Brontoforumus Archive

Discussion Boards => Media => Topic started by: Thad on January 17, 2008, 09:41:56 PM

Title: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 17, 2008, 09:41:56 PM
Tonight I watched The Warriors.

Honestly, I watched it because I meant to rent The Outsiders and managed to get the two confused.

It was still pretty good.  But I can reasonably assume The Outsiders is better.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on January 17, 2008, 09:57:10 PM
I have Annie Hall sitting around somewhere.  Last thing I watched was Sideways, which was good but not phenomenal.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: EmaWii on January 17, 2008, 10:16:39 PM
I got turned onto the Up Series by a film buff friend. Basically, it started as an interview with a group of seven year olds back in the sixties as a glimpse of the leaders of England in the year 2000. Seven Up (the first movie) is hilarious. Some of the kids are super posh, some are orphans, and they all discuss money, race, school, free time, girlfriends/boyfriends, etc. Then things get more interesting because they decided to do follow-ups ever seven years, the  most recent being 49 Up in 2005. They haven't kept track of all the kids, but I'm impressed they managed to get the few they did to come back. I'm on 21 Up right now. The first one you can stream, but for some reason even though it's on the same disk they don't stream 7 Plus Seven.

I would link to the wikipedia article, but it has massive spoilers, especially for the most adorable boy from Seven Up, so don't even looking, heh. The best thing I found out there is that apparently many copy-cat series have been started, most notably for me, JAPANESE. What I wouldn't give to see a bunch of Japanese kids rambling on about whatever the hell.   
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on January 17, 2008, 11:18:18 PM
The five disc set was intimidating at a glance, until I saw the run times for each were under an hour, confirm / deny?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY0MEc4bi48

Lessons of Darkness.

Filmed sixteen years ago, yet still appears as if recorded yesterday.

orz to Herzog. Complete and total orz.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 17, 2008, 11:33:14 PM
I've also been working my way through Freaks and Geeks.

Today I saw one that had both Trace Beaulieu AND Joel Hodgson.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: BombShellFromHell on January 17, 2008, 11:36:42 PM
Tonight I watched The Warriors.

Honestly, I watched it because I meant to rent The Outsiders and managed to get the two confused.

It was still pretty good.  But I can reasonably assume The Outsiders is better.

Actually, The Outsiders is far inferior to the book, and even more so when compared to The Warriors.

"Warriors, come out and play-ay...."
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 18, 2008, 12:11:51 AM
Actually, The Outsiders is far inferior to the book

I tend to naturally assume that.

Course, OTOH, the last book-to-Coppola-adaptation-starring-a-Sheen I saw was Apocalypse Now.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: BombShellFromHell on January 18, 2008, 12:14:26 AM
Actually, The Outsiders is far inferior to the book

I tend to naturally assume that.

Course, OTOH, the last book-to-Coppola-adaptation-starring-a-Sheen I saw was Apocalypse Now.

I had no idea Apocalypse Now was based on a book....

Really, the only reason to see The Outsider's movie is to see the genesis of the careers of a few of the guys in it. Today, its a veritable dream-team of badasses. 
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: EmaWii on January 18, 2008, 12:21:13 AM
The five disc set was intimidating at a glance, until I saw the run times for each were under an hour, confirm / deny?

If you mean the Up Series, then at least the ones I have seen are pretty short, yeah. Seven Up is exactly a half hour. 7 Plus Seven overlaps a lot with the first one, too, so that might be obnoxious if you're trying to have a marathon.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 18, 2008, 12:29:54 AM
I had no idea Apocalypse Now was based on a book....

Heart of Darkness.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: BombShellFromHell on January 18, 2008, 12:33:04 AM
I had no idea Apocalypse Now was based on a book....

Heart of Darkness.

I'll have to check that out. I dig the movie.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 18, 2008, 12:41:07 AM
The setting is significantly different -- Heart of Darkness was written at the turn of the twentieth century and is set in Africa, and the main characters are members of a trading company, not soldiers.

The themes, however, are universal; hence Apocalypse Now being the best retelling of it despite being so significantly different, and shifting the focus to the atrocities of war.

My overall point, of course, is that Apocalypse Now is a big, big exception, and that in the majority of all cases the book IS better than the movie, and so I assume that to be the case by default.

Still, Outsiders is supposed to be pretty good.  The book's on my to-read list too, but reading takes longer than viewing.

Plus I tend to like movies better BEFORE I read their source material...
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: BombShellFromHell on January 18, 2008, 12:50:01 AM
That's cool.

On a less serious (and intelligent) note;

I've got this piece of monkey poo sitting on my coffee table right now.

(http://www.kinoshow.ru/covers/frankenfish.jpg)

I'm scared....
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 18, 2008, 01:32:34 AM
Ha.

I should probably start a new MST3K/Film Crew/RiffTrax/Cinematic Titanic thread.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: jennatar on January 18, 2008, 01:57:54 PM
I wanted to see that Ryan Gosling movie where he makes it with a Real Doll. Then a friend told me that movie made him cry, so now I'm unsure.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Joxam on January 18, 2008, 03:23:21 PM
I love this topic, if it stays active it will be a reminder to actually send my Netflix back. Anyone else have that trouble?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: EmaWii on January 18, 2008, 03:54:47 PM
Ha! Yes--imagine how many movies I could be watching if I didn't let the same two sit in their envelopes ready to go RIGHT NEXT TO THE DOOR for the whole month. That's actually why I quit for a while. I'm trying to do better this time around. Got Scoop (guilty pleasure, I hope) and Space Amoeba today!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: BombShellFromHell on January 18, 2008, 03:57:05 PM
Ha! Yes--imagine how many movies I could be watching if I didn't let the same two sit in their envelopes ready to go RIGHT NEXT TO THE DOOR for the whole month. That's actually why I quit for a while. I'm trying to do better this time around. Got Scoop (guilty pleasure, I hope) and Space Amoeba today!

I know what you mean. I've got about a hundred and twenty movies that I need to watch from my personal collection, and I've still co-opted my mother's Netflix account to get more.

I'm an addict. I need help.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on January 18, 2008, 10:22:36 PM
For my first month of Netflix I was sending back both of my movies, watched, the day after I got them.

Devil's Rejects has been sitting here for almost a month.  I AM BEING HAD.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Stiv on January 18, 2008, 10:57:32 PM
You guys all suck balls.  I've been busy watching classics like The Big Doll House and Desert Heat while you're off with your fancy DVDs and shit.  And also a lot of Quantum Leap.  Did you know that he lept into the body of a retard?  The lesson I learned is that as long as Scott Bakula is possessing a retard, they can do anything.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 18, 2008, 11:26:58 PM
Oh hey, it's Stiv and Niku.

Good to see you guys.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on January 18, 2008, 11:30:44 PM
see

SEE

SEE
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: EmaWii on January 19, 2008, 01:36:35 AM
So I watched Scoop. Should we place bets on whether or not I can get it out the door this week?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: jennatar on January 19, 2008, 11:51:50 AM
So I watched Scoop. Should we place bets on whether or not I can get it out the door this week?

Ha ha ha! I am betting NO. I've seen your Netflix piles.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on January 26, 2008, 06:06:07 AM
One of these days I'm actually going to finish watching American Psycho.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on January 26, 2008, 10:31:40 AM
One of these days I'm actually going to finish watching American Psycho.

(http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/red/blue_pics/2007/03/23/americanpsycho460.jpg)

Yah. You'd do well to see that movie. It's incredibly satisfying to see  :;-(: go all crazy.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lady Duke on January 27, 2008, 12:19:21 AM
That movie was so fucking weird.  I watched it with Kazz for the first time ever a couple nights ago.  It freaked me out a little how incredibly fucked up the guy was.  I mean, jesus.  That guy was so fucked up.  I liked it, but DAMN, so fucked up.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Bal on January 27, 2008, 08:25:51 AM
American Psycho is a weird movie because the main character reminds me heavily of my father.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on January 27, 2008, 05:17:11 PM
I watched Sunshine the other day. The ending made me tear up a little.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: belikejohn on January 27, 2008, 08:24:20 PM
(http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/153/821580~Jason-X-Posters.jpg)

This little gem is worth adding to your queue. I ask you this, what is better than your favorite rehashed horror character Jason mutilating his foes in the cold vacuums of space? The only way this could be cooler would be if there was robot ninjas, oh wait this movie has those to.

Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on January 27, 2008, 09:27:54 PM
Jason X

Worth it just for the Camp Crystal Lake scene.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on January 27, 2008, 09:50:31 PM
(http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/153/821580~Jason-X-Posters.jpg)

Hey... isn't that the big bad guy from Power Rangers?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Burrito Al Pastor on January 27, 2008, 10:40:19 PM
Which one? Yes.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on January 27, 2008, 11:40:17 PM
Lord Ned Zed
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Malenkaya on January 28, 2008, 02:41:31 AM
I did much better with the Netflix thing last year, when I was living with other slackers. By this point in the year, we had watched every single episode of Futurama, Firefly, the first season of Deadwood, and a couple dozen movies.

This year, I've barely struggled through four two-disk seasons of Jeeves and Wooster, and watched maybe ten or fifteen movies. Some good ones, though -- Layer Cake last week, Pan's Labyrinth, Casino Royale and Secretary a couple months ago. I've been on an artsy/foreign kick; I've got Amores Perros right now and The Devil's Backbone on the way.

I also watched the Futurama movie with some of my housemates last week. I can't tell if it was actually good, or if the combination of alcohol and two hours of shameless fanservice just made it seem that way.

So I watched Scoop. Should we place bets on whether or not I can get it out the door this week?

Any good? I don't usually like Woody Allen, but this one looked enjoyable.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: EmaWii on January 28, 2008, 09:42:48 AM
So I watched Scoop. Should we place bets on whether or not I can get it out the door this week?

Any good? I don't usually like Woody Allen, but this one looked enjoyable.
I liked it, but then I like Woody Allen. Scarlett Johansson is basically doing an impression of him (how my friend described it to me before I saw it, and I would agree), i.e. anxious speed talking, kinda fidgety, which is a weird part for her to play. It doesn't really work that well, but if you can get past that awkwardness the movie itself was pretty enjoyable.

That said, I didn't have very high expectations. I got it mostly as an excuse to watch sexy people frolic. I mean not only do you have Scarlett Johansson, but you have Hugh Jackman. Both of them. Kissing. I did actually lol a few times, though, and the premise was amusing, so I guess that's a win for comedy.

Incidentally, I didn't get it out the door last week either. I have this compulsion to send both disks out together, which, is just stupid. It must be overcome.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: belikejohn on January 29, 2008, 01:20:56 AM
Quote
Worth it just for the Camp Crystal Lake scene.



If by Camp Crystal lake scene you mean the part where he beats a 'hot young camp girl' with another girl who has been zipped into a sleeping bag then I fully agree.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on January 29, 2008, 10:25:22 AM
Query. After viewing Flight of the Dragons, how can we accept that a scientist disproved magic, when no scientific method was employed? Sure, blowing up a dragon's head by reciting branches of science is turbo neat and all,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSPeILDOI6o

but to discount all he has seen beforehand? Ludicrous!

This further resolves my stance that Willow is the one and true Fantasy film, resoundingly crushing all others before or since.


I watched Sunshine the other day. The ending made me tear up a little.

A revelation of budgeted special effects, but makes every attempt at daring the viewer to endure tedium. What separates this from 2001? Kubrick's jaunt wasn't intermixed with the weaker sections of Event Horizon, that's what.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on January 29, 2008, 11:18:30 AM
What separates this from 2001? Kubrick's jaunt wasn't intermixed with the weaker sections of Event Horizon, that's what.

The question then remains, what separates Sunshine from Solaris?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on February 01, 2008, 04:08:31 PM
Just watched Dragonlance.

The tone: it's not funny enough.  Fizban is not NEARLY batshit enough, and Tasslehoff is entirely lacking in a Cockney accent.

Dragons are not scary enough.  It is never properly established that nobody's seen one in hundreds of years and they're now considered old wives' tales, and most importantly, the notion of dragonfear, that everyone should just be completely fucking paralyzed on seeing one, is never even mentioned.  It's more like, "Oh shit, there's a dragon, now let's talk loudly and steal her shit."


The visuals: you like CG mixing in with your cel animation?  Of course you don't.  But for some reason somebody thought it was a good idea here.  Far and away the worst example of it is the fights between the cel Companions and the CG Draconians; it is incredibly jarring.

Oh, and scene for scene it's pretty much a straight-up ripoff of Lord of the Rings at every turn.  I know that's to be expected, but it didn't have to be so flagrant.


The dialogue: everyone speaks entirely in overblown, stilted exposition, and yet somehow they go ninety minutes without bothering to explain why Raistlin has hourglass eyes, or that kender are immune to fear.

The final "Tanis, destroy the bad guy with YOUR FAITH IN GOD!" battle is so overbearing that it makes Narnia look downright subtle by comparison.


The characters: Kiefer Sutherland actually makes a damn fine Raistlin, and steals the show, as Raistlin should.  He's not quite mean enough for my tastes.

Michael Rosenbaum just seems OFF as Tanis.  The fact that I keep picturing Lex Luthor every time he opens his mouth doesn't help, of course.

There's very little Laurana, but she comes across as an annoying valley-girl type.  Which actually might be okay, as we're SUPPOSED to see her grow from an immature child to a battle-hardened general over the course of the trilogy.

The rest are pretty good.  No real standouts.  Phil LaMarr is in everything.


The pace: decently brisk.  A little too much so in places, but they do a pretty good job of keeping the important material.  I missed the wicker dragon, but can't think of anything important that was missing offhand (Riverwind's "death", I guess).  Bear in mind, of course, that it's been about a decade since I read the book.

Not enough time spent on Bupu.  She's not really important as a character, but Raistlin's kindness to her when he's an utter bastard to everyone else is crucial to his character later on down the line.

They TOTALLY abuse fade-in-fade-out scene transitions, to the point that the whole thing winds up feeling pretty disjointed.  There's a definite "okay, now we gotta get to the NEXT part" vibe going on.

As I mentioned earlier, several important details (Raistlin's eyes, dragonfear, kender fearlessness) are left out, while a couple of plot twists that cropped up in later books show up here (Fizban's true nature, and what Kitiara's up to).


All in all: a thoroughly meh adaptation.  Not really BAD, but not especially good either.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on February 01, 2008, 10:04:09 PM
Finally watched Annie Hall and am sending it off tomorrow.  It's such a good film, and makes me like High Fidelity a little less for completely ripping it off.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Malenkaya on February 02, 2008, 02:12:10 AM
Ratatouille! Very :sadpanda: that I didn't see this movie earlier. It's cute without being too saccharine, very funny, and top-notch animation. I really liked the music, too.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on February 18, 2008, 10:17:02 PM
King of Kong is a silly movie that you can point to any time anybody ever accuses you of taking video games too seriously.

I DID actually shout "HOLY FUCK!" when Wiebe managed to jump over two barrels which looked like they were nearly a Mario-length apart.  That makes me a huge nerd, but less of a nerd than almost anyone in the movie.

1up's story on Billy Mitchell (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3165895) is pretty good for some balance.  The movie DOES do some misleading things to make Mitchell seem more a villain than he actually is -- because frankly, it makes an essentially boring story about a very silly conflict seem more exciting.  Though, in fairness, the few seconds he IS actually onscreen in the same room as Wiebe, he IS an enormous tool, and that's not faked through editing.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on February 18, 2008, 10:29:33 PM
Hey, that is the same guy who got the perfect score on Pac-Man to annoy the Canadians.  Why are they making him the bad guy?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on February 18, 2008, 10:42:00 PM
They DO mention the perfect score on Pac-Man and his use of "USA" as his initials to annoy Canadians (separately).  He doesn't actually seem like such a bad guy for the first half-hour of the movie.  But they mostly make him out to be a villain for the rest of it, mostly through the omissions he details in the linked article, presumably to get you to sympathize more with Wiebe as the underdog.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on February 19, 2008, 08:40:13 AM
Classic hates all media that does not have people grunting a lot and talking about their power levels. However, a friend of his who does enjoy things that aren't incredibly stupid has a netflix account, which has been used lately to show his circle (which includes Classic) the Dexter from showtime.

It's a show about a sociopath and his relationship with his almost equally mad but deceased foster father. What's not to love?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on February 25, 2008, 09:16:18 AM
New Frontier is out tomorrow; MySpace has a clip:

 (http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=28390350)  It's one of the better Wonder Woman bits from the book, and Superman is looking very Fleischer-y.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on February 25, 2008, 05:32:30 PM
Rented "Enron: Smartest Guys in the Room" which illustrates both what is good and bad about documentaries.  Though the actual film was merely so-so, the subject matter interested me enough to keep watching. 
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: EmaWii on February 27, 2008, 12:20:11 PM
I watched The Prestige last night. For some reason I didn't realize it had Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson AND David Bowie, not to mention Christian Bale. But yeah, Bowie...that was a trip. He plays Nikola Tesla. Anyways, it was a good movie. Some people didn't like when it [spoiler]started straying a bit into science fiction[/spoiler] but I thought it was fun. The end was pretty intense. Lots of crazy twists, albeit forseeable if you're paying good attention.


Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on March 05, 2008, 09:29:23 PM
New Frontier is excellent.  I never read the last half of the comic, but I can at least vouch that in the first half, they kept all the best bits (Wonder Woman in Vietnam, J'onn turning into Groucho and Bugs Bunny, Batman's comparison of the relative weaknesses of the two aliens), and the parts they cut still got decent allusions.

It's a tight story clocking in at a mere 75 minutes, and has a huge cast, but Hal, J'onn, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash, Flagg, Faraday, Lois, and Carol all get enough screen time to be well fleshed-out, and cameos by Green Arrow, Aquaman, Ray Palmer, and Jimmy Olsen are good fun.  The closing montage has more characters and teams than you can shake a stick at.

Far, far better than Doomsday, but then, so was the source material.

Interested to see how Batman: Gotham Knight turns out.  Much less interested in Teen Titans: The Judas Contract.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on March 21, 2008, 11:34:53 PM
You'll be hard-pressed to find a better pair of leading men than Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, and their outstanding performances make up for the glaring flaws in American Gangster.

While each gives a nuanced performance of a complex character -- Washington's not altogether evil, and Crowe's hardly a saint --, that complexity clashes with the incredibly ham-handed use of symbolism through the movie.  One scene cuts from Washington saying grace at Thanksgiving dinner to a junkie dying of an overdose on his heroin, and it's not enough that we SEE Crowe philandering even as he tries to pass himself off as a boy scout, it has to be discussed in dialogue just in case the audience doesn't notice.  Washington's choice to get heroin directly from southeast Asia rather than deal with a middleman is foreshadowed not once but TWICE in dialogue about how the direct market is cutting out small businessmen.  And while he plays a nuanced villain who you can relate to, you know who the REAL villains in the movie are, because they shoot dogs and use words like "nigger" and "kike".

Not to say it's a bad movie.  The two leads' game of cat-and-mouse is well-played, particularly for the fact that they don't appear onscreen together until the end of the film.  The historical aspect is intriguing, and the Animal House ending that tells what happened to everybody in the end has some statistics that blew me away.  (I watched the extended version of the movie, which follows that ending with an epilogue, which puts the pacing off a bit.)

All in all, a decent film with great acting, but I don't think Scott's directorial skill is what it once was.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Cannon on March 21, 2008, 11:57:42 PM
I'm late in regards to New Frontier, but I think I'll toss out some idle thoughts as I'm wont to do.

I was sorry to see John Henry's story (among others) be reduced to a newscast, but it's not like the flick was ruined because of it. The voice casting was fantastic, and I feel like rewinding and watching [spoiler]King Farraday's death by t-rex-related kamikaze[/spoiler] another half-dozen times. I found the two-disc edition to be rather meaty; there's a mythic analysis of the Legion of Doom narrated by Malcolm McDowell (though there were times, like when the comic nerd in me wanted to jab my finger in the air and yell to no one in particular that "Hey! Captain Cold is not a smarty! He's a lucky hood with a gimmick!"), and in the interviews and commentaries, there are nice little tidbits such as what the Center symbolized (yeah, Darwyn Cooke, I didn't grasp the obvious, either). If I have any hopes for the movie, it's that it'll sell well and raise awareness of the Green Lantern mythology.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on March 22, 2008, 07:16:42 AM
You'll be hard-pressed to find a better pair of leading men than Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, and their outstanding performances make up for the glaring flaws in American Gangster.

While each gives a nuanced performance of a complex character -- Washington's not altogether evil, and Crowe's hardly a saint --, that complexity clashes with the incredibly ham-handed use of symbolism through the movie.  One scene cuts from Washington saying grace at Thanksgiving dinner to a junkie dying of an overdose on his heroin, and it's not enough that we SEE Crowe philandering even as he tries to pass himself off as a boy scout, it has to be discussed in dialogue just in case the audience doesn't notice.  Washington's choice to get heroin directly from southeast Asia rather than deal with a middleman is foreshadowed not once but TWICE in dialogue about how the direct market is cutting out small businessmen.  And while he plays a nuanced villain who you can relate to, you know who the REAL villains in the movie are, because they shoot dogs and use words like "nigger" and "kike".

Not to say it's a bad movie.  The two leads' game of cat-and-mouse is well-played, particularly for the fact that they don't appear onscreen together until the end of the film.  The historical aspect is intriguing, and the Animal House ending that tells what happened to everybody in the end has some statistics that blew me away.  (I watched the extended version of the movie, which follows that ending with an epilogue, which puts the pacing off a bit.)

All in all, a decent film with great acting, but I don't think Scott's directorial skill is what it once was.

I actually have a copy of a full-length story/interview/op-ed peice on the real Frank Lucas. It's a REALLY interesting read. I can post it actually if anyone wants to read it, since the original article has long since been taken down/archived.

....

Hmmm, might as well.

EDIT: Never mind, it's way over the 25k character limit, so it'd take a couple of posts (can't attach an .rft or .txt). I'll make a new thread for it if anyone wants it, otherwise never mind. 
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on March 23, 2008, 10:47:18 PM
Our story opens with a black-and-white spoof of a 1950's educational video.

It IS the 1950's, and in short order we're introduced to our protagonist, a lonely young boy who's about to make a very unconventional friend, straight out of the monster movies of the day.

But all is not well, as this friend, despite his gentle nature, is suppressing violent tendencies, and there are those who think of him as a monster.  And it just so happens that our hero is now living in very close proximity to an agent whose purpose is to bring the monster in.

This is a plot summary of not only The Iron Giant but also Fido (http://imdb.com/title/tt0457572/), and I watched both of them within a 24-hour period.  On balance, I'd say Iron Giant is the better movie, but Fido is funny, and has a great, albeit small, cast.

Anyway.  I took way too long to see Iron Giant, and I doubt there's much to say about it that you guys don't already know.  A very good Brad Bird movie.

...And IM, I WOULD be interested in seeing that article.  Easiest thing would be just to upload it to some webspace, leastways if you have any.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on March 24, 2008, 09:16:38 AM
Frank Lucas: The Return of Superfly (http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/features/3649/) - Linked this a few months back. Looks like they tossed in a few graphics for the children since then.


All in all, a decent film with great acting, but I don't think Scott's directorial skill is what it once was.

His visual flair is as disciplined as ever, but his eye for nuance has been diminished since Gladiator. Which I'm fine with. If overt violence is the name of the game, then grab the audience by the throat from time to time but remember to give the images some damned weight.

Diving into the Director's Cut of Kingdom of Heaven last weekend, heads fly and torsos are cut in half with abandon, moving the film closer to the subject at hand. But the engagement with the audience just simply wasn't there. With American Gangster, Scott did happen upon a scene of consequence and gravity. Not in the lush jungles of Vietnam, but in the projects of New York. The paramedic extraction as a throng of enraged residents all but riot into the crime scene confirmed that Scott still understands legitimate danger and tension. If this understanding reared its head more often, questions of his renowned stature could vanish.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on March 24, 2008, 02:58:56 PM
That's the one, must've got it from Arc in the first place. One of the best damn op-ed bios I ever read.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on March 25, 2008, 10:44:19 PM
Thanks Arc.

Meanwhile:

AVP2 somehow manages to be worse than the first.  (I did not pay for this one; roomie torrented it.)  It's not even good mockery fodder; it's just so blah.  At first I was going to suggest it'd be perfect for Rifftrax, but the truth is it's just a pastiche of scenes from other, better bad movies.  It's like Planet Terror without the self-awareness, humor, or any redeeming qualities at all.

A Russian friend brought over Ivan Vasilevich menyaet professiyu (http://imdb.com/title/tt0070233/), a vaguely Python-esque 1970's Russian film about a scientist who brings Ivan the Terrible to the present, and I thought it was awesome.  A truly great bad movie.  My roommate disagreed.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ocksi on March 29, 2008, 10:20:58 AM
Thad is wrong because AVP2 had aliens fighting predators and a guy said get to the chopper so it was exactly what was advertised and entertaining enough on those grounds that shut up it wasn't bad.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on April 03, 2008, 11:25:41 AM
Rented Midnight Cowboy a few weeks ago, and it was fantastic.  Jon Voight struck the right notes as the naive Joe Buck, but it was Dustin Hoffman's Enrico "Ratzo" Rizzo that really made the film.  Immediately after viewing, I thought to myself "That was pretty good" and turned the film off.  It wasn't until later that night that the true effectiveness of the ending really hit me.  And the more I thought about it, the better the film got.  It's a fantastic movie, brilliantly directed and acted, so I recommend everyone check it out.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on April 03, 2008, 01:21:34 PM
I'm throwing a Grizzly Man party this weekend.

I'll be sure to serve brownies at the correct moment.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on April 03, 2008, 11:42:26 PM
I also coincidentally just rented Midnight Cowboy.

Jon Voight struck the right notes as the naive Joe Buck, but it was Dustin Hoffman's Enrico "Ratzo" Rizzo that really made the film.

There's a reason Hoffman gets top billing.  He's in a class by himself.

My grandmother's always compared it to Easy Rider, and I understand why: same year, each starring two up-and-comers who went on to become legends (well, three in the case of Easy Rider, with Jack Nicholson), both stories of the death of the American dream set against the backdrop of traveling across the country and the atmosphere of sex and drugs that characterized the era, filmed sparsely and with a small cast.  And of course they're both goddamn masterpieces.

I would add that the two leads had something of an Oliver Twist/Artful Dodger relationship.

I would also add that the only reason I can see why the movie was originally rated X (trivia: the only X-rated film ever to win Best Picture) was the very non-explicit gay sex scene (and almost equally non-explicit homosexual rape scene).  This Film is Not Yet Rated had quite a lot to say about the MPAA ratings board's bias toward male, hetero sexuality.  (Wikipedia says UA self-applied the rating after the MPAA offered an R, but doesn't cite a source.)

Going to have to let this one sit for awhile and give it some thought.  But I'll summarize by saying it's one of those classics that everybody should see.

Speaking of which, next one in the queue is The Godfather, which I have somehow gotten this far without seeing.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: James Edward Smith on April 04, 2008, 07:48:52 AM
I saw this movie Spun (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283003/) a few weekends ago. I wanna watch it again since I missed the beginning and had to do some work on something while I was watching it at some point and so it wasn't getting my full attention all the way through. But I feel like I saw enough of it to give it a recommendation, as long as you aren't tired of movies about addicts.

It's a cool flick, some comment I read on that imdb site or maybe somewhere else said that it "makes Snatch look slow cut" which I think is debatable, but yeah, go in expecting that feel. The movie is about a speed addict and it really tries to make you feel like he did. I say "feel like he did" because the movie was written by a guy who originally wanted to make a documentary about meth labs and dealers, so he spent a winter driving a meth cook around just like Jason's character in the movie. Whether he was using or using as heavily as the character in the movie I can't say, but it makes for a cool feeling and looking movie. It also works as a pretty fucking good deterrent towards the use of meth.

It's not Midnight cowboy, but it's a neat little experience with some great performances. I also appreciate how you like Jason's character and feel for him, but you never think that he's cool like say McGreggor's Renton in Trainspotting. He's an out of control junky, plain and simple and there's truly no hope for him as long as he's using.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on April 22, 2008, 01:38:10 PM
And speaking (http://brontoforum.us/index.php?topic=89.msg4589#msg4589) of people who missed out on some of the great cartoons of the 1990's, I am finally and much-belatedly working my way through Gargoyles.

Two eps in and very impressed so far.  Great animation, cast, writing, and full orchestra.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on April 22, 2008, 02:58:22 PM
Gargoyles was a great show.  And once Disney realized what a hit they had on their hands, they went and queered it all up as fast as they could.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on April 23, 2008, 12:44:14 PM
Gargoyles has taught me that before Giuliani cleaned up New York, cops wouldn't even show up if there was a machine gun fight in Central Park.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on April 23, 2008, 12:46:54 PM
What episode was this? Wasn't MAZA on the scene? That kid's got real spunk. Almost like she's got guardian angels or something.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on April 25, 2008, 11:06:51 PM
Was part of the opening "Awakening" arc.  Part 4 if I'm not mistaken.

Yeah, she was there; she was the one getting shot at.  This continued until well after dawn, and even involved blowing up a shack.  No other police showed up.

Also, per episode 5: the most effective way to steal information from your competitors is to ship an entire castle over from Europe and rebuild it brick-by-brick on top of a New York skyscraper in order to awaken ancient mystical creatures who are possessed of free will and may or may not actually want to serve you.  Even if you have a private army and Evil Robot Thems at your disposal.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on May 08, 2008, 04:06:20 PM
Teeth (http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Teeth/70059630?trkid=222336&lnkctr=srchrd-sr&strkid=1046429279_0_0) is one of the most disturbingly funny movies I've seen in a long while. If it doesn't make you cringe, you don't have a penis. Or you're Friday.

(see what I did there)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on May 08, 2008, 04:08:16 PM
(see what I did there)


 :oic:



no
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on May 14, 2008, 11:17:31 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TrPwOrf4sM

I spied Taxi & The Terminal on one of the shelves. And where is VHS, which accounted for 70% of the inventory at the time? That isn't accurate to the '99/'00 era whatsoever! Codswallop!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on May 18, 2008, 03:22:03 PM
More useful lessons from Gargoyles:

There are multiple stone castles in New York City, within a short distance of each other.  They are highly flammable.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lady Duke on June 02, 2008, 06:53:18 PM
Kazz and I watched the Darjeeling Limited last night/early this morning.  It was a totally silly movie.  I'm a fan of Wes Anderson movies, so I enjoyed it, but I'd hardly recommend it if you don't like his movies.  It has a very meandering plot-line, not too much action, and all the characters just sort of go with the flow.  They aren't acting on plans, so much as letting things determine what they do.  Surely conditioning at its best.

The brothers are all really strange characters, and they spend half the movie on the train, the Darjeeling Limited.  They spend a lot of time telling each other secrets about one another and making strange pacts about rekindling their brotherhood.

(THAD EDIT: Splitmerged into this thread, because "I watched a movie!" is for current releases and this one's for rentals.  But I haven't always followed that rule myself; no biggie.)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Envy on June 02, 2008, 10:48:38 PM
Renaissance (http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Renaissance/70052687) was quite interesting to watch.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on June 11, 2008, 11:14:42 AM
I just watched Monster and was... disappointed.  For a film that was getting mad reviews and won an Academy Award for acting, I was surprised it was so by the numbers.  But I guess the main focus and draw of critical attention was the acting.  And Theron does a great job playing Aileen Wuornos, and she brings a lot to it.  In fact, all the attention that was leveled on her, it's downright charming that Christina Ricci actually does a better job.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on July 20, 2008, 11:36:49 PM
Persepolis: more like this, please.

I never read the comic, but the movie strikes me as similar to Maus in the way that it uses simple, iconic art (in this case reminiscent of Peanuts, at least in the early scenes) to help cushion some pretty horrific subject matter.  (Marji's ordeals aren't on the same level as Vladek's, of course, but her uncle's execution and the war with Iraq are intense.)  The presentation is gorgeous -- when I say "more like this, please" I mean more black-and-white animated films for adults, and more straight-off-the-page comic adaptations.  I'd love to see Maus done in this style, or perhaps some of the stories from Love and Rockets -- though their art's a bit more detailed and would likely prove more costly to animate.  (Leaning more toward the latter definition than the former, I hope the Bone movies are this good.)

I watched the dub -- which, interestingly, had several of the same voices as the original recording -- and thought the voice acting was quite good.  I'd be interested in watching it again in the original French.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on July 21, 2008, 07:37:06 AM
Don't bother seeing Project Grizzly. I know there's gushing praise from Quentin Tarantino on the cover, but seriously. Let me summarize: it's a movie about a man who builds a bear-fighting suit and then never goes up against a bear. Heck, you only get to see him in the suit a couple of times anyway, and the best thing he tests it against is a swinging log trap. The rest of the movie is him in a buckskin jacket and red beret talking about knives and panoramic shots of canadian wilderness.

 :wat: And the NFB subsidized this?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Dooly on July 21, 2008, 11:14:51 PM
Also, we already saw that on Outer Heaven.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on August 02, 2008, 12:08:42 PM
In Bruges is an over-the-top violent British black comedy with a heavy emphasis on witty dialogue (often delivered in wildly inappropriate situations).  It reminds me of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, but with a much smaller cast and less reliance on MacGuffins.

I'm no longer disappointed that I missed it in the theater, but I also think it was well worth the rental.

On an unrelated Netflix note, I am now caught up with all the Gargoyles currently released on DVD.  I could find a torrent and grab the rest, but maybe I'll break for awhile and find something else.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Burrito Al Pastor on August 02, 2008, 07:03:36 PM
Watched the first disc of the Andromeda Strain TV movie that came out earlier this year. Thus far, I'm enjoying it a lot, but I also have a long-standing affection for the book and Benjamin Bratt.

Still, it's a solid adaptation thus far; they've kept a lot of elements, but changed enough that you no longer feel confident you know where the story is going just because you've read the book.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on August 02, 2008, 09:02:43 PM
Despite my best efforts, Drillbit Taylor worked its way past my cynical defenses and entertained me.  I know what probably comes to mind when hear the term "Owen Wilson comedy", but this manages to avoid making it a film about Owen Wilson hamming it up for the camera.  The teenage actors are actually really charming and engaging on their own, and a subtle influence from Freaks and Geeks seems obvious.  It probably won't change how you think about plot or characters, but it can at least entertain.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Alex on August 17, 2008, 07:13:53 AM
Couple days ago I sat down and watched The Rundown.  Great movie for sure, even if I'm not a big fan of Willem Dafoe Christopher Walken.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on August 18, 2008, 08:21:35 PM
I read Persepolis and now feel compelled to WATCH it. Am I going to be horribly impressed or let down, because it will be one or the other?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on August 18, 2008, 11:18:42 PM
Retitled the threads since the theater/DVD distinction got lost somewhere along the way.  (Expect I wasn't helping what with watching Midnight Cowboy in a theater.)

Anyway.  Haven't read Persepolis but I quite liked the movie.  My perception is that it was a very faithful adaptation.  More thoughts on the previous page (http://brontoforum.us/index.php?topic=24.msg18344#msg18344).
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on September 15, 2008, 11:18:19 PM
This past week I continued my "classic movies I've never gotten around to seeing" project with Raging Bull and The Wild One.  Plenty of ink has been given to both movies, so I think I'll try something hopefully more original and contrast the two of them.

Wild One, while a classic, is such a product of its time; its depiction of a motorcycle gang is such a 1950's whitewash, a group of mostly-harmless guys who are supposed to be threatening because they talk back to their elders and some of them have a five-o'-clock shadow.  For God's sake, they cross-dress and dance in one scene.  And while the camera work's great and the acting is adequate at worst and brilliant at best (I'd say Lee Marvin, not Marlon Brando, is the real highlight -- he's always drunken and violent! --; Brando just stands around acting like he's too cool for everybody, and in fact he's too cool for the silly movie he's in), the dialogue is some of the most ridiculous stuff I've ever heard.  It's a Standards-and-Practices-inhibited Hollywood writer's interpretation of teenage slang; nobody ever really talked like that.  Honestly I'd like to see it on RiffTrax -- sure, it's an all-time classic that spawned a genre and starred Brando, but is it really that much better than, say, Girls' Town or This Island Earth?

In fact, this seems to be the only movie where I've ever thought, "Hey, they should Rifftrax that," and then gone to their forum and NOT seen that a shitload of other people have already suggested it.  I think I'm going to sign up for an account just to recommend it.

Anyway.  As for Raging Bull, well, 35 years after The Wild One, Raging Bull's like a 180, real and raw and ugly.  Where Wild One features "bad guys" who are way more likeable than the wholesome small-towners they terrorize, Raging Bull features a protagonist who's violent, crazed, and powerfully insecure, who alienates everyone who cares about him, including the audience.

Both classics, each starring one of the greatest actors to grace American cinema.  Very different eras and approaches.  One is quaint in hindsight; the other hits as hard now as when it was made.  The Wild One is a lot more fun to watch, but Raging Bull is a way better movie.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on September 22, 2008, 01:27:41 AM
X-Files: I Want to Believe: pretty much all the reviews are right.  It's not a great movie, and it feels like something that could have been pared down to 45 minutes and run as an episode of the TV show -- but really, that feels like it's the point.

It's unambitious and unassuming and I think it succeeds at what it is: a modest start to a potential franchise.  I could see one of these coming out every couple of years and feel pretty okay about it.  I'm glad I didn't spend $9 to see it in the theater, but I think it's worth a rental -- leastways, if you're a fan.  (I was for a good little while; didn't catch much of the last few seasons.)

Pretty straightforward story, good characters -- particularly the confrontations between Scully and Billy Connolly (in a serious role!), and I liked Amanda Peet's character -- and the creepy atmosphere the show was known for.  Heavy on the fan service without spending too much time plumbing continuity.  Again, not a bad flick if you liked the show; not on par with the best episodes, but not on par with the worst either.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on October 07, 2008, 06:14:11 PM
You know, I'd just like to say that I'm pretty sure that Some Like It Hot is actually a 50's porno and not a comedy.

I mean... are you kidding me? COME ON.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: clutch on October 07, 2008, 06:34:00 PM
I'm watching The Protector (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427954/) right now. It's no Ong-Bak (what is?), but the action direction is unbelievable in places. There's a scene about halfway through the movie in which the protagonist raids a mob-controlled restaurant, and the whole thing is filmed as a six-minute-long, uncut tracking shot. There are hundreds of extras and dozens of stuntmen involved, and it takes place over four stories of the restaurant. It's a technical masterpiece.

EDIT: The scene is on Youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXIGP6_fNZk
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on October 07, 2008, 07:14:26 PM
I've been meaning to see that flick ever since I caught that scene on YouTube awhile back (with awful Street Fighter sound effects added in). Reminds me very much of the hallway scene in Oldboy (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364569/).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY1lpIf5Jmg
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Detonator on October 07, 2008, 07:27:22 PM
I've been meaning to see that flick ever since I caught that scene on YouTube awhile back (with awful Street Fighter sound effects added in).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ze-xQoEfOU

BUSTAAAH WOLF!  *railing*
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on October 07, 2008, 07:46:06 PM
AWW YOU OK?

Ok, so not Street Fighter. And by awful I must have meant great. But you get the idea. I heard a FALCON PUNCH in there.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on October 24, 2008, 06:34:11 AM
Midnight Meat Train got unfairly dumped out of theaters because Lions Gate had no faith in it I guess, but really, it's no worse than much of the other schlock they put out.  I think it's Ryuhei Kitamura's English movie debut, but the main problem with the film is it doesn't feel enough like one of his.  It's predictable with a fairly rushed climax and ending, but the editing isn't nearly up to his "rip off the Matrix at every opportunity" stylishness aside from a few amusing gore bits so it's harder to forgive the lack of substance when I went in expecting more style.  So I was a bit disappointed, but honestly, if you want to kill an hour and a half watching a Clive Barker horror movie, it's not a bad time.

(also it's premiering in houston at our theater tonight and tomorrow at midnight.  hooray!)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: clutch on October 24, 2008, 09:59:55 AM
 :facepalm:

I got House of Games from Netflix after having a long conversation about Glengarry Glen Ross while on a date the other night. Now, I like Mamet--I think he's one of the few living writers that can really nail classic male stoicism--but goddamn if he isn't the WORST FILM DIRECTOR OF ALL TIME. No hyperbole there, whatsoever. All the dialogue was stilted and awkward, and none of the actors seemed invested in their characters. There was one scene early in the movie where I actually thought the two characters were rehearsing lines for a stage show, but no, they were having a breakthrough psychiatry session.

So, in the style of Bill Maher, NEW RULE: On the set of any movie shoot, Mamet should be seen, not heard.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Alex on October 30, 2008, 05:45:35 PM
I went finally watched Speed Racer, completely expecting a pretty terrible movie and was pretty surprised to find out that it was a pretty amazing movie all things considered.

There was not nearly enough Chim Chim hitting people with wrenches.

Next up: The Protector because I watched that clip with the Capcom vs. SNK 2 sounds dubbed in like twenty times.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Spaco on October 30, 2008, 08:26:53 PM
:facepalm:

I got House of Games from Netflix after having a long conversation about Glengarry Glen Ross while on a date the other night. Now, I like Mamet--I think he's one of the few living writers that can really nail classic male stoicism--but goddamn if he isn't the WORST FILM DIRECTOR OF ALL TIME. No hyperbole there, whatsoever. All the dialogue was stilted and awkward, and none of the actors seemed invested in their characters. There was one scene early in the movie where I actually thought the two characters were rehearsing lines for a stage show, but no, they were having a breakthrough psychiatry session.

So, in the style of Bill Maher, NEW RULE: On the set of any movie shoot, Mamet should be seen, not heard.

Mamet's Redbelt is really good, IMHO.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on October 30, 2008, 11:04:25 PM
Just watched [orec] aka the spanish flick that got remade into Quarantine.  I really dug it.  And reading the synopsis for the latter on Wikipedia confirms that they made a number of small and unnecessary changes to the movie while Americanizing it.  Ending spoiler: [spoiler]Also it hits home just how spectacularly awful American advertising really is when the ABSOLUTE FINAL SHOT OF THE MOVIE is used in the commercials for Quarantine.[/spoiler]  Looking forward to [orec]2 just to see where they take it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on October 30, 2008, 11:50:55 PM
[orec] ... Quarantine... Ending spoiler: [spoiler]Also it hits home just how spectacularly awful American advertising really is when the ABSOLUTE FINAL SHOT OF THE MOVIE is used in the commercials for Quarantine.[/spoiler]

Noticed this too, but it worked out for The Dark Knight.

... Hey, what at you doing with that knife. Hey, stop kidding around, he-
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: clutch on October 31, 2008, 12:14:42 AM
Mamet's Redbelt is really good, IMHO.

I saw that the other day. Meh!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on October 31, 2008, 01:00:24 AM
...So as a Halloween kinda deal, I watched four different versions of Dracula.  I think I'll blog about them in-depth later, but basically my favorite was Coppola's because he managed to do pretty much a scene-for-scene adaptation of the book while COMPLETELY SUBVERTING its theme.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on October 31, 2008, 06:55:34 AM
Next up: The Protector because I watched that clip with the Capcom vs. SNK 2 sounds dubbed in like twenty times.

Yeah, likewise. Gotta find  copy of this movie.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on November 03, 2008, 12:09:52 AM
...So as a Halloween kinda deal, I watched four different versions of Dracula.  I think I'll blog about them in-depth later, but basically my favorite was Coppola's because he managed to do pretty much a scene-for-scene adaptation of the book while COMPLETELY SUBVERTING its theme.

Part 1 is up (http://www.corporate-sellout.com/index.php/2008/11/03/halloween08-3draculas/), does not talk about the Coppola one.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Zaratustra on November 20, 2008, 07:48:37 AM
The 300 box set (http://www.300ondvd.com/) includes posters with movie images, a 50-page style book with movie images and a lucite block with a movie image in it. It has pretty much everything a 300 fan could want, except for the goddamn original comic.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on November 21, 2008, 01:03:47 AM
I need to see this movie.  Someone please help me find it, I can't seem to find it anywhere.

(http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/515/pugfinalposternz1.jpg)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on November 21, 2008, 01:13:52 AM
There's a good reason for that.  It doesn't exist.

The tiny text at the bottom is from the Dukes of Hazzard movie.

Can you seriously not detect all the photoshopping going on?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on November 21, 2008, 02:17:30 AM
I just succumbed to a Netflix free trial to go with my new Xbox.

Oh god I can't stop rating movies  :ohshi~:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Spaco on November 21, 2008, 08:53:19 AM
Netflix is the best thing ever. Has anyone tried Gamefly, the vidja game version?

I just got done watching Sukiyaki Western Django and ugh, did it suck. Tarantino cannot act, and neither can Japanese people trying to speak English.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: clutch on November 21, 2008, 09:06:09 AM
My brother was on Gamefly for awhile. It really can save you some serious money, but it's almost impossible to get brand new games via the service. Because they will send you the first-available game in your queue, you end up having to keep only one game at a time in there if you want any chance at all of getting it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on November 21, 2008, 12:03:59 PM
There's a good reason for that.  It doesn't exist.

The tiny text at the bottom is from the Dukes of Hazzard movie.

Can you seriously not detect all the photoshopping going on?

Found it with a full review on a blog of movie reviews, didn't question the context.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 21, 2008, 12:11:49 PM
Hey, netflix has a 'friends' thing.  Does anybody want to do that?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on November 21, 2008, 02:15:34 PM
My brother was on Gamefly for awhile. It really can save you some serious money, but it's almost impossible to get brand new games via the service. Because they will send you the first-available game in your queue, you end up having to keep only one game at a time in there if you want any chance at all of getting it.

This. It's still worth it to do, though; After you're "vested" or whatever, you get 10% off all used purchases (including games you decide to keep while renting), plus intermittent $5 coupons to put toward said games. If I could keep myself from buying games outside of the service, it'd be wonderful.

Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on November 21, 2008, 03:59:47 PM
Hell, I'm so behind I could theoretically do all my gaming that way.  And probably will, once I can justify spending any money on it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Spaco on November 22, 2008, 10:59:25 AM
Hey, netflix has a 'friends' thing.  Does anybody want to do that?

http://www.netflix.com/BeMyFriend/P9N39r8NLyOFRl89j3t7
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 22, 2008, 11:23:38 AM
http://www.netflix.com/BeMyFriend/PbJ6pKkL0hw7OZvlG26r

Yay friend codes for netflix.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on November 22, 2008, 12:12:22 PM
 http://www.netflix.com/BeMyFriend/P8Glpyqc7WIYkINtykXU

This is arcane
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Spaco on November 22, 2008, 12:43:26 PM
It won't update my screen name or avatar, any ideas?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on November 22, 2008, 01:20:00 PM
It won't update my screen name or avatar, any ideas?

It told me it might take up to 1000+ hours for changes to be made. Give or take.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Spaco on November 22, 2008, 01:55:30 PM
Kayma, you and I have 87% similarity in movie tastes.  :wuv:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on November 22, 2008, 01:57:02 PM
 :kowhyee:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 22, 2008, 02:08:18 PM
Netflix viewing this weekend:

GITS: Solid State Society
Huh.  Nifty story, extra closure to a series.

Full Metal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shambala
Huh.  Nifty story, extra closure to a series.

Cloverfield
Great special effects.  Was there a story here?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on November 22, 2008, 02:52:35 PM
Cloverfield
Great special effects.  Was there a story here?

It's more enjoyable if you pretend there wasn't.

I don't know what they were thinking but when the entire cast is unlikeable yuppie doucheshits then it kind of goes counter to their "let's look at the effects on people" point.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on November 22, 2008, 11:03:02 PM
Finally got around to watching Fargo tonight.  I'd seen it, years ago, on TV and not in its entirety, which of course is not the way to watch a (good) movie.

I'd forgotten Bruce Campbell had a cameo (sort of).

...The Coens sure make a lot of movies about ransom.

Anyway.  Brilliant damn film; maybe their best.  Brilliant cast giving brilliant delivery of a brilliant script; great juxtaposition of the mundane and the over-the-top; a truly funny movie about the ugliness of man.

Assume everybody's probably seen it, but I felt that needed to be said.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Zach on November 23, 2008, 12:31:04 AM
I just got done watching Sukiyaki Western Django and ugh, did it suck. Tarantino cannot act, and neither can Japanese people trying to speak English.

How does it work as late night/party/hilarious fare?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Spaco on November 23, 2008, 02:02:43 PM
If I had been REALLY drunk, I might have enjoyed it. While it has some goofball violence, it has enough disturbing, ruthless violence to ruin any mindless enjoyment you were getting.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 23, 2008, 06:03:32 PM
I had been recommended Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels for years and finally watched it (streams in HD!) tonight.  Loved it.  British humor galore, and while the end leaves a bit hanging, it was a great ride getting there.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on November 23, 2008, 08:34:32 PM
I had been recommended Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels for years and finally watched it (streams in HD!) tonight.  Loved it.  British humor galore, and while the end leaves a bit hanging, it was a great ride getting there.

 :perfect: I assume you've seen Snatch?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on November 23, 2008, 09:11:39 PM
Once or twice.

...what movie?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 24, 2008, 07:18:31 AM
:perfect: I assume you've seen Snatch?

No, but I just put in queue.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 24, 2008, 08:49:22 AM
Kayma, you should bump up The Protector in your queue.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on November 24, 2008, 12:32:15 PM
Kayma, you should bump up The Protector in your queue.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

I just don't know that it will be the same without Fist of the Northstar music pumping in the background. Though I guess I could rig that up easily enough...
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 24, 2008, 01:28:21 PM
I added Rikki-Oh to my list.  Willingly.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: clutch on November 24, 2008, 01:32:17 PM
I added Rikki-Oh to my list.  Willingly.

That's a great movie. Why would you have to add the caveat?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 24, 2008, 01:46:47 PM
There's a split among some of my friends back home about it being a terrible movie or awesome movie.  I lean only slightly toward the awesome side.  I just want to see some guys get holes punched in them.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on November 24, 2008, 02:31:42 PM
There's a split among some of my friends back home about it being a terrible movie

Extract blood from these individuals, and then test the samples with a hot wire.

Get back to us with the results.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on November 24, 2008, 04:20:18 PM
I'd almost go as far to say that it would be a good barometer of how much I like a person.  If they can't dig a movie like Riki-Oh, I really don't want to spend much time with them.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Norondor on November 24, 2008, 05:56:50 PM
See, sometimes i wonder why i get along with you lot, and then i suddenly remember. Riki-oh is truly the tie that binds.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on November 24, 2008, 06:22:18 PM
I thought that was intestines.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Norondor on November 24, 2008, 06:32:33 PM
 :shrug: whiiiiichever!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Spaco on November 24, 2008, 09:28:32 PM
:perfect: I assume you've seen Snatch?

No, but I just put in queue.

Try Brick, too. It's hard to give a genre, but it has elements of British mobster movies, except with white American high schoolers?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on November 24, 2008, 11:59:55 PM
Brick is kinda noir. Maybe... lolita noir? In any case, it's good.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on November 25, 2008, 12:45:06 AM
Tonight on Classic rambles about stuff: Disney's Aladdin
So in what could best be described as a climatically bad decision for the day,  I decided to switch out The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* for Aladdin into the VHS deck. With a decade between me and it I suddenly realize how I felt that the animated series was (almost) a worthwhile extension of its narrative when I was younger.
To make matters worse, I was just too young to really grasp how fantastically oversexed it was.

Watching it again, the following "thoughts" came to mind:
While doing the "Whole New World" number, the star couple visit the African Savannah, Greece, and China (and also maybe the clouds and egypt which makes the connection less worthwhile). I made maybe too big a deal out of it, as it's without a visit to the Americas or to France, but for some reason I prefer to imagine that both Pocahontas and Notre Dame aren't part of Disney cannon. The first because I didn't see it and the second because the lead femme is saucier than Jasmine and I don't want to join in the ranks of sad little boys people for whom Disney "princesses" had any sort of involvement in their sexual awakenings.

Also apparently vast new magical power demands that even one of the most controlled, intelligent villains be reduced to stupid puns. You're going to undo the carpet's weaving as it races to collect the lamp for your rival, you say, "Things are UNRAVELING fast now, boy!" You toss his girlfriend into a slow hourglass deathtrap, "Your TIME is up, Princess!" You toss down a wall of curved swords to impede him and say, "Get the POINT?" You turn his pet monkey into a novelty clockwork monkey, "Don't TOY with me!"

Which reminds me. It didn't bother me at the time, and only really bothers me a little bit now, but Aladdin has entirely too many cute/animal sidekicks. The most conservative and unfair estimate numbers them at 3, which is bogus because in addition to Abu, Raja, and Iago (who is still a comic relief animal sidekick and doesn't get out of it because he's also Gilbert Gottfried), the Carpet (who is still basically an animal sidekick except he doesn't talk. He just has to rely on cute gestures and having a fabulous purple and gold pattern) is excluded because he is not actually an animal. My most generous count goes up to 9.



*As to what will become of the baron: He will be pulled back into the deck when I have another girl or two to put to sleep. Apparently awesome bores girls.  :ohmy:




EDIT:
PAGEBREAK! :victory:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on November 25, 2008, 01:18:05 AM
Yeah, it's a Disney movie.

It's still awesome.

And the only serious villain who doesn't have some sort of crippling idiot flaw in Disney is Maleficent.

Jafar is probably second to best as far as the actually meant to be menacing ones go.

Ursula would be cool but she's fat and therefore haha tubby

I guess you could make a case for the wicked stepmother/witch from Snow White, but Maleficent eats people like her as a light snack, so.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on November 25, 2008, 01:36:35 AM
I watched Expelled, with some other people.  It hurt me where I think.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on November 25, 2008, 02:39:35 AM
BRICK is FILM NOIR set in HIGH SCHOOL ok

PRIMER is SCIENCE FICTION set in GARAGES
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on November 25, 2008, 10:17:04 AM
MY LIFE is a PORNO set in YOUR MOM'S ROOM

seewhatididthere
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Saturn on November 26, 2008, 08:55:25 AM
Yeah, it's a Disney movie.

It's still awesome.

And the only serious villain who doesn't have some sort of crippling idiot flaw in Disney is Maleficent.

Jafar is probably second to best as far as the actually meant to be menacing ones go.

Ursula would be cool but she's fat and therefore haha tubby

I guess you could make a case for the wicked stepmother/witch from Snow White, but Maleficent eats people like her as a light snack, so.

does that big demon guy from fantasia count?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Koah on November 26, 2008, 10:15:50 AM
Chernobog?  I think he'd get points if for no other reason than the fact that he's the Slavic equivalent of the devil.  Possibly; the guys responsible for keeping track of that sort of thing didn't keep good notes.

No surprise that he and dragon Maleficent are the two best bosses in KH1.  That's not saying much, though.  Or it might be, depending.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on November 26, 2008, 03:33:45 PM
Chernabog is stuck inside a mountain, does absolutely nothing to anyone, and is killed by the sun.

Firebird, on the other hand, is pretty much a living nuke.  Do not wake that fucking thing up.  Unless of course you can reincarnate indefinitely.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on November 26, 2008, 04:43:56 PM
Chernabog is cool and holy shit I was super impressed/enjoyed the surprise boss battle of him in KH complete with Night on Bald Mountain, but yeah, what Brentai said.

Shan Yu from Mulan is up there, too. I mean, anyone capable of taming one of the hawks from Ninja Gaiden deserves praise and respect.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on November 26, 2008, 07:36:02 PM
It's possible that something's just really eating all my network traffic, but it appears that the new, Silverlight-based version of Netflix's streaming service fucking sucks.  The Windows version is almost unwatchable, and the Mac version is in fact unwatchable.

The Mac version can't keep the audio and video synced; the Windows version can, but does it through a jarringly inconsistent frame rate and some nasty screen tearing.  Both versions drop frames like crazy.

All in all, I understand the switch to Silverlight -- ActiveX is a blight on humanity, and it's nice to have Mac support in theory -- but the current version sucks.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on November 28, 2008, 07:07:23 PM
...tried it (the Mac version) again tonight and it worked much better.  Picture quality was lousy but sync was good, and no skipping or tearing.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Spaco on November 29, 2008, 03:26:07 PM
The tech support guy at netflix was really helpful when i was having quality issues in tinkering with settings, so i'd try that.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on November 30, 2008, 11:33:51 PM
Since this is beta, I'm doubting it's supported.  But that DOES mean there's probably a feedback mechanism.

...actually, a question occurs to me.  Has Netflix switched entirely over to Silverlight, or is the default still ActiveX?  I've only just realized that by signing up for the Silverlight beta on Mac, I may have signed up for it on Windows too.

I'm also curious whether the Silverlight version works on Linux.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Spaco on December 01, 2008, 09:20:41 PM
I don't have Silverlight, so I assume ActiveX is still the default. I don't really know anything about Silverlight- does your Netflix still use WMP? That's where most of the video settings the tech guy changed were.

Also, I need anime and foreign film recommendations.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: clutch on December 01, 2008, 10:36:49 PM
I don't know about all this ActiveX/Silverlight buggery because I have little desire to watch movies on my computer. For the very same reason, Netflix via Xbox is in the running for best thing brand synergy ever.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on December 01, 2008, 11:35:04 PM
Yeah, we've got a Mac Mini hooked to the TV as a media box, so we watch very nearly ALL our TV and movies on it.

And I don't have an Xbox.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: sei on December 02, 2008, 04:09:22 AM
TV... Did we have a compilation thread for online television resources (hulu, comedycentral.com, bittorrent sites, etc.) yet?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on December 02, 2008, 04:42:12 AM
We don't, but there's only really a handful of them. Not sure if it deserves a whole 'nother topic.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on December 02, 2008, 06:34:53 PM
Dead Space: Downfall
Animation is far better than I had expected.  A few of the scenes you can recognize if you've played the game.  The best scene in the entire movie wasn't done, it's in the special features section and you can see the story boards for it.  Mini spoiler: [spoiler]They cut out an awesome boss monster they made up, which is made of pretty much everybody who died up to that point.[/spoiler]

Not bad.  Also contains a fuckton of art stills used to make the game.  Must-rent if you own or plan to play Dead Space.  The last scene drops off right where you come in.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on December 08, 2008, 09:54:19 PM
Netflix queue continues.  Watched these two back to back.

28 Days Later - Really good zombie flick.  For some reason I kept thinking "Wait a minute.  I played this.  THIS IS LEFT 4 DEAD."  British accents make EVERYTHING better.  These aren't just fast zombies.  They're god damned flash-mob zombies.  I bet they all have undead twitter accounts.  Typing in all caps, in very pissed off manner.

28 Weeks Later - While the plot was delightfully twisted, it just didn't have the same enjoyment value.  British accents make everything better.  Stop TALKING U.S. soldiers.  The attempt to exit the city is essentially an Left 4 Dead map that I wish existed.  [spoiler]Escape the horde!  Get past the crazed sniper!  Drive the car and dodge the mist!  Escort the little boy who will SAVE US ALL.[/spoiler]  DVD bonuses on this one were neat.  Two animated comics, one of the events leading up to 28 Days, and one set in days 29 to 32.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on December 08, 2008, 11:53:06 PM
Netflix queue continues.  Watched these two back to back.

28 Days Later - Really good zombie flick.  For some reason I kept thinking "Wait a minute.  I played this.  THIS IS LEFT 4 DEAD."  British accents make EVERYTHING better.  These aren't just fast zombies.  They're god damned flash-mob zombies.  I bet they all have undead twitter accounts.  Typing in all caps, in very pissed off manner.

28 Weeks Later - While the plot was delightfully twisted, it just didn't have the same enjoyment value.  British accents make everything better.  Stop TALKING U.S. soldiers.  The attempt to exit the city is essentially an Left 4 Dead map that I wish existed.  [spoiler]Escape the horde!  Get past the crazed sniper!  Drive the car and dodge the mist!  Escort the little boy who will SAVE US ALL.[/spoiler]  DVD bonuses on this one were neat.  Two animated comics, one of the events leading up to 28 Days, and one set in days 29 to 32.

As someone who is a monumental fag for 28 Days Later, discovering that Weeks was little more than a mediocre gorefest with a shitload of lost opportunities was like some twiggish brit exploding through my ceiling and gouging out my eyes. Started out so well, too!

I've rewatched it twice since the original theater run in the hopes that I missed out on something huge, but aside from some terrorism parallels that're a bit too much of a stretch to really have much merit, it's more or less devoid of anything substantial. The fact that I can't remember any of the cast's goddamned names after three runs is like day and night against 28 Days.

Well, at least Boyle sounds like he's helming the next one.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Alex on December 09, 2008, 12:52:11 PM
Interestingly enough, I wanted 28 Weeks Later about three hours ago and it does really feel like a senseless gorefest (not that I have a problem with that, although I did actually avert me eyes when it came to the eye gouging  :ohshi~:).

Fucking rage zombies can SWIM?  What kind of crazy bullshit is that?  I was expecting them to sprout wings at the end of the movie so no human was safe.  And then the ending would lead up to the arrival of the savior of all mankind as pictured below.  No rage zombie would be safe from this mushroom cloud layin' motherfucker.

I finally got around to starting The Protector and wow, so bad that it's really good.  Terrible subtitles?  Check.  Terrible Godzilla dubbing?  Check.  Paper thin and ridiculous plot to justify Tony Jaa causing as much property damage as possible?  Double check!

Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kashan on December 09, 2008, 01:45:23 PM
Interestingly enough, I wanted 28 Weeks Later about three hours ago and it does really feel like a senseless gorefest (not that I have a problem with that, although I did actually avert me eyes when it came to the eye gouging  :ohshi~:).

Fucking rage zombies can SWIM?  What kind of crazy bullshit is that?  I was expecting them to sprout wings at the end of the movie so no human was safe.  And then the ending would lead up to the arrival of the savior of all mankind as pictured below.  No rage zombie would be safe from this mushroom cloud layin' motherfucker.


What makes you think rage zombies can swim? I mean they kind of waddle through the water at the beginning, but that's about it.

Also I really like 28 weeks later. It's not on the same level as 28 days later,  but they made a totally different kind of movie with totally different themes, so it doesn't really bother me that it's not as good.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on December 09, 2008, 03:52:43 PM
Dead Space: Downfall... Must-rent if you own or plan to play Dead Space.

:negative: Can't recommend on entertainment merits, (http://brontoforum.us/index.php?topic=1495.msg42522#msg42522) and certainly can't recommend watching beforehand. Players became confused at points in the game since characters, events, and locations were altered.


Fucking rage zombies can SWIM?

:shrug: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Tunnel

Logic merely stood in the way of the flick's carnage, and was wisely burned alive.

Quote from: Arc on May 12, 2007, 04:23:49 PM
28 Weeks Later Life Lessons:

Covering up your mouth with your shirt makes chemical weapons ineffective.

Catching two kids going outside the safe zone takes an entire assault team, and nine hours of preparation.

Moms are invincible to viruses, but not eye gouging / fire.

Stationing guards around the single carrier of a virus thought gone six months ago is a waste of time.

If you turn into a Zomboid King, you become invincible against snipers, hellfire, and toxic gases. You will have an inhuman ability to track down your children.

Rounding everyone up into a single room, turning off the lights, and then throwing small padlocks onto the two exits makes for a great "Let's Play Zomboid Making Game".

One dumbfuk family can doom the world. (lolz bush)

Gunship rounds can't dent moving automobiles.

When leading people in the pitch dark, have them walk ahead of you, instead of simply holding hands with them following behind you.

After falling down a set of stairs, it is best to walk away without saying anything, instead of calling out for help.

Zomboids often march in large numbers along the barren countryside in perfectly lined formations.

Making London bridge fall down to secure a green zone just isn't going to happen. It is too neat, and thus must stand.

Clearing the surrounding zones of corpses is too much work. Just ship in 15,000 civilians and hope for the best.

Car windows cannot be broken by zomboids, but locked doors, wooden walls, and bones are free game.

What's the admiration over Days Later based upon? Honestly interested; didn't find enough originality on my viewing. Weeks Later was inventive in delivery (infection spreading, hunt in the dark), and pushed forward an action-oriented verve. Echoes of the change the Alien series experienced.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on December 09, 2008, 04:43:39 PM
So Brit zombies are fast and mad as fuck.

American zombies, not so smart, kinda slow?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on December 09, 2008, 04:44:30 PM
I think Days made zombies scary again simply by making them fast.

Seriously.

Oh, and, uh. Brits?

Personally, I think it is an OK zombie movie, but it's nothing like the original Night of the Living Dead or Shaun of the Dead. I'd probably put it up with the original RE as tied for third on my favorites list.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on December 09, 2008, 04:53:50 PM
28 Days Later is a really enjoyable flick up until the 3rd act, then things kind of spiral out of control.  What mainly made it succeed is that it wasn't as slick as zombie and horror movies at the time.  Of course, now low-resolution film and dirty, trashed set decoration are in vogue again, but at the time of 28 Days Later it'd mostly be high quality shock fests.  It's still not as smart as Romero films, but it makes up for it in a exploitation style.  Also, The Scarecrow and Doctor Who.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on December 09, 2008, 05:21:52 PM
What's the admiration over Days Later based upon? Honestly interested; didn't find enough originality on my viewing. Weeks Later was inventive in delivery (infection spreading, hunt in the dark), and pushed forward an action-oriented verve. Echoes of the change the Alien series experienced.

I just find it an incredibly entertaining movie to watch, which almost never happens with horror flicks (save maybe the Descent and that Dawn remake a while back). It's in no rush to get where it's going, awesome music, great lighting, it has fun when it needs to, it gives you a genuinely eerie breed of zombie (not so much undead as just as angry as one can possibly be), gives you a cast full of likable characters you give a damn about, is shot through an awesome studdery-camera technique that makes action clear and brutal, and probably my favorite bit, it keeps fucking moving.

I can't fault Weeks on that last one, but good christ is it missing everything else. Had potential, could've done something relevant with an occupying force of US troops trying to contain an outbreak of unchecked rage and anarchy, but they stopped trying for that right after the sniper scene. Badass trailer (http://tinyurl.com/55hq2o), though.

28 Days Later is a really enjoyable flick up until the 3rd act, then things kind of spiral out of control.  What mainly made it succeed is that it wasn't as slick as zombie and horror movies at the time.  Of course, now low-resolution film and dirty, trashed set decoration are in vogue again, but at the time of 28 Days Later it'd mostly be high quality shock fests.  It's still not as smart as Romero films, but it makes up for it in a exploitation style.  Also, The Scarecrow and Doctor Who.

I'd say the "this is our answer to infection!" bit went on for way, way too long, but man, after Jim hops the fence and goes all zombie... love that ending.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on December 09, 2008, 05:47:46 PM
So Brit zombies are fast and mad as fuck.

American zombies, not so smart, kinda slow?

You forgot that the British zombies do their bombing runs at night and American ones do theirs during the day.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on December 09, 2008, 06:39:16 PM
My dig on Days Later was that it wasn't at all a horror movie (something I generally watch with a smirk and a yawn), but in fact a road-trip movieWith zombies.  The best parts weren't when they were all like "HOLY SHIT THOSE ZOMBIES ARE FAST" but when they were just, y'know, all up raiding convenience stores for Twinkies and having picnics in open fields.  With zombies.  It was fun.  The end worked for me, too, because the bad guys weren't the zombies but rather, you know, a bunch of guys who wanted to chain-rape a nine-year-old, and watching Jim Goodguy tap into his inner ZOMBOID RAGE and deliver a righteous beatdown was satisfying.  So yeah, good movie.  Good zombie movie?  Probably not!  But I'm not the guy to ask!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on December 09, 2008, 07:06:33 PM
My dig on Days Later was that it wasn't at all a horror movie (something I generally watch with a smirk and a yawn), but in fact a road-trip movieWith zombies.  The best parts weren't when they were all like "HOLY SHIT THOSE ZOMBIES ARE FAST" but when they were just, y'know, all up raiding convenience stores for Twinkies and having picnics in open fields.  With zombies.  It was fun.  The end worked for me, too, because the bad guys weren't the zombies but rather, you know, a bunch of guys who wanted to chain-rape a nine-year-old, and watching Jim Goodguy tap into his inner ZOMBOID RAGE and deliver a righteous beatdown was satisfying.

Exactly! A big reason why I dug Children of Men and Cloverfield, too. Think whatever nebulous action/adventure/horror genre this is just the tops.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on December 09, 2008, 08:19:31 PM
Netflix Quest continues:

The Protector - Starring Tony Jaa

Dear god I forgot how epic this movie was.  This man can plant his knee in a torso from eight feet away.  And he's in the air the whole time.  This movie is fight scene after fight scene with some bad dubbing and really TRIES to have some plot.

Humorous spoiler summary:
[spoiler]ELEPHANTS ARE AWESOME.

YOU SHOT MY DAD AND TOOK MY ELEPHANTS!

The following 80 minutes running up walls, stairs, and those who oppose him.
He fights:
Endless horde of Thai EXTREME sports guys (bikes/motorbike/ATV).

Thai street gangs.  Many of them.

Australian thug.

Endless array of Thai organized crime goons in Australia.

A big fellow with 'PRAY' carved into his chest using Capoeira fighting style.

ONE OF MY ELEPHANTS IS DEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDD

A fight where he breaks the leg or arm of every man who assaults him.  About thirty in a row.

Four guys built like meat walls who are seven feet tall.  Slices the tendons of each one with a sharp bone.

Evil villianess with whip.

I AM BRUTALLY WOUNDED, BLEEDING OUT, BUT I HAVE MY REVENGE.

CREDITS.
[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on December 09, 2008, 08:28:01 PM
Quote from: The Protector Wiki
Changes that were made to the US theatrical release include:

[spoiler]    * The historical role of the Thai warriors is given in more detail in the opening prologue
    * Scenes of TV reporters given tour of Sydney by Sgt. Mark are removed.
    * Scenes of Sgt. Mark handling robbery and releasing the would-be assassin are removed.
    * Kham's father, rather than being injured, died by the gunshot.
    * Tony Jaa's lines now include "You killed my father!"
    * Madame Rose loses face and is denied a "security" contract over bad turtle soup instead of the Chinese business leader's refusal to deal because of bad terms.
    * Madame Rose's transsexuality is never mentioned.
    * The ending has been trimmed to imply that Madame Rose is dead rather than just injured after her fall through the roof.
    * Johnny does not return to kill Vincent after Vincent was apprehended by Mark.
    * Exposition is given to further explain the cutting of tendons to defeat the bruisers at the end.
    * The ending epilogue given by Sgt. Mark in the US version is significantly different and nobler than the Thai version, which is whimsical and comic relief in tone and is much less concerned with resolution.[/spoiler]

The Thai & English releases of Ong-Bak were night & day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ong-bak#Alternate_versions) too, although that was due to Street Walker Hiring Luc Besson, while these changes belong to Harvey Scissorhands.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on December 11, 2008, 07:23:43 PM
Netflix quest marches on.

Benders Game.  We had a WHOLE thread on that, so I cannot add much.  A bunch of fun individual jokes, but the story had some poor spots.  Fun DVD extras.

Tomorrow night: END OF EVA
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on December 11, 2008, 07:48:38 PM
mmm, coma boobies
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Romosome on December 11, 2008, 08:46:56 PM
Slowpoke time:

28 Days Later was a decent zombie flick that was mostly right-place-right-time.  I liked it but I can't really RAVE about it, but its popularity is mostly because it brought zombie movies back into the spotlight again.

28 Weeks Later was fucking stupid and the entire plot revolved around every character doing the dumbest thing they could imagine at every possible opportunity.  I don't think a single good decision was made in that movie.

Possibly "fire randomly into the crowd and just kill everyone".  That's about it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on December 11, 2008, 08:49:45 PM
I enjoyed both 28 laters, the first one because it was a novel entry in a genre I don't usually care about, and the second because the girl in it was really cute.

[spoiler]I... don't believe she was of age in that movie...[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on December 12, 2008, 03:19:32 AM
Do you mean Imogen Poots?

Because her name is amazing.

Also, 28 Days Later had great music, a fantastic atmosphere, excellent cinematography, and the hero of the film was an unrepentant badass, especially once he allies with the zombies to destroy humanity's last hope of survival.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on December 12, 2008, 07:29:56 AM
Kazz, are you just saying that because he [spoiler]bashes in the head of a child with a bat[/spoiler]?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on December 12, 2008, 11:59:58 AM
 :THATWAY: THAT'S NOT A SPOILER
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on December 12, 2008, 11:08:31 PM
The Onion Movie is pretty much what you'd expect from a movie written by the Onion staff and produced by the Airplane guy: a bunch of disconnected sketches, most decent, a few bad, all tied together in a very silly ending.  Worth a rental.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on December 13, 2008, 07:27:47 AM
Technically, once you've seen Cockpuncher you've seen the best bit in the movie.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Doom on December 13, 2008, 12:00:55 PM
Beverly Hills Cop is on I can't believe that Eddie Murphy used to be this cool.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: McDohl on December 13, 2008, 12:22:32 PM
Axel!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Doom on December 13, 2008, 12:28:29 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-ReoBPl4mM
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on December 13, 2008, 01:00:56 PM
Netflix saga:
The End of EVA (I can't spell the bloody thing.)

"Damn, I'm fucked up."

Probably could have turned it off right there.

I'm guessing he opted to end humanity, but for some reason decided to keep himself and his wank fantasy alive just a /bit/ longer?  I don't know.  Not sure I need to know.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on December 13, 2008, 01:43:27 PM
Yeah, more or less. I never really got the Asuka bit at the end, but Shinji basically looked at how everyone had been using him the entire series and decided that humanity didn't deserve to be whisked into the heavens on golden winged chariots, or whatever the sam hell the Third Impact was supposed to do. It pissed me off the first couple times I saw it, but it's grown on me over the years. I think I would've felt kind of cheated if giving a dude like Shinji power to change the course of human history resulted in magical wisps of rainbows and gumdrop unicorns flowing merrily across the land.

Anyone been following the manga? Curious to see if they're going anywhere less nihilistic with it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: McDohl on December 13, 2008, 01:59:45 PM
Love is destructive.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on December 13, 2008, 02:15:05 PM
Turns out the wiki entry is surprisingly helpful with some aspects.  But the "The truth is" line is /intentionally/ omitted?  ARGH.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kashan on December 13, 2008, 02:49:37 PM
Turns out the wiki entry is surprisingly helpful with some aspects.  But the "The truth is" line is /intentionally/ omitted?  ARGH.

He said "I love you."  :itsmagic:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on December 18, 2008, 09:08:21 AM
Technically, once you've seen Cockpuncher you've seen the best bit in the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIbBGk19tMY
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on December 19, 2008, 12:23:42 AM
a bunch of disconnected sketches, most decent, a few bad, all tied together in a very silly ending.

I've come to hate this format of TV show or movie.  I despise Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life, for instance.  (My favorite MP movie is easily Life of Brian.)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on December 28, 2008, 08:12:43 PM
Apropos... I just watched Meaning of Life Tonight, seeing as it was on sale today for $4.

 :perfect:


***

So. Bought High Noon (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044706/) a few weeks ago at HMV, didn't watch it immediately. Was all psyched to watch Gary Cooper fuck shit up - alas sabotage!.

The DVD says '1952' on it. It has Gary Cooper's picture on the cover. The only text on the cover to accompany it is "Gary Cooper - Grace Kelly - High Noon". It lists the cast of the 1952 movie. The jacket has black and white stills of the film. The DVD itself matches the jacket. I put the DVD in the player and what comes on screen?

A 'TBS Superstation' made-for-TV remake. Tee-motherfucking-Bee-motherfucking-Ess.

:MENDOZAAAAA:

I look again at the DVD case, expecting to find extremely small print somewhere indicating I have foolishly allowed myself to be tricked. But... no? Nowhere - not even in utterly tiny fine print - does it say "Motherfucking peice-of-shit TBS remake". The case - and DVD itself - purport that this miserable fake is a faithful copy of the 1952 original.

:MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: etc.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on December 28, 2008, 08:13:58 PM
P.S. After living for [deleted for security reasons] years I can now say I've seen the Princess Bride.

Man. That movie deserved better than to be the favourite flick of horrible fanboys and fangirls everywhere. That dialogue is fucking on.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on December 28, 2008, 08:38:20 PM
Let me get this straight. You've never seen Princess Bride before now?

You suck so much, so very hard.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on December 28, 2008, 08:43:36 PM
Sex.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on December 29, 2008, 04:11:01 AM
Let me get this straight. You've never seen Princess Bride before now?

You suck so much, so very hard.

And you're a complete idiot!

Hi-fives!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: JDigital on December 29, 2008, 04:13:46 AM
I own The Princess Bride on DVD, but I can't watch it with anyone because everyone else has seen it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on December 29, 2008, 09:45:02 AM
Anyone who doesn't feel like watching it again every so often is no true friend.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on December 29, 2008, 10:36:35 AM
Anyone who doesn't feel like watching it again every so often is no true friend.

 (http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg) One of the few movies I can watch over and over. Shame on these people.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: on December 29, 2008, 10:40:29 AM
I....have never seen the princess Bride.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on December 29, 2008, 11:11:03 AM
It's a movie best seen with gir...

I....have never seen the princess Bride.

GET A BOYFRIEND.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on December 29, 2008, 10:42:44 PM
I....have never seen the princess Bride.

...

Wish I had known this before I sent my Dirty Santa out. :shrug:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Burrito Al Pastor on January 03, 2009, 01:41:13 AM
I saw "The Warriors".

It was fantastic, and curious. If I were to assign it to a genre, I'd be wrong. If I was to describe the plot, I'd be misrepresenting the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P6MqHccBSI

Now I need to find the game.

Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on January 03, 2009, 09:01:55 PM
Okay.

I got a replacement copy of High Noon.

Wow.

This movie is intense. It burns you. Points for making things logical and organized. The script is extremely tight and everything hangs together and makes sense. None of the characters are poorly done and all the secondary characters make do very impressively with an extremely limited amount of screen time. Extra points for having the time in the movie last almost exactly as long (if not exactly as long period) as the movie itself. Super extra points for being a western in made in 1952 that counts bullets properly.

But mostly the movie wins for being awesome. I was quite literally on the edge of my seat and I can't remember the last time THAT happened in a movie.

After the climax, I actually turned to my wife and said "Wow... I think I came." :suave:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on January 05, 2009, 11:04:08 AM
The film's history (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044706/trivia) is freakin' jaw-dropping, both for its political undertones, and the bloodbath that ensued.

The birth of Marion Robert Morrison should rank up there with Pearl Harbor & 9/11 New Coke & Cop Rock as one of the greatest catastrophes to befall this nation.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Transportation on January 09, 2009, 06:47:46 AM
I recently watched the film Bob Roberts (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103850/) which is a fake documentary by everyone's favorite director Tim Robbins.

The film is good comedy in terms of  a image vs. substance message and general mockery of the sillier rightwing talking points (in song!). It actually managed to be fairly realistic presentation of a campaign despite ridiculous aspects (fencing, for example) of the movie. That said it was a bit heavy-handed at times but in a good way.

Also, Roberts' songs have a billion music references I don't get. One reviewer describes it as the anti-Bob Dylan, for what it's worth (I have no idea what this means).

Also upon the third revision I have decided I am terrible at this so here is 8 minutes of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5ooWi2wOD8
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 09, 2009, 05:37:55 PM
...Bob Dylan is a folk musician known for being highly political, on the liberal side.  That's essentially what's to get.

Though there ARE some specific references -- the video where he's holding up the cards is a Dylan ref.

(Also: the movie features a young Jack Black.  IIRC he wrote some of the music too.)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Envy on January 15, 2009, 05:26:58 AM
 Attack the gas station. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_the_gas_station[Attack the gas sation./url)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on January 15, 2009, 12:39:52 PM
 Boring comment with malformed URL. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boring_comment_with malformed_URL.[Boring comment with malformed URL. /url)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on January 18, 2009, 12:02:46 PM
Yeah Mystery Men was worth exactly the $4 I paid for it. Not displeased with minor amusements, mostly because of William H. Macy Awesome.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on January 18, 2009, 01:46:14 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31G61nqL44U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNUpbYwj57k

On the flip side, we have Keoma, filmed ten years later. Due to being apart of the post-Easy Rider era, the image quality looks to have been filmed from ten years before. A superior flick, with one fatal flaw. After viewing Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Franco Nero demanded a similar Dylan-esque soundtrack to accompany scenes. The result:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf9iYZ_Z8Lw

Swamp gurgling male vocals allegedly credited toward Nero, and anonymous female vocals equal to that of Dolores O'Riordan performing soprano. An oddity that may have worked for the opening & ending credits, but instead repeats itself for a third of the running time.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Burrito Al Pastor on January 18, 2009, 09:05:57 PM
My Netflix of "Tokyo Gore Police" finally came today. You may remember it from the trailer Warren Ellis linked.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ffeJtMnV3c

That trailer severely understates how totally fucked-up and totally awesome the movie is. Highly recommended.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on January 19, 2009, 10:18:05 AM
Finished Grenadier.  Somehow I knew upon revealing the final baddie, there would be some excuse to tear up clothes coming after that.  Nifty little gun fight there.

And now on to Starship Troopers 2.  Oh god I know this is going to be bad.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on January 19, 2009, 10:36:53 AM
Trooper's 3 is definitely a step up from 2. Don't go in expecting the second to be the satirical sock to the gut the first was, or even a big dumb bughunt... it's a straight-to-DVD sci-fi film. Go in expecting such and it can be a decent watch!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on January 19, 2009, 12:07:15 PM
That was pretty good for a B-grade almost SciFi channel afternoon gig.  But with brief nudity and throat slitting.

Not bad for 'I'm stuck at home sick during a holiday' flick.  The bugs were top notch.  Even the 'FUCK YEAH, I'M A HERO, BRING ON THE BUGS' at the end wasn't bad.

Best line: "It better be regulation rope."

Next in queue, Starship Troopers 3
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on January 19, 2009, 03:12:46 PM
Just watched The Great Escape, and...I wish there was a :holyshit: emoticon. I won't lie, I teared up when [spoiler]Ives died.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 19, 2009, 08:31:18 PM
BTW, Repo's out on DVD.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on January 19, 2009, 08:52:53 PM
Just watched The Great Escape, and...I wish there was a :holyshit: emoticon. I won't lie, I teared up when [spoiler]Ives died.[/spoiler]

Got that movie about a month ago. Oh yes, good times.

It should be retitled: "The Great Escape. (Or: Steve McQueen did nothing but showboat for 20 minutes straight but for some reason the test audience didn't mind)"
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Dooly on January 20, 2009, 04:27:39 PM
I've seen seasons one and two of Trailer Park Boys, and I'm definitely going to go through the rest of the series in rapid succession.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on January 20, 2009, 06:30:04 PM
Netflix instant viewing - Six String Samurai.

Man, this movie was give and take.  Awesome and bad in mixed comings.  I understand it was made on two million, 11 years ago, but I would have stabbed that kid on the second UUNNNNNHHHHHH cry.  The last half an hour from the russians onward was fighting action fun soaked in nifty music.  Shame it bombed so there were no second and third films.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on January 20, 2009, 07:11:40 PM
As far as horror flicks go, I found myself really enjoying The Signal. Great cast, good pacing, and only a handful of uncomfortably long, grisly, blood-drenched murders. Recommended!

Netflix instant viewing - Six String Samurai.

Man, this movie was give and take.  Awesome and bad in mixed comings.  I understand it was made on two million, 11 years ago, but I would have stabbed that kid on the second UUNNNNNHHHHHH cry.  The last half an hour from the russians onward was fighting action fun soaked in nifty music.  Shame it bombed so there were no second and third films.

I will never understand why people enjoy Six String. Business suit and katana are pretty slick, I'll give 'em that, but good lord is that movie painful to sit through.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on January 20, 2009, 07:58:00 PM
I cannot explain my love for Six String, it simply is.

And I have never been able to find the soundtrack, legitimately or otherwise.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on January 20, 2009, 08:12:51 PM
Why, what is this I hold in my hand?  Is it a copy of the Six-String Samurai sound track?  Why, I think it is!  How curious.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on January 20, 2009, 08:29:26 PM
 :profit:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 20, 2009, 08:38:49 PM
We watched Six-String Samurai at Westkon '4.  My feeling was that it was awesome!

But yes, the kid was terrible.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ocksi on January 20, 2009, 09:32:03 PM
I cannot explain my love for Six String, it simply is.

And I have never been able to find the soundtrack, legitimately or otherwise.
if i ever get a new pc, i'll pull it off my old hard drive.  it's by the red elvises, if that helps.  i had a legit cd years ago, but after ripping all my cds, i gave them all to my best friend's kid brother and went all digital.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on January 20, 2009, 09:41:13 PM
Also it's on Amazon for like $11 (http://www.amazon.com/Six-String-Samurai-Original-Soundtrack-Enhanced/dp/B00000AEQ2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1232511463&sr=8-2).  I'll try and upload the files when I get a chance.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on January 22, 2009, 11:50:37 PM
Repo! The Genetic Opera moved to the top o' the queue. I really don't even know what to expect at this point.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on January 24, 2009, 01:20:46 PM
Starship Troopers 3.  Freaking awesome.
"It's a good day to die" is wonderful.
Government commercials, WONDERFUL.
Marauder mechs, wonderful!

I liked this movie.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 26, 2009, 08:53:36 PM
Eagle vs. Shark has a sort of Napoleon Dynamite/Garden State vibe and stars Jemaine Clement.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on January 28, 2009, 12:55:42 AM
(http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/3734/tgfaa7.jpg)

Quote
Here, Caan's face and body are wired with 147 tiny explosive 'squibs', which explode when pulled. Caan was worried about the number - a record at the time - but went along with it rather than lose face with the women on the set.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on January 28, 2009, 06:38:45 AM
alternatively: he became insatiably hungry for worms, but was tragically unable to find his mouth.

no, hungry for wooooooords.  ho ho ho ho
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on February 21, 2009, 10:47:57 AM
Army of Darkness is the worst of the 3 though :T
Evil Dead 2 is best.

I've listened to this line of thinking for years now.

:negative: No more!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on February 21, 2009, 12:03:13 PM
It depends on what you go for.  If you're not the type that can be reasonably frightened by a film, then Evil Dead 1 is the worst, because that's all it is.  If you're not the type to be entertained by guys being poked in the eye and going nyuk-nyuk-nyuk, then Army of Darkness is the worst, because that's all it is.

Evil Dead 2 has a little something for everyone.  Half girls swallowing eyeballs, half guys with chainsaw hands.  All that's missing is the hentai and Danny Elfman.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lady Duke on February 21, 2009, 01:16:30 PM
Army of Darkness is the worst of the 3 though :T
Evil Dead 2 is best.

I've listened to this line of thinking for years now.

:negative: No more!

Maybe you should learn that that is the truth. :3
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on February 21, 2009, 02:07:48 PM
I dunno, I still think Evil Dead 1 is pretty funny.  Tree rape!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Doom on February 21, 2009, 08:22:40 PM
Army of Darkness is the worst of the 3 though :T

(http://doom.pyoko.org/BESTWFEVER/BESTWFEVER6.png)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lady Duke on February 21, 2009, 09:15:05 PM
Let's just discuss Evil Dead instead of jap cartoons.
 :perfect:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on February 22, 2009, 06:18:44 AM
Someday EVA may even eclipse Blade Runner for "most iterations of published revisions evar".

I don't know, man. Army of Darkness will be coming up on its 20th anniversary in a few years.

Naw that one's easy: All director cuts of AoD are always BAD HORRIBLE, giving lie to the Rami brothers' real talent levels.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on February 22, 2009, 01:00:31 PM
What's weird is that the best cut of AoD is the TV version -- sure, it inexplicably bleeps Ash's name a couple of times, but aside from that it does a pretty good job of putting in the GOOD extended scenes from the various director's cuts while leaving out the ones that suck (and, of course, using the S-Mart ending instead of the crummy original one).
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on February 22, 2009, 02:32:21 PM
My main thing is I hate when they cut, dismember, or otherwise dilute the very best lines.

Is there a safe DVD edition? I mean, I'd like to get a copy sometime.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on February 24, 2009, 02:33:21 AM
Slumdog Millionaire taught me that India is the worst place in the universe.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Detonator on February 24, 2009, 06:40:00 AM
I didn't know that was out on DVD :yarr:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on February 24, 2009, 09:49:13 AM
Slumdog Millionaire taught me that India is the worst place in the universe.

According to a friend of mine who watches Bollywood, the host of the movie's Who Wants to be a Millionaire is an actor whose name sells a fair number of seats. I'm unwilling to fact check this, so I'll leave it to you guys.

I also learned the word "chai-walla"!
:imagination:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on February 24, 2009, 12:35:17 PM
I didn't know that was out on DVD :yarr:

I don't know if it is.  The copy that I legitimately acquired had a periodic notice reading that it was For Awards Consideration Only.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on February 24, 2009, 12:57:53 PM
Join me crew.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on February 24, 2009, 01:46:10 PM
I torrent'd while leeching off wi-fi.

I'm a... a...

DOUBLE PIRATE
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on February 24, 2009, 01:59:53 PM
Join me crew twice.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on February 24, 2009, 02:10:04 PM
I joined the Dread Captain's crew twice.

Now I'm

TWO PIRATES
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on February 24, 2009, 03:16:02 PM
Shit. He's got two bodies. Do you know what that means?
It means he's a pirate ninja.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on February 24, 2009, 04:01:03 PM
Man, I can't help but giggle at the way these two DVD jackets look next to one another.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/FramFramson/l_78841_305bc9b0.jpg)  (http://www.pelzer.com/dvd/fallingdown.full.jpg)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Transportation on February 24, 2009, 04:04:23 PM
I, too, am at war with hotlinking.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on February 24, 2009, 04:15:21 PM
Dammit, I even cleared cache to check. WTF?

Fixed.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on March 07, 2009, 07:57:58 PM
The Wild Bunch is an orgy.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on March 20, 2009, 09:19:44 PM
More Netflix fun:

Thanks For Smoking - Did a superb job of making certain scenes from the book look good.  It's missing about half the book however.

V for Vendetta - Regret not having watched this sooner.  Far more interesting than I had expected.

A Scanner Darkly - I'm still not sure what I just watched here.  The last ten minutes made perfect sense though.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on March 21, 2009, 10:36:05 AM
A Scanner Darkly is the most direct and literal adaptation of the source material out of any Philip K Dick-based movie.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, and thought Keanu's flat acting actually worked wonderfully for Bob Arctor.

I'd recommend reading the book, but not because it will make the movie make any more sense.  (Though it IS one of Dick's more lucid and coherent novels.)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on March 21, 2009, 10:45:58 AM
Robert Downey Jr can do no wrong
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on March 21, 2009, 10:53:59 AM
(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on March 21, 2009, 10:57:45 AM
Except, you know, offscreen.

(Also, according to Wikipedia, his true form is a pair of cute puppies.)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on March 21, 2009, 11:34:39 AM
That's why he plays such a good substance addict.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on March 21, 2009, 11:39:56 AM
SHERLOCK HOLMES

CHRISTMAS DAY 2009
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on March 21, 2009, 11:46:52 AM
THERE IS NO SHERLOCK HOLMES OTHER THAN JEREMY BRETT.

Well... okay... Basil Rathbone can play. Oh alright, Vasily Livanov can come too.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Burrito Al Pastor on March 21, 2009, 12:06:13 PM
I think Hugh Laurie is allowed to do it, too.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on March 21, 2009, 06:11:46 PM
So I just got through Revolver with Jason Statham.  I don't fully understand the movie, but it was far FAR more deep than what I was expecting compared to CRANK and fuck yeah TRANSPORTER.  There's a whole section in the credits of talking with psychological experts!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on March 30, 2009, 06:43:38 AM
Netflix adventures:

Sin City.  Yes, I had never seen it before this weekend.  Marv is the greatest character ever.  Now I know why we have  :endit:.  EPIC TALES OF EPIC MANLYNESS.  Seriously though jumping up and dropkicking cops inside a car, oh my god I clicked rewind and watched that three times.  This movie really spurred new creative thought for my Dark Heresy game.  Perhaps the incredibly GRIM AND DARK theme is just so fitting for that.

Blades of Glory.  This was part of a 3-movie bundle I got off Woot.com along with Team America and Superbad.  While I still get stupid giggles out of Team America, I feel dumber for having watched Blades of Glory, doubly so for the magical flight ending.  I fear putting Superbad into the xbox.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on March 30, 2009, 08:27:29 AM
Your movie reviews are almost like a rorschach test, slowly peeling away the layers like some kind of MadMaxJr onion..  Gleefully recounting the EPIC BADASSNESS OF SIN CITY HOLY SHIT HE JUST KICKED A MAN'S BALLS INTO HIS OWN THROAT OH SHIT even though it lacks vital things like energy, wit, or subtlety.  I enjoyed Sin City, but it's hard to walk out of it without thinking that every human being on the planet needs to be curb stomped before they have a chance to do terrible, depraved things to each other.

Blades of Glory, on the other hand, was a marginally delightful Will Ferrel comedy.  At this point I'm willing to concede that you either get Will Ferrel, or you just don't.  His comedies are always goofy, irreverent farces with little thought beyond he and his friends just having the most fun they could possibly have.  Yeah, it's stupid but in that intelligent stupid that Will Ferrel does perfectly.  Also it has Will Arnett and Amy Poehler as a creepy, incestuous couple of evil figure skaters.


I haven't seen Superbad.  It's produced by Judd Apatow and his crew, who are either saints of modern comedy or the devil incarnate, depending who you ask.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on March 30, 2009, 08:48:17 AM
I guess it is wrong for me to say I did not enjoy Blades of Glory, it has moments.  The IRON LOTUS was pretty hardcore.  I guess I also made the mistake of trying to watch something funny in the wake of Sin City.  Though an army of hookers in fishnets was pretty hilarious.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on March 30, 2009, 09:23:16 AM
Sin City bugs me because it is the same story three times: a man is entirely goddamn selfless for a woman.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on March 30, 2009, 09:40:38 AM
Sin City bugs me because it is the same story three times: a man is entirely goddamn selfless for a whore.

Remember who you're talking about.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on March 30, 2009, 10:04:21 AM
Can't hear your complaints over Marv being awesome, jumping down stairwells, dropkicking cars, and doing horrible horrible things to people who deserve it.

I like worlds that most consider to be varying degrees of evil, where the good is simply the least evil.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on March 30, 2009, 10:44:54 AM
Sin City bugs me because it is the same story three times: a man is entirely goddamn selfless for a whore.

Remember who you're talking about.

whore just means "honest woman"
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lady Duke on March 30, 2009, 12:15:10 PM
That movie is awesome and you should feel bad for not liking it more Kazz.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on March 30, 2009, 01:11:23 PM
It really was formulaic though.

...of course, that's not the movie's fault.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on March 30, 2009, 05:53:32 PM
Sin City bugs me because it is the same story three times: a tough guy is entirely goddamn selfless for a whore.

Remember who you're talking about.

Fixed your fix.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on April 04, 2009, 07:39:20 PM
Densha Otoko: Train_Man

RENT THIS NOW.

Wow.  I absolutely loved this film.  And I usually could not /give/ a shit about romance films.  It's the story of a guy in Japan who meets a girl on the subway then asks 2chan for advice on how to talk to her.  The snippets of the people posting in his threads is awesome.

Note: Tons of subtitles.  Movie includes dictionary of what the various 2ch ascii art means.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: JDigital on April 05, 2009, 02:06:07 AM
Based on a true story, no less.

I saw a few episodes of the TV series. How does the movie compare?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on April 05, 2009, 12:48:06 PM
I didn't know a series existed until I saw the notes in the 'special features'.  I'll have to see how long the series is, if it's subtitled, and worth watching.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on April 13, 2009, 07:31:17 AM
I just watched Highlander and then One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and discovered that both movies are about pro trolls.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on April 13, 2009, 07:45:07 AM
I watched The Final Countdown (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080736/), an old Martin Sheen flick from 1980. (THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO)

The whole movie is shot on the USS Nimitz, featuring all the squadrons that were on board at the time.  The Nimitz is sent back in time to December 6, 1941, not far from Hawaii.

Essentially the film crew got the U.S. Navy to loan them the time and effort of the ship crew to operate the ship and aircraft, all the while where any film shot where there would be crew, they were replaced with actors.

I bet our military will never allow for anything like this ever again.

Best part of the movie?  Watching two F-14s take down two Japanese Zeroes.  Short of blowing them up, there are no special effects in this movie.  Those F-14s are flying at borderline stall speed and the Zeroes are flying at the redline.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Burrito Al Pastor on April 13, 2009, 07:57:59 AM
I was, perhaps unreasonably, disappointed by the lack of anything more substantial in the way of fighter jets v. Japanese navy.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on April 13, 2009, 08:07:36 AM
Hollywood is totally welcome to revisit this movie and make a Jerry Bruckheimer version titled, WORLD WAR 2: THIS TIME IT'S SERIOUS.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on April 13, 2009, 10:13:47 AM
Hey, I remember that movie! A staple of the 2pm afternoon movies-on-TV set.

Also: isn't that already a kinda-sorta remake of a several near-similar books where through the magic of a MYSTERIOUS TIME HOLE a modern day aircraft carrier, crusier, or similar goes back and interferes with WWII? (Optional British version: a WWII Battleship goes back in time and interferes with the Napoleonic wars).
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on April 13, 2009, 02:06:23 PM
it's like something out of that twilighty show about that zone.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Arc on April 13, 2009, 03:05:27 PM
I bet our military will never allow for anything like this ever again.

Yeah, now they just make us blow them up.

(http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo22/driftycity/boom3.gif)

(http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo22/driftycity/boom1.gif)

(http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo22/driftycity/boom2.gif)

Quote from: Michael Bay 02/12/09
I can kiss ass with the best of them.  I have a direct line to the Pentagon.  I can get any airplane, never shot before in any movie, I can always shoot it first.  I shot the space shuttle when it was getting ready to launch.  They stopped prepping it for two minutes so I could shoot it.

:gasp: He's going to blow up the shuttle!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on April 13, 2009, 03:57:40 PM
Can I just get a movie that is nothing but a string of Michael Bay explosions?  Yes I am aware that is a Robot Chicken skit, I still want that.  Plot optional.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on April 13, 2009, 04:01:34 PM
You could probably take a compilation of his past movies, string just the explosion bits together, and get a feature-length picture out of it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on April 14, 2009, 03:23:58 PM
Or just watch Transformers.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on April 14, 2009, 03:29:55 PM
Doesn't count.  The first half of that movie suffers from such an overwhelming amount of plot that I began to :barf:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Fredward on April 16, 2009, 08:09:48 PM
If you can find it, Ian McKellen in Richard III (1995) is a grand adaptation. It has tanks and quasi-Nazis! :perfect:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on May 04, 2009, 06:08:31 AM
NETFLIX ADVENTURES!

Equilbrium: Geothermal was right.  The only time there is something wrong with this movie is when people are talking.  Last fight is quite epic.  Curious why I've never even HEARD of this movie.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: James Edward Smith on May 04, 2009, 12:01:22 PM
I think it came out the same summer as The Matrix did and Bale wasn't as big a name as he is now with American Psycho being his only big American movie credit. Admitedly, The Matrix is a much better movie over all and so it basically got its thunder stolen as being the other kungfu in the future movie that didn't advertise as much and called its fighting the decidedly lame name of GUN-KATA.

*shrug*

It's an alright flick if you haven't seen it before. It's at least as good as say, V for Vendetta though it's strengths lie in different areas. One of my favourite things to nitpick about it is the simple fact that no one is suposed to be allowed to show emotion in it and one of the main plot points is this whole thing where everyone is watching Bale all the time and he has to look like he has no emotion even though his is actually really pissed off and scared, and etc. Well the whole movie, everyone who isn't Bale fucking shows emotion all over the place! The big bad shows anger readily and his henchman is fucking laughing it up and smiling all the time, so who the fuck are they to claim Bale is a feeler? They really fucked it up, basically. Good fights though.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kashan on May 04, 2009, 03:56:56 PM
Wasn't there a bit in the movie about how people who made good emotion police were people who had some emotional connection despite the drugs, because most people didn't recognize emotion while on the drugs? Am I just imagining that? Assuming I'm not imagining that scene it explains why the second is laughing it up the whole movie. And the big bad isn't on drugs so that's obvious.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on May 05, 2009, 05:37:13 AM
I kinda wish there was a screen saver of the first scene of him standing in the dark, twirling his guns around shooting dudes.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on May 05, 2009, 06:53:35 AM
That was such bad CGI, though.  That scene looks terrible.  'He" moves so stiffly.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on May 14, 2009, 09:55:31 AM
Martyrs is an .... interesting horror flick from France.  It's really actually kinda hard to describe, and not entirely satisfying by the end of it, but it's probably worth a watch if you've got any kind of interest in, well, anything Lionsgate has ever released I guess.  When I thought the movie was winding down towards the end credits, I realized I'd actually only been watching it for like forty minutes.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on May 21, 2009, 07:11:24 PM
After having watched Orgazmo, I find it funny that the film has an NC-17 rating despite no female nudity.  It's a funny, chuckle-worthy film.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on May 22, 2009, 06:08:12 PM
Constantine, I'm not gay or nothin', but I really want to have sex with you.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on May 22, 2009, 06:39:29 PM
orgazmo does not stand up to multiple viewings

not even close
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on May 22, 2009, 07:20:49 PM
orgazmo does not stand up to multiple

hurr hurr hurr
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on May 23, 2009, 10:37:20 AM
I don't wanna sound like a queer or nothin'? But I think unicorns kick ass!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on June 01, 2009, 08:03:49 AM
More Netflix stuff.  Hey, I have two codes here that gets you a month free of Netflix instead of the usual two weeks.  First two PMs to me that ask for them will get them.  One per person!

Bourne Ultimatum:
I'd like to believe our intelligence agencies are capable of manhunts like this.  Some pretty decent action sequences here, though most of it is 'who is going to get shot in the face/head' scenes.  One good fist fight between two ULTIMATE AGENTS and a fun chase scene with a dirtbike.  Four outta five.

Next on the agenda is Snatch, because I need more Guy Richie/Jason Statham films.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on June 01, 2009, 08:23:57 AM
Bourne Ultimatum:
I'd like to believe our intelligence agencies are capable of manhunts like this.

You mean ones that get a lot of people killed and ultimately fail?  Sure, I guess.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on June 01, 2009, 08:56:18 AM
Well, more the 'At the push of a button we have every single audio/video feed anywhere in the world because we are the GREAT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA'.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on June 01, 2009, 07:37:08 PM
I finally relented and watched one of my roommate's beloved snowboarding videos, That's it, That's all (http://tinyurl.com/kw7gwy). It's what you'd expect from a compilation like this, but the editing on this thing is incredibly impressive. Spot-on montages set to great music, with some spectacular visuals.

It's also made me realize that the montage/music video is perhaps the single most entertaining medium I can think of.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on June 01, 2009, 07:50:57 PM
it's a national pastime

go to the basement, smokea da ganja, watch skate/snowboard montages
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on June 06, 2009, 11:15:43 AM
Finally got around to watching Slumdog.  It was good!  And its reputation is well-deserved.

I think it's a fine example of craft, and that trying to produce the perfect example of a formula can be just as valid an exercise as trying to add some kind of twist or innovation on it.  Because this is a movie that pretty much puts every cliche from both love stories and gang movies right out there.  The characters are stock, and the plot has no surprises.

But the two things that make it unique are right there in the title: the setting of impoverished India, and the backdrop of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?  Those are the things that give the movie character and make it greater than the sum of its parts.

The interrogation sequence used as a framing device never quite felt right to me (and I admit to hoping there would be at least a hint at the end that Jamal's entire story was made up and he was actually Keyser Soze), but on the other hand the ending actually seemed pleasingly self-aware.  The last words in the film, [spoiler]"It is written"[/spoiler], refer of course to fate, but also to the fact that this IS a movie and that's the real reason that this series of unlikely coincidences plays out the way it does.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on June 08, 2009, 01:07:43 PM
Seven Pounds - Wow.  Good piece of drama.  Took me a little while to catch on what the plan was and why he did the bone marrow donation without pain killers.

The Day The Earth Stood Still (Remake) - Keanu Reeves is an intergalactic HR staffer having to file Chapter 13 for earth.  Humans are not pleased with the layoff.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on June 08, 2009, 01:17:04 PM
By the way... a small memory of UP came back to me. Oh god did I ever love Carl's: [spoiler]"Get a job, hippie!"[/spoiler]

I mean, the fact that it made NO SENSE, just made it that much more :perfect:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on June 14, 2009, 12:07:13 PM
The Mist. (Based on the Stephen King short story.)

Remind me when a catastrophe strikes to quietly remove loud religious doomsayers.  Also, wow, the ending.  [spoiler]Gun with four bullets and there are five survivors including yourself?  Including your son?  Better to kill them all and leave myself to die to the demons.  Oh hey is that the army no less than 2 minutes after I step out of the car.  Shit.  My bad.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on June 14, 2009, 03:44:48 PM
Snatch

Bank heist + boxing film = Guy Richie is an awesome director.  Multiple theives plot multiple backstabs, hilarity ensues.  Loved every minute, except for the inability to understand various accents.  Must not be a problem if the lead role does not understand either.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on June 14, 2009, 03:45:29 PM
I dunt like doogs.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on June 14, 2009, 03:54:47 PM
Quote
Loved every minute, except for the inability to understand various accents.  Must not be a problem if the lead role does not understand either.

There's an option on the DvD to turn on subtitles for all the pikey shit, but at one point even it doesn't know what the fuck Pitt is saying.

Quote
Also, wow, the ending.

Changed from the book, in order to give more emotional impact. Personally I thought it was fucking stupid. But yeah, shoot the religious bitch. Not understanding why it took her wanting to sacrifice a boy to kill her, apparently it is perfectly OK to sacrifice young men in uniform.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Romosome on June 14, 2009, 06:15:48 PM
I dunt like doogs.

dags!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on June 14, 2009, 07:28:36 PM
dahgs \o/
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Guild on June 14, 2009, 10:14:41 PM
The Mist. (Based on the Stephen King short story.)

Remind me when a catastrophe strikes to quietly remove loud religious doomsayers.  Also, wow, the ending.  [spoiler]Gun with four bullets and there are five survivors including yourself?  Including your son?  Better to kill them all and leave myself to die to the demons.  Oh hey is that the army no less than 2 minutes after I step out of the car.  Shit.  My bad.[/spoiler]

The Mist and Into the Wild both made me go, "Well, thanks for wasting my time here. I'm going to induce a coma for a while now. Also, fuck you."
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: MadMAxJr on June 15, 2009, 08:45:27 AM
I enjoyed the Mist, because I honestly believe people would act in such a manner.  Kinda wish the cut opening was on the DVD (Scene showing what triggered the event).  Maybe it was on the second disc, I didn't get that from netflix.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on July 01, 2009, 04:39:57 PM
The Wrestler is quite good!  Great cast all around; can't help wondering how much of Rourke's own experience went into the role given how his own career's been in limbo for so long.

I find it instructive to compare it to last year's biggest Oscar-bait, Slumdog Millionaire.  Each is a textbook example of its respective genre: that was a love story, this is a tragedy.  Neither offers up any surprises, instead focusing on the hero's journey to its inevitable end.

The Wrestler's end is, of course, not a happy one.  I believe it was Heinlein who said there are only two stories, The Brave Little Taylor and Boy Meets Girl -- I forget who updated the list to include Man Learns Lesson and to add that all three have their inverses, but that certainly applies here.  This is a story where the hero fails to overcome the impossible odds, fails to get the girl, and fails to grow or change as a person.  The only place where he succeeds is in choosing to embrace his fate, to go out with a bang rather than a whimper.

Not to say it's that big of a bang -- the tragedy of Randy the Ram's faded glory is that he never had that damn much glory to begin with.  He's a hero to a small, dedicated group of fans, but he's not really heroic in any traditional sense.

The wrestling scenes themselves are captivating, and a reminder that just because the "sport" is staged doesn't mean it's easy.  You feel the toll it takes on Randy's body -- and the steroids, painkillers, and speed don't help.

Another of the Oscar noms that earned its reputation.  Well worth watching.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on July 15, 2009, 06:07:36 AM
I haven't seen Gran Torino.

A friend described it as "Unforgiven meets Up".

 :wat:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on July 21, 2009, 12:59:58 PM
Goddamn, this sounds awesome. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/before-the-jungle-rumbled-it-had-soul/article1226200/)

(THAD EDIT: The article description is "A new film recalls a 1974 concert in Zaire by James Brown, B.B. King and other legends".)

"Damn right I'm somebody."
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: François on July 22, 2009, 05:57:41 AM
Oh snap, UHF turned twenty years old yesterday. I'm way overdue for a rewatch, even though I'm pretty sure it can't possibly be as awesome to me now as it was when I was 8.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on August 03, 2009, 07:47:35 AM
Watched Repo! and Oldboy last night.  I liked Repo! aside from Alexa Vega's random terrible punk rock moment.  It's a legitimately bad movie, I mean, but I was entertained.

Oldboy, uh, holy shit.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on August 03, 2009, 04:50:05 PM
Oldboy, uh, holy shit.

Hallway fight. That is all.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on August 03, 2009, 05:03:45 PM
I don't know if it counts, but I'm currently going through some of Ralph Bashki's films through YouTube. I've finally learned why he is so (in)famous.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on August 03, 2009, 05:29:49 PM
I don't know if it counts, but I'm currently going through some of Ralph Bashki's films through YouTube. I've finally learned why he is so (in)famous.

:lol:

OH RALPHIE
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on August 06, 2009, 08:48:52 PM
Green Lantern: First Flight is one of the better DC Universe offerings.  The dialogue is corny as hell and things get pretty silly near the end, but that's okay because Burnett's intent is clear: he's written Green Lantern as a Hollywood blockbuster, and done a damn fine job of it.  The actual live-action movie will almost certainly not be this good; it will feature a tedious romantic subplot, too much time spent on Earth, and will not have nearly as brisk a pace as this movie.

First Flight is a perfect intro to the character and why he deserves more mainstream recognition than he gets.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on August 09, 2009, 10:15:20 PM
Dark Days is the first documentary I have seen whose making of is 2/3rds the length and 2/3rds as compelling as the documentary it reflects on. It enjoyed two awards at the Sundance 2000 film festival and is a worthy addition to your queue if you enjoy documentaries of any stripe.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on August 31, 2009, 11:02:47 PM
A Simple Plan is one of my new favorite movies.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Miss Cat Ears on September 01, 2009, 05:16:33 AM
Oldboy, uh, holy shit.
thumbs up
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Krankor on September 01, 2009, 12:50:42 PM
War of the worlds 2 "THE NEXT WAVE" was on scifi...er, sifi, er sify, er syfy....whatever recently
 :perfect:

So....awesome.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Fortinbras on September 01, 2009, 03:05:35 PM
May I ask why your avatar is not a guffawing birdnosed space man
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on September 01, 2009, 03:11:33 PM
If you do, I suspect he will send you to the Doctor.

Hm, I should keep my eye out for those specials Tennant will be doing.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on September 01, 2009, 03:16:29 PM
Hm, I should keep my eye out for those specials Tennant has been doing.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on September 01, 2009, 03:50:45 PM
Hm, I should keep my eye out for that special Tennant did.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on September 01, 2009, 05:37:47 PM
:OoO: Excuse me. I need to go.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on September 01, 2009, 07:51:15 PM
constantine apparantly forgot about either the christmas special or planet of the dead
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on September 02, 2009, 04:52:33 AM
Christmas specials are so par for the course I just consider them part of the previous season.  Planet of the Dead may as well have been forgotten.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on September 05, 2009, 06:53:07 AM
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance?  More like EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD STARTS OFF MISERABLE AND THEN THINGS GET WORSE

i wasn't sure i'd ever watch a movie that was more of a downer than snow angels
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friend on September 06, 2009, 01:45:33 AM
Hello, some guy here. I would just like to mention Labyrinth by Jim Henson. Great soundtrack, David Bowie as the bad guy, and overall a Fantastic movie. Someone should watch it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on September 06, 2009, 05:36:43 AM
 :pop:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Cthulhu-chan on September 06, 2009, 05:53:36 AM
Has anyone here NOT seen Labyrinth? :wat:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on September 06, 2009, 07:42:55 AM
I did, but I regretted it. Well, every part that didn't have Bowie in it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Detonator on September 06, 2009, 09:02:14 AM
I've never seen it, despite buying the DVD and having it on the shelf right next to me.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Catloaf on September 06, 2009, 09:06:27 AM
Has anyone here NOT seen Labyrinth? :wat:
:nyoro~n:

I've been meaning too, I just never get around to renting it...
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on September 06, 2009, 09:28:18 AM
I think I saw Labyrinth. I'm not sure. It might have been some other nightmarish 80's children's fantasy movie with muppets, though. Hard to tell, there were a lot of those.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on September 06, 2009, 01:45:25 PM
I think I saw Labyrinth. I'm not sure. It might have been some other nightmarish 80's children's fantasy movie with muppets, though. Hard to tell, there were a lot of those.

Dark Crystal?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on September 06, 2009, 01:55:27 PM
I vaguely remember one nightmarish 80's children's fantasy movie with muppets.  It was airing on TV, I only saw part of it, and I think it ended with a muppet turning to stone.  There might have been actual people in addition to the muppets.

I remember nothing else about it, except that it was kinda neat and I wish I knew what it was.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on September 06, 2009, 01:58:59 PM
Just watched Welcome to the Dollhouse.  It can best be summed up as Napoleon Dynamite one decade before Napoleon Dynamite.  And darker.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on September 07, 2009, 10:40:03 AM
I didn't really care for Audition.  The intentional misleading of the audience with the conversations on the dates, the revelation of information during a dream that had no real way to be known in the subconcious, the "is it or isn't it" back and forth .. all of it just muddied down what could have basically been the Japanese inspiration for Hard Candy, and rather than elevating the movie into something better, it softened most of the impact instead.  As annoyed as I was during the potential "it was all a dream!" bit, it was almost more annoying to then pull back from that with the too-soon ending.

on the other hand, kirikirikirikiriiiiiiii
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on September 07, 2009, 07:10:15 PM
On the flipside for revenge flicks, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is almost downright cathartic and uplifting.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on September 13, 2009, 07:21:32 AM
Just watched An American Werewolf in London for the first time.  Two thoughts: One, it might have my favorite ending of any movie I've seen in a while.  Two, I think this was the first time I've seen Frank Oz, like, ever.  As such listening to him in this movie was like watching a man with a thousand Muppets within his skull trying to break free.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on September 22, 2009, 05:29:00 PM
The Cat Returns has secret service cats.

(http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo297/BBLegs/catreturns.jpg)

That is all.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on September 29, 2009, 07:16:47 AM
The Wizard of Oz blu-ray looks fucking incredible
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on October 08, 2009, 10:41:42 PM
Trick 'r Treat (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0862856/) finally hit DVD this week after bouncing around with no distribution for the past two years.  It won't win any awards, but it's definitely a fun watch.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on October 21, 2009, 05:21:05 PM
Finally knuckled down and watched Super Size Me.  I don't know why I never saw this film earlier.  I was so horrified towards the end that I literally started having a pain in my chest.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on October 21, 2009, 07:25:44 PM
I hate Super Size Me for so many reasons. The main one being it not being about what fast food does to you, but what happens if you pour nothing but grease and fake meat down a vegan's throat for a month?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on October 21, 2009, 07:49:18 PM
The film indicates that the guy isn't a vegan, actually.  He's dating a vegan, but he says to her early on that he doesn't want to give up eating meat.  While few people eat McDonald's 24/7, he clearly portrays what happens to your body when you do nothing but binge on fast food.  He never modifies or changes what he eats, he just orders food right off the menu and eats it.  Exactly where did you not see what the effects of fast food were?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on October 21, 2009, 08:08:40 PM
I think it's more of he over does everything to a point where it is hardly real anymore so anything that happens to him is now sided by the fact that he ate nothing but cheeseburgers for however long so yeah, he's going to get fucked up.
 
My problem with the movie is this guy took it to the extreme (to prove his point, I know. You have to go to the extremes sometimes.) and people sensationalized everything and it was soon spun that if you eat fast food regularly, you will die a slow painful death as the corporations mock and rape you.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on October 21, 2009, 09:49:13 PM
Recently watched I Love You Man. There were some laughs, but I am not sure what part of the laughing involved liquor. Also I have decided that I hate west coast slang with a passion that can only be described as obnoxious.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Transportation on October 22, 2009, 06:38:29 AM
it was soon spun that if you eat fast food regularly, you will die a slow painful death as the corporations mock and rape you.

You say this as if it wasn't true!

Anyway, it's not that different from experiments where mice are fed ludicrous amounts of X chemical to simulate the levels you'd get from eating frequently for a very long time. It's not scientific in the sense that you'd need hundreds of trials to determine it conclusively, but Mythbusters doesn't do that either and no one seems to mind.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on October 22, 2009, 07:41:31 AM
I'd just like to say that the The Blues Brothers seems to bear almost unlimited repeat viewing.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on October 22, 2009, 01:30:19 PM
Quote
I'd just like to say that the The Blues Brothers seems to bear almost unlimited repeat viewing.

I cite this movie to people who don't believe in a kind and loving god. They are forced to admit they hadn't considered the Blues Brothers before they lost their faith.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friend on October 22, 2009, 02:37:27 PM
But is it as good as Groundhog Day?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Cthulhu-chan on October 22, 2009, 10:37:41 PM
You can't force me to make that choice! :humpf:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on October 22, 2009, 10:43:28 PM
Watched the Devil's Backbone tonight.  It was damn good!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Frocto on October 23, 2009, 01:55:36 AM
Groundhog Day is 1/100th the movie Blue Brothers is
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on October 25, 2009, 05:37:36 PM
And still quite good.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on October 25, 2009, 07:11:02 PM
And yet... Ghostbusters leaves them both in the dust.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on October 25, 2009, 07:29:22 PM
And yet... Ghostbusters leaves them both in the dust.

 (http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on November 01, 2009, 08:01:57 PM
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies:

This would be the weekest DCU offering yet if not for the top-notch voice work.  Brown, Conroy, Daly, and Pounder all reprise their roles.

As far as plot, there isn't much of one; as far as script, it's corny as hell and poorly suited to the calibre of the cast.

And speaking of the cast...with the exception of the three principals (Brown in particular really hits it out of the park; he gets a complete character arc from smug, scheming Lex to fucking crazy supervillain Lex), they're all totally underutilized.  I saw in the credits that Jennifer Hale played Starfire, but I can't remember Starfire actually saying anything.  Alan Oppenheimer gets a neat cameo as Alfred, but is only in it for a minute.  Levar Burton gave a very nice interview (http://comicsworthreading.com/2009/09/09/supermanbatman-interview-with-levar-burton-black-lightning/) a few weeks back about playing Black Lightning, which was about 100 times as many words as he actually spoke in the role.

The problem is that the movie is basically one long fight scene, crammed full of whatever characters they thought would be cool to include, whether or not they're used in any meaningful way or even make sense in the story.  (Superman actually says, in dialogue, that it makes absolutely no sense for Mongul to be there.)

I haven't read the source material, but I have a hunch the dialogue's pretty true to it.  Berkowitz (who has the screenplay credit) has written perfectly good DCAU stuff in the past, so I'm assuming the utterly hammy one-liners are Jeph Loeb's.  They'd work all right coming out of Adam West's mouth, or Diedrich Bader's, but they're all wrong for the Kevin Conroy Batman.

All in all, a disappointment with some real potential and some neat fight scenes.

My ranking of the DCU movies to date: New Frontier > Gotham Knight > Wonder Woman = Green Lantern > Public Enemies > Doomsday.

Next up is a Crisis on Two Earths adaptation by Dwayne McDuffie, based on a story he'd planned for JLU.  I have much higher hopes for it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Rosencrantz on November 04, 2009, 10:17:53 PM
I haven't read the source material, but I have a hunch the dialogue's pretty true to it.

The movie was almost scene-for-scene exactly the same as the comic, including the villains who are there for no good reason.  My least favorite part was probably how Power Girl came off as very weak-willed throughout most of it - her confidence is one of her main personality points.

In other news, I finally saw Rocky Horror Picture Show today, for my Survey of Digital Film and Video Production class. I'm also supposed to watch The Big Lebowski by Friday, so I hope I have time tomorrow.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on November 08, 2009, 07:19:44 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkB5-BHxKZI&feature=related

Guess what DVD I found on sale!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on November 08, 2009, 08:59:15 PM
So walmart is selling the Ringu collection(Ringu, Rasen, Ringu 2 and Ringu 0) for $4
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on November 08, 2009, 09:47:43 PM
Rasen is better than Ringu 2, fuck the popular opinion.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: on November 09, 2009, 02:51:37 AM
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies:

This would be the weekest DCU offering yet

:thad: :thad: :thad:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on November 21, 2009, 03:17:45 PM
Inglourious Basterds is not just my favorite Tarantino film, but it is a strong contender for the coveted honorific, "Kazz's favorite movie."
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on November 21, 2009, 06:47:49 PM
I'm not sure I want to see that movie. From what I've heard, it's a revenge fantasy about Jews beating up Germans.

There's something really, really wrong with that.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Romosome on November 21, 2009, 07:36:55 PM
It's Jews beating up Nazis, during World War 2.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on November 21, 2009, 07:48:14 PM
There's something really, really wrong with that.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kashan on November 21, 2009, 08:48:05 PM
There's something really, really wrong with that.
You're really selling that umlaut in your name. :mystery:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on November 21, 2009, 10:29:35 PM
Girlfriend is getting me Star Trek: The Blu-Ray and UP: The Blu-Ray.
Looking forward to watching THOSE again.
And I've had this BR Player for over a year now and haven't watched any rays, regardless of color.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on November 30, 2009, 08:53:39 PM
really, really wrong

Wikipedia article on Quentin Tarantino (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Tarantino)




...non-mocking response: yeah, that's kinda the point.  It's a propaganda film about propaganda films.  It's an over-the-top good-and-evil story with no in-between; you're supposed to root for the bad guys and hiss at the soulless monsters who deserve the violent deaths they get -- and then realize how expertly you've just been manipulated.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on December 01, 2009, 12:44:54 PM
oh no pagebreak

really, really wrong

Wikipedia article on Quentin Tarantino (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Tarantino)




...non-mocking response: yeah, that's kinda the point.  It's a propaganda film about propaganda films.  It's an over-the-top good-and-evil story with no in-between; you're supposed to root for the bad guys and hiss at the soulless monsters who deserve the violent deaths they get -- and then realize how expertly you've just been manipulated.

Kind of what made Starship Troopers rule so hard.

Love movies like that, the ones that rile you up into some kind of bullshit good/bad action movie premise, let you enjoy the violence, and make it plainly apparent how much you've got to twist reality to make it work.

You pick up on the manipulation, you understand the sort of rousing idealism that brought it about, and you get the enjoy the farce. That's A+ satire in my book.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on December 01, 2009, 03:26:22 PM
I can dig Starship Troopers because I know it's not based on a war that, you know, actually happened.

Quite honestly I'm not comfortable with the premise behind the film. It takes away the moral high-ground of WWII era Jews. I suppose if the group was a mixed bunch of rag-tag archetypes rather than all-jewish, It would be different.

If Tarantino really wanted to court controversy he could have made the Basterds as Palestinian Muslims killing and scalping Jews in Cold War-era Israel.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on December 01, 2009, 04:13:48 PM
Yeah, because the Jews that run Hollywood would love that.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on December 01, 2009, 04:32:16 PM
Yeah, because the Jews that run Hollywood would love that.

omg the jews run everything

YES I KNOW TA ISN'T SERIOUS
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on December 01, 2009, 05:16:50 PM
(http://www.smbc-comics.com/comics/20091015.gif)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on December 06, 2009, 11:25:48 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo-gGes6qig

[spoiler]Apparently this is real and finished and out in the wild somewhere.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on December 06, 2009, 12:25:49 PM
... why were the buildings bleeding?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on December 06, 2009, 01:02:31 PM
BECAUSE IT IS AWESOME TO HAVE BLOOD!!! ::(:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on December 08, 2009, 06:45:27 PM
Kind of what made Starship Troopers rule so hard.

That and being pretty much a straight-up parody of the novel.

I can dig Starship Troopers because I know it's not based on a war that, you know, actually happened.

Well, Vietnam.

Quite honestly I'm not comfortable with the premise behind the film. It takes away the moral high-ground of WWII era Jews. I suppose if the group was a mixed bunch of rag-tag archetypes rather than all-jewish, It would be different.

Brad Pitt's not Jewish.

If Tarantino really wanted to court controversy he could have made the Basterds as Palestinian Muslims killing and scalping Jews in Cold War-era Israel.

He didn't.  It's less controversial than a WWII-era Bugs Bunny cartoon.

This kinda reminds me of a post I saw on the MST3K Info Club site a few weeks back.  The Rifftrax version of Titanic was announced, and a commenter said it's poor taste to make fun of the Titanic because a bunch of people died.  Kinda misses the point.

Anyway.  Remember that long thread where people argued about how that Seth Rogen movie made a rape joke?  I didn't participate in that one, because I don't make a habit of telling people how offended I am by a movie I haven't seen.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on January 12, 2010, 11:23:35 AM
World's Greatest Dad and The Snake are both comedies about the most reprehensible people on the Earth.  One's directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, the other is a cheap little indie that didn't get theatrical distribution.  See if you can tell the difference!  They're both pretty funny, and both available on Netflix Instant Watch.

(I'd actually recommend going into World's Greatest Dad as cold turkey as possible, though.  Just click play, don't even read the synopsis.)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on January 14, 2010, 02:29:21 PM
World's Greatest Dad

That was fucked up.  S+ would take advice again.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Miss Cat Ears on January 17, 2010, 12:53:14 PM
(I'd actually recommend going into World's Greatest Dad as cold turkey as possible, though.  Just click play, don't even read the synopsis.)
We did this and were thoroughly shocked.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on January 17, 2010, 05:47:15 PM
Little did we know, [spoiler]it was all just a ruse to make us see Robin Williams' penis.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 22, 2010, 09:30:28 PM
Continuing my Classic Movies I've Never Seen for Some Reason: Soylent Green.

It is a fantastic fucking movie and its reputation is well-deserved.  Well-written, well-acted, and well-shot.  In some ways it's actually a better adaptation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? than Blade Runner is -- where Blade Runner presented a slick, cool future, Soylent Green evokes Dick's scorched dystopia.  Desperation and want permeate the film, with the characters sweating in nearly every scene.  In point of fact, it's bleaker than the Do Androids? future, as that one had flying cars, off-world escape, virtual worlds, androids, and electric sheep.  Soylent Green shows a world that barely has electricity or running water.

While, as with most "futuristic" SF, it's easy to point out technology that Soylent Green failed to foresee (no Internet, no cell phones, not even a single compact fluorescent bulb), tonally it could have been made today.  A desperate and destitute populace on an environmentally devastated world, in the thrall of a single massive corporation and the politicians it's bought.  Yeah, those particular concerns haven't exactly dimmed over the years.

All that and it's a slick noir murder mystery -- even though you know how it ends.

Of course, there's a fridge moment to it all, and that's that a coverup on that scale would simply be impossible.  There are trucks going into the factory dropping off bodies, and there are trucks coming out of the factory with Soylent Green.  Forget Simonson, every single driver working for the company would have to have CIA-level security clearance.  And even then, SOMEbody would say something to someone, even if only to advise his own family not to eat the stuff.

That's rather a nitpick, though, on a brilliant and memorable film.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on January 22, 2010, 09:44:13 PM
I doubt it's very hard to convince people to keep a secret when the secret they're keeping is "we make people like you disappear".


...wait, that was the whole point of the movie, wasn't it?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on January 23, 2010, 06:29:13 AM
Well, as a small concession, I seem to recall that Soylent Green was the 'newest variety', so maybe that accounts for the fact that the fact hadn't trickled out yet.

Anyway, if the movie were to be remade, it'd be pretty easy to fix. Have the corpses transported to a separate building, but transferred via secret underground route that only a few have access to.

Blah blah blah rationalization, I love Soylent Green.

Bonus comedy points: In the luxury apartment, the game that woman's playing is Computer Space (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Space)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on January 24, 2010, 09:10:04 PM
I was watching Watchmen, and one of those niggling little questions popped into my head that I'm sure is answered somewhere in the comic: why did no one try to make a second Dr. Manhattan? I would imagine that at least a few people wouldn't mind being turned into demi-gods.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on January 24, 2010, 09:28:03 PM
I was thinking about that the other day. I imagined a world where everyone decided to become Dr. Manhattan, soonthereafter becoming bored with life on Earth and sauntering off into the cosmos, effectively ending the human race.

THAT WAS THE DOOMSDAY ALL ALONG
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on January 24, 2010, 09:43:21 PM
I was watching Watchmen, and one of those niggling little questions popped into my head that I'm sure is answered somewhere in the comic: why did no one try to make a second Dr. Manhattan? I would imagine that at least a few people wouldn't mind being turned into demi-gods.

It's probably safe to assume that they did try, but never succeeded.  It wasn't presented as a guaranteed thing, but rather a total fluke.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Burrito Al Pastor on January 24, 2010, 09:43:52 PM
I saw "Moon" the other day. I liked it.

[spoiler]I don't know if this is intentional or if I'm just paranoid about twists, but it felt like the whole thing was an extensive lampshade on sci-fi movies with twists. Like how it's a twist for a helpful AI robot to actually be really and truly helpful and not secretly evil. Spoiler tagged because "there are no twists" is a spoiler.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on January 24, 2010, 09:47:50 PM
I was watching Watchmen, and one of those niggling little questions popped into my head that I'm sure is answered somewhere in the comic: why did no one try to make a second Dr. Manhattan? I would imagine that at least a few people wouldn't mind being turned into demi-gods.

Uh I don't remember the movie but the book was really specific about covering that question.  The truth is a lot of people tried to recreate the Dr. Manhattan accident, especially the Russians.  It's theorized that Osterman was only able to "survive" because he had an inherent understanding of the way things "fit together" (being a watchmaker's son), and so was able to basically reconstruct himself after being torn apart.  Which carries the spooky connotation that the less fortunate "attemptees" that came later didn't actually die, but wound up as immortal scattered consciousnesses.  So yeah you can see why they gave up on it after a while.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on January 24, 2010, 09:56:43 PM
I saw "Moon" the other day. I liked it.

[spoiler]I don't know if this is intentional or if I'm just paranoid about twists, but it felt like the whole thing was an extensive lampshade on sci-fi movies with twists. Like how it's a twist for a helpful AI robot to actually be really and truly helpful and not secretly evil. Spoiler tagged because "there are no twists" is a spoiler.[/spoiler]

Yeah, that was pretty much my thought exactly.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on January 24, 2010, 10:40:02 PM
I kind of saw it as a very realistic falling out of a very specific sci-fi concept. I didn't necessarily like Moon's story that much, but I can't really fault it but to say I wish it had something happen to perk my interest. It was a weirdly linear movie.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 25, 2010, 09:32:44 PM
Anyway, if the movie were to be remade, it'd be pretty easy to fix. Have the corpses transported to a separate building, but transferred via secret underground route that only a few have access to.

Yeah, I was thinking that.  Even another factory a block over would seem reasonable for a corporation that's so big it's pretty much running the world.

Maybe say that Soylent also owns and operates the penal system and used death row inmates to construct the tunnels.

...you know, I WAS left with the lingering question of "What happens next?"  I'm cynical enough to assume that Thorn dies, there's a coverup, and that's the end of that -- the Exchange can't produce any evidence and either doesn't push the investigation, or does and winds up looking crazy.  One way or another, it's all rather moot -- the world's clearly pretty much fucked at this point anyway; it's just a question of how much dignity humanity retains on its way out.

However, if we're going to go for hypothetical remake:

A remake can't end where the original does; everybody already knows the twist ending.  (I never saw the remake of Stepford Wives, but obviously it faced the same problem.)  So, the movie goes on another 10 minutes or so.  Maybe Thorn lives, maybe he dies -- one way or another, he's gotten the Exchange the proof it needs.  They take it to the UN, or to the US courts, or wherever...

...and nothing happens.  Either the courts don't think the evidence is strong enough, or decide that no crime has been committed, or Congress (bought, naturally, by Soylent) legalizes Soylent Green, with the rationalization that many more people will die without it, and won't you think of the children?  There are protests, and boycotts, but ultimately, the majority of people just don't care.

There, that's MY depressing-as-hell ending to a hypothetical remake.

Also: this movie has arguably the most effective use of stock footage and public-domain music I've ever seen.  The Home scene is absolutely haunting; it really hammers home what the world has lost...and it's accomplished with so little.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Envy on February 02, 2010, 03:42:30 PM
Got two movies from netflix. Zombieland and Brotherhood of the Wolf. Watched zombie land and it's pretty much  :perfect:. Will probably watch Brotherhood when I can pay attention.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: McDohl on February 03, 2010, 07:24:52 PM
Brotherhood is long, but awesome.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on February 12, 2010, 12:54:01 AM
Holy shit guys.
Holy shit.

Watched "Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths" and I have a few comments.
1. Animation took a little to get used to.
2. A few of the voices seemed a bit off, most notably Batman.
3. JESUSFUCKINGCHRISTJAMESWOODSOWLMANISTHEBESTDAMNTHINGINTHISMOVIE

Yes. The movie stars a Nihilist Owlman voiced by James Woods. The voice fits the character perfectly and I love how he looks.
 :perfect:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on March 02, 2010, 10:18:01 AM
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is now available to stream or on DVD through Netflix. You now no longer have an excuse to not watch it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on March 02, 2010, 10:58:06 AM
Nah, I'd still like to wait a year or two.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Envy on March 15, 2010, 10:27:09 PM
Boondock Saints 2 is pretty rad
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on March 24, 2010, 06:33:41 PM
I wouldn't have thought it was possible to make a movie that would make Twilight look competently told with decent acting, but then New Moon comes along and changes everything.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on March 24, 2010, 07:37:26 PM
Seriously, TA? I had no idea. I was totally going to rent New Moon, maybe invite over a few of my football buddies, see if I could borrow my neighbor's big screen TV, and throw one hell of a New Moon kegger. But now that I know that you didn't enjoy it, TA, I may have to rethink my plans.

IT'S FUCKING NEW MOON
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on March 24, 2010, 08:39:10 PM
I was totally going to rent New Moon, maybe invite over a few of my football buddies, see if I could borrow my neighbor's big screen TV, and throw one hell of a New Moon kegger.

You should actually do this.  The whole series is the kind of awful that is utterly hilarious.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on March 24, 2010, 10:42:28 PM
YEAHHHH![url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mznsEcZlM2I] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mznsEcZlM2I)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on March 24, 2010, 10:49:49 PM
New Moon makes Twilight look competent.  Think about that.  Think about that.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on March 25, 2010, 03:26:47 AM
I like how Robert Pattinson is mostly in it to troll the fans.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lobst on March 25, 2010, 12:43:10 PM
(I'd actually recommend going into World's Greatest Dad as cold turkey as possible, though.  Just click play, don't even read the synopsis.)

Did this!  [spoiler]On one hand, it's an interesting story about how someone's death can legitimately improve the lives of those that surrounded him.  On the other, it's a Frasier story where a guy makes his life revolve around a big, obvious lie -- where the sensible option would've been to write a suicide note that reads "Life is gay" and lay low until the issue is out of everybody's minds.[/spoiler]

Still, it was interesting!  And he's right about the synopsis part; it spoils the fuck out of the catalyzing moment that occurs only after the film has firmly established itself, Truman Show-style.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on March 30, 2010, 01:54:24 PM
Okay, it's not really movies, but as far as T.V. goes, this week's on demand update for Netflix was, like, the best ever (http://www.dvdsnapshot.com/2010Ethan/Editorials/internettelevision.html).
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on April 03, 2010, 09:23:01 AM
Oh shiiiii

Watch all of Coupling. I am dead serious.

It is pure genius.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on April 03, 2010, 10:35:33 AM
I'll second that; Coupling is really great.

Breasts!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on April 03, 2010, 11:03:23 AM
I'm watching basically everything on there. The Riches I loved but was only able to see the first season and half the second on the original run. Firefly I've only seen a few episodes of. Angel I like 'cause I'm a loser. 24 I've actually never seen. Arrested Development could be watched on repeat for like forever.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on April 03, 2010, 11:24:26 AM
Dammit Ryg just skip all the bullshit and go right for Coupling

This is an EXECUTIVE ORDER from the PRESIDENT (of being v. handsome [me])
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on April 03, 2010, 11:59:56 AM
Don't blame me, I voted for Kazz.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on April 03, 2010, 01:31:21 PM
Yeah, I watched one or two episodes of Coupling every night until I got through it and it is A+ Quality.

Even the last season remains pretty okay despite the tragic lack of Jeff.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on April 04, 2010, 08:07:15 PM
I'll second that; Coupling is really great.

Breasts!

...I referenced this episode in the Doctor Who thread just now, before reading this thread.

Because it is a great example of Moffat's knack for time travel stories.  Even though there is no time travel in it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on April 04, 2010, 10:02:50 PM
Oh hey also because of iPad talk in the other thread and this is the closest thing we have to a Netflix thread anyway: surprise announcement the other day of an iPad Netflix app that allows for streaming your instant-watch queue, with a next-day post saying that they're working on the iPhone/iTouch version.  Being able to watch my instant-watch queue and hopefully pause/resume it with the usual functionality is fucking HUGE for me.  I haven't actually tried to resume watching a movie on my computer that I was streaming via my PS3 or anything since I've had no real need to (and probably should try just for giggles), but if I can be watching something at home, have to leave, and resume watching while waiting for an oil change or some shit a little while later, that is basically The Best.  It seriously took the iPad from "I don't give a shit" to "hot damn that is something I would actually use" to "I don't give a shit doubly now that they're going to bring this to the device I already own too."

Now I just have to pray it works over 3G.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on April 04, 2010, 10:29:38 PM
Unfortunately streaming doesn't work like that. If you're watching something through one medium the other one wont even recognized that you've watched it, save it showing up in your recently watched list. What this does mean however is that you can buy like 50 itouches and play all your favorite shows and movies while rubbing them over your naked body and laugh maniacally.

Oh, it also means my mom can watch something on my PS3 while I'm watching something on my computer and my sister can watch something in her apartment all on one account.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on April 05, 2010, 07:39:39 AM
WELL THEN MAYBE THEY'LL MAKE IT WORK THAT WAY
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on April 06, 2010, 09:05:03 PM
If you're watching something through one medium the other one wont even recognized that you've watched it, save it showing up in your recently watched list.

You sure?  I could swear I'd watched an episode of Doctor Who in the stuttery beta player on Mac and then rebooted in Windows to resume at the next one in a player that worked better.

Unfortunately streaming doesn't work like that.

Now that part kind of baffles me.  What does the fact that you're streaming it have to do with being able to resume from the same spot a couple of days later?  Either your position is stored server-side or it's stored client-side; the stream doesn't stay queued up when you close the window.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on April 06, 2010, 09:39:08 PM
 :shrug:

I have no idea. Maybe the mac thingy and Silverlight share cache? I have no idea, except for that's how it seems to work. I've watched half a movie on my computer then gone to my PS3 and had to manually track through it. Admittedly I've never seriously tested in reverse, but I know my mom and I can watch the exact same thing on two viewers at the same time, so I have to assume there's no cross-platform position memory.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on April 06, 2010, 09:42:16 PM
Back on topic for a second, read the copy for Paper Heart, you might like it. I honestly have no idea how I feel about the movie. Definitely not a favorite, but it was enjoyable. Your mileage may vary.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on April 20, 2010, 01:19:47 PM
Bought Dickie Roberts,  Bubba Ho-tep, Scary Movie 3 (for a friend. I have bad taste, but not that bad), and Jingle All the Way today for $12. Was considering buying the Bill and Ted movies because I do not own them on DVD, just digitally and on VHS. I left them at the store because if I bought them, some one else couldn't
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on April 20, 2010, 02:25:31 PM
That is the most noble story I have ever read!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on May 18, 2010, 04:41:46 PM
Bought Seasons one and two of Get Smart. That's 60 episodes for $26.
I am quite pleased with my purchase. Quite pleased in deed.
Wal-mart has been getting in shittons of old stuff lately. Debating going back to get some other shows. Apparently they have the Munsters
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: James Edward Smith on May 18, 2010, 05:42:45 PM
I saw this movie the other day called Code 46. I've never heard of it before, but it's a British movie made in 2003 that starred Tim Robbins and the actress who played the main "pre-cog" in Minority Report playing an other spaced out chick with a shaved head only not nearly as spaced out and her hair's sort of grown back a little so she just looks like a BBC newscaster.

It's not an amazing movie or anything, but it has this really cool post millenium British film making sensibility and a sort of reallife murkiness feel to it that I really dug.

The setting and storyline are sort of like if you took Children of Men or maybe Blade Runner and mixed it with Lost in Translation at about a 1:2 ratio.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on May 20, 2010, 06:09:51 PM
About a Boy is a pretty great flick! Thoroughly enjoyed.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Frocto on May 20, 2010, 06:13:50 PM
WHAT'S HOT: Ghost Dog.

WHAT'S NOT: Law Abiding Citizen
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: François on May 20, 2010, 06:17:17 PM
Ghost Dog is the best movie about an obsessive japanophile there ever was and ever will be.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on May 20, 2010, 06:49:13 PM
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c256/saori_saga/Street%20Fighter/sodomprof.gif) "I've patterned my whole life around it, desu! Forest Whitaker-san is my hero."
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Myew on May 24, 2010, 11:15:54 PM
I like how Robert Pattinson is mostly in it to troll the fans.





Movies for home viewing are great for a family that you join by watching a movie inside your home together with your kids, that everybody will enjoy, a great bonding with the family. And choose a movie that everybody will agree. A movie that is so exciting, like the twilight that the main character is Robert Pattinson. :shrug:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Frocto on May 25, 2010, 01:54:13 AM
I don't want to get rid of this one.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on May 25, 2010, 06:34:05 AM
...Myew?

Edit: I totally remember the difference between an IRC chatbot and the Brentai of an old forum.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on May 25, 2010, 06:36:31 AM
Yeah I want to keep this guy around. Renaming him Myew.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on May 25, 2010, 06:40:33 AM
Oh, I've been meaning to update this for a while.
:shrug:

I have no idea. Maybe the mac thingy and Silverlight share cache? I have no idea, except for that's how it seems to work. I've watched half a movie on my computer then gone to my PS3 and had to manually track through it. Admittedly I've never seriously tested in reverse, but I know my mom and I can watch the exact same thing on two viewers at the same time, so I have to assume there's no cross-platform position memory.
There was a change to the system a decent while ago, now it's exactly this. I don't know about portables, specifically, but from Wii to PS3 to computer it updates recently watched info, picks up in the same spots you left off from any medium.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Shinra on June 22, 2010, 03:20:27 PM
The wife and I finally got around to seeing the Princess and the Frog. I don't have much to say other than "most heroic firefly death ever" and also viking funeral
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on June 27, 2010, 02:45:27 PM
By the way guys working in a video store means I can watch stuff a few days before it comes out.



Percy Jackson And the Olympians: The Lightning Thief aka Aquaman Goes Cross-Country

Apart from being really bland, this movie is pretty dumb.

Off the top of my head:
-one of the properties of Medusa's head is creating an anti-fire shield. Never explained.
-A couple of guards are taken out using tranquilizer arrows. Arrows. Like from a crossbow.
-The Apple product placement is hilarious. An iPod Touch is a crucial prop in one scene.
-In one scene the Satyr dances on-stage to Lady Gaga.
-It is eventually revealed that Percy's mom married a sleazebag because he smells so bad that it overpowers potential threats' ability to smell Percy's demigod blood, thus protecting him.


I don't think I wouldn't have disliked the film so much if it weren't also blandly offensive. Like most of the worst attempts at escapist fantasy, it takes a real problem and clears it up with the stupidest possible resolution.

Your friend who can't walk without crutches? He's really a satyr! He's only in crutches so nobody notices his freaky Torgo legs!
Your teacher in the wheelchair? He's actually a centaur who's just been hiding his real form!
You have dyslexia and can't read? That's just because your demigod brain is hard-wired for ancient Greek and not English!
That's not ADHD you have, that's just fighting reflexes!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on June 27, 2010, 05:43:05 PM
I liked the books as a frivolous diversion but the movie was pretty lackluster.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on June 27, 2010, 07:30:39 PM
I don't think I wouldn't have disliked the film so much if it weren't also blandly offensive. Like most of the worst attempts at escapist fantasy, it takes a real problem and clears it up with the stupidest possible resolution.

Your friend who can't walk without crutches? He's really a satyr! He's only in crutches so nobody notices his freaky Torgo legs!
Your teacher in the wheelchair? He's actually a centaur who's just been hiding his real form!
You have dyslexia and can't read? That's just because your demigod brain is hard-wired for ancient Greek and not English!
That's not ADHD you have, that's just fighting reflexes!

To be fair, most teen fiction has been doing this for a century (or a lot longer, depening on how you choose to interpret things).

Of course, stupid wish-fulfillment/self-insertion fantasies are dumb no matter how old they are.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on June 27, 2010, 08:05:01 PM
This took it to hilarious new extremes though. I half-expect the sequel to introduce a kid whose down syndrome turns out to be time powers.


The Crazies was a pretty good but instantly forgettable film. It's a good way to not waste two hours if you have nothing to do.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on June 27, 2010, 10:01:55 PM
Arrows. Like from a crossbow.

Crossbows shoot bolts.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on June 27, 2010, 10:13:44 PM
Or quarrels.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Fredward on June 27, 2010, 11:17:24 PM
and if shot from an undersized crossbow, one could reasonably call them 'petty quarrels'

 :glee:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: McDohl on June 28, 2010, 06:29:45 AM
Ow.  That hurt.
Title: Re: Movies in the Theater
Post by: Mothra on June 28, 2010, 06:30:40 AM
Good sweet lord Transformers 2 is a terrible movie. It's like the longest, most expensive filler ever produced.
Title: Re: Re: Movies in the Theater
Post by: Niku on June 28, 2010, 06:59:00 AM
it took me three goddamn sittings to force my way through it.
Title: Re: Re: Movies in the Theater
Post by: Catloaf on June 28, 2010, 07:51:49 AM
Good sweet lord Transformers 2 is a terrible movie. It's like the longest, most expensive filler ever produced.

Most expensive sure, but longest!?  Really!?!  There must be quite a few shounen manga turned anime that have filler arcs that take far longer than 3 hours to read or watch.
Title: Re: Re: Movies in the Theater
Post by: Brentai on June 28, 2010, 08:17:45 AM
Time dilation is an amazing sensation.
Title: Re: Re: Movies in the Theater
Post by: Büge on June 28, 2010, 09:03:06 AM
Good sweet lord Transformers 2 is a terrible movie. It's like the longest, most expensive filler ever produced.

Most expensive sure, but longest!?  Really!?!  There must be quite a few shounen manga turned anime that have filler arcs that take far longer than 3 hours to read or watch.

Dragonball Z doesn't even bother with arcs.
Title: Re: Re: Movies in the Theater
Post by: Mongrel on June 28, 2010, 09:31:15 AM
Sure they do, they're just called 'moves'.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on June 29, 2010, 03:03:37 PM
The point about the crossbow thing is that there was that they were probably the most dangerous "non-lethal" option they could have gone with.


Dracula (1931 original) is pretty great, although its opening is easily the strongest part. It's also noticeably slow and nearly totally devoid of music, which largely adds to the creepy atmosphere. The sets are gorgeous and I'd love to see sme colour photos of them.
I love how Van Helsing is basically a completely different character in every version of the Dracula story. In this one he's pretty much just Dumbledore from Harry Potter.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on July 03, 2010, 04:44:57 AM
ITT teg bein' all up on top of the times by watching movies several decades before her time

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) is basically perfect.


I think the reason why practical effects are coming back in style recently is because, while everyone and their dog knows at least the basic principles behind CG, I can look back at old movies like this and legitimately think "how the hell did they do that?"
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on July 03, 2010, 05:48:24 AM
I rewatched this with my dad a couple weeks back, as well as the making-of. Evidently they made two different Gort suits, one with the zipper in front and one with it on back. The saucer itself was also basically half a saucer, with the backside all 2x4's sticking the thing up.

It then proceeds to interview the kid who played Bobby and it all gets significantly lesson engaging.

Good watch as ever, though. My favorite guy is still the ambassador for the U.S., Harley. Dude is just completely honest:

Mr. Harley: Your impatience is quite understandable.

Klaatu: I'm impatient with stupidity. My people have learned to live without it.

Mr. Harley: I'm afraid my people haven't. I'm very sorry... I wish it were otherwise.

ALSO

I never got this before, likely because I was only paying half-attention in the past, but Gort is Klaatu's master, isn't he? They give their robots full authority over them to destroy violence wherever it appears. Their solution was essentially to allow themselves to be dominated by an artificially altruistic force.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on July 03, 2010, 06:54:47 AM
I think the reason why practical effects are coming back in style recently is because, while everyone and their dog knows at least the basic principles behind CG, I can look back at old movies like this and legitimately think "how the hell did they do that?"

Just like the Pyramids!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on July 03, 2010, 11:56:20 AM
I watched Tiimer a while ago, long enough ago to forget any details that would help you decide on it, but I recommend it. Not highly but like, if you have Netflix and some time to kill it's at the top of that list.



This week trapped more-or-less without internet I finally got around to watching Crash and what the fuck, society? Why was this the greatest movie ever that everyone jerked off over when it came out? Now, I know this movie isn't old enough to be spoiler-immune but it's well watched enough for me to not bother with tags, so keep that in mind.

First off and most minor, the car accidents had basically nothing to do with the movie. I can't think of a single event in the movie that required the car accidents, they could have been any other thing in the world and you have the exact same movie without any other editing. For this reason I have renamed the movie Don't you Feel Like a Douche? and I feel that makes a lot more sense for this story. Okay, now to get into the specifics. I'll describe each character using one word and I guarantee anyone reading this will know who I'm talking about as soon as they read it.
I would use their names, but that would require I care enough to remember. Actually, the only character I cared about was Mexican, and we only meet him to move two other character plots forward. He has what, two scenes? ShucknJive was a fun character I guess, but only because that term makes me giggle every time I think of it. There were some other people too, but they didn't matter because we had racist and he was the entire plot. Racism, not to be confused with the character, was the entire plot by the way. In case you didn't notice. That's cool I guess, it's totally topical and no one has ever heard that LA is racist, so I'm glad the word got out on that.
Really the only thing to watch it for is that it does make good on Chekhov's gun and it gets points for that. Even the Shamalamadingdong-esque tweeeests were weak, though. More "The Happening" then "The Sixth Sense". I mean, if you didn't realize the bullets were blanks as soon as Mexican got in a fight with Muslim you weren't paying any attention. I can't really fault you for that though. It was nice how they do manage to tie everything together, but once I went through my dad's DVDs I moved on to my little sister's books and Dear Dumb Diary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Dumb_Diary) did a better job of that.

tl;dr: DyFLaD is pretty good I guess. I wouldn't buy it, I wouldn't choose it over... much, but it's watchable. It didn't deserve half the reception it got but I guess you get enough names people recognize together and critics will just Shuck 'n Jive.



hehehe
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on July 03, 2010, 01:26:24 PM
I was confused for a moment, but then I realized you were talking about Crash: Thirty Two Short Films About Racist Pig Cop Pulp Fiction and not Crash: The Only Way These People Could Get More Perverted Is If They Were Wearing Fursuits.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on July 03, 2010, 01:29:14 PM
I saw that one shortly after the newer one came out and made the same mistake. I was even more disappointed in humanity then.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on July 03, 2010, 01:33:24 PM
The fun part is trying to figure out which director was masturbating harder while making it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on July 04, 2010, 11:32:16 AM
Plan 9 From Outer Space doesn't really deserve its reputation as "the worst film of all time". Plenty of films have been more poorly made, and Plan 9 is at least unintentionally uproarious.

I mean, that guy knocking over the tombstone? Hilarious.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on July 04, 2010, 11:34:19 AM
Yeah, saw the live Rifftrax of this a couple months back. It's definitely abysmal, but it's entertaining as the dickens, which is a lot more than I can say for most movies of its era.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on July 04, 2010, 12:56:22 PM
I never quite got that either, but I wasn't alive when Ed Wood was trying to push it on people.  I imagine at some point he took out an ad in every magazine reading "ED WOOD IS GOING TO MAKE YOU HIS BITCH", which is generally the quickest way to achieve everlasting notoriety.

At the very least you can't tell me it's worse than The Begotten (http://www.viddler.com/explore/Frocto/videos/24/)* though.


* NSFW in case you didn't know.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on July 05, 2010, 02:59:55 AM
It's mostly that it's the most overt B-movie ever made. I mean it's got flying saucers and vampires and zombies thrown into the same premise.

Usually when folks are calling it the worst movie ever, they just mean it's the ultimate B-movie.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Fredward on July 05, 2010, 03:40:35 AM
You're Tearing Me Apart, Lisa! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plz-bhcHryc#)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on July 07, 2010, 10:45:51 AM
So now that I've watched the original, I'm watching The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008 version).

Okay, the original is a tough act to follow. It's basically perfect and very difficult to modernize. But you can't just shoehorn your own message into an existing script. You just can't. Like the original, the military serves as the primary antagonist, yet the plot tells us that they're not the antagonist. Generally speaking, a film comes off as really incongruous if your characters literally have to tell the audience what the problem is.
This bizarre compromise between the more relevant new additions and adherence to the original story is what really ruins this for me, simply because it's not well thought-out.

Why was there another alien? He doesn't tell Klaatu anything he couldn't have learned from a human character, and Klaatu seems to completely disregard him anyway.
Why does Klaatu want to deliver a message to the UN if he's just going to wipe out humanity afterward?
Why has nobody been noticing the spheres if they've been coming to Earth for decades?
Why does Gort respond to violence if it's indestructible? Anti-violence isn't the message of the film anymore, and it responds to being attacked even when it's not protecting Klaatu.
Why does the government bother covering up Klaatu's escape? The entire Earth knows there is an alien. Every single time somebody turns on a TV the news programs are either showing something about the alien landing or a mysteriously high-priority "escaped convict." You would think somebody would put two and two together.

None of it really makes a lot of sense. and in the end, the deviations from the original are pretty brutal. There's no speech to the UN. There's no Klaatu Barada Nikto. The Earth doesn't stand still*. Everything has been gutted and replaced with grim seriousness and an uncharacteristic amount of violence from Klaatu and Gort.
As a movie, it's an okay film filled with plot holes. As a remake, it really doesn't have much to do with the source material.


*It's sort of kind of implied by the ending that Klaatu shut off the power, and there's mention of an oil shortage throughout the film, but there's no clear warning.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on July 07, 2010, 10:55:55 AM
Sounds like the film didn't even merit a "Whoa."
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Dooly on July 07, 2010, 05:08:44 PM
There's no Klaatu Barada Nikto.
Quote from: agonybooth.com/recaps/The_Day_the_Earth_Stood_Still_2008.aspx?Page=4
By the way, those bwort bwort bwort noises? That's Keanu Reeves saying the famous line, "Klaatu barada nikto", which was apparently inserted into the film at Reeves's insistence. I feel good knowing I'm not alone in totally not even noticing it—there's a whole article about it at Sci Fi Wire (http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=62682). It's so digitally altered (and with a backwards version played on top of the forwards version) that it's impossible to know it's there unless you've read about it on the Internet and are determined to hear it by sheer act of faith. That's how you separate the fanboys from the poseurs. "I heard klaatu barada nikto! The Voice of Keanu spoke to me, and I alone was witness!"
Oh, it's in there, but it's just completely gutted and meaningless.

EDIT: It turns out that the Sci Fi Wire article linked therein doesn't exist anymore.  Not my fault.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kashan on July 07, 2010, 05:45:54 PM
I'm torn, on one hand it's nice that Reeves realized the remake was kind of trampling on some of the important parts of the classic, on the other he still decided to be in the movie and I can't imagine that it wasn't obvious this movie sucked from the script.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on July 07, 2010, 05:52:24 PM
That remake is just completely unforgivable
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on July 08, 2010, 02:30:03 PM
Reeves makes a good emotionless alien, which would be entirely relevant if Klaatu weren't supposed to be so compassionate.
I mean, Klaatu is basically Jesus.


It would seem that I am making it my accidental mission to watch every major version of Dracula.

Nosferatu is even older than I thought it was, it would seem! It's a silent film, and like most silent films the dialogue is exceedingly sparse without the audience really noticing. The version I watched (the Kino version) was colourized in an extremely odd way: each scene is entirely one colour, with the colour indicating the intended lighting. Blue is for night scenes, yellow is daylight or lamplight, purples and reds are sunrise/sunset, etcetera. It all makes for a very surreal viewing experience. Some of the narrative doesn't really make a lot of sense (Despite being important plot points, it's never shown how Hutter got back from Transylvania before Orlok or how Knock became Orlok's slave), but there's a lot of atmosphere to the whole thing. I consider Count Orlok to be one of the most legitimately terrifying movie monsters because his design is so creepy, but I also like how much he differentiates from his Dracula roots. He spreads the plague rather than vampirism, and his downfall is entirely his own undoing rather than by the action of any of the human characters. And he's called "The Bird Of Death"! How cool is that.

Also, this movie is the origin of the good part of the Thriller dance. Really. Orlok does the pose and glides off in just one shot.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on July 08, 2010, 05:13:29 PM
In that Day the Earth Stood Still documentary thing I watched the director straight-up said that Klaatu was meant to be Jesus. It feels like that was kind of fashionable at the time, as I see it all over the damn place in 50's-60's sci-fi, but the way he said it was oddly evasive. It's kind of the same thing as Aslan from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - Lewis never admitted to it outright but through letters he wrote to folks that asked directly.

I never got why people hid this stuff. Maybe it had no meaning when they wrote it in but that the savior character fit?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on July 08, 2010, 06:21:39 PM
My best guess is that that sort of indulgent wankery isn't any less pathetic when it isn't a JRPG.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on July 08, 2010, 06:33:33 PM
Klaatu is a such a Christ symbol.  Hell, he adopts the name Carpenter and dies while trying to establish peace on Earth.  It's kind of central to what the character and the film are about.  That said, I prefer to pretend the line about ressurection being reserved for the Almighty spirit doesn't exist.  It's incongruous with the rest of the film, and was apparently inserted to make the censor happy.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: patito on July 08, 2010, 09:32:38 PM
You know, there's at least 3 movies where Keanu Reeves plays the role of Jesus, so I guess his casting on the remake was spot on at least.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on July 09, 2010, 06:40:48 AM
That said, I prefer to pretend the line about ressurection being reserved for the Almighty spirit doesn't exist.  It's incongruous with the rest of the film, and was apparently inserted to make the censor happy.

Yeah, this was mentioned as well. Again, he seemed evasive about the whole thing, so I got the feeling that while he didn't initially want the line in there, he didn't mind too much that it was inserted.

It just sucks because in one line he reveals that his hyper-advanced civilization still has religion, and it is evidently exactly the same as ours. It implies that they limit what they themselves attempt if it might seem like something abstractly not in their realm of power (resurrecting the dead). In sci-fi, especially then, it's a limiting factor on something that was supposed to open your mind.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on July 15, 2010, 04:56:20 PM
Continuing in my unintentional (now intentional) quest to watch every major version of Dracula.

Bram Stoker's Dracula aka the Francis Ford Coppola version:
Wow. Isn't this a director most people like? Isn't this a story most people like? What happened?
The film is an awful, disjointed mess. There is no focus. It schizophrenically switches back and forth between a period piece, a romance, and an action movie; with shades of everything else in-between. The scene transitions are rapid, unexpected, and make no sense. Two or three characters may act as narrators in a span of five minutes. Far too many characters are entirely forgettable but nonetheless won't go away (why does whatsherface need three boyfriends and why do all of them have to be introduced in less than a minute and then stay throughout the ENTIRE MOVIE?). The closest thing we have to a main character among the dozens of glorified bit parts is Dracula himself, and we can't keep track of him. He's prone to disappearing for long periods of time, and when he does show up you're not sure what he's going to look like. I counted at least seven humanoid forms, plus countless animals.
Blagh I'm sure some people love this movie so I'm just going to shut up. The effects are decent, at least, as are the costumes. If it just had more focus I might have loved it.

Blacula:
You know, if this weren't so grounded in the seventies, it would actually be a legitimately good addition to the Dracula story. The plot is sound and Mamuwaldi himself (who is only called Blacula once, by the way!) is surprisingly believable. The only problem is... well, it was the seventies. With a name like "Blacula" you can expect a lot of embarassing attempts at racial tension, even when it doesn't make a lot of sense (the two prominent police officers seem to be a good team except for the accusations of racism that come out of nowhere), and there's a wholly unnecessary amount of homophobia present. Also, most of the major characters spend literally every night at a disco and/or sport giant afros and ridiculous outfits.
It's a delicate mix of incredibly cringe-inducing and legitimately good. I guess that's pretty good for a blaxploitation film.

The Brave Little Toaster:
THERE GOES THE SUN
HERE COMES THE NIGHT
SOMEBODY TURN ON THE LIII-IIIGHT

I decided to watch this since I realized that I had never actually seen the whole thing. On the surface, there's some problems. The voice actors playing the humans are atrocious, some of the character designs seem poorly-planned, and a lot of the song lyrics seem to have been determined by scrambling for words that rhyme ("he will put the voodoo in the stew"? What?) Underneath, though, it's a great film that tackles territory that kids' films don't dare to tread with a good deal of subtlety. I miss the days when Disney had the guts to make something like this. The film feels like an experiment to make the most basic, dehumanized characters ever (only Kirby has a name, the toaster and the blanket both have indeterminate genders, and the radio doesn't ever have a face), and then have the audience nonetheless feel for them while all these awful things happen to them.
Given that Toy Story 3 was very clearly inspired by this film's overwhelming sense of hopelessness and the fear of confronting one's own mortality, and how dark Disney seems to be getting lately*, I'd like to think that this film might get a bit more attention soon.
(secretly, I'd love to see a modern remake of this that fixes up the handful of issues I have with it)

*For one thing, there's Epic Mickey. For another, the rereleases this year include Dumbo, Fantasia, and The Black Cauldron; all infamous for scaring the shit out of kids. Plus, y'know, making their own horror imprint and getting Guillermo Del Fucking Toro to make a bunch of horror movies for kids.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on July 15, 2010, 04:58:22 PM
The Brave Little Toaster was Dracula?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on July 15, 2010, 05:07:25 PM
It's like a movie; it's a B-Movie show.


also you guys the Donnie Darko Blu-Ray is basically perfect. If you enjoy the film at all*, this is the version to get. It's incredibly cheap (I got it for nine bucks) and includes pretty much everything you could ever want concerning Donnie Darko.


*I like it because I'm the kind of art school douchebag who loves films that use too many recurring themes
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on July 15, 2010, 06:32:14 PM
Also, most of the major characters spend literally every night at a disco and/or sport giant afros and ridiculous outfits.

This is not in fact a wholly inaccurate depiction of the late 70's
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on July 15, 2010, 08:00:25 PM
Wow. Isn't this a director most people like? Isn't this a story most people like? What happened?

Coppola either hits huge or misses huge.  Dracula in particular is bookmarked on one end by Jack and on the other by Godfather Part III and Captain EO.

As for the story, most people are bigger fans of Bela Lugosi's VLAH VLAH VLAH Dracula vs. the original Dracula, World's Worst Prospective Homebuyer.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on July 15, 2010, 09:52:52 PM
The Oldman Dracula was neither.  As I noted a couple years back (http://www.corporate-sellout.com/index.php/2008/11/04/halloween08-coppola-dracula/), he's pretty much Frank-N-Furter played straight.

I think Christopher Lee was probably the most straight-up version of the book's character (though the Hammer version of the story is the farthest off) of any version I've seen.

But I still haven't gotten around to the Langella version.  I really should, because I just love the career progression of Dracula -> Skeletor -> Nixon.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on July 17, 2010, 10:12:21 PM
Let the Right One In is eerie, engaging and morally ambiguous.  The story's premise is about an 11-year-old boy, Oskar, who meets a 12-year-old vampire, Eli, who has just moved into his apartment complex.  On the surface it's an inversion of vampire films, portraying the typical villains as innocent children and following their entanglement, while the victims are kept in the background, even as Eli slowly destroys their lives.

But it's in this way that director Tomas Alfredson explores the darkness of coming of age, the crossing over from childhood to brutal adulthood.  Out the outset of the film Oskar fantasies about using a knife to frighten, torture and kill the bullies who torment him at school.  When Eli shows up, it's almost as if the two have the rapport of sociopaths, and they find camaraderie in the alienation and anger they both have bubbling beneath the surface.  Even though she doesn't express the blunt evil of most movie vampires, Eli suffers no qualms or doubts about having to kill to feed, which is ironic considering the almost innocent way she conducts her relationship with Eli.  She barely even seems to be aware of the impact she has the lives of the loved ones of the victims, who grow to hate her even as she just considers them detritus in their need to feed.

The film works overall, mostly because of the sound design that leaves thing sparse and empty, as though great chasms exist between conversations and any noise could break the stability of the lives portrayed.  There is one scene around the middle, though, involving CGI cats that hits a kind of false note and was just too goofy for me to take seriously.  It was an attempt at something more action-oriented that just felt out of place with the slow, methodical nature of the film.  It also reminded me more than a little bit of Peter Jackson's Dead Alive.

I recommend seeing it if you want a tight, well made horror film.  It film definitely has moments, and while not especially challenging should delight and give several thrills.  Also, the America remake just looks balls nasty:

Let Me In International trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjavOLdPk1c#ws)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on July 18, 2010, 12:55:38 AM
So the two Wal-mart's in the area are selling a lot more movies lately. And apparently are having a bunch of sales. I bought a few blu-rays and a couple other movies for $5-15 a piece. And the complete Firefly collection for $20. So that's pretty sweet. A have a lot of stuff to watch, then, I guess.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on July 18, 2010, 01:23:56 PM
I watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney version) the other day. It's a beautiful film. Definitely deserves its place among the great Disney animated movies. The sets are colourful and lushly painted and the characters are all well-designed. There are a few things in particular I'd like to address. First of all, Best Villain Song Ever. All of the songs in the movie are great, but Hellfire is the crown jewel. Tony Jay is surely serenading angels in heaven with that one. Second, if they'd gotten rid of the gargoyles, the film would have been twice as good. The sidekick problem also drags down Mulan and Hercules. Third, they seem to build up a romance between Quasimodo and Esmerelda and then toss it aside. I don't understand why. But that does lead to my fourth point: Quasimodo fits so many nerd stereotypes it's scary. He's a lonely shut-in that builds miniatures, is mocked by outsiders and ends up friendzoned by a pretty girl. High school flashbacks aside, it's a good movie.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: McDohl on July 18, 2010, 02:03:50 PM
Yeah, I'm totally gay for that movie, Buge.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on July 19, 2010, 04:19:25 PM
I watched Dead Alive. It's... in a league of it's own. Yeah.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on July 19, 2010, 05:04:26 PM
I KICK ASS FOR THE LORD!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on July 19, 2010, 05:39:12 PM
I watched Dead Alive. It's... in a league of it's own. Yeah.

At first I thought you said Dead or Alive, which also would have made sense.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on July 19, 2010, 06:28:24 PM
A Boy and His Dog is really fucking weird.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on July 19, 2010, 07:19:06 PM
A Boy and His Dog is really fucking weird.
Yes
I watched Dead Alive. It's... in a league of it's own. Yeah.
yes
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on July 19, 2010, 07:21:35 PM
I keep thinking about the over-embalming scene when I'm eating.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on July 31, 2010, 09:07:35 AM
Kick-Ass
Okay, so:
This movie is about furiously humping Quentin Tarantino's leg by seeing how many inappropriate musical accompaniments and obscure (but not TOO obscure!) popular culture references you can cram in wherever possible.

No, wait! This movie is about taking nobody knowing how to film a fucking action sequence so they take shakycam and slo-mo to their logical extreme by having an FPS sequence followed immediately by a sequence shot entirely under strobe light.

No, wait! It's a film about how some guy who buys a suit on EBAY and gets caught on video on an IPHONE that goes up on YOUTUBE and makes him famous so he sets up his superhero self on TWITTER and MYSPACE on his MACBOOK while he watches FAMILY GUY and talks about it on SKYPE and he gets to be with the girl he likes and they watch UGLY BETTY and read SHOUJO BEAT and SCOTT PILGRIM but oh no he's going to die and he'll never get to see the LOST finale but fortunately the day is saved by another thing someone else bought on EBAY.

No, wait! It's a movie about being internally inconsistent by being about a guy who decides to be a superhero even though he's totally average except okay he can't feel pain and his bones are mostly reinforced by metal plates and by the end he has a bazooka and a jetpack with gatling guns mounted onto it but he's still average you guys.

No, wait. Maybe it's just about piecing together things people like right now and not actually being a good movie.
Kick-Ass is not a good movie in 2010. It will be even worse in five years when nobody has a fucking clue what anyone's talking about.



...Also I really admire the way Big Daddy conceals his identity by making a single, professionally-crafted comic book adaptation of his own origin story, with his own likeness in it, and leaving it inside of his secret lair. Which he leaves unlocked. With the door open.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ziiro on July 31, 2010, 09:49:40 AM
The only redeemable feature about the movie is that it's the best role Nicolas Cage has ever played.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on July 31, 2010, 07:00:50 PM
he says he's channeling Adam West but I think he just forgot his lines
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on July 31, 2010, 08:33:20 PM
It works for Christopher Walken.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on August 01, 2010, 11:47:02 AM
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid was mostly a tedious after-school special with some ocassional "I would probably love this if I were ten" moments.
Oddly enough... it has a good soundtrack. There were at least three instances of "oh hey I recognize this song!"
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on August 12, 2010, 05:57:16 AM
wow, i hate everyone who has ever steered me away from watching 2012.  that shit was nonstop entertainment.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Rosencrantz on August 12, 2010, 09:36:50 AM
Somehow, I never heard of They Live until last month, and its turn on my Netflix queue finally came so I was able to watch it last night. Great movie. It seems to be considered "so bad its good", but apart from the overly long fistfight scene (and the classic bubblegum line), it was very solid to me.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Smiler on August 12, 2010, 09:41:16 AM
Put on the glasses.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on August 12, 2010, 10:05:42 AM
Here are a few simple rules to determine whether or not a movie is awesome

1. John Carpenter?
2. Keith David?

If yes, best movie
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on August 12, 2010, 10:07:30 AM
This rule also works with

1. John Carpenter?
2. Kurt Russell?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on August 12, 2010, 11:19:42 AM
This rule also works with

1. John Carpenter?
2. Kurt Russell?

Please tell me you mean both conditions must be met

Otherwise,
(http://www.flakmag.com/film/images/3kmtg.jpg)

Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: LaserBeing on August 12, 2010, 01:12:58 PM
the presence of Kevin Costner fucks up the calibration
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on August 19, 2010, 11:23:59 AM
The Invisible Man (1933) is goddamned fantastic. It's a pretty good movie on its own, but the special effects are perfect. I don't know how they did all this. It's also a lot funnier than you would expect.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on August 19, 2010, 03:29:13 PM
also "EVEN THE MOON IS AFRAID OF ME" is probably the most badass and over-the-top thing I've ever heard someone say in a film from the thirties.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on September 03, 2010, 08:39:05 PM
Bought four things today.
PuniPuniPoemy-$10
Up on Blu-ray-$15
Iron Giant -$5
Heavyweights-$5

Best part about up? Comes with the DVD, the bonus features Blu-ray, and the digital copy.
Worst part? Not knowing what to watch first tonight.


EDIT: Oh! And PuniPuniPoemy has a nice patch on there too
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Rosencrantz on September 03, 2010, 09:41:22 PM
Up on Blu-ray-$15
Iron Giant -$5

Two of my five favorite movies! Good choices.

Quote
Best part about up? Comes with the DVD, the bonus features Blu-ray, and the digital copy.

Especially cool (and surprising) considering that it's Disney.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on September 04, 2010, 05:30:05 PM
The worst part about Up and every other Disney Blu-Ray release?

It comes with all this shit I don't want for an extra premium on the price.  (Not eligible when you get it for $15 ofc)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: SCD on September 04, 2010, 06:05:12 PM
So I watched Kick Ass.  Yes, as Teg pointed out, there are flaws just like in most action movies (Expendables, anyone?)

It's a brainless action film, and has inspired me for design of IPSC stages from the hit girl and big daddy scenes.  Pure escapism, and fun.  But only if you take the stick out of your ass, and not just suspend your disbelief.  You'll need to send it to mars for this one.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on September 08, 2010, 08:32:04 PM
Quote
Best part about up? Comes with the DVD, the bonus features Blu-ray, and the digital copy.

Especially cool (and surprising) considering that it's Disney.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that's Disney's standard MO now.

Because it's the only way they can get people to buy Blu-Rays.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: SCD on September 09, 2010, 05:44:30 PM
Death Proof:  Got some redneck to watch it.  Most of the movie is pure torture, but the moral and the ending were brilliant.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on September 10, 2010, 06:19:54 PM
Planet Terror is about 10000000000000 times better.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on September 10, 2010, 06:47:06 PM
And the trailers were about 10000000000000000000000000 times better than either movie.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on September 10, 2010, 06:57:49 PM
But by that math Machete will be...
 :pop:
My God
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on September 11, 2010, 06:47:06 AM
Now if only we could get this one made into a full length movie:

Werewolf Women of the S.S. Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLcmAwBJgng#ws)

I mean 1:28, come on.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on September 11, 2010, 08:26:40 AM
Man, if they're gonna fuckin' make Machete, they better make that too.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on September 11, 2010, 11:14:50 AM
Best part of the trailers was dipping out to go to the bathroom right after Planet Terror, not knowing about them, and coming back in to someone fucking a turkey.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on October 15, 2010, 06:00:32 PM
Finally got around to seeing Up last night.  I don't know.  It feels like Pixar made this incredible and agonizingly beautiful animated short, and then some fucking automaton from corporate saw it and demanded that they pad it out with about an hour of formulaic buddy-movie bullshit so they could sell tickets.

The oppressive mediocrity of the film's second act doesn't mar the wonderfulness of the first - it's that good - but I'm still a little pissed off about it, on principle.  It's like somebody just showed me an Imperial Faberge Egg, but with a bunch of colored soup cans tied to it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on October 15, 2010, 09:55:18 PM
I liked the third act in spite of my cynicism. Maybe that counts for something.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Detonator on October 16, 2010, 05:40:29 AM
Well, I didn't "dislike" any part of the movie.  Yeah, the beginning was stronger than the middle, but that didn't drag down my opinion of the movie as a whole.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kazz on October 16, 2010, 07:08:42 AM
I liked the third act in spite of my cynicism. Maybe that counts for something.

you're a cynic?

something about this strikes me as a paradox
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on October 16, 2010, 08:19:25 AM
Yeah I guess I should make it more clear that I didn't "dislike" any part of the movie either.  I didn't really "like" the buddy movie parts either though... most Pixar movies, honestly, feel to me like a decent but forgettable waste of two hours.  There's a pretty direct correlation between how much I'll think a Pixar movie deserves its company's reputation and how much it deviates from the "two polar opposites learn to overcome their differences via a series of misadventures" pattern.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on October 16, 2010, 10:51:51 AM
Formulaic, sure, but it had heart.  The protagonists NEED each other in a way they don't in, say, the original Toy Story.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on October 16, 2010, 03:14:28 PM
Finally saw How to Train Your Dragon.  Talk about a movie with fucking heart.  Chris Sanders is basically the best and I hope he doesn't get screwed over with whatever his second Dreamworks movie ends up being like he did with Disney.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on October 16, 2010, 03:29:03 PM
Plus, as has been mentioned before, it's a kid's movie where [spoiler]the protagonist loses a limb at the end, and everybody's cool with it.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on October 17, 2010, 06:54:52 PM
I'm a few behind on the direct-to-video DC movies; just caught Crisis on Two Earths.

It's effectively a lost episode of Justice League -- the voices are all different and Green Lantern is a white guy, but it was originally written as a bridge between season 2 and JLU, and it's clearly still the same basic script.  And it's pretty good!  I would say it's the best original story the direct-to-videos have done (and probably second-best overall, after New Frontier).

James Woods steals the show as Owlman -- sure, he's generic Burn-It-All-Down Nihilist Guy, but he plays it with such growling, understated menace.

And as for his foil, Batman -- he does some seriously un-Batman things.  I mean, he got pretty dark and manipulative on the JL toon, but he crosses some lines here.

It's streaming on Netflix.  Worth a view.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: clutch on October 22, 2010, 02:05:51 PM
Plus, as has been mentioned before, it's a kid's movie where [spoiler]the protagonist loses a limb at the end, and everybody's cool with it.[/spoiler]

Oh yeah. I have a phobia about that sort of thing happening to me and it was very shocking to have that happen in the last couple minutes of what was ostensibly a children's movie. Jaw, dropped.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on October 28, 2010, 01:20:22 PM
Excellent interview series done for the twentieth anniversary of Goodfellas (http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201010/goodfellas-making-of-behind-the-scenes-interview-scorsese-deniro?currentPage=1)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on October 28, 2010, 01:49:32 PM
Quote
a Pixar movie deserves its company's reputation and how much it deviates from the "two polar opposites learn to overcome their differences via a series of misadventures" pattern.

This is why I love the Incredibles and think Wall-E was an enjoyable but forgettable waste of two hours.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on October 31, 2010, 12:48:31 PM
About a half-hour into 28 Weeks Later I was sent into a frothing, uncontrollable, bloodthirsty rage.

I guess in that sense it's a movie that really hits home.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Joxam on November 04, 2010, 05:07:10 AM
For those of you that like music and have netflix instant watch, I recommend this (http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Who-Is-Harry-Nilsson-And-Why-Is-Everybody-Talkin-About-Him/70141656?trkid=921407#height1590) documentary about Harry Nilsson. It was great; sad, happy, shocking, loving... man, probably one of the best music Doc's I've seen all year, if not longer.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on November 12, 2010, 11:04:04 PM
Gran Torino has probably the wildest tonal shift of any movie I've seen besides Deliverance.  The first half is a comedy -- a dark one, sure, but unmistakably a comedy.  Clint Eastwood growls one-liners, and is a generally hilarious cantankerous old man.  (I'm not the first one to say he's Old Bruce Wayne, and I'm sure I won't be the last.)

The second half is not funny, and, like Deliverance, the lighter nature of the first half makes the darkness of the second all the more effective.

Eastwood's a hell of a director and a hell of an actor -- he shows some literal acting chops, putting more nuance in the movements of his mouth than most actors pull off in an entire performance.

It's a damn fine film.  Plot's rote enough, but the presentation is excellent.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on November 20, 2010, 07:52:24 PM
Finally saw Inception.

How on earth is this a bewildering and/or complicated movie? It even ended in the simple obvious way I thought it would, when I spent the whole time waiting for some complicated surprise that would leave me guessing.

It was still pretty good though. No complaints.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on November 20, 2010, 07:56:35 PM
Finally saw Inception.

How on earth is this a bewildering and/or complicated movie?

I hear it's because they kept changing the rules.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on November 20, 2010, 07:58:21 PM
Not really. Every time they changed the rules Cobb explained it and the young girl even parsed the explanation for the drooler crowd.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on November 20, 2010, 08:24:27 PM
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/buge/reaction/ghoulia.png)

Uuuuuuuhhh?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on November 21, 2010, 02:20:08 AM
I don't get it either, Mongrel.
Everyone I know who saw it said they had to see it more than once to get it and it was so convoluted and complicated. Where they watching the same movie? It was that "Hey. Look at me. I'm so smart and NOT like everyone else. That's just how I roll*pops color and puts on glasses*" kind of flick. If you pay the slightest bit of attention when people talked it basically held your hand throughout the whole movie.
I was disappointed. I kept hearing "It's fantastic and smart and complex and deep!" and sadly it didn't deliver to the hype.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on November 21, 2010, 07:10:55 AM
Well, I still liked it. Good concept, solid execution. There wasn't any terribad acting or writing. They had some fun and used some neat special effects, but used both judiciously instead of laying things on super-thick. And it was good enough not to suffer that much from any disappointed expectations.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on November 27, 2010, 12:08:51 AM
Moon has the good taste not to try to hide its 2001 influence -- and then takes the "lonely guy in space with a computer that speaks in a monotone" premise and moves in a completely different direction with it.

Everything about this movie is great.  The script, the direction, and Rockwell's performance as the only person onscreen for most of the movie.

(Okay, it's way too heavy on the blue/orange.  But other than THAT everything about the movie is great.)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on November 27, 2010, 07:41:57 AM
Kind of a downer though!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Eponymous Bosch on November 27, 2010, 08:48:10 PM
I liked that they didn't really play any games with presenting the [spoiler]other Sam Rockwell.  Like "Is he real, is he just crazy," whatever.[/spoiler]  They sort of just lay it out there so they can spend more time having fun exploring the idea.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on November 27, 2010, 11:49:54 PM
(http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/3531/chompanzee.png)

Daybreakers is just the right combination of ridiculously schlocky and serious business to be a perfect movie.  Having Sam Neill and Willem Dafoe in top form certainly doesn't hurt.  A+++ would recommend again.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Eponymous Bosch on November 28, 2010, 12:07:20 AM
I watched Frozen tonight.  This was not a wise decision.  I'm not sure what I was expecting, I guess maybe a more jokey, goofy horror approach, but not really.  They do what most horror/disaster films don't usually bother with, making the characters mildly likable, or at least relatable enough that you're completely repulsed later on when stuff starts happening. 

If they'd been douchebags or something, it might be possible to take some perverse pleasure in seeing, say, [spoiler]a guy falling, snapping the bones out of both of his legs, then sobbing for like an hour until wolves finally show up and eat him alive.  It definitely hit that point where you realize "This isn't fun.  Why am I watching this?"[/spoiler]

It's kind of cute that one of the actors played Iceman in X-Men, and they get all winky meta referencing Open Water, but it stops being cute really quick and sort of turns into gruel.

If Les Stroud had been there, he'd have fashioned some sort of parachute out of the skin of the most annoying person and rode that sucker majestically down to the bottom of the mountain.

Oh, Les Stroud.  I need your calm, Canadian comfort now.   :;_;:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on December 12, 2010, 01:24:47 PM
The Legend Of the Guardians: Owls Of The Unnecessarily Long Name is a movie about holy shit you guys OWLS with an afterthought of a plot. The characters and story are instantly forgettable, but the whole film is really damned gorgeous. It loses points for the stupid pop song smack dab in the middle of the film, though (Owl City! Because it's... well, you get it).

I can't help but wish this technology would be put to use making a Silverwing or Redwall movie. I would kill for that.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on December 13, 2010, 11:07:04 AM
I am trying to watch The Other Guys but it just views like a really watered down version of Hot Fuzz without any subtlety.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ziiro on December 16, 2010, 07:23:43 PM
I don't know why I buy blu-ray of anything but Pixar movies. Pixar movies are the reason to own something that plays Blu-rays. Anything else is a complete waste.

(Watching Inception on Blu-ray reminded me of this point today)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on December 16, 2010, 07:26:54 PM
300 looked pretty good on Blu-Ray.  And The Last Airbender, oddly enough.

It really depends on how much time you've spent calibrating your set.  In my case, you could measure it in man-weeks.  And I have a crappy set.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ziiro on December 16, 2010, 07:32:16 PM
Hmm, I guess it's about time I properly calibrate the thing. Is there a suggested DVD or Blu-ray to do it? I see there's a lot of calibration tools on Amazon.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on December 16, 2010, 07:49:54 PM
No, fuck those.  They give you "accurate" pictures but it turns out most movies are made these days with the understanding that both home and theater displays are generally calibrated to look like they're shop demos, so they end up looking really brown.

Just get a good collection of photos you like and go through each setting on each one, eyeballing your way through it like an eye exam ("Does this look better, or worse?  How about now... better, or worse?")
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on December 16, 2010, 08:49:03 PM
Coraline, Dark City, The Dark Knight, Ghostbusters, Scott Pilgrim and The Wizard of Oz all look amazing on blu-ray.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on December 16, 2010, 08:50:36 PM
Yeah, I'm not sure what the deal is.  When getting stuff for watching on my monitor I prefer 1080p or 720p to standard def stuff.  I'm not sure why this would be different on televisions.

Although, if it starts doing that doubling of frames thing that they do in stores that makes everything look like a 70s era Doctor Who, that is balls.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on December 16, 2010, 08:57:28 PM
I think that's because they're using component cables, instead of HDMI. At least, that was the only cause I could figure out when I worked at Walmart, and we had that problem.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on December 16, 2010, 09:15:17 PM
Oh, it's not a "problem" in the traditional sense in that it's unintentional.  They mean for the video to look like shit.  It apparently has something to do with compensating for motion on 120hz TVs or some shit.  Here's a good rundown of the "Soap Opera Effect" (http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/08/12/help-key-why-hd-video-looks-weird/)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on December 16, 2010, 09:52:51 PM
I was wondering about that stuff just the other day.  My brother got a new TV that has that shit enabled and it was painful watching The Tuxedo, unlike watching The Tuxedo in any other capacity.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on December 17, 2010, 05:08:48 PM
THIS IS AS GOOD A PLACE AS ANY I GUESS

Check out what I got guys:

(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y89/CX-Neo/DSCF2050.jpg)

The CD is for size comparison. That little box behind it is an HD media player. USB goes in one end, HDMI goes out the other. I wuvs it. :cake:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on December 17, 2010, 05:16:15 PM
Oh, the motion interpolation thing is because stores are constantly running their HDTVs in Game Mode, because their biggest customers are sport enthusiasts.  Basically, whenever a sporting event (or video game, or rendered movie) is playing, the thing looks *exceptionally* smooth.  Live TV and movies, not so much.  I think the big chain shops are smartening up about this a little which is why all of a sudden they all seem to be huge Dreamworks fans, and why Monsters vs. Aliens suddenly has a framerate that would Yuji Naka pop his monocle.

It works the same way at home: if your TV has a Game Mode, make sure you turn that off once you stop playing games.  Which you probably want to anyway since most TVs that aren't optimized for that tend to drop the picture quality to compensate for the extra processing demand.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on December 18, 2010, 10:56:52 PM
blah blah blah game mode

Oh God I was in a Sears that did this with I, Robot.   :barf:

A lot of newer TVs have a Film Mode too that'll just throttle the FPS down to 24 so you don't have to deal with any of this shit.  I'm gonna make sure the next one I get has this.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on December 19, 2010, 12:30:06 AM
Hey, so apparently this isn't just limited to TVs on display at Best Buy or Fry's or wherever.  Now I've seen what both Tron and Harry Potter would look like as Saturday afternoon soap operas.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Smiler on January 05, 2011, 03:50:01 PM
Dead Snow is a ridiculous zombie movie and I recommend watching it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on January 05, 2011, 05:54:36 PM
I Think We're Alone Now is a documentary.

It suuuuure is.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayin on January 05, 2011, 06:03:48 PM
Yeah, Dead Snow was pretty great and this comes from someone with no love of Zombies.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on January 05, 2011, 07:49:26 PM
Somehow I do not believe that statement as it is written.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Miss Cat Ears on January 07, 2011, 12:28:05 PM
Oh, it's not a "problem" in the traditional sense in that it's unintentional.  They mean for the video to look like shit.  It apparently has something to do with compensating for motion on 120hz TVs or some shit.  Here's a good rundown of the "Soap Opera Effect" (http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/08/12/help-key-why-hd-video-looks-weird/)
Is this what makes it look like it's moving just slightly faster than real life?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 07, 2011, 12:30:09 PM
Quote
hertz is just a measurement of frequency per second

:thad:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on January 07, 2011, 10:45:26 PM
Hertz is just a measurement of frequency, per second.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Miss Cat Ears on January 08, 2011, 06:46:05 AM
If that's a snarky answer to my question, I don't understand it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on January 08, 2011, 07:48:16 AM
Hertz, donut?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on January 08, 2011, 07:56:52 AM
Thad is making fun of the stupid comment about hertz.

Brentai is :joke:

You are confused.

Buge is just making a pun.

And I'm making a dry summary of the posts since your question.


In short, yes, it's why everything looks faster and uglier than real life.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on January 08, 2011, 10:44:37 AM
I actually missed MCE's question completely because she's so fucking tiny.  But anyway yeah.

Before I understood the nature of optical illusion I was always really disturbed by this.  I kept wondering if I didn't somehow live in a film world and that the evening news cast was the only reality.  Playing too many vidjagames at 60 fps probably didn't help.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on January 08, 2011, 09:56:11 PM
http://www.avclub.com/articles/buy-the-star-wars-saga-all-over-again-in-september,49748/ (http://www.avclub.com/articles/buy-the-star-wars-saga-all-over-again-in-september,49748/)

(http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/SoCalDave_2009/GIFS/beating_a_dead_horse1.gif)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on January 08, 2011, 10:08:31 PM
I get the feeling they're just intentionally keeping back the unfucked remasters of the original trilogy until demand for them reaches a boiling point, so that they can announce it with great fanfare.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Detonator on January 08, 2011, 10:13:52 PM
I get the feeling they're just intentionally keeping back the unfucked remasters of the original trilogy until demand for them reaches a boiling point, so that they can announce it with great fanfare.

Didn't they release them on DVD a few years back?  Or are you just referring to a blu-ray release?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on January 09, 2011, 07:26:41 AM
They did. I have the originals on DVD myself (waited a long fucking time for that, let me tell you). It was a fairly limited release and you had to buy this giant fancy boxed set that came with the CGI'd up versions as well (so six discs in total).

The funny part is that in the boxed set, the three revised DVDs are labelled as the movies, while the original theatrical cut DVDs were each simply labelled "Bonus Disc".

:lol:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on January 09, 2011, 07:29:17 AM
It's kind of funny also that I was originally one of the people who didn't mind the Special Edition at all (I mean, I do like Han shooting first, but I wasn't HORRIBLY OFFENDED, OMG). It was the retroactive prequel edits that pushed me over the edge and made me a purist.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on January 09, 2011, 09:59:08 AM
At the time I wasn't terribly put off except of course by Hayden Christensen as Anakin's ghost.  That shit makes no sense at all.

As time goes on though you start to realize the funny litle thing about CG: no matter how advanced it is when you use it, in about 5 years it will start looking a little dated.  I'm kind of worried about the current trend of shooting movies almost entirely against a green screen for this reason.  Anyway, it basically means at this point the remakes are kind of shitty looking and look shittier all the time, especially considering the way it flips sporadically from the still impressive looking models to the cheesy not-very-well-shaded renders.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on January 09, 2011, 11:15:08 AM
Yeah, Jabba the Hutt in the first one is ugly.  I also hate the random, pointless inclusion of Boba Fett (who wasn't in the original scene, just added later when they were doing the Special Editions for theater).

Really, I just like the original films.  The CG often looks out of place, is spastic, and doesn't age well.  So hopefully he'll wizen up and release the originals on Blu-Ray, someday.  It's strange that he won't, since there's clearly a demand for them, and it would make him money.  It's like he has to prove that deep down his CGI additions are improvements.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on January 09, 2011, 11:16:22 AM
I actually kind of liked the slightly longer establishing shots for some of the locales. Unfortunately, these establishing shots are only useful for places that aren't somehow more important to the Star Wars story than Coruscant.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on January 09, 2011, 11:20:44 AM
It's strange that he won't, since there's clearly a demand for them, and it would make him money.  It's like he has to prove that deep down his CGI additions are improvements.

I think that's Paramount's decision, not Lucas's.  Lucas could give a fuck.  He's just going to sign off on whatever gives him a bigger royalty cheque, and unfortunately Paramount has rightly figured out that if they put out the cockfucked version first, they can sell the thing twice to gullible fans.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on January 09, 2011, 11:26:26 AM
Ha ha, I would place good money on the fact that Lucas probably has tight control over which ones are released, not Paramount.  Paramount knows that any Star Wars they put out there will net them mountains of cash.  Plus Lucas has stated multiple times that he thinks people should be getting the Special Editions.  So, whatevers.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on January 09, 2011, 11:45:33 AM
Well, two things.

1: All the arguments about why the Original Trilogy will not be released on Blu-Ray are the same arguments made against the OT being released on DVD, but they still released it (eventually, with a limited release).

2: I've actually seen quite a few scenes from the trilogy at ultra high-def. Like any old sci-fi movie, some things do not look so good when seen under the electron microscope.

And Lucas with his CGI re-edits is like one of those aging beauty queens who decides one plastic surgery operation is okay, then another, and another, and before you know it she looks like Vader with the helmet off.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on January 09, 2011, 11:51:40 AM
2: I've actually seen quite a few scenes from the trilogy at ultra high-def. Like any old sci-fi movie, some things do not look so good when seen under the electron microscope.

That is a constant problem with BD but I was kind of hoping they'd take to time to do this remaster correctly.  I don't know what made me so optimistic.

I think the real problem is that 1080p is just too damned sharp of an image.  We need to junk that standard and make 720p the upper limit forever.  You're never going to convince the masses that they don't need BIGGER P'S though.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on January 09, 2011, 11:56:43 AM
Yeah, if nothing else, it's no fun seeing the pancaked-on layers of bad makeup.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Detonator on January 09, 2011, 03:37:16 PM
It's strange that he won't, since there's clearly a demand for them, and it would make him money.  It's like he has to prove that deep down his CGI additions are improvements.

I think that's Paramount's decision, not Lucas's.  Lucas could give a fuck.  He's just going to sign off on whatever gives him a bigger royalty cheque, and unfortunately Paramount has rightly figured out that if they put out the cockfucked version first, they can sell the thing twice to gullible fans.
Ha ha, I would place good money on the fact that Lucas probably has tight control over which ones are released, not Paramount.  Paramount knows that any Star Wars they put out there will net them mountains of cash.  Plus Lucas has stated multiple times that he thinks people should be getting the Special Editions.  So, whatevers.

Star Wars is distributed by 20th Century Fox, not Paramount.

...I'll move along
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on January 09, 2011, 03:41:15 PM
I think Paramount are the distributors for the Star Trek franchise, though I've been on the Trek wagon for over a decade, so I don't know if they still are.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on January 09, 2011, 03:43:04 PM
Well, same argument, names changed.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on January 09, 2011, 04:05:28 PM
Whoops.  Thanks for catching that.

If that's the case then it's hard to imagine any scenario in which Fox is involved and it's not somehow their fault that people are getting screwed.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on January 10, 2011, 03:45:16 PM
The Dead Like Me movie really doesn't live up to the potential of the series.

 :disappoint:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 10, 2011, 10:17:37 PM
As time goes on though you start to realize the funny litle thing about CG: no matter how advanced it is when you use it, in about 5 years it will start looking a little dated.

Which is one more excuse to keep re-re-re-re-remastering them every 5 years.

The Jabba who was in the theatrical Special Editions looked goofy by the time the DVD's came out, so they redid it with a new model.

I'm guessing the BD version tweaks a bunch of shit too.

Not saying I like it, but there it is.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: on January 11, 2011, 12:15:11 AM
This releases in my birth month, and I could have sworn I read somewhere that it was being released around my birthday.

So now I have to never preorder it because I know someone in my family will give it to me.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on January 22, 2011, 09:44:14 AM
Got a fifty dollar gift card for winning a contest at work and used it to buy the special edition of Avatar on Blu-Ray. It's quite nice. I'm halfway through the director's cut (the one that's 16 minutes longer)
The new intro really adds a lot, surprisingly. Little glimpses of Jake's life before he left Blade Runner world to Dance With Wolves. Kinda' neat.
It's also fucking gorgeous.


This movie is like the new Lord Of The Rings:

-somehow massively popular despite being a nerd genre piece (check)
-merely passable script (check)
-incredible special effects that will look terrible in less than a decade (pending)
-huge when it came out and then nobody cared (checkeroo)
-multiple releases of increasingly elaborate collector's editions (check; this one came in that "eco-friendly" packaging with no plastic bits... yet it still needs two seperate slipcovers for some reason)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on February 06, 2011, 01:23:04 AM
Jesus Christ the special edition of TRON Legacy (http://geeks.thedailywh.at/2011/02/04/geek-newstron-set-of-the-day/).
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on February 08, 2011, 07:13:26 AM
I finally watched Blade Runner. Yeah, one of the most prolific sci-fi movies ever created, and I've never seen it. Well, I just now rectified that.

It's... not quite what I expected. I didn't expect that much cheesy 80's synthesizer music, at the very least. I'm not sure what more to think about it beyond that. I certainly didn't get the feeling that the main character might have been a Replicant himself.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Burrito Al Pastor on February 08, 2011, 08:10:34 AM
Which version did you see?

Also: (almost) all of that movie's soundtrack is excellent, stop disliking things that I like.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on February 08, 2011, 08:12:10 AM
Well, in fairness, there's been more Director's Cuts and re-release edits of Blade Runner than George Lucas could shake a lightsaber at, with each successive version hinting more and more strongly that Deckard is a Replicant.

But without anybody ever coming out and saying it, so you still don't know anyway.

So, it could depend on which of the umpty-ump different versions you saw. Sort-of.

EDIT: While you were typing... a BURRITO posted!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on February 08, 2011, 08:20:46 AM
I watched the "Final Cut" on DVD, the one with Ridley Scott on commentary. So, pretty sure it's the most up-to-date version barring Blu-Ray.

And all I saw that really implied that Deckard was a Replicant was Rachael asking Deckard if he ever did the Voight-Kampff test himself. Also maybe some hints dropped by that Origami guy, I'm not sure.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on February 08, 2011, 08:33:30 AM
That question may have been in earlier editions, but it's been so long since I've seen it that I can't really remember.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on February 08, 2011, 08:42:47 AM
I actually saw it for the first time on final cut myself (or whatever the most recent one was just three or four years back) and yeah, most of the symbolism was lost until I saw the theater version and what got added in after.

Hint: apparently you figure out he's a replicant when he has that twenty minute dream about a unicorn.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on February 08, 2011, 09:12:33 AM
I love Blade Runner the same way I love Silent Hill 2: It's a mediocre movie/game and an amazing atmospheric experience.

Also, I agree about the Deckard being a replicant thing, I never really went for it. Sure, he could have implanted memories or whatever, but then they'd have to hire a fucking fake police chief to pretend Deckard had a job and god so much else that wouldn't make any sense
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on February 08, 2011, 09:55:55 AM
Not all replicants have a shelf life that short.

Apparently, if you read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the Philip K. Dick that Blade Runner draws inspiration from, there's also no question about Deckard's humanity.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on February 08, 2011, 09:58:09 AM
But without anybody ever coming out and saying it, so you still don't know anyway.
Except for that time he did (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/825641.stm)

It's hinted pretty strong that Deckard is a replicant, and the other people on the force know he is (hence why the partner leaves the origami unicorn on his front stoop).  By being a replicant, it adds another level of irony to the film, in that Deckard is as much a tool as the replicants he hunts.  It's subtle, and a bit more complex than I make it, but I kind of like it.  I've only ever seen the Director's Cut, though, and not any of the others.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on February 08, 2011, 10:57:44 AM
Apparently, if you read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the Philip K. Dick that Blade Runner draws inspiration from, there's also no question about Deckard's humanity.

Philip K Dick's oeuvre is pretty much nothing BUT questions about his protagonists' humanity.

My recollection of the book is that a partner character DOES cause Deckard to doubt his humanity but eventually he takes the test and passes.

Per the movie: I never saw the theatrical cut but my understanding is they don't broach any questions of Deckard's humanity.  Director's Cut adds the unicorn dream and the "Have you ever taken the test?" question but never resolves it; Final Cut adds the origami unicorn, which I think is pretty unambiguous.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Smiler on February 18, 2011, 02:34:26 AM
So I am watching Robocop 2, and Robocop is beating the hell out of a crooked cop by slamming him repeatedly into a Bad Dudes arcade cabinet.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on February 18, 2011, 02:39:34 AM
ARE YOU A BAD ENOUGH DUDE TO RESCU- Wait. That doesn't really fit.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on February 19, 2011, 01:05:14 AM
All-Star Superman is one of those things that's decent at first glance, but full of really stupid or pointless moments.


Also, Lex Luthor is comically dumb. Like "angry high school student" dumb. Despite being an inventor, an engineer, a geneticist, etc; everything he does is full of logical fallacies and a complete inability to notice the obvious. Probably the funniest bit is a prison sequence where Clark uses all of his Superman powers to save his life repeatedly while he continues his monologue without even noticing what's going on.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on February 19, 2011, 01:11:49 AM
Basically every time Leo Quintum is talking or being talked to or on panel, the narrative grinds to a halt while we get to watch Grant Morrison masturbate for a while.

I like Grant Morrison when he's doing a story but that's just him getting sidetracked.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on February 19, 2011, 04:31:54 AM
Did he at least take a moment to redraw his eyebrow on, like in the comic?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Norondor on February 19, 2011, 05:56:04 AM
Also, Lex Luthor is comically dumb. Like "angry high school student" dumb.

That is entirely in keeping with his personality as depicted over the decades. Doctor Doom he ain't.

My major complaint with it, actually, was that the art looked atrocious. I LOVE Frank Quitely, but the inks and colors were just gross.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on February 19, 2011, 08:18:28 AM
That is entirely in keeping with his personality as depicted over the decades. Doctor Doom he ain't.

I've said it before, but I LOVE how Cornell's given him this "so self-absorbed he doesn't understand jokes" thing.

My major complaint with it, actually, was that the art looked atrocious. I LOVE Frank Quitely, but the inks and colors were just gross.

Wow, going to have to disagree quite strongly on that one.  I frequently point to it as an example of some of the best coloring I've seen in the past decade.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: François on February 19, 2011, 08:51:38 AM
Also, Lex Luthor is comically dumb. Like "angry high school student" dumb. Despite being an inventor, an engineer, a geneticist, etc; everything he does is full of logical fallacies and a complete inability to notice the obvious.

What is he even going to do with these forty cakes?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on February 19, 2011, 08:54:34 AM
In his younger days Lex would go by his nickname, "Curly".
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on February 19, 2011, 12:10:09 PM
I agree with Norondor. Quitely is good at creating a 'frozen-in-time' tableau, but every person appears to be stuffed with cottage cheese.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Norondor on February 19, 2011, 12:18:39 PM
that style actually made his action scenes in B&R and Flex Mentallo look totally fucking awesome.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on February 19, 2011, 12:31:03 PM
I agree with Norondor. Quitely is good at creating a 'frozen-in-time' tableau, but every person appears to be stuffed with cottage cheese.

I like it.  Superman's chin, Cyclops's lips, Dick Grayson's cowl, Matt Smith...
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on February 19, 2011, 01:06:33 PM
Also, Lex Luthor is comically dumb. Like "angry high school student" dumb.

That is entirely in keeping with his personality as depicted over the decades. Doctor Doom he ain't.
Something that is consistently stupid is still stupid.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Norondor on February 19, 2011, 01:08:13 PM
it's ok if you don't like lex luthor, but part of his personality is that he's completely self-absorbed total jerk-ass.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on February 19, 2011, 02:07:14 PM
The thing is if your arch-nemesis is a nigh-invulnerable godlike superfucker and your only real powers are being very rich and very smart, you'd better have some basic common sense or you're not going to seem very threatening.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Norondor on February 19, 2011, 02:17:49 PM
if you had basic common sense you would probably not bother trying to outfight god!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: François on February 19, 2011, 02:19:34 PM
But Batman!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on February 19, 2011, 04:48:56 PM
The thing is if your arch-nemesis is a nigh-invulnerable godlike superfucker and your only real powers are being very rich and very smart, you'd better have some basic common sense or you're not going to seem very threatening.

...this is goddamn Superman we are talking about.  If anyone in his principal cast starts showing the slightest hint of common sense, the entire premise comes crashing the fuck down.

...although on the other hand, All-Star IS the only Superman story I can think of where I've looked at Clark Kent and said "Yeah, I can see how people wouldn't know he's Superman."

All of which to say: Lex has been depicted a lot of different ways over the years; some prefer the wacky mad scientist version and some prefer the menacing businessman version.  They've both been done well and they've both been done poorly.  (JLU even managed to go from an awesome version of the latter to an awesome version of the former from one season to the next.)  I can understand if Wacky Lex isn't somebody's cup of tea, but if we start pulling at the Suspension of Disbelief thread then the whole thing's going to unravel pretty quickly.  Which is of course true of pretty much every superhero story ever, but I'd argue it's ESPECIALLY true of the one where a guy becomes unrecognizable by putting on glasses.

And that's without beginning to get into all the crazy Silver Age shit.

...anyway.  Tired glasses jokes aside, I think Lex is played best when he's played as a character who claims that Superman is holding humanity back from rising to its own potential, but who deep down really just wants everyone to worship HIM instead; who has convinced himself that he'd reach his full potential if only Superman would quit thwarting him, but who actually constantly thwarts himself.

Cornell's run on Action Comics is based entirely around that premise -- it is, after all, a book where we see Lex Luthor without Superman, and he hasn't gone out and cured cancer or done any of the other great things he's always sworn he'd do if it wasn't for that meddling alien.

A point hammered home in the following exchange, from the latest issue:

Lex: Joker, please -- somewhere under all this "madness," real or assumed --
Joker: You know what?  I think if I can just kill Batman, I'll save the world!
Lex: Interesting.  A delusion akin to my own certainty that --
oh.
Joker: HAHAHAHA!  Oh, the rich and powerful!  Takes them a while to get they're being laughed at!
(Lex punches Joker in the face.)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on February 24, 2011, 09:45:58 PM
So Megamind is pretty good, if sort of predictable.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on February 26, 2011, 10:21:08 AM
24 Hour Party People Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Qz2x94q6A#)

24 Hour Party People is quite good
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Bal on February 26, 2011, 01:24:02 PM
I'm going to hope some people here haven't seen Dark City yet so I can even more strongly recommend the Director's Cut, which moves some things around so that the first time viewer doesn't know too much about what's going on, unlike the theatrical cut, which basically lays it all out in the opening exposition. Even if you have seen Dark City before, the director's cut gets a big thumbs up for fleshing out the Emma (Jennifer Connelly) character, and the Detective Bumstead (William Hurt) character, with the use of extended cuts and new scenes.

Highly recommend for everyone, fan or otherwise.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Joxam on February 26, 2011, 02:13:59 PM
Dark City, like Bladerunner before it, is best when viewed with the sound off through the title sequences.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Bal on February 26, 2011, 03:10:48 PM
As I indicated, the director's cut fixes that problem. The opening narration is put back where it was originally filmed, during the canal sequence.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: jsnlxndrlv on February 26, 2011, 03:36:30 PM
Watched "The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu". This is about as unsubtle as Lovecraftian fanfilm gets. I felt like the writing was pretty average, but the acting kind of surprised me with how not-terrible it was. That guy from Party Down and Freaks and Geeks makes an appearance.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friend on February 26, 2011, 05:18:27 PM
Cube is a thrilling puzzle comedy about people inside a giant cube. Watch it and be delighted.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on February 27, 2011, 08:36:45 AM
do not watch the sequels unless you want cancer
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Dooly on February 27, 2011, 08:48:47 AM
There's more than one sequel?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on February 27, 2011, 08:57:38 AM
well a sequel and a prequel to be exact
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on February 27, 2011, 08:57:51 AM
each more cancerous than the last
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on February 27, 2011, 08:58:03 AM
actually the sequel is WAY worse than the prequel
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on March 03, 2011, 11:16:31 AM
Tales Of Earthsea somehow gets a lot of flak for its direction and I don't get why.

Yes, it's kind of dull. Yes, it's probably a lousy adaptation. Yes, a lot of it is derivative of Miyazaki Sr.'s films. But the key is, unlike his father's habit of hemorrhaging great ideas, Miyazaki Jr.'s taken a few good idea and run with them. It doesn't hit the high highs of the best Miyazaki Sr films, but it's a lot more coherent and frankly watchable than most of what Miyazaki Sr. ever pieced together. Considering all the stuff about how he wasn't even on speaking terms with his father (who in this case would also be his boss) and that he didn't even want to make the movie to begin with, it's a pretty good piece of work.

There's something very Freudian about the lead character killing his own dad in one of the first scenes in the movie.


Also: nerds will love this movie. The last twenty minutes is a video game. There's a sidescrolling platforming bit and everything. I kid you not.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Kayma on March 04, 2011, 08:03:33 PM
Earthsea is the first Ghibli movie I didn't make an effort to go see in the theater since Disney started doing their thang. Less because of the universal flak it's gotten, and more because I found the Earthsea books to be really boring. I'll probably give this a rent when it hits, just to see.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on March 04, 2011, 10:48:50 PM
It's out on Tuesday.

Again, it's still not very good. It's definitely not something I'd watch more than once. It's just not as horrible as you've heard.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on March 09, 2011, 07:52:34 AM
Summer Wars gets better with every viewing.

Also: hot damn is it one good-looking movie.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on March 12, 2011, 05:55:47 AM
The Princess and the Frog has a ton of complaints you can level against it (did it really never occur to her to just fucking ask for the money?) but it was way better than I was expecting.  I wish I hadn't blown it off for so long.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on March 12, 2011, 08:47:42 AM
it's thoroughly okay.

I just watched Tangled though and basically had the same reaction you just had to Froggy Went A Courtin'.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on March 21, 2011, 05:31:14 AM
I find it interesting that The Big Lebowski often claims the top of people's Favorite Coen Brothers Film list, but Barton Fink rarely gets discussed.

Barton Fink has all of the things that make a Coen film a Coen film. Surreal atmosphere, black comedy and some gruesome violence. It's also ambiguous and terrifying in equal shades.

The basic story centers around Broadway playwright Barton Fink, played by John Tuttoro, whose latest play is a big enough success to land him a studio picture job writing movies. When he gets to Hollywood, he's put up in a creepy, seemingly empty hotel. The hotel almost becomes a character of its own, with wallpaper oozing puss and peeling down the walls, neighbors having sex that sounds like a mixture of raucous joy and hollow sadness. And he ends up next to Charlie Meadows, played by John Goodman, a travelling insurance salesman.

After speaking with the loud execs at the movie studio, Barton is assigned to writing a wrasslin' picture for a b-movie actor. But he finds himself unable to write anything, so he consults a William Fauklner-esque man named William Mayhew, a delirious southern drunk who wiles away his time drinking instead of writing, and his beautiful secretary named Audrey, played by Judy Davis. Eventually Barton tries to strike up a relationship with Audrey, and from there things start going insane for Barton.

I won't discuss the film too much, because the more you go in cold the better the overall experience will be. But I will mention one of the final scenes, which is probably one of the best John Goodman scenes ever. Obviously spoilers from here on out.

[spoiler]Towards the end of the film, Charlie is revealed to be a serial killer named Mad Man Mundt who kills young women and takes off their heads. After two detectives interrogate Barton about Charlie in his hotel room, the elevator opens the gates to hell and Charlie charges down the hallways amidst hellfire, screaming and wielding a shotgun. It's a brilliant, powerful scene that is nightmarish and crazy all in equal measures[/spoiler]

SPOILER BELOW

Barton Fink - The Life Of The Mind (Extended) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKm-_VyNVoM#ws)


Barton Fink, really, should be a more widely celebrated Coen film. Goodman is better than this than in any other film I've seen him in, the writing is mysterious, tight, comical and horrific, and there's enough depth to plumb, even if you just casually read the epic Wikipedia article.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on March 21, 2011, 02:34:35 PM
I don't think The Big Lebowski is popular because of its depth.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on March 21, 2011, 02:54:17 PM
Well, that's just like, your opinion, man.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on March 24, 2011, 08:36:32 PM
This might also belong in Coming Soon since I think it's getting a theatrical release in small doses (it's playing as a midnight in a couple of weeks at my old job) but I Saw the Devil is p. recommended if you went through Chan-Wook Park's Vengeance trilogy and are looking for another Korean revenge flick you bloodthirsty monster.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on March 28, 2011, 11:28:22 AM
I liked Shutter Island up until it blew its load with the single most obvious, cliched plot twist ever that neatly ties up the whole story in a nice little bow.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on March 28, 2011, 01:59:56 PM
Why, did the guy who thought he was visiting the asylum turn out to be crazy after all? Because that's probably the most obvious way to do it.

It worked in [spoiler]One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on March 29, 2011, 08:08:26 PM
It worked in [spoiler]One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.[/spoiler]
Wait what?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on April 04, 2011, 07:21:22 AM
Hot dang is Scott Pilgrim a good flick. Enjoyed every moment.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on April 04, 2011, 02:52:48 PM
Hot dang is Scott Pilgrim a good flick. Enjoyed every moment.
This is very much true.

If there are actually people still on the edge for seeing it, as a comic fag I was 100% okay with it. I honestly can't think of a single thing that annoyed me.
It worked in [spoiler]One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.[/spoiler]
Wait what?

Back to this, last night a friend used the same comparison and I feel like I'm missing something because that's not close to how I would describe the ending to Cuckoo's Nest.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on April 04, 2011, 03:12:48 PM
It worked in [spoiler]One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.[/spoiler]
Wait what?

Back to this, last night a friend used the same comparison and I feel like I'm missing something because that's not close to how I would describe the ending to Cuckoo's Nest.


I was referring to the interpretation that McMurphy was, in fact, insane. It's probably not so much a twist as it is a slow realization that there's something wrong with him. I don't know if that is a popular hypothesis or not, but I've heard it from other people, so maybe.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on April 04, 2011, 06:27:25 PM
Well, a completely sane person wouldn't be on trial in the first place (supposedly), but I think the crux of the movie is that [spoiler]the institution managed to turn him into what they wanted him to be[/spoiler].
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Sundae on April 14, 2011, 06:05:18 PM
Cinema Poetry 5 - The Son's Room [La Stanza del Figlio] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l9qPFlUeio#)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Sundae on April 14, 2011, 06:15:56 PM
Zoinks.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on April 14, 2011, 06:16:56 PM
... Guild?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Sundae on April 14, 2011, 06:20:45 PM
No, I'm not called Guild.

Maybe.  :whoops:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on April 14, 2011, 07:00:15 PM
Regarding Cuckoo's Nest, I feel you are all snapping to one or other explanation - he is both sane and insane, as are we all, vomit vomit spiritualism aside. He escapes a certain setting, but can't escape all; that's the totality of our own lives.

The Prisoner Opening Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE-EMinj69o#)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on April 14, 2011, 11:59:11 PM
... Guild?

His IP's unique but for some reason he's repeatedly tripped an error called "Undefined index: spoiler_post".

Doesn't mean he's NOT Guild -- and indeed the fact that he knows Guild is somebody's name is suspicious in and of itself -- but I don't see Guild going to the trouble of anonymizing his IP.

He's a little too literate for SoraCross, and the fact that he hasn't posted a dense multiparagraph rant about me suggests he's probably not Demogorgon.

So I think the safe assumption is Cassius.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on April 15, 2011, 12:09:02 AM
Now, admittedly, I'm not as versed in all that drama.  But
Quote
he is both sane and insane, as are we all, vomit vomit spiritualism aside. He escapes a certain setting, but can't escape all; that's the totality of our own lives.
sounds like the sort of nonsensical pseudophilosophical gibberish that was eloh's trademark.  And he did go to the trouble of coming here through TOR in the past.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Sundae on April 15, 2011, 01:31:23 AM
Aw, fuss. No drama, just a passerby, if anyone took a minute to read the forums they could do the same.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on April 15, 2011, 05:41:04 AM
The "Guild?" bit was mostly me kidding, but I wouldn't have been surprised if it was eloh.

Who was Cassius again?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on April 15, 2011, 06:40:49 AM
Some Argentinian neo-nazi. A frequent target of soybeans.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on April 15, 2011, 08:10:21 AM
At one point I was also supposed to be that guy. To date I'm not sure just how big of a dig that was.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on April 15, 2011, 08:15:03 AM
It's ok. People thought I was you for a while.
While you were posting.

Not sure what that means.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on April 15, 2011, 08:34:33 AM
They apparently think I can become more handsome at a whim.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on April 15, 2011, 08:48:18 AM
Norondor is Yyler, Joxam is Malikial, and I think Friday may have worn Ophelia's skin.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: patito on April 15, 2011, 12:07:56 PM
I didn't find his post in any way terrible, but the fact that he edited it now makes me think less of sundae. Also makes me think less of you people for thinking he is guild automatically.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: François on April 15, 2011, 12:10:37 PM
holy shit, patito is guild
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Fortinbras on April 15, 2011, 12:27:09 PM
I'm a lonesome billionaire operating nearly every member of these boards from a huge array of terminals in a hermetically sealed vault.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on April 15, 2011, 12:35:03 PM
But isn't Guild the Bavarian Illuminati?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: François on April 15, 2011, 02:03:37 PM
I'm a lonesome billionaire operating nearly every member of these boards from a huge array of terminals in a hermetically sealed vault.

Everyone manipulated to serve him?
This perspective, one finds quite grim
So says mister Fortinbras
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on April 15, 2011, 06:17:30 PM
Hey wait... that's no Haiku.

I see your game, mister!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Norondor on April 15, 2011, 06:19:42 PM
Norondor is Yyler

also norn
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on April 16, 2011, 10:24:47 AM
Also makes me think less of you people for thinking he is guild automatically.

We have more alternate accounts for Guild than actual new members.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on April 16, 2011, 10:40:00 AM
I think Guild should just start his own forums populated by his alt accounts.

Sad thing is, it'd probably be busier than this one.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on April 17, 2011, 05:17:26 AM
Wait WHO IS NORN THEN
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on April 17, 2011, 06:43:52 AM
This mystery individual has been a NORN IN MY SIDE FOR TOO LONG
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on April 17, 2011, 07:29:53 AM
norn is a friend of sei's I know they are two separate people because of guild wars

unless sei/norn is capable of playing an interrupt ranger and a healing monk competently at the same time, which I wouldn't put it past him/them
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on April 17, 2011, 07:30:56 AM
Norondor on the other hand plays a medic who I only managed to fucking backstab like once, ever
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on April 17, 2011, 07:31:31 AM
and then was immediately killed by Bal
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on April 20, 2011, 06:26:32 AM
wait who is norondor then
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on April 20, 2011, 06:26:56 AM
norondor is it you or norn that I used to know on the old EA boards

what's reallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on April 20, 2011, 06:46:24 AM
Wait... Mothra is Kabbage!?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on April 20, 2011, 06:53:16 AM
CLASSIC, WE LOVE YOU.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on May 15, 2011, 04:29:56 PM
Bought the Flash live action series a week back. Just now watching it.
Doofy costume aside, this is a good show. Awfully dark though.

If I could figure out how to stream shows, I would certainly show at least the pilot. It was more like a short movie than a TV show.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on June 09, 2011, 04:57:25 AM
God damn Blockbuster going out of business sale.

I bought six movies this week, all on Blu-Ray, and the most I paid for any of them was $12. Between those, the things I've torrented, and the games I bought, I'm gonna' have a massive summer backlog.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on June 09, 2011, 05:09:36 AM
Hey, at least you'll have plenty of free time to watch them!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on June 09, 2011, 04:12:09 PM
GUYS
GUYS
YOU GUYS

In the Blu-Ray version of The Nightmare Before Christmas (but not in the DVD special edition released at the same time), they edited the strings off of the bats in the opening. They removed the one thing that always bugged me (except for how much credit Burton gets for this film despite how little he actually put into it, but I digress).

Also, Tim Burton's Blu-Ray-exclusive intro, a major feature advertised on the box, is all of four or five seconds long. :whoops:






oh right so movies I watched Memento is a good movie if anyone tells you otherwise do not believe their lies and How To Train Your Dragon is still so good that it almost makes up for the rest of Dreamworks' insufferable output.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on June 09, 2011, 04:31:09 PM
The first Shrek was pretty great.  It's just that the sequels are so bad that it's really easy to forget that.

Like The Land Before Time.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on June 09, 2011, 04:33:37 PM
How To Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda were mystifyingly good.  Not that they were particularly amazing, just that they were good stories well-told and that is not what I have come to expect from Dreamworks.

Also whatever cyclopean sorcery they wrought to make a movie with Jack Black as the lead and not have it be terrible, it worked.  Which is bizarre.  Because while Jack Black is awesome, for some reason every time he does something long-form it blows.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Rosencrantz on June 09, 2011, 05:14:34 PM
In the Blu-Ray version of The Nightmare Before Christmas (but not in the DVD special edition released at the same time), they edited the strings off of the bats in the opening. They removed the one thing that always bugged me (except for how much credit Burton gets for this film despite how little he actually put into it, but I digress).

That's cool. Did they do anything about the other thing that bugged me; that is, how you can clearly see a square around the moon in at least a few shots?

I bought the DVD version when it first came out almost a decade ago, but about a year later lost it while visiting out-of-town friends. I figured I should just one day replace it with the Blu-Ray version, but I was worried that stuff like the bat strings would only be more noticeable in HD.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on June 09, 2011, 07:13:51 PM
How To Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda were mystifyingly good.  Not that they were particularly amazing, just that they were good stories well-told and that is not what I have come to expect from Dreamworks.
Dreamworks animation was actually really good when they weren't doing CG all those years ago. What I've seen of the cel-animated Dreamworks fare is just as well-produced as anything Disney ever did.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on June 11, 2011, 08:18:08 PM
No seriously. Is Gran Turino a comedy?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on June 11, 2011, 09:41:20 PM
The first half is.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on June 12, 2011, 02:50:48 PM
Okay guys, so as mentioned elsewhere: I just got a whole bunch of movies for free, most of which I've never seen. Here's the list:

The Incredible Hulk
The Matrix Reloaded
Roger & Me
The second season of Chapelle's Show
Moulin Rouge
Hero
Walk Hard
Most of the first season of Six Feet Under
Fearless
Alien vs. Predator
Ocean's Eleven
Gran Torino (only one on Blu-Ray)
Most of the first season of Heroes
Most of Band Of Brothers
The first Season of Curb Your Enthusiasm
The first season of Da Ali G Show
Sleeping Beauty (this is the fourth copy of this I've owned; I now have two DVDs plus a Blu-Ray copy)

Nothing that I really wanted to see (and some that are undoubtedly terrible), but hey, free stuff. So, IN WHAT ORDER SHOULD I TACKLE THEM?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ocksi on June 12, 2011, 03:03:51 PM
Depending on mood, Walk Hard first.  It's pretty amazing.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on June 12, 2011, 03:14:37 PM
Most of them are pretty good.  AVP is best handled drunk.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on June 12, 2011, 03:31:19 PM
Walk Hard is the best thing on that list.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: the asshole you hate on June 12, 2011, 03:37:35 PM
There are tonal jokes in Walk Hard. It's really well written and obviously by music fans.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on June 12, 2011, 05:43:56 PM
Ocean's Eleven is a good movie if you want to see magnificent bastards doing what they do best.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on June 12, 2011, 07:43:05 PM
The Incredible Hulk is actually pretty good. If I'm not mistaken that's the one with Edward Norton.

Well, I liked it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on June 13, 2011, 05:35:05 PM
It is indeed the one.

Walk Hard was PRETTY DARN GOOD. Very reminiscient of Airplane! or Mel Brooks. Nice to see a deadpan screwball comedy in this day and age.

What's next?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: the asshole you hate on June 13, 2011, 05:44:39 PM
Darlene, I am 11 years old with two kids!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on June 14, 2011, 05:23:40 AM
*Throws ball back to a black asian man in his mid-thirties*

"You sure you're one of mine?"

*nodding*
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on June 16, 2011, 04:17:27 AM
Finally saw Black Swan, or the world's most expensive PSA on bulimia.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on June 17, 2011, 02:06:23 PM
So I just watched Batman Begins for the first time in ages (and for the first time on Blu-Ray) and caught some stuff that I had never noticed before:

1) This one's been noticed before, I'm sure, but Mr. Zsasz briefly appears in one scene, complete with little tallies carved into his neck.

2) This one I've never heard anyone mention this before: The evidence bag with the playing card from the ending has a label attached to it, stating that it was recovered by Joseph Kerr.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on June 17, 2011, 02:11:09 PM
... ???

Zsasz appears a bunch in Batman Begins.  He's on trial at the beginning where they introduce Scarecrow, he shows up after the Arkham breakout menacing Rachel.  He's even discussed by name.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: teg on June 17, 2011, 02:48:20 PM
Yeah, but I never realized he was in it before because who fucking recognizes or cares about Mr. Zsasz?

Joseph Kerr was the big one.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on June 30, 2011, 05:43:10 AM
I remember 28 Weeks Later receiving a lot of praise when it came out a few years ago, so I was greatly disappointed to finally see the film and discover what a dumb, disjointed mess it is. One thing I hate in zombie films is the idea that nobody in the film has ever seen a zombie film. Why leave your potentially infected patient alone in a room with zero security protocol and no guards? In the event of outbreak, why is the military's plan to put everyone in a room together and turn out the lights? Is the only plan the military could come up with for containment "shoot things"? Have they never heard of walls? The movie's plot relies on such dumb character actions that I can't take any of it seriously enough to care about anything. And the latter half of the film is propelled mostly on zombies and military figures who teleport to where they're needed in the plot. The constant presence of Daddy Zombie would make sense if I could figure out why he was where he was at any goddamn time, or why he so frequently broke the rules of zombie-dom.

And that's before some issues with the actual craft of the film. The shaky-cam, documentary style cinematography that made the original look more run down and desolate is instead a jumbled mess here, with the dark lighting and multiple jump cuts making the film difficult to tell what is happening in any scene. Multiple scenes take place in rooms so dark that I have little idea which character is talking or what their plan is. Plus the schizophrenia of whether the film wants to be one where we're moved by a scene of the military gunning down innocent civilians OR one where a helicopter pilot mows down a bunch of zombies with his blades leave the tone feeling uneven and like two different films were mashed together.

28 Days Later was an entertaining zombie film, albeit one that kind of slowed and broke down in its third act. But at least it was coherent and visible. 28 Weeks Later begins to break down and make little sense right from the start. What a disappointment.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on June 30, 2011, 11:38:09 AM
Quote
I remember 28 Weeks Later receiving a lot of praise when it came out a few years ago

You do? You must be living in Bizzarro land (Or I am) because all I remember is people saying ... basically what you just said.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on June 30, 2011, 12:02:01 PM
Yeah I heard all the unhype, checked it out out of a mixture of curiosity and an unhealthy love for its predecessor, and basically turned the damn thing off in disgust before the outbreak could really get into full swing.  I think the original film absorbed all the intelligence of its sequel FROM THE PAST woo woo woo.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on June 30, 2011, 03:13:01 PM
Quote
I remember 28 Weeks Later receiving a lot of praise when it came out a few years ago

You do? You must be living in Bizzarro land (Or I am) because all I remember is people saying ... basically what you just said.

Ehhh, it's got a 70% freshness rating on Rottentomatoes.com (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/28_weeks_later/) and I recall people either here or on Pyoko (2007, eh?) giving it good reviews. Also most of the people I had talked to praised the film, so I went in with kind of high expectations.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Romosome on July 03, 2011, 07:23:15 PM
I realize this is just a "me too" post but yeah, my impression of 28 Weeks Later was:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on July 03, 2011, 08:33:07 PM
Quote
"teleporting zombie"

I think in the REmake (It's been awhile) they actually had one of these that would stalk you through the mansion and if you killed him it was a game over

... actually I think it might have been Forest (oh my cod)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on July 03, 2011, 08:35:20 PM
Yeah, it was an unlockable mode.  It was pretty awesome.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on July 12, 2011, 09:20:37 AM
Oh my god you guys. Johnny Dangerously you guys. Oh my god.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on July 24, 2011, 02:06:46 AM
Finally caught Green Lantern: Emerald Knights.
Nathan Fillion was Hal Jordan? Wow. It shows. He said 6 lines the whole film. Guess that's as much as they could pay him?

When was this supposed to take place? The first animated Green Lantern movie was Hal's very first day on the job, ending after he beat a newly turned Sinestro. (When asked to recite the oath at the very end, he said he had only learned it that morning.) This movie Hal's a vetran but Sinestro is still a good guy. But it's same animation and voices (aside from Fillion) and I assumed it was a sequel.

The only complaints I ever heard about the movie were about how disjointed it felt, how it was a bunch of shorts tied together with a loose plot and how that's a bad thing. I dunno. I think they pulled it off for the most part, but everything felt very... cardboardy during the inbetween bits, I guess.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on August 01, 2011, 08:54:43 PM
So I finally watched Inception. Kinda knew the ending would be [spoiler]left ambiguous[/spoiler], but that didn't detract from the sheer spectacle and intriguing concept.

What was the problem people were having with the film? I thought it worked well. The only stumbling point might have been [spoiler]layer 3 not reflecting the uh, floaty quality of layer 2, but I think that can be explained away with the fact that there's a whole layer between the van falling and the snow fort, and the hotel was stable when they went into layer 3, thus they're not actually aware of themselves floating.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on August 01, 2011, 11:16:45 PM
the problem they had was not enough screentime for Tom Berenger
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on August 02, 2011, 06:02:35 PM
Just saw Natural Born Killers for the first time.

The fact that people idolize Mickey and Mallory is almost as bad as the box office success of Fight Club.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on August 02, 2011, 07:28:17 PM
Yeah, my roommate made me watch that recently. I don't get the appeal at all.

I mean I assume folks say they like it for the same reason folks say they like Saw and Cannibal Holocaust the like, for KRED, but I've started wondering if maybe they're just genuinely sadistic sociopaths and I'm giving them too much credit.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on August 02, 2011, 08:14:54 PM
It is almost 100% the same reason people like Fight Club.

The movie is about two people rebelling from a world consumed by media, trying to fight the system and what-have-you and go in their own direction. Don't get me wrong the film does an amazing job of critiquing modern American culture, but it does that by showing the masses, detached from the real horror of the Knoxx's actions idolizing them when in reality these are people with horrible lives, who deserve to be seen as beasts.

For gods' sake every character in the movie that tries to pay tribute to them ends up dead. It could not be any more clear that the point is not to want to be them yet no one who claims to be a real fan seems to see that.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on August 02, 2011, 08:31:28 PM
Sorta like how the people who love Smells Like Teen Spirit are primarily the people it openly mocks.

Hell, Beavis and Butt-Head, for that matter.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on August 02, 2011, 09:10:48 PM
Am I a horrible person for watching my old copy of Thin Red Line (which I hadn't pulled out in years) and blurting out halfway through HEY, I FORGOT ADRIAN BRODY WAS IN THIS!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on August 03, 2011, 06:20:13 AM
I love Fight Club, personally, but I never really gathered that the viewer was supposed to sympathize with Tyler Durden on any level. I mean, he's the split personality created by the repressed, misplaced masculinity of the main character childishly lashing out at everything around him. And that the reason you're supposed to be against crass, mass commercialization isn't because Tyler Durden is against it, but because it contributed to an environment that helped create a monster like him.

Also? The last few seconds of the movie leading into the credit roll is one of my top ten favorite movie moments.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on August 03, 2011, 07:34:28 AM
The point about Fight Club is that it's inherently making fun of the people who like the idea of Fight Clubs. Which is easy to do if you're dumb. It provides entertainment for the dummies who don't "get it", and the dummies who do "get it".

Overall, I always liked it, because it's simply fun. It has fun with itself, it has fun with the viewer, it flows very well, and never stops providing entertainment.

It does provide social commentary - only never the one a given viewer actually wants it to. I can get behind that kind of trolling.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on August 03, 2011, 08:23:42 AM
I liked Fight Club as a movie.  Attaching any further purpose than that is like taking Muse's lyrics seriously.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on August 03, 2011, 08:40:19 AM
The point about Pulp fiction is that it's inherently making fun of the people who like the idea of Fight Clubs. Which is easy to do if you're dumb. It provides entertainment for the dummies who don't "get it", and the dummies who do "get it".

Overall, I always liked it, because it's simply fun. It has fun with itself, it has fun with the viewer, it flows very well, and never stops providing entertainment.

It does provide social commentary - only never the one a given viewer actually wants it to. I can get behind that kind of trolling.

:wat:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on August 03, 2011, 08:47:18 AM
Okaaaayyyy. That's kind of funny, but who changed my post? Because I know I typed "Fight Club" (original post now fixed).
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on August 03, 2011, 09:06:37 AM
I liked Fight Club as a movie.  Attaching any further purpose than that is like ??? seriously.

Fight Club combines every juvenile male fantasy I care to list all into one. Excelling at traditional violent masculinity, being Robin Hood, being Brad Pitt, secretly being capable of or living out said fantasies.

Just the idea that not only would an individual be able to be a "moral" compass for a world that generally seems stacked in favor of the already privileged (never mind that the people who like this are crackers) but that even their extreme apparently insane efforts to impart morality and more egalitarian standards to the world (if not moral) meet with success.

As it stands, Tyler Durden doesn't... "eliminate the fractures to his psyche" as some sort of penance for his own crimes, but instead he claims the fruits and self-determination of his amoral counterpart. The psyche doesn't mend because he shoots himself in the head or because he repents, it mends because he decides that being an insane terrorist is something he wants to control rather than be controlled by.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on August 10, 2011, 08:26:19 PM
It is retarded how huge the drop in quality from Robocop one and two to three is.

Almost as retarded as Robocop 3 is.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Smiler on August 10, 2011, 09:37:35 PM
Dude did you see the ending? It totally made up for everything.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on August 29, 2011, 07:40:52 PM
Oh hey I remember seeing What Dreams May Come a really long time ago, wasn't that pretty good?

Right it's a drama staring Robin Williams and that sums it up perfectly.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on August 29, 2011, 08:59:32 PM
Dead Poets' Society is pretty great.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on August 30, 2011, 06:08:01 AM
One Hour Photo Scene (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHUTjlhF6QQ#)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on September 01, 2011, 09:42:57 PM
So finally I watched Zebraman after a year of owning it. I picked it up for a few bucks at a local shop and I heard it briefly mentioned in one place on the internet 7 or so years ago. I put it in expecting a silly Japanese Kamen Rider-esque action comedy.
It sort of was, I guess. But so much more. Seriously the first hour and a half was one of greatest movies I've ever seen. Then there was about 10 minutes of what the fuck am I watching followed by another 10 minutes of amazing movie. I really wish that one scene was a little different, but it was an interesting commentary on American heroes, I think. Very Burton Batman.

If you guys come across this, pick it up. Last I checked it wasn't on Netflix. Jesus tits. It is on Netflix. Watch it.

Apparently last year they made a sequel. I need to hunt me a copy down.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on September 02, 2011, 05:01:32 AM
Oh hey, I don't know if you guys noticed or not, but there have been some incidents lately where YouTube was mysteriously posting full movies in high-quality without explanation. So people got to watch The Third Man, The Godfather, and a couple others.

Apparently, since all the Blockbusters in Canada are about to close (and the US too, I guess?), the wraps are coming off: Google is set to offer video rentals through YouTube for $4 or $5 a pop. You'll have 30 days within which to watch the movie, and 48 hours to complete watching once you start.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on September 04, 2011, 08:28:04 PM
Cross-posting from the What I Learned thread (http://brontoforum.us/index.php?topic=126.msg201995#msg201995)

Hey, I finally got to watch all of They Live instead of just the chopped-up highlight reel.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on September 06, 2011, 05:47:21 AM
I was watching the end of Big Trouble in Little China today, and I noticed something that I never caught before: Egg Chen taking a hit off a bong.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on September 06, 2011, 11:18:14 AM
He prefers you call it his six demon bong.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Da_Beerman on October 09, 2011, 08:23:33 PM
So Chinatown and Once Upon a Time in the West are available on Netflix instant watch, and I'd say both are worth watching.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ziiro on October 10, 2011, 10:30:21 PM
I've been watching various movies while putting together some CSM Rhinos. "Riverworld" (The 2010 version (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1419950/)). And The Man From Earth (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0756683/). Riverworld isn't amazing movie wise, but I dig the concept and universe and that movie drags me into the book. The Man From Earth is an amazing watch. I can't suggest that one enough. Both are on Netflix!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on October 12, 2011, 10:47:08 AM
Oh yeah! The one with Doctor Flox and The Fat Sweaty Dude From Whose Line Is It Anyways! Both playing genuine and compelling characters for the first time I've seen.

It is quite good.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on October 12, 2011, 12:55:16 PM
"Oh, yay! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is on!"

2 hours later

"... jesus christ its like shindlers list except with wizards"
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on October 12, 2011, 10:16:32 PM
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round is a fun little heist movie starring James Coburn (swoon) that's among the free offerings on YouTube's film service (if it doesn't come up in the list, just search for it by name). The editor probably should have been strangled with a strip of celluloid otherwise it's pretty decent, mostly for the acting. If you do watch it, you'll know what I mean when I say the scenes with the airhead in red is alllll kinds of wowfucked. Bonus: the actress who plays Inga is... phew! Zowie!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on October 18, 2011, 09:36:08 PM
Caught Pirahna 3D on showtime.

I can see why half of it was in 3D. Naked 3D women on a giant screen seems like something many people would pay for.

... the other half.

It's like something Niku would pay money for.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on October 19, 2011, 02:16:18 AM
AND YET SADLY, I HAVEN'T

when i think of all the time i have wasted not seeing movies because i knew a friend wanted to see them too but then they like never actually seem to want to go i basically amplify the force of my punches whenever someone incredulously asks "you're going by yourself?" when i tell them i am going to the movies and no i am not meeting anyone there
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on October 19, 2011, 09:13:07 AM
That's what I have a big plasma TV for.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on October 19, 2011, 09:14:45 AM
Because if you don't have friends, you might as well fill the void with expensive electronics.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on October 19, 2011, 09:18:57 AM
That's what she said.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on October 19, 2011, 09:24:48 AM
Ba-ZING
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on October 19, 2011, 09:55:46 AM
I can see why half of it was in 3D. Naked 3D women on a giant screen seems like something many people would pay for.

Here I am, stuck with naked 2D women on a merely large screen. Fff.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on October 19, 2011, 10:04:46 AM
Yeah, snuff fetistists really missed out if they skipped out on going to the theatre for Pirahna 3D.

Oh, but hey there's a sequel coming out apparently.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on October 26, 2011, 07:04:23 AM
EW's got a Princess Bride retrospective, including an interview (http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/10/14/princess-bride-oral-history/) and reunion photo (http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/10/12/the-princess-bride-cast-reunion-photo/) of the cast.  (Via Mark Evanier (http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2011_10_25.html#021487), who praises the original hardback over all other editions of the book.)  The reminiscences about Andre the Giant are pretty touching.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on October 26, 2011, 11:54:27 AM
My grandparents got me a copy of Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection (http://www.amazon.com/Laurel-Hardy-Essential-Collection-Stan/dp/B005BYBZKY/) for my birthday.  It must have been a preorder, because I didn't get it until yesterday.

Anyhow, the thing's spendy but fucking gorgeous.  It's 10 DVD's, featuring the entire Hal Roach run of talkies, and the packaging is really nice, resembling a bound book with discs between the pages.  Each page has a description of the shorts and features on the discs, their basic plot and their significance.  Really, really nice stuff.

Last night I watched Night Owls (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Owls_%281930_film%29), and it was delightful.  It's clearly one of their early talkies, and it's striking in its contrast between silence and sound -- in this short, the duo are trying to break into a house, and keep making loud noises.  The setup's about as simple as they come, but it's a wonderful little time capsule, combining silent-era physical comedy with gags that could only work in a talkie.

Brilliant shit and still funny 80 years later.  Dunno when Netflix will have this available but it's worth checking out when they do, and if you can spare $65 it's recommended.

It's funny -- my girlfriend's sister had a baby some months back, and I think the biggest compliment I can offer all-ages media is "In a few years, I'm going to share this with my nephew."

My nephew will be the only kid on the playground who knows who Laurel and Hardy are.  I am cool with that.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on October 26, 2011, 12:42:02 PM
But will he be?

Kids have been ostracized for less.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on October 26, 2011, 12:46:41 PM
Don't worry.  He'll also know more about Batman than any other kid on the playground.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on November 22, 2011, 09:25:21 AM
So I just saw True Romance which is a 1993 Tarantino movie and wow it really is

Anyway highly recommended, if only for the Hopper/Walken scene.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on December 30, 2011, 05:55:29 PM
The Lupin III car chase in the new movies thread reminded me: Castle of Cagliostro is up for free on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/movie/the-castle-of-cagliostro), just in case you've never actually seen it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 28, 2012, 10:50:45 PM
The Help is pretty well-acted, but ultimately it suffers from the usual Hollywood Liberal White Guilt syndrome: all these poor colored folk are SO LUCKY to have a photogenic white person come in and rescue them.

...that the photogenic white person is a Pretty Ugly Girl manages to work in ANOTHER irritating Hollywood cliche.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 31, 2012, 07:18:11 AM
There's a few obvious elements that make The Social Network and Moneyball seem similar. They're adaptations of controversial nonfiction books, each with an Aaron Sorkin writing credit and a traditionally comic actor cast in a serious lead role. The chief difference, I think, is that The Social Network wasn't just of interest to software developers - but Moneyball, I think, is almost certainly of interest only to people who care about baseball.

Disagree -- I wouldn't describe myself as a baseball fan per se (it's probably my favorite sport, but I'm not much of a sports fan), but the movie fascinated the hell out of me because of the math.

Every sport has stats, but no other sport obsesses over them the way baseball does.  Moneyball lovingly embraces that, and as much as anything is about baseball as an exercise in numbercrunching and minmaxing.

There's an XKCD about sports narratives (http://xkcd.com/904/) that I've always felt was somewhat dismissive and somewhat unjustified. This is fundamentally because I like baseball; I love going to baseball games, and I love baseball narratives. And if you do not love the complex narrative of a baseball season, or even the fundamental narrative of a single baseball game - this movie holds nothing for you. There are scenes which are blatant, unsubtle appeals to emotion - but they worked on me, because they were deployed through the medium of baseball, and like many Americans, baseball holds a deep-seated primal power over me.

I won't speak for Munroe, but while this movie is certainly about building a narrative, it really does show some serious love for the actual weighted random number generation.  The movie is about the triumph of inquiry over conventional wisdom, and of empiricism over personal biases.  As emotionally manipulative as it is, it paradoxically vilifies people who make emotional decisions instead of rational ones.

Anyhow, it's a fascinating story, and I missed it when it was happening.  (Watched a bit of Diamondbacks that year -- it was the year after they won the World Series -- but didn't pay much attention to anybody else.)

Was disappointed to find that the most interesting character, Jonah Hill's Peter Brand, is an invention (though loosely based on Paul DePodesta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_DePodesta)).  Makes me wonder what other details were changed for the film -- maybe I'll give the book a read one of these days.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on February 01, 2012, 07:53:20 PM
Captain America suffers the same problem as many of the other Marvel movies: once the origin story's all used up, it kinda conks out in the last act.

But the origin story part is pretty great!  Really nice, earnest bit of propaganda.  Where Thor did a better job than any other movie I've ever seen at capturing Jack Kirby's aesthetics, this one did a solid job of capturing his optimism.  1940's Cap doesn't have the foibles of Iron Man, Hulk, Spider-Man, or, hell, 1960's Cap.  He's simple and he's pure -- the best in all of us, against a villain who is similarly uncomplicated.

Still sucks that Kirby's family didn't get any money out of the deal.  Not sure about Simon; his settlement with Marvel was never disclosed.  I don't remember seeing either name in the credits, though maybe I just missed them (Iron Man 2 did a pretty good job of crediting all 4 co-creators).
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on February 01, 2012, 09:26:04 PM
Whether you see the story as cynical or not depends on how cynical you are.  I mean, it starts out with an emotionally abused kid who's constantly getting into street fights, commits several federal offenses, and is finally approached by a weird foreigner when he's the most down on his luck who promises to make him better through the use and subsequent peddling of a body-altering chemical.

In another movie the story would have ended with end with Steve face-down and motionless in a pool of water oh wait
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on March 12, 2012, 09:33:32 AM
Being Elmo is on Netflix Streaming now.  I found it disappointingly light -- it clocks in at 75 minutes -- but it's a good crash course on Clash's life and career.

He seems like he's really a very nice, wonderful man, and so do the people he works with.  The main takeaway is that he got where he is not just because of his own talents but because when he was a kid, adults nurtured them -- from his parents on up to the Henson Studios.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on April 25, 2012, 04:27:36 PM
Funny Games Is an incredibly brutal movie but the story it tells is told amazingly. The climax is the easiest part to hate but a small portion of a great movie.

Also one of those movies best viewed with minimal background information.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on June 28, 2012, 04:24:57 AM
So I don't know if I actually like God Bless America more than World's Greatest Dad, but damn if it isn't worth watching.  It's got some problems, especially in turning its characters into mouthpieces for things that it feels like they may or may not actually say and Roxy basically being a manic-pixie-dream-Hit Girl, but it's got moments that are genuinely effective both from a dramatic standpoint and a "fuck yeah that was kinda cathartic to watch them kill that idiot" standpoint.  It's sort of weaves back and forth between satirical drama and black comedy, so if you're hoping for one or the other it might end up being a little disjointed in tone for you.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Joxam on June 28, 2012, 09:38:30 AM
If any of you guys haven't seen Drive its on netflix instant watch and its a great fucking movie.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on June 28, 2012, 04:18:42 PM
fucking goddamn tits yes
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on August 04, 2012, 08:19:08 AM
So apparently after the original Mad Max there was a brief period where a bunch of Aussie imitators made terrible copycat films that never escaped the country.

Exterminators of the Year 3000 (1983) - Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKBYHQZFnIQ#ws)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on August 06, 2012, 08:10:37 PM
Ever since I saw they were remaking Total Recall all I wanted to do was see the original again. Watched it tonight and man, like full a third of the spoken dialogue is quotable hilarity.

Honestly the original is one of the best "fun" movies I know.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Royal☭ on August 06, 2012, 08:13:07 PM
And then it ends with people's faces exploding on he surface of Mars. Hilarity is the safeword, just say when.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on August 06, 2012, 08:24:01 PM
The best part about (the original) Total Recall is that it is absolutely aware of how corny it is.  It's much better when you feel like you're having a laugh with the movie.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on August 06, 2012, 08:47:32 PM
And the first fifteen minutes make for one of the most straight-across adaptations of any Philip K Dick story.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Miss Cat Ears on August 07, 2012, 06:28:46 AM
And then it ends with people's faces exploding on he surface of Mars. Hilarity is the safeword, just say when.
Aw man, I haven't seen it yet.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Shinra on August 07, 2012, 06:55:36 AM
rosebud was the sled
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Miss Cat Ears on August 07, 2012, 07:58:32 AM
I haven't actually seen that either
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Smiler on August 07, 2012, 08:23:04 AM
Citizen Kane Fever (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvmXMX52nbw#ws)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on August 13, 2012, 08:30:56 PM
The Wal-marts around here are selling All-Star Superman for $3.
If you do not own this movie, go buy it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on August 31, 2012, 01:04:38 PM
There goes your Labor Day weekend: Troma's put 100 of its movies up on YouTube. (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/31/troma_trove_on_youtube/)  Most are free to watch, but some of the more famous ones like Toxic Avenger cost $3.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on September 15, 2012, 11:15:22 AM
People who say The Happening is bad are crazy. Zooey Deschanel and Mark Wahlberg give award worthy performances.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on September 15, 2012, 08:13:37 PM
Well, I'm pretty sure they both got Razzies, if that's what you mean.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on September 28, 2012, 04:50:41 PM
Clue is on Netflix. Anyone who hasn't seen it and continues not to is officially a bad person.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on October 25, 2012, 09:02:38 AM
Little Shop of Horrors: The Director's Cut (http://www.avclub.com/articles/little-shop-of-horrors-the-directors-cut,87844/) includes the original ending where everybody dies.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on October 31, 2012, 03:26:01 PM
Hocus Pocus (full movie) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QBYYEhtzVY#ws)

Enjoy your evening, everybody.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on November 18, 2012, 08:13:55 AM
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/Rygaron/netmous.png)

You know now that you mention it, Netflix, I can't say I've been keeping track.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on November 20, 2012, 03:36:55 PM
AV Club interviews Patton Oswalt. (http://www.avclub.com/articles/patton-oswalt-on-his-most-memorable-roles-and-givi,88860/)

The guy tells a great damn anecdote.  The bit about Blade 3 is a highlight.  And explains an awful lot.

And he says very nice things about pretty much everybody except Wesley Snipes.  He even pulls some obvious punches talking about Dane Cook.  He comes across as a very nice guy.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on December 09, 2012, 11:59:23 AM
They Might Be Giants is an amazing movie (http://www.tubechop.com/watch/740374) that everyone needs to watch.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on January 10, 2013, 11:04:44 PM
So apparently some people didn't enjoy Dredd?
Saying it was humorless and unaware?

I don't get it. It was both hilarious and completely aware of both what it was and it's target audience.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on January 21, 2013, 03:17:47 PM
Groundhog Day expires from Instant Queue on Feb 1?  What fucking genius penned THAT agreement?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on January 26, 2013, 10:37:26 PM
The Revisionaries (http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/01/texas-where-science-and-history-have-become-ideological-battlegrounds/), a documentary about how Texas is fucking up national textbook standards for history and science, is airing on PBS (http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/revisionaries/) this week.  Local listings may vary; here it's running Monday at 11PM and rerunning throughout the week.

I haven't seen it; the Ars review I linked says it's a little unfocused but does a good job of laying out the mess we're in.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on January 27, 2013, 09:37:27 PM
I watched MIB 3 yesterday and I thought that Tim Curry was putting in a fantastic performance as Boris the Animal. Imagine my surprise when I learned it was the non-Figwit guy from Flight of the Conchords in heavy makeup.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on January 27, 2013, 09:39:53 PM
I did the same thing!  He really seemed to go to a lot of effort to make everyone think he was Tim Curry.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ziiro on February 04, 2013, 03:51:32 PM
1)Hell on Wheels (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_on_Wheels_(TV_series)) is pretty great. I'd suggest it to anyone, but I warn you it's pretty brutal in the violence and general themes. Season 1 is on Netflix, and that's all I've seen.

2) On a related note, Ken Burns' "The west" is a great documentary series. (Also on Netflix.)

3) Jormungand (http://www.hulu.com/jormungand) is an interesting watch, but the ending leaves a lot to be desired. The journey there makes up for it, though.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on February 15, 2013, 01:40:56 PM
Criterion films free on Hulu this weekend. (http://www.hulu.com/movies/criterion)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on February 20, 2013, 11:41:44 AM
A couple sentences on Beasts of the Southern Wild and Hotel Transylvania. (http://www.corporate-sellout.com/index.php/2013/02/20/redboxin/)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on February 22, 2013, 08:34:12 PM
The Thing is a scary, freaky movie.

At least it's made me feel a little better about the weather around here.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on February 23, 2013, 03:03:53 AM
How in God's name does a horror movie taking place in the frozen Antarctic make you feel better about living in the frozen wastelands of Canada?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Disposable Ninja on February 23, 2013, 03:04:14 AM
No offense.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Friday on February 23, 2013, 05:56:55 AM
Things dislike cold.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Lottel on March 09, 2013, 01:00:09 AM
Friend invited me over for a group movie night and asked what my favourite Hitchcock was, as her dad just been given a collection.  I said I loved Rear Window.
So we watched it and afterwards the rest of the crowd mentioned they hadn't seen any Hitchcock. In fact, most hadn't seen a movie made before the 80s, let alone one in black and white.
So we discussed favourite movies and whatnot. Basically, I've never been more happier that my parents sat me down to watch old movies as a kid.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on March 09, 2013, 10:04:22 AM
I got to catch Vertigo in a neat old 1920's theater in Tucson last year.  It was good times.

(And The Shining is running at a local theater next week.  Thinking about it.)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Healy on March 10, 2013, 06:53:19 PM
So I watched Rango last night. It was really good! The scene with the "Spirit of the West" was the best.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on March 12, 2013, 08:34:25 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/mL1UK3F.jpg)

Aww yesss
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on March 27, 2013, 06:56:29 PM
The Man With The Iron Fists is probably the most perfect movie I've ever seen.  Never before have I seen something so completely and gloriously execute its concept.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on March 27, 2013, 07:28:59 PM
I thought it was terrible, but to each his own, I suppose.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on April 01, 2013, 09:48:49 AM
Tai Chi Zero is on Netflix instant now. It's easily one of the dumbest, most ridiculous movies I've ever seen, but there's an earnestness to it that I can't help but find endearing. You can tell everyone involved had fun making it.

If you enjoy martial arts movies, goofball comedies, or cute girls in Victorian-era military uniforms, you should watch it.

Also, this:

(http://i.imgur.com/crs5wyj.jpg)
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on April 13, 2013, 05:46:46 PM
Today, I learned of The Phynx (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phynx)

That page is so tantalizingly barren. The only sentence describing the movie sounds like a hoot.

The cast list on the other hand is practically encyclopedic. If there was an actor named Kitchen Sink, he'd have been in this too.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Büge on April 30, 2013, 01:59:21 PM
Warner, MGM and Universal are pulling their content out of Netflix... tomorrow (http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/04/30/netflix_queue_to_become_netflix_list_maybe_also_many_movies_no_longer_streaming.html).
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on April 30, 2013, 02:01:12 PM
 :pop:

Did, uh, did they just kill Netflix?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Joxam on April 30, 2013, 02:29:17 PM
Its not that big a deal I think. Its basically just 'classic (before the 80s) instant content.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on April 30, 2013, 03:58:43 PM
Well, and lots of Bond.

Quote
Update, 10:36 p.m.: A spokesperson for Warner Bros. insists that the launch of Warner Archive Instant is not responsible for the removal of films from Netflix’s streaming service. Joris Evers of Netflix writes in to say that Netflix often licenses movies on an exclusive basis and sometimes chooses not to renew less watched titles. He also notes that many of the movies expiring at midnight were part of a deal Netflix had with Epix.

The subtext of those comments seem to indicate that WB would actually be perfectly happy to keep its classics up on Netflix, but NF itself is busy making excellent decisions.  Given its recent history and the context of the rest of the article, I'm inclined to lend that idea a little credit.

Also I don't think this should be a surprise, normal contract expirations are visible a month in advance... unless, of course, you're a victim of excellent decisions.  :whoops:
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on April 30, 2013, 05:37:45 PM
Yeah, even the average FRAT BOI CRU has plenty of old movies they want to watch. Restricting Netflix to newer releases only is a body blow to the attempts to create the video version of the itunes store (i.e. a one-stop all-legal shop).
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on April 30, 2013, 06:19:03 PM
Well, in the meantime Amazon Prime is catching up quick and comes free with a service that any sane person with internet should already have, soooooo.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: TA on May 01, 2013, 04:04:32 AM
Well, in the meantime Amazon Prime is catching up quick and comes free with a service that any sane person with internet should already have, soooooo.

... it does?  What's that?
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on May 01, 2013, 05:33:14 AM
An Amazon Prime account.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Beat Bandit on May 01, 2013, 05:57:14 AM
Its not that big a deal I think. Its basically just 'classic (before the 80s) instant content.
If it wasn't for Netflix I would never know about They Might Be Giants or have seen Arsenic and Old Lace and most of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. It's a big enough section to lose that it will be missed.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Caithness on May 01, 2013, 03:09:26 PM
I don't use my aunt's Netflix account very often, but I was troubleshooting an issue on my grandma's computer today and the movie I happened to test with was Kumaré (http://instantwatcher.com/titles/190332). I was so fascinated by it that I watched the rest when I got home.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Sharkey on May 22, 2013, 07:50:49 AM
Oh, weird. John Dies at the End got a film adaptation, which is pretty much as good as you could hope for a film adaptation of John Dies at the End with not quite enough budget. Alien world? That's going to happen in a cave. Nice little distraction, and it's on Netflix now. Obviously about ten times better while stoned, but that should go without saying.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on May 28, 2013, 04:51:21 AM
Mystery of Chessboxing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWK8qwlyj5M#)

"The game of chess, is like a swordfight. You must think first, before you move."
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Ted Belmont on July 11, 2013, 03:27:40 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwsqFR5bh6Q (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwsqFR5bh6Q#ws)

SHARKNADO
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Joxam on August 02, 2013, 07:47:01 PM
The House I Live In (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2125653/) is a documentary on the drug war. It's on netflix instant watch right now and it's well worth the watch. It'll probably depress the shit out of you, but again, it's worth it.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on August 03, 2013, 12:04:22 AM
I can't figure out from a glance at the IMDB listing about how much of the documentary is devoted to the Mexican Drug War(s).
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Joxam on August 03, 2013, 08:08:45 AM
Quote from: IMDB Plot Blurb
From the dealer to the narcotics officer, the inmate to the federal judge, a penetrating look inside America's criminal justice system, revealing the profound human rights implications of U.S. drug policy.

What how?

Its about the American drug war, so none? About fifteen seconds where he explains that most normal Americans believe that the drug war is fought in different countries. The movie is about how the drug war and laws surrounding drugs in AMERICA are designed to put poor, mostly minority, people into prison for a long long time. Some of the best interviews are from Federal judges and prison guards who went into their respective fields with all the best intentions and are now disenfranchised with it to the point that... well that they'd be in a Documentary about the drug war.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Classic on August 03, 2013, 10:39:39 PM
Joxam, America is a continent and not just the USA./smugprick

I read the "Penetrating look" part as being the third member of a series of features. I just can't imagine someone making a documentary about how fucked up drug policy is and its human rights implications without at least mentioning the clusterfuck that's going on in Latin America as a side-effect of crazy US policies.

But how SNAFU the US justice system is just in terms of recreational drug laws is probably enough for a documentary, I should have been able to suss it out.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on August 19, 2013, 04:28:20 PM
Mary & Max - Official Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgRjB8PEDkM#ws)

By the same guy as Harvie Krumpet. Looks really good. I'll have to try and get a copy somewhere.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Brentai on August 19, 2013, 08:06:27 PM
It's been on Netflix in the US since the paleolithic era.  Not sure about you guys.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on August 20, 2013, 01:39:50 AM
Netflix in Canada is trapped in the Paleolithic era.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mongrel on August 20, 2013, 02:47:05 PM
Finally got around to watching The General (Buster Keaton). It's of course quite dated, but as good as advertised!
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Mothra on August 20, 2013, 04:18:03 PM
Oblivion (the movie) was waaaay better than I was expecting. I'd heard it was crappy. It was quite good.

There's a completely random, unnecessary subplot thrown into the second half, and I feel like the entire plot could have been shaved down and tightened up quite a bit, but it wasn't that bad. Really, the designs, the awesome visuals, the soundwork, and particularly the music made up for the bleh finale.

Worth a watch.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Thad on September 01, 2013, 04:54:46 PM
Moonrise Kingdom: well, I can still honestly say I have never seen a bad Wes Anderson movie.  I am glad he is out there making movies.
Title: Re: Movies for Home Viewing
Post by: Niku on December 17, 2013, 01:29:38 PM
Blackfish is available on Netflix instant now.  More people watching it is required for SeaWorld to burn to the ground.

The IT Crowd - Fire at a Sea Parks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy_BKKnHgas#ws)

.. once they put in plastic seats.