darksnowman Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 1408 - I love me a good ghost story and this delivered. John Cusack plays a writer who investigates haunted hotels as he seeks the truth, after recently losing his daughter to an incurable disease. He goes to hotel room 1408 at the Dolphin hotel in New York, where nobody who stays in the room comes out alive and all sorts of hell breaks loose. Samuel L Jackson puts in a strong dark performence as the hotel manager, but isnt in it nearly enough as the film is essentially the Cusack show. Some really really fuckin freaky moments, one in particular involving an air vent and its inhabitant was very effective. But sadly the film goes down the old road of an over complicated flashback ending, that is becoming an all too familiar convention of modern horror movies. Still, pretty scary flick with solid acting and rare in that its a good Steven King horror-book to horror-film adaption. Solid, but the last section makes it flawed. Watch if you like ghost films. 6.5/10 I take it you haven't read it? Its a short story and so alot of stuff in the film didn't happen in the book. :wink: I watched Advent Children and it was... meh. I have nothing against fighting but where was the story? I liked Cloud more than I did in the game but really, so little story made this pretty useless. I thought it was made "for the fans?" So why did other characters atleast not play more of a part in it? It was Cloud, Tifa and the memories of Aerith and nothing else. I'll watch it in English and check out the bonus features some other time.
Haver Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 Honestly, none of that stuff ran through my head while watching Be Kind Rewind. I'm in there, it's movie mode. Critic mode comes after. I was just enjoying what was for me a great flick. I thought it flowed really well and didn't follow the typical structure. And I had the whole cinema to myself so I could LOL.
Kav Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 My Left Foot... what a film and what a performance from Daniel Day Lewis! An absolute classic and a must-see! 9/10
Paj! Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 Lady Vengence One of my lecturers gave me a load of Asian horror films so we started watching them tonight. Really good film. I expected it to be more horrific, not sure why but hey ho, but it was fantastic. The only thing I felt was off was the translated conversation between Jenny and Geum-ja Lee. It was so awkward and exposition ridden. Compared to the rest of the film which managed to weave in the exposition it seemed...clunky. But overall, a brilliant film. 9 One of my favourite films of all time. ----- Superman Returns I only now just noticed how out of the box it is for a superhero film. I hate Superman as a character since he has no weakness (real weakness), but this film is great. I remember being like "FUCK!" in the cinema at the plane fiasco. It drags slightly at the end, but yeah. 8/10
ReZourceman Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 Superman Returns I only now just noticed how out of the box it is for a superhero film. I hate Superman as a character since he has no weakness (real weakness), but this film is great. I remember being like "FUCK!" in the cinema at the plane fiasco. It drags slightly at the end, but yeah. 8/10 If by the "end" you really mean "the entire film apart from the plane scene" and if by "8/10" you really mean "3/10" then yeah I agree with that too.
triforcemario Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 The Last King Of Scotland I'll keep this short, since I'm typing this on my Wii. Absolutly brilliant, and Forest Whitaker's performence as Amin is worth the price alone. However, two certain scenes near the end made me a bit "eeew"ish, which lowers the general score. 9/10
Chris the great Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 shoot em up. awsome. litteraly made from testosterone. 9/10
Paj! Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 If by the "end" you really mean "the entire film apart from the plane scene" and if by "8/10" you really mean "3/10" then yeah I agree with that too. It was different to other superhero films, which I liked. It focused more on the human side of Superman (thank god, who gives a shit about an alien who is invincible). That, combined flawlessly with some of the most dramatic/best set piecesin a superhero movie I've seen recently, makes for a great combination. Sure, it's not as in your face as say, the X-Men films, and Spider-Man films to an extent, but it's interesting to see the superhero genre go in a different direction. In recent times, only Gwen Stacy dangling off that collapsed building in Spidey3 compares with the rocket launch in Superman.
Cube Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 If by the "end" you really mean "the entire film apart from the plane scene" and if by "8/10" you really mean "3/10" then yeah I agree with that too. I agree. Superman Returns fails on both the superhero and non-superhero side of things. Superman is a very boring superhero and Clarke Kent was one dimensional. As was Lex Luthor. Batman Begins and Spiderman 1 & 2 did a much better job at making the characters easy to relate to and care about (both good and evil).
Ashley Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 Transamerica Watched half of it last night, and the last half tonight. Using it for an essay about gender fluidity but been meaning to see it for ages. Good film with a nice semi-country soundtrack. Felicity Huffman did a really good turn in this, much respect to her. 8.5
Oxigen_Waste Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 Violent CopA pretty unusual cop movie with no-bullshit action (even though it's mostly badly done), just pure WHAM-BAM, with unexpected and hilarious outbursts of violence. Also shows normal cops that're just clumsy and stupid instead of super cops. It's nice. I can't stand it. Out of all of Kitano's movies... Violent Cop and Boiling Point are the two I hate the most. They're just so... average and unworthy of attention. Makes sense, though, they're his first efforts. After that, he got a lot better... from Sonatine on at least (I haven't seen A Scene At The Sea... or Getting Any either, for that matter). I really admire Beat Takeshi... he's got a very unique cinematic style, and movies like Hana-Bi, Dolls & Kikujiro really give me the greatest of hopes and beliefs towards modern Japanese cinema... because it really needs a revamp to old glory, and with Kitano & Takashi Miike at the helm, along with Hirokazu Koreeda and a few others behind them, I'm confident It'll rise again. (Obviously I'm not counting Japanese animated cinema here, that's as powerfull as it ever was.) My Left Foot... what a film and what a performance from Daniel Day Lewis! An absolute classic and a must-see! 9/10 Daniel Day Lewis might just be my favourite actor. Ever since My Left Foot was released, he hasn't played a single role wich wasn't fantastic... Transamerica Watched half of it last night, and the last half tonight. Using it for an essay about gender fluidity but been meaning to see it for ages. Good film with a nice semi-country soundtrack. Felicity Huffman did a really good turn in this, much respect to her. 8.5 I was a bit disappointed by this movie. I was expecting it to have a stronger emotional charge... nonetheless, it did portray the subject of transgendering quite well... and Felicity Huffman was brilliant in it. ALSO: Vera Drake Second time I'm seeing it. I love Mike Leigh. 8/10 No Country For Old Men This time I saw at a theater... it's even better. The 4th time I've seen it, and I still stand firmly by my rating: 10/10. A flawless "times is changing" masterpiece.
welsh_gamer Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 The Pursuit Of Happyness A guy tries really hard to get a job, and then he gets one. Disappointing. 5/10 Firewall Typical Harrison Ford flick. It has all been done before but there a lot of films worse than this out there. 6.5/10 Bicentennial Man Last watched this when it came out to rent on VHS, and obviously I didn't get it back then. Watched it with my mum and I had to fight the tears back. It's not a fantastic film but the subject of the film is quite touching and the emotional scene's are done very well. 7.5/10 Rambo First Blood Very enjoyable and fun. Didn't expect it be set in the woods outside a small town! 8/10 Rambo First Blood Part II Fun and has more action that the first, but it lacks that certain something. 7/10
ReZourceman Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 Im seeing Semi Pro later. Im the love Will Ferrell.
Hellfire Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 I can't stand it. Out of all of Kitano's movies... Violent Cop and Boiling Point are the two I hate the most. They're just so... average and unworthy of attention. Makes sense, though, they're his first efforts. After that, he got a lot better... from Sonatine on at least (I haven't seen A Scene At The Sea... or Getting Any either, for that matter). I really admire Beat Takeshi... he's got a very unique cinematic style, and movies like Hana-Bi, Dolls & Kikujiro really give me the greatest of hopes and beliefs towards modern Japanese cinema... because it really needs a revamp to old glory, and with Kitano & Takashi Miike at the helm, along with Hirokazu Koreeda and a few others behind them, I'm confident It'll rise again. I don't think it's average at all. I mean, I didn't love it, I moderately liked it, but it was directed and told the story in a different way than usual, without going that extra Kitano crazy. Clumsy cops, unexpected outbursts of violence, it's just... down to earth. That, coupled with the funny action sequences, made the film enjoyable. Nothing more than that.
Oxigen_Waste Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 I don't think it's average at all. I mean, I didn't love it, I moderately liked it, but it was directed and told the story in a different way than usual, without going that extra Kitano crazy. Clumsy cops, unexpected outbursts of violence, it's just... down to earth. That, coupled with the funny action sequences, made the film enjoyable. Nothing more than that. That's precisely why I called it average. It's a film like so many others... the only reason it got put on such a ridiculous cult pedestal is because it was made by Kitano. :S Much like Kubrick's Killer's Kiss. They're... enjoyable movies, but they're far from extraordinary. "enjoayble" seems about right. Anywho: Humanity And Paper Balloons (Ninjo Kami Fusen) Wow. I... Wow. 10/10
Hellfire Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 That's precisely why I called it average. It's a film like so many others... the only reason it got put on such a ridiculous cult pedestal is because it was made by Kitano. :S Much like Kubrick's Killer's Kiss. They're... enjoyable movies, but they're far from extraordinary. "enjoayble" seems about right. That's exactly the point I made, it's not like many others. In fact, I never saw a cop movie showing cops or their work like this.
Oxigen_Waste Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 What... incopetent cop movies? Fuck, there's so many! Especially Japanese and Korean, what with the outburst in police incompetence resolving in so many unsolved crimes in the 70s & 80s.
Hellfire Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 What... incopetent cop movies? Fuck, there's so many! Especially Japanese and Korean, what with the outburst in police incompetence resolving in so many unsolved crimes in the 70s & 80s. Well, I haven't seen any. And it's not about incompetence, it's about being clumsy and just being a cop randomly and not caring about the work or having the minimum common sense about their job.
Oxigen_Waste Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 Well, I haven't seen any. And it's not about incompetence, it's about being clumsy and just being a cop randomly and not caring about the work or having the minimum common sense about their job. ermmm isn't that incompetence?
Paj! Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 I agree. Superman Returns fails on both the superhero and non-superhero side of things. Superman is a very boring superhero and Clarke Kent was one dimensional. As was Lex Luthor. Batman Begins and Spiderman 1 & 2 did a much better job at making the characters easy to relate to and care about (both good and evil). To be honest, I'm probably basing the score on my knowledge of the source material slightly. Batman and Spider-Man of course are infintely better, as y'know, they're better characters, but the film was at least visually interesting and different... I'm lowering my score to 7. I'm over it now. My favourite superhero film is still X-Men 2.
Solo Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 To be honest, I'm probably basing the score on my knowledge of the source material slightly. Batman and Spider-Man of course are infintely better, as y'know, they're better characters, but the film was at least visually interesting and different... I'm lowering my score to 7. I'm over it now. My favourite superhero film is still X-Men 2. Ignore them, Superman Returns is fantastic. : peace:
Oxigen_Waste Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 What's with the Spider Man 1 love? 2 was great, but the first was jus... ok, at best.
chairdriver Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 I really hate long movies, and hate annoying movies (see: most films I hate) I watched Lady Vengeance a few days ago. I fucking loved. Actually pulling at my heart-strings with the ransom tapes bit. Like do you torture and kill, or do you not? 9.7/10
Mundi Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 Have you seen Oldboy and Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance? Same director and is a part of the Vengeance trilogy Both very good, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance is closer to Lady Vengeance.
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