Movies you've just watched

[Mischief Maker]

Jurassic Park

That is one big pile of shit...

I still like the 2nd one better, mainly b/c there was more people to eat. Mr. Kobayashi himself, Pete Postlethwaite (RIP), was awesome, too. Malcolm was a little pussified though.

Are. you. fucking. kidding me?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h8rH8zxA64

[GaijinPunch]

Oh, don't get me wrong, that part was totally gay and I lol'ed. I guess it's all about hype. The first one, while it had some magical moments, was merely terribly overrated. The second, which everyone apparently hated, I found more intense. I will admit though that I was hallucinating when I went and saw it. Oh, college days...

The bus over the cliff scene I thought topped anything from the first one. Just my take.

I guess the second one didn't have anything like this.

[SuperPang]

Jurassic Park was my Star Wars.

[shmuppyLove]

Our Idiot Brother - Netflix

I have lately come to hate this style of movie, I'll call it "slice of life", but this one was actually OK.

In general, these movies have incredibly thin "plots" with no direction to them, just a series of scenes. See the horrible The Perfect Family. And generally they're horribly depressing without being the slightest bit thought-provoking.

At least Brother has a narrow but well-defined story to tell, keeping it from being aimless and pointless and boring. And it has a happy ending.

Strange coincidence, both movies have one of the Deschanel sisters playing a lesbian

[Moniker]

Side Effects & In Bruges (Netflix)

Both quite good. Watch 'em.

[GaijinPunch]

Jurassic Park was my Star Wars.

Star Wars was mine. JP was good, but to me there are some things missing. Samuel L Jackson w/o an F-bomb? Weird.

[heisenbergman]

The Way Way Back

The second film from writing tandem Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, and also their directorial debut. The writing here is just as strong as their first film, The Descendants, and I think that two films in, one could say that these guys really have a knack for capturing that "messiness of life" thing and wrapping it up in a charming and genuine package. Where The Descendants put the spotlight on the troubles of a middle-aged man, this new film is very much like an 80's coming-of-age story with its focus on the story of a socially awkward 14-year old boy (played convincingly by relative unknown Liam James).

It also benefits from a very solid ensemble with Sam Rockwell (always an electric presence on-screen), Toni Collette (who has got the "mom" role down perfectly), Steve Carell (who plays a pretty effective douchebag), Allison Janney, Maya Rudolph, Amanda Peet and a few others. It's a very subtle and quaint little movie, which I would heartily recommend.

[GaijinPunch]

Leon (The Professional)

Not the first time I'd seen this, but the first time in quite a long time. I'd say it stands up quite while over time, even though something about certain 90's fashion drives me nuts. Lots of over the top action, and a very over the top performance by Gary Oldman. That was probably the first thing I saw him in, or at least noticed him in. Surprised (and glad) Hollywood hasn't tried to remake this one.

[1up]

Watched Insidious yesterday. It startes out scary but became bland and none scary once the lady explained what was going on.

I've never experienced such a big 180 while watching a movie before?
3/5

[GaijinPunch]

I've never experienced such a big 180 while watching a movie before?

Not sure. Have you?

[1up]

I have had a couple of hours to think about it, and no, not without it being an intentional surprise twist.

[GaijinPunch]

Haha -- we'll take it!

[Skykid]

"Coffy: Go on and take this shot!
Grover: I can't; that'll kill me!
Coffy: Maybe it will and maybe it won't, but if it do, you gonna fly through them pearly gates with the biggest fucking smile St. Peter ever seen!"

[Moniker]

A Late Quartet (Netflix)

Mr/Ms/Mr Walken, Keener, and Seymour Hoffman (respectively) put up pretty great performances. I guess, in a narrative sense, the film is interesting. In Lifetime Movie fashion, one of the principle members of the string quartet is given a hard medical diagnosis. But the film doesn't really focus on the diagnosis so much as the lingering tensions among the rest of the quartet that finally have an occasion to air themselves. A good movie. Walken just barely escapes self-parody. And he's been in self-parody mode for god knows how many years now. A good (if quasi-melodramatic) lazy Sunday film.

[EmperorIng]

I've been watching a lot of artsy Italian films the past week-and-a-half. L'avventura, Umberto D., Amarcord, and last night, La Dolce Vita.

I had attempted to watch Fellini Satyricon, but it was hard to sit through nonstop two-hours of homosexual orgy. Ironically, I gave up right before what I assume was going to be the first heterosexual sex scene in the movie.

The other movies, though, were all very rich and fantastic. Despite L'avventura being the epitome of the slow art film, I enjoyed basking in its symbolism and striking imagery. The sheer spectacle of modern decadence likewise made for me La Dolce Vita, as well as how empty the main character, a celebrity tabloid reporter's life was, following worthless airheads around. Umberto D and Amarcord have much more sentimentality in them, with Umberto D. being the sad story of an old man and his dog kicked out of his apartment, and Amarcord being a celebratory reminiscence of childhood and growing up (and is quite funny). These two films are what I'd recommend to people interested in getting into Italian film.

[nasty_wolverine]

I've been watching a lot of artsy Italian films the past week-and-a-half. L'avventura, Umberto D., Amarcord, and last night, La Dolce Vita.

I had attempted to watch Fellini Satyricon, but it was hard to sit through nonstop two-hours of homosexual orgy. Ironically, I gave up right before what I assume was going to be the first heterosexual sex scene in the movie.

The other movies, though, were all very rich and fantastic. Despite L'avventura being the epitome of the slow art film, I enjoyed basking in its symbolism and striking imagery. The sheer spectacle of modern decadence likewise made for me La Dolce Vita, as well as how empty the main character, a celebrity tabloid reporter's life was, following worthless airheads around. Umberto D and Amarcord have much more sentimentality in them, with Umberto D. being the sad story of an old man and his dog kicked out of his apartment, and Amarcord being a celebratory reminiscence of childhood and growing up (and is quite funny). These two films are what I'd recommend to people interested in getting into Italian film.

You should give 8 1/2 a try...

[system11]

Leon (The Professional)

Not the first time I'd seen this, but the first time in quite a long time. I'd say it stands up quite while over time, even though something about certain 90's fashion drives me nuts. Lots of over the top action, and a very over the top performance by Gary Oldman. That was probably the first thing I saw him in, or at least noticed him in. Surprised (and glad) Hollywood hasn't tried to remake this one.

Did you watch the extended cut? Much was removed to make US audiences happier with the film - including most of her training as a cleaner, and part where she shows her crush on Leon.

[EmperorIng]

You should give 8 1/2 a try...

La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2 were my double rent pack from the local library, so it's on the queue!

[GaijinPunch]

Did you watch the extended cut? Much was removed to make US audiences happier with the film - including most of her training as a cleaner, and part where she shows her crush on Leon.

I read later and learned that I did. However, after doing some reading, it seems that the extended cut was not the original version anywhere. The shortened theatrical version is apparently the directors cut, and the extended cut a gift from the director to diehard fans.

I won't report this as fact, but the guy in this thread certainly seems to have done more research than I.

At any rate, yes, that's the version I saw, and didn't realize I was watching an extra 20 minutes of footage. That's how long it had been.

[Moniker]

The Professional is legendary. And in no small part due to legitimizing casual pedophilia. Honestly, did anyone sexually female-oriented not get at least a little turned on by Natalie Portman smoking a cigarette in short shorts? That fucking choker, for realzies.

[GaijinPunch]

Back then I probably wouldn't have, but now I can't help but think of the amazing and lovely places she took acting in Closer. And her ass in the thong of course. With the benefit of projecting back, it was a more memorable experience.

[nasty_wolverine]

You should give 8 1/2 a try...

La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2 were my double rent pack from the local library, so it's on the queue!

I suggest to watch sober, you will feel high by the time it ends... its one of those mind spinner movies.

[heisenbergman]

I could never get into 8 1/2 and I've tried maybe on three separate occassions. Too weird and disjointed for my taste.

[SuperGrafx]

The Score (Netflix - 2001)

Great burglary/infiltration movie with De Niro.
Really enjoyed it...did not expect the twist at the end.

[Moniker]

I could never get into 8 1/2 and I've tried maybe on three separate occassions. Too weird and disjointed for my taste.

I was forever spoiled by the 8 1/2 translated into "9" on broadway, and thereby translated into the "9" film (w/ DD Lewis... who, despite being insanely gifted, isn't even vaguely Italian). Be Italian! Fuck you, whosoever you are who wrote the score. Now I can't watch 8 1/2 in a serious manner. And yes, I am Italian. (And it has absolutely nothing to do with lingerie or seashores or being big breasted and owning sports cars. Although, tbh, those things happen reasonably often, and really can't hurt.)

[EmperorIng]

You should give 8 1/2 a try...

La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2 were my double rent pack from the local library, so it's on the queue!

I suggest to watch sober, you will feel high by the time it ends... its one of those mind spinner movies.

The only movies I watch with alcohol are bad movies. Fellini Satyricon is a drug in its own right.

I could never get into 8 1/2 and I've tried maybe on three separate occassions. Too weird and disjointed for my taste.

Funnily enough, this was precisely my problem with Fellini Satyricon. I think it's a Fellini thing. Sometimes it works (Amacord).

(And it has absolutely nothing to do with lingerie or seashores or being big breasted and owning sports cars. Although, tbh, those things happen reasonably often, and really can't hurt.)

These movies have given me a false impression of Italy as a land of impossibly-beautiful women and sports cars with an added dash of fruitless soul-searching.

This all reminds me that my high school cross-country coach did a study-abroad summer in Rome one year, where he met up with the then-exiled Prince of Afghanistan. His Excellency took him (a total stranger) to night-clubs straight out of La Dolce Vita with constant sex, drugs, and orgies. Poor guy wanted to go back home.

[boagman]

The Score (Netflix - 2001)

Great burglary/infiltration movie with De Niro.
Really enjoyed it...did not expect the twist at the end.

I'd like it a *lot* more if not for the following factors:

1. Edward Norton
2. Marlon Brando

Fair's fair: #2 is far worse than #1, but #1 is still lousy.

[MX7]

8 1/2 is a corker, a real joyous film, ridiculously entertaining. Looking forward to watchng it again.

Watched Carrie for the first time the other night. Some pacing issues aside, it was great, some pretty audacious split screen in that pivotal scene also. I liked the fact that although it's ostensibly a horror film, it's hard to gauge who takes the function of the monster. The gratuitous slow-mo/ nudity reminded me alittle of Von Trier/Borowczyk respectively.

[system11]

And in no small part due to legitimizing casual pedophilia.

Is that really what you got from the film? Oh wow. What I got was a little girl trying to grow up too fast with a crush on someone who protected her - there's never any reciprocation of this part of their relationship from Leon.

Tonight I watched Life Force, and was compelled to write a short review as I'd forgotten how incredible the film is:
http://blog.system11.org/?p=425

[drauch]

And in no small part due to legitimizing casual pedophilia.

Is that really what you got from the film? Oh wow. What I got was a little girl trying to grow up too fast with a crush on someone who protected her - there's never any reciprocation of this part of their relationship from Leon.

Tonight I watched Life Force, and was compelled to write a short review as I'd forgotten how incredible the film is:
http://blog.system11.org/?p=425

Yeah. That was sort of weird.