Schoolio's Movie Corner

[SoulDischarge]

I WILL SHOW YOU THE LIFE OF THE MIND

[sbessiso]

I never saw Barton Fink but man I hated Intolerable Cruelty, and I so badly wanted to like it. I dug the idea of The Coens doing their version of a rom-com but ughhhhhh

[wmgaretjax]

I'd rank them best to least:

No Country for Old Men
Fargo
A Serious Man
Miller's Crossing
The Big Lebowski
Raising Arizona
Barton Fink
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
The Man Who Wasn't There
Blood Simple
Burn After Reading
The Hudsucker Proxy
Intolerable Cruelty
The Ladykillers

Whoa. This is probably exactly what I would choose... Except Barton Fink would hang out in the bottom 3. The biblical allegory shit in that movie is obnoxious.

[SoulDischarge]

Damn. I didn't realize there was so much hate for Barton Fink around. I never get sick fo that one.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

i watched JCVD last night...pretty damn good! Great cinematography, well-paced, surprising acting from Van Damme!

The single shot action sequence at the beginning is to die for, too

[rage patton]

Just curious, has any, or is anyone, going to an advanced screening of Where The Wild Things Are? So far, I have heard only good things and my excitement level is beginning to peak.

[M Sparks]

I didn't think Hudsucker was that funny. Paul Newman was great, but otherwise pass.

This is why Gunz is on my sex island and you aren't.

[AlecEiffel]

Just curious, has any, or is anyone, going to an advanced screening of Where The Wild Things Are? So far, I have heard only good things and my excitement level is beginning to peak.

Vern called it a masterpiece, and his approval is generally a pretty good sign.

[MissingPerson]

From what I hear, it doesn't quite live up to it's promise, but it's still better than any other contender in it's field.

[Still-ill]

Damn. I didn't realize there was so much hate for Barton Fink around. I never get sick fo that one.

No kidding I love that film. It's one of my favorites by them.

[chairmenmeow47]

hearing paul newman say "DINGUS" makes the whole movie for me.

[whynotsmile99]

so the trailer doesn't do much for me, but I can't wait to see Broken Embraces. Almodovar is one of my favorite filmmakers and Penelope Cruz does look amazing in it

http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony/brokenembraces/

[SoulDischarge]

More Almodovar is always a good thing.

[schoolofruckus]

Just curious, has any, or is anyone, going to an advanced screening of Where The Wild Things Are? So far, I have heard only good things and my excitement level is beginning to peak.

Moby taking the Wiltern stage at 8:50 fucks up my chance at seeing it tonight. I'm pissed.

[sbessiso]

This one warms my heart

http://www.joblo.com/newsimages1/Slinkypostsm.jpg


RIP Ernest

[sbessiso]

I know this is just going to stir shit up, but Barton Fink>O Brother.

you are fucking insane

Also Re: WTWTA this is an interesting review

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/42723

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Watched Trick 'R Treat last night! What a goddamn fun movie! Definitely a Halloween classic. Anna Paquin's story has an especially great ending

[AlecEiffel]

I thought the bit with Anna Paquin was the movie's weakest, though it did give a satisfying conclusion to an earlier story. The Brian Cox story was so awesome though, I could easily have watched a movie that was only that.

[SoulDischarge]

you are fucking insane

I thought you said you haven't even seen Barton Fink.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I thought the bit with Anna Paquin was the movie's weakest, though it did give a satisfying conclusion to an earlier story. The Brian Cox story was so awesome though, I could easily have watched a movie that was only that.

Anna's story was definitely a LOT of build buildup seemingly going nowhere, but the payoff was so satisfying and out of the blue

Brian Cox was almost invisible in that role, it was great. it was certainly the most outright slasher/cliche horror movie element of the film, but it was done incredibly well

[sbessiso]

I thought you said you haven't even seen Barton Fink.

But O Brother is just so gooooooood

[SoulDischarge]

You have the Nanny as your avatar. What do you know about anything. O Brother was entertaining, but it's not one of their best to me.

[woogie846]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but...
6-wqmnJrOFM

[whynotsmile99]

can't wait to see Black Dynamite. I love blaxplotation flims and everything I've been reading about this seems great. if you haven't seen Human Tornado or the The Mack, get to it

[clumsy342]

gonna go see Where The Wild Things are tonight at IMAX..

hope it's gooooood.
I'm trying to not get my hopes up.

[AlecEiffel]

Brian Cox was almost invisible in that role, it was great. it was certainly the most outright slasher/cliche horror movie element of the film, but it was done incredibly well

True, but an interesting twist. Instead of a good looking and helpless teenager/20 something running away it was a grizzled, drunken old man fighting. There needs to be more slasher movies with grizzled, drunken old men as protagonists.

[Still-ill]

Just got back from Where the Wild things are... wow. Thats the most I've enjoyed a movie since There Will be Blood. That was just perfect.

I knew it was going to be strange, but it was borderline bizarre.

[rage patton]

FUCKING WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE TONIGHT!

Glad to hear it Still-ill. Glad to hear it.

Im officially going to stop reading anything about the movie until I see it tonight.

[Still-ill]

FUCKING WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE TONIGHT!

Glad to hear it Still-ill. Glad to hear it.

Im officially going to stop reading anything about the movie until I see it tonight.

Yeah dont! (Don't even read this)I ignored the fact I was even seeing the film till the opening credits started. It took a lot of willpower, but it was worth it.

[crumbduck]

Picked up free tickets to AFI Fest screenings of Fantastic Mr. Fox, The White Ribbon and Kanikosen. Sweet!

[atom heart]

!WILD THINGS! SPOILERS!

Absurd, bizarre, and pisspants scary at times (thanks for the warning, Maurice!). While I loved nearly all of it, it was never quite as engaging as I would have liked, though I did see it at midnight so I had to actively keep my focus (I'm not much of a night person). The ice cave getting crushed gave me a fright nearly as bad as the bit in the Abyss where Mary Elizabeth Mastriantonio is drowning in a capsule at the bottom of the ocean. In the end I think it suffers a bit from a singleness of intention-- that the Wild Things are all bad emotions results in an oddly uniform dreariness that is only partially broken up by Max's wild plans for the Wild Thing Kingdom.

The clearly absurd touches make the film for me-- the myriad strangeness of the wild things astounds-- Douglas's arm, their sack-like insides. The wild things weave across the line between puppet and creature and person in a slightly disturbing manner.

[betao]

Just saw Paranormal Activity tonight.

Very very creepy movie. Very suspenseful.

[Dale Gribble]

Just saw Paranormal Activity tonight.

Very very creepy movie. Very suspenseful.

I liked it, but there were too many idiots in my audience. Killed the vibe at times.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Saw Where the Wild Things Are tonight. Meh. Once the novelty of the admittedly extraordinary wild things costumes/effects wears off, we're not left with much. Perhaps you have to have a childhood attachment to this book or be a child of divorce to get hooked here.

Firstly, if you have kids, don't take them. They'll alternately be terrified and then bored out of their minds.

The Good:

The kid is a pretty decent actor and his beautiful big saucer eyes are perfect at communicating a great deal of emotion with just a glance. He reminds me a bit of a young Rory Kulkin, though I'd say Kulkin is a better actor.

The costumes/puppets are absolutely delightful. The choice to use "real" costumes/puppets rather than doing everything with CGI was a wise move. It made the fantasy world and Max's interaction with it and its inhabitants much more interesting because everything was so much more tactile.

The casting. The voice actors (especially Catherine O'Hara) are just perfect for their roles.

The music. Absolutely beautiful. Karen O's vocals and Carter Burwell's music added a lovely dimension to the film.

There are some lovely images in the film such as Max atop one of the Wild Things shoulders or of him huddled with all of the them in massive pile as they gently sleep. It's a visually lovely film.

The first 15-20 minutes of the film (set in the "real" world) are, by far, the best of the film. Seeing Max delight in building his snow fortress and then have his safe enclave destroyed by his sister's friends, seeing him madly tussle with his dog in a mock battle or seeing him tenderly cheer his mother's spirits as she labors at her home computer are all far more compelling than anything that follows in the 'fantasy' section of the film.

The Bad:

Oh, not much was wrong with this film. You know, except for the direction and the screenplay. It has to be a challenge to adapt a book that has less than 400 words into a feature length film. I am grateful that Eggers and Jonze didn't decide to try and spell everything out for us. For example, it's clear that Max misses his father and has been traumatized by his parent's split, but this is never explicitly discussed. It's also apparent that the Wild Things are extensions of multiple facets of Max's own personality; his personal demons; the way he's dealing with his new family situation. That's good.

The trouble is, once we get to this magical island, there are a few bright moments of ecstatic joy which usually involve a lot of physicality (the building of the fort, the running, leaping and bounding through the forest, the "war" dirt ball fight), but in between all those moments are endless sighs and grunts and painful, awkward dialogue from the wild things about their relationships and their own personal demons. It feels like a bad take on Woody Allen doing a bad take on Ingmar Bergman. The film becomes about them when it should have remained about Max. It drags and then crawls out of the dull and moody world of the Wild Things to a somewhat sugary and sentimental end back in his mother's kitchen.

Lovely visuals, incredible puppetry/costumes, a compelling first 1/4 of the film, a fine young actor and a few isolated moments of cinematic magic are not enough to sustain this film. This never should have been a feature length. I can only see this film working if it were a short; no longer than 45 mins to an hour.

[hawkingvsreeve]

The Bad:

The trouble is, once we get to this magical island, there are a few bright moments of ecstatic joy which usually involve a lot of physicality (the building of the fort, the running, leaping and bounding through the forest, the "war" dirt ball fight), but in between all those moments are endless sighs and grunts and painful, awkward dialogue from the wild things about their relationships and their own personal demons. It feels like a bad take on Woody Allen doing a bad take on Ingmar Bergman. The film becomes about them when it should have remained about Max. It drags and then crawls out of the dull and moody world of the Wild Things to a somewhat sugary and sentimental end back in his mother's kitchen.


These are creatures that exist inside an 8 year old's head. As such, the dialogue is at an 8 year old level. That being said...


I enjoyed it. It was cute and fun and serious when it needed to be, and I dont have much to say against it. I would have liked maybe 10 more minutes at the beginning of the film for more character development, or so we could see some more conflict at home. A kid up on a counter not behaving doesn't strike me as "out of control" when we are only seeing that for the first time in the film. Also a better transition to the island would have been nice, or maybe somehow letting us know that where Max lives is near a body of water. It seemed like a lake just appeared behind some houses down in a ditch. Also it seems like it wasnt very cold outside at night, considering there was snow during the day. I dunno, it's just a small thing really.

I enjoyed the music a lot, the creatures were wonderfully expressive which I thought was very impressive, and that kid was really great. I'll probably pick it up when they put it out on BR solely for the technical commentary. I'm interested to hear those kind of details.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

These are creatures that exist inside an 8 year old's head. As such, the dialogue is at an 8 year old level. That being said...


That's a fine point and I accept it. I guess after a while, I felt like I was watching a child play pretend in a playground rather than seeing his pretend world through his eyes. Does that make sense? I'm glad the kid is having an amazing time and, yes, it's nice to look up from my book every few minutes and catch him jumping around on the monkey bars and giggling and snorting with delight, but sitting there for 2 hours watching him do this gets a bit mind numbing.

[buddy]

enjoyed it as well. music fit well, and spike did a good job in filling in a story that wasn't that long to begin with. the movie didn't drag at all to me. not a classic by any means, but an enjoyable film for what i was expecting.

[buddy]

but sitting there for 2 hours watching him do this gets a bit mind numbing.

the movie was only an hour and half.

[wmgaretjax]

I really want to see Perestroika:
http://www.apengine.org/2009/10/sarah-turner-on-perestroika/

[iv3rdawG]

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/2648/cher1artworkpic.jpg

Kind of weird that I saw it almost a year ago and it's only getting a release now (now being January).

[wmgaretjax]

fuck yes.

[nbvcide]

that didn't already come out last january? i've seen both Part 1 & Part 2..

[Sushov23]

Spike Jonze i'm just not a fan of yours. Damn shame, wanted to love Where the wild things are.

[rage patton]

Where The Wild Thing Are was sold out at basically every threatre in Vancouver yesterday. So I didn't get to see it. And I wasn't able to see it today. Im also not going to be able to see it tomorrow. I don't know when Im going to get a chance to see it. :(

[Still-ill]

Spike Jonze i'm just not a fan of yours. Damn shame, wanted to love Where the wild things are.

What more could you have wanted? That movie had everything.

[Sushov23]

What more could you have wanted? That movie had everything.

I'm just not a Jonze fan is all. I might watch it again sometime during the week.

[wmgaretjax]

I'm pretty sure Adaptation is an example of a perfect film in my mind. I'm keeping my expectations low for WTWTA though.

[JewFace]

I'm with Rage on this one. I actually loved Jonze's prior work on Adaptation and Being John Malkovich, but Where the Wild Things was pretty much a failure. Beautiful to look at, no doubt. But once you've had a good 15-20 minutes to marvel at the costumes, it falls flat. I'd agree that this might have been much more successful were it a short film.

[Sushov23]

I'm pretty sure Adaptation is an example of a perfect film in my mind. I'm keeping my expectations low for WTWTA though.

I don't know about perfect, but it certainly is a good film. Do not take kids to WTWTA, so many kids around me got very restless after 20-30 minutes. Def, not a movie for kids.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

i also agree that Adaptation is pretty close to being a perfect film. I love every second of it.

WTWTA managed to keep me pretty hooked and moved throughout. Like everyone has said, on a technical level it is brilliant. beyond the creatures, the enviornment and the music were amazing.

But I was also surprised by how inherently sad of a film it is. it's especially jarring to have these giant puppet-like creatures, with very normal, adult human voices, saying very childlike things. There is a lot of pain and happiness and sadness and all sorts of visceral representations of emotions flying all over the place, symbolized in odd ways.

I really liked it

[roberto73]

But I was also surprised by how inherently sad of a film it is.

Emphatically, yes. It's beautiful and lonely and just exquisitely sad. I don't know if it works by the same standard with which we traditionally judge movies (narrative arc, characterization, blah blah blah), but man – it's a movie whose mood punched me in the gut.

[Still-ill]

A quick question to those who didn't like it... How were you all not charmed by "Bob and Terry"?

[nicolemxo]

bob and terry were indeed cute but that wasn't enough to make me love it. :)

sure the puppets, scenery, and music are lovely but for me the movie just dragged in bits. you're on a island with beasts that are depressed and it's your job to try and make them happy for a good hour or so...after awhile i just wanted to see something wild and not so emotional.

[Still-ill]

That movie flashed by for me. Emotionally it was not static for me either. You might even say it was dynamic.

[sbessiso]

Whip It was very entertaining from start to finish. It was surprisingly heartfelt and genuine and you really cared about the main character. Great acting all around, fun soundtrack and its just great to see Daniel Stern working again

[nbvcide]

finally got around to seeing Moon and Away We Go..

Moon was good, straight sci-fi (not as good as Pandorum though).. Away We Go was kinda disappointing, and a little slow..

Capitalism: A Love Story had me leaving the theater afterwards more pissed-off than i think any movie has in recent memory..

[paulb]

Just saw Where the wild things are.....decent....7/10, dont need to watch it for a while....cutesy but no substance.

[humanoid]

Just saw Where the wild things are.....decent....7/10, dont need to watch it for a while....cutesy but no substance.


sounds appropriate considering the source material

[M Sparks]

I saw The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto over the weekend. Just silly nonsense, but highly recommended for anyone who likes Ralph Bakshi movies (or Ren & Stimpy.) Hilarious songs from Hard N Phirm (who you might have seen at Coach '07). Opening credits were awesome. It was odd to hear Rosario Dawson do a ghetto voice, and even weirder since the character appeared white- I suppose that was the joke, but it didn't fully come across. Giamatti was pretty funny as Dr Satan, and adds one more thing to his resume to piss off the people who take him seriously.

Anyway, it was a fun saturday morning diversion. Filthy without being pornographic. If nothing else, the retro-style artwork was fantastic.

onuKSRYBKnA

[C DUB YA]

Where the Wild Things Are, quick (non spoiler) review from me.

I liked it just fine - did not love it. A lot was wrong with it (I can see how the rewrites and re-shoots) were needed. It did seem to drag in places and I just never got overly invested into the "cuteness" or "creativity" of it all. Not a good thing when we are talking about a movie that spans just over an hour and a half.

This seems to happen to films that are based on good books that really zero in on personally experience, and/or the reader's IMAGINATION. Places the book takes you that movie can start to spell out for you, that's usually a let down.

There was some good acting by the kid though, he was a nice choice for the role. Good music too.

I think in the end, they (Spike Jonze mainly) salvaged everything into a good film, it's just NOT a great film.

6.5/10

[C DUB YA]

Oh and here's my Coen list

Best to worst.

Fargo
No Country for Old Men
Miller's Crossing
Raising Arizona
The Big Lebowski
Blood Simple
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
A Serious Man
Barton Fink
The Man Who Wasn't There
Intolerable Cruelty
Burn After Reading
The Hudsucker Proxy
The Ladykillers

[C DUB YA]

finally got around to seeing Moon and Away We Go..

Moon was good, straight sci-fi (not as good as Pandorum though).. Away We Go was kinda disappointing, and a little slow...

I am curious about Pandorum... do tell.

[higgybaby23]

I really enjoyed Where The Wild Things Are, as did my wife. I agree with Drinky's review on the previous page, specifically about the emotional characteristics of the wild things. The theater I was in was PACKED, mostly with families and kids(it was Sat morn). I was surprised by how attentive they were and none were audibly scared. They laughed at the appropriate times and seemed to enjoy the whole film. It left me feeling a sense of wild-childlike glee and a touch of sadness.

[M Sparks]

These are creatures that exist inside an 8 year old's head. As such, the dialogue is at an 8 year old level. That being said...

I thought the dialogue was the best part. I don't think I would have enjoyed it otherwise.

"I hope you don't taste as selfish as you act." Brilliant.

[rage patton]

I thought Where The Wild Things Are was really good. Definately not amazing, but really good. There was a lot wrong with that movie that could have been done better, but I would prefer not to dwell on that, but instead celebrate what was well done. Most of all, visually, it was perfect. That stunned me. The mosters and the landscape were almost exactly how I imagined it as a little kid and to see it come to life in front of me was really special. Like I said, it didn't blow me away... but I really enjoyed it.

[Somewhat Damaged]

Just saw Where the wild things are.....decent....7/10, dont need to watch it for a while....cutesy but no substance.

Sorry, Paul, but this is probably the most ignorant thing I've ever read from you. If you don't feel there was any substance, it's 'cause you weren't paying attention.

I watched Where the Wild Things Are with mob roulette and we were both blown away. I completely bought in with it on an emotional level. The feelings of abandonment and isolation that Max felt were incredibly vivid, and while much of the credit must obviously go to Spike Jonze's direction, Max Records still warrants some commendation for his performance.
I've read a couple different theories on who the wild things are supposed to represent, with Carol and KW being suggested to be both Max's parents as well as Max and his sister. I like the idea of them representing Max and his sister more since that relationship was established right out of the gate, along with how hurt he was when she left with her friends instead of doing anything to console him when his igloo was trashed. Really, this suggestion is the only one that makes sense in light of Max trashing her room and how we see Carol behaving upon the wild things' introduction. Bob and Terry, then, could be representations of Max's sister's new friends: not only is he threatened by their involvement and newfound prominence in her life, but he doesn't understand them.
For the record, as much sadness as there is in the film, it's also fucking hilarious. The pathetic looks on Bob & Terry's faces when KW first clobbers them were priceless, along with Max ordering the hit on "the goat."

[nbvcide]

I am curious about Pandorum... do tell.

it was the best sci-fi flick since Sunshine (that's not saying much, as there is only 1-2 sci-fi releases a year now..), even though Pandorum had a few problems, mostly in the 2nd half.. whereas most sci-fi has to spend the first act explaining every facet of unfamiliar people, places, times.. Pandorum starts already running, with the main character waking up from a deep freeze with some amnesia side effects.. the audience figures out what's going on, alongside the protagonist, which enables immediate suspense without having to build it over a couple acts after much exposition.. it rode the line between sci-fi and sci-thriller (ala Alien and Sunshine), whereas the recent flick Moon was straight hard sci-fi (more like 2001 or Solaris)..



man.. after reading everyone's Coen list i can't help but feel that Fargo is overrated..

[chairmenmeow47]

Oh and here's my Coen list

Best to worst.

Fargo
No Country for Old Men
Miller's Crossing
Raising Arizona
The Big Lebowski
Blood Simple
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
A Serious Man
Barton Fink
The Man Who Wasn't There
Intolerable Cruelty
Burn After Reading
The Hudsucker Proxy
The Ladykillers

i haven't done this yet:


Raising Arizona
The Big Lebowski
Fargo
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
The Hudsucker Proxy
No Country for Old Men (it's not a bad movie, it just doesn't have much replay value for me)
Burn After Reading
Intolerable Cruelty



have not seen:


The Ladykillers
Miller's Crossing
Blood Simple
A Serious Man
Barton Fink
The Man Who Wasn't There

[kroqken]

When will Todd Solondz's new film "Life During Wartime" FINALLY be released?

[nbvcide]

wtf is this thread doing on the 2nd page??? bump

and a dvdscreener copy of Paranormal Activity {GREAT QUALITY} is out for anyone wanting to watch it at home (the best way i'd recommend it) without retarded teenagers acting stupid throughout the whole thing in the theater with you.. (to be honest, i think it's scarier at home, late at night, with the sound turned up, just like Antichrist was)





* No Country for Old Men
* O Brother, Where Art Thou?
* The Big Lebowski
* Raising Arizona
* Burn After Reading
* The Man Who Wasn't There
* Fargo
* Blood Simple (i haven't seen in years and i think i always get this mixed up with Blue Velvet.. which one isn't the disgusting one?)


not seen:
* Intolerable Cruelty (i'm certain i saw this, but remember nothing about it)
* The Ladykillers
* Miller's Crossing
* A Serious Man
* Barton Fink

[amyzzz]

YES. I WANT.

[nbvcide]

Oh. and i just found this out, but the downloadable copy of Paranormal Activity has a diff ending than the theatrical version.. i've heard there were 4 versions, and i'm not sure where this one fits in, but it's different than the theatrical version.. i'm not sure which one i like better, both are decent endings though.

[dorkfish]

Yeah, the downloadable version's ending wasn't as good, in my opinion. It's a tad more realistic, at least.

[SoulDischarge]

If it doesn't matter what ending a movie has, doesn't it make the whole thing basically pointless? (Clue being the obvious exception.)

[whynotsmile99]

I finally saw "I am Cuba" and everything I read about it was true. Blew me away. If you've never seen it, do so. Incredibly gorgeous film. I actually own the dvd (never got around to watching it) but saw it in a theater with a Q and A with a camerman from the film (responsible for the shooting the amazing funeral procession)which was a nice treat.

has anyone been to the Downtown Independent theater in downtown LA? Great movie theater. it was my first time going there and I'll certainly be back. Nice, clean theater, they serve beer and wine which you can bring into the theater, a DJ before and after the film and a rooftop lounge. THey show a mix of classic, indie and cult movies and usually have a Q and A after them or after party or even a band.

Soul Power will be there on Saturday, REM's new documentary on Tuesday and a great horror double feature this coming November with a band performance and directors Q & A that I will certainly check out


http://www.downtownindependent.com/events


I was surprised I am Cuba with an amazing guest was barely 3/4 full. If it was an AFI screening it would have sold out. Every time I go out in LA I seem to discover something new

[nbvcide]

Yeah, the downloadable version's ending wasn't as good, in my opinion. It's a tad more realistic, at least.

yup

If it doesn't matter what ending a movie has, doesn't it make the whole thing basically pointless?

nope

[Still-ill]

I really enjoyed Paranormal Activity. Just got back from it

[My thoughts will appear here after I sleep]

[paulb]

I just watched Taxi Driver and Fatal Attraction for the 1st time today....fucking excellent films!

[AlecEiffel]

Yeah, the downloadable version's ending wasn't as good, in my opinion. It's a tad more realistic, at least.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS

The different endings aren't so radically different from each other that they really change anything. The theatrical ending is more open ended, but it doesn't really effect the rest of the film, which is a movie more about the experience of watching it rather than a really great story.

[wmgaretjax]

HD version of antichrist on the interwebs...

[amyzzz]

Fucking hell. Different ending? We were gonna watch it this weekend.

[Still-ill]

HD version of antichrist on the interwebs...

Oh dear.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

HD version of antichrist on the interwebs...

and in theaters tomorrow!

it's playing at the Nuart here, which means a one-week run...gotta see if I can find time to get down there this week...

[paulb]

Antichrist in HD......no thank you.

[schoolofruckus]

and in theaters tomorrow!

it's playing at the Nuart here, which means a one-week run...gotta see if I can find time to get down there this week...

This run is for two weeks.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

This run is for two weeks.

Oh, sweet! That's long for Nuart, this is indeed something special

On Another note, since this thread has been pretty dead lately, i watched Half Nelson this past weekend.

http://thecia.com.au/reviews/h/images/half-nelson-poster-0.jpg

i half expected a sobby, learn-your-lesson heartbreaker addict story and was so relieved to find it was not that.

it's certainly about addiction, but to me doesn't come off as preachy in anyway...it's just about some pretty normal guy (a middle school teacher of all things) who has a drug problem and just how he deals with it

The script is sharp (often funny), many of the performances are absolutely brilliant, camera work and editing is fantastic, and the music choices are great (including a bunch of Broken Social Scene songs). it's got a terrific commentary track too.

[amyzzz]

I fucking LOVE Half Nelson. What a great movie. Need to buy that. Great acting performances all around.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I was pretty shocked by how much I got out of it. I haven't paid much attention to Ryan Gosling at all, but he's amazing in it. that little girl is fucking great too. Damn, it's totally a movie that's gotten stuck into my brain

And Paul, Taxi Driver is AMAZING...one of my all-time favorites. it's very rewatchable too, as there are a ton of layers and symbolic references to unpeel and interpret and reinterpret. Scorsese and Schrader make such a fierce combo

Also from that pair, and while not quite as poignant, I highly recommend the very underappreciated Bringing Out The Dead

http://thisdistractedglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/Bringing%20Out%20The%20Dead%20poster.jpg

By far one of Cage's best performances and a killer ensemble cast of psychopaths (john goodman, tom sizemore, ving rhames, etc). Insanely entertaining movie

[whynotsmile99]

This run is for two weeks.

it's not an exclusive right? i really want to see it, but can wait till it comes to one of the Laemmle theater in pasadena. Seeing "Irreversible" with a packed theater filled with old couples thinking they were seeing some cute French film was an experience I will never forget

[Down Rodeo]

Oh yes, Bringing Out the Dead. Good call.

[amyzzz]

it's not an exclusive right? i really want to see it, but can wait till it comes to one of the Laemmle theater in pasadena. Seeing "Irreversible" with a packed theater filled with old couples thinking they were seeing some cute French film was an experience I will never forget
That sounds pretty hilarious.

[whynotsmile99]

That sounds pretty hilarious.

about 5-7 people ran/slowly pushed their walkers out during the fire extinguisher scene. I would say at least 20 people flocked out during the rape part. it was just a steady stream of people bailing. I've never seen anything like it.

I also saw the great movie Shortbus unedited in Pasadena. It wasn't too full, but it was once again an all older crowd. I don't think anyone left, even with a man ejaculating onto his own face in the first 5 minutes

[sarahpalin]

about 5-7 people ran/slowly pushed their walkers out during the fire extinguisher scene. I would say at least 20 people flocked out during the rape part. it was just a steady stream of people bailing. I've never seen anything like it.

I also saw the great movie Shortbus unedited in Pasadena. It wasn't too full, but it was once again an all older crowd. I don't think anyone left, even with a man ejaculating onto his own face in the first 5 minutes

Shortbus was my greatest Netflix mistake.

Edit: I mean, you betchya!

[amyzzz]

I remember similar audience noises of discomfort during the NC-17 Crash (Cronenberg's movie about people who find car crashes sexually exciting).

[nbvcide]

I remember similar audience noises of discomfort during the NC-17 Crash (Cronenberg's movie about people who find car crashes sexually exciting).

this reminds me of the crowd during the NC-17 version of Dreamers, eww..

Shortbus was my greatest Netflix mistake.


haha, i was trying to see that movie, but Blockbuster Online don't carry it..

Antichrist in HD......no thank you.

Yup, that's what i was thinking..

it's not even a movie that HD would do anything for.. it's extremely low budget, grainy film quality (Super 16mm?), no interesting visuals, no art direction to speak of, and the few things HD is gonna pick you really don't want to see in 1080p.. i'd feel dirty watching it in a crowded room full of strangers lol

[wmgaretjax]

You are an idiot. It's 35mm and it looks the part.

[Still-ill]

it's not even a movie that HD would do anything for.. it's extremely low budget, grainy film quality (Super 16mm?), no interesting visuals, no art direction to speak of, and the few things HD is gonna pick you really don't want to see in 1080p.. i'd feel dirty watching it in a crowded room full of strangers lol

WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!?!?!

[wmgaretjax]

Seriously.

So I was actually partially wrong... I went by what some promotional materials I had said... But I think they goofed and just listed the print format. The RED and Phantom (has anyone hear ever had a chance to shoot on this thing? i've been dying to ever since I got a couple demonstrations) were heavily used... But the point still stands (since both those cameras shoot well beyond standard HD).

[iv3rdawG]

So I got my Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-Ray and turned it on last week for the first time and the Magic Mirror (guide for the menu) recognized the weather outside and started talking about it. Weird.

[SoulDischarge]

I remember similar audience noises of discomfort during the NC-17 Crash (Cronenberg's movie about people who find car crashes sexually exciting).

People walked out of A History Of Violence during the stair sex scene. Something about Cronenberg.

[MissingPerson]

Only movie I've ever seen people walk out of was Hard Candy.

[buddy]

magnolia was one people walked out on i was in.

[wmgaretjax]

I've seen people walk out of quite a few movies. Especially at film festivals. The worst by far was "4" (Chetyre). Probably 1/2 the audience. Then later in the festival when it was announced it one the best new director award people booed.

[SoulDischarge]

Is 4 any good? It's been on my Netflix queue for years.

[nbvcide]

You are an idiot. It's 35mm and it looks the part.

yeah, i don't know if that's the same thing as taking a 16mm print and blowing it up to 35mm..

[wmgaretjax]

Is 4 any good? It's been on my Netflix queue for years.

it's one of my 10 favorite of the decade. it's not a pleasant film... but it stands completely on it's own.

[wmgaretjax]

yeah, i don't know if that's the same thing as taking a 16mm print and blowing it up to 35mm..

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/5893/457486.jpg

super8 much?

[nbvcide]

that looks wonderful on a screen the size of my monitor..

[M Sparks]

I've seen people walk out of quite a few movies. Especially at film festivals.

I don't know if anyone walked out, but I saw a film at a festival once that was really a very mild, innocent, harmless chick-flick. The only reason it was in a festival was that a Native American woman was the writer/director/star. She was in the audience and introduced it.

Anyway, about 2/3rds of the way through this thing (again, it was like a Hallmark or Lifetime TV movie up to this point), the lead character decides to take a bath, and then her husband comes in. Suddenly, it becomes a scene from a Skinimax movie...just a looong scene of big soapy middle-aged tit groping that had virtually nothing to do with the plot. (It did have a slight point, but a passionate kiss and a fade to black would have done the same thing.) Anyway, the fact that she was in the room AND we all knew that it was HER CHOICE to put this scene in and show it to us...well, it should have been hot now that I think about it, but it just creeped everybody out.

I can't remember the title now, but I looked it up on IMDB a few years later and it was rated PG...I guess she got the hint and took the scene out.

I WISH I had walked out on "Nothing Really Matters."

[Courtney]

I've seen people walk out of quite a few movies. Especially at film festivals. The worst by far was "4" (Chetyre). Probably 1/2 the audience. Then later in the festival when it was announced it one the best new director award people booed.

Coincidentally, the only film I have ever attended with a significant amount of walkouts was "The Man From London," a Bela Tarr film that Jared recommended to me at the Hawaii International Film Festival a year (or two?) ago. But mostly I think that was a case of the audience not having accurate expectations.

However, these combined anecdotes lead me to conclude that Jared tends to gravitate towards films that are walk-outable.

[Courtney]

Why is it that the soundtrack is often the best part of Michael Cera movies? Saw this tonight:

http://i36.tinypic.com/10wqmit.jpg

[tonmadcip]

b back l8er, bro, :-)

[M Sparks]

Why is it that the soundtrack is often the best part of Michael Cera movies? Saw this tonight:


How was it? Looked like it could go either way.

[malcolmjamalawesome]

The movie poster for "4" has a seriously big titty.

[wmgaretjax]

that looks wonderful on a screen the size of my monitor..

And just think! that's only 720P. Given the film was shot almost entirely at 4k, that means you have nearly 6 times the resolution on the original print. Holy shit!

[bobert]

Drag Me to Hell was so badass!! Classic Raimi - equally scary and hilarious. Just a lot of fun, everything a horror movie should be. My hat's off to Alison Lohman for a truly heroic performance - it takes a certain kind of actress to deep throat an old lady's fist with such gusto. Thank god Ellen Paige decided her considerable talents were needed elsewhere.

[iv3rdawG]

Actually went and saw Antichrist in the theater. Hm..

[Mr.Nipples]

you have no desire to beat off of touch your own penis now huh...

[amyzzz]

...or maybe he does....

[nbvcide]

WHERE'S MY SCISSORS???

[iv3rdawG]

Ricky Gervais to Host the Golden Globe Awards

Source: Hollywood Foreign Press Association October 26, 2009

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced today that Ricky Gervais will be hosting the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=60343

[M Sparks]

I watched Visioneers over the weekend. Reminded me a lot of a more serious version of The Dark Backward or Meet The Hollowheads. My wife mentioned the beginning of Joe Vs The Volcano as well. Also...the office scenes in Being John Malkovich come to mind.

It was much more serious that I expected considering the cast and subject matter, and interesting to see that Zach Galifinakis' deadpan act translates well to a more serious role.

Now that I think of it, it also reminded me a LOT of The Truman Show.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I just discovered this gem: A TOWN CALLED PANIC

w3uG8LLuVPQ

I am a bit in disbelief that this is actually a feature-length film...i have a feeling that seeing this in a theater may be even weirder than that of witnessing the visual jazz of Aqua Teen the movie on the big screen was

[TallGuyCM]

Just watched The Third Man. It was alright, with how much universal praise Orson Welles gets I expected a little more. Moved along at an alright pace, was easy enough to follow, just didn't wow me much.

[faxman75]

Short Bus. That was a lot of fucking.

[Gonshman]

I think I'm going to see This Is It tonight

[TallGuyCM]

Also watched Management last night. Kinda funny, kinda sad, very pathetic in ways, kinda touching too I guess. And extremely far-fetched. Entertaining enough for 90 minutes though. Jennifer Aniston was hot, of course.

[faxman75]

I watched Paranormal Activity. I was surprised that I liked it but I thought the girl was a good actress. It came off pretty well as legit, I wish they would have marketed it a bit more as a reality thing but it's kinda hard to keep that stuff under wraps especially when it was made a bit of time ago.

RE Short Bus: My jaw dropped several times. I don't think I have ever watched a guy eat another guys ass out before nor have I ever seen a guy suck his own cock and drink his own cum. Yikes.

[malcolmjamalawesome]

Short Bus. That was a lot of fucking.

And jizzing.

[amyzzz]

I watched Paranormal Activity. I was surprised that I liked it but I thought the girl was a good actress. It came off pretty well as legit, I wish they would have marketed it a bit more as a reality thing but it's kinda hard to keep that stuff under wraps especially when it was made a bit of time ago.

My jaw dropped several times. I don't think I have ever watched a guy eat another guys ass out before nor have I ever seen a guy suck his own cock and drink his own cum. Yikes.
Ok, I know I saw the d/l version of Paranormal Activity, but...what..?

[TallGuyCM]

My jaw dropped several times. I don't think I have ever watched a guy eat another guys ass out before nor have I ever seen a guy suck his own cock and drink his own cum. Yikes.

I would think for you that would be normal activity. :rotfl

[faxman75]

I would think for you that would be normal activity. :rotfl

:nono

[wmgaretjax]

the guy that cums in his own mouth is so fucking hot.

[faxman75]

Ok, I know I saw the d/l version of Paranormal Activity, but...what..?

Sorry my work PC randomly times out and deletes mid post sometimes and I hurry to retype it. I was talking about short bus in that paragraph.

[TallGuyCM]

Sorry my work PC randomly times out and deletes mid post sometimes and I hurry to retype it. I was talking about short bus in that paragraph.

Ohhhhhhhhh, that makes sense now. I was gonna say, why would they put all that shit in Paranormal Activity??

[humanoid]

Ohhhhhhhhh, that makes sense now. I was gonna say, why would they put all that shit in Paranormal Activity??

those would be some fucked up ghosts

[amyzzz]

That would've made a better movie.

[BKsaysAction!]

That would've made a better movie.

agreed, then they'd say something along the lines of "why won't the fuck demons go away?!"

I'm looking at you adult industry, make it so.

[nbvcide]

lolz

[amyzzz]

She could've been possessed by an incubus.

[nbvcide]

that chick was soo fuckin hot..

sorry, just sayin'

[amyzzz]

cleavage-fest.

[MissingPerson]

Oh God, please stop looking so terrible.

UEu4Ix4NL0U

EDIT: The stuff on the latest phase of the website - http://www.youaretheexperiment.com - is actually very cool, but I think that's probably more to the immense credit of the website guys than Kelly's own "vision".

[kroqken]

I still can't wait for Todd Solondz's new film "Life During Wartime."

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

New Avatar trailer!

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809804784/video/16357477

[faxman75]

I rewatched the last half of Short Bus again last night and even with all of the cum drinking and rim jobs going on this movie is pretty great. I really enjoyed it in all of its perversion. One of the most celebretory, climactic endings I have seen in a while.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Shortbus is done by the guy who created Hedwig and the Angry Inch, right? I want to see that

[buddy]

another in a line of music bio pics. john lennon this time. i'll probably watch this, though.
<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y6Km9L1Sqd0&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y6Km9L1Sqd0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

that looks pretty good! I wonder if they'll actually get rights to any Lennon/beatles songs for it...

Interestingly enough, GOLDFRAPP is doing the score for it!

[buddy]

the rolling stone (http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/10/28/trailer-for-john-lennon-biopic-nowhere-boy-debuts/) article isn't clear if they have rights either. no u.s. release date yet.

[M Sparks]

I rewatched the last half of Short Bus again last night and thanks to all of the cum drinking and rim jobs going on this movie is pretty great.

Fixed.

[M Sparks]

So, I don't know what made me think of this, but does anyone have any opinions/feelings/insights on Bad Boy Bubby? I haven't seen it in a few years, and I was wondering if anyone thought it was worth revisiting. I thought I might see the stomach-churning first half in a different light now that I know how uplifting it ultimately is.

[kroqken]

I'm still more excited by Todd Solondz's new movie, a semi-sequel to Happiness.

[SoulDischarge]

WE KNOW KEN WE KNOW.

[PassiveTheory]

I don't think so, Patrick. I think that Ken should emphasize even more how much he's excited by Todd Solondz's new movie, a semi-sequel to Happiness.

Isn't that right, Ken?

[faxman75]

I watched the first half of "Moon" last night. I'm enjoying it quite a bit. This thread has been wonderful and has given me so many movies to watch over the past year.

[M Sparks]

Has anyone heard anything about Todd Solondz's new film "Life During Wartime." I heard it was a semi-sequel to "Stop Making Sense".

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

featurette on AVATAR. lots of good footage. my excitement BOILS

geNv6FUK0HU

[Mr.Nipples]

avatar looks like total shit...

[Geno_guerrero]

Avatar looks like PS3 or xbox cutscenes, if I wanted that I would just buy a videogame...

[unitedwesuck]

AVATAR is GAY. It's going to totally FAIL at the box office and everyone is going to think its shit because some of you people on this message board think so ;)

[malcolmjamalawesome]

Oh God, please stop looking so terrible.

UEu4Ix4NL0U

EDIT: The stuff on the latest phase of the website - http://www.youaretheexperiment.com - is actually very cool, but I think that's probably more to the immense credit of the website guys than Kelly's own "vision".

Jesus christ.

[malcolmjamalawesome]

By the way, I've thought about it more, and I fucking loved Antichrist.

[MissingPerson]

Jesus christ.

Don't you understand?!?! LOOK IN THE MIRROR!!! THAT'S HIMSELF!

Richard Kelly is a genius.

[malcolmjamalawesome]

I wanted to buttfuck that video. But as a punishment, rather than a glorious gift.

[MissingPerson]

And that bit doesn't even have Cameron Diaz' accent.

Cameron Diaz' accent. God help us all, Cameron Diaz' accent.

[Mr. Dylanja]

And that bit doesn't even have Cameron Diaz' accent.

Cameron Diaz' accent. God help us all, Cameron Diaz' accent.

Reason #13048954656178236 for duct tape.

[MissingPerson]

The only watchable clip so far is this one.

5bfcLqSsqic

Because it doesn't have any of the cast or Richard Kelly's dialogue.

[wmgaretjax]

Jesus christ.

feels very lynchian. which makes sense to me given the transition from darko to southland tales. i actually thought that clip was promising. more interesting than the initial concept to me. i loved the lighting.

[MissingPerson]

It was going alright until the last couple of seconds, and then I slapped my forehead so hard my teeth rattled.

All of it looks gorgeous, and that's not usually something I'd notice, but the dialogue and the script and pretty much everything else...

[kroqken]

Has anyone heard anything about Todd Solondz's new film "Life During Wartime." I heard it was a semi-sequel to "Stop Making Sense".

I think the title is coincidence with comparison to the Talking Heads song.

[iv3rdawG]

Just saw Fantastic Mr. Fox. It was so good. One of the best movies I've seen this year. The animation is really incredible stuff.

"Cluster cuss."

[kroqken]

Anyone read that L.A. Times article on "the Room" being a cult movie sensation? I still have not seen it. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-et-the-room30-2009oct30,0,5667080.story?track=rss

[wmgaretjax]

It's too long.

[M Sparks]

So...is it just me, or do youtube tags not work any more? I've got a ton of white boxes.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

So...is it just me, or do youtube tags not work any more? I've got a ton of white boxes.

it's just you? They're all working for me.

[M Sparks]

Back now. Maybe youtube was down this morning.

[iv3rdawG]

Saw Haneke's The White Ribbon. Such a stunning film to look at. Wow. I loved the narration and the acting from the kids to the adults was really fantastic.

[liquidsnake28]

Paranormal Activity was easily one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. Now keep in mind I'm a fan of horror films that look like home videos. I liked Blair Witch Project, Quarantine, Cloverfield, Diary of the Dead, etc. This, however, was the worst piece of shit I've ever seen. First of all it's kind of hard to convince people that a house is haunted when it's brand fucking new. It's disgusting how much money this thing is making.

[amyzzz]

Demon was following her around from house to house. It's irrelevant that the house was new.

[wmgaretjax]

First of all it's kind of hard to convince people that a house is haunted when it's brand fucking new. It's disgusting how much money this thing is making.

You don't pay much attention do you?

[menikmati]

Paranormal Activity was easily one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. Now keep in mind I'm a fan of horror films that look like home videos. I liked Blair Witch Project, Quarantine, Cloverfield, Diary of the Dead, etc. This, however, was the worst piece of shit I've ever seen. First of all it's kind of hard to convince people that a house is haunted when it's brand fucking new. It's disgusting how much money this thing is making.

Don't worry...remember Blair Witch 2? This is heading down the same path....it'll be forgotten about in 3 years.

[Still-ill]

You don't pay much attention do you?

Hehehe...

[AlecEiffel]

You like Diary of the Dead but you think Paranormal Activity was the worst movie ever?

Also, is the main reason you didn't like the movie because you missed a very, very clearly explained plot point? Not that it would necessarily matter that the house was new, anyway. Haven't you seen Poltergeist?

[liquidsnake28]

You don't pay much attention do you?

To this movie, no. I didn't pay much attention because it completely fucking sucked. Should I have? Please explain to me the redeeming quality of this abysmal film. This should be rich coming from someone who hated Superbad and every other good movie of the last five years.

If your refering to the fact that they said the spirit would follow her everywhere she goes so leaving the house would do nothing ... yeah, yeah, whatever. That doesn't change the fact that they're in a brand fucking new house that's supposed to be haunted. I want to see you try to defend this horseshit.

[humanoid]

I have yet to see Paranormal Activity, I'm gonna wait and hope that it comes to the $2 theater near my house...which it likely will in a while.

Has anyone seen House of the Devil?

[Dale Gribble]

IT FOLLOWS HER EVERYWHERE SHE GOES. You think the ghost says to itself "hmmm this house is too new for my taste. I'll wait till she moves into something a little older before I haunt her again."

[liquidsnake28]

You like Diary of the Dead but you think Paranormal Activity was the worst movie ever?

Also, is the main reason you didn't like the movie because you missed a very, very clearly explained plot point? Not that it would necessarily matter that the house was new, anyway. Haven't you seen Poltergeist?

Diary of the Dead was by no means great, but it was entertaining. It did it's job. I didn't miss the plot point.

I just think the setting is extremely lame and doesn't work at, all in any way.

[M Sparks]

That doesn't change the fact that they're in a brand fucking new house that's supposed to be haunted. I want to see you try to defend this horseshit.

Polter
Fucking
Geist

[humanoid]

evil spirits don't like the smell of new paint

[liquidsnake28]

Places are allegedly haunted, not people. People that think a spirit follows them everywhere are known as schizophrenics. Yeah, yeah, I know, it was built on top of an Indian burial ground in Poltergeist. I don't care. It's still a stupid fucking setting for a horror film.

More importantly, did you guys actually enjoy this film?

[AlecEiffel]

within the confines of this movie's universe it is possible for a demon to follow a person around their whole life. The demon in this movie had been following the girl since she was eight. The house had absolutely nothing to do with it. They aren't being haunted by a ghost, she's being tortured by a demon.

This movie requires you to really pay attention to it and allow yourself to get invested in it in order to really enjoy it. You clearly did not pay attention.

[liquidsnake28]

Okay man, whatever you say. You're the one who thought the cat food in District 9 was a metaphor for drugs ...

[amyzzz]

_-8dytUtjlQ

[AlecEiffel]

Okay man, whatever you say. You're the one who thought the cat food in District 9 was a metaphor for drugs ...

The cat food in District 9 is not a metaphor for drugs it IS a drug. I have no desire for that argument to start again, but I am still amazed by how many people here didn't seem to get that.

[amyzzz]

Now THAT was a shitty movie.

[liquidsnake28]

It IS food, you douchebag. End of argument.

[wmgaretjax]

TThis should be rich coming from someone who hated Superbad and every other good movie of the last five years.

At what point did you actually think I had any interest in this film? My interest in your unbelievable stupidity only trumps it by a small margin.

[liquidsnake28]

At what point did you actually think I had any interest in this film?

When you posted about it.

[wmgaretjax]

When you posted about it.

I didn't say anything about the film you clueless twat.

[M Sparks]

When you posted about it.

I posted about it and I didn't see the damn thing. Sometimes helping piss off an annoying douchebag is enough of a reason.

[Somewhat Damaged]

We saw Paranormal Activity on Jen's computer last week. It was far from the worst movie ever, but the guy is such a total douchebag, I found myself eagerly anticipating his death less than half an hour in. Even his name was retarded -- "Micah," pronounced "Mee-kah." And I was annoyed by how frequently they said each other's name. That rang really false.
Our friend had gotten a screener of it & uploaded it to Jen's computer and it was the version with the original ending, which is far superior to what I hear the theatrical ending is. We had a good enough time heckling it and drinking beer, so it was well worth not having gone out and spending $20-30 on it.
The one thing I can't get over is that this was made in October '06 for $11,000, meaning it was made at the same time I made my short film for about the same amount of money. That bums me out. Yeah, it's unlikely lightning would have struck the same way for my film if I had stretched out to a feature, but still -- this director sold his film for $350,000 and it's going to gross $100+ million theatrically, and I'm still paying off the credit card charges I incurred in financing my movie. Wish I was the businessman he is.

[amyzzz]

Maybe if your guy had killed his ex with the ghost in his bathroom you could've seen that kind of bank, Rick.

[Somewhat Damaged]

Oh, if only you had been around to advise me then, Amy. :nono

[liquidsnake28]

"Micah," pronounced "Mee-kah." And I was annoyed by how frequently they said each other's name. That rang really false.


Exactly. That was so unbelievably annoying. The reason I think it was one of the worst movies I've ever seen is because it failed so tremendously at what it was trying to do. It wasn't the least bit scary, suspenseful, tense, or even entertaining in any way, not even the slightest bit. It was extremely boring most of the time and occasional it was incredibly annoying (whenever she reaptedly yelled "Micah!" and whenever Micah himself talked.) I can't remember the last time I saw a movie fail that hard at what it was trying to do.

[amyzzz]

I admit I was in suspense, but then I really enjoyed Blair Witch when it came out too. Pay-off was eh.

[liquidsnake28]

I admit I was in suspense

This baffles me. It just didn't work for me at all.

Blair Witch was scary, especially the last five minutes. This wasn't.

[roberto73]

Exactly. That was so unbelievably annoying. The reason I think it was one of the worst movies I've ever seen is because it failed so tremendously at what it was trying to do. It wasn't the least bit scary, suspenseful, tense, or even entertaining in any way, not even the slightest bit. It was extremely boring most of the time and occasional it was incredibly annoying (whenever she reaptedly yelled "Micah!" and whenever Micah himself talked.) I can't remember the last time I saw a movie fail that hard at what it was trying to do.

Just because it didn't work for you doesn't mean it failed. It's clearly connecting with a lot of people, including some critics whose opinions I respect. I liked it myself, and found it suspenseful. Should your barometer for success or failure count more than anyone else's?

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I completely despised Blair Witch, and because of that I've simply had no interest in Paranormal Activity. Both of those films found an audience and connected with people, so the filmmakers are obviously doing something right

i thought Cloverfield was an absolute blast, but I don't really see it as being very comparable

[AlecEiffel]

It IS food, you douchebag. End of argument.

This is exactly why I didn't want to start up an argument. You don't know what you're talking about and you are somehow under the impression that calling me a name irrefutably proves your point.

[SoulDischarge]

Diary Of The Dead was completely obnoxious. I saw it at a free screening and I still felt ripped off. Just because you're going to kill them off eventually doesn't mean it's ok to make your characters dull, irritating black holes of personality.

[BKsaysAction!]

yeah George Romero needs to take a break from zombies. Like the icon soul, Opera is a visually amazing film my only beef being how the main character didn't really seem to care about anyone but I guess her and Argento didn't like each other. But like Romero, Argento seems to have fallen off same with Carpenter. I wonder what the deal is? Their last films were just ok, It's sad.

[JewFace]

Saw Haneke's The White Ribbon. Such a stunning film to look at. Wow. I loved the narration and the acting from the kids to the adults was really fantastic.

Yes! Saw this a couple of months ago. It really packs a wallop and as you said, it's absolutely stunning visually.



Okay, I went back a couple of pages. Forgive me if this has already been discussed to death. Precious? Anyone else kinda excited about this one? When I first heard about this film earlier this year I heard "Oprah and Tyler Perry Present" and it immediately went into my couldn't pay me to see it pile. With regard to Mr. Perry, I side with Mr. Spike Lee and feel that his ghastly films are nothing short of coonery. But, it looks like Mr. Perry's involvement is limited to providing financing after the film had already been produced. I'm not expecting high art here, but it does look like it will be engaging. Even Mariah Carey looks good in it. WTF? Am I alone?

[HunterGather]

Yes, I'm rly looking forward to seeing Precious!

[SoulDischarge]

yeah George Romero needs to take a break from zombies. Like the icon soul, Opera is a visually amazing film my only beef being how the main character didn't really seem to care about anyone but I guess her and Argento didn't like each other. But like Romero, Argento seems to have fallen off same with Carpenter. I wonder what the deal is? Their last films were just ok, It's sad.

Yeah. I don't really look to Argento for cohesive plots or well developed characters, so that didn't really bug me. So long as there's some visually inventive death scenes, hilariously bad dubbing, and a completely inappropriate/awesome Goblin score, it's a success for me.

[ivankay]

Saw Disney's A Christmas Carol in Imax 3D. It was pretty neat. Sometimes they went a little overboard with the roller coaster type travel of Scrooge from one place to the next, but it sure works great in 3D so i forgave the abuse. When there is snowing happening on screen, it's almost like your inside a snow globe. Excellent telling of the story. i do have some issue with occasional dimness in the image, but it keeps improving and i can't begrudge the progress in Zemekis' obsession with rotoscoping. i don't think you take little kids to this movie. i overheard one say a few times "I'm scared" (for good reason...there is some dark imagery). Think i want to check it out again at some point.

[M Sparks]

/\ Quite a surprise, that looked dreadful.

We don't have any 3D theatres here, so I avoid these movies anyway. But maybe I will try one after I move. Still, it seems like we have a 3D craze every 30 years or so, and then it dies quickly.

[roberto73]

I love Ebert's recent take on 3-D, with which I generally tend to agree.

http://www.spectator.co.uk/arts-and-culture/all/5402013/does-anyone-like-3d.thtml

[ivankay]

i'm all down with the current 3D craze. The technology just keeps getting better. The added depth has made some old movies wonderful new experiences. When i recently saw the Toy Story 1 and 2 double feature, it was the best time i'd seen either. Same goes for Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D. U23D was the closest i felt a concert film to being the real thing and the editing was thrilling. This new fangeled 3D in the right hands is a good thing.

Ebert gave A Christmas Carol a very good review. (http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091104/REVIEWS/911059995)

i'll go onboard with saying it is an original visually for sure.

[humanoid]

I don't usually go out of my way to see 3D movies, as most of them have been slightly underwhelming and the gimmick didn't add enough to justify the additional cost.

That being said though, I thoroughly enjoyed Coraline in 3D and a few years ago saw some "Under the Sea" IMAX 3D documentary and it was utterly amazing. It was far too expensive for the 40 minutes or so of it's showing time, but the visual aspect was impressive and enjoyable.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

a few years ago saw some "Under the Sea" IMAX 3D documentary and it was utterly amazing. It was far too expensive for the 40 minutes or so of it's showing time, but the visual aspect was impressive and enjoyable.

YES, IMAX's Under The Sea 3D film was absolutely breathtaking!

I also quite like the new 3D films. I've always been a sucker for theme park 4D rides (really great examples being Terminator: 3D and the Disneyland Muppet films) and getting to experience regular movies like this is awesome.

I haven't seen as many as I would like, and of the ones I have seen some are better than others. Like Humanoid said, Coraline was great, and I thought the 3D was handled quite tastefully and added to the experience. I saw Zemeckis' Beowulf in IMAX 3D and that was such a crazy immersive experience! It was great. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, however, had 3D effects that felt like an afterthought and didn't add much

I look forward to seeing more though

[roberto73]

I guess my thing with 3D is that it can't make a good movie great or a mediocre movie better. Even though I thought Beowulf was interesting only because of the 3D, that doesn't mean it made it a better movie. It just gave me something else to pass the time since the story and characters weren't doing it for me. Coraline was great, but not any better for having been in 3D. Same with Up – great movie, but it would have been just as great in 2D. What I haven't worked out yet is if I should just treat 3D as another storytelling tool, like the score, the lighting, the costumes, etc. So far I don't think so, simply because, story-wise, it doesn't add anything that isn't already there. It's just an extra layer of flash.

[humanoid]

I guess my thing with 3D is that it can't make a good movie great or a mediocre movie better. Even though I thought Beowulf was interesting only because of the 3D, that doesn't mean it made it a better movie. It just gave me something else to pass the time since the story and characters weren't doing it for me. Coraline was great, but not any better for having been in 3D. Same with Up – great movie, but it would have been just as great in 2D. What I haven't worked out yet is if I should just treat 3D as another storytelling tool, like the score, the lighting, the costumes, etc. So far I don't think so, simply because, story-wise, it doesn't add anything that isn't already there. It's just an extra layer of flash.


You're correct, it's not going to make a mediocre movie better. I have been tricked into a couple fairly rotten 3D movies, since my daughter wanted to see them. No matter how many dimensions, Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D wasn't going to be any more palatable.

It's clearly not going to add anything story wise, but I think it can enhance certain scenes in the way something like lighting or a well placed piece of a film's score can. Neither one of those elements add anything to the actual story, but they can absolutely enhance the film immensely. I'm not saying that 3D is nearly as important as those aspects of film, simply that I believe it can possibly be used tastefully as a component to visually enhance specific scenes.

[M Sparks]

I love Ebert's recent take on 3-D, with which I generally tend to agree.

http://www.spectator.co.uk/arts-and-culture/all/5402013/does-anyone-like-3d.thtml

That was a good article, but I'm a little worried about Ebert. There were a lot of factual errors. For example, the 80's, not the 70's were the peak of 3-D sequels. And "The Stewardesses" hardly "fizzled"...it was a huge moneymaker. It also was softcore porn and certainly did not contain any "money shots".

And what the hell is he talking about here... "Pixar has technology that can convert any 2-D movie into 3-D from scratch; an ominous development, like the outrage of colorisation, that threatens existing films."


Yes, of course they can take a computer animated film and rerender it in 3D as they did with Toy Story, but he makes it sound like they can do it with Gone With The Wind.

[ivankay]

Yes, of course they can take a computer animated film and rerender it in 3D as they did with Toy Story, but he makes it sound like they can do it with Gone With The Wind.

It is being done with Star Wars.

[stinkbutt]

It is being done with Star Wars.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l240/robo848/not_this_shit_again.jpg

[rage patton]

I was just about to say the exact same thing. Ugh.

[MissingPerson]

I'm watching War Inc.

It's terrible shit.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

They've been working on transferring the original Star Wars trilogy into 3D for over 5 years. It's not a fly-by-night procedure. I know guys that have been working on it and say the bits they've seen look incredible.

I'm always down to see Star Wars on the big screen again...why not in 3D?

I don't really understand the argument against 3D saying that it adds nothing. Who cares if it adds nothing? If it looks good and is done well, its another tool like surround sound, another way to immerse the audience.

If you simply have trouble viewing 3D or personally you think it's distracting, I guess that that then. But to those of us that get enjoyment out of it, the argument that it's frivolous and therefore shouldn't be there is just silly

[rage patton]

In case of Star Wars, its not about the 3D specifically. We all saw how George Lucas almost destroyed the original trilogy with the addition of the digital scenes... who knows what else he will do to the movie with this new technology.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

yes, Lucas did made some stupid decisions in making the original trilogy "better"...but I'd hardly say he "almost destroyed it". The films are mostly intact save for specific changes. Anyway, despite Lucas saying the original movies will never be released on dvd, that's all bullshit. The man LOVES money. He knows what he's doing. Original prints will be available, probably on blu-ray, and they'll look great

[Dale Gribble]

I hope George Lucas digitally replaces the light sabers with walkie-talkies.

[stinkbutt]

Originals are already on dvd there are even sets that have both the new versions and the originals

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Originals are already on dvd there are even sets that have both the new versions and the originals

ah, didn't know that. Official releases or boots? I admittedly got pretty burned out on Star Wars and haven't followed anything for a few years. I was a huge SW nerd in high school and overdosed on it

[stinkbutt]

Official

[Monklish]

I think there's definitely got to be some kind of a concept for a movie in which 3-d would actually add to the environment and effectiveness of the storytelling, though I haven't really tried to think of what it would be. Space would be a good environment to do it in I suppose. Also the tunnel sequences in House Of Leaves could possibly only be done justice with 3-d capabilities, except that it's supposed to be pitch black everywhere and therefore it doesn't work.

[SoulDischarge]

Anyone read that L.A. Times article on "the Room" being a cult movie sensation? I still have not seen it. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-et-the-room30-2009oct30,0,5667080.story?track=rss

So I finally got to watch it since Netflix finally started carrying it, and wow, it's just as bad as everyone says. It's on the same level as Troll 2. The soundboard (http://theroomsoundboard.com/) for it is amazing.

[stinkbutt]

The rifftrax of The Room is probably the best they have ever done

god that movie is awful that guy actually bought all the cameras to film it

[AlecEiffel]

There is no way that House of Leaves could be made into a decent movie.

[MissingPerson]

House of Leaves is kind of like Watchmen or Silent Hill, in that the medium is an intrinsic part of the storytelling, but that does raise an interesting idea. A 3D version of something in that vein is a pretty clever idea.

[mountmccabe]

So I finally got to watch it since Netflix finally started carrying it, and wow, it's just as bad as everyone says. It's on the same level as Troll 2. The soundboard (http://theroomsoundboard.com/) for it is amazing.

I was going to post about that in your cult/terrible movies thread.

I think the best part is that that guy is now trying to say that it was intended as a black comedy... which to me would be even worse than the truth which was that he was trying for a serious movie and failed miserably. If they were going for a black comedy they failed anyway.

[malcolmjamalawesome]

What's Troll 2?

[MissingPerson]

Any excuse:

HyophYBP_w4

[Dale Gribble]

I want to give that little kid from Troll 2 an atomic wedgie.

[malcolmjamalawesome]

I wonder if a cast of Troll 2 group costume would go over well ... I call Grandpa Seth in a mirror.

[M Sparks]

It is being done with Star Wars.

Unless Pixar is doing it, it's not what he's talking about.

And I would imagine with Star Wars, they are going back to the original elements of the SFX scenes to do it. And most importantly, I would assume it's Lucas himself trying to fuck up his own work...again.

Ebert is comparing it to colorization. He's acting like Taxi Driver 3D is being worked on by some technician.

[bmack86]

I wish there was an effective way to make House of Leaves into a movie. or some sort of immersive haunted house experience. I really want to reread that book.

[BKsaysAction!]

House of Leaves is kind of like Watchmen or Silent Hill, in that the medium is an intrinsic part of the storytelling, but that does raise an interesting idea. A 3D version of something in that vein is a pretty clever idea.

Silent Hill I think could be done it was close last time just needed better actors. But I agree House of Leaves would be extremely difficult to condence to 2 to 3 hours. I'd say Mini Series for that one on showtime or HBO and that's how the watchmen should have been as well. House of leaves has all those layers and multi plots that could be explored better on television.

[RedThom]

2 things
first

Everyone should get down with The Room. There are end of the month screenings and they rules balls


second

<object width="853" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WAyHIOg5aHk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WAyHIOg5aHk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="853" height="505"></embed></object>

Chris Smith has yet to let me down as a director.

[MissingPerson]

Silent Hill I think could be done it was close last time just needed better actors.

It was fine, in that it connected the dots into more or less an approximation of the summary on the back of the PSone disc case. But it smacked of a story cobbled together after a single playthrough the game, and misses the core of the story.

The problem is that Silent Hill only really rears it's real face on the second playthrough. The intro sequence changes, items are scattered in different places, dialogue changes a little, and so on. Anyway, to spoil a whole bunch of the game for everybody:

On the second playthrough, it becomes apparent that the hero, Harry, is essentially trapped in an endless loop that the player is perpetuating. He doesn't know it - he thinks he's doing all of this for the first time - but the game makes it clear that this is at least his second lap through the plot. The only way for him to ever be free of it is if the player puts down the controller.

That's lost in the movie. It's the crux of Harry's entire story - and James' too, depending on the ending you get. If you watch a movie again, it's still the same movie; when you play Silent Hill again, the game goes out of it's way to let you know that this is not the same spin on the merry-go-round you had before, that you are actively complicit in the cycle.

There's no way to bring that to a movie. What made it to the screen was an incredible simplified version of the game that doesn't even touch the core idea of the thing. It would be like adapting House of Leaves, and just having a guy wander around in the dark for a bit.