2005 Screening Log

[Prince Eric]

Hey, guys. As most of you know, I kept a screening log of movie I saw throughout 2004. I also included comments about what I thought of them and a grade. Is was also supposed to function as an Oscar diary of sorts, but life gets busy and time gets away from you, so...I couldn't really keep up with that part. Anyway, does anyone think I should continue for 2005? Maybe this time it could be a forum effort?

[castleinthesky]

Well, you did well. I didn't like your reviews of some movies though

It could be better if the forum was all involved, if everyone said what they thought about movies they recently saw.

[Jack]

2005 THEATRICAL FILM LIST

1/01/05
Meet the Fockers - C-

1/22/05
Assault on Precinct 13 - C+
Elektra - C+

1/24/05
In Good Company - A+

2/11/05
Pooh's Heffalump Movie - B

2/14/05
Hitch - B+

[Disneykid]

I'm definitely in. Loomis had something like this done for 2004, but people didn't keep up with their lists (I did, and it helped A LOT when I made my end of the year rankings list). I'll use this post for future 2005 movies I see.

EDITS (Red means I saw it in theaters; ratings are out of four stars)

Constantine: February 19, ***
The Ring Two: March 19, ***
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: May 25, ***
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith: May 26, ***1/2
Bewitched: July 9, ***
Batman Begins: July 14, ***1/2
Dark Water: July 24, ***
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: July 25, ***1/2
The Brothers Grimm: September 1, ***
The Exorcism of Emily Rose: September 10, ***1/2
Monster-in-Law: September 17, **1/2
Kingdom of Heaven: October 27, ***
Chicken Little: November 13, ***1/2
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: November 18, ****
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: December 9, ****
Aeon Flux: December 11, ***
King Kong: December 17, ***1/2

[Just Myself]

Being the movie fanatic I am, I am most certainly in.

I herein sign my soul to UD and Prince Eric, swearing that for every film I see shall be mini reviewed and graded.

[Prince Eric]

Great! I guess I'll be first!

January 1, 2005

Before Sunset

It gets better every time! Richard Linklater is a master of poetic conversation and Julie Delpy is so hot - in an intelligent kind've way. Definately one of the best of 2004.

The Aviator

I've never been a big Scorsese fan, and I'm still not. However, I was really surprised how great this movie was. The directore and Leo did a great job of showing the two sides of Howard Hughes - the actute, businessman/playboy and the obsessive compulsive disorder manic. Cate Blanchett is headed for an Oscar nomination for her dead-on performance as the one-and-only Katherine Hepburn.
Grade: A-

December 23, 2004

Meet the Fockers
I'm sure everyone on this board has picked up on my averstion to mainstream comedies. They're just so...redundant. (Not to mention inane.) Shockingly, I found this was a really good sequel to a mediocre film. Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand once again prove why they're living legends.
Grade: B+


P.S. What reviews exactly didn't you agree with? Just curious.

[castleinthesky]

P.S. What reviews exactly didn't you agree with? Just curious.

Well it was King Arthur. My favorite movie of the year, but you called it boring.

[Loomis]

Yay! The old concept comes back.

Finding Neverland
Date Seen: 8 January, 2005
Although I felt a little maniupulated at the end of the film, this once again proves just how much of an underrated actor that Johnny Depp is. Not the best film ever made, but an obvious Oscar contender.

[Wonderlicious]

The Phantom of the Opera
Date seen: 1st January 2005
To see my full opinion, read Jack's post, but in a nutshell, it was a flawed yet equally good film.
My Grade: A-

[AwallaceUNC]

Lemony Snickett's A Series Of Unfortunate Events
Date seen: *Unsure*
Ok, so it's not a 2005 film, but close enough, and I saw it in '05. It was really well-done with some solid acting. I was kept in suspense and was thinking "this guy really gets fantasy" (which I love), and then I realized that it's really not all that fantastical. Still, the film keeps that illusion for the entire duration.
Grade: A

-Aaron

[Prince Eric]

January 6, 2005

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring
Ditto about release dates. The point is, I saw it in 2005! Anyway, a wonderful film. This is the first Korean film I've seen and I'm elated it was indeed my first. China and Japan are complete opposites of Korea; Korea definately calls for a more contemplative and quit listening experience. Definately one of the Best Pictures of 2004.
Grade: A

[Prince Eric]

January 7, 2005

Hotel Rwanda
Even though there was hardly any blood, or any extreme violence, this movie was just as powerful as Schindler's List. It's frightening in every respect to the capabilities an elite ruling class - and the brainwashing they can do to an entire nation. As potent as any warm film out there, this movie is both artful and substantial. The audience leaves knowing why, and how this atrocity happened. Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo are Oscar worthy.
Grade: A

P.S. Still catching up on the 2004 titles.

[Mr. Toad]

Hmmm. Well with my new big screen TV I have seen my last of movie theatres, so for me it is DVDs only.

Jan 3/4 - Star Wars - outside of the inserted scene with Yoda I would not have even known there were any alterations. Screw the whiners, still among the best movies of all time. Brilliant A+

Jan 6 - Big Fish - havent cried during many movies, but came close during this one. Excellent Film. Really cant believe it only garnered one measily Oscar nomination for music. Coulda had a boatload more for Acting especially Albert Finney and especially on the technical side. A-

Jan 7 - Rescuers Down Under - The Rescuers were a sidebar and really unnecessary to the entire plot. The movie was quite grainy. Never could get into it. C.

Jan8 - Aladdin. Wow what a treat in high definition. Brilliant picture and sound. Really my second favorite animated classic next too Fantasia A+

[Jack]

Star Wars - outside of the inserted scene with Yoda I would not have even known there were any alterations. Screw the whiners, still among the best movies of all time. Brilliant A+

Hmm . . . there was no inserted scene with Yoda. In fact, none of the new scenes on the '97 SEs or the '04 DVDs feature Yoda. I do agree with your grade though! SW ROCK!!!!! Go!!!!! SW!!!!!

[Mr. Toad]

Oh yeah Jabba is the bounty hunter, Yoda is the Jedi master. And they look almost identical too which is why I confused them.

[Jack]

Boba Fett is the bounty hunter.


And Jabba and Yoda look nothing alike.

Jabba is a big slug.


And Yoda is a little green midget with pointy ears.


You have much to learn my young padawan!

[Mr. Toad]

Thats what the laughing icon was for - I know they look nothing alike. Fine, he is the guy that sends bounty hunters after Han then.

[Just Myself]

Meet The Fockers
I love the first movie; I consider it one of the funniest comedies ever. But THIS was disgusting. Sex sex sex and more sex. If I want to see Ben Stiller's foreskin in fondue, a horny infant and humping seniors, I'd have let Universal know. But trust me, it's not what I wanted.

Meet The Fockers F

[Prince Eric]

January 8, 2005

Spanglish
I don't think this deserves the title of "Worst of the Year" like many critics are labeling it. I certainly didn't expect such a sloppy script from James L. Brooks, but hey, every auteur has their bad days (or projects). The story was too unfocused, but the characters were certainly "alive." It was fun for certain lengths of time, but then it just slipped to mediocrity. Cloris Leachman and Paz Vega glow. On a somewhat lower level, Tea Leoni played her part well as a nuerotic mother, but by the final scene, she was cleary showboating. I don't understand the casting of Adam Sandler? Maybe to draw a larger audience to this prestige flick? Drama, or seriousness, has never been his thing. Overall, the movie didn't know if it was a family drama, an ethnic comedy, a romance, a date movie, chick flick, family film, culture-clash sitcom, or Oscar epic. Paz Vega must have been payed a lot to do this, especially after her high art performance in Pedro Almodavar's Talk to Her.
Grade: C+

[thatartguy]

Jan 3/4 - Star Wars - outside of the inserted scene with Yoda I would not have even known there were any alterations. Screw the whiners, still among the best movies of all time. Brilliant A+

I'm not trying to start a war here, but would Steamboat Willie be the same if it were only released in a colorized version? Would Mary Poppins be the same movie if they took out half of the animation and replaced it with computer generated characters?

If I'm whining because I want film history preserved, call me a whiner then. I find most of the changes unbearable. It also doesn't help that there was absolutely no quality control on the project. The rear channels of the 5.1 John Williams' score were reversed on the first movie and sound horrible. How about the sound drop-out when they attack the Death Star? Lucasfilm chalked it up to "it was intentional and was Lucas' deliberate artistic decision." Okay, fine, then why was the French soundtrack unchanged? Different "artistic decision" for the Quebecers?

All they had to do was release the originals unaltered and then have a second set with the changes. Everyone then would be happy. Well, everyone but Lucas.

"I am very concerned about our national heritage, and I am very concerned that the films that I watched when I was young and the films that I watched throughout my life are preserved, so that my children can see them." - George Lucas, speaking against the colorization of black and white films.

I guess Lucas has been hinting that they original trilogy will be released in it's original theatrical format on the next generation medium such as Blu-Ray or HD-DVD on the first film's 30th anniversary.

Anyone truly appreciative of the original trilogy, I urge to go here:

http://www.originaltrilogy.com