Recently viewed movie thread - Rental Edition (9 Viewers)

[Kev4029]

The RunawaysFanning was great and Stewart wasn't bad. Michael Shannon was creepy and good like always.The movie had a great look and the soundtrack was also good. It's a decent biopic, but not a great movie though. At times it felt like a video and the movie could have used more dialog.

I think this movie would make me feel a little like Thirteen a few years back... Like a pedophile. From the few screen shots I saw of this movie, Dakota Fanning was looking a little too slutty.

 

[Bob Magaw]

the box

push the button, and two things happen...

1) you get a cool $1,000,000 (representing more money when this appears to take place, in the 70s)

2) someone you don't know will die

happy ending... i don't think so.

ebert's review (generally positive, invokes a milgram experiment comparison)...

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...VIEWS/911069998

i know this got mixed and maybe even worse reviews...

it is by donnie darko's richard kelly... based on his debut, i thought he was one of the more promising young director's in hollywood, and his career might unfold similarly to that of chris nolan and darren aronofsky (based on THEIR critically acclaimed memento and pi)...

his second movie was eagerly aniticipted by some (donnie darko fans), but southland tales, starring the rock, was pretty much a monumental failure by just about any count... that burned a lot of good will from donnie darko, leading to concerns he was a one hit wonder, and might have a hard to time even making a film again...

in case some haven't seen it yet, and been spooked by harsh reviews, it helps approximately situate it within his scant body of work on the scale of cinematic excellence, the box isn't imo nearly as good as DD, but is infinitely better than southland tales...

while some broader aspects of the plot may have been predictable, the specific way in which it unfolded was not at all predictable or implicit from the beginning...

it has mystery/suspense, sci fi & horror components...

i thought best part was frank langella as the creepy, chilling and sinister front man for his "employers" (like his speech about boxes near the end)... hopefully he uses his "good side" photo for myspace and facebook head shot purposes...

i never read the short story or saw the new twilight zone adaptation, so it was new to me.

not the best movie i saw last year, but was "glad" i watched it (as much as was possible, with a movie like this )... i'd give it about 3 out of 5 stars (maybe 3 1/2)...

NOT a good feelin family film to watch with grandma or the tykes...

WWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDD

 

[hooter311]

Pirate Radio

Really got into this film, had tears in my eyes at the end. A story about a lifestyle, companionship, and the human spirit. It's pretty much Almost Famous on a boat. Bill Nighy, PSH, Nick Frost, and Rhys Ifans are all great as the DJs. Kenneth Branagh was equally as good as the politician trying to shut them down. A great film.

4/5

Pretty Persuasion

Thanks for the recommendation, I really enjoyed this film. As good as it gets for teenage black comedies this side of Heathers. James Woods steals every scene he is in.

3.5/5

Slammin Salmon

Broken Lizard has been pretty consistent with the quality of their films since bursting onto the scene with Super Troopers, with the exception of Club Dread for many. This one did not disappoint, but I feel like I've seen this movie before, about 4 or 5 times in the last few years. No more restaurant movies for a while please. Michael Clark Duncan is as hilarious as I've ever seen him as the Champ.

3/5

Legend of Bagger Vance

Fairy tale, best not taken too seriously. Not really sure what the message was supposed to be, or why Junah was chosen.

3.5/5

 

[Drifter]

Watched The Blind Side. Don't get the Sandra Bullock love. Sometimes Hollywood gets confused between a great character and a great acting performance. This is one of those times.

I didn't see the cut scenes but is that where they have her beaten and gang-raped by the gangbanger who she called a ##### in the middle of the projects, the night after he had already been humiliated once? I guess the message is that gangbangers are just big bullies afterall.

 

[Bob Magaw]

Could you investigate the use of paragraphs and formatting? I'd like to read what you say, but it's so stream of consciousness/all over the place I can't. I know it's your shtick, but come on. Also capital letters sometimes are good.

here it is in one long paragraph, if that helps? the box... push the button, and two things happen... 1) you get a cool $1,000,000 (representing more money when this appears to take place, in the 70s)... 2) someone you don't know will die... happy ending... i don't think so. ebert's review (generally positive, invokes a milgram experiment comparison)...

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...VIEWS/911069998 ... i know this got mixed and maybe even worse reviews... it is by donnie darko's richard kelly... based on his debut, i thought he was one of the more promising young director's in hollywood, and his career might unfold similarly to that of chris nolan and darren aronofsky (based on THEIR critically acclaimed memento and pi)... his second movie was eagerly aniticipted by some (donnie darko fans), but southland tales, starring the rock, was pretty much a monumental failure by just about any count... that burned a lot of good will from donnie darko, leading to concerns he was a one hit wonder, and might have a hard to time even making a film again... in case some haven't seen it yet, and been spooked by harsh reviews, it helps approximately situate it within his scant body of work on the scale of cinematic excellence, the box isn't imo nearly as good as DD, but is infinitely better than southland tales... while some broader aspects of the plot may have been predictable, the specific way in which it unfolded was not at all predictable or implicit from the beginning... it has mystery/suspense, sci fi & horror components... i thought best part was frank langella as the creepy, chilling and sinister front man for his "employers" (like his speech about boxes near the end)... hopefully he uses his "good side" photo for myspace and facebook head shot purposes... i never read the short story or saw the new twilight zone adaptation, so it was new to me. not the best movie i saw last year, but was "glad" i watched it (as much as was possible, with a movie like this )... i'd give it about 3 out of 5 stars (maybe 3 1/2)... NOT a good feelin family film to watch with grandma or the tykes... WWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDD

 

[jdoggydogg]

Kick ###

I liked it a lot. Made me laugh out loud several times. That's enough reason for me to recommend it.

Saw it this weekend also. I read somewhere (might have been filmdrunk) that its basically a B movie with a high budget, and I really agree with that. It feed off of lots of movie cliches and made the characters seem oddly plausible (exept for Mclovins character IMO). Kick ### is to super hero movie as a Sam Raimi is to horror movies. I love Clark Duke (kid from Hot Tub Time Machine and Sex Drive, also a supporting role in Kick ###), hes cracked me up in everything I've seen him in.

I never thought of it as a B movie, but that's an excellent comparison.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Pirate Radio

Really got into this film, had tears in my eyes at the end. A story about a lifestyle, companionship, and the human spirit. It's pretty much Almost Famous on a boat. Bill Nighy, PSH, Nick Frost, and Rhys Ifans are all great as the DJs. Kenneth Branagh was equally as good as the politician trying to shut them down. A great film.

I am watching it this week. We'll compare notes later...

 

[jdoggydogg]

Watched The Blind Side. Don't get the Sandra Bullock love. Sometimes Hollywood gets confused between a great character and a great acting performance. This is one of those times. I didn't see the cut scenes but is that where they have her beaten and gang-raped by the gangbanger who she called a ##### in the middle of the projects, the night after he had already been humiliated once? I guess the message is that gangbangers are just big bullies afterall.

This movie looks awful, and everything you've written just makes it less likely I'll ever see it.

 

[Jutz]

Pirate Radio

Really got into this film, had tears in my eyes at the end. A story about a lifestyle, companionship, and the human spirit. It's pretty much Almost Famous on a boat. Bill Nighy, PSH, Nick Frost, and Rhys Ifans are all great as the DJs. Kenneth Branagh was equally as good as the politician trying to shut them down. A great film.

4/5

Pretty Persuasion

Thanks for the recommendation, I really enjoyed this film. As good as it gets for teenage black comedies this side of Heathers. James Woods steals every scene he is in.

3.5/5

Your welcome for the recommendation on Pretty Pursuation. Why only 3.5? Same rating as Bagger Vance? Loved the scene where the guy gets his wife to dress in the school girl outfit.I also saw and liked Pirate Radio very much. I agree with your assesment.

 

[Jutz]

Bevis and Butt-Head Do America - saw this for the first time this weekend. Caught it on MTV. I really liked Beavis and Butt-Head back in the day. It was cool to see them agan... and in a movie. Basically... if you liked their show I think you will like their movie.

J-dog... watch The Blind Side. It's a good movie. Sure, is somewhat of a 'storybook' movie, but it's good.

 

[snogger]

Watched The Blind Side. Don't get the Sandra Bullock love. Sometimes Hollywood gets confused between a great character and a great acting performance. This is one of those times. I didn't see the cut scenes but is that where they have her beaten and gang-raped by the gangbanger who she called a ##### in the middle of the projects, the night after he had already been humiliated once? I guess the message is that gangbangers are just big bullies afterall.

This movie looks awful, and everything you've written just makes it less likely I'll ever see it.

you are missing out.. Great.. GREAT film.. Enjoyed it at the the theaters and enjoyed watching it again on DVD..never heard anything about the "Cut Scenes" but am VERY glad they didn't include that, if in fact they filmed it.

 

[belljr]

Watched The Blind Side. Don't get the Sandra Bullock love. Sometimes Hollywood gets confused between a great character and a great acting performance. This is one of those times. I didn't see the cut scenes but is that where they have her beaten and gang-raped by the gangbanger who she called a ##### in the middle of the projects, the night after he had already been humiliated once? I guess the message is that gangbangers are just big bullies afterall.

This movie looks awful, and everything you've written just makes it less likely I'll ever see it.

you are missing out.. Great.. GREAT film.. Enjoyed it at the the theaters and enjoyed watching it again on DVD..never heard anything about the "Cut Scenes" but am VERY glad they didn't include that, if in fact they filmed it.

This movie was way better that I thought it would be going in, I really enjoyed it.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Bevis and Butt-Head Do America - saw this for the first time this weekend. Caught it on MTV. I really liked Beavis and Butt-Head back in the day. It was cool to see them agan... and in a movie. Basically... if you liked their show I think you will like their movie.

J-dog... watch The Blind Side. It's a good movie. Sure, is somewhat of a 'storybook' movie, but it's good.

The B&B show will always be tops for me. But the movie certainly has some funny bits. Love the scene where they're ignoring the beauty of the Grand Canyon in favor of watching a donkey take a dump.My beef with The Blind Side is here we have yet another Hollywood movie where the brave white person rescues the poor colored person. Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him. "Cry Freedom" isn't about Stephen Biko, it's about whitey reporter Kevin Kline. So I'm not saying that it'd be impossible for me to like "The Blind Side." And I'd give it a shot on HBO. Just saying this whole whitey superhero schtick is cliche and condescending.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Watched The Blind Side. Don't get the Sandra Bullock love. Sometimes Hollywood gets confused between a great character and a great acting performance. This is one of those times. I didn't see the cut scenes but is that where they have her beaten and gang-raped by the gangbanger who she called a ##### in the middle of the projects, the night after he had already been humiliated once? I guess the message is that gangbangers are just big bullies afterall.

This movie looks awful, and everything you've written just makes it less likely I'll ever see it.

you are missing out.. Great.. GREAT film.. Enjoyed it at the the theaters and enjoyed watching it again on DVD..never heard anything about the "Cut Scenes" but am VERY glad they didn't include that, if in fact they filmed it.

Great? Really? I admit I am highly skeptical, but I will definitely give it a shot based on the recommendations here.

 

[hooter311]

Pirate Radio

Really got into this film, had tears in my eyes at the end. A story about a lifestyle, companionship, and the human spirit. It's pretty much Almost Famous on a boat. Bill Nighy, PSH, Nick Frost, and Rhys Ifans are all great as the DJs. Kenneth Branagh was equally as good as the politician trying to shut them down. A great film.

4/5

Pretty Persuasion

Thanks for the recommendation, I really enjoyed this film. As good as it gets for teenage black comedies this side of Heathers. James Woods steals every scene he is in.

3.5/5

Your welcome for the recommendation on Pretty Pursuation. Why only 3.5? Same rating as Bagger Vance? Loved the scene where the guy gets his wife to dress in the school girl outfit.I also saw and liked Pirate Radio very much. I agree with your assesment.

Most days of the week I would have probably gave it a 4/5, but doing so today would have put it on the same level as Pirate Radio, which I probably should have bumped to 4.5/5. Bagger Vance is a silly little fairy tale about a man's redemption, but I have a soft spot for golf movies, it should probably be closer to a flat 3/5.I only had one problem with Pretty Persuasion...

hmmmm, I actually like it more now after I typed the part I didn't care for, I may be in for a second viewing.

Reminded me a lot of Mini's First Time, but I think this was better.

 

[hooter311]

All of Me

It was funny, don't get me wrong, but didn't age nearly as well for me as Man with Two Brains. Martin's verbal comedy has always been more enjoyable to me than his physical comedy, which this showcases well. The split personality thing has been done to death since, and probably takes away from my appreciation of what Martin did here.

2.5/5

 

[jdoggydogg]

All of Me

It was funny, don't get me wrong, but didn't age nearly as well for me as Man with Two Brains. Martin's verbal comedy has always been more enjoyable to me than his physical comedy, which this showcases well. The split personality thing has been done to death since, and probably takes away from my appreciation of what Martin did here.

2.5/5

I haven't seen that one for 20 years, so I'll believe you that it didn't age as well.

 

[Statorama]

Watched The Blind Side. Don't get the Sandra Bullock love. Sometimes Hollywood gets confused between a great character and a great acting performance. This is one of those times. I didn't see the cut scenes but is that where they have her beaten and gang-raped by the gangbanger who she called a ##### in the middle of the projects, the night after he had already been humiliated once? I guess the message is that gangbangers are just big bullies afterall.

This movie looks awful, and everything you've written just makes it less likely I'll ever see it.

you are missing out.. Great.. GREAT film.. Enjoyed it at the the theaters and enjoyed watching it again on DVD..never heard anything about the "Cut Scenes" but am VERY glad they didn't include that, if in fact they filmed it.

Great? Really? I admit I am highly skeptical, but I will definitely give it a shot based on the recommendations here.

I liked it against my better judgement, but I agree with Drifter that NO ONE would have gotten out of that scene alive IRL. It's one thing to take creative license in a "based on a true story" film, it's another to give cougars the false notion that they can talk down a gangbanger in the heart of the projects.

 

[Statorama]

Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him.

Comedian Paul Mooney does a great bit about these kinds of movies in his act. ("What's next? The Last Negro starring Tom Hanks?")

 

[belljr]

Bevis and Butt-Head Do America - saw this for the first time this weekend. Caught it on MTV. I really liked Beavis and Butt-Head back in the day. It was cool to see them agan... and in a movie. Basically... if you liked their show I think you will like their movie.

J-dog... watch The Blind Side. It's a good movie. Sure, is somewhat of a 'storybook' movie, but it's good.

The B&B show will always be tops for me. But the movie certainly has some funny bits. Love the scene where they're ignoring the beauty of the Grand Canyon in favor of watching a donkey take a dump.My beef with The Blind Side is here we have yet another Hollywood movie where the brave white person rescues the poor colored person. Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him. "Cry Freedom" isn't about Stephen Biko, it's about whitey reporter Kevin Kline. So I'm not saying that it'd be impossible for me to like "The Blind Side." And I'd give it a shot on HBO. Just saying this whole whitey superhero schtick is cliche and condescending.

Well in their defense that's what happened in real life. Not sure how you can call it condescending when the basis is real life Eta: I understand what you are saying but in this case that's what happened in the real world

 

[jdoggydogg]

Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him.

Comedian Paul Mooney does a great bit about these kinds of movies in his act. ("What's next? The Last Negro starring Tom Hanks?")

Paul Mooney is hilarious.

 

[Statorama]

Pirate Radio

Really got into this film, had tears in my eyes at the end. A story about a lifestyle, companionship, and the human spirit. It's pretty much Almost Famous on a boat. Bill Nighy, PSH, Nick Frost, and Rhys Ifans are all great as the DJs. Kenneth Branagh was equally as good as the politician trying to shut them down. A great film.

I am watching it this week. We'll compare notes later...

I'm kind of interested in your take, as I actually found it kind of boring and very aware of itself.It did prod me to go read up on the station that the film was based on. Very interesting stuff.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Bevis and Butt-Head Do America - saw this for the first time this weekend. Caught it on MTV. I really liked Beavis and Butt-Head back in the day. It was cool to see them agan... and in a movie. Basically... if you liked their show I think you will like their movie.

J-dog... watch The Blind Side. It's a good movie. Sure, is somewhat of a 'storybook' movie, but it's good.

The B&B show will always be tops for me. But the movie certainly has some funny bits. Love the scene where they're ignoring the beauty of the Grand Canyon in favor of watching a donkey take a dump.My beef with The Blind Side is here we have yet another Hollywood movie where the brave white person rescues the poor colored person. Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him. "Cry Freedom" isn't about Stephen Biko, it's about whitey reporter Kevin Kline. So I'm not saying that it'd be impossible for me to like "The Blind Side." And I'd give it a shot on HBO. Just saying this whole whitey superhero schtick is cliche and condescending.

Well in their defense that's what happened in real life. Not sure how you can call it condescending when the basis is real life Eta: I understand what you are saying but in this case that's what happened in the real world

But the movie isn't the story of the poor black kid that made the NFL. It's the story of the white woman that saves him. "Cry Freedom" is based on the true story of murdered civil rights hero Stephen Biko. Except rather than focus primarily on Biko, Hollywood tells the story of the now anonymous white reporter that told the story. I understand that we as a species are tribal in nature. But where's the movie where the Asian guy saves all the white people?

 

[Socrates11]

Bevis and Butt-Head Do America - saw this for the first time this weekend. Caught it on MTV. I really liked Beavis and Butt-Head back in the day. It was cool to see them agan... and in a movie. Basically... if you liked their show I think you will like their movie.

J-dog... watch The Blind Side. It's a good movie. Sure, is somewhat of a 'storybook' movie, but it's good.

The B&B show will always be tops for me. But the movie certainly has some funny bits. Love the scene where they're ignoring the beauty of the Grand Canyon in favor of watching a donkey take a dump.My beef with The Blind Side is here we have yet another Hollywood movie where the brave white person rescues the poor colored person. Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him. "Cry Freedom" isn't about Stephen Biko, it's about whitey reporter Kevin Kline. So I'm not saying that it'd be impossible for me to like "The Blind Side." And I'd give it a shot on HBO. Just saying this whole whitey superhero schtick is cliche and condescending.

Some disagreement here. First with regards to Blind Side you're beefing about an account of a true story for the most part. Should those movies not be made? And second I didn't see The Last Samurai as 'whitey rescueing the japanese guy', but rather 'whitey was dying inside due to his guilt at putting down the 'backward' native americans in the name of progress, so he jumped at the chance to absolve his sins in fighting for the 'backward' japanese against progress when he recognized their inherent nobility, even though he knew it was a lost cause' (or something like that).

 

[belljr]

Bevis and Butt-Head Do America - saw this for the first time this weekend. Caught it on MTV. I really liked Beavis and Butt-Head back in the day. It was cool to see them agan... and in a movie. Basically... if you liked their show I think you will like their movie.

J-dog... watch The Blind Side. It's a good movie. Sure, is somewhat of a 'storybook' movie, but it's good.

The B&B show will always be tops for me. But the movie certainly has some funny bits. Love the scene where they're ignoring the beauty of the Grand Canyon in favor of watching a donkey take a dump.My beef with The Blind Side is here we have yet another Hollywood movie where the brave white person rescues the poor colored person. Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him. "Cry Freedom" isn't about Stephen Biko, it's about whitey reporter Kevin Kline. So I'm not saying that it'd be impossible for me to like "The Blind Side." And I'd give it a shot on HBO. Just saying this whole whitey superhero schtick is cliche and condescending.

Well in their defense that's what happened in real life. Not sure how you can call it condescending when the basis is real life Eta: I understand what you are saying but in this case that's what happened in the real world

But the movie isn't the story of the poor black kid that made the NFL. It's the story of the white woman that saves him. "Cry Freedom" is based on the true story of murdered civil rights hero Stephen Biko. Except rather than focus primarily on Biko, Hollywood tells the story of the now anonymous white reporter that told the story. I understand that we as a species are tribal in nature. But where's the movie where the Asian guy saves all the white people?

Karate Kid

 

[hooter311]

Pirate Radio

Really got into this film, had tears in my eyes at the end. A story about a lifestyle, companionship, and the human spirit. It's pretty much Almost Famous on a boat. Bill Nighy, PSH, Nick Frost, and Rhys Ifans are all great as the DJs. Kenneth Branagh was equally as good as the politician trying to shut them down. A great film.

I am watching it this week. We'll compare notes later...

I'm kind of interested in your take, as I actually found it kind of boring and very aware of itself.It did prod me to go read up on the station that the film was based on. Very interesting stuff.

It definitely took it awhile to get going, half way through not a lot had happened. But by the time it picks up I knew the characters well enough to relate to them. The supporting cast was definitely the high point, everyone does a fantastic job portraying their characters.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Pirate Radio

Really got into this film, had tears in my eyes at the end. A story about a lifestyle, companionship, and the human spirit. It's pretty much Almost Famous on a boat. Bill Nighy, PSH, Nick Frost, and Rhys Ifans are all great as the DJs. Kenneth Branagh was equally as good as the politician trying to shut them down. A great film.

I am watching it this week. We'll compare notes later...

I'm kind of interested in your take, as I actually found it kind of boring and very aware of itself.It did prod me to go read up on the station that the film was based on. Very interesting stuff.

I'm about 30 minutes in to the movie, and I can already see the mistakes the movie is making. It's a movie that makes easy appeals at populist sentiments. But the cast is good enough for me to ride it out.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Bevis and Butt-Head Do America - saw this for the first time this weekend. Caught it on MTV. I really liked Beavis and Butt-Head back in the day. It was cool to see them agan... and in a movie. Basically... if you liked their show I think you will like their movie.

J-dog... watch The Blind Side. It's a good movie. Sure, is somewhat of a 'storybook' movie, but it's good.

The B&B show will always be tops for me. But the movie certainly has some funny bits. Love the scene where they're ignoring the beauty of the Grand Canyon in favor of watching a donkey take a dump.My beef with The Blind Side is here we have yet another Hollywood movie where the brave white person rescues the poor colored person. Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him. "Cry Freedom" isn't about Stephen Biko, it's about whitey reporter Kevin Kline. So I'm not saying that it'd be impossible for me to like "The Blind Side." And I'd give it a shot on HBO. Just saying this whole whitey superhero schtick is cliche and condescending.

Some disagreement here. First with regards to Blind Side you're beefing about an account of a true story for the most part. Should those movies not be made? And second I didn't see The Last Samurai as 'whitey rescueing the japanese guy', but rather 'whitey was dying inside due to his guilt at putting down the 'backward' native americans in the name of progress, so he jumped at the chance to absolve his sins in fighting for the 'backward' japanese against progress when he recognized their inherent nobility, even though he knew it was a lost cause' (or something like that).

I think Hollywood targets stories that feature a heroic white person. And I think that's insulting to American consumers. It assumes we cannot identify with a person of color as the protagonist.

 

[snogger]

Bevis and Butt-Head Do America - saw this for the first time this weekend. Caught it on MTV. I really liked Beavis and Butt-Head back in the day. It was cool to see them agan... and in a movie. Basically... if you liked their show I think you will like their movie.

J-dog... watch The Blind Side. It's a good movie. Sure, is somewhat of a 'storybook' movie, but it's good.

The B&B show will always be tops for me. But the movie certainly has some funny bits. Love the scene where they're ignoring the beauty of the Grand Canyon in favor of watching a donkey take a dump.My beef with The Blind Side is here we have yet another Hollywood movie where the brave white person rescues the poor colored person. Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him. "Cry Freedom" isn't about Stephen Biko, it's about whitey reporter Kevin Kline. So I'm not saying that it'd be impossible for me to like "The Blind Side." And I'd give it a shot on HBO. Just saying this whole whitey superhero schtick is cliche and condescending.

Well in their defense that's what happened in real life. Not sure how you can call it condescending when the basis is real life Eta: I understand what you are saying but in this case that's what happened in the real world

But the movie isn't the story of the poor black kid that made the NFL. It's the story of the white woman that saves him.

Not really..It's more of a "Family" story.. Sure, Sandra got all the hype.. But the entire family and His back story made it a great film..

ETA - It also tells the story how he changed their life's... They lived in their own "rich" world and didn't even think twice about the other side of town until he entered their life.

 

[SmoovySmoov]

My beef with The Blind Side is here we have yet another Hollywood movie where the brave white person rescues the poor colored person. Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him. "Cry Freedom" isn't about Stephen Biko, it's about whitey reporter Kevin Kline. So I'm not saying that it'd be impossible for me to like "The Blind Side." And I'd give it a shot on HBO. Just saying this whole whitey superhero schtick is cliche and condescending.

this.And the fact that if he didn't have NFL caliber talent, I'm sure they wouldn't have given two ####s about him. Also the fact that he just happened to end up at the school they were boosters of. That, or the fact that his high school coach just happened to end up on the staff there. That, or the fact that I'm sure plenty of foster mothers are allowed at practice, or on the sidelines during games. But yeah.......I'm sure it's awesome.

 

[Drifter]

Watched The Blind Side. Don't get the Sandra Bullock love. Sometimes Hollywood gets confused between a great character and a great acting performance. This is one of those times. I didn't see the cut scenes but is that where they have her beaten and gang-raped by the gangbanger who she called a ##### in the middle of the projects, the night after he had already been humiliated once? I guess the message is that gangbangers are just big bullies afterall.

This movie looks awful, and everything you've written just makes it less likely I'll ever see it.

you are missing out.. Great.. GREAT film.. Enjoyed it at the the theaters and enjoyed watching it again on DVD..never heard anything about the "Cut Scenes" but am VERY glad they didn't include that, if in fact they filmed it.

Great film? Don't get the love. Stereotypical and predictable, maybe. It's a nice story, don't get me wrong, but there's nothing great about it.

 

[snogger]

Watched The Blind Side. Don't get the Sandra Bullock love. Sometimes Hollywood gets confused between a great character and a great acting performance. This is one of those times. I didn't see the cut scenes but is that where they have her beaten and gang-raped by the gangbanger who she called a ##### in the middle of the projects, the night after he had already been humiliated once? I guess the message is that gangbangers are just big bullies afterall.

This movie looks awful, and everything you've written just makes it less likely I'll ever see it.

you are missing out.. Great.. GREAT film.. Enjoyed it at the the theaters and enjoyed watching it again on DVD..never heard anything about the "Cut Scenes" but am VERY glad they didn't include that, if in fact they filmed it.

Great film? Don't get the love. Stereotypical and predictable, maybe. It's a nice story, don't get me wrong, but there's nothing great about it.

any film I can walk out of with my Wife, daughter and Mother in-law and have all say.. Loved it.. is "Great" in my book.. It is VERY rare now days to find a film that ages 65 to 11 can enjoy together.

 

[Drifter]

My beef with The Blind Side is here we have yet another Hollywood movie where the brave white person rescues the poor colored person. Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him. "Cry Freedom" isn't about Stephen Biko, it's about whitey reporter Kevin Kline. So I'm not saying that it'd be impossible for me to like "The Blind Side." And I'd give it a shot on HBO. Just saying this whole whitey superhero schtick is cliche and condescending.

this.And the fact that if he didn't have NFL caliber talent, I'm sure they wouldn't have given two ####s about him. Also the fact that he just happened to end up at the school they were boosters of. That, or the fact that his high school coach just happened to end up on the staff there. That, or the fact that I'm sure plenty of foster mothers are allowed at practice, or on the sidelines during games. But yeah.......I'm sure it's awesome.

Exactly. The true story is a nice story but has some darker, less than pure elements to everyone's motivations. The movie was a typical Hollywood fable.

 

[snogger]

My beef with The Blind Side is here we have yet another Hollywood movie where the brave white person rescues the poor colored person. Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him. "Cry Freedom" isn't about Stephen Biko, it's about whitey reporter Kevin Kline. So I'm not saying that it'd be impossible for me to like "The Blind Side." And I'd give it a shot on HBO. Just saying this whole whitey superhero schtick is cliche and condescending.

this.And the fact that if he didn't have NFL caliber talent, I'm sure they wouldn't have given two ####s about him. Also the fact that he just happened to end up at the school they were boosters of. That, or the fact that his high school coach just happened to end up on the staff there. That, or the fact that I'm sure plenty of foster mothers are allowed at practice, or on the sidelines during games. But yeah.......I'm sure it's awesome.

Exactly. The true story is a nice story but has some darker, less than pure elements to everyone's motivations. The movie was a typical Hollywood fable.

From watching the 20/20 story they did a couple months after the movie was released it seemed "pretty close" to the real story considering it was Hollywood.A friend here at work wasn't going to see the movie until he watched the 20/20 story.. He then took his wife to see it and they both enjoyed it quite a bit.The 20/20 story was very good and I'd recommend doing a search and watching it.. Explains parts that were "Hollywood" made.. Like making it look like he knew nothing about how to play football and the Face off against the Gang(although they didn't talk about that).. But it also goes through his past and what the family did for him.. and what he did for them..

 

[Drifter]

My beef with The Blind Side is here we have yet another Hollywood movie where the brave white person rescues the poor colored person. Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him. "Cry Freedom" isn't about Stephen Biko, it's about whitey reporter Kevin Kline. So I'm not saying that it'd be impossible for me to like "The Blind Side." And I'd give it a shot on HBO. Just saying this whole whitey superhero schtick is cliche and condescending.

this.And the fact that if he didn't have NFL caliber talent, I'm sure they wouldn't have given two ####s about him. Also the fact that he just happened to end up at the school they were boosters of. That, or the fact that his high school coach just happened to end up on the staff there. That, or the fact that I'm sure plenty of foster mothers are allowed at practice, or on the sidelines during games. But yeah.......I'm sure it's awesome.

Exactly. The true story is a nice story but has some darker, less than pure elements to everyone's motivations. The movie was a typical Hollywood fable.

From watching the 20/20 story they did a couple months after the movie was released it seemed "pretty close" to the real story considering it was Hollywood.A friend here at work wasn't going to see the movie until he watched the 20/20 story.. He then took his wife to see it and they both enjoyed it quite a bit.The 20/20 story was very good and I'd recommend doing a search and watching it.. Explains parts that were "Hollywood" made.. Like making it look like he knew nothing about how to play football and the Face off against the Gang(although they didn't talk about that).. But it also goes through his past and what the family did for him.. and what he did for them..

Exactly - once you add in that not only did he know how to play football but that he was already pretty damn good at it as well as the shenanigans with his coach, suddenly things don't look as pure as the Christian white folk helping out the poor black kid they see walking home in the rain.

 

[snogger]

My beef with The Blind Side is here we have yet another Hollywood movie where the brave white person rescues the poor colored person. Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him. "Cry Freedom" isn't about Stephen Biko, it's about whitey reporter Kevin Kline. So I'm not saying that it'd be impossible for me to like "The Blind Side." And I'd give it a shot on HBO. Just saying this whole whitey superhero schtick is cliche and condescending.

this.And the fact that if he didn't have NFL caliber talent, I'm sure they wouldn't have given two ####s about him. Also the fact that he just happened to end up at the school they were boosters of. That, or the fact that his high school coach just happened to end up on the staff there. That, or the fact that I'm sure plenty of foster mothers are allowed at practice, or on the sidelines during games. But yeah.......I'm sure it's awesome.

Exactly. The true story is a nice story but has some darker, less than pure elements to everyone's motivations. The movie was a typical Hollywood fable.

From watching the 20/20 story they did a couple months after the movie was released it seemed "pretty close" to the real story considering it was Hollywood.A friend here at work wasn't going to see the movie until he watched the 20/20 story.. He then took his wife to see it and they both enjoyed it quite a bit.The 20/20 story was very good and I'd recommend doing a search and watching it.. Explains parts that were "Hollywood" made.. Like making it look like he knew nothing about how to play football and the Face off against the Gang(although they didn't talk about that).. But it also goes through his past and what the family did for him.. and what he did for them..

Exactly - once you add in that not only did he know how to play football but that he was already pretty damn good at it as well as the shenanigans with his coach, suddenly things don't look as pure as the Christian white folk helping out the poor black kid they see walking home in the rain.

Well.. They did give him a place to live, fed him and "raised" him as one of their own.. Not many on this site, or people I know, that would do the same given the opportunity.You can look at it from the cynical point of view and say "They saw and that was the reason".. Strange since they were already Rich so that view point makes no sense to me.. Or you can view it as a family that decided to help a person in need and they helped each other grow.Quite a few choose to be cynics..Until proven otherwise I guess I'll be a sucker and see it the other way.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Rocket Science

This one is a blow to my theory that a good trailer makes a good movie. Enjoyed the trailer, but LORD is this movie pretentious. I survived about 15 minutes of wordy, hipster bull####. But the narrator says, "Then came Thursday. It could have been any other day, but it wasn't. It was Thursday." That was enough.

I hated this movie the first time I saw it when it was called "Reality Bites."

 

[Kenny Powers]

Bevis and Butt-Head Do America - saw this for the first time this weekend. Caught it on MTV. I really liked Beavis and Butt-Head back in the day. It was cool to see them agan... and in a movie. Basically... if you liked their show I think you will like their movie.

J-dog... watch The Blind Side. It's a good movie. Sure, is somewhat of a 'storybook' movie, but it's good.

The B&B show will always be tops for me. But the movie certainly has some funny bits. Love the scene where they're ignoring the beauty of the Grand Canyon in favor of watching a donkey take a dump.My beef with The Blind Side is here we have yet another Hollywood movie where the brave white person rescues the poor colored person. Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him. "Cry Freedom" isn't about Stephen Biko, it's about whitey reporter Kevin Kline. So I'm not saying that it'd be impossible for me to like "The Blind Side." And I'd give it a shot on HBO. Just saying this whole whitey superhero schtick is cliche and condescending.

And second I didn't see The Last Samurai as 'whitey rescueing the japanese guy', but rather 'whitey was dying inside due to his guilt at putting down the 'backward' native americans in the name of progress, so he jumped at the chance to absolve his sins in fighting for the 'backward' japanese against progress when he recognized their inherent nobility, even though he knew it was a lost cause' (or something like that).

I think is much more what that movie was about than JDD's take. I think that was a very good film.

 

[Kenny Powers]

the box

push the button, and two things happen...

1) you get a cool $1,000,000 (representing more money when this appears to take place, in the 70s)

2) someone you don't know will die

happy ending... i don't think so.

ebert's review (generally positive, invokes a milgram experiment comparison)...

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...VIEWS/911069998

i know this got mixed and maybe even worse reviews...

it is by donnie darko's richard kelly... based on his debut, i thought he was one of the more promising young director's in hollywood, and his career might unfold similarly to that of chris nolan and darren aronofsky (based on THEIR critically acclaimed memento and pi)...

his second movie was eagerly aniticipted by some (donnie darko fans), but southland tales, starring the rock, was pretty much a monumental failure by just about any count... that burned a lot of good will from donnie darko, leading to concerns he was a one hit wonder, and might have a hard to time even making a film again...

in case some haven't seen it yet, and been spooked by harsh reviews, it helps approximately situate it within his scant body of work on the scale of cinematic excellence, the box isn't imo nearly as good as DD, but is infinitely better than southland tales...

while some broader aspects of the plot may have been predictable, the specific way in which it unfolded was not at all predictable or implicit from the beginning...

it has mystery/suspense, sci fi & horror components...

i thought best part was frank langella as the creepy, chilling and sinister front man for his "employers" (like his speech about boxes near the end)... hopefully he uses his "good side" photo for myspace and facebook head shot purposes...

i never read the short story or saw the new twilight zone adaptation, so it was new to me.

not the best movie i saw last year, but was "glad" i watched it (as much as was possible, with a movie like this )... i'd give it about 3 out of 5 stars (maybe 3 1/2)...

NOT a good feelin family film to watch with grandma or the tykes...

WWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDD

Could you investigate the use of paragraphs and formatting? I'd like to read what you say, but it's so stream of consciousness/all over the place I can't. I know it's your shtick, but come on. Also capital letters sometimes are good.

...and I thought I was the only oneETA: I did not like The Box very much at all. Middle hour of it was a total snoozefest

 

[Kenny Powers]

Slammin Salmon

Broken Lizard has been pretty consistent with the quality of their films since bursting onto the scene with Super Troopers, with the exception of Club Dread for many. This one did not disappoint, but I feel like I've seen this movie before, about 4 or 5 times in the last few years. No more restaurant movies for a while please. Michael Clark Duncan is as hilarious as I've ever seen him as the Champ.

3/5

Never heard of this. I'll have to keep an eye out for it.I didnt like Club Dread much after the first viewing, but I think thats mostly because I was looking for another Super Troopers and its just not that good, but its still funny. I think Beerfest is just about as good as ST.

Do they have any other movies?!

 

[hooter311]

Slammin Salmon

Broken Lizard has been pretty consistent with the quality of their films since bursting onto the scene with Super Troopers, with the exception of Club Dread for many. This one did not disappoint, but I feel like I've seen this movie before, about 4 or 5 times in the last few years. No more restaurant movies for a while please. Michael Clark Duncan is as hilarious as I've ever seen him as the Champ.

3/5

Never heard of this. I'll have to keep an eye out for it.I didnt like Club Dread much after the first viewing, but I think thats mostly because I was looking for another Super Troopers and its just not that good, but its still funny. I think Beerfest is just about as good as ST.

Do they have any other movies?!

This was their fourth and it just came out on dvd last week so you haven't missed anything. I have a buddy that swears Club Dread is the funniest movie he's ever seen, definitely their weakest effort imo.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Prizzi's Honor

Mid-80's movie starring Nicholson as a hitman for the mafia and Kathleen Turner as his newfound love interest with complications. I expected a drama with Nicholson humor going in, but its more of a black comedy. It shows its age, but John Huston's take on it, the acting, and the feel of the whole movie keep it fresh. William Hickey was excellent as Don Corrado Prizzi and stole every scene, Nicholson was his usual solid self. Anjelica Huston won best supporting actress for this, but she seemed way over the top to me. Overall pretty good, must see for any Nicholson fan (who isnt?).

7.6/10

Love & A .45

Opening scene was excellent, and its a fun movie til the finish, but you cant help but compare its similarites and the film itself to True Romance (for the characters) and, even moreso, Natural Born Killers (direction as well as the characters to a degree). Gil Bellows was great, too bad he didnt take more interesting roles like this. Renee Zellweger wasnt overly annoying, and actually looked hot (I think Joey Lauren Adams might have been the actress in this actually but constipation face Zellweger blackmailed her for the credits or something). I believe this was actually written before NBK after reading a few things, although both were released in 1994 and IMDB says NBK was released a few months earlier. Either way, its hard to give the movie the credit it deserves when TR and NBK were just all around better movies IMO.

7/10

Death At A Funeral

The British version from a few years ago, not the new americanized one. Liked it a lot, and British comedies usually miss more than they hit for me. All the characters are great, story is well done, and it stays funny the whole way thru. Instead of paying $10 a ticket to see the Chris Rock/Tracy Morgan one that is almost certainly less funny than the original, just netflix this.

8.1/10

 

[SmoovySmoov]

Love & A .45

Opening scene was excellent, and its a fun movie til the finish, but you cant help but compare its similarites and the film itself to True Romance (for the characters) and, even moreso, Natural Born Killers (direction as well as the characters to a degree). Gil Bellows was great, too bad he didnt take more interesting roles like this. Renee Zellweger wasnt overly annoying, and actually looked hot (I think Joey Lauren Adams might have been the actress in this actually but constipation face Zellweger blackmailed her for the credits or something). I believe this was actually written before NBK after reading a few things, although both were released in 1994 and IMDB says NBK was released a few months earlier. Either way, its hard to give the movie the credit it deserves when TR and NBK were just all around better movies IMO.

7/10

Love this movie."I'm the king of ####### Mexico! I'm the king of the ####### world!!!"

Great soundtrack as well.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Soundtrack was very good, I knew it would be when I saw Tom Verlaine (of the band Television) did the music and it opened with Flaming Lips' "Turn It On"

 

[Balco]

Ninja Assasin

Really liked it. An oscar worthy script it is not, but non stop action.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

Finally saw Up In The Air.

Very good. Entertaining, unpredictable (especially the end).

 

[Jutz]

Pirate Radio

Really got into this film, had tears in my eyes at the end. A story about a lifestyle, companionship, and the human spirit. It's pretty much Almost Famous on a boat. Bill Nighy, PSH, Nick Frost, and Rhys Ifans are all great as the DJs. Kenneth Branagh was equally as good as the politician trying to shut them down. A great film.

4/5

Pretty Persuasion

Thanks for the recommendation, I really enjoyed this film. As good as it gets for teenage black comedies this side of Heathers. James Woods steals every scene he is in.

3.5/5

Your welcome for the recommendation on Pretty Pursuation. Why only 3.5? Same rating as Bagger Vance? Loved the scene where the guy gets his wife to dress in the school girl outfit.I also saw and liked Pirate Radio very much. I agree with your assesment.

Most days of the week I would have probably gave it a 4/5, but doing so today would have put it on the same level as Pirate Radio, which I probably should have bumped to 4.5/5. Bagger Vance is a silly little fairy tale about a man's redemption, but I have a soft spot for golf movies, it should probably be closer to a flat 3/5.I only had one problem with Pretty Persuasion...

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hmmmm, I actually like it more now after I typed the part I didn't care for, I may be in for a second viewing.

Reminded me a lot of Mini's First Time, but I think this was better.

I kind of liked that ending. To me it said... even though she knew EXACTLY what she was doing... she is still a kid and a bit niave. And I felt like maybe it was showing that after all the things happened to her, and she was numb to it throughout the movie... at that moment, her having regret was kind of a moment of realization. Kind of a 'what have I done' moment. Or maybe just a reaction that says... this is the way society is. People do what they need to do to get what they want, and she was recognizing the sadness of it. IDK, maybe I am reading too much into it... but I liked the ending.Much more 'open ended' then a smile would have been.

 

[Jutz]

Pirate Radio

Really got into this film, had tears in my eyes at the end. A story about a lifestyle, companionship, and the human spirit. It's pretty much Almost Famous on a boat. Bill Nighy, PSH, Nick Frost, and Rhys Ifans are all great as the DJs. Kenneth Branagh was equally as good as the politician trying to shut them down. A great film.

I am watching it this week. We'll compare notes later...

I'm kind of interested in your take, as I actually found it kind of boring and very aware of itself.It did prod me to go read up on the station that the film was based on. Very interesting stuff.

I'm about 30 minutes in to the movie, and I can already see the mistakes the movie is making. It's a movie that makes easy appeals at populist sentiments. But the cast is good enough for me to ride it out.

I reviewed Pirat Radio a few pages ago and I agree. As I was watching the first half I felt like it was a dud. I thought I had wasted my 'On Demand' money. But I felt like the movie redeemed itself, and even went beyond that to being what I considered a very good movie. It built and built... and it finished much stronger. I felt like I was very 'invested' in the characters by the end... and that is something a good movie should do.

 

[Jutz]

Bevis and Butt-Head Do America - saw this for the first time this weekend. Caught it on MTV. I really liked Beavis and Butt-Head back in the day. It was cool to see them agan... and in a movie. Basically... if you liked their show I think you will like their movie.

J-dog... watch The Blind Side. It's a good movie. Sure, is somewhat of a 'storybook' movie, but it's good.

The B&B show will always be tops for me. But the movie certainly has some funny bits. Love the scene where they're ignoring the beauty of the Grand Canyon in favor of watching a donkey take a dump.My beef with The Blind Side is here we have yet another Hollywood movie where the brave white person rescues the poor colored person. Movie after movie, we see a story about how whitey needs to rescue the minorities. "The Last Samurai" wasn't primarily about the Japanese man, it was about whitey trying to rescue him. "Cry Freedom" isn't about Stephen Biko, it's about whitey reporter Kevin Kline. So I'm not saying that it'd be impossible for me to like "The Blind Side." And I'd give it a shot on HBO. Just saying this whole whitey superhero schtick is cliche and condescending.

The show is definitely better... and IIRC the movie came out just about the time the popularity of the show was waning. In fact, that's probably why I never saw the movie around the time it came out.IDK man. I know you hate all things with 'Hollywood' scripts. And I understand what and why you are saying that... but sometimes you just have to give in to the dark side (or maybe the bright side in this case). Take it lightly and attempt to enjoy... you may be surprised at the results. Regardless... I can respect your stance.

 

[SmoovySmoov]

Normally I detest remakes, but since it was Guy Ritchie, I gave Sherlock Holmes a shot last night. I thought it was really good, with only two minor flaws. The first was that I don't think I've ever seen a more blatant case of "setting up for the sequel" than this movie had. And the second was just that, while I enjoyed it, it wasn't in the realm of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch for me. I mean, I guess it's a good thing that he isn't making the same kind of movie over and over, I just didn't enjoy it anywhere close to those. (4/5)