November Alphabet Marathon - Discussion/Review Thread

[Rich]

As we are more than one tackling an alphabet marthon in November, please use this thread for discussion, and posting film/TV reviews etc.

If we keep the original thread - http://www.dvdcollectorsonline.com/index.php/topic,5035.0.html - just for keeping track of our marathon progress it will be easier to view each others viewing activity

Have fun all - I am not going to watch my titles in alphabetical order, as I've been hanging on until my son stays (tomorrow night) to watch Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Rich

[Tom]

I have already started this marathon 
To my defense: November starts in an hour here 




Title: Bowfinger
Year: 1999
Director: Frank Oz
Rating: PG-13
Length: 97 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1 , English: DTS 5.1 , French: Dolby Digital Surround , Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Steve Martin
Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Heather Graham
Christine Baranski

Plot:
How does Bobby Bowfinger ('Steve Martin'), Hollywood's least successful director, get Kit Ramsey ('Eddie Murphy'), Hollywood's biggest star, in his ultra low-budget film? Any way he can. With an ingenious scheme and the help of Kit's eager and nerdy brother Jiff, an ambitious and sexy wannabe ('Heather Graham') and an over-the-hill diva ('Christine Baranski'), Bowfinger sets out to trick Kit Ramsey into the performance of a lifetime. Enjoy the fun with Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin - together for the first time in the hit comedy 'BOWFINGER'.

Extras:
Commentary
Deleted Scenes
DVD-ROM Content
Featurettes
Outtakes
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

I was not sure, if I had seen this movie before. But seeing it now, I remember having it seen on TV a few years back. This is a really good comedy. I properly didn't appreciate it that much when I last saw it (maybe it was the German dub at fault).

Probably the only good movie Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy have done the last 10 years.
Eddie Murphy is doing his dual role really well. The role of Bowfinger is a perfect fit for Steve Martin. Heather Graham does the naive country girl (who turns out to be not so naive) well.

Terence Stamp was really fitting as the leader of the Scientology-like cult. Seeing him here I wonder, why they only use his voice for Jor-El in Smallville. I always had General Zod in mind before when I thought of him, but is look (at least in 1999 when this movie was made) would be perfect for the role of Jor-El.

Rating:

[Jimmy]

If we keep the original thread - http://www.dvdcollectorsonline.com/index.php/topic,5035.0.html - just for keeping track of our marathon progress it will be easier to view each others viewing activity

Something really important if we want to see the progress of everyone. When the user list is lost on a five pages thread the chance are good that the others member will not bother to watch them 

[RossRoy]

Jimmy: 

In regards to this, on the other thread:

No review this time

You need to do reviews! Even if it's just 2-3 sentences, but you still have to post your thoughts on the movies! Especially since most of what you watch is completely alien to me! 

[Achim]

Reserved my spot, just in case I will join... (not sure yet it makes sense for me). Then again:
'Unviewed' rather than 'unseen' is cool. And since I won't finish anyway (I have gaming to do and will go on a trip on November 24) I can cherry pick the letters of the alphabet

Rich, or anyone, what is '#' as opposed to 'No.'? I would have expected them to be the same

[Jimmy]

You need to do reviews! Even if it's just 2-3 sentences, but you still have to post your thoughts on the movies! Especially since most of what you watch is completely alien to me! 

I will do my best to write some reviews, but I don't promise one for all the movie watch. Those I will write will be place in my unknown movie thread.

edit : I've finally decided to make another review topic for this marathon

[RossRoy]

I've updated my marathon post with my selections.

Good luck to all!

[Jimmy]

Rich, or anyone, what is '#' as opposed to 'No.'? I would have expected them to be the same

I think that # means title starting with a symbol and No. means title starting with a number, but I'm not a mind reader so I'm not sure if my interpretation is correct. In my list, I've decided that # = number.

[Rich]

Rich, or anyone, what is '#' as opposed to 'No.'? I would have expected them to be the same

I think that # means title starting with a symbol and No. means title starting with a number, but I'm not a mind reader so I'm not sure if my interpretation is correct. In my list, I've decided that # = number.

Good spot guys - wish I had a really good answer to match but I don't 

It was a faux pas I'm afraid - sorry - I've given myself an ashamed 

[Tom]

Watched "Dachimawa Lee" as a November marathon entry today at the cinema. You can find my review here

[Rich]

1st November

Journey to the centre of the earth



Brendan Fraser stars in this action packed adventure based on the Jules Verne classic that is sure to deliver fun for the whole family! On a hunch to find the center of the Earth, Trevor Anderson (Fraser), his nephew and their tour guide make a breakthrough discovery that launches them on a thrilling journey into the unknown. On a scramble to find their way back, the group travels through a never before seen world, encountering creatures and objects never imagined

Ok, first the 3d gimmick. Certain scenes work amazingly, ie the beach and the 'electric' birds. the rest of the time it is not 'stunning' enough to warrant the hype IMO. You could certainly watch this in 2d and not miss very much.
Storyline is non-existent and fans of Verne will be disappointed. It is fast flowing and full of action, but aimed towards a 4 year-old. Cliche'd lines, and truly unbelievable scenarios, this is a poorer Goonies with reasonable acting performances. One wonders if less time was spent on 'the gimmick' whether the film could have been slightly better told and portrayed?
I can see this being a themed ride at Disney or Universal or wherever in the future.
Not a hit or a miss, but squarely in the middle.
 

[Rich]

1st November

Wanted



Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is a cube-dwelling hypochondriac, with a boss who humiliates him and a cheating girlfriend. His life is going nowhere.

Wes discovers that his estranged father has been brutally murdered and finds himself thrust into a secret society of assassins, called The Fraternity. During his training, at the hands of a skilled mentor named Fox (Angelina Jolie), this once office-bound wimp develops lightning-fast reflexes and superhuman dexterity.

However, with his first assignment, Wes finds out that the only thing more difficult than ending the lives of others, is summoning the courage to take control of his own.

WOW!
I'd heard this film was good, it's not, it is brilliant! I rarely give a 5, but no question this flick is up there with the best action movies of the last few years.
Breathtaking pace throughout, stunning stunts, brilliant acting, awesome filming, and a mind-blowing experience.
The storyline is believable, the action beyond ones imagination, all in all a step up from the action drivel that has limped out of Hollywood over the last few years.
Don't buy this if you are seeking a moving, meaningful experience, this is boy's own action at it's best with McAvoy starting to look more and more a complete actor in each role he tackles.
It is that good, I've now also ordered it in blu-ray 

A definate 

[Achim]

It is that good, I've now also ordered it in blu-ray 

A definate 

I saw it in the cinema and mostly agree. Due to what it is and a few flaws I don't hand out a :thunmbup: for this kind of film, but it's definitely a from me! I had buckets of fun watching it and am looking forwartd to the Blu-ray as well.

[Rich]

2nd November

20 years after



War, terrorism, and natural disasters have taken their toll on Earth in rapid succession, leaving a planet devoid of newborn children for almost two decades. As a miraculously pregnant survivor approaches her due date, she faces a harsh struggle for survival that brings her into contact with a radio DJ who broadcasts dim and distant messages of hope mixed with the music he scavenges from the dead

Low budget, low entertainment, lowly acting. I have seen better production in a nativity play, higher standard performances on a xmas home video, and more gripping material on the back of a cereal packet.
Avoid this and don't get suckered in by a fancy front cover.
 

[Rich]

3rd November

Slacker uprising



Michael Moore's new film is strategically timed to mobilize voters in anticipation of the 2008 United States presidential election.

Slacker Uprising takes us back to the 2004 election, when the polling margin between candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry could have tipped either way. Framed like a concert film, it captures Moore's activities as he set out on a campaign trip almost as rigorous and far-reaching as the candidates' own. He targeted young people as the demographic that could make the most difference, visiting sixty-two cities in forty-five days, and holding large rallies on college campuses. He dubbed it the Slacker Uprising Tour.

This documentary of his journey is made in the feisty spirit of independent media, budgeted at a tiny fraction of Moore's recent films. It acts like a time machine, returning us to the weeks prior to the November 2, 2004, election, when campuses across the country were exhilarated by a sense of hope and urgency. Moore masterfully foments this energy, speaking to audiences as large as fifteen thousand. He riles up the crowd with his hilarious improvisation, riffing off the day's headlines or responding to hecklers. He also brings a star-studded lineup of friends - we see appearances and performances by Roseanne Barr, Eddie Vedder, Viggo Mortensen, Steve Earle and Joan Baez, among others. His political opponents certainly take notice, lobbying schools to ban him from campus, sometimes successfully.

Although the election didn't go Moore's way, this film is a cure for the hangover that followed, and a reminder that a new political force emerged on those campuses. Young voters turned out in record numbers in 2004, reversing a trend of decline since 1972 (after the voting age lowered to eighteen). The youth vote increased even more in the following mid-term elections. If you want to understand the future of American politics, Slacker Uprising is a great place to start, showcasing what the filmmaker calls "the birth of a new political generation

As always with Moore films this is entertaining, stage managed, skilfully edited, and enlightening to a European. I'm not sure if he is a patriot or just a troublemaker, but he certainly whips up a fervour on every subject he undertakes.
Good timing for this release, it is important to note the influence of this venture did not keep the war criminal Bush from taking office for a further 4 years.
Biggest downside for me as the viewer were the many musical interludes, it kept stalling the flow of the feature IMO