Page 8 of 16

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:06 pm
by Synthoid
I'm frustrated because I missed Gangster No.1. I've only seen parts of it before.

Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:46 pm
by ratperson665
Last watched: Roshoman. Excellent! 9.5/10

Next: Eyes Wide Shut.

Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:51 pm
by Henry Spencer
Just seen a long lost gem, that is the finest movie I've seen this year, without a doubt. Murder On The Orient Express, a classic brought to the big screen, in the best way (I think Agatha would have been proud of the achievements of director Sidney Lumet): Powerful ending that is really startling and very surprising. Some say it is Agatha Christie's best novel, I'm still plowing my way through her excellent books, but from what I've read, so far (only 5 Poirot), it has paled in comparison to this masterwork. A cast to die for: Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, John Gielgud, Michael York and Richard Widmark. This was the final screenplay written by Paul Dehn, best known for his work on Goldfinger, The Night Of The Generals and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (one of Richard Burton's best movies).

If you like mystery fiction; albeit with an extremely startling and shocking set of twists at the end, which all make sense and not dolloped on the top for lack of imagination, (as it is all cleared up by the investigator) then check this one out, for sure. Sure, it may seem like it moves slowly, it may seem camp when attempting to be dark in the earlier stages and the acting may seem forced by some, but with this kind of ensemble cast and crew, it doesn't matter. As my favourite genre of fiction is mystery, this was a grand piece of film, that may just have gotten into my top ten. What a great, great movie.

9.5/10 based on the amazing climax, alone.

Next up: Prince Of The City (also by Sidney Lumet). I'm hoping for a great movie, based on all of the good reviews to do with the film.

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 4:03 pm
by Missing
Just got done watching Born Free. I cry like a baby everytime.

Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 2:32 am
by shidoni
I watched The Bodyguard today for the first time... What a creature of it's time lol... I wonder what it means when Kevin Costner plays the perfect completely boring man. The climax at the awards show was surprisingly badass.... But other than that, it suffered from something common to that time's movies; it has an interesting core, but it's filled between with gummy so-so interaction...

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:45 pm
by shidoni
...and then Die Hard, for the first time. I really liked Willis' character, I didn't feel ... I dunno, guilty, for levitating towards his character, unlike certain, other action movie protagonists.... *coughmelgibsoncough*
My eyes got a good workout rolling at all the lame-assed one-liners and comic relief.
As well.... I've never seen such a long mockery of the L.A.P.D., lol.
All in all, entertaining... VelJohnson's character brought Ed Brown to mind heavily, what with the, uh....
Spoiler:
shooting the kid (or in Ed's case, the kid's father) and vowing never to shoot again, only to... err.... save the main character's ass in the end by breaking said vow....
I don't suggest watching The Bodyguard and Die Hard in tandem, you'll expect things, the cliches start running into each other, e.g., I bet the black cocky chauffeur's gonna die!!

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 12:25 am
by Synthoid
He could be a fuckin' bartender for all we know!

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:09 am
by shidoni
Synthoid wrote:He could be a fuckin' bartender for all we know!
God, I wanted to punch that guy.

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:47 am
by Spike
Synthoid wrote:He could be a fuckin' bartender for all we know!
Do you know that this line is a reference to the fact that Willis was actually a bartender during the shooting of the film ?

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:55 am
by Synthoid
I do now.

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:40 am
by shidoni
Woah.... :shock: Something new everyday...

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 3:40 pm
by Marc
Saw Blade Runner: The Final Cut at the Uptown in DC last night. There was a good number of people there for a late-night weeknight showing.

Anyway, it was amazing finally getting to see my favorite film on the big screen (I've seen other classics in theaters, but BR had always eluded me). The Uptown is a one-screen theater, and its screen is pretty big, about 70 by 40 feet. The picture was gorgeous and the sound was beautifully crisp. The opening LA skyline shot when the music kicks in was breathtaking.

As for the film itself, if you're a fan you may have already read about the changes, but it's pretty similar to the '92 Director's Cut, though I can see how that version wasn't Ridley's "definitive" version given what he's done with this one.

Spoilers

A lot of the changes are just fixing problems with that version (wires on the Spinners, Harrison Ford having his cut from his fight with Leon before he fights him, Joanna Cassidy's obvious stunt double, the cameraman's shadow in the chase in Sebastian's apartment, the background when the dove flies away not matching up). Then there's some new (actually reinserted) dialogue in places, like Roy's, "I'm sorry, Sebastian. Come. Come" after he kills Tyrell. And of course the hockey mask dancers from the Workprint, as well as Pris pulling Deckard up by the nostrils. :)

I hope they extend the theatrical run overseas, just like they've extended it to other US cities since the NY-LA premiere. More people should get the chance to see it.

And I <3 this movie a hundred times more than anything Kojima's done.

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 4:38 pm
by Artemio
I am green with envy. I'm sure I'll have to wait for the HD versions, but everything is ready for them (the subwoofer is calibrated to reference levels and equalized for the room, the speakers calibrated and balanced against each other, the TV is calibrated to the HQV and DVE levels, etc). That'll have to do.

I was lucky enough to catch it on a nice cinema a couple of years ago, and it was totally worth it. A very different experience that I have felt with no other film, more engaging on the big screen in a way a dvd couldn't start to offer.

I am glad you could watch it pal.

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 4:54 pm
by Marc
Snatcher wrote:I was lucky enough to catch it on a nice cinema a couple of years ago, and it was totally worth it. A very different experience that I have felt with no other film, more engaging on the big screen in a way a dvd couldn't start to offer.
Which version did you see? I hope you get the chance to see this version, pal.

I was initially hesistant to go see it, believe it or not, because I knew that after seeing it in a theater, it would never be quite as good watching it at home. But then I knew I'd never forgive myself if I didn't! It's playing for another 10 days, I believe. I'm tempted to go back and see it again. But then I'll want to see it again! :|

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 4:59 pm
by Artemio
I watched the '92 Director's cut. it was a decent print that allowed me to notice tons of detail I hadn't before. It had me fully engaged all the time.

Go and enjoy it while you can =)

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:17 pm
by Missing
shidoni wrote:I watched The Bodyguard today for the first time... What a creature of it's time lol... I wonder what it means when Kevin Costner plays the perfect completely boring man. The climax at the awards show was surprisingly badass.... But other than that, it suffered from something common to that time's movies; it has an interesting core, but it's filled between with gummy so-so interaction...
Hasn't that been the problem with so many films since their inception? To create interesting premises but reduce them to mushy sap, because the producers somehow think that audiences buy into these fairy tales?

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:20 pm
by Missing
Any word on whether the Final Cut is going to get further distribution, or is that about it until the DVD release?

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:35 pm
by Marc
Missing wrote:Any word on whether the Final Cut is going to get further distribution, or is that about it until the DVD release?
Here's the most recent list:

10/26 - Seattle (Cinerama, Seattle - 35mm), Washington D.C. (Uptown, D.C. - 35mm), Portland (Cinema 21, Portland - 35mm), Salt Lake (Gateway Megaplex, SLC - Digital)
11/2 - Chicago (Music Box, Chicago - 35mm), Santa Barbara (Arlington, Santa Barbara - Digital), Baltimore (Landmark Harbor East, Baltimore - Digital)
11/9 - Boston (Coolidge Corner, Brookline - 35mm)
11/16 - Detroit (Main Art, Detroit - 35mm)
11/18 - Austin (Paramount, Austin - 35mm)
11/30 - San Francisco (Embarcadero, San Francisco - 35mm), Dallas (The Inwood, Dallas - 35mm), San Diego (Ken, San Diego - 35mm), Minneapolis (Uptown, Minneapolis - 35mm)
12/7 - Denver (The Landmark @ Greenwood Village - Digital), Philadelphia (The Ritz 5, Philadelphia - 35mm)
12/25 - Boston (The Brattle, Cambridge - 35mm)
1/2/08 - Austin (The Paramount, Austin - 35mm)
1/4/08 - Nashville (The Belcourt, Nashville - 35mm)
1/18/08 - Durham (Carolina, Durham - 35mm)
2/1/08 - Columbus (Drexel Gateway, Columbus - 35mm)
2/15/08 - San Francisco (Castro, San Francisco - 35mm)
2/29/08 - Sacramento (Crest, Sacramento - 35mm)

I'm probably going to go see it again at the Landmark in Baltimore, purely for the digital version.

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:54 pm
by shidoni
Missing wrote:
shidoni wrote:I watched The Bodyguard today for the first time... What a creature of it's time lol... I wonder what it means when Kevin Costner plays the perfect completely boring man. The climax at the awards show was surprisingly badass.... But other than that, it suffered from something common to that time's movies; it has an interesting core, but it's filled between with gummy so-so interaction...
Hasn't that been the problem with so many films since their inception? To create interesting premises but reduce them to mushy sap, because the producers somehow think that audiences buy into these fairy tales?
It's also a problem when the audience doesn't want to make any emotional connections, so the pace is made too fast and characters have only slight reactions to what should be heavy emotional scenes (e.g., when the armoured car was blown up in Die Hard, presumably evaporating the men inside, if I'm not mistaken). Then again, that could just be a part of the whole "LAPD are fucking stupid" package.

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:36 pm
by joeypete
Watched Saw 4 at the movies... It was okay.

Hard Candy DID turn out to be a disappointment, as was posted here.

Saw the Fly II. That was good, tho the 1st one (86 version) was better.

Watching Burst Angel (anime), Wall Street 20th Anniversary 2 disc set (good but not great extras) which is a top film, watched Kagemusha (AWESOME!) and Pee Wee's Big Adventure.

In cue to see is the Red Garden anime. Also Meet Joe Black (w/ Brad Pitt).

Humm...11/2 - Chicago (Music Box, Chicago - 35mm)?

If I were not flying down to FL on the 2nd I'd see that- then go clubbing! :grin: Can't forget to hit the clubs on a Friday! :wink:

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:16 pm
by Synthoid
Damn, it doesn't look like I'll be able to watch it at theatres myself.

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:19 pm
by Henry Spencer
Synthoid wrote:Damn, it doesn't look like I'll be able to watch it at theatres myself.
Yeah! Come on Ridley, how about showing some admiration for your homeland. YOU BUGGER! :x

:grin:

Anyhow, I look forward to the workprint cut of the movie, as well, never seen that cut of the film either.

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:21 pm
by Marc
Henry Spencer wrote:
Synthoid wrote:Damn, it doesn't look like I'll be able to watch it at theatres myself.
Yeah! Come on Ridley, how about showing some admiration for your homeland. YOU BUGGER! :x

:grin:

Anyhow, I look forward to the workprint cut of the movie, as well, never seen that cut of the film either.
The guy is worth a shitload of money; he could pay for the run himself and it'd be a drop in the ocean. :)

But failing that, it's up to the studio, not the director.

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 10:34 am
by Marc
Speak of the devil, folks! UK dates just announced!

http://media.bladezone.com/ritz.php

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 1:39 pm
by Henry Spencer
Osiris wrote:Speak of the devil, folks! UK dates just announced!

http://media.bladezone.com/ritz.php
Yes! I love Ridley, in a gay way of course. I'll be heading to Liverpool, then. One for Manchester would have been nice, but ah well, guess I'll have to plan my route. Hehe. Can't wait to see the film as Ridley intended, finally.