Shallow Grave (1994) Danny Boyle's directorial debut is excellent Hitchcockian shocker about three Scottish roomates (Christopher Eccelston, Kerry Fox, Ewan McGregor) whose new fourth border dies in his room leaving behind a travel suitcase overflowing with cash. Eventually, sadistic criminals catch up with its location and the greed and paranoia cause them to turn on each other. The film is grisly, stylish and nerve racking, with fantastic cinematography. Almost has a noir-ish feel to it but Boyle makes it his own, with plenty of humour to pour over the fact that this film is as cold as ice. Flaw: The characters are somewhat unlikeable in each their own way. Nonetheless, still to this day of of Boyle's finest films. 8/10
The Virgin Spring (1960) - Apparently Bergman never considered this one of his most important films, but it's certainly one of his best. It's a simple, well constructed, and brilliantly acted medieval period drama that explores classic duality themes with excellent imagery and symbolism. The story concerns a wealthy, recently converted Christian farmer and his beautiful young daughter who is tasked with delivering candles to a church miles away. Along the way she is raped and murdered by men she meets and feeds. The rest of the film centers on the father's discovery of his daughter's fate and his eventual revenge. Even as an "art film" the images and motifs here are simple enough for anybody to pick up on. There is a constant clash between the violence and chaos of Paganism and the forgiveness of Christianity, the dark evil of sin and the beauty of atonement, symbolized by light and dark and other, less obvious imagery. I love the scene where, after he learns about his daughter, the father struggles with a solitary birch sapling in a field before toppling it over and hacking off its branches in a scene that brilliantly mirrors the rape of his daughter. Later he uses the branches to wash himself, whipping his back like an act of self-flagellation. The acting by each cast member is great and subdued, but Max Von Sydow is amazing as the father. The violent scenes are graphic and realistic, but never gratuitous or tedious. The little details of medieval life, real or fictional, create a very believable film world that is the perfect setting for its story. A simple, powerful film that rightly won an Oscar for best foreign film and introduced Bergman to the world stage.
Moon - 2009 I didn't catch the whole movie but I think I got to see about 3/4 of it. It's a science fiction movie about a mining base on the moon that is ran by a person in 3 year stints. I don't feel like writing up a long post so here's a wiki link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_(film) I thought it was a pretty cool and original movie with awesome dialogue It's got a good rating on Rotten Tomatoes also.
Been a while since I watched anything; Being Michael Madsen (2007)- A pseudo-documentary where Michael Madsen plays himself in a fictional scenario where a paparazzi accuses him of murder. Then, Madsen decides to hire a camera crew to track him. It's a really neat concept, about the insanity, hypocrisy, and cannibalistic nature of "celebrity" and "celebrity journalism", (also very applicable to sports). However, the execution is wildly uneven, and a good 25-30 minutes of this 78 minute picture, in the beginning and end portions, felt totally extraneous, just stretching out the time. Still, there were some neat, unexpected, subtle touches here. At the very least, it's a highly entertaining little meta documentary. 69/100
Clockwork Orange I watched it for the first time yesterday and it was...odd. Like over the top weird. It started off cool with the gang fucking everything up, but did not end how I thought it would, at all. After the first 20 minutes, one would expect dude to go batshit crazy, but it never happened!! I was pissed. The climax of the movie was when they Spoiler raped that wife at the 20-ish minute point and nothing ever really happened after. I'm used to Kubrik movies being awesome and weird, but this one was just really boring at the end. I'm going to give it a 50/100 because it was weird like I hoped, but didn't end like it should have.
Last of the Mohicans (1992) I have a hard time picking my favourite Michael Mann film. This is without a doubt one of them. The best screen adaptation of Cooper's novel, an adrenaline-pumping film with harsh (and necessary) violence, gorgeously shot and capped off by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman's incredibly evocative and soaring music score which is one of the greatest of all time. Mann shot the film beautifully, keeping it rugged and always entertaining. Daniel Day-Lewis makes an ideal Hawkeye, Russell Means is dynamic as his much more deadly father, and Wes Studi is a hissable Magua. Last reel of the film is wall-to-wall action, with a fantastic battle scene and tragic cliffside climax. Everything in this film gels so well, it has little to fault about. Cold, exciting, always moving at a brisk pace, and destined to be a classic if it isn't already one. I've don't think I've ever met someone that didn't like this film. 9/10
Pinocchio (1940) This film based on Collodi's classic tale is Disney's all-time top treasure and the greatest achievement in the history of animation. I would rate it as one of the five top films of all time about a wooden puppet come to life and his hazard-racked quest to become a real boy. Lampwick's transformation into a jackass and the chase with Monstro the whale are some of the most frightening images in the history of film, and it's packed with wonderful moments of heartbreak and true happiness. Gorgeously animated and coloured, dazzling, brilliant, timeless. I would never tire of this film and I can just hope my daughter loves it as much as me when I show it to her. This movie simply has no equal. 10/10 (to say the least)
Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead Like a fine wine, this movie only gets better with age. Back when Christina Applegate still had her titties she portrayed a big sister in charge of her siblings when their babysitter dies. The humor is quintessential 80's, the plot is retarded, and the picture quality looks like they shot it in the 70's. 10/10
I've hardly watched anything during the last 6-7 weeks, but finally got around to watching a film I wanted to see since high school; The Foul King (2000)- Korean comi-drama about pathetic bank clerk Dae-Ho who gets physically bullied by his boss and is a failure both personally and professionally. One day, he signs up to become a wrestler at a local gym, and becomes the crazy, masked "Foul King", who bites, eye gouges, and stabs his way to victory. It's understated, somber piece which is more successful as a drama about an adult loser finding something to be passionate about than it is as a physical comedy. Many of the workplace scenes, especially those involving Dae-Ho's sadistic boss (played wonderfully) are as visceral and intense as anything in the ring. However, it all builds towards an unbelievable climax; one of the dirtiest, most desperate, drag-out fights I've seen, with Dae-Ho and opponent both crumpled, bloody messes. Good stuff. 70/100
Secondhand Lions (2003), starring Michael Cane and Robert Duvall I posted a clip of this in the "shut up old man" thread, and it made me go back and re-watch it. And it's still as good a movie as I remembered it being. No CGI, no nudity, definitely a family flick, but enjoyable by all, I'd say. In the end, the message the movie is promoting is clear; live your life. 9/10 Go out with your boots on, indeed. PS: Notice how nobody walked on his lawn? Respect.
I watched Rampage on Netflix today. It was a direct to DVD video that came out in 2009. No big budget here. The acting isn't spectacular, the story is pretty simple and it has quite a bit of shaky cam going on. What will make this movie stick in your memory though is the sheer brutality and hate in the movie. Things happen that you wouldn't think would happen in a standard blockbuster action/crime movie. There is really a shit ton of violence going on in this movie. The story is erratic at times, with bits and pieces of different times in the movie scattered in other places, these things are conveying the main characters thoughts. The main character gets pissed at a variety of things that he feels threaten him and, well, goes on a rampage with a homemade[and kind of cheesy] battle suit. It's really a no frills movie, driven purely by the main characters actions and ideas. Spoiler for the little plot twist. Spoiler The main character sets up his friend and then kills him to frame him while getting away free with a bunch of money from a bank he robbed.
You forgot to mention the little tidbit about it being directed by freaking Uwe Boll and being a lousy, boring-ass piece of shit, which, during its 80 minute runtime, spends a good 40-50 minutes repeating the same scenes over and over, whether in the form of flashbacks or otherwise. It's even disappointing in terms of the low levels of brutality and violence. Anyone reading this, don't waste your life on this trash. I sure regret I did, after some dumb friend convinced me to watch an Uwe Boll picture.
Your warning had the opposite effect, I watched this movie just to see what the fuss was about. I agree with KI objectively, the movie is not just a fun run and gun type, the majority of the film was spent pushing a socialist/Fight Clubesque political agenda, not gunning random people down. And as for the brutality I'd say it's about on par with an average episode of 24, there was just a higher volume of slaughtering innocent (though through the political undertones of the movie, they are guilty of perpetuating the capitalist machine) and defenseless civilians. Did anyone else laugh at the irony during one of his internal anti-vanity monologues when he was doing bicep curls, perhaps the least practical and most vain exercise you can do? As for my subjective opinion I also agree with KI, the only things I liked about the movie were: 1.) It was a mercifully short 80 minutes 2.) I found the ending a bit funny
Apocalypse Now - Redux Just watched this tonight, and it still fucking rocks. Whether it was showing the lunacy that was Viet Nam, the lunatics that fit right in (Colonel "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" Kilgore), the great soundtrack, the stunning visuals, and the awesome air cavalry shots, it's still one of the all-time great flicks. Definitely in my top 5. Not really a huge fan of the added content in the "REDUX" version, but even at 3.5 hours long, it's still a fun ride. It came out in 1979, and I'd say it still stands up. 9/10
Blade Runner - Original Theatrical Version I have reviewed Blade Runner before, but I wanted to review this version of the film because it is drastically different than the Final Cut. There are numerous versions of Blade Runner (Early Version, Theatrical Cut, International Version, Directors Cut, Final Cut) and the differences change the tone and direction in many ways. This version was original 1983 one seen in theaters. I won't go over the plot again, but briefly it's in the distant future of 2019 where a hard boiled cop tracks down fugitive robots. Now for the differences: -In this version, Deckard (Harrison Ford) does a voice-over narration throughout the film. Although it provides some info on stuff you otherwise wouldn't know (such as what City Speak is), the VO is incredibly distracting and takes you away from the action each time it queues up. From what Ive read, the studio nearly had to put a gun to Harrison Fords head to get him to do it. -No unicorn dream. In the movie, Deckard has a dream about a unicorn which is later referenced by Gaff (Edward James Olmos). Of course you wouldn't know it if you hadn't seen the other versions, but since Gaff references it with his origami, the ending makes much less sense. The ending. In the Directors Cut, Deckard and Rachel get into the elevator and the film ends. In this ending, Deckard and Rachel are driving through a blue skied country side, completely ruining the emphasis on the crowded, corporate suffocation of the future. There are a few other smaller details, but the ones above change the film dramatically and were done solely to appease studio executives. There's apparently a rumored 4 hour long cut that has yet to be released, but so far, this one is the worst. The pacing and tone are inconsistent and even the plot has gaping holes and takes you down dead end directions. Stick with the Directors or Final Cut. 5.5/10
Now here is an example of a truly funny, worthwhile, mindless action flick. It provides more laughs and excitement in its 15 minutes than Uwe Boll's entire filmography combined; (I posted this in the Youtube topic, but it's an actual film, with IMDB entry and all); NSFW
Last night, I watched a movie I had completely forgot about: May is first introduced as a young girl. She has a very bad lazy eye, and she's very aware of it. So is everybody else. Kids make fun of her. She gets weird looks everywhere. Her parents are embarrassed by her. Her mother gives a creepy doll for her birthday, and tells her "If you can't find a friend, make a friend". Fast forward 10 years or so, and May is pretty fucking hot. Unfortunately, she still has the funky eye and is very self aware of it. She's cut herself off from the world, and has wallowed in misery with her doll. She's a veterinarian assistant, and likes blood and gore. She begins obsessing over a mechanic she finds, and is mostly infatuated with his hands. She begins stalking him quietly. During this time frame, her eye doctor gets her special contacts that will correct her eyes. May comes out of her shell, and others start to notice that she's pretty fucking hot. She meets her mechanic, she has a lesbian affair with Anna Farres, and starts to fight with her creepy doll. Spoiler Do not read this unless you plan on never seeing the movie. I'm serious. Spoiler Seriously, if you haven't seen it, stop reading and watch. I can't give it justice. Spoiler OK, I warned you...May's mechanic dumps her after she wants to eat him like a movie he showed her. Anna Farres hooks up with some blond with beautiful legs. May kills her cat with an ashtray, and continues to take care of it like it's alive (It is hilarious during one scene because she sprays it down with lysol. May's mental state is ruined when her creepy doll is broken at a school for blind children. She kills, Anna, blond lesbian, mechanic, his new girlfriend, and a random punker. She cuts off "their best physical features" and creates a doll with their body parts. The best part is that... Spoiler ...the fucking thing comes to life, and caresses her hair! Holy shit! Roll credits It was creepy, gory, and messed up. The acting was good (not great). If you are into horror movies, I would definitely suggest this.
Black Swan: Look, I'm a guy, and I'm kind of a nerd. Of COURSE I love Natalie Portman. Being the same age, I've been in love with her since The Professional. She's an amazing actress, and takes on some brave roles. But she won the Oscar for this tepid piece of shit? She had one look on her face the whole fucking time, a look of "I'm concerned and about to cry". Mila Kunis had a more varied and interesting performance, and she was barely in it. It's described as a "psychological thriller", but if you were to turn off the music, it would just be a shitty movie with shitty acting and a girl seeing some weird shit. Whoever did the score is the guy that deserved the Oscar, as the music was the only thing that gave feeling to the entire film. 4/10, and that's +2 for the masturbation scene and the lesbian scene.
Seven Beauties (1976) Giancarlo Gianni gives the performance of a lifetime in this film. It's about a small time lothario in Italy who imprisoned during WWII does anything- ANYTHING- to survive in a concentration camp include degrading himself and others in horrible extremes. The film is gorgeously shot and faultlessly acted, and harrowing in a way few films are. Gianni's last monolgue in the film (upon his return home) when all the madness he suffered through boils to the surface will be etched into your brain for the rest of your life, make no mistake. One of the best films ever to come out of Italy. 9.5/10
Watched 4 movies on the trip home from Shanghai: Tron Legacy: Ive never seen the first and really wanted to see this in the theaters. Well even with shitty headphones I knew I missed out on a musically/visually stunning experience. The first few arena scenes and motorcycle game were about the coolest action scenes Ive seen in nearly a decade. Beyond that they set up a very interesting story and some very interesting characters. Except when they did slow down to add some character development it blew the awesome flow the movie was setting up. I also felt the music in the last 3rd of the film fell flat compared with the beginning. 70/100 The Mechanic - Jason Stathem is the biggest badass in his field and is hired for his toughest job yet! Besides the cookie cutter plot I still enjoyed the film. Pure popcorn action that toned down hammy jokes and dialog (I despise super corny shit for the sake of mass audience laughs). But still filled with random explosions. Everything is predictable but still fun. The story revolves around him killing his old mentor and then mentoring his old mentors kid. I was a little confused on why he decided in the end to kill the kid. They had worked together the whole film to take down the organization that tricked him into kill his mentor. He knew the kid was going to try and kill him and was conflicted the whole time about killing his dad. The smart thing to do, and only decent thing as the whole story was set up, was to let the kid try and kill him as to fake his death and let the kid go. Instead they needed one more car explosion. another 70/100 The Green Hornet- So this is it folks? This is what it's come down to? Seth Rogen is a stoner self centered asshole action star? Nothing at all was redeemable about this film at all. Christopher Waltz was even fucking lame in it. 0/100 The Company Men- NSFW because it is a political review/rant NSFW I don't think Ive seen more super lib Hollywood cliches thrown at me at once since "The Kids Are All Right." At least that movie had ONE character that came off as realistic and not a robot spouting off line after line of tired cliches. The movie is about a industrial ship building firm that starts letting people go when the CEO needs to bump the share prices. Every single character has the most predictable plotlines Ive ever seen. Chris Cooper (who I normally love) is a shoe in for eventual suicide from his first line, that's how subtle this movie is... Buttchin Ben Affleck is the up and coming sales hotshot let go and of coarse stonewalls any idea of changing his lifestyle. Tommy Lee Jones is a cofounder who is let go and is left to ponder the working mans plight while deciding what to do with his millions. Chris Cooper is aging middle management that is let go. Coach is the company's Gordon Gekko owner. Here are some of the realistic human dialog only slightly paraphrased: ButtchinBenAffleck: You didn't pay our club fees at the golf coarse!!! Wife: We can't afford it! BCBA: BUT I NEED TO LOOK SUCCESSFUL!!!!!!! Wife: We Can't afford it. BCBA: Ive already cut them a check. TLJ: I was sorry not to see you at (Chris Coopers character's) funeral. Coach: (a man so evil he doesn't attend a long time friends funeral) Sorry to hear about him. TLJ: So you had to pump the share price and slash thousands of jobs for what? The working man made 35k last year, what did you make? Coach: IT'S WHAT THE MARKET DEMANDED!!!!! TLJ: So you could make 22 million while you ruined your workers lives? Coach: We employed them with decent wages and health and other benefits this wasn't a charity it's a business. I sold the company the other day, my stock is now worth 600 million. How much is your's worth?! TLJ: (leaves with the expression on his face that he sold them before the sale because he didn't respect the company...) With this type of fucking reasoning it's no wonder the movie industry is in a perpetual retard state. 10/100