Guest lurkerspeaks Posted October 4, 2011 Posted October 4, 2011 I will start what I hope to be a new tradition, along the lines of Twinkie Tuesdays or Wet Wednesdays.. For mondays, I invite everyone and anyone to post about any movies they have seen over the past week. I will start it off with the new movie, 50/50.. It was fantastic..great story, great acting, heart wrenching, sad, funny, happy....Joseph Gordon Levitt has never been better. Some critics are actually calling it the best movie of the year... I give it two BIG snaps up... Quote
Members BigK Posted October 4, 2011 Members Posted October 4, 2011 Saw Drive starring Ryan Gosling. Fun movie with elements of the classic Bullitt with Steve McQueen about a stunt driver who rents out his driving services to various criminals who need a getaway driver for heists. Fast paced action movie with a great surprise performance by Albert Brooks. Quote
Guest gcursor Posted October 4, 2011 Posted October 4, 2011 I was watching 3 movies this week: I watched SHREK's Halloween movie: SCARED SHREKLESS and I also watched MONSTERS vs ALIENS: MUTANT PUMPKINS FROM OUTER SPACE. They are both short DVD films lasting around a 1/2 hour each. Of course, I didn't go into these expecting an award-winning script but I enjoyed them (plus each DVD had a lot of good extra features). The other film that I'm still trying to get through is called HOPSCOTCH with Walter Matthau. It was made in 1980. I pulled it from Netflix a long time ago and it's been sitting in my queue waiting to be watched.Think of this as a Brad Pitt's BURN AFTER READING movie many years ago! I haven't finished the film yet but so far I enjoy the character development.Walter Matthau works at the CIA. However he learns that he is going to be put on a desk permanently. Matthau has some ideas of his own however and it doesn't include doing paperwork. Ned Beatty plays Matthau's boss in this film and it's fun to see how Matthau (after he leaves his job) causes grief for him. Finally, I will confess to watching this movie but it is a BAD film. Also in my NETFLIX queue was the 1979 movie (college sexploitation film) called H.O.T.S. The women of H.O.T.S. are turned down by the #1 sorority on campus. They vow to make their own sorority and steal every guy on campus for themselves. I know...why would I pick that film? Sometimes you just want to sit down and watch a bad film just to see what they looked like. So now I've watched that film and can say that I watched it. There really isn't much of the movie that was very memorable to me. However there is a young Danny Bonaduce in the film...however I couldn't watch him without laughing because of the haircut he had. Gcursor Quote
TotallyOz Posted October 5, 2011 Posted October 5, 2011 I saw 50/50 and really liked it. I thought great acting and a nice story. It ran the gambit of emotions but was well worth the trip to the theater. I also saw the Robert DeNiro movie and it was good. It was a action movie and delivered on action. Also a decent story but it was pretty long. Quote
Members eeyore Posted October 5, 2011 Members Posted October 5, 2011 Nothing gay about it but I stumbled on to this movie on Comcast a few nights ago and enjoyed it. Here's the Netfix rap sheet on it. The reviews are definitely mixed. Smile 2005 PG-13 108 minutes Sheltered and privileged in sunny California, Katie's (Mika Boorem) perspective on life changes when she travels to China and meets Lin (Yi Ding), who hides her face because of a severe deformity. Brought together by a volunteer medical program, the young girls learn they share a birthday -- and a need to connect despite their divergent cultures. Sean Astin, Beau Bridges and Linda Hamilton co-star in this affecting coming-of-age drama. Cast: Mika Boorem, Luoyong Wang, Yi Ding, Beau Bridges, Linda Hamilton, Sean Astin, Cheri Oteri, Jennifer Hutchins, Essie Shure, Jia Song, Jonathon Trent, Erik von Detten Director: Jeffrey Kramer Genres: Dramas, Independent Movies, Independent Dramas, Tearjerkers This movie is: Emotional, Inspiring, Heartfelt, Sentimental, WittyAvailability:DVD (Streaming coming soon) Quote
Members Lucky Posted October 7, 2011 Members Posted October 7, 2011 Sorry that I did not notice this thread when I wrote my 50/50 movie review. I saw Abduction, Drive, and 50/50 within a week. I plan to see Ides of March despite the tepid reviews. I liked Abduction, although Rotten Tomatoes gave it one of its lowest ratings ever. It wasn't Oscar material, but enjoyable, especially for a gay man who likes Taylor Lautner, the now of age movie stud. Drive was a better movie, but Ryan Gosling has less sex appeal (for me) than does Taylor. It was also rather gory. And I have written on 50/50 so you already know that I liked it. Quote
Guest lurkerspeaks Posted October 7, 2011 Posted October 7, 2011 thanks for adding to this post, Lucky. I thought that maybe we could make Movie Monday a regular post where everyone can comment on movies he has seen over the past week...I do expect you to participate alot since your review of 50/50 was so eloquent.. This seems like the closest thing we will get over here for an "arts & entertainment" section.. Quote
Members Lucky Posted October 7, 2011 Members Posted October 7, 2011 The Ides of March is a Clooney film based upon the play Farragut North. I saw that at the Mark Taper Forum in LA with Chris Pine playing the role Ryan Gosling has in the film. Having seen the play didn't help me enjoy the movie, as I knew what was coming. The movie is otherwise rather dull, but Gosling is good in it. We had to sit through 25 minutes of previews- I kid you not! The last preview was of an upcoming Clooney film. That didn't help me get past the fact that Clooney was playing a role here. I just saw Clooney the actor, not Morris the politician. I didn't regret seeing the movie, I just wasn't too excited by it. Quote
Guest gcursor Posted October 7, 2011 Posted October 7, 2011 PANIC is a movie that has William H Macy, John Ritter, Neve Campbell, Tracey Ullman and Donald Sutherland in the cast. Made in 2000, this "dark comedy/drama" follows a low-key "hit man" (William H Macy) who is discovering the family business is no longer to his liking. To help him through this, he goes to a counselor to discuss his issues at length. Although the film is low-key (and there are dark comedy moments), the film is more about the struggle between William H Macy and his father (played by Donald Sutherland) as the two come to terms with what life means to each of them. I thought that the last minutes of the film were particularly touching. SUCKER PUNCH is a recent movie that came out in March 2011. I sat down to watch the Extended BLU-RAY dvd edition. I must confess that I have delayed watching this film for some time (and it sat on my stack) as I never seemed that interested in the movie or the contennt. However after starting to watch the film, I was slowly dragged into it. The film revolves around a woman that is sent to a mental asylum by her despicable father (because he wants to keep her quiet about something). The girl retreats into her own fantasy world where the world of the asylum blends with another world (a nightclub) where the girls are "taught" to dance for the customer's...er..um..pleasure. The story evolves as one girl (main character played by Emily Browning) learns to dance so intensely and with such feeling that the clients are awe-struck and entranced by her performances. During these performances, she loses contact with the real world and immerses herself in these fantasy world environments. If you took INCEPTION and combined it with STAR WARS and LORD OF THE RINGS with some drama mixed in; you would have this film. Whatever you have to say about the film itself, it has to be pointed out that the cinematography in this movie will make your jaw drop! The scenes that are played out in this girl's "alternative reality" scenes are both epic and awe-inspring. Don't see the movie for the plot but see the movie for the great visuals and to have fun! Quote
Members BigK Posted October 8, 2011 Members Posted October 8, 2011 Thanks for the review of Panic. Looks interesting. Just added it to my Netflix queue and moved it to the top. Great cast. Quote
Guest hitoallusa Posted October 8, 2011 Posted October 8, 2011 Ryan Gossling did a good job in the movie. The story line and characters were unrealistic and so unnatural. Most of all the sexual relationship between the intern and Steven was not even necessary. I was depressed and troubled by the movie. If the movie was trying to show nastiness, distortion and dishonesty in politics, I find it ironical since the producers and writers engage in the same nastiness, distortion and dishonesty to sell the movie. It's like a sinner with a very wrong perception of the world calling other sinners dirty and unclean. That's the problem in the media these days. Unknowingly they take away people's ability to think and analyze objectively and only show what they want people to see. The Ides of March is a Clooney film based upon the play Farragut North. I saw that at the Mark Taper Forum in LA with Chris Pine playing the role Ryan Gosling has in the film. Having seen the play didn't help me enjoy the movie, as I knew what was coming. The movie is otherwise rather dull, but Gosling is good in it. We had to sit through 25 minutes of previews- I kid you not! The last preview was of an upcoming Clooney film. That didn't help me get past the fact that Clooney was playing a role here. I just saw Clooney the actor, not Morris the politician. I didn't regret seeing the movie, I just wasn't too excited by it. Quote
Members BigK Posted October 10, 2011 Members Posted October 10, 2011 I saw 50/50 today. It's already been moved to one of the smallest auditorium in our 24 screen Multi-Plex and there were only a small handfull of people at the showing. I guess Cancer is not a big selling movie theme. I liked it, but I've always liked Joseph Gordon Levitt all the way back to his 3rd Rock from The Sun days. Seth Rogen was solid and his interaction with the girlfriend was really funny. It was really touching late in the movie where Joseph finds the book on Cancer dog eared and heavily underlined at his best friends(Rogen)house. Quote
Guest gcursor Posted October 10, 2011 Posted October 10, 2011 One thing that you may learn about me is that I have esoteric and unique tastes at times in movies and books..with that thought in mind, I offer up the following for Movie Mondays (technically it's not a movie..it's a mini-series that were comprised of several short episodes on HULU..don't make that face! it's good!) Kiefer Sutherland plays a hit man in the mini-series called THE CONFESSION. One night, he goes to a Priest for confession after one of his contract kills. The priest (played superbly by John Hurt) discusses with him the choices we make and how they will impact us in the afterlife. Kiefer however believes that there is no God. An ongoing exchange goes on between the two and tensions mount when Kiefer ups the stakes part-way through the series. Great solid production values make this a very good mini-series to watch in small digestible bites. However once you start watching episode 1 then you'll be quickly seeking out episode 2 and so on and so forth. Although I don't believe that this is still being offered by HULU, you can do a GOOGLE search for Kiefer Sutherland The Confession Part 1 and find results that way. I found an English version that was subtitled in French myself. Enjoy! Quote
Guest gcursor Posted October 26, 2011 Posted October 26, 2011 Pirates of the Caribbean - on Stranger Tides is one of the best pirate movies to come out of the franchise. This time, Jack Sparrow is looking for the elusive Fountain of Youth along with the Spanish and the English (led by previous Captain Barbosa). What is most enjoyable in these movies is the sheer excitement that you feel as the action sequences play out before you. I get lost in the atmosphere of the entire movie and just enjoy seeing what Jack is going to do next to get out of each hopeless situation that he puts himself in. A new pirate introduced in this movie is the feared and hated Blackbeard. Trust me, Blackbeard lives up to his slimy, black-hearted nature hands-down. The action is pretty non-stop along with the stirring score (that is in the other movies as well). Once I started seeing the initial action sequence (and heard the score) where Jack escapes from the palace of the King, I started to smile and say to myself, "That's Jack Sparrow. The best damned pirate around!" The story does keep moving steadily forward and starts to linger a bit near the end of the movie. However it is an enjoyable movie that kids and parents can enjoy together. I kept watching the mermaids in the movie wondering if their hair would ever fall away from their breasts! However their hair stayed plastered strategically on top of their breasts at all times! I thought to myself, "These are some smart mermaids indeed!" So if you enjoy sword fights, humor, a bit of the strange and unusual and pirates then I would say SIGN UP to ride PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN yourself. Watch out for those mermaids though! Quote
Guest lurkerspeaks Posted November 1, 2011 Posted November 1, 2011 I saw the Footloose remake today... I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.. Definitely not Oscar material, but it was a fun movie none the less. Some catchy musical numbers, some good dancing, and a few cute boys (and girls)...Not a bad way to spend an hour and a half... Quote
