What movies have you seen lately? Now with reviews!Movies

[Revheadnz]

A6M5, coincidentally I just watched the 80s version of F&F, No Mans Land. It's a fairly average fim but I think it has the one of the most stunning collections of automotive pornography captured to celluloid. More water cooled Porsches than you can shake a stick at. 7/10 purely for the cars.

 

[a6m5]

With Charlie Sheen. I do remember seeing it as a kid, but I don't remember much other than it did have boatload of 911's in it.

 

[Diego440]

I have it at home, in that famous line of movies to watch

 

[Solid Lifters]

Bullitt - You know what it is. (If not, clip below) 10/10

 

[Diego440]

Manhattan (1979) -- Directed and starred by Woody Allen, it's the story of a divorced New Yorker currently dating a high-schooler, who brings himself to look for love in the mistress of his best friend instead. One of those movies you have to watch if you've ever fallen in and out of love, and on ocassions dumped the right one to go out with the wrong one. Shot in black and white, with amazing cinematography, it's also a declaration of love to the city that has played center stage to so many of his movies. This is definitely the movie to watch if you're looking to get into Woody Allen, and if you're into his movies and haven't seen this one, now's the time. #225 in IMDb's Top 250. 9/10

 

[Touring Mars]

I got the "Man on Wire" on my netflix's Xbox instant queue. Looking forward to it. 👍

I saw it last night (on TV) and it is brilliant - well worth a watch. It's engaging, funny and moving, and at 90 mins long, it's not too laboured either. Since you are maybe about to watch it, I won't say much more about it other than it is inspiring and poignant. Something about the whole mischeivous plot warms your heart, and is a far more fitting way for the Twin Towers to be remembered than what happened in 2001. Also, the use of Michael Nyman's music throughout is very appropriate and a massive bonus!

@ Diego - not one of my favourite Allen films, but I'd still rate it quite highly. It's been a long time since I watched it though - I never bothered to buy it on DVD - so perhaps I should review it again. "Broadway Danny Rose" and "Annie Hall" are the two Allen films that have stood the test of time best for me.

 

[a6m5]

I saw it last night (on TV) and it is brilliant - well worth a watch. It's engaging, funny and moving, and at 90 mins long, it's not too laboured either. Since you are maybe about to watch it, I won't say much more about it other than it is inspiring and poignant. Something about the whole mischeivous plot warms your heart, and is a far more fitting way for the Twin Towers to be remembered than what happened in 2001. Also, the use of Michael Nyman's music throughout is very appropriate and a massive bonus!

I did watch it couple of days ago(just been too lazy to post!), and couldn't have agreed with you more.

Going in, honestly, I thought I'd be "FF"-ing some of it. Way it's put together, it's almost like watching a movie(or a film to you, Chris ). It really is everything you said, and the ending, the stunt, it is a great payoff. Just amazing. I also couldn't watch it without comparing this event, versus the 9/11. It is sad, because after you see this documentary, you want to visit the towers....... I'd give this one a "B"

--------------------------------------------------

Ramen Girl - So I see this DVD at the Target store, and ramen being one of my favorite food, I'm like, I must see this sometime. Xbox/Netflix gave me the opportunity.

I loved it. And if you liked it, too, I'd be really, really surprised. It was written by a gaijin(foreigner), also directed by one. But I swear, this is a Japanese TV drama! And at least IMO, a really good one at that. Brittany Murphy, whom I've never cared for, her acting was a Japanese TV drama-acting, too. She was perfect. The Japanese actor who plays the scary ramen shop owner, Nishida Toshiyuki, he's pretty much a household 'face' in Japan. I thought he deserved the Nippon Academy-sho for sure.

If you nitpick it, you will find countless flaws in it. But the overall film, to me, "A+", baby. "A+" Great Japanese TV drama. 👍

 

[Diego440]

Terminator 3 (2003) (Rifftrax) -- This movie definitely had it coming. It's amazing how bad it was, but then again the opportunities to riff it are stupendous. Excellent riffing, great lines and exploiting all the suggestive themes. Movie: 4/10 - Riff: 8/10

 

[sandfisch]

I might have been among the first people worldwide to have seen G.I. Joe this morning. There was a pre-release premiere with breakfast for whopping 3€ in a local cinema today

This is the second movie in a very short period of time, Transformers being the first one, that provided me with a profound understanding of why the US government raises military budget every year: They have to finance these big-screen-promotional campaigns that are being produced more and more nowadays.
Apart from that it was a fun ride if you put your brains in the locker before entering the theatre. Some questionable ethics displayed in times and in the end any seriousity is going totally down the drain but very entertaining.
5/10 because it is not a good movie but it is well made and provides entertainment above the score I'd give it.

 

[Speedy Samurai]

Ramen Girl - So I see this DVD at the Target store, and ramen being one of my favorite food, I'm like, I must see this sometime. Xbox/Netflix gave me the opportunity.

I loved it. And if you liked it, too, I'd be really, really surprised. It was written by a gaijin(foreigner), also directed by one. But I swear, this is a Japanese TV drama! And at least IMO, a really good one at that. Brittany Murphy, whom I've never cared for, her acting was a Japanese TV drama-acting, too. She was perfect. The Japanese actor who plays the scary ramen shop owner, Nishida Toshiyuki, he's pretty much a household 'face' in Japan. I thought he deserved the Nippon Academy-sho for sure.

If you nitpick it, you will find countless flaws in it. But the overall film, to me, "A+", baby. "A+" Great Japanese TV drama. 👍

I like Nishida Toshiyuki. He entertains me. I don't like Ramen, though. Speaking of Japanese food-themed movies, have you seen Tampopo? A very young Ken Watanabe in one of his earliest roles. And it's got a lot of noodles in it.

 

[Touring Mars]

American Gangster (2007; Extended version, Blu-ray)

Engaging and watchable crime drama about the rise of a Harlem drug baron (Denzel Washington) and an honest cop's (Russell Crowe) struggle to bring him to justice in the face of massive police corruption. Despite some decent perfomances all round, and the generally satisfying "watchability" of the film, it isn't exactly ground-breaking stuff, and bears more than a passing resemblance to "Goodfellas". For a long movie, the ending seemed rushed and slightly unbelievable (albeit based on true events). It's a good film but I wonder if it will stand the test of time as well as some others in the genre. 7.5/10

Crash (2004)

Another film with strong resemblances to other films - this one is similar in narrative style to Magnolia in that it depicts several apparently separate lives which end up influencing each other in some way. The film is chiefly concerned with the uneasy racial undertones that (still) pervade society, but it also attempts to show how people have conflicting character traits and how events influence behaviour. That said, it isn't all that "thought provoking" or clever, and it left me somewhat unimpressed, having heard very positive reviews of the film before. Still, worth a watch, but not massively interesting. 6/10

Slumdog Millionaire (2008; Blu-ray)

Didn't expect much from this, but I was very impressed. An interesting concept and very well executed throughout, there were some terrific performances, a fantastic soundtrack and it is all stylishly presented. It is clear that this film was always going to target a mainstream audience rather than going for critical acclaim - however, I feel that it succeeds as more than just a "feel good" film. It comes over as unpretentious and uncomplicated - perhaps that's considered as a bad thing by some, but for me it only made the film better. Highly recommended - 8.5/10

 

[FoolKiller]

Revolutionary Road - (5/10)
My wife rented this and I am still unsure what the point was, other than to have Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet together again. It is basically a couple with children in the 50's that are unhappy with their lives, decide they will pursue their dreams in Paris, and have it upset by a third pregnancy. Their emotional decline causes them to both be unfaithful to each other and contemplate a home abortion. When the movie was finished I had no clue why this story was told. The acting was good and the writing was mostly well done, but there was no plot. It is just showing the final six months of a marriage breaking down. Had their been a point I would have rated it higher, but the entire movie I was stuck wondering why this story was being told. I believe it is supposed to be an artistic tale about how mundane suburban life is, and how it is a sign of society's problems (like a more serious American Beauty?), but too many other characters seem happy in this life, which I assume is supposed to make the viewer draw their own conclusion. But in the end you dislike the main characters, not because of their choices, but because of their inability to make a choice.

Good production, bad story. That sums it up.

 

[livemusic]

Revolutionary Road - (5/10)
My wife rented this and I am still unsure what the point was, other than to have Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet together again. It is basically a couple with children in the 50's that are unhappy with their lives, decide they will pursue their dreams in Paris, and have it upset by a third pregnancy. Their emotional decline causes them to both be unfaithful to each other and contemplate a home abortion. When the movie was finished I had no clue why this story was told. The acting was good and the writing was mostly well done, but there was no plot. It is just showing the final six months of a marriage breaking down. Had their been a point I would have rated it higher, but the entire movie I was stuck wondering why this story was being told. I believe it is supposed to be an artistic tale about how mundane suburban life is, and how it is a sign of society's problems (like a more serious American Beauty?), but too many other characters seem happy in this life, which I assume is supposed to be make the viewer draw their own conclusion. But in the end you dislike the main characters, not because of their choices, but because of their inability to make a choice.

Good production, bad story. That sums it up.

My girlfriend rented this a couple of weeks ago too, and I felt the same way about it as you did. Pointless movie.

 

[Danoff]

Crash (2004)

Another film with strong resemblances to other films - this one is similar in narrative style to Magnolia in that it depicts several apparently separate lives which end up influencing each other in some way. The film is chiefly concerned with the uneasy racial undertones that (still) pervade society, but it also attempts to show how people have conflicting character traits and how events influence behaviour. That said, it isn't all that "thought provoking" or clever, and it left me somewhat unimpressed, having heard very positive reviews of the film before. Still, worth a watch, but not massively interesting. 6/10

Crash was is one of the very few investigations of racism that has been done honestly. There were some touching moments in the film, some excellent writing, and a solid soundtrack. I've seen it twice, and I'm surprised you wouldn't find it thought provoking and clever. I wouldn't watch it out of interest in the characters - though they certainly weren't boring. But I felt that as an honest commentary on racism, it was well worth a viewing.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008; Blu-ray)

Didn't expect much from this, but I was very impressed. An interesting concept and very well executed throughout, there were some terrific performances, a fantastic soundtrack and it is all stylishly presented. It is clear that this film was always going to target a mainstream audience rather than going for critical acclaim - however, I feel that it succeeds as more than just a "feel good" film. It comes over as unpretentious and uncomplicated - perhaps that's considered as a bad thing by some, but for me it only made the film better. Highly recommended - 8.5/10

I was unimpressed by the adult performances. The child performances were good (for child performances), but they couldn't carry the movie. I couldn't disagree with you more on the soundtrack. I felt that the movie came across incredibly pretentiously and the stylish presentation only detracted from the film.

What bothers me most about slumdog is the complete lack of morality throughout the movie, even on the part of characters you're supposed to like. But even if it got the morality right, I still wouldn't like the movie - too much else is wrong with the execution.

 

[Sage]

Forgive me father, for I have sinned… I saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince the other day. I stopped reading the books after the fourth one and I never saw any of the movies, but a bunch of friends were going so I was like Well, guess I’ll give it a shot. But all it did was remind me why I gave up on the series in the first place – unimaginative, boring plot lacking any sort of nuance whatsoever. I mean, I was actually shocked at how linear and banal it was – ten minutes of an episode of 24 is infinitely more interesting.

 

[Strittan]

Forgive me father, for I have sinned… I saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince the other day. I stopped reading the books after the fourth one and I never saw any of the movies, but a bunch of friends were going so I was like Well, guess I’ll give it a shot. But all it did was remind me why I gave up on the series in the first place – unimaginative, boring plot lacking any sort of nuance whatsoever. I mean, I was actually shocked at how linear and banal it was – ten minutes of an episode of 24 is infinitely more interesting.

Hahaha, I don't get it either. What's so freakin exciting about Harry Potter!? I only read half the first book and saw the first movie, more than enough to make me hate this Harry...

That's my opinion, and I'm thankful not everyone shares it with me, because what would the world look like if everybody walked around and thought the same about everything?

 

[a6m5]

I like Nishida Toshiyuki. He entertains me. I don't like Ramen, though. Speaking of Japanese food-themed movies, have you seen Tampopo? A very young Ken Watanabe in one of his earliest roles. And it's got a lot of noodles in it.

I know I wanted to see it, back in the VHS-days. It would be interesting to see the young Watanabe as well. I've seen the promotion of him on some TV series, when he played Masamune, but I don't believe I saw him actually act until that Last Samurai flick. I will definitely check it out. 👍

Don't like ramen........ I'm disappointed in you, Speedy!

 

[Diego440]

Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) -- I'm not even going to mention how I came to watch this crap... luckily it was a MST3K episode. One thing about B-movies is that you can watch them and notice that in most cases they seem to be making fun of the whole issue, or there's sometimes somone who acts well enough, or something. But nothing in this movie is done right. Seriously, The Hottie and the Nottie is a blockbuster next to this! At least that movie had... I dunno, good cinematography? This movie is bad every way you look at it... it's in English, dubbed into English! All the male voices are done by the same guy, even the kid's voice!! (keep in mind the kid is a 3-year-old girl).

I'm sure watching tyhe MST3K version of it saved me a lot of grief, but even with the overlap of the great show, the movie is just a wretched, lumbering monstrosity, which is surely a step up from what it really is. The movie never really begins, since before they really can kick the movie into gear, you’re treated to fifteen minutes of repetitive scenery. It also becomes clear in those 15 minutes that whoever directed this movie had no idea what they were doing. There's an insane amount of pointless scenes and cuts that don't make any sort of sense, but are just there to fill blank space... makes you wonder if they included the outtakes of people just sitting around. From here the movie rapidly goes into a cuckoo descent.

Manos: The Hands of Fate is what someone’s raging ego of mediocrity and stupidity looks like put to film. Especially when your movie translates to Hands: The Hands of Fate. This movie is so awful that even the MST3K guys ran out of stuff to mock. 0/10 (no surprise)... it's #6 in IMDb's Bottom 100

 

[Speedy Samurai]

Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) -- I'm not even going to mention how I came to watch this crap... luckily it was a MST3K episode. One thing about B-movies is that you can watch them and notice that in most cases they seem to be making fun of the whole issue, or there's sometimes somone who acts well enough, or something. But nothing in this movie is done right. Seriously, The Hottie and the Nottie is a blockbuster next to this! At least that movie had... I dunno, good cinematography? This movie is bad every way you look at it... it's in English, dubbed into English! All the male voices are done by the same guy, even the kid's voice!! (keep in mind the kid is a 3-year-old girl).

I'm sure watching tyhe MST3K version of it saved me a lot of grief, but even with the overlap of the great show, the movie is just a wretched, lumbering monstrosity, which is surely a step up from what it really is. The movie never really begins, since before they really can kick the movie into gear, you’re treated to fifteen minutes of repetitive scenery. It also becomes clear in those 15 minutes that whoever directed this movie had no idea what they were doing. There's an insane amount of pointless scenes and cuts that don't make any sort of sense, but are just there to fill blank space... makes you wonder if they included the outtakes of people just sitting around. From here the movie rapidly goes into a cuckoo descent.

Manos: The Hands of Fate is what someone’s raging ego of mediocrity and stupidity looks like put to film. Especially when your movie translates to Hands: The Hands of Fate. This movie is so awful that even the MST3K guys ran out of stuff to mock. 0/10 (no surprise)... it's #6 in IMDb's Bottom 100

Torturing yourself by watching stuff you know to be crap. I dunno...

 

[Diego440]

Torturing yourself by watching stuff you know to be crap. I dunno...

It's a MST3K thing.

Just saw:




Marty (1955) -- Winner of the Oscar for Best Picture in 1955, it's the story of two lonely people who have almost resigned themselves to never being truly loved. The setting and the plot aren't that much, but it's very well acted. The characters, despite being "old" (for the time period), show very well the insecurities that should go away with age, but don't. It's like you'd expect people who are over 30 and single to know eveyrthing about life and have their minds made up about what they want; but it's not like that at all. After 30 you still obsess and overthink about possibilities with people you meet, just like if you are 18. There's a couple of side-stories to the movie (or sub-plots) which don't really help it much, and Ernest Borgnine isn't someone I'd think to be a heart-throb, but again, that must be the reason why he was chosen for the part. There's a couple of other flaws in the movie, but they have more to do with the time period, and the fact that women were supposed to be much more submissive and had less liberties back then... 7.5/10

 

[Tornado]

Hard Target (1993) -- Quite possibly the best action movie ever created. I mean that. 97 minutes of nothing but action. Not quite insane enough to be stupid and just realistic enough to be vaguely believable, but easily insane enough to be incredibly super awesome. My favorite part is probably were JCVD shoots some guy 3 or 4 times and then roundhouses him just because in slow motion. Or the part where Lance Henriksen plays the piano with an epic scowl on his face, implying that he really hates playing the piano but is doing it just because he is the bad guy. Or even the part where JCVD properly shoots a submachine gun (as in butt against the shoulder and actually aiming at what he is shooting) while driving a dirtbike.
Did I mention the slow motion? Half of this movie is in slow motion and it is awesome! Also, JCVD halfing a rideek-q-lus ahk-cent and ah silly aircuht makes complete sense in this movie because he lives in New Orleans. Its amazing for that alone, like those Sean Connery movies where Sean Connery actually played a Scotsman, or that one Arnold movie where Arnold played an Austrian.
I suppose I should touch on the romantic sub-plot, or the political statements, or the intense dissection of the treatment of homeless people; but they happily don't really even exist. Also, it has Wilford Brimley playing a hilariously fake Cajun. This would be my favorite van Damme movie if Street Fighter wasn't so hilarious (Of Course!). A completely serious 9/10.

 

[a6m5]

You are like my friend, aren't you? He impersonates Van Damme(sometimes Seagal) so comically, swears it's in the movie. I go find a used copy, and it's just dumb, and not funny at all. I almost want to go rent it, but if it didn't live up to the hype, I'd have to punch you in the eye........

 

[Solid Lifters]

Space Chimps - Something for the boys and I to watch, but one lost interest 30 minutes in, and I lost the other about 10 minutes later.

I finished it and it was OK, but mostly for little kids. I guess my youngest is just too 'hip' for these little kid movies. Shame. I'm going to miss watching them with him.

7/10

 

[Strittan]

Hard Target (1993)

Wow, just watched the trailer and think I need to see this movie big time!

Does it contain sort an unwritten humor in it (parodied in Last Action Hero)?

 

[Eric Demory]

Used Cars, a very funny movie from the early 80's

 

[bergauk]

G.I. Joe, Employee of the Month, Scream, and currently watching Scary Movie.

 

[Diego440]

Hotel Rwanda (2004) -- The true-life story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda. It's a very hard movie to sit through, but it's very worth it; taking on the Rwandan genocide, which left almost a million dead... an incident to which the world turned its back. iThere's not much I can say about the acting or the cinematography, since the movie really moved me... I couldn't really think about the making of the movie, because I was more shocked, horrified, nauseated and amazed at how harsh it all was and how I managed to know nothing about it. The movie deserves a high place in my list, but not because it's a movie about escapism, love, action or blood... but because it's a movie about reality. This is a must-see, not because it will make you laugh but because it will make you think. It's #104 in IMDb's Top 250. 9/10

 

[bergauk]

Hotel Rwanda (2004) -- The true-life story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda. It's a very hard movie to sit through, but it's very worth it; taking on the Rwandan genocide, which left almost a million dead... an incident to which the world turned its back. iThere's not much I can say about the acting or the cinematography, since the movie really moved me... I couldn't really think about the making of the movie, because I was more shocked, horrified, nauseated and amazed at how harsh it all was and how I managed to know nothing about it. The movie deserves a high place in my list, but not because it's a movie about escapism, love, action or blood... but because it's a movie about reality. This is a must-see, not because it will make you laugh but because it will make you think. It's #104 in IMDb's Top 250. 9/10

I saw this in school I believe, It was a great film. I kinda want to rewatch it now.


As for tonights movie. I watch Stranger Than Fiction, *Spoiler Alert* a good film about a man who's life is being written/narrated by women who is trying to kill him for her story. You follow both of their lives as Harold[Will Ferrell] meets the love of his life Anna [Maggie Gyllenhaal], and Karen Eifel [Emma Thompson] and her assistant who's name escapes me at the moment [Queen Latifah] tries to think of a way to kill off Harold for her story. Harold must enlist the help of a professor at a local college [Dustin Hoffman] to figure out who is narrating Harold's life and put an end to it before Karen [Emma Thompson] puts an end to Harold's life. *Spoiler Alert Over*

All in all, its a great film with some very funny things interspersed throughout it. Along with a lot of seriousness in the film as well. As Peter Travers of ROLLING STONE puts it "...magic..."

I'll give it a 9/10

 

[a6m5]

I loved Stranger than Fiction, too. On Hotel Rwanda, I also had never heard of the incident until there was a buzz on the film. It was not a "9/10" for me, but obviously, when the film actually moves you, it's done its job.

On the politics, it does slap you in the face, doesn't it? All those righteous "lip service" politicians, they'll never go to a war unless there's something in it for them. Human lives aren't worth that much, but involve some incentives and they'll be breaking their back to ship out other people kids in name of something honorable.

 

[Diego440]

Exactly... well said. I have Un dimanche à Kigali in line, which is a sort of sequel/aftermath of Hotel Rwanda in line. I hear it's very good too.