The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Foggy]

The Silence of the Lambs

Well known fact that I'm not one for the Horror genre, so when I say this film genuinely scared me, it means little, as I am one for being easily scared. However, when you crap yourself when you see a moth flying around your kitchen straight after watching it, then you've done a good job!

The film is probably the most unsettling and uncomftable films I've sat through, Antony Hopkins is hot sauce amazing, he's behind bars and behind glass and you still feel like he's going to jump out the screen and rip your head off with grace!

The camera work is good for the most part, (I dislike the use of the single close up in conversations during films, main reason I can't stand Napoleon Dynamite) but during most scenes the camera work is very inventive, especially that vinette at the end of the film with the night vision goggles, got my skin crawling. The film knows how to rack up tension and rack it up high.

I can't say I would watch this film a lot of times, because it's pretty horrible to sit through quite a bit of it, but it's a understatement to say I'm glad I saw it finally.

9/10

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Originally Posted by lDlisturb3d

This is a great great one. Good replay value.

Originally Posted by killowertz

Who cares?

[Show spoiler]just kidding

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Steve46

I have never seen the EEs, but I'll be picking them up in a couple of weeks. I'm hoping for more about the characters, rather than longer battle scenes.

You will very much get what you want then.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by lDlisturb3d

Please change your Avatar, her top lip gives me the creeps!!!!

[Show spoiler]

Who cares?

Originally Posted by Foggy

You don't scare me.

[Foggy]

The Seventh Seal

Death is a cheating bastard isn't he

I'm not going to sit here and type about how good The Seventh Seal is, because you know it's good, you know how legendary Ingmar Bergman is, and you know how far this film is outside of my comfort zone this film is. So the real question is did I enjoy it...

Well first of all, I wasn't painfully bored by it like I kinda expected, it wasn't exactly excitment, but I was intersted enough to stand by it an admire what it was doing. I did feel like I got a little lost during the first 20 mins as I felt it moved a long very abruptly, but when it started to move along more steadily and focused, it was a lot more relaxing to follow (which is what works with The Seventh Seal, it's relaxing, although very eerie)

Of course, I don't love The Seventh Seal, I just about like it enough to warrant it not a waste of time, I won't be tracking it down in the near future but I'm glad I saw it, it was a very intruging film.

Although it seemed like it was lacking in the terms of chess

7/10

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Foggy

The Seventh Seal

Death is a cheating bastard isn't he

I'm not going to sit here and type about how good The Seventh Seal is, because you know it's good, you know how legendary Ingmar Bergman is, and you know how far this film is outside of my comfort zone this film is. So the real question is did I enjoy it...

Well first of all, I wasn't painfully bored by it like I kinda expected, it wasn't exactly excitment, but I was intersted enough to stand by it an admire what it was doing. I did feel like I got a little lost during the first 20 mins as I felt it moved a long very abruptly, but when it started to move along more steadily and focused, it was a lot more relaxing to follow (which is what works with The Seventh Seal, it's relaxing, although very eerie)

Of course, I don't love The Seventh Seal, I just about like it enough to warrant it not a waste of time, I won't be tracking it down in the near future but I'm glad I saw it, it was a very intruging film.

Although it seemed like it was lacking in the terms of chess

7/10

WOW! Now you need to sit down and watch Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris like I am doing right now

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

WOW! Now you need to sit down and watch Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris like I am doing right now

both films I like a whole lot.

Gave The Seventh Seal a 4.5/5 on last viewing and Solaris a 5/5 on my only viewing of it. Too bad everyone else hated it (during our short-lived "movie review club"). Hope you enjoy it!

[Steve46]

I'll be revealing my Top 20 sci-fi titles this week.

Solaris isn't among them!

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Steve46

I'll be revealing my Top 20 sci-fi titles this week.

Solaris isn't among them!

No surprise, it's not exactly a well known movie

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

No surprise, it's not exactly a well known movie

I didn't like it. But I have weird taste anyway.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Steve46

I didn't like it. But I have weird taste anyway.

Not an easy movie, it's a bit like 2001

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Steve46

I'll be revealing my Top 20 sci-fi titles this week.

Solaris isn't among them!

oooooh! interested to see this list!

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

No surprise, it's not exactly a well known movie

have you seen the 2002 remake? enjoy it or no?
i love both, but Soderbergh's version is "easier" to watch and digest (different themes all the way too) and would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to see it hit blu

Originally Posted by Steve46

I didn't like it. But I have weird taste anyway.

if you have weird tastes, you should have loved Solaris then. it's a weird movie!

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Not an easy movie, it's a bit like 2001

it is, but Solaris is much slower paced and much weirder in a lot of ways.

... never thought i'd say that a movie was weirder than another when said film is 2001!

[Steve46]

David Lynch is my favorite director, so weird seems normal to me.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

have you seen the 2002 remake? enjoy it or no?i love both, but Soderbergh's version is "easier" to watch and digest (different themes all the way too) and would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to see it hit blu


if you have weird tastes, you should have loved Solaris then. it's a weird movie!


it is, but Solaris is much slower paced and much weirder in a lot of ways.

... never thought i'd say that a movie was weirder than another when said film is 2001!

I have seen it and did not hate it but I can't say it's a movie I would want to see again. I still prefer the original even if the 2002 version as a much easier feel and is of course made with a much better look and budget then Tarkovsky had back in 1972.

I have to agree it is much weirder then 2001 (if that is possible )

By the way, the Criterion Blu-ray is incredible

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I must be confused. I thought you were born in, and lived in the UK. Oops.

No problem. I am stationed here in the UK, I'm just not a Brit.

Now poor Foggy might be missing out on the 4th of July BBQs. But he probably gets 20-30 bank holidays per year, and probably got off for the Royal Wedding. So I'm don't pity him that much.

Originally Posted by Foggy

The Silence of the Lambs

[Show spoiler]
Well known fact that I'm not one for the Horror genre, so when I say this film genuinely scared me, it means little, as I am one for being easily scared. However, when you crap yourself when you see a moth flying around your kitchen straight after watching it, then you've done a good job!

The film is probably the most unsettling and uncomftable films I've sat through, Antony Hopkins is hot sauce amazing, he's behind bars and behind glass and you still feel like he's going to jump out the screen and rip your head off with grace!

The camera work is good for the most part, (I dislike the use of the single close up in conversations during films, main reason I can't stand Napoleon Dynamite) but during most scenes the camera work is very inventive, especially that vinette at the end of the film with the night vision goggles, got my skin crawling. The film knows how to rack up tension and rack it up high.

I can't say I would watch this film a lot of times, because it's pretty horrible to sit through quite a bit of it, but it's a understatement to say I'm glad I saw it finally.

9/10

Awesome review; I agree with everything here. My first viewing was about as tense as you described it.

Originally Posted by Foggy

The Seventh Seal
[/spoiler]
Death is a cheating bastard isn't he

I'm not going to sit here and type about how good The Seventh Seal is, because you know it's good, you know how legendary Ingmar Bergman is, and you know how far this film is outside of my comfort zone this film is. So the real question is did I enjoy it...

Well first of all, I wasn't painfully bored by it like I kinda expected, it wasn't exactly excitment, but I was intersted enough to stand by it an admire what it was doing. I did feel like I got a little lost during the first 20 mins as I felt it moved a long very abruptly, but when it started to move along more steadily and focused, it was a lot more relaxing to follow (which is what works with The Seventh Seal, it's relaxing, although very eerie)

Of course, I don't love The Seventh Seal, I just about like it enough to warrant it not a waste of time, I won't be tracking it down in the near future but I'm glad I saw it, it was a very intruging film.

Although it seemed like it was lacking in the terms of chess
[spoiler]
7/10

It is worthwhile seeing at least once. I was lost the first time around too, but it managed to stick with me.

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

WOW! Now you need to sit down and watch Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris like I am doing right now

Yeah...good luck with that...

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

both films I like a whole lot.

Gave The Seventh Seal a 4.5/5 on last viewing and Solaris a 5/5 on my only viewing of it. Too bad everyone else hated it (during our short-lived "movie review club"). Hope you enjoy it!

I cited "Solaris" as being rather long and boring, with lots of questionable artistic effects. But I wound up getting the Blu-Ray anyway, and I plan on revisiting it in the future sometime. It was a great pick after all!

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Looking at your reviews...I feel confident in saying you will very much enjoy Dark of the Moon

I've warned several people: Be prepared...because if you aren't, your face will literally go all Indiana Jones Nazi because of the action and Bayhem.

Michael Bay does not get more Michael Bay than this. And because of the 3D slowing him down...we see even more of it than we ever have before

Well, I just got back from the theater...



Will review shortly...

[P@t_Mtl]

Solaris
Russia 1972
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
With Natalya Bondarchuk, Donatas Banionis, Jüri Järvet
Format: Blu-ray

Another wonderful restoration done by Criterion. Solaris was originaly a novel by Polish author Stanisław Lem. I first saw Solaris in college in the mid 80's. The cinema teacher had regular viewing of different type of movies. Most nights the college theater was half full with people like myself, curious to see movies that were way outside of what you would watch. Like 2001, Solaris is not a movie that can leave you with everything explained. Do not expect the director to spoon feed you the answers, it's just not that type of movie. The story is about how an alien species try to communicate with humans and the complications that come with it. There is also a strong theme of lost and despair added to the movie that was missing from the novel. I always enjoyed this quote from Salman Rushdie

"This exploration of the unreliability of reality and the power of the human unconscious, this great examination of the limits of rationalism and the perverse power of even the most ill-fated love, needs to be seen as widely as possible before it's transformed by Steven Soderbergh and James Cameron into what they ludicrously threaten will be '2001 meets Last Tango in Paris.' What, sex in space with floating butter? Tarkovsky must be turning over in his grave."

It's not a movie for everyone, it's slow and confusing at time as you are left to wonder what each scenes is trying to tell you and left confuse as to where exactly you still are, the station? Earth? Solaris? Still I truly enjoy this movie. When Criterion release the DVD I was all over it and watched it quite often and I am glad to have made the upgrade to Blu-ray.

[Al_The_Strange]

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon.”

In the natural progression of most major film franchises, the third film in a complete trilogy is the grand finale. Whether looking at either “Star Wars” series, “The Matrix,” “LOTR,” “X-Men,” etc all wrap up the storylines and characters and cumulate in a massive climactic battle.

As expected, “Transformers: DotM” showcases one of the most ambitious and epic finales of any film series. Even if you thought the action could never top the intensity or breadth of the first two films, “DotM” finally cuts to the chase and brings us all-out carnage! It’s pretty darn awesome watching the transformers duke it out in foreign lands and on the highways (in a scene which could possibly surpass the highway chase scene in the first movie), but the last hour or so is entirely devoted to a massive invasion where robots and ships are literally tearing the city up and brutally massacring each other. The ruined cityscapes are about as imaginative and artistic as what we see in the “Crysis 2” video game; the intensity and the stakes are about as high as what we see in a “Terminator” movie; the action is easily the best of the series. And with strong storytelling and cinematography, “DotM” easily bests most other alien invasion movies (especially following the releases of “Skyline” and “Battle: LA” ).

This movie may be overshadowed by the weaknesses of “Revenge of the Fallen,” but rest assured that the story for “DotM” is fleshed out way better. The conspiracies that are unveiled are quite sublimely integrated, and seeing them unravel feels like a refreshing revelation. The climax works very well to tie up the events of the first two films, and ultimately I feel that this movie incorporates a number of elements that may have been lost in the last film (namely, the ideas that the transformers are covert, the ideas that they are fighting for their way of life, and most importantly, the idea that they are fighting for freedom (and it’s the 4th of July, so it’s perfect! )). As far as the human element goes, the story takes the franchise’s hero to his next logical step; all of this drama might test your patience a little (especially with so much hit-or-miss humor), but it all contributes to the amazing finale.

Cinematically, “DotM” shows excellent photography and editing; the shots are indeed prolonged and evenly-paced, allowing you to see the action much more leisurely than the last two hectic movies. The film has its share of wonderful scenery, but it feels rather drab and grim overall (which helps add a sense of doom and gloom; parts of this movie are rather scary). Acting is a mixed bag once again; Shia LaBeouf continues to be himself, for better or for worse. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has a few weak moments, but I felt she was an ample replacement for Megan Fox. Patrick Dempsey is convincing as a jerk. Ken Jeong’s role was pretty darn wild, for better or for worse. John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, and Tyrese Gibson all return and are still great; Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, and Alan Tudyk are interesting additions. And of course, Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving, and Leonard Nimoy are superb in their voice acting. Aside from using my least-favorite Linkin Park song, the music is great.

I’m not sure at this point if I’d rank this over the first film or not. But at the very least, I’d put them on the same level, and in time I’ll see which one I value the most.

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

Recommendation: Sure, why not?



Some specific notes:

• I am just a little dissapointed that the series as a whole wasn't any more sumblimely-constructed. The main events of "RotF" feel irrelevant; it's pretty interesting how "DotM" justifies "RotF" with the Matrix of Leadership thingy, but all that stuff about the Fallen blowing up Earth's sun feels too out-of-place now.
• The first two films show some very brief snippets of the Decepticons on Mars. I was kinda hoping that "DotM" would go into more details about that (but nooo, the Decepticons are hanging in Africa apparently ).
• I was pleased and intruiged by the conspiracy theories.
  [Show spoiler]I have given creedence to the moon-landing conspiracy, and I thought it was cool how they incorporated Cherynobyl in the plot too.
• The opening butt-cheek scenes are nowhere near as tasteless as I imagined they would be. Jeez Foggy.
• It's a bummer that
  [Show spoiler]Ironhide
  died. Many a transformers fan might be dissapointed by that.
• With Sentinel Prime played by Leonard Nimoy, there's a few amusing Spock references. He even says his most famous line (one my parents seem to hate now) "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
  [Show spoiler]It's funny how the philosophy has been flipped in this movie, using the line to justify evil deeds.
• Shockwave rocks.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

The opening butt-cheek scenes are nowhere near as tasteless as I imagined they would be. Jeez Foggy.

I said she was an awful actress, very, very hot, but what else do I look forward to when she shows all of her appeal within the opening seconds of the film

And a lot more people hate that clip more than me, so

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

I said she was an awful actress, very, very hot, but what else do I look forward to when she shows all of her appeal within the opening seconds of the film

And a lot more people hate that clip more than me, so

You do have a point there. I guess I was expecting the camera to be all up in it or something, more than it is , so it didn't really bother me that much.