NOW CLOSED ; List some movies you've watched recently. Theatre, rental, TV... and give a */10

[GTSRguy]

Scott Pilgrum vs the world 9/10

POM Presents the best movie ever sold 6/10

Tron Legacy 8/10 (Visuals on Blu ray plasma = 10/10)

Adventureland 9/10

Paranormal Act. 2 7/10

Harry Potter (The last one) 9/10

30 Min or Less 8/10

Battle LA 5/10

 

[Fausto]

I liked this movie. Saoirse Ronan was pretty amazing as Hanna.

KT

She's an excellent actress, particularly when you factor in her age. I just got annoyed with the movie here and there.

Spoiler

The scene where she is overwhelmed by technology in the hotel and some of the crap with the insanely annoying tween daughter were just ridiculous and could have been trimmed out IMHO.

 

[wheresmybacon]

Knowing - 6/10: Dealing with raising a kid as a single dad after the loss of his wife in a tragic accident, Nick Cage plays a smart version of himself searching for meaning in life in a seemingly random existence...and he isn't all that bad either. Cage isn't the problem in this. It's the story. The first half was probably a 9 and shows a lot of promise, but as the corner turns and we enter hour 2, you remember you're watching a movie as things just get too weird. There's nothing in the first part to suggest the

Spoiler

Close Encounters twist the story takes, and by the time blue ligh starts shooting out of the strange, pale humanoids mouth and knocking the protagist to the ground

I'm already thinking about work tomorrow or what's on Investigation Discovery.

I'm not sure how you bring a story like this home and make it a winner. If I did I'd be writing screenplays instead of running around fixing shit in a data center. Overall this isn't a terrible movie, it just lost me when it went from really intriguing and mysterious to a bad mash-up of

Spoiler

Close Encounters and any number of Armageddon flicks.

Insidious - 15/10: Yes that's a fifteen. I loved this movie. LOVED. I haven't been truly creeped out by a movie since I was 11 and saw the original Nightmare on Elm Street @ a sleep over in a rickity old house. Are there problems with this? Probably, but I was so enraptured with the awesomeness and imagery of

Spoiler

ghosts and demons

that I couldn't tell you what they were. Part 2 obviously incoming at some point, and I'll be in the theater this time around. This is an instant classic for me.

 

[pyonir]

Knowing - 6/10: Dealing with raising a kid as a single dad after the loss of his wife in a tragic accident, Nick Cage plays a smart version of himself searching for meaning in life in a seemingly random existence...and he isn't all that bad either. Cage isn't the problem in this. It's the story. The first half was probably a 9 and shows a lot of promise, but as the corner turns and we enter hour 2, you remember you're watching a movie as things just get too weird. There's nothing in the first part to suggest the

Spoiler

Close Encounters twist the story takes, and by the time blue ligh starts shooting out of the strange, pale humanoids mouth and knocking the protagist to the ground

I'm already thinking about work tomorrow or what's on Investigation Discovery.

I'm not sure how you bring a story like this home and make it a winner. If I did I'd be writing screenplays instead of running around fixing shit in a data center. Overall this isn't a terrible movie, it just lost me when it went from really intriguing and mysterious to a bad mash-up of

Spoiler

Close Encounters and any number of Armageddon flicks.

Pretty much hit the nail on the head in opinion too. I was right there with it until

Spoiler

it went all alien on this bitch. I almost turned it off...it just didn't fit with the movie.

Nick Cage was surprising decent in it...one of the few he did well in. Certain movies he seems to turn it up a notch (see Adaptation.), and then others he seems like he's just doing it for the payday (see Gone in 60 Seconds for an example of terrible acting).

 

[goobernoodles]

Watched Battle: Los Angeles tonight... it was pretty good, so I thought I'd make a youtube video. That's what the cool kids do right?

http://www.youtube.com/user/goobernoodles#p/a/u/0/wlfmap2SYsc

 

[Nizology]

Our Idiot Brother - 8/10

Paul Rudd is awesome so I had to see it. Couldn't stop laughing. A well-rounded cast.

-----

Taken - 6/10

A pretty predictable script but the suspense and action scenes made for an entertaining story.

 

[slayer202]

The Trap - 8/10:
Serbian film that's been on my instant queue for a long while. It's about a man whose son falls ill, and he needs to come up with 30,000 euros to pay for the surgery. They don't have much money and they can't find anyone to lend it. One day, the man, Mladen, meets someone who offers him the money in return for killing a man.

I thought it was quite good, but it could have been better. The pacing was a bit muddled, and the plot seemed too focused on surprising the viewer. At some points it seemed like the movie would be very predictable, but it felt like the writer/director almost forced a different direction.

Definitely worth a watch


Higher Ground - 7.5/10:
I'm still not sure about this one. I saw it last night and left the theater without much of an opinion. This is Vera Farmiga's directorial debut, about a young girl who joins a church with her husband, and they both become very heavily involved. As she grows up, she begins to drift away.

That's really all there is at the base of this story, and I thought it was a bit boring. But the storytelling itself was very good, and Farmiga really pulls you into the story/family. The acting is great all around. Farmiga plays herself for maybe the second half of the film, but her teenage self is played by her sister, Taissa, and she was fantastic.

The message of the movie wasn't very strong in any way. It stressed independent thinking, so of course it was critical of religion, but not heavy handed at all, and without much stereotyping.

I really wish there was more at the end of the film, when she starts to drift away from the church, but we don't get much. I guess it's leaving the rest up to the audience. It's probably worth a watch if it sounds interesting to you, but it isn't anything great. I was very impressed with Farmiga though, very solid start to her directing career.

 

[shortylickens]

I shoulda watched Fear And Loathing in the theater instead of at home.
On the other hand, at home no one will be telling me: "get that fucking needle out of here!!".

 

[slayer202]

Awakenings - 7/10:
Robin Williams and Robert De Niro in a true story(not sure to what extent) about a Doctor who takes a new job at a Bronx psychiatric hospital in 1969, in charge of mostly catatonic patients. He wants to try a new drug on them, and hey, guess what, they awaken!

This was an ok movie with some feel good tear jerkers mixed in. I'm not sure how accurate the movie portrays the real story, but even if it's close, it's quite amazing.

Robin Williams was his usual self, though not really funny at all(he wasn't really meant to be). De Niro as a mental patient was weird to see; He did a fine job, but I felt it was miscast. Penelope Ann Miller plays a small role and I didn't remember what I knew her from until I just looked it up, Carlito's Way. I liked her in this limited role.

Mafioso - 9/10:
I feel like I've been on another good but not great streak. Consider that broken. This is an Italian movie, Criterion, though I watched it on Netflix. It's about Antonio Badalamenti, a manager in a car factory in Northern Italy who decides to take his wife and two young girls on vacation to Sicily to meet his family. Before leaving, his boss asks him to bring a gift to someone there, Don Vincenzo, mafioso boss.

I think Netflix mentions it's a "semi-comedy." It's more of a black comedy(in addition to crime drama), and it's very funny, but it's also very serious.

Alberto Sordi, who is Antonio, plays this friggin perfectly. His wife is good too, but he's the star.

Awesome movie

 

[SandEagle]

Secrets of MoonAcre. - 6.3/10

if you have kids or if you like fantasy type films filled, watch this. i was pleasantly surprised by it. nice, lush environments. story is so so.

 

[BrownShoes]

Our Idiot Brother - 3/10

Ned (Paul Rudd) gets out of prison and proceeds to demolish the lives of his three sisters but manages to teach them a life lesson along the way. I hated it. The cast was stellar (Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Steve Coogan, Kathryn Hahn, Adam Scott) but the idea that a character like Ned actually exists is just too far-fetched; life would eat them up. The sisters went from being selfish and immoral to "getting it" in 2 seconds doesn't really make any sense. I was getting a little bored with the whole thing and was even thinking of walking out at one point. I really disliked this movie.

 

[wheresmybacon]

Talihina Sky – 5/10: Documentary about the band Kings of Leon. http://www.talihinasky.com/ I wouldn’t call myself a huge fan of Kings; the only reason I watched this was it was on Showtime and sounded half interesting. And that’s exactly what it was: half interesting. It begins with footage of a family reunion in rural-southern-somewhere USA. For those that don’t know, Kings of Leon is made up of 3 brothers and a cousin.

The good parts: the relatives, like their grandfather Leon, the band’s namesake. Dude’s awesome. Typical southern old-ass man. The clips of him and the grandmother were great. Even the other incredibly weird relatives who were genuinely proud of the boys; good stuff there. You get a sense of the profound poverty they grew up with. Toothless, shirtless, alcoholic hillbillies. That’s the fam.

From here it’s all over the board with a mix of concert and backstage footage, Q & A with the band as well as family members and the like. I’m sure fans would be enthralled, but I just didn’t really care. Fans should see this movie no doubt. Others, I’d say watch it if it’s on, but it’s nothing to go out of your way to see.

 

[slayer202]

I could have sworn I reviewed it in the old thread, but I just searched and couldn't find it; I just watched Man on Wire again. Damn, that's about as close to a 10/10 as you can get

 

[Arcadio]

Apollo 13 - 9.5/10 - I can't believe I've never seen this movie until now. Such a great movie. Most of you probably saw it already, so there is nothing else I can say.

 

[nace186]

Crazy, Stupid Love - 8/10 - It is surprisingly funny and touching. The 13 yrs old kid stands out in this movie.

 

[IGemini]

Contagion - 8/10

Unlike a lot of movies that focus on dire or apocalyptic scenarios, this one felt plausible. Good acting and it even had solid science in it. Not all of the plot ends are tied up but this is one of those were you aren't necessarily supposed to know the outcome for everyone.

 

[DominionSeraph]

Source Code - 7.5/10
I've watched and read a lot of sci-fi, and this movie had nothing new. But it was well done and quite entertaining nonetheless.

 

[KeithTalent]

Phew, been so busy.

The Interrupters - 9.5/10: Awesome documentary from the guy that did Hoop Dreams (another amazing documentary) about a group, comprised of mnay former gang members, that works to "interrupt" violence in a very tough part of Chicago. This is not only a fascinating subject matter, with real life examples I remember from the news, but it also has characters you become involved with and care about. You get real, on the streets interactions, but also behind the scenes details that give you insight into the make-up of the group and why it is they do what they do. Excellent film.

My Perestroika - 8.5/10: A documentary that follows a group of children, now all grown up, from the same school in Moscow and how things changed for them over the years, starting as the USSR then as communism collapsed and now into modern day Russia. I liked this quite a bit; I enjoyed the disparities in all of the different people's lives and how they remembered the communist era as children and their different experiences along the way. Quality interviews, but it's not just a complete talking head documentary since it has some good footage of just following the people around in their lives; some excellent archival footage mixed in here too.

S.O.S/State of Security - 7/10: Yet another documentary which is essentially about Richard Clarke, a government official (also a write now who wrote Against All Enemies and Your Government Failed You) who had repeatedly warned against Al Qaeda attacks leading up to September 11, 2001, but seemingly was ignored. This doc has several interviews with Clarke and with many others involved in government and the military during those times. The director attempts to not only discuss what happened in the past and the various mistakes that were made, but also potential solutions and the different aspects of security that need to be addressed. Unfortunately the latter parts are what make this somewhat clunky at times as it seems to be a little thrown together, though according to the director (she did a Q&A after) she was somewhat handcuffed by Clarke himself who was very guarded and did not open up as much as she had hoped. He is a fascinating and engaging character, but unfortunately the documentary struggles a bit when he is not on screen. I did find it interesting overall, I just wish Clarke would have stayed on screen more.

Domino - 5.5/10: I guess I was cleansing the palate after all of the docs. I actually found this pretty silly and fun in several parts, but it's too long and a lot of the contrived relationship nonsense made me want to wretch. Definitely had some fun action sequences and I did like Keira Knightley as Domino, even when she had to deliver some of the most ridiculous dialogue in film. Could have been much better with some cuts, but I can't say I hated the thing.

Ok, time to pick all of my film festival movies that none of us have ever heard of and that nobody else will ever see.

KT

 

[KeithTalent]

Higher Ground - 7.5/10:
I'm still not sure about this one. I saw it last night and left the theater without much of an opinion. This is Vera Farmiga's directorial debut, about a young girl who joins a church with her husband, and they both become very heavily involved. As she grows up, she begins to drift away.

That's really all there is at the base of this story, and I thought it was a bit boring. But the storytelling itself was very good, and Farmiga really pulls you into the story/family. The acting is great all around. Farmiga plays herself for maybe the second half of the film, but her teenage self is played by her sister, Taissa, and she was fantastic.

The message of the movie wasn't very strong in any way. It stressed independent thinking, so of course it was critical of religion, but not heavy handed at all, and without much stereotyping.

I really wish there was more at the end of the film, when she starts to drift away from the church, but we don't get much. I guess it's leaving the rest up to the audience. It's probably worth a watch if it sounds interesting to you, but it isn't anything great. I was very impressed with Farmiga though, very solid start to her directing career.

You seem a bit conflicted on it, but I'll likely see it if it ever gets here, or at least on DVD. Seems like something I would like.

Apollo 13 - 9.5/10 - I can't believe I've never seen this movie until now. Such a great movie. Most of you probably saw it already, so there is nothing else I can say.

Blech, not a fan. D:

Contagion - 8/10

Unlike a lot of movies that focus on dire or apocalyptic scenarios, this one felt plausible. Good acting and it even had solid science in it. Not all of the plot ends are tied up but this is one of those were you aren't necessarily supposed to know the outcome for everyone.

Need to get to this one on the weekend, though Drive comes out this weekend and I've been waiting for that one for months. :hmm:

KT

 

[slayer202]

How does The Interrupters compare to the other two docs you really loved? I forgot if you gave them 10s or not.

Oh, and Drive is gonna be awesome, I can feel it

 

[KeithTalent]

The Interrupters, Senna, and Beauty Day are all 9.5s and are all so different. All three are in my top 10 movies of the year so far and I would recommend all three of them to anyone really.

Senna seems to be the most universally enjoyed documentary out there though, kind of like Exit Through the Gift Shop or Man On Wire; not that the films are similar at all, but just that everyone that watches them seems to really enjoy them, whether they like documentaries or the subject matter or not.

KT

 

[KeithTalent]

Sucker Punch - 1/10: Wow, what a clusterfuck of bullshit. I hated almost everything about this movie; the acting was poor, the writing stunk, the music was freaking god awful, the girls were not even all that attractive (could just be the disgusting palette of the film, I don't know), and it was such a mish-mash of nonsense that made did not come together in any decent way I'm amazed I even made it through the movie. It's like Snyder just threw together all of the cool things he liked from his childhood and tried to make a movie out of it. I gave it a 1 because I kind of liked the giant dragon, that actually looked pretty cool, and I did not totally hate Jon Hamm.

KT

 

[shortylickens]

Rated X - 5/10

What is arguably one of the most interesting stories in American pop culture has been reduced to a big pile of meh. Estevez cant direct for shit. Too stylized but not terribly interesting to watch, unlike Blow or the Deep Throat documentary.

 

[Ichinisan]

The Last of the Mohicans (1992), Blu-Ray 9.7/10

Never saw this before. Fantastic movie. They just don't make movies like this anymore.

 

[Arkaign]

The Last of the Mohicans (1992), Blu-Ray 9.7/10

Never saw this before. Fantastic movie. They just don't make movies like this anymore.

Awesome! I highly recommend checking out the making of / extras on that if possible. I particularly liked :

- Daniel Day Lewis learned from ex-special forces guys and also some wilderness survival people a ton about the subjects at hand.

- The lighting in the the film is 100% natural iirc, or very close to it. It made for a very interesting experience that really took the viewer closer to the feeling of living in a time without artificial / electric lighting as an option.

- The portrayal of the American Indians was very layered and diverse. Instead of caricatures, they had complex motivations and weren't a uniform group at all. This is somewhat ironic considering the original source material was much less nuanced in this way.

- The guy who portrayed Magua was basically born to play this role. He's mesmerizingly good.