Just Watched Movies: 2007

[Pulpmariachi]

Kill Bill: Vol 2 (Quentin Tarantino) -- the blood and guts are exchanged for more character and a spaghetti-Western feel. Unfortunatley, as cool as the first 80 minutes are, the final confrontation with Bill is just...disappointing. B.

[Termination]

Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) (Blu-Ray)

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

Woa man, the colors, the colors. There is minor grain & some areas appear to look flat or soft occasionally. Detail is quite consistent throughout & oh did I mention the colors! Damn, there is almost too much for the eyes to take in. I was gonna mark this title as "reference" just for that reason, unfortunately the rest of the transfer isn't all flawless. The audio sure is though. Almost night & day difference between the Dolby (640kbps) & the LPCM (4.6mbps) one. The only thing the dolby track almost matches the lossless track, is with its dialog. The LPCM one has the surrounds & mains active throughout the action scenes & the musical numbers while dialog is loud & clear. I find the best audio tracks are ones which make noises you can't pin-point the channel it is coming from.. well this soundtrack has plenty of that making an impressive 360 soundstage.

[ZapRowsdower]

Mr. Brooks

Fantastic. Kevin Costner, Demi Moore and William Hurt were great, and Dane Cook's performance DIDN'T leave me seriously wanting to hurt Dane Cook. It's an improvement over his last film or any stand-up I had seen him do (which left me wanting to hurt Dane Cook). Great flick all around, and it's nice to see Costner change it up a bit. 8/10

[Termination]

Midnight Run (1988) (HD DVD)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 7/10

The River (1984) (HD DVD)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 7/10

[ZapRowsdower]

The Life of Emile Zola - A great 30's biopic about a rebel with a cause. Even though it is an Oscar winner, I consider it a little more obscure than it should be and I definitely recommend this hidden gem. It's readily available if you're on Netflix. 8/10

[Phoenix]

Dr. Strangelove - AMAZING FANTASTIC A CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10/10

[Heineken Skywalker]

phoenix said:

Dr. Strangelove - AMAZING FANTASTIC A CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10/10

A classic indeed. "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!" Now, that's fuckin' funny. Was this your first time seeing it?

THE YAKUZA PAPERS: FINAL EPISODE (1974)

Fifth installment in the Japanese gangster epic series. Tied up the loose ends, but was pretty damn talky.

5.5/10

[ZapRowsdower]

Waitress - While it is one of the best-reviewed movies of the year, don't expect it to be a monumental film achievement. In reality, it's just a really likeable film. I liked it a lot, and I'm sure most of the reviewers simply liked it a lot. It goes down real easy, and the actors are amazing. There are a few things about this film I hope don't get forgotten come Oscar season: the late Adrienne Shelley's screenplay, and the performances of Keri Russell and Andy Griffith. It's definitely worth the price of admission (and for people like me who don't have to pay, it was certainly worth the drive to the closest art theater that was playing this movie). 8/10

[Termination]

Ultimate Avengers Collection; (Blu-Ray)

Ultimate Avengers: The Movie (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Ultimate Avengers 2 (2006)

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

[Termination]

Weeds: Season One (2005) (Blu-Ray)

You Can't Miss the Bear

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

Free Goat

HD Video - 6/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Good Shit Lollipop

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

Fashion of the Christ

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

Lude Awakening

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

Dead in the Nethers

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

Higher Education

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

The Punishment Light

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

The Punishment Lighter

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

The Godmother

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

[slayrrr666]

2001: A Space Travesty-Not as all around funny as it was when first viewed, but still gets some great laughs here and there. Just a greatest hits of Nielson's best gags from the past, but at least they chose the best ones rather than the accalaimed ones. Does lead to a sense of deja-vu when seeing most of them, but enough to be likeable.

[Heineken Skywalker]

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (1966)

Musical comedy based on the stage play and set in ancient Rome. Stars Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers, Jack Gilford and Buster Keaton in his last film. With that cast of comedic brilliance I was expecting something funnier. I laughed a few times, but overall, I found most of it to be "meh". I'm going to guess that like the movie remake of THE PRODUCERS, this Tony-winning musical was probably better on stage.
Does feature the classic showtune "Comedy Tonight".

5.5/10

[Phoenix]

heinekenskywalker said:

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (1966)

Musical comedy based on the stage play and set in ancient Rome. Stars Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers, Jack Gilford and Buster Keaton in his last film. With that cast of comedic brilliance I was expecting something funnier. I laughed a few times, but overall, I found most of it to be "meh". I'm going to guess that like the movie remake of THE PRODUCERS, this Tony-winning musical was probably better on stage.
Does feature the classic showtune "Comedy Tonight".

5.5/10

I think this is true for most on stage to movie comedies. Because when you see it live you feed off the audience and the actors that are so close to you. Something is always lost on screen I think for these comedies. They try to capture it but it just doesn't work. I agree with your assessment, I didn't really A FUNNY THING either when I saw it.

Edit: and to answer your earlier question, yes that was my very first viewing of Dr.Strangelove.

[ZapRowsdower]

As Good As It Gets - I love this movie. Jack Nicholson is such an asshole, Greg Kinnear is great, Helen Hunt... even the dog was freakin' awesome. Talk about an apt title, this movie almost is as good as it gets. 9/10

[ZapRowsdower]

phoenix said:

heinekenskywalker said:

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (1966)

Musical comedy based on the stage play and set in ancient Rome. Stars Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers, Jack Gilford and Buster Keaton in his last film. With that cast of comedic brilliance I was expecting something funnier. I laughed a few times, but overall, I found most of it to be "meh". I'm going to guess that like the movie remake of THE PRODUCERS, this Tony-winning musical was probably better on stage.
Does feature the classic showtune "Comedy Tonight".

5.5/10

I think this is true for most on stage to movie comedies. Because when you see it live you feed off the audience and the actors that are so close to you. Something is always lost on screen I think for these comedies. They try to capture it but it just doesn't work. I agree with your assessment, I didn't really A FUNNY THING either when I saw it.

Edit: and to answer your earlier question, yes that was my very first viewing of Dr.Strangelove.

This is true, except in the hands of a capable director. For instance, I felt Dreamgirls and Chicago were very well-made adaptations because their directors (and possibly screenwriters) made them both cinematic experiences. The Producers movie was entertaining, but I had a feeling I was watching canned theatre (is this an obscure term?). I'm really into musical theatre and have a soft spot for movies based on Broadway musicals, but in my experience they're always better onstage.