Well, that and it's Final Wars. Barring any assessment of quality, the whole movie won't mean a damn to anybody who hasn't been watching these movies. It's seriously intended to be Godzilla Fanwank: The Movie. It doesn't stand on its own at all.
Dude, guys we're talking about a series of movies about guys in rubber suits smacking the crap out of each other, getting pissy about Final Wars and calling a joke is sort of like saying Bloodrayne isn't gratuitous.
I'd honestly argue that it's a good intro to a lot of the monsters, the human characters aren't there for padding (for once), it's in the Millennium 'continuity' so it CAN actually stand on it's own as there is no real continuity outside what the film presents as story and overall it's just a silly, fun movie. It's the movie I watched with several friends who were Godzilla Virgins at the time, and it encouraged them to go pick up the old Shōwa and Heisei flicks, so quite frankly, I'm going to stand by it as a good gateway movie.
Besides, I put it on honorable mention. It's worth a look, but I'd recommend the ones I put in the top 5 list waaaaay more.
Maybe not the most intellectually stimulating film, but it had guns, explosions, and Alan Rickman in it, which instantly rates it pretty high for me. Oh, and it was hilarious.
Moderately entertaining throughout, but honestly I expect more from my low-budget 50s cinema. The titular woman seems far more crazy and dangerous at the start of the film than when she becomes giant, the film uses bad composite imaging even for its era(you can clearly see through the "giant" woman many times throughout), and the giant woman doesn't even appear until the final 10 minutes of the film.
Well, that and it's Final Wars. Barring any assessment of quality, the whole movie won't mean a damn to anybody who hasn't been watching these movies. It's seriously intended to be Godzilla Fanwank: The Movie. It doesn't stand on its own at all.
Quite true, I went to G-fest one year and I beleive it was the second screening other than the hollywood...besides the point.
I thought it was an Okay movie if the fights were longer, but seeing some of the fan favorites were a real treat in my opinion.
Wow, I haven't seen that movie in such a long time. As such, I remembered it better than that until I read your post and realized that everything you said about it was true. For a 50s B-movie, it really was pretty mediocre.
Sergio Leone's Duck, You Sucker aka A Fistful of Dynamite aka Once Upon a Time in the Revolution - 11/11 - Leone's most beautiful western. Currently, I'm having a horrible time figuring out how I rank these. My favorite is The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, mostly because of Tuco, but for many other reasons as well. Yet Once Upon a Time in the West and Once Upon a Time in the Revolution are both so well-crafted and memorable it's just hard for me to decide between them. I can easily say this is Leone's most beautiful western, but I'm not sure if it's his best. There isn't one bad scene in this whole film. Not even one. Such is the way of Leone that not even one scene is without purpose. Unfortunately, there are so many different versions of this film with so many different cuts it's hard to see the proper one. The trouble with Leone is if even one scene is cut his whole film and narrative can fall apart because every scene has a purpose. This is something that destroyed Once Upon a Time in America at the box office, and the fact that America was cut down from six-eight hours to from one and a half to three hours is the reason that I refuse to ever watch it. This could be Morricone's most fitting, and most beautiful score. I have a hard time choosing between this, OUATITW, and TGTBATU on which of his western scores are my favorite overall. This film also has one of the most memorable, bittersweet endings I've seen in a long time. Go watch it NOW. It's on Netflix, damn it. If I had to recommend a film right now, and you told me I could only pick one out of every film ever made, there is a high chance I would name this one.
Sergio Corbucci's Il Mercenario - 8/11 - This is definitely one of the finest spaghetti westerns, but that's no surprise to anyone who knows the name Sergio Corbucci. I'm not a huge fan of Franco Nero, but the dubbing in this film makes him sound more likable to me because it makes him sound like Antonio Banderas, and then I can't help but think of Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. The plot is a typical revolution in Mexico sort of film, but the charcter interactions are well done and there are some memorable scenes. No Mexican revolution film can top Duck, You Sucker, but Il Mercenario is a fine film. Jack Palance is always a good addition to a film. I'm probably one of many people who would watch the City Slickers films any day just because of Palance. He plays a cold, despicable villain here, and he has a great smile and demeanor to do that with. Tony Musante is charming as the bandit and revolutionary Paco, if not a little clumsy at times. Morricone provides a great score for the film, although the number of pieces aren't as varied as in some of the other films I've seen him score, and the film's theme begins to feel recycled after a while. It's worth checking out though if you like westerns.
Fist of the North Star - 8/11 - The goriest film I have ever seen, animated or otherwise. This puts torture porn like Hostel and Saw to shame. I'm not a big fan of gore, but I also realize that it's fake, so it doesn't necessarily scare me. Only context scares me. In this movie, I find it to be rather hilarious. People die in the most over-the-top ways I've ever seen. This movie puts Schwarzeneggar films to shame. There's more badass on display here than your pathetic little brains can stand, bitches. This movie will make your dick shrivel up and cry for it's mommy. Heed well, men, for you may well see just how puny and pathetic you really are in comparison to these animated Hercules on display. In a way, I kind of see this as my life story on film. Okay, jokes aside, the fights in this are very badass, but also very gross. If over-the-top unrealistic action isn't your thing you won't like this movie. If you can't stomach animated gore that makes Felidae look like Bambi, then this isn't for you. Punches cause heads to explode in a mass of brains and eyeballs and gore. People are thrown through entire buildings and cliffs. Karate chops level skyscrapers. Dudes fly. It's insane. It's crazy. It's the 80s. The music is okay, although I never really noticed it much. It's just kind of there, or maybe I had a copy with a shitty audio transfer. I barely heard the music. The story is interesting and the main characters are memorable, but the secondary characters aren't. You can instantly tell who is made to die in this movie, because a lot of these musclebound dudes looked the same. I honestly saw more than one guy die, only to see his doppleganger show up later, making me go, "Huh? Didn't that guy die already?" only to find out it was just a different guy. This irritates me. Also, I think some of the background artwork was drawn with pencils and colored with the bare minimum of paint at points. I'm not sure if I find that cool or horrid. The animation was great though; very lifelike and the scenes were very well-shot. It's a bleak movie but bleak in a very masculine kind of way. There's no sappy stuff or wimpin' out in this testosterone bloodbath.
Gojira - 11/11 - I didn't expect to like this one. I didn't expect to like it at all. However, this is a very well-paced horror film. I would go as far as to call it horror, yeah. Most Godzilla films are schlocky monster movies, but they never feel like horror movies. This does. It's atmospheric, grim, creepy, and even a bit Lovecraftian to me. Maybe I'm the only one that gets this feeling from the film. It feels very much like a horror story that slowly unfolds, bringing dread with every incident until finally you're faced with the terror. Most horror films of the era regarding monsters tried this and failed, but this succeeds A LOT. One of the biggest reasons it succeeds is because the drama feels real. The movie focuses more on the human characters than the monster itself, and doesn't even show the monster for a long time, building up to it. The human characters are actually interesting and memorable, and they're also intelligently portrayed and written. The way the Japanese react to the monster isn't the schlocky cliche that these films are known for due to their sillier sequels. There is real terror and fear portrayed here at a creature that feels real enough and powerful enough to be a major threat to the entire human race. I watched the sub of the film, so no bad dubbing here. There's also no people running from stomping feet in the streets of the city, or at least not quite how the stereotypes portray it. There is an attack, but it feels like a legitimate threat and it's not comical at all. It's actually intensely creepy, and the scenes at night involving Godzilla are nightmarish and a little scary. There are some fantastic subplots as well, but I won't spoil it. Needless to say, no matter what you think of Godzilla films in general, Gojira is the one that should be viewed by everyone. It's a classic, intelligent horror film. Or, at least I think so.
A parody on hitler released in 1940 it's a great movie with a lot of comedy. Chaplin portrays hitler in a very funny way. It's a bit long clocking at more than 2 hours. The only thing I really disliked was the last speech it's completely out of character for the barber.
A constantly entertaining, constantly moving and always moving account of Favella life. The best film i've seen in a long long time. I can't believe i've only just seen it recently, and if you haven't seen it then maybe it's time you damn well did, and stand up straight when i'm talking to you!
This is the stuff that Holywood just can't do
The Last Samurai - 8/10
An enjoyable Pocahontasy/Braveheart-esque romp in the conflict between Emperial and Feudial Japan. Tom Cruise turns in a none-too-shabby performance, and while we all know the same old routine you'll enjoy it. Main fault is that it's not City of God
^
I'd say its main fault is that it's an overly dramatized and inaccurate depiction of Samurai's.
But it's still one of my favourite movies. It still puts them in a good daylight and I like the shift in the movie from villains -> good guys.
Ahh, come on, with actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger Hollywood can do everything.
Let's not totally poo-poo Tinsel Town. It's given us some of the greatest films ever, and will give us more brilliant films. Sure there's a lot of crap but i'm sure there's piles of shitty foreign films out there, we just hear about the amazing ones.
The Fly (1986) - 8.5/10. I saw it under recommendation from another member and I absolutely loved it. The premise and the visual effects were truly horrifying and it maintained my interest during the course of the film.
Both leads were surprisingly strong and the general direction of the story was incredible. I have never been a fan of Jeff Goldblum but once I saw The Fly, I definitely had to re-evaluate my opinion.
Most science fiction films seem to be composed of wild ideas and special effects but The Fly broke free of the sterotype. The idea is so simple yet is developed in a way that has you at the edge of your seat.
I would recommend this movie to others in a heartbeat.
I saw a movie called "Money Train" today on AMC. I caught it in the middle of the film though and because it's on tv and clearly edited I can't post a rateing just yet. I tried to see if it was at WalMart but it wasn't. I was hoping to see it in the 5 dollar bin. I'll have to check best buy the next time I'm out there cause of what I saw of the movie I very much enjoyed it.
Definitely the experience of watching an Academy-chosen Best Picture. It's obviously extremely well-crafted, and the acting is impeccable. The performances are the main standout here, as the acting across the board was excellent. I definitely laughed a few times and was really engaged a few times, but for some reason it didn't really grab me in the same way my favorite films do. I can't really explain it, but I simply didn't get all that attached. All the same, great movie, and totally worth the watch.
I can't really explain it, but I simply didn't get all that attached. All the same, great movie, and totally worth the watch.
Maybe it's because Colin Firth is a wibbly wobbily romantic comedy floppy haired pansy boy. Just a thought. Though i'm sure he's excellent in it, but i've already typecast him. I'm sure he's pure gutted
Definitely the experience of watching an Academy-chosen Best Picture. It's obviously extremely well-crafted, and the acting is impeccable. The performances are the main standout here, as the acting across the board was excellent. I definitely laughed a few times and was really engaged a few times, but for some reason it didn't really grab me in the same way my favorite films do. I can't really explain it, but I simply didn't get all that attached. All the same, great movie, and totally worth the watch.
I want to see this film, but I was curious to what makes it so uplifting? I keep hearing people saying they were weeping from pride out the credits and what not?
Maybe it's because Colin Firth is a wibbly wobbily romantic comedy floppy haired pansy boy. Just a thought. Though i'm sure he's excellent in it, but i've already typecast him. I'm sure he's pure gutted
You forget that before he was a Romantic Comedy guy, he was Mr. Darcy in A&E/BBC's superb joint version of Pride & Prejudice:
And I'm going to pre-empt any (infuriating) comments that Jane Austen was a romance writer with this. Mostly though, it's just saving you all from my incredibly nerdy Austenite rants.
I want to see this film, but I was curious to what makes it so uplifting? I keep hearing people saying they were weeping from pride out the credits and what not?
The story is simple. The film does a good job of portraying George VI as a kind of tragic everyman forced into a position of power and prominence, which I think "humanizes" the subject for a lot of people. Other historical figures, like George V and Edward VIII, are made into more antagonistic characters. It also is a who's who of the major historical figures of the era, including a Churchill that is in places he shouldn't be and supporting the "good guy" in the picture rather than the "bad guy" in it. I think the big thing was the casting of George VI as a sort of "British everyman" that was pushed into power and forced into dealing with his own problems, though, was the majority of it. That, and Geoffery Rush's performance is excellent, and so the relationship between his character and Colin Firth's is believable. Colin Firth deserves props for his performance as well, considering that it's by no means easy to perform a stammer.
This certainly does not make me like him more. I like to think i'm pretty open minded, but I draw the line at period dramas that centre around etiquette.
A bunch of puffily dressed people drinking tea on some creeps gazebo just doesn't capture me as quality entertainment
This certainly does not make me like him more. I like to think i'm pretty open minded, but I draw the line at period dramas that centre around etiquette.
A bunch of puffily dressed people drinking tea on some creeps gazebo just doesn't capture me as quality entertainment
By that statement, you confirm to me that you have never seen or read any Austen. Pride and Prejudice is a satire on social conventions of Georgian England and does not focus on etiquette so much as it does on money and the problems it creates, particularly for women.
To be fair, she's not for everyone and I don't judge anyone who dislikes her. Her style is a bit dry and her humor similarly leans on the dry side. The A&E Pride and Prejudice is probably one of the best representation of Austen's novel style on film, the only one I'd say is better is the 1995 Sony Classics version of Persuasion with Amanda Root as Anne Elliot and Ciarán Hinds as Captain Wentworth.
By that statement, you confirm to me that you have never seen or read any Austen. Pride and Prejudice is a satire on social conventions of Georgian England and does not focus on etiquette so much as it does on money and the problems it creates, particularly for women.
To be fair, she's not for everyone and I don't judge anyone who dislikes her. Her style is a bit dry and her humor similarly leans on the dry side. The A&E Pride and Prejudice is probably one of the best representation of Austen's novel style on film, the only one I'd say is better is the 1995 Sony Classics version of Persuasion with Amanda Root as Anne Elliot and Ciarán Hinds as Captain Wentworth.
I really enjoyed this one. The film's a joy to watch and every shot says something. maybe that shot says "the camera is going to go down the drain cos they is having the sex now" but everythings interesting.
Watching Barton Fink become the toast of broadway to a nobody shill in Los Angeles really is something you get wrapped up in. Fink suffers an awful mental block but as he finds the sinister something he needs to get past it you'll be glued to your chair.
Never too obtuse and never playing it straight, probably the Coens at their most well-balanced from what i've seen of their stuff so far
Take two lessons away from this, watch Barton Fink, and don't leave glue in your favourite chair
Heavily damaged print, and it's evident when watching it. Still, the special effects are excellent for 1903. This is the first attempt at bringing the story of Alice in Wonderland to the screen, though obviously it wasn't the last. Due to the limitations of the era(and expectations regarding the length of film), the adaptation had to be quite short. Still, in its goal of taking the original illustrations and bringing them to life on a screen, this does what was likely the best job possible at the time.
Ken Burns: Civil War 10/10 I know your saying that nothing can be a 10 out of 10, but this series rocked my world. Very Very informative and entertaining all the way through. I've seen other Ken Burns docs and liked them, but this one was the best.
This film surprised me by how good it was. The corporate heaven atmosphere was fun and well-done, acting was good, really nice camerawork and sets, and the effects definitely served their purpose without being obnoxious. As someone who isn't particularly a theist, I'm not sure they took to the battle for human self-governance far enough, or really got to the core of the questions that this film flirts with but never actually fully addresses.
The movie is smart, and pretty good. It could have been better, and had the potential to be something great, but it never had ambitions to tackle the big subjects in a dramatic way. All the same, I greatly enjoyed it and didn't feel like my ticket money was at all wasted.
Ive been on the fence about Adjustment Bureau, haven't seen it, but I'm a Phillip K. Dick fan. A lot of film adaptations are dissapointing (especially the last few: Next, and Paycheck for example)
That's the Japanese film that The Departed's based on right?
Ummm no...>.>
It's the cantonese version! Owh come on guyzzz!
Anyway....I definitely agree with Martin McFly. IA is vastly superior to its US remake. And this coming from someone who saw The Departed first!
IA is so much more fun, despite its language barrier and you have to make sure you are fast at reading them subtitles!. The first 15 minutes I didn't get it 'yet' and I couldn't see how it would be better than the remake like so many claimed. In the beginning there was this slapstick tone and characters were yelling(similair to Shaolin Soccer...which I, for the record, loved). But later in the movie I understood. IA's pace is so much better and it becomes apparent how many unnecessary filler there is in The Departed.
IA reaches a point that every scene is meaningful and retains he suspense. Also the two main characters are portrayed by great actors.
I am still looking for that Trilogy Box set of IA.
Last 'movies' I watched:
Jonathan Creek Christmas special 'Satans Chimney'. Great fun.
Religulous. Great and fun documentary that hinges on being comedy but still definitely thought provoking.
The Enemies of Reason. Another documentary in the same vein as the previous one mentioned. Also great.
I wanted to try rating movies by coloring the titles, but apparently colored text isn't available on the forum, so I guess I'll just stick to numbers.
The Book of Eli - 9/11 - This movie is such a brilliant example of a great movie that could have been a masterpiece if it had just gone an extra step further. The acting in this is phenomenal. It really blew me away in every respect. Denzel Washington is fricking incredible as Eli. He plays the part of a lone wanderer so damn well. Get this man in a good western. If they ever remade the Dollars trilogy, Denzel is the only man on this planet who could ever replace Clint to me. He just does the lone wanderer so well. His character actually made me think of the book I Am Legend a lot, and if there had been a closer adaption of that book to film, Denzel would have been the perfect actor to play the main character in that too. He brings such depth and pathos to this role; I already loved his acting but he really brought it to a new level. I didn't care for Mila Kunis, but I think it's because she sort of reminds me of my most hated actress of all time, Anna Faris. She had an okay character. I thought she was insanely stupid throughout the entire film. There were a lot of times when she was just standing there doing something incredibly stupid, and all I could do was drop my jaw and stutter at the screen at how blatantly ignorant her character was. However, her character does play really well off of Eli, which is the most important aspect of her, so that's what saved her character in this movie for me. Gary Oldman is always phenomenal in everything he does, so it was no surprise how well he played the villain in this. It makes me really eager to watch Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula and see how he does with that character; probably amazing. There were a lot of interesting themes played with in this film, and the action that there was was pretty cool. However, I felt like the story in the film was filler to something better written and overall more impressive. Don't get me wrong, it's a great story, but it doesn't feel like THE story. I felt like I was coming into the story in the middle of the journey in one of Eli's less interesting days. I could easily stand to watch or read a full series based on this movie and this character. Now, as far as the religious themes, well I didn't feel like the film was overly preachy or that it really had a really religious message. Even though it's hinted at that Eli might have the power of God on his side, it's handled in a way that feels like it suits the story and overall thematic elements. This isn't as much a film about God and the Bible as much as it's a film about the power of religion and faith on the will and the mind. The film could have been better. However, what it is is still pretty damn good.
The Illusionist - 9/11 - This is one of the most relaxing films I've ever seen. I could honestly have fallen asleep listening to the soothing music and watching the film's slow pace. This is really a slice of life film if it is anything. It's also a very good one. What is the film actually about? Well, like most slice of life films, it's about a journey with the characters. A journey into their daily lives. Living with them in the good times and the bad times. Watching them grow and age. I'm not sure now that I've seen this movie what to say about it. I think it might register differently for everyone. I really loved it, so I recommend everyone see it. The art style is of the sort that I really love. It's hard to explain what I love about it; but every scene has something in it that makes me just kind of stare at it. This is a hard movie for me to explain or talk about, because it's an experience that's hard for me to put into words. I could talk about certain things, and what I think this or that meant, but it would delve too far into spoilers to do so, so I'll just leave this film with high praise and a high recommendation.
Taken - 6/11 - Basically just a montage of Liam Neeson being ANGRY LIAM and LIAMOWNING people. It has some cool scenes, but overall it was pretty by the numbers I thought. I had a really hard time seeing Liam Neeson as a normal All-American dad in the beginning, and I had an even bigger problem with the fact that he went through so much to save his daughter and got barely any thanks for it. I also had a hard time believing he could be whipped by such a bitchy wife when he could probably kick her ass at any time.
Maniac Cop - 3/11 - Bruce Campbell couldn't save this one, mostly because he was barely in it. I wanted Bruce Campbell versus a psycho killer, but I couldn't exactly root for Bruce as he was playing a prick who cheated on his sick wife with a blonde bimbo.
Taken - 6/11 - Basically just a montage of Liam Neeson being ANGRY LIAM and LIAMOWNING people. It has some cool scenes, but overall it was pretty by the numbers I thought. I had a really hard time seeing Liam Neeson as a normal All-American dad in the beginning, and I had an even bigger problem with the fact that he went through so much to save his daughter and got barely any thanks for it. I also had a hard time believing he could be whipped by such a bitchy wife when he could probably kick her ass at any time.
When does Liam need the plane for? An hour ago, that's when!! This was on TV the other night everytime I walked past Liam was chopping people to the necks and gun-butting them. I made the observation that i'd rather be shot through the head than abused by Neeson.
Anyway, Taken's still a-okay in my book. You have to take it for what it is
Comments
I'd honestly argue that it's a good intro to a lot of the monsters, the human characters aren't there for padding (for once), it's in the Millennium 'continuity' so it CAN actually stand on it's own as there is no real continuity outside what the film presents as story and overall it's just a silly, fun movie. It's the movie I watched with several friends who were Godzilla Virgins at the time, and it encouraged them to go pick up the old Shōwa and Heisei flicks, so quite frankly, I'm going to stand by it as a good gateway movie.
Besides, I put it on honorable mention. It's worth a look, but I'd recommend the ones I put in the top 5 list waaaaay more.
Maybe not the most intellectually stimulating film, but it had guns, explosions, and Alan Rickman in it, which instantly rates it pretty high for me. Oh, and it was hilarious.
5/10
Moderately entertaining throughout, but honestly I expect more from my low-budget 50s cinema. The titular woman seems far more crazy and dangerous at the start of the film than when she becomes giant, the film uses bad composite imaging even for its era(you can clearly see through the "giant" woman many times throughout), and the giant woman doesn't even appear until the final 10 minutes of the film.
Quite true, I went to G-fest one year and I beleive it was the second screening other than the hollywood...besides the point.
I thought it was an Okay movie if the fights were longer, but seeing some of the fan favorites were a real treat in my opinion.
Wow, I haven't seen that movie in such a long time. As such, I remembered it better than that until I read your post and realized that everything you said about it was true. For a 50s B-movie, it really was pretty mediocre.
Sergio Corbucci's Il Mercenario - 8/11 - This is definitely one of the finest spaghetti westerns, but that's no surprise to anyone who knows the name Sergio Corbucci. I'm not a huge fan of Franco Nero, but the dubbing in this film makes him sound more likable to me because it makes him sound like Antonio Banderas, and then I can't help but think of Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. The plot is a typical revolution in Mexico sort of film, but the charcter interactions are well done and there are some memorable scenes. No Mexican revolution film can top Duck, You Sucker, but Il Mercenario is a fine film. Jack Palance is always a good addition to a film. I'm probably one of many people who would watch the City Slickers films any day just because of Palance. He plays a cold, despicable villain here, and he has a great smile and demeanor to do that with. Tony Musante is charming as the bandit and revolutionary Paco, if not a little clumsy at times. Morricone provides a great score for the film, although the number of pieces aren't as varied as in some of the other films I've seen him score, and the film's theme begins to feel recycled after a while. It's worth checking out though if you like westerns.
Fist of the North Star - 8/11 - The goriest film I have ever seen, animated or otherwise. This puts torture porn like Hostel and Saw to shame. I'm not a big fan of gore, but I also realize that it's fake, so it doesn't necessarily scare me. Only context scares me. In this movie, I find it to be rather hilarious. People die in the most over-the-top ways I've ever seen. This movie puts Schwarzeneggar films to shame. There's more badass on display here than your pathetic little brains can stand, bitches. This movie will make your dick shrivel up and cry for it's mommy. Heed well, men, for you may well see just how puny and pathetic you really are in comparison to these animated Hercules on display. In a way, I kind of see this as my life story on film. Okay, jokes aside, the fights in this are very badass, but also very gross. If over-the-top unrealistic action isn't your thing you won't like this movie. If you can't stomach animated gore that makes Felidae look like Bambi, then this isn't for you. Punches cause heads to explode in a mass of brains and eyeballs and gore. People are thrown through entire buildings and cliffs. Karate chops level skyscrapers. Dudes fly. It's insane. It's crazy. It's the 80s. The music is okay, although I never really noticed it much. It's just kind of there, or maybe I had a copy with a shitty audio transfer. I barely heard the music. The story is interesting and the main characters are memorable, but the secondary characters aren't. You can instantly tell who is made to die in this movie, because a lot of these musclebound dudes looked the same. I honestly saw more than one guy die, only to see his doppleganger show up later, making me go, "Huh? Didn't that guy die already?" only to find out it was just a different guy. This irritates me. Also, I think some of the background artwork was drawn with pencils and colored with the bare minimum of paint at points. I'm not sure if I find that cool or horrid. The animation was great though; very lifelike and the scenes were very well-shot. It's a bleak movie but bleak in a very masculine kind of way. There's no sappy stuff or wimpin' out in this testosterone bloodbath.
Gojira - 11/11 - I didn't expect to like this one. I didn't expect to like it at all. However, this is a very well-paced horror film. I would go as far as to call it horror, yeah. Most Godzilla films are schlocky monster movies, but they never feel like horror movies. This does. It's atmospheric, grim, creepy, and even a bit Lovecraftian to me. Maybe I'm the only one that gets this feeling from the film. It feels very much like a horror story that slowly unfolds, bringing dread with every incident until finally you're faced with the terror. Most horror films of the era regarding monsters tried this and failed, but this succeeds A LOT. One of the biggest reasons it succeeds is because the drama feels real. The movie focuses more on the human characters than the monster itself, and doesn't even show the monster for a long time, building up to it. The human characters are actually interesting and memorable, and they're also intelligently portrayed and written. The way the Japanese react to the monster isn't the schlocky cliche that these films are known for due to their sillier sequels. There is real terror and fear portrayed here at a creature that feels real enough and powerful enough to be a major threat to the entire human race. I watched the sub of the film, so no bad dubbing here. There's also no people running from stomping feet in the streets of the city, or at least not quite how the stereotypes portray it. There is an attack, but it feels like a legitimate threat and it's not comical at all. It's actually intensely creepy, and the scenes at night involving Godzilla are nightmarish and a little scary. There are some fantastic subplots as well, but I won't spoil it. Needless to say, no matter what you think of Godzilla films in general, Gojira is the one that should be viewed by everyone. It's a classic, intelligent horror film. Or, at least I think so.
That wraps that up.
8/10
A parody on hitler released in 1940 it's a great movie with a lot of comedy. Chaplin portrays hitler in a very funny way. It's a bit long clocking at more than 2 hours. The only thing I really disliked was the last speech it's completely out of character for the barber.
A constantly entertaining, constantly moving and always moving account of Favella life. The best film i've seen in a long long time. I can't believe i've only just seen it recently, and if you haven't seen it then maybe it's time you damn well did, and stand up straight when i'm talking to you!
This is the stuff that Holywood just can't do
The Last Samurai - 8/10
An enjoyable Pocahontasy/Braveheart-esque romp in the conflict between Emperial and Feudial Japan. Tom Cruise turns in a none-too-shabby performance, and while we all know the same old routine you'll enjoy it. Main fault is that it's not City of God
I'd say its main fault is that it's an overly dramatized and inaccurate depiction of Samurai's.
But it's still one of my favourite movies. It still puts them in a good daylight and I like the shift in the movie from villains -> good guys.
Ahh, come on, with actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger Hollywood can do everything.
Let's not totally poo-poo Tinsel Town. It's given us some of the greatest films ever, and will give us more brilliant films. Sure there's a lot of crap but i'm sure there's piles of shitty foreign films out there, we just hear about the amazing ones.
Like City of God
Both leads were surprisingly strong and the general direction of the story was incredible. I have never been a fan of Jeff Goldblum but once I saw The Fly, I definitely had to re-evaluate my opinion.
Most science fiction films seem to be composed of wild ideas and special effects but The Fly broke free of the sterotype. The idea is so simple yet is developed in a way that has you at the edge of your seat.
I would recommend this movie to others in a heartbeat.
I saw a movie called "Money Train" today on AMC. I caught it in the middle of the film though and because it's on tv and clearly edited I can't post a rateing just yet. I tried to see if it was at WalMart but it wasn't. I was hoping to see it in the 5 dollar bin. I'll have to check best buy the next time I'm out there cause of what I saw of the movie I very much enjoyed it.
Hard to put this on a numerical scale.
Definitely the experience of watching an Academy-chosen Best Picture. It's obviously extremely well-crafted, and the acting is impeccable. The performances are the main standout here, as the acting across the board was excellent. I definitely laughed a few times and was really engaged a few times, but for some reason it didn't really grab me in the same way my favorite films do. I can't really explain it, but I simply didn't get all that attached. All the same, great movie, and totally worth the watch.
Maybe it's because Colin Firth is a wibbly wobbily romantic comedy floppy haired pansy boy. Just a thought. Though i'm sure he's excellent in it, but i've already typecast him. I'm sure he's pure gutted
I want to see this film, but I was curious to what makes it so uplifting? I keep hearing people saying they were weeping from pride out the credits and what not?
You forget that before he was a Romantic Comedy guy, he was Mr. Darcy in A&E/BBC's superb joint version of Pride & Prejudice:
And I'm going to pre-empt any (infuriating) comments that Jane Austen was a romance writer with this. Mostly though, it's just saving you all from my incredibly nerdy Austenite rants.
This certainly does not make me like him more. I like to think i'm pretty open minded, but I draw the line at period dramas that centre around etiquette.
A bunch of puffily dressed people drinking tea on some creeps gazebo just doesn't capture me as quality entertainment
By that statement, you confirm to me that you have never seen or read any Austen. Pride and Prejudice is a satire on social conventions of Georgian England and does not focus on etiquette so much as it does on money and the problems it creates, particularly for women.
To be fair, she's not for everyone and I don't judge anyone who dislikes her. Her style is a bit dry and her humor similarly leans on the dry side. The A&E Pride and Prejudice is probably one of the best representation of Austen's novel style on film, the only one I'd say is better is the 1995 Sony Classics version of Persuasion with Amanda Root as Anne Elliot and Ciarán Hinds as Captain Wentworth.
Have you ever seen Black Knight? It's good too
I really enjoyed this one. The film's a joy to watch and every shot says something. maybe that shot says "the camera is going to go down the drain cos they is having the sex now" but everythings interesting.
Watching Barton Fink become the toast of broadway to a nobody shill in Los Angeles really is something you get wrapped up in. Fink suffers an awful mental block but as he finds the sinister something he needs to get past it you'll be glued to your chair.
Never too obtuse and never playing it straight, probably the Coens at their most well-balanced from what i've seen of their stuff so far
Take two lessons away from this, watch Barton Fink, and don't leave glue in your favourite chair
An extremely predictable but extremely good movie. Easily the funniest new movie I've seen this year.
Watch for free here
Heavily damaged print, and it's evident when watching it. Still, the special effects are excellent for 1903. This is the first attempt at bringing the story of Alice in Wonderland to the screen, though obviously it wasn't the last. Due to the limitations of the era(and expectations regarding the length of film), the adaptation had to be quite short. Still, in its goal of taking the original illustrations and bringing them to life on a screen, this does what was likely the best job possible at the time.
10/10
?/10
:O
8.5/10
That's the Japanese film that The Departed's based on right?
Correct. Both great films but I think Infernal Affairs was just generally superior in quality.
I have a hankering Internal Affairs probably is better. I loved The Departed on first viewing. Second time round it was nigh-on unwatchable
This film surprised me by how good it was. The corporate heaven atmosphere was fun and well-done, acting was good, really nice camerawork and sets, and the effects definitely served their purpose without being obnoxious. As someone who isn't particularly a theist, I'm not sure they took to the battle for human self-governance far enough, or really got to the core of the questions that this film flirts with but never actually fully addresses.
The movie is smart, and pretty good. It could have been better, and had the potential to be something great, but it never had ambitions to tackle the big subjects in a dramatic way. All the same, I greatly enjoyed it and didn't feel like my ticket money was at all wasted.
8/10
4,5/5
Didn't have as many laughs in a movie for a long time.
Ummm no...>.>
It's the cantonese version! Owh come on guyzzz!
Anyway....I definitely agree with Martin McFly. IA is vastly superior to its US remake. And this coming from someone who saw The Departed first!
IA is so much more fun, despite its language barrier and you have to make sure you are fast at reading them subtitles!. The first 15 minutes I didn't get it 'yet' and I couldn't see how it would be better than the remake like so many claimed. In the beginning there was this slapstick tone and characters were yelling(similair to Shaolin Soccer...which I, for the record, loved). But later in the movie I understood. IA's pace is so much better and it becomes apparent how many unnecessary filler there is in The Departed.
IA reaches a point that every scene is meaningful and retains he suspense. Also the two main characters are portrayed by great actors.
I am still looking for that Trilogy Box set of IA.
Last 'movies' I watched:
Jonathan Creek Christmas special 'Satans Chimney'. Great fun.
Religulous. Great and fun documentary that hinges on being comedy but still definitely thought provoking.
The Enemies of Reason. Another documentary in the same vein as the previous one mentioned. Also great.
The Book of Eli - 9/11 - This movie is such a brilliant example of a great movie that could have been a masterpiece if it had just gone an extra step further. The acting in this is phenomenal. It really blew me away in every respect. Denzel Washington is fricking incredible as Eli. He plays the part of a lone wanderer so damn well. Get this man in a good western. If they ever remade the Dollars trilogy, Denzel is the only man on this planet who could ever replace Clint to me. He just does the lone wanderer so well. His character actually made me think of the book I Am Legend a lot, and if there had been a closer adaption of that book to film, Denzel would have been the perfect actor to play the main character in that too. He brings such depth and pathos to this role; I already loved his acting but he really brought it to a new level. I didn't care for Mila Kunis, but I think it's because she sort of reminds me of my most hated actress of all time, Anna Faris. She had an okay character. I thought she was insanely stupid throughout the entire film. There were a lot of times when she was just standing there doing something incredibly stupid, and all I could do was drop my jaw and stutter at the screen at how blatantly ignorant her character was. However, her character does play really well off of Eli, which is the most important aspect of her, so that's what saved her character in this movie for me. Gary Oldman is always phenomenal in everything he does, so it was no surprise how well he played the villain in this. It makes me really eager to watch Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula and see how he does with that character; probably amazing. There were a lot of interesting themes played with in this film, and the action that there was was pretty cool. However, I felt like the story in the film was filler to something better written and overall more impressive. Don't get me wrong, it's a great story, but it doesn't feel like THE story. I felt like I was coming into the story in the middle of the journey in one of Eli's less interesting days. I could easily stand to watch or read a full series based on this movie and this character. Now, as far as the religious themes, well I didn't feel like the film was overly preachy or that it really had a really religious message. Even though it's hinted at that Eli might have the power of God on his side, it's handled in a way that feels like it suits the story and overall thematic elements. This isn't as much a film about God and the Bible as much as it's a film about the power of religion and faith on the will and the mind. The film could have been better. However, what it is is still pretty damn good.
The Illusionist - 9/11 - This is one of the most relaxing films I've ever seen. I could honestly have fallen asleep listening to the soothing music and watching the film's slow pace. This is really a slice of life film if it is anything. It's also a very good one. What is the film actually about? Well, like most slice of life films, it's about a journey with the characters. A journey into their daily lives. Living with them in the good times and the bad times. Watching them grow and age. I'm not sure now that I've seen this movie what to say about it. I think it might register differently for everyone. I really loved it, so I recommend everyone see it. The art style is of the sort that I really love. It's hard to explain what I love about it; but every scene has something in it that makes me just kind of stare at it. This is a hard movie for me to explain or talk about, because it's an experience that's hard for me to put into words. I could talk about certain things, and what I think this or that meant, but it would delve too far into spoilers to do so, so I'll just leave this film with high praise and a high recommendation.
Taken - 6/11 - Basically just a montage of Liam Neeson being ANGRY LIAM and LIAMOWNING people. It has some cool scenes, but overall it was pretty by the numbers I thought. I had a really hard time seeing Liam Neeson as a normal All-American dad in the beginning, and I had an even bigger problem with the fact that he went through so much to save his daughter and got barely any thanks for it. I also had a hard time believing he could be whipped by such a bitchy wife when he could probably kick her ass at any time.
Maniac Cop - 3/11 - Bruce Campbell couldn't save this one, mostly because he was barely in it. I wanted Bruce Campbell versus a psycho killer, but I couldn't exactly root for Bruce as he was playing a prick who cheated on his sick wife with a blonde bimbo.
When does Liam need the plane for? An hour ago, that's when!! This was on TV the other night everytime I walked past Liam was chopping people to the necks and gun-butting them. I made the observation that i'd rather be shot through the head than abused by Neeson.
Anyway, Taken's still a-okay in my book. You have to take it for what it is
9/10
I had an awful pain in my mind from crying so much at this. It gave me goosebumps like unreal. ;_;