True Romance (1993) 6.5/10 - I guess I had my expectations set too high. I had heard that this was written by Tarantino and that it was every bit as good as Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs (in fact, he wrote this movie in between those two movies). Unfortunately, it’s not even close and I suspect a lot of that has to do with director Tony (the lesser) Scott’s changes to Tarantino’s original script (such as making the movie in chronological order, neutering the quirkiness of certain characters, and slapping on a happy ending). I just feel Tarantino would’ve done a much better job directing certain scenes and would’ve retained the cool vibe found in the script.
With that said, there is still a lot to like. The cast of memorable characters, for one, is pretty damn impressive. Big names like Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, James Gandolfini, and Christopher Walken only have brief roles in this film but completely own the screen when they’re on. I also thought the story was pretty unique and there are still some of those Tarantino moments of eloquent dialogue found throughout. I liked the idea behind Clarence and Alabama but I don’t feel the characters were executed right (a combination of poor acting and directing). I also like the Hans Zimmer score but don’t think it fits the movie at all. As it is, I feel like the writer and the director weren’t on the same page with this movie.
Mulholland Dr. (2001) 6.5/10 - It’s been forever since I’d seen this and I didn't remember anything outside the lesbian scenes, so I was going into this with blinders on. It was entertaining from start to finish but not a satisfying movie in the slightest. I don’t care for the Jacob’s Ladder ending, the purpose of which was to give Lynch free range to make 2/3 of the movie as vague and surrealist as possible. The ending left me wondering why the director would even have me invest in these characters if everything before the final few minutes is insignificant, I feel much the same way with the ending to 2001, like I wasted my time on a story that was never meant to be completed. Still, I was entertained and there's something to be said about that.
Thor (2011) 6.5/10 - This movie starts out pretty good but quickly goes downhill once Thor is banished from Asgard. The opening stuff in Asgard is nothing short of breathtaking. The casting of the mythological Asgardings is spot on and it feels like they’re living in a fully realized world with much to be explored (akin to what Peter Jackson did with Middle Earth). Everything Thor was doing in Asgard was interesting and the battle with the Frost Giants was spectacular. Which only makes the stuff in the human world all the more underwhelming. I didn’t buy into the forced-cliche romance, I didn’t care for the dull-stereotyped characters and I didn’t care for the childish-sarcastic humor that suddenly popped up. Thor becomes a joke in the human world and so does the movie, which is a shame.
What Movie Did You Just Watch? ...Rises
Fair Game (2010)
Naomi Watts and Sean Penn star in this true story about CIA operative Valerie Plame, who got outed by the Bush White House to take political revenge on her husband, ambassador Joe Wilson, who wrote an article busting the Bush cabal on their lies about Saddam Hussein's uranium purchases from Niger. It's a good thriller-drama and it perfectly demonstrates the devastating effects on both the Plame-Wilson household but also the lives of all the people which depended on Plame's secret identity. The movie effectively shows how much lives were destroyed by this formal act of treason, for whom nobody ever served one day of jailtime.
Or, to summarize it better:
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/vlDfYNFagSU" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Naomi Watts and Sean Penn star in this true story about CIA operative Valerie Plame, who got outed by the Bush White House to take political revenge on her husband, ambassador Joe Wilson, who wrote an article busting the Bush cabal on their lies about Saddam Hussein's uranium purchases from Niger. It's a good thriller-drama and it perfectly demonstrates the devastating effects on both the Plame-Wilson household but also the lives of all the people which depended on Plame's secret identity. The movie effectively shows how much lives were destroyed by this formal act of treason, for whom nobody ever served one day of jailtime.
Or, to summarize it better:
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/vlDfYNFagSU" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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ajmrowland
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ajmrowland
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actually, it does make sense because ben said that, for all intents and purposes, anakin did perish at that ageBarbossa wrote:Watched the original trilogy on Blu-RayBarbossa wrote:On Blu-Ray, Star Wars:
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
They all look great! - despite the weak scripts and directing. Currently watching Episode IV.
Episode IV: A New Hope
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
They all look and sound great. Jedi seems to have the most new tweaks. First noticable thing, the side sweep of Jabba's Palace's door to make it look bigger. Wicket's eyes blinking is another one, although the other Ewoks' eyes don't blink. Then I noticed R2 is CG when he gets blasted at the bunker and his systems are going berserk. And then of course you have Vader yelling "Nooooo". The one change I still don't get from the DVD release is putting Hayden in the ghost scene. It doesn't make sense. Both Ben and Yoda perished at a certain age and they appear as ghosts at that age, Anakin does not - doesn't make sense. Besides the tweaks, Jedi also looks good. Now I got a bunch of behind the scenes stuff to watch.
After watching all 6 movies in 3 days, I'm gonna rank them like this:
1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. A New Hope
3. Return of the Jedi
4. Revenge of the Sith
5. Attack of the Clones
6. The Phantom Menace
I wonder if George will release the Ewok movies on Blu-Ray?
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ajmrowland
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get out.Goliath wrote:
Disney's Bolt (2008)
If I would ever have to name one Disney-movie that has not even one inch of 'Disney Essence' in it, it would be this lame, uninspired blatant rip-off of the DreamWorks-formula. The characters are bland (to put it in the nicest of terms), the story predictable, the jokes juvenile, the music is forgettable and basically, there's nothing in there for the adults among us. This is the kind of stuff I expect from a straight-to-dvd sequel.
not seriously, but get out
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SillySymphony
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The Lion King [IN 3D] (1994) ✰✰✰✰1/2 :
First time viewing in the theater. Still 4 solid stars, plus an extra 1/2 for the 3D effect. Doesn't add or take away anything in the big picture, but it's still kinda cool. Characters that really popped with the 3D were Zazu, Scar and the Hyenas. The wildebeest stampede scene is still pretty intense, even without 3D. I found myself not truly watching the movie, since I know it by heart, and instead just sat there admiring the art and dedication put into such a celebrated success. (And still #1 again at the box office I believe.)
The Help (2011) ✰✰✰✰ :
Read the titled book over a month ago. I liked it, though I felt it tried to be too many things. Saw the movie today and was satisfied with the adaptation, it captured the heart of the book. (Beware: The movie has 5 tear-jerking scenes. You'll leave the theater a mess, in a good way.) Some say that the events and racial hate are played down, in both the book and the movie. I see the Civil Rights era as a setting for promoting the worldviews that are 1) we should show respect even when respect isn't shown to us and 2) you can't have peace if you can't love your enemies .
First time viewing in the theater. Still 4 solid stars, plus an extra 1/2 for the 3D effect. Doesn't add or take away anything in the big picture, but it's still kinda cool. Characters that really popped with the 3D were Zazu, Scar and the Hyenas. The wildebeest stampede scene is still pretty intense, even without 3D. I found myself not truly watching the movie, since I know it by heart, and instead just sat there admiring the art and dedication put into such a celebrated success. (And still #1 again at the box office I believe.)
The Help (2011) ✰✰✰✰ :
Read the titled book over a month ago. I liked it, though I felt it tried to be too many things. Saw the movie today and was satisfied with the adaptation, it captured the heart of the book. (Beware: The movie has 5 tear-jerking scenes. You'll leave the theater a mess, in a good way.) Some say that the events and racial hate are played down, in both the book and the movie. I see the Civil Rights era as a setting for promoting the worldviews that are 1) we should show respect even when respect isn't shown to us and 2) you can't have peace if you can't love your enemies .
theCat'sOut/Flowers&Trees/theFlyingMouse/theSkeletonDance/theThreeLittlePigs
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Lazario
Tangled (2010 / directed by: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard)
Well, color me surprised. After The Princess and the Frog turned out to be quite the dud to spite its' absurd praise, I was surprised this one satisfied me as much as it did. Especially, of all places, the action scenes. Coming from someone who actually started snoozing during Happy Feet (I'm not saying that's Disney, you get what I mean) and Finding Nemo's bend-anymore-and-you'll-break over-epic chase scenes and almost-there..., ALMOST - T...H...E...R...E dramatics (which, if I may say so, was just trying to tap into some of that Toy Story heart-in-your-throat adventure), this one really sat back and built up the anticipation before the AMAZING dam-breaking moment and Maximus's incredible roof and bridge jumping spectacular. If I had seen this in the theater... well, let's just say: it was almost worth seeing in the theater (I'm sorry, that almost is indictative of just how not-affordable $10 admission is) just so you could really feel these moments. So, hopefully HUGEscreen tv's are in enough homes.
As for the story... well, I didn't care all that much. But the movie was padded beautifully. The little chameleon (Pascal?) was freaking ADORABLE. And, sooner than I expected, I actually grew to like Maximus. At first, I was at that Army of Darkness level of: COME ON!!! The movie was going to just ridiculous lengths to give him the upper hand over the criminal, who was clearly a little Aladdin + Pocahontas's John Smith. Kept in check better than those characters, so there's another plus for this movie. But I wasn't convinced that the movie was trying to give them equal skills in their battle of wits. The musical numbers irritated me. Naturally, "Mother Knows Best" was one of 2 that I actually liked. I think enough people here know what I like and how many different spooky images did they incorporate into that number? It was like something out of Nightmare Before Christmas, only- where you didn't really expect it (therefore, I count it as being superior to - let's say - a fair share of Oogie Boogie's scenes). But, man, I just couldn't stand that way over-the-top number about tough guys who have sensitive little hobbies. And... most of Mandy Moore's numbers as well. However, I loved the montage of post-"I'm Free" reactions. Probably the single best moment for that character, clever and deeply funny.
As far as her being a tougher heroine, I'm not sure a lot of it wasn't forced. Her best natural attribute was knowing what to do with the hair. I was actually more impressed when Flynn was using the frying pan- it kind of liberated him as a fighter, not just a slick crook. Not crazy about the ending. Of course I loved the cutting of the hair and the fact that it didn't grow back, which I really expected it to when her magic was able to save Flynn and it was also good that no one ever mourned its loss or made a big deal about it even though it was literally the most essential tool in the film. Heck: she even needed it in the end to get rid of the villain. Other than that, Mother Gothel (?spell?) didn't exactly wow me in her final scene. This likely dates back into the movie where the relationship between her and Repunsel didn't feel genuine to me. She had a great sense of humor and brassy way of talking to Repunsel when they weren't "arguing" over letting Repunsel go on her own, yet Repunsel never seemed to treat her like she believed she was her mother except when she was saying "I love you more." Oh, and when she was worried about "breaking her heart."
Seems like a small thing to complain about- I know. But it matters to me when you know this character is coming to embody so much of the other qualities of previous Disney Princesses (falling for a man, she needs to get away from her "prison" inside, trying to prove her independence, etc). This is where the ending comes back and the film actually feels the need to explain to us what happened after Repunsel and Flynn kiss... while they're kissing. Can't we ever just see what happens and not have a happier (read: sappier) ending fed to us? I want to think about the moment and not what will happen later. That's what sequels are for. (I'd welcome one to this film if just to say: hey, Shrek had one and look how bad that was.)
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UmbrellaFish
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Dr Frankenollie
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jpanimation
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Well my library got the Blu, and I haven’t seen it in a long time, so I decided to revisit...
Citizen Kane (1941) 7/10 - Most certainly NOT the greatest movie ever made, at least not as far as I’m concerned, but still a must see for any lovers of cinema. What this film is, though, is technically brilliant from start to finish. Every shot meticulously crafted to perfection, wonderfully lit and beautifully choreographed. The camera moves so eloquently that it almost becomes a character of itself, transitions from one scene to another seem organic (nothing beats the “Merry Christmas” transition where two decades pass), and there are a number of scenes that are staged soo well that you could easily hang a still photo of it on a wall. The acting, for the most part, is excellent throughout. Orson Welles, of course, steals the show (his political speech still gets me) but thats not to discount the excellence displayed by the other actors in this film, who deliver the well written dialogue with ease. My main beef with the acting comes when everyone tries to act like sentimental old farts, as they try too hard, and Welles ends up being the only one the slightest bit convincing. Which brings me to the makeup, which I thought was excellent and really sold the aging process. Last but not least, I can’t forget Bernard Hermann (my favorite classic movie composer), who provided the excellent score. It’s just the cherry on top of this technically brilliant cinematic sundae. Easy to see why this movie gets the praise that it does. Unfortunately, the story is rather lack luster. Sure, the rose bud mystery kept me going the first time I saw it and the ending caught me off guard then but it doesn’t really hold up on your second viewing. Still, it’s not even the story that‘s the weakest link here but it’s the lack of empathetic characters. Kane is just unrelatable and hard to get into. The whole movie is built around him and yet you find yourself wishing you were following any of the other characters. It’s this all important disconnect that kept me from revisiting this film for all these years. Still, I have to give credit where credit is due. Orson Welles is a tour de force here (at only age 25), expertly tackling the writing, directing and acting duties with more skill then most doing just one. His innovative techniques makes this movie a milestone in cinema and his bravery in making a this faux biopic about a William Randolph Hearst-esque media magnate while under threat is to be commended.
BTW, the picture and audio quality are excellent on the Blu-ray
Citizen Kane (1941) 7/10 - Most certainly NOT the greatest movie ever made, at least not as far as I’m concerned, but still a must see for any lovers of cinema. What this film is, though, is technically brilliant from start to finish. Every shot meticulously crafted to perfection, wonderfully lit and beautifully choreographed. The camera moves so eloquently that it almost becomes a character of itself, transitions from one scene to another seem organic (nothing beats the “Merry Christmas” transition where two decades pass), and there are a number of scenes that are staged soo well that you could easily hang a still photo of it on a wall. The acting, for the most part, is excellent throughout. Orson Welles, of course, steals the show (his political speech still gets me) but thats not to discount the excellence displayed by the other actors in this film, who deliver the well written dialogue with ease. My main beef with the acting comes when everyone tries to act like sentimental old farts, as they try too hard, and Welles ends up being the only one the slightest bit convincing. Which brings me to the makeup, which I thought was excellent and really sold the aging process. Last but not least, I can’t forget Bernard Hermann (my favorite classic movie composer), who provided the excellent score. It’s just the cherry on top of this technically brilliant cinematic sundae. Easy to see why this movie gets the praise that it does. Unfortunately, the story is rather lack luster. Sure, the rose bud mystery kept me going the first time I saw it and the ending caught me off guard then but it doesn’t really hold up on your second viewing. Still, it’s not even the story that‘s the weakest link here but it’s the lack of empathetic characters. Kane is just unrelatable and hard to get into. The whole movie is built around him and yet you find yourself wishing you were following any of the other characters. It’s this all important disconnect that kept me from revisiting this film for all these years. Still, I have to give credit where credit is due. Orson Welles is a tour de force here (at only age 25), expertly tackling the writing, directing and acting duties with more skill then most doing just one. His innovative techniques makes this movie a milestone in cinema and his bravery in making a this faux biopic about a William Randolph Hearst-esque media magnate while under threat is to be commended.
BTW, the picture and audio quality are excellent on the Blu-ray
Last edited by jpanimation on Wed Oct 12, 2011 3:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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SillySymphony
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Long post. Lots to see this past week. Ratings based on 5 star method.
Courageous (2011) ✰✰✰✰ :
Courageous is a open Christian-themed film and at it's center it delivers a challenge to fathers, parents and all people. I was so caught up in the story that the filming quality and acting faded away to the deeper message.
It doesn't lack emotion. I (and I'm pretty sure everyone in the theatre) was weeping throughout the picture. The comedic scenes were well done. Seeing it with your dad makes it all the more precious.
Bolt (2008) ✰✰✰1/2 :
Probably my 6th? watching. Cute and fun, as it should be.
Good: The pets trio work extremely well together. Love the Barking at the Moon montage. I ♥ Pigeons.
Bad: Miley Cyrus' voice is still annoying. Don't care for any of the manager/producer/agent scenes. I wanted more villain Dr. Calico.
Still get an occasional Toy Story and Nemo vibe for some reason...
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) ✰✰ :
I want to say this film was utter garbage, well, it's disposable. You won't miss anything plot-wise from the previous movies. I was liking the Apollo conspiracy opening and going with it until we cut to Shia and his ugly little robot roommates. Story goes nowhere from there. I knew who was going to betray/save/die all before it happened. It was an hour too long.
Sergeant York (1941) ✰✰✰1/2 :
Getting struck by lightning would set any man straight, right? That's what this movie portrays. You'll finally "get religion" too. Turning your life around might also when you the girl next door, if your not drafted into the army. Even though the army scenes were 'routine' ones, I liked the second half better than the first. I was annoyed that it took over half the movie to finally get to war.
Phantom Of The Opera 25th Anniversary (2011) ✰✰✰✰ :
First 'live' movie theatre event and first time seeing Phantom. Just my mom and I went; tickets were $18 dollars! We arrived late, but the audience (on screen) was still getting their seats. (The Royal Albert Hall in London is spectacular.) Phantastic show, especially with all the extra pressure the cast had to be feeling. I just adore Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo, they work marvelously together. The main backdrop including scene changes were all computer graphics, which was neat and added depth, but I'd personally prefer a physical curtain rather than a CGI one. Andrew Lloyd Webber's speech, seeing the oringal cast and crew, and the additional encore performances made the night.
(My official start to the Halloween season.)
Sleepy Hollow (1999) ✰✰1/2 :
In the fewest words: Bizarre, Bloody and Burton.
The costumes and sets were 'bewitching', yet I couldn't feel for any of the characters. (Hard to anyway since they're gone before you know it.) Lots of famous faces doing nothing in this picture. At least Depp didn't 'lose his head', which isn't saying much. Didn't care for the new handsome murder investigator angle, but we all know gangly school teachers don't get the girl in the end.
(And yes, I had lots of fun finding those emoticons.)
Courageous (2011) ✰✰✰✰ :Courageous is a open Christian-themed film and at it's center it delivers a challenge to fathers, parents and all people. I was so caught up in the story that the filming quality and acting faded away to the deeper message.
It doesn't lack emotion. I (and I'm pretty sure everyone in the theatre) was weeping throughout the picture. The comedic scenes were well done. Seeing it with your dad makes it all the more precious.
Bolt (2008) ✰✰✰1/2 :Probably my 6th? watching. Cute and fun, as it should be.
Good: The pets trio work extremely well together. Love the Barking at the Moon montage. I ♥ Pigeons.
Bad: Miley Cyrus' voice is still annoying. Don't care for any of the manager/producer/agent scenes. I wanted more villain Dr. Calico.
Still get an occasional Toy Story and Nemo vibe for some reason...
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) ✰✰ :I want to say this film was utter garbage, well, it's disposable. You won't miss anything plot-wise from the previous movies. I was liking the Apollo conspiracy opening and going with it until we cut to Shia and his ugly little robot roommates. Story goes nowhere from there. I knew who was going to betray/save/die all before it happened. It was an hour too long.
Sergeant York (1941) ✰✰✰1/2 :Getting struck by lightning would set any man straight, right? That's what this movie portrays. You'll finally "get religion" too. Turning your life around might also when you the girl next door, if your not drafted into the army. Even though the army scenes were 'routine' ones, I liked the second half better than the first. I was annoyed that it took over half the movie to finally get to war.
Phantom Of The Opera 25th Anniversary (2011) ✰✰✰✰ :First 'live' movie theatre event and first time seeing Phantom. Just my mom and I went; tickets were $18 dollars! We arrived late, but the audience (on screen) was still getting their seats. (The Royal Albert Hall in London is spectacular.) Phantastic show, especially with all the extra pressure the cast had to be feeling. I just adore Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo, they work marvelously together. The main backdrop including scene changes were all computer graphics, which was neat and added depth, but I'd personally prefer a physical curtain rather than a CGI one. Andrew Lloyd Webber's speech, seeing the oringal cast and crew, and the additional encore performances made the night.
(My official start to the Halloween season.)
Sleepy Hollow (1999) ✰✰1/2 :In the fewest words: Bizarre, Bloody and Burton.
The costumes and sets were 'bewitching', yet I couldn't feel for any of the characters. (Hard to anyway since they're gone before you know it.) Lots of famous faces doing nothing in this picture. At least Depp didn't 'lose his head', which isn't saying much. Didn't care for the new handsome murder investigator angle, but we all know gangly school teachers don't get the girl in the end.
(And yes, I had lots of fun finding those emoticons.)
theCat'sOut/Flowers&Trees/theFlyingMouse/theSkeletonDance/theThreeLittlePigs
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jpanimation
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Batman: Year One (2011) 7/10 - I’ll just start off by saying that I’ve never read Miller’s original novel but I’m well aware of it’s existence. That said, this was finally my opportunity to see what all the fuss is about, especially since the producers of this movie were making claims of extreme faithfulness (pretty much a panel-by-panel recreation of the novel). That said, I liked the story a lot but I feel that by being soo faithful they missed an opportunity to bring more substance to the original source. It literally feels like it just cuts from scene to scene without playing them out and letting them sink in (a comic book has the advantage over animation where readers see a panel of artwork and naturally let their imaginations fill in the rest, usually fleshing it out). So I probably would’ve added 15-20 minutes of pure cinema (atmospheric shots, extended silent acting moments for the characters to replace the narrations, all played out by utilizing the score and sound effects to their fullest) to really allow the weight of the material to be absorbed by the viewers (as it is, everything goes by too fast). To continue on the subject of presentation, the casting is off. Ben McKenzie is a terrible Batman. I know they wanted him to sound young but McKenzie is neither eloquent as Bruce Wayne or intimidating as Batman. Big screwup, since he’s the main character (well, sort of). Then their is the stock voice actors, who just sound too cartoony for this kind of serious material (Steve Blum, Grey DeLisle and especially Jeff Bennett as Alfred; does he have to be in everything?). Everyone else sounds great, especially Cranston as Gordon. Last on my list of disappointments comes the animation. While the fight scenes are absolutely excellent, everything else is just par for the course. I feel like Young Justice is setting the bar soo high that these DTV features are going to have to step it up if they’re going to come off as anything more then television animation. Overall, it was good but it could’ve been great. It’s not the material but the presentation that disappoints.
The accompanying short, titled simply Catwoman, is excellent. It starts off firing on all cylinders and by the time it's done, you'll be wanting a feature film. Both the Selina Kyle and Catwoman designs are slightly more refined from the ones featured in Year One and IMO they're the ideal Catwoman (outside them retaining Miller's short hair). Animation wise, it ranges from absolutely jaw-dropping to just flat out '90s Spider-Man' in quality (there's pretty bad CGI integration in some scenes). Eliza Dushku is great as Catwoman but all the other stock voice actors have been soo overused in the DC Animated Universe that too many different characters sound exactly the same.Overall, worth checking out for the hot chicks and sweet action.
The accompanying short, titled simply Catwoman, is excellent. It starts off firing on all cylinders and by the time it's done, you'll be wanting a feature film. Both the Selina Kyle and Catwoman designs are slightly more refined from the ones featured in Year One and IMO they're the ideal Catwoman (outside them retaining Miller's short hair). Animation wise, it ranges from absolutely jaw-dropping to just flat out '90s Spider-Man' in quality (there's pretty bad CGI integration in some scenes). Eliza Dushku is great as Catwoman but all the other stock voice actors have been soo overused in the DC Animated Universe that too many different characters sound exactly the same.Overall, worth checking out for the hot chicks and sweet action.
Last edited by jpanimation on Wed Oct 12, 2011 3:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Bringing Up Baby (1934)
It has been a long time since I've seen a classic Hollywood movie from the 'golden age' and this one has both Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn in it. It was funny at a lot of points, thanks to the rapid, clever and razor-sharp back-and-forths between the two leading actors. Grant and Hepburn are the perfect couple to deliver dialogue like this. Their chemistry is good and their delivery is excellent. The only problem is the script. Everything is going smoothly, there are funny mix-ups, the growing frustration of the Grant-character and the growing enthusiasm of the Hepburn-character are played out perfectly, until the point in the movie where 'Baby' (the leopard) breaks loose and all characters go to hunt her. That's where the movie starts to drag terribly. The last half hour is a pain to sit through. A very disappointing ending to a promising movie.
Milk (2008)
Sean Penn richly deserved his Academy Award for this part of Harvey Milk, the first openly homosexual politician in the US. Van Sant paints a convincing picture of 1970's San Francisco, the atmosphere is there, the cause is laid out well enough, there's enough time spend on both Milk's personal life and his political fights, so there's a good balance. Still, the movie does not entirely satisfy. I think, all in all, this biography is a bit too conventional. Still deserves to be seen.
It has been a long time since I've seen a classic Hollywood movie from the 'golden age' and this one has both Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn in it. It was funny at a lot of points, thanks to the rapid, clever and razor-sharp back-and-forths between the two leading actors. Grant and Hepburn are the perfect couple to deliver dialogue like this. Their chemistry is good and their delivery is excellent. The only problem is the script. Everything is going smoothly, there are funny mix-ups, the growing frustration of the Grant-character and the growing enthusiasm of the Hepburn-character are played out perfectly, until the point in the movie where 'Baby' (the leopard) breaks loose and all characters go to hunt her. That's where the movie starts to drag terribly. The last half hour is a pain to sit through. A very disappointing ending to a promising movie.
Milk (2008)
Sean Penn richly deserved his Academy Award for this part of Harvey Milk, the first openly homosexual politician in the US. Van Sant paints a convincing picture of 1970's San Francisco, the atmosphere is there, the cause is laid out well enough, there's enough time spend on both Milk's personal life and his political fights, so there's a good balance. Still, the movie does not entirely satisfy. I think, all in all, this biography is a bit too conventional. Still deserves to be seen.
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Dr Frankenollie
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I just watched the first quarter or so of Gilliam's Brazil. It's even better than the last time I saw it; it's funny, touching, imaginative and bursting at the seams with tiny little details that take you 50+ viewings to get all of. It's my favourite film and one of the greatest films of all time too. Absolutely spectacular.
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dvdjunkie
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Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) Blu-ray
The third, and hopefully final, entry into this franchise is a much better movie than the second "Rise of the Fallen" fiasco. That being said, it still is long way from being the 'perfect' Transformers film.
Replacing Megan Fox with Rosie Huntington-Whitely was a big mistake and casting Frances McDormand, Kevin Dunn and John Malcovich in roles that were wasted and could have been so much more, was another faux paux.
While the action is pretty much non-stop, and we have a pretty decent lead in to what the story is going to be about, it all gets thrown together in so many different clashes that you generally just give up trying to figure it out.
Sentinel Prime is voiced by Leonard Nimoy, which was one of the highlights of the film, and Michael Bay's use of the Autobots is truly amazing. The special effects are really special, but unfortunately there isn't a strong story to keep up with all the explosions and such.
As a popcorn movie, yes, you can sit back and revel at all the action. But as a movie that you would want to watch more than once, I say that it is pretty weak. On the Junkie Meter I would give this one 3 out of 5 stars.
Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985) Blu-ray
Imagine my surprise when I saw this sitting on the Blu-ray shelves. I quickly snatched this up, it was one of my favorite movies of the 80's. Starring William Katt and Sean Young as married paleontologists who discover two surviving Brontosauruses living in the jungle of South Africa. Patrick McGoohan is along for the ride as the evil bad guy who wants to slay these reptiles "in the name of science".
While watching their discovery from afar, Katt and Young find that there is a hatchling, a baby brontosaurus (actually they are called apatosaurus) and they quickly befriend 'baby'.
While not the best scripted film, and the music of Jerry Goldsmith is truly wasted on this film (it is used so sparsely you have to listen for it), this movie has some of the best special effects in the pre-Jurassic Park era.
Distributed by Buena Vista pictures and produced by Touchstone Pictures this film has been given a beautiful Hi-Def Blu-ray treatment and the 2.0 Dolby Stereo is really wonderful to hear.
The third, and hopefully final, entry into this franchise is a much better movie than the second "Rise of the Fallen" fiasco. That being said, it still is long way from being the 'perfect' Transformers film.
Replacing Megan Fox with Rosie Huntington-Whitely was a big mistake and casting Frances McDormand, Kevin Dunn and John Malcovich in roles that were wasted and could have been so much more, was another faux paux.
While the action is pretty much non-stop, and we have a pretty decent lead in to what the story is going to be about, it all gets thrown together in so many different clashes that you generally just give up trying to figure it out.
Sentinel Prime is voiced by Leonard Nimoy, which was one of the highlights of the film, and Michael Bay's use of the Autobots is truly amazing. The special effects are really special, but unfortunately there isn't a strong story to keep up with all the explosions and such.
As a popcorn movie, yes, you can sit back and revel at all the action. But as a movie that you would want to watch more than once, I say that it is pretty weak. On the Junkie Meter I would give this one 3 out of 5 stars.
Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985) Blu-ray
Imagine my surprise when I saw this sitting on the Blu-ray shelves. I quickly snatched this up, it was one of my favorite movies of the 80's. Starring William Katt and Sean Young as married paleontologists who discover two surviving Brontosauruses living in the jungle of South Africa. Patrick McGoohan is along for the ride as the evil bad guy who wants to slay these reptiles "in the name of science".
While watching their discovery from afar, Katt and Young find that there is a hatchling, a baby brontosaurus (actually they are called apatosaurus) and they quickly befriend 'baby'.
While not the best scripted film, and the music of Jerry Goldsmith is truly wasted on this film (it is used so sparsely you have to listen for it), this movie has some of the best special effects in the pre-Jurassic Park era.
Distributed by Buena Vista pictures and produced by Touchstone Pictures this film has been given a beautiful Hi-Def Blu-ray treatment and the 2.0 Dolby Stereo is really wonderful to hear.
The only way to watch movies - Original Aspect Ratio!!!!
I LOVE my Blu-Ray Disc Player!
I LOVE my Blu-Ray Disc Player!
Aww, I loved the prison sequence myself. Katherine's mob boss character bit cracks me up every time.Goliath wrote:Bringing Up Baby (1934)
It has been a long time since I've seen a classic Hollywood movie from the 'golden age' and this one has both Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn in it. It was funny at a lot of points, thanks to the rapid, clever and razor-sharp back-and-forths between the two leading actors. Grant and Hepburn are the perfect couple to deliver dialogue like this. Their chemistry is good and their delivery is excellent. The only problem is the script. Everything is going smoothly, there are funny mix-ups, the growing frustration of the Grant-character and the growing enthusiasm of the Hepburn-character are played out perfectly, until the point in the movie where 'Baby' (the leopard) breaks loose and all characters go to hunt her. That's where the movie starts to drag terribly. The last half hour is a pain to sit through. A very disappointing ending to a promising movie.
I will admit that it does lose steam around that point in the film, however. That seems true for a lot of screwball comedies, in fact. Great first two acts, typically weak final act.
This one, I agree with completely though. Sean Penn pulled off an amazing performance as Harvey Milk, but at the end of the day, there isn't much difference between this and any other biopic. Any believer of gay rights or film lovers in general should definitely check it out, however.Goliath wrote:Milk (2008)
Sean Penn richly deserved his Academy Award for this part of Harvey Milk, the first openly homosexual politician in the US. Van Sant paints a convincing picture of 1970's San Francisco, the atmosphere is there, the cause is laid out well enough, there's enough time spend on both Milk's personal life and his political fights, so there's a good balance. Still, the movie does not entirely satisfy. I think, all in all, this biography is a bit too conventional. Still deserves to be seen.
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Dr Frankenollie
- In The Vaults
- Posts: 2704
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 4:19 am
I watched Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) for the very first time last night, and it was better than I expected. Whilst it was by no means perfect, it had a likable protagonist, great effects, great music, compelling concepts and it had quantities of humour, emotion and thrills. However, it was a little slow-paced, and I think it would have been more powerful if the aliens had never been revealed. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it immensely.
I'll write a proper review for it later and post it on my blog.
I'll write a proper review for it later and post it on my blog.
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TheSequelOfDisney
- Signature Collection
- Posts: 5263
- Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2005 3:30 pm
- Location: Ohio, United States of America
From the past two days I've watched:
Hocus Pocus
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Fantasia
Fantasia 2000
Hocus Pocus
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Fantasia
Fantasia 2000
The Divulgations of One Desmond Leica: http://desmondleica.wordpress.com/
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TheValentineBros
- Anniversary Edition
- Posts: 1119
- Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:26 am
- Contact:
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Linden
- Special Edition
- Posts: 672
- Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 11:24 am
- Location: United States Gender: Female
I just watched National Treasure. I thought it was pretty entertaining and holds up well to movies like the Indiana Jones series (please don't shoot me; I love Indy as much as the next person). Nicholas Cage would have to be the movie's weakest point. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to have any charisma. But his supporting actors do, so it's not a lost cause. Not close to perfect by any means, but a decent effort and probably Bruckheimer's best film. It gets a C from me.
I completely agree about Inception, though. It has quickly become one of my favorite movies.
Oh, I'm sorry you didn't like it. I feel like you were convinced you didn't like it before you saw it, though. The story is unoriginal, and the characters are too, but saying there's nothing there for the adults among us is a bit much. I found it to be well-executed, funny, and sweet. I've always thought it felt more Pixar-ish (except for the unoriginality) than Dreamworks-y.Goliath wrote:Disney's Bolt (2008)
If I would ever have to name one Disney-movie that has not even one inch of 'Disney Essence' in it, it would be this lame, uninspired blatant rip-off of the DreamWorks-formula. The characters are bland (to put it in the nicest of terms), the story predictable, the jokes juvenile, the music is forgettable and basically, there's nothing in there for the adults among us. This is the kind of stuff I expect from a straight-to-dvd sequel.
I completely agree about Inception, though. It has quickly become one of my favorite movies.