Movies Seen In 2013

Discussion in 'TV & Media' started by tomalak301, Jan 1, 2013.

  1. tomalak301

    tomalak301 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    New Year, New Thread

    May this year of Movie watching be great for everyone, and may the movies that come out this year be better than 2012.
     
  2. Starbreaker

    Starbreaker Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
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    Birmingham, AL
    1. Trouble With the Curve (2012) ★★ ½
    Tomatometer:51%
    Genre: Drama/Sports
    Director: Robert Lorenz
    Actors: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Robert Patrick, Matthew Lillard

    Everybody probably knows I'm a big Braves fan, so it was cool to see Turner Field and a fake Braves front office. Amy Adams is outstanding as always, while Eastwood plays the 'cranky old guy' that we've come to know and love. I think Timberlake was seriously miscast. He just didn't seem like an MLB player. I can't put my finger on it. The script isn't great, but it didn't cause me to lose interest either. With a little suspension of disbelief, this is a good movie for baseball or Eastwood fans. It makes for an interesting counterpoint to Moneyball.

    2. Sleepwalk With Me ★★★★
    Genre: Comedy
    Director: Mike Birbiglia
    Actors: Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane, James Rebhorn
    Tomatometer:86%

    I've been trying to get a hold of this film for a while after seeing somebody famous recommend it on Twitter. I can't even remember who it was. It's genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. It's very well directed and acted. The script is really strong and never drags. It reminds me a little bit of Louie, so I think if you like that show or comedies in general you would really enjoy this.
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2013
  3. tomalak301

    tomalak301 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    1. Reservoir Dogs (1992) - A

    The first movie seen in 2013 is the movie I've been wanting to see for a while, and considering I just saw Django Unchained yesterday, figured now was the appropriate time. This movie was great, even though I don't remember Pulp Fiction or any of his other movies being this vulgar. Man the F-word was used a lot in this film. Still, for a heist movie in which we never saw the Heist, this was a thrilling, Quinten Tarantino-esque film from beginning to end. Also, while that sharp dialog would get better with Pulp, you really could it see really well here too.

    Theater: 0
    Blu-Ray/DVD/TV: 1 (+1)
    Itunes: 0
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2013
  4. CaptainCanada

    CaptainCanada Admiral Admiral

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    1. Jack Reacher (C+)

    Not a particularly auspicious start to the year. This isn't a movie I'd have seen on my own, but some of my friends were going so I went along. It's pretty much what you'd expect, a rather generic thriller. Good cast, but not put to much use. Rosamund Pike, one of my favourite actresses, is once again not used by Hollywood to her potential (though she wears a series of alluring low-cut tops, so I guess there's that); German director Werner Herzog takes a rare acting role here as the villain, and he has a nice screen presence, but despite a potentially interesting background there ends up being nothing to the character. Tom Cruise is, of course, a capable action hero, but this isn't a memorable entry in his filmography (and has more than a few instances where characters' reactions to Reacher come across like ego-boosting for the star).

    Cinema: 1
    DVD: 0
    Computer: 0
     
  5. Starbreaker

    Starbreaker Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    3. Lincoln (2012) ★★★★
    Genre: Historical Drama
    Director: Steven Spielberg
    Actors: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, Hal Holbrook, David Spader

    I didn't realize that the entire film only be about the passing of the 13th Amendment, but it certainly works. There is a fine cast of actors and Daniel Day-Lewis is a shoe in for Best Actor on every single awards show. I actually learned a lot of while watching this movie. I can't say that for most of the stuff I watched this year, so I give it props.
     
  6. Agent Richard07

    Agent Richard07 Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2001
    1. You Again (✩✩✩) - Live TV - Never heard of this movie until a few days ago when I saw it in the TV guide. A woman who was bullied in high school sets out to humiliate her tormentor years later when she finds out that her brother is marrying the bully in question. Stars Kristen Bell and Odette Annable. Jamie Lee Curtis and Sigourney Weaver also have interesting roles to play as older but similar rivals. There isn't much to review here but I'll say that it's a fun comedy about revenge and forgiveness.

    Theatre: 0
    DVD: 0
    Blu-ray: 0
    Live TV: 1
    Recorded TV: 0
    On Demand: 0
    Internet Download: 0
     
  7. Agent Richard07

    Agent Richard07 Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
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    Hero - Blu-ray - The Jet Li movie. I'm not including this on my official list because it's not a first-time viewing but I just have to comment. I just got it on blu-ray and watched it last night. I heard that Li did this because he regretted passing on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Well, I think he got the better movie. It's one of the most visually stunning films I've ever seen. Vibrant colors, excellent cinematography, exotic locales that evoke a sense of tranquility, and the wire-fu, though less impressive than in Crouching Tiger, was better crafted here. It's a real work of art and I'm glad I have it in hi-def.
     
  8. CaptainCanada

    CaptainCanada Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
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    Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
    1. Jack Reacher (C+)
    2. The Help (B+)

    I got this for my mother for Christmas, so we watched it last night, before I head back to university. She'd never seen it before, but I watched it when it came out in theatres. My opinion on it is more or less the same. It's tonally uneven and not a great movie, but it has a number of great scenes, and a terrific female ensemble (it's one of the few movies I can think of that fails the reverse-Bechdel Test). This was the first movie I saw with Jessica Chastain, who has quickly become one of my favourite contemporary actresses, so it was neat to watch it again now that I know who she is. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer are also terrific; Emma Stone is good; Bryce Dallas Howard is game, but her cartoonish villain is one of the story's main weak points (and is also another instance where a character is inexplicably supposed to have been lifelong friends with some who is quite obviously a horrible person and who they seem to openly dislike from the get-go).

    Cinema: 1
    Home Video: 1 (+1)
    Computer: 0
     
  9. Starbreaker

    Starbreaker Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
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    4. Flight (2012) ★★★½
    Genre: Drama
    Director: Robert Zemeckis
    Actors: Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, Melissa Leo, Don Cheadle
    Tomatometer: 77%

    This is a great character study and the plane crash sequence is one of the best scenes in any movie this year. I really want to give the movie four stars, but there's just something a little off about the movie. I think it's a little bit too long and I think Tamara Tunie's character is underutilized. Highly recommended though.

    5. Argo (2012) ★★★★
    Genre: Drama
    Director: Ben Affleck
    Actors: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Tate Donovan, Clea Duvall, Christopher Denham, many others.
    Tomatometer: 96%

    Really good film that I think has a good chance of winning Best Picture. With three films under his belt now, Affleck has three films very few bad reviews. If he keeps it up, he might be the best director of the century.
     
  10. DevilEyes

    DevilEyes Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
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    1. Winter's Bone (2010) - very solid low budget drama, about a world you rarely see portrayed seriously on the screen. Great performances by Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes and Dale Dickey.
    B+

    2. School of Rock (2003) - a Jack Black comedy I watched on TV on the afternoon of the 1st of January. It's fun. It's not offensive or too stupid. Not much more to say about it.
    C+

    3. Spider-man 3 (2007) - I saw all three Raimi Spidey movies on TV this previous week. They're OK, I can't say I liked any of them too much. Despite its bad reputation, I didn't find it any better or worse than the previous two. Harry gets a decent ending and Thomas Haden Church is not bad as Sandman. One thing I liked better than the first two is that Mary Jane gets a bit better characterization than in the first two and feels more like a real person than like someone that's only there for Peter to pine for. She's generally a terribly written character and her characterization in the second movie was particularly awful. I like The Amazing Spider-man better than any of the Raimi ones, because Andrew Garfield is more animated as Peter Parker and quips a lot more as Spidey than Tobey Maguire, and because Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy is about 100 times better character and love interest than Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane, plus she and Andrew have good chemistry.
    C

    King's Speech (2010) - I initially thought "that's a poor premise for a movie" but the movie is actually pretty good. It's funny, Colin Firth makes you feel for "Bertie", Geoffrey Rush's character Lionel Logue is great, the acting is really good... and there's this: http://youtu.be/bq7Vj3GMd1M :rommie: It's not "Best picture of the year" good, but it's decent, which is more than can be said about some other Oscar winners.
    B+

    Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) - all style, no content. The story was cliche-ridden and dull and the campy acting and dialogue only made it harder to relate to anything going on the screen. I can see why this bombed at the box office.
    D

    Battle Royale (2000) - That's it? After witnessing months of the incessant trolling about the great BR and how The Hunger Games supposedly "ripped if off" (I wonder how many of the trolls even saw or read both), I'm amazed not just to see how different those two movies are in plot, themes, characters and style (beyond the premise of "kids being forced to kill each other in controlled circumstances", they have nothing in common)... but also to find that Battle Royale is, I'm afraid, just not very good. I don't know if the book is better, but the movie has poor acting, characters with no depth, violence that comes off as cartoonish, and cheesy death scenes. There's one decapitation scene that was particularly poor. Despite the blood and gore, I was never shocked or emotionally affected. THG's PG-13 violence was far, far more affecting. It didn't help that we knew most of the characters in BR just about a minute before they get killed, and the main duo that we see throughout are dull and bland. It also has some dozen of corny romantic subplots - every kid in class seems to have had a crush on someone, almost all of them die confessing their love, and it's played completely straight. At moments I wasn't sure if it wasn't meant to be a parody - some scenes are just too silly.
    Takeshi Kitano's character lies mortally wounded, then gets up and walks over to answer the phone like nothing's happened, then drops dead. :wtf:
    It's not an entirely not-entertaining way to spend 2 hours, but that's about it.
    D
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2013
  11. Starbreaker

    Starbreaker Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    6. The Cocoanuts (1929) ★★½
    Directors: Robert Florey, Joseph Santley
    Starring: The Marx Brothers, Margaret Dumont

    This is the Marx Brothers full-length first feature film. There are some funny jokes that way overshadow the plot and the forgettable music numbers.

    7. Pitch Perfect (2012) ★★★½
    Director: Jason Moore
    Actors: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp

    The previews made this out to be a horrible Glee rip-off, but this is my surprise like of the year. The musical numbers were great - especially when they were having the 'Riff Off'. Anna Kendrick is great and there are some genuine laugh out loud moments.
     
  12. tomalak301

    tomalak301 Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2003
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    1. Reservoir Dogs (1992) - A
    2. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011) - D

    I think I know why this movie was nominated for Best Picture last year at the oscars. It's the overly sentimental film that the Academy really likes, and it dealt with a serious subject, a death of a father through a heavy tragedy like September 11th, 2001.

    Well, I'm glad it didn't win because that would have been a travesty of epic proportions. This movie was terrible, mainly because it tried to hard to be sentimental and emotional but had a kid who was so annoying and unlikable that anything good that happens in this movie was overshadowed. I'm sure if given the right material, Thomas Horn is a great child actor, but the problem here is the character, Osker, is so unlikable and is mean to everyone he meets (especially his equally grieving mother) that I just couldn't get into it. Basically, if you want something dealing with a loss of a family member done well and adds in a mystery to boot, watch DS9's (Happy Anniversary by the way) "The Visitor." I freely admit to crying during that episode, I didn't shed a tear during this movie.



    Theater: 0
    Blu-Ray/DVD/TV: 2 (+1)
    Itunes: 0
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2013
  13. Captain Craig

    Captain Craig Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2003
    Location:
    Nashville,TN
    I didn't start in the thread till August that year, partial list
    1. Piranha 3D: C+
    2. Book of Eli: B
    3. Lethal Weapon: A
    4. Lethal Weapon 2: A-
    5. Lethal Weapon 3: B
    6. Lethal Weapon 4: C+
    7. The Crow: A
    8. Clash of the Titans: B+
    9. Prince of Persia: B
    10. The Fountain: D
    11. Resident Evil: A-
    12. Resident Evil: Apocalypse: B
    13. Resident Evil: Extinction: B-
    14. Resident Evil: Afterlife: B
    15. Resident Evil: Degeneration(animated): B
    16. Bad Boys: B+
    17. Zombieland: B
    18. The Evil Dead: B-
    19. R.E.D.: B
    20. 30 Days of Night: Dark Days: B+
    21. Conviction: A-
    22. Crazies(2010): A-
    23. Paranormal Activity: A+
    24. Paranormal Activity 2: A
    25. Shutter Island: B-
    26. Gamer: F
    27. Last House on the Left(orig): D+
    28. Thirst(asian film): C-
    29. The Hills Have Eyes: B
    30. When In Rome: B-
    31. Dr.Horrible Sing-A-Long: A
    32. Expelled No Intelligence Allowed(doc): B
    33. Zombie Strippers: D
    34. Mammoth: D+
    35. Everyone Else: D
    36. Dark Ages(doc): A
    37. Batman vs Dracula(anim): A-
    38. Independence Day: A
    39. Robin Hood(2010-Crowe): B
    40. Taken: A
    41. Only You: B-
    42. Momma Mia: C
    43. High Plains Drifter: C
    44. Joe Kid: A-
    45. Tron Legacy: B
    46. Voyage of the DawnTreader: B+
    47. Tourist: B
    48. Duchess: B
    49. Blade Runner: B+
    50. Men In Black: A
    51. Jumper: B-
    52. Interview with the Vampire: A-
    53. Brideshead Revisted: B
    54. Wizard of Oz: A
    55. Gone With the Wind: A
    56. True Grit: A
    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+
    34. Paul Blart Mall Cop: C-
    35. Chloe: B
    36. Kung Fu Panda: B-
    37. Centurion: B
    38. The People I've Slept With: C
    39. Grown Ups: B-
    40. The Conspirator: A-
    41. XXX: State of the Union: C+
    42. Fast Five: B+
    43. THOR: A-
    44. Priest: D+
    45. The Fourth Kind: B+
    46. POTC: On Stranger Tides: B-
    47. Turtles Forever: A-
    48. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story: B+
    49. Easy A: A
    50. Inception: B
    51. #1 Cheerleader Camp: D
    52. Freakanomics: C+
    53. Green Lantern: C
    54. The American: C-
    55. Super 8: A
    56. Green Lantern: First Flight: B
    57. Transformers: Dark of the Moon: B-
    58. 9 Songs: F
    59. Kings Speech: A-
    60. Whiteout: C+
    61. Passion Play: D+
    62. Captain America: The First Avenger: A-
    63. Marley & Me: A
    64. Date Night: C+
    65. Frantic: B+
    66. Presumed Innocent: A
    67. Invictus: A
    68. Rocky: A
    69. Hurt Locker: A+
    70. Rocky II: C+
    71. Rocky III: B+
    72. Rocky IV: A
    73. Cowboys & Aliens: B
    74. Wonder Woman (DC Animated): B+
    75. Rocky V: B-
    76. Conan The Barbarian('11): B-
    77. Dinner for Schmucks: D
    78. Nothing But the Truth: B
    79. Snow Angels: B+
    80. Everybody's Fine: C-
    81. Rise of the Planet of the Apes: A+
    82. Fragments: C+
    83. Fright Night ('11): A-
    84. Cold Comfort Farm: D
    85. Machete: C-
    86. The Queen: A
    87. Public Enemies: B+
    88. Drive Angry: D
    89. Red Riding Hood: C+
    90. Fright Night ('85): B
    91. Love & Other Drugs: B
    92. X-Files: I Want to Believe - B+
    93. Source Code: A-
    94. Paranormal Activity 3: A
    95. Rachel Getting Married: C
    96. Love Guru: F
    97. Funny People: C-
    98. Win Win: B+
    99. Everything Must Go: B
    100. Scott Pilgrim vs The World: D+
    101. American Ninja: D
    102. Revenge of the Ninja: D
    103. Lonesome Dove: A
    104. Black Swan: B
    105. Westworld: B
    106. Fireproof: A-
    107. Mission Impossible(4):Ghost Protocol: A
    108. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: A
    109. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows: A-
    110. Belly: D-
    111. Despicable Me: B+
    Kicking off my 2012 list:

    1. Edge of Darkness: A
    2. Star Trek: The Motion Picture: B+
    3. Repo Men: B-
    4. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier: B-
    5. Underworld: Awakening: B
    6. Lost City Raiders: C+
    7. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist: B+
    8. Contraband: B+
    9. Kick-Ass: B+
    10. Hereafter: A-
    11. Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance: B
    12. Act of Valor: C+
    13. John Carter: B
    14. Hunger Games: B+
    15. Wrath of the Titans: C
    16. Cabin In the Woods: B+
    17. The Rum Diary: C
    18. The Eagle: C+
    19. The Avengers: A+
    20. The Adjustment Bureau: A
    21. Sucker Punch: B-
    22. Knight & Day: C+
    23. Mechanic: B
    24. Devil: A
    25. Dark Shadows: C+
    26. Men In Black 3: B-
    27. Columbiana: B
    28. Haywire: C
    29. Snow White and the Huntsman: B-
    30. Meet the Parents: A-
    31. Meet the Fockers: B
    32. Prometheus: B
    33. Chernobyl Dairies: B-
    34. Little Fockers: B-
    35. Halloween III: Season of the Witch: B+
    36. Winters Bone: B+
    37. Battleship: A-
    38. Much Ado About Nothing: B+
    39. Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs: B
    40. Beauty & the Beast: A+
    41. Bambi: A-
    42. Sex & the City 2: D+
    43. Top Gun: B
    44. Abraham Lincoln-Vampire Hunter: B-
    45. Brave: B+
    46. Kill Bill vol.1: A-
    47. Kill Bill vol.2: B
    48. The Amazing Spider-man: B-
    49. Virgin Territory: C-
    50. 21 Jump Street: B+
    51. The Dark Knight Rises: A-
    52. Sicko: C
    53. Capitalism A Love Story: C
    54. Seven Pounds: B
    55. Hot Fuzz: B
    56. Total Recall (2012): A-
    57. Total Recall (1990): B+
    58. Hardware: D+
    59. The Bourne Legacy: A-
    60. Once Upon A Time in the West: B-
    61. Expendables 2: B+
    62. Hangover 2: C
    63. Moneyball: A-
    64. Adventures of Tin Tin: B-
    65. 2016 Obama's America: A-
    66. Unknown: B
    67. No Strings Attached: B+
    68. Megamind: A-
    69. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies: A-
    70. Halloween 4:Return of Michael Myers: A-
    71. Halloween 5:Revenge of Michael Myers: B+
    72. Halloween The Curse of Michael Myers: B
    73. Halloween H2O: A
    74. Halloween Resurrection: C+
    75. The Day the Earth Stood Still(2008): B
    76. Looper: A-
    77. Smart People: C-
    78. Atlas Shrugged-Part One: B
    79. Dredd: A-
    80. Bridesmaids: C-
    81. Taken 2: B
    82. Atlas Shrugged-Part Two: C+
    83. Alex Cross: A-
    84. RockNRolla: B-
    85. Paranormal Activity 4: B
    86. Argo: A+
    87. Skyline: F
    88. Cop Out: D
    89. Skyfall: A
    90. Red Dawn (2012): B-
    91. Dracula (1979): B
    92. Dracula (2009): C+
    93. Slither: B-
    94. Your Highness: F
    95. Goldeneye: A
    96. Whistleblower: B+
    97. The Town: A+
    98. Ted: A
    99. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: B+
    100. Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: A
    101. Jack Reacher: A-
    102. Django Unchained: B+

    The 2013 list:
    1. A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas: C-

    This was held up, just sitting on my TV during the holidays. Meant to watch it in 2012 but got too busy so starting 2013 with a holiday film.

    I found the other two installments to be better. It gets props for moving the character of Harold along early by establishing that it's been 2yrs since he's seen Kumar and he's moving on with life as an adult married man. Not a late 20yr old man-child. By the end it seems Kumar, who has a knocked up (ex?) girlfriend is ready to reapply to med school and man up himself..until he's told he doesn't have to give up weed. So will the one off line by NPH hold up..."see you in the next one". I didn't find the Russian story angle particularly funny or the two out of pocket white sidekicks. The baby high on coke and ecstasy was pretty good though.
     
  14. CaptainCanada

    CaptainCanada Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2004
    Location:
    Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
    1. Jack Reacher (C+)
    2. The Help (B+)
    3. The Silver Linings Playbook (A-)

    Saw this last night. I've now seen all the major English-language films of this year apart from Zero Dark Thirty, and it's only January 4th; that's a personal best. David O. Russell's followup to his big comeback movie, The Fighter, has a very similar formula to that: he takes a fairly standard movie formula (boxing movie, in that case; here, the romantic comedy, or perhaps dramedy), doesn't really diverge much from the expected beats on a pure story level, but really delivers on the execution and characterization. That's perhaps a good sign for the genre, because there are only so many ways to be innovative with a genre that has three quarters of a century of cinematic history; breathing life into the formula is what most can hope for. There's a fun twist on the climactic competition, for instance (a dance competition, in this case).

    Has a great cast. Most of the buzz has focused on Jennifer Lawrence, currently duking it out with Jessica Chastain for frontrunner status in the Best Actress race, and she's terrific. Bradley Cooper is also very good, while Robert DeNiro is the best he's been in a long time. The rest of the supporting cast, likewise (it's weird to see Julia Stiles now doing such small roles, though she's a really good fit to be Jennifer Lawrence's sister).

    Cinema: 2 (+1)
    Home Video: 1
    Computer: 0
     
  15. Starbreaker

    Starbreaker Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2001
    Location:
    Birmingham, AL
    8. Hitchcock ★★★★
    Genre: Drama
    Director: Sacha Gervasi
    Actors: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson
    Tomatometer: 66%

    Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren are BRILLIANT! I was a little worried when I saw some of the mediocre reviews, but I loved the movie. I laughed out loud several times and was on the edge of my seat during the reenactment of the shower scene. If you're a fan of Psycho at all, you need to see this.

    9. Zero Dark Thirty ★★★★
    Genre: Thriller
    Director: Kathryn Bigelow
    Actors: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton
    Tomatometer: 94%

    Easily the best movie of 2012. I think it's even leaps and bounds better than The Hurt Locker. There's some eerie quality about it. It's almost like you're watching a documentary. It's hard not to compare it to Act of Valor, but it makes AoV look like a complete waste of space on the planet. The movie goes home with Best Picture and Best Director easily.
     
  16. Agent Richard07

    Agent Richard07 Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2001
    You could tell in interviews that Bradley Cooper was totally smitten with her, like he was practically on the verge of leaving Saldana for her.

    I totally forgot that she was even in the movie until I read your post.
     
  17. Agent Richard07

    Agent Richard07 Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2001
    January

    1. You Again (✩✩½) - Live TV
    2. Vanishing Point (✩✩✩½) - DVD - I added this to my ziplist after reading Mr. Adventure's post last year...

    I wasn't bowled over, but I enjoyed the ride. I was a bit let down by the ending, but was also willing to give it some thought.

    Reading up on the movie, I'm surprised at how influential it was. Apparently Steven Spielberg called it one of his favorite movies of all time, Quentin Tarantino used it as an inspiration for Death Proof and the Dodge Challenger has been documented or referenced in various TV shows and spoofs, one of which was done by Jerry Seinfeld.

    3. Cyrus (✩✩✩✩) - DVD - A socially inept man meets a woman and finds out that she has a live-at-home 22 year old son with problems of his own. Stars John C. Reilly, Marissa Tomei and Jonah Hill. It's a movie that starts off one way, then takes a turn both storywise and in tone about halfway through. Reilly's character also goes through a shift early on, making his character seem a bit inconsistent, but not distractingly so, since his change can be rationalized away. I really liked the movie. It dealt with the quirks that a lot of people have in their lives but you don't often see in their public personas, and that was supported by a lot of naturalistic dialog that was largely improvized. Tonally, it fits somewhere between independent film/studio picture and comedy/drama. At one point, it does dip unnecessarily into the wacky hijinks you see in studio comedies, but it's brief and the rest of the film is pretty good and heart-felt.

    Theatre: 0
    DVD: 2
    Blu-ray: 0
    Live TV: 1
    Recorded TV: 0
    On Demand: 0
    Internet Download: 0
     
  18. Captain Craig

    Captain Craig Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2003
    Location:
    Nashville,TN
    I didn't start in the thread till August that year, partial list
    1. Piranha 3D: C+
    2. Book of Eli: B
    3. Lethal Weapon: A
    4. Lethal Weapon 2: A-
    5. Lethal Weapon 3: B
    6. Lethal Weapon 4: C+
    7. The Crow: A
    8. Clash of the Titans: B+
    9. Prince of Persia: B
    10. The Fountain: D
    11. Resident Evil: A-
    12. Resident Evil: Apocalypse: B
    13. Resident Evil: Extinction: B-
    14. Resident Evil: Afterlife: B
    15. Resident Evil: Degeneration(animated): B
    16. Bad Boys: B+
    17. Zombieland: B
    18. The Evil Dead: B-
    19. R.E.D.: B
    20. 30 Days of Night: Dark Days: B+
    21. Conviction: A-
    22. Crazies(2010): A-
    23. Paranormal Activity: A+
    24. Paranormal Activity 2: A
    25. Shutter Island: B-
    26. Gamer: F
    27. Last House on the Left(orig): D+
    28. Thirst(asian film): C-
    29. The Hills Have Eyes: B
    30. When In Rome: B-
    31. Dr.Horrible Sing-A-Long: A
    32. Expelled No Intelligence Allowed(doc): B
    33. Zombie Strippers: D
    34. Mammoth: D+
    35. Everyone Else: D
    36. Dark Ages(doc): A
    37. Batman vs Dracula(anim): A-
    38. Independence Day: A
    39. Robin Hood(2010-Crowe): B
    40. Taken: A
    41. Only You: B-
    42. Momma Mia: C
    43. High Plains Drifter: C
    44. Joe Kid: A-
    45. Tron Legacy: B
    46. Voyage of the DawnTreader: B+
    47. Tourist: B
    48. Duchess: B
    49. Blade Runner: B+
    50. Men In Black: A
    51. Jumper: B-
    52. Interview with the Vampire: A-
    53. Brideshead Revisted: B
    54. Wizard of Oz: A
    55. Gone With the Wind: A
    56. True Grit: A
    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+
    34. Paul Blart Mall Cop: C-
    35. Chloe: B
    36. Kung Fu Panda: B-
    37. Centurion: B
    38. The People I've Slept With: C
    39. Grown Ups: B-
    40. The Conspirator: A-
    41. XXX: State of the Union: C+
    42. Fast Five: B+
    43. THOR: A-
    44. Priest: D+
    45. The Fourth Kind: B+
    46. POTC: On Stranger Tides: B-
    47. Turtles Forever: A-
    48. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story: B+
    49. Easy A: A
    50. Inception: B
    51. #1 Cheerleader Camp: D
    52. Freakanomics: C+
    53. Green Lantern: C
    54. The American: C-
    55. Super 8: A
    56. Green Lantern: First Flight: B
    57. Transformers: Dark of the Moon: B-
    58. 9 Songs: F
    59. Kings Speech: A-
    60. Whiteout: C+
    61. Passion Play: D+
    62. Captain America: The First Avenger: A-
    63. Marley & Me: A
    64. Date Night: C+
    65. Frantic: B+
    66. Presumed Innocent: A
    67. Invictus: A
    68. Rocky: A
    69. Hurt Locker: A+
    70. Rocky II: C+
    71. Rocky III: B+
    72. Rocky IV: A
    73. Cowboys & Aliens: B
    74. Wonder Woman (DC Animated): B+
    75. Rocky V: B-
    76. Conan The Barbarian('11): B-
    77. Dinner for Schmucks: D
    78. Nothing But the Truth: B
    79. Snow Angels: B+
    80. Everybody's Fine: C-
    81. Rise of the Planet of the Apes: A+
    82. Fragments: C+
    83. Fright Night ('11): A-
    84. Cold Comfort Farm: D
    85. Machete: C-
    86. The Queen: A
    87. Public Enemies: B+
    88. Drive Angry: D
    89. Red Riding Hood: C+
    90. Fright Night ('85): B
    91. Love & Other Drugs: B
    92. X-Files: I Want to Believe - B+
    93. Source Code: A-
    94. Paranormal Activity 3: A
    95. Rachel Getting Married: C
    96. Love Guru: F
    97. Funny People: C-
    98. Win Win: B+
    99. Everything Must Go: B
    100. Scott Pilgrim vs The World: D+
    101. American Ninja: D
    102. Revenge of the Ninja: D
    103. Lonesome Dove: A
    104. Black Swan: B
    105. Westworld: B
    106. Fireproof: A-
    107. Mission Impossible(4):Ghost Protocol: A
    108. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: A
    109. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows: A-
    110. Belly: D-
    111. Despicable Me: B+
    Kicking off my 2012 list:

    1. Edge of Darkness: A
    2. Star Trek: The Motion Picture: B+
    3. Repo Men: B-
    4. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier: B-
    5. Underworld: Awakening: B
    6. Lost City Raiders: C+
    7. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist: B+
    8. Contraband: B+
    9. Kick-Ass: B+
    10. Hereafter: A-
    11. Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance: B
    12. Act of Valor: C+
    13. John Carter: B
    14. Hunger Games: B+
    15. Wrath of the Titans: C
    16. Cabin In the Woods: B+
    17. The Rum Diary: C
    18. The Eagle: C+
    19. The Avengers: A+
    20. The Adjustment Bureau: A
    21. Sucker Punch: B-
    22. Knight & Day: C+
    23. Mechanic: B
    24. Devil: A
    25. Dark Shadows: C+
    26. Men In Black 3: B-
    27. Columbiana: B
    28. Haywire: C
    29. Snow White and the Huntsman: B-
    30. Meet the Parents: A-
    31. Meet the Fockers: B
    32. Prometheus: B
    33. Chernobyl Dairies: B-
    34. Little Fockers: B-
    35. Halloween III: Season of the Witch: B+
    36. Winters Bone: B+
    37. Battleship: A-
    38. Much Ado About Nothing: B+
    39. Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs: B
    40. Beauty & the Beast: A+
    41. Bambi: A-
    42. Sex & the City 2: D+
    43. Top Gun: B
    44. Abraham Lincoln-Vampire Hunter: B-
    45. Brave: B+
    46. Kill Bill vol.1: A-
    47. Kill Bill vol.2: B
    48. The Amazing Spider-man: B-
    49. Virgin Territory: C-
    50. 21 Jump Street: B+
    51. The Dark Knight Rises: A-
    52. Sicko: C
    53. Capitalism A Love Story: C
    54. Seven Pounds: B
    55. Hot Fuzz: B
    56. Total Recall (2012): A-
    57. Total Recall (1990): B+
    58. Hardware: D+
    59. The Bourne Legacy: A-
    60. Once Upon A Time in the West: B-
    61. Expendables 2: B+
    62. Hangover 2: C
    63. Moneyball: A-
    64. Adventures of Tin Tin: B-
    65. 2016 Obama's America: A-
    66. Unknown: B
    67. No Strings Attached: B+
    68. Megamind: A-
    69. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies: A-
    70. Halloween 4:Return of Michael Myers: A-
    71. Halloween 5:Revenge of Michael Myers: B+
    72. Halloween The Curse of Michael Myers: B
    73. Halloween H2O: A
    74. Halloween Resurrection: C+
    75. The Day the Earth Stood Still(2008): B
    76. Looper: A-
    77. Smart People: C-
    78. Atlas Shrugged-Part One: B
    79. Dredd: A-
    80. Bridesmaids: C-
    81. Taken 2: B
    82. Atlas Shrugged-Part Two: C+
    83. Alex Cross: A-
    84. RockNRolla: B-
    85. Paranormal Activity 4: B
    86. Argo: A+
    87. Skyline: F
    88. Cop Out: D
    89. Skyfall: A
    90. Red Dawn (2012): B-
    91. Dracula (1979): B
    92. Dracula (2009): C+
    93. Slither: B-
    94. Your Highness: F
    95. Goldeneye: A
    96. Whistleblower: B+
    97. The Town: A+
    98. Ted: A
    99. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: B+
    100. Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: A
    101. Jack Reacher: A-
    102. Django Unchained: B+

    The 2013 list:
    1. A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas: C-
    2. Les Miserables(2012): B

    Beautifully shot with great cinematography and a superb cast. Not a bad place at all to start for a film. I just didn't feel that some of the motivations by some characters were fully explained as to make me agree with them.

    Fantine gets sacked and just seemingly decides to piecemeal her whole body away for money. I get her motivation is her daughter but it appears this decision is made rashly and quickly upon her sacking. She's then trapped in this new lifestyle.

    Despite knowing the historical situation of the various Revolutions in early 19th century France I didn't see the acts that the characters were so determined to fight against. If you know nothing of the history, even in passing from a H.S. world history class, then the characters don't convince you of the righteousness of their cause.

    Javert at no point comes across as the suicidal type. That moment literally came from no where as I see it.

    Still I'm giving it a B cause so much else makes the film enjoyable for other reasons.
     
  19. CaptainCanada

    CaptainCanada Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2004
    Location:
    Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
    1. Jack Reacher (C+)
    2. The Help (B+)
    3. The Silver Linings Playbook (A-)
    4. Kramer vs. Kramer (A-)

    1979's Best Picture winner, which I have vague memories of seeing on TV at some point, though I really don't remember much about it. It's interesting to consider this and the following year's winner, Ordinary People, suggesting a deep cultural interest in the state of the American family at the time. Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep both won Oscars for the movie, and one can see why. The filmmakers put a lot of effort into trying to balance the two parents, but this is undermined in some ways by the fact that we only really see Hoffman's POV. It is his story, mind you, and the movie is already two hours long, but POV influences how audiences interpret events quite strongly (from the commentary, they were clearly aware of this, hence their being anxious to cast as Joanna somebody who could keep the audience from writing her off in the first five minutes).

    5. Super 8 (B+)

    Got this cheap on Blu-ray on Boxing Day. I saw this when it came out in the summer of 2011, and liked it; the second viewing pretty much confirms my earlier opinions. It's a good movie, but it's also a frustrating one because it feels like it has the nucleus of a much better one. All of the best scenes are the ones with the kids making a movie and interacting with each other; everyone else I've talked to who saw it says the same. And yet, for some reason the movie also has aliens in it. Every time the monster shows up, despite the scenes with him being competently done, I just wanted to shoo him offscreen. Also, the subplot involving the main boy and his father really doesn't work, because the dad is just such a dick that it's impossible for me to care about his relationship with his son (and it comes with what feels like a very unearned payoff). The kid actors are terrific (and the featurettes on the DVD pertaining to them are very winning), especially Elle Fanning, who was the main beneficiary of this film, so far.

    Cinema: 2
    Home Video: 3 (+2)
    Computer: 0
     
  20. Starbreaker

    Starbreaker Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2001
    Location:
    Birmingham, AL
    10. Django Unchained (2012) ★★★½
    Genre: Tarantino
    Director: Quentin Tarantion
    Actors: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo Dicaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington
    Tomatometer: 88%

    Not as good as Inglourious Basterds, but a lot better than some of his other stuff. Christoph Waltz should have been doing English movies decades ago and Sam Jackson steals every scene he's in.

    11. The Lorax (2012) ★★½
    Genre: Animated
    Director: Chris Renaud
    Actors: Danny DeVito, Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift
    Tomatometer: 55%

    12. Upside Down (2013) ★★★
    Director: Juan Diego Solanas
    Actors: Jim Sturgess, Kirsten Dunst, Timothy Spall

    Okay, first of all... the concept is cool. Dunst and Sturgess are good in it. Here are the problems: there are so many visuals that it's quite distracting. It's got some obvious similarities to Total Recall. There are a couple of horrible voiceovers by Sturgess.