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Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3460
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 04:50 pm: | 
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Turistas: Who honestly likes "torture porn" movies? Another entry in this unpleasant horror subgenre offers up the usual batch of photogenic nobodies as "gringoes" in Brazil parading around in bikinis until they get captured by an organ harvesting outfit and butchered for their livers...yuck. And to think that director John Stockwell once made the promising, surprisingly moving teen romance crazy/beautiful. Some nice underwater cinematography can't compensate for a film that's relentlessly unpleasant whenever it isn't simply boring. D+
My ass may be dumb, but I ain't no dumbass
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C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3367
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 10:41 pm: |
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Along Came Polly Even though I had seen this one in theaters, I caught it today on TV with my wife and I really enjoyed it again. Found myself LOTL in lots of moments and, despite the predictable choose-between-the-good-girl-and-the-evil-girl plot and the chase-the-good-girl-to-the-airport ending, it still works. Grade: B
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3368
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 10:44 pm: |
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I forgot to mention that Alec Baldwin has a hilarious supporting role on this film that made me remember his equally hilarious turn in The Departed.
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3461
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 11:09 pm: |
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Volver: This is the first Pedro Almodovar film I've seen, and I was very impressed by Penelope Cruz's performance. It's not every movie that can open with a dead body getting stuffed into an ice box and have that incident be virtually forgotten by the end due to the charm of the other plots. Also loved Alberto Iglesias' Bernard Herrmann-ish score. A extremely fine movie, and now I'm interested in perusing Almodovar's back catalogue. Any suggestions...? A-
My ass may be dumb, but I ain't no dumbass
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C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3369
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 11:32 pm: |
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I haven't seen much but I thought his previous film, Bad Education, was pretty good. It stars Gael García Bernal.
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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fishstick (Fishstick)
Cinematographer
Username: Fishstick
Post Number: 1474
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 05, 2007 - 10:17 am: |
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Grind House. 2 movies, 4 fake trailers, uneven quality. You might like everything, or nothing or one but not the other. I didn`t like the first movie Planet Terror at all. It`s a bad movie that is intended to be bad which is fine. What isn`t fine is that hour and a half zombie splatter felt like 3 hours long one despite something constantly going on on the screen. yet somehow it was all rather tedius for which I blame kazillion subplots nobody cares for and instantly forgettable characters desperately trying to be cool and iconic. Well, good luck with that. You might remember the super-duper gross-out scene with Tarantino`s horny military man in the "OMG, I can`t belive they put that on the screen" and Rose McGowan`s much publicized yet appearing too late to save the movie machine gun leg action, which would`ve been iconic had Rose`s Cherry been Uma`s Bride and Planet Terror Kill Bill. But nothing much beyond that. the movie is utter shit but failing to be a memorable, rewatchable shit, aka so bad it`s good shit. It`s just shit and damn boring one at that.
Death Proof was much more my cup of tea thanks to Tarantino`s quirky dialog and great performances by Kurt Russell, the stunt women (includes Rosario dawson and especially some curley actress whose name escapes me at the moment but she rocked) and Rose McGowan (this time around allowed to act good, as opposed to deliberately wooden acting in Planet Terror). The movie is talky with only 3 action uber-violent scenes and some might get bored by all the yakety yak, but I wasn`t. It`s a very good girl power movie and an ending that will make you cheer especially if you stay on your seats after The End, because there`s the big Rosario Dawson moment during the closing credits which is the real ending and totally Woo-hoo.
Both movies are made to look like scrathed, damaged reels and even have hilarius "Missing Reel Sorry For the Inconvenience Theater Management" disclaimers which appear during or right before sex scenes (the reel starts burning, for real).
Fake trailers: Grind House opens with very funny Machette trailer. The rest of trailers appear between 2 movies together with a comercial for tex-Mex restaurant. Werewolf Women of SS trailer by Ron Zombie was really crappy except for the big star`s cameo as the Chinese sensei but Edgar Wright delivered with Don`t while Eli Roth`s Thanksgiving begs to be made for real, for that jumping topless chick`s fate alone. You`ll know what I mean when you see it.
In a nutshell, this experiment wasn`t all kinds of awesome for me but I get what they were trying to do and they seem to have had lots of fun making it (no allusions to married Bob`s frolicks with Rose, not a single one I swear!). So go see what the hype is all about.
Life`s a bitch and so am I!
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AboutFilm host (Carlo)
Moderator
Username: Carlo
Post Number: 7074
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 05, 2007 - 02:58 pm: |
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It doesn't surprise me that Tarantino's half is much better than Rodriguez's.
AboutFilm President and Sugar Daddy (www.aboutfilm.com); OFCS Member (www.ofcs.org)
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randy pan the goat boy (Mackey3000)
Key Grip
Username: Mackey3000
Post Number: 897
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 05, 2007 - 06:46 pm: |
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Well, I loved the whole thing, but, surprise surprise, I have to disagree with fishie about which one's better.
I fucking looooved PLANET TERROR! Tooootal, unapologetic, over-the-top, beyond campy, ubergory schlockfest (I may be wrong, but I have a feeling it may be the most violent film I've ever seen, even if the violence is of the unrealistic, slasptick gore, "Pre-LOTR Peter Jackson" type) that had me thrilled and LMAO throughout the whole thing. I'm one of the few people who loved FROM DUSK TILL DAWN. I used to think it was the ultimate "Great B-Movie" in recent memory, but, boy oh boy, Rodriguez just outdid himself in the "Remarkable Trash" department with this flick. It may be a schlocky camp with no reedemable artistic quality except that it's a total hoot (though I thought the graphics of the monsters and some great genre performances by all involved, especially Josh Brolin and Michael Biehn, had definite artistic merit), but...IT'S A TOTAL F**KING HOOT, and packs more thrills than all your average zombie flicks of the last 10+ years combined! One of the most purely entertaining times I've had at the movies in a looong time, and, overall, probably Rodriguez' 2nd best film after his greatest achievement, SIN CITY. Oh, and extra props to Rodriguez for finally giving Rose McGowan, one of the most lethally sensual and desirable femme fatales in the business, the kind of Killer Babe role she should have been playing for yeeeears now!
Now, on to The Q-Meister's flick: DEATH PROOF is also a lot of fun, and even in a campy "Grindhouse" flick like this there was space for Q's priceless dialogue to shine, but I thought it definitely dragged at parts, and the female characters in the first half of it (Syndey Poitier, Vanessa Ferlito, McGowan, etc.) weren't nearly as interesting, entertaining, and likable as the ones in the 2nd half. And, unexplicably, there was more time devoted to the former than the latter. But all is well once we get to the kickass superchicks in the 2nd half: Rosario Dawson is becoming, in rapid speed, one of the most charismatic, instantly likable, and physically engaging actress in film today (I really light-up everytime I see her, because I know she's gonna create a wonderful little character who's gonna add a lot of gravitas and spunk to the film), and stuntwoman Zoe Bell (aka Uma's double in the KILL BILL flicks) is fucking amazing as "herself" (if she's really as she acts in the film, boy oh boy must she be a hoot to hang out with!), and deserves to be ranked alongside Beatrice Kiddo and Jackie Brown as one of Tarantino's Greatest Bad-Ass Heroines.
And Kurt Russell: Wow, jeesh, I'm afraid I can't say anymore other than a cliche: IT'S COMEBAAAACK TIME!!!! He makes an awesome villain, and adds a lot more humor to the role than I was expecting.
And finally, of course, the "trailers": PURE GENIUS!!! Good lord do I hope Q & R turn this into a franchise, because I cringe just imagining all the ripoffs of this dangerous gimmick, which on amateur hands could be beyond dreadful, but, in the hands of some of the select few talented horror auteurs in the business, is a laugh out loud, glorious treat that leaves you wanting more.
Eli Roth's trailer, "Thanksgiving", is the definite standout (even as a trailer, it's probably better than 92% of the slasher flicks today), but the rest are great too.
"Werewolf Women Of The S.S.", by Rob Zombie (the man behind DEVIL'S REJECTS, the most amazing horror film of it's kind since lord knows when), is hilarious and visually glorious (the celebrity surprise cameo at the end was just a supercool icing on the cake), and it makes you hope that Zombie goes ahead and tries to turn the ludicrous concept into a great "Grindhouse" feature of its own. Rodriguez' own trailer, "Machete" is lots of fun, and Edgar Wright's "Don't" has the kind of shamelessly hysterical, wonderfully dark & twisted british humor worthy of Monty Python.
Overall, one of the most entertaining rides I've had at the movies in a long time. And the kind that only Tarantino can usually deliver.
Planet Terror: A-
Death Proof: B+
"Machete" Trailer: B+
"Werewolf Women Of The S.S." Trailer: A-
"Don't" Trailer: B+
"Thanksgiving" Trailer: A-
Overall grade: A-
Hicks, Carlin, Rock, Dangerfield, Kinison, Pryor, Mooney, Stanhope - Stand-Up Comedy Hall-of-Fame!!
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AboutFilm host (Carlo)
Moderator
Username: Carlo
Post Number: 7075
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 05, 2007 - 07:26 pm: |
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Kurt Russell is probably the epitome of the underrated actor. Of course, he's not been helped by some of his dumber choices. Soldier anyone?
AboutFilm President and Sugar Daddy (www.aboutfilm.com); OFCS Member (www.ofcs.org)
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Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3462
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 05, 2007 - 10:40 pm: |
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Not to mention his magnum opus Captain Ron.  Can't wait to see Grindhouse tomorrow.
-Charlotte's Web: Beautiful, heart-tugging adaptation of E.B. White's classic novel about a runty pig named Wilbur (sweetly voiced by Dominic Scott Kay) saved from the chopping block by the farmer's daughter (ubiquitous child actress Dakota Fanning) and given to her uncle for safekeeping. Generally ignored by the other beasties of the farm (voiced by the recognizable likes of John Cleese, Reba McIntyre, Oprah Winfrey and even, yes, Robert Redford), Wilbur strikes up an unlikely friendship with the kindly spider Charlotte (Julia Roberts, managing the not-inconsiderable task of making a near-photorealistic arachnid palatable with her soothing, maternal cadence), who promises to save Wilbur from the inevitable come Christmastime (to quote Babe, "Christmas means carnage!!!") by using her gifts for web-weaving to make a plea to the farmer (and, eventually, the entire rural community) to spare this one special little piggy. The trailers for this film looked a lot more crass and lowbrow (farting cows!) than the final product, and while the screenplay by Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich) and Karey Kirkpatrick (Chicken Run) does have it's overly "busy" bits of slapstick for it's supporting animal cast (notably a rat voiced by - of course! - Steve Buscemi, and his run-ins with a pair of beligerent crows voiced by Andre Benjamin and Thomas Hayden Church), yet the delicate charm and eventual heartbreak of White's prose emerges intact (cued to Danny Elfman's lovely musical score), and the excellent effects and animal action make for a seamless visual presentation. A genuine gem. A-
My ass may be dumb, but I ain't no dumbass
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fishstick (Fishstick)
Cinematographer
Username: Fishstick
Post Number: 1475
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 06, 2007 - 11:10 am: |
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Mackey, I agree that Rodrigez made a better grind house movie because he was totally going for the badness of those movies. Tarantino cheated so that`s why he`s movie is overall better, IMO, but it is not a pure schlockfest it was supposed to be. While Planet Terror had it all - (intentionally) bad effects, bad acting, nonsensical structure and story, cheesy dialog,etc Death Proof had brilliant dialog (you don`t find character-establishing Tarantino chitchat in Ed Wood opus), solid structure, and is overall plot hole free in major points where even A list movies fail (case in point are stunt women that Kurt Russell stalks and who, due to their profession, handle the shit like pros, unlike many tentpole movies where ordinary people do superheroic stuff without logical explanation), great acting. All those are not the landmarks of a B movie. IMO, QT made improved B movie or B movie with A treatment while Rodgrigez went for total B-ness. In that regard,. Rodrigez wins hands down but I still prefer QT`s flick because Planet Terror kinda bored me and that`s weird because I`m an action fan. I just think I couldn`t take the amount of vomit-inducing goo they used for gross-out effects. But the biblical ending was a riot.
Overall, I`m still thinking about the whole Grind House experience and I applaud the duo for pissing on hubris-ridden directors (Jackson, Singer) with this schlocky homage to schlock. Unlike hubrisos who f*cked a classic B movie and a classic superhero movie with their "we are ashamed of B and superhero legacy so King Kong and Superman Returns are not a fantasy and superhero flick but dramaaaaaaaas, aaaaaah, we are making a dramaaaaaaaa about a giant ape and an alien, aaaaaaaaah, gimmme another Oscaaaaaaah for dramaaaaaaaaaa, aaaaaaaaaah, you need education Jimmy, read Heart of Darkness!". Well, Q and R are,like, "f*ck Oscar, bring on the schlock! Lets bring the shit movie experience to mainstream cinema because we are not ashamed to admit we love shit movies and so do you. How many times have you seen Deep Rising and Virus? Lost the count? Our point exactly."
Oh, and kudos for casting the Roses, the Rosarios and the Marlys over the Cates and Kates, the Scarletts and other usual suspects from the top of every director`s list. And for giving the cool cats of the past (who had career misfortune) a makeover that reminds us why they were and still are cool despite flying under the radar in the world where F-level talents Orlando and Sanjaya reign supreme.
Life`s a bitch and so am I!
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Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3468
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 06, 2007 - 10:55 pm: |
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Grindhouse: Gloriously goofy double-feature allows Robert Rodriguez to get his gorehound freak on in his splatterific zombie thrill ride Planet Terror whist Quentin Tarantino slows down the pace (initially) to give some smokin' babes some quintisential Q dialogue in the road rage thriller Death Proof. PT has the usual Rodriguez obsessions with geysers of gore, cult-movie casting choices (including Michael Parks reprising his "Earl McGraw" sherriff character from Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn and Q's Kill Bill Vol. One, former 80's James Cameron veteran Michael Biehn owning every second of screen time as a beleagured lawman, original Mariachi Carlos Gallardo and gorehound legent Tom Savini as his deputies, Jeff Fahey as the owner of a local gas station where the survivors hole up against the zombie hoarde), sexy babes as exotic dancers (Rose McGowen joins FDTD's Salma Hayek and Sin City's Jessica Alba with her super-sultry stage moves before she loses a limb to hungry zombies) and quirky/campy humor. It's a blast of frequently disgusting, highly entertaining schlock. Q's DP (on which he serves, for the first time, as his own DP), gives Kurt Russell the rare recent chance to shine, and he tears into the role of "Stuntman" Mike (a scarred psychotic who uses his stunt vehicle to run down packs of women for cheap thrills) like a starving man at a buffet table. As much fun as it is to see Russell reclaim his early-80's badass vibe (The Thing, Escape From New York), it's even more fun to see him recieve his commuppance when he targets the wrong batch of violent femmes (Rosario Dawson, Tracy Thoms, and the genuine find Zoe Bell "as herself", who proves she's every bit as charismatic and natural an actress as she is a gifted stunt performer). It's hilarious to see Russell's unflappable cool dissolve into petulant recrimination ("WHY, WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY??!!!!??") as his supposed victims strike back with feral glee in the utterly spectacular chase sequence (with narry a frame of CGI, and that's really Bell hanging on for dear life to the hood) that ends the film. Personally, I didn't mind the "slow" opening of DP, as Tarantino's dialogue crackles every bit as much as his action setpieces. Adding to the fun are ther faux-trailers peppered throughout the program (Thanksgiving is the best of the bunch. "White meat, dark meat, all will be carved!"), the amusing "missing" film reels, which will be restored to the eventual DVD (I can't wait to see that lap dance... ), and the tasty soundtrack(s), with Rodriguez's awesome, 80's John Carpenter-style synth score and Tarantino's usual mix of 60's and 70's pop tracks and score sues lifted from other films (like Pino Donaggio's beautiful love theme from Brian De Palma's Blow Out, one of Q's favorite movies). As far as "bang-for-the-buck" goes, Grindhouse delivers more sheer, giddy fun than probably any movie this year will. Here's hoping that the dynamic duo will reteam again in the near future (I'd pay good money to see a feature-length Machette movie).
-Planet Terror: A-
-Death Proof: A-
-Whole Enchilada: A
My ass may be dumb, but I ain't no dumbass
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Nicola_D (Nicola_d)
Key Grip
Username: Nicola_d
Post Number: 684
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 07, 2007 - 03:25 am: |
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Grindhouse: I have nothing to add to what has already been said, other than the fact that as a teen in the seventies I grew up on everything Tarantino saw, so the movie really is a bit of a nostalgia trip for me. I must say, however, the overall effect of either story was less than great. It didn't quite have the punch I expected. It would have benefited from some editing, or should I say another "missing reel"...
A solid three stars for sheer entertainment value.
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AdamL (Adaml)
Cinematographer
Username: Adaml
Post Number: 2090
Registered: 08-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 07, 2007 - 07:20 am: |
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quote:-Planet Terror: A-
-Death Proof: A-
-Whole Enchilada: A
How can the whole thing be better than either film? |
AdamL (Adaml)
Cinematographer
Username: Adaml
Post Number: 2091
Registered: 08-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 07, 2007 - 07:23 am: |
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quote:we are ashamed of B and superhero legacy so King Kong and Superman Returns are not a fantasy and superhero flick but dramaaaaaaaas, aaaaaah, we are making a dramaaaaaaaa about a giant ape and an alien, aaaaaaaaah, gimmme another Oscaaaaaaah for dramaaaaaaaaaa, aaaaaaaaaah, you need education Jimmy, read Heart of Darkness!"
Very funny and very true. That's why I disliked King Kong and avoided Superman Returns |
Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3470
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, April 07, 2007 - 12:17 pm: |
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AdamL:
quote:How can the whole thing be better than either film?
The whole experience of the thing (trailers, intermission, "our feature presentation" title cards) is key to this. If I watched either film by itself, it wouldn't be as much fun. Often times the whole of a movie can be greater than the sum of it's parts.
My ass may be dumb, but I ain't no dumbass
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AdamL (Adaml)
Cinematographer
Username: Adaml
Post Number: 2092
Registered: 08-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 07, 2007 - 01:41 pm: |
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quote:Often times the whole of a movie can be greater than the sum of it's parts.
Really? You can use that line for a sports team but I thought a movie was the sum of it's parts.
Although I can see that maybe this is one example where that might possibly be true. |
Oh yeah? (Thezookieman)
Movie Star
Username: Thezookieman
Post Number: 4907
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 07, 2007 - 08:20 pm: |
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Danny Trejo, a regular in Tarantino & Rodriguez films, himself has a very interesting life story:
quote:He was in and out of California prisons -- including San Quentin -- for a decade. He cleaned up through a 12-step program, and left prison for good in 1969 at age 24. He was working as a drug counselor when he chanced upon his first film role in 1985's Runaway Train...A production assistant working on Runaway Train had met Trejo through a support group and called him because he feared he was on the brink of collapse.
When Trejo arrived, he was offered work as an extra in a prison scene. One of the screenwriters, convict-turned-author Eddie Bunker, recognized Trejo from San Quentin and goaded the director to give him a small role with dialogue so he could get a Screen Actors Guild card.
So, he comes by those tats and scars honestly.  And, it turns out that after Trejo and Robert Rodriguez had worked on a couple of films together and they started comparing notes, that they found out that they are actually cousins. A full-length version of Machete is in the works, starring Trejo in the role he first played in the Spy Kids films (remember, he was called "Uncle Machete"?).
A pearl of wisdom from Danny Trejo:
quote:"You look at all the celebrities who keep having problems, all they do is take," he says. "They're taking drugs, taking this, taking that. They give nothing back. Do you realize what kind of impact Britney Spears would have if she went to a high school and said, 'You know what girls, don't do drugs'? I'm so angry at people for being blessed, being absolutely blessed and slapping God in the face. The problem is that you start running on ego too much. Ego is 'Edging God Out'."
Standing in the shadow of the One True City...
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Dave Lister (Normanv)
Cinematographer
Username: Normanv
Post Number: 2759
Registered: 06-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 07, 2007 - 09:00 pm: |
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Just saw Grindhouse and I loved it. I pretty much agree with everything Monty posted above, though I liked "Terror Planet" a little more than "Death Proof." I'm a big fan of good zombie movies (the works of George Romero and the Resident Evil movies come to mind). I think the pacing of "Death Proof" was very much like the kinds of movies it was paying homage to, though, and it worked for me.
I noticed a couple of small details in "Terror Planet" that were a tribute to Tarantino (Red Apple cigarettes, the woman doctor running into a VW bus that looked remarkably like the one in "Jackie Brown").
The faux trailers were awesome, though I missed a bit between the start of "Werewolf Women Of The S.S." and "Thanksgiving" because my bladder could take the pressure no longer. So for those who haven't see this one but plan to, my advice is to make sure to void yourself before walking into the auditorium!!!
My grade - A
WARNING/GUARANTEE: This post doesn't contain anything useful.
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Dave Lister (Normanv)
Cinematographer
Username: Normanv
Post Number: 2760
Registered: 06-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 07, 2007 - 09:03 pm: |
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P.S. I used Fandango for the very first time and despite having to pay a "convenience charge" of $1 on top of the $10 ticket price, it was worth it for the the convenience it actually offered.
Also, this audience was one of the best behaved I've shared a movie with in quite awhile. It was an enjoyable theater experience!
WARNING/GUARANTEE: This post doesn't contain anything useful.
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Dave Lister (Normanv)
Cinematographer
Username: Normanv
Post Number: 2762
Registered: 06-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 07, 2007 - 10:45 pm: |
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quote:Very funny and very true. That's why I disliked King Kong and avoided Superman Returns.
Glad to hear I'm not the only one who felt the same way. IMO, King Kong was a pointless remake and was a contributing factor for my decision to avoid Superman Returns.
WARNING/GUARANTEE: This post doesn't contain anything useful.
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AboutFilm host (Carlo)
Moderator
Username: Carlo
Post Number: 7080
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 07, 2007 - 11:14 pm: |
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King Kong had some moments, but it basically sucked, especially the first hour.
I'm in the middle of giving Brick another shot. I'm having a much better time with it this time. Maybe the sound was bad on the TV I was watching it on before; hard film to watch with bad sound.
AboutFilm President and Sugar Daddy (www.aboutfilm.com); OFCS Member (www.ofcs.org)
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Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3471
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, April 07, 2007 - 11:18 pm: |
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I adored King Kong.
Bad Edjucation: My second Pedro Almodovar film. Plot was a little convoluted (probably need a second viewing to smooth it out), but very well-performed. Marred by the R-rated DVD I was forced to rent. Anyways, very good film. B+ or thereabouts.
My ass may be dumb, but I ain't no dumbass
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Dave Lister (Normanv)
Cinematographer
Username: Normanv
Post Number: 2763
Registered: 06-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, April 08, 2007 - 12:53 am: |
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Monty - I recommend Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down for your next Almodovar outing. That was the first movie of his that I saw, and it won me over immediately.
WARNING/GUARANTEE: This post doesn't contain anything useful.
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AboutFilm host (Carlo)
Moderator
Username: Carlo
Post Number: 7081
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, April 08, 2007 - 02:48 am: |
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quote:I'm in the middle of giving Brick another shot. I'm having a much better time with it this time.
Brick ended up being a good film. Except for that bit about 10 minutes before the end where the screen gets all pixelated, then freezes, and the the DVD player needs to be restarted. I didn't care for that.
AboutFilm President and Sugar Daddy (www.aboutfilm.com); OFCS Member (www.ofcs.org)
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James (James)
Production Assistant
Username: James
Post Number: 292
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, April 08, 2007 - 12:09 pm: |
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Monty
You should see All About My Mother. For me I wasn't entirely bowled over with Volver or with Cruz I was with Camera Maura than her. |
Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3472
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, April 08, 2007 - 12:44 pm: |
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Oh, don't worry, I'll be working my way through Almodovar's back catalogue.
My ass may be dumb, but I ain't no dumbass
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AdamL (Adaml)
Cinematographer
Username: Adaml
Post Number: 2093
Registered: 08-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, April 08, 2007 - 02:13 pm: |
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Anyone seen Days of Glory?
Saw it the other day with a friend. He nipped to the loo halfway through and upon returning asked me if he'd missed anything. My first thought was "are you joking?"
Tedious, plotless and badly acted by some of the minor characters. D+ |
C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3370
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, April 08, 2007 - 02:25 pm: |
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Re: King Kong
I think I overall enjoyed it, but it could've been been improved greatly by trimming about an hour of it from here and there.
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3371
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, April 08, 2007 - 02:30 pm: |
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quote:Anyone seen Days of Glory?
I found two films by that name: one from 1944 and another from 2006. Which one you meant?
Just curious which one to avoid.
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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AdamL (Adaml)
Cinematographer
Username: Adaml
Post Number: 2094
Registered: 08-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, April 08, 2007 - 06:32 pm: |
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quote:Which one you meant?
The most recent.
quote:Just curious which one to avoid.
Probably shouldn't listen to me though. My friend loved it and it was nominated for foreign language film last year at the Oscars. |
James (James)
Production Assistant
Username: James
Post Number: 293
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, April 08, 2007 - 07:58 pm: |
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Candy: This being the 2006 film with Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish. The leads were good but the movie was just there. The two deserve a better movie cause they were good together, but the storyline was rather vague. I mean we never saw much into what they really did except leaping to their next fix of heroin.
You never really get much depth into anything else actually. Pity though, cause both leads were quite good. It is nice to hear Heath Ledger again in his Australian Accent. Abbie Cornish is someone to watch although her last scene was rather uneven compared the rest of the movie.
Grade: B- (performances keep it above water) |
Tim (Tim)
Cinematographer
Username: Tim
Post Number: 1132
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Monday, April 09, 2007 - 12:33 pm: |
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The Prestige: The convoluted and increasingly baffling plot eventually crushes the charisma out of the leading actors. With this cast the dialogue should have oozed chemistry and drama, but that isn’t possible with all the twists, turns and timelines at play. As the great David St. Hubbins once said, “It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever.” C |
Cornuto Content (Coachk)
Production Assistant
Username: Coachk
Post Number: 417
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Monday, April 09, 2007 - 12:43 pm: |
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Trejo has always been a cool guy. I like how his character in Heat is named "Trejo". Like you could call him anything else. |
AboutFilm host (Carlo)
Moderator
Username: Carlo
Post Number: 7083
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Monday, April 09, 2007 - 01:40 pm: |
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Well, I liked Grindhouse. Don't think I can add anything. Ultimate movie geek movie; don't know that it will do well with audiences as a whole, so it's a good thing they kept the budget in the $50 million range, particularly after its performance this weekend. But I think this will be a word-of-mouther with some legs.
Agree that Rodriguez most effectively recreated the spirit they were going after. Tarantino's film was very much a Tarantino film, even if it did play like a couple of shorts.
AboutFilm President and Sugar Daddy (www.aboutfilm.com); OFCS Member (www.ofcs.org)
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C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3373
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Monday, April 09, 2007 - 03:53 pm: |
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quote:Tarantino's film was very much a Tarantino film, even if it did play like a couple of shorts.
Don't most Tarantino films play like a couple of shorts?
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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Chris Marti (Cmarti)
Movie Star
Username: Cmarti
Post Number: 5868
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Monday, April 09, 2007 - 05:46 pm: |
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Wordplay.
A documentary.
You should watch it.
It's pretty good. |
Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3478
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 10, 2007 - 11:30 pm: |
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Watched Cellular (2004) again today, David R. Ellis' tight, unpretentious thriller about a kidnapped woman named Jessica Martin (a vivdly frightened Kim Basinger) who's attempts to seek out a potential rescuer via a shattered telephone gets her in contact with a likable everydude named Ryan (Chris Evans from Fantastic Four) on his cell phone, who she begs not to hang up. At first skeptical, Ryan eventually become conviced of her plight when her ruthless captor (Jason Staham) starts verbally and physically threatening her, and when he can't convince the police (personified by William H. Macy's retiring cop) that he's on the lever, Ryan is forced on a cross-L.A. chase to somehow find Jessica before his tenuous cell phone signal can die. Director Ellis (Snakes Of A Plane) certainly is no James Cameron or Michael Mann, but he's a study second-unit craftsman who keeps the tension percolating nicely, and the film's compact, 93-minute running time, coupled with the efficient performances and some good uses of humor make this a very fine lazy afternoon thrillride. B
Whatever with your however.
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Son Of... (Docscribe)
Studio Mogul
Username: Docscribe
Post Number: 8249
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 12:11 am: |
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I enjoyed Cellular too, and you reminded me what I liked about it as an efficient little running time/real time thriller. But I can't imagine wanting to sit through something like that again...I mean, once it has already played out, where's the suspense?
Evans was good though...
"Never thought I'd get around to changing my siggy, did ya?"
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Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3479
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 12:54 am: |
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Well, what's the point of sitting through any suspense/mystery/action movie a second time once you know how it all turns out? Often it's just the ride itself that's invigorating (why do people go on a rollercoaster more than once? It's the same every time, right?). Plus, I picked up the Cellular DVD for a mere five bucks. Cellular is hardy Hitchcock, but I was bored, the disc was there, I thought, "Hey, that was a fun 90 minutes when I rented it 2 years ago", and voila, boredom temporarily suspended. Think about your favorite movies you've watched multiple times, and try to apply the same "Why watch it again?" logic.
Whatever with your however.
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C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3374
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 07:57 am: |
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Blood Diamond It was good, but still it has lots of flaws. First, it was too long. Second, the script tried too hard to bang over our heads its socio-political message about "Africa is f**ked up, and America doesn't give a shit"... and finally, the film feels as if lacking some focus as it ends. Instead of focusing on the micro plot of Solomon and his family, it tries to take it to a macro with some supposedly evil diamond czar that will go to prison as a result of Archer's information, losing impact on the way. Still, it was better than most of what's seen around. Grade: B
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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Tim (Tim)
Cinematographer
Username: Tim
Post Number: 1133
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 10:15 am: |
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The tanking of Grindhouse has prompted the producers to look at releasing each film on its own - rather than as a double feature.
They seemed to have had a decent marketing approach...I certainly saw trailers and ads. The reviews were generally positive, although with this type of film I'm not sure critics matter. You've got Tarantino and Rodrigues...you've got Blood n' Breasts. Where's the problem? Was it really just a running time issue?
To answer my own question: I think yes. Spring Fever is in the air, and I know the singular reason I didn't go opening weekend is that I had a hard time committing to spending over 3 hours in the theater. I know the math doesn't add up (1 for 1 vs. 2 for 1) but maybe they should have engaged in a joint marketing campaign...then released the films the same day. That way they get far more screen time and althought they are fighting each other (sort of) its all the same producer so financially who cares. Then release the DVD's as a 2-for-1 "Double Feature" in 4 months? |
Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3481
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 10:37 am: |
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Plus, releasing the very hard-R rated film on Easter weekend wasn't the most inspired idea. Why didn't they wait for this Friday (the 13th, no less ) to release it? Hopefully the film will benefit from word of mouth.
Whatever with your however.
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Mistress Misanthrope (Scully)
Production Assistant
Username: Scully
Post Number: 425
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 03:53 pm: |
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I hope that the producers of Grindhouse don't go ahead and release each film on its own, as I'm probably going to see it this weekend and don't want to have to pay twice the admission fee </cheap>. Although, part of me is wary of seeing Grindhouse with both films inclusive as I can just picture what my bladder (forgive if that's TMI) will be like at around the 2 hour mark.  I wouldn't suppose there'd be a brief intermission?
TERRORISM is the poor man's WAR is the rich man's TERRORISM
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AboutFilm host (Carlo)
Moderator
Username: Carlo
Post Number: 7087
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 03:57 pm: |
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quote:The tanking of Grindhouse has prompted the producers to look at releasing each film on its own - rather than as a double feature
Yeah, I heard Sweinstein is rattling his saber, being Sweinstein. He's flat out wrong on this one. He should blame himself for releasing the film on Easter weekend... a time for family... and a film that you would decidedly NOT see with your family (in most cases). Furthermore the two films have common threads, common jokes, two instances (that I noticed) of cross-casting, and are part of the same overall vision. Separate them and the whole thing falls apart.
This will have some legs at the theater and make a bucket of money on DVD. The budget was only $50 million or so. What the hell is Harvey complaining about?
AboutFilm President and Sugar Daddy (www.aboutfilm.com); OFCS Member (www.ofcs.org)
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AboutFilm host (Carlo)
Moderator
Username: Carlo
Post Number: 7088
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 03:58 pm: |
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quote:I wouldn't suppose there'd be a brief intermission?
There isn't. So if you have the 50-gallon drum of Coke, plan on cutting out during one of the joke trailers in the middle. I would suggest the third one, definitely not the first one (the Rob Zombie one) or the one for "Don't!"
AboutFilm President and Sugar Daddy (www.aboutfilm.com); OFCS Member (www.ofcs.org)
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fishstick (Fishstick)
Cinematographer
Username: Fishstick
Post Number: 1476
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 10:47 pm: |
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Sweinstein, lol!
Pathfinder or Shitfinder. If shit is what you`re hoping to find, you`re indeed on the right path. I presume you loved The Marine too. Well, this kind of junk could either hire a WWE star which cost some buck or a LOTR nobody which costs nothing. Patherfinder opts for the latter and, as a result, it is now advertised as "No.1 in Russia". That`s what studio reps told us at the screening. When you don`t have a name to bring in a few fans, Russia might help. Or not. Desperate times, desprate marketing measures.
Anyway, the story. Or, to be precize, strecthing 3 words Vikings vs Indians into a 2 hours long movie. But there is a twist. You see it isn`t really a Vikings vs Indians but rather Vikings vs orphaned Viking raised as an Indian, whose sappy dual background that brings absolutely no drama to the table, is created only to justify why he`s white. They wanted a white hero. Indians ain`t white. Lets have a white Viking boy raised as an Indian. Genius, ah? Russians love it too.
The movie borrows from Sly`s Cliffhanger in the sense that evil guys (vikings) force our hero to "find the path" and he, naturally, knowing the area, leads them to their deaths. There`s hilarity such as Vikings being really clumsy on ice which is baffling cause they come from freakin` ICE-land or when Indian-raised hero picks up a sword ( a weapon that doesn`t exists in his new culture) and starts using it like a pro without any training, unless yet to be scientifically proven genetics had something to do with his unexplicable skill.
LOTR nobody is terrible as the lead, a John Cena level of 0% chops, 0% charisma, 100% steroid buffness and 100% facial wrongness. His love interest is as bad actress as she`s hot.
Skip not just the movie but any promo material for his toilet paper too. Cha-cha-cha-charmin.
Life`s a bitch and so am I!
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Mistress Misanthrope (Scully)
Production Assistant
Username: Scully
Post Number: 426
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 11:04 pm: |
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fishstick - Yikes, that Pathfinder movie really sounds like it severely botched the script that many of us wrote several years ago, to a clearly unrecognizable degree.
(I don't think anyone but us "old timers" will understand that one)
Carlo - thanks for the Grindhouse tips. :-)
TERRORISM is the poor man's WAR is the rich man's TERRORISM
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Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3485
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 11:26 pm: |
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There is an amusing (but brief) bit in the Grindhouse intermission advertising a fictitional restaurant "conveniently located right next to the theater!", so if you're really quick, you might be able to sneak a trip to the restroom and get back in time for the funny fake trailers. I was actually planning on cutting out during the midway point to relieve myself, but my bladder was surprisingly cooperative, so I stuck it out.
As for re-issuing both films seperately to theaters, that's just throwing more money away on a project that was never going to appeal to most mainstream filmgoers. Just let the current double-feature play out for the next month (it may still gain more of a cult following in the coming weeks before Spider-Man 3 obliterates everything in sight) and make the rest of the budget back on the inevitable multiple DVD releases (although I'm still waiting for that long-promised "Whole Bloody Affair" SE of Kill Bill  ).
Whatever with your however.
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Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3486
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 11:31 pm: |
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Carlo:
quote:This will have some legs at the theater and make a bucket of money on DVD. The budget was only $50 million or so. What the hell is Harvey complaining about?
I've actually heard rumors of it being closer to $67 million plus an additional $30 million on top of that for advertising (what advertising? I never once saw a trailer for this in theaters, even when I saw 300, and the TV spots were sparse). That's still pretty cheap compared to most films coming out this summer, but Rodriguez and Tarantino should have capped the budgets of each individual film at $10-$15 just to hedge their bets in a commercially risky experiment like this.
Whatever with your however.
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