Rate The Last Movie You Watched

[Honolulu_Blue]

Saving Private Ryan is an excellent movie. I never liked the very end where they have that old guy Ryan standing in front of the grave marker crying. Like the pile of stones scene at the end of Schindler's List, I felt it completely unnecessary and a bit jarring.

I remember seeing it for the first time with a friend of mine who can't tolerate gore of any kind. He gets sick at the sight of it. We were standing in line for the movie and he asks another friend, "This is war movie. You think it will be gory?" My friend replied, "Come on. It's Speilberg, how gory can it be?" Needless to say, I remembered my one friend at about the 20 minute mark. I looked over and he just sitting, slumped in his seat, pale as a ghost, sweating whith his mouth hanging open.

[Neon_Chaos]

My man!

What the fuck is a microwave?

[Pyser]

Saving Private Ryan is an excellent movie. I never liked the very end where they have that old guy Ryan standing in front of the grave marker crying. Like the pile of stones scene at the end of Schindler's List, I felt it completely unnecessary and a bit jarring.

i could not disagree more about the ending of schindlers list.

those were the real people portrayed, their families, or descendants

i actually think it is almost offensive to find that "completely unnecessary".

[Lorena]

American Gangser - 9/10 Yes it was long, but I love Denzel Washington and I really loved this movie.

And we ended up watching it last weekend and I agree with you, I love Denzel and loved the movie.

The first part of it was a little slow for me, but I realize it was all background for how Denzel's character became a gangster. After that all hell breaks loose and all I could say was damn, he was one crazy ass ruthless SOB.

8.5/10

[MikeVic]

Doomsday - 9/10
What a crazy jacked-up movie!! Don't think when you go watch it, and you'll be entertained very much. Wondering what else this movie has. I really don't want to say any more, as the trailers really don't prepare you for this crazy movie. If every movie made was like this, that wouldn't be very good. But a movie here-or-there, and it's just frickin' awesome. I think people will either love it or hate it.

From a couple of weeks ago:

Jackie Moon - 9/10
It is what it is. A very funny Will Farrell movie. There's one scene that just made me tear with laughter, so that gives it an automatic 5/10. There's some pretty alright secondary story stuff, and a lot more funny scenes. I enjoyed the movie throughout.

[thealmighty]

Done



Updating The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide

[MikeVic]

Where was the guide again? Maybe link it in your sig?

[Lorena]

Where was the guide again? Maybe link it in your sig?

Ask and you shall receive: http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=63021

[MikeVic]

Ask and you shall receive: http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=63021

Thank you. :)

[MikeVic]

Hmm, is that link updated? I don't see my last two movies on there.

[Lorena]

Spiderman 3 - 7.5/10

The first time I watched the movie, I felt there was too much Mary Jane, so I watched it again this morning. My feeling the second time around was pretty much the same. If 20 minutes of the Mary Jane scenes were replaced with villain scenes, I would give it closer to a 9.

I mean seriously, the movie started and ended with Mary Jane.

Mary Jane storyline aside, the movie was well done and the CGI fight scenes were great, especially the ones with Sandman.

[Neon_Chaos]

Spiderman 3 - 7.5/10

The first time I watched the movie, I felt there was too much Mary Jane, so I watched it again this morning. My feeling the second time around was pretty much the same. If 20 minutes of the Mary Jane scenes were replaced with villain scenes, I would give it closer to a 9.

I mean seriously, the movie started and ended with Mary Jane.

Mary Jane storyline aside, the movie was well done and the CGI fight scenes were great, especially the ones with Sandman.

My biggest gripe with the movie was Harry's story arc.

"I'm bad, I'm good, I'm bad again, I'll also kidnap and blackmail MJ, but I'm really good and all is suddenly forgiven! TADA! Tears. Best Friend."

[MikeVic]

I really wanted more Venom. :( He's one of my favourite characters, and the whole symbiote storyline is one of my favourite arcs in comics. So... I really didn't think the movie spent enough time on it. I'd like two whole movies dedicated to it, not just part of one movie. :)

The dancing emo Parker was just ridiculous too. It's been awhile, but I remember not liking the movie too much.

[korme]

Yes, a Spiderman 3 discussion cannot go by without mentioning the ridiculousness that was Peter Parker dancing through that place like he was the coolest cat in town.

[Johnny93g]

I thought Spiderman 3 was just terrible. One of the worst comic book based movies of all-time. The logic, the story, almost everything about it made no sense. Spidy 1 was very good. Spidy 2 was at the least entertaining, but Spidy 3 should challenge for worst movie of 07.

[Neon_Chaos]

The only redeeming quality of all Spiderman movies was Bruce Campbell.

[Honolulu_Blue]

i could not disagree more about the ending of schindlers list.

those were the real people portrayed, their families, or descendants

i actually think it is almost offensive to find that "completely unnecessary".

Offensive? Huh.

I was really just thinking from a storytelling perspective. I really feel I I got the horror and the weight of what happened through watching the movie itself. The last 5 minutes or whatever just didn't feel necessary to me. Clearly it was important to Speilberg, you, and probably many others.

[thealmighty]

Where was the guide again? Maybe link it in your sig?

Good idea. Sig link being added.

Hmm, is that link updated? I don't see my last two movies on there.

The thread is being updated to the "DONE" at this time.

[Pyser]

Offensive? Huh.

I was really just thinking from a storytelling perspective. I really feel I I got the horror and the weight of what happened through watching the movie itself. The last 5 minutes or whatever just didn't feel necessary to me. Clearly it was important to Speilberg, you, and probably many others.

i might have slightly overreacted, but i thought it was a good way to show the "real world" implications, that they werent fictional people, and here is the direct effect of this man's actions.

i agree with you about saving private ryan though

[Flasch186]

Elizabeth 8/10


Now that I actually sat down and watched the whole thing, and paid attention I can see the movie is excellent. It probably could've been longer and delved into some of the personalities of supporting players more and their stories but what it did, it did well. I look forward to seeing the new sequel that just came out.

[Lorena]

Platoon - 8/10

For a movie that's over 20 years old, it holds up very well. Charlie Sheen does an excellent job as the protagonist and I couldn't help but feel sorry for a lot of the characters. Drugs, alcoholism, and lots of stressed out soldiers that do some pretty awful things.

We watched several behind the scenes documentaries and the actors were put through hell. Several actors said Oliver Stone was one of the hardest people to work for but in the end, a lot of them owe him their career. One of the documentaries had Vietnam Vets that talked about their struggles and how this movie helped them get over what happened.

Well worth what we paid for.

[MikeVic]

Enchanted - 8/10

A solid feel-good movie. Some funny stuff with the prince, a very nice ballroom scene, and some good music. Not sure what else there is to say. Really a fairy tale movie with reality affecting it. I enjoyed it and felt happy after. :)

[Lorena]

Sooo... MikeVic, how was Southland Tales?

[MikeVic]

Sooo... MikeVic, how was Southland Tales?

Decided to watch Enchanted tonight instead. :) Wanted a happy movie, and I don't know much about Southland Tales other than liking the cast a lot.

[Atocep]

Horton Hears a Who - 7.5/10

Surprisingly good movie. I expected to hate this (couldn't imagine how they could stretch the story out to a full movie), but Jim Carrey was oustanding and really stood out as the voice of Horton. The movie does a great job of remaining faithful to the book and definitely has a Dr. Seuss feel to it while doing enough to at least keep adults interested.

Not something I'd recommend to someone without children, but this is about as good as it gets as far as children's movies go, IMO. A great story with an important lesson to be learned.

[Neon_Chaos]

Across The Universe - 6/10

The pace of the movie was relatively slow, and it felt like they only worked the story in to accomodate the plethora of Beatles hits that were in the movie. Good thing if you're a Beatles fan, bad thing if you actually wanted to watch a movie.

Meet The Spartans - 4/10

The first 30 minutes were fun and amusing. Eventually all the jokes become tiresome, and the movie dissolves into a crapfest after that.

[MikeVic]

Southland Tales - 7.5/10
Hard movie to give a score to, imho. A very confusing, abstract movie with a lot of Revelations references. I liked some of the ideas, story, scenarios, artistic scenes, and funny scenes, but felt that it was a bit too confusing. Some of the scenes left you thinking "uhh ok?"

It was kind of weird that the movie started at chapter 4 of some bigger story too. Apparently there are graphic novels out there that act as chapters 1-3. I don't like that. Maybe the movie would make more sense if I had read those.

Having said all of that, the movie still managed to keep my attention for almost two-and-a-half hours, and it certainly helped that almost every role was played my a known actor or actress, including some of my favs.

If you've seen Donnie Darko and liked it, then give this movie a shot. I've also found the movie to make more sense after reading through this site: http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/2007/12/19/southland_tales_analysis/index.html.

[MizzouRah]

Transformers - 7/10 - I bought the HD DVD verison for like $15 from Best Buy and it looked superb. Wife finally said, "so that's what an HD TV is all about?". Decent movie, less action than I had thought.

I am Legend - 9/10 - I love Will Smith and this movie didn't disappoint. Again, watching movies now on my new TV with the Toshiba upconvert probably adds a point since everything looks so crisp and clean. :)

[Lorena]

I know this is a "movies" thread, but we watched:

Carnivale Season 1 and 2 - 9/10

I'm gonna group these together because the story line is basically the same. This takes place back in the 30's where Ben Hawkins, a refugee, travels with a carnival which has a bearded lady, mother and daughter cooch dancers, a tarot card reader, and others who are led by a small person, Samson. While traveling he discovers he has the power of healing, but at a price. On the other end of the spectrum, preacher Justin thinks he need to do God's will and does everything in his power to accomplish that.

I was a little apprehensive about watching this show knowing it was cancelled but it was worth it.. the show was unbelievably tense at times. We finished Season 2 last night and wow, what an ending. It makes you wonder what would have happened if they continued the show.

[Neon_Chaos]

I love Carneval. :) Great series, too bad about the cancellation. I liked it better than Deadwood.

[Lorena]

I love Carneval. :) Great series, too bad about the cancellation. I liked it better than Deadwood.

Yes, absolutely! We're watching Deadwood Season 1 and I don't feel the urge to finish it like I did with Carnivale. The only thing that makes it watchable for me is the crude bar owner.

[Lorena]

dola,

I think Carnivale was cancelled because the producers wouldn't go down to 2 million per episode. I'm sure most of the money was spent on sets and costumes, as they were very authentic, so in a way I don't blame them.

[korme]

Chinatown (1974) - Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown. Decided to finally watch this after the basketball fiesta ended, and am glad I did. It was a very complicated and twisting plot, but it held my interest for the solid 2 hours.
Some crazy revelations and all in all I don't know if the ending was satisfying, then again I don't know any other way to end the movie with a better result. I want to wear a big white patch on my nose and see if anyone gets the reference. 8/10

[Izulde]

Horton Hears A Who - 10/10

Easily the most hilarious children's film I've watched in years. I was roaring with laughter through the whole movie.

[rowech]

300 -- This movie is overrated. It's not a bad movie, really awesome visually, but how many slow motion sword scenes does one movie need to have? I'd still much rather watch Braveheart and Gladiator. (7/10)

[MizzouRah]

We Own The Night - 9/10

EXCELLENT movie! Wow, we have had a great movie weekend thus far. Next up: Dan In Real Life

[MikeVic]

I loved Chinatown. Haven't seen it in a couple of years, but I first saw it in a film class I took and bought it shortly thereafter.

[Pyser]

invincible - 5/10

completely average in every way, but follows a tried and true formula.

[Neon_Chaos]

Fool's Gold - 8/10

I don't know why I liked this movie. I really don't think much of Matthew Machoweveryouspellhisnamehey as an actor. But I liked it. :) Treasure, action, suspense, comedy, romance. It's all those things wrapped up into a nice flick.

[Flasch186]

Elizabeth: The Golden Age 7/10

I truly liked the follow up and Clive Owen is great in his role as Sir Walter Raleigh. The piece truly tried to encapsulate the Spanish Armada's menacing and intimidating strength. I thought it was very good and recommend both the first Elizabeth and this one.

[Buccaneer]

Meet the Browns looks like a good movie, after viewing the trailer and seeing it doing well at the box office. Too bad it has a bad title since I thought it was another version of the awful Meet the Fockers.

[CamEdwards]

Just finished watching Bee Movie with the kids. From what I saw, I'd give it a 7/10.

[LastWhiteSoxFanStanding]

Just finished watching Bee Movie with the kids. From what I saw, I'd give it a 7/10.

That movie was communist!:D

[MizzouRah]

Dan In Real Life - 5/10

Maybe I'm not in the mood or something or maybe it's because Steve Carell is semi-serious in this movie.. whatever it is, it just didn't do much for me.

[Flasch186]

The Juice is worth the squeeze
We watched The Girl Next Door last night, and let me tellyou...this is a surprisingly good movie with some standouts in it. First off, let me say that I have never, NEVER, seen Timothy Oliphant do a bad job in anything including this. Eli his horny friend, while base, does a good job as well. Cuthbert is good in both facets of her character and the lead does a fine job as well. There are definitely some over the top performances and cliche's abound but if youre looking for a little bit of raunchy humor in a movie to rent. I recommend it.

Watching this again on TV tonight and the scenes are just awesome in capturing that boy meets girl who's out of his league awkwardness. Amazing.

It's as if a vet director did this with Vet actors....but they weren't. The characters are so well done and the little things, like the glances and smirks are so perfect. So well done, truly underestimated movie even by myself.

[rowech]

Dan In Real Life - 5/10

Maybe I'm not in the mood or something or maybe it's because Steve Carell is semi-serious in this movie.. whatever it is, it just didn't do much for me.

I didn't want to ruin your great movie weekend but my wife told me that one was terrible after I refused to watch it based on reviews.

[Brownkeg8]

Drillbit Taylor 7/10- Overall a very funny movie with Owen Wilson playing a good role in his interaction with High School nerds who need a bodyguard. Some Sexual references & mild language, but most was over even our 11 year old's head.

[MizzouRah]

I didn't want to ruin your great movie weekend but my wife told me that one was terrible after I refused to watch it based on reviews.

You should have. :D

[Pyser]

Dan In Real Life - 5/10

Maybe I'm not in the mood or something or maybe it's because Steve Carell is semi-serious in this movie.. whatever it is, it just didn't do much for me.

quite possibly the most unrealistic family portrayal of the last 10 years

and did i miss something. why were they all even there?!?

[Blade6119]

I Am Legend - 6.5

Maybe its just me, but i couldnt stand that ending. The whole movie was solid, and felt like it was building to something pretty great. Then...it just let me down. It was just too easy for my tastes.

Gone Baby Gone - 8

Really interesting, and i didnt figure out the ending until the end. Really makes you think about the morality of certain situations and what you would do in the main character's shoes. I went in expecting a crime flick, and while it was that, they managed to turn it into quite a bit more. I was pretty impressed, though depressed just by the tone of the movie.

Death at a Funeral - 9.5

New British comedy that had me laughing out loud almost the entire way through. Picked it up based off the reccomendations of some of my friends, and loved every minute of it. Part of what makes it so enjoyable is that they do a great job of making it seem like it could be anyone's family this happens to, and as such every viewer can relate. Its still is outlandish, but somehow manages to stay grounded if that makes any sense. Alan Tudyk had me falling out my my chair with his role. One of my most pleasent suprises in a long time :)

[Groundhog]

I Am Legend - 6.5

Maybe its just me, but i couldnt stand that ending. The whole movie was solid, and felt like it was building to something pretty great. Then...it just let me down. It was just too easy for my tastes.


The last third of the movie was really, really rushed. It's obvious they cut a bunch of footage out.

[MikeVic]

Superman - Doomsday - 6/10
I started watching this movie while tired, and fell asleep about 75% in. Not a fault of the movie. I finished watching the last quarter while rested.

I'm not the biggest Superman fan, but this wasn't very great or anything. There were some good scenes, and if this was on a TV series split into 4 episodes, I'd think it was good. But as a movie I was expecting more. It certainly had the feeling of being a TV show.

Some stuff just seemed to kind of happen or I might have missed explanations. If you like Superman, I think the story isn't very true to what happened in the story arc surrounding all of this, but I'm not well informed on that either.

In summary, I'm not sure who this movie was made for. I would guess for young kids that know nothing of Superman's story, or for Superman fans that don't care about the story saying true.

[Lorena]

The Recruit - 4/10

Colin Farrell gets recruited by Al Pacino to join the CIA and is told constantly: "nothing is what it seems". About 1/3 of the way into the movie I started getting upset.. I mean Colin's character is Capt. Obvious. During a stake out, he hides 2 cars away from his target.. I mean c'mon, if he wants to be undercover, how about hiding behind some bushes across the street, or in a car with tinted windows, or disguise yourself.. wear some shades, a cap, trenchcoat.. do something. The only thing that made this movie worthwile was hearing Al Pacino say his dick was on fire.

Don't waste your time with this movie, we should have watched Bourne Identity instead.

[korme]

Gangs of New York (2002) - I am surprised at myself that I hadn't ever seen all of this, only had caught bits and pieces until I bought the DVD and finally watched the 161 minute feature. At not one point did it feel too long, and I was into it from beginning to end. Great flick, as if you'd get nothing less from DiCaprio and Day-Lewis from Scorsese. 9/10

[Doug5984]

I have to agree with what said about "Dan In Real Life" this movie sucked...

I have seen a lot of praise for Gangs of New York lately, from friends and the internet- I watched it when it first came out on DVD and wasn't blown away- but I really don't remember it at all, so I guess I will be rewatching this one pretty soon.

[Lorena]

I have to agree with what said about "Dan In Real Life" this movie sucked...

I have seen a lot of praise for Gangs of New York lately, from friends and the internet- I watched it when it first came out on DVD and wasn't blown away- but I really don't remember it at all, so I guess I will be rewatching this one pretty soon.

+1

We also bought the DVD when it came out and I remember not being impressed. I might have to whip it out this weekend and watch it again.

[Raiders Army]

When does version 1.1 of this thread come out?

[rowech]

Gangs of New York is a much better movie after multiple viewings.

[Groundhog]

If you replace DDL with any other actor in the world, Gangs of New York is about a 6 or 7. With him, it's a 9.5-to-10, depending on the day. One of the greatest acting performances I've ever seen.

[sabotai]

If you replace DDL with any other actor in the world, Gangs of New York is about a 6 or 7. With him, it's a 9.5-to-10, depending on the day. One of the greatest acting performances I've ever seen.

For me, it'd be more of an 8 because I really liked it overall, but I agree that DDL himself pushes it up to a near perfect rating.

[korme]

I love DDL, but he doesn't make the movie. In There Will Be Blood, he is that movie, he makes THAT movie. But here, Leo is solid as well and the story is great and he adds a very good performance, but he isn't why I want to see it again (the reason I will be watching TWBB again when it hits shelves).

[Honolulu_Blue]

Gangs of New York is a much better movie after multiple viewings.

I only saw it once in the theater and found it very, very mediocare. I don't know if I'd be interested in seeing it again. DDL was good in it, but DiCaprio was dull, Cameron Diaz was horrible, and the whole movie felt bloated and sort of... meh. I'd give it about a 6.

[Cringer]

Sunshine - 7/10

I enjoyed it a lot, but 'the twist' just seemed a little odd and unexplained. Fairly predictable movie too, but still a good little space action movie. It was never in the theaters that I remember, unless only in the bigger cities. The whole storyline was just one I liked, with some good characters in the end I think.

[Groundhog]

Sunshine - 7/10

I enjoyed it a lot, but 'the twist' just seemed a little odd and unexplained. Fairly predictable movie too, but still a good little space action movie. It was never in the theaters that I remember, unless only in the bigger cities. The whole storyline was just one I liked, with some good characters in the end I think.

I reviewed it a couple of pages back. It got a theatrical release here and I thought it was really good until it tried to go all 2001: ASO (and failed) at the end. Still, I enjoyed the movie as a whole.

[korme]

Blades of Glory (2007) - Wow, this movie didn't suck as much as Talladega Nights! I expected this to be the worst of all of Ferrell's sports movies, but a nice supporting cast (Arnette, Poehler, Fischer) helped this out a lot and there were some funny scenes. Also, Jon Heder is great in these types of roles where he is the awkward guy with the funny faces. Cracked me up at times. I'd give it a solid 7/10

[Groundhog]

Blades of Glory (2007) - Wow, this movie didn't suck as much as Talladega Nights! I expected this to be the worst of all of Ferrell's sports movies, but a nice supporting cast (Arnette, Poehler, Fischer) helped this out a lot and there were some funny scenes. Also, Jon Heder is great in these types of roles where he is the awkward guy with the funny faces. Cracked me up at times. I'd give it a solid 7/10

Yeah, I agree. Caught this on an a long international flight, and it was much funnier than I expected. 7/10 is about right.

[Chief Rum]

Gangs of New York is a much better movie after multiple viewings.

I agree with this view 100%. I liked it okay in the theater, but nothing special. But I feel it has aged well in the times I have seen it on TV. There are still parts I can skip through, but it is a much "tighter" picture than I had originally given it credit for (my first viewing, I would have described it as meandering).

Although I by and large enjoy Cameron Diaz in most of her roles, this is one where I feel you could lift her out of the movie entirely and not only will it be shorter, it would be better. As long as you concentrate on the Leo vs DDL scenes and skip past most of the Diaz parts, you're good.

[Johnny93g]

Gangs of NY is in my top 10 of all time. I think i saw it 3 times in theatres, and many times in the past few years. This is the flick where i discovered DDL for all his greatness. I think Leo also became a true, serious actor with this role. Just an amazing movie. 10/10

[Johnny93g]

I saw 2 movies last week.

Drillbit Taylor 3/10

This is the superbad kids entering highschool. Only it wasnt as funny. Owen Wilson plays, well, Owen Wilson, which i usually enjoy. He wasnt funny this time. The plot, while i expected to be dumb, was even worse then i could imagine. Nothing in this movie worked.

The Bank Job 5/10

I liked it, i didn't love it. I don't think there is anything that stands out as great. The acting, the story, the action, the twists, they were all solid, they were ok. I probably will forget it exsists in a few years.

[sabotai]

Although I by and large enjoy Cameron Diaz in most of her roles, this is one where I feel you could lift her out of the movie entirely and not only will it be shorter, it would be better.

It's actually been quite awhile since I've watched Gangs of New York. I can't remember what role she played, nor can I remember what scenes she was in...

[korme]

Pickpocketing Whore

[Honolulu_Blue]

I saw a couple of movies last week:

Wolf Creek - This is a horror movie set in the Australian outback that was supposively based on "true events." It's very much like "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or "The Hills Have Eyes" in that involves a bunch of urban young folks wandering into the "badlands" and then being tortured and killed by the natives. I don't know. Maybe I'm getting old, but this film just didn't do it for me. It seemed completely mindless. It did turn at least one of the old horror conventions on its head, which I appreciate, and the killer dude was pretty creepy, but I still didn't think much of it. 4/10.

3:10 To Yuma. I saw this on DVD that same night. This was a Western's Western. Just a good, old fashion tale with guys on horseback, Indians, gun fights, robberies, the whole nine yards. As expected, Christian Bale and Russel Crowe were both fantastic. Very cool characters. Ben Foster was also great as Charlie Prince, Crowe's intense, psychotic #2. If you like Westerns, it's hard not to like this movie. 8/10.

[Coffee Warlord]

August Rush
The musical scenes / score are terrific. The rest of the movie...not so much. Way too over the top with sap, with gigantic, huge, gaping plot holes (and I usually am pretty good at suspending disbelief in flicks). Regardless, I loved the actual musical portions of the movie. 6/10.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Pickpocketing Whore with a heart of gold

Fixed.

[Groundhog]

Although I by and large enjoy Cameron Diaz in most of her roles, this is one where I feel you could lift her out of the movie entirely and not only will it be shorter, it would be better. As long as you concentrate on the Leo vs DDL scenes and skip past most of the Diaz parts, you're good.

Yup, she's the reason why it's about a 7 without DDL. Everyone else pretty much nails it as well, Leo in particular, but Diaz just doesn't blend in with the rest of the cast. Easy to forgive given the rest of the performances, because it's not like she's noticebly horrible or anything, she's just not up to par with most of the others.

[Lorena]

Psycho - 9/10

This movie definitely lived up to the hype. I loved the pacing, and the anticipation of something happening.. I was on edge for most of the movie. Anthony Perkins did such a good job playing the creepy character... I felt his anguish and psychotic nature. A lot of the scenes are left to our imagination (the shower scene, the part where Norman Bates wraps the body) which is better than watching a complete gorefest.

[Johnny93g]

In Fuckin Bruges 8.5/10

Best movie of 2008 so far. As entertaining as it gets. The story is about 2 hitmen, trying to lay low in Bruges, Belgium. The dialouge, the music, the minor characters, everything about this movie was well down. A must buy DVD for me. I recommend this one to every regular in this thread.

[Flasch186]

Captivity (2/10)

utter crap.

[Lathum]

21- 8/10 Good movie overall. Was true to the original story but took some creative license to make it interesting with some good unexpected twists thrown in. A good way to kill 2 hours.

[bignej]

Enchanted- 8/10

I was really suprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. Amy Adams was perfect in this movie. A fun and memorable experience.

Be Kind Rewind - 6/10

There were a few funny parts when they recreate the movies but pretty dull otherwise. Glad I watched it, but probably won't watch it again.

10,000 B.C. - 1/10

My 17yr old brother wanted to see this and he was the only reason I didn't walk out. This is the first movie that I've ever watched with huge WTF eyes from start to finish. How this movie got the budget it did is beyond me. It was a caveman movie where they had great teeth and neetly trimmed beards. They filled the 500 ploty holes with "prophecies". Everyone that left the theater had a look of "I cant believe I just spent $ on this sh*t".

[Lathum]

I am curious what other people think of 10,000 BC

[Chief Rum]

In Fuckin Bruges 8.5/10

Best movie of 2008 so far. As entertaining as it gets. The story is about 2 hitmen, trying to lay low in Bruges, Belgium. The dialouge, the music, the minor characters, everything about this movie was well down. A must buy DVD for me. I recommend this one to every regular in this thread.

I saw the preview for this months ago. It looked hilarious. But it hasn't played much around here and when it was, there were some other movies out I wanted to say. I may have to take a look around and see if it's still playing anywhere.

[thesloppy]

I always read this thread and mean to post...but never do, so I'ma bust out a quick summary of my recently viewed Netflix queue.

The Burden of Dreams - Documentary about the making of Warner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo. Watching Herzog stumble around under the burden of his own earnestness and varying degrees genius/insanity is GOOD clean fun - 9/10

The Really Long Title About Jesse James and Ben Afflecks Brother - Meh. Just too long and its powerful cast and high production values combined to produce something completely forgettable - 5/10

3:10 to Yuma - You know what, this was a pretty good movie betrayed by a horribly unbelievable ending. I don't think I'm spoiling anything to say that Christian Bale's character has an 1800s-era wooden leg..and he spends the last ten minutes running around like he's fucking Jet Li. - 6/10

I am Legend - Another flick that I really liked until the final act. In this case the last 1/3 really wasn't all that awful at all, but it just lacked the isolation and tension that made the first part so good, and made the ending feel kind of a let-down. Also, the CGI at the end kinda sucked. - 7/10

There Will Be Blood - Not much else to say that hasn't been said everywhere else. I enjoyed it, and seem to be in the minority that I didn't mind the ending. On the other hand I personally wouldn't call it any kind of masterpiece. - 8/10

Blade Runner (SOOPER DOOPER SECRET CUT) - This is one of my very favorite movies, and as such I've seen every 'cut' released until now, and as a result of THAT I really couldn't tell the difference between this and the last 'secret' cut. It did look much nicer, so that's worth something. - 10/10 (2/10 on the 'new'ness factor)

Le Samourai - Classic New-Wave French gangster flick from Melville. Truly AWESOME style, with bold colors, cool cats and jazzy parisian nightclubs that are more than enough to make you overlook the paper-thin characters and extremely simple plot. - 8/10

M - 30s German crime flick starring Peter Lorre as a serial-killer paedophile. Holds up surprisingly well for being...well...a German crime flick from the 1930s. Lorre is delightfully creepy, as always. - 7/10

Rescue Dawn - Herzog 'fictionalization' of his documentary 'Litte Dieter Needs to Fly'. I love Herzog, and Christian Bale, but unfortunately this one just didn't live up to my expectations. 'Dieter' is a FAR more entertaining, and superior film. - 6/10

Little Dieter Needs to Fly - Aww hell, might as well throw this one in. Great Herzog doc in his typical invasive and immersive style (Grizzly Man), detailing a pilot in the Vietnam war who gets shot down over Laos, imprisoned, and escapes in the course of one incredible adventure. - 9/10

No Country for Old Men - Pretty much exactly what I expected from everyone involved, in the best of ways, but on the other hand there was nothing particularly earth shattering about any part of the production. - 8/10

Point Blank - Lee Marvin stars in this 60s noir-style revenge flick. Ya also get some Carrol O'Conner and Angie Dickinson. Pretty entertaining, if entirely shallow. - 7/10

The Lookout - That kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun is slightly retarded and is going to rob a bank and then Meathead the alien returns to his home planet. This didn't really hold my attention, and I ended up switching over to 'Meatballs 2' in the middle. - 5/10

This is England - Winner of this year's BAFTA for best picture. Director Shane Meadows' ('Dead Man's Shoes') autobiographical tale of his youth in a group of 80s british skinheads who start as simple working class skins, but take on a more violent flavor upon a friend's return from prison. GREAT soundtrack. - 9/10

Equilibrium - Had heard a LOT of good things about this precursor to the 'Matrix' that drew raves from some friends and critics whose opinions I respect. I thought it SUCKED ASS. 4/10

Ley Lines - One of Takashi Miike's eighty billion Yakuza movies about violent Chinese immigrants working their way through the bottomest rungs of the Japanese underworld. Nothing really special, and Miike has done much better, but not horrible (and Miike's certainly done much worse). - 6/10

[Lorena]

Good Will Hunting - 9.5/10

Matt Damon was so, so good and there was a point in the movie where I actually teared up he was so believable. Minnie Driver and Robin Williams were also very, very good. It was a 2 hour film but the great dialogue made it go by quickly.

[MikeVic]

Equilibrium - Had heard a LOT of good things about this precursor to the 'Matrix' that drew raves from some friends and critics whose opinions I respect. I thought it SUCKED ASS. 4/10


What didn't you like about it? I thought it was great.

[Flasch186]

Awake 6/10

Ok, I get it. there is a phenomenon where when youre under anesthesia you may still be conscious, be able to hear and feel pain but be unable to move. Well this murder mystery is so contrived with ghosts, souls, family drama, that I just couldnt help but scoff. Not worth the trouble if you have so many other choices from film.

[rowech]

Good Will Hunting - 9.5/10

Matt Damon was so, so good and there was a point in the movie where I actually teared up he was so believable. Minnie Driver and Robin Williams were also very, very good. It was a 2 hour film but the great dialogue made it go by quickly.

I love that movie. I think everybody was cast perfectly. Very believable performances all the way around. Robin Williams was outstanding. I really don't know how anybody can't like that movie.

[NoSkillz]

Knocked Up - 7/10
A bit schizophrenic in my opinion - lots of laugh-out loud moments defused by some unbelievably cold, uncomfortable and unfunny scenes. The director (Apatow) needs to learn how to walk away from some scenes in the editing room, as this one was entirely too long. In the end though, I enjoyed almost all of the performances and Heigl and Rogan were almost believable as a couple. Kristen Wiig stole every scene she was in as the snarky E! Entertainment executive. Worth watching but nothing earth shattering.

Michael Clayton - 8.5/10
Very slow to get going but really picked up steam after about a half an hour. Tremendous acting all around, with Clooney doing a great job in the title roll. Tom Wilkinson was mezmerizing and Tilda Swinton was also very good in a roll where she didn't have an awful lot of screen time but really stole all of her scenes. I enjoyed the way the plot moved back and forth in time and it was extremely effective in the final third of the film. Recommended.

[thesloppy]

What didn't you like about it? (Equilibrium) I thought it was great.

I was just never able to suspend my disbelief, for whatever reason. As such it just came off overly hokey and paper-thin, and it was just completely tension-free for me. I could see where it would've been an interesting ride if I had been able to get 'into' it, but I wasn't able to.

[Mustang]

Saints & Soldiers (2004) 7 1/2 - Indie WWII film that has been on my list for awhile, but I just got around to it. I'd call this one Band of Brothers light. It doesn't have the special f/x of other movies (some parts might annoy people as a little too low tech) and relies on more characters and plot w/pretty decent acting.

[Lorena]

+1

We also bought the DVD when it came out and I remember not being impressed. I might have to whip it out this weekend and watch it again.

Okay, we saw it.

Gangs of New York - 4/10

The first half of the movie was incredibly slow but the other half was ok. Daniel Day Lewis an DiCaprio were solid, not great but solid, and Cameron Diaz forgot she was Irish in a few scenes and didn't use her bad accent. Now I see why it was mediocre the first time I saw it. It had great special effects, cinematography but nothing really happened until the 2nd DVD. The first half I'd give a 2, but the second half was a solid 6.

It had it's moments, but overall, it was meh to me.

[Neon_Chaos]

Walk Hard - 8/10

Funny shit. Definitely funny shit.

"Let's Duet" grabs the cake. And the orgy scene. HAHAHAHAHA.

[korme]

Okay, we saw it.

Gangs of New York - 4/10

The first half of the movie was incredibly slow but the other half was ok. Daniel Day Lewis an DiCaprio were solid, not great but solid, and Cameron Diaz forgot she was Irish in a few scenes and didn't use her bad accent. Now I see why it was mediocre the first time I saw it. It had great special effects, cinematography but nothing really happened until the 2nd DVD. The first half I'd give a 2, but the second half was a solid 6.

It had it's moments, but overall, it was meh to me.


Wow.

[Lorena]

Wow.

Yeah, probably didn't help that I fell asleep through about 20 minutes of the first DVD.

I just thought it was a little slow.. that's all.

[Lathum]

I agree with DC, the movie just never did anything for me.

Apparently Shorty and I can't agree on anything this week ;)

[thesloppy]

Count me in, too! I love me some Scorsese, but 4/10 for GoNY sounds right about perfect.

[korme]

I'd begin boycotting this thread if I didn't live in it

[Mustang]

I can't stand Cameron Diaz and I'd even give GoNY a 8.5+/10

[Honolulu_Blue]

I'm sticking with my 6/10 for Gangs. Some of it was cool and there some decent performances, but it was kind of bloated and meandering.

[Antmeister]

I bet if you sit through Gangs of New York more than once, you will realize that the story drags and the ending is predicatably boring.

[Mustang]

I bet if you sit through Gangs of New York more than once, you will realize that the story drags and the ending is predicatably boring.

I have and still like it. To each their own. I find 99% of movies have predictable endings anyways..

[Greyroofoo]

Movies are about the journey, not the ending.

[korme]

Michael Clayton (2007) - I can't believe people said this movie was slow at first. I guess that just means I underestimate people who really just need cars to blow up to hold their attention. There was great drama throughout this movie, and although admittedly it will take a second viewing to wrap my head around all of the occurances, it was a very good movie IMO, and the rating that I leave may rise after the second run through. 8.5/10

[thesloppy]

Movies are about the journey, not the ending.

That particular journey would've been a lot better if I didn't have to sit between Leonardo and Cameron Diaz.

[Groundhog]

Before the Devil Knows Your Dead - 6.5/10

Saw this at the movies last night, and really don't know what I think of it. It was like 'Very Bad Things' minus the dark humour, where a bad situation spirals further and further out of control. All the actors pretty much nailed their parts, it was just a bit of a "meh" story, with no "good guys". I don't know, underwhelming I guess. Hell of an opening scene though involving Marisa Tomei though, wow... Shame Hoffman is in it too, however. ;)

[Pyser]

Michael Clayton (2007) - I can't believe people said this movie was slow at first. I guess that just means I underestimate people who really just need cars to blow up to hold their attention. There was great drama throughout this movie, and although admittedly it will take a second viewing to wrap my head around all of the occurances, it was a very good movie IMO, and the rating that I leave may rise after the second run through. 8.5/10

huh? nothing happened! what did he ever fix? he didnt appear to be good at his job, the drunk driving "case" had nothing to do with anything, they started the movie with a later scene for no reason whatsoever, all tilda swinton did was sweat, and the kid was a character that went nowhere.

if wilkinson wasnt in it and excellent, i would have nothing to recommend.

to each his own i guess.

3/10.

[Chief Rum]

Michael Clayton (2007) - I can't believe people said this movie was slow at first. I guess that just means I underestimate people who really just need cars to blow up to hold their attention. There was great drama throughout this movie, and although admittedly it will take a second viewing to wrap my head around all of the occurances, it was a very good movie IMO, and the rating that I leave may rise after the second run through. 8.5/10

Welcome to the Michael Clayton thumbs up train. Ignore the guy from Jersey. ;)

[korme]

huh? nothing happened! what did he ever fix? he didnt appear to be good at his job, the drunk driving "case" had nothing to do with anything, they started the movie with a later scene for no reason whatsoever, all tilda swinton did was sweat, and the kid was a character that went nowhere.

if wilkinson wasnt in it and excellent, i would have nothing to recommend.

to each his own i guess.

3/10.



the scene starting 4 days after + d.d. case set up the ending.

[Pyser]

i dont mean to come off like a dick

i am just genuinely curious what people liked about the movie. i heard nothing but good things from the (few) people who saw it in the theater

[Pyser]

the scene starting 4 days after + d.d. case set up the ending.

set up how?

oh look, horses!

BOOM.

i think so little happened in the beginning that some studio head said, "i dont care how you do it, just get that explosion in the first 10 minutes"

incidentally, it is absolutely my pet peeve starting a movie with a scene from later, then jumping back in time, ESPECIALLY when it serves absolutely no purpose. god i hate that technique

[Chief Rum]

set up how?

oh look, horses!

BOOM.

i think so little happened in the beginning that some studio head said, "i dont care how you do it, just get that explosion in the first 10 minutes"

incidentally, it is absolutely my pet peeve starting a movie with a scene from later, then jumping back in time, ESPECIALLY when it serves absolutely no purpose. god i hate that technique

That was Michael Clayton's revelation point. The point at which he realized he could no longer choose to be purely self serving. And then they blew up his car, so he couldn't backtrack anyway.

I don't think you're being a dick at all. To each their own. I have several posts about this movie in this thread, and I started a thread by itself back when the movie first came out. Feel free to read those if you want more extended takes from someone who feels differently than you do about the movie. But it's no biggie to me if it didn't work for you. Different strokes, and sorry you didn't get out of it what I (and I guess Shorty) did.

[korme]

Just watched The Squid and the Whale again. It's easily rising through the ranks as one of my favorite indie movies of all-time. It's only an hour in a half and light, but there are some deep undertones and tons of subtle comedy - Jeff Daniels is great and Owen Kline (son of Kevin) is hilarious. I recommend it to everyone.

[Honolulu_Blue]

That was Michael Clayton's revelation point. The point at which he realized he could no longer choose to be purely self serving. And then they blew up his car, so he couldn't backtrack anyway.

I don't think you're being a dick at all. To each their own. I have several posts about this movie in this thread, and I started a thread by itself back when the movie first came out. Feel free to read those if you want more extended takes from someone who feels differently than you do about the movie. But it's no biggie to me if it didn't work for you. Different strokes, and sorry you didn't get out of it what I (and I guess Shorty) did.

I liked it well enough. The only aspect of the movie that didn't quite work for me was Michael Clayton's personal life. The whole trying to open the bar with his dead beat brother and kid and ex-wife thing just seemed a bit tacked on to me and wasn't properly fleshed out. Other than that, I quite enjoyed it.

[MikeVic]

Hey uh maybe some of that Clayton stuff should go in SPOILER tags guys. I haven't seen it yet, and I didn't like reading about the character development.

[JS19]

Watched Into the Wild last night. I thought it was a good movie and understood the message and felt they did a good job portraying that message. However, I have no patience for morons like that, so that took a little away for me, but putting my bias aside, it was a pretty solid movie.....I did a little research after the movie and read that 1/4 up the river from where he tried crossing there was a hand operated tram that would have gotten himself across the river.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I watched "The Kentucky Fried Movie" once, and it pretty much ended with sex.

[Bad-example]

The Good Shepherd - 5/10 I didn't hate this one, but Matt Damon was again miscast. He wasn't nearly as bad as in The Departed but I had the feeling while watching that he was the weak link keeping this from being a pretty good movie.

[Johnny93g]

Matt Damon bad in the Departed?

To eaches own i guess, that statement just shocked me

[MikeVic]

Haven't see The Departed, but Matt Damon is usually good in his roles.

[Lathum]

Matt Damon bad in the Departed?

To eaches own i guess, that statement just shocked me

makes no sense to me either, I thought he was great in it.

[Bad-example]

Hey, I like Matt Damon. But IMHO he was just awful in The Departed. As I mentioned a few pages back, both he and Nicholson were poor choices. Better casting in those roles would have greatly improved that movie.

[Johnny93g]

Hey, I like Matt Damon. But IMHO he was just awful in The Departed. As I mentioned a few pages back, both he and Nicholson were poor choices. Better casting in those roles would have greatly improved that movie.

Movies are subjected, and your entitled to your opinion. If those choices hurt your enjoyment of the movie, that's fair. I think your in the minority though. I don't think there are many things that could improve the movie, i think the casting was pretty much perfect, and can't imagine better choices.

[Logan]

I've heard the "Nicholson mailed in the role" argument before, although I didn't understand it. First I'm hearing any criticism of Damon though. There were a few times where his accent was so heavy that I felt it distracted, but that's about it.

[Bad-example]

i think the casting was pretty much perfect, and can't imagine better choices.

Someone called me out earlier in the thread, challenging me to name better casting choices for those two roles. I never posted them, but I think Ian McShane and Christian Bale would have nailed those parts.

[thesloppy]

I think Ian McShane and Christian Bale would have nailed those parts.

..and Christian Bale is Welsh!

Sorry, I have to bring that up every time I hear his name, because it still blows my mind. I had no clue.

[korme]

I Think I Love My Wife (2007) - Rock directed, produced, and starred in this fall comedy about a married man who misses the things that come with being single - the women. He doesn't realize what he has until it's almost too late. I thought the first 10-15 minutes were ok and then it headed off down a very predictable path. You can tell Rock was all over this because there was some genuinely funny one-liners going around here, which saved it from being a disaster. 5/10

[korme]

Haven't see The Departed, but Matt Damon is usually good in his roles.

What are you doing fooling about on FOFC then? Run to your nearest store now!

[MikeVic]

What are you doing fooling about on FOFC then? Run to your nearest store now!

I'm at work. :(

[Lorena]

I remember liking The Departed a lot, but will have to watch it again to see Matt Damon's perfomance.

Edit: will probably whip it out this weekend.

[Karlifornia]

Edit: will probably whip it out this weekend.

3 days? I usually can't wait that long.

[Groundhog]

IMO, Infernal Affairs > The Departed. I enjoyed it a heck of a lot more, and agree that old Jack and Matt Damon, whilst they didn't do a bad job, were not the best picks for their roles.

[thesloppy]

IMO, Infernal Affairs > The Departed. I enjoyed it a heck of a lot more, and agree that old Jack and Matt Damon, whilst they didn't do a bad job, were not the best picks for their roles.

I would agree with this, but it should be noted that I have a huge man-crush on Andy Lau.

[st.cronin]

I didn't care much for The Departed. There's a set of movies that present themselves as literal-minded, but can't really be viewed that way - The Departed was like that. Scorsese was the wrong guy for that film, I felt.

[Pyser]

i agree. didnt like the movie much.

the end was also "we have no ideas, lets just get this over with"

[stevew]

Alvin and the Chipmunks 6.5/10. It's a lot better than I thought it would be. Like one of those things where if your kids rented it, and you had to watch it, you wouldn't be pissed off or anything. Mildly enjoyable.

[Flasch186]

The Namesake

6/10

Kumar plays a kid who grows up under the pressure of an Indian culture while living in NYC and the marriage implications and pressures that accompany that. He also has to find himself and the meaning of his name vs. his "good" name.

I guess it was ok. It was really long. It was emotional but Kumar really struggled with a few scenes. The father and mother were great and no one stood out as being particularly good or bad, including Kumar. It was ok. eh.

[MikeVic]

The Gameplan - 6/10
I really like The Rock. But this movie is so plain and predictable, with a cookie-cutter supporting cast and scenes you can kind of guess well before they happen. There was one scene that I predicted that actually didn't happen, and I'm convinced it would have been a good addition.

However, even with the predictable, sappy stuff... there were a couple of scenes that made me smile, and I didn't actually want to turn the movie off at any point.

Overall, I'd say this is a fairly predictable family movie with some nice touches.

[Logan]

The Take - 8/10

Overall a strong movie with great acting and cinematography. John Leguizamo stars as Felix, an armored truck driver who is shot in the head during a robbery and lives. After being in a coma and going through serious rehab and therapy, he attempts to go after the men (headed by Tyrese Gibson) who have ruined his life. Leguizamo's performance was the highlight, and Rosie Perez was great playing his wife.

For more info, check out http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=64707 :)

[MikeVic]

Walk Hard - 7.5/10
This was sillier than I thought. I figured it would be kind of a parody/comedy thing, but more grounded in reality. There's not much weird stuff, but when it's there it threw me off. And considering that a large part of Dewey Cox's character is one of these weird things, it was kinda... weird. :) There were still quite a few funny scenes, and I overall enjoyed the movie, but it fell a bit below my expectations.

Vantage Point - 8/10
Solid movie. I liked the story and how it was presented. Reviews I read said that the movie gets annoying because you see the same stuff over and over again, but I didn't find it so repetitive that I was annoyed. I felt it had good acting and pacing; it held my interest. The gimmick of different "vantage points" didn't seem to be consistent though, for the sake of providing more suspense. They'll cut away from a vantage point of someone when you know the stuff that happens next they saw... but they don't show you it. I found that kind of annoying, but I'm not sure if I would've liked seeing it all and losing some shock value or whatever. Overall a solid movie with a good story.

Lars and the Real Girl - 9.5/10
Never really heard of this, and after I read a brief synopsis, I wasn't expecting much. I should have low expectations for every movie I see, because it made this movie just that much better. I never liked Ryan Gosling, but I've become a real fan of his after this movie. Just outstanding and fascinating. A real nice, funny, touching movie. I ended up caring so much for the Lars character. I don't want to spoil anything, but my only concern early on was thinking that it was a stretch for so many characters in the movie to go along with the main premise, but they kind of explain themselves with that I thought. Only reason that it's not a 10 is that I don't see myself watching it multiple times, but that can change if I see it again I think. Highly recommended.

[Pyser]

Lars and the Real Girl - 9.5/10
Never really heard of this, and after I read a brief synopsis, I wasn't expecting much. I should have low expectations for every movie I see, because it made this movie just that much better. I never liked Ryan Gosling, but I've become a real fan of his after this movie. Just outstanding and fascinating. A real nice, funny, touching movie. I ended up caring so much for the Lars character. I don't want to spoil anything, but my only concern early on was thinking that it was a stretch for so many characters in the movie to go along with the main premise, but they kind of explain themselves with that I thought. Only reason that it's not a 10 is that I don't see myself watching it multiple times, but that can change if I see it again I think. Highly recommended.

thats funny, i saw this last night and came here to post about it.

I am a fan of Gosling, and I think this was his best work so far. He completely carried the movie, by himself. He was believable for every second.

Everyone else...less so.

Wouldnt re-watch it, but would recommend it, for Gosling's acting alone.

6.5/10

[korme]

Great movie that I reviewed a few months ago... did you all watch it on DVD? If so, I didn't think it was out yet and must make a trip to BB soon.

[MikeVic]

DVD this upcoming Tuesday.

[ISiddiqui]

Michael Clayton - 8/10

A very well done movie. Nothing new or different necessarily, but Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton were absolutely wonderful in their roles (esp. Wilkinson). Clooney was good, but not as amazing as I'd heard people say (people were saying he'd be a shoo in for Best Actor if not for Daniel Day Lewis... I don't necessarily see that). The story was very intriguing, though I agree with some others that the whole Clayton personal life thing seemed a bit tacked on. The ending was absolutely brilliant though.

No Country for Old Men - 9/10

Wow. Just amazing cinematography and the Coen's did Cormac McCarthy good in putting an incredible story to the screen. The three main actors (Brolin, Bardem, and Jones) were incredible in their roles, especially Bardem who was just a perfect face of evil. The supporting cast was also perfectly cast, as Woody Harrelson, Kelley MacDonald, and Garett Dilahunt played their roles very well. People say they are disappointed in the ending, but I thought it absolutely fit the tone and message of the rest of the movie.

[Neon_Chaos]

Doomsday - 9/10 - I came in not expecting much, but damn... this was one sweet ride. Insane gore, over the top action, and a complete menagerie of so many different cultural concepts that I was simply amazed how everything just came together so beautifully. The pacing is excellent for a gore/action/horror flick. Far better than previous movies in the same vein... Resident Evil and the Underworld. Rhona Mitra is a hot ass-kicking heroine. I loved it.

[MikeVic]

I gave Doomsday a 9 as well a few weeks ago. What an awesome movie.

[Neon_Chaos]

It's so hard to write a review because of all the pleasant little things in the movie that you can't mention without ruining it! heh.

[MikeVic]

Exactly. I just re-read my little paragraph review and it doesn't make much sense. I told a lot of friends to just trust me and go see it, but it's kind of hard to talk about it. A lot of the fun is seeing what else is included in the movie. :)

[Lorena]

Not a movie but

Scrubs Season 1 - 10/10

To me, 10s are for shows/movies I never tire of and this is one of them. I love the comradery, JD's sweet nature, Eliot's goofiness, Carla's sassy attitude, Dr. Cox's awesome sarcasm, the Janitor always ripping on JD.. it's an awesome show all around.

Thanks to MikeVic and Pumpy for recommending a show the kids, Ant and I can enjoy. I have added seasons 2-7 on my Netflix Q.

One of my favorite clips from this season:

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OHXyVbxijko&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OHXyVbxijko&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

[Johnny93g]

A few movies i've seen lately:

Leatherheads 5/10

It's ok, it's nothing special. There were a few ammusing scenes, and the lure of the early football world was different. Maybe I have outgrown these pg-13 type comedies, but when i compare it to it's counterpart's of the past, like My Cousin Vinnie, or Ghostbuster's, or Major League, it just isnt in the same league.

21 6/10

Pretty much what I thought it would be. That's not a bad thing. Kinda predictable, and i wasnt really impressed with the 2 leads, but overall, i was satisfied. Longer then it needed to be.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 8/10

Really good movie. I have been meaning to see this for ever, and i finally borrowed a copy from a friend. It's different, it's original, and it's very well done. Jim Carrey is a great actor. He needs to do more serious roles. Kate Winslett was fantastic, and I really enjoyed Tom Wilkinson's role. A must see!

The Hoax 8.5/10

The story of a struggling author who claims Howard Hughes has given him permission to write a autobiography. This ofcourse is the hoax. Richard Gere, who i don't like at all, was great. Alferd Molina, Stanley Tucci, and the rest of the supporting cast was near perfect. Very enjoyable, it's a great roller coaster ride.

[MikeVic]

Glad you liked Scrubs, DC.

Alvin and the Chipmunks - 7.5/10
The movie was more enjoyable that I thought it would be. I really liked the singing parts, but some of the later performances with a hip hop feel seemed odd. You have to really suspend your disbeliefs to accept the fact that everyone buys into these guys, but it's meant as a kids movie. And it succeeds at doing that I believe. I liked the positive feel the movie had, and the sub-story of the chipmunks just wanting a family. There were some funny parts, and if you're an adult that isn't totally opposed to kiddy movies (as I am), then you'll like this.

Smart People - 8.5/10
I read fairly negative reviews of this before going out to see it, saying that the characters make decisions that don't make sense, and there not being enough comedy. I'm going to say that I disagree with both of these concerns. I felt the characters progressed nicely. Everyone but the family's poet brother gets adequate screen time, and decisions that they make are logical to me. As for the comedy, there aren't wall-to-wall jokes and funny moments, but they are dispersed throughout the movie nicely. There were definitely multiple LOL moments, and there were quite a few chuckle moments too.

Thomas Hayden Church's character is pure awesome. Ellen Page's character had the biggest swings, followed by Dennis Quaid's character. I thought the four main actors did a very good job with their roles. My only complaint about the movie is that I didn't understand a couple of the conversations, but it didn't take too much away from understanding what was going on in the scene.

[Lathum]

Smart People 9/10- I thought this mavie was fantastic. The 4 family members were increadable. The acting in it was just amazing. Sara Jessica Parker was so outclassed it wasn't even funny, but she was tolerable.

I agree with MV the Thomas Hayden Church's character was awesome. There wasn't alot of comedy but there were some amusing parts and Ellen Page nailed her role.

I also think it may have been the best role I have ever seen Quaid play, he was awesome.

[Chief Rum]

Saw Doomsday today. Yeah, I would say that is a turn your brain off movie, with enough intentional ridiculity and self-mockery that it is a decently entertaining popcorn muncher. But you must not abhor gore, because this movie observes few standards. :)

[larrymcg421]

Friday, April 11

American Teen (Nanette Burstein)

This is a documentary that follows four teenagers during their senior year of high school. They all fit pretty familiar types. You've got the spoiled popular girl, the jock, the band geek, and the flaky artist chick. The film recalls the short-lived tv series American High and is every bit as good. There's an interesting use of animation sequences detailing the thoughts of the students as they speak. Some of the sequences are obviously manufactured (i.e. kids staring out at the sunset), but the director manages to capture some startlingly frank moments, like when spoiled girl Megan displays a cruelty that makes you wonder how they were able to obtain a release to use her footage. Burstein may have staged many of her shots, but her film manages to capture a truth that few other documentaries have been able to approach. 9/10

Conflict and Resolution Shorts

One of the cool things about the festival is the ability to catch the shorts programs, which usually don't make it to mainstream theaters. Unfortunately, the first shorts program this year was pretty weak...

Women in Burka - This was probably the best of the bunch. It was about a woman of Indian descent and the roles offered to her after 9/11. The film is somewhat funny exploration of the subject matter, but has some bizaare tangents, including a weird cameo from Kerry Washington, that don't really make sense. Also features a cameo from Sam Rockwell. 6/10

Veils - A film that shows the final moments for a Palestinian man and a Jewish woman getting married. Contains a clever twist at the end, but there seems to be little purpose to the movie other than deceiving the audience until the very end. Not very interesting. 4/10

Mexican in the Closet - A frustrated wife brings an illegal immigrant home in hopes that he will kill her husband. The guy stays in her guest room closet while devising the plan, but as days pass, it looks like he might not ever do it because he enjoys living in the closet so much. There are a few funny moments, but the jokes get repetitive pretty fast, and this movie just goes on and on and on. 4/10

Race - Two low level executives, a black male and an asian female, at a research firm are pitted against each other for a promotion. The stakes are amped up by their boss, who decides to play up their "innate racial hysteria" against each other, thinking it will improve their performance. The film's attempt to dramatize racial tensions is laughable at best and approaches offensive. (He makes a geisha remark, she accuses him of only being successful because he's an athlete). This was directed by respected character actor Peter Coyote, who would've been better off phoning in a Law & Order or ER guest performance than making a foray into directing. 1/10

Devil Goes Down - A young man challenges another to a one-on-one basketball contest with a very special prize. Almost the entire movie is the basketball contest, which is admittedly produced fairly well for a low budget affair. The ending is clever, but that doesn't make the whole movie terribly interesting. 5/10

[korme]

Best Buy is going to love me tomorrow - Juno, Lars..., & ... Blood will all hit shelves and dent my wallet.

Akeelah and the Bee (2006) - Movie about a young middle-school girl who grows up in a poor school district where it's not cool to be smart. Yet she is very gifted, easily can memorize words and is pushed to enter spelling contests where she does very well. Stars Larry Fishbourne and Angela Bassett with a newcomer performance by Keke Palmer. I just don't know what audience this movie was aiming for - I'm guessing I wasn't the primary target. I guess younger kids or mothers would like this much more than I did. I thought many of the scenarios were all very obvious and a little forced. It was ok but I could have guessed nearly how every scene in the last 45 minutes would play out as it started. Fishbourne was ok, Bassett was below average and Palmer was a nice breakthrough. I did watch it because I have an affinity towards english and the discussions of the language were rewarding. There was a montage in the middle of the movie that was very ridiculous. 5/10

[Pyser]

american gangster

holy long. hooooooooly long. and i didnt even watch the "extended" cut.

denzel was good. crowe was crowe. i dont feel like i saw anything new, and i really dont feel like i saw a true story. but i was mostly entertained throughout.

absolutely no idea how ruby dee got nominated. she only had to act in 1 scene. got to love a weak year for women

6/10

[Logan]

Best Buy is going to love me tomorrow - Juno, Lars..., & ... Blood will all hit shelves and dent my wallet.

Those are loss leaders. If you walk out with only those titles, Best Buy is going to hate you :).

[Lathum]

looking forward to picking up Juno

[Lorena]

looking forward to picking up Juno

Yup, and watching it as soon as we get home.

[Johnny93g]

Ok, i have seen Juno, i thouht it was ok. Nothing special. Does anyone want to take a shot and explain whats so good about it, because i don't get it!!

[Lorena]

Ok, i have seen Juno, i thouht it was ok. Nothing special. Does anyone want to take a shot and explain whats so good about it, because i don't get it!!

Yes, Ellen Page is in it ;)

Seriously, I think she's a great actress.

[Lathum]

Ok, i have seen Juno, i thouht it was ok. Nothing special. Does anyone want to take a shot and explain whats so good about it, because i don't get it!!

it was simple.

[MikeVic]

I like Ellen Page a lot.

But the movie was well done. I think I wrote a quick review sometime last year.

[Neon_Chaos]

It was good. I think I mentioned in my review that it suffered from a little bit of Dawson's Creek-itis.

[Logan]

I chalked up the unrealistic language to being a byproduct of a universe where George Michael is looked upon by any as a cool kid.

[larrymcg421]

More from the festival...

The Edge of Heaven (Faith Akin)

This won the Best Screenplay Award at Cannes and it's easy to see why. It follows several different stories that are connected, but unlike the countless ripoffs of Tarantino and Altman, there's actually a purpose to the structure, as the underlying theme of forgiveness through a tale of a prostitute trying to earn money for her daughter's education, a man's fruitless search for the daughter, and the daughter's fight against political oppression. The director begins each chapter with a title that explains what will happen at the end, creating an interesting sense of unease as the events play out. The director gets a little too cute at the end, which undercuts the emotion of the story, but this is still really good stuff. 8.5/10


Nerdcore Rising (Negin Farsad)

This is a documentary that follows MC Frontalot, the godfather of Nerdcore. What is nerdcore you ask? In short, it's geeky white guys rapping about geeky white guy things. Sample lyrics from a Frontalot song:

"now it's time for a little braggadocio
while I swing my arms like ralph macchio"

Front has a pretty good library of songs, ranging from topics such as evolution, internet porn, goth girls, and his hilarious disdain for Magic the Gathering. (One of the funniest moments in the documentary is when one of his bandmates tries to explain the rules of the card game.) The surprising thing about the movie is that the music isn't really that bad. It's fun to listen to and there are some really good arrangements. The structure of the film shows Frontalot going on his first live tour, which has some pretty amusing moments, but also shows the devoted following he has acquired. Last year at this same fest I saw a documentary called King of Kong, which was about a group of people that obsessively play classic video games. This works in the same way, following a unique group of people who have a very specialized hobby. 8/10

[Groundhog]

Blood Diamond - 8/10

Liked this better than I thought I would. Leo did a great job, and Djimon did an even greater job. The best part however? After watching this my girlfriend, who had no idea about the dirty dealings of the diamond trade before watching this, had now decided that she doesn't want a diamond on her engagement ring when that time comes... A gem stone or a cubic zirconia. Woo-hoo!! :D

[Lathum]

Blood Diamond - 8/10

Liked this better than I thought I would. Leo did a great job, and Djimon did an even greater job. The best part however? After watching this my girlfriend, who had no idea about the dirty dealings of the diamond trade before watching this, had now decided that she doesn't want a diamond on her engagement ring when that time comes... A gem stone or a cubic zirconia. Woo-hoo!! :D

you didn't actualy believe her, did you?

[Greyroofoo]

There Will Be Blood 8/10

A very solid film overall and Daniel Day Lewis deserves all the praise he got for the film. Though it was perhaps 20 minutes too long and a tad confusing on some parts.

[Lorena]

Juno 8/10

Sharp witty dialog and well delivered by all actors. It wasn't overly sappy like I was expecting, but it was just right.

[sabotai]

Not a movie but

Scrubs Season 1 - 10/10

To me, 10s are for shows/movies I never tire of and this is one of them. I love the comradery, JD's sweet nature, Eliot's goofiness, Carla's sassy attitude, Dr. Cox's awesome sarcasm, the Janitor always ripping on JD.. it's an awesome show all around.

I love Scrubs. The show gets better (if that's possible) as it goes (although, the season 7 episodes I've seen have been a letdown so far, seasons 1-6 is just great TV).

[Flasch186]

21 7/10

eh, you couldnt help but see their signals and say, "Jesus, could you be more obvious". It was just ok.

The Hunting Party8/10

How many F'n movies has Terrance Howard been in?!

Anyways, an interesting choice to have this be of a lighter faire considering the topic which was the ethnic cleansing and the hunt for war criminals. An interesting movie and I thought it was worth watching. Terrance Howard is pretty good in anything ive seen.

[Buccaneer]

Baraka - 10/10

Have to bring up one of my very favorite movies and one that I watch frequently. This is a movie that does not appeal to the masses, or to movie goers. It is simply a meditative visual film that one experiences with the eyes, ears and heart. Filmed in 70mm, it takes you on a journey all over the world in showing many aspects of humanity and sceneries. Some of it is shown in time-lapsed filming, particularly the storm clouds over the Utah landscape, as well as showing urban traffic like blood pulsing through vein. I am obsessive with meditative non-western music (as well as great scenics) and this the perfect movie for both.

[Doug5984]

There will be blood... This is a tough one to do, but I'm going to have to say 4/10 DDL was great, but the story just didn't seem that good to me. It seemed long, and not a movie I will be watching again for a few years...
I was expecting great things from all the praise it got, but was disappointed.

[Buccaneer]

Watched a couple of the Lethal Weapon movies while away on a business trip.

Lethal Weapon 1 - 4/10 (see below)
Lethal Weapon 2 - 6/10. I think Mel and Danny are great together. I rated LW1 low because after I saw LW2, I had to think hard to remember what LW1 was about and who were the bad guys (even though I had seen it just the night before). I have seen LW3 and 4 previously but it has been a while and will watch them again soon.
Lethal Weapon 3 - 3/10. Very little action compared to the previous two and simple, rather stupid bad guy.
Lethal Weapon 4 - 8/10. Easily my favorite of the bunch because I love Jet Li. Not only the baddest bad guy in the series, but one of the most viscous of all bad guys. Not bad for a newcomer.

[thesloppy]

Baraka - 10/10

Have to bring up one of my very favorite movies and one that I watch frequently. This is a movie that does not appeal to the masses, or to movie goers. It is simply a meditative visual film that one experiences with the eyes, ears and heart. Filmed in 70mm, it takes you on a journey all over the world in showing many aspects of humanity and sceneries. Some of it is shown in time-lapsed filming, particularly the storm clouds over the Utah landscape, as well as showing urban traffic like blood pulsing through vein. I am obsessive with meditative non-western music (as well as great scenics) and this the perfect movie for both.

That's a personal fave of mine as well. Definitely not your average movie, as there is no plot, or dialog in the traditional sense (unless you count chanting). I believe (and I'm too lazy to fact check) that the director was the cinematographer for 'Koyanasqatsi', which is in the same vein, and also highly regarded (and reviled).

[Buccaneer]

That's a personal fave of mine as well. Definitely not your average movie, as there is no plot, or dialog in the traditional sense (unless you count chanting). I believe (and I'm too lazy to fact check) that the director was the cinematographer for 'Koyanasqatsi', which is in the same vein, and also highly regarded (and reviled).

Yes, the one and the same (plus he has a new one called Samsara that will be released this year). I did watch Koyanasqatsi after I had gotten Baraka. I actually didn't like it much at all and have no interest in seeing that again but probably have watched Baraka about 30 times. Glad to see another fan of this movie (plus I have to give credit to my SF brother for introducing this to me).

[Crim]

Just got home from Forgetting Sarah Marshall... 8.5/10, huh-freaking-larious in parts. Lotta slow moments early on, but gets better. Love the English rock singer dude, don't recognize him from anything else.

Oh, and Kristen Bell.

[Lathum]

Just got home from Forgetting Sarah Marshall... 8.5/10, huh-freaking-larious in parts. Lotta slow moments early on, but gets better. Love the English rock singer dude, don't recognize him from anything else.

Oh, and Kristen Bell.

I agree with all of this. I would give it a 9. I need to see it again because there were so many LOL moments I know I missed some good ones.

Mila Kunis is so insanely hot.

There were so many great one liners, I rank it right up there with Knocked Up and Superbad if not better.

[ISiddiqui]

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 8/10: Funny as Hell. Probably would have been higher if I never saw Superbad, but still hilarious flick. Hit a bit more home for me since I recently got dumped, but I thought it struck a great combination of comedy and what guys actually go through after a breakup. Segel was absolutely awesome in the title role (and writing it). He just looks and sounds like some ordinary guy, which it makes a role like this work sooo much better for him than it would for another actor. And, he's a brave man, willing to show his penis that much.

And yes, Mila Kunis was amazing hot. Left Kristen Bell in the dust (saying something). The British singer, though, stole every scene he was in. And Paul Rudd's stoner surfer shop guy was utterly hilarious.

Best line in the movie:

I was gonna listen to that, but then, um, I just carried on living my life.

[ISiddiqui]

Almost forgot, saw a DVD last night:

Juno - 9/10: Just a was wonderful flick. It wasn't so much laugh out loud, gut bustingly funny, but was a highly amusing, witty flim. Ellen Page is just excellent and the way she talks throughout was great (and thankfully she was 20 when she did the role, because I found her waaaay hot). Michael Cera played the goofy kid role to perfection (continuing on from Arrested Development). Loved Jason Bateman in it as well, as I do in everything. The casting was perfect (Juno's father is a hoot... he is just a great character actor) and while the story was a bit slow, the greatness is in the dialogue and the acting.

[Chief Rum]

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 8/10: Funny as Hell. Probably would have been higher if I never saw Superbad, but still hilarious flick. Hit a bit more home for me since I recently got dumped, but I thought it struck a great combination of comedy and what guys actually go through after a breakup. Segel was absolutely awesome in the title role (and writing it). He just looks and sounds like some ordinary guy, which it makes a role like this work sooo much better for him than it would for another actor. And, he's a brave man, willing to show his penis that much.

And yes, Mila Kunis was amazing hot. Left Kristen Bell in the dust (saying something). The British singer, though, stole every scene he was in. And Paul Rudd's stoner surfer shop guy was utterly hilarious.

Best line in the movie:

I was gonna listen to that, but then, um, I just carried on living my life.

I agree with all this, but I move it up to a 9. Just a lot of terrific lol moments (and a nice story besides). Kristen Bell is nice and all, BTW, but Mila Kunis was already a clincher for me going in, as I have always dug brunettes. And, yeah, she's certainly easy on the eyes (and a little more "adult" than from That 70's Show, where I always felt she was a little too young).

The Brit rocker was hilarious. Yeah, the spoiler above contains one of the best single lines I have heard in some time, lol.

Don't want to give anything away, so I am spoilering this, but that scene at Lazy Joe's where Peter sings his Dracula song, is freakin' brilliantly cringe/hilarious. I'll have to see it again just for that scene, because I was laughing so hard, my eyes were closed and tearing up, so I didn't actually get to "watch" it. :D

[Flasch186]

Sweeney Todd 4/10

Avoid this flick unless you like to punish yourself. It was gruesome beyond belief and while some of the songs were good and the actors I can appreciate in their own right I just couldnt catch it all. The fast dialogue within the songs with sometimes a heavy accent just didnt work for my ears. If you want to rent it go for it but be sure to watch it while using your home fondue set.

[BrianD]

Sweeney Todd 4/10

Avoid this flick unless you like to punish yourself. It was gruesome beyond belief and while some of the songs were good and the actors I can appreciate in their own right I just couldnt catch it all. The fast dialogue within the songs with sometimes a heavy accent just didnt work for my ears. If you want to rent it go for it but be sure to watch it while using your home fondue set.

I haven't seen the movie yet, but the gruesomeness of the movie had my wife and her friends laughing like crazy. According to them, the way over the top blood was where the "dark humor" came from. I find that hard to believe personally, but that was her claim.

[Flasch186]

well if pretty real looking slices across the neck is your bag, and heads slamming to the ground to collapse like cantaloupes is your thing, then by all means. I didnt find much humor in it.

[Neon_Chaos]

I was able to watch the original musical dvd before i saw the movie. It (the movie) basically captured what S.Todd would be if set in the real world.

i was disappointed that they didn't sing the ballad of sweeny todd, though.

[BrianD]

well if pretty real looking slices across the neck is your bag, and heads slamming to the ground to collapse like cantaloupes is your thing, then by all means. I didnt find much humor in it.

I suppose it is sort of like the Dark Knight scene in Monty Python's Holy Grail. Again, I didn't see the movie yet, but that is how I heard it described. I'm not sure how having that connection in mind would change a person's view of the movie.

[MikeVic]

Oh no, I loved Sweeney Todd. The first neck slice was gruesome, but after that it was so over-the-top that it was funny (at least I thought so).

[ISiddiqui]

Don't want to give anything away, so I am spoilering this, but that scene at Lazy Joe's where Peter sings his Dracula song, is freakin' brilliantly cringe/hilarious. I'll have to see it again just for that scene, because I was laughing so hard, my eyes were closed and tearing up, so I didn't actually get to "watch" it. :D

Oh God, when he went into the theatrical voice, I was just DYING!

[Neon_Chaos]

Oh no, I loved Sweeney Todd. The first neck slice was gruesome, but after that it was so over-the-top that it was funny (at least I thought so).

Same here.

[MikeVic]

The Forbidden Kingdom - 6.5/10
I think I was expecting too much, and didn't care about the characters at all when the movie ended. The beginning and ending parts were boring too. When I saw that Jackie Chan's character was a drunken fighter, I thought there would be more crazy drunk fighting... or at least more normal Jackie Chan-type fighting, but I didn't see any of that really. Chan's character was pretty funny, Jet Li's character was pretty boring, and I was indifferent to the white kid. The monkey guy (also Jet Li) was funny and cool, but he's not there much. The Asian girl traveling with them was cute though.

Syriana - 7/10
Probably not the type of movie I should be watching, as I was really confused and I don't think I quite caught everything. Read some quick summary after watching that bumped it from a 6.5 to a 7, and confirmed that I didn't catch everything. The DVD cover also says that Clooney won Best Supporting Actor for this role, and I don't see how he was a supporting actor though. If I had to pick one of the actors to be the lead, it would be him. The acting was solid by everyone though.

[Bad-example]

eXistenZ - 8/10 Wow, hard to believe it has been almost a decade since this one came out. It isn't shown much but is currently on premium cable, where I caught it last night. It is a David Cronenberg film, so 'cult classic' status is almost a given. Weird, twisted (in more than one sense) and very entertaining. It has a great cast (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Iam Holm, Jude Law, Willem DaFoe) and solid production values across the board. One of those movies that virtually demands a second viewing.

Anyone else think this is one of the most underrated sci fi movies in the last ten years?

[Groundhog]

eXistenZ - 8/10 Wow, hard to believe it has been almost a decade since this one came out. It isn't shown much but is currently on premium cable, where I caught it last night. It is a David Cronenberg film, so 'cult classic' status is almost a given. Weird, twisted (in more than one sense) and very entertaining. It has a great cast (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Iam Holm, Jude Law, Willem DaFoe) and solid production values across the board. One of those movies that virtually demands a second viewing.

Anyone else think this is one of the most underrated sci fi movies in the last ten years?

Yeah, I've only seen this once and it was quite a while ago. I had nfi what was going on for most of it, until the revelation moment. Really good movie, I need to sit down and watch it again.

BTW, if you enjoy this movie you'd probably enjoy Philip K. Dick's book 'The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch'. Very similar ideas done differently.

[Bad-example]

Thanks for the recommendation. I will put it on my list for my next burst of reading.

[Lorena]

Alvin and the Chipmunks 6/10

It's a cute, predictable kid's movie. Our 7 year old loves it and watches it any chance she gets.

It is what it is.

[Cringer]

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee - 9/10

On DVD, it is the story of the first Massacre of Wounded Knee in the 1800's, not the one in the 1970's. It starts with Custer losing and leads up to the final screwing of and killing of the Native Americans. Just a great story that was originally written by (and the movie focuses on him) by a "civilized indian."

Well done movie, and a great story IMO. I am biased though with a love of American Indian history.

[Pyser]

i completely disagree about sarah marshall. loved knocked up, liked superbad slightly less, but found this way below the others. very few laughs for me.

5/10 at best. just didnt do it for me, but to each his own.

[Chief Rum]

i completely disagree about sarah marshall. loved knocked up, liked superbad slightly less, but found this way below the others. very few laughs for me.

5/10 at best. just didnt do it for me, but to each his own.

You know, this doesn't surprise me, Pyser. :)

I have decided that you and I must have completely exclusive ideas on what constitutes a good movie, after seeing you rip into Michael Clayton, The Departed, American Gangster and now this in the past month. To each their own.

But it is nice to know that, so far, every time you rip into a movie, I'm going to go out and see it for sure. ;)

[Pyser]

hahah, fair enough.

i usually can find good in every movie, i must just be on a negative kick lately

at least we can both agree that our hockey teams were disappointing this year

[Schmidty]

No Country for Old Men - 6/10

Vastly overrated, and I'm a huge Cohen brothers fan. The only reason I even gave the movie 6 stars was because of the cinematography, acting, and the first 2/3 of the movie. The "ending" was pure pseudo-intellectual crap.

And yes, I "got" the movie. I just didn't enjoy (not that it was really meant to be enjoyable).

[MikeVic]

So when I went to watch The Forbidden Kingdom, there was there poster up for a movie called Tropic Thunder. If you see the poster, you'll laugh your ass off. I have to see this movie.

[Honolulu_Blue]

eXistenZ - 8/10 Wow, hard to believe it has been almost a decade since this one came out. It isn't shown much but is currently on premium cable, where I caught it last night. It is a David Cronenberg film, so 'cult classic' status is almost a given. Weird, twisted (in more than one sense) and very entertaining. It has a great cast (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Iam Holm, Jude Law, Willem DaFoe) and solid production values across the board. One of those movies that virtually demands a second viewing.

Anyone else think this is one of the most underrated sci fi movies in the last ten years?

I concur. I saw this in the theater back when it came out and loved it. Definitely a great, underrated movie.

[Neon_Chaos]

So when I went to watch The Forbidden Kingdom, there was there poster up for a movie called Tropic Thunder. If you see the poster, you'll laugh your ass off. I have to see this movie.

Black.
Stiller.
Downey Jr.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/tropicthunder/trailer_medium.html

[MikeVic]

Just look at Downey Jr.!! Me and my friends were like "ROBERT Downey Jr.?? I thought he was white!" And the ticket guy said they painted him for the movie.

[Neon_Chaos]

Just look at Downey Jr.!! Me and my friends were like "ROBERT Downey Jr.?? I thought he was white!" And the ticket guy said they painted him for the movie.

He's an academy-award nominated actor in blackface playing an academy-award winning actor in blackface playing a black guy.

Now THAT's a role.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d6/Tropic_thunder_ver3.jpg/200px-Tropic_thunder_ver3.jpg

[Pumpy Tudors]

He's an academy-award nominated actor in blackface playing an academy-award winning actor in blackface playing a black guy.

Now THAT's a role.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d6/Tropic_thunder_ver3.jpg/200px-Tropic_thunder_ver3.jpg
This is pretty much the most incredible thing in the history of history.

[KWhit]

He's an academy-award nominated actor in blackface playing an academy-award winning actor in blackface playing a black guy.

Now THAT's a role.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d6/Tropic_thunder_ver3.jpg/200px-Tropic_thunder_ver3.jpg


Kind of like Victor-Victoria.

But less gay and more racist.

Cool.

[Groundhog]

I can't believe Tropic Thunder exists. Wow. Can't wait.

[MikeVic]

Bee Movie - 7.5/10
Barry is a bee that doesn't want to be stuck doing the same job for the rest of his life, so he goes exploring. And this leads to all kinds of shenanigans. There are some pretty funny lines and scenes in the movie, but overall you can tell it's meant to be a kid's movie. Other than the suicide joke, which was kinda weird to hear. Suspend your disbelief that bees can talk and do all the stuff in the movie, and it's quite entertaining. But you'll be straining that suspension on a few occasions. :)

[korme]

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - Everything that needs to be said has been said. It was very funny, typical Apatow humor (funny dialogue), it was up there with Knocked Up and Superbad, and I don't even know how to rank them. Anyways, just go see it. It's April, there isn't that many great things to see in the theatre this time of year, go see it, it's worth it. 8.5/10

Previews got me excited with Pineapple Express, and I'm not sure if I am thrilled with how The Incredible Hulk looks.

[Doug5984]

Previews got me excited with Pineapple Express, and I'm not sure if I am thrilled with how The Incredible Hulk looks.

I just watched the Pineapple Express trailer- and that looks awesome. Can't wait for that one.

Now I might have to go see forgetting sarah marshall as well...

[JeeberD]

Go do it...Mila Kunis alone makes it worthwhile.

[sabotai]

Go do it...Mila Kunis alone makes it worthwhile.

Mmmmm, Mila Kunis.............what were we talking about again?

[JeeberD]

I always was more into Laura Prepon when it came to That 70s Show, but goddman Mila was smoking hot in FSM...

[Chief Rum]

I just watched the Pineapple Express trailer- and that looks awesome. Can't wait for that one.

"Hey, look, my thumb looks like a penis!"
"That's not going to get us a ride."

:D

[Blade6119]

Good 2 week span for comedies, as harold and kumar/baby mama come out next weekend after sarah marshall this weekend.

[Bonegavel]

Lust, Caution

Interesting story done all in Chinese (subtitles, of course). The story was decent and there is plenty of sex in the UR version - explicit-ouch-doesn't-that-hurt kind of scenes.

Great look at 1940s China/Hong Kong. It was very long and made longer by the stops and starts I needed in order to read all the subtitles and see what was happening in a given scene.

I would never sit through it again, but I'm glad I saw it.

7/10

[korme]

Lust, Caution has some unsimulated scenes, it's like porn but not sexy.

[Schmidty]

Good 2 week span for comedies, as harold and kumar/baby mama come out next weekend after sarah marshall this weekend.

I can't wait for Harold and Kumar, but Baby Mamma looks HORRIBLE. The trailer was so unfunny, it was cringe-worthy.

[stevew]

Bee Movie- 7/10 Liked it quite a bit, better than most of the non-pixar animated fare. Dreamworks did a pretty good job with this.

American Gangster 7/10 I dunno what exactly was wrong with this movie, but it should have been better. With the talent involved, it could have been a classic, instead of a bit above average.

[Flasch186]

Saw IV 5/10

This one just seemed to be real crap. I couldnt watch half of this Unrated version....

Anyways, in general I seemed to have liked most of the SAWs but not this one. I wouldnt recommend it.

[Bonegavel]

Lust, Caution has some unsimulated scenes, it's like porn but not sexy.

the wiki says it is unknown whether the scenese were simulated or not. From my angle, I'm thinking that naughty bits were bumping unless there was some extremely well placed gaffer tape.

[Schmidty]

The Orphnage is on it's way from Netflix, and I really look forward to seeing IT.

[korme]

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) - I have seen only a bit of it before I watched it start to finish today. I immediately realize that there are 2 groups for this movie - the people that will like it, and the straight & narrow who think it's stupid and one of the worst movies ever. Me, having a multitude of friends that have messed with hallucinogents and knowing the stories behind them, I was dying at some of the scenes with Johnny Depp hallucinating. I thought those were the best parts of the movie, when he was on some hardcore psychadelics. Other than that the story was pretty weak but I got some good laughs. For what it was, 6.5/10.

[Groundhog]

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 8/10

Very enjoyable. Liked it better than Knocked Up, which was a bit over-rated IMO, but haven't seen Super Bad. I didn't find FSM a "Laugh out loud all movie" kind of film, but it had the right mix of humour and seriousness - certainly when compared with Knocked Up, anyhow. A very good mix of characters really made this film.

[ISiddiqui]

There Will Be Blood - 9.5/10 WOW! Just WOW! I do agree that it was about 10-20 minutes too long, but that's really what prevents it from being a 10/10. I really felt that this movie was brilliant. Daniel Day Lewis was absolutely phenomenal as Plainview, showing how he built his empire and all the while acted ruthlessly in getting it. But the ruthlessness was hiding in the background, growing as time went on.

I thought it was fascinating to see how Plainview evolved and his business became massive. And it was quite a scathing assault on organized religion (and a bit on capitalism, but more on religion). And because of that, I thought the ending was absolutely perfect.

I do think this should have won the Best Picture Academy Award, but I think I gave No Country 9/10, so that's ok.

[sabotai]

There Will Be Blood - 8.5/10 - Just saw this tonight, and I thought it was great. It did, as said, go on for 20 minuts too long, and the soundtrack was horrible. In some scenes, the music was so bad it was distracting. I have not seen any of the other movies that were up for Best Actor yet, but it's hard to imagine anyone doing a better job than DDL did in this one. He was outstanding, as was the directing and cinemotography.

[sabotai]

And here are some quick ratings of movies I've recently watched

Munich - 6.5/10
Finding Neverland - 6/10
The Illusionist - 8/10 (I loved the cinemotography in this movie and thought it was wonderful until the totally unnecessary twist ending.)
The Bourne Ultimatum - 7/10
Kingdom of Heaven - 6.5/10
The Pursuit of Happiness - 7.5/10
This Film Not Yet Rated - 8/10

[stevew]

Juno 6.5/10

Good in some parts, but it suffered from "trying too hard" syndrome IMO. Let's make a girl as quirky as possible, and have her act in totally unbelievable manners. And then we'll tug on your heartstrings. I thought it needed more Michael Cera.

[stevew]

There Will Be Blood-9/10 It's a touch too long, but otherwise excellent. The ending is a bit over the top, although it will be fun to re-enact it in slow times at work. Except for the murder part.

[Karlifornia]

Juno 6.5/10

Good in some parts, but it suffered from "trying too hard" syndrome IMO. Let's make a girl as quirky as possible, and have her act in totally unbelievable manners. And then we'll tug on your heartstrings. I thought it needed more Michael Cera.

Agree with you 100%...trying a little hard to get the audience to say "Oh, you kid!" after every single line Juno said.

Cloverfield-6/10 It was better than I thought it would be. It actually had be suspend disbelief during the beginning the attack. I think the single best scene in the movie was the TV newscast that showed the military getting attacked by the spider-like things.

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead-7.5/10 It had a good plot, and the way the told the story was pretty interesting. I have to confess that I've never seen any of Lumet's other movies (I know, I know), but this seemed pretty solid. If any of you are fans of Marisa Tomei, then tune in for some very quality nude scenes. My main problem with the movie was that the disconnect between Hoffman's character and his family didn't have enough substance to it. It was just kind of like he was a spoiled brat that didn't get everything he wanted from his folks.

[Crim]

Dan in Real Life 6.5/10

It was what I thought it would be (crown its ass?) -- touching, warm, funny in a by-the-way kind of way. Didn't love it, but didn't feel like I'd wasted 2 hours, either.

Oh, and Steve Carrel has a difficult not being Michael Scott, doesn't he?

[MrBug708]

Kunis is dating Macaulay Culkin?

[Lathum]

Kunis is dating Macaulay Culkin?

yup, for 6 years.

Kind of makes you ill, don't it.

[MrBug708]

She does have different color eyes so...?

[Lorena]

Balls of Fury - 6/10

Professional ping pong player Daytona gets a visit from the FBI and is brought out of retirement to look for his father's killer.

It had it's moments but I fell asleep twice trying to watch it.

[Doug5984]

Walk Hard - Dewey Cox - 4/10. About what I thought it would be... I had heard it was good so I got it in on Netflix, laughed a little- thought it was alright, but I won't be watching it again.

[ISiddiqui]

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - 6/10: It was amusing and had some funny bits, but wasn't anywhere as good as the first one. Some great, pointed jokes about racism in the US (towards Harold and Kumar and from them), which was far more the focus of this movie than the first one. However, it really didn't flow that well, seemed a bit all over the place and no real falling out of the chair rolling on the floor moments which were all over the place in H&K go to White Castle.

[MikeVic]

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 9/10
Sarah Marshall breaks up with Peter, and Peter spends the rest of the movie getting over her. A very funny movie, with awesome one-liners and scenes. The beginning penis shots I could've done without, but the rest of the movie was awesome. Secondary characters are funny, CSI spoofs are great, and the ending play was great too.

[rowech]

Baby Mama -- Yeah....I saw it. I thought it was funny. I really think Fey and Poehler make a great team. I'm entertained more by those two than I am by Ferrel and Reilly. Only 1.5 hours long so just right for a comedy in my opinion. Some really good laughs and some chuckles throughout. (8/10)

[ISiddiqui]

No need to be embarassed by seeing Baby Mama (well, maybe not so much). I think Tina Fey is brilliant and most stuff that she's going to be in will probably end up good.

[Pyser]

You know, this doesn't surprise me, Pyser. :)

But it is nice to know that, so far, every time you rip into a movie, I'm going to go out and see it for sure. ;)

The Number 23 - 1/10

i am not exaggerating when i say this is the worst movie i think i've ever watched. nothing in it made sense, not one motivation was believable...actually, forget motivation. not one thing in the entire movie was believable, come to think of it.

how long does it take to read a book?
why, when a character is snooping through an abandoned building, are there candles set up and burning?


i could ask a million more questions...but i dont want to get into spoilers. fuck it, im using the spoiler button for the first time ever

-he takes his son to a cemetary to dig up a body?
-his wife steals a skeleton?
-he meets his wife 23 seconds after getting out of mental hospital
-didnt she ever realize he couldnt remember anything before meeting her? ever? did they ever talk?
-why does the shrink slit his own throat? (ok, thats a big, big question. you cant just have a character kill himself for absolutely no reason...and this seemed to have absolutely ZERO effect on anyone in the movie)
-why go looking through an abandoned psychiatric hospital at night?
-he'd only been out of the hospital 12 years. what the fuck happened to it? did a hurricane hit just that building and everyone let it rot? even if they shut it down the next day after he left and never touched it again it wouldnt look like that
-he forgets his wife's maiden name is pink? he only has 12 years of his entire life to remember up to that point. are you kidding me?
-on that topic, using pink as a device to get to 23 was the worst one. they did some crazy math to get it to 92, then divided by the number of letters in the word. thats a stretch
-how did his family find him in a random hotel...in a random hotel room?
-making any leap in logic from a random occurrence of a number to murder is a little tough to take
-i'd write more but its 1 am. im just mad i watched this thing at this point, but im sure i could add 23 more horrible things that made no sense to this list


the best part is all the bad actors get to play 2 characters in the movie, so twice the horribleness!

i give it a 1 because i made it all the way through, everything was in focus, and i could not stop laughing at the ridiculousness

if anyone liked this movie, i can safely say we will never agree on anything. ever. im looking at you, CR!

[korme]

Pyser, that was a delightful post

[Neon_Chaos]

if anyone liked this movie, i can safely say we will never agree on anything. ever. im looking at you, CR!

We'll never agree on anything. Ever. :)

[sabotai]

Saw III - 4/10 - A few cool moments, and I always thought the chick from Becker was kinda hot, but...this was just bad. Loved the first one, thought the 2nd one was meh, this was bad. The only reason I would want to see the 4th one would be see just how badly they killed this franchise, and I probably will at some point.

[MikeVic]

I saw a few old movies over the last couple of weeks, but I won't be giving them grades.

Saw the Indiana Jones trilogy. The first and third movies were good, but the Temple of Doom wasn't very good. Some pretty stupid parts, and the whole story wasn't exciting.

Also saw Kindergarten Cop and Judge Dredd again after a few years. Both great movies. :D

[Johnny93g]

Forgetting Sarah Marshall 5.5/10

This movie actually scores 7.5. I am deducting 2 points for the amount of cock in this flick. WAY TOO MUCH!!! Otherwise it was funny. What you would expect.

[korme]

Street Kings (2008) - It is what it is. Early summer action movie, with stock dialogue and questionable motives. I couldn't get over all the BS that comes with these sort of movies, though the last 30 minutes were entertaining. It kills me that the average movie goer would review this movie as sweet and bad ass. 5/10

[Lathum]

Street Kings- Sweet and Bad Ass

[korme]

What a perfect and ironic movie to play devil's advocate to

[ISiddiqui]

Forgetting Sarah Marshall 5.5/10

This movie actually scores 7.5. I am deducting 2 points for the amount of cock in this flick. WAY TOO MUCH!!! Otherwise it was funny. What you would expect.

The dick stuff was funny in the cringeworthy way. Also a nice commentary on the double standards in mainstream movie nudity.