The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Rotos - 2009)

This is the first Pedro Almodóvar film I have seen, and I must say I am impressed! My girlfriend gave me this blu-ray for my birthday, although I've never seen it before.

It is a story about an artist (a filmmaker and writer) who has buried his past by taking on a new identity. When his past finally catches up with him, it begins to haunt him and the truth is slowly unveiled through Almodóvar's brilliant narrative. The film also explores the passion of a woman (Penélope Cruz) who is suffocating under the obsession of a powerful man. The density of the characters, complex and layered story, beautiful camera work, striking colors and intense contrast, engrossing score, powerful acting, and strong themes of deception and passion are all strung together with elegance. Suspenseful and passionate, Los Abrazos Rotos is a visual, thematic, and cerebral treat. It is the first of many films I will now be watching of Pedro Almodóvar. This is inspired filmmaking.

4.5/5

Thanks. Added to my queue.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by CZAR

Very disturbing film with a dumb ending and the dumbest couple in horror history haha. I will wait for your review though. Got Em!!

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

hahaha I know you hate it and you're not alone. I expect dumb people in modern horror films, which is why most of them are terrible (granted, even the classics have dumb people so my argument is weak!)

I remember my parents saying it was disturbing, as did this girl I'm very good friends with. For whatever reason it intrigues me, although admittedly I'm more interested in seeing Them, which is the film it was based on.

The least satisfying horror film of all time. Seriously though, it had some quality creepiness going on until it unraveled into JUNK!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

The Runaways - 3.5/5

Pretty decent film. Dakota was good, Kristen was fine, but I thought Michael Shannon stole the show. Overall, I enjoyed it and I'd recommend it.

Interesting. I thought the casting of Shannon was all wrong.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Woodsy

Memories of Murder (2003)
4.5/5

One of the older films by Korean director of The Host, Bong Joon-Ho. It takes place in the 1980's and is about the first recorded serial killer in Korea and its investigation.
Very entertaining movie with a great blend of suspense and comedy. The characters are pretty off-the-wall and grab you right away. The ending leaves a little to be desired which will definitely throw some off, but it satisfied me for the most part. Of the other Bong Joon-Ho films (The Host and Mother), Memories of Murder is probably my favorite...but only by a hair.
See this movie if you're at all interested in Foreign, or even serial killer flicks!

Hey, a new guy. Welcome.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

“Oldboy.”

But altogether, it’s a freaky trip into the main character’s deranged mind; ]

Al, what am I missing?

[Show spoiler]When I watched it, I didnt see the main Protagonist as koo-koo. Did I miss a layer of the movie?

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Al, what am I missing?

[Show spoiler]When I watched it, I didnt see the main Protagonist as koo-koo. Did I miss a layer of the movie?

Only the parts with

[Show spoiler] incest and killings and torture and smiling at bad stuff and tattooing himself

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Only the parts with

[Show spoiler] incest and killings and torture and smiling at bad stuff and tattooing himself

[Show spoiler]And the visons of ants. And the hypnotizing, and the uncertainty of everything he did and thought. And ultimately, when he does learn about the incest and the truth about himself, I think he totally lost it. And there was a bit of schizophrenia; the drugs kept it under control, but in the end he had to literally part with himself.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

[Show spoiler]And the visons of ants. And the hypnotizing, and the uncertainty of everything he did and thought. And ultimately, when he does learn about the incest and the truth about himself, I think he totally lost it. And there was a bit of schizophrenia; the drugs kept it under control, but in the end he had to literally part with himself.

What am I missing? Its been forever since I saw it, and I only watched it once. But.....

[Show spoiler]Wasnt the incest involuntary, as he was tricked by his captors? Didnt he kill "bad guys" that had imprisoned him?

[Batman1980]

X-Men 4/5
PQ 4/5
AQ 4/5
Excellent start to one of the best superhero franchises out there, not to mention so many gorgeous women.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

What am I missing? Its been forever since I saw it, and I only watched it once. But.....

[Show spoiler]Wasnt the incest involuntary, as he was tricked by his captors? Didnt he kill "bad guys" that had imprisoned him?

Yeah,

[Show spoiler]but I think the incest sends him over the top, as he does cut out his own tongue

[lDlisturb3d]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

A Clockwork Orange

Film: 5/5
-Oh my brothers, how is pleases me to convey to thou the pleasure this film sends all through my gully-wuts. Real horror show! It matters not, my dear brothers, if the old ultraviolence upsets thee. For the real Moloko is that change for our humble narrator must then cometh from within thee, not from without thee. Anyway, bedways is rightways now my dear brothers, I'm gonna get me some spatchka. Night night.

PQ: 3/5

AQ: 3.5/5

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

What am I missing? Its been forever since I saw it, and I only watched it once. But.....

[Show spoiler]Wasnt the incest involuntary, as he was tricked by his captors? Didnt he kill "bad guys" that had imprisoned him?

Originally Posted by Foggy

Yeah,

[Show spoiler]but I think the incest sends him over the top, as he does cut out his own tongue

Yep. Like I said,

[Show spoiler]once he discovers the truth, that he accidentally made love to his own daughter, he went nuts.

Truthfully though, I think the character had a choice at some point. He confronted the villian head-on; he could have ended the whole thing right there, or turned away. But he decided to pursue "the truth," and wound up playing into the villian's hands. I think this path led to madness in the end, and the only way to fix it was to re-hypnotize himself.

It's actually pretty ironic that he was better off not knowing the truth that he spends the whole movie searching for. He probably could have saved a lot of grief (and his tongue) if he just killed the guy earlier on.

Maybe I should have worded my review differently. Maybe not so much a "freaky trip into the main character’s deranged mind", as it is a freaky descent into the truth, and then madness... But I still think the guy was nuts, or else he went nuts.

[Batman1980]

Star Trek 2009 4/5
PQ 5/5
AQ 5/5
Decent reboot to the best sci-fi franchise ever

[JLant19]

Changeling(HBO)

Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan & Jason Butler Harner

Film: 4.5/5
Wow. Such a moving film. The story alone is such a great thing. I believe everyone, w/ or w/o children, can and probably will have a great emotional reaction to this film. There are times in this were I wanted to be with Jolie's chracter and help her. I really hope that everyone can watch this film as soon as they get the chance.

Jolie and Malkovich do such an amazing job in this that I couldn't believe it. I will def say she should have won over Winslet especially for the role Winslet won for. At least Jolie got the nom she most def deserved.

Malkovich's character really spoke to me in the fact that he was very outspoken about his opinion and he acted on them. That is what we should all be like in this world to help people that need it.

I can't believe it took me this long to see this and I am will never not see a Eastwood film again no matter if they all are horrible from here on out.

Clint you are the man and I love you! Keep doing what you do best, directing.

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Interesting. I thought the casting of Shannon was all wrong.

Haha that is interesting, I loved Shannon in this one.

[Al_The_Strange]

“Halloween III: Season of the Witch”

Michael Meyers isn’t in it. This movie sucks!!

Seriously though, I don’t care. It’s probably not a good idea for the filmmakers to make this a part of the Halloween franchise rather than making it a stand-alone story, because it essentially is a stand-alone story. So it can only be judged on its own merits.

And on its own merits, it’s……okay. Not exactly the most exciting or coherent movie in the world, but it has the semblance of an intriguing mystery, with a rather interesting (and somewhat gnarly) payoff. It is a weird one, with robots walking around and

[Show spoiler]people turning to piles of bugs (whoever thought about taking over the world with Halloween masks anyway?)

. Given all this, it’s halfway interesting.

Production value is rather plain; there is some uniqueness to it, but nothing truly inspiring. Photography is not bad. Acting is okay. Heck, everything’s pretty average.

3/5 (entertainment: 3/5, story: 3/5, film: 3/5)

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Yep. Like I said,

[Show spoiler]once he discovers the truth, that he accidentally made love to his own daughter, he went nuts.

Truthfully though, I think the character had a choice at some point. He confronted the villian head-on; he could have ended the whole thing right there, or turned away. But he decided to pursue "the truth," and wound up playing into the villian's hands. I think this path led to madness in the end, and the only way to fix it was to re-hypnotize himself.

It's actually pretty ironic that he was better off not knowing the truth that he spends the whole movie searching for. He probably could have saved a lot of grief (and his tongue) if he just killed the guy earlier on.

Maybe I should have worded my review differently. Maybe not so much a "freaky trip into the main character’s deranged mind", as it is a freaky descent into the truth, and then madness... But I still think the guy was nuts, or else he went nuts.

Evidently my memory of the film is cloudy. Cloudy as hell. Perhaps another viewing is in order.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by JLant19

Changeling(HBO)

Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan & Jason Butler Harner

Film: 4.5/5
Wow. Such a moving film. The story alone is such a great thing. I believe everyone, w/ or w/o children, can and probably will have a great emotional reaction to this film. There are times in this were I wanted to be with Jolie's chracter and help her. I really hope that everyone can watch this film as soon as they get the chance.

Jolie and Malkovich do such an amazing job in this that I couldn't believe it. I will def say she should have won over Winslet especially for the role Winslet won for. At least Jolie got the nom she most def deserved.

Malkovich's character really spoke to me in the fact that he was very outspoken about his opinion and he acted on them. That is what we should all be like in this world to help people that need it.

I can't believe it took me this long to see this and I am will never not see a Eastwood film again no matter if they all are horrible from here on out.

Clint you are the man and I love you! Keep doing what you do best, directing.

The Changeling has it all. Story, script, acting, directing, costumes, sets, atmosphere and feeling.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

The Changeling has it all. Sory, script, acting, directing, costumes, sets, atmosphere and feeling.

I didnt peep that when I watched it! Got Em!!

[Show spoiler]

[dolphinc]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

The Changeling has it all. Sory, script, acting, directing, costumes, sets, atmosphere and feeling.

No need to be sory, we forgive you. The changeling has been on my top 3 movies to see most of the year, I just have not got around to it yet. Maybe this weekend if the planets align correctly.