What Movie Did You Just Watch? - Shh! It's Starting!

[jpanimation]

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) 6/10 - the first time I've seen this movie in a long time (probably since it first came out on DVD). It comes across as serious story telling that is dumbed down with tacked on songs and narration. First off, the Matt Damon narration is entirely pointless, as it just reiterates what we are seeing on screen, and it feels like a last minute addition (like they were trying to imitate John Dunbar and get Matt Damon's name in the credits). The animation, acting, and direction is so great that nothing happening on screen is unclear, making the narration unnecessary. Secondly, the Bryan Adams songs do not match the setting or tone of the movie (they completely took me out of it each time they started up). Other then that, the story and characters are fine. They felt like serious story telling from Dreamworks for once, just on a smaller scale. In fact, it almost seemed like the movie should've been an epic, big life changing journey for this horse, but was cut down by an hour with a lightning fast pace. The voice acting never really worked for me and the score by Hans Zimmer is not very good (considering his previous efforts in animation: The Lion King and The Prince of Egypt). With all this in consideration, I watched the movie with the sound off and have to say its a FAR better film: 7/10.

Collateral (2004) 8/10 - my favorite Michael Mann film (closely followed by the The Last of the Mohicans remake). I feel both of those movies get overshadowed by The Insider and Heat, both of which are overrated (the Heat is good, not great but The Insider sucks). Back to Collateral, love it. I really like movies that take place all overnight (Dazed and Confused and American Graffiti being some others). Here we have a beautiful nighttime L.A. back drop, looking way better then during the day, and just contrasting the violence against the relaxing atmosphere. We have Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise in some of their only good roles (or at least the only ones I like). James Newton Howard's score just adds to the whole vibe of the film. I don't know what else to say but that I really like this film.

[PeterPanfan]

TAKE FLIGHT - This was a 25 minute long documentary about Gary Oldman, directed by Juliet Landau. It was a gorgeous short, and I really suggest everyone watches it.

[Lazario]

Sleepy Hollow

My first time watching this re-imagining from the very beginning. It's one of those films that just doesn't fit comfortably into any genre. It's scary, but not horror, and gothic too

Tim Burton talked a lot about Hammer horror on the commentary. I have seen very little of Hammer's films, but this seems like a kind of best-of throwback / homage. And of course, we can't forget that Burton was throwing in horror references all over the place in the films that made him a legend (Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, both Batman's, Pee Wee's Big Adventure). But the point is, horror films used to be a lot like this one. But you do have a point too- this film has a few big weaknesses. One of them being the adventure / chase film cliches.









A truly perplexing "gay" romantic comedy. Tonally- this feels about as honestly gay as a Bruce Willis action film (none). This is definitely the Straight-Person's gay romance. Nothing too personal, too sexy. Nothing your average teenager hasn't seen before. It gets major points for being smarter as character writing than over 99% of Hollywood's romantic-comedy output. It understands the longing and lust of its' main character very well and the initial romantic pursuit is handled in a way that makes the movie addicting. Unfortunately, this movie struggles to find an ending, so it makes the biggest mistake of all - changing the theme of the entire movie! It was about a guy who hasn't had a boyfriend / good date in (years?) developing a crush on a man he could never be with. Suddenly, it's about how being gay only works for some people. HUH?! I know not everyone is successful in love, that's as true for straight people as it is for gay people. But the straight couples here stay together or are successful. In this movie, the only way some gay people can find love is to turn straight. That's a rather ignorant thing for a gay romantic comedy to suggest. Or that sexuality is actually so fluid, that we become overtaken by lust and will have sex with anyone. An interesting theory- and one I could forgive the movie for abusing the gay main character to express. But not the way this movie does it. This ending is abrupt and expects to sail through on the "everything's gonna be alright" good-times vibes of your typical spineless Hollywood romantic-comedy. Considering that this movie was floundering in some heavy and unsettling drama for at least 10-15 movies before the final party scene, this ending is insulting and unfair. However, still the performances are very good and the humor doesn't rely on an abundance of silly montages and pop songs. Tom Hollander (Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout) steals the show as an appealingly flamboyant best-friend. And his romance with an emotionally stunted real estate agent - a subplot here - could have made for a much more satisfying movie.

[UmbrellaFish]

The Lion in Winter

and

Hawaii

Not much to say, I've seen both the films before, like both of them very much.

[Just Myself]

Cop Out - O Kevin Smith, Where Art Thou Gone? This film was so mind-numbingly boring, it seemed unfathomable to believe that the same man who made Clerks and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back made this mess. Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan have no chemistry and are completely unbelievable as partners of over nine years, the plot meanders and consistently feels like it's truly building up to nothing, the jokes aren't funny, the list of problems goes on and on. Seann William Scott, who got third billing in the marketing, is wasted as nothing more than a glorified cameo, with most of his scenes having already been shown in the TV spots and trailers.

Changing the title of this clunker from A Couple of Dicks to Cop Out was probably the smartest move that could possibly have been made by the studio; this really is Kevin Smith copping out to make a big studio film and add nothing worthwhile to the final product.


Cheers,
JM

[Mooky]

How to Make an American Quilt – romantic drama about a young bride-to-be named Finn Dodd spending a summer at her great aunt's house. While Finn is busy finishing her master's thesis, her great aunt and her five elderly friends make a quilt as a present for Finn's wedding. Along the way, Finn learns about events that shaped each of the women's lives which leads her to examine her own life decisions. Beautiful story, great cast, wonderful music and cinematography. The film is also some sort of a "Little Women"/"My So-Called Life" reunion as it features performances by Winona Ryder (Finn Dodd), Samantha Mathis, Claire Danes, and Jared Leto. Recommended.

These Old Broads – comedy about three Hollywood actresses way past their prime, who hate each other's guts but are forced to work together as they prepare for a TV special about a hit-movie they made back in the 1960s. Some genuinely funny moments ensue. Stars Joan Collins, Shirley MacLaine, Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor.

[Lazario]

The chance to see any Dario Argento movie once again is an extraordinary pleasure. And this one, which I saw for the first time on YouTube - it was that extremely impossible to find anywhere else before coming to DVD last year - was just about as good as I remembered it. That is to say, somehow very different from most of his other films. In some ways, sillier. In some ways, very sobering. Certainly cleaner in terms of violence than his first two gialli. Definitely sadder. And a tad too goofy in places. The whole God, Jerk-Off, and The Professor sequence is quite a large waste of time. And the scene at the Playground lags a little bit. Too long for the payoff of the set-piece (though when it comes it's absolute torture for claustrophobics!!) to come into play. And I'm not sure the vanishing kissing-couple bit works. And just because Argento is said to really like gay people doesn't mean the stereotypes here or in Cat o' Nine Tails or Bird with the Crystal Plumage are actually that flattering. They're not in the slightest. But, since it's Argento, it really has its' moments. The wall squeeze, the coffin / funeral exhibition, the cigarette in foreground shot, Roberto's drive to G. Arrosio's, the needle death scene revelation, the whole asylum subplot, and of course...

<img src="http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk16 ... GV-001.jpg" width="450" height="200" border="0">
Probably the greatest scene in horror he ever filmed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x71ahSEtPeA
What makes it so terrifying is actually how beautiful it is...

[ajmrowland]

Temple Grandin-much like Adam, this is about an Autistic character. the similarities end there, as this film is told more through a first-person point of view and is about around the first 30 years of her life and her struggles and accomplishments. I like this one better for that. And its a true story.

[BelleGirl]

Temple Grandin-much like Adam, this is about an Autistic character. the similarities end there, as this film is told more through a first-person point of view and is about around the first 30 years of her life and her struggles and accomplishments. I like this one better for that. And its a true story.

Interesting! I've read her book on 'thinking like animals' (don't know the exact title in English, since I've got a Dutch translation and my mother still borrows this book) and Oliver Sacks' story about their meeting.

This weekend I've seen another movie about someone with a form of autism Ben X a Dutch/Flemish movie about Ben who tries to cope with his life through the computer game he obsessively plays; at school he is constantly tormented by two schoolfellows (flashbacks show that he frequently was a victim of such abuse from other kids in the past) It is an emotionally gripping movie with a surprising 'end game'. It is infuriating to see how 'normal' people turn on Ben because he is 'weird'. But Ben gets his revenge!

[SmartAleck25]

Spellbound (2002)- 10/10
This is a great documentary that follows 8 contestants in the 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee. It really showcases how many radical differences they all have, but these they have in common: diligence and intelligence. Their studying methods are interesting, and their normal lives even better. They have full support from their eccentric family members too. The bee itself is pretty intense, and really gets you on the edge of your seat. The winner is a surprise, too. The characters are fun and likable, and you'll find your self saying in amazement, "How do they do it?" Hard work. I was sorry to hear of contestant Ted Brigham's death in 07 and contestant Ashley White's teenage pregnancy (third consecutive in the family). All in all, this is a great film, and I definitely recommend a viewing.

[ajmrowland]

Hairspray(2007)-Very fun movie. Love the music. Christopher Walken's role is a little different than what he's known for, certainly, and it's funny. Blonsky definitely deserved her Globe nomination. The picture and audio are major improvements on blu-ray!.

[PeterPanfan]

Kiss the Bride - It was alright. I picked it up because Tori Spelling and Amber Benson were in it, and I really liked their characters. Amber played someone completely different, sarcastic, etc. compared to the meek Tara on Buffy. Tori was great, too.

[blackcauldron85]

I just saw She's Out of My League. I had wanted to see it since I saw the trailer a month or two ago, and there was a free screening. I loved it. It might just be the funniest movie I've ever seen. It at least was the funniest movie I've seen in a while. I loved it. And Jay Baruchel... <3 He's so hot. A or A+

[Just Myself]

Wow, Amy, were you at the same free screening I was at? I just saw it She's Out Of My League, too and I thought it was great - this year's romantic comedy in the same vein as I Love You Man. I'd definitely pay to see it again - or at least catch the next free screening on Tuesday.



Cheers,
JM

[jpanimation]

Black Hawk Down (2001) 7.5/10 - can you believe this is my first time seeing this movie. For me, director Ridley Scott's movies are very hit or miss. He turns out fantastic movies like Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, and American Gangster, but for every one great, there is two or three bad ones. So I didn't know what to expect with this one. I thought I was about to see just another Jerry Bruckheimer action flick with an all-star cast but only half of my assumptions turned out to be accurate.

There was defiantly an all-star cast and they are probably more recognizable now then when the movie came out (which helped a little in identifying the characters). What I got was a realistic portrayal of a large group of soldiers in a shitty situation, much like Saving Private Ryan but without the easily identifiable personas. This movie was nothing like I expected and thats a good thing. Very nitty-gritty and confusing as times with all the action taking place (much like I'm sure war is in real life). You don't really get to know the enemy, just bodies, but I guess it would get real depressing if you saw both sides of the story (in which they developed the characters on both sides). I'm sure this movie will improve with subsequent views as there is soo much going on and soo many characters that it will take some time to wrap your head around all the events taking place. It may end up being one of his greats.

Glory (1989) 8/10 - I really like this movie. It has an all-star cast and quite an interesting choice at that. The story is a little thin but it is mostly there to showcase the character interaction, which is the bulk of the picture. Director Edward Zwick really does a fine job hear making us care about the characters. One particular problem I have is Denzel Washington, as his acting is fantastic as ever, but I'm not once convinced that he was ever a slave. Matthew Broderick was actually pretty good and I didn't expect shit from him. The score by James Horner is one of his all time best (ranking up there with his Apollo 13, Braveheart and Titanic scores).

The Last Samurai (2003) 7.5 - this movie really bothers me. I know its a really good movie by director Edward Zwick and well put together but there is something off-putting about it (probably Tom Cruise). The story has been told before, white soldier with problems visits other culture and is changed, ultimately leading them (Lawrence of Arabia, Glory, Dances With Wolves, and now Avatar). Of course there is a massacre at the end in which the culture finally gets their respect (much like Edward Zwick's Glory). The costumes, sets, and acting are really good. They probably could've used better matte painters as some of the backgrounds looked a little cartoony like Gladiator or The Mummy. I recognize the quality of this movie but I just don't like it as much as I want to.

Cold Mountain (2003) 6/10 - it tried to be great, it really did. It has all the makings of an Oscar winner: great costumes, great sets, all-star cast, great acting (for the most part), interesting characters, a pretty good score, beautiful location shooting (I really loved the cinematography) and an epic story. Unfortunately, despite all this, the story is pretty bad. The main romance is unbelievable and takes away from all the realism the film had going for it. This film feels real and gritty, but at times a little too much so that it's depressing. It's almost as if they forgot to show the good things in life and only show the bad things (of which there is more of during war). Its such a shame because this movie had soo much going for it but the main thing that matters was just not working for me.

Things to Come (1936) 5.5/10 - what a bore. The story by H.G. Wells is alright but the whole damn movie is just soo boring. It predicts World War 2, which after an viral outbreak starts a Mad Max type rule, and then onto the dorky socialist future (where everyone has to wear the corny capes and robes). They were so set on pushing their message in this movie that they forgot to present us with some semi-interesting characters. We have no characters to care about. The whole thing right down to the end is dumb, as it tries to present itself as factual but is anything but. Space travel by giant gun is just a little to stupid for what this movie was trying to be. I don't know, the only motion picture adaption of an H.G. Wells book I like is The Invisible Man.

The next three sci-fi films were all produced by George Pal:

Destination Moon (1950) 7/10 - this is a pretty interesting movie. Billed as the first movie to accurately portray space travel, it was made years before any rockets launched, and was pretty darn accurate. The movie probably has more science in it then fiction and almost comes across as an documentary to explain to the general public about space travel (you have remember that at the time they didn't even believe it was possible, so everything presented in the movie was new concepts to them). To explain to the public how it all works, they had an animated Woody Woodpecker cartoon (much in the same vein as the cartoon explaining how dinosaurs are possible in Jurassic Park). The characters are mostly sidestepped so they could give you the facts. The beginning is boring but once they get into space, it gets pretty good. Actually, this move invented many of the clichés that space movies like Apollo 13 and Marooned would use (low on fuel, one astronaut must sacrifice himself). Anyway, its an interesting movie probably worth checking out (for entertainment and historical purposes).

When Worlds Collide (1951) 7/10 - kind of the first Roland Emmerich blockbuster if you will. It has all the eliminates that have become the standard of disaster movies. Giant planet on collision with earth (astroid in Armageddon), causes flooding and tankers in New York (before The Day After Tomorrow ever thought of it), rioting and mass hysteria, etc. The movie was pretty good but I'm not a fan of the ending (it kills the realism the movie had going for it). Flying a rocket (the first rocket ever built) to an unknown planet to escape Earth and it just happens to have the right atmosphere and everything. Not to mention the take-off and landing is completely unrealistic (what happened to all the realism that Destination Moon established a year earlier). I hope they fix the end without completely screwing it up for the remake Stephen Sommers is helmming.

War of the Worlds (1954) 6.5/10 - I don't understand why people like this movie. The special effects that won academy award are terrible. If Harryhausen had been allowed to work on this movie, it would've been a thousand times better. Its the special effects that drag this movie down soo much. The ships are stupid, move ridiculously slow (the speed would've made sense if they had been tripods). The aliens are some of the worst I've ever seen (once again Harryhausen, like with the tripod, was ready to make them like they were in the book). Unfortunately budgetary problems prevented Harryhausen from getting to make the tripods, octopus-like aliens, and special effects in general. The results are laughable (I must applaud Paramount on the amazing restoration, the picture is so clean it now shows the strings holding up the ships). The aliens being from Mars is forgivable as it was in the book and they probably still believed their was life on Mars at the time. Besides the special effects, the script kills the movies. The main characters aren't really interesting, you don't believe their forced romance, and you just don't care about them. The characters have no other purpose then to explain the events taking place through their experience/encounters. So unsatisfying characters and bad special effects ruin this movie (the overall story from H.G. Wells is still pretty clever). Oh, but the score is brilliant at times (other times, not so much).

War of the Worlds (2005) 6.5/10 - so here Spielberg corrects the problems I had with the first. He made the characters more interesting and the special effects are way better. Unfortunately, he screws up some of the things the original had going for it. The alien's motivations in this one are not clear at all, we just know that they have superior intellect and feel like destroying humanity. It gets even more confusing now that Spielberg added his own twist, thought it was a good idea to have the tripods buried millions of years ago (before man), but the opening narration claims they grew envious of man, which caused them to draw plans against us (the tripods being buried would suggest they were planning this before man). He screwed up the simple story of aliens from a dying world migrating to our planet and eliminating us (in his version, it seems like they kill us for no reason at all, maybe sport). He also came up with some weird-ass veiny Earth thing that the aliens make out of human blood. In the book, they drank our blood, here, they spit it out on the earth and it grows some kind of veiny stuff (the purpose of which is never clear). So in addition to the dumb change in alien motivation, the characters were actually a little annoying. This movie had a lot going for it but some bad decisions were made on Spielberg's part.

The Patriot (2000) 7/10 - this movie was weird. Their was no real tension or sign of threat. It was a war movie, there was some violence but I never felt on edge. The British just never felt like a threat and at times it almost seemed like a game to the characters. I've been to Colonial Williamsburg and places like that, seen reconstructions and reenactments, and while the sets in the movie were pretty good, they just lacked the authenticity that the sets of Cold Mountain seemed to have (I know its different periods). The reenactments I've seen seemed to have more intensity then the movie. It was pretty good but not great (almost felt like it was trying to be too much at once). I don't know what else to say, it was a solid effort but felt kind of average, nothing really stood out to me.

[blackcauldron85]

Wow, Amy, were you at the same free screening I was at?

We've established that through PM , but for everyone else, yes, we were at the same screening, and I thought it was him and I said nothing. I'm a coward. I hate bothering people, and he had his friends there and I didn't want to make things weird.

The Patriot...Their was no real tension or sign of threat. It was a war movie, there was some violence but I never felt on edge...The reenactments I've seen seemed to have more intensity then the movie.

I've never seen the whole film, but in a college history class, we watched some of it. Maybe it's because I'm a person who can't handle violence , but I've been to a Concord/Lexington reenactment, and I've seen violence from The Patriot. I'd say that, at least to me, holy crap the film is more intense! I mean, if intense = violence, then the film gets an A+, and the reenactment...not so much. It really were the cannons that did it for me in the film, if I remember correctly.

[Goliath]

American Gangster (2007)

One of the best films of the last years. Although a bit too long (the scene with Frank being released from prison wasn't really necessary), there was never a dull moment. I loved the performance of Denzel Washington; Russell Crowe can do better. Interesting to see the stories of Lucas and Roberts run parallel and then to see them coming together. The cinematography was excellent; the film looked amazing.

[DaveWadding]

Ponyo - 9/10 - I spent the whole movie stunned at how beautiful the animation was on Blu-Ray. I wont rank it against other Miyazakis until I've seen it again though (and if you care, I watched it in Japanese with subs!

[blackcauldron85]

(and if you care, I watched it in Japanese with subs!

Was that more because you didn't want to hear Noah Cyrus & Frankie Jonas, or because you feel that the original language is usually better to watch movies in?

[jpanimation]

I've never seen the whole film, but in a college history class, we watched some of it. Maybe it's because I'm a person who can't handle violence , but I've been to a Concord/Lexington reenactment, and I've seen violence from The Patriot. I'd say that, at least to me, holy crap the film is more intense! I mean, if intense = violence, then the film gets an A+, and the reenactment...not so much. It really were the cannons that did it for me in the film, if I remember correctly.

By intense, I don't mean violence. I mean the whole movie just didn't seem very gritty or real. All the war scenes just seemed like a game, occasionally a character would get upset over a death only to quickly get over it, but it largely just seemed like a friendly game of chess (moving pawns). I know thats how some of the war was played out but it just didn't seem to affect the characters as much as it should. It seemed like any tragedy in the movie happened off the battlefield. No character felt in-danger enough for tension to build, which should've been easy in a war drama.

American Gangster (2007)

One of the best films of the last years. Although a bit too long (the scene with Frank being released from prison wasn't really necessary), there was never a dull moment. I loved the performance of Denzel Washington; Russell Crowe can do better. Interesting to see the stories of Lucas and Roberts run parallel and then to see them coming together. The cinematography was excellent; the film looked amazing.

Did you see the extended cut? I've only seen the extended cut on TV and don't know if there is a difference and if it make the film better or not. I loved the movie, and while it was a little long (maybe due to the extended sequences), it was a pretty epic crime drama. I walked in with low expectations, as I never expected that in this day and age we'd get another Scorsese/Coppola-type crime drama, and was totally blown away at how good it was. I love how bad-ass they made Denzel.