What is the last movie you saw? and rate it.

[Janine]

Big Al..
is that a photo of a man wearing a dress?
interesting..

I watched Across the Universe (the movie with about 27 beatles songs in it)

20/10
BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODY BRILLIANT
and of course it didn't hurt that the two main actors were to die for *sigh*
:P

Tiny Dancer, I think that is a monk in Big Al's photo; am I right Big Al? It is an awesome looking photo; forboding, I think. If it is a monk, it would fit the short story (almost, needs to be all black clothing) we are doing in the Chekhov thread and wow, the film is Russian, too...cool. That film looks interesting, BA, but I hate films that are too disjointed and one hasn't a clue what is really going on.

TD, I really want to see "Across the Universe" with the '27 beatles songs!' Wow, didn't know they sqeezed that many into one movie. I took this film out of my library a few weeks ago and then had to take it back without viewing it - ran out of time; I think I will check it out in the next few days. Thanks for your blooooody good review!

[Big Al]

Tiny Dancer, I think that is a monk in Big Al's photo; am I right Big Al? It is an awesome looking photo; forboding, I think. If it is a monk, it would fit the short story (almost, needs to be all black clothing) we are doing in the Chekhov thread and wow, the film is Russian, too...cool. That film looks interesting, BA, but I hate films that are too disjointed and one hasn't a clue what is really going on.

It is indeed a monk. Andrei Rublev was very famous as a painter of religious icons in the (I believe) 15th century. But it is definitely hard to follow and very intellectual, but from an emotional standpoint the film hits like few others I've seen. It doesn't have a reputation as one of the greatest films ever made for nothing.

[Idril]

I watched that movie late last year and it really was a striking movie. Very slow moving, like all Tarkovsky's movies, but that gave you time to take in everything, all the emotions and events. One of the things I thought was so fascinating is that even though it's in black and white, you still get such a sense of color.

[Big Al]

I watched that movie late last year and it really was a striking movie. Very slow moving, like all Tarkovsky's movies, but that gave you time to take in everything, all the emotions and events. One of the things I thought was so fascinating is that even though it's in black and white, you still get such a sense of color.

I can't say I agree with you on that last point, and actually I think Tarkovsky's reasons for filming in black and white were completely off -- he made the assertion that he filmed it as such because people don't see color in their day to day lives. Maybe not colorblind people, but otherwise...

Oh, and I just finished Watching Babel. It's okay -- nothing special, nothing I haven't seen before, but it's not bad.

[Idril]

I can't say I agree with you on that last point, and actually I think Tarkovsky's reasons for filming in black and white were completely off -- he made the assertion that he filmed it as such because people don't see color in their day to day lives. Maybe not colorblind people, but otherwise...

Well, I agree that that's an odd reason not to shoot in color because it doesn't make any sense but I do think the black and white was a good choice for other reasons. It made everything much more stark of course and that fit with the time period and the starkness of the monkish life, the simplicity. It caused you to really focus on the story and emotions instead of distracting you with backgrounds, it made it very intimate which I thought made sense. That's not to say those things couldn't have been acheived with color, there are other ways of accomplishing those effects of course but the lack of color didn't limit my ability to see the movie in color if that makes any sense. It was like a blank canvas you could fill on your own.

[Big Al]

Well, I agree that that's an odd reason not to shoot in color because it doesn't make any sense but I do think the black and white was a good choice for other reasons. It made everything much more stark of course and that fit with the time period and the starkness of the monkish life, the simplicity. It caused you to really focus on the story and emotions instead of distracting you with backgrounds, it made it very intimate which I thought made sense. That's not to say those things couldn't have been acheived with color, there are other ways of accomplishing those effects of course but the lack of color didn't limit my ability to see the movie in color if that makes any sense. It was like a blank canvas you could fill on your own.

I'm not saying I thought it should have been in color (quite the contrary), but Tarkovsky's reasoning didn't make any sense to me. I agree that the black and white cinematography creates a sparseness which accentuated the film very nicely.

I find this very interesting, Idril -- what are some of your other favorites?

[NickAdams]

Films I enjoyed, but would need a second viewing to rate:

8 1/2
The Assassination of Jesse James
Barton Fink
I'm Not There

Rated:

Kill Your Idols : I'm a fan of experimental and avant-garde music, so this was a pleasant suprise. I'm glad to have learned about the no-wave movement.

Youth without Youth: 10/10 I love this movie!

Gandhi: 10/10 I forgot I was watching a film. If anybody needed a biographic film made, it was Gandhi.

There Will be Blood: 9/10 All of PTA films are funny even when they're serious. So many great lines and I loved the score.

Secretary: 8.5/10 Eroticism at its best ... for me atleast.

The Brown Bunny: 8.5/10 A film I avoided, but am happy I saw. Haunting.

Last Tango in Paris: 8.5/10 Powerful and honest.

Tarsem Singh's The Fall: 8/10 There have been many negative reviews, but I bought it. The visuals are great, the story is fifty-fifty, but Catinca Untaru, the young girl, is a delight to watch.

Blue of Kieslowski's Three Colors: 8/10 A very moving film.

Candy: 8/10 I enjoyed it, but it was weird seeing Heath Ledger on screen.

Fargo: 8/10

Braveheart: 7.5

Sherrybaby 6/10 I'm starting to respect Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Dan in Real Life : 7/10 Light fun.

Juno: 6/10 Some pleasant moments, thanks to Patrick Bateman, but am I the only person who found this movie annoying. This movie uses what has become the indie asthetic, but left the punch. I couldn't stand the sountrack (the song performed at the end is an exception)!

3:10 to Yuma: 4/10 What a bore.

Clockers: 4/10 I don't see the big deal with Spike Lee. Malcolm X seems to be the only star on his resume.

Hitman: 1/10 What trash! Olga Kurylenko is the only reason I mention this movie.

Awake: 0/10 Awake? That makes one of us.

[NickAdams]

No, you're not the only person here who found "Juno" annoying. I found it annoying, too, and shallow. I would rate it lower than you, Nick. I found it highly overrated.

It tried to hard to be quirky. It would have been lower, but I'm a Bateman fan. Come on, Arrested Development.

I found Youth without Youth and The Brown Bunny to be underrated.

I loved "Secretary"! An underrated little gem of a movie.

I found out thing about myself I didn't know. Like certain fetishes that interested me (not the being tied to a stove and having tomatoes launched at me).

[LadyWentworth]

It tried to hard to be quirky. It would have been lower, but I'm a Bateman fan. Come on, Arrested Development.

Whenever he is in something, no matter how bad the movie may be, he is the only good thing about it. I actually wanted to see "Juno" because of him, but honestly, I can't bring myself to watch it. There just doesn't seem to be anything even remotely appealing about it. Maybe I will sit through it someday when I have seen all the movies that I want to and I eventually have nothing else to watch but "Juno". So, no, even Jason Bateman couldn't help with the lack of desire to see that film.

By the way, Nick, what was the timespan that you watched all of these films? I am asking because that was really a long list of ratings. Oh, and have you heard about the possible "Arrested Development" film?

[NickAdams]

Whenever he is in something, no matter how bad the movie may be, he is the only good thing about it. I actually wanted to see "Juno" because of him, but honestly, I can't bring myself to watch it. There just doesn't seem to be anything even remotely appealing about it. Maybe I will sit through it someday when I have seen all the movies that I want to and I eventually have nothing else to watch but "Juno". So, no, even Jason Bateman couldn't help with the lack of desire to see that film.

By the way, Nick, what was the timespan that you watched all of these films? I am asking because that was really a long list of ratings. Oh, and have you heard about the possible "Arrested Development" film?

About three weeks to a month. Barton Fink, Fargo, Candy, Sherrybaby and Clockers within the last week and 8 1/2 last night. I have a habit of buying movies I haven't seen and never watching them; I've had Best of Youth since it was released, a year or two ago, but still haven't watched it (it's six hours long).

I didn't hear about, but I'm excited now.

Are you a fan of Curb your Enthusiasm? If you are, you might be interested in his current project; it's a Woody Allen film!

[Madhuri]

Currently watching -- Happy Feet.

Its a cute movie, I like the Amegios (sp?)

[Idril]

I find this very interesting, Idril -- what are some of your other favorites?

That's such a hard question to answer. I've given it some serious thought, hoping something will spring to mind but I just have too many choices. I watch a lot of foreign and indie films, mostly Chinese and Scandinavian because I rated a couple of those movies highly so netflix keeps suggesting other movies and I keep adding them to my queue but I try to shake it up every now and then. I tend to like kind of arty and despressing movies...although I have that part of me that loves science fiction, the older Star Wars movies, a few of the Classic Trek movies and Firefly will always have a place on my favorites list.

[NickAdams]

I just watched Black Snake Moan. I don't see what was so shocking. The chain thing wasn't that big a deal. How could any body who has seen Blue Velvet or a John Waters' film be shocked by this.

[OswaldTheOsprey]

"Knocked Up"-crude language but very funny.

OswaldTheOsprey

[vheissu]

Saw Sex and the City last night, I'd give it a 7/10

I want the shoes!!!!




But the most exciting bit is that I finally saw the new X-files being promoted.