WU LYF 4 LYF Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 Spent this rainy afternoon watching American Beauty, and it's even better than I remember it. Thought provoking, funny, wonderfully shot, great acting and plot...basically it's no surprise it won that many awards, as it's one of the best films I've ever seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Seven Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 Wes Bentley tearing up about a plastic bag hasn't aged well. Â I watched a whopping three films last night as I couldn't get to sleep. I'd seen 'em all before but The Hills Have Eyes remake was on Film 4 so I found myself watching it again. It's easily one of the best remakes, horror or otherwise, out there. It's genuinely disturbing, makes no bones about its "Solve violence with much more violence" mantra and I'll be damned if I wasn't punching the air when geeky Aaron Stanford takes an axe to the mutants. Â After that I stuck The Untouchables on. It's a weird one this, one of those "not as good as you remember it" films. It's very good and I love me some Kevin Costner but there's something a little amateurish about the whole thing that I can't quite put my finger on. Finally I wanted something short and fun I wouldn't have to think about so I opted for The Faculty, which is one of the more underrated self-referential late 90's teen horrors around, in my humble opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WU LYF 4 LYF Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 Wes Bentley tearing up about a plastic bag hasn't aged well. Â I disagree, I found it suitably creepy and thought provoking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Rob Lowe Posted August 23, 2010 Paid Members Share Posted August 23, 2010 Visually it translated about as good as it was ever going to be. I don't know. It's strange to say the storyline felt boring and monotonous, but it just felt like it could've been edited better I guess. It just needed that extra something. Maybe it's because I'd read it so many times before. Or maybe, as others have said, it was just never meant for film. It just managed to drag for me. I was so disappointed with Watchmen. Visually it looked fantastic, but a lot of the script and editing was terrible.  I'd read the comics twice before, but wasnt a crazed fan that was angry that it was being made into a film. The first thing with the comics is that the story is paced so much better. Everything in the film is rushed. SPOILER - Highlight the black box to read Laurie and Jons relationship fading, Laurie and Dans relationship growing etc. Even something like Bubastis dying was sad in the comics, but I didnt give a shit in the film because the poor lynx got no screen time.   It also features the most cringeworthy SPOILER - Highlight the black box to read sex scene of all time. In the comics it was sweet and nice that good old Dan got the girl, but in the film it was embarassing. The nudity wasnt necessary and with Leonard Cohen singing Hallelujah in the background I squirmed in my seat and made people in the cinema literally laugh out loud.   A lot of the violence was unnecessary too. Way too much squirting blood and axes to the head.  I saw it once in Imax at release and was disappointed, then watched it again six months ago and was disappointed again. I'm getting bummed out writing about it. It just wasnt very good. The film looked beautiful (which created an awesome trailer which got my hopes up) but the actual film was poor.  Watchmen is the best film ever made Watch more films. You're missing out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raab Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 Just finished watching Kickboxer. Â Have had the dvd for a while and finally decided to stick it on. Very enjoyble , enjoyed the story and thought Jean Claude Van Damme was brilliant. Especially enjoyed his drunken dancing/fighting with Freddie Lee`s henchmen in the bar. Worth a look just for that lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted August 23, 2010 Paid Members Share Posted August 23, 2010 Wes Bentley tearing up about a plastic bag hasn't aged well. Â I watched a whopping three films last night as I couldn't get to sleep. I'd seen 'em all before but The Hills Have Eyes remake was on Film 4 so I found myself watching it again. It's easily one of the best remakes, horror or otherwise, out there. It's genuinely disturbing, makes no bones about its "Solve violence with much more violence" mantra and I'll be damned if I wasn't punching the air when geeky Aaron Stanford takes an axe to the mutants. Â After that I stuck The Untouchables on. It's a weird one this, one of those "not as good as you remember it" films. It's very good and I love me some Kevin Costner but there's something a little amateurish about the whole thing that I can't quite put my finger on. Finally I wanted something short and fun I wouldn't have to think about so I opted for The Faculty, which is one of the more underrated self-referential late 90's teen horrors around, in my humble opinion. Â The Hills Have Eyes is a cracking remake, I was really impressed by it. I had high hopes for Alexandre Aja because he directed Switchblade Romance, which I also enjoyed, but he's done Piranha 3D, hasn't he? Balls to that. Â I watched The Untouchables again recently as well and I still love it. The scene in the train station seems a bit too contrived now but the rest of it still stands up well. But I'm a massive Brian De Palma fan anyway so I'll happily bum almost all of his films. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Bellenda Carlisle Posted August 23, 2010 Paid Members Share Posted August 23, 2010 Watchmen is the best film ever made Watch more films. You're missing out. Â I know you probably meant that partially in jest but I'm almost certain I've seen more films than nearly anyone, I do have my own taste though, lots of people don't agree with my favourite films and I don't agree with lots of what are considered great films. Â Like I said Watchmen was perfect for me, obviously saying one thing of anything is the best is impossible, especially something as subjective as film, I just wanted to say in a big way that I absolutely loved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrestlingsnob Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 (edited) Just finished watching Kickboxer. Â Have had the dvd for a while and finally decided to stick it on. Very enjoyble , enjoyed the story and thought Jean Claude Van Damme was brilliant. Especially enjoyed his drunken dancing/fighting with Freddie Lee`s henchmen in the bar. Worth a look just for that lol. Â By coincidence I watched Kickboxer yesterday as well. Way better than I remember it being. The druken dancing/clapping had me & my housemate close to tears. Genius scene. Â Also watched the latest Universal Soldier as well. That film is about 100x times better than it has any right to be, Edited August 23, 2010 by Wrestlingsnob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cum Doctor Posted August 23, 2010 Author Share Posted August 23, 2010 There's so many things that I love about The Untouchables that it's hard to be critical about it. Severely hammy acting at times. Especially that guy that gets smashed with a baseball bat when they find him in the factory and he's all "you got a warrant ?" Â The Faculty is another one I like, although it's got Robert Patrick in it so I might be a little biased on that one. Â I seen The Hills Have Eyes last night and I wasn't really that taken aback by it. I did feel a little uneasy when that guy at the gas store suddenly decided to send them into certain doom though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 Sean Connery really is awesome in Untouchables. He deserved that Oscar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted August 23, 2010 Paid Members Share Posted August 23, 2010 "What's the matter? Can't you talk with a gun in your mouth?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members DEF Posted August 23, 2010 Paid Members Share Posted August 23, 2010 Visually it translated about as good as it was ever going to be. I don't know. It's strange to say the storyline felt boring and monotonous, but it just felt like it could've been edited better I guess. It just needed that extra something. Maybe it's because I'd read it so many times before. Or maybe, as others have said, it was just never meant for film. It just managed to drag for me. I was so disappointed with Watchmen. Visually it looked fantastic, but a lot of the script and editing was terrible.  I'd read the comics twice before, but wasnt a crazed fan that was angry that it was being made into a film. The first thing with the comics is that the story is paced so much better. Everything in the film is rushed. SPOILER - Highlight the black box to read Laurie and Jons relationship fading, Laurie and Dans relationship growing etc. Even something like Bubastis dying was sad in the comics, but I didnt give a shit in the film because the poor lynx got no screen time.   It also features the most cringeworthy SPOILER - Highlight the black box to read sex scene of all time. In the comics it was sweet and nice that good old Dan got the girl, but in the film it was embarassing. The nudity wasnt necessary and with Leonard Cohen singing Hallelujah in the background I squirmed in my seat and made people in the cinema literally laugh out loud.   A lot of the violence was unnecessary too. Way too much squirting blood and axes to the head.  I saw it once in Imax at release and was disappointed, then watched it again six months ago and was disappointed again. I'm getting bummed out writing about it. It just wasnt very good. The film looked beautiful (which created an awesome trailer which got my hopes up) but the actual film was poor.  Watchmen is the best film ever made Watch more films. You're missing out.  I doubt he ment it any more than its his favourite. Which is perfectly aceptable, just as how to many the graphical novel is the 'perfect' comic.  Its awesome is my opinion. Both the comic and film are tremendous. This it should never have been a film stuff is nonsense. The different medium just makes it interesting in its own right. It really is a marmite movie though. I think it works perfectly well as a film particularly the Directors Cut.  Haven't seen the ultimate Edition though. I'd be suprised if the inclusion of the Black Freighter anime makes it a better film. Sooner or later I might give it a go.  I can understand the soundtrack complaint its about subtle as a brick but I think it complements rather than detracts. Whole heartly dissagree about the editing, pacing and writing.  Heres the thing, the graphic novel is open to much wider interpretation whilst being read. Some will claim theres no violence, some will claim theres no comedy and thats all subjective in the graphic novel in my opinion. The sex scene is pretty funny in the film but I can absolutely see why someone who was a fan wouldnt see it that way, or rather that it shouldnt be that way. If they didnt interpret it the same in there reading of the novel it could totally put a nose or two out of joint. The film is so faithful that interpretation becomes ever so more personal to the fan audience. After all its really not going to matter to those that don't know the subject as they will interpret and accept or reject soley on the viewing experience.  To me its as good as Watchmen film was ever going to be and as a fan of the graphic novel I was at the edge of my seat, sat next to non fans who also were at the edge of there seats. I certainly don't believe the film is to cinema what the graphic novel was to comics. But I do believe theres a lot of redunt 'its not as good as the book' talk that does the film a diservice. It happens whenever something is adapted and its yawn inducing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members DEF Posted August 23, 2010 Paid Members Share Posted August 23, 2010 (edited) EDIT - for stupid double post. Â Might as well mention I watched Batman Gotham Knight last night on Blu Ray. I found the different animation styles often distracting and it felt disjointed overall. It has its moments but its not a patch on Batman the Animated series from the 90s. Thankfully there are 4 episodes of which as extra features along with a couple of cool docs about Batmans relationship with his villians and Bats creatotr Bob Kane. Edited August 23, 2010 by DEF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Seven Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 ] The Hills Have Eyes is a cracking remake, I was really impressed by it. I had high hopes for Alexandre Aja because he directed Switchblade Romance, which I also enjoyed, but he's done Piranha 3D, hasn't he? Balls to that  Actually Piranha 3D is getting rave reviews with most saying it has the right feel for what it's supposed to be and offers nothing more than nudity and gore and isn't ashamed of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cum Doctor Posted August 23, 2010 Author Share Posted August 23, 2010 "What's the matter? Can't you talk with a gun in your mouth?" Â "How do you think he feels now ? Better or worse ?" Â "They put one of yours in the hospital, you put one of their's in the morgue!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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