Last Movie You Watched

[lisa needs braces]

I recently finished The West Wing season 2. Surely the final scene of the season is up there with the great cliff-hangers of all time -- "Who Shot JR" and "The Best of Both World's, part 1."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMwEd13r9-I

[lisa needs braces]

It has been a linear progression in which the veneer of decency wears away and the sociopath at the core of W. W. is revealed.

Indeed. The telling moment in the early seasons was, of course, when he refused the offer of assistance from his wealthy former associates in the third or fourth episode of the series and deliberately chose drug production as the solution to his problems. Such a good moment, that one. And I didn't make much of it until Vince Gilligan mentioned it in an interview. :/

[Drasko]

Danger: Diabolik

Yeah, but not really. Diabolik was serious production, they had Michel Piccoli playing the cop, Adolfo Celi, hero driving Jag E ... that is almost Modesty Blaise or L'homme de Rio level of goodness. Satanik looks like it was made for 100 liras (and they probably pocketed the change), but doesn't really matter, nothing beats that particular sort of 60s silliness when I'm in the mood.

 

[snyprrr]

Yeah, but not really. Diabolik was serious production, they had Michel Piccoli playing the cop, Adolfo Celi, hero driving Jag E ... that is almost Modesty Blaise or L'homme de Rio level of goodness. Satanik looks like it was made for 100 liras (and they probably pocketed the change), but doesn't really matter, nothing beats that particular sort of 60s silliness when I'm in the mood.

haha!!

[DavidW]

I watched Elysium, an intelligent scifi action movie.  There were things that bothered me, but not giant plotholes you can drive trucks through like Star Trek Into Darkness.  I could predict what was going to happen as a result of good writing and foreshadowing not for being derivative like Oblivion. 

Doesn't Elysium remind you visually of the space station in 2001?  I have to say that (not a spoiler, just a clarification on the plot) that letting large masses of the poor onto a small space station, which is impractical, is not the point.  People just want access to the amazing medical tech that can literally cure anything in seconds.

I know that many of you are very, very hard to please.  But if you are going to go out to the theater, I think that you won't be disappointed in this movie if you have even a passing interest in sci/fi action movies.

[George]

Not perfect by any means, but had some great performances. Man, that Sarsgaard can sure play a convincing asshole, so well you'd swear he actually was one. 

[Todd]

I was in the mood for a by-the-numbers comedy, and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone delivered.  Some chuckles, with Alan Arkin especially fun to watch.  Also enjoyable is Jim Carrey, especially with his last magic trick, and Olivia Wilde brightens up the screen.  Good for a single viewing.

[modUltralaser]

Veronica Lake. Any rebuttal is not null, void, and moot.

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[SonicMan46]

Veronica Lake. Any rebuttal is not null, void, and moot.

She was special and in so many good movies - Sullivan's Travels a favorite of mine - another one is I Married a Witch (1942) w/ Lake & March - just have a 'burned' DVD off the TCM channel @ the moment; however, Criterion is about to release the film on BD - anticipate some excellent reviews and a possible purchase depending of their pricing - always hefty!  Dave

[Todd]

Elysium.  This is a perfect example of a movie where one oughtn't think too much about what's happening on screen.  Perhaps it's best to list pros and cons.

Pros:
* Superb visual style

* Excellent visual effects

* Nice action sequences

* Neill Blomkamp really likes showing bodies being blown up

* Cool facial reconstruction scene

* Over the top, hammy acting by Sharlto Copley



Cons:
* Ham-fisted politics (though the chief corporate baddie being named Carlyle is a nice touch)

* Predictable

* Jodie Foster and her terrible, variable accent

* Monologuing

* Matt Damon

* White Man as Savior (I guess Damon's character's surname is ethnic enough, but given the surrounding cast and premise, why not get someone who would fit better?)

* Alice Braga as a hot nurse  (Ms Braga does fine with what she is given, I hasten to add; it's the casting and premise that is tiresome.)


Overall, a movie that is good to see on a big screen while munching popcorn.  Hopefully Blomkamp hires a good screenwriter for his outing after Chappie.

[DavidW]

I really hated Jodie Foster's changing accent.  Worst accent since Russell Crowe trying out different accents in his Robin Hood movie, I can't remember the name.

Ever since Fritz Lang's Metropolis, scifi has been making the upper class literally above it all!

[modUltralaser]

She was special and in so many good movies - Sullivan's Travels a favorite of mine - another one is I Married a Witch (1942) w/ Lake & March - just have a 'burned' DVD off the TCM channel @ the moment; however, Criterion is about to release the film on BD - anticipate some excellent reviews and a possible purchase depending of their pricing - always hefty!  Dave

Completely agree. She really had that 'something' that just draws your attention. She definitely makes a film worth watching.

[modUltralaser]

Falling in love with this show:

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[Wakefield]

Not perfect by any means, but had some great performances. Man, that Sarsgaard can sure play a convincing asshole, so well you'd swear he actually was one.

The first time when I noticed Amanda Seyfried was in Jennifer's Body and it was love at first sight, even if Megan Fox was at her side. BTW, Chloe was her last movie that I saw and there she plays a prostitute. Now a porn actress... this girl takes risks. 

[George]

The first time when I noticed Amanda Seyfried was in Jennifer's Body and it was love at first sight, even if Megan Fox was at her side. BTW, Chloe was her last movie that I saw and there she plays a prostitute. Now a porn actress... this girl takes risks. 

For a Hollywood film, Chloe was pretty damn good. And yeah, she's smokin'! 

[SonicMan46]

Grand Hotel (1932) w/ Garbo, Barrymore(s), Berry, Crawford, et al - Best Picture Oscar for the year - replaces my DVD - better blacks & whites, grain showing (so not a lot of digital manipulation) - Blu-ray review HERE - Garbo is just so beautiful & 'edible' - John B. was 50 y/o at the time but looked older & 'worn out' - he died in 1942, but such a good actor. 


 

[DavidW]

Oh no Dave you're one of those videophiles!  You're like ah yes, I paid good money for a picture to look noisy [film grain], and it was well worth it!

[SonicMan46]

Oh no Dave you're one of those videophiles!  You're like ah yes, I paid good money for a picture to look noisy [film grain], and it was well worth it!

Hi David - LOL!     Well, when I first started buying BDs, the grain annoyed me thinking that it could have been eliminated w/ DNR - then w/ a lot of further reading (especially detailed reviews at a few Blu-ray websites, like the one HERE), I quickly understood that 'the grain is the image', thus removing grain is like erasing parts of the image - so, now completely use to the appearance.  Of course w/ more recent films shot digitally, grain will not exist, BUT then will old movie watchers like me be happy?    Dave

[Sergeant Rock]

It usually takes me awhile to catch up on "recent" films. This weekend two highly enjoyable, and surprising in many ways, comic book action flicks:

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Sarge

[North Star]

Kick-Ass is hilarious.

Last night: V for Vendetta. Great stuff, apart from the 'super hero' fight scenes.