Post by: DJ Doena on April 18, 2008, 10:31:37 PM
Enemy Mine (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089092/)
Dennis Quaid ... Willis Davidge
Louis Gossett Jr. ... Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan
Bumper Robinson ... Zammis
Brion James ... Stubbs
Synopsis: At the end of the 21st century the Humans are at war with the Dracs, another space-faring race. Then one day the pilot Willis E. Davidge pursues an enemy craft but crashes on a planet that can barely sustain life. But he is not alone. The enemy pilot has also crashed. At first they try to kill each other, then they work together to survive and in the end they become friends.
My Opinion: Great movie. While I like the crash-boom-bang Sci-Fi movies of recent times, I also like the story-driven classics. This movie has hardly any special effects but that doesn't matter at all. This movie is about people. First Davidge and "Jerry" and later Davidge and Zammis. The story is very well written and I love to see how Davidge and Jerry bond over the time and how Davidge cares for Zammis. Everyone who loves a good story and characters to care for should watch this, even when he/she doesn't like Sci-Fi in general.
Post by: addicted2dvd on April 18, 2008, 11:35:57 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on April 27, 2008, 11:10:22 AM
WarGames (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086567/)
Matthew Broderick ... David Lightman
Dabney Coleman ... Dr. John McKittrick
John Wood ... Dr. Stephen Falken
Ally Sheedy ... Jennifer Katherine Mack
Barry Corbin ... General Jack Beringer
Synopsis: During the Cold War the young and intelligent, but underachiving David Lightman tries to hack into a computer game company. But the games he finds are not the usual arcade games: "Air-to-ground Assault", "Biochemical Warfare" and "Global Thermonuclear War". Of course he plays the last one and of course he plays the russians. But the computer plays against him when it is asked "Is this a game or reality?" it answers "What's the difference?".
My Opinion:: Great movie from the dawn of home computers. And what he did on the computer even felt realistic compared to other "hacker movies". But I'd never start Tic-Tac-Toe in the middle field. ;)
Post by: addicted2dvd on April 27, 2008, 11:52:46 AM
Post by: Jimmy on April 27, 2008, 03:28:24 PM
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51-6qhbG5BL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
25th anniversary edition (http://www.amazon.com/Games-25th-Anniversary-James-Ackerman/dp/B0015NORDW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1209302366&sr=1-2)
Post by: DJ Doena on April 27, 2008, 03:32:59 PM
One of the first dvd that I've boughtWarGames is one of the four DVDs I've ever entered in DVDP. The "purchase date" is May 04th 2002 but I have it longer than that.
The other three are Air Force One, Braveheart (my very first DVD) and Hackers, all "purchased" on that date.
Post by: DJ Doena on May 19, 2008, 11:21:51 AM
The Way of the Warrior: Strength & Honour
The Charge of the Light Brigade
by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!" he said.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of hell
Rode the six hundred.
Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd.
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not,
Not the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honor the charge they made!
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!" he said.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of hell
Rode the six hundred.
Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd.
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not,
Not the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honor the charge they made!
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
Post by: Najemikon on May 19, 2008, 12:17:58 PM
If you like The Last Samurai, try The Twilight Samurai as well. It's a drama set around the same time and dealing with similar angles. Wonderful story.
Nice touch with the poem by the way... :thumbup:
Post by: mpengle on May 20, 2008, 07:54:09 AM
"Are you not entertained!"
Post by: DJ Doena on June 20, 2008, 08:51:02 AM
Gladiator (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172495/)
(http://www.doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler/images/thumbnails/5050582326611.5f.jpg)
Russell Crowe ... Maximus
Joaquin Phoenix ... Commudus
Connie Nielsen ... Lucilla
Oliver Reed ... Proximo
Richard Harris ... Marcus Aurelius
Derek Jacobi ... Gracchus
Djimon Hounsou ... Juba
Synopsis: General Maximus who has just conquered Germania is supposed to take the leadership of the Roman Empire after the emperor has died. But the emperor's son kills his father assumes the throne for himself and tries to kill Maximus. He can escape but becomes a slave and is being sold as "fresh meat" for the arena. There he makes a name of himself as "the Spaniard" until the day he faces the new emperor again.
My Opinion: Great movie. Loved it from the first time I ever saw it. Had to buy the extended version at once. Has a lot of quotable scenes in it that I can recite both in english and in german. While I am oppsosed to dubbing in general they did a great job with this, the german voice of Maximus is well chosen. I loved the battles in the arena, especially the "battle of Carthage".
Post by: DJ Doena on June 20, 2008, 08:51:26 AM
A Knight's Tale (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183790/)
(http://www.doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler/images/thumbnails/4030521703315.5f.jpg)
Heath Ledger ... Sir William Thatcher / Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein from Gelderland
Rufus Sewell ... Count Adhemar of Anjou
Shannyn Sossamon ... Lady Jocelyn
Paul Bettany ... Geoffrey Chaucer
Laura Fraser ... Kate the Farrier
Mark Addy ... Roland
Alan Tudyk ... Wat Falhurst
Synopsis: Will, Roland and Wat have a problem: their master, a former over-the-hill champion has just died during a tournament of jousting and they haven't eaten for three days. Will decides to finish the joust in his master's stead and succeeds. But what now? Now Will impersonates a knight and competes in the tournaments throughout France until he meets his greatest challenge at the World Championships in London.
My Opinion: I've decided to switch between more serious movies and more funnier ones. A Knight's Tale is also a very good movie and watching it made me sad that Heath Ledger has already gone. The music is great and the story is funny and yet bears a certain seriousness, It asks a very important question: "What makes a man 'noble'", a question that will come up again in Braveheart. I also liked how they used the music in the certain scenes (e.g. the dance scene).
Post by: DJ Doena on June 20, 2008, 08:51:51 AM
Braveheart (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112573/)
(http://www.doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler/images/thumbnails/4010232004277.5f.jpg)
Mel Gibson ... William Wallace
James Cosmo ... Campbell
Brian Cox ... Argyle Wallace
Patrick McGoohan ... Longshanks, King Edward I
Peter Hanly ... Edward, Prince of Wales
Sophie Marceau ... Princess Isabelle
Angus Macfadyen ... Robert the Bruce
Catherine McCormack ... Murron MacClannough
Brendan Gleeson ... Hamish Campbell
David O'Hara ... Stephen, Irish Fighter
Synopsis: William Wallace's father and brother haven fallen in battle while he was young. His uncle has taken him to France and Rome but now he has returned home: Scotland. Scotland is ruled by the english king Longshanks but when an english magistrate kills Wallace's wife he starts a rebellion and that rebellion escalates into a war for the freedom of Scotland.
My Opinion: The very first DVD I ever bought and one of the first movies I've watched in english. The movie isn't historical correct but hey - it's a movie and history is written by those who hanged their heroes. ;) What I also liked about this movie was the fact that the people bled when they received blows by swords, axes and other sharp objects while in the sword-fighting movies of the fifties and sixties no wounds were to be seen. The good guy usually stabbed the bad guy in the belly and then the bad guy fell from a wall or a cliff. But not in Braveheart. Here throats are slit, extremeties hacked off and skulls are cracked open. But in the end, they've won their freedom.
Post by: DJ Doena on June 20, 2008, 08:52:13 AM
The Three Musketeers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108333/)
(http://www.doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler/images/thumbnails/4011846004011.5f.jpg)
Charlie Sheen ... Aramis
Kiefer Sutherland ... Athos
Chris O'Donnell ... d'Artagnan
Oliver Platt ... Porthos
Tim Curry ... Cardinal Richelieu
Rebecca De Mornay ... Lady Sabine DeWinter
Synopsis: The Musketeers are disbanded and the protection of the french king is done by the Cardinal's personal guard. But he plans to assassinate the young king and take his place. But there are three Musketeers that won't give up: Athos, Porthos and Aramis - and a young man who wanted to join the Musketeers: d'Artagnan. Together they fight to protect the king: One for all and all for one.
My Opinion: I've been loving sword movies for a long time. Scaramouche, The Three Musketeers, The Man in the Iron Mask, The Count of Monte Christo. I watched them all long before they were remade in the nineties. This one I also enjoyed very much, but mainly due to the three original Musketeers and the brilliant Tim Curry. And I love the song sung by Brian Adams, Sting and Rod Stewart. I can listen to it every day. The Three Musketeers was one of my favourite childhood books.
Post by: DJ Doena on June 20, 2008, 08:52:37 AM
The Last Samurai (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325710/)
(http://www.doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler/images/thumbnails/7321921283833.5f.jpg)
Ken Watanabe ... Katsumoto
Tom Cruise ... Nathan Algren
Tony Goldwyn ... Colonel Bagley
Masato Harada ... Omura
Timothy Spall ... Simon Graham
Shichinosuke Nakamura ... Emperor Meiji
Shin Koyamada ... Nobutada
Hiroyuki Sanada ... Ujio
Shun Sugata ... Nakao
Koyuki ... Taka
Synopsis: Captain Algren is a war veteran and a drunk. But then the japanese offer him 3 years of Captain's pay for 6 month of work. His job is to train the new japanese army in the use of firearms. But although it isn't ready this new army has to fight against the acient protectors of Japan: the Samurai. Many die in that battle and Algren gets captured by the leader of teh Samurai: Katsumoto. During the winter he stays with them and learns about them. When he returns the next spring he has become a Samurai.
My Opinion: Another great movie about honour. I admire strong yet honourable warriors, that's why I love the Klingons in Star Trek (from The Next Generation onwards) and the Jaffa like Teal'c in Stargate SG-1. The movie was a bit unrealistic in regards to wounds (especially Algren's) but the battles were great. I adore the Samurai Katana. When I learned that Ken Watanabe would play the general in Letters from Iwo Jima I was excited.
Post by: DJ Doena on June 20, 2008, 08:52:58 AM
Dragonheart (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116136/)
(http://www.doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler/images/thumbnails/4030521297487.5f.jpg)
Dennis Quaid ... Bowen
David Thewlis ... King Einon
Pete Postlethwaite ... Gilbert of Glockenspur
Dina Meyer ... Kara
Jason Isaacs ... Lord Felton
Brian Thompson ... Brok
Synopsis: When the young prince Einon is dying, his mother persuades a dragon to give him half his heart. Although Einon has been taught about the old ways both by his mother and his sword teacher Bowen he becomes as ruthless as his father was. Bowen blames the dragon and becomes a dragon slayer. But then he meets Draco, the last of his kind. Then they take the fight to Einon because Draco has also a score to settle with him.
My Opinion: Sean Connery has done a marvellous job in voicing Draco (although the german voice of Mario Adorf (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Adorf) isn't that bad either) and Dennis Quaid is a great knight of the old ways. I enjoyed it very much and often forgot that Draco is "just an animation". Funny thing is, this was the first time I ever saw David Thewlis and when he was cast as Remus Lupin in Harry Potter I was sceptical (because he was a bad guy here) but it worked very well (the fact that I don't like the third Harry Potter movie that much aside).
Post by: DJ Doena on September 13, 2008, 05:44:05 PM
And suddenly I had this huge urge to watch my "Karl May (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_May) Collection".
Starting of course with Winnetou I - III.
I've read most of the "Old Shatterhand (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Shatterhand)" and "Kara Ben Nemsi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara_Ben_Nemsi)" novels of May's when I was a child and I also liked the movies, even though they differ from the books.
The movies still have a certain appeal to me and I liked to watch them again, but I also felt the need to read at least the first Winnetou book again. Karl May has never been to America when he had written the books and they depict a certain view on the land with noble natives and white villains who try to play white settlers and the army against the natives. But he also maintained a balance, neither natives nor white people are a homogeneous group and both groups have traitors in their midst.
Now I am watching "Der Schatz im Silbersee" ("Treasure of Silver Lake") which was even made before the first "Spaghetti Westerns".
Post by: DJ Doena on September 13, 2008, 11:48:27 PM
(The Heartbreak Kid)
I own quite a few (comedy) romance movies and I like most of them, the cheerful ones as well as the ones with the more blunt humor. I own Mary and Polly with Ben Stiller and I like them, too.
But I've been rarely as bored as I was with this movie. I never laughed once and rarely had the urge to at least smile - and if I did smile I can't remember and the credits are still rolling.
:thumbdown:
PS: It was a blind buy and one of the worst of that.
PPS: If it weren't nearly midnight, I would watch a movie were something gets blown into pieces just to cheer me up.
Post by: DJ Doena on December 14, 2008, 04:28:42 PM
Independence Day (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116629/)
(http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/images/thumbnails/4010232008817.5f.jpg) (http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/?lastmedia=4010232008817.5)
Will Smith ... Captain Steven Hiller
Bill Pullman ... President Thomas J. Whitmore
Jeff Goldblum ... David Levinson
Mary McDonnell ... First Lady Marilyn Whitmore
Judd Hirsch ... Julius Levinson
Robert Loggia ... General William Grey
Randy Quaid ... Russell Casse
Margaret Colin ... Constance Spano
Vivica A. Fox ... Jasmine Dubrow
Adam Baldwin ... Major Mitchell
Brent Spiner ... Dr. Brackish Okun
Synopsis: July, 2nd. Some aliens come in a huge ship. They place their UFOs all over the world and blow everything apart. July, 3rd. We try to strike back and fail miserably. July, 4th. We give them a cold and blow them apart.
My Opinion: Great movie. Love it. It's so cheesy that falls out of the bottom of the scale and comes back from the top of it. The characters are so overdrawn that you can't take them seriously and that saves the movie. Imagine you would have to look at this movie with a serious eye. The president that fights in the final battle, the drunken pilot that saves the day, the scientist that writes a computer virus for an alien computer and Will Smith in the middle of it.
Post by: DJ Doena on December 14, 2008, 04:56:49 PM
Armageddon (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120591/)
(http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/images/thumbnails/4011846003465.5f.jpg) (http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/?lastmedia=4011846003465.5)
Bruce Willis ... Harry S. Stamper
Billy Bob Thornton ... Dan Truman, NASA Administrator
Ben Affleck ... A.J. Frost
Liv Tyler ... Grace Stamper
Will Patton ... Charles 'Chick' Chapple
Steve Buscemi ... Rockhound
William Fichtner ... Colonel William Sharp, Shuttle Freedom Pilot
Owen Wilson ... Oscar Choi, Geologist
Michael Clarke Duncan ... Jayotis 'Bear' Kurleenbear
Peter Stormare ... Lev Andropov, Russian Cosmonaut
Ken Hudson Campbell ... Max Lennert
Jessica Steen ... Jennifer Watts, Shuttle Freedom Co-Pilot
Keith David ... Lt. General Kimsey
Jason Isaacs ... Dr. Ronald Quincy, Research
Synopsis: A meteor the size of Texas in on its way to Earth and it's hitting us in 18 days. It will be a 'Global Killer', the end of mankind. And there's only one way to save us: Send a oil drilling team up there and blow it up from the inside with a nuke. But oil drillers are a tough crowd and not trained astronauts. Will this ever going to work?
My Opinion: This is another movie I enjoy a lot. It has a great soundtrack and a great look, I especially like the non-destructive effects, like the take-off of the shuttles and the look of the meteor. I also like the characters, they are so comic-like: Rockhound, Bear, Lev. This is also a movie one can't take seriously or one can't appreciate it. And although he was portrayed in a very chlichéd way, I liked it that Russia was allowed to help saving the world - whereas ID4 was basically an all-american gig.
Post by: Najemikon on December 14, 2008, 05:16:21 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on December 14, 2008, 05:18:27 PM
Deep Impact (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120647/)
(http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/images/thumbnails/0678149096828.5f.jpg) (http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/?lastmedia=0678149096828.5)
Robert Duvall ... Capt. Spurgeon 'Fish' Tanner
Téa Leoni ... Jenny Lerner
Elijah Wood ... Leo Beiderman
Morgan Freeman ... President Tom Beck
Maximilian Schell ... Jason Lerner
James Cromwell ... Alan Rittenhouse
Laura Innes ... Beth Stanley
Leelee Sobieski ... Sarah Hotchner
Synopsis: A meteor the size of ? in on its way to Earth and it's hitting us in 18
My Opinion: Ironically this movie has - when using ten words or less - the same story as Armageddon and it came out in the very same year (1998) and yet it's totally different. They have more time to intercept the meteor, they are sending real astronauts, it's more serious about the whole topic and it shows more of the life on Earth during that time. But I have to confess, I like Armageddon more. I think this is a good movie, but due to its seriousness one has to be in the mood watch it.
Post by: DJ Doena on December 14, 2008, 05:21:40 PM
I like Armageddon too, but the ending with Bruce almost pushes it to breaking point! I did like what I heard the other day in a review of The Day The Earth Stood Still; that film is apparently dreadful and the reviewer wished they'd had a little more fun, like ID4 or this. It may be OTT patriotic cheese, but it's very bloody exciting! Which is what films like these should always be. In fact he went on to say, you're supposed to care about the fate of the world, which you can't help but do with the others, but with Day, he couldn't care less. So they kind of ram it down our throats in Armageddon, but at least it's there with a bit of passion.
I read about TDTESS that it's the third time after Matrix and Constantine that Keanu Reeves had the same suit on and played with the same stoic face. ;)
Post by: DJ Doena on December 14, 2008, 06:25:58 PM
Demolition Man (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106697/)
(http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/images/thumbnails/7321921129858.5f.jpg) (http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/?lastmedia=7321921129858.5)
Sylvester Stallone ... John Spartan
Wesley Snipes ... Simon Phoenix
Sandra Bullock ... Lt. Lenina Huxley
Nigel Hawthorne ... Dr. Raymond Cocteau
Benjamin Bratt ... Alfredo Garcia
Bob Gunton ... Chief George Earle
Glenn Shadix ... Associate Bob
Denis Leary ... Edgar Friendly
Synopsis: Los Angeles, 1996. Detective Spartan arrests the maniac Simon Phoenix but several hostages are killed in the process. Both Phoenix and Spartan are convicted and brought to the new cryo prison. San Angeles, 2032. Simon Phoenix manages to escape during a probation hearing and causes havox in a now peaceful world. Only an old-school cop like Spartan can stop an old-school criminal like Phoenix. But Spartan has a hard time to fit into a world where swearing is forbidden and Pizza Hut has won the franchise wars.
My Opinion: Yet another movie that takes itself too seriously. The action scenes between Sly and Wesley were quite enjoyable and the scenes between Sly and Sandra were really funny. I loved all those 80s references like Lethal Weapon, Love Boat and of course the side blow to Arnie and the "Schwarzenegger Library". The question this movie asks is whether we really would like to live in a over-nurturing, perfect and boring world like this or whether would belong to Friendly's rebels.
Post by: DJ Doena on December 14, 2008, 07:02:00 PM
Daylight (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116040/)
(http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/images/thumbnails/3259190738911.5f.jpg) (http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/?lastmedia=3259190738911.5)
Sylvester Stallone ... Kit Latura
Amy Brenneman ... Madelyne Thompson
Viggo Mortensen ... Roy Nord
Dan Hedaya ... Frank Kraft
Jay O. Sanders ... Steven Crighton
Karen Young ... Sarah Crighton
Claire Bloom ... Eleanor Trilling
Vanessa Bell Calloway ... Grace Calloway
Renoly Santiago ... Mikey
Colin Fox ... Roger Trilling
Danielle Harris ... Ashley Crighton
Trina McGee ... LaTonya
Marcello Thedford ... Kadeem
Sage Stallone ... Vincent
Synopsis: Chemical waste is brought illiegally through the New York-New Jersey tunnel. Thieves who have just robbed a jewelry store try to escape and ram these trucks. This causes an explosion and both sides of the tunnel collapse. Kit Latura, limo driver and fired chief of Emergency Medical Services goes in and tries to rescue possible survivors. But there are a lot of obstacles: The fires are still burning, the tunnel is getting flooded and the walls are caving in.
My Opinion: Technically this is not a Science-Fiction movie, but I was in the mood for another Sly movie and a lot of stuff gets blown up here. ;) It's a standard action no-brainer with all kind of action scenes, but also a lot of personal drama, like the decision when you actively have to leave someone behind and you'll know he is going to die alone but there's nothing you can do.
As you can see I watch a whole lot of movies that have plotholes the size of the moon and yet there are some story elements that bug me - even in such movies. In this one it was the mayor's(?) decision to re-open both ends of the tunnel now. Why? Because the tunnel is an traffic artery and she needs to send cars through it again. --- In reality such a tunnel would be closed for months for inspections and repairs even if it wouldn't collapse the minute they open the ends.
Post by: Najemikon on December 14, 2008, 07:24:45 PM
I read about TDTESS that it's the third time after Matrix and Constantine that Keanu Reeves had the same suit on and played with the same stoic face. ;)
:laugh: I like Keanu Reeves. In the right role, he's very effective. But he's had a lot of wrong roles!
Post by: Tom on December 14, 2008, 07:26:14 PM
As chance would have it, I had planned to watch Armageddon today, as it has been a while that I have seen it.
Post by: DJ Doena on December 14, 2008, 07:40:32 PM
Post by: Tom on December 14, 2008, 07:44:23 PM
And now you won't? ;)
No, I will. You didn't scare me off ;D
I remember the year, when both Armageddon and Deep Impact was at the cinema and we chose to watch Deep Impact. It was a fine movie, but Armageddon was more fun to watch even if it's totally ridiculous and patriotic.
Post by: DJ Doena on December 14, 2008, 08:13:16 PM
Galaxy Quest (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0177789/)
(http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/images/thumbnails/0678149091397.5f.jpg) (http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/?lastmedia=0678149091397.5)
Tim Allen ... Jason Nesmith
Sigourney Weaver ... Gwen DeMarco
Alan Rickman ... Alexander Dane
Tony Shalhoub ... Fred Kwan
Sam Rockwell ... Guy Fleegman
Daryl Mitchell ... Tommy Webber
Enrico Colantoni ... Mathesar
Robin Sachs ... Sarris
Synopsis: Jason Nesmith is a former TV star who played the role of "Commander Taggart" in a show called "Galaxy Quest". Now he attends conventions, gives autographs and opens electronic stores. His co-stars aren't doing much better. But then some real aliens come to Jason in the believe that all the stories about the "N.S.E.A. Protector" and its crew are also real. And they need him and his crew to save their race.
My Opinion: I've been a Star Trek for a long time but I've never been that fanatic that I can't enjoy a good parody or homage like this one or the german "USS Highlander" movies. I especially liked the well chosen cast with Tim Allen as Shatner copy (when the stone alien ripped his shirt off, he even walked like Shatner in TOS ;)), Rickman who is this Shakespeare actor and basically hates his GQ role by now, the tough Alien woman Weaver who is now doomed to repeat the computer and Rockwell as prototypical Redshirt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshirt). And of course the geeky fans who dissect every episode for canonical errors. ;D
Post by: DJ Doena on December 14, 2008, 08:45:23 PM
I, Robot (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343818/)
(http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/images/thumbnails/4010232031501.5f.jpg) (http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/?lastmedia=4010232031501.5)
Will Smith ... Del Spooner
Bridget Moynahan ... Susan Calvin
Alan Tudyk ... Sonny
James Cromwell ... Dr. Alfred Lanning
Bruce Greenwood ... Lawrence Robertson
Adrian Ricard ... Granny
Chi McBride ... Lt. John Bergin
Shia LaBeouf ... Farber
Synopsis: U.S. Robotics is producing and selling robots that work under the Three Laws of Robotics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Laws_of_Robotics). The current series NS-4 is soon to be replaced by the NS-5 series which have an constant uplink to the central computer and can receive updates this way. But for personal reasons Detective Spooner doesn't trust robots and when one day on of the major scientiets of the robot project is killed, Spooner suspects that it was a robot who did it. But he is the only one who thinks so - until it is too late.
My Opinion: I've never read any of Asimov's stories, which is a shame actually. But I knew the basic story and thought that they made a good movie out of it. Sometimes the action was a bit over the top, especially in the Spooner-vs-masses-of-robots scenes but on the other hand, if they would have used less it wouldn't have felt right either, as they hadn't enough money or computer power to render more. And they managed to let me feel empathy for the non-human character whose face was rendered based on Alan Tudyk (A Knight's Tale, Firefly), who also spoke Sonny.
Post by: DJ Doena on December 14, 2008, 09:58:18 PM
The Island (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399201/)
(http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/images/thumbnails/7321921717307.5f.jpg) (http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/?lastmedia=7321921717307.5)
Ewan McGregor ... Lincoln Six Echo / Tom Lincoln
Scarlett Johansson ... Jordan Two Delta / Sarah Jordan
Djimon Hounsou ... Albert Laurent
Sean Bean ... Dr. Merrick
Steve Buscemi ... James McCord
Michael Clarke Duncan ... Starkweather Two Delta
Ethan Phillips ... Jones Three Echo
Brian Stepanek ... Gandu Three Echo
Synopsis: Lincoln 6 Echo and Jordan 2 Delta are two of few survivors of an environmental disaster. Now they live in an isolated facility with a few thousand other survivors and their only hope is that they win in the lottery and can leave for The Island, the last place on Earth where people can live directly under the sky. But Lincoln starts to ask questions because he has weird dreams he can't explain and when he finds out the terrible truth, everything changes.
My Opinion: Some people compared this movie to Logan's Run but I can see only a few minor parallels, IMHO not enough to really compare these movies. The movie basically flows by from one chase scene to the next. There's not that much plot in it, but it's enjoyable to watch.
Post by: DJ Doena on December 14, 2008, 10:46:26 PM
The Day After Tomorrow (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0319262/)
(http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/images/thumbnails/4010232027757.5f.jpg) (http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/?lastmedia=4010232027757.5)
Dennis Quaid ... Jack Hall
Jake Gyllenhaal ... Sam Hall
Emmy Rossum ... Laura Chapman
Dash Mihok ... Jason Evans
Jay O. Sanders ... Frank Harris
Sela Ward ... Dr. Lucy Hall
Austin Nichols ... J.D.
Arjay Smith ... Brian Parks
Tamlyn Tomita ... Janet Tokada
Sasha Roiz ... Parker
Ian Holm ... Terry Rapson
Synopsis: When a huge ice shell the size of Rhode Island breaks off the arcic shelf, Dr. Hall warns the scientific community that a climatic shift is coming. And it actually is but it comes even faster than Dr. Hall had expected it. But nobody believes Hall until it's too late for many people. The north-atlantic current is breaking down and the temperatures in the northern hemisphere are quickly dropping below zero and people start to die by the thousands. And Hall's son is stuck in New York, fighting for survival.
My Opinion: Luckily they haven't translated the title or it would simply be called "Übermorgen" in german. ;) What I liked about this movie is that the catastrophe actually happened. That they didn't invent some astronomical blow-dryer to reheat the Earth. That they actually put the irony in it that the survivors of the so-called first-world countries had to seek refuge in the less developed countries. The one thing I didn't like was that the Vice President survived, he caused so many death due to his ignorance and yet he gets the promotion. :yucky:
Post by: Tom on December 14, 2008, 11:06:36 PM
or the german "USS Highlander" movies.
"Captain Norad, bitte auf die Brücke!"
Those were great fan movies (long time before there were countless of those on the internet). Especially the first two (these I transfered them to DVD recently). I even bought them on VHS at the time. Sadly they will not release them on DVD because they do not want to take chances because of copyright issues.
Post by: DJ Doena on December 14, 2008, 11:16:42 PM
But luckily Captain Norad blew that up and they got a new one. ;)
Here's the trailer to part 4 of that fan project:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdA6m4QVkTg
Post by: Najemikon on December 14, 2008, 11:33:38 PM
This is a great little marathon your doing, Karsten. I remember getting I, Robot and The Day After Tomorrow both from Ebay at the same time and enjoying both of them a great deal more than I expected. Both got a lot of flak, unfairly so. I, Robot did have a lot of hidden advertising, but it was hardly detrimental. Well, I hardly noticed anyway, yet it was a huge sticking point for a lot of people.
Post by: DJ Doena on December 14, 2008, 11:44:16 PM
War of the Worlds (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407304/)
(http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/images/thumbnails/4010884529906.5f.jpg) (http://doena-soft.de/phpdvdprofiler_en/?lastmedia=4010884529906.5)
Tom Cruise ... Ray Ferrier
Dakota Fanning ... Rachel Ferrier
Miranda Otto ... Mary Ann
Justin Chatwin ... Robbie
Tim Robbins ... Harlan Ogilvy
David Alan Basche ... Tim
Synopsis: There are some weird storms and some lightning hits the ground. Shortly after machines come out of the ground, machines that have been there since before the first houses were built there. And these machines, these tripods, destroy everything in their path and kill any human being. Ray, who has both his childs over for the weekend, does anything that's necessary to protect his family and the first thing on that list is: running like hell.
My Opinion: The story War of the Worlds is well known - especially how it ends. And I liked it that they didn't make a hero movie out of it. I think it was a great idea that Ray was neither hero nor anti-hero but just a regular guy who doesn't know what to do just like the rest of mankind. Dakota's character was a bit too annoying for my taste.
This was the first time I watched the DVD after I had seen the movie in the theatre and I enjoyed it again. But what someone else said is also true: If the Ferriers would have had a dog, the dog would have made it to Boston, too. ;)
So that's it. I did watch WotW yesterday evening and as you can see in my signature strip I totally changed genre this morning.
Post by: DJ Doena on December 14, 2008, 11:50:49 PM
This is a great little marathon your doing, Karsten. I remember getting I, Robot and The Day After Tomorrow both from Ebay at the same time and enjoying both of them a great deal more than I expected. Both got a lot of flak, unfairly so. I, Robot did have a lot of hidden advertising, but it was hardly detrimental. Well, I hardly noticed anyway, yet it was a huge sticking point for a lot of people.
As I said, it wasn't really intended as marathon, it just happened. That's the reason the reviews are all dropping in today.
Product placement has become a minor annoyance in today's movies, but I didn't find it that bad in I, Robot. I only remember Smith's basketball shoes, but I don't even remember the company (Nike? Rebok?) and of course Audi's concept car.
Apropos product placement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaSLTb7njVE (a better version unfortunately can't be embedded)
So, it's nearly midnite, I am going to bed...
Post by: Jimmy on December 15, 2008, 05:36:02 AM
Some people compared this movie to Logan's Run but I can see only a few minor parallels, IMHO not enough to really compare these movies.Wrong movie ;)
If you want to know what movie this is a ripoff of (I use this word with a very good reason, since it is one) you will have to watch this one made in 1979 :
(http://aesppres.com/phpdvdprofiler/images/thumbnails/843276011291f.jpg)
Somewhere in California is hidden a mysterious industrial complex. Apparently well known to certain privileged members of the inner circles of government, this factory has only one product: human clones...
Raised in a state of blissful ignorance, both about their origins and their ultimate fate, the clones dream of 'America' - where, so their guardians tell them, they will one day be sent. But what happens when one of these farmed clones starts to ask difficult questions... and comes looking for the real America?
An interview with Robert Fiveson the director of Clonus here (http://agonybooth.com/agonizer/Robert_Fiveson_Interview_2006.aspx) and more there (http://agonybooth.com/parts/island.asp)
Something that I've absolutly no respect for : stealing everything from an old unknown movie and let the public think that it's an original idea.
Dreamworks was prosecuted for this, but it was settled before the trial for an unknown ammount of money.