What movies have you seen lately? Now with reviews!Movies
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Grand Hotel (1932) -- A movie in which a lot happens, but it's just part of the ordinary events that go on at the Grand Hotel. There's the exploitation of every stereotype known then and the possibility of a happy ending, only to be blasted by reality and hit hard with cynicism. Pretty good acting from Great Garbo and Joan Crawford, all of which let them earn the Best Picture Oscar in 1932. Not a bad movie, but not very enjoyable because it lacks a lot of features that were present in contemporary movies, such as, oh I don't know... a plot? It's just about what goes in at the hotel, there's no start or end to it. 7/10
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Iron Man
This is the second time I've seen this movie, for me it never seems to grow old. I loved it as much, if not more this time than I did the first, everything about this film seems to hit the nail on the head in my opinion; the gadgets, the slick look, the cars, the suit, the action and the story line. Perfect. I don't have any probelms with this film at all, I thought Robert Downey Jr. was fantastic as Tony Stark and suited the character perfectly. In my opinon a very, very good film.
This Blu-Ray version I watched also came with a Bonus Disc, which had some great footage of how the suit was made and it basically followed filming through as it changed location. Really interesting, definately worth watching even if you didn't particularly like the film. 👍
*****
👍
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There Will Be Blood - 2007 Drama Staring Daniel Day-Lewis
A long movie about the life and times of a silver prospector with trust issues who grows into a huge 'oil man' after striking oil in SoCal while showing the corruptions of both religion and business.
8/10
A long movie about the life and times of a silver prospector with trust issues who grows into a huge 'oil man' after striking oil in SoCal while showing the corruptions of both religion and business.
8/10
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Mimi wo Sumaseba (a.k.a. Whisper of the Heart) (1995) -- A needlessly animated movie about a young girl who finds out that all the books she chooses in the library have been previously checked out by the same boy. Once she meets the boy, the whole reading/library subject gets trashed and a weird and eerie romanticism takes over between a girl who can't be over 12 and a boy who's around 15. Once you get past that, and realise it's a movie about first love, it gets pretty average chick flick material. Written by Miyazaki, though it lacks the 'supernatural' aura that has made Miyazaki famous. 6/10
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I stayed home sick today, but while I went out to pick up my lunch, I got couple of redbox rentals. Made a DVD day out of it. 
Gran Torino - Everybody seemed to have liked this movie, and you already understand why, even before you pop the DVD in. Last few Clint Eastwood flicks has simply been good(Flags, Letters) to great(Million $). Well acted, big budget, a lot of work put in.
My only disappointment from this film has been that I expected a lot more fireworks from it. More violence, more action. By violence, I mean the meaningless ones. There is a big & serious violence in the story, don't get me wrong. Also, I was bit disappointed with the acting in Thao character. Likeable kid, but I thought the acting there was a weak link.
I'm pretty impressed by the film. Rarely, you see life, death, good, bad illustrated so well in a film. Maybe its just me, I don't know. And the climax had me going, "how in the hell is he getting out of this!?", which is VERY rare. Wally(Eastwood) really did put a plan together, and while my heart wanted to see something else, my mind came away sort of impressed by it.
*spoiler**maybe?*I was feeling bit melancholy after finishing watching, because like most fans of films, movies, whatever, I really love Clint Eastwood. While even at his age, he is more kick ass than just about any leading men, or the movie heroes, he looks very old. And his character who is portrayed is very old, like he is on his last legs. It just so reminded me of Clint Eastwood himself.*possible spoiler over*
Anyway, great flick. It's closer to the Million Dollar Baby than the Flags/Letters. "A"
The International - I saw the Grand Torino first, and then right before I popped this movie in, I was like, "what the heck are you thinking!?". Can't-miss, sure-fire flick first, and now I'm gonna follow it with a possible disaster(not intentionally) movie next? Thankfully, this action/thriller was a good one. While acting is very good(somewhat rare in the genre), it really has a good balance of believability and action/adventure. It's exciting, without getting too silly, or boring. I think it gets extra points for the locales & architectures as well. "B+"
Gran Torino - Everybody seemed to have liked this movie, and you already understand why, even before you pop the DVD in. Last few Clint Eastwood flicks has simply been good(Flags, Letters) to great(Million $). Well acted, big budget, a lot of work put in.
My only disappointment from this film has been that I expected a lot more fireworks from it. More violence, more action. By violence, I mean the meaningless ones. There is a big & serious violence in the story, don't get me wrong. Also, I was bit disappointed with the acting in Thao character. Likeable kid, but I thought the acting there was a weak link.
I'm pretty impressed by the film. Rarely, you see life, death, good, bad illustrated so well in a film. Maybe its just me, I don't know. And the climax had me going, "how in the hell is he getting out of this!?", which is VERY rare. Wally(Eastwood) really did put a plan together, and while my heart wanted to see something else, my mind came away sort of impressed by it.
*spoiler**maybe?*I was feeling bit melancholy after finishing watching, because like most fans of films, movies, whatever, I really love Clint Eastwood. While even at his age, he is more kick ass than just about any leading men, or the movie heroes, he looks very old. And his character who is portrayed is very old, like he is on his last legs. It just so reminded me of Clint Eastwood himself.*possible spoiler over*
Anyway, great flick. It's closer to the Million Dollar Baby than the Flags/Letters. "A"
The International - I saw the Grand Torino first, and then right before I popped this movie in, I was like, "what the heck are you thinking!?". Can't-miss, sure-fire flick first, and now I'm gonna follow it with a possible disaster(not intentionally) movie next? Thankfully, this action/thriller was a good one. While acting is very good(somewhat rare in the genre), it really has a good balance of believability and action/adventure. It's exciting, without getting too silly, or boring. I think it gets extra points for the locales & architectures as well. "B+"
It's been so long I can't remember anything about the film, except thinking it was OK. I got it with my Miyazaki DVD boxset.
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But it's not a Miyazaki movie! Alright, it was written by him.
Mrs. Miniver (1942) -- The Minivers, an English "middle-class" family experience life in the first months of World War II. On the one side it's about how the families coped during the bombardments and more or less maintained their lifestyle, under rubble. But on the other hand it's also a propaganda film, made in the US by people who knew what Europe (more specifically the UK) were going through and were a bit mad at the United States' neutrality. All in all, it's a very good movie. I only have one problem with it: every single visual detail is wrong - it was filmed in America, where everything looks different. Supposedly British characters spoke with a highly American accent, except for the Scots, who seemed to speak Cockney. Directed by William Wyler. 7.5/10
As sometimes happens with good movies and me, here's a few tidbits about it:
- Winston Churchill once said that this film had done more for the war effort than a fleet of destroyers.
- The vicar's speech near the end was translated into various languages and air-dropped in leaflets over German-occupied territory, was broadcast over the Voice of America, and reprinted in Time and Look magazines at Pres. Franklin Delano Roosevelt's request. This speech has come to be known as The Wilcoxon Speech, in tribute to actor Henry Wilcoxon's stirring delivery of it.
- William Wyler openly admitted that he made the film for propaganda reasons. Wyler--who was born in Germany--strongly believed that the US should join the war against Nazism, and was concerned that America's policy of isolationism would prove damaging, so he made a film that showed ordinary Americans what their British equivalents were undergoing at the time. The film's subsequent success had a profound effect on American sympathy towards the plight of the British.
Danoff
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Wanted 👎👎
I had rejected this movie based on the previews, but the wife put it on the netflix queue because she did some work for a company who was loosely related to the marketing for this movie. She regrets that decision.
We put this on last night (Friday) after both having had very rough, long days at work. We were looking to shut our brains down for a few hours - and this (combined with alcohol) seemed like an appropriate way to do so. So I think we approached this movie in about the best possible state that one can - tipsy and ready for stupid.
The problem is that even in that state I was simply unable to shut enough brain cells down to get to this movie's level. The wife and I fell into mystery science theater mode at about 15 minutes in - and it kept up the whole way through.
As you know from the preview, the movie has to do with curving bullets around objects by slinging your gun as you fire - a retarded premise for sure, but not the death knell. Honestly they could have made a movie based on that premise that I would have enjoyed. But the action sequences defied physics in so many different ways that I couldn't stop myself from bursting out laughing during car chases, gun fights, and training montages.
The movie can't decide whether it wants to be Fight Club, The Matrix, or 007. It ripped them all off - quite badly - and the result was a pathetic mish-mash of stolen and misused ideas.
When Morgan Freeman stepped onto the screen I literally said out lout "No! Don't do it Morgan... don't be in this piece of trash! You have a career!" But he didn't listen. He does a fine job acting - but the lines simply can't be overcome... and am I the only one who thinks Angelina is a bit old for a part like this one? At some point she kisses someone in the movie (like you didn't know that would happen) and I thought for sure she was old enough to be his mom. There's also a hilarious scene where they flash back to "20 years ago" in her childhood - where she's about 8 years old or so. I was literally expecting to see someone in college during that flashback. Turns out the actress is only 34 - but I think in this film she manages to actually look older.
Absolutely junk. But not so bad that I turned it off - which is saying something. At least it's fairly short.
McLaren
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Travolta & Washington gave some great acting in this, and I like how for once, the "terrorist" wasn't hesitant to carry out his demands until later on when Washington's character got through to him. It also has some scenes where a plot twist might come in, but it does a great job playing through. It did also keep me on the edge of my seat as you can never be too sure if Travolta will or won't shoot someone. But he sticks to his role, and he does it well. The only man who surpasses him is Washington which is no surprise.
I give it an A. Good story, Travolta's character is done well, but Washington really shows himself. 👍
Travolta & Washington gave some great acting in this, and I like how for once, the "terrorist" wasn't hesitant to carry out his demands until later on when Washington's character got through to him. It also has some scenes where a plot twist might come in, but it does a great job playing through. It did also keep me on the edge of my seat as you can never be too sure if Travolta will or won't shoot someone. But he sticks to his role, and he does it well. The only man who surpasses him is Washington which is no surprise.
I give it an A. Good story, Travolta's character is done well, but Washington really shows himself. 👍
Joel
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Land Of The Lost
Both 1/10 and 9/10 at the same time.
It's a Will Ferrel movie. It is based on Ferrel's character trying to stop the energy crisis with parallel dimensions, the plot, and story, effects, costumes, are all laughably bad, and the movie is just plain stupid.
However the same reasons it's a horrible movie made it a great movie for me. It's obvious the whole movie is stupid on purpose, and the whole thing is friggin hilarious. If you go in expecting an epic sci fi movie, see something else. It's utterly hilarious if you know what to expect.
Both 1/10 and 9/10 at the same time.
It's a Will Ferrel movie. It is based on Ferrel's character trying to stop the energy crisis with parallel dimensions, the plot, and story, effects, costumes, are all laughably bad, and the movie is just plain stupid.
However the same reasons it's a horrible movie made it a great movie for me. It's obvious the whole movie is stupid on purpose, and the whole thing is friggin hilarious. If you go in expecting an epic sci fi movie, see something else. It's utterly hilarious if you know what to expect.
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I'm just sayin' it's part of his DVD boxset I have. What do you want from me, Diego!
I want the truth!!
@Reventón: That movie is a remake of a 1974 movie, which I think is fairly good. I'd recommend it, if only for comparative purposes.
@noob616: You should know better than to try to rationalise Will Ferrell movies
I watched:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) -- I've only read Dan's review, and not surprisingly, I disagree... but not by a large margin. I think the story is well taught, if a bit too long and over dramatised, but the movie's message is sweet and simple: live life. I think they could've done it better, had it been shorter, since clocking in at 166 minutes isn't really good for everyone. The dialogues are well written, but not really realistic. And lastly, given the thriller masterpieces David Fincher has directed in the past (Panic Room [granted, not that good], Fight Club, Zodiac (also a tad slow), The Game, Se7en), this movie seems a step down, or even (heavens, no!) a "pacing down" of his style. I seriously hope this is just a phase and that he'll eventually come back with an 'edge-of-your-seat' movie soon enugh. This movie is (surprisingly enough) #183 in IMDb's Top 250. 7/10
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Deep Cover - Very early 90's "Undercover gone wrong" movie, when Laurence Fishburne was still "Larry". While it's no classic, if you think, like me, young Laurence Fishburne was very money, it is worth your hour & a half. Jeff Goldblum co-stars, and that's a treat in a (cheesy)throwback kinda way as well.
It's somewhat an average cop-thriller movie, but it does has its moments. "C+"
It's somewhat an average cop-thriller movie, but it does has its moments. "C+"
You can't handle the............. NEVERMIND!
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The Killing (1956) -- After getting out of prison, Johnny Clay masterminds a complex race-track heist, but his scheme is complicated by the intervention of the wife of a teller in on the scheme, the boyfriend of the wife, airport regulations, and a small dog. It's also one of the first movies by Stanley Kubrick (well, his 5th), as well as a very good example of film-noir. Probably one of the first major movies about a multi-million dollar heist with many participants (a-la Ocean's 11). It's #163 in IMDb's Top 250. 8.5/10
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Star Trek - (8.5/10)
All my fears were wrong. There were a few issues regarding a disregard of physics and one character difference that the plot does not address. Otherwise it is a brillaint way to revitalize and reboot a series. My dad and I went to see it and we both liked it. I have even been watching Season 1 on Blu-Ray and I can say that with a direct comparison it works well enough.
All my fears were wrong. There were a few issues regarding a disregard of physics and one character difference that the plot does not address. Otherwise it is a brillaint way to revitalize and reboot a series. My dad and I went to see it and we both liked it. I have even been watching Season 1 on Blu-Ray and I can say that with a direct comparison it works well enough.
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The Hurt Locker
7.5-8/10
This is a movie following a EOD team in Iraq. I was quite impressed by it actually, the acting was pretty good from the main crew and the direction was also impressive, taking a more measured touch with the "action" scenes than many other war films. Obviously it has been livened up a little over what a real bomb disposal team would do so that it makes an exciting film but otherwise it retains a realistic feel. It does away with much character development and does without having a direct antagonist, as well as a climax. It unfolds much differently to your average war film and I would very much recommend it.
7.5-8/10
This is a movie following a EOD team in Iraq. I was quite impressed by it actually, the acting was pretty good from the main crew and the direction was also impressive, taking a more measured touch with the "action" scenes than many other war films. Obviously it has been livened up a little over what a real bomb disposal team would do so that it makes an exciting film but otherwise it retains a realistic feel. It does away with much character development and does without having a direct antagonist, as well as a climax. It unfolds much differently to your average war film and I would very much recommend it.
Danoff
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Fight Club 👍👍
I rewatched fight club last weekend to get the taste of "Wanted" out of my mouth. I had to see the real thing again, and was impressed all over again. There's a reason this movie is in my top 10 of all time.
I've done a fair amount of writing on this forum about the difference facets of this movie - but I was struck this time by the sheer beauty of this film. Every scene fits together in exactly the artistic style that it should. The music complements the story perfectly. The pacing is wonderful. The characters are interesting people who have sprung from boring backgrounds - rather than what is the norm for movies - boring people who are supposedly more interesting because of their backstory.
I was struck this time through by just how much narration there is through this movie. I normally hate narration - somehow I don't even notice it in this film. The inner dialogue (as is usually the case) serves to help delve into the psychological and philosophical issues that the movie stirs up. But normally it just serves to take me out of the movie. This movie seems to relish in reminding you that you're watching a movie. Almost as though they're showing off that they can pull you out of the movie repeatedly and you'll get sucked back in in about half a second. Several examples come to mind:
- The cigarette burn
- The shaking film reel effect (done twice)
- "It's called a changeover"
- The Ikea effect
I think the reason to do this may be to make the analysis in the movie more real. By analyzing the movie that you're watching right in front of you, they're establishing credibility that their world is your world - their analysis applies to the very movie you watch - and so perhaps that effect sucks you in even more.
Have you read my review after watching the movie?
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Check out the book. You'll realize that all they did to make the movie awesome was a very faithful adaptation. Chuck Palahniuk deserves all the credit for the tone and as you watch the film you will realize that things like the camera work and even music are all the things you picture in your head, or create the same mental image, as when you read the book. This is possibly the best book to film adaptation I have ever seen.
EDIT:
I saw Up today. (8/10)
It was very good and touching. This is more tear jerker than anything, but it is a good family tale that doesn't work to stuff a message down my throat, unless importance of love and family are considered political messages, which is refreshing. I suggest everyone go see it. The 3-D was also very excellent.
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Danoff
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Man On Wire 👍👍
I should mention that I'm not a big documentary buff - but occasionally one comes along that I can't ignore. March of the Penguins was one, Planet Earth was another. And while this isn't necessarily a movie about anything even remotely natural, it is an amazing story.
You'll learn in the first 5 minutes of the movie (or by looking at the cover) that this is a documentary about a man who considered it his life's goal to tightrope walk between the two world trade center towers. The sheer insanity of that goal is driven home nicely as the movie covers every aspect - from wind, to WTC tower flexibility, to anchor points. You'll also see how he works his way up to the challenge.
Plenty of jaw dropping moments.
BTW - This is on Netflix "Watch Now", so if you have internet and netflix, you can watch it... well... now.
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Joel
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The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas (2008)
9/10
Once you get past the "Huh? The Nazi children are speaking British accents?", It is an amazing movie (although not 100% accurate). The film is about a young 8 year old boy (Bruno) whose father, A high ranking Nazi soldier, moves his whole family to the country, where he can operate an extermination camp. Bruno is a curious boy, and he stumbles upon the extermination camp while "exploring". Bruno meets another boy, also 8, named Shmeul (pronounced 'Shmoll') on the other side of the fence, in the "striped pyjamas". They develop a friendship, and Bruno often sneaks off to see Shmeul.
I guess after pondering for a while, it's not as good as I thought it was the first time. I guess the thing is the little Jewish kid would have been gassed right away, and the story would never happen.
9/10
Once you get past the "Huh? The Nazi children are speaking British accents?", It is an amazing movie (although not 100% accurate). The film is about a young 8 year old boy (Bruno) whose father, A high ranking Nazi soldier, moves his whole family to the country, where he can operate an extermination camp. Bruno is a curious boy, and he stumbles upon the extermination camp while "exploring". Bruno meets another boy, also 8, named Shmeul (pronounced 'Shmoll') on the other side of the fence, in the "striped pyjamas". They develop a friendship, and Bruno often sneaks off to see Shmeul.
I guess after pondering for a while, it's not as good as I thought it was the first time. I guess the thing is the little Jewish kid would have been gassed right away, and the story would never happen.
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Blackbird.
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I saw Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen last night and i'd have to say it was pretty good. I wouldn't say it was much better than the first one but it was a little drawn out. It was over 2hrs long. The movie started at 10:45pm and we got out at 1:22am.
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