O yes. I've seen Robin Hood too. I loved it, and it's not (just) because I'm a sucker for Russel. Love Cate too
I felt it was as convoluted a way of delivering a message about the timelessness of love that I've seen to date. I don't even feel like it adequately explained how Tommy(Hugh) was actually all 3 versions of himself, let alone Izzi. I liked The Wrestler and want to see Black Swan but The Fountain just didn't click with me.
In my interpretation, the other versions were fabrications thought up by Tommy and Izzy. The Spaniard quest for the fountain was youth was Izzy's story and the futuristic element was Tommy's way of ending that story after Izzy died. It was, in a purely thematically metaphorical sense, a visualization of Tommy's grief and overcoming or coming to terms with that grief. However, I can understand how the film isn't for everyone. A lot of people want literal or definitive explanations of things and The Fountain is an extremely non-literal, visual film that offers no definitive explanations and instead gives the audience an ambiguous, thought-provoking story that forces an audience to formulate their own conclusions based on what they've seen.
I have somehow ended up seeing Iron Man 2, The Clash of the Titans, Avatar, Shutter Island, Inception and Pirahna 3D. I only wanted to see three of them but ended up in the theaters for them all for one reason or another. The curious thing is that in the end the one that will benefit most from being seen in the theater is Piranha 3D, as the only scene that uses 3D to any point at all will be censored for broadcast. The movie will strain the closes of family ties to the breaking point.
I saw Resident Evil: Apocolypse and for what it was is a fairly decent enough action zombie movie. Its in line with the other 3 any way.
200. A Shot in the Dark [B+] 201. Mortal Kombat [F] A Shot in the Dark: Better than the first Clouseau film, this one wisely ignores developing a coherent plot in favor of physical and verbal humor by Peter Sellers in his most famous role (with more screentime for the comedian than in The Pink Panther). Outside of the opening sequence, which features an awful song that distracts from anything that might elicit laughter as well as the long camera take which is quite impressive, it's a lot of fun. Mortal Kombat: Terrible on every level, this film wasn't a bad choice for a drinking game. I think the words "Mortal Kombat" are spoken aloud about 30 times, and that's some of the better dialogue. Christopher Lambert plays Rayden as a cross between Yoda and a sex offender, which is about as creepy as it sounds.
I'm looking forward to that movie. I loved the Swedish original and this remake actually looks pretty decent. I plan on seeing it when it hits theaters.
I saw the Swedish original and liked it as well. I'd like to catch LET ME IN if I can. Based on the trailers it seems like its adding some small type of visual mark to it. The trash bag on the head of that one person is what I mean. That may be a one off in the film but it made me think of the burlap sack Jason Vorhees has worn at times.
Burlap bag in Friday the 13th Part II was much creepier than the hockey mask, I think. Creeped me out in the 5th grade when I sneaked downstairs to watch it on Showtime in the middle of the night.
202. Fast Times at Ridgemont High [B-] I've seen this movie on television again and again, but never actually sat down to watch it from beginning to end. Thanks to Netflix, I finally did, and I mostly enjoyed it. It certainly has a terrific cast that would go on to bigger and better things (including several Oscar nominees/winners). The only real misstep would be the sequence where Jennifer Jason Leigh strolls out of an abortion clinic after terminating a pregnancy and drives off with her older brother to have some fast food. Yeah, right. Still, otherwise, it entertained for 90 minutes.
I saw 'The Front' with Woody Allen; pretty good 1970s film (comedy/drama) about blacklisted actors.... Note: This was actually seen before the horrid Resident Evil film that came out recently. Next on my list: -The Pursuit of Happyness -Akeelah and the Bee -Annie Hall -The Cider House Rules -Zhou Yu's Train -Munich -Batman Under the Red Hood
I haven't seen the movie since it came out and it didn't impress me then. But in what way is this a misstep?
Films seen for the first time in 2010 - Where The Wild Things Are ~ B Up in the Air ~ A Avatar ~ C+ Precious ~ B Invictus ~ C+ Inglourious Basterds ~ A Twilight ~ C- Law Abiding Citizen ~ D+ Paul Blart: Mall Cop ~ D- Sherlock Holmes ~ B An Education ~ C+ The Blind Side ~ D- A Serious Man ~ C Crazy Heart ~ B+ Julie & Julia ~ B- The Princess and the Frog ~ B- StepBrothers ~ B- The Prophecy ~ F Green Zone ~ B- The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus ~ B Kick Ass ~ A Iron Man 2 ~ C Alice in Wonderland ~ C- The Losers ~ C+ My Sister's Keeper ~ C The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ~ B Robin Hood ~ C+ Whatever Works ~ C- The A-Team ~ C Toy Story 3 ~ A+ Inception ~ A The Expendables ~ C+ Scott Pilgrim vs The World ~ A
Vanishing on 7th Street – An apocalyptic thriller of sorts, from The Machinist and Transsiberian director Brad Anderson. One night, the vast majority of the population simply disappears, leaving nothing behind but their clothes. The few remaining humans quickly realize that it is the darkness itself that is taking people, but the how and why remain unknown. A handful of survivors (including Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton, and John Leguizamo), find refuge in a bar from the shadows that pursue them, but they know that they can’t stay there forever. Eventually, the bar’s generator will stop working, and then the light that protects them will be gone. I enjoyed this one (although it did occasionally get a little tiresome). After watching Transsiberian, it was clear that Anderson knows how to create a sense of tension in a film, and he did not disappoint with this picture. There’s some good characterization here, as each survivor deals with the crisis in his or her own way. I also found it interesting that the movie never reveals exactly what it is that is happening. Is it some sort of Biblical rapture? Is it a natural phenomenon? Is it an experiment gone awry? Is it some sort of intelligence (which seems likely) trying to “reboot” the planet, so to speak? I don’t know when it’s coming out or what sort of release it’ll get, but I’d definitely suggest catching it if you get the chance. Never Let Me Go – A beautifully crafted film: well shot, solidly acted, and achingly sad at times... but something felt missing. I don’t know. Even though it was a rather slow picture, a few things seemed glossed over (particularly when the film shifts from the 80s to the 90s: there were a couple of things that we’re told about in narration that I think might have been better as filmed scenes, but maybe it’s just me). I was also kind of curious about what the world is like outside of the lives of the principle characters; surely the fact that Spoiler: Never Let Me Go sentient clones are created purely for organ harvesting would have some repercussions in society (especially considering that most of them die in their twenties). I found it a little far-fetched that no (or at least few) people have any qualms about what is being done to these otherwise ordinary kids, and that none of these “donors” ever seem to try to rebel or escape from their fate. But I guess that’s not what the film is about. Despite these nits, I’d recommend the movie: it might be a little on the dull side for some, but if you can emotionally invest in these characters and their story, you should find it well worthwhile. John Carpenter’s The Ward – John Carpenter helped to define horror films in the 70s and 80s. Movies like Halloween and The Thing are, IMO, classics, and I strongly believe that he deserves a comeback. Sadly, this middling flick isn’t it. It’s pretty much your standard “ghost seeking revenge” story, and an overly obvious one at that. There’s a few decent scares, and the 1960s psychiatric ward setting is mildly intriguing for a while, but there’s really nothing new here. Even the “twist” ending, which I’ll admit I didn’t actually see coming (though perhaps I should have), revolves around one of the hoariest and most-overused clichés in similar genre films. Here’s hoping that Carpenter’s next vehicle is something less mundane, and that he can recapture his mojo with it. Let Me In – I’m a bit conflicted about this. On the one hand, it is a good film, but on the other hand, it’s kind of an unnecessary one. I just couldn’t shake the feeling of déjà vu while watching it. There are a few minor alterations, but for the most part, it’s almost a scene-for-scene, line-for-line recreation of the original Swedish film, Let The Right One In. While I respect writer/director Matt Reeves for not “dumbing down” the American version (i.e. making the lead characters older, sanitizing the violence), I wish he had done a few more things differently. After all, why remake a movie if you’re not going to make it your own? But hey, if you’re going to imitate something, it may as well be something good, and as the original film was pretty damn good, so to is this new adaptation. It may be a bit too faithful a remake, but it is nevertheless an effective one, with both style and substance. Visually, it’s a great-looking film, with some nice, tense moments and impressive performances by Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road) and Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass) as Owen and Abby, the bullied young loner and his new neighbour, who happens to be a vampire. As in the original, their developing friendship is both endearing and disturbing, given Abby’s true nature. McPhee particularly shines when he must grapple with the knowledge that his friend –his only friend- is a creature that subsists on human blood – blood she will kill to get. Can their relationship overcome this not-so-small hurdle? Well, if you’ve seen the original, you already know the answer. If you’re interested in seeing this one, go for it; you probably won’t be disappointed (unless the whole “too close to the original” thing bugs you more than it does me). I will say, though, that you might actually get more out of it if you haven’t seen the Swedish film – at the very least, it’ll probably seem more fresh.
Aliens in the Attic (6) Armored Trooper Votoms: Big Battle (7) Armored Trooper Votoms: Roots of Ambition (8) Armored Trooper Votoms: The Last Red Shoulder (8) Armored Trooper Votoms: Pailsen Files: The Movie (7) Batman: Under The Red Hood (9) Boondock Saints (10) Boondock Saints: All Saint's Day (9) The Book of Eli (8) Broken Blade (7) Cargo (7) Cencoroll (8) Les Chevaliers du Ciel (8) Clash of the Titans (2010) (8) Crazy Heart (6) Dante's Inferno (2010) (7) Date Night (7) District 9 (8) Eden of the East: The King of Eden (8) Eden of the East: Paradise Lost (8) The Edge of Darkness (9) Evangelion 2.0: You Can [Not] Advance (9) The Expendables (9) The Fantastic Mr. Fox (8) Fist of the North Star (1995) (4) G-9 (6) Gamer (6) Green Zone (7) Higurashi no Naka Koroni Chikai (7) Inception (10) Inglorious Bastards (7) Iron Man 2 (9) Jonah Hex (6) The Killers (6) Kino's Journey: Life Goes On (7) Kino's Journey: The Country of Disease (7) The Last Airbender (8) Law Abiding Citizen (9) The Lovely Bones (6) Lupin the 3rd: First Contact (7) Lupin the 3rd VS Detective Konan (7) Lupin the 3rd: The Secret of Mamo (9) Lupin the 3rd: The Last Job My Name is Bruce (5) Naruto Shippuden Movie 3 (8) Oblivion Island (6) Oceans (Documentary/ Rating is NA) Oldboy (9) Pandorum (7) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (8) Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind (8) Summer Wars (9) Sunshine (4) Sword For Truth (6) Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Lagann-hen (8) They Were 11 (9) The Triplets of Belleville (5) The Uninvited (7) Walking Tall (7) Waltz With Bashir (9) Wicked City (8)
It's ridiculous? She strolls out of the clinic at most an hour or two after the operation (and more likely right after) acting like she had a hang nail removed. The nurse lets her go without a ride. I'm not debating the film's choice to portray Leigh's character as perfectly happy to terminate her pregnancy (she's 15 and the teenager who knocks her up neither coughs up the money for the procedure nor shows up for it), but it sure doesn't wash to have her stroll out of the clinic and get a burger. To be honest, as to the film as a whole, it's probably more entertaining now than it was thirty years ago, considering how many (now) famous actors it has in bit parts. But, like the similar Dazed and Confused, it's simply light fare in the final analysis. 203. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock [B+] 204. Inglourious Basterds [A] 205. Primer [A] 206. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home [A-] A handful of movies I've seen before. I'll skip the Star Trek films, which are discussed ad naseum elsewhere. Primer is terrific, if inscrutable, even after multiple viewings. I'm still not sure what happens in the last act, and the first act is filled with so much technical jargon that it's a miracle the film is so engaging. But, somehow, it is. Inglourious Basterds has me wishing Quentin Tarantino used a spell checker when coming up with the title (). It also has me wondering where Himmler is the entire film, but I suppose my WWII history isn't as sharp as it used to be.
I wasn't a big fan of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High". I love a good teen movie, but I find that one way overrated. Sean Penn and Judge Reinhold's characters are funny, but the rest of it was just too ugly and dull. I think "Clueless", by the same director, is a much better movie. It's less serious and more shallow...but it's also much more entertaining and has better characters. I finally got around to seeing "Avatar". Being a guy who has always valued story and characters over visual inventiveness, I expected to hate it, but I was pleasantly surprised by the first half. I found it enjoyable enough for awhile...it was one of the rare occasions when the beauty of the visuals was enough to keep me interested even if the characters and story didn't do much for me. Once the military started shooting and bombing the shit out of Pandora, however, I got bored. It was at this point the obviousness of the cliche message and villainous characters started getting on my nerves. It ended nicely, but in between the beginning and end, there was way too much grating moralizing and stock characters.