RA Movie Thread (Read 5918 times)

zonykel


    I saw "Ender's Game" yesterday with my 12-year old son. He liked it, but I didn't.

     

    Although the movie has its moments, I don't think it was stitched together very well. I don't recommend it.

     

    I also saw "Computer Chess" recently (it may be out on DVD now). It was a quirky mockumentary. I think they got the chess part and the programming part really well. I'd recommend it only if you like mockumentaries. Sometimes the sense of humor is hard to get, and sometimes it's obvious.

    bhearn


       Eh, could be, but I really wish Nolan would get back to making interesting movies, like Memento and Insomnia. The superhero genre does not do him justice.

       

      ... and, I finally got around to watching Following, Nolan's first film. Wow! Turns out, every Nolan movie is better than the next.

       

      (So watch them backwards (like Memento). And when you get to the Batman logo on the main character's apartment door in Following (1999), you can really start to wonder, WTF.)

      RunJasonRun


        Here are a few words that I wrote on my Facebook wall about the new Robert Redford movie, All Is Lost.

         

        Robert Redford, referred to as “Our Man” in the film credits of All Is Lost, is awakened during a solo sailing voyage in the Indian Ocean to find that his boat has collided with a stray shipping container and that the cabin is being flooded from the breach in the hull. The narrative proceeds in a low-key fashion as we observe Redford calmly repair the craft only to suffer worse damages during an intense storm that forces him to abandon the boat on an inflatable life raft in hopes that he can use ocean currents to drift into shipping lanes. This is a minimalist survival film that focuses on process and allows Redford’s taciturn competency to keep us on the edge of our seats without resorting to flashbacks or soliloquy dialogue. This movie takes the notion of solitude to a new level, and I have never seen a better example of a character defined only by his actions.

        Fans of Ernest Hemingway, Jack London, or Joseph Conrad will rejoice at the attention to detail and functionality that lends a literary aesthetic to this cinematic adventure. A haunting music score is used sparsely, so that most of the film’s tension is drawn from a superb use of sound effects. I was reminded several times of another one of my favorite movies, A Man Escaped, a 1956 film that relies on sound and an absence of conventional drama to depict a French Resistance member’s methodical attempts to escape from a Nazi prison. Cool heads prevail when it comes to braving the indifference of nature, and Robert Redford’s leathery resilience is the most engaging special effect that I have seen in a movie all year. A few days ago, I was telling some friends that I would be surprised if another film topped 12 Years a Slave as my favorite of 2013. I am, indeed, surprised.

        All Is Lost has my highest recommendation.

        Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.


        Cool Jump Suit

          I really want to see this movie!  I've always enjoyed movies set at sea.  How did it carry itself versus say Castaway?  Although I think Robert Redford is ok, I like Tom Hanks better.  Just gotta find a theater around Indy where it's showing.

           

          Here are a few words that I wrote on my Facebook wall about the new Robert Redford movie, All Is Lost.

           

          Robert Redford, referred to as “Our Man” in the film credits of All Is Lost, is awakened during a solo sailing voyage in the Indian Ocean to find that his boat has collided with a stray shipping container and that the cabin is being flooded from the breach in the hull. The narrative proceeds in a low-key fashion as we observe Redford calmly repair the craft only to suffer worse damages during an intense storm that forces him to abandon the boat on an inflatable life raft in hopes that he can use ocean currents to drift into shipping lanes. This is a minimalist survival film that focuses on process and allows Redford’s taciturn competency to keep us on the edge of our seats without resorting to flashbacks or soliloquy dialogue. This movie takes the notion of solitude to a new level, and I have never seen a better example of a character defined only by his actions.

          Fans of Ernest Hemingway, Jack London, or Joseph Conrad will rejoice at the attention to detail and functionality that lends a literary aesthetic to this cinematic adventure. A haunting music score is used sparsely, so that most of the film’s tension is drawn from a superb use of sound effects. I was reminded several times of another one of my favorite movies, A Man Escaped, a 1956 film that relies on sound and an absence of conventional drama to depict a French Resistance member’s methodical attempts to escape from a Nazi prison. Cool heads prevail when it comes to braving the indifference of nature, and Robert Redford’s leathery resilience is the most engaging special effect that I have seen in a movie all year. A few days ago, I was telling some friends that I would be surprised if another film topped 12 Years a Slave as my favorite of 2013. I am, indeed, surprised.

          All Is Lost has my highest recommendation.

          So bittersweet,
          This tragedy
          Won't ask for absolution;
          This melody,
          Inside of me,
          Still searches for solution.
          A twist of faith,
          A change of heart
          Cures my infatuation.
          A broken heart, 
          Provides the spark
          For my determination.

          RunJasonRun


            I really want to see this movie!  I've always enjoyed movies set at sea.  How did it carry itself versus say Castaway?  Although I think Robert Redford is ok, I like Tom Hanks better.  Just gotta find a theater around Indy where it's showing.

             

             All Is Lost is miles above Cast Away, in my opinion.

             

            In Cast Away, Tom Hanks had all of these heavy soliloquy dialogue moments, both by himself and with his imaginary Wilson friend.  It was a decent movie, but I also had the impression that Hanks's character's actions seemed like what a person would do if he were trying to win a Best Actor nomination while being trapped on an island.

             

            Robert Redford's performance in All Is Lost is quiet and understated, and the movie simply watches him resourcefully trying to survive.  There are only a few words of dialogue, and there are no flashbacks or backstory elements to speak of.  Redford's character is defined solely through his actions, and everything about Redford's screen performance looks quite natural.

            Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.


            Cool Jump Suit

              Thanks for the feedback.  I get what you're saying about Hanks' performance, but I still enjoyed the movie.  I'll let you know after I get to see it!  Glad to hear Robert Redford looked "natural".  Wink

               

               All Is Lost is miles above Cast Away, in my opinion.

               

              In Cast Away, Tom Hanks had all of these heavy soliloquy dialogue moments, both by himself and with his imaginary Wilson friend.  It was a decent movie, but I also had the impression that Hanks's character's actions seemed like what a person would do if he were trying to win a Best Actor nomination while being trapped on an island.

               

              Robert Redford's performance in All Is Lost is quiet and understated, and the movie simply watches him resourcefully trying to survive.  There are only a few words of dialogue, and there are no flashbacks or backstory elements to speak of.  Redford's character is defined solely through his actions, and everything about Redford's screen performance looks quite natural.

              So bittersweet,
              This tragedy
              Won't ask for absolution;
              This melody,
              Inside of me,
              Still searches for solution.
              A twist of faith,
              A change of heart
              Cures my infatuation.
              A broken heart, 
              Provides the spark
              For my determination.

                The Stone Roses / Made of Stone - (6.2/5)

                 

                I also saw "Computer Chess" recently (it may be out on DVD now). It was a quirky mockumentary. 

                 

                looking forward to Chess' Spinal Tap - it's out on the 22nd over here.

                My leg won't stop mooing.

                 

                i think i've got a calf injury.

                BeeRunB


                  For those of you yearning for some classic Swayze, Roadhouse is now running on Netflix. I partook last night and had a total ball. From the bottle-beaten Jeff Healy Band, to Swayze and evil overlord Gazzara living on opposite sides of the pond, to "zen cooling", to the non-existence of law enforcement, to "Swayze Chi" by the pond, to "pain don't hurt", to the lovable Tinker being afraid of taxidermy, to Kelly Lynch's loose acting, to Sam Elliot's Zen Master Cooler telling Swayze to "cut it loose", to Swayze's used car, to Swayze's having sex with Lynch on the roof in full view of Gazzara (who had a thing for Lynch), to Swayze attempting to run directly into two fires, to "it's my way or the highway" and "be nice",  this movie goes down as one of the best watchable and interesting and funny bad movies ever made. 5 stars. I get my fix every five years or so.Cool


                  No more marathons

                    Just thought I'd throw a couple of "quirky" movies that DW and I have watched over the past few years that have stuck with us.  Lars and the Real Girl, Eagle vs. Shark, and Pontypool.  I'm sure none were big screen blockbusters, but all are worth a watch.

                    Boston 2014 - a 33 year journey

                    Lordy,  I hope there are tapes. 

                    He's a leaker!

                      if you like your comedies offbeat, these are worth checking out:

                       

                      Safety Not Guaranteed (3.4/5)

                      Robot & Frank (3.5/5)

                      The Kings of Summer (3.2/5)

                      My leg won't stop mooing.

                       

                      i think i've got a calf injury.


                      SheCan

                         

                         

                        I need to see it again. I think people who have never read the book will enjoy it.

                         

                         

                        I didnt' read the book;  glad I didn't, because I very much enjoyed this movie.  I rarely like movies that depend of children for carrying a story line.  I know I have a cold hard, and am immune to cute.

                        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

                        zoom-zoom


                        rectumdamnnearkilledem

                          Our son is gonna crap his nearly-13-year-old pants on the 25th.  We secured 3 tickets to the 7:30 "Doctor Who: Day of the Doctor 3D" 50th anniversary movie event.  Select theaters all over the US are rolling this at the same time.  He was a Weeping Angel for Halloween.

                          Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                          remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                               ~ Sarah Kay

                          zonykel


                            Just watched "The East". It's probably one of the worst movies I've seen in a while.

                              You can't leave Dark Meat 4 outta the line up.

                              RunJasonRun


                                I recently rented Man of Steel from the dollar booth down the street.

                                 

                                Man of Steel is a decent movie, but this new Superman does not mind collateral damage.  There's a huge fight scene between Superman and General Zod where they are punching each other through buildings, into train cars, and through crowded streets.

                                 

                                After a while, I just started entertaining myself by thinking, "How many people just died right there?", about every other second of this movie.

                                 

                                It's like this...
                                Superman kicks General Zod = 493 people dying 10 miles away in some random building when Zod lands on it. 
                                General Zod punches Superman = 1,360 people dying when 4.5 skyscrapers fall over from Superman going through them. 
                                Superman just looks at General Zod with a raised eyebrow = 25 houses destroyed and 90 people dead.
                                General Zod glares back at Superman = 30 old ladies and their cats killed in a nursing home 42 miles away. 

                                Man of Steel...   It's more like Bull-in-a-china-shop of Steel.

                                 

                                It's really more like one of the old Looney Tunes cartoons, with Superman and General Zod punching each other all over the place while everything gets destroyed all around.

                                Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.