Last Movie You Watched? Mark 9

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)

A pretty good entry in the Ridley Scott canon, probably the best movie made about Columbus and certainly the most accurate. That said, it still whitewashes history to a problematic degree, an issue I tackle in my latest blog post here: http://dimecomicreviews.blogspot.ca/2014/02/ridley-scotts-1492-conquest-of-paradise.html. The score is very good though, as is the cast -- Gerard Depardieu and Sigourney Weaver are very good, despite Weaver's lack of a Spanish accent and Depardieu's nearly incomprehensible French one. Very beautifully shot, as with all Scott's films.

You should have a look at the dates used in your blog concerning Ridley Scotts movie as there seems to be the case of an added 10 millenia with most years mentioned besides the title.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

Very entertaining - slick and funny with top notch performances all around. Easily my favourite RDJ movie.

9/10

saint mark wrote:

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)

A pretty good entry in the Ridley Scott canon, probably the best movie made about Columbus and certainly the most accurate. That said, it still whitewashes history to a problematic degree, an issue I tackle in my latest blog post here: http://dimecomicreviews.blogspot.ca/2014/02/ridley-scotts-1492-conquest-of-paradise.html. The score is very good though, as is the cast -- Gerard Depardieu and Sigourney Weaver are very good, despite Weaver's lack of a Spanish accent and Depardieu's nearly incomprehensible French one. Very beautifully shot, as with all Scott's films.

You should have a look at the dates used in your blog concerning Ridley Scotts movie as there seems to be the case of an added 10 millenia with most years mentioned besides the title.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_calendar

Not something I use all the time, but I've always wanted to make a point of using it somewhere.

A viewing of my Rush DVD. I quite like it, bit of phroar. My ET anniversary DVD which seems to posess the walkie-talkie wielding agents and Hyde Park on Hudson amongst a few others.

THE LEGO MOVIE

Much cleverer and funnier than I ever expected a feature length toy commercial to be. Skewers the hero's journey troped as well as adults who forget toys are meant to be toys. The animation is fantastic - they move like Lego minifigs move rather than with fake elasticity and a lot of scenes looked more like amazing stopmo with real pieces than CGI.

A Dangerous Method (2011)

Meh.

long before Band of Brothers there was Battleground

as realistic a portrayal as there was at the time (1949) with the soldiers often confronting fears (each one tries to runaway or is fearful of fighting at some point) during the Battle of the Bulge. Some familiar names like Van Johnson, Ricardo Montalban (always something to see him in something) and a tobaccy chewing James Whitmore. Get aside the fact it's all filed in Washington State, it's none too shabby.

Black Swan

no, not the 1942 Tyrone Power epic but the Natalie Portman sojourn into the dark and twisted world...Well, I didn't see it the first time and gave it a bash (so to speak). I liked it, I wish I could wax lyrical but I think my mind's still fused on her and Mila Kunis.

Stuff I've watched recently but haven't posted about yet:

Romeo and Juliet (1968)

For my money the Zeffirelli version is still the best adaptation. Fantastic scenery and costumes, excellent performances, great music, my only nitpick would be that the streets of Verona sure do look empty of people if they don't have a speaking role.

Richard III (1955)

The classic Laurence Olivier version. While Olivier's Shakespeare may be dated today, and perhaps better done by Branagh in the case of Henry V and Hamlet, his Richard has never been surpassed onscreen IMO. Unforunately Olivier is really head and shoulders over the rest of the cast, and the final Battle of Bosworth Field is staged mildly anticlimatically, but it's still a great classic British film.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)

This classic Lon Chaney vehicle is a little rough around the edges in places -- character motivations can be exceedingly unclear beyond "he's the bad guy" or "he's handsome" unless you've read the book, and every scene about Esmeralda and Phoebus' romance is tiresome while more scenes with the title character and his relationship with the Frollo Bros would be more appreciated -- but that said it might remain the best adaptation of Hugo's book, certainly the least bowdlerized. Great production values for the silent era, too.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Maybe one of the most bizarre films of the Disney Renaissance. The animation is gorgeous of course, and Tony Jay's voice performance is superb. At times it hits highs that far surpass any Disney film as well as embracing a surprisingly adult level of emotional and thematic complexity. And then a few seconds later it'll be doing fart and burp jokes. I mean, who was the audience for this meant to be? The ending is, of course, corny as fuck but it's Disney so what'd you expect?

The Hunger Games

Not bad, actually, although it lacks teeth. It feels afraid to go all the way. Good performances all around though, especially from Lawrence and Harrelson. Though I think I preferred Ender's Game, actually.

Predator - Arnie in his 80s 'pomp'. Fantastic entertainment :) .

'DILLON, YOU SUNHAFABITCH!'

WHATZ DA MATTA DILLON? SEEEYEAYE GOTZ U PUSHIN TOMANY PENCELZ?

This is all vaguely familiar...

We tend to revisit the classics about once every six months.

Yes, yes we do.

GET TO DA CHOPPA!

Hilly KCMG wrote:

We tend to revisit the classics about once every six months.

Indeed, people just need to... STICK AHRAUND!

No harm in revisiting classics.

The Heat (2013)

Quite amusing at times, even if the overall arc is instantly familiar. Bullock & McCarthy make for a decent team and I'd certainly be receptive to a sequel.

6/10

At the Earth's Core

as a kid I loved Doug McClure's sci-fi/fantasy stuff, made me into a little fan of his. Watching this I do wonder about myself. I fear largely forgettable, cheesy, hammy stuff (Peter Cushing largely knew I bet how bad this film was and went full ham), dodgy SFX even for 1976 and weird creatures that defy my senses.
In a way it's good fun but it's a bit much.
But we have Caroline Munro which made up for it in parts.

The Lego Movie - could've basically been a charmless elongated advert but thanks to fabulous animation, a smart and funny script and amusing voice turns it's anything but. A joy.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

The Lego Movie - could've basically been a charmless elongated advert but thanks to fabulous animation, a smart and funny script and amusing voice turns it's anything but. A joy.

this film intrigues. But first...try and find a screen re-showing Godfather, Part II

Seven Psychopaths

Quirky and at times very amusing film with a trio of great performances and one outstanding one in the form of Sam Rockwell. It is well filmed and the locations bring lots of character with them but I confess I am a little unsure of what rating to give the film, for its many positives it is still occasionally overcooked and/or heavy handed at times...as if trying too hard maybe?

7/10

The Expendables 3

Not as bad as I thought after reading some reviews. Nice sunday afternoon feelgood film. It turns out that not the PG13 is the problem, but the overcrowding of stars. The performances were very nice all across the board, the young guys surprised me, there was noone who got in the least on my nerves. Mel Gibson shone through understatement. But giving Jet Li not much more than a cameo is a sin.

6/10




Guardians of the Galaxy

WTF. Not half as entertaining as all the reviews say. The only character I could somehow bond with was Michael Rooker´s Yondu, and even then I constantly had to think how brilliant it would have been had he played that character in a film with less silly colours.
The action scenes were a mess. Having a giant black thing fall onto a city is so two years ago. There was nothing iconic that would make the film worth the hype.

5/10

lachesis wrote:

Seven Psychopaths

Quirky and at times very amusing film with a trio of great performances and one outstanding one in the form of Sam Rockwell. It is well filmed and the locations bring lots of character with them but I confess I am a little unsure of what rating to give the film, for its many positives it is still occasionally overcooked and/or heavy handed at times...as if trying too hard maybe?

7/10

Havent' seen it for a little while but I agree with these sentiments.

Last non-Bond film was Glengarry Glen Ross for me. Talk about razor sharp dialogue and outstanding performances from every actor. Pacino is great as Corleone, he's great in Scent of a Woman, but he was just electric in this. Good to see Elliot Carver in this too! :) First time seeing this by the way, and it's one of those films that just completely overwhelmed me - something I've only experienced with a handful of films.

10/10

X-Men Days of Future Past

8.5/10

Captain America The Winter Soldier

7.5/10

Purge 2

Could have been much better given the premise. 4/10