What Movies Have You Seen Recently?

Thought we should have a thread where everyone can post about movies they recently saw, whether in theaters, on TV, DVD or anywhere else.

The last 2 films I saw in the theater were V For Vendetta (pretty good, nothing mind-blowing) and The Hills Have Eyes (Aja's Haute Tension was amazing, and this update of Craven's turkey was quite intense - much better than the original, thank god).

Recently re-watched Rosemary's Baby with my sister, as she'd never seen it before. In fact, she asked me who Polanski is... She's 26. Sad times, people.

Been going through the original Ju-On series again, from the first TV movie to the 2nd theatrical release. I will never see the American remake again (I had the misfortune of catching it on the big screen).

P.S. @ mizukagami - might be best to make this thread a sticky.

Yeah good idea!!! I also wanted to start a thread dedicated to reviews of the stuff people saw recently. It might give other oggers ideas, what to watch, what ti avoid!!

I watch and rent movies frequently and here the ones I recently saw, in the past weeks:

Le Cercle Rouge, France, 1970
Really cool gangsters/thiefs french movie. The dialogues are very minimal and straight to the point, and I really liked the general cold atmosphere of the film, it blended very well with the cold characters. There are a few long silences between some shots, and they give the movie a very particualr intensity. Its a story we saw thousands of times: a cop looking and running after a bunch of talented thiefs.The way it is directed is fresh and unique like I haven't seen before. Good quality movie I really liked it.

Marebito, Japan, 2004
I'm not sure what to think about that fucked up movie since I'm still digesting it. Its a bizzare blend of horror and drama where I freak with his camera desperately wants to feel and put on film the extreme fear a human can see. The way it is filmed is pretty raw and the camera is often shaky, making me dizzy a few times during the viewing. I dunno if I liked it but I'm glad I've seen it though, it was unique experience. Well like many other japanese movies in fact, eheh. I suggest it if you like expeimental stuff.

C.R.A.Z.Y., Canada, 2005
I'm not a canadian cinema fan at all (I am from Canada and I think our movies -in general- totally suck, without depth and creativity, often with lot of cliches) but I've heard so many good things and reviews about that movie that I decided to check it out. I really tried to be objective while watching it, and finally, it was not bad at all. Its a pretty dramatic story of a typical middle-class canadian family in the 70's-80's, told with a bright sense of humor that doesnt make you feel like a dumbass, like many american comedies. In fact, behind that comedy, the movie story is dark and tragic, not funny at all so the contrast is interesting. It didn't "trigger" anything inside me (I love being disturbed) but still, its a funny cute movie well made and I had a great time.

@ SebastianPrelar
yeah, Le Cercle Rouge is one of my all time faves! Directed by the great Jean Pierre Melville. The good man made mainly french gangster and war movies. Le Samouraï (gangster) and L'Armée des Ombres (war) are recommended.

The latest movie i watched is French movie Monsieur Klein. Also with Alain Delon. great stuff.

Oh yeah I havent seen -Le Samourai- yet, on my TO WATCH list definitly.

I heard that Munich was more ambiguous, not really making either "side" look very good by the end. Didn't get to see it before it left theaters, though.

I also think ESB is easily the best SW flick.

I just rented "Three...Extremes" which was awesome. It's 3 short horror stories based in Japan, I think. The first movie ("Dumpling) portrays the story of a woman who would go to extreme lenghts to retain her youth and regain the love of her husband, even if it means eating something a little...unnatural?The second is a story of a woman who keeps having strange dreams about being buried in a box, along with a ghostly image of her sister. :) The third film is about a crazed film extra and the director who cast him, and how people react to unusual situations.
Def should check it out!!

The Island.

Something like Total Recal ond first part of Matrix. This comment of imdb fits.

The story is intense, but I preferred the art work productions. State of the Art, I guess.

hmm, haven't seen The Island yet. It's in the que. (Netflix user)

'Three...Extremes' was my favorite movie last year. That third story is SOOO fucked up (well they are ALL fucked up to the last one is something) with amazing camera moves and angles. Really refreshing. I really found Takashi Miike's tale (The sisters buried box story) really beautiful with an amazing photography. I was surprised to see that can of quality photography in a Miike movie since I used to him with his sick twisted perversions.

YESTURDAY I checked:
Saw
Not really bad but a bit cheesy unfortunatly. The main idea is keeping alive and chained some poeple in a room and see how they gonna react together and to the situations, see if they gonna try to escape, kill each other, etc etc. The idea is old and has been seen so many times, like in Das Experiment (2001) or Cube (1997) to mention a few exemples. Lot of elements in the movies are ripoffs from other flicks, even J-Horror movie stuff like a crawling silhouette with long dark hair. DUH... There were a few twists I didnt see coming though, but in general it was predictable using easy tricks to 'surprise' the viewer. Anyway, was not BAD, but not good either. Was allright thats it.

Un Flic
Yesssss what a great french film from Jean-Pierre Melville. Gangsters, thiefs, cops and bank robberies. I loved it and I didnt get bored for a second. Now I know where Tarantino got some of his (hum hum, MANY) inspirations... Like many other Melville's movies, there are only a few short dialogues with often silences that really put intensity between scenes. I suggest watching it or other Jean-Pierre Melville gangster movies if you like the genre, and if you're curious to see where some of the todays gangster movies got their inspirations....

Three...Extremes is great! If you thought the short version of Dumplings was good, you MUST check out the full length version (it's 91 minutes long, and was butchered in order to fit in the anthology). It's so much better than the short one, and is available on its own DVD.

I thought Miike's segment was some of his finest work to date. Chan-wook Park's was good, but the story was a bit hard to swallow. Still an excellent package, though.

As for Saw, I don't really get the hype about that either. It's fun, has a few clever ideas, but is far from the best horror/suspense flick of recent times (as its box-office grosses would suggest).

I hate Michael Bay & Jerry Bruckheimer with a passion, so I'll quietly recuse myself from the "Island" discussion.

MrE2Me: What is that full length version of Dumplings called? Or is it obvious?

Dumplings, long version.

Hmmmm yumyum, spicy foetus...

Cool I'll have to try and find it! Thanks. :)

I've seen about 13 Alfred Hitchcock films in the past two months; my favorite one being Rope (1948).

Here are the other ones I've seen:
Lifeboat (1944)
Strangers on a Train (1951)
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
The Birds (1963)
Vertigo (1958)
Rebecca (1940)
North by Northwest (1959)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Rear Window (1954)
Suspicion (1941)
Saboteur (1942)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)

And in my Cinematography class, I'm currently watching:
Dial M for Murder (1954) - which is really interesting by the way.

I much preferred the short version of Dumplings... the extended one felt a bit clumsy - especially the ending. Although it did explain the subplot about the teenage girl.

Noise, Tony Spiridakis, 2004
A bit trippy, but not enough. A story about a women who eventually ends up psychotic due to the noise created by her upstairs neighbor. From casual talks to ramming the ceiling with a broom, Joyce (main character) is unable to find peace and quiet in her own home. As I said, a bit of pressure and tension is felt during the unfolding events, but not enough to convince me so.

Who's her neighbour, Merzbow?

Hm, close, but not quite. = O )

I much preferred the short version of Dumplings... the extended one felt a bit clumsy - especially the ending. Although it did explain the subplot about the teenage girl.

Really? I loved the ending! You mean the flashback part? I thought it brought it all around nicely.

@ HollyD - I recommend getting your copy here or on eBay (if you're going to buy it). Cheapest prices for a brand-new copy I could find (cheaper than I got it for), and don't worry about the Region 3 encoding, it plays on any DVD player. I can't imagine you'll be disappointed if you enjoyed the short version.

I recommend getting the edition with this cover, as that's the one I own and I can confirm it's a nice DVD with great sound & image quality.

@ MrE2Me-Awesome. Thanks! I'm gonna charge it right now!

Goad--What are your thoughts on Vertigo? Considered by many (including myself) to be Hitchcock's best film. Lynch owes much of Mullholland Drive (in many ways his best film) to this movie.

Goad--What are your thoughts on Vertigo? Considered by many (including myself) to be Hitchcock's best film. Lynch owes much of Mullholland Drive (in many ways his best film) to this movie.

@ MrE2Me-Awesome. Thanks! I'm gonna charge it right now!

Nice! Let us know your thoughts when you get around to seeing it.

Well, I finished rewatching the 4 original Ju-On films, and they hold up fairly well to a second viewing (or third, for a few of them). Sadly, the hands-down best film is the as-yet unavailable (in a legal form, that is) 1st TV movie, the one that started it all. Here's my ranking of the 4 (the V-Cinema films came out first):

1. Ju-On - first V-Cinema film - creepy as hell, the low budget and basic plot help it much more than hurt it, this works even better than the polished 1st theatrical film.

2. Ju-On - first theatrical film - good, not great, they got a decent budget and real film to work with this time. Some moments are quite effective, while others stray into laughable territory. Great ending.

3. Ju-On 2 - second theatrical film - weak in terms of story, and the formula is stale by now, but some new approaches to the set-pieces and a few out-of-leftfield scenes help keep it from failing completely. Another nifty ending.

4. Ju-On 2 - second V-Cinema film - this is just awful! Not only is a full 30 minutes wasted on showing footage from the previous movie, but when it finally does get around to the original stuff it's just embarrassing. Not a single scary moment or clever idea, and instead of working with the low budget the director seems to be trying to defy it by throwing in as many special effects as possible, all of which look utterly terrible. Only worth watching because a few plot points that remain in the overall continuity of the series take place. Hard to believe this is by the same group of people.

Saw "Slither" tonight. Silly little gross-out comedy/horror flick, but better than I expected. Granted, I expected very little...

telegramsam1

To be honest, I didn't really like Vertigo; it did have a good story, but I just found it to be uninteresting.

Good choice with Rope, though. One of his most underrated films, I think.

I liked Vertigo. Had an interesting twist. It's kinda weird watching old movies like that and getting into them because of how much society has changed over time.

[Rope] One of his most underrated films

I totally agree. In my opinion, I think it's his best, but I know MANY will disagree with me.

It's kinda weird watching old movies like that and getting into them because of how much society has changed over time.

Yeah, especially since every single male character always wears formal suites, never anything casual.

is Vertigo the first film using the "Hitchcock Vertigo effect" zoom? I think he created the effect in this particular movie to achieve the nausea vertigo feeling. What a genius!

V for Vendetta this weekend.

Nearly fell asleep in the theater.

Anytime I see a movie like that I dump my popcorn on the floor.

A movie like what? Boring? You take it out on the sad pimple-faced movie theater employees? For shame!

Yeah, Vendetta was underwhelming. Didn't fall asleep, but I wasn't exactly on the edge of my seat, either.

Been watching the first season of "Lost" on DVD. Never seen an episode before (I know, I know, but I don't watch TV at all these days) and I'm pleasantly surprised by how entertaining it is. Especially considering it's on ABC and not HBO or a similar high-quality channel. I hope the show doesn't lose its edge and become a soap opera, that's always sad to watch...

I watched yesturday a reaaaally cool movie some of you probably know: Wild Style. An amazing genuine trip into the basic roots of hip hop in the heart of New York 80's South Bronx. Lil'wiggers and wannabes who think they are ghetto should definitly check that movie and see they didnt invent anything. Its also a really cool urban trip, with grafittis, breakdancing, illegal parties, mc's, ghetto kids, etc. Very good.

HollyD
SebastianPrelar
MrE2Me
I'm gonna have to check out Three Extremes now. I think I saw it at Hollywood Video for rent. I like all the Takashi Miike films I've seen so far (which is not all that many, considering how many films the guy's made).

I just saw Female Trouble, a classic John Waters film, for the first time last night. Divine plays Dawn Davenport, a high school delinquent, who ends up running away from home when she doesn't get the 'cha-cha' heels she wanted for christmas. The rest of the movie follows her life of 'crime-as-art', when she hooks up with a couple who take pictures of her performing various criminal acts. Great movie if you like John Waters style of filmmaking.

watched Sombre today... and I don't have the vocabulary to describe the experience.

"I like all the Takashi Miike films I've seen so far (which is not all that many, considering how many films the guy's made). "

Eheheh so true! The guy is a movie machine with something like 3 movies a year. Crazy!

I saw Flight Plan again. :)

Finally saw 'Le Samourai', from Jean-Pierre Melville.

What an amazing gansgter-cop tale with a very nice trip down Paris, with many dark obscure locations most tourists will probably never see in this city. The professional killer truly acts like a badass, and the cops chasing him aren't stupid like many cops are in movies. Very very good and minimal movie.

Awe shit. I just rented that movie. Haven't watched it yet though! Now I'm looking forward to it!! Damn Seb great minds think alike huh? hehe

Ooooh yeaaah you said it! Great minds & true genius think alike of course haha ha!! ;-)Hope you gonna enjoy it, it is such a cool movie. I really love the way Melville uses only a few dialogues with a very minimal way of filming the scenes. And Alain Delon in the badass killer played the character so well!

Grizzly Man by Werner Herzog

insane

I Confess by Alfred Hitchcock

Watched the brilliant Glengarry Glen Ross again yesterday. Good stuff, I always forget how great Alec Baldwin is in his scene-stealing appearance.

Today I watched the equally brilliant C.H.U.D. (Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers) - a favorite "so-bad-it's-good" film of mine. The commentary is hilarious, too. This movie broke new ground upon release by dealing with the underexposed issue of killer mutant homeless folks with glowing eyes and green blood. It's a common subject today, of course, but back in '84 this was a real wake-up call, and CHUD deserves major credit for tackling the topic head-on.

Ok I saw a few good flicks this weekend:
1. Le Samourai-interesting and wasn't expecting the ending.
2. Spirited Away-This has to be one of the best Animae's I've seen in a while. It held my attention with it's whimsical and magical setting and story. I def reccomend it!
3. Save the Green Planet-This one takes the cake this weekend. Holy christ if you haven't seen this you MUST! It the craziest story of this guy who thinks this powerful business guy is an alien. He kidnaps the "alien" and torture's him all the while the cops are trying to track him down and rescue the victim. Plot twists galore! I didn't know what to think till the very end. Awesome!!

Save the Green Planet is sick!! Mind twister one, really cool.

I really wanted to see that (Save the Green Planet), glad to hear you guys liked it.

Recently been rewatching some older DVDs of mine. Pi, The Ring (the original Japanese film, of course), The Eye and Dark Water (original) were all on the menu. Good stuff!

Didnt see the Dark Water REMAKE, I really liked the japanese original but there's something telling me that the remake is total crap.

I didn't see it either, but I don't think we're missing much. So far, the only semi-worthwhile remake of a good Asian horror flick has been The Ring, IMO. The American "sequel" to that, The Grudge, the upcoming remake of Kairo ("The Pulse"), etc look like - or have been - wastes of time. (And The Eye's remake rights have been bought by Tom Cruise's company...*sigh*) Apparently Americans have so much trouble reading, it's easier to do an entire film over with blander actors and bigger budgets just so we can understand it. >:-(
[/RANT]

Watched the fun & occasionally creepy One Missed Call again yesterday, and just gave Bound another viewing as well. Good stuff all around!

301,302

A very bizzare and dark movie combining sex, food and violence. The director easily shows on screen how there is a very close relation between food and sex. Watch it and you will understand what I mean. Its from Korea, so as usual in the Korean new wave cinema the film has a strong and beautiful photography with some amazing shots. Original, never seen a movie like that before, so I suggest it, if you like weird stuff.

Weird stuff rules!

Recently rewatched Black Angel 1 & 2 and the cult "classic" A Boy And His Dog. You want a weird movie? Check this out - it's a post-apocalyptic tale (World War IV has just ended) about a boy (played by a very young Don Johnson) and his psychic dog...yes, he and the dog communicate with their minds. Women (as well as many other things, such as food) are scarce above-ground, causing havoc among the male survivors. Ancient, extremely unarousing "adult" film footage is a rare treat that people pay dearly to watch (with canned food, not money). On top of all this, there are creatures known as "screamers" that roam the land, and looters who will gladly kill you for just about anything of value. But this is only the above-ground world. Far below this lies what resembles the "real" world, but is far from it. This is a real dystopia, despite the painted-on, clown-like faces on everyone. There are robots, parades, and a bizarre system of justice that involves sending folks to the "farm" if they misbehave (aka killing them). Men are infertile, so they lure unsuspecting above-ground males down to use them for their sperm. Oh, and the ending is probably the most famous bit of the film. No spoilers from me, though. Not a great film by any means, but worth seeing for its sheer weirdness.

I watched The Believer (2001).

It's about a Jewish Nazi and his struggles; really cool!

I recently saw this old 70's Disney movie called the Black Hole that was kinda weird. The robot had cardboard eyes and was full of anicdotes.
(don't worry, no singin or dancin)

The Black Hole is one of Disney's weirdest films, IMO. Disney used to put out some bizarre and *gasp* semi-disturbing live-action films back in the day. Imagine Disney making a movie now in which a main character gets gutted by an evil robot with spinning metal blades, then is shown screaming & burning in hell for all eternity! They put out some decent horror flicks around that time, too - check out The Watcher In The Woods, for one.

Mildred Pierce (1945) - this movie bored me SOOOOOO much... UGH!!!

Mission Impossible III - surprisingly entertaining. Possibly the best of the series so far.

Damn, I feel like such a straggler finding this forum so late! But I'm gonna throw in my 2 cents anyway.

Saw Save the Green Planet last week. Bought a copy after reading positive reviews, especially the glowing one in the Village Voice, whose reviews I love, although they have a tendency to trash everything just for fun's sake. Was horribly disappointed. The movie has its moments, but the ending makes the previous 2 hours invested feel like an absolute waste. What I think people like about this film is that it totally does away with film conventions, in an area where so many films are formulaic cookie cutter narratives. You cannot guess what sick plot twist the director has up his sleeve at any given moment. However I don't find that engaging enough -- in the end, I want the movie I'm watching to come together and have a point.

Watched Guy Maddin's The Saddest Music in the World yesterday on DVD. Was tired, so maybe not in the best mood for it. It's all a bit ridiculous, Isabella Rosselini playing a Minneapolis beer mogul who launches a worldwide competition to find the saddest music in the world. She also happens to be a paraplegic who wears glass prosthetic legs, filled with beer. Maddin does some nice things here with photography, even though he shoots in the style of old silent films (with the exception of some modern montages). In the end, the story feels bizarre for bizarre's sake. Again it's a case of shunting conventions, but I don't feel he accomplishes good storytelling by doing so.

Agree that Fruit Chan's Dumplings was the best entry in Three Extremes. Didn't know that there was a long version till I read this thread.

Liked the atmosphere in Miike's short. I'm no expert on his movies, I actually tend to avoid them because of what I hear about them. For example, I probably couldn't sit through Audition or Ichi the Killer. So I watched his Three... Extremes segment expecting something entirely different, more physical brutality, I suppose. So I was pleasantly surprised. Any recommendations for his films which aren't so violent (are there any)? I already have Happiness of the Katakuris, and recently found out that it is a remake of a Korean film (originally done by the director of A Tale of Two Sisters).

Chan-wook's film was a disappointment. Felt as though he took a list of his signature elements and tossed them together. The end result doesn't feel like the fully realized work we're used to from him.

Damn, I feel like such a straggler finding this forum so late! But I'm gonna throw in my 2 cents anyway.

Better late than never! :-)

Very nice reviews, btw. I'm with you about a movie having a point when all is said and done, but these days just finding a semi-original film is almost a feat in itself. I hardly go to the theaters anymore because the megaplexes here just don't play anything interesting. Only the small art house theaters seem to bother with foreign and/or off-beat flicks.

Might as well list all the other movies I've rewatched lately:

Black Sunday (Mario Bava, baby!)
La Chiesa (more Italian madness)
The Company Of Wolves (the best movie Freud never made, possibly Neil Jordan's best)
Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch's pretty & poetic "western")
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (80's classic, pretty good commentary track as well)
Gemini (*Tsukamoto is amazing)
Hiruko The Goblin (see *)
A Snake Of June (see *)
Stage Fright
Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (an absolute favorite of mine. One of the most depressing movies ever made, but I can't get enough!)
Seven Notes In Black (Fulci's best? The haunting main theme - used later in QT's Kill Bill - is worth watching this for alone.)
The Story of Ricky (totally insane, the action movie equivalent of Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive")

Agree that Fruit Chan's Dumplings was the best entry in Three Extremes. Didn't know that there was a long version till I read this thread.

I would highly recommend trying to track this down for rent or purchase, if you enjoyed the short version enough. As much as I liked the one in Three... Extremes, the long cut blows it away.

I agree about Chan-wook's segment. It wasn't bad, but it should've been much better, IMO.

Regarding your Miike question - actually, he's one of the most versatile directors working today. He's constantly putting out so many films there's no way I'll see them all. While he has certainly made some shocking & gruesome entries, the majority of them that I've seen wouldn't fall into that category.

In fact, a lot of what makes Audition work is the fact that the vast majority of it plays exactly like a very well-done character drama. He only pulls the rug out from under you in the last 15 minutes or so, and even then it isn't a gore-fest. He knows the power of leaving things to the imagination.

Some I'd recommend (I haven't seen all that many, mind you) - Zebraman is a sweet and funny "superhero" movie, full of Miike's usual energy and impossible to describe plot elements. I think I'd go with this one first, knowing that you enjoyed the wacky and energetic Happiness...

Visitor Q and Gozu are extremely...bizarre, and occasionally disturbing, but more in a Lynch way than anything gory or violent. Gozu is a personal favorite, it really has a very Lynch-like feel, and manages to be shocking, hilarious, touching and scary all at the same time.

Happiness of The Katakuris is excellent, but you know that.

One Missed Call is not one of his original films, he was hired to direct this Ring-like horror flick. Considering how many lame rip-offs have already been made, this is probably the best. Once again he injects heart and atmosphere into a potentially dull plot.

One I keep meaning to see is The Bird people Of China, which I hear is excellent and not at all in the violent/gory vein, more of a fantasy/drama.

I've seen a few others that are more action than violence, but those listed above are the best, IMO. My two favorites would have to be Audition and Gozu, and his segment in Three... Extremes ranks as some of his best work.

(Sorry for bombarding you with that, but he's one of my favorite contemporary directors.)

too fuckin' many....

@MrE2Me-One Missed Call: I saw this last weekend. Not bad.
Part 2 should be coming in the mail soon. Audition will be arriving soon as well. Gotta love the foreign films.

Recently:

Kamikaze Girls, Tetsuya Nakashima
A really cool, urban, colorful anime style movie with japanese chicks, full of attitude. Beautiful photography too, with awesome shots of the urban Japan. And since I've seen this movie, I am totally in love with the actress Anna Tsuchiya LOL.... I think I am gonna visit her and play her a few records in private(all naked of course) when I will be in Japan LOL. Shit she's just too sexxxxhot godamn!!!

Trois Couleurs: Bleu, Krzysztof Kieslowski.
I love Kieslowski's style, and I was so happy to finally have the chance to watch on DVD his Trois Couleurs trilogy. I first started with the Bleu one. What a beautiful movie, a true tale of isolation. Sad and a bit depressing, Kieslowski used the blue color in a beautiful photography. Juliette Binoche is awesome in the role, you can easily feel and see how depressed and sick the women is. Solid stuff.

The Bad Seed (ehh...)

@ SP - you should definitely watch them in order: Blue, White, Red. Kieslowski's another guy I should've mentioned in the favorites thread. Oh, and you would probably enjoy Heaven, which is written by KK and directed by Tom Tykwer. I've had Kieslowski's Decalogue on my want list for years.

@ Holly - glad you had fun with One Missed Call. It's far from a masterpiece, and certainly not Miike's best film, but I still enjoyed it. You seen the extended version of Dumplings yet?

Thanks for the order suggestion MrE2Me. In fact, I have the Red and the White at home, waiting to be seen. I am gonna follow your idea and check the White then the Red.

@MrE2Me-no i haven't had the chance to watch that extended version yet. soon though. maybe this weekend.

It's not just my suggestion, SP, but the way KK intended them to be seen. The colors represent the blue, white & red of the French flag and represent liberty, equality & fraternity respectively. It's also the order in which they were released. :-)

Oh, and characters from earlier movies reappear in later ones, tying them all together nicely.

Still not sure which is my fave - Blue or Red.

1. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005)
2. Stay (2005)

Well folks believe it or not, but yes I have seen for the very first time Requiem For A Dream.

Of course I had very high expectations, after hearing so much about it over the years. And... I was not disapointed at all!! Good shit yeah, dark, heavy and even pretty funny some times. I really liked the way the director made us follow the 4 freaks slowly falling down the spiral, straight into hell. Obiously Aronofsky knows very well how to trick the audience with the right music/sounds and dynamic editing, and it works I have to admit.

I still say Ellen Burstyn was robbed at the Oscars.

@ SP - haven't checked out Begotten yet?

MrE2Me... in the queue! I havent seen my friend (the guy who transfered the whole thing) before this weekend. Very, very soon as soon as I have some time and I am alone. (I dont wanna watch that one with someone for the first viewing)...Can't wait!

Cool, and yeah - it's best to watch it alone the first time. :-D

Saw X-Men 3 yesterday.
I was kinda disappointed. I wasn't hoping for much, but better than what was delivered. I feel the storyline was lacking. Good action scenes, but the battles were too easily won. I mean they are "Mutants" right? Why on earth would the battles be soo easy and how could they NOT change the world? Plus characters were killed off left and right almost like they wanted to just say "fuck it, we're not doing any more of these movies, so who cares." I dunno. I should've saved the $ and waited for it on DVD. Don't waste your time. :(

I'm not surprised at all, Holly.

Well, the 2nd Pirates of the Carribbean looks pretty good. I'm hoping that will live up to the first one.

so is it true? will Keith Richards be playing Depp's father in this
one?

ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL

and not just once.. I've seen it 6 times!
and I plan to see it more.

^ Old people be damned!

I seem to be the only person on this planet who really didn't like Pirates of the Caribbean.

just returned A History of Violence, Flightplan (sux big time!) and the Machinist

just recieved The Constant Gardener, Jarhead and Blood in Blood out ( vatos locos!)

Nice! AHOV was excellent, I've heard intriguing things about The Machinist and TCG, and I enjoyed Jarhead a lot. Very different kind of war film, though I can understand if some people find it boring.

The machinist was awesome. Really weird but awesome. I couldn't believe how much weight Christian Bale lost for this film. He was so skinny!

I'm looking forward to Jarhead. I know it's not a "regular" war movie but thats what makes it interesting ;-)

^^
hmmm, I didn't find the machinist particularly interesting. seemed like I was watching a tripped out version of Fight Club (with the alter ego thing) directed by David Lynch. *shrugs*

watched the constant gardener last night. overall it was just an ok movie, not good, not great just ok.

I know Mech, if I would have watched it a day earlier or later I would probably have a different opinion but I was in the mood for a weird trippy movie ;-)

I have no idea what to expect from the constant gardener but an ok movie is good enough. Seems there's way too few good movies out right now anyway. Or maybe I am just too critical ;-p

Three...Extremes is great! If you thought the short version of Dumplings was good, you MUST check out the full length version (it's 91 minutes long, and was butchered in order to fit in the anthology).

Woohoo, I found a screening!

I totally forgot the cinematography was done by Christopher Doyle... this is gonna be hot.

I watched Top Gun yesterday.

@ noiz - wicked! And on the big screen... Curse my aversion to big city life.

the Constant Gardener was dissapointing btw

Didn't that win an Oscar? It was nominated at least, I think.

yep, Rachel Weisz won an oscar and there were 3 other nominations (editing, music and screenplay)

But that doesn't guarantee a good movie ;-)

Oh, I know all too well how wrong the Oscars can be, I just wanted to be sure we were talking about the same movie.

What didn't you like? Just slow/boring, or...?

it was a bit slow but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. I dunno, it just didn't grab me that much and I am not a big fan of Ralph Fiennes ;-)

I think I've seen too many movies lately and I can't even remember the last really good movie I saw.

whats the last good movie you've seen?

The last good NEW movie? Hmmm, I'll have to think. There just aren't many of those these days. I'm totally pulling a blank. I did think King Kong was great, but there might've been something since then.

finally watched requiem for a dream last night. another film I could give or take. I'm not sure I like Aronofsky's directing style either - that thing he does where he straps the camera to his characters to give that disoriented feel is getting a bit old.

anyone gonna catch the US theatrical release of District B13? check it out if you're a fan of Jet Li or Luc Besson movies.

but mech, requiem IS old ;-)

FUCK the Oscars.

Oooops, I said it.

yeah why do u need an award for doing your job? Fuck they sure as hell don't have the "best drafter" awards at my work. Shit people are such idiots.