Movie Review Thread

6 1/2 out of 7? weird rating but i'll go with it /badly formed sarcasm.

7/10 is only half a star different to my rating. I must admit that I probably rated it higher based on the fact that I love Woody Allen. But I also totally crushed on the Vicky character. The story from her side was good enough to allow me to look past the rest of the average story.

Oh and Timmy, I have about 30 more little reviews to post I'll do it tonight.

patches wrote:

Timbzy wrote:

I work in a hospital and every time I walk the halls, I imagine my exit strategy for if a zombie outbreak occurs. Because we all know the hospital will be one of the first/hardest hit for a zombie attack.

this = why timbzy is the love of my life.

Courtwhip wrote:

You can be my 'Captian Love'

Oh, I see. Don't think I've ever really seen you give five stars to a movie whose review I've read, so I thought you did it out of 4 like Roger Ebert. I agree, I liked Vicky's character, and I also liked Javier Bardem, but the film doesn't necessarily get extra marks for those two in my view.

Will review 'Merry Christmas' later, as I have almost finished with it.

Yeah, nar, definitely not a five star film. Only just scraped through with 4 stars.

patches wrote:

Timbzy wrote:

I work in a hospital and every time I walk the halls, I imagine my exit strategy for if a zombie outbreak occurs. Because we all know the hospital will be one of the first/hardest hit for a zombie attack.

this = why timbzy is the love of my life.

Courtwhip wrote:

You can be my 'Captian Love'

will wait in anticipation timbzy =D

hehe

There's something extremely refreshing about foreign war films. I recently watched Downfall, a film about Hitler's last days, then moved onto Band of Brothers. Finishing that, I watched this, the story of Christmas Eve 1914 when troops of all nationalities left their trenches to celebrate Christmas with the enemy.

In both foreign films the action seems only an accompanying feature where American films revolve around it, and when American films get to the character drama they focus on what characters DON'T do because they are at war, rather than what they do, which is the whole point of Joyeux Noel, Merry Christmas. The film builds itself up throughout to a masterfully crafted ending which speaks volumes about the changing face of war over the last century.

The ensemble cast is brilliant. Diane Kruger was one of my favourite parts in Inglorious Basterds, and again she proves herself a magnificent actress. Her career reminds me of Jet Li's: she is a very good dramatic actor who is unfortunately know primarily for her Western films (Troy, National Treasure), which paint her as the token - albeit very beautiful - woman. She gets top billing, though much of her performance is based on dubbed singing (which she is pretty average at, but you can't hold a thing like that against her). My favourite character in this film though would be Daniel Bruhl's Horstmayer. Most people would know him best as Frederick Zoller, the hero of Goebell's propaganda piece in Inglorious Basterds. He plays the part with enormous subtly, and his transitions from speaking German to English to French really helped define the film's message: we are all just human beings.

It might not stick with you as well as other war films would, but this is definitely one worth seeing.

Have you seen the Dutch film Black Book? Another foreign war film I really enjoyed.

No, but I just checked it out and it looks pretty good. Will see it when I get the chance. Another one I've seen recently, though it's technically not a war film, was The Lives of Others, a film about an Eastern European spy gathering intelligence on a writer and his wife whilst slowly becoming obsessed with their lives.

Does anyone know what 'reeced the machine gun' means? It was in Joyeux Noel and it was one of the French guys saying it, so it could be slang. All I know is Hopscotch screw up too much when producing DVD's (the menus on this are terrible, and The Wrestler blu-ray looked like a DVD at best) so I wouldn't be surprised if some idiot thought it was an English word or just made the same typo twice.

i should review some movies, Ive seen fuck loads lately working at the video shop.
Man theres a lot of crap new movies out atm and how many horror movies can they make before a comedy comes out. sad sad sad,.

You have NO idea. There is about one or two horror films leaked every day. It's a matter of flipping a coin as to whether to both downloading most of the time.

patches wrote:

Timbzy wrote:

I work in a hospital and every time I walk the halls, I imagine my exit strategy for if a zombie outbreak occurs. Because we all know the hospital will be one of the first/hardest hit for a zombie attack.

this = why timbzy is the love of my life.

Courtwhip wrote:

You can be my 'Captian Love'

Terra (2007)

* * * 1/2

A great animated sci-fi adventure film that centres around a peaceful alien race as they are invaded by the remaining humans that survive after the wars between Earth and a terraformed Mars and Venus. The animation is awesome and the alien creatures that live on the planet, from the dominant race to the whale-like creatures that fly through the air, are really cute. It felt weird rooting for the aliens to beat the humans, but that is the way the film was made. The alien race do not speak English, but to the viewer, they are speaking English, which kind of feels silly given the language barrier in the first meeting of the main characters, but as a film that has a family target audience, it was probably better than having subtitles.

The voice acting is also well done, I was particularly impressed with Evan Rachel Wood. Other recognisable voice actors were Luke Wilson, David Cross, Brian Cox, Justin Long, Amanda Peet, Dennis Quaid, Ron Perlman, Chris Evans, Danny Glover, James Garner, Mark Hamill, Beverly D'Angelo, Danny Trejo, David Krumholtz, Vanessa Johansson & Rosanna Arquette.

Some pics:

patches wrote:

Timbzy wrote:

I work in a hospital and every time I walk the halls, I imagine my exit strategy for if a zombie outbreak occurs. Because we all know the hospital will be one of the first/hardest hit for a zombie attack.

this = why timbzy is the love of my life.

Courtwhip wrote:

You can be my 'Captian Love'

reminds me of pikmen

The Answer Man (2009)

* * * 1/2

Sweet little drama/romance about a bitter recluse of a writer who finds love and begins to come out of his shell.

An American Affair (2009)

* * *

The acting was the best part of this mostly dull coming of age thriller. There is something wrong about all the sexual tension between 13 year old Cameron Bright and early 30s Gretchen Mol, especially when he is feeling her up.

The Groomsmen (2006)

* * * *

I really enjoyed this Edward Burns drama. I've found Burns is very hit and miss, this is Purple Violets are both quite captivating and entertaining. The characters are great and even the ones you are meant to hate, you eventually root for.

Don’s Plum (2001)

* * * * 1/2

An excellent conversation based drama, ala Linklater, that offers up some peculiar acting from some well known faces and some intense dramatic situations. If you love your dramas then hit this up for sure, unless you have an aversion to black and white.

Keith (2008)

* * * 1/2

Jesse McCartney starring in this brought my expectations right down, as I knew his music left much to be desired. However, I was pleasantly surprised with both the movie and McCartney's acting. This teen drama love story was both cute and depressing. Plus... Elisabeth Harnois <3333333333

Camille (2007)

* * *

A very odd film. A film about a criminal on the road and on the run with his new wife, the sheriff's daughter, who he finds incredibly annoying but grows to love. Oh yeah, and she is dead pretty much the whole film.

That Thing You Do (1996)

* * * 1/2

Fun fun fun.

Election (1999)

* * * 1/2

Matthew Broderick... what a man.

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008)

* * 1/2

Average. Basically a poor excuse to show off how 'indie' the film maker was with regards to music and crappy references.

I Hate Valentine’s Day (2009)

* *

A romantic sap story full of cliche's and bad acting. It did have something that kept me interested though, I'm not sure what.

The Devil’s Tomb (2009)

* * 1/2

A promising start leads to a very over the top and ludicrous ending. Regardless, it was still quite an entertaining horror flick. I really like Henry Rollins in films, he's so awesome.

Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009)

* *

A horror comedy without much of either. This bland film should be avoided unless you're desperate to see a boring, poorly acted and written movie about a bunch of women that turn into lesbian vampires when there is a lack of a reason as to why they are lesbian and the only thing to suggest they are lesbian is in the end when the girls are kissing. Lame.

patches wrote:

Timbzy wrote:

I work in a hospital and every time I walk the halls, I imagine my exit strategy for if a zombie outbreak occurs. Because we all know the hospital will be one of the first/hardest hit for a zombie attack.

this = why timbzy is the love of my life.

Courtwhip wrote:

You can be my 'Captian Love'

Really liked The Answer Man, great to watch with female company. Election is fantastic too.

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist was too much like an indie scenester's take on American Graffiti (which I love) for my liking. The soundtrack seemed a bit forced also, in comparison to, say, Garden State.

My Name Is Bruce (2007)

* * *

Only for fans of Bruce Campbell and even then, it isn't great. Was pretty let down by this, was expecting some real awesomeness because Bruce is the man. It ended up being a good self-parody but a pretty below average story.

patches wrote:

Timbzy wrote:

I work in a hospital and every time I walk the halls, I imagine my exit strategy for if a zombie outbreak occurs. Because we all know the hospital will be one of the first/hardest hit for a zombie attack.

this = why timbzy is the love of my life.

Courtwhip wrote:

You can be my 'Captian Love'

That's a shame, could have been awesome.

I have spammed up this page good and proper. I still have around 15 reviews in my word doco.

patches wrote:

Timbzy wrote:

I work in a hospital and every time I walk the halls, I imagine my exit strategy for if a zombie outbreak occurs. Because we all know the hospital will be one of the first/hardest hit for a zombie attack.

this = why timbzy is the love of my life.

Courtwhip wrote:

You can be my 'Captian Love'

**

B-Grade is a step up from this $2 Crazy Clarks rack movie. Watched it while I was on a three day alcohol binge in Geraldton 2 weeks back. Whilst it is meant to be a horror film, it was more like comedy for the simple fact it was just so bad. The main killer, Dr. Chopper, is an 87 year old man out to get certain body parts to live. He rides around on a Chopper and has two psycho nurses who do his bidding for him. Honestly, there is nothing scary about an 87 year old man except for the possibility his dentures will fall out during general conversation, or losing control of his bowel movements. But no, not this Dr. Chopper.
The story revolves around 5 friends who go on a camping trip together, and everything just reeks of cliche bullshit scary movies.
The highlight of the film? Let me save you your two dollars and post it here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBcurrsR3Hs
Oh yes. This is drama for you, drama at it's best.
Do your self a favour. Make up a cheap punch, invite over your closest friends, and watch this.

It will be the best/worst thing you do all year.

Real indie kids wouldn't have liked the fact that some crappy hollowood movie was forcing indie references on the general public or them.

patches wrote:

Timbzy wrote:

I work in a hospital and every time I walk the halls, I imagine my exit strategy for if a zombie outbreak occurs. Because we all know the hospital will be one of the first/hardest hit for a zombie attack.

this = why timbzy is the love of my life.

Courtwhip wrote:

You can be my 'Captian Love'

Getting into semantics now. The movie was average and was made to show off indie cred, which in turn makes it not indie. If they wanted to succeed they wouldn't have made a Hollowood film, they would have made an independent low budget film with an amazing soundtrack and not force feed us references in the bad dialogue and poorly written plot.

patches wrote:

Timbzy wrote:

I work in a hospital and every time I walk the halls, I imagine my exit strategy for if a zombie outbreak occurs. Because we all know the hospital will be one of the first/hardest hit for a zombie attack.

this = why timbzy is the love of my life.

Courtwhip wrote:

You can be my 'Captian Love'

I watched 500 days of summer today, wasnt what i was expecting as in the format of the movie, but i was never not going to like it

State’s Evidence (2006)

* * * *

One guy decides to kill himself and document his last day on film, his group of friends find out and they all make a suicide pact. The group all get a bunch of cameras to record their last days and those make up this film which will be used as state's evidence after their deaths. The film is mostly shot on various handycams and can get shaky at times, but it is bearable. The film is emotional and has a similar feel (although slightly derivative) to Bang Bang, You're Dead. One thing I didn't like was the overly verbose high school kids, it was like Buffy, but 20 times worse, totally unbelievable. Also it had this hottie:

Grindstone Road (2008)

* *

Pretty bad. Typical poorly made ghost horror film. Fairuza Balk was especially terrible.

What Goes Up (2009)

* * * 1/2

What Goes Up had a certain charm to it, but at the same time, possessed some quality that made it impossible to love. The film stars Steve Coogan, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby and a promiscuous Hilary Duff, and all do quite well with what they are given. The story was interesting, but at times the flow was inconsistent which brought the film down. The characters are where the film really earns its marks, they are intriguing, mysterious and entertaining.
Also:

13 Moons

* * *

One of those dark depressing dramas with a lot of characters who all end up crossing paths throughout the movie to reach a common goal. The direction is shocking in 13 Moons, which is a shame because if it were directed by someone who knew what they were doing, it could have been an amazing film. I mean, come on, the main characters are played Steve Buscemi and Peter Dinklage who are down on their luck clowns from a failing tv show... The film also stars Peter Stormare, Pruitt Taylor Vince, David Proval, Jennifer Beals, Sam Rockwell, Rose Rollins and Daryl Mitchell.

Feast (2005)

* * * 1/2

Surprisingly good for a B grade horror film. With an array of entertaining characters and a claustrophobic horror setting, Feast is a non-stop thrill ride that is both funny and horrifying. The production team did an excellent job with the humorous initial introductions of all the characters. The best thing about this film was that it was not predictable like most other horrors. It often went against the general rules of horror films, including one of the first people to be killed being the young child. One of the major highlights is in the beginning when a man known as Hero, played by Eric Dane, comes into the bar to save the day, makes a macho speech and seems as though he will rescue the trapped patrons, when he is suddenly mauled to death immediately following his speech. Judah Friedlander is great as the scared, annoying whinger who is sprayed with monster vomit and begins melting and rotting away. Other stars include Balthazar Getty, Henry Rollins (the man), Jason Mewes, Jenny Wade, Navi Rawat, Krista Allen and Josh Zuckerman.

Fighting (2009)

*

Horrible. Its only redeeming factor was Terrance Howard and even he seemed to struggle, which is probably because the writing was so horrible. Avoid at all costs and just see Never Back Down if you want to see a new fighting movie.

patches wrote:

Timbzy wrote:

I work in a hospital and every time I walk the halls, I imagine my exit strategy for if a zombie outbreak occurs. Because we all know the hospital will be one of the first/hardest hit for a zombie attack.

this = why timbzy is the love of my life.

Courtwhip wrote:

You can be my 'Captian Love'

State's Evidence: is it better or worse than The Virgin Suicides? It kinda seems to be that type of movie.

I can't believe you wasted 90 odd mins of your life watching Fighting. I wasted 2mins of my life watching the trailer at the movies.

State's Evidence is nothing like The Virgin Suicides. More like Bang Bang, You're Dead or a less artistic Elephant. But if I had to say which was better, Virgin Suicides was a lot better than State's Evidence.

IMO; Elephant > Bang Bang, You're Dead > Virgin Suicides >>>>> State's Evidence

As for fighting, it was totally a background watch. After the first ten minutes I knew it was going to be horrible so I had it on in the background while foruming and minimized every now and then to see what was going on.

patches wrote:

Timbzy wrote:

I work in a hospital and every time I walk the halls, I imagine my exit strategy for if a zombie outbreak occurs. Because we all know the hospital will be one of the first/hardest hit for a zombie attack.

this = why timbzy is the love of my life.

Courtwhip wrote:

You can be my 'Captian Love'

Fair enough about Fighting.
Ah okay I was assuming the common theme of suicide and I thought maybe they may have had a large part of the movie: how they both had a suicide pact.

If you see both movies you'll know what I am talking about. Completely different feels. Only the suicide pact is the same, and even then, the meaning behind it is all different.

patches wrote:

Timbzy wrote:

I work in a hospital and every time I walk the halls, I imagine my exit strategy for if a zombie outbreak occurs. Because we all know the hospital will be one of the first/hardest hit for a zombie attack.

this = why timbzy is the love of my life.

Courtwhip wrote:

You can be my 'Captian Love'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_Lj5HKb78g

latest new-moon trailer, looks really good! (i know there might be people who wont like it^^)

I could list around 100 other vampire movies I have seen that look better than New Moon.

patches wrote:

Timbzy wrote:

I work in a hospital and every time I walk the halls, I imagine my exit strategy for if a zombie outbreak occurs. Because we all know the hospital will be one of the first/hardest hit for a zombie attack.

this = why timbzy is the love of my life.

Courtwhip wrote:

You can be my 'Captian Love'

It does look good and I think they're will be an even longer trailer later today from the MTV vma's. What I'm mostly looking forward to is seeing some colour in this movie compared to Catherine Hardwicke's colourless Twilight.

Elephant was amazing. One of my favourite films of all time.