Movies you've just watched

[Daigohji]

House is superb. More than any other film I've seen it's like watching a child's nightmare, which it's meant to because it was inspired by all the things that scared the director's daughter. A glorious relic of a time before Japanese film-makers forgot what cinematography is.

Just rented The Raid. Solid movie, great action and music, but the martial arts setups lacked in environmental variety during the latter half. I may buy it at some point.

Cabin in the Woods. Pretty good, but not quite the Watchmen-level deconstruction of the genre that I was hoping for. Well plotted though, so that the ending felt satisfying, regardless of its implications.

[BIL]

Cabin in the Woods - didn't appreciate being strongarmed into watching a shitty horror b-film as part of the bargain, and I'm not a lover of nostalgist fanboy pick n' mixes so the monster mash / knowing wink angles didn't move me either, but the concept is neat enough to deserve a watch. The pseudo-Lovecraftian angle completely undermines any allegorical potential by absolving the engineers and thus audience. I guess they needed a big monster for the last scene?

[Aguraki]

21 jump street: why did they have to make this a dumbdown comedy. 2/10
MiB 3:the fx looks so computer it´s tough to watch. 2nd half better than first. 5/10
the hunger games: completely enjoyed it,lot of flaws and discutable end (the very end) but good stuff overall. 7/10

[CMoon]

Nice, I will check Emotion out. Any idea where to see it? I'm also planning to get the Criterion release... can't wait to watch that interview.

Yeah, in reflection, it probably was that aura of childhood that animated many of the scenes that I found incredibly moving. I need to watch it again to say more, but there were certain scenes that I found so poignant, a combination of the camera technique, disjointed narrative, and music...

Also it is the use of music and just the style of many of the shots. Sure, lots of abstract stuff at the beginning (which unfortunately peters out a bit later in the film), but also the incredible ending that apes dozens of commercials (slow motion dresses blow in the breeze), paired with the psych-pop main theme--and at the best possible moment, that god damn cat slowly patters straight through the scene. It's pitch perfect! Yes, indeed, my friends get up when they're hungry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F14-7mkL ... re=related

[drauch]

Shout at the Devil - Action/Adventure 2 1/2 hour epic with Lee Marvin and Roger Moore. Sounds like the best thing ever but sadly isn't worth the long screen time. A fun film, but could have benefited from a shorter edit. Kind of a mess of a movie. Part adventure comedy, part dreary war time drama. Some impressive cinematography and some good scenes, but I honestly don't know if I could even recommend it.

[drauch]

Prophecy ('79. Not to be confused with the Christopher Walken "The Prophecy") - Bizarre ecological horror movie about environmental waste dumping. Spawns what looks like the influence of South Park's "man-bear-pig" as it tears up a bunch of natives and foresters. Also, a kid in a sleeping bag gets thrown into a rock and blows up.

Pray for Death - Higher production Sho Kosugi ninja romp. Pretty slow and some mediocre action with a decent finale. His Cannon stuff is much better.

Also showed a couple of buddies the beauty that is Shaw Bro's Super Inframan.

[trap15]

Just watched The Neverending Story. Definitely autism.mkv

[Mischief Maker]

Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny.

The beginning and end of this movie are hilariously loopy scenes of foul-mouthed rock opera. The middle is decent TV comedy, made less impressive in context next to the amazing beginning. They should have gone all out and made the entire movie a Rock Opera

[shmuppyLove]

I watched 'Easy A' on Netflix last night. It was great.

I should find some more Emma Stone movies to watch ...

[jonny5]

Dredd 3D - Greatest movie ever!!

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Checked out the sci-fi flick of Looper yesterday. Very interesting premise with the stylized futuristic assassin vibe going on. Certainly got my $7.50's worth to go see it. The way how it ends, it could go either two branching paths to a predictable outcome/end-result...I won't spoil it for you, fellow shmuppers.

It certainly is a thought-provoking sci-fi film...the "Rain Maker" character is never shown as an older character though -- makes me wonder how he looks though as a man at the ripe old age of 40 in the 2074 A.D. timeline. Going back to the year 2044 and fast-forward to the year 2074, sets the stage for everything to follow it's due course.

You might recognize some of the cool modern-day weaponry used in the gun battles/intense firefight scenes -- highly reminiscent of the first GiTS (Ghost In The Shell) anime film (with one notable fully-auto machine gun prominently shown). Be sure to check out the fully-stocked arsenal in the weapons cache room scene as well. The standard-field issued Looper shotgun is one of many guns featured though -- it may not look like much but it sure does pack some serious firepower in the trained & skilled hands of a Looper indeed.

Some CG visual nods/tributes to the classic 1982 sci-fi flick of Blade Runner is featured in Looper.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[njiska]

Falling Down

Hadn't seen the film for a few years, but happened to come across it on BD yesterday for $5. Great fun. Michael Douglas does a fantastic job of portraying a man on the edge. It's still very much a Hollywood-style film, but good none the less.

[null1024]

Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2.
Not as good as I remember it being [mind you, back when I remember seeing it, I thought the second 2 Matrix films were anything better than OK at best], although still very enjoyable -- the Bride is fun and all the fight choreography is awesome.

I forgot about how silly the sound direction was, the sound-effects were neat and I absolutely loved how sharp the swords sounded, but most of the music just seemed like a poor choice for the scenes, and the abrupt cuts bothered me each and every time they happened.

Also, sadly, the version I have has the Crazy 88s scene in B/W, which really deserves to be seen in color.

[njiska]

Been watching more Bond films. Goldfinger was great, as always, but dear god was Thunderball a challenge to get through. The movie isn't bad, per se, but the pacing is just complete shit. The ending in particular could have done with about 20 minutes less of people fucking about underwater. The shots look great, but server little purpose.

[drauch]

Trespass - Walter Hill's Treasure of the Sierra Madre remake set in east St. Louis with Bill Paxton, William Sadler, Ice Cube and Ice-T. Gold plundering stolen church artifacts in a decrepit factory/apartment building turns into a siege against the honkys.

Ernest in the Army - The last finished Ernest P. Worrell film. Low production like the last few releases but still quite fun. Damn shame Ernest the Pirate never got released.

[EllertMichael]

Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2.

Also, sadly, the version I have has the Crazy 88s scene in B/W, which really deserves to be seen in color.

I didn't know there was a different version. I always thought that was just part of the film, with the way she flicks the blood off the sword and it changes back to colour...

I think Tarantino's films are so instantly iconic that they soon start to parody themselves. Because of this I'm letting a few more years pass before I watch Kill Bill again. Hopefully by that time The Whole Bloody Affair will be released...

[njiska]

Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2.

Also, sadly, the version I have has the Crazy 88s scene in B/W, which really deserves to be seen in color.

I didn't know there was a different version. I always thought that was just part of the film, with the way she flicks the blood off the sword and it changes back to colour...

Yeah that was a decision made to appease the censors, though it is also a reference to how networks use to censor violent asian films. The Japanese release was in full colour if I remember correctly.

[RGC]

Looper (2012) -- like Inception, if you accept the ground rules, you'll be in for a pretty good sci-fi ride. Just don't try to pick holes in the time-travel logic (Willis even, somewhat expositionally, shouts words to this effect at one point. ), or the single generation, semi-global mutation introducing super "tk" powers.

[GaijinPunch]

Falling Down

Hadn't seen the film for a few years, but happened to come across it on BD yesterday for $5. Great fun. Michael Douglas does a fantastic job of portraying a man on the edge. It's still very much a Hollywood-style film, but good none the less.

Fun Fact: The first time I ever hallucinated, like a dip shit, a friend and I went and saw this movie. Fuck me... was that crazy.

Kill Bill: Not as good as I remember it being

I love Tarantino, but I wish he would have invested about $5k more in the movie and gotten someone to dub over Uma Thurman's Japanese lines. They are, to say the least, appalling. Lucy Liu's were fine, especially considering she was supposedly half Chinese half American (if I remember right) raised in Tokyo. A few people falling into that category around here, and the results are similar. I saw both in the theater, and haven't seen them since though.

Just watched The Neverending Story. Definitely autism.mkv

Never saw it, but GP approves of this pun... or whatever you call that post. LOL'ed.

The Japanese release was in full colour if I remember correctly.

Which scene was it? I saw Vol. 1 in Hawaii, but Vol. 2 in Japan.

[emphatic]

Which scene was it? I saw Vol. 1 in Hawaii, but Vol. 2 in Japan.

The House Of Blue Leaves. The Bride Vs. The Crazy 88. Everything is in colour, but not only that, more gore is added. Also, in the Japanese release, the anime parts are longer, particularly the scene involving the gutting of the baddie. In the Japanese release of Volume 2, there are also some extended scenes.

[CMoon]

Nice, I will check Emotion out. Any idea where to see it? I'm also planning to get the Criterion release... can't wait to watch that interview.

Watching Emotion right now--it is on the Criterion disc and is pretty incredible in the same way Hausu is incredible. Effectively it is a silent film with weird colors and narration. Absolutely beautiful though.

[EmperorIng]

Just watched The Neverending Story. Definitely autism.mkv

Never saw it, but GP approves of t

Hey now, Neverending Story is one of the better kids' movies out there. Great costumes and practical effects, some nice creepy imagery, and captures a real sense of a child's imagination. It's classic 80s fan.

That reminds me of another magical child movie - still need to watch Time Bandits!

Also, speaking of Tarantino, the Hong Kong filmmaker Godfrey Ho achieves a higher body count in one scene of Mr. X than the entirety of Kill Bill:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JJOA9do ... age#t=786s

fucking awesome.

[blackoak]

Yeah, Neverending Story is great. Not sure what "autistic," even in its greatly loosened netspeak incarnation, refers to there...

I highly recommend the book btw. Its really too bad a true film sequel hasn't been made that explores the darker themes of the second half of the book.

[trap15]

Bastian (the kid) just seemed fairly autistic to me, that's all. I did enjoy it though, for what it's worth.

[blackoak]

Hahahaha, yeah. After I wrote that I thought you must have been referring to the kid's acting. As a child I didn't notice but its cringeworthy as an adult.

[drauch]

Just watched The Neverending Story. Definitely autism.mkv

Never saw it, but GP approves of t

Hey now, Neverending Story is one of the better kids' movies out there. Great costumes and practical effects, some nice creepy imagery, and captures a real sense of a child's imagination. It's classic 80s fan.

That reminds me of another magical child movie - still need to watch Time Bandits!

Also, speaking of Tarantino, the Hong Kong filmmaker Godfrey Ho achieves a higher body count in one scene of Mr. X than the entirety of Kill Bill:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JJOA9do ... age#t=786s

fucking awesome.

Because Godfrey Ho was the man!

[CMoon]

That reminds me of another magical child movie - still need to watch Time Bandits!

Time Bandits for me has aged rather well. For me, it is Gilliam's best film, with amazing visuals and an ending I didn't exactly get when I was a kid, but sits well with me now. Definitely worth rewatching.

Believe it or not I've never seen Never Ending Story, so I suppose I should watch it at some point.

[drauch]

Earthquake - Another disaster film during the 70s craze with Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Richard Roundtree and others. Another mess of a film in ways, probably because it wasn't produced by Irwin Allen. Some good scenes during the actual earthquake with some fantastic model and prop work, yet simultaneously has some of the worst f/x I've ever seen, most notably a blotch of blood (I guess it's now quite infamous) that shoots at the screen, as well as some terribly inconsistent camera work. Also, Richard "Shaft" Roundtree disappears halfway through the film, never to really be heard from again. Extremely anti-climactic. Still, worth watching for fans of disaster movies.

Pistol Whipped - DTV Seagal, supposedly some of the better stuff. Seagal is fat in this one. I mean really fat. Like, really, really fucking fat that looking at him makes you kinda depressed/nauseated. For a DTV it's quite high on the production values, with a fair share of good beat downs, gunfights and cuss-outs from the man himself. I paid $2 for it, which was certainly worth it.

[BPzeBanshee]

Only problem I had with The Neverending Story (the 'autism' humour is lost on me) is his overexaggerations of everything. From what my family remembers when it actually came out it's been one of the biggest criticisms of the film - the kid's always like WOOOOOOOO WHAT A BIG DEAL.

[drauch]

Smokey and the Bandit - YEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAWWWWWWWWWW

Amon Saga - 80s sword & sorcery anime. Not the best animation, but a really good time for those that like sword & sorcery and dark fantasy--none of that high fantasy crap. Lots of monsters, sorcerer battles, and sword fights. This is what it's all about.

Witchfinder General - One of Vincent Price's most diabolical roles. Ohhhh, witch trials.