Post by: DJ Doena on January 04, 2009, 11:16:04 AM
The Dark Knight (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/)
Christian Bale ... Bruce Wayne / Batman
Heath Ledger ... The Joker
Aaron Eckhart ... Harvey Dent / Two-Face
Michael Caine ... Alfred Pennyworth
Maggie Gyllenhaal ... Rachel Dawes
Gary Oldman ... James Gordon
Morgan Freeman ... Lucius Fox
Synopsis: Batman, Lt. Gordon and DA Harvey Dent have become a very efficient team and they dealt some major blows to Gotham's underworld. But now Batman gets a new class of enemy: The Joker. The Joker has no plan, he has no goal beside causing havoc and creating chaos. And he's very good at what he does. But can he force Batman to cross the line?
My Opinion: A great continuation to the great first movie. I always liked the first two Batman movies and I never really liked the cheesy third and especially fourth movie. Although I've never read any Batman comic I've always felt that it had to be dark and dirty and sometimes morally grey. Batman is no bright character for me. And although it had many comic elements in it Batman Begins felt very realistic. And The Dark Knight is the perfect sequel. It continues where the first movie left off - and I love the Joker. When he first told the story about how he got the scars I thought they were going to blew it and then was relieved when he then told yet another - totally different - story and thus remained his mysteriousness. But to be perfectly honest, I had expected that the "good people" on the ferry would pull the trigger. And then have themselves blown up. That would be totally in the line of Joker's thinking IMHO. If I were to give stars, what I rarely do, I'd give 9.5 out of 10.
Post by: addicted2dvd on January 04, 2009, 11:34:04 AM
Another one I can't wait for my copy to show up. Even though I enjoyed all the Batman movies... I do agree it is better when they are dark. And Batman Begins is an excellent movie. So I am glad to hear this one is just as dark and a great follow-up.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 04, 2009, 11:36:47 AM
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102798/)
Kevin Costner ... Robin Hood
Morgan Freeman ... Azeem
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio ... Marian Dubois
Christian Slater ... Will Scarlett
Alan Rickman ... Sheriff of Nottingham
Michael Wincott ... Guy of Gisborne
Nick Brimble ... Little John
Sean Connery ... King Richard
Synopsis: When Robin of Locksley returns home from the crusades, he finds his home burned down and his father killed. Behind this are the Guy of Gisborne and his cousin, the Sheriff of Nottingham. They try to forge an alliance of "noblemen" against the absent King Richard "The Lionheart" and to rob him of his throne. They supress the common folk to finance this plot. But Robin stands up to them and he uses Sherwood Forrest as his base of operations.
My Opinion: I've never understood why Kevin Costner was suddenly "out". I like most of his movies and I like this one, too. Alan Rickman plays an excellent opponent with some comical elements. Although the movie is trying to tell the story earnestly they also insterted enough funny elements to make it not too serious. I also really liked the rants of Azeem when he complains about the english's lack of education but that he is considered the "barbarian".
And the appearance of Sean Connery, however short, crowned the movie for me.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 04, 2009, 12:00:12 PM
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325980/)
Johnny Depp ... Jack Sparrow
Geoffrey Rush ... Barbossa
Orlando Bloom ... Will Turner
Keira Knightley ... Elizabeth Swann
Jack Davenport ... Norrington
Jonathan Pryce ... Governor Weatherby Swann
Synopsis: The pirate captain Jack Sparrow is coincidentally nearby when the daughter of Port Royal's governor nearly drowns and he saves her. But that lands himself in a cell. Ho won't stay there long. In the night after the "Black Pearl", a feared pirate ship, comes to Port Royal and kidnaps Miss Swann. Only Jack knows where she's been taken the blacksmith Will Turner teams up with him to rescue her. And now begins a wild chase across the Caribbean.
My Opinion: This was a great movie. Alas, if it has just remained one. Just like with The Matrix nobody can tell me they actually knew they were doing more than one movie and that they had a plan what was going to happen in the sequels. But this is about this movie and this movie was cool. It had all the fun and action a movie needs. It takes the whole pirates genre totally unseriously and makes a great fun out of it. And to be honest: This could only work with the current special effects. Remember how the skeletons walked in Army of Darkness? Back then this movie could have never worked. Nowadays (visual) special effects are mostly used to blow something up or destroy it in another way. But to use them in a totally un-technical movie, in sword-fights - it made the movie whole.
This was once again a very "intelligent" solution of the german title translators. They made it "Curse of the Carribean". And when part two came out they didn't know what to do, so they called it simply "Curse of the Carribean 2". :slaphead:
Post by: DJ Doena on January 04, 2009, 12:29:36 PM
A History of Violence (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399146/)
Viggo Mortensen ... Tom Stall
Maria Bello ... Edie Stall
Ed Harris ... Carl Fogarty
William Hurt ... Richie Cusack
Ashton Holmes ... Jack Stall
Synopsis: Tom Stall is a simple man. He lives in a small town and owns a small diner. He has two children and his life is quiet. But that changes one day. One day two armed robbers come into his store. He can't know this but they've left a trail of blood and killed a lot of people. Tom is willing to give them all the money but when one of them attempts to rape a women a switch turns in Tom's head and he attacks and kills the robbers. This makes him famous and suddenly he gets visits from mobsters from the east coast who think he is someone else - or are they correct?
My Opinion: This is a very interesting movie that has no hollywood-like moral agenda. It's brutal, it's explicit and it doesn't want to hide anything. The "good guy" isn't a good guy at all, but if they would have left him alone, he would have never bothered them at all. I thought everyone played their role very well, from Viggo who has at first to pretend he doesn't know anything to Maria and Ashton who have to learn that their husband/father is someone totally different. And of course Ed, but I like Ed in most of his roles. I also liked the semi open end where it isn't clear what is going to happen now.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 04, 2009, 12:42:51 PM
Cliffhanger (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106582/)
Sylvester Stallone ... Gabe Walker
John Lithgow ... Eric Qualen
Michael Rooker ... Hal Tucker
Janine Turner ... Jessie Deighan
Rex Linn ... Richard Travers
Synopsis: The international thief Qualen captures a US government plane and tries to steal 100 million dollars in cash. The money is in three trunks but they get lost when the plane crashes in the Rocky Mountains. Fortunately the cases have location beacons but now they need the help of the mountain rescue to find them. Gabe and his former friend Hal are the unlucky ones to meet the gangsters and are forced to help them. But soon Qualen has to realize that it won't be that easy to get the money back because Gabe develops into a real PITA.
My Opinion: This movie hasn't much story and sometimes it doesn't make much sense. But it's a Stallone action movie, if one expects much story on has gone into the wrong movie. it has however great pictures of the Rockys and beautiful panorama shots. It's also interesting to watch them climb these basically vertical walls. To sum it up: It's a no-brainer action movie with a lot of Rocky Mountains imagery.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 04, 2009, 12:58:49 PM
The Saint (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120053/)
Val Kilmer ... Simon Templar
Elisabeth Shue ... Dr. Emma Russell
Rade Serbedzija ... Ivan Tretiak
Valeri Nikolayev ... Ilya Tretiak
Henry Goodman ... Dr. Lev Botvin
Synopsis: He is a man who has no name. And if he has then it's one of a catholic saint, like Thomas Moore. But he is a thief and a good one at that. If it can be stolen and someone pays for it, he can steal it. But his life changes drastically when he steals the chemical formula to create cold fusion - a clean and basically unexhaustable power source. Now he's not also on the run from Scotland Yard but also a russian oil magnat who wants to putsch against the russian president and he's fallen in love with the scientist who discovered the formula.
My Opinion: This is also a movie one can't take too seriously. Even the whole cold fusion affair aside it has quite a number of ridiculous moments. For example: He's already at the 20th or so floor when he climbs out of a window, and uses his extendable aluminium ladder to climb vertically upwards - with no hold whatsoever. But since I've never watched the original Simon Templar series I still enjoyed this movie because I knew what to expect.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 04, 2009, 01:20:02 PM
Four Brothers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430105/)
Mark Wahlberg ... Bobby Mercer
Tyrese Gibson ... Angel Mercer
André Benjamin ... Jeremiah Mercer
Garrett Hedlund ... Jack Mercer
Terrence Howard ... Lt. Green
Josh Charles ... Detective Fowler
Sofía Vergara ... Sofi
Fionnula Flanagan ... Evelyn Mercer
Chiwetel Ejiofor ... Victor Sweet
Taraji P. Henson ... Camille Mercer
Synopsis: The four brothers Bobby, Angel, Jermeiah and Jack return home after their mother had been killed in a store robbery. The four aren't genetically brothers but they've been raised by Evelyn who was a warm soul of the city and who cared for all children. But something doesn't add up. This was no ordinary robbery but an execution. And now the four brothers want to bury Evelyn's killer.
My Opinion: When I first watched this in the theatre I had no real idea what to expect and I thought it to be a very good movie. Mark Wahlberg played a very good Bobby which was the reason for me to watch Shooter, too. I also liked the occasional insertion of Evelyn, as if she was still there - and in the minds of her boys she still is! One could brush this aside as simple action flick, but for me it's a bit more and I have to be in the mood to watch this.
Post by: Najemikon on January 04, 2009, 01:26:34 PM
I've never understood why Kevin Costner was suddenly "out". I like most of his movies and I like this one, too.
Well said. I don't understand where his reputation comes from either. He's made a handful of very entertaining movies and some excellent ones as well (as you know Dances With Wolves is my absolute favourite), so he'll always get my vote. Have you seen Mr Brooks yet?
Remember how the skeletons walked in Army of Darkness? Back then this movie could have never worked.
Ahh, but the stop-motion clack-clack skeletons of Jason and the Argonauts beats them both! Ray Harryhausen could have helped make a brilliant version back then. But I know what you mean... ;)
I liked History of Violence too. It was a very clever adaptation of a graphic novel written by John Wagner, known better for creating Judge Dredd. Unfortunately, he had nothing to do with the source material for Cronenberg/Mortensen's next film called Eastern Promises and it was quite weak and ultimately pointless. I reviewed here and if you haven't seen it, I'd suggest only doing so if it's cheap or on TV.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 04, 2009, 01:36:30 PM
Have you seen Mr Brooks yet?Not yet, but it's on my "blind buy" list.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 04, 2009, 02:12:04 PM
Blast from the Past (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0124298/)
Brendan Fraser ... Adam
Alicia Silverstone ... Eve
Christopher Walken ... Calvin
Sissy Spacek ... Helen
Dave Foley ... Troy
Nathan Fillion ... Cliff
Synopsis: During the cuba crisis Calvin Webber a rich but eccentric (doesn't this always come in the same package?) inventor locks himself and his pregnant wife in a fallout shelter because he thinks a nuclear war has broken out. They live there for 35 years with their son Adam until one day the locks unseal themselves. Now Adam goes out to buy supplies in huge numbers and he's looking for a wife - no mutant and from Pasadena, if possible. But then he meets Eve.
My Opinion: I love this movie. It's so great to see Adam and his seemingly outdated manners to win Eve's heart (and the heart of nearly any woman in that movie for that matter). I have to admit I love romantic movies, the number of such movies in my collection is nearly twice as big as my science fiction movies. I can watch them until I'm totally overdosed.
Too bad that Alicia Silverstone isn't seen more often on screen. I can't describe it but she has something about her that I totally like. (http://www.meetporthuron.com/community/images/smiley_love.gif)
Post by: Tom on January 04, 2009, 02:24:09 PM
My Opinion: I love this movie. It's so great to see Adam and his seemingly outdated manners to win Eve's heart (and the heart of nearly any woman in that movie for that matter). I have to admit I love romantic movies, the number of such movies in my collection is nearly twice as big as my science fiction movies. I can watch them until I'm totally overdosed.
Too bad that Alicia Silverstone isn't seen more often on screen. I can't describe it but she has something about her that I totally like. (http://www.meetporthuron.com/community/images/smiley_love.gif)
I also love this movie. I am like you. I also have a big romantic comedies collection.
And I always found Alicia Silverstone especially lovely in this movie. I think it is her eyes. I liked how she looked when she finally realizes that Adam is in fact telling the truth.
It's also her look in the scene at the end on the stairs in the movie "Clueless" which totally makes that movie for me.
Too bad that we did not see her more often in a romantic comedy. Sadly Batman and Robin killed her career.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 04, 2009, 02:37:24 PM
Music & Lyrics (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758766/)
Hugh Grant ... Alex Fletcher
Drew Barrymore ... Sophie Fisher
Haley Bennett ... Cora Corman
Brad Garrett ... Chris Riley
Campbell Scott ... Sloan Cates
Synopsis: Alex Fletcher is an 80s-Has-Been of the pop band "PoP" who sings now in theme parks and class reunions. But then two things happen at the same time. The star Cora wants him to write a new song for her about a broken heart. And Sophie comes to his appartment to water his plants. And incidentally she can actually write lyrics! They team up together to deliver the new hit song for Cora and fall in love on the way.
My Opinion: Romance movie stories are often rather simple and predictable with the usual break-up shortly before the happy end. So is the story of this movie. But as I said I don't care. It's not really what is told, but how it is told. And Hugh Grant doesn't need to play much, he is actually the forty-something-doesn't-want-to-grow-up-kinda-guy. But how he performed the typical 80s pop band member on stage was hilarious. It was so funny. And Drew as this shy yet totally sweet character is great.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 04, 2009, 02:40:48 PM
I also love this movie.I even made me a DVD copy to get rid of the forced german subtitles which are always on when the english audio is selected. I hate these. :voodoo:
And I recognized Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Buffy, Dr. Horrible) for the first time as Eve's former boyfriend (legs, butt & hair), because I didn't know the actor when I watched it the last time.
Post by: Tom on January 04, 2009, 02:43:23 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on January 04, 2009, 03:10:47 PM
Notting Hill (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125439/)
Julia Roberts ... Anna Scott
Hugh Grant ... William Thacker
Richard McCabe ... Tony
Rhys Ifans ... Spike
James Dreyfus ... Martin
Tim McInnerny ... Max
Gina McKee ... Bella
Emma Chambers ... Honey
Hugh Bonneville ... Bernie
Synopsis: She's an american actress who's gotten 15 million dollars for her last movie. He owns a travel book store and earns nearly nothing. But one day their paths cross and they virtually run into each other. And then she kisses him! But is this going to work? She, known by the whole world? Him, whose name is sometimes forgotten even by his mother? In London's Notting Hill their fate will be decided.
My Opinion: I love Julia Roberts in both her romantic movies as well as her more serious roles (e.g. Erin Brockovich). What I especially liked about this movie was, how they portreyed the gossip's part of the life of a star. I - personally - couldn't care less what they do outside the big screen. If I were the only consumer in the world all the gossip magazines would go bankrupt. The only time I'd really care would be when one of these beautiful actresses would fall in love with me. ;)
Post by: Tom on January 04, 2009, 03:18:24 PM
And I even replaced my German DVD with the RC1 DVD because of this. That version is even extended. On the German DVD they put the missing scenes as deleted scenes instead.I also love this movie.I even made me a DVD copy to get rid of the forced german subtitles which are always on when the english audio is selected. I hate these. :voodoo:
Quote
And I recognized Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Buffy, Dr. Horrible) for the first time as Eve's former boyfriend (legs, butt & hair), because I didn't know the actor when I watched it the last time.The last time I watched it, I found it funny to see Dave Foley as her gay best friend. I had come to know him from the TV series "Newsradio".
Post by: DJ Doena on January 04, 2009, 03:31:46 PM
Juno (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0467406/)
Ellen Page ... Juno MacGuff
Michael Cera ... Paulie Bleeker
Jennifer Garner ... Vanessa Loring
Jason Bateman ... Mark Loring
Allison Janney ... Brenda 'Bren' MacGuff
J.K. Simmons ... Mac MacGuff
Olivia Thirlby ... Leah
Synopsis: Juno is 16 and pregnant. And although she thinks about an abortion she decides against it. But she also doesn't want to keep the baby. Thus she's looking for adoptive parents who will take her child after it is born. And she finds the seemingly perfect couple. But there are still a few months left until the birth and some things aren't meant to be.
My Opinion: This was a blind buy for me after it got good critics. Ellen Page played the role wunderfully. But I have to say one thing: Although I would love to have children, I wouldn't have wanted one with Vanessa either. She felt to overwhelming to me. Her entire world did spin around that baby and I'm not sure I could have borne that weight. And in my opinion Michael Cera's role could have been a bit bigger, it's his child after all and he loves Juno. All in all an interesting movie but another one that one has to be in the mood for.
One additional remark: Juno says she's named after Zeus's wife. But Zeus' wife is Hera. Only in the roman mythology they are called Jupiter and Juno. But then again, Zeus's son is not Hercules, but Heracles and no one ever cared. ;)
Post by: DJ Doena on January 04, 2009, 06:39:51 PM
So only the degree of my enthusiasm will vary.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 05, 2009, 11:15:54 AM
The Hard Way (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0467406/)
Michael J. Fox ... Nick Lang / Ray Casanov
James Woods ... Detective Lt. John Moss, NYPD
Stephen Lang ... Party Crasher
Annabella Sciorra ... Susan
LL Cool J ... Detective Billy, NYPD
Christina Ricci ... Bonnie
Synopsis: Nick Lang is the action star of the "Smoking Gunn" movie series. His lives the life of a normal star with personal trainer, beach villa and whatnot. But he wants something more, he wants to play a cop who bleeds, who doesn't know how to pay his rent. And so he goes undercover to New York to team up with a real cop: John Moss. And John should be delighted to work with him, shouldn't he? How wrong he was...
My Opinion: It was so funny to watch how Nick/Ray drove John to despair and he didn't know how to respond. I especially liked the hunt of the party killer in the theatre in front of the running "Smoking Gunn" movie. But the party killer himself was also a cool opponent in my opinion, all the action scenes with him were well done. The roles for Michael and James were totally fitting, especially from the viewpoint of what they are usually playing.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 05, 2009, 11:31:37 PM
Léon (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110413/)
Jean Reno ... Léon
Gary Oldman ... Stansfield
Natalie Portman ... Mathilda
Danny Aiello ... Tony
Peter Appel ... Malky
Synopsis: Léon is a professional hitman, a cleaner. Mathilda's family has just been executed by corrupt cops over a drug issue. Now she seeks refuge at his appartment and he doesn't know how to deal with this twelve-year old child. But soon he teaches her how to become a cleaner and she teaches him how to read. And she has also a score to settle with the killers of her four-year old brother.
My Opinion: Everytime I watch that movie I wonder if Tony is really saving Léon's money because everytime it comes to this topic he evades it. Yes he says that Léon could have it but he gives a number of reasons why he shouldn't take it. And at the end he treats Mathilda the very same way. It's a fascinating movie actually and excellently played by Reno, Oldman and Portman. I am especially fascinated by Gary Oldman. In my opinin he's very good in speaking different accents and playing varying degrees of insanity. :D
This is one of few movies where I notice the music much more, it seems more intense and helps to tell the story and isn't just a background noise.
If it weren't already late, I'd just watch another Luc Besson movie with Gary: The Fifth Element.
Post by: Najemikon on January 05, 2009, 11:38:14 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on January 05, 2009, 11:43:23 PM
I noticed you watched the Director's Cut (or International). I have both versions and actually prefer the original. Have you seen it?Nope, I haven't seen it. I thought it was just some additional scenes. I will read up on it.
Post by: Najemikon on January 05, 2009, 11:57:44 PM
I noticed you watched the Director's Cut (or International). I have both versions and actually prefer the original. Have you seen it?Nope, I haven't seen it. I thought it was just some additional scenes. I will read up on it.
It does boil down to additional scenes, but I found it added a rather surreal edge over what I'd been used to. It's ages since I watched it and seem to remember a scene with Mathilda that felt like one too many and out of character. Of course, this being the version you know, I bet you'd find the cut edition frustrating.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 05, 2009, 11:59:03 PM
I bet you'd find the cut edition frustrating.
Likely. ;)
I found this german page with screenshots (http://schnittberichte.com/schnittbericht.php?ID=1342) where they show what's been added to the DC and I wouldn't want to miss those scenes.
Post by: Najemikon on January 06, 2009, 12:18:45 AM
I bet you'd find the cut edition frustrating.
Likely. ;)
I found this german page with screenshots (http://schnittberichte.com/schnittbericht.php?ID=1342) where they show what's been added to the DC and I wouldn't want to miss those scenes.
Ah, I remember now! I found Mathilda's pass at Leon uncomfortable and it undermined their relationship. I preferred the idea that they both felt something special, but didn't know how to handle it, so it stayed simple, childish, therefore more innocent. By attempting to act on it, it was like it suddenly had to be addressed and dealt with. In a similar way I wasn't sure about Leon killing the guy he let Mathilda practice on. But overall, I'd seen the original cut three times and was used to the lean pace.
I think it's interesting though that the film is so good that neither version is "right". I don't know anyone who would prefer the original cuts of, say, Aliens for example.
Post by: Achim on January 06, 2009, 05:13:03 AM
I have originally seen the shorter cut (in the cinema) but would now never go back to it and always choose the International Cut.
In my opinon the scene where she gets drunk in the restaurant is fine. Léon usually only drinks milk and therefore has a hard time controlling her, not really knowing the effect of alcohol himself (I suppose) and the important part here is that he rejects her (sexually/romantically)!
The other scenes were always important to me, because Matilda is out for vengeance. She saw her family, most importantly her little brother, getting killed and wants revenge. So she goes to Léon to learn the trade, eventually packing guns and going to the police station to do her deed; unfortunately she can't go through and fails miserably. I always felt that with those training session scenes missing her going to the police station felt much more stupid, like "what is she thinking???". In the longer cut we know she is well trained and theoretically knows what to do.
My point is, the film feels much more rounded to me with the scenes back in and I feel it's really stupid censorship to have them taken out.
I do agree with Karsten, that I always felt a bit uneasy about Tony, also feeling he is keeping (most of) the money for himself. And that despite Danny Aiello usually being rather sympathetic...
Post by: Najemikon on January 06, 2009, 09:43:55 AM
Post by: Achim on January 06, 2009, 03:15:30 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on January 07, 2009, 09:24:54 PM
X-Men (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120903/)
Hugh Jackman ... Logan / Wolverine
Patrick Stewart ... Professor Charles Xavier
Ian McKellen ... Eric Lensherr / Magneto
Famke Janssen ... Jean Grey
James Marsden ... Scott Summers / Cyclops
Halle Berry ... Ororo Munroe / Storm
Anna Paquin ... Rogue / Marie D'Ancanto
Tyler Mane ... Sabretooth
Ray Park ... Toad
Rebecca Romijn ... Mystique
Bruce Davison ... Senator Kelly
Synopsis: Evolution is a long and slow process. But every few hundred millenia it takes a leap forward. It has created human mutants. But how are they going to live in our society? Do we have to control them? Do we have to know what they can do? There's a war upon us and Magneto wants to make sure that he's on the winning side. And for this he needs a mutant called Wolverine, or doesn't he?
My Opinion: Although it's a comic adaption it feels much more real than previous superhero movies, Christopher Reeve's Superman movies come to mind. As with Batman, Superman and all the other american superhero I've never read any of the comics and am thus not burdened with any expectations or knowledge that could hinder my enjoyment of the movie.
And so I enjoyed it a lot. The characters were great altough a bit few for my taste. It's a dilemma: One the one hand it's not really logical that each side has only three fighters (Wolverine, Storm & Cyclops vs. Sabretooth, Mystique & Toad) but if they had been more it may have been to much. But the fights were cool, everyone could participate and use their abilities.
When X-Men Origins: Wolverine comes into the theatres this year you'll find me exactly there!
Post by: DJ Doena on January 08, 2009, 12:08:17 AM
X2 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290334/)
Patrick Stewart ... Professor Charles Xavier
Hugh Jackman ... Logan / Wolverine
Ian McKellen ... Eric Lensherr / Magneto
Halle Berry ... Storm / Ororo Munroe
Famke Janssen ... Jean Grey
James Marsden ... Scott Summers / Cyclops
Anna Paquin ... Rogue / Marie D'Ancanto
Rebecca Romijn ... Mystique / Grace
Brian Cox ... William Stryker
Alan Cumming ... Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler
Bruce Davison ... Senator Kelly
Aaron Stanford ... John Allerdyce / Pyro
Shawn Ashmore ... Bobby Drake / Iceman
Kelly Hu ... Yuriko Oyama / Deathstrike
Synopsis: While Wolverine is searching for his past, his past is coming to him - in form of Colonel Stryker. Stryker once gave him his adamantium skeleton and now he wants "Cerebro", Xavier's technology to find all the mutants in the world. And Stryker wants to control them with it. But he hadn't anticipated that the "X-Men" and Magneto's "Brotherhood of Mutants" would join forces to stop him.
My Opinion: It's the best of the three X-Men movies, the main characters are all aready introduced and we see much more mutants and abilities. The story is very enthralling but also balanced between action scenes and more quieter ones like the one at Bobby's parents. I'Ve never noticed this before, but: Bobby's parents ask him whether he has tried not being a mutant. As if the question itself isn't funny enough, Buffy's mother asked a similar one: Whether she can't be the Slayer anymore (must have been in Becoming [second season's finale] if I remember correctly).
Too bad that Bryan Singer decided to make Superman Returns instead of the third X-Men movie. Just like with Spider-Man the third part can't keep up with it's predecessors.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 08, 2009, 06:16:24 PM
X-Men: The Last Stand (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376994/)
Hugh Jackman ... Logan / Wolverine
Halle Berry ... Ororo Munroe / Storm
Ian McKellen ... Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto
Patrick Stewart ... Professor Charles Xavier
Famke Janssen ... Jean Grey / Phoenix
Anna Paquin ... Marie / Rogue
Kelsey Grammer ... Dr. Henry 'Hank' McCoy / Beast
James Marsden ... Scott Summers / Cyclops
Rebecca Romijn ... Raven Darkholme / Mystique
Shawn Ashmore ... Bobby Drake / Iceman
Aaron Stanford ... John Allerdyce / Pyro
Vinnie Jones ... Cain Marko / Juggernaut
Ellen Page ... Kitty Pryde
Synopsis: A "cure" has been found to "heal" the mutants. And while some mutants like Rogue want to be healed most of them don't see their abilities not as a disease that has to be cured. And Magneto will do anything in his power to destroy what he sees as poison for his kind. But the X-Men have problems of their own: Jean has returned as Phoenix and she's already killed Cyclops. Can she be stopped?
My Opinion: A not so good conclusion to the overall very good trilogy. There were too many things I didn't really like about it and most of them are connected to the Phoenix: Scott's death (offscreen, too!), Xavier's character change, Jean's character change, Xavier's death, ... I know that the "Dark Phoenix" story is part of the comics but not everything that works in a comic works in a movie, too. Especially when it has never been mentioned before. If they had really wanted to conlcude the series this way they would have dropped hints in the first two installments. This goes also for this sudden classification: What the heck is a "class 3 mutant"?
I have told you before that I am not really good with faces that I have a hard time to recognize a person if I haven't seen him or her that often before. What helps is that I have a good recognition of voices, so I often recognize an actor even if he wears an alien mask or something else. And so it was with the Kitty Pryde of this movie. I heard her voice and instantly said "Hey, that's Juno!" and so it was. :)
Post by: Najemikon on January 08, 2009, 06:57:23 PM
Especially when it has never been mentioned before. If they had really wanted to conlcude the series this way they would have dropped hints in the first two installments.
One of the worst things about part 3 is that there was a hint in part 2 and they screwed it up. They leave Jean behind, believing her dead, but as they fly over the water, you can catch sight of a bird shaped shadow in the water. Cue fan-boy hysteria!
The Dark Phoenix storyline was huge and could have worked. Maybe if Singer had stuck with it...
Post by: DJ Doena on January 08, 2009, 07:30:58 PM
They leave Jean behind, believing her dead, but as they fly over the water, you can catch sight of a bird shaped shadow in the water. Cue fan-boy hysteria!
I've seen that, too, but that's not enough IMHO. They should have at least mentioned that she has buried abilities. And as I said, Xavier acted totally different than in the previous two movies.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 08, 2009, 11:54:01 PM
The Blues Brothers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080455/)
John Belushi ... 'Joliet' Jake Blues
Dan Aykroyd ... Elwood Blues
James Brown ... Reverend Cleophus James
Cab Calloway ... Curtis
Ray Charles ... Ray
Aretha Franklin ... Mrs. Murphy
Steve Cropper ... Steve 'The Colonel' Cropper
Donald Dunn ... Donald 'Duck' Dunn
Murphy Dunne ... Murphy 'Murph' Dunne
Willie Hall ... Willie 'Too Big' Hall
Tom Malone ... Tom 'Bones' Malone
Lou Marini ... 'Blue Lou' Marini
Matt Murphy ... Matt 'Guitar' Murphy
Alan Rubin ... Alan 'Mr. Fabulous' Rubin
Carrie Fisher ... Mystery Woman
Henry Gibson ... Head Nazi
John Candy ... Burton Mercer
Kathleen Freeman ... Sister Mary Stigmata (a.k.a. The Penguin)
Steve Lawrence ... Maury Sline
Twiggy ... Chic Lady
Frank Oz ... Corrections Officer
Jeff Morris ... Bob
Charles Napier ... Tucker McElroy
Steven Williams ... Trooper Mount
Synopsis: Jake has just been released from prison when he and his brother Elwood visit Sister Mary who asks them for a favour. She needs 5,000 dollars or the city will close the orphanage where Jake and Elwood had grown up. And now both are on a mission from God: They put the band back together to raise the money. And now starts one of the best music road trips of all time.
My Opinion: Great movie. Great music. Great car crashings. Great guest appearances. Great movie. Everyone who likes good music (that excludes addicted ;)) should have seen this one. And the story is really funny, too, especially Carrie Fisher's character. Did I mention "great movie"?
Early in the nineties I used to get up real early on saturdays because at 5.50 a TV show called Rawhide used to run where a Mr. Favor was the trail boss and he brought a herd of cattle from A to B and one of his cowboys was Rowdy Yates, played by a certain Clint Eastwood. :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP2mcVwQ2as
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WArD9zfwjMY
Post by: Dragonfire on January 09, 2009, 12:49:39 AM
They leave Jean behind, believing her dead, but as they fly over the water, you can catch sight of a bird shaped shadow in the water. Cue fan-boy hysteria!
I've seen that, too, but that's not enough IMHO. They should have at least mentioned that she has buried abilities. And as I said, Xavier acted totally different than in the previous two movies.
Granted, it has been a while since I last watched the movies, but I think I remember little hints about Jean's powers. In the first one she talked about how the Professor had been helping her control them. Throughout the second one, she was having some issues with her power. There were hints of the Phoenix power creeping out when she used them every so often. Red was showing up on her and I think even in her eyes at that one point in the damn when she had to stop Scott..after the one guy had taken control of him with that serum stuff. I'm thinking that back in the first movie, when Jean was talking to Logan about her abilities, she said she started with one and then began developing another after being at the school. I can't remember exactly now since it has been a while since I watched them. Hmm..I may have to watch them again now. :)
By the way, I agree that the third movie wasn't as good. Cramming the Dark Phoenix storyline into the same movie with the "cure" for being a mutant was just wrong. The Dark Phoenix story should have been one movie all on its own with all the complications and things that were going on with that.
Post by: Najemikon on January 09, 2009, 01:07:21 AM
They leave Jean behind, believing her dead, but as they fly over the water, you can catch sight of a bird shaped shadow in the water. Cue fan-boy hysteria!
I've seen that, too, but that's not enough IMHO. They should have at least mentioned that she has buried abilities. And as I said, Xavier acted totally different than in the previous two movies.
Granted, it has been a while since I last watched the movies, but I think I remember little hints about Jean's powers. In the first one she talked about how the Professor had been helping her control them. Throughout the second one, she was having some issues with her power. There were hints of the Phoenix power creeping out when she used them every so often. Red was showing up on her and I think even in her eyes at that one point in the damn when she had to stop Scott..after the one guy had taken control of him with that serum stuff. I'm thinking that back in the first movie, when Jean was talking to Logan about her abilities, she said she started with one and then began developing another after being at the school. I can't remember exactly now since it has been a while since I watched them. Hmm..I may have to watch them again now. :)
By the way, I agree that the third movie wasn't as good. Cramming the Dark Phoenix storyline into the same movie with the "cure" for being a mutant was just wrong. The Dark Phoenix story should have been one movie all on its own with all the complications and things that were going on with that.
I agree. I know what you mean, Karsten, but I think if Singer had been able to develop it as he had originally planned, those lack of hints would have made sense. I think that's pretty much how it ran in the comic; Dark Phoenix did come in pretty sudden, the conceit being everyone was taken by surprise, making her even more dangerous and tragic.
Changing Xavier, overcrowding villains and making her just stand around looking moody could only dilute a storyline that was powerful enough on its own.
Post by: Najemikon on January 09, 2009, 01:08:28 AM
Post by: Achim on January 09, 2009, 05:58:04 AM
So full of excellent lines and quotes.
Elwood: It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses.
Jake: Hit it.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 10, 2009, 07:33:15 PM
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1227926/)
Neil Patrick Harris ... Billy / Dr. Horrible
Nathan Fillion ... Captain Hammer
Felicia Day ... Penny
Simon Helberg ... Moist
Nick Towne ... Bad Horse Chorus #1
Jed Whedon ... Bad Horse Chorus #2
Rob Reinis ... Bad Horse Chorus #3
Synopsis: Dr. Horrible wants to become a member of the ELE - the Evil League of Evil. But his inventions haven't been a success yet. Somehow his crimes always fail, mostly due to the intervention of Horrible's nemesis: Captain Hammer. But the league wants him to commit a real crime before he can become a member of the ELE. And additionally he's in love with Penny but he's to shy to approach her.
My Opinion: It's a very funny musical by Joss Whedon. I don't know if he produced it during the writer's strike but he got the idea back then. The three acts were released on the internet without charge, without being accompanied by advertisement. I watched them back then and loved it from the start. The musics, the lyrics, the acting - everything matches and it's a great fun to watch. I even watched all the bonus material, something I usually don't do. And I watched the application videos for the ELE which were also really funny.
A must-see for every Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse) fan.
PS: When I first watched this, I didn't even know him, but now I recognized "Moist": It's "Wolowitz" from The Big Bang Theory!
Post by: Tom on January 10, 2009, 08:09:23 PM
I shied away buying it because of this: "This product may be manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media."Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1227926/)
How is the quality of the disc?
Post by: DJ Doena on January 10, 2009, 08:27:37 PM
(http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/6179/img1299cb5.jpg)
(http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2352/img1300be6.jpg)
(http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/9219/img1302eh0.jpg)
Post by: Tom on January 10, 2009, 08:29:38 PM
I think I will order it now :)
Post by: DJ Doena on January 11, 2009, 11:22:41 PM
Masters of the Universe (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093507/)
Dolph Lundgren ... He-Man
Frank Langella ... Skeletor
Meg Foster ... Evil-Lyn
Billy Barty ... Gwildor
Courteney Cox ... Julie Winston
Robert Duncan McNeill ... Kevin Corrigan
Jon Cypher ... Duncan (Man-at-Arms)
Chelsea Field ... Teela
James Tolkan ... Detective Lubic
Synopsis: Whoever becomes lord over Castle Grayskull on Eternia becomes the Master of the Universe and Skeletor plans exactly this. He uses a cosmic key to open a portal directly into the castle and he can assume control. He-Man and his friends have to retreat, they use the key to get out and they land on Earth. But neither Skeletor nor He-Man is giving up. And suddenly the highschool students Julie and Kevin are in the middle of an epic fight between good and evil.
My Opinion: This is a guilty pleasure of mine. I love this movie even though it's totally cheesy and Dolph Lundgren can't act at all. But it doesn't matter. It's still a great fun to watch. :)
Post by: Tom on January 11, 2009, 11:32:34 PM
My Opinion: This is a guilty pleasure of mine. I love this movie even though it's totally cheesy and Dolph Lundgren can't act at all. But it doesn't matter. It's still a great fun to watch. :)
I like it also, even if it is a blatant Star Wars rip-off. Skeletor = Emperor. Even the ending is the same is Return of the Jedi. And the theme music is very similar to John Williams' Superman theme mixed with some Star Wars themes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDHMhrmjRq0
Post by: addicted2dvd on January 11, 2009, 11:40:28 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on January 11, 2009, 11:44:16 PM
I didn't even realize that Courteney Cox was in it.For me it's the other way around. Whenever I saw Courteney (e.g. in Friends) I thought "Hey, the girl from Masters!".
And when I began to watch Star Trek: Voyager I knew that I knew that Tom Paris from somewhere but that took me another viewing of Masters to figure it out (this was before the IMDb became a major knowledge harbor).
Post by: Tom on January 11, 2009, 11:46:01 PM
I haven't seen that movie in years! I wouldn't mind finding that one cheap... I didn't even realize that Courteney Cox was in it.
And Tom Paris from Voyager. And Monica's mother (Friends) is the Sorceress.
The best performance in this movie is of course Frank Langella's Skeletor. Frank Langella will always be the man who played Skeletor, when I see him in other movies or TV series.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 11, 2009, 11:46:29 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDHMhrmjRq0
But it's a nice track, isn't it?
Post by: Tom on January 11, 2009, 11:47:24 PM
But it's a nice track, isn't it?
Yes, I always liked it.
Post by: Dragonfire on January 12, 2009, 01:17:29 AM
I haven't seen that movie in years! I wouldn't mind finding that one cheap... I didn't even realize that Courteney Cox was in it.
$8.99 at Amazon right now.
Masters of the Universe at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Masters-Universe-Dolph-Lundgren/dp/B00005MHOD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1231719387&sr=1-1)
Post by: addicted2dvd on January 12, 2009, 01:23:21 AM
Post by: Dragonfire on January 12, 2009, 01:43:56 AM
Post by: DJ Doena on January 17, 2009, 04:19:04 PM
Never Been Kissed (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151738/)
Drew Barrymore ... Josie Geller
David Arquette ... Rob Geller
Michael Vartan ... Sam Coulson
Molly Shannon ... Anita
John C. Reilly ... Gus
Garry Marshall ... Rigfort
Leelee Sobieski ... Aldys
Jeremy Jordan ... Guy Perkins
James Franco ... Jason
Gregory Sporleder ... Coach Romano
Synopsis: Josie Geller was one of the nerds in highschool, the kind of girl who asked for extra homework. It was not a pleasent time for her. But now she's an editor at the Chicago Sun-Times and good at her job. But she wants to be a reporter, to write stories instead of reading them. And for this she has to go undercover to highschool again. But neither she nor highschool has changed.
My Opinion: A sweet liitle comedy about a young woman who gets the chance of having a better highschool memory and to finally fall in love with the right guy. Not the best romance I've ever seen but still quite enjoyable.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 17, 2009, 07:02:41 PM
Back to the Future (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/)
Michael J. Fox ... Marty McFly
Christopher Lloyd ... Dr. Emmett Brown
Lea Thompson ... Lorraine Baines McFly
Crispin Glover ... George McFly
Thomas F. Wilson ... Biff Tannen
Claudia Wells ... Jennifer Parker
James Tolkan ... Mr. Strickland
Synopsis: Marty McFly is an ordinary 17-year-old highschool student in the year 1985. But he also happens to have a weird friend, a scientist who invents a lot of stuff that doesn't work. But this time he has done it. He invented a time machine and he has built it into a DeLorean sports car. But he had to con some Lybians out of their Plutonium and that would become his death sentence. Marty has no choice but to flee before them and he does. The time machine brings him to 1955 where he has to find the Doc again in order to bring him home. But he also runs into his parents and that's where the real trouble starts.
My Opinion: If asked for a top ten movie list, this movie would be in it. I enjoy the entire trilogy very much (and I will continue watching as soon as I finished this review). Marty and the Doc are a great pair and it's fun to watch them. I also really enjoyed the entire idea that a teen could actually observe the teenage years of his parents and see that they weren't that different.
One of my favourite scenes is when Marty disguises as Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan and plays Van Halen music (he was also sent by the Supreme Klingon", but that was cut out, I read it in the novelization of the movie).
And if there's anyone out there who isn't familiar with the story, here is it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GheAd59anbU
Post by: DJ Doena on January 17, 2009, 10:32:54 PM
Back to the Future: Part II (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096874/)
Michael J. Fox ... Marty McFly / Marty McFly Jr / Marlene McFly
Christopher Lloyd ... Dr. Emmett Brown
Lea Thompson ... Lorraine
Thomas F. Wilson ... Biff Tannen / Griff Tannen
Elisabeth Shue ... Jennifer Parker / Jennifer McFly
James Tolkan ... Mr. Strickland
Jeffrey Weissman ... George McFly
Synopsis: Doc is back from the future and he has bad news. Marty must help him to protect the future of Marty's children in the year 2015. But not everything goes according to plan. When they return to 1985 it's not the one they have left. Suddenly Biff is a rich and powerful man. Someone has interfered with the timeline and it was neither Doc nor Marty. To solve this they have to return where it started - to 1955.
My Opinion: This was my very first VHS I ever bought, back in the early 90s. If I remember correctly (and I have a memory for numbers) I paid 39.95 DM for it which is - including inflation - about 34 euros today. I don't think I paid that much for my very first DVD (Braveheart).
While I enjoy it a lot, it's still my least favourite movie of the trilogy. Sometimes I jump directly from the end of part one to the beginning of part three which fit neatly together. But as I said it is very enjoyable with the antiques store and the number of close encounters of the same person. Unfortunately it's already 2009 and we have neither holo projections like the "Jaws 19" movie nor hover technology for boards and cars. :-\
Post by: Tom on January 17, 2009, 11:35:15 PM
But I see how BTTF 1 and 3 can nicely interconnect. One of my favorite scenes of the trilogy is the end of part 2/beginning of part 3, where Doc has just send the Marty from BTTF 1 back to future and a few seconds after that, the other Marty comes running up to him:
*paraphrased*
Marty: Doc! Doc!
Doc: Ahhh! Didn't I just send you to the future?
Marty: You did. But I am back! Back from the future!
;D
Post by: Najemikon on January 18, 2009, 02:55:57 AM
I like the link in the first comment. I'd never spotted that about the mall: Twin Pines (http://bttf.wikia.com/wiki/Twin_Pines_Mall)
Post by: Tom on January 18, 2009, 11:15:00 AM
I'd never spotted that about the mall: Twin Pines (http://bttf.wikia.com/wiki/Twin_Pines_Mall)
This is one of the details because of which I like BTTF that much.
Post by: Najemikon on January 18, 2009, 01:29:17 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on January 18, 2009, 06:42:27 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on January 18, 2009, 08:21:42 PM
Back to the Future: Part III (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099088/)
Michael J. Fox ... Marty McFly / Seamus McFly
Christopher Lloyd ... Dr. Emmett Brown
Mary Steenburgen ... Clara Clayton
Thomas F. Wilson ... Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen / Biff Tannen
Lea Thompson ... Maggie McFly / Lorraine McFly
Elisabeth Shue ... Jennifer Parker
James Tolkan ... Chief Marshal James Strickland
Matt Clark ... Chester the Bartender
Synopsis: Marty's stuck in 1955 while the Doc's back in 1885. But the Doc isn't going to live much longer after he had written the letter and Marty decides to go back and get him.But the old West didn't have real roads and Marty subsequently rips the fuel line apart. Now they have to find another way to accelerate the DeLorean to 88 miles per hour. As if this weren't enough Doc also falls in love and Marty agrees to a gunfight against 'Mad Dog' Tannen.
My Opinion: In my opinion this movie is a bit more serious than the other two and both characters seem to have grown a lot due to their travels. I felt it to be a bit unfair that Marty travelled back to save Doc's life and he doesn't even thank him by warning him of the "Rolls-Royce accident". But I also thought it to be a really good idea to let Marty make that decision alone and to show that the time travels have taught him something. I also thought that Mary Steenburgen was a great addition and to see Doc in love was very nice. It great conclusion to a fantastic trilogy.
BTW: When Marty arrives in 1985 the formerly know Shonash/Clayton Ravine is now called Eastwood Ravine.
Post by: DJ Doena on January 28, 2009, 08:37:05 PM
Bad Boys (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112442/)
Martin Lawrence ... Marcus Burnett
Will Smith ... Mike Lowrey
Téa Leoni ... Julie Mott
Tchéky Karyo ... Fouchet
Theresa Randle ... Theresa Burnett
Joe Pantoliano ... Captain Howard
Nestor Serrano ... Detective Sanchez
Julio Oscar Mechoso ... Detective Ruiz
Synopsis: Heroin worth 100 million Dollars gets stolen directly from the police's evidence room. It is suspected that this was an inside job and Internal Affairs is investigating. The detectives Lowrey and Burnett have only one lead, an eyewitness to a shooting between the thieves. But for this to work, Lowrey and Burnett have to switch roles and their lives are very different.
My Opinion: I listened randomly thorugh my iTunes library when the theme song of COPS suddenly played and that gave me the idea to watch Bad Boys again.
It's a good action movie although neither my favourite Michael Bay movie nor my favourite Will Smith or Martin Lawrence movie. But it was funny to see them bickering about their different livestyles and I loved all these different shootouts and explosions. Hey what did you expect? It's a Bay/Bruckenheimer movie for crying out loud! :laugh:
Post by: DJ Doena on February 02, 2009, 04:05:39 PM
The Terminator (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088247/)
Arnold Schwarzenegger ... The Terminator
Michael Biehn ... Kyle Reese
Linda Hamilton ... Sarah Connor
Paul Winfield ... Lieutenant Ed Traxler
Lance Henriksen ... Detective Hal Vukovich
Earl Boen ... Dr. Peter Silberman
Synopsis: Earth, 2029. The computer system Skynet is self-aware and highly intelligent. It was invented by men but it has wiped out nearly the entire human race. Shortly before its defeat it sends a Terminator back in time, a cyborg, human flesh over a metal endoskeleton. Its mission: To kill the mother of the resistance leader in the year 1984, before she gives birth to her son. But the resistance sends also someone back to protect her.
My Opinion: The original Terminator movie is a perfect example of a time loop. The fotograph Reese has is the same that Sarah gets at the end of the movie. Except for the logical hole that the one who wants prevent a change cannot travel back in time after the one who wants to change something, it's quite consistent. And it has aged suprisingly well. I had expected that the skeleton scenes would look rather lame comparing to today's FX but they weren't that bad. When the sekeleton was alone in the picture they were actually quite good, even when the full skeleton was in sight. Only when we see Kyle/Sarah and the skeleton they look rather bad.
I especially liked to hear all the one-liners again "for the first time". And I never even knew that "Come with me, if you want to live!" was even there in the first movie.
Post by: Achim on February 02, 2009, 06:54:39 PM
I especially liked to hear all the one-liners again "for the first time". And I never even knew that "Come with me, if you want to live!" was even there in the first movie.Actually, I found that if you watch 1 + 2 back to back a lot of similarities become painfully obvious. Basically T2 will then feel like a remake of the first, only with Arnie as the good guy :laugh:
Post by: addicted2dvd on February 03, 2009, 10:01:06 AM
I especially liked to hear all the one-liners again "for the first time". And I never even knew that "Come with me, if you want to live!" was even there in the first movie.Actually, I found that if you watch 1 + 2 back to back a lot of similarities become painfully obvious. Basically T2 will then feel like a remake of the first, only with Arnie as the good guy :laugh:
Hmmmm.... I was thinking about doing just that. Maybe I should reconsider. :P
Post by: Achim on February 03, 2009, 12:29:37 PM
Hmmmm.... I was thinking about doing just that. Maybe I should reconsider. :PNo, I'd actually recommend, at least once, just to see for yourself :) It doesn't make for a bad experience, just for an interesting one.
Post by: addicted2dvd on February 03, 2009, 12:35:46 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on February 03, 2009, 12:45:55 PM
So, it's basically like the three Back to the Future movies, where Marty always gets hit on the head, awakes in his bed, tells his "dream" he is and the realizes ... among other gags that were repeated in variation like the manure....Hmmmm.... I was thinking about doing just that. Maybe I should reconsider. :PNo, I'd actually recommend, at least once, just to see for yourself :) It doesn't make for a bad experience, just for an interesting one.
Post by: Jimmy on February 03, 2009, 05:23:32 PM
I am looking forward to watching this one again. I am buying a copy from Eric. So soon! Well... relatively soon... never got a package from Canada (or anywhere out of country) before... so not sure how long that will take.Usually between 10 and 15 days between our 2 countries, but it can be longuer if the package is selected to be check at the border. It had only happen one time, and I've bought relatively often in the US, that one package take more than 3 weeks to arrive.
Post by: DJ Doena on February 03, 2009, 06:13:57 PM
Usually between 10 and 15 days between our 2 countries, but it can be longuer if the package is selected to be check at the border. It had only happen one time, and I've bought relatively often in the US, that one package take more than 3 weeks to arrive.On moments like these I am somewhat glad that the EU has a common market. Amazon UK dispatched an item late sunday evening and it arrived today.
Post by: Jimmy on February 03, 2009, 06:48:37 PM
For what I've understand the US postal service had a tendancy to make the package travel from state to state in a very illogical way.
Post by: addicted2dvd on February 04, 2009, 12:16:48 PM
And yes Jimmy... there is no logic to the way the US sends packages from state to state. It is very confusing! :stars:
Post by: DJ Doena on February 19, 2009, 08:48:57 PM
Coyote Ugly (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200550/)
Piper Perabo ... Violet Sanford
Adam Garcia ... Kevin O'Donnell
John Goodman ... Bill
Maria Bello ... Lil
Izabella Miko ... Cammie
Tyra Banks ... Zoe
Bridget Moynahan ... Rachel
Melanie Lynskey ... Gloria
LeAnn Rimes ... Herself
Synopsis: Violet goes from New Jersey to New York City to become a songwriter. She goes to every music agency but nobody wants to listen to her songs unless she sings them herself in an open song contest. The problem is that she's to scared to sing in public. To survive in the big city she needs a job and soon she finds herself being a "Coyote", a bar girl in the hottest bar in town: The "Coyote Ugly". And she finds a boyfriend who'd give anything to see her on stage. But will one of her songs ever be published?
My Opinion: It's a funny romantic movie with a great soundtrack. LeAnn Rimes sang all the songs when Violet was singing and I really liked it. But sometimes I wished one could hear those songs a bit louder that were not sung by her. I have both soundtrack CDs (and am listening to them as I write this) and it's great music.
And I find stage fright to be a concept totally alien to me. I know I can't sing and still have no problem doing it before an audience. :D When I sing I'm happy and the world around me turns into a blur. :)
Post by: DJ Doena on February 26, 2009, 09:53:51 PM
Hackers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113243/)
Jonny Lee Miller ... Dade Murphy / 'Crash Override' / 'Zero Cool'
Angelina Jolie ... Kate Libby / 'Acid Burn'
Jesse Bradford ... Joey Pardella
Matthew Lillard ... Emmanuel Goldstein / 'Cereal Killer'
Laurence Mason ... Paul Cook / 'Lord Nikon'
Renoly Santiago ... Ramon Sanchez / 'Phantom Phreak'
Fisher Stevens ... Eugene Belford / 'The Plague' / Mr. Babbage
Alberta Watson ... Lauren Murphy
Synopsis: In 1988 Dade Murphy wrote a computer virus that crashed 1507 computer systems, including the Wall Street trading system. He was 11 years old. Now he's 18 and still on probation, but he's allowed to touch computers and touch-tone phones. Hacking is in his blood and soon he's competing in a hacking tournament. But he also has to fight against an evil computer virus and its author.
My Opinion: In regards to hacking and computers in general this movie is way beyond ridiculous. But it doesn't matter. This movie is pure fun with great visuals (both on the female side and the computer graphics ;)) and a great soundtrack. This movie belongs to my "my first four DVDs" collection and I have watched it at least twice a year since I bought it in 2000 or 2001. Unfortunately I missed it in the theatre but I've seen it for the first time in 1998. It was a time when the name Angelina Jolie was still worth a shrug and an "Angelina who?".
As I said in the beginning: The computer stuff is totally unrealistic. Yet ironically it's not even close to what they have been doing on 24 in recent years where an FBI operator controls a chemical plant on the other side of the country - and she's doing it one-handedly while she's holding the phone with the other hand. :o ;)
Post by: DJ Doena on February 27, 2009, 08:58:06 PM
Alien Nation (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094631/)
James Caan ... Det. Sgt. Matthew Sykes
Mandy Patinkin ... Det. Samuel 'George' Francisco
Terence Stamp ... William Harcourt
Kevyn Major Howard ... Rudyard Kipling
Leslie Bevis ... Cassandra
Peter Jason ... Fedorchuk
Conrad Dunn ... Quint
Jeff Kober ... Joshua Strader
Brian Thompson ... Trent Porter
Synopsis: A few years ago a ship containing 250,000 alien slaves landed on Earth and they have no means of getting home. After the quarantine had ended these Newcomers have become part of the population of Los Angeles. And when Sergeant Sykes loses his partner in a liqueur store shooting he gets a new one: Detective
My Opinion: I always liked the idea of that movie and the TV show that followed. It's not us who go out and space but the aliens come to us and try to live in our society. And I think it's very well portrayed with all the racism and good and bad guys on all sides. The characters may be stereotypes but these stereotypes are not bound to either race and that's what makes it realistic. It's a science fiction movie that basically has no special effects and doesn't need them.
Post by: DJ Doena on March 01, 2009, 10:34:07 PM
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103893/)
Kristy Swanson ... Buffy
Donald Sutherland ... Merrick
Paul Reubens ... Amilyn
Rutger Hauer ... Lothos
Luke Perry ... Pike
Michele Abrams ... Jennifer
Hilary Swank ... Kimberly
Paris Vaughan ... Nicole
David Arquette ... Benny
Stephen Root ... Gary Murray
Thomas Jane ... Zeph
Synopsis: Buffy is a normal highschool freshman and member of the cheerleading squad. But then she meets Merrick and he shows her what she really is: The Chosen One, a Vampire Slayer. Born with the strength and skill to fight the Vampires, to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers. But she wants to stay a normal girl and wants nothing to do with such rubbish.
My Opinion: This movie may not be what Joss Whedon had intended or will do on the TV show. But it definitivly falls into the category of "guilty pleasure" and is a lot of fun if you're willing to accept its cheesiness. And the dialogue is unmistakably Whedon. Also, Lothos used a Samurai Katana, that's a plus in the book. ;D
Post by: addicted2dvd on March 02, 2009, 10:28:14 AM
Post by: Achim on March 02, 2009, 12:51:10 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnUvZP7-5LM
You guys were probably aware of it, but I found it interesting enough to post the clip.
Post by: addicted2dvd on March 02, 2009, 12:59:33 PM
Post by: Tom on March 02, 2009, 01:10:18 PM
OK... What's the deal? Since when has there been a Buffy animated series and why didn't I know about it? :P
There was to be a Buffy animated series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_the_Animated_Series), but it never got made. This clip and some character designs were the only things which made it to the light of day. It would have taken place in the High School years. Interesting would have been, how Dawn was during those years.
Post by: addicted2dvd on March 02, 2009, 01:30:14 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on March 07, 2009, 11:52:03 PM
Underworld (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0320691/)
Kate Beckinsale ... Selene
Scott Speedman ... Michael Corvin
Michael Sheen ... Lucian
Shane Brolly ... Kraven
Bill Nighy ... Viktor
Erwin Leder ... Singe
Sophia Myles ... Erika
Synopsis: For centuries Vampires and Lycans (Werewolves) have been fighting and killing one another. Selene is a Death Dealer, a Vampire specialized in the hunting and killing of Lycans. But her latest hunt brought up several mysteries. The Lycans have suddenly guns that can fire bullets containing a light-emmiting liquid - fatal for Vampires. Where did they get those? And why were they following that Human who seems important to them? And Lucien, the ruthless leader of the Lycans, is supposed to be dead for 600 years. But is he actually dead?
My Opinion: What I really like about this movie is it's style. The look of the snobbish Vampires versus the more ragged look of the Lycans. The darkness and the rain and the soundtrack. The story and the acting is ok, but not overwhelming. But if one wants to have a nice brain-free evening with a lot of shootings and a bit of mythology in the mix, this is the movie for it.
Post by: DJ Doena on March 08, 2009, 01:54:37 PM
The Incredible Hulk (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800080/)
Edward Norton ... Bruce Banner
Liv Tyler ... Betty Ross
Tim Roth ... Emil Blonsky
William Hurt ... Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross
Tim Blake Nelson ... Samuel Sterns
Lou Ferrigno ... Voice of The Incredible Hulk / Security Guard
Synopsis: Bruce Banner has been hiding for the last few years. Currently he works in a lemonade factory somewhere in Brazil. But then an accident happens and his pursuers find him again. In the following struggle the Hulk comes out and Banner awakes in Guatemala. He has to find a way to undo this mutation and for this he needs the research data that was recorded during the original accident. But that brings him too close to the love of his life. And two soldiers want to find him at any cost but for different reasons.
My Opinion: When I went to the theatre to watch this movie I was a bit uneasy because I didn't like the first movie that much. But I thought that Edward Norton and Liv Tyler would make it at least a decent movie and I enjoyed it very much. The Hulk felt much more real and three-dimensional than the one in the first movie. I was glad that they didn't use the split-screen again but went back to the classical movie approach. The story was predictable - he wanted to lift the curse but ultimately had to embrace his alter ego in order to save the world - but that's what I expect from a (super)hero movie.
Post by: DJ Doena on March 08, 2009, 05:04:47 PM
Iron Man (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371746/)
Robert Downey Jr. ... Tony Stark
Terrence Howard ... Rhodey
Jeff Bridges ... Obadiah Stane
Gwyneth Paltrow ... Pepper Potts
Leslie Bibb ... Christine Everhart
Shaun Toub ... Yinsen
Synopsis: Tony Stark is the CEO of Stark Industries. They manufacture and sell the most advanced weapons technology in the world. One day Stark is kidnapped and is forced to build a new weapons system for a group of terrorists. But Stark builds something else: an armored suit that he wears to break out of his prison. When he returns to the civilized world he reflects what he has seen on the other side of the world and he decides that weapons production isn't a good idea after all. But he can help people if he would wear that new suit of his more often...
My Opinion: This was a blind buy for me. Tony Stark's character is very two-dimensional, even after his change of heart. I would put it closer to Underworld than to The Incredible Hulk, more visuals than actual story or profundity. What bothered me, was the fact that they invented a superhero that has no actual superpowers and yet he survives the most absurds stunts as if he had superpowers. First when he crashed into the desert and again when he tested his rocket-boots and crashed without armor into a concrete wall. It may have looked funny but it didn't help with the character's credibility.
I find it interesting that movies about a teenager who has been bitten by a spider or about people who are born differently are more serious than a movie about a guy who's inventing the newest weapons.
Post by: Najemikon on March 08, 2009, 06:12:31 PM
Logic is not a huge concern of this film. Stark does seem to have a lot of bounce... I think the crashes in the suit, though daft, are acceptable as it's the point of the character, but you're right that the crash without the suit is harder to accept. But once you start down that path, a hell of a lot more doesn't make sense. The whole cave sequence was unlikely because they had cameras. Then the sequences of him flying off the the Middle East, and what the hell happened to Rhodes? Roaring off in Tony's car, but not seen again for a while. Actually those last two are covered by deleted scenes. The fact they could delete them at all demonstrates they weren't too bothered about making all the details fit.
I forgive a lot though based on what I said in my review about the types of comic story; none of Stan Lee's stuff makes much logical sense, although I felt Stark's character was good (back to the deleted scenes, there was another bit that demonstrated this). And for that matter, I've always complained about Raimi's altered Spider-Man origin because it's ridiculous and far more so than anything here. Better to concentrate on what's in front of you and what I saw was an exceptional cast working with a great script and near flawless effects.
And on that score by the way, much as I enjoy Underworld, Iron Man is better by some considerable margin. :tease:
Post by: DJ Doena on March 19, 2009, 10:29:41 AM
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103064/)
Arnold Schwarzenegger ... The Terminator
Linda Hamilton ... Sarah Connor
Edward Furlong ... John Connor
Robert Patrick ... T-1000
Earl Boen ... Dr. Silberman
Joe Morton ... Miles Dyson
Leslie Hamilton Gearren ... Twin Sarah
Synopsis: A decade has passed since Kyle Reese was killed and the Terminator was destroyed. But now he's back. Another T-800 was sent back through time. But he's not here to terminate. He's here to protect John from the more advanced Terminator model T-1000 - a shapeshifter. Sarah, John and the T-800 have their hands full with staying alive and preventing the apocalypse. They have to destroy Skynet before it's even made.
My Opinion: I had totally forgotten how young John was. I remembered him at least four years older - maybe due to new series. But I still like the movie very much. Robert Patrick is a great adversary with cool morphing effects. And while some of the jokes that John made the T-800 do were a bit childish I liked their interaction. I also liked how the T-800 killed nobody and still had an amazing rounds per minute ratio.
For me, it's the best part of the trilogy - let's see how the fourth part will be.
Post by: DJ Doena on April 10, 2009, 09:34:25 PM
They Call Me Trinity (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067355/)
Terence Hill ... Trinità
Bud Spencer ... Bambino
Farley Granger ... Maj. Harriman
Elena Pedemonte ... Judith
Steffen Zacharias ... Jonathan
Dan Sturkie ... Tobias
Gisela Hahn ... Sarah
Synopsis: Trinity comes into a small town where he meets his brother Bambino again. Bambino is the Sheriff there after he accidentally shot the real Sheriff (i.e. he thought the Sheriff was pursuing him, but he wasn't). Trinity takes the role of the Deputy Sheriff and together they help a group of Mormon settlers who have trouble with a man who wants their land for his horses.
My Opinion: Except for the early movies, Bud Spencer & Terrence Hill movies are always harmless fun. They are childhood favourites of mine and have a certain cult status here in Germany. This is mostly due to a very unique dubbing of these movies but I still enjoy them very much and I own pretty much all of them.
Post by: Jimmy on April 10, 2009, 10:11:47 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on April 15, 2009, 09:58:40 PM
Trinity Is Still My Name (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068154/)
Terence Hill ... Trinità
Bud Spencer ... Bambino
Yanti Somer ... Trinity's girl
Enzo Tarascio ... Sheriff
Harry Carey Jr. ... The Father
Jessica Dublin ... 'Farrah' the Mother
Emilio Delle Piane ... Parker
Benito Stefanelli ... Stingary Smith
Jean Louis ... Murdock
Synopsis: Although Trinity promised his brother to go the other way, he follows him through the desert until they meet again at their parents's house. Bambi has to promise to make an honest horse-thief out of Trinity and he really tries. In the next town they pretend to be secret federal agents and get "bribed" by the local gangsters to "look the other way". But where money is that easy to be made there must be more money to be made...
My Opinion: I started to watch this right after They Call Me Trinity but had to pause because I had to get up early. So I finished today. My favourite scene was when they ate at that french restaurant and the Maitre D' tried to take away the food or when he tried to flambé the dessert.
One of the side effects of that aforementioned dubbing is that the dubbers didn't really care that there was a previous movie and they simply changed the character's name. And often there's even more than one german dubbing and even different german names for the same movie. Sometimes there's a comedy dubbing and a more serious dubbing of the very same movie and sometimes there are two dubbings because East Germany and West Germany made a version of their own.
For example: In West Germany this movie is called "Four Fists for a Hallelujah". In East Germany it was called "The Little One and the Tired Joe" which were actually their names in the first movie ("Bambino" is italian for baby or infant).
Post by: DJ Doena on April 16, 2009, 07:14:31 AM
Man of the East (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068524/)
Terence Hill ... Sir Thomas Fitzpatrick Phillip Moore
Gregory Walcott ... Bull Schmidt
Yanti Somer ... Candida Austin
Dominic Barto ... Monkey Smith
Harry Carey Jr. ... Holy Joe
Riccardo Pizzuti ... Morton Clayton
Synopsis: A young Sir from England comes over to California after his father died there. He inherits his farm and meets three of his father's friends. Bu they are three gunslingers who hate progress. But over time they will become friends and change their respective lives in a way none of them had anticipated.
My Opinion: This is one of my Hill favourites. I love to see him ride bicycle through a western town and to suddenly start reciting a poem by Walt Whitman or how he tried to explain how fertile the earth on the farm is by squeezing a pile of horse shit. ;D
Post by: DJ Doena on April 29, 2009, 11:02:06 AM
Batman Begins (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372784/)
Christian Bale ... Bruce Wayne / Batman
Michael Caine ... Alfred
Liam Neeson ... Henri Ducard
Katie Holmes ... Rachel Dawes
Gary Oldman ... Jim Gordon
Cillian Murphy ... Dr. Jonathan Crane
Tom Wilkinson ... Carmine Falcone
Rutger Hauer ... Earle
Ken Watanabe ... Ra's Al Ghul
Morgan Freeman ... Lucius Fox
Synopsis: When he was a kid, his parents were shot by a mugger. When he had the chance to take revenge he missed it. For seven years he wandered around the globe to study crime. But it's only when he meets Ra's Al Ghul that his life gets a purpose again. Back in Gotham City at day he is a (drunken) billionaire who parties too much while at night he becomes the greatest fear the underworld ever had: Batman.
My Opinion: Great restart of the franchise. I always liked the first Batman movie and since I've never read any Batman comic I imagined that was the way Batman was supposed to be: noir and serious. Oh, I liked the 60's show with Adam West, but one couldn't take it seriously ("anti-shark repellent" anyone?). And I like comics in general - I don't have that many, but I can certainly see their charm. But when it comes to a comic-to-movie adaptation I expect a bit more seriousness. I can accept super-powers of any kind and have no problems with their origin but the characters have to be "well drawn". They have to feel like real people and not behave like a Saturday morning cartoon show. And it that regard the old Superman movies (except maybe part 2) and also Batman 3 & 4 failed.
Batman Begins then was great. The background of Bruce Wayne hasn't really changed but the way it was told was great. I also liked that Gordon had become a three-dimensional character (no surprise when played by Gary Oldman). This is certainly a movie that doesn't try to make puns for puns's sake. I love it.
Let's just hope that the third movie (that is hopefully coming) isn't a letdown like the third parts of the recent X-Men and Spider-Man trilogies.
Post by: DJ Doena on April 29, 2009, 09:48:56 PM
Iron Eagle (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091278/)
Louis Gossett Jr. ... Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
Jason Gedrick ... Doug Masters
Tim Thomerson ... Col. Ted Masters
Larry B. Scott ... Reggie
Caroline Lagerfelt ... Elizabeth Masters
Jerry Levine ... Tony
Robbie Rist ... Milo
Synopsis: Doug is a teenager about to graduate from high school but then his father gets shot down in his F-16. He is falsely accused of having violated the airspace of a north-african country. He's trialed, found guilty and will be hanged. Doug is also a hobby Cessna pilot who has flown hundreds of hours in the F-16 flight simulator and when the Air Force shows no intention of rescuing his father, he decides to do something about it. He and Col. Sinclair steal two F-16 and try to rescue his father.
My Opinion: This movie is so bad. Seriously. It came out in the same year as Top Gun and Top Gun won. The story is ridiculous and very patriotic. But I love that movie in all its cheesiness. It has nice flying scenes and it has a great collection of songs in it, especially since Doug can't really hit a target without listening to music. ;D This movie was the reason that the F-16 "Falcon" was my favourite plane for quite a while.
Post by: Jimmy on April 29, 2009, 09:59:58 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on May 01, 2009, 11:07:50 PM
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084726/)
William Shatner ... Admiral James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy ... Captain Spock
DeForest Kelley ... Dr. McCoy
James Doohan ... Scotty
Walter Koenig ... Pavel Chekov
George Takei ... Hikaru Sulu
Nichelle Nichols ... Cmdr. Uhura
Bibi Besch ... Dr. Carol Marcus
Merritt Butrick ... Dr. David Marcus
Kirstie Alley ... Lt. Saavik
Ricardo Montalban ... Khan
Judson Earney Scott ... Joachim Weiss
Synopsis: The Enterprise has become a teaching ship and Captain Spock is in command. When Admiral Kirk is on inspection and takes the ship for "a tour around the block" they get a disturbing call from Dr. Marcus. Someone is trying to get his hands on the "Genesis" project, a secret research project to create life on lifeless planets. But this Genesis device could also be used as a terrible weapon. And Kirk's enemy is no other than the genetically enhanced Khan. He tried to kill Kirk and take his ship fifteen years ago.
My Opinion: Still a great movie. I really liked how they used the fact that space is three-dimensional, a fact that even especially Sci-Fi shows forget too often. I also liked how Khan used quotes from Moby Dick, but replaced some of the places with astronomical locations. Technically he couldn't have this knowledge, he was in stasis and shortly after his defrosting he was banned to Zeti Alpha 5. He also couldn't know that the Klingons have a proverb: "Revenge is a dish best served cold". But I am willing to overlook that because Montalban was awesome when he said it. ;)
And I loved those close combat scenes, it reminded me of the old battles between sailing ships.
Post by: Tom on May 01, 2009, 11:23:55 PM
Technically he couldn't have this knowledge, he was in stasis and shortly after his defrosting he was banned to Zeti Alpha 5. He also couldn't know that the Klingons have a proverb: "Revenge is a dish best served cold". But I am willing to overlook that because Montalban was awesome when he said it. ;)
Maybe they got a selection of literature transferred to the Botany Bay computer before being stranded on Zeti Alpha 5.
Post by: DJ Doena on May 01, 2009, 11:25:29 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on May 02, 2009, 02:15:38 PM
The Final Countdown (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080736/)
Kirk Douglas ... Capt. Matthew Yelland
Martin Sheen ... Warren Lasky
Katharine Ross ... Laurel Scott
James Farentino ... Wing Commander Richard T. Owens / Richard Tideman
Ron O'Neal ... Cmdr. Dan Thurman
Charles Durning ... Sen. Samuel Chapman
Victor Mohica ... Black Cloud
Soon-Tek Oh ... Simura
Synopsis: Warren Lasky is a civilian consultant whose task is to evaluate the efficiency of the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. But shortly after the Nimitz has left Pearl Harbor on December 6th, 1980, the ship encounters an electromagnetic storm none of them has ever seen before. And when they are clear of the storm there are not where they are supposed to be. It's still December 6th - but 1941, one day before the Japanese Empire started its attack on Pearl Harbor.
My Opinion: What if? I really like the questions this movie asks - whether or not one is allowed to interfere with things that already happened. And I liked the faces of the senator and the japanese pilot when Owens told them what was about to happen. ;D And I have to say: I love aircraft carries, they are beautiful. And I love it to see planes starting from and landing on them and this movie had plenty of such footage.
Post by: DJ Doena on May 03, 2009, 07:58:43 PM
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311113/)
Russell Crowe ... Capt. Jack Aubrey
Paul Bettany ... Dr. Stephen Maturin, Surgeon
James D'Arcy ... 1st Lt. Tom Pullings
Edward Woodall ... 2nd Lt. William Mowett
Chris Larkin ... Capt. Howard, Royal Marines
Max Pirkis ... Blakeney, Midshipman
Billy Boyd ... Barrett Bonden, Coxswain
Synopsis: During the Napoleonic Wars the english "HMS Suprise" has the orders to sink french ships or take them as a prize. But their first battle against the "Archeron" doesn't go well. The "Archeron" has the better armour, longer guns and is still faster. But Captain "Lucky Jack" Aubrey will hunt her from Brazil to the Galápagos, no matter the cost.
My Opinion: A great movie about naval battles. Since it is a movie from this age there's very little nostalgia in it. Men get shot, stabbed, they bleed and die. We see the carpenters who repair the ship after a fight, we see the superstition that most of the crew shares, we see how young many of the crew are. It has nothing in common with the "fencing pirates" movies of the 50s and 60s. And it is also set in a great scenery along South America's coast and the Galápagos islands. I also like the soundtrack very much to which I am listening right now.
Post by: DJ Doena on May 20, 2009, 09:59:37 PM
Clerks (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109445/)
Brian O'Halloran ... Dante
Jeff Anderson ... Randal
Marilyn Ghigliotti ... Veronica
Lisa Spoonhauer ... Caitlin
Jason Mewes ... Jay
Kevin Smith ... Silent Bob
Scott Mosier ... Willam the Idiot Manchild
Synopsis: Dante is a convenient store clerk who isn't supposed to work today but has to come in anyways. Together with his friend Randal who works at the neighbouring video store he philosophizes through the entire spectrum of topics while unwillingly "serving" customers. When they don't work (which they mostly don't) and don't philosophize they play hockey or drive to a wake or talk to friends and girlfriends. And so the day goes by...
My Opinion: I got the idea of watching this again when I stumbled across the "ABC" dance video of Clerks II (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUian4HJlcs). It's funny how a movie is able to not to have an actual story and still be very entertaining for 92 minutes. I have always loved the part where they discuss the morality of destroying a Death Star while it's still under construction and thus having a lot of external contractors like roofers and plumbers are on board. ;)
Post by: DJ Doena on May 21, 2009, 08:29:31 AM
Clerks II (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424345/)
Brian O'Halloran ... Dante
Jeff Anderson ... Randal
Jason Mewes ... Jay
Kevin Smith ... Silent Bob
Jennifer Schwalbach Smith ... Emma
Ben Affleck ... Gawking Guy
Trevor Fehrman ... Elias
Rosario Dawson ... Becky
Scott Mosier ... Concerned Father
Kevin Weisman ... Hobbit Lover
Jason Lee ... Lance Dowds
Synopsis: 10 years later. The Quick Stop has burned down and Dante and Randal are "working" in a Mooby's fast food restaurant. But not much longer. Dante will marry in a few months and he will move to Florida. Today is his last day. Randal plans to give him a going-away present in form of a "donkey show". But apart from that there hasn't been much change. Jay and Silent Bob are still selling drugs in front of the store and Dante still feels that he hasn't found his purpose in life yet.
My Opinion: A nice continuation of their story and when you watch both movies together you see the parallels they put into it much more clearly. And I really liked the addition of Rosario Dawson who was great as Becky. It was also great that Silent Bob who always had the one big speech per movie didn't know what to say this time: *theatrical pause* and then "I've got nothing.". ;D
The movie posters were also hilarious:
(http://doena-journal.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/clerks_ii.jpg) (http://doena-journal.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/clerks_ii_ver2.jpg) (http://doena-journal.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/clerks_ii_ver3.jpg) (http://doena-journal.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/clerks_ii_ver4.jpg)
Post by: DJ Doena on May 21, 2009, 11:54:15 AM
Big (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094737/)
Tom Hanks ... Josh Baskin
Elizabeth Perkins ... Susan
Robert Loggia ... MacMillan
John Heard ... Paul
Jared Rushton ... Billy
David Moscow ... Young Josh
Synopsis: Josh is a 13 year old boy who loves to hang out with his best friend Billy. But he's also starting to get interested in girls and when he's humiliated in front of the girl he likes he just wishes to be big on a Zoltar magic machine. And his wish is granted. When he wakes up, he's an adult who has to flee from his own house. Billy helps him to find a room and a job in New York City. Then they start to search for the Zoltar again. But life as an adult isn't as terrible as it seemed in the beginning.
My Opinion: It's a nice comedy flick which I enjoyed very much. Tom Hanks is a great actor who can play like an innocent child as well as his more serious roles, like The Green Mile or Saving Private Ryan. And Elizabeth Perkins was great, too. They were a great it-wasn't-supposed-to-be couple and I especially liked the scenes where she tried to hit on him and he reacted like a 13 year old. ;)
There still one thing I can't get out of my head. I am aware that there are more movies out there like this (e.g. 13 Going on 30 from 2004). And even though I have seen the extended edition now I still have the following image in my head: After Josh had become a kid again he goes to school again and sits in his place when a new red-headed school girl comes into class and gets seated behind him. He turns around and she smiles to him.
I don't know from which movie I got that scene but I always associate it with Big.
Post by: Tom on May 21, 2009, 12:00:30 PM
And even though I have seen the extended edition now I still the following image in my head: After Josh had become a kid again he goes to school again and sits in his place when a new red-headed school girl comes into class and gets seated behind him. He turns around and she smiles to him.
I don't know from which movie I got that scene but I always associate it with Big.
I had the same problem after buying Big. I also expected this scene. As far as I could find out then, this scene is from Vice Versa (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096380/) (if I remember correctly), but I didn't have a chance yet to check it out.
Post by: DJ Doena on May 21, 2009, 09:16:15 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on May 22, 2009, 12:36:14 AM
Son of Rambow (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0845046/)
Bill Milner ... Will Proudfoot
Will Poulter ... Lee Carter
Jessica Hynes ... Mary Proudfoot
Neil Dudgeon ... Joshua
Jules Sitruk ... Didier Revol
Synopsis: Will Proudfoot is growing up in a very strict christian society. He isn't even allowed to watch documentaries in school. Lee Carter is the troublemaker of the school who makes pirate copies of theatre movies. When their paths cross nothing will be the same. Together they make their own movie where Will is the son of Rambow and Lee plays Colonel Trautman. But their secret comes out and suddenly everybody wants to have a role in it.
My Opinion: It's a funny film with funny being not in the "hilarious funny" category but more in the category of "decent humour without forgetting that it wants to tell a story". Even though the actors were children (who did a great job) I had the feeling this movie carried a sentimental tune similar to the one in Be Kind Rewind. I also liked it that the movie had no problem with switching to a more serious tone after the accident when you don't know what has happened to Lee.
PS: Thanks to Tom for the recommendation.
Post by: Najemikon on May 22, 2009, 01:30:40 AM
Son of Rambow (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0845046/)
Bill Milner ... Will Proudfoot
Will Poulter ... Lee Carter
Jessica Hynes ... Mary Proudfoot
Neil Dudgeon ... Joshua
Jules Sitruk ... Didier Revol
Synopsis: Will Proudfoot is growing up in a very strict christian society. He isn't even allowed to watch documentaries in school. Lee Carter is the troublemaker of the school who makes pirate copies of theatre movies. When their paths cross nothing will be the same. Together they make their own movie where Will is the son of Rambow and Lee plays Colonel Trautman. But their secret comes out and suddenly everybody wants to have a role in it.
My Opinion: It's a funny film with funny being not in the "hilarious funny" category but more in the category of "decent humour without forgetting that it wants to tell a story". Even though the actors were children (who did a great job) I had the feeling this movie carried a sentimental tune similar to the one in Be Kind Rewind. I also liked it that the movie had no problem with switching to a more serious tone after the accident when you don't know what has happened to Lee.
PS: Thanks to Tom for the recommendation.
I'm really looking forward to seeing this. Looks like it fits in well with what our British filmmakers do better than anyone; that balance between genuine laughs and real life. Two films that also follow this that no-one ever talks about and I throroughly recommend are:
Jack and Sarah - Richard E. Grant; Judi Dench; Gandalf ;)
Jack's wife dies in childbirth and he falls apart, forgetting he has his daughter, Sarah, to look after. The scene where his mum Judi Dench forces Sarah into his life is wonderful. He gets an American nanny to help and the film continues with the adventures of these mismatched people. McKellen is wonderful as the local drunk turning good. My mum adores this film and watches it about once a month!
On A Clear Day
Odd film, also starring a LotR actor (Hobbit, Billy Boyd) in a supporting role :laugh:, about a man made unemployed who gets it into his head to swim the channel.
As you can see, both films have very strong, realistic and downright depressing premises. Young mothers dying and unemployment are hardly the stuff of fantasy. But they are both wonderfully uplifting.
Post by: Achim on May 22, 2009, 06:30:39 AM
Post by: DJ Doena on May 22, 2009, 09:53:41 AM
Jack and Sarah - Richard E. Grant; Judi Dench; Gandalf ;)As it just so happened, this movie was aired here a few weeks ago (dubbed of course). It must have been a saturday morning because that besically the only time I still watch real TV. I stumbled across it, was intrigued and watched it.
Jack's wife dies in childbirth and he falls apart, forgetting he has his daughter, Sarah, to look after. The scene where his mum Judi Dench forces Sarah into his life is wonderful. He gets an American nanny to help and the film continues with the adventures of these mismatched people. McKellen is wonderful as the local drunk turning good. My mum adores this film and watches it about once a month!
You are right, it's a goood movie.
Post by: DJ Doena on May 22, 2009, 09:56:17 AM
I am also looking very much forward to see Son of Rambow. Heck, I even own the Blu-ray. Unfortunately the (supposedly) Region AB disc from the UK has PAL trailers at the start and therefore fails to play in my Region A PS3 :( Waiting for an Region A Blu-ray now...
Hum, "Trailer". Actually, it's advertisement. At first I thought it's already part of the movie, lik in Tropic Thunder. Why? Because this is one of the clips:
Post by: Najemikon on May 22, 2009, 09:14:31 PM
Mr. T (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/28/advertising1)
Post by: Achim on May 24, 2009, 11:55:02 AM
I prefer this one, which was banned. Bloody political correctness... :redcard:I don't get it? All gays are supposed to be speed walkers, maybe? Ridiculous.
Mr. T (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/28/advertising1)
Post by: DJ Doena on June 08, 2009, 05:17:03 PM
Transformers
Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull
Music & Lyrics
Cars
The Dark Knight
Office Space
Shooter
Martian Child
Post by: DJ Doena on June 18, 2009, 09:54:01 AM
Transformers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418279/)
Shia LaBeouf ... Sam Witwicky
Megan Fox ... Mikaela Banes
Josh Duhamel ... Captain Lennox
Tyrese Gibson ... USAF Tech Sergeant Epps
Rachael Taylor ... Maggie Madsen
Anthony Anderson ... Glen Whitmann
Jon Voight ... Defense Secretary John Keller
John Turturro ... Agent Simmons
Synopsis: The AllSpark is a mystical cube which can create life from lifelessness. Many eons ago it got lost, but Megatron - leader of the Decepticons - has found it on a planet called Earth. But he crashes here and freezes into a form of stasis in the arctic. But his arrival did not go unnoticed and many years later the Autobots under the lead of Optimus Prime also arrive on Earth. And now the hunt for the AllSpark begins. The question is whether the Humans can help save their own planet or whether they will be a mere annoyance that stand between the Decepticons and the AllSpark.
My Opinion: Robots that turn into cars, trucks, helicopters and tanks - need I say more? It's a great fun flick whose sequel is about to start in the theatres. I enjoy such harmless movies where I don't want to think and don't need to think from time to time. The only thing that was a bit annoying was the final fight where one often couldn't make out who's currently fighting who.
Post by: DJ Doena on June 18, 2009, 10:21:10 AM
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367882/)
Harrison Ford ... Indiana Jones
Cate Blanchett ... Irina Spalko
Karen Allen ... Marion Ravenwood
Shia LaBeouf ... Mutt Williams
Ray Winstone ... 'Mac' George Michale
John Hurt ... Professor Oxley
Synopsis: 20 years have past, the Nazis are gone and Marcus Brody and Henry Jones, Sr. have died. But now there are Russians and they want to discover the secrets that are behind some mysteriously formed yet perfectly carved crystal skulls. And Indy is right in the middle of it. This time the treasure hunt leads to South America, in the Amazon River region and back to the time of the spanish conquistadores. And Indy is not alone. He's accompanied by his friend Professor Oxley, his former companion Marion - and someone he didn't expect.
My Opinion: I don't have anything against the chosen subject - this time aliens. I mean, c'mon, we've seen the Ark of the Covenant and even the Holy Grail and they've done miraculous things. So why not aliens. It was a very good movie; still I didn't enjoy it as much as its predecessors. It lacked a bit of the charm of the previous movies and there were too many over the top elements in it. For example Indy's survival of a nuclear explosion in a refrigerator that was blasted through the desert, or their triple fall down a waterfall.
My favourite of the series still remains Last Crusade.
Post by: DJ Doena on June 18, 2009, 10:55:47 AM
Cars (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317219/)
Owen Wilson ... Lightning McQueen (voice)
Paul Newman ... Doc Hudson (voice)
Bonnie Hunt ... Sally Carrera (voice)
Larry The Cable Guy ... Mater (voice)
Cheech Marin ... Ramone (voice)
Tony Shalhoub ... Luigi (voice)
Guido Quaroni ... Guido (voice)
Jenifer Lewis ... Flo (voice)
Paul Dooley ... Sarge (voice)
Michael Wallis ... Sheriff (voice)
George Carlin ... Fillmore (voice)
Katherine Helmond ... Lizzie (voice)
John Ratzenberger ... Mack / Hamm Truck / Abominable Snow Plow / P.T. Flea Car (voice)
Michael Keaton ... Chick Hicks (voice)
Richard Petty ... The King (voice)
Synopsis: Lightning McQueen is a race car and THE newcomer of the current racing season. But he's also arrogant and egocentric and these treats nearly cost him the Piston Cup championship. But he hasn't won either. His two closest opponents (Chick Hicks and the current champion The King) and he got over the finish line at the same time. The next race will decide who gets the Piston Cup. But McQueen gets lost on his way to California and ends up in a small backwater town called Radiator Springs along the old Route 66. And since he got in trouble with the law he has to repair their old main street before he's allowed to leave. But when he's allowed to leave - does he still want it?
My Opinion: As all Pixar movies, this is a great flick. The characters are all excellently drawn (both literally as well as metaphorically) and the story is very charming. I really love the diversity of the supporting characters like the Sarge or Luigi and the references to "our" world such as Sally's tramp stamp on her rear. I also found it quite fascinating that some of the nature shots almost looked real, for example when Lightning and Sally were racing through the forest and the puddles.
Post by: DJ Doena on June 18, 2009, 11:20:08 AM
Shooter (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822854/)
Mark Wahlberg ... Bob Lee Swagger
Michael Peña ... Nick Memphis
Danny Glover ... Colonel Isaac Johnson
Kate Mara ... Sarah Fenn
Elias Koteas ... Jack Payne
Rhona Mitra ... Alourdes Galindo
Synopsis: Bob Lee Swagger was an Army Rangers sharpshooter but during a mission in Ethiopia his spotter gets killed and he has to escape without any backup since this mission was an illegal operation. Three years later he has retired and lives in the Rocky Mountains until his government needs his help again. Someone wants to shoot the president from over a mile away and they need his expertise to find the killer. But suddenly Bob Lee finds himself being the suspected killer and is hunted by every law enforcement department the US has to offer.
My Opinion: It's a very interesting thriller with nice references to the JFK murder. Mark Wahlberg might not be the best actor but I think he plays roles where his character is of a simple nature (like his role here or in Four Brothers) very well and believable. I also liked how they managed to show many different landscapes in which a sniper has to work in (steppe, a city, forest, snow, ...) without making it unrealistic.
Post by: DJ Doena on June 19, 2009, 10:04:41 AM
Martian Child (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415965/)
John Cusack ... David Gordon
Bobby Coleman ... Dennis / The Martian Child
Amanda Peet ... Harlee
Sophie Okonedo ... Sophie
Joan Cusack ... Liz
Oliver Platt ... Jeff
Synopsis: Originally his wife and he wanted to adopt a child. But then his wife died and now he's alone. But he still decides to adopt a child and he chooses the child that is "allergic" to sunlight and who is not an Earthling at all but a Martian. Over the next months David tries to bond with Dennis and to get him out of his shell but it's a laborious experience for both of them and everybody who tries to help.
My Opinion: This is not really a comedy. It's a story about a guy who learns how to be a father and a child who learns how to be a son (that's the tagline of the movie but it pretty much sums it up). It's a very empathetic movie without cheap jokes and it's great to see when they finally bond. It was a blind buy for me, I didn't really know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the movie that I didn't expect.
Post by: DJ Doena on June 19, 2009, 10:29:20 AM
Office Space (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151804/)
Ron Livingston ... Peter Gibbons
Jennifer Aniston ... Joanna
David Herman ... Michael Bolton
Ajay Naidu ... Samir
Diedrich Bader ... Lawrence
Stephen Root ... Milton Waddams
Gary Cole ... Bill Lumbergh
John C. McGinley ... Bob Slydell
Synopsis: Peter works in a software company and he and his colleagues are scanning program code for possible Y2K bugs and change the code to a 4 digits system. But his work doesn't fulfil him, he feels useless and the job is repetitive and tedious. When he seeks counselling he gets hypnotized but never awakes from it because his shrink dies of an heart attack. From now on everything is different. Life is easy, he goes to work when he pleases, he works only on stuff that is actually useful and he even gets promoted for it - while his friends get fired due to "reorganization". But they have a contingency plan - they plan to steal "virtual" money.
My Opinion: This movie feels so real and Peter's life before his hypnosis is pretty much the same that I am currently leading, especially the boringness at work. Now I only need to find the diner where Jennifer Aniston is working and I will get hypnotized, too. ;D
The supporting characters are also very great, especially Milton and his stapler. ;)
Post by: DJ Doena on June 19, 2009, 10:46:01 AM
Alex & Emma (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318283/)
Luke Wilson ... Alex Sheldon / Adam Shipley
Kate Hudson ... Emma Dinsmore / Ylva / Elsa / Eldora / Anna
David Paymer ... John Shaw
Sophie Marceau ... Polina Delacroix
Synopsis: Alex owes some guys 50 grand due to gambling problems and of course he doesn't have the money. But he's a writer and he promises them a hundred grand in 30 days when his new book is finished - but he hasn't even begun it yet. He needs a stenographer to type 300 pages in 30 days and thus he hires Emma to type while he's dictating his story.
My Opinion: Let's face it: Most of the romance movies have the same basic plot. Boy meets girl. Boy either doesn’t like girl or doesn't really care. Eventually they fall in love and sleep together. Then boy makes huge blunder and girl runs away crying. Boy makes huge apology gesture and they live happily ever after. The End.
I don't have a problem with that but it means that the story depends heavily on the characters and how the previously mentioned plot points are executed this time. And in that regard Alex & Emma fails. It's like watching a village creek flow for 92 minutes. Nothing extraordinary happens, not even the blunder was a big deal. They even had this basically cool idea to "jump" into the story Alex was writing and Emma interrupts him and demands changes. There was so much potential to use (for example) rewind effects or morphing effects to change to story while telling but they barely made use of such devices. And what's worse: The story Alex was writing was boring as hell.
This was a blind buy, of course.
Post by: DJ Doena on June 19, 2009, 11:04:51 AM
Spider-Man (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0145487/)
Tobey Maguire ... Spider-Man / Peter Parker
Willem Dafoe ... Green Goblin / Norman Osborn
Kirsten Dunst ... Mary Jane Watson
James Franco ... Harry Osborn
Cliff Robertson ... Ben Parker
Rosemary Harris ... May Parker
J.K. Simmons ... J. Jonah Jameson
Ted Raimi ... Hoffman
Bruce Campbell ... Ring Announcer
Synopsis: Peter Parker is a young high school student when he's bitten by a genetically enhanced spider at a research facility. His DNA is rewritten and he becomes stronger, faster, he can climb walls and shoot spider threads from his wrists. After he has made a terrible mistake that cost his uncle his life he decides to use his new powers to help people: He becomes Spider-Man. But where there's a hero, there's a villain: The Green Goblin.
My Opinion: I love this movie, it's great. All the actors did a marvellous job, especially Tobey and Willem - I loved Willem Dafoe in the scenes where he "talked" to the Goblin and I really liked this bitter ending where he (Peter) has to decide to stay alone in order to not endanger the people he loves and cares for. "Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: 'With great power comes great responsibility.' This is my gift. My curse. Who am I? I am Spider-Man!". *awesome*
Post by: DJ Doena on June 27, 2009, 07:00:08 PM
Bring It On: All or Nothing (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490822/)
Hayden Panettiere ... Britney Allen
Solange Knowles ... Camille
Gus Carr ... Jesse
Marcy Rylan ... Winnie
Cindy Chiu ... Amber
Giovonnie Samuels ... Kirresha
Francia Raisa ... Leti
Gary LeRoi Gray ... Tyson
Danielle Savre ... Brianna
Jessica Nicole Fife ... Sierra
Rihanna ... Herself
Synopsis: Britney is the cheerleading captain of the Pacific Vista Pirates. But then her father gets fired and they have to move to Crenshaw Heights. She swore to her old team that she would never cheer again. But she has no place to fit in on her new school - except for the squad.
My Opinion: This movie is soo bad, there are no words for it. The only reason for buying it was Hayden Panettiere (Claire in Heroes ["Save the cheerleader, save the world!"]). But her acting is so over the top, it's as if Ecstasy had taken Ecstasy. But like a train wreck one can't stop watching. ;)
Post by: DJ Doena on June 27, 2009, 10:54:45 PM
Fanboys (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489049/)
Sam Huntington ... Eric
Chris Marquette ... Linus
Dan Fogler ... Hutch
Jay Baruchel ... Windows
Kristen Bell ... Zoe
Seth Rogen ... Admiral Seasholtz / Alien / Roach
Danny Trejo ... The Chief
Ethan Suplee ... Harry Knowles
Billy Dee Williams ... Judge Reinhold
William Shatner ... Himself
Carrie Fisher ... Doctor
Kevin Smith ... Himself
Jason Mewes ... Himself
Synopsis: Linus is a great Star Wars fan, but he is also dying of cancer and he won't make it to the premiere of Star Wars: Episode I in 1998. So his best friends (and also Star Wars geeks) decide to break into the Skywalker Ranch to watch a raw edit of the movie. On their road trip to San Francisco they meet other fans, Trekkies and even William Shatner...
My Opinion: This is a geek fest par excellence, no doubt about it. Every other sentence contains a reference to the trilogy, either as direct quote or in the spirit. When you know the movies by heart it's very easy to predict what they are going to say, but that just means that you are as geeky as they are. ;)
But the movie has also a lot of sentimental scenes that are similar to those in Be Kind Rewind and they are very well placed to interrupt the geek fest without destroying its spirit.
But the most astounding thing about this movie and watching the guys on their journey is that you forget how bad Episode I really was.
Post by: Tom on June 27, 2009, 11:00:30 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on June 27, 2009, 11:07:19 PM
Sounds like you can recommend this movie. I may have to order it some day after all.It's like the "Death Star" discussion in Clerks stretched to 90 minutes. I'd say you have to be a geek to enjoy this movie. If you want to laugh about the guys, it's not that funny, you have to want to laugh with the guys.
When they finally open Lucas' security vault (of course protected by a blast door) you feel the awe when they discover one of the original R2s or Indy's hat.
Post by: Tom on June 27, 2009, 11:10:47 PM
Sounds like a movie for me :laugh:Sounds like you can recommend this movie. I may have to order it some day after all.It's like the "Death Star" discussion in Clerks stretched to 90 minutes. I'd say you have to be a geek to enjoy this movie. If you want to laugh about the guys, it's not that funny, you have to want to laugh with the guys.
Post by: DJ Doena on July 13, 2009, 10:17:03 AM
13 Going on 30 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337563/)
Jennifer Garner ... Jenna Rink
Mark Ruffalo ... Matt Flamhaff
Judy Greer ... Lucy Wyman
Andy Serkis ... Richard Kneeland
Kathy Baker ... Bev Rink
Synopsis: It's 1987 and Jenna has her 13th birthday. But it ends in disaster and she wishes nothing more than to be 30. And then her wish gets granted. When she awakes it's 2004 and she's Jennifer Garner and editor of the glamour magazine "Poise". But she's still 13 and she finds herself in a world where everything is different and - most importantly - where she's different.
My Opinion: Jennifer Garner is a great 13-year-old. It's funny to watch her react to things like a small girl would react. I also liked the fact that it turned out to be her that sold the front cover topics to their competitor and not Tom-Tom/Lucy because that would have been too obvious. What I didn't care much about was Mark Ruffalo, I have nothing against the actor, I just don't care about him in any of his movies.
And now:
'Cause this is Thriller!
Post by: DJ Doena on July 16, 2009, 11:10:56 AM
Highlander (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091203/)
Christopher Lambert ... Connor 'The Highlander' MacLeod / Russell Edwin Nash
Roxanne Hart ... Brenda J. Wyatt
Clancy Brown ... Victor Kruger / The Kurgan
Sean Connery ... Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez
Beatie Edney ... Heather MacLeod
Alan North ... Lieutenant Frank Moran
Synopsis: Connor MacLeod of the clan MacLeod was born more than 450 years ago in the highlands of Scotland. He's immortal and he's not alone. Only a severed neck can kill him, when the stroke of a sword will release the power of the Quickening. Now the time of the Gathering has come, where only a few of them are still alive and they will fight for the Prize. In the end, there can be only one.
My Opinion: Love the first Highlander movie as well as the TV show, especially since I love sword fights and japanese Katanas. I love this whole Immortal mythology where guys like Ramirez have been walking over the Earth for more than 2400 years (or Methos in the TV show, with more than 5000 years the oldest known Immortal). And Queen's soundtrack to this movie is superb. A lot of famous songs came out of it ("Princes of the Universe", "Who Wants to Live Forever", "A Kind of Magic").
What I found funny was that the french-american Lambert played the scottish MacLeod while the scottish Connery played an Egyptian in the service of the spanish king. ;)
Post by: DJ Doena on July 16, 2009, 10:57:23 PM
Kleinruppin forever (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362804/)
Tobias Schenke ... Tim / Ronny
Anna Brüggemann ... Jana
Michael Gwisdek ... Erwin
Tino Mewes ... René
Tobias Kasimirowicz ... Mathieu
Toni Snetberger ... Niklas
Sebastian Kroehnert ... Max
Michael Kind ... Koslowski
Synopsis: In 1967 the (east german) parents of the twins Tim and Ronny are killed in a car crash. Tim gets adopted and grows up in Bremen where he becomes a tennis player who is about to go to college in Florida. But one sunny day in 1985 changes everything. His school class goes on a day trip into the "Zone" and suddenly Tim stands face to face with his brother - a brother he didn't know he had. But when it's time to return home his brother knocks him out and takes his place. Suddenly Tim finds himself stuck in East Germany - and of course every one assumes that he's Ronny.
My Opinion: This movie manages to show the life in the GDR frighteningly accurate. All the tiny details you can only spot if you have lived there but also the big picture with the banners and the attitude of the people who have positions of power. But it's also a good romance movie about a guy who wants to go home badly (and of course runs into trouble with the Stasi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi)) and the local girl who hasn't known any other live than this.
Post by: Najemikon on July 16, 2009, 11:36:19 PM
Post by: Tom on July 16, 2009, 11:41:52 PM
Post by: Tom on July 16, 2009, 11:43:37 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on July 17, 2009, 03:16:06 AM
Sounds interesting. How does it compare with The Lives of Others?Sorry, I've never seen that one.
Post by: Najemikon on July 17, 2009, 12:13:38 PM
Sounds interesting. How does it compare with The Lives of Others?Sorry, I've never seen that one.
Well you need to put that right! ;D I thought you had because I remembered a discussion about it, but it can't have been with you. I know Matthias was involved; maybe you came in on the back of it.
Post by: DJ Doena on July 29, 2009, 02:00:38 PM
Independence Day (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116629/)
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. Aliens come to Earth but they don't bring Elvis back. Instead they blow up the usual suspects (L.A., NYC and Washington D.C.). July 3rd. We take all our CGI F18s but these bastards have shields that can withstand a nuke. Dammit! July 4th. Aliens seem to use an operating system programmed by Microsoft since it is vulnerable to viruses written on an Apple notebook. A nuke under the banner of Jolly Roger takes care of the rest.
My Opinion: This time I decided to watch the theatrical cut again and I actually noticed (most? all?) the missing parts and I think they give this film a bit more depth (But what is depth in a puddle? ;)). It's still a very enjoyable film if you want to stress your subwoofer. The logic in this movie is as missing as in the Transformers movies but the jokes are not as mundane as the pee jokes. Until I read the name I never noticed that Jasmine was Vernita Green from Kill Bill. And I liked to see Mary McDonnell (President Roslin in Battlestar Galactica) and Margaret Colin (Eleanor Waldorf in Gossip Girl) again.
Post by: DJ Doena on August 14, 2009, 10:28:57 AM
Top Gun (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092099/)
Tom Cruise ... Maverick
Kelly McGillis ... Charlie
Val Kilmer ... Ice
Anthony Edwards ... Goose
Tom Skerritt ... Viper
Michael Ironside ... Jester
Tim Robbins ... Merlin
Clarence Gilyard Jr. ... Sundown
James Tolkan ... Stinger
Meg Ryan ... Carole
Adrian Pasdar ... Chipper
Synopsis: Lt. "Maverick" Mitchell - a slightly maniac F-14 pilot - and his RIO Lt. "Goose" Bradshaw have been accepted into the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School - more commonly known as "Top Gun". There they will learn the finer arts of aerial dogfighting. That is, if they don't get thrown out due to Maverick's behaviour. And the competition is hard, Top Gun accepts only the best pilots to begin with.
My Opinion: This movie has incredible flying scenes even after all these years. No crappy CGI but real planes flying in real air. And a great soundtrack, too. Ironically I haven't seen that movie that often but I seem to know it by heart due to the many parodies on many scenes of that movie.
And while I recognized Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli in Heroes) at once, it took me a while to recognize Goose as Dr. Greene from ER.
Too bad, that there aren't more good airplane combat movies out there.
Post by: DJ Doena on August 19, 2009, 10:00:19 AM
Hot Shots! (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102059/)
Charlie Sheen ... Lt. Topper Harley
Cary Elwes ... Lt. Kent Gregory
Valeria Golino ... Ramada Thompson
Lloyd Bridges ... Adm. Thomas 'Tug' Benson
Kevin Dunn ... Lt. Cmdr. James Block
Jon Cryer ... Jim 'Wash Out' Pfaffenbach
William O'Leary ... Pete 'Dead Meat' Thompson
Kristy Swanson ... Kowalski
Efrem Zimbalist Jr. ... Wilson
Synopsis: In this parody of Top Gun (amongst many others) Topper Harley is a Navy fighter pilot who has mental issues - especially when someone compares him to his father. He and his wing serves on the carrier S.S. Essess and it's their task to destroy a nuclear plant of Saddam Hussein's. But there are also saboteurs who want to prove the ineffectiveness of the current Navy planes in order to sell them new ones.
My Opinion: While I still enjoyed this movie very much, I had very few laugh-out-loud moments. There were more sentimental smiles every time I recognized the movie that was spoofed in this scene. But what I found very amusing was to see "Alan Harper" (Two and a Half Men) as 'Wash Out'. I hadn't seen this movie since before I started to watch TaaHM. This was also the first time I watched this movie in English and have to say that there were some good puns in the German dubbing that weren't in the original and I was a bit disappointed. I was like "I wonder what the original version of 'Mach 1, Mach 2, Mach 3, Mach Feierabend!' or 'Heb nicht ab vom Acker ohne deinen Tacker!' will be." and then there was ... nothing.
Post by: DJ Doena on August 19, 2009, 11:14:46 AM
Hot Shots! Part Deux (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107144/)
Charlie Sheen ... Topper Harley
Lloyd Bridges ... President Thomas 'Tug' Benson
Valeria Golino ... Ramada Rodham Hayman
Richard Crenna ... Col. Denton Walters
Brenda Bakke ... Michelle Rodham Huddleston
Miguel Ferrer ... Commander Arvid Harbinger
Rowan Atkinson ... Dexter Hayman
Synopsis: Topper - who lives in a buddhist monastery now - is contacted by the CIA. They want him to rescue a rescue team that tried to rescue a rescue team that tried to rescue some hostages from Iraq. In order to accomplish this they meet with their contact deep in enemy territory - and the contact (codename "Bench Press") happens to be Ramada.
My Opinion: This time they spoofed the Rambo and other commando team movies and I enjoyed this more than the previous one. Especially in the beginning with the monastery and the Kickboxer fight. Or the scene on the jungle river (In Iraq?!? ;)) where Charlie Sheen meets his father (one starred in Platoon, the other in Apocalypse Now) and they congratulate each other for Wall Street. Or the scene with the body count - "Bloodiest movie of all time". So great.
Post by: DJ Doena on August 19, 2009, 02:59:31 PM
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266697/)
Uma Thurman ... The Bride
Lucy Liu ... O-Ren Ishii
Vivica A. Fox ... Vernita Green
Daryl Hannah ... Elle Driver
David Carradine ... Bill
Michael Madsen ... Budd
Julie Dreyfus ... Sofie Fatale
Chiaki Kuriyama ... Gogo Yubari
Sonny Chiba ... Hattori Hanzo
Chia Hui Liu ... Johnny Mo
Synopsis: Four years ago the head of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad decided to kill on of its former members: *beep* a.k.a. Black Mamba. They killed 9 members of the wedding party including Mamba's unborn daughter. They should have killed 10. Mamba has survived and now she wants revenge. Her first targets are O-Ren Ishii a.k.a. Cottonmouth and Vernita Green a.k.a. Copperhead.
My Opinion: "If on your journey you should encounter God, God will be cut." I love the mixture of English and Japanese in this movie (Japanese/Japan is a very fascinating language/country for me) and the Katana is one of if not the most elegant blade weapon(s) and I love fighting scenes with them. But the scene that sends shivers down my spine is when Hanzo shows Mamba his collection. The respect and reverence she showed towards these instruments of death and the music that is played makes me want to be there in that very moment. From the moment she enters Hanzo's sushi restaurant until he gives her her own Katana is the highlight of the movie for me, not the big end fight. But of course I enjoy that, too.
Post by: Achim on August 19, 2009, 05:00:22 PM
I see you have the Japanese version with the full-color battle scene and slightly more violence...?
Post by: DJ Doena on August 19, 2009, 09:16:21 PM
I see you have the Japanese version with the full-color battle scene and slightly more violence...?Yep. Now you see why Sofie lost both her arms. ;)
The drawback is that the subtitles don't automatically appears when someone speaks Japanese, which is logical from a Japanese POV.
Post by: Achim on August 20, 2009, 06:10:51 AM
Yep. Now you see why Sofie lost both her arms. ;)Well, I would have loved to see it, but the Weinsteins (and Tarantino) didn't want me to. I had waited a long time for The Whole Bloody Affair and eventually gave up, double dipping the films with Disney's Blu-ray releases; who also clearly deserved the money for a great transfer and all... I have set my mind strongly on not getting The Whole Bloody Affair when/if it gets released.
Similar to what I do with Grindhouse, except here I will wait for the Grindhouse release on Blu-ray and will not buy the segment releases (which I own on DVDs already).
Or like with Magnolia (who will only see little money from me in the furture) for the screw up with Let The Right One In. Instead of getting their corrected disc I purchased the UK release which is supposed to be All Region (*knocks on wood* as it's not arrived yet), giving my money to a worthier distributor.
Quote
The drawback is that the subtitles don't automatically appears when someone speaks Japanese, which is logical from a Japanese POV.I know what it feels like. When I watched the film in the cinema here in Taiwan They would have subtitles through the entire film, including the Japanese sections. But, those were Chinese subtitles and no English ones came up when they spoke Japanese.
Post by: DJ Doena on August 31, 2009, 01:45:14 PM
Nikita (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100263/)
Anne Parillaud ... Nikita
Tchéky Karyo ... Bob
Jeanne Moreau ... Amande
Jean-Hugues Anglade ... Marco
Jean Reno ... Victor nettoyeur
Synopsis: When a couple of junkies break into a pharmacy they are cornered by the police and most of them get killed. But Nikita survives and kills a cop. She's sentenced to 10 + 30 years. But then a government agency takes an interest in her, trains her and makes her an assassin. From now on she lives a public life as nurse and a secret life as killer.
My Opinion: The only thing I found interesting was that the training took actually several years (and were depicted as such) and that several jobs took months to plan - in modern day movies such an operation is often just a matter of days to plan and execute. But I had hoped that this Luc Besson movie would be somewhat the template for the character of Sydney Bristow in Alias. But it was not. This movie was so slow-paced it was nearly standing still. OK, there was another thing I found interesting: Jean Reno in the role of a cleaner, I assume that's where Besson got the idea for his later (and way better) movie Léon.
Post by: Achim on August 31, 2009, 02:54:45 PM
OK, there was another thing I found interesting: Jean Reno in the role of a cleaner, I assume that's where Besson got the idea for his later (and way better) movie Léon.I always thought that Tarantino's/Keitel's The Wolf owes a lot to Reno's Cleaner, too.
Post by: DJ Doena on September 01, 2009, 01:02:20 PM
No Reservations (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0481141/)
Catherine Zeta-Jones ... Kate
Aaron Eckhart ... Nick
Abigail Breslin ... Zoe
Patricia Clarkson ... Paula
Jenny Wade ... Leah
Bob Balaban ... Therapist
Synopsis: Kate's life is the kitchen. She's the head chef of a famous restaurant and she's the best. But then her sister dies in a car crash and suddenly she has to take care of her niece. And to make matters worse, her boss hires an additional chef, Nick, whose specialty is italian food. And from where Kate is standing, it looks like he's taken over her kitchen!
My Opinion: I really liked this after the disappointment that was Alex & Emma, especially since it has this melodramatic element of her adopting her niece and the difficulty to adjust to this new situation that both of them have. What I also liked was that the basically mandatory bump in their relationship wasn't caused by him this time, but by her. And I loved it when she threw a raw steak onto a customer's table because the previous two weren't rare enough for him. ;D
Post by: DJ Doena on September 02, 2009, 02:47:40 PM
Three Days of the Condor (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073802/)
Robert Redford ... Joseph Turner / The Condor
Faye Dunaway ... Kathy Hale
Cliff Robertson ... J. Higgins
Max von Sydow ... G. Joubert
John Houseman ... Mr. Wabash
Addison Powell ... Leonard Atwood
Synopsis: Joseph Turner works for the CIA, but he is no field agent. He reads books from all over the world to find codes, patterns and new ideas for the CIA. But one day when he's out getting lunch for himself and his colleagues all of them are killed. From now on he's on the run from people who want him dead and he doesn't even know why. And they are not foreign agents, they are CIA, too.
My Opinion: That was a very interesting thriller from before the cell phone and computer age. I really enjoyed it how they conducted they spy work in this "old-fashioned" way. The drawback of modern day movies and shows is that whenever they need an information important for the plot they go to a computer, log into a magical database, type "open sesame" and whatever information they need appears immediately. Even face recognition from a bad surveillance camera shot takes no longer than a minute. And due to its age this movie was different, Condor needed more skill to get what he needed and he had to do actual footwork. Yes I liked it.
Post by: DJ Doena on September 03, 2009, 02:38:07 PM
Reclaim Your Brain (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0810868/)
Moritz Bleibtreu ... Rainer
Elsa Schulz Gambard ... Pegah
Milan Peschel ... Phillip
Gregor Bloéb ... Maiwald
Tom Jahn ... Bernd
Andreas Brandt ... Karl-Heinz
Robert Viktor Minich ... Harry
Ralf Knicker ... Sebastian
Synopsis: The TV producer Rainer is very successful in creating shows like "Get Your Own Superbaby" and other brainless activities. But when he has a car crash he also has a revelation. Humankind can't be that stupid, the viewing rates can't be real, it's impossible that people actually watch all that BS. He teams up with others. At first they want to prove that the rates are manipulated only to learn that they are real. Then they decide to hack the system and make their own rates to crush the crap and help better programmes along.
My Opinion: The entire movie is very anvilicious (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main.Anvilicious) but I still enjoyed it a lot. The supporting characters (the paranoid sociophobic person and a bunch of unemployeds with all kinds of problems) made this movie worthwhile. I also enjoyed both lead characters but they didn't feel as realistic as the others, more like "we act the way we do because it says so in the script".
I also liked the ending when they moved to Haßloch (a real test market town in Germany) and began to manipulate purchase statistics. ;D
Post by: DJ Doena on September 04, 2009, 05:05:58 PM
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800039/)
Jason Segel ... Peter Bretter
Kristen Bell ... Sarah Marshall
Mila Kunis ... Rachel Jansen
Russell Brand ... Aldous Snow
Jonah Hill ... Matthew the Waiter
Paul Rudd ... Chuck
Synopsis: Peter is a composer and musician and he loves his girlfriend, the famous TV star Sarah Marshall. But then she dumps him and his world breaks apart. After a period of crying and bad one night stands he decides to take a vacation in Hawaii. But guess who's already there? In the same hotel. Sarah and her new rock star boyfriend. That sounds like fun...
My Opinion: This was an interesting take on the genre. The characters were all very detailed and actually multi-dimensional. Even though Sarah was the bad guy of the play, it turns out that she really tried to make their relationship work and that he is at least partly at fault. Everything considered I have to say I like the middle part of this movie best. It started really slow until he arrived in Hawaii and the end was very conventional (I loved the Dracula musical though!) but the entire time on Hawaii was really good.
PS: I don't think that I would have been able to ghandi out of that one scene. ;D
Post by: DJ Doena on September 07, 2009, 11:17:03 PM
Legally Blonde (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250494/)
Reese Witherspoon ... Elle Woods
Luke Wilson ... Emmett
Selma Blair ... Vivian
Matthew Davis ... Warner
Victor Garber ... Professor Callahan
Jennifer Coolidge ... Paulette
Holland Taylor ... Professor Stromwell
Ali Larter ... Brooke Taylor Windham
Synopsis: Elle Woods's dream is it to marry her boyfriend Warner Huntington III. But he has different plans. He dumps her because he wants to marry "a Jackie, not a Marilyn". And because she wants to prove her worth to him she also matriculates on Harvard Law School. Elle is not dumb, but she is the prototypical California Barbie and most people make her feel it - until she accepts the challenge.
My Opinion: I love this movie. It's so perfectly harmless yet Reese is so cute in it. I especially like the time when she starts out at Harvard and is so different from every one else and nobody really knows what to make of her; or the scene where everyone has a black PC notebook and she sits between them all (already looking different with her parrot-coloured clothes) and opens her orange MacBook. ;D
Post by: DJ Doena on September 15, 2009, 12:48:43 PM
Samurai Commando - Mission 1549 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0453396/)
Yôsuke Eguchi ... Yusuke Kashima
Kyoka Suzuki ... Rei Kanzaki
Haruka Ayase ... Nohime
Masatô Ibu ... Dohsan Saito
Takeshi Kaga ... Tsuyoshi Matoba / Oda Nobugana
Kazuki Kitamura ... Shichibe Iinuma
Koji Matoba ... Yoda
Synopsis: In 2003 an army experiment went terribly wrong and an entire unit vanished into nothingness. Soon they discover that this unit has been transported back in time - into the year 1547. Suddenly all over Japan anomalies are forming that could be described as black holes and which threaten to destroy everything. In order to prevent this catastrophe two years later a second unit is sent back to repair the past and safe the future.
My Opinion: When I saw that DVD in the store, I knew I wanted to check it out but I was also quite certain to watch a cheesy B movie (a Samurai and an attack helicopter on the same battlefield?!) but this movie is actually pretty decent. They have thought of a reason why changes in the past don't immediately reflect in the future and they even thought about the fact that tanks and helicopters need fuel. Also the costumes and the special effects look quite good. Ironically the basic principle was the same as in western movies with hierarchy. The designated hero was an outsider and they killed his superiors off until he was in command and was able to save the day.
I'm sure that I will watch this again.
Post by: DJ Doena on September 15, 2009, 05:13:12 PM
Yojimbo the Bodyguard (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055630/)
Toshirô Mifune ... Sanjuro Kuwabatake / The Samurai
Tatsuya Nakadai ... Unosuke, gunfighter
Daisuke Katô ... Inokichi, Ushitora's rotund brother
Seizaburô Kawazu ... Seibei, brothel operator
Takashi Shimura ... Tokuemon, sake brewer
Hiroshi Tachikawa ... Yoichiro
Eijirô Tôno ... Gonji, tavern keeper
Kyu Sazanka ... Ushitora
Synopsis: Sanjuro comes into a small town were two rivalling gangs fight for dominance and the town is suffering. Both sides have attracted criminals to work for them but none of them is a real fighter. Sanjuro decides to play both sides against each other and offers them both his help and through trickery he reduces their numbers to a manageable amount.
My Opinion: A plot which has been re-used many times ever since but it was great to see in this Kurosawa movie. The best moment for me was when Sanjuro fought against a gunslinger with a knife - and won. The irony is that I was made aware of this film because it was the favourite movie of Kevin Costner's character in The Bodyguard and now I really like it, too.
Post by: Najemikon on September 15, 2009, 08:41:29 PM
You should like Sanjuro too.
Post by: DJ Doena on September 15, 2009, 11:32:50 PM
Have you seen Seven Samurai?
Yes, another great classic. The first movie I watched in Japanese.
Post by: DJ Doena on September 16, 2009, 01:18:59 PM
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808506/)
Riisa Naka ... Makoto Konno
Takuya Ishida ... Chiaki Mamiya
Mitsutaka Itakura ... Kousuke Tsuda
Ayami Kakiuchi ... Yuri Hayakawa
Mitsuki Tanimura ... Kaho Fujitani
Sachie Hara ... Kazuko Yoshiyama
Yuki Sekido ... Miyuki Konno
Synopsis: When Makoto slips in the chem lab one day she falls backwards onto what looks like a walnut. Later that day she drives down a hill towards a train crossing when her bike brakes fail and she falls directly in front of the oncoming train - but then she's back on top of the hill again. She has acquired the ability to travel back in time and she's decided to have fun with it - until she learns that it can also hurt people.
My Opinion: This is not a saving the world time travel movie. This is about a young girl growing up and falling in love. It is a slow and quiet movie, sometime a bit to slow for my taste but it conveys its story really well to the viewer and I really enjoyed watching it. As to the animation: Like with all manga and anime (that I know) it uses the art of showing only detail where detail is necessary. It's not a Pixar animation where you can see every single hair but that doesn't matter because it isn't necessary.
There are also the huge eyes but if you compare American/European smiley drawings :-) with their Japanese counterparts ^_^ then you begin to understand that in this culture emotions are expressed more through the eyes rather than the mouth. :)
Post by: DJ Doena on September 28, 2009, 04:21:52 PM
The Bourne Identity (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258463/)
Matt Damon ... Jason Bourne
Franka Potente ... Marie
Chris Cooper ... Conklin
Clive Owen ... The Professor
Brian Cox ... Ward Abbott
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje ... Wombosi
Gabriel Mann ... Zorn
Julia Stiles ... Nicolette
Synopsis: When he wakes up on a fishing boat in the Mediterranean Sea, he has no idea who he his. He only knows that he had two bullets in his back and the address of a bank in Zurich in his hip. He learns in Zurich that his name is Jason Bourne but the scavenger hunt has just started und suddenly he's not only a hunter but also the hunted. His companion Marie and he drive halfway through Europe to learn the answer to the question: Who is Jason Bourne?
My Opinion: I really like this movie. The story is somewhat plausible, the hand-to-hand combats are awesome and Matt's German is actually understandable. And I love it when Franka Potente curses in German. I haven't seen this movie in a while and I noticed that you can actually follow the fights with your eyes. I never understood why more recent movies like the third part of this trilogy choreographs one hell of a fight but then chooses to not show it by using a "shake cam".
Post by: DJ Doena on September 28, 2009, 06:35:58 PM
The Bourne Supremacy (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372183/)
Matt Damon ... Jason Bourne
Franka Potente ... Marie
Brian Cox ... Ward Abbott
Julia Stiles ... Nicky
Karl Urban ... Kirill
Gabriel Mann ... Danny Zorn
Joan Allen ... Pamela Landy
Marton Csokas ... Jarda
Synopsis: For two years Jason and Marie have been hiding. But they have become sloppy and a Russian killer finds them in India and kills Marie when he tried to kill Bourne. Bourne was supposed to be the fall guy for a murder and cover-up in Berlin. Now they've made him angry and he wants revenge. And CIA Deputy Director Landy wants him caught or dead because she believes him to be the murderer of her agents.
My Opinion: I fully understand that Marie had to die in order set the story in motion; otherwise he would have never come back. But I was still sad, because I really liked her in that role.
But overall I like this movie, too. What I especially like about these movies is that they actually shoot at the actual locations and that most of them are in Europe. Granted, they still use Hollywood geography where you can run from Berlin Zoologischer Garten to the Friedrichstraße within 5 minutes, but at least they didn't shoot somewhere and claimed it to be Berlin (or Paris, Moscow, ...).
I also really liked how he confessed to the young woman whose parents he killed, though my Russian isn't good enough to judge Matt Damon's Russian. ;)
Post by: richierich on September 28, 2009, 06:41:19 PM
You are making me want to watch the Bourne Trilogy - again!!
Post by: DJ Doena on September 28, 2009, 09:19:45 PM
:redcard:
You are making me want to watch the Bourne Trilogy - again!!
:tease:
The Bourne Ultimatum (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0440963/)
Matt Damon ... Jason Bourne
Julia Stiles ... Nicky Parsons
David Strathairn ... Noah Vosen
Scott Glenn ... Ezra Kramer
Paddy Considine ... Simon Ross
Édgar Ramírez ... Paz
Albert Finney ... Dr. Albert Hirsch
Joan Allen ... Pam Landy
Synopsis: Six weeks after the events in Berlin and Moscow Jason tries again to find out who he really is and where he came from. But there are still high-ranking CIA officers who can't let that happen, because it would endanger a number of secret and illegal operations. So once again they send out killers to stop him and everyone he comes in contact with, even other CIA personnel. Luckily for him, he's not the only one who wants to find out the truth.
My Opinion: This time they overdid it with the shaky cam. The fight between Desh and Bourne was nearly unfollowable, and even in the quiet scenes when Jason was talking to Marie's brother or to Nicky it appeared as if the cameraman had Parkinson's.
But I still thought that it was a good conclusion to the story, especially with Bourne choosing not to kill one of his assassins when he was helpless and getting rewarded for it in the end. I also like the final scene which made the imagery becoming full circle with the first scene in Identity.
If it were for me, I'd like to see another Bourne movie.
Post by: DJ Doena on September 29, 2009, 12:48:45 PM
Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/)
Mark Hamill ... Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford ... Han Solo
Carrie Fisher ... Princess Leia Organa
Peter Cushing ... Grand Moff Tarkin
Alec Guinness ... Obi-Wan Kenobi
Anthony Daniels ... C-3PO
Kenny Baker ... R2-D2
Peter Mayhew ... Chewbacca
David Prowse ... Darth Vader
James Earl Jones ... Darth Vader (voice)
Synopsis: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away ... c'mon, really? A synopsis for Star Wars?!?
My Opinion: Ever since I got them on DVD, I only watched the original theatrical cut. Han shoots first as it should be. I would have taken the digital remastered version from 1995 where George only cleared up the picture and made some small corrections (it was available on VHS), but the 1997 version was already too much, if you ask me. And since there's either the original or the 2006 DVD edition, I stay true to the original.
And I made a habit out of standing up when Luke, Han & Chewie start to walk towards Leia and snap into ten-hut when the soldiers turn. It must look ridiculous from the outside - I don't care, it's my form of paying tribute.
Post by: DJ Doena on September 29, 2009, 03:43:46 PM
Star Wars - Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080684/)
Mark Hamill ... Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford ... Han Solo
Carrie Fisher ... Princess Leia
Billy Dee Williams ... Lando Calrissian
Anthony Daniels ... C-3PO
David Prowse ... Darth Vader
Peter Mayhew ... Chewbacca
Kenny Baker ... R2-D2
Frank Oz ... Yoda (voice)
Alec Guinness ... Obi-Wan Kenobi
Jeremy Bulloch ... Boba Fett
James Earl Jones ... Darth Vader (voice)
My Opinion:
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Post by: DJ Doena on September 29, 2009, 07:11:55 PM
Star Wars - Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086190/)
Mark Hamill ... Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford ... Han Solo
Carrie Fisher ... Princess Leia
Billy Dee Williams ... Lando Calrissian
Anthony Daniels ... C-3PO
Peter Mayhew ... Chewbacca
Sebastian Shaw ... Anakin Skywalker
Ian McDiarmid ... The Emperor
Frank Oz ... Yoda (voice)
James Earl Jones ... Darth Vader (voice)
David Prowse ... Darth Vader
Alec Guinness ... Obi-Wan Kenobi
Kenny Baker ... R2-D2 / Paploo
My Opinion: Oh, I love the original ending, this private celebration on Endor, the right music and the right Anakin Skywalker ghost - not this totally over-the-top "the entire galaxy celebrates" ending of the Special Edition.
It's funny how it's always the little folk that brings the plans of the Big Bad crushing down, whether they are called the Ewoks or the Hobbits. And I really liked it when Luke gave his father a fire burial and when he saw the three Jedi ghosts, it was the perfect ending.
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Post by: Najemikon on September 29, 2009, 09:10:14 PM
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:o :redcard:
Careful, Lucas might hear you and make a new trilogy! But what else could it end up being but a rubbish cash-in? Thank goodness he left them alone, eh? Like that Matrix film. Everyone assumed sequels, but no, the Wachowski's had more respect for themselves than that.
Post by: DJ Doena on September 29, 2009, 09:17:18 PM
Like that Matrix film. Everyone assumed sequels, but no, the Wachowski's had more respect for themselves than that.
I don't dare to imagine. A bad writer would have come up with the idea that if one Mr. Smith doesn't do it, then they would need hundreds or thousands...
Post by: Achim on September 30, 2009, 07:26:35 PM
My Opinion: Oh, I love the original ending, this private celebration on Endor, the right music and the right Anakin Skywalker ghost - not this totally over-the-top "the entire galaxy celebrates" ending of the Special Edition.I also think that the new song in the beginning is incredibly awful; I quite liked the previous "Lapti Nek". Heck, you can't even get the original ones on iTunes anymore :(
I actually think that bit of information does still belong into spoiler tags. but hey, Karsten is the boss here :whistle:(click to show/hide)
:o :redcard:
Careful, Lucas might hear you and make a new trilogy! But what else could it end up being but a rubbish cash-in? Thank goodness he left them alone, eh? Like that Matrix film. Everyone assumed sequels, but no, the Wachowski's had more respect for themselves than that.
Post by: DJ Doena on September 30, 2009, 07:39:00 PM
I actually think that bit of information does still belong into spoiler tags. but hey, Karsten is the boss here :whistle:
Seriously? For me that would be like spoilering that the Earth is not flat. I can't imagine a person who even remotely likes sci-fi movies who doesn't know that fact and the other people probably couldn't care less. I mean, next year this movie will have its 30th birthday.
Post by: Achim on September 30, 2009, 07:49:08 PM
Seriously? For me that would be like spoilering that the Earth is not flat. I can't imagine a person who even remotely likes sci-fi movies who doesn't know that fact and the other people probably couldn't care less. I mean, next year this movie will have its 30th birthday.Well, there will always be young people and they may not have seen the film yet. Even a few odd old timers may still be uninitiated and actually not know the fact.
We've had this discussion before at Invelos (InterVocative?) and most people agreed that it's better to use a spoiler tag, "just in case". Just IMHO.
Post by: addicted2dvd on September 30, 2009, 07:53:24 PM
As someone that is now just getting into classic movies I tend to try to put anything that I consider even spoiler-ish into spoiler tags. I have not seen many movies that was made before 1980 and Just because a movie is old don't mean I want the experience spoiled for me. Like just recently when I watched Rear Window for the first time ever. I know I would have been upset if before I had the opportunity to watch what I thought was an excellent movie, it got spoiled for me. That would have taken much of the enjoyment away from me.
So... in general... the age of the movie does not matter. When I post I try my best to remember to think of the people that even could be out there that never seen whatever movie before.
Post by: Dragonfire on September 30, 2009, 10:06:28 PM
Just chiming in with my personal opinion. Take it as you see fit.
As someone that is now just getting into classic movies I tend to try to put anything that I consider even spoiler-ish into spoiler tags. I have not seen many movies that was made before 1980 and Just because a movie is old don't mean I want the experience spoiled for me. Like just recently when I watched Rear Window for the first time ever. I know I would have been upset if before I had the opportunity to watch what I thought was an excellent movie, it got spoiled for me. That would have taken much of the enjoyment away from me.
So... in general... the age of the movie does not matter. When I post I try my best to remember to think of the people that even could be out there that never seen whatever movie before.
I agree with this. And that is how I have tried to do with my reviews at Epinions even when I'm reviewing something that is a popular movie. Now we don't have spoiler tags there like there are here, but I'll put in all sorts of warnings I feel like I have to include something...and even when I do that, I am still usually vague. Other people there don't seem to feel the same or don't consider the same informaton spoilers, so at times, I am very careful about which reviews I read.
There are a lot of older movies that I haven't seen yet too. I only saw Psycho for the first time like 8 years ago maybe. I would have been irked if I had known the ending ahead of time.
Post by: Tom on September 30, 2009, 10:14:22 PM
There are a lot of older movies that I haven't seen yet too. I only saw Psycho for the first time like 8 years ago maybe. I would have been irked if I had known the ending ahead of time.
I still haven't seen Psycho :bag:
It will be the first time when we finally get to it in the Hitchcock marathon. I know of course about the shower scene, as this one is parodied and referenced countless times. And I know the twist it brought with it
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Post by: Najemikon on September 30, 2009, 11:24:15 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on October 04, 2009, 01:06:29 PM
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120737/)
Sean Astin ... Samwise 'Sam' Gamgee
Sean Bean ... Boromir
Cate Blanchett ... Galadriel
Orlando Bloom ... Legolas Greenleaf
Billy Boyd ... Peregrin 'Pippin' Took
Ian Holm ... Bilbo Baggins
Christopher Lee ... Saruman
Andy Serkis ... Gollum / Voice of The Witchking
Ian McKellen ... Gandalf the Grey
Dominic Monaghan ... Meriadoc 'Merry' Brandybuck
Viggo Mortensen ... Aragorn
Craig Parker ... Haldir
John Rhys-Davies ... Gimli
Liv Tyler ... Arwen
Hugo Weaving ... Elrond
Elijah Wood ... Frodo Baggins
Synopsis: 3000 years ago an army of Men and Elves defeated the dark lord Sauron. But his power was embedded in the One Ring, and that was not destroyed. The Ring found its way into the hands of Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit. And now the task of destroying it became his. But the Ring can only be destroyed where it was made: In Mount Doom in the heart of Mordor and there Sauron and his armies are rising again. His journey begins in the Shire, the homeland of the Hobbits and leads from there over Bree, Rivendell (the home of Elrond), Moria (a dwarf mine deep in the mountains) and Lothlórien. But Frodo is not alone on this journey; he's accompanied by friends and allies of all races who stand against the dark forces: Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, Wizards and Men.
My Opinion: I love this trilogy, maybe even a bit more than Star Wars but I am still undecided on that. I've read the books both in German and English but I have to say I like the films better. Most of the actors are really great, especially when they deliver speeches. The only somewhat problematic actor is Elijah Wood, especially in the later movies when Frodo becomes more and more influenced by the Ring. One gets the feeling he has only one facial expression left.
But still: Great story, awesome
I also don't mind the deviation from the books, e.g. no Tom Bombadil. It doesn't really have an effect on the story at all; the only thing I really noticed was that they didn't explain the origin of Merry's sword which is important in the Battle on the Pelennor Fields.
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Post by: DJ Doena on October 04, 2009, 05:27:48 PM
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167261/)
Sean Astin ... Samwise 'Sam' Gamgee
Orlando Bloom ... Legolas Greenleaf
Billy Boyd ... Peregrin 'Pippin' Took
Brad Dourif ... Grima Wormtongue
Bernard Hill ... Theoden
Bruce Hopkins ... Gamling
Christopher Lee ... Saruman the White
Ian McKellen ... Gandalf
Dominic Monaghan ... Meriadoc 'Merry' Brandybuck
Viggo Mortensen ... Aragorn
Miranda Otto ... Eowyn
Craig Parker ... Haldir
John Rhys-Davies ... Gimli / Voice of Treebeard
Andy Serkis ... Gollum
Liv Tyler ... Arwen
Karl Urban ... Eomer
David Wenham ... Faramir
Elijah Wood ... Frodo Baggins
Synopsis: The fellowship has broken. Frodo and Sam are looking for a path into Mordor and they get unexpected help in the form of Gollum who has been a ring-bearer for nearly 500 years before Bilbo Baggins got the ring. But the enemy does not know this. Saruman thinks Merry and Pippin have it and his Uruk-Hai are bringing them to Isengard. Aragorn, Gimli and and Legolas are following them and they get also unexpected help. And they need it dearly since Saruman is unleashing his armies onto the kingdom of Rohan.
My Opinion: Of all the music in the LOTR movies I like the themes regarding Rohan and its horse-riders best and besides Aragorn, Théoden king is the best speech giver in the movies, may it be the one before the charge out of the Hornburg or the one before the charge on the Pelennor Fields. Forth Eorlingas!
But my favourite dialog scenes in this movie are the dialogs/monologs between Gollum and Sméagol, Andy Serkis did a great job there.
And my favourite change in comparison to the book is the addition of Haldir and his Elven archers to the Battle of the Hornburg. They honour the alliance once forged between Elves and Men. But I am also glad that they cut out Arwen's appearance again, that would have been a bit too much.
Post by: Jimmy on October 04, 2009, 08:23:04 PM
I also don't mind the deviation from the books, e.g. no Tom Bombadil. It doesn't really have an effect on the story at allSorry but it's an important part of the story and the fact to skip it is Unforgivable :thumbdown:
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Post by: DJ Doena on October 04, 2009, 08:34:22 PM
I also don't mind the deviation from the books, e.g. no Tom Bombadil. It doesn't really have an effect on the story at allSorry but it's an important part of the story and the fact to skip it is Unforgivable :thumbdown:(click to show/hide)
But only because it was never made clear who or what he really is. After all, Sauron is a Maia, one of the highest beings. Tom did not just withstand the power of the ring, it didn't even make him invisible. So, should Tom be standing higher up in the food chain than it's really no biggie for him to withstand the power of a lower being. As Goldberry answered the question of what Tom is: He simply is.
Post by: DJ Doena on October 04, 2009, 11:07:46 PM
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167260/)
Sean Astin ... Sam
Orlando Bloom ... Legolas
Billy Boyd ... Pippin
Bernard Hill ... Theoden
Lawrence Makoare ... Witchking / Gothmog
Ian McKellen ... Gandalf
Dominic Monaghan ... Merry
Viggo Mortensen ... Aragorn
John Noble ... Denethor
Paul Norell ... King of the Dead
Miranda Otto ... Eowyn
John Rhys-Davies ... Gimli
Andy Serkis ... Gollum / Smeagol
Liv Tyler ... Arwen
Karl Urban ... Eomer
Hugo Weaving ... Elrond
David Wenham ... Faramir
Elijah Wood ... Frodo
Synopsis: Frodo, Sam and Gollum have found a secret yet dangerous path into Mordor which leads them in close proximity to Minas Morgul from where Mordor's armies are starting their final attack on Gondor. And while Saruman's army was beaten on the Hornburg the war is far from over. Rohan and Gondor have to stand united or they will fall. And even then it might not be enough to beat Sauron. Their only hope is to draw his armies out and give Frodo and Sam a chance to reach Mount Doom.
My Opinion: Oh boy, what a number of battle scenes. But my favourite scenes were again the panorama shots: When the 6000 riders cleared out of their camp and when they charged the Pelennor Fields. But my favourite scene is when Pippin lights the beacon of Amon Dîn and then the other beacons are lit all the way to Edoras. But I wouldn't want to have the job to to sit a mountain top and to stare at another mountain top whether there was a fire lit or not. ;)
What I also liked was the (for a film) unconventional ending with its "25 endings" similar to the book even though they left out the liberation of the Shire. And once again a few tears rolled over my cheeks when
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Post by: DJ Doena on October 31, 2009, 10:41:33 AM
The Matrix (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/)
Keanu Reeves ... Neo
Laurence Fishburne ... Morpheus
Carrie-Anne Moss ... Trinity
Hugo Weaving ... Agent Smith
Gloria Foster ... Oracle
Joe Pantoliano ... Cypher
Marcus Chong ... Tank
Synopsis: By day, Thomas Anderson is a software programmer in a respectable company. By night, Neo is a hacker. For years he's been searching for an answer to a question that is gnawing in his mind: What is the Matrix? The answer to that question is beyond anything he could have imagined and will change his life forever. And it will change not only him, but the world.
My Opinion: It's still a great movie and was certainly a milestone in film's history. Just the amount of movies that have re-used or parodied the bullet-time effect is incredible. The effect scenes like the shoot-out in the foyer or the final battle between Agent Smith and Neo are wonderfully choreographed. And you can even see the details because there are not 20 cuts and angle changes in 30 seconds like in more modern action flicks.
(http://doena-journal.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/the_matrix_was_only_one.png) (http://xkcd.com/566/)
Post by: DJ Doena on November 05, 2009, 08:56:04 PM
Rambo (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462499/)
Sylvester Stallone ... John Rambo
Julie Benz ... Sarah
Matthew Marsden ... School Boy
Graham McTavish ... Lewis
Jake La Botz ... Reese
Tim Kang ... En-Joo
Paul Schulze ... Michael Burnett
Synopsis: In Burma a civil war is causing countless deaths on a daily basis. But John Rambo isn't interested in war anymore. He lives a quiet life in Thailand and doesn't care about the world. But one day christian missionaries want to rent his boat to get into that war zone. And when they don't return he does what he was born to do.
My Opinion: A very bloody movie. Make sure you have a bucket under your TV to catch all the blood that is dripping out of it. But it's also a very honest movie; it does not hide or glorify the truth of battle. After the first, this is the best Rambo movie and it brings the story full circle. I don't think Stallone should make another one. Just like with Rocky he finished the story of the character in a satisfying way and he should leave it at that.
BTW: Check out the body count chart (http://doena-journal.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/rambo_stats.jpg). ;)
Post by: DJ Doena on November 06, 2009, 10:39:59 AM
V for Vendetta (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434409/)
Natalie Portman ... Evey
Hugo Weaving ... V
Stephen Rea ... Inspector Finch
Stephen Fry ... Deitrich
John Hurt ... Adam Sutler
Tim Pigott-Smith ... Creedy
Rupert Graves ... Dominic
Synopsis: England has become a totalitarian society. The world lies in ruins but "England prevails". The High Chancellor -with the help of his Fingermen - rules with absolute power. Anyone who opposes him gets incarcerated and/or killed. But then there's V. V is more than a man. V is an idea and you can't kill an idea.
My Opinion: For me this will always be 1984 Part II. I always enjoyed the special irony that John Hurt played the protagonist in the original movie has become the antagonist in this one. I also love V's blunt honesty. Actually I love everything about the character and Hugo Weaving's portrayal of him. E-V was great, too.
Stephen Fry became a relevant name to me when he read the British Harry Potter audio books and this was the first time I ever saw him. I didn't even know he was an actor until that time. Since then I have watched a lot of Youtube videos with him (and Hugh Laurie),
And for those of you who had difficulties to understand V's elaborate style of speaking, here's a translation. ;)
Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Post by: goodguy on November 06, 2009, 12:18:44 PM
V for Vendetta (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434409/)
I don't think it is really a good movie, it's manipulative and simplistic and actually reminds me of Russian propaganda movies. Still, I can't help but like it and I could listen endlessly to Hugo Weaving droning on as V.
Post by: richierich on November 06, 2009, 12:44:30 PM
Summed up perfectly to what i also felt about it Matt, couldn't help but like it :cheers:V for Vendetta (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434409/)
I don't think it is really a good movie, it's manipulative and simplistic and actually reminds me of Russian propaganda movies. Still, I can't help but like it and I could listen endlessly to Hugo Weaving droning on as V.
Post by: Achim on November 07, 2009, 12:05:11 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on November 07, 2009, 12:18:31 PM
I have watched the clip Karsten posted
OMG!!! LOOK AT ME!!! :hysterical:
But I have to note that he doesn't talk that way all the time.
"Normally" he sounds like this:
Post by: Najemikon on November 07, 2009, 01:28:42 PM
Stephen Fry became a relevant name to me when he read the British Harry Potter audio books and this was the first time I ever saw him. I didn't even know he was an actor until that time. Since then I have watched a lot of Youtube videos with him (and Hugh Laurie),
Well, well! I watch Stephen Fry related stuff all the time and even follow his Twitter. He seems to be the last line of defence when it comes to the English language! Plus he's a thoroughly nice chap anyway and I enjoy a lot of his work, especially since he was so honest about his illness. But I've never bothered with V, nor am I interested in audio books, so I never before appreciated just how good he is playing a part through his voice. I can tell it's him, but I'm not thinking "isn't Stephen Fry good?", which perversely just shows how good he is.
Post by: DJ Doena on November 07, 2009, 02:18:44 PM
nor am I interested in audio books
I love listen to them in the car and I am still waiting for the seventh to get a bit less pricey (I have read it when it came out of course). Here's the beginning as an example: part 1 (http://home.arcor.de/djdoena/upload/HPatPS CD1 - 01 - The Boy Who Lived.mp3) part 2 (http://home.arcor.de/djdoena/upload/HPatPS CD1 - 02 - The Boy Who Lived (continued).mp3)
Post by: Achim on November 07, 2009, 02:32:51 PM
Tried listening to his podcast but couldn't get into it (I already have a filled-up podcast schedule anyway...).
Post by: Najemikon on November 07, 2009, 03:08:22 PM
Post by: richierich on November 08, 2009, 04:03:34 PM
He's a bona fide national treasure here in the UK. Because of House, Hugh Laurie may be considered better known in the US, I'm not sure. But Fry has just always been here and such a varied career and now we know he's bi-polar, he just feels like a Very Important British Person now. I still remember the fuss when he disappeared after a play, to finally reappear in Belguim of all places!
And he hosts an excellent and humourous TV show called QI, which is very enjoyable :thumbup:
Post by: DJ Doena on November 15, 2009, 11:49:34 AM
Babylon 5: In the Beginning (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120711/)
Bruce Boxleitner ... John J. Sheridan
Mira Furlan ... Delenn
Richard Biggs ... Stephen Franklin, M.D.
Andreas Katsulas ... G'Kar
Peter Jurasik ... Londo Mollari
Theodore Bikel ... Lenonn
Reiner Schöne ... Dukhat
Synopsis: In the Earth year 2278 the emperor of the Centauri Republic, Londo Mollari, is telling the story of the great Earth-Minbari war that nearly led to the extinction of mankind. A misunderstood gesture made an Earth Alliance cruiser fire upon a Minbari vessel, thereby killing their leader. The Earthlings have awoken the dragon and it is furious.
My Opinion: I believe this movie also works if one has never seen a single episode of the show. But if you intend to watch the show you should not watch this movie before because it is highly spoilerific and would diminish your enjoyment of the show. And even though it's slightly retconning the show's history with characters meeting here for the first time, I think it's the best TV show TV movie I've ever seen. It was one of my first DVDs and I have watched it countless times. "They never ran out of courage. But in the end, they ran out of time."
And once again my alien-mask-senses were tingling. One of the Minbari was played by the same guy who played Byron in the fifth season; that was no biggie. But I also knew the other one from somewhere. The eyes and lips, I knew them - but from where? Of course! Ethan Rayne (http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0004955/)!! :slaphead:
Post by: DJ Doena on November 15, 2009, 12:35:34 PM
Star Trek (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0796366/)
  |
Chris Pine ... James T. Kirk
Zachary Quinto ... Spock
Leonard Nimoy ... Spock Prime
Eric Bana ... Nero
Bruce Greenwood ... Capt. Christopher Pike
Karl Urban ... Bones
Zoe Saldana ... Nyota Uhura
Simon Pegg ... Montgomery Scott
John Cho ... Lt. Hikaru Sulu
Anton Yelchin ... Pavel Chekov
Ben Cross ... Sarek
Winona Ryder ... Amanda Grayson
Synopsis: The Romulan mining ship Narada has accidentally travelled back in time after their home world had been destroyed. Now the crew wants revenge with whom they deem guilty of this: The Vulcans and Spock in particular. But they arrived in a point in time where Spock is but a small boy and the famous James T. Kirk hasn't even been born yet. And when they destroy the USS Kelvin, they change the timeline forever. Will Kirk ever be captain of Starfleet's most famous ship?
My Opinion: If you ask me this movie was the best that could have happened to the dying Star Trek franchise. It's not perfect, I'll give you that (Why not insert a "Three Years Later" right before the end scene?) but it plays in a totally different league than the abysmal Nemesis. I loved all the characters and they have received an appropriate persona upgrade. And I have no problem with still enjoying my Wrath of Khan / Voyage Home / Undiscovered Country / First Contact whenever I want. I only hope that the Star Trek numbering curse is broken and not just inverted (that now the odd numbered are the good ones).
Post by: DJ Doena on November 15, 2009, 01:02:14 PM
Gladiator (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172495/)
Russell Crowe ... Maximus
Joaquin Phoenix ... Commodus
Connie Nielsen ... Lucilla
Oliver Reed ... Proximo
Richard Harris ... Marcus Aurelius
Derek Jacobi ... Gracchus
Djimon Hounsou ... Juba
Tomas Arana ... Quintus
Ralf Moeller ... Hagen
Synopsis: The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who challenged the emperor. Basically the tagline of the movie but it pretty much sums it up. General Maximus was supposed to give Rome back to the people but the son of the emperor had other plans, mainly: becoming emperor himself. Their fate won't be decided on the battlefield but under the eyes of the cheering crowd in the arena that is the Colosseum.
My Opinion: This movie is the reason I never bought Spartacus or Ben Hur on DVD. I've seen them quite a few times when I was young but I fear they can't hold up with this one anymore. In the beginning I didn't even want to watch it because I thought the age of sword & sandal movies was over but I was wrong. It's an awesome movie, I love the story and I love the action. "Is Rome worth one good man's life? We believed it once. Make us believe it again."
Post by: Najemikon on November 15, 2009, 01:35:28 PM
This movie is the reason I never bought Spartacus or Ben Hur on DVD. I've seen them quite a few times when I was young but I fear they can't hold up with this one anymore. In the beginning I didn't even want to watch it because I thought the age of sword & sandal movies was over but I was wrong. It's an awesome movie, I love the story and I love the action. "Is Rome worth one good man's life? We believed it once. Make us believe it again."
I always felt Ben Hur was too typical of the era. It is brilliant, but has the subtlety of a sledge-hammer. However Spartacus I do prefer and I think it does hold up to this day, but still, I wouldn't argue the point because Gladiator is an awesome film and has every right to stand with and above the films of that era.
It's like L.A. Confidential and Unforgiven in that it took a largely forgotten genre and actually didn't just do a new remix, it defined it as well.
But is this the first time you've seen it on Blu? Worth the upgrade?
Post by: Achim on November 16, 2009, 05:28:04 AM
Post by: DJ Doena on December 01, 2009, 12:03:12 AM
Catch and Release (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395495/)
Jennifer Garner ... Gray
Timothy Olyphant ... Fritz
Sam Jaeger ... Dennis
Kevin Smith ... Sam
Juliette Lewis ... Maureen
Joshua Friesen ... Mattie
Fiona Shaw ... Mrs. Douglas
Synopsis: Shortly before their wedding Gray's fiancé was killed in an accident. His (and her) old friends try to comfort her when she moves in with them. But then she begins to learn things about him she never knew; with the biggest shock being that he's already a father. And while she tries to cope with all that she falls in love with his one friend she never thought she would even like him.
My Opinion: I enjoyed this movie very much. I thought the entire ensemble delivered very well. I really liked that it didn't just have the major love couple but also the supporting characters were also involved in love activity. I really liked the "meta irony" to see Kevin Smith's character around someone who doesn't swear at all and he can't either. Of course this movie is - like most of its genre - clichéd, but I wouldn't want it any other way. I also think that it is - despite it following the standard romance plot - a nice change due the background story and the "other woman" (who happened to be played by Juliette Lewis...).
Post by: DJ Doena on December 30, 2009, 10:09:58 PM
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102975/)
William Shatner ... Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy ... Captain Spock
DeForest Kelley ... Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy
James Doohan ... Captain Montgomery "Scotty" Scott
Walter Koenig ... Commander Pavel Chekov
Nichelle Nichols ... Cmdr. Uhura
George Takei ... Captain Hikaru Sulu
Kim Cattrall ... Lieutenant Valeris
Mark Lenard ... Ambassador Sarek
Grace Lee Whitney ... Commander Janice Rand
Brock Peters ... Admiral Cartwright
Leon Russom ... Starfleet Commander in Chief
Kurtwood Smith ... Federation President
Christopher Plummer ... General Chang
Rosanna DeSoto ... Azetbur
David Warner ... Chancellor Gorkon
John Schuck ... Klingon ambassador
Michael Dorn ... Colonel Worf
Synopsis: Three months until Captain Kirk and most of his senior staff go into retirement. Sulu has got his own ship now, the Excelsior. But then the klingon moon Praxis explodes. This polutes the atmosphere of the klingon homeworld Qo'noS (Kronos). The Klingons have no choice but to negotiate a peace treaty with the Federation. But there are forces in motion that want to prevent that this happens.
My Opinion: "There will be no peace as long as Kirk lives" (Star Trek IV). This time one had to fear that they mean it. VI is my favourite movie of the old Star Trek series. There is a great final battle but that's not the end but is marking a new beginning.
Nicholas Meyer is directing a Star Trek movie for the second time after II and he did again an excellent job. Besides being the director he also worked on the screenplay for II, IV and VI and thus for three of the five best Star Trek movies.
@Jimmy: This is a recycled review, no need to add it to the list agin.
Post by: Tom on May 05, 2010, 09:22:59 PM
And even though I have seen the extended edition now I still the following image in my head: After Josh had become a kid again he goes to school again and sits in his place when a new red-headed school girl comes into class and gets seated behind him. He turns around and she smiles to him.
I don't know from which movie I got that scene but I always associate it with Big.
I had the same problem after buying Big. I also expected this scene. As far as I could find out then, this scene is from Vice Versa (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096380/) (if I remember correctly), but I didn't have a chance yet to check it out.
Damn. It also wasn't "Vice Versa". Where the hell is this scene from? :laugh:
Post by: DJ Doena on May 05, 2010, 09:31:03 PM
Post by: Tom on March 30, 2013, 05:56:37 PM
And even though I have seen the extended edition now I still the following image in my head: After Josh had become a kid again he goes to school again and sits in his place when a new red-headed school girl comes into class and gets seated behind him. He turns around and she smiles to him.
I don't know from which movie I got that scene but I always associate it with Big.
I had the same problem after buying Big. I also expected this scene. As far as I could find out then, this scene is from Vice Versa (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096380/) (if I remember correctly), but I didn't have a chance yet to check it out.
Damn. It also wasn't "Vice Versa". Where the hell is this scene from? :laugh:
I just saw on "Big"'s IMDb page:
"A home video release of this movie in New Zealand is rumored to have included an alternate ending. The alternate ending shows young Josh sitting in his classroom at school when he turns around to notice a young female classmate of whom he recognises as Susan - who went back to the fairground machine and wished that she was Josh's age. The US DVD release of this film simply shows Josh and Billy walking up their street, then the credits roll in."
Seems like this version was shown on German TV at some point where we both knew it from.
Post by: DJ Doena on March 30, 2013, 08:14:04 PM
Post by: DJ Doena on January 10, 2014, 09:56:10 PM
And even though I have seen the extended edition now I still the following image in my head: After Josh had become a kid again he goes to school again and sits in his place when a new red-headed school girl comes into class and gets seated behind him. He turns around and she smiles to him.
I don't know from which movie I got that scene but I always associate it with Big.
I had the same problem after buying Big. I also expected this scene. As far as I could find out then, this scene is from Vice Versa (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096380/) (if I remember correctly), but I didn't have a chance yet to check it out.
Damn. It also wasn't "Vice Versa". Where the hell is this scene from? :laugh:
I just saw on "Big"'s IMDb page:
"A home video release of this movie in New Zealand is rumored to have included an alternate ending. The alternate ending shows young Josh sitting in his classroom at school when he turns around to notice a young female classmate of whom he recognises as Susan - who went back to the fairground machine and wished that she was Josh's age. The US DVD release of this film simply shows Josh and Billy walking up their street, then the credits roll in."
Seems like this version was shown on German TV at some point where we both knew it from.
Or maybe we were all wrong and just remember this scene from a TV movie called 14 Going On 30 (not to mix up with 13 Going On 30 with Jennifer Garner) from the same year as Big.
Post by: Tom on January 10, 2014, 10:11:55 PM