The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[iam1bearcat]

Eraserhead (1977, written & directed by David Lynch)

FIRST VIEWING

three minutes in i said to myself, "oh god. i'm in too deep. i have no idea what i'm doing".

83 minutes later, i still had no idea what had just happened.

writing a review to do Eraserhead justice seems impossible. as is explaining just what in the hell the film is about. i refuse to give a film a "0" or a "1" just because i don't like its subject matter or don't understand the film. i appreciate (on some level) the "art" that Lynch has created here. so while my score may seem high for what i'm about to write, i believe it deserves it. because films like My Boss's Daughter are bad films because of: acting, script, story, pacing, characters, and a million other things. i can understand absolutely hating Eraserhead, but not because it's a bad film. but because simply it is a very, very messed up film.

the main character in Eraserhead is Henry. he is on vacation from his job at a local factory as a printer and has dinner with his (girl)friend Mary. he soon finds out they must get married because she just had a baby. well, kind of. it sound simple. sounds normal. but it is anything but! there are about 25 complete and total "WTF?!" moments that fill the film.

very minimal dialogue, very disturbing and haunting score, even more haunting humming of generators, and random background noise that will keep me up until dawn i'm sure. (and i used to think 2001 was weird let me just say, 2001 has NOTHING on Eraserhead in terms of weirdness) dense and creepy lighting (and the film is black and white, which somehow makes it creepier than if it were in color i think), and an atmosphere like no other. there is a 95% chance i will never watch this again. but will surely be telling my friends about it. but i almost don't want to. i almost didn't want to write a review for this. because i want to tell every man, woman, and child to run away. if you EVER hear the word(s?) "Eraserhead" run the other way. if you can watch Eraserhead and not wince, squirm and be completely dumbfounded... then you are a liar.

it was amazing though how hooked i was in the film though. it didn't make almost any sense to me, and i couldn't tell if the acting was superb or absolutely horrible, but it entranced me. every scene i was thinking, "oh god now what..." not because it's a gruesome movie like the many Saw films, but because my brain was getting bludgeoned by unknown and unseen forces. i don't know anything about David Lynch and i kind of don't want to. i kind of don't want to see ANYTHING he has ever done again (this was the first film i've seen of his i believe). but at the same time... i do. dammit Lynch, how can you make a movie i hate, don't understand and don't ever want to watch again, and yet i enjoyed it tremendously? how the hell do i rate that?

i could go on and on for six pages, but i won't.
am i glad i watched it? yes. simple enough. now i must go watch Seinfeld. something simple and peaceful for my simple young mind to grasp.

4.5/5

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

True story: I heard on the radio (in Orlando) this morning that teen couples in Seattle are mimicking Twilight/New Moon/etc and physically biting each other's necks and sharing blood....this was in the news in FLorida, so I presume its happening up there...>WTF???????????

that's almost as bad as the people that got depressed over Pandora and not Navi not being real!

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

I tried that when I was on a date the other nite. Didn't work so well.

so, when you found out she wasn't into it did you say,
"so... i'm guessing you're not big into Twilight then huh?"

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by Diesel

I've been waiting to check this out.

My friend said he loved it....so I figure he'll buy it and I'll save myself the $5-$8 it would be to rent

Definitely check it out if he gets it Diesel. It's a lot of fun and I enjoyed it a lot. Hope you like it man. Let me know what you think

[tbizzle]

8 1/2 - 3/5

I didn't really understand this film.... and didn't really connect with it as well. It's a unique one for sure, but not my cup of tea. Everyone in it was good and I liked the direction and cinematography, just didn't care for the movie too much. There was a lot of dream sequences mixed in with reality, and I think Guido was confused as an artist. Did he find himself in the end? Is that what happened in the car? If so, he figured it out in like 4 seconds lol. That's gotta be a record!

If anyone wants to shed some light on this film for me, I'd appreciate it

[TitansFan4Life]

28 Days Later

Movie: 1/5 - I hated it. Blind bought it at a good price. Will sell ASAP.
PQ: 1/5 - Every single DVD I've ever owned has better PQ than this.
AQ: 2/5 - I had to use subtitles and constantly fooled with the volume.

Overall: 1/5 - Complete garbage. I can't allow this to be in my collection. It's a damn shame because I've heard good things about the movie being scary and suspenseful. It was neither. Horrible all around.

I realize the movie itself can't look good considering the equipment that was used to film it, but still... FILM WITH BETTER EQUIPMENT!!! I like how the reviewer on this site gave the PQ a 4.5/5 and the AQ a 4/5. This is the worst quality disc I've ever seen! The reviewer even starts his review by saying "no, this movie does not look good." I probably should've read that before purchasing. I'm sure 28 Weeks Later is a million times better than this crap.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by TitansFan4Life

28 Days Later

Movie: 1/5 - I hated it. Blind bought it at a good price. Will sell ASAP.
PQ: 1/5 - Every single DVD I've ever owned has better PQ than this.
AQ: 2/5 - I had to use subtitles and constantly fooled with the volume.

Overall: 1/5 - Complete garbage. I can't allow this to be in my collection. It's a damn shame because I've heard good things about the movie being scary and suspenseful. It was neither. Horrible all around.

I realize the movie itself can't look good considering the equipment that was used to film it, but still... FILM WITH BETTER EQUIPMENT!!! I'm sure 28 Weeks Later is a million times better than this.

Better in quality? For sure! Better as a film? Ehhhhh....I think it's more of the same, but I liked it better.

[LordoftheRings]

Film: 2/5
Picture: 3.75/5
Sound: 3.25/5
Extras: 1.5/5
Overall: 2/5

* Last comment: A funny movie without being funny.

[JLant19]

Wanted(HBO)

Film:3/5


The story was cool and the twist was ok but this film just didn't do anything for me. There are way too many better action films out there that I'd rather watch.

Saying all that I do say that this is an entertaining film. Just don't expect to be mesmerized by it. Def an entertaining action film but nothing more imo.

Thats really all I can say, it was just "meh" to me, but if you are an action junky, buy it or just even somewhat like me then I say watch it first dont buy it.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

8 1/2 - 3/5

I didn't really understand this film.... and didn't really connect with it as well. It's a unique one for sure, but not my cup of tea. Everyone in it was good and I liked the direction and cinematography, just didn't care for the movie too much. There was a lot of dream sequences mixed in with reality, and I think Guido was confused as an artist. Did he find himself in the end? Is that what happened in the car? If so, he figured it out in like 4 seconds lol. That's gotta be a record!

If anyone wants to shed some light on this film for me, I'd appreciate it

I love the film but haven't really gone into the themes yet (surfdude is much better at that than me). Come on, the hotties alone make it worthwhile

I get what you're saying though--the dream sequences disrupt the flow and make it a bit hard to follow, no doubt, but I enjoyed it all the same and will be picking it up.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by JLant19

Wanted(HBO)

Film:3/5


The story was cool and the twist was ok but this film just didn't do anything for me. There are way too many better action films out there that I'd rather watch.

Saying all that I do say that this is an entertaining film. Just don't expect to be mesmerized by it. Def an entertaining action film but nothing more imo.

Thats really all I can say, it was just "meh" to me, but if you are an action junky, buy it or just even somewhat like me then I say watch it first dont buy it.

I agree, the film is ok, but never really got me interested until after the twist (which as you said was OK) the action was never really cool.

I did laugh at the end though when Morgan Freeman says

[Show spoiler]"Shoot this Mother F**ker".

I think if they stuck with the comic book concept it would of been a far more intresting movie that would of been cooler!

[JLant19]

Originally Posted by Foggy

I agree, the film is ok, but never really got me interested until after the twist (which as you said was OK) the action was never really cool.

I did laugh at the end though when Morgan Freeman says

[Show spoiler]"Shoot this Mother F**ker".

I think if they stuck with the comic book concept it would of been a far more intresting movie that would of been cooler!

Yea that was pretty funny! Never expected him to say that haha

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Q!

Thanks, that was all I needed to know.
About Alien 3 he did what he could and I haven't seen it for a long time, the Blu-ray release should change that.

Also oddly enough I was also accused of following a member just yesterday

Who were you stalking?

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Since you're like, special, now, can you hide the fact that I just admitted I enjoyed Transformers a bit??? Por favor Vincent?

Haaaaaaaaaa Haaaaaaaa Haaaaaaaaa

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Before Surf and Squid sees it?

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Yes. Credibility will be lost with those movie masters

I liked #1 for a popcorn ride.

My cousin has urged me to see #2 so that I can use it as a frame of reference. Years ago he turned me on to Metropolis (1927) and The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari so that I would have a frame of reference for excellence in cinema history. He said I could use Transformes 2 as a reference for everything that can be bad in filmmaking. I aint kidding.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Squid owns it, so you have the one up on him

And Surf owns Twilight, so you have that trump card against him



Oh boy...are they ever going to rag me on my collection now

I had NO IDEA... He's off my guest list now.

[Diesel]

I look forward to the morning and when Squid does his extensive catching up of the night time posts

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Q!

What about me? I have Transformers 2 in my collection

Question...

Originally Posted by Diesel

You, like me, are

[Show spoiler]Not Sufficiently Evolved

.


Squid is going to love that one

Answer NSE.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Absolutely incredible film. I rank it as one of the top 3 of the 2000s, along with The Lives of Others and another film, I'd have to think about.

I rate Bruno Ganz's performance as the best in film history, with Brando in On the Waterfront second.

And yes, that scene is heartwrenching for sure.

Thats a temporary opinion. You havent seen Meryl in Sophies Choice yet.

[Q?]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Who were you stalking?

[Show spoiler]I'm very tempted to just say it and I won'y, but it's the kind of person that eventually gets banned, seen it so many times before

And I'm fine with being NSE

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

yeah, but I only bought that coz I had a crush on this chick who was a member of the "Twilight cult". She confessed she watched the film 100 times. She came over. I put on the blu (sick PQ), and goes "OMG, I never knew the forrest was this clear!!! OMG Look at RObert!!!!"

So............. You didnt get lucky then, eh?