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General: [Sticky] What's the last movie you've seen?
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there is a lot less than 100 movies left to watch..but I'm interested..
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http://www.icheckmovies.com/list/empire+500/asmodai/ Isn't that this one? :P
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- CommentAuthortheoffice911
- CommentTimeFeb 18th 2011 edited
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black swan (8/10)
great movie, the outcome was a bit predictable in my opinion but nonetheless great movie. Natalie Portman deserves an oscar for this.
SPOILER!!!!!
those anyone thinks the mother is sexual abusing her daughter? -
- CommentAuthorBeautymist
- CommentTimeFeb 18th 2011
mmmh...
I've seen "Another Year" by Mike Leigh.
Witty & sensitive. I'd give it a 7/10
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@asmodal yes it is, i said it in my post :D I just took it and make a little website to note the movies and see easily what movies i have seen and how many movies i have to see to finish the top
@theoffice damn it i didn't know this website !!!!!! Would have saved me a lot of time -
@LordMyst - SPOILERS: I must admit that this fact crossed my mind while watching the movie, but I forgot to discuss it (there is a scene when Nina's mother says that it's her time now, or something like that, so I would dare to say that this might be true, yes)
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lovely, lord myst - I think it was simply that she tucks her into bed every night, treating her as a child. In the script I found the mother to be insane, but in the movie I think she really loved Nina, she was just stubborn to handle her daughter's issues alone without help and that is what lost her in the end.
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- CommentAuthortheoffice911
- CommentTimeFeb 19th 2011 edited
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- CommentAuthorBeautymist
- CommentTimeFeb 19th 2011
@theoffice911 really?! I love [Mulholland Drive] so much! Really outta see [Black Swan] this week.
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Grey Gardens, 90/100 - amazing performances by Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymoore, who is so good here she reminded me a little of Julianne Moore. The story is incredible - Jackie's Kennedy relatives living in beautiful manor and falling into poverty, living in unimaginable filth. But first and foremost the movie is a beautiful work about the relation between mother and daughter, that relation is not perfect but it's eternal.Jeanne Tripplehorn delivers short but lovely performance, that got stuck in my head. Wonderful production values, I only wish the movie was longer and more background was provided to Edies.
Hunger, 83/100 - Watching Christian Bale being that skinny in "The Machinist" was creepy and unplesant, watching every vein, muscle and bone through the skin of Michael Fassbender was downright horrifying. I don't know how much his weight was then and I don't want to. The whole movie is excruciating - violence, desperation, hopelessness. I'm not that familiar with the history of the events show in the movie, but because of how the movie is shot, it's hard not to care. At one point I just bursted into tears and couldn't stop crying.
Marnie, 64/100 - I liked the film, it was very clever, but a little too long and I was bored, not to mention the fact that the character of Marnie didn't interest me at all.
Temple Grandin 70/100 - fantastic performance by Claire Danes and very touching movie, based on true story. -
I watched Inception again. I hate it that I still can't decide whether the end is reality or dream.
*SPOILERS*
The totem starts wobbling, ok. He sees his children's faces. But the children wear the same as in his dreams and he wakes up in a plane without knowing how he got there.
Still really liked the movie though. -
The kids are older Johanna, they are played by different actors when he gets home in the end.
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@JohannaP: I would say the ambiguity of the ending is one of the weaknesses of the film. And it's totally not in line with the rest of the film. Everything is completely 'rational', everything is completely spelled out for the viewer, but then, in the end, the film suddenly wants to add another layer, or change its tone. It's a mistake. Nolan should simply have shown that the totem stopped spinning.
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The Fighter - what a movie, what performances!!!!!I'm so pleasantly surprised with that one, not because I didn't expect it to be so good, but because I didn't even know the whole story before watching it. Fingers crossed for Bale and his masterful performance!!!!! 9/10
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- CommentAuthortheoffice911
- CommentTimeFeb 20th 2011 edited
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Hahaha! Yes, we are! :-) Let me rephrase. Within the obviously totally nonsensical context of the movie everything is rationalised as if it has a coherent logic. Something like that...
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"Baby Face" (Alfred E. Green, USA 1933) Wonderfull drama of the Warner Bros. at it's "social movies" time. The story of the social rise of a woman. Lily "Baby Face" (An absolutly wonderfulll Baraba Stanwyck) is a poor barmaid, but very beautifull and intelligent. She left all her life pushed by an old man who give her to read Nietzsche's books. He says to her she will do what she want by using men. And that's what she'll do !! She will play with them, use them and push them to dishonnour, poverty, suicide and even murder. She will become what she wanted rich and member of the upper class. At the end she realise that you can't ignore your feeling all the time and try to save her last lover she trully love from suicide but comes to late, he dies in her arms... No!! The last scene shows the couple in an ambulance... Happy End. Even now a such radical an cynical movie would be unthinkable in Hollywood. Furthermore the last scene has clearly been added by Green at the demand of producers (the moral must be safe) the true end (he wanted) is clearly shown in the scene just before, it's clear that her lover dies and left her alone, rich consired but alone forever condamned to seduce men without the possibility to love anymore. (You can see another added end like this for example in the wonderfull Sam Fuller's "fourty guns"). The direction is great with nice finding for example the social ascension of Lily following her ascension in the bulding of the bank. Green often film Barbara Stanwyck in the back and in close-up to reinforce the feeling of power, she's always between us and the man (her victim) at the key moments (so we feel on HER side). A very provocative movie for the 30's (and even now) radicaly different of the traditionnal image of woman in movie. (follow me ;) ??). The performance of Barbara Stanwyck here is simply Huge. @fungus I know you love herI hope you have watched this one !! 9/10
"Ride Lonesome" (Bud Boetticher, USA 1959). Once more a great collaboration between Boetticher and Randolph Scott. A dark tale of revenge. Randolph Scott is here a Bounty Hunter. He caught a youg guy Billy John who must be hang to have kill someone in the back. At a lodge he meets two guys he knows, two small thieves Sam and Whit. Soon they announce him they want Billy John too because the governor promised an amnisty to whom bring back BIlly John. The y also meet Carrie the nice owner of the lodge. But soon the stagecoach arrives all are dead, killed by the indians... Carries husband is dead too (they see the indians with his horse). They have to run away quickly. Furthermore Frank, the brother of Billy John is after them with his band. But Sam and With quickly note that Scott goes slow... He don't try to hurry or hide... They'll discover that Billy john doesn't interrest him but Frank does...They Share a terrible secret. Frank realises it too... He knows hey have to meet near an old hanging tree... One more time a masterpiece of the western. A wonderfull screenplay by Burt Kennedy. A casting very attractive with of course a Randolph Scott straight in his boots as usual, mineral and some young actors like Jame Coburn (Whit) in his first movie, Pernell Roberts (Sam) before Bonanza, Lee van Cliff (Frank)...and the pretty Karen Steele. On the form it's always surprising to see how Boetticher succeed in teeling so many with that economy of time and means (a lesson), indeed the movie is 72 min and is entierly filmed on location (not any shot in a room or studio). He uses a nice scope (almost necessary here) in beautifull landscapes (California desert) and the last shot is simply unforgatable !!! Another gem to (re-)discover 9/10. -
Jonah Hex, 35/100 - well it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, actually given the source material it was as good as it could be at certain moments. The only thing that was truly atrocious was John Malkovich, what a miscast. Whenever he was on screen I felt embarassed for him. The cast is pretty impressive for such a film, Megan Fox was a bad choice, though I don't think prostitutes in poverty would look as clean and pretty as she did in this film. The music is pretty good, the animation sequence in the intro is gorgeous and Josh Brolin, Michael Fassbender and Jeffrey Dean Morgan did wonderful jobs considering what they had to work with. In conclusion the movie is silly and it has some horrible moments, but I saw plenty of worse ones.
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Hey, Happy!
Crap!!!!
4/10
De helaasheid der dingen
Funny, touching and poetic
8/10
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
Visually beautiful but that's about it...
6.8/10 -
"Commanche Station" (Bud Boetticher, USA 1960). Another great collaboration Bud Boetticher/Randolph Scott. Cody (RS) trades with Comanche to release a white woman. He want to bring her back to town. A the Comanche Station he meets Ben an old ennemy of him he had since the army. (Cody made Ben fired from army because he kille innocent indians). Ben is here with two other men. He learns Cody that a reward of 5000$ is given for the woman and that's why he's here... But the Stagecoat won't come because Comanches are on the path of war. So they decide to quit... They'll have to fight the indians then cody will have to kill ben and bring back the girl to her husband with an incredible ending...
Like "Ride Lonsome" this movie is just huge. Another wonderfull screenplay of Burt Kennedy with an incredible and bitter ending (those bitter endings are very original and goes out of place in the western). In all those western Scott is never fully released at the end, even when he has his revenge, you feel that it won't bring him any peace... All the actors are good and the second characters are deeply depicted even if, one more time, the economy of time and means is great. The filming is like as in Ride Lonesome" entierly on location (Alabama Hills in California), nice scope and lot of large shot. The action scenes are huge especialy the one when Cody is attacked by three indians... There are lot of very touching details that you rarely enconter in the western, the one who has many difficulties to read, the discussion about thier fathers, the indecision of the thieves... All small things that make us close to the characters. And all along the discussions of the husband, Ben always intimates that the husband is a coward, that he can't love a so beautifull woman or he should have release her by himself but the woman don't answer... And when Cody brings her back home... it's a blind man who comes and embraces the woman... She gives a look at Cody, something quickly passes on his face... He leaves... A great one 9/10
"Ace of Hearts" (Wallace Worsley, USA 1921) A secret society "The Cause" (anarchists ? Communists??) decide to kill "the man who lived too long" (an awfull capitalist). Some members are Mr. Farallone (Lon Chaney), Lilith (Leatrice Joy) and Mr. Forrest (John Bowers). The one who will kill is the one who pic the Ace of Hearts... Forrest pick it and is ready to die for the cause. But Lilith is in love with him and they decide to mary just before... But secretly Farallone was in love too... The day has come and Forrest is decided even if he loves Lilith and even if his convictions are seriously shaked... Lilith is desperate. Farallone proposes Lilith a deal if Forrest refuse to kill he promise to help them to escape to the revenge of the Member of the Cause, if he dies she will marry him... Then he keeps her locked... he realises that she wont love him anyway but it's too late to stop Forrest... indeed he didn't kill the man... Farralone is chosen to kill them but he use the forrest's bomb to kill himself and the member of the cause. Strange movie on the fear of terrorism, with a pregancy of anarchism, nihilism very rare in american cinema... of course love will be stronger than the will of destruction and ideology but it remains an interressant movie. The direction is often inventive and the light is often impressive. Chaney is great as usual. A good silent to discover 7,5/10
"Wild Women" (aka "Bowanga Bowanga") (Norman Dawn, USA 1951). Hum... A group of Three explorators in a safari foolishly entered an forbidden territory are captured by a bunch of 50-era glamourous girls aka the Ulemas White sirens of Africa (sic!) who looks more like strippers in animal skins... The queen decide to marry the srtongest of the three the two others will be burned in honnor of Fire God (yes!!). But other girls are a bit jalous and also want husbands !! The battle of the sexes can begin... Fortunatly a more clever girl will help them to escape and will keep all three men for herself :) Yes this is pure Z movie and if there was another letter after Z it would be the good one... All is great, the acting, the choregraphy of the wild danses... The dialogs for example : "Fire God take week men, Queen take strong man" or "She not burns nice men ! We get husbands too!" and so on... A great moment a amazement... I reamain petrified long minutes after, the state of shock you know... at least -20/10 (for Z fans 10/10) -
Hors la loi (2010) 5/10
Fictional story about three brothers involved in the Algerian War tries to be an epic drama extended over several decades, but it's too much of a cliché: the unfortunate good guys (even if they commit acts of terrorism) against the powerful bad guys. The roles of the brothers are totally stereotypical. The cinematography isn't interesting either; as the film is made for a 'just cause' it's apparently not necessary to throw in any artistic qualities.
Hot Fuzz (2007) 6/10
Not seeing this movie earlier has cost me many WTM-solves, but not too much else. Well yes, it's funny how the conventions of stupid Hollywood cop movies are mocked, but it remains rather silly entertainment itself.
Rewers [Reverse] (2009) 7/10
Half tragicomedy, half film noir, set in 1952 in Poland, a country under Stalinist regime, with secret service agents around every corner. A 30-year old woman, sharing an apartment with her mother and grandmother falls for a mysterious man who first saves her but then demands her to spy on her boss. The film is remarkable for its visual playfulness, often reminiscent of Expressionist cinema, which produces an appropriate paranoid atmosphere.
Le petit Nicolas (2009) 7/10
The faithfulness to the original comic book story dating from the early 1960s provides the main difficulty: the children in the film may be a tiny bit too cute and innocent for our present day taste. But the adventures of 8-year old Nicolas are filmed with such care and joy that it's impossible not to be seduced.
The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009) 8/10
Effective and good looking debut thriller with a cast of only three. One or two forced plot twists too many (I'm soo done with these scenes in which one person is held at gunpoint by another, but then manages to reverse the roles - let alone if then the roles reverse yet another time), but on the whole it's impressively tight and simple. -
True Grit. What a fantastic movie. I really loved it.
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Secret of Kells - I expected more, to be honest. It is a nice animated movie, with a great story, but it could have been elaborated in greater details. It's visually brilliant, colours and scenes are wonderful, but there is still something missing. 7/10
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"Tarzan and the Green Goddess" (Edward A. Kull, USA 1938). A movie with a strange story. It consists of the re-editing in 70mins of the 1935's Serial "The New Adventures of Tarzan" in 12 episodes (257 min). This serial was producted by Edgar Rice Burrough (the creator of Tarzan of course) himself because he was disappointed by the movie the MGM made, "Tarzan the Apeman" in 1932. The movie takes place in Guatemala and as Burrough and his team had no stidios they filmed it directly in Guatemala with lots of problems (a tropical storm, problems with the natives indians...). Furthermore when the serial was finished and proposed in 1935 the MGM made lot's of difficulties to distribute it because they were ready to lauch "Tarzan Escapes" So the movie was very few distributed. That's why Burrough made this "Tarzan and the Green Goddess" to try to save what could be. In vain. His production society didn't survive to this failure... He never produced any movie left. Tarzan is here played by Bruce Bennet (aka Herman Brix here) who is considered by Francis Lacassin the specialist of Tarzan as the best actor who played Tarzan. Bennet was sound out by the MGM for "Tarzan the Apeman" but he injured himself and that's why Johnny Weissmuller got the role. The story is quite cheap but very entertaining with lots of fight, gunfights, cliffhangers (it was a serial!). But it's clearly low budget ! (with lot of stockshots even of animals that have never even existed in Guatemala (lions, gorillas etc...) To discover 6,5/10.
"Tarzan and the Trappers" ( Charles F. Haas, Sandy Howard, H. Bruce Humberstone, USA 1958) This other tarzan is the re-editing of a thre part TV movie serie that was never distibuted. SO the producer made this small movie taking parts of the three adventures (that bring a bit confusion and shortcuts a bit improbable...) Gordon Scott plays here a convincing Tarzan all in muscles but good. He played 5 times this role before going to Italy in the 60's where he played Maciste and other Hercules in mnay Peplums. ("Maciste alla corte del Gran Khan ", "Maciste contro il vampiro ", and especialy the famous "Romolo e Remo" of Corbucci). The storys are simple and full of action Tarzan fights evil hunters, and gold seekers and defend the jungles with his friends, Cheeta and Jane, Boy... To keep a child's mind 6,5/10. -
Winter's Bone, 77/100 - excellent movie, fantastic writing - the character of Ree is even more impressive than the one of Mattie in "True Grit", which shares similiar story but in very different circumstances and surroundings. Jennifer Lawrence is wonderful and I can't wait to see her as new Mystique in "X-Men first class" I'm so glad there will be actual talented woman there, since I really dislike Rose Byrne and January Jones.
Capote, 70/100 - interesting movie, great performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman, but although the audiance is left with many informations and the room to come to its own conclusions I felt that the writers and director wanted to trick us, by leaving some important things behind. Plus it was one of the slowest films I've seen. -
Lisztomania (1975)
ha ha ha Ken Russel really made some mad movies. Insane but great!
A bit similar to Tommy but a lot more crazy
8/10
I Spit on Your Grave (1978)
Good! although not as shocking as I thought it would be. I guess there are a lot more graphic movies nowadays so it lost its power a little. But I can very well understand the controversy at the time.
This movie did not need any remake!!
7.5/10
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@Chrisy watched "I spit on your grave" long times ago (in theatre) yes for that time it remains a very good movie...
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I watched it recently and I thought that the movie was awful, the acting, dialogues, the way it was made...the story was good, but everything else is not. I gave it 3/10 and I gave the remake 4/10 since it was actually a little better.
I didn't find it to be shocking at all, although the bath tub scene may be unpleasant for guys :) -
@sati, yes today it's no more shoking because you can see gore blood death everywhere even on TV, on the web... but even in the late 70's such movie could be shocking. Think that in 1931 poeple ran away from theatre when they were watching Boris Karloff in "Frankenstein"... Because they were realy terrified... Lot of things do not shock anymore... perhaps some should still... And yes the tub scene may be unpleasant ;)
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I know it was a huge deal when it was out in the 70's :) I guess now we need films that are disturbing in a bizarre way like "Serbian film" or "Human Centipede" to shock people, because nudity and violence/rape scenes were shown so many times in films since then it's not a big deal anymore.
But since I wasn't even around in the 70's I can only rate the movie based on how I liked it today :) -
Eden Lake - I expected something more, due to the fact that this is a British movie. But nothing, again we have a predictable movie about a couple being terrorized by a group of f---- up teenagers. So many flaws, cliches and nothing new to remember the movie by. 5,5/10
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Wow !! It's serious... I hope it's not because of my rewiev and the discussions we had on cinema ... It was a bit hard but i found it interresting indeed... It was just my point of view, we discussed on BS with @sati very friendly I think (?) even if our two points of view are different it's no problem I respect it and I'm sure @sati did too. Everybody's free to make his own opinion if giving some arguments that can be discussed with keeping a cool head no ?? It's sad... I hope it's just temporary...
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So this night I was in theatre and watched (for the fourth time) "Kumonosu-jô" (Throne of Blood) (Akira Kurosawa, Japan 1957)... I won't be long : just great... 10/10.
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I think we know that discussions here can't go calmly. I'm surprised people are shocked this kind of thing is happening with theoffice911, folks here aren't exactly calm - hell was unleashed on me after I published "Kick-Ass" and "Inception" reviews and to this day people come on my fellows' profiles just to crap on my shouts. It would be funny, if it wasn't so pathetic and sad.
Inglourious Basterds, 95/100 - that movie is getting better and better each time I see it, it''s currently my number 2 when it comes to Tarantino but few more times and it may become number 1. -
Les yeux sans visage (1960)
Nice!!
8/10
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@Chrisy Yes "Les yeux sans visage" is great !! French's fantastic cinema is quite poor. This one can only gives regrets...
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I watched TV last night (it's rare!!) two movies with Clint Eastwood I had allready watched but...
"Pale Raider" (Clint Eastwood USA 1985). Simple and effiscient western witch point out the solidarity of the community vs the individualism (but not for the hero). The subject and the story are very similar to "High Plains Drifter" (1973) of the same Eastwood indeed but with less cynism. Good by the way 7,5/10.
"The Beguiled" (Don Siegel, USA 1971). A wonderfull movie about castration, a delicate subject indeed. Certainly one of the best (the best??) movie of Siegel and one of the best actor performance of Eastwood SPOILERSPOILER(the only movie his character dies before "Gran Torino").SPOILEROVER A pure nighmare in what should have been a dream... A masterpiece 10/10.
Asmodai edit: Added spoiler warnings... -
Resident Evil; Afterlife --- 4/10 It's like the more the make... the worse it gets!
Inglorious Basterds --- 9/10 Great movie, nothing less!! Great dialogues!! (3rd time i watched it)
Paranormal Activity 2 --- 7/10 The surprise is gone, but still entertaining.
Wall Street; Money never Sleeps --- 7/10 Pretty decent, but Douglas is not as powerhouse as in the first!
Jonah Hex --- 6/10 Why was this made..?? -
The Next Three Days - I haven't seen Pour Elle so I can't make comparision, but I enjoyed this one - very suspensful movie with interesting approach towards the escape from prison subject. Great actors - Crowe, Banks, Olivia Wilde and Liam Neeson in brief role, great soundtrack by Moby and Danny Elfman. 76/100
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"The Hours" (Stephen Daldry, USA 2002" The fouth time I watch this one... Great story and screenplay great actresses, great directing... 9/10.
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127 Hours
Good movie. I think it was a challenge to make this movie entertaining and Danny Boyle succeeded well! And although the story is predictable (but that we know from start) it keeps us on the edge. But visually it's also sometimes over done, too many split screens kills the split screens especially when they are not that interesting or necessary ;) The dream scenes are also sometimes too literal. But for the rest, it is nicely shot.
SPOILER: That arm scene is impressive even if the exact same technic was used during Requiem for a Dream also for the arm scene (camera checking to create the tension, noise....), that was exactly the same lol (watch both scenes, you will see what I mean ;) )
7/10 -
I'm a bit late with an answer to @RDPL55's post of Baby Face six days ago. Indeed I did watch this movie and I can back up everything you said. From your words I can see that you got an uncensored version. As you already said, the movie was bold even for the Pre-Code Hollywood era. So the original version got rejected by the New York State Censorship Board which lead the producers to make some alterations. The new ending was one these alterations as you mentioned. Furthermore they cut out all about the studies of Nietzsche's philosophy and some sexually loaded shots. The original uncensored version was lost until they found a copy in 2004 in a Library of Congress Vault.
I watched it in cinema which showed the censored version, since the uncensored one is hard (or even impossible) to get on film. I didn't know about the censorship and thought the story was flawed while watching it. However, after the screening the cinema told us about the censorship and showed the restored original scenes from DVD and everything just fell in order and got clear and understandable. In my opinion this movie is a great example how censorship in the US butchered strong, interesting and entertaining movies. I'm really happy the original version could be restored now. It shows in which direction the US movie industry could have gone to if it wasn't for censorship.
My last movie: 127 hours. I can just second what @chrisy said, a good and entertaining movie. It is indeed sometimes overdone and I didn't quite get the motivation why Boyle made a movie about this story. Since everybody knows what happens it doesn't add anything in this area. 7/10 -
Gozu (2003)
Weird but funny and crazy. I never have enough of Takashi Miike's movies!
8/10
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Casa de Areia [The House of Sand] (2005) 7/10
Set in the magnificent but barren dune landscape of the northern Brazilian coast, this beautiful film shows the life of a mother and daughter stuck in the isolated area. Very art house, but rewarding. A nice detail is that the two leading actresses, mother and daughter in real life, switch roles a couple of times to fit the 59-year long time line of the film.
Another Year (2010) 7/10
Well yes, it is sort of funny to centre your movie around a happily married British middle aged couple who are nothing but nice and lovable. And it's clever how the happiness of the couple is countered by the loneliness of their friends. And yes, the characters all feel 'real' and the acting is superb. Still, it's not entirely satisfactory. Something is off balance, maybe because the most interesting character (Lesley Manville as Mary) is in a supporting role?
Tokyo! (2008) 8/10
Tryptich of three short films by different directors: Michel Gondry, Leos Carax and Bong Joon-ho. They are all about outsiders living in Tokyo, and they are all pretty weird. I especially liked the visuals and delicate humour of Bong's part about the hikikomori.
The King's Speech (2010) 9/10
Even though the story has no surprises after all the publicity, and even though we actually do not learn very much about dealing with stammering, it's still an exciting film, thanks to the acting, photography, and the beautiful production design. -
Another Year, 7/10 - I agree, there was something missing. I liked the conflict in the movie, though - both Mary and Gerri had reasons for their actions, but you can't really side with any of them, because of how Gerri hurt her and how inappropriate Mary behaved. Superb performance by Manville, she was excellent.
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Subconscious Cruelty
I thought I have seen it all in terms of weirdness but this is one hell of a disturbing movie!
Sort of a arthouse gory horror. Raise one question about how far art can go along with many other metaphores and dream like horrific sequences. In the same way "destricted" was pushing the sexual bounderies in art, Subconscious Cruelty does the same with horror.
For extreme horror lovers ONLY!! (and I insist in the word EXTREME)
8/10
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"When the Daltons Rode" (George Marshall USA 1940) An interresting B western. SPOILER The young juge Tod Jackson (Randolph Scott comes to town to meet his old friends the dDalton Brothers (Bob, Ben, Emmet and Grat) and thier freind Ozark Jones. They invite him to thier ranch for Ma Dalton's Birthday. But Ben accidentally kill an employee of a weird society who secretly work for railroad and want to put a compulsory purchase order on Dalton's ranch. The trial is completly unfair and the other bothers and Ozark attack the court and helps ben to escape. Now they are outlaws. A the beggining they try to avoid violence but then they become the most cruel gang purchassed in all the states... Tod want to prove that there was not murder but now it's too late. Furthermore Julie the fiancée of Bob is now in love with him. A very entertaining small B western with a very good screenplay that begins like a comedy and becomme more and more black and violent and ends in a bloodbath. Good directing of Marshall espacialy in tha action scenes that look like a lot of those of a serial lot of stunts (sometime very impressive for example when the daltons jump out of the train with thier horses) lot of gungights, train robberies. Very good B western 7,5/10
"King Solomon's Mines" (George Stevenson, UK 1937). The first adaptation of H. Rider Haggard's novel. SPOILERS Patsy O'Brien (Arthur Sinclair) who tries everuthing to become rich left his daughter Kathy (Anna Lee) and her guide Umbopa (Paul Robeson) to cross a desert to find the diamond mines of Solomon. Kathy persuades the famous hunter Allan Quartermain to oerganize an expedition to rescue him. After surviving the desert they are captured by a tribe of natives and brought to their chief the cruel Twala. But Umbopa reveals himself to be the true heir to the throne, exiled by Twala and the witch Gagool who guard the entries of the mines. Quartermain's will access to the mines, help Umbopa to be king and save O'Brien. Interresting movie entertaining with lot of action and humour directed by George Stevenson and filmed for a great part in Africa. We can only regret that he abandonned the directing by going to Disney to make children's movie no always very good indeed. The acting is good especialy Anna Lee as tety and teasing irish girl. and the stentorian voice of Robeson will blast for long in the mountains of Africa. 7/10
"Thor il conquistatore" (Tonino Ricci, Italy 1983) Hum. SPOILERS Thor (Bruno Minniti ridiculous) have his parents killed the day of his birth by the naughty Gnut (Raf Baldassarre) Even if he recieved a big arrow in the neck (heu in the neck of the plastic doll indeed) he is saved by Etna (Christopher Holm) a magician who cans transform himself in an Owl (They didn't find any other animal I suppose)!! Thor has many adventures he meets a tribe of cannibals (they are only four, it's a small tribe) saves a big titted slave and learns what a woman is with her but "Female are stupid they are only for men's pleasure" the owl-man says to show us the deep meaning of this movie of the dark ages (The Owl-man is always peepingto what Thor's doing especialy with women and always speaks to the spectator : it's trully pathetic) but she is killed by the rest of the tribe of the cannibals (again four men the same I suppose). He meets an ugly warrior who cans teleport (yes!) but he kills him and gets his mighty axe ! Then he fights the tribe of the Virgin Amazons (they are only 3) kills two of her and love the third one Ina (Maria Romano big titted too) who will be the mother of his children... Then another tribe which captures him get some blood of him and the members of the tribe all go in the country (why? we will never know) and leave him alone. Ina comes and saves him very simply. then a tribe of naughty shepperds who don't want to give some food to Thor and Ina, they will regret. Then he meets a gentle tribe of farmers (they are at least 15 in this tribe!! All the staff!) who decides immediatly to make him thier king (Thor becomes thier king "who can fertilze the earth with his semen" (sic!) because he had stolen to the cannibals some corn seeds they supposed to be gold the fools).RHHAAA... But by those famine days Gnut and his warriors are hungry they attack the village and capture Thor, burn his eyes ! He's now blind but guided by the owl he reaches a cave and finds a miraculous recipe (with mosses and Pithon Venom, very rare ideed ;) He's got new eyes (Sob). He gets a present from his magician friend "something that men will call later a Horse" and find the sword of his father (AARRRRRRGHAH) and of course you have a great battle between thor and Gnut (2 minutes maximum). Abandonned by his army (about eight or ten guys affraid by the horse!) and as his son comes to the world a new life!! he kills Gnut... FINE (The End in Italian). Incredible low budget Z movie... So bad that it's good as they say : 0,5/10. For Z Fans (8/10) -
"Other Men's Women" (William A. Wellmann, USA 1931). A little known movie to discover. SPOILER SPOILER. Bill (Grant Withers) is a Railroad ingeneer in a steam Engine. He just think to entertain, drink and is a a carefree ladies' man, completly irresponsible. He's "in love" with Mary (Joan Blondell) a barmaid irresponsible too who always want to marry... His best friend and colleague Jack (Regis Toomey) is more serious is studying to progress in the job and is married with Lily (Mary Astor). One day bill is fired from his room, drunk and with no more money. He lives some week in jack's house and of course he fall in love with Lily, but to avoid hurting his best friend he leaves without any word... But Jack is suspicious they have an argument in the trainand Jack his seriously injured to the head... he becomes blind and bitter... he asks Lily to go back some month to her parents... The rin begins to fall and fall the town is flooded the great train bridge is going to be destroyed... Bill propose to put a very heavy train on the bridge to avoid the destruction but it can have completly contrary effects... While he tries to convince his chief Jack takes the train and blind and crazy drive to the bridge... Bill junp in the train he wants to stop Jack but jack knock out Bill and throw him out of the train drives to the bridge that fall down... Interresting movie for many reasons. first the directing of Wellman is very inventive : nice on location scene alternating with studio scenes some wonderfull directing like the discussion along the railroad bztween Bill and Mary, the end when Bill run on the roof of the wagons till the steam engine... Nice actors with Grant Withers & Regis Toomey usualy supporting actors (hundreds of movies) but here in starring role and some stars here at their beginnings (James Cagney, Joan Blondell) in supporting roles. A nice one. 7,5/10
"Zombies of the Stratosphere" (Fred C. Brannon, USA 1952). Third and last serial with the Rocket Man after "King Of the Rocketmen" and "Radar Men of the Moon" (Iwatched them both ;)). This one lack of any Zombie indeed as usual in serials the titlle does not reflect exactly the content... SPOILER SPOILER the story is simple Three Martians (what an invasion !!) (one is played by Leonard Nimoy !!) Dicde to build an H bomb to make the earth quit it's orbit and be pushed into space to let the place to planet Mars !! More more not less !! Then Rocket man and his two freinds Sue and Bob will stop them !! Many aventures, clifhangers not very original but tha whole is entertaining... for Serial fans. 7,5/10 (for pther 6/10) -
"Black Dragons" (William Nigh, USA 1942). A Low budget B movie with Bela Lugosi. SPOILERS A very tortuous plot : Monsieur Colmb (Bela Lugosi) is a strang man who come at D. Saunders's House. Sauders is a member of a secret society of riche business men who work for Japanese government... Lugosi begins to kill the men one by one... But the last one is used by the police and especialy Dick Martin (Clayton Moore) as a decoy. Both are killed but before he dies he explain all the story : he is the double of a nazi plastic surgeon who was in Japan and give the face of american businessmen to members of the secret society "the black Dragons" then the surgeon was put in jail but he transforms another prisonner who should be soon released to his double and makes him tke his revenge at his place... The movie is very cheap but mainly because of the budget very low. The directing is routine by a King of the B (he directed 120 movies all forgotten) aspecialy known for his work on the serie of movies with the asiatic detective: "Mr Wong". (with Boris Karloff). The actors are also B stars : Lugosi of course, Clayton Moore who will be famous in the role of the Lone Ranger, and who will play on many serials and B movies. This movie is also remarkable because it inspires directly an episode of the famous TV serie "the Outer Limits"... The second episode of the first season called "The Hundred Days of the Dragons" The plot are indeed very similars... A pure small B for fans. 6,5/10