The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Surprisingly great film. Farrell, who won the Golden Globe, got robbed of an Oscar nom. Between this, Ondine, Triage, and most recently The Way Back, Farrell has come into his own and has become an excellent actor.

It's out already?? How'd you like it?

Speaking of the Golden Globes, I really hope Bale takes home the Globe Sunday night.

I can't see it any other way.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by Marcus Wright

Forum without Diesel.


Remarkable return of Diesel.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

It's out already?? How'd you like it?

Speaking of the Golden Globes, I really hope Bale takes home the Globe Sunday night.

I can't see it any other way.

one of my buddies recently saw The Fighter and gave it 2 out of 4 stars. he said Bale was "good" but said the guy who plays the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network should win "Best Male Performance" (or whatever the award 'officially' is called). first time i've heard someone say that Bale was anything less than "super totally awesome!"

and he LOVES Bale!

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i will be too. both parties of the other couple are close friends of mine and the girl is really into films such as Black Swan (psychological thriller / deep thinker and whatnot type films, like myself) while her boyfriend (my best bud) is... well... not really into films. i guarantee he will hate it. when me and his gf and my gf were discussing seeing it he was just like, "yeah, sure, let's go..." and didn't seem into it. he, of course, thinks it's about dancing.

It really is about dancing though. I know we've compared it to The Wrestler with wrestling before, but in this case, appreciation for the ballet will have a great impact on your experience.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Haaaaaaa Haaaaaa Haaaaaaaa.

Black Swan opened at my favorite local theater just down the road today.

Happened to me too however, not as drastic. At least you made it out to be quite a night and had the drive to ponder the film. Beats netflixing it!

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

It really is about dancing though. I know we've compared it to The Wrestler with wrestling before, but in this case, appreciation for the ballet will have a great impact on your experience.

i've heard everything under the sun about Black Swan now

"it's all about dancing"

"it's not about dancing"

"it takes place around dancing, but is not a major focus in the film"

"there's like, 20 minutes of dancing and the rest of the film is placed elsewhere"



only a few more hours until i can know for sure myself!

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

one of my buddies recently saw The Fighter and gave it 2 out of 4 stars. he said Bale was "good" but said the guy who plays the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network should win "Best Male Performance" (or whatever the award 'officially' is called). first time i've heard someone say that Bale was anything less than "super totally awesome!"

and he LOVES Bale!

He could be overly critical as a fan. The performance was masterful. Can't comment on the other actor though. I'll be watching my copy of The Social Network Sunday morning... can't wait!

Before then however, I'll be sure to watch Manchurian.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i've heard everything under the sun about Black Swan now

"it's all about dancing"

"it's not about dancing"

"it takes place around dancing, but is not a major focus in the film"

"there's like, 20 minutes of dancing and the rest of the film is placed elsewhere"



only a few more hours until i can know for sure myself!

Haha relax. You'll probably get so absorbed you'll forget about all these questions. btw nice signature

[Show spoiler]jk

At least link the titles like I do

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

btw nice signature

[Show spoiler]jk

At least link the titles like I do

yeah, because you're the originator of it, right?

[Show spoiler]

i would link it... if i knew how

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

yeah, because you're the originator of it, right?

[Show spoiler]

i would link it... if i knew how

I AM.



Just highlight the title, click the globe on the toolbar, and paste the URL you want into the text box.

[Show spoiler]You know how to cut and paste, yes?

[Show spoiler]

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I AM.



Just highlight the title, click the globe on the toolbar, and paste the URL you want into the text box.

[Show spoiler]You know how to cut and paste, yes?

[Show spoiler]

you have a globe on your toolbar?

[Hep]

Originally Posted by Deadset

I passed on this during the BF sale and still dont have any ambition to see this. The food pic you posted has to be the least appetizing food I've seen in a looong time.

The reference to "beans and mash" makes more sense if you've seen the film; but the abstraction holds in any case.

I can't say you're missing much by passing on Get Him to the Greek. I thought it was worth the rental, but nothing more.

[QuasidodoJr]

Been watching some old classics from my DVD collection, lately...

Hud
Paramount / 112 min. / Unrated / 1963

This slow-burning western drama stars Paul Newman as the title character, Hud Bannon. Like one of the old movie posters says, he's "The Man with the Barbed Wire Soul." Living with his father, the son of his deceased brother and a housekeeper on a cattle ranch in Claude, Texas, Hud does whatever he wants and doesn't care who gets caught in the crossfire. He openly tells his father he's waiting for the old man to die so he can take over the land. He sleeps with whomever's wife he happens to find attractive on any given night. And he gets into frequent bar brawls simply just for kicks. Ultimately, he's not a very good person.

On the surface, the movie may seem like it's telling the story of Hud, but the real focus is on Hud's nephew, Lonnie Bannon (Brandon De Wilde.) As Lonnie watches Hud run over anything or anyone who stands in his own self-centered path, Lonnie grows from boy into man. At first, Lonnie enjoys spending time with his uncle. He even sort of idolizes Hud. Which is understandable - Hud gets the women, has a fast sports car, does whatever he wants and gets away with it. Once Lonnie begins to see Hud's true character, however, he begins to realize the only thing he wants to be is a good man, so that he can be the complete opposite of his ruthless uncle.

This film was directed by Martin Ritt, and was nominated for 7 Academy Awards. Melvyn Douglas (Hud's father, Homer) and Patricia Neal (the housekeeper, Alma) both took home Oscars for their excellent acting performances. Paul Newman was nominated for his brash turn as Hud, but lost to Sidney Poitier, in Lilies of the Field. There was also a statue handed out to Cinematographer, James Wong Howe, whose sweeping shots of the barren Texas landscape characterize the emptiness we witness inside of Hud's very own heart.

I highly recommend this movie to fans of classics, westerns or Paul Newman.

Score: 4.5 out of 5

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i've heard everything under the sun about Black Swan now

"it's all about dancing"

"it's not about dancing"

"it takes place around dancing, but is not a major focus in the film"

"there's like, 20 minutes of dancing and the rest of the film is placed elsewhere"



only a few more hours until i can know for sure myself!

Please try to give us your super "fresh" reaction tonight. Sleeping on it will only give you nightmares or make you constipated. I can't remember which.

[iam1bearcat]

THE LIVES OF OTHERS 5/5

film #19

132 minutes

reviewed this before, so i'll keep it short.

* an absolute must see for every single person. especially if you enjoy learning about government's and history (takes place in 1984 in East Berlin). but even if not, The Lives of Others is essential viewing for its historical purposes and lessons taught.

* Ulrich Muhe gives the best performance i have ever seen. no joke. his facial expressions and ability to showcase numerous emotions while not speaking is amazing. his eyes are also extremely riveting and masterfully used. the man is a great, great actor.

* looks and sounds great on blu-ray

* not my favorite movie (although it is high on the list), but it is the best made film i have ever seen. phenomenal!

* absolutely terrific ending.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

Please try to give us your super "fresh" reaction tonight. Sleeping on it will only give you nightmares or make you constipated. I can't remember which.

i would love to do so, but we're not seeing it tonight
the gf came home from work sick and went right to bed so it's been postponed. again. sigh.

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i would love to do so, but we're not seeing it tonight
the gf came home from work sick and went right to bed so it's been postponed. again. sigh.

That sux. Hope she can recover before it's too late.

Btw, i've added "The Lives of Others" to the ol' netflix queue. It seems like my kinda movie anyways, but you're about the 5th person on here praising it's greatness. I thought about blind buying it, since it was so cheap on amazon, but my urge to do that is slowing fading.

[Hep]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

That sux. Hope she can recover before it's too late.

Btw, i've added "The Lives of Others" to the ol' netflix queue. It seems like my kinda movie anyways, but you're about the 5th person on here praising it's greatness. I thought about blind buying it, since it was so cheap on amazon, but my urge to do that is slowing fading.

If I'm not part of that 5, you might as well make it 6; The Lives of Others is one of finest movies I've watched. It's worth a blind buy for sure.

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by Hep

If I'm not part of that 5, you might as well make it 6; The Lives of Others is one of finest movies I've watched. It's worth a blind buy for sure.

Well, 5 was just a nice number. I know i've heard u, Jhiggy, and bearcat praise it. That is definitely good enough for me, but i'm really not trying to do the blind buy thing anymore. Might as well use the netflix and just buy 67 BD's on black friday for $8 a piece. I'm saving my pennies for that damn surround, but my wife won't even let me spring for that until we fix up our house completely. But guess what? That is a goal that will never....EVAR.... really be reached!!!

[QuasidodoJr]

More of the classics...


Drums Along the Mohawk
20th Century Fox / 104 min. / Not Rated / 1939

This classic piece of western film, set during the Revolutionary War, comes from renowned movie director John Ford. The picture stars the ever-charismatic Henry Fonda and the lovely Claudette Colbert as a newlywed husband and wife trying to raise a family and a home in New York's dangerous Mohawk Valley. As they begin to build a life for themselves, their land is attacked and desolated by Native Americans being led by British soldiers, and Lana (Colbert) loses the pregnancy of their first child. While they mourn, Gil (Fonda) and Lana find a way to keep on keeping on, mostly with the aid of elderly widowed spinster, Mrs. McKlennar (Edna May Oliver, nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance), as they continually struggle to stay together and start over in the face of tragedy.

Henry Fonda simply commands the screen as Gilbert Martin. The scene where his wife Lana finds him lying in the rain, severely wounded, and brings him inside of the McKlennar home, after he's been off fighting the British, is eye-opening. Gil relives the horror of the war, stammering out detail after glory detail, as Lana does her best to keep herself together and clean his wounds. Fonda nails the chilling delivery, with a soul weary blank stare in his eyes and a trembling in his voice. Claudette Colbert is no slouch, either. She balances a fine line between spoiled rich girl and strong independent woman, learning to adapt to her harsh surroundings.

Drums Along the Mohawk is a fantastic western. The scenery is brilliant, from the amazing set piece houses and fort, to the wide open fields of golden wheat and corn. Much like other films from the era, the acting is hit-or-miss when it comes to the supporting cast, however, they're never distracting enough to pull you out of the adventurous and suspenseful story. Sure, the action scenes don't have the technical advantages that the films of today enjoy, but during the final scenes of the film, as the Martins and the other homesteaders in the Mohawk Valley find themselves trapped in a fort, surrounded by an enemy force four times their own size, the movie will easily keep you on edge. Most notably, as a simple-minded man named Joe is captured, while trying to escape the fort and retrieve military help from Cleveland, and tied down amidst a bale of hay as Gil and others atop the fort's walls attempt to prevent the Indians from setting him aflame with torches and burning arrows.

Since this movie was filmed in 1939, it's certainly nowhere near politically correct. The "Indians" in the film speak like dumb cavemen, and the only black person present is someone's servant/slave - who has not a single line of meaningful dialog, nor a camera shot that even glances her way for more than a moment. If these kind of "old timey" ways of thinking are offensive to your sensibilities, you may want to stay away.

Otherwise, I give it a hearty recommendation.

Score: 4 out of 5

[Hep]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

Well, 5 was just a nice number. I know i've heard u, Jhiggy, and bearcat praise it. That is definitely good enough for me, but i'm really not trying to do the blind buy thing anymore. Might as well use the netflix and just buy 67 BD's on black friday for $8 a piece. I'm saving my pennies for that damn surround, but my wife won't even let me spring for that until we fix up our house completely. But guess what? That is a goal that will never....EVAR.... really be reached!!!

That's the truth. You should buy in-wall surrounds and have them make the receipt out for drywall; maybe she won't notice?