The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

I was using the term "perfect" because of your original post Squid--
I don't often call films perfect-- as I said most all films have some flaw--
"outstanding", "great", "awesome". whatever are terms I give 5 star films...

The term "great" for me qualifies for 4 1/2 stars. To me the terms excellent & masterpiece hold a higher regard then "great" so the term "great" only garners a 4 1/2 star from me. Got Em!!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Foggy

I didn't say it doesn't have flaws, I said that if the flaws don't annoy me

I never said you did.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by CZAR

The term "great" for me qualifies for 4 1/2 stars. To me the terms excellent & masterpiece hold a higher regard then "great" so the term "great" only garners a 4 1/2 star from me. Got Em!!

oh boy-- the can of worms has been opened--

okay, for the record -- my rating system--

4 stars-- very good to excellent
5 stars-- outstanding

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

oh boy-- the can of worms has been opened--

okay, for the record -- my rating system--

4 stars-- very good to excellent
5 stars-- outstanding

5 stars - excellent, masterpiece
4 1/2 stars - great
4 stars - very good

Got Em!!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

I was using the term "perfect" because of your original post Squid--
I don't often call films perfect-- as I said most all films have some flaw--
"outstanding", "great", "awesome". whatever are terms I give 5 star films...

You arent angry I hope. I cant tell. This has all just been devils advocate fun from my end. I hope it wasnt taken the wrong way.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by CZAR

5 stars - excellent, masterpiece
4 1/2 stars - great
4 stars - very good

Got Em!!

don't have the 1/2 star so I give a lot of films I really like 4 stars...

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

You arent angry I hope. I cant tell. This has all just been devils advocate fun from my end. I hope it wasnt taken the wrong way.

no worries Squid--

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

You arent angry I hope. I cant tell. This has all just been devils advocate fun from my end. I hope it wasnt taken the wrong way.

Keep it up and I will have Jigsaw make a re-u-turn again. Got Em!!

Originally Posted by AKORIS

don't have the 1/2 star so I give a lot of films I really like 4 stars...

That makes sense. Got Em!!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by CZAR

Keep it up and I will have Jigsaw make a re-u-turn again. Got Em!!
!

If he makes a re-u-turn, isnt he aiming at YOUR house?

Man, you guys are confused by the simplest things.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by CZAR

Jigsaw can now make a u-turn and go back home as he was on the way to your crib. Got Em!!

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

If he makes a re-u-turn, isnt he aiming at YOUR house?

There u go. Got Em!!

[Al_The_Strange]

This is why I do the three-point thing. A movie can be imperfect as hell, but I might still give it 5/5 for other considerations.

Like "Star Wars," it rips off 20 jillion different things, it has horrid acting, and is just really silly overall. I'm still giving it 5/5 for entertainment value and storytelling; that's all that really matters in most cases.

So there.

[Diesel]

A Bug's Life

I'm sure most of you guys have seen it already; so just a quick highlight sentence:

It's funny, it's got adventure, it's got action and it has the most bad*** Pixar villain around in Kevin Spacey's Hopper


Rating - 4.25/5

[Steve46]

Broadcast News

I rented this on VHS when it came out 23 years ago and couldn't see what all the fuss was about. I had the impression that nothing happened.

My tastes have clearly changed over the years and I thought it was a wonderful drama watching it today on a DVD borrowed from the local library. I'll be adding the Criterion Blu-ray when I see it at a reasonable price.

Overall 4/5

[Al_The_Strange]

“Thunderball.”

For a Bond film (or, heck, any film), the following elements are requisite: SEX!!! VIOLENCE!!!

“Thunderball” is quite edgy for its time. Despite a few slow scenes, it moves pretty fast with shedloads of awesome fight scenes, and lots of hot steamy sex appeal. It reaches a heck of a climax with a massive underwater battle, ships blasting each other to hell, and an intense fight on a runaway boat. It may seem a bit mild by today’s standards, but it is a blast from the past!

The movie’s story follows the original book quite closely, almost word-for-word. For its time it was probably something original and thrilling; these days the theft of a nuke is a common action-movie premise. But the story handles the subject manner in a really cool way, taking it to the gorgeous Caribbean where Bond can play his poker, drink his martinis, and fool around with the chicks. It is a decent mystery plot with lots of peril and adventure. Characters aren’t really deep, but Largo is one of the best bad guys in the series, and Domino is quite the lady .

The film is well-shot with lots of beautiful photography; acting is pretty swell all around; production value is probably really high for its time; music is snazzy. But, the film does have its issues; editing is a little screwy, dialogue appears blatantly overdubbed at times (and it kinda does bother me that lines have been changed around between the theatrical cuts and the TV version; I get the impression now that the crazy editing cut off certain lines or screwed them around in weird ways), special effects are quite dated, and there are certainly a lot of things that can be considered laughable, outmodish, or just plain silly.

But heck, this is still one of the sexiest and most exciting Bond adventures evar!!!1!

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

The Blu-Ray looks good in general. It is sharp and mostly clean. If you look closely, you can see a faint line on the screen sometimes; looks like a faint scratch on the negative or something. High-def does reveal a lot more dirt on the camera lens and whatnot, but there’s not much to be done about that. Colors and contrast are mostly good, with just a few scenes here and there that look faded or dull. Sound quality succeeds well with the music, but it is very loud compared to most of the dialogue, which is very low, and I found this rather irritating. Otherwise, it’s generally clean and clear.

PQ: 4/5, AQ: 3.5/5

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Steve46

The title of this thread is the movie review and discussion club, so here's a question:

Which directors and writers have the most inventive ideas and most original stories?

Well, you certainly can't go wrong with Jeunet's work. "Delicatessen" and "City of Lost Children" are very distinctive and imaginative.

First and foremost though, I give my vote to James Cameron. Say what you will about "Avatar," it does have a colorful and imaginative world. For the most part, I give bigger credit to the original "Terminator" movies, "The Abyss," and his work with "Aliens." All his movies incorporate lots of really cool tech and ideas, and still has a strong focus on storytelling ("Avatar" notwithstanding) and entertainment. I love 'em!

Hayao Miyazaki makes very fantastic stories with very fantastic worlds and ideas. Peter Jackson and Guillermo Del Toro, do the same too. Christopher Nolan has lots of intellect and makes good entertaining stories, I just don't think he's as inventive on the same level as these other folks. George Lucas gets props for "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones," but I don't think his stories are that original, and his other films never really thrilled me. Spielburg makes good movies/stories, but I don't see him as being terribly inventive either.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Of the modern era, I'd say Lynch and Aronofsky.

Can't go wrong with them either!

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Can't go wrong with them either!

agreed

and while, maybe not as "flashy" or "original" i'll add Paul Thomas Anderson to that list. a truly underrated director imo because his films are more about people's instincts / behaviors / psyche, characters and writing than anything else.

[Q?]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Of the modern era, I'd say Lynch and Aronofsky.

Originally Posted by Steve46

Delicatessen

[Show spoiler]Directed and written by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro
Starring Dominique Pinon, Marie-Laure Dougnac, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Ticky Holgado
90 minutes
French langauge

The title of this thread is the movie review and discussion club, so here's a question:

Which directors and writers have the most inventive ideas and most original stories?

I ask that because I marvel at Jeunet's vision. I have seen Amelie, A Very Long Engagement, Micmacs and now Delicatessen. You can't predict what will happen in his stories after seeing a few minutes of the action. He's such an eccentric. He'll either annoy you or delight you with his quirky style.

Like all of his movies, Delicatessen exists in a unique world. The color palette consists of heavy use of yellow and brownish-red. It seems dirty, organic, industrial and not of this world. In some ways it's similar to Eraserhead, but the story is much more coherent.

Jeunet (or is it Caro, or both?) makes me laugh. Not in the same way as most comedies. There are all kinds of weird events throughout all his movies. Characters don't do what you would expect. It's like a giant freak show at times, but the story still exists.

Delicatessen is set in world where food is scarce. Society is breaking down to the point where

[Show spoiler]the unwary get killed and eaten.

The main character, Louison, is the next candidate. We see what happens to him.

The fun of Jeunet is the journey rather than the outcome. The stories can be incredibly complex. I think he's a clever guy who gives his audience credit for having similar intelligence.

His worlds are certainly not for everyone, but it seems that if you like one you'll like them all.

Fans of his work should check this out.

Overall 4/5

Your review was much better and you nailed it.

Originally Posted by Foggy

I gave it the same score, but I saw how perfect it was and I couldn't work out why I felt so letdown at the end, I just thought that it was a really good film. Though I did find it perfect in every sense, weird.

[Show spoiler]Was it her predictable death?

Originally Posted by tbizzle

I always wait for deals on newer films, but this might be a day 1 for me

Yeah asap!

[Al_The_Strange]

James Bond is taking a break right now…

Next greatest blind-buy: “Bambi.”

I think I avoided this film for the longest time because I held onto a rather juvenile belief that it was overly-cutesy, sappy, and “ghey.” But I’m giving it a chance, and it’s generally as classy and wonderful of a film as most other Disney classics. It has some cute moments, sure, but also some intense ones, and plenty of strong imagery. It’s pretty interesting for the most part, and certainly not as gay as I expected.

There’s not much of a story to this, but it is an effective life allegory and a coming-of-age tale. Lots of man-vs-nature action. Characters are generally likable (and cute ). Dialogue is pretty limited, but I think it helps the film a lot, allowing it to focus on the action and visuals, and to create a more dramatic impact.

The film has wonderful animation quality; it’s all smooth, well-textured, and decent-looking. Voice-acting is good for what it’s supposed to be. Music is pretty nice too.

4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 3.5/5, film: 5/5) Might change with repeat viewings.

The Blu-Ray looks and sounds darn near perfect!

PQ: 5/5, AQ: 5/5



Anyway, this provides the best bridge to the next possible Bond film…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBEN4jtzh-4

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

[Show spoiler]James Bond is taking a break right now…

Next greatest blind-buy: “Bambi.”

I think I avoided this film for the longest time because I held onto a rather juvenile belief that it was overly-cutesy, sappy, and “ghey.” But I’m giving it a chance, and it’s generally as classy and wonderful of a film as most other Disney classics. It has some cute moments, sure, but also some intense ones, and plenty of strong imagery. It’s pretty interesting for the most part, and certainly not as gay as I expected.

There’s not much of a story to this, but it is an effective life allegory and a coming-of-age tale. Lots of man-vs-nature action. Characters are generally likable (and cute ). Dialogue is pretty limited, but I think it helps the film a lot, allowing it to focus on the action and visuals, and to create a more dramatic impact.

The film has wonderful animation quality; it’s all smooth, well-textured, and decent-looking. Voice-acting is good for what it’s supposed to be. Music is pretty nice too.

4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 3.5/5, film: 5/5) Might change with repeat viewings.

The Blu-Ray looks and sounds darn near perfect!

PQ: 5/5, AQ: 5/5

Anyway, this provides the best bridge to the next possible Bond film…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBEN4jtzh-4

Excellent segway. But how on Earth can you watch that crap?

[Marcus Wright]

Originally Posted by Diesel

A Bug's Life

I'm sure most of you guys have seen it already; so just a quick highlight sentence:

It's funny, it's got adventure, it's got action and it has the most bad*** Pixar villain around in Kevin Spacey's Hopper


Rating - 4.25/5

Thats for sure.