[Focker]

   Complexity doesn't always mean that it adds up to something special

 
That's how I feel about music. 

 

[Redcarmoose]

Yeah, Alien and Aliens are both masterpieces for sure, or close to it (one a masterpiece of horror and the other one of action). 3 is the one I've always wanted to like, but just never quite could. Hard to dislike the set-design and cinematography though--both are top-notch. Resurrection I can't stand--it has some really neat flourishes to it and seeing Weaver back in action was great, but I felt like it completely cheapened the Alien experience. Saw the first AvP, haven't bothered with any since--same problem with it that I had with Resurrection. I wanted to like Prometheus more than I did--it had some good ideas and was a fantastic looking film, but the plot was a mess and the characters ranged from the unbelievable to the stupid. Still, I think there's a lot of potential in the franchise--these days though, I find myself wishing they had just left it alone after the second film. 

I agree with your Prometheus impressions here, I found it a major waste of technical talent, one of the dumbest plots I've ever seen. After seeing it I wondered if it was some sort of a joke...
I'd rate it a 3 just for the technical competence (some of the best special effects I've ever seen) and beauty.


I'll have to see this movie one day or another, rare titles are more polarizing than this.
May Philip Seymor Hoffman rest in peace.

One trick I found was to see Prometheus again but not think too much. So they started making one movie then spliced together this silly Sci/Fi thing were suppose to take really seriously. Too many plot holes and story inaccuracies, so you just sit back watch a nice blu ray where you don't think plot but enjoy the visuals.

 

[Focker]

For those of you who have the Prometheus bluray, watch some of the cut scenes in the special features...it fills in a few holes. 

 

[Thatonedude2]

American Psyho with Christian Bale. 8/10. Loved it. Getting the book.

 

[gamefreak054]

American Psyho with Christian Bale. 8/10. Loved it. Getting the book.

That is one of the movies that I liked more and more after I have seen it and thought about it. Though I gotta say one of the plausible endings make much more sense than the other, at least in the way the movie was filmed.

 

[metalsonata]

One trick I found was to see Prometheus again but not think too much. So they started making one movie then spliced together this silly Sci/Fi thing were suppose to take really seriously. Too many plot holes and story inaccuracies, so you just sit back watch a nice blu ray where you don't think plot but enjoy the visuals.

That was my exact take away from it when I saw it in theatres. Enjoy what works, but especially enjoy the visuals. No doubt it's a great looking film, and I think that actually does go a long ways in redeeming a movie. 

 

[mutabor]

After I watched Synecdoche, New York I googled about this guy director and script writer Charlie Kaufman. While watching the film I was aware that it was a piece of post-modern art and philosophy. A creator of such a piece will try to make you uncomfortable and embarrass you or even make you angry. While doing such things with you they are confident that they are not kidding but send a profound message to you. They manipulate you but not in aggressive way. They show themselves vulnerable and very fragile human beings. 
 
I read some reviews about Synecdoche and people were trying hard to analyse the actions and motivations of the protagonist and people around him etc. I think we should judge this film as a method with which a post-modern thinker communicates with us. Despite the seeming complexity, the film is a number of well known post-modern cliches and tricks. For example, an author will constantly hint to you that there is something hidden behind the surface. But you will never be able to explain or be explained what it is. One of the main Kaufman ideas is that patterns by which we live are manipulations. The goal is to go beyond conventional. I better give a word to Kaufman himself. For example that's how he defines a screenplay, enjoy his language:
 
 

A screenplay is an exploration. It’s about the thing you don’t know. To step into the abyss. It necessarily starts somewhere, anywhere, there is a starting point, but the rest is undetermined, it is a secret, even from you. There’s no template for a screenplay, or there shouldn’t be. There are at least as many screenplay possibilities as there are people who write them. We’ve been conned into thinking there is a pre-established form.
 
 
Kaufman made a 70 minutes lecture at BAFTA awards which describes his ideas. Here is a short passage from it. It explains his film Synecdoche. The protagonist played by Hoffman is just a vessel to explain Kaufman's interpretation of the world. To change a pattern you have to expose a wound which is ancient and tender and unattainable. Hoffman exposed his wound, ancient and tender. It made him unlovable and unattractive but this ancient and tender wound is the essence of force which is inside all of us.

 

 

[xkonfuzed]

Lone Survivor : 
 
9.5/10
 
Yes, it is that good. Watch it. 

 

[Thatonedude2]

That is one of the movies that I liked more and more after I have seen it and thought about it. Though I gotta say one of the plausible endings make much more sense than the other, at least in the way the movie was filmed.

What's your conclusion? Did he commit the murders or were they in his head? I think the murders that were shown in the movie were in his head,but in the beggining at the dry cleaners his sheets were stained red and when asked what is what he replied nervously with "cranberry juice". I think he did kill woman beforehand. That's what I think.

 

[metalsonata]

  After I watched Synecdoche, New York I googled about this guy director and script writer Charlie Kaufman. 

 
I'm quite a fan of Kaufman--I love his early work with Spike Jonze, and I adore Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I personally think it's a shame that he hasn't done much of anything since Synecdoche. 

 

[kkl10]

Dallas Buyers Club - 8
 
In a wasteland of opportunity and standardized living, a mere urgent fight for survival can change our lives and lead us to do things we never dreamed of.
This was the case of AIDS patient Ron Woodroof in real life.
In his way he had to deal with homophobic bias, AIDS stigma, opposition from governmental institutions, legal obstacles, personal losses.
A biographical drama that depicts the herculean hurdles he fought which ended up enriching him as a person.
A story of survival and resistance that opens our eyes for some of the menacing quirks of society and capitalism and shows how things can be dealed with from another perspective.
A great lesson.
Impecable acting from Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto which fill this movie with life and authenticity.
 
 

 

[Redcarmoose]

That was my exact take away from it when I saw it in theatres. Enjoy what works, but especially enjoy the visuals. No doubt it's a great looking film, and I think that actually does go a long ways in redeeming a movie. 

I bet it looked great at the theatre.

 

[gamefreak054]

What's your conclusion? Did he commit the murders or were they in his head? I think the murders that were shown in the movie were in his head,but in the beggining at the dry cleaners his sheets were stained red and when asked what is what he replied nervously with "cranberry juice". I think he did kill woman beforehand. That's what I think.

Lol, I was kind of trying to avoid putting that out in public as it does not happen till the end. My thoughts are in the spoiler below.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

The way the movie is filmed. I believe that the murders were clearly in his head. There are too many strange events happening to for it not being in his mind. While some things wrap up nicely at the end some events still go unexplained. Some of these events include shooting at cops without getting hit along with blowing up a cop car with a pistol that goes nearly unnoticed. Him running through the halls with a chainsaw without waking up or questioning a single neighbor. His running around shooting everything is a strange chain of events as he is running every where shooting everything up without being noticed, and it does sort of look like he runs into the same building twice shooting 2 different receptionists. That could be an misunderstanding on my part. The entire book of drawings. I still question how the hookers were beaten, but still went with him a second time, on top of that not even reporting it to the cops. I get there is the point of the movie of people just do not care about the world around them, but for this movie to have any sort of realism to me it would have to be in his head. 
 
There is a classic black and white short film (and short story I believe) where someone is being hanged, but the guy thinks he escaped in his last few seconds in life. He imagines an entire unrealistic story on how escaped, but in the end he never really escaped. This entire movie had this vibe to it. However I think the book could potentially take a different approach on all the events. Hence why I think it may be how this movie is directed is why I came to my conclusion.
 
The sheet stain is an interesting point, but if this guy is really crazy how much of a stretch to say he really thought it was a blood stain? He could have easily spilled a bottle of wine.

 

[Redcarmoose]

 
 
 
One of the most violent movies I have ever seen.    8/10

 

[PETEREK]

Awesome movie. I can't believe I didn't watch it before this! It came out in 1999. The twist at the end was awesome too. Must see.
 
8.5/10