Movie Thread

[Gargamel]

Figured we could have a thread about movies we have seen, comments on them, etc. Probably been on in the past, but I'm starting a new one! :O:

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Just watched the newest Karate Kid. When I was growing up, the original was the coolest movie evah! This one, with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, is pretty damn good actually. It follows the original script very closely, in the motifs it follows, a lot of scenes are almost copies. But it really carries it's own. The kungfu is very well done, and having Chan be the Mr Miagi of this one is pretty good. He brings an element of realism, or at least elements of good kung fu movies, to the movie.

Fans of the original and Kung fu movies will probably actually enjoy this one. The plot is identical, so don't expect any surprises, but the subtle twists and depth they did add make it worth watching.

I give it 2 1/2 (out of 4) Torpedos. Would have been 3, but the lack of originality in the script knocked it down a touch, but the overall quality of the movie is good. I would have been disappointed if I had paid to see it first run, but it's a quality second run or DVD flick.

[Dowly]

Still haven't seen it but heard it's a good 'remake'. :hmmm:

Here's a Nostalgia Critic's Old vs. New comparisation of the original KD and the new one:
http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/30107-old-vs-new-karate-kid

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Saw Twilight Samurai few weeks back (and last night and last week and... :DL) and enjoyed it a lot. Just woke up, so I can't be arsed to write anything about it, so I just do some copy & paste magic. :O:


I don't have a top ten list of all time favorite films but if I did Twilight Samurai would be on it. Nominated for best foreign film the same year that the Hollywood film the last samurai got a few nominations it is impossible not to compare the two. While I enjoyed the Last Samurai and it's message of questioning western cultural imperialism Twilight Samurai is a film on whole different level.

LS is a bloated Hollywood epic that delivers intense battles with huge numbers and a unrealistic unsatisfying bull**** love story. Do we really believe that the woman who lost her husband to Tom Cruise the smelly drunk white would fall in love with him?

Twilight Samurai is the opposite in everyway and in everyway it is a better film that is bound to move to tears the hardest of yall out there. It is the story of a petty samurai who after the long lingering death of his wife finds himself become a devoted father.

When Twilight comes and the other samurai go out to drink, he rushes home to clean the house, tend the field and care for his daughters. He has lost track of his imagine, he smells and all he cares about is what is best for his daughters.

When his childhood crush returns and revolution looms this petty samurai is forced into confronting his status as a samurai. Unlike last samurai the small battle between two samurai's at the end is more emotionally involved that any CGI enhanced battle could ever be. The romance in the film is so sweet, tender and believable that is makes the film special.

This could not be as special as it is without excellent acting, direction and above all writing. Holy crap see this movie.

[Feuer Frei!]

Yes, been plenty of movie threads.
For some reason they just peter out into oblivion. *shrugs shoulders*

Just saw Taxi Driver and also Awakenings last night (again).
Both are classics, especially Taxi Driver, with my second-favourite actor, Robert De Niro playing a crazed taxi driver, with a chip on his shoulder. And dam, Cybill Shephard looked good back then.
Jodi Foster in it as well.

Awakenings has Robin Williams and Robert De Niro in it, and it really moved me, a great movie with lots of 'feeling'.

Check 'em out if you haven't already!

[Gerald]

Taxi Driver,classical :up:

[Feuer Frei!]

Taxi Driver,classical :up:
It is no wonder, with Martin Scorsese behind the helm :yep:

[frau kaleun]

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Saw Twilight Samurai few weeks back (and last night and last week and... :DL) and enjoyed it a lot. Just woke up, so I can't be arsed to write anything about it, so I just do some copy & paste magic. :O:

I drove about three hours with some friends to see this one in a little theater specializing in art/foreign/classic films when it was making its limited rounds here. Wanted to see it because

a) I heard it was awesome
b) samurai!!!
c) the star, Hiroyuki Sanada, is the guy who played Ujio in The Last Samurai, and the best thing about that movie IMO :yep: - which is how I became aware of him and his work

Also bought the DVD when it became available. This is a very good film, VERY GOOD. Pretty much swept the Japanese equivalent of the Oscars the year it was released.

[Reece]

What ever happened to 1945A? Is it available on DVD yet, not sure of release date etc! has anyone seen it?:hmmm:

[Dowly]

Pretty much swept the Japanese equivalent of the Oscars the year it was released.

37 awards in total IIRC. :o

[frau kaleun]

37 awards in total IIRC. :o

37 internationally, I think. Either wins or nominations. Here's a list but I'm too lazy to count 'em all. :O:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0351817/awards

At the Japanese Academy Awards it was nominated in 14 categories and won in 12, including all the "major" ones: best film, actor, actress, director, screenplay, cinematography, editing, score, etc.

Apparently the only category it didn't win was for best supporting actress.

[flatsixes]

I'm a Netflix foreign movie junkie (mystifies the family). Over the weekend I watched a recent (relatively for me) Chinese film titled The Warlords (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0913968/), and starring (of all people) Jet Li.

Now I'm not much of a kung fu movie guy (I prefer Kursawa) and I was a little anxious that the storyline (19th Century civil war against the Qing Dynasty) might get a short shrift in favor of over-the-top stop-action karate. And, to an extent, it did. But it was still pretty entertaining.
Very good acting
Excellent costuming and art direction
Very good cinematography
Blood spilled > 4,000 gals (imp.)
Body count > 100,000.

3 Torps

[Feuer Frei!]

22 Bullets with Jean Reno!
Highly recommend it :yeah:
Always enjoyed his acting.

[Growler]

Watched Paul three times in the first four days it was out, and laughed like a madman, completely leaving the audience behind for most of it.

Utter frivolity and pure fun, but not a family movie at all, unless your family is like mine - twisted (and able to get in R-rated films).

I wish I could say more without giving away a lot of the humor - let's just say that if you're, maybe 20 - 30 years old or with an appreciation of the Sci-Fi film culture of the last 40-some-odd years, I think you'll like this one. I did, but like I said earlier, I'm a little... strange.

[Tchocky]

If you liked Paul, I suggest the series Spaced :)

Disclaimer - I haven't seen Paul yet, but it was Pegg&Frost's first big project

[Growler]

If you liked Paul, I suggest the series Spaced :)

Disclaimer - I haven't seen Paul yet, but it was Pegg&Frost's first big project

It may have just been me, but I swear, I was laughing at 90% of that movie. Those guys just did a great job.

[vienna]

Frau Kaleun:

Don't know where you are located (Midgaard would be on great place to be), but you would love it here in Los Angeles (filmwise at least). Tarantino recently bought a movie theater that was almost closed after the owner died unexpectedly. The theater is one of the better revival hiuses in the area and was a real labour of love for the late owner. Tarantino had been a frequent patron over the past many years and bought the theater to prevent it being sold and possibly demolished. He refurbished and remodelled the interior and exterior while keeping the original feel and has taken a very active role in the scheduling of films.

[Gargamel]

Can't wait to see Paul. I'm a huge Frost/Pegg fan, but yet I haven't seen spaced. If you're curious, the guy that directed them in Hot Fuzz and ShaunOTD, Edgar Wright, who also directed some Spaced episodes, did a 2 hour interview with Kevin Smith (Jay and silent bob, Clerks, etc) on a Smodcast podcast, moviemakers (http://www.smodcast.com/smoviemakers/index.html). It's a really good listen, you can download it for free via itunes. I listened to it in the car to and from work.

[Growler]

ooo...

May have to look that up!

Also - vienna - do you know which theater, and where?

[frau kaleun]

Frau Kaleun:

Don't know where you are located (Midgaard would be on great place to be), but you would love it here in Los Angeles (filmwise at least). Tarantino recently bought a movie theater that was almost closed after the owner died unexpectedly. The theater is one of the better revival hiuses in the area and was a real labour of love for the late owner. Tarantino had been a frequent patron over the past many years and bought the theater to prevent it being sold and possibly demolished. He refurbished and remodelled the interior and exterior while keeping the original feel and has taken a very active role in the scheduling of films.

Oddball he may be, but I can totally see Tarantino as the right man to get behind a project like that. :yep:

I'm in southwestern Ohio. We used to have a repertory theater in downtown Cincinnati that played all kinds of cool stuff - documentaries, foreign films, cult favorites, revivals of classics... they even set aside time every so often for a "bad film festival" where they'd show things like Plan 9 From Outer Space and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.

Once I found out about it I managed to get there a few times before they closed. Favorite memory is of seeing Casablanca there one Valentine's Day when I talked a boyfriend into making the drive. He got in terrible trouble for taking the family car into the city (we were still in high school) but, hey... Casablanca on the big screen!

The "franchise" theater that used to be in the big mall near me had a special "classics" matinee once a month, but of course it was on a weekday when I was at work so I could never go. :wah:

There's one other place downtown that has a more varied line-up but it's mostly the less mainstream current stuff, they don't bring back the classics as far as I know. Thank heavens for Netflix.

[kiwi_2005]

I watched some reruns over the weekend

'One flew over the cuckoo's nest' :rock: Execellent movie. The Nurse Ratched :shifty::nope:

District 9 :rock::rock:

Bladerunner - um seen this back in the 80s loved it, come 2011 thought it sucked real bad - to slow for me this time round, I fell asleep half way through.

Outlander - A man crash lands on earth during the Iron Age bringing him a alien predator known as Moorwen. The outlander forms an alliance with the primitive fierce warriors - the Vikings. Not bad as far as Viking flicks go.

[GoldenRivet]

The wife and I watched Iceman - i hadnt seen it since i was a kid.

its a mid 80s flick about a team of arctic scientists conducting research for a petroleum company who discover the remains of a 40,000 year old neanderthal encased in ice.

The science team intends to perform an autopsy to determine the reasoning behind his perfect preservation. During the process they discover that his blood and tissues are somehow filled with a naturally occurring chemical that prevents cell damage during freezing. With obvious implications to cryogenic freezing for the space program and medical industry they go forward with the plan when suddenly their equipment picks up trace brain activity, stopping their procedure they elect to attempt to resuscitate the neanderthal - and their resuscitation attempt is a success.

Now that the science team is wrestling with moral and ethical issues, the prehistoric man is locked into the base camp's bio-dome like wildlife refuge until these issues can be worked out. In the mean time, Dr. Sheppard - one of the science team members and expert on ancient intuit civilizations enters the refuge and attempts to befriend and communicate with the iceman.

Despite the iceman's obvious lack of understanding about his situation, and the difficulty encountered in the massive language barrier he begins to show signs of understanding that he is not where he is supposed to be and at one point - tiring of the constant tranquilizing, abduction into the medical ward, examinations and the constant wondering about his own people and family he begs Sheppard to kill him and becomes frustrated, saddened and angry when Sheppard refuses.

As the iceman becomes increasingly desperate to understand his situation - a situation he could never fathom - Dr. Sheppard tries to think of a way to help the iceman find a way out of the confusing and tormenting hell he has awakened into.




its a shame how little attention many good 80s movies get.

Iceman is a very sad, fascinating and thought provoking movie, hitting theaters about 7 years before the remains of "otzi the iceman" were discovered in the otztal alps in northern Italy.

[vienna]

The theater that Tarantino now owns is called "The New Beverly Cinema" (he kept the old name). It has long been a revival theater and almost always shows two different movies each day (a 'double feature' as we older folks call it). I saw the "Das Boot" Director's Cut version there last year and enjoyed the film very much, but I would have loved to have seen the uncut version on full theater screen much more.

I have also had a long time interest in Japanese films and Los Angeles once was probably the nation's best place to see Japanese films on a full size screen. There used to be three theaters affiliated with major Nippon studios here: Toho La Brea (Toho Studio), Shochiku Kokusai (Shochiku Studio), and the Linda Lea (Toei Studio). The Toho and the Shochiku presented mainly classic Japanese films by major directors, although the Toho would occasionally show movies considered to be less artful, 'Zatoichi', etc. The Linda Lea showed triple-features of purely popular films broken down as one 'chambara' (kind of like samurai meet western meets kabuki), one yakuza, and one more film, usually either a 'pink' (a softcore, R-rated type sex farce) film or an over-the-top violent action-thriller that was kind of like a live action manga comic book. These theaters are all gone now, victims of the home video boom in the eighties, but while they were around, I was able to see many, many of the great classic films as they were intended to be seen, on a full theater screen. My most vivid memory was seeing "Kwaidan" at the Kokusai. The theater manager came out before the showing to announce that due to a delivery error, the final sequence would not be shown. This was the famous 'Earless Hoichi' sequence featuring an amazing battle scene shot to mimic the artwork of Japanese block prints. Refunds were offered to those who did not want to see an incomplete film, but only a few people took up the offer. The film is made up of four separate ghost stories and when the third one was nearing its end, quite a few people started to leave the theater. I am one of those people who stays for the end of the credits. Instead of abruptly ending, the missing segment suddenly appeared on the screen. There was a wild rush of people from the back of the theater to reatke their seats and I could even hear some voice yelling to those who had already made it out the front door. The manager later told me the missing segment had made it to the theater just before the end of the third segment and he did not have the time to make an announcement. I felt sorry for those who took the refunds or who left early and were out of the theater out of earshot.

[Gargamel]

Hangover II Trailer is out:

Looks like exactly same plot, but still looks funny. I'll wait till dollar theater though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohF5ZO_zOYU

[The Third Man]

Robert De Niro playing a crazed taxi driver, with a chip on his shoulder.

Not at all. If you have seen the opening credits you would know 'crazed' is not the truth, nor is the 'chip'. It is about a man who cannot live in a city(metaphore for world) which allows obvious misuses of the freedom imparted on it.

[Dowly]

Saw the 3rd movie in Yamada's samurai trilogy the other day (Twilight Samurai, Hidden Blade, Love and Honor).

Liked it quite a bit. Definite improvement over Hidden Blade, which was, IMHO, just recycled story of Twilight Samurai but with not nearly as good cast.

I'm drunk as a baboon, so I can't be arsed to give a too long of a review, but it was good. One thing that might hit the viewer AT FIRST is the age of the main actor, he seems young, but trust me, after the incident (it happens early in the movie, so this not much of a spoiler) where he goes blind, it's interesting to see how he visually starts looking older. There's no make up (atleast not much), but you can see it all from his eyes, how he is depressed by the situation etc.

That's all I can be arsed to write, it's not as good as TS and most websites rank it below Hidden Blade, but it's the 2nd best film in the trilogy if you ask me.

PS. Oh and there's some very nice visual stuff to see, to make the viewer feel sorry for the main actor after he goes blind. You have butterflies flying around etc. that you think are pretty peaceful and beautiful scenery, but he can't see it. Very nice touch IMHO. :up:

Today, I'm gonna finally see Kagemusha and if I'm still in condition, Harakiri. :yep:

[Takeda Shingen]

OT: Nice avatar, Gargamel. :yeah:

[Gargamel]

OT: Nice avatar, Gargamel. :yeah:

ty...

[Madox58]

I'm in southwestern Ohio.

:o
I didn't know you were that close to me!

The things you learn by browseing topics.
:haha:

[frau kaleun]

:o
I didn't know you were that close to me!

The things you learn by browseing topics.
:haha:

I thought you were way up in the north of the state?

But I guess in terms of the international membership here, being in the same state does qualify as "close." :D

[Gargamel]

I thought you were way up in the north of the state?

But I guess in terms of the international membership here, being in the same state does qualify as "close." :D

He seems to say that every time he finds a fellow Ohioan.

[Madox58]

I thought you were way up in the north of the state?

But I guess in terms of the international membership here, being in the same state does qualify as "close." :D

I guess I should define 'my' idea of close.
:D
You are close because I could get there in a few hours.
:yep:

Neal is a bit farther then close, but close enuff I can get there in a long day.
(Been there, done that)
:haha:

Jimbuna is nowhere near close! In fact he's pretty far off!
(Not just in the mind, mind you!)
I can't drive there.
:nope:

So,
Your within a single stones throw.
Neal is beyond a single stones throw.
Jimbuna don't have to worry about stones thrown at him.
:har:

[frau kaleun]

Jimbuna don't have to worry about stones thrown at him.
:har:

Depends on how good Steed's fastball is. :O:

[vienna]

Today, I'm gonna finally see Kagemusha and if I'm still in condition, Harakiri.

Both great films and both starring the great actor Tatsuya Nakadai. There is scene in "Kagemusha" where Nakadai transforms himself to impersonate another character that is truly amazing. I have always liked actors who can act with merely the expressions on there faces or small gestures rather than large, overt actions. Nakadai, by the way, is also the actor who has the great final duel scene with Toshiro Mifune in Kurosawa's film "Sanjuro", another must see samurai film.

[frau kaleun]

Both great films and both starring the great actor Tatsuya Nakadai. There is scene in "Kagemusha" where Nakadai transforms himself to impersonate another character that is truly amazing. I have always liked actors who can act with merely the expressions on there faces or small gestures rather than large, overt actions. Nakadai, by the way, is also the actor who has the great final duel scene with Toshiro Mifune in Kurosawa's film "Sanjuro", another must see samurai film.

Agree to all, altho in truth I prefer the predecessor "Yojimbo" to "Sanjuro"... however they are both fantastic. "Yojimbo" may well be my very favorite Kurosawa film, and that's saying a lot. I am still PO'd that Steven Spielberg didn't do the obvious "homage" shot to it when he was making "1941"... a movie about which the only really good thing I can say is that Mifune was in it. :O:

Nakadai is also great in "Ran" and IIRC starred in the (non-Kurosawa) trilogy "The Human Condition" (about a Japanese soldier in WWII)... which is supposed to be outstanding tho I've never seen it. Buried somewhere in my Netflix queue, no doubt.

[vienna]

I am still PO'd that Steven Spielberg didn't do the obvious "homage" shot to it when he was making "1941"...

Spielberg has redeemed himself somewhat in that he supported Kurosawa in his final years of filmmaking. He was instrumental in getting financial support for Kurosawa's film "Dreams" and was among the several other directors like Lucas, Coppola and Scorsese to offer aid and support for his final films. I have often thought a form of royalty should have been paid by those directors, screenwriters, and producers who benfitted from remakes and/or adaptaions of Kurosawa's works. Certainly, with out Kurosawa's "Hidden Fortress", George Lucas never would have made his 'minor' franchise of "Star Wars"...

[flatsixes]

I did not know that about Spielberg, Vienna. That's a very pleasant surprise.

Thanks.

[frau kaleun]

As hard as it may be to believe, in his later years Kurosawa simply could not get the funding he needed to keep working (at the level he demanded of himself) from within Japan or the Japanese studio system.

It took deals with investors and companies in Europe and the US plus a lot of support from folks like those mentioned above, in order for him to get those last few films made.

One of my favorite things is to spot a Kurosawa reference or inspiration in somebody else's work. Which is why the absence of the no-brainer in "1941" annoyed me, because I was just waiting for it. There's a scene where the German officer aboard the Japanese sub pulls a gun on Mifune's character (who is commanding the sub) and I thought, oh, Mifune's gonna take out a knife or something and throw it into the German's gun hand. BUT NO. :stare:

It would have made sitting through that thing almost worthwhile.

[flatsixes]

It would have made sitting through that thing almost worthwhile.

But first, I'd enjoy nice rare steak.

http://henryfoolspicks.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/050711_runningbulls-2.jpg

[vienna]

Kurosawa's inabilty to get funding in his later years ultimately led to a suicide attempt and that act caught the attention of the rest of the world outside Japan. The outpouring of concern was immense and resulted in the many offers of assistance from other filmakers and industry people.

His inability to get funding was partly due to his filming style. He took way more time to film than was estimated and he spent way more than budgeted. For example, for his film "Throne of Blood", he had an entire medieval samural castle built. The studio balked at the expense but gave in with the expectation the castle could be used in other productions. Imagine the studio's shock when Kurosawa destroyed the castle filming the final battle scenes. It may be OK for John Wayne to build a duplicate Alamo in the desert and destroy it (U.S. studios weren't as concerned about the expense), but when Kurosawa did essentially the same thing, he was labelled as a wasteful spendthrift.

[Feuer Frei!]

I'm planning to watch 'Hobo with a Shotgun' shortly!
I mean with a title like that it's going to be dam cool :D
And it has Rutger Hauer in it, as the Hobo.

great rating on imdb:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1640459/


Storyline:
A vigilante homeless man pulls into a new city and finds himself trapped in urban chaos, a city where crime rules and where the city's crime boss reigns. Seeing an urban landscape filled with armed robbers, corrupt cops, abused prostitutes and even a pedophile Santa, the Hobo goes about bringing justice to the city the best way he knows how - with a 20-gauge shotgun. Mayhem ensues when he tries to make things better for the future generation.
Street justice will indeed prevail.

[Dowly]

Saw When the Last Sword is Drawn the other day, most excellent movie and I'd recommend anyone who haven't seen it yet, to try and find a copy and check it out. :up:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0359692/

[Hottentot]

I just watched В бой идут одни "старики" from 1973. I think the English title is Only "Old Men" Are Going to Battle. Anyway, it's about Soviet pilots in WW 2 and I thought it was very good. I was prepared for annoying patriotism but instead got a nice film that had genuinely good acting, amusing humor, yet also moving scenes too. The part where a mechanic laconically tells his new pilot "you're my fifth one" still sends shivers down my spine.

As far as war movies goes, this was different in a good way. I think it managed to capture the grim nature of war and paid respect to the men doing their dangerous work but without overdone glorification like in some other movies. In a way it reminded me of Das Boot in this sense. The settings were also very good, though I at first had trouble recognizing some German planes as such, because obviously they couldn't use real Bf-109s and FW-190s in the film. It didn't bother me too much, though, because there are very few scenes where the props are used. In the fight scenes (there are not many of those) I think they used real gun-camera footage too, so it might just be that I'm bad at plane recognition.

The plot was easy enough to follow even with my limited Russian, though in the end I got little confused when it seemed that people just started dying without explanation offscreen. The ending also left me with a feeling that there should have been something more, it was very simplistic. But overall I would still recommend this.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070861/

[Dowly]

Finally got around to watching A Night to Remember (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051994/) and was it good!
I was surprised to see how closely it followed the events as told by the survivors during
the inquiries, had just read a lot about Titanic due to the 100th anniversary and picked
tons of things from the movie I remember reading about from the survivors' accounts.

And it really didn't feel like a movie that was made in 1958, the acting was superb.
Especially Michael Goodliffe as Mr. Andrews was nice to watch, actually felt bad
for him in the end. :-?

Soooo, if you haven't seen it and you're interested in Titanic, watch it. Now.

[krashkart]

Has anyone else seen Melancholia (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1527186/)? Not a bad movie despite the terrible reviews it must have received -- that is, not bad as long as you can get through the first hour or so. As dull as the first half of the movie is, the last half kept us talking for two days afterward. A brilliant movie in its own way. Some of the visual work is breathtaking. The opening credits, for one, are a true work of art IMO.