The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[jvince]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

And since Czar loves his horror, he is missing out on one of the best ever...

Eh... It's a nice little fairy-tale-ish movie, but deep down, it really isn't horror.

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

The Orphanage, Diabolique, and The Devil's Backbone (among others--I know there are other popular ones out there I haven't seen, such as Martyrs and Rec).

But come on...we all know Czar is a lost cause when it comes to this! His loss!

I love Diabolique. It doesn't get old, despite already knowing the twist. The Devil's Backbone is one of the many movies in my DVR that I haven't watched yet. Really interested in seeing it.

I'd like to thrown in Let the Right One In (vampire tale), Three... Extremes (art-house anthology), The Host (monster movie), Audition (wtf), and Imprint (wtf x2) in the list of great foreign horror films. Also, if ultra-violence qualifies, I'd wholeheartedly recommend Battle Royale.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

I felt that was the cheesiest, most laughably bad scene in the entire film. While it was nice to see a thriller use a different type of music than what the standard is for thrillers, but the music was putrid. A solid, above average film for sure, but one of the worst scores \ soundtracks.

Dont sugarcoat it, tell us how you relly feel.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Yes...weirdo

[Show spoiler]

Oh well, I'm not a fan of the series anyway.

I know...

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by jvince

Eh... It's a nice little fairy-tale-ish movie, but deep down, it really isn't horror.

I love Diabolique. It doesn't get old, despite already knowing the twist. The Devil's Backbone is one of the many movies in my DVR that I haven't watched yet. Really interested in seeing it.

I'd like to thrown in Let the Right One In (vampire tale), Three... Extremes (art-house anthology), The Host (monster movie), Audition (wtf), and Imprint (wtf x2) in the list of great foreign horror films. Also, if ultra-violence qualifies, I'd wholeheartedly recommend Battle Royale.

"The Orphanage" never scared me much, but it is a decent ghost story imo.

"Let the Right One In," "The Host," and "Battle Royale" are all awesome too!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by jvince

Eh... It's a nice little fairy-tale-ish movie, but deep down, it really isn't horror.

].

Sir! Take a step back and slap yourself. Hard!

You done? Good.



The very definition of classic horror.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

"The Orphanage" never scared me much, but it is a decent ghost story imo.

I know, it's more of a drama/mystery to me. If there was a scary part, it would be

[Show spoiler]that old lady

.

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

"Let the Right One In," "The Host," and "Battle Royale" are all awesome too!

[jvince]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Sir! Take a step back and slap yourself. Hard!

You done? Good.



The very definition of classic horror.

Well maybe yeah. It does have shades of Poltergiest in there.

Maybe because I've seen a bunch of more effed-up horror flicks, The Orphanage doesn't really strike me as a horror film anymore. But it is no doubt a good movie.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by CZAR

Yea maybe one day I will give it a thorough shot. Got Em!!

I have been trying to figure out what best movie to start with for you with subtitles. I am sure something will come to me. I could say rent Seven Samurai since for a foreign movie it's easier to access but it's almost 3 hours long and that might be a bit hard for you since you don't like sub much.

I will see if I can suggest something to you.

[iam1bearcat]

State of Play

118 minutes

year: 2009
director: Kevin Macdonald
starring: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, and Jeff Bridges

yet another blind buy. and yet, another success!

i was a bit worried about buy State of Play because most political thrillers (and some thrillers in general) don't hold up well to repeat viewings. and while i have no idea how i'll feel about State of Play on repeat views, for this first one, i loved it. of course, i have a soft spot for political thrillers so a lot of things that may piss off or bother others doesn't affect me as much.

the film opens with a mysterious man shooting a man and taking a briefcase and the disappearing into the darkness! oh man! what an opening hook! genre cliches aside, State of Play easily held my attention for the full 118 minute run time. it also helps that i really like all the major actors in the film.

while a few "surprises" i guess / saw coming a few feet away (no, not miles ) this wasn't a film that bored me or came across as super obvious as what was going to happen next. there were a few "oh wow" surprises that i didn't see coming at all which was nice.

don't have much in the way of complaints, and since i paid a whopping $5.82 for it (brand new), there's no doubt in my mind that this will be keeper in my collection

looks and sounds damn good as well.

4/5

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

And since Czar loves his horror, he is missing out on one of the best ever...

[Show spoiler]

all this talk about The Orphanage makes me wanna watch my copy now

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Dont sugarcoat it, tell us how you relly feel.

i always make sure to tell you how i relly feel

[jvince]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

State of Play

118 minutes

year: 2009
director: Kevin Macdonald
starring: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, and Jeff Bridges

yet another blind buy. and yet, another success!

i was a bit worried about buy State of Play because most political thrillers (and some thrillers in general) don't hold up well to repeat viewings. and while i have no idea how i'll feel about State of Play on repeat views, for this first one, i loved it. of course, i have a soft spot for political thrillers so a lot of things that may piss off or bother others doesn't affect me as much.

the film opens with a mysterious man shooting a man and taking a briefcase and the disappearing into the darkness! oh man! what an opening hook! genre cliches aside, State of Play easily held my attention for the full 118 minute run time. it also helps that i really like all the major actors in the film.

while a few "surprises" i guess / saw coming a few feet away (no, not miles ) this wasn't a film that bored me or came across as super obvious as what was going to happen next. there were a few "oh wow" surprises that i didn't see coming at all which was nice.

don't have much in the way of complaints, and since i paid a whopping $5.82 for it (brand new), there's no doubt in my mind that this will be keeper in my collection

looks and sounds damn good as well.

4/5

Good movie and good message, but it felt like it could have been better and it's the kind of film that really doesn't stick with you long after you've seen it.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

State of Play

[Show spoiler]118 minutes

year: 2009
director: Kevin Macdonald
starring: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, and Jeff Bridges

yet another blind buy. and yet, another success!

i was a bit worried about buy State of Play because most political thrillers (and some thrillers in general) don't hold up well to repeat viewings. and while i have no idea how i'll feel about State of Play on repeat views, for this first one, i loved it. of course, i have a soft spot for political thrillers so a lot of things that may piss off or bother others doesn't affect me as much.

the film opens with a mysterious man shooting a man and taking a briefcase and the disappearing into the darkness! oh man! what an opening hook! genre cliches aside, State of Play easily held my attention for the full 118 minute run time. it also helps that i really like all the major actors in the film.

while a few "surprises" i guess / saw coming a few feet away (no, not miles ) this wasn't a film that bored me or came across as super obvious as what was going to happen next. there were a few "oh wow" surprises that i didn't see coming at all which was nice.

don't have much in the way of complaints, and since i paid a whopping $5.82 for it (brand new), there's no doubt in my mind that this will be keeper in my collection

looks and sounds damn good as well.

4/5

Close enough
I give it either a 4.25 or a 4.5...I can't recall off hand. Highly enjoy it.

What are some of the things you did and didn't see coming?

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i always make sure to tell you how i relly feel

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Close enough
I give it either a 4.25 or a 4.5...I can't recall off hand. Highly enjoy it.

What are some of the things you did and didn't see coming?

my score could always go up since this was just the first viewing, we'[ll see though but definitely glad i own it

some of the things i saw coming...

[Show spoiler]- the guy in the hospital dying (although getting shot makes it look like a massive cover up, which it is, but thought they'd be "sneakier" about it

ah, can't remember off hand the others. there were only like 2 or 3 though and one near the end that was a bit obvious.

as for what i didn't see coming i didn't see - at all - that Affleck's character was gonna be the "bad guy" in it all. that surprised me. good twist there i thought.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

my score could always go up since this was just the first viewing, we'[ll see though but definitely glad i own it

some of the things i saw coming...

[Show spoiler]- the guy in the hospital dying (although getting shot makes it look like a massive cover up, which it is, but thought they'd be "sneakier" about it

ah, can't remember off hand the others. there were only like 2 or 3 though and one near the end that was a bit obvious.

as for what i didn't see coming i didn't see - at all - that Affleck's character was gonna be the "bad guy" in it all. that surprised me. good twist there i thought.

Definitely a movie worth owning

Yea, the part you saw coming is expected. That's one of those things where if it WOULDN'T have happened we'd be

And the part you didn't see coming...I didn't either. I was surprised that that was the case.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Do iiiiittt!

Overcoming your apprehension over subtitles might allow you to enjoy such awe-inspiring cinematic masterpieces as...

[Show spoiler]

Ive seen High Tension in english and loved it. Got Em!!

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Elitist snob.

[Show spoiler]

U know it haha. Got Em!!

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Playboy? Really?

I'm sure most people here would agree that many dvds look excellent upscaled, and actually look better than some blu-rays. For example, Sin Nombre.

Man playboy is old school and a compliment lol. Got Em!!

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

And since Czar loves his horror, he is missing out on one of the best ever...

Yea I actually do wanna see that one. I wish they would remake it like Let Me In. Got Em!!

Originally Posted by jvince

Well, I highlighted the worst, but in no way is Frozen, Eli, or Unstoppable a better film than The Social Network. You know, there is a huge difference between a good movie and a favorite movie. You shouldn't let preference and taste get in the way of distinguishing a well-made film...

I dont agree with that as I have said many times. If I prefer a film over another film thats just how it is. What do u mean well made? If its well made but still isnt a great film then it still isnt a great film. Simple as that. How can u prefer a film over another because i felt it more but still say the other film is more well made? Maybe its just me but thats how it is. Got Em!!

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

The Orphanage, Diabolique, and The Devil's Backbone (among others--I know there are other popular ones out there I haven't seen, such as Martyrs and Rec).

But come on...we all know Czar is a lost cause when it comes to this! His loss!

U never know man. Got Em!!

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

I have been trying to figure out what best movie to start with for you with subtitles. I am sure something will come to me. I could say rent Seven Samurai since for a foreign movie it's easier to access but it's almost 3 hours long and that might be a bit hard for you since you don't like sub much.

I will see if I can suggest something to you.

Seven Samurai came on lastnight and I watched about 5 minutes of it. Damn it looks very old and dated but I have heard nuthin but great things about it. Got Em!!

[Pondosinatra]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

...

"Let the Right One In,"...are all awesome too!

If you're talking about the Swedish one, then yes, I agree.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Pondosinatra

If you're talking about the Swedish one, then yes, I agree.

there is no other version of Let the Right One In. the American version is called Let Me In. there's a difference

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

State of Play

[Show spoiler]
118 minutes

year: 2009
director: Kevin Macdonald
starring: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, and Jeff Bridges

yet another blind buy. and yet, another success!

i was a bit worried about buy State of Play because most political thrillers (and some thrillers in general) don't hold up well to repeat viewings. and while i have no idea how i'll feel about State of Play on repeat views, for this first one, i loved it. of course, i have a soft spot for political thrillers so a lot of things that may piss off or bother others doesn't affect me as much.

the film opens with a mysterious man shooting a man and taking a briefcase and the disappearing into the darkness! oh man! what an opening hook! genre cliches aside, State of Play easily held my attention for the full 118 minute run time. it also helps that i really like all the major actors in the film.

while a few "surprises" i guess / saw coming a few feet away (no, not miles ) this wasn't a film that bored me or came across as super obvious as what was going to happen next. there were a few "oh wow" surprises that i didn't see coming at all which was nice.

don't have much in the way of complaints, and since i paid a whopping $5.82 for it (brand new), there's no doubt in my mind that this will be keeper in my collection

looks and sounds damn good as well.

4/5

Another from me, but I'm sure you already expected that since I told you before that you made a good choice blind buying this. I'd probably give it closer to what Diesel said, but close enough.

I'll skip quoting your other post and just say that the twist you didn't see coming was actually a complaint by some people saying that

[Show spoiler]there was one too many twists and that the movie should have just ended without having Ben Affleck be the bad guy.

I guess I can see where they are coming from with that, but it didn't bother me at all.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by jvince

A little trivia: In Sofia Coppola's movie Lost in Translation, Ribisi's character was based on Spike Jonze (Copolla's ex-husband) and Farris was based on Cameron Diaz, both of whom worked together in Being John Malkovich.



Am I the only one who liked Temple of Doom the most?

Cool Trivia

As for Temple of Doom, my friend said he loves it, and that Raiders is the worst for him (Out of the trilogy) I was outraged!

[jvince]

Genre: Drama / Adventure / Comedy
Synopsis: Four boys set out on a search for a missing teenager and have the adventure of their lives.
Running Time: 89 minutes

Director: Rob Reiner (The Princess Bride)
Writers: Stephen King (The Shawshank Redemption), Raynold Gideon (Starman), Bruce A. Evans (Mr. Brooks)
Stars: Wil Wheaton (The Secret of NIMH), River Phoenix (Running on Empty), Corey Feldman (The Goonies), Jerry O'Connell (Jerry Maguire), Kiefer Sutherland (24), Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws), John Cusack (Say Anything...)

Is this the best Stephen King film adaptation to date?

It's certainly arguable.

Is this the most impeccable child ensemble of all time?

A resounding yes.

Is this the greatest coming-of-age film ever made?

Most definitely. There's just no conceivable way in hell that there is or will be any other better than this. "Stand by Me" is unquestionably one f*cking epic masterpiece.

The direction. The plot. The acting. The cinematography. The characterization. The score. Everything. This is exactly the kind of movie-making perfection you will rarely get to experience in an entire lifetime. The characters are so well fleshed out, you'd think they are real. By the end, you'd feel as if you already know them so well; you'd feel as if you were the fifth member of the gang. The beautifully-shot scenery and the excellent 50s soundtrack compliment each other effectively, evoking a smooth and sublime tone all throughout. I am now absolutely convinced that Rob Reiner is a master director just like Stephen King is a master auteur. How he brings King's story to life is just pitch-perfect. Reiner gets everything right, melding every single element into wonderful, cinematic magic.

The acting displayed here are some of the strongest I have ever seen, which is even more astounding given the fact that the majority of the characters are portrayed by young actors. Standouts are Corey Feldman who is electric as the eccentric Teddy, and a young Kiefer Sutherland as the unflinchingly cold-blooded monster of a bully Ace. Everyone in this film is just so natural that whoever was the casting director rightfully deserves a lifetime achievement award just for managing to gather together such outstanding talent and forming such an immortal ensemble.

Timeless and universal, "Stand by Me" is the quintessential coming-of-age movie. This is the kind of film that will certainly stay close to your heart forever just as I'm sure it will in mine. If there is ever a list of films you must see before you die, this goes right on top. So, to everyone and everybody who has yet to see "Stand by Me," what are you waiting for? I highly recommend it... sincerely.

Rating: ***** out of 5