Movies you've just watched

[MommysBestGames]

Finally watched Assault of Precinct 13. It's pretty awesome seeing Carpenter rocking this hard pre-Escape from New York. Definitely have to go back and watch Halloween.

Ah cool! I just saw that a little while ago, I agree, very good overall. Nice and tense when they're trapped, and not terribly cheesy. And another classic Carpenter soundtrack.

[burgerkingdiamond]

Just saw LET ME IN. I'd already seen the Swedish version LET THE RIGHT ONE IN.

Pretty cool vampire movie, but it's not really about vampires. That's kind of secondary. Very moody film. I liked it.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Yeah, with the big-budgeted Hollywood re-makes of such films like "La Femme Nikita" remade as Point of No Return...I like the rawness and take no-shit from anyone attitude presented in original French version the best. Director Luc Besson sure knows how to craft/excute some badass firefight scenes with weaponry galore. Same thing with the original uncut version of "Leon The Professional" flick.

The French zombie flick of "The Horde" is another gritty unflinching movie that depicts a realistic portrayal of what it's like to survive a zombie outbreak senario/situation as the body count climbs higher & higher. Will the rag-tag crew of human survivors make it out alive or not? Not to mention the portrayal of some pretty high tension moments during certain scenes that elevate this particular French zombie film to better than average zombie flick status being cranked out these days.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[ChainsawGuitarSP]

The Truman Show. Not sure what to think of it. I wouldn't exactly say it's bad, but I didn't get any satisfaction from watching it. It just kinda glossed over my mind if that makes sense.

[Daigohji]

The Truman Show. Not sure what to think of it. I wouldn't exactly say it's bad, but I didn't get any satisfaction from watching it. It just kinda glossed over my mind if that makes sense.

I can see why that would be the case. The Truman Show was prophetic when it first came out. It anticipated the reality show boom and played off the extremes of something that the viewer wasn't familiar with yet. Now the real form of that genre has been trotted out so many times that the film loses some of its impact. We've seen normal people flung under the spotlight until they shrivel up and die. It's old news. Personally, I still think it's a good film, but I can see why someone watching for the first time in 2011 wouldn't be too impressed.

[ChainsawGuitarSP]

That explanation makes perfect sense. And now I feel even dumber than ever for missing out on such a classic for so long. Argh.

[dcharlie]

run of meh-ish films recently with family -

Buried - yeah, i know this is a popular film and i'm late to watching it but it just didn't do anything for me. I loved the idea but it just didn't grab me like i thought it would. Perhaps i'd hyped myself up a bit too much though.

Insidious - absolute turd on a stick. Too many JUMP! moments, horrific sound editing. I personally don't find many horror/suspense horror movies that scary and this did little to change that.

[CMoon]

Finished off my summer with two more Carpenter films, neither are ones I'll need to see again for a long time.

Halloween (1978). This is a really important film for inventing a lot of the feel of other slasher/horror flicks to come, but unfortunately that doesn't make it a good film. Truth be told. Halloween is a really boring film punctuated by some occasional tits and slaying, but there is no gore, and the tits wouldn't have even warranted an R rating in 78. This film really needed some sadism to convince us of the total evil of Michael Myers, but it is mostly a film about girls talking on the phone. Like Ebert, I'd like to give it an extra star for the tits, but there's a solid titless stretch where I lost interest in the film. It's weird thinking about this as a breakthrough for Carpenter. Precinct 13 is a MUCH better film.

Big Trouble in Little China (1986). Its really stupid writing anything about this film. Everyone has already seen it. The problem is I'm the one Carpenter fan who doesn't like it. From my point of view, BTiLC is nearly a sell out film. Here's my twisted logic: Carpenter makes great B movies. He knows he is making B movies and he recognizes they are campy, but does his best to keep a straight face. BTiLC is Carpenter trying to make a campy, humorous film, and that's why it fails for me. Imagine how absolutely wretched an Argento film would be if it tried to be a campy B movie comedy. Bleargh!

[Aguraki]

big trouble is fantastic dooood!!!!!
<<<<<< n1 carpenter fan here and big trouble is perfect

[Skykid]

Finished off my summer with two more Carpenter films, neither are ones I'll need to see again for a long time.

Halloween (1978). This is a really important film for inventing a lot of the feel of other slasher/horror flicks to come, but unfortunately that doesn't make it a good film. Truth be told. Halloween is a really boring film punctuated by some occasional tits and slaying, but there is no gore, and the tits wouldn't have even warranted an R rating in 78. This film really needed some sadism to convince us of the total evil of Michael Myers, but it is mostly a film about girls talking on the phone. Like Ebert, I'd like to give it an extra star for the tits, but there's a solid titless stretch where I lost interest in the film. It's weird thinking about this as a breakthrough for Carpenter. Precinct 13 is a MUCH better film.

Completely agree. I never thought Halloween was anything except dull and I can only appreciate it as a blueprint for modern teen horror flicks. Then again I abhor most teen horror movies so I'm not sure how thankful I am.

Big Trouble in Little China (1986). Its really stupid writing anything about this film. Everyone has already seen it. The problem is I'm the one Carpenter fan who doesn't like it. From my point of view, BTiLC is nearly a sell out film. Here's my twisted logic: Carpenter makes great B movies. He knows he is making B movies and he recognizes they are campy, but does his best to keep a straight face. BTiLC is Carpenter trying to make a campy, humorous film, and that's why it fails for me. Imagine how absolutely wretched an Argento film would be if it tried to be a campy B movie comedy. Bleargh!

BTILC is a cult classic because of its campy credentials and wacked out themes. If you were to analyse it beyond this then I think some criticism is probably valid, but it's a movie that keeps getting better with age for me. It's great!

[evil_ash_xero]

I am finishing up Gamera III, and just finished watching Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter.

What a STRANGE day of movie watching.

Oh, and Donkey In Lahore. Documentary.

[CMoon]

Fuck you all! Abar: Black Superman!

[njiska]

Netflix has been pretty kind to me these past few weeks

Cinderella Man - Massively under appreciated film. Good story, solid acting from both Crowe and Giamatti and surprisingly well shot boxing scenes. The guy they got to play Max Baer is an absolutely beast and his command presence makes him a great giant for Crowe to slay.

Tremors 1, 2, 3, 4 - The first is one of my all time favourite horror/comedies, but i'd never really given the sequels that much of a chance. Being able to sit down and watch the four films back to back has given me a new appreciation for the series. Aftershocks, the second film, is almost as good as the original, but it does have a strong made for TV feel. The third film is by far the weakest, but is still a lot of fun. Again it feels like a TV movie, but as a setup to the Tremors TV series I guess it's supposed to. The fourth film is better than the third and takes the plot back to the 1800s when Perfection was just a simple mining town. A genuine surprise.

They Live - It's been years since I watched this film, but it's still just as fun as i remember. Rowdy Roddy Piper with a shotgun? Yes, please!

Tyson - A documentary about the life of Iron Mike Tyson and a real surprise. Mostly just footage of Tyson talking, but hearing him talk about the huge mistakes he's made has a lot of power.

[Skykid]

Tremors 1, 2, 3, 4 - The first is one of my all time favourite horror/comedies, but i'd never really given the sequels that much of a chance. Being able to sit down and watch the four films back to back has given me a new appreciation for the series. Aftershocks, the second film, is almost as good as the original, but it does have a strong made for TV feel.

I love Tremors 2. That's one of those sequels I really expected nothing from and it turned out to barrels of fun. There were times I even thought it was on par with the original in entertainment stakes.

[DEL]

Ok you've convinced me to buy the whole Tremors boxset. Never seen the sequels. The original is great.
---------------
& Big Trouble is always awesome.

[ArmoredCore]

just finished kagemusha, i liked it alot,

anyone have any recommendations on more samurai movies besides 13 assassin and harakiri which i just finished both of these last month? thanks!

[CMoon]

just finished kagemusha, i liked it alot,

anyone have any recommendations on more samurai movies besides 13 assassin and harakiri which i just finished both of these last month? thanks!

Assuming you've seen the earlier Kurosawa films (Seven Samurai and Yojimbo). I rather like Sword of Doom.

[ArmoredCore]

just finished kagemusha, i liked it alot,

anyone have any recommendations on more samurai movies besides 13 assassin and harakiri which i just finished both of these last month? thanks!

Assuming you've seen the earlier Kurosawa films (Seven Samurai and Yojimbo). I rather like Sword of Doom.

oh sweet, ima check out seven samurai now to see if its on netflix lol, ive seen yojimbo and the other one forgot its spelling soemthing like rashimon, they were mad goood while back when i saw it.

[ED-057]

I just watched セーラー服と機関銃　(sailor suit and machine gun, 1981 movie version) and it was kind of meh. Didn`t appear to be made to very high standards, what with Mei`s half-assed fight scene (some bodyguard he is), the camera bouncing all over the friggin place when they were on the motorcycle, and so on. Also, I`d be hard-pressed to explain the story, particularly the part where Izumi was taken to watch Mayumi getting banged, but maybe that`s just `cuz I`m not Japanese.

[CMoon]

Woman in the Dunes. Read the book years ago. No idea that the film would be this good. Highly recommended--seriously, this is a 10/10 film.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I watched Rashomon, Harakiri, Throne of Blood and Kwaidan in a theater. Kwaidan was particulary worth the hassle for that sick Fuji (?) colour tape I haven't seen mirrored acurately in any digital format yet. Most bonkers colours.
Thanks for reminding me of The Woman in the Dunes. It's been on my radar for years.

[drauch]

Watched the first two films of the Rebuild of Evangelion. The first movie is pretty much just a recap of the first couple of episodes, just without any real substance. 2nd film does a much better job, but goddamn, CGI in anime is always gross. Still, pretty unnecessary to make the films in the first place.

[Leader Bee]

I totally agree; 1.11 is pretty much a heavily condensed recap of the first couple of episodes with practically no character development, while 2.22 is much better for this but still not to the level of the series and still doesn't top End of Eva for it's graphic depiction of life under the shadow of the impending 3rd impact.

Plus... whats with all the rainbows?

[Obiwanshinobi]

CGI in anime is always gross.

Gonzo did mighty fine CG job in Last Exile (botched in the DVD edition, but well done first time around) and Basilisk. Other studios (Gainax, Production I.G, Bones...) still struggle with it.

[MX7]

Woman in the Dunes. Read the book years ago. No idea that the film would be this good. Highly recommended--seriously, this is a 10/10 film.

Yes, this film is amazing. Though I haven't seen it for many years.

[MX7]

Naked Lunch. I fucking hated it. Not a single character had any redeemable qualities, and everyone was a loser and underachiever. I just couldn't relate to the exterminator or his white trash whore of a wife. At least the film didn't shove a gay anti-drug message down your throat like The Scanner Darkly did.

I hate to sound like a prick and everything, but some films engage the audience in ways other than trying to get the spectator to 'engage' with the characters. Remember, this is Croneberg, one of the most cold and impassive directors working in mainstream cinema adapting Burroughs, who uses his writing more as a distancing tool than anything else. As a collaboration between the two (a term they both used when referring to the film), I think it's clear we're not in Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan territory here.

I adore the film adaptation of Naked Lunch primarily BECAUSE of the fact I could not relate to any character. Additionally, the narrative discontinuity and foul imagery that openly defies Spectator negotiation further adds to the film's status as a masterpiece of transgressive irrationality. Think of it not as a story about an insect exterminator and his wife, but Cronenberg attempting to depict the experience of Burroughs coming off of heroin.


But of course, I couldn't watch it every day. Sometimes I just want to crack open a John Hughes box set and forget about the malignancy intrinsic to our lives :p

[Acid King]

Trollhunter - An enjoyable mock documentary about a film crew that tracks a bear poacher and inadvertently discover that trolls are real. Loved the depiction of the government spokesman.

The Killers - 1946 adaptation of a Hemingway short story. Solid noir.

The Big Heat - Excellent noir from Fritz Lang. Glenn Ford is the man in this movie.

Hobo With Shotgun - Ludicrously enjoyable exploitation flick that reminded me a lot of old school Troma (Class of Nuke 'Em High and Toxic Avenger)

The Fly - Cronenberg's Remake. The role Jeff Goldblum was born to play.

I hate to sound like a prick and everything, but some films engage the audience in ways other than trying to get the spectator to 'engage' with the characters. Remember, this is Croneberg, one of the most cold and impassive directors working in mainstream cinema adapting Burroughs, who uses his writing more as a distancing tool than anything else. As a collaboration between the two (a term they both used when referring to the film), I think it's clear we're not in Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan territory here.

I adore the film adaptation of Naked Lunch primarily BECAUSE of the fact I could not relate to any character. Additionally, the narrative discontinuity and foul imagery that openly defies Spectator negotiation further adds to the film's status as a masterpiece of transgressive irrationality. Think of it not as a story about an insect exterminator and his wife, but Cronenberg attempting to depict the experience of Burroughs coming off of heroin.

I'll have to revisit Naked Lunch sometime. I wasn't a big fan when I initially saw it because of the way it dispenses with a lot of social commentary and satire that are central to the novel. It's not so much an adaptation of the novel though, and as a depiction of Burroughs mental collapse I thought it worked pretty well. The mugwump looked fucking PERFECT. I love the creature effects in the old Cronenberg movies.

[CMoon]

The Killers - 1946 adaptation of a Hemingway short story. Solid noir.

Saw that one recently. Good stuff.

All this talk about Naked Lunch has me interested too. Like the rest of you, saw it years ago. Not a fan, but yeah, some of the special effects are incredible.

[CMoon]

[blink]DOLEMITE[/blink]


...c'mon guys, bring <blink> back.

[drauch]

Oh man, I haven't seen Dolemite in soooooo long. Hamburger pimp rules.