Serious Movie Discussion XXXIII

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Bullitt68

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Reboot.

The original OP from Mr. HuntersCreed:

For real movie fans.
This thread isn't for:
-people that think Transformers was one of the top 20 greatest movies of all time.
-people that think Shia LaBeouf is a GREAT actor, or find his halfstache appealing.
-people who's only real opinions are that The Goonies, The Usual Suspects, Fight Club, Donnie Darko, Boondock Saints, Pan's Labyrinth, The Dark Knight, etc. are the greatest films of all time and that's all they can talk about. Though the aforementioned films are great, and discussing them is welcome.
-people that Christian Bale, Christian Bale, Christian Bale, blah, blah, blah, Christian Bale.

This thread is for:
-people who value the artistry that takes place behind the camera, as well as in front of it.
-people who realize that explosions, and special effects aren't the only thing that make a good movie.
-people who have seen a few movies beyond what Hollywood puts out.
-people who know some directors and their styles.
-people who know who one or more of the following are.
--Aaron Eckhardt
--Bruce Campbell
--Vincent DiOnofrio
--Terrence Malick
--Werner Herzog
--Ellen Paige

Request:
-Please Bold any movie titles used in posts in this thread, unless the movie it mentioned in a formatted list. This makes it easier for posters to find posts containing movies, or topics that they have an opinion on.

-Please put spoilers in BLACK size one font.

Example:

Spoiler:
Bruce Willis is dead the whole time during The Sixth Sense.

The list of the original thread regulars' 25 favorite films, a nice gauge for any newcomers to see where/how their taste falls in line with that of the posters who make up this thread.

On November 9th, 2009, the Serious Movie Discussion regulars were asked to submit their 25 favorite movies. Thread regular flemmy tallied up the scores and made a list of this thread's 25 favorite movies. For users thinking about becoming regulars in here wondering about our taste, here is what the list looks like.

  1. Pulp Fiction


  2. Fight Club


  3. Heat


  4. Terminator 2


  5. Aliens


  6. Goodfellas


  7. Predator


  8. Taxi Driver


  9. Die Hard


  10. Snatch


  11. The Thing


  12. The Dark Knight


  13. Jaws


  14. The Big Lebowski


  15. Raging Bull


  16. There Will Be Blood


  17. The Shining


  18. Casino


  19. Leon: The Professional


  20. The Godfather


  21. A Clockwork Orange


  22. Children of Men


  23. City of God


  24. Once Upon a Time in the West


  25. Oldboy

So, if a lot of these films are favorites of yours, as well as ours, it's safe to assume you'll fit in very nicely here.

Finally, I would like to reserve this space, on behalf of everyone in this thread, to note the passing of one of the earliest and most frequent contributors to serious movie discussion: regarding the poster Kansas (aka StillInKansas).

Kansas was one of the best friends of this thread and this forum, and he will be fondly remembered by all of us.
 
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What were your thoughts on Basterds, I forget.

I have always felt (and still feel) that Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Jackie Brown are his gold, silver, and bronze. Kill Bill reigned supreme among the non-podium films, but those three were just the best of the best.

After seeing Inglourious Basterds in theaters, I was blown away. Maybe it was the down time from his last film, maybe that combined with how Grindhouse was a disappointment despite all the anticipation, but I was just overjoyed at how amazing it was, so much so that I was willing to put it in front of Kill Bill as the best thing he'd ever done aside from the podium films.

Prior to Django, however, I rewatched Kill Bill and remembered how fucking phenomenal that epic experience was, and I no longer believe Inglourious Basterds to be superior. I do still love it, though. I just prefer Tarantino in contemporary settings. Inglourious Basterds was fun for the novelty aspect of Tarantino in a bizarro WWII universe hunting Nazis and killing Hitler (added to which, everything else Tarantino-wise was top-notch and he was firing on all cylinders), but I don't need him turning into David Lean on me :icon_lol:

i have faith in Tarantino, his writing, his overall style. he's just awesome. but if i could choose to see that or some quite different material, i'd see the different material.

QFT.

also, did you see Zero Dark Thrty yet.

Dude, I'm so far behind, I haven't even seen Black Swan or The Social Network yet, and you're asking about a movie that came out like yesterday :redface:
 
Dude, I'm so far behind, I haven't even seen Black Swan or The Social Network yet, and you're asking about a movie that came out like yesterday :redface:

I'm watching like three of your picks this weekend so don't worry. I'll put some heat on you
 
I have always felt (and still feel) that Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Jackie Brown are his gold, silver, and bronze. Kill Bill reigned supreme among the non-podium films, but those three were just the best of the best.

After seeing Inglourious Basterds in theaters, I was blown away. Maybe it was the down time from his last film, maybe that combined with how Grindhouse was a disappointment despite all the anticipation, but I was just overjoyed at how amazing it was, so much so that I was willing to put it in front of Kill Bill as the best thing he'd ever done aside from the podium films.

Prior to Django, however, I rewatched Kill Bill and remembered how fucking phenomenal that epic experience was, and I no longer believe Inglourious Basterds to be superior. I do still love it, though. I just prefer Tarantino in contemporary settings. Inglourious Basterds was fun for the novelty aspect of Tarantino in a bizarro WWII universe hunting Nazis and killing Hitler (added to which, everything else Tarantino-wise was top-notch and he was firing on all cylinders), but I don't need him turning into David Lean on me :icon_lol:



QFT.



Dude, I'm so far behind, I haven't even seen Black Swan or The Social Network yet, and you're asking about a movie that came out like yesterday :redface:

haha funny you mention two films from the 2010 oscar race because i just re-watced True Grit recently and man it was awesome. It beats the John Wayne film in every aspect. I mean i know remakes more often than not are inane but its always something when they improve upon the source material.

3:10 to Yuma and True Grit were both great entries in the western genre in my view and both came within the past 5 1/2 years.
 
haha funny you mention two films from the 2010 oscar race because i just re-watced True Grit recently and man it was awesome. It beats the John Wayne film in every aspect. I mean i know remakes more often than not are inane but its always something when they improve upon the source material.

3:10 to Yuma and True Grit were both great entries in the western genre in my view and both came within the past 5 1/2 years.

yeah, i loved both of them.

3:10 to Yuma may be my favorite western now. Initially i had some problems with it.
 
ufcfan4 said:
also, did you see Zero Dark Thrty yet.

Yeah, it's pretty good. It reminds us of the real unsung heroes out there behind the scenes.
 
3:10 To Yuma is awesome...i love it

Payback is on right now...this movie is underrated imo
 
I'm recording Payback soon. Have Point Blank recording on TCM in the near future, as well. Gearing up for Parker :cool:

I'm watching like three of your picks this weekend so don't worry. I'll put some heat on you


What are you planning on watching?
 
If it ain't Payback: Straight Up, it ain't Payback.



Flight was okay. Pretty dour after a strong start, and little ham-handed, but Denzel is pretty strong in it.
 
Zero Dark Thirty was fucking great.

Mama was meh as shit.



I've heard the opposite. Which I kinda believe more.

yea i loved Zero Dark Thirty.

did you guys see the fights last night. Pettis. holy shit.
 
Pettis. holy shit.

yeah, what the fuck? that dude went from losing to guida, to looking like shit against stephens, to toying with guys like Lauzon and Cerrone.

Bendo's not particularly boring, but he can never dream of being as exciting as Pettis. For that alone, I'll be rooting for Pettis. Plus I've had enough of that jesus shit.
 
Pettis>Bendo

However I will enjoy watching Gil get handled.

Watching The Words. I have no idea what to expect.
 
Sadly, Pettis is the closest I'm going to get to Cro Cop these days, so I support him :icon_lol:

Friends with Benefits is surprisingly enjoyable. I thought I'd hate it, especially because I've never liked Mila Kunis, but she's handling the quick dialogue well and the rhythm her and Timberlake have coupled with the sharp script is like a throwback to the classic romcoms. Still have like an hour left, though, so we'll see if it holds up.

And then for people who know more than me about this stuff, what happened with the X-Men movies? I think there were originally three (?) then they started branching off, but now I'm going to be recording something soon called X-Men First Class from 2011 which, I gather, is a prequel to the original films. Just to get it straight in my head (and also because I'm interested in revisiting the old movies since I literally remember nothing from any of them), what's the timeline of X-Men movies?
 
yeah, what the fuck? that dude went from losing to guida, to looking like shit against stephens, to toying with guys like Lauzon and Cerrone.

Bendo's not particularly boring, but he can never dream of being as exciting as Pettis. For that alone, I'll be rooting for Pettis. Plus I've had enough of that jesus shit.

To be fair, no one looks good against Guida.

With Stephens, he was probably fighting not to lose.

Sadly, Pettis is the closest I'm going to get to Cro Cop these days, so I support him :icon_lol:

Friends with Benefits is surprisingly enjoyable. I thought I'd hate it, especially because I've never liked Mila Kunis, but she's handling the quick dialogue well and the rhythm her and Timberlake have coupled with the sharp script is like a throwback to the classic romcoms. Still have like an hour left, though, so we'll see if it holds up.

And then for people who know more than me about this stuff, what happened with the X-Men movies? I think there were originally three (?) then they started branching off, but now I'm going to be recording something soon called X-Men First Class from 2011 which, I gather, is a prequel to the original films. Just to get it straight in my head (and also because I'm interested in revisiting the old movies since I literally remember nothing from any of them), what's the timeline of X-Men movies?

It's a prequel that focuses on Magneto and X. IIRC, they and Mystique are the only ones that appear in the future movies.

That timeline is fucked, btw. Should've rebooted.


Dredd was okay. Nothing spectacular, other than the super badass scene where he throws that dude down the center in front of Cersei. The dialogue was shitty. Slo-Mo was kinda cool. 6/10.
 
What are some of your guys' thoughts on Eyes Wide Shut? I enjoy some of Kubrik's movies but have never see this one. Watched it last night, just didn't get it.
 
man...The Green Mile is incredible...never get sick of it...AND i just noticed that Dale from TWD is in it
 
I just watched Seediq Bale and it was f-amazing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warriors_of_the_Rainbow:_Seediq_Bale



On the cover you can read: ''Braveheart'' with a nod to ''the last of the mohicans''

I can't tell you if its true since I never saw braveheart or the last of the mohicans but I really enjoyed it,it didn't look like 150 mins long.sadly it wasn't the original version who's 276 minutes long.
 
The last few films I watched...


Update: January 17, 2013

My Review of Kim Jee-won's THE LAST STAND
(SPOILER FREE)


Last-Stand-Arnold-Jaimie-Rodrigo-220-Dragonlord.jpg


In The Last Stand, 65 year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger makes his return to acting in his first leading man role since Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines ten years ago. In the film, he plays a Ray Owens, a reluctant small town sheriff who must stop an escaped convict and notorious drug cartel kingpin (Eduardo Noriega) from crossing the Mexican border. The Last Stand also marks the English-language film debut of famed South Korean director Kim Jee-won (I Saw the Devil, The Good, the Bad, the Weird).

The film's plot is relatively simple and predictable but it's an enjoyable throwback action flick nonetheless. It's similar to those simple entertaining action films like The Rundown or Hard Target where you just shut your brain and enjoy the ride. Speaking of rides, the film felt like one big commercial for the modified Corvette ZR-1 capable of reaching 200 miles per hour, which is used by the main baddie to outrun the various law enforcement agencies.

Showing his age, Schwarzenegger looks good enough in the action scenes and gives an adequate performance despite his limited range. The Austrian actor's iconic aura worked against his favor as it was hard to differentiate between him and his character and felt that a dozen other actors (Tommy Lee Jones or Kevin Costner to name a few) would have been a better fit for the aging Sheriff role. Arnie's famous one-liner zingers were just weak in here.

The eclectic cast was likable enough, even Johnny Knoxville was tolerable, and provided some comic relief throughout (maybe too much). Surprisingly, the wasted Forest Whitaker was the weakest link as the inept and constantly dumbfounded FBI agent. Also, watch out for an unrecognizable Sonny Landham (Billy from Predator) in a small role.

Working with a straightforward script from Andrew Knauer, Jee-won delivers a high-octane contemporary western with several spectacular car chases and amusing shoot-outs. The Last Stand is an adequately entertaining experience with an even better action film buried inside. Extract Noriega's scenes, from his daring van escape to the exhilarating car chase sequences, and transform his character into a wrongly convicted protagonist and you have the blueprint of an even superior action film than The Last Stand.

Rating: 7/10
 
Update: January 26, 2013

My Review of HERE COMES THE BOOM


Here-Boom-220-0126-Dragonlord.jpg


In Here Comes the Boom, comedian Kevin James plays Scott Voss, a 42 year-old deadbeat biology high school teacher, who phones it in every day at class. But when he befriends an idealistic music teacher, Marty (Henry Winkler), Scott is compelled to save the music program at their struggling school. In order to raise the money, Scott becomes a MMA fighter when he finds out that the combatants still get paid even if they lose. With the help of Nico (Bas Rutten), a Dutch trainer, and Bella (Salma Hayek), the school nurse, Scott's journey galvanizes the entire school as well as inspires himself to become a better person.

Directed by Frank Coraci (The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy), Here Comes the Boom is a sports comedy but still grounded a bit in reality and not like that farce Ready to Rumble starring David Arquette. James, who co-wrote the film, is likable as the worn-down teacher moonlighting as a MMA fighter. We follow his amusing antics from continuously getting his ass whooped in the cage to gradually being a decent mixed martial artist. A longtime avid fan of MMA, the former King of Queens star impressively lost about 80 pounds for the role.

James is surrounded by a solid supporting cast. Winkler's warm-hearted genteelness and wide-eyed sense of innocence provide some entertaining bits when he's exposed to the brutal world of MMA. Hayek plays your typical love interest but she looks absolutely gorgeous even at 45 years-old. Rutten and Mark DelaGrotte, who plays one of James' trainers later on, were a natural in front of the camera and were surprisingly good at acting.

Mixed Martial Arts fans will get a kick out of spotting all the UFC/MMA fighters and personalities throughout the film, some portraying a version of themselves. Mayhem Miller was terrific as his wacky real-life in-cage personality translated very well in the film. Among the cameos include Mark Munoz, Chael Sonen, Satoshi Ishii, Brian Stann, Wanderlei Silva, and Rich Franklin. My favorite is from Sonnen, who has a very funny cameo appearance where he complains to the ref after getting tapped out by James, saying he "was just fooling around."

A cross between Warrior and Mr. Holland's Opus, Here Comes the Boom isn't as hilarious as one would hoped but it's a pleasantly entertaining underdog comedy with a lot of heart for the whole family.

Rating: 7/10
 
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