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> Now Watching, Films/ movies discussion
SubRosa
post Jun 19 2010, 06:52 PM
Post #21


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QUOTE(Kiln @ May 26 2010, 08:24 AM) *

QUOTE(SubRosa @ May 9 2010, 11:11 PM) *


I actually like a lot of bad movies. Done right, a bad movie can be loads of fun. Look at most of the Lovecraft movies, like The Unnamable I and II. Or the Return of the Living Dead movies. Tons of fun!

You need to see the movie "Bloodrayne", its one of the worst movies I've ever seen...also go watch "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale".

Got to be my top two terrible movies. In fact I recommend everyone see them just for a good laugh.


I tried to watch Dungeon Siege, but could not make it through the movie, in spite of Ron Perlman, who is one of my favorite actors (damn, that guy is cool!). Bloodrayne is one I cannot even bring myself to consider watching.

I have been watching Daria, all however-many seasons there were of it have been put onto dvd, and Netflix finally got their hands on it. Lots of fun. Daria is someone whom a bright, cynical, unpopular person like myself can so easily relate to. I love the other characters like Jane and Trent, even UpChuck (fiesty!), Kevin, and Britney. Oh, and especially Mr. D'Martino, with his stattaco style of speaking and razor-sharp sarcasm, he is an absolute riot!


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SubRosa
post Jul 5 2010, 07:47 PM
Post #22


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I saw The Road a few days ago. An excellent post-apocalypse movie that focuses on a father trying to protect his son (born after the apocalypse). It does not go into details about what kind of apocalypse it was, although nuclear is heavily implied given the night where the sky was lit up like fire. It does not really matter though, because the focus of the story is not the event, but rather the two characters.

The director makes excellent use of color to reinforce the bleakness of the new world, or perhaps I should say the corpse of the old world. Everything set in the present is dull and muted. Lots of browns and greys. Fields are filled with detritus of crops, and most of it looks like November, cold, but without the pleasant white blanket of snow. The sky is a neverending sheet of grey clouds. There are often strange rumbles in the distance, of earthquakes perhaps, and great plumes of smoke. The occasional flashbacks to pre-apocalypse stand out in stark contrast, being filled with vibrant color. Showing us that this was a time when not only the world, but the characters, were more alive.

It is a pretty grim tale, with the father trying to hold onto his humanity in world with precious little of it left. Cannibals are a constant threat, and make for some very chilling encounters. Not a super-action movie, there are no heroic battles with evildoers, just a desperate race to escape and survive. Often this happens as others fall victim. The scene in the basement still stays with me. Just plain creepy.

My only complaint is that like many movies seem to be these days, the dialogue is mixed very low, with Viggo Mortensen especially talking in raspy whispers most of the time. The rest of the sound is mixed higher, so it is very hard to hear what people say. Turning up the volume does not help because then the rest of the movie is too loud. I had to watch it with the subtitles on, otherwise I would have missed half the dialogue.


I also saw The Crazies yesterday. Another good movie starring Radha Mitchell (I love her, she always plays strong characters and does not have giant fake boobs and a zillion dollars of plastic surgery. She would make a good Teresa I think.) A remake of a Romero film, it is a fun horror movie about a government-created virus accidentally loosed upon a small town. As the local sheriff and his doctor wife try to figure out what is going on, the government moves in and throws a black bag over the entire area and everyone in it. It has shades of Half-Life there, as the infected people are not the only danger, but the soldiers quarantining the place as well.

One thing I liked about it was that while the virus made people homicidal, in its early stages there were no physical signs of it. So anyone could be infected, and you would not know it until they tried to kill you.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jul 5 2010, 07:58 PM


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Olen
post Jul 18 2010, 09:41 PM
Post #23


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I watched Children of Men again last night. It's a brilliant film and probably one of my favourites for it's dark atmosphere, brilliant settings and long scenes, and for having a hero who is genuinely a normal guy.

It's a bit outdated now (the idea is that humanity has become infertile by 2009 and is set 18 years after) but from the news bulletin fragments (in the style of BBC news) it begins with to a great many little details like the tensions between the right wing government and the extreme left it paints a picture of a country falling apart through dispair. It's not a happy film though it's well worth watching.


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haute ecole rider
post Jul 19 2010, 02:07 AM
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Agreed, Children of Men is one of the better movies I've watched out there. Yes, it is very dark and depressing, but pretty realistic, too. To me, it has a George Orwellian feel to the story, and yet it is one of hope in the midst of despair.

I've been watching The Kingdom of the Wind, a South Korean drama from 2008. It's a historical drama set in the first decade of the Christian era, about the part of ancient Korea that is now mostly incorporated into North Korea (Goguryeo). The lead character is a prince born with a curse, and his father, the King, is unable to kill him, so instead he sends the boy out to be raised as a commoner, with no knowledge of his parentage or family. It has elements of a Greek tragedy (think Oedipus) as well as romance. It's pretty well acted, not over the top or too melodramatic, and the villains are truly, intelligent and understandable in their motives, while the heroes are flawed. Good stuff!


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Destri Melarg
post Jul 21 2010, 06:22 PM
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I liked Children of Men as well, and The Kingdom of the Wind sounds interesting (a Korean Oedipus? I have got to see that! tongue.gif ). Last week I watched The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance. For those of you with a Netflix account I can’t recommend this four-part PBS documentary enough. It covers the history of the family over hundreds of years and several generations. It is a story filled with political intrigue, assassination, and religious fervor. Not to mention the Medici patronage of artists such as Michaelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci, which the documentary explores in admirable detail. For me this goes right alongside Ken Burns’ wonderful Mark Twain and the extraordinary The Cove as the best documentaries I’ve seen this decade.


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Zalphon
post Jul 21 2010, 09:09 PM
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Children of Men was so-so.


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Ornamental Nonsense
post Jul 31 2010, 05:10 AM
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A movie that I would highly recommend is 'Conspiracy' starring Kenneth Branagh and Stanley Tucci. The former plays Reinhard Heydrich, and the latter plays Adolf Eichmann. The entire film takes place in one house, and mostly in one room at that, but showcases dialogue that is so riveting that it's impossible not to remain fixated. This dialogue is also incredibly disturbing in nature, as the film is a rendering of the infamous Wansee Conference of January 1942. High ranking bureaucrats, SS officers, and party members met to discuss the question of handling Jews, what to do with them, the fastest methods of extermination, and whether or not the law made provisions for such things. You can imagine how creepy that would be to begin with, but the fact that the characters go about discussing this in a very logical and methodical way is what really makes the content so troubling, and it's not a smooth discussion at all.

No, everyone has priorities, and internal conflicts between political and military groups become very apparent as the conversation progresses. For history buffs, there's a lot of unspoken subtext regarding power struggles that will delight, but even for people who know nothing about Nazi Germany, the characters are so fascinating that historical knowledge isn't necessary to appreciate this film. As Heydrich pulls the strings, threatening some, wooing others, and ultimately shaping the fate of millions of people as he makes decisions for everyone, you'll remain glued to the screen. Manipulation at its finest, and Eichmann as the pencil-pushing sidekick is equally interesting. Perhaps the greatest impact comes at the end of the film, when you discover what historically happened (or didn't happen) to all of the people involved in promoting murder.

Honestly, don't miss this jewel of a film. It's based on the only surviving transcript of the Wansee Conference, and you'll walk away from the film with a lot to think about. If anyone does check it out, please let me know what you thought of it.
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SubRosa
post Jul 31 2010, 05:48 AM
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I saw Conspiracy a long time ago, and have rewatched it several times since. I agree with everything ON said. It is a good movie. A little disturbing in the cold, methodical way that the group is discussing the extermination of millions, and also fascinating in the way it demonstrates the in-fighting between the Nazis.


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DarkZerker
post Aug 4 2010, 04:30 AM
Post #29


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I watched Despicable Me a week or so back.

It's a great movie with comedy that's actually GOOD and a kids movie that they put EFFORT into it. It features a Villain who's the main protagonist. After meeting a new villain who's much more competent with the whole "Evil" role, the protagonist, Gru, works to no end in trying to steal the moon. After the rival(Victor)steals a shrink ray to steal it, Gru uses three orphans and the ADVENTURE BEGINS!!

I give it a...A-

It's a little slow at first but the psychological aspect of the movie is touching. My friend started crying when we were watching it. Then some bunghole in the back told her to shut up. XD


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SubRosa
post Aug 9 2010, 12:21 AM
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I just finished watching Digging to China, a wonderful little movie about a girl who befriends a severely retarded man. Evan Rachel Wood plays the girl, who is far too smart and imaginative for her own good (she once tried digging a hole to China, but found that a mysterious electrical barrier protected the core of the earth... Zot!). Kevin Bacon turns in a spectacular performance as the retarded man. It is hard to imagine he is the same actor from movies like Footloose. The relationship that develops between the two tugs at your heartstrings, and had me in tears more than once. Definitely a chick flick, so guys beware.

On a completely different note, I have also been slowly working my way through the old Showtime series Robin of Sherwood, starring Michael Praed as Robin, The Hooded Man. This is by far my favorite incarnation of Robin Hood. The series was shot on location, which brings a real sense of realness and grittiness to each episode. ut best of all is the kind of Robin it has. He is not some spoiled Baron's son out to get his title back. Rather he is a Saxon revolutionary fighting the Norman invaders who oppress the common people. With a healthy dose of magic and paganism, Robin is Herne's Son, and carries Albion, one of the Swords of Wayland, charged with the powers of light and darkness.

The supporting cast is strong, with Nicholas Grace truly shining as the Sheriff of Nottingham. A brilliant, bitterly acerbic, and utterly amoral man contemptuous of everything and everyone around him. He is a man you really love to hate, and truly deserves the title of master villain. My favorite character is Nasir though, a Saracen assassin who was enslaved by the devil-worshipping sorcerer Baron De Balleme and freed by Robin. A man of few words, he fights with two swords, and just generally looks cool at all times. He was the first Saracen character in a Robin Hood story, and was actually supposed to die in the pilot. But the writers liked the character so much they kept him instead.

The series suffers the same drawbacks as most t.v. shows, as the heros always find some reason not to kill Sir Guy and the Sheriff when they have the opportunity, and likewise always somehow wriggle free when the tables are turned. Michael Praed leaving the series at the end of the second season gave them the opportunity to break from that mold for a truly sad episode in which the Sheriff finally has his victory. Or does he? For the third season begins with Jason Connery as a new hero who takes up Robin's mantle as Herne's Son. Not as good as the first two seasons, it is still worth giving a watch at least once.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Aug 9 2010, 12:30 AM


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DarkZerker
post Aug 9 2010, 07:28 AM
Post #31


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I finished watching R-Point, it's a Korean movie about the vietnam war.

A squad of soldiers disappears during the Vietnam war and only one survivor remains. He claims that all of the other soldiers are dead but the central command keeps getting weird messages from Donkey 3, the squad that went missing. A group of soldiers were sent to rescue them, but instead suffers from paranoia and strange events. In the last moments on R-Point, the soldiers turn on each other, claiming the other ones are a part of some conspiracy. Then the delusion of a ghost comes in, a blind soldier and the commander of the squad are the only ones alive. The commander orders the blind one to fire at the ghost in front of him, only to be killed in the process. Then, the only one left is the blind one, who starts to suffer from paranoia himself and starts going insane. The movie closes on the message that it started on, only difference being the squad that's calling is the one that went to rescue the first one...


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SubRosa
post Aug 9 2010, 04:53 PM
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I loved R-Point! It is one of my favorite movies in the new genre of War-Horror films. My favorite part was the Americans who came in on the helicopter to check their radio gear, and then the squad finds the helicopter...



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mALX
post Aug 20 2010, 08:05 PM
Post #33


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I actually watched TV this week (I hate TV) ...Top Chef. Hate to admit it, but I liked it.

This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 25 2010, 04:22 PM


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haute ecole rider
post Aug 25 2010, 05:45 AM
Post #34


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FINALLY!

I've been wanting to watch this movie for soooo long! Ever since it first came out and I read the reviews. Through the years people kept referencing this movie.

Then Hulu.com uploads it!

I just finished watching Kurosawa's "Ran" - the remake/interpretation of "King Lear." Phenomenal movie! I know I didn't get all the layers - this is a movie that bears watching more than once. Half the story is told in the silences, which for me is powerful stuff, especially the way Kurosawa visualized it. Every second is as good as all the reviews, etc I had read of it.


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treydog
post Aug 25 2010, 02:57 PM
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Another Kurosawa you should see, and that is more accessible than some of his earlier work, is Kagemusha. I will not say much, beyond the fact that it is visually stunning and conveys a great deal without words.


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SubRosa
post Aug 25 2010, 05:27 PM
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Ran never did much for me. The main reason being that I disliked all the characters, especially the old king. Granted, I did get to see most of them get killed, they all certainly had it coming.

Kagemusha is in my Netflix queue, so I will probably be seeing it in the next few weeks.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Aug 25 2010, 05:28 PM


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SubRosa
post Aug 28 2010, 02:28 AM
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I have been watching a lot of nature documentaries lately. Eye of the Leopard was an excellent one that followed a leopard for three years, starting from her birth. You really begin to feel a bond with Lagadema (the leopard), as she discovers her world, faces some very fearsome trials (such as nearly being killed by a pack of baboons), steps up to game to make an amazing kill of a baboon in the middle of their group, and even takes an infant baboon under her wing and tries to protect it. I highly recommend renting it.

Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure was another good one that followed Dolly, a Dolichorhynchops living in the late Cretaceous. It follows her life from start to finish, and is punctuated with a little bit of science from paleontologists. The main target is children, so it is not heavy on facts. Still, it is a delightful animal tale. If you look at it as a short film about an animal it is a lot of fun.

Super Croc is another. Just hearing Sam Neill's narration is worth the price of renting it. Even cooler is not only the palentology involved, but the studies of modern day crocodiles. Truly fantastic stuff. The bite force of these animals is just astounding. Seeing the final, reconstructed Super Croc is just awe-inspiring in its size.

Prehistoric Predators was so-so. It is a three part series that examines the Saber-Tooth Cat, the Dire Wolf, and the Short-Faced Bear. The Dire Wolf episode was my favorite. The facts that come out in the shows are very interesting, such as that the Short Faced Bear was built specifically for scavenging and it tremendous size was meant for intimidating other predators away from kills. The animation was a bit sub-par though, even for a nature show where you do not expect ILM quality work to begin with. Also it got repetitive at times, as scenes and information is recyled between episodes.

Now I am watching a pile of shark documentaries, starting with Shark Week 2009. The first episode in the series was just jaw dropping. It is a dramatization of the New Jersey shark attacks of 1916, and at two hours in length, it is a movie in its own right. It is shot as if a documentary of that period, with a reporter interviewing a scientist from the New York Museum of Natural History who was one of the closest things to a shark expert at that time, and breaking away from that to show the actual events. Very cool.

The rest of the first disc has been fascinating. There is one episode that details half-a-dozen shark attacks upon people. Thankfully in these all the people survived (it would not be much fun to watch if they had not), and often you wonder how they managed. You just cannot help but to feel empathy for those poor souls, who were happy campers one moment, then looked down to see a great white clamped onto their leg. In some of the cases, bystanders were truly heroic in swimming out to rescue the victims, risking death themselves, bringing them into shore before they could bleed to death.

I just finished watching one that tested a shark suit (mail armor) which is effective protection against most sharks. This test was against a great white however. The shark bit the mail right in half. In the past measurements of shark bite force were thought to be comparatively weak. Pound for pound, they were found to not be much stronger than dogs. However, the people making these studies overlooked the tremendous size of some of these sharks, which more than makes up for the relative weakness of their bites compared to their overall mass. A great white's bite force measures 4,000 pounds. So when those jaws clamp shut, it would take a crane to pull them apart.

Really astounding to watch are the great white's polaris breaches. They are the result of their style of attack. Cruising in deep water, then rocketing straight up at full speed (25mph) to hit the prey animal from underneath. They have video of sharks going completely out of the water while making these attacks. Seeing an animal that huge make those tremendous leaps is just breathtaking. Some amazing pics here and video here.

One thing I have noticed when watching all these great whites, is that all of them seem to be heavily scarred around their heads. My guess is that is from their favorite prey, seals. It sounds hard to believe, but they are supposed to be ferocious fighters. That explains the reason for the great white's tactics. Where other sharks tend to like to slowly close in to figure out if their prey might be a threat, the white makes one sudden attack from ambush, with the idea being to instantly immobilize the target.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Aug 28 2010, 02:49 AM


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treydog
post Aug 29 2010, 04:26 PM
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We just finished the first season of Dollhouse. It is one of those shows that you think about long after it is over. I am in no way confident that I "got" everything Joss Whedon was trying to say about society and humanity, but it was certainly worth watching. Which is not to say it was not disturbing and ambiguous.

Otherwise, we are working our way through all seven seasons of Homicide: Life of on the Streets. It was the forerunner of The Wire, with a number of the same production people involved. It is gritty, depressing, and incredibly well-written and well-acted. The interesting thing is, except for perhaps Yaphet Kotto and Richard Belzer (who was known more for his stand-up comedy), none of the actors were especially prominent when the series began. One thing that is interesting to look at is how Homicide differed from most "cop shows" from the time (or earlier). There are some incredible moments, such as when Det. Pembleton (Andre Braugher) manipulates a suspect into a confession because of pressure from above to "close the case." He does it knowing that his Lieutenant is watching- and that he will not accept the confession because he knows it is bogus. And a lot of the show has that dynamic- of one-on-one or two-on-one confrontation- often with someone else observing. This is character-driven storytelling at its best.


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haute ecole rider
post Aug 29 2010, 05:29 PM
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I agree with trey - Homicide is one of the most underrated cop shows on TV ever. In many ways it was better than Hill Street Blues, and that was one of the first character-driven police shows I can remember. I loved Homicide because of relative unknowns, but also because each actor, from Yaphet Kotto as G and Richard Belzer (you can catch him on Law & Order: SVU - he plays the same character), to the unknowns like Andre Braugher, Stephen Baldwin, et. al. turned in incredibly powerful performances. Andre Braugher remains as one of my favorite actors because of what he did on that show.


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mALX
post Aug 29 2010, 05:48 PM
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QUOTE(haute ecole rider @ Aug 29 2010, 12:29 PM) *

I agree with trey - Homicide is one of the most underrated cop shows on TV ever. In many ways it was better than Hill Street Blues, and that was one of the first character-driven police shows I can remember. I loved Homicide because of relative unknowns, but also because each actor, from Yaphet Kotto as G and Richard Belzer (you can catch him on Law & Order: SVU - he plays the same character), to the unknowns like Andre Braugher, Stephen Baldwin, et. al. turned in incredibly powerful performances. Andre Braugher remains as one of my favorite actors because of what he did on that show.



BOLD: ARGH !!!


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