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Post by susala on Jan 16, 2012 17:08:35 GMT -5
I'm looking forward to One for the Money, too.
I saw War Horse a few days ago. I think I've recovered from it. What a heartwrenching movie!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2012 0:23:39 GMT -5
Oh goodness. I saw MI:4 last night and thought it was terrible. Tom Cruise was just trying to prove that he's still "young". Um ... nope, not so much anymore (that scene with his shirt off -- ick!) I would rather have been home sleeping.... DD and I are going to see Sherlock Holmes this week, keeping my fingers crossed for a good flick! I can understand your point about Tom trying to recapture his youth - BUT to say MI4 is terrible? com-mon you didn't....wasn't at the edge of your seat when Tom jumped into that window and his team had to catch him???
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Post by kelly on Jan 18, 2012 4:24:04 GMT -5
I enjoyed reading your reviews on "War Horse" I'm going to see it tonight.
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Post by susala on Jan 19, 2012 21:33:45 GMT -5
So, what did you think, kelly?
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Post by Shirina on Feb 8, 2012 11:37:55 GMT -5
I rarely see movies at the theater any longer. The price to sit in an uncomfortable chair and listen as rustling wrappers, slurping straws, and the incessant question-asker compete with the film is way too much, IMO.
But I do frequently rent movies, so I'll give you a brief review of a few I've seen recently. WARNING: Contains spoilers.
Super 8: This movie about an alien invasion played out like movie from the 1960's. This was not Independence Day revisited. It focuses on a group of younger children (around 13-15 years old) who witness an alien escaping from a train wreck. The alien then begins kidnapping people around town. The kids figure out what the alien wants and subsequently tries to help it leave earth (a la E.T.).
The movie was HEAVY on late 70's, early 80's nostalgia; toys, music, electronics, slang, and television broadcasts from the period were heavily placed throughout the film. I think the movie was as much about nostalgia as it was about aliens. This isn't a bad thing, though - it doesn't detract from the movie and it's one of the few I've seen that targets people in their 40's to bring back the "those were the good ole days" feeling.
As with so many new movies over the past few years, it's family friendly; there is no real violence (though some is implied), only two people actually die (but you don't see them die), and profanity is minimal. Super 8 is definitely reminiscent of an 80's production with kids as the heroes who save the town rather than the military or adults. If you enjoyed movies like Stand By Me, E.T., Goonies, The Lost Boys, or Red Dawn, you'll like Super 8.
ConanThe Barbarian: This is just another in the never-ending supply of remakes being rubber-stamped out of Hollywood these days. This movie was only good if you like cool swordplay and medieval action scenes. Dialogue was light (meaning there wasn't much at all) and it was mostly just one fight scene after another. They even left out the classic line about "hearing the lamentations of their women!" from the 80's version, which was superior, IMO.
Definitely NOT kid-friendly. There was a lot of blood and gore, severed limbs, disembowlments, people being torn in half, everything you'd expect from a movie about barbarians.
Transformers, The Dark of the Moon: Well, if you're expecting something other than loads of CGI and gratuitous sex shots from Michael Bey, then this one isn't for you. The action sequences were first rate, but it was oh so hard to tell who was an Autobot and who was a Decepticon. Truth is, all of the transformers look the same when they're fighting.
Leonard Nimoy does the voice for Sentinel, a good guy turned bad guy who turns good guy again at the end. I would say I just gave a spoiler, but not really. If you couldn't predict what was going to happen, then you're probably too young to see the movie to begin with. Absolutely fantastic action and adventure scenes with CGI that really doesn't look like CGI - they're really at the point now with computer animation that it is almost indistinguishable from reality! The plot is so-so ... nothing to write home about, but not so egregiously bad that you feel you've wasted the money.
In short, it's another take on an alien invasion movie - but this is the third in a series, so if you haven't seen the first two, see them first. Even though the movie is based on toys and a cartoon series, it is only suitable for older children. There is a lot of violence, but it isn't gory or prolonged.
Skyline: Yet another alien invasion movie whereby ordinary people are caught up in a struggle to save humanity. There's not much to say about this movie because, well, there isn't much to say. It plays out just like you'd expect it to, kind of like a 70's era disaster movie. The humans are picked off one by one as the movie progresses - and you know who is going to get killed based on their lousy attitudes.
There aren't many special effects aside from the aliens themselves, and the scope is very limited. You really never see what's going on beyond what the characters themselves can see, and since they're trapped in a luxury condo, they can't see very much. In fact, they never leave the condo throughout the whole movie despite their best attempts.
The only thing that really separates this movie from many other alien invasion movies is that .... humanity LOSES! Or you assume they do when the last character is finally pulled into the ship. The final scene inside the alien ship is pretty sappy, though, one of those "love prevails over everything" kind of scenes that really didn't make any sense; there was no explanation for what happened just as the closing credits begin to roll.
Again, not for kids due to violence, some gore, and scenes that could easily give nightmares for a month.
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Post by Spellbound454 on Feb 9, 2012 12:59:11 GMT -5
From your description I like the sound of Transformers the best Shirina. I do enjoy a bit of CGI and will keep an eye out for it... I've seen the Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy as well. Noomi Race was such a perfect Lisbet Salander that I'm not sure I could take anyone else in that role. I'm not bothered about the violence...I think its necessary to understand why Lisbet reacts in the way she does....Awesome story, leaves you wanting to know what happened to the characters.... and from the late lamented Stieg Larsson. Two recent movies I have watched are these: Melancholia - Its a beautiful film with complex characters are stunningly played out as they try to prepare themselves for the end of the world. Its full of excess and complicated relationships..and Kirsten Dunst is good in the lead role of a manic depressive No happy ending on this one though. Sarahs Key...Sarah is a Jewish child who hides her little brother by locking him in a cupboard when the Police arrive to take the family to a concentration camp. Sarah escapes and is looked after by a French family... but her one mission throughout the film is to rescue her brother from the cupboard. The story is told by a modern day journalist...as she investigates what happened to Sarah. Its interesting, sad and circular... as the some events are mirrored in the modern day. An intricate tale of strength, kindness, atrocity and grief.
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Post by Shirina on Feb 10, 2012 1:07:19 GMT -5
Speaking of Sarah's Key, another hard-to-watch movie of that genre is The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. The Transformers movie was very good for brilliant non-stop action so if that's what you like, I highly recommend it. (I'm very partial for some good CGI and big fight scenes myself).
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: This movie focuses on a young boy, perhaps 9 or 10, who is the son of a concentration camp commandant. This movie is horrifically heart-rending as you watch the innocence of the boy collide headlong with the atrocities of a Nazi death camp.
The boy wanders to the edge of the camp fence and sees a young Jewish boy in prison garb - the striped pajamas. The Nazi boy, lonely and totally unaware of what the camp is, befriends the Jewish boy; they talk and play games together through the barbed wire that separates them. The Nazi boy then begins to learn about the camp through the eyes of this young Jewish boy.
(Sorry about having to use boy, boy, boy all the time, but I really don't remember the character names)
An interesting aspect of this movie is how the Holocaust affected the everyday family life of this boy, his commandant father, his mother, and his older sister. The boy becomes more rebellious as it dawns on him what his father is doing. The father tries to act as if mass murder is just another profession like baking or factory work. The mother grows increasingly distant as she begins to learn what her husband is doing, and the older sister becomes a strident Nazi and develops a crush on the Waffen SS guard that lives with them.
Both the Nazi side and the Jewish side are discussed and argued back and forth between the family members which makes for some very intense dialogue.
The Nazi boy returns to the Jewish boy, only this time, the Nazi boy wants to really play. So the Nazi boy disguises himself as a Jewish prisoner and breaks into the camp to be with his friend. Unfortunately, this occurs just as the Jews, including the boy, are about to be gassed.
The family figures out what happened to their son, and runs to the camp, the father hoping to countermand the extermination order in time. Does he make it? Hmmm ...
This is the kind of movie that stays with you for a very long time.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2012 6:36:27 GMT -5
Did anyone see "The Grey" with Liam? That looks good.
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Post by Shirina on Feb 10, 2012 16:10:51 GMT -5
While I do enjoy Liam Neeson, I'm not a big fan of "man vs. nature" movies so I'll probably give it a pass unless someone else in the household rents it.
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Post by roygrip on Feb 12, 2012 18:26:53 GMT -5
The Boy in The Striped Pajamas and Sarah's Key. Both Excellant and well written. Shirina gives an excellant review, all I can add is another thumbs up
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Post by mox on Feb 12, 2012 18:31:59 GMT -5
I liked "The Gray" with Liam Neeson...although I will RUN to see ANYTHING with him in it. God he is HOT! I like those wilderness movies. I want to see "Safe House," although I saw a review where it was given two stars only. Good cast though.
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Post by mox on Feb 12, 2012 18:34:12 GMT -5
"The Boy in The Striped Pajamas"
^Thumbs UP for sure.
"Schindler's List" is good too. Another one with Liam Neeson in it...extraordinary performance.
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Post by mox on Feb 12, 2012 18:35:02 GMT -5
"Saving Private Ryan" has a special place in my heart. Dad says it is "right on."
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Post by mox on Feb 12, 2012 18:47:24 GMT -5
Edit: Oops! sp. "The Grey"
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2012 23:09:44 GMT -5
That is on my list of movies to check out this weekend or Chronicle
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Post by roygrip on Feb 25, 2012 21:42:31 GMT -5
The Way with Martin Sheen, directed by his son Emilio. Very well done. A man's spiritual search while dealing with his son's sudden death while on a pilgramage! Excellant! ;D
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Post by lance on Feb 25, 2012 22:11:21 GMT -5
Happenchanced across a Russian film on Starz today which was phenomenal, just great.. It was a war film about Soviet soldiers during their conflict in Afghanistan. The film was called "9th company" and was the best account of the realities of war I have ever seen...better than "Full Metal Jacket" or "Platoon".
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Post by Spellbound454 on Mar 11, 2012 16:48:28 GMT -5
Watched Contagion last night. Verdict...predictable... despite an all star cast. Someone (Gweneth Paltrow) picks up a virus in Hongkong, it spreads globally...they look for a vaccine.... and find one. Don't know what I was expecting really... but it was like a Swine Flu docudrama I've seen better episodes of House... tbh
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Post by Spellbound454 on Apr 2, 2012 8:02:24 GMT -5
Sleeping beauty - Its an Austalian arthouse film....cert 18
Lucy is a student and works as an office slave, waitress and hotel prostitute. She doesnt pay her rent and is forced out...why? she must be raking it in. She doesnt have many featured friends except a sucicidal drug addict who she is with when he dies.....Why is he even there? it is not explained and he is not needed in the story. After about an hour we get to the main storyline. She works in a brothel and is given a drug so that she sleeps when elderly men have control of her body, sometimes violently. She becomes curious and wants to know what is happening when she sleeps...then it ends.
We dont get to know the main character and there are so many loose ends we are left completely bewildered.
The storyline is weak and there is no narrative. The whole film feels rather like a pointless waste of time.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2012 22:40:41 GMT -5
Just finished watching the movie called London!
I saw it before when it first came out and I have not idea why but I started thinking of the movie recently and wondered why was it a good movie.
Well now once again I know why. It all talk, relationships, but I do like it.
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