You are not logged in. Please login or register.
You have to bear with it. The biggest issue with Buckaroo Banzai is just that the pacing kind of nosedives in the second act, and you indeed have no idea what's going on for a solid 30 min stretch there. Once it kicks over to act 3 it gets good again, and I find it plays way better on repeat viewings. Its a scrappy little weird cult movie, but man does it have some great memorable moments.
The Thin Red Line - 9/10
As long as you are in the mood for it, this is simply a masterpiece. The visual language is masterful as with most Malick films, and this film has a more traditional structure and plot as compared to his recent films. Saving Private Ryan really has nothing on this film. SPR I really like, plot structure problems aside, but it ultimately does feel like a movie for the masses (good guys, bad guys, flags waving in the wind, the end).
The Thin Red Line really moves you, and it drills its message home not through brute force, but through great performances and really terrific editing and writing. Almost all characters get a spotlight moment, and all are shown to be fragile humans in a shitty mess. There are no good guys/bad guys in this. They are all victims of something, be it outside forces or internal.
Scary MoVie - 2/10
It's well exposed and in focus... if I hadn't checked the credits I would have sworn that the "auteurs" from the "x Movie" sh*tfests made this as well. I liked Scary Movie 3 and even some parts of 4, but this is just insultingly unfunny dreck.
Notice how the image I posted of it above looks like someone taking a portrait in a studio, with the perfect lighting setup, catchlights in the eyes, an entirely synthetic feel? That's the whole movie. Everything looks like that. It's very competently setup I'm sure, but it makes everything LOOK LIKE A STUDIO. Is that really what they intended? Surely you would do your best to MASK the lighting setup you use, not make it painfully obvious?
Not even people who go to S&M parlors and take bullwhips to the nuts for an hour straight could sit through this one, I guarantee you.
Just watch this trailer without cringing to death. I dare you. And they're trying to sell it with this. These are the highlights...
A Fish Called Wanda - 7/10
It feels a bit stale and rough around the edges from a filmmaking POV, but nothing can take away from the great screenplay, or Kevin Kline's performance. If you like Kevin Kline, definitely see this. And I see he won an Oscar for it aswell, so there you go.
I have A Fish Called Wanda on blu ray, I should give it a watch again. Kline is awesome in it as it Michael Palin.
I was going to watch Scary Movie 5 but I don't think I'll bother. Unless I hate myself enough one day.
I was going to watch Scary Movie 5 but I don't think I'll bother. Unless I hate myself enough one day.
Box: Running Time: 1hr 28mins
Movie: 1hr 13mins long. 15 (!) minutes of credits interspersed with even more cringe in the form of bloopers. Nothing like seeing unfunny scenes not quite reach the intended comedic peak...
And yeah, I really liked A Fish Called Wanda. It very much feels like a 70s movie, not a late 80s movie. I can see it fitting in well with classic Monty Python material.
Last edited by TechNoir (2013-08-02 23:41:58)
I liked Scary Movie 3 and even some parts of 4
That's probably because Friedberg & Seltzer didn't write them. Their absence automatically raises quality a bit.
A Fish Called Wanda - 7/10
It feels a bit stale and rough around the edges from a filmmaking POV, but nothing can take away from the great screenplay, or Kevin Kline's performance. If you like Kevin Kline, definitely see this.
Also check out Fierce Creatures, the quasi-sequel to this.
I just saw this for the first time today. What can you say... It's definitely an 80s movie. Chris Plummer is great in it.
Last edited by MartyJ (2013-08-02 23:46:58)
One movie I absolutely refuse to apologize for loving:
WTF was up with that cook?!?
Watched Sound City today. Not only a great look at a time of great music, but really slickly made. Congatulations, Dave Grohl.
Just saw The Conjuring. I'm not a big fan of horror, but I thought this one was really well done.
It was the most down-to-earth representation of characters such as these that I've seen. I'm talking about the Warrens. The only thing I found peculiar about them was that though they were Christians, they never once prayed to God or Jesus, or even praised his name in the film. I just figured that especially Christians so involved with the supernatural would display their faith and dependence on a somewhat constant basis in their daily lives. Sure, they're concern about demons was clear, but I don't think they had any particularly positive words to say about God in the entire film. Ya know, the one who shooed off demons for them... But that's an element that's lacking in pretty much every haunting film. Takes me out of it slightly.
It probably didn't bother most people though. It just got to me a little because they were so close to TOTALLY nailing it. Instead, they mostly nailed it. Hey, I'll take it.
Last edited by Sam F (2013-08-05 05:03:25)
Yeah, the only Saw movie I saw was the third one. It was a bit much. I'd be interested to see the first one though.
Finally caught up with this one, and really glad I did. It was a helluva a lot of fun, some legitimately laugh out loud moments, tons of great refs, all in all really great. Vanellope is just way too adorable, Sarah Silverman and all; and I absolutely REFUSE to belive that's Alan Tudyk.
I always have a soft spot for concepts that take us inside the "universe" that exists inside computers or that sort of thing, you know, Tron...uh...this. (We need more movies in this "genre" 
) I just love the idea that there's this entire sentient exsistence that takes place in these very mundane and static things for us.
The only thing I was kinda dissappointed about, and it's not like it was any hinderance to the movie we got, but I would have loved if they played with the idea of resolution a bit more, so the older game characters are lower res than the newer games and sort of carried that through the whole thing a bit more, but I can see how that would get hard to work with, with our mains being from an older game. And that's deinitely just a personal preference of mine.
And of course, now I really want to see a full Hero's Duty movie, or something like it done at that quality level. Would be so freaking awesome.
So yep, would definitely reccommend.
The Conjuring (2013) - 6/10
James Wan continues to impress with horror that manages to draw you in, where as 90% of horror films these days to me are just too self-aware. They are more or less counting on the audience recognizing the patterns of films before them, and doing half the work of building suspense in their minds before the movie has even done anything. "The music just got ominous, I guess the main character is scared and/or in trouble, I might get a jumpscare in my face any second, let's start bracing".
Wan doesn't rely on suspense music alot of the time, that alone makes the films alot more interesting, you're not sure when things will turn creepy. Also the world-building he does seems largely influenced by classics like Poltergeist, where the family unit and the characters actually get some attention. The actors he has managed to get hold of also do their best to add some class.
The movie is basically nothing we haven't seen before, and there are fairly obvious jump-scares, but the level of filmmaking and intelligence behind the curtains informs every decision, so you constantly are reminded that smart people who know what they are doing made this.
And as always, if you haven't seen Insidious yet, SEE IT. If you don't particularly like horror films, see it anyways (if you hate horror then don't see it, but there is so much more there than your regular haunted house flick). It is a genuinely good film with horror elements. Almost all practical effects, not a drop of blood. Smart script. Interesting design and cinematography choices. It's not a horror movie, it's a great scary, creepy dramathriller.
Manhunter (1986) - 7/10
The original "Red Dragon". Hannibal Lecters first appearance on screen AFAIK. The film overall is great, but the ending sadly is quite shaky. Great cinematography, and the film is completely subdued, which is just great to see. This is pretty much the polar opposite of the remake with Ed Norton. The score is awesome atmospheric 80s synth, which goes great with the subject matter of finding a killer. Great naturalistic, subdued performances. Really recommended, but beware the ending may not live up to the first 90 minutes. Maybe splice in the ending for the remake and CGI in William Petersens face over Ed Norton. That movie I would see.
Plus the Bluray looks terrific.
Stoker (2013) - 7/10
The first english-language film from "that-guy-who-made-Oldboy". Pretty good phycholigical thriller, it has an unpredictable nature to it and a sexually charged approach. It's just... interesting. Glad I watched, and the filmmaking behind it is top notch. The story evolves further and further as the film progresses. Eyecandy.
Unfaithful (2002) - 8/10
Since I recently watched "Jacob's Ladder" and loved it, I checked out the director further.
The people on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes all smoked bad crack before watching this one. 6.6 and 49%?
This film is superbly made. Direction is brilliant, performances all around are superb, Diane Lane got an Oscar nom and Gere probably should have gotten one aswell. Their chemistry throughout is flawless. The plot evolves in such a nice tempo, and the turns are all believable. Plus they absolutely NAIL the ending. I was sitting watching it and idly thinking if they could bring it to a good ending (seeing "Manhunter" just previous I didn't want that again). And then you watch it and you go "yep, that's the only way they could, and should, end this."
If you haven't seen it, SEE IT. It's both polished yet natural in style and tone, sexy, sad, it puts you into the shoes of the characters and genuinely makes you think about what you'd do in the same situation. Towards the end there was a moment where thought to myself, "oh wait, these are actors saying dialogue, I hadn't even considered that". Everyone is THAT good in it, and the script is that good. This movie really drew me in thanks to the characters, acting, script and score.
Last edited by TechNoir (2013-08-08 23:42:27)
And how about those sex scenes in Unfaithful? Zowee!
+1
And how about those sex scenes in Unfaithful? Zowee!
You know, maybe it's me reaching the respectable age of almost-28, but I was much more interested in how Diane Lanes character evolved through her relationship. Even watching it on my own I never got that "...oh... oh my...." feeling. I may have too much respect for the actors (even though I am a few 1000 miles and several years away, let alone in the same room...) and so I subconsciously or consciously put analyzing their performance ahead of glancing at other areas.
I may also be dead inside. There is that possibility.
The visual style and musical score of Manhunter always reminded me of Blade Runner a little. And while I like Blade Runner, Manhunter didn't work very well for me. I have to admit that I'd prefer Red Dragon over Manhunter any day, mostly because of Anthony Hopkins.
A pretty solid movie, but somewhat lacking compared to The Prestige, Inception and the Dark Knight trilogy. It doesn't use the standard Chris Nolan tricks (nonlinear storytelling, plot twists etc.) very much.
Has anyone seen the original Norwegian ?
The visual style and musical score of Manhunter always reminded me of Blade Runner a little. And while I like Blade Runner, Manhunter didn't work very well for me. I have to admit that I'd prefer Red Dragon over Manhunter any day, mostly because of Anthony Hopkins.
A pretty solid movie, but somewhat lacking compared to The Prestige, Inception and the Dark Knight trilogy. It doesn't use the standard Chris Nolan tricks (nonlinear storytelling, plot twists etc.) very much.
Yeah, Manhunter has an interesting blend of mundane policework mixed with some different, and at times weird music choices. It definitely has a personality which I really like.
Insomnia is really good, But you may not really guess it to be a Nolan flick, unless you watch Memento right before it. Insomnia sort of feels like the intermediate step between Memento and The Prestige. It has bits of both, but doesn't become as pointed or concise as either, it's more nebulus and floaty. It sure knows how to set a mood though. The score and Pacino just looking more and more rundown, great stuff.
Last edited by TechNoir (2013-08-09 01:17:37)
Has anyone seen the original Norwegian ?
Not me...
Insomnia is really good, But you may not really guess it to be a Nolan flick, unless you watch Memento right before it. Insomnia sort of feels like the intermediate step between Memento and The Prestige.
Haven't seen Memento yet. I'll have to check it out someday, it'd be interesting to see the whole evolution of Nolan's style.
Man, Memento is the one Nolan movie that I just cannot get on board with. Great little film-school concept, but it sooo does not hold up to feature length. I always start out really liking it, and by the 40 minute mark I cannot wait for that thing to be over. I don't know whether it's just too inherently gimmicky of a concept, or whether the actual story in Memento when played forward linearly is just extremely boring. I think that idea could maybe work great for a spy thriller or a phillip k. dick-type sci-fi story, but maybe it really is something that should just be a short-film.
Man, Memento is the one Nolan movie that I just cannot get on board with. Great little film-school concept, but it sooo does not hold up to feature length.
I don't enjoy Memento nearly as much as other people seem to, either. It's intriguing. Some of the coolest people I know think Memento is an absolute masterpiece. I don't think it sucks. It's just that can't relate when folks begin to speak about the film in superlatives.
The last time I watched Memento, I remember being a little unsure about what its theme was—i.e., themes may or may not be distinct from concepts, I guess. The movie definitely engages weighty, thematically ripe concepts (identity, memory, honor, revenge), but I just couldn't decipher what Nolan was trying to say about these concepts. Which isn't necessarily Nolan's fault, of course.
This is not the kind of movie I'd expect the exec of Saturday Night Live and the Bloke from the Rolling Stones to fund. It was pretty good but it does rather weave the pretend story with the historical more clunkily as it goes on. Overall rather good mind.
Last edited by Faldor (2013-08-09 11:12:44)
Just watched The Tournament:
I believe it had a limited run in the UK, but I'm talking a couple screens. Straight to video and VoD as far as I can tell. I wasn't expecting much, as usual with this sort of film, but The Tournament is one of those movies that makes watching a metric buttload of straight-to-videos worth it. You watch ten movies that make you want to gouge out your eyes, and then you get to see something awesome.Which isn't to say it's good. It's not, really. It's at best mediocre in terms of story, acting and overall plot. A bunch of the best assassins enter a tournament to the death to see who's the best and earn $10 Million in the process. Ving Rhames and Robert Carlyle are pretty decent in it. Kelly Hu is meh. I think Ian Somerhalder delivers the best performance as a completely fucked up killer who really loves to hurt and kill people, and he doesn't seem to much care who or what he's killing.
But the thing that makes this movie watchable is the action and the violence. I like my action simple and to the point. Throw on a bit of cheese - just a bit, mind you - and I'll eat it up. The Tournament pretty much nails the recipe. The action is frequent and fun, and the violence is cranked up to an absurd level. You don't want to get shot in this movie world. You'll lose your arm or your head will explode. The fights aren't anything special, but there are a number of really fun sequences and the big highway battle scene near the end caught me off guard. It demonstrates a budget that makes me wonder why they wouldn't have released this in the theaters just as an effort to recoup their money. There are quite a number of cars flying through the air and exploding.
If you like action movies that are fairly violent and kinda cheesy and goofy at times, I would highly recommend checking this one out. It's not really 'good', but it's fun as hell when it gets going. It's almost a pity that it couldn't have kept the fun during the slower bits. There's not much in the way of humor, which probably would have helped the talky bits. Instead the movie drags itself down by trying to give everyone some kind of horrible, dark past and personal demons. I'd say that the first half hour is the only thing stopping this flick from being a low-budget action classic.
I've had this on my to-watch-list for along time, I'll prioritize it higher now. Thanks for the recommendation.
Powered by PunBB, supported by Informer Technologies, Inc.
Currently installed 9 official extensions. Copyright © 2003–2009 PunBB.
