Movies Seen in 2010 - Page 2

Mutenroshi · January 3 2010, 05:21 AM

[ ●Rec]²
Awesome zombies with steroids movie!

Out Of My Vulcan Mind · January 3 2010, 06:56 PM

I caught up with a bunch of movies on Sky Movies HD over the last couple of days:

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) - the first half hour is very funny, but I thought it went downhill thereafter.

Tropic Thunder (2008) - some mildly amusing bits, but overrated; RDJ's Oscar nom wasn't deserved in my opinion.

Mean Girls (2004) - a fun film; sad how Lindsay Lohan went from being so pretty, fresh-faced, and buxom to being a thin, haggard junkie in just a few years.

The Mist (2007) - well-acted, but ultimately a shaggy dog story.

Underdog (2007) - a reasonably fun canine superhero comedy; not great by any means, but better than its low IMDB rating suggests.

Death Race (2008) - diverting enough on a dumb fun level, although the ending is abrupt and unsatisfactory.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) - preposterous, but kinda fun. Nic Cage's hairpiece was moderately distracting rather than downright awful.

Babylon A.D. (2008) - mediocre rather than awful, although the best actors (Gerard Depardieu and Charlotte Rampling) give the worst perfomances. It's kind of like a grim, low rent version of The Fifth Element.

Mutenroshi · January 3 2010, 07:42 PM

Out Of My Vulcan Mind wrote:

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) - the first half hour is very funny, but I thought it went downhill thereafter.

It's not that the movie went downhill, it's just that once again, Smith made the same movie as before. I like his movies very much but they tend to deal about the same things: nerds/geek sorting their lives out and entering adulthood. OK, Kev, we got it. I just hope that the main characters of Cop-Out are not old geeks sorting their lives out.

Out Of My Vulcan Mind · January 3 2010, 08:05 PM

Mutenroshi wrote:

It's not that the movie went downhill, it's just that once again, Smith made the same movie as before. I like his movies very much but they tend to deal about the same things: nerds/geek sorting their lives out and entering adulthood. OK, Kev, we got it. I just hope that the main characters of Cop-Out are not old geeks sorting their lives out.

I don't mind directors exploring the same theme as long as the material works each time at bat. For me the first half hour of Zack and Miri worked, but the gags built around them actually making the porno mostly missed the mark.

Cop Out is the first Kevin Smith film where he's working from a script written by someone else, so it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.

JacksonArcher · January 3 2010, 08:09 PM

Out Of My Vulcan Mind wrote:

Cop Out is the first Kevin Smith film where he's working from a script written by someone else, so it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.

The trailer looked pretty funny to me. It also appears to be his most polished work to date at least visually.

Starbreaker · January 4 2010, 03:09 AM

1/3 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) [B]
d. Stanley Kubrick
s. Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood

I got this movie on Blu-Ray for Christmas, and as big of a sci-fi fan as I am, this is honestly the first time I've seen the movie all the way through. There are truly some breathtaking scenes. The monolith on the moon scene pretty much creeped me out a little and was almost overwhelming.

It's not one of my favorite films by any means, but I appreciate it, and I'm very impressed by the transfer. It looks like it was filmed yesterday.

Going to watch all the special features now!

JacksonArcher · January 4 2010, 08:43 AM

Up in the Air was ascendant. One of the best films of 2009. Jason Reitman is now a proven talent, and this is definitely my favorite film of his so far. I look forward to whatever he does next.

Miss Chicken · January 4 2010, 09:53 AM

I ended up going today to see "The Lovely Bones" today. I thought it was good and will give it 8/10. I have not read the book on which it is based so I have no idea how well Peter Jackson's adaptied it. I think it is a movie people will either like or hate.

Last night I rewatched the Australian movie "The Castle", which one of my favourite comedies.

Starbreaker · January 4 2010, 09:08 PM

1/4 Rosemary's Baby (1968) [A]
d. Roman Polanski
s. Mia Farrow

One of the best horror films ever. It's a plausible scenario that manages to not go over the top until the very end. I pretty much knew what was going on the whole time based on hearing about the movie my whole life, but it was still great to see the ending. Great movie that I highly recommend to anyone who likes any kind of movie.

Harvey · January 4 2010, 11:10 PM

Sherlock Holmes [B-]
Men in Black [A]

Wynterhawk · January 5 2010, 01:43 AM

The Thing, 1982, Kurt Russell. Fantastic "monster effects" for the most part, except for the alien's big reveal at the end. I still can't watch the scene when the thing takes over the dogs. *hides eyes* Poor doggies! I remember watching it as a youngster and going to clutch my own dog desperately.

But overall, great pacing and atmosphere a bit melodramatic acting, but still enjoyable.

Starbreaker · January 5 2010, 04:22 AM

Wynterhawk wrote:

The Thing

I jumped a foot in the air when they were testing the blood. Not a great film to me, but some very good scenes.
__________________________________________________ ____

1/4 Up in the Air (2009) [A]
d. Jason Reitman
s. George Clooney, Vera Farmiga

Reitman is 3/3 in my eyes. After Thank You For Smoking and Juno, he has done it again. This film is wonderfully acted, funny, and entertaining from start to finish. I thought I had my top 10 of 2009 set, but this might be in there now. And... I have fallen in love with Vera Farmiga. After this and The Orphan, I think she is very talented.

Watching The Lovely Bones now... will tell my thoughts on that in an hour or so.

JacksonArcher · January 5 2010, 04:54 AM

Totally agree on Up in the Air, Starbreaker. It totally cracks my Top Ten of 2009 as well. Great, great film. Entertaining from start to finish. Vera Farmiga is my new crush.

JacksonArcher · January 5 2010, 04:56 AM

Also, my thoughts on The Lovely Bones, which I just saw.

The Lovely Bones was a beautifully made film, with gorgeous special effects and some decent performances, especially by Stanley Tucci. However, the film comes off as overwrought, contrived, and forced. There are some truly fantastic moments -- like when Jack Salmon (Mark Walhberg) realizes George Harvey (Tucci) is the killer of his daughter -- but the film is strangely overly sentimental, lacking a certain emotional authenticity that comes with grief and loss. Everything is overblown, and there is no room for any emotional nuisance.

The film works surprisingly a lot better when it is trying to be a taut suspense thriller rather than when it is trying to be a heart-wrenching drama. The scene where Lindsay breaks into Mr. Harvey's room was well-staged and well-edited. Peter Jackson certainly knows how to build suspense. If only he handled the heavy-handed emotional material with a bit more ease. For a film with such delicate subject material, nothing is subtle or quiet.

Overall, The Lovely Bones is a disappointment. I'm an ardent fan of the book, which was so much better at relaying the emotional intricacy of loss. Naturally some of the details got lost in translation, and I think that's my biggest problem with The Lovely Bones: loss is all about the little details, the little moments, and that is something the film sorely misses.

KirkSpockTOSFan · January 5 2010, 05:17 AM

Lord Garth wrote:

I'll be seeing Avatar either tonight or tomorrow.

I seen that movie already, it actually was the first movie of this new year I seen. This kind movie was not really my type of movies I care for, but it was pretty good.

January 3 2010, 05:21 AM	#16
Mutenroshi 亀仙人 - 武天老師 Location: Mutenroshi	Re: Movies Seen in 2010 [ ●Rec]² Awesome zombies with steroids movie! __________________ Let There Be Rock! Jack Beauregard: "You shine like the door of a whorehouse!" *Nobody:* "I like folks to see me."

January 3 2010, 06:56 PM	#17
Out Of My Vulcan Mind Vice Admiral Location: Wherever you go, there you are.	Re: Movies Seen in 2010 I caught up with a bunch of movies on Sky Movies HD over the last couple of days: Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) - the first half hour is very funny, but I thought it went downhill thereafter. Tropic Thunder (2008) - some mildly amusing bits, but overrated; RDJ's Oscar nom wasn't deserved in my opinion. Mean Girls (2004) - a fun film; sad how Lindsay Lohan went from being so pretty, fresh-faced, and buxom to being a thin, haggard junkie in just a few years. The Mist (2007) - well-acted, but ultimately a shaggy dog story. Underdog (2007) - a reasonably fun canine superhero comedy; not great by any means, but better than its low IMDB rating suggests. Death Race (2008) - diverting enough on a dumb fun level, although the ending is abrupt and unsatisfactory. National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) - preposterous, but kinda fun. Nic Cage's hairpiece was moderately distracting rather than downright awful. Babylon A.D. (2008) - mediocre rather than awful, although the best actors (Gerard Depardieu and Charlotte Rampling) give the worst perfomances. It's kind of like a grim, low rent version of The Fifth Element. __________________ "I'll see you in another life, brother."

January 4 2010, 03:09 AM	#21
Starbreaker Fleet Admiral	Re: Movies Seen in 2010 1/3 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) [B] d. Stanley Kubrick s. Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood I got this movie on Blu-Ray for Christmas, and as big of a sci-fi fan as I am, this is honestly the first time I've seen the movie all the way through. There are truly some breathtaking scenes. The monolith on the moon scene pretty much creeped me out a little and was almost overwhelming. It's not one of my favorite films by any means, but I appreciate it, and I'm very impressed by the transfer. It looks like it was filmed yesterday. Going to watch all the special features now!

January 4 2010, 08:43 AM	#22
JacksonArcher Vice Admiral	Re: Movies Seen in 2010 Up in the Air was ascendant. One of the best films of 2009. Jason Reitman is now a proven talent, and this is definitely my favorite film of his so far. I look forward to whatever he does next.

January 4 2010, 09:53 AM	#23
Miss Chicken Little three legged cat with attitude Location: Howrah, Hobart, Tasmania	Re: Movies Seen in 2010 I ended up going today to see "The Lovely Bones" today. I thought it was good and will give it 8/10. I have not read the book on which it is based so I have no idea how well Peter Jackson's adaptied it. I think it is a movie people will either like or hate. Last night I rewatched the Australian movie "The Castle", which one of my favourite comedies. __________________ Big Brother, the people are watching YOU

STAR TREK

CSI

ABOUT US

January 4 2010, 09:08 PM	#24
Starbreaker Fleet Admiral	Re: Movies Seen in 2010 1/4 Rosemary's Baby (1968) [A] d. Roman Polanski s. Mia Farrow One of the best horror films ever. It's a plausible scenario that manages to not go over the top until the very end. I pretty much knew what was going on the whole time based on hearing about the movie my whole life, but it was still great to see the ending. Great movie that I highly recommend to anyone who likes any kind of movie.

January 4 2010, 11:10 PM	#25
Harvey Admiral	Re: Movies Seen in 2010 Sherlock Holmes [B-] Men in Black [A] __________________ "What do you hear, Starbuck?" "Nothing but the rain, sir." "Then grab your gun and bring in the cat."

January 5 2010, 01:43 AM	#26
Wynterhawk Commodore Location: Wynterhawk is cool like the other side of your pillow	Re: Movies Seen in 2010 The Thing, 1982, Kurt Russell. Fantastic "monster effects" for the most part, except for the alien's big reveal at the end. I still can't watch the scene when the thing takes over the dogs. hides eyes Poor doggies! I remember watching it as a youngster and going to clutch my own dog desperately. But overall, great pacing and atmosphere a bit melodramatic acting, but still enjoyable. __________________ So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity and conservatism.

January 5 2010, 04:54 AM	#28
JacksonArcher Vice Admiral	Re: Movies Seen in 2010 Totally agree on Up in the Air, Starbreaker. It totally cracks my Top Ten of 2009 as well. Great, great film. Entertaining from start to finish. Vera Farmiga is my new crush.

January 5 2010, 04:56 AM	#29
JacksonArcher Vice Admiral	Re: Movies Seen in 2010 Also, my thoughts on The Lovely Bones, which I just saw. The Lovely Bones was a beautifully made film, with gorgeous special effects and some decent performances, especially by Stanley Tucci. However, the film comes off as overwrought, contrived, and forced. There are some truly fantastic moments -- like when Jack Salmon (Mark Walhberg) realizes George Harvey (Tucci) is the killer of his daughter -- but the film is strangely overly sentimental, lacking a certain emotional authenticity that comes with grief and loss. Everything is overblown, and there is no room for any emotional nuisance. The film works surprisingly a lot better when it is trying to be a taut suspense thriller rather than when it is trying to be a heart-wrenching drama. The scene where Lindsay breaks into Mr. Harvey's room was well-staged and well-edited. Peter Jackson certainly knows how to build suspense. If only he handled the heavy-handed emotional material with a bit more ease. For a film with such delicate subject material, nothing is subtle or quiet. Overall, The Lovely Bones is a disappointment. I'm an ardent fan of the book, which was so much better at relaying the emotional intricacy of loss. Naturally some of the details got lost in translation, and I think that's my biggest problem with The Lovely Bones: loss is all about the little details, the little moments, and that is something the film sorely misses.