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I thought so too! I was expecting a great movie, a serious psychological study and it was just...as you said, poorly developed and predictable. I'm shocked it was even in the running for an Oscar because it was such a mediocre movie.Quote:
Originally Posted by Boris239
After "Titanic" or "Chicago" won Oscars for the best movie nothing surprises me anymore.Quote:
Originally Posted by Idril
:lol: Good point.Quote:
Originally Posted by Boris239
In general there were no movies in 2005 that I really liked. "Crash" was good, but nothing extraordinary. My favorite was probably "Matchpoint"
I liked Crash, some storylines were more interesting than others but I think the over all effect was very powerful. Brokeback Mountain was the only other Oscar contender I saw and while you have to applaud the bravery of the actors and just the fact that someone was willing to make the movie, there wasn't much extraordinary about it other than the fact that it involved 2 men. I haven't seen Match Point yet but every review I've read of it has been positive. I generally don't like Woody Allen movies because they're often so pretentious and involve Woody getting involved with a beautiful young woman but he's not actually in this one, is he? He's strictly the director, right? Maybe this movie will be easier for me to take than his usual fare.
Yes, he is strictly a director. Scarlet Johansson is pretty good in this movie and I especially liked how Allen mocked "Crime and Punishment" in the movie.
Lately I've seen:
X-men III 9/10
House of 1000 corps 2/10
Silent Hills 8/10
The New World 6/10
The davincy Code 9/10
Mission Impossible III 8/10
Scary Movie 4 5/10
X-men really rocks!
X Men III - 8/10
The DaVinci Code - 6/10.
X Men III - 7.5/10, it's hard taking that Ian Mckellam seriously in that outfit.
Over the hedge - 6/10, a definate kids movie (but not in the Shrek sense that adults will enjoy as well.)
DaVinci Code - 7/10, it was entertaining. I can't help it I love that Tom Hanks!
Just saw Spellbound (1945) last night. A little dated, and has a lot of questionable psychobabble, but hey, it's Alfred Hitchcock! 8/10.
The Dukes of Hazzard, by the way, has the honor of recieving the lowest rating in my databank of over 400 personally watched movies. 1/10.
Napoleon Dynamite follows a close second. 2/10.
I watched Poseidon...mostly because my boyfriend (an ocean and boat fanatic who has seen the earlier version) was so insanely excited to see it. I found it very sad, but then again, many things have been making me sad lately. It all seemed highly unlikely though....
the action...7/10....the story.....3/10
Firewall -- though some reviewers found it flat or mediocre, personally found it interesting, albeit predictable and with a silly "family walk in the sunshine" ending. Harrison Ford is an internal actor and pumps up the steam -- that takes skill. Belamy is a poised villain, stuck in his predicament. Fierce fight at the end -- who could take such a beating, and then walk up a hill? Not even Joe Fraizer, Superman I guess.
Deadwood, Yr. 1, Part I and II -- not my cup of tea. Had really liked Ian McShane as the Brit. antique-expert series "Lovejoy." Some, perhaps many, will like Dwood and its graphicness; no thanks, not interested in dwelling there.
Munich--just finished. Very exciting, well acted. Politically, it is very even-handed, although told from the Israeli point-of-view. A little overly long, though, and somewhat artsy. But when you're a director of Spielberg's stature, you can do what you want with your picture. 9/10
I saw a movie for Denzel Washington called Man on Fire
it was so impressive.Anyone have seen it?
Just finished watching 'Walk The Line'
It's a very good movie, I never read Johnny Cash's autobiography, so I won't comment on the accuracy, but I was pleasantly surprised. I already heard it was good, and the fact that Reese witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix both doing the songs themselves really added to the movie. They had me convinced as June Carter and Johnny Cash.
James Mangold really made this a masterpiece. Everything just works, the acting is top notch and visually it is convincing, not using fancy tricks, but really getting down to what matters, the music and the people behind it. The screenplay is very good, very coherent, not jumping about, but really setting the right mood with a clear focus. All in all an excellent film.
9/10
Awww, I loved Napoleon Dynamite but I certainly understand why it's not a movie for everyone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Manfred
I just saw The Ringer, not because I wanted to but because my kids wanted to and I have to say, it wasn't nearly as offensive as I expected it to be, in fact it was kind of sweet. Not a movie that I would've watched on my own and probably not a movie that I would watch again but it was worth at least one viewing.
I just watched Walk The Line about a week ago, too, and I cannot agree more in calling it a masterpiece. Allegedly, both Johnny Cash and June Carter picked Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon to play them in a film that, unfortunately, debuted about the time both deceased. Both of them played amazingly well, I thought, and I nearly felt so convinced of their acting that I thought of Johnny Cash and June Carter acting.Quote:
Originally Posted by AimusSage
Though the film seemed a little long, none of it bored me or lost my attention; in essence, I thought it amazing.
My rating: 10/10. :nod:
Well Idril, if you can empathize with nerds trying to cope with harrassment and rejection while making fools of themselves, then I guess Napoleon Dynamite might appeal. However, if you WERE one of those kids in high school, this movie seems merely...painful.
Manfred, a fellow Hitchcock fan? :) I loved this movie, despite some it being, as you say a bit dated. Plus, Gregory Peck is always easy on the eyes, IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by Manfred
I saw The Fantastic Four this past weekend, because my boyfriend is a Stan Lee fan. It was entertaining enough, I guess, in a shallow sort of way. Had some genuinely funny moments, but went a little too overboard with all the special effects, which so many movies rely on now in place of an actual story...
I would give it a 5.5 out of 10.
Yesterday I saw Date Movie. One of the worst pieces of cinema Ive ever seen. Horrendously bad and poorly made.
2.5/10
Hitchcock never made a bad movie, although some were better than others. I'm constantly suprised that I haven't seen them all, but others, unknown to me keep cropping up.Quote:
Originally Posted by kathycf
My favorite of his "lesser known" films is Frenzy.
I loved Marnie and Psycho of Hitchcock!
The last movie I saw was Dark Water. It was a good movie and I liked the horror in it. I will rate it 8/10 because the acting of some characters was not that much good.
Well, I guess I just didn't take it that seriously, it was a dorky movie with a bunch of caricatures, I don't think they were necessarily trying to make a social commentary with it. And all in all, those "nerds" were really quite comfortable and happy with who they were despite what the outside world may have thought of them and I may be crazy and insensitive but I think that's a positive message. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Manfred
Sorry, no offence meant.Quote:
Originally Posted by Idril
Ah, wow, Frenzy. I should see that one again. I saw it on PBS years ago, and I think I was too young for it. Scared me too much. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Manfred
these are some of my favorite Hitchcock films:
Rebecca
Notorious
Rope
Marnie and Rear Window were pretty good too. :)
OOps, forgot "Vertigo"
Yeah, I liked those Hitchcock films too. I saw Dark Water in the theater (matinees are half price) and it was pretty creepy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pensive
I saw The Omen remake last night (6/6/06).
Not so good, Arnold...
The original B&W version of psycho was good, however the colour remake they made with Anne Heche (I think) was useless. The director had no clue.
The main part that annoyed me was the scenes where the woman is getting dressed (Ok I know what your thinking, and yes I do have a point and it only slightly involves half nude women - for once :lol: ) In Hitchcocks version when she is getting dressed to go to work before stealing the money she is wearing white underwear, however in the scene with her getting dressed after stealing the money she is wearing black underwear, signifying her change in personality from good to "bad". However in the later colour version she is wearing green both times.
This leads to two possible conclusions:
1) The new director did not pick up on this subtle use of imagery by Hitchcock.
or (probably just as likely)
2) I am paying far too much attention to womens underwear.
Well, I have found it to be true that remakes are generally inferior (see cuppajoe's post re: Omen remake.) I saw the movie you are talking about and it just tried way to hard.Quote:
Originally Posted by kilted exile
http://www.sensesofcinema.com/conten...10/psycho.htmlQuote:
It was the decision to recreate an exact Psycho that unsettled critics, Hitchcock devotees, and discriminating viewers in general.
A recreation of Psycho, frame for frame...who thought that was a good idea??
As for the women's undies issue? I shall reserve comment... ;)
I agree with you here that the later version (with colour remake) was really useless. I did not have the power to bear it for any long so I stopped watching it in the very start.Quote:
Originally Posted by kilted exile
Here’s a sleeper, has anyone seen: The Three Burials of Melquiadas Estrada. The movie starred, and was directed by Tommy Lee Jones and much of it was filmed on his ranch in West Texas. He did a nice job of setting up the shots, working in the regional color, and choreographing the movement - I really enjoyed the cinematography. The screenplay was written by Guiermo Arriaga and according to the commentary on the DVD, he originally wrote it in Spanish. Those of you who read literature in English and Spanish will tune in quickly to the plot’s subtleties. The story is layered and I think that anyone who frequents a literary web site such as this one…will really enjoy this movie. I give this movie – five sombreros.
Nicholas Nickleby 10/10 I like this kind of movies
Nicholas Nickleby was a good novel, I wonder how the movie would be like...
"Nosferatu" (1922) -- This is the fully restored version; 94 min. Absolutely creepy. One of the best adaptations of the "Dracula" story ever; the very best for my money. Silent. 9/10
For those of you interested, many of these silent classics can be purchased at reasonable prices at oldies.com.
Chicken Little.
2 out of 10.
Over the Hedge.
Surprisingly anti-consumerist, and very funny. Go see it.
The Birth, Life and Loss of a New Age Dream
It wasn't exactly the last movie I saw, but it is definitely worth special mention. It is about a commune from the 70's, and their leader, Michael Metelica. It all took place around the area where I live, in the hills of Massachusetts. Metelica was idealistic and charismatic, attracted over 300 followers at his height, bought land, buildings, Rolls Royces, motorcycle, buses, a band, a recording, an airplane. As he became rich and power hungry, some of the mothers in the commune couldn't even afford a pair of shoes for their children. It was rather sad.
I saw the opening at the Northampton Academy of Music, and the theater was full of the original commune members. Metelica died over 10 years ago of brain cancer. He turned into a real jerk, they finally made him sign an agreement to leave and never come back. There are still a handfull of the commune members left, but their original commune system has changed in method and practice, if not in vision.
This may have been the very first "film" I watched at an opening that was actually a dvd--it was scratched, and stopped just as Metelica made a very ironic statement. However, they burned a new copy, and in twenty minutes the movie was up & running again.
"Broken Flowers" -- This Jim Jarmusch offering is weepy and pretentious, but has some good low-key humor. The pacing is very slow, and the story rambles. The acting is great, especially Bill Murray, but the characters are hard to care about. Jarmusch seems to see himself as more artist than storyteller, and this film reflects that vision. 6/10.
"The Ice Harvest"-- Sort of a darkly comedic film-noir starring John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton as inept pilferers of mob money. The story has some holes, but the humor is great--if you like it black and twisted. Oliver Platt is hilarious, and steals scenes with ease. 8/10.
The first time I saw "Broken Flowers" I didn't like it that much, I thought it was an okay Jarmusch movie but nothing great. Now that I've seen it again it's become one of my favorite Jarmusch films (I have them all on dvd, so you could say I'm a fan of his). The main character isn't easy to care about, actually Jarmusch himself didn't really like the character so maybe we're not supposed to either. The film may be more about the people he knew and all the secondary characters are both very well written and acted. All his ex girlfriends and especially his neighbour, Winston, cracked me up the second time I saw the movie. I didn't remember them being so great.