The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[volcomsocal]

Se7en - 1995

It's been at least 5 years since I've seen this movie. I remember being blown away when I first saw it in '96 or '97. I was captivated from the start and I was nervous/scared/shocked/horrified/amazed when I finished it.

I wasn't as blown away by Se7en this time around, but I still enjoyed it. The last 20 minutes of the film is the best part, and really shows the acting abilities of the 3 leading male actors. It sure is a haunting movie, even to this day... but the shock factor has been lowered since it first came out. I remember being seriously grossed out and extremely nervous when I first watched it. Maybe because I'm grown up now, as opposed to being a teenager, the effect isn't as strong on me. Whatever the case is, Se7en is still a strong movie.

PQ - 4/5
AQ - 4/5

4/5

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by volcomsocal

Se7en - 1995

It's been at least 5 years since I've seen this movie. I remember being blown away when I first saw it in '96 or '97. I was captivated from the start and I was nervous/scared/shocked/horrified/amazed when I finished it.

I wasn't as blown away by Se7en this time around, but I still enjoyed it. The last 20 minutes of the film is the best part, and really shows the acting abilities of the 3 leading male actors. It sure is a haunting movie, even to this day... but the shock factor has been lowered since it first came out. I remember being seriously grossed out and extremely nervous when I first watched it. Maybe because I'm grown up now, as opposed to being a teenager, the effect isn't as strong on me. Whatever the case is, Se7en is still a strong movie.

PQ - 4/5
AQ - 4/5

4/5

Yeah, it's dropped a little for me too. It used to be a 5 and now it's a 4.5. Spacey had a lot of good roles back then. I like the two detectives and how they make Paltrow's character so likable. Still in my Top 100, but I'm not sure where.

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest blind-buys:

“Lola Rennt,” aka “Run Lola Run.”

At first glance, this film seemed like a trippy concoction of “Scott Pilgrim,” “MTV,” and a Luc Besson film. “Run Lola Run” is a rather short, simple, somewhat trippy little ditty filled with style and exaggeration. The film is funny at times, tense at other spots, and quite entertaining and fast-paced all around. Unless you have an aversion to the stylistic quirks (like the funky animated segments, or those snapshots of pedestrians, etc), then it’d be hard not to be entertained by this charming little film.

The story’s pretty simple, but is naturally interesting. It has a group of characters who aren’t particularly deep, but are likable. In the end, this story showcases the idea that small things can make dramatic changes to a person’s life. The film even shows quick snap-shots of passing pedestrians, showing how their lives will turn out after the main character runs past them (which is a little frivolous imo, but whatever).

The film has decent photography and excellent editing effects. Acting looks good all around, and writing seems okay. Production value looks limited, but the film is well-made with quality sets, props, costumes, and authentic-looking locales. Music is pretty hip.

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

Recommendation: Sure, why not?

Chances are good that I’ll Blu-Ray it later on.



“Batman: Under the Red Hood.”

Right from the start, this animated feature starts off strong with flashy style, fast-paced action, and a surprising amount of violence and darkness. As it goes on, the pace remains fast, while Batman and his buddies tackle a number of bad guys (including something that looks like a “Terminator” rip-off). Yep, it’s a blast.

The story’s surprisingly strong as well, with a strong cast of characters. Batman broods quite a bit, but offers some decent introspection on the themes of morality. It’s not quite as deep as Nolan’s films, but with Robin, Nightwing, Joker, and this Red Hood character in the mix, the lines of morality are blurred pretty well, forcing Batman to confront an interesting dilemma at the end.

The cartoon has excellent imagery and animation quality. All drawings look well-detailed, shaded, and rendered. Production designs are excellent, and appear accurate to the comics. Voice-acting and writing are not bad. Music is okay.

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

Recommendation: Sure, why not?

This Blu-Ray looks darn near perfect; I saw some pixilation, aliasing, and banding, but for the most part I blamed my parents’ 1080i TV. The image still looks perfectly sharp and clean, with awesome colors and contrast. This disc has awesome sound.

PQ: 4.5/5, AQ: 5/5

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Next greatest blind-buys:

“Lola Rennt,” aka “Run Lola Run.”

At first glance, this film seemed like a trippy concoction of “Scott Pilgrim,” “MTV,” and a Luc Besson film. “Run Lola Run” is a rather short, simple, somewhat trippy little ditty filled with style and exaggeration. The film is funny at times, tense at other spots, and quite entertaining and fast-paced all around. Unless you have an aversion to the stylistic quirks (like the funky animated segments, or those snapshots of pedestrians, etc), then it’d be hard not to be entertained by this charming little film.

The story’s pretty simple, but is naturally interesting. It has a group of characters who aren’t particularly deep, but are likable. In the end, this story showcases the idea that small things can make dramatic changes to a person’s life. The film even shows quick snap-shots of passing pedestrians, showing how their lives will turn out after the main character runs past them (which is a little frivolous imo, but whatever).

The film has decent photography and excellent editing effects. Acting looks good all around, and writing seems okay. Production value looks limited, but the film is well-made with quality sets, props, costumes, and authentic-looking locales. Music is pretty hip.

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

Recommendation: Sure, why not?

Chances are good that I’ll Blu-Ray it later on.

I enjoyed this too and like the idea of seeing how events change the overall outcome. Groundhog Day? Source Code?

It definitely has a Besson feel at times. In fact, I bought the double pack with La Femme Nikita.

[Al_The_Strange]

“Giù la Testa,” aka “Duck, You Sucker!” aka “A Fistfull of Dynamite.”

I read in a booklet that Sergio Leone’s earlier films were the product of a more innocent imagination, full of rampant gunplay and violence; it certainly shows in “A Fistfull of Dollars” and “For a Few Dollars More,” where characters shoot each other without much remorse or consequence, and even go on to shoot the hats off of each other. Shooting hats…WTF?!!

Coming later in Leone’s career, “Duck, You Sucker” comes off as the more complex piece of work; between the brutal executions of revolutionaries, the opening scenes where the main character ravages a group of wealthy (and horridly snobby) travellers, and the flashbacks of the main character’s troubled past, the violence now has sobering consequences. But don’t be discouraged by the added complexities; this film is still a blast, and is easily one of the most entertaining westerns I’ve seen. Whether shooting the hell out of a passing convoy, breaking into fortified prisons, bombing trains, and waging war on an oppressive dictatorship, the film has no shortage of action. Even when the guns and bombs aren’t going off, the film has a enough interesting scenes (including some rather interesting and artsy slow-mo flashback scenes) to keep it distinctive.

The story shows ample maturity. It’s naturally entertaining watching the main characters come together and hop around from one adventurous battle to another. But both characters also show decent depth, especially James Coburn’s character, whose flashbacks provide solid background and parallels to the story. Rod Stieger’s character is a guy who comes off as despicable at first, but lovable later on (kina like Tuco from “TGTBATU”). Both share an interesting partnership that carries the audience with them to the end.

The film has excellent photography and some very interesting (if not totally bizarre) editing effects. I’m still intrigued by the opening scenes, which focused on these snobs’ mouths as they ate, just like King Denethor in “LOTR: ROTK.” Every other scenes shows good composition, timing, and movement, and I find it very interesting all around. Acting is not bad; it might be hard to take the accents seriously, but the characters are lively. Writing is okay (there’s actually a lot more cursing in this than I remember). Production value is decent; sets, props, costumes, and locales are about as good as the other Sergio Leone films. Music is pretty easy to laugh at, but I like it.

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

Recommendation: Sure, why not?

If they Blu-Ray it, I would buy it.

[iam1bearcat]

Jackass 3

94 minutes

Year: 2010
Director: Jeff Tremaine
Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Ryan Dunn, Wee Man, Chris Pontius, and Preston Lacy... and a million others.

late wednesday night the gf and i broke up
the next few days were spent helping her pack up her stuff and moving her back to her folks' house and clearing her name off of the lease and the bills we had... which are now all mine, again. and after a few days of doing nothing but laying around sleeping, yesterday some friends came over and decided it was time for me to not sleep another day away.

so we rented some blus. the first film we watched, is a film i chose because i really enjoyed the show and the first two films, and the gf would NEVER watch this with me and she would've been pissed if i even had it in the house as a rental! but, because my home is now just MINE, i can watch whatever i damn well please.

so of course, we all know what movie i ran to first

Jackass 3 of course! where is your mind you sickos!

now, of course i wasn't in the best mood to watch the film, but i still mildly enjoyed it. it's not as good as the first two films, and the "stunts" and gags aren't nearly as funny or well thought out as the first two films.

maybe what also killed some of the enjoyment is knowing that all these people are now in their mid-30's and what used to seem like young doofuses having fun, now seems like washed up kids in the bodies of grown ups who don't know anything else. to me, there's a big difference between being 25 and doing stupid things and being 35. i tried not to think of that, but at times in the film it just seemed like the guys were standing there making jokes while one person did something mildly stupid, gross, but not near as extreme as the first two films. almost like, they wanted to be known for doing these things, but no longer had the motivation or courage to do it 100% like days before.

a few funny moments and some big laughs, but maybe i'm just too old for this type of humor or maybe the film just isn't as good as the first two

2/5

______________________________

Buried

91 minutes

Year: 2010
Director: Rodrigo Cortes
Starring: Ryan Reynolds

wow. what an ending! bravo for making me want to kill myself Rodrigo Cortes! honestly, i said to myself and my friends when it ended, "well. that felt an entire waste of 91 minutes of my life", which i rarely feel about a movie i enjoy and like. it's just... maybe i wasn't in the mood to see such an ending? who knows.

some other thoughts...

• some really stupid people Paul reaches on the phone. i mean, mind bogglingly AWFUL dialogue and reaction to his predicament.
  
• the terrorist he speaks with. sounds overly fake and cliched, and the writing for this character is also awful
  [Show spoiler]"five million, 9:00pm." twenty minutes later, "okay, one million, 9:00pm"
  
  
• i didn't know a pen could write on wood for so long! i mean, i've tried it and after like, five numbers the pen would die out. so i want to know what special Iraq truck driver pen he has!
  
• claustrophobia. i never got a sense of panic or worry or tension or anything from the actual idea of being in the coffin. i know a lot of people got uncomfortable while watching since the film takes place all in the coffin, but i never felt uneasy by it.
  
• very solid directing, especially with such limited space
  
• Reynolds was solid, but i think he's been much better in other roles and if, for some reason, someone wanted to know how he compares to James Franco in 127 Hours (both films mainly have one character for the entire film) i would say Franco wins in a landslide. not saying Reynolds was bad, but Franco was exceptional.
  
• i may not have gotten claustrophic, but the film has many, many tense scenes that made me go for much of the film.
  
• for a film starring one person it passes very quickly. oddly enough i think it goes by faster than 127 Hours, but i think 127 Hours is the better film ...probably because 127 Hours was more tragic moments to it...?
  
• and again, the ending. what a kick to the junk!

honestly don't know if i'd buy it. would be a long time before i watch this again, but if i do i will definitely wait till it hits $10 at the absolute most.

recommended.

3.5/5

_______________________

The Final Destination

77 minutes

Year: 2009
Director: David R. Ellis
Writer: Erix Bress
Starring: Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Nick Zano, Krista Allen, Andrew Fiscella, and Haley Webb

"I WAS MEANT TO SEE THIS MOVIE!" *explosion*



honest to god, the line above is from the movie, said before a character dies. while at the movies. a 3D movie no less

you would be hard pressed to find a bigger fan of the first two films than me. now, while the first has not aged well at all (i think i gave it a 3/5 last time i saw it) it was still smart, original, well created, has many suspenseful moments, a great cast and some memorable characters. something the sequel had doses of (a long with the greatest premonition sequence ever ) and the last two films have absolutely failed at.

is this worse than the direct to video third film? maybe. i only watched that film twice and it was YEARS ago, so i can't and hopefully never will be able to, compare the two.

now, The Final Destination, has two things i like about it.

1. the opening credit sequence. fans who have seen the first three films will definitely enjoy the x-ray montage of previous kills. excellent stuff and yet, is the BEST part of the film

2. Shantel VanSanten in her underwear

now, on to the bad. mind you, i surprisingly enough didn't hate the movie, but it is awful. and i'm a sucker for the franchise in a lot of ways.

• the terrible use of too much CGI. awful, awful visuals. just... god awful. it's 2009 people! (when this was made). i would expect bad visuals in the first film, but oddly enough, the more the series goes on, the worse the visuals get!
  
• crap-tastic 3D. ugh. i HATE 3D! why bother making this in 2D if you make it crappy already in 3D? just like for Jackass, tons of crap that looks like crap, thrown at the screen because it was made for the 3D format, yet, because The Final Destination must have had a budget that cost as much as a box of cereal, it looks AWFUL.
  
• generic kills. first two films has many awesome kills, 3 i think has a good one or two, but this one just suuuuuuucks. honestly, we watched this a mere hours ago and i can only remember the last two because.... well, they were the last two and the freshest in my memory bank.
  
• the generic, idiotic rehashing of previous story lines. "i think we stopped it from happening!" / "if we save her, we're all okay then!" they f*&%$$!@* said that / tried that in the first two films! maybe even all three! and they even mention how "this has happened before" yet don't really mention or read up on what they did, other than, they all died it's almost like David R. Ellis (director of this and the underrated sequel) knows that this is #4, but somehow wants to make people think this is a new franchise or something

the worst part? the name. THE Final Destination, and yet, surprise, surprise, there is a 5th one coming soon

as bad as the film is, i don't hate it and have no ill will towards it. it's just an awful movie on every single level

1.5/5

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Steve46

I enjoyed this too and like the idea of seeing how events change the overall outcome. Groundhog Day? Source Code?

As I wrote the review, I thought of a "Twilight Zone" episode. Just without the science or reasoning; stuff just happened.

Originally Posted by Steve46

It definitely has a Besson feel at times. In fact, I bought the double pack with La Femme Nikita.

Yep, Besson has a cool style, and so did this film.

The original "La Femme Nikita" rocks.

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

late wednesday night the gf and i broke up
the next few days were spent helping her pack up her stuff and moving her back to her folks' house and clearing her name off of the lease and the bills we had... which are now all mine, again. and after a few days of doing nothing but laying around sleeping, yesterday some friends came over and decided it was time for me to not sleep another day away.

Yuck. I'm sorry to hear that. I hope things improve quickly.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

late wednesday night the gf and i broke up
the next few days were spent helping her pack up her stuff and moving her back to her folks' house and clearing her name off of the lease and the bills we had... which are now all mine, again. and after a few days of doing nothing but laying around sleeping, yesterday some friends came over and decided it was time for me to not sleep another day away.

Dang, sorry to hear that dude.

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

The Final Destination

• generic kills. first two films has many awesome kills, 3 i think has a good one or two, but this one just suuuuuuucks. honestly, we watched this a mere hours ago and i can only remember the last two because.... well, they were the last two and the freshest in my memory bank.

as bad as the film is, i don't hate it and have no ill will towards it. it's just an awful movie on every single level

1.5/5

The franchise is definitely getting more and more stale. I'll definitely agree that there's no new story here, some of the CGI is still fake-looking (but I still thought the rollercoaster in #3 was worse), and there's nothing great in terms of acting, direction, etc.

But the deaths kept me entertained. Between the crazy NASCAR crashes (yeah, like that happens all the time at the races ), the guy getting sucked into the pool thing (), the guy getting chopped through the chain-link fence (), the escalator scene (), I thought the deaths were great.

I expected worse.

[Al_The_Strange]

“Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo,” aka “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.”

Even if you’ve never seen or heard of this film (which may seem unlikely, but I do know somebody at work who hasn’t), chances are that you’ve seen elements of it strewn throughout pop culture history, like cinematic fallout raining down and irradiating the entire western genre. This is the film with one of the most epic gun duels ever, with its long drawn-out suspense just before the guns explode lightning-fast. This is the film where the camera zooms in and focuses on everybody’s grimy sweaty faces. This is the film where words are animated next to the characters’ heads. This is the film with that weird music with the whistling and some guy going “wah wah wah.” Yep, this film has all those classy elements, and has been a tremendous influence on many other fine films (Tarantino keeps coming to mind).

This film is close to three hours long. The dialogue is often limited, and most shots are long and deliberate. But there’s rarely a dull moment; in between the violent gun battles and fist fights, the combination of lively characters, situations, and scene composition keep the pace up really well. There’s quite a few funny moments and plenty of epic moments, making for a full and well-rounded experience.

The story for this is pretty simple and linear, but provides a decent platform for the title characters. It’s pretty interesting to see how the “good” character is such a cold-hearted badass, while the “bad” character is a charmer (going by the name of “Angel Eyes” nonetheless). Regardless of the moral ambiguity, each character is pretty distinctive and fun to watch (especially the “ugly” one, Tuco).

The film is pretty darn strong. The photography is excellent, including lots of interesting close-up shots and scenery. Editing is excellent too. Acting is swell; Clint Eastwood is cool and tough with his role, Lee Van Cleef is superb, and Eli Wallach is perfect as Tuco. Writing is pretty good. Production value is quite distinctive, with lots of detailed sets, props, costumes, and locales. I always felt the music was a little weird and silly, but it is awesome.

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

Recommendation: Yep.

This Blu-Ray is good, bad, and ugly. It does have adequate sharpness and detail that supersedes the DVD editions. It is mostly clean. But, it does have a slight veneer of DNR, and there are a number of soft-looking shots throughout. One scene showed horrid print damage and discolorations (I presume it was a deleted scene re-inserted into the film). Colors and contrast look okay in some scenes and rather dull in others. Sound quality is okay, but some of the reinserted scenes are notably worse in quality.

PQ: 3.5/5, AQ: 3.5/5

[Steve46]

My movie blog had 100 page views for the first time yesterday

Thanks to anyone who may have visited.

I'll be adding my Top Dramas #11-15 later, but here's today's first entry:

Juno (drama, comedy, romance)
Directed by Jason Reitman
Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman and J.K. Simmons

20th Century Fox | 2007 | 96 min | Rated PG-13 | Released Apr 15, 2008

Video:
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:
English SDH, Spanish

Disc:
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Digital copy

The Film 5/5

Juno was nominated for four Oscars, winning for best original screenplay (Diablo Cody). It was a competitive year with No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood dividing six of the major categories between them, but Ellen Page was unlucky not to win in her category. Shot on a budget of $7.5 million, it made $143 million in the USA alone and a further $88 million worldwide.

Director Jason Reitman was also responsible for Up in the Air in 2009, which, along with Juno, dealt with subjects in which I had very little interest. But Reitman’s mix of drama and comedy works well in both movies and the witty dialogue drives both.

Juno is funny throughout, but it’s never dumb comedy and it never resorts to gross humor. The story works because we care about the characters and their one-liners fit both their personality and the situation. In short, it feels real. Many comedies assault the viewer with a stream of contrived jokes and it falls flat (for me at least).

Juno MacGuff (Page) is 16 and newly-pregnant. We are shown a flashback showing how it happened and who the father is. It turns out to be one of her best friends, Paulie Bleeker (Cera). After telling him, she decides that an abortion is the best course of action, but she changes her mind following a visit to the clinic. She’s a smart girl and feels capable of making her own decisions, eventually deciding that adoption may be the best thing for her and the baby.

She finds potential parents in an ad and then has the task of telling her father (Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney) that she’s pregnant. This is where the movie first defies our expectations. Instead of anger and shock, her parents are calm and accepting. They even joke about the situation when she reveals the father. It’s so refreshing to see supportive parents rather than the usual stereotypes.

Her father wants to go with her to meet the prospective foster parents, Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Bateman). Vanessa desperately wants a baby and is skeptical that Juno will honor the agreement, while Mark is more relaxed about everything. He bonds with Juno when she sees his guitar and they end up singing together.

Juno keeps in touch with the couple and forms a friendship with Mark because of their common love of music and movies. I particularly like this sequence because I’m passionate about both subjects and know the power of sharing and talking about such things. It’s the main reason that I write about movies. Mark introduces her to Sonic Youth (my favorite band) and Juno shares some of her classic rock and punk albums. It seems that the two might enter into a more serious relationship.

Her stepmother teaches her about food supplements and defends Juno when she goes to the hospital and is insulted by the ultrasound technician. It’s further evidence that she’ll be supported in her choices all the way.

Bleeker's face lights up every time he sees Juno. Cera plays the part well and doesn’t go over the top. It’s a quiet and understated performance, but he makes it clear that she’s special to him. She suggests that he date a different girl, but is angry when he does. The two have a showdown and it again becomes clear that they really feel something for each other.

There’s a touching scene in the shopping mall where Juno encounters Vanessa and sees her playing with a little girl. We see Juno forming the opinion that Vanessa will make a good mother. The scene develops with a meeting between the two in which Vanessa talks to Juno’s belly.

Her arrangement with Vanessa and Mark is threatened by one occurrence and we wonder how everything will turn out. I won’t reveal that here, but it’s a good resolution.

Another great scene involves a chat between father and daughter. It’s a potentially life-changing talk played perfectly by Page and Simmons. It sets into motion events that shape Juno’s immediate future. Simmons is so talented. If I were a writer/director, one of the first things I would do is create a starring role for Simmons. He’s made his mark with supporting roles, but has so much more to offer.

As for Page, what a remarkable talent. She carried such films as Whip It and Hard Candy, and had a major supporting role in Inception. At 24, she has most of her career ahead of her and I’m excited to see how she develops. She’s already capable of showing so much emotion and her comic timing is perfect. It will be fun to see what happens over the next decade.

One important component of the movie is the soundtrack. Kimya Dawson contributes nine of the songs in the film and they fit the mood and Juno’s character perfectly. There’s a well-placed Kinks song and bands such as Cat Power and Belle & Sebastian also fit the mood. The highlight is Sonic Youth covering the Carpenters’ Superstar, and it’s an important part of the plot.

Juno isn’t a film that will appeal to everyone. Some argue that the dialogue isn’t realistic, but I found it so. Who is it aimed at? Teens? Women? Pregnant girls? Many will write it off as falling into one of those categories. That would be a shame because it has a lot more to offer. I’m a 48-year-old man and I found it utterly charming, refreshing, intelligent and genuinely funny.

There’s a chance it may upset some people because it turns a serious situation into an amusing comedy. Is it saying that it’s acceptable to be pregnant at 16? How would you feel as a parent who faced a similar situation? How would you feel if you were a pregnant teen and didn’t receive that kind of support and understanding from your parents? I would hope that it can be taken for what it is; a fictional situation. It’s more about how the characters react to the situation than anything else.

Video Quality 4/5
For such a low-budget movie, the look is surprisingly good. The transfer is clean and free from damage, colors are well-represented and detail is good in the vast majority of scenes. I can’t quite justify a 4.5, but it’s certainly worth a 4. Don’t expect a visual feast and you should be pretty happy with the overall look.

Audio Quality 4/5
Juno is a dialogue-heavy movie that’s quiet for the majority of its running time, but the sound still plays an important part. The songs are presented well and when sound is called for, such as in amplified effects in the clinic waiting room, it comes across convincingly.

Special Features 5/5

It’s rare that I watch a movie and immediately tackle all of the special features, and even rarer to watch them again on subsequent viewings. Juno is an exception. I like this world and the quality of the extras makes it worth seeing them more than once, even though they are all in standard definition.

Commentary with Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody

Deleted Scenes (20:23) – It would be great to see an extended version of the film at some point and most or all of these scenes would fit well. My favorites include Juno singing a song about Paulie in a bar and her real thoughts about Sonic Youth.

Gag Reel (5:11)

Gag Take (1:57)

Crew Music Video (3:12) – A song featuring members of the cast.

Screen Tests (22:35) – See how Page, Cera, Thirlby and Simmons earned their roles.

Way Beyond "Our" Maturity Level: Juno-Leah-Bleeker (8:59)

Diablo Cody is Totally Boss (8:35) – Showing how Cody went from blogger to writing the screenplay.

Jason Reitman for Shizz (8:08) – Showing how Reitman came to direct the movie.

Honest to Blog!: Creating Juno (13:01) – Reitman, Cody and some of the cast talking about how the movie came to be made.

Fox Movie Channel presents world premiere…Juno (5:26)

Fox Movie Channel presents Casting Session: Juno (7:51)

Watching Juno is like spending time with an old friend. It’s warm and familiar and makes me grin throughout. I would like to see Juno at 26 to find out how her experiences and decisions shaped her life. If you like quirky, intelligent humor and good acting, Juno will probably work for you too.

Overall score 5/5

[Foggy]

Never Been Kissed (nudge, nudge, )

Love this film, as it was on my top 15 a few pages back and was one of the best Blu purchases I've made in a while (£10 for an infinitely re-watchable movie with a great transfer).

I find it hard to find flaws in this film, it's near impossible, mainly because the film is so unique and unlike anything else out there. You can't really complain at the film, because you can't really find anything that does what it does better. But of course, the film purely works from it's direction and acting.

Fincher's style is definitely one for Blu-ray, he's just a nasty guy who makes fairly nasty films, the fact that his nicest looking film is set in Harvard University and still looks like people have puked up on the set shows how gritty his style is. And this film is as gritty as the his films go, probably because they hired someone to actually throw up on the set

And this is my fave film from Brad Pitt acting wise, although he is wildly entertaining in Basterds, this is that film that shows why he is so successful today. He is that guy every man wants to be, and he embodies the character so well that he alone is what makes people believe it's the manliest movie ever, when really, you're not supposed to side with him.

As far as I'm concerned, I love this film, it's one of those films that is never the same every time you see it, considering this is my third time watching it, I've always come away loving it and enjoying it as much as the first, but never really for the same reasons. Can I understand why someone wouldn't like this film (EHEM! Diesel), yeah, I guess, but I'll never know why...

10/10

PQ - Every puke mark that is one that set shows up in glorious Hi-Def - 9.5/10

AQ - I think it's one of the best audio tracks in my collection, it's brutal, you hear every crack and shatter of bone, every spurt and splatter of blood on a solid floor, very effective use of Blu-Ray - 10/10

Entire Disk - 10/10

P.S. If you are confused by this review, then you should of got

[Show spoiler]Fight Club on blu-ray!

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Never Been Kissed (nudge, nudge, )

[Show spoiler]
Love this film, as it was on my top 15 a few pages back and was one of the best Blu purchases I've made in a while (£10 for an infinitely re-watchable movie with a great transfer).

I find it hard to find flaws in this film, it's near impossible, mainly because the film is so unique and unlike anything else out there. You can't really complain at the film, because you can't really find anything that does what it does better. But of course, the film purely works from it's direction and acting.

Fincher's style is definitely one for Blu-ray, he's just a nasty guy who makes fairly nasty films, the fact that his nicest looking film is set in Harvard University and still looks like people have puked up on the set shows how gritty his style is. And this film is as gritty as the his films go, probably because they hired someone to actually throw up on the set

And this is my fave film from Brad Pitt acting wise, although he is wildly entertaining in Basterds, this is that film that shows why he is so successful today. He is that guy every man wants to be, and he embodies the character so well that he alone is what makes people believe it's the manliest movie ever, when really, you're not supposed to side with him.

As far as I'm concerned, I love this film, it's one of those films that is never the same every time you see it, considering this is my third time watching it, I've always come away loving it and enjoying it as much as the first, but never really for the same reasons. Can I understand why someone wouldn't like this film (EHEM! Diesel), yeah, I guess, but I'll never know why...

10/10

PQ - Every puke mark that is one that set shows up in glorious Hi-Def - 9.5/10

AQ - I think it's one of the best audio tracks in my collection, it's brutal, you hear every crack and shatter of bone, every spurt and splatter of blood on a solid floor, very effective use of Blu-Ray - 10/10

Entire Disk - 10/10

P.S. If you are confused by this review, then you should of got

[Show spoiler]Fight Club on blu-ray!

Dang, fooled me again!

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

“Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo,” aka “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.”

[Show spoiler]Even if you’ve never seen or heard of this film (which may seem unlikely, but I do know somebody at work who hasn’t), chances are that you’ve seen elements of it strewn throughout pop culture history, like cinematic fallout raining down and irradiating the entire western genre. This is the film with one of the most epic gun duels ever, with its long drawn-out suspense just before the guns explode lightning-fast. This is the film where the camera zooms in and focuses on everybody’s grimy sweaty faces. This is the film where words are animated next to the characters’ heads. This is the film with that weird music with the whistling and some guy going “wah wah wah.” Yep, this film has all those classy elements, and has been a tremendous influence on many other fine films (Tarantino keeps coming to mind).

This film is close to three hours long. The dialogue is often limited, and most shots are long and deliberate. But there’s rarely a dull moment; in between the violent gun battles and fist fights, the combination of lively characters, situations, and scene composition keep the pace up really well. There’s quite a few funny moments and plenty of epic moments, making for a full and well-rounded experience.

The story for this is pretty simple and linear, but provides a decent platform for the title characters. It’s pretty interesting to see how the “good” character is such a cold-hearted badass, while the “bad” character is a charmer (going by the name of “Angel Eyes” nonetheless). Regardless of the moral ambiguity, each character is pretty distinctive and fun to watch (especially the “ugly” one, Tuco).

The film is pretty darn strong. The photography is excellent, including lots of interesting close-up shots and scenery. Editing is excellent too. Acting is swell; Clint Eastwood is cool and tough with his role, Lee Van Cleef is superb, and Eli Wallach is perfect as Tuco. Writing is pretty good. Production value is quite distinctive, with lots of detailed sets, props, costumes, and locales. I always felt the music was a little weird and silly, but it is awesome.

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

Recommendation: Yep.

This Blu-Ray is good, bad, and ugly. It does have adequate sharpness and detail that supersedes the DVD editions. It is mostly clean. But, it does have a slight veneer of DNR, and there are a number of soft-looking shots throughout. One scene showed horrid print damage and discolorations (I presume it was a deleted scene re-inserted into the film). Colors and contrast look okay in some scenes and rather dull in others. Sound quality is okay, but some of the reinserted scenes are notably worse in quality.

PQ: 3.5/5, AQ: 3.5/5

How can your friend NOT have heard of this movie

Also, I saw what you did there

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

How can your friend NOT have heard of this movie

Something's wrong with her. Everytime I talk about my Blu-Ray habit, she just goes .

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Something's wrong with her. Everytime I talk about my Blu-Ray habit, she just goes .

Ah, I think I was sat with a very unknowledgable person in film (a friend of a friend) and he decided to go through the top 250 from IMDB, I was saying seen to every few movies (I've seen about 90 of them) and he kept getting confused as he had never heard of them, basically the first one he had heard of was Inception and had only seen about 10 of them, he then went of the tell me his fave film was Disaster Movie, hence why he is a friend of a friend

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Ah, I think I was sat with a very unknowledgable person in film (a friend of a friend) and he decided to go through the top 250 from IMDB, I was saying seen to every few movies (I've seen about 90 of them) and he kept getting confused as he had never heard of them, basically the first one he had heard of was Inception and had only seen about 10 of them, he then went of the tell me his fave film was Disaster Movie, hence why he is a friend of a friend

Yikes.

Fortunately, my co-worker's not that unrefined. Probably not too knowledgeable about films predating 1980, especially westerns, but she did see/enjoy some of the same movies as me.

My boss is acually a lot more in tune with the oldies and classics. But he is like 30 years my senoir.

It's a generational thing.

EDIT:

I also just remembered two of my co-workers who just left; one seemed to be into nothing but kid-rated stuff (cited "G-Force" as one of his favorites ), and the other one was more into all the slasher horror films (among other things...ever hear of 2 chicks 1...never mind... ). People have weird tastes sometimes.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Yikes.

Fortunately, my co-worker's not that unrefined. Probably not too knowledgeable about films predating 1980, especially westerns, but she did see/enjoy some of the same movies as me.

My boss is acually a lot more in tune with the oldies and classics. But he is like 30 years my senoir.

It's a generational thing.

EDIT:

I also just remembered two of my co-workers who just left; one seemed to be into nothing but kid-rated stuff (cited "G-Force" as one of his favorites ), and the other one was more into all the slasher horror films (among other things...ever hear of 2 chicks 1...never mind... ). People have weird tastes sometimes.

Yeah, somehow one of my friend's favorite movie is Boondock Saints (Which I'm certain isn't even out over here, I can't find it anywhere, yet I did come across the Sequel in a supermarket) but has never heard of A Bug's Life or Toy Story up until recently Same age as me as well

I've got a list of films I'm going to pick up tomorrow (hopefully):

127 Hours
Taxi Driver

And maybe...

Se7en
Black Swan

, I want them all, but I don't want to be bankrupt too soon, especially since I need to get Apocalypse Now next week also

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by Foggy

I've got a list of films I'm going to pick up tomorrow (hopefully):

127 Hours
Taxi Driver

And maybe...

Se7en
Black Swan

, I want them all, but I don't want to be bankrupt too soon, especially since I need to get Apocalypse Now next week also

I own and love all four of those. There's a Black Swan review on my blog. I might do 127 Hours soon too as it exceeded all my expectations.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Steve46

My movie blog had 100 page views for the first time yesterday

Thanks to anyone who may have visited.

I'll be adding my Top Dramas #11-15 later, but here's today's first entry:

Juno (drama, comedy, romance)
Directed by Jason Reitman
Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman and J.K. Simmons

[Show spoiler]
20th Century Fox | 2007 | 96 min | Rated PG-13 | Released Apr 15, 2008

Video:
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:
English SDH, Spanish

Disc:
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Digital copy

The Film 5/5

Juno was nominated for four Oscars, winning for best original screenplay (Diablo Cody). It was a competitive year with No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood dividing six of the major categories between them, but Ellen Page was unlucky not to win in her category. Shot on a budget of $7.5 million, it made $143 million in the USA alone and a further $88 million worldwide.

Director Jason Reitman was also responsible for Up in the Air in 2009, which, along with Juno, dealt with subjects in which I had very little interest. But Reitman’s mix of drama and comedy works well in both movies and the witty dialogue drives both.

Juno is funny throughout, but it’s never dumb comedy and it never resorts to gross humor. The story works because we care about the characters and their one-liners fit both their personality and the situation. In short, it feels real. Many comedies assault the viewer with a stream of contrived jokes and it falls flat (for me at least).

Juno MacGuff (Page) is 16 and newly-pregnant. We are shown a flashback showing how it happened and who the father is. It turns out to be one of her best friends, Paulie Bleeker (Cera). After telling him, she decides that an abortion is the best course of action, but she changes her mind following a visit to the clinic. She’s a smart girl and feels capable of making her own decisions, eventually deciding that adoption may be the best thing for her and the baby.

She finds potential parents in an ad and then has the task of telling her father (Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney) that she’s pregnant. This is where the movie first defies our expectations. Instead of anger and shock, her parents are calm and accepting. They even joke about the situation when she reveals the father. It’s so refreshing to see supportive parents rather than the usual stereotypes.

Her father wants to go with her to meet the prospective foster parents, Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Bateman). Vanessa desperately wants a baby and is skeptical that Juno will honor the agreement, while Mark is more relaxed about everything. He bonds with Juno when she sees his guitar and they end up singing together.

Juno keeps in touch with the couple and forms a friendship with Mark because of their common love of music and movies. I particularly like this sequence because I’m passionate about both subjects and know the power of sharing and talking about such things. It’s the main reason that I write about movies. Mark introduces her to Sonic Youth (my favorite band) and Juno shares some of her classic rock and punk albums. It seems that the two might enter into a more serious relationship.

Her stepmother teaches her about food supplements and defends Juno when she goes to the hospital and is insulted by the ultrasound technician. It’s further evidence that she’ll be supported in her choices all the way.

Bleeker's face lights up every time he sees Juno. Cera plays the part well and doesn’t go over the top. It’s a quiet and understated performance, but he makes it clear that she’s special to him. She suggests that he date a different girl, but is angry when he does. The two have a showdown and it again becomes clear that they really feel something for each other.

There’s a touching scene in the shopping mall where Juno encounters Vanessa and sees her playing with a little girl. We see Juno forming the opinion that Vanessa will make a good mother. The scene develops with a meeting between the two in which Vanessa talks to Juno’s belly.

Her arrangement with Vanessa and Mark is threatened by one occurrence and we wonder how everything will turn out. I won’t reveal that here, but it’s a good resolution.

Another great scene involves a chat between father and daughter. It’s a potentially life-changing talk played perfectly by Page and Simmons. It sets into motion events that shape Juno’s immediate future. Simmons is so talented. If I were a writer/director, one of the first things I would do is create a starring role for Simmons. He’s made his mark with supporting roles, but has so much more to offer.

As for Page, what a remarkable talent. She carried such films as Whip It and Hard Candy, and had a major supporting role in Inception. At 24, she has most of her career ahead of her and I’m excited to see how she develops. She’s already capable of showing so much emotion and her comic timing is perfect. It will be fun to see what happens over the next decade.

One important component of the movie is the soundtrack. Kimya Dawson contributes nine of the songs in the film and they fit the mood and Juno’s character perfectly. There’s a well-placed Kinks song and bands such as Cat Power and Belle & Sebastian also fit the mood. The highlight is Sonic Youth covering the Carpenters’ Superstar, and it’s an important part of the plot.

Juno isn’t a film that will appeal to everyone. Some argue that the dialogue isn’t realistic, but I found it so. Who is it aimed at? Teens? Women? Pregnant girls? Many will write it off as falling into one of those categories. That would be a shame because it has a lot more to offer. I’m a 48-year-old man and I found it utterly charming, refreshing, intelligent and genuinely funny.

There’s a chance it may upset some people because it turns a serious situation into an amusing comedy. Is it saying that it’s acceptable to be pregnant at 16? How would you feel as a parent who faced a similar situation? How would you feel if you were a pregnant teen and didn’t receive that kind of support and understanding from your parents? I would hope that it can be taken for what it is; a fictional situation. It’s more about how the characters react to the situation than anything else.

Video Quality 4/5
For such a low-budget movie, the look is surprisingly good. The transfer is clean and free from damage, colors are well-represented and detail is good in the vast majority of scenes. I can’t quite justify a 4.5, but it’s certainly worth a 4. Don’t expect a visual feast and you should be pretty happy with the overall look.

Audio Quality 4/5
Juno is a dialogue-heavy movie that’s quiet for the majority of its running time, but the sound still plays an important part. The songs are presented well and when sound is called for, such as in amplified effects in the clinic waiting room, it comes across convincingly.

Special Features 5/5

It’s rare that I watch a movie and immediately tackle all of the special features, and even rarer to watch them again on subsequent viewings. Juno is an exception. I like this world and the quality of the extras makes it worth seeing them more than once, even though they are all in standard definition.

Commentary with Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody

Deleted Scenes (20:23) – It would be great to see an extended version of the film at some point and most or all of these scenes would fit well. My favorites include Juno singing a song about Paulie in a bar and her real thoughts about Sonic Youth.

Gag Reel (5:11)

Gag Take (1:57)

Crew Music Video (3:12) – A song featuring members of the cast.

Screen Tests (22:35) – See how Page, Cera, Thirlby and Simmons earned their roles.

Way Beyond "Our" Maturity Level: Juno-Leah-Bleeker (8:59)

Diablo Cody is Totally Boss (8:35) – Showing how Cody went from blogger to writing the screenplay.

Jason Reitman for Shizz (8:08) – Showing how Reitman came to direct the movie.

Honest to Blog!: Creating Juno (13:01) – Reitman, Cody and some of the cast talking about how the movie came to be made.

Fox Movie Channel presents world premiere…Juno (5:26)

Fox Movie Channel presents Casting Session: Juno (7:51)

Watching Juno is like spending time with an old friend. It’s warm and familiar and makes me grin throughout. I would like to see Juno at 26 to find out how her experiences and decisions shaped her life. If you like quirky, intelligent humor and good acting, Juno will probably work for you too.

Overall score 5/5

Juno is quite possibly the best blind buy I've ever made on Blu-ray and is now one of my favorite films.