Movies you've just watched

[EmperorIng]

I rewatched The Running Man last night. It's probably one of the perfect 80s movies, with one-liners, insane bad-guys (who are all unique and memorable - Professor Toru Tanaka!), cool synth score, and actually visually interesting and appealing despite some of its cliches. You can tell there was a passion behind the movie and the ideas of the movie (an awesome pastiche of American obsession with TV, game-shows, and government dystopia).

It makes me reflect on another movie composed entirely of cliches (Avatar), and how much less thought went into it, and how hollow it felt. Hell, Running Man was a Schwarzenegger action flick for goodness' sake!

[boagman]

I rewatched The Running Man last night. It's probably one of the perfect 80s movies, with one-liners, insane bad-guys (who are all unique and memorable - Professor Toru Tanaka!), cool synth score, and actually visually interesting and appealing despite some of its cliches. You can tell there was a passion behind the movie and the ideas of the movie (an awesome pastiche of American obsession with TV, game-shows, and government dystopia).

It makes me reflect on another movie composed entirely of cliches (Avatar), and how much less thought went into it, and how hollow it felt. Hell, Running Man was a Schwarzenegger action flick for goodness' sake!

Wow...we may have similar tastes. I thought "Avatar" *sucked* as a movie, especially a James Cameron movie. You'd think that after a DOZEN YEARS the script would have been one heckuva lot better than that. I will say, though, that the whizbangery of the movie (3D effects, et al) were by far the best I'd ever seen, or have still seen to this point. It was, from that one specific technical viewpoint, a masterpiece...but I still thought the movie severely sucked.

And yes: "Running Man" is *great* 80's kitsch. It also includes one of my favorite lines: "Six bucks for a *Coke*?" as they're digging for change at a vending machine. Hilarious!

[shmuppyLove]

Gotta love hungover Sunday movie fests.

Last Monday I watched Snatch

[Mischief Maker]

I rewatched The Running Man last night. It's probably one of the perfect 80s movies, with one-liners, insane bad-guys (who are all unique and memorable - Professor Toru Tanaka!), cool synth score, and actually visually interesting and appealing despite some of its cliches. You can tell there was a passion behind the movie and the ideas of the movie (an awesome pastiche of American obsession with TV, game-shows, and government dystopia).

It makes me reflect on another movie composed entirely of cliches (Avatar), and how much less thought went into it, and how hollow it felt. Hell, Running Man was a Schwarzenegger action flick for goodness' sake!

Wow...we may have similar tastes. I thought "Avatar" *sucked* as a movie, especially a James Cameron movie. You'd think that after a DOZEN YEARS the script would have been one heckuva lot better than that. I will say, though, that the whizbangery of the movie (3D effects, et al) were by far the best I'd ever seen, or have still seen to this point. It was, from that one specific technical viewpoint, a masterpiece...but I still thought the movie severely sucked.

And yes: "Running Man" is *great* 80's kitsch. It also includes one of my favorite lines: "Six bucks for a *Coke*?" as they're digging for change at a vending machine. Hilarious!

Thanks to DVD extras, I've learned that all of Cameron's movies, even The Terminator, were full of awful ham-fisted scenes that thankfully ended up on the cutting room floor. Not every director, when given complete and total control, produces Citizen Kane.

[EmperorIng]

Didn't these guys learn anything from Roger Corman?

Only do what sells; nothing else matters!

How else can you explain the sublime masterpieces Wasp Woman and Death Race 2000?

[Skykid]

I rewatched The Running Man last night. It's probably one of the perfect 80s movies, with one-liners, insane bad-guys (who are all unique and memorable - Professor Toru Tanaka!), cool synth score, and actually visually interesting and appealing despite some of its cliches. You can tell there was a passion behind the movie and the ideas of the movie (an awesome pastiche of American obsession with TV, game-shows, and government dystopia).

I love it for what it is, but once you realise how seriously and completely they bastardised what is an incredible novel, it becomes distinctly less imaginative.

[EmperorIng]

Stephen King adaptations on film always suck (with the exceptions of Stand by Me and The Shining), so I'm happy they were able to do what they could with the premise.

[boagman]

I love it for what it is, but once you realise how seriously and completely they bastardised what is an incredible novel, it becomes distinctly less imaginative.

Solution: never read the novel. Blissful ignorance wins again!

[blackoak]

I finally jettisoned Netflix and signed up for Hulu plus. Now I can continue apace my life goal of watching all the Criterion movies.

the 400 blows: great, had been meaning to see this for a long time.
Antoine and Colette: also great
The Vanishing: uh, wow. didn't know anything about it or the remake (thankfully), good god was this dark. incredible film but almost difficult to say I "enjoyed" it.
yuuyakegumo (farewell to dream): I'd never seen anything by keisuke kinoshita, but this was good. Realistic, sober, and subdued, as one imagines thwarted dreams should be...

[Skykid]

I love it for what it is, but once you realise how seriously and completely they bastardised what is an incredible novel, it becomes distinctly less imaginative.

Solution: never read the novel. Blissful ignorance wins again!

Honestly, that's absolute madness. I'm happy to recommend The Running Man to anyone I meet, regardless of age or gender, who just wants to have a whale of a time bombing through an unputdownable book. It's fantastic.

[GaijinPunch]

yuuyakegumo (farewell to dream): I'd never seen anything by keisuke kinoshita, but this was good. Realistic, sober, and subdued, as one imagines thwarted dreams should be...

Fun Fact: Title translates to "Clouds at Sunset".

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Finally checked out the revenge action-thriller genre flick by the name of "Dead Man Down". It has a lot of twists & spins towards the end with a novel wrinkle (to spice up the formulic revenge genre) with the main target that our assassin is to take out. Actor Colin Farrell & actress Naoomi Rapace star in it as well. Takes place in modern-day New York City, NY with the main showdown going down on July 15th, 2012. Principle shooting locations were done in both New York City, NY & ol' Philly, PA. NY natives & eagle-eye folks will instantly recognize the ol' 212 area code shown in one background scene.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Raytrace]

Actor Colin Ferrel
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

is that the amazing comedy hybrid of Colin Farrell and Will Ferrell?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Actor Colin Ferrel
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

is that the amazing comedy hybrid of Colin Farrell and Will Ferrell?

It could be taken like that...or more like a bit of "tongue-in-cheek" type of humor. Yes, the actor Colin Farrell is whom I meant in my upper post. My apologies for getting his last name mispelled. It has been corrected.

Dead Man Down sure delivers the goods, indeed, with it's not your typical "garden variety" revenge action shoot 'em up premise. No bonus scenes are shown whatsoever after the ending credits wrap up (but with some films like Tarantino's 2012 remake of Django Unchained, such a bonus scene is present after the ending credits -- which'll be present on both the Blu-Ray & DVD versions out soon).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Raytrace]

It could be taken like that...or more like a bit of "tongue-in-cheek" type of humor. Yes, the actor Colin Farrell is whom I meant in my upper post. My apologies for getting his last name mispelled. It has been corrected.

Dead Man Down sure delivers the goods, indeed, with it's not your typical "garden variety" revenge action shoot 'em up premise. No bonus scenes are shown whatsoever after the ending credits wrap up (but with some films like Tarantino's 2012 remake of Django Unchained, such a bonus scene is present after the ending credits -- which'll be present on both the Blu-Ray & DVD versions out soon).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

hehe yeah no I was only messing - I knew it musta just been a typo

[CMoon]

Continuing on with the Wes Anderson films and watched Royal Tenenbaums. What a great film! Funny, sad and odd with all the dialogue quirks that mark an Anderson film. Also seems to be some foreshadowing of Moonrise Kingdom.

[GaijinPunch]

I saw the Royal T's in the theater ages ago. I remember little of it, but I do remember vaguely the whole "scheme" Gene Hackman cooked up. Even at the time I thought it was pretty spineless. I should watch this again now that my appreciation of Angelica Huston has grown.

[R79]

Really enjoyed seeing a curvier, older Liz in this, dressed in flowing Valentino gowns, and the general early '70s look to it all. Nice, crisp print on the Warner DVD :thumbs-up:

I happen to be a relatively right-wing, *non*-gun-toting Christian. What does that make me?

Misguided?

[boagman]

I happen to be a relatively right-wing, *non*-gun-toting Christian. What does that make me?

Misguided?

Or well-informed and well-thought-out. You know...either/or.

[CMoon]

I saw the Royal T's in the theater ages ago. I remember little of it, but I do remember vaguely the whole "scheme" Gene Hackman cooked up. Even at the time I thought it was pretty spineless. I should watch this again now that my appreciation of Angelica Huston has grown.

I didn't care for it that much first viewing (years ago); this time 'round it was clearly a great film.

[Skykid]

I saw the Royal T's in the theater ages ago. I remember little of it, but I do remember vaguely the whole "scheme" Gene Hackman cooked up. Even at the time I thought it was pretty spineless. I should watch this again now that my appreciation of Angelica Huston has grown.

I didn't care for it that much first viewing (years ago); this time 'round it was clearly a great film.

I thought it was bollocks the first time round and never revisited it.

[EmperorIng]

Any of you gents of the European persuasion ever see "Wings of Desire", aka Der Himmel über Berlin?

My German teach said I'd like it. All I know is that it was remade into a Nic Cage movie or something for us silly Americans. Well, all the same, I'll be watching it tonight.

I'm still trying to edit together my own shit-asterpiece, tentatively titled Total Ninja Carnage, so it's been eating up a great portion of my time.

[GaijinPunch]

I'm still trying to edit together my own shit-asterpiece, tentatively titled Total Ninja Carnage, so it's been eating up a great portion of my time.

What format will it make it's appearance in? Wonder what type of ratings it will get here.

[EmperorIng]

Youtube and a stack of blank DVDr's sitting in my computer room.
It was a shitty movie shot for kicks entered into the ol' university student film contest, with the surprise twist that it beat out a bunch of lousy, pretentious art films for a spot on the 'top films' list. So now the job is to edit in all the footage we couldn't fit in before to make it more meandering and pointless.

[DEL]

Watched The Expendables 2. Superior to the first one (but that's not hard ). Still full of very bad one-liners and dodgy acting. Chuck Norris made my day though.

Finally bought The Martian Chronicles (1980 miniseries with Rock Hudson & Roddy McDowall). Still one of the trippiest things I've ever watched. Primitive special effects, but otherwise awesome.

[GaijinPunch]

Youtube and a stack of blank DVDr's sitting in my computer room.
It was a shitty movie shot for kicks entered into the ol' university student film contest, with the surprise twist that it beat out a bunch of lousy, pretentious art films for a spot on the 'top films' list. So now the job is to edit in all the footage we couldn't fit in before to make it more meandering and pointless.

Well, sounds like you're cut out for a Hollywood studio!

[EmperorIng]

I take great inspiration from that master auteur, Godfrey Ho. Only Ho could take a fifteen-minute shot of a woman washing her leg in a bathtub - and have it lead to absolutely nowhere - with such [lack of] panache and grace.

[GaijinPunch]

Reminds me of one of the greatest pieces of my VHS porn collection as an adolescent: the Girls on Film video by Duran Duran. Whoah! That shit was hot. Was more like 1.5 seconds rather than 15 minutes, but it got the job done.

[system11]

Extinction - ***

A German zombie/mutation/virus film. Very good, I really enjoyed this one - unlike most low budget zombie films, the characters were well developed and I actually cared about whether they lived or died. A few story possibilities I've not seen before are in here too, so check it out if you're interested in the genre. Pacing issues near the end as they tried to get a few too many ideas in at once is really the only complaint I have.

[xbl0x180]

Any of you gents of the European persuasion ever see "Wings of Desire", aka Der Himmel über Berlin?

My German teach said I'd like it. All I know is that it was remade into a Nic Cage movie or something for us silly Americans. Well, all the same, I'll be watching it tonight.

I'm still trying to edit together my own shit-asterpiece, tentatively titled Total Ninja Carnage, so it's been eating up a great portion of my time.

"Wings Of Desire" is fairly pretentious, bloated, artsy-fartsy fare. Whenever people talk about boring, slow, plodding movies with no entertainment value, they mean movies such as this one. With that being said, I fucking LOVE this film! I had the first domestic release on VHS, then the first DVD, and then Criterion picked it up recently, so I bought that one as well. It was remade into that horrible nic cage crapfest with an even more annoying song by the goo goo dolls.