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Post by slayrrr666 on Jul 10, 2007 10:05:45 GMT -5
Updated two films from censored TV versions to uncensored (and an unknowingly Robert Englund bit-part marathon):
Urban Legend-I'm really fond of this one. The killer is amazingly creepy (I just love that hood) gory when it needs to be and the body count is refreshingly high for a film like this. Plus, this has some of the greatest "fudging the killer's identity" sequences ever, especially in the last half hour when it really unleashes it's full force. Thankfully also doesn't really feel like Scream too much, with just an all-star cast and the toned-down gore being the only spots. My favorite of that crop of films to come out (though I need to give the IKWYDLS films another rewatch after reading a lot of completely negative reviews of them in recent times)
Python-A huge fan of these cheesy creature features, and this one doesn't disappoint at all. Loads of fun, a high body count, great gore and also manages to remain interesting without the snake at the focus due to some really nice subplots that do converge at various spots to keep it moving. So the python looks CGI in every single one of it's scenes (especially in it's first confrontation with Englund in the forest) this still remains one of the better entries.
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Post by Quorthon on Jul 10, 2007 11:26:42 GMT -5
Watched Adaptation last night.
Still a great Charlie Kaufman flick.
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Post by ZapRowsdower on Jul 10, 2007 12:10:24 GMT -5
Sicko
I lost respect for Michael Moore when I found out how he toyed with facts in Fahrenheit 9/11 (and I'm not a Bush supporter either, mind you). I still feel that movie was incredibly counter-productive for his cause, and I'm sure he knew it too - because he took a different approach with Sicko. In fact, I think Sicko is a movie everyone needs to see. I was pissed after watching it, not because of its quality (which was excellent), but because of what I learned our "insurance" companies are doing. It is a tale of greed, greed and more greed and it leads to constant tragedy - and Michael Moore captures this in his film. In my opinion, this is Moore's best film to date. 10/10
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Post by LivingDeadGirl on Jul 10, 2007 16:48:28 GMT -5
Code Name: The Cleaner 2/4- Not as funny as I thought it would be, but pretty good.
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Post by Pulpmariachi on Jul 10, 2007 21:48:03 GMT -5
The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo) -- it's an Italian movie set in Arabic and French and it's utterly brilliant. There are no good guys or bad guys really in this film, they're either doing their job or they just want freedom, but it's thought-provoking stuff. Aided by excellent technological achievments including cinematography that helped define the "documentary" approach. A.
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Post by ZapRowsdower on Jul 11, 2007 4:52:19 GMT -5
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I don't think Pulp called this one, so I suppose it's safe to give my mini-review? If you still want the full one, you can have it. Mine would just be some boring nerdy rant about how much they changed from the book. Halfway into the movie, I was disappointed - mainly because this was the first Harry Potter movie I had seen where I had read the book first. They changed and cut out a lot. But then I wondered if I would have felt the same about the Goblet of Fire had I read that book before having seen the movie. I'm sure the movie only felt rushed because I read the book. I still feel it could have used a little more running time.
Nerd rant aside, the rushed feeling the movie had is quickly made up for by one Hell of a final act. If director David Yates was intending to rush through this book, he at least had a good reason: the final act. That, and the book itself DID get real friggin repetitive (although as always, book is better).
Loved Imelda Staunton as Umbridge, the Occlumency lessons, and of course the final battle. This is running a little long for a mini-review (three paragraphs is not mini), so I'm gonna stop and let someone else write a better review. Good movie. 8/10
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Jul 11, 2007 9:03:34 GMT -5
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006)
After hearing so much about how good this movie was and about Meryl Streep's amazing performance, the wife and I decided to give this one a look. Neither of us are big fans of "chick flicks" and this one just had that feel about it. Turns out our instincts were right.
Meryl Streep is good. Oscar worthy? Not really. The always dependable Stanley Tucci is very good too, and Anne Hathaway is really cute, but the movie itself kind of bored us.
Nothing truly surprising or exciting happens.
After about 90 minutes, I was looking at the clock, never a good sign, wondering how much longer this was going to go on. Not horrible, just not my cup of tea. Kind of "meh".
5.5/10
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Post by Termination on Jul 11, 2007 11:34:45 GMT -5
Dead Silence (2007) (HD DVD)
HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 10/10
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Post by Phoenix on Jul 11, 2007 15:21:56 GMT -5
12 Monkeys
It was okay for me. Far from my favorite futuristic movie and the futility of changing the future is never discussed, which I thought was weird. A good movie for a conversation piece though. There are lots of things to talk about - the acting, the characters, the direction, the story. So for that, it's a good movie overall.
6/10
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Post by Pulpmariachi on Jul 11, 2007 19:46:07 GMT -5
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (David Yates) -- I'm sorry, but the "they changed too much from the book" argument is bullshit. Look at the Bourne movies, only similarity is that he wakes up with amnesia and walks into a bank. For every Potter film since number three (still the best in all ways) I've said this and people going "Oh they took too much out" or whatever is just fanboy bitching. And I love the Potter books, you just have to realize that they're two different mediums and things must be changed, altered, or eliminated when presenting it in a different way. You know what? I'm ranting too much I may just do a full review. Regardless of all its missteps I think this is the 2nd best in the series. A-.
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Jul 11, 2007 22:24:20 GMT -5
TRANSFORMERS (2007)
7/10
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Post by ZapRowsdower on Jul 12, 2007 1:05:07 GMT -5
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (David Yates) -- I'm sorry, but the "they changed too much from the book" argument is bullshit. Look at the Bourne movies, only similarity is that he wakes up with amnesia and walks into a bank. For every Potter film since number three (still the best in all ways) I've said this and people going "Oh they took too much out" or whatever is just fanboy bitching. And I love the Potter books, you just have to realize that they're two different mediums and things must be changed, altered, or eliminated when presenting it in a different way. You know what? I'm ranting too much I may just do a full review. Regardless of all its missteps I think this is the 2nd best in the series. A-. Sheesh. Sorry to push the wrong button there. And I totally agree that there IS way too much complaining when the book is altered. My point was that with a longer running time they could have left a little more in. The longest book in the series had the shortest movie. I still loved it. I even gave it an 8/10, and consider it one of the better films of the summer. I also though the finale was breathtaking. And while I mentioned Imelda Staunton, I forgot to mention Helena Bonham Carter, who was fantastic. I loved the movie and will probably catch it on IMAX. Sorry for the "they took too much out" rant from before which made it seem as though I liked the movie less than I actually did. I really am quite a nerd. I wish they'd bring back Alfonso Cuaron though. Recently watched, at the recommendation of a friend: Nine to Five - I now remember watching this film when I was really, really young. My parents loved this movie. And I thought it was funny. I also consider myself a Lily Tomlin fan. Gotta love that Dolly Parton tune, too. 8/10 Roman Holiday - Another Hepburn classic I've been missing out on. A very fun romantic comedy. Audrey Hepburn was a fantastic actress. How have I been missing out on this? 10/10 |
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Post by Termination on Jul 12, 2007 3:16:55 GMT -5
Being John Malkovich (1999) (HD DVD)
HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 9/10
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Post by Pulpmariachi on Jul 12, 2007 15:47:39 GMT -5
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (David Yates) -- I'm sorry, but the "they changed too much from the book" argument is bullshit. Look at the Bourne movies, only similarity is that he wakes up with amnesia and walks into a bank. For every Potter film since number three (still the best in all ways) I've said this and people going "Oh they took too much out" or whatever is just fanboy bitching. And I love the Potter books, you just have to realize that they're two different mediums and things must be changed, altered, or eliminated when presenting it in a different way. You know what? I'm ranting too much I may just do a full review. Regardless of all its missteps I think this is the 2nd best in the series. A-. Sheesh. Sorry to push the wrong button there. And I totally agree that there IS way too much complaining when the book is altered. My point was that with a longer running time they could have left a little more in. The longest book in the series had the shortest movie. I still loved it. I even gave it an 8/10, and consider it one of the better films of the summer. I also though the finale was breathtaking. And while I mentioned Imelda Staunton, I forgot to mention Helena Bonham Carter, who was fantastic. I loved the movie and will probably catch it on IMAX. Sorry for the "they took too much out" rant from before which made it seem as though I liked the movie less than I actually did. I really am quite a nerd. I wish they'd bring back Alfonso Cuaron though. Recently watched, at the recommendation of a friend: Nine to Five - I now remember watching this film when I was really, really young. My parents loved this movie. And I thought it was funny. I also consider myself a Lily Tomlin fan. Gotta love that Dolly Parton tune, too. 8/10 Roman Holiday - Another Hepburn classic I've been missing out on. A very fun romantic comedy. Audrey Hepburn was a fantastic actress. How have I been missing out on this? 10/10 Sorry I blew up, but it just gets old. You try to talk about the movies on their own merit but suddenly they're not good because the book wasn't adapted faithfully. They tried to do that, remember? Of course, the less remembered of Colombus's Harry Potter the better. |
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Post by Termination on Jul 13, 2007 3:59:28 GMT -5
Meet Joe Black (1998) (HD DVD) HD Video - 9/10 HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 9/10 Presented in 1.85:1 aspect with a runtime of 3 hours, Meet Joe Black looks very good considering the source is nearly 10 years old. Detail on fine objects as well as actors is well rendered. Color reproduction is excellent & there are frequent scenes which have a three dimensional look to them. There is however minor edge enhancement & noise present but it isn't too distracting. Blacks are solid & I didn't find any compression artifacts. The Dolby Digital Plus mix is recorded around 10-15db below reference but once I matched the audible output, dynamic range kept consistent throughout. Mostly front heavy, the 1.5mbps soundtrack is crisp & clear with no sonic distortion. The score makes most use of the surrounds & LFE. Dialog is clear & well mixed. The track is limited being lossy & all, but for the age of the track, I doubt a lossless track would have made a huge impact to the overall soundfield. Meet Joe Black isn't perfect in the PQ, AQ department, but for a near 10 year old film, I throughly enjoyed this HD transfer. If your a fan, this HD DVD is definitely worth the upgrade.  Mallrats (1995) (HD DVD) HD Video - 7/10 HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 8/10
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