The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[menaceuk]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

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.

Seen shame too. Seems I just don't like Abrubt endings.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

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

She changed her hair style completely for season four (just watched it) and it makes her ten times cuter than before. Bangs.

Half way through American Horror Story myself. Thanks for the tip. I was hooked in the first 60 seconds. I tend to find more value in sound design and editing than most folks I know, so this show if just delicious. Just the opening credits alone are destabilizing, disturbing, and chill inducing.

Plus, I have never had any complaints about French Maids.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

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.
.

I have to agree with menaceuk here. My dislike of the ending was even stronger. There would not be a problem with providing resolution or a definitive ending if it were handled properly IMO.

[ElliesDad]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

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.

Whoa, that caught my attention! "Game of Thrones" is comparable to "Rome"? I don't get "Thrones" with my present cable package but have heard great things about it. The "Rome" allusion might have me heading to Best Buy. And Ciaran Hinds is one of my favorites...and where the blazes, incidentally, is Munich!

Also caught the reference to "Deadwood" being from 'the same folks' that brought "Rome" to the screen. Really?? The things one learns here. Off to look that one up...

[P@t_Mtl]

The Wolfman (1941)

Directed by : George Waggner
Starring : Lon Chaney, Jr., Claude Rains, Warren William
Format : DVD

Story : after 18 years away, Larry Talbot (Chaney) return's to his home in Wales. The timing is however very bad for him as that very night he get's bitten by a man/wolf who is attacking a woman. Very quickly Talbot realise that he is also turning into a manwolf. He is finaly stop in the final scene by his own father (Rains)

Comments : Chaney seem to be the perfect choice for the role, he always seem to have a face of a torture soul, hunted down by the weight of the world and that is what happen's to his character in the story. A remake was made of this in 2010.

Ratings : 3.5/5

[menaceuk]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I have to agree with menaceuk here. My dislike of the ending was even stronger. There would not be a problem with providing resolution or a definitive ending if it were handled properly IMO.

Yep. One way they could have done it, I guess, is to break in

[Show spoiler] like they did earlier, where that girl stabbed the geezer.

Could have showed the vicious side of Patrick too. which previous scenes imply.

That last bolded part is actually my biggest complaint for Wintersbone where they build up this Teardrop character and do nothing with it.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

Whoa, that caught my attention! "Game of Thrones" is comparable to "Rome"? I don't get "Thrones" with my present cable package but have heard great things about it. The "Rome" allusion might have me heading to Best Buy. And Ciaran Hinds is one of my favorites...and where the blazes, incidentally, is Munich!

Also caught the reference to "Deadwood" being from 'the same folks' that brought "Rome" to the screen. Really?? The things one learns here. Off to look that one up...

Although ROME was a "historical" show, and THRONES is fantasy, I agree with DJ that there is a similarity of feel and style. Hard to put a finger on it, but it is there. Hinds should be a fantastic addition to the cast. I'd also love to see Ian McShane get a role. Lord Swearengen He'd be awesome.

[ElliesDad]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Although ROME was a "historical" show, and THRONES is fantasy, I agree with DJ that there is a similarity of feel and style. Hard to put a finger on it, but it is there. Hinds should be a fantastic addition to the cast. I'd also love to see Ian McShane get a role. Lord Swearengen He'd be awesome.

I'd like to see Ian McShane in any form of major role. He's such an intelligent capable actor~ able to project a common-man personna even to some really outrageous stuff like "Deadwood". Always struck me as a cross between Richard Burton (the intensity) and Javier Bardem. Seems like he's doing a lot of supporting fantasy-type roles. I'd love to see what he could do in a major serious dramatic role! How about a co-starring role with Ciaran Hinds!!

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

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.

I would add Crazy, Stupid, Love. and She's Out of My League to the list, especially since both are from the guy's perspective. Definitely, Maybe as well for the same reason.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Half way through American Horror Story myself. Thanks for the tip. I was hooked in the first 60 seconds. I tend to find more value in sound design and editing than most folks I know, so this show if just delicious. Just the opening credits alone are destabilizing, disturbing, and chill inducing.

Plus, I have never had any complaints about French Maids.

I never fast-forwarded through those opening credits. They're very well done.

You're absolutely right--the blu-ray has pretty effective audio. I literally got distracted during some episodes because I noticed how great the sound was (whether it was sound editing or AQ).

I think it starts getting particularly good at the Halloween two-part episode. Also, this is a show I can certainly see myself revisiting, which says a lot about its value because to me, you only need to watch a season once on blu-ray to justify the price of purchasing it.

The

[Show spoiler]non-wrinkled

maid is a total bombshell. And I like that they didn't go with a babe as the lead actress because it's much easier to empathize with her circumstance when she looks her age. Middle-aged Hollywood hardly ever resembles middle-aged offscreen.

[Al_The_Strange]

To round off this fine Halloween season, I popped in a seminal favorite of mine:

House on Haunted Hill 1999

"Funky old house...ain't it?!" - Geoffrey Rush

It seems like the 1959 House on Haunted Hill gets a lot of love, if for no other reason than for Vincent Price's alluring performance. I personally felt the original film was rather slow, dull, gimmicky, and totally not scary. In spite of that, and probably because this remake falls squarely within my generation, I found this rendition of the story superior.

Not only does the film update the look, style, and story, but it also updates the scares...and I sitll think it's pretty darn scary. The opening titles themselves are creepy, with its montage of strange and gnarly imagery and Don Davis' creepy music score. The next scene, where the lunatics literally take over the asylum, is quite intense. A few other key scenes stand out as being definitely freaky, thanks largely to the strange, twitchy, unnatural-looking nature of all the ghosts and visions the characters experience. A lot of reviewers tend to harp on the film's final act: an explosive sequence in which all the ghosts pool together in a huge dark Lovecraftian mass and chases all the characters around. Most would say that these final scenes are overblown and insipid; despite such weaknesses, I always felt the big mass of ghosts was far scarier than most other things produced on film. Overall, something about the way this film reveals the ghosts, the type of imagery it uses, and the threat it emphasizes, stands out above most other ghost stories. The experience is marred just a bit by some level of cheesy acting and maybe some plot holes, but the atmosphere is effectively creepy and unnerving, and the ghosts really do freak me out.

This story provides a substantial update over the original, taking the original concept and building greater depth and detail into the actual house and its ghostly occupants. There is still a twist to the plot...in fact, there are several. There are so many twists that it will require a greater suspense of disbelief. Regardless, the film is structured in a way that reveals each twist and turn without becoming too convoluted. Characters show plenty of personality; it is especially wicked to watch Geoffrey Rush, who pays some welcome homage to Vincent Price.

This film is stylish and slick, with plenty of interesting and solid photography. Editing is decent. Acting can be rather silly (especially with Chris Kattan in the mix, offering a rather strange performance), but I did enjoy the cast very well. I've always had a soft spot for Geoffrey Rush and Famke Janssen in this film; Jeffrey Combs is very wicked in his role, and everybody else fulfills their parts well. Writing is not great, but distinctive and fun. This production features a lot of really stylish and interesting sets, props, and costumes. Some of the special effects aren't aging well, but are mostly-effective. Music is quite scary.

4.5/5 (Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Good | Film: Good)

Recommendation: Rent it.

I got this on a German Blu-Ray. It looks decently sharp and detailed. There are a few specks and artifacts here and there. Colors and contrast tend to be rather muted. Sound quality seemed pretty good, but not great.

PQ: 4/5, AQ: 3.5/5

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

I would add Crazy, Stupid, Love. and She's Out of My League to the list, especially since both are from the guy's perspective. Definitely, Maybe as well for the same reason.

Good call. I think She's Out of My League is hilarious and a very "bro" movie. I really enjoyed it and even got my blu-ray signed by Alice Eve.

I vaguely remember enjoying Definitely, Maybe and even planned on buying it but I lost my enthusiasm and forgot about it because it took so long to be released on blu-ray. That said, even though this is from a guy's perspective, I would say it seemed more like a chick flick.

I've never seen Crazy, Stupid, Love but gave it as a gift to a friend a few years back on good faith from all its praise... and it never leaves her blu-ray player.

Adam needs a blu-ray release.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

Whoa, that caught my attention! "Game of Thrones" is comparable to "Rome"? I don't get "Thrones" with my present cable package but have heard great things about it. The "Rome" allusion might have me heading to Best Buy. And Ciaran Hinds is one of my favorites...and where the blazes, incidentally, is Munich!

Also caught the reference to "Deadwood" being from 'the same folks' that brought "Rome" to the screen. Really?? The things one learns here. Off to look that one up...

Head to BB and get Game of Thrones ASAP.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Although ROME was a "historical" show, and THRONES is fantasy, I agree with DJ that there is a similarity of feel and style.

[Show spoiler]Hard to put a finger on it, but it is there. Hinds should be a fantastic addition to the cast. I'd also love to see Ian McShane get a role. Lord Swearengen He'd be awesome.

Yes, important distinction. My comment on it being historical was more referring to the historically-inspired elements in Game of Thrones. It is fantasy though so far rarely feels that way

[Show spoiler]beyond the occasional dragons and sorcery in the Targaryen storyline.

[Al_The_Strange]

Return to House on Haunted Hill

Eight years after the release of the House on Haunted Hill remake, this little film came to home video. It pretty much is direct-to-video trash, offering a few thrills, but nothing substantial.

The best that can be said is that the film has some very wicked scenes of blood and gore, and some rather arousing nude scenes. Unfortunately, the film does drag at spots, and it feels uneven.

The film does its best to build on its predecessor, as it uses the same settings, same production design, and going so far as bringing back Jeffrey Combs to play the same bad guy as in the first film. One other valuable aspect is that, as the ghosts kill off all the hapless characters, the film uses some really wicked flashbacks to explore more of the house's violent history.

Unfortunately, that's all the good that can be said about it. The film employs some rather dull, lifeles characters who serve as little more than crazy-ghost-fodder. The story doesn't have much of a structure or point at all, and it's especially dumb in the way it explains away the hauntings with a mere demonic statue (which also serves as a rather weak and uninspired McGuffin).

The film doesn't look too bad in terms of filming and editing. Acting and writing aren't anything worth praising though. This production has okay-looking sets, props, and costumes, and some rather weak special effects. Music isn't really great either.

2.5/5 (Entertainment: Average | Story: Poor | Film: Poor)

Recommendation: Probably not.

This Blu-Ray looks sharp and detailed; it can be rather grainy, but is still clean with superb color and contrast. Sound quality is not bad.

PQ: 4.5/5, AQ: 4/5

[jvince]

Friday the 13th: Part 2 (1981)
dir. Steve Miner

The Good: Jason! (but wearing a sack and not his trademark hockey mask) Better at building tension than the original. The opening kill. The entire final girl chase scene.

The Bad: Still stupid. Still some laughable moments. Acting's still terrible. Dramatic parts are still boring.

The Bottom Line: Part 2 is certainly an improvement over the putrid original, but it's no different from your average, cliche-ridden slasher flick.

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

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.

Does Once qualify?

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Good call. I think She's Out of My League is hilarious and a very "bro" movie. I really enjoyed it and even got my blu-ray signed by Alice Eve.

[Show spoiler]"we only flush #2's in this house"

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I've never seen Crazy, Stupid, Love

You should. It really works.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Does Once qualify?

IMO, no. Once isnt really a comedy. It's still five stars all the way though.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Good call. I think She's Out of My League is hilarious and a very "bro" movie. I really enjoyed it and even got my blu-ray signed by Alice Eve.

I vaguely remember enjoying Definitely, Maybe and even planned on buying it but I lost my enthusiasm and forgot about it because it took so long to be released on blu-ray. That said, even though this is from a guy's perspective, I would say it seemed more like a chick flick.

I've never seen Crazy, Stupid, Love but gave it as a gift to a friend a few years back on good faith from all its praise... and it never leaves her blu-ray player.

Adam needs a blu-ray release.

Bastard. It ended up being better than I thought it originally would. It could have been just vulgar and stupid, but it was neither.

Fair enough I guess, but I still think it's less of a one since it is from his perspective. Also, you should be able to get it cheap enough at some point. It should drop back down to around $10 soon enough since the MSRP is so low already.

Like Squid said, you should watch Crazy, Stupid, Love. Not to overhype it, but it's one of the better romantic comedies in a while in my opinion.

I've never seen Adam. I guess I need to get on that sometime too. I did just watch the trailer for it and it looks right up my alley. I'm surprised Fox never released it on Blu-ray yet.

Another one that comes to mind, even though I just blind bought it this week, is Safety Not Guaranteed. That definitely doesn't look like a chick flick from the trailer.