2005 Screening Log

[Prince Eric]

June 17, 2005

National Treasure
We had guests over and this was a family thing. Uh...gets worse every time I see it...

June 18, 2005

Howl's Moving Castle
Glorious. A little rough around the edges, but beautiful those edges are. I posted my in-depth, psychotic six-eight-months-in-advance Oscar analysis in the main thread. Grade: A

June 19, 2005
Batman Begins
OK, I will say that this is a good movie. In fact, I'd say it's one of the best superhero movies ever made, but considering the history of the genre, that doesn't say much. In other words, I don't see what the rave reviews are about. I guess I just have never connected with the angriness of Batman as a whole. No matter how good his intentions, he's still motivated by revenge, or whatever name you prefer to call it by. Some things are just a little unsettling...however, all detractions aside, it's a very good film. They did right getting an indie director, Chris Nolan, to do the job, as only smart indie directors can. Christian Bale is the coolest, best Batman ever, and I thoroughly enjoyed my Christian Bale double feature weekend! Grade: A-

[Son of the Morning]

Okay, let's take this for a ride.

To start things off, I'll just post the movies I've seen in the last month or so without mini reviews:

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0046487/">Les Vacances de M. Hulot</a> (B-)

<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032976/">Rebecca</a> (A)

<a href="http://criterionco.com/asp/release.asp? ... llbound</a> (A-)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0048028/">East of Eden</a> (B)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0081398/">Raging Bull</a> (B+)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0072684/">Barry Lyndon</a> (A+)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0074486/">Eraserhead</a> (A-)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0055614/">West Side Story</a> (B+)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0052357/">Vertigo</a> (A+)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0053125">North by Northwest</a> (A+)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0078748/">Alien</a> (A+)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0090605/">Aliens</a> (A)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0372784/">Batman Begins</a> (A)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0104810/">Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media</a> (B-)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0071487/"> Le Fantôme de la liberté</a> (A-)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0361959/">Noam Chomsky: Distorted Morality - A War on Terrorism?</a> (A)

[Prince Eric]

Okay, let's take this for a ride.

To start things off, I'll just post the movies I've seen in the last month or so without mini reviews:

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0046487/">Les Vacances de M. Hulot</a> (B-)

<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032976/">Rebecca</a> (A)

<a href="http://criterionco.com/asp/release.asp? ... llbound</a> (A-)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0048028/">East of Eden</a> (B)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0081398/">Raging Bull</a> (B+)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0072684/">Barry Lyndon</a> (A+)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0074486/">Eraserhead</a> (A-)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0055614/">West Side Story</a> (B+)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0052357/">Vertigo</a> (A+)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0053125">North by Northwest</a> (A+)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0078748/">Alien</a> (A+)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0090605/">Aliens</a> (A)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0372784/">Batman Begins</a> (A)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0104810/">Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media</a> (B-)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0071487/"> Le Fantôme de la liberté</a> (A-)

<a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0361959/">Noam Chomsky: Distorted Morality - A War on Terrorism?</a> (A)

Wow! Lots of movies! It's great that you watch classic films a lot, something I need to work on, I guess. They're usually all pretty good. However, I have reservations about "grading" classics because regardless of what I think, their canonical status perseveres.

[Prince Eric]

Monday, June 20, 2005

Spirited Away
I've caught the Miyazaki fever lately, and I can't seem to cure it!

Thurseday, June 23, 2005

Madagascar
I really enjoyed this movie. The gags were nothing more than what I would expect from a Dreamworks film, but I thought it was fresh and new. Specifically, the art direction and character designs were beautifully stylized to fit the film's hyper-active comedy. Everything meshed well, and the passing didn't lag (another down-side to most Dreamworks films)! This is a deserving hit. Rewatchability is low, though. Grade: B+

[Prince Eric]

June 25, 2005

Castle in the Sky
Miyazaki is a genius and Studio Ghibli has quickly taken over Disney as my favorite animation studio (psyche!)...but you couldn't tell by their first efforts. Sure, this is a lot better than 95% of animated features, but it doesn't have the magic quality of the other Miyazaki's I've seen. The magic know-how of Miyazaki was barely coming into blook and so was his skills as a master screenwriter. The plot isn't as lucid. It's less confusing, but not as clear. I guess there was just too many unexplained Japanese cultural references.

[Prince Eric]

June 30, 2005

Casablanca
I saw this for a history class, and I really enjoyed it. However, I'm pretty sure there were films from back then that were just as good. I just don't see what makes some films timeless, and others don't. I guess it's something like from 50 years from now, everyone will talk about Schindler's List, but no one will talk about the even better The Piano. Oh, well, I'm glad I saw Humphrey and Ingrid. What a delight.

July 6, 2005

Mulan
I hadn't seen this in its entirety in years, and boy was it so much fun this time around! Definately one of the better Disney efforts of the 90's. I haven't even begun to tap into the bonus features, because I'm trying to get my hands on a slipcover, first!

July 7, 2005

Bride and Prejudice
I guess good musicals just get better with repeat viewings. This is really a hidden musical gem. I encourgage everyone to see it. I really hope the person reviewing the DVD for the site has a good understanding of the content before going into it. Aishwarya Rai is such a beauty!

[Prince Eric]

July 9, 2005

Shakespeare in Love
This is really the only 1998 Best Picture candidate that I've seen, other than Life Is Beautiful, and so I can only defend it's much controversial win. The latter film, which I really liked at first, is now a piece of Holocaust revisionism that I've grown to hate for all it's wicked, death-can-be-a-fairy-tale-if-you-let-it nonsense. On to Shakespeare! It's beautifully rendered, that's for sure, and the costumes are a visual delight. Let's see...um...that's about it. I'm puzzled. It's a good movie. But Best Picture? At first, I thought, OK, original screenplay, period drama, Gwenyth Paltrow, I'm going to love this movie and fully agree with its trumping a much bollyhoed World War II epic. Wrong! I do like the Judi Dench performance, however. On the other hand, an Oscar for an eight-minute role? I'm confused people, help me out!

[azul017]

I have ticket stubs that go back to late 2004, so I'll start with just the films I've seen in 2005 thus far.

01/09/2005

The Incredibles - A

Much better than I thought it would be. The family dynamics here are pretty funny and the action is... well, incredible. The subtle nods to the Fantastic Four are evident, but enjoyable. In fact, it's so diverting, it'll be over so fast you'll won't even notice. Not to mention the animation and sound design are top-notch. It can stand multiple viewings and still entertain.

01/15/2005

House of Flying Daggers - B

The movie didn't grow on me till my second viewing of it on DVD, and now I've changed my mind. The action sequences are breathtaking and gorgeously shot, while Zhang Ziyi is even more breathtaking. The story just isn't that interesting, but the actors and Zhang Yimou use for the film's advantage.

05/22/2005

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - B+

Having only liked the original trilogy and hated the two prequels, I came to the film with low expectations and came away pleasantly surprised. Hayden Christansen isn't as stiff and Lucas puts the CGI at the expense of the story, not the other way around. The fight sequences are nicely choreographed and the ending is somber but fitting. Comes very close to capturing the magic of the first three movies at times.

06/05/2005

Cinderella Man - B+

A simple, well-made underdog story that has terrific performances by Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, and a good supporting turn by Paddy Considine. Formulaic and manipulative, but well-done nevertheless.

06/24/2005

Batman Begins - A-

While I kinda enjoyed Batman & Robin for its campy tone and Uma Thurman's turn as Poison Ivy, Batman Begins is the definitive Batman movie, even putting Tim Burton's first two films to shame. Christian Bale is pitch-perfect and the movie captures the gritty look and tone of Gotham quite realistically.

06/30/2005

War of the Worlds - B+

While the ending is unearned, the movie still earns a high recommendation because of its intensity and the struggle to survive. Very frightening at times, meaning that little kids should not be taken to see it, unless they want to have nightmares.

07/09/2005

Fantastic Four - B

I still don't get why critics are panning it. Sure, it's inferior to the likes of Spider-Man, X-Men, and Batman Begins, but the comic was never like that. The movie is more playful and comedic rather than somber or realistic, which works to the film's advantage. I found Julian McMahon, the final action set-piece, and some cheesy lines to be the weakest part of the movie. Jessica Alba was pretty good here, but didn't really stand out. And for those saying that the movie plays homage to The Incredibles, well... The Incredibles was paying homage to The Fantastic Four, so they paid homage to one another.

[Prince Eric]

July 15, 2005

The Pacifier
Garbage: Completely disposable. Now I know why Disney likes to make remakes; they can't come up with better ideas for new live-action films. Vin Diesal is a good enough actor, but not good enough to rise up above this horrible script. Grade: D

[Disney-Fan]

The Pacifier
Garbage: Completely disposable. Now I know why Disney likes to make remakes; they can't come up with better ideas for new live-action films. Vin Diesal is a good enough actor, but not good enough to rise up above this horrible script. Grade: D

I must quote this! One of the few times we actually agree on a horrible movie!

[Prince Eric]

June 15, 2005

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
What a pure delight! and a smart one, too! For awhile, I thought Tim Burton was catching commerical-film-itis. (Big Fish wasn't exactly revelatory.) He finally has returned to his twisted imagination and sadistic ideas of happiness. I love how he diposed of those brats! Willy Wonka is supposed to be a dark, eccentric recluse and Jonny Depp does top-notch work. I'll even forgive him for his sloppy and uninspired performance in Finding Neverland. I thoroughly enjoyed the music, especially the first Bollywood segment. The Charlie-and-his-family scenes are so touching! I foresee a bright future for Freddie Highmore (even though his SAG nod for Finding Neverland was undeserved and he doesn't exactly still the show here). Overall, great movie. Grade: A

[Prince Eric]

July 18, 2005

War of the Worlds
I actually liked this movie against my better sensibilites. The visuals are first rate and Mr. Speilberg sure does know how to move a camera. Some of the stuff was very graphic, in fact, TOO graphic for a PG-13 rating. I guess pulling the MPAA's strings is a benefit of being a popular director. I cannot say that I love this movie because of two pivotal scenes: 1.) the whole Tim Robbins thing came out of left field and totally threw off the beautiful pacing. 2.) the final scene; the happily-ever-after scene; millions of people have just died, but we're supposed to sleep soundly at night because Tom and his family survived. Give me a break! What also irritated me is how Ray planted the grenades. Couldn't have someone else done it? Someone besides average joe disfunctional father? It would have made more sense. Oh, but I totally dig Dakota Fanning's performance, I hope she survives the winter and makes it on the Oscar ballot, totally worthy performance. Grade: B+

[Prince Eric]

July 20, 2005

The Fantasitc Four
I don't know if I got tired of the dated visuals first, or the trite dialogue, or the unbelievable plotline. Totally uninspired. No stand-out performances here. They were all caricatures. The actors were just higherd based on their resemblance to the characters and told to play stereotypes. Silly and at times, stupid. Grade: C

[Prince Eric]

July 21, 2005

The Return
Absolutely haunting and disturbing! This was my first forary into Russian cinema, and I was completely caputured by the mysticism of the Jungian story and the beauty of the affecting cinematography! All blue and silver for teenage angst! Grade: A-

[Prince Eric]

July 22, 2005

Herbie Fully: Reloaded
It's everything I've come to expect from a Disney/Lindsey Lohan film: Cute, enjoyable, and totally disposable. I enjoyed seeing Lindsey one last time in her top form (literally). Alas, we will never see the red-haired, full-figured Lindsey again. Sigh! Grade: B-

Hustle & Flow
What a breath a fresh air in a season of stale blockbusters! Terrence Howard is a revelation as a pimp-turned-music sensation! Really, if Jaime Fox won an Oscar for Ray, Terrence should at least be nominated! It is so much harder to play an original character as opposed to sitting and watching and essential COPYING the characterisitics of a said icon. The script was engaging, except I could not fully embrace the film because of my resistance to hard R's. I feel there were two pivotal scenes that went overboard in language and sexuality and would have gladly done without them. It would have still been an R, but it wouldn't have been as strong and abrasive. I totally knew these characters, so props to the maverick director and screenwriter. I hope this indie makes it big this year. Grade: B+

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

11.) Madagascar
12.) Robots
13.) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
14.) Beauty Shop
15.) Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
16.) Diary of a Mad Black Woman
17.) Monster-In-Law
18.) Be Cool
19.) Herbie: Fully Reloaded
20.) Star Wars Episode III: The Return of the Sith
21.) The Fantastic Four

That is the scariest list I ever saw! How did all those bad comedies get higher than Fantastic Four and... REVENGE OF THE SITH!!! That's the best movie of the year!

[castleinthesky]

June 25, 2005

Castle in the Sky
Sure, this is a lot better than 95% of animated features, but it doesn't have the magic quality of the other Miyazaki's I've seen. The magic know-how of Miyazaki was barely coming into blook and so was his skills as a master screenwriter. The plot isn't as lucid.

I see how it is Eric. War is now in session!

[Prince Eric]

11.) Madagascar
12.) Robots
13.) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
14.) Beauty Shop
15.) Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
16.) Diary of a Mad Black Woman
17.) Monster-In-Law
18.) Be Cool
19.) Herbie: Fully Reloaded
20.) Star Wars Episode III: The Return of the Sith
21.) The Fantastic Four

That is the scariest list I ever saw! How did all those bad comedies get higher than Fantastic Four and... REVENGE OF THE SITH!!! That's the best movie of the year!

I really doubt you've seen all those movies, and most of the list below number seven are films that have no artistic bearing on my mind, and are, ultimately disposable. Basically, the list below number 8, is based on entertainment value according to me, and Star Wars Episode III: The Return of the Sith and The Fantastic Four were absolutely ludicrous summer blockbuster that are tackily enjoyable, but have no redeeming qualities for me to see them twice.

[SofaKing381222]

HEY! I just noticed this thread! I am slow, so I decided just to post all the movies Ive seen in theatres this year with a 1-10 rating.

2005

1) The Aviator ********--

2) Elektra *********-

3) Meet the Fockers *********-

4) Constantine *********-

5) Hostage ********--

6) Robots *******---

7) Sin City ********--

8] Fever Pitch ********--

9) The Interpreter *******---

10) Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy *********-

11) Monster-in-Law *********-

12) Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith **********

13) The Longest Yard *********-

14) Madagascar ********--

15) Mr. and Mrs. Smith **********

16) The Adventures of Shark-Boy and Lava-Girl in 3-D ******----

17) Batman Begins *******--

18] Bewitched ********--

19) Herbie: Fully Loaded *********-

20) Fantastic Four *********-

21) War of the Worlds *********-

22) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory *********-


All right....... sometimes Im too nice...

[Prince Eric]

July 23, 2005

Pocahontas
One of the all-time great animated musicals...The masses just don't know it yet...

July 25, 2005

About Schmidt
I enjoyed Sideways. I apreciated Sideways. I did not LOVE Sideways. Or, rather, not in the way critics loved it. I mean, for people who claim to view originality as their highest critical priority, the sure seemed bent on honoring the same movie...totally unoriginal move! And guess what? The Academy bought it. Admittedly, none of the Best Picture nominees wow'ed me this year. Ray, a very nicely done biopicture and handsomely crafted musical, was my favorite, but I thought there were nine films better than it. OK, so if they wanted to continue their ban on animated films and foreign-language features, they could have gone for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, or Before Sunset, or Vera Drake. But, they didn't, and so art house junkies were left with Sideways. I liked Sandra Oh, and all the other cast members, but I didn't think it was Great. On the contrary, I thought About Schmidt was GREAT. A MASTERPIECE. Then enter the great Kathy Bates! Total scene-stealer! Wait, is that possible? Scene-stealing from the great Jack Nicholson. Hard to believe, but it's true. Hope Davis and Durmont Mulroney are good actors, but there were totally out of their league. Great screenplay, great director, great political/philosophical statement. I'm even considering stripping Spirited Away of its Best Picture of 2002 Award...Hmm, something to thinking about. Grade: A