Recently viewed movie thread - Rental Edition (9 Viewers)

[Chaka]

Buried - What's not to love? I mean, who doesn't want to see Ryan Reynolds buried in a box?

Worth watching.

 

[Chaka]

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - Seen the Swedish version thought this one was just as good, ultimately they were both incredibly similar. I don't think I prefer one over the other. The Swedish version went a little bit more into Salander's childhood, the American had a more nuanced ending. Never read the books so don't know which version holds truer but I imagine they are both about the same.

WTF was up with Fincher's opening credits? That was just bizarre.

Either way, good flick.

I think you are at least the second person to comment on the opening credits. I thought they were awesome.I read the book and have seen the Swedish version. It wasn't clear to me watching this film how Blomqvist pieced everything together at the end, but other than that I thought it was very well made. Still very similar to the Swedish version, but entertaining to watch nonetheless.

Rooney Mara killed this role.

The logo on the school jacket is what tied it together but Blomqvist didn't actually piece everything together until after he was captured by the killer.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

Buried - What's not to love? I mean, who doesn't want to see Ryan Reynolds buried in a box?

Worth watching.

Kept me interested for a short time but dragged too much. I don't recommend it.

 

[hooter311]

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - Seen the Swedish version thought this one was just as good, ultimately they were both incredibly similar. I don't think I prefer one over the other. The Swedish version went a little bit more into Salander's childhood, the American had a more nuanced ending. Never read the books so don't know which version holds truer but I imagine they are both about the same.

WTF was up with Fincher's opening credits? That was just bizarre.

Either way, good flick.

The opening credits are unlike anything I've ever seen in a movie - and that's why I love Fincher.One could argue that Tattoo contains very similar thematic material from both SE7EN and Zodiac. Either way, Rooney Mara puts this movie way over the top for me. I loved her in it.

On one of the commentary tracks for Fight Club Fincher goes on about how he designed and filmed the opening sequence, one of my favorite parts of any commentary track.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Tree of Life - what the heck was this? I had to turn it off about 40 minutes in. It did nothing for me or my girlfriend. Does it get better? Is there any dialogue whatsoever besides what they are "thinking"?

No. You are a wise man for turning it off early. Wish I had done the same.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol

Its just a ton of fancy filmwork. Non-stop. Mind numbing. Boring. But very vivid.

Hard to even watch it to completion. Characters were generally weak. But the action was anything but weak.

Jeremy Renner may have been the best acting of the movie, but his character wasnt anything to remember.

Plot? Who cares, this movie is about thrills. Though the film doesnt lend itself to believability very often

The few bits of comedy worked very well, if for nothing else as a pit stop from trying to keep up with the stunts & action.

2/5

Do you not like action films in general? I thought this movie was a lot of fun.

 

[jdoggydogg]

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - Seen the Swedish version thought this one was just as good, ultimately they were both incredibly similar. I don't think I prefer one over the other. The Swedish version went a little bit more into Salander's childhood, the American had a more nuanced ending. Never read the books so don't know which version holds truer but I imagine they are both about the same.

WTF was up with Fincher's opening credits? That was just bizarre.

Either way, good flick.

I think you are at least the second person to comment on the opening credits. I thought they were awesome.I read the book and have seen the Swedish version. It wasn't clear to me watching this film how Blomqvist pieced everything together at the end, but other than that I thought it was very well made. Still very similar to the Swedish version, but entertaining to watch nonetheless.

Rooney Mara killed this role.

Opening credits were remarkable. I was talking to my mother in law a couple weeks after we'd both seen the movie on our own, and she couldn't remember anything about the opening credits. I said, "Are you sure we saw the same movie?"

 

[jdoggydogg]

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - Seen the Swedish version thought this one was just as good, ultimately they were both incredibly similar. I don't think I prefer one over the other. The Swedish version went a little bit more into Salander's childhood, the American had a more nuanced ending. Never read the books so don't know which version holds truer but I imagine they are both about the same.

WTF was up with Fincher's opening credits? That was just bizarre.

Either way, good flick.

The opening credits are unlike anything I've ever seen in a movie - and that's why I love Fincher.One could argue that Tattoo contains very similar thematic material from both SE7EN and Zodiac. Either way, Rooney Mara puts this movie way over the top for me. I loved her in it.

On one of the commentary tracks for Fight Club Fincher goes on about how he designed and filmed the opening sequence, one of my favorite parts of any commentary track.

I listened to all of those commentary tracks.

 

[Chaka]

Tsotsi - 2006 Oscar for best foreign language film. Early in the film I thought it was going to be a City of God type film but it quickly became a character study as the leader of the murderous gang has a transformative experience after unknowingly stealing a car with an infant inside. The movie kind of meanders a little but it really captures the struggle of a young and ignorant man who is struggling with the notion of changing the nature of his life without even realizing that is what is occurring to him.

It's short (94min) and interesting. Worth it for fans of foreign film.

 

[Chaka]

Katyn - 2008 best foreign picture nominee (lost to The Counterfeiters but Mongol was my favorite from that year). Tells the story of the Soviet massacre of 12,000 Polish officers during WWII and their attempts to cover it up by passing the blame on the Nazis. I think the subtitles may have killed a lot of what may have been good about this film because I really got the feeling that a lot of what they were trying to convey was lost in translation. It took me awhile to piece the story together as it had some time jumps, even though it was told in linear fashion, and later in the film they introduced some new characters that I had a difficult time tying into the main story. It is certainly a powerful and tragic story and has some very interesting elements but overall this one missed for me.

 

[Chaka]

Limitless - Another take on the "I woke up this morning and all of a sudden I'm a serious bad-###" ala Bourne Identity, theme. It's a fun premise and it naturally has to make you wonder "What if?". Although in my estimation, unlocking 100% of your brain capacity would be a one-way express ticket to Schizoid City. Since that wasn't the case here I was shocked that for someone who unlocked his inner four digit IQ the notion of doing things in a subtle manner and trying not to draw attention to himself, from the murderous thugs who are after the wonder drug, as he amassed his fortune was completely lost on him. As was moderation in the use of his limited supply of the wonder drug. And let's not get started on the whole ice skating thing with the girlfriend.

Okay so it has a ton of flaws but this is really just supposed to be a fun "What if?" story and for the most part it does a decent job if you choose not to look at it too critically.

 

[El Floppo]

Pandorum... I think I just saw it. Somebody tell me how it was.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Pandorum... I think I just saw it. Somebody tell me how it was.

Weak and forgettable.

 

[El Floppo]

Pandorum... I think I just saw it. Somebody tell me how it was.

Weak and forgettable.

There were zombies, right? Or was that Waiting to Exhale?

 

[Chaka]

Hudson Hawk - I remember watching this on cable way back when and finding it so ridiculous in the beginning that I changed channels. A couple weeks ago it got a surprising amount of love in this thread (or maybe it was the Netflix one) so I became intrigued and I got around to watching it again. My opinion has changed.

It's not a great movie but it is great fun. It never takes itself too seriously and has some beautifully outlandish characters. I am glad that whoever it was in here convinced me to revisit it (although it did remind me that for some reason every time I see Sandra Bernhard for some reason I just want to punch her square in the face).

 

[Chaka]

Killshot - Mickey Rourke, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Diane Lane and, everyone's favorite actor who just can't seem to break out of B-Movie oblivion, Thomas Jane. Jane & Lane are a couple who can identify a ruthless killer (Rourke), naturally Rourke wants to kill them and they don't want to die (go figure). JGL is a crazy dude who Rourke takes under his wing.

Not terrible, not great, not original. Late night, nothing on then it's worth a watch.

 

[Chaka]

Hobo with a Shotgun - This is the movie that Machete should have been. Where Machete tried to evoke 70s exploitation films, HwaS really feels like a 70s film. No CGI blood spatter just cheesy blood packs and plaster of paris or silicone body parts getting shot, hacked and slashed pretty much from beginning to end. One of the bloodiest films I have seen in awhile. Everything is done in an over the top fashion and every bad guy is just about the most extreme caricature of same that you can imagine.

I am not calling this a good film, it's not. It really could never be a good film. However it hit the notes that it was trying to hit and hits them well.

Plus it's got Rutger Hauer killing people with a shotgun. And Rob Wells also has a brief but memorable cameo. What's not to love about that?

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol

Its just a ton of fancy filmwork. Non-stop. Mind numbing. Boring. But very vivid.

Hard to even watch it to completion. Characters were generally weak. But the action was anything but weak.

Jeremy Renner may have been the best acting of the movie, but his character wasnt anything to remember.

Plot? Who cares, this movie is about thrills. Though the film doesnt lend itself to believability very often

The few bits of comedy worked very well, if for nothing else as a pit stop from trying to keep up with the stunts & action.

2/5

Do you not like action films in general? I thought this movie was a lot of fun.

I can certainly see where people would find this movie fun.Just like people found Transformers 2 to be fun. I can understand it, but I want more.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Hudson Hawk - I remember watching this on cable way back when and finding it so ridiculous in the beginning that I changed channels. A couple weeks ago it got a surprising amount of love in this thread (or maybe it was the Netflix one) so I became intrigued and I got around to watching it again. My opinion has changed.

It's not a great movie but it is great fun. It never takes itself too seriously and has some beautifully outlandish characters. I am glad that whoever it was in here convinced me to revisit it (although it did remind me that for some reason every time I see Sandra Bernhard for some reason I just want to punch her square in the face).

I remember hearing how bad this was supposed to be, but I enjoyed it.

 

[hooter311]

Ishtar

This movie has been all over HD Network this month.

If you went in without any knowledge of the history of the movie it would come off as a decent comedy with a few not so subtle political undertones.

Obviously, they cast against type with Hoffman playing charismatic and over-the-top, and Beatty playing shy and bumbling--and that is what sinks the movie. It was implausible that a tall, ridiculously good looking guy would be so clumsy, and the short ugly guy would be so suave. Every scene between the two felt strained and unconvincing.

If Beatty and Hoffman had played their natural types the movie would have felt a lot more authentic.

It seemed that that everyone involved was trying too hard, and that made the film ponderous.

Not a great film, but not one of the worst ever.

This wasn't nearly as bad as its reputation. Same IMO for Hudson Hawk.

I thought the same thing. I found that movie entertaining

Lol, I just happened to watch this yesterday morning thanks to Instant Watch. It was as awesome as I remember it being, one of those just way ahead of its time.

Bunny, ball ball?

 

[saintfool]

Pandorum... I think I just saw it. Somebody tell me how it was.

Weak and forgettable.

There were zombies, right? Or was that Waiting to Exhale?

both?

 

[Time Kibitzer]

Hobo with a Shotgun - This is the movie that Machete should have been. Where Machete tried to evoke 70s exploitation films, HwaS really feels like a 70s film. No CGI blood spatter just cheesy blood packs and plaster of paris or silicone body parts getting shot, hacked and slashed pretty much from beginning to end. One of the bloodiest films I have seen in awhile. Everything is done in an over the top fashion and every bad guy is just about the most extreme caricature of same that you can imagine.

I am not calling this a good film, it's not. It really could never be a good film. However it hit the notes that it was trying to hit and hits them well.

Plus it's got Rutger Hauer killing people with a shotgun. And Rob Wells also has a brief but memorable cameo. What's not to love about that?

Not only am I Canadian, but I'm a Trailer Park Boys fan and I had no idea what Ricky's real name was. Even now, I'll probably forget it in a few days

 

[Chaka]

Never Let Me Go - I liked it better when it was called The Island.

Kidding! It was an interesting movie and very well acted (Andrew Garfield was excellent). I think it was intentional that the characters were not emotional about their fate, which is why Garfield was allowed to shine, but it had the effect of not getting me too emotionally invested in the characters either. Beyond that there is really just no way that I can accept this type of alternate reality as being even remotely plausible on any level without a significant amount of moral outrage associated with it and they only very briefly touched on that and it was immediately dismissed. I understand that pursuing that kind of plot development was beyond the intended scope of the film and would diminish the character driven aspects but barely giving it a nod of respect just didn't work for me.

Overall an above average film, mostly because of the acting, that I could see being enjoyed significantly more by others than it was for me.

 

[cstu]

Pandorum... I think I just saw it. Somebody tell me how it was.

Weak and forgettable.

You're dead to me.

 

[cstu]

Take Shelter - Michael Shannon freaks me the #### out so the movie had that going for it from the beginning. The feeling of dread in the movie was as good as anything I've seen. 7.5/10

 

[hooter311]

Pandorum... I think I just saw it. Somebody tell me how it was.

Weak and forgettable.

You're dead to me.

Trying to think of a sci-fi title I've enjoyed more since Serenity....nothing coming to me yet.I do think they should have stuck with the physiological storyline and left the Superbeast fighting one alone.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Never Let Me Go - I liked it better when it was called The Island.

Kidding! It was an interesting movie and very well acted (Andrew Garfield was excellent). I think it was intentional that the characters were not emotional about their fate, which is why Garfield was allowed to shine, but it had the effect of not getting me too emotionally invested in the characters either. Beyond that there is really just no way that I can accept this type of alternate reality as being even remotely plausible on any level without a significant amount of moral outrage associated with it and they only very briefly touched on that and it was immediately dismissed. I understand that pursuing that kind of plot development was beyond the intended scope of the film and would diminish the character driven aspects but barely giving it a nod of respect just didn't work for me.

Overall an above average film, mostly because of the acting, that I could see being enjoyed significantly more by others than it was for me.

I think this is a beautiful movie. Not at all perfect, but interesting and lovingly photographed. Regarding the moral outrage, this movie makes me think of China or Nazi Germany. Humans have endured great hardship and suffering throughout history without revolt.

 

[saintfool]

Take Shelter - Michael Shannon freaks me the #### out so the movie had that going for it from the beginning. The feeling of dread in the movie was as good as anything I've seen. 7.5/10

this guy?

 

[hooter311]

Gigli

I had seen parts before, but I finally sat through the whole thing. "F" bombs every other word, a really bad, offensive, "Rain Man" character, and might as well piss off the lesbians while that are at it.

Unintentional laughter like this is kind of hard to find, especially for this kind of production. Deserves to be known as the king of all bombs. Even Howard the Duck had more going for it than this.

/ 5

 

[dmac37]

Men of a Certain Age

Finally had a chance to start this series. Ray Romano, Scott Bacula and Andre Braugher star in this smart series about middle aged men. Highly recommended.

Great show, I was all fired up waiting for this season to start up only to find out they cancelled it

 

[jdoggydogg]

Men of a Certain Age

Finally had a chance to start this series. Ray Romano, Scott Bacula and Andre Braugher star in this smart series about middle aged men. Highly recommended.

Great show, I was all fired up waiting for this season to start up only to find out they cancelled it

Of course the show got cancelled. Smart TV made for adults is a rare thing.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Killer Elite

Good action and cast. Convoluted storyline that just never created any suspense. 2/5

 

[Kenny Powers]

Hudson Hawk - I remember watching this on cable way back when and finding it so ridiculous in the beginning that I changed channels. A couple weeks ago it got a surprising amount of love in this thread (or maybe it was the Netflix one) so I became intrigued and I got around to watching it again. My opinion has changed.

It's not a great movie but it is great fun. It never takes itself too seriously and has some beautifully outlandish characters. I am glad that whoever it was in here convinced me to revisit it (although it did remind me that for some reason every time I see Sandra Bernhard for some reason I just want to punch her square in the face).

This movie gets railed and is consistently on those Top 10 flop lists (which Ishtar is as well, nuce bump Hooter), but I found both to be entertaining if not average at worst.$ isnt everything.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Killshot - Mickey Rourke, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Diane Lane and, everyone's favorite actor who just can't seem to break out of B-Movie oblivion, Thomas Jane. Jane & Lane are a couple who can identify a ruthless killer (Rourke), naturally Rourke wants to kill them and they don't want to die (go figure). JGL is a crazy dude who Rourke takes under his wing.

Not terrible, not great, not original. Late night, nothing on then it's worth a watch.

This is one of those movies that is quintessential 3/5 for me. Nice plot, action, and acting by a handful of name actors. Nothing great about it, but nothing to complain about either really. The best/most memorable thing to me from Killshot was JGL as a character that is way out of his wheelhouse and he nailed it and stole all his scenes. Rourke was solid but this was standard Rourke. Id say worth watching but nothing to go out of your way for.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Hobo with a Shotgun - This is the movie that Machete should have been. Where Machete tried to evoke 70s exploitation films, HwaS really feels like a 70s film. No CGI blood spatter just cheesy blood packs and plaster of paris or silicone body parts getting shot, hacked and slashed pretty much from beginning to end. One of the bloodiest films I have seen in awhile. Everything is done in an over the top fashion and every bad guy is just about the most extreme caricature of same that you can imagine.

I am not calling this a good film, it's not. It really could never be a good film. However it hit the notes that it was trying to hit and hits them well.

Plus it's got Rutger Hauer killing people with a shotgun. And Rob Wells also has a brief but memorable cameo. What's not to love about that?

IIRC, many here disliked this for the violence or just thought it was bad, but Im right with you on this Hobo with a Shotgun..

 

[jdoggydogg]

Killer EliteGood action and cast. Convoluted storyline that just never created any suspense. 2/5

Completely forgettable, but I didn't mind it strictly as a popcorn flick.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Going to see Wrath of the Titans Friday night. I might have to get really, really high to enjoy this movie

 

[Kenny Powers]

Going to see Wrath of the Titans Friday night. I might have to get really, really high to enjoy this movie

If youre gonna pay, IMAX 3D wouldnt hurt

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

Kill The irishman

With Ray Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer and Christopher Walken.

Lots of reasons for me to like this movie: I like mob movies and the cast is excellent. But this is a mess. The director cannot direct actors, the script is bad, and cliches abound.

I saw this over the weekend, and agree 100%. I wouldn't have written a different word.I was looking forward to the movie because this guy's story is interesting. The NY mob looked at Cleveland the way the Yankees look at the Indians--an easy pushover.

And yet, they could not get rid of him. He was a tough SOB. The one scene I liked is the NY guy trying to explain to Paul Sorvino (who was the boss) what the deal was, and Sorvino stupefied.

 

[Chaka]

Killshot - Mickey Rourke, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Diane Lane and, everyone's favorite actor who just can't seem to break out of B-Movie oblivion, Thomas Jane. Jane & Lane are a couple who can identify a ruthless killer (Rourke), naturally Rourke wants to kill them and they don't want to die (go figure). JGL is a crazy dude who Rourke takes under his wing.

Not terrible, not great, not original. Late night, nothing on then it's worth a watch.

This is one of those movies that is quintessential 3/5 for me. Nice plot, action, and acting by a handful of name actors. Nothing great about it, but nothing to complain about either really. The best/most memorable thing to me from Killshot was JGL as a character that is way out of his wheelhouse and he nailed it and stole all his scenes. Rourke was solid but this was standard Rourke. Id say worth watching but nothing to go out of your way for.

Agreed about JGL. He went off type in a similar way for Hesher and, while it was still a pretty solid film, JGL only had flashes and didn't quite make me forget I was watching the kid from 3rd Rock. But in Killshot he was pitch perfect and nailed the role.

 

[Chaka]

Kill The irishman

With Ray Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer and Christopher Walken.

Lots of reasons for me to like this movie: I like mob movies and the cast is excellent. But this is a mess. The director cannot direct actors, the script is bad, and cliches abound.

I saw this over the weekend, and agree 100%. I wouldn't have written a different word.I was looking forward to the movie because this guy's story is interesting. The NY mob looked at Cleveland the way the Yankees look at the Indians--an easy pushover.

And yet, they could not get rid of him. He was a tough SOB. The one scene I liked is the NY guy trying to explain to Paul Sorvino (who was the boss) what the deal was, and Sorvino stupefied.

I might need to watch this again. I was pretty drunk the first time through and I remember being entertained.

 

[Chaka]

The Counterfeiters - 2008 Best Foreign Film Oscar. I previously said that Mongol was my favorite foreign film of that year, and it's still my favorite on most levels but The Counterfeiters is the better movie. It tells the story of the largest counterfeiting effort in history as the Nazis, towards the end of the war tried to flood the world markets with counterfeit British Pounds and U.S. Dollars. Many of the notes we have seen before dealing with the plight of the Jews in concentration camps but this film was still able to be original in it's story and presentation. The acting is excellent and the story is compelling.

I strongly recommend it for fans of foreign film.

 

[Chaka]

Anyone else a little bummed that the post stat counter for this thread gives a Fatal error?

 

[jdoggydogg]

Going to see Wrath of the Titans Friday night. I might have to get really, really high to enjoy this movie

If youre gonna pay, IMAX 3D wouldnt hurt

I can barely stand to pay $7.50, so spending $20 and driving an hour to San Francisco won't be happening.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Kill The irishman

With Ray Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer and Christopher Walken.

Lots of reasons for me to like this movie: I like mob movies and the cast is excellent. But this is a mess. The director cannot direct actors, the script is bad, and cliches abound.

I saw this over the weekend, and agree 100%. I wouldn't have written a different word.I was looking forward to the movie because this guy's story is interesting. The NY mob looked at Cleveland the way the Yankees look at the Indians--an easy pushover.

And yet, they could not get rid of him. He was a tough SOB. The one scene I liked is the NY guy trying to explain to Paul Sorvino (who was the boss) what the deal was, and Sorvino stupefied.

The movie should have been a lot better. I was really surprised.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Anyone else a little bummed that the post stat counter for this thread gives a Fatal error?

What does that mean?

 

[Kenny Powers]

Going to see Wrath of the Titans Friday night. I might have to get really, really high to enjoy this movie

If youre gonna pay, IMAX 3D wouldnt hurt

I can barely stand to pay $7.50, so spending $20 and driving an hour to San Francisco won't be happening.

True.I think it actually looks like a decent popcorn flick /basedonthetrailer

 

[jdoggydogg]

Going to see Wrath of the Titans Friday night. I might have to get really, really high to enjoy this movie

If youre gonna pay, IMAX 3D wouldnt hurt

I can barely stand to pay $7.50, so spending $20 and driving an hour to San Francisco won't be happening.

True.I think it actually looks like a decent popcorn flick /basedonthetrailer

I'd appreciate these movies if my movie buddy was willing to see other kinds of films. It just starts to wear on me.

 

[Chaka]

Going to see Wrath of the Titans Friday night. I might have to get really, really high to enjoy this movie

If youre gonna pay, IMAX 3D wouldnt hurt

I can barely stand to pay $7.50, so spending $20 and driving an hour to San Francisco won't be happening.

True.I think it actually looks like a decent popcorn flick /basedonthetrailer

I'd appreciate these movies if my movie buddy was willing to see other kinds of films. It just starts to wear on me.

You need a new movie buddy. It's your BIL, right? I think you need to convince your sister to get a divorce. I like popcorn fare and shlock as much as the next guy but you gotta get some things with depth in there too.

 

[Socrates11]

Going to see Wrath of the Titans Friday night. I might have to get really, really high to enjoy this movie

If youre gonna pay, IMAX 3D wouldnt hurt

I can barely stand to pay $7.50, so spending $20 and driving an hour to San Francisco won't be happening.

True.I think it actually looks like a decent popcorn flick /basedonthetrailer

I'd appreciate these movies if my movie buddy was willing to see other kinds of films. It just starts to wear on me.

Go to movies solo. I do whenever I get the opportunity.