The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by dag

Interesting recent discussion here about some Criterion Blu's. We all have different takes on things, don't we? I saw Paris, Texas last night, and thought it excruciating. I found the character of Travis to be extremely annoying

[Show spoiler]- his original long periods of silence, his statements that he can't remember what happened during his exile from his family, why he bought a parcel of land in the middle of nowhere, and, most unbelievably, that Nastassja Kinski would marry a loser like him -

and really beyond my powers of empathy. The film was also overly long and in need of editing. The long takes didn't make the film any better. Last month I saw Wenders's Wings of Desire, which I found quite enjoyable.

In the Realm of the Senses was, well, quite the film, shall we say. Unfortunately,

[Show spoiler]the two separate scenes that included children were quie distressing to watch, and I wish they had never been included

. Certainly a very interesting and unique movie.

I found The Leopard absolutely enthralling. Aside from the stunning cinematography and score and the goegeous set design, I was captivated by its deliberate pace, the political and social upheaval (as caught in the battle sequence) slowly being revealed in the characters' interactions. Three hours very well spent.

Godard's Vivre Sa Vie was also an altogether different kettle of fish. On balance, I liked it very much, although the ending kind of came out of left field. Perhaps a second viewing may make think differently.

What a coincidence, you watched the same films that I did recently.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Squid: Dragon Hunters is arriving tonight!

I was going to ask about that recently since I hadnt seen a Surf Review. Cool.

When you watch it, look at all the detail in the environments and architecture. I think the odd worlds make Pandora look boring.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by dag

Interesting recent discussion here about some Criterion Blu's. We all have different takes on things, don't we? I saw Paris, Texas last night, and thought it excruciating. I found the character of Travis to be extremely annoying

[Show spoiler]- his original long periods of silence, his statements that he can't remember what happened during his exile from his family, why he bought a parcel of land in the middle of nowhere, and, most unbelievably, that Nastassja Kinski would marry a loser like him -

and really beyond my powers of empathy. The film was also overly long and in need of editing. The long takes didn't make the film any better. Last month I saw Wenders's Wings of Desire, which I found quite enjoyable.

.

Nastassja Kinski was

[Show spoiler]"servicing men" for a living and gave up her child, and Travis is a Loser????

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i kinda miss this thread, i spend all my time in the tv review thread now

Havent been watching any movies lately?

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

500 days of summer coming today! Your hype better make it worth my time!!

Have you ever loved and lost? Its a great movie. Its so real, I couldnt shake it.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Havent been watching any movies lately?

i haven't watched a movie in what seems like forever!

it's been all about tv shows lately. some LOST here and there with the girl, catching up on The Big Bang Theory, just finished up Modern Family this afternoon (everyone should watch and read my review since i hope it's persuasive to get others to watch ) and then gonna go start some more. so for now i'm in a TV kick, so i spend all my time in the "television" section of this wonderful lil site.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i haven't watched a movie in what seems like forever!

it's been all about tv shows lately. some LOST here and there with the girl, catching up on The Big Bang Theory, just finished up Modern Family this afternoon (everyone should watch and read my review since i hope it's persuasive to get others to watch ) and then gonna go start some more. so for now i'm in a TV kick, so i spend all my time in the "television" section of this wonderful lil site.

I'm on a TV roll as well. I just finished BBT and now I am off to 30 Rock, Fringe season 2 and then Rescue Me season 5.

[Diesel]

Best part of 500 Days of Summer...

[Show spoiler]"All we do is argue!"

"bull****!"

It was so unexpected that I literally busted out laughing.

[Marcus Wright]

Saw second time Close Encounters of The Third Kind.
This movie is growing on me, it reminds me of times when people were less cynnical of the world and more beleivable about aliens.
This is just such a warm movie.

Its not a movie for everyone, its hard to appreciate it, but if you do, you will be satisfied.
I still have to watch this many more times to get full appreciation of the wonder of this movie.

10/10

Originally Posted by Diesel

Best part of 500 Days of Summer...

[Show spoiler]"All we do is argue!"

"bull****!"

It was so unexpected that I literally busted out laughing.

That is one huge smile you have on your avatar, Diesel.


Is this how you felt when you became a moderator.?

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by dag

Interesting recent discussion here about some Criterion Blu's. We all have different takes on things, don't we? I saw Paris, Texas last night, and thought it excruciating. I found the character of Travis to be extremely annoying

[Show spoiler]- his original long periods of silence, his statements that he can't remember what happened during his exile from his family, why he bought a parcel of land in the middle of nowhere, and, most unbelievably, that Nastassja Kinski would marry a loser like him -

and really beyond my powers of empathy. The film was also overly long and in need of editing. The long takes didn't make the film any better. Last month I saw Wenders's Wings of Desire, which I found quite enjoyable.

In the Realm of the Senses was, well, quite the film, shall we say. Unfortunately,

[Show spoiler]the two separate scenes that included children were quie distressing to watch, and I wish they had never been included

. Certainly a very interesting and unique movie.

I found The Leopard absolutely enthralling. Aside from the stunning cinematography and score and the goegeous set design, I was captivated by its deliberate pace, the political and social upheaval (as caught in the battle sequence) slowly being revealed in the characters' interactions. Three hours very well spent.

Godard's Vivre Sa Vie was also an altogether different kettle of fish. On balance, I liked it very much, although the ending kind of came out of left field. Perhaps a second viewing may make think differently.

Welcome Criterion fan! Interesting how I found Paris, Texas to be enthralling but found Wings of Desire to be bland, despite its eloquent script. Vivre Sa Vie I personally love and think the ending is very fitting, although I know I'm disagreed with on this regard by several of my respected compadres.

[Aerodude73]

For my Review, click HERE - Watched this on Bluray today, after seeing it theaters when it came out (2003), & once on DVD (a Few yrs ago, at least).

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I'm on a TV roll as well. I just finished BBT and now I am off to 30 Rock, Fringe season 2 and then Rescue Me season 5.

make sure to add MODERN FAMILY to your list!!!

Originally Posted by Diesel

Best part of 500 Days of Summer...

[Show spoiler]"All we do is argue!"

"bull****!"

It was so unexpected that I literally busted out laughing.

while that is a great part, my favorite is:

[Show spoiler]when he's on date with the red head Allison and he's like,

- "it's like she took a massive sh*t right on my face, literally"
- "literally?"
- "no, what's wrong with you?"

not an exact quote, but close enough haha

[dag]

I have become addicted to this site since I stumbled upon it this summer! Absolutely great to discuss our love for cinema. I'm totally into the Criterion Collection, and have been renting them from Zip.ca like mad; but they don't seem to have the new Criterion Blu-ray releases of Charade, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, and The Thin Red Line.

I just finished attending 14 screenings at TIFF, and am now back to my 3/week rentals from Zip. Tonight it's the classic Errol Flynn swashbuckler The Sea Hawk (SD). And Zip has mailed me Jules et Jim (SD, since no Blu) and the BD of Monsoon Wedding.

I'm totally fine with a discussion on a given film's merits - a different take helps me reassess my own opinion.

One thing that separates me from most others on this board is that I don't own any Blu-rays...yet. But given the great releases from Criterion and others, I'm debating when, not whether, to pull that trigger.

Vive Blu-rays!!!

[Marcus Wright]

Originally Posted by dag

I have become addicted to this site since I stumbled upon it this summer! Absolutely great to discuss our love for cinema. I'm totally into the Criterion Collection, and have been renting them from Zip.ca like mad; but they don't seem to have the new Criterion Blu-ray releases of Charade, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, and The Thin Red Line.

I just finished attending 14 screenings at TIFF, and am now back to my 3/week rentals from Zip. Tonight it's the classic Errol Flynn swashbuckler The Sea Hawk (SD). And Zip has mailed me Jules et Jim (SD, since no Blu) and the BD of Monsoon Wedding.

I'm totally fine with a discussion on a given film's merits - a different take helps me reassess my own opinion.

One thing that separates me from most others on this board is that I don't own any Blu-rays...yet. But given the great releases from Criterion and others, I'm debating when, not whether, to pull that trigger.

Vive Blu-rays!!!

Vive Dag.

[Freekman]

Robin Hood
Film - 4/5
PQ - 4/5
AQ - 5/5

Saw this opening night in theaters and it was very impressive. Not as good as Scott's other films, but his style was definitely present throughout. The Director's Cut really explains a lot more that I had been wondering about in the theatrical version.

[lDlisturb3d]

Memento

Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Johnathan Nolan
Mains: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano

Great Vision, Risky Direction, Amazing Ideal.

Now i see why people classify Memento as a Masterpiece in the Thriller genre. Not only is the story nice but the direction of this movie is amazing, and extremely unique. This has to be Christopher Nolan's Best work.

A man has lost his story term memory and he's trying to find the killer of his wife. Constantly in a confused state Leonard (Guy Pearce) is trying to be a detective and find this criminal. The story sounds pretty wild but what's more wild is how the story is told. I dont wanna spoil it for anyone who hasnt seen it but its a wild roller coaster that i believe has a VERY HIGH REPLAY VALUE.

Bravo to Christopher Nolan (BEST DIRECTOR)

[Show spoiler]In my life time

and also to Guy Pearce (AMAZING PERFORMANCE). Im glad i bought this flick and i truly believe its a MUST OWN!!

5/5

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Marcus Wright

That is one huge smile you have on your avatar, Diesel.


Is this how you felt when you became a moderator.?

You know, I actually have a cropped version of that image I use occasionally as an avatar.

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

while that is a great part, my favorite is:

[Show spoiler]when he's on date with the red head Allison and he's like,

- "it's like she took a massive sh*t right on my face, literally"
- "literally?"
- "no, what's wrong with you?"

not an exact quote, but close enough haha

Yea that was hilarious too!

Some great humor in that one.

I believe I gave it either a 4.25/5 or a 4/5, don't recall exactly.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Diesel

I believe I gave it either a 4.25/5 or a 4/5, don't recall exactly.

my first few viewings i gave either a 4.5 or a 4.75, but after watching it about 6,000,000,000 times i moved it up to a 5/5, for a lot of reasons. a few weeks ago, maybe a month now, i did nothing but watch (500) Days of Summer for about a week straight. i think i might even start it up now

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

my first few viewings i gave either a 4.5 or a 4.75, but after watching it about 6,000,000,000 times i moved it up to a 5/5, for a lot of reasons. a few weeks ago, maybe a month now, i did nothing but watch (500) Days of Summer for about a week straight. i think i might even start it up now

I remember you mentioning that addiction day, I didn't know it went on to a week

Return of the King is my favorite movie, if I watched it for a week straight I'd be able to watch it all the way through like, twice.

[shinseiRomeo]

Hard Candy

A rollercoaster ride full of ups and downs with a satisfying end.

Movie: No movie in recent memory has felt like a rollercoaster to me. Hard Candy appears at first to push the boundaries of how much interactions adults and children should have. Jeff appears at first to be a wolf, hunting younger women online in the hopes of meeting them in person. Hayley starts off the victim, but that changes very quickly. During their very first interaction where Jeff appears to be so comfortable with Hayley that he just walks up to her and wipes her lips from the chocolate cake smeared there then licks his own thumb, it makes you feel somewhat disgusted as you know it's plain wrong.

The film is shot live in the sense that you are experiencing everything as it is happening, but you will notice hints that there's more to it than what you see. As you go through the film, you'll find yourself rooting for Jeff to get away from the psychopath that is holding him captive or Hayley to give Jeff what you believe he may or may not truly deserve.

There is one key scene in Hard Candy that seems over the top and I will not give it away here. It's very methodical and can appear to be drawn out too long, but I appreciated the suspense it was intending to give. The film left me praising Ellen's acting ability. Her character is so believable and what she says in the movie has truth: it doesn't matter if Jeff called for help because who will anyone believe... the 32 year old man or the innocent 14 teenage girl in his home.


Video: I found the shooting style and color palette near perfect in Hard Candy. The colors in scenes can be so opposite at times, where the characters look almost pale and dull yet the background's reds or yellows are so saturated it's almost blinding. Since the movie is all about dialogue and suspense, you'll see two types of shots the majority of the time: close ups to fully engage the characters feelings, and panoramic shots to take in the entire scene and atmosphere. PQ is razor sharp throughout the film and the only falter I found was a spec of dust in one scene.

Audio: I knew as soon as I listened to the score that I would love the audio, and I was not disappointed. Dialogue is exceptionally clear throughout the film. Music is almost absent except in a few key scenes. The only complaint, which I almost hesitate to say it's a negative, is during scenes where the characters are extremely loud. I felt as if the screaming in the movie could be taken as real screams coming out of my own home.

Extras: The extras found on the disc can truly open your eyes to an indy film and help you understand the process that goes into one. I truly appreciated the making of for Hard Candy, as it showed how much went into the movie, from lighting, music selection, and the types of lenses used to create the perfect atmosphere. Almost all are encoded with MPEG-2 video and 2.1 channel audio.

Overall: Hard Candy can be defined as the quintessential movie where it will fall in the love it or hate it category. I lie on the former side of it. Writing this review was difficult for me as I did not want to give even a shred of the experience away as the ride, especially the ending, made the film extremely satisfying. As long as you can handle adult subject matter, Hard Candy comes very highly recommended from me.