bigHEADinc
El Dandy
Wanted Conway Twitty as a special title.
lest we forget...
Posts: 7,711
|
Post by bigHEADinc on May 2, 2008 17:19:01 GMT -5
ED WOOD
So, what would happen if Edward D. Wood Jr. were to make a biopic about himself? You'd probably get this movie.
The short summary of the movie is that Ed Wood is freakin' crazy, becomes friends with Bela Lugosi, and makes terrible movies.
I don't even want to go on and on about this movie because I just didn't like it. I get what they were trying to do but watching a hack of a filmmaker being crazy for 2 hours isn't really entertaining. Martin Landau's portrayal of Bela Lugosi was great but in the context of this film that isn't saying much (Although, again, his performance was great).
I just didn't get it.
*1/2 out of ***** (Based on Martin Landau)
|
|
|
Post by Bob Schlapowitz on May 4, 2008 7:47:00 GMT -5
The Perfect Storm (2000) *** out of ****
The story of the crew of the "Andrea Gail", a fishing boat out of Gloucester, Massachusetts. (pronounced Glosta). In the Fall of 1991, The boat is stranded out at sea during Hurricane Grace. I live in the Boston area, so I can tell you that the film's depiction of the storm itself is no exaggeration! The story is heavily fictionalized, however (Obviously we can't know exactly what happened when the Andrea Gail lost radio contact!) The performances are mostly first-rate, although some of the Boston accents are overdone, which is the case in any film that takes place in the area. The biggest problem with the story is a subplot involving a recreational boat sailing to Bermuda that also gets caught in the storm and is rescued by the Coast Guard, they don't really have much to do, and I get the feeling there was more to it, but the subplot was shortened for time constraints. The CGI special effects are outstanding, considering the fact that it was made nearly a decade ago. I recommend it, you might want some drammamine though.
|
|
|
Post by Bob Schlapowitz on May 4, 2008 17:11:56 GMT -5
Sorry to double post, but I just got back from the theater....
Iron Man (2008)
*** out of ****
WOW. Let me start this by saying that "Iron Man" is the best superhero movie since "Batman Begins". I'm going to go on the assumption that at least 70% of you already know Ol' Shellhead's origin story, so I'm not going to repeat it. I will just say one thing, Robert Downey Jr. is absolutely ACE as Tony Stark/Iron Man. It's pretty neat how they kept pretty much the same origin story, but gave it a modern twist. "Iron Man" is exactly what a Summer blockbuster should be. Lots of action, lots of fun, but never dumbed down.
Be sure to stay after the credits for an awesome surprise!
|
|
bigHEADinc
El Dandy
Wanted Conway Twitty as a special title.
lest we forget...
Posts: 7,711
|
Post by bigHEADinc on May 6, 2008 10:08:23 GMT -5
IRON MAN
A few pages back I reviewed Kiss Kiss Bang Bang with Robert Downey Jr. and I mentioned how his performance in that movie gave me tons of hope for Iron Man. Thankfully, the hopes weren't unfounded. From beginning to end, Downey commanded the screen, and it's not only because he was the title character. With a combination of dry humor, machine gun wit, and a good-to-great screenplay, Downey was able to make you absolutely love Tony Stark in the first 5 minutes of the movie. This movie is the definite kickstart he needed and I'd be more than happy to see him in anything and everything now.
Jeff Bridges did well as Obediah Stane but that almost had more to do with the bald head and the beard. When he talked, I always just thought of The Dude, but thank god bald heads and beards are notorious evilmakers. Terrence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow were suitable as Jim Rhodes and Pepper Potts, respectively, but they didn't really have much to work with. Again, this movie was all about Tony Stark and these two characters served as more exploratory plot points rather than the main plot. I will say that this is the first movie in a long time that Gwyneth looked absolutely spectacular in, the last movie being Shallow Hal (The non-fat scenes, don't confuse me for Maxx Awesome).
The movie itself had a surprising amount of laughs (I'm talking LOL laughs, weird for a blockbuster) and a scene that actually had me tear up a little bit. The special effects were top notch, with every little bit of the suit coming to life in unexpected ways. It's techno porn splashed up on the big screen, what with all the holographs, voice activated machinery, etc. that always find their way into Stark's life. The suit and it's variations were great, with some of the best scenes of the movie happening during the testing of the Mark II.
Through this whole thing, my only real complaint is that the final battle felt a tad bit lackluster, especially compared to the action sequences that came before it. Even with that complaint, I was just happy throughout the entire movie. I can't recommend it enough.
***** out of *****
|
|
Grendel
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
But ... why is all the rum gone?
Posts: 17,593
|
Post by Grendel on May 6, 2008 10:57:06 GMT -5
Like the last two posters, I saw Iron Man. I agree fully with their reviews, it's the best comic book movie I've seen in some time, and the most fun I've had at a comic book movie since Spiderman 2. I highly recommend it.
|
|
bigHEADinc
El Dandy
Wanted Conway Twitty as a special title.
lest we forget...
Posts: 7,711
|
Post by bigHEADinc on May 6, 2008 11:32:53 GMT -5
METAL: A HEADBANGER'S JOURNEY
Confession Time: I don't like Metal music. Yes, I like hints of what Metal can offer (Stuff like Slipknot), but I have never been into Metal as a whole like a good majority of the posters here.
IMDB Synopsis: Sam Dunn is a 30-year old anthropologist who wrote his graduate thesis on the plight of Guatemalan refugees. Recenly he has decided to study the plight of a different culture, one he has been a part of since he was a 12-year old: the culture of heavy metal. Sam sets out on a global journey to find out why this music has been consistently stereotyped, dismissed and condemned and yet is loved so passionately by its millions of fans. Along the way, Sam explores metals' obsession with some of life's most provacative subjects - sexuality, religion, violence and death - and discovers some things about the culture that even he can't defend. Shot on location in the UK, Germany, Norway, Canada and the US, this documentary is the first of its kind. It is both a defense of a long-misunderstood art form and a window for the outsider into the spectacle that is heavy metal.
Interviewing everybody from Alice Cooper to Rob Zombie to Ronnie James Dio to various members of bands like Cannibal Corpse, Mayhem, Gorgoroth, Slayer, and much, much more, Dunn takes a serious look at what a lot of people would consider to be a phase that a lot of teenagers go through. What he shows is that it's not a phase at all and almost a lifestyle for a lot of the fans of the music. The documentary is setup in "chapters", with each covering subjects like the early influences of metal, metal fans, metal and religion, etc. While Dunn is a self-professed metalhead, he takes an unbiased look from both sides, not only interviewing metal legends but anti-metal members of society also. He doesn't try and pass judgement any which way, especially with the "religion in metal" section of the documentary. It was genuinely interesting, showing a lifestyle that I've always been on the fringe of (I got lots of metal-loving friends). My only real problem is that the chapter that was the most interesting, "religion in metal" that showed a lot of the Norweigan Death Metal scene, seemed to actually be the shortest. I'd love to see an entire documentary based on that section.
If you got a love for the music, you'll get a lot more mileage out of this movie than I did.
*** out of *****
|
|
Millie D
El Dandy
Something VERY special.
I Love Glee!
Posts: 8,923
|
Post by Millie D on May 6, 2008 14:22:25 GMT -5
CLOVERFIELD Ok I did not think it was supposed to be scary but I was wrong..as soon as I seen the little spider looking monsters fall off the big monster and EAT people i started shaking and crying ..MR Millie held me as I covered my eyes and I waited to see what the REAL moster looked like and I thought it looked like a Fish Dinosaur with Princess Leia buns..I laughed and then i watched in more horror as the friends were dwindled down one by one..this movie may have been cheesy and oki for many of you but for ME Millie it was too much....
I give it 1 and a half stars outta five PS: did you know it was a BABY monster that was reeking havoc? OMG where was Momma?
SOUTHLAND TALES
OMG! I don't know how to explain it so i will just let wikipedia do it fr me.."El Paso and Abilene, Texas have fallen victim to twin nuclear attacks on July 4, 2005 – a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions which has sent America into World War III. The PATRIOT Act has extended authority to a new agency known as US-IDent, which keeps constant tabs on citizens – even to the extent of censoring the internet and using fingerprints in order to access computers and bank accounts. In order to be able to respond to a newfound fuel shortage in the wake of global warfare, the German company Treer designs a generator of inexhaustible energy which is propelled by ocean currents, called "Fluid Karma." Unbeknownst to them, the generators alter the currents and cause the Earth to slow its rotation, ripping holes in the fabric of space and time.
In Los Angeles, a city on the brink of chaos overshadowed by the growth of the underground Neo-Marxist movement, we follow the criss-crossed destinies of Boxer Santaros (Dwayne Johnson), an action film actor stricken with amnesia; Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar), ex-porn star in the midst of reconverting; and twin brothers Roland and Ronald Taverner (both played by Seann William Scott), whose destinies – on one evening – become intertwined with that of all mankind."
It was confusing, funny, dark and I loved The Rock's role in this...it takes you on a ride and its a ride i did not want to end! I loved how it was shot and i think everyone should see it!
4 out of 5 stars
IRON MAN
Ok everyone knows what its about and who's in it and such so i will just give you a fast opinion..IT FLIPPIN RULED! I loved how Jon Favreau shot it , i loved the humor, the fighting and the unexpected turn of THE DUDE...I think RD jr was perfect for the role and I would see it again in a heartbeat and maybe stay for the credits this time!
5 out of 5 stars
|
|
|
Post by The Thread Barbi on May 6, 2008 16:55:48 GMT -5
Iron Man (2008)
Contrary to Bob Schalpotwitz's review, I saw it as an action film, without the expectation of it living up to its comic book couter-part, as I have no knowledge of the Iron Man character except for the fact he's pretty good to use in videogames featuring multiple Marvel characters.
Maybe if I understood the mythos of it, I'd rate it higher, but I saw it as a decent comic book Summer popcorn flick, with the final plotline payoff being seen from a mile away. I'm pretty sure had it not been for Robert Downey Jr's excellent performance as Tony Stark, this film would have been the pants...basically because the action/special effects weren't anything that stood out from this genre of movies - just went through the motions.
7/10 for a slightly above average action-flick and subliminal Audi commercial.
|
|
bigHEADinc
El Dandy
Wanted Conway Twitty as a special title.
lest we forget...
Posts: 7,711
|
Post by bigHEADinc on May 7, 2008 13:48:57 GMT -5
VACANCY
Vacancy stars Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale (**swoon!**) as a nearly divorced married couple on a long distance trip. After their car breaks down, they're forced to spend the night at a seedy motel. While there, they pop in a videotape of what seems to be a scary movie, with a woman and man being savagely beaten and killed. They realize that it's not a movie and in fact camera footage of what had actually happened in that room. Suddenly, they've become the latest "stars" in this motel's series of snuff films. Sadly, for the attackers, Luke Wilson is at least kinda smart.
The plot is generic and the separate plot points are even MORE generic, but they at least tried to do it right and mostly succeeded. The film is suspenseful as all hell, with any and all payoffs being held until the very end. The film avoids a lot of current horror movie cliches by not showing too much gore or not having some sort of sick and twisted torture sequence... It's just two people fighting for their lives in the middle of nowhere and it actually tries to use a bit of common sense when it comes to how the attackers and the victims react to each other.
That being said, there are a couple plot holes that keep it from being truly good-to-great, but it was decent and actively kept my interest for it's pleasingly short runtime (80 minutes) which saved the film from getting boring ever. If you like movies with a ton of suspense then you'd probably love this.
*** out of *****
|
|
|
Post by Bob Schlapowitz on May 7, 2008 20:44:55 GMT -5
BLADE RUNNER - THE FINAL CUT (1982/2007)
***** out of *****
In the early 1980's they were pretty much convinced that the Japanese were going to take over everything, weren't they? Now I personally wasn't very big on the 1982 theatrical cut of BR. Harrison Ford's unenthusiastic voice-over, and the way out of place ending just never sat right with me. I always preferred the 1992 Director's Cut. That being said, the differences between the Final Cut and the Director's Cut are very subtle. In fact most of them are barely noticeable. There's not a lot that can be said about "Blade Runner" that hasn't already been said a million times, but it is still one of the best Sci-Fi films ever made, and that will never change.
|
|
Jiren
Patti Mayonnaise
Hearts Bayformers
Posts: 35,163
|
Post by Jiren on May 7, 2008 21:05:00 GMT -5
Doctor Who - Invasion of Time
Easily the weakest story featuring the Sontarans but still a decent story to watch (Episode 4 cliffhanger kicks ass).
Naff make-up FX really bog it down though
|
|
El Pollo Guerrera
Grimlock
His name has chicken in it, and he is good at makin' .gifs, so that's cool.
Status: Runner
Posts: 14,768
|
Post by El Pollo Guerrera on May 12, 2008 1:44:03 GMT -5
(Wow, I had to go back to page 6 to find this thread...) UP THE ACADEMYMovies of my youth... Every once in a while I will notice a DVD in the cheap bin and remember watching it many many many moons ago on cable movie channels. This time I paid my money and pick up this. "Up The Academy" was one of those that was in heavy play rotation because it bombed at the box office and they needed the money. Four misfit kids... 1) generic All-American son of small-town mayor running for re-election, sent away because he got his girlfriend pregnant (at the very beginning of the movie, it shows her being escorted into an abortion clinic, yet the movie mentions his anti-abortion stance several times), 2) pot smoking black kid of fire-and-brimstone preacher (who keeps making out with his step-mothers), 3) wise-guy son of Italian gangster (Ralph Macchio in his first movie!), 4) kleptomaniac son of Arab sheik, ... sent to military school where they are forced into obedience by their commander, Liceman. A fifth kid (pyromaniac, nephew of Liceman, snitch) shows up, rats their plans out to Liceman, ending with the commander getting pics of #1 with his girl. Blackmail ensues, wherein the kids get pics of Liceman in lace and with a whip. Ends with the annual student/faculty soccer game, which the kids win, of course. Now, I will admit, I remembered how bad this movie it was when I found it, and I still bought it. I just had to see it again, just once. And y'know, it wasn't ALL bad. Just MOSTLY bad. The Good: 1) Ralph Macchio. For his first movie, he actually didn't do too bad. It's just too bad that there wasn't more for him. 2) Barbara Bach as Bliss, one of the teachers. Eye candy. 3) Greatest pickup line ever: - "Tickle your ass with a feather?" - "What did you say?" - "I said, particularly nasty weather..." The Bad: 1) The other kids. None of them went on to be in other movies with good reason. 2) The story was padded with tons of just... useless fluff. During the dance scene (there's a mixer with a nearby women's academy), there's a 5 minute song by the worst singing group ever (did you hear Rosanne sing the national anthem? This was worse). Now, it's not just bad, they overloaded the scene with people running, glass breaking, dogs howling... even the movie screen breaks! Great if this was "Naked Gun" or "Airplane" but not here. There was also an extended bit at the end, where they replay the commander running after a car... over and over and over... 3) The editing. During the first scene of the movie, Ralph Macchio's dad is sitting at his desk, talking to his kid. You see the background shift suddenly, without the scene changing. It happens a few times, where something in the background changes, or an actor in the back is looking in a different direction... Like they filmed it too quickly and had to piece together what they had. This film was tied with Mad Magazine, in an attempt to cash in on the unexpected success of "National Lampoon's Animal House", and after the release, Mad sued to take their name off the credits. They won, but the film became a hit with cult Mad Magazine fans, so it was added back. Actor Rob Leibman (who played the commander, Liceman) also sued to have his name removed from the credits. I don't blame him. Unless you have fond memories of this bad movie, avoid this.
|
|
|
Post by Paul Servo on May 12, 2008 9:07:53 GMT -5
ALIEN VS PREDITOR:REQUREUM (2007) The darkest movie I have ever seen. And I mean that literally. The end of the first one was great in the hybrid chestburster. Made me want to see the sequel right away. Instead it's all covered in shadows. crap, even the cool suprise cameo at the end is covered in shadows. You recognize the voice and the parts that aren't shadowy you might be able to tell who it is, but come on! Show their damn face! The paycheck is the same for a 30sec of screen time.
This was better than the first in that there were more humans to "care" about, even tho I really didn't. They were stock disaster film characters. There's the sherrif, the ex-con, the troubled/bullied teen, the girl he likes, her boyfriend (who is the cause of the troubled teen's angst), the annoying kid you feel bad about wanting to see die, and the war vet (in a "change of pace" played by 24's Reiko Aylesworth). Ok that last one brings up a major, nit pick on something that happened in this film. When Aylesworth's character, Kelly, returns from The Gulf, she drives home to be reuinited with her husband and ungreatful brat of a child. Why weren't they at the airport to meet her like every other family? Oh little Molly had to sleep? smurf that! I've seen lots of footage of troops returing home from deployment and the whole family was there to greet them. This one oversight is why I didn't care for the husband and wanted to see the girl become Alien chow
1.5 out of 5 (the action that was viewable was cool enought to give it 1 star, the cameo gave it the extra half, if we could see their face, it would be doubled)
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 12, 2008 10:00:47 GMT -5
Ghost Dog I watched this film for the first time in highschool when it first came out and then again this past weekend. Back then I just thought it was a pretty cool urban samurai flick, but now I look at it nearly eight years later and realize that it goes so far beyond that. Jim Jarmusch's modern samurai film (scored by the RZA) stars Forest Whitaker as a hitman who lives by the code of the samurai. He acts as a retainer for his master - a mob underboss in an aging crime family. Thematically this movie blows me away now as did cinematically the first time I watched it. At first glance the movie appears to be about Whitaker's journey as a hit man, but upon second viewing it seems to me that its more about how quickly things around us change. One minute we're on top of it all and the next we're just relics of a decaying era. Whitaker's character Ghost Dog holds on to a code of honor already extinct because he has nothing else in his life so he dedicates himself to his "master" to help find meaning in his life. The aging mob family reflects the changing of the times with more immediacy as their way of life is in the process of expiring. All those involved must decide whether or not they'll change with the times or stay with their own extinct code of honor. Jarmusch blends the samurai and mafia genre in an effort to explore this idea. Plus its a really cool flick with Ghost Dog killing a bunch of Mafioso’s in really interesting ways.
|
|
El Pollo Guerrera
Grimlock
His name has chicken in it, and he is good at makin' .gifs, so that's cool.
Status: Runner
Posts: 14,768
|
Post by El Pollo Guerrera on May 13, 2008 0:11:53 GMT -5
Not a review, just a quick statement...
The DVD for "Planet Terror" disappointed me. Great movie, love it, but:
1) The 'missing footage' was not 'restored'. Damn it, I wanna know!
2) The ad for "Machete" was awesome, but I wanted to see all of the ads. I loved "Don't" and "Hobo With A Shotgun".
However, bonus points for the "audience reaction" audio track.
|
|
Rube
Hank Scorpio
Sammich Bogart
It's always the same and it's always different.
Posts: 5,619
|
Post by Rube on May 13, 2008 0:13:31 GMT -5
Just finished watching jumper. Cool concept but it was ruined by Anakin. Dude sucks so much ass it's not even funny.
|
|
Millie D
El Dandy
Something VERY special.
I Love Glee!
Posts: 8,923
|
Post by Millie D on May 13, 2008 13:59:49 GMT -5
Street Kings
Ok I went and saw this movie expecting to fall asleep but from the get go Keanu Reeves had me hooked! For those who have no idea what this movie is about..let me sum it up this way..LOS ANGELES COPS ARE CROOKED! I thought the same thing..OH joy another crooked cop movie BUT what makes this different for me is HOW Keanu portrays a "scapegoat" and does not even know it! He goes out for revenge after his former partner is gunned down in a little grocery store and finds corruption in the LAPD BUT he has no clue that his chief( and best friend), portrayed by Forrest Whitaker, is the most crooked of them all! I loved Hugh Laurie's small role in this movie and I ABSOLUTELY loved how Keanu exacted revenge and the violence that ensues! Its worth seeing if your a Keanu Fan
3 and a half out of 5 starts for me
|
|
|
Post by Paul Servo on May 13, 2008 15:52:52 GMT -5
Not a review, just a quick statement... The DVD for "Planet Terror" disappointed me. Great movie, love it, but: 1) The 'missing footage' was not 'restored'. Damn it, I wanna know! 2) The ad for "Machete" was awesome, but I wanted to see all of the ads. I loved "Don't" and "Hobo With A Shotgun". However, bonus points for the "audience reaction" audio track. Unlike with DEATH PROOF, the "missing footage" was never actually shot. As for the rest of the ads. (With the exception of HOBO WITH A GUN) they were before DEATH PROOF. They're releasing a GRINDHOUSE SE that is supposed to have all of that with more extras
|
|
|
Post by G✇JI☈A on May 14, 2008 4:45:55 GMT -5
Iron Man (2008)
Finally saw it. It f***ing ruled. Robert Downey Jr and Jeff Bridges were both awesome in this film.
8/10
|
|
|
Post by Virt McGirt on May 14, 2008 4:51:09 GMT -5
Iron Man (2008) Finally saw it. It smurfing ruled. Robert Downey Jr and Jeff Bridges were both awesome in this film. 8/10 Not to nitpick, but why only an eight then?
|
|