What Is The Last Film You Watched?

[indy4 155]

I just thought of another reason to dislike Omen II. I'm too tired to figure out what's a spoiler and what isn't, so I'll just tag everything.

How is it that Damien doesn't know he's the Anti-Christ? In the first film he attempts murder, he sits back and watch while his father is brutally attacked, he clearly knows what his father is trying to do to him in the penultimate scene, and he smiles at the camera at the end! But in Omen II he just seems to forget that all.

I think you're giving a little too much credit to him. He's just a child, he doesn't have a clue what's going on. The smile, even that is just a natural fact of childhood that we can choose to be related to who he is. There's a difference between seeing someone be attacked and having a dagger pointed at you. The first one works well because it can still be effective if you don't believe in all the spooky stuff.

C'mon, he's not just smiling because he's a kid. The entire point of that smile is to unnerve the audience, because it's him saying "Ha, I survived, mankind is doomed."

That's the interpretation, yeah. But that's what the filmmakers put in our heads, not the character itself.

Uh, the filmmakers' intent creates the character. They intended for Damien to have an evil smile, so his smile was evil. By your logic, we don't really know that

the baby is dead in Omen III. I mean, we see the mother with the iron, we see her being posessed by the Satanic dog, we see the father look at something grossed out, we see the wife kill the father, but we never actually see her kill the baby, maybe that's just what the filmmakers intended us to think...maybe the baby's still alive!

Short of adding a title at the end of Omen I that says "Damien is smiling because he's happy about the way that the events transpired," I don't know how the filmmakers could have been any clearer on the fact that Damien's smile is an evil one.

I don't really believe a film has to work as a standalone piece. If it's a middle part, it shouldn't need to spend unnecessary time going over things already established.

I agree with this. I wasn't really talking plotwise, as that would get annoying. I was talking about excitement wise--the film's are all being released and sold as two seperate ones, so they should be enjoyable to watch on their own.

Funny thing is, Omen II spends unnecessary time going over things already established. The first three deaths are drawn out, especially considering the fact that they aren't very essential to the plot. The plot actually goes out of its way to incorporate these deaths so they don't seem so pointless. Oh, and the ice hockey incident is also completely unnecessary. It's just to filmmakers' way of telling the audience "anybody who poses a threat to Damien and his desire of power is killed," something that I think was established perfectly fine in the first film.

It doesn't even need to follow the classic model. ESB, for example, doesn't work as a standalone film. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end (sort of) but you can't go into that movie without knowing a jot about SW and expect for it to work.

As I said, plotwise I agree with you. I'll repeat, ESB has a very defined climax for me, and in that way it works well as a standalone film (though not plotwise). I'll even cite another example--The Lord of the Rings. The books were originally written as one giant book, so the story arc is possibly more connected than any other in this sense. And yet, the second film has a very clearly defined climax. It ends on a cliffhanger, sure, but the climax is definitely there.

Oh, and stop deleting my spoiler tags.

Goldsmith was fantastic, I must consider getting the score.

Does not compute.

I thought the soundtrack was really rare when I typed that.

[Red 75]

It is, jack-rabbit!

Says you! Louse!

Hey that's my gimmick!

[Hlao-roo 389]

It is, jack-rabbit!

Says you! Louse!

Hey that's my gimmick!

Smnol.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I thought the lady killing her baby with the iron in Omen III was a hoot. It was so wrong.

[Hlao-roo 389]

I thought the lady killing her baby with the iron in Omen III was a hoot. It was so wrong.

That's because you only like 'prince on the white horse' movies.

[A24 4,348]

What do you get if you mix Rocky and The Gladiator together? That's right, Cinderella Man. Sadly enough, Richie Cunningham's film is so standard that it's destined to be immediately forgotten, despite Russel Crowe's fine efforts.

Christine: It's been a long time ago since I had seen John Carpenter's movie about a murderous car, but wow, the first hour or so is actually surprisingly superb: there's good dialogue (hey, it's Steven King!), some crazy fun characters, the transformation of car and owner. The film takes the time to build it all up. As it usually is with these horror films, the last part (with the final showdown) is much, much weaker.

I thought the lady killing her baby with the iron in Omen III was a hoot. It was so wrong.

That's because you only like 'prince on the white horse' movies.

There's no need to make up things, Hlao-roo. Everybody knows Joe also loves old sci-fi/monsters movies!

Alex

[Hlao-roo 389]

I thought the lady killing her baby with the iron in Omen III was a hoot. It was so wrong.

That's because you only like 'prince on the white horse' movies.

There's no need to make up things, Hlao-roo. Everybody knows Joe also loves old sci-fi/monsters movies!

Impossible! How could such disparate predilections co-exist in a single person?! He is a hypocrite! Joe, give up your shameful non-housewife channel watching habits immediately!

[A24 4,348]

I don't know, maybe there's a connection between the Zellwegers and campy monster movies from the fifties?

[Hlao-roo 389]

Transformers 2

Ugh, it got pretty much the same reaction from me as the first one (maybe less so since I had less fun in theaters with this one than the first). It could be an hour shorter and it's got script problems (writer's strike didn't help) and I'm getting sick of Bay's humor.

From Ebert's review:

If you want to save yourself the ticket price, go into the kitchen, cue up a male choir singing the music of hell, and get a kid to start banging pots and pans together. Then close your eyes and use your imagination.

[A24 4,348]

Wow, and to think Ebert normally loves the brainless summer blockbuster!

[Hlao-roo 389]

Wow, and to think Ebert normally loves the brainless summer blockbuster!

Well, he definitely went above and beyond any other critic in praising Knowing:

"Knowing" is among the best science-fiction films I've seen -- frightening, suspenseful, intelligent and, when it needs to be, rather awesome.

[QMM 4]

I enjoyed Knowing a lot more than Transformers

[A24 4,348]

Ah yes, Knowing. I haven't seen it but Ebert loves Proyas, even though he didn't think to highly of I, Robot. He even puts Dark City in his greatest movies list. He also loves The Crow.

[Ollie 1,059]

From Ebert's review:

If you want to save yourself the ticket price, go into the kitchen, cue up a male choir singing the music of hell, and get a kid to start banging pots and pans together. Then close your eyes and use your imagination.

There's hope for the old man yet.

[Delorean90 42]

War of the Worlds (2005)

Hmmm...where to start? On the whole, I would say I'm more on the liking side of the spectrum than not liking. There was some good stuff here. It was slow to pick up, though--at first, it doesn't quite feel like a Spielberg film to me. The cinematography didn't help. While KOTCS didn't quite hit the mark every time, it does make me appreciate what they did even more now that I've seen this. I really didn't like the washed-out glowy look of the first chunk of the film, and even the majority of it just has this really dry, bland look. Why? Yeesh. There were some exceptions, though, especially starting with the ferry scene, with some cool visuals of the tripod towering above in the forest with the dock in the foreground, and in the same sequence, the shot of Ray, Rachel, and Robbie on the shore with the tripods in the background devastating the surrounding land. The look of the film and the lighting in the cellar was often very good as well. But outside of those scenes...blah.

Once they start to leave the city, though, it gradually gets to where it feels more and more like a Spielberg film, particularly in the visuals and the camerawork. There's one moment I love when they're in the cellar and

the alien pops through the wall and, moving forward to check out something on the table, pushes forward the rocking chair with Rachel in it.

It just had that feel to me, and stuff like that throughout. Some really good, tense material throughout, and I enjoyed pretty much the whole cellar sequence particularly (interesting how in catastrophe films like this, some of my favorite scenes are when the protagonists are holed up somewhere--like in The Birds.

The writing was actually on the whole not too bad. I felt like the development of the family dynamic was executed pretty well, and there were some good sequences and dialogue. Some creative moments as well involving the violence of the aliens--that is, creative in a sense of making an interesting dramatic sense, not creative as in "Oh, cool, look how he killed that dude!" The two particular instances that I'm thinking of--

the human ashes on Ray and the revelation of the food source for the roots

are interesting in that they are not only used as horror devices, but also always in direct contact with a character we've been introduced to, showing the effects of the revelation of these things on the characters (Ray and Ogilvy respectively).

As per usual, I did my best to absorb the score together with the rest of the film's elements as a collective whole, and there didn't seem to be a lot of major highlights on my first viewing. Overall it was effective, though. Some good string work at times, and now that I think of it, there were a few big brass moments that I liked. I particularly liked the cue for Ray emerging from the house to see

the wreckage of the jet

all around. Very cool, and sadly, judging from the track list, it looks like it's not on the CD (I'm listening to the soundtrack on Rhapsody right now). Definitely not bad, though; some good stuff.

Overall, there was a fair bit I liked about this film, but at the same time, somehow I'm underwhelmed to a certain degree. It regained some of the Spielberg flair as the film progressed, but it's almost like you could leave the script the same, but just make the visual elements more interesting, the cinematography more rich, and you'd have a better experience, which is important in this type of film. I hesitate to bring it down to the level of 3.5, which is decent, but I can't give it a 4. 3.75/5

[indy4 155]

It's one of my favorite modern Spielberg films. I really like the "glowy" look of the film, although I do think Spielberg uses it a bit too much. The basement scene is my favorite, and I agree that the camera work is great as well.

[Henry B 50]

War of the Worlds (2005)

Hmmm...where to start? On the whole, I would say I'm more on the liking side of the spectrum than not liking. There was some good stuff here. It was slow to pick up, though--at first, it doesn't quite feel like a Spielberg film to me. The cinematography didn't help. While KOTCS didn't quite hit the mark every time, it does make me appreciate what they did even more now that I've seen this. I really didn't like the washed-out glowy look of the first chunk of the film, and even the majority of it just has this really dry, bland look. Why? Yeesh. There were some exceptions, though, especially starting with the ferry scene, with some cool visuals of the tripod towering above in the forest with the dock in the foreground, and in the same sequence, the shot of Ray, Rachel, and Robbie on the shore with the tripods in the background devastating the surrounding land. The look of the film and the lighting in the cellar was often very good as well. But outside of those scenes...blah.

Looks like a cloudy New England day to me. I do find the film's visuals striking, but then I live near that area. It's more a personal reaction than a testament to Spielberg and Kaminski's skill, I think.

As per usual, I did my best to absorb the score together with the rest of the film's elements as a collective whole, and there didn't seem to be a lot of major highlights on my first viewing. Overall it was effective, though. Some good string work at times, and now that I think of it, there were a few big brass moments that I liked. I particularly liked the cue for Ray emerging from the house to see

the wreckage of the jet

all around. Very cool, and sadly, judging from the track list, it looks like it's not on the CD (I'm listening to the soundtrack on Rhapsody right now). Definitely not bad, though; some good stuff.

Yep, it's on the CD. "Epilogue." Clearly it was tracked into that earlier scene, while the end titles was tracked with music from "Escape from the City." This is one of my preferred Williams scores. Very cerebral stuff. That myth that there's no theme isn't true at all. There are themes all over the place; they're just not melodies. They're rhythms, orchestrations. It's a very focused score. Besides, the last few tracks introduce an unmistakable "family" melody, which is best served in the film version of "The Reunion" (the deceptively titled "The Separation of the Family" on the CD). Then, as the end credits unfold, we hear the family theme is really a cousin of the Dies Irae motive, which Williams has employed in many scores.

Overall, there was a fair bit I liked about this film, but at the same time, somehow I'm underwhelmed to a certain degree. It regained some of the Spielberg flair as the film progressed, but it's almost like you could leave the script the same, but just make the visual elements more interesting, the cinematography more rich, and you'd have a better experience, which is important in this type of film. I hesitate to bring it down to the level of 3.5, which is decent, but I can't give it a 4. 3.75/5

I'd say it's the opposite: keep the visuals but trash that script! After seeing one lousy modern Spielberg film after another, I've become convinced that David Koepp does not understand human beings. He's wordy, he's clever, he's sophisticated, sure, but somehow his writing is just god-awful. What is it? I feel like Koepp is a puppet master and his characters are crude rag dolls on strings with buttons for eyes.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

War of the Worlds (2005)

I actually saw the film for the first time in January. It may have been the atmosphere (I was alone in my room, and the skies outside were as black as a raven, rain pattering on the windows), but I loved it. By the way, what did you think about the car scene? I thought it to be very moving.

Also, I listened to the score nine times yesterday, and your post got me listening to it again. If you liked the tragic writing in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith , then you will love this score. Look how cheap it is on Amazon.com! Buy it immediately!

EDIT:

I feel like Koepp is a puppet master and his characters are crude rag dolls on strings with buttons for eyes.

Very nice, I agree in thinking that his problem is that he writes "movie characters". Looking at Spielberg's earlier films like Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the characters just feel so real, you feel like they could be your next-door neighbors.

[indy4 155]

As someone who loves "Immolation Scene" and "Anakin's Betrayal" but finds WotW harder to get into, I can say that that's not necessarily true. However, with each listen I enjoy WotW more and more.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

I was thinking more along the lines of the latter half of "Anakin's Dark Deeds" (by the way, I think that was first piece of music to ever make me cry). My only regret about War of the Worlds is that I was not interested in John Williams when it was released.

[indy4 155]

I was thinking more along the lines of the latter half of "Anakin's Dark Deeds" (by the way, I think that was first piece of music to ever make me cry). My only regret about War of the Worlds is that I was not interested in John Williams when it was released.

That cue is awesome as well.

I used to think that WotW was mostly modern Williams autopilot, but I just realized it is lacking both flute/xylophone hits as well as the high, unnerving trumpet notes for all the action music. I know these are rather superficial characteristics, but if Williams abandoned these ideas then perhaps there is some unique feature to the action music of WotW that I'm missing.

[Henry B 50]

I used to think that WotW was mostly modern Williams autopilot, but I just realized it is lacking both flute/xylophone hits as well as the high, unnerving trumpet notes for all the action music. I know these are rather superficial characteristics, but if Williams abandoned these ideas then perhaps there is some unique feature to the action music of WotW that I'm missing.

I think it's highly original stuff, even if it shows a little that Williams was just coming off of Revenge of the Sith. There are some interesting orchestrations. For example, the timpani are doubled (so that's about eight kettle drums in all!). It's a modern companion to Close Encounters in a way, but stylistically it's very different, and the scores have different aims; with Close Encounters, everything is building up to a spectacular, tonal finale; with War of the Worlds, well, not so much.

[Delorean90 42]

Looks like a cloudy New England day to me. I do find the film's visuals striking, but then I live near that area. It's more a personal reaction than a testament to Spielberg and Kaminski's skill, I think.

Hm. Well, I just really didn't care for it. Maybe it's me being nostalgic for the rich cinematography of sci-fi/horror/catastrophe films of the past--particularly those helmed by Spielberg--but man, the majority of the visuals just left me really cold.

Yep, it's on the CD. "Epilogue." Clearly it was tracked into that earlier scene, while the end titles was tracked with music from "Escape from the City." This is one of my preferred Williams scores. Very cerebral stuff. That myth that there's no theme isn't true at all. There are themes all over the place; they're just not melodies. They're rhythms, orchestrations. It's a very focused score. Besides, the last few tracks introduce an unmistakable "family" melody, which is best served in the film version of "The Reunion" (the deceptively titled "The Separation of the Family" on the CD). Then, as the end credits unfold, we hear the family theme is really a cousin of the Dies Irae motive, which Williams has employed in many scores.

Ah, the "Epilogue" track came on right as I read that. Excellent stuff. I love that cue to bits. It's probably my favorite cue in the score at this point. I'll definitely have to listen to this score more. I did notice a Dies Irae thing going on there, but I definitely haven't connected all the dots.

I'd say it's the opposite: keep the visuals but trash that script! After seeing one lousy modern Spielberg film after another, I've become convinced that David Koepp does not understand human beings. He's wordy, he's clever, he's sophisticated, sure, but somehow his writing is just god-awful. What is it? I feel like Koepp is a puppet master and his characters are crude rag dolls on strings with buttons for eyes.

Well, I don't know. It seemed decent to me. I mean, I can't think of anything off the top of my head that could I could really put my finger on. To me the story and characters ultimately worked, but as an experience it seemed as though it was somehow lacking a bit, and to me the visuals really detracted/distracted for a lot of the film. As far as the cinematography goes (once more), I suppose maybe they were going for a more "gritty," "realistic" kind of vibe? Sometimes I really hate those words.

[Henry B 50]

Looks like a cloudy New England day to me. I do find the film's visuals striking, but then I live near that area. It's more a personal reaction than a testament to Spielberg and Kaminski's skill, I think.

Hm. Well, I just really didn't care for it. Maybe it's me being nostalgic for the rich cinematography of sci-fi/horror/catastrophe films of the past--particularly those helmed by Spielberg--but man, the majority of the visuals just left me really cold.

Cold is good! I mean, I think the intent was that the film look gloomy. For scenes like the attack on the car, the bodies in the water, the burning train ... are rich visuals what we needed? The cinematography seems to connect with the depression of humanity. In other words, this film isn't about an epic battle between humans and aliens. It's about aliens utterly crushing humans.

Yep, it's on the CD. "Epilogue." Clearly it was tracked into that earlier scene, while the end titles was tracked with music from "Escape from the City." This is one of my preferred Williams scores. Very cerebral stuff. That myth that there's no theme isn't true at all. There are themes all over the place; they're just not melodies. They're rhythms, orchestrations. It's a very focused score. Besides, the last few tracks introduce an unmistakable "family" melody, which is best served in the film version of "The Reunion" (the deceptively titled "The Separation of the Family" on the CD). Then, as the end credits unfold, we hear the family theme is really a cousin of the Dies Irae motive, which Williams has employed in many scores.

Ah, the "Epilogue" track came on right as I read that. Excellent stuff. I love that cue to bits. It's probably my favorite cue in the score at this point. I'll definitely have to listen to this score more. I did notice a Dies Irae thing going on there, but I definitely haven't connected all the dots.

I guess it depends on how tenuous a connection you'll accept. I've noted for years that Dies Irae is all over Star Wars (and the second two prequels), and the only person who's agreed with me is my film music professor this past semester. You can also find the motive in everything from Home Alone to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Williams, unlike many film composers, never uses the full eight-note plainchant melody (well, it's longer than that, but eight notes is what you usually get), just the first four notes. In some scores, like Close Encounters and Jurassic Park, he uses an eight-note variation. War of the Worlds is another. Come to think of it, his use of it in "Epilogue" is probably his closest to the original plainchant melody.

I'd say it's the opposite: keep the visuals but trash that script! After seeing one lousy modern Spielberg film after another, I've become convinced that David Koepp does not understand human beings. He's wordy, he's clever, he's sophisticated, sure, but somehow his writing is just god-awful. What is it? I feel like Koepp is a puppet master and his characters are crude rag dolls on strings with buttons for eyes.

Well, I don't know. It seemed decent to me. I mean, I can't think of anything off the top of my head that could I could really put my finger on. To me the story and characters ultimately worked, but as an experience it seemed as though it was somehow lacking a bit, and to me the visuals really detracted/distracted for a lot of the film. As far as the cinematography goes (once more), I suppose maybe they were going for a more "gritty," "realistic" kind of vibe? Sometimes I really hate those words.

Moments like Tom Cruise throwing toast at the window don't feel real to me. Dakota Fanning is so annoying. I think her sage-like behavior in the beginning should have been toned down, or at least been retained a little bit after the alien attack. Yes, I'm perfectly aware how terrified a child would be in such circumstances, but really, does she do anything but scream? Anything at all? Robby's character is also a little shallow. I don't like how heroically his character was portrayed. I know the intent was that this aimless, lazy kid finally finds some meaning in life, but that's not what I saw. I saw an aimless, lazy kid, then I saw a selfless rescuer. There was no transition. No fire in his eyes, no struggle. Robby surviving at the end was lame, but that's been talked about to death.

[John Crichton 4]

Very nice, I agree in thinking that his problem is that he writes "movie characters". Looking at Spielberg's earlier films like Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the characters just feel so real, you feel like they could be your next-door neighbors.

Very good, young one. Very, very good.

John- who sees Henry's gotten his monthly Dies Irae mention in

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Look how cheap it is on Amazon.com! Buy it immediately!

Not sure if you're being sarcastic, but that's expensive.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

I was referring to the Amazon Marketplace prices. $4.50 sounds great to me!

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Ah, yes. 'Tis great indeed.

[Morlock 11]

What do you get if you mix Rocky and The Gladiator together? That's right, Cinderella Man. Sadly enough, Richie Cunningham's film is so standard that it's destined to be immediately forgotten, despite Russel Crowe's fine efforts.

It's better than that- and you'd be surprised at it's staying power. It's terrific square filmmaking that did make a tiny dent- people do remember it fondly. Looks good, has very performances, good score...It's okay, Alex, you don't need to feel guilty for liking it, even if it is a Ron Howard film.

Saw Stephen Frears' The Hit (1984). John Hurt and Tim Roth are mob employees tasked with killing Terence Stamp, who snitched on their boss and went hiding in Spain. It's got a weird, vague existential feel to it (I get the sense that a lot of British gangster films do), but that cast almost sells it at times. Stamp's character is very interesting...he's either full of crap for most of the film, or has a huge change of heart at the end, I'm not sure which.

Newly released Criterion DVD looks terrific.

Also saw Henri-Georges Clouzot's The Raven (Le Corbeau) (1943). The first Clouzot film I saw was Wages of Fear (1953), which amazed me when I saw it a few months back. This one is a mean, dark film, one that is commenting on the Occupation (it was made with Vichy approval, which was then retracted). It takes place in some small provincial town, where the citizens start receiving poison-pen letters. Paranoia takes over the town, and everyone is suspicious and hostile. It's really angry stuff- reminded me a bit of Lang's M, in how the film seems to depict the filmmaker's disgust with his fellow countrymen. It's powerful stuff, though ending gets a bit too stagey (before a very ominous closing image). I know I should see Les Diaboliques...but I've heard seriously freaky things about that film.

[QMM 4]

So did you like The Hit? I've been meaning to buy it.

[Morlock 11]

I liked it. It's not great, but it is interesting, and all three of the main actors give very watchable performances. If you haven't seen it yet, Mona Lisa is definitely the better of the two mid-80's British gangster films.

[Delorean90 42]

Cold is good! I mean, I think the intent was that the film look gloomy. For scenes like the attack on the car, the bodies in the water, the burning train ... are rich visuals what we needed? The cinematography seems to connect with the depression of humanity. In other words, this film isn't about an epic battle between humans and aliens. It's about aliens utterly crushing humans.

Well, I'm not saying it has to be "Your Alien Invasion in Glorious Technicolor!" But you don't have to be bland to be gloomy. There were moments where it almost felt like I was watching a big budget commercial. To me, when I'm watching a film, that does more to draw me out than it does to connect me with any kind of "realism" or anything of that sort. And if what you say is true, that the cinematography is supposed to connect with the depression and that it's reflective of the tragic goings-on, then why is some of the most interesting cinematography and visuals in the later parts of the film, when the invasion is well underway? The first ten-to-twenty minutes is some of my least favorite, visually.

Ah, the "Epilogue" track came on right as I read that. Excellent stuff. I love that cue to bits. It's probably my favorite cue in the score at this point. I'll definitely have to listen to this score more. I did notice a Dies Irae thing going on there, but I definitely haven't connected all the dots.

I guess it depends on how tenuous a connection you'll accept. I've noted for years that Dies Irae is all over Star Wars (and the second two prequels), and the only person who's agreed with me is my film music professor this past semester. You can also find the motive in everything from Home Alone to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Williams, unlike many film composers, never uses the full eight-note plainchant melody (well, it's longer than that, but eight notes is what you usually get), just the first four notes. In some scores, like Close Encounters and Jurassic Park, he uses an eight-note variation. War of the Worlds is another. Come to think of it, his use of it in "Epilogue" is probably his closest to the original plainchant melody.

I'll have to look into that more. Interesting.

Moments like Tom Cruise throwing toast at the window don't feel real to me. Dakota Fanning is so annoying. I think her sage-like behavior in the beginning should have been toned down, or at least been retained a little bit after the alien attack. Yes, I'm perfectly aware how terrified a child would be in such circumstances, but really, does she do anything but scream? Anything at all? Robby's character is also a little shallow. I don't like how heroically his character was portrayed. I know the intent was that this aimless, lazy kid finally finds some meaning in life, but that's not what I saw. I saw an aimless, lazy kid, then I saw a selfless rescuer. There was no transition. No fire in his eyes, no struggle. Robby surviving at the end was lame, but that's been talked about to death.

Okay, I see what you're getting at, I think. Some of that doesn't bother me so much. I definitely see what you mean with Robby. The intention is indeed clear, to the point where you can say, "Oh, okay, that's what they're saying." But the execution is somewhat lacking. It's not a film-breaker for me, but it does hold the film back.

The Phantom

There's not TOO much that can be said about this one. Generally, if you like this type of film, you'll like it, and if you don't you won't. Overall this was a big ball of fun. There's a certain awkwardness to some of it, I thought, but the characters were generally likeable (what was with CZJ's character, though? Kinda weird), and there's some well-staged and shot stuff (I like the Phantom's pursuit of Drax from the building in the middle--some nice shots, including a couple from the descent down the elevator shaft and the run across the taxis). The cinematography was wonderful (pretty much a given if it's a superhero film was made in the '90s, set in the '30s, and has a title starting with "The") and the score was pretty good, although I felt it could've been mixed better. If you like light, fun action/adventure/superhero movies, you should give this one a shot. 3.9/5

[A24 4,348]

What do you get if you mix Rocky and The Gladiator together? That's right, Cinderella Man. Sadly enough, Richie Cunningham's film is so standard that it's destined to be immediately forgotten, despite Russel Crowe's fine efforts.

It's better than that- and you'd be surprised at it's staying power. It's terrific square filmmaking that did make a tiny dent- people do remember it fondly. Looks good, has very performances, good score...It's okay, Alex, you don't need to feel guilty for liking it, even if it is a Ron Howard film.

It has even less staying power than Far And Away. Heck, I know I almost forgot to post about it. Not only does it have no relevance because of its obvious cocktail of Rocky and The Gladiator, it's above all way too square, too tame, just like the character of Richie Cunningham. And Zellweger's terrible overacting doesn't help either. It has nothing to offer that will earn itself a permanent place in the annals of film history. It didn't break new grounds, it will neither inspire artists nor other films. Cinderella Man did nothing what others didn't already do before and better. Nothing about this film is exceptional.

Also saw Henri-Georges Clouzot's The Raven (Le Corbeau) (1943). The first Clouzot film I saw was Wages of Fear (1953), which amazed me when I saw it a few months back. This one is a mean, dark film, one that is commenting on the Occupation (it was made with Vichy approval, which was then retracted). It takes place in some small provincial town, where the citizens start receiving poison-pen letters. Paranoia takes over the town, and everyone is suspicious and hostile. It's really angry stuff- reminded me a bit of Lang's M, in how the film seems to depict the filmmaker's disgust with his fellow countrymen. It's powerful stuff, though ending gets a bit too stagey (before a very ominous closing image). I know I should see Les Diaboliques...but I've heard seriously freaky things about that film.

I'm a big fan of Wages Of Fear (now here's a movie that will always find its way to the surface no matter how deep it's buried) but I've never heard of Le Corbeau. Les Diaboliques disappointed me a little. It feels a bit like a stage play. I wouldn't be surprised if it was written originally for the stage.

Perhaps I already asked, Morlock, but what version did you see of Le Salaire De La Peur?

Alex

[QMM 4]

Good

I want to say it's a good (heh) movie, but I'm still puzzled about the ending as I was expecting the movie to keep going. Mortensen proves again that he's a chameleon, and Isaacs does fine work as well. Shame that there's no score release as the music in the first half I liked a lot.

[crocodile 8,020]

Transformers 2

OMG! What a trash! But then again what was I thinking when I went into the screening in the first place? There wouldn't be much point to say there isn't much sense to this movie, I guess. But it is so boring and so long and relentless that I didn't care.

Karol

[A24 4,348]

Transformers 2

OMG! What a trash! But then again what was I thinking when I went into the screening in the first place?

My guess is that you weren't thinking at all.

But sadly, by not thinking, you have supported the powers that be.

What can I say, you probably took 'the blue pill'.

Alex

[Morlock 11]

It has even less staying power than Far And Away. Heck, I know I almost forgot to post about it. Not only does it have no relevance because of its obvious cocktail of Rocky and The Gladiator, it's above all way too square, too tame, just like the character of Richie Cunningham. And Zellweger's terrible overacting doesn't help either. It has nothing to offer that will earn itself a permanent place in the annals of film history. It didn't break new grounds, it will neither inspire artists nor other films. Cinderella Man did nothing what others didn't already do before and better. Nothing about this film is exceptional.

Suit yourself. I personally like it more and return to it more often than Rocky.

I'm a big fan of Wages Of Fear (now here's a movie that will always find its way to the surface no matter how deep it's buried) but I've never heard of Le Corbeau. Les Diaboliques disappointed me a little. It feels a bit like a stage play. I wouldn't be surprised if it was written originally for the stage.

Perhaps I already asked, Morlock, but what version did you see of Le Salaire De La Peur?

Whichever one is on the Criterion DVD...I believe the 146 minute cut. Have you ever seen Sorcerer? I'm not a fan of Friedkin, but I've heard it's worth checking out.

Good

I want to say it's a good (heh) movie, but I'm still puzzled about the ending as I was expecting the movie to keep going. Mortensen proves again that he's a chameleon, and Isaacs does fine work as well. Shame that there's no score release as the music in the first half I liked a lot.

I didn't really care for it when I first saw it, but it has deminished in my memory significantly. In retrospect, I'm pretty disgusted with the film. Yet another film about the poor conflicted Nazis. Mortensen's character is rather crudely drawn, the "revelation" at the end is pathetic and infuriating. I recall liking Isaacs, but I'm prone to liking him (he attended the screening I was at, and seemed to have his own problems with the film).

[A24 4,348]

Whichever one is on the Criterion DVD...I believe the 146 minute cut. Have you ever seen Sorcerer? I'm not a fan of Friedkin, but I've heard it's worth checking out.

I have two different versions on DVD. One in black and white (Optimum Releasing), one in color (TF1 International). I always thought the B&W is the original one but IMDB says it's in color. Quite a mystery. I've seen The Sorcerer a long time before Wages Of Fear and I remember that I didn't like it much. I know the music of The Sorcerer is by Tangerine Dream.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Transformers 2

OMG! What a trash! But then again what was I thinking when I went into the screening in the first place? There wouldn't be much point to say there isn't much sense to this movie, I guess. But it is so boring and so long and relentless that I didn't care.

Karol

My brother and his friends saw it last night and told me it was absolutely terrible. Armageddon is like The Godfather compared to this one, and that's seriously saying something coming from my brother. "Michael Bay's worst film."

[Ollie 1,059]

And wasn't it mentioned that Spielberg told Bay this was his best film???

Suddenly Tintin doesn't have that much appeal.

[John Crichton 4]

I think poor Steven's gone senile.

[Ollie 1,059]

The man's losing it.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Maybe he was being facetious or polite...or maybe he is correct, who wants to find out?

[Morlock 11]

I might see it if the Cinematheque here is showing it, which would mean that I wouldn't have to pay for it. That's why I'm probably seeing The Taking of Pelham 123 next week. I have almost no hopes for it, but I might see it for free. (then again, it might conflict with the showing of Public Enemies, which there's no way I'm missing).

Whichever one is on the Criterion DVD...I believe the 146 minute cut. Have you ever seen Sorcerer? I'm not a fan of Friedkin, but I've heard it's worth checking out.

I have two different versions on DVD. One in black and white (Optimum Releasing), one in color (TF1 International). I always thought the B&W is the original one but IMDB says it's in color. Quite a mystery.

That doesn't sound right to me...I saw it in black and white, and can't imagine that it was conceived in color. Also, if Criterion put it out in b&w, I assume that's how it's meant to be seen.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Whichever one is on the Criterion DVD...I believe the 146 minute cut. Have you ever seen Sorcerer? I'm not a fan of Friedkin, but I've heard it's worth checking out.

I have two different versions on DVD. One in black and white (Optimum Releasing), one in color (TF1 International). I always thought the B&W is the original one but IMDB says it's in color. Quite a mystery. I've seen The Sorcerer a long time before Wages Of Fear and I remember that I didn't like it much. I know the music of The Sorcerer is by Tangerine Dream.

I remember it being released in color way back when. I thought it was great but I had not seen Wages of Fear then.

[John Crichton 4]

I treated my Star Trek virgin cousin to his first ever viewing of Star Trek II this afternoon. He liked the new one when we went to see it, and I think this one went down well too.

[Turbo 54]

I just finished watching the Journey of Natty Gann. Since the score was released, I figured I would see the film to check out the score in its proper context.

Aside from the aspect ratio and the poor video quality, I enjoyed the film.

Certain things came to mind as I watched it. The dog fighting scene would probably not be tolerated by today's standards. The children smoking would have to be excluded. This in combination with the few vulgarities that were used would probably have increased the rating to PG-13.

It was also fun seeing John Cusak in one of his earlier performances. If you haven't seen it, I would recommend it.

That is, unless you dislike seeing a happy ending and a rather predictable plot.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

The man's losing it.

More likely that he's totally encouraging Bay to do his thing, knowing that there are about $400 million worth of knuckle-dragging morons who will appreciate it. I guess I can always hope Spielberg is using whatever money he makes off of the movie to make something better for himself ... more likely, he just feels like cashing a big ole' check, and can get it without tarnishing his name very much.

Can't say I blame him.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Terror of MechaGodzilla.

I always downgraded this one because of the horrible VHS English dubbed and Pan & Scan copy that I've had for years, but this new remastered Japanese uncut version is a near masterpiece in kaiju eiga cinema. With its dark and moody atmosphere by Ishiro Honda, and much improved special effects (despite its lower budget!), it's very much a reaction to the goofy ineptitude from the films directed by Jun Fukuda.

Godzilla might have the look of a puppy-dog faced defender of Earth, but he's portrayed as flexible and tough, especially when faced against two seemingly unbeatable foes. The monster fights are old school punch-ups, with that in mind, the Heisei filmmakers probably could have taken a few hints from this one. The human plot is okay, but the Showa series really overdid it on the "aliens invading earth" routine. Ifukube's score works magic, one of his best ever.

[Ollie 1,059]

I treated my Star Trek virgin cousin to his first ever viewing of Star Trek II this afternoon. He liked the new one when we went to see it, and I think this one went down well too.

I hope you were gentle with him.