Movie and TV Show...Reviews

[007]

The only show I've gotten into recently is the Shield and Heroes, and I could use one more cool show...Any recommendations? (Prison Break is good too)

I watched The Departed recently at the theater as well as Running Scared on DVD (Suprisingly good)

Any help is appreciated.

[Rupert]

Watch the new Battlestar Gallactica, it's an absolutely killer drama on SciFi. The entire 1st 2 seasons (including the mini-series) are available on DVD. With the exception of 2 episodes in the 2nd half of last season, they're all great.

The season opener last Friday was a 2-hour killer, of course it's more than a little confusing if you haven't been following the series. It's worth every hour spent.

[CrossBones]

I also saw The Departed. I liked it a lot. The violence and F bombs were non stop which is right up my alley. I shopuld have been in the Mafia. :p

Hey Jack Nicholson and DeCaprio were awesome. Good flick.

[007]

I also saw The Departed. I liked it a lot. The violence and F bombs were non stop which is right up my alley. I shopuld have been in the Mafia. :p

Hey Jack Nicholson and DeCaprio were awesome. Good flick.

Wahlberg stole every scene he was in, IMO.

And Damon was suprisingly good in his role...

A solid 8 out of 10 from this hombre.

[raiderfreak7]

Derailed was good. Running Scared was friggen sweet.

[RaiderIVlife]

The Shield is/was the only TV show I would invest time in. Excellent.

Movies:

11:14

Solid cast, better premise. It's been described as "Crash" meets "Memento", two films I happen to like quite a bit. Excellent.

[hawaiianboy]

The only show I've gotten into recently is the Shield and Heroes, and I could use one more cool show...Any recommendations?


The Wire has been par excellent per the usual this year so far... I've also enjoyed Shark, the new show with James Woods... House, IMO is still the best show on TV right now...



I watched The Departed recently at the theater as well as Running Scared on DVD (Suprisingly good)

I anxious to see how true The Departed stayed to Infernal Affairs, which it was based on... I heard Nicholson adlibbed alot... I'd like to see another Andy Lau starred film, Full Time Killer be the next Hong Kong film remade....

[CrossBones]

I was wondering whatg book The Departed was based on. Thanks man...gonna go get it and read the book.

I thoght Nicholsonand DiCarprio were terrific. The nuns would be so proud that I loved all the foul language in the movie. I should suggest it to Sister Mary Gloria. I wonder if Bene is going to see it soon or maybe he's still wringing his hands about The Da Vinci ccode.

[hawaiianboy]

Infernal Affairs was actaully a Hong Kong made movie starring Andy Lau (House of Flying Daggers)....

[CrossBones]

So there is no book?

[TommyGirl]

My God, man! Visit the library now and then!

What!?!?!?! No votes for Nip/Tuck? It's my guilty pleasure. It's so nas-tay!

I also like Shark and Studio 60 is cleverly written.

[007]

I liked Smith...Too bad it was the first freakin cancellation of the new season. :(

How can a show with:
Ray Liotta
Simon Baker
Amy Smart
Virginia Madsen
Johnny Lee Miller
Frankie G

Get cancelled? It was action packed and a cool story, dammit!


Heroes is solid as well, so I'll add that to my: Prison Break/Shield/LOST trifecta.

[RNorris]

I liked Smith (sucks that it was cancelled) and I like Shark even though it is a total rip off on House. Still good though!

[Seraph24]

I saw Miami Vice the movie and liked it quite a bit. they were some crooked ass cops but I liked it.

Ugly betty is surprising decent and the wire is my favorite show right now.

[Seraph24]

The Wire has been par excellent per the usual this year so far... I've also enjoyed Shark, the new show with James Woods... House, IMO is still the best show on TV right now...





I anxious to see how true The Departed stayed to Infernal Affairs, which it was based on... I heard Nicholson adlibbed alot... I'd like to see another Andy Lau starred film, Full Time Killer be the next Hong Kong film remade....
Andy Lau is pretty cool. He did a very good bit of acting in house of the flying daggers.

another good asian movie is Oldboy. Twisted enough for even TG to get into it.

[007]

Anyone watched the indy movie 'Brick'

With Joseph Gordon-Levitt?

Very good show. Seriously.

And Borat was fuckin hillarious, btw.

[RaiderIVlife]

Impromtu movie review:

21 Grams - As usual, I felt that Sean Penn is/was overated, but Benicio Del Toro & Naomi Watts turn in excellent performances, thus saving the movie IMO. Another film that plays with past/present tense from scene to scene, but not nearly as interestingly (IMO) as say....Memento. Worth a viewing nonethless. 2.5 stars out of 4. I may have to view once more to see if I missed some of the nuance, but I my expectations were high, so I was expecting a 3 or higher rating.

Friday Night Lights - Wow. Had never seen it until yesterday and frankly, I don't like most football films. Not so in this case, the "caste system" of small town HS football was alternately interesting, sad and triumphant. Billy Bob Thorton was more low key, and in many ways more believeable, than in any role I've seen him in. You can really feel for these kids, all of them. Excellent film that should leave you feeling some sort of "aw shucks" emotion at it's conclusion. 3.5 out of 4 stars. Best football film I've seen, bar none.

U-Turn - Another Penn film. Anyway, he's pretty good in this "bizarre" film of double-dealing amongst characters that really aren't likeable - any of them. Jennifer Lopez is smokin' hot however. Damn, funny how we forget that she was one of the hottest pieces of ass just a few years ago. Oh yeah the film........Worth a looksee though it suffers from the end being rather predictable IMO. I rate it as 2.5 out of 4 stars

I love Your Work - Giovanni Ribbisi, one of the best young actors today, is very solid in an eneven film that smacked of trying to hard to be "Indie", though many disagree with me on this. Excellent cast along with Ribisi with somewhat interesting characters. Basically a big movie star (Ribbisi) begins to feel that his life is in danger from either fans...or someone within? Or is he just paranoid? The writer and/or director were obviously fans of Mulhollund Drive. Though fans of the this film will probably be disapointed whilst detractors of "Drive" might want to run even faster. You be the judge. I'd rate it at 2 stars, primarily on the performance by Ribbisi.

[RaiderIVlife]

Anyone watched the indy movie 'Brick'

With Joseph Gordon-Levitt?

Very good show. Seriously.

And Borat was fuckin hillarious, btw.

Brick - I was very disapointed in this film. Perhaps because I expected sooo much after being amped to see it. I do admit that the not so subtle jab at "undercover cop films" and "ubber intelligent kids" was in a sense funny. In the end and much like "I love Your Work", I felt they "tried to be Indie", however you want to qualify that as an opinion. Still, they took some chances and I'd rather see people give that a chance than Mission Impossible 34 or some lame as X-mas film with tired Hollywood types.

Borat - Funny, I am/was a huge fan of the old Da Ali G Show, felt all three characters were genious, but I've been strangely turned off by the "commercial hype" of this move. Not even sure why, but I will break down and see this at some point....

[Seraph24]

Miami Vice was off the hook. Nothing like the tv show(which is a good thing). Great story, action, and does a real good job of having a Miami feel to it in a way that doesnt involve pink flamencos. :D

I give it a 4 out of 5

[RaiderIVlife]

'Stay' - If you are a big fan of 12 Monkeys, RUN, don't walk to check this one out. Bombed in the theatre but people are generally stupid so I'm not at all surprised.

'Pulse' - White Noise meets Dawn of the Dead. I personally thought it was excellent, regardless of the fact that it was another box office dud.

Starsky & Hutch - Funnier with each viewing. "Do it, Do it" Classic.

[hawaiianboy]

Thanks to bittorrents, I've been watching alot of movies latley...

Rocky Balboa

Best Rocky since the first one IMO... Stallone got back to the blood and guts storytelling of Rocky 1 instead of the glitzy productions with the cartoonish Clubber Lang's and Ivan Drago's... He should have made Rocky 1, Rocky 2 and closed with this one... I was very pleasantly surprised...


District B13
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0414852/

Heard alot about this movie so I decided to give it a look since it's from the same guy who did The Professional.... Lots of 'real' action in that the stunts were all real ala Jackie Chan and Tony Jaa... Basically a French Jackie Chan movie, complete with the same type of goofy bad guys... Alright as a time waster....


Fearless
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0446059/

I was jacked up to see this movie since it was Jet Li's last martial arts film... I came away a little disappointed... Jet Li hasn't made a film in the last 10 years that can match up to his early classics like Fist of Legend, The Defender and Twin Warriors...


Running Scared
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0404390/

Not the Gregory Hines/Billy Crystal Running Scared from the '80's... I hadn't heard much of this film as I think people didn't buy Paul Walker in this role, but damn this was one great movie... Dark, violent and intense... There's a kid in this that just nails his role... Highly recommended...


Happy Feet

My whole family enjoyed this.... Robin Willaims as the vato group of penguins really made the flick....


8 Below

Loved it... I enjoy animal themed Disney movies... Sue me... two Paul Walker movies in a month? Does that mean I'm gay?...


The Wickerman

Don't waste your time... The movie blew so bad I deleted it halfway through... Don't know why I bother with Nicholas Cage movies to begin with...


Blood In, Blood Out


Yeah an old movie but I hadn't seen it in a long time... Forgot how good it was.... Interesting to see how bit players like Billy Bob Thornton, Ving Rhames, Delroy Lindo etc went on to bigger things...


Casino Royale

Got to say I love the choice of Daniel Craig as the new Bond... He's alot more rough around the edges as opposed to the fancypants types they've had since Sean Connery... They've definitely asked him to be more physical... Typical James Bond type storyline interesting in that it's based on the very inception of 007... I enjoyed it even though it lacked the interesting villian we've seen in other Bond movies...


ATL

I was expecting a Boyz in the Hood type movie and got a roller skating flick instead... Not a bad movie but not nearly as good as the underrated Roll Bounce as far as roller skating themed movies go...

Already downloaded and waiting to view:

Tsotsi
We are Marshall
Blood Diamond
Babel
Apocolypto

[TheNextStep]

Clerks II - Sick, disturbing, and funny. I still don't get why the two main characters get a pass in this one (as they did in the first one) for their dialogue because they truly sound like they're reciting lines moreso than having conversation but, still... funny movie. I enjoyed it. The deleted scenes on the DVD are mostly forgettable, until the very last one, with Wanda Sykes and Earthquake.

X-Men III - I don't watch as many movies as some, so some flicks fall through the cracks. I finally got around to this one and I wish that I hadn't. BORING.

Pirates of the Caribbean II - I'll let my son watch the first one, but not the second one. Too dark and too graphic. Does my 6 year old really need to see a bird pluck a guy's eyeball out? "No," say the wife and I. That aside, she and I enjoyed it. Not as good as the first one, but still decent. Jack Sparrow wasn't nearly as quirky and cool in this one as he was in the first and I hated the long-ass three-way swordfight for the key... but so be it. The twist at the end was cool and I certainly didn't expect that in any way. Hopefully, the third one will be balls out.

Big Love, Season I - Just got done watching the first season on DVD. I have to admit that I like it, though it pisses me off that Bill Paxson's character married three wives who are all horny all the time.

[RaiderIVlife]

Little Miss Sunshine - Billed as a comedy and though it is funny IMO, it's really more of a "coming together" drama based on a dysfunctional family. All the characters are excellent.

Underworld - Evolution - I think this is the 4th time I've watched this movie, excellent sequel to a very enjoyeable vampire series. Kate Beckinsale, uuhmmm good.

Drakula - 1931 Bela Lugosi - I bought the 75th Anniversary edition DVD for my girlfriend and naturally I watched the movie before she did. Very interesting to watch old films because the acting style was far more akin to stage acting and the "gore" is basically non-existent. Still, Bela Legosi is a legend for a reason. Erie film sets and the actor that portrayed Renfield was perfectly creepy.

[CrossBones]

Blood Diamond ... Leonardo DiCaprio is the truth!

Great movie IMO.

[TheNextStep]

Little Miss Sunshine - Billed as a comedy and though it is funny IMO, it's really more of a "coming together" drama based on a dysfunctional family. All the characters are excellent.

I didn't care for the pageant scene at all... but it was, overall, a funny movie.

Watching tonight: "Thank You For Smoking"

Coming in the mail: "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle" (which I've seen before) and "Everything is Illuminated"

[hawaiianboy]

Invincible

Awesome movie... I really enjoyed it... Vince Papale rules!

[TheNextStep]

Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle is still a funny fucking movie.

[jake75]

Invincible; if you liked "Rudy" you'll like this one too.

Clerks 2; good one, wanted to see more Jay though.

Lock stock and two smoking barrels/ Snatch, two similar movies that I had to own, my wife hates them.

As far as t.v. just saw my first My Name is Earl, suprised at the writing, liked it.

I didn't notice anyone mention Rescue Me, I'm a big Dennis Leary fan, wife bought me the first two seasons for christmas.

I watch Dog, bounty hunter with my 6 year old daughter, good guy catches bad guy, good guy gives bad guy a tough love talk at the end, noone gets hurt. (the South park parody of this show is great).


The John Stewart show, sarcastic polital humor.

[RFID]

Invincible

Awesome movie... I really enjoyed it... Vince Papale rules!

+1

And watching it on Blu-Ray, it looked freaking awesome!!

[hawaiianboy]

I cuncur with Bones about Blood Diamond... Leo is a hell of an actor...

Apocalypto

I enjoyed it... very exciting pace and good storyline.... (subtitled)



The Good Shepherd

Interesting storyline and great cast with the exception of the annoying Angela Jolie... Should have been a great movie all things considered but it fell flat... The story was told in a monotone way that rivaled an Art Shell press conference... I was disappointed that a Coppola produced/Deniro directed project couldn't have been far better than this...

[CrossBones]

The Good Shepherd[/B]

Interesting storyline and great cast with the exception of the annoying Angela Jolie... Should have been a great movie all things considered but it fell flat... The story was told in a monotone way that rivaled an Art Shell press conference... I was disappointed that a Coppola produced/Deniro directed project couldn't have been far better than this...I was all hyped to see this one but have not heard a lot of good things about it. Slow moving and maybe a little too long. And now I'm hearing it rivals an Art Shell press conference? That's too much for me. Another $9.50 + food saved.

[TheNextStep]

So the other night, my wife was all depressed and I wanted to get a light-hearted movie to cheer her up. I picked "My Super Ex-Girlfriend." I'd never heard anything about it, but it sounded like a funny concept - dude breaks up with super hero chick and she goes psycho on him. Hey, it could be funny, right?

WRONG.

Don't ever rent this stupid ass movie.

[RaiderIVlife]

Romper Stomper - 1992 Australian film about Skinheads with Russel Crowe as the lead. Very solid film, though I agree with the criticism that a strong premise was eventually whittled down to a bizarre love triangle. 3/4 stars.

Cindarella Man - Boxing is actually secondary to the theme of the Great Depression and it's impact on American society. Funny how our "educational system" and Hollywood pays scant attention to this topic on the whole. Crowe is very believeable as a man with a tremendous amount of pride & honor. Forgotten attributes in this current era. 3.5 out of 4 stars.

LA Confindential - Just an excellent film in all phases. Writing, acting, directing, story line. Excellent. One of the best films of all time IMHO. What more is there to say? 4/4 stars. NO complaints about his movie whatsoever.

Black Dhalia - What a piece of garbage. Particularly considering that the story was largely derived from the same author that wrote LA Confidential. This movie is a joke by comparison however. The actual true to life murder of this young actress is largely secondary to the story. Very disapointing film. 1/4 stars.

[RaiderIVlife]

Oh yeah,

The Devil Wear's Prada - laugh all you want. It's a funny movie and Merryl Streep is excellent. Steals the film. 3/4 stars.

Sid & Nancy - There aren't many actors that are more talented than Gary Oldman, if any. What's great about Oldman is that he completely becomes the character that he is portraying and it's always believeable. This film, Bram Stokers Dracula, a small role in True Romance, all excellent. I felt that film ended a bit strangely. The dream sequence in the final scene didn't seem to fit IMHO, and they should have opted for a "fade out" with some dialouge about when/how Sid's life ended. Anway, for his acting alone, it's worthy of a 3 star ranking.

[CrossBones]

I saw The Devil Wears Prada and thought it was really good.

Streep was perfect in the part. I think that is how she is in real life. :)

[RaiderIVlife]

I saw The Devil Wears Prada and thought it was really good.

Streep was perfect in the part. I think that is how she is in real life. :)

Did you see her in the remake of "The Manchurian Candidate" ??? She was brilliant.

[RaiderIVlife]

Bone - Please change the title of this thread to "Movie Review" or something along those lines.

It's going to be a godsend during the dog days of the offseason.

[TheNextStep]

I expected more out of the movie "Invincible." They fucked around and Disneyed it up too much. Did I really need to see Vince go back to his neighborhood and play football in the rain... in slow motion?

While it is a great story and a decent enough movie, the director ought to be punched in the face for including so many contrived scenes.

Oh, and at the end of the movie, before my wife could speak, I told her, "Yeah, Dick Vermiel's Eagles ended up going to the Super Bowl one year." After letting that sit for a minute, I added, "Where the Oakland Raiders kicked the livin' shit out of them."

She laughed.

[TheNextStep]

The Illusionist, with Ed Norton, Paul Giamatti, and Jessica Biel was pretty good. They could have given the characters a bit more depth, but it was still pretty good.

[CrossBones]

The Illusionist, with Ed Norton, Paul Giamatti, and Jessica Biel was pretty good. They could have given the characters a bit more depth, but it was still pretty good.I thought it was outstanding.

One of the best movies I've seen in a while. I like that Norton guy.

[Turo]

The Constant Gardner

Just saw this a couple days ago and was pleasantly suprised. I thought it was very well done. Good mystery / adventure.. well written and acted.

[Seraph24]

The Illusionist, with Ed Norton, Paul Giamatti, and Jessica Biel was pretty good. They could have given the characters a bit more depth, but it was still pretty good.

I heard like 7 different people say the opposite. i guess i'll try it out, but i'm a bit skeptical biel or no biel.

[TheNextStep]

I thought it was outstanding.

One of the best movies I've seen in a while. I like that Norton guy.
Yeah, Ed Norton's a hell of an actor... but I still wouldn't go with "outstanding" in praising the movie. Like I said, I don't think they really did enough to flesh out most of the characters and there were parts of the movie that seemed to drag a bit.

Still, I thought it was pretty good and worth the rental. Oh, and even though Norton is a hell of an actor, I think I liked Paul Giamatti's performance better.

[Limee]

We have been to the cinema the last 2 Sundays. We watched Blood Diamond this weekend, which I thought was very good. It had a strong story and very impressive performances from DiCaprio and Hounsou. It was very enjoyable inspite of the annoying kids nearby (more on that later).

The previous weekend we watched Rocky Balboa. I said my wife couldn't go to see it until she had seen at least one of the previous films. She was very surprised by how good they were and how much she enjoyed them. I thought the new film was a fitting ending and certainly better than 5.

A couple of things about going to the cinema that really annoy me. The first is getting bombarded with anti-piracy adverts. It seems to be the same with new dvds these days. I paid my money and you are going to treat me like a criminal. How do they think these adverts are effective? Do they think they are going to make it onto the pirate copies, because at the moment the option to watch a copy without these things is becoming more attractive. Secondly why do kids go to see a film if all they want to do is talk? There was a group near to us who talked all through the trailers and at points during the film. Most of the time I was too engrossed in the film to notice, but I did find it amusing when one of them got a phone call 15 mins before the end and had to leave because his mummy was picking him up!

[RaiderIVlife]

Layercake - It's been compared to Snatch & Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and though it has some comedic moments, it's more a straight Brit Gangster film with an interesting plot. Just an excellent movie that get's better with each viewing IMO.

Intermission - Fans of British films will recognize many of the actors. Another multiple character/multiple story line movie where things gradually come togehter at the end. Trade mark gritty Brit humor. Fans of Snatch & Lock Stock, etc. should see this film.

Hellraiser I, II, & III - I love this story. Part II is my favorite with the movie being a giant metaphor for human depravity. The pan views of hell are very Esher (spelling?) esque.

Sideways - I didn't "get it" a few years ago and now it's one of my favorite drama-dies. More life experience & a newly acquired appreciation for wine will do that to a person.

[RaiderIVlife]

Last but not least:

Notes On A Scandel - I actually went out in public to see a movie. Haven't done that since last Spring. This is (another) British film, but it's not at all like any of the above. It stars Judi Dench & Cate Blanchett (my favorite actress) in which both are teachers in a London school and Blanchett has an affair with a 15 years student. Dench discovers the affair and because she is "drawn" to Blanchett, she agrees to keep the secret. This film is alternately brilliant and morally disburbing and I'm far from a prude. Still, it's worth seeing for those that truly appreciate great acting.

I nect want to see the Last King of Scotland, Babel & Volver.

[Seraph24]

I saw Prestige recently and its gonna be tough for the illusionist to touch that. i'll try it out this weekend though. Either way the Prestige was terrific movie and i liked the twists in it.

[TheNextStep]

Settled down on the couch with my 6 year old last night (since Fridays are "Movie Night" for us) and watched Open Season. The main voices are Martin Lawrence (as "Boog" the Grizzly Bear) and Ashton Kutcher (as "Elliot" the deer). Although there were a couple of "gross" humor moments (vomit, poop jokes, etc) and I'm not generally a fan of them, this was a pretty freakin' good kids' movie. I was pleasantly surprised and my son thought it was hysterical.

[RaiderIVlife]

Saw III - Despite some decent moments for horror/gore fans, this series continues to jump the shark by making that stupid little (bad acting) chick a focal point of the story. She sucks and involving her continues to be a sad mistake for the story line IMO. Particularly when the lead drops his chilling "rules of the game" laced with an ironic rationale on why this person is about to be f*&cked, is much preferable than hearing the actress. Bleh.

Still, the little evil laughing puppett is pretty damn creepy and the deaths are as nasty as ever.

SawIV is without doubt in the works.......

I give it 2/4 stars.

[TheNextStep]

Okay, this is a bit of a change-up and it really doesn't follow the title of the thread at all... but I trust that everyone around here is literate...

So... the other day, I start reading a David Baldacci novel... no, not a new one, but one of his older ones that I'd just missed up to this point... and I plod through hundreds of pages of disappointment. Not because Baldacci is a horrible novelist (he's pretty good sometimes) but because this particular story was probably obsolete 6 months after it was written, given the technology that he describes. Anyway, after I put it down, I pick up another "thriller" type novel, read through it, and come to the conclusion that I'm all "thrillered out." So, I goes to the bookstore and I decide on The Pirate Hunter, by Richard Zacks. It is a biography of the notorious Captain William Kidd, one of the most famous pirates in history. Now, people... let me tell you... this is an outstanding book and I so thoroughly enjoyed it that I'm in a TV & Movie review thread to recommend it to anybody who enjoys history or who likes pirate stories or who just plain old likes a good read.

Good book.

[hawaiianboy]

Been meaning to post some for awhile now...

* Smoking Aces
I was disappointed to be honest... I guess I expected more based on the previews and what not, but it was a yawner for me...

* Alpha Dog
Didn't like it at all... That the torrent I downloaded wasn't of the best quality didn't help, but still a pretty weak effort and a waste of time...

* Ant Bully
I really enjoyed it as did my daughter... Recommended even if you don't have kids...

* Children of Men
I'm not a big Sci Fi fan, but I really enjoyed this movie...

* Undisputed 2 (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0443676/)
I didn't care for the first one at all, buit after seeing some of the fight scenes on youtube, I decided to download U2... As far as B action flicks go, this is right up there with Bloodsport IMO... Some of the best movie fight scenes ever, and a nice way to spend 90 carefree minutes...

* Pan's Labyrinth
Absolutely great movie... make sure to get a good download because alot of the effects are visual in nature...

* Babel
I wasn't as impressed with this movie as the critics were... The intertwined multiple storyline thing has been done to death... For that genre, I'd highly recommend people see Amores Perros (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0245712/) instead...

* Thr3e
I didn't read the Ted Dekker book but I had heard good things about it... The movie didn't disappoint me in any way... Great for those that enjoy thrillers/horror flicks...

* The Persuit of Happyness
Will Smith has done come up... Just an awesome movie and a great performance by the Prince and his son...


Thanks for the book tip Stepper, I'll look into that book... I have a recommendation of my own: The Winter of Frankie Machine (http://www.randomhouse.com/knopf/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400044986) by Don Winslow... I enjoyed his previous book the Power of the Dog so I gave this one a go... I couldn't put it down once I started... I understand Robert DeNiro is going to adapt it into a movie so that's something to look forward to... I'm really hoping Winslow turns this into a series for this charecter...

[007]

* Undisputed 2 (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0443676/)
I didn't care for the first one at all, buit after seeing some of the fight scenes on youtube, I decided to download U2... As far as B action flicks go, this is right up there with Bloodsport IMO... Some of the best movie fight scenes ever, and a nice way to spend 90 carefree minutes...


BLASPHEMY!!

In the movie world there's BLOODSPORT and then theres everything else.



'Very good, buh brick no hit back'

Does it actually get better than that?

It should have won the Oscar...For greatest movie EVER.

[Limee]

Went to see Hot Fuzz at the weekend. It is a comedy from the same people behind Shaun of the Dead. It was a little slow in the middle, but more than made up for it in the end. An entertaining film.

[TommyGirl]

I went to see "Ghost Rider" whilst in Puh-hoe-nix last week. I hate Nicholas Cage, but was surprisingly entertained, oddly enough. Maybe I just needed a distraction. Who knows?

I rented and watched "The Departed" last night. It was well-acted, (Thank God DiCaprio is looking like his former talented self and less like the boy toy from "Titanic")though the ending was a bit of a let-down for me.

[hawaiianboy]

The Sopranos


I got to see the screener of the first episiode that premeires a week from now... Looks like it's going to be a pretty good final season... I don't want to spoil anything but it appears a drunken monopoly game of all things is going to be what ends up driving this season... and AJ somehow manages to be more annoying than Janice...


The Black Donnelly's

I don't know if anyone else is watching this show, but I've really enjoyed it... Not quite Sopranoish as it was previewed as, but an interesting view of some Irish borthers that I'm guessing ultimately run the neighborhood Irish mob... If you haven't seen it, nbc.com has all 6 episodes online to view...


Premonition

It sucked... that's all I can say about it... it sucked bad...


Shooter

Seems like this movie has been done a few times in various forms, but it was still both interesting and enjoyable... Not a bad way to spend an hour or so...


300

Not nearly as great as it was hyped to be... Great battle scenes and visually, it was superb... but it just didn't seem to have the meaty plot or characters of say, Braveheart... It definitely took CGI to another level...


Breach

I really enjoyed this movie... Chris Cooper was simply great portraying the FBI traitor... I just wish they had cast someone opposite him other than that boring, cardboard lump of an actor Ryan Phillippe... For what ever reason, the guy annoys me...


Hannibal Rising

Hannibal the vigilante righter of wrong? Who would have thought he started out that way... I loved the movie.. The actor chosen to play the young Lechler was perfect...


Bridge to Terabithia

My wife is a fan of the book, a book I didn't know existed so I had no expectations... I actually liked it... It was like the Disney movies that played on Sunday nights when I was a kid....

[TheNextStep]

You, Me, and Dupree - If anyone that you know and love recommends this movie to you, punch them in the face and choke them until they fall unconscious. If you take the recommendation and rent the movie, punch yourself in the face and choke yourself until you fall unconscious.

Flyboys - This coulda, woulda, shoulda been a great movie. Talk about great subject matter set in a great time period for storytelling. Sadly, it isn't all that interesting and it takes a long time. It wasn't horrible but (a) it doesn't really stand out in any way and (b) I just can't get over how good this movie SHOULD have been.

[TheNextStep]

* Babel
I wasn't as impressed with this movie as the critics were... The intertwined multiple storyline thing has been done to death... For that genre, I'd highly recommend people see Amores Perros (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0245712/) instead...

I'm with you in being underwhelmed by this film. Everybody says, "Oh it does a great job of showing how people are basically good across many different cultures" and blah, blah, blah. My response is that if you need Hollywood to show you that, you're a fucking idiot. This movie bored the shit out of me.

[CrossBones]

I liked Breach.

Entertaining.

My kind of movie.

[BigTron]

Babel made me want to jump off a building it was so boring and bad. garbage.

Jesus Camp is a really good rental about insane extremist christians in Kentucky brainwashing children. Seriously.

I also have to stress, anybody who hasnt watched Arrested Development needs to get on that. Its one of the best shows ive ever seen. Maybe THE best. People were too stupid to get into it, so it was canceled.

Prestige was pretty decent too. I liked the Illusionist with Norton better though. No cloning crap.

Casino Royal was kinda whack, and I thought Touristas was pretty dumb but worth watching if you liked saw and hostel and shit like that.

[RaiderIVlife]

Casino Royale - I liked the choice of Daniel Craig to play Bond (and still do), but fans of 'Layercake', one of the best films of the past 5 years will be disapointed. I don't blame Craig for the failure of this moive, I blame the writing & direction. This franchise has really become a typical "action hero" type series. Gone are the days of the "cool bond" IMO.

The Young Lions - Considered a classic WW-II film with Marlon Brando (playing a German officer), Dean Martin (as usual, pretty much playing Dean Martin) and Montgomery Clift. Try as I might, I still have a hard time swallowing the acting style of old and I didn't buy Brando's German either. Still, the story line is interesting and the women are classic beauties.

The Royal Tennenbaum's - Funny, quirky story with a lot of serious theme's. I liked this quite a bit and I will probably catch more of the nuance when I watch it a second time. Gene Hackman is great (as usual) and I found the Gwenyth Paltrow character sexy - in a very aberrant, dysfunctional way!!! Go figure, because I don't think she's hot at all in "real life".

[RaiderIVlife]

Oh yeah, I thought Babel was vastly overated.

Memento is much better (though it's really only 1 story line told in reverse), Crash was better and I even enjoyed less succesfull films such as 11:14 far more.

Has anyone seen 11:14 ??? Worth a looksee.

[massraider]

Dang, I thought the new Bond was exceptional. It wasn't the best criminal, which is what really makes a good Bond movie, but the hokey reliance on stupid gadgets and the cheesy lines were pretty much gone.

Glad everyone else disliked babel, hated that flick.

Just saw Shooter, makes me wanna go shoot someone. Fun movie. You really gotta suspend the disbelief, but Mark wahlberg is such a likable dude.

[RaiderIVlife]

Why did I think 'Shooter' had Matt Damon as the lead? Or am I just completely off base?

[hawaiianboy]

Of course right after I pimp the Black Donnelly's, in their infinite wisdom NBC pulls it in favor of yet another retarded reality show... I hope FX or HBO picks it up.. It's one of the best written and best character dialogue driven shows I've seen in awhile... The pandering to the reality show/American idol dopes would have probably led to a network shelving The Wire as well :rolleyes: ...


The Shield looks like it's going to be explosive this season... The repeat is on tonight for those who missed it... The 14 minute unaired funeral of Lem is well worth the download off piratebay or demonoid for those inclined...


The Ultimate Fighter also started last night (replays on Spike saturday)... BJ Penn is an interesting guy to say the least....

[massraider]

Grind House. Two thumbs up. But pack a lunch. 3:36!!!

[Turo]

Why did I think 'Shooter' had Matt Damon as the lead? Or am I just completely off base?

Probably because it's a shameless ripoff of the Bourne Identity.

[007]

Grindhouse rocked, for anyone interested...

Two solid flicks, with gore, zombies, more gore, scantily clad babes, and cool car chases.

Kurt Russell, Bruce Willis, and (Seriously) Nicolas Cage all have roles too...

So does Sayid from Lost.

Solid 8/10.

[massraider]

Why did I think 'Shooter' had Matt Damon as the lead? Or am I just completely off base?

Both from Boston, maybe?

[hawaiianboy]

Speaking of Damon, I can't wait for the Bourne Ultimatum to come out... I'm trying to get myself to download Grindhouse, but I really can't stand Rose McGowan, more so after hearing how Robert Rodriguez dogged his wife and five kids out for her during production...


A link for those that may not have it already: http://tv-links.co.uk/index.do/4

[Raidermania12]

ummm i never get the anger towards homewreckers. they owe nothing to someone else's commitment. thats on robert's horn dogged self. i doubt rose was the first pussy he nailed, just the one he got caught nailing. nobody "steals" anybody from anybody imho.

either way i heard death proof was good, but the other flick by tarantino was wack.

[007]

Tarantino did death proof, and I thought it had waay to much dialog and dragged on way too long.

Rodriguez did a zombie flasher flick called Planet terror which was gruesome, funny and full of action.

Overall an 8/10

With PT a 9 and DP a 6 (The fake trailers make up for it...)

[RaiderIVlife]

I know it might be sacriledge, but IMO Tarantino hasn't had a "good film" (I define good as something I'd purchase on DVD) since Jackie Brown.

I've had quite a weekend:

25th Hour- Never been much of a Spike Lee fan, but this film is really good IMHO. Certainly had a ton of sub plots in at least in a physcyological sense. I'd rate it 3/4 stars.

Orange County - Funny film. This was Jack Black, before he had to play "Jack Black" in every damn movie he makes. I've always felt JB was better as a supporting, rather than lead, in a movie. The lush, bored, divourced mother character is pretty damn funny as well. 2.5/4 stars.

Layercake - Daniel Craig pre-James Bond. Story, writing, violence, sophisticated plot, acting, savage humor, great, great film that I watch about once a month or so. 4/4 stars.

Amores Perros - Very good. Agree with all those that say this film is vastly better than Babel - it is. I thought it went on about 15 minutes long, but other than that, the stories were very interesting and the acting seemed genuine. 3/4 stars.

The Last King of Scotland - Haven't seen a new film this good in some time. Not only did Forest Whitaker deserve best actor, I felt the actor that played the young Scotsman was worthy as well. Beyond that, given the historical context alone, this film should have received more consideration for best film of 2007. Every bit as good as The Departed - though completely different. Forest Whitaker perfectly conveyed the "charisma" that so many dictators throughout history have posessed. 3.5/4 stars.

[BigTron]

I know it might be sacriledge, but IMO Tarantino hasn't had a "good film" (I define good as something I'd purchase on DVD) since Jackie Brown.

I've had quite a weekend:

25th Hour- Never been much of a Spike Lee fan, but this film is really good IMHO. Certainly had a ton of sub plots in at least in a physcyological sense. I'd rate it 3/4 stars.

Orange County - Funny film. This was Jack Black, before he had to play "Jack Black" in every damn movie he makes. I've always felt JB was better as a supporting, rather than lead, in a movie. The lush, bored, divourced mother character is pretty damn funny as well. 2.5/4 stars.

Layercake - Daniel Craig pre-James Bond. Story, writing, violence, sophisticated plot, acting, savage humor, great, great film that I watch about once a month or so. 4/4 stars.

Amores Perros - Very good. Agree with all those that say this film is vastly better than Babel - it is. I thought it went on about 15 minutes long, but other than that, the stories were very interesting and the acting seemed genuine. 3/4 stars.

The Last King of Scotland - Haven't seen a new film this good in some time. Not only did Forest Whitaker deserve best actor, I felt the actor that played the young Scotsman was worthy as well. Beyond that, given the historical context alone, this film should have received more consideration for best film of 2007. Every bit as good as The Departed - though completely different. Forest Whitaker perfectly conveyed the "charisma" that so many dictators throughout history have posessed. 3.5/4 stars.


Last King of Scottland was bad ass. Forest Whitaker was amazing.

The movie "Children of Men" was really good too. I recently saw that.

[RaiderIVlife]

After watching the Last King of Scotland on Saturday, I decided to do some quick research on this Dr. Garrigan character (the young guy from Scotland in the movie) and as I suspected, this character was not entirely accurate. It turns out that he was loosely based on the following person:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Astles

Yup, Bob Astles. A Brit that did eventually work for Amin, but was not a doctor and more of an oportunist/crook type individual if the brief search is accurate of course.

All the same, great, great, great film.

[Turo]

What did you think of '300', out of curiosity? (Or, have you seen it yet?)

[RaiderIVlife]

As I tred briskly down geekdom path, I've done a little more digging and found a 2004 interview with this Bob Astles character. Interesting stuff indeed. It seems the character in the movie was partly based on Astles and some private physician that apparently had a fling with one of Amin's wives. Morever, she was apparently dismembered (though Astles denies that Amin had anything to do with it, his story is a bit hard to believe), etc.

On a side note, I love the interviewer. Talk about hard hitting.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/3380523.stm

Turo - No I haven't. Wanted too intially, but the better it did in the box office, the less I wanted to see it. Sounded as though one of the most famous military engagements of all time was exploited and devolved to a comic-like action film. Then again, if it irritates the regieme in Iran, it must have some value.

Have you seen it, is it worth the time? The $19.99 for the DVD in about 3 months?

[Turo]

Did you like Sin City? It's basically an adaptation of the same guy's work. So, yeah.. there is a lot of that kind of highly visual / artistic aesthetic to it. But, I thought it was pretty well done, actually. I went into it thinking it was going to be pretty 'meh', but left the theater very satisfied. It has some cheesy one liners, sure. But, overall I thought it was pretty solid, even if a little bit gratuitious. Very, very visual and comic-book like in its aesthetic though. So, if that's a no-no for you, then maybe you want to wait it out. The action is very solid though.. really enjoyed the battle scenes. It's one of my favorite historical engagements, so I was glad to see it get its due on the big screen. So, admittedly, I may have liked the film a little more than others might just because of the historical significance, I dunno. But then again, I usually don't like movies that are contrived and stupid just for the sake of a gimmick.

All in all, I'd say it's worth an afternoon trip to the theater to catch it on the big screen, sure. Not going to be picture of the year (although it may be nominated for some effects/visual awards).

edit: Jesus, how many times can I say 'so' in a post?

[BigTron]

300 is great. If your a Raider fan you almost have to like it right?

[Turo]

Absolutely.. a very strong 'us' vs. 'them' theme to it. I very strongly recommend the movie. Like I said, it's a very entertaining flick, but it probably won't get nominated for picture of the year. Then again, Gladiator managed that, so who knows. I think the queen should be nominated for supporting actor, though. She was kick ass!

Edit: And you know what? I have no idea why I've been hedging. Fuckin go see this movie in the theater! You won't regret it.

Just watched the trailer again and flipped through the stills.. and got all amped up. Would love to see it again.

[Turo]

Besides, it's spawned a whole sub-culture of comedy and satire.. how bad could it be?

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i96/phelancarns/slapyodumbass.gif

[TheNextStep]

Enemy at the Gates - It was in the Queue, and it just arrived one day. Had it in as one of those "Hey, I wanted to see that, didn't I?" kind of movies. I enjoyed it. I thought that they did a pretty shitty/simplistic job of wedging the two friends apart but, hey, it was still pretty damned decent.

Elizabethtown - When I finally decide to start speaking to my wife again, I'm going to tell her that if she ever fucks with the Queue again, I'm going to force her to sit through an all day "Rocky" marathon with me. And then, just at the climax of Rocky V, I'm going to grab a blowtorch and blind her so that for the rest of her miserable life, Rocky Balboa will be the last enduring image.

Actually, Elizabethtown was so freakin' lame that when it was over, my wife said, "Okay... I'm not allowed to pick the movies anymore."

On Tap: Blood Diamond.

[BigTron]

Enemy at the Gates - It was in the Queue, and it just arrived one day. Had it in as one of those "Hey, I wanted to see that, didn't I?" kind of movies. I enjoyed it. I thought that they did a pretty shitty/simplistic job of wedging the two friends apart but, hey, it was still pretty damned decent.

Elizabethtown - When I finally decide to start speaking to my wife again, I'm going to tell her that if she ever fucks with the Queue again, I'm going to force her to sit through an all day "Rocky" marathon with me. And then, just at the climax of Rocky V, I'm going to grab a blowtorch and blind her so that for the rest of her miserable life, Rocky Balboa will be the last enduring image.

Actually, Elizabethtown was so freakin' lame that when it was over, my wife said, "Okay... I'm not allowed to pick the movies anymore."

On Tap: Blood Diamond.

Blood Diamond was good. Al i can think about when i see Dicaprio is Dr.Evil whispering "Leo"

[CrossBones]

"Fractured" --- fantastic.

Anthony Hopkins for President. Great movie IMO.

[007]

Fracture was awesome.

Deja Vu was confusing, but fun. Jim Caviezel is great actor, as is Denzel obviously...

[RaiderIVlife]

Blood Diamond - Another great performance by Dicaprio is largely underapreciated by the Hollywood power base. Solid movie to boot. I won't pretend to know much about the diamond trade, but damn, the world is largely a nasty & violent place. The brutality that humans routinely inflict on their fellow man is simply astounding.

BTW, I always love it when the lead actor dies on film. Great stuff, sort of page from old Charelton Heston.

[Turo]

Hmm, interesting. I had Blood Diamond on my 'too hollywood-panderish' list of movies I had no interest in seeing. But, now that it has the RIVL stamp of approval, I may just have to give it a rent. Color me suprised!

BTW.. you get out to see 300 yet?

[RaiderIVlife]

Hmm, interesting. I had Blood Diamond on my 'too hollywood-panderish' list of movies I had no interest in seeing. But, now that it has the RIVL stamp of approval, I may just have to give it a rent. Color me suprised!

BTW.. you get out to see 300 yet?

No, haven't seen '300' as yet. I rarely actually go to the movies since it's much more convenient to watch them at home, but I intend to get out this weekend to watch '28 Weeks Later' and I might as well mix in '300' while I'm at it.

As for Blood Diamond, sure, there IS some "pandering", but I've seen far worse from Hollywood. Far worse. The director is the same person that did 'Glory' (Civil War film from some years ago) and another well known movie that escapes my memory. Worth a looksee and like I said, Dicaprio (and the supporting actor) are both really good in it.

[BigTron]

Yeah 300 is a a " see it in the theatre" movie. I also am going to see 28 weeks later. Those faster more violent zombies are worth the price of admission.

Since you gus were talking about Leonardi Decaprio, has anyone seen the Aviator. I watched it last night and it was pretty good. ITs about Howard Hughes.

I have to suggest a really nutty documentary its called "Keep the river on your right" its about an artist who stays with tribe's in peru in the 60's and particpates in cannabalism. Its juts a very ijnteresting and strange movie. ALl true.

The other movie i would suggest checking out is "The U.S vs John Lennon" some very intersting stuff if you are a fan of Lennon or history.

[RaiderIVlife]

Yeah 300 is a a " see it in the theatre" movie. I also am going to see 28 weeks later. Those faster more violent zombies are worth the price of admission.

Since you gus were talking about Leonardi Decaprio, has anyone seen the Aviator. I watched it last night and it was pretty good. ITs about Howard Hughes.

I have to suggest a really nutty documentary its called "Keep the river on your right" its about an artist who stays with tribe's in peru in the 60's and particpates in cannabalism. Its juts a very ijnteresting and strange movie. ALl true.

The other movie i would suggest checking out is "The U.S vs John Lennon" some very intersting stuff if you are a fan of Lennon or history.

BT - I thought the Aviator was excellent. Excellent. Dicaprio lost the Best Actor award to Jamie Fox 'Ray'. I'd actually rate the Fox / Dicaprio performance as a toss-up, but the movie Aviator was much better IMO. Dicaprio doesn't fit the obvious 'quota' mandate in Hollywood. He will have to wait for true recoginition when he's old and (likely) past his prime.

Alan Arkin for best supporting actor? For fuck's sake. There were plenty of other performances that were better (starting with the dude in Blood Diamond or the supporting actor in Last King of Scotland). Arkin was good, but not great. Sheesh.

I have a great Love/Hate with the film industry.

[BigTron]

Haha I am a giant movie fan, I rarely go to the the Movies though, too expensive. I only go when its a movie that needs to be seen in the theatre like Star Wars 3 or sumthin. I watched that at boonaroo on a huge movie screen with like 700 hippies smoking bongs, it was the shit smoking in a theater. I dont pay much attention to awards either. As a musician watching 3-6 mafia and Justin Timberlake win Grammy's and Oscar's and shit has ruined the idea of awards for me alltogehter. I just rent like a shitload of older movies and maybe one new release. I will go see 28 weeks later though. Just to watch people in the theater scream.

[RaiderIVlife]

Haha I am a giant movie fan, I rarely go to the the Movies though, too expensive. I only go when its a movie that needs to be seen in the theatre like Star Wars 3 or sumthin. I watched that at boonaroo on a huge movie screen with like 700 hippies smoking bongs, it was the shit smoking in a theater. I dont pay much attention to awards either. As a musician watching 3-6 mafia and Justin Timberlake win Grammy's and Oscar's and shit has ruined the idea of awards for me alltogehter. I just rent like a shitload of older movies and maybe one new release. I will go see 28 weeks later though. Just to watch people in the theater scream.

Yup, award show's an absolute joke.

BTW, anyone else turned off by these self-congratulatory award shows?

3-6 Mafia. Bwahahahahahahahhaha

They clowns are practially central casting for "hip hop rap character". Does no one else see through this shit?

Then they completely ignore entire genre's of music. Completely.

[BigTron]

Yup, award show's an absolute joke.

BTW, anyone else turned off by these self-congratulatory award shows?

3-6 Mafia. Bwahahahahahahahhaha

They clowns are practially central casting for "hip hop rap character". Does no one else see through this shit?

Then they completely ignore entire genre's of music. Completely.

I was talking with my roomate's last night about how we all wished we grew up during a different era. With bands like Beatles, Led Zepplin, Jimi, The Dead etc.. the 90's had some awesome shit but since then its gone steadily downhill. I feel like celebrities are like 17 these days! WTF when did everyone start worshipping little kids? Im 26 and i feel 40 looking at today's culture, its embarassing to be young and get represented by this shit. I hope when people look back they dont think we all listened to shitty down south rap, whiny emo nerds, pop princess's and all this other shit. I dont give a shit if some 18 year old has an eating disorder or has to go to rehab. Broadcasting this junk makes our country look like crap. The sad thing is there is good art out there, and its very popular. Just not marketable enough.

[Turo]

There are definately some really great artists out there.. but they're not the ones getting the marketing push. As for the awards shows, yeah.. they've been pretty bad for a long time now, most notably the Oscars. The Golden Globes are a little better, but mind-numbingly boring to watch. I usually skip all of them and scan through some summary articles after the fact.

BTW, can anyone explain to me why Val Kilmer wasn't nominated for his performance in Tombstone? That is absolutely mind boggling to me.

[Turo]

Also, I had no intention of seeing "Hot Fuzz" until I heard it was the same peeps that put together Shawn of the Dead. I had no idea! Might try to catch that this weekend. There's not much in the way of movies out right now, that's for sure.

[RaiderIVlife]

There are definately some really great artists out there.. but they're not the ones getting the marketing push. As for the awards shows, yeah.. they've been pretty bad for a long time now, most notably the Oscars. The Golden Globes are a little better, but mind-numbingly boring to watch. I usually skip all of them and scan through some summary articles after the fact.

BTW, can anyone explain to me why Val Kilmer wasn't nominated for his performance in Tombstone? That is absolutely mind boggling to me.

Val Kilmer is continuously snubbed by the Elites. He should have won the Academy Award for his portrayal of Jim Morrison (The Doors). He was absolutely stunning in that role.

I was just talking about his role in Tombstone the other day with a co-worker. Amazing. Completely outshined Russell as Wyatt Earp.

Jonnie Ringo - "what about you, are you retired?"

Doc Holiday - "Not me. I'm in my prime" (staggering drunk)

Jonnie Ringo - "you look it"

Bwahahahahahaha

[Turo]

Heh... that movie, and especially his role in it, is one of my all time favorites.

[TheNextStep]

Yeah, Tombstone has to rank up there pretty high. Personally, my favorite line (for some reason) is the cheeky and horribly slurred "Why Ike! Whatever do you mean?"

Blood Diamond was a pretty freakin' intense movie. Good movie, though my wife didn't appreciate that she was trying to sleep to the sound of automatic gunfire. Screw it... that's what she gets for making me watch Elizabethtown, you know?

On tap: The wife's last addition to the queue... "The Break Up." I don't know... but chick flicks often lead to sex, so you know I'm going to watch it. I did, however, delete "The Weatherman" from the queue altogether. She'll just have to get over that one.

[BigTron]

Vince Vaughn is funny as hell in the break up. My girl made me watch it too.

My favorite Tombstone line " Im here huckleberry"

[Turo]

Isn't it "I'm your huckleberry.." ?

/quibble


And, I went and saw 300 for the second time this past weekend with the wife. She wanted to see it for mother's day. (That's a good wifey!) Plus, she thought it was kick ass, too. I will gladly say that I enjoyed it just as much the second time through as I did the first.. I think it's a movie that can be watched and rewatched due to the quotable one-liners and action scenes. Great flick. Even if you can get past some of the historical omissions (if you're a history freak), it's great.

[BigTron]

Isn't it "I'm your huckleberry.." ?

/quibble


And, I went and saw 300 for the second time this past weekend with the wife. She wanted to see it for mother's day. (That's a good wifey!) Plus, she thought it was kick ass, too. I will gladly say that I enjoyed it just as much the second time through as I did the first.. I think it's a movie that can be watched and rewatched due to the quotable one-liners and action scenes. Great flick. Even if you can get past some of the historical omissions (if you're a history freak), it's great.


haha thats the one, sorry its been awhile.

If you get a chance download the Anchor man trailor with the 300 audio over it. Its funny as hell. You can find it one youtube.

[Turo]

That's pretty quality. Love those recut trailers.

[massraider]

Also, I had no intention of seeing "Hot Fuzz" until I heard it was the same peeps that put together Shawn of the Dead. I had no idea! Might try to catch that this weekend. There's not much in the way of movies out right now, that's for sure.

Tell me you saw this flick. And tell me you were stoned.

Sucha great movie. Little slow in the beginning, but finishes very strong.

3 and 1/2 eye patches.. :cool:

[RaiderIVlife]

Saw '28 Weeks Later' last Sunday. I'm trying to withold comment until others have seen it. Mixed review for me, though overall, still watchable, It's a Zombie Film afterall.

Had one major flaw that bothered me, and the criticism about excessive use of the "shaky camera" technique is valid, but the opening scene is crazy as F*&K and the final shot is absolutely classic IMO.

[Turo]

Tell me you saw this flick. And tell me you were stoned.

Sucha great movie. Little slow in the beginning, but finishes very strong.

3 and 1/2 eye patches.. :cool:

No! Didn't get to see it yet. Still working on it.. probably will try to get out this weekend. Maybe not stoned, but there's a kick ass Japanese restaurant right next door that I like to do 'pregame' at.. probably knock back a tall bottle of Saki.

[TheNextStep]

BT - I thought the Aviator was excellent. Excellent. Dicaprio lost the Best Actor award to Jamie Fox 'Ray'. I'd actually rate the Fox / Dicaprio performance as a toss-up, but the movie Aviator was much better IMO. Dicaprio doesn't fit the obvious 'quota' mandate in Hollywood. He will have to wait for true recoginition when he's old and (likely) past his prime.

Just to come back to this, I just have to say that I completely disagree with you. Ray was the better movie by far, IMO, and Fox deserved any awards he may have won. I personally thought that Aviator was pretty good - better than most - but nothing particularly spectacular.

[BigTron]

Im sorry if anyone likes this movie but The Fountain was absolute garbage. I wanted to throw a beer bottle at my own TV. CreepShow 3 was also terrible. Dont waste your time with these. I watched Pulp Fiction again for the first time in a long time and that movie is still one of the best ever. I also recently saw Office Space again too, another classic in my book.

[Turo]

Just to come back to this, I just have to say that I completely disagree with you. Ray was the better movie by far, IMO, and Fox deserved any awards he may have won. I personally thought that Aviator was pretty good - better than most - but nothing particularly spectacular.

Have to agree. Aviator was pretty good, but lacked a certain 'something' that I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe I was a little disappointed that they cut off the film right when he really started going crazy. LOL.

...


Pulp Fiction is ALWAYS good for rewatching. Doesn't get much better than that.

[RaiderIVlife]

I'm not taking anything away from Jamie Fox in 'Ray', but I felt as a story, as a film, The Aviator had much more to offer (old Hollywood, the number of different projects that Howard Hughes was involved with, corruption, the numerous famous women that he dated and oh yes, his extreme OCD, etc). I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

[BigTron]

Pans Labrynth was awesome too. I had no idea it was going to be so violent. Pleasent suprise. Great all around movie, I highly suggest renting that one.

[RaiderIVlife]

Pans Labrynth was awesome too. I had no idea it was going to be so violent. Pleasent suprise. Great all around movie, I highly suggest renting that one.

Very good movie, though I would've preferred more of the "fantasy" sequences.

[BigTron]

Yeah those fantasy scene's were very cool. Especially the dinner table one. Im not sure if i was expecting a Harry Potter type kids movie, but i definetly wasnt expecting the scene with the guy getting his face crushed in with a bottle. Haha, that shit was shocking! Always enjoy a movie when that happens.

[RaiderIVlife]

Citizen Kane - I'm slowly getting around to watching (and appreciating) the "classic" films. I must say, the acting style and general affect of the time takes some getting used to, but this is truly an interesting story. Classic "Rise & Fall" tale of a powerful newspaper mogul with an even larger ego, almost dicatorial in a sense. This may or may not have been loosely based on William Randolf Hearst.

For those that might be fans of this film, what do you regard to be the metaphorical meaning of "rosebud"??? My guess is that it's a symbol of bygone innocence?

300 - Excellent, excellent film. Setting aside some of the similarities to contemporary politics, this at it's core is mostly about 'honor' and 'pride' in the purest sense of the word(s). Thanks to those that pushed me to watch it.

Idiocracy - From the creator of Office Space, Beavis & Butthead, etc. Basically Mr. Average (Luke Wilson) wakes up 500 years from now and finds that the increasingly moronic & violent civilization has devolved to the point of near extinction. The film is certainly a comedy (and funny IMO), but the underlying message is hard to ignore. Worth a looksee and I don't care what happened in the box office.

Stir of Echos - Thriller/Horror film often compared to the "Six Sense". Frankly, I enjoy Echos more. (shrug)

Fight Club - Again !!!! Top 5 film of all time for me. For anyone that is into this movie, watch the commentary. NOT the commentary with the actors & David Fincher, but the commentary featuring the author of the novel that this moive is based on and the screenwriter. EXCELLENT. This is the best DVD commentary bar none that I've seen.

[Limee]

Stir of Echos - Thriller/Horror film often compared to the "Six Sense". Frankly, I enjoy Echos more. (shrug)
I would say that you are spot on with that one.

[RaiderIVlife]

28 Days Later - Best "zombie" film of all time. Yeah, I know, they are technically infected. For anyone that has the DVD, I would've preferred the ending in which the lead actor dies and the 2 females walk off with guns in hand. The director & writer also preferred that ending, but test audiences found it too depressing. Nonetheless, great film.

[RaiderIVlife]

The Third Man - 1949 British film about a corrupt black market penicillin dealer (played powerfully by Orson Welles in a supporting role) in post WW-2 Vienna. Great camera work, wonderful sets and an excellent story with many twists. Welles steals every scene that he is cast in.

For all the fame of Citizen Kane, I prefer this movie and I believe it's often rated the best film in the history of British cinema (?). Check this one out.

[TheNextStep]

The Pursuit of Happyness - Just watched this one the other night and while it was a good movie, Goddamn was it depressing! The movie did a great, great job of showing the struggles that this man had to get through in order to ultimately succeed... such a great job that (even though I'm not a guy who always needs the "Disney" ending), I sure would have been nice to see the kid shooting baskets in his own driveway at the end of the show. Good movie... but the ending (and therefore the film) was largely a letdown.

[Raidermania12]

http://img61.exs.cx/img61/4406/Superman2.gif

classic movie moment for jack

[TheNextStep]

Big Fish came up in the Queue. It's one of those movies that I kinda-sorta wanted to see but kept on kicking down the list as other movies would come out. It snuck up the list and Blockbuster sent it out... and I am very glad that they did. What a great, imaginative movie. I highly recommend it, particularly to anyone who appreciates a good tall tale.

Idiocracy is one that I went and rented because I'd heard a couple of people say that it was hilarious. I came away from it thinking that if this movie qualifies as hilarious, we're not going to need to wait 500 years before we're all that stupid. The premise - average guy goes to sleep for 500 years and wakes up the smartest man on the planet - is conceptually funny... but either the director had a shitty vision of that concept or else he's woefully incompetent in directing others towards that vision. Hell, maybe both. "Dumb comedy" is one thing... "dumb movie" is another. Don't waste your time with this one.

[TheNextStep]

Watched The Departed last night. Man, what a great movie... but another one with a disappointing ending. Still, DiCaprio and Nicholson were great in this movie, and Damon did a good job as well. Hell, even the thoughtless little piggy did a good job. As a character, Wahlberg's was easily my favorite. It could have ended better, but it was still well worth watching.

[CrossBones]

I loved that movie too Stepper.

DiCaprio is fast becoming my favorite actor. Guy is just awesome and very versatile.

[Raidermania12]

Watched The Departed last night. Man, what a great movie... but another one with a disappointing ending. Still, DiCaprio and Nicholson were great in this movie, and Damon did a good job as well. Hell, even the thoughtless little piggy did a good job. As a character, Wahlberg's was easily my favorite. It could have ended better, but it was still well worth watching.

You ever see the original Asian crime drama it ripped off of? Internal Affairs I think it was called.

[Raider Nation]

Watched The Departed myself yesterday and I concur... great film. DiCaprio's perfomance was good, but he's still a long ways from becoming my favorite actor. I still have him below Bruno Kirby on my list.

[RaiderIVlife]

I thought Mark Wahlberg was excellent in The Departed.

[hawaiianboy]

Watched The Departed last night. Man, what a great movie... but another one with a disappointing ending.

Yeah I don't know why they messed with the ending as done by Infernal Affairs... I guess they wanted to put their own stamp on it... I liked Infernal Affairs version of teh movie a little better than The Departed myself... Both were good movies though...


* Tsotsi

LINK (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468565/)

I finally got around to watching this after downloading it awhile back... Pretty good movie though a little disturbing... I can see why it won awards...


* Live Free or Diehard 4

LINK (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337978/)

This was a lot of fun... Best one since the original IMO... I thought they could have cut out a fighter jet scene at the end that was really silly, but outside of that it was very entertaining...


* Once Were Warriors

LINK (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110729/)

I've seen it a number of times as it is one of my favorite movies, but my wife hadn't so we popped it in... One of the most powerful, emotionally charged and emotionally touching movies I have seen... Highly recommended... Jake the Mus!...


* 25th Hour

LINK (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0307901/)

Another good one that I had only seen bits of before... Ed Norton is the elite young actor of this time IMO... Pretty good showing by Tony Siragusa as well... "Is that a Bull Pit?"... Featured the BEST MOVIE RANT EVER (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyhw8Z1cZ-c)... Not safe for work BTW....

[Raider Nation]

The wife and I watched "The Last King of Scotland" last night. While I normally steer clear of fictional portrayals of historical figures, I thought this one was very well done. Forest Whitaker is the friggin' man.

Oh, and for the record, if anyone truly wants to know the difference between hawiianboy and I... when I see a guy get hung by hooks through his nipples I recoil in horror and hope that never happens to me. HB takes notes, shoves a 18" dildo up a gimps ass, and then does a live demonstration at his weekly Sadomasichist's Anonymous meeting.

[TheNextStep]

Every time I go to Blockbuster, I stop and think about renting Last King of Scotland. Haven't yet, but I'm going to have to eventually check it out.

Watched Reno 911: Miami last night. Not something I would normally pick up, but the wife was in a bad mood, so I figured stupid physical humor might be the order of the day. While it wasn't the greatest movie I've ever seen (even if confining it to only the "stupid humor" category), it did have some funny moments and I don't regret renting it. It was alright.

[RaiderIVlife]

After watching the Last King of Scotland on Saturday, I decided to do some quick research on this Dr. Garrigan character (the young guy from Scotland in the movie) and as I suspected, this character was not entirely accurate. It turns out that he was loosely based on the following person:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Astles

Yup, Bob Astles. A Brit that did eventually work for Amin, but was not a doctor and more of an oportunist/crook type individual if the brief search is accurate of course.

All the same, great, great, great film.

Raider Nation. It was only fictional in part. Much of it is based on reality. However, I did some brief digging on the Scottish character and though he's "fictional", it does appear that he's based in part on an actual person.

Obviously that final sequence is pure fiction, but much of the film is fairly accurate (near as I can tell that is)

[RaiderIVlife]

As I tred briskly down geekdom path, I've done a little more digging and found a 2004 interview with this Bob Astles character. Interesting stuff indeed. It seems the character in the movie was partly based on Astles and some private physician that apparently had a fling with one of Amin's wives. Morever, she was apparently dismembered (though Astles denies that Amin had anything to do with it, his story is a bit hard to believe), etc.

On a side note, I love the interviewer. Talk about hard hitting.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/3380523.stm

Turo - No I haven't. Wanted too intially, but the better it did in the box office, the less I wanted to see it. Sounded as though one of the most famous military engagements of all time was exploited and devolved to a comic-like action film. Then again, if it irritates the regieme in Iran, it must have some value.

Have you seen it, is it worth the time? The $19.99 for the DVD in about 3 months?

Another link for Raider Nation (if you're so inclined)

[hawaiianboy]

Oh, and for the record, if anyone truly wants to know the difference between hawiianboy and I... when I see a guy get hung by hooks through his nipples I recoil in horror and hope that never happens to me. HB takes notes, shoves a 18" dildo up a gimps ass, and then does a live demonstration at his weekly Sadomasichist's Anonymous meeting.


Man, how many times do I have to apologize to you for that? I got caught up in the moment and I swear I didn't hear you screaming out the 'safe' word...


Just caught a film last night called The Assassination of Richard Nixon (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364961/).... I'm almost embarassed to say that I had never heard of Samuel Bicke or even of this film prior... I'm not a real big history or political buff, but I was fascinated by the story and in watching this guys reality spiral completely out of control... Sean Penn was absolutely great, as good as I've ever seen him in fact...

It's ironic that the whole tactical concept of 9/11 may have in fact been born with America's own Samuel Bicke...

[jatfly]

A friend of mine got a hold of a movie that came out in March, not that I ever heard of it.

NEXT Starring Jessica Biel and Nicholas Cage.
I really enjoyed it & had a good time watching her at least, I am not a huge fan of Nick Cage but he worked in this movie like her worked for National Treasure.

Synopsys

Nick is a guy that can see about 2 minutes into his own future, and the
government is chasing a Dirty Nuke and they need his help.

[CrossBones]

What, no reviews of " Ratatouille "? :p

[jatfly]

What, no reviews of " Ratatouille "? :p

GIVE ME another week, my son wants to see that.....So if you really want the review I can give it to you....

[Raider Nation]

What, no reviews of " Ratatouille "? :p

Sorry, I stay away from French movies with subtitles.

[TheNextStep]

Checked out the new Harry Potter with the baby boy child this weekend. Don't worry - NO SPOILERS HERE. I will say this: I liked the movie okay but I think that this movie and the ones that follow will suffer from the fact that while the books have gotten longer and longer, the movies can't. As such, there's going to be a bunch of stuff that's either only touched on superficially or not included at all.

Also: Man, I miss the original Dumbledore. The new one is too intense, which is nothing like how the character is portrayed in the books.


I also got Breach... or rather, my wife was at Blockbuster and thought "Stepper might like that." Surprisingly, considering that my wife sucks at picking movies, it was pretty good.

[Raidermania12]

Also: Man, I miss the original Dumbledore. The new one is too intense, which is nothing like how the character is portrayed in the books..

I agree, but its not as bad during the fight scenes. :boxing: :beerbang:

[TheNextStep]

True, true... but there are so few fight scenes that actually involve Dumbledore that that doesn't save it. Hey, I'm not cracking on the guy too badly because, the original Dumbledore died. What the hell are you supposed to do?

Anyway, I watched Smokin' Aces a couple of nights ago. Decent shoot 'em up, although (like any shoot 'em up) there are plenty of things to criticize about it. The Tremor Brothers were waaaay too far over the top to be believable, IMO, and do you mean to tell me that it takes 15 agents to cover a chick with a nine mill in an elevator, yet they wouldn't call somebody if they were taking fire from a .50 cal? And do you mean to tell me that a casino doesn't have the ability to turn on one - JUST ONE AND ONLY ONE - elevator? There's more but, fuck it... the whole "suspend your disbelief" rule applies and, at the end of the day, it was entertaining and had some pretty good parts.

[jatfly]

Checked out the new Harry Potter with the baby boy child this weekend. Don't worry - NO SPOILERS HERE. I will say this: I liked the movie okay but I think that this movie and the ones that follow will suffer from the fact that while the books have gotten longer and longer, the movies can't. As such, there's going to be a bunch of stuff that's either only touched on superficially or not included at all.

Also: Man, I miss the original Dumbledore. The new one is too intense, which is nothing like how the character is portrayed in the books.


I also got Breach... or rather, my wife was at Blockbuster and thought "Stepper might like that." Surprisingly, considering that my wife sucks at picking movies, it was pretty good.

Well it seems like a few of our wives liked that movie,,,,,,wonder why,,,,,maybe that is because that effin Ryan Phillippe is in it and for some reason the ladies adore him....:nono:
I know my wife does!!!

[Raider Nation]

I watched the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1973) last night and I forgot just how completely awesome that movie is. It's been 15 years since I saw it last and it's every bit as bizarre and disturbing as I remember. What's great about that film is there really isn't a lot of blood. It implies blood and gore, but rarely shows it visually. And the last 15 minutes of the movie at the dinner table is classic.

[RaiderIVlife]

Factory Girl - with Guy Pierce (as Andy Warhol) and Sienna Miller (as some socialize names Edie..something or other). Excellent film. Run, don't walk to rent this one.

Pierce & Miller will both get ignored by Mainsream Hollywood come Academy time, but whatever.

[hawaiianboy]

The Bourne Ultimatum = Awesome


hawaiianboy gives it Two Snaps, a Kiss and a Twist...

[RaiderIVlife]

Gridiron Gang - Football movie with "The Rock" portraying a real life youth counselor/football coach for high school age kids in juevenile detention. Excellent. If you don't feel something after watching this movie, you're stone dead. 3.5 out of 4 stars.

Hot Fuzz - Typcial Brit sarcasm. Loved it. 3.5 out of 4 stars.

Disturbia - Heard a lot of good things about this movie. I walked away (or rather ejected the DVD) unimpressed. The opening sequence was the best part of the film and it spent waaaay too much time developing the (obvious) romance between the lead charaters. Acting was solid, story was....meh. 1.5 out of 4 stars.

Clerks 2 - Wrong, just wrong. Bestiality, ass-to-mouth, etc. etc. etc. Pretty damn funny though. 3 out of 4 stars.

[TheNextStep]

Factory Girl - with Guy Pierce (as Andy Warhol) and Sienna Miller (as some socialize names Edie..something or other). Excellent film. Run, don't walk to rent this one.

Pierce & Miller will both get ignored by Mainsream Hollywood come Academy time, but whatever.

Eh, it was alright. You don't owe me $4.50, but I'm taking your recommendations with a grain of salt now, fucker!

Hot Fuzz was freakin' hysterical. I didn't really know anything about it, except that I'd heard it was good (probably somewhere earlier in this very thread). The movie absolutely floored me. Loved it.

[RaiderIVlife]

Eh, it was alright. You don't owe me $4.50, but I'm taking your recommendations with a grain of salt now, fucker!

Hot Fuzz was freakin' hysterical. I didn't really know anything about it, except that I'd heard it was good (probably somewhere earlier in this very thread). The movie absolutely floored me. Loved it.

LOL

If you like Hot Fuzz, I'm sure you've probably seen Shawn of the Dead. That is gold right there.

[CrossBones]

Buncha movie geeks in here. http://www.wildpitchforums.com/images/smilies/yikes.gif

[TheNextStep]

Actually, I haven't seen SHawn of the dead. I figured it would be some zombie movie and I'm not really into those...

[RaiderIVlife]

Actually, I haven't seen SHawn of the dead. I figured it would be some zombie movie and I'm not really into those...

Well it is. And it isn't. If you liked the humor in Hot Fuzz, you'll like SOD.

[hawaiianboy]

Mr. Brooks
I didn't give this much of a shot going in because Kevin Costner is about as milquetoast as it comes and I didn't think he could pull off the scary, genius killer role, but damn if he didn't do it... If you can get past Demi Moore's transvestite voice and cardboard acting, Mr. Brooks is definitely worth a look...

The Matador
Maybe it's just me, but I think Pierce Brosnan is cool as hell... I really enjoyed this... Very funny and great acting...

3:10 to Yuma
I am sooo glad Tom Cruise pulled his little ass out of this movie...

As a huge fan of the Western genre, I was really looking forward to this film... While it doesn't quite rank with an Unforgiven or Outlaw Josey Wales, it was pretty damn good... Ben Foster was freakin awesome as the movie's black hat... I've been a big fan of Christian Bale since his incredible lead in American Psycho and he didn't disappoint, neither did Russell Crowe for that matter... :bow:

[RaiderIVlife]

Mr. Brooks
I didn't give this much of a shot going in because Kevin Costner is about as milquetoast as it comes and I didn't think he could pull off the scary, genius killer role, but damn if he didn't do it... If you can get past Demi Moore's transvestite voice and cardboard acting, Mr. Brooks is definitely worth a look...

The Matador
Maybe it's just me, but I think Pierce Brosnan is cool as hell... I really enjoyed this... Very funny and great acting...

3:10 to Yuma
I am sooo glad Tom Cruise pulled his little ass out of this movie...

As a huge fan of the Western genre, I was really looking forward to this film... While it doesn't quite rank with an Unforgiven or Outlaw Josey Wales, it was pretty damn good... Ben Foster was freakin awesome as the movie's black hat... I've been a big fan of Christian Bale since his incredible lead in American Psycho and he didn't disappoint, neither did Russell Crowe for that matter... :bow:

1.) Costner is a bit of a savant. For every 5 pieces of garbage, he will give you something really good. Have you ever seen "A Perfect World"? Costner excellently plays an escaped convict with ambiguous morals.

2.) Brosnan? Uhhmm no, I'm not down with this dude. I guess if we're talking "pretty boy English actors", I'll go with Hugh Grant. :pound: Very glad that Daniel Craig is the new James Bond, unfortunately 'Layer Cake' fans will still view it as a secondary performance for Craig.

3.) 3:10 to Yuma - Russell Crowe is a top-5 actor in my estimation and he's also a bit of a Hollywood throwback. Sort of reminds me of Robert Mitchum. Sort of refreshing in a world of Sean Penn & Leonardo DiCaprio (though they are talented.

If you like Western's, you should check out 'Proposition' with Guy Pierce.

[RaiderIVlife]

Children of Men - Science Fiction/Political starring Clive Owen. EXCELLENT movie. Funny because my core opinion's differ from the political sub-text in the film, but no matter, extremely well done. In the end, it's simply a unique thriller. If you like movies ranging from Blade Runner to Manchurian Candidate, you should watch this one.

Cocaine Cowboys - Documentary on the Columbian cocaine drug smuggling to Florida in the 1970's and early 80's. If you're a fan of movies like Blow or Scarface, you should watch the real inspiration behind those movies.

[TheNextStep]

True, Kevin Costner was abso-fucking-lutely brilliant in A Perfect World.

In other news... not that this will surprise anyone... Lords of Dogtown sucked. Actually, I can't say that it sucked. I can say that I fell asleep a third of the way through it... and that the first third doesn't compel me to want to watch what I missed.

[RaiderIVlife]

True, Kevin Costner was abso-fucking-lutely brilliant in A Perfect World.

In other news... not that this will surprise anyone... Lords of Dogtown sucked. Actually, I can't say that it sucked. I can say that I fell asleep a third of the way through it... and that the first third doesn't compel me to want to watch what I missed.

I have no doubt that LODT (the movie) sucked. Go check out the documentary however. I'm not even a "skater dude", but that is one interesting piece.

[Raidermania12]

3:10 to Yuma
I am sooo glad Tom Cruise pulled his little ass out of this movie...

As a huge fan of the Western genre, I was really looking forward to this film... While it doesn't quite rank with an Unforgiven or Outlaw Josey Wales, it was pretty damn good... Ben Foster was freakin awesome as the movie's black hat... I've been a big fan of Christian Bale since his incredible lead in American Psycho and he didn't disappoint, neither did Russell Crowe for that matter... :bow:

Unforgiven was a slightly overrated western ever to me personally. I liked it alot, but not an all time great. Not even close. I'd take The Sergio leone "man with no name trilogy" Trilogy, Tombstone, Hang em High, and countless others over it. I'll check out 3:10 to Yuma, but I hope its better with more depth than Unforgiven.


damn I got nothing recent for reviews. will check out Eatern Promises and Shoot Em Up this week Though.

[RaiderIVlife]

Recently seen on DVD:

"H" - Korean thriller film (English sub-titles). I've heard about this movie before and it's been compared to Seven & Silence of the Lambs. The comparisons are valid, but this film stands on it's own. Very good film in which I didn't guess "the punch line" so to speak. That murder scene in the nightclub is just....wow..(3.5 out of 4 stars)

Girl Fight - One's of Michelle Rodriguez' first and best performances. Also one of the better boxing films of all time. I'm serious. This film probably does the best of job of capturing the 'gym feel' during the day-to-day training. The actor portaying her trainer is extremely believable. (3.0 out of 4 stars)

Zodiac - In the interest of full disclosure, I'm a big David Fincher fan, so I'm inherently biased in judging his films. This film is long (which many have complained about) and frustrating to watch - which is quite appropriate since the actual case was long and extremely frustrating for those involved in the investigation. I liked it, though most people don't. (2.5 out of 4 stars)

Vacancy - Staring Luke Wilson (meh) and Kate Beckinsale (total hottie). Another thriller/horror film that is relatively short on actual story, but mildly entertaining. Good for a 1 time viewing if you're not looking to think much. Did I mention that Kate Beckinsale is in the film? That said, her looks are very downplayed in this movie. (1.5 out of 4 stars)

[CrossBones]

I saw The Kingdom last night. Ohhhhh...intense. Sobering.

We got us some serious problems in this world.

Anyway it was worth the price of the ticket and the $17 coke + popcorn. Jamie Foxx is good as usual. Jennifer Garner? Kinda of a wield part for her but she did a nice job.

[TheNextStep]

Just got done watching Letters From Iwo Jima and it was a very, very powerful film. I respect the hell out of the job that Clint Eastwood did with this movie. I'd previously heard criticisms that the movie painted the Japanese in too good a light and the Americans as, essentially, the bad guys. Personally, I think that it was just an outstanding job of showing things from the Japanese perspective: Why the fought, how they fought, the mindset that their upbringing in a militarized culture had them in, how they viewed the enemy, etc. As for the Americans, I didn't think that the movie portrayed them poorly at all. There's the one scene after a Japanese soldier surrenders, but come on... you don't think sh*t like that happened?

Really, an excellent movie.

[Raider Nation]

I watched Black Snake Moan over the weekend and it blew me away. It definitely exceeded my expectations and Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci delivered the best performances of their careers, IMO. I'm an admitted sucker for movies shot in the South, but I'm pretty confident that my bias in that area hasn't skewed my objectivity too much. I'm very suprised that neither actor received nominations for their work last year.

[RaiderIVlife]

I guess I will grab Black Snake Moan. The reviews on this movie have been all over the map. From 'Great' to 'Horrible'.