The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by HanaBi

Cool, thanks for the recommendation. Actually just ordered the Pusher trilogy from DeepDiscount for about $16. May rent Bronson as well.

How gory is Valhalla Rising? Any comparisons?

[HanaBi]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

How gory is Valhalla Rising? Any comparisons?

Can't compare to his other pics...yet! Compared to anything else, hm - nothing worse than what gets an R rating nowadays.

I feel like it wasn't all that gory, the violence just really made an impact - often after a long buildup of tension. The sound was intense, too.

PS: Speaking of gory, the screening I saw was actually followed by MANIAC, introduced by Refn (a big fan) & William Lustig. I couldn't stick around, as it was a midnight showing and I was knackered.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by HanaBi

VALHALLA RISING

8/10

Waking-dream Viking death-trip.

Followed by Q&A with director Nicolas Winding Refn. I need to check out his other films now, though this is unlike anything he's done before. He's described it as a science fiction film without the science. Very moody, very cool. Check it out in the theater if you can!

Can't say I enjoyed it as much as you did, but I loved its imagery. I'll have to watch it again some day; I wasn't expecting it to be so dream-like and trippy.

If I remember right, I figure it's about as gory as "Braveheart;" a fair amount of brutal bludgeonings with some splattering blood.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by pj_campbell

Yes! Love this movie, so fantastic and cheesy. Bruce Campbell is so awesome! I wish he'd do another...."This, is my boomstick!"

Hail to the king, baby!

[BladeRunner2007]

The Beyond 4.5/5

Imo Fulci's masterpiece!

[surfdude12]

Alice in Wonderland

Film: 2/5
-I'm the biggest Burton fan you'll ever meet (Big Fish, Sweeney Todd, Corpse Bride among my favorites), but I was really let down by this film. Perhaps that's why: I love Burton so have high expectations.
-Wasikowska was Alice was one of the biggest miscasts I've ever seen. In 95% of the film, she gives a neutral/concerned look. Talking to Depp? Neutral/concerned look. Monster coming at her with gigantic teeth? Neutral/concerned look. In addition to her lack of conveying emotion (which killed the experience, as it limited how much you were emotionally involved/rooting for her), her lines and general acting were just horrid IMO. Was Dakota Fanning unavailable?? Easily 2 star deduction just for that, given that she is in 95% of the scenes and her performance dictates the viewers experience
-the rest of the cast was good, but the plot was a little weak, heavily relying on effects and CGI to tell the story, rather than dialogue, IMO

PQ: 4.5/5 (during Wonderland, it gets real soft, but its so blatant that it has to be intended)

AQ: 4/5 (I could only make out half of Depp's lines with the audio CRANKED, but maybe that was intended )

[Starman22]

Step Brothers and I give an rate: 4/5

this is my first time to viewing this that Im rent it and Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly of their best performance better than Talladage Nights. so what a funniest movie I seen.

[CZAR]

Cape Fear (1991) - First time ever viewing this film. I loved it. Deniro was terrific and very terrifying. Juliette Lewis was also outstanding and I think she has always been an underrated actress. As for the film itself, I think its another great film under the great Scorsese. Very suspenseful and the pacing was very good. It flowed very well and I was into it every minute. This is another film I can add to Deniro's resume that I have seen, thus given the reason I think he is the 2nd greatest actor of all time. He nailed the part 100%!

Film Rating - 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Got Em!!

[LordoftheRings]

Documentary: 5/5
Picture: Watchable, 3/5
Sound: Listenable, 3/5
Extras: 5/5
Overall: 5/5

* Last comment: Highly entertaining. ...For wave surfing fans.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Alice in Wonderland

Film: 2/5

[Show spoiler]
-I'm the biggest Burton fan you'll ever meet (Big Fish, Sweeney Todd, Corpse Bride among my favorites), but I was really let down by this film. Perhaps that's why: I love Burton so have high expectations.
-Wasikowska was Alice was one of the biggest miscasts I've ever seen. In 95% of the film, she gives a neutral/concerned look. Talking to Depp? Neutral/concerned look. Monster coming at her with gigantic teeth? Neutral/concerned look. In addition to her lack of conveying emotion (which killed the experience, as it limited how much you were emotionally involved/rooting for her), her lines and general acting were just horrid IMO. Was Dakota Fanning unavailable?? Easily 2 star deduction just for that, given that she is in 95% of the scenes and her performance dictates the viewers experience
-the rest of the cast was good, but the plot was a little weak, heavily relying on effects and CGI to tell the story, rather than dialogue, IMO

PQ: 4.5/5 (during Wonderland, it gets real soft, but its so blatant that it has to be intended)

AQ: 4/5 (I could only make out half of Depp's lines with the audio CRANKED, but maybe that was intended )

I was a little hesitant to call Mia Wasikowska's performance "good" for those reasons. Now I'm wondering if it's intentional, since she is supposed to be a Victorian lady.

Personally, I still rooted for her, probably more because of all the social drama that went on at the beginning and end. She had her moments.

More than anything though, I found Crispin Glover's performance blander than all others (geez McFly! ).

I still love the film for all the reasons stated some pages ago.

[tbizzle]

Paranormal Activity - 3.5/5

Pretty decent movie, especially for the horror genre, and especially considering the budget they worked with. For the most part, I liked it. The acting and chemistry was a little sketchy at times, but overall everyone (all 4 of them ) did a good job. It fell on it's face in the end though, I thought it was kinda lame

Other than that, solid movie. I'm always impressed when a modern horror movie is done decently well and doesn't use the super cliche "jump" tactics. I won't watch most horror movies because they're filled with teen looking models and the director generally only cares about gore and cheap scares, rather than having a good story, good actors, building suspense in a scary atmosphere and being legitimately creepy.

[The Architect]

[QUOTE=surfdude12;3386120]Alice in Wonderland

Film: 2/5
-I'm the biggest Burton fan you'll ever meet (Big Fish, Sweeney Todd, Corpse Bride among my favorites), but I was really let down by this film. Perhaps that's why: I love Burton so have high expectations.

Oh yeah? Where is your Burton related avatar?...Just kidding man, Memento is a great movie...and being a fan of Burton myself, I can only say...you're right sir! I love Burtons movies but Alice was not one of his best (and yet his most succesfull at box office). I sure hope he will do Dark Shadows (Depp vampire sounds good to me, not to mention the gothic atmosphere) and not that stupid rumor Monstepocalypse...

Now to be on topic, I saw last night Dances With Wolves...
To speak about the movie itself it's pointless cuz we all know it's a masterpiece...and on the technical part: Video - 4, 4.5/5, Audio - 5/5. There are no extras on blu-ray. Overall: Highly Recommended!

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by The Architect

Alice in Wonderland

Film: 2/5
-I'm the biggest Burton fan you'll ever meet (Big Fish, Sweeney Todd, Corpse Bride among my favorites), but I was really let down by this film. Perhaps that's why: I love Burton so have high expectations.

Oh yeah? Where is your Burton related avatar?...Just kidding man, Memento is a great movie...and being a fan of Burton myself, I can only say...you're right sir! I love Burtons movies but Alice was not one of his best (and yet his most succesfull at box office). I sure hope he will do Dark Shadows (Depp vampire sounds good to me, not to mention the gothic atmosphere) and not that stupid rumor Monstepocalypse...

Now to be on topic, I saw last night Dances With Wolves...
To speak about the movie itself it's pointless cuz we all know it's a masterpiece...and on the technical part: Video - 4, 4.5/5, Audio - 5/5. There are no extras on blu-ray. Overall: Highly Recommended!

err, I'm confused, at this mainly cause you messed the Quote, but did you say Memento is a great movie, what does Tim Burton have to do with that

Anyway, I watched..

A Fistful Of Dollars

I really liked, I liked the style and dialogue between characters. Obviously just by watching it you can see how and why it's so Iconic. And Clint is always great.

I think it's only flawed by the way there's very little tension in some of the shoot outs, due to a lack of blood and injury, it's just obviously people pretending to get shot. That and some awful dubbing takes you out of the movie. But it's really fun, I enjoyed it, I'll have to watch A Few Dollars More tomorrow.

9/10

[chad_1138]

Finally saw Kick-Ass last night.

10/10

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by chad_1138

Finally saw Kick-Ass last night.

10/10

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Foggy

err, I'm confused, at this mainly cause you messed the Quote, but did you say Memento is a great movie, what does Tim Burton have to do with that

he was just busting my b@lls for saying I am a big Burton fan but not having a Burton avatar (instead I have Memento)

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Whoops, turned out I had one more blind-buy hanging around.

"Alice in Wonderland" 2010.


4.5/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 4/5, film: 5/5, i/e: 3/5)

Blu-Ray has beautiful PQ; practically reference quality. Sound quality is decent.

Well, you definitely appreciated the costume, set and SFX more than I did, which I probably overlooked, but I still disagree that this was Burton at his best. In all of my favorite Burton films, I feel like my mind is being taken to a new place, and my imagination is stretched. I've never read the Alice books or watched the films, but this movie seemed very predictable and routine, very unBurton-like. Also, I found the marriage ceremony completely detached and confusing, perhaps because I was unconvinced by the whole wonderland act, so didn't see a connection that I should have.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by CZAR

Cape Fear (1991) - First time ever viewing this film. I loved it. Deniro was terrific and very terrifying. Juliette Lewis was also outstanding and I think she has always been an underrated actress. As for the film itself, I think its another great film under the great Scorsese. Very suspenseful and the pacing was very good. It flowed very well and I was into it every minute. This is another film I can add to Deniro's resume that I have seen, thus given the reason I think he is the 2nd greatest actor of all time. He nailed the part 100%!

Film Rating - 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Got Em!!

I'm counting the days til this comes on blu-ray-- great, great film-- my rating is 5.0 out of 5!! I think this film always gets overlooked because it came out the same year as SILENCE OF THE LAMBS but I think they are equals..

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Well, you definitely appreciated the costume, set and SFX more than I did, which I probably overlooked, but I still disagree that this was Burton at his best. In all of my favorite Burton films, I feel like my mind is being taken to a new place, and my imagination is stretched. I've never read the Alice books or watched the films, but this movie seemed very predictable and routine, very unBurton-like. Also, I found the marriage ceremony completely detached and confusing, perhaps because I was unconvinced by the whole wonderland act, so didn't see a connection that I should have.

I think you might also place higher value in quality acting and emotions rather than the sheer spectacle, which is what I care about more. I felt that the film delivered, but then again, I had completely different expectations than you did.

As everybody else would say around here (I think it was Czar's line originally), "Different strokes for different folks!"

Also, if you haven't seen the original Disney animation, you should. It's quite trippy, and probably will put the new movie into a slightly better perspective.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

I'm counting the days til this comes on blu-ray-- great, great film-- my rating is 5.0 out of 5!! I think this film always gets overlooked because it came out the same year as SILENCE OF THE LAMBS but I think they are equals..

Yea man I would definitely add this to my collection if it came out. Also I never seen Silence of the Lambs either so I cant compare as of yet. Got Em!!