The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[iam1bearcat]

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

fyi: my first "Exorcist" type film (which means the first film that has the word 'exorcist / exorcism' in it)

by the time the credits rolled, i could easily say, i was pleasantly surprised by The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

i went in with super low expectations, and at times, the film really blew the hinges off of being a great horror film. but those were only for moments. there was a lot i liked, and it was worth the rental easily, but i won't be adding it to my collection.

a few plusses...

+ the directing. while overall there wasn't anything too special about it, there were a few scenes in particular that were extremely well done and really added another dimension to scenes and atmosphere.
+ the acting. Wilkinson does a great job as the priest being charged with what happened to Emily Rose. Laura Linney, who i have never even heard of, i thought did a great job as the lead character. and Jennifer Carpenter (of Dexter fame) did a much better job than i thought she was going to do. but to be honest, she really didn't have a wide variety of acting skills to put on screen for this role.
+ at times extremely frightening and riveting.
+ the lack of gore, blood or a stupid villain. everyone knows i pretty much hate those types of horror films, and The Exorcism of Emily Rose does a great job of having atmosphere and creepiness and scares without being obnoxiously vile like some horror franchises.

it was really odd and surprising to see that most of the film is told via flashbacks () and in a courtroom setting! that's a dangerous idea, as horror films need atmosphere and scares, and being told via flashbacks alone is difficult, but to have courtroom scenes? the film pulls it off and i guess the courtroom scenes could be used as "catch your breath" time, but the pacing and tension still seemed to be effected by this at times.

the film also felt a bit long in the tooth, but overall was a unique setting for a - at times - very creepy film. again, i was very pleasantly surprised and makes me anxious to see other "Exorcist" related films.

3.5/5

[iam1bearcat]

posted 15 minutes after Marcus posted something...

Originally Posted by tbizzle

Hey Marcus, I'm still curious about this

https://forum.blu-ray.com/movies/127...ml#post3966696

looks like you're gonna be curious for awhile

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince.”

[Show spoiler]Prior to this, I’ve seen the first four films and read the first five books. I still haven’t seen the “Order of the Phoenix” film, but I probably will at some point…

Skipping over the movie broke the continuity a bit (I’m assuming that this film’s intro picks up where the last one left off), but as it goes on it takes on the semblance of the other stories. Yep, another trip through Diagon Alley, another trip to Hogwarts on a train, more classes, more drama, another diabolical mystery to unravel, blah blah blah…

However, this film seems a lot more heavy duty. All the bright colorful childish whimsy from the first 3-4 films is gone; #6 is pretty damn dark and grim. And with an older cast of kids, the character drama is much more developed; there are a lot of romances and strained relationships, without being too sappy (if anything, it does reminds me of high school…). It seems like there are a lot of strong moments for the characters, making it rather emotionally strong (especially

[Show spoiler]at the end, with Dumbledore’s death. It was sad!

) And the film still finds room for some rather amusing comedy, and a lot more insight on the Harry Potter universe and the overall story arc. And much unlike #4, this film maintains a steady pace and remains very coherent throughout.

This film is also probably one of the strongest in the series. Photography is very good throughout, and the imagery is incredible in many scenes. The opening bridge scenes, and the firestorm scene, are especially awesome (as such, the SFX totally rock). Production value is very high. And believe it or not, I think the acting is very strong here; better than I remember from the other films. Music is good too; it has some of the same theme from before, but is mostly fresh and new.

4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 4/5, film: 4.5/5)

I will own it, along with all the others in one big happy box set. It’ll happen some day!

Order, Prisoner and Half-Blood Prince are by far the best of the series.

The first two I do not like at all.

The fourth was enjoyable, I forget the exact score I gave it, either a 3.75 or a 4. The end of the movie got a big from me and helped the over all score a good bit.

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

looks like you're gonna be curious for awhile

Lol, seriously. Some people aren't very good on forums and they miss posts all the time. Just oblivious or somethin...

[Marcus Wright]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

Hey Marcus, I'm still curious about this

https://forum.blu-ray.com/movies/127...ml#post3966696

Hey Man.

I checked it again and the Jean Gabin movie I watched was called La Horse and not what I wrote.
My Bad.

Just to make sure, its a movie about a farm owner and how he deals with the problems his grandson gets into.
If you watch France movies, I highly recommend it.

Write me back I want to see what you think about what I wrote.

Link to trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtQ-9Fbrkxg

[tbizzle]

Haha no worries. Just checked out the trailer, looks interesting. I might check it out someday

[tbizzle]

Jhiggy, I'll be watching El Norte tonight!

[Marcus Wright]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

Haha no worries. Just checked out the trailer, looks interesting. I might check it out someday

IMO one of his best movies.

This is easily the most realisticly describing movie of how a person deals/should deal in conflictual situations.

[Member-115369]

The Girl Who Played With Fire 4/5.

Really enjoyed it. It was my favorite book of the trilogy, and I like the movie at least as much as the 1st one--not sure why it got reviewed a good bit lower than the first. They did cut a good bit from the book in some places, so maybe it was harder to follow for people who haven't read the books?

Anyway, I loved it. Rapace and Nyqvist were great. Will try to see the 3rd one at the local art theater soon. Maybe tomorrow evening.

[iam1bearcat]

The Mist

so i was all set to watch The Thin Red Line and then suddenly a group of friends came over and ruined my night

so i decided to throw in The Mist to scare the **** out of them

i've already seen The Mist quite a few times and love it (5/5) but it was fun to see the reactions of friends who hadn't. their reactions and thoughts during the film were priceless and their reactions to the end were all universal: they LOVED it. just as i do. they had

[Show spoiler]no issues with how bleak the ending was and said they would all do the same thing in that position.

i personally have no issues with the acting (no not even with Thomas Jane (Squid )) and thought everyone felt real and reacted just as people probably would in such a circumstance.

probably my second favorite horror movie behind The Blair Witch Project.
now off to finally watch The Thin Red Line

5/5

[Marcus Wright]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

The Mist

so i was all set to watch The Thin Red Line and then suddenly a group of friends came over and ruined my night

so i decided to throw in The Mist to scare the **** out of them

i've already seen The Mist quite a few times and love it (5/5) but it was fun to see the reactions of friends who hadn't. their reactions and thoughts during the film were priceless and their reactions to the end were all universal: they LOVED it. just as i do. they had

[Show spoiler]no issues with how bleak the ending was and said they would all do the same thing in that position.

i personally have no issues with the acting (no not even with Thomas Jane (Squid )) and thought everyone felt real and reacted just as people probably would in such a circumstance.

probably my second favorite horror movie behind The Blair Witch Project.
now off to finally watch The Thin Red Line

5/5

I would be very attentive/cautious when around your friends.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Marcus Wright

I would be very attentive/cautious when around your friends.

no way. if i was

[Show spoiler]in a car out of gas in the middle of nowhere surrounded by 100+ foot tall monsters from another universe, acid spitting spiders, flying dinosaur like bugs that tear you to pieces and large tentacle creatures (and giant crab like creatures)

i would totally do the same thing - and want the same thing to happen to me if i wasn't the one

[Show spoiler]with the gun.

[surfdude12]

Toy Story 3

Film: 4.5/5
-my second favorite behind TS1. I'd rank them: TS1, TS3, TS2
-started out pretty conventional, plotwise - with a pretty routine TS plot (if I could argue any weakness of the TS series it would be the conventional plot structure:

[Show spoiler]toys getting played with, toys concerned about ownership, toys get separated from owner/each other, toys try reunite with owner/each other

-however, I loved the twist in the plot with the

[Show spoiler]daycare

and

[Show spoiler]lotso, whose story at first seemed inconsistent (if his gripe is with bad owners, why is he taking it out on toys?), but i concluded he is either (a) genuinely trying to help the toys by doing what he thinks will prevent them from going through the same owner-abandonment he went through, or (b) he's envious and jealous of even the notion that another toy may have the owner he never could, as this would mean he's inadequate. do you guys think its (a), (b) or both, with lotso?

-as usual, Rex was great, and my favorite, but not as hilarious as in the first two IMO
-Barbie and

[Show spoiler]Ken

were also great.

[Show spoiler]Ken

was used with genius, especially with the

[Show spoiler]cheesy smiles, corny outfits, and dancing to the music....A++

-I liked this plot better than part 2 because

[Show spoiler]it had more dynamics: highs and lows. more range. I felt like I was on edge, then catching a breath, etc. With part 2, it just seemed too on edge the entire film...still a great film but not enough dynamics on the tense/relaxed moments.

. Part 1 is still my favorite because

[Show spoiler]not only was it the best in terms of dynamic balance, but it was also the most realistic (ok I know...that's a dumb argument for a film with talking TOys but hear me out ) as it was a more local set - the kid next door and i think not too far from the house. that simple set just seems like the most likely area that the toys would venture, if in fact they could do what the films suggest

-I wanted to run a theory by you guys: this may already be known/discussed by you guys or reviewers, but what metaphor would you guys associate with

[Show spoiler]the toy-owner relationship , and more specifically, the toy's struggle to ascertain and accept his owner's intent for him? Seems like a great fit for a child-parent relationship (or adult-god relationship, if u prefer), as in both cases the child/adult is trying to ascertain what the parent/god intentions are for him, and may resist them, such as a kid who refuses to take on a sport his overbearing parent forces him to do, or an adult who struggles to accept that his life is near an end (=toys in trash)

-To emphasize: I'm usually more a fan of the darker, stop motion animations (Corpse Bride, Coraline, 9), so 4-5 stars for these animations is huge for me! Loved them!

PQ: 5/5
AQ: 4.5/5 (Ok maybe I'm smoking something, but I had to crank my volume pretty high on this BD to get the same level volume as TS 1-2. Still great quality, but I did notice this)

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Diesel

My Toy Story 3 came in today

My original rating from the theater still stands, 5/5.

The part when Woody says

[Show spoiler]"So long.....partner" as Andy drives away at the end

is enough to wreck the manliest man in the world

Its official -- I am a cold-hearted b@stard -- not only did I not water up, I wasn't even moved. I know! I'm asking myself the same thing. Even the

[Show spoiler]puppy

was in tears! (Thanks Bearcat...he

[Show spoiler]peed

all over Fincher before I got home )

I easily get wrecked over other stuff, so (hopefully) its not b/c I've not recently had my heart harden to steel. Hmmm, let me put on Notebook to double check

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Toy Story 3

Film: 4.5/5
-my second favorite behind TS1. I'd rank them: TS1, TS3, TS2

this is how i rank them as well. but 5/5 for all 3 from me

-however, I loved the twist in the plot with the

[Show spoiler]daycare

and

[Show spoiler]lotso, whose story at first seemed inconsistent (if his gripe is with bad owners, why is he taking it out on toys?), but i concluded he is either (a) genuinely trying to help the toys by doing what he thinks will prevent them from going through the same owner-abandonment he went through, or (b) he's envious and jealous of even the notion that another toy may have the owner he never could, as this would mean he's inadequate. do you guys think its (a), (b) or both, with lotso?

i kind of thought, just instantly that

[Show spoiler]Lotso wanted to be the daycare because then he never has "one owner" that can throw him out. remember he shows the crew the pictures of every class of kids and tells them they never run out, there is always kids. so i think he doesn't want too many new toys to come, because he may be replaced again. not in the same way (with the same toy), but if too many new toys come in, he may be forgotten because of the new toys (see the resemblance to this and Woody's dilemma when Buzz first arrived? )

-as usual, Rex was great, and my favorite, but not as hilarious as in the first two IMO

i loved when Rex

[Show spoiler]was grabbing soda cans for "something metal" and then yells up "it's not working!"

but not sure if i found him less hilarious. i'd have to make a list of "funny Rex moments" from each and compare, but i believe TS2 would be his crowning achievement

-Barbie and

[Show spoiler]Ken

were also great.

[Show spoiler]Ken

was used with genius, especially with the

[Show spoiler]cheesy smiles, corny outfits, and dancing to the music....A++

yep, agreed.

[Show spoiler]Ken was a GREAT addition

and probably the best

[Show spoiler]new character. well... second. i feel Lotso was the best villain of the franchise, so he gets top billing.

Part 1 is still my favorite because

[Show spoiler]not only was it the best in terms of dynamic balance, but it was also the most realistic (ok I know...that's a dumb argument for a film with talking TOys but hear me out ) as it was a more local set - the kid next door and i think not too far from the house. that simple set just seems like the most likely area that the toys would venture, if in fact they could do what the films suggest

i bolded part of your spoiler, and i completely agree. i also like the first better (i think, haha not sure yet) because

[Show spoiler]it was more "personal" and the story wasn't so massive and didn't cover so much ground (literally). it was just about the toys fearing replacement at the hands of Buzz and dealing with an "outsider" and learning to get along

-I wanted to run a theory by you guys: this may already be known/discussed by you guys or reviewers, but what metaphor would you guys associate with

[Show spoiler]the toy-owner relationship , and more specifically, the toy's struggle to ascertain and accept his owner's intent for him? Seems like a great fit for a child-parent relationship (or adult-god relationship, if u prefer), as in both cases the child/adult is trying to ascertain what the parent/god intentions are for him, and may resist them, such as a kid who refuses to take on a sport his overbearing parent forces him to do, or an adult who struggles to accept that his life is near an end (=toys in trash)

Surf, seriously, too much deep thinking for a Toy Story film
i tend to think that

[Show spoiler]the toys feel they are necessary for Andy in his life. that they serve a special purpose, even (like in TS3) when they are no longer the main focus of his life. of course, this may mean that the toys contain a much bigger sense of self worth than they actually possess ("we are ANDY'S toys") but i think that's a sense of accomplishment and confidence that their owner (Andy) instilled in them. much like parents congratulating and believing in their kids

. oh great Surf, now you got me doing it too with the over thinking!

-To emphasize: I'm usually more a fan of the darker, stop motion animations (Corpse Bride, Coraline, 9), so 4-5 stars for these animations is huge for me! Loved them!

glad you enjoyed these films even though you're a bigger fan of darker, more adult animated films. but isn't it nice to step outside of that dark, intelligent deep theme world and have some fun in a brightly lit world with fun, hilarious characters? of course it is!

great review by the way Surf!

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Its official -- I am a cold-hearted b@stard -- not only did I not water up, I wasn't even moved. I know! I'm asking myself the same thing. Even the

[Show spoiler]puppy

was in tears! (Thanks Bearcat...he

[Show spoiler]peed

all over Fincher before I got home )

I easily get wrecked over other stuff, so (hopefully) its not b/c I've not recently had my heart harden to steel. Hmmm, let me put on Notebook to double check

this worries me Surf! i bawled my eyes out numerous times. do you think maybe part of it (besides being cold as ice ) is that

[Show spoiler]you have just recently seen these films, and thus, have less attachment to them than someone like me, who watched the first two in theaters years ago and grew up with the films?

i think that's a logical reason. much like how someone who

[Show spoiler]grows up cheering a particular sports team would cry if their team lost a big game more than someone new to the sport, or just became a fan of the team, they have no emotional connection

. i think that may have to do with it a little. agree or no?

and WHAT? the

[Show spoiler]puppy

teared up and even THAT still didn't make you tear up?! man oh man Surf, if i ever see in one of your reviews that you teared up during something, i refuse to believe you

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

this worries me Surf! i bawled my eyes out numerous times. do you think maybe part of it (besides being cold as ice ) is that

[Show spoiler]you have just recently seen these films, and thus, have less attachment to them than someone like me, who watched the first two in theaters years ago and grew up with the films?

i think that's a logical reason. much like how someone who

[Show spoiler]grows up cheering a particular sports team would cry if their team lost a big game more than someone new to the sport, or just became a fan of the team, they have no emotional connection

. i think that may have to do with it a little. agree or no?

and WHAT? the

[Show spoiler]puppy

teared up and even THAT still didn't make you tear up?! man oh man Surf, if i ever see in one of your reviews that you teared up during something, i refuse to believe you

no no no!!!! I was just talking about Woody's last line!! I guess it just slipped by me pretty fast. I was moved a lot during the film (but yes, no tears )!! And yes!! I think you've nailed it -- I've watched all TS films in the past month at age 32, so there's not much emotional history with the films as you (desperately trying to argue my way into having a pulse! ) The most I was moved? Probably during the opening "you've got a friend in me" track...I'd have to be the devil not to get moved by that sequence, and also

[Show spoiler]Andy's introduction of the toy's to the new girl and his last look at Woody -- done perfectly

. I guess you hit the nail on the head earlier on that previous post -- A vice of mine is I'll overthink too much during some films, and you can't be emotionally receptive while you're engaging in intellectual gymnastics! Its like riding a bike while you're running -- can't do it!

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

no no no!!!! I was just talking about Woody's last line!! I guess it just slipped by me pretty fast. I was moved a lot during the film (but yes, no tears )!! And yes!! I think you've nailed it -- I've watched all TS films in the past month at age 32, so there's not much emotional history with the films as you (desperately trying to argue my way into having a pulse! ) The most I was moved? Probably during the opening "you've got a friend in me" track...I'd have to be the devil not to get moved by that sequence, and also

[Show spoiler]Andy's introduction of the toy's to the new girl and his last look at Woody -- done perfectly

. I guess you hit the nail on the head earlier on that previous post -- A vice of mine is I'll overthink too much during some films, and you can't be emotionally receptive while you're engaging in intellectual gymnastics! Its like riding a bike while you're running -- can't do it!

whew! alright! good to hear. i was gonna be very afraid and sad if you weren't effected by it. my moments of tearfulness were:

[Show spoiler]the opening montage of Andy on the videocamera with the toys and then seeing them in the trunk all alone

,

[Show spoiler]when the toys thought they were gonna be destroyed in the garbage incinerator. what really got me was how they all accepted their fates and held hands. really tore me down

, then when

[Show spoiler]they were picked up and the aliens yell "the claw" it was such a happy moment that i burst into tears again

, then

[Show spoiler]when Andy sees Woody in the box when talking to Bonnie and decides to give him up

and then of course,

[Show spoiler]like Diesel said: when Woody says goodbye to Andy at the end

oh, and i watched Coraline today! enjoyed it a lot. review is like, 12 pages back. or two. it's been a busy few days on here

[tbizzle]

Hey bearcat, I've been meaning to get back to you on your response to my thoughts about the The Mist's ending a while back... my bad. When I'm on this forum, for some reason I have a bad habit of procrastinating and not writing on certain topics because it feels like work to me. Hell I still have like 4 films I haven't posted on... dunno why but if I can't write what's on my mind immediately, it kinda feels like schoolwork or somethin so I put it off. Sometimes I just wanna write "Film - 5/5. Loved it. Done." Plus, I have ADD and I get distracted sometimes and I end up listening to music or going off and clicking on other threads

Anyways, here's my overdue response.

[Show spoiler]I totally see where you're coming from, but I completely disagree. As Squid said, people react differently. Some would do exactly what he did in the film and some wouldn't, it seems to be about half and half. This makes for an excellent ending to the film because there are arguments for both courses of action. Everyone's different... there are weaker people in this world and there are stronger ones. As I've stated before, I believe that you must push forward in this kind of situation.

It's easy to give up when facing evil. The survivors and heroes are not the ones that simply lay down and die. It could easily have gone bad 30 seconds after leaving the car, but you'll never know unless you try. As I stated before, there could be another vehicle nearby, or a cabin with weapons and supplies 100 feet from the road...you might find a weakness of the creatures, you might have to fight some more, but you gotta try. I mean, LOOK HOW IT ENDED The military showed up, tanks and all. And that outcome is at the extreme end of the spectrum, what if you just found a group of people in trucks with guns? What if you found another group of survivors such as yourselves? Anything can happen, but you have to try.

Pulling the trigger is the easy way out. It only leads to DEATH. You're actually murdering people in the end.... saying no to life. I can not, and never will do that. Yes, pulling the trigger may look like more of an attractive alternative to what may be out there in the mist, but what's out there is not a certainty. That's where the hope is, and you have to have faith.... push on... fight longer... survive... not stick a gun to your kid's head!!

[tbizzle]

Btw, I'm kinda with Surf. Some of those moments weren't really emotional for me, but the

[Show spoiler]garbage incinerator

part was a big one. And yeah Bearcat, as soon as they arrived at the dump and the

[Show spoiler]little guys got separated, I knew they were gonna come back and save them later on. But I was so caught up in the emotional incinerator part that I completely forgot about them. Then all of a sudden they get saved by the crane and little dudes yelled "THE CLAW!!!", that part was awesome!!!!