The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Watched Cabin in the Woods again, still my fave film of the year!

I received this from Netflix today. Pretty excited to watch it tonight.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I received this from Netflix today. Pretty excited to watch it tonight.

Everyone I watched it with were quite confused by it

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I have been watching tons of TV on Blu-ray lately. With all the awesome releases recently and in the next month or so, I'll be watching a lot more too. I snuck in a couple films that I wanted to see though before returning to the TV shows.

Akira

1988 - R - 129 minutes

I thought I'd like this a lot more than I did.

Post apocalyptic world? Check. Government conspiracy? Check. Fast motorcycles? Check. Dark and dangerous? Check. Cool animation? Check and sign me up. But I ended up not caring. Meh.

I just didnt like the young male protagonists. They were complete and utter D!CKS to everyone around them. All the time, for no reason.

I also didnt like the voicework. It seemed like almost every line was YELLED with anger. Even lines that would normally be spoken at a low volume with little to no emotion were SCREAMED with over-the-top rage and passion. After 15 minutes it was really silly and very annoying.

The two gripes above were offputting right from the start and prevented me from becoming invested in the story.

Film 2/5
PQ 4.5/5
AQ 4.5/5

TETSUUUUUOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Even lines that would normally be spoken at a low volume with little to no emotion were SCREAMED with over-the-top rage and passion.

LOL. Can't see you enjoying that. No wonder you gave it thumbs down. I would too!

what happened to "dynamic range"? if everything is loud, then how is my brain supposed to know when people are angry? LOL

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

TETSUUUUUOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by surfdude12

what happened to "dynamic range"? if everything is loud, then how is my brain supposed to know when people are angry? LOL

Exactly. It became monotonous.

PASS ME THE SALT YOU BASTARD!!!!!!!

THANK YOU, YOU JERK!!!!!!!!!!

MY SHOES ARE TOO TIGHT!!!!!!!!

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Exactly. It became monotonous.

PASS ME THE SALT YOU BASTARD!!!!!!!

THANK YOU, YOU JERK!!!!!!!!!!

MY SHOES ARE TOO TIGHT!!!!!!!!

...in all due seriousness...welcome to the world of real, hardcore non-Miyazaki anime! It's not just visually loud!!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

...in all due seriousness...welcome to the world of real, hardcore non-Miyazaki anime! It's not just visually loud!!

I guess I'll stick with The Secret World of Arrietty and the like.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I guess I'll stick with The Secret World of Arrietty and the like.

I am the opposite, Ghilbli studio release I find them boring, give me the hardcore stuff

[SquidPuppet]

Seriously though, I have enjoyed lots of anime. One of my favorites deals with very heavy themes and emotions. Yet as deep and intense as the dialogue is, it is often very softly spoken. I would suspect that most people would actually consider the film slow.

The Sky Crawlers is set in an alternative history where, although the world is at peace, in order to ease the tension of a populace accustomed to war and aggression, private corporations contract fighter pilots to engage in actual combat operations against each other. The film introduces a mystery involving characters called Kildren (キルドレ, Kirudore /"kill-dolls"?), humanoids genetically designed to live eternally in adolescence.

[Al_The_Strange]

Yeah, Sky Crawlers was alright. I did find it slow in between the battles. It never did stick with me.

Might have to chalk it up to me liking a more screaming-in-your-face approach than the soft-spoken slow-mo approach.

When I first started watching animes, I saw one after another like a fiend, and tried to make a good favorites list for them. Sadly, I haven't been keeping up with the anime scene in years, and I'm feeling out of it. Still if I had to rank my favorite animes, it would probably look like this:

01: Akira
02: Nausicaa
03: The Ninja Scroll
04: Laputa: Castle in the Sky
05: Spirited Away
06: The Animatrix
07: Evangelion 2.22: You Are (Not) Alone
08: Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion
09: Ghost in the Shell
10: The Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
11: Evangelion 1.11: You Can (Not) Advance
12: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
13: ROD: Read or Die *
14: Battle Angel *
15: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
* OVAs that could be viewed as feature films.

Of course, I'd recommend the whole lot of them (although they may have varying levels of obnoxious yelling), but it's been years since I've seen a lot of these.

The key aspect to all of them is the same thing I look for in all films: a pleasing mix of style and substance.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Yeah, Sky Crawlers was alright. I did find it slow in between the battles. It never did stick with me.

Might have to chalk it up to me liking a more screaming-in-your-face approach than the soft-spoken slow-mo approach.

When I first started watching animes, I saw one after another like a fiend, and tried to make a good favorites list for them. Sadly, I haven't been keeping up with the anime scene in years, and I'm feeling out of it. Still if I had to rank my favorite animes, it would probably look like this:

01: Akira
02: Nausicaa
03: The Ninja Scroll
04: Laputa: Castle in the Sky
05: Spirited Away
06: The Animatrix
07: Evangelion 2.22: You Are (Not) Alone
08: Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion
09: Ghost in the Shell
10: The Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
11: Evangelion 1.11: You Can (Not) Advance
12: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
13: ROD: Read or Die *
14: Battle Angel *
15: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
* OVAs that could be viewed as feature films.

Of course, I'd recommend the whole lot of them (although they may have varying levels of obnoxious yelling), but it's been years since I've seen a lot of these.

The key aspect to all of them is the same thing I look for in all films: a pleasing mix of style and substance.

Do you like Israeli anime?

Seriously though, Waltz With Bashir is awesome.

Banned in Lebanon.

Awesome story. Fantastically structured non linear storytelling. Killer animation.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Do you like Israeli anime?

Seriously though, Waltz With Bashir is awesome.

Banned in Lebanon.

Awesome story. Fantastically structured non linear storytelling. Killer animation.

[Show spoiler]

Blasphemy! Anime can only be Japanese!

Seriously though, Waltz With Bashir was one of my first blind-buy imports when I first started collecting BDs, and I thought it was great. One of my favorites of 2008 (and another key reason why I loved that year). Sadly, I haven't seen it since.

Later on, I grabbed Persepolis as well, and it's pretty decent. It's one of those life-story movies with no big plot , but the character is endearing and the animation quality in it is slick. Both movies could go together fairly well to form some kind of Middle-East animation marathon.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Seriously though, I have enjoyed lots of anime. One of my favorites deals with very heavy themes and emotions. Yet as deep and intense as the dialogue is, it is often very softly spoken. I would suspect that most people would actually consider the film slow.

[Show spoiler]

I had no idea you liked this movie so much. I thought it was good. Did you see it before or after Ghost in the Shell? (same director)

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

When I first started watching animes, I saw one after another like a fiend, and tried to make a good favorites list for them. Sadly, I haven't been keeping up with the anime scene in years, and I'm feeling out of it. Still if I had to rank my favorite animes, it would probably look like this:

01: Akira
02: Nausicaa
03: The Ninja Scroll
04: Laputa: Castle in the Sky
05: Spirited Away
06: The Animatrix
07: Evangelion 2.22: You Are (Not) Alone
08: Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion
09: Ghost in the Shell
10: The Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
11: Evangelion 1.11: You Can (Not) Advance
12: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
13: ROD: Read or Die *
14: Battle Angel *
15: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
* OVAs that could be viewed as feature films.

Of course, I'd recommend the whole lot of them (although they may have varying levels of obnoxious yelling), but it's been years since I've seen a lot of these.

The key aspect to all of them is the same thing I look for in all films: a pleasing mix of style and substance.

I LOVE that you have Battle Angel in there. It's in my top 10.

[Lepidopterous]

Review for Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master coming up.

[Foggy]

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

Got to see it for free, didn't have much in terms of expectations, the trailer and adverts didn't do much for me, and the only line that did make me laugh wasn't even in the film, the only thing that had me excited was Jvince calling it "this years Submarine"...

It's definitely not as good as Submarine, and lacks the creative detail and involvement that film had. But taken on it's on accord, I very much enjoyed as a very sweet little film

It's a film that manages to dance with drama and comedy with ease, although a lot of scenes make you laugh at a punchline that wasn't supposed to be there as it was a dramatic scene and vice versa, the film still gets big laughs when it means to and emotional grip for the most part.

As well as juggling the tone, the film manages to juggle many characters at once, all with arcs and moments in the spotlight. Some not get fully resolved, but that's a part of the films aim at realism, things don't get resolved all the time, some times they just fade into the backdrop. It's a ballsy move, but the film has such a pace it manages to make it work naturally with in its narrative.

Acting is pretty top notch, Logan Lerman got lot's off "awwwww" from the audience, Emma Watson takes a bit of a while to settle into her accent, but you soon forget her pre-potter self. And that Kevin dude steals all the scenes he's in after you get past the cockiness of the role.

Any complaints? Well, the ending is pretty rushed, with a huge dramatic reveal being brushed over far too swiftly, and it's not a very creative film, with very standard photography and soundtrack, it even crams in its completely nessecery reference to The Catcher In The Rye.

But regardless, I was warmed by the film, it worked very well, and it's definitely a crowd pleaser, as some members of the audience were crying at the end. Pretty well recommended to Bearcat.

8.5/10

[Lepidopterous]

The Master

This may be Paul Thomas Anderson’s best film... and his worst.

The Master is a slow-boil character study focused on the interplay between a radical philosopher and an eccentric alcoholic. The film begins with the viewer looking at water escaping from the back of a traveling boat. It is a beautiful shot that lingers giving you a sense of motion and time--escapism. Eery orchestrations follow, reminiscient of There Will Be Blood’s disturbing score. Right from the start, I felt much more ambition from Anderson.

What I like most about this film is the complexity. The journey is maddening. Frustrating. And it is hard to care for either of the main characters. But I simultaneously found their flaws captivating. One is perverted with sexual compulsions and with the other, you’re not sure if he is driven more by proving his philosophy to others or to himself. Like his previous film, Anderson does not try to tie us into the character, but rather fascinate us with them--only this time, he takes on two characters equally as, if not more, complex as Daniel Plainview in Blood.

The acting is very strong in all corners. Phoenix is in total control of his role and it is refreshing to have him back in top form. Philip Seymour Hoffman is even more powerful and equally eccentric. Atmosphere is great. Cinematography, score, lighting, great. The production quality all around was not just good, but great. It is a bold reminder of why I admire this director as much as I do.

However, ultimately, for a great movie to work, it has to come together. And this is where I find it lacking. The movie was too long, could have used better editing, and weak in its exploration of such thought-provoking and controversial subject material. Also, between Phoenix and his love interest,

[Show spoiler]the age range was too wide. Seeing a 40-year-old kiss a teenager was

.

Let me stress: in technicality, this is Anderson’s best. The film is beautiful, the screenplay has depth, and he brings out the best in his actors. Towards the beginning, there is a brilliant scene where Phoenix is forced to avoid blinking during a barrage of personal questions as we learn revelations about his character in less than a minute. It is overwhelming and captivating. I just wish the rest of the film kept up that momentum, but it falls flat. I believe that perhaps I will grow to like it with each subsequent viewing because, although I did not find the film entirely satisfying, I reflected on it quite a bit. The beginning has promise and the ending is thought-provoking, but the middle act frustrated me more than it entertained me.

As a fan of Paul Thomas Anderson’s work, I have been looking forward to this film for a long time. Is it a failure? No. Is it a disappointment? Yes. It is as aesthetically pleasing as it is thought-provoking, but the narrative does not support the magnitude of Anderson’s ambitious double character study. This is a rich film in idea and presentation, but stale in its construction.

3/5

[dag]

Ah, how I enjoy this thread!

I really enjoyed The Sky Crawlers and Waltz With Bashir.

The final scene (at least, before the credits), on the runway, in The Sky Crawlers was deeply moving; even now, thinking about it four years after having seen it, I feel emotional. Very powerful!

Bashir also was a devastating examination of memory, its repression, the evil man can do, and the inherent humanity in each of us. Very, very good.

I have very mixed feelings about The Master. Certainly, it is technically extremely well done. But I was lefty wondering - to what end?

My next film, this Saturday afternoon, will be Looper.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by dag

My next film, this Saturday afternoon, will be Looper.

No movies for me this weekend, will be too busy with close to 30 hours of golf watching, see you guys after The Ryder Cup on Monday

[jvince]

Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
dir. Charles Reisner, Buster Keaton

The Good: The climactic storm sequence is absolutely spectacular, it puts most contemporary films to shame (and it was made 84 years ago!). Buster Keaton; the man is nuts.

The Bad: The first hour or so is nothing special and could've been shortened.

The Bottom Line: Steamboat Bill, Jr. may not be as consistent nor creative as Sherlock Jr. or his underappreciated short One Week, but it is certainly among Buster Keaton's better works. Recommended, even if only for that amazing final sequence.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

01: Akira
02: Nausicaa
03: The Ninja Scroll
04: Laputa: Castle in the Sky
05: Spirited Away
06: The Animatrix
07: Evangelion 2.22: You Are (Not) Alone
08: Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion
09: Ghost in the Shell
10: The Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
11: Evangelion 1.11: You Can (Not) Advance
12: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
13: ROD: Read or Die *
14: Battle Angel *
15: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
* OVAs that could be viewed as feature films.

Of course, I'd recommend the whole lot of them (although they may have varying levels of obnoxious yelling), but it's been years since I've seen a lot of these.

The key aspect to all of them is the same thing I look for in all films: a pleasing mix of style and substance.

I got two recommendations for you: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Mind Game.

Originally Posted by Foggy

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

Got to see it for free, didn't have much in terms of expectations, the trailer and adverts didn't do much for me, and the only line that did make me laugh wasn't even in the film, the only thing that had me excited was Jvince calling it "this years Submarine"...

It's definitely not as good as Submarine, and lacks the creative detail and involvement that film had. But taken on it's on accord, I very much enjoyed as a very sweet little film

Yeah, it's not as good as Submarine, but it was the closest recent film I could think of. It did share some qualities, although like you mentioned, it didn't possess the great cinematography nor the memorable bits that Submarine had (but I disagree in regard to the soundtrack; I thought Wallflower's was just as great as Alex Turner's).

Originally Posted by Foggy

But regardless, I was warmed by the film, it worked very well, and it's definitely a crowd pleaser, as some members of the audience were crying at the end.

It is a crowd-pleaser, and I was quite surprised by that since it was kinda dark for a PG-13 movie. The audience was really into it though, there was even a huge ovation at the end. I overheard lots of wow's afterwards and a couple of girls claiming it's one of their favorites. I wish I loved it as much as the crowd did; I felt like I was the only one there who thought it was good but not great.

Originally Posted by Foggy

Pretty well recommended to Bearcat.

I concur. This is definitely a Bearcat movie.

Originally Posted by dag

My next film, this Saturday afternoon, will be Looper.

Can't wait to see Looper. This thread will be filled with reviews for that film (I know Foggy's gonna go see it too).