The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i swear, whenever i see "The Descendants" all i see is your name and picture attached to it

my folks told me they watched it the other day, my mom, who has horrid tastes and likes absolutely nothing (i swear she doesn't register any emotion ever ) told me to "avoid it, it's really boring".

i then told her to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey, and that it would be a jovial blast for her

needless to say, when i finally get around to watching this, i will likely love it since i really enjoy films of this nature. and because usually when my mom says something sucks, i enjoy it

Yeah, I do go on about it

I tried to put it into words, but it's really hard to get across why I like it so much. It's something to do with the writing. I tend to admire good screenplays it seems.

2001 is certainly a test for anyone who thinks The Descendants is boring. I know you like There Will Be Blood. That's one that people often say is boring. I love it of course.

[Diesel]

Just watched an "old favorite" of ours in this thread...The Mist

The ending never gets less

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Just watched an "old favorite" of ours in this thread...The Mist

The ending never gets less

If only

[Show spoiler]he'd have waited

...

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Just watched an "old favorite" of ours in this thread...The Mist

The ending never gets less

Yep, I love it. My friends hated it.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Foggy

If only

[Show spoiler]he'd have waited

...

Also...a guy named Foggy...commenting on a movie called The Mist...makes me laugh a bit

Originally Posted by Steve46

Yep, I love it. My friends hated it.

Unacceptable...you must now

[Show spoiler]rip their chesticles off with a giant tentacle

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Also...a guy named Foggy...commenting on a movie called The Mist...makes me laugh a bit

Although, Foggy jokes get old to me rather fast

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Although, Foggy jokes get old to me rather fast

What if I said I was now going to watch...The Fog?

[Show spoiler]Couldn't resist.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Diesel

What if I said I was now going to watch...The Fog?

[Show spoiler]Couldn't resist.

[Show spoiler]

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Diesel

The ending never gets less

deliciously ironic when you consider

[Show spoiler]he took the crazy bible lady's advice (she was prepping the kool aid when they bolted from the store = kill all her "followers". sure, different context, but the outward act was identical.)

. she was right all along (so he thought)!

DISCLAIMER: this post should not be read literally and is merely intended to rile up a certain blu-ray.com member who shall remain nameless.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Foggy

[Show spoiler]

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

deliciously ironic when you consider

[Show spoiler]he took the crazy bible lady's advice (she was prepping the kool aid when they bolted from the store = kill all her "followers". sure, different context, but the outward act was identical.)

. she was right all along (so he thought)!

DISCLAIMER: this post should not be read literally and is merely intended to rile up a certain blu-ray.com member who shall remain nameless.

at the disclaimer

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

quality of show - the sex/violence is right there. Rome just seemed more real (because it was, I guess). But beyond the non-fiction basis of Rome, the characters/actors of Rome seemed better than GOT, in spite of Sean Bean, who is quite obviously perfectly cast in these roles (the guy looks like he stepped out of a 1100 AD time machine). I can't tell if its the script or the acting, but something just doesn't seem as real as Rome. I know I shouldn't even be comparing them, as one is fantasy (I think?) and one is based on history, but the similarities in the show are so blatantly similar that I can't help it.

I have episodes 3-6 at home. will know much more after those

Squid: I'm on episode 7/10 now and thoughts are relatively unchanged. First 3-4 episodes were "setting up the chess pieces", so to speak. Episodes 5-7 moved much faster, in terms of plot. However, I'm still a tad underimpressed by the series. Plot and acting are C+, IMO. Set, costumes, etc are A. Overall? B- Definietly doesn't have the rewatchability of Rome, but enjoying it nonetheless and engaged enough to want to know what happens in the last 3 episodes. My opinion may change, but I doubt considerable change. Probably deserving of a rental.

[Steve46]

I made it to the end!

100. Broadcast News (1987)
Comedy, Drama, Romance, 133 minutes
Directed by James L. Brooks
Starring William Hurt, Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks and Jack Nicholson



If you watch television at all, you have almost certainly seen something that James L. Brooks was involved in. He was a writer on Taxi, Lou Grant, Rhoda and the Mary Tyler Moore show and continues to contribute to The Simpsons. His first film, Terms of Endearment, took home five Oscars, with Brooks being credited for three of them.

Broadcast News is a blend of comedy, drama and romance. When I first watched it over 20 years ago, I was disappointed. I didn't think it was interesting, funny or moving in any way. It's strange how our tastes can change over the years. I think I appreciate the film now because I know more about life and can relate to some of the events.

Two brief scenes at the start of the film introduce us to the characters of Tom and Jane. We learn that Tom doesn't mind being beaten up at school because he knows he will have a better career than any of the bullies he has to deal with. Jane shows us a glimpse of her character as she chastises her father for his imprecise use of words.

The story continues with the adult Jane (Hunter) giving a speech about news coverage. She's dismayed at how the networks dumb-down information to appease the audience. When she demonstrates her point with a mindless news article, her audience is more responsive than at any other point in her speech.The only person who admires her presentation is Tom (Hurt) and she asks him to dinner. He presents the news, but reveals that he knows very little about the stories he talks about. Despite that, his employers love what he does and pay him large sums of money.

Jane is obsessed with her job as a producer and can't respect people who are bad at their job. Any chance of romance is ended when she speaks her mind to Tom. She repels men. Hunter got the part which was intended for Debra Winger, but it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role. Her accent and the determination with which her character pursues her career reminds me of Jodie Foster's performance in The Silence of the Lambs.

How often do people succeed on charm or because the right look? The film explores that theme throughout as we see Tom take every opportunity that presents itself. In contrast, we see a gifted reporter, Aaron (Brooks), receive no recognition from anyone with the exception of Jane. The two have a deep friendship and confide in each other regularly.

James L. Brooks has a background in news and portrays the high-paced environment to good effect. There's an hilarious scene early in the film in which Jane edits a story just a few seconds before it is due to air, and her assistant (Joan Cusack) has to dodge all manner of unlikely obstacles to deliver the tape on time. Although it's a funny scene, it shows how much pressure is involved in the news business.

Another exceptional scene shows Tom anchoring the news for the first time. Jane knows that he is likely to stumble if he has to think up questions for himself, so she takes care of all the content. Aaron, who is at home getting drunk after being overlooked again, calls in with information which Jane feeds to Tom while he is on the air. The result is a professional broadcast in which Tom is made to look highly competent.

There are a lot of similar scenes which give us a real understanding of how the news business might work. We feel part of that world. However, the film shines because of the acting and the dark comedy. Brooks is the source of much of the humor, but Hurt and Hunter play their parts well. Jack Nicholson has a small role and pulls it off perfectly as you would expect.

There is a love triangle of sorts. Tom is successful, but superficial, and he is interested in Jane. Part of his interest appears to be driven by what she might do for his career. Aaron can see Tom's shortcomings and thinks that he's a more suitable partner for Jane. He clearly loves her as well as being her best friend. Jane is torn between Tom's looks and success, and Aaron's friendship and competence. I'll let you find out the resolution for yourself.

Criterion's Blu-ray presentation is excellent and the film looks better than it ever has. The special features include recent interviews with James L. Brooks and the cast. One of the most interesting features is an alternate ending with comments from Brooks.

Broadcast News is unusual in that it manages to make a technical job appear exciting. I wanted to see what would happen to the three main characters. It's funny throughout in an intelligent way and the romantic element will please some viewers. I can't believe that I failed to see its brilliance when I first watched it over 20 years ago.

If you like Broadcast News:

Director James L. Brooks received much acclaim for his debut, Terms of Endearment, but I must admit that I haven't got around to seeing it yet. I aim to remedy that at the earliest opportunity. One Brooks film that I can heartily recommend is As Good as It Gets, starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear. Like Broadcast News, it expertly blends drama, comedy and romance.

[Steve46]

With my 100 movies series now complete, any comments?

What did you like?

Any unworthy inclusions or glaring omissions?

Here's the full list with my rationale:

Below is an ongoing alphabetical list of movies covered in my 100 movies to see before you die. Each title links to the review. For an explanation of how these titles were picked, please scroll down.

1. 12 Angry Men
2. 127 Hours
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey
4. The 400 Blows
5. Alien
6. Amelie
7. American Beauty
8. As Good as It Gets
9. Avatar
10. Babel
11. Bambi
12. Baraka
13. Being There
14. Black Swan
15. Blow Out
16. The Bourne Trilogy
17. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
18. The Bicycle Thief / Bicycle Thieves
19. Cache (Hidden)
20. Cast Away
21. Chungking Express
22. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
23. Closer
24. Control
25. The Dark Knight
26. Dead Poets Society
27. The Departed
28. Die Hard
29. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
30. Dog Day Afternoon
31. The Double Life of Veronique
32. Doubt
33. The Elephant Man
34. El Norte
35. Falling Down
36. Fantastic Mr. Fox
37. Fargo
38. Field of Dreams
39. Fight Club
40. Freedom Writers
41. Frost/Nixon
42. Gran Torino
43. Grave of the Fireflies
44. The Great Escape
45. I Am Legend
46. Jaws
47. Juno
48. Kes
49. Kill Bill Vol. 1
50. The King's Speech
51. Leon: The Professional
52. The Lives of Others
53. Lolita
54. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
55. Love Actually
56. The Matrix
57. Memento
58. Midnight in Paris
59. Million Dollar Baby
60. The Mist
61. Moneyball
62. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
63. Moon
64. Mulholland Dr.
65. My Neighbor Totoro
66. Once
67. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
68. Paris, Texas
69. Pay It Forward
70. Play Time
71. The Prestige
72. Psycho
73. Pulp Fiction
74. The Pursuit of Happyness
75. Rabbit Hole
76. Ratatouille
77. The Reader
78. Revanche
79. Seabiscuit
80. The Shawshank Redemption
81. The Shining
82. The Silence of the Lambs
83. Spirited Away
84. Stop Making Sense
85. Sunshine Cleaning
86. Taken
87. Taxi Driver
88. There Will Be Blood
89. Three Colors Red
90. Up in the Air
91. Vertigo
92. Wall Street
93. The Warriors
94. Wings of Desire
95. The World's Fastest Indian

As I was working through my initial list of 100 movies, I found that five titles were no longer as good as I remembered them. For that reason, the final five entries were added after the initial list was exhausted and will not appear in alphabetical order.

96. Bottle Rocket
97. Apollo 13
98. The Descendants
99. No Country for Old Men
100. Broadcast News

Have you ever read a list like this before?

Doesn't it seem a little arrogant to believe that if you like something it should be seen by everyone?

Think about it logically for a moment. Movies appeal to different people for different reasons. If you detest musicals, do you really want to watch The Sound of Music or The Wizard of Oz? If you don't like violence, will you enjoy Casino or Goodfellas? If you can't bear to watch a subtitled film, will you subject yourself to Das Boot or The Bicycle Thief?

Some people will never watch a black and white film. Others will avoid movies in which an animal dies or gets hurt.

Do you avoid movies with nudity, swearing, or extreme sadness? Can you sit down and watch something that runs for three or four hours, or will you only watch shorter movies?

Do you avoid certain genres or find yourself only watching comedy or action movies?

There is so much to consider when recommending a movie to other people. I regularly try to suggest titles to three or four different groups of friends. I want them to enjoy my selections, but I also want to wow them or broaden their horizons. It's enjoyable seeing friends react when they are watching a movie you have seen several times. Well, it's enjoyable if they end up liking it. It's not much fun knowing that you wasted two hours of someone's life. It doesn't matter how well you think you know a person, one tiny little scene can ruin the movie for them.

With all that in mind, it's clearly impossible to make a sweeping statement such as, "Here are 100 movies you must see before you die." That list differs depending on your audience.

How do you even judge which 100 should be on your list? Should you include movies that introduced ideas or techniques which changed the way movies were made? What about just listing your 100 favorites? Could you even determine your 100 favorites, or would your list have changed by the time you finished compiling it?

What is the purpose of such a list anyway? Are you trying to show people that you have a vast amount of film knowledge? Or are you brave enough to list personal favorites that you know will be ridiculed by some of your audience?

Is the list for you, or is it for your audience?

In my case, I have decided to include 100 movies which are important to me in some way. I admire everything on the list, but the reasons for choosing each title vary. I have also decided not to just list 100 movies I love. I'm a fan of certain directors and actors, but including everything they have produced serves very little purpose.

One of the aims of this exercise is to introduce you to new movies. The best way I can think of to do that is to suggest other titles you may like if you like one of the 100 on my list. So, for each movie, I will include suggestions for similar films.

You have probably noticed that if I do that I'll have considerably more films than 100. Not only that, you'll realize that if you don't like 50 of the films on my list, there's very little point in investigating suggestions related to those particular titles. That's the idea.

I hope that my ramblings so far make some kind of sense and that you see what I am trying for here. I'm not an authority on film like Roger Ebert. He's been around a long time and has been reviewing films for a living for over 40 years.

I'm passionate about film and have been around a while too, but I wasn't always the person I am now. The importance of film is still quite a new realization to me and exploring the medium has only been a big part of my life for the past five years.

If I omit one of your favorites, it may mean that I simply haven't seen it. Or it could mean that it's just not my kind of film. Many on the following list will be loved by some of you and despised by others. There probably aren't two people on earth who would list exactly the same 100 films on a list like this.

Now that you know my reasoning, intent and (lack of) qualifications, I'll start the list. It will be in alphabetical order and I'll add to it when I have the time and inspiration.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i swear, whenever i see "The Descendants" all i see is your name and picture attached to it

Me too

i then told her to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey, and that it would be a jovial blast for her

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Just watched an "old favorite" of ours in this thread...The Mist

The ending never gets less

Another oldy thats fun to revisit after a few years is Dark City. Feels fresh and

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

deliciously ironic when you consider

[Show spoiler]he took the crazy bible lady's advice (she was prepping the kool aid when they bolted from the store = kill all her "followers". sure, different context, but the outward act was identical.)

. she was right all along (so he thought)!

DISCLAIMER: this post should not be read literally and is merely intended to rile up a certain blu-ray.com member who shall remain nameless.

[Diesel]

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Squid: I'm on episode 7/10 now and thoughts are relatively unchanged. First 3-4 episodes were "setting up the chess pieces", so to speak. Episodes 5-7 moved much faster, in terms of plot. However, I'm still a tad underimpressed by the series. Plot and acting are C+, IMO. Set, costumes, etc are A. Overall? B- Definietly doesn't have the rewatchability of Rome, but enjoying it nonetheless and engaged enough to want to know what happens in the last 3 episodes. My opinion may change, but I doubt considerable change. Probably deserving of a rental.

Thanks for the update. I am currently on episode five of Boardwalk Empire. It aint Deadwood, but it's pulling me in. I'll start Game of Thrones in a few days.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Diesel

He is perfect, eh? Eye brows down, tight fist, clenched jaw, tight grimaced lips, flared nostrils.

Epitomy of graphically displayed anger.

[Diesel]

Real Steel

Robots fighting robots while Wolverine controls one and Kate Austen is, well she's there, and that's enough

I got what I wanted out of this one: fun.

The kid is really annoying at times, but tolerable the rest of the film.

Jackman has the obvious arc that you would expect a deadbeat dad to go through in this sort of film.

And did I mention it's all based around ROBOTS BOXING?

You want a great underdog story that is really heartfelt? Well go watch Rocky.

You want a lesser quality, more fun version of that with robots? Watch this.

Rating - 4/5