The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[lDlisturb3d]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Kubrick = Timeless. His movies are like wine, they just get better with age
Even in 2010, I still haven't seen a film that even comes close to being as terrifying as The Shining. Why? The #1 reason for me is realism. As I watch this I'm thinking "OMG, this could happen to me. I could easily get this nuts if I was locked away in a place like that for that long..."...then your mind starts to go to some crazy places (gotta love the involuntary mind) where you wish it never went and you realize The Shining is waaaaay more than just a horror film, its a catalyst for true mental terror

i have to agree 100% on the highlight proportions. His movies are like wine, I remember when i watched A Clock Work Orange, (i loved it but the 2nd viewing was insane) I really like Stanley Kurbrick but i never could get into 2001ASO. Maybe one day when im strung out on caffeine i can actually finish this movie and give it a real rating

This is the most real horror movie ever made, like you mentioned this could truly happen! That only makes it terrifying. Who know you might see me change my rating in the near future being that his films have that "wine effect"

[Sith]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

The Godfather

i've been thinking all day about The Godfather...

i watched it last night / into this morning for the very first time. and jotted some notes down along the way. then, instead of writing a review right away, i slept on it. woke up today, and started thinking about it, and just recently finished it a second time. although mainly to refresh my memory as i was working on other stuff, but i was listening and diligently taking notes.

but at the end of the day, if you were to ask me, "do you like The Godfather?" my answer would be, "no".

it's not a badly made film of course, i just found it a bit tedious, extremely drawn out and at times boring. it's a film where there's a lot to pay attention to and a lot of details (mainly names and faces you have to remember) and i found myself constantly rewinding and watching scenes over again because i found myself just zoning out.

held my attention it did not.

and i love slow burning movies. about 80% of my personal favorites probably fall into that "slow burner" category, but this just didn't do anything for me. and not to get anyone riled up, but the technical side of things didn't wow me either.

the atmosphere / cinematography? yeah, those i enjoyed and were great.
the directing? i didn't find anything to special about it or anything that made me go, "wow, that was directed really well". maybe i'm just NSE in that department.

and in the acting department. i didn't find anything that stood out as terrible acting (a few obnoxious, at times laughably over-exaggerated scenes maybe), but nothing that made me stand up and take notice. maybe because it's from a different era i don't see what most see. and maybe because i haven't seen that many films from before 1980 i don't understand or comprehend how advanced The Godfather was / is. but either way, when the credits rolled i said to myself the following things:

* "i guess i enjoyed it. glad i finally watched what many consider to be one of the best movies of all time"

* "i have absolutely no interest in seeing the sequels"

* "thank god i rented this instead of buying the trilogy!"

maybe The Godfather and mob / mafia movies just aren't my cup of tea. no matter what
i wasn't a huge fan of The Departed (3.5/5), or GoodFellas (3/5) and have no interest in Donnie Brasco and other movies of the same caliber.

if i had a "one and done" collection (i may have to start one just for fun ) The Godfather would definitely be on it.

simply put, nothing clicked with me, won me over, or made me take notice.

3/5

You rated Godfather and Goodfellas a 3/5. I'm interested to know what you consider a good movie, if you think these deserve a D rating?

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Sith

You rated Godfather and Goodfellas a 3/5. I'm interested to know what you consider a good movie, if you think these deserve a D rating?

I think its just that particular film genre he's not crazy about.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Sith

You rated Godfather and Goodfellas a 3/5. I'm interested to know what you consider a good movie, if you think these deserve a D rating?

a few personal favorites: Fright Club, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Lives of Others, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, The Blair Witch Project, Moon, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Requiem for a Dream, Garden State, Michael Clayton, Fargo... the list goes on and on...

Originally Posted by surfdude12

I think its just that particular film genre he's not crazy about.

yes. as much as i enjoy learning about the mafia / gangster lifestyles and whatnot, the films don't seem to do much for me.

[shinseiRomeo]

Not a movie but just posted a review for a concert BD, Paramore: The Final Riot!


Turn off the video and enjoy the amazing audio.


Movie: Paramore: The Final Riot! was filmed in Chicago's Congress Theater in August '08. The concert includes fifteen songs from All We Know Is Falling and Riot!

Track List:
1) Born For This
2) That's What You Get
3) Here We Go Again
4) Fences
5) Crushcrushcrush
6) Let the Flames Begin
7) When It Rains
8) My Heart
9) Decoy
10) Pressure
11) For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic
12) We Are Broken
13) Emergency
14) Hallelujah
15) Misery Business


Video: After seeing phenomenal video quality in other concert Blu-rays I had very high hopes for TFR! Unfortunately this is the worst part about the BD. The quality is definitely not up to BD standards. Video appears very soft and hazy during much of the concert plus there are quite a few shots of the audience and the band on stage that seem to be taken with handheld cameras, with large amounts of noise. Camerawork is all over the place, often times zooming in and out on the band, turning to the audience, panning back to the stage, then pulling away again all in a second. I appreciate some of the effects used here but they seem to be overused entirely too often. Freeze framing, bleeding, ghosting, and color alteration were consistently used, and the latter to me is the most annoying culprit. Colors are off at times where you will find the background bleeding with a foggy red, green, or blue hue.

A final note on the disc itself: I noticed white lines and specs that flashed through the entire concert which were extremely distracting. They appeared on the very right side of the screen, on the edge of the 16x9 frame itself. This did not occur on the Decode bonus video, leading me to believe it isn't a technical error on the disc but an encoding error.


Audio: Where this release lacks in video the audio more than makes up for it! Audio is crystal clear and the 5.1 track is utilized throughout. As soon as the concert starts, you'll immediately notice each front channel used individually, where guitars take over the left and right channels, and the drums fill out the center. The mix is entirely front heavy with a small ambiance of the audience the surrounds, but also joining in singing with Hayley during the concert. LFE seems to fit perfectly, not over or underwhelming at all. My one and only gripe with the audio is the volume seems quite low overall. While comparing other concert BDs to this, the track here seems to be a whisper.

The Final Riot! is an absolute joy to listen to if you feel like mellowing out with some of their slow songs such as We Are Broken or getting pumped up with For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic. With the help of the TrueHD track, this BD is very energetic and at times euphoric.


Extras: Included is a fun behind the scenes video titled 40 Days of Riot. It gives a look inside the mind of the band, behind the scenes during the concert, the work that went into it, and life on tour. Also included is the music video for Decode and an audio track for I Caught Myself. Unfortunately there is no pop-up menu provided during the concert so choosing a song on the set list can only be done prior to starting the concert.

Overall: The Final Riot! was the first concert BD I've ever purchased and to date have listened to it many times over. It's an absolutely blast to experience and listen to. The video is edited very poorly although the audio is absolutely stellar. For Paramore fans, this is a must own BD. For anyone else, the audio track and music itself are demo material, but you may want to shut your TV off right after you press play.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by CZAR

The Children (2008) - This was a wicked film. Great acting by the children and an overall good film. I couldnt believe some of the things that took place. A definite recommendation to horror fans.

Film Rating - 4 stars (out of 5)

PQ - 3 stars (out of 5)

AQ - 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Got Em!!

told ya this was a good one!!

[Lepidopterous]

I caught this movie at a small theater in the San Francisco area over the summer. I forgot to mention it but feel I should because it's one of those rare instances of honest filmmaking where the story, characters, and performances come together to generate an "As Seen In Real Life!" feeling without the superficial soap opera coating or generic plot devices. The film is about a divorced and lonely honest abe trying to fight for the heart of a woman that already belongs to her son. He may appear naive or shy, but he is certainly not stupid. Though he does not, as a lonely man, expect his effort in a relationship to pay off, his good deeds constantly reflect back at him unsoundly and give him the ultimate test of patience.

Forget judging John C. Reilly and Jonah Hill for their comedic roles, because they both demonstrate range in superb fashion (though not unfamiliar territory for Reilly). Marisa Tomei glows in an oh-so-necessary strong performance as the mother in a relationship.

Although this film might come off as an average indie-flick for some, it was apparent to me just how much heart it has to offer. The collision of two stubborn individuals, which slowly but surely digs into each one of their souls, forces the characters to re-examine their lives. Instead of questioning the implications of change, one must answer to situations and face reality. If you keep running or hiding, it will simply manifest itself at your very doorstep. This film impacted me in a similar way to how dramas*like The Wrestler and Kramer vs. Kramer did, though with a bit more mercy. The Duplass brothers paint a true picture of the inter and intrapersonal struggles that make up the realities of some people's lives.

However, the cinematography did not sit well with me. The style was a tad over the top for a drama. Frequent zooming and handheld shots were used to give it a documentary feel, which works sometimes, but felt too forced.

All in all, a great film that explores the significance of internal emotion and it's toll on one's character and soul. It's attempt to display "behind-doors" issues gives it a personal touch that is extremely rare in movies today. Cyrus made my top 5 of 2010 so far, and I would not be surprised to find it there by the end of the year. Give it a watch.

4.5/5

[Batman1980]

Lord of the Rings Return of the King 5/5
PQ 5/5
AQ 5/5
The best movie fittingly got the best transfer, hope I get to see Theoden kick butt before I sack out for the night.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by Sith

You rated Godfather and Goodfellas a 3/5. I'm interested to know what you consider a good movie, if you think these deserve a D rating?

3/5 is "C" rating in my book. Got Em!!

Originally Posted by AKORIS

told ya this was a good one!!

Yea man very nice. The transfer couldve been better but wicked kids though. Got Em!!

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by CZAR

3/5 is "C" rating in my book. Got Em!!

Same here. Not great, not terrible.

[CZAR]

100 Feet - I heard mixed to negative reviews about this film but I have to say I enjoyed it. Famke is fabulous as always and still looks good. I thought this was a very good ghost/spirit type film. Im not sure what people didnt like about it. I am not saying it was perfect but it did its job. There were a couple moments where the dialogue had issues. Decent ghost effects but nuthin spectacular but I liked the setting and there were a couple of cool parts in the film I really liked. Especially the part where the

[Show spoiler]husband completely annihilated the young grocery boy.

That was a great scene. All in all I liked the film and would recommendd it to horror fans especially ghostly horror fans.

Film Rating - 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)

PQ - 4 stars (out of 5)

AQ - 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Got Em!!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by supaflyz

I just saw this movie on blu ray after my teacher in human physiology recommended it. We are going over parts of the brain, and he said that memento is a good movie base on impairments of the cerebral cortex. I saw parts of it on showtime before, but it was kind of boring. I gave it a try today, and I'm totally lost on the story. The video and audio was good though.

[antwonaj]

REC 2

5/5

This was so much better than the first imo. Great scares and great make up effects. When there in the Penthouse its just awesomely scary.
P/Q: 4/5 A/Q: 5/5

Case 39

3/5

Was better than expected and i can see what people ment by the trailer was misleading .

P/Q: 4/5 A/Q: 4/5

[Denoku]

Originally Posted by killowertz

I love Serenity as well. I think the headline of the review on here saying "One of the best science fiction films you've never seen" sums it up perfectly.

Yeah, I'm having a hard time trying not to watch Firefly over again since I have so many other things to watch. I agree though with the quote


About to watch "The Crazies"

[iam1bearcat]

There Will Be Blood

i've reviewed this masterpiece before, so no need to do it again
one of my all time favorites, in the top 10 no less. terrific directing, cinematography, an absolutely stellar performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, a powerful story that goes beyond the oil industry (seems a lot of people think this film is just about a man who searches for oil ), and absolutely classic ending.

cannot recommend it enough
i would love for this to be re-released with a commentary by PT Anderson and DDL. or even just one of them in a commentary would be fantastic. maybe one day, i can always hope

5/5

[jawsfan1975]

KICK ASS

What a 2 hour blast this was, looked good, sounded great! I need to add this to my collection when I can find it cheap. These Lionsgate releases always look and sound great!

Movie: 8.5/10
PQ: 9/10
AQ: 9/10

[AKORIS]

[QUOTE=CZAR;3863871]100 Feet - I heard mixed to negative reviews about this film but I have to say I enjoyed it. Famke is fabulous as always and still looks good. I thought this was a very good ghost/spirit type film. Im not sure what people didnt like about it. I am not saying it was perfect but it did its job. There were a couple moments where the dialogue had issues. Decent ghost effects but nuthin spectacular but I liked the setting and there were a couple of cool parts in the film I really liked. Especially the part where the

[Show spoiler]husband completely annihilated the young grocery boy.

That was a great scene. All in all I liked the film and would recommendd it to horror fans especially ghostly horror fans.

Film Rating - 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)

PQ - 4 stars (out of 5)

AQ - 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)







Czar, your love for Famke is clearly clouding your judgment!!!:p

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

There Will Be Blood

i've reviewed this masterpiece before, so no need to do it again
one of my all time favorites, in the top 10 no less. terrific directing, cinematography, an absolutely stellar performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, a powerful story that goes beyond the oil industry (seems a lot of people think this film is just about a man who searches for oil ), and absolutely classic ending.

cannot recommend it enough
i would love for this to be re-released with a commentary by PT Anderson and DDL. or even just one of them in a commentary would be fantastic. maybe one day, i can always hope

5/5

Just watched DDL interview this past week, where he talks about

[Show spoiler]him and Eli being two strings of the same cloth - manipulators. 2 points were great he made: (1) "when we started each other down as I was offering their family Quayle prices, after Eli asked me 'A price you don't know' and I reply 'that's right', there is a 10 second stare down...which represents a mutual recognition on both of our parts that we're the same", and (2) "Daniel knows he's a manipulator but still sees himself as above Eli, as nothing is more ignoble to him than spiritual fraudulence"

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Just watched DDL interview this past week, where he talks about

[Show spoiler]him and Eli being two strings of the same cloth - manipulators. 2 points were great he made: (1) "when we started each other down as I was offering their family Quayle prices, after Eli asked me 'A price you don't know' and I reply 'that's right', there is a 10 second stare down...which represents a mutual recognition on both of our parts that we're the same", and (2) "Daniel knows he's a manipulator but still sees himself as above Eli, as nothing is more ignoble to him than spiritual fraudulence"

damn! see it's little things like that that make TWBB a personal favorite. and it's details like that that i would love to hear DDl and / or PTA discuss in a commentary. god that would be terrific

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

Czar, your love for Famke is clearly clouding your judgment!!!:p

What didnt u like about the film? Got Em!!