RA Movie Thread (Read 5918 times)


Revenge of the Nerd

    I dropped DS off at a laser tag arena tonight and found myself with two hours to burn, so I made my way to the mall to take in a movie.  There was only one picture that fit my spur-of-the-moment timetable: Olympus Has Fallen.

     

    Without giving too much away, the movie centers on rogue North Korean terrorists who take over the White House (with surprising ease) and threaten to turn the US into a nuclear wasteland.

     

    Halfway through the movie I received and read a text from DS (in violation of the cinemas texting policy) stating that he was done tagging.  I could have walked out at that time with full knowledge of the ending due to the formulaic and predictable nature of the film, but ten dollars is ten dollars, so I stuck it out while he waited at a nearby coffee shop.

     

    The movie did have a few redeeming qualities.  I enjoyed the soundtrack and the use of cool code names like Sparkplug, Cerberus and Hydra.  It also allowed me to take off my thinking cap and shut down the brain for two hours, which was a welcome respite after a busy work week.  If  you enjoy an astronomical body count and the use of the F-bomb in lieu of clever dialogue, this is the movie for you!

    One of these days is none of these days.

    ~ H.G. Bohn

      End of Watch - tension was building up nicely and then seemed to take an abrupt dip. still enjoyable (3.7/5)

      My leg won't stop mooing.

       

      i think i've got a calf injury.

        Two of my friends told me I had to rent This is Forty. Well, we did last night, and neither of us thought it was anything speical, or even really funny.

        - Anya

        stadjak


        Interval Junkie --Nobby

          Lola Verses (2012) - Indie film with mildly witty dialog sprinkled over boilerplate scenes.  A bit in the middle drags on a bit, but it is worth sticking with the film just to catch some writers making the best of otherwise throw-away lines.  The story follows a 29yo whose life is turned on its head (aka, her fiance dumps her).  The lonely and blunt friend saves every scene she is in with lines like: "What is your match.com log again?" "FillMyHole1 -- FillMyHole was already taken."  But the whole movie is well trampled ground. (2/5)

           

          Men in Black III -  much funnier than a 3rd movie with a thin plot should be.  Particularly good was the short conversation on Chrysler building with the stoned-out son of the guy who invented time travel.  And yes, Josh Brogan is a dead ringer for Tommy Lee Jones.  You get what you signed up for in this movie.  (3/5)

           

          Eragon - Farm boy Luke Skywalker discovers the Force . . . called a Dragon.  Meets up with Obi-wan, who used to ride dragons in the clone-wars.  They go to rescue the princess who is being held by a "shade" named Darth Vader.  Darth kills Obi.  After their escape Vader tracks them to the rebel hide-out and unleashes his secret weapon.  Luke has to drive his sword into the sith lords heart to kill him and save the rebels -- only a direct hit will do the job.  That's how a 10-yo and I Campbell-ized  the movie. At least he got to learn the word "derivative" -- which will be important for sounding smart in college. (2/5)

          2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do

             

            Men in Black III -  much funnier than a 3rd movie with a thin plot should be.  Particularly good was the short conversation on Chrysler building with the stoned-out son of the guy who invented time travel.  And yes, Josh Brogan is a dead ringer for Tommy Lee Jones.  You get what you signed up for in this movie.  (3/5)

             

             

            Excellent movie, I would even rate it higher. Not quite as good as the first, since the concept is only original once, but better than the second. I think the best character was that guy who could see the future, played by the lead actor from the Coen Brothers' A Serious Man. Also entertaining was Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords as the bad guy. And they did a very nice job with the ending.

            Dave

              Rubber - think Scanners, then add in a Pirelli for good measure. all a bit bonkers (2.7/5)

              My leg won't stop mooing.

               

              i think i've got a calf injury.

                Finally, finally, watched Inglourious Basterds, which had been sitting on the DVR forever. Outstanding, enjoyed it much more than I thought I would; best Tarantino since Pulp Fiction. And Christoph Waltz was amazing, very well-deserved Oscar.

                Dave

                RunJasonRun


                  I've seen Pulp Fiction a million times, but I watched it on Blu-ray for the first time last night.  Outstanding!   The beauty of the film style really comes across in high definition.

                  Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.

                  mab411


                  Proboscis Colossus

                    Finally, finally, watched Inglourious Basterds, which had been sitting on the DVR forever. Outstanding, enjoyed it much more than I thought I would; best Tarantino since Pulp Fiction. And Christoph Waltz was amazing, very well-deserved Oscar.

                     

                    He really was, wasn't he?  That scene at the French farmhouse at the beginning...his acting plus the excellent dialogue and pacing, I've rarely had such a physical sense of the tension ratcheting tighter and tighter while watching a movie, especially with so few visual cues.  And in fact, the best examples I can think of have always been Tarantino movies...the apartment scene in Pulp Fiction, the ear scene in Reservoir Dogs...

                    "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people


                    SheCan

                      Finally, finally, watched Inglourious Basterds, which had been sitting on the DVR forever. Outstanding, enjoyed it much more than I thought I would; best Tarantino since Pulp Fiction. And Christoph Waltz was amazing, very well-deserved Oscar.

                       +1  Everyone (okay everyone who's a Tarantino fan, and who has a bizarro sense of humor, and isn't too turned of because of a little violence) should see this film.

                       

                      Also recently seen "Life of Pi"  which I thought was very enchanting and whimsical.  

                       

                      For the first time I saw the old "La Femme Nikita" 1990 version.  Wow, this movie was nothing like I thought it'd be.  I thought the heroine would be like the usual American hero, all slick and polished, lean mean fighting machine.  Nope, the Nikita character is much like the also European character in the movie "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."  She's a broken, bruised, and vulnerable person.  This is a French movie with captions, but you quickly forget you're even reading them.  Interesting movie if anybody ever gets the chance to see it.  

                      Cherie

                      "We do not become the people who this world needs simply by turning our backs on anyone we don’t like, trust, or deem healthy enough to be in our presence. "  ---- Shasta Nelson

                         +1  Everyone (okay everyone who's a Tarantino fan, and who has a bizarro sense of humor, and isn't too turned of because of a little violence) should see this film.

                         

                        Also recently seen "Life of Pi"  which I thought was very enchanting and whimsical.  

                         

                        For the first time I saw the old "La Femme Nikita" 1990 version.  Wow, this movie was nothing like I thought it'd be.  I thought the heroine would be like the usual American hero, all slick and polished, lean mean fighting machine.  Nope, the Nikita character is much like the also European character in the movie "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."  She's a broken, bruised, and vulnerable person.  This is a French movie with captions, but you quickly forget you're even reading them.  Interesting movie if anybody ever gets the chance to see it.  

                         

                        Hey, Inglourious Basterds is also a French movie with captions!

                        Whenever I see a movie I like to check out the IMDB trivia section. According to that, the dialogue is in English for 42% of the running time, German 28%, French 22%, Italian 1%. (I guess there is 7% silence?) More trivia, regarding Pulp fiction connections: Samuel L. Jackson's voice is heard as the narrator; Harvey Keitel is the US official at the other end of the radio negotiating the terms with Waltz's character.

                        I should add I was regrettably watching the TNT version, so I imagine I missed some blood & guts. I'm sure there was more than if it were on network TV, and they really did not seem to spare too much. Probably not too much of the usual Tarantino colorful language, since so much of it was not in English anyway. And what there was, TNT did not disguise it too much, they just muted the offending words.

                         

                        Still not sure if I want to see Life of Pi, I still have this nagging suspicion it is one of those movies that the critics love, but to the average viewer is just meh.

                        Dave


                        Menace to Sobriety

                           

                           

                          For the first time I saw the old "La Femme Nikita" 1990 version.  Wow, this movie was nothing like I thought it'd be.  I thought the heroine would be like the usual American hero, all slick and polished, lean mean fighting machine.  Nope, the Nikita character is much like the also European character in the movie "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."  She's a broken, bruised, and vulnerable person.  This is a French movie with captions, but you quickly forget you're even reading them.  Interesting movie if anybody ever gets the chance to see it.  

                          The US version of "Dragon Tattoo" or the European version?

                          Janie, today I quit my job. And then I told my boss to go f*** himself, and then I blackmailed him for almost sixty thousand dollars. Pass the asparagus.

                          mab411


                          Proboscis Colossus


                            I should add I was regrettably watching the TNT version, so I imagine I missed some blood & guts. I'm sure there was more than if it were on network TV, and they really did not seem to spare too much. Probably not too much of the usual Tarantino colorful language, since so much of it was not in English anyway. And what there was, TNT did not disguise it too much, they just muted the offending words.

                             

                            Still not sure if I want to see Life of Pi, I still have this nagging suspicion it is one of those movies that the critics love, but to the average viewer is just meh.

                             

                            It's been so long since I've seen it, I can't remember what kind of graphic stuff is there.  I do remember them turning the machine guns on the crowd in the theater; even though there may not have been much blood shown, I wouldn't have minded if they'd toned that down a little, and not just because of the Colorado theater connection.

                             

                            MTA: I do think corn syrup and red dye is to Tarantino what cursing/adult content is to Kevin Smith: both seem determined to make it an essential part of their work, but both seem to do their best stuff without it.

                             

                            My hesitation with Life of Pi is that I can't decide if I want to try to wait until I've read the book.  Which wouldn't be a problem, except that, in spite of the MANY ringing endorsements I've heard and seen, I just can't get excited about reading/listening to it.

                            "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people


                            SheCan

                              The US version of "Dragon Tattoo" or the European version?

                               

                              The 2 versions are very similar, though I thought the Lisbeth, with Noomi Rapace in the European ones, seemed more broken.

                              Cherie

                              "We do not become the people who this world needs simply by turning our backs on anyone we don’t like, trust, or deem healthy enough to be in our presence. "  ---- Shasta Nelson


                              god hates us all

                                 

                                The 2 versions are very similar, though I thought the Lisbeth, with Noomi Rapace in the European ones, seemed more broken.

                                 

                                The U.S. version makes a significant change to the ending which I thought was an improvement over the original.