The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

I have. I was hoping to pick something that wasn't too recent and is available on blu and/or watch instantly, but nothing jumped at me. I think I settled on a good one though

Cool beans. Looking forward to your announcement.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

see, that's the thing. the first film (i've only seen the first) wasn't really a vampire story. sure, that's what Edward is, but it was barely touched upon as a story telling tool. it was simply a story about a new girl in a new town and a new, weird quiet guy who is super white. there's barely anything about vampires there, which turned the film into just another sappy, awful teen love story that did nothing right

does that change in the second and third films? does the fact that one character is a vampire and one in a wolf actually come into play or is it just a flash in the pan "oh look, he's a vampire, remember" type set up?

Never seen 1 or 3 but New Moon is truly awful.

[Show spoiler]I mean really bad.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Never seen 1 or 3 but New Moon is truly awful.

[Show spoiler]I mean really bad.

greatttttt.... can't wait

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

[Show spoiler]i finally finished figuring out U.S. release dates on all the films i've seen (well, vast majority, i'm probably missing about 10-15) and decided to make a Top 10 Favorites of each year (if there were even ten to choose from ) so while some years had a plethora of choice (2007 with 65 films), others are very slim and thus, everything i've seen makes that given list because i haven't even seen ten from it (a la 1972 with only 3 films, two of which i don't like).

to make sense of the madness, it will go year, and then the number in parenthesis is how many films i've seen of that specific year followed by the list in spoilers to keep this as short as possible. enjoy

BTW: i deliberately put a U.S. release date on all films (including foreign films) so while There Will Be Blood was put with the 2007 films for awards because of the odd time frame the awards have, it's technically a 2008 release, so that's where it is.

1949 (1)
The Bicycle Thief

1956 (1)
Seven Samurai

1957 (1)
Paths of Glory

1961 (1)
Breathless

1962 (1)
Last Year at Marienbad

1967 (2)

[Show spoiler]Closely Watched Trains
Persona

1968 (2)

[Show spoiler]2001: Space Odyssey
Planet of the Apes

1971 (2)

[Show spoiler]Walkabout
THX 1138

1972 (3)

[Show spoiler]Solaris
A Clockwork Orange
The Godfather

1974 (1)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

1976 (2)
Eraserhead
Rocky

1977 (2)

[Show spoiler]Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Close Encounters of the Third Kind

1978 (2)

[Show spoiler]Halloween
Superman: The Movie

1979 (4)

[Show spoiler]Apocalypse Now
Alien
The Jerk
Rocky II

1980 (2)

[Show spoiler]Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
The Shining

1982 (3)

[Show spoiler]The Thing
Porky's
Rocky III

1983 (2)

[Show spoiler]Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi
Cujo

1984 (3)

[Show spoiler]The Terminator
Gremlins
A Nightmare on Elm Street

1985 (4)

[Show spoiler]The Breakfast Club
Brazil
Rocky IV
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2

1986 (1)
Aliens

1987 (2)

[Show spoiler]Predator
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3

1988 (3)

[Show spoiler]Die Hard
Beetlejuice
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4

1989 (2)

[Show spoiler]Batman
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5

1990 (9)

[Show spoiler]Jacob's Ladder
GoodFellas
Home Alone
Die Hard 2: Die Harder
Misery
Arachnophobia
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Rocky V
Edward Scissorhands

1991 (4)

[Show spoiler]Terminator 2: Judgment Day
The Silence of the Lambs
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

1992 (5)

[Show spoiler]Aladdin
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Reservoir Dogs
Batman Returns
Candyman

1993 (4)

[Show spoiler]Jurassic Park
Dazed and Confused
Homeward Bound
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III

1994 (9)

[Show spoiler]The Lion King
Dumb and Dumber
The Crow
Pulp Fiction
Forrest Gump
Speed
The Shawshank Redemption
True Lies
Wes Craven's New Nightmare

1995 (14)

[Show spoiler]Toy Story
Seven
Tommy Boy
Empire Records
Mallrats
Die Hard: With A Vengeance
Jumanji
Casino
Outbreak
Man of the House

1996 (9)

[Show spoiler]Fargo
Scream
Happy Gilmore
Independence Day
Rumble in the Bronx
Jingle All the Way
The Cable Guy
Beavis and Butthead Do America
Matilda

1997 (20)

[Show spoiler]Boogie Nights
Hard Eight
Face/Off
Scream 2
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Con Air
Titanic
Liar Liar
Air Force One
Beverly Hills Ninja

1998 (30)

[Show spoiler]Good Will Hunting
A Bug's Life
Wedding Singer
The Truman Show
Armageddon
Can't Hardly Wait
Pi
Enemy of the State
Saving Private Ryan
The Negotiator

1999 (31)

[Show spoiler]Fight Club
The Blair Witch Project
Toy Story 2
American Beauty
Arlington Road
Idle Hands
American Pie
10 Things I Hate About You
Varsity Blues
The Thin Red Line

2000 (24)

[Show spoiler]Magnolia
Requiem for a Dream
High Fidelity
The Beach
Cast Away
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
The Emperor's New Groove
Road Trip
Me, Myself & Irene
Final Destination

2001 (33)

[Show spoiler]Donnie Darko
Blow
Vanilla Sky
Joy Ride
Mulholland Dr.
The Fast and the Furious
Not Another Teen Movie
Monster's, Inc.
The Royal Tenenbaums
Trianing Day

2002 (41)

[Show spoiler]The Rules of Attraction
Solaris
Punch Drunk Love
A Beautiful Mind
The Hot Chick
The Bourne Identity
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Minority Report
Cabin Fever
Black Hawk Down

2003 (44)

[Show spoiler]The Last Samurai
Phone Booth
28 Days Later
Identity
The Life of David Gale
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
2 Fast 2 Furious
The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Once Upon A Time in Mexico
Final Destination 2

2004 (40)

[Show spoiler]Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Garden State
Closer
Collateral
The Butterfly Effect
I Heart Huckabees
Mean Girls
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
The Bourne Supremacy
Shaun of the Dead

2005 (45)

[Show spoiler]Just Friends
The 40 Year-Old Virgin
The Island
11:14
A Lot Like Love
Into the Blue
The Weather Man
Hard Candy
Wedding Crashers
Red Eye

2006 (52)

[Show spoiler]The Last Kiss
The Fountain
V for Vendetta
Babel
She's the Man
Little Miss Sunshine
The Guardian
Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny
Inside Man
The Descent

2007 (65)

[Show spoiler]The Lives of Others
Michael Clayton
Into the Wild
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Zodiac
Reign Over Me
The Bourne Ultimatum
Superbad
Trick 'r Treat
The Mist

2008 (37)

[Show spoiler]There Will Be Blood
Revanche
Elite Squad
Wall-E
Sex Drive
Everlasting Moments
Burn After Reading
Seven Pounds
Cloverfield
Zack and Miri Make A Porno

2009 (48)

[Show spoiler]The Wrestler
(500) Days of Summer
Moon
Adventureland
Up
Fast & Furious
Triangle
Away We Go
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

2010 (12)

[Show spoiler]Toy Story 3
How to Train Your Dragon
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Frozen
Chloe
The Crazies
Shutter Island
The Book of Eli
Date Night
Kick-Ass

i was surprised at what made the Top 10 in a lot of years, probably because there are a lot of films on the shorter / incomplete lists that would NEVER make the list in some years. and i was surprised at how strong some years are (1999, 2001, 2004, 2007) while some are very "meh" and i was hard pressed to find 10 favorites (1995, 1996, 2010) but here it is, as is.

of course, this could always be different for some years with a little effort on that particular year in film.

Very neat that you did that. You need to finish the Godfather trilogy.

[Diesel]

I haven't seen the second or third Twilight films, I really don't have any interest at all...I didn't have any interest at all in the first film but I still had to sit through it.

It wasn't stab my eyes out bad (my official lowest possible rating a movie can get) but it wasn't good either.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Very neat that you did that. You need to finish the Godfather trilogy.

tomorrow i think i'm gonna try arranging my favorites list. again this time with this list to work with. i was able to mix in comedies and Pixar's with dramas and horrors (which is something that has always been difficult for me to do when it comes to lists) so this will be a good launching pad for a definitive favorites list.

eventually i'll see 2 and 3. and in another thread someone said to read the book (didn't know there was one even!) and then try and watch the film again, so maybe i'll read the book then watch the trilogy and see if i like it anymore than i did before (first film, 3/5 from me).

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

tomorrow i think i'm gonna try arranging my favorites list. again this time with this list to work with. i was able to mix in comedies and Pixar's with dramas and horrors (which is something that has always been difficult for me to do when it comes to lists) so this will be a good launching pad for a definitive favorites list.

eventually i'll see 2 and 3. and in another thread someone said to read the book (didn't know there was one even!) and then try and watch the film again, so maybe i'll read the book then watch the trilogy and see if i like it anymore than i did before (first film, 3/5 from me).

I can't mix in comedies or family movies with my favorites. It's just too complicated for me so I keep them separate .

I'm not sure I understand your score on The Godfather, but I'm sure you have your reasons so I respect it.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Oh yea, your loathing for the .25 scale slipped my mind for a minute there

It will indeed since the ones right behind it were also scored a 4.5/5 by me.

Jake G and Gemma are disappointed in you. I actually have my doubts that it will stay in third spot for me either, but that isn't because my opinion of it has changed since it hasn't.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I can't mix in comedies or family movies with my favorites. It's just too complicated for me so I keep them separate .

I'm not sure I understand your score on The Godfather, but I'm sure you have your reasons so I respect it.

there's just something about mafia type films that i don't really enjoy all that much (which made me shockingly surprised that GoodFellas wound up at #2 in 1990, but that year (so far) hasn't had a lot of strong releases that i've seen) and the film didn't really have any effect on me one way or the other. i was left very about the whole thing, really.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by killowertz

Jake G and Gemma are disappointed in you. I actually have my doubts that it will stay in third spot for me either, but that isn't because my opinion of it has changed since it hasn't.

Well unless I like Despicable Me and Inception more when I rewatch them, its still in the Top 5 for the year since I won't be going to the theater this month as far as I know


Unstoppable was my first trip to the theater since the beginning of August and might be my last until Fast & Furious 5.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Well unless I like Despicable Me and Inception more when I rewatch them, its still in the Top 5 for the year since I won't be going to the theater this month as far as I know


Unstoppable was my first trip to the theater since the beginning of August and might be my last until Fast & Furious 5.

Wherever it ends up it ends up. It's not like I'm having you make up my list.

I haven't been to the theater since Toy Story 3, but you already know I don't go very often. I was thinking about going to see Tangled since the 3D is supposed to be good, but I will likely just wait for the Blu-ray. Same goes for Tron Legacy even though I had planned on seeing that in the theater months ago. Disney failed to release the first Tron on Blu-ray yet, and I'm not paying money to buy an OOP DVD copy of the movie just to see it before Tron Legacy.

[Al_The_Strange]

My parents rented this movie, so I decided to see it before they turned it back in.

“The Bells of St Mary’s.”

Reminds me a bit of “Black Narcissus;” both are movies about nuns teaching stuff and stuff like that. But while “Black Narcissus” featured a very exotic-looking location and focused on how this kind of institution fails, “TBOSM” is much more accessible. It is far more light-hearted, a little more entertaining and easier to follow, and a more feel-good film overall. It can get a little sappy perhaps, with Bing Crosby’s singing and an old-fashioned sense of melodrama. But, it’s not quite as dull as I would have expected.

The movie’s story is a little aimless, playing out as a series of episodes with no centralized conflict (or heck, there’s not much conflict at all). But, there’s enough drama to keep it going, and the characters are all very likable.

The film is well-made with quality photography and an acceptable production value. Acting is swell. Music is okay.

3.5/5 (entertainment: 3.5/5, story: 3/5, film: 3.5/5)

Between the two films, I'm more partial toward "Black Narcissus." Not sure if I'd ever want to own/re-watch "TBOSM."

[lDlisturb3d]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

I always rate this is one of the top 5-10 movies ever made. I've relayed a story many times on here about it, and I'll do so again. In the 1970s, my mentor was travelling around Europe writing and came across a Holocaust survivor in Paris. That survivor told him that the movie 12 Angry Men reconfirmed his belief in justice and the quality of man. Pretty powerful.

wow, thats really interesting and touching. This movie was AWESOME on every level. Instant favorite. I didn't even notice it was no. 1 on you anticipated blu's. Good taste.

[lDlisturb3d]

Originally Posted by Steve46

My faves are:

Vertigo
Rear Window
Psycho
The Birds
Dial M For Murder
North by Northwest
Rope
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Saboteur

The only one i;ve seen so far was North by Northwest. I own Pyscho but its at home . Guess its time to put these others on my list. Thanks bud for the referrals.

[lDlisturb3d]

Finally got around to watching it. Seven Samurai here i come!!!!!

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by lDlisturb3d

The only one i;ve seen so far was North by Northwest. I own Pyscho but its at home . Guess its time to put these others on my list. Thanks bud for the referrals.

If you like North by Northwest, there are a couple of dozen can't miss titles from Hitchcock. The top three for sure.

He worked with many of the best actors of the time at some point.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by lDlisturb3d

wow, thats really interesting and touching. This movie was AWESOME on every level. Instant favorite. I didn't even notice it was no. 1 on you anticipated blu's. Good taste.

My anticipated blus aren't in any sort of order

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

“Forbidden Planet.”

Gee whiz, that’s just swell!

4/5 (entertainment: 3.5/5, story: 4/5, film: 4/5)

Recommendation: Yep!

The Blu-Ray for this is the bee’s knees!

PQ: 4.5/5, AQ: 4.5/5

This is the perfect language when describing these older sci-fi flick.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Next greatest rental: “How to Train Your Dragon.”

[Show spoiler]Animated films from Dreamworks have often been a hit-and-a-miss for me, despite their technical qualities or their universal appeal. I showed little interest in this title, especially given the goofy-looking characters and the weird-looking dragons. But in the end, it turned out to be a fun film; the CGI is gorgeous, the action is splendid, the comedy is amusing, and the story is swell. It’s about as effective as “Kung Fu Panda.”

The story is a little predictable, given that it revolves around a misfit kid trying desperately to impress his friends and family. Do you think he’ll succeed? Hmm… This theme seems common to me, but as the movie goes on it takes on an originality of its own and the characters become rather interesting in their own ways. It is especially cute seeing the boy bonding with his new pet dragon; the relationships he develops between his father and Astrid are rather touching. In the end, it is rather heartwarming seeing the story unfold, even if it does feel a little too familiar.

I’d also give the movie props for incorporating Viking culture and myth. Obviously it’s not all-inclusive (and likely not realistic either; they’re still wearing those stereotypical horned helmets, dammit! ). Vikings haven’t really made it to the big screen much outside of “Beowulf,” “Outlander,” “The Pathfinder,” or “The 13th Warrior,” none of which are really exceptional. So “HTTYD” is a rather refreshing take on the subject matter, especially for such a light-hearted comedy. But it’s the dragons that take precedence here, and they don’t disappoint.

The movie is very solidly-made with top-notch animation quality. It’s cool as it is gorgeous. Production design for settings, props, costumes, creatures, and everything else is really cool. Voice acting is good. Sound design and music are good too.

4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 4/5, film: 4.5/5)

Recommendation: Yep!

I will own it!

Good review. No score for AQ/PQ?

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Is that my hiney being whipped? The thread is supposed to be a concerted effort!
]

NO! Its Two40s being spanked. The irony that he was THE big push that got it all started, and has yet to participate is not lost on me.