And she's not even like a huge movie nerd or anything.  There's quite a bit I watch that she doesn't get into.  But I introduced her to Godfather and she LOVES it now.

PorridgeGun rated Out For Justice and Crocodile Dundee higher than the Cape Fear remake.

I like PorridgeGun......

It came up on iTunes and I remembered this did really well in theaters so I figured I'd check it out.

What can I tell ya... it's a hard-R comedy with a whole lot of "oh no they went there" moments and I laughed a lot.   But I was surprised to find out it's also quite well-written and directed and acted.

Always have liked Jennifer Aniston and now I do even more.  Jason Sudeikis makes the jump from SNL to movie lead in one bound.   There's also a guy that I know is on a show that I never watch (Community?  Parks and Rec?  One of those) who is also funny.   

The plot especially is impressively woven together - no matter how outrageous things get, the story turns feel organic (well, maybe the wrap-up is a little TOO neat, but that's a minor nitpick.)

Probably the closest relative to this movie is There's Something About Mary.  If you liked that one (and especially if you like shots of prosthetic injured genitalia) then you'll probably like the Millers as well.

My Cousin Vinny (1992) - 7/10

Hadn't seen this in a long time. Just a really pleasant, nice film. There's just enough content in here to create a movie that moves forward, but also is very airy and relaxed. I forgot Joe Pesci can act, I've only seen him in more light comedy roles, but he does a really good job here.

Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) - 5/10

Does not reach the heights I feel the first installment did. This one is not as defined or wellmade. Could easily be skipped.

Gravity (2013) - 8/10

Who needs amusement park rollercoasters?
Some clunky dialogue, and I need to see it again once it hits bluray. But it's one hell of a ride.

Despicable Me 2 (2013) - 6/10

Passable sequel. It has a plot and does some light character development, but not as fresh as the first one. it sort of feel like more of the same, and there's only so much of the same food you can eat before you start to lose interest.

White House Down (2013) - 4/10

If you like to count tropes and cliches, you are in for a treat. Just watch Die Hard or Under Siege, because the filmmakers of this one certainly did. Over and over.

The World's End (2013) - 6/10

Decent flick, but not at all as delightful or detailed as Shaun Of The Dead or Hot Fuzz. The story seems slapdash and a bit thin, and the execution is good, but that's it. The story is too similar to every other "invasion of the body snatchers" type film, and it feels like a 20 minute short stretched way too thin. Plus some of the plot movements come pretty much untelegraphed, the movie as a whole never feels like it builds up to something, it's just moving along and suddenly it's somewhere else. Feels like a first draft executed better than it really deserves by a skilled director and actors.

The Wolverine (2013) - 7/10

Quite good actually. I was expecting same-old Hollywood action, but this one is actually quite toned down and contains some character work. Didn't realize until after that it was directed by James Mangold who certainly knows how to put together a good and well-balanced movie. Focus on character rather than spectacle. Simple plot but that is a relief after all the big sci-fi messes as of late. Has alot of nuance for this kind of film.

Elysium (2013) - 5/10

Neill Blomkamp made this? This feels like something he'd slap together over 3 months just to get his next "real" film financed. Flat story, pretty horrible editing which skips from scene to scene with no care for dramatic pauses or introspection. Looks great. No emotional core whatsoever, the 2 main characters and their relationship with one another is apparently the heart of the film, but aside from a flashback to childhood at the beginning we know nothing of them or how they relate to eachother. Caring about them at all is difficult at best. This one also feels like a first draft, it contains some of the ideas and the characters of an actual film, but it barely holds together and it's very thin and underdeveloped.
Some action scenes work pretty well, some don't work at all and again suffer from bad editing.
Even Sharlto Copleys character is "meh". The recent "Oblivion" to me seems more thought-provoking and original, and that is saying something.

Dogma: 7.5/10
I didn't care much for the sophomoric moments, and there were a couple of scenes in which the dialogue abruptly switched from clever to very stiff, but overall I very much enjoyed the film—competently shot, well-written for the most part, well-performed (particularly on the part of Alan Rickman), and actually surprisingly thoughtful. I'm not planning on viewing any other Smith films after having been indoctrinated against him by WAYDM ( ), but I'm glad I saw this one.

Last edited by Abbie (2013-11-25 21:54:28)

Clerks is solid, Chasing Amy is decent but doesn't hold up well.  Track down his script for SUPERMAN LIVES.  It's surprisingly decent.

For all the stick it supposedly gets, I've never actually met anybody who doesn't like it.

It's like Gravity, but on the ocean.  With one fewer character.

Robert Redford is seventy-seven damn years old, and he's the only human in this entire flick.   He plays a guy with no name and no specific back story who encounters a series of unfortunate events on a solo sailing trip across the Indian Ocean.   

Fun fact: the script for this movie is 31 pages long, because there's only a page's worth of dialog in the whole thing (most of it in the first minute).    It was written and directed by JC Chandor who also directed Margin Call - another movie that shouldn't have been fascinating, but was.

Your mileage may vary, but I thought it was great.   Redford will likely get a Best Actor nomination.   Chandor may get a nom or two as well, and I'm certainly looking forward to whatever he makes next.

I'm just really happy its 2013 and Robert Redford is still acting in awesome movies.

A simple yet engaging story with some pretty impressive CG animation. An adventure the whole family can enjoy. The two upcoming sequels will have a tough act to follow.

Nowadays, Shyamalan is the guy we like to make fun of. After Lady In The Water, The Happening and The Last Airbender he became a laughing stock. Deservedly. But don't mistake Unbreakable for one of those turds. I'd say it's just as good as The Sixth Sense.

Come to think of it, now I can pinpoint the exact moment Shyamalan jumped the shark: it's the stupid revelation at the end of Signs.