I thought it would be a cool idea to have an official movie review thread just like we have the album review ones! I think we have just as many movie buffs as music fans here and I personally would love to be turned on to a good movie that I otherwise might have missed! Feel free to review in any way you like as long as it's thought out! Just saying something sucks or is awesome can just as easily be put in the Latest Movie You Saw thread and doesn't give me a real reason to explore or avoid the movie based on my taste from reading what you wrote. So explore your inner Ebert and Roeper (or even your Siskel) and review your personal classics and new discoveries for the masses!
I'll start off with my sole review so far to get things rolling and we'll see if this thread generates enough interest to work!
Away We Go
I just finished watching this and I was really impressed. The plot follows a couple who are facing the birth of their first child and being in their early thirties they are exploring where they want to be as parents to this child. There journey takes them all over physically, emotionally and spiritually. What really makes this film work is the stellar cast and the subtle working in of humor into what is essentially a drama. The humor is witty and funny but all of it stays to aid the story itself. The films last 20 minutes contains performance between two actors who should be recognized this year for their great chemistry and breakthrough roles. They really add an impact with nothing but their sincerity and talent.
The two main characters are played by:
Jim Gaffigan as Burt
I've liked this guy since the first episode of The Office and the fact that he can make me forget about a character I've seen for fours seasons in a show is remarkable by itself. In this role he takes away his usual witty charm in exchange for an awakward but likable dreamer type. This guy I've noticed can have realistic chemistry with everybody he works with and he did that great here with........
Maya Rudolf as Verona
This actress was the real gem of watching this movie. I had seen her on SNL and expected nothing of her in this film. I honestly thought she'd be an annoying element of the film based on only seeing her as a sketch comedy character. I was wrong. She was the realist part of this movie and was so natural in her performance that she tied the movie together. She produced emotion from me just with the subtle things she did and made everything that others in the movie did either funnier or more impactful just by her reaction. I want to see watch she does next because her film career should just be starting now.
The supporting cast itself is also worth mentioning:
Catherine O' Hara and Jeff Daniels are hilarious as the oblivious self absorbed parents of Burt. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Josh Hamilton are the funniest supporting characters in the movie as the new age nut ball parents that Burt and Verona catch up with on their travels. Chris Messina and Melanie Lynsky deliver very emotional performances as the seemingly perfect family with the tragic flaw. Paul Schneider is perhaps the most tragic character playing Burts brother who's wife has left him with his son. Pauls character is a big Maggufin for anchoring the last third of the movie.
So this is my first CRF review written fresh for the masses! Enjoy it for what it's worth! Maybe if you'll see the movie you'll share some of my feelings and if you don't you can throw a virtual tomato at me! Peace!
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Last edited by Soot and Stars; 12-15-2009 at 02:32 AM.
I know, I know...Jennifer Lopez! You would have to watch this movie to see how great she is as a drama actress. Her character in the movie is filled with overwhelming drama, and J-Lo pulls it off with flying colors.
J-Lo plays the part of a waitress, Slim, who believes she is entering a dream life with a wealthy contractor, Mitch (played by Bill Campbell). Turns out he is abusive and a master of manipulation of people, and puts her through a living hell. She escapes, and goes underground. I wont spoil the movie by giving too many details, but Slim gets revenge.
This movie kept me on edge from the first 15 minutes of the movie. It is not a chick flick, but more a thriller/drama, and well worth watching.
This film is about 3 guys who throw a bachelor party for their friend in Vegas. They really push the "R" rating on things that happen in this bachelor party ( I cant tell you what happens, it would give the movie away). What I can tell you is the stuff they do is super funny.
These guys wake up the next morning in Cesar's Palace, in a luxury suite, and remember nothing that happened. Their room is full of chickens, a crying baby that is locked in the closet, one of the guys lost his front tooth, and one has a hospital bracelet on his wrist, and the parking valet ticket takes them to a Las Vegas police car!
Went to see avatar last night (by Cameron, who also did Titanic)
As you can see in the trailer: super nice surroundings. Reminds me of National Geographic pictures but then 10 times more beautiful.
I felt completely immersed in the sublime, bizarre beauty of the Pandorian rainforest, both comforted by its warmth, and unnerved by its inherent perversity. And that, certainly, is tribute to the 3D work - the dripping fronds almost seem to lick your face, the humidity makes you feel you should be perspiring.
As you can also see in the trailer: the story is bad. Even by watching the trailer you can predict 80% of the story AND the ending.
You could always just ignore the fact that you know how it's going down beforehand. After all, Titanic's ending wasn't a secret either but the fact that the movie takes about 3 hours to develop a story you already had in mind is frustrating to say the least.
My initial reaction at the end of the movie was: Pocahontas all over again?
And it wasn't just me.. as we were leaving the theatre I heard the name Pocahontas twice with 2 different ppl.
But I'm not complaining, overall, I'm glad I went to see it in the movie theatre because on TV, or on PC, I'd be even more dissapointed. It's (so I heard) a breakthrough in modern filmmaking and it has indeed surpassed any computer made movie by miles.
Edit: the music was by the way quite good.
Composer James Horner scored the film, his third collaboration with Cameron after Aliens and Titanic. Horner recorded parts of the score with a small chorus singing in the alien language Na'vi in March 2008. He has also worked with Wanda Bryant, an ethnomusicologist, to create a music culture for the alien race.
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Nice reviews guys! Mgic, you did the impossible and made me interested in seeing Jennifer Lopez in a movie. Actually, The Cell was good so her acting career isn't a total wash! As for The Hangover I'm even more frustrated to be on the Netflix waiting list for it now because you and everyone I know has nothing but good things to say about it!
OB, very nice detailed review! A great balance of criticism and praise! I want to see this movie but now when I watch it I'll be prepared to shut my brain off and go "Oooooooh! Pretty pictures! Pretty pretty music!"
I'll be contributing again soon but I like what I see in here a lot!
Finally got around to watching my DVD of the latest Harry Potter film, The Half Blood Prince.
I got interested when my niece brought the first two movies over years ago, so I started collecting them, it's an obsession I admit.
Anyway, it is pretty straightforward, following the growth of Harry, Ron and Hermione as they learn their craft at Hogwarts. I don't want to play spoiler in case some of you Haven't seen it yet, but my suspicions about a long serving character finally proved accurate. Not too hard to figure that out, Rowling has given so many hints over the years it didn't surprise me at all. In fact although I can't deny her success as a writer, I could only imagine what a director like James Cameron(Enormous Ego Included...), or Peter Jackson would have done with this franchise.
Anyway a main character is killed again this time leaving a gaping hole in Harry's life, and I have to wonder what the next movie will be like seeing I Haven't read any of the books and don't intend on doing so. One complaint, too much time dithering about teenaged boys and girls going through their growing pains, at this point the fact Rowling is a woman writer becomes apparent even if you didn't know it before hand.
I wanted More Magic, More Battles and More of the little fun things going on that made the first two movies so enjoyable along with the dark storyline.
I would give this one 3/5.
Last edited by Lord Grendel; 01-02-2010 at 05:18 PM.
Finally got around to watching my DVD of the latest Harry Potter film, The Half Blood Prince.
I got interested when my niece brought the first two movies over years ago, so I started collecting them, it's an obsession I admit.
Anyway, it is pretty straightforward, following the growth of Harry, Ron and Hermione as they learn their craft at Hogwarts. I don't want to play spoiler in case some of you Haven't seen it yet, but my suspicions about a long serving character finally proved accurate. Not too hard to figure that out, Rowling has given so many hints over the years it didn't surprise me at all. In fact although I can't deny her success as a writer, I could only imagine what a director like James Cameron(Enormous Ego Included...), or Peter Jackson would have done with this franchise.
Anyway a main character is killed again this time leaving a gaping hole in Harry's life, and I have to wonder what the next movie will be like seeing I Haven't read any of the books and don't intend on doing so. One complaint, too much time dithering about teenaged boys and girls going through their growing pains, at this point the fact Rowling is a woman writer becomes apparent even if you didn't know it before hand.
I wanted More Magic, More Battles and More of the little fun things going on that made the first two movies so enjoyable along with the dark storyline.
I would give this one 3/5.
Nice review LG! I personally never got into the Harry Potter movies but I want to give them another try. I have the first sequel lying around and may just pop it in soon. One thing that stands out in your review is you actually gave a score. I have trouble decided what number to use in mine so I don't.
If anyone's seen my thread on Robin Williams then it's obvious I'm a HUGE fan. I love this guy because he works on so many levels and the common denominator is that everything he does comes off real. That being said, IMO ever since One Hour Photo, I've really seen a decline in Robin's movie roles. I don't blame him for it except for his inability to find a decent script. Well, I think he found it in this dark comedy and it allows him to excel; Believe it or not this well written script comes from Bobcat Goldthwait who also directed it.
Yes, this guy!
Whatever, he did he got Robin to challenge himself again and made a movie that's almost hard to watch because it doesn't leave any character as easily likable. That's not to say that you are unable to like them but it challenges the viewer.
(Warning! The following discusses plotlines that give away some key plot lines seen in most synopsis's anyway but if you are picky about those details then don't read anything in bold!)
The main plot centers around Robin. He's a writer and teacher, who's had no real success in either area. Even his relationship which he has with another teacher is very incomplete. From the start you can sense that Robin thinks she's out of his league and that she has no desire to have anyone know of it. As the movie progresses you see less and less of her dedication to him throughout the movie and you truly learn the lack of true companionship in Robins life. Nowhere is this made more clearer than when you meet Robins son who I seriously declare has NO redeeming qualities. He's the most unappreciative, selfish, perverse character I've ever seen in this type of movie. The only thing that makes you look for more in him is Robins love for him as a son and desire to have that father son relationship.
The film takes it's main plot turn when Robin, in a remarkable scene from him, finds his son dead in the most embarrassing of ways. In an effort to save his son as well as himself from this embarrassment Robin stages it as an actual suicide and writes a suicide letter which garners more attention than he's ever gained for his writing. This is where the movie becomes what it is. A no holds barred portrayal of how death changes perspectives, the lure of success and prestige and the test of character under the darkest of situations. This is all wrapped in a package that still brings the viewer to smirk at the absurdity of it all and wait to see if their is any redemption to be had by anyone. The ending itself is one of the more unconventional endings I've seen and it made the movie as much as any of the rest.
I recommend this movie highly to anyone who likes Robin Williams, likes dark comedy, likes character studies, likes movies that don't sugarcoat their material or just likes something different from their normal movie fare! Check this one out guys!
Released on DVD in 2008.
Thriller.
Filmed in Vancouver and UCLA.
Plot: Al Pacino is a forensic psychologist, who is given 88 minutes to live. He has to solve his own murder in this time to be able to live.
This movie is loaded with "on the edge of your seat" drama. If you like a lot of action, you wont find it in this movie, but you will be entertained by Pacino. The movie takes quite a few twists and turns, dropping clues along the way. Figuring out who the killer is, was very difficult, but I knew who it was by the last 20 minutes of the movie.
This movie is excellent if you like murder mysteries and figuring them out. Pacino played a really good part in the movie, although, I did snicker at his hair in the movie . I highly recommend this movie.
Released: April 7, 2006 Genre:Film noir Running Time:109 minutes
Plot:Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) stares silently at the body of ex-girlfriend Emily (Emilie de Ravin) lying in a storm drain. He recalls her phone call two days ago, when she said to him that she was in trouble. Brendan, who still loved Emily, met bad elements of his high-school trying to contact her, and when he succeeded, she told him that she was OK. He hides her body in the tunnel and decides to investigate the meaning and connection of four words, including "brick" and "pin", that Emily told him to find who killed her.
Using the support of his nerd friend Brain, he successively meets the small time drug dealers Kara, Dode, Brad Bramish, Laura and Tugger, to reach the teenager powerful drug dealer The Pin. Slowly, Brendan unravels the motives why Emily was killed and plots a revenge.
Trailer
Screen Shots:
Review: I give it 3 1/2 stars out of 4. It is a very unique film. The film's narrative centers on a hardboiled detective story that takes place in suburbia. Most of the main characters are high school students. The film draws heavily in plot, characterization, and dialogue from hardboiled classics, especially from Dashiell Hammett. I am a huge fan of Film Noir and this is a very refreshing one for people who have seen the genre before.
So if you want something new and different you will definitely enjoy this. Others may find it is too over-the top for them--it. Their language is a mix of old film noir slang and new generation slang. Its very dark and the sound design will even make a person feel uneasy. The director linked sound and image in ways I have never seen, completely enthralling me from beginning to end. This movie is not a relaxing ride.
I was reminded of a film noir anime, Cow Boy Bebop with the use of music and shot of shoes.
This is a great movie one of the best I have seen in years, very original and cements Joseph Gordon-Levitt as one of my favorite actors right now.
Watched this movie again two days ago, and I was even more impressed than the first time. I am talking about a Sci-Fi Adventure movie called "Outlander" starring Jim Caviezel and John Hurt with an unforgettable appearance by Ron Perlman of Hellboy fame. Quick synopsis, an alien creature was captured by the protagonist and enroute to their destination have an accident on their spaceship and crash land on Earth in the time of the Vikings. The creature survives the crash and escapes to wreak havoc upon the barbarians, and the "Outlander" hunts it down to stop it's predations on the helpless Vikings. I don't want to give away all the details, but there is more to this story than a simple "Beast Hunt", which surprised me. The cast is very good the action sequences well done the whole movie holds together. If you have ever read Legacy of Heorot by Jerry Pournelle/Larry Niven/Stephen Barnes, you would enjoy this movie.
A solid three out of five stars, I will buy this one on DVD for sure.
As you can also see in the trailer: the story is bad. Even by watching the trailer you can predict 80% of the story AND the ending.
You could always just ignore the fact that you know how it's going down beforehand. After all, Titanic's ending wasn't a secret either but the fact that the movie takes about 3 hours to develop a story you already had in mind is frustrating to say the least.
My initial reaction at the end of the movie was: Pocahontas all over again?
And it wasn't just me.. as we were leaving the theatre I heard the name Pocahontas twice with 2 different ppl.
But I'm not complaining, overall, I'm glad I went to see it in the movie theatre because on TV, or on PC, I'd be even more dissapointed. It's (so I heard) a breakthrough in modern filmmaking and it has indeed surpassed any computer made movie by miles.
Edit: the music was by the way quite good.
I wasn't that impressed either. I even fell asleep the last 10 minutes (but that probably had more to do with my jetlag than anything else - still - if it was really exciting I wouldn't have fallen asleep now would i!) And I recently saw better 3D in Alice in Wonderland.
Yeah, very similar to Pocahontas, but there's even a more similar children's film, with elfs instead of .. whatever those blue things are... And they live in the forest, and then the big bad humans come with their bulldozers, and then they manage to stop them with the help of a human who infiltrated into the elf camp.. Damn what's the name of that movie!
__________________ It's only rock 'n' roll, but I like it
-- It's Only Rock 'n' Roll [song by the Rolling Stones]
We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first - rock and roll or Christianity.
-- John Lennon
Probably the worst movie, I have EVER seen!! Hahaha, it was so bad it was unintentionally funny.
EVERY single joke fell flat, acting was TERRIBLE, plot was incredibly cheesy and unrealistic, like they took every single 80s movie cliche and sloppily threw it into this poorly directed, poorly edited and just overall poorly made 90s movie.
The plot is basically this.
Corey Feldman plays a reject "rebel" who plays hardcore rock rebellious songs like "Tutti Frutti" (and this movie takes place in the 90s), and the school is tired of the rebellious teens, so they hire a second principal named, get this, Dr Vader, to be in charge of disclipline. The new principal creates some new rules, like "no dancing" and turns the school into a ****ING PRISON, by surrounding it with electric fences, and getting a guard dog. But those "rebels" won't give up like that. They pull a lot of "witty" pranks like "secretly" video recording the jock get covered in panties that came out of his locker, and "secretly" recording the Dr Vader having sex with a male stripper, and "secretly" recording and a girl puking on a teacher named Mrs Snotgrass. Then they hijack the prom because apparently "Tutti frutti" in the 90s was satanic, and they weren't allowed to play. So Corey Feldman and his reject friends, sneak into the prom and play their song, and also play the videos. Dr Vader gets pissed, so she runs out.... and GETS IN HER ****ING CAR, AND TRIES TO RUN OVER EVERYONE IN THE GOD DAMN SCHOOL!
But then Corey Feldman and his friends put soap on the floor and the car slips and crashes into a seemingly cardboard wall... and BLOWS UP. And not only that, but the WHOLE SCHOOL BLOWS UP TOO.
Oh and did I mention that Corey Feldmen made out with a TEACHER at the end? this film endorses sexual predators, as long as they're semi hot females. Oh and Corey Feldmen was a michael jackson wannabe.
The Official Movie Review Thread! 
Peace! 
. I highly recommend this movie.
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