The Searchers (1956)
One of the greatest westerns I've ever seen. I've only seen a few John Wayne films before, but after seeing this I'll be sure to get a bunch of others. Great writing, direction and everything, and the Technicolor photography is a treat as always.

-10/10

Check out some Howard Hawks/John Wayne collaborations next. Red River is a classic, and Rio Bravo may well be the best thing the director ever did- which is saying something.

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)

A unique journey, for those who dare to brave it. Seeing the holocaust through a child's perspective doesn't make it any easier, and the abyss young Bruno gets sucked into via innocence and naivety is horrifying. Good performances accentuate the drama of the story; Butterfield and Scanlon are tragically natural, Thewlis is frightening, and Vera Farmiga is tender- she is one of my favorite up-and-comers. The direction is a little conventional, and at times the film borders on too shiny and commercial for the subject matter, but Herman is at least faithful to the story and stays on track and at a brisk pace. Don't expect a pick-me-up; see it for its performances and for its boldness.

The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)

Like its title family, Orson Welles' second film for RKO is eccentric and theatrical- and in the best of ways. The visual style of past silent film met Welles' passion for radio in a happy marriage, and his typical troupe of actors are all quite energetic. What really shines is the director's technical precision and perfectionism, a real eye for the cinema which keeps a decent story engaging and which predicted the inventive filmmaking others wouldn't catch on to for years. The movie feels too brisk in its cut running time; I can't help but assume Welles' original cut (carelessly destroyed in anticipation of a general public impatience) filled in the cracks which seem so hollow here. Still, the film is a beautiful reminder of the artistry of Mr. Welles and the booming ideas he was constantly swimming in. Dark and brooding, constantly moving, tragic and hopeful.

Magnificent Ambersons may be my favorite Welles film. Love it. And yes, it would be marvelous to see the complete version.

I also recommend The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence- John Wayne & Jimmy Stewart perfectly paired, and the ultimate villian- Lee Marvin.

Angels & Demons (2009)

>>: B

Wall-E

Beautiful film, the first half especially when all we have is a lonely Wall-E with his pet cockroach on our screen. I did have a high expectation for this one and it easily lived up to it. The animation was stunning and the simplicity in the expressions used by Wall-E communicated volumes. Really, really liked it.


Gran Torino

Another excellent film, charting the relationship between a curmudgionly and recently widowed Clint Eastwood and his new Vietnamese neighbours. He helps them cope with a local gang causing problems and through this he realizes he has more in common with them than he believes. Clints delivery was a bit too gravelly at times but the matter of fact way he 'called it how he saw it' was brilliant and funny. Another Clint hit.


The Children

British horror about two families spending new years eve together, during this the kids become infected by some sort of bacteria which turs them into manipulative psychos. Its not too bad all told, the real horror being that the adults are fighting to survive against their own children. From a lecherous perspective, the young woman who plays the eldest daughter is an absolute hotty! Its worth checking out if you've got nothing else planned.

Thunderbolt & Lightfoot

I just love these 70s movies.

even the ones that drag a bit.

Quarantine.
Not bad...bit annoying that yet another horror film has the carbon copy ending of the post 90's masses.

Whispering Corridors. This was pretty decent Korean flick. Going on eleven years, i'd say that this flick is still a good watch. Ashe.
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The Baader Meinhof Complex

True story based on the terrorist group Red Army Faction (RAF) which operated in and around West Germany during the late sixties and seventies. Very well acted and played at a quick pace, it was an interesting and absorbing watch. It does try to cram too much into the film and the length (nearly 2 1/2 hours) is too much, given the amount and sequence of events this couldve easily been two films. Still, recommend this one.

Edmond: good concept, rather poor execution , William H. Macy gives an awful performance.

Maximum Overdrive: I liked this one a good deal. certainly cheesy but loads of fun. i think Stephen King should give directing another shot.

Naked Lunch: i appreciate this film more every time I see it.

Calvaire (The Ordeal) : what the fuck?

Good god..... I always knew you had lousy taste- but this seals the deal! :eek:



:D <---- see I'm using smileys you can't get mad....

But seriously......
With Edmond you've got an amazing triumvirate- Stuart Gordon, David Mamet & William H. Macy, all combined for a near-masterpiece. One of Macy's BEST performances
With Maximum Overdrive you've got a steaming pile of garbage- thank goddess King was smart enough to see he can't direct his way out of a paper bag.

To each his own, Macy's performance really annoyed me, felt pretty over acted. Perhaps I just don't like the guy in general.

I never said Maximum Overdrive was a GOOD movie, i said it was enjoyable.

whatever, thanks for being an asshole about it though.

Ive never understood all the negativity concerning Max Overdrive, as you say its an easy, enjoyable watch. Its was never going to be an oscar winner but never pretends to anything but a cheesy, tongue-in-cheek flick.

I guess what you call enjoyable depends on what you enjoy. Films that are intentionally made to be bad aren't enjoyable to me. It's just lazy filmmaking.

Last Man Standing - a little better the second time ...

Friday the 13th (new version) - once again i'm reminded why i stopped liking slashers in the 80's. dull, dull, dull.

the one saving grace is the girl with the incredible breasts. (as the guy kept pointing out) I'm pretty sure she had the only natural pair in the movie.


what it is with fake boobs in hollywood ?? isnt that over yet ?

Giallo
____

Harold and Maude (1971)

Showed this to a friend of mine last night...she loved it, and I think I enjoyed it even more the second time around. Just a great movie in every way :)

Very much looking forward to see this as I have already added it to my list of dvds that going to order on e-bay pretty soon.:)

What'd you think?
I've always been kind of disappointed with this one.

Clean, Shaven (1993)

Beautiful, disturbing and fascinating...an artfully composed and endlessly engrossing glimpse into the mind of a young schizophrenic.

Highly recommended.

Aye, I wanna see that one. Glad to see the service came through for ya!

Seconded! Amazing film. Aside from Peter Green's wonderful straight-forward, empathetic, and incredibly convicted performance, director Lodge Kerrigan created a stunning and unique cinematic technique by combining the realism of the visuals with an unhinged, dream-like soundtrack; a subjective look into what's going on in Peter's schizophrenic mind.

There's a concept in the Sanskrit philosophy of language called sphoṭa, and I think this film is a perfect example of it.

Is this new Argento film?:)

Well it is a pretty good film. But when you compare this to the likes of Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby made by the same maker, it kinda gives off the vibe of being a watered down version of Repulsion.

A pretty strong movie and holds its own identity no doubt, but Polanski set the benchmark so high with Repulsion that I dare say no other film of his would come anywhere near it.

All things aside, it still gets a rec from me.

Yes, indeed.


Moontrap


nice easy going b-grade sci fi with Bruce Cambell.

6/10

Body of Lies. Pretty fun, typical Hollywood international espionage thriller. Ashe.
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WELL?? How was it, you asshole?!

He wrote about it in the Gaillo thread in General. PAY ATTENTION.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA240_.jpg

Wife wanted to watch it so I went for a second viewing. Liked it a bit more than my first viewing. Maybe its the movie-loving geek in me.

No, I doubt it. In that case you would have hated it.


:D

True. Let me rephrase my words. ;)


http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA240_.jpg

Editing my quote too!? You devilish sum'bitch!

Yeah, sorry, just making you all envy me.... :D


It's got touches of greatness mixed in with mockery of itself... I enjoyed it though, but I don't want to give anyone any ideas, I actually went into it completley blank, I watched the trailer when Sean posted it, but when I found out it was playing near me, I scratched everything I knew about it and read no more so I could go into it with a clear head.

7/10

:D

I did say "Let me..." :p


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A curious and disappointing case of two halves headed in opposite directions...

I thought this was great, it surpassed my expectations. Miles ahead of the third X-Men flick.

Transformers 2


The action scenes were much better than the original as less of them took place three inches in front of the camera. A good mix of humor and action with the usual pitfalls of a summer blockbuster, I dug it.

Yap! day before yesterday saw it for the 2nd time with a friend and this time no more 'leaked workprint' which results a way better experience; liked it too.


Kemper: The Co-Ed Killer (2008)

>>: C-

Casino (1995). Epic. Pesci's mob monster portrayal never gets old. Ashe.
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