Movies Seen in 2009

[Harvey]

It took Richard Nixon getting ahold of him personally -- in the middle of the night -- for him to finally get up and do some real research himself (at least in the film -- which was probably dramatized for effect).

Yep, that scene didn't happen in real life. I recall reading there being other fabrications in the film to make it more dramatic - off the top of my head, Frost's female interest in the film didn't exist.

But yeah, that was a very good film. Langella was wonderful as Richard Nixon.

There's an article I read--in the Smithsonian, I think--that goes over the historical liberties taken in the play (and in the film). I'm kicking myself for not remembering exactly where I read it, though. Perhaps someone else here remembers it?

 

[Random_Spock]

It took Richard Nixon getting ahold of him personally -- in the middle of the night -- for him to finally get up and do some real research himself (at least in the film -- which was probably dramatized for effect).

Yep, that scene didn't happen in real life. I recall reading there being other fabrications in the film to make it more dramatic - off the top of my head, Frost's female interest in the film didn't exist.

But yeah, that was a very good film. Langella was wonderful as Richard Nixon.

Ah I figured that it most likely didn't happen that way.

 

[od0_ital]

Well, I'm goin' out tomorrow to get movie passes for Astro Boy and A Serious Man.

One nice thing about my new job - its from nine to five, so it won't affect my movie watchin' too much.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Apocalypto - Engaging and well-made, Gibson knows his stuff no matter how looney he is. The very end felt like a cop-out, but...whattya gonna do? It's not real history.

Jack Frost vs. Nixon - Tricky Dick decides to put a stop to winter during the enery crisis, and Jack Frost won't have it. Musical numbers got old, but Christopher Lee was a helluva Nixon.

Grand Tostinos - Clint Eastwood as pizza-roll addicted senior citizen, resisting efforts of his family to put him on a healthy diet, but accepting the new Vietnamese restaurant his neighbours open. Heart warming.

District 9 1/2 Weeks - Kinky sex with aliens. Creepy movie.

 

[Starbreaker]

The Fly (1986) - B

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Saw Up yesterday, Pixar managed to outdo themselves I think. One of their best, if not their best film to date.

 

[Starbreaker]

Role Models [B-]
Drag Me To Hell
The Last House on the Left (2009) [A]
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane [C+]
Hellraiser [C]
District 9 [A-]

 

[Starbreaker]

Alien 3 [C]
Whatever Works [C+]

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Just got back from seeing Zombieland. Really enjoyed it, lots of fun.

 

[Starbreaker]

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince [A]
Gran Torino [A+]
Vacancy
Terminator Salvation

 

[od0_ital]

Well, Tuesday night I went to south Austin for a free screenin' of Law Abiding Citizen. I thought it was alright, though a bit off the rails towards the end...still, Gerard Butler & Jamie Foxx played well off each other & its always good to see Colm Meaney & Bruce McGill workin'.

Last night, I went over to northwest Austin for a free screenin' of A Serious Man. I didn't care much for it. There were some good laughs, for sure, but it was just kind of random misery for this one guy, that dogpiled his life. Not sure if I'd really want to watch it again...

This weekend, I'll be headed south for a free screenin' of Astro Boy and next week, there's a free screenin' of Amelia!

- In Theaters -
Gran Torino*
Frost/Nixon
Inkheart*
Fanboys
Friday the 13th (2009)*
The International*
Watchmen*
Monsters vs Aliens*
Fast and Furious*
Star Trek (2009)*
The Soloist*
Battle for Terra*
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Band from TV Concert Video
Drag Me to Hell*
Away We Go*
Terminator: Salvation
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Moon
Paper Heart*
G-Force*
(500) Days of Summer*
G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra*
District 9*
Taking Woodstock*
The Time Traveler's Wife
World's Greatest Dad*
9*
Sorority Row (2009)*
The Wizard of Oz
Pandorum*
Toy Story/Toy Story 2 3D Double Feature*
The Horse Boy
Whip It*
The Boys are Back*
Zombieland*
Law Abiding Citizen*
A Serious Man*

Each movie with a * means I saw it at a free advanced screenin'.

- On DVD -
Taken
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Let the Right One In
Duplicity
Defiance
Green Lantern: First Flight

- On Demand -
Eagle Eye

 

[UniqueAlias]

Just gonna stick with movies I've seen in theaters I can remember off the top of my head. Not positive if it was in '09 but I'll try.

Star Trek
Eagle Eye
Nick and Noras Infinite Playlist
GI Joe
Transformers 2
Watchmen
9
District 9
Taken

That's all I can think of.

 

[Starbreaker]

Brazil [B-] I'm glad I finally saw this movie. I laughed at a lot of things. I'd probably understand it better with a second or third or 18th viewing.

Pontypool [A-] What a cool low-budget zombie flick. Highly recommended.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

It took Richard Nixon getting ahold of him personally -- in the middle of the night -- for him to finally get up and do some real research himself (at least in the film -- which was probably dramatized for effect).

Yep, that scene didn't happen in real life. I recall reading there being other fabrications in the film to make it more dramatic - off the top of my head, Frost's female interest in the film didn't exist.

But yeah, that was a very good film. Langella was wonderful as Richard Nixon.

There's an article I read--in the Smithsonian, I think--that goes over the historical liberties taken in the play (and in the film). I'm kicking myself for not remembering exactly where I read it, though. Perhaps someone else here remembers it?

David Frost actually wrote a book (also called Frost/Nixon) after the play came out, before the movie though, where he details a few of the differences. There weren't that many, imo, though they re-arranged the interviews to make it climax with Watergate, when in fact Watergate was the 2nd of 4 sessions. He also felt the other sessions were not wastes of time like the play/movie indicated. He did seem to take the whole thing more seriously than the movie indicated. And of course the night phone call was a dramatic fabrication, though I thought, based on what I've read about Nixon, was a pretty logical leap as to the viewpoint Nixon had (in regards to elites and stuff). That, 'we're gonna make em choke' bit was fantastic by Langella.

 

[Kegg]

And of course the night phone call was a dramatic fabrication, though I thought, based on what I've read about Nixon, was a pretty logical leap as to the viewpoint Nixon had

Very.

In fact, Nixon was known to made late-night drunken calls. These were to White House staffers though, or so I understand.

Anyway, the film's depiction of Nixon I thought was generally very solid. Langella got under his skin and he was very well written - it's pretty much on that basis I enjoyed the film as much as I did.

The scene makes sense as drama - they want to incorporate a more unhinged and less formal Nixon into the film for a scene, which makes sense, but at the same time make it a cathartic moment for the movie (which means he must be talking to Frost and at a key moment, as he is.) Screenwriting 101 maybe, but a wise call.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Babylon A.D. -My initial reaction, "fairly watchable, this isn't the train wreck everyone made it out to be." Then it got to the end, and "WTF?" That was it? (D+)

 

[Starbreaker]

Open Water [B-]

I liked the story... terrible camera work.

Complete List as of Today:

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) [A]
2. Hancock [C] [DVD]
3. The Ex [C] [Cable]
4. Blue Velvet [Cable]
   [*]The Visitor [A] [DVD]
   [*]My Best Friend's Girl [C][DVD]
   [*]Winter Passing [Netflix]
   [*]Zack and Miri Make A Porno [DVD]
   [*]Crank [DVD]
   [*]Pulse [F] [DVD]
   [*]Saw V [C] [DVD]
   [*]Pathology [DVD]
   [*]Dazed and Confused [B-] [DVD]
   [*]Fast Times at Ridgemont High [D] [DVD]
   [*]Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist [A] [DVD]
   [*]Changeling [B+] [DVD]
   [*]The Boy in the Striped Pajamas [DVD]
   [*]Blindness [B-] [DVD]
   [*]Elegy [B-] [DVD]
   [*]Slumdog Millionaire [A+] [DVD]
   [*]Mojave Phone Booth [Netflix]
   [*]X-Men Origins: Wolverine [C] [Online]
   [*]Star Trek [A+] [Theater]
   [*]The Executioner's Song [C] [DVD]
   [*]Taken [DVD]
   [*]The Alphabet Killer [D] [DVD]
   [*]Prince of the City [DVD]
   [*]Helter Skelter [DVD]
   [*]The Last Emperor [A] [DVD]
   [*]Valkyrie [A] [DVD]
   [*]Twilight [B-] [DVD]
   [*]Serpico [Download]
   [*]The Hangover (2009) [Download]
   [*]Appaloosa (2008) [B-] [Download]
   [*]Revolutionary Road (2008) [C] [Download]
   [*]Frost/Nixon (2008) [A] [Download]
   [*]Friday the 13th (2009) [F] [Download]
   [*]Let the Right One In (2008) [Download]
   [*]Milk (2008) [A] [Download]
   [*]The Reader (2008) [A] [Download]
   [*]The Wrestler (2008) [A] [Download]
   [*]Synedoche, New York (2008) [A] [Download]
   [*]Doubt (2008) [B+] [Download]
   [*]Defiance (2008) [B-] [Download]
   [*]Franklyn (2008) [C] [Download]
   [*]Eden Log [D] [Download]
   [*]Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen [C+] [Theater]
   [*]Coraline (2009) [B+] [Online]
   [*]My Bloody Valentine (2009) [Online]
   [*]Adventureland (2009) [A] [Online]
   [*]Sunshine Cleaning [A] [Online]
   [*]Lady in the Water [C] [DVD]
   [*]The Mask [C] [DVD]
   [*]The Fifth Element [DVD]
   [*]We Own the Night [B-] [DVD]
   [*]Premonition [C] [DVD]
   [*]The Devil's Backbone [A] [DVD]
   [*]Fracture [B+] [DVD]
   [*]Brick [C] [DVD]
   [*]Sugar [A] [DVD]
   [*]Crank 2 [C] [DVD]
   [*]The Lookout [A] [DVD]
   [*]Shrek the Third [B-] [DVD]
   [*]The Skeleton Key [B-] [Netflix]
   [*]Two Lovers [Netflix]
   [*]Kingdom of Heaven [D] [Blu-Ray]
   [*]Watchmen [B+] [DVD]
   [*]Terminator: Rise of the Machines [C] [Blu-Ray]
   [*]I Love You, Man [A] [DVD]
   [*]Hellboy [B+] [Blu-Ray]
   [*]Hellboy II: The Golden Army [A] [Blu-Ray]
   [*]The Thing [B-] [Blu-Ray]
   [*]Trick 'r Treat [B+] [Blu-Ray]
   [*]Zombieland [B+] [Theater]
   [*]Zombie Nightmare [F] [Netflix]
   [*]Midnight Meat Train [Blu-Ray]
   [*]The Fly (1986) [Blu-Ray]
   [*]Drag Me To Hell [Download]
   [*]Role Models [B-] [Download]
   [*]The Last House on the Left (2009) [A] [Download]
   [*]The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane [C+] [Download]
   [*]Hellraiser [C] [Blu-Ray]
   [*]District 9 [A-] [Download]
   [*]Alien 3 [C] [Download]
   [*]Whatever Works [C+]
   [*]Vacancy
   [*]Terminator Salvation
   [*]Pontypool [A-]
   [*]Brazil [B-]
   [*]Open Water [C+]
   

 

[od0_ital]

Last night, I saw Night of the Living Dead for the first time ever, on a projector screen.

And today, I got into the free advanced screenin' of Astro Boy.

Both will be added to the list later.

 

[od0_ital]

Quick update - I've got two free screenings this week! Amelia on Wednesday, The Fourth Kind on Thursday.

 

[Starbreaker]

Ghostbusters [C+]
The Proposal [B-]
Creepshow
The Haunted World of El Superbeasto [C]