Best action-horror since Tremors and Evil Dead 3... doesn't exactly sell me on it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed and have all the movies you listed, but those two aren't exactly horror films.
Best action-horror since Tremors and Evil Dead 3... doesn't exactly sell me on it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed and have all the movies you listed, but those two aren't exactly horror films.
I don't understand why you're picking out one genre by itself which represents an entirely different type of film than the three together and then nitpicking why this one doesn't fit. There's more comedy and action than horror in AtB, but there are moments of horror, and the villains are alien monsters, so it's not just action adventure, but action adventure- horror.
And Tremors 1 is fantastic; don't start the hate train.
I own them... Why would I hate on them? I just wouldn't define Tremors as a horror movie however you want to hyphenate it. All 3 that I referred to were also comedies. I'll give you Army of Darkness. I was face-deep in horror when I saw it, so I didn't really feel it was a "horror" film. Okay, I'll count that one. Tremors, I still don't think is all that scary once you get past the opening kills. Joke after joke...survival comedy?
I have not seen AtB, but if you are relating it to Tremors and Evil Dead, I think I'd want to. I was half making a joke, half not. I think I'd probably put Tremors closer to Indiana Jones than ...let's say Jaws(even though that's what it was feeding off of).
Seriously, let's clarify something here; this "film" had a script, right?! I mean, somebody actually sat down, conjured the muse within the very depths of their imagination and proceeded to vomit this putrid shit heap onto a page, right? I'm sorry but I just need to get this straight; a human being, supposedly with a functioning brain, was commissioned to pen this rectal discharge?!
Cinema is dead and certain people ought to be ashamed of themselves. What a fucking disgrace.
Seriously, let's clarify something here; this "film" had a script, right?! I mean, somebody actually sat down, conjured the muse within the very depths of their imagination and proceeded to vomit this putrid shit heap onto a page, right? I'm sorry but I just need to get this straight; a human being, supposedly with a functioning brain, was commissioned to pen this rectal discharge?!
Cinema is dead and certain people ought to be ashamed of themselves. What a fucking disgrace.
Thanks for this. I was trying to come up with a reason not to go see this with my brother. Now I can just quote this post.
Antarctic Journal - 70% - A tense, eerie, oppressive look at the lengths to which a hopeless situation, wrapped in tragedy after tragedy, can push a group separated from the outside world. The film uses unreliable narration, emotional and metaphorical imagery, and a strong, dark atmosphere to screw with your expectations and perceptions. Unfortunately, there is only one real stand out acting performance, and the payoff peters out in the end, leaving no real lasting impression. Very similar to The Grey in a lot of ways. That movie was a better story overall, but the main arc running through this one was better I think.
Battle Royale - 100% - Just like everyone has said...it's a masterpiece. Everyone, from the cannon fodder to the lasting characters, give stand-out performances in a stunning directorial work with one hell of a script. The movie doesn't just toss in cheap gore, in fact, in a lot of places the way people die comes as a shock. In others it's somewhat predictable. I haven't seen a movie in this sort of style since Tarantino. I also haven't seen such a satisfying conclusion in a long time. The dialogue is quick and witty, but at times it also slows down and offers deeper contemplation into the concepts of society and the character's personal demons. Much much more than just another Death Race or Saw. Much much better than the concept should have been.
Love that one. Lots of quirky characters, great sports movie, great coming of age movie, believable performances and tons of female empowerment fun... oh, and beautiful girls by the dozen. Men take a backseat in this movie. That's OK.
Just got back from seeing this. I'd like to see it again to let it sink in more, but here's my impression of it. Good movie, lovable characters, and of course, great animation. The story is basic Disney princess fare, but Merida is definitely more pro-active than, say, Aurora. The voice acting was fantastic and the music was very evocative of the setting. All in all, not the best Pixar movie, but enjoyable nonetheless. 8/10
I just saw Brave as well and I liked it far more than I thought I would. The music was excellent, all of the characters were good and the whole mother-daughter relationship really struck a chord with me. Seriously, I was almost crying in the theater. Haven't had a movie affect me like that since the first eight minutes of Up, and before that, Land Before Time. I doubt that most people would be affected as I was, but even without that it was still a great ride.
I loved it mostly because my friends and I had the theater all to ourselves and we were able to laugh through it without any worries. Don't take it seriously and it's great.
This movie couldn't really be called "good" while maintaining anything approaching intellectual honesty, but I'm not sure it could be called "bad" either. This is a film with a major identity crisis, which it seems to personify in the form of Peter himself. The movie isn't sure if it wants to be a Twilight-style romance film, a Batman Begins rip-off, or an actual stab at another Spider-Man flick. In the same way, the movie isn't quite sure if Peter is a sexy loner, a science dweeb, or a nice kid who gets frustrated easily. While it would be possible to make Peter all of these things, the film doesn't really try. Rather than having a distinct, singular personality, he seems to flip randomly between them from scene to scene, without ever retaining anything from the others when doing so.
Sometimes, Peter Parker rides a skateboard. Sometimes he's talking science jargon. Sometimes he's dorky around girls. Sometimes, he's uncomfortably forceful. Like, really uncomfortably. Like, there is a sequence where Gwen says "No" and he says "Yes" and this same exchange goes on over and over for five minutes and it's extremely uncomfortable to watch. Sometimes Peter is a nice kid. Sometimes he's a sexy outsider. There is no singular Peter, there are two or three characters named "Peter Parker" who share the same narrative thread and look exactly alike, but there is no cohesion or connection between these characters.
Spider-Man, on the other hand, has an identity. In a better film, they could have made a point out of this, but in this one they don't bother. Spider-Man feels a lot more like Spider-Man here than he ever did in the Raimi films. The costume is dumb, but the character talks and moves the way you'd expect Spider-Man to, and this works.
That is among the things the film does well. I liked the way they handled Uncle Ben's arc in this film, I liked the way Flash Thompson was actually given a tiny bit of depth as a character, I like the way Gwen Stacy was given a lot more to do and a lot more characterization than Mary Jane was ever given in the Raimi films.
But the film is held back by its confused identity, its adherence to a lot of superhero origin story cliches(we get the "haha he's super strong and can't control his powers" sequence, *again*), and its villain. The Lizard is never made likable or believable, he looks dumb the vast majority of the time, and his motivation is poorly set up and self-contradicting. His dialog is at war with itself over WHY he dos what he does and what he really wants in the end.
And really, that's what hurts this film most. We're looking at a movie that has no idea what it is or why it's there, other than to try and fill as many niches as possible and rake up as much disparate sources of cash as it can because, hey, Sony has a legal obligation to make another one of these lest it lose the rights to the character. It's not without merit, but I'd hardly recommend it either.
Don’t give me any shit about this. I can have my own opinions, and that is preciously what I think the so-called “tearjerker” is: a stupid forbidden love story that has been shown a large number of times, that just happens to be set on the Titanic. James Cameron, although your historical accuracy was great, your dialogue/directing skills are shit.
Leo DiCaprio was alright. Kate Winslet gave it her all. But James Cameron is the one who I really think fucked this movie up.
Cameron's a very talented filmmaker but he's only talented when it comes to entertaining the masses. Do you know what other forms of "entertainment" the masses have supported in the past? The 'Spice Girls', that's who!
James Cameron is as overrated as Christopher Nolan! I'm sure that I'll receive hate for speaking my mind but then again, I have taste. Chew on it if you will but I make no apologies for rejecting the foul tasting offal that's served up within the troff of Hollywood!
Spielberg as a director? Ehhhhh... It's like '95 came and he stopped trying. Don't get me wrong, he did some great stuff prior, but that was almost 2 decades ago now. As it stands now, great producer, just stick with that.
Spielberg as a director? Ehhhhh... It's like '95 came and he stopped trying. Don't get me wrong, he did some great stuff prior, but that was almost 2 decades ago now. As it stands now, great producer, just stick with that.
I think I've redirected the hate.
I agree with you. 'Crystal Skull' is proof of Spielberg's sloppy, modren approach to filmmaking.
CGI monkeys and gophers! Woooooooo!!!
I'd like to computer generate a fist up Spielberg's arse!
I still need to see the Assembly Cut of Alien 3. I think I'll make that next on my to-do list. Also, in reality, I do rank Alien above Crystal Skull....but Prometheus will have to wait for a Director's Cut for me to evaluate it. I don't dislike KotCS in any way though, and feel it gets far too much backlash.
I still need to see the Assembly Cut of Alien 3. I think I'll make that next on my to-do list. Also, in reality, I do rank Alien above Crystal Skull....but Prometheus will have to wait for a Director's Cut for me to evaluate it. I don't dislike KotCS in any way though, and feel it gets far too much backlash.
Please do watch the (blu-ray) assembly cut of 'Alien 3', as it is superb.
As for 'Crystal Skull'; I love the film up to the "snake-rope" scene. Following that moment, I find it descends into 'Phantom Menace' levels of suckage!
As for 'Crystal Skull'; I love the film up to the "snake-rope" scene. Following that moment, I find it descends into 'Phantom Menace' levels of suckage!
I actually liked the movie. Yeah, a lot of the action felt kinda shoved in at the last moment, but it was enjoyable enough.
Also, I know it seems silly that there's aliens in Indiana Jones, but I stopped questioning the scientific logic behind the films after the face-melting in Raiders. If the series can convince me to believe in magic, then alien technology isn't much of a stretch.
I actually liked the movie. Yeah, a lot of the action felt kinda shoved in at the last moment, but it was enjoyable enough.
Also, I know it seems silly that there's aliens in Indiana Jones, but I stopped questioning the scientific logic behind the films after the face-melting in Raiders. If the series can convince me to believe in magic, then alien technology isn't much of a stretch.
I'm all for the suspension of disbelief within film. However, the Indiana Jones movies always used religious artifacts as the central MacGuffin, up until 'Crystal Skull' that is! Having said that, the use of aliens interdimensional beings was the least of the fourth movie's problems; the horrendous vine swinging scene takes that particular dubious accolade.
I think the Crystal Skull is better than the Temple of Doom. At least I liked and enjoyed it more.
There, I said it
PS. Ironically enough, the Russian extras and secondary characters in Crystal Skull talk in actual clear Russian. While Cate Blanchett speaks Russian with a super-extra horrendous accent. Not even a bad accent, it was worse than that.
I think the Crystal Skull is better than the Temple of Doom. At least I liked and enjoyed it more.
This is true. Crystal Skull isn't near as creepy or gross as Temple of Doom. And I hate that kid with the Indy voodoo doll. Also, anyone who complains about the nuclear bomb test in Crystal Skull obviously forgot about the plane crash/raft ride in Temple of Doom (which, imo is far less believable.)
Comments
I don't understand why you're picking out one genre by itself which represents an entirely different type of film than the three together and then nitpicking why this one doesn't fit. There's more comedy and action than horror in AtB, but there are moments of horror, and the villains are alien monsters, so it's not just action adventure, but action adventure- horror.
And Tremors 1 is fantastic; don't start the hate train.
I have not seen AtB, but if you are relating it to Tremors and Evil Dead, I think I'd want to. I was half making a joke, half not. I think I'd probably put Tremors closer to Indiana Jones than ...let's say Jaws(even though that's what it was feeding off of).
Seriously, let's clarify something here; this "film" had a script, right?! I mean, somebody actually sat down, conjured the muse within the very depths of their imagination and proceeded to vomit this putrid shit heap onto a page, right? I'm sorry but I just need to get this straight; a human being, supposedly with a functioning brain, was commissioned to pen this rectal discharge?!
Cinema is dead and certain people ought to be ashamed of themselves. What a fucking disgrace.
Thanks for this. I was trying to come up with a reason not to go see this with my brother. Now I can just quote this post.
Battle Royale - 100% - Just like everyone has said...it's a masterpiece. Everyone, from the cannon fodder to the lasting characters, give stand-out performances in a stunning directorial work with one hell of a script. The movie doesn't just toss in cheap gore, in fact, in a lot of places the way people die comes as a shock. In others it's somewhat predictable. I haven't seen a movie in this sort of style since Tarantino. I also haven't seen such a satisfying conclusion in a long time. The dialogue is quick and witty, but at times it also slows down and offers deeper contemplation into the concepts of society and the character's personal demons. Much much more than just another Death Race or Saw. Much much better than the concept should have been.
Love that one. Lots of quirky characters, great sports movie, great coming of age movie, believable performances and tons of female empowerment fun... oh, and beautiful girls by the dozen. Men take a backseat in this movie. That's OK.
Apparently so.
Just got back from seeing this. I'd like to see it again to let it sink in more, but here's my impression of it. Good movie, lovable characters, and of course, great animation. The story is basic Disney princess fare, but Merida is definitely more pro-active than, say, Aurora. The voice acting was fantastic and the music was very evocative of the setting. All in all, not the best Pixar movie, but enjoyable nonetheless. 8/10
I loved it mostly because my friends and I had the theater all to ourselves and we were able to laugh through it without any worries. Don't take it seriously and it's great.
This movie couldn't really be called "good" while maintaining anything approaching intellectual honesty, but I'm not sure it could be called "bad" either. This is a film with a major identity crisis, which it seems to personify in the form of Peter himself. The movie isn't sure if it wants to be a Twilight-style romance film, a Batman Begins rip-off, or an actual stab at another Spider-Man flick. In the same way, the movie isn't quite sure if Peter is a sexy loner, a science dweeb, or a nice kid who gets frustrated easily. While it would be possible to make Peter all of these things, the film doesn't really try. Rather than having a distinct, singular personality, he seems to flip randomly between them from scene to scene, without ever retaining anything from the others when doing so.
Sometimes, Peter Parker rides a skateboard. Sometimes he's talking science jargon. Sometimes he's dorky around girls. Sometimes, he's uncomfortably forceful. Like, really uncomfortably. Like, there is a sequence where Gwen says "No" and he says "Yes" and this same exchange goes on over and over for five minutes and it's extremely uncomfortable to watch. Sometimes Peter is a nice kid. Sometimes he's a sexy outsider. There is no singular Peter, there are two or three characters named "Peter Parker" who share the same narrative thread and look exactly alike, but there is no cohesion or connection between these characters.
Spider-Man, on the other hand, has an identity. In a better film, they could have made a point out of this, but in this one they don't bother. Spider-Man feels a lot more like Spider-Man here than he ever did in the Raimi films. The costume is dumb, but the character talks and moves the way you'd expect Spider-Man to, and this works.
That is among the things the film does well. I liked the way they handled Uncle Ben's arc in this film, I liked the way Flash Thompson was actually given a tiny bit of depth as a character, I like the way Gwen Stacy was given a lot more to do and a lot more characterization than Mary Jane was ever given in the Raimi films.
But the film is held back by its confused identity, its adherence to a lot of superhero origin story cliches(we get the "haha he's super strong and can't control his powers" sequence, *again*), and its villain. The Lizard is never made likable or believable, he looks dumb the vast majority of the time, and his motivation is poorly set up and self-contradicting. His dialog is at war with itself over WHY he dos what he does and what he really wants in the end.
And really, that's what hurts this film most. We're looking at a movie that has no idea what it is or why it's there, other than to try and fill as many niches as possible and rake up as much disparate sources of cash as it can because, hey, Sony has a legal obligation to make another one of these lest it lose the rights to the character. It's not without merit, but I'd hardly recommend it either.
Don’t give me any shit about this. I can have my own opinions, and that is preciously what I think the so-called “tearjerker” is: a stupid forbidden love story that has been shown a large number of times, that just happens to be set on the Titanic. James Cameron, although your historical accuracy was great, your dialogue/directing skills are shit.
Leo DiCaprio was alright. Kate Winslet gave it her all. But James Cameron is the one who I really think fucked this movie up.
M - Two thumbs up - 100%
That's what I always say but people still love Aliens and cannot understand why I despise it.
Wow...that's harsh. Not a big fan of the movie either but I'll give it at least 6/10.
Game over, man! Game over!
If I want to see a science fiction movie, I always prefer John Carpenter, Ridley Scott, and Steven Spielberg.
Yeah, I said it!
Cameron's a very talented filmmaker but he's only talented when it comes to entertaining the masses. Do you know what other forms of "entertainment" the masses have supported in the past? The 'Spice Girls', that's who!
James Cameron is as overrated as Christopher Nolan! I'm sure that I'll receive hate for speaking my mind but then again, I have taste. Chew on it if you will but I make no apologies for rejecting the foul tasting offal that's served up within the troff of Hollywood!
I think I've redirected the hate.
I agree with you. 'Crystal Skull' is proof of Spielberg's sloppy, modren approach to filmmaking.
CGI monkeys and gophers! Woooooooo!!!
I'd like to computer generate a fist up Spielberg's arse!
Woooooooo... umph!!!
Aw jeez. You're about as predictable as the rising of the sun in the morning, Mr. Fawful.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull > Alien = Prometheus > Aliens
Come at me bros
I'm sorry but I don't believe in mocking the mentally handicapped!
To be serious though; I agree with your ranking, aside from 'Crystal Skull', which I would have placed last...
Alien > Alien 3 (assembly cut) > Prometheus > Aliens > Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Then stop posting like one of them.
Oh, you little adorable urchin, you.
I still need to see the Assembly Cut of Alien 3. I think I'll make that next on my to-do list. Also, in reality, I do rank Alien above Crystal Skull....but Prometheus will have to wait for a Director's Cut for me to evaluate it. I don't dislike KotCS in any way though, and feel it gets far too much backlash.
Please do watch the (blu-ray) assembly cut of 'Alien 3', as it is superb.
As for 'Crystal Skull'; I love the film up to the "snake-rope" scene. Following that moment, I find it descends into 'Phantom Menace' levels of suckage!
I actually liked the movie. Yeah, a lot of the action felt kinda shoved in at the last moment, but it was enjoyable enough.
Also, I know it seems silly that there's aliens in Indiana Jones, but I stopped questioning the scientific logic behind the films after the face-melting in Raiders. If the series can convince me to believe in magic, then alien technology isn't much of a stretch.
I'm all for the suspension of disbelief within film. However, the Indiana Jones movies always used religious artifacts as the central MacGuffin, up until 'Crystal Skull' that is! Having said that, the use of aliens interdimensional beings was the least of the fourth movie's problems; the horrendous vine swinging scene takes that particular dubious accolade.
There, I said it
PS. Ironically enough, the Russian extras and secondary characters in Crystal Skull talk in actual clear Russian. While Cate Blanchett speaks Russian with a super-extra horrendous accent. Not even a bad accent, it was worse than that.
Yeah, M is pretty damn awesome. One of my favourites.
This is true. Crystal Skull isn't near as creepy or gross as Temple of Doom. And I hate that kid with the Indy voodoo doll. Also, anyone who complains about the nuclear bomb test in Crystal Skull obviously forgot about the plane crash/raft ride in Temple of Doom (which, imo is far less believable.)