What was the last movie you've seen?

[BoringSupreez]

I watched The French Connection last night. It was quite realistic and violent for a movie so old. I thought it was great.

[indecks]

I watched The French Connection last night. It was quite realistic and violent for a movie so old. I thought it was great.

Watched it recently. I was told it had this 'amazing' car chase sequence in it. Um.. he followed an el-train for like 2 minutes. Boring. I really didn't enjoy it.


Just watched Limitless. It was entertaining. Kinda want to read the book.

[dsheinem]

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – I should preface my review of this by explaining that I have only previously seen one of the NOES films (a much later one) in its entirety beforehand and so I watched this 1984 “classic” with fresh eyes in late October 2011 without the nostalgia that many of you have for the early films in this series. I did not find the film to be deserving of its reputation – the effects were certainly the strength, but the pacing, plot, music, and directing are just not very good for the time period. This film came out 6 years after Halloween, four years after Friday the 13th, and well into the “golden age” of slasher horror films…and it brings almost nothing new to the table. Craven had certainly shown that he had the chops to be a vital and interesting horror director and writer with previous efforts Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes, but I just don’t get that same sense of intensity and creativity here.
Grade: 2.5/5

Santa Sangre (1989) – As with any other Jodorowsky film, Santa Sangre is a visual feast that leaves you with images that you won’t soon forget. Expertly directed, the film is more narrative driven than some of his earlier efforts (most notably The Holy Mountain), and though I’d be hard-pressed to classify it as a horror film, it certainly has unnerving moments and its share of creepiness and gore. I wouldn't recommend it as an introduction to his work (his late 60s/early 70s stuff is the standard), but I think that there’s something here for any student of film to enjoy.
Grade: 4/5

Red State (2011) – This film take a very interesting question – what if the Westboro Baptist members were also vigilante gun nuts - and does three things with it. First, it tries to create something of a horror film scenario (sex-crazed teens get captured/tortured), second it tries to create a visceral action film (a prolonged shootout) and, third, it tries to create a quirky, thoughtful ending that will leave audiences perplexed and contemplative. The problem is that while each of these components does some things well, overall each one feels like a miniature movie in its own right – severely hurting the cohesiveness of the film as a whole. Despite some excellent casting and occasionally interesting directing, the film as a whole is not very good. I appreciates Smith’s attempt to branch out, but he has a long way to go if he wants to create something in any of the genres poked at here that’s as good as his best comedies.
Grade: 2/5

Puss in Boots (2011) – This is just the second or third film I’ve seen in the theater this year, and it was the first film we brought my two year old son to see. The writing and humor in the film is very good in the first act, but once the movie becomes a buddy-flick of sorts it becomes cliché’ ridden and predictable. Fortunately, it has some excellent visuals to fall back on, and the film is certainly the best looking Dreamworks-backed animated movie I’ve seen. I did enjoy it enough to feel like I got my money’s worth, but I feel like the entire animated film industry needs a swift kick in the pants to break out of a creative rut.
Grade: 3/5

The Big Lebowski (1998) – This is one of my all time favorite films and is made by my favorite directors, so I have nothing negative to say about it. Over Thanksgiving weekend, upon learning my father-in-law had never seen it, I seized the opportunity to watch the newly released Blu-Ray version for the first time. Everything I love about the film – Dean’s gorgeous cinematography, the insanely sharp writing, the pitch-perfect soundtrack, etc. – shines even brighter on Blu-ray. This is a masterpiece of filmmaking in any genre, and is probably the most beautifully shot comedy ever made. Bliss.
Grade: 5/5

The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009) – The strong cast and surreal plot do much to cover up sub-par directing from Heslov (in his first major studio feature), and I found myself laughing with some frequency during the film (mostly at the Star Wars jokes). The film suffers from some pacing problems (especially in the last third), and I feel that the excellent settings could have really been shot better. Worth a look for fans of Clooney, Bridges, or McGrecor.
Grade: 3/5

Too Big to Fail (2011) – This HBO docudrama tries to present the events surrounding the 2008 collapse of the U.S. financial industry (and the ensuing government bailouts) as a human drama in which lives, sanity, and reputations are at stake…but it is hard not to watch the film and want to root against everyone and everything. Whether or not the somewhat ambiguous framing is intentional on the part of the writer and/or director is itself unclear, and so the end result is a captivating film, very well acted and shot, that leaves you wondering what to think. Certainly you could watch it and feel sympathy for Paulson, as Hurt does an excellent job portraying his conflicted state of mind, but on the other hand there’s enough here to make you think that Paulson was and continues to be a giant idiot. The lack of resolution in any aspect of the film- despite the appearance of resolution – is really what makes the film work. Like the crisis itself, the film is unsettling throughout, confusing at points, and maddening in the end.
Grade: 4/5

Dead Snow (2009) – This Norwegian horror film features a great premise: Nazi zombies vs. med-school students in the mountains surrounding Øksfjord. For some reason I expected the film to bring something fresh to the zombie sub-genre, but ultimately it offers little that is new other than the premise. The film plays out like a great homage to zombie films, and there are so many of the tried-and-true components of the genre present in this film that it is hard not to like it. There’s a dark humor here that is, at times, reminiscent of Romero’s best films. The gore is all quite good, the effects are well executed, and the characters, though one-dimensional, all work together well. The box for the film advertises it as “one of the 25 best zombie films of all time.” I think I agree.
Grade: 3.5/5

Duck Soup (1933) – There really isn’t a bad Marx Bros movie, but there’s also not another Marx Bros movie that’s quite the equal of Duck Soup. Biting political satire, amazing wordplay and punning, hilarious prop humor and clowning, lavish production, etc. – this film has been celebrated for more than 75 years because it is a monument to great comedy, it is the pinnacle of the career of some of the funniest men to ever live, and it continues to be extremely watchable and relevant. If you’ve never seen a Marx Bros movie, this is a great place to start.
Grade: 5/5

[Pulsar_t]

I watched The French Connection last night. It was quite realistic and violent for a movie so old. I thought it was great.

Watched it recently. I was told it had this 'amazing' car chase sequence in it. Um.. he followed an el-train for like 2 minutes. Boring. I really didn't enjoy it.


Just watched Limitless. It was entertaining. Kinda want to read the book.

Today's thrillers are unrealistic and opt for cheap thrills. TFC and its sequel are amongst the greatest cop dramas/thrillers ever made.

[Evildeadmanwalking77]

King of Kong. I enjoyed it and I must say that is an INSANE record to try and beat in Donkey Kong. There is something I noticed though, when they are showing Steve Weib playing DK from his acrade cabinet at his home, why does the artwork on it have DK Junior? I never knew that DK had a kill screen, do all the classics have that?

They really portrayed Billy Mitchell out to be an asshole so I'm wondering if it's true or is just the film since I'm sure some editing could play a role in that. Still, I had to really admire Steve Weib's determination to beat the record and I solute the man!!

[YoshiEgg25]

King of Kong. I enjoyed it and I must say that is an INSANE record to try and beat in Donkey Kong. There is something I noticed though, when they are showing Steve Weib playing DK from his acrade cabinet at his home, why does the artwork on it have DK Junior? I never knew that DK had a kill screen, do all the classics have that?

They really portrayed Billy Mitchell out to be an asshole so I'm wondering if it's true or is just the film since I'm sure some editing could play a role in that. Still, I had to really admire Steve Weib's determination to beat the record and I solute the man!!

*Wiebe

Let me try to answer your questions.

There is something I noticed though, when they are showing Steve Weib playing DK from his acrade cabinet at his home, why does the artwork on it have DK Junior?

Steve had a DK Junior cabinet and put a DK board in there. It was mentioned that Steve got his board from Roy Shildt during it; he just used the Junior cabinet because he had it.

I never knew that DK had a kill screen, do all the classics have that?

No they don't. Nibbler doesn't, for example; it just loops the last 20 levels. However, quite a few of the bigger arcade games from the day did have kill screens.

They really portrayed Billy Mitchell out to be an asshole so I'm wondering if it's true or is just the film since I'm sure some editing could play a role in that.

From everything I've heard from the elder arcade gaming group I'm weaseling into, he is definitely a jerk. I've from some that he isn't as bad as he's portrayed, but nonetheless, his ego is way too big. There was actually a motion to remove him from the International Video Game Hall of Fame Board of Directors, which didn't pass and ended with President Liz Bolinger and Museum Curator Josh Bolinger resigning from their positions and one of the members threatening a lawsuit.

[Evildeadmanwalking77]

Thanks Yoshi! I do recall Steve saying that he got his board from Roy who's basically on bad terms of some sort with Billy Mitchell or at least a rival. I kind of missed what the deal w/ that was though. Yes, there is definitely an ego there regardless!

That makes sense that it's just the cabinet w/ the DK board in it and I had a feeling I mispelled Wiebe.

[Luke]

Cabin in the Woods

The linked trailer is full of spoilers, but unless you watch the trailer frame by frame, it won't spoil the movie.

[BurningDoom]

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – I should preface my review of this by explaining that I have only previously seen one of the NOES films (a much later one) in its entirety beforehand and so I watched this 1984 “classic” with fresh eyes in late October 2011 without the nostalgia that many of you have for the early films in this series. I did not find the film to be deserving of its reputation – the effects were certainly the strength, but the pacing, plot, music, and directing are just not very good for the time period. This film came out 6 years after Halloween, four years after Friday the 13th, and well into the “golden age” of slasher horror films…and it brings almost nothing new to the table. Craven had certainly shown that he had the chops to be a vital and interesting horror director and writer with previous efforts Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes, but I just don’t get that same sense of intensity and creativity here. CXZSAd
Grade: 2.5/5

This one is one of my all-time favorites. So I am biased. And this movie does lots of things slasher films before it didn't do. It has production values and special effects that Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween can't touch. And last I checked, I don't remember a movie about a supernatural dream-killer before A Nightmare on Elm Street.

I hope we can at least agree that the original is 10x better than the piece of crap remake.

[Luke]

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – I should preface my review of this by explaining that I have only previously seen one of the NOES films (a much later one) in its entirety beforehand and so I watched this 1984 “classic” with fresh eyes in late October 2011 without the nostalgia that many of you have for the early films in this series. I did not find the film to be deserving of its reputation – the effects were certainly the strength, but the pacing, plot, music, and directing are just not very good for the time period. This film came out 6 years after Halloween, four years after Friday the 13th, and well into the “golden age” of slasher horror films…and it brings almost nothing new to the table. Craven had certainly shown that he had the chops to be a vital and interesting horror director and writer with previous efforts Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes, but I just don’t get that same sense of intensity and creativity here. CXZSAd
Grade: 2.5/5

This one is one of my all-time favorites. So I am biased. And this movie does lots of things slasher films before it didn't do. It has production values and special effects that Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween can't touch. And last I checked, I don't remember a movie about a supernatural dream-killer before A Nightmare on Elm Street.

I hope we can at least agree that the original is 10x better than the piece of crap remake.

I see both points of view, but BD makes a great point: without a doubt Nightmare does bring something new to the table, Freddy. He isn't your average "had a bad childhood can't be killed" movie monster, but a "he may not even exist but only in your dreams" type monster. The premise of a child molester that can invade your dreams was and is fairly terrifying. And the writing, at least for the first film, was pretty damned good considering what the writers were given to work with.

Plus if you watch Nightmare and then 13th, one you'll watch, the other movie you'll ask, "so where the fuck is the hockey mask?". I also think Nightmare set the stage for Freddy much better, as in Freddy has about a 5 minute origin, and the first three 13th movies are all about Jason's origin... and his Mom's for some reason.

With all of that in mind, out of all 80-90's horror "heroes" I love Jason in part 7 (I think...the one with the chick with esp) the most. He's so bad ass in that movie, and you also root for him.

One item in question is "the boob count". One staple of Nightmare and 13th is the showing of boobs. I wonder tit for tat, or tit for tit, which series has shown more boobage. Because, as a teenager when these flicks came out, seeing boobs was a big plus.