The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[,deeii]

The Wolfman

Was ok, 6/10

[Steve46]

A Serious Man

A curious story filled with bizarre events and the reactions to them. It would probably mean more to someone with a Jewish upbringing. Although a dark comedy of sorts, you won't laugh much at the time. But when you think back, it's actually quite amusing. I am interested to see what I make of it when I see it again.

PQ 5/5, AQ 4/5, movie 4/5

[Al_The_Strange]

Watched "Tunnel Rats" via Netflix. As an Uwe Boll film, I was expecting total garbage....but it's actually not too bad. The film manages to have decent imagery and cameramanship; the plot was swift and action is plentiful. Can't say that it had much dialogue or any interesting characters, and the story is very weak, but it's passable as entertainment; it's one of the better Boll movies. 3/5

[Sussudio]

This thread deserves a sticky

[Travers400]

Up (Superset)

Film: 5/5
PQ: 5/5
SQ: 5/5
Extras: 4.5/5

Great film, Pixar has done it again! The picture had loads of depth and colour, it actually looked almost 3D at some points. Sound was amazing also.
Pixar

[CZAR]

Natural Born Killers - Havnt seen this film in a while. The 2nd half of the film is much better than the first half. Overall still a pretty good film. 3.5/5 Got Em!!

[Al_The_Strange]

Today I watched "Lock Stock Two Smoking Barrels" via Netflix. It's a bit long, but it's well-made. Its very stylish with quite a bit of good (and at times funny) dialogue. 4/5

[Batman1980]

Pandorum
8.5/10 Movie
10/10 PQ and AQ, guess I don't have audio sync issues.

[Diesel]

I checked out the animated Planet Hulk today.

I don't know anything about the actual comic line and if it is faithful to it in the slightest but I was pleased with the film. It was my first Marvel animated feature.

Solid 3.5/5.

[Steve]

I watched Law Abiding Citizen last night. A solid movie, but IMO not much replay value so I won't be buying it. They didn't take the exact approach with the ending I expected, but ultimately it ended the only way it could have

[Show spoiler]with the death of Gerard Butler's character.

3.5/5

[CZAR]

Sunshine Cleaning - Decided to give this film a viewing. It wasnt all that. It got some good reviews but I dont know how. If anyone has seen this film I am curious of sumthin if u can answer.

[Show spoiler]toward the end when Rose was watchin tv and there was a clip on tv of a waitress suggesting pecan pie to a customer and so Rose called her sister and told her to turn it to that channel and they both started crying. What was that about? Did I miss sumthin?

Overall 2.5/5 Got Em!!

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by CZAR

Sunshine Cleaning - Decided to give this film a viewing. It wasnt all that. It got some good reviews but I dont know how. If anyone has seen this film I am curious of sumthin if u can answer.

[Show spoiler]toward the end when Rose was watchin tv and there was a clip on tv of a waitress suggesting pecan pie to a customer and so Rose called her sister and told her to turn it to that channel and they both started crying. What was that about? Did I miss sumthin?

Overall 2.5/5 Got Em!!

[Show spoiler]The waitress was their mother. It was her only acting role.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by Steve46

[Show spoiler]The waitress was their mother. It was her only acting role.

Oh ok damn I must have missed that info about their mom. Good lookin out. Got Em!!

[BluraySe7en]

The Wolfman 2009

When successful stage actor Lawrence Talbot (Del Toro) is summoned home by his brother's fiancée Gwen Conliffe when he goes missing. On arriving home for the first time since his father John (Hopkins) had him committed for a year for witnessing the apparent suicide or what we are lead to believe of his mother when he was a child and then sent to live with his aunt in America. On a arrival learns that his brothers brutally murdered body has been discovered and decides to find out what happened. When Inspector Abberline (Weaving) the real life Police Officer who headed the Jack The Ripper murders enquiry, (a nice touch not fully realised) arrives to investigate the murder. It becomes quickly apparent that wounds were inflicted by no human.

Lawrence learns of the rumblings of a beast on the moors being responsible from the suspicious locals and Abberline although a admirer of Talbot's acting work has his suspicions of Talbot himself, alluding to the fact that Lawrence essays many character on stage and how many others are inside his head, Abberline a little ahead of himself himself obviously still in Ripper Mode.

Lawrence's father John seeming distant and unusually not grief stricken by the death of his son. When Talbot Junior learns of the Gypsy camp near by that his brother had dealing with and a possible chance of answers to his brothers death ventures out on a full moon ( can you see where this is going) even after his father warns him not to and witnesses a brutal assault on the camp with limbs and blood liberally splattered all over the place. Leading to him being savagely attacked but left barely alive with the inevitable consequences.

Back in 2006, yes 2006! when Universal first announced they were remaking the 1941 classic, one of their most famous horror properties things looked extremely promising. Benicio Del Toro had signed on to play the cursed Lawrence Talbot so famously played by Lon Chaney Jr it seemed from appearances and Benicio's obvious acting talent that this was an ideal and intriguing match

The talented director Mark Romanek who had coaxed one of Robin Williams finest and most subtle performance for his film One Hour Photo was on board to direct and the screenplay was provided by one Andrew Kevin Walker who was responsible for supplying David Fincher with the superb script that became his grimy masterpiece Se7en.

The odds were certainly good, then Romanek after arguments with Universal over budget constraints walked, the project went into tail spin and a short list of possible Directors to replace the recently departed Romanek appeared in the press, with the dreaded hack Brett Ratner amongst them (could this possibly have been worse).

Eventually Director Joe Johnston, he responsible for the dreadful Jurassic Park 3 (no Lost World is much better) signed on and the chances of this succeeding were suddenly in doubt. With the casting of Anthony Hopkins as John Talbot, Hopkins an actor prone to phone in his performances and ham for all his worth if not in the hands of a decent Director (see Red Dragon). Johnston isn't actually known for anything but a Director for hire and certainly nothing for a studio like Universal to worry about manipulating and is not what you would call an actors director and probably responsible for the efforts the Welshman puts in here, Hopkins sometimes drifts into Irish and back into Welsh again in a usual I'm picking up the pay cheque performance. Unlike Romanek who on evidence wasn't prepared to be compromised for his proposed vision and would have had a tighter reign on him like Jonathan Demme had on Lambs but Ratner clearly didn't on Red Dragon . Incidentally Johnstone is now prepping Captain America for recently Disney acquired Marvel, things are not looking good on this evidence.

The elements of the more drama based vision that Romanek apparently intended still exist and are evident in Del Toro's take on Talbot most subdued but seriously jarring with the full on horror excess of Johnston's output. The film is an uncomfortable mix of both styles and never reaches an equal balance. It's neither a triumph or a complete disaster

After employing make up legend and maestro Rick Baker, Johnston controversially has favoured to use C.G.I and jettison most of Baker's creature make up for the transformation and use it for the fully transformed Talbot. Del Toro's Wolfman will work for some and others will be unimpressed. It's obvious tribute to Jack P. Pierce's make up in the 1941 original is admirable and for me worked, there is enough of Del Toro's features to convince us but due to the lacking in other departments seems more than it deserves

I didn't see the inconsistencies in the mixture of make up and C.G.I that some have but considering America Werewolf was nearly 30 years ago none of the transformation sequences on display here induce the hairs on the back of the neck that John Landis's classic still does. Incidentally Johnstone even plays homage to American Werewolf when Talbot's werewolf runs amok in London most reminiscent of David Naughton's far more sympathetic beast. Landis's movie for my money remains still the definitive werewolf film.

The over dramatic climax shows another stately home going up in flames quite easily I hasten to add and the other Wolf looks more like a Care Bear and will no doubt induce laughs when it's supposed not to. The identity of the mysterious original Wolfman does not need Sherlock Holmes to work it out and others will have no doubt have rumbled it from early on before it's so obviously sign posted like it's on the screen subtitled in block capitals, maybe it wasn't supposed to be a big reveal but the film gives the impression it does, to me at least that is.

The film went from being released early last year to towards the end of 2009 and then eventually settled on a Valentines Day release this year, obviously to play up the love story element of the plot which needs to work to convince us of the proceedings here. Needless to say it's so down played it barely exists, neither is the chemistry between Del Toro and Blunt convincing or what remains of this element of the script really explored. You don't really know whether Gwen loves Lawrence or not and for her involvement in the story to work you need to. The mish mash or hybrid of drama and bloody horror could well of worked but the rumblings of problems on set, poorly scoring test screenings, script polishing and release delays unfortunately spelled out this wasn't going to work. With a talented director on board and a clear vision in place this could have been so good, it's almost like I'd have preferred a total disaster as moments allude to this achieving its goal of being a worthy remake of the 1941 classic.

The good, is there any? well the ever reliable Hugo Weaving although in an under written role (everyone here is, even Del Toro) as Inspector Abberline does the best with the material and is the only person to come out of this with any real praise, a monologue between him and the local tavern land lady which begins and ends with the phrase "Can I have a pint of bitter please" is laced with subtle sarcasm and delivered in a way you just think it was meant for a better film than we have here. The fact he is the famous real life Inspector Frederick Abberline that investigated the Jack The Ripper Murders is a nice touch and although it's mentioned at one point during the film it seems superfluous by the end of the film.

Sally Johnston's Cinematography is impressive and at times evokes a real atmosphere but 3 editors including Godfather maestro Walter Murch cannot rescue this mess, Johnstone has revealed that a longer cut will end up on DVD and Blu ray with 17 minute inserted with more build up to Talbot's first transformation but what's on display here doesn't make me want to revisit this any time soon.

Danny Elfman who left and then returned for score duties delivers a score with his usual Gothic leanings but you can't but help think he's been listening to Wojciech Kilar superior and far more memorable score to Francis Ford Coppolla's 1992 Bram Stokers Dracula. In fact considering Coppolla's vampire romp contains more plain awful performances including another hammy turn from Welsh Tony if maybe De Toro's performance scaled the heights that Gary Oldman's Count does in the 1992 film maybe The Wolfman may have had more to recommend it but a sterling turn from Weaving in a under written supporting film does not forgive the film for all it's inadequacies

If Universal think they are going to relaunch their horror back catalogue on the strength of this effort they may be counting their chickens before they hatch and I'll be surprised if the box office of this film induces no more than a mild hit if that, the ending leaves it open for a sequel but it's probably best that this animal is put to sleep and we keep our memories of the original black and white classic and forget this misfire. I honestly went in with an open mind willing to forget the mixed reviews the received and judge on my own merit but in the end it was damned from the moment Johnston took the reigns.

2.0 out of 5 stars Nothing to Howl about!

[BluraySe7en]

Silence of the Lambs 1990

When F.B.I trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is assigned to interview infamous serial killer psychiatrist Doctor Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) incarcerated in the depths of Baltimore Psychiatric Hospital. Lecter while intimidatingly intelligent also has a penchant for not only killing his victims but also eating him, hence his moniker "Hannibal The Cannibal". Starling a promising but inexperienced trainee ends up with being toyed with by Lecter and only when she experiences a shocking act from another inmate after Lecters rebuttal, Lecter takes pity and tempts Starling by offering information that will lead to capture of Serial Killer "Buffalo Bill" (Ted Levine), a serial killer currently at large, so named due to his method of skinning his female only victims, all too grim calling card of his deeds.

Although having been warned by her Superior and Behavioural Science head Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn)not to let Lecter inside her head she agrees to offer details of her past in exchange for Lecters thoughts on the case. When there is another disappearance, this time the daughter of a Senator is abducted with the evidence pointing all familiarly to Bill, Crawford put out a fake deal to see if Lecter will bite but unfortunately due to the intervention of Hospital head Dr Chilton (Anthony Heald)the deal is scuppered and Chilton looks set to write his own meal ticket and the expense of Crawford and Starling and engineers a deal to have Lecter give evidence and if his evidence leads to the apprehension of "Buffalo Bill", will get transferred with better privileges to another prison.

Although Jonathan Demme's Oscar winning psychological horror thriller based on Thomas Harris's best selling novel has been surpassed by David Finchers Se7en (in my personal opinion), it still remains an incredibly effective and efficient genre piece. Although it is the more colourful Best Actor Oscar winning turn from Hopkins that gets all the fuss, it is Foster's 2nd Best Actress winning Oscar performance which anchors this film and makes it work so well.

Her take on a young Trainee F.B.I agent is what gives this film it's heart and alongside Demme is adept and showing in sequences throughout that Starling is in a man's world and is out of her depth, through her mannerisms and looks conveying her awkwardness brilliantly, the sequences where she addresses local Law Enforcement to leave and allow them to conduct a examination of a recently discovered victim of the killer, watch the look of disgust on their faces as they are addressed by a woman and Starlings attempts not to sound patronising to the locals.

Demme remains the only Director to manage to have kept Hopkins tethered down enough for his performance not drift into the far to now familiar hammy style that neither Ridley Scott or Brett Ratner could manage to curb with their respective films featuring Hopkins playing the Doctor, Yes Ridley's Hannibal is supposed to be OTT but Ratner just lets him run loose. In the hands of a less talented Director his performance in Lambs could well have robbed the film of the seriousness that Demme & Hopkins had invested in it, the film is not without humour and it is Hopkins that provides it but it now seems tame in comparison to the crimes committed in later entries in the franchise. It's sometimes easy to forget before this Hopkins was just a fairly well known actor who had all but disappeared into obscurity before Demme cast him in his most significant role of his career. It does veer on the edge at times but Hopkins is to be commended it still stands up even with all the imitations that followed and it stays on the right side of the absurd, he is charming.

A impressive supporting cast, Levine's performance is often over looked in favour of Hopkins but after Foster he delivers best performance of the film, perfectly embodying the unhinged killer of Thomas Harris'novel. Jack Crawford has now been played by 3 actors in total, Dennis Farina in Michael Mann's Manhunter, Harvey Keitel in Red Dragon and of course Scott Glenn here, Glenn still gives Harris' character its best reading and apparently was left psychologically marked by his preparation for the role researching F.B.I archives. Heald is suitably slimy and odious as Dr Frederick Chilton, no more is this evident than we first are introduced to him trying to charm Clarice and reaching with no success at all.
Until the god awful Hannibal Rising Frankie Faison was the only actor to have appeared in all of the Lecter movies in this, Hannibal and red Dragon each time as Barney and a small role at the end of Mann's 1986 film.

Demme has rarely been better not only getting the best from his cast, he also stages some great sequences, all Starling's Lecter meetings are filled with atmosphere(seriously lacking in Ratner's Red Dragon). When Lecter escapes later in the film Demme shows a talent for staging thrilling set pieces, if you've worked out the pay off before hand it's still a more than competently handled piece of suspense, although the climatic resolution which begins with what remains one of the most impressive example of cinematic misdirection, achieved i with the minimum amount of fireworks, just a combination of great direction and simple but extremely effective editing leading to a big gasp revelation that leads to our heroine's making, a scene dripping with perspiration and true tension, Demme is ably supported by distinctive cinematography from Tak Fujimoto.

Not forgetting Howard Shore's ominous and hugely atmospheric score, accompanying the film only when necessary, Danny Elfman's score for Red Dragon pretty much sign posts what is coming next, Shore holds back and especially in the end scene is employed very little letting the sequence to speak for itself.

If Lambs is handicapped by anything it's what that followed, so many copy cat films followed, it kick started a whole genre of serial killer flicks with only Se7en actually managing to take the baton with any real aplomb. Starling remains the almost definite blue print for Chris Carter's Dana Skully in the X-files and shows like C.S.I and most recently Criminal Minds would be not here without it. If you can take it's legacy into account Silence of the Lambs still stands up as an exceptional thriller rarely bettered.

**** 1/2

[CZAR]

The Babysitters - What a crazy film! I dont even know how to rate it. It was a crazy concept but it did grab the attention. Not bad I guess. The ending was funny to. I guess I will give it...........3/5 I wouldve rated it higher if they wouldve had a better ending and show the consequences. Got Em!!

[Freekman]

District 9 - 5/5 or 9/10

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by Freekman

District 9 - 5/5 or 9/10

Huh?? Wouldnt 5/5 equate to 10/10?? U at it again Freekman! Hahaha! Got Em!!

[Freekman]

Well technically it would be 4.5/5, but I wanted whole numbers because I'm like that. 9/10 would be between 4/5 and 5/5, so I rounded up.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by Freekman

Well technically it would be 4.5/5, but I wanted whole numbers because I'm like that. 9/10 would be between 4/5 and 5/5, so I rounded up.

Hahahaah I got u. Still breaking your balls! Got Em!!