The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[antwonaj]

Eden Lake 4/5

The films great and reminded me of Them, which i love. Hated the ending tho, just wanted to punch that guy in the face.

PQ 5/5 AQ 4/5

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by lDlisturb3d

Great reviews, Iron Man 2 was good and Frozen was an Intense Thriller!!!! Only negative thing i had about Frozen was the opening. The kids were so corny!!

Awe man u know how it is with kids goin skiiing. Thats a corny sport so it fit pretty good haha. Got Em!!

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

A Serious Man

A SERIOUSLY BAD MOVIE!

i hate this movie. this is quite possibly one of the worst movies i have ever had the misfortune of renting, watching, and finishing. certainly the worst film of 2009 that i've seen (out of roughly 30 films released in 2009). it boggles my freakin' mind how this is a Coens brothers film. these are the same people that made my beloved Burn After Reading and Fargo?! if this is a sign of what's to come from them, i'm never watching a new film by them again. ever.

the only redeeming plus side of this film is Michael Stuhlbarg's portrayal of Larry Gopnik. he does a great job of portraying emotion and playing the role of someone who's life is in the pooper and one problem leads to another problem. aside from that, everything about this movie SUCKS. i wish i could be more 'adult' about it, but this garbage doesn't even deserve my time to write this review let alone think of something more educated to say about it.

generally people watch movies to escape from reality. this film just reminds you how much life can suck. and it's labeled as a "black comedy". it isn't. there's about 5 chuckles to be had over this god awful, way too long 100 minute run time.

now, i'm not a religious man in any sense of the word. i respect people and their religions, but i am, in no way a believer in religion / faith, but i can watch movies that have it. it doesn't bother me. but this movie is drenched in Jewish history with stories (including the bizarre and completely useless 10 minute intro which takes place in what looks like the 1800's), gatherings, religious church members and language. i had no idea what the fudge was going on, and as if i didn't feel connected or interested in the film to begin with, let's smother the viewer in religious hokum pokum so we understand even less

- way too long
- way too boring
- not close to being anything remotely funny
- could barely sit still as this garbage babbled on and continued on and on
- dumb ending

don't waste your time renting this. don't waste your time reading the back of the damn cover.
88% on rotten tomatoes? ooooookay. maybe i didn't "get it", i don't care. i don't want to get it. this was god awful story telling. i'd rather put my head in a vice grip while standing on a pile of fire ants than ever watch another second of this again.

1/2 / 5 (0.5/5)

Guess that'll mean I'll like it

[iam1bearcat]

Eagle Eye

i'll admit, i'm a big Shia LaBeouf fan. he certainly isn't going to win any awards for his performances, but it seems like he gets a lot of hate in the film industry. and certainly he seems to play the exact same character in every film (the geeky, wide eyed "what's going on?" guy who is constantly running through traffic and around explosions) but again, i don't mind it because i know what to expect.

the film is typical summer blockbuster and i was shocked to NOT see Michael Bay's name attached to this (at least not anywhere on wikipedia) because Eagle Eye contains everything a Michael Bay film contains: big explosions, a film that is way too long, overly complex while also kind of impossible, some snippets of humor, a few sometimes overly sappy sad / love scenes and a tense showdown in the final moments. but this is a DJ Caruso film (director of Disturbia), and much like Disturbia, Eagle Eye feels like it won't hold up to repeated viewings.

the film centers around a young man named Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) who is very smart (dropped out of Stanford) but is unmotivated and lazy. unlike his recently deceased twin brother Ethan, who was in the military. but soon after the funeral, craziness ensues. Jerry is arrested and charged for being a terrorist, but someone seemingly is trying to get him to escape. and also, a woman named Rachel is contacted by the same unknown caller while her son is on his way to Washington with his music class.

i kept getting the sense i had seen this type of plot / story a few dozen times before. the technology aspect of it comes from Live Free or Die Hard, where technology controls who's in charge (hell, even a fighter jet in a tunnel is almost a complete rip off of the helicopter scene in LFODH), but also i kept feeling like i was watching a much worse version of Enemy of the State. sure there are differences, but essentially, doses of those two films equal Eagle Eye.

even though the film has a very average, seen a million times set up and finale, included with government agents who have secret facilities it was still fun to watch, and the AQ is pretty damn impressive with helicopters, car crashes / cashes, and tons of other things breaking and guns firing. it's a fun popcorn flick rental when you just want something entertaining to watch.

i chalk it up to being a guilty pleasure movie, but once with very limited replay value.
worth a rental in my book.

and the score is probably higher than it should be because i was entertained throughout, even though the film is extremely bloated and overly long at 2 hours.

3/5

[lDlisturb3d]

hey fellas, is it worth buying both Evil Dead, and Evil Dead 2. Or should i just get Evil Dead 2. I heard its like an exact remake with a better budget so gimme your recommendations please!!!!

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by lDlisturb3d

hey fellas, is it worth buying both Evil Dead, and Evil Dead 2. Or should i just get Evil Dead 2. I heard its like an exact remake with a better budget so gimme your recommendations please!!!!

Evil Dead 2 isn't an exact remake, Evil Dead 1 is serious, Evil Dead 2 is goofy/serious, Army of Darkness is Goofy.

All Awesome though.

[lDlisturb3d]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Evil Dead 2 isn't an exact remake, Evil Dead 1 is serious, Evil Dead 2 is goofy/serious, Army of Darkness is Goofy.

All Awesome though.

Thx bro. Imma check them out!!

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Guess that'll mean I'll like it

I think A Serious Man is the smartest movie of 2009. I didn't fully understand it the first time I saw it, but could not get it out of my head for days. So I put it in for a second viewing and marveled at its brilliance. Fantastic film. I scored it a 5/5 without hesitation.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by lDlisturb3d

hey fellas, is it worth buying both Evil Dead, and Evil Dead 2. Or should i just get Evil Dead 2. I heard its like an exact remake with a better budget so gimme your recommendations please!!!!

If anything rent them. I wouldnt blind buy those! Got Em!!

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by CZAR

If anything rent them. I wouldnt blind buy those! Got Em!!

Pfffffffffft, Czar you're crazy

[lDlisturb3d]

Originally Posted by CZAR

If anything rent them. I wouldnt blind buy those! Got Em!!

Ha its too late bro. I got them both for about 22 bucks new. If i dont like them ill just resell them on Amazon. Ill loose about 2 or 3 bucks give or take. Same as renting them. Im the Blind Buying Master!!!!!!!

[lDlisturb3d]

Revanche

Director: Gotz Spielmann
Writer: Gotz Spielmann
Mains: Johannes Krisch, Irina Potapenko, Andreas Lust

What a perfectly put together Drama/Thriller. I didn't really know what to expect from this movie and it turned out to be a little gem. The story was great, 1st time viewers give the movie a little time to develop because half of the movie is based on character development and the 2nd half is a straight thriller. Its also very unpredictable. Criterion ceases to fail with adding amazing films to their collection. Im pretty sure its allot of films that are great that's not in their collection but what i like the most is they make it very convenient to find great contemporary films.

At first i thought this was your average love thriller that you seen in modern action films but i was a fool to believe that "Zee Germans" would release something of that magnitude. I was sadly mistaken but back to the film the thing that stuck out the most for myself was the dedication of the wife. To do what she did can be looked upon in a positive or negative way. Another think is the suspense not knowing the decision of Alex.

At the end of the day this was a great purchase and an amazing little movie. I will be looking forward to watching this again and appreciate the amazing direction from Gotz Spielmann.

Highly Recommended.

4.5/5

[Trogdor2010]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

I'm not sure how the Coens connects to Everlasting Moments, but I'm glad you recommend it as I find it to be one of the best films I've seen in quite some time (when I first viewed it a few months ago).

I thought it shared quite a bit with the work of the Coens (even if it wasn't the intention) more than Ingmar Bergman. I have not seen The Emmigrants (Jan Troell, who also directed Everlasting Moments) yet, so I won't use it as a point of reference. If you remember,

[Show spoiler]the film's character Larrson (Everlasting Moments) is told through moments of her terrible life, both in it's beauty and depression, just as say Larry's (A serious Man) story talks about a point of his life that devestates him, as say "O Brother" (loosely structured by "The Odyssee") where a few prisoner's escape becomes their journey, and in "Fargo" where it shows the lives of normal people trying to get by, where a couple of crazed criminals and car salesman get into a deal gone wrong.

these are told that only life is chronologically told.

[Trogdor2010]

Originally Posted by lDlisturb3d

Revanche

Director: Gotz Spielmann
Writer: Gotz Spielmann
Mains: Johannes Krisch, Irina Potapenko, Andreas Lust

What a perfectly put together Drama/Thriller. I didn't really know what to expect from this movie and it turned out to be a little gem. The story was great, 1st time viewers give the movie a little time to develop because half of the movie is based on character development and the 2nd half is a straight thriller. Its also very unpredictable. Criterion ceases to fail with adding amazing films to their collection. Im pretty sure its allot of films that are great that's not in their collection but what i like the most is they make it very convenient to find great contemporary films.

At first i thought this was your average love thriller that you seen in modern action films but i was a fool to believe that "Zee Germans" would release something of that magnitude. I was sadly mistaken but back to the film the thing that stuck out the most for myself was the dedication of the wife. To do what she did can be looked upon in a positive or negative way. Another think is the suspense not knowing the decision of Alex.

At the end of the day this was a great purchase and an amazing little movie. I will be looking forward to watching this again and appreciate the amazing direction from Gotz Spielmann.

Highly Recommended.

4.5/5

Great film. I thought the title basically says it all, where one event can cause you to be extremely tenacious of something that could have been avoided. There is nothing special with these people, but these people have lives any person has. I think the person is what makes it special for them.

[lDlisturb3d]

Originally Posted by Trogdor2010

Great film. I thought the title basically says it all, where one event can cause you to be extremely tenacious of something that could have been avoided. There is nothing special with these people, but these people have lives any person has. I think the person is what makes it special for them.

Yes i agree. Vary well put together film! I will be looking forward to seeing this again soon.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Pfffffffffft, Czar you're crazy

Why because I think that Bruce Campbell character is silly? Sure kid! Got Em!!

Originally Posted by lDlisturb3d

Ha its too late bro. I got them both for about 22 bucks new. If i dont like them ill just resell them on Amazon. Ill loose about 2 or 3 bucks give or take. Same as renting them. Im the Blind Buying Master!!!!!!!

Wow u are gonna be upset! How do u sell back movies on Amazon by the way? Got Em!!

[lDlisturb3d]

Originally Posted by CZAR

Why because I think that Bruce Campbell character is silly? Sure kid! Got Em!!



Wow u are gonna be upset! How do u sell back movies on Amazon by the way? Got Em!!

I thought the movie is a silly horror? I hope i wont be upset, Evil Dead is 100% on Rottentomatoes and Evil Dead 2 is 98. That amazing, this is how i blind buy movies. I look at this site and if its good on here (70% or higher) i end up usually really enjoying the movie.

Selling movies on amazon is easy, just set up an account. Its very user friendly!

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by lDlisturb3d

I thought the movie is a silly horror? I hope i wont be upset, Evil Dead is 100% on Rottentomatoes and Evil Dead 2 is 98. That amazing, this is how i blind buy movies. I look at this site and if its good on here (70% or higher) i end up usually really enjoying the movie.

Selling movies on amazon is easy, just set up an account. Its very user friendly!

I like some horror/comedies but I couldnt do Evil Dead. Good luck with it though. Ill look into that Amazon account though. Got Em!!

[iam1bearcat]

Dead Snow

i didn't really realize how stupid a name Dead Snow was until the GF and i were about to watch it and she asks me, "what is this one called?" and i say, "Dead Snow" and we both kind of just looked at each other and went, "ohhh...."

first things first: i know it's a "comedy horror" / satire type film.
but that still doesn't mean it's any good at all

actually, this is one of the worst movies i've ever had to sit through.
hell, i'd rather watch the absymal A Serious Man (which i gave a 0.5/5 to) a million times in a row than watch this again.

there's "satire" and then there is just "completely no originality" and "scene for scene ripoff".
Dead Snow is definitely good at one thing: ripping off other work.

here are some moments in the film that we've seen before. and most of these moments mentioned are exact rip offs, shot by shot:

- a horror move that talks about horror movies? done in Scream
- bunch of teenagers that get attacked by something while in a cabin? see Friday the 13th, Cabin Fever and millions more
- the quick cuts / close ups of weapons? done in Shaun of the Dead / Hot Fuzz
- the comedy horror with bunches blood and gruesomeness? see: Evil Dead franchise
- scene girl climbs out from underground? done in The Descent
- chopping off own limb? duct tape neck together? yeah, see Idle Hands

additionally, the soundtrack is god awful. it's cheesy and over the top with death metal music and f****** christmas music that just doesn't fit.
you can't just make sh*t up as you go and think it makes it 'cool' or 'unique'.

somehow, what's worse than the soundtrack is the stomach turning acting / writing. these are some of the worst actors i have ever seen in a film. the neighborhood hobo could probably act better than these terrible, terrible "actors".

and then there is the award for "Worst Make Up Effects", and Dead Snow wins in a landslide. i'm pretty sure i saw better make up effects in high school plays i had watch all those years ago. this? just garbage.

and even the fact that these are "Nazi zombies", which is supposed to be the originality the film is based on, isn't even that original anymore. Call of Duty: World at War had Nazi zombies. so this isn't unheard of. i don't understand the fad, nor do i care for it, but everything was very stupid in this film. too stupid to even laugh at. and not scary enough to have moments of tension.

film fails on every single conceivable level.



0/5

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

9 - animated film

and of course, it looks phenomenal

4/5

another review I 100% agree with! I gave it 4/5 too, and also love dark-animation. Why does it always have to be bright, colorful and cuddly-wuddly? Have you seen COraline? Corpse Bride?