The sequence with Chico on the piano is brilliant. The whole scene (up until Groucho's horse-remark) nicely sums up much what Marx Brothers were all about -- not that I'm an avid fan, but that particular scene is a favourite. Snide remarks, virtuoso artistry, unpredictable/crazy humour.
Deception (known in the U.S. as Reindeer Games), 2000
With Ben Affleck, I thought it would be a cheesey, typical action movie. But truthfully I really enjoyed it. Some good performances from Gary Sinise, Charlize Theron and Dennis Farina. There are some little twists that you didn't anticipate, and there is a good gunfight in a casino, while a robbery is taking place. The robbers are dressed in Santa suits and the owner of the casino (Farina) decides to take matters into his own hands, pulling out two machine guns from a safe.
I watch the Bourne Supremacy last night. It was pretty good, but I have never watched an action film with such little dialogue in my life. I mean Matt Damon literally doesn't say much in the whole film. It was a good story and plot, I don't think they did as good of a job telling it as they could have. Still a good watch. 7/10
Sideways, from the director of Election and About Schmidt.
Okay, but really just The Odd Couple with wine-tasting thrown in. Or that film Swingers, in which a couple of guys hit the road, one of them trying to cheer up the other, who's depressed.
A bit disheartened by the recent films I've seen: The Aviator, Million Dollar Baby and now this could all have been filmed in the early 1970s, there doesn't seem anything groundbreaking in attitude about ANY of them. Films like Pulp Fiction from 10 years ago, and Schindler's List, seemed to have more about them and be more relevant.
Lady Rose: I didn't know it at the time, but Emmy Rossum was the same girl in The Day After Tomorrow. I had no idea she was that talented...
I'm glad you enjoyed it too, knowing nothing about it and all. I would really like to see it again, but it's only playing an hour from here and if I go then I'd rather see Kinsey or Finding Neverland.
(By the way, I watched episodes 18 and 19 of season three's Alias... I'm almost to the end!)
Quoting Bondov: Lady Rose: I didn't know it at the time, but Emmy Rossum was the same girl in The Day After Tomorrow. I had no idea she was that talented...
I'm glad you enjoyed it too, knowing nothing about it and all. I would really like to see it again, but it's only playing an hour from here and if I go then I'd rather see Kinsey or Finding Neverland.
(By the way, I watched episodes 18 and 19 of season three's Alias... I'm almost to the end!)
She also plays Sean Penn's daughter in Mystic River.
Bondov, it looks like you must be aquainted with Katya Derevko by now. She's got to be my favorite female character of season 3 along with Sydney's sister. What do you think of them?
Flattery will get you nowhere, but don't stop trying.
Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
Quoting DFXX:
I think the 1990s was the best decade for film. I mean, look at all the great movies: Se7en
Goodfellas
The Usual Suspects
Pulp Fiction
Resevoir Dogs
Schindler's List
Silence of the Lambs
American Beauty
The Matrix
The Sixth Sense
Unforgiven
The Fugitive
Dances With Wolves
Braveheart
Titanic
The English Patient
JFK
Fargo
I would agree with most of these. I never saw Schindlers List, Unforgiven, The English Patient and Fargo.
But all the others on the list were great movies. Infact Pulp Fiction is my all time favorite. The one I don't like is Silence Of The Lambs. I don't know why but when I watched it, I just didn't like it. Se7en was a far better movie.
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
Well I have yet to find out who Sydney's sister is (just learned about that on the episodes I watched today), but I can say that Katya is way cool (from the one episode that I've seen her in thus far). Rossellini does a great job with her I think. I'll get back to you about the sister when I watch a few more episodes tomorrow (I get done with class at 2:00pm).
I have to say that, so far, Jack is my favorite character overall.
Also, I watched Hide and Seek tonight with a few friends. We passed up going to The Aviator because it was way longer and we didn't feel like sitting through it during the week. Hide and Seek was pretty good -- should've been marketed as a psychological thriller rather than horror, though. I found it much more interesting that way.
scaramanga1The English RivieraPosts: 845Chief of Staff
Just watched The Village -an intense and eerie film but a little dissappointing in some ways. Can't really make my mind up about it. Good performances by the cast though.
I finished The Pride of the Yankees this morning. As a fan of movies and a big fan of the Yankees, I thought the acting was brilliant. Gary Cooper was an excellent Lou Gehrig, his chemistry with Helen was excellent. The biggest thrill of the film is watching Babe Ruth, his zest for life is just as visible on the silver screen as it is at the ball park. A definite classic.
Quoting DFXX:
I think the 1990s was the best decade for film. I mean, look at all the great movies: Se7en
Goodfellas
The Usual Suspects
Pulp Fiction
Resevoir Dogs
Schindler's List
Silence of the Lambs
American Beauty
The Matrix
The Sixth Sense
Unforgiven
The Fugitive
Dances With Wolves
Braveheart
Titanic
The English Patient
JFK
Fargo
Well, not Fargo, I hated it.
Anyway, with the 70s in a close second, ten years ago, directors were reeling off some masterpieces. I think 2004 has been an awful year for movies... there's been too many Bruckheimers and not enough Polanskis... even Spielberg's been in it for the money with The Terminal... no-where near his usual standard.
The 90's were a great decade, although I think the 60's were the most colorful, stylish and unique times for movies. You had the Bond films, The Great Escape, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Manchurian Canidate, Oceans 11, The Guns of Naverrone, The Thomas Crown Affair, Dr. Strangelove, Our Man Flint, The Odd Couple, 12 Angry Men and dozens others I cant currently recall. The 90's were great however.
I also agree 2004 has overall been a letdown. I watched "Coming Attractions" on E! and it doesnt seem to be getting much better. Most movies coming out are remake's of old films or tv shows, no new ideas, which is key to a classic. I dont think its the beginning of a trend however. 2005 is also promising a possibly great Star Wars film, and a new Batman film. Hopefully these will set the stage for some promising new stuff.
Red, I almost didn't recognize you, Nice avatar, Donnovan!
As for 2004, one movie that I definitely have plans on seeing will be "Hotel Rwanda". Don Cheadle for too long has been relegated to minor roles and lackluster films. Just like Charlize Theron, I'm glad to see 'ol Don finally getting his due. He deserves it as he's a very charismatic and versatile fellow.
The 90's were a great decade, although I think the 60's were the most colorful, stylish and unique times for movies. You had the Bond films, The Great Escape, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Manchurian Canidate, Oceans 11, The Guns of Naverrone, The Thomas Crown Affair, Dr. Strangelove, Our Man Flint, The Odd Couple, 12 Angry Men and dozens others I cant currently recall. The 90's were great however.
I've got to agree with you there, Red. Lots of great films come from that decade, including the Lion in Winter, Lawrence of Arabia, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Judgment at Nuremberg, Planet of the Apes, the Ipcress File, Charade, My Fair Lady, West Side Story, A Man For All Seasons, Becket, Lolita, Dr. Zhivago, the Graduate, Bonnie and Clyde, the Pink Panther, Breakfast at Tiffany's, the Sound of Music, the Italian Job, Ben-Hur, North By Northwest, Vertigo, Psycho, One, Two, Three, and Alfie.
Flattery will get you nowhere, but don't stop trying.
The killing of the first boy is truly horrific. There's nothing there in terms of gore, screaming or excessive violence. But the authenthicity of the kill makes it really awful.
Quoting DFXX:
I started watching Unforgiven but gave up after a bit, it didn't get my full concentration. Good look to Eastwood at the Oscars.
Many people have similar viewing experiences. It's a story told slow, and relies on dialogue and character development more than action/adventure.
If you watch it again, though this time knowing what to expect (= little action and macho manners a la Man With No Name), then you should give it a change. It's a justified masterpiece.
I wathed Second Hand Lions last night. I'd recomend it to people that haven't seent it.
superadoRegent's Park West (CaliforniaPosts: 2,652MI6 Agent
Quoting DFXX:
The 1960s were too epic, with a Sparticus, Ben Hur, Zchivage, Lawrence of Arabia every single year ... too many blockbusting MGMs and not enough independent movies.
On the contrary, the period of the 50's and 60's was when experimental cinema, the cinema of personal expression, the social cinema, etc. flourished and international films considered unconventional by Hollywood standards were slowly yet surely accepted by the mainstream. These are films that would be regarded as indies today. You have your British kitchen sink dramas (Look Back in Anger and Georgy Girl), French New Wave flicks by Francois Truffaut, Claude Lelouch and Jean Luc Goddard, the Italian Postwar Cinema dominated with the unconventional films by Vittorio De Sica, Roberto Rossolini and Fredirico Fellini, and not to mention the early, "low glimmer" works of Akira Kurosawa and Satyajit Ray in Asian Cinema.
The "it" of today's independent films is nothing new; they just do what was done decades ago, by taking the starkly vernacular and putting it on celluloid (or today rather, digital format). And, in order to up the ante of "real life's" shock value, ping pong balls popping out of bodily orifices become the order of the day.
"...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
Quoting DFXX:
The 1960s were too epic, with a Sparticus, Ben Hur, Zchivage, Lawrence of Arabia every single year ... too many blockbusting MGMs and not enough independent movies.
That's Doctor Zhivago and Spartacus.
Before putting them down, at least learn how to spell them.
Saw Boogeyman last night. It has some scary moments, but the ending was disappointing. The whole story builds up suspense, and then leaves questions unanswered. Not bad until the end, though.
Just been listening to the new commentaries by Rod Taylor, Earl Holliman, and Kevin McCarthy from each of their respective episodes in the new digitally mastered and chronological ordered Twilight Zone definitive boxset! Loaded with extras, any fan of this classic and breakthrough television program should pick theirs up. I did, and extremely pleased that I did.
Another documentary watched recently, a new eye popping dvx mastered SE Beast Master with an hour long behind the scenes. Marc Singer and Tanya Roberts both have great stories to tell about this much loved saturday afternoon pop corn watcher. Marc is a veritable quote machine, he's very much the eloquent philosopher type. Tanya, I must say, really looks gorgeous. I think she even looks better now then she did in that 70's show.
BestBondSeanA Bavarian in CornwallPosts: 108MI6 Agent
Seen Collateral and finally The Bourne Supremacy yesterday, both where solid Action films, probably Michael Manns effort being slightly superior in his thinking man actioner approach, really fleshing out Cruise's charcter making him more than a monosyllabic killing machine, which you can't really say about Bourne.
What i liked about Bourne was the excellent fight coreography, fast paced editing style, reminiscent of Peter Hunt and above all the real Spy vs. Spy confrontations in a shady and treacherous environment.
Negs: flimsy plot, hardly any story to speak of, an emotionless affair, no reaction to Maries death at all for example.
What i liked about Collateral was the aforementioned deeper characterization of the main protagonists and style wise the depiction of nightly L.A.
Loved the semi documentary camera work, the omission of some colour made it look really realistic and was working very well with the seedier places in L.A. Cruise and Foxx visited.
Against Collateral,well what can i say, you know after about five Minutes into the film how it all will end, none the less enjoyable.
Comments
The sequence with Chico on the piano is brilliant. The whole scene (up until Groucho's horse-remark) nicely sums up much what Marx Brothers were all about -- not that I'm an avid fan, but that particular scene is a favourite. Snide remarks, virtuoso artistry, unpredictable/crazy humour.
---
jfm
With Ben Affleck, I thought it would be a cheesey, typical action movie. But truthfully I really enjoyed it. Some good performances from Gary Sinise, Charlize Theron and Dennis Farina. There are some little twists that you didn't anticipate, and there is a good gunfight in a casino, while a robbery is taking place. The robbers are dressed in Santa suits and the owner of the casino (Farina) decides to take matters into his own hands, pulling out two machine guns from a safe.
Good Fun, 8/10
Okay, but really just The Odd Couple with wine-tasting thrown in. Or that film Swingers, in which a couple of guys hit the road, one of them trying to cheer up the other, who's depressed.
A bit disheartened by the recent films I've seen: The Aviator, Million Dollar Baby and now this could all have been filmed in the early 1970s, there doesn't seem anything groundbreaking in attitude about ANY of them. Films like Pulp Fiction from 10 years ago, and Schindler's List, seemed to have more about them and be more relevant.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I'm glad you enjoyed it too, knowing nothing about it and all. I would really like to see it again, but it's only playing an hour from here and if I go then I'd rather see Kinsey or Finding Neverland.
(By the way, I watched episodes 18 and 19 of season three's Alias... I'm almost to the end!)
The Public Enemy / White Heat / Angels with Dirty Faces / Little Caesar / The Petrified Forest / The Roaring Twenties
One of the best decades for picture films, imo, James Cagney, Eddie G. Robinson, Bogie. Can't go wrong with that. Film Noir was imaginative and cool.
She also plays Sean Penn's daughter in Mystic River.
Bondov, it looks like you must be aquainted with Katya Derevko by now. She's got to be my favorite female character of season 3 along with Sydney's sister. What do you think of them?
I would agree with most of these. I never saw Schindlers List, Unforgiven, The English Patient and Fargo.
But all the others on the list were great movies. Infact Pulp Fiction is my all time favorite. The one I don't like is Silence Of The Lambs. I don't know why but when I watched it, I just didn't like it. Se7en was a far better movie.
I have to say that, so far, Jack is my favorite character overall.
Also, I watched Hide and Seek tonight with a few friends. We passed up going to The Aviator because it was way longer and we didn't feel like sitting through it during the week. Hide and Seek was pretty good -- should've been marketed as a psychological thriller rather than horror, though. I found it much more interesting that way.
The 90's were a great decade, although I think the 60's were the most colorful, stylish and unique times for movies. You had the Bond films, The Great Escape, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Manchurian Canidate, Oceans 11, The Guns of Naverrone, The Thomas Crown Affair, Dr. Strangelove, Our Man Flint, The Odd Couple, 12 Angry Men and dozens others I cant currently recall. The 90's were great however.
I also agree 2004 has overall been a letdown. I watched "Coming Attractions" on E! and it doesnt seem to be getting much better. Most movies coming out are remake's of old films or tv shows, no new ideas, which is key to a classic. I dont think its the beginning of a trend however. 2005 is also promising a possibly great Star Wars film, and a new Batman film. Hopefully these will set the stage for some promising new stuff.
As for 2004, one movie that I definitely have plans on seeing will be "Hotel Rwanda". Don Cheadle for too long has been relegated to minor roles and lackluster films. Just like Charlize Theron, I'm glad to see 'ol Don finally getting his due. He deserves it as he's a very charismatic and versatile fellow.
I added some more 60's movies that escape my memory to my previous post.
Now I have to catch up with the few episodes that I've missed this season...
I've got to agree with you there, Red. Lots of great films come from that decade, including the Lion in Winter, Lawrence of Arabia, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Judgment at Nuremberg, Planet of the Apes, the Ipcress File, Charade, My Fair Lady, West Side Story, A Man For All Seasons, Becket, Lolita, Dr. Zhivago, the Graduate, Bonnie and Clyde, the Pink Panther, Breakfast at Tiffany's, the Sound of Music, the Italian Job, Ben-Hur, North By Northwest, Vertigo, Psycho, One, Two, Three, and Alfie.
~PD
mountainburdphotography.wordpress.com
I don't know how many times I've see this by now. It's just as good every time. A truly great piece of cinema.
---
jfm
The killing of the first boy is truly horrific. There's nothing there in terms of gore, screaming or excessive violence. But the authenthicity of the kill makes it really awful.
---
jfm
Many people have similar viewing experiences. It's a story told slow, and relies on dialogue and character development more than action/adventure.
If you watch it again, though this time knowing what to expect (= little action and macho manners a la Man With No Name), then you should give it a change. It's a justified masterpiece.
---
jfm
On the contrary, the period of the 50's and 60's was when experimental cinema, the cinema of personal expression, the social cinema, etc. flourished and international films considered unconventional by Hollywood standards were slowly yet surely accepted by the mainstream. These are films that would be regarded as indies today. You have your British kitchen sink dramas (Look Back in Anger and Georgy Girl), French New Wave flicks by Francois Truffaut, Claude Lelouch and Jean Luc Goddard, the Italian Postwar Cinema dominated with the unconventional films by Vittorio De Sica, Roberto Rossolini and Fredirico Fellini, and not to mention the early, "low glimmer" works of Akira Kurosawa and Satyajit Ray in Asian Cinema.
The "it" of today's independent films is nothing new; they just do what was done decades ago, by taking the starkly vernacular and putting it on celluloid (or today rather, digital format). And, in order to up the ante of "real life's" shock value, ping pong balls popping out of bodily orifices become the order of the day.
Before putting them down, at least learn how to spell them.
Another documentary watched recently, a new eye popping dvx mastered SE Beast Master with an hour long behind the scenes. Marc Singer and Tanya Roberts both have great stories to tell about this much loved saturday afternoon pop corn watcher. Marc is a veritable quote machine, he's very much the eloquent philosopher type. Tanya, I must say, really looks gorgeous. I think she even looks better now then she did in that 70's show.
What i liked about Bourne was the excellent fight coreography, fast paced editing style, reminiscent of Peter Hunt and above all the real Spy vs. Spy confrontations in a shady and treacherous environment.
Negs: flimsy plot, hardly any story to speak of, an emotionless affair, no reaction to Maries death at all for example.
What i liked about Collateral was the aforementioned deeper characterization of the main protagonists and style wise the depiction of nightly L.A.
Loved the semi documentary camera work, the omission of some colour made it look really realistic and was working very well with the seedier places in L.A. Cruise and Foxx visited.
Against Collateral,well what can i say, you know after about five Minutes into the film how it all will end, none the less enjoyable.