The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Scott Pilgrim vs the World - 4/5

[Show spoiler]

i have a whole shelf of "pending" blu-rays that i have to start going through. the "pending" shelf are blus that i don't know if i want to keep, and thus, awaiting one last viewing to decide the verdict. the first little trooper to march to the PS3 to get viewed was Scott Pilgrim vs the World.

i previously viewed Scott Pilgrim and gave it a resounding 2.5/5 with no intention of ever buying it. but that was before (the now extinct) my purchasing decision was "as long as i don't hate it, for the right price i will buy it" and thus, when it was $15 at Best Buy (and then using the $5 off coupon) getting it for $10 with the glorious slip, i couldn't say no.

however, now trying to make my collection all solid "favorites" and blus i would never mind popping in, does Scott Pilgrim make the grade?

apparently yes!

i know Foggy and KilloWertz will be happy

maybe i was in a weird headspace on the first viewing, but i enjoyed it much more this time around. i enjoyed some of the music and visual and sound ques first time around, but found much more to be happy with this time around. very witty writing and i never have an issue with Michael Cera, unlike many.

a very fresh, exciting film with some KILLER audio

Scott Pilgrim graduates from "pending" shelf, to "keeper" status. and what a glorious day it is for the outstanding Universal release.

Wow, what a big difference. Glad you like it. I dig the characters in this one. (Especially Ramona Flowers... )

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Grizzly Man is one of my favorite docs of all-time.

+1! Transcends its genre.

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Babel

Film: 5/5

[Show spoiler]-love the title and how it revolves around a biblical tale of how humans once all spoke the same language, all were building a tower that would stretch to heaven, and I guess God decided things were too easy for humans so he cast different languages among them so they suddenly couldnt understand each other, and I guess the tower to heaven was left uncompleted
-on the one hand, humans have such huge communication barriers (language, culture, customs, etc), but on the other hand we still all share universal communication non-verbal code (there is a scene where a Moroccon woman is wiping Blanchett's forehead, the two women are making eye contact, and they ARE communicating...without words)
-often times, humans need tragedy to change. Before the

[Show spoiler]bullet hitting Blanchett

, her and Pitt were at each other's throats, after it happened, they were hugging and making up and forgiving each other.

PQ: 4/5 (love the grain)

AQ: 4/5 (I think its lossy, but the nightclub scene is INSANE!!!)

I don't think this film will ever get old for me. Hits home every time. Love it!

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest blind-buy: “I Saw the Devil.”

Another good n’ bloody Korean revenge flick; this film is every bit as wicked and stylish as others in its genre, sitting comfortably next to “The Man From Nowhere,” “A Bittersweet Life,” the Vengeance trilogy, and whatever else. “I Saw the Devil” kicks things up a notch thanks to the nature of its story; most of it plays as an intense cat-and-mouse chase, with the main hero catching up to the villain repeatedly and f***ing him up over and over again. And every time it happens, it rocks!

The story is inherently thrilling and intense, with a cast of solid characters. What really makes it stand out is trying to figure out who the Devil is in the film’s title. It’s easy enough to call the serial killer the Devil, but I believe it’s more in the film’s hero, and his obsession over vengeance turns him into the Devil. Thus, the killer takes on the role of an average sinner, who can’t help but to be what he is, and the other dude becomes the punisher. In light of this, the film achieves a remarkable sense of ambiguity; you can’t help but to root for the good guy, even though he does wicked things, and you can’t help but to sympathize with the bad guy, even though he’s a jerk and kills people. I found the film quite deep and interesting this way.

And it is a good quality film with good photography and editing. Acting is pretty awesome; writing is not bad. The production has fine sets, props, and costumes. Music is cool.

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

Recommendation: Sure, why not?

[Al_The_Strange]

“The Others.”

Following in the success of “The Sixth Sense,” “The Others” is another fine ghost/haunted house story with a surprise twist. I can’t say that this movie is all that thrilling, but it does maintain solid tension and pacing as it goes on.

For the most part, it’s the story that counts, and it’s brilliant. Once you get to the final surprise, it puts the movie into a new perspective, and it’s like “oh yeah.” But even after knowing the big secret, you can rewatch the film in the new perspective and understand how everything fits. It holds up very well to repeat viewings and scrutiny. But whether you watch it for the first time or not, the characters are quite strong.

The film has okay photography and editing; not particularly strong but not particularly weak either. Acting is decent and the writing is not bad. The production value must be limited, as the entire movie takes place in one old house, but everything looks proper with quality (and genuine-looking) sets, props, and costumes. Music is lovely.

4/5 (entertainment: 3.5/5, story: 4.5/5, film: 4/5)

Recommendation: Sure, why not?

This Blu-Ray looks a little gaudy, with lots of hazed-out scenes, drab colors and contrast, and lots of film grain. Much of this is in the film’s artistic design, and still looks quite sharp and detailed. Sound quality seems really low with the dialogue and loud with the action/music, but is otherwise good.

PQ: 3.5/5, AQ: 4/5

[Al_The_Strange]

“The Thing” 1982.

Leave it to John Carpenter to remake a classic sci-fi flick into one of the creepiest horror films of all time. Much of it is rather slow, with purposeful suspense and tension, and much of it explodes with furious paranoia and conflict. And when the Thing finally comes out, it’s all-out madness as men and animals mutate and contort into unnatural beasts of pulsing flesh, spurting blood, withering tentacles, and vicious fangs. There are only a few major scenes where the Thing comes out and f**ks people up, but when it does, it’s downright crazy and freaky all at once. HP Lovecraft can eat his heart out.

The story for this is pretty solid too, with a cast of distinctive characters. Nobody really receives that much development, and many serve as mere alien food. But the film really capitalizes on the mistrust between all the characters; they probably spend more time doubting and fighting each other than they do confronting the alien menace. Sadly enough, that’s probably how it’d work out in real life too.

This film has solid photography and editing. Acting and writing can be a little cheesy, but is still awesome. This production includes good-looking sets, props, costumes, and some fantastic practical effects that still hold up. Music is pretty darn creepy.

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

Recommendation: Watch it if you dare!

This Blu-Ray seems to get a bad rap for having DNR and a low bitrate, but I don’t think it really shows. The film has an awesome amount of sharpness and detail; most film noise I see is marginal, and I never really saw any blatant evidence of DNR. Colors and contrast can be a bit drab, but they always have been. Sound quality is not bad.

PQ: 4.5/5, AQ: 4/5

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Elite Squad 2 (Tropa de Elite 2)

Elite Squad was such a treat for me because it was one of the few times I have seen a reality presented so powerfully. The brilliance of the first film lies in how director José Padilha makes you sweat, effectively (and relentlessly) packing intensity in a compelling story of corruption and violence in Brazil. In Elite Squad 2, Padilha takes a novel approach, tackles a more complex script, and succeeds marvelously.

Elite Squad 2 dives into the psyche of the state and this time, explores the evils of organized crime as opposed to raw street brutality. The film follows the same character, Captain Nascimento, as he is forced to seek out a much more dangerous enemy. Wagner Moura delivers a strong performance along with solid acting by the rest of the cast. What José Padilha has truly accomplished here is a cerebral and political thriller that provides a powerful depiction of the range and devastation of corruption. His enthusiastic filmmaking radiates off the screen leaving you with sheer entertainment, and just a bit more.

4.5/5

I was reading about this film and its predecessor a few days ago. Looking forward to seeing it.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

That's really interesting about the title, I didn't know that. I've only seen this once but I loved it, can't wait to see Biutiful!



Still haven't seen this!

I was underwhelmed when I saw Babel (only seen it once), because I thought it was too derivative of Crash and attempted too hard to make wide-ranging character connections--it seemed unnatural to me. I also can't wait to see Biutiful.


I also haven't seen Magnolia!

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

Still haven't seen this!

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

I also haven't seen Magnolia!

you two have some work to do asap!

[iam1bearcat]

The Crow - 4.5/5

one of my favorites of the 90's. one of the earliest R-rated films i was able to watch. still awesome to this day for me, but maybe that's a bit of nostalgia since i'm sure someone new coming in to The Crow will wrongly rip it apart for the flaws it has (and it does have flaws, it's not perfect) instead of enjoying the film for what it is and what it represents.

i LOVE the very dark humor the film contains and the very memorable run ins Eric Draven has with the gang that took him and his fiance down

on the surface it's a simple revenge tale, but The Crow is so much more than that

"oh great... great.... guy shows up lookin' like a mime from hell and lose him right in the open"

*after getting shot* "look what you did to my sheets!"

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

The Crow - 4.5/5

one of my favorites of the 90's. one of the earliest R-rated films i was able to watch. still awesome to this day for me, but maybe that's a bit of nostalgia since i'm sure someone new coming in to The Crow will wrongly rip it apart for the flaws it has (and it does have flaws, it's not perfect) instead of enjoying the film for what it is and what it represents.

i LOVE the very dark humor the film contains and the very memorable run ins Eric Draven has with the gang that took him and his fiance down

on the surface it's a simple revenge tale, but The Crow is so much more than that

"oh great... great.... guy shows up lookin' like a mime from hell and lose him right in the open"

*after getting shot* "look what you did to my sheets!"

Looking forward to watching this in a few hours to finish my Halloween themed weekend. I think I haven't seen this since it came out.

[SquidPuppet]

Star Wars IV - A new Hope

I have only seen this ONCE previously, decades ago, far away.

Man, what an absolute cheese parade, from beginning to end. But I still enjoyed the heck out of it.

The dialogue, the acting, the physicl battles, and so much more feel like a student (newbie at that) film.

Someone needs to tell the troopers that rugged military men dont "SKIP" when running towards their enemy. And after being shot, you dont gently "Lay down". LMAO.

Boy, that Mark Hamill is one hell of a polished thespian. Same with Ms. Fisher.

There is just so much that you can tear apart, its a blast to watch. Its a super condensed "B" movie extravaganza.

Movie 4/5
PQ 4.5/5
AQ 4.5/5 The surrounds are used a lot for music, but IMO, not enough for panning and battle effects. Plus, I found a pan that went from left to right when the spacecraft went from right to left.

Going to watch Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back tonight.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Star Wars IV - A new Hope

I have only seen this ONCE previously, decades ago, far away.

Man, what an absolute cheese parade, from beginning to end. But I still enjoyed the heck out of it.

The dialogue, the acting, the physicl battles, and so much more feel like a student (newbie at that) film.

Someone needs to tell the troopers that rugged military men dont "SKIP" when running towards their enemy. And after being shot, you dont gently "Lay down". LMAO.

Boy, that Mark Hamill is one hell of a polished thespian. Same with Ms. Fisher.

There is just so much that you can tear apart, its a blast to watch. Its a super condensed "B" movie extravaganza.

[Show spoiler]
Movie 4/5
PQ 4.5/5
AQ 4.5/5 The surrounds are used a lot for music, but IMO, not enough for panning and battle effects. Plus, I found a pan that went from left to right when the spacecraft went from right to left.

Going to watch Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back tonight.

Blasphemy!!

[Show spoiler]

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest blind-buy: "Tree of Life."

This is one very iffy blind-buy for me to make, given that there are no big 'splosions or fights here or anything. It's even more iffy given the fact that I didn't care for "The Thin Red Line" when I saw it, and that's currently the only other Terrence Mallick film I've seen. Understanding that "Tree of Life" would be a slow-burning drama with no substantial plot structure, I decided to get a copy while the local store actually had it in stock, and see what the big deal is...

As expected, "Tree of Life" is rather lengthy and the plot is all over the place. It's a family-drama first and foremost, offering a montage that shows kids growing up with a loving mother and a mean father. It's also a film that glimpses at the birth and death of the universe. It's a film that ambitiously encompasses an entire lifetime, and entire generation, and an entire cosmos. Given the nebulous nature of the film, it's all fed to the audience as a steady stream of images and scenes. I imagine that some viewers may be frustrated with the randomness of it and the lingering attention to seemingly-irrelevant images or music, but one can't deny that the film is gorgeous.

The "story" would be my main point of contention, as there is no story to this. At least there is no story in terms of plot structure or a physical conflict. Movies like this usually don't interest me much, but in the case of "Tree of Life," the focus on the characters is pretty strong, and it is quite invoking to watch the progression of the family. The freestyle narrative and montage-style structuring does succeed at making the whole film resemble random memories and thought-processes.

Above all, I believe that there is a lot of truth to this film. From the start, it tells of of the interplay between the two main types of people in the world (those who live by nature and those who live by grace; or in other words, the selfish and the selfless). You could probably also extrapolate themes of life and death, human destiny, humanity's relationship with God and/or nature, love and hate, nature vs artificiality, and probably more. There are a huge number of levels attributed to this film, and chances are that you'll find something to contemplate upon watching this.

The film has awesome photography and editing (I figured that the imagery would make the film most worthwhile, and I believe it does ). Acting is spot-on; writing seems okay. This production features quality sets, props, costumes and some really great special effects. Music is classy.

Surprisingly, despite the randomness of the story, I find myself liking the film in general. I will be keeping it and probably will re-watch it often; I think it would be good for both active and background viewing, especially as a compliment to "Baraka."

4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 3/5, film: 5/5) Higher score is possible on repeat viewings.

Recommendation: Yes.

In regards to this Blu-Ray, I shall use a term that I haven't seen used in a while: REFERENCE QUALITY!!!

PQ: 5/5, AQ: 5/5

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

Looking forward to watching this in a few hours to finish my Halloween themed weekend. I think I haven't seen this since it came out.

hopefully you still enjoy it!

[iam1bearcat]

The Mist - 5/5

so much awesomeness in two hours

one of my favorite scenes is very early in the film when it's day time, sun is shining, everyone is in the grocery store talking about the store and then after the eerie speedy cop cars go flying by suddenly the tornado sirens go off and everyone tenses up! and then we see the old dude with the bloody nose saying, "something's in the mist!"

awesome

one of my favorite horror movies, but at the same time, works great just as a film. few horror films can really say that. on one hand it's a movie about creepy almost unseen terrifying creatures in the mist, on another hand it's a personal tale of several lives and how they react to such dire consequences and handle situations surrounding them (much like The Blair Witch Project), which i find fascinating.

of course, two points of contention are the acting by the main lead, and of course, the ending.

to me, the acting never rubbed me the wrong the way or bothered me. because the movie seems to take place a few decades earlier (from the military wardrobe to the phones they have, no one having cell phones...) the acting (while goofy at sometimes from the main lead) seemed to fit in relatively well for the story.

and the ending... well, the ending is AWESOME. nothing else needs to be said. i've watched the film a few times with people who have never seen it and their reactions to the ending are priceless. love those moments

another high point is how the film maintains an atmosphere and constant creepiness from inside of a damn grocery store! most horror films / suspense films fail at atmosphere and intensity with solid sets and a somewhat horror feel - but The Mist succeeds in a venue we all visit on (at least) a weekly basis!

The Mist is a classic horror film

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

hopefully you still enjoy it!

Unfortunately it got delayed. I'll watch it tomorrow instead. Something came up and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to fit it in before dinner, so I watched two more episodes of Fringe instead. That'll do as a replacement.

I'm going to have to check out The Mist sometime even though I'm still not a huge horror fan. I've never seen it.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

“The Others.”
But whether you watch it for the first time or not, the characters are quite strong.

agreed! apart from the famous ending, the characters are very strong. Bertha Mills character is very strong. I can't recall the last horror character that

[Show spoiler]went from good to bad like her, and it was such a 180! how much more intimate can you get that your housekeeper who looks over your kids, etc??? and she turns out to be a ghost all along!!! (and on our first viewing, a ghost to human-Kidman and human-kids, until we get to the end). Bertha Mills is just freaky because of (a) that twist, (b) her accent (my homeland - where Halloween was born ) and (c) her SLOW walk, like the zombies in Romero's Dawn '78 - more freaky than sprinting zombies - she's CALM, not in a hurry - essentially telling you "you can run, but you can't hide - so i'll just WALK and WILL GET YOU"

other good character was the daughter!!! what is with that girl's accent/face/voice??? FREEEEAAAKKKYYYYY

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

The Crow - 4.5/5

"oh great... great.... guy shows up lookin' like a mime from hell and lose him right in the open"

*after getting shot* "look what you did to my sheets!"

"you are seriouslly fu@ked up!!!" **says guy high on crack to draven**

"fire it up!!! fire it up!!!!"

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Star Wars IV - A new Hope

I have only seen this ONCE previously, decades ago, far away.

dude, you're lucky i'm no SW freak. this review would have made my blood BOIL

Man, what an absolute cheese parade, from beginning to end. But I still enjoyed the heck out of it.

The dialogue, the acting, the physicl battles, and so much more feel like a student (newbie at that) film.

didn't quite feel as strong as you here, but definitely saw parts that were indicative that this was the low budget first episode. were you comparing it to post 77 stuff? that's what i was (unfairly or fairly) doing. am i not unfairly comparing it to post-77 stuff? rather than pre-77 stuff? I do that to Blade Runner (saw it AFTER tons of post-Blade RUnner stuff).

Someone needs to tell the troopers that rugged military men dont "SKIP" when running towards their enemy. And after being shot, you dont gently "Lay down". LMAO.

haha, didn't see that. will look for it now.

Going to watch Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back tonight.

SICK AQ - if you disagree, your system is obviously flawed

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

The Mist - 5/5

and the ending... well, the ending is AWESOME. nothing else needs to be said.

sorry to rain on the parade, but the ending was CRAP - utter CRAP.

in order to believe that the ending was awesome, one would necessarily have to believe a non-truth:

[Show spoiler]
that pure logic and pure emotion can co-exist.

pure emotion: the Dad loves his son and his actions are 100% determined by this emotion

pure logic: the Dad is no more than a T-1000 who is programmed with the following computer programming code regarding his son:
(a) assess short term danger to son --> input 1
(b) assess long term danger to son --> input 2
(c) determine whether input 2 > input 1. if yes, go to step (d). if no, go to step (e)
(d) terminate son via. short term danger (shoot son = end of film)
(e) take no action

sorry, but just one look at an episode of American Idol and its obvious that logic and emotion are oil and water, especially when it comes to parenting.
Simon: your kid sucks
Parent: how dare you say that! (all emotion, no logic)

IMO, if a parent truly loves their kid, their emotions would forbid any kind of logical assessment that even permits harm to the kid (even if its a present reduced harm, compared to a worse future harm = requires logical assessment + harm (ANY KIND) to the kid). Same reason why that parent on American Idol has emotions which won't permit ANY criticism (harm) to their kid, and for who logic is not even a factor!

is there a dad who would have shot the son? absolutely, but not THAT DAD. i could see the Dean of MIT do it. that S.O.B. probably is thinking about data charts and pie charts when his son is asking him to have "the talk" about girls

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

sorry to rain on the parade, but the ending was CRAP - utter CRAP.

in order to believe that the ending was awesome, one would necessarily have to believe a non-truth:

[Show spoiler]
that pure logic and pure emotion can co-exist.

pure emotion: the Dad loves his son and his actions are 100% determined by this emotion

pure logic: the Dad is no more than a T-1000 who is programmed with the following computer programming code regarding his son:
(a) assess short term danger to son --> input 1
(b) assess long term danger to son --> input 2
(c) determine whether input 2 > input 1. if yes, go to step (d). if no, go to step (e)
(d) terminate son via. short term danger (shoot son = end of film)
(e) take no action

sorry, but just one look at an episode of American Idol and its obvious that logic and emotion are oil and water, especially when it comes to parenting.
Simon: your kid sucks
Parent: how dare you say that! (all emotion, no logic)

IMO, if a parent truly loves their kid, their emotions would forbid any kind of logical assessment that even permits harm to the kid (even if its a present reduced harm, compared to a worse future harm = requires logical assessment + harm (ANY KIND) to the kid). Same reason why that parent on American Idol has emotions which won't permit ANY criticism (harm) to their kid, and for who logic is not even a factor!

is there a dad who would have shot the son? absolutely, but not THAT DAD. i could see the Dean of MIT do it. that S.O.B. probably is thinking about data charts and pie charts when his son is asking him to have "the talk" about girls

I appreciated the brutal irony of "The Mist's" ending. But when I watched it for the first time, I perceived this algorithm:

[Show spoiler]function ultimate survival instinct{
if (short_term_danger || long_term_danger)
{
get out of the car and run like Hell
use last four bullets to shoot everything that moves
get to safety
}
if (long_term_danger)
prepare for long term survival in the mist
}

Alas, it was not meant to be.

Now that I think about it, doing it this way probably would have resulted in the guy running out of the mist blindly and accidentally shooting a soldier in the face. Then he gets arrested for murder. Now that would have been something.