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list/discuss/rate - your recently watched movies

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Topic: list/discuss/rate - your recently watched movies
Posted By: mithrandir
Subject: list/discuss/rate - your recently watched movies
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 20:46
Well, I did a search and didn't find a thread quite like this, so if you don't mind me starting one here...

...just like the topic says load this thread up with your recently watched movies! Rating and discussing them is optional but I'd like to see what you fine folks are watching.  Yes, Im a netflix junky and have much love for fine (or bad) cinema...

...hopefully this thread will be constantly active as I watch at least 3 movies a weekend, I'll be listing them all here once a week or so...and hopefully I wont be the only one listing!
Cool

a few of my recent viewings of mine to start the thread off with:

Protagonist - this was a neat little movie, actually a documentary about 4 completely different people and their stories of ups and downs and various revelations in life, basically a cautionary film about the frailty of certainty - 8.5/10

Rory O'Shea Was Here - eh, goofy and sappy not in a good way - 3/10

Dogville - this is the 3rd Lars von Trier movie I've seen and I think I can safely say this guy has become my favorite director of modern times, damn I loved this movie so much....with each movie he seems to add something novel and unique for the process this one was no different, it was sort of set up like you are watching a play on a giant stage which was all of Dogville, it all takes place within one prelude and 9 acts, its funny cause by the 2nd or 3rd act after I got past the novelty of the set up I starting to think the story itself seemed a bit weak and began to wonder if it was going to hold my interest the rest of the way through....boy was I wrong! by the 5th act I was completely enthralled, what a fantastic ending too, I loved it to death! one of those movies you can really only see once to get the full impact, a 2nd watch just wouldn't be the same since all the surprise and suspense is gone, I say - 10/10

Room -kind of like Hitler, it started off strong but ended up in failure...neo-avant silliness - 2/10

Neco z Alenky(Alice) - this is my first experience with Jan Svankmajer and after this I cant wait to see more, basically a retelling of Alice In Wonderland with stop motion animation, a very imaginative use of tools, sewing accessories, children's toys, animal bones, gross food, and variety of other junk to make all the creatures and props Alice experiences through her journey, awesome stuff - 8/10

Neverwas - yikes! this was bad, even the Philip Glass soundtrack couldn't save this disaster, I even wanted to like it just a little bit cause it was kind of a pathetic movie, but nah, who am I kidding? - 2.5/10





Replies:
Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 22:29
Hurray for Netflix (sort of)! And HBO for allowing me to see all those bad movies I didn't want to pay much of anything for.

Recently I've been on a bad and goofy movie streak.:

Ghost Rider:  WOW! It was even worse than it looked.  The Marvel company seems to be good at putting out tons of their comics into half-assed movies like the Hulk, Fantastic Four, and Ghost Rider.  Nicolas Cage was pretty funny (although he was trying so hard to be good).  Provided some good laughs at the overall very very terrible flick.  2/10

Teeth: A girl proponent of God and Celibacy finds out she has some teeth in her Vag.  that will bite stuff.  A pretty well done grossout/horror type flick.  It was very entertaining.  8/10

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back: This was one of two Smith movies I avoided for a while for some reason.  Having watched both Even With Kevin Smith movies my interest was peaked.  So, I rented it, enjoyed it.  8/10

Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny:  I caught this on HBO the other day.  I own it.  This was the 5th time I watched it in a year.  Its a beautiful film.  16/10.

Ratatouille: I don't know if my spelling is right, but I think we all know the movie I'm talking about.  It followed the basic disney plot, but it was still pretty good.  Good laughs, and I wasn't tired of the nonw over abused pixar animation style.  8/10

Brick: Saw this last night, finally.  It was very well done.  I liked the noir style set in a high school setting.  Gordon Levitt was good too.  9/10


Posted By: Chris H
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 22:54
Originally posted by BroSpence BroSpence wrote:



Ratatouille: I don't know if my spelling is right, but I think we all know the movie I'm talking about.  It followed the basic disney plot, but it was still pretty good.  Good laughs, and I wasn't tired of the nonw over abused pixar animation style.  8/10


 
I pretty much echo this, I thought it was going to be crap when I started watching it, just the same run of the mill Disney garbage. Much to my surprised, I enjoyed it very much and it was quite funny as well!


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Beauty will save the world.


Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: May 14 2008 at 14:06
whoah! what happened to all the posts that were here? they get deleted or something?
 
edit update:
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=48624 - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=48624 http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=48624 -
hmm, looks like we lost a few of our posts due to the hacking last night, well let us persevere in the name of cinema!


Posted By: avalanchemaster
Date Posted: May 14 2008 at 18:31
okay let me try to recapture what I originally said:

The Golden Compass- 8/10- I really enjoyed this one, even though it is clearly geared towards children....
I just bought the trilogy of books that the movie is based on (the Dark Materials), and cannot wait to dive into them now that the summer is here and school is over for me.

I think it is hilarious that the religious right was up in arms about this film, trying to boycott it because they think it is anti-god.....haha, yeah right!

The Orphanage- 7.5/10
one of the better and more original, spine-chilling Psychological thrillers I have seen in some time.  definitely worthwhile stuff.

I feel like a false compared to Mithrandir, because lately I only rent from Blockbuster, I need to start renting more indie stuff from my indie store again.

My father still owns an old-style theater with two carbon-arc powered projectors, I used to work the projectors as a teenager.....gave me my love for film, you cannot beat the seat up in the projection booth,


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http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/storefront/index.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sellerID=AP


Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: May 15 2008 at 10:01

Iron Man. I'll give it a 8.5/10 right now but I'm not sure how much of my enjoyment was because of my fond childhood memories of the cartoon.LOL



Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: May 15 2008 at 10:15
The Gods Must be Crazy
9.5/10
 
 
Awesome and pretty funny at times.  Very satiric, well recommended.


Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: May 15 2008 at 10:16
Originally posted by avalanchemaster avalanchemaster wrote:

okay let me try to recapture what I originally said:

The Golden Compass- 8/10- I really enjoyed this one, even though it is clearly geared towards children....
I just bought the trilogy of books that the movie is based on (the Dark Materials), and cannot wait to dive into them now that the summer is here and school is over for me.

I think it is hilarious that the religious right was up in arms about this film, trying to boycott it because they think it is anti-god.....haha, yeah right!
 
I didn't see the movie because it got crap reviews, but I can tell you that the book itself is pretty clearly atheist at heart, not that children would be able to pick up on that.


Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: May 15 2008 at 14:33
Originally posted by Pnoom! Pnoom! wrote:

Originally posted by avalanchemaster avalanchemaster wrote:

okay let me try to recapture what I originally said:

The Golden Compass- 8/10- I really enjoyed this one, even though it is clearly geared towards children....
I just bought the trilogy of books that the movie is based on (the Dark Materials), and cannot wait to dive into them now that the summer is here and school is over for me.

I think it is hilarious that the religious right was up in arms about this film, trying to boycott it because they think it is anti-god.....haha, yeah right!
 
I didn't see the movie because it got crap reviews, but I can tell you that the book itself is pretty clearly atheist at heart, not that children would be able to pick up on that.
 
I'd hope children who would read this would get the impression that there's more to the universe and creation than a simple monotheistic explination, Wink
 
the movie wasn't horrible, the setting, Daemons, specFX, and actors were pretty well done, but they completely messed up the flow of the film, and totally left out the true ending, a shame....its funny cause people at first were blaming the director(Chris Weitz), but he stated it wasn't his fault...he intended the timeline to follow the book and to include the proper ending,  it was the execs that came in and edited it to hell, they also had a few unreleased scenes up on a site I saw where they indeed had much of the proper ending filmed....my GF and I think they shouldn't have even attempted to do a film adaptation of His Dark Materials to begin with, Not even sure how they would make a commercially sucsessful movie the the 2nd part "The Subtle Knife" since there really isn't that much action or dazzling moments that could be filmed and would drive audiences to the theaters...unless they forced a bunch of crap that just isn't there....lame,


Posted By: avalanchemaster
Date Posted: May 15 2008 at 15:29
Originally posted by mithrandir mithrandir wrote:

Originally posted by Pnoom! Pnoom! wrote:

Originally posted by avalanchemaster avalanchemaster wrote:

okay let me try to recapture what I originally said:

The Golden Compass- 8/10- I really enjoyed this one, even though it is clearly geared towards children....
I just bought the trilogy of books that the movie is based on (the Dark Materials), and cannot wait to dive into them now that the summer is here and school is over for me.

I think it is hilarious that the religious right was up in arms about this film, trying to boycott it because they think it is anti-god.....haha, yeah right!
 
I didn't see the movie because it got crap reviews, but I can tell you that the book itself is pretty clearly atheist at heart, not that children would be able to pick up on that.
 
I'd hope children who would read this would get the impression that there's more to the universe and creation than a simple monotheistic explination, Wink
 
the movie wasn't horrible, the setting, Daemons, specFX, and actors were pretty well done, but they completely messed up the flow of the film, and totally left out the true ending, a shame....its funny cause people at first were blaming the director(Chris Weitz), but he stated it wasn't his fault...he intended the timeline to follow the book and to include the proper ending,  it was the execs that came in and edited it to hell, they also had a few unreleased scenes up on a site I saw where they indeed had much of the proper ending filmed....my GF and I think they shouldn't have even attempted to do a film adaptation of His Dark Materials to begin with, Not even sure how they would make a commercially sucsessful movie the the 2nd part "The Subtle Knife" since there really isn't that much action or dazzling moments that could be filmed and would drive audiences to the theaters...unless they forced a bunch of crap that just isn't there....lame,
 
WOW.  so do you have a link to the alternate ending?  is that available in the 2disc release of the movie?
that makes me want to read the books even more.....soon, very soon.....


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http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/storefront/index.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sellerID=AP


Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: May 15 2008 at 20:13
Originally posted by avalanchemaster avalanchemaster wrote:

...
 
WOW.  so do you have a link to the alternate ending?  is that available in the 2disc release of the movie?
that makes me want to read the books even more.....soon, very soon.....


http://www.hisdarkmaterials.org/news/the-golden-compass/what-about-the-directors-cut
at the bottom of the blog where is says, Watch the director's cut scenes,
its not the full ending, just a montage of scenes they cut, not sure if they'll ever put out the full director's cut, we'll see


Posted By: avalanchemaster
Date Posted: May 15 2008 at 20:48
thanks man.  ifl,

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http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/storefront/index.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sellerID=AP


Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: May 15 2008 at 22:53
Genghis Blues - The famouus documentary about blind bluesman Paul Pena, who learned to do Tuvan throat singing from listening to a Russian radio station.  He was invited to show his talent at the somewhat annual tuvan throat singing contest in Tuva.  It was excellent.  9/10.


Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: May 16 2008 at 04:22
Originally posted by BroSpence BroSpence wrote:

Hurray for Netflix (sort of)! And HBO for allowing me to see all those bad movies I didn't want to pay much of anything for.

Recently I've been on a bad and goofy movie streak.:

Ghost Rider:  WOW! It was even worse than it looked.  The Marvel company seems to be good at putting out tons of their comics into half-assed movies like the Hulk, Fantastic Four, and Ghost Rider.  Nicolas Cage was pretty funny (although he was trying so hard to be good).  Provided some good laughs at the overall very very terrible flick.  2/10

 
Come to think of it, I watch Ghost Rider two weeks ago. The emoticon coming up will tell you what I thought about its quality as a film.....
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dead


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Posted By: Passionist
Date Posted: May 16 2008 at 05:19
Hard to Kill, Steven Seagal... I saw this last night. A hard boiled martial arts cop gets in the middle of corrupted politics. 2/10 stars, the movie was awful, but yet funny. One of those "get a bad movie and loads of beer" -flicks.


Posted By: Jimbo
Date Posted: May 16 2008 at 12:20
Ghost Dog: A very interesting film by Jim Jarmusch. Tells the story of a weird 'samurai' assassin who gets in the middle of mafia business. It effortlessly blends just about every film genre out there; thriller, comedy, drama, mafia, martial arts etc. Lots of interesting philosophical excerpts from Hagakure, the book of the samurai. 8/10

The Seventh Continent: A film by Michael Haneke. Do not watch this if you're depressed. A film about a wealthy Austrian family who suddenly realize how shallow and empty their seemingly comfortable life is. As a result, they take some rather drastic measures to get rid of the problem. The movie offers very little comfort or explanation, the characters are cold and distant. Good for shock value, but it's difficult to be emotional about all of it when the movie is anything but. This was done intentionally though. 7/10

The Science of Sleep: directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). A fun little film about a boy who wanders off to his own dreamworld all the time and has difficulties separating reality from it. The basic premise is not all that original (the whole 'boy meets girl' fare), but as we spend most of the movie in the dreamworld, it becomes fascinating and fun to watch. Nowhere near as convincing as Eternal Sunshine... but certainly worthy of viewing if you liked that movie. Charlie Kauffman could have spiced up the movie a little bit though... 8/10


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Posted By: GoldenSpiral
Date Posted: May 16 2008 at 13:05
Originally posted by Pnoom! Pnoom! wrote:

Originally posted by avalanchemaster avalanchemaster wrote:

okay let me try to recapture what I originally said:

The Golden Compass- 8/10- I really enjoyed this one, even though it is clearly geared towards children....
I just bought the trilogy of books that the movie is based on (the Dark Materials), and cannot wait to dive into them now that the summer is here and school is over for me.

I think it is hilarious that the religious right was up in arms about this film, trying to boycott it because they think it is anti-god.....haha, yeah right!
 
I didn't see the movie because it got crap reviews, but I can tell you that the book itself is pretty clearly atheist at heart, not that children would be able to pick up on that.
 
I recently watched this too.
I liked the novels a lot, but this movie was awful.  They butchered it to hell trying to cut out "offensive" things, and of course cut out the entire ending of the book.  The only cool part was the ice bear fight and the fact that Sam Elliot was the best possible casting choice for Lee.
 
As far as the Atheism thing goes, it's all a matter of how you interpret it.  I have my own interpretation, but I don't think most people would see it as I do, they choose the easy scapegoat.  I can't really go into it though (it would give away a lot of the 3rd book).
 
Anyway, I hope they don't even make the 2nd two movies if they're going to be as half-assed as that one.
 
So, movies Ive seen...
The Other Boleyn Girl - 7/10.
I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, and it is woth watching just for the tornado of hottness that is ScarJo and Natalie Portman together.  Actually, it's a pretty nicely done film.


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http://www.myspace.com/altaic" rel="nofollow - http://www.myspace.com/altaic
ALTAIC

"Oceans Down You'll Lie"
coming soon


Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: May 16 2008 at 14:13
The Hole - 7/10
Good, original, psychological/thriller. Some good twists, interesting characters and plot. Great atmosphere. Acting was convincing enough. I liked it.

Resident Evil - 8.5/10
I was skeptical about the film of a game, naturally, but they pulled it off with flying colours. Good underlying themes and action scenes, convincing performances all round, especially from, Milla Jovovich, who is also *mmmf* Heart. Great action/horror film.


Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: May 16 2008 at 14:34
Originally posted by GoldenSpiral GoldenSpiral wrote:

the fact that Sam Elliot was the best possible casting choice for Lee.
 
As far as the Atheism thing goes, it's all a matter of how you interpret it.  I have my own interpretation, but I don't think most people would see it as I do, they choose the easy scapegoat.  I can't really go into it though (it would give away a lot of the 3rd book).
 
Anyway, I hope they don't even make the 2nd two movies if they're going to be as half-assed as that one.
 
agreed on all 3 points! Thumbs%20Up


Posted By: KoS
Date Posted: May 16 2008 at 14:49
Originally posted by TGM: Orb TGM: Orb wrote:


Resident Evil - 8.5/10
I was skeptical about the film of a game, naturally, but they pulled it off with flying colours. Good underlying themes and action scenes, convincing performances all round, especially from, Milla Jovovich, who is also *mmmf* Heart. Great action/horror film.
Those Resident Evil films are a bit of a guilty pleasure.
It is a well done brainless action movie but it is quite enjoyable if you don't over think or expect something else from it.
What I find interesting is that loyal fans of the game think of it as an abomination like the game has a first rate story anyhow.LOL
And Milla is lovely.Embarrassed


Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: May 17 2008 at 10:43
When watching the first two Resident Evil movies I got the feeling that the people who made it don't really know what makes a good horror movie, and as action movies they're not that great either. I'd be far more forgiving of the first one borrowing its plot from Aliens if it didn't pull so many punches. The third one I actually saw in the theatre, and while the script still felt like total fanfic it actually had some genuinely scary/tense moments. Having the guy who made Highlander direct helped. A lot.


Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: May 17 2008 at 23:42
Originally posted by Passionist Passionist wrote:

Hard to Kill, Steven Seagal... I saw this last night. A hard boiled martial arts cop gets in the middle of corrupted politics. 2/10 stars, the movie was awful, but yet funny. One of those "get a bad movie and loads of beer" -flicks.
 
That movie kicks arse if you approach it from the correct perspectiveLOL


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Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: May 18 2008 at 03:35
House of Sand and Fog - movie about a woman (Jennifer Connelly) who looses her house due to a faulty tax claim by the dumb ass government, and an Iranian family who's father (Ben Kingsley), find the house at a cheap price for auction and seizes upon the opportunity unknowing about the woman who lost the property unfairly, it becomes an interesting moral dilemma where no one has done anything illegal and you can sympathize with both parties at hand, its a tense movie all the way through but I have mixed feelings on how it ends, can't really go into much more detail without spoiling the plot, Kingsley as usual plays his role superbly--I think Im being very generous by giving this movie a - 7/10

Duo luo tian shi (Fallen Angels) - a Hong Kong made movie that involves 2 completely different plot lines, one about an assassin and his female partner whom he rarely shares the same scenes with, the other about mute and his father, quirky at times serious at others but Im not quite sure what it all means, I'll have to think about it a bit more, I enjoyed the low budget film quality and the constant use of narrow angled camera shots...the whole experience seemed rather claustrophobic and suffocating (which was an interesting compliment) - 6/10

Dear Wendy - this movie was written by my man Lars von Trier and directed by some cat named Thomas Vinterberg, basically about a guy who gathers together group of young misfits and forms a gang of gun toting pacifists! a great paradox for a film that gun nuts and anti-gun nuts alike would greatly appreciate, within their little gang they learn about guns, how to shoot, exit wounds, matching the perps to their firearm of choice, etc...all the while having codes they live by, rituals, attire, special dialog, and other little details that go along with their secret society, this has all the makings for a cult movie for me and I could definitely see this over and over again! yet another great film to further strengthen my love affair with Lars von Trier - 8.5/10 (maybe 9/10)


Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: May 18 2008 at 22:37
Originally posted by Passionist Passionist wrote:

Hard to Kill, Steven Seagal... I saw this last night. A hard boiled martial arts cop gets in the middle of corrupted politics. 2/10 stars, the movie was awful, but yet funny. One of those "get a bad movie and loads of beer" -flicks.



The best part was the evil Rastafarian's.



Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: May 19 2008 at 02:23
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance


I don't even know what to say. My mind has been blown for the third time by this director.


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http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want!


Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: May 19 2008 at 05:58
Originally posted by BroSpence BroSpence wrote:

Originally posted by Passionist Passionist wrote:

Hard to Kill, Steven Seagal... I saw this last night. A hard boiled martial arts cop gets in the middle of corrupted politics. 2/10 stars, the movie was awful, but yet funny. One of those "get a bad movie and loads of beer" -flicks.



The best part was the evil Rastafarian's.

 
You're getting it confused with Marked For Death.Wink


Posted By: Christine
Date Posted: May 19 2008 at 10:07
What about the simple polytheistic,atheistic,agnostic, nihilistic, and absurdist explanations? Does it offer more than those simple explanations?


Originally posted by mithrandir mithrandir wrote:

Originally posted by Pnoom! Pnoom! wrote:

Originally posted by avalanchemaster avalanchemaster wrote:

okay let me try to recapture what I originally said:The Golden Compass- 8/10- I really enjoyed this one, even though it is clearly geared towards children....I just bought the trilogy of books that the movie is based on (the Dark Materials), and cannot wait to dive into them now that the summer is here and school is over for me.I think it is hilarious that the religious right was up in arms about this film, trying to boycott it because they think it is anti-god.....haha, yeah right!

 

I didn't see the movie because it got crap reviews, but I can tell you that the book itself is pretty clearly atheist at heart, not that children would be able to pick up on that.

 

I'd hope children who would read this would get the impression that there's more to the universe and creation than a simple monotheistic explination, Wink

 

the movie wasn't horrible, the setting, Daemons, specFX, and actors were pretty well done, but they completely messed up the flow of the film, and totally left out the true ending, a shame....its funny cause people at first were blaming the director(Chris Weitz), but he stated it wasn't his fault...he intended the timeline to follow the book and to include the proper ending,  it was the execs that came in and edited it to hell, they also had a few unreleased scenes up on a site I saw where they indeed had much of the proper ending filmed....my GF and I think they shouldn't have even attempted to do a film adaptation of His Dark Materials to begin with, Not even sure how they would make a commercially sucsessful movie the the 2nd part "The Subtle Knife" since there really isn't that much action or dazzling moments that could be filmed and would drive audiences to the theaters...unless they forced a bunch of crap that just isn't there....lame,


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catsfootironclaw


Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: May 19 2008 at 10:11
Iron Man...and it was awesome!

E


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Posted By: Jimbo
Date Posted: May 19 2008 at 11:00
Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance


I don't even know what to say. My mind has been blown for the third time by this director.

I will be watching Oldboy later this week. Judging from the heaps of praise it has received, it should be one hell of an experience. I'll probably rent that one as well eventually. It pays to have a good library system! Geek


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Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: May 19 2008 at 14:37
Just be warned - Oldboy is pretty much the definition of a cinematic Rorschach test except that the blots are blood rather than ink.


Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: May 20 2008 at 02:30
Originally posted by Toaster Mantis Toaster Mantis wrote:

Originally posted by BroSpence BroSpence wrote:

Originally posted by Passionist Passionist wrote:

Hard to Kill, Steven Seagal... I saw this last night. A hard boiled martial arts cop gets in the middle of corrupted politics. 2/10 stars, the movie was awful, but yet funny. One of those "get a bad movie and loads of beer" -flicks.



The best part was the evil Rastafarian's.

 
You're getting it confused with Marked For Death.Wink


Oh damn, thats right.  Its been a while since I watched all those Seagal movies.  I enjoy his portrayal of a different ethnicity in each movie.  Its too bad no studios want to make any big budget films with him anymore.  There haven't been any good big budget crapfests with him or Chuck Norris for too long. 



Undead or Alive: a brilliant zombie-western starring everyone's favorite ex-SNL cast member CHRIS KATTAN! And Brian Posehn as a zombie.  What could be better than a western-zombie genre mashup? NOTHING.  This was a great movie.  8/10.


Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: May 20 2008 at 04:01
Speaking of Seagal, I remember seeing On Deadly Ground on TV late one evening and being utterly dumbfounded at how a major studio would blow so many money on something this preposterous. Also, if you haven't you should read http://www.agonybooth.com/agonizer/Steven_Seagal_s_Lightning_Bolt.aspx - this . LOL


Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: May 21 2008 at 07:28
30 Days Of Night - rented this thinking it could be a fun lowest common denominator horror/vampire flick, but was very surprised & extremely impressed. Well filmed, very well acted (yes - even Josh Hartnett ), excellent vampire characters (who managed to be scary, disturbing, yet strangely believeable) & some great set-pieces, including one with a small girl which I'm genuinely surprised got past the censors... ; my only criticism is the time-frame jumping - you wonder how the main characters actually lasted 30 days...

Overall? A solid 8.5/10 from this reviewer.

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Jon Lord 1941 - 2012


Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: May 21 2008 at 08:31
I watched Ghost Rider, with Nick Cage & Peter Fonda on the TV (ie, it was FREE) last night.
 
Based on a Marvel comic, it was a bit of harmless horror fun -- plus it had motorcycles.
 
 2.5 stars, give or take...
Shocked Shudder! Ha! LOL


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"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.


Posted By: The T
Date Posted: May 21 2008 at 13:10
I recently watched the Rocky saga..... from 1 to 5, today I'll watch number 6.
 
Rocky StarStarStarStarStar (fantastic underdog story... perfectly told...)
Rocky 2 StarStarStar1/2 (not in the same league but still decent)
Rocky 3 StarStar1/2 (a mess.. but fun at that)
Rocky IV StarStar1/2 (the same)
Rocky V Star (a mess.... and not fun at that)
 
Rocky Balboa (to be seen)


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Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: May 21 2008 at 14:40
Originally posted by Toaster Mantis Toaster Mantis wrote:

Just be warned - Oldboy is pretty much the definition of a cinematic Rorschach test except that the blots are blood rather than ink.


LOL

Oldboy is amazing. When I first saw it - mind = blown. I've heard of evil villains before... but that dude was evil
to the MAX.

I just finished a classic. Chinatown. I'm left completely speechless and kind of depressed after watching
it. Such amazing cinematography... people these days need to learn a thing or two from the old masters. But
hey, that's just me... I love stuff like 2001: A Space Odyssey. Back to Chinatown... that movie had me
guessing right up to the end... and then the ending... ho-ly sh*t!!!

Oh Polanski... you made such great films.





Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: May 21 2008 at 14:56
Originally posted by King By-Tor King By-Tor wrote:


I just finished a classic. Chinatown. I'm left completely speechless and kind of depressed after watching
it. Such amazing cinematography... people these days need to learn a thing or two from the old masters. But
hey, that's just me... I love stuff like 2001: A Space Odyssey. Back to Chinatown... that movie had me
guessing right up to the end... and then the ending... ho-ly sh*t!!!

Oh Polanski... you made such great films.
 
indeed, Polanski is the master of paranoia in film! Knife In the Water, Repulsion, Rosemary's Baby, The Tenant, also brilliant,
 
2001, is a fav of mine too, book and movie!  Wink


Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: May 21 2008 at 15:04
I'm going to have to watch and rewatch a bunch of his films. Kubrick as well. I think maybe The Shining or
Clockwork Orange tonight.

Need to get a little of the ultraviolence going LOL


Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: May 21 2008 at 17:30
Originally posted by Jimbo Jimbo wrote:

Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance


I don't even know what to say. My mind has been blown for the third time by this director.

I will be watching Oldboy later this week. Judging from the heaps of praise it has received, it should be one hell of an experience. I'll probably rent that one as well eventually. It pays to have a good library system! Geek

That whole trilogy is amazing, Lady Vengance being my favourite of the three.

I'm going to give Miike Takashi's Visitor Q another try later, I've seen about half of it and other than the fact that its very uncomfortable watching, I'm not quite sure what to make of it.


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Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005



Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: May 21 2008 at 20:41
Visitor Q is kookie! the only thing that made me uncomfortable about that movie was the whole lactating thing....grosso! Pinch


Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: May 22 2008 at 00:03
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: I never saw the first one (Well I had read the book and saw the old BBC series), but the first NEW one looked kind of sh*tty (rented it tonight though haha).  Anyways, this movie was actually good.  The acting might be lacking a bit, but most of the actors were...CGI animals, the others did an ok job.  The story was still good though, and the battle scenes were pretty sweet.  7/10

Pathfinder:
DVRed this a few days ago because I didn't want to rent it or see it in theaters as it looked like crap.  A remake (I believe), and it was not surprisingly, BAD.  I was hoping there would at least be some sweet Viking vs. Natives battles, but those were lame too.  AVOID this. 1/10

When We Were Kings:
A wonderful documentary on Muhammad Ali and the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" with George Foreman.  It was very well done and Ali was spectacular.  Most of the film focused on the weeks leading to the fight and the man that is Ali.  However, the fight is shown too (highlights mostly, but still great).  I recommend this. 9/10

Knocked Up: Another recent DVR.  I was never too interested in paying heaps for it as it didn't look that great compared to the likes of 40 year old virgin, or Superbad.  It had funny moments, but I get sick of Seth Rogan constantly playing himself, and the whole Judd Apatow train has kind of worn itself out.  Good for a few laughs, but I wouldn't really even pay 5 dollars to rent this.  5/10.




Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: May 22 2008 at 03:41
Originally posted by sleeper sleeper wrote:

I'm going to give Miike Takashi's Visitor Q another try later, I've seen about half of it and other than the fact that its very uncomfortable watching, I'm not quite sure what to make of it.
 
Isn't that sort of surrealist movie supposed to make you uncomfortable? Tongue


Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: May 22 2008 at 03:41
Indiana Jones 4:  http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/img/facepalm.jpeg - http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/img/facepalm.jpeg

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http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want!


Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: May 22 2008 at 11:20
LOL

I thought that would have been the best movie of the year Wink


Posted By: darkmatter
Date Posted: May 22 2008 at 13:31
Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Indiana Jones 4:  http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/img/facepalm.jpeg - http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/img/facepalm.jpeg


Yea... that pretty much sums it up....

I'm not sure why this movie got such high ratings... I don't think I'd give it more than 2 or 3 out of 10.


Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: May 22 2008 at 18:18
Control (2007) - I think this is the only post-2005(maybe 06) movie I've watched and I enjoyed it.  It's a film depicting the life of Ian Curtis of Joy Division.  The acting is very well done, plus enjoyable the entire way through.  It's entirely black-and-white, but if you're familiar with Joy Division, doing it in color wouldn't make much sense.  Great soundtrack, featuring mostly Joy Division and New Order, but besides that it has Supersister, David Bowie, plus some good punk songs.  8/10

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Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 01:52
Indiana Jones "4" - I'm surprised people are saying this sucked.  It was the same old good adventure movie that was the first three films, only Indy is older.  Sure it wasn't perfect, and there were parts that could have been removed, but overall it was very well done and I'm glad they decided to make another great adventure film.  Something that has been mostly absent in the last two decades. 8/10   (the only downside I see is that there have been many many young people going to see this without having seen the previous three.  Which makes no sense.  Why would you go to the fourth movie before 1 2 or 3? )


Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 01:54
Originally posted by BroSpence BroSpence wrote:

Indiana Jones "4" - I'm surprised people are saying this sucked.


Yeah, I'm surprised people are saying it's good. There's a major disconnect, and I don't get it.


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http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want!


Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 11:57
New Police Story- Jackie Chan has gone back to Hong Kong to make films again and this is a good thing because most of his big hollywood films (except Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon) sucked. I'm a huge fan of the classic Police Story so was a bit aprahencive as to whether this would match up, but it does. Darker and laking much of the slapstick comedy of the first two, it focuses on a cop that is very much out of faver and now on a self destructive path after a raid went very badly wrong. Probably the best acting I've seen from Chan here and the martial arts scenes ae as good as you would expect from a Hong Kong film, 8/10. 

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Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005



Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 13:27
The Flock - *** Special Note on this one...This movie was filmed in and around Albuquerque, NM and our Lab actually made a few props for the film, nothing big just a few odds n ends you see for about 5 seconds, ha! The movie stars Richard Gere as a Case Worker for Department of Public Safety who goes around and checks up on the Registered Sex Offenders around the area, also stars Claire Danes as his protege, over all the film is like a "Se7en"-lite, I wanted to like it but I have to be honest it was pretty lame, but it was neat to spot the locations in my hometown and of course the props we made get screen time, those props are a set of huge vampire teeth my boss made which I mounted on one of my articulators and you can also see my old belt-motorhandpiece in the background, a few of our other rusty old dental tools were used too, also kind of neat is they show the articulated vampire teeth in the rotation of the DVD Menu, Avril Lavigne also had a small part in this movie and none other than Ray Wise (Leland Palmer of Twin Peaks fame) which I was the most excited about, was in this movie! I couldn't care less about the other boobs that were in the flick butIm happy to say I had a very small contribution to a movie that Leland Palmer was in! Yay! (4/10 - which is generous but an extra point earned due to the personal connection)


Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 13:44
Indiana Jones 4 should be treated as a mediocre comedy film and nothing more. Wink

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Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: May 25 2008 at 12:22
Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Originally posted by BroSpence BroSpence wrote:

Indiana Jones "4" - I'm surprised people are saying this sucked.


Yeah, I'm surprised people are saying it's good. There's a major disconnect, and I don't get it.



Why did you think it was so bad though? 


Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: May 25 2008 at 14:14
Originally posted by BroSpence BroSpence wrote:

Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Originally posted by BroSpence BroSpence wrote:

Indiana Jones "4" - I'm surprised people are saying this sucked.


Yeah, I'm surprised people are saying it's good. There's a major disconnect, and I don't get it.



Why did you think it was so bad though? 

It could have been good if the plot and action weren't augmented to the extent where it seemed to be basically just a special effect demonstration for ADHD children with little content whatsoever.  There were a lot of moments where I just had to laugh because it was so lame and over-the-top.  If I were 12 or under, I probably would have loved it.


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Posted By: avalanchemaster
Date Posted: May 26 2008 at 02:48
The Entrance-  2007 (Jove Pictures/Sleeping giant entertainment)
this film had excellent writing with gritty storytelling of the macabre kind, dealing with a priest's account from the 17th century of a demonic possession of a nun.  We flash to modern times and the games begin.  And by games, I mean nefarious life-or-death games involving punishment for everyone's sins.  Overall the movie was a well spun yarn, like I said, excellent writing, however the payoff needed to be phenomenal to make the film over the top.  It is pretty easy to guess what happens, but it is entertaining.  Of special interest is the dark, sinister ambient soundtrack, with piercing scrapes and drones, violent string explosions and crescendos.  (then they ruin it with some bad nu-metal song during the credits...why do they think I want to hear some hackneyed pop with distorted guitars?) worthwhile........ although I cannot decide if the christian undertones were too much or not....7.5/10


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http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/storefront/index.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sellerID=AP


Posted By: crimhead
Date Posted: May 26 2008 at 02:55
Land of the Dead - Got it from the library. On a scale of 1-4 I'd give it a 2.5. Not scary and not his best work. It could be Romero is running out of gas on this zombie subject. I thought that the idea of the zombies learning was good but they learned too quickly. Another problem I had was that the main zombies never went after humans. They went against there drive to eat. Lots of gore but nothing more than his last 2 movies. I haven't gotten to see Diary of the Dead yet.


Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: May 26 2008 at 13:39
The Last King of Scotland - Based on the events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's regime as seen by his personal physician during the 1970s, pretty entertaining and realistic movie, not sure where this was made but I think was perfect location filming, I liked the traditional African chant + AfroPop music used throughout the movie, and Forest Whitaker did an outstanding job as Idi Amin, brutal ending too...I'd say at least - 6.5/10 or even 7/10 for me

Romulus, My Father - a movie based on the memoir of some philosopher chap named Raimond Gaita, cataloging some of the events in his young life dealing with a wacked out depressive mother and a father who struggled to hold things together....I pretty mild movie, nothing thats going to rattle your senses well acted and fairly well executed nothing more I could really demand out of this movie - 6/10

Kakushi-toride no san-akunin (Hidden Fortress) - another great Samurai Epic from Akira Kurosawa, a little more comical than I thought it was going to be but thats fine, I thought the focus of Chiaki and Fujiwara and their greed for gold was a hilarious driving force throughout the movie, the over all story is finely detailed an unpredictable, very satisfying film - 8/10



Posted By: 1800iareyay
Date Posted: May 26 2008 at 22:24
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull- I tried to go in without expectations, but deep down my inner child just couldn't help himself. "Indiana F**king Jones!" he yelled, and went on about the fedora and the whips and the ophidophobia. So I went in, and could hardly contain myself as the lights went down on my first and likely only theater experience with Indiana Jones.

It starts out with that awesome "Somewhere in Nevada" print over a desolate desert being ridden by an Army convoy. They pull up on a base, and suddenly hop out, take over and start speaking Russian. YESSSS. How did a platoon of Ruskies make it in the US and get army uniforms, weapons, and transportation? Who cares?! This is pulp fiction at its finest. Then, they bring in their shadowed hostage who puts on a fedora, and you know who it is. Harrison Ford looks more badass know than ever, and his world-weary slant on this aged Indy makes an impression with his first lines. This is brilliant.

Then time goes by. The utter thrill of seeing Indy for my first time on a screen that is finally big enough to contain all the action doesn't waver as we learn what little we will ever learn about the skull. Sure, the ark and the Holy Grail have a history, but this is some random made up thing (technically based on real objects but you'll soon see a noticeable difference), so I can kind of forgive it for the moment.

Then more time goes by. The initial thrill begins to give way to a growing uncertainty as some lame lines come in, the skull's importance and, most importantly, powers go unexplained, and I start noticing some really forced humor. In, say, Raiders, the humor is all delivered in context, which makes it funny and relevant and avoids stopping a film just to get in a pithy one-liner or some visual gag.

Then the monkeys come. This scene brings the movie to a (literally) screeching halt. Without giving anything away, this is the beginning of the end for me. From here on out, the CGI gets truly awful in spots, and yet the film is obviously relying on it because the script just cuts out any semblance of intelligence. Why is it that the two men most responsible for creating CGI have some of the worst effects in years in this film, especially one they both have a lot invested in.
The initial joy of Harrison Ford looking just as awesome has now given way to the realization that he has no dialogue; he's speaking in one-liners. The ending is completely unsatisfactory because even at the end I know what the skull is but not what the reward is supposed to be. The other films have something that offers some sort of benefit; there is never a reason for the good guys or the bad guys to be seeking it.

In the end, Harrison Ford is just as good, if not better, than ever before, and Shia continues to put in excellent performances in mediocre blockbusters. Everyone else puts in performances never above decent. It's so over the top that it doesn't ever feel like an Indy movie. My buddy tried to call me on criticizing realism in an Indy film, but look at Raiders: the one thing you really have to stretch to believe is the actual effect of the Ark. When he runs from boulders, you feel the thrills and you fear for Indiana. At no point in this movie are he or his friends in danger, and it makes the whole thing bland. Of course I knew Indy would "win" (for lack of a better term), but to this day Raiders keeps me on the edge of my seat. I mean, for God's sake, he can even speak every language he comes across. It went from good to awful in an hour, and never rebounded. 6/10


Posted By: avalanchemaster
Date Posted: May 27 2008 at 00:12
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405821/

Casshern- (2004 Kazuaki Kiriya- based on a 1973 anime by the same name)
holy f**king sh*t!  MIND=BLOWN.  best movie I have seen in years!

11/10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a superb allegorical and timely movie with great psychological/spiritual depth that probes the nagging questions of the nature of humanity and suffering- a very Zen/meditative movie with spectacular effects and shots, lots of action and still time for a great story that is on a par with Akira/Tetsuo the iron man/The Matrix....etc.  those wacky Japs (I love them) write some of the best films/anime/manga/stories ever!!!!  a real developed and human tear-jerker...weepsk.


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http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/storefront/index.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sellerID=AP


Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: May 27 2008 at 00:24
Originally posted by BroSpence BroSpence wrote:

Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Originally posted by BroSpence BroSpence wrote:

Indiana Jones "4" - I'm surprised people are saying this sucked.


Yeah, I'm surprised people are saying it's good. There's a major disconnect, and I don't get it.



Why did you think it was so bad though? 


1. CGI
2. Ridiculous plot (even by Indy standards)
3. Animated monkeys/prairie dogs
4. It's basically Tomb Raider 3, not Indiana Jones 4


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http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want!


Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: May 27 2008 at 14:40
Originally posted by avalanchemaster avalanchemaster wrote:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405821/

Casshern- (2004 Kazuaki Kiriya- based on a 1973 anime by the same name)
holy f**king sh*t!  MIND=BLOWN.  best movie I have seen in years!

I thought it was okay, but didn't like it as much as you, my main problem it was too much content crammed into one film, I like the plot and the themes and the setting, but I feel they could have streched it out and delivered the intention better over the course of maybe 3 films!  a trilogy would have worked IMO, Im also not crazy about the absurd fighting scenes put to techo/dance music, I can't stand that crap, I fall asleep as the first punch is thrown,


Posted By: avalanchemaster
Date Posted: May 27 2008 at 18:17
Originally posted by mithrandir mithrandir wrote:

Originally posted by avalanchemaster avalanchemaster wrote:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405821/

Casshern- (2004 Kazuaki Kiriya- based on a 1973 anime by the same name)
holy f**king sh*t!  MIND=BLOWN.  best movie I have seen in years!

I thought it was okay, but didn't like it as much as you, my main problem it was too much content crammed into one film, I like the plot and the themes and the setting, but I feel they could have streched it out and delivered the intention better over the course of maybe 3 films!  a trilogy would have worked IMO, Im also not crazy about the absurd fighting scenes put to techo/dance music, I can't stand that crap, I fall asleep as the first punch is thrown,


haha.  you were much nicer about it than our friends over at Reeelapse!  (which is why I will probably only post here now....too many brutal fools there  who give you sh*t just for being yourself...totally uncalled for imo-  immature and just retarded, I have learned all I can from that place.....the main lesson being that people are selfish, uncaring, insensitive animals)

yeah, it did have its flaws, and many times there was so much going on on screen at one time, too much info overload, and occasionally I got confused with the characters....I agree they could have stretched it out, but due to the fantastic storyline and the exceptional dialogue (at least to me, it really hit a sympathetic nerve)....it was excellent for what it was, I was in need of a good misanthropic/humane film like it....



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http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/storefront/index.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sellerID=AP


Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: May 27 2008 at 18:22
Bukowski: Born Into This



Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: May 28 2008 at 04:21
Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Originally posted by BroSpence BroSpence wrote:

Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Originally posted by BroSpence BroSpence wrote:

Indiana Jones "4" - I'm surprised people are saying this sucked.


Yeah, I'm surprised people are saying it's good. There's a major disconnect, and I don't get it.



Why did you think it was so bad though? 


1. CGI
2. Ridiculous plot (even by Indy standards)
3. Animated monkeys/prairie dogs
4. It's basically Tomb Raider 3, not Indiana Jones 4


Interesting.  I mean there was a decent amount of CGI but nothing that really overwhelmed the movie like in most movies the past 10 years (King Kong, Hulk, Star Wars, etc) Granted the monkey scene was a bit much, but only lasted a minute.  The plot didn't seem so ridiculous compared with the likes of Raiders or Last Crusade.   And Tomb Raider was just Indiana Jones with breasts.  But thats my take on it all anyways.  Thank you for the explanation.  I appreciate the reply. Smile


Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: May 28 2008 at 07:30
Walk The Line - Johnny Cash biopic with Joachin Phoenix (JC) & Reece Witherspoon (June Carter); I'd seen many reviews of this movie, all 100% positive, so almost approached this with negative preconceptions. It surprised me - Phoenix absolutely brilliant as Johnny Cash; arrogant, drug dependent, vunerable & a genius (narrowly beaten to the Oscar in 05 by P S Hoffman in 'Capote'). Witherspoon equally good as June Carter (a well deserved Oscar) + an excellent supporting cast (especially Robert Patrick as Cash's overbearing & disapproving father). Absolutely blown away by this movie - Unreservedly 10/10.

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Jon Lord 1941 - 2012


Posted By: spookytooth
Date Posted: May 28 2008 at 07:49
I haven't seen very many movies lately. I saw Iron Man last week. I happened to like it, and I like Robert Downey Jr.'s acting in the film, and Jeff Bridges does a good job as the villain.

I also saw one of the coolest movies I've ever seen last sunday. The movies was called Falling Down, a film that was made in 1993 with Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall in lead roles. It's about a laid off nuclear weapons developer that lives in crappy Los Angeles, and eventually he loses it and he takes out his anger on all of the society as he rampages through LA. Some awesome things included in this film are:

1. Michael Douglas beating up Latin Kings gangstas with a baseball bat because they kept harassing him.
2. Michael Douglas shooting a bazooka into a construction site
3. Michael Douglas killing a nazi (in self-defense)
4. Michael Douglas pulling out a gun in a fast food restaurant because he came in five minutes after they stopped serving breakfast
5. Interesting comments on society
6. Michael Douglas yelling at a store clerk and insulting his hospitality because his products are overpriced.
7. Michael Douglas pulling a squirt gun on a cop (Robert Duvall)
8. Robert Duvall punching someone in the face

If any one of these eight things I pointed out come across as interesting to you, you should see this film. Sadly, this film is mostly forgotten, and I only know of a few other people who have seen this film. If you think this film comes across as a mindless action and violence film, then you are wrong. The film also includes some interesting commentary on society (courtesy of Michael Douglas) and in one interesting scene when he is hiding in a rich plastic surgeon's home, he wonders how a smart person who helped defend his country can become poor and unemployed while a plastic surgeon can make millions simply because he can give women bigger breasts and people better noses and other facial features. Overall, this movie is cool, and despite all of the violent stuff I posted earlier, there are only two people killed in the film (the nazi and Michael Douglas). I recommend this film to people who like action movies and to people who like movies that raise questions about society, or both.

-------------

Would you like some Bailey's?


Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: May 28 2008 at 07:54
Great film Spookytooth, but I have to say this is the funniest recommendation I've ever seen for a movie:

Originally posted by spookytooth spookytooth wrote:

8. Robert Duvall punching someone in the face




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Jon Lord 1941 - 2012


Posted By: micky
Date Posted: May 28 2008 at 07:58
Originally posted by spookytooth spookytooth wrote:

I haven't seen very many movies lately. I saw Iron Man last week. I happened to like it, and I like Robert Downey Jr.'s acting in the film, and Jeff Bridges does a good job as the villain.

I also saw one of the coolest movies I've ever seen last sunday. The movies was called Falling Down, a film that was made in 1993 with Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall in lead roles. It's about a laid off nuclear weapons developer that lives in crappy Los Angeles, and eventually he loses it and he takes out his anger on all of the society as he rampages through LA. Some awesome things included in this film are:

1. Michael Douglas beating up Latin Kings gangstas with a baseball bat because they kept harassing him.
2. Michael Douglas shooting a bazooka into a construction site
3. Michael Douglas killing a nazi (in self-defense)
4. Michael Douglas pulling out a gun in a fast food restaurant because he came in five minutes after they stopped serving breakfast
5. Interesting comments on society
6. Michael Douglas yelling at a store clerk and insulting his hospitality because his products are overpriced.
7. Michael Douglas pulling a squirt gun on a cop (Robert Duvall)
8. Robert Duvall punching someone in the face

If any one of these eight things I pointed out come across as interesting to you, you should see this film. Sadly, this film is mostly forgotten, and I only know of a few other people who have seen this film. If you think this film comes across as a mindless action and violence film, then you are wrong. The film also includes some interesting commentary on society (courtesy of Michael Douglas) and in one interesting scene when he is hiding in a rich plastic surgeon's home, he wonders how a smart person who helped defend his country can become poor and unemployed while a plastic surgeon can make millions simply because he can give women bigger breasts and people better noses and other facial features. Overall, this movie is cool, and despite all of the violent stuff I posted earlier, there are only two people killed in the film (the nazi and Michael Douglas). I recommend this film to people who like action movies and to people who like movies that raise questions about society, or both.


very true

count me in.. and loved the movie Clap


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The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip


Posted By: Relayer09
Date Posted: May 28 2008 at 16:37
Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Originally posted by BroSpence BroSpence wrote:

Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Originally posted by BroSpence BroSpence wrote:

Indiana Jones "4" - I'm surprised people are saying this sucked.


Yeah, I'm surprised people are saying it's good. There's a major disconnect, and I don't get it.



Why did you think it was so bad though? 


1. CGI
2. Ridiculous plot (even by Indy standards)
3. Animated monkeys/prairie dogs
4. It's basically Tomb Raider 3, not Indiana Jones 4
 
You forgot....
5. The over the cliff, into the tree, into the river and over the waterfall sequence.


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If you lose your temper, you've lost the arguement. -Proverb


Posted By: micky
Date Posted: May 28 2008 at 16:44
Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

Walk The Line - Johnny Cash biopic with Joachin Phoenix (JC) & Reece Witherspoon (June Carter); I'd seen many reviews of this movie, all 100% positive, so almost approached this with negative preconceptions. It surprised me - Phoenix absolutely brilliant as Johnny Cash; arrogant, drug dependent, vunerable & a genius (narrowly beaten to the Oscar in 05 by P S Hoffman in 'Capote'). Witherspoon equally good as June Carter (a well deserved Oscar) + an excellent supporting cast (especially Robert Patrick as Cash's overbearing & disapproving father). Absolutely blown away by this movie - Unreservedly 10/10.


missed this earlier Jim... that is a great movie.  The acting was phenomenal Clap   A 10 in my book as well


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The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip


Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: May 28 2008 at 16:54
sorry, I thought 'Falling Down' was a bizarre, misguided look at societal ills... some modern 'white man's burden' that failed to show any real insight, intelligence or objectivity, and seemed to play right into the fears at that time   ..and as I recall, becomes more of a stalker movie by the end




Posted By: micky
Date Posted: May 28 2008 at 17:11
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

sorry, I thought 'Falling Down' was a bizarre, misguided look at societal ills... some modern 'white man's burden' that failed to show any real insight, intelligence or objectivity, and seemed to play right into the fears at that time   ..and as I recall, becomes more of a stalker movie by the end




ShockedAngryOuchCryLOLWinkHeartEmbarrassed


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The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip


Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: May 29 2008 at 01:49
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

sorry, I thought 'Falling Down' was a bizarre, misguided look at societal ills... some modern 'white man's burden' that failed to show any real insight, intelligence or objectivity, and seemed to play right into the fears at that time   ..and as I recall, becomes more of a stalker movie by the end




Ditto.  It was actually kind of boring as I remember it.  It seemed like there wasn't really enough of a reason for him to go....all crazy because of bad traffic and being laid off.  Also the picture quality was pretty lame.


Posted By: avalanchemaster
Date Posted: May 30 2008 at 13:49
I am Legend-
much better than I expected.  There were some really gripping moments in this film....some real emotionally powerful scenes as well.  Over all, the most frightening thing is wondering if a viral epidemic will be the next holocaust....... 7.5/10


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Posted By: ebag7125
Date Posted: May 30 2008 at 20:36
^ that one was ok.  will smith did a good job but i didn't like overall effect, i guess.
 
PAN'S LABRYNTH   .....  wow.   that movie was surprisingly good. Clap


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Posted By: avalanchemaster
Date Posted: May 30 2008 at 21:06
Originally posted by ebag7125 ebag7125 wrote:

^ that one was ok.  will smith did a good job but i didn't like overall effect, i guess.
 
PAN'S LABRYNTH   .....  wow.   that movie was surprisingly good. Clap
 
I would give Pan's Labyrinth a 10/10.  outstanding movie!
 


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Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: May 30 2008 at 23:04
Richard Matheson brain probably melted at what they did with his classic, there's a reason why the story is called "I Am Legend" and they dont even get that right haha! I'll never see that movie,

Pan's Labyrinth was good, I preferred The Devils Backbone, the stories were awfully similar though, I can't wait to see his new one The Orphanage,


Posted By: avalanchemaster
Date Posted: May 30 2008 at 23:20
Originally posted by mithrandir mithrandir wrote:

Richard Matheson brain probably melted at what they did with his classic, there's a reason why the story is called "I Am Legend" and they dont even get that right haha! I'll never see that movie,

Pan's Labyrinth was good, I preferred The Devils Backbone, the stories were awfully similar though, I can't wait to see his new one The Orphanage,
 
I think he only produced The Orphange, but that is one of the ones I mentioned at the beginning of this thread, great movie.  I don't blame you for not wanting to see I am Legend....the things they do nowadays with classic books/graphic novels can be rather short-sighted......and maybe even criminal, sadly I have not read the original, so I cannot comment.....


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Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: May 30 2008 at 23:23
well read it than brother! then you'll understand why feel so strongly, 


Posted By: avalanchemaster
Date Posted: May 31 2008 at 00:16
I will add the book to my "to read" list for this summer.....

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Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: May 31 2008 at 02:23
its a shorty, you could probably read it in like a 3 hour sitting, they usually have it pared with a bunch of his other short stories these days:






Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: May 31 2008 at 02:36
Fandom    strange little documentary about a disturbed fan of Natalie Portman, though it becomes clear the whole thing is staged.. funny at times but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it




Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: May 31 2008 at 02:56
Absolute Power

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118548/ - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118548/

I very much enjoyed it. Eastwood was excellent, and the film had that swagger and charm (probably because of the lens and camera angles as well) that you don't see very often these days. The tense moments were gripping, and amidst the somewhat predictable plot there were some unexpected...means to ends rather than ends themselves. Also directed by Eastwood. Nothing really elevated it to excellence, it was just a good film.

7/10


Video X: The Dwayne and Darla Jean Story

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1016256/ - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1016256/

Words cannot describe how awful this film is. It is essentially Natural Born Killers with the camera perspective of Cloverfield, but beyond worse than imagination. The acting is awful, the plot is predictable and boring, the "special effects" consist of the worse computerized blood for gunshots anyone can imagine (and for the really realistic moments, maybe strawberry syrup is used), and like putting salt in a gunshot wound, the characters speak in the most hillbilly annoying accents for the entire film (all 150 minutes of it!). This is not even one of those fun "bad" movies. It's a bad bad movie. Possibly the worst thing I've ever seen. No value here whatsoever.

0/10


Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310775/ - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310775/

Chan-wook Park runs circles around my mind again. This is probably the most impenetrable of his Vengeance Trilogy, as it starts out with no explanation or introduction, and the main character is mute (and deaf I think). But the story unfolds beautifully as always and you get used to the situation after awhile. Like the others in the trilogy there are parts that wrench your guts, not necessarily because they're gory (because while there is a lot more explicit violence in here, it's never really anything like Saw or Hostel), but because the situations are so human and filled with emotion. You want the characters to have their revenge, but they way they get it...you're mouth will drop. This is a curious one to rate, however. It's not grandiose like all the Hollywood films you'd expect to get full marks because of their elaborate sets and historical settings, but it feels more like an anime come to life. Maybe it's just a superficial association with the Asian setting and characters, but I think the director, in this trilogy, has directed it very...obviously "cinematically"...as if it was transposed from frames in a comic book (OK I guess that would make it a manga.) Anyway, full marks for being thought-provoking, shocking, well-written, with the characters identifiable, and the course of events stunning and unexpected.

10/10



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Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: May 31 2008 at 09:14
Clap @ Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.
 
What I liked about it was how there were really no clear-cut heroes or villains, both the green-haired foundry worker and the businessman were equally sympathetic which made the horrible things they did to each other all the more disturbing. I also liked how the glossy, dreamy, high colour visual style (almost impressionistic!) contrasted with the rather depressing storyline.
 
But I think it's actually less impenetrable than Oldboy, being nowhere as ambiguous in its themes even if it doesn't have as much of a 1970s exploitation movie feel.


Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: June 01 2008 at 02:51
The Strangers: What a well done horror movie.  A genre that is pretty tough to accomplish.  I believe this was a remake, but nevertheless it was brilliantly done.  I don't know if it was just my theater, but the bass was quite loud which actually complimented the movie.  8/10.  


Posted By: Drew
Date Posted: June 01 2008 at 02:57
Tsotsi

AMAZING foreign film.

10/10


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Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: June 01 2008 at 03:48
The Fifth Element:

Pretty enjoyable. Obviously not brilliant or anything, but campy and fun. Didn't really care that the plot was stupid at all.

6/10




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Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: June 01 2008 at 05:32
Contact. For the most part it was okay even if the soapboxing for the validity of SETI was a bit heavy-handed (do they really have that much trouble getting funding in real life?), but I absolutely loved the second act where they decoded the alien message etc.. I still don't know what to think about the climax, though, where it seemed like the people making the movie were trying way too hard to one-up the mindscrewy conclusions of Solaris and 2001.

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"The past is not some static being, it is not a previous present, nor a present that has passed away; the past has its own dynamic being which is constantly renewed and renewing." - Claire Colebrook


Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: June 01 2008 at 11:59
Snow Falling on Cedars - movie about a small town the has a good sized Japanese immigrant community, set before and after WW2, the more interesting part of the film was the portrayal of the prejudice and internment camps at the time, which was depressing and very enraging, oh yeah there's a murder mystery in here somewhere too, but over all really kind of a dull movie - 4/10

The Shipping News - eh, not even worth writing about, Kevin Spacey in an uninteresting roll and uninteresting story, I must be harsh - 2/10

Ever Since the World Ended - I like the idea of this movie, a mock documentary about a plague that wiped out the majority of the population and a group of people going around interviewing the few that remain on their feelings and experiences and how they manage to currently survive, I only wish it was a bit more rugged looking and the acting was improved upon, it definitely wasn't a professional job the cast pretty much consisted of a group of art/film school students, another thing I noticed is that none of the takes were ever filmed at night...it would have enhanced the mood a bit more if they did I think, I do like the shots they got of a seemingly desolate Golden Gate Bridge and some panoramic shots of the city apparently abandoned (Im assuming most of this was done in the wee hours of the morning) oh yeah...Adam from Mythbusters is also in this movie WTF? ha! - the idea of this movie a 10/10 but the over all finished product I'll have to just say about 5/10


Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: June 01 2008 at 12:07
Originally posted by Toaster Mantis Toaster Mantis wrote:

Contact. For the most part it was okay even if the soapboxing for the validity of SETI was a bit heavy-handed (do they really have that much trouble getting funding in real life?), but I absolutely loved the second act where they decoded the alien message etc.. I still don't know what to think about the climax, though, where it seemed like the people making the movie were trying way too hard to one-up the mindscrewy conclusions of Solaris and 2001.


yeah, Carl Sagen was definitely attempting to move in on Arthur C Clarkes territory, I don't think he'd deny the influence though they were very good friends, the book "Contact" is much more rewarding than the movie,

 Solaris, the original Tarkovsky masterpiece is one of may all time favorite movies - at least top 10, very meditative and contemplative film definitely not for everyone! of course the Staninslaw Lem novel is a must too if you haven't already! Wink


Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: June 01 2008 at 12:21
Saw Blade II yesterday.

Was a fun action movie, even if some of the twists (especially the big one) were extremely obvious. Some of the ambiguity was well-handled, though. Haven't seen the first, mean to watch the third on Wednesday.

6/10


Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: June 01 2008 at 12:48
Originally posted by mithrandir mithrandir wrote:

Solaris, the original Tarkovsky masterpiece is one of may all time favorite movies - at least top 10, very meditative and contemplative film definitely not for everyone! of course the Staninslaw Lem novel is a must too if you haven't already! Wink
 
Solaris is one of my all-time favourite science fiction novels and I don't think either movie version did it justice, but Tarkovsky's came closest. At least it got the themes right even if the end result was a little confusing and Tarkovsky made some really weird decisions. Most notably, the prologue on Earth was dragged out too much, screentime better spent on what went on on the space station so that part of it actually felt rushed. Confused
 
Soderbergh's, however, just ended up subverting the book, so I felt a bit cheated when I had finished watching it. Dead
 
I don't think Solaris should ever have been made into a movie in the first place, though, because most of its conflicts are so abstract that it's not a very "cinematic" novel. LOL


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Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: June 01 2008 at 13:09
Originally posted by Toaster Mantis Toaster Mantis wrote:

Originally posted by mithrandir mithrandir wrote:

Solaris, the original Tarkovsky masterpiece is one of may all time favorite movies - at least top 10, very meditative and contemplative film definitely not for everyone! of course the Staninslaw Lem novel is a must too if you haven't already! Wink
 
Solaris is one of my all-time favourite science fiction novels and I don't think either movie version did it justice, but Tarkovsky's came closest. At least it got the themes right even if the end result was a little confusing and Tarkovsky made some really weird decisions. Most notably, the prologue on Earth was dragged out too much, screentime better spent on what went on on the space station so that part of it actually felt rushed. Confused
 
Soderbergh's, however, just ended up subverting the book, so I felt a bit cheated when I had finished watching it. Dead
 
I don't think Solaris should ever have been made into a movie in the first place, though, because most of its conflicts are so abstract that it's not a very "cinematic" novel. LOL


thats part of Tarkovsky's style though, those long single shot takes...I think it was intended to force the mundaneness(or connection) to the Earth before going out into Space...I just love the trance-like vibe to that film... its a flick I can watch only once every few years though...if that, but I agree, most good Science Fiction novels aren't translated very well into film without loosing much of the greater depth, (Dune, Lathe of Heaven, A Scanner Darkly, etc)


Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: June 01 2008 at 14:39
Oh, I don't mind long single-shot takes at all. I just think that script-wise, there was too much stuff on Earth and not enough on the solar station.

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"The past is not some static being, it is not a previous present, nor a present that has passed away; the past has its own dynamic being which is constantly renewed and renewing." - Claire Colebrook


Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: June 03 2008 at 03:27
Originally posted by mithrandir mithrandir wrote:

The Shipping News - eh, not even worth writing about, Kevin Spacey in an uninteresting roll and uninteresting story, I must be harsh - 2/10


Ooh, that is harsh ; personally, I liked the movie; not the most exciting in the world, sure, but well written, well acted (would you expect anything else from Spacey...?) & I thought beautifully filmed, despite the fact it portrayed Newfoundlanders as ignorant inbreeds & Newfoundland itself as an ugly wasteland; not true - just goes to show the camera does lie.

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Jon Lord 1941 - 2012


Posted By: Chicapah
Date Posted: June 03 2008 at 08:17
Finally saw "There will be blood" and it was an amazing acting performance by DDL.  He's in every scene and I'll spend the rest of my life dissecting his character's dark psyche.

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"Literature is well enough, as a time-passer, and for the improvement and general elevation and purification of mankind, but it has no practical value" - Mark Twain


Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: June 03 2008 at 08:26
Originally posted by TGM: Orb TGM: Orb wrote:

Saw Blade II yesterday.

Was a fun action movie, even if some of the twists (especially the big one) were extremely obvious. Some of the ambiguity was well-handled, though. Haven't seen the first, mean to watch the third on Wednesday.

6/10


I fell asleep 30 minutes into it the first time I saw itLOL
But then again, it was 3am when I began to watch it.


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Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: June 03 2008 at 14:23
Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

  & I thought beautifully filmed, .
 
yeah, that was probably the only interesting part for me, the nice fiming of the landscape, shores, ocean. hills etc, beautiful country side, not so good movie though


Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: June 04 2008 at 12:25
Originally posted by mithrandir mithrandir wrote:

Originally posted by Jim Garten re 'The Shipping News' Jim Garten re 'The Shipping News' wrote:

  & I thought beautifully filmed, .

yeah, that was probably the only interesting part for me, the nice fiming of the landscape, shores, ocean. hills etc, beautiful country side, not so good movie though


You must admit though, there're not many movies where the 'hero' is saved from drowning by hanging on to a beer cooler, which just happens to contain a man's head... original if nothing else.

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Jon Lord 1941 - 2012


Posted By: Fight Club
Date Posted: June 05 2008 at 23:17
Originally posted by Chicapah Chicapah wrote:

Finally saw "There will be blood" and it was an amazing acting performance by DDL.  He's in every scene and I'll spend the rest of my life dissecting his character's dark psyche.


Even though I believe that his performance may in fact be the best I have ever seen in a motion picture (yes is really is that profound) I think it's a crime that the movie gets so much attention for the performance instead of its entire execution in general. The sheer magnitude of DDL's performance initially seems to pull people's eyes away from the true genius of the film. Every little detail in that movie is worked out to perfection - every. There isn't a single aspect placed within it that doesn't serve a purpose towards conveying the character of Daniel Plainview and his conflict with Eli Sunday.

Really everyone, if you haven't seen this movie yet, I urge you to. If you have seen the movie and didn't quite get it yet, watch it again, and with a closer view to aesthetic detail. It truly is a modern day masterpiece and will be remembered for years to come!


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Posted By: Fight Club
Date Posted: June 05 2008 at 23:22
Originally posted by Toaster Mantis Toaster Mantis wrote:

Just be warned - Oldboy is pretty much the definition of a cinematic Rorschach test except that the blots are blood rather than ink.


HAHAHA

Clap


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