The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

How hysterical were the

[Show spoiler]Brando impressions?

Also,

[Show spoiler]"The Black Mambaaaa...aaaa...aaa"

I found the classic rock soundtrack distracting/out of place... but at least it was consistent.



I watched the first half of Toy Story 3 the other day and could not believe how much detail there was in the background. The image was popping out of the screen. I remember being able to identify every pore on the bricks when they were climbing out the window.

Hehe, those were funny stuff.

Yep, Pixar's backgrounds look way more detailed.

[P@t_Mtl]

Love and Death

USA 1975
Directed by Woody Allen
Starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Harold Gould
Format: HDTV

Voici my favorite Woddy Allen movie ever. I am not quite sure how others feel about this one as it's not talked about much and is often over look in many conversation. I suspect that the reason might be that it was the last of the early Allen's movie and was followed right after by Annie Hall. In this one Allen's parody European cinema and litterature but mainly Ingmar Bergman. A sort of re-telling of War & Peace in only a fashion Allen could think about, the dialogue is quite something. Yet I could also see how it may not be for everyone. It's confusing in style. Is it a Max Brothers movie or is it a Ingmar Bergman movie? Plus how can you actually mix the two of them together? Yet for me, Allen's succeded in ways that I am sure he never suspected. If you are ever confused after watching Bergman's The Seventh Seal, watch Love & Death and things might become more clear I never like given numbers to a movie but for me this one is a 10 on 10.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides




Disappointed.

Everything in this movie was a shadow from the original films. The fun, the characters, the story....all of it.

Even Captain Jack, one of my favorite film characters, couldn't elevate this one above mediocrity for me.

I hated what they did with Barbossa in this one (

[Show spoiler]though the ending does hopefully mean a return to form in the 5th

). Geoffrey Rush gave it the best shot he could, but how much can come from a great actor when he's working with crap.

Cruz was decent, but I wasn't a fan of her character. Just alright.

McShane did the best...but the character was not intimidating, not scary, not a good counter to Jack....and just not good in general. Waste. Pirates Blackbeard isn't worthy of standing in the shadow of Barbossa. Oohhhh he

[Show spoiler]put a guy on a ship and shot fire at him after failing him.

Barbossa pulled his pistol out and shot his own man directly in the heart to see if they were still immortal JUST BECAUSE.

Everyone else and everything else was at best. I just wanted to highlight those few things.


I can safely say that I will NOT be purchasing this one; just the first three for me.


3/5

This is exactly what my friend said about it, I think I'm just going to avoid this one

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides




Disappointed.

Everything in this movie was a shadow from the original films. The fun, the characters, the story....all of it.

Even Captain Jack, one of my favorite film characters, couldn't elevate this one above mediocrity for me.

I hated what they did with Barbossa in this one (

[Show spoiler]though the ending does hopefully mean a return to form in the 5th

). Geoffrey Rush gave it the best shot he could, but how much can come from a great actor when he's working with crap.

Cruz was decent, but I wasn't a fan of her character. Just alright.

McShane did the best...but the character was not intimidating, not scary, not a good counter to Jack....and just not good in general. Waste. Pirates Blackbeard isn't worthy of standing in the shadow of Barbossa. Oohhhh he

[Show spoiler]put a guy on a ship and shot fire at him after failing him.

Barbossa pulled his pistol out and shot his own man directly in the heart to see if they were still immortal JUST BECAUSE.

Everyone else and everything else was at best. I just wanted to highlight those few things.


I can safely say that I will NOT be purchasing this one; just the first three for me.


3/5

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by killowertz

Very surprising. Given the fact that we seem to rarely agree on films much anymore, I have a feeling I'll like it better than you did.

I was very surprised. Expected it to garner a 4/5 at the lowest.
You will probably enjoy it more than me though like you say.

Originally Posted by Foggy

This is exactly what my friend said about it, I think I'm just going to avoid this one

I can't say that I would recommend a trip to the theater, but it's worth checking out in some capacity as some seem to be pleased with it unlike myself.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Are you going to the theater for it or waiting for Netflix?


______

To make up for my disappointment, I watched At World's End this morning. Unlike Dead Man's Chest this one didn't drop a little in score for me.

So the series for me stands at:

Curse of the Black Pearl - 4.5/5

Dead Man's Chest - 4/5

At World's End - 4.5/5

On Stranger Tides - 3/5

[iam1bearcat]

like i said in the On Stranger Tide's review thread,if you people were expecting the film to be awesome, you're fools i'm not the biggest fan of the franchise (only really a fan of the first film and Sparrow in general) but it should have stopped at three and when they brought this idea to Depp he should have said no and the whole thing would have been put to rest (well, maybe, who knows Disney and their money grubbing ways).

Diesel's 3/5 was exactly what i expect and is the best score i've heard from some friends who have seen it. including one who loves all three films. hell, he says On Stranger Tides is the second best out of the four! but he still only gave it a 3/5.

as for ratings, mine would be:

The Curse of the Black Pearl 4/5
Dead Man's Chest 2.5/5
At World's End 2.5/5

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Diesel

I


Are you going to the theater for it or waiting for Netflix?

I was planning on catching it at the theater. But now.....? Not sure.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

like i said in the On Stranger Tide's review thread,if you people were expecting the film to be awesome, you're fools i'm not the biggest fan of the franchise (only really a fan of the first film and Sparrow in general) but it should have stopped at three and when they brought this idea to Depp he should have said no and the whole thing would have been put to rest (well, maybe, who knows Disney and their money grubbing ways).

Diesel's 3/5 was exactly what i expect and is the best score i've heard from some friends who have seen it. including one who loves all three films. hell, he says On Stranger Tides is the second best out of the four! but he still only gave it a 3/5.

as for ratings, mine would be:

The Curse of the Black Pearl 4/5
Dead Man's Chest 2.5/5
At World's End 2.5/5

Yeah right. "No thanks, I dont want another few $ Million."

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Yeah right. "No thanks, I dont want another few $ Million."

i'm sure he would have made that all back, plus much more if he focused on the sequel to The Tourist

oh wait...

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I was planning on catching it at the theater. But now.....? Not sure.

If you can get in to a matinée for a good price, it may be worth it....I highly recommend NOT going for full price.

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i'm sure he would have made that all back, plus much more if he focused on the sequel to The Tourist

oh wait...

YouTube - ‪DAAAMMMMMMMMMMMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!‬‏

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i'm sure he would have made that all back, plus much more if he focused on the sequel to The Tourist

oh wait...

Willy Wonka and the Kingdom of Edward Scissorhands.

[Steve46]

For the Malick fans:

In case you missed it, DAYS OF HEAVEN and THE THIN RED LINE (Blu-ray and DVD) are 50% off at Criterion.com! Simply enter promo code: NATURE at checkout: http://www.criterion.com/library/exp...&pp=25&s=title

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Diesel

I was very surprised. Expected it to garner a 4/5 at the lowest.
You will probably enjoy it more than me though like you say.

Wait, what are you trying to say?

[Show spoiler]

[iam1bearcat]

8 1/2

137 minutes

Year: 1963
Director: Federico Fellini
Starring: Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimee, and Claudia Cardinale

fiiiiiiiiinally sat down and watched 8 1/2, a blu that's been sitting on my shelf for weeks now since amazon's random Criterion sale.

it would almost be safe to say that if you ever wanted to be a director and couldn't see any negatives of the business, you probably shouldn't watch 8 1/2... unless you wanted to know some of the negatives.

the film follows Guido, a famous director who is in a rut mentally and creatively for his next big film. he has no ideas, but has part of a cast and many sets. while trying to work through his slump he has to deal with his wife who constantly accuses him of cheating, soon-to-be cast members who henpeck him day and night to find out about the character they play and the script, producers who also want to know things about the film, actors and actresses who can't act or follow directions and a studio who demands he start filming and stop wasting money. essentially, from the little i've read about the film, the character Guido is portraying Fellini himself and the film is what Fellini went through when coming up with a film, i think what became this film.

what's a man to do?

it's a story we can all understand, on some level. we've all been working on something or had a list of things we needed to accomplish and either everyone bugs us and stops from accomplishing these things or they make us want to stop and walk away forever while we drive ourselves crazy trying to quickly find a solution to a long-standing problem.

i did enjoy the film, and i liked the random mixes of real life and fantasy / dreams, but, once again, this is a Criterion release i felt very little connection to emotionally or mentally, even though the story can be applied to regular joes and a normal life. come to think of it, Revanche so far is the only film i've felt a connection to so far from the Criterion Collection... weird.

no major complaints. a few times i was a little bored and the film felt much, much longer than the 137 minute run time (never a good thing) and a few random scenes could have been left out or cut down, but overall a film that is recommended, but probably best suited as a rental.

i'm interested in listening to the commentary and later on watching this again. chances are i will like it more, as it seems like a film that is a grower, but i don't think it'll move into "love it" territory for me.

3/5

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by killowertz

Wait, what are you trying to say?

[Show spoiler]

i took that as an insult as well

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by killowertz

Wait, what are you trying to say?

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i took that as an insult as well

Good, that's how I meant it.

[Show spoiler]

[iam1bearcat]

Scream

104 minutes

Year: 1996
Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Rose McGowan, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, and Drew Barrymore

after watching Scream for the first time in about two years tonight one thing was very clear once the credits rolled. hell, before the credits rolled, actually after the first thirteen minutes, i realized the following:

Scream has, bar none, the greatest opening scene (the first thirteen minutes) i have ever seen in a film. no scene comes close to matching the sheer brilliance of that opening scene. doesn't matter what genre or year, the opening scene of Scream is legendary. perfect pacing, brilliant writing, instantly engaging, frightening, funny, intelligent, brilliantly acted, precision directing and it instantly consumes you. and man oh man, what gruesomeness! and the best part? even after thirty viewings, certain parts of that scene still freak me the F out. pure genius.

love it love it love it

now, on to the rest of the film, eh?

the rest of the film is also pure genius and holds up very, very well today. great cast / characters (Matthew Lillard absolutely steals every scene he is in) and the story isn't just a cliched genre rip off. it actually has substance to it while the film as a whole is a knock on the genre (it was super awesome to catch dozens and dozens of references to horror films past that i missed when i was too young or hadn't seen them yet) but also elevates the genre. mixing in great humor, the film succeeds on every damn level.

sadly, i always forget about Scream when i put together my favorite horror films and just favorite films in general, but since i own it on blu now, it will definitely be easier to remember for me, and it definitely deserves a place in my favorites list. very likely will end up in my top 50.

the highest recommendation i can give to a film (aka: Foggy, watch it dammit! ) and one of the best films of the 90's. yeah, i said it

5/5

[Diesel]

That opening scene STILL gets me


When I watched it a few months ago I started it around 2 a.m. and was alone and ended up turning it off and having to wait until the next morning to finish the rest of the movie

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Diesel

That opening scene STILL gets me


When I watched it a few months ago I started it around 2 a.m. and was alone and ended up turning it off and having to wait until the next morning to finish the rest of the movie

it's not THAT bad for me, but yeah, that opening scene still freaks me out. also the first time to you see the costume

[Show spoiler]for that brief second when Casey is looking through the window and he sprints through the kitchen!

that brief moment has forever haunted me no idea why. he's not even running at the camera, but it just freaked me out. probably because i didn't realize the killer was gonna be wearing a mask / suit deal. that really surprised me

*** when i saw the film in theaters it was my dad's idea and i never saw any previews, so i had no idea the mask was so well known before the film was even released so that may be why

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

8 1/2

[Show spoiler]
137 minutes

Year: 1963
Director: Federico Fellini
Starring: Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimee, and Claudia Cardinale

fiiiiiiiiinally sat down and watched 8 1/2, a blu that's been sitting on my shelf for weeks now since amazon's random Criterion sale.

it would almost be safe to say that if you ever wanted to be a director and couldn't see any negatives of the business, you probably shouldn't watch 8 1/2... unless you wanted to know some of the negatives.

the film follows Guido, a famous director who is in a rut mentally and creatively for his next big film. he has no ideas, but has part of a cast and many sets. while trying to work through his slump he has to deal with his wife who constantly accuses him of cheating, soon-to-be cast members who henpeck him day and night to find out about the character they play and the script, producers who also want to know things about the film, actors and actresses who can't act or follow directions and a studio who demands he start filming and stop wasting money. essentially, from the little i've read about the film, the character Guido is portraying Fellini himself and the film is what Fellini went through when coming up with a film, i think what became this film.

what's a man to do?

it's a story we can all understand, on some level. we've all been working on something or had a list of things we needed to accomplish and either everyone bugs us and stops from accomplishing these things or they make us want to stop and walk away forever while we drive ourselves crazy trying to quickly find a solution to a long-standing problem.

i did enjoy the film, and i liked the random mixes of real life and fantasy / dreams, but, once again, this is a Criterion release i felt very little connection to emotionally or mentally, even though the story can be applied to regular joes and a normal life. come to think of it, Revanche so far is the only film i've felt a connection to so far from the Criterion Collection... weird.

no major complaints. a few times i was a little bored and the film felt much, much longer than the 137 minute run time (never a good thing) and a few random scenes could have been left out or cut down, but overall a film that is recommended, but probably best suited as a rental.

i'm interested in listening to the commentary and later on watching this again. chances are i will like it more, as it seems like a film that is a grower, but i don't think it'll move into "love it" territory for me.

3/5

On my first viewing, I felt it was in the 3/5 - 3.5/5 range. I loved the way it's filmed, but felt it was rather weird and slow.

Haven't seen it again, but I decided to buy it after all. I predict my rating will increase on repeat viewings. It might for you too.