Anyway, I guess I became the last person in North America to see Wedding Crashers. Hilarious, if a bit too long. I'm now convinced that Vince Vaughn is the funniest man in America--the man's a genius!
Probably second to last HB. I've yet to see it, and most likely won't.
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
The last film I saw was Waiting. Previews looked funny when it was out. I rented the unrated version thinking there would be a lot of funny stuff. This movie had it's funny moments, but it mostly sucked really hard. It was in the same mold as the National Lampoon movies.
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
I watched Saw and Replacement Killers. Saw was alright, although I missed a bit of it in the middle. The Replacement Killers was okay. The action was good, the girl hot, but the rest of it wasn't so great. I do like Chow Yun Fat, though.
The last film I saw was Waiting. Previews looked funny when it was out. I rented the unrated version thinking there would be a lot of funny stuff. This movie had it's funny moments, but it mostly sucked really hard. It was in the same mold as the National Lampoon movies.
Surely you are not referring to National Lampoon's Animal House, the funniest movie ever made and a close depiction of my college years.
Watched the recent remake of Flight of the Phoenix. Some of the visuals of the aircraft flying through the sandstorm are simply beautiful...other than that there's no reason to watch this one over the original Jimmy Stewart version.
I saw Corpse Bride. Not terribly funny, but a lot of FUN; and both the stop-motion animation and the design of the characters are absolutely superb. In fact, the characters struck me as a cross between the old Rankin-Bass holiday productions (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, etc.) and Terry Gilliam's Monty Python animations. It's also hard to escape that the villain, Barkis Bittern, looks suspiciously like a certain actor we all know. . .
I saw Corpse Bride. Not terribly funny, but a lot of FUN; and both the stop-motion animation and the design of the characters are absolutely superb. In fact, the characters struck me as a cross between the old Rankin-Bass holiday productions (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, etc.) and Terry Gilliam's Monty Python animations. It's also hard to escape that the villain, Barkis Bittern, looks suspiciously like a certain actor we all know. . .
. . .Or is it just my imagination?
The more I look at it, the more I actually think it does look pretty similar to our very own Charles Gray! Last film I seen was Walk The Line like a few previous posters, very good and well worth seeing, but one warning, if you're like me, have a bit of money spare, as you'll want to splash out on some Johnny Cash CDs......
Watched one of the lesser known BratPack vehicles, Less Then Zero about a group of rich teens in LA and their drug fueled lifestyle. The film has a remarkable performance from Robert Downey Jr. as a cocaine addict, while his friends Andrew McCarthy and the cute Jamie Gerz attempt to save him from the clutches of addiction and the sleazy dealer played by James Spader. And how sad that art reflected life in the case of Downey Jr. Though I hope he's back on his feet now and returns to acting, he's a terrific actor as anyone who's seen his Chaplin can attest to.
This is a film from what the media dubbed the "bratpack" that I'd never seen, (and I was around then) it's based on a book which I'll have to hunt down now. Not a masterpiece, but If anything, see it for Downey, you can't take your eyes off him.
Last film I seen was Walk The Line like a few previous posters, very good and well worth seeing, but one warning, if you're like me, have a bit of money spare, as you'll want to splash out on some Johnny Cash CDs......
Thats exactly what I did !! )
Just finished watching Bugsy Malone ... The Alan Parker / Scott Baio / Jodie Foster version ... Splurge guns, pedal cars and adults singing. Brilliant idea and terrific little movie.
It's taken me all this time to see it and, well... It's definitely a thinker. After I pressed stop I had to sit and figure it all out. I'm content with the outcome I made, however, in that it's a bloody clever piece of movie making. It's most definitely weird, no doubt about that, but I was so sucked into it I just had to keep watching till the end.
Acting throughout is superb. Now I can see why Jake Gyllenhaal made his name overnight (at least here in the UK). Drew Barrymore, for all her short screen time, hands down the best performance I've ever seen from her. In fact, at one point I did actually have a creeping doubt that it wasn't in fact her. Patrick Swayze adds a nice element of campness for a few moments, albeit with a rather twisted and sinister underlay.
And to top it all off, a fantastic soundtrack, which struck a chord in that it was one I grew up with myself.
It wasn't till the film was over did I realise it's impact. The ending in particular, spending a few seconds with characters that appeared rather minor but who's problems were distinctly highlighted, was more a glimpse into life in general, and I'm betting touched on at least one point that the viewer can identify with.
I'm currently watching Domino with Keira Knightley on DVD.
Whether I get to the end of it I don't know. It is quite the worst film I have ever seen.
My flatmakte wanted to get it, and I agreed as a trade-in for The Wild Geese later on. However, we might not see that as Sexy Beast is on More4 tonight at about 10pm.
Keira sounds like Patsy out of Ab Fab, narrating her dreary account of how she's turned out the way she has, it's ripe for a mickey take. Not that Mr Rourke - or Ms Lucy Liu will be including this stinker on their CV.
I've just rounded off a gr8 weekend with a nice bottle of Chilean Red wine and watched Shaun of the Dead. No matter how many times I watch that film, it cracks me up, its got to be the best RomZomCom I know of!!!
I'm currently watching Domino with Keira Knightley on DVD.
Whether I get to the end of it I don't know. It is quite the worst film I have ever seen.
My flatmakte wanted to get it, and I agreed as a trade-in for The Wild Geese later on. However, we might not see that as Sexy Beast is on More4 tonight at about 10pm.
Keira sounds like Patsy out of Ab Fab, narrating her dreary account of how she's turned out the way she has, it's ripe for a mickey take. Not that Mr Rourke - or Ms Lucy Liu will be including this stinker on their CV.
Tripe.
Domino received dreadful reviews in my area, absolutely dreadful, I'm glad I listened, this one time..
Watched Hitchcock's Notorious last night. IMO, not one of his great movies. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman are fine in the movie, but they didn't generate the same heat or romantic spark that Bergman and Bogie did in Casablanca. The movie seems like a three act play and never generates much suspence. The ending is especially anti-climatic. Hitchcock has done better.
I saw The Constant Gardener. I haven't read the book--I often find John le Carre dull and over-over-over complicated--but the movie is indeed very good. Great photography and superb acting. Rachel Weisz got an Oscar nomination for her performance in this film, but I found her character to often be very annoying; I would have much prefered to see a nomination for Ralph Fiennes, who was excellent.
Hardy, I posted a review of The Constant Gardener a couple weeks ago. Personally I didn't care for the movie that much and really thought the movie was heavy handed with its indictment of the big drug companies. Did you have the same reaction, and yes, Rachel Weisz was annoying.
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
Watched Hitchcock's Notorious last night. IMO, not one of his great movies. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman are fine in the movie, but they didn't generate the same heat or romantic spark that Bergman and Bogie did in Casablanca. The movie seems like a three act play and never generates much suspence. The ending is especially anti-climatic. Hitchcock has done better.
That is a coincidence. My folks watched that the other night, too. It didn't look so interesting, so I passed on it.
Hardy, I posted a review of The Constant Gardener a couple weeks ago. Personally I didn't care for the movie that much and really thought the movie was heavy handed with its indictment of the big drug companies. Did you have the same reaction(?)
Well, I think drug companies get a bad rap myself--after all, they do fund medical research and are responsible for medical breakthroughs--but I wasn't bothered by the politics of the film. I thought the performances were so good and the direction so masterful that I was interested in the story itself.
Great looking film, and I was all set to rave about it. It's set mostly in the late Sixties, and the cinematography is of that time. The star, Paul Bettany, walks around like Michael Caine and David Thelwis is super smooth as the head gangster, he's got the manner of Jarvis Cocker and (when angry) sounds like Johnny Rotton.
There are some decent Brit gangster flicks around, despite it being a maligned genre. Lock, Stock... Sexy Beast and Layer Cake, plus this.
However, sadly, Gangster No 1 runs out of steam. It's very generic, but all dressed up and nowhere to go. The plot isn't really interesting and then it turns poor man's Scorcese, with a silly flashforward montage to the present day. You know, they have the inevitable Aston Martin in the 60s scenes, but it pops up again briefly in the 70s and you think, hmmm, the Aston wasn't really so popular then...
Some things don't work, but it's a bold, flashy looking effort for the first hour and up there with Our Friends In The North. But no real substance (except substance abuse ha ha)
However, sadly, Gangster No 1 runs out of steam. It's very generic, but all dressed up and nowhere to go.
That is exactly what I thought too. It had one of the best opening scenes. I thought I was in for a great movie. Then it went down hill to the point were I nearly turned it off!! Shame, as Bettany and McDowell both started of great.
Watched Hitchcock's Notorious last night. IMO, not one of his great movies. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman are fine in the movie, but they didn't generate the same heat or romantic spark that Bergman and Bogie did in Casablanca. The movie seems like a three act play and never generates much suspence. The ending is especially anti-climatic. Hitchcock has done better.
It's remarkable how differently people can view the same film. I rank Notorious as Hitchock's best (and that's not an easy list to be best in). I think every shot of the film is a thing of beauty and brilliance. It's a film of vouyerism, we watch everyone as they all watch one another. The underlying darkness to his lead characters gives it so much more of a kick than usual. Is there a dirtier main love affair in a Hitchock film? There's Vertigo for twisted but it's not a sexy pairing (Novak is sexy but Stewart is not, then he never has been) and it's not love but obsession. In Notorious they fall in love, lust and mistrust as he's pimping her off to another man! Another man who despite being a Nazi is actually pathetically sympathetic at the end making for one of Hitchock's best endings.
As for Grant/Bergman I think they're easily Hitchock's steamiest pair on screen, and the moment when he covers her bare waist with his handkerchief is sexier than any other bit of film Hitchock ever made. I also think it's Grant's best serious film role.
Watched Hitchcock's Notorious last night. IMO, not one of his great movies. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman are fine in the movie, but they didn't generate the same heat or romantic spark that Bergman and Bogie did in Casablanca. The movie seems like a three act play and never generates much suspence. The ending is especially anti-climatic. Hitchcock has done better.
It's remarkable how differently people can view the same film. I rank Notorious as Hitchock's best (and that's not an easy list to be best in). I think every shot of the film is a thing of beauty and brilliance. It's a film of vouyerism, we watch everyone as they all watch one another. The underlying darkness to his lead characters gives it so much more of a kick than usual. Is there a dirtier main love affair in a Hitchock film? There's Vertigo for twisted but it's not a sexy pairing (Novak is sexy but Stewart is not, then he never has been) and it's not love but obsession. In Notorious they fall in love, lust and mistrust as he's pimping her off to another man! Another man who despite being a Nazi is actually pathetically sympathetic at the end making for one of Hitchock's best endings.
As for Grant/Bergman I think they're easily Hitchock's steamiest pair on screen, and the moment when he covers her bare waist with his handkerchief is sexier than any other bit of film Hitchock ever made. I also think it's Grant's best serious film role.
MBE
I appreciate your opinion, but can't agree. I would prefer Rear Window, Strangers on a Train, or Vertigo to Notorious. For whatever reason I just did not believe Bergman and Grant as lovers. I thought they played their roles well, I just didn't see the chemistry between them. You obviousely did. The scene where he covers her waist with his handkerchief that you found sexy, I found it odd that he would care. But, perhaps I am unromantic and subtle point. Anyway, not a bad movie, just not my favorite.
Derailed starring Clive Owen & Jennifer Aniston.
I just saw this in the cinema, and was intrigued from start to end. It has a great plot, excellent performances by all, and (get this!) a third act!
There was a scene near the start that made me feel, well, sad for the character (I won't spoil), and I was actually contemplating leaving the theatre because of it, but by the end of the film, I was glad I didn't. The film redeems itself, and trust me, it's worth seeing.
Unfortunately, I just get the feeling this film may be missed (or has already been missed) by a majority of movie-goers. But, if you like thrillers, then I strongly urge you to go and see this film!
Drawn Out Dad.
Independent, one-shot comic books from the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia.
twitter.com/DrawnOutDad
Watched I, Robot last night. Filmmakers took a brainy idea and dumbed it down beyond comprehension. The dialogue was lame (apparently the writers felt obligated to end every scene with some pathetic attempt at humor) and the acting was weak. The FX were passable, but some scenes were simply too reminescent of Star Wars Episode I. And putting Will Smith as some futuristic Popeye Doyle caricature in an Asimov concept made it seem like I was watching Men In Black 3.
In all, if you want to watch a great movie about artificial intelligence in the future...stick with Blade Runner.
High Society, 1956
Goodness, being such a great fan of Grace Kelly, I should have seen this classic by now! I thought it was brilliant; fabulous performances by the cast made it extremely funny. Particularly the great Louis Calhern; also Grace herself made me laugh when she met Frank Sinatra's character for the first time; acting very strange indeed. Bing Crosby and John Lund good also. Here was a musical comedy where you could really identify with some of the characters, and they were all instantly likeable. Some amusing numbers as well, written by Cole Porter.
Though what surprised me is, despite being the central character, Grace Kelly never performed a solo song in the film. I did hear that the actress refused to sing alone, but she would sing in a duet (with Crosby). Shame.
Overall a great laugh; this is one I'll be adding to my DVD collection!
I really enjoyed it. Why no Oscar mention? It employs the same technique as GoodFellas and the execrable Domino, where the main protagonist is the narrator, letting you in on the way they get into this game. But Nicolas Cage plays an arms dealer, and we see how he came over to the US from Russiaa and got into the racket, moving on to bigger and (not morally) better things.
Plenty of good satire and it just rollocks along. Good support from the actor who plays the Fed trying to bust him (I didn't recognise him at first, but he's a recent Oscar-winner).
Great fun, a bit like Three Kings, if you liked that. Not, the day after, a terribly profound movie and probably easier to watch chilled out on DVD rather than giving it your undivided attention at the cinema. Still, thoroughly recommended, and surely a lot more fun than Clooney's Syriana. It's a blast.
Edit: Talking of which, the black actor who plays the Liberian dictator is Eamonn Walker, unrecongisable as Winston from all those years ago in In Sickness And In Health, as Alf Garnett's gay home help... That's an actor who's come a long way, and his performance is superb, truly frightening.
"This is where we leave you Mr Bond."
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,703MI6 Agent
It's amazing what time you have, when you don't have a computer. I found time to watch a few movies.
Ray Not a bad movie, not the greatest either. I really don't know what I was expecting from this movie. It seemed like it was a take advantage of a blind man movie, and throw in a nasty drug habit. I'm not saying the taking advantage of didn't happen, but it seemed to happen with every band he was with. Some of the writting wasn't that great either. They have Ray Charles joking about his blindness, it just seemed out of place in the movie.
Lady And The Tramp Yes even I have a place where Disney movies will never die. I needed a short movie to watch and LATT was right there. A nice, innocent movie. A good change of pace from my usual type of movie.
Pulp Fiction My usual type of movie. This is also my favorite movie of all time. Great writting, great acting, great everything. This movie should of won more Oscars than it did, Samuel L. Jackson for supporting actor, and Best Picture.
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
Comments
Probably second to last HB. I've yet to see it, and most likely won't.
Surely you are not referring to National Lampoon's Animal House, the funniest movie ever made and a close depiction of my college years.
. . .Or is it just my imagination?
The more I look at it, the more I actually think it does look pretty similar to our very own Charles Gray! Last film I seen was Walk The Line like a few previous posters, very good and well worth seeing, but one warning, if you're like me, have a bit of money spare, as you'll want to splash out on some Johnny Cash CDs......
This is a film from what the media dubbed the "bratpack" that I'd never seen, (and I was around then) it's based on a book which I'll have to hunt down now. Not a masterpiece, but If anything, see it for Downey, you can't take your eyes off him.
Totally agree. I loved Corpse Bride. Very interesting extras on the DVD too.
Thats exactly what I did !!
Just finished watching Bugsy Malone ... The Alan Parker / Scott Baio / Jodie Foster version ... Splurge guns, pedal cars and adults singing. Brilliant idea and terrific little movie.
It's taken me all this time to see it and, well... It's definitely a thinker. After I pressed stop I had to sit and figure it all out. I'm content with the outcome I made, however, in that it's a bloody clever piece of movie making. It's most definitely weird, no doubt about that, but I was so sucked into it I just had to keep watching till the end.
Acting throughout is superb. Now I can see why Jake Gyllenhaal made his name overnight (at least here in the UK). Drew Barrymore, for all her short screen time, hands down the best performance I've ever seen from her. In fact, at one point I did actually have a creeping doubt that it wasn't in fact her. Patrick Swayze adds a nice element of campness for a few moments, albeit with a rather twisted and sinister underlay.
And to top it all off, a fantastic soundtrack, which struck a chord in that it was one I grew up with myself.
It wasn't till the film was over did I realise it's impact. The ending in particular, spending a few seconds with characters that appeared rather minor but who's problems were distinctly highlighted, was more a glimpse into life in general, and I'm betting touched on at least one point that the viewer can identify with.
To sum up - downright weird and simply wonderful.
Whether I get to the end of it I don't know. It is quite the worst film I have ever seen.
My flatmakte wanted to get it, and I agreed as a trade-in for The Wild Geese later on. However, we might not see that as Sexy Beast is on More4 tonight at about 10pm.
Keira sounds like Patsy out of Ab Fab, narrating her dreary account of how she's turned out the way she has, it's ripe for a mickey take. Not that Mr Rourke - or Ms Lucy Liu will be including this stinker on their CV.
Tripe.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
That is a coincidence. My folks watched that the other night, too. It didn't look so interesting, so I passed on it.
Well, I think drug companies get a bad rap myself--after all, they do fund medical research and are responsible for medical breakthroughs--but I wasn't bothered by the politics of the film. I thought the performances were so good and the direction so masterful that I was interested in the story itself.
Great looking film, and I was all set to rave about it. It's set mostly in the late Sixties, and the cinematography is of that time. The star, Paul Bettany, walks around like Michael Caine and David Thelwis is super smooth as the head gangster, he's got the manner of Jarvis Cocker and (when angry) sounds like Johnny Rotton.
There are some decent Brit gangster flicks around, despite it being a maligned genre. Lock, Stock... Sexy Beast and Layer Cake, plus this.
However, sadly, Gangster No 1 runs out of steam. It's very generic, but all dressed up and nowhere to go. The plot isn't really interesting and then it turns poor man's Scorcese, with a silly flashforward montage to the present day. You know, they have the inevitable Aston Martin in the 60s scenes, but it pops up again briefly in the 70s and you think, hmmm, the Aston wasn't really so popular then...
Some things don't work, but it's a bold, flashy looking effort for the first hour and up there with Our Friends In The North. But no real substance (except substance abuse ha ha)
Roger Moore 1927-2017
That is exactly what I thought too. It had one of the best opening scenes. I thought I was in for a great movie. Then it went down hill to the point were I nearly turned it off!! Shame, as Bettany and McDowell both started of great.
Now, Sexy Beast. That is a fabulous movie.
It's remarkable how differently people can view the same film. I rank Notorious as Hitchock's best (and that's not an easy list to be best in). I think every shot of the film is a thing of beauty and brilliance. It's a film of vouyerism, we watch everyone as they all watch one another. The underlying darkness to his lead characters gives it so much more of a kick than usual. Is there a dirtier main love affair in a Hitchock film? There's Vertigo for twisted but it's not a sexy pairing (Novak is sexy but Stewart is not, then he never has been) and it's not love but obsession. In Notorious they fall in love, lust and mistrust as he's pimping her off to another man! Another man who despite being a Nazi is actually pathetically sympathetic at the end making for one of Hitchock's best endings.
As for Grant/Bergman I think they're easily Hitchock's steamiest pair on screen, and the moment when he covers her bare waist with his handkerchief is sexier than any other bit of film Hitchock ever made. I also think it's Grant's best serious film role.
MBE
I appreciate your opinion, but can't agree. I would prefer Rear Window, Strangers on a Train, or Vertigo to Notorious. For whatever reason I just did not believe Bergman and Grant as lovers. I thought they played their roles well, I just didn't see the chemistry between them. You obviousely did. The scene where he covers her waist with his handkerchief that you found sexy, I found it odd that he would care. But, perhaps I am unromantic and subtle point. Anyway, not a bad movie, just not my favorite.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I just saw this in the cinema, and was intrigued from start to end. It has a great plot, excellent performances by all, and (get this!) a third act!
There was a scene near the start that made me feel, well, sad for the character (I won't spoil), and I was actually contemplating leaving the theatre because of it, but by the end of the film, I was glad I didn't. The film redeems itself, and trust me, it's worth seeing.
Unfortunately, I just get the feeling this film may be missed (or has already been missed) by a majority of movie-goers. But, if you like thrillers, then I strongly urge you to go and see this film!
Independent, one-shot comic books from the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia.
twitter.com/DrawnOutDad
In all, if you want to watch a great movie about artificial intelligence in the future...stick with Blade Runner.
Goodness, being such a great fan of Grace Kelly, I should have seen this classic by now! I thought it was brilliant; fabulous performances by the cast made it extremely funny. Particularly the great Louis Calhern; also Grace herself made me laugh when she met Frank Sinatra's character for the first time; acting very strange indeed. Bing Crosby and John Lund good also. Here was a musical comedy where you could really identify with some of the characters, and they were all instantly likeable. Some amusing numbers as well, written by Cole Porter.
Though what surprised me is, despite being the central character, Grace Kelly never performed a solo song in the film. I did hear that the actress refused to sing alone, but she would sing in a duet (with Crosby). Shame.
Overall a great laugh; this is one I'll be adding to my DVD collection!
9.1 / 10
I really enjoyed it. Why no Oscar mention? It employs the same technique as GoodFellas and the execrable Domino, where the main protagonist is the narrator, letting you in on the way they get into this game. But Nicolas Cage plays an arms dealer, and we see how he came over to the US from Russiaa and got into the racket, moving on to bigger and (not morally) better things.
Plenty of good satire and it just rollocks along. Good support from the actor who plays the Fed trying to bust him (I didn't recognise him at first, but he's a recent Oscar-winner).
Great fun, a bit like Three Kings, if you liked that. Not, the day after, a terribly profound movie and probably easier to watch chilled out on DVD rather than giving it your undivided attention at the cinema. Still, thoroughly recommended, and surely a lot more fun than Clooney's Syriana. It's a blast.
Edit: Talking of which, the black actor who plays the Liberian dictator is Eamonn Walker, unrecongisable as Winston from all those years ago in In Sickness And In Health, as Alf Garnett's gay home help... That's an actor who's come a long way, and his performance is superb, truly frightening.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Ray Not a bad movie, not the greatest either. I really don't know what I was expecting from this movie. It seemed like it was a take advantage of a blind man movie, and throw in a nasty drug habit. I'm not saying the taking advantage of didn't happen, but it seemed to happen with every band he was with. Some of the writting wasn't that great either. They have Ray Charles joking about his blindness, it just seemed out of place in the movie.
Lady And The Tramp Yes even I have a place where Disney movies will never die. I needed a short movie to watch and LATT was right there. A nice, innocent movie. A good change of pace from my usual type of movie.
Pulp Fiction My usual type of movie. This is also my favorite movie of all time. Great writting, great acting, great everything. This movie should of won more Oscars than it did, Samuel L. Jackson for supporting actor, and Best Picture.