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

Looper. C.

Well made. There were parts and elements that I liked more than a C. But overall, it amounted to being an okay film. Primarily, I felt that the
telekinesis and hellspawn subplot belonged in another movie
. Otherwise, nice work by the filmmakers.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I had to stop watching fairly early on. Maybe I'll give it another chance some other time. For one thing, what's with the gaudy color grading? It's almost bizarre. Seems like an example of less is more would have been a better guiding principle. But then again, the monitor I was watching it on isn't the greatest. Maybe it's the monitor's fault. But, I wasn't digging other elements of the film either. Since I only watched maybe fifteen minutes of it, no grade for now.
 
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Not yet finished with Human Centipede 2 but the last flick I watched was Dudes, directed by Penelope Spheeris. I give it a 8/10. I love a good film from the 80's and the mix of comedy, action, drama and punk rock was good enough for me.
 
We've been on a bit of an 'Oscar binge' lately. Which has almost entirely been a wonderful thing.

Skyfall - Solid movie. I'm not a big Bond fan and I've found myself growing weary of the long, over-the-top, way-too-cool action sequences of modern films. This one had it all. AND. I. LOVED. IT. It had action, it had humor, it had heart. And perfectly crafted on all technical fronts. I give it a solid 8/10.

Zero Dark Thirty - Based on the trailer I really thought I was going to hate this one. But the reviews won me over and we gave it a try. Wow. What a compelling film. It just sucks you in and you wake up three hours later in a daze. I know there's some controversy surrounding this one and I think it's undeserved. The film, accurate or not, treats the subject matter with near-complete neutrality. It's the story of a woman on a mission, plain and simple and beautifully done. Bigelow deserves another Oscar for this one. And for those of you who've seen the trailer and think you wouldn't like it, give it a try. Unsurprisingly, the trailer is very misleading. 8/10

Lincoln - The opposite of Zero Dark Thirty, I thought I would really like this one. It's your classic Spielberg Oscar fare, or so I kept hearing over and over. I was excited to see it. I wanted to love it. And I made it not 45 minutes in before I had to turn it off (which is something I almost NEVER do.) The number one problem for me was the dialog. It almost seemed like they just took Lincoln's speeches and deduced that the way he wrote was the way he spoke. Every sentence of every rambling folksy anecdote was seemingly constructed for hours until perfectly crafted. Even the actors looked uncomfortable to me, struggling (unsuccessfully) with making their lines sound natural. Now, I could be wrong. I wasn't around 150 years ago so who knows, maybe people did talk this way. But even if that were the case, it made the film totally unwatchable for me. 2/10

Hyde Park on Hudson - What a weird little charmer of a film. Where to start. It's certainly not a classically 'great' film. While technically beautiful and seamlessly edited and well paced, you also have a sometimes awkward voice over... though perhaps the awkwardness is simply because it's our main character gushing over her (distant) cousin, the president, with whom she's having an affair. The film takes place over one weekend, the first visit ever to the US of a King and Queen of England. And the filmmakers succeed completely in creating and welcoming us into this little world. Personally, I could have stayed a year. Bill Murray's FDR struck me as odd at first, but after a while, either he or I settled into it and he gives an Oscar-worthy performance. My least favorite part was probably the characterization of King George and Queen Elizabeth, particularly the Queen. Though if I'm honest, I'm probably just spoiled by Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter's more nuanced performance of them in The King's Speech. The film has a lot of laughs, it shows you a side of FDR (and to some extent Elenore) that I at least hadn't seen before, and it's to their credit. But while funny, it's also a very sincere film and I think that's where it really shines. Everyone is human, no one is perfect, and everything is just fine all-the-same. Definitely a new favorite of mine. So in my biased view, I'm giving it a 9/10


Up next for next week: Django Unchained, Les Miserables, and Silver Linings Playbook
 
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The last film I watched was a documentary called "Color Outside The Lines" directed by Artemis Jenkins. Its about african american tattoo artists are their struggles. Didn't really leave an lasting impression 6.5/10
 
Having one of those moments where you can't really think about anything else because you are dumbstruck by a cinema.A beautiful,cute little movie that made me repeatedly fall in love with it and reminded me of the great power and magic of a meaningful cinema.
The sound of music 10/10
 
I've been having fun with my new 3D TV (passive, LG 55").

Brilliant 3D that really adds to the experience: Prometheus (yes, really), The Avengers, John Carter, Avatar.

Moderately good 3D that wasn't precisely necessary but didn't hurt: Finding Nemo, Coraline

Bad 3D that didn't add anything and caused eye-strain: Tangled, Tron: Legacy

I think tonight I shall watch Hugo in 3D, as I missed it in the theaters.
 
Craigslist Joe - 7/10 - some of the things seemed obviously staged but didn't really distract from what the experiment was about. Was interesting.

Dear Zachary - 9.5/10 - I'm a sucker for true crime documentaries and since I never heard of this case, I was completely enthralled by this film. I thought it was well done and threw me for a loop even though I should have seen it coming.
 
Great Directors. What's not to like? A.

Since she got John Sayles to be a part of it, I do wish there was more of him, but oh well.

Available on Netlfix.

David Lynch is so cool. But so are all the others.
 
Dreadylocks said:
Lincoln- The opposite of Zero Dark Thirty, I thought I would really like this one. It's your classic Spielberg Oscar fare, or so I kept hearing over and over. I was excited to see it. I wanted to love it. And I made it not 45 minutes in before I had to turn it off (which is something I almost NEVER do.) The number one problem for me was the dialog. It almost seemed like they just took Lincoln's speeches and deduced that the way he wrote was the way he spoke. Every sentence of every rambling folksy anecdote was seemingly constructed for hours until perfectly crafted. Even the actors looked uncomfortable to me, struggling (unsuccessfully) with making their lines sound natural. Now, I could be wrong. I wasn't around 150 years ago so who knows, maybe people did talk this way. But even if that were the case, it made the film totally unwatchable for me.
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Didn't the projectionist try and stop you? :weird:
 
richy said:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I had to stop watching fairly early on. Maybe I'll give it another chance some other time. For one thing, what's with the gaudy color grading? It's almost bizarre. Seems like an example of less is more would have been a better guiding principle. But then again, the monitor I was watching it on isn't the greatest. Maybe it's the monitor's fault. But, I wasn't digging other elements of the film either. Since I only watched maybe fifteen minutes of it, no grade for now.
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Ha! Also backed out of this one around the 15-20 minute mark
 
NickClapper said:
Didn't the projectionist try and stop you? :weird:
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:lol:

For me, watching Lincoln was a three-hour episode of Where's Waldo. I tried to just watch the movie, but I couldn't help constantly scanning for this guy:

nayp.jpg

(That's Joe Carlson, one of the two lead actors from my debut feature, for those not familiar with my work).

He had a speaking role! I found it very difficult to contain my excitement when he spoke his single line -- "nay." :D

I also waited on a lot of the people in the film, so it was fun seeing the fruits of their labor. I was rather impressed with James Spaders' performance, and I'm glad to say that in real life, he and his immediate family are just ridiculously friendly.

I most recently viewed Zero Dark Thirty. I definitely enjoyed it. However, for me, the main reason I enjoyed it was because I found the investigative process facinating, whereas I didn't feel any deep emotional bond with our hero. Chastain's performance was flawless, but I don't really feel like it's her story, if that makes any sense. Regardless, in the end I definitely enjoyed it, so I'll say it's a B+ in my book, borderline A-. :)
 
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Cracker Funk said:
:lol:

For me, watching Lincoln was a three-hour episode of Where's Waldo. I tried to just watch the movie, but I couldn't help constantly scanning for this guy:

nayp.jpg

(That's Joe Carlson, one of the two lead actors from my debut feature, for those not familiar with my work).

He had a speaking role! I found it very difficult to contain my excitement when he spoke his single line -- "nay." :D

I also waited on a lot of the people in the film, so it was fun seeing the fruits of their labor. I was rather impressed with James Spaders' performance, and I'm glad to say that in real life, he and his immediate family are just ridiculously friendly.

I most recently viewed Zero Dark Thirty. I definitely enjoyed it. However, for me, the main reason I enjoyed it was because I found the investigative process facinating, whereas I didn't feel any deep emotional bond with our hero. Chastain's performance was flawless, but I don't really feel like it's her story, if that makes any sense. Regardless, in the end I definitely enjoyed it, so I'll say it's a B+ in my book, borderline A-. :)
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Oh wow! I forgot that they made that in your town and that you hobnobbed with Hal Holbrook. Congrats to Mr. Carlson. Very cool stuff!
 
richy said:
Oh wow! I forgot that they made that in your town and that you hobnobbed with Hal Holbrook. Congrats to Mr. Carlson. Very cool stuff!
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Actually, I only said "hi" to Mr. Holbrook on a couple occasion, though he was a bit of a regular with us for lunch. I think you might be referencing the story I relayed in which Mr. Holbrook told us (my hostess, actually) that Spielberg is flat-out just the nicest director he's ever worked with. And Holbrook has worked with a lot of directors.
 
Cracker Funk said:
Actually, I only said "hi" to Mr. Holbrook on a couple occasion, though he was a bit of a regular with us for lunch. I think you might be referencing the story I relayed in which Mr. Holbrook told us (my hostess, actually) that Spielberg is flat-out just the nicest director he's ever worked with. And Holbrook has worked with a lot of directors.
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Yep, I remember that. I was exaggerating a bit, but only to tease you. Still sounds like a great experience.
 
Lincoln: For some reason this movie seemed too much like a "movie". The opening scene with the man reciting the Gettysburg Address to Lincoln came off as too staged to me. I really liked the cinematography and story but there were just small bits of acting or story that seemed difficult to verify the truth. Overall I give it a 8 out of 10. I have to read more about Abe Lincoln too.

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (9 out of 10)
 
The Lives of Others. A-.

Ja, dies ist gut.

And, Rayw will be thrilled to hear that there has already been an attempt to get a remake going:

Proposed remake

In February 2007, Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella announced a deal with The Weinstein Company to produce and direct an English-language remake of The Lives of Others.[26][27] Minghella died in March 2008[28] and Pollack died less than three months later, ending any possibility for a remake of the film by them.[29]
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-- From the Wikipedia page on The Lives of Others

My guess...George Clooney will play Dreyman (which of course wouldn't be a bad choice, after all).

=)
 
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