Recently viewed movie thread - Rental Edition (5 Viewers)

[jdoggydogg]

Blue Valentine

Fantastic. I've reviewed many a B movie and many an action flick, and I'll reiterate my love for a vast many genres. But this movie is right in my wheelhouse. Let's face it: many movies are written and produced with the intention that a high school kid could enjoy. Blue Valentine is written for adults. There's no fluff here. Only a stark, beautiful examination of a crumbling family. Ryan Gosling and Michele Reynolds are perfect here. Blue Valentine is one of the best movies I've seen in the last five years. High recommended if you are tiring of the typical Hollywood detritus.

I have been hesitant with this one because I hear it is pretty darn depressing. I'll move it up my list.

It is sad but I wouldn't say depressing. Very real.BTW, jdd, since I have a crush on her I have to correct you and say it's Michelle Williams.

Thanks, guys. NEVER thought you'd lead me this far astray....Blue Valentine - Rented this over others i wanted to pair with True Grit, much to my chagrin. If i wanted to bear witness to the particulars of an inarticulate couple with deep ambivalence toward life, love & each other i'd go down the street for coffee with Phil & Melissa. At least then, i'd get danish. Exceptionality is the first order of what i require from a movie & this couple wasnt even exceptional in their ordinariness. I am proud that less than half the movies i've ever watched have explosions in them, but they damn well better have writing if nothing blows up. Improv setups of boring people bored with their lives wont cut it, even if those setups are for two immensely attractive & talented actors. 1.6666666666666666666666/5

True Grit - Same reaction I have to almost every Coen Brothers movie - I didn't enjoy it as much as they did. The internal logic, the twinlanguage between these two is fascinating but rarely satisfying. They have once again strung together a bunch of scenes they'd like to see/film. Much of it is cool & makes me want to have coffee with the Coens much more than with Phil & Melissa, but it usually falls short of being an entire movie. They clearly do have a reason why they show what they show when they show it, but i dont think anyone has or is supposed to figure out what that is. 3.1/5

Oy. I'm not even going to touch your True Grit comments, as no one seems to love this movie except me. But I am vexed, nay flummoxed, at your Blue Valentine comments. The acting in this movie is so real, this could have passed for a documentary if the cinematography wasn't so beautiful. I've yet to see a movie you've loved that we agree on. So now more than ever, I'm interested in seeing your all time favorite films list. There must be common ground somewhere.

Here's the top 100 thread if you'd like to share

my post highlighting those films i agree with you on is like three posts below your OP. but i'll try to put something together that reflects what i look for & love in movies. we're going to have to agree to disagree on BV - for naturalism, i got real life. short of Brando, Depp & Streep, i cant imagine paying to watch anyone be boring & normal (reminds me of a brief series, "Rippin' Yarns", Michael Palin had on the BBC after Python where he portrayed the most boring people he could think of - one was a bank teller whose major interests were shovels & average yearly rainfall & was so dull that bankrobbers who took him hostage turned themselves in rather than endure another minute with him). naturalistic acting can help a great script but is nothing in & of itself. i can go to any apartment complex in Albuquerque and see human drama quite the equal of BV played out for real in stairwells, balconys & parking lots. i hear the BV sequel is entitled "Bad Neighbors".

Premise rejected. You're saying Blue Valentine is boring, and your saying this dialogue could be heard in any number of white trash havens. Would you have this couple reciting the prose of Henry Miller? That seems ridiculous. You've said the movie has a bad script. But that's not what you mean. You mean the movie has a script you don't care about. I promised I wouldn't comment on your True Grit review - since no one likes this movie as much as I do. But now that becomes impossible. I think the script for True Grit is brilliant. Reviewing both these movies is apropos, because I believe both contain scripts that function well in their respective contexts. So what exactly is the magical G spot for Wikkid when it comes to scripts? You couldn't get into Deadwood, and that's some of the greatest writing I've ever heard.

I hope you post your top 100 movies so we can compare notes.

 

[wikkidpissah]

Blue Valentine

Fantastic. I've reviewed many a B movie and many an action flick, and I'll reiterate my love for a vast many genres. But this movie is right in my wheelhouse. Let's face it: many movies are written and produced with the intention that a high school kid could enjoy. Blue Valentine is written for adults. There's no fluff here. Only a stark, beautiful examination of a crumbling family. Ryan Gosling and Michele Reynolds are perfect here. Blue Valentine is one of the best movies I've seen in the last five years. High recommended if you are tiring of the typical Hollywood detritus.

I have been hesitant with this one because I hear it is pretty darn depressing. I'll move it up my list.

It is sad but I wouldn't say depressing. Very real.BTW, jdd, since I have a crush on her I have to correct you and say it's Michelle Williams.

Thanks, guys. NEVER thought you'd lead me this far astray....Blue Valentine - Rented this over others i wanted to pair with True Grit, much to my chagrin. If i wanted to bear witness to the particulars of an inarticulate couple with deep ambivalence toward life, love & each other i'd go down the street for coffee with Phil & Melissa. At least then, i'd get danish. Exceptionality is the first order of what i require from a movie & this couple wasnt even exceptional in their ordinariness. I am proud that less than half the movies i've ever watched have explosions in them, but they damn well better have writing if nothing blows up. Improv setups of boring people bored with their lives wont cut it, even if those setups are for two immensely attractive & talented actors. 1.6666666666666666666666/5

True Grit - Same reaction I have to almost every Coen Brothers movie - I didn't enjoy it as much as they did. The internal logic, the twinlanguage between these two is fascinating but rarely satisfying. They have once again strung together a bunch of scenes they'd like to see/film. Much of it is cool & makes me want to have coffee with the Coens much more than with Phil & Melissa, but it usually falls short of being an entire movie. They clearly do have a reason why they show what they show when they show it, but i dont think anyone has or is supposed to figure out what that is. 3.1/5

Oy. I'm not even going to touch your True Grit comments, as no one seems to love this movie except me. But I am vexed, nay flummoxed, at your Blue Valentine comments. The acting in this movie is so real, this could have passed for a documentary if the cinematography wasn't so beautiful. I've yet to see a movie you've loved that we agree on. So now more than ever, I'm interested in seeing your all time favorite films list. There must be common ground somewhere.

Here's the top 100 thread if you'd like to share

my post highlighting those films i agree with you on is like three posts below your OP. but i'll try to put something together that reflects what i look for & love in movies. we're going to have to agree to disagree on BV - for naturalism, i got real life. short of Brando, Depp & Streep, i cant imagine paying to watch anyone be boring & normal (reminds me of a brief series, "Rippin' Yarns", Michael Palin had on the BBC after Python where he portrayed the most boring people he could think of - one was a bank teller whose major interests were shovels & average yearly rainfall & was so dull that bankrobbers who took him hostage turned themselves in rather than endure another minute with him). naturalistic acting can help a great script but is nothing in & of itself. i can go to any apartment complex in Albuquerque and see human drama quite the equal of BV played out for real in stairwells, balconys & parking lots. i hear the BV sequel is entitled "Bad Neighbors".

Premise rejected. You're saying Blue Valentine is boring, and your saying this dialogue could be heard in any number of white trash havens. Would you have this couple reciting the prose of Henry Miller? That seems ridiculous. You've said the movie has a bad script. But that's not what you mean. You mean the movie has a script you don't care about. I promised I wouldn't comment on your True Grit review - since no one likes this movie as much as I do. But now that becomes impossible. I think the script for True Grit is brilliant. Reviewing both these movies is apropos, because I believe both contain scripts that function well in their respective contexts. So what exactly is the magical G spot for Wikkid when it comes to scripts? You couldn't get into Deadwood, and that's some of the greatest writing I've ever heard.

I hope you post your top 100 movies so we can compare notes.

Not a bad script - no script. Set-ups & suggestions. Either behavior, circumstance or dialogue has to be exceptional if you're gonna ask me to buy a ticket - hopefully, more than one of the three. I hear more telling & compelling dialogue than BV's while waiting for my heart meds at the Indian clinic, the circumstance is one that would have me volunteering to help with the dishes if told at the dinner table and the behavior is a textbook example of the unexamined life for which movies are supposed to be the antidote.Not doing this to pimp my own work, but i can think of an example in it. I've written two TV pilots in the past yr, just for something to do, and the most recent one has my editor and friends telling me it's the most naturalistic writing i've yet done. Do you know what freed me to attempt it? The fact that the story is about a police precinct attempting to rebuild and reassert its place in the community after an Oklahoma City '95 kind of attack. I get to explore grief, loss, heroism, PTSD, 9/11 syndrome & it sent me into the smallness of the lives of those most closely affected as a way to embiggen the theme. All lives have scale as theyre being lived but, in order to best portray that artistically, they have to be set against larger events or induced perspectives. That's what writing is & it didnt exist in the movie i just saw.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Blue Valentine

Fantastic. I've reviewed many a B movie and many an action flick, and I'll reiterate my love for a vast many genres. But this movie is right in my wheelhouse. Let's face it: many movies are written and produced with the intention that a high school kid could enjoy. Blue Valentine is written for adults. There's no fluff here. Only a stark, beautiful examination of a crumbling family. Ryan Gosling and Michele Reynolds are perfect here. Blue Valentine is one of the best movies I've seen in the last five years. High recommended if you are tiring of the typical Hollywood detritus.

I have been hesitant with this one because I hear it is pretty darn depressing. I'll move it up my list.

It is sad but I wouldn't say depressing. Very real.BTW, jdd, since I have a crush on her I have to correct you and say it's Michelle Williams.

Thanks, guys. NEVER thought you'd lead me this far astray....Blue Valentine - Rented this over others i wanted to pair with True Grit, much to my chagrin. If i wanted to bear witness to the particulars of an inarticulate couple with deep ambivalence toward life, love & each other i'd go down the street for coffee with Phil & Melissa. At least then, i'd get danish. Exceptionality is the first order of what i require from a movie & this couple wasnt even exceptional in their ordinariness. I am proud that less than half the movies i've ever watched have explosions in them, but they damn well better have writing if nothing blows up. Improv setups of boring people bored with their lives wont cut it, even if those setups are for two immensely attractive & talented actors. 1.6666666666666666666666/5

True Grit - Same reaction I have to almost every Coen Brothers movie - I didn't enjoy it as much as they did. The internal logic, the twinlanguage between these two is fascinating but rarely satisfying. They have once again strung together a bunch of scenes they'd like to see/film. Much of it is cool & makes me want to have coffee with the Coens much more than with Phil & Melissa, but it usually falls short of being an entire movie. They clearly do have a reason why they show what they show when they show it, but i dont think anyone has or is supposed to figure out what that is. 3.1/5

Oy. I'm not even going to touch your True Grit comments, as no one seems to love this movie except me. But I am vexed, nay flummoxed, at your Blue Valentine comments. The acting in this movie is so real, this could have passed for a documentary if the cinematography wasn't so beautiful. I've yet to see a movie you've loved that we agree on. So now more than ever, I'm interested in seeing your all time favorite films list. There must be common ground somewhere.

Here's the top 100 thread if you'd like to share

my post highlighting those films i agree with you on is like three posts below your OP. but i'll try to put something together that reflects what i look for & love in movies. we're going to have to agree to disagree on BV - for naturalism, i got real life. short of Brando, Depp & Streep, i cant imagine paying to watch anyone be boring & normal (reminds me of a brief series, "Rippin' Yarns", Michael Palin had on the BBC after Python where he portrayed the most boring people he could think of - one was a bank teller whose major interests were shovels & average yearly rainfall & was so dull that bankrobbers who took him hostage turned themselves in rather than endure another minute with him). naturalistic acting can help a great script but is nothing in & of itself. i can go to any apartment complex in Albuquerque and see human drama quite the equal of BV played out for real in stairwells, balconys & parking lots. i hear the BV sequel is entitled "Bad Neighbors".

Premise rejected. You're saying Blue Valentine is boring, and your saying this dialogue could be heard in any number of white trash havens. Would you have this couple reciting the prose of Henry Miller? That seems ridiculous. You've said the movie has a bad script. But that's not what you mean. You mean the movie has a script you don't care about. I promised I wouldn't comment on your True Grit review - since no one likes this movie as much as I do. But now that becomes impossible. I think the script for True Grit is brilliant. Reviewing both these movies is apropos, because I believe both contain scripts that function well in their respective contexts. So what exactly is the magical G spot for Wikkid when it comes to scripts? You couldn't get into Deadwood, and that's some of the greatest writing I've ever heard.

I hope you post your top 100 movies so we can compare notes.

Not a bad script - no script. Set-ups & suggestions. Either behavior, circumstance or dialogue has to be exceptional if you're gonna ask me to buy a ticket - hopefully, more than one of the three. I hear more telling & compelling dialogue than BV's while waiting for my heart meds at the Indian clinic, the circumstance is one that would have me volunteering to help with the dishes if told at the dinner table and the behavior is a textbook example of the unexamined life for which movies are supposed to be the antidote.Not doing this to pimp my own work, but i can think of an example in it. I've written two TV pilots in the past yr, just for something to do, and the most recent one has my editor and friends telling me it's the most naturalistic writing i've yet done. Do you know what freed me to attempt it? The fact that the story is about a police precinct attempting to rebuild and reassert its place in the community after an Oklahoma City '95 kind of attack. I get to explore grief, loss, heroism, PTSD, 9/11 syndrome & it sent me into the smallness of the lives of those most closely affected as a way to embiggen the theme. All lives have scale as theyre being lived but, in order to best portray that artistically, they have to be set against larger events or induced perspectives. That's what writing is & it didnt exist in the movie i just saw.

No, that's not what writing is. That's simply the writing you enjoy. Did you read The 30 Harshest Author-on-Author Insults In History? If these brilliant writers don't agree about what constitutes good writing, then there's no hope for you and I to come to a consensus.

 

[wikkidpissah]

Blue Valentine

Fantastic. I've reviewed many a B movie and many an action flick, and I'll reiterate my love for a vast many genres. But this movie is right in my wheelhouse. Let's face it: many movies are written and produced with the intention that a high school kid could enjoy. Blue Valentine is written for adults. There's no fluff here. Only a stark, beautiful examination of a crumbling family. Ryan Gosling and Michele Reynolds are perfect here. Blue Valentine is one of the best movies I've seen in the last five years. High recommended if you are tiring of the typical Hollywood detritus.

I have been hesitant with this one because I hear it is pretty darn depressing. I'll move it up my list.

It is sad but I wouldn't say depressing. Very real.BTW, jdd, since I have a crush on her I have to correct you and say it's Michelle Williams.

Thanks, guys. NEVER thought you'd lead me this far astray....Blue Valentine - Rented this over others i wanted to pair with True Grit, much to my chagrin. If i wanted to bear witness to the particulars of an inarticulate couple with deep ambivalence toward life, love & each other i'd go down the street for coffee with Phil & Melissa. At least then, i'd get danish. Exceptionality is the first order of what i require from a movie & this couple wasnt even exceptional in their ordinariness. I am proud that less than half the movies i've ever watched have explosions in them, but they damn well better have writing if nothing blows up. Improv setups of boring people bored with their lives wont cut it, even if those setups are for two immensely attractive & talented actors. 1.6666666666666666666666/5

True Grit - Same reaction I have to almost every Coen Brothers movie - I didn't enjoy it as much as they did. The internal logic, the twinlanguage between these two is fascinating but rarely satisfying. They have once again strung together a bunch of scenes they'd like to see/film. Much of it is cool & makes me want to have coffee with the Coens much more than with Phil & Melissa, but it usually falls short of being an entire movie. They clearly do have a reason why they show what they show when they show it, but i dont think anyone has or is supposed to figure out what that is. 3.1/5

Oy. I'm not even going to touch your True Grit comments, as no one seems to love this movie except me. But I am vexed, nay flummoxed, at your Blue Valentine comments. The acting in this movie is so real, this could have passed for a documentary if the cinematography wasn't so beautiful. I've yet to see a movie you've loved that we agree on. So now more than ever, I'm interested in seeing your all time favorite films list. There must be common ground somewhere.

Here's the top 100 thread if you'd like to share

my post highlighting those films i agree with you on is like three posts below your OP. but i'll try to put something together that reflects what i look for & love in movies. we're going to have to agree to disagree on BV - for naturalism, i got real life. short of Brando, Depp & Streep, i cant imagine paying to watch anyone be boring & normal (reminds me of a brief series, "Rippin' Yarns", Michael Palin had on the BBC after Python where he portrayed the most boring people he could think of - one was a bank teller whose major interests were shovels & average yearly rainfall & was so dull that bankrobbers who took him hostage turned themselves in rather than endure another minute with him). naturalistic acting can help a great script but is nothing in & of itself. i can go to any apartment complex in Albuquerque and see human drama quite the equal of BV played out for real in stairwells, balconys & parking lots. i hear the BV sequel is entitled "Bad Neighbors".

Premise rejected. You're saying Blue Valentine is boring, and your saying this dialogue could be heard in any number of white trash havens. Would you have this couple reciting the prose of Henry Miller? That seems ridiculous. You've said the movie has a bad script. But that's not what you mean. You mean the movie has a script you don't care about. I promised I wouldn't comment on your True Grit review - since no one likes this movie as much as I do. But now that becomes impossible. I think the script for True Grit is brilliant. Reviewing both these movies is apropos, because I believe both contain scripts that function well in their respective contexts. So what exactly is the magical G spot for Wikkid when it comes to scripts? You couldn't get into Deadwood, and that's some of the greatest writing I've ever heard.

I hope you post your top 100 movies so we can compare notes.

Not a bad script - no script. Set-ups & suggestions. Either behavior, circumstance or dialogue has to be exceptional if you're gonna ask me to buy a ticket - hopefully, more than one of the three. I hear more telling & compelling dialogue than BV's while waiting for my heart meds at the Indian clinic, the circumstance is one that would have me volunteering to help with the dishes if told at the dinner table and the behavior is a textbook example of the unexamined life for which movies are supposed to be the antidote.Not doing this to pimp my own work, but i can think of an example in it. I've written two TV pilots in the past yr, just for something to do, and the most recent one has my editor and friends telling me it's the most naturalistic writing i've yet done. Do you know what freed me to attempt it? The fact that the story is about a police precinct attempting to rebuild and reassert its place in the community after an Oklahoma City '95 kind of attack. I get to explore grief, loss, heroism, PTSD, 9/11 syndrome & it sent me into the smallness of the lives of those most closely affected as a way to embiggen the theme. All lives have scale as theyre being lived but, in order to best portray that artistically, they have to be set against larger events or induced perspectives. That's what writing is & it didnt exist in the movie i just saw.

No, that's not what writing is. That's simply the writing you enjoy.

No - me & Al Gore invented writing and the improv class that is Blue Valentine doesnt follow our rules. Of course its my perspective - i only have three other personalities and none of them read.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Blue Valentine

Fantastic. I've reviewed many a B movie and many an action flick, and I'll reiterate my love for a vast many genres. But this movie is right in my wheelhouse. Let's face it: many movies are written and produced with the intention that a high school kid could enjoy. Blue Valentine is written for adults. There's no fluff here. Only a stark, beautiful examination of a crumbling family. Ryan Gosling and Michele Reynolds are perfect here. Blue Valentine is one of the best movies I've seen in the last five years. High recommended if you are tiring of the typical Hollywood detritus.

I have been hesitant with this one because I hear it is pretty darn depressing. I'll move it up my list.

It is sad but I wouldn't say depressing. Very real.BTW, jdd, since I have a crush on her I have to correct you and say it's Michelle Williams.

Thanks, guys. NEVER thought you'd lead me this far astray....Blue Valentine - Rented this over others i wanted to pair with True Grit, much to my chagrin. If i wanted to bear witness to the particulars of an inarticulate couple with deep ambivalence toward life, love & each other i'd go down the street for coffee with Phil & Melissa. At least then, i'd get danish. Exceptionality is the first order of what i require from a movie & this couple wasnt even exceptional in their ordinariness. I am proud that less than half the movies i've ever watched have explosions in them, but they damn well better have writing if nothing blows up. Improv setups of boring people bored with their lives wont cut it, even if those setups are for two immensely attractive & talented actors. 1.6666666666666666666666/5

True Grit - Same reaction I have to almost every Coen Brothers movie - I didn't enjoy it as much as they did. The internal logic, the twinlanguage between these two is fascinating but rarely satisfying. They have once again strung together a bunch of scenes they'd like to see/film. Much of it is cool & makes me want to have coffee with the Coens much more than with Phil & Melissa, but it usually falls short of being an entire movie. They clearly do have a reason why they show what they show when they show it, but i dont think anyone has or is supposed to figure out what that is. 3.1/5

Oy. I'm not even going to touch your True Grit comments, as no one seems to love this movie except me. But I am vexed, nay flummoxed, at your Blue Valentine comments. The acting in this movie is so real, this could have passed for a documentary if the cinematography wasn't so beautiful. I've yet to see a movie you've loved that we agree on. So now more than ever, I'm interested in seeing your all time favorite films list. There must be common ground somewhere.

Here's the top 100 thread if you'd like to share

my post highlighting those films i agree with you on is like three posts below your OP. but i'll try to put something together that reflects what i look for & love in movies. we're going to have to agree to disagree on BV - for naturalism, i got real life. short of Brando, Depp & Streep, i cant imagine paying to watch anyone be boring & normal (reminds me of a brief series, "Rippin' Yarns", Michael Palin had on the BBC after Python where he portrayed the most boring people he could think of - one was a bank teller whose major interests were shovels & average yearly rainfall & was so dull that bankrobbers who took him hostage turned themselves in rather than endure another minute with him). naturalistic acting can help a great script but is nothing in & of itself. i can go to any apartment complex in Albuquerque and see human drama quite the equal of BV played out for real in stairwells, balconys & parking lots. i hear the BV sequel is entitled "Bad Neighbors".

Premise rejected. You're saying Blue Valentine is boring, and your saying this dialogue could be heard in any number of white trash havens. Would you have this couple reciting the prose of Henry Miller? That seems ridiculous. You've said the movie has a bad script. But that's not what you mean. You mean the movie has a script you don't care about. I promised I wouldn't comment on your True Grit review - since no one likes this movie as much as I do. But now that becomes impossible. I think the script for True Grit is brilliant. Reviewing both these movies is apropos, because I believe both contain scripts that function well in their respective contexts. So what exactly is the magical G spot for Wikkid when it comes to scripts? You couldn't get into Deadwood, and that's some of the greatest writing I've ever heard.

I hope you post your top 100 movies so we can compare notes.

Not a bad script - no script. Set-ups & suggestions. Either behavior, circumstance or dialogue has to be exceptional if you're gonna ask me to buy a ticket - hopefully, more than one of the three. I hear more telling & compelling dialogue than BV's while waiting for my heart meds at the Indian clinic, the circumstance is one that would have me volunteering to help with the dishes if told at the dinner table and the behavior is a textbook example of the unexamined life for which movies are supposed to be the antidote.Not doing this to pimp my own work, but i can think of an example in it. I've written two TV pilots in the past yr, just for something to do, and the most recent one has my editor and friends telling me it's the most naturalistic writing i've yet done. Do you know what freed me to attempt it? The fact that the story is about a police precinct attempting to rebuild and reassert its place in the community after an Oklahoma City '95 kind of attack. I get to explore grief, loss, heroism, PTSD, 9/11 syndrome & it sent me into the smallness of the lives of those most closely affected as a way to embiggen the theme. All lives have scale as theyre being lived but, in order to best portray that artistically, they have to be set against larger events or induced perspectives. That's what writing is & it didnt exist in the movie i just saw.

No, that's not what writing is. That's simply the writing you enjoy.

No - me & Al Gore invented writing and the improv class that is Blue Valentine doesnt follow our rules. Of course its my perspective - i only have three other personalities and none of them read.

I have only one personality, and it's the laziest reader in the world.

 

[jdoggydogg]

The Road

Mrs. Dogg and I love this book, so obviously we were quite skeptical about the movie adaptation. But I did like John Hillcoat's The Poposition, so that he was directing this adaptation gave me hope. We are loving this movie so far - but Mrs. Dogg can only watch about 10 minutes at a time because it scares her.

So we'll be done with the movie in a couple weeks.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Kung Fu Panda 2

Loved it. Funny and beautiful. When I saw How To Train Your Dragon, I remarked that Pixar wasn't the only game in town anymore, and this franchise reinforces that statement. These Kung Fu Panda movies are outstanding.

 

[KarmaPolice]

The Road

Mrs. Dogg and I love this book, so obviously we were quite skeptical about the movie adaptation. But I did like John Hillcoat's The Poposition, so that he was directing this adaptation gave me hope. We are loving this movie so far - but Mrs. Dogg can only watch about 10 minutes at a time because it scares her.

So we'll be done with the movie in a couple weeks.

Want to watch this one again. Remember being pleasantly surprised, but not liking what they did with the wife in the movie.

 

[jdoggydogg]

The Road

Mrs. Dogg and I love this book, so obviously we were quite skeptical about the movie adaptation. But I did like John Hillcoat's The Poposition, so that he was directing this adaptation gave me hope. We are loving this movie so far - but Mrs. Dogg can only watch about 10 minutes at a time because it scares her.

So we'll be done with the movie in a couple weeks.

Want to watch this one again. Remember being pleasantly surprised, but not liking what they did with the wife in the movie.

I always expect changes from novel to screen, so that didn't affect me.

 

[Kenny Powers]

The Road

Mrs. Dogg and I love this book, so obviously we were quite skeptical about the movie adaptation. But I did like John Hillcoat's The Poposition, so that he was directing this adaptation gave me hope. We are loving this movie so far - but Mrs. Dogg can only watch about 10 minutes at a time because it scares her.

So we'll be done with the movie in a couple weeks.

Want to watch this one again. Remember being pleasantly surprised, but not liking what they did with the wife in the movie.

I dont even remember there being a wife in the movie...well, like first 10 minutes but thats it. Didnt read the book, but just father and son for basically the entire movie worked for me.

 

[KarmaPolice]

The Road

Mrs. Dogg and I love this book, so obviously we were quite skeptical about the movie adaptation. But I did like John Hillcoat's The Poposition, so that he was directing this adaptation gave me hope. We are loving this movie so far - but Mrs. Dogg can only watch about 10 minutes at a time because it scares her.

So we'll be done with the movie in a couple weeks.

Want to watch this one again. Remember being pleasantly surprised, but not liking what they did with the wife in the movie.

I always expect changes from novel to screen, so that didn't affect me.

Agree there will be changes. Just thought that stuck out as feeling they were trying to hard to get another story for the audience to follow when it's all about the father/son and that carried the book, so it should carry the movie too. Just a small beef, still think they did a great job capturing the feel of the book. (and to think I did not like the book the first time I read it....)

 

[jdoggydogg]

The Road

Mrs. Dogg and I love this book, so obviously we were quite skeptical about the movie adaptation. But I did like John Hillcoat's The Poposition, so that he was directing this adaptation gave me hope. We are loving this movie so far - but Mrs. Dogg can only watch about 10 minutes at a time because it scares her.

So we'll be done with the movie in a couple weeks.

Want to watch this one again. Remember being pleasantly surprised, but not liking what they did with the wife in the movie.

I always expect changes from novel to screen, so that didn't affect me.

Agree there will be changes. Just thought that stuck out as feeling they were trying to hard to get another story for the audience to follow when it's all about the father/son and that carried the book, so it should carry the movie too. Just a small beef, still think they did a great job capturing the feel of the book. (and to think I did not like the book the first time I read it....)

I agree. The father son relationship didn't need a mother to beef up the story, but you know how Hollywood is about these things. I'm not sure I'd feel as strongly about the book if I wasn't a parent.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Tree Of Life

An astounding work from a genius director.

I could say a lot more, but I'd simply be repeating the above phrase. Malick's made a beautiful movie here, and one that'll stick with me forever.

 

[El Floppo]

Tree Of Life

An astounding work from a genius director.

I could say a lot more, but I'd simply be repeating the above phrase. Malick's made a beautiful movie here, and one that'll stick with me forever.

Must. Find. Way. To. See. In. Theater.

 

[cosjobs]

Tree Of Life

An astounding work from a genius director.

I could say a lot more, but I'd simply be repeating the above phrase. Malick's made a beautiful movie here, and one that'll stick with me forever.

Must. Find. Way. To. See. In. Theater.

I'd gladly give you my four hour experience, if I could get my four hours back.

 

[cosjobs]

Barney's Version

Paul Giamatti plays morally-challenged Jewish tv producer, who marries several women and tends to have those close to him die.

Despite his character's cavernous shortcomings, Giamitti still managed to wrangle empathy from me, altho I must admit I feel a bit dirty in the process. Some fantastic acting here and memorable scenes, especially his confession of infidelity to his last wife.

Remarkable in some ways, more prurient in others, with some ham-fisted resolutions at the end. I admired it more than I liked it and the admiration has asterisks.

3.3/5 stars

 

[jdoggydogg]

Tree Of Life

An astounding work from a genius director.

I could say a lot more, but I'd simply be repeating the above phrase. Malick's made a beautiful movie here, and one that'll stick with me forever.

Must. Find. Way. To. See. In. Theater.

It's worth it.

 

[El Floppo]

Tree Of Life

An astounding work from a genius director.

I could say a lot more, but I'd simply be repeating the above phrase. Malick's made a beautiful movie here, and one that'll stick with me forever.

Must. Find. Way. To. See. In. Theater.

I'd gladly give you my four hour experience, if I could get my four hours back.

This is what I've heard from three different people that saw it in the theater.

Fully understood.I've said repeatedly that I'll watch a film solely for it's aesthetic qualities- Mallick is the aesthetic king, so I will watch, and I'm sure I will love. My brain is so fried with the newborn, I doubt I'll be able to process much of whatever else is going on.

 

[cosjobs]

Bloodworth

Odd, but enjoyable film. Reading the cover I really thought I was in for Crazy Heart 2, with Kristofferson replacing Bridges in the lead. I was wrong. As similar as it sounds, it was unique. T-Bone Burnett's soundtrack is quite good and the performances of Val Kilmer, Dwight Yoakum, Hillary Duf and the rest are strong across the board. The story drags us us through some particularly spot-on and enjoyable white trash drama, and builds good momentum, but fails to wrap up without becoming obvious and a bit trite. Very enjoyable, but could have been near-great if the third act had held together better. I still recommend it.

3/5 stars

 

[NCCommish]

Wife likes scary movies so I rented The Rite with Sir Anthony. Not horrible, not great. I could identify with the protagonist a bit. But not really scary. It was more like a film trying to decide what to be. Was it a character study with huge questions as the vehicle for exploring those characters? Or is it a horror film? It never decided and suffered for it.

 

[krista4]

Cave of Forgotten Dreams: Werner Herzog's documentary about the Chauvet Cave. Really amazing footage from a place where only a handful of people are ever allowed. Unfortunately it was a bit distracting sometimes with Herzog's unnecessary narration. Said in a Teutonic accent: "What is humanness?" Should have let the cinematography and the interesting interviews speak for themselves instead. 3.5/5

Tarnation: Documentary filmed over the course 20(?) years, by a son about his mother's schizophrenia. Fascinating but very sad story; poor filmmaking. The director had long passages where the story was written out and just flashed onto the screen, so it was more like reading a book. Egads. 2.5/5

 

[cosjobs]

Cave of Forgotten Dreams: Werner Herzog's documentary about the Chauvet Cave. Really amazing footage from a place where only a handful of people are ever allowed. Unfortunately it was a bit distracting sometimes with Herzog's unnecessary narration. Said in a Teutonic accent: "What is humanness?" Should have let the cinematography and the interesting interviews speak for themselves instead. 3.5/5

Tarnation: Documentary filmed over the course 20(?) years, by a son about his mother's schizophrenia. Fascinating but very sad story; poor filmmaking. The director had long passages where the story was written out and just flashed onto the screen, so it was more like reading a book. Egads. 2.5/5

Re Cave: I thought Herzog's narration was was what made this film rise above most similar documentaries. Really there was only about 30 min worth of screen time required to show us all their recorded angles of the cave. And it still went on too long as presented. I can understand your complaint on the narration, I just do not agree.

 

[krista4]

Cave of Forgotten Dreams: Werner Herzog's documentary about the Chauvet Cave. Really amazing footage from a place where only a handful of people are ever allowed. Unfortunately it was a bit distracting sometimes with Herzog's unnecessary narration. Said in a Teutonic accent: "What is humanness?" Should have let the cinematography and the interesting interviews speak for themselves instead. 3.5/5

Tarnation: Documentary filmed over the course 20(?) years, by a son about his mother's schizophrenia. Fascinating but very sad story; poor filmmaking. The director had long passages where the story was written out and just flashed onto the screen, so it was more like reading a book. Egads. 2.5/5

Re Cave: I thought Herzog's narration was was what made this film rise above most similar documentaries. Really there was only about 30 min worth of screen time required to show us all their recorded angles of the cave. And it still went on too long as presented. I can understand your complaint on the narration, I just do not agree.

I might have abbreviated my review too much and not made my point well. I didn't mind most of his narration and agree that it added to the movie (and was necessary). I just hated the attempts to be philosophical, which seemed overwrought.While it's an interesting subject matter, there is probably not enough there to make a compelling full-length documentary.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Hobo With A Shotgun:

Could not get behind this movie at all. Really wanted to like this one after enjoying the hell out of Machete, but this one was a bit too "D" level quality for my taste. The look and grittiness was more Grindhouse movie than the other entries into the category over the last few years, but it was just ugly and stupid. My younger self probably would have loved the stupid one-liners and over the top gore, but last night (even though I trudged through the whole thing) I didn't like a minute of the movie. 3/10.

 

[cosjobs]

Hobo With A Shotgun:

Could not get behind this movie at all. Really wanted to like this one after enjoying the hell out of Machete, but this one was a bit too "D" level quality for my taste. The look and grittiness was more Grindhouse movie than the other entries into the category over the last few years, but it was just ugly and stupid. My younger self probably would have loved the stupid one-liners and over the top gore, but last night (even though I trudged through the whole thing) I didn't like a minute of the movie. 3/10.

I had pretty much the same reaction, but I only made it about halfway thru when HDNet did their free preview before it was released in theaters.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

Saw The Mechanic. Liked it mainly due to the 2 good leads - Statham and Foster. Yeah it was unrealistic at times but fun and had a good soundtrack.

The Descent - Creepy atmosphere but got too ridiculous at times

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Battle: Los Angeles.

Big, dumb, illogical, loud, poorly acted, predictable, politically-correct-racially-diverse cast. Hollywood's been making movies like this for a hundred years, whether it's set in the Old West, WWI, WWII, or whereever. It was interesting that they threw a nod to John Wayne in there as this was just the kind of film he specialized in. For those who like to pick films apart for logical issues, you will have a field day with this one.

I loved it. Just what a B movie should be.

 

[Chaka]

Battle: Los Angeles.Big, dumb, illogical, loud, poorly acted, predictable, politically-correct-racially-diverse cast. Hollywood's been making movies like this for a hundred years, whether it's set in the Old West, WWI, WWII, or whereever. It was interesting that they threw a nod to John Wayne in there as this was just the kind of film he specialized in. For those who like to pick films apart for logical issues, you will have a field day with this one.I loved it. Just what a B movie should be.

 

[saintfool]

watched "iron man 2" last night. i was kind of entertained with the first film. Downey Jr is a delight to watch when he is feeling impish after all. this, however, just seemed pretty pointless. there were ideas worth exploring but favreau and theroux just kept it all very superficial. a waste really.

 

[cosjobs]

Transformers 3

I read somewhere that it was the best 3D since Avatar and I like the hell out of Avatars 3D. It has Tuturro and Mc DOrmand in the cast. It was showing at the local IMAX and the confluence of all this made me catch the late show tonight.

I was just looking for some superior 3D and special effects and I got it.

I was hoping the cast could raise it a notch. THey didn't.

But if you're looking for some good 3D and seeing the Chicago realistically blown apart you could do worse.

Because it is never more than it pretends to be:

2.8/5 stars

 

[LHUCKS]

A Mighty Heart

Jolie was terrific as the lead and the story was compelling enough to keep you interested even though you know what Pearlman's fate is going to be. The direction was a bit haphazard at times and a few characters could have been developed a bit more IMHO. That being said, me loves me any movie about the Middle East as I've been fascinated with the culture ever since taking several "Near Eastern Studies" course in undergrad. The beginning was good as it made you care about the protagonists, the middle was too choppy and I liked the tone of the ending.

3.5/5.0

 

[LHUCKS]

Transformers 3 I read somewhere that it was the best 3D since Avatar and I like the hell out of Avatars 3D. It has Tuturro and Mc DOrmand in the cast. It was showing at the local IMAX and the confluence of all this made me catch the late show tonight.I was just looking for some superior 3D and special effects and I got it.I was hoping the cast could raise it a notch. THey didn't.But if you're looking for some good 3D and seeing the Chicago realistically blown apart you could do worse.Because it is never more than it pretends to be:2.8/5 stars

Saw it in Bangkok about 5 days ago...dialogue sucked, ending was predictable and the actions scenes, while slowed down, were just okay. Further, LeBouf's character was forced into the plot, particularly at the end.2/5 Stars

 

[jamny]

Due Date - a couple of chuckles but not worth the rental. 1.5/5 and that's being generous but the dog is cute.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Battle LA: Exactly what I expected: mindless action, lots of cgi, great sound and a ridiculous plot with bad acting. They could have cut out maybe 2-3 of the corny scenes though. 4.5/5

Dorian Grey: Pretty damn awful. Feel asleep for a bit. Woke up and tried as hard as I could to fall asleep again. Not a single thing I liked about it. 0/5

 

[badmojo1006]

Battle LA - I liked it more than I thought I would. I heard really crappy reviews from my friends, but watched it yesterday and was surprised. Lame story, not great acting (Aaron Eckhart excepted) but good special effects. B-

The Adjustment Bureau - I was disappointed in this like I was surprised at Battle LA. Liked the premise, the actual was a mess. Matt Damon did OK, but Emily Blunt was miscast. And the ending was *Huh*? C

 

[Drifter]

Did Battle LA hit netflix streaming? Everybody is suddenly seeing it

 

[wikkidpissah]

In Praise of Tom Courtenay -

Masterpiece Theater has now commited so much of Charles Dickens's work to film that they've started a weekly Dickens Showcase - on PBS Staurday nights here - which began with last year's wonderful serialization of "Little Dorrit". Claire Foy is a porcelain joy, Matthew MacFadyen is the best actor whose name no one can pronounce, but the story turns on a dime with the instancy of Tom Courtenay's transition from poorhouse prisoner to poncy parvenu as Mr Dorrit.

We had recently discussed "Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner" (Blighty's "Rebel Without a Cause") in this thread, which made Courtenay a star & i havent watched since the 60s and MUST see again, but i knew i had Courtenay's greatest performance on VHS, so i rifled thru my bin of video dinosaurs for a copy.

Tracy/Hepburn. Taylor/Burton. Hanks/Ryan. Finney/Courtenay? I'll put them right up there with the greats after rewatching "The Dresser" and "A Rather English Marriage" (which was, fortunately on the same tape) over the weekend. If you like good old-fashioned breezy, blousy & boozy British acting, you simply cant be made happier than watching these two chew scenery in the first, for which Courtenay was nominated for an Oscar & their followup 15 yrs later, which is even more poignant in some ways. Normally, i wouldnt recommend them because of the difficulty of finding them but those with access to these new Netflix-type film libraries will be well served by queueing either of these up if theyre in these databases. check it -

 

[the moops]

watched "iron man 2" last night. i was kind of entertained with the first film. Downey Jr is a delight to watch when he is feeling impish after all. this, however, just seemed pretty pointless. there were ideas worth exploring but favreau and theroux just kept it all very superficial. a waste really.

I watched this last night as well. I actually turned it off with about 10 minutes to go. Terrible movie (I enjoyed the first one very much).

 

[badmojo1006]

Did Battle LA hit netflix streaming? Everybody is suddenly seeing it

I got free coupons from DISH PPV and just watched it

 

[saintfool]

In Praise of Tom Courtenay -We had recently discussed "Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner" (Blighty's "Rebel Without a Cause") in this thread, which made Courtenay a star & i havent watched since the 60s and MUST see again, but i knew i had Courtenay's greatest performance on VHS, so i rifled thru my bin of video dinosaurs for a copy.

i see "loneliness..." less as "rebel.." and more in the spirit of "if..." and even "a clockwork orange". some of it is timing because "rebel" precedes that gaggle of films by almost 10 years. some of it is the audience too. class system in the UK is far more ingrained than here. it's almost comparing elvis to the beatles. fwiw, i always preferred albert finney to cortenay.

 

[wikkidpissah]

In Praise of Tom Courtenay -We had recently discussed "Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner" (Blighty's "Rebel Without a Cause") in this thread, which made Courtenay a star & i havent watched since the 60s and MUST see again, but i knew i had Courtenay's greatest performance on VHS, so i rifled thru my bin of video dinosaurs for a copy.

i see "loneliness..." less as "rebel.." and more in the spirit of "if..." and even "a clockwork orange". some of it is timing because "rebel" precedes that gaggle of films by almost 10 years. some of it is the audience too. class system in the UK is far more ingrained than here. it's almost comparing elvis to the beatles. fwiw, i always preferred albert finney to cortenay.

as i mentioned when we initially discussed LoaLDR here, i spent several summers in Dublin in the 60s & i meant the comparison to reflect that it was the "identity" movie for brits & micks of that gen much as "rebel" was for yanks. and chronologically, its release date pretty much split the dif between "rebel" and "if" and was a decade before Clockwork Orange.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Middle Men: Great story but not the best delivery. Luke Wilson was surprisingly decent but he was miscast for this role imo. Tough to picture him as a wity, sauve businessman. The narration spelled everything out a little too much. Overall though it was pretty entertaining. 3.5/5

 

[KarmaPolice]

Up in the Air:

Second time watching this, and really like this one for the genre. Thought the corporate firing and traveling was an interesting backdrop for the relationships. My one slight beef is the seemingly abrupt ending. Don't mind the way the story ended, but it didn't seem to flow with the rest of the movie's pace and felt like they just wanted to wrap it up. Still 7.5/10

 

[hooter311]

Finally finished the first season of The Walking Dead after it sat on top of my dvd player the last 2 months. I should have dove in sooner.

Love the cliffhanger episode endings and the Darabont style. I was a big fan of the Mist, but I know a lot of people hated it. Hope they bring back Rooker at some point, didn't really like how that arch ended. The zombie gore is as well done as I've ever seen on film.

4/5

Better than 90% of Zombie films so no real reason why any horror fan should skip this series.

 

[D_House]

Pressure Cooker is an engrossing documentary about an urban Philly high school culinary arts teacher's efforts to have her students win competitions and scholarships. My wife and I really enjoyed it, all the people documented are really likable and have interesting stories. It's available on Netflix for instant streaming.

 

[saintfool]

Finally finished the first season of The Walking Dead after it sat on top of my dvd player the last 2 months. I should have dove in sooner.

Love the cliffhanger episode endings and the Darabont style. I was a big fan of the Mist, but I know a lot of people hated it. Hope they bring back Rooker at some point, didn't really like how that arch ended. The zombie gore is as well done as I've ever seen on film.

4/5

Better than 90% of Zombie films so no real reason why any horror fan should skip this series.

i don't get the love for this at all. it looked cheap and the acting felt cheaper.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Finally finished the first season of The Walking Dead after it sat on top of my dvd player the last 2 months. I should have dove in sooner.

Love the cliffhanger episode endings and the Darabont style. I was a big fan of the Mist, but I know a lot of people hated it. Hope they bring back Rooker at some point, didn't really like how that arch ended. The zombie gore is as well done as I've ever seen on film.

4/5

Better than 90% of Zombie films so no real reason why any horror fan should skip this series.

i don't get the love for this at all. it looked cheap and the acting felt cheaper.

The middle episodes were brutally bad. I don't agree with hooter at all about the zombie movie remark. I would much rather watch movies like 28 Days Later, Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead, the remake Dawn of the Dead, etc... over this show. Judging from the other shows that AMC has brought to the table, I was excited for this and thought it was a huge wiff for them.

 

[saintfool]

The middle episodes were brutally bad. I don't agree with hooter at all about the zombie movie remark. I would much rather watch movies like 28 Days Later, Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead, the remake Dawn of the Dead, etc... over this show. Judging from the other shows that AMC has brought to the table, I was excited for this and thought it was a huge wiff for them.

truly. it wasn't even a case of a project not living up to the hype. it just stunk.

 

[hooter311]

The middle episodes were brutally bad. I don't agree with hooter at all about the zombie movie remark. I would much rather watch movies like 28 Days Later, Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead, the remake Dawn of the Dead, etc... over this show. Judging from the other shows that AMC has brought to the table, I was excited for this and thought it was a huge wiff for them.

truly. it wasn't even a case of a project not living up to the hype. it just stunk.

I watched the first episode twice about a month ago and couldn't get into it at all. I gave it a try again Saturday morning and ended up watching the whole season in one sitting. Maybe it was just what I was looking for. Because I watched it all at once I didn't really get to think or reflect on it at all until it was done and I was satisfied.Also, those other zombie movies you listed are all in the 90+ percentile for me. We still get like a zombie movie a month that blows.

 

[Scrooloose]

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