Re(NOV)ate your will to rem(EMBER) things to (WATCH)‏in' '11

[J.M. Vargas]

...thread (phew! ).

Francis Ford Coppola's APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX (1979/2001) on Blu-ray with the director's commentary. Wanna get hammered while listening to the "Apocalypse Now" BD commentary track? Down a shot every time Coppola mentions that (a) he didn't know how to end the flick or (b) the movie became more 'surreal' as he discovered what he wanted "AN" to be about. You'll be s***-faced and on the ground puking before Martin Sheen & Co. arrive at Kurtz's compound. Thanks to Francis pointing it out to me I realized (a) G.D. Spradlin, who plays the military man that hands Willard his mission, was also in "Godfather II" (as the U.S. senator caught with a dead hooker) and (b) the further into enemy territory Willard's boat goes more black/minority soldiers are part of the US troops he encounters. And it should be obvious by now, but in "Redux" (a) the Martin Sheen character is humanized (flashes of humor and camaraderie with the boat crew) and (b) the French plantation is a change of pace up from the downbeat path of the theatrical cut, both of which are at jarring odds with the final act. Glad that both versions of "Apocalypse Now" are beautifully preserved in HD and in the correct theatrical AR on a single BD. But seriously though, the theatrical version is so vastly better-paced and fat-free that watching "Redux" is like eating a quart of ice cream after munching on a full KFC meal.

Fred Dekker's NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (1986) on Blu-ray. Last time I saw this three years ago I thought it was a cheesy but just-OK slice of 80's horror cinema. Watching it again on a new BD disc (the one I had before 'rotted' and wouldn't play anymore) after recently seeing Dekker's "The Monster Squad" for the first time I was surprised at how much a wall-to-wall homage to the past is packed within this flick's then-contemporary horror trappings (nudity, gore galore, etc.). Veteran John Carpenter thespian Tom Atkins seems to be in an entirely different movie/plane of mind until the last reel, when he and the youthful/forgettable cast come together for a hell of a closing act. The 20-minute 'Anecdotes from Tom Atkins' featurette (and his contributions to the actors' commentary track) are easily the highlights of a BD release that looks/sounds slightly better than it does on the HDTV channels. Hate the new (i.e. original) director's cut ending, but at least the theatrical one is a button-click away.

MST3K #106: THE CRAWLING HAND (1989/1963) on DVD. For over a decade "The Crawling Hand" was the only official "MST3K" Season 1 release (first on VHS, then DVD) that fans could legally acquire. For many (myself included) this led to unfair perceptions of J. Elvis Weinstein being 'bad' as either Dr. Erhardt (Dr. Forrester's first sidekick) or Tom 'mighty voice' Servo. Now, with a boatload of KTMA & Season 1 "MST3K" (through Shout! Box Sets) plus "Cinematic Titanic" movies under my belt, revisiting "The Crawling Hand" offers the pleasant experience of hearing Weinstein as part of a group with a body of work behind them that makes his take on Servo not only tolerable but actually enjoyable. I still get a kick when Servo/Weinstein interrupts a riff-in-progress from Joel and bursts out 'It's Ed Begley Sr.' when a lookalike actor appears on-screen. The flick itself is goofy B&W low-budget madness (an astronaut's arm lands and takes over the mind of the teenage boy that finds it) that's done with just-enough sleaze to qualify as amusing creepy, especially when sheriff Alan 'little buddy' Hale shows up with a grudge against law-breaking teenagers. This being Season 1 "MST3K" translates into way too many obvious jokes ('He's smoking'), many of them variations of the word 'hand' ('gotta hand it to him,' 'hand-to-hand combat,' etc.), but if you've grown to appreciate J. Elvis Weinstein's contribution to "MST3K" canon as much as I do you'll love him here to.

James Gunn's SLITHER (2006) on HD-DVD. Everything that Fred Dekker tried to do in "Night of the Creeps" (off-kilter humor, nod to early horror cinema, subversive storylines, etc.) James Gunn does slightly better in this so-similar-Sony-might-just-sue unofficial remake of "Creeps." It helps that, unlike the no-name cast of "Creeps" (except for Tom Atkins and maybe Dick Smith) "Slither" has Nathan Fillion doing the leading-man hero s*** with his tongue firmly in cheek while spewing hilarious dialogue with the most deadpan of deliveries. From the outer-space capsule packing people-festering slugs to some scary set-pieces (including Michael Rooker essentially turning into the monster from Carpenter's "The Thing") that become bloody goofy (i.e. the giant bloated woman) writer/director Gunn, as he did recently with "Super," skews the very type of genre film he's also lovingly recreating. This and "Night of the Creeps" go together like corn candy on Halloween night: once or twice a year is fine, any more on any other date is just too much.

CINEMATIC TITANIC: LEGACY OF BLOOD (2008/1971) on DVD for the first time. A mini-reunion of sorts of
"This Island Earth" cast members Jeff Morrow (Exeter) and Faith Domergue (Dr. Ruth), looking nothing like they did in their 50's sci-fi heyday, with two Titans (Trace and Mary Jo) that worked on "MST3K: The Movie. All these little facts go unmentioned because, frankly, there is so much crap going on in the flick there's no time (or desire) to dwell on hurtful-to-Joel trivia. A noirish tale of a deceased patriarch (John Carradine, mostly heard) piting his snake pit of a household (sons, wives, servants, daughters, etc.) against itself for a bigger share of an inheritance fortune, there is more pretend immorality and sleaze in any 5 minutes of "Legacy of Blood" (four words: Johnny and his sister... yuck!) than most movies can muster for their entire running time. The Titans' riffs are mostly spot-on ('this is the most B&W movie ever made,' 'so nice to have some vertical camera time,' etc.) but the off-putting characters and shitty-looking print conspire to squeeze little joy out the experience. For diehard fans only.

CINEMATIC TITANIC: FRANKENSTEIN'S CASTLE OF FREAKS (2009/1974) on DVD for the first time. A mostly Italian cast/crew recreate the Mary Shelley story with enough deviations from the original source (like having prehistoric cavemen as the subjects of Dr. F's experiements, which he names Goliath... wait, what??!!) plus a couple of 70's fashion faux-pa's and gratuitous nudity scenes (which brings up the appearance of a phallic-looking censoring blimp) to make a riffing comedy crew's glass seem half-full. Alas, as with "Legacy of Blood," there is a ceiling to the hilarity of the proceedings because the flick just doesn't have anyone worth caring or rooting for. A few riffs though ('calm down, think about baseball,' 'why don't you post your resume on Monster.com?', the Titans singing lyrics for the Katchachurian, etc.) break through and score big laughs. J. Elvis Weinstein, faced with a scene of Frankenstein's butler/assistant abusing a poor defenseless dwarf, casually remarks 'this reminds me of my last day at MST' to the sudden burst of laughter from his fellow Titans.

[azul017]

To finish out Halloween, I watched X-Men: First Class again. It just flies by and is very well-paced and entertaining, although I still think January Jones gave a one-note performance (and Alice Eve would've been better). I'm curious why Fox hasn't announced a sequel yet, perhaps they're waiting for a good script to come in. They better not f**k this revived franchise like they did earlier.

[mavrach]

Ocean's Eleven, Twelve & Thirteen - I'd seen the original a few times, but it was my first time seeing the sequels.

Twelve is the weak point of the series. This is another case where a script not meant for the franchise got turned into a new sequel. And I can see how on paper that script looked like it would've worked, but it doesn't feel like an Ocean's movie. If this franchise is going to stay alive, I think it's best that they keep a formula and keep it as a straight heist movie, which each character using their signature skills to work through each puzzle. Heist movies can be interesting because you can "play along from home" and try to work out their plans.

And I think I lost a few IQ points when Julia Roberts' character disguised herself as Julia Roberts. They should've stopped themselves before they went there, but that's what happens when you get the apparrent elite of Hollywood together for a movie.

So after seeing Twelve, I was bracing myself for Thirteen, and to my delight I found it to be just about equal with Eleven. It was fun again and the series went back to doing what it does best.

[molly1216]

I still have dvds in my Halloween pile which i am working on, but since neither of my Amazon new releases for Rare Exports or Island of Lost SOuls have arrived ...which is damned odd, i ran out and picked up Terry Pratchett's Going Postal 2 Disc (and a nice bottle of port)
Third in the new Discworld TV movies series and it's amazing how RIGHT they keep getting it all.
great thing about Discworld is that they are mostly stand alone stories and non sequential with different main characters
perfect for a film series. And they haven't slacked off of the production values, producing one TV special every two years using many familiar british faces, and using mostly practical effects it's visually exciting. It's one of those films like LOTR that if you freeze frame you can find lots of texture in the corners of the frames and sets. And each story they have picked is radically different in tone from the other two, so there is a discworld film for every taste.
If you are wondering WHY this DVD is much more expensive...now that they have a bigger fan best and a profitable record, they are producing more EXTRAS as well as a director commentary and they best part....a video introduction from Sir Terry Patchett as well as a small bit at the end where he is actually IN THE FILM. There is serious doubt that he will be able to do that in the next film but we are all hoping..
I'm a very happy girl, and now i am thinking of upgrading my single disc R1 releases of Hogfather and Colour of Magic with the R2 2 Disc editions.

[mavrach]

I'm tempted to continue the Halloween viewing thread, since the snow in our area had the kids' trick-or-treating day postponed until Friday.


The Grudge - This just irritated me, so I only made it about a half-hour in. I'd seen the original Ju-on a few years back. I mildly liked it, but never had the urge to revisit it or go for the sequel. What bothered me was that this was a remake of a Japanese movie, but it was still set in Japan and just focused on white people living in Japan.

If you're going to remake a movie for Americans who don't want to watch a foreign language movie, why not just change the entire setting to the US? If they're going to be interested in seeing Japanese culture, you'd think they'd just go an watch Ju-on. So not it has the Last Samurai effect where English speakers won't watch a story in a foreign country without having a white liason. This one just seems pointless.

[J.M. Vargas]

Stuart Gordon's DOLLS (1987) on DVD with both commentary tracks on. This movie is so short (77 min.) I can watch it twice with both commentary tracks (one with Gordon and writer Ed Naha, the other with the entire cast) in less time than it takes to get through a Michael Bay summer blockbuster. While the acting is pretty bad and broad (even by Gordon's loose standards with actors) the movie has a charming look, an amazing performance by Guy Rolfe and a childlike enthusiasm that's at odds with the graphic nature of its violence/gore. It brings out the best from the commentary participants, and one of Gordon's best commentary tracks along with "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond."

Fred Dekker's ROBOCOP 3 (1993) on MGM-HD for the first time. After recently seeing Dekker's "Night of the Creeps" (really liked it) and "The Monster Squad" (it's OK) I figured I might as well go for the hat trick and watch Dekker's entire filmography by tuning into "Robocop 3" when MGM-HD showed it again. My... f***ing... GOD!!! This thing was dead in the water ten times over before cameras rolled (no Peter Weller reprising his Murphy/Robo role, a PG-13 rating, a kid hacker as a main protagonist, Rip Torn as the new OCP chairman, etc.) but the kiss of death was bringing Fred Dekker to direct a story co-written by Frank Miller ("Robocop 2") with Dekker. The still-violent-but-watered-down screenplay is at odds with Dekker's directorial style and the studio's demand for a kid-friendly PG-13 version (a flying backpack, REALLY?!?!), resulting in a toothless and fun-free "A-Team"-type retelling of a dramatic adventure we've already seen twice before with this same character that were bloodier, nastier, funnier and more exciting (Paul Verhoeven's take a lot more than Irving Kershner's). A pile-up of good actors (CCH Pounder, Jill Hennessy, Bradley Whitford, etc.) and some "Robocop" veterans (Nancy Allen, Robert DoQui, Felton Perry... they were fine under Verhoeven and Kershner) are made to look like community theater rejects by I'm-out-of-my-league Dekker. Except for a laugh-out loud scene of corporate suicide and the suggestion that Robocop's computer mind is melding all female personalities he meets into one (via a crude early 90's CG morph) "Robocop 3" is as worthless and terrible as I expected to be times a thousand.

Rewatched James Gunn's SLITHER (2006) on HD-DVD with the commentary track on. Though they're on separate locations Gunn and star Nathan Fillion have no problem sharing cool anecdotes and jokes. Sadly the ass-kissing and dull recaping of what we're watching takes over one fourth of the commentary. It's OK but anything with Fillion being himself should and could have been so much better than what we got here.

CHERRYBOMB (2010) on R2 PAL DVD for the first time. A coming-of-age UK teenage noir flick about a love triangle between two teenage boys (Rupert Grint and Robert Sheehan) and new pretty girl Donna (Niamh Quinn) getting into all kinds of mischief (drugs, auto theft, drinking, etc.) as the boys try to outdo each other for Donna's affection. Notable for starring "Harry Potter" regular Rupert Grint in a very adult and non-PC role (he's fine), "Cherrybomb" is a polished and well-made take on a story that's been told and done one too many times already (the weekend/day/night/etc. that changed our young protagonists' out-of-control lives forever) and has nothing new to say. Nice widescreen cinematography though, and nowhere near as 'bad' or mean-spirited as it could have been or pretends to be (to get you to watch Rupert being 'naughty').

THE RITE (2011) on HBO-HD for the first time. Maybe it's my Catholic upbringing (of which only Catholic guilt remains in my Atheist lifestyle) but I found "The Rite" more hilarious and ridiculous than a dozen "Naked Guns" or "Scary Movies" piled on top of another despite Anthony Hopkins and Colin O'Donoghue acquiting themselves of any wrongdoing. The attempt by the writers/director to present a Vatican-backed technologically-advanced school of exorcism co-existing in Rome with an old-school exorcist priest (Hopkins) and his faith-challenged apprentice (O'Donoghue) going about the business of exorcising demons as an everyday occurrence should be fascinating and/or dramatic. Instead, because it takes itself so damn seriously, young Michael Kovac's baptism of fire (its actually O'Donoghue's movie with Hopkins playing a key but only supporting role) gets pushed to the background while the chuckle-worthy exorcism antics that feel like "Ghostbusters" without the irony but most definitely with (unintended) humor are front and center. Being a PG-13 horror movie automatically keeps the potential scares and frights to a safe minimum, although some of the SFX/make-up is still pretty rad for a mainstream flick (and Alex Heffes' over-the-top score is either on or REALLY ON). Worth a rental if you know what you're getting into, which is NOT a new dramatic take on "The Exorcist" that the publicity material promised.

[mavrach]

Fred Dekker's ROBOCOP 3 (1993) on MGM-HD for the first time. After recently seeing Dekker's "Night of the Creeps" (really liked it) and "The Monster Squad" (it's OK) I figured I might as well go for the hat trick and watch Dekker's entire filmography by tuning into "Robocop 3" when MGM-HD showed it again. My... f***ing... GOD!!! This thing was dead in the water ten times over before cameras rolled (no Peter Weller reprising his Murphy/Robo role, a PG-13 rating, a kid hacker as a main protagonist, Rip Torn as the new OCP chairman, etc.) but the kiss of death was bringing Fred Dekker to direct a story co-written by Frank Miller ("Robocop 2") with Dekker. The still-violent-but-watered-down screenplay is at odds with Dekker's directorial style and the studio's demand for a kid-friendly PG-13 version (a flying backpack, REALLY?!?!), resulting in a toothless and fun-free "A-Team"-type retelling of a dramatic adventure we've already seen twice before with this same character that were bloodier, nastier, funnier and more exciting (Paul Verhoeven's take a lot more than Irving Kershner's). A pile-up of good actors (CCH Pounder, Jill Hennessy, Bradley Whitford, etc.) and some "Robocop" veterans (Nancy Allen, Robert DoQui, Felton Perry... they were fine under Verhoeven and Kershner) are made to look like community theater rejects by I'm-out-of-my-league Dekker. Except for a laugh-out loud scene of corporate suicide and the suggestion that Robocop's computer mind is melding all female personalities he meets into one (via a crude early 90's CG morph) "Robocop 3" is as worthless and terrible as I expected to be times a thousand.

So horrible. It's funny that they tried to turn it into a kids movie. I mean when I was maybe 8 years old my folks let me watch the original Robocop because it sounds like a Saturday morning cartoon, but they had no clue that it would be one of the most violent flicks out there, and I loved it at that age although the satire went over my head. Then Robocop 3 comes out specifically aimed at kids, and at age 13 when it came out, I felt like I was too old to be its target audience.

ED-209 loyal as a puppy

[molly1216]

my copies of Rare Exports and CC Island of Lost Souls FINALLY arrived.

Island of Lost Souls didn't look as good visually as i was expecting it to be, but it is a nicer version than the copy i have now.
the alt commentary with greg mank is decent enough though nothing exciting, and the 'roundtable' discussion between Landis, Rick Baker and tom Weaver is teasingly short.

Rare Exports was grand....i recommend it a nice bloody thirsty christmas movie..though the end was a little bit kludgey..it reminds one that once upon a time fairy tales for kids were bloody and deliciously violent. a very good blind buy. Makes me want to watch it in a double feature with TrollHunter

Marathoned National Treasure and National Treasure 2 the other night...they aren't REALLY movies at all are they? but travelogs.. all that
s missing is the guy who narrated Charlie the Cougar for Disney.. IF you try the Commentary on NT 2...you will hear the director himself admit that they had NO FINAL SCRIPT WHATSOEVER while they were filming...they literally made it up as they went. That was actually a little insulting to the viewer. But you HAVE to admit...the scenery is freaking awesome.

Rewatching Going Postal again right now..... i watched it on Halloween and then pulled out Hogfather and Colour of Money and watched them again and now i am back at Going Postal. Makes me want to drag out more discworld novels to read. I do hope they continue to crank these out... imagine Harry Potter's universe...but GOOD.

[J.M. Vargas]

ED-209 loyal as a puppy

And ninjas... wait, freaking cyborg ninjas!

[azul017]

Scream 4 - I'm not terribly versed in this franchise (I've only seen the first film and this one), but this film still holds up well after repeated viewings. Some critics and fans fail to see that the film was mocking 'remakes' and partly followed the trend, but I still had a great time with it and pacing is still good. Neve Campbell's "Don't f**k with the original" line delivery was epic.

[mavrach]

Ikiru - Would you call me overdramatic if, after a single viewing, I declared this to be one of the best movies I've ever seen? I find it so difficult to be uplifted by a movie, that I've begun to associate the term "inspirational" with being over-sweetened films that try to inspire in the broadest sense possible. Whenever I see a review mention the word "humanity," I typically roll my eyes. Too much Spielberg, too much "everything is going to be alright" amongst a world that is not alright. I like bleak movies and I'm becoming a cynic.

Ikiru was genuine. My wife and I saw ourselves in Watanabe and felt like we were in the same boat he was in. The reason this carried such an impact was because this movie was made 60 years ago, on the other side of the planet! It reminded us that our feelings of apathy and uselessness in our lives weren't just about us. This took the stagnacy of beurocracies (which can be applied to any business, not just the government), and inspires to take a hold of what you have and steer it in the right direction.

Was it here that I read that seeing Ikiru would make you a better person? That's a damn serious statement about a movie, and I can't put it better myself.

As far as the movie itself goes, it's usage of telling the story out of order is so far ahead of its time, and the lead performance of Takashi Shimura has me wanting to seek out more of his work. I've only seen him elsewhere in Seven Samurai, and if you'd only seen him in Ikiru, you'd have a lot of trouble beleiving him to be equally beleivable and a seasoned samurai.

PERFECT MOVIE.

[mavrach]

Making serious progress on my stack of unwatched DVD's. Only 90 left

The Set-Up - I'd hold this up alongside any boxing movie made today. I seriously need to dive into noir more, and that is going to happen since I've got 5 more in the DVD pile.

Barbarella - This movie was clearly made with the intention of being high on something, so I'm not sure I can summarize this as a real movie otherwise. I found it hilarious to watch at first, but after so many slooooooow shots and and equally slow pace, I realized I was missing out by not being in a theater full of hippies in 1968. There's no good reason to watch this movie for any other reason.

Banditas - I bought this on a 3 for $25 sale years ago just for the hell of it and never had a particular desire to see it. I finally popped it in yesterday, expecting to be bored after 30 mnutes and throw it away. It was indeed fluff, but I had a lot of fun with it. There are so many silly action flicks out there, but I can't understand why I like the ones that I do. I guess some stick and some don't.

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid - I found this somewhat difficult to follow, but it had a unique mood that was both relaxed with the Bob Dylan score, yet tense at the same time.

Even Dwarfs Started Small - Working through my Werner Herzog set. He's one of the more interesting filmmakers I've come across. This one pits you in the middle of a rebellion of some sort of prison and goes completely surreal. Unless I missed something, there' no description of what exactly the place is, why the population consists of only 8 dwarfs, why the administrator and passer-by are also dwarfs. There may be some sort of explanation, but that msising data results in a stripped-down analysis of a jail uprising, if that's even the right term.


I did have some trouble with Dwarfs and Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, because both features actual animals being abused. My wife passed my the latter film once, and that was the exact moment that a rooster buried neck-deep got its head blown off for target practice. BOTH movies feature live cockfights (how did I manage to find the only two cockfight movies in my collection back-to-back??), and Dwarfs has the image of a live monkey being crucified. At least they tied it to the cross instead of nailing it, but it was clearly sufferring. I realize these were respected products of their time, but I can't watch animal abuse, even in the name of art.

[Andrew Forbes]

Scream 4 - I'm not terribly versed in this franchise (I've only seen the first film and this one), but this film still holds up well after repeated viewings. Some critics and fans fail to see that the film was mocking 'remakes' and partly followed the trend, but I still had a great time with it and pacing is still good. Neve Campbell's "Don't f**k with the original" line delivery was epic.

I don't see how anyone could fail to see that when it's explicitly stated in the movie. It simply wasn't handled in a clever way. The only successful part of it was the fake-out opening. After that, Craven and Williamson couldn't figure out what they were trying to say.

[BenShultz]

Ikiru - Would you call me overdramatic if, after a single viewing, I declared this to be one of the best movies I've ever seen? I find it so difficult to be uplifted by a movie, that I've begun to associate the term "inspirational" with being over-sweetened films that try to inspire in the broadest sense possible. Whenever I see a review mention the word "humanity," I typically roll my eyes. Too much Spielberg, too much "everything is going to be alright" amongst a world that is not alright. I like bleak movies and I'm becoming a cynic.

Ikiru was genuine. My wife and I saw ourselves in Watanabe and felt like we were in the same boat he was in. The reason this carried such an impact was because this movie was made 60 years ago, on the other side of the planet! It reminded us that our feelings of apathy and uselessness in our lives weren't just about us. This took the stagnacy of beurocracies (which can be applied to any business, not just the government), and inspires to take a hold of what you have and steer it in the right direction.

Was it here that I read that seeing Ikiru would make you a better person? That's a damn serious statement about a movie, and I can't put it better myself.

As far as the movie itself goes, it's usage of telling the story out of order is so far ahead of its time, and the lead performance of Takashi Shimura has me wanting to seek out more of his work. I've only seen him elsewhere in Seven Samurai, and if you'd only seen him in Ikiru, you'd have a lot of trouble beleiving him to be equally beleivable and a seasoned samurai.

PERFECT MOVIE.

I had pretty much the exact same reaction to the film that you did, so either you're not being overdramatic or we both are. But yeah, for a while this was my favorite movie until I realized that I like Seven Samurai just a teensy bit better.

If you want to see more Shimura, seek out Drunken Angel asap. He stars with Toshiro Mifune, Kurosawa directs, and I don't think I need to say more than that.

[mavrach]

If you want to see more Shimura, seek out Drunken Angel asap. He stars with Toshiro Mifune, Kurosawa directs, and I don't think I need to say more than that.

I'm game.

[J.M. Vargas]

If you want to see more Shimura, seek out Drunken Angel asap. He stars with Toshiro Mifune, Kurosawa directs, and I don't think I need to say more than that.

Shimura also appears alongside Mifune in the Kurosawa-directed "Scandal" from 1950 (part of the Postwar Kurosawa Eclipse Boxset). Not as good a movie as his other Mifune/Kurosawa team-ups, "Scandal" at least features Shimura in a role/character very similar to "Ikiru's."

My father had zero love/knowledge of foregin movies until I sent him a DVD of "Ikiru" in the mail on a whim. It blew him away. Between "Ikiru" and "Pan's Labyrinth" (which he sought and saw on his own) his appreciation for non-American mainstream movies shot up tenfold. It's also my favorite Kurosawa movie along with "Ran" (haven't seen "Seven Samurai" yet) so you're not alone in your "Ikiru" worship, not-so-young Padawan.

[HGervais]

Tell you what, for as much as I love all the "great" Kurosawa/Mifune team-ups which get all the ink High and Low is probably still my favorite although Drunken Angel & Stray Dog are right up.

[Dunnyman]

Just got back from Puss In Boots. They nailed it. Banderas charms, Hayek oozes sexy, and a grand time will be had by all. A better than average script for a "kiddy" flick, with some good storytelling and a few jokes the adults will love that will sail rights over the small fry's heads. If they keep the scripts to this level, they can take this franchise to 5-7 movies easy. Annnnd....for the first time Dreamworks challenges Pixar in terms of animation. This thing is freaking beautiful. However good the animation is though, it's gonna get left in the dust by Tintin, which looks simply stunning. Can't wait to see it.

[mavrach]

Lessons of Darkness - Herzog made a documentary that is simultaneously beautiful and horrifying at the same time. It's only an hour long, and a large chunk of it is aerial shots of the devastated landscape after the first Gulf War. He doesn't get involved with the politics, just simply shows how the environment was destroyed. Awesome is not the right word for this, considering the dark subject matter. I just know if I want to see Herzog film a positive environment, I need to go find his cave movie ASAP.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) - I usually have a weak reaction to classic sci-fi or horror. I can appreciate a movie's intent or its place in history, but I find to much reliance on points that we take for granted now, like that you're supposed to be in awe that there's something from OUTER SPACE in front of you. I expected the same of THTESS, which did not have that effect on me. One of my first reactions was that this was perhaps the first disaster movie (without actually having a disaster), which the world watching an event unfold that affects everybody, very epic for its time. This is probably a stupid question but did anybody like the remake?

Double Indemnity - Extremely tightly written and perfectly acted. It started out as an easy and poolproof scheme that slowly deteriorated as it got picked apart.

[molly1216]

my sleep pattern is off so i did a marathon yesterday

Girl in the Cafe - still bittersweet but fabulously acted.
State of Play UK - State of Play is dense and interesting populated by familiar faces - john simm, Bill nighy, Kelly Macdonald...written by the guy who writes the UK Shameless.
i just realized that they wasted their time trying to remake this...i had to watch all 6 episodes in a row instead of going to sleep because i found it fascinating a thriller which starts with a minor murder and keeps unfolding a la All The President's Men. Worth catching in the original edition.. I can only guess that the US remake will annoy me.

[Mach6]

This is probably a stupid question but did anybody like the remake?

Uh, Nope! I only saw a few parts of it, but I just didn't care for the environmental message that hit me over the head with a sledgehammer.

Speaking of alien invasion flicks, my Blu Ray player got attacked by these:

Attack the Block: After all the hype, I can say that this is the best alien movie to have the right amount of fun, scares, & laughs since Critters. Director/Writer Joe Cornish has a big future ahead of him. I was pleasantly surprised to learn in the special features that the aliens are mostly good old fashioned costumes & practical effects. (Except for some CGI teeth.) I love this movie!

Battle Los Angeles: I have a mixed opinion. The military meathead in me loved the marines as the main heroes & most of the action scenes. The highway battle was definitely the highlight. Even though it was a clichéd role, Aaron Eckhart was perfect as the veteran looking for redemption in the battlefield. I just found the aliens & their tech to be so dull. The aliens’ faceless design had no personality or variety. You can’t tell one alien soldier from the other. The 50-Cal laser turret & the flying junk pile of a command center also did nothing for me. It was a good rental, but I wouldn’t be interested in the sequel.

Skyline: I finally saw it & it wasn’t as horrible as I thought it would be. I won’t say it was good either but it didn’t reach the depths of God-awfulness in the The Happening/Batman & Robin league. For a $10-$15 million movie, it has superior CGI effects compared to some $100+million blockbusters (cough, X-Men 1st Class, cough X-Men origins: Wolverine, cough). The aliens & their ships are visually interesting & have a creepy vibe to them. The dogfights are way better than in Independence Day. There are a few positives there. The major problems start with the movie being nearly unwatchable when the aliens or David Zayas (who had the only decent performance) aren’t on the screen. Those 1st 25 minutes are painful. The huge logic gaps with how the aliens can be destroyed with predator drones, missiles, & cinder blocks (!) yet they can regenerate from more powerful weapons. Also, in honor of Mr. Mancini, for the billionth time, there is somebody shouting “NOOOOOOOOOOOO!” in slow motion right at the camera. The weird ending didn’t bother me as much since I understood how a human could develop an immunity to the hypnotizing lights. Make no mistake about it, Battle Los Angeles is the superior movie but Skyline had the better aliens. If you could take the soldiers from Battle as the main characters & have them fight the Skyline aliens (without the regenerating crap) you could have one hell of a flick right there.

[Steve T Power]

Super 8 - 3rd time is a charm (so were the first and second, honestly) Is it just me, or is this quite possibly the best flick to come out of Hollywood since something like 1986? It's probably just me.

After this, M:I III, and Star Trek, I'm about ready to have JJ Abrams adopted babies.

[Attrage]

Iron Eagle – Wow. Does anything date a movie faster than pop songs? Not to mention our hero, Doug Masters, is seen early on in the film making repairs to his Walkman and then slipping a cassette into his car’s tape drive before roaring off to break a few road rules.

This is one of those ridiculous 80’s movies I just can’t help myself enjoying. I’m a sick, sick boy. From the opening set piece of the Most Idiotic Race Imaginable (a Cessna versus a dirt bike), to Tim Thomerson telling a generic Middle-Eastern bad-guy that his show trial is a sham!!, from Lou Gossett Jr dancing to some jukebox tunes to some of the worst continuity errors and anachronisms in recorded history (two-seater planes suddenly become single-seater, real planes suddenly become staggeringly obvious paper and balsa-wood models for the obligatory explosion scenes), every plane seems to have an endless supply of missiles…the list is freakin endless). From US airbases that can be easily hacked into and infiltrated by high school kids, to the winner of the Most Unintentionally Homoerotic Line of Dialogue I have heard in a long time – “Y’know, this’d be a lot easier if I had my shorts on!”, I am harsh on this film but gosh-darnit, I freakin love it!

[azul017]

The League - There's a fair amount of jokes that fall flat (especially in the earlier two seasons), but they're on a roll with the third season. The cast is comfortable with one another, and the randomness of some gags are downright hilarious. One of my favorite FX shows now.

[azul017]

Skyline: I finally saw it & it wasn’t as horrible as I thought it would be. I won’t say it was good either but it didn’t reach the depths of God-awfulness in the The Happening/Batman & Robin league. For a $10-$15 million movie, it has superior CGI effects compared to some $100+million blockbusters (cough, X-Men 1st Class, cough X-Men origins: Wolverine, cough).

The reason that Skyline was so cheap to make was because the Strause Brothers own the company that provided the bulk of the CGI (hy*draulX), and the physical production was a mere $500K. That's still pretty impressive.

But the script... ooh, the Strause Brothers should've brought a seasoned writer for the screenplay. They probably couldn't afford better actors but the screenplay could've been fixed.

[J.M. Vargas]

Skyline:...The major problems start with the movie being nearly unwatchable when the aliens or David Zayas (who had the only decent performance) aren’t on the screen.

Wait a minute, "Dexter's" David Zayas is in "Skyline"? (checks IMDB... runs over to buy/rent "Skyline" ASAP).

[the5thghostbuster]

Finally got some of my free time back, celebrated by going to see The Rum Diary. It's a bit too long, but man oh man does it capture and, yes, improve upon the original novel.

[Andrew Forbes]

Ironclad. Is there any post-Gladiator historical cliché that Jonathan English didn't pack in here? The siege action was decent enough, despite the unfocused shaky-cam approach, but I found it hard to care about most of the characters. Brian Cox was excellent as Brian Cox Variant 2-A and Paul Giamatti was the highlight as King John, but the rest of the cast was forgettable or aggressively unpleasant. For the latter category, consider Jason Flemyng, a relentlessly unpleasant ham who tends to destroy every scene in which he appears. Put Jamie Foreman in the same category. Kate Mara, the sole female lead, plays (shocker) a headstrong woman who would rather wield a sword and espouse modern values than be a "proper" lady. Which brings us to James Purefoy as the devout Templar. Or is he? The movie can't seem to decide if he's extremely pious or if his faith is wavering. He's introduced as having taken a vow of silence. Apparently it wasn't that big a deal, though, as he breaks it within five minutes of being introduced. Add plot/logic holes aplenty. Simmer for two hours.

I can bear these flaws if a movie at least tries to be fun. Unfortunately, this is all taken so seriously that it becomes tiresome.

[mavrach]

A Fistful of Dollars - I didn't enjoy this as much as I'd exected, but that's mainly because my expectations were based on having seen Yojimbo and The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. With a buildup like that, any movie would suck. This is another where I'll have to "calibrate" myself and revisit it again.

For the Few Dollars More - Ok so this series gets better with each installment. This was a hell of a lot of fun, and some story suprises since Eastwood was the secondary hero. Leone got into his rhythm here, and Morricone's score is just damn awesome.

Cape Fear (1991) - I thought the tension was built very effectively, but Max Cady ends up being invincible so it ended up being a bit comical. I liked Deniro's role, especially since I haven't seen him play anybody besides Deniro as a character in a while.

Dial M for Murder - A very tightly written caper, which rewards you for paying attention to all of the details, instead of telling you to turn your brain off & enjoy. I'm so used to modern mysteries throwing some sort of curveball at you at the last moment, whereas the fun is being able to play along and follow all of the threads that are there for you to figure out. I've got a few Hitchcock movies left in my pile, so this has me excited to check those out soon.

Naked Lunch - I felt exactly the same as I did about that other Criterion-endorsed drug trip movie from a respected director that I generally love: Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. You can see the talent & effort put into the movie, plus Cronenberg gets to display as much organic ickiness as he likes, but I can't get into these movies as much as I'm meant to.

Empire of the Sun - This may very well be the most epic movie Speilberg ever directed. I was surprised to find that, considering that this is one of the least-remembered Speilberg movies along with Always, 1941 & The Color Purple. Why it didn't stick is beyond me, considering the scale done entirely practically. My usual Speilberg complaint about super-sappiness worked this time (at first at least), where the childish innocense is played to show the bubble that the rich lived in. I was affected by the family dressed in fanciful costumes, then having to drive to their party through the sufferring populace. The kid had no idea, but that was his upbringing. By the end though it did get to be a bit too sweet for me, but that should've cemented this as one of Speilberg's biggest movies.

[HGervais]

Went and saw Anonymous after the big Saints win over the Falcons and was underwhelmed by it. Odd because the point of the view that the film takes, that Shakespeare did not write, was in fact incapable of writing the works credited to him, is one I have great interest in yet the movie is all rather boring. Eh

Then last night was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part II. I enjoyed it but felt like it could have easily been an hour or so longer and if you guys have been reading what I write for years on this board you know those are words I almost never write. I must also say I was expecting something, I don't know, bleaker. Yes there was sadness & loss but it ended on a much more hopeful note than what I was expecting. Not a complaint mind you, just an observation from someone whose knowledge of the franchise is derived totally from the film adaptations.

[mavrach]

Then last night was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part II. I enjoyed it but felt like it could have easily been an hour or so longer and if you guys have been reading what I write for years on this board you know those are words I almost never write. I must also say I was expecting something, I don't know, bleaker. Yes there was sadness & loss but it ended on a much more hopeful note than what I was expecting. Not a complaint mind you, just an observation from someone whose knowledge of the franchise is derived totally from the film adaptations.[/quote]

I felt the same way. Honestly I felt that the Harry Potter series needed a Return of the King-style coda to wind down and show us what happened to all of the characters. After 8 movies we needed a big ending for the series, not just an ending for the last movie. Unceremonious deaths for multiple characters add to that feeling.

[Attrage]

The Killer Inside Me – The back of the dvd case says “in the tradition of American Psycho”. I find that comparison troubling when referring to this film. American Psycho was a thriller but took the biting satire from the novel (rather than the shocking violence) and made for a film that made you cringe, yes, but also made you bust a gut laughing.

The Killer Inside Me is a very different film to that. I consider myself a pretty damn jaded film goer, there’s very very little in films that shocks me any more. But the infamous scene in this film where Casey Affleck beats Jessica Alba to death…my god. Even though I knew it was coming…put it this way, if I had of been eating at the time I would have completely lost my appetite. What makes it so horrendous is the skilful way it’s directed. There’s no soundtrack except the awful sound of gloved fist connecting with soft face, and Affleck’s heavy breathing. The camera focuses mostly on Affleck’s face. It only cuts to Jessica Alba’s a couple of times to glimpse the damage his unrestrained beating is inflicting. It’s truly skin-crawling stuff.

But that aside, the rest of the film. Gotta admit I found large parts of it extremely dull. But I like the way it’s told from Affleck’s point of view. It’s sort of the “unreliable narrator” thing, in that at first you think he’s orchestrating a clever crime and cover up (because he thinks this) but as the film unfolds you realise he’s actually done pretty much the opposite.

[J.M. Vargas]

François Truffaut's THE BRIDE WORE BLACK (1968) at NYC's Film Forum for the first time. Unlike Brian DePalma's career Truffaut was able to not only get all his Hitchcock-emulating jollies in this 'femme fatale' vehicle (Bernard Herrmann's score) but he was still able to make this tribute movie his own. Except for Jeanne Moreau looking much older than her then-40 years of age (deliberate?) this is a taut and enjoyable non-thriller, non-mystery mystery thriller that starts feeling like a Godard flick (Raoul Coutard's photography) but, through Julie's romantic interludes with one of his targets and a healthy dose of humor, strikes its own irreverent path toward a satisfying conclusion. Tarantino's "Kill Bill" movies owe more than a passing nod to this Truffaut classic.

MST3K #507: I ACCUSE MY PARENTS (1993/1944) on DVD. When Joel and the bots aren't dropping not-so-subtle sexual jokes ('uhh, cucumber'), keeping multiple running gags humming along ('essay guy here,' 'I want to deposit some guilt and withdraw some denial') or exploring the depths of the lead character's messed-up inner brain (conclusion: he's just an idiot) they're merrily riffing along on one of the most rewatchable and hilarious episodes in the show's history. Mary Beth Hughes is cute as a button, gangster boyfriend George Meeker suitably fast-talking and leading man Robert 'Jimmy' Lowell perfectly bland and serviceable. From the 'Truck Farmer' short ('where else are people being exploited?') to the 'Happy When You Work' music number/host segment re-enactment, "I Accuse My Parents" is a highlight and gem from the Joel era.

MST3K #517: THE BEGINNING OF THE END (1993/1957) on DVD. Who is this youthful, borderline-happy Mike Nelson I see on the 2nd half of "MST3K's" fifth season? Compared with the morose, seen-it-all straight man of the Sci-Fi Channel/Rifftrax years Mike comes across as an eager child. That's good because this particular experiment from repeat "MST3K" offenders Bert I. Gordon ("Amazing Colossal Man") and Peter Graves ("C.L.O.N.U.S.") doesn't get going until almost the halfway mark. If it weren't for foxy Peggie Castle the opening act of this flick would have sunk the experiment. Once the grasshoppers star climbing all over postcards of Chicago landmarks (love the stock footage) and the Brains unleash their avalanche of 'I'm Peter Graves... University of Minnesota' riffs (the 'Mike calls the Mads' host segments are also disturbing-but-memorable highlights) "Beginning of the End" becomes amusing right before its over. In a season of standout classic episodes ("Mitchell") this one is strictly for completists.

THE LAST SEVEN (2010) on R2 PAL DVD for the first time. A zombie-free "28 Days Later"-meets'-"The Happening" clone in which the last seven people left alive in London wonder around empty streets, meet, shout/whisper generic dialogue at one another and fight/argue up until a 'twist' so bad it feels like it was lifted from one of the "Twilight Zone" TV remakes ends things. Tamer Hassan is wasted in a Gerard Butler-esque lead role of military guy out of his element. The movie doesn't know whether it wants to be a thriller, a spastic music video or a psychological horror flick so it settles for being a variation of all three things without being good at any of them.

THE LAST PLAY AT SHEA (2011) on Showtime HD for the first time. Supposedly about the Billy Joel concert played at Shea Stadium before its demolition, this "concert" movie devotes almost two thirds of its running time to both the histories of the stadium (particularly Paul McCartney's 1965 concert) and Joel's career (through his own voice and those of many celebrities/collaborators interviewed). If you care at all about Billy Joel or Shea Stadium then this is your movie. For people like me who expected to see most or all of the songs Billy played that night, there's only about 30 mins. of that (out of 90) with Alec Baldwin's narration tying all three elements together. Hopefully the DVD/BD release will feature more concert/performances and less talking heads/archival footage.

WEB THERAPY: SEASON ONE (2011) on Showtime HD On Demand for the first time. I could never stand the cast of "Friends" when they were on top of the world. But, since that NBC sitcom ended, I've really liked some of the actors' individual projects: Matthew Perry on "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," Matt LeBlanc in "Episodes," etc. Now Lisa Kudrow's web-program-turned-static-single-camera sitcom version of "In Treatment" joins this elite group. It could have been easy for Kudrow (star/co-creator/co-writer of the show) to just book guest stars like Lily Tomlin, Victor Garber and Alan Cummings and let them loose mugging for the "webcam" while Fiona Wallice gave them her three-minute treatment. The beauty of "Web Therapy" though is that it not only has an ongoing plot of corporate/marital blackmail constantly unfolding in the background, but its also at times screamingly funny. Kudrow's self-centered passive-aggresive slow-burn WASP take on Fiona is a thing of beauty to watch, especially when a patient (Bob Balaban, Jane Lynch) gets on Fiona's bad side.

[Bryan Pope]

Then last night was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part II. I enjoyed it but felt like it could have easily been an hour or so longer and if you guys have been reading what I write for years on this board you know those are words I almost never write. I must also say I was expecting something, I don't know, bleaker. Yes there was sadness & loss but it ended on a much more hopeful note than what I was expecting. Not a complaint mind you, just an observation from someone whose knowledge of the franchise is derived totally from the film adaptations.

Interesting observation, Harold. I remember film critics pointing out how the series got darker and darker with each new entry beginning with, say, Goblet of Fire. And they all seemed to agree that the darker tone was appropriate. I can't argue with that, yet, at the same time, the books never struck me as being nearly as bleak as the film adaptations. Perhaps they were and I just didn't see it because what I read was being filtered through my own admittedly rosy outlook on life. I don't know.

I enjoyed Deathly Hallows Pt 2 very much, and I realize that there's a lot at stake in the huge final battle, so it can't be treated too lightly. Even so, a part of me wanted the movie to capture the sense of fun I felt when reading the book. The movie felt so heavy and oppressive that it never made me want to jump out of my seat and cheer the way the book did.

As for the coda, I found it satisfying.

[hoytereden]

The Killer Inside Me – The back of the dvd case says “in the tradition of American Psycho”. I find that comparison troubling when referring to this film. American Psycho was a thriller but took the biting satire from the novel (rather than the shocking violence) and made for a film that made you cringe, yes, but also made you bust a gut laughing.

The Killer Inside Me is a very different film to that. I consider myself a pretty damn jaded film goer, there’s very very little in films that shocks me any more. But the infamous scene in this film where Casey Affleck beats Jessica Alba to death…my god. Even though I knew it was coming…put it this way, if I had of been eating at the time I would have completely lost my appetite. What makes it so horrendous is the skilful way it’s directed. There’s no soundtrack except the awful sound of gloved fist connecting with soft face, and Affleck’s heavy breathing. The camera focuses mostly on Affleck’s face. It only cuts to Jessica Alba’s a couple of times to glimpse the damage his unrestrained beating is inflicting. It’s truly skin-crawling stuff.

But that aside, the rest of the film. Gotta admit I found large parts of it extremely dull. But I like the way it’s told from Affleck’s point of view. It’s sort of the “unreliable narrator” thing, in that at first you think he’s orchestrating a clever crime and cover up (because he thinks this) but as the film unfolds you realise he’s actually done pretty much the opposite.

It's a Blu-ray I picked up used and I won't watch again. Like you, I have a high tolerance for whatever happens in films but this was too much. Even worse, it doesn't end there- he does it again to Kate Hudson's character. It's joined my very short list of films I won't watch again.

[Attrage]

The Killer Inside Me – The back of the dvd case says “in the tradition of American Psycho”. I find that comparison troubling when referring to this film. American Psycho was a thriller but took the biting satire from the novel (rather than the shocking violence) and made for a film that made you cringe, yes, but also made you bust a gut laughing.

The Killer Inside Me is a very different film to that. I consider myself a pretty damn jaded film goer, there’s very very little in films that shocks me any more. But the infamous scene in this film where Casey Affleck beats Jessica Alba to death…my god. Even though I knew it was coming…put it this way, if I had of been eating at the time I would have completely lost my appetite. What makes it so horrendous is the skilful way it’s directed. There’s no soundtrack except the awful sound of gloved fist connecting with soft face, and Affleck’s heavy breathing. The camera focuses mostly on Affleck’s face. It only cuts to Jessica Alba’s a couple of times to glimpse the damage his unrestrained beating is inflicting. It’s truly skin-crawling stuff.

But that aside, the rest of the film. Gotta admit I found large parts of it extremely dull. But I like the way it’s told from Affleck’s point of view. It’s sort of the “unreliable narrator” thing, in that at first you think he’s orchestrating a clever crime and cover up (because he thinks this) but as the film unfolds you realise he’s actually done pretty much the opposite.

It's a Blu-ray I picked up used and I won't watch again. Like you, I have a high tolerance for whatever happens in films but this was too much. Even worse, it doesn't end there- he does it again to Kate Hudson's character. It's joined my very short list of films I won't watch again.

Yeah..watching this film in standard definition was more than enough, blu ray would have been even worse! I'm in agreement there, I only rented it and it's definitely not one I will be adding to my collection.

[azul017]

Then last night was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part II. I enjoyed it but felt like it could have easily been an hour or so longer and if you guys have been reading what I write for years on this board you know those are words I almost never write. I must also say I was expecting something, I don't know, bleaker. Yes there was sadness & loss but it ended on a much more hopeful note than what I was expecting. Not a complaint mind you, just an observation from someone whose knowledge of the franchise is derived totally from the film adaptations.

This is where being familiar with the books really helps. Not to mention you have to watch it in conjunction with Part 1 -- which is almost all setup and Part 2 is the payoff. And some of the more sadder scenes were either cut out of the film or out of the script completely.

[mavrach]

Diary of the Dead - So-so. I've yet to see Survival of the Dead, but this is Romero's weakest so far. Half of the problem is that it feels too trendy to be as timeless as the prior entries. This is is going to be firmly stuck in 2005 thanks to being in the never-strong "found footage" genre, as well as references to Myspace (already dead), Youtube & "the net." And the whole point of recording everything so others can see what happened feels pointless, since societies' infrastructure would soon fall apart and communication & power would go down. Who is this movie for? Put the camera down and help your freinds fend off some zombies!

Add to that a less apocalyptic feel and much of the dread is gone. The final plan is to lock themselves in a panic room and play Nintendo until everything blows over. Still, this could be enjoyed as a smaller movie if you turn your brain off and don't expect much. Romero's movies were never known for their acting, so this isn't any worse.

Suspicion - SPOILER - Working my way through my Hitchcock DVD set. This didn't work for me so much. It took way too long to get rolling, and never quite reached the sense of dread that I know Hitchcock is capable of. And the ending of "it's ok, I was just going to kill myself!" was just odd. I do give it credit for having the suspicion turn out to be about nothing in the end. Most movies would've made him the killer.

The Insider - Under a different director, this would've been extremely tedious, or it would've been a message movie. But it's Michael Mann, so nearly 3 hours of trying to air a tobacco exec interview turns out to be completely enthralling. Not to get political, but I wish more people would see movies like this because there's too little focus on white collar crime since people feel it to be dull or unimportant. But Mann puts Wygand's sufferring front & center.

The Last Emperor Criterion - Much more than what I'd expected. The only images you see are the 3-year old Emperor's playing in the rich atmosphere, leading one to expect a Spielberg-style epic of wide-eyed wonder through the innocent eyes of a child. But that's just the opening. Stay tuned and see a richly-painted canvas.

My Neighbor Totoro - This sat unwatched for years because the synopsis of "two kids befreind a forest spirit" did not sound like something I'd enjoy, but I bought it because Miyazaki is always worth a shot. But it sat on the shelf for years. I should know to have more faith in Miyazaki, because this turned out to be really enthralling. Great atmosphere and an easygoing pace. It's funny that my wife's only experiences with Miyazaki are his extremes of Totoro & Princess Mononoke, so she has no idea what to this about him.

Thone of Blood Criterion - Just damned awesome. The more samurai epics I see, it's just fascinating to see how adaptable the genre is. This is Shakespeare, others translate into Westerns. There's a lot to learn watching these, and I'm having a blast doing so.

The Virgin Spring Criterion - Very similar in tone to The Seventh Seal, highly recommended to anybody who liked that one. It's just about impossible to describe this plot without spoiling anything. Just go see it.


And speaking of spoilers I'm getting too many of these going through these older movies. Too much of the marketing focuses on the idea of "let's all reminisce about when we saw this classic film" than trying to sell a new movie on you. The box of Suspicion talked about an iconic milk glass, so I saw that coming a mile away. "Ok he's going to bring the milk out now." And again, the case for The Virgin Spring blew a major plot development that occurs 2/3 into the movie.

[Andrew Forbes]

And speaking of spoilers I'm getting too many of these going through these older movies. Too much of the marketing focuses on the idea of "let's all reminisce about when we saw this classic film" than trying to sell a new movie on you.

There's an infuriatingly common attitude that if a movie is more than a couple of years old, discussion of its plot points doesn't require a spoiler warning. Often, complaints are dismissed with "If you haven't seen it by now, it's your own fault." As though anybody has time to watch every movie ever made. As far as I'm concerned, every discussion of a film's key details requires a spoiler warning, regardless of how old, popular or frequently referenced the movie may be. I've had so many classic films spoiled for me, I've lost count. It's a real shame, as younger viewers are denied the opportunity of seeing the film with fresh eyes.

[mavrach]

And speaking of spoilers I'm getting too many of these going through these older movies. Too much of the marketing focuses on the idea of "let's all reminisce about when we saw this classic film" than trying to sell a new movie on you.

There's an infuriatingly common attitude that if a movie is more than a couple of years old, discussion of its plot points doesn't require a spoiler warning. Often, complaints are dismissed with "If you haven't seen it by now, it's your own fault." As though anybody has time to watch every movie ever made. As far as I'm concerned, every discussion of a film's key details requires a spoiler warning, regardless of how old, popular or frequently referenced the movie may be. I've had so many classic films spoiled for me, I've lost count. It's a real shame, as younger viewers are denied the opportunity of seeing the film with fresh eyes.

Totally agreed. I'm 31. Not to sound conceited but I think I watch way more older movies than most people my age. And still, I've barely scratched the surface. I want to go back and enjoy these movies on the same level as anybody did the first time they saw them.

It's a shame that nobody new is going to be able to unknowingly walk into Psycho and get blindsided when the protagonist gets offed 40 minutes in. Instead, they're watching because they want to see the famous shower scene. This hurts the movies in the long run because the real experience is replaced by a reverence for an older movie. The respect is great, but its more of a preservation effect than an entertainment effect.

[Attrage]

Stuart Gordon's DOLLS (1987) on DVD with both commentary tracks on. This movie is so short (77 min.) I can watch it twice with both commentary tracks (one with Gordon and writer Ed Naha, the other with the entire cast) in less time than it takes to get through a Michael Bay summer blockbuster. While the acting is pretty bad and broad (even by Gordon's loose standards with actors) the movie has a charming look, an amazing performance by Guy Rolfe and a childlike enthusiasm that's at odds with the graphic nature of its violence/gore. It brings out the best from the commentary participants, and one of Gordon's best commentary tracks along with "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond."

Fred Dekker's ROBOCOP 3 (1993) on MGM-HD for the first time. After recently seeing Dekker's "Night of the Creeps" (really liked it) and "The Monster Squad" (it's OK) I figured I might as well go for the hat trick and watch Dekker's entire filmography by tuning into "Robocop 3" when MGM-HD showed it again. My... f***ing... GOD!!! This thing was dead in the water ten times over before cameras rolled (no Peter Weller reprising his Murphy/Robo role, a PG-13 rating, a kid hacker as a main protagonist, Rip Torn as the new OCP chairman, etc.) but the kiss of death was bringing Fred Dekker to direct a story co-written by Frank Miller ("Robocop 2") with Dekker. The still-violent-but-watered-down screenplay is at odds with Dekker's directorial style and the studio's demand for a kid-friendly PG-13 version (a flying backpack, REALLY?!?!), resulting in a toothless and fun-free "A-Team"-type retelling of a dramatic adventure we've already seen twice before with this same character that were bloodier, nastier, funnier and more exciting (Paul Verhoeven's take a lot more than Irving Kershner's). A pile-up of good actors (CCH Pounder, Jill Hennessy, Bradley Whitford, etc.) and some "Robocop" veterans (Nancy Allen, Robert DoQui, Felton Perry... they were fine under Verhoeven and Kershner) are made to look like community theater rejects by I'm-out-of-my-league Dekker. Except for a laugh-out loud scene of corporate suicide and the suggestion that Robocop's computer mind is melding all female personalities he meets into one (via a crude early 90's CG morph) "Robocop 3" is as worthless and terrible as I expected to be times a thousand..

Stuart Gordon does great commentary tracks. I’ve listened to his one for Re-Animator three times. Still find it funny that he made a film like Re-Animator when he openly admits he has a weak stomach.

Being a big Verhoeven fan I never bothered with Robocop 3. Same reason I never bothered with the sequels to the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Just the VHS box art was bad enough. Subjecting myself to the film seemed masochistic.

Speaking of the Hoev, I just watched Total Recall for the umpteenth time and yep, still enjoy it as much as ever. Does the viewing experience really ever get any better than seeing an innocent bystander used as a human shield and then seeing the poor b*stard’s body trampled afterwards?

[Attrage]

Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous - Had a bit of a Cameron Crowe night. The guy is among my favourite directors. He has the astounding ability to take what should be a whopping great towering mountain of cheez-whizz and turning it into a gourmet platter of creamy brie and crumbling, mouth-watering aged cheddar with fine water crackers with a glass of 12 year old red.

From *that* amazing smile Kate Hudson does in Almost Famous (guys, come on…tell me your heart doesn’t skip a beat at that scene…), to the incredibly well acted scene in Jerry Maguire where they watch the wedding video (Cuba Gooding Jr’s “you didn’t have the talk, did you?” moment makes me want the guy to be my best friend), I love Crowe’s work. These are two films I can watch again and again, and they both bring a giant smile to my face every damn time. Amazing.

[the5thghostbuster]

The new episode of 24 Panels Per Second is up, about Batman Returns. Needless to say, I am kind of the odd man out on this episode: http://24panelspersecond.blogspot.com/2011/11/episode-14-batman-returns-1992.html

[Steve T Power]

Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous - Had a bit of a Cameron Crowe night. The guy is among my favourite directors. He has the astounding ability to take what should be a whopping great towering mountain of cheez-whizz and turning it into a gourmet platter of creamy brie and crumbling, mouth-watering aged cheddar with fine water crackers with a glass of 12 year old red.

From *that* amazing smile Kate Hudson does in Almost Famous (guys, come on…tell me your heart doesn’t skip a beat at that scene…), to the incredibly well acted scene in Jerry Maguire where they watch the wedding video (Cuba Gooding Jr’s “you didn’t have the talk, did you?” moment makes me want the guy to be my best friend), I love Crowe’s work. These are two films I can watch again and again, and they both bring a giant smile to my face every damn time. Amazing.

Singles was awesome as well, and Elizabethtown was nowhere near as bad as people say it is. Surprisingly enough, it was Say Anything that didn't live up to the hype for me.

[the5thghostbuster]

Just got back from The Muppets. I haven't come out of the theatre with a smile this big on my face in a good, long while.

[Steve T Power]

'Lo, there do I see the 13th Warrior on DVD, and as always, it was fan-freakin tastic. Sarah, hater of all things Antonio Banderas, even really enjoyed herself. Criminally underrated, criminally under appreciated, and where the hell is my Blu-ray release???

[Attrage]

Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous - Had a bit of a Cameron Crowe night. The guy is among my favourite directors. He has the astounding ability to take what should be a whopping great towering mountain of cheez-whizz and turning it into a gourmet platter of creamy brie and crumbling, mouth-watering aged cheddar with fine water crackers with a glass of 12 year old red.

From *that* amazing smile Kate Hudson does in Almost Famous (guys, come on…tell me your heart doesn’t skip a beat at that scene…), to the incredibly well acted scene in Jerry Maguire where they watch the wedding video (Cuba Gooding Jr’s “you didn’t have the talk, did you?” moment makes me want the guy to be my best friend), I love Crowe’s work. These are two films I can watch again and again, and they both bring a giant smile to my face every damn time. Amazing.

Singles was awesome as well, and Elizabethtown was nowhere near as bad as people say it is. Surprisingly enough, it was Say Anything that didn't live up to the hype for me.

I havent seen Elizabethtown, but I enjoyed Singles. And I have a huge soft spot for Say Anything as it was the first Crowe film I saw.

[azul017]

Immortals - A bit silly, but the movie is a visual feast for the eyes. There's less posturing than in 300, but I enjoyed it. Henry Cavill is a fine leading man, but the script does him no favors. And Frieda Pinto is stunningly gorgeous. It favors style over substance, but that's Tarsem Singh for you.

The Muppets - A good, solid return to the Muppets we all know and love. Jason Segel clearly did his homework, with all the loveable trademarks from the show wrapped in a fun, shiny bow. But I had the feeling it could've been even better. It's not disappointing or anything, I just didn't think it was that good as everyone said it was.

Happy Feet Two - Wow. This was awful. There's not one, but two plots here, since the movie is so threadbare. It's also more concerned with obnoxious songs that grind the movie to a halt, as well as following the Dreamworks trademark of stunt casting. Who the hell thought it was a good idea to have Brad Pitt and Matt Damon cast as shrimp for Chrissakes? The animation is stunning, but that's all it has going for it.

[HGervais]

Hugo. Run. Go see it now and make sure you see it in 3D. Scorsese has made a heartfelt & kind love letter to the power of movies & imagination. He also uses 3D as a method of telling his story in a more effective manner than anyone who has come before him. If all 3D movies were made like this I would have no problem spending my money on them. Just a wonderful movie that had me with tears running down my face a couple of times.

[mavrach]

A couple of biopics. This is a genre I usually steer clear of because, even though different stories are being told, they all feel like the same movie over and over again. They follow a strict formula of starting with a childhood scene, which I find unnecessary because most movies can establish a character just fine without dipping into their young hears. Then they show a few scenes from each period of their life before moving to their success. And then the conflict introduced tends to be "will they turn out to be a complete jerk??", since there's so suspense about them becoming famous. Then they get over their jerkiness and bow to roaring applause.

That being said, I enjoyed:

Walk The Line - It started to lose me early because, yup let's show Johnny Cash as a young boy and establish a childhood trauma. I felt like I was watching Ray again, with his brother getting killed. At least this had the decency to not let the dead brother show up as a ghost or something. Ray actually had supernatural things happen to him, not good for a true story!

Anyways, Walk The Line eventually found its footing as a very unique love story, two people circling each other who couldn't quite connect. That was the film's strength and should have been the full focus. Add to that my relative unfamiliarity with Johnny Cash, so now I'm going to check out some of his music.


Pollock - Good, see there's no need to show the subject's childhood! This started with Pollock as a struggling artist with troubles. We didn't see an abused childhood, or a random scene of him learning the film's theme as a young boy. Just show us the character and we'll get the gist of the persona.

SPOILERS I guess - The last 20 minutes were awkward, with new characters introduced just to show how Pollock died. They even cast Jennifer Connolly in a performance that looked like it was meant to be a larger role that got cut. I wish they would've skipped that entire section in lieu of a text coda that explained that Pollock's marriage didn't work and he died drunk driving.