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Post by Termination on Dec 24, 2009 17:06:03 GMT -5
Election (1999) (Blu-Ray)
HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 8/10
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Dec 26, 2009 16:17:09 GMT -5
My annual Christmas viewing of
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
James Stewart plays George Bailey, a good-hearted man who has sacrificed all of his own hopes and dreams in order to run his father's business, and to protect the people of Bedford Falls from Mr. Potter, the scheming Millionaire, from taking over the entire town. When $8,000.00 of his business's money goes missing on Christmas Eve, and he faces ruin and jail, Bailey, in an act of desperation, contemplates suicide, feeling he's worth more to his family dead than alive. Clarence, an angel who has yet to earn his wings, is sent down to earth to show George how his selflessness affected everyone around him and how the lives of his family, friends and the entire town would've been different had George Bailey never lived.
A masterpiece in every way. Dramatic, funny and heartbreaking. James Stewart and Donna Reed as his love Mary, are a perfect screen couple, and Lionel Barrymore is practically the Devil himself as Mr. Potter, a classic villain.
I watch it every year and it never fails to hit me on an emotional level. Instead of aging and getting old, it just gets better with each viewing.
But if you've never seen it, and how is that possible, don't just take my word for it. From IMDB.com:
James Stewart said that of all the films he had made, this was his favorite and cited George Bailey as being his favorite character.
Director, Frank Capra often said that this was his favorite of all his films.
James Stewart's performance as George Bailey is ranked #8 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).
Voted the #1 inspirational film of all time in AFI's "100 Years, 100 Cheers" (June 14th, 2006)
Ranked as the #1 Most Powerful Movie of All Time by the American Film Institute (2006).
In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this as the #20 Greatest Movie of All Time.
Ranked #3 on the American Film Institute's list of the 10 greatest films in the genre "Fantasy" in June 2008.
10/10
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Post by slayrrr666 on Dec 28, 2009 12:26:51 GMT -5
For one, none of those are particularly inviting reasons, as I don't watch those kinds of movies at all, so it would mostly be a lost cause for me. Secondly, I've seen it parodied so many times I'd probably be thinking about what's parodied which scene from here, and I'll be more into that than the movie itself.
Annual Christmas viewing of Home Alone 1 and 2, much more of my style.
Couple of mediocre ghost films, none of which are really all that great so short details on them:
Driftwood-Rebellious teen sent to reform camp, ghost of former student tries to bring him in to solve his murder. If it sounds formulaic, and have already guessed that the one who runs the camp is responsible for the actions, pat yourself on the back. A couple minor scares, but really, nothing you haven't seen before.
Fearhouse-Group of friends sent out to a haunted mansion to investigate why a writer there on retreat has disappeared, and stumbles upon a disturbing secret as to why all the other residents there ended up dead or insane. Slightly better (the kills here are much better, and are largely responsible for that) but there's no real suspense to be had from this one. The tension is very low, and it sucks the life out of the film. Watchable, and by far the best of the bunch, but nothing you should seek out immediately.
The Appeared-I'm guessing this one is from Argentina considering the wealth of times they mention Bounos Aires in here, but a brother and sister head out to their childhood home to pack it up when their father dies, and manage to stumble onto a long-held family secret. This would've been absolutely great had it not been for the overly confusing and just plain weird plotline here, as it has characters in the present time interacting with people and events in the past, then has those people in the modern time-period and even more outlandishness that makes it impossible to tell what's going on. Everything else, though, is just a lot of fun and really enjoyable.
The Undefeated-See thoughts in Movie Genre thread.
North to Alaska-See thoughts in Movie Genre thread.
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Post by Termination on Dec 29, 2009 0:00:17 GMT -5
The Express (2008) (Blu-Ray)
HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio dts-HDMA - 10/10
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Dec 29, 2009 2:44:46 GMT -5
For one, none of those are particularly inviting reasons, as I don't watch those kinds of movies at all, so it would mostly be a lost cause for me. Secondly, I've seen it parodied so many times I'd probably be thinking about what's parodied which scene from here, and I'll be more into that than the movie itself. It was a rhetorical question, but thanks for playing. And yes, seeing the parodies first is a good reason to not see it. (Sarcasm) I see that participating in Genre of the Month every single month for two years has not affected your taste in movies one bit. Sad. Can't wait for this year to be over. Really, no need to respond. |
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Post by slayrrr666 on Dec 29, 2009 11:57:18 GMT -5
For one, none of those are particularly inviting reasons, as I don't watch those kinds of movies at all, so it would mostly be a lost cause for me. Secondly, I've seen it parodied so many times I'd probably be thinking about what's parodied which scene from here, and I'll be more into that than the movie itself. It was a rhetorical question, but thanks for playing. And yes, seeing the parodies first is a good reason to not see it. (Sarcasm) I see that participating in Genre of the Month every single month for two years has not affected your taste in movies one bit. Sad. Can't wait for this year to be over. Really, no need to respond. And just so you know, mine was sarcasm as well. I've really got to make sure those smilies get through in the message when I'm posting. I hit it just before I hit post reply, and sometimes they don't make it in. My new year's resolution, ensure the smilies are in my post before I say so. I'd actually really like to watch it because I haven't yet, it just never fit into one of the genres that was put up and so never found the time for it. Plus, with it appearing only once a year, kinda hard to find it. |
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Post by Termination on Dec 30, 2009 3:37:26 GMT -5
For one, none of those are particularly inviting reasons, as I don't watch those kinds of movies at all, so it would mostly be a lost cause for me. Secondly, I've seen it parodied so many times I'd probably be thinking about what's parodied which scene from here, and I'll be more into that than the movie itself. It was a rhetorical question, but thanks for playing. And yes, seeing the parodies first is a good reason to not see it. (Sarcasm) I see that participating in Genre of the Month every single month for two years has not affected your taste in movies one bit. Sad. Can't wait for this year to be over. Really, no need to respond. Well to change ones tastes in movie genre's shouldn't be the goal there but rather open the window to recommendation. I appreciate your recent recommendations in the thread I created because I don't see previews nor see films in theatres. That & I really have lost any specific movie genre tastes, & always keep an open mind. I plan on visiting some of those titles next month.  |
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Post by Termination on Dec 30, 2009 3:40:25 GMT -5
Family Guy Presents: Something Something Something Dark Side (2009)
HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio dts-HDMA - 9/10
Better than the first, way better!
Cyclops (2008)
HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
LOL, not even a menu. I think the film makers were trying to make fun of Gladiator or something. Well the film is at least 23.97hz
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Dec 30, 2009 10:49:59 GMT -5
And just so you know, mine was sarcasm as well. Honestly, it doesn't matter. And ...WONDERFUL LIFE is probably on regular tv about a dozen times every December, not to mention that it's readily available on home video, so being able to "find it" shouldn't be a problem for anyone who really wants to see it. Well to change ones tastes in movie genre's shouldn't be the goal there but rather open the window to recommendation. I appreciate your recent recommendations in the thread I created because I don't see previews nor see films in theatres. That & I really have lost any specific movie genre tastes, & always keep an open mind. I plan on visiting some of those titles next month. You're welcome and you're right. My objective with Genre of the Month (GOTM) was never to completely change people's viewing habits, but to open them up to types of films they might otherwise have never given a second thought to. Hopefully folks would later check out other types of movies, on their own, without feeling like they were "forced" to because it fit into a selected GOTM. GOTM shouldn't feel like homework. |
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Post by slayrrr666 on Dec 30, 2009 11:44:59 GMT -5
And just so you know, mine was sarcasm as well. Honestly, it doesn't matter. And ...WONDERFUL LIFE is probably on regular tv about a dozen times every December, not to mention that it's readily available on home video, so being able to "find it" shouldn't be a problem for anyone who really wants to see it. Well to change ones tastes in movie genre's shouldn't be the goal there but rather open the window to recommendation. I appreciate your recent recommendations in the thread I created because I don't see previews nor see films in theatres. That & I really have lost any specific movie genre tastes, & always keep an open mind. I plan on visiting some of those titles next month. You're welcome and you're right. My objective with Genre of the Month (GOTM) was never to completely change people's viewing habits, but to open them up to types of films they might otherwise have never given a second thought to. Hopefully folks would later check out other types of movies, on their own, without feeling like they were "forced" to because it fit into a selected GOTM. GOTM shouldn't feel like homework. But, to keep something in perspective, I'm the one who, if it wasn't on my radar, I never bothered to seek it out to begin with until I started this, so seeking out something that wasn't there for me to begin with wasn't always practical. Like I've mentioned in the pages numerous times, some of the stuff I've watched have been very good (or at the least enjoyable enough that I didn't feel like I was wasting my time with it despite not being the kind of film that would appeal to me to begin with) so I do have a willingness to see them, just not an overwhelming urge. And like Term, I honestly never felt it was homework either. The hardest part of it all was looking through my TV guide and looking for what fit the profile that month. But otherwise, it's always been a blast. Riders in the Sky-See thoughts in Movie Genre thread. |
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Dec 30, 2009 11:54:07 GMT -5
TYSON (2008)
James Toback's documentary about the rise and fall of notorious former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson, from the perspective of Tyson himself.
Edited together from more than 30 hours of new interview footage of Tyson sitting in a chair, discussing the major events of his life, sometimes unintelligibly, and inter-cut with clips from matches, previous interviews, and news footage.
His obvious pain over the loss of his late trainer and mentor Cus D'amato is touching and shows a side of "Iron" Mike that is seldom seen, but it's balanced with his hatred of boxing promoter Don King.
Even if you're not a boxing or Tyson fan, this is pretty interesting stuff.
7.5/10
ROCKNROLLA (2008)
Tom Wilkinson plays a powerful crime boss and Gerard Butler is the leader of a small gang of crooks known as The Wild Bunch in director Guy Ritchie's latest crime thriller set in London's crime underworld. A real estate scam, a Russian mobster, the theft of millions of dollars, a missing painting, a drug-addicted punkrock star, a pair of record producers, and a beautiful accountant (Thandie Newton) are all in the mix.
Not in the same league as a PULP FICTION, but it's fun, fast paced and stylized.
7/10
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Post by LivingDeadGirl on Dec 31, 2009 18:48:57 GMT -5
Avatar- Absolutely amazing! 9/10
The Hangover- Hilarious 7/10
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