I just saw...

[TPol]

Originally Posted by Nunki

I just saw Howl's Moving Castle. The only thing that really appealed to me about the movie was Howl (<3).

I remember watching that movie. I don't remember much of anything about it, though, except that the castle moved and the door idea was kind of neat.


I just saw Cashback. I liked it very much. Perhaps this is because it is about an artist, and a figurative artist at that. Perhaps it is because I can relate to the artist, personality-wise. Perhaps it is because it is like watching an INTP's blog come to life. Cool concept for an artist to be able to do what he does with time, and the message in the end (appreciating love and beauty) is good. The movie starts out a bit questionable for me because it is so much like the mind-numbing jobs/bosses I've had through the years (smile), but I like the artist's approach to it. If you stay with watching this movie, it'll eventually capture you. It did me, anyway. I liked the approach to nudity and the beauty of the human form, too.

[Zero Angel]

Originally Posted by Nunki

I just saw Howl's Moving Castle. The only thing that really appealed to me about the movie was Howl (<3).

Ahh, I love Miyazaki movies.

I seen the happening. Mildly and breifly interesting, and with a certain shock factor, but ultimately tame and unfulfilling in the content / things to ponder category. If it wasnt for the gore/shock factor of a few death scenes then this movie would be rather forgettable.

[MacGuffin]

Primer
A couple of young engineers in their spare time build a, get this, time machine in their garage. Written, directed, and starring former engineer/mathematician Shane Carruth, this film made for $7000 won the 2004 Sundance Grand Jury prize. At first you are not sure where this is all going. It reminds one of those 70s nerds working on what would become the PC revolution in their own garages. Except this idea is a real revolution... one of them gets the idea to build the machine big enough for a person to go inside... and you start to slowly realize you haven't been given the whole story. Reminded me a lot of Memento with the fractured time line and puzzle it presents. It never panders to the audience, and you will not have it all figured out by the end. I will rewatch it. Great to see someone can still make an entertaining movie without big stars, annoying CGI effects, and a massive budget. All one needs is a bit of imagination.
Recommended.

[Andantino]

Quarantine

Overall... gay. Seeing all the bodies get thrown around like they did was pretty cool, I must admit. 5 stars for gory comedy. I laughed the entire time through it. There's a certain part where this dude's head keeps getting bashed with the camera... you think it would end, but it goes on for so long it just becomes hilarious.

Again, the way people got mauled was pretty cool, but it lacked any type of decent plot or suspense. I basically dropped $10 to watch some bodies fly... which was kinna cool, though. *shrug*

Oh. The chick was a little annoying toward the end. Overall, definitely not worth a trip to the theaters by any means... but probably worth pirating for the laughs.

[Uberfuhrer]

I watched two movies this evening:

First, I watched Doomsday, which I got from Netflix on Blu-Ray. It certainly wasn't bad for a British survival movie. But the whole virus wiping out the population thing is really getting tired. However, the picture had very diverse environments which oddly didn't seem confused. It combines a cannibalistic rock concert with medieval warfare. Having said that, I sometimes felt like I was watching a folk metal music video. Still, having expected to consume bare bones from the film, it wasn't half bad.

The second film I watched was Journey to the Center of the Earth with Brendan Fraser, which I rented from Red Box on DVD (they don't rent Blu-Ray discs). Sadly, the rental didn't come with 3D glasses, so I couldn't watch the 3D version of the film. I absolutely loved the film, however. It was filled with endless creativity that really sucks you in (except for the mine car roller coaster). This is a movie worth buying not just for the 3D glasses that will come with a full purchase.

[V. Profane]

Originally Posted by sharpie

La Haine - a french film about the french projects.... great themes about racism, prejudice, privilege and what not. The cinematography is pretty much perfect. great movie

La Haine is indeed a great movie, and one I got a lot of kudos for evangelising many years ago.

Originally Posted by Robotron

Ken Russell's The Devils. It sucked.

I'd expect a more substantial critique from a Greenaway fan, especially of a Ken Russell film.

[Robotron]

Originally Posted by V Profane

I'd expect a more substantial critique from a Greenaway fan, especially of a Ken Russell film.

There was such a lack of substance in the movie, although occasionally I'm admittedly able to take a weak film and transform it into something more powerful for the sake of my entertainment, there wasn't anything there I was interested in working with. The story was one we've all seen too many times for it to matter, and it was all in the service of making shocking images which didn't happen to shock me.

Just yesterday I watched The Lives of Others, a simple, but noble movie with exactly the same message and which employed cinematic competence instead of gore. If you want the message, visit that movie; if you want to see the human body and human cruelty twist and reveal themselves in new ways, visit Salo. Admittedly this was my first Russell film, so he may be on to something I completely missed in this movie, but what from what I've seen in the reviews everyone simply regards this as an intense experience that says something important about religion.

[Ferox Seneca]

Blindness
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0861689/

This film was surprisingly deep, and had basically nothing to do about being blind in the same way that most films set in New York have basically nothing to do with being in New York. This film is a video essay on human nature and the benevolent role of the state in ordering human affairs. The director took care to communicate and hint that there was always more going on both between the scenes and inside his characters' heads than he was willing to share, provoking thought about the characters and events, and making the plot seem more organic. Certain visceral scenes were gripping and intense. Except for often choosing the most dislikable and ironic characters to die, the plot generally avoided cliched writing. It was generally original an unlikely to be repeated.

Enjoying this film requires the viewer to suspend their beliefs about some things which the viewer may normally see as self-evident. You must accept that society would react to contagion by stuffing crippled people into an abandoned asylum forever. If society broke down, anarchy ensued, and food supplies were severed, you must accept that packs of wild dogs would scour cities eating dead and wounded humans, yet packs of humans would not scour their cities in order to catch and eat the wild dogs. Just accept it and let yourself get into the movie.

Recommended for some good introspection.

[MadamI'madaM]

Rock'n'rolla:

SUCKED

In fact, you should just avoid this if you still want to be able to enjoy Snatch or Lock, Stock at all. (given that you liked them in the first place)

I can't believe I didn't bail to see Religilous or something else within the first half hour. Oh well, unethical psych experiment complete. Subject did not act.

[outmywindow]

Originally Posted by MadamI'madaM

Rock'n'rolla:

SUCKED

In fact, you should just avoid this if you still want to be able to enjoy Snatch or Lock, Stock at all. (given that you liked them in the first place)

I can't believe I didn't bail to see Religilous or something else within the first half hour. Oh well, unethical psych experiment complete. Subject did not act.

I knew it was going to suck, but I was considering going and seeing it today exclusively for Gerard Butler. Maybe I shouldn't....