Two-Weeks Movie Marathon: Unwatched Movies

[Tom]

Two-Weeks Movie Marathon

Unwatched movies

Over the course of the next two weeks I will try to reduce my unwatched movie pile.

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Catch and Release
Year: 2007
Director: Susannah Grant
Rating: PG-13
Length: 111 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40, Pan & Scan 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1 , French: Dolby Digital Surround , Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround , Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: English, French

Stars:
Jennifer Garner
Timothy Olyphant
Sam Jaeger
Kevin Smith
Juliette Lewis

Plot:
After the death of her fiancé, Gray (Jennifer Garner) moves in with her late love's best friends. While Sam (Kevin Smith) and Dennis (Sam Jaeger) do their best to cheer Gray up, Fritz (Timothy Olyphant) doesn't seem to care. Once Gray breaks through Fritz's defenses, however, she finally sees why her fiancé thought so highly of him. As they spend more time together, Gray learns that her chances for love have not died out with her fiancé. But when some surprise guests show up on their doorstep, it'll take the love of all of her new friends to help Gray learn that life may be messy, but love is messier.

Extras:
Closed Captioned
Commentary
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

Off to a bad start. This movie is a complete bore-fest. I bought it blind because Kevin Smith is in it. But he could not save this movie.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

Thanks for the warning... I was going to eventually get this one because I am a huge fan of Jennifer Garner... ever since I first saw her on Alias.

[Tom]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Flakes
Year: 2007
Director: Michael Lehmann
Rating: NR
Length: 81 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Aaron Stanford
Zooey Deschanel
Christopher Lloyd

Plot:
Miss Katz (Zooey Deschanel) desperately wants her boyfriend to ditch his dead-end job at Flakes--a bohemian cereal shop. So when an eager young businessman opens a rip-off version of this beloved neighborhood hang, Miss Katz joins the competition to bury Flakes. Stand-offs, sit-ins, pranks and clever revenge will result in victory for one half of the feisty couple, but it may just leave their relationship all soggy!

Extras:
Deleted Scenes
Trailers

My Thoughts:

Another movie I am disappointed in. I bought it, because I am a fan of Zooey Deschanel and Christopher Lloyd. The movie feels like a Clerks ripoff without the witty dialog. Christopher Lloyd plays essentially his Taxi character.
Next I will have to watch a movie I know I like from my unwatched pile before I loose interest in this marathon

Rating:

[Tom]

 

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Stardust
Year: 2007
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Rating: PG-13
Length: 128 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1 , French: Dolby Digital 5.1 , Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Charlie Cox
Claire Danes
Robert De Niro
Michelle Pfeiffer

Plot:
"Scheming princes, wicked witches, flying pirates, celestial love, a pure-hearted hero, all in a magical land. What more do you want?" raves 'Today's' Gene Shalit for 'Stardust', an epic adventure starring Claire Danes with Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro.

In hopes of wooing a beautiful girl (Sienna Miller), Tristan (Charlie Cox) promises to bring her a falling star. But he's in for the adventure of his life when he discovers the star is actually a celestial beauty named Yvaine (Danes).

When an old witch Lamia (Pfeiffer) attempts to steal Yvaine’s youth, Tristan must protect her at all costs. This magical fairytale like no other will make you laugh out loud and believe in love again.

Extras:
Closed Captioned
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Outtakes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

It was time for a film I know I like to save this marathon. I saw this at the cinema and I really liked it.
I first came to attention of this film when I saw the trailer and saw that Claire Danes is in it. She stars as a star . A role she plays really well.
What I liked about this movie: Though it walks a fine line to being a cheesy fairy tell/fantasy movie, it never crosses the line to it. Most times saved by some wise cracking ghosts

This movie also includes a hilarious supporting role for Robert De Niro and also Rick Gervais has a nice cameo.

If you like Princess Bride, I really recommend to check out this movie.

Rating:

[Tom]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Raw Deal
Year: 1986
Director: John Irvin
Rating: R
Length: 106 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1 , English: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Kathryn Harrold
Sam Wanamaker
Paul Shenar
Robert Davi

Plot:
It's Schwarzenegger at his best in this classic action smash that pits a suspended FBI agent against the Mob. But once he's in, he can't get out and when a gorgeous mole is paid off to betray him, he becomes trapped in a deadly game where loyalty means nothing and there is only one person he can trust. Prepare to take no prisoners - nobody gives him a raw deal.

Extras:
Closed Captioned
Scene Access

My Thoughts:

Seems I do not have any luck with this marathon. This is a Schwarzenegger movie I had never seen before. Probably one of his most uninteresting entries into the 80's action movie genre.

Rating:

[Achim]

If you like Princess Bride, I really recommend to check out this movie.

So far I have successfully stayed away from this film, but since you draw a comparison with Princess Bride I may have to reconsider...

Seems I do not have any luck with this marathon. This is a Schwarzenegger movie I had never seen before. Probably one of his most uninteresting entries into the 80's action movie genre.

Admit it, you forgot to check your brain at the door... Seriously, I just watched this recently and it held up very well from what I remembered. It's still the same cheesy over the top stupid Arnie-action... Nothing to write home about, but I had 90min of fun with it.

[Tom]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Casino Royale
Year: 2006
Director: Martin Campbell
Rating: PG-13
Length: 144 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1 , French: Dolby Digital Surround , Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Daniel Craig
Eva Green
Mads Mikkelsen
Judi Dench
Jeffrey Wright

Plot:
CASINO ROYALE introduces JAMES BOND before he holds his license to kill. But Bond is no less dangerous, and with two professional assassinations in quick succession, he is elevated to "00" status. "M" (Judi Dench), head of the British Secret Service, sends the newly-promoted 007 on his first mission that takes him to Madagascar, the Bahamas and eventually leads him to Montenegro to face Le Chiffre, a ruthless financier under threat from his terrorist clientele, who is attempting to restore his funds in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale. "M" places Bond under the watchful eye of the Treasury official Vesper Lynd. At first skeptical of what value Vesper can provide, Bond's interest in her deepens as they brave danger together. Le Chiffre's cunning and cruelty come to bear on them both in a way Bond could never imagine, and he learns his most important lesson: Trust no one.

Extras:
Closed Captioned
Featurettes
Music Videos
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

I have mixed feelings about this movie.
One the one hand, I like the portrayal of the new bond and I like the direction they were going with the character.
But on the other hand the main plot leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion.
The first half an hour, Bond was chasing some guy for whatever reasons (apparently it was a bomb maker), which got him into trouble with M because he killed that guy on the ground of an embassy.
Then after some investigations he goes Poker playing. Seems the bad guy needs money and his plan is to win at a Poker game.
First Bond looses and almost dies because of poisoning. Then all of a sudden he gets another shot at the game (I am not a Poker player, but I thought the aim in Hold 'em is to get the other guys terminated. How can you join again, when you have lost all in an "All In"? Or did I miss something and it was a new game?
Finally he has won the money. The bad guy is not happy and is now after Bond because of it.
After this is done, Bond decides that he is now in love with the girl he was with at the Poker game all of a sudden. Bond resigns from MI6 to be with this girl.
But then she deceives him with the Poker money because she needs it for the ransom for her boyfriend. Bond is now bitter and it seems now that this is the reason the filmmakers want us to give for why Bond never gets close to the Bond girls.

Final thought: The new Bond (character) has some promise if the scriptwriting gets better with the next movies.

Rating:

[Jon]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

First Bond looses and almost dies because of poisoning. Then all of a sudden he gets another shot at the game (I am not a Poker player, but I thought the aim in Hold 'em is to get the other guys terminated. How can you join again, when you have lost all in an "All In"? Or did I miss something and it was a new game?

It's a while since I saw it, but it was more of a new round as opposed to a new game. Poker keeps going as long as the players have money to buy in to the next round; Bond lost because he ran out after being a bit careless. M had authorised the funds, but Vespa was there to make sure it wasn't wasted and she refused to release more. Felix though believed Bond was capable and had a far better chance of winning than him, so he stepped down and gave Bond his chips. Hence he could continue...

[Tom]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Linda Linda Linda
Year: 2005
Director: Nobuhiro Yamashita
Rating: NR
Length: 115 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: Japanese: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Doona Bae
Aki Maeda
Yu Kashii
Shiori Sekine
Takayo Mimura

Plot:
Only three days before their high school festival, guitarist Kei (Yuu Kashii), drummer Kyoko (Aki Maeda of 'Battle Royale'), and bassist Nozumi (Shiori Sekine) are forced to recruit a new lead vocalist for their band. They choose Korean exchange student Son (Doona Bae of 'Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance'), though her comprehension of Japanese is a bit rough!

It's a race against time as the group struggles to learn three tunes for the festival's rock concert--including a classic '80s punk-pop song by the Japanese group The Blue Hearts called "Linda Linda"...

Extras:
Commentary
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

This is far from a cinematic masterpiece, but I enjoyed this movie. It has a realistic feel to it. It is about a bunch of girls who are participating in an high school event as a rock band. In the beginning they are much in need of practice but improve over the course of the movie with a lot of practice.
The most fun part is the Korean exchange student they asked to be the singer as they were short of a vocalist. I found the interaction of the Korean girl with the others somehow hilarious.
What I always find amazing is, that when I watch Japanese live-action movies set in high schools, how much the environment and school events matches those in animes. This is what makes animes so good, as they often portray stuff as it were live-action.

Also a lot of familiar faces from movies like Death Note, Battle Royale and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.

Rating:

Japanese trailer:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/bFkk03xoHNI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/bFkk03xoHNI</a>

Last 4 minutes of the movie (their performance at the school event):
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/CQQUEicr6d8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/CQQUEicr6d8</a>

[Jon]

That looks good fun! Bit of a School of Rock setup?

[Tom]

That looks good fun! Bit of a School of Rock setup?

Not really. It is much more a straight-forward school slice-of-live story.

[Tom]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Taxi Driver
Year: 1976
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: R
Length: 114 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1 , French: Dolby Digital 5.1 , Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo , Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: Commentary, English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Robert DeNiro
Jodie Foster
Peter Boyle
Harvey Keitel
Cybill Shepherd

Plot:
Nominated for four 1976 Academy Awards® (including Best Picture), 'TAXI DRIVER' stars 'Robert De Niro', and chronicles the mental deterioration of a man driven to violence by loneliness and desperation. Powered by an evocative score and featuring stellar performances by 'Jodie Foster', 'Albert Brooks', 'Harvey Keitel', 'Peter Boyle', and 'Cybill Shepherd', this 2-Disc Set, which includes new special features, is the ultimate Collector's Edition of this legendary classic.

Extras:
Closed Captioned
Commentary
Featurettes
Original Screenplay
Photo Gallery
Scene Access
Storyboard Comparisons
Trailers

My Thoughts:

First time I have seen this supposed classic.
Not a bad movie. It will probably never get into my top favorite movies but it was rather entertaining.
Robert DeNiro did a good job. I am not familiar with Robert DeNiro's earlier work, so I would have probably not recognized him here as a young man, wouldn't it have been for his mole

Rating:

[Jon]

Not a bad movie. It will probably never get into my top favorite movies but it was rather entertaining.

"Rather entertaining"? You sure you watched the right movie, Tom? It's supposed to represent a descent into hell so I found your reaction funny! 

You also said you weren't familiar with Robert De Niro's early work. Surely you've seen Godfather Part II?

[Tom]

Surely you've seen Godfather Part II?

No, I haven't watched any of the Godfather movies 

[Jon]

Surely you've seen Godfather Part II?

No, I haven't watched any of the Godfather movies 

Tom, you really should put that right!