Post by: Critter on December 20, 2009, 09:14:44 AM
I was wondering if somone could please post the smiley rating system that I see being used around here so that I may use it with these reviews. I think I know roughly what it is but I want to make sure I know them all.
- Baby Mama (2008) :-\
- Knocked Up (2007) :D
- Inglorious Basterds (2009) :thumbup:
- Iron Man (2008)
- Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997) :-\
- Edward Scissorhands (1990) :thumbup:
- The Hangover (2009) :D
- Batman (1989) :D
- The Abyss (1989)
- The Heiress (1949)
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) :D
- (500) Days of Summer (2009)
- Zombieland (2009) ;D
Post by: Critter on December 20, 2009, 10:25:02 AM
(http://i47.tinypic.com/ev6k41.jpg)
Year: 2008
Director: Micheal McCullers
Cast: Tina Fey, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Martin, Holland Taylor, Amy Poehler, Greg Kinnear
Plot: A successful, single businesswoman who dreams of having a baby discovers she is infertile and hires a working class woman to be her unlikely surrogate.
My Thoughts: I found this film to be a very enjoyable, light-hearted comedy that I can see myself watching time and time again. Being a fan of Tina Fey from her 30 Rock and Mean Girls fame I was thrilled to see her teamed up in a film with Poehler. I feel that Fey and Poohler have a great, on screen comedic chemistry which has been displayed throughout many seasons of SNL. While the plot wasn't exactly deep or moving on any levels, which of course I didn't expect it to be, I still found the film very entertaining with quite a few laugh out loud moments. While the two lead women were fantastic I was delightfully surpised with the performances of Steve Martin and Sigourney Weaver who both portrayed interesting, and somewhat eccentric characters. I especially enjoyed seeing Weaver in such a light-hearted role in a comedy as I have been a fan of her from the Aliens franchise for a long time and love seeing her in something other than sci-fi. Overall this was a fun film with plenty of laughs that was definatly carried well by the great cast.
My Rating:
Post by: snowcat on December 20, 2009, 10:56:49 AM
I think Tina Fey is hilarious, she was great on SNL and 30 Rock is one of my favourite shows at the moment, a show she rights! I guess I also kinda liked Second City.
I just felt this film was not her, maybe because she didn't write it.
Afterall, I think I liked Mean Girls so much because she was a writer on it.
Post by: Critter on December 20, 2009, 11:14:24 AM
I think Mean Girls, along with Anchorman are the two most highly qouted films for our generation (or were at my High School anyway :P).
As far as Baby Mama goes it definatly doesn't rank up there with Feys other stuff but I enjoyed the light-heartedness of it. And Steve Martins 5 minutes of uninterupted eye contact cracked me up :laugh:
Post by: Tom on December 20, 2009, 12:41:22 PM
I was wondering if somone could please post the smiley rating system that I see being used around here so that I may use it with these reviews. I think I know roughly what it is but I want to make sure I know them all.
There is a button on the "post reply" page called "Encore rating 5=Best, 0=Worst" (http://www.dvdcollectorsonline.com/Themes/OceanBlue/images/bbc/mr.gif) (right next to the WhatYaGot buttons). It will insert "mr" tags and the number you will enter in-between them is your rating and will be mapped to the correct smiley.
The ratings are:
0 =
(bad or worse)1 =
(boring)2 =
(not really bad, but not good either)3 =
(I enjoyed it)4 =
(now that was quite good)5 =
(Excellent!)You can roughly think of it as a star rating going from 0 to 5 stars.
Post by: Critter on December 20, 2009, 12:42:38 PM
Post by: Critter on December 22, 2009, 12:58:59 PM
(http://i47.tinypic.com/2d7wsyb.jpg)
Year: 2007
Director: Judd Apatow
Cast: Seth Rogan, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jason Segal, Jonah Hill
Plot: For fun loving party animal Ben Stone, the last thing he ever expected was for his one night stand to show up on his doorstep eight weeks later to tell him she's pregnant.
My Thoughts: While not an overly fantastic film I found 'Knocked Up' to be cute and enjoyable. Many of the characters had me laughing out loud, one of which was the performance from Alan Tudyk who is one of my favourite actors and I was pleasently surprised to see he had a small role in this. One thing I like about this film is the way the humour, which is often crude at times and often relies on sex jokes and pop culture references, actually blends quite nicley with the overall sweet storyline that the film presents. While I feel that Seth Rogans lovable stoner character may be getting a bit old it suited this quite film well and as usual he pulled it off without a glitch. Leslie Mann probably presented my favourite performance in this film and I thought her character was fantastic. Overall I definatly wouldn't call this one of my favourite films but it was an enjoyable experience and a nice light-hearted film that I can see myself enjoying with friends time and time again.
My Rating:
Post by: Critter on January 03, 2010, 11:14:38 AM
(http://i49.tinypic.com/2v968sk.jpg)
Year: 2009
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Diane Kruger, Cristoph Waltz, Eli Roth,
Plot: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis.
My Thoughts: Since I saw this film at the cinema before I joined this forum I thought I would wait until it was out on DVD so I could review it while still fresh in my mind. Basterds was one of my favourite cinema experiences of 2009 and yes, I am a Tarantino fan which can be a scary thing to admit in this forum but it’s the truth, I have been a fan for years. With Basterds Tarantino carries that somewhat quirky style of filmmaking that he has developed over the years through his other films. It’s the small details I love, like the way the font in the opening credits changed 5 different times, or the fact that sometimes the English translations of French or German words remained as they are in their native language or the way scenes sometimes so abruptly cut into the next.
Like all Tarantino films, one thing I especially love is his use of music, the way it’s either loud and quite in your face or just not present at all, I also loved many of the references to his other films and picked up at least two from the Kill Bill’s. While I knew some of the actors in this film quite well, such as Brad Pitt and Diane Kruger, I was pleasantly surprised to be introduced to many actors who being either French or German I had not known before. Cristoph Waltz especially delivered a memorable performance as the films antagonist while contributing greatly to one of the most intense opening scenes I have seen in a while, and one which I will surely not forget for a long time. Actor Melanie Laurent also gave one of my favourite performances of the film and I am now eager to track her filmography and watch many more of her films.
While Basterds may not have had an extremely fast-paced storyline I never once found it boring and don’t believe it had a dull moment. Unlike many films it was the dialogue heavy scenes that I often found just as, if not more captivating than its action packed counterparts. This is a film that I can see myself enjoying over and over again and I loved watching all the extras (over 90 minutes worth) on the blu-ray version that I have.
My Rating:
Post by: Najemikon on January 03, 2010, 12:57:40 PM
*quickly races in and links arms with Critter to form a human shield*
We shall, we shall not be moved! We shall, we shall not be moved! :drunk: Who's with us?
Post by: Critter on January 03, 2010, 01:05:00 PM
*Joins human shield*
I for one will never be moved out of my status as a Tarantino fan!
:cheers:
Post by: snowcat on January 03, 2010, 01:13:51 PM
Im a Tarantino fan! Reservoir Dogs is one of my favourite films, and I really enjoyed the Kill Bills, Jackie Brown and Natural Born Killers. Maybe im more a fan of his writing style, maybe its improved too much for me? I don't know.
...I just found Inglorious Mediocre ... I didn't not like, but I didn't really like it.
...I think the kind of film Tarantino makes is original (waits for Jimmy to argue :P) maybe not story wise but technique wise, unfortunately his technique is getting old, can he ever really out do himself?
...I just think the edge wasn't there like in his earlier films.
...Of course, Adam Sandler was supposed to be in the film, but due to clashes with Funny People he wasn't Im glad he wasn't I don't think he would suit this film at all... but then again, I didn't think Brad Pitt did, the same way I didn't think Pitt suited Burn After Reading.
Post by: Najemikon on January 03, 2010, 01:19:49 PM
Post by: Critter on January 03, 2010, 01:30:39 PM
Post by: Critter on January 03, 2010, 01:32:48 PM
Post by: Najemikon on January 03, 2010, 01:36:53 PM
Jon where is your review for this? I just went through the list up above but I couldn't find it.
http://www.dvdcollectorsonline.com/index.php/topic,5216.msg94778.html#msg94778
It is in the list under I, though I'd spelt it wrong. :bag: Just corrected. There are also reviews from Rich and Marie, and Achim has reviewed the original The Inglorious Bastards.
Post by: Achim on January 03, 2010, 03:39:15 PM
...I think the kind of film Tarantino makes is original (waits for Jimmy to argue :P) maybe not story wise but technique wise, unfortunately his technique is getting old, can he ever really out do himself?*joins Emma with some popcorn*
I get what you mean, Emma, as this will always be a Marmite film, just like his others, but it's how fresh the technique was for Basterds that made me love it. The opening scene and the restaurant were both sublime at least and then the finale... I said in my review one shot in particular from the final moments feels like it will be a classic moment for me. Loved it, loved it, loved it! :dance:The opening scene clearly shows his love for Leone. (KJimmy must be here any minute now :laugh:)
I know what you mean about "one shot" making the movie. I had this with Titanic, while still a James Cameron film in overall, often rightly accused of being too sappy. When the boat is sinking (oops, spoiler :laugh:) there is a brief moment of a series of, I believe, three static shots, showing how different people cope with the fact that "this is it". There's the designer/engineer/owner who stands in the lounge setting is watch, there is the captain standing in his "cabin", with the water rushing in and finally an old couple who simply hold each other in bed waiting for the inevitable. Those three shots made that film for me.
Post by: Jimmy on January 03, 2010, 08:00:11 PM
Jimmy must be here any minute now :laugh:Not this time, it's the new year so I won't disturb your lovefest :laugh:
Post by: Critter on January 17, 2010, 10:23:06 AM
(http://i45.tinypic.com/svi0k9.jpg)
Year: 2008
Director: Jon Favreau
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leslie Bibb
Plot: When wealthy industrialist Tony Stark is forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident, he ultimately decides to use its technology to fight against evil.
My Thoughts: Iron Man is a film that does have its faults, yet not enough to cloud how enjoyable it is. This is about the third time I have watched this film and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of my viewings. I think the casting was perfect and Downey Jr as well as Paltrow are two stand-out’s for me. I must admit that before watching this film I had seen hardly anything else of the Iron Man franchise, perhaps a cartoon here or there but I never really paid attention to him as a superhero. This film however defiantly put Tony Stark on the radar for me and I am highly anticipating the sequel this year. I found the action scenes in this film to be quite standard, the visual effects were indeed impressive but the fight scenes themselves felt like they were lacking some originality. In the film however it is not the fights or action which is what made me enjoy it so much, and indeed I am glad that the film isn’t just one mindless fight scene after another like some other blockbuster actions can be. I found that the scenes dealing with Tony’s problems within his company, as well as building and developing the suit to be more compelling than any other in the film. I think the attention to detail is also important in this film, such as the little things like making a robot arm in Stark’s basement a humorous character throughout the film. In the end this is a film that I have already enjoyed many times and I can see myself enjoying many more times in the future.
My Rating:
Post by: Critter on February 25, 2010, 04:36:35 AM
(http://www.seans24.pl/img/film/thumb1-20090924002221670.jpg)
Year: 1997
Director: David Mirkin
Cast: Miro Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow, Janeane Garofalo, Alan Cumming, Julia Campbell, Mia Cottet
Plot: Two women get into a lot of trouble when they go to their high school reunion and lie about their lives after twelfth grade.
My Thoughts: First off, I don’t have this movie on DVD. I was just flicking around TV today and it was about to start, since I have never seen the whole film before I thought I’d give it a go. Romy and Michele’s is a perfect example of what I consider harmless entertainment. It’s a simple, and somewhat predictable story that is delivered with a lot of fun. You cannot take this film seriously, in this case however it was never meant to be taken seriously and that fits it perfectly.
While not being one of the funnier films I have seen I still had a couple of laugh with these two friends quest to prove that they invented post-it notes. I felt the film was quite slow at the start in L.A but quite enjoyed the scenes at the actual reunion. While I can’t see myself watching this one again and again, it was a nice lightly entertaining film for the afternoon.
My Rating:
Post by: Critter on February 27, 2010, 08:12:25 AM
(http://i48.tinypic.com/69ntwx.jpg)
Year: 1990
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall, Kathy Baker
Plot: An uncommonly gentle young man, who happens to have scissors for hands, falls in love with a beautiful teenage girl.
My Thoughts: Edward Scissorhands is definitely one of my favourite Burton films, yet one I have actually not seen very often. Last night I watched it for maybe the second or third time. Needless to say, this film still has a huge impact on me when I watch it, Scissorhands is hauntingly beautiful and ironic from beginning to end, with such bizarre characters and visuals I am actually surprised at myself for not watching it more.
The stark contrast in the film between the dark, dreary gothic mansion in which Edward lives and the overly colourful suburban town surrounding it is outstanding. There is nothing at all subtle about the contrast between the two, which is something that Burton likes to point out many times in the film when he quickly cuts from one to the other. Edward’s home does indeed appear to be drowning in these terrible pastel colours, creating another world within a world. The idea of an Avon lady meeting a reclusive man with scissors for hands in an old rundown mansion and bringing him home is so bizarre that it sounds like the plot to some terrible B movie, yet Burton brings his tale to fantastic life in one of his most unique stories to date.
Danny Elfmans score for this film is simple breathtaking and bring such a strong sense of emotion to some scenes in a way that makes them truly memorable. More than anything I love the way Burton is able to completely turn things on their head. His parody of a cozy and safe little American suburb is soon exposed to being harsh and cruel, while the large and downtrodden gothic mansion which feels like the set to a horror film at the start, soon becomes somewhat of a safe haven. The design aspects of the film are amazing, especially within ‘The Inventors’ strange mechanics. Each of his robotic friends has a distinctive Burton look to them, a look I have seen many times in books of illustrations from Burton’s childhood. Overall this is a fantastic film that I consider at times, eerily beautiful and one that I am very pleased to have in my collection.
My Rating:
Post by: Najemikon on February 27, 2010, 12:35:13 PM
Post by: Critter on February 27, 2010, 11:18:11 PM
Post by: Critter on March 06, 2010, 04:42:33 AM
(http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/images/photo/hangover_the.jpg)
Year: 2009
Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor, Sasha Barrese. Mike Epps
Plot: A Las Vegas-set comedy centered around three groomsmen who lose their about-to-be-wed buddy during their drunken misadventures, then must retrace their steps in order to find him.
My Thoughts: This was a highly entertaining and hilarious film, the quite bizarre and outlandish situations that these men are thrown into provide quite a journey from start to finish. While I enjoyed this film and laughed quite a bit I can’t see it as being one I would choose to watch myself time and time again, I can definitely see it however as being a fantastic ‘after party’ film with friends, a spot usually filled with the likes of Anchorman or Knocked Up. The performances were fantastic and the addition of a baby and a tiger was genius, I also enjoyed the circular narrative and think it fit the film well. A highly enjoyable film.
My Rating:
Post by: Critter on March 11, 2010, 03:18:54 AM
(http://i40.tinypic.com/2lxh6hd.jpg)
Year: 1989
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough
Plot: The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being the clownishly homicidal Joker.
My Thoughts: I grew up watching Burton’s Batman films and they are still some of my favourites. As far as Gotham city goes I have always preferred Burtons to Nolan’s, that’s not to say that I don’t like Nolan’s films though because I do, I just feel his Gotham is lacking the creativity within Burton’s work. There are so many fantastic and memorable moments in this film, most of them of course, thanks to Jack Nicholson’s wonderful Joker, including that memorable mirror scene which The Simpsons parodied so well.
Nicholson’s Joker creates a fantastic amount of chaos in this film, and some scenes such as his henchmen all dressed as mines, slowly creeping up on the people are quite creepy, in fact a lot of the joker scenes have an eerie air to them. As I said before, the visuals in this film are perfect, especially within the city itself. Gotham here isn’t realistic, instead is a gritty fantasy which is what I believe it should be. The Jokers face was brilliant in this, and even more creepy when seen on many of his victims throughout the film, and that classic makeup and purple suit created such a fantastic image. This will always be one of my favourite Batman films.
My Rating:
Post by: Critter on March 13, 2010, 01:26:16 PM
(http://media.spotcoolstuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/the-abyss-sub-movies.jpg)
Year: 1989
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, John Bedford Lloyd, Leo Burmester, Kimberly Scott, Todd Graff
Plot: A civilian diving team are enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and face danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.
My Thoughts:
This review may contain some spoilers.
I watched this film for the first time today, and I should begin with saying that I usually can’t stand films that are mostly underwater which this is. Or indeed, films about sinking/ flooding ships with people inside, it makes me feel claustrophobic to watch such scenes which is one of the main reasons I don’t like Titanic. The Abyss however had a sci-fi element to it which kept me interested for the most part.
I love films where aliens aren’t the bad guys which is probably why I was so drawn to this film, one of my only complaints being that I felt not enough time was spent on the actual sci-fi side of the film. I loved the second half of this film, although I felt the first dragged on a little bit as too much time was spent in an almost conventional Poseidon adventure-style series of action or ‘sinking’ scenes. Any scene with the alien beings I found captivating and I loved their design, basically they were the only beautiful things in the film, and the visual effects were stunning I believe for these late 80’s periods.
One thing I did notice in the film was that the aliens and the message they harbored was similar to The Day The Earth Stood Still, we seem to think that we need aliens to tell us that humans are too violent. I highly enjoyed watching this film, but I felt I would have enjoyed it more if there had been more of a focus on the science fiction elements rather than just the crew ship and their problems. I would probably give it a 4, or 4.5 for how much I enjoyed the alien aspect of it.
My Rating:
Post by: Achim on March 13, 2010, 03:01:27 PM
Post by: Critter on March 13, 2010, 11:11:33 PM
Post by: Critter on March 14, 2010, 02:45:28 AM
(http://img1.mtime.com/mt/742/18742/18742.jpg)
Year: 1949
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins, Mona Freeman, Selena Royle
Plot: A young naive woman falls for a handsome young man who her emotionally abusive father suspects is a fortune hunter.
My Thoughts:
I first came upon this film last year while I was studying Henry James’ Washington Square in my high school literature class. While I admit that I didn’t overly love the novel it was still an interesting text, although one which I probably won’t be reading again soon. While we were studying it we also looked at this film adaption by William Wyler and I loved it so much that I bought it for myself on DVD.
Olivia de Havilland portrays Catherine Sloper perfectly as the shy young girl overshadowed by her father who does not really excel in any fields (except for stitching that is). The audience is positioned to sympathize with Catherine as the two leading men of the film appear to somewhat control her life without her permission. First we have Morris Townsend, a handsome young man whom Catherine falls for when she believes that he is generally interested in her, and then we have her father, Dr Sloper, who’s cruel irony see’s nothing but a man after his daughters money.
Something I liked about the film, and indeed the novel is that it’s hard to ever really stay angry at any of these characters for long as they don’t always end up who they appear to be. On one hand, Dr Sloper seems rather cruel when it comes to his daughter, yet on the other hand he is only trying to protect her in her own interests. Townsend also has a similar situation to this, is he the nice, carefree young man that he appears to be?
In the end the thing I love most about this film is Catherine Slopers journey, indeed she is a very different person at the end of the film, than she is at the beginning, and these radical changes are definitely a product of those who surround her.
My Rating:
Post by: Critter on March 20, 2010, 11:55:42 AM
(http://i43.tinypic.com/1624fwm.jpg)
Year: 2005
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, Noah Taylor, Deep Roy, Christopher Lee, Adam Godly, Anna Sophia Robb.
Plot: A young boy wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world's most unusual candy maker.
My Thoughts:
I have always felt this to be a great book adaption, it is by no means a perfect film but it is highly entertaining and unlike the previous remake of Roald Dahl’s story, this one actually sticks quite close to the source material. As I have probably mentioned many times before on this site, I am a massive fan of Roald Dahl’s novels, I grew up reading them over and over as a child and still enjoy reading them today. Perhaps it is because of this that I never liked the 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. That film for me never really captured the spirit of Dahl’s work, it was scary, sometimes disturbing (the scene with the fans) and I did not like Gene Wilder’s portrayal of Willy Wonka.
In the novels, Willy Wonka is a highly eccentric shut-in who has for many years lost touch with the world outside of his factory, and therefore become quite anti-social and unsure around other human company. I think that Johnny Depp captured this role much more accurately than Gene Wilder’s portrayal. In some scenes Gene Wilder seemed almost fatherly to me which is not what Dahl ever intended of the character.
As far as staying true to the book goes, Burton does pretty well, the adventures in the chocolate factory are dead on, the songs lyrics are words taken directly from the novel itself, and some scenes are set up exactly the same as Quentin Blake’s original illustrations from the books. The only major differences are the ending, which is changed slightly and also an added background to Willy Wonka himself which explores him as a child. I thought this background of Wonka was interesting, but probably not totally needed, the flashbacks were definitely not my favourite part of this film.
Neither film adaption so far has quite got the Oompa Loompa’s right to me. The 70’s versions orange skinned little people were just creepy, and Burton’s use of Deep Roy as every Oompa Loompa didn’t quite seem to fit either. Overall though I do quite like this film, I loved Danny Elfman’s music, not his best but quite good, and I enjoyed Burtons somewhat iconic visuals used within this story. Not a highly outstanding film, but as far as book to film movies go I think this is quite a good one.
My Rating:
Post by: Critter on April 20, 2010, 03:08:42 AM
(http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/images/photo/500_days_of_summer.jpg)
Year: 2009
Director: Marc Webb
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloe Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler, Patricia Belcher
Plot: An offbeat romantic comedy about a woman who doesn't believe true love exists, and the young man who falls for her.
My Thoughts:
Romantic comedies are probably my least favourite type of film to watch next to horror. I find them predictable and boring every time and usually while watching one I feel like I have already seen it before. They seem to have fallen into some sort of repetitive rut which is why I was so surprised by this little gem.
I found (500) Days of Summer quite a refreshing film and enjoyed almost everything about it. I found the pattern of the narrative refreshing, it was a somewhat circular narrative but flicked back and forth in time throughout the film. This never became confusing to watch though as a shot always appeared counting which day we were up to out of the 500.
I have been a fan of Zooey Deschanel for a while now, despite the fact that she has starred in some awful films of late I always kept strong my belief in her acting ability and I feel she shines in this. I also loved seeing Chloe Moretz in her fantastic, if somewhat secondary role as the younger sister who seemed to know anything, I almost wish her scenes were longer.
Some scenes here were quite fun, such as an unexpected musical number which was a nice parody of both stage and film musicals, fun as the film was though it also had many contrasting scenes that were quite sad and depressing. This balance was handled well though and I can see myself enjoying this film more times in the future.
My Rating:
Post by: Critter on June 06, 2010, 10:01:20 AM
(http://i46.tinypic.com/9st5wj.jpg)
Year: 2009
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Amber Heard, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Bill Murray
Plot: The horror comedy Zombieland focuses on two men who have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies. Columbus is a big wuss -- but when you're afraid of being eaten by zombies, fear can keep you alive. Tallahassee is an AK-toting, zombie-slaying' bad ass whose single determination is to get the last Twinkie on earth. As they join forces with Wichita and Little Rock, who have also found unique ways to survive the zombie mayhem, they will have to determine which is worse: relying on each other or succumbing to the zombies.
My Thoughts:
I liked this film a lot more than I thought I would. In fact I loved it, often throughout the film I found myself thinking, how did they think of this? This is one the funniest films I have seen in a long time, and even though I just watched it today I already want to see it again. Now it’s obvious that this film has many similarities to Shaun of the Dead, yet oddly enough I liked Zombieland better. There was just something genius about the ragtag group of lead characters in this film that just worked; I liked every character from the tough talking, zombie killing Tallahassee, to the two con sisters Wichita and Little Rock.
While the film is mainly a comedy/gore fest (and yes, at times the zombies are a bit vomit inducing) I found that the film was surprisingly heartfelt in some places, but unlike some other films of a similar genre, it didn’t feel out of place here and wasn’t overdone. There were not really many main actors in this film yet I still can’t pick a stand out. The four leads were all excellent in their role, Jesse Einsenberg carried the film well and was a very likable protagonist. Abigail Breslin was also fantastic as the 12-year old gun toting Zombie killer, very Hit-Girlesque only minus the language.
I really can’t wait to watch this film again and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of parodies of the horror genres… as long as they aren’t easily grossed out that is.
My Rating:
Post by: Najemikon on June 06, 2010, 01:43:48 PM
Post by: Critter on June 06, 2010, 01:50:23 PM
And I know Zombies can't run, but in the end why shouldn't they? It makes them a lot less scary when a zombie is 100 metres away and very slowly shuffling foward... but a hundred Zombies running towards you... now that's creepy.
And if it gives the film anymore credit at all the Zombies in this film were very close to the most disgusting I have seen in any Zombie film. These things were just... God I feel sorry for those extra's who had to be covered in all of that each day of shooting.
Post by: Jimmy on June 06, 2010, 02:57:04 PM
I know Zombies can't run, but in the end why shouldn't they?Because they are dead :whistle:
The one who runs are infected by a disease not dead...
Post by: Najemikon on June 06, 2010, 03:08:45 PM
Haha I had a feeling I might get a bit of backlash from saying that. I did like Shaun of the Dead, but I just enjoyed this one more, that had nothing to do with the lovely Emma Stone of course :-X
And I know Zombies can't run, but in the end why shouldn't they? It makes them a lot less scary when a zombie is 100 metres away and very slowly shuffling foward... but a hundred Zombies running towards you... now that's creepy.
And if it gives the film anymore credit at all the Zombies in this film were very close to the most disgusting I have seen in any Zombie film. These things were just... God I feel sorry for those extra's who had to be covered in all of that each day of shooting.
Oh, Sophie. I didn't think you were like the rest of the ADD affected youth, who need things literally thrown at them to make them feel scared. I... I weep for you... :weep: :tease:
Zombies represent our own shuffling mortality. The point is that they are far away and easy to kill, but eventually, they will catch us. I find that far more scary than quick zombies that are little more than a ghost train, haunted house style of film.
I posted this in another thread only the other day. An article by Simon Pegg himself which is an excellent breakdown of the zombie:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/nov/04/television-simon-pegg-dead-set
By the way, I really, really liked Zombieland. I have to stress that. But you need to fill a few gaps in your zombie collection (which for you is tough, I know! :P) if you think they're the most disgusting.
Post by: Jimmy on June 06, 2010, 03:14:17 PM
But you need to fill a few gaps in your zombie collection (which for you is tough, I know! :P) if you think they're the most disgusting.Try some italian zombie films, you will see what is a disgusting one :yucky:
Post by: Critter on June 06, 2010, 03:17:59 PM
I suppose I didn't clarify it in my previous statement but what I meant was that running Zombies worked better in this film, I by no means meant all Zombie films. Zombieland in particular would not have worked with the traditional, slow Zombies. I know that Zombies are traditionally slow and that works with most Zombie films. In fact Zombieland was a comedy, so the running Zombies did not scare me at all, only gross me out a bit. While I found the running Zombies in this film amusing, I would most likley find the slower ones actually frightening if I saw it in a horror film, unlike the running ones.
And in the end aren't things always more scary in films when they are just slowly walking? There's that horror convention of the victim always speedily running from a steadily walking bad guy, yet the bad guy always seems right behind them. This is a convention becuase it works... it's scarier when things walk at you.
In real life though I do believe I would much rather walking Zombies than running ones, I just feel I misphrased my previous statment if you feel I am one of those "ADD affected youth".
Post by: Critter on June 06, 2010, 03:20:04 PM
But you need to fill a few gaps in your zombie collection (which for you is tough, I know! :P) if you think they're the most disgusting.
Tough is an understatement. You mean actual horro Zombie films. Me? Horror? You must be joking :P
Post by: Najemikon on June 06, 2010, 04:01:28 PM
Jon, the other day you showed me a video of a little girl in an elevator and I had trouble sleeping that night (I'm not kidding, that's literally how much that scared me).
Oops! :bag: F.E.A.R. is based on the imagery from a hand-full of Japanese and Korean horror, so stay away from those! :-X
Post by: Critter on June 06, 2010, 04:20:53 PM
Aside from that I appreciate your warning. I have heard that Japanese horror is often amongst some of the scariest horror there is, and that the American remakes never do them justice. I once watched the first 20 minutes or so of the original Japanese The Ring with my neighbour. After that 20 minutes however we realised that both of us had a blanket over our head, and I even had my hand over my ears becuase I didn't want to even hear it.
My unreasonable fear of horror films is something that is starting to worry me quite a bit actually. I mean hell, I am 19-years old but even the lamest horror films keep me up at night. Horror films scared me when I was young, but now, even after years of studying how films are made, and of watching behind-the-scenes videos from horror films I still can't help but be just terrified. It's interesting really, I have seen some terrifying things in real life, yet it's always in the films that they effect me more. In real life I am usually quite calm and often docile, even in intense situations, yet in the films I am just a wreck.
:stars:
Post by: RossRoy on June 06, 2010, 04:43:37 PM
My unreasonable fear of horror films is something that is starting to worry me quite a bit actually. I mean hell, I am 19-years old but even the lamest horror films keep me up at night.
Glad to see I'm not alone with that. These days I'm fine, but when I was in my early 20s I would have nightmares for weeks after watching a horror film. I just recently managed to watch all the Nightmare of Elm Street and all the Friday the 13th.. just a few years back I would never have managed.
BTW, The Ring completely terrified me. Yet I was glued to the TV the whole time, for both versions.
Little anecdote? I've seen the american remake of The Ring 3 or 4 times now, and I still have no idea what the dead girl in the closet looks like :bag:
Post by: Najemikon on June 06, 2010, 04:45:41 PM
To truly enjoy horror films, you have to enjoy being scared. Technically that means you aren't scared at all, so it's a bit weird really. :stars:
Post by: Critter on June 07, 2010, 12:41:17 AM
Quote
Little anecdote? I've seen the american remake of The Ring 3 or 4 times now, and I still have no idea what the dead girl in the closet looks like :bag:
:laugh: That does make me feel a bit better actually. I did certainly used to spend a lot of time watching horror films with my hands over my eyes.
Quote
To truly enjoy horror films, you have to enjoy being scared. Technically that means you aren't scared at all, so it's a bit weird really. :stars:
Yeah enjoying being scared is certainly not something I seem to be able to do. I have in the past, felt physically ill from watching horror films, and then gone on to just not enjoy life in general for about a week after until the effect wears off. Also, I'm glad I don't have that 'bannana' fear :P
Post by: Antares on June 09, 2010, 12:54:15 AM
Post by: Najemikon on June 09, 2010, 01:19:42 AM
Post by: Antares on June 09, 2010, 01:27:38 AM
Post by: Critter on June 09, 2010, 01:36:21 AM
I haven't had a reacurring dream since I was little, but I remember one that I had for months very clearly. It had the character from a film called Flight of the Navigator in it. He wasn't even a scary character, he was in fact the protagonist of the film, yet for some reason he was always in my dream. I would always wake up in the dream and go outside in the middle of the night and he would be there. I also recall times of driving in a car at night, and looking behind me and see him following the car. Just walking slowly behind it, but keeping up of course.
Post by: Antares on June 09, 2010, 01:51:29 AM
One very warm July night, I was having a nightmare about a car chase. The car is careening down a road, tires squealing as the speed increases. Suddenly, the car swerves off the road and hits a tree. At that moment, I sprung up in bed, sweating profusely and my heart racing just like the car in the dream. I looked around my room and noticed the time on the clock, it was 2:15 AM. About a minute goes by, and I'm starting to settle down a bit, when all of a sudden, outside my open window, I hear a car's tire screeching and a loud crashing thud. Now being so close to the event in my dream, it scared the Hell out of me, and I froze for about another minute. Finally, I got out of bed and looked out the window in time to see the car just pulling away, sounding as if some decent damage was done to it. I went downstairs and went into my parents liquor cabinet and grabbed a shot of something to settle me down after that.
The next day, I went outside and down the road to look at the tree. It had a good 3 foot high gouge taken out of it.
Cue Twilight Zone music. >:D
Post by: Critter on June 09, 2010, 01:56:47 AM
Post by: Antares on June 09, 2010, 02:21:40 AM
One thing I've also started to believe in, due to some instances in dreams I've had, is the existence of layered universes. I have had countless dreams in the last few years where I'm in some neighborhood familiar to me, but the buildings are all different. The time frame is always around the mid-forties to mid-sixties. At times, in the dream, I will start to leave that neighborhood, on a road that exists in the location I'm living in now or in my youth, yet everything is totally different, as if another town, with buildings and people was placed directly onto the same framework of landscape. Everything I'm feeling in the dream tells me that it is a specific city or town that I'm familiar with, but nothing is the same as it should be.
And the truly strange thing about it is that, in successive dreams at later dates, I will revisit these altered landscapes as if they are now common place. I will be proceeding down the road, and in the dream I think to myself, OK, in a few moments I'll pass that general store with the large old porch or I'll be crossing that bridge that spans the bay. But the towns in my real life aren't there, they been supplanted by alternate buildings and landscapes.
Post by: Critter on June 09, 2010, 02:52:53 AM
I found that very interesting, but perhaps it is the same with places as well as people? When I think about the places I have been in my dreams, like you, they are very familiar to me. They don't look like what they do in real life, but they have a similar basic structure and layout to what it is. For example, I once had a dream in the court that I lived in, the structure basically the same, except the road running through the court had turned into a river in my dream, and on the other side of the river were hundreds of zombie-like beings. I wasn't scared in this dream by the way, it wasn't something I would consider a nightmare, I was oddly calm and relaxed while I stood on my front lawn and watched the Zombies 10 metres away, for some reason I just knew they couldn't cross the river.
It makes you wonder what our brain really can create in dreams? It can obviously create scenarios and situations (often quite odd or scary ones) but as for the actual physical details... who knows.
I hope some of that made sense, I tend to ramble on a bit.
Post by: Antares on June 09, 2010, 03:04:34 AM
I read once that the human brain is incapable of creating a brand new person in it's dreams. Apparently everyone in our dreams is someone we have seen before, we may not know the person, but at least have seen them. So say, you are being chased by an axe murderer in a nightmare, the face of that murderer could be anyone from a friend, to someone that served you in a shop, or even that you just passed in a street, it will never be a creation of the brain itself but more a subconscious memory of someone.
Well, than this might unnerve you a bit. As I mentioned earlier I always analyze the dreams that I can recall. One thing I've noticed is that when I meet someone whom I'm familiar with, and always someone who is alive at that moment, that after I wake up and retrace the events in the dream, after thinking about it and concentrating on their face in the dream, I realize that it wasn't that person at all. The face I saw in the dream was the face of another person, who has long since died. My mind in the dream tells me it's the living person, but the face is that of the deceased person. This has happened many, many times in my dreams.
Post by: Critter on June 09, 2010, 03:15:11 AM
Speaking of which, have you ever had dreams while you were fully awake or, hallucinations I suppose. Last year I was sick with Pneumonia for two weeks (most of which I spent in bed or in hospital). From this time period I vividly remember one thing, and that was dreaming things while I was wide awake. My Mum said I was probably having hallucinations from the very high fever but it was amazing.
It's sort of hard to explain, but I recall being awake, and laying in my room in my bed, and being fully aware that I was awake in my bed. Yet at the same time I would be having some crazy dream off in some faraway place. I could see the room and my dream at the same time, I know they were both happening at the same time, yet in my pneumonia induced state... this all seemed perfectly normal.
Post by: Antares on June 09, 2010, 04:05:50 AM
The first time:
I was dreaming about the cemetery I used to cross almost every day in my adolescent youth to get to my friends house. In the dream, I was riding a small go-cart around the roads in the cemetery. I'm approaching the main gate which was made of a high stone wall. As I'm approaching it, in the dream I realized that I was actually dreaming it, because I no longer lived in that state. So as the dream is continuing I say to myself in the dream, if you know that this is a dream, try and control the way the dream progresses. As I get to the stone gate and turn towards my friends house, I say to myself , start to fly. Suddenly, I can see the ground under my feet start to drift away as I start to ascend into the atmosphere. I can see my friends house as I pass over it as if I'm in a balloon drifting by. I turn to the opposite side of the road and see another friend's house. Suddenly, the dream starts to fade away and everything starts to brighten. In the dream I tell myself, don't wake up, don't wake up. But it was to late, the next thing I'm in my bed, in my room, looking at the ceiling. In all the part where I was controlling the dream seemed to last about 15 seconds.
The second time:
A little over a year goes by and once again I'm taking a daytime nap, and almost the same exact scenario takes place. This time I'm just a little closer to his house when I realize I'm dreaming it. Once again, I tell myself to fly. This time I glide above the ground at tree top level for what seems about 30 seconds. And again, I can start to feel myself waking up, but I fight the urge to open my eyes. For the first time, I can feel myself in the dream fighting my minds urge to awaken.
The third time:
About 2 1/2 years goes by, and again I'm catnapping when I start to have this dream where I'm entering this building that was adjacent to the little league field I used to play on. As I'm walking into it, I notice my father coming down the stairs from the second floor. Now my father had died about six years earlier and he never attended any of my little league games, so I knew that something was wrong with this picture. Once again, in the dream, I told myself to fly away from the building, but this time to look upwards instead of downwards. As I'm leaving the building and the ground, I can see my outstretched arms before me, kind of like Superman, and just in the distance a flock of birds. Just as I'm approaching the birds, small wisps of what looks like white smoke start extending from my fingertips. As I pull my hands closer to my face, to look at the thin plumes, I can sense my mind trying to wake me up. The sky and the birds disappear, and I can sense myself lying in my bed with my hands slightly extended above my head. The dream hasn't ended, because all of a sudden, I woke up and my hands were at my side.
Post by: Critter on June 09, 2010, 04:44:46 AM
Being aware that you are in a dream is something I have not heard of before. Usually the dream state seems completely real and you don't understand it was a dream until you have woken up. In fact this is really boggling me, the more I think about it I don't think I have ever heard of someone knowing that they are in a dream while the dream is happening (except maybe in films). I really hope that happens to me one day, as long as it isn't a scary dream that is, the thought of knowing you are in a dream amazes me. Even when I was awake and dreaming at the same time like I described in my last post I wasn't aware that I was dreaming, I just knew that all of this stuff was happening and I didn't question it.
Post by: Antares on June 09, 2010, 04:47:27 AM
Post by: Kathy on June 09, 2010, 01:01:10 PM
For example, I took my family to the Bill's "greatest comeback ever" game. Everyone wanted to leave but I knew we were going to comeback and win. I kept saying that I had the tingle and they still didn't believe me...until it started to happen.
Or another time I was following a semi carrying a huge load of round metal tubes. As we were coming to the next intersection, I told my mom I had the tingles and said what was going to happen. The truck stopped at the red light. I blocked both lanes with my car and stopped several hundred feet away. The rolls of metal tubes broke away and fell off the truck and scattered all over the road.
I have had things like this happen to me hundreds of times. When I get the sensation, I know what I feel is going to occur. I have no control over it and can't predict when I will get them. But, I trust them and always believe them when I do.
Post by: Critter on June 09, 2010, 01:30:29 PM
Post by: Kathy on June 09, 2010, 01:45:52 PM
That's pretty neat Kathy, it almost sounds like a comic-book super power. In fact it's much cooler than a lot of the powers that some of those characters have. Think of what your superhero name could be... 'The Tingler' :P
The Tingler...sounds like a sex toy! :laugh:
My father used to get them too - he was the one that first called them tingles.
Post by: Critter on June 09, 2010, 01:56:52 PM
So this is a thing passed down through the generations, even cooler. And yes that does sound like a sex toy, hmmm, we may have to work on the superhero name or some people could get a bit confused ;)
Post by: Antares on June 09, 2010, 03:37:05 PM
I may dream but I do not ever remember them. But, I do have strange visions (I call them "tingles") while I'm awake. When I get one I know exactly what is going to happen and it does.
For example, I took my family to the Bill's "greatest comeback ever" game. Everyone wanted to leave but I knew we were going to comeback and win. I kept saying that I had the tingle and they still didn't believe me...until it started to happen.
Or another time I was following a semi carrying a huge load of round metal tubes. As we were coming to the next intersection, I told my mom I had the tingles and said what was going to happen. The truck stopped at the red light. I blocked both lanes with my car and stopped several hundred feet away. The rolls of metal tubes broke away and fell off the truck and scattered all over the road.
I have had things like this happen to me hundreds of times. When I get the sensation, I know what I feel is going to occur. I have no control over it and can't predict when I will get them. But, I trust them and always believe them when I do.
Do you also see dead people and suddenly your breath turns to vapor? Oh, wait a minute, you live in Buffalo, your breath probably does that all the time. :whistle: :laugh:
Post by: Najemikon on June 09, 2010, 09:31:50 PM
One of my favourites is I remember sensing a bright glow from the back of the house. Now we have a really long garden, and I looked out the back window and could see what looked like wildfire behind the top fence. I went downstairs and looked out another window. Now I could see it was a huge wall of flame that had destroyed the fence and was that much closer. I shouted my mum to come and look. By the time we both look out the window again, the wall of flame is half way towards us and is looking very end-of-the-world imposing. Now my mum has a very dry sense of humour and deals with most problems with a rather "so what now?" expression. Typically, she turned to me, rolled her eyes and said, "it's destroyed the f***ing shed. tch". That's where it ended! :laugh:
I wish it was something interesting, but sometimes I've dreamt about very mundane things that have happened. Deja Vu, yes, but one I remember dreaming and it was full of strangers. I was reminded of it when I met them... ???
Post by: Kathy on June 10, 2010, 12:20:09 AM
but its rainy and only in the 60s today
Post by: Antares on June 10, 2010, 12:33:07 AM
Antares, I'll have you know that in April Buffalo's temp was in the 80s (Fahrenheit) most of the month!
but its rainy and only in the 60s today
:laugh:
Post by: Critter on June 10, 2010, 12:42:37 AM
By the time we both look out the window again, the wall of flame is half way towards us and is looking very end-of-the-world imposing. Now my mum has a very dry sense of humour and deals with most problems with a rather "so what now?" expression. Typically, she turned to me, rolled her eyes and said, "it's destroyed the f***ing shed. tch". That's where it ended! :laugh:
I have had a couple of end of the world type dreams as well. One I remember very specifically was when I was in the streets of my town (except it looked all different), I was with a few friends, it was nighttime and very large rockets were falling from the sky everywhere and exploding. Oddly enough it's always these dreams I feel the calmest in, I sort of ran around a bit but then I remember looking at the rain of explosive rockets and thinking them somewhat pretty.
Post by: Antares on June 10, 2010, 12:49:19 AM
By the time we both look out the window again, the wall of flame is half way towards us and is looking very end-of-the-world imposing. Now my mum has a very dry sense of humour and deals with most problems with a rather "so what now?" expression. Typically, she turned to me, rolled her eyes and said, "it's destroyed the f***ing shed. tch". That's where it ended! :laugh:
I have had a couple of end of the world type dreams as well. One I remember very specifically was when I was in the streets of my town (except it looked all different), I was with a few friends, it was nighttime and very large rockets were falling from the sky everywhere and exploding. Oddly enough it's always these dreams I feel the calmest in, I sort of ran around a bit but then I remember looking at the rain of explosive rockets and thinking them somewhat pretty.
I guess you can slough off the thought of Armageddon if you're from Australia, seeing as how you made Mad Max and The Road Warrior. :laugh:
Post by: Critter on June 10, 2010, 12:52:19 AM
:-[
:bag:
Post by: Antares on June 10, 2010, 12:59:01 AM
I uh... haven't seen either of those films.
:-[
:bag:
:o
Post by: Critter on June 10, 2010, 01:00:27 AM
Post by: Jimmy on June 10, 2010, 01:03:41 AM
Post by: Critter on June 10, 2010, 01:06:48 AM
Post by: Jimmy on June 10, 2010, 01:13:00 AM
(http://img38.imagefra.me/img/img38/6/6/9/aesp_pres/f_gods8onr6klm_5bcca5c.jpg)
Post by: Antares on June 10, 2010, 01:17:34 AM
I've only seen one of his films and didn't find it funny. But maybe it's because it was a version dub in french :shrug:
(http://img38.imagefra.me/img/img38/6/6/9/aesp_pres/f_gods8onr6klm_5bcca5c.jpg)
It ain't the dubbing Jimmy, the movie stinks. :yucky:
Post by: Critter on June 10, 2010, 01:20:23 AM
Post by: Antares on June 10, 2010, 01:23:50 AM
I have to admit, when Jimmy just asked me if I liked his works I actually had to google Yahoo Serious becuase I didn't know who it was. I am very much out of the loop with Australian films most of the time.
Yahoo Serious is Australia's version of Pauly Shore. :laugh:
Post by: Jimmy on June 10, 2010, 01:25:54 AM
Post by: Jimmy on June 10, 2010, 01:27:51 AM
Yahoo Serious is Australia's version of Pauly Shore. :laugh:It's the guy who "play" an unfrozen caveman in an old Brendan Fraser movie no?
Post by: RossRoy on June 10, 2010, 01:40:46 AM
Yahoo Serious is Australia's version of Pauly Shore. :laugh:It's the guy who "play" an unfrozen caveman in an old Brendan Fraser movie no?
It's the other way around - Brendan Fraser plays the caveman and Pauly Shore plays the weirdo who "trains" him.
Post by: Antares on June 10, 2010, 01:40:49 AM
Yahoo Serious is Australia's version of Pauly Shore. :laugh:It's the guy who "play" an unfrozen caveman in an old Brendan Fraser movie no?
He plays one of the guys who finds Brendan Frazer.
Post by: Antares on June 10, 2010, 01:41:52 AM
Post by: Dragonfire on June 10, 2010, 02:45:43 AM