Recently viewed movie thread - Rental Edition (4 Viewers)

[Chaka]

The Social Network - I found it to be entertaining and (allegedly) informative. The dialogue at times moves like an episode of The West Wing which of course shouldn't be a surprise with Sorkin as the writer. However that style of quick witted banter always rings a little false with me so the opening scene had me a little more than enthralled. Fortunately it toned down a little after that. Fincher's presentation was visually interesting and typically tight as I would expect. It is a very interesting and well acted story.

However I have to put this film in the "I don't get the hype" category. With the possible exception of Andrew Garfield's character there wasn't one person who I gave a darn about. I didn't care that the multi-billionaire egocentric (megalomaniac perhaps?) creator of Facebook was getting sued for millions of dollars, I didn't care that the J.Crew/Olympic athlete twins who come from money felt they got robbed, I didn't care that the philandering, disingenuous, three-card Monte dealer of a creator of Napster...did anything. I just didn't care. It felt like a film without a protagonist which left the audience with only the biopic aspect of the founding of Facebook.

The actual development of Facebook, starting with Facemash, the inspiration for FB, the flashback sequences of programming and trying to grow the company, even the backdrop of the two depositions that drive the story were fascinating to watch. But then the film just kind of ends, very abruptly. We get the on screen written "Where are they now" synopsis of some of the principal characters, with one very glaring omission (which leads to another set of problems with the film*) and that's it.

I definitely enjoyed this film and recommend it but I think it will be a shame if this wins Best Picture because it just seems lacking on many levels. What is the phrase used to describe a situation where people say they like (or dislike) something they otherwise wouldn't only because they don't want to appear as if they are missing the point? That's kind of how I feel about TSN.

This isn't really a big deal but the IMDB FAQ page for TSN shows that Zuckerberg has been dating the same girl since his sophomore year at Harvard. That pretty much kills the already weak attempt at the end of the film to make Zuckerberg look ultimately sympathetic as the guy who just wants to impress the girl but can't. It's not a big deal from a Hollywood perspective but I still found it odd.

*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

 

[Gr00vus]

The Social Network - I found it to be entertaining and (allegedly) informative. The dialogue at times moves like an episode of The West Wing which of course shouldn't be a surprise with Sorkin as the writer. However that style of quick witted banter always rings a little false with me so the opening scene had me a little more than enthralled. Fortunately it toned down a little after that. Fincher's presentation was visually interesting and typically tight as I would expect. It is a very interesting and well acted story.

However I have to put this film in the "I don't get the hype" category. With the possible exception of Andrew Garfield's character there wasn't one person who I gave a darn about. I didn't care that the multi-billionaire egocentric (megalomaniac perhaps?) creator of Facebook was getting sued for millions of dollars, I didn't care that the J.Crew/Olympic athlete twins who come from money felt they got robbed, I didn't care that the philandering, disingenuous, three-card Monte dealer of a creator of Napster...did anything. I just didn't care. It felt like a film without a protagonist which left the audience with only the biopic aspect of the founding of Facebook.

The actual development of Facebook, starting with Facemash, the inspiration for FB, the flashback sequences of programming and trying to grow the company, even the backdrop of the two depositions that drive the story were fascinating to watch. But then the film just kind of ends, very abruptly. We get the on screen written "Where are they now" synopsis of some of the principal characters, with one very glaring omission (which leads to another set of problems with the film*) and that's it.

I definitely enjoyed this film and recommend it but I think it will be a shame if this wins Best Picture because it just seems lacking on many levels. What is the phrase used to describe a situation where people say they like (or dislike) something they otherwise wouldn't only because they don't want to appear as if they are missing the point? That's kind of how I feel about TSN.

This isn't really a big deal but the IMDB FAQ page for TSN shows that Zuckerberg has been dating the same girl since his sophomore year at Harvard. That pretty much kills the already weak attempt at the end of the film to make Zuckerberg look ultimately sympathetic as the guy who just wants to impress the girl but can't. It's not a big deal from a Hollywood perspective but I still found it odd.
*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

I don't get the hype for this one. Lots of style, not much substance, and a decent helping of liberties taken with reality.

 

[wikkidpissah]

The Social Network - I found it to be entertaining and (allegedly) informative. The dialogue at times moves like an episode of The West Wing which of course shouldn't be a surprise with Sorkin as the writer. However that style of quick witted banter always rings a little false with me so the opening scene had me a little more than enthralled. Fortunately it toned down a little after that. Fincher's presentation was visually interesting and typically tight as I would expect. It is a very interesting and well acted story.

However I have to put this film in the "I don't get the hype" category. With the possible exception of Andrew Garfield's character there wasn't one person who I gave a darn about. I didn't care that the multi-billionaire egocentric (megalomaniac perhaps?) creator of Facebook was getting sued for millions of dollars, I didn't care that the J.Crew/Olympic athlete twins who come from money felt they got robbed, I didn't care that the philandering, disingenuous, three-card Monte dealer of a creator of Napster...did anything. I just didn't care. It felt like a film without a protagonist which left the audience with only the biopic aspect of the founding of Facebook.

The actual development of Facebook, starting with Facemash, the inspiration for FB, the flashback sequences of programming and trying to grow the company, even the backdrop of the two depositions that drive the story were fascinating to watch. But then the film just kind of ends, very abruptly. We get the on screen written "Where are they now" synopsis of some of the principal characters, with one very glaring omission (which leads to another set of problems with the film*) and that's it.

I definitely enjoyed this film and recommend it but I think it will be a shame if this wins Best Picture because it just seems lacking on many levels. What is the phrase used to describe a situation where people say they like (or dislike) something they otherwise wouldn't only because they don't want to appear as if they are missing the point? That's kind of how I feel about TSN.

This isn't really a big deal but the IMDB FAQ page for TSN shows that Zuckerberg has been dating the same girl since his sophomore year at Harvard. That pretty much kills the already weak attempt at the end of the film to make Zuckerberg look ultimately sympathetic as the guy who just wants to impress the girl but can't. It's not a big deal from a Hollywood perspective but I still found it odd.
*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

interesting. as an old fart, i never felt a need to connect to members of a gen so removed from me socially & culturally and that's possibly why it worked for me. for good or ill, web heroes are cultural icons now & i was verrrry particular about the iconography of my gen & howmy own heroes were portrayed. if someone had been as glib about the birth of the British Invasion, i might well have taken it as you have. point well made.

 

[Chaka]

The Social Network - I found it to be entertaining and (allegedly) informative. The dialogue at times moves like an episode of The West Wing which of course shouldn't be a surprise with Sorkin as the writer. However that style of quick witted banter always rings a little false with me so the opening scene had me a little more than enthralled. Fortunately it toned down a little after that. Fincher's presentation was visually interesting and typically tight as I would expect. It is a very interesting and well acted story.

However I have to put this film in the "I don't get the hype" category. With the possible exception of Andrew Garfield's character there wasn't one person who I gave a darn about. I didn't care that the multi-billionaire egocentric (megalomaniac perhaps?) creator of Facebook was getting sued for millions of dollars, I didn't care that the J.Crew/Olympic athlete twins who come from money felt they got robbed, I didn't care that the philandering, disingenuous, three-card Monte dealer of a creator of Napster...did anything. I just didn't care. It felt like a film without a protagonist which left the audience with only the biopic aspect of the founding of Facebook.

The actual development of Facebook, starting with Facemash, the inspiration for FB, the flashback sequences of programming and trying to grow the company, even the backdrop of the two depositions that drive the story were fascinating to watch. But then the film just kind of ends, very abruptly. We get the on screen written "Where are they now" synopsis of some of the principal characters, with one very glaring omission (which leads to another set of problems with the film*) and that's it.

I definitely enjoyed this film and recommend it but I think it will be a shame if this wins Best Picture because it just seems lacking on many levels. What is the phrase used to describe a situation where people say they like (or dislike) something they otherwise wouldn't only because they don't want to appear as if they are missing the point? That's kind of how I feel about TSN.

This isn't really a big deal but the IMDB FAQ page for TSN shows that Zuckerberg has been dating the same girl since his sophomore year at Harvard. That pretty much kills the already weak attempt at the end of the film to make Zuckerberg look ultimately sympathetic as the guy who just wants to impress the girl but can't. It's not a big deal from a Hollywood perspective but I still found it odd.
*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***

");document.close();

interesting. as an old fart, i never felt a need to connect to members of a gen so removed from me socially & culturally and that's possibly why it worked for me. for good or ill, web heroes are cultural icons now & i was verrrry particular about the iconography of my gen & howmy own heroes were portrayed. if someone had been as glib about the birth of the British Invasion, i might well have taken it as you have. point well made.While I consider myself a technophile, I am most definitely not part of the FB generation. My first PC was an Apple IIe, which came out seven years before Zuckerberg was born. I have a FB account which I used for awhile then removed pretty much everything from after it was hacked twice by spammers. Zero friends, no updates etc. I pretty much just use it for occasional cyberstalking of ex-girlfriends. No Twitter, no MySpace. I use LinkedIn for business and this is the only MB I participate on.I don't think it's a generation issue I just think it is important for films to have at least one character that the viewer is interested in how the story will turn out for, good or bad. This film doesn't have anyone who I cared what happened to.

I see that it is well done, I was entertained and I do recommend people watch it. I just don't think it was compelling enough relative to the buzz it is generating.

 

[Gr00vus]

web heroes are cultural icons now & i was verrrry particular about the iconography of my gen & howmy own heroes were portrayed.

I think the point for me (and maybe Chaka) is that these guys aren't heroes. IRL they're not even interesting people. In 5 years when Facebook is where MySpace is now and everyone's on to the next big thing, you'll wonder why they even made a movie about this guy. 10 years ago the movie would have been about Sean Fanning - who cares about him or Napster now? I'm not a Bill Gates fan, but he is imminently more worthy of a film like this than the Facebook guy (and no, that movie with Tim Robbins and Ryan Phillippe doesn't count). And ultimately I'd find it questionable making a movie about Bill Gates as well. Why not Mark Cuban? Or David Geffen? Or a host of other people who've created a business and made a ton of money? I don't want to see movies about them either.

 

[Chaka]

web heroes are cultural icons now & i was verrrry particular about the iconography of my gen & howmy own heroes were portrayed.

I think the point for me (and maybe Chaka) is that these guys aren't heroes. IRL they're not even interesting people. In 5 years when Facebook is where MySpace is now and everyone's on to the next big thing, you'll wonder why they even made a movie about this guy. 10 years ago the movie would have been about Sean Fanning - who cares about him or Napster now? I'm not a Bill Gates fan, but he is imminently more worthy of a film like this than the Facebook guy (and no, that movie with Tim Robbins and Ryan Phillippe doesn't count). And ultimately I'd find it questionable making a movie about Bill Gates as well. Why not Mark Cuban? Or David Geffen? Or a host of other people who've created a business and made a ton of money? I don't want to see movies about them either.

I enjoyed The Pirates of Silicon Valley

 

[Gr00vus]

web heroes are cultural icons now & i was verrrry particular about the iconography of my gen & howmy own heroes were portrayed.

I think the point for me (and maybe Chaka) is that these guys aren't heroes. IRL they're not even interesting people. In 5 years when Facebook is where MySpace is now and everyone's on to the next big thing, you'll wonder why they even made a movie about this guy. 10 years ago the movie would have been about Sean Fanning - who cares about him or Napster now? I'm not a Bill Gates fan, but he is imminently more worthy of a film like this than the Facebook guy (and no, that movie with Tim Robbins and Ryan Phillippe doesn't count). And ultimately I'd find it questionable making a movie about Bill Gates as well. Why not Mark Cuban? Or David Geffen? Or a host of other people who've created a business and made a ton of money? I don't want to see movies about them either.

I enjoyed The Pirates of Silicon Valley

Of course, it had pirates in it.

 

[wikkidpissah]

web heroes are cultural icons now & i was verrrry particular about the iconography of my gen & howmy own heroes were portrayed.

I think the point for me (and maybe Chaka) is that these guys aren't heroes. IRL they're not even interesting people. In 5 years when Facebook is where MySpace is now and everyone's on to the next big thing, you'll wonder why they even made a movie about this guy. 10 years ago the movie would have been about Sean Fanning - who cares about him or Napster now? I'm not a Bill Gates fan, but he is imminently more worthy of a film like this than the Facebook guy (and no, that movie with Tim Robbins and Ryan Phillippe doesn't count). And ultimately I'd find it questionable making a movie about Bill Gates as well. Why not Mark Cuban? Or David Geffen? Or a host of other people who've created a business and made a ton of money? I don't want to see movies about them either.

ok, guess i'm just clueless. i found Zuckerberg a perfect metaphor for the world of computing - a person whose mentality overrides his social ability and it therefore becomes all that matters to him. instead of centering himself, he attempts to gather every byte of information about the aspects of sociality he envies and conquer them without leaving his processes, indeed the opposite of sociality. that this results in a network which brings together more people who are empty of care than anything since the invention of the discotheque is 1st-rate irony & the making of a hella entertainment.

 

[John 14:6]

I watched Stan Lee's Lightspeed last night. I really liked the villain's make-up/costume. I had a little fun watching it, but it was pretty bad. Some of the special effects were terrible.

 

[Chaka]

ok, guess i'm just clueless. i found Zuckerberg a perfect metaphor for the world of computing - a person whose mentality overrides his social ability and it therefore becomes all that matters to him. instead of centering himself, he attempts to gather every byte of information about the aspects of sociality he envies and conquer them without leaving his processes, indeed the opposite of sociality. that this results in a network which brings together more people who are empty of care than anything since the invention of the discotheque is 1st-rate irony & the making of a hella entertainment.

You're not clueless at all and I think that is a great analysis of the character. Eisenberg pulled it off really well too.If the point was to make the audience feel entirely (socially) detached from any of the characters then it succeeded famously.

 

[saintfool]

Asphalt Jungle - influential noir/heist film from 1950 directed by John Huston and starring Sterling Hayden (the General from Dr. Strangelove) and featuring Marilyn Monroe in one of her first roles.

Watched this on Netflix streaming and though it is entertaining, it is definitely dated. The acting is wooden and Hayden in particular has some unintentionally funny line readings. There is a palpable tension (particularly during the heist) despite limited use of the gimmicks we see in modern movies. I'd recommend it only to fans of the genre and/or Monroe - she looks great in a low cut dress.

this is one of the best of the genre, i think. huston just gets it right as he did with "the maltese falcon".

 

[hooter311]

web heroes are cultural icons now & i was verrrry particular about the iconography of my gen & howmy own heroes were portrayed.

I think the point for me (and maybe Chaka) is that these guys aren't heroes. IRL they're not even interesting people. In 5 years when Facebook is where MySpace is now and everyone's on to the next big thing, you'll wonder why they even made a movie about this guy. 10 years ago the movie would have been about Sean Fanning - who cares about him or Napster now? I'm not a Bill Gates fan, but he is imminently more worthy of a film like this than the Facebook guy (and no, that movie with Tim Robbins and Ryan Phillippe doesn't count). And ultimately I'd find it questionable making a movie about Bill Gates as well. Why not Mark Cuban? Or David Geffen? Or a host of other people who've created a business and made a ton of money? I don't want to see movies about them either.

Have not seen the film, merely an observation...Throughout history the term "hero" has always kind of been relative. I'm sure an interesting story could be made on any of those guys depending on how it's told. People generating billions of dollars of income now are just as important to history as warlords from other centuries.

 

[Gr00vus]

People generating billions of dollars of income now are just as important to history as warlords from other centuries.

Even if we accept this premise as true (and I don't), that doesn't mean that they make for interesting movies/stories. If it weren't for my wife wanting to see it so badly, and there being literally nothing else out at the time we wanted to see, I definitely would have skipped this non-riveting tale of a socially awkward guy ripping off myspace and his school chums and becoming a paper billionaire in the process. It's not interesting.

 

[hooter311]

People generating billions of dollars of income now are just as important to history as warlords from other centuries.

Even if we accept this premise as true (and I don't), that doesn't mean that they make for interesting movies/stories. If it weren't for my wife wanting to see it so badly, and there being literally nothing else out at the time we wanted to see, I definitely would have skipped this non-riveting tale of a socially awkward guy ripping off myspace and his school chums and becoming a paper billionaire in the process. It's not interesting.

2 sides of the coin I guess.I would see it your way regarding movies made about people hitting the lottery, but any story involving generating income that I couldn't earn doing what I'm doing now in a hundred lifetimes, grabs my attention almost immediately. You may get to be a millionaire by accident, but billionaires are usually doing something a bit different than anyone else and for me it's worth seeing. Maybe this is just the slick haired conservative side of me talking.I'll have to wait till I see the film to draw my own conclusions, maybe I'll end up agreeing with you then.

 

[belljr]

web heroes are cultural icons now & i was verrrry particular about the iconography of my gen & howmy own heroes were portrayed.

I think the point for me (and maybe Chaka) is that these guys aren't heroes. IRL they're not even interesting people. In 5 years when Facebook is where MySpace is now and everyone's on to the next big thing, you'll wonder why they even made a movie about this guy. 10 years ago the movie would have been about Sean Fanning - who cares about him or Napster now? I'm not a Bill Gates fan, but he is imminently more worthy of a film like this than the Facebook guy (and no, that movie with Tim Robbins and Ryan Phillippe doesn't count). And ultimately I'd find it questionable making a movie about Bill Gates as well. Why not Mark Cuban? Or David Geffen? Or a host of other people who've created a business and made a ton of money? I don't want to see movies about them either.

I enjoyed The Pirates of Silicon Valley

 

[belljr]

I'm going to need some help with my grading here:

I finally saw Iron Man last night. Yeah, I know, I'm really behind the times. That said, Iron Man was my favorite comic when I was a kid.

When I was in my mid-teens, I set out to collect ALL the Iron Man series. I think I got about 1/3 of the way done before I realized how expensive it was going to be (even at that time it was on issue 250+).

I think the oldest I have is like #8.

I must have been deprived or not a dork...I don't remember Iron Man comics at all. Spider Man, Batman, Archie were about it

 

[Gr00vus]

I would see it your way regarding movies made about people hitting the lottery, but any story involving generating income that I couldn't earn doing what I'm doing now in a hundred lifetimes, grabs my attention almost immediately. You may get to be a millionaire by accident, but billionaires are usually doing something a bit different than anyone else and for me it's worth seeing. Maybe this is just the slick haired conservative side of me talking.

In regards to this, I don't think Facebook guy is actually doing anything that exceptional. I think he's another in a lengthening line of right place at the right time guys that have capitalized for a brief time on building/marketing a web site. There are numerous truly innovative/influential/exceptional people in the domains of computer science/programming/etc. I don't think he's among them, and frankly part of what troubles me about this film is that it gives people the perception that he is while they've probably never heard of a guy like (Sir) Tim Berners-Lee, who in the long run will actually find a permanent/non-trivial place in the history books.

 

[Chaka]

I would see it your way regarding movies made about people hitting the lottery, but any story involving generating income that I couldn't earn doing what I'm doing now in a hundred lifetimes, grabs my attention almost immediately. You may get to be a millionaire by accident, but billionaires are usually doing something a bit different than anyone else and for me it's worth seeing. Maybe this is just the slick haired conservative side of me talking.

In regards to this, I don't think Facebook guy is actually doing anything that exceptional. I think he's another in a lengthening line of right place at the right time guys that have capitalized for a brief time on building/marketing a web site. There are numerous truly innovative/influential/exceptional people in the domains of computer science/programming/etc. I don't think he's among them, and frankly part of what troubles me about this film is that it gives people the perception that he is while they've probably never heard of a guy like (Sir) Tim Berners-Lee, who in the long run will actually find a permanent/non-trivial place in the history books.

My problems with TSN really didn't have anything to do with whether or not Zuckerberg is important enough to have a movie made about him or what his place in history should be.I just found it lacking. Someone earlier called it soulless, that seems to fit the bill quite nicely. I really don't think it's a Best Picture quality film.

 

[John 14:6]

My problems with TSN really didn't have anything to do with whether or not Zuckerberg is important enough to have a movie made about him or what his place in history should be.I just found it lacking. Someone earlier called it soulless, that seems to fit the bill quite nicely. I really don't think it's a Best Picture quality film.

I haven't been following this discussion, but this rings true to me. I wouldn't say it was bad by any means, but I don't understand why people say it's so great...

 

[Gr00vus]

I would see it your way regarding movies made about people hitting the lottery, but any story involving generating income that I couldn't earn doing what I'm doing now in a hundred lifetimes, grabs my attention almost immediately. You may get to be a millionaire by accident, but billionaires are usually doing something a bit different than anyone else and for me it's worth seeing. Maybe this is just the slick haired conservative side of me talking.

In regards to this, I don't think Facebook guy is actually doing anything that exceptional. I think he's another in a lengthening line of right place at the right time guys that have capitalized for a brief time on building/marketing a web site. There are numerous truly innovative/influential/exceptional people in the domains of computer science/programming/etc. I don't think he's among them, and frankly part of what troubles me about this film is that it gives people the perception that he is while they've probably never heard of a guy like (Sir) Tim Berners-Lee, who in the long run will actually find a permanent/non-trivial place in the history books.

My problems with TSN really didn't have anything to do with whether or not Zuckerberg is important enough to have a movie made about him or what his place in history should be.I just found it lacking. Someone earlier called it soulless, that seems to fit the bill quite nicely. I really don't think it's a Best Picture quality film.

I agree with your latter point and felt the same. My thoughts on Zuckerberg's importance are just an additional drawback of the film for me. He's not interesting, and therefore I don't really care about what happens to/with him.

 

[Time Kibitzer]

Hoop Dreams

Perhaps the greatest documentary I've ever seen. Was apprehensive about seeing it for a long time due to the 3 hour length, but had the time so I watched it and am very glad I did. For such a long movie, it does a fantastic job of keeping your attention throughout. Movie is filled with a bunch of real, kind human beings facing some serious issues/disadvantages. Sucks to think what could have been in regard to William Gates making the NBA if it weren't for the St. Joseph's coach. It's sad how that coach comes across extremely poorly as both a coach and a person, yet he seemed to be highly regarded by his peers/the media; and the coach of Marshall comes across as a great coach and excellent person yet receives no such fanfare.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Watching Gunless right now. I didn't know if I would like it, but so far it is enjoyable and funny.

I tried for 20 minutes to remember where I saw the star Paul Gross, then looked it up. It turns out he was the star of the late 90's series Due South. I enjoyed that show, so I am acquiring it now.

Watched this last night. Pretty good, eh!

 

[D_House]

Despicable Me - Meh. Not even in the same league as Pixar films 5/10

Didn't care much for the movie but I liked the character Carell played.

My wife and I loved this. My only complaint is that the villain, Vector, should have been voiced by a more charismatic actor. Agreed that Carell was very good.

 

[jamny]

Watched Taxi Driver for the first time in probably 20 years. Still holds up well. Great movie.

I didn't realize Scorcese was in it. I had to wait for the credits to make sure it was him.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Hoop Dreams

Perhaps the greatest documentary I've ever seen. Was apprehensive about seeing it for a long time due to the 3 hour length, but had the time so I watched it and am very glad I did. For such a long movie, it does a fantastic job of keeping your attention throughout. Movie is filled with a bunch of real, kind human beings facing some serious issues/disadvantages. Sucks to think what could have been in regard to William Gates making the NBA if it weren't for the St. Joseph's coach. It's sad how that coach comes across extremely poorly as both a coach and a person, yet he seemed to be highly regarded by his peers/the media; and the coach of Marshall comes across as a great coach and excellent person yet receives no such fanfare.

Loved this movie. If you like sports documentaries, I can't say enough good things about Murderball and When We Were Kings.

 

[jdoggydogg]

I was going to go see The Green Hornet tonight, but I don't want to see that more than I want to see True Grit again. So there it is.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Was watching Ronin again for the millionth time because I can't resist. It occurs to me that the non-action sequences in this movie are better than some of the non-action sequences in Heat. Heat gets all the hype, but the constant tension in Ronin is really outstanding.

 

[El Floppo]

Was watching Ronin again for the millionth time because I can't resist. It occurs to me that the non-action sequences in this movie are better than some of the non-action sequences in Heat. Heat gets all the hype, but the constant tension in Ronin is really outstanding.

Maybe the best car chase... dare I say.... ever? (all due respect to French Connection)Always enjoy Ronin.

 

[El Floppo]

We saw the new Harry Potter movie... kind of a mess, as can be expected of a two-parter. But I actually found it beautifully filmed- particularly the scenes in nature. Had some issues witht he pacing (up and down- hard to get my bearings).

eta: we like the series and this was more of a setup, but still ok.

 

[jamny]

Was watching Ronin again for the millionth time because I can't resist. It occurs to me that the non-action sequences in this movie are better than some of the non-action sequences in Heat. Heat gets all the hype, but the constant tension in Ronin is really outstanding.

Maybe the best car chase... dare I say.... ever? (all due respect to French Connection)Always enjoy Ronin.

might be better than French Connection but no way it's better than Bullitt

 

[D_House]

I recently read a Walter Mosley "Easy Rawlins" novel (Little Scarlet) and upon researching the series, saw that the first Easy Rawlins novel (Devil in A Blue Dress) was made into a film several years ago. Denzel Washington plays Easy in a story very much influenced by Chandler's The Big Sleep. Don Cheadle stands out in a supporting role as Easy's psychopathic sidekick. I'd recommend it to fans of the actors mentioned and to noir/crime film fans. Netflix offers it instant streaming.

 

[Time Kibitzer]

Hoop Dreams

Perhaps the greatest documentary I've ever seen. Was apprehensive about seeing it for a long time due to the 3 hour length, but had the time so I watched it and am very glad I did. For such a long movie, it does a fantastic job of keeping your attention throughout. Movie is filled with a bunch of real, kind human beings facing some serious issues/disadvantages. Sucks to think what could have been in regard to William Gates making the NBA if it weren't for the St. Joseph's coach. It's sad how that coach comes across extremely poorly as both a coach and a person, yet he seemed to be highly regarded by his peers/the media; and the coach of Marshall comes across as a great coach and excellent person yet receives no such fanfare.

Loved this movie. If you like sports documentaries, I can't say enough good things about Murderball and When We Were Kings.

Already seen them both. Both excellent films.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Was watching Ronin again for the millionth time because I can't resist. It occurs to me that the non-action sequences in this movie are better than some of the non-action sequences in Heat. Heat gets all the hype, but the constant tension in Ronin is really outstanding.

Maybe the best car chase... dare I say.... ever? (all due respect to French Connection)Always enjoy Ronin.

Makes me want to see more John Frankenheimer movies. Uhhhh as long as I can skip Reindeer Games and The Island of Dr. Moreau.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Was watching Ronin again for the millionth time because I can't resist. It occurs to me that the non-action sequences in this movie are better than some of the non-action sequences in Heat. Heat gets all the hype, but the constant tension in Ronin is really outstanding.

Maybe the best car chase... dare I say.... ever? (all due respect to French Connection)Always enjoy Ronin.

Not a fan of Bullitt.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Hoop Dreams

Perhaps the greatest documentary I've ever seen. Was apprehensive about seeing it for a long time due to the 3 hour length, but had the time so I watched it and am very glad I did. For such a long movie, it does a fantastic job of keeping your attention throughout. Movie is filled with a bunch of real, kind human beings facing some serious issues/disadvantages. Sucks to think what could have been in regard to William Gates making the NBA if it weren't for the St. Joseph's coach. It's sad how that coach comes across extremely poorly as both a coach and a person, yet he seemed to be highly regarded by his peers/the media; and the coach of Marshall comes across as a great coach and excellent person yet receives no such fanfare.

Loved this movie. If you like sports documentaries, I can't say enough good things about Murderball and When We Were Kings.

Already seen them both. Both excellent films.

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

About A Boy

I DVR'd this over the summer, and watched it only recently.

What a sweet, charming movie. The kid was good, Grant was good and Toni Collette was good. The arc of Grant's character was well written and he played it very well.

Just a well put together movie.

I don't know what has happened to Hugh Grant. He is on one of the worst losing streaks maybe ever in cinema. His choices these past few years have been dreadful, nearly unwatchable. That awful flick with Sarah Jessica Parker has been stinking up all the Starz channels the last couple of months.

He is the same age as Colin Firth, who is doing fantastic work, so Grant has no excuse.

 

[Chaka]

Was watching Ronin again for the millionth time because I can't resist. It occurs to me that the non-action sequences in this movie are better than some of the non-action sequences in Heat. Heat gets all the hype, but the constant tension in Ronin is really outstanding.

Maybe the best car chase... dare I say.... ever? (all due respect to French Connection)Always enjoy Ronin.

I guess jamny is exclusively talking about the car chases, if he is talking about the whole film then he got that backwards IMO.

 

[Chaka]

Hoop Dreams

Perhaps the greatest documentary I've ever seen. Was apprehensive about seeing it for a long time due to the 3 hour length, but had the time so I watched it and am very glad I did. For such a long movie, it does a fantastic job of keeping your attention throughout. Movie is filled with a bunch of real, kind human beings facing some serious issues/disadvantages. Sucks to think what could have been in regard to William Gates making the NBA if it weren't for the St. Joseph's coach. It's sad how that coach comes across extremely poorly as both a coach and a person, yet he seemed to be highly regarded by his peers/the media; and the coach of Marshall comes across as a great coach and excellent person yet receives no such fanfare.

Loved this movie. If you like sports documentaries, I can't say enough good things about Murderball and When We Were Kings.

Already seen them both. Both excellent films.

WWK is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen, regardless of topic. I really enjoyed Murderball too but I don't think it was nearly as compelling as WWK. Hoop Dreams falls somewhere in between for me.

 

[jamny]

Was watching Ronin again for the millionth time because I can't resist. It occurs to me that the non-action sequences in this movie are better than some of the non-action sequences in Heat. Heat gets all the hype, but the constant tension in Ronin is really outstanding.

Maybe the best car chase... dare I say.... ever? (all due respect to French Connection)Always enjoy Ronin.

yeah, strictly talking car chases.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I recently read a Walter Mosley "Easy Rawlins" novel (Little Scarlet) and upon researching the series, saw that the first Easy Rawlins novel (Devil in A Blue Dress) was made into a film several years ago. Denzel Washington plays Easy in a story very much influenced by Chandler's The Big Sleep. Don Cheadle stands out in a supporting role as Easy's psychopathic sidekick. I'd recommend it to fans of the actors mentioned and to noir/crime film fans. Netflix offers it instant streaming.

Like this one a lot. Probably in my Denzel Top 5Which makes me think about that now...

1. American Gangster

2. Man on Fire

3. He Got Game

4. Devil In A Blue Dress

5. Training Day

6. The Hurricane

HM: Inside Man, The Bone Collector, Fallen

ETA: Havent seen Malcom X

 

[jdoggydogg]

Hoop Dreams

Perhaps the greatest documentary I've ever seen. Was apprehensive about seeing it for a long time due to the 3 hour length, but had the time so I watched it and am very glad I did. For such a long movie, it does a fantastic job of keeping your attention throughout. Movie is filled with a bunch of real, kind human beings facing some serious issues/disadvantages. Sucks to think what could have been in regard to William Gates making the NBA if it weren't for the St. Joseph's coach. It's sad how that coach comes across extremely poorly as both a coach and a person, yet he seemed to be highly regarded by his peers/the media; and the coach of Marshall comes across as a great coach and excellent person yet receives no such fanfare.

Loved this movie. If you like sports documentaries, I can't say enough good things about Murderball and When We Were Kings.

Already seen them both. Both excellent films.

WWK is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen, regardless of topic. I really enjoyed Murderball too but I don't think it was nearly as compelling as WWK. Hoop Dreams falls somewhere in between for me.

Ultimately, few documentaries of any subject matter can best WWWK.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Unnecessary Sequel News:

Zoolander 2 script completed, says Ben Stiller; Johnny Depp on board for fifth Pirates film; Sixth Fast & Furious flick already in the works, with possible Dwayne Johnson also on the table.

 

[jeter23]

Watched Knowing with Cage, what a piece of junk. So many plot holes, but what do you expect from him at this point?

 

[Jutz]

Cocaine Cowboys - I just watched this last night. I thought it was really cool. I live in Lakeland and the one pilot was saying he used to fly his goods from GA into Lakeland. He had a landing strip and a few 'barns' where he kept his planes. Very interesting. I saw there is a Cocaine Cowboys 2. I'll be watching that soon.

Beautiful Losers - this was OK. It was a kind of interesting story, but not that interesting to watch as a documentary. It was slow... and I usually don't like 'artsy' stuff... but this was OK. I liked most of the artists covered in the story except a few.



Crazy Heart - I don't know... I mean... it was good. But that's about all I'll give it. I think Bridges played the part perfect, but that doesn't mean the movie was great. I was good though... don't get me wrong.



Death At A Funeral - I watched this whole movie. I can't believe i made it through the whole thing. Possibly one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I was shocked Chris Rock had anything to do with this.

The Bounty Hunter - pretty much what I or anyone would expect from it. A mildly entertaining romantic comedy. Quality effort if your looking for that type of movie

The Proposal - I am a big Van Wilder fan so I like the movies Van Wilder is in more then most people do. I thought it was a cool movie. Pretty much followed the classic romantic comedy story line. I guess I like it when movies do that.



Dirty Deeds - this is a sophmoric teenage movie starring the 'bad infulence' boyfriend of Rory on Gilmore Girls (Luke's nephu). Again, pretty much what I expected. I guess this one gets an OK or passable grade which is about the best you can get for one of these movies. It was somewhat entertaining and I stuck through the whole thing. Two things I can't say about 18 Year Old Virgin or Who's Your Daddy two movies I attempted to watch but were so sophmoric I couldn't even make it through.

SLC Punk - I never saw this movie around the time it came out and I heard from a few friends that it was 'pretty good' over the years. I would have to say I think they are probably right. It was 'pretty good'. I don't know though. I think maybe time has hurt this movie. I don't know because I didn't see it when it first came out... but it seemed pretty cliche and somewhat outdated to me. Even with those elements it was again, interesting enough to keep my attention and watch the whole thing.

As you can see I recently got a PS3 and have it hooked up to Netflix. Most of these (except Crazy Heart) were instant watch. I am watching a documentary about Christian Hosoi right now that is awesome. Just started watching it though.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Death At A Funeral - I watched this whole movie. I can't believe i made it through the whole thing. Possibly one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I was shocked Chris Rock had anything to do with this.

Watch the original. Far, far better.

 

[saintfool]

"world's greatest dad" tonight. black comedy written by bobcat goldthwaite with robin williams as the lead. i was disappointed in this. bobcat is very, very funny and williams is an actor who could pull off this challenging role. this needed to be darker somehow to make it funnier and instead it played it pretty safe.

 

[El Floppo]

I recently read a Walter Mosley "Easy Rawlins" novel (Little Scarlet) and upon researching the series, saw that the first Easy Rawlins novel (Devil in A Blue Dress) was made into a film several years ago. Denzel Washington plays Easy in a story very much influenced by Chandler's The Big Sleep. Don Cheadle stands out in a supporting role as Easy's psychopathic sidekick. I'd recommend it to fans of the actors mentioned and to noir/crime film fans. Netflix offers it instant streaming.

Like this one a lot. Probably in my Denzel Top 5Which makes me think about that now...

1. American Gangster

2. Man on Fire

3. He Got Game

4. Devil In A Blue Dress

5. Training Day

6. The Hurricane

HM: Inside Man, The Bone Collector, Fallen

ETA: Havent seen Malcom X

See Malcolm X. Spike and Denzel's best, by a lot IMO.

 

[saintfool]

See Malcolm X. Spike and Denzel's best, by a lot IMO.

i would tend to agree with this. it's certainly his most ambitious and the film largely fulfills those rather lofty goals. i found myself watching "the larry sanders show" on netflix last night and it is incredibly funny. it's also a great snapshot into the 90's. i'm also picking up on how this show was kind of a blueprint for a number of other contemporary comedies. highly recommended. rip torn is $$$.

 

[El Floppo]

See Malcolm X. Spike and Denzel's best, by a lot IMO.

i would tend to agree with this. it's certainly his most ambitious and the film largely fulfills those rather lofty goals. i found myself watching "the larry sanders show" on netflix last night and it is incredibly funny. it's also a great snapshot into the 90's. i'm also picking up on how this show was kind of a blueprint for a number of other contemporary comedies. highly recommended. rip torn is $$$.

its on IFC as well- great getting to watch it again. and yeah- Rip Torn's is one of my all-time favorite comic TV characters

 

[krista4]

I recently read a Walter Mosley "Easy Rawlins" novel (Little Scarlet) and upon researching the series, saw that the first Easy Rawlins novel (Devil in A Blue Dress) was made into a film several years ago. Denzel Washington plays Easy in a story very much influenced by Chandler's The Big Sleep. Don Cheadle stands out in a supporting role as Easy's psychopathic sidekick. I'd recommend it to fans of the actors mentioned and to noir/crime film fans. Netflix offers it instant streaming.

Like this one a lot. Probably in my Denzel Top 5Which makes me think about that now...

1. American Gangster

2. Man on Fire

3. He Got Game

4. Devil In A Blue Dress

5. Training Day

6. The Hurricane

HM: Inside Man, The Bone Collector, Fallen

ETA: Havent seen Malcom X

See Malcolm X. Spike and Denzel's best, by a lot IMO.

My third favorite Spike after When the Levees Broke and 25th Hour.KP2, I like your willingness to put the list out there, but no Glory????