What is the last film you watched?

[A24 4,346]

Howard End: To me this is greatest achievement from the team of Ivory. The characters, the performances, the story's interweavement of 3 social classes, the stunning looks, Richard Robbins' perfect score, the unbelievably attractive chemistry between Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, the intelligent dialogue, the richness and complexity of the themes, ... I wish all their movies were that good. ****

Alex

[Richard Penna 3,695]

201: A Space Odyssey.

Ok, what just happened for that last two hours?

*goes off to read wikipedia*

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Wiki cannot help you my friend.

This is something you will have to come to terms with yourself. Most people can't though, and dissmiss it.

Actually up untill the last 20 minutes or so, the narrative of 2001 is completely clear.

[Marian Schedenig 8,209]

And after that, it's also quite clear in the book. It's just all done in a very cryptic way in the movie. Basically, most of it is similar to the ending in Contact.

[Morlock 11]

How is it similar to Contact?

Saw Point Blank for the first time. Damn, it's one fine film. I mean...it's such a visceral experience, and one that cannot be explained. So much of the visuals going on in it make no sense, aside from some kind of emotional connection. And it works. Boy, does it work. One can see why (and how) so many films have stolen from this one. Payback looks immeasurabley worse now. Maybe Alex was onto something with Boorman. In fact, I feel like seeing one of his later films again. Probably The General (although I am curious about Tiger's Tail).

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Don't forget Deliverance, which lives up to it's title in a massive way.

[Marian Schedenig 8,209]

How is it similar to Contact?

Journey through wormholes, passing through a big interstellar terminal, ending up in an artificial environment designed by aliens to resemble something familiar to the protagonist.

[Morlock 11]

Oh, you meant the discovery....I thought you meant the epilogue with James Woods.

[Trent Hoyt 13]

I watched the first half of The Rocketeer today. I really enjoyed the score, classic Horner.

[pixie_twinkle 48]

I watched the first half of The Rocketeer today. I really enjoyed the score, classic Horner.

I really miss Jennifer Connolly's chest. The Rocketeer reminds us what a miracle of nature it used to be.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

She downsized her breasts?

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

I watched the first half of The Rocketeer today. I really enjoyed the score, classic Horner.

I really miss Jennifer Connolly's chest. The Rocketeer reminds us what a miracle of nature it used to be.

Indeed. But its her eyes that are totally mesmerizing

[A24 4,346]

She downsized her breasts?

She got children and afterwards she became really skinny. That's why her body changed. Her youth (and everything that comes along with it) has passed. She still looks great though.

28 Weeks Later: Silly movie. I wish I never watched it.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

28 Weeks Later: Silly movie. I wish I never watched it.

Me too.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

A Fistful of Dollars.

Great fun! I can't believe it's taken me this long to see these films, but Wal*Mart has the trilogy on sale for $5.00 each! Tonight I will watch For A Few Dollars More.

The best trilogy of all time. If Duck, You Sucker was named Once Upon A Time In The Revolution like it was once planned, then there would have been another perfect trilogy with America and The West.

Watched Memento in blu-ray. Excellent movie, forgot how well-made and executed it is. Great score by David Julyan, and a cool end credits song by David Bowie. Nolan really does a great job of making you feel like Leonard, and the story is extremelly original and well-written.

[Morlock 11]

Fistfull of Dollars is great fun. The one practically shot-for-shot remake that actually works (even though the dubbing with Leone's movies is always annoying). Though it's nowhere near the same league as Once Upon a time in the West or Good, The bad and The Ugly.

[A24 4,346]

The Remains Of The Day: Some movies have great moments (for instance, Rutger Hauer's Tears In Rain speech in Blade Runner). This film is fortunate to have one too: The Book Scene. With one scene, it tells you the whole idea behind the story and in a most effective way. The Remains Of The Day is, in my opinion, James Ivory's second best film. Everything is great but, let's face it, Kazuo Ishiguro isn't quite E.M. Forster.

Alex

[Morlock 11]

I love it. Rarely has a movie been more satisfying for me in it's lacking of the expected catharsis. Hopkins stays true to his character to the last. Need to see Howard's End and Room with a View.

[Neimoidian 14]

The Bucket List. Terrific movie and surprisingly optymistic given its serious subject. Nicholson plays his usual sort of character, but he hasn't been as good since About Schmidt and Morgan Freeman is stellar as always.

[Quintus 5,399]

The Remains Of The Day: Some movies have great moments (for instance, Rutger Hauer's Tears In Rain speech in Blade Runner). This film is fortunate to have one too: The Book Scene. With one scene, it tells you the whole idea behind the story and in a most effective way. The Remains Of The Day is, in my opinion, James Ivory's second best film. Everything is great but, let's face it, Kazuo Ishiguro isn't quite E.M. Forster.

Alex

Fantastic film. Hopkins is on fire and Emma Thompson pretty much matches him. I love it.

[Henry B 50]

The Bucket List. Terrific movie and surprisingly optymistic given its serious subject. Nicholson plays his usual sort of character, but he hasn't been as good since About Schmidt and Morgan Freeman is stellar as always.

Surprisingly optimistic? Exactly: it's fluff. The script is bad, too. The comedy isn't very funny, and Freeman's character is basically reprehensible when you step back and carefully consider it. The score is the usual Shaiman fare.

[Morlock 11]

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly is surprisingly optimistic. The Bucket List would be positively shocking if it were not bright and sunny.

Morlock- who hasn't seen it, and plans not to. Seemingly, the curse of Rob Reiner continues.

[Quintus 5,399]

I've had it on my hard drive for a while now, I'll watch it when I ain't got anything better to do. Sometimes sentimental 'fluff' movies are just what the doctor ordered.

Then again it really could just be rubbish.

[A24 4,346]

Don't you two agree about The Bucket List?

The people (IMDB) say 7.7. The critics at Rotten Tomatoes say 5.1. Maybe it's somewhere in between?

Alex-who won't be seeing it either

[Morlock 11]

Ebert says */****. I suspect the truth is between that and RT. I'm kinda tired of the Morgan Freeman redeems the white man genre.

[QMM 4]

The Bucket List. Terrific movie and surprisingly optymistic given its serious subject. Nicholson plays his usual sort of character, but he hasn't been as good since About Schmidt and Morgan Freeman is stellar as always.

Really? Really?

[Neimoidian 14]

The Bucket List would be positively shocking if it were not bright and sunny.

What's wrong with brightness and sunshine?

Diving bell is a true story, and first and foremost a serious movie, Bucket List is a comedy, so they shouldn't be compared in my mind. As for the whole concept of making a comedy about two guys dying fo cancer, I find it was tackled very well and I didn't get the impression the filmmakers went too far.

[Morlock 11]

You said it was suprisingly optimistic. I was commenting that of course it was going to be optimistic. Nothing surprising about it.

[Neimoidian 14]

I take the point.

[Morlock 11]

Tombstone. Loved the first 45 minutes or so. After that, it lost me, I'm not sure why. Really, no idea why. Love Val Kilmer. Holliday is a great part, Dannies Quaid is one of the few good things in Wyatt Earp in the same part....but Kilmer really makes a dent here, a Holliday for the ages. The way Wyatt Earp is drawn is a bit too muddled for my tastes...I love the ambiguity about him, but once we get to the OK Corral, he seems to straighten out, as a character. I liked him more as a questionable hero. Sam Elliot is Sam Elliot, as usual (I mean, I love Sam Elliot...but I've never seen him play anyone except this one character).

I liked the presence of women in the movie, and Dana Delany makes a very charming future Mrs. Earp...but I don't think the women's part in the film is particularly well handled, especially Earp's relationship with his wife.

Great looking William Fraker cinematography. Even the slow motion cliches come off pretty well.

Movie looks and feels fantastic....first third is the same vibe that Deadwood went for, and both feel authentic.

The score is generally excellent, although I don't think the movie can support the love theme, which is too big and sweeping for the film.

I wish the film would have gone deeper in analyzing whether the Earps were heros or not....it seems to build in that direction, only to abandon that as the movie progresses. Still, the ambiguity is welcome as long as it's there.

Of the villains, Powers Boothe is a very welcome presence, and I do like the fact that he's presented as a rather likable and human guy. Michael Biehn seems to think that he's playing a more iconic and seriosu part than he is.

Overall, I liked it, even though I thinks it derails after the first act. But it still holds interest after that point.

**1/2/****.

[MSM 126]

The Lion King. Nice children's movie, nothing more, nothing less. Good music btw, who wrote it?

[Henry B 50]

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World - written by, directed by and starring Albert Brooks. I didn't really know what to make of it. I felt for most of the movie that the humor was supposed to be subtle and dry, but the campy scenes with the Indian and Pakistani militaries, the ending and Michael Giacchino's score made me wonder. Speaking of which, the score starts to hurt the film about halfway through as it becomes prominent, but it's nice music in its own right. I kind of like the ridiculously overblown arrangement of "America the Beautiful." I'm surprised there's not more interest in a soundtrack release, given what a hot ticket Giacchino is these days. Oh, and Sheetal Sheth is, uh, wow.

[Morlock 11]

You dare ask a question like that at a Hans Zimmer fansite?!?

I like the film. It's got mythic stuff ingrained in me (images, line, the score). Not such a huge fan of the entire film, but it's got a mystical allure for me. And it is a superb score. A bit too synthy (most of the synth stuff excised from the album), but it's got very powerful themes, and not powerful in an MV sense.

[MSM 126]

You dare ask a question like that at a Hans Zimmer fansite?!?

I like the film. It's got mythic stuff ingrained in me (images, line, the score). Not such a huge fan of the entire film, but it's got a mystical allure for me. And it is a superb score. A bit too synthy (most of the synth stuff excised from the album), but it's got very powerful themes, and not powerful in an MV sense.

Well as much as I love Zimmer's work, I must admit there are some scores by JW that come close. Back to the Future for instance.

I can see why it has become a classic, it's just a little too classical for my taste.

[Red 75]

Its' opening is one of the best I've seen in any film.

[Jacob 0]

You dare ask a question like that at a Hans Zimmer fansite?!?

I like the film. It's got mythic stuff ingrained in me (images, line, the score). Not such a huge fan of the entire film, but it's got a mystical allure for me. And it is a superb score. A bit too synthy (most of the synth stuff excised from the album), but it's got very powerful themes, and not powerful in an MV sense.

Well as much as I love Zimmer's work, I must admit there are some scores by JW that come close. Back to the Future for instance.

I can see why it has become a classic, it's just a little too classical for my taste.

And he's just too samey. I mean, can anyone reelly tell the difrance frum IJ StatWars and SUP-MAN mane themes??

[indy4 155]

You dare ask a question like that at a Hans Zimmer fansite?!?

I like the film. It's got mythic stuff ingrained in me (images, line, the score). Not such a huge fan of the entire film, but it's got a mystical allure for me. And it is a superb score. A bit too synthy (most of the synth stuff excised from the album), but it's got very powerful themes, and not powerful in an MV sense.

Well as much as I love Zimmer's work, I must admit there are some scores by JW that come close. Back to the Future for instance.

I can see why it has become a classic, it's just a little too classical for my taste.

And he's just too samey. I mean, can anyone reelly tell the difrance frum IJ StatWars and SUP-MAN mane themes??

Don't forget Star Trek, that sounds just like StatWars

[Koray Savas 2,251]

10,000 BC! The first must see comedy of 2008!

Er...1 star out of 4? Or is that too generous? A half star will do.

All I really want to say is that I had a pretty good laugh, sometimes even up to where my eyes would water. Fantastic crapfest Mr. Klouser and Mr. Emmerich!

EDIT: Forgot to mention I saw it for free.

[A24 4,346]

To those who are interested in the films of James Ivory: has anyone read this?

Michael Clayton: I don't know why but I simply didn't like it much. Maybe I'm fed up with the theme (multinational does everything to cover up its wrongdoings - as always, in the end they get their comeuppance).

[Morlock 11]

I think that while the film has nothing really new to say about the theme, it's execution is quite interesting. Clooney is quite good, Wilkinson is excellent (when is he not?), and Tilda Swinton is excellent as well (even though I'm not quite sure about the role as written). And it does move smoothly...perhaps a bit too smoothly to stick in my memory- but it's a slick low-key thriller, with some notable aspects (Although I personally didn't buy the supposed poetry of the three horses).

Saw John Boorman's The General. Wow- two movies I've seen within a month with the same title, and both were superb! Really terrific film about Irish criminal Martin Cahill. It's a bit too good to be true, and I understand that the film is not exactly accurate....but in this case, I couldn't care less.

Brendan Gleeson is magnetic here- totally shows off what a fnatastic presence he can be. I'm a huge Gleeson fan...and this is one of his few lead performances. And it is some performance.

Jon Voight provides what is probably the last piece of real acting that I've seen from him...his accent is terrific, and he totally blends in in this B&W Irish world. And his sad knowledge about how the tale is gonna end up works sensationally well as juxtaposed with Gleeson's oafish man-child.

The film does show some of the dark side of the character...but I don't think it ever pretends to dislike the guy, even when he is crucifying a wrongfully accused underling.

The heists are wonderfully spirited and entertaining, yet the film does have room for some real emotion in there.

The B&W photography is quite good......I enjoyed the film immensely.

***1/2/****.

[A24 4,346]

Never saw The General. In fact, I never even heard of it. Did you buy the DVD?

Planet Terror: A perfect Grindhouse movie although Tarantino really shouldn't be an actor. Yes, Robert Rodriguez knows how to make smart crap. I even kinda look forward to Sin City 2 now.

[Elmo Lewis 6]

Terry Gilliam's Tideland. I feel wrong now.

[Morlock 11]

Never saw The General. In fact, I never even heard of it. Did you buy the DVD?

Rented it. It was NTSC, actually. One side has the B & W version, one the desaturated color version.

Planet Terror: A perfect Grindhouse movie although Tarantino really shouldn't be an actor. Yes, Robert Rodriguez knows how to make smart crap. I even kinda look forward to Sin City 2 now.

Wow. I agree on all counts.

[Trent Hoyt 13]

Casino Royale. Although a little too long for my tastes, its a great way to re-boot the Bond franchise.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

This notion of a reboot has always been a bit overstated in my opinion.

Stylistically the series has had a reboot every time a new actor was chosen to be Bond. And the connection between the different films has always been minimal anyway.

I'm looking forward to the opening of QoS though, especially if it does take place 30 seconds after the end of Casino Royale.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I agree with Mugman.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

[Morlock 11]

Grizzly Man. Fascinating. I really gotta see more Herzog. I dig his outlook.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Drillbit Taylor (*1/2)

How could a film written by Seth Rogen and produced by Judd Apatow be so bad? Well I didn't really care since I saw it for free, but what an aweful movie. Nothing was realistic in any sense except maybe for the alcohol party. If this is how people view high school, they must have never been.

The only part I truly enjoyed was Owen Wilson's alias for when he becomes a substitute teacher: Dr. Illbit

[Trent Hoyt 13]

I guess we'll have to wait until Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It looks like another potential Apatow classic.