precious :)

Gran Torino


Quickly becoming one of my favourite Clint Eastwood flicks, every time i watch it seems to get better.

Shutter Island - Boy, that wasn't very good, was it?

Sam

Says who?

...

He probably speaks for everyone in The States.

yes, that's a pretty decent one, want to see the original too.


Sick Girl (2007)

http://www.dvdverdict.com/images/covers/sickgirl.jpg

Although at the beginning it seems like any other usual pretty low budget crap but later it turns into a quite watchable torture flick with some nasty violence.

>>: C+


Possession (2009)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...-L._SL160_.jpg

There is nothing 'horror' in this movie! A drama about some conjugal-crisis of a family.

>>: C-

Triangle (2009). Sometimes less is better. That is how this blurb is going to read. All that should be said that this is a wonderful little mind-bender that demands attention to details. The story itself is twisted though solid. Melissa George deserves a strong mention for her beautifully tortured performance. Director Christopher Smith also deserves kudos be served. A twisted and dark affair, this unflinching flick is not to be missed by the fan of the macabre. Mercie beaucoup.
d

The Collector...it was ok...not very plausible though.

Hiwaymen

Started out well, but was ultimately disappointing. The bad guy was more silly than frightening. They should have kept him unknown.

Whip It- I expected utter fluff from Drew Barrymore's first effort, and while it was a bit on the fluffy side, it was not the baby lamb covered on top of a pile of pancakes that I had anticipated. Less annoying than entries in the Diablo Codyverse.
H2- Extraneous, but the Argento style psychological touches were nice and I liked the ending. Still, Rob Zombie has gotta do something awesome to win back my favor and my filmgoing dollar. Got it at the library, Rob Zombie. Gonna keep getting things at the library til you're awesome again.
Zombieland- An excellent palletcleanser that brought back my faith in a genre that I'm getting really annoyed with. I want more of this. I want 7.
Also Cat in the Brain the other day. A lot of people didn't get this movie. Bad makeup effects, bad acting...what else is the descent of a B director into madness going to look like? Brilliant marriage of medium and message. Makes me want to dive headfirst into the entire Fulci canon.

die another day
casino royale
quantum of solace
halloween 2

AVATAR...3D

Absolutely beautiful visuals and the almost 3 hour sit flew by.

The Crazies (2010)

It's a shame that this movie isn't making much money at the theaters due to the competition lately. It's actually a pretty good movie that I enjoyed. Lots of gore, plenty of "pop out scary scenes", great death scenes, good plot and good acting. I love these type of movies!

8/10

Glad to see you dug this one, Doc.

------------------------------------------

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Well, I went into it knowing that the script kind of removes the magic from the book (and I love the book), so I didn't let that bother me. I just watched it as a movie. So from there, it's a pretty good watch. Special effects are really fun, but so obviously special effects you can never completely sink into it. I really liked the pacing, and I thought they did a great job taking their time with the story...that is until the end. The third act is mostly awful; it's clear the studio couldn't resist an inflated, extraneously action-packed (and cheese-packed) climax and hurried resolution.
That said, I'm still glad I went to see it. Burton's vision is there, mostly, and that was fun to see. Helena Bonham Carter's turn as the Red Queen is pretty wonderful. And there's certainly more to enjoy in Alice in Wonderland than not, I thought, but there are definitely enough problems to also make it frustrating.

And one more complaint, as pissy as it is: they kept calling the creature the Jabberwocky. Jabberwocky is the poem, Jabberwock is the creature. Sure it's a fairly small issue, but it's a detail you'd think a huge multi-million dollar blockbuster would get right.

Cat in the Brain is all good. Kinda messier plotwise than some of his other flicks (which is saying something). Funny how he reused a bunch of footage from his other films too :D

But yeh Doc if you loved it you'll enjoy a lot of his work. I dig most of his shit there's only a few that I found dull... there's a lot I haven't checked out yet.

The Secret in Their Eyes [El Secreto de Sus Ojos] (2009)

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/340...ntheireyes.jpg

Based on the novel by Eduardo Sacheri about a man who wants to solve some loose ends of a murder committed 30 years ago. Newly retired from his career in Argentina's criminal court, Benjamin Esposito begins writing a novel about a case from his past that continues to haunt him.

Won Oscar this year as the Best foreign language film. A sensitive crime drama filled with suspense and beautiful, elegant touch of romance. Brilliant in almost every area. The blending of tragedy, love, violence and humor is nearly flawless. Very compelling performance & great cinematography made it truly Oscar worthy.

Recommended.

>>: A-

Scream Trilogy (1996-2000)

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/1865/screamtrio.jpg

It was nice & fun to watch them again in a row after quite a long time.

>>: B

http://www.blogomatic3000.com/wp-con...tw-one-sht.jpg

Pretty decent low-budget effort, made as a tribute to the Universal horror era of the 1940s.

Recommended to all fans of vintage 40s horror. Definitely hunt this one down. Its a real campy blast.

Top notch for sure...
d

looks like fun

It is. A real blast to watch, with friends and over a beer-soaked weekend. Definitely tossing this a rec.

is it available on DVD?

No idea. Downloaded it through a torrent.

Hmm...dont think its out on dvd yet. Didn't find a listing anywhere on Amazon or similar sites after doing a search.

This is their official site - http://www.houseofthewolfman.com/

A wider release would definitely help. Don't think any studio offered to do that.

I have one word for you my Amontillado loving friend, and that word is Svankmajer. Just saw his Alice. Here's a man that cares about Wonderland and as much as he plays with the imagery, he keeps the spirit very much intact. His Alice sees the hollow, frightening, ersatz qualities of the world around her, made up of toys, tools, bare identical rooms and...well, stuff. It captures the wonder and the barebones logic of Lewis Carroll's world wonderfully. For once the Hatter and Hare are as frightening and offcenter as they are in the book. I was really happy with Svankmajer's vision.

Yes! I love that version. You said it all already, but I love how disorienting it is, which is really the only film adaptation to capture that (important) quality from the book. The Disney version is the only other one that I really love.
Have you seen the 1903 version? It's pretty fun:

Wow. That is some thrifty storytelling. I'll have to show my girlfriend this. She's always on the lookout for new versions of Alice.Have you seen the 30s one? I'd like to look around for it, but don't know if it's worth my time and attention.

I've seen the one from the 30s and I love it. It's mainly cool for the experience of seeing Cary Grant as a turtle and WC Fields as Humpty Dumpty. And Edward Everet Horton was born to play The Mad Hatter.

Verryy innteresting.... I think I might need to check this Alive in Wonderland 1930 version, especially to see how Carey Grant is in it lol

I haven't seen that one, but after what NE said, I think I'll have to. I had no idea all of those people were in it !

the 1903 version if you want to watch for free

http://www.theauteurs.com/films/24647

Lake Placid

The Cottage

The Mist

The House of the Devil

6.5/10.... It's a bit too slow but then it gets real good. The ending was pretty lame though. Worth a rent.

Manhunter (1986). While this was not a spectacular flick, it is definitely a solid entry into the psycho-thriller genre. The cinematography was solid, with the running down the stares scene a great example of a wonderfully powerful moment. Brian Cox gives a chilling performance of Dr. Lecktor. That he is a psycho is believable, but what is really chilling is that he could easily fit right back into society without anyone knowing the better and that makes him a frightful monster. Overall an entertaining flick that gives us our money's worth in play time. Ashe.
d

pulp fiction

Halloween 2: I really didn't mind the first one. I thought Zombie did a pretty good job of it. Not great, but passable. The sequel though? Utter crap. God I wanted Laurie to die in the opening sequence... The only good point is the brutality of Michael. It was almost upsetting to see how brutal he was in this movie.

The Box: Strong start, but utterly failed due to a ridiculous plotline and pointless special effects. I didn't have high hopes for this one anyway, but it wasn't even worth the time I spent watching it.

Where the Wild Things Are: Pretty good. It was way darker than I expected. I haven't actually read the original book, but I was expecting a movie a bit more for kids, which this really isn't. Somewhat slow moving, but enjoyable.

Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus


I don't mind films being on the cheap, with less than perfect CGI, so long as they make the effort to get the little details right. This could've been a passably crap B movie creature feature, perfect brainless entertainment. Sadly its just utter, utter shit with so much wrong I couldn't be arsed listing them.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

I'll spare the lengthy diatribe and sum it up in one word - disappointing. Effects don't make a film (much less a timeless fable for all ages), and of all people Tim Burton should know that. Except for Mia as Alice and Crispin as the Knave, everyone else felt stretched and repetitive.

Sorry Doc, but your worst fears are true. This is indeed a bastardised version of Carroll's tale, and I will stick to Disney's animated 50s film as my most preferred version of my most favorite parable. Burton and Alice fans, watch this only if you are high on effects.

Rating - * * ½

Hang 'em High (1968). This was simply a tale of western revenge told with some historical accuracy. Clint here plays a rather subdued character, but he does so wonderfully. He even gets a name. The opening scene is a classic, a botched lynching that sets the stage for the rest of the film. Other than an unnecessary romance, this classic is solid. The acting and direction is competent, and the camera-work was more than worthy, especially with the appropriate use of close-ups. Over, a hidden gem of a western. Mercie beaucoup.
d

Freeway Killer (2009)

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/3...ewaykiller.jpg

>>: C


New Moon (2009)

http://l.yimg.com/eb/ymv/us/img/hv/p...smallfinal.jpg

>>: C


Dean Spanley (2008)

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/7585/deanspnley.jpg

>>: B+

Cries and Whispers (1972). This brilliant classic that is all about despair and grief, loneliness and hatred, with a little peasant warmth sprinkled in at all the right places. A story of three sisters and a maid, this one threatens to become a chick flick, but thankfully veers in the direction of a study of the human condition. The four characters could not be a better contrast of people, very believable but a polar sorts. The cinematography was incredible; the direction masterful. The acting was sublime; the story itself was simple yet engaging and profoundly moving. Simply another masterpiece from the inimitable Ingmar Bergman.

Five Easy Pieces (1970) What starts out to be a mess of a movie becomes a character study in the mess of a man. No straightforward story could come to disentangle the twisted character of Robert, which was nailed by Jack Nicholson. As the story unravels we begin to see why his character seems so out of place with the rest of the world. The diner scene, which in a way explains everything, was infamously splendid. His trashy and needy girlfriend was just as engaging, a part incredibly portrayed by Karen Black. The ending was both sudden and profound, though we know this was not the end of the story, just the the end of our involvement in the story of Robert. The direction was solid, and the camerawork perfect, with the piano and pictures scene coming off as brilliant. Dark, moody, and abrupt, this wonderful flick deserves its accolades. Mercie beaucoup.
d