A few films recently watched.

  On 2/2/2010 at 7:21 AM, lumpenprol said:

Just saw Up in the Air. Best Clooney I've seen since Michael Clayton. I used to dislike him as an actor but now I like him all right. Better than Brad Pitt anyway. Everything about the film was top notch - dialogue, direction, acting - except for the plot. I was counting down the minutes until "glib corporate guy gets his comeuppance." Of course they couldn't just let him have his girl, that just wouldn't be right! Good film let down by a pat ending. 8/10.

my beef was, does this guy's (clooney) job actually exist? doesn't seem likely. slate did a piece on this too, now that i see it.

all around the acting was well done, but Why in the fuck would the best man not speak to the bridegroom before his wedding if he had cold feet, instead of his loner future brother-in-law?? not buyin' it. i was hoping we'd get more kevin mcbride out of that role but it was pretty limited, same for zach galifinakis.

though it was nice to see clooney realize how empty his life was, i'm pretty surprised at the way things turned out. no real resolution for him, but i guess that wasn't necessarily the point.

Brothers - 5/10

Just as a boring as the original.

  On 2/3/2010 at 10:40 PM, Z_B_Z said:

i loved kevin smith when i was 13 but now i get nothing out of anything he touches

LOL don't see Cop Out

Haneke's White Ribbon finally made its way to San Diego this week so I'll be checking that out.

Great film. Learn German before you see it so you don't have to take your eyes off it.

'Paranormal Activity' 8/10

wicked excorcist film, delightfully simple and effectively creepy. Good if you liked 'Blair Witch Project' 'The Last Broadcast' type films.

'Nosferatu Phantom Der Nacht' 7/10

Another dreamy, or in this case nightmarish, slice of Herzog. I like how Kinski is depicted not only as being quite a nasty fellow, but also the way he brings death to the entire area he happens to be haunting. Bringing all the rats along with him on the ship and the infestation that ensues was also a great element. Also worth noting is the female lead in this film, not only is she strikingly beautiful, but she is also intelligently portrayed; so down to earth and soberly played. It's so often women in horror films especially are shown as annoying screaming bitches that can't tell their arse from their elbow.

'Pandorum' 5/10

Was expecting more subtle thriller elements than all out action. However this film jsut manages to pull through without any major flaws.

  On 2/5/2010 at 1:13 PM, AJW said:

'Paranormal Activity' 8/10

wicked excorcist film, delightfully simple and effectively creepy. Good if you liked 'Blair Witch Project' 'The Last Broadcast' type films.

Sweet jesus that film was terrible.

Giving Paranormal Activity a higher rating than Nosferatu is x10

  On 2/5/2010 at 1:34 PM, Obel said:

  On 2/5/2010 at 1:13 PM, AJW said:

'Paranormal Activity' 8/10

wicked excorcist film, delightfully simple and effectively creepy. Good if you liked 'Blair Witch Project' 'The Last Broadcast' type films.

 

Sweet jesus that film was terrible.

What Pete said.

Phantom der Nacht was good, but Paranormal Activity creeped me out much more. But I guessed there would be alot of hate for that film in here, and likewise an unabridged love for Herzog lol ^^

Your taste is impeccable AJW....

you've read the rules right?

juss' checken!

  On 2/5/2010 at 1:13 PM, AJW said:

'Nosferatu Phantom Der Nacht' 7/10

Another dreamy, or in this case nightmarish, slice of Herzog. I like how Kinski is depicted not only as being quite a nasty fellow, but also the way he brings death to the entire area he happens to be haunting. Bringing all the rats along with him on the ship and the infestation that ensues was also a great element. Also worth noting is the female lead in this film, not only is she strikingly beautiful, but she is also intelligently portrayed; so down to earth and soberly played. It's so often women in horror films especially are shown as annoying screaming bitches that can't tell their arse from their elbow.

i mostly pitied nosferatu. he was pathetic, jealous and lonely.

yesterday they mentioned "herzog's the white ribbon" on the news.

I'm a huge Herzog fan but he's not infallible (in fact that's one of his charms) and I've never liked his Nosferatu that much. Btw the "woman" in Nosferatu is none other than Isabelle Adjani, one of the most beautiful Euro actresses of her time.

Though I'm not a huge fan of Nosferatu, Paranormal Activity was pretty bad I thought.

35 Rhums 9/10 - enjoyed this. really sucks you in. kind of slowly reveals itself to you. this and white ribbon should have been in the best film oscar list.

I just watched the happening by m night shamalamadingdong. WTF who let's this guy make movies? Horrific. He totally sucks. I didn't think it was possible to make a worse film than one in which aliens that get killed by water invade a planet that is 75% water but behold trees that can't kill marky mark. My god.

im one of the only M. Night Shyamalan defenders in this forum hehe but basically i think his only major misfires are the Happening and the Village. I actually think Lady in the Water and Unbreakable are both very original well executed movies. Sixth Sense and Signs are alright i just think the guy gets a little too much hate generally speaking.

just watched Unbreakable again last night and i still think its by far the best 'super hero' movie, it has some cheesy moments yes, but overall i think its pretty great. in my imagination i think even alan moore might admire it a little bit.

  On 2/7/2010 at 2:39 AM, Awepittance said:

just watched Unbreakable again last night and i still think its by far the best 'super hero' movie, it has some cheesy moments yes, but overall i think its pretty great. in my imagination i think even alan moore might admire it a little bit.

this, but I'm not going to venture as to what alan moore would say

  On 2/7/2010 at 2:39 AM, Awepittance said:

im one of the only M. Night Shyamalan defenders in this forum hehe but basically i think his only major misfires are the Happening and the Village. I actually think Lady in the Water and Unbreakable are both very original well executed movies. Sixth Sense and Signs are alright i just think the guy gets a little too much hate generally speaking.

 

just watched Unbreakable again last night and i still think its by far the best 'super hero' movie, it has some cheesy moments yes, but overall i think its pretty great. in my imagination i think even alan moore might admire it a little bit.

I used to defend M Night, but I had to stop after Lady In The Water. It's just rubbish, sorry. It was like a remake of *batteries not included with a mermaid instead of cute robots. Oh and the most transparent whiny meta-narrative ever. The only way you could be less subtle in responding to critics would be to actually shoot Roger Ebert on-screen.

I liked him because he had the nuts to be deadly serious about "silly" things and not hide behind irony or post modernism. And I actually like The Village.

The first half of Signs remains one of the best-executed suspense movies I've ever seen. Having the characters learning about massive, terrifying events through a tiny TV screen, while locked in a basement, is just so claustrophobic and unsettling.

The second half of Signs, Lady in the Water, The Happening... yeah nah I can't really stick up for this guy anymore, sorry.

Rewatching Unbreakable sounds like a plan, though...

Unbreakable is good no doubt. It's probably his mistake movie

Legion: 5/10- Points deducted for basically being a mediocre zombie movie, not explaining what the baby does that is so epic he needs to survive, and leaving me waiting for some sort of "OH, SHIT! NO WAY!" twist and never delivering.

Book of Eli: 7/10- Points deducted for being religious/history propaganda, points included for good music and a minor twist.

anyone seen this? looks interesting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr_RaCM-1ug

i liked the village

Signs is his best I reckon, quite enjoyed Lady In The Water too, but that was probably because of Paul Giamatti. Lovely bloke : )

Though he hasn't garnered as many lols since his portrayal of "PigVomit" in Howard Stern

Let The Right One In

Never saw this until last night, I'm so sad I missed it in the cinema because it's a fucking sublime film. The cinematography is gorgeous! Definitely the best vampire film I've seen, it just oozes charm, stunning soundtrack too. I just can't say enough good things about it really.

Highlights:

Eli coming in uninvited.

Lady in the hospital (perfect scene)

Chainsaw cutting through the ice

The snow against black

Nothing but love for this film.