The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

yeah that's what I heard. That was the US ending which the director was forced to use by the Hollywood execs. IF you think about it, that ending is impossible for 2 reasons:

[Show spoiler]
1. when they went to the cave at the beginning, they parked MILES from it. at the end, she literally runs about 100 feet to the car.

Didnt she

[Show spoiler]come out of a different hole than they entered? Meaning they had traveled a great distance in the cave?

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

even though there are films i want to see (like Midnight in Paris, Friends with Benefits, Inland Empire (again) .

I dont remember you writing anything about your first time through that. Did I miss that?

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Didnt she

[Show spoiler]come out of a different hole than they entered? Meaning they had traveled a great distance in the cave?

yes. there was a

[Show spoiler]painting on the cave wall showing hole #1 they entered and hole #2 they exited (a painting that was there when they got there). so its possible that that extra distance was within the cave! good eye! I still doubt that she really got out. the sequence goes like this:
(1) sarah falls to the ground, hits her head and is knocked out
(2) sarah WAKES UP and sees the cave exit (by waking up, its a clear indication of a dream escape, IMO)
(3) sarah climbs out
you prefer the escape ending? seems way to chipper for you? why not go with the bleak ending? seems much more squid-like! and mist-like!

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

yes. there was a

[Show spoiler]painting on the cave wall showing hole #1 they entered and hole #2 they exited (a painting that was there when they got there). so its possible that that extra distance was within the cave! good eye! I still doubt that she really got out. the sequence goes like this:
(1) sarah falls to the ground, hits her head and is knocked out
(2) sarah WAKES UP and sees the cave exit (by waking up, its a clear indication of a dream escape, IMO)
(3) sarah climbs out
you prefer the escape ending? seems way to chipper for you? why not go with the bleak ending? seems much more squid-like! and mist-like!

The Descent is one of my favourite horror films of all-time but is the sequel worth watching or is it another horrible follow-up to an excellent original film?

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

yes. there was a

[Show spoiler]painting on the cave wall showing hole #1 they entered and hole #2 they exited (a painting that was there when they got there). so its possible that that extra distance was within the cave! good eye! I still doubt that she really got out. the sequence goes like this:
(1) sarah falls to the ground, hits her head and is knocked out
(2) sarah WAKES UP and sees the cave exit (by waking up, its a clear indication of a dream escape, IMO)
(3) sarah climbs out
you prefer the escape ending? seems way to chipper for you? why not go with the bleak ending? seems much more squid-like! and mist-like!

I saw the US version in the theater. Then when the Blu-ray released I watched the "real" ending and it felt less "explained" to me. I might have liked it better had I seen it first. dunno.

The US version was kinda cool in that

[Show spoiler]now she had lost EVERYONE. All her friends included. Nice and Squiddy Bleak.

Oh, and just because I love to I need to share...

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by menaceuk

Breaking bad: Season 3 - 9.5/10

Loved every freaking second of it.

Originally Posted by menaceuk

Breaking Bad: season 4 - 12/10

Simply fantastic television. One of the Best season finales ever ? I think so

I am buying this show on Blu-ray. Have to see it all again. Have to

Is there going to be a season 5 ?

Thats right, he gave it a 12 out of ten. Why you ask? Because eleven wasnt good enough!!!!

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

The Descent is one of my favourite horror films of all-time but is the sequel worth watching or is it another horrible follow-up to an excellent original film?

havent seen it. refuse to watch it as it is based on the ending of part 1, which I didn't care for, not the UK ending which kicks butt.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I saw the US version in the theater. Then when the Blu-ray released I watched the "real" ending and it felt less "explained" to me. I might have liked it better had I seen it first. dunno.

I think I saw US ending first also. I think the difference for me was listening to Marshall's commentary on the UK ending. Not the audio commentary that goes along with the film. Its a supplement Interveiw with him where he discusses the endings (US. v. UK) and the "perception is everything" theme of UK ending, which is just something I strongly believe, hence it hooked me.

The US version was kinda cool in that

[Show spoiler]now she had lost EVERYONE. All her friends included. Nice and Squiddy Bleak.

ok. fine. semi-squiddybleak

no but I did like the US ending at first, especially

[Show spoiler]how she was hyperventilating, and gets into the van to drive a good mile or two before she stops at the side of the road. that was cool. she didn't just run to the car and start to breathe and calm down. she needed to drive a mile or two away. a safety barrier. the monsters freaked her out that much.

Oh, and just because I love to I need to share...

I know!! Dang it!! I have next week off work!! Should be able to watch it!

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest random selection: "Spaceballs" the movie! Now it's time for "Spaceballs" the review!

Regardless of all the love and fanatical adoration it's received over the decades, "Star Wars" will never be fully immune from ridicule. So it was only a matter of time before a whole movie was made to make fun of it. Enter Mel Brooks, the man who previously poked fun at world history, stage play musicals, and westerns, to give us such a parody film.

"Spaceballs" does a decent job at roasting "Star Wars," in regards to its overall cheesiness, its gaps in logic, its costume designs, its special effects, its marketing strategy...heck, nothing is sacred. "Spaceballs" also features plentiful amounts of slapstick, visual gags, pop culture references, and self-parodies (including some brilliant scenes where the action oversteps the bounds of the picture itself; not quite as epic as the ending for "Blazing Saddles," but enough to induce laughter). All of this can range from being mildly amusing to side-splittingly hilarious (I have to admit that this movie is not as funny now as it was when I first saw it as a kid). It may come off as overly-stupid for some audiences, but fans of low-brow, slapstick, and parody movies should thoroughly enjoy this.

The story for this is rather contrived, loaded up with cliches and uninspiring plot devices, but it's probably made that way on purpose (perhaps to even mock the unoriginality of "Star Wars" itself, who knows?). Characters show minimal development, but are quite fun to watch.

Photography and editing here are generally not bad. In fact, some scenes show particularly clever trickery (such as the scene where the bad guys are watching themselves). Acting is quite cheesy and over-the-top, but for good effect. I find it a little hard to take Rick Moranis seriously as a bad guy, but his geeky appearance serves the character well. Bill Pullman, John Candy, Daphne Zuniga, Joan Rivers, and Mel Brooks, are all fun to watch. Writing shows a varied amount of strengths and weaknesses, depending on how well you perceive the comedy. The production looks a little cheap, as some sets, props, costumes, and special effects haven't aged well (on Blu-Ray, you can really see the cheapness of some shots). But, heck, it works for this movie. Music is alright.

4/5 (entertainment: 5/5, story: 3.5/5, film: 3.5/5) Decreased from 4.5/5, no longer eligible for my top 100 list.

Recommendation: A definite yes to fans of this kind of comedy and Mel Brooks fans; a rental for other folks.

This Blu-Ray looks and sounds great. The video looks really nice, clean, sharp, and detailed. There might be a faint veneer of DNR, but it's not enough to fully detract from the image. Sound quality seems really loud with the music and sound effects and low on dialogue.

PQ: 4/5, AQ: 4/5

If this was a song, it'd be

[Show spoiler] something funny.

Weird al yankovic-Yoda with lyrics - YouTube

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

The Descent is one of my favourite horror films of all-time but is the sequel worth watching or is it another horrible follow-up to an excellent original film?

From what I hear, it is another horrible follow-up. Like Surf, I refuse to ever watch it. Not because of the US ending of the excellent first movie, but the fact that it was just an obvious cash grab.

[jhiggy23]

The Killing (Criterion blu)

Film: 3 stars (out of 4)

PQ and AQ: 4 (out of 5)


I was definitely underwhelmed by the film, although I see why it's so influential. I enjoyed several aspects of the film, such as the voiceover and I thought the ending was particularly good. However, I never felt involved in the film and never cared much about what happened. Overall, it was a decent film.

[jhiggy23]

Warrior (blu)

Film: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)

PQ and AQ: 4.5 (out of 5)


This is a fantastic film and easily could be one of the 10 best picture nominees, although it won't be. Critics loved it but it was financially unsuccessful to say the least. While the film has a somewhat cliche plot framework, the details of the story and the acting are what sets it apart. The demons that each of the three main characters face oozes with authenticity. And the performances? All I have to say is wow. If Nick Nolte doesn't receive a best supporting actor Oscar nom, something is very wrong (and as it stands right now, he likely will not). I've always felt he was an actor that of rare power that never really received his due. I suspect that over the next fifteen years or so he'll garner multiple nominations (kind of like Christopher Plummer). Joel Edgerton is also good. Tom Hardy? He's easily one of the best actors of his generation. He reminded me of an early Brando with his ability to convey such deep emotion without having much dialogue. But when he does have dialogue, his delivery is as authentic as it gets.

Overall, this is an exceptional film that makes you come to your feet and cheer. Where it excels, however, is its acting. You feel like you're watching a documentary.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Warrior (blu)

Film: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)

PQ and AQ: 4.5 (out of 5)

[Show spoiler]This is a fantastic film and easily could be one of the 10 best picture nominees, although it won't be. Critics loved it but it was financially unsuccessful to say the least. While the film has a somewhat cliche plot framework, the details of the story and the acting are what sets it apart. The demons that each of the three main characters face oozes with authenticity. And the performances? All I have to say is wow. If Nick Nolte doesn't receive a best supporting actor Oscar nom, something is very wrong (and as it stands right now, he likely will not). I've always felt he was an actor that of rare power that never really received his due. I suspect that over the next fifteen years or so he'll garner multiple nominations (kind of like Christopher Plummer). Joel Edgerton is also good. Tom Hardy? He's easily one of the best actors of his generation. He reminded me of an early Brando with his ability to convey such deep emotion without having much dialogue. But when he does have dialogue, his delivery is as authentic as it gets.

Overall, this is an exceptional film that makes you come to your feet and cheer. Where it excels, however, is its acting. You feel like you're watching a documentary.

I remember seeing the trailer for this a while back in theaters, but didn't catch the movie.

Thinking about renting it sometime soon.

[volcomsocal]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - 2011

So i've finally finished all the Harry Potter films. It only took me 10 years to start watching the first one. I'm glad I saw them, but I won't hold them in the highest regard compared to some other franchises. As a whole, I found the movies to be a little bloated... meaning, too much filler. There were times, throughout most of the movies where I felt they could have done without some scenes, or dialogue, or just overall camera time.

Now, getting to HP 7 Part 2, I felt that this was a pretty solid movie. I liked that they didn't waste too much time getting to the point in this one. It was very dark, very serious, and you felt the tension building. The special effects in this one were by far the best that i've seen in any HP film. And the picture quality during the final battle scene when the camera was doing that "slo-mo" shot for a minute was EPIC. It had this beautiful dark contrast, high grain (i think), extreme detail type of thing that was absolutely gorgeous. I wish more of the movie was shot like that.

Now, i've never read the books, and i'm definitely one of the more casual Harry Potter movie goers. But there was something in the storyline that I wish would have been different. I don't like how

[Show spoiler]Ron and Hermione ended up together. I felt that Harry should have gotten "the girl". Sure, Harry ended up with Ron's sister, but the we,the audience, didn't nearly get as close to her as we did with Hermione.

Maybe i'm the only one to think this way, but that's just how I feel.

Overall, this was my 2nd favorite HP film, coming in a close 2nd to HP 4 (Goblet of Fire). Sure, this movie had some of the best scenes (battle scenes to be specific) in all of the HP movies, but as a whole, Goblet of Fire was my favorite. I know i'm in the minority on this one, but I don't care.

PQ - 4.5/5
AQ - 4.5/5

4/5



HP1: 3/5

HP2: 2.5/5

HP3: 3/5

HP4: 4/5

HP5: 3/5

HP6: 3.5/5

HP7 Part 1: 3.5/5

HP7 Part 2: 4/5

[antmumford]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Warrior (blu)

Film: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)

PQ and AQ: 4.5 (out of 5)


This is a fantastic film and easily could be one of the 10 best picture nominees, although it won't be. Critics loved it but it was financially unsuccessful to say the least. While the film has a somewhat cliche plot framework, the details of the story and the acting are what sets it apart. The demons that each of the three main characters face oozes with authenticity. And the performances? All I have to say is wow. If Nick Nolte doesn't receive a best supporting actor Oscar nom, something is very wrong (and as it stands right now, he likely will not). I've always felt he was an actor that of rare power that never really received his due. I suspect that over the next fifteen years or so he'll garner multiple nominations (kind of like Christopher Plummer). Joel Edgerton is also good. Tom Hardy? He's easily one of the best actors of his generation. He reminded me of an early Brando with his ability to convey such deep emotion without having much dialogue. But when he does have dialogue, his delivery is as authentic as it gets.

Overall, this is an exceptional film that makes you come to your feet and cheer. Where it excels, however, is its acting. You feel like you're watching a documentary.

I adored this film, not only film of the year but one of the best films I have ever seen. Blew me away

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk

[iam1bearcat]

well, so much for not being able to watch films. all it took was putting one on while i was cleaning the apartment and that got the ball rolling...

Phone Booth - 4.5/5

i'm endlessly fascinated by this film. the logic of

[Show spoiler]who the police think the killer is

makes absolutely no sense, but aside from nitpicking (an an odd opening scene with a weird voice over) the film is a unique 80 minute experience. it's fast, quick and features some terrific scenes, great writing and a great performance from Colin Farrell at a time it seemed like no one thought he could act (which he wouldn't help his own cause in 2003's abysmal "Daredevil" ). surprised we never saw a direct to video (aka: cheesy) sequel...

Midnight in Paris - 3/5

i didn't get it

i had no idea what this was besides a "romantic comedy" when i blind bought it but since it looked quirky and interesting and features a cast i always enjoy seeing i thought this was be an easy win for me. not so much. i really disliked the 20's setting and i don't understand the fascination with Europe and Paris at all so of course, the film didn't effect me in the slightest like it will some. great performances and beautiful visuals however

40 Days and 40 Nights - 4/5

probably not as raunchy as it should've been. probably not as "romantic comedy" as it should have been. probably should have had better lead actors, but hell, the film is still fun and pretty much saved by Matt's hilarious roommate Ryan and an overall goofy, jovial plot. some great jokes / writing and even after seeing this dozens of times i laugh out loud at the jokes. gotta count for something right?

The Strangers - 4/5

one of the spookiest films i've ever seen. i LOVE the concept of creepy masks and unknown people driving a couple bonkers in the middle of the night for apparently no reason at all, with no motive besides, "you were home". first hour or so is pure 5/5 tension, suspense and masterfully execution from cast and crew. it goes down a bit when characters get a little dumb (or a lot) and the movie starts toying with typical horror cliches, but even still The Strangers stands tall in my book as being incredibly frightening. even after a couple viewings.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

well, so much for not being able to watch films. all it took was putting one on while i was cleaning the apartment and that got the ball rolling...

[Show spoiler]Phone Booth - 4.5/5

i'm endlessly fascinated by this film. the logic of

[Show spoiler]who the police think the killer is

makes absolutely no sense, but aside from nitpicking (an an odd opening scene with a weird voice over) the film is a unique 80 minute experience. it's fast, quick and features some terrific scenes, great writing and a great performance from Colin Farrell at a time it seemed like no one thought he could act (which he wouldn't help his own cause in 2003's abysmal "Daredevil" ). surprised we never saw a direct to video (aka: cheesy) sequel...

Midnight in Paris - 3/5

i didn't get it

i had no idea what this was besides a "romantic comedy" when i blind bought it but since it looked quirky and interesting and features a cast i always enjoy seeing i thought this was be an easy win for me. not so much. i really disliked the 20's setting and i don't understand the fascination with Europe and Paris at all so of course, the film didn't effect me in the slightest like it will some. great performances and beautiful visuals however

40 Days and 40 Nights - 4/5

probably not as raunchy as it should've been. probably not as "romantic comedy" as it should have been. probably should have had better lead actors, but hell, the film is still fun and pretty much saved by Matt's hilarious roommate Ryan and an overall goofy, jovial plot. some great jokes / writing and even after seeing this dozens of times i laugh out loud at the jokes. gotta count for something right?

The Strangers - 4/5

one of the spookiest films i've ever seen. i LOVE the concept of creepy masks and unknown people driving a couple bonkers in the middle of the night for apparently no reason at all, with no motive besides, "you were home". first hour or so is pure 5/5 tension, suspense and masterfully execution from cast and crew. it goes down a bit when characters get a little dumb (or a lot) and the movie starts toying with typical horror cliches, but even still The Strangers stands tall in my book as being incredibly frightening. even after a couple viewings.

He's baaaaaaack...

[Diesel]

Didn't your first "meltdown" occur last year around this time of year?

December doesn't agree with you

[volcomsocal]

American Pastime - 2007

Here's a very small, unheard of movie that I rented from Netflix. I love baseball, and this movie's backdrop is baseball during WWII, so it was a "natural" for me. Pun intended.



ha ha








Anyways, this was a pretty good movie. It's a simple, small, drama involving Japanese Americans, and how they were pushed off into camps during WWII, after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. They were forced to live there because of our society's unfortunate blindness towards racial equality. Baseball plays the background to this movie, and it does so in a way that works really well. This movie definitely brings out many emotions to the viewer as he sees the characters deal with racism, equality, hardships, love, and joy. It's a little bit of a feel good film that sat with me just right. American Pastime is not a big budget film, but it doesn't need to be to be enjoyed. Recommended.

This rental was a DVD, but it was quite good for being a DVD.

PQ - n/a
AQ - n/a

4/5

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

He's baaaaaaack...

Originally Posted by Diesel

Didn't your first "meltdown" occur last year around this time of year?

December doesn't agree with you

that was November last year when i was on my Big Bang Theory kick (that's all i watched that month! ) and the Big bang Gods were furious with my decision to try watchin' films and the casualty was 12 Angry Men

[Donat96]

Went to see Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol last night.
It was a very fun movie, obviously nothing deep. The stunts and action scenes in particular were impressive, especially the scene where Tom Cruise is scaling the Burj Khalifa.
There were some parts of the film where I felt my suspension of disbelief was a bit stretched, but you can't expect a fictional action movie to be completely realistic.
Overall, it was easily $10 well spent.
4.5/5