DVD's and Films You Have Watched Recently

[Egg Shen]

Waiting looks terrible.

 

Shaft - saw the new Shaft with Samuel L. Jackson...i cant really compare this to the old Shaft cause i aint seen any of it. This was an easy on the brain entertaining movie, a cop thriller which doesn't take itself too seriously, some great dialogue too. Jeffrey Wright's performance as Peoples (a character that would have fitted into Scarface quite nicely) is worth seeing the movie alone. Not a must-see but entertaining none the less.

[Guest DJM]

The Jacket

A good film, with a good & interesting story, a good cast, and some solid acting performances. The film can be confusing - you are left to interpret the film (and the ending) how you like, and not a lot is explained in the end, but it is a very enjoyable 90-minutes viewing. Throughout the movie there are obvious influences from other films (including Jacobs Ladder).

There are some interesting extras on the DVD, including a making of, deleted scenes (with 3 alternative endings), and a featurette on

[TheGameDD]

Films I have watched recently were *Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children - not a bad little film but could have been a little better. good for what its worth. maybe a 2nd movie will be on the way, depending on DVD sales. the other movies shown on the bonus disk look greak. cant wait for those.*The island - Great Story and Special Effects. Ewan and Scarlett did really well in this one.Im about to watch wedding crashers uncut dvd. Im told its really good so I'll watch that tomorrow.

[gaz2050]

I saw Slither Saturday night, I was shocked as I thought I'd really dislike it, but ending up really enjoying it. Initially found the film a little slow to start, but about a quarter of the way through, I was enjoying it all. Plus, the initial scenes made me actually feel sorry for Grant Grant at the end. Plus he managed to look cool and grotesque at the same time!Thumbs up!

Now this was pants. It was just silly, but not in a "Dumb and Dumber" way that I'd like. I don't know what I was expecting, because horror comedies have never really entertained me. Apart from Braindead.The film does kind of make you feel sorry for Grant. He was a good guy at heart. He turned down younger pussy to stay with his missus!

When A Stranger Calls (2006)An enjoyable enough film (better than your average teen horror movie), which is an improvement over the original, but short at 84-minutes, slow paced (much like the original), and takes far too long before anything really interesting happens. The remake takes the first 15-minutes of the original and stretches it over an hour, and also resorts to cheap scares most of the time. The movie is effective enough though in making the viewer feel the main characters sense of fear and isolation, and there is a good performance from Camilla Belle as the main character Jill Johnson. The trailer spoils certain aspects of the movie though (the main twist for one thing).(*1/2)

Now, without exagerating here, this is THE WORST film I have ever sat through. I would never walk out of the cinema, but this film is the closest I would get. I wasn't impressed by the trailer (seemed like a 90 minute version of the first 5 minutes of Scream to me), but for some reason, my lass was, hence, me being dragged along to see it.****SPOILERS for this film****Now, what the hell? Who was that killer? We got a long "revealing" shot of his face at the end. Surely it should be someone we'd recognise, like the son who might be home, or might not be (which would have been the most predictable "twist" in a film ever anyway), but it wasn't, it was just some random guy! Because it was only a 12 or something, there was no violence or blood shown, and everytime you were supposed to jump, you could pinpoint to within 5 seconds when it was going to happen.Also I refuse to believe a full size psycopath man cannot restrain a panic-stricken 15 year old girl.Utter, utter shite. Watch it, just to see how shite.

[The Cum Doctor]

Good call on The Jacket.Interesting movie with a good cast.

[Adam G]

The Longest Yard (2005)A good film, which is entertaining, funny, has a very good opening 10-minutes, and some good visual effects. The film also has a good cast (with a few wrestlers involved) and some solid & entertaining acting performances. Not a great film - it is predictable and nothing is really explained in the end - but it is a fun 100-minutes viewing on the whole.(***)

Austin is rather comical in the outtakes.

[Van_Dammer]

The Holy Mountain

Without spoiling much, this is, quite possibly, the most bizarre and warped film I've ever seen. It's about a Christ-like figure who befriends a limbless dwarf. The subsequent scenes feature an abundance of stange and sacrilegious iconography, as they travel together. Soon, the main character meets an alchemist, who introduces him to seven extremely poweful people. They must find The Holy Mountain in order to become immortal. Overall, I'd say that it was a good film, but not the masterpiece that some claim it to be.

Edited May 21, 2006 by Van_Dammer

[ukedge87]

Da Vinci Code

I often complain that films stray to far from the books they are based on, it is the otherside of the spectrum here I'm afriad, as Da Vinci Code was too loyal to it's roots. The first half of the film really drags as those who have read the books mentally tick off the events and realise that at the 1hr 30mark that its only about half way through the book itself. Unlike others, I enjoyed Hanks as Langdon, Hanks has a habit of encompassing the quiet American man quite convincingly, although it's not a stand out performance. However, I thought Sophie Nevue was hideously underacted and lack any emotion or convincing qualities. Ron Howard should have turned the mammoth read in a lean fast paced thriller to have really hit the spot, but instead a lengthy quite good, over complicated film is left.

5/10

[Guest DJM]

Da Vinci Code

I found it to be pretty poor on the whole, and the critics got it right. It was never going to live upto the hype, but I cannot think of anything good from the film - the acting was average at best (which is a pity given the good cast), the dialogue was poor, it was far too long and slow, the characters were poor, and there was very little entertainment or enjoyment to be found.

(*1/2)

[HBAndy]

Just to add my two pence to The Da Vinci Code, I never felt like I was watching anything but a film of a book.I haven't even read the book but I could almost sense what was around the corner before they even got onto the street.It was just very very average. It was just a film of a book that got a lot of hype because the book got a lot of hype. It didn't imprint itself on me or it's own identity at all.

[Van_Dammer]

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

This classic comedy features Steve Martin and John Candy on top form. The premise is fairly simple; Neal Page (Martin) wants to arrive home in time for Thanksgiving, but transportational problems force him to travel with Del Griffith (Candy). The two characters are excellent and the clash of personalities comes across incredibly well. The material and performances in this film are both very funny and it's totally entertaining throughout.

 

Boogie Nights

The plot concerns a young man who enters the porn industry, but the film isn't really about that. It focuses on several themes, which are depicted perfectly through the array of interesting and well-developed characters. There are certainly some outstanding scenes in Boogie Nights as the acting is good and so are the technical aspects of the film. Mark Wahlberg and Burt Reynolds' performances, in particular, are great and you get to ogle Heather Graham, too. My only gripe with this film is that it seemed to be slightly too long...

Edited May 23, 2006 by Van_Dammer

[Gossy]

Also watched Waiting... and really enjoyed it, good cast, shame the trailer ruined a lot of the good gags. I really like a load of Ryan Reynolds movies and I was called Gay because of this.

 

Also, watching oiled men in pants pretending to fight each other, never helps my "I'm not Gay!" argument.

 

Boooo!

Edited May 24, 2006 by Gossy

[bAzTNM Fan]

Arrested Development

 

Watched 'Arrested Development' on DVD, both seasons. This is probably my favourite sitcom since 'Father Ted'. Absolutely seminal comedy, and it's a real shame that it has been cancelled in the States because FOX has no idea how to market it.

 

The thing that makes the show so good is the cast of characters. Never has there been a more likeable and diverse cast in a sitcom, with particularly shining performances being Will Arnett as GOB, David Cross as Tobias, Michael Cera as George-Michael and Tony Hale as Buster. The rest of the characters are also exceptional, with Michael, the lead, being likeable whilst also being one of the funniest characters. The programme is supported by a series of other supporting characters and cameos who help make it one of the most pleasurable viewing experiences I've had in a long time.

 

Rating: 10/10. Roll on Season Three.

[Mr. Seven]

A mate of mine burned Season Three for me and I'm nearly finished it. Somehow, it's even better than one and two. Absolutely incredible show.

[bAzTNM Fan]

That's good to hear. I was worried I was gonna wait for so long for it, only to be disappointed it wasn't as good as the other two.Ohhh I can't wait...please tell me The Final Countdown's in it again!