Just Watched Movies: 2009

[ZapRowsdower]

The Reader (2008, Stephen Daldry)

Alright, I have now seen all five Best Picture nominees, and after seeing it, my fears had been realized - this has no place in the Best Picture or Screenplay categories. It simply is NOT better than other films that were released this year. Namely, The Dark Knight. Or The Wrestler. In Bruges. I'd even take Revolutionary Road.

Not to say the Reader is a bad film. It isn't. In fact, it's actually really good. I personally believe that Winslet's performance here was definitely a SUPPORTING role, not leading. That nomination belonged to her performance in Revolutionary Road, NOT this one. Though her performance was good enough to warrant a nomination, I strongly feel that Revolutionary Road would have been her big win. Another nomination I would not complain about if I had seen it, the young David Kross. A phenomenal performance from such a young actor.

Throughout the first half of the movie, I was beginning to see what the Academy saw in it. The first half was brilliant. I never once checked my watch. It was smart, seductive, done beautifully. I would have considered it on par with films like The English Patient. The second half rolled along, and then... well... after the trial, the pacing screeches to nearly a snail's pace. There are cool little devices here and there, but that's when I started checking my watch. Scenes were drawn out far longer than they needed to be. They utilized an Oscar-baiting cliche (that also happens to be a spoiler), and overall, it just seemed they had a great story but just didn't know how to end it.

So no, it's NOT one of the five best pictures of the year. But it's definitely worth a look. At least once. 8/10

NOTE: People thought I hated Michael Clayton last year. I didn't. In fact, that was also an 8/10 for me. I just felt, like the Reader, it was getting much more acclaim than it deserved. Also, the Rottentomatoes score for the Reader are a little low. The Reader was a MUCH better film than Spider-Man 3.

Cinematography was astounding. The music was very fitting.

[raina]

Pineapple Express (2008)

Often funny, but rarely hilarious, its still a very entertaining action comedy film that was a bit more violent than I was expecting. Surprisingly, I felt James Franco's performance as drug dealer (and stoner) Saul was the absolute best thing about the film.

7/10


Carver (2008)

This one is only for fans of REALLY low budget slasher films. As such, its pretty effective and pretty brutal. I was actually kind of surprised by how well done the gore/death scenes were. For a super low budget gorefest that is.....
But story wise, its nothing we haven't seen many times before. Group of obnoxious or stupid kids go camping, run into the local psychopath and are brutally killed off one by one.
But for what it is, its works. I also liked director Franklin Guerrero Jr.'s The 8th Plague (actually liked it better, and didn't realize it was the same director going into this one).
However both should be avoided by those that are just casual horror fans and aren't into lots of gore, can't forgive the mistakes, the problems with sound, the bad acting, etc. that goes along with movies of this type that have such low budgets.

5/10

[Termination]

Mirrors (2008) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio dts-HDMA - 9/10

You Don't Mess With the Zohan (2008) (Blu-Ray)

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

[Heineken Skywalker]

TAKEN (2009)

The film follows ex-CIA "Preventer", Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), who races off to Paris, France to try to rescue his 17-year-old daughter after she is kidnapped by Albanian sex-traffickers while vacationing in Europe.
Skilled in hand to hand combat, weapons, and high-tech surveillance, Bryan is soon in France, wiping out bad guys left and right. Think an older, taller, Jason Bourne.
Not the kind of movie that gets critical acclaim or awards. Just a good, action-packed, revenge picture, where a guy goes outside the law and uses his special skills to get the job done. Just sit back, eat your popcorn, and enjoy the fast-paced ride.
Interesting to see Neeson in an action hero role. He's a good actor who is equally believable in dramatic films like SCHINDLER'S LIST and KINSEY or in action movies like this.
After all, the guy did train Batman and Obi-Wan Kenobi, so you know he knows how to kick ass.

8/10

[slayrrr666]

Fido-Okay, so it wasn't as bad as I figured it would be, but the fact that the behavior change doesn't allow for many horror moments is a drag.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0457572/usercomments-74

The Revolting Dead-If you can get around the behavioral change, much like what happened last week, this one can be really good.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0365685/usercomments-18

The Zombie Chronicles-A rather fun anthology, much better than expected and features enough good parts to make it watchable.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0272950/usercomments-26

Raiders of the Living Dead-An all-out blast, cheesy enough to be entertaining while giving the goods when it counts.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0138050/usercomments-21

Shock Waves-Really wished it would've gone further than it did, but it's still enjoyable when it counts.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0076704/usercomments-73

The Rising Dead-Highly enjoyable and entertaining low-budget effort, marked only by a couple minor, insignificant flaws.
www.imdb.com/title/tt1050194/usercomments-6

Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!-Really, really wished it would've gone further, but it's much too fun to really care.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0906788/usercomments-10

The Beyond-Well, is it the new Best Film of All Time? Not saying here, read to find out the truth.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0082307/usercomments-214

[raina]

Pin (1988)

Dr. Linden (Terry O'Quinn of Stepfather fame...and oh yeah, also one of the stars of a little show called LOST) has an anatomically correct medical dummy named Pin who he has given a voice through ventriloquism. He uses this dummy in his medical practice, and even as a way to help raise his children, Ursula and Leon. For instance, when it is time for "the talk", it is Pin that explains sex and reproduction to the children.
The children grow up, but each troubled in his/her own way, though it is Leon that latches on to Pin, he believes that Pin is more than just a dummy (and gets quite violent when someone claims otherwise). Pin is not only his friend, Pin is family.
Low budget and you can tell it. Its also very slow. Yet its still a rather engaging and unsettling psychological thriller. There are psycho-sexual elements that are just creepy. Not great, but better than expected.

6.5/10

Cube 2: Hypercube (2002)

If you have seen the first one, not really any reason to see this one. In fact, after seeing the first one, this one was mostly a bore.

4/10

Cube Zero (2004)

Its worth a watch, if you don't mind the mystery of the first film being squashed. Its not bad exactly. The problem is, its pretty unnecessary. Especially since a big part of the charm of the original was the mystery that this film takes away.

5/10

[slayrrr666]

Feb 2, 2009 14:10:28 GMT -5 raina said:

Cube 2: Hypercube (2002)

If you have seen the first one, not really any reason to see this one. In fact, after seeing the first one, this one was mostly a bore.

4/10

Cube Zero (2004)

Its worth a watch, if you don't mind the mystery of the first film being squashed. Its not bad exactly. The problem is, its pretty unnecessary. Especially since a big part of the charm of the original was the mystery that this film takes away.

5/10

I think all three of them are absolute shit, honestly. I can't stand any of them.

[raina]

Feb 3, 2009 11:03:13 GMT -5 slayrrr666 said:

I think all three of them are absolute shit, honestly. I can't stand any of them.

Um.....sorry....? I really liked the first one, it wasn't perfect, but for a low budget effort it was intriguing to me, simple but effective. And I actually really liked the idea that each character represented different aspects of humanity (I think I read they each have the characteristics of the prisons they are named after) in the situation. But it only really works once, the sequels are pretty much completely unnecessary and a bore for the most part. But hey, still better than a lot of the crap I watch....

[Heineken Skywalker]

THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE (2007)

Halle Berry plays Audrey, a recent widow who asks her husband Brian's (David Duchovny) best friend Jerry (Benicio Del Toro), a recovering drug addict, to live in the garage of her home.
Audrey was never happy about the friendship between Brian and his junkie friend, but feels compelled to continue helping Jerry out of his situation. This turns out to be therapeutic for both of them as they help each other cope with Brian's death.
Really good performances from both leads, Berry's best work since her Oscar win for MONSTER'S BALL, and Del Toro is as good as he always is. Movie's a little slow, not really boring considering the subject matter, but a couple of things in the story don't ring as true.

7/10

[slayrrr666]

Feb 3, 2009 12:33:50 GMT -5 raina said:

Feb 3, 2009 11:03:13 GMT -5 slayrrr666 said:

I think all three of them are absolute shit, honestly. I can't stand any of them.

Um.....sorry....? I really liked the first one, it wasn't perfect, but for a low budget effort it was intriguing to me, simple but effective. And I actually really liked the idea that each character represented different aspects of humanity (I think I read they each have the characteristics of the prisons they are named after) in the situation. But it only really works once, the sequels are pretty much completely unnecessary and a bore for the most part. But hey, still better than a lot of the crap I watch....

Of the more than 1200 films I've seen and reviewed, there's hundreds upon hundreds I've seen that were better than any of these entries. The best one I gave was a 4/10, which was to the last one. It wouldn't surprise me to find I've placed all three in my bottom 100 of all time list.

That's mostly due to organic flaws present in each film that completely render the film flat upon arrival:

The original spends 90% of the time arguing over how to avoid the traps, which was essentially the whole point of the film in the first place. You go into a film like this wanting to see how they're going to get carved up and killed, not watching them go around trying to find ways around them. It defeats the whole purpose, and then what little kills we get are just lame and not worth it to begin with.

The sequel just had no life or energy to it, it's pretty lifeless and just a chore to finish.

The last one spent so little time inside the contraption it seemed like it was a supporting cameo character in it's own series. Granted, it's the only one where the kills are anywhere close to decent, you're not there enough to really get into it like you should.

I think all three are absolute crap, and I've seen tons of other stuff I'd rather watch than these films. Are these better made? Yeah, but not entertainment-wise, which is the telling mark.

Forrest Gump-See thoughts in Movie Genre thread.

[raina]

Feb 4, 2009 11:13:38 GMT -5 slayrrr666 said:

Of the more than 1200 films I've seen and reviewed, there's hundreds upon hundreds I've seen that were better than any of these entries. The best one I gave was a 4/10, which was to the last one. It wouldn't surprise me to find I've placed all three in my bottom 100 of all time list.

That's mostly due to organic flaws present in each film that completely render the film flat upon arrival:

The original spends 90% of the time arguing over how to avoid the traps, which was essentially the whole point of the film in the first place. You go into a film like this wanting to see how they're going to get carved up and killed, not watching them go around trying to find ways around them. It defeats the whole purpose, and then what little kills we get are just lame and not worth it to begin with.

The sequel just had no life or energy to it, it's pretty lifeless and just a chore to finish.

The last one spent so little time inside the contraption it seemed like it was a supporting cameo character in it's own series. Granted, it's the only one where the kills are anywhere close to decent, you're not there enough to really get into it like you should.

I think all three are absolute crap, and I've seen tons of other stuff I'd rather watch than these films. Are these better made? Yeah, but not entertainment-wise, which is the telling mark.

I've seen a hell of lot of movies too, horror and otherwise. I read and I watch movies, that how I spend almost every minute of my spare time...LOL. And there is no way, even the most boring of the three is anywhere close to being so bad that it would be in the bottom 100 of films that I have seen (I've seen House of Carnage *shudders*). We just have very different taste in film, and look for different things......I don't believe at all that the kills were the point of the first one. The point of first one, in my opinion, was showing how very different people with different experiences and intellect react in a completely foreign, hostile and confusing environment. I'm a big horror fan, and sometimes I want to see blood for sure, but I hardly ever watch a movie just to see how people are going to die. That's not scary, and THAT can sometimes get boring to me. Like I said, we just look for different things. One man's trash is another man's treasure as they say....

[Termination]

Cool Hand Luke (1967) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 6/10

Day Watch (2006) (Blu-Ray)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio dts-HDMA - 10/10

[Heineken Skywalker]

FROST/NIXON (2008)

Frank Langella and Michael Sheen both give fantastic performances in this retelling of
the series of tv interviews of post-Watergate, former president Richard Nixon (Langella) by British talk-show host David Frost (Sheen). Shame that only Langella was nominated for an Oscar.
Good performances by the supporting cast (Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, etc.) and excellent direction by Ron Howard, for what is essentially, a "talking heads" movie. Better than the similar GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, which I also watched recently.

7.5/10

[Termination]

Jerry Maguire (1996) (Blu-Ray)

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

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) (Blu-Ray)

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

1408 (2007) (Blu-Ray)

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

[slayrrr666]

Gandhi-See thoughts in Movie Genre thread.