[mbriant]

Quote:

Actually, I find depictions of violence and dark scenarios to be incredibly restful. They seem to induce in me a state of contentment; they even help me to sleep. Why, you warble?

Could it be your John Wesley Hardin genes?

 

[fewtch]

Just saw "Manhunter." Didn't like it as much as Red Dragon ("made-for-TV" production values, awful synth score, silly looking sets, not suspenseful).

 

[wallijonn]

Blip,

Props to you. That was the most lucid, erudite, well written exposition I have read you capable of. Bravo. <applause>


Scrypt,

I worry about you.

I understand very well the concept of "death" and "orgasm" - it's called TANTRA.

It reminded me of the TV movie, The Tenth Level where the hero is plummetted and he proclaims, "I feel cleansed".

 

[redshifter]

night of the hunter
a really unusual film, and despite some silly dialog ("my whole body *tingles* with cleanliness!") the film generates some real suspence. robert mitchum is sufficiently sinister as the "wolf in sheep's clothing". his sanctimonious preaching is truely classic stuff. the subtext of the film is also deeply freudian, as in the scene where the woman-hating mitchum watches a stripper and his switchblade tears through his pocket. a whiff of misogeny trails through the film up till the end until lillian gish's character appears. there is also an appealing artificiality in the stagey sets and lighting, which is at times heavy-handed but dispatched with such poetry and symbolism i didn't mind much.

 

[wallijonn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerb Just bought Donnie Darko (director's cut).

Donnie Darko - Mary McDonnell, Patrick Swayze. Medicated student sees giant rabbit that says that the world will end in 28 days.

Too predictable from chapter 3 on. Excellent music especially the end song. No song titles in subtitles.

I thought that as TT vehicle it was a failure. The only instance which I thought was thought provoking was the very ending where the people connected sensed something has happened. Some good CG effects. The end theory was very weak relative to Day 2.

Roger Ebert gave it 2.5 stars

I'll give it

.25

 

[chadbang]

Roger Ebert is an excellent film historian and a nincompoop as a film critic. He trashed "Midnight Cowboy" when it came out. Enough said?

I watched "The Forgotten" starring Julianne Moore last night. The singularly most amazing thing about this film is that -- over the course of eight years --the writer, director and producers apparently never once saw an episode of "The X-files"...

 

[wallijonn]

"The Forgotten" - I fell asleep 3 times on that movie. yawn.

As to "Donnie Darko", many are calling it a cult classic.
http://romanticmovies.about.com/libr.../aa102401a.htm
gives it an "A-".

I can't see it - it can easily be explained as a dream sequence. With TT you end up with paradoxes, with a dream sequence there is none; but that may speak to spirituality and as such people may not want to contemplate one's ability for pre-cognition; it is much easier to rationalise that he has super powers.

I see it as just another example of how people cannot come to terms with the fact that there is randomness in the Universe - that there are things that just happen for no discernable and rational reason, that existance is capricious.

I'm sure that there wil be many that will love this movie and see all sorts of "deep" meanings. Since I love Sci-Fi - that's the way I accept it - I don't need to seek deep meaning(s) unless it is of the calibre of "2001".

As for visuals, they are your run of the mill "excellent".

I would rather consider as cult classics, "Final Destination" (

) or "Final Destination 2" (

). FD was the more thrilling of the two; it created more suspense, was more shocking. But, FD2 was more cinematic, more engaging, better acting, more situational, and a buffo surprise ending. I thought FD was bought down by one over the top acting performance - the 'jerk'. That performance was surreal and unbelievable.

Donnie Darko, standing by itself, probably deserves 3 stars. But when compared to Final Destination it is found lacking.

 

[YamiTenshi]

The Cat's Meow

I was expecting more from this film. After seeing Mask I thought Bogdanovich was a really good director... but this film was only average. My biggest problem was with the characters. I know they were all made so that you would dislike them, but I think it went too far with this idea. At the end even when one of them died I really didn't care. I hated them all to an extend that I was just hoping for the movie to end. I'm not sure if this was the feeling I'm supposed to have afterwards though I doubt it.

Anyway, the costumes, music and cinematography was OK, nothing great... considering it was a period piece I thought there would be more.

Recommended for light viewing, nothing to write home about.

 

[wallijonn]

Control - Ray Liotta, Willem DaFoe. Cop Drama. Death Row psychotic killer is medicated with a new drug to make him non-violent. While it is obvious how the movie has to end, the sterling performances by Liotta and DaFoe (whom I have never liked in any other performance) and the unexpected ending makes up for any lack thereof. Excellent acting throughout. Very good audio, nothing spectacular as far as music, soundtrack or effects.

Twisted - Ashley Judd, Samuel Jackson, Andy Garcia. Cop Drama. Police inspector is the main suspect in a rash of killings linked to her intimate life. Many little technical mistakes but I am willing to overlook them because of the bodacious beauty of Ashley Judd. One or two good jams, good soundtrack and sound effects. Very Good acting.

Torque - Ice Cube, Martin Henderson. Street Racing gendre. Biker returns to reclaim his old life. Unbelievable CG speed effects and train "stunt". Adrendaline rush. Mindless & fun. Metal & Rock soundtrack. What acting?; acting not necessary.

 

[blip]

Dreamcatchers - A standard Stephen King inspired thriller/soft-horror/comedy film. Overall this film tries to wear far to many hats. This leaves the thrills rather stale. The horror rather banal. And the comedy rather boring. While the film does have a variety of interesting themes and scenes (esp. the stuff about memory which is at least a bit unique), the overall plot line is somewhat predictable and the acting is sub-par for television mini-series. (With the exception of Morgan Freeman & Tom Sizemore who both deliver decent performances). This one goes in the big box of Stephen King movies I haven't liked.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Oddly enough I'd never seen this movie until last night. While it looks a bit dated and un-original now, I can certainly understand why people who saw it in the theater were so impressed. I like the theme of near-religious devotion to an unseen force. The whole movie speaks of an artful restraint that few of Spielberg's later films can match. The only flaw is that the film occasionally loses momentum and can drag a bit.

 

[comabereni]

Artificial Intelligence - I don't know why I like this film. I found some parts of the plot rather contrived, especially the ending, and the whole story a little tired (a watered down Bladerunner?), but it managed to permit me to suspend belief in present reality with just a little effort on my part and also prompted me to consider the future of human and non-human intelligence. I also liked William Hurt's small part in the film. There's a used video store in town where VHS and DVD films are so inexpensive that I often buy dozens of movies I haven't seen at a time since it's actually cheaper than renting. Some movies hit the trash after watching them (surprised that I really disliked Being John Malkovich though I like all the actors in the film).

 

[individual6891]

Constantine - though I didn't get it due to the fact I had 2 screaming friends around me cos they were scared, bless 'em. It wasn't even that scary.. Ring 2 next orange wednesday will certainly rock them

 

[chadbang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallijonn DaFoe (whom I have never liked in any other performance)

Not even in "Wild at Heart" as Bobby Peru (just like the country)? That role was his contribution to cinematic legend in my mind.


Then again, I also liked him as that carpenter from Nazareth.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by comabereni Some movies hit the trash after watching them (surprised that I really disliked Being John Malkovich though I like all the actors in the film).

I didn't like it the first time either, but for some reason saw it a second time & it grew on me. It's so damn weird but has a kind of depth to it too, in that things can be interpreted different ways on multiple levels. The scene where Malkovich goes into his own head never fails to crack me up...

 

[wallijonn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blip Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Oddly enough I'd never seen this movie until last night.

I'll watch anything with Terri Garr.

(I wish Miracles would come out on DVD).

Did you catch the mistake where the car door latches are down one moment and up the next?

My problem with this film is that I have been to Devil's Tower, Wyoming. They implied that the spaceships were landing at the top of Devil's Tower when they were actually landing at it's base.