I can't get over how much I loved the Joker in this game. Everything about him, especially his redesign. He has a much greater range in his facial expressions, which are properly frightening. He feels much more real, as opposed to his model in Asylum and City, which felt kind of plastic and uncanny.
Unexpectedly good, a real improvement from the first one (which, with all due respects to the fans, I found a royal bore fest). Plot moved a lot better this time, and the subplots too were more interesting. The barrel scene is undoubtedly one of the finest action scenes of the year, and Smaug indeed, was awesome. Fearsome yet cool.
The only downgrades? After Smaug and Bilbo's chat, the former starts to blabber about the dwarfs, and the problem is that it doesn't stop. He keeps talking and talking, Bilbo keeps falling on that gold mountain, and it started to feel really boring, after a while. But, in a positive note, the face-off between him and the team, that came afterwards, was really well done.
Oh yeah, there is the so called high frame rate. It is indeed strange, takes you out of the movie sometimes, felt like I was watching a TV movie or a making of. But after some time I got used to it, and it gave without a doubt a more clear look to the movie. I heard back last year that it gave the action scenes a weird and confusing vibe, but I didn't feel anything when I watched, PJ must've improved the work this time.
Overall, a quality and fun blockbuster.
8.5/10
Quaalude fight: because drunk fight is too mainstream.
Would someone who has seen both AUJ and DOS in high frame comment on it? I would ask in The Hobbit thread but I'm avoiding it until I've seen the film.
Would someone who has seen both AUJ and DOS in high frame comment on it? I would ask in The Hobbit thread but I'm avoiding it until I've seen the film.
Is there an improvement in the HFR?
I did and I found it better this time. I think this time around I was more use to it so while watching I just got use to the format after a bit. And I found the barrel scene and smaug scene are made for HFR it just looks good. I think the only time I was able to tell it's a set it was in the elf kingdom.
I found that people who didn't like it the first time won't like it the second time because while watching they think about it so it distract you and pull you off it
Would someone who has seen both AUJ and DOS in high frame comment on it? I would ask in The Hobbit thread but I'm avoiding it until I've seen the film.
Is there an improvement in the HFR?
Oh yeah. It doesnt hurt your eyes. That color grading fixing Pete did in post production was helpful. It was amazing in that format.
LoyalWeasley18 - POTTERMORE EARLY MEMBER -CRIMSONICE199-
A beautifully shot movie (Bradford Young shows to be a promising cinematographer), with an amazing score (Daniel Hart is another promising fella, creating a sound very different to all the generic "lovers in the 80's" scores), well directed, and with subtle and moving turns by it's three leads (special kudos to Rooney Mara and Ben Foster here), David Lowery brings a movie which, even if emulates Terrence Malick too much, be it for good or for bad (a lot of inaction, for example), does deserve a shot, even if just to admire the examples above. 7.5/10
---
Captain Phillips
I mean, really, what's left to say of this movie? A tight, edge-of-your-seat thriller, featuring a smart script that doesn't fall into the trappings of cheap tricks, and unidimensional heroes or villains; a sure-to-be-nominated directing by Paul Greengrass, who once more proves that, when it comes to capturing the urgency of a tense situation, there's few as good as him; a breakthrough performance by Barkhad Abdi (who honestly, deserve some serious award recognition), and Tom Hanks, not only remembering us why he is an A-list actor, but also bringing some of the most powerful acting of his career. Fuck yeah, this movie was damn good. 9.0/10
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Blue is the Warmest Color
Well, yeah, so finally, a chance to see the much-talked Palme d'Or winner, about a lesbian couple. Except that, to dismiss the movie as just that would be an immense disservice to it. What follows is an art movie without the boringness and pretentiousness that uses to hit such style; here, lies honesty in filmmaking, in portraying not a girl being lesbian, but a girl discovering her sexuality, discovering love, and above all, growing up. It's a movie I urge everyone to see, if not because of it's beautiful story, than just to see the two leads own the screen completely. Adèle Exarchopoulos gives a bravura performance, a breakthrough that deserves too some serious award recognition, with Léa Seydoux not much behind. Abdellatif Kechiche, the director/writer of the movie, may be a batshit crazy, dictator-on-set type of asshole, if all that they said about him is true, but it's undeniable he created something brilliant here. P.S.: yeah, there are some very explicit sex scenes, and yeah, there is one in particular that goes for too long and takes you out of the movie for a little, but it's a minor, really minor issue, even because it makes some sense in the story. 9.5/10
Quaalude fight: because drunk fight is too mainstream.
P.S.2: sorry for bothering with the giant posts guys, been on a real movie rundown lately, and I kinda suck in making short reviews (maybe long ones too, when my english fails me).
Quaalude fight: because drunk fight is too mainstream.
American Hustle. Haven't had such a raucous, enjoyable time at the movies since Django Unchained last year. This is David O. Russell at his bustling best--the perfect homage to Goodfellas and one of the very best of the year for sure. 9/10
Pro's: - most of the sets - score - the script (they could've completely ruined the ending, but thank god they didn't) - the symbolism behind the movie - dragonwoman (she was a crazy bitch!) - pacing - cinematography
Not a pro nor a con: - CGI, great in the landscape shots, but mediocre in the scenes with the demon and the dragon (especially mediocre after seeing Smaug last week)
Con's - some of the acting (because most of the actors aren't native English, it felt like some of them were just reading their lines without any emotional intention behind it.
Rating: around 8/10 I was pleasantly surprised with this one for sure!
Just watched the movie. Great acting from everyone! Nice twist.
Christian Bale - wow he was just amazing hope he's nomanited for something!
Jennifer Lawrence - Jen is just Jen what do you want me to say
-Amy Adams- I think she's the one who surprised me the most. With her perseverance in this movie now I see her being Lois Lane. And omg she's freaking hot in the movie!
I mean, I know I was going to love it, but I'm gunna think critically, rather than spazzing out like last year. I'll start with the cons. The pacing, while decent for the most part, was a bit meandering through some scenes that really probably didn't need to be focused on too much, and there were a few shots that I saw others complaining about during the barrel sequence, that looked like they'd been filmed with a GoPro. Totally fucking unnecessary to include them. The score this time around was definitely not as memorable, but when I listen to it on its own, I can appreciate the subtle structure very much. Everything else was wonderful though. It's like seeing the world of the book come to life. The stylised fantasy that separates it from LotR felt much more justified this time around. The acting was great from everyone, but of course, Benedict Cumberbatch stole the show. When I see Martin as Bilbo, I don't really see Bilbo; I just think, 'Martin is Bilbo'. I was expecting to be thinking the same thing here the whole time (Like 'Lol, Ben's a dragon') but he was really able to really get into the role that I didn't see him, and I just saw the dragon. Brilliant work. I also really enjoyed Tauriel very much. She was superb for an original creation, and her dialogue with Kili all felt very original and romantic. From beginning to end, the film was a riproaring adventure, filled with tension and excitement, and I'm very pleased with it. Definitely my favourite of the year, and I'll be seeing it again.
Basic Stallone/Schwarzenegger type of action movie. Nice setting for a movie. A couple of great twists, suspenseful in places. Jim Caviezel plays a good villain. Nice seeing Sam Neil in a good role.
Just watched with some friends. Did a horror movie night. Well wasn't scary. The first one was. But the story was good. Like how all was related and make sense with the first one. Came on a full cycle. But the end to set up the third one was not needed since the family story had their resolution.
As a character from The Wire would say, "sheeeeeeeeiiiiiittttt". It's kinda hard to judge a movie like this in 2013, because it is something that you've already seen before, several times: the "diverse points-of-view" storytelling. But that's exactly why this movie is so well-regarded, because it basically invented it! The acting is a bit hammy, if not over-the-top (which I do excuse, given the epoch and the japanese mannerisms), but what can elevate this story, above others that took inspiration/copy on, is it's simple but complex approach, using it to develop themes of men's ego, humility, deception and honor. Would I recommend? If you are a cinephile, apreciate this kind of storytelling, or is simply curious to know more about the so respected Akira Kurosawa, might as well give it a try. As for the usual moviegoer, I can't say.
8.0/10
True Grit (2010)
Another finely crafted piece of filmmaking by the Coens (one of their most straightforward and harmless, which isn't a flaw at all), anchored by another bravura performance by Jeff Bridges, a stellar breakthrough by Hailee Steinfeld (I never understood much of the Hailee Steinfeld hype train; now I do), and one fine supporting turn by Matt Damon. Add to this a beautiful cinematography by Roger Deakins (finally, one made in the 21st Century that does know how to evoke the western in all it's beauty), and a remarkable soundtrack, and you have a simple, yet profound, and immensely enjoyable western.
9.0/10
Quaalude fight: because drunk fight is too mainstream.
Music-wise, storyline-wise, emotional-wise, comedy-wise AND character-wise, one of the best Disney movies of all time.
They weren't lying when they said this is the best Disney movie in a generation. Absolutely blown away.
If you're planning to see the movie don't watch the clip below, but if you don't plan on seeing it because your skeptical, the clip below instantly became one of my favourite Disney scenes of all time.
It was the perfect closure to the new trilogy of Disney animated films where they honour the old in a fresh approach (Tangled, Wreck It Ralph, and now Frozen). Also, Elsa looks a lot like Evanna in her Runway Magazine cover shoot.
I loved it overall, it was helped by the superb cast of characters, but it felt a little... Kid friendly? Maybe I'm used to Scorsese blowouts at the end.
Miller's Crossing - 89/100
Even though it kind of meandered along I was intrigued enough to finish it out. It wasn't my favorite of the Coen's work but it was good nonetheless.
Donnie Darko - 90/100
I left the movie yearning for more, which is a sign of a great movie.
"If you make yourself more than just a man... If you devote yourself to an ideal... You become something else entirely- A Legend."
I just saw Paranomal Activity: The Marked Ones. I'm not going to give some quick pro's and con's because that wouldn't justify the way I feel about this movie.
This movie was incredibly bad. It focuses on a graduated boy called Jesse, and Jesse is just an ordinary boy who gets a Go Pro camera for his graduation. But Jesse isn't ordinary, not in the slightest, he's a marked one. And if you are a marked one, it means you get the same powers as Superman and use it for the good, until for no reason you become a cliche zombie. But first, we get 30 minutes of the most random shit I've ever seen in a movie. Dudes playing basketball, skateboarding, eating and watching tits, yeah, that's pretty much the first half of the movie. It is supposed to be comedic because of it's stupidity, and so it was. Problem is that as soon as that it is supposed to be scary, you have already checked out because everything before was so comedic.
No scary atmosphere, and even the jump scares didn't work for two reasons. First of all, the effects were so laughable that it couldn't maintain the scary feeling for more than a split second. And secondly, the Go Pro camera style is of course very shaky which gives you no clue of what is going on. And by the way, everything that happened was so unexplained that it was very random. Cars not starting, cars colliding, the annoying grandmother dying (who only spoke Spanish and that wasn't subtitled, probably because it was too expensieve).
That brings me to my next point; the script. First off, You know nothing, literally nothing, about the characters. Everything in the first half felt unscripted, and it felt like it was shot during a period of one day while the director and the cast were having a great time together.
Oh, the best thing during the movie was my audience. They were so angry, lots of people had already left before the movie ended. The reactions when the credits came on were absolutely priceless. This one will for sure be in my top 3 worst movies of 2014.
Veep, Season 1 - 8/10 Saw this a few times in the store and was curious, and when I learned it was by Armando Iannucci, I leapt on it. And true, it's pretty much an American version of The Thick of It, but without it being too similar. The character archetypes are shaken up differently, so that the 'Malcolm Tucker' style enforcer from the head honchos is a pathetic ass rather than a terrifying Scot. The actors are all a lot of fun to watch, particularly Julia Louis-Dreyfuss. The comedy is well written and planned out in each episode, with a lot of call backs to previous ones. If it looks like their day is going well for a change, then you just know something horrible is going to go wrong, which keeps you guessing as to what it's going to be. The only real fault I can place is that there are only eight episodes, so I got through the whole season in four hours.
Hannibal, Season 1 - 9/10 The ridiculously artistic quality in this show is staggering. And I'm not just talking about the way it's shot, which is impeccable, but Will's imaginary scenarios where he envisions himself as the killer. The plots are compelling, and at times, hard to watch with all the rather unique gore (the vocal chord violin thing, for just one example). Mads Mikkelsen knocks the role of Dr Lecter out of the park. Anthony Hopkins may have been the iconic Hannibal, but he may as well have been carrying business cards for his villainy. Mads is Hannibal presented as he should be; incredibly charming and personable, only sinister enough that we, the audience, are frightened by him. But the real star of this show is Hugh Dancy. The man plays schizophrenic with flawless accuracy.
Once Upon a Time, Season 2 - 8/10 Finally got around to this. The first two thirds of the season were exceptional, with the main threat being Cora, the Queen of Hearts; a truly terrifying villainess, played exceptionally by Barbara Hershey. But after her death, there's still a fair few episodes left, which meander on through these two villains that were interesting, but...well, I don't quite know what I didn't like about them. They were built up as some Illuminati style group out to purge magic from the world, which I thought was super weird, but the final episodes revelation as to who they are really working for got me excited. The characters this time around are far better fleshed out, now that they have all their memories back, and the expanded backstories add more layers to everything. The kid's acting has definitely improved, and Lana Parillia and Robert Carlyle continue to be awesome. I just feel that the season started to decline after Cora leaves the picture, because she's one of my favourite villains ever. It felt like they were just building up to next season, which maybe wasn't a great move, narratively speaking. It just made the last few episodes lack the 'epic' quality you'd expect from the end of the season.
I bought the first four seasons of Breaking Bad months ago, and I've watched the first episode, which was excellent. I'll get into it more when I have time.
Make sure you see the second season of Veep. It's even better.
Pottermore username: DustBlade76
So Crucify the ego, before it's far too late, to leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical. And you will come to find that we are all one mind, capable of all that's imagined and all conceivable.
@Phineas dude you have no idea what you're getting yourself into with Breaking Bad. It's a masterpiece. Better than any other piece of television I've ever seen.
@Phineas Its a great series, don't binge watch it! I did that for four days and on the day of the finale I finished with everyone else. It was a lot to take in.
LoyalWeasley18 - POTTERMORE EARLY MEMBER -CRIMSONICE199-
Yeah, I'm not planning on doing it all in one shot. XD I'm gunna watch a few episodes every few days. Everyone says it's an incredible show, and I thought the first episode was really great, so I'm looking forward to it.
Yeah, I'm not planning on doing it all in one shot. XD I'm gunna watch a few episodes every few days. Everyone says it's an incredible show, and I thought the first episode was really great, so I'm looking forward to it.
Well I'm glad you're into it already! For me, it took until season 2 (season 1 is only seven episodes) to get really hooked, but I've known some take until season 3ish. It's a slow burn at the start, but the payoff is indescribable. It's just so stylish and unique and well-executed. There's nothing like it out there and I doubt there will be anything to match its originality in decades.
In preperation of The Wolf of Wallstreet I decided to watch some of Scorsese's movies.
You watched the wrong stuff. You should have seen Goodfellas and Casino.
Pottermore username: DustBlade76
So Crucify the ego, before it's far too late, to leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical. And you will come to find that we are all one mind, capable of all that's imagined and all conceivable.
Given that Terence Winter said Wolf is the spiritual successor to Goodfellas, he most certainly did watch the wrong stuff. It's too bad, really, because Jordy watched Scorsese's worst movies. Goodfellas and Casino will prepare him for what is to come with Wolf.
What didn't you like about Casino, Ledger? I can see the 7.5/10 for Goodfellas since the ending just drags, but a 7/10 for its better counterpart and a sprawling three hour crime epic? What gives?
Pottermore username: DustBlade76
So Crucify the ego, before it's far too late, to leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical. And you will come to find that we are all one mind, capable of all that's imagined and all conceivable.
Interesting characters surely but It didn't real real at all... Seemed more like a casual comedy at times
It's a satirical indictment on capitalism and those who abuse it. What didn't feel real about it?
Pottermore username: DustBlade76
So Crucify the ego, before it's far too late, to leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical. And you will come to find that we are all one mind, capable of all that's imagined and all conceivable.
I side with the crowd who think Wolf glorified self indulgency more than it gave an accurate portrayal of what would have really happened in that situation.
I would like to see the results of a poll that asked the audience if they thought Jordan would commit suicide at the end of the film... I think it would have leaned heavy in favor of him putting a bullet in his mouth.
Jonah Hill's character was the fakest of them all. He was more of a parody of what Americans think a weird fratboy in comedies should be like.
It makes for a better movie I understand, engages the audience, but it never had a ring of seriousness to it.
"If you make yourself more than just a man... If you devote yourself to an ideal... You become something else entirely- A Legend."
I just didn't like Casino, don't ask me why it didn't do it for me... I admire it for what it is though, and I greatly respect Scorsese even if I'm a fan of his oddball works.
"If you make yourself more than just a man... If you devote yourself to an ideal... You become something else entirely- A Legend."
I didn't see it as a glorification at all. Yes, it was funny at times, but I was detested throughout the entire run time. I hated every single one of those motherfuckers and the lack of jail time for most is what pissed me off even more. Wall Street assholes do get off lightly for their misdeeds. Just look at the lack of any meaningful punishment for those douchebags who ruined the economy back in 2008. It seems the tactic of using excess to explain excess was lost on you. That's unfortunate.
Jordan killing himself at the end? What are you on about? There's nothing there to remotely even think of such a thing. I;m not even sure why this is a fault against the movie given that he never killed himself.
So Crucify the ego, before it's far too late, to leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical. And you will come to find that we are all one mind, capable of all that's imagined and all conceivable.
I went in this knowing nothing about it, and coming out I found myself enjoying it more than I thought I would. The story was actually pretty good but there are many moments where it slows down drastically. The story makes the movie and I love karate movies. The evil witch is a total bitch!
Rating- 7/10
The opening of the movie was bad, but then things got better. The alien dude was weird af. Also WTF at all them killing themselves at the end. IDK the story of the real 47 Ronin but damn that sucksss. The ending was pretty sad, cant believe everyone died atleast the young one survived. The fat dude was hilarious "i think mines broken" hahaha. And he died too soon Oohhh and the skeleton dude is in every marketing materialbut hes only in the movie for like 5 seconds lmao.
A film visually entertaining and wih deep meaning with alot of slow parts. The middle section is really slow with a great start. In the end you understand what the film was trying to convey. Ben Stiller was great.
The premise of the show reminds me a lot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, set in a small redneck town that is miles from anywhere and is basically a void where the people have no connection with the outside world. The religious and community-based aspect of the show serves to turn Rustin Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) into an outcast due to his pessimistic real-world views.
The dynamic between himself and his partner Martin Hart (Woody Harrelson) is a compelling contrast, the people-oriented Christian stuck with the depressed philosophical loner.
The show makes excellent use of non-linear storytelling to create a storyline that will show the changes these characters have gone through over the course of 17 years as well as how the events of the past inform the present, as the episode ends with a very intriguing revelation that adds a second mystery to the storyline.
Very interesting pilot that hooks you from the get-go and leaves you dying to know more after it ends.
Comments
Unexpectedly good, a real improvement from the first one (which, with all due respects to the fans, I found a royal bore fest). Plot moved a lot better this time, and the subplots too were more interesting. The barrel scene is undoubtedly one of the finest action scenes of the year, and Smaug indeed, was awesome. Fearsome yet cool.
Oh yeah, there is the so called high frame rate. It is indeed strange, takes you out of the movie sometimes, felt like I was watching a TV movie or a making of. But after some time I got used to it, and it gave without a doubt a more clear look to the movie. I heard back last year that it gave the action scenes a weird and confusing vibe, but I didn't feel anything when I watched, PJ must've improved the work this time.
Overall, a quality and fun blockbuster.
8.5/10
Quaalude fight: because drunk fight is too mainstream.
Is there an improvement in the HFR?
A beautifully shot movie (Bradford Young shows to be a promising cinematographer), with an amazing score (Daniel Hart is another promising fella, creating a sound very different to all the generic "lovers in the 80's" scores), well directed, and with subtle and moving turns by it's three leads (special kudos to Rooney Mara and Ben Foster here), David Lowery brings a movie which, even if emulates Terrence Malick too much, be it for good or for bad (a lot of inaction, for example), does deserve a shot, even if just to admire the examples above. 7.5/10
---
Captain Phillips
I mean, really, what's left to say of this movie? A tight, edge-of-your-seat thriller, featuring a smart script that doesn't fall into the trappings of cheap tricks, and unidimensional heroes or villains; a sure-to-be-nominated directing by Paul Greengrass, who once more proves that, when it comes to capturing the urgency of a tense situation, there's few as good as him; a breakthrough performance by Barkhad Abdi (who honestly, deserve some serious award recognition), and Tom Hanks, not only remembering us why he is an A-list actor, but also bringing some of the most powerful acting of his career. Fuck yeah, this movie was damn good. 9.0/10
---
Blue is the Warmest Color
Well, yeah, so finally, a chance to see the much-talked Palme d'Or winner, about a lesbian couple. Except that, to dismiss the movie as just that would be an immense disservice to it. What follows is an art movie without the boringness and pretentiousness that uses to hit such style; here, lies honesty in filmmaking, in portraying not a girl being lesbian, but a girl discovering her sexuality, discovering love, and above all, growing up. It's a movie I urge everyone to see, if not because of it's beautiful story, than just to see the two leads own the screen completely. Adèle Exarchopoulos gives a bravura performance, a breakthrough that deserves too some serious award recognition, with Léa Seydoux not much behind. Abdellatif Kechiche, the director/writer of the movie, may be a batshit crazy, dictator-on-set type of asshole, if all that they said about him is true, but it's undeniable he created something brilliant here. P.S.: yeah, there are some very explicit sex scenes, and yeah, there is one in particular that goes for too long and takes you out of the movie for a little, but it's a minor, really minor issue, even because it makes some sense in the story. 9.5/10
Quaalude fight: because drunk fight is too mainstream.
Quaalude fight: because drunk fight is too mainstream.
Pro's:
- most of the sets
- score
- the script (they could've completely ruined the ending, but thank god they didn't)
- the symbolism behind the movie
- dragonwoman (she was a crazy bitch!)
- pacing
- cinematography
Not a pro nor a con:
- CGI, great in the landscape shots, but mediocre in the scenes with the demon and the dragon (especially mediocre after seeing Smaug last week)
Con's
- some of the acting (because most of the actors aren't native English, it felt like some of them were just reading their lines without any emotional intention behind it.
Rating: around 8/10
I was pleasantly surprised with this one for sure!
Just watched the movie. Great acting from everyone! Nice twist.
Christian Bale - wow he was just amazing hope he's nomanited for something!
Jennifer Lawrence - Jen is just Jen what do you want me to say
-Amy Adams- I think she's the one who surprised me the most. With her perseverance in this movie now I see her being Lois Lane. And omg she's freaking hot in the movie!
I mean, I know I was going to love it, but I'm gunna think critically, rather than spazzing out like last year. I'll start with the cons. The pacing, while decent for the most part, was a bit meandering through some scenes that really probably didn't need to be focused on too much, and there were a few shots that I saw others complaining about during the barrel sequence, that looked like they'd been filmed with a GoPro. Totally fucking unnecessary to include them. The score this time around was definitely not as memorable, but when I listen to it on its own, I can appreciate the subtle structure very much. Everything else was wonderful though. It's like seeing the world of the book come to life. The stylised fantasy that separates it from LotR felt much more justified this time around. The acting was great from everyone, but of course, Benedict Cumberbatch stole the show. When I see Martin as Bilbo, I don't really see Bilbo; I just think, 'Martin is Bilbo'. I was expecting to be thinking the same thing here the whole time (Like 'Lol, Ben's a dragon') but he was really able to really get into the role that I didn't see him, and I just saw the dragon. Brilliant work. I also really enjoyed Tauriel very much. She was superb for an original creation, and her dialogue with Kili all felt very original and romantic. From beginning to end, the film was a riproaring adventure, filled with tension and excitement, and I'm very pleased with it. Definitely my favourite of the year, and I'll be seeing it again.
Basic Stallone/Schwarzenegger type of action movie. Nice setting for a movie. A couple of great twists, suspenseful in places. Jim Caviezel plays a good villain. Nice seeing Sam Neil in a good role.
Just watched with some friends. Did a horror movie night. Well wasn't scary. The first one was. But the story was good. Like how all was related and make sense with the first one. Came on a full cycle. But the end to set up the third one was not needed since the family story had their resolution.
As a character from The Wire would say, "sheeeeeeeeiiiiiittttt". It's kinda hard to judge a movie like this in 2013, because it is something that you've already seen before, several times: the "diverse points-of-view" storytelling. But that's exactly why this movie is so well-regarded, because it basically invented it! The acting is a bit hammy, if not over-the-top (which I do excuse, given the epoch and the japanese mannerisms), but what can elevate this story, above others that took inspiration/copy on, is it's simple but complex approach, using it to develop themes of men's ego, humility, deception and honor. Would I recommend? If you are a cinephile, apreciate this kind of storytelling, or is simply curious to know more about the so respected Akira Kurosawa, might as well give it a try. As for the usual moviegoer, I can't say.
8.0/10
True Grit (2010)
Another finely crafted piece of filmmaking by the Coens (one of their most straightforward and harmless, which isn't a flaw at all), anchored by another bravura performance by Jeff Bridges, a stellar breakthrough by Hailee Steinfeld (I never understood much of the Hailee Steinfeld hype train; now I do), and one fine supporting turn by Matt Damon. Add to this a beautiful cinematography by Roger Deakins (finally, one made in the 21st Century that does know how to evoke the western in all it's beauty), and a remarkable soundtrack, and you have a simple, yet profound, and immensely enjoyable western.
9.0/10
Quaalude fight: because drunk fight is too mainstream.
Music-wise, storyline-wise, emotional-wise, comedy-wise AND character-wise, one of the best Disney movies of all time.
They weren't lying when they said this is the best Disney movie in a generation. Absolutely blown away.
If you're planning to see the movie don't watch the clip below, but if you don't plan on seeing it because your skeptical, the clip below instantly became one of my favourite Disney scenes of all time.
I loved it overall, it was helped by the superb cast of characters, but it felt a little... Kid friendly? Maybe I'm used to Scorsese blowouts at the end.
Miller's Crossing - 89/100
Even though it kind of meandered along I was intrigued enough to finish it out. It wasn't my favorite of the Coen's work but it was good nonetheless.
Donnie Darko - 90/100
I left the movie yearning for more, which is a sign of a great movie.
My goodness, one of the BEST Disney movies ever!!! Instant favorite, instant classic!
Absolutely loveable characters. Fantastic music, none of the songs are bad. Much of the humor had me laughing out loud!
Also a fantastic twist near the end of the movie.
Also, if I may say so... the two most attractive Disney princesses since Jasmine (In my opinion!)!
I'm not going to give some quick pro's and con's because that wouldn't justify the way I feel about this movie.
This movie was incredibly bad. It focuses on a graduated boy called Jesse, and Jesse is just an ordinary boy who gets a Go Pro camera for his graduation. But Jesse isn't ordinary, not in the slightest, he's a marked one. And if you are a marked one, it means you get the same powers as Superman and use it for the good, until for no reason you become a cliche zombie. But first, we get 30 minutes of the most random shit I've ever seen in a movie. Dudes playing basketball, skateboarding, eating and watching tits, yeah, that's pretty much the first half of the movie. It is supposed to be comedic because of it's stupidity, and so it was. Problem is that as soon as that it is supposed to be scary, you have already checked out because everything before was so comedic.
No scary atmosphere, and even the jump scares didn't work for two reasons. First of all, the effects were so laughable that it couldn't maintain the scary feeling for more than a split second. And secondly, the Go Pro camera style is of course very shaky which gives you no clue of what is going on. And by the way, everything that happened was so unexplained that it was very random. Cars not starting, cars colliding, the annoying grandmother dying (who only spoke Spanish and that wasn't subtitled, probably because it was too expensieve).
That brings me to my next point; the script. First off, You know nothing, literally nothing, about the characters. Everything in the first half felt unscripted, and it felt like it was shot during a period of one day while the director and the cast were having a great time together.
Oh, the best thing during the movie was my audience. They were so angry, lots of people had already left before the movie ended. The reactions when the credits came on were absolutely priceless.
This one will for sure be in my top 3 worst movies of 2014.
Fuck you, Christopher Landon.
2/10
Saw this a few times in the store and was curious, and when I learned it was by Armando Iannucci, I leapt on it. And true, it's pretty much an American version of The Thick of It, but without it being too similar. The character archetypes are shaken up differently, so that the 'Malcolm Tucker' style enforcer from the head honchos is a pathetic ass rather than a terrifying Scot. The actors are all a lot of fun to watch, particularly Julia Louis-Dreyfuss. The comedy is well written and planned out in each episode, with a lot of call backs to previous ones. If it looks like their day is going well for a change, then you just know something horrible is going to go wrong, which keeps you guessing as to what it's going to be. The only real fault I can place is that there are only eight episodes, so I got through the whole season in four hours.
Hannibal, Season 1 - 9/10
The ridiculously artistic quality in this show is staggering. And I'm not just talking about the way it's shot, which is impeccable, but Will's imaginary scenarios where he envisions himself as the killer. The plots are compelling, and at times, hard to watch with all the rather unique gore (the vocal chord violin thing, for just one example). Mads Mikkelsen knocks the role of Dr Lecter out of the park. Anthony Hopkins may have been the iconic Hannibal, but he may as well have been carrying business cards for his villainy. Mads is Hannibal presented as he should be; incredibly charming and personable, only sinister enough that we, the audience, are frightened by him. But the real star of this show is Hugh Dancy. The man plays schizophrenic with flawless accuracy.
Once Upon a Time, Season 2 - 8/10
Finally got around to this. The first two thirds of the season were exceptional, with the main threat being Cora, the Queen of Hearts; a truly terrifying villainess, played exceptionally by Barbara Hershey. But after her death, there's still a fair few episodes left, which meander on through these two villains that were interesting, but...well, I don't quite know what I didn't like about them. They were built up as some Illuminati style group out to purge magic from the world, which I thought was super weird, but the final episodes revelation as to who they are really working for got me excited. The characters this time around are far better fleshed out, now that they have all their memories back, and the expanded backstories add more layers to everything. The kid's acting has definitely improved, and Lana Parillia and Robert Carlyle continue to be awesome. I just feel that the season started to decline after Cora leaves the picture, because she's one of my favourite villains ever. It felt like they were just building up to next season, which maybe wasn't a great move, narratively speaking. It just made the last few episodes lack the 'epic' quality you'd expect from the end of the season.
I bought the first four seasons of Breaking Bad months ago, and I've watched the first episode, which was excellent. I'll get into it more when I have time.
So Crucify the ego, before it's far too late, to leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical. And you will come to find that we are all one mind, capable of all that's imagined and all conceivable.
Shutter Island:
Pro's:
- an inception like mindfuck
- Di Caprio's acting
- script
- tension
- pacing
- ending
Con's:
- sometimes, the lighting gave me a headache (but I got the purpose of it)
- wasn't too fund of the score (very simple)
Rating: 8.5/10
Hugo:
Pro's:
- cinematography
- the french feeling of the score
- finally a child actor that wasn't annoying
- atmosphere
- the tribute to the cinema
Con's:
- the cartoony station guard
- some slight pacing issues
Rating: 8/10
So Crucify the ego, before it's far too late, to leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical. And you will come to find that we are all one mind, capable of all that's imagined and all conceivable.
Quaalude fight: because drunk fight is too mainstream.
Shutter Island - 9/10
Hugo - 8.5/10
Goodfellas - 7.5/10
Casino - 7/10
Interesting characters surely but It didn't real real at all... Seemed more like a casual comedy at times
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
5/10
I actually felt like I wasted my money
What didn't you like about Casino, Ledger? I can see the 7.5/10 for Goodfellas since the ending just drags, but a 7/10 for its better counterpart and a sprawling three hour crime epic? What gives?
So Crucify the ego, before it's far too late, to leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical. And you will come to find that we are all one mind, capable of all that's imagined and all conceivable.
So Crucify the ego, before it's far too late, to leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical. And you will come to find that we are all one mind, capable of all that's imagined and all conceivable.
I would like to see the results of a poll that asked the audience if they thought Jordan would commit suicide at the end of the film... I think it would have leaned heavy in favor of him putting a bullet in his mouth.
Jonah Hill's character was the fakest of them all. He was more of a parody of what Americans think a weird fratboy in comedies should be like.
It makes for a better movie I understand, engages the audience, but it never had a ring of seriousness to it.
I'm in the minority on Hugo but given that it was one of my favorite children's books ever it's not hard to see why it's my third favorite.
I prefer Miller's Crossing from the Coen Bros to Goodfellas.
Jordan killing himself at the end? What are you on about? There's nothing there to remotely even think of such a thing. I;m not even sure why this is a fault against the movie given that he never killed himself.
It is quite accurate, by the way: http://entertainment.time.com/2013/12/26/wolf-wall-street-true-story/
So Crucify the ego, before it's far too late, to leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical. And you will come to find that we are all one mind, capable of all that's imagined and all conceivable.
I went in this knowing nothing about it, and coming out I found myself enjoying it more than I thought I would. The story was actually pretty good but there are many moments where it slows down drastically. The story makes the movie and I love karate movies. The evil witch is a total bitch!
Rating- 7/10
A film visually entertaining and wih deep meaning with alot of slow parts. The middle section is really slow with a great start. In the end you understand what the film was trying to convey. Ben Stiller was great.
Rating- 7/10
Complete suck! The title screen has a deeper meaning than the whole film.
Low budget horror tends to spit out 2 good ideas a year and 20 turds.
True Detective - "The Long Bright Dark"
The premise of the show reminds me a lot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, set in a small redneck town that is miles from anywhere and is basically a void where the people have no connection with the outside world. The religious and community-based aspect of the show serves to turn Rustin Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) into an outcast due to his pessimistic real-world views.
The dynamic between himself and his partner Martin Hart (Woody Harrelson) is a compelling contrast, the people-oriented Christian stuck with the depressed philosophical loner.
The show makes excellent use of non-linear storytelling to create a storyline that will show the changes these characters have gone through over the course of 17 years as well as how the events of the past inform the present, as the episode ends with a very intriguing revelation that adds a second mystery to the storyline.
Very interesting pilot that hooks you from the get-go and leaves you dying to know more after it ends.
5/5