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What is the last film you watched?


Mr. Breathmask

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I still have to see Jesse James as well. I hope I might still have a chance to see it on the big screen.

But There Will Be Blood was a fantastic experience. A triumph in every department.

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Took me two viewings to really appreciate There Will Be Blood. First time I thought it was very good, but I didn't love it. Second time I just loved everything about it. The best film of last year by quite a long way IMHO.

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I still have to see Jesse James as well. I hope I might still have a chance to see it on the big screen.

Seeing it on the big screen is worth the wait. All movies worth seeing should be seen on as big a screen a possible...but even if you like this one on DVD, the power of the images washing over you in a dark theater is an amazing experience. I've seen it once in the theater and once on DVD, and the second time I loved it, but I was just trying to connect to the first time I saw it.

There Will Be Blood is the same. I saw it twice in the theater, and have no desire to ever see it on the small screen. Same goes for No Country for Old Men. Epics in the true sense of the word. I am in awe of all those visionary directors, as well as Messers. Elswit and Deakins, as always.

The first time I saw There Will Be Blood, I didn't quite know what to make of it. I loved it, but I couldn't process it entirely. Such a strange, different, magnificent movie. Second time, it completed the connection. One of the few films that struck me in it's theatrical run as one of the greatests films ever made. And it never faulters, from the first scene, to the very last, brilliant line and end credits.

Nope, I haven't seen any of the latest toppers yet: The Assassination Of Jesse James, There Will Be Blood, NCFOM, The Savages ... Good times are coming!

The Savages is rather more traditional than the other three...but it is still an excellent film. Very difficult.

I just saw Gus Van Sant's Elephant. Saw it when it came out in the theaters. Then, it sucker-punched me. I was not ready for the hypnotic experience it is. I was worried that the effect wouldn't carry over to DVD...luckily, I was wrong. IMO, this is how you make neo-realist films. I'll take Van Sant over the Dardennes or the Romanians any day. Scary, nihilistic, humanistic, involving, fascinating....still a carries a considerable punch to it. One of the few Palm D'Or winner I've seen from recent years that actually deserves the distinction.

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I still have to see Jesse James as well. I hope I might still have a chance to see it on the big screen.

Seeing it on the big screen is worth the wait. All movies worth seeing should be seen on as big a screen a possible...but even if you like this one on DVD, the power of the images washing over you in a dark theater is an amazing experience. I've seen it once in the theater and once on DVD, and the second time I loved it, but I was just trying to connect to the first time I saw it.

I may be too late to see Jesse James on the big screen. It's been out on DVD a while here already.

I just saw Gus Van Sant's Elephant. Saw it when it came out in the theaters. Then, it sucker-punched me. I was not ready for the hypnotic experience it is. I was worried that the effect wouldn't carry over to DVD...luckily, I was wrong. IMO, this is how you make neo-realist films. I'll take Van Sant over the Dardennes or the Romanians any day. Scary, nihilistic, humanistic, involving, fascinating....still a carries a considerable punch to it. One of the few Palm D'Or winner I've seen from recent years that actually deserves the distinction.

Honestly, I can't say I care too much for that film. I understand what Van Sant was trying to achieve, I just find most of the movie extremely tedious to watch.

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I can certainly relate to that...the neo-realist movies in general have me appreciating the concept but not connecting at all with them. But with this and Paranoid Park, I came in skeptical, but before I knew it, I was hooked. I know that with both, I connected very strongly with elements of my high-school years.

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I can't say I'm too informed. I haven't seen Paranoid Park, nor am I really clear on what a "neo-realist" movie would be.

I just know that Elephant's long stretches of walks through the school worked a little too well. Their presence certainly meant that once the violence started, it packed that extra punch. But it also meant I was watching long stretches of walks through the school for what felt like the majority of the film's running time, making me wonder why I was watching this thing in the first place.

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300: It came with the player. Not good in all departments but I had a good time just watching the fancy images (no, I'm not gay). Stand-outs: Leonidas was played very good, I thought. I believed in him. The fights were frigging impressive. This board has been too harsh on the movie. It has to be approached in the same way as one would read an artistic comic book.

Alex

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I don't buy that. Gerard Butler was certainly charismatic. Some of the fight scenes were good. But the movie is so stupid in so many different ways. Stupid in what's on screen, and stupid in the way it was put together. A great bunch of the casting is bad. Seemingly bad actors miscast. So much of it is offensive, and I am hardly prudish with most movies. The film dragged on. And on. And on. The fight scenes got increasingly tedious, full of empty pizzazz. The score reflects the laziness of the film and the filmmakers beautifully (although the much maligned Titus rip is one of the only cues I thought worked in the film).

An inferior film that is all the more infuriating in that many younger people seeing it walk and convinced that "this is what great movie images look like".

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300: It came with the player. Not good in all departments but I had a good time just watching the fancy images (no, I'm not gay). Stand-outs: Leonidas was played very good, I thought. I believed in him. The fights were frigging impressive. This board has been too harsh on the movie. It has to be approached in the same way as one would read an artistic comic book.

Alex

there is nothing wrong with it if you were gay. Its a very nice work of cotton candy movie making.

I was hoping someone would have seen Hancock last night, I'm interested in how my fellow JWfan members liked it, or not.

Everyone else that I know that saw it last night said it was really good despite the reviews.

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The buzz leading up wasn't to good but the reviews from people, especially locally, have been positive. Although they said it's not as good as The Incredible Hulk.

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Its a very nice work of cotton candy movie making.

And that's how I looked at it. I didn't expect anything of the rest. The presentation was incredible. It almost put Gladiator to shame.

Alex

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300: It came with the player. Not good in all departments but I had a good time just watching the fancy images (no, I'm not gay). Stand-outs: Leonidas was played very good, I thought. I believed in him. The fights were frigging impressive. This board has been too harsh on the movie. It has to be approached in the same way as one would read an artistic comic book.

300 is a piece of crap.

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300 is a piece of crap.

Well, yes, for people who only follow the story.

No, it's crap all around. When the trailer first came out, my friend had me watch it. First thing I asked, "Is this entire movie in slow motion?" Guess what? IT WAS!

Crap acting, crap story, crap battle scenes. Look at me with my spray on abs, I'll run around in underwear and a cape.

I still haven't seen the whole thing, probably the only person who hasn't.

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300 is a piece of crap.

Well, yes, for people who only follow the story.

No, it's crap all around. When the trailer first came out, my friend had me watch it. First thing I asked, "Is this entire movie in slow motion?" Guess what? IT WAS!

Crap acting, crap story, crap battle scenes. Look at me with my spray on abs, I'll run around in underwear and a cape.

I still haven't seen the whole thing, probably the only person who hasn't.

I see.

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Well, that was an easy one. Now, how about tackling some of my comments about the film? I'm dying to know which one-line argument you'll find to invalidate my points.

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Morlock, I think it does have great movie images, but that doesn't make a great movie, I don't think Alex is making it out to be anything special, he enjoyed it, he had no outlandish expectations, perhaps yours were higher at the time of your viewing. I thought it was visually impressive, but as I said it was cotton candy, all style no substance. Its like a beautiful girl in a beautiful dress, without a brain.

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My expectations were extremely low, and I really, really, really disliked the film. And I was commenting on Alex's insistance to find flaws in the outlook of anyone who sees the film differently.

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If you are looking for substance read Frank Miller's graphic novel.

I don't understand why one needs to feel the need to announce that they aren't gay even though they watched 300. I've seen plenty of films where men bare their chest and more.

Much like Sky Captain it offers something different visually but there's not much underneath the scenery.

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300 is one of those rare movies that I hate, but will also acknowledge as being good art.

I think that its over-the-topness is extremely purposeful. Bear in mind, almost the entire movie is a story being told by David Wenham's character to a bunch of soldiers who are getting ready to go off to war. Everything that happens in the rest of the movie can be seen as exaggeration at best, outright lie at worst. I think that this is a movie about the lies told to soldiers to motivate them. Very subversive stuff.

The problem with that for me is that I just didn't enjoy it. Sure, random scenes here and there, and the performances are almost all great, but I stopped caring somewhere around the half-hour mark and never started again.

Still, I think Zack Snyder achieved exactly what he wanted to achieve with the movie, so I'm stoked to see what he does with Watchmen.

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....And the crapiness of the movie matchess the crapiness of Wenham's narration? Bold theory, but I like it!

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Still, I think Zack Snyder achieved exactly what he wanted to achieve with the movie, so I'm stoked to see what he does with Watchmen.

I'm not.

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wait now BB, 300 is pretty to look at but its not good art, its like one of those doggie pictures with big eyes, cute to look at but not art.

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I can't wait for the 300 prequel/sequel in the works! Don't forget War Of Gods and the remake of Clash Of The Titans that are supposed to look like 300.

Why oh why do we need 4 more 300-esque movies??

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Hancock (***/****)

A great film. Fun, entertaining, good action and special effects, and some funny dialogue. I don't want to say that the length was a problem, but thinking back now, it was a little short. The story towards the end was a little vague and could have been explained better, but overall I enjoyed it very much. Powell's score was kick ass.

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if 3 out of 4 stars is great, with that being only 75%....

nevermind

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I still have to see Jesse James as well. I hope I might still have a chance to see it on the big screen.

The storytelling didn't work for me, and it was pretty slow. Its one of the most beautiful looking films ever though.

Anyway I caught Kungfu Panda, and I thought it was pretty darned hilarious. Possibly Dreamworks finest, and for once they did not rely on a barrage of pop culture references.

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wait now BB, 300 is pretty to look at but its not good art, its like one of those doggie pictures with big eyes, cute to look at but not art.

The "brain" lies in the aesthetics. It's good visual art. Like I said, it's an artistic comic book with moving pictures. I think its striking imagery and presentation are bound to leave some kind of imprint on cinema. And when it does, it has accomplished more than most other movies.

Dreamgirls: Came free with the player. Not bad, but no thanks. A too cliché subject and the R&B, soul, disco songs were of a poor standard. I couldn't stand the screaming and yelling of the Aretha Frankling type. There's a solo musical scene where this 'American Idol' goes way, waaaay over the top. The exaggeration kills the emotion of the moment. Eddy Murphy's singing capabilities, however, were a pleasant surprise.

Alex

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Dreamgirls: Came free with the player. Not bad, but no thanks. A too cliché subject and the R&B, soul, disco songs were of a poor standard. I couldn't stand the screaming and yelling of the Aretha Frankling type. There's a solo musical scene where this 'American Idol' goes way, waaaay over the top. The exaggeration kills the emotion of the moment. Eddy Murphy's singing capabilities, however, were a pleasant surprise.

I agree. I thought the movie was a typical musical crossed with a typical musical biopic. Murphy was good in the movie (even though his role was not), and Jennifer Hudson did sell the lyrics in her American Idol way to greater effect than anyone else.

Saw Kung Fu Panda. Now this is a real visual feast, IMO. I wouldn't dare compare it to Pixar, of course....but there is great ambition in the visuals of this movie, and it looks magnificent. Too bad there's the Panda, who's big, round, boring-colored features often destracts from the beautiful colors of the film. Story's typical. I laughed a few times. I liked some of Black's jokes, and was surprised by how seriously Hoffman took his role. Music was fine. The gentler stuff was more impressive than the action, which was missing some punch for my tastes.

So, my recommendation for this is along the lines of Alex's recommendation of 300.

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The Happening. It wasn't THAT bad. But then again it wasn't really good. Apart from JNH there is not much to tell about this movie. I didn't care much for any of the main characters much. Some death scenes were disturbing and some funny, It was somewhat scary, at certain points. Not counting the obvious plot-wise problems, the only real flaw of the film was that the story was a direct rip-off from WOTW and SIGNS. Which makes the whole thing pointless. I probably won't be seeing that again.

Karol

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That movie was flawed on enough levels in enough fields to qualify being considered as 'that bad'. In my book, at least.

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Alex how many DVD's came with the player, too bad it didnt come with something like the 4 disc version of Ben Hur.

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That movie was flawed on enough levels in enough fields to qualify being considered as 'that bad'. In my book, at list.

The premise was kind of scary. It could be a good film. But you're right. It's probably even bad. And yet I didn't hate it. I still prefer it to some modern films like this.

Karol

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Alex how many DVD's came with the player, too bad it didnt come with something like the 4 disc version of Ben Hur.

I need to watch that. I bought the 4 disc set months ago but haven't got around to watching it yet.

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Alex how many DVD's came with the player, too bad it didnt come with something like the 4 disc version of Ben Hur.

I need to watch that. I bought the 4 disc set months ago but haven't got around to watching it yet.

it is one of my favorite dvd's(not movie though it is high on my list of favs), there is so much that I didn't know and I love all the extras plus the silent version of the film. Great stuff here

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I've only watched the "main movie" so far. I know the silent film (with the Davis score) from TV. That was surprisingly exciting, too, and the score is marvellous of course.

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Stiller is too one note. I was bored by his stupidity. Wilson was good. Ferrell and the elder Stiller, too.

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I managed about 30 minutes of The Love Guru and gave up. Awful.

I then later today watched RoboCop to cure myself of all these lame comedies Hollywood is pumping out non-stop with some welcomed dark humour and glorified violence instead.

"Come quietly, or there will be trouble"

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Vantage Point.

I was expecting this film to be much better. The premise showed a lot of promise The end result was ok but I will have forgotten it by tomorrow.

6 out of 10

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Vantage Point.

I was expecting this film to be much better. The premise showed a lot of promise The end result was ok but I will have forgotten it by tomorrow.

6 out of 10

I got through like a half hour of this before I had to switch it off because I was so bored

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