DVDs and Films You Have Watched Recently #2

[PowerButchi]

Went to the pictures last night to see "The Ghost", looked to be the only decent film out at the moment. It was pretty good. Pierce Brosnan's role in it was obviously based on Tony Blair. I think the only American in the film was Timothy Hutton, and Gerald off The Full Monty has a terrible American Accent.

 

6/10, I'd say.

[Green]

I think Rourke was note-perfect. The script let him (and other things) down. Also, I fucking loved War Machine. Cheadle was excellent too.

I know they used it in the trailer but I still got a bit excited when Whiplash delivered his "there will be blood in the water" speech.

 

I also marked heavily at the name-drop after Rhodes gets the suit.

[Jimmy_kahoona]

Date Night

 

Well, where to begin.

 

Theres some excellent set up comedy and action scenes in this film.

 

But thats the problem, why are there set up comedy and action scenes in this film?

 

The film is about a guy and his wife going out on a date night comedy of errors happen and their bored relationship gets a kick. So in my opinion, its aimed at married couples who are going out on a date night. So why have action scenes and strange plots about usb sticks?

 

I dont understand who this movie is aimed at? the plot would suit any action film (the cop chase, if it had been placed in the correct film, would go down as ingenious!) The comedy aspects are great, especially the storys! but why its all contained in this film I dont know!

 

Its too old for the younger audience and its too action packed and stupid for the mature audience.

 

Waste of 2 great movies mishmashed together.

[Sym]

The Number 23

 

Actually enjoyed this and was quite shocked when I checked Wikipedia for the reception section which says that critically it was shockingly received! I thought it was a fairly well written story, which twisted on me just as I thought I had worked out it was the wife what done it (before the dirty hands) and then actually liked how they sowed it all together with the last part! It was nice to see Jim Carey in a serious role too!

 

Has anyone else seen this? Am I the only one who enjoyed it?

 

Verdict: Creepy, jumpey, Carey!

 

7/10

[Merzbow]

Just watched Zebraman from 2004 directed by Takeshi Miike, not one of the shocking/gore filled or Yakuza films that he is usually known for but instead it was a Superhero comedy.

 

It's about geeky school teacher who has no control over his class or his family but has a secret obsession for an old TV show called Zebraman, it ran for 13 episodes but was then axed but this guy was still in love with it so he's been making his own costume based on it. Long story short, he wears the costume and gains powers from nowhere as green gooey aliens take over human hosts and kill people. He shares a bond with a disabled boy who is fatherless and loves Zebraman himself, showing the teacher what he can find on the internet about him. Teacher saves the kid etc.

 

Pretty fun and the sequal just came out staring Naoki Tanaka from the Downtown shows.

[patiirc]

Starchaser: The Legend of Orin

 

Ive not seen this for, oh, 20 years!

 

Animated Star Wars style epic from 1984. Animation looks like the same team behind Bravestarr/He Man with added Kray 1 Spaceship Modelling

 

It starts off horrendously grim, seriously! As cartoons go its a bit adult themed/gory (perhaps best to view before kids letting them watch Nightmares a plenty possible especially the mandroids and so forth)

 

The language is also a bit harsh I think was the first 15 rated cartoon, then revised down to PG with cuts, but has no Region 2 release.

 

Definately worth a watch, it really is! Its comparable to Lensman in quality look and there are obvious similarities., which given source material isnt massively surprising.

 

Lots of big set pieces, some romance, lots of tragedy, some double dealing, some thrills and some regime change.. I rate it a solid 8/10.

[FLips]

Watched "Away We Go" last night and was pleasantly surprised. It features John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as a couple expecting a child. 6 Months into the pregnancy Krasinski's parents announce they're moving thousands of miles away a month before the birth of the child. With Rudolph's parents dead, the couple set off around the country visiting friends and family to see where is the best place to raise the child.

 

The film is really good, if a little linear. It all clicks together and there's some great characters (Maggie Gyllenhall's wierd sea-horse nature freak) but sometimes you never get to see enough of a character to care about them. Definately worth a watch if you like stuff like Juno and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Sam Mendes directs.

[Egg Shen]

ive been slacking on the movie front recently, but i was away in Cornwall last week and watched The Ringer on Film4, now it's a movie i never really had any intention of watching, but i was limited for choice, and you know what, i thought it was actually pretty good. A cop out ending but i thought it dealt with a subject that, lets be honest, could have led to mass-uproar and made it a sweet little affair. Mark it under the 'better than expected' category.

[Frankie Crisp]

Watched "Away We Go" last night and was pleasantly surprised. It features John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as a couple expecting a child. 6 Months into the pregnancy Krasinski's parents announce they're moving thousands of miles away a month before the birth of the child. With Rudolph's parents dead, the couple set off around the country visiting friends and family to see where is the best place to raise the child.

 

The film is really good, if a little linear. It all clicks together and there's some great characters (Maggie Gyllenhall's wierd sea-horse nature freak) but sometimes you never get to see enough of a character to care about them. Definately worth a watch if you like stuff like Juno and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Sam Mendes directs.

I've mentioned this in passing in a couple of other threads on here, but I can't believe I haven't referred to it directly in this one. I loved it when I went to the pictures, but I've watched in half a dozen times since and it keeps getting better. Some very subtle humour, some very dark humour (the scene with the mumbling child talking about his baby brother) and some laugh out loud, blatant humour. It's very poignant at times too; I think Mendes has done a great job of blending the humour in with the touching parts of the film, some of which are seconds apart. The soundtrack is brilliant too.

[FLips]

Watched "Away We Go" last night and was pleasantly surprised. It features John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as a couple expecting a child. 6 Months into the pregnancy Krasinski's parents announce they're moving thousands of miles away a month before the birth of the child. With Rudolph's parents dead, the couple set off around the country visiting friends and family to see where is the best place to raise the child.

 

The film is really good, if a little linear. It all clicks together and there's some great characters (Maggie Gyllenhall's wierd sea-horse nature freak) but sometimes you never get to see enough of a character to care about them. Definately worth a watch if you like stuff like Juno and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Sam Mendes directs.

I've mentioned this in passing in a couple of other threads on here, but I can't believe I haven't referred to it directly in this one. I loved it when I went to the pictures, but I've watched in half a dozen times since and it keeps getting better. Some very subtle humour, some very dark humour (the scene with the mumbling child talking about his baby brother) and some laugh out loud, blatant humour. It's very poignant at times too; I think Mendes has done a great job of blending the humour in with the touching parts of the film, some of which are seconds apart. The soundtrack is brilliant too.

 

The one thing I didn't get though was

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

when they go back to her parent's house at the end, why is the fruit on the tree not rotten? is it plastic? I missed whether they said that

 

[close spoiler]

");document.close();

[Frankie Crisp]

The one thing I didn't get though was

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

when they go back to her parent's house at the end, why is the fruit on the tree not rotten? is it plastic? I missed whether they said that

 

[close spoiler]

");document.close();

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

Aye, it's plastic. In the scene where she was talking about her parents, she said the first time she recalled her Dad roaring with laughter was when they went out and hung plastic fruit on the trees one day and when he came back from a trip, he was confused, then fell about laughing. She then mentioned that it became a regular joke that when he left the house, they'd keep putting random pieces of plastic fruit on the trees.

 

[close spoiler]

");document.close();

[FLips]

The one thing I didn't get though was

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

when they go back to her parent's house at the end, why is the fruit on the tree not rotten? is it plastic? I missed whether they said that

 

[close spoiler]

");document.close();

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

Aye, it's plastic. In the scene where she was talking about her parents, she said the first time she recalled her Dad roaring with laughter was when they went out and hung plastic fruit on the trees one day and when he came back from a trip, he was confused, then fell about laughing. She then mentioned that it became a regular joke that when he left the house, they'd keep putting random pieces of plastic fruit on the trees.

 

[close spoiler]

");document.close();

 

Aye I know what the story behind them was, I just missed the key word

[The Natural]

Went to Iron Man 2 last night. I liked it but I felt the entire second act was so flat and repetitive that it really hurt the movie. It needed another fight with Iron Man and Whiplash, with Whiplash getting the upper hand, to really get across a sense of danger. There is no sense of danger for Iron Man in the film. Even his illness is all too easily sorted out and it doesn't really affect him. It's a shame the second act is so ponderous because everything else is pretty great.

 

I'd agree with that. Downey Jr., Rourke and Rockwell stood out to me with their performances.

 

While I enjoyed it, it's not as great as Iron Man was. Reviews of Iron Man 2 are certainly more mixed than Iron Man was.

Edited May 6, 2010 by The Natural

[Egg Shen]

Sam Rockwell is great in everything he's in.

[kendal mint cake]

I saw this in Morrisons for