What ELSE (other than KUNG FU) has everyone been watching?

[DiP]

The Fugitive (1993)

Uses the same old formula of an innocent protagonist being mistaken for a murderer but flips it into something refreshing and brilliantly pulled off. Probably could be better off with a polished script though but I guess you gotta have some humor in middle of serious things somehow although it can sometimes over-stimulate and be too much at times as well which I felt in some scenes. Still, in its' entirety, the whole thing was a great mix of cat-and-mouse/hide-and-seek elements, intelligence/details, thrills, and drama and raises the bar in terms of excitement. Harrison Ford gives one his best performances in one of his best films from the 90s and the same goes for Tommy Lee Jones as the cop hot on the trail. Rating: 8.5/10

A History of Violence (2005)

Simple story, great direction, great film as a whole. And of course, the film is currently being talked about as the original source material to Peter Chan's Wu Xia. No big deal though. Material ain't all that original anyway and it's pretty much like the City On Fire vs Reservoir Dogs comparison situation where certain factors decide things and let the other film slip through as a film of its' own. Both films have the same ground but totally different ball games (in direction and content). Back to the film, it wasn't loud and open and that makes the film work. The low-key mood contrasting Mortensen's character living under a different identity and trying to escape from his past by keeping the words to himself but fails once his actions does the talk. The cast was done right as well, with each main character having a flavor to them and leaving memorable impressions of them. That said, I think Hurt and Harris could've switched roles (and extent Harris' role as Joey's brother) as I thought Harris' chillingly menacing demeanor would've matched Hurt's role and made a more charismatic brother than playing a charismatic henchman. Rating: 9/10

[masterofoneinchpunch]

...A History of Violence (2005)

Simple story, great direction, great film as a whole. ...

I tend to like David Cronenberg's films (Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, The Fly) and his next one after this Eastern Promises I feel is even better with a somewhat more complex storyline, even more ambiguous characters and a nude fight scene that might make you think of The Victim. Obviously a recommend if you have not seen it. But compare and constrast the two films which have many similar themes running throughout and especially compare the Mortensen performance.

on A History of Violence there is a somewhat esoteric topic on the film on my forum here. But if you are into screenwriting there are some interesting points there.

-----

I too thought of Akira because of Chronicle though in the reverse. I saw Chronicle in the theater and rewatched Akira recently (I last saw it in the early 90s) for an article I'm writing and it is easy to see the connection.

[DiP]

Yeah, will watch Eastern Promises later today. Heard alot of great things about it and was recommended to it by a friend.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Battleship (2012: Peter Berg) **½/****

After watching the film I talked to my favorite barista about watching the film and he gave me a look as if I had brought a Starbucks coffee in while simultaneously dragging dog poop on my shoe onto their carpet (he is an indie movie fan with some knowledge of Criterion). He asked me if it was like the trailer and my response was it was cinematic fast food and I prefer watching a CGI action-fest at the theater than later watching it on the television. He said all was forgiven since I had seen Badlands the night before.

This is basically a mix between Transformers and Independence Day with an ending inspired by Space Cowboys. It is a Navy recruitment film that is impressive with its massive use of CGI and the awesome destroyers and battleships portrayed in the film. The aliens are as one-dimensional as their use in Independence Day, but there were a couple of scenes that had me pondering if they were going to be any humanistic approach to the attackers, but alas it was not so.

Taylor Kitsch with his haircut straight out of John Carter is the lead as the intelligent but wayward brother of Navy Commander Stone Hopper who has had it with his brother’s shenanigans and after the most inept robbery of a frozen burrito, forces him to enlist in the Navy. He is successful there, but his tomfoolery has him on the verge of being discharged until … The aliens come. Meanwhile his girlfriend, who is the daughter of an Admiral (Liam Neeson, who is in this a lot less than the trailers had led you to believe; I always enjoy watching him though) is stuck on an island with a disabled Army vet (Gregory D. Gadson) and is another invasion point for the aliens.

The film has been a big hit worldwide making at least 50 million in China alone (second recently to the rerelease of Titanic there). It will be interesting to see if it breaks the 100 million mark here in the US.

This is a big dumb clichéd action film. I liked it more than say Transformers because of more realized secondary characters, more humor, no Michael Bay overly used shaky-cam direction and a little bit of naval strategy. Like Red Cliff, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is quoted (and misquoted in this film for a specific joke), though the strategic moments are less sagacious here than in Red Cliff. It almost has you feeling that they could beat an overly equipped military that should have destroyed them in seconds. Of course you also realize that if they were more patient early on they could have been more successful as well. It is probably best not to think much about the plot and just enjoy the visceral visual destruction.

And stay after the credits. There is a couple-minute segment that may or may not lead to a sequel. It seems like all special effects oriented films (and crappy comedies) are adding that extra scene though you have to wait several minutes while every single CGI animator that worked on the film is mentioned from various countries.

some comments on:

Dark Shadows (2012: Tim Burton) ***/****

Johnny Depp embodies Barnabas Collins with panache and relish with an aperitif of ghoulish gothic charm that sets a tone the film ultimately cannot keep up with. Burton’s set design and flowing direction conforms to his auteuristic universe while Danny Elfman’s score fits a Burton movie like an English aristocrat in a personally tailored Savile Row suit. But the conspicuous mismatched attire, akin to wearing Air Jordans with slacks and the rub to the film is the plot. It is a meandering mess at times, forgetting about secondary characters for long stretches, changing tones and moods at a capricious rate that makes one wonder if there was a finished script. Since this movie was based on a series, that I have not seen, was it trying to include too much from its origins?

Ultimately I enjoyed the film and forgave many of its flaws. I am a Depp and Burton fan. If you are not you might have more issues with the film that I do, though I am not itching to see it again anytime soon.

[DiP]

Eastern Promises (2007)

A film going into gangland territory but this time depicting the Russian Mafia in the UK. I don't think I've seen Russian Mafia been told with such depth and details before so I really found things in the film really disturbing but that itself very fresh and different from the usual fair. Cronenberg once again delivers in terms of direction and bringing an intricate style of narrative with success. The cast (props to Mortensen for his astounding performance) he chose for the film also elevates the story and makes the whole thing mesmerizing. Rating: 8/10

Lifeboat (1944)

A Hitchcock film about a survivors of a torpedo attack on a ship during WW2 that are forced to band together to last long enough while on a lifeboat so that they be rescued. At the same time, they also take along a man who was responsible for bombing the ship and going through storms and other mishaps. The film uses very little space setting-wise. Even so, the story progresses along just thanks to Hitchcock's imaginative ways of capturing these characters through different camerawork and editing as well as a well structured script allowing more captivation in the dialogue. Rating: 9/10

[The Dragon]

Drive (2011)

However, it is a little too violent for my personal tastes... I'm sure it doesn't bother most people, but I don't need to see heads getting ripped apart...or hear the bone crunching sound effects.

And you call yourself a Kung Fu Film Fan?!

[massa_yoda]

And you call yourself a Kung Fu Film Fan?!

I know, I'm terrible. But in my defense, exploding heads and old make-up effects from the Shaw era is one thing, but the detailed, realistic gore effects of today is totally different. Stuff like this is just a but much for me. If you love it, that's awesome....it's just not for me.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

I know, I'm terrible. But in my defense, exploding heads and old make-up effects from the Shaw era is one thing, but the detailed, realistic gore effects of today is totally different. Stuff like this is just a but much for me. If you love it, that's awesome....it's just not for me.

Random Kung Fu fact: the guy that gets his head smashed in is Billy (Jeff Wolfe) from Once Upon A Time In China And America. I loved the film, but that scene was still a little hard to take, especially in the theater .

[The Dragon]

Lol, THE STORY OF RICKY

[DiP]

To Live & Die in L.A. (1985)

A film that defines the vibe and atmosphere of the 1980s perfectly thanks to its' setting and film technicalities (props to whoever did the music). It's really astonishing that it manages to bring out things - that doesn't have much significance but still is relevant and fascinating - outside the story's limits and tell more from a wider perspective. Story-wise, it's quite simplistic (an impulsive cop breaking the law in order to bring down a counterfeiter who murdered his partner and best friend) but it's so diverse that you start to wonder what the director wanted to tell just through key scenes. Plus the film's has surprises, particularly the ending which is so much more daring and unlike many films before, at the time it was made, and since. And that car chase throughout the roads of L.A. was incredibly insane! Did they even get permission or was the whole thing shot improvised (highly unlikely but with such conviction you can never tell)? Rating: 8.5/10

Prometheus (2012)

Great special effects, great sound, and exceptional art direction makes the film unique in its' own right. That being said, the film itself doesn't bring anything new to the table and made me pensive at times, especially when the ending kicked in. It did leave answers to some questions that the first Alien film made us all wonder about and an implication that a sequel on the way for more questions on the Space Jockeys. The cast was bland though and - beside Theron and Fassbender - didn't have actors with enough presence to carry the film. In comparison to the first Alien film, this had less thrills and didn't pull off the horror factor as good. But I really enjoyed the film and will definitely see it again in its' original form - the film had several plot holes btw which I'm sure the deleted footage will be put together for a director's/extended cut. Rating: 8/10

[masterofoneinchpunch]

To Live & Die in L.A. (1985)

... Did they even get permission or was the whole thing shot improvised (highly unlikely but with such conviction you can never tell)? Rating: 8.5/10

...

I consider that one of the most underrated films of the 1980s. The whole car chase scene was thought up in advance and everything was set-up. Storyboards were also used. Great planning and one of the best car chases of all-time. Check out the extras on the DVD, totally worth seeing including an alternate ending I'm glad they did not use and an OK deleted scene.

William Dafoe was also great in it.

[ShaOW!linDude]

THE BLEEDING (2009) --- Stars: Michael Matthias, Vinnie Jones, Michael Madsen, Rachelle Leah, DMX, Kat Von D

2 brothers were soldiers in Afghanistan. 1 dies and disappears only to resurface 5 years later as a vampire and will become king of the bloodsuckers unless his brother kills him.

Oh, this is bad. I mean "bad" in the bad sense. Ugh. The premise is lame. The acting is poor (well, except for Michael Madsen in the role of a not very righteous priest). The action is meh. It tries to be a cross between BLADE and JOHN CARPENTER'S VAMPIRES. It doesn't work. Michael Matthias comes across as a cross between Vin Diesel and Bas Rutten with the narrative voice of Lou Ferrigno. Sheesh. I encourage you all to skip this.

[DarthKato]

THE BLEEDING (2009) --- Stars: Michael Matthias, Vinnie Jones, Michael Madsen, Rachelle Leah, DMX, Kat Von D

2 brothers were soldiers in Afghanistan. 1 dies and disappears only to resurface 5 years later as a vampire and will become king of the bloodsuckers unless his brother kills him.

Oh, this is bad. I mean "bad" in the bad sense. Ugh. The premise is lame. The acting is poor (well, except for Michael Madsen in the role of a not very righteous priest). The action is meh. It tries to be a cross between BLADE and JOHN CARPENTER'S VAMPIRES. It doesn't work. Michael Matthias comes across as a cross between Vin Diesel and Bas Rutten with the narrative voice of Lou Ferrigno. Sheesh. I encourage you all to skip this.

What is the premise of the film? Did the Taliban employ the services of Dracula to turn our soldiers into vampires or something?

[So High]

Watching anime as of late. Watched Paprika and Mardock Scramble. I had seen Paprika before, its one of my favorites. I had never seen Mardock Scramble first compression though. Its a cyberpunk SVU best way to describe it. I don't wanna give a whole review and ruin it for anybody that hasn't seen it. It wasn't very long think it was right at an hour and ended in a cliffhanger now I gotta wait another year probably before I can get the second one and find out what happens.

[ShaOW!linDude]

BLADES OF GLORY --- stars Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Jenna Fischer, Craig T. Nelson

Chazz Michael Michaels (WF), and Jimmy MacElroy (JH) are rival male figure skaters whose hatred of one another get them banned from the sport. The only way they can ever compete again is to partner up for the category of pairs figure skating.

I know most folks don't care for WF's films but he almost always cracks me up. He plays his usual swaggering, testosterone-dripping, Alpha male rebel to JH's foppish, spoiled little rich boy. To me, they both have their comedic moments and the things they do in their skating routines are uncomfortably funny.

To quote WF's Chazz Michael Michaels: "It's mind-bottling.":tongue:

[massa_yoda]

BLADES OF GLORY --- stars Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Jenna Fischer, Craig T. Nelson

Chazz Michael Michaels (WF), and Jimmy MacElroy (JH) are rival male figure skaters whose hatred of one another get them banned from the sport. The only way they can ever compete again is to partner up for the category of pairs figure skating.

I know most folks don't care for WF's films but he almost always cracks me up. He plays his usual swaggering, testosterone-dripping, Alpha male rebel to JH's foppish, spoiled little rich boy. To me, they both have their comedic moments and the things they do in their skating routines are uncomfortably funny.

To quote WF's Chazz Michael Michaels: "It's mind-bottling.":tongue:

Yep, I actually liked this one too. His character wasn't too stupid to take me out of it. Good supporting cast and cameos as well.

[DiP]

Speed (1994)

Damn, can't recall the last time I saw this one but it was pure adrenaline-pumping and just overall awesomeness in its' execution for being a simple big-budgeted action film. It really saddens me that this was one of the last of its' kind before the millennium. Whatever happened after that point, Hollywood blockbusters started declining once films like this were stopped being made and people were getting lazy and sloppy with bringing up new ideas. Hella good times...! Rating: 10/10

Colors (1988)

The film is still carries a very interesting premise but sadly it has so much faults it brings down the whole film as the story is about to get more involving. The makers really did a good job showing certain traits within the L.A. gang life but the film needed alot more to stand out because some things straight out takes away the depth and at times turns the film into pure cheese (dialogue and action scenes). Production values and direction didn't help either. The acting was a mixed bag and shifted between being amateurish (the actors playing the gang bangers), deliberately over-the-top/amusing (Penn) and natural/realistic (Duvall). Duvall performed with heart but that's about as good the film gets, really. The film has really showed its' age and it's not a pretty sight (mostly). Rating: 4/10

[DarthKato]

Speed (1994)

Damn, can't recall the last time I saw this one but it was pure adrenaline-pumping and just overall awesomeness in its' execution for being a simple big-budgeted action film. It really saddens me that this was one of the last of its' kind before the millennium. Whatever happened after that point, Hollywood blockbusters started declining once films like this were stopped being made and people were getting lazy and sloppy with bringing up new ideas. Hella good times...! Rating: 10/10

Truer words where never spoken.That movie is awesome!

Just got throught watching "Equilibrium".

DarthKato's Review: "Equilibrium"

[massa_yoda]

Speed (1994)

Damn, can't recall the last time I saw this one but it was pure adrenaline-pumping and just overall awesomeness in its' execution for being a simple big-budgeted action film. It really saddens me that this was one of the last of its' kind before the millennium. Whatever happened after that point, Hollywood blockbusters started declining once films like this were stopped being made and people were getting lazy and sloppy with bringing up new ideas. Hella good times...! Rating: 10/10

This was the year before Michael Bay started taking over I think. And ID4 and all that. Movies stopped being about cops and robbers...at least the big 'event' movies. Things really changed due to advancements in CGI and all that.

I'm watching this right now! Classic.

[ShaOW!linDude]

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES --- stars, Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush

Capt. Jack Sparrow (JD) lead Blackbeard (IM) and his daughter Angelica (PC), Jack's former flame, to the Fountain of Youth with Barbarosa (GR) in pursuit.

Some folks didn't care for it. I kind of liked it. There was some good action, especially the sword fighting and I thought the f/x were quite neat. Depp didn't seem to have as many funny lines in this one though. (I think I actually caught most of them in the trailers. Drag.) Still, Sparrow is a character I thoroughly enjoy and I'm looking forward to the next one.

[So High]

This was the year before Michael Bay started taking over I think. And ID4 and all that. Movies stopped being about cops and robbers...at least the big 'event' movies. Things really changed due to advancements in CGI and all that.

I'm watching this right now! Classic.

I think the 3rd Die Hard is in the same category with Speed. I remember watchin it for the first time and it was an adrenaline rush the whole movie. That was a big event movie I think. Your right though soon after it was all about cgi and things didn't look so real anymore. I say that to include the train wreck in Die Hard it looked so real. Nowadays with something like that its all cgi and fake as hell looking.

[DiP]

Poltergeist (1982)

Great mixture of family drama (with that E.T feel to it, thanks to Spielberg's involvement as a producer), horror and fantasy. Just about everything here was done right: script, cast, the cinematography, music, special effects, props etc. Although it is perfectly explained and implicated in the story, it only made it more fascinating about the ghosts and the "other side" world that the little girl was trapped in so I really wanted the story to move to that part and explore more of that world and its' inhabitants. Rating: 8/10

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

The film that created a wave of horror films featuring main antagonists with specific traits and flavors (Michael M, Jason V, Freddy C etc). The film is extremely thin (a group of young adults getting themselves into danger after a simple trip) but to the Hopper's credit, the film's strength is the horrific and unpredictable setting that sets out the horror factor at all times and flawlessly, and keeping you at the edge of your seat anticipating the gruesome moments. The low-budget feel also gives the story a pretty ugly look that fits into the film's style as well. Rating: 10/10

[CatNap]

Poltergeist is a guilty pleasure of mine too. I also really loved "Hell Night" and "Silent Night, Deadly Night." Right now three of my current favorites on the small screen are "The Walking Dead," Once Upon a Time" and "The Killing."

[massa_yoda]

Let the Bullets Fly

This film starts with a terrible looking CGI train wreck. Fortunately, dialogue doesn't need CGI, cause that's what the rest of the film is. I feel like I missed some of the jokes, but generally the dialogue seemed fast and witty. I also liked that director/star Jiang Wen keeps the camera moving during the talk-heavy scenes. There was good build-up in the first hour, but I was a little disappointed in the payoff. Interesting characters, but sometimes the decision-making was confusing. I think I need to watch this one again to understand things better. The subtitles go by lightening fast sometimes.

But yeah, good movie. Moved pretty fast. I just need to think about it some more.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

^ I bought Let the Bullets Fly but I have not seen yet. Many middling reviews and comments have me pushing it back a bit.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012: John Madden) ***½/****

This is done in the network narrative style (always a critical favorite style) of Grand Hotel. Here we follow several beautiful English elders and how their lives interact with each other and with Jaipur India. They signed up to stay at a plush and elegant hotel for the elderly and beautiful for a reasonable amount. But when they arrive at the resort it is not quite what is in the brochure. It is quaint, a bit dilapidated and it is run by the well-meaning but slightly incompetent Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel: Slumdog Milllionaire) who is simultaneously trying to make a name for himself with the hotel so he can be a suitable husband for his girlfriend and a suitable son for his mother and hopefully improve from his third favorite son status.

The story is narrated through, though not limited by, Evelyn Greensalde (Judi Dench) who has been a housewife all of her life, but her recently passed husband left her finances in shambles. In addition, there is a retiree Graham Dashwood (Tom Wilkinson) who previously lived in India as a youth and is looking for something from his past. There is Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith) who needs a hip operation and finds it cheap and fast in India. However, she is an unabashed racist. Add in the bickering couple of Douglas Ainslie (Bill Nighy: Hot Fuzz) and his wife Jean who is by far the most frustrating character in the movie. And rounding out this English wild bunch is the female and male romantically longing and sexually frustrated Doppelgangers Madge Hardcastle (Celia Imrie) and Norman Cousins (Ronald Pickup: Prince of Persia). Will these two get together? Who will get together among these expatriates?

In some ways the film is quite predictable. I knew someone was going to die of a heart condition, though they joke with it early in the film and the trailer I saw months back as well. It is a given that the cantankerous and racist ways of Muriel Donnelly will soften. I believe we know what will happen with Sonny's relationship in his relationship triangle with his mom and girlfriend. But with a mixture of storylines it was wise to not leave everything happy and to tease about some relationships but not to pursue them.

This is a fun and uplifting film with performances from a cast that improves the atmosphere. India is shown beautifully here with a dichotomy between the new and old most easily seen in the architecture though noticeable in the personal interactions there as well from the arranged marriage to the untouchables.

The oldest crowd I have been a part of in years or ever. I was the second youngest there and the youngest was an apparently bored looking teenage girl stuck with her parents. I tend to go at early times to avoid crowds, but the 3:20 PM showing was rather busy. Of course they show the Pepsi commercial I have mentioned several times after the equally obnoxious Fandango advertisement. Apparently senior citizens also find Flavor Flav funny. Older crowds tend to be more polite and tend to be more courteous with the cell phone use (or do not own one). One phone did go off (I bet it was the young girl), but that individual was quickly pounced upon.