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Post by invisiblescientist on Dec 10, 2010 2:13:01 GMT -5
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Post by Aedh on Jan 9, 2011 12:40:55 GMT -5
We just watched "City Of Ember." Well-made and entertaining family film, with good performances by the newcomers as well as veterans Liz Smith and Martin Landau. The only question I would put to the writers and producers has to do with ... um ... how do I say this without spoilers ... the zoology. I see no reason in the story for doing what they do with that, it just seems unnecessary. If I'm going to recommend one family-friendly post-apocalyptic movie, though, it would still have to be "9."
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Post by invisiblescientist on Jan 9, 2011 22:32:48 GMT -5
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Post by Aedh on Jan 13, 2011 9:45:02 GMT -5
We watched "Arsene Lupin," a French effort from 2004 starring Romain Duris, Kristin Scott Thomas, Pascal Greggory, and Eva Green. A gorgeously-presented thriller with understated steampunk and horror touches. The only English subtitle track I could find, however, was rather defective. Still, a solid recommend, especially if you speak French. And, invisiblescientist, as far as movies being split into parts goes, let me speak to you the magic word ... torrent.
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Post by clericjay on Jan 15, 2011 10:45:59 GMT -5
I've recently seen "Book of Eli" and I quite like it, not only the post-apocalyptic setting, which definetely has something..., but also actors performance and their stories. Also the message is coming through without lecturing you... well that's how I fell about it, but I do have some relation to the topic. And it's been a pleasure to see Gary Oldman as "villian" again. His role in "Leon: The Professional" is one of the best acting performances I have ever seen.And another movie's been "Centurion", which has a very simple story including little surprises, but is very well made according to styling, action and photography work. It's about the IX. Roman Legion marching to conquer Scotland, but disappeared whithout a trace. This movie tries to imagine, what might have happened to them and what if some would have survived... It's much of an action / chase movie in a great setting. The main character Quintus Dias and the huntress Etain are quite interesting somehow. And an interesting age of British history is shown, too less movies I know have been made about. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_%28film%29So, the story isn't much, but it's entertaining to watch anyway, a feat that doesn't work often. Her it does I think. Last but by far not least is Jacky Chan's historic movie "Little Big Soldier", which is playing in an interesting age of China's history I know too little about yet, but is very entertaining on one hand but also shows some philosophy of the nature of war and men's motivation for it. (So a touching point with EQ is there.) And after I was about to fear that Jackie Chan's movies would become worse and worse recently, finally I've seen one I liked much once again. He's almost as good as he's been in movies like "Drunken Master" and such according to humor and action. There have been some scenes I found hilarious, though the movie in general is more of a serious kind, though the main character's taking it lightly. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Big_Soldier
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Post by Aedh on Jan 15, 2011 20:39:31 GMT -5
I liked "The Book Of Eli" though I can't call it one of my very faves.
We watched "Red" last night ... liked it. About as good as Hollywood does these days.
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Post by Aedh on Jan 20, 2011 8:49:22 GMT -5
Saw "Whip It" the other night. Very good movie about a girl leaving home to join Roller Derby, starring Ellen Page from "Juno," also Juliette Lewis and Zoe Bell. While it's a comedy (in the old-fashioned sense of the word, not the modern sense meaning 'slapstick,') it's not the typical saccharine Hollywood storyline either. Very well done. Recommend.
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Post by Aedh on Jan 20, 2011 8:51:56 GMT -5
Now we are (re-)watching the "Cadfael" series from BBC, starring Sir Derek Jacobi as a mystery-solving 12th-century Benedictine monk, and a very young Sean (Father) Pertwee. Holds up very well, enjoying it just as much as back in the day. Recommend.
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Post by Aedh on Jan 22, 2011 11:06:10 GMT -5
Watched "Doubt" starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep last night. Very good movie about suspected sexual abuse in a Catholic parish in 1964 and, unusually, pretty good about how the Church works. So good that the fact that this movie presents the Mass inaccurately--as movies involving a Mass always do--is especially irritating. A hymn immediately before the homily?? And, later, immediately after? Not to mention that this 1964 priest carries a Breviary not published until 1975. No excuse for that from a writer and director who did everything else so well. Despite those venial offences, a recommend.
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Post by invisiblescientist on Jan 22, 2011 22:17:17 GMT -5
For freedom-loving Resistance Members, The Way Back is a movie that is is obligatory: It is the story of a group of prisoners who escape from one of Stalin's prison camps in Siberia, and they manage to walk all the way to India to gain their freedom. Very realistic and no-nonsense movie. www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the-way-back/
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Post by clericjay on Jan 23, 2011 10:08:05 GMT -5
For freedom-loving Resistance Members, The Way Back is a movie that is is obligatory: It is the story of a group of prisoners who escape from one of Stalin's prison camps in Siberia, and they manage to walk all the way to India to gain their freedom. Very realistic and no-nonsense movie. www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the-way-back/This remembers me much of the famous German movie about the real escape of a German prisinor of war after WWII, who went on his own from Eastern Siberia to Iranian border, chased by Red Army all the way. The movie's called: "As far as my feet will carry me" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Far_as_My_Feet_Will_Carry_Me"The Way Back" looks like a Hollywood remake with slight changes, like a group of escapers including a woman (I'm curious how she matches into the story as women weren't brought into Gulags) and going to India instead of Iran.
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Post by invisiblescientist on Jan 23, 2011 16:14:43 GMT -5
For freedom-loving Resistance Members, The Way Back is a movie that is is obligatory: It is the story of a group of prisoners who escape from one of Stalin's prison camps in Siberia, and they manage to walk all the way to India to gain their freedom. Very realistic and no-nonsense movie. www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the-way-back/This remembers me much of the famous German movie about the real escape of a German prisinor of war after WWII, who went on his own from Eastern Siberia to Iranian border, chased by Red Army all the way. The movie's called: "As far as my feet will carry me" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Far_as_My_Feet_Will_Carry_Me"The Way Back" looks like a Hollywood remake with slight changes, like a group of escapers including a woman (I'm curious how she matches into the story as women weren't brought into Gulags) and going to India instead of Iran. Thanks for bringing to my attention the German movie about the escape from Gulag. It is true that women were not sent to the Gulag prison camps, but in the film I mentioned, this girl joins the group of prisoners after they escape from the camp, on their way to Lake Baikal, which was one of the places they went to Mongolia, and from there to Tibet, and finally India. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_BaikalThe reason instead of Iran (the short escape route) they take the longest route to India is because the events in the movie are happening during and just after World War II, and due to the intense combat (the western part of the Soviet Union is still occupied by Nazi Germany, or even after the World War II the destruction in the Western part of Russia is still very risky to choose as an escape route.) Although it is a Hollywood movie, it is a no-nonsense film, and it is based on a different story about people who escaped from the Gulag prison camps. See the movie and you will agree that it does deserve the high reviews it has received.
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Post by Aedh on Jan 30, 2011 7:23:46 GMT -5
Recent movies watched: "Teeth" and "Fargo," a brace of quirky black comedies.
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Post by Aedh on Feb 2, 2011 12:05:58 GMT -5
Watched "Night Of The Demon" aka "Curse Of The Demon" the other night, a 1957 horror movie starting Dana Andrews and ... and ... some other people. Excellent, classic horror flick. If you watch one old horror movie this year that should be the one. Especially recommended for Cleric invisiblescientist.
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Post by invisiblescientist on Feb 5, 2011 22:51:57 GMT -5
Many thanks for the recommendation. I have watched Curse Of The Demon and it is a very good film. Some of the old horror films have a lot of depth. Speaking about old horror movies, have you seen Dracula AD 1972 ? www.amazon.com/Dracula-1972-VHS-Christopher-Lee/dp/6303169023This is one of the Hammer movies where Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are very convincing. In this film Dracula re-appears in London in 1972, in the middle of the decadent youth culture of that era, drugs and debauchery, etc. Somehow Dracula manages to fit in that culture. Very clever movie. If you like London, then this movie is obligatory!
Another great Hammer movie, is Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) www.amazon.com/Frankenstein-Created-Woman-Peter-Cushing/dp/6305063508/There are several Hammer movies where Peter Cushing reveals different facets of Baron Victor Frankenstein, but in this movie, instead of being evil, Peter Cushing is a fatherly and helpful version of Frankenstein. What makes this movie unusual is that in this film, instead of using surgery to create monsters, Baron Frankenstein transfers souls from one person to another, and this film is a metaphysical romantic thriller. This film has great reviews. (In some other Hammer movies, Frankenstein (Cushing) is disgustingly evil, and in particular, in Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, the Baron stops at nothing to attain his aims and he uses blackmail, extortion, murder and even rape in his efforts to create his creatures.) But among modern vampire movies, the best one is probably Daybreakers. In this film the vampires are the majority and they dominate the entire world, and due to the severe shortage of blood, normal humans are hunted and harvested for blood. This is a good cynical satire on corporate culture and commercialism. Sam Neill and Ethan Hawke are very convincing in this film. This film has very good reviews: www.rottentomatoes.com/m/daybreakers/
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Post by Aedh on Feb 13, 2011 21:07:12 GMT -5
Recently watched "No Country For Old Men" and "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou." The latter movie I am still trying to process mentally. "No Country" I quite liked, especially for its open-ended, minimalistic style.
Unfortunately, "No Country" drew my attention to the book by Cormac McCarthy, and I realised that a writing project I had been working on since 1982 will have to be abandoned since McCarthy's novel does (in a slightly different style, but near enough) exactly what I wanted mine to do.
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Post by Aedh on Feb 18, 2011 12:59:43 GMT -5
Recently saw "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" with Nicholas Cage, a good sort of tweeny adventure romp. Last night watched the original 1972 "Sleuth" movie with Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier, not to be confused with the 2007 remake in which Caine shifts to Olivier's role as the novelist and Jude Law takes over Caine's old role. What is it with Jude Law re-doing old Michael Caine roles anyway, first "Alfie" and now this? What's next for Mr Law ... reprising "The Island?"
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Post by invisiblescientist on Feb 20, 2011 0:13:08 GMT -5
Here is a new mystery/espionage/horror movie that is happening in Berlin. In this film Bruno Ganz is playing the role of a person called Jurgen!!! For equilibrium fans this movie is obligatory!!! Her is the trailer. It also has good reviews: www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-lDfKb2SBA
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Post by Mirabilis on Feb 20, 2011 12:09:40 GMT -5
Here is a new mystery/espionage/horror movie that is happening in Berlin. In this film Bruno Ganz is playing the role of a person called Jurgen!!! For equilibrium fans this movie is obligatory!!! Her is the trailer. It also has good reviews: www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-lDfKb2SBAThat looks very promising...Liam Neeson is a fine actor...he was also excellent in "Taken." Thanks for the link...we'll certainly be checking this one out.
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Post by Aedh on Feb 20, 2011 12:14:36 GMT -5
Yes it does look good comrade. As Mira said, we'll check it out.
Last night watched "The Petrified Forest" with Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart. Very well done and holds up surprisingly well for a movie made in 1936. Bogart's Duke Mantee is still, in my opinion, one of the most menacing characters in film history. (Menacing as opposed to simply horrible, of which there are many these days.)
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Post by invisiblescientist on Feb 20, 2011 15:26:26 GMT -5
Yes, Liam Neeson is a great actor, but in the "Unknown" movie, Bruno Ganz ("Jurgen"), Sebastian Koch, Diane Kruger, and Frank Langella are also present. Probably you have seen the 1968 movie called "Where Eagles Dare", about British espionage World War II, where British and American agents make a daring raid to infiltrate Germany with a stolen Junkers plane. But if you have not seen it, then it is recommended. The plot is not intended to be plausible, because very few of the British agents survived in reality, but it is intended to be a "fairly tale", like Equilibrium. The historic locations and scenery, such as the castle in Austria and the mountains in Germany/Austria are real. For a 1968 movie it is well made.In this kind of movie you should forgive the historical inaccuracies and concentrate on the fun part of the film (the stolen Junkers plane in the film did not have the range to return back to England, and during the WW II, the German helicopters were still experimental, they were not yet being used, and during WW II the S.S. officers had already switched from black uniforms to gray uniforms.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XKGhG0W0LQA less well known but even better movie is "Zeppelin" (1971), where during World War I, this time the Germans make a daring raid in Britain, by using an advanced Zeppelin to infiltrate the UK. This is more realistic than "Where Eagles Dare", and a lot less movies were made about WW I. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfJXaRTIG9owww.youtube.com/watch?v=WLNkHAm4uNk&feature=related
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Post by Aedh on Feb 20, 2011 20:16:42 GMT -5
I have actually seen "Zeppelin," I don't remember it very well but I remember enjoying it. World War One is "my" war when it comes to determining which I most like to read about ... or watch movies about.
Tonight we shall be watching "Let The Right One In," which Mira recommends highly.
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Post by invisiblescientist on Feb 20, 2011 23:16:36 GMT -5
If you liked the Zeppelin movie, you will also like "Where Eagles Dare". But if you are an expert on World War I, you will probably find it interesting that long before World War II, the British code breakers dramatically changed the outcome of the WW I. By decoding the German messages, the British dramatically influenced the events in WW I. They were far ahead of their time. The during the WW II, the German code and the British code breakers became famous, but the corresponding events of WW I are less known. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vC5f_Pwmdw&feature=relatedAs a result of the failures of WW I, the new German Enigma machine during WW II, was supervised by Reinhard Heydrich who was determined to prevent these failures from happening again, but this time, the British managed to steal a few working copies of the Enigma machine and gave the machine to their mathematicians, but because Heydrich was so diabolical that he was about to order new models of the Enigma machine with more complex code systems, the British also sent Czech assassins to kill him... Had Heydrich survived the assassination attempt, the new models of Enigma would have become so much more complex that even the Polish code breakers working in Britain probably would not have been able to decode it.
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Post by Aedh on Feb 22, 2011 8:03:04 GMT -5
Interesting, comrade Cleric invisiblescientist!!
We saw "Let The Right One In," and I quite liked it, a somewhat quirky Swedish vampire movie with a definitely different slant on the subject from other efforts in the genre. Very good ... recommended.
Night before last we saw "Winter's Bone," which is a very gritty, realistic story about an Ozark hill girl on a quest to find her drug-dealing father. Gorgeously photographed I have to say even though WHAT was photographed was rather grim, and excellent acting all around, one of those films where you feel you are watching real life and forget these people are actors.
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Post by invisiblescientist on Feb 23, 2011 6:31:05 GMT -5
"Let The Right One In" is a very interesting movie, but I mentioned several months ago that in addition to "Let the Right One In", the American remake called "Let Me In" is also extremely good. www.rottentomatoes.com/m/let_me_in/The American version is happening in Los Alamos in 1983. ----------------- But separately, there is the 2000 remake of the fabled 1959 apocalyptic movie "On The Beach". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Beach_%282000_film%29ALL of the film is available at Youtube., and it is HIGLY recommended, emotionally it is even better than the original, far more detailed and human interaction (when the human race is being slowly poisoned after the war) is very well represented. Please see at least the beginning, and you will find it well made. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv_OJBBaF48This 2000 version of the film, has received awards even though it is a television remake, and in some ways it is better than the original. It has a running time over 200 minutes, and it is made more realistic and the subject matter is updated, as the WW III occurs in 2006, instead of during the Cold War. I would say it is even better than the original. (The original 1959 version with Gregory Peck has high reviews www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1015530-on_the_beach/)
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Post by Aedh on Feb 26, 2011 0:34:08 GMT -5
Saw "Daybreakers," a pretty good vampire movie with Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill, and Willem Dafoe. For reasons I'm not sure of, it starts out stunningly well with a fabulous concept and great visuals, but can't stop a slow deterioration into normal action/adventure. Still, as I say, pretty good imho.
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Post by Aedh on Feb 27, 2011 12:47:15 GMT -5
We watched "The Social Network" last night, just in time to see it 'before' in case it wins Oscars. Very good I thought.
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Post by invisiblescientist on Feb 28, 2011 0:29:34 GMT -5
Yes, "Daybreakers" is a major breakthrough, and it's underrated. Starbucks "coffee" scene was great. Have you seen the 1982 version of "The Thing"? This is a paranoid masterpiece: www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1021244-thing/
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Post by Aedh on Feb 28, 2011 0:51:48 GMT -5
Yes, we have seen "The Thing '82" with Jeff Bridges. As far as the "Starbucks Coffee" scene goes, that didn't seem like fiction. I've long suspected that Starbucks had 5% of something in it, now I know what it is.
Saw "Changeling" to-night. Liked it very much, a powerful and moving film.
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Post by invisiblescientist on Feb 28, 2011 4:59:11 GMT -5
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