Omar
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Post by Omar on Mar 19, 2006 23:00:53 GMT
Glad you enjoyed "In Cold Blood" Mick. Days of Heaven(1978/Terrence Malick) [First Viewing] Before WWI, three migrant workers get a job on a Texas farm where they plan to con the owner.Interesting mediation on the alienation and isolation of man through the comparison of nature. The film boasts Malick's best use of narration, telling the story uniquely through a child's eyes. The story takes second to the glorious images of endless landscapes and red skies. The score is also breathtaking.
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Capo
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Post by Capo on Mar 19, 2006 23:16:32 GMT
I think I may be back-pedalling on my initial thoughts of Days of Heaven being Malick's worst. I think I may even rank his work in reverse proportion to the chronology of the releases. The New World is his best, I think.
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Mar 20, 2006 3:53:15 GMT
Big(1988/Penny Marshall) [Nth Viewing] A frustrated adolescent wishes to be 'big', and wakes up as a thirty year-old man.Call it corny and what not, but this guilty pleasure from my childhood really managed to strike a cord in me upon this new viewing. Despite it's numerous imitations, this film manages to be funny (thanks to a great performance from Tom Hanks), charming, and very heartfelt. It's rare to see a film so openly embrace the spirit of youth. The closest a film ever came to being Capra-esque in the second half of the twentieth century.
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Mar 24, 2006 1:14:13 GMT
Find Me Guilty(2006/Sidney Lumet) [First Viewing] A mobster defends himself in a 21 month court case.There was a time when it was easy to mock Vin Diesel, but now he finally has some good acting to his name. Diesel leads an excellent supporting cast in a funny, enthusiastic, and driven performance. Lumet wonderfully balances out moments of humor with instances of quiet tension. And the supporting cast of familiar faces is great, especially Peter Dinklage as a defense lawyer. The feeling that the ending gives off is something that is seldom seen in cinema today, and can only be delivered by an old professional like Lumet.
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Pherdy
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Post by Pherdy on Mar 24, 2006 10:51:37 GMT
after weeks of not watching any movie at all, for a variety of reasons of which non is really good enough not to watch a movie for so long , I've visited the theatre three times this week to get into a rhythm again. Inside Man (Spike Lee, 2006, US) Syriana (Stephen Gaghan, 2005, US) Capote (Bennet Miller, 2005, US) Inside Man was the most fun, Syriana the most interesting and Capote the most positive surprise (as I expected it to be a lousy, shitty film with a mediocre but awkward performance by PSH, but the film in general was about on par with whatever good I expected from the film, and PSH indeed the highlight, a tad better than my projections).
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jrod
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Post by jrod on Mar 24, 2006 19:48:48 GMT
Godfather 2 The Big Sleep
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Capo
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Post by Capo on Mar 24, 2006 20:41:17 GMT
after weeks of not watching any movie at all... For some reason, I, and a few others, are feeling the same way. Have I burnt myself out in January (sixty two films) and Feburary (forty films) that I am simply too exhausted? Whatever, I find sitting for more than an hour a chore lately, something which I hope to get out of very soon. Film- making, music composition, and reading are taking up my time.
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jrod
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Post by jrod on Mar 26, 2006 20:26:53 GMT
The Sandlot Nth Viewing Noticed a little flaw i think. Never seen this before, but its gotta be a mistake. James Earl Jones is black, yet he played on Babe Ruth and Lou Gerhigs team? Jackie Robinson didnt break the barrier until 1947 Really fun movie though
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Post by Vercetti on Mar 26, 2006 20:37:30 GMT
You have to remember Jones' character isn't real, so yeah, it'll make a historical error.
I love The Sandlot. It's one of my childhood favorites.
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Post by Mike Sullivan on Mar 27, 2006 2:47:00 GMT
Capote (2005) Second Viewing Directed by: Bennett Miller Rating: [/i] Perhaps one of the greatest "bio-pics" made in years, it is all at once great entertainment but a wonderful look into the engima that was Truman Capote during the time he was wrintg "In Cold Blood". Grade A acting, wonderful script and wonderfully paced direction.
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Mar 27, 2006 2:49:12 GMT
Inside Man(2006/Spike Lee) [First Viewing] A hostage situation at a Manhattan bank goes from bad to worse.The plot description is pretty vague, but only because the film itself is. Lee makes some interesting choices behind the camera (his trademarks remain), and the actors are all great (especially Owen in a super-cool role). The problem is, the film goes on too long, and gets very confusing toward the end. This could have been "The Usual Suspects" of the new millennium. At least it's very entertaining.
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Post by Vercetti on Mar 27, 2006 3:16:35 GMT
This was yesterday, delayed by The Godfather game. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - (Gore Verbinski;2003;USA) A blacksmith who loves a woman kidnapped by a cursed pirate ship goes after her with the help of the ship's former captain.While it has several instances of annoying cliche moments, the film manages to be a good ride, and it manages to rely on charm and several other things to keep from being a bad film. It surprisingly feels shorter then it is. Two things that annoyed me was the fantasy elements and Orlando Bloom. Otherwise it's a good film, though overrated, especially at IMDB.
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Post by Mike Sullivan on Mar 27, 2006 15:37:38 GMT
Inside Man (2006) First Viewing Directed By: Spike Lee Rating: [/i] I agree completley with Omar. It had many great features. The cast blends well. There are some really great moents such as when the arab Man is sent out of the bank and is harrased y police officers and Lee's attack on the Grand theft Auto franchise. That said, I want to beat whoever wrote the score to this film. It was an artificial score that brought nothing to this film and tried to manipulate audiences.
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Capo
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Post by Capo on Mar 27, 2006 16:21:35 GMT
What about John Williams' scores, Mike?
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Mar 27, 2006 17:14:58 GMT
I agree Mike. It seems with Lee's recent work, the musical score is just so overbearing and odd, that it takes away from the film. From what I saw of "She Hate Me", the same thing happens in that.
But the attack of the GTA franchise was great: "KILL DAT NIGGA!". And the Arab getting harassed was something that you wouldn't see in your average action thriller these days, so the films gets points for that.
Mike, what did you think of some of the camera angles and push and pull techniques? The scene where Denzel approaches the bank after a hostage is killed was amazingly done.
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Post by Vercetti on Mar 27, 2006 20:05:03 GMT
What do you mean by Lee's attack on the GTA games?
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Mar 27, 2006 21:21:17 GMT
What do you mean by Lee's attack on the GTA games? There was a character in the film (a young black male) who plays a game on his PSP during the robbery that involves a rather grizzly drive-by shooting. The attack was not directed strictly at the GTA franchise, but games of that genre. In fact, I think Spike Lee was taking the recent 'Bill Cosby stance' in critizing young black males in today's society. The child (who is supposed to be eight) plays this violent game, and even directly quotes rapper 50 Cent. I think Lee was not only making a stance against violent video games, but also at the black youth of today. It's interesting that I have so much to say about this rather standard piece of cinema. I guess that's what you get when you have someone like Spike Lee go mainstream.
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jrod
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Post by jrod on Mar 28, 2006 2:05:26 GMT
True Romance
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Post by Mike Sullivan on Mar 28, 2006 3:21:13 GMT
What about John Williams' scores, Mike? See, Capo, John Williams uses world class artists ranging from Yo Yo Ma to Itzak Perlman on his scores and creates truly meditative works that help engross you in the film and stand alone perfectly on their own. He is a musical genius, resiliant from Jazz into classical works and he is also a great conductor, making wonders with the Boston Pops. He doesn't manipulate you, he suports the content in the film. I thought that shot you speak of Omar is perhaps one of the more memorable shots in recent memory. Some good stuff. Prooves to me that Spike Lee can be mainstream but this film could of been polished.
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Post by Mike Sullivan on Mar 29, 2006 1:03:41 GMT
The Ten Commandments (1956) Nth Viewing Directed by: Cecil B. DeMille Rating: [/i] This perenial favorite is Hollywood at its most overblown and melodramatic and although some films know this and embrace it (Gone with the Wind, anyone?), this film tries to really be an account of how the Jewish people found salvation with Moses. However, the film looses itself in its scope and it tries to fit practically every star in Hollywood on screen and it wowes the eyes but not the heart. It's corney acting, it's weak script and a melodramatic score (Funny, I'm attacking scores lately) detract SO MUCH and some moments in this film are just fucking ridiculous. That said, Charlton Heston is a force to be reconed ith and he does lift this film a bit and some of the support stands up like Edward G. Robbinson and Sir Cedric Hardwick.
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