I just watched Rogue for the second time, and once again loved it. Once you get past the fact that it's a giant crocodile movie, it is an excellent horror movie. Turns out there was a IRL croc named Sweetheart that actually did attack over a dozen boats in the 70s. But didn't kill anyone.

In any case, the cgi is decent, and the croc does attack like a real one, rushing up from ambush to take people at the water's edge and vanishing underwater with his prey in a moment. In fact the first death was like that. You never even saw it. One moment a character is standing in the water and the camera moves to the others. Then there is a splash, the camera moves back, and there is just some ripples in the water where the man was standing.

The real strength of the movie are the characters, and their interactions. Once the pressure is on they act like real people would. Which is to say they panic and do stupid things in the heat of the moment. They also come up with some rather creative ideas to save their skins.

Radha Mitchell stars, and as always does an excellent job. She has been one of my favorite actresses ever since I first saw her in Pitch Black, and has always been one of the front-runners in my imagination for casting as Teresa. Sam Worthington has a small part. This was before he got famous. He plays an boatmaster hick, and does a good job. Probably because it does not require any actual acting on his part.

The other real strength of the film is the Outback itself. It was filmed in some of the remotest parts of the Northern Territories, and the landscape is just breath-taking.

All in all, one of my favorite films.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jan 5 2011, 04:55 AM

The thing I liked about the 2005 Pride & Prejudice was how dirty and real everything looked. I’m afraid that whenever I see Donald Sutherland I have a “Look, there’s Donald Sutherland“ moment, so it really takes me out of the scene. For me Colin Firth is Darcy, so good luck everyone else in the world with that role! I will always recommend the 1995 version as a good use of time.

I preferred the 1999 Mansfield Park with Frances O'Connor, but I always like to watch multiple versions. I know I watched the one with Billie Piper, but I don’t remember it as well. I think the characters were portrayed as more youthful in that version, if that makes sense.


This post has been edited by Grits: Jan 13 2011, 03:10 AM

You are right about the newer P&P. It does make it much more clear that the Bennets are definitely lower upper class. Especially the one scene where the father is helping herd the pig around in the mud. That underscores the importance of the daughters all finding well-off husbands. It was not just a matter of greed, but survival.

I am the same way with Donald Sutherland. OTOH, since I like him, I do not mind that I see the actor rather than the part he is supposed to play. He has a great voice, and always looks like a psychopath, even when he is playing a nice guy like my Mr. Bennet.


Last night I finished watching the Scarlet Pimpernel episodes/movies from 1999, starring Richard E Grant. Tons of fun. Richard Grant was perfect for the role, and is just a joy to watch strutting his stuff (and shooting off his mouth). The series is filled with co-stars, including Elizabeth McGovern as Mrs. Pimpernel, who makes an excellent opposite to R.E. Grant. Also very pleasantly surprising was seeing Jamie Bamber in the first episode, and Gaius Baltar (I forget the actors name) in the third. Not to mention Julie Cox, whom I have had a crush on since she played Princes Irulan in the Sci-Fi Channel Dune/Children of Dune movies.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jan 8 2011, 08:59 PM

I got round to watching Pan's Labyrinth yesterday, now there is a very good film, I'd say among the best I've seen. It's a eerie mixture of fantasy and reality half set in facist 1944 Spain and half in this strange fantasy world. How much is real and how much is imagination is never really made clear. It also has a fantastic dark atmosphere which bridges the real and unreal and adds to the contrasting brutalities of each.

Given how much I enjoyed it it's hardly surprising that it's rather grim. Certianly one to watch though.

Heck of a good film, it brings a whole new meaning to 'Hand-eye co-ordination'

I just watched something that made me shat my pants (metaphorically, of course). And that's saying something because normally, I ain't afraid of horror movies.

The movie is of Thailand origin (I guess) and, although I don't know the original name, was titled Ningen Ramen (人間　ラーメン) in Japan. WHICH BASICALLY MEANS HUMAN NOODLES.

The intro was sick as hamster. It involves a butcher chopping down intestines (guess where they came from) and still alive human that was HOOKED, HOOKED I TELL YOU, from his stomach and dangling over a large pot that was full of (seemingly) hot water. You can guess the rest.

And BAM, the scene cuts back from the present, and guess what. A bloodied male is lay sprawled against the floor, and theres a deranged woman innocently HAMMERING AWAY AT NAILS THAT WAS IMPALED ON HIS FINGERTIPS AND THE FINAL TOUCH INVOLVES DISMEMBERING HIS LEG WITH A GOD-FORSAKEN CLEAVER. He dies of course, and a delightful scene was laid before my eyes. His bloody intestines were used as noodles (turns out the deranged female was an owner of a restaurant) and selled to the unsuspecting customers of that particular joint.



The moral of the story, kids, is that you SHOULD NEVER allow your ever-so-innocent friends choose your movies for you. Sorry, but it just wouldn't work for your mind nor your ability to resist puking. Really. Ever.

So yes, that was the movie I was watching. The acting was so-so, the plot I couldn't really grasp, it had me screaming like a little girl whose voice could shatter glasses, teached me the real meaning of Dementia but I would list it as one of the scariest (OK, not scariest but the most appalling and shocking) movies I've ever seen.

So yes. That was the movie I've seen today.

EDIT: Anybody seen the movie 20th Century Boys, yet? If you could somehow understand Japanese, it well worth the watch.

This post has been edited by ureniashtram: Jan 9 2011, 03:26 PM

GAAAAAAH!!!! There goes my breakfast !!

*Petra is puking*

Oh, god, that's DISGUSTING! Not in the 'eww' way, either. Like, really and truely horifying. And that was just a summary!

*puking*

Im watching Monty Pythons Life Of Brian I love John Cleese hes my favorite especially in Life Of Brian

Speaking of Monty Python...

If anyone is interested, look up The Meaning of Life's Mr. Creosote (from The Autumn Years segment).

I am not to be held responsible for damages if you fail to provide a bucket. You have been warned.

Senior Pirates Inc. FTW!

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Jan 11 2011, 05:31 AM

I hope misure wasn't over doing it last night?

Shut up!

(It appears you have seen it, but seeing as you're a Monty Python fan, I'm not surprised).

Ze 'are is vere 'igh and ze sauce is vere rrrrich! With Truffles, Arche Vin, Gran' Marnier, Bacon, and Creme.

You know, that actually sounds pretty good!

Yeah and I would have the lot ^^

Punisher: Warzone :3 I love it. Its hilarious!!

I just finished watching an outstanding little movie called Hunter Prey. It is a tiny independent movie, with about 5 actors total. A good example of how the quality of a movie is not based upon the money thrown at. It was made by the same guy who did Batman Dead End

It is a sci-fi movie, filled with more than one excellent twist and turn. Nothing is at first appears, and even when you do figure things out, there is still a rather intricate plan in motion. The main characters think, and in fact the plot is built upon a game of wits between them. Through much of the film I kept wondering why one character did not kill the other even when given opportunities. Then at the end it all became clear, and all made sense. All in all, the plot is just fantastic. A very fun ride.

Perhaps neatest, the voice of the computer is Erin Grey. So a huge fan-girl squee out of me for that!

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jan 13 2011, 01:16 AM

If anyone hasn't watched the Red Letter Media movie reviews, I highly recommend it. That guy is both hilarious AND insightful.

Oh, and he just released his review of Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. It's long enough to qualify as a feature film on its own, and it will tell you up front and to-the-point everything that made you wonder what had happened to make you stop enjoying the Star Wars films.

WARNING: Do not plan on drinking anything during that time, I take no responsibility for any destroyed keyboards.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Jan 17 2011, 05:05 AM

For Christmas, I found a "Band of Brothers" box set under our tree, and a collector's edition of "Avatar". I finally had some time (work is slow right now... ... ) to watch them. It was my first viewing of Avatar. Amazing! And I could watch BoB over and over again. The best TV mini-series I have ever seen.

I just saw The American. It was an excellent film. Not an action movie, but rather a very understated - and because of that very intense - drama. The action scenes are few, short, and lethal, just like in real life gunfights. Something that is rather refreshing to see given the plethora of super-action movies in which people dodge bullets by doing cart-wheels or other gymnastics, etc... There is a lot of conflict simmering just under the surface however, something reinforced by the fact that in this movie guns really do kill people. There are many times where you are wondering if someone is going to get killed in the next few seconds. Sometimes they do not, a few times they do. That uncertainty really makes it all so much more powerful.

Clooney is a little odd here, as he plays a laconic assassin, rather than his usual smooth-talking, charismatic Face. But he delivers as a professional killer who has been in the business for too long. He tells you more through what he does not say, rather than what he does.

Yeah, really good film. I dig Clooney in action roles. This showed him in his bada** light. I like that. We usually just see him being cocky. Which is nice, I mean, I like that version of him and all (Love Ocean's), but it's cool to see him doing something different.

Tonight I saw Yesterday is a Lie. A very cool movie, it blends film noir with metaphysics and old-fashioned heartbreak. On the surface it seems to be your basic detective noir movie, except the protagonist is female (which would be enough for me right there). But then it starts digging into some mind-bending science, jungian psychology, and metaphysics as it the main character seems to be losing her grip on reality. But as the story goes on, we begin to see that she is actually seeing past what are mind's have convinced ourselves is reality.

The basic premise here being that the universe does not all fit together into nice neat pieces. We only pretend that it does. That time is not linear, and we experience that in the movie. That people themselves are not distinct, but rather one moving back and forward through the frames of existence, where every decision makes a new parallel universe, or destroys it. It goes on, but I do not want to spoil it all.

It reminded me very much of Pi. Not in the least because it was filmed in black and white. One of the neat touches is that the protagonist is colorbind. This was also a subtle clue that she also sees the world figuratively as well. Thinking that everything is logical, that all the pieces of reality have to fit together nice and neatly.

All in all, a very cool, trippy movie.