Movie Review Thread

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Not sure I could watch that. It sounds a like a good film. But I'd probably end up blubbering like a baby. Rage and grief are a hard mixture to contain. Something about 9/11 still affects me, even though I had no personal involvement with it. I'll probably have to wait until it comes on TV and then watch it alone, late at night.

At least you're honest though.

[Mouzafphaerre]

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I didn't believe that Spielberg could make movies until I saw Empire of the Sun (1987). While it has its share of cheesy holywood tear soup, it's as good as Steven can do.

Somebody needs expressionism? Try Fritz Lang's Fury from 1930's too.

As for Citizen Kane, anything with the minimal involvement of Orson is worth seeing.
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[Craterus]

I saw Pulp Fiction for the first time yesterday. It was great, even when my brother kept talking over them.



Recommend it though, great film. And really funny at some points.

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

I was watching Gods and Generals a few days back and was very impressed by it. Although it seemed the Stonewall Jackson story Stephen Lang's performance was just amazing, he truely lived the character and his emotion and power really made the film. I recommend it, i felt for the Irish brigade against the Georgian Irish regiments fighting against one another. I'm not sure of the battle, is the Bull Run? Either way its very good and if you like a film revolved arounds battles this is for you

Watching Gettysburg at the moment at that is also very good but i'm only 2 huors in with another two to go. Sam Elliot and Tom Berenger are on top form

[Mouzafphaerre]

I saw Pulp Fiction for the first time yesterday. It was great, even when my brother kept talking over them.



Recommend it though, great film. And really funny at some points.

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Good one but IMHO Rezervoir Dogs is the best Tarantino. I haven't seen either of the Kill Bill's though.
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[Craterus]

I was recommended Reservoir Dogs right after watching it. I think I'll have to check it out.

Thanks.

[Blodrast]

Lucky Number Slevin (was this already reviewed here ? If so, my apologies): very nice plot, nice twist, pretty good acting even though I'm no fan of the main character. Definitely worth seeing.

Inside Man: more or less your typical intelligent-bank-robbery thing, trying to be above average. For some reason, wasn't thrilled with it - too much in-your-face criticism of the police force (bad guys = smart; average police dudes = dumb). Sure, that may or may not be the case, but subtle is better, imo. Decent, but not great. Couldn't really get excited about it.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Lucky Number Slevin (was this already reviewed here ? If so, my apologies): very nice plot, nice twist, pretty good acting even though I'm no fan of the main character. Definitely worth seeing.

Inside Man: more or less your typical intelligent-bank-robbery thing, trying to be above average. For some reason, wasn't thrilled with it - too much in-your-face criticism of the police force (bad guys = smart; average police dudes = dumb). Sure, that may or may not be the case, but subtle is better, imo. Decent, but not great. Couldn't really get excited about it.

You know though, in the category of detective stories that Edgar Allan Poe wrote, he stated, one thing he used was that regular cops were dumber than the criminals and that strange, but smart detectives figured out the mishappenings.

[doc_bean]

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Good one but IMHO Rezervoir Dogs is the best Tarantino. I haven't seen either of the Kill Bill's though.
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The Kill Bills are great, but they're very unrealistic, maybe *surreal* would be a better term since it's obviously deliberate. It's at times more a movie about movies than a real movie in itself

But yes, Reservoir Dogs is easily my favourite Tarantino too

[Puzz3D]

I just saw The last seduction. I liked it a lot, there is a shortage of convincingly evil characters in movies, and Miss Fiorentino does an excellent job. I like movies where the main character is smarter than everyone else.

If you liked The Last Seduction (1994), definitely checkout Bound (1996).

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

BKB - Gettysburg is amazing. I haven't seen G&G, though I read the book. The battle is Fredericksburg, I believe. I'll have to check it out.

[econ21]

Watched Hotel Rwanda. It was gripping enough to stop me starting the new PBM campaign I was supposed to open tonight. An "African Schindler's List", it is - relatively - light on the horror. 800,000 people are killed and the film manages to stay rated a "12".

But it is very moving and in some way uplifting. The main character, the hotel manager who protects 1200 refugees from the genocide, is brilliantly acted (Don Cheedle? - from Crash?) and utterly convincing. The portrayal of genocide feels very authentic and it seems largely true to life, although there is one speech by the Canadian colonel (Nick Nolte) that does not ring true.

A very well made and worthwhile film.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

I just saw an old western movie with Clint Eastwood. "For a Few Dollars More"

[Blodrast]

That's one of the famous spaghetti westerns !
For a Few Dollars More, A Fistful of Dollars, and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
All three classical spaghetti's, and all three way cool if you're into those.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Saving Private Ryan on TNT. Even though it was on TV it was uncut. I REALLY liked it.

I did however hate it when at the end, the translator kills the german soldier he befriended earlier. I know it's just war, but it doesn't make it any better.

[Dutch_guy]

I did however hate it when at the end, the translator kills the german soldier he befriended earlier. I know it's just war, but it doesn't make it any better.

Well I found it hard to be sympathetic towards the German, especially since he killed about 3 members of the squad sent to save Ryan. I understand what you mean though, killing an unarmed man is never good - but again, the germans did exactly the same thing in the movie.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Well I found it hard to be sympathetic towards the German, especially since he killed about 3 members of the squad sent to save Ryan. I understand what you mean though, killing an unarmed man is never good - but again, the germans did exactly the same thing in the movie.

When did they do exactly the same thing?

[Dutch_guy]

During the last battle ( in which almost every main character dies ) you eventually see a couple of Americans falling or in the progress of falling get shot at point blank range ( in their backs )by some german soldier. Who then runs on to continue fighting elswhere. It was in the heat of the battle, but I clearly remember seeing it.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

During the last battle ( in which almost every main character dies ) you eventually see a couple of Americans falling or in the progress of falling get shot at point blank range ( in their backs )by some german soldier. Who then runs on to continue fighting elswhere. It was in the heat of the battle, but I clearly remember seeing it.

That's no where near the same thing. In combat if a man has been shot and he immedietly falls down there is a very good chance he could not be killed. If his gun is nearby there is ample oppurtunity to pick up the gun and get a last shot in or something of the sort.

If a man surrenders and throws his gun down with his hands up, you do NOT shoot him. I think your example is fine, but shooting surrendering troops is absolutely wrong, no matter who he killed.

[Mouzafphaerre]

That's one of the famous spaghetti westerns !
For a Few Dollars More, A Fistful of Dollars, and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
All three classical spaghetti's, and all three way cool if you're into those.

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Anything with/by Eastwood and/or Cleef and/or Wallasch (sp?) deserves attention.
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[Dutch_guy]

. I think your example is fine, but shooting surrendering troops is absolutely wrong, no matter who he killed.

But I agree, I'm not advocating that shooting an unarmed man is right !.
I merely say I sympathise with why he did it. That's all.

[Geoffrey S]

Saw K-Pax last saturday. Nice film, with good acting from Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges. Was a bit slow, but a pleasant film to watch.

Also watched Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure recently. Stupid, but funny, film.

That's no where near the same thing. In combat if a man has been shot and he immedietly falls down there is a very good chance he could not be killed. If his gun is nearby there is ample oppurtunity to pick up the gun and get a last shot in or something of the sort.

If a man surrenders and throws his gun down with his hands up, you do NOT shoot him. I think your example is fine, but shooting surrendering troops is absolutely wrong, no matter who he killed.

At least Spielberg got you thinking, which was probably his goal.

[Fragony]

Watched Hotel Rwanda. It was gripping enough to stop me starting the new PBM campaign I was supposed to open tonight. An "African Schindler's List", it is - relatively - light on the horror. 800,000 people are killed and the film manages to stay rated a "12".

But it is very moving and in some way uplifting. The main character, the hotel manager who protects 1200 refugees from the genocide, is brilliantly acted (Don Cheedle? - from Crash?) and utterly convincing. The portrayal of genocide feels very authentic and it seems largely true to life, although there is one speech by the Canadian colonel (Nick Nolte) that does not ring true.

A very well made and worthwhile film.

Hmm you are not the first to praise it here, but I thought it was a pretty bad flick. I didn't care one bit the entire movie, maybe I was in the wrong mood when watching it, but I am usually a complete wuss with these kind of things. Then again, I didn't really care for Schinlers List either, vulgar movie. I don't like it when I am told to be disgusted, the Pianist was so much better. There it happens to people, personal stories instead of memorial pornography with too much violins.

[Blodrast]

For some non-standard romance movies you can watch with your wife/gf/significant other, I'd point out:

Bitter Moon (Roman Polanski).
and
Jeux d'enfants (Love me if you dare).

They are both pretty crazy, pretty dark, and real damn good, imho. Loved both.

[Dutch_guy]

Hmm you are not the first to praise it here, but I thought it was a pretty bad flick. I didn't care one bit the entire movie, maybe I was in the wrong mood when watching it, but I am usually a complete wuss with these kind of things. Then again, I didn't really care for Schinlers List either, vulgar movie. I don't like it when I am told to be disgusted, the Pianist was so much better. There it happens to people, personal stories instead of memorial pornography with too much violins.

I liked Schindlers list better than the Pianist.

The Pianist just kept on going, it just felt to drawn out if you know what I mean.

Also I was surprised at how little time Hosenfeld ( the good German officer ) got in the film, his role was important, very, but we never really get any insight in what kind of person he was. Something that is shown clearly in Schindlers list, for every major character.

Just my 2 cents...

[Alexanderofmacedon]

I liked Schindlers list better than the Pianist.

The Pianist just kept on going, it just felt to drawn out if you know what I mean.

Also I was surprised at how little time Hosenfeld ( the good German officer ) got in the film, his role was important, very, but we never really get any insight in what kind of person he was. Something that is shown clearly in Schindlers list, for every major character.

Just my 2 cents...

I don't need your 2 cents

[econ21]

I watched the remake of "Assault on Precinct 13". On reflection, it was probably a waste of 2 hours of my life, but it was ok filler material. I really liked the original, especially the surreally disturbing opening (IIRC, girl getting mowed down in a drive by next to an ice cream van; father or bystander gets dragged into the action and deranged by the experience, flees to the run-down police station). Here they took that out and replaced it with a generic, Reservoir Dogs/Pulp Fiction wannabe under-cover op gone wrong that did not have the same kick. Plus they gave faces and identities to the assailants of the Police Station, which made it something much less special - in the original, the faceless attackers were effectively like zombies with M16s. The remake also had a strange habit of lingering on every dead guy with bloodly hole in his head - it felt like some distasteful "gore as porn" fetish.

On the plus side, Laurence Fishburne exuded authority and danger, as usual - in fact he seems to have bulked up a little from what I remember, so he was even more fitting as a bad-ass underworld boss (in the original, the same character seemed a cheesy Indiana Jones-style anti-hero). Plus there was Sid the Sloth from Ice Age in a slightly less salubrious part (my young son recognised him).

I'd give it 2.5 stars out of 5. (The original was a 4 or more).

[ArcticSonata]

I just saw Scary Movie 4. I'm pretty pissed that I wont get that two hours of my life back. The only think stopping me from saying it's the stupidest movie in the movie, is that she is kind of pretty.

0 out of 5

Yeah I thought it was perty stupid too. expect for the very first scene with DR. Phil that was worth money 1/10

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Changing Lanes has one of the most satisfying ends to a movie ever.

[Crazed Rabbit]

I watched most of The English Patient last night. Watched it with my parents, and not one of us finished watching it.

It could definately do with and hour or so cut out (its 2 hrs 40 mins, I saw almost 2 hrs). The pace is much to slow, especially since the main story is told in flashbacks (and half the movie is that guy lying there breathing heavily), but you already know the ending, and there is no hook to keep you interested. By the time there's something slightly interesting happening, noone cared.

On the other hand, I recommend Interview With a Vampire and From Russia With Love. Russia started a bit slow, but became very good near the end, more interesting to me than the explosions galore Bonds of late. Interview was a very good movie, avoided the many 'rules' of vampires from, say, Underworld. Similar to how magic is presented in Tolkien vs. DnD (mysterious and powerful vs overly complex and nerdy.)

Crazed Rabbit