movies What's the last film you watched? And rate it!

I'm Still Here - 9/10
Half performance art, half "documentary," Joachin Pheonix's story of meltdown and career change. Even knowing that it wasn't real (Pheonix got the idea being shocked that people believed that Reality TV was unscripted), it's heartbreaking and kinda hard to watch. Doubly so if you know people who are bipolar. EXCEPTIONALLY well done, and the end is beautiful in a sad sort of way. It's one of those films that needs to sit with you for a while before you decide if you like it or not. Even if you don't like it, it is very well done and the scope is astounding, the madness just enough to make you question if it is really happening or not.

The Grand - 7/10
A more standard mockumentary. Didn't like it as much as Zak Penn's previous effort (Incident At Loch Ness), but definitely a great example of the form. Lots of odd characters and silly situations and (the key to any mockumentary) a great cast.

The Wild Hunt - 7/10
This is the movie I wanted to really recommend. It had been sitting in my queue for ages, but finally had some time this weekend. I wasn't expecting much...story about a live action role playing game (LARP) gone wrong, but that's right up my alley so I thought I'd watch it. Could have been shot/lit a little better, and the story isn't really groundbreaking, but it's engaging. The last 20 minutes or so are very intense, even if you see it coming a mile off. Definitely worth a watch.
 
I too just watched Trespass. Oh my giddy Aunt! A veritable scream-fest! I didn't think that even Nicolas Cage carried this one off too well either. He obviously only gave a half-hearted performance after wanting to swap roles to the kidnapper half way through shooting!

Circularly thin plot with desperate characters vying for the loudest scream and swear count in 80 minutes.

I feel sorry for my fellow Aussie Ben Mendelsohn who was at least believable as Elias. I think Kidman must have been filling in time or owed the Director a favor to go for this role. Schumachers should stick to Formula 1 (although I liked Falling Down).

4/10 Cubic Zirconias from me.
 
Season of the Witch - 4.5/10
OMG! If anyone has the screenplay to this cr@p-fest I'd like a gander at it.
I think this is a beautiful example of something that possibly looks like gold on paper but turns to feces as soon as it goes up on screen.
Possibly, the problem is that the story is preposterous but they're selling it like it was legit lore, or something.
It ain't quite LOTR-worthy material, juno?


Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - 5/10
They've lost that lovin' feeling, but d@mn! hamn! this li'l show brought in the mega-benjis.
Simply amazing what people will spend money on.


The Green Lantern - 5.5/10
It's okaaaaay.
I'm just really glad I waited until I could watch it on DVD from the public library.
Perfunctory DC comic standard fare super hero goobledy-gok.
Best thing about the film is Blake Lively as a brunette. Goodness.
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Marley & Me - 5/10
Turned it off thirty minutes into it.
I don't understand why everyone thought this was super funny.
Blahhhhh... whatever.
 
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Blindness - 6/10
Okay, a fair show.
Liked it no better or worse than another post apocalyptic dystopia flick, Children of Men.

What I find bizarre is the difference in how they were received.

Blindness - Children of Men
MPAA Rating:
R - R
Release Date:
October 3, 2008 - December 25, 2006
Production Budget:
$25 million - $76 million
Worldwide Gross:
$19,844,979 - $69,959,751
Widest Release:
1,690 theaters - 1,524 theaters
(That's 166 more theaters for Blindness earning 2/7 the revenue.
So, the theater owners that signed up for this were likely scratching their heads, as well).
Rotten Tomatoes Critics/Audience:
42/49 - 93/81
​

The audience is a fickle thing.
 
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Gulliver's Travels - 4/10
Turned it off about thirty minutes into it.
It would be nice if someone would offer Jack Black something in which he can portray someone other than the same tired old dofus.
His live action headline career is kinda handicapped. http://www.the-numbers.com/people/JBLAC.php
Looks like he finally nailed a good one, BO-wise.
 
Note -- we have a 73" high definition TV with 3D and high-end surround sound -- so we really get to view (and hear) these movies in a perfect setting.

CONAN -- (3D Bluray -- bought it new and cheap) I believe that Robert E Howard would have approved this version of Conan with high fives, thumbs up and all smiles. Beautiful cinematography. Great sets. Top notch acting -- I loved the grittiness and realism, much of the 'high-quality' filmmaking experienced in viewing Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy. 3D was well done but not distracting. Jason Momoa captured Conan exactly how I picture Conan from the books I grew up on. Momoa's Conan was smart with purpose, not the wise-cracking, muscle-hunk that Schwarzenegger portrayed. The pirates, the kingdoms, everything was as-the-books-portrayed. This movie was made by people who wanted to capture Howard's world of Conan. I hope they make more in this series. With the same quality of story and character. A+

SUPER 8 -- (BluRay netflix) Very well done movie, with great late 70's feel and youth interaction/dialogue. Derivative ? Yes, parts were, but thought the plot surrounding the making of a zombie movie by 14 to 16 year olds was awesome. A solid A

BRIDESMAIDS -- (BluRay netflix) Too long and not that funny, although the scenes at the Bridal Shop were pretty funny. This movie is an example of why I am not a fan of most comedies. One or two quality skits turned into 2 hours (plus) of ho hum... I wish they would make more comedies like DEATH AT A FUNERAL... D

ALIENS -- (BluRay, just bought this extended-version set) I love this movie, seen it many times but last night (Nov. 26, 3011) was the first time I have seen this version. Absolutely A+

HANNA -- (BluRay netflix) Great film work, very well crafted and acted. A little better then the typical ho hum, mediocre action story. Quality acting. A solid B.

HORRIBLE BOSES -- (BluRay netflix) My son (17) laughed and enjoyed this trivial plunge into 'who cares'. My wife and I did not. Although, Jennifer Aniston was appealing eye-candy, Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell's talents were wasted and Charlie Day's acting (or character) was painful to watch as the movie progressed. D

WE ARE THE NIGHT -- (BluRay netflix) Mixed feelings. One should see this movie just for it's place in the realm of Vampire movies. I think some German women are very sexy... although I find there are a lot of very sexy women out there... LOL. Always have. B-

HALL PASS -- (BluRay netflix) A better than average comedy. I have seen a lot worse... B

X-MAN FIRST CLASS -- (BluRay netflix) We liked this movie enough to turn around and buy it when the price dropped (9.99) on Amazon. A
 
I Saw The Devil - 7*/10
* With considerations. 5.5/10 without.
Heard rave reviews about this half a year ago. Been hunting it down continuously since then at the public library. D@mn thing is always checked out, like "Frozen", as well.
(D@mn horror fanatics)! ;)

Okay, first, I don't care for horror anyway, and not this gore-porn sub-genre especially.
However, the director did a good job.
Effects are pretty well done.
In fact, the whole thing is done fairly well. The story doesn't drag, and that's the hard part.
As an audience member I couldn't really guess three steps ahead of what was going to happen, so that's good.
The pace keeps up.
There's just little "Oh, gee! I'm sure glad I watched this"! to it.

Second, Asian films have a visual style I've yet to seamlessly adopt.
The number of emotive 'staring grunts' is something... I'd hate to be forced to emulate with sincerity.
That aside, the actors were otherwise quite believable.
I do enjoy watching the older actors and finding their Yank counterparts.

So, if you like gore-porn horror action (there's plenty of good fighting sequences) then this'll be a nice choice.
 
Darkon - 6.5/10

This seems to be my month for watching LARP movies. Documentary about a fantasy LARP group in Baltimore. Centers around one player, in and out of game, in his quest to defeat the game's "evil empire". Most of the out-of-game scenes were pretty dull, but that was the point. People who lead uninteresting lives, but instead have fun role playing.

What surprised me about this movie is how much I got caught up in the in-game story. The movie builds to a climactic duel that is very gripping, and by that point the absurdity of grown men hitting each other with foam swords is not as distracting as it normally would be.

Filming was low budget documentary, so variable. Some good shots, some distracting shots. Audio was mostly good. Music was appropriate, but not exceptional (though it had some good moments). Middle of the road indie film, but if you are a big nerd (like me), you'll enjoy it.

I miss playing D&D
 
i watched 127 Hours. I thought it was pretty fantastic. Shot and edited incredibly well. Was one of the better book to movie translations I've seen. The only thing I would have done is to leave a few of the deleted scenes in there to slow the pace down a little bit. Seemed a bit too fast paced to me.

Also, I watched almost all of The House on Haunted Hill (1959) with vincent price. Beautifully shot horror film, great low-light cinematography. It was very fun, witty banter, having fun with traditional horror cliches. If only the stupid dvd hadn't frozen right at the end.... still haven't seen the end. CURSE YOU SCRATCHED LIBRARY DVD!!
 
I just made it halfway through Hardwired, before shutting it off in boredom. This movie is a perfect case study in inept filmmaking: Bland cinematography, bad directing, vapid screenplay, horrid color grading, editing with no sense of timing whatsoever, and a completely non-fitting musical score.

Urgh. Why do these people get paid to make movies and I don't?
 
Ah, I keep almost Checking out IP Man.. now I'll have to..

The Perfect Host - David Hyde Pierce was pretty damn phenomenal. It might have benefited from losing ten minutes or so in the middle, but.. if you've EVER watched "Frasier" - check out this movie.

Slither - Low budget horror movie fun. The chemistry between the cast was surprisingly really really good.. plus it really had all of the fun of a Sam Raimi horror flick..
 
Tabloid (2010)

Saw Tabloid last night - it was one of the most unbelievable stories I've ever heard to try to defend a woman's actions while in love. Some seriously crazy stuff. The documentary itself was great and I was just completely stunned at how normal Joyce McKinney made everything seem. Have any of you seen it? Whose story did you believe?

Here's where i saw it: http://www.sundancenow.com/film/tabloid/759

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Dragnet (1987)

I think it may have been the pineapple-upside-down-cake in my system, but I thought it was a zany fun romp. Feels like a Mel Brooks film only it wasn't made by him. I only wish I had seen it as a kid, it would have been a favorite.
 
Revolver - 6/10
Guy Ritchie got a little metaphysical religion in him for this one.
It's one of his better films.
Not as good as SNATCH, which I did enjoy.
Maybe as good as LOCK, STOCK and TWO SMOKING BARRELS, but I haven't seen that one in a decade.
Certainly better than ROCK N' ROLLA, blecht! Too pretentious & no fun.


Wild Hogs - 8/10
Just a fun movie for adults.
Between the content and language I don't think anyone young enough to be offended would care to watch it.


Hellboy - 8.5/10
Del Toro impresses me.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's sponging offa foundation and premise created and fleshed out over a previous decade, but the guy can really put together an entertaining show that doesn't drag.
The second film is maybe even better. Shhh! Don't tell no one.


Easy A - 8.5/10
It's nice to see an intelligent comedy that isn't dark and miserable and can drag you through multiple groups of characters.
Emma stone has a funny voice.
I hope she has a nice career.
She fake-rocked my afternoon. ;)
 
Conan the Barbarian (2011) - 4/10
It's honestly not because I was suckled on the 1982 version, but because this version just didn't gain my involvement with the principle character.
Gratuitous blood sloshing I can deal with fine. God knows it maybe even helped.
I just didn't care about the big C battle after battle after battle.
Yay, battle.

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Whoops. Wrong film. My bad.
I mean... was there a single memorable scene or line out of this new film worth canonizing?



Arthur Christmas - 6/10
Eh... it was fairly decent.
Animators made all the noses distractedly aberrant.
And it kinda goes like a squirrel on speed.
I'm sure it'll become a broadcast holiday staple ASAP, so in that regard it's fine.
Lord knows we need another Christmas movie.
Eh...
 
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Bridesmaids

Okay, I know it's a chic flic, but...I laughed, I cried, I had fun.

And, one cannot help but compare the romance between Annie and Officer Nathan Rhodes with that of Claudia Wilson Gator and Officer Jim Kurring in Magnolia (5 stars, btw)...without the subplot of child molestation and incest. Without...yay! Their love story is a very sweet part of the movie.

I hate when shows make me squirm, in a bad way, as in, please, don't...please, just stop. So, the scene in which
the ladies are competing to make the better friend speech at the engagement party
was way too much for me. I would have cut it down by at least 75%!

Other than that, this is a good, damn fun and touching movie. And the positive comparisons to The Hangover are apt.
 
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