I would say worst first, so Pirates of the Caribbean.

That movie is proof that Jack Sparrow was not all that made the other ones decent. He was the counter to Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly's more serious story, which was the focus of the previous three. Sparrow was the comic relief, and what made him so memorable is that he always came in at the right moments.

Now they're gone, and all we're left with is an obvious cash-in that proves we didn't go see Pirates just for Jack Sparr... *ahem* Captain Jack Sparrow's zany antics.

Careful TK. When speaking of Pirates o.t.C., never just abbreviate it to just Pirates.

Pirates is a different film entirely, and sold in a far more restricted setting than Pirates of the Caribbean...

I watched Krull last night for the first time in years...Took me back thirty years-ish to seeing it in the cinema the first time!...Wow...Yes, yes mui fromage!!...But by God it's fun...Loved it...Many things that I thought I remembered didn't happen, but I had forgotten more than I thought...Maybe I'd invented the other bits as the years went on...

Going to watch Ironclad next week as part of our film night once a week thingy...Where we all sit down together as a family and watch something...Is good ya?!...

Krull! Oh goddess, I think I blocked that from my memory!

I was not impressed with Ironclad. It seemed to start out as a remake of The Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven set in medieval England (which would be rather cool to see). But it is not. Even James Purefoy and Brian Cox could not save it for me. It is mostly just a lot of gratuitous killing strung between a paper thin plot. Some of the action scenes were decent. I saw a few RL moves in there, which was a wonderful surprise. But then the other half of the fighting was pure idiocy. People sticking their sword 3 feet into someone's chest and then pulling it out as if it were in tissue paper, an armored man being chopped completely in half by a sword, etc... It also does not help that I know the reality behind the movie. Aside from the fact that King John did lay siege to Rochester Castle, and did eventually use a mine, the rest is just b.s. I suggest renting Captain America instead.

We watched The Ugly Truth on tele last night...I'd been dragged to the cinema to see it and I loved it there...God it made me laugh...Refreshingly honest...Very un-PC...My kind of film really...

I hate those gross-out comedies...I don't find them all that funny...Yes, I'll laugh at parts (hur-hur), but to be honest, something like The Ugly Truth which says fairly rude things, but in a straight-forward way - much better...

OMG! Guns of Navarone! I loved that movie! Almost as much as Great Escape and Magnificent Seven!

Don't know why I love those testosterone movies so much. I guess when they're well done I totally relate to the characters. Chick flicks? Meh. Mostly.

I just saw Fast Five, and have to admit that it was not only excellent, but by far the best of the Fast n' Furious franchise. Just as the 4th movie learned from previous mistakes, and recast the original stars, this one learned from other films, and stretched a bit from a formula of pure cars. It borrows heavily from films like the new Oceans Eleven trilogy, Italian Job, etc... Instead of just a lot of racing, the good guys are making a clever theft from a crime boss, using lots of planning and prep work. Just to make things interesting, the biggest, baddest cop in the Western Hemisphere is on their tails (the Rock) at the same time.

At the same time it brings us a crew of fun and interesting characters to back up our two heroes. In fact, they brought back characters from all the other FnF movies to make up the squad, which I thought was very neat. To be honest, they made the best part of the movie for me, because there is a real sense of family between all the characters, and it is great just to see them interact with one another.

Of course there are some fantastic car chases too...

They also took a cue from the new Marvel films, by adding in a teaser at the end of the closing credits, bringing back yet another old character. While I had been thinking this would have been the perfect movie to cap off the franchise, it is plain that they intend to continue with it. If they can keep up making films like this one, it will be well worth it.

Tonight, I've been informed, we're going to watch the first few episodes of the ORIGINAL Thundercats...Th'wife got the first season boxed set for her birthday yesterday...

All together now!!...

Thunder...Thunder!!...THUNDER!!...

I just finished watching Trollhunter. In spite of how campy it sounds, it was surprisingly good. I am not a big fan of the hand-held camera genre, but like Quarantine and Cloverfield, this does it well. Basically a group of college students are trying to film a story about a poacher, who turns out to be a government sponsored troll hunter. He's sick and tired of all the secrecy around his job, so he lets them tag along with him as he does his work. In true horror movie fashion, they reveal a bit at a time, slowly upping the stakes until the final showdown with the 200' tall Jotun.

The trolls themselves are a bit cartoonish in appearance. But I cannot deny that they do fit the mythology of trolls, and what we are used to seeing in artwork. One look at them and you think "that's a troll alright." Rather than just some big horrific monster that they happen to call trolls. So it works for me. There are even little touches like the trolls being able to smell the blood of a Christian.

Finally, Norway itself was a real attraction in this movie. We see her in all her dark, brooding glory. The glistening waters of fjords, with mountains jutting about them like teeth. Clouds shrouding the tops of high peaks. Deep conifer forests. The landscape itself creates this feeling of powerful forces lying shrouded just beyond one's awareness. It is a land of giants and thunder gods.

Sounds like perfect troll country!

Sounds like it only needs one more thing: Dragons.

And somebody to shout at them...

Note: Literally, Skyrim live action trailer playing right as I write this on the tube-box...oh, wait, next ad now up.

Watched Unstoppable last night...Excellent film, really enjoyed it...

Ken Burns' Civil War documentary.

History the world can never forget. It was probably the most terrible war America ever fought. By the end, 2% of the population had been killed because of the war. And still the South has never really gotten over it. It took another century after the 13th Amendment was ratified for Black Americans to be truly free, after all.

I am officially hooked on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I just finished the first disc of season one. Tons of fun in classic Star Wars fashion. The only thing that really throws me is Anakin. He's not a whiny twerp like he is in the movies. Nor does he back-talk the Jedi Council and Obi-Wan. He even cautions his padawan (when did that happen !) against disagreeing with the Council and acting rashly. Of course he still goes and does what he wants anyway, but he at least does it quietly, without rubbing it in the faces of the people he is defying. Now if this Anakin had been in the prequels, they would have been a lot more watchable.

The other characters are lots of fun too. In fact, the way the episodes tend to focus on one character or another is rather nice. Yoda was what I expected, and more, as he showed a sense of humor in his episode that I did not see coming. But in retrospect is not surprising. After all, I think my favorite line from Revenge of the Sith is when he tells the younglings: "Lost a planet has Master Kenobi, very embarrassing...".

Master Plo was very cool, everything we except a Jedi Master to be, and more. Cool, wise, self-sacrificing. Not to mention that mask he wears looks damn cool. Anakin's padawan Ahsoka is of course my early favorite. She's the classic spunky girl with a gun, except that she has a lightsaber instead. Plus she's a Twi'lek, whom I have always thought were most yummy. They even give personality to the clones, and the episode that focuses on small group of them on their own was one of the best.

Season two gets better. Particularly for those of us who like (over) reading subtext between female characters.

Does that mean there are more than two female characters in season two then? Seriously, George Lucas is so lost when it comes to anything that has boobs.

Hmm, I just saw on the Wookiepedia that Ahsoka is a Togrutan, not a Twi'lek.

Ahsoka gets a two/three episode focus with another female padawan. There are more females brought in but not quite as regularly as some (at least me) would like.

Farscape, all four seasons on blu-ray. Oooh-yeah!

I forgot to say I'd been to see the new Twilight film...

It wasn't rubbish...Not as good as the last one...I wanted to punch Pattinson several times, but Lautner was quite well served by the script this time...

Not rubbish...My considered review... ...

Edit - Just read all that ^ about Clone Wars...Quite liked it, but it all seemed to pass me by...The kids thought it was cool though...My boy had a Rex outfit... ...Bless him...

I just finished watching Turtle: The Incredible Journey. Absolutely wonderful. It had me nearly in tears at the end. I highly recommend it.

Wrothken damn near shrieked when he saw it on the Netflix queue. I'll be sure and tell him that you recommend it

Just watched Four Christmasses...Ayyy...Not good...Really not good...

I just finished watching The Thing and although I wasn't planning it on, since I've both heard and read that it hasn't stayed true to the original (I'll just call it that although this new movie is a prequel, not a remake) and I could've done fine without it. The only good thing this movie did was to make me want to watch the 1982's movie since I haven't seen it.
Now, the movie itself failed in creating any tension, mystery and "horror" for me and no real paranoia between the characters in the movie - which was the key ingredient in the movie from 1982. Some scenes and sequences are good but most of it was just decent, predictable and/or just uninspired. I'd probably rate it somewhere around 4-5/10 since the movie overall is decent/average or slightly below.

Also watched Cowboys and Aliens and Surrogates recently, and both of those movies had potential. Had heard from a friend with very similar taste and view on movies that Cowboys and Aliens was decent but could've been a lot better and I agree. It's a pretty creative setting and all that, and with the cast it has, the acting ain't bad but not great and the effects are good. But overall it didn't really do it for me and seems like that for a lot other people to - as most people have either rated it average or a bit higher, and those who really had their hopes up (or not) has rated it 3/10 and such. I would settle on 6/10.

Surrogates has the same problem. It has a very cool and interesting concept and plot, but everything else is mediocre and it lands on a 5/10 from me.

Think it's time to actually view some great movies now so I'm planning on watching The Usual Suspects as I haven't seen that one yet along with The Thing from 1982. And will look at The Fall too which looks really interesting.

The Usual Suspects is great! One of my favorites!

If the plot doesn't keep you guessing until the end, you're brighter than me!

The other day we watched Scrooge, starring Albert Finney...The musical one...One of my all time fave films of all time mate!!... ...

I don't get to see a lot of movies with the time constraints of raising two preteens who resemble wild animals but I did take both of my daughters to the midnight showing of Twilight: Breaking Dawn as that has become a necessity (for them). I enjoyed the movie, I have liked them all but I have to say the added "show" of watching a 25 year old and a 12 year old certainly enhances the quality of the films exponentially. It is hilarious every time Lautner exposes his chest to hear two girls squeal....HILARIOUS!!!!!!

And watching any film with my youngest son who is 10 is an interactive experience, ALWAYS. If there is music, he dances. If there is fighting, he simulates. And the list goes on. He doesn't like movies that just have you "sitting" there, hhmm wonder why????

Are you sure there were only two squeals, not three?





He sounds like a future Rocky Horror Picture Show fan !!

No, not three, sorry, he's a bit young for me, now Carlisle is another story...hehe.

ROCKY HORROR OMG!!!! Now those were the days....ok, so if you know about it then that means only one thing so I ask WHO DID YOU PLAY?????? ROFL!!!!!!! I'll tell if you do.

And if Mitchell ever does that I truly hope I never know, hahahahahaha.

Magenta, of course (no need to wear the red frizzy wig here, lol). I had to tip my head upside down and hair spray it while tossing it to get the hair right.

How did I know??? Well, someday we will have to get together and compare notes. I did wear a wig but only because my hair was very short and also not quite red enough.

It sure would be fun to do the TIME WARP again.....(as the song plays in my head)

I almost wrote out the lyrics to it - didn't have time, the pup was acting up, lol.

Well all we really need is

A jump to the left
and then a step to the right
put your hands on your hips
and pull your knees in tight

but it's the pelvic thrust
that really drives you insane.....

That should get Foxy's attention.....

ROFL!!!!!!!!!!

Where has that man gone, anyway? I've left plenty of dherty in-you-end-oh around in comments, not a peep from him !!

Might have to send out the nixhounds.....smoke signals???? HEY I KNOW, we could send him a DVD of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW!!!!!!

Usually just talking dirty (or even just insinuations of talking dirty) brings him popping in.

(Shakes head) He must be losing his touch, poor Foxy.....or he got caught in a ....oh geez....time warp.....

Second haute's high recommendation of The Usual Suspects. I do not want to say ANYTHING about it- beyond the fact it is one of the best ensemble cast acting jobs I have ever seen- and yet ONE actor truly shines. You will see.

The Fall- It may seem hard to follow at the beginning, but hang on. The visuals are absolutely stunning, as is the story they tell.

*Studies nails*...Probably shouldn't mention that I have a mega thing for Magenta...*Sniff*...

...

Anyone seen Clue?...It's a film based on...Well, Clue or Cluedo depending on where you are, with - Y'know - Miss Scarlett and Colonel Mustard (no, not you) and all that...And Tim Curry was the butler...Absolutely brilliant...The kids loved it when they saw it...

I think actually it'll be our next Now Watching...

Well, after Sherlock Holmes 2 tomorrow anyways... ...

I loved Clue! Esp with the ending 'twists and turns'.

*Goes off to Netflix to put it on next shipping.*

I prefer "The Swamp Thing" with Adrienne Barbeau and Heather Locklear.


@ McBadgere - "Miss Scarlet in the Broom Closet with...a Rope!"

I have been watching Farscape on blu-ray for several weeks now. I have seen the series before, so I know how good it is. But it has been a few years. Wow, it still blows me away. Most shows take a season to really catch their stride. This one has it in the first episode. It has it all, excellent actors, strong stories, real character development, and of course plenty of sci-fi action.

I recently finished the end of Season One story arc, which was such a perfect cap for the events of that season (don't want to give away spoilers), and of course introduces Scorpius, one of my favorite villains ever. Just the other night I saw The Way We Weren't from Season Two, which was even better. Just astounding work.

One of the things I like best about Farscape is that it is not a goody two-shoes show with nice people who all get along and want to do the right thing (Yes, I am looking at you Star Trek). It is the opposite. A rag tag band of escaped prisoners, renegade commandos, and one lost astronaut. Everyone has their own agenda, their own needs, and they follow those goals, sometimes to the detriment of everyone else. People bicker, they fight, but at the same time they are all literally in the same boat, so are stuck with one another.

Through all of that, we see bonds of real friendship slowly develop between these characters, which is the real treat to see. It all happens slowly and naturally, nothing ever feels forced. As this happens, the character's themselves change, become more mature, and learn to live with one another. Like I said, real character development. The Way We Weren't is one of the most dramatic examples of this, because most of the episode is flashbacks to 3 years before, and we contrast the Aeryn Sun from that time, the one we know now, and they are two radically different people.

So to keep it short, if you like sci-fi and have not seen it, stop waiting. Netflix has it. Or better yet, buy it now. All four seasons on blu-ray only cost me $100 on Amazon.

I never got round to Farscape...I used to read all the Sci-fi mags with it in, but never seemed to grab me...They were very good (Browder and Black) when they both came over to SG-1 though...Is that the one with the girl with the frizzy red hair and mini skirts?...There's one series with that...Or was that Lexx?...Never saw that either... ...

And mALX, ropes are not my particular thing, but if it involves being in a broom cupboard with Lesley Ann Warren then hell yeah!!... ...

I second SubRosa, Farscape is one of the best SF series going. Pity about them not making the final season (especially after 4 which had a bit too much build up) but they did make two 90 minute episodes to round it off.

It's the characters which make it, as with most great bits of fiction. A lot of SF series (Star Trek being the most vomit inducing example) seem to lack a drive. Everyone works together in a utopian future and good is good and evil is evil. Farscape isn't like that and some of what they do is pretty questionable, but they have characters and it works. I really reccommend getting it and watching it over Christmas if you haven't see it.

Another SF great is Firefly. Such a pity they never made more of it because it had good characters and lacked moral clarity too.

Currently however I'm watching the TV adaptions of Miss Marple and Poirot. Nothing deep but good entertainment nonetheless.

Babylon 5 was always good too...

The wife is a big Firefly fan...Hence the Castle obsession too...Not that I'm complaining...Stana Katic...*Sigh*... ...

Aaamywho...Went to see Sherlock Holmes 2...Most excellent film...The only fly in the Chardonnay...Steven Fry was woefully miscast as Mycroft Holmes...The only one for me is Charles Gray from the ITV series from the 80s...Most excellent that man was...

Charles Gray being the Professor from The Rocky Horror Picture show... ...Aaand we're back to Magenta... ...

Oh hell I'm lolling... ...

It's early here...Very early...Just trundling through the film channels for some wallpaper while I write...And guess what's on?...Yep Rocky Horror!!...

Oh yes...Magenta coloured wallpaper...Followed by some Rose Tinted world methinks!!...

Lol !!

Thanks, folks, now I have Farscape on the way for some Christmas week viewing. That was a good reason to temporarily upgrade the Netflix membership.

Firefly is among my favorite shows ever. I've probably said it before, but my top favorite is still The Wire.

A quick glance through the bookcase reveals that the only TV shows I have on DVD are Firefly, Band of Brothers, Fawlty Towers, and Generation Kill.


Right now I'm watching Homeland, Parks and Rec, The Office, and Modern Family. The Office is losing me this season. I'll probably swap it for 30 Rock when that comes back on.

Latest film: Aftershock.

It's a Chinese film about a family that was torn apart by the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. A mother is forced to make a heart-shattering decision, and the rest of the film follows the separated family members as they struggle to cope with their lives after the earthquake, until another one brings them back together.

No political messages, no hidden agendas, it's simply a film directed in memory of the 240,000 people who lost their lives in Tangshan in 1976.

WARNING: Major tearjerker.

I love Fawlty Towers! Oh, I don't know why, but I thought Farscape was drawn cartoons that came on a daily flip calendar.