The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

I know you agree with him on Clockwork...hence why I posted it...to try and throw you off a bit

but...touche! Ok I'm sorry! you got me back! putting Fight Club in the same post as Clockwork??

hahaha we agree more often than not, so I'll let it slide! But yeah, I hope you decide to check out The Lovely Bones at some point because I think we can have a really good discussion regarding the themes, which are precisely what split critics.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

I know you agree with him on Clockwork...hence why I posted it...to try and throw you off a bit

but...touche! Ok I'm sorry! you got me back! putting Fight Club in the same post as Clockwork??

i know right?! Fight Club is head and shoulders above that wacky orange clock foolishness

[Show spoiler]just had to defend Fight Club a little bit. wasn't getting any love with all you Kubrick fanatics around!

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i know right?! Fight Club is head and shoulders above that wacky orange clock foolishness

[Show spoiler]just had to defend Fight Club a little bit. wasn't getting any love with all you Kubrick fanatics around!

haha to the end of my life I'll scream from the rooftops that Fincher's films are embarassingly overrated and that Kubrick is the single most talented director of all-time, even if his movies are challenging.

[jhiggy23]

Btw, when I was getting ready to order the film last nite I came across another film on demand--In the Loop! I cracked up laughing.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Btw, when I was getting ready to order the film last nite I came across another film on demand--In the Loop! I cracked up laughing.

i wonder if the film is about a group of people who sit around discussing Triangle and tearing their hair out trying to figure out what the **** is going on!

[JLant19]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Wow, a search of this thread shows me that all but one person share my view of The Lovely Bones--I'm shocked!

Yea man the film was great and I enjoyed your review on it. It was such a solid story because it is so real, in the family aspect of it all. It was so easy to get sucked into the problems the family were dealing with.

Glad you enjoyed it man.

[iam1bearcat]

i'm about 10 minutes into 2001: A Space Odyssey and a review will be written once it's finished, but one thing i'm fairly certain about is: you're supposed to absolutely hate / be totally confused after watching this film on its initial viewing. and you're never supposed to watch it again. but then... something happens... you think about it. more and more. and then, finally, when you watch it a second, third, fourth, fifth time... it kind of makes sense. and the "slow" and "boring" pacing suddenly makes sense and isn't so boring. and suddenly you connect the dots to the film and you realize how great and deep it is...

damn you Kubrick. maybe you ARE a genius!

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i'm about 10 minutes into 2001: A Space Odyssey and a review will be written once it's finished, but one thing i'm fairly certain about is: you're supposed to absolutely hate / be totally confused after watching this film on its initial viewing. and you're never supposed to watch it again. but then... something happens... you think about it. more and more. and then, finally, when you watch it a second, third, fourth, fifth time... it kind of makes sense. and the "slow" and "boring" pacing suddenly makes sense and isn't so boring. and suddenly you connect the dots to the film and you realize how great and deep it is...

damn you Kubrick. maybe you ARE a genius!

my favorite film.

post your review, looking forward to reading your thoughts. and check out the 2001 thread, some crazy stuff over there.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

hahaha we agree more often than not, so I'll let it slide! But yeah, I hope you decide to check out The Lovely Bones at some point because I think we can have a really good discussion regarding the themes, which are precisely what split critics.

hopefully its simple themes!! my brain is seriously still fried from triangle!!

i'm on Loop-break!

[rkolinski]

TORA! TORA! TORA!

This is just head and shoulders above Michael Bay's version mistakenly called Pearl Harbor. Tora! Tora! Tora! is a 1970 American-Japanese film that dramatizes the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, told from both the Japanese and American viewpoints, to the extent these facts were known at the time of production. Tora! Tora! Tora! is held in high regard by modern critics and has a 71% rating on Rottentomatoes.

PQ is outstanding and earns a 4.5/5 and the AQ is likewise stellar and earns a 4.5/5. I discovered that I had to go into Display Options and then do a Subtitle shift to +1 for this movie. Otherwise, part of the subtiltle was cut off. Movie is a 3.5/5 for its wooden performances but still high when compared to Bay's abomination. By the way, if your not a fan of film grain, you won't enjoy this movie. REGION FREE

* THEATRICAL RELEASE (16:9 1080P 24 English DTS-HD MA 5.1, 2:25:02 Running
Time)
* JAPANESE VERSION (16:9 1080p 24 English DTS-HD MA 5.1, 2:28:53 Running Time)
Please don't ask me where those additional 3:51 minutes are but they are there according
to my Region Free Code Free modified Oppo BDP 80.
* SUPPLEMENTS
* Commentary by Director Richard Fleischer and Japanese Film Historian Stuart Galbraith IV
(Theatrical version Only)
* 2001 Documentary: Day of infamy (4:3/480i, English DDS, 20:02 Running Time)
* History vs. Hollywood - Tora! Tora! Tora!: A Giant Awakes (4:3/480i, English DDS, 1:30:16
Running Time)
2001 A&E Documentary narrated by Burt Reynolds which looks at both the history of the
December 7, 1941, attack and the accuracy of the film.
* AMC Backstory: Tora! Tora! Tora! (4:3/480i, English DDS, 22:06 Running Time)
2001 American Movie Classics documentary dealing with the film.
* 2009 Behind the Scenes (Still) Gallery (1080p 24, 1:53 Running Time)
* 2009 Production (Still) Gallery (1080p 24, 5:58 Running Time)
* Movietone (4:3, English DDS, 39:45 Running Time): Movietone News Reels related
to the Pearl Harbor sneak attack through the Doolittle Raid. Sadly, there's lots of picture
noise and static on the first one but subsequent ones look okay considering the fact that
none of these have probably been restored.
* Theatrical Trailer (4:3, English DDS)

[HeelsHater]

The Lovely Bones on DVD. 3.75/5. Recommended!

[Freekman]

The Kingdom - 4/5

[Holmes]

From Paris with Love - 4/10

A mediocre-to-poor action movie through and through. John Travolta seems to be having fun, but the over-the-top performance is exhausting. And Travolta, overweight and well into his 50s, is not a convincing action hero. It's clear heavy use was made of stunt doubles. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is even worse. He's miscast, goes in and out of a strange "American" accent, has no chemistry with Travolta, etc. Rhys Meyers is a fine actor and should never have done this. Perhaps the worst offense? Almost nothing is done with the Paris setting. Most of the action unfolds in anonymous warehouses and apartment buildings.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by Freekman

The Kingdom - 4/5

very solid flick.

[iam1bearcat]

2001: A Space Odyssey

how do i begin a review about the most well known sci-fi film in the history of cinema? how do i say anything that hasn't already been expressed before? and in a manner that i cannot even comprehend? i can't. ironically enough, while i can't figure out a way to completely express myself in this review, no one will ever be able to express themselves, a story or themes in a better manner than what Stanley Kubrick has done with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

i'm not extremely knowledgable about sci-fi, but i have seen quite a few films of the genre, and as much as i may "connect" more with other sci-fi films or find them more easier to digest and watch, none of them come close to the sheer magnitude and majestic qualities that is 2001. no film compares. not in sci-fi, not in any genre or category. it stands alone. much like the black monolith that we know nothing about and cannot find origins of. the monolith is 2001 itself. something we will forever be amazed by, but never truly understand / grasp the meaning of.

- the music - unparalleled. adds another dimension to the film, that if done wrong, could've ruined a major proponent of the film. (which, by the way, is the music here originally for this film? this is the oldest film i've yet to see and a lot of the music i've heard before, but was it made for 2001 or was it used before? because if it was made specifically for 2001, then that makes the music that much more spell binding seeing as they still use it today)

- the directing. from what i've seen of Kubrick, he's a master of holding a long scene and unflinching with moving the camera. here, it's done in such a way that it almost hypnotizes you. long lingering shots. slow camera moves. it's all here in a genius fashion. if you get hooked into the film, chances are it will be because of the directing, and then the music knocks you into another realm. beautiful.

- HAL 9000. one of the greatest villains of film, and the fact that it is what it is, is that much more staggering. the voice, the "close ups", makes it feel like something real, that it is watching YOU the audience member, judging, deciding, taking notes, thinking... beyond amazing, and beyond mentally frightening.

there is a lot to love about 2001. but you have to give it time. this is not a film you just have friends over and suddenly say, "hey, let's watch 2001!". i would say this film should almost always be viewed alone for the experience / thinking factor alone. but again, give it time. this is only my third time viewing the film, and i don't know what changed in me, but i simply am astounded by the film. no sci-fi film will ever top this. i hear Casablanca is the best romance film of all time. well, 2001 is sci-fi's ring leader because of, well, absolutely everything.

first viewing 1/5
second viewing N/A
third viewing 5/5

from the terrific and realistic expressions of Keir Dullea (Bowman) when talking to HAL about opening the doors to the ship, to the wonderful directing, to the gorgeous color pallete chosen, the film stands alone in so many categories, me babbling doesn't do it justice.

MUST be viewed by all. even if you don't like film, this piece of art MUST be viewed at some point in your life time. it's incredible, hypnotic, surely confusing and open ended, but all around a masterful triumph.

5/5

[tbizzle]

Glad you liked 2001, it's an amazing film. Saw it for the first time last summer and I wasn't even sure how I felt about it until towards the end. This movie blew me away, and I was thinking about it for around 20 minutes after it was over. It kept growing on me, and I almost watched it again (which I don't think I've done since I was a kid).

Can't wait to revisit this one

[rkolinski]

THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE Blu-Ray

Before Ridley Scott's Gladiator, there was Anthony Mann's The Fall of the Roman Empire. I only mention this because the former could not have been made without the much earlier Mann film. Also, there are some interesting similarities between the two films even though Ridley Scott never gives any credit to the much earlier film nor to Mann. If you don't believe me, do a Google search for The Fall of the Roman Empire: Film and History by Martin M. Winkler. Winkler argues that TFOTRE was the more accomplished representation of Roman history than is Gladiator, which he argues only used Roman history as bloodsport. The TFOTRE also had its influence on Star Wars - George Lucas gives us a hooded wise teacher and warrior named Obi-Wan Kanobi while TFOTRE opens with a hooded Marcus Aurelius, the historically accurate and famous Roman philosopher and warrior emperor. That both characters are played by Alec Guinness, Winkler posits, clinches his argument. Since I had seen TFOTRE on the big screen when it first opened, I recognized that Gladiator had its roots in this much earlier film, without giving it due credit. There are really good performances by Sophia Loren, Stephen Boyd, Alec Guinness, James Mason and Christopher Plummer (also, Anthony Quayle, John Ireland, Omar Sharif and Mel Ferrer). This is the LAST great Hollywood Roman epic, if you don't count A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, until Gladiator. TFOTRE has a rating of 100% fresh at Rottentomatoes. REGION B

MOVIE: 5/5 (score for importance and influence in film history) ACTION: 3.5/5 PQ: 3/5 (sadly, this looks very much like Spartacus) AQ: 4/5

[nsontaylo]

I watched iron man 2. It was awesome..IN this movie Tony Stark's mission seems decidedly one-sided. The strongest men in the world in his suit, when he comes out of it, he is just a mortal man. Specially in a film about a millionaire with a magic flying suit.

8/10

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

2001: A Space Odyssey

5/5

Great review! Agree on all counts!

[surfdude12]

Minority Report

Film: 4/5
-I just pondered something: this is the 3rd film of Cruise in 4 years ('99-'02) in which

[Show spoiler](1) he wears some kind of mask and (2) it involves some kind of alternate reality and/or dreaming.

Eyes Wide Shut (99), Vanilla Sky (01) and Minority Report (02). Am I the only one who finds that chillingly ironic?
-Great film overall, though it has some minor flaws, including the irresistible Hollywood curse of showing 20-30 min more action than is needed, and thus squandering a little bit more plot development.

[Show spoiler]The precrime theme is fantastic and was done very well, but the plot had some inherent inconsistencies. Example: early on, Cruise is arguing with Farrell and Cruise insists that "the precogs are never wrong" (or in other words, that just b/c Precrime stops me murdering my wife doesn't change the fact that I would have murdered her) in response to Farrell's argument that "its not the future, if you change it". However, later on in the film we hear Cruise pull a 180 arguing "you still have a choice. Its your future." Say what??? no!!! Cruise's earlier statement would forbid such a notion: you were going to kill her, 100%. I don't know if this is evidence that Cruise's character has changed or just a major plot inconsistency, but it stuck out to me.

-The film also brings up great philosophical themes which were somewhat explored in Clockwork Orange such as

[Show spoiler] is it morally right to artificially interrupt man's free will? even if it is effective (to reduce crime, etc)? won't it just introduce new challenges (Farrell mentioned how crimes of passion are up, since they're harder to detect)? is it possible to metaphysically detect murder intent? if so, would such an anticipation be evidence of some kind of deity or power greater than human power (As Farrell joked at the beginning)?

-Overall, the plot, acting and direction was great.

PQ: 4/5 (NOTE: the PQ had an over-bright "lucid/dream" look to it, which I assume is intentional, otherwise i would have given it 3/5)

AQ: 5/5 (excellent)