agreed! apart from the famous ending, the characters are very strong. Bertha Mills character is very strong. I can't recall the last horror character that
[Show spoiler]went from good to bad like her, and it was such a 180! how much more intimate can you get that your housekeeper who looks over your kids, etc??? and she turns out to be a ghost all along!!! (and on our first viewing, a ghost to human-Kidman and human-kids, until we get to the end). Bertha Mills is just freaky because of (a) that twist, (b) her accent (my homeland - where Halloween was born ) and (c) her SLOW walk, like the zombies in Romero's Dawn '78 - more freaky than sprinting zombies - she's CALM, not in a hurry - essentially telling you "you can run, but you can't hide - so i'll just WALK and WILL GET YOU"
other good character was the daughter!!! what is with that girl's accent/face/voice??? FREEEEAAAKKKYYYYY
I gotta say, on this viewing,
[Show spoiler]I never saw Bertha as a threat at all. Understanding that they're all ghosts, and that Bertha and her gang knew the truth, it looked to me like the mother and kids were simply freaking out over their own ignorance and misunderstandings. Of course, on the first viewing, it's not like that at all, because you can see the servants as the main threat and they are indeed creepy. It's pretty cool how you can view it two different ways like that.
[Show spoiler]Another good n’ bloody Korean revenge flick; this film is every bit as wicked and stylish as others in its genre, sitting comfortably next to “The Man From Nowhere,” “A Bittersweet Life,” the Vengeance trilogy, and whatever else. “I Saw the Devil” kicks things up a notch thanks to the nature of its story; most of it plays as an intense cat-and-mouse chase, with the main hero catching up to the villain repeatedly and f***ing him up over and over again. And every time it happens, it rocks!
The story is inherently thrilling and intense, with a cast of solid characters. What really makes it stand out is trying to figure out who the Devil is in the film’s title. It’s easy enough to call the serial killer the Devil, but I believe it’s more in the film’s hero, and his obsession over vengeance turns him into the Devil. Thus, the killer takes on the role of an average sinner, who can’t help but to be what he is, and the other dude becomes the punisher. In light of this, the film achieves a remarkable sense of ambiguity; you can’t help but to root for the good guy, even though he does wicked things, and you can’t help but to sympathize with the bad guy, even though he’s a jerk and kills people. I found the film quite deep and interesting this way.
And it is a good quality film with good photography and editing. Acting is pretty awesome; writing is not bad. The production has fine sets, props, and costumes. Music is cool.
4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 4.5/5, film: 4/5)
Recommendation: Sure, why not?
I love this film. It's just simply amazing. I also love that the hero in this one keeps catching the killer, beats the hell out of him, then lets him go. It's so brilliant. Imo, I Saw the Devil is the best South Korean revenge film out there. It feels more assured and focused than the more popular Oldboy. The director, Kim Ji-woon, or guys like Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho would probably make a badass Punisher adaptation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange
“The Others.”
[Show spoiler]
[Show spoiler]Following in the success of “The Sixth Sense,” “The Others” is another fine ghost/haunted house story with a surprise twist. I can’t say that this movie is all that thrilling, but it does maintain solid tension and pacing as it goes on.
For the most part, it’s the story that counts, and it’s brilliant. Once you get to the final surprise, it puts the movie into a new perspective, and it’s like “oh yeah.” But even after knowing the big secret, you can rewatch the film in the new perspective and understand how everything fits. It holds up very well to repeat viewings and scrutiny. But whether you watch it for the first time or not, the characters are quite strong.
The film has okay photography and editing; not particularly strong but not particularly weak either. Acting is decent and the writing is not bad. The production value must be limited, as the entire movie takes place in one old house, but everything looks proper with quality (and genuine-looking) sets, props, and costumes. Music is lovely.
[Show spoiler]This Blu-Ray looks a little gaudy, with lots of hazed-out scenes, drab colors and contrast, and lots of film grain. Much of this is in the film’s artistic design, and still looks quite sharp and detailed. Sound quality seems really low with the dialogue and loud with the action/music, but is otherwise good.
PQ: 3.5/5, AQ: 4/5
If you liked this, I suggest you check out the same director's previous film, Tesis.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange
“The Thing” 1982.
[Show spoiler]Leave it to John Carpenter to remake a classic sci-fi flick into one of the creepiest horror films of all time. Much of it is rather slow, with purposeful suspense and tension, and much of it explodes with furious paranoia and conflict. And when the Thing finally comes out, it’s all-out madness as men and animals mutate and contort into unnatural beasts of pulsing flesh, spurting blood, withering tentacles, and vicious fangs. There are only a few major scenes where the Thing comes out and f**ks people up, but when it does, it’s downright crazy and freaky all at once. HP Lovecraft can eat his heart out.
The story for this is pretty solid too, with a cast of distinctive characters. Nobody really receives that much development, and many serve as mere alien food. But the film really capitalizes on the mistrust between all the characters; they probably spend more time doubting and fighting each other than they do confronting the alien menace. Sadly enough, that’s probably how it’d work out in real life too.
This film has solid photography and editing. Acting and writing can be a little cheesy, but is still awesome. This production includes good-looking sets, props, costumes, and some fantastic practical effects that still hold up. Music is pretty darn creepy.
[Show spoiler]This Blu-Ray seems to get a bad rap for having DNR and a low bitrate, but I don’t think it really shows. The film has an awesome amount of sharpness and detail; most film noise I see is marginal, and I never really saw any blatant evidence of DNR. Colors and contrast can be a bit drab, but they always have been. Sound quality is not bad.
PQ: 4.5/5, AQ: 4/5
This is up there with Let the Right One In, The Silence of the Lambs, The Shining, and Black Christmas (1974) as my top five all-time horror faves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iam1bearcat
The Mist - 5/5
[Show spoiler]so much awesomeness in two hours
one of my favorite scenes is very early in the film when it's day time, sun is shining, everyone is in the grocery store talking about the store and then after the eerie speedy cop cars go flying by suddenly the tornado sirens go off and everyone tenses up! and then we see the old dude with the bloody nose saying, "something's in the mist!"
awesome
one of my favorite horror movies, but at the same time, works great just as a film. few horror films can really say that. on one hand it's a movie about creepy almost unseen terrifying creatures in the mist, on another hand it's a personal tale of several lives and how they react to such dire consequences and handle situations surrounding them (much like The Blair Witch Project), which i find fascinating.
of course, two points of contention are the acting by the main lead, and of course, the ending.
to me, the acting never rubbed me the wrong the way or bothered me. because the movie seems to take place a few decades earlier (from the military wardrobe to the phones they have, no one having cell phones...) the acting (while goofy at sometimes from the main lead) seemed to fit in relatively well for the story.
and the ending... well, the ending is AWESOME. nothing else needs to be said. i've watched the film a few times with people who have never seen it and their reactions to the ending are priceless. love those moments
another high point is how the film maintains an atmosphere and constant creepiness from inside of a damn grocery store! most horror films / suspense films fail at atmosphere and intensity with solid sets and a somewhat horror feel - but The Mist succeeds in a venue we all visit on (at least) a weekly basis!
The Mist is a classic horror film
This movie is amazing. Definitely one of the best horror flicks of the decade. The black-and-white version is my favorite.
I appreciated the brutal irony of "The Mist's" ending. But when I watched it for the first time, I perceived this algorithm:
[Show spoiler]function ultimate survival instinct{
if (short_term_danger || long_term_danger)
{
get out of the car and run like Hell
use last four bullets to shoot everything that moves
get to safety
}
if (long_term_danger)
prepare for long term survival in the mist
}
Alas, it was not meant to be.
Now that I think about it, doing it this way probably would have resulted in the guy running out of the mist blindly and accidentally shooting a soldier in the face. Then he gets arrested for murder. Now that would have been something.
nice!
well i was defining "short term danger" as
[Show spoiler] shooting the kid
, hence the dad comparing
[Show spoiler]the harm to the kid from being shot (minor) to harm to the kid from monsters (long term )
, but i do like your algorithm.
there is another fundamental reason why the ending was so silly and flawed:
[Show spoiler]at several times during the film, they were in far more immediate danger and the mist/monsters were feet away from them. did the dad think about mass suicide? no. did the dad initiate "short term/long term C++ algorithm version 1.3"? no! oh but frank daraduntz thinks we'll believe that SUDDENLY, when there are NO monsters in their immediate vicinity, the dad is going to intiiate the software (after firmware update, of course), and silently intiate output sequence...all in a matter of minutes????
of course, those of you know who me can probably guess that I'm not so much stating an opinion as much as "fishing for responses" to see how solid the ending and/or this argument against the ending is i'm here to learn
Last edited by surfdude12; 10-31-2011 at 03:59 PM.
Seen 2 new movies lately,and begin with the bad news:
The thing (2011):It really didn't bring much new ideas to the table,and to me it felt more like a remake rather than a prequel.Was hoping for a different take.But the ending was fantastic.Made it go up a notch overall.But sadly,only recommended for fans of either the genre or the original-barely.
Movie:3/5.
Blind bought Last days of Sophie Scholl.Now this is a seriously well made movie.What stood out for me was the acting.The lead really gave a wonderfully believable performance.But,really,everyone delivered stellar performances.Only negative comment I can make is that it is a trifle conventional.It almost felt like a theater piece.And lastly,the cinematography is also something which stands out.Perfect for either BD viewing or at the cinema.
Movie:4.5/5-I agree with the reviewer.
PQ:5/5.No complaints.
AQ:5/5.Atleast on my setup.
Film: 5/5
-love the title and how it revolves around a biblical tale of how humans once all spoke the same language, all were building a tower that would stretch to heaven, and I guess God decided things were too easy for humans so he cast different languages among them so they suddenly couldnt understand each other, and I guess the tower to heaven was left uncompleted
-on the one hand, humans have such huge communication barriers (language, culture, customs, etc), but on the other hand we still all share universal communication non-verbal code (there is a scene where a Moroccon woman is wiping Blanchett's forehead, the two women are making eye contact, and they ARE communicating...without words)
-often times, humans need tragedy to change. Before the
[Show spoiler]bullet hitting Blanchett
, her and Pitt were at each other's throats, after it happened, they were hugging and making up and forgiving each other.
PQ: 4/5 (love the grain)
AQ: 4/5 (I think its lossy, but the nightclub scene is INSANE!!!)
I love Babel.Really is allegory at it's finest.The call Pitt's character made from the hospital was heartwrenching,and shows Pitt's potential as an actor-as if anyone has serious doubts as to that,post-millenium.
[Show spoiler]This is one very iffy blind-buy for me to make, given that there are no big 'splosions or fights here or anything. It's even more iffy given the fact that I didn't care for "The Thin Red Line" when I saw it, and that's currently the only other Terrence Mallick film I've seen. Understanding that "Tree of Life" would be a slow-burning drama with no substantial plot structure, I decided to get a copy while the local store actually had it in stock, and see what the big deal is...
As expected, "Tree of Life" is rather lengthy and the plot is all over the place. It's a family-drama first and foremost, offering a montage that shows kids growing up with a loving mother and a mean father. It's also a film that glimpses at the birth and death of the universe. It's a film that ambitiously encompasses an entire lifetime, and entire generation, and an entire cosmos. Given the nebulous nature of the film, it's all fed to the audience as a steady stream of images and scenes. I imagine that some viewers may be frustrated with the randomness of it and the lingering attention to seemingly-irrelevant images or music, but one can't deny that the film is gorgeous.
The "story" would be my main point of contention, as there is no story to this. At least there is no story in terms of plot structure or a physical conflict. Movies like this usually don't interest me much, but in the case of "Tree of Life," the focus on the characters is pretty strong, and it is quite invoking to watch the progression of the family. The freestyle narrative and montage-style structuring does succeed at making the whole film resemble random memories and thought-processes.
Above all, I believe that there is a lot of truth to this film. From the start, it tells of of the interplay between the two main types of people in the world (those who live by nature and those who live by grace; or in other words, the selfish and the selfless). You could probably also extrapolate themes of life and death, human destiny, humanity's relationship with God and/or nature, love and hate, nature vs artificiality, and probably more. There are a huge number of levels attributed to this film, and chances are that you'll find something to contemplate upon watching this.
The film has awesome photography and editing (I figured that the imagery would make the film most worthwhile, and I believe it does ). Acting is spot-on; writing seems okay. This production features quality sets, props, costumes and some really great special effects. Music is classy.
Surprisingly, despite the randomness of the story, I find myself liking the film in general. I will be keeping it and probably will re-watch it often; I think it would be good for both active and background viewing, especially as a compliment to "Baraka."
4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 3/5, film: 5/5) Higher score is possible on repeat viewings.
Recommendation: Yes.
In regards to this Blu-Ray, I shall use a term that I haven't seen used in a while: REFERENCE QUALITY!!!
PQ: 5/5, AQ: 5/5
Netflix has this available beginning November 8th. I'll put myself through another Malick film...just to see if he gets it right this time.
one of my favorite scenes is very early in the film when it's day time, sun is shining, everyone is in the grocery store talking about the store and then after the eerie speedy cop cars go flying by suddenly the tornado sirens go off and everyone tenses up! and then we see the old dude with the bloody nose saying, "something's in the mist!"
awesome
one of my favorite horror movies, but at the same time, works great just as a film. few horror films can really say that. on one hand it's a movie about creepy almost unseen terrifying creatures in the mist, on another hand it's a personal tale of several lives and how they react to such dire consequences and handle situations surrounding them (much like The Blair Witch Project), which i find fascinating.
of course, two points of contention are the acting by the main lead, and of course, the ending.
to me, the acting never rubbed me the wrong the way or bothered me. because the movie seems to take place a few decades earlier (from the military wardrobe to the phones they have, no one having cell phones...) the acting (while goofy at sometimes from the main lead) seemed to fit in relatively well for the story.
and the ending... well, the ending is AWESOME. nothing else needs to be said. i've watched the film a few times with people who have never seen it and their reactions to the ending are priceless. love those moments
another high point is how the film maintains an atmosphere and constant creepiness from inside of a damn grocery store! most horror films / suspense films fail at atmosphere and intensity with solid sets and a somewhat horror feel - but The Mist succeeds in a venue we all visit on (at least) a weekly basis!
Unfortunately it got delayed. I'll watch it tomorrow instead. Something came up and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to fit it in before dinner, so I watched two more episodes of Fringe instead. That'll do as a replacement.
I'm going to have to check out The Mist sometime even though I'm still not a huge horror fan. I've never seen it.
I consider it Sci-fi/thriller/drama more than horror...if that helps.
dude, you're lucky i'm no SW freak. this review would have made my blood BOIL
didn't quite feel as strong as you here, but definitely saw parts that were indicative that this was the low budget first episode. were you comparing it to post 77 stuff? that's what i was (unfairly or fairly) doing. am i not unfairly comparing it to post-77 stuff? rather than pre-77 stuff? I do that to Blade Runner (saw it AFTER tons of post-Blade RUnner stuff).
haha, didn't see that. will look for it now.
SICK AQ - if you disagree, your system is obviously flawed
I enjoyed the heck out of it. I will watch it again. But it IS a cheesefest. Acting is WEAK. They should have hired and actor with a less "Pansy" stride for Chewbacca. I mean, Chewy is big and meant to be intimidating, yet he walks along like a knock-kneed passive dweeb like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory...dragging his feet like a lazy nerd. They should have hired an athlete instead of this guy...
Really? For a seven foot tough guy beast?
The cheese list is monumental. But Its like The Wizard of OZ. Its CLASSIC cheese filled with nostalgia that gets better with age.
sorry to rain on the parade, but the ending was CRAP - utter CRAP.
is there a dad who would have
[Show spoiler]shot the son
? absolutely, but not THAT DAD.
Based on your logic vs emotion theory, HE would have difinitely been the man who would have.
For the entire film he was the leader, the organizer, the man with a PLAN, the guy who analysed EVERYTHING and weighed every dicision before making a move. He tried to separate the emotional (religious wackos) people and urged them to behave in a logical and rational way. In the beginning of the film he tried to calm down his overly "emotional" neighbor (the lawyer). He argued against the lawyer in the store and fought for strength in unity. When that failed he carefully made a new detailed plan. He never shot from the hip, he never demonstarted a knee-jerk reaction. He was methodical. AND, ultimately, he chose to leave with a small group of EXACTLY like minded CALM and rational people. He LEFT the emotional illogical nuts behind.
And that is why The Mist's ending is PERFECT in every way.
there is another fundamental reason why the ending was so silly and flawed:[U]at several times during the film, they were in far more immediate danger and the mist/monsters were feet away from them. did the
[Show spoiler]dad think about mass suicide
This is absolutely wrong.
When they were in the store and danger presented itself, they STILL had food and shelter (Safe haven). They were in far less long or short term danger at that point. There was never a "This is game over moment". All they had to do was
[Show spoiler] defeat any individual critter that managed to get in.
ONE at a time.
Later, when they left and were OUT IN THE OPEN, with no shelter, no food and no gas, it was the obvious END of their run. Monsters everywhere and nowhere to hide. No way to escape and no cover = Game OVER. Defeat had arrived. This is WHY the desparate act was taken. And, AGAIN, why the ending of THE MIST is perfect in every way.
Quote:
of course, those of you know who me can probably guess that I'm not so much stating an opinion as much as "fishing for responses" to see how solid the ending and/or this argument against the ending is i'm here to learn
First of all, its not your opinion, you have made an objectively flawed observation and a false claim. Its' wrong. period.
Secondly, consider yourself educated.
You are welcome!
Last edited by SquidPuppet; 10-31-2011 at 08:34 PM.
Blind bought Last days of Sophie Scholl.Now this is a seriously well made movie.What stood out for me was the acting.The lead really gave a wonderfully believable performance.But,really,everyone delivered stellar performances.Only negative comment I can make is that it is a trifle conventional.It almost felt like a theater piece.And lastly,the cinematography is also something which stands out.Perfect for either BD viewing or at the cinema.
Movie:4.5/5-I agree with the reviewer.
PQ:5/5.No complaints.
AQ:5/5.Atleast on my setup.
[Show spoiler]Following in the success of “The Sixth Sense,” “The Others” is another fine ghost/haunted house story with a surprise twist. I can’t say that this movie is all that thrilling, but it does maintain solid tension and pacing as it goes on.
For the most part, it’s the story that counts, and it’s brilliant. Once you get to the final surprise, it puts the movie into a new perspective, and it’s like “oh yeah.” But even after knowing the big secret, you can rewatch the film in the new perspective and understand how everything fits. It holds up very well to repeat viewings and scrutiny. But whether you watch it for the first time or not, the characters are quite strong.
The film has okay photography and editing; not particularly strong but not particularly weak either. Acting is decent and the writing is not bad. The production value must be limited, as the entire movie takes place in one old house, but everything looks proper with quality (and genuine-looking) sets, props, and costumes. Music is lovely.
This Blu-Ray looks a little gaudy, with lots of hazed-out scenes, drab colors and contrast, and lots of film grain. Much of this is in the film’s artistic design, and still looks quite sharp and detailed. Sound quality seems really low with the dialogue and loud with the action/music, but is otherwise good.
PQ: 3.5/5, AQ: 4/5
I don't know how I missed this review yesterday, but . I blind bought this on release day last month (before it dropped to $5 for no reason ) and really enjoyed it.
I agree about the replay value. You wouldn't think it would have much given that the movie is pretty much built around a big twist, but I definitely want to watch it again even though I know the twist now. I have to give the writers credit with the twist as well, as it was something I definitely never saw coming.
I also agree about the AQ. I'm guessing it has always been that way with this movie since all of the other Miramax movies Lionsgate has released on Blu-ray that I have watched haven't had any dialogue issues, but I'll just turn it up a little louder next time since the movie doesn't have a lot of loud sound effects like an action movie of course.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SquidPuppet
I consider it Sci-fi/thriller/drama more than horror...if that helps.
Alright, although I am worried I won't like the ending now that I have a feeling of what it might be (without reading the spoilers). It will be hard to comment on it without spoiling it, so I guess I'll just leave it at that.
Last edited by KilloWertz; 10-31-2011 at 10:08 PM.
1. i read some of your thoughts Surf about the ending of The Mist. along with comments by Al and Squid and all i have to say is... i'm not responding because i could barely digest and follow what the F i was reading. needless to say, i love the ending and thought it was awesome, so i'm correct
2. looks like i'm in the minority for The Others... as seen by my short review below...
------------------
The Others - 3/5
worth 5 bucks? sure. worth keeping? no way.
never really held my attention all that much and honestly the only reason i kept watching as closely as i did was because of the supposed "twist" ending. which there was. but since all i EVER heard about this movie was the twist ending (not that the movie was any good, unlike its counterpart - The Sixth Sense (not that i found that very good either...) i knew there was something to suspect and discount for. so i tried to block that out.
didn't really work.
when the movie tries so hard to be creepy and puzzling and eyebrow raising in parts of course i'm gonna think something is up (unlike in other movies with a big twist reveal). acting was pretty solid across the board. and there was a thick atmosphere, if i had bought into it. the house was a great set piece, but the entire movie felt like something was just... off. like something was missing. like the film was a bit cold and too hollow for its own good. nothing to connect to or care about, so when the twist end came, who cares?
i sure didn't.
off to amazon it goes!
along with...
Repulsion - 4/5
i still find the film fascinating and at times incredible. however, it's not something that's gonna get a lot of viewings and doesn't strike me with same punch as it does for others. and i'm kind of trying to move my collection into a state of favorites and films i adore, and Repulsion isn't in either of those categories.
i still respect it and enjoy it tremendously, but it's not something i'm gonna be keeping.
Alright, although I am worried I won't like the ending now that I have a feeling of what it might be (without reading the spoilers). It will be hard to comment on it without spoiling it, so I guess I'll just leave it at that.
that's what i HATE when people start chirping about the ending or big spoiler in any film. no matter what, somehow a little bit gets out and suddenly you kind of have an idea in your head.
drives me nuts
because (much like my review for The Others) once someone knows something is up, it's hard to turn away from knowing that and now you're expecting it.
much like in The Big Bang Theory when Sheldon gets told that the new comic (forget which one) is "mindblowing" he gets pissed because that's a spoiler. he now expects his mind to be blown, which will make it harder for his mind to be blown than if he didn't hear that expression for it.
kind of like when people are like "the movie was okay, but OMG that ending!" well, great. now you're anticipating and trying to solve what the ending will be before getting there and letting it punch you in the face!
some people can block those 'spoiler' type scenarios out. i however, pretty much cannot
I was underwhelmed when I saw Babel (only seen it once), because I thought it was too derivative of Crash and attempted too hard to make wide-ranging character connections--it seemed unnatural to me. I also can't wait to see Biutiful.
I also haven't seen Magnolia!
Haven't seen Crash but I really liked that aspect of Babel. It's much more broad in scale in connecting the characters than Amores Perros but with Inarritu's direction, it's just as well done and effective (for me).
I just read the IMDB synopsis for Biutiful the other day, holy crap now I'm even more excited! All I knew before that was Javier Bardem and Inarritu... and I was plenty stoked on that
Quote:
Originally Posted by iam1bearcat
you two have some work to do asap!
Magnolia, Hard Eight and Boogie Nights are all in my queue!
[Show spoiler]Elite Squad was such a treat for me because it was one of the few times I have seen a reality presented so powerfully. The brilliance of the first film lies in how director José Padilha makes you sweat, effectively (and relentlessly) packing intensity in a compelling story of corruption and violence in Brazil. In Elite Squad 2, Padilha takes a novel approach, tackles a more complex script, and succeeds marvelously.
Elite Squad 2 dives into the psyche of the state and this time, explores the evils of organized crime as opposed to raw street brutality. The film follows the same character, Captain Nascimento, as he is forced to seek out a much more dangerous enemy. Wagner Moura delivers a strong performance along with solid acting by the rest of the cast. What José Padilha has truly accomplished here is a cerebral and political thriller that provides a powerful depiction of the range and devastation of corruption. His enthusiastic filmmaking radiates off the screen leaving you with sheer entertainment, and just a bit more.
4.5/5
Quote:
Originally Posted by jhiggy23
I was reading about this film and its predecessor a few days ago. Looking forward to seeing it.
The first was very good, although very violent. Looking forward to the second, glad it stands up with the first!
[Show spoiler]I have only seen this ONCE previously, decades ago, far away.
Man, what an absolute cheese parade, from beginning to end. But I still enjoyed the heck out of it.
The dialogue, the acting, the physicl battles, and so much more feel like a student (newbie at that) film.
Someone needs to tell the troopers that rugged military men dont "SKIP" when running towards their enemy. And after being shot, you dont gently "Lay down". LMAO.
Boy, that Mark Hamill is one hell of a polished thespian. Same with Ms. Fisher.
There is just so much that you can tear apart, its a blast to watch. Its a super condensed "B" movie extravaganza.
Movie 4/5
PQ 4.5/5
AQ 4.5/5 The surrounds are used a lot for music, but IMO, not enough for panning and battle effects. Plus, I found a pan that went from left to right when the spacecraft went from right to left.
Going to watch Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back tonight.
This is kinda what I'm thinking my opinion is gonna be like, I haven't seen the originals since I was a kid. Very much looking forward to revisiting them, especially for the AQ, my system hasn't been getting regular workouts recently
sorry to rain on the parade, but the ending was CRAP - utter CRAP.
in order to believe that the ending was awesome, one would necessarily have to believe a non-truth:
[Show spoiler]
that pure logic and pure emotion can co-exist.
pure emotion: the Dad loves his son and his actions are 100% determined by this emotion
pure logic: the Dad is no more than a T-1000 who is programmed with the following computer programming code regarding his son:
(a) assess short term danger to son --> input 1
(b) assess long term danger to son --> input 2
(c) determine whether input 2 > input 1. if yes, go to step (d). if no, go to step (e)
(d) terminate son via. short term danger (shoot son = end of film)
(e) take no action
sorry, but just one look at an episode of American Idol and its obvious that logic and emotion are oil and water, especially when it comes to parenting.
Simon: your kid sucks
Parent: how dare you say that! (all emotion, no logic)
IMO, if a parent truly loves their kid, their emotions would forbid any kind of logical assessment that even permits harm to the kid (even if its a present reduced harm, compared to a worse future harm = requires logical assessment + harm (ANY KIND) to the kid). Same reason why that parent on American Idol has emotions which won't permit ANY criticism (harm) to their kid, and for who logic is not even a factor!
is there a dad who would have shot the son? absolutely, but not THAT DAD. i could see the Dean of MIT do it. that S.O.B. probably is thinking about data charts and pie charts when his son is asking him to have "the talk" about girls
more ending of The Mist discussions. I love your scientific probability breakdown!
I enjoyed the heck out of it. I will watch it again. But it IS a cheesefest. Acting is WEAK. They should have hired and actor with a less "Pansy" stride for Chewbacca. I mean, Chewy is big and meant to be intimidating, yet he walks along like a knock-kneed passive dweeb like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory...dragging his feet like a lazy nerd. They should have hired an athlete instead of this guy...
Really? For a seven foot tough guy beast?
[Show spoiler]
The cheese list is monumental. But Its like The Wizard of OZ. Its CLASSIC cheese filled with nostalgia that gets better with age.
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) and (c) her SLOW walk, like the zombies in Romero's Dawn '78 - more freaky than sprinting zombies - she's CALM, not in a hurry - essentially telling you "you can run, but you can't hide - so i'll just WALK and WILL GET YOU"
This movie is amazing. Definitely one of the best horror flicks of the decade. The black-and-white version is my favorite.
It's even more iffy given the fact that I didn't care for "The Thin Red Line" when I saw it, and that's currently the only other Terrence Mallick film I've seen. Understanding that "Tree of Life" would be a slow-burning drama with no substantial plot structure, I decided to get a copy while the local store actually had it in stock, and see what the big deal is... 
Really? For a seven foot tough guy beast?
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) and really enjoyed it.
more ending of The Mist discussions. I love your scientific probability breakdown! 
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