it might be more worthwhile to get it from there, depending on your shipping options.

Also be aware that the Canadian copy has no extras, so if you have the DVD, it might still be worthwhile to hold onto it for its deleted scenes, featurettes, and DVD ROM stuff.

Link for the Blu-Ray.com listing. Hope this all helps.