Just Watched Movies: 2009

[slayrrr666]

The Blue Max-See thoughts in Movie Genre thread.

Midway-See thoughts in Movie Genre thread.

[Termination]

Awake (2007) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 8/10

[Heineken Skywalker]

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972)

A sadistic "family" kidnaps, rapes and murders two teenage girls. As luck, and a ridiculous plot twist, would have it, the murderers end up at the house of the parents of one of the girls. The killers are idiots so the parents are able to figure out what happened and they then decide to take the law into their own hands and exact revenge on the gang.
Based on it's status, I was expecting a tense, graphic, and half-way decent revenge picture. I don't always need to see buckets of blood all over the screen, but based on this movie's reputation, that's exactly what I was expecting. But ironically, a lot of the violence seems to occur just off-screen and is implied.
I don't mind low-budget movies at all. I've seen plenty of flicks that overcome their low budgets with good writing and behind the scenes creativity. (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, CLERKS, HALLOWEEN, EL MARIACHI, etc.) Unfortunately, I didn't see too much of that here. Badly written & directed by Wes Craven, poorly acted, and some scenes that should be tense or suspenseful, are completely undermined by the horribly out of place twangy, feel-good music on the soundtrack. I also felt that the parent's revenge was handled kind of lamely and awkwardly. Oh, and let's not forget the comedy relief supplied by the bumbling cops.
Another over-hyped "cult classic" and a disappointment on every level.

1/10

[raina]

Jun 2, 2009 8:29:39 GMT -5 Heineken Skywalker said:

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972)

Oh, and let's not forget the comedy relief supplied by the bumbling cops.

I actually really do like this movie, and find it disturbing enough that it was hard for me to watch at times (I have only seen it one time though), but the cops were a HORRIBLE idea. There shouldn't have been ANY comic relief, especially something so ridiculous, and it took something away from the film. Bad decision. Anyway, I do think its reputation is a little too much.....its not as graphic as I was expecting. From what I had heard, I wasn't even sure I would make it through the whole movie. But for what they had to work with, I think its effective.

Pathology (2008)

A group of medical students start to play a deadly game, to see which of them can commit the perfect murder.
Sometimes surprisingly good, often completely ridiculous. At times, the acting is solid and the dialogue is good, then all of sudden, in the next scene even, the acting becomes wooden and the dialogue laughable. Very uneven.....yet somehow.....very entertaining. There is an absurd lack of character development, which is a problem (there is only one hint really that the main character could be pulled into something like this....and it is not nearly enough to explain why he would risk everything to join this group of psychos so easily). And how the heck could they get away with this for so long? But hey, its a good effort if you don't mind the silliness and the somewhat weak characterization. Overall, I enjoyed it.

6/10

My Bloody Valentine 3-D (2009)

Tom returns home to a small, mining community where ten years before, on Valentine's Day, Harry Warden went on a killing spree in the town after an accident in the mine left several dead.
I wish I could have seen this in the theater, because this was a ridiculous amount of fun, even on our somewhat small television (though admittedly a little hard to watch). The movie is not great by any means, but I wasn't expecting great.

7/10

[Termination]

Blue Streak (1999) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 9/10

Heathers (1988) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 8/10

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio dts-HDMA - 10/10

[slayrrr666]

Stuff I would've put up on Monday, but I guess now is good too:

Borderland-A lot of good stuff here, but definitely comes down a bit with some rather big flaws present.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0452592/usercomments-35

Crazy Eights-There was potential here for something good, but it's lost in a sea of boredom and non-interest.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0470993/usercomments-39

The Deaths of Ian Stone-Takes a while to get into it due to the incredibly contrived premise, but it's fun once that happens.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0810823/usercomments-67

Lake Dead-Pretty much like every other psychotic-religious-family-run-amok film out there, though it may be among the best ones.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0839880/usercomments-37

Mulberry Street-I really wanted to like this one a lot, but it's near-endless stream of flaws prevents that considerably.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0473514/usercomments-43

Nightmare Man-A ton of fun, with a lot of good stuff in it and not a whole lot of detrimental flaws to hold it down.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0478216/usercomments-35

Tooth and Nail-Again, a little hard to get into, but definitely makes up for it with a lot of great points that make it really enjoyable.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0922642/usercomments-40

Unearthed-Probably would've been better had we been able to see the monster, but it's still rather entertaining as is.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0475417/usercomments-42

[Heineken Skywalker]

Jun 2, 2009 14:27:23 GMT -5 raina said:

I actually really do like this movie, and find it disturbing enough that it was hard for me to watch at times (I have only seen it one time though), but the cops were a HORRIBLE idea. There shouldn't have been ANY comic relief, especially something so ridiculous, and it took something away from the film. Bad decision. Anyway, I do think its reputation is a little too much.....its not as graphic as I was expecting. From what I had heard, I wasn't even sure I would make it through the whole movie. But for what they had to work with, I think its effective.

My wife watched it with me. She had seen it once before as a kid in the early 80's and remembers it as having scared the hell out of her back then, but found it laughable now.
She agreed with me regarding the horribly out of place music and the bumbling cops and found the whole thing pretty bad now as well.

On a completely different note....

UP (2009)

What is in the drinking water over at Pixar?? And I mean that as the greatest compliment.
These guys just crank out one great film after another and UP is no exception. Even better than last year's much ballyhooed, and I felt, slightly overrated, WALL-E.

Tells the tale of Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), an old man who ties thousands of balloons to his house and sets off on his lifelong fantasy of flying to Paradise Falls in South America. Soon after taking off however, he discovers that Russell, an 8 year old Wilderness Explorer desperately trying to earn a badge for helping the elderly, has inadvertently stowed away on the house.

In the first five minutes we meet Carl as a little kid who dreams of adventure. He soon meets Ellie, a little girl who will become his partner in life and in their dreams of adventure. The next 10 minutes or so is a montage, without dialogue, of their life together. And we see them go through life's ups and downs, their courtship, wedding, money troubles, getting older, etc. Those ten minutes are more touching, heartfelt, and realistic than the entire running times of most so-called "romantic comedies". If you don't get a lump in your throat from that sequence, maybe you should check to make sure you have a heart.

As sad as that sequence is, the movie soon kicks it into comedy gear. There are a lot of funny sequences, especially some stuff later on with talking dogs. But these aren't your run of the mill talking dogs we usually see in children's movies. The villain is great also and a believable foil against Carl. And the relationship between cranky Carl and optimistic Russell grows believably over the course of the film.

About the only negative I can mention is that I don't think this needed to be in 3D. If I have to wear those glasses to see a movie, then there should really be a reason to wear them and I didn't think the 3D effect was anything that spectacular here. The movie's visuals and story are great enough on their own that the 3D just seems like a tacked on gimmick, so don't feel obligated to see this in 3D if it's only playing in regular 2D around you. It's worth seeing regardless.

Best film of the summer so far, imho.

9/10

[ZapRowsdower]

Jun 4, 2009 11:32:49 GMT -5 Heineken Skywalker said:

Jun 2, 2009 14:27:23 GMT -5 raina said:

I actually really do like this movie, and find it disturbing enough that it was hard for me to watch at times (I have only seen it one time though), but the cops were a HORRIBLE idea. There shouldn't have been ANY comic relief, especially something so ridiculous, and it took something away from the film. Bad decision. Anyway, I do think its reputation is a little too much.....its not as graphic as I was expecting. From what I had heard, I wasn't even sure I would make it through the whole movie. But for what they had to work with, I think its effective.

My wife watched it with me. She had seen it once before as a kid in the early 80's and remembers it as having scared the hell out of her back then, but found it laughable now.
She agreed with me regarding the horribly out of place music and the bumbling cops and found the whole thing pretty bad now as well.

On a completely different note....

UP (2009)

What is in the drinking water over at Pixar?? And I mean that as the greatest compliment.
These guys just crank out one great film after another and UP is no exception. Even better than last year's much ballyhooed, and I felt, slightly overrated, WALL-E.

Tells the tale of Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), an old man who ties thousands of balloons to his house and sets off on his lifelong fantasy of flying to Paradise Falls in South America. Soon after taking off however, he discovers that Russell, an 8 year old Wilderness Explorer desperately trying to earn a badge for helping the elderly, has inadvertently stowed away on the house.

In the first five minutes we meet Carl as a little kid who dreams of adventure. He soon meets Ellie, a little girl who will become his partner in life and in their dreams of adventure. The next 10 minutes or so is a montage, without dialogue, of their life together. And we see them go through life's ups and downs, their courtship, wedding, money troubles, getting older, etc. Those ten minutes are more touching, heartfelt, and realistic than the entire running times of most so-called "romantic comedies". If you don't get a lump in your throat from that sequence, maybe you should check to make sure you have a heart.

As sad as that sequence is, the movie soon kicks it into comedy gear. There are a lot of funny sequences, especially some stuff later on with talking dogs. But these aren't your run of the mill talking dogs we usually see in children's movies. The villain is great also and a believable foil against Carl. And the relationship between cranky Carl and optimistic Russell grows believably over the course of the film.

About the only negative I can mention is that I don't think this needed to be in 3D. If I have to wear those glasses to see a movie, then there should really be a reason to wear them and I didn't think the 3D effect was anything that spectacular here. The movie's visuals and story are great enough on their own that the 3D just seems like a tacked on gimmick, so don't feel obligated to see this in 3D if it's only playing in regular 2D around you. It's worth seeing regardless.

Best film of the summer so far, imho.

9/10

Agreed. I thought Up was simply amazing.

A note about the 3-D... I also caught it in 3-D, and quickly forgot I was watching a movie in 3-D. I was too immersed in the characters and the story to even notice. So the 3-D doesn't do much to enhance the story, but it does have one thing the 2-D prints don't.

3-D prints have a teaser trailer to Toy Story 3 attached. 2-D prints do not (they just used The Princess and the Frog - which also looks fantastic IMO)

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

[Heineken Skywalker]

SPACE CHIMPS (2008)

Computer-animated movie about a wise-cracking circus chimp, the grandson of the first chimp in space, who is recruited to go on a mission along with a couple of veteran chimp astronauts. They crash-land on a distant planet and have to try to rid the inhabitants of an evil dictator before they head back home.
Looks and feels kind of cheap, almost like a Saturday morning cartoon, especially in comparison to the offerings of Pixar and Dreamworks.
Cute, but ultimately forgettable.

5/10

[Termination]

Fanboys (2008) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio dts-HDMA - 8/10

Some funny stuff here. I thought it was a no-name brand low budget spin off of Star Wars. I dunno why I got that impression. Seth Rogen & Cameo's was a nice surprise.

Lucky # Slevin (2006) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 8/10

[slayrrr666]

Chained Heat-See thoughts in Movie Genre thread.

[slayrrr666]

The Rock-See thoughts in Movie Genre thread.

The Great Escape-See thoughts in Movie Genre thread.

[slayrrr666]

Ju-On: The Grudge 2-Not an all-out bad entry, but just pretty much haunted by a series of utterly confusing sequences.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0367913/usercomments-42

One Missed Call-Once again, a series of utterly confusing series of scenes, along with a couple other flaws, brings this one down.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0366292/usercomments-70

One Missed Call 2-Slightly better than the original, even though the good points aren't better, due to a lessening of the flaws.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0451010/usercomments-11

One Missed Call-Almost flawless, right now a prime choice for the best of the Asian Ghost remakes being done.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0479968/usercomments-157

Shutter-Not the out-and-out classic it's been touted as, just a merely above-average entry that remains satisfying if nothing else.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0440803/usercomments-114

Shutter-Once again, a highly-enjoyable remake comes out better than the original and besting it in nearly every area.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0482599/usercomments-115

At the End of the Spectra-Pretty much a meh ghost film, not that there's a lot of bad stuff, just not a lot of good stuff either.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0782839/usercomments-11

They Wait-Flawless ghost story that just doesn't disappoint at all and almost out-does the Asian stuff at their own game.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0869152/usercomments-19

[Termination]

Mad Money (2008) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 9/10

MirrorMask (2005) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 10/10

National Security (2003) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 9/10

[Termination]

Revolver (2005) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 10/10

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 8/10

Southland Tales (2006) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 9/10

The Stendhal Syndrome (1995) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 6/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 8/10
HD Audio dts-HDMA - 8/10