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The Men Who Stare at Goats, a review by RossRoy

WHAT THEY SAY

In this comedic look at real life evetns that are almost too bizarre to believe, reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) teams up with Lyn Cassidy (George Clooney) and discovers an experimental top-secret wing of the U.S. military. Here soldiers are trained to change the ways wars are fought through New Age psychic powers by passing through walls, reading the enemy's thoughts and even killing a goat by simply staring at it. Inspired by Jon Ronson's non-fiction best-seller of the same name, this is an eye-opening and hilarious story of the government's attempts to harness soldier's paranormal abilities in order to combat its enemies.

MY THOUGHTS

I really liked this movie! It's not an out and out comedy. It is really absurd at times, and it does have moments of laugh out loud moments. All four main actors are really great in their role. I particularly loved Kevin Spacey.. but I do have a "soft spot" for him. I like him in pretty much anything he's done.

RATING

(From RossRoy's Random Viewings on March 28th, 2010)

The Lost, a review by Jimmy

Title: The Lost (2005)

Genre:
Director: Chris Sivertson (I Know Who Killed Me)         
Rating: Unrated
Length: 1h59
Video: Widescreen
Audio: English
Subtitles: CC

Stars:
Marc Senter (Timecop: The Berlin Decision)
Shay Astar (3rd Rock from the SunElephant)
Megan Henning (I Know Who Killed Me)   
Robin Sydney (Masters of Horror - Right to Die)

Plot:It's not often that I decide to buy a recent movie (in fact this one was released this week), but the story seems interesting and I've heard many good things about the book.

I will be pretty short with this review. The story is interesting, but the way is done not. The idea of showing how a killer lost slowly his mind because of the guilt is interesting (but maybe it's not what the director wants to do). Now, I will go with what I don't like in this movie. The actor playing Ray Pye (Marc Senter) is a bad actor : he overact, he have no facial expression and he can't render an emotion (sorry but the end is awfull). The music doesn't help the movie at all, none of the song help the mood they're just there to be there. The use of a song in a movie for me need a reason otherwise why bother. I hate the MTV editing, this is not a proof of talent any talentless director can do that (it's not a surprise to see what is the other directing job of Sivertson). Another thing, why use grainy image if they're no reasons to do it? Just because it's cool.

Just a last thing about the movie resume : I probably don't know what is a co-star in a movie. Dee Wallace is in there less than 2 minutes and everybody could have played her role. Misty Mundae is just there to get naked (not that it's something bad) and get killed, certainly not a staring role for me.

Just another exemple of why American cinema doesn't work anymore. A talentless director who know nothing about how to make a movie, except what he have seen on MTV. Sorry a movie is a movie, not a fucking video clip or a publicity.

If you are not bother as much as me with this way to do a movie it's possible that you could like it, since the story is good. But if you are like me, I don't recommand this one at all.   

Rating : 

(From The little known movie review depot on March 22nd, 2008)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Dead Like Me: Season One (2003/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia MGM Home Entertainment (United States) Length: 627 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Subtitles:

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Plot:
You're about to be collected. "Winningly eccentric" (LA Daily News) and "insistently irreverent" (People), this groundbreaking, original series delivers you into a realm of shockingly funny characters and twisted narratives you'll find completely "addictive" (NY Daily News)!

When an errant toilet seat from the falling Mir Space Station puts an abrupt end to her life, George (Ellen Muth) discovers that death is nothing like she thought it would be. Recruited to collect the souls of others as they die, she suddenly finds herself an unwilling participant in a line of work she never knew existed: Grim Reaping!


Dead Like Me
1.01 Pilot
Writer: Bryan Fuller (Writer)
Director: Scott Winant
Cast: Ellen Muth (Georgia 'George' Lass), Rebecca Gayheart (Betty Rhomer), Callum Blue (Mason), Jasmine Guy (Roxy Harvey), Greg Kean (Clancy Lass), Britt McKillip (Reggie Lass), Christine Willes (Delores Herbig), Cynthia Stevenson (Joy Lass), Mandy Patinkin (Rube Sofer), Jodelle Micah Ferland (Kirsti), David Lewis (Dave Romain), Matthew Currie Holmes (Record Store Employee), Deb Podowski (Becky), Brad Sihvon (Brett), Sean Amsing (Druggie #1), Stefan Arngrim (Druggie #2), William MacDonald (Doug), Blu Mankuma (Duane), Reg Tupper (Ray), Kevin Blatch (Teller #1), Meghan Black (Teller #2), Darrin Klimek (Data Entry Guy), Tammy Pentecost (Piano Woman), David Kaye (Brad), John Shaw (Byron), Trever Havixbeck (Police Officer), Carin Moffat (Brenda), Mary Ann Skoll (June Cleaver Type), Art Kitching (Tom), Jim S. Smith (Security Guard), David Hurtubise (Older Man), Peter Bryant (Train Porter), Patricia Idlette (Waitress), Laura Boddington (UnGeorge), Jacob Chaos (Un Mason)

Good pilot to a good series. Sadly it only lasted two seasons. Luckily there is a TV movie made a few years later, which brings some closure to the characters.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on April 2nd, 2011)