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BANACKOCK · 02-24-2014, 05:16 PM

Escape with Stallone and Schwartzenegger.

It's the one where he gets hired to break out of prisons etc. Actually a good movie. B)

Spangle · 03-03-2014, 03:02 PM

9/10 - Phenomenal film. First off, the cinematography is breathtaking. Just absolutely stunning. The mise en scene, as a whole, is great as well as the scenery was top-notch. In addition, the soundtrack made me absolutely swoon. If I had not already been swept off of my feet, the soundtrack would have swept me off my feet, but in the end, it just serves as further evidence of the sheer beauty of this film. Just wow. In terms of the story, I thought it, as well, was beautifully presented. From the early encounters to the very end, there is a certain beauty to the interaction between the characters as Dunbar adjusts to his new situation. In terms of the acting, Kevin Costner and a cast of relative unknowns did a great job. Initially, I was unsure about Costner and did not like his performance that much in the beginning, but as the film progressed, he won me over completely. The final note I want to make is on the length. It is three hours, so it is up there in terms of time, but it never really shows its length. Instead, it almost tricks you into thinking it is much shorter in the way it utilizes every second to tell its story.

8/10 - Wow, so my brain is mush. Right when you think it cannot get weirder, it absolutely shocks you and does exactly that. One of the things this film does really film is not just confuse you, but make you feel as though you are experiencing what Jacob is experiencing. The bizzare things he sees suddenly effect you as though it is happening to you. I also really loved the religious imagery and how it ties into the film so neatly and adds a true metaphysical spin to this story. This is undoubtedly one that you will have to watch twice to truly understand and see all the signs pointing to the ending. I always thought that films such as A Clockwork Orange or Requiem for a Dream would be the most jarring and flat out...just what films I would ever watch, but no, this one takes the crown. It is also a tough one to write a review on since I do not want to give anything away. Just make sure that if you have time and the opportunity is presented that you watch this one. It will mess with you in ways you never anticipated.

One complaint I have is that it sort of went over the top at times. Once you know what angle they were trying to play, some scenes almost feel as though they are excess with the sole goal of further terrifying the viewer and not necessarily progressing much.

7/10 - Good film here. If I was rating based on undoubtable influence, my rating would be higher, but since I am not, it is what is. I love the cinematography and the score, oh my God, the score is phenomenal. The editing is also really good. Clint Eastwood is also great as expected in his trademark role as the "Man With No Name" and I really did enjoy Sergio Leone's direction, even if it entirely cheesy. However, what does prevent me from loving these spaghetti westerns even more is two-fold. Firstly, this one is particular was a tad long and drawn out. I feel as though it could have been a bit shorter and still accomplished the same as it did in three hours. Next up, and the most egregious, the dubbing. Ugh, I hate dubbing and here, it is baaaaddddd. There are moments when it is not as noticeable, but there are so many times when it is painful how bad it is. While the praise this one receives is very appropriate for a film of this caliber, I cannot enjoy it as much as most for those two reasons.

3/10 - Consistently offensive (to varying effectiveness), The Dictator is funny in spots, but is also filled with jokes that are too stupid to be funny. Now of course this was not trying to be a fantastic film or anything, but I do wish that the jokes were way more consistent. In addition, in terms of story, the romantic aspect added to this one did not actually add anything to the movie at all and in fact subtracted from the movie. More dictatorship, less random, forced, and unnecessary romance. At the end of the day, this one is not a trainwreck like I feared it might be and could be a good movie to watch if you want a few good laughs and a hilarious speech on dictatorships, but sadly other than that, there is not much to see. As I said before, this one could have been a lot better if it had been a lot more consistent.

[Image: 215px-Cora%C3%A7%C3%A3oSelvagem.jpg]

2/10 - Hilariously bad. The film starts off with an interesting premise but it eventually gets drowned out as David Lynch just tries to do as much weird crap as he can. The end result is a grotesque, unpleasingly disturbing film that wishes it was something that it was not. Lynch likes to believe this is a remake of "The Wizard of Oz", but he has to have taken to much acid to believe that. Multiple random references that vary in how much sense they make (on a scale from no sense at all to a little sense if you really think about it) does not make it a remake of "The Wizard of Oz". On top of that, with some exceptions, the acting was just bad. Nicolas Cage was good in this, however, so there is that positive. At the end of the day, "Wild at Heart" is a collection of disturbing images with very little effort done to connect them. I love a good weird movie with a random assortment images, but there has to be some connecting factor but the leap from the much more realistic scenes to the weird as all hell surrealistic scenes is a leap I do not know how to make, nor do I think I want to. I wanted to like this one, but at the end of the day, I simply cannot.

I didn't purposely watch three movies released in 1990 in the same week on purpose. I swearz.

Maxy · 03-03-2014, 03:08 PM

Jacobs ladder one of the best Horror thriller movies ever. You want a pretty funny one with a good premise but more of a comedy than Horror watch Session 9 its on Netflix

Underoath10 · 03-03-2014, 03:11 PM

This is the first time you've seen Dances With Wolves? Great film.

xDParK · 03-03-2014, 03:18 PM

Slangs is such a movie no lifer

Spangle · 03-03-2014, 07:25 PM

Quote:Originally posted by xDParker@Mar 3 2014, 02:18 PM
Slangs is such a movie no lifer

yep

Spangle · 03-13-2014, 10:09 PM

8/10 - Really good film right here. The amazing part about this film is that it is full of debauchery, disgusting acts, and just absolute greed and selfishness, yet I find myself rooting for Belfort and the rest of Stratton Oakmont. I know I am not supposed to, yet I absolutely did. Helmed by the always reliable Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street lives up to the hype for me and delivers. It is quite over the top and hard-hitting, sometimes to degrees where it becomes like, "Oh come on," but regardless, it is endlessly watchable. DiCaprio did great as expected and is undoubtably the reason why I sort of aligned myself with Belfort in spite of his horrendous acts of disregard and debauchery throughout. I thought Jonah Hill was good, not great. The real star of the show here though has to be Terrence Winter. The script is impeccable and is truly why this one will live on, as it is quotable at every turn. Not my favorite film turned out by Scorsese, but regardless, it is better than most and one of the best of 2013.

[Image: The_Matrix_Poster.jpg]

8/10 - Well, this one was certainly unique. That is for sure. I was very skeptical heading into this one as I am not head over heels with Keanu Reeves and am not a fan of Laurence Fishburne at all, yet both turned in good performances. The plot is very complex, but once you wrap your head around it and begin to understand everything, it becomes very enjoyable and easy watching. In fact, it shocked me how straight forward it wound up being, as I expected it to be far more confounding. I am typically not a huge science fiction fan, but this one really wound up working for me and though the shoved in romantic elements bother me as always. On top of that, how it pretty much turns into an action film (especially towards the end) is another sour note here. However, as I said, it was still very enjoyable and very well done.

8/10 - Really good film. The chemistry between Paul Newman and Robert Redford is infectious as one picks up right where the other left off the entire film. It was also unexpectedly quite funny, as the one liners were just priceless and show why the screenplay has received so much praise and why it deserves all of that praise. As with most of these classic westerns, the cinematography and set pieces were phenomenal and in this one, the action sequences were great and incredibly intense. The chase sequences were also great and I love how we are kept in the dark as to who is following them, just as they do not know. While I loved this, there were some definite negatives. First of all, there was no real plot, other than focusing on the exploits of Butch and Sundance, though it does not really go anywhere. Not a major complaint, but a complaint nonetheless. Another small complaint would be the pacing, as at times it got a tad too slow, but throughout much of the film, the slow pace was never that much of a problem. My main complaint would be Katharine Ross. Her acting here, in my opinion, was just flat out bad. I never really bought into her character and she was severely outclassed by her two legendary castmates.

8/10 - Now this is an epic. The film has a regal air about it as it tells the story of Puyi, the last Emperor or China. At the end of the day, it is clear as day why this one won the Oscars it won and just how deserving it truly was. The film sympathetically portrays the final Emperor as we cannot help but look at him as a man who was revered as a small child, but as time went on, his power becomes less-and-less, before he completely loses all of it. What really makes this film work is the acting. The performance by John Lone as the adult Puyi, as well as the child actors who portray Puyi in his younger years is marvelous, as is the supporting work turned in by Peter O'Toole. On top of this, the sets throughout were top-notch and really oozed of that time period and really captured the essence of the era depicted.

On the negative side of things, the film can be hard to follow at times, what with flash forward storytelling that is utilized. You kind of have to re-adjust to the storyline, as well as who the characters are, since there are quite a bit of them. The other complaint I have is certainly the length. While I watched the two hour and 40 minute version, it still felt a little on the long side, especially considering that there was no real...action or drama that gripped you enough for it to warrant being as long as it is.

8/10 - Really good film. Did not understand but that was certainly the point; to blur the line between illusion and reality. In thst way, the film is a huge magic trick as it leaves you wondering how they just pulled off what they pulled off and what reality actually is. In that way, this film is a major accomplishment. Nolan is really on the top of his game here. Bale and Jackman were also great leads and while they were not in a ton of scenes together, they were undoubtedly dominated the screen. Another major plus was the costume design and the sets. As a period piece, they did a great job establishing the feel of the era. I also liked the undercurrent of rivalry in everything in the film. It was a really nice touch.

Main complaint is that it was very hard to follow since it jumped around a lot. This was a huge problem in the beginning, but by the end, more things made sense. But, the editing bothered me a lot as scenes seemed to be a mishmash with little care put towards continuity and flow.

tl;dr everything I watched this week was good

It was interesting though, after finishing The Wolf of Wall Street and The Prestige, I immediately wanted to watch both again. For different reasons, but usually, that doesn't happen to me.

Spangle · 03-24-2014, 10:37 PM

8/10 - This sleak crime comedy was a lot better than I expected. First off, the cast lives up to the hype. Whenever a film manages to get so many great actors together, you know you are in for something interesting and that is exactly what this one delivered. In addition, the entire robbery sequence was very intriguing and kept you on the edge of your seat as it was happening. Every character really brought something to the table and in spite of there being so much competition for screen time, it never felt overwhelming in that respect. The thing this film really has going for it, without a doubt, is the banter between Clooney and Pitt. The comedic elements brought to the table by the both of them really helped make this into one of the funnest films I have watched in a while.

I am not typically a huge fan of Soderbergh's films, but this one worked well, however there were some negatives. Of course Don Cheadle's accent was...indiscernable. I do not want to comment on whether his accent was good or not, but at times, it was tough to understand what exactly he was trying to say. In addition, I had a tough time sitting here and believing that Julia Roberts was the most attractive and talented actress they could have cast for a role that emphasized her attractiveness. There has to be someone more attractive than her who was interested. Seriously.

7/10 - This one is pretty good. Overall, it does a good job of making you feel anxious as David Fincher does a great job creating suspense in this one. At every turn, there is yet another thing that makes that suspense build and build. Jodie Foster does a typically great job in the lead and I also found myself enjoying the performance of the three robbers; Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and Dwight Yoakam. Each one really represented a different type of robber, with one filling the "lawful evil", "neutral evil", and "chaotic evil", respectively. It was interesting to see this kind of shared focus in this film between Foster and her daughter and then the three robbers as they try to figure their way out of the situation they find themselves in. Overall, this one is not too complex, but that is not problematic, as it is quite enjoyable.

My main complaint is concerned with the robbers. While I enjoyed watching them all fill the different roles of "evil", the film would have been better served if either A) we never saw the robbers' faces/heard them speak or B) they were all "chaotic evil". The added suspense from both of those options would have really elevated this one. Though, I am not complaining too much, because, as I said, I did enjoy the role to robbers played.

7/10 - It is amazing that this was a true story. Richard Linklater managed to sprinkle in some hilarious moments along with telling the true story of Bernie Tiede and how he murdered Marjorie Nugent. It does a great job presenting the moral conflict of this story and, well, I do not want to say too much. Jack Black did a phenomenal job in the lead role. I was incredibly impressed with his performance. I really enjoyed Shirley MacLaine's performance, but I have a soft spot for Matthew McConaughey. He really portrayed the hard nosed Texan District Attorney really well. At the end of the day, this one really reminded me of Gone Baby Gone but funny. The conflict is different, but it leaves you feeling the same way. Another touch that I enjoyed from this one was the documentary-esque way of telling the story. With all the interviews from locals about everybody, it was a nice addition that really re-enforced that this one was a real story.

I do not really have any complaints that I can think of, but something was missing. It was definitely enjoyable and a good movie, but not really great in any area. Would definitely recommend.

8/10 - This one is tragically beautiful. What this one did really well is instill the dark mood as loss in many different ways acts like a fog that covers the entire film. Overall, the story is really interesting. On the surface, it is simply a crime thriller where they try to find out who did it and what not, but it is also a representation of human suffering and tragedy. In many ways, it shows how these three troubled boys are not unscathed by the things that have happened to them and how all of them have suffered and will suffer profound losses that consume them entirely. I think the script by Brian Helgeland was fantastic and the direction from Clint Eastwood was really good as well. However, the real star is Sean Penn. I thought Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon were pretty good in their roles here, but Sean Penn stole the entire show. His performance was absolutely marvelous and he really drew you into him, which makes his role in the film all the more believable. It is not surprise that he won for Best Actor.

In terms of complaints, I see a lot of user reviews calling this one boring and slow, ham-handed, pretentious, and predictable. The only one I can sort of agree with is predictable, though I did not figure it out until the people in the film did (well, part of it, I figured out one part of it early on, but I think we were supposed to). Plus, I do not have a problem with predictability. In addition, this one was anything but boring. It is slow, yes, but it was a perfect showcase of acting and script-driven film. The intensity and sadness of this one were also top-notch and really helped quell any boredom that may set in. As for it being ham-handed or pretentious, no. I honestly do not understand that criticism at all. At no point did I ever find it to be either of those things. It tries to tackle bigger purposes, yes, but that does not mean it is pretentious, especially when it covers it well.

8/10 - Dr. Strangelove continues to prove to me why Stanley Kubrick is worthy of the praise heaped upon him. On the surface, this one is absolutely hilarious. There are numerous scenes that have you laughing out loud, especially ones with Peter Sellers and/or George Scott. Luckily, Sellers plays three roles so we get to see a lot of him and he really helped put this one over the top for me. It is amazing to me that this one is still a riot considering that it was released 50 years ago, but it goes to show that good films transcend time and this one fits the bill completely. In addition to being funny, it is a great political thriller as we watch everything unfold in the film. The ending song as the film wraps up was also a phenomenal choice and was a perfect compliment to the things going on on screen.

Merica · 03-24-2014, 10:38 PM

Frozen

~~GroupMeIsKindOfOkay~~ · 03-24-2014, 10:41 PM

Mystic River so gud

~~GroupMeIsKindOfOkay~~ · 03-24-2014, 10:52 PM

Captain Phillips: 8/10
- Hanks is a beast

American Hustle: 7.5/10
- Great acting, plot was a little dragged out.

300: 5/10
- 1st one was way better. the girl in it is sexy tho in a really dark way.

12 Years a Slave: 7.5/10
- makes you kinda sick that this is a true story.

Grand Budapest Hotel: 4/10
- i guess it was supposed to be a stylish comedy? it was very meh to me. didnt laugh much and the story was ok i guess

Great Gatsby: 7/10
- i actually never read the book (we read it in school and i just decided not to), but the movie was decent. Leo is a boss and played Gatsby well.

Spangle · 03-24-2014, 11:00 PM

Have you ever seen a Wes Anderson film before? I have yet to see The Grand Budapest Hotel (though I badly want to), but from what I have heard, I shudder at the thought of it being your first Wes Anderson film. Does not sound overly accessible for first time Anderson folks. He also has a love it/hate it style, so I also shudder at you seeing that one in theaters and spending that much money without knowing if you liked Wes Anderson or not. My cheapness sense is tingling.

~~GroupMeIsKindOfOkay~~ · 03-24-2014, 11:01 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Spangle@Mar 24 2014, 10:00 PM
Have you ever seen a Wes Anderson film before? I have yet to see The Grand Budapest Hotel (though I badly want to), but from what I have heard, I shudder at the thought of it being your first Wes Anderson film. Does not sound overly accessible for first time Anderson folks.

yea it is the first one ive seen.
it wasnt horrible i guess

Spangle · 03-24-2014, 11:05 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Leafs = Slumpbusters@Mar 24 2014, 11:01 PM

yea it is the first one ive seen.
it wasnt horrible i guess

If you're interested, I have not seen all of his work, but loved Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums was good as well. They are still very stylish and artsy, but more accessible.

EDIT: I've also heard fabolous things about Moonrise Kingdom.

RomanesEuntDomus · 03-24-2014, 11:45 PM

Just watched Elysium... Pretty underwhelming imho.

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