Login

fgh · 01-26-2015, 11:33 AM

Omg, I'll write up a review for Boyhood, so fucking deep and emotional! Especially for a guy who was raised in Texas and actually went to a lot of those places (including UH) it was a fantastic movie!

Spangle · 01-27-2015, 12:17 AM

A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that's designed to meet his every need.

8/10 - Her, in many ways, is one of the weirdest and most uncomfortable films ever made. I mean, it is about a guy who gets into a relationship with an operating system, how could it not be weird? However, in spite of that, it it also one of the most touching, beautiful, and interesting, films I have seen. Set in a futuristic world, Her is basically a film about modern relationships that comes complete with all the charm and cuteness of a relationship, but also the pain and anguish that it can cause. Brilliantly written and directed by Spike Jonze, Her brilliantly blends romance, sci-fi, comedy, and drama, and really has a way to stick with you. I would also be remiss if I did not mention the brilliant score here. There is no wonder it got nominated for an Oscar, because it worked perfectly here. The acting, led by Joaquin Phoenix in a typically awesome performance and Scarlett Johansson in a great voice-only role, is great. Rooney Mara and Chris Pratt also stood out in particular here. While undeniably odd and quirky, Her is a moving film that will really hit you if you let the oddities not bother you.

10 years after a global economic collapse, a hardened loner pursues the men who stole his only possession, his car. Along the way, he captures one of the thieves' brother, and the duo form an uneasy bond during the dangerous journey.

7/10 - The Rover comes with its share of positives and negatives, but ultimately, its positives are too good to ignore. However, starting with the negative side of things, the story is lackluster. I am not always somebody who demands clarity from a story, but here, it would have been nice to at least have heard the main character's name once. That is how little information this one gives you as to what is going on, which really goes to the larger problem of a largely pretty poor story. The writing is alright, but the story is lackluster and really did very little for me. In saying that, this one's positives are really positive. Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson are outstanding in this one and really do everything humanly possible to make this one into a good movie and dammit, they certainly did. Director David Michod is great as always, he really created a very cool dark, gritty, and dystopian, world here that I wish was fleshed out a bit more, but ultimately, his direction was great as always. The cinematography was also pitch perfect and really helped add a super clean and interesting look to this world created by Michod. Overall, The Rover is a good, entertaining film that is undoubtedly a bit of a slow burner, but if you appreciate great acting and direction over anything, this is the one for you.

A New York City doctor, who is married to an art curator, pushes himself on a harrowing and dangerous night-long odyssey of sexual and moral discovery after his wife admits that she once almost cheated on him.

8/10 - A film that left me in shock multiple times during my viewing, Eyes Wide Shut is a special little film and a great way to end the career of one of the best directors of all-time, Stanley Kubrick. As brilliant as all of his preceding work, Eyes Wide Shut is a dreamlike film that relies on his really intense and unsettling atmosphere for thrills to great effect. I truly have little idea about what went on, other than the obvious basics and some ways beyond that, but this one is truly a unique experience. Tom Cruise is great, as is Sydney Pollack. Nicole Kidman is not as good as the rest of the cast, but she is not bad either. Packed to the brims with little subtleties and little symbols, this one strikes me as one that I need to watch again down the line, but based on just one viewing, I can already say that I really, really like this film. Intense, brilliant, thrilling, and undeniably erotic, Eyes Wide Shut is a film that truly messes with your head and enjoys doing so.

A high school teacher's personal life becomes complicated as he works with students during the school elections.

6/10 - Election is certainly a very well made and very entertaining little flick (heh) with some great acting from Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon, but I don't know, I just didn't love it. Alexander Payne's direction is great as always and this one is a very interesting film on the ethics of how far one will go to have success and, above all, is an interesting snapshot of life at this particular high school and in the lives of these kids. The writing is also strong, but ultimately, I just felt like this one meandered a bit. All of it is an exercise in ethics and morals, sure, but I wish it stayed more focused on the election rather than focusing on the personal life of Broderick's character or past events at the school. Adding a bit more depth to the race for Student Government President and disregarding other events a bit would ultimately result in a better film in my mind (though obviously some of the events I wish to shrink are necessary, but I don't think they needed to play as much of a role in the overall story as they did). As a whole, I can certainly see why Election is so widely praised, but I just didn't love it, I guess.

Three friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.

6/10 - Horrible Bosses is an above average comedy. It has an interesting idea that really winds up being a fun film to watch unfold. The acting from the large cast is good on the whole, in particular Kevin Spacey and the trio of Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day. The main problem this one has that all mainstream comedies seem to have is how silly and absurd it all feels. While enjoyable and all, this is always a sticking point for me. However, as I said, the acting is good and the writing is pretty solid as the film is actually pretty funny. I just wish it was a bit more grounded and played less like an alright network sitcom. But, again, Horrible Bosses is an entertaining little film with good acting, which does outweigh the negatives for me, though I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to watch it again.

~~gorlab~~ · 01-27-2015, 05:28 AM

Spangs you need to watch & review the movie SLING BLADE

Spangle · 01-27-2015, 01:42 PM

Quote:Originally posted by gorlab@Jan 27 2015, 04:28 AM
Spangs you need to watch & review the movie SLING BLADE

I agree.

Maxy · 02-15-2015, 09:11 PM

[Image: MV5BMjA4MDU0NTUyN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMzQx...SY720_.jpg]

8.8/10

Loved this movie. Probably my favorite war film since Saving Private Ryan. Brad Pitt turns in one of his best performances, Logan Lerman was amazing and has an extremely bright future ahead of him if he keeps up what he turned in on this movie. Pena and Bernthal were both really good and Lebouf shows that when he's not being a douchebag he actually CAN act really well . Great movie, shows the dark side of WWII

Wasty · 02-15-2015, 09:17 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Maxy@Feb 15 2015, 05:11 PM

8.8/10

Loved this movie. Probably my favorite war film since Saving Private Ryan.  Brad Pitt turns in one of his best performances, Logan Lerman was amazing and has an extremely bright future ahead of him if he keeps up what he turned in on this movie. Pena and Bernthal were both really good and Lebouf shows that when he's not being a douchebag he actually CAN act really well . Great movie, shows the dark side of WWII

I want to see Fury still. I saw American Sniper, Whiplash, Big Hero 6 and Nightcrawler last week.. Whiplash and Nightcrawler are fucking flawless. I loved BH6 and AS as well but those two were flawless IMO.

#40 Niclas Wastlund - W - VANCOUVER WHALERS Whalers

/ MINNESOTA MONARCHS

fgh · 02-15-2015, 09:23 PM

Just watched 2 movies.

[Image: Coach_Carter_poster.JPG]

8.2/10
A great film about the importance of basketball to small, low-income communities and the rivaling interest of getting out of the ghettos, Samuel L. Jackson does a great job being the wise former athlete who helps kids to succeed on and off the court. Some of it could have been remodeled, like the speech at the end of the movie. It seemed a bit corny for the serious tone the rest of the film set and I can't imagine Channing Tatum as a street-tough fatherless white guy in the ghetto, a token white if you will. Still a great movie, like how they don't win the final game but finish with a better future for all.

[Image: MV5BMjAxOTU3Mzc1M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzk1...SY720_.jpg]

[Image: MV5BMjAxOTU3Mzc1M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzk1...SY720_.jpg]

8.7/10
Another sports film (yes, they're my favorite), I really appreciated the recent relativism of this movie, seeing as how the A's only did this just a decade ago. It also bears a new light on the Charles Barkley incident recently about analytics and how smart the game has gotten. Jonah Hill does a great job as the economist and Brad Pitt plays Brad Pitt to perfection, though without any shirtless scenes. I like that there's some idealism shown through the true story about how Pitt's character tries to win with his team on the low budget. It's interesting seeing Philip Seymour Hoffman in his movies after his death, a good actor in this film and a pretty accurate portrayal of the power struggle in the office and other parts of the game.

Å atan · 02-15-2015, 09:29 PM

Quote:Originally posted by mpc@Feb 15 2015, 10:23 PM
Just watched 2 movies.

8.2/10
A great film about the importance of basketball to small, low-income communities and the rivaling interest of getting out of the ghettos, Samuel L. Jackson does a great job being the wise former athlete who helps kids to succeed on and off the court. Some of it could have been remodeled, like the speech at the end of the movie. It seemed a bit corny for the serious tone the rest of the film set and I can't imagine Channing Tatum as a street-tough fatherless white guy in the ghetto, a token white if you will. Still a great movie, like how they don't win the final game but finish with a better future for all.

Hey, I remember watching Coach Carter. Really enjoyed that movie.

Spangle · 02-22-2015, 04:31 AM

8/10 - I had been hesitant to watch this one for a long time because I wrote it off as some silly teenage romance film, but with the leads being sick with cancer. Boy was I wrong. I swear I never expected this one to be the one to make me cry, but here I am, listening to the soundtrack and it is still making me feel something I have not felt in a while. Shailene Woodley continues to convince me in this one that she is the next huge film actress, while this one also served as a great way for Ansel Elgort to introduce himself to me, because his acting is also incredible here. Though about kids with cancer, the tearjerking moments never feel as though they are relying solely on that, because there is just so much more to this film. Truly just beautiful in every way imaginable, The Fault in Our Stars shattered my expectations. The script, written by two of my favorite writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, is great. I cannot compare it to the book, but all the same, the script is perfect. It is amazing how this film can truly make you feel something for every character, as it really does not have any one dimensional characters. They are all multi-faceted in their own way and that is really what helps this one hit me in the way it has. I would also be remiss if I did not mention how good Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, and Willem Dafoe were in their supporting roles. Truly impressive stuff all-around. I love surprises like this.

8/10 - Frenetic, over the top, and incredibly weird, Moulin Rouge! is a very good film directed by Baz Luhrmann who specializes in frenetic, over the top, and incredibly weird movies. With a very well done romantic element and very good musical numbers, Moulin Rouge! avoids the traps that many "musicals" fall into and it makes all of the songs incredibly enjoyable, rather than leaving them with a feeling of being out of place and just unnecessary. Here, the songs are over the top as expected, but always enjoyable and always seemed to provide the most magical of movie moments found in this one. Ewan McGregor is great here (if what I saw online is true and he did do all of his singing, then wow am I impressed, he has an amazing voice), Nicole Kidman is very good too, as is John Leguizamo and the rest of the cast. This one is Baz Luhrmann at his very best and it shows.

7/10 - Dark, depressing, and extremely raw, Leaving Las Vegas is an exquisitely made film that showcases Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue in one of the best roles of their careers. Featuring two very troubled individuals who fall in love, Leaving Las Vegas is one that certainly hits you hard and really makes you feel attached and feel a lot of empathy for the characters. Though these people may not be the best human beings ever (in particular Cage's character), you get a sense that there is more to both of them and that they absolutely need one another. A very interesting character study and an interesting look at the seedier parts of Las Vegas, this one does have its negatives. Namely the fact that it can drag a bit. While riveting and a very interesting example of how a film just needs characters, not necessarily a plot to make it successful, this one does slow down at times, which is what made me not enjoy it as much as others. However, overall, it stands tall as a great example of two people on the downslide of life who find each other.

8/10 - The Silence of the Lambs is my favorite film, so my expectations for Red Dragon were obviously quite high and I ultimately was left feeling satisfied, as this one is a worthy film successor to the previous film (which comes after it chronologically in terms of the books, but whatever) and is far better than the 2001 follow-up, Hannibal. Edward Norton, Anthony Hopkins, and Harvey Keitel, are all very good, while Ralph Fiennes delivers an absolutely bone chilling performance as the "Tooth Fairy". Philip Seymour Hoffman is also good in a supporting role. The direction from Brett Ratner is shockingly good. He did a great job creating scares and multiple scenes caused me to jump back a little bit, which is great. In addition, the script from Ted Tally is also very strong, not as good as the one who wrote for The Silence of the Lambs, but it worked very well. At times, this one can feel a bit like a police procedural, but all the same, I really did like this one and loved the way it ended as well (the very, very end). Some things could have been better, such as the beginning, and then some elements towards the end of the film that just felt cheesy, but all the same, Red Dragon is a good film that entertains in its two hours and is really well made.

3/10 - Aggressively unfunny, Step Brothers seems to think that the only way to make people laugh is through jokes that were only kind of funny in the third grade. Unfortunately, this line of thinking is severely misguided and it makes the film almost unbearable to watch at times. After an hour and a half of nothing but things that were supposed to be funny, but were not, it was refreshing to see the ending, which actually was kind of funny and oddly touching. It ultimately left a good taste in my mouth as this one ended, which is why I was less harsh than I thought I would be. In addition, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, did have some good chemistry and were well-matched. Unfortunately, they were let down by a horrible script and tasteless joke after tasteless joke. Damn shame, really.

9/10 - If you asked me to name one movie similar to Boyhood, I simply could not think of something. Sure, many of the events here have been depicted before and the whole coming of age thing has been done to death, but man, it has never been done like this before. Sporting a killer soundtrack to guide us as we trek through Mason Jr's formative years, Boyhood is a slice of life film like never before. Things happen for no reason, things come and go, and things fall apart out of thin air, just like real life. This film is extraordinary for many reasons, one of which has to be the way it was filmed. You do not see films made over the course of 12 years and to see this only helps it be all more powerful. As we grow up with the actors throughout the film, you truly feel like you are almost watching a documentary on these people's lives, which is an incredible feeling .In addition, it just felt unique and was amazing to watch unfold. In addition, it does not try to create drama. Life is not perfect and things happen randomly, people drift off for no reason at all and you have no idea why and you never see them again. This film is exactly like that and makes no attempts to "Hollywood" things up by tying up all the loose ends, instead it leaves them as is. Plus, one cannot forget that this isn't their whole story; this is only a 12 year period in their lives. Who knows where their stories will end up? The writing is incredible, as is the direction from Richard Linklater, who is a true visionary and has undoubtedly created his magnum opus with this project. The acting from Ellar Coltrane, Patrica Arquette, Ethan Hawke, and the only cast, is incredible. The chemistry and familiar relationships felt so real and authentic. The situations rang true and ultimately made this one feel as though the most authentic coming of age film I have ever seen. There were no one dimensional characters and everyone had a story to tell, just like in real life.

Above all though, I have to say one of the best parts of this film has to be the quotes, in particular one that stood out to me, "I thought there'd be more." Just impeccable writing that manages to sum up what it is to be at that point so well, although I personally have not gotten there, I can sympathize with that line and its meaning. Ultimately, Boyhood deserves the accolades bestowed upon it and is one of the best films of 2014 and will undoubtedly be hailed as a film for the ages. Wow.

~~gorlab~~ · 02-22-2015, 05:26 AM

still waiting for the SLING BLADE review SPANGS

NateyD · 02-22-2015, 12:14 PM

Watched Divergent the other night. Loved it.

fgh · 02-22-2015, 12:22 PM

That Boyhood review is spot on. I was mystified by the film, especially having grown up in Texas where the film was shot. Lots of events and natural stuff that happened in the film were so real because those events happened all the time. Great movie

Spangle · 03-04-2015, 01:17 AM

7/10 - As a whole, The Two Faces of January is a pretty good film. It is a touch slow, but I never thought its pacing was particularly bad or anything, plus the reward, to me, was ultimately worth it. Though, even if the ending was not as good as it was, it still would have been worth it due to the stellar cinematography in this one, as well as the great acting from Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, and Oscar Isaac. In regard to the former, it really is a very sleek and sexy film to look at, true eye candy. I just loved the look and feel of this one and it was beautifully crafted. The writing was alright, nothing to write home about, but it certainly got the job done. At times, it certainly feels like a watered down film from Alfred Hitchcock and if this one had a bit more about it, it would have been better, but as it stands, I did enjoy it and thought it was a solid little film.

8/10 - Directed by the legendary Robert Altman, The Player is a riveting tale of murder, suspense, and Hollywood, featuring stellar acting from a largely low-key cast (other than Tim Robbins, who isn't huge and wasn't at the time for sure). Great direction and acting bolster this one greatly, but really, it is the fantastic writing that wraps it all up with a bow, as this one is the complete package. I find Hollywood and the behind the scenes stuff endlessly interesting, so this one is of course going to be in the wheelhouse, but I enjoyed the satirical tone of the film and how it blended with the serious elements of murder. The imagery and symbolism is also very cool here and worthy of mention, as it is those small elements that really make this one a cool watch. Very intriguing, slightly funny, and brilliantly put together, The Player is a winner.

4/10 - This one's negatives do outweigh its positives, but its strengths are really stupendous. Where some things falter, the main consistencies here would have to be the costume design, production design, and the cinematography. All add together to make this a visually striking and beautiful film. I may not have loved the film, but I really wanted to, if only for those elements being so strong. In addition, this one is very good at mood setting, as it feels dark, disturbing, and creepy throughout. However, this mood does get upset by one of the main negatives of this film; the acting. The acting from everyone is poor at best. I expected a lot better from Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci, but their performances felt entirely wooden and emotionless, even worse when they did put in emotion, it felt entirely over the top. The added in demonic elements were also entirely off-putting and came off as forced. Finally, the special effects lacked at times. A lot of the time, the special effects were extremely cool and well done (everything with the tree), but a lot of the time, they fell flat and just looked overly stylized and fake. As a whole, Sleepy Hollow rides on its visual splendor, but is nothing more than eye candy unfortunately.

[Image: Conjuring_poster.jpg]

8/10 - The Conjuring soars on a couple of different categories. First, the acting from the entire cast is very good. Second, the direction from James Wan is stellar, really amps up the creepy and does a great job setting an eerie mood. Next, the special effects are great. Everything looks really realistic and that really helps the scares become even more intense. In addition to these, the cinematography is great and the whole production design is great. Really cool look to this one to go with the great feel. Finally, and most importantly, it is legitimately scary. From beginning to end, it makes you feel a sense of dread and provides enough scares to cause you to jump six feet in the air far too many times. The Conjuring stands tall as one of the best recent horror films and, undoubtedly, one of the scariest films ever made, in large part thanks to it relying on the same types of scares to the table that its predecessors do. In many ways, The Conjuring is the 2010s introduction to brilliant, non-cheesy, supernatural horror.

6/10 - Sunshine is a film that borrows heavily from the science fiction films that came before it, namely "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Solaris", and "Alien", but does not quite reach the heights of those films. Instead of sticking with its science fiction premise, it opts to go all slasher movie and weird on us towards the end, which is ultimately what turned me off significantly from this one. Beginning with the positives, the world created here is super intriguing and very interesting. You get the problem facing this crew and as things progress or regress on their journey, you feel excited or feel bad for them. That is very important for these types of films. In addition, the special effects are splendid and the acting from the entire, very large, cast is great. Everybody did a superb job there. The direction from Danny Boyle is alright, nothing to write home about, but I do blame him a good bit for the way this one falls apart at the end. It is a movie about people traveling to the sun, so some suspension of disbelief is required, but the ending was far too much for me. Without going off the deep end there and then using that weirdness to turn this one in a low-key slasher film, this one would have been way better. On top of that, the ending significantly dragged. The preceding, say, hour and 10 minutes were absolutely riveting and had you invested in the characters, while also forcing you to the edge of your seat on multiple occasions. By the time that last half hour kicks in, you just want it to be over. However, I will say, the absolute end of this one saves the preceding half hour by being very moving and leaving the viewer on the brink of tears. Thus, it saddens me even more that, towards the end, this one burned up in the sun or else it could have been far better. It had the pieces, but what it did with those pieces was not to my liking.

Harry · 03-04-2015, 01:19 AM

Do you take notes while watching movies?

Spangle · 03-04-2015, 01:23 AM

Quote:Originally posted by Harry@Mar 4 2015, 12:19 AM
Do you take notes while watching movies?

No, haha.

Navigation

Extra Menu

About us