Director: Steven Spielberg (Raiders of the Lost Ark, War of the Worlds)
Stars: Henry Thomas (Gangs of New York, Suicide Kings [which was pretty good, but I haven't seen anything else he's been in. Although I can only assume Pycho 4: The Beginning was terrible)
Drew Barrymore (Donnie Darko, Fever Pitch)
YesNoSoso: 2
My parents always say I was the only kid in the country that didn't like E.T. Combine that fact with my anger at Speilberg for essentially inventing the summer blockbuster and I had little incentive to re-watch this. I'm upset I stalled. E.T. is, for lack (or laziness) of a better word, a really fun movie. The bike racing scenes were exciting and inspired a boyish nostalgia, I can only imagine how enjoyable they are for boys (and some girls) of bike-riding age. Regardless of my disdain for money-above-all-else culture Spielberg has inspired in Hollywood, I would be remiss not to mention/realize that he accomplished it with extraordinarily good movies. My only beef is the obvious CGI he added in the remastered version. Luckily I was able to look past that and appreciate E.T. for the lovable animatronic Muppet he undoubtedly was in my childhood.
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Showing posts with label Oscars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oscars. Show all posts
7/6/10
Doubt (2008)
Director: John Patrick Shanely (Joe vs. the Volcano is his only other movie)
Stars: Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Synedoche, NY, Patch Adams)
Meryl Streep (The Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Devil Wears Prada)
YesNoSoso: 2
In this age of Megan Fox's, Channing Tatum's and the Twilight losers its refreshing to see a movie that can subside solely on the amazing performances of four actors. Hoffman and Streep are their usual amazing selves (Streep's Brooklyn accent was particularly believable)and Amy Adams is solid but the best, or at least most heralded performance, comes from Viola Davis. Shanely adapts his own play in his first foray into directing since Joe vs. the Volcano and it is thankfully a much more successful turn (well at least artistically).
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Stars: Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Synedoche, NY, Patch Adams)
Meryl Streep (The Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Devil Wears Prada)
YesNoSoso: 2
In this age of Megan Fox's, Channing Tatum's and the Twilight losers its refreshing to see a movie that can subside solely on the amazing performances of four actors. Hoffman and Streep are their usual amazing selves (Streep's Brooklyn accent was particularly believable)and Amy Adams is solid but the best, or at least most heralded performance, comes from Viola Davis. Shanely adapts his own play in his first foray into directing since Joe vs. the Volcano and it is thankfully a much more successful turn (well at least artistically).
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6/28/10
Crazy Heart (2009)
Director: Scott Cooper (his directorial debut)
Stars: Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski, The Muse)
Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight, 40 Day and 40 Nights)
YesNoSoso: 2
I'm pretty jaded (fed up?) with the Hollywood music biopic and I hate country music, so logic would imply that I would dislike this movie. But Jeff Bridges gives an amazing performance and is particularly (and somewhat surprisingly) adept at singing. A lot of comparisons have been made with The Wrestler, which is certainly called for, but I thought Crazy Heart was even better. Washed up country singer Bad Blake plays one-night-stands for cash when he falls in love with a reporter that interviews him. It sounds as trite as can be, but I assure you, it actually comes through feeling original. Combine that with the awesome music (yes I described country music as awesome) performed by the unlikely sources of Bridges and Colin Farrell and its a truly re-watchable film.
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Stars: Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski, The Muse)
Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight, 40 Day and 40 Nights)
YesNoSoso: 2
I'm pretty jaded (fed up?) with the Hollywood music biopic and I hate country music, so logic would imply that I would dislike this movie. But Jeff Bridges gives an amazing performance and is particularly (and somewhat surprisingly) adept at singing. A lot of comparisons have been made with The Wrestler, which is certainly called for, but I thought Crazy Heart was even better. Washed up country singer Bad Blake plays one-night-stands for cash when he falls in love with a reporter that interviews him. It sounds as trite as can be, but I assure you, it actually comes through feeling original. Combine that with the awesome music (yes I described country music as awesome) performed by the unlikely sources of Bridges and Colin Farrell and its a truly re-watchable film.
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The Vistor (2007)
Director: Thomas McCarthy (The Station Agent, this was his second film, but he is a fairly recognizable character actor)
Stars: Richard Jenkins (Flirting with Disaster, Cheaper by the Dozen)
Haaz Sleiman (nothing I've ever seen)
YesNoSoso: 1
An enjoyable movie about a widower (the amazing and amazingly underrated Jenkins) making a connection with two illegal immigrants who were unwittingly, illegally squatting in his NYC apartment. A simple movie about loneliness and the downfalls of immigration in post 9/11 America. Great performances lead to an emotional movie that's worth a watch, but to be honest, besides Jenkins, its really nothing special.
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Stars: Richard Jenkins (Flirting with Disaster, Cheaper by the Dozen)
Haaz Sleiman (nothing I've ever seen)
YesNoSoso: 1
An enjoyable movie about a widower (the amazing and amazingly underrated Jenkins) making a connection with two illegal immigrants who were unwittingly, illegally squatting in his NYC apartment. A simple movie about loneliness and the downfalls of immigration in post 9/11 America. Great performances lead to an emotional movie that's worth a watch, but to be honest, besides Jenkins, its really nothing special.
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Sexy Beast (2000)
Director: Jonathon Glazer (this was his first film, he has since directed something called Birth, which I haven't seen)
Stars: Ray Winstone (The Departed, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
Ben Kingsley (The Wackness, The Love Guru)
YesNoSoso: 1
This movie was entirely different than I was expecting. I suppose its a lack of sample size or plain old American naivity, but when I hear English gangster movie I think quick cuts, non-linear storylines and comic book like characters. Sexy Beast contains some amazingly in depth characters (Ben Kingsley was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar) but they are developed through good old fashion conflict and dialogue (mind you, I have NOTHING against the gimmicky style of, say, Guy Ritchie). Ray Winstone plays Gal, a former safe-cracker retired with his wife in Spain. Ben Kingsley plays a recruiter from the London underworld come to sign Gal up for one last job. A surprising amount of the movie centers around Kingsley's character trying to recruit Gal. Some of the best dialogue and scenes in the movie take place just as Kingsley asks him to do the job and Gal refusing.
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Stars: Ray Winstone (The Departed, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
Ben Kingsley (The Wackness, The Love Guru)
YesNoSoso: 1
This movie was entirely different than I was expecting. I suppose its a lack of sample size or plain old American naivity, but when I hear English gangster movie I think quick cuts, non-linear storylines and comic book like characters. Sexy Beast contains some amazingly in depth characters (Ben Kingsley was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar) but they are developed through good old fashion conflict and dialogue (mind you, I have NOTHING against the gimmicky style of, say, Guy Ritchie). Ray Winstone plays Gal, a former safe-cracker retired with his wife in Spain. Ben Kingsley plays a recruiter from the London underworld come to sign Gal up for one last job. A surprising amount of the movie centers around Kingsley's character trying to recruit Gal. Some of the best dialogue and scenes in the movie take place just as Kingsley asks him to do the job and Gal refusing.
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5/14/10
The Lives of Others (2006)
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (some German stuff you've never heard of)
Stars: Ulrich Muhe (some German stuff you've never heard of, Sharp Shooter)
Sebastion Koch (some German stuff you've never heard of)
YesNoSoso: 2
An amazing movie depicting the clash of humanistic behavior in the socialistic regime of East Germany. A truly original plot, superbly acted through many twists and turns returns an incredibly engrossing film full of personality. I'm always amazed when a director is able to establish a connection between the characters and the audience without the aid of a common language. I was fully invested in the welfare of the main characters in The Lives of Others and because of that will be back for a second viewing. At least.
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Stars: Ulrich Muhe (some German stuff you've never heard of, Sharp Shooter)
Sebastion Koch (some German stuff you've never heard of)
YesNoSoso: 2
An amazing movie depicting the clash of humanistic behavior in the socialistic regime of East Germany. A truly original plot, superbly acted through many twists and turns returns an incredibly engrossing film full of personality. I'm always amazed when a director is able to establish a connection between the characters and the audience without the aid of a common language. I was fully invested in the welfare of the main characters in The Lives of Others and because of that will be back for a second viewing. At least.
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12/27/09
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Director: Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Death Proof [which I still think is pretty f-ing awesome])
Stars: Brad Pitt (12 Monkeys, Seven Years in Tibet [which was still decent])
Christoph Waltz (some German films I've never heard of)
YesNoSoso: 2
This movie was freakin amazing. I honestly (and foolishly) thought that it was going to be Tarantino's take on the classic World War II genre, but Tarantino filmed this much more as a western set in World War II. The results are incredible (I love westerns, especially those with a Tarantino twist). I've debated putting this in here, because one of the tenements of YesNoSoso is quick descriptions of movies that give as little away as possible, but I really feel this next point is a huge part of this movies greatness. So here's you're prerequisite "spoiler alert": One of the things that I loved most about this movie was that for most of the it I was under the assumption that the events transpiring were happening during the real time line of World War II and the movie was just revealing an "unknown" storyline of World War II. Because of this assumption, I was watching under the pretense that the Basterds plan was doomed for failure. Because of this misdirection the climax was a true surprise (a rarity at this stage in my movie watching).
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Stars: Brad Pitt (12 Monkeys, Seven Years in Tibet [which was still decent])
Christoph Waltz (some German films I've never heard of)
YesNoSoso: 2
This movie was freakin amazing. I honestly (and foolishly) thought that it was going to be Tarantino's take on the classic World War II genre, but Tarantino filmed this much more as a western set in World War II. The results are incredible (I love westerns, especially those with a Tarantino twist). I've debated putting this in here, because one of the tenements of YesNoSoso is quick descriptions of movies that give as little away as possible, but I really feel this next point is a huge part of this movies greatness. So here's you're prerequisite "spoiler alert": One of the things that I loved most about this movie was that for most of the it I was under the assumption that the events transpiring were happening during the real time line of World War II and the movie was just revealing an "unknown" storyline of World War II. Because of this assumption, I was watching under the pretense that the Basterds plan was doomed for failure. Because of this misdirection the climax was a true surprise (a rarity at this stage in my movie watching).
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The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Director: Julian Schnabel (Basquiat, only other movie is Before Night Falls which I've never seen)
Stars: Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace [which I haven't seen but heard bad things about], a bunch of french films I've never heard of)
Max Von Sydow (The Seventh Seal, Rush Hour 3)
YesNoSoso: 1
Another "Oscar-worthy" movie that I thought was totally overrated. The effects and style used in the beginning to portray Bouby's "locked-in syndrome" are both fascinating and terrifying. But the movie as a whole is incredibly formulaic. Guy is on top of the world. Guy is an a$$hole. Guy gets in terrible accident. Guy loses everything. Guy initially gives up. Guy eventually learns to live again. Guy becomes a better person. Seen it.
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Stars: Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace [which I haven't seen but heard bad things about], a bunch of french films I've never heard of)
Max Von Sydow (The Seventh Seal, Rush Hour 3)
YesNoSoso: 1
Another "Oscar-worthy" movie that I thought was totally overrated. The effects and style used in the beginning to portray Bouby's "locked-in syndrome" are both fascinating and terrifying. But the movie as a whole is incredibly formulaic. Guy is on top of the world. Guy is an a$$hole. Guy gets in terrible accident. Guy loses everything. Guy initially gives up. Guy eventually learns to live again. Guy becomes a better person. Seen it.
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12/26/09
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Director: David Fincher (Fight Club, Panic Room [which I actually liked])
Stars: Brad Pitt (Inglourious Basterds, Cool World)
Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There, nothing I've ever seen of hers has really been that bad)
YesNoSoso: 1
I didn't think this movie was bad and perhaps I'm just overreacting to all the positive hype that surrounded this movie, but I didn't think it was anything special. As the YesNoSoso mantra dictates for a 1, I enjoyed my 2 hours (or rather 2 hours and 46 minutes) but wouldn't go back for a second helping. Maybe the ridiculous length had something to do with it (I saw no reason for this movie to be so long), but I also just didn't find the premise to be all that interesting and didn't really identify with the titular character at all. I suppose it was just me, but I simply didn't think The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was all that great. As a fun side-game, look at Brad Pitt's IMDB page and see how far back you have to go before you find a truly bad movie. Some would argue that he doesn't even really have one, and has been in 62 movies plus 25 more in production. Hot damn he's awesome.
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Stars: Brad Pitt (Inglourious Basterds, Cool World)
Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There, nothing I've ever seen of hers has really been that bad)
YesNoSoso: 1
I didn't think this movie was bad and perhaps I'm just overreacting to all the positive hype that surrounded this movie, but I didn't think it was anything special. As the YesNoSoso mantra dictates for a 1, I enjoyed my 2 hours (or rather 2 hours and 46 minutes) but wouldn't go back for a second helping. Maybe the ridiculous length had something to do with it (I saw no reason for this movie to be so long), but I also just didn't find the premise to be all that interesting and didn't really identify with the titular character at all. I suppose it was just me, but I simply didn't think The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was all that great. As a fun side-game, look at Brad Pitt's IMDB page and see how far back you have to go before you find a truly bad movie. Some would argue that he doesn't even really have one, and has been in 62 movies plus 25 more in production. Hot damn he's awesome.
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8/3/09
Un Coupable Ideal (2001)
Director: Jean-Xavier de Lastrade (Soupcons, nothing else I've ever seen)
Stars: real people, its a documentary
YesNoSoso: 1
I watched Un Coupable Ideal (English version: Murder on a Sunday Morning) because I was blown away by Soupcons (English version: The Staircase) and it was very good. Although, it wasn't as incredible and didn't have as many "but wait..!" moments as The Staircase. Un coupable Ideal was less of a whodunnit and more of a story about a public defender's crusade to save an innocent boy. A real drama thats authenticity really adds to the excitement. Even if I only gave it a YesNoSoso 1, its a solid 1 and I will be checking out more works by Lastrade.
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Stars: real people, its a documentary
YesNoSoso: 1
I watched Un Coupable Ideal (English version: Murder on a Sunday Morning) because I was blown away by Soupcons (English version: The Staircase) and it was very good. Although, it wasn't as incredible and didn't have as many "but wait..!" moments as The Staircase. Un coupable Ideal was less of a whodunnit and more of a story about a public defender's crusade to save an innocent boy. A real drama thats authenticity really adds to the excitement. Even if I only gave it a YesNoSoso 1, its a solid 1 and I will be checking out more works by Lastrade.
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6/17/09
Y tu Mama Tambien (2001)
Director: Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men, Great Expectations)
Stars: Gael Garcia Bernal (Amores Perros, The Science of Sleep [both pretty awesome flicks])
Diego Luna (The Terminal [which was OK], Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights)
YesNoSoso: 2
DISCLAIMER: If you are homophobic at all, or just plain uncomfortable with homosexuality, this movie will be a YesNoSoso 0. I usually think about what I'm going to write for my review while I'm watching the movie. This one started off with: "If you don't mind the homosexual undertones..." and then those undertones turned into overt overtones. I hate to imply that homosexual motiffs make a movie less enjoyable so lets just lay this all on the table. I would consider myself to be about as socially liberal as you get, but I still don't like watching 2 dudes make out. I'm sorry, I guess that makes me a bad person, but I really enjoyed this movie so thats gotta count for something.
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Stars: Gael Garcia Bernal (Amores Perros, The Science of Sleep [both pretty awesome flicks])
Diego Luna (The Terminal [which was OK], Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights)
YesNoSoso: 2
DISCLAIMER: If you are homophobic at all, or just plain uncomfortable with homosexuality, this movie will be a YesNoSoso 0. I usually think about what I'm going to write for my review while I'm watching the movie. This one started off with: "If you don't mind the homosexual undertones..." and then those undertones turned into overt overtones. I hate to imply that homosexual motiffs make a movie less enjoyable so lets just lay this all on the table. I would consider myself to be about as socially liberal as you get, but I still don't like watching 2 dudes make out. I'm sorry, I guess that makes me a bad person, but I really enjoyed this movie so thats gotta count for something.
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5/11/09
Apocalypto (2006)
Director: Mel Gibson (Braveheart, Last Temptation of Christ)
Stars: Rudy Youngblood (nothing else really)
nobody else really
YesNoSoso: 2
This movie blew me away. Say what you will about Mel Gibson and his antisemitism, the man understands plot development (shout out to Matt and Trey for that one). Mel Gibson basically took the "chase" genre down to its most simplistic and humanistic form and wrapped it around a period piece looking at the breakdown of the Mayan civilization. One of the best movies I've seen in a while.
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Stars: Rudy Youngblood (nothing else really)
nobody else really
YesNoSoso: 2
This movie blew me away. Say what you will about Mel Gibson and his antisemitism, the man understands plot development (shout out to Matt and Trey for that one). Mel Gibson basically took the "chase" genre down to its most simplistic and humanistic form and wrapped it around a period piece looking at the breakdown of the Mayan civilization. One of the best movies I've seen in a while.
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4/6/09
The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984)
Director: Stuart Rosenberg (Cool Hand Luke, The Amityville Horror [both pretty good, but I haven't seen or heard of any of his other movies])
Stars: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler, Double Team)
Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, Phat Girlz)
YesNoSoso: 1
I received so many ringing endorsements of this movie I was surprised to be spending a majority of the movie figuring out whether it was YesNoSoso 1 or 0. Perhaps my dislike had to do with this being one of the original modern gangster movies, and since filmmakers have spent the last 25 years building on the genre, it seemed hackneyed. Who knows? But I was bored. Plus it ends rather anti-climatically and unresolved. Geraldine Page's speech to the police investigating her son's murder is one of the few shining lights making this movie barely worth the time to view it.
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Stars: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler, Double Team)
Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, Phat Girlz)
YesNoSoso: 1
I received so many ringing endorsements of this movie I was surprised to be spending a majority of the movie figuring out whether it was YesNoSoso 1 or 0. Perhaps my dislike had to do with this being one of the original modern gangster movies, and since filmmakers have spent the last 25 years building on the genre, it seemed hackneyed. Who knows? But I was bored. Plus it ends rather anti-climatically and unresolved. Geraldine Page's speech to the police investigating her son's murder is one of the few shining lights making this movie barely worth the time to view it.
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3/18/09
Spirited Away (2001)
Director: Hazao Miyazaki (Ponyo on the Cliff, Princess Mononoke [I haven't seen either but I hear they are amazing])
Stars: Daveigh Chase (Donnie Darko, Artificial Intelligence: AI)
James Marsden ("Afro Samurii", "Blossom")
YesNoSoso: 2
This is a kids movie. If you can't watch a movie and appreciate it in spite of it not being your favorite genre then you will not like this movie. It doesn't include jokes only adults will understand like the Pixar movies do, but it is incredible none-the-less. Miyazaki has been enjoying immense popularity in Japan for some time now, and if you want further proof of his established reverence look and at the cast of actors that did voice work for the English version of Ponyo on the Cliff. If you can get past the cheesy Japanese-to-English, made-for-children dialogue, you'll be treated to a (and this is really gonna sound fanboy geek) an amazingly inventive world, as visually stunning as it is original.
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Stars: Daveigh Chase (Donnie Darko, Artificial Intelligence: AI)
James Marsden ("Afro Samurii", "Blossom")
YesNoSoso: 2
This is a kids movie. If you can't watch a movie and appreciate it in spite of it not being your favorite genre then you will not like this movie. It doesn't include jokes only adults will understand like the Pixar movies do, but it is incredible none-the-less. Miyazaki has been enjoying immense popularity in Japan for some time now, and if you want further proof of his established reverence look and at the cast of actors that did voice work for the English version of Ponyo on the Cliff. If you can get past the cheesy Japanese-to-English, made-for-children dialogue, you'll be treated to a (and this is really gonna sound fanboy geek) an amazingly inventive world, as visually stunning as it is original.
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2/9/09
In the Valley of Elah (2007)
Director: Paul Haggis (Crash, Red Hot [To be fair, i haven't seen Red Hot but its the only other feature film he's directed])
Stars: Tommy Lee Jones (No Country for Old Men, Volcano)
Charlize Theron (That Thing You Do!, Mighty Joe Young)
YesNoSoso: 2
This movie is incredible. If you don't mind not being cheered up by your movies, definitely check this movie out. Amazing performances by all involved and another amazingly intricate Paul Haggis screenplay make this movie a must watch. Here's a fun game: See if its harder to find a legitimately good movie in Charlize Theron's resume (I settled for one where she had an incredibly minor role) or trying to pick just one awful one. And she is widely considered one of the best actress's around. Fuck you Hollywood.
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Stars: Tommy Lee Jones (No Country for Old Men, Volcano)
Charlize Theron (That Thing You Do!, Mighty Joe Young)
YesNoSoso: 2
This movie is incredible. If you don't mind not being cheered up by your movies, definitely check this movie out. Amazing performances by all involved and another amazingly intricate Paul Haggis screenplay make this movie a must watch. Here's a fun game: See if its harder to find a legitimately good movie in Charlize Theron's resume (I settled for one where she had an incredibly minor role) or trying to pick just one awful one. And she is widely considered one of the best actress's around. Fuck you Hollywood.
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1/29/09
Born of the Fourth of July (1989)
Director: Oliver Stone (Platoon, World Trade Center)
Stars: Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible, Cocktails)
Kyra Sedgewick (Singles, The Woodsman [I guess, this bitch has been in like 50 movies and I've heard of 3 of them, seen none of them])
YesNoSoso: 1
The more Oliver Stone movies I see the less I like him. Obviously I started out by watching his best (Wall Street, Any Given Sunday [fuck you that movie is awesome], Platoon) but the more I see his older less seen movies, and his newer shittier ones, the less I respect him. This movie is one of them. Good movie, don't get me wrong. As I always say on this blog and as the basis for my rating system, I enjoyed my 2 hours. Except this movie was three and a half hours long. So in actuality there were about 1.5 hours that I wasn't enjoying. But in the spirit of the rule, I am glad I saw this movie and it should def be seen.
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Stars: Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible, Cocktails)
Kyra Sedgewick (Singles, The Woodsman [I guess, this bitch has been in like 50 movies and I've heard of 3 of them, seen none of them])
YesNoSoso: 1
The more Oliver Stone movies I see the less I like him. Obviously I started out by watching his best (Wall Street, Any Given Sunday [fuck you that movie is awesome], Platoon) but the more I see his older less seen movies, and his newer shittier ones, the less I respect him. This movie is one of them. Good movie, don't get me wrong. As I always say on this blog and as the basis for my rating system, I enjoyed my 2 hours. Except this movie was three and a half hours long. So in actuality there were about 1.5 hours that I wasn't enjoying. But in the spirit of the rule, I am glad I saw this movie and it should def be seen.
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1/26/09
Wall E (2008)
Director: Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, A Bug's Life [I was luke warm on both of these])
Stars: Jeff Garlin ("Curb Your Enthusiasm", Daddy Day Care)
Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Galaxy Quest)
YesNoSoso: 2
As stated before, I love Pixar movies. And this movie instantly became my favorite. I'm not entirely ready to knock The Incredibles off the top spot, but Wall E is at least tied. How an animator can make a cartoon robot as cuddly and lovable as they did is beyond my realm of comprehension. There was a moment in the movie that I literally had to pause the movie I was laughing so hard. As a fun side note, the voice of Wall E, which doesn't have a whole lot of lines, was done by Ben Burtt, quite possibly the most famous Sound Technician of all time (he worked on Star Wars). And yes you did just witness another Emphatic 2...
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Stars: Jeff Garlin ("Curb Your Enthusiasm", Daddy Day Care)
Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Galaxy Quest)
YesNoSoso: 2
As stated before, I love Pixar movies. And this movie instantly became my favorite. I'm not entirely ready to knock The Incredibles off the top spot, but Wall E is at least tied. How an animator can make a cartoon robot as cuddly and lovable as they did is beyond my realm of comprehension. There was a moment in the movie that I literally had to pause the movie I was laughing so hard. As a fun side note, the voice of Wall E, which doesn't have a whole lot of lines, was done by Ben Burtt, quite possibly the most famous Sound Technician of all time (he worked on Star Wars). And yes you did just witness another Emphatic 2...
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Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Director: Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, The Beach)
Stars: Dev Patel (An Indian you've never heard of)
Freida Pinto (nothing you've ever heard of, but GD is she hot)
YesNoSoso: 1
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. I had heard from a few reviews that if it hadn't been set in India, it would be the same pre-fab feel good bullsh!t that get regurgitated every Oscar season. Its not. It is an incredible movie with an amazing and thoroughly original story telling device. Well stylized with beautiful cinematography, I can honestly say, that despite my initial misgivings, this movie is as good as the hype. (ed After letting this movie sit for a while, I revising my rating to a 1. It was good, but it really was pre-fab feel good bullsh!t)
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Stars: Dev Patel (An Indian you've never heard of)
Freida Pinto (nothing you've ever heard of, but GD is she hot)
YesNoSoso: 1
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. I had heard from a few reviews that if it hadn't been set in India, it would be the same pre-fab feel good bullsh!t that get regurgitated every Oscar season. Its not. It is an incredible movie with an amazing and thoroughly original story telling device. Well stylized with beautiful cinematography, I can honestly say, that despite my initial misgivings, this movie is as good as the hype. (ed After letting this movie sit for a while, I revising my rating to a 1. It was good, but it really was pre-fab feel good bullsh!t)
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The Wrestler (2008)
Director: Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, Pi [both incredible])
Stars: Mickey Rourke (Sin City, Heaven's Gate)
Marisa Tomei (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Anger Management)
YesNoSoso: 2
I love Aronofsky and although The Wrestler omits alot of his previous works "gimmicky film school tactics" I still loved it. Alot of critics considered Requiem to contain too many stylized gimmicks to be a truly great film, whereas I think it displayed the perfect blend of edgy style and content. Regardless, The Wrestler signifies a departure from Aronofsky's earlier work. Largely a character study into an aging wrestler, the depth of emotion that is displayed in both Rourke and Tomei's character is truely overwhelming.
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Stars: Mickey Rourke (Sin City, Heaven's Gate)
Marisa Tomei (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Anger Management)
YesNoSoso: 2
I love Aronofsky and although The Wrestler omits alot of his previous works "gimmicky film school tactics" I still loved it. Alot of critics considered Requiem to contain too many stylized gimmicks to be a truly great film, whereas I think it displayed the perfect blend of edgy style and content. Regardless, The Wrestler signifies a departure from Aronofsky's earlier work. Largely a character study into an aging wrestler, the depth of emotion that is displayed in both Rourke and Tomei's character is truely overwhelming.
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1/5/09
Persepolis (2007)
Director: Vincent Paronnaud (Something called Raging Blues that I've never heard of and nothing else, Marjane Satrapi also gets a credit, cause writing a graphic novel does most of the work for a director, especially of an animated movie)
Stars: Chiara Mastroianni (A bunch of French shit I've never heard of)
Catherine Deneuve (Repulsion, Dancer in the Dark [both these movies are sweet, but almost everything else is french, plus I dig her style so fuck off])
YesNoSoso: 2
Awesome. The more movies I see the more I appreciate the genre of animation. This doesn't mean that there aren't assloads of terrible animated features, but I am very comfortable stating that the overall quality of a randomnly selected animated film is higher than its live-action counterpart. The plot is rather original and the stylistic animation is not only aesthetically mesmerizing but also like nothing I've ever seen. Plus watching cartoons do drugs is hilarious.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Chiara Mastroianni (A bunch of French shit I've never heard of)
Catherine Deneuve (Repulsion, Dancer in the Dark [both these movies are sweet, but almost everything else is french, plus I dig her style so fuck off])
YesNoSoso: 2
Awesome. The more movies I see the more I appreciate the genre of animation. This doesn't mean that there aren't assloads of terrible animated features, but I am very comfortable stating that the overall quality of a randomnly selected animated film is higher than its live-action counterpart. The plot is rather original and the stylistic animation is not only aesthetically mesmerizing but also like nothing I've ever seen. Plus watching cartoons do drugs is hilarious.
IMDB
Wikipedia
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