Recently viewed movie thread - Rental Edition (8 Viewers)

[Binky The Doormat]

Watched Anvil this weekend also. Loved it. I am a big fan of documentaries anyway. I do not like this kind of metal - simply awful. But these guys are just close enough to get back into the dream that they don't come off as delusional. I didn't feel as bad for them as I thought I would (figuring them to be so pitiful ...they aren't). Highly recommend this.

 

[jeter23]

Watched Criminal on Netflix streaming. Really liked this movie and I wish I had watched it sooner. Reilly did a great job, but even more impressive was Diego Luna. I have to say, I did not see the ending coming at all.

 

[beer 30]

Watched 2012 last night. Mindless action after the first 5-10 minutes. Longish movie that is non-stop. If that's what you are looking for then this is right up your alley.

I liked the Woody Harrelson character and the escape in LA was so over the top it was funny, but the rest of it was

Them getting out of LA was crazy. Harrelson is made for roles like that, I'm not so sure he's acting

 

[jdoggydogg]

Dude, Where's My Car

Watched 15 minutes of this for free on TV. Thankfully, it was free.

 

[Michael Fox Fan]

Dude, Where's My Car

Watched 15 minutes of this for free on TV. Thankfully, it was free.

 

[jdoggydogg]

To Live And Die in L.A.

Gritty crime drama by William Friedkin. How can you go wrong? I'll tell you how you can go wrong: the musical score is by WHAM! Seriously. WHAM! did the score. The acting is terrible in some spots. Add the awful music and I couldn't stand to watch this for very long. I remember liking this after watching it 20 years ago. Now I can't remember why.

 

[Michael Fox Fan]

Finally saw The Dark Knight. I really like Christian Bale in the batman role, more so than any of the previous choices. Heath Ledger was good, but I didn't really care for how the director had him play the role. Guess I'm old school and didn't consider his portrayal of The Joker to be in line with the comic books. (again that isn't his fault - it's poor directing/writing/etc)

Decent movie, but it impressed me less than expected. Thought the story was extremely weak.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Finally saw The Dark Knight. I really like Christian Bale in the batman role, more so than any of the previous choices. Heath Ledger was good, but I didn't really care for how the director had him play the role. Guess I'm old school and didn't consider his portrayal of The Joker to be in line with the comic books. (again that isn't his fault - it's poor directing/writing/etc) Decent movie, but it impressed me less than expected. Thought the story was extremely weak.

The reason I liked Ledger and his interpretation is the Joker in the comics was never scary. And if a bad guy isn't scary, how bad is he?

 

[TexanFan02]

To Live And Die in L.A.

Gritty crime drama by William Friedkin. How can you go wrong? I'll tell you how you can go wrong: the musical score is by WHAM! Seriously. WHAM! did the score. The acting is terrible in some spots. Add the awful music and I couldn't stand to watch this for very long. I remember liking this after watching it 20 years ago. Now I can't remember why.

One of the best car chases ever in that movie. Good story too, with plot twists you didn't get much in that era of film. And it wasn't Wham, it was Wang Chung. Not that that's a lot better, but still.

 

[Michael Fox Fan]

Finally saw The Dark Knight. I really like Christian Bale in the batman role, more so than any of the previous choices. Heath Ledger was good, but I didn't really care for how the director had him play the role. Guess I'm old school and didn't consider his portrayal of The Joker to be in line with the comic books. (again that isn't his fault - it's poor directing/writing/etc) Decent movie, but it impressed me less than expected. Thought the story was extremely weak.

The reason I liked Ledger and his interpretation is the Joker in the comics was never scary. And if a bad guy isn't scary, how bad is he?

He wasn't supposed to be physically intimidating - the fear he generated was because he was insane, and thus had no inhabitions. I'm probably just being nitpicky. Ledger did a great job with the direction he was given.Personally thought Batman Begins was a much more interesting movie.

 

[jdoggydogg]

To Live And Die in L.A.

Gritty crime drama by William Friedkin. How can you go wrong? I'll tell you how you can go wrong: the musical score is by WHAM! Seriously. WHAM! did the score. The acting is terrible in some spots. Add the awful music and I couldn't stand to watch this for very long. I remember liking this after watching it 20 years ago. Now I can't remember why.

One of the best car chases ever in that movie. Good story too, with plot twists you didn't get much in that era of film. And it wasn't Wham, it was Wang Chung. Not that that's a lot better, but still.

Yeah, Friedkin knows how to film a great car chase. But oy, the music.

 

[saintfool]

watched "the hurt locker" last night. had really good potential but kind of lost its way in the storytelling. this should not win any oscars.

 

[El Floppo]

To Live And Die in L.A.

Gritty crime drama by William Friedkin. How can you go wrong? I'll tell you how you can go wrong: the musical score is by WHAM! Seriously. WHAM! did the score. The acting is terrible in some spots. Add the awful music and I couldn't stand to watch this for very long. I remember liking this after watching it 20 years ago. Now I can't remember why.

One of the best car chases ever in that movie. Good story too, with plot twists you didn't get much in that era of film. And it wasn't Wham, it was Wang Chung. Not that that's a lot better, but still.

Yeah, Friedkin knows how to film a great car chase. But oy, the music.

That's the one with Peterson (name?) from Manhunter and CSI? Some good direction there, but one that felt dated the last time I caught parts of it.In the score-ruining-a-movie, I give you: Ladyhawke... a medieval/fantasy flick with Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeifer, Matthew Broderick, Directed by Richard Donner and a score by the Alan Parsons Project.

I worked on a project for Donner years ago- great guy (took us out fishing on the boat from the Lethal Weapon series)- and I just happened to catch ladyhawke on tv again during that time. Had no idea he directed it, and I started to bring up the music one day because it was so craptacular... but he cut me off before I could get into the negative part- nodded his head and said something like "yeah- wasn't it fantastic? didn't it make the movie?"... me- "(gulp)" . Turns out, he met his wife on the project and IIRC, they bonded initially over the music. Lesson learned- never diss Alan Parsons.

 

[El Floppo]

watched "the hurt locker" last night. had really good potential but kind of lost its way in the storytelling. this should not win any oscars.

just got the disc from net flix.... expectations now tempered.

 

[shake zula]

I've got the Mist queued up.

Big fan of the short story and really enjoyed the film, great iconic King ending they added to a short story that didn't have one previously. The puppets over CGI-domination was a nice touch.

I like sci fi and I can a enjoy a horror movie once every few years...but I realize there general shortfallingsFor being a horror/sci fi/thriller this movie was outstanding. OUTSTANDING. The ending just kicks you in the gut.

 

[Chaka]

To Live And Die in L.A.

Gritty crime drama by William Friedkin. How can you go wrong? I'll tell you how you can go wrong: the musical score is by WHAM! Seriously. WHAM! did the score. The acting is terrible in some spots. Add the awful music and I couldn't stand to watch this for very long. I remember liking this after watching it 20 years ago. Now I can't remember why.

One of the best car chases ever in that movie. Good story too, with plot twists you didn't get much in that era of film. And it wasn't Wham, it was Wang Chung. Not that that's a lot better, but still.

Yeah, Friedkin knows how to film a great car chase. But oy, the music.

That's the one with Peterson (name?) from Manhunter and CSI? Some good direction there, but one that felt dated the last time I caught parts of it.In the score-ruining-a-movie, I give you: Ladyhawke... a medieval/fantasy flick with Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeifer, Matthew Broderick, Directed by Richard Donner and a score by the Alan Parsons Project.

I worked on a project for Donner years ago- great guy (took us out fishing on the boat from the Lethal Weapon series)- and I just happened to catch ladyhawke on tv again during that time. Had no idea he directed it, and I started to bring up the music one day because it was so craptacular... but he cut me off before I could get into the negative part- nodded his head and said something like "yeah- wasn't it fantastic? didn't it make the movie?"... me- "(gulp)" . Turns out, he met his wife on the project and IIRC, they bonded initially over the music. Lesson learned- never diss Alan Parsons.

Scarface is another one.

Great movie but the music is just awful.

 

[fsufan]

watched "the hurt locker" last night. had really good potential but kind of lost its way in the storytelling. this should not win any oscars.

i do not see why it is up for any oscars

 

[hooter311]

Ladyhawke is the only score that ruined an entire film for me.

Actually enjoy the To Live and Die in LA and Scarface soundtracks. I wouldn't listen to them in my car, but love it with my 80's cheese.

Did you make it to the end of the film Jdoggy? Because THAT'S the reason I love that film. I don't remember the car chase so much, but it's solid all the way through.

 

[KarmaPolice]

watched "the hurt locker" last night. had really good potential but kind of lost its way in the storytelling. this should not win any oscars.

i do not see why it is up for any oscars

Are the nominations out yet??

 

[hooter311]

My Saturday:

You Only Live Twice

Next stop on my journey through the Bond films. Not quite as good as Goldfinger or Thunderball that preceded it. But plenty of ninjas make it very enjoyable. I can really appreciate the genius of the first Austin Powers farce, it's really quite amazing how they were able to spoof Sean Connery's entire Bond run in one film and still have a coherent plot.

3.5/5

Holes

The film that brought us Shia LeBeouf. Actually works well as a modern day Goonies. If your preteens haven't seen it, you could do a lot worse.

3.5/5

Extreme Prejudice

Possibly the best action film of the 80's I had never seen before. Plot is all over the place, but works as a modern day western. Nick Nolte vs Powers Boothe was one the more memorable showdowns i've seen on screen. That's saying a lot.

4.5/5

 

[saintfool]

watched "the hurt locker" last night. had really good potential but kind of lost its way in the storytelling. this should not win any oscars.

i do not see why it is up for any oscars

Are the nominations out yet??

not yet but they're coming soon. it's a strong candidate for several oscars, apparently. it was nominated for best director, film, and script at the golden globes and that's a good indicator of where it will get its oscar nods too.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

I've got the Mist queued up.

Big fan of the short story and really enjoyed the film, great iconic King ending they added to a short story that didn't have one previously. The puppets over CGI-domination was a nice touch.

I like sci fi and I can a enjoy a horror movie once every few years...but I realize there general shortfallingsFor being a horror/sci fi/thriller this movie was outstanding. OUTSTANDING. The ending just kicks you in the gut.

Best.Ending.Ever.

 

[KarmaPolice]

watched "the hurt locker" last night. had really good potential but kind of lost its way in the storytelling. this should not win any oscars.

i do not see why it is up for any oscars

Are the nominations out yet??

not yet but they're coming soon. it's a strong candidate for several oscars, apparently. it was nominated for best director, film, and script at the golden globes and that's a good indicator of where it will get its oscar nods too.

Keep forgetting that there is 10 Best Picture nominees this year too. It'll be in there.

 

[snogger]

Watched Dark Knight for the first time since the Theater. MUCH better the 2nd time around. I remember leaving the theater thinking It was OK.. but wasn't too excited.

But REALLY enjoyed it the 2nd time. the character development was great and each scene built upon the last, IMO..

....

Also, Watched District 9 over the weekend.. Hated the beginning.. I know what they were trying to do, and I enjoy a "different" aspect, but it was too broken up IMO..

saying that, about 45 minutes into it I really got involved in the story and from there on enjoyed the show and story. Looking forward to "District 10" as they set it up about as obvious as any movie that they want to continue on with the story.

 

[jdoggydogg]

To Live And Die in L.A.

Gritty crime drama by William Friedkin. How can you go wrong? I'll tell you how you can go wrong: the musical score is by WHAM! Seriously. WHAM! did the score. The acting is terrible in some spots. Add the awful music and I couldn't stand to watch this for very long. I remember liking this after watching it 20 years ago. Now I can't remember why.

One of the best car chases ever in that movie. Good story too, with plot twists you didn't get much in that era of film. And it wasn't Wham, it was Wang Chung. Not that that's a lot better, but still.

Yeah, Friedkin knows how to film a great car chase. But oy, the music.

That's the one with Peterson (name?) from Manhunter and CSI? Some good direction there, but one that felt dated the last time I caught parts of it.In the score-ruining-a-movie, I give you: Ladyhawke... a medieval/fantasy flick with Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeifer, Matthew Broderick, Directed by Richard Donner and a score by the Alan Parsons Project.

I worked on a project for Donner years ago- great guy (took us out fishing on the boat from the Lethal Weapon series)- and I just happened to catch ladyhawke on tv again during that time. Had no idea he directed it, and I started to bring up the music one day because it was so craptacular... but he cut me off before I could get into the negative part- nodded his head and said something like "yeah- wasn't it fantastic? didn't it make the movie?"... me- "(gulp)" . Turns out, he met his wife on the project and IIRC, they bonded initially over the music. Lesson learned- never diss Alan Parsons.

My brother in law calls it Disco-hawke.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Ladyhawke is the only score that ruined an entire film for me.

Actually enjoy the To Live and Die in LA and Scarface soundtracks. I wouldn't listen to them in my car, but love it with my 80's cheese.

Did you make it to the end of the film Jdoggy? Because THAT'S the reason I love that film. I don't remember the car chase so much, but it's solid all the way through.

I didn't watch the second half, but I've seen the movie a couple of times.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Watched Criminal on Netflix streaming. Really liked this movie and I wish I had watched it sooner. Reilly did a great job, but even more impressive was Diego Luna. I have to say, I did not see the ending coming at all.

Liked this a lot....John C Reilly very good in a fairly un-JCR type role.

 

[General Malaise]

Had a day to myself yesterday, kids with their mom and wife 2.0 in Detroit for the next two weeks. So I went for a long 10 mile walk, drank a few cold beers and pondered what to do with my evening. I looked up the local movie listings and saw that my favorite theater (The Mission, which shows movies for $3 and sells awesome micro-brews) was showing "A Serious Man". Being a fan of the Coen brothers, I was pretty excited about my big night out on the town.

Well, it was all I could do to make it through the end of this movie. I was bored beyond belief. There were a few chuckles here and there, but for the most part, I was disinterested and couldn't wait for the movie to end. Reminded me a little of Punch Drunk Love. I'm sure if I was highly intelligent and sipped tea all day, I'd get this movie. But I didn't. I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the story, I didn't like the dialog.

 

[Kenny Powers]

To Live And Die in L.A.

Gritty crime drama by William Friedkin. How can you go wrong? I'll tell you how you can go wrong: the musical score is by WHAM! Seriously. WHAM! did the score. The acting is terrible in some spots. Add the awful music and I couldn't stand to watch this for very long. I remember liking this after watching it 20 years ago. Now I can't remember why.

One of the best car chases ever in that movie. Good story too, with plot twists you didn't get much in that era of film. And it wasn't Wham, it was Wang Chung. Not that that's a lot better, but still.

Yeah, Friedkin knows how to film a great car chase. But oy, the music.

That's the one with Peterson (name?) from Manhunter and CSI? Some good direction there, but one that felt dated the last time I caught parts of it.

I saw it for the first time a couple of years ago, and thats pretty much what I thought. It was okay enough, but I expected better

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

Being a fan of the Cohen brothers, I was pretty excited about my big night out on the town.

Looks like you're a huge fan.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Finally saw The Dark Knight. I really like Christian Bale in the batman role, more so than any of the previous choices. Heath Ledger was good, but I didn't really care for how the director had him play the role. Guess I'm old school and didn't consider his portrayal of The Joker to be in line with the comic books. (again that isn't his fault - it's poor directing/writing/etc)

Decent movie, but it impressed me less than expected. Thought the story was extremely weak.

Really? I prefer the storyline of Begins, but I wouldnt call DK's weak by any means.After seeing DK kind of late at the Imax I thought it was very good but not sure I liked it as much as Begins. After seeing it a couple more times, I think theyre just about as good as each other but for different reasons.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Keep forgetting that there is 10 Best Picture nominees this year too. It'll be in there.

Yeah, Im not a big fan of this. I think it could potentially make it much easier for a lesser-deserving film to win.I do like that it almost guarantees Up! will get nominated though, whereas if it were only 5 it probably wouldnt despite in a weak year deserving to be.

 

[General Malaise]

Being a fan of the Cohen brothers, I was pretty excited about my big night out on the town.

Looks like you're a huge fan.

lol...thanks Smoo.

 

[saintfool]

Had a day to myself yesterday, kids with their mom and wife 2.0 in Detroit for the next two weeks. So I went for a long 10 mile walk, drank a few cold beers and pondered what to do with my evening. I looked up the local movie listings and saw that my favorite theater (The Mission, which shows movies for $3 and sells awesome micro-brews) was showing "A Serious Man". Being a fan of the Coen brothers, I was pretty excited about my big night out on the town.

Well, it was all I could do to make it through the end of this movie. I was bored beyond belief. There were a few chuckles here and there, but for the most part, I was disinterested and couldn't wait for the movie to end. Reminded me a little of Punch Drunk Love. I'm sure if I was highly intelligent and sipped tea all day, I'd get this movie. But I didn't. I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the story, I didn't like the dialog.

i more or less loved everything the coen bros did in the 80's through the 90's. in the last decade, i have found only two of their films to be worthy of them and that's "oh brother..." and "no country...". the rest? mean-spirited and remarkably unfunny.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Had a day to myself yesterday, kids with their mom and wife 2.0 in Detroit for the next two weeks. So I went for a long 10 mile walk, drank a few cold beers and pondered what to do with my evening. I looked up the local movie listings and saw that my favorite theater (The Mission, which shows movies for $3 and sells awesome micro-brews) was showing "A Serious Man". Being a fan of the Coen brothers, I was pretty excited about my big night out on the town.

Well, it was all I could do to make it through the end of this movie. I was bored beyond belief. There were a few chuckles here and there, but for the most part, I was disinterested and couldn't wait for the movie to end. Reminded me a little of Punch Drunk Love. I'm sure if I was highly intelligent and sipped tea all day, I'd get this movie. But I didn't. I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the story, I didn't like the dialog.

I'm brilliant, and I hate tea But seriously, I know it's a weird movie, but I really enjoyed it. It's aimless and meandering, and that doesn't bother me.

 

[Abraham]

Still haven't seen "Serious Man" but really would like to. I'll report back once I have viewed it.

 

[General Malaise]

Had a day to myself yesterday, kids with their mom and wife 2.0 in Detroit for the next two weeks. So I went for a long 10 mile walk, drank a few cold beers and pondered what to do with my evening. I looked up the local movie listings and saw that my favorite theater (The Mission, which shows movies for $3 and sells awesome micro-brews) was showing "A Serious Man". Being a fan of the Coen brothers, I was pretty excited about my big night out on the town.

Well, it was all I could do to make it through the end of this movie. I was bored beyond belief. There were a few chuckles here and there, but for the most part, I was disinterested and couldn't wait for the movie to end. Reminded me a little of Punch Drunk Love. I'm sure if I was highly intelligent and sipped tea all day, I'd get this movie. But I didn't. I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the story, I didn't like the dialog.

I'm brilliant, and I hate tea But seriously, I know it's a weird movie, but I really enjoyed it. It's aimless and meandering, and that doesn't bother me.

I would have been okay with aimless and meandering if the journey had more Coen humor. It had some. I enjoyed the storyline of his wife's new lover and the humor that provided. But by and large, I was just bored and ready for the movie to end long before it did.What was that opening all about? It seemed out of place, though I'm sure it had a connection to the rest of the movie. Thoughts?

 

[MCguidance]

Saw Informant! last night and was halfway amused if only because the guy is so dumb you ask yourself, "What's next?" I can't believe it's based on a real story, which makes it a bit more intriguing, but the plot dragged a little. Damon really has surprised me acting, he's taken on some good roles and seems to at least do well in all of them. This was no exception, IMO. He obviously carried the movie, so it was at least palpable. 2.5/5

Also saw How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. The guy is supposed to go from super annoying to lovable in 3 minutes, and the movie never really comes together. Some decent actors in it, I just don't think the plot was that good, and it's pretty cliche and done a bunch of time. I wouldn't rewatch as it just doesn't do anything for me. 1/5

 

[Kenny Powers]

Also saw How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. The guy is supposed to go from super annoying to lovable in 3 minutes, and the movie never really comes together. Some decent actors in it, I just don't think the plot was that good, and it's pretty cliche and done a bunch of time. I wouldn't rewatch as it just doesn't do anything for me. 1/5

This is the only movie where Simon Pegg is one of the leads that I didnt really like. I dont think I even finished this one.

 

[McJose]

To Live And Die in L.A.

Gritty crime drama by William Friedkin. How can you go wrong? I'll tell you how you can go wrong: the musical score is by WHAM! Seriously. WHAM! did the score. The acting is terrible in some spots. Add the awful music and I couldn't stand to watch this for very long. I remember liking this after watching it 20 years ago. Now I can't remember why.

One of the best car chases ever in that movie. Good story too, with plot twists you didn't get much in that era of film. And it wasn't Wham, it was Wang Chung. Not that that's a lot better, but still.

Actually the score was pretty good. Considering the time frame this movie was made in (Miami Vice era) it was pretty contemporary.

Solid movie over all.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Had a day to myself yesterday, kids with their mom and wife 2.0 in Detroit for the next two weeks. So I went for a long 10 mile walk, drank a few cold beers and pondered what to do with my evening. I looked up the local movie listings and saw that my favorite theater (The Mission, which shows movies for $3 and sells awesome micro-brews) was showing "A Serious Man". Being a fan of the Coen brothers, I was pretty excited about my big night out on the town.

Well, it was all I could do to make it through the end of this movie. I was bored beyond belief. There were a few chuckles here and there, but for the most part, I was disinterested and couldn't wait for the movie to end. Reminded me a little of Punch Drunk Love. I'm sure if I was highly intelligent and sipped tea all day, I'd get this movie. But I didn't. I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the story, I didn't like the dialog.

I'm brilliant, and I hate tea But seriously, I know it's a weird movie, but I really enjoyed it. It's aimless and meandering, and that doesn't bother me.

I would have been okay with aimless and meandering if the journey had more Coen humor. It had some. I enjoyed the storyline of his wife's new lover and the humor that provided. But by and large, I was just bored and ready for the movie to end long before it did.What was that opening all about? It seemed out of place, though I'm sure it had a connection to the rest of the movie. Thoughts?

I haven't really thought about the opening that much. I wonder if those were his ancestors and thus cursed him before he was even born.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Saw Informant! last night and was halfway amused if only because the guy is so dumb you ask yourself, "What's next?" I can't believe it's based on a real story, which makes it a bit more intriguing, but the plot dragged a little. Damon really has surprised me acting, he's taken on some good roles and seems to at least do well in all of them. This was no exception, IMO. He obviously carried the movie, so it was at least palpable. 2.5/5

This was a weird movie, but I liked it.

 

[saintfool]

Also saw How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. The guy is supposed to go from super annoying to lovable in 3 minutes, and the movie never really comes together. Some decent actors in it, I just don't think the plot was that good, and it's pretty cliche and done a bunch of time. I wouldn't rewatch as it just doesn't do anything for me. 1/5

This is the only movie where Simon Pegg is one of the leads that I didnt really like. I dont think I even finished this one.

really? i found "run fat boy! run!" to be execrable.

 

[jdoggydogg]

To Live And Die in L.A.

Gritty crime drama by William Friedkin. How can you go wrong? I'll tell you how you can go wrong: the musical score is by WHAM! Seriously. WHAM! did the score. The acting is terrible in some spots. Add the awful music and I couldn't stand to watch this for very long. I remember liking this after watching it 20 years ago. Now I can't remember why.

One of the best car chases ever in that movie. Good story too, with plot twists you didn't get much in that era of film. And it wasn't Wham, it was Wang Chung. Not that that's a lot better, but still.

Actually the score was pretty good. Considering the time frame this movie was made in (Miami Vice era) it was pretty contemporary.

Solid movie over all.

Let me get this straight: Inglourious Basterds = bad

Wang Chung = good

Ooooooooooooook.

 

[McJose]

To Live And Die in L.A.

Gritty crime drama by William Friedkin. How can you go wrong? I'll tell you how you can go wrong: the musical score is by WHAM! Seriously. WHAM! did the score. The acting is terrible in some spots. Add the awful music and I couldn't stand to watch this for very long. I remember liking this after watching it 20 years ago. Now I can't remember why.

One of the best car chases ever in that movie. Good story too, with plot twists you didn't get much in that era of film. And it wasn't Wham, it was Wang Chung. Not that that's a lot better, but still.

Actually the score was pretty good. Considering the time frame this movie was made in (Miami Vice era) it was pretty contemporary.

Solid movie over all.

Let me get this straight: Inglourious Basterds = bad

Wang Chung = good

Ooooooooooooook.

That's EXACTLY what I said. You got me.

 

[jdoggydogg]

To Live And Die in L.A.

Gritty crime drama by William Friedkin. How can you go wrong? I'll tell you how you can go wrong: the musical score is by WHAM! Seriously. WHAM! did the score. The acting is terrible in some spots. Add the awful music and I couldn't stand to watch this for very long. I remember liking this after watching it 20 years ago. Now I can't remember why.

One of the best car chases ever in that movie. Good story too, with plot twists you didn't get much in that era of film. And it wasn't Wham, it was Wang Chung. Not that that's a lot better, but still.

Actually the score was pretty good. Considering the time frame this movie was made in (Miami Vice era) it was pretty contemporary.

Solid movie over all.

Let me get this straight: Inglourious Basterds = bad

Wang Chung = good

Ooooooooooooook.

That's EXACTLY what I said. You got me.

Dude, I posted a thread confessing that I listen to Lady Gaga. So no way am I going to point any fingers here

 

[Bob Magaw]

count me in the group that likes to live & die... i liked peterson in that & manhunter (the original red dragon)... i still like sorceror best, though, in friedkin's body of work (while on the subject of music, a haunting tangerine dream score that is one of their best, along with michael mann's thief - mann also did the aforementioned manhunter)...

i had tried to watch wim wenders wings of desire several times before, but didn't make it to the end... it wasn't boredom, i thought the beginning was interesting, but it did have a loose plot and languid pace... probably i was just coincidentally tired and busy, so there were long gaps between aborted viewings. anyway, i watched it recently, found it enthralling, got the criterion blu-ray, and have watched it a few times recently (once with the commentary)... when i checked out since the reviews, they seemed to be universally good... no doubt not for everybody, especially if you aren't into foreign, sub-titled, existential-themed movies & prefer action/adventure...

this experience has made me re-appraise wenders... my favorite by him is alas OOP, the state of things (trailer below)... i really like the score by jurgen knieper, who also contributed to the soundtrack for WOD... state of things had an unusual genesis... after the success of american friend (which is near the top of my netflix queu... like with most of wenders movies, haven't seen for a while, and this is supposed to be one of his best), coppola invited him to the US to helm a script called hammett for zoetrope studio... to make a long story short, it took four years and was plagued by difficulty (it is available on on netflix & i found worth a watch, if a flawed, blurring of noir and biographical genre, about the author of the maltese falcon... coppola forced him to reshoot it, i think took control of editing and ultimately only 30% was wenders footage, so hard to sy what it could have been?)...

at one point coppola took over the studio and resources, interrupting the production... not one to sit idle, he used the time to make a few movies (3-4?!), one of which was the state of things... in some ways it is a lot like fellini's probable best 8 1/2... in that case, the director uses his writer's block as material for the movie itself, informing the subject matter, structure and direction... wenders was in portugal and helped out a broke project/production team complete their film out of his own stock, if they helped him make a film once they were done... it turned out to be state of things, which mirrored events in portugal and in his dealings with coppola...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrWzvW4a87A

for movies that are IN PRINT ( ), i had seen paris, texas a few times, but not for a while, and remembered it as ponderous but intriguing as the puzzle of harry dean stanton's (only starring role?) shattered life unfolds SLOOWLY! on the strength of WOD, i got this on blu-ray, too (both came out on criterion just within past few months)... this was right after state of things and before WOD, and those movies (along with the later until the end of the world, probably his creative peak)...

watched wenders until the end of the world on itunes recently... it was another movie i recalled as having potential but being severely flawed, due to its rambling and disjointed nature... a 4-5 hour version exists (highly recommended by a critic i respect, the DVD savant site), but it is only avail on region 2... an amazon reviewer there said it is easy to convert most DVD players (not sure about blu-ray) to region 0, which is universal? in the z channell doc (a movie about movies if there ever was one), james woods talked about how once upon a time in america was initially butchered by severly truncated 2 1/2 hour edit... when it was later released in a pioneering (at the time - now routine and almost de rigeuer), restored, director's cut of four hours, it was called a masterpiece (woods laughed that critic maslin went from calling it one of the worst movies she had scene and incoherent to one of the best movies of the decade - what a difference editing and respecting the director's original vision of length, tempo, intercutting plot elements, etc makes)...

of course buena vista social club about the cuban music scene (with ry cooder, who scored paris, texas - wenders worked with familiar people a lot, writers, DPs, scorers, editors, etc) was a great doc and musical document...

also in netflix queu, two movies that were sequels to WOD and state of things (reportedly not as good - i just found out they had sequels) - so close, so far (?) for WOD and lisbon story (?) for state of things...

* my art film criticism penance for dabbling on the dark side (avatar)

 

[jdoggydogg]

count me in the group that likes to live & die... i liked peterson in that & manhunter (the original red dragon)... i still like sorceror best, though, in friedkin's body of work (while on the subject of music, a haunting tangerine dream score that is one of their best, along with michael mann's thief - mann also did the aforementioned manhunter)...

I think Manhunter is a lot better than To Live and Die in L.A.

 

[saintfool]

watched wenders until the end of the world

i saw this in the theater back in the day. i have seen it every now and then over the years too. i like it quite a bit. great cast. interesting enough story told with some panache.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Watched "Synecdoche, New York" last night. Wow. I thought it was brilliant and depressing. It made me feel alone. I have to watch it again. There is so much to take in. Philip Seymour Hoffman is fantastic, as usual. He truly is one of the best actors out there today.