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| mo_flixx |
 Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:51 am |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
Posts: 12533
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tirebiter wrote: I agree with Syd: The Descent was excellent in a movie theatre; it loses 75% of its power on a small screen.
Interesting. I saw it on a small screen and was disappointed. |
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| bocce |
| Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 2:39 pm |
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Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 2428
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last evening and into the early morning hours TCM mounted an impressive retrospective of 70s thrillers...
kicking off with the DAY OF THE JACKAL and moving thru THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, MARATHON MAN and closing out with BOYS FROM BRAZIL, for which i'd have substituted PARALLAX VIEW...
the first three really hold up nicely with TDOTC being particularly a pointe for today. i didn't stay up for BFB as it would have been my least favorite of the four. directed by zinnemann, pollack and schlesinger, respectively, they are the embodiment of the 70's concept of the stylish thriller which would later morph into the action hero craze of the 80s...
the 70's was a great film decade. political intrigue, pre kenny g jazz accompaniment, bad hair, outrageous clothing and pre AIDS casual sex...what's not to love... |
Last edited by bocce on Sat Mar 01, 2008 3:09 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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| bocce |
| Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 2:51 pm |
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Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 2428
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also, and i've mentioned this before, TCM turns off the censor after 1 am. so MARATHON MAN had all the nudity and expletives as intended...
there are a few comedic moments in the film which help break up the otherwise breakneck intensity. one is when hoffman convinces his neighborhood latino persecutors to burgle his apartment as a cover. one of the film baddies gets the drop on them in the process whereupon the FIVE of THEM all pull iron...
they neutralise the situation with "blow it out your ass, motherfucker" and proceed to ransack the place unimpeded... |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 1:57 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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Every now and then it's fun to watch something beneath you.......something you know appeals to the inferior masses.  And since I have HBO, etc. for another 2 months and can record and play any old movie any time......I clicked on Employee of the Month the other night. I think Jessica Simpson is a unique beauty and I keep waiting to see if she has any talent......Well this movie is a first. It's set in a Costco! Who would ever have thought? Since it was shot in Sante Fe I kept waiting to see all that wonderful adobe this and that........nowhere to be seen. And is there a Costco in Sante Fe anyhow?
The supporting actors.....assorted Costco employees....were a goofy lot. Dane Cook came across as an underachieving, loveable hunky dude. He even planned a special date with Jessica IN the Costco.......what a fertile imagination.
Otherwise, forgettable.
On to The Holiday.......nice premise.....2 women who need a break from unsuccessful relationships switch homes at Christmas. Nice cast: Kate Winslett, Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black. England/LA. It goes into cutesy, sweetsy land from there. |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 4:53 pm |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
Posts: 12533
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I remember when they shot EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH in Sta. Fe. It was when Jessica Simpson's marriage was unravelling.
I don't think there's a Costco in Sta. Fe. There's a Sam's Club, Walmart, and a Target. |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:37 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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| Ben Affleck's Gone Baby Gone has an improbable story and for the most part amateurish direction. Brother Casey is not that hot either. |
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| chillywilly |
| Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:04 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 8251
Location: Salt Lake City
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ACROSS THE UNIVERSE is one of those musical films that I really wondered about when hearing about the many changes and delays it went through, but pretty happy it turned out how it did.
It's similar in theory to MOULIN ROUGE, but executed somewhat differently, given it's heavy reliance on the Beatles themes.
The story told unfolds nicely, as Jude (Joe Sturgiss) and Maxwell (Joe Anderson) meet in college and end up experiencing the late 60's and early 70's together, with world events and love stories being part of the plot.
The story is told in song and lyric through the music of the Beatles, which is worked into and tied to the plot of the movie. For example, a character named Prudence shuts herself into a closet at one point, with the characters on the other side singing "Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play"
Sadie and Jo-Jo are two musicians that are very much like Joplin and Hendrix, respectfully, that come into the lives of Jude and Max. Mixed into all of this is Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), who is Max's sister and connects up with Jude.
Cameos by Joe Cocker and Eddie Izzard, and Bono (as Dr. Roberts) are well placed and written very well into the story.
I can see why this movie was delayed, as on paper, Hollywood top brass would initially not see this doing well. Which, by comparison to box office expectations, it didn't do all that well. But from the perspective of a Beatles fan and someone that gets into these types of movies, I thought it was very good. Even the slow parts seemed to be bearable, knowing the rest of the story was getting told.
So would non-Beatles fans like this movie? Maybe, but it all depends on if they find all of the other pieces of the movie to be enjoyable. If so, the lyrics and how they are used to tell the story should be interesting enough to keep most entertained. |
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Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend" |
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| Nancy |
| Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:57 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4607
Location: Norman, OK
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| I just have trouble watching a movie about a guy whose first name is "Hey." |
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"All in all, it's just another feather in the fan."
Isaacism, 2009 |
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| chillywilly |
| Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 3:57 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 8251
Location: Salt Lake City
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Nancy wrote: I just have trouble watching a movie about a guy whose first name is "Hey."
LOL. |
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Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend" |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:35 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12944
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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Does Maxwell get in trouble with a carpentry tool made from a precious metal?
No, no, I don't want to know, |
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Rocky Laocoon foretold of Troy's doom, only to find snaky water. They pulled him in and Rocky can't swim. Now Rocky wishes he were an otter! |
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| chillywilly |
| Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:31 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 8251
Location: Salt Lake City
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Syd wrote: Does Maxwell get in trouble with a carpentry tool made from a precious metal?
No, no, I don't want to know,
You will have to watch to find out. |
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Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend" |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:48 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 10497
Location: Manhattan
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Nancy wrote: I just have trouble watching a movie about a guy whose first name is "Hey."
HA! Literally, HA!! |
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| yambu |
| Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:38 pm |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
Posts: 6441
Location: SF Bay Area
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Army of Shadows is the best film you'll ever see about the French Resistance. Having enjoyed Black Book only last week, Army makes that one seem trivial.
This is a psychological thriller in the best sense. There are no blown up trains. Rather, the deliberate pacing forces you into the minds of these unsung saboteurs, as they deal with making constant life or death decisions, their solitude, despair, and almost certain knowledge that they will die soon. Simone Signoret is terrific as an absolutely fearless underground operative. |
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| Nancy |
| Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:52 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4607
Location: Norman, OK
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yambu wrote: Army of Shadows is the best film you'll ever see about the French Resistance. Having enjoyed Black Book only last week, Army makes that one seem trivial.
This is a psychological thriller in the best sense. There are no blown up trains. Rather, the deliberate pacing forces you into the minds of these unsung saboteurs, as they deal with making constant life or death decisions, their solitude, despair, and almost certain knowledge that they will die soon. Simone Signoret is terrific as an absolutely fearless underground operative.
Yambu,
Your review, and the ones on IMDB, have put this film on my ever-lengthening list of Movies to Watch For. Thanks for posting. |
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"All in all, it's just another feather in the fan."
Isaacism, 2009 |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:57 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 6916
Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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yambu wrote: Army of Shadows is the best film you'll ever see about the French Resistance. Having enjoyed Black Book only last week, Army makes that one seem trivial.
This is a psychological thriller in the best sense. There are no blown up trains. Rather, the deliberate pacing forces you into the minds of these unsung saboteurs, as they deal with making constant life or death decisions, their solitude, despair, and almost certain knowledge that they will die soon. Simone Signoret is terrific as an absolutely fearless underground operative. |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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