Movies Seen in 2011

Discussion in 'TV & Media' started by Starbreaker, Dec 31, 2010.

  1. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2005
    Actually, all of the actors are dubbed in the movie, since Italian films of the period recorded sound post-synchronously. And I agree, listening to the actors in their original languages would probably be preferable, though the complete hodge-podge of languages and dialects would eliminate any sense of the film being set in American history (not that there's much of a sense of that, anyway).

    48. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (B+)

    This one is still fun, but not as great as I remembered it. I remember liking it more as a kid, which is interesting, since it's filled with humor that's targeted at adults (more than I remembered, even). Still, Bob Hoskins and Christoper Lloyd are spot-on, and it is more than worth it for a chance to see all these cartoon characters together in a movie.
     
  2. CaptainCanada

    CaptainCanada Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2004
    Location:
    Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
    1. In the Heat of the Night (A)
    2. The Passion of Joan of Arc (B)
    3. The Passion of the Christ (A)
    4. Mamma Mia! (B)
    5. All About Eve (A)
    6. Looking for Anne (B-)
    7. 2001: A Space Odyssey (B+)
    8. The King's Speech (A)
    9. How Green Was My Valley (B-)
    10. Black Swan (B+)
    11. Made in Dagenham (B)
    12. Gentleman's Agreement (A-)
    13. Barney's Version (A-)
    14. Out of Africa (B)
    15. The Social Network (A-)
    16. The Sound of Music (B+)
    17. Pulp Fiction (A)
    18. Forrest Gump (A)
    19. The Shawshank Redemption (A+)
    20. The Illusionist (B)
    21. The French Connection (B+)
    22. Network (A+)
    23. Incendies (A+)
    24. Mrs. Miniver (A)
    25. A Fistful of Dollars (B+)
    26. For A Few Dollars More (B)
    27. WALL-E (A+)
    28. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (A)
    29. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (B)
    30. Gigi (B-)
    31. I Love You Phillip Morris (B+)
    32. How To Train Your Dragon (A)

    I remember when this came out in theatres last February (I think), I considered seeing it, but I never got around to it. Having gotten around to it, this is that rarity, a film I wished I'd seen in 3D; I can imagine the flying scenes would have looked ever more amazing in that format (which is generally much more suited to animation than live action).

    Dreamworks Animation has historically specialized in reference- and irony-heavy stories, in contrast to Disney/Pixar's more classical approach (though the former style is really just a progression of what Disney did in Aladdin and Hercules, and to a much lesser extent, Mulan). Shrek was a hilarious breath of fresh air in 2001, but the progress of that franchise is emblematic of the whole formula: it's tired. This, though, is a pretty straight story, and that much better for it. The flying scenes, as previously mentioned, are stunningly animated, as good as anything Pixar has produced. The animation on the people is also well-done (I was very impressed with Hiccup's skin texture). The main characters are nicely handled - I liked the reversal of typical character types by having the girl be the brute-force-type who learns to give peace a chance. Though the message about befriending the dragons is somewhat muddled by the inclusion of the dragon queen - though I suppose that could just be taken as not painting groups with too broad a brush.
     
  3. Too Much Fun

    Too Much Fun Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2009
    I'm about halfway through "For A Few Dollars More" and I gotta say I'm shocked at how much better it is than "A Fistful of Dollars". It is superior in every conceivable way. Better acting, better characters, better story, better writing/dialogue. A very pleasant surprise after how lame its predecessor was.

    This time, instead of just the Clint Eastwood character and a bunch of loud, boring, ridiculous interchangeable idiot characters, the movie has a whole cast that's strong. Lee Van Cleef's character is just as badass as Clint's, makes a formidable rival, and is an even better ally. I spent most of the first hour eagerly anticipating their beautifully built up showdown, and when it came, it did not disappoint. Their little intimidation fest with shooting at hats was hilarious.

    On top of that, there's a great villain who is charismatic and vicious with a Tarantinoesque speech about the history of a cabinet. The story about two bounty hunters going after the same gang of bank robbers is infinitely more interesting than Eastwood playing two moron gangs against each other. With those two gangs, there was no suspense, because they weren't intimidating. On the other hand, bank robber leader Indio is marvelously intimidating thanks to an early scene where he proves his cruelty and quick draw talent with a family man, wife, and child.

    This may be the greatest western I've ever seen. I'll have to wait till I'm done to decide which one I like more between it and the original "True Grit", but it'll be a close call. This movie reminds me of many other excellent flicks like "Heat", "The Departed"/"Infernal Affairs", and of course the "Kill Bill" movies with its lawmen and criminals, heists, undercover turncoats, and infectiously catchy whistle and chant-heavy score. Unlike "A Fistful of Dollars", I can see how it's not just influential, but also great in its own right.

    This is the kind of movie I always hope for every time I sit down to watch a western and am more often than not disappointed (i.e. "The Searchers", "The Wild Bunch"). I couldn't get into the "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" last time I tried to watch it, but this movie makes me want to give it another chance. Maybe I'll like it more now that I've seen the other movies in the trilogy before it. The dubbing is also less annoying this time. Even if everyone is dubbed, Van Cleef and Eastwood just sound so much more natural because they're speaking their own language. The amount of dialog they get (and how well-written it is) makes this so much more enjoyable to listen to than "A Fistful of Dollars".
     
  4. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2002
    Location:
    Gotham
    "Sucker Punch" (2011) 3/4 stars.
     
  5. Captain Craig

    Captain Craig Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2003
    Location:
    Nashville,TN
    1. The Fighter: B-
    2. Batman(90's saga): A-,B-,C-,D
    3. Star Wars OT-Special Edition: B+, A, B
    4. The Green Hornet: B
    5. True Grit(1969): C+
    6. Lord of the Rings saga: (A,A,A)
    7. The Machinist: A-
    8. Season of the Witch: B
    9. Frozen: A-
    10. Due Date: B+
    11. Planet of the Apes(2001): B-
    12. Faster: C
    13. Romance: D (French film, subtitled)
    14. YPF: C- (YPF=Young People F*&^ing)
    15. The Beautiful Truth: B-
    16. Strictly Sexual: C+
    17. DOOM: C
    18. Brothers: B+
    19. Men In Black II: B-
    20. The Crow: Wicked Prayer: C-
    21. The Soloist: C
    22. Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love: C+
    23. I Now Pronounce you Chuck & Larry: B-
    24. Battle in Heaven: C+ (Mexican film, subtitled)
    25. Legion: B-
    26. Battle: LA: B+
    27. Righteous Kill: B
    28. Dracula II: Ascension: B-
    29. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li: D
    30. You Don't Mess With the Zohan: C+
    31. Finding Bliss: C
    32. Dracula III: Legacy: B-


    Felt it was on par with Dracula II. Would like to have been able to grade it higher but the Luke character wouldn't allow for it. If his character hadn't bounced between comedic relief and 'voice of the viewer' witch such jarring swings it would've been better just for that.

    The series at this point has our 'Priest'(Jason Scott Lee) or D.G.(damaged goods) as Luke calls him being defrocked. He is fighting the vampire infection within himself. He goes through a daily 'purge' in the sunlight to keep it at bay. In essence he is a daywalker.

    Rutger Hauer is the dark lord Dracula himself in this installment. I found it interesting that while on 5 years movie time had passed from the second Dracula had seemingly aged 40yrs. In part two he looked to be about mid 20's for his resurrection and used the resurrection to explain why he no longer look like Gerad Butler but in 5yrs he looks different and older...just because?

    I won't go into too much but this Dracula saga is a fun watch and ranks tops in terms of B movie horror/vamp flicks. In fact it's at least as good as some of the ones like Piranha 3-D that make it to wide release.
     
  6. barnaclelapse

    barnaclelapse Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    May 10, 2009
    Location:
    Waverly, VA.
    Here's a few:

    Kelly's Heroes: 3/5
    -I'm not big on war movies, but this was pretty good. The cast was certainly entertaining, and it's kinda creepy how little Harry Dean Stanton has aged over the years.
    Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil: 3/5
    -It was okay, but I think I would have liked it more had I not first lived in Savannah for over a year.
    Wild Bill: 3/5
    Limitless: 4/5
    Paul: 2.5/5
    -I'm still not sure I like my rating on this one. It was good, but I just thought it should have been better given the people involved.
    The Last Detail: 4/5
    American Heart: 4/5
    Grown-Ups: 3/5
    Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein: 5/5
    Best in Show: 5/5
    Murder by Death: 4/5
    Hoffa: 3/5
    Dick: 3/5
    Solitary Man: 4/5
    Human Centipede: 2/5
    Rango: 5/5
    -I still cannot believe how much I loved this movie on every possible front.
    Mulholland Falls: 5/5
    -Great, somewhat forgotten Nick Nolte movie. The whole cast is terrific (well except for Melanie Griffith) actually. I can understand why a lot of people might not like it, but I thought it was wonderful. Jennifer Connelly was particularly outstanding.
    The Devil's Own (1997): 4/5
     
  7. LitmusDragon

    LitmusDragon Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2002
    Location:
    The Barmuda Triangle
    1. Alien 3 (assembly cut) - B
    2. Let the Right One In - A
    3. Inception - B.
    4. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - B+
    5. Lilo and Stitch - A
    6. Despicable Me - B
    7. Forbidden Planet - B+
    8. Clerks - B
    9. Metropia - C+
    10. Brand Upon the Brain - B
    11. Beltesassar Animation Festival 17 - A
    12. Buried - B+
    13. How to Train Your Dragon - A
    14. Monsters - C+.
    15. The Tune (Bill Plympton) - C
    16. House (1977) - B
    17. Institute Benjamenta - B-
    18. The Triplets of Belleville (rewatch) - A
    19. Lunacy (Jan Svankmajer, 2005) - B
    20. Paradise Lost (1999) - C-
    21. Daybreakers - C
    22. The Wizard of Oz (rewatch) - A
    23. Winnebago Man - A
    24. The Social Network - B+
    25. Book of the Dead (2005) - C
    26. Megamind - B

    27. North By Northwest (1959) - A. Really outstanding spy thriller. Has a reputation as one of Hitchcock's best films which I'm sure is well deserved. The scene in the cornfield is a wonderfully tense moment that holds up well to this day. Hitchcock's cinematography really comes to life in the Blu-ray transfer.

    28. The Plague Dogs (1982) - B+. Good if a bit heavy-handed film about two dogs who escape from an animal testing facility in Britain. If the premise sounds depressing, that's just a taste of what's in store. Relentlessly bleak but still a very good movie. The terrier character and his peculiar mindset (he has a certain ... brain problem that I don't want to spoil here) are weirdly fleshed out and I thought was the most interesting part of the movie. This is done by the same director who did Watership Down and was made around the same time as that movie, so has a very similar tone and look to it.
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2011
  8. barnaclelapse

    barnaclelapse Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    May 10, 2009
    Location:
    Waverly, VA.
    The Heart is a Lonely Hunter: 4/5
    -Stacey Keach playing a drunk? I'm sure that was a stretch.
    The City of Lost Children: 5/5
    -I can't believe I waited so long to finally finish watching this. I'm pretty sure Ron Perlman qualifies as a national treasure.
     
  9. CaptainCanada

    CaptainCanada Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2004
    Location:
    Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
    1. In the Heat of the Night (A)
    2. The Passion of Joan of Arc (B)
    3. The Passion of the Christ (A)
    4. Mamma Mia! (B)
    5. All About Eve (A)
    6. Looking for Anne (B-)
    7. 2001: A Space Odyssey (B+)
    8. The King's Speech (A)
    9. How Green Was My Valley (B-)
    10. Black Swan (B+)
    11. Made in Dagenham (B)
    12. Gentleman's Agreement (A-)
    13. Barney's Version (A-)
    14. Out of Africa (B)
    15. The Social Network (A-)
    16. The Sound of Music (B+)
    17. Pulp Fiction (A)
    18. Forrest Gump (A)
    19. The Shawshank Redemption (A+)
    20. The Illusionist (B)
    21. The French Connection (B+)
    22. Network (A+)
    23. Incendies (A+)
    24. Mrs. Miniver (A)
    25. A Fistful of Dollars (B+)
    26. For A Few Dollars More (B)
    27. WALL-E (A+)
    28. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (A)
    29. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (B)
    30. Gigi (B-)
    31. I Love You Phillip Morris (B+)
    32. How To Train Your Dragon (A)
    33. Tarzan (B+)

    The last Disney film of the old century, rather neatly bookending the ten year period of the Disney Renaissance from the release of The Little Mermaid in 1989 (of Disney's output between this and The Princess and the Frog, only Lilo & Stitch is really remembered). I didn't actually see this or Mulan in theatres at the time, and over the years I've played catch-up.

    Unlike most of Disney's output, this isn't a musical, it just has accompanying songs; the songs, on their own, are very good (I recall seeing the Phil Collins music videos many times on TV as a kid), but I don't know that they're the best fit for the story being told, just in terms of style. Tarzan doesn't hit the same heights as Disney's best work as a result of that, and also because of a rather unremarkable villain who only becomes a villain at the very end (though capably voiced by Brian Blessed). What really works is almost everything else. The character interactions are great, particularly between Tarzan and Kala and Tarzan and Jane. Disney also has a great advantage over other adaptations of this property in that they can depict the world of the apes with far more detail than live action films can.
     
  10. barnaclelapse

    barnaclelapse Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    May 10, 2009
    Location:
    Waverly, VA.
    Hunt to Kill: 3/5
    -A deeply, deeply stupid movie that I couldn't help but enjoy anyway. I suspect Stone Cold is entirely to blame.
    Kentucky Fried Movie: 3/5
    -How the HELL did they get away with "Catholic Schoolgirls in Trouble"?! The longer parodies in this tend to really drag, but the shorter bits were terrific (and the deep announcer voice booming "And DONALD SUTHERLAND as the clumsy waiter!" makes me laugh even now).
     
  11. Too Much Fun

    Too Much Fun Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2009
    "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly".

    I tried to watch this last year and couldn't sit through the whole thing because I got too bored. This time I watched it in two sittings, actually got through it, and kinda liked it by the end. It's still too long and it still has some dull patches, but I think I understand why it's the most popular of the trilogy. It just feels more serious and epic than the others as the bigger budget allows for grander landscapes and a well-rendered civil war backdrop. Also, Tuco is a more amusing and endearing character than Indio, who was just ruthless.

    I still think "For a Few Dollars More" is better, but this has a few advantages. The war stuff gives it some dramatic weight, and the final sequence, which the whole movie builds to, is beautifully shot and tremendously satisfying. I was just a little annoyed that the Eli Wallach character seemed to get so much more screen time than the Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef characters (Van Cleef especially was out of the picture for WAY too long). Wallach's clownish Tuco character was entertaining and interesting at times, but he also got really annoying and there were times when I got really sick of him and wished Eastwood's character wasn't bedridden while Van Cleef's was off doing something else, stranding us with this goofball.

    I much preferred in "A Few Dollars More" where there were three main characters who were all intimidating and had almost equal screen time. I don't think "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" is a bad movie or significantly worse than the one that came before it. I just think the second one in the trilogy had a better story and better developed characters, and wasn't as bloated.

    Also, it was weird seeing Van Cleef play a much meaner character to justify him being called 'The Bad'. He was no saint in "For A Few Dollars More", but he at least seemed to have some morality in it. I know "Angel Eyes" wasn't the exact same guy he played in "For A Few Dollars More", but I still found it disappointing to see him beat a woman early on, kill people when it was really unnecessary, and
    get killed like an evil villain who deserves to die
    at the end. It should have been a triumphant moment, but it made me sad.

    I think the way I feel about this trilogy is similar to how some people feel about the original Star Wars trilogy. They all have merits, but the second is definitely the best. I like the third one better than the first one, though. The first one didn't have a single memorable character other than its protagonist.
     
  12. barnaclelapse

    barnaclelapse Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    May 10, 2009
    Location:
    Waverly, VA.
    I still think my favorite would have to be the first one. That's just me.

    "Duck, You Sucker!" is awesome, too.
     
  13. CaptainCanada

    CaptainCanada Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2004
    Location:
    Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
    1. In the Heat of the Night (A)
    2. The Passion of Joan of Arc (B)
    3. The Passion of the Christ (A)
    4. Mamma Mia! (B)
    5. All About Eve (A)
    6. Looking for Anne (B-)
    7. 2001: A Space Odyssey (B+)
    8. The King's Speech (A)
    9. How Green Was My Valley (B-)
    10. Black Swan (B+)
    11. Made in Dagenham (B)
    12. Gentleman's Agreement (A-)
    13. Barney's Version (A-)
    14. Out of Africa (B)
    15. The Social Network (A-)
    16. The Sound of Music (B+)
    17. Pulp Fiction (A)
    18. Forrest Gump (A)
    19. The Shawshank Redemption (A+)
    20. The Illusionist (B)
    21. The French Connection (B+)
    22. Network (A+)
    23. Incendies (A+)
    24. Mrs. Miniver (A)
    25. A Fistful of Dollars (B+)
    26. For A Few Dollars More (B)
    27. WALL-E (A+)
    28. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (A)
    29. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (B)
    30. Gigi (B-)
    31. I Love You Phillip Morris (B+)
    32. How To Train Your Dragon (A)
    33. Tarzan (B+)
    34. Oliver! (B+)

    The antepenultimate work of the great director Sir Carol Reed, which won Best Picture in 1968, as well as as Best Director Oscar for Reed (somewhat amusingly, as this is about a thousand miles away from the Anglo noirs that made his reputation in the 1940s). This closed out a ten-year span where five musicals won Best Picture, and it was the last to do so until Chicago in 2002.

    It's a fairly credible adaptation of Dickens' novel; like a lot of them, it shies away from the byzantine revelations of Oliver's family history, in this case in favour of a simple direct link to Mr. Brownlow. The songs are good, for the most part, and quite functional; the dance sequences are pretty extraordinarily choreographed (so much so that the Academy felt the need to give out a special Oscar for it).

    Performance-wise, Mark Lester is extremely forgettable as the title character, but that's a relatively common problem with this sort of thing: Oliver Twist is a wholly reactive character whose only real trait is his bland, suffering nobility. Everybody is more interested in the rogues, who have more charismatic actors and more interesting parts. As with so many adaptations, it spares both Fagin and the Artful Dodger. The clear highlight is Shani Wallis as the tragic Nancy; she has the most emotional songs and scenes. She's easily the best character, as she was in the book.
     
  14. Lowdarzz

    Lowdarzz Captain Captain

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2008
    McQ (1974)

    John Wayne's response to the Dirty Harry films, a role which he was aparently passed over for. John Wayne is in top form in his first and I believe only modern day cop role. Unfortunately the mystery behind the film is somewhat predictable. However the car chase across the beach at the end was fantastic. A note to fellow TOS and TNG fans, Diana Muldaur plays a significant role in the film.

    District 9 (2009)

    I enjoyed this film immensely and I believe that most of the human characters in the film got exactly what they deserved. I've never seen so many extremely dislikable characters in one film. The main character, Wikus van de Merwe, was just as much of an ass as the next. The film's ending was perfect. Out of the two scifi alien films we got in 2009, this one was far superior to Avatar.
     
  15. KJbushway

    KJbushway Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2010
    Battlefield Earth. Best invasion movie I have ever seen.
     
  16. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2002
    Location:
    Gotham
    "Source Code" A+ 4/4 stars. Brilliant movie. Duncan Jones is a genius. I'll be getting this on DVD when it comes out...really strong follow up film to "Moon". Jake Gynellhall and Michelle Monaghan were terrific in it as well. Favorite film of the year and will be seeing it again.
     
  17. Captain Craig

    Captain Craig Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2003
    Location:
    Nashville,TN
    1. The Fighter: B-
    2. Batman(90's saga): A-,B-,C-,D
    3. Star Wars OT-Special Edition: B+, A, B
    4. The Green Hornet: B
    5. True Grit(1969): C+
    6. Lord of the Rings saga: (A,A,A)
    7. The Machinist: A-
    8. Season of the Witch: B
    9. Frozen: A-
    10. Due Date: B+
    11. Planet of the Apes(2001): B-
    12. Faster: C
    13. Romance: D (French film, subtitled)
    14. YPF: C- (YPF=Young People F*&^ing)
    15. The Beautiful Truth: B-
    16. Strictly Sexual: C+
    17. DOOM: C
    18. Brothers: B+
    19. Men In Black II: B-
    20. The Crow: Wicked Prayer: C-
    21. The Soloist: C
    22. Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love: C+
    23. I Now Pronounce you Chuck & Larry: B-
    24. Battle in Heaven: C+ (Mexican film, subtitled)
    25. Legion: B-
    26. Battle: LA: B+
    27. Righteous Kill: B
    28. Dracula II: Ascension: B-
    29. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li: D
    30. You Don't Mess With the Zohan: C+
    31. Finding Bliss: C
    32. Dracula III: Legacy: B-
    33. Tangled: B+

    Finally saw what all they hype was over this. Very cute movie I can see why my friends kids were all over it. Despite that it came out on DVD this past week it's still playing at the $1.50 theater in town. My girlfriend and I took my 12yr old who walks my dogs on occasion chose this as the movie he wanted to see. I tried to talk him into Green Hornet.

    It's easy to see the end coming but it serves it's target audience very well. In a 200 seat theater there were easily 150 people there when you could've gotten it at Redbox for $1 but hey it's the big screen right!!


    Did you leave out some emoticons? Are you for real? Is it the best movie that is so bad it was good? Never really read/heard someone honestly think this is a quality good movie.
     
  18. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2002
    Location:
    Gotham
    Yeah "Battlefield Earth" has to be the worst movie that I ever paid to see.
     
  19. KJbushway

    KJbushway Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2010
    I never said it was the best movie I have seen.
    As far as alien invasion movies go, it was predictable, but it was by far the best I have seen.
     
  20. Captain Craig

    Captain Craig Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2003
    Location:
    Nashville,TN
    Could you elaborate on the ones you've seen? I'm thinking you maybe haven't seen many?