The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by legendarymatt92

It's been given a proper critically bashing, that's for sure. Something like 6% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Not that that makes it any less likely that it's a good film - it might well be - but it doesn't inspire hope...especially when the trailer didn't even look that good.

Bah, I never agreed with RT's ratings. Their bottom line statements are usually spot-on, but their percentages make a lot of things out to seem bad. My tastes seem to align more with imdb. At 6.8/10, Silent Hill: Revelation might be okay in my book.

If there's any other hope for this film, it's that a few folks in the 31 Days of Halloween thread seemed to like it.

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest movie borrowed from the library: (500) Days of Summer

If there's been anything driving me to see this flick, it's simply that most everybody here seems to just LOVE this film.

To be perfectly fair, it is a fine film and there's nothing I can say is outright wrong with it. If anything, it does most everything right; a fine balance between being entertaining, being stylish, and telling a story that's worth telling. The film did keep my attention without resorting to anything distasteful like slapstick.

The most important thing will be the story. If there's any complaint for this film, it'd be the same complaint I have for most other romance films: no conflict. Although that's not entirely true here; the film seems to do a fine job of using the relationship to extrapolate a few basic conflicts between the two love interests, and within the characters themselves. It is brilliant how the characters flip-flop their viewpoints off of each other by the end. Ultimately, it's one of those few rare romance films that addresses the theme of relationships in a manner that's frank and perhaps far more realistic than most other films.

The film looks good, has great acting and writing, and has a slick-enough production.

4/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Good)

Recommendation: Sure.






...no, I still won't get a copy!

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest blind-buy: Birdemic

Hey, I was on a huge bad-movie splurge, so I saw this and figured, why not?

Well, I went into this expecting some all-out "so bad it's good" charm, but holy crap! Children can make better films than this!

The story is abysmal. It spends nearly forty minutes on the lamest and most un-dynamic love story ever filmed. When the "birdemic" finally hits, there's no good reasoning or explanation for anything (and certainly no explanation for why all the birds leave at the end). It's all blamed on global warming. Yep, then the film goes on to shove global warming into the audience's faces at every turn. Oooooh, global warming causes diseases and will make birds attack cars and gas stations! Uh huh...

Not to mention, the actual bird attack is the lamest thing ever committed to film. The birds are so cheap, and they tend to hover in place and incessantly repeat the same stock sound effects over and over again. They go on to dive-bomb everything and explode in cheap-looking explosions.

Acting? Terrible across the board. Writing? Just as terrible. Production? This film was probably made with pocket change. Filming? So very pedestrian. Sound quality? My God, the sound was the worst. It kept cutting in and out, with dialogue and sound getting cut off randomly. At first, I thought the disc was screwed up.

There are some scenes that go on for far too long. The beginning credits are a hoot; it's like five minutes of nonstop driving and driving and driving, with the same music looping two or three times. Same goes for the film's final shots.

There's easily a thousand other things wrong with this picture. You can laugh at it. You can pick it apart and pour all your hatred into it. You can get bored and walk away. For the most part, the former applies the best, so long as you are open to such bad cinema and can find enough good humor to take this film as it is. It's certainly up there on the "so bad it's good" meter, and would likely supersede most of the films shown on the SyFy channel (take that, Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus!).

1.5/5 (Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Awful | Film: Awful)

Recommendation: If you're depressed and have a psychological need to find something extremely terrible to make you realize that nothing can be any worse than this so you feel better and can move on with your life, then look no further than this film.

Surprisingly (...well, okay, maybe not), the Blu-Ray looks and sounds terrible.

PQ: 1/5, AQ: 0.5/5

[Foggy]

Did you have your coat hanger at the ready beside you?

[ElliesDad]

[quote Silent Hill

Is it a great, mind-blowing story?! Nope. Is it entertaining? Yep. Is it well-made? Frakk yeah! If nothing else, I've always loved the look, style, and atmosphere of this film. I loved the creepy unnatural monsters and the fugly settings and all the fog and all the ash and the creepy little girls and blah blah blah! It seems like this film gets a lot of flak for various things, but the only one thing that ever bothered me was understanding the specifics of the plot (made easier on repeat viewings, and it's now intuitive enough for me to "get it" in full), and the very very ending (which might be rectified with the sequel).[/quote]

Never really expected to ever see "Great Expectations" and "Silent Hill" reviewed back-to-back.

Not sure I'd describe Silent Hill as 'entertaining'~ entertaining kind of implies a degree or sense of pleasure that I'm not sure I really experienced while watching it, given the perverse and brutal nature of it. It is on the other hand absolutely absorbing, especially with the volume cranked a bit. This is a true 'horror' movie that is so finely done that it almost creates it's own sub-genre. It doesn't rely on simple gross-out crud like the new generation of mindless slasher/torture/sado-masochistic 'horror' films. It's much more clever and much more adeptly produced and it's ability to create an overwhelming atmosphere (as you suggest) of impending dread and, yes, horror! I think is quite masterful. This is not a film I'd recommend to a lot of folks but if you're in the mood for an emotional jolt this will do it. Think "The Shining" on steroids and crack cocaine.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by Romulus

*arises back from the dead*

Howdy folks, hope all is well. This is my Capstone week so we had to pick a film that I hadn't seen before. I ended up with Umberto D. and I'm in the process of writing a massive analysis of it. I can post it here Thursday or Friday if people want to read it.

What do you guys think of the movie?

I prefer de Sica's The Bicycle Thieves much more, but it's still a solid film. The relationship between human and dog and its end result is really the big draw of the film. In terms of an analysis, there is quite a bit to write about Italy's handling of senior citizens in the years immediately following the second world war.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I had not noticed.

[Show spoiler] Graduating in December?

[Show spoiler]

Yep, finishing my Bachelor's on December 15 and then starting Grad school in late January.

[dag]

Even though I'll be away for ten days, during the next two months I may end up seeing a bunch of movies at the theatre. I've already bought tickets to four films (Skyfall and Lincoln next week, Holy Motors, The End of Time). This weekend there are a number of movies that open which intrigue me. Having said that, even though there is a decent theatre two very short blocks from my condo which shows a number of art house films, I may decide to wait to see these at home on Blu. I'm also not a fan of 3D, although I may suffer through that for Wreck-it Ralph.

Here's to our love of cinema!

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Did you have your coat hanger at the ready beside you?

Nope. I tried to reach for it, but I had to go, because there was a mountain lion nearby.

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

Never really expected to ever see "Great Expectations" and "Silent Hill" reviewed back-to-back.

That's the way I roll.

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

Not sure I'd describe Silent Hill as 'entertaining'~ entertaining kind of implies a degree or sense of pleasure that I'm not sure I really experienced while watching it, given the perverse and brutal nature of it. It is on the other hand absolutely absorbing, especially with the volume cranked a bit. This is a true 'horror' movie that is so finely done that it almost creates it's own sub-genre. It doesn't rely on simple gross-out crud like the new generation of mindless slasher/torture/sado-masochistic 'horror' films. It's much more clever and much more adeptly produced and it's ability to create an overwhelming atmosphere (as you suggest) of impending dread and, yes, horror! I think is quite masterful. This is not a film I'd recommend to a lot of folks but if you're in the mood for an emotional jolt this will do it. Think "The Shining" on steroids and crack cocaine.

"Absorbing" is a good term to describe the pleasure of watching this film. I agree with your comments...in fact, I'm surprised at all the love it's getting. I remember when the film came out, reviews were mixed/mediocre, and lots of bashing ensued.

Regardless, I'm getting pretty close to calling it a top favorite among horror films.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by jvince

Drag Me to Hell (2009)
dir. Sam Raimi

[Show spoiler]

The Good: Alison Lohman (what happened to her?)

The Bad: Not scary at all. Stupid, hackneyed, predictable, and contrived. Overuse of crappy-looking CGI. Cinematography is too glossy and bright for a horror film. Mediocre acting.

The Bottom Line: I hoped a repeat viewing would make me appreciate it, but it only made me despise it even more. Drag Me to Hell is just plain terrible. Avoid.

Kind of a late response but I really loved the ending to Drag Me to Hell. It was the most satisfying way to end the film. It added to the experience--

[Show spoiler]just when we thought it was over, Raimi delivers one last gag, keeping it a ride until the very last frame.

If it ended any other way, I would not have walked out of the theater fulfilled.

On the look of the film, I'm just curious what would you have preferred? A darker, more grittier look? The PQ on the blu-ray is one of the very best looking in my collection and I don't think the quality or lighting takes away from the film because it's more campy than gritty anyway.

I do think there is a mediocre vibe to it mostly because Justin Long is in it. We are talking about Bruce Campbell's B-movie director here though.

I will always give this movie praise because of how much of an enjoyable experience my theatrical viewing was. It had me laughing and screaming throughout the film--Pure fun.

EDIT: I noticed this is not your first try. Sad to see it still didn't work.

Regarding your only positive note, Alison Lohman's casting is actually a negative for me because she looks way too similar to an ex of mine.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Next greatest movie borrowed from the library: (500) Days of Summer

[Show spoiler]If there's been anything driving me to see this flick, it's simply that most everybody here seems to just LOVE this film.

To be perfectly fair, it is a fine film and there's nothing I can say is outright wrong with it. If anything, it does most everything right; a fine balance between being entertaining, being stylish, and telling a story that's worth telling. The film did keep my attention without resorting to anything distasteful like slapstick.

The most important thing will be the story. If there's any complaint for this film, it'd be the same complaint I have for most other romance films: no conflict. Although that's not entirely true here; the film seems to do a fine job of using the relationship to extrapolate a few basic conflicts between the two love interests, and within the characters themselves. It is brilliant how the characters flip-flop their viewpoints off of each other by the end. Ultimately, it's one of those few rare romance films that addresses the theme of relationships in a manner that's frank and perhaps far more realistic than most other films.

The film looks good, has great acting and writing, and has a slick-enough production.

4/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Good)

Recommendation: Sure.






...no, I still won't get a copy!

This is one film with seemingly infinite replay value for me. It's original and believable--two things that are very lacking in the genre.

It also falls under the "rom com but not a chick flick" category for me. Dating movies that feel natural to watch as a guy. Others I have on the list are:

Ruby Sparks
Adam
Spanglish
High Fidelity

Can't think of any others that aren't obviously geared towards women. And I wouldn't consider Eternal Sunshine a comedy.

[Lepidopterous]

I finished American Horror Story in time for the Season 2 premiere, and I had a bit of a moment. Thought I'd share.

While I was watching Game of Thrones earlier this year, it quickly became one of my favorite shows. I noticed that it must bear some connection to Rome (one of my top 3) because they felt very similar (beyond the historical period qualities). I discovered that they share some of the same producers/directors and Ciaran Hinds is even joining Season 3 of Game of Thrones.

Several months later, I start American Horror Story and it pulls me in. I realize what I like so much about it is exactly what I love about Nip/Tuck (another one of my top 3): it takes these incredibly jaw-dropping twists and turns. Later on, I find it is by the creator of Nip/Tuck.

And Squid, look what I dug up from two years ago just now:

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

[Show spoiler]Thats a pretty safe bet.

Put these on the MUST "get to it some day list". Just put them on a list so they are not lost or forgotten. These are all serialised....its the only kinda TV I can do.

1. Damages: Glen Close leads heavy hitter all star cast in this legal drama. There is no court room stuff, its all the behind the scenes corrupt, evil, heavy drama.

2. Deadwood: Yeah, its a western, so what. You want dialogue and characters that ooooze authenticity? Brought to you by the same good folks as Rome. This show may have the best dialogue in the history of TV. Poetic soliloquy, utilizing the F word 1.56 time per minute.

3. Breaking Bad: Its winning a zillion awards because it deserves it. This show shouldnt work. The "good guys" cook meth. Dont ask, just check it out. Incredible writing and acting and chemistry (no pun intended)

4. LOST: Best TV show in the history of forever. You want to feel involved and care about characters? Here it is.

I consider all these shows to be written, directed, acted and shot better than 95% of what makes it to the theaters nowadays.

I guess you did recommend them to me a while ago...

I have a little crush on Rose Byrne so I know I'll get to Damages some day.

[jvince]

Cat People (1942)
dir. Jacques Tourneur

The Good: Main actors Simone Simon and Kent Smith deliver great performances. Some pretty good camera work. Short running time (only 73 minutes long).

The Bad: Very plain. Nothing particularly special about it.

The Bottom Line: Cat People isn't a bad film; it's just like a decent but forgettable Twilight Zone episode.

[Foggy]

Watched Labyrinth last night with a gang of 10 in my room, needless to say they all liked it except one jaded son of a ***** who would stop moaning!

[menaceuk]

American Psycho - 7/10

I really enjoyed it. I like the opportunistic brutality fused with the premeditated viciousness all wrapped up in a Psychological meltdown

and what is with his Foreplay talk. seriously, Phil Collins and Whitney Houston. WTF

[P@t_Mtl]

The Mummy (1932)

Directed by : Karl Freund
Starring : Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners
Format : DVD

Story : After being revived by accident Imothep (Karloff) now look's to bring back to life his beloved princess Ankh-es-en-amon.After meeting Helen Grosvenor (Johann) who as a striking ressemblance to the princess Imothep put his plan into action.

Comments : This is Karloff second iconic role after the monster from Frankenstein. The basic idea of this movie is the same as the 1999 remake. Only difference is this one lack the action sequences added for the remake. The story still hold's up well after 80 years. While put a an horror movie the main theme behind it is still love, if a strange kind of love.

Ratings : 3.5/5

[menaceuk]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Watched Labyrinth last night with a gang of 10 in my room, needless to say they all liked it except one jaded son of a ***** who would stop moaning!

The David Bowie and Jennifer Connolly Labyrinth ?

If So, great movie.

[menaceuk]

Marth Marcy May Marlene - 8/10

I really enjoyed this movie. The transistion effect with in is fantastic IMO and one of the best I have seen.The Story is pretty interesting IMO even though it may sound a little boring but Elizabeth Olson is simply Brilliant. She manages to convey many emotions with great ease and comfort and really helps tell the story.

Johnathan Hawkes is also fantastic and fans of Winters Bone will likely be reminded of his Teardrop Character and the rest of the back up cast are all solid too.

My only problem with the Movie is the way it Ends. It just struck me as Odd and really Weird but Overall a fantastic all round movie with a Performance from Olson many wouldn't have believed she could Give.

[P@t_Mtl]

The Invisible Man (1933)

Directed by : James Whale
Starring : Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart
Format : DVD

Story : A chemist name Jack Griffin (Rains) discover the secret of becoming invisible. He first look for a cure but soon come to find that he is superior now and want's to exploit these new powers with extortion, murder and theft. After managing to elude the police is is finaly cornered and shot.

Comments : Receiving top billing Rains is actually seen on screen once, at the very last scene of the movie. During the entire movie all we hear is his voice. He did a good job however showing the slow insanity and corruption affecting his character as the story goes on. The special effects are quite amazing as well considering the time. You do notice a few wires in certain scenes but it's never enough to really destroy the illusion.

Ratings : 3.5/5

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by menaceuk

Marth Marcy May Marlene - 8/10

I really enjoyed this movie. The transistion effect with in is fantastic IMO and one of the best I have seen.The Story is pretty interesting IMO even though it may sound a little boring but Elizabeth Olson is simply Brilliant. She manages to convey many emotions with great ease and comfort and really helps tell the story.

Johnathan Hawkes is also fantastic and fans of Winters Bone will likely be reminded of his Teardrop Character and the rest of the back up cast are all solid too.

My only problem with the Movie is the way it Ends. It just struck me as Odd and really Weird but Overall a fantastic all round movie with a Performance from Olson many wouldn't have believed she could Give.

Oh no, I thought the ending was a great way to tie up the film's themes. It couldnt have ended any other way. If we saw the resolution it might have seemed way too trite and would have undone much of what the film had been exploring.

Shame ends in a similar way (more fluid and mirrored if nothing else) but reveals much less about Brandon. The ending of Shame was the one flaw I had with it.