| Name | Duncan Ryan-Ross |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| I'm From | Skandia, MI (a.k.a. "Da Middle of Da Woods, eh?") |
| Member For | 229 days |
| Last Login | Mon. Jul 7 |
| Profile Views | 1640 |
| Age | 19 |
| MCT Score |
| Movie: | My "default" fave is Night of the Hunter, but there's a lot... |
|---|---|
| Actor: | Robert Mitchum, Errol Flynn, Helena Bonham Carter, Ziyi Zhang, Michael Clarke Duncan, Richard Harris, Patrick Stewart, Kathy Bates, Anthony Perkins, Christian Bale... the list goes on and on... |
| Director: | Mel Brooks, Terry Giliam, Tim Burton, Steven Spielberg, Robert Rodriguez, Guiellmo Del Toro, Hype Williams, Brian Synger, Alfred Hitchcock, Quentin Tarantino, Sam Raimi...again, the list goes on and on... |
| Quote: | "Hi, I'm Shellie's new boyfriend and I'm outta my mind"-Clive Owen in Sin City *** "Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something" Cary Elwes in The Princess Bride |
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I'm an artist, and actor, a singer, a comic book geek / nerd / collector / enthusiast,and, in case it weren't obvious enough, I like movies. I enjoy the mainstream blockbuster as much as the shoestring-budget art-house indie. I don't care what kind of movie it is, so long as I find something enjoyable about it. It doesn't even have to be good in the traditional sense for me to have a good time.
When I rate a movie, I rate it on the level of enjoyment I get out of it. That does not always mean the movie is a quality piece of work. I mean, I gave "Godzilla: Final Wars" five stars, but does that mean I think it deserves an Oscar nod? No, it means that it was a cheesy monster movie that I loved to death. Here's the basic translation of what my ratings mean, in case my reviews aren't too clear... 4 1/2-5: LOVE IT! 3 1/2-4: I really liked it, despite some gripes I may have about it 2-3: Well, it's got a some redeeming qualities, but it's not something I'll watch more than once ("Stigmata" is an exception). 1-1 1/2: Bad...very bad... 1/2: Dreck of the lowest kind. ("Reptilian" is the only movie t his bad that I thoroughly enjoyed thus far, but it was so appallingly awful that I couldn't bring myself to give it 5 Stars) If you want to add me, fell free...but you should take note of certain things:  Flixster - Share Movies DON'T SEND ME WIDGETS! THREE STRIKES, AND YOU'RE OFF MY FRIENDS LIST! If I send you a friend request, and our MCT scores aren't so hot, IGNORE IT! Send me recommendations. That's why I friend people on flixster. If you like it, and I express disinterest in it, recommend it to me anyways. I'll get around to watching it. But DO NOT RECOMMEND A MOVIE THAT I'VE ALREADY GIVEN A STARRED RATING FOR!!!! NO, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR A DATE. This isn't eHarmony or AdultFriendFinder, so don't treat it like it is. If you're profile looks like a myspace profile (i.e., tons of widgets and little to no reviews) DON'T EVEN BOTHER ADDING ME ON THIS SITE! For those of you wishing to "socialize", I have a myspace(http://www.myspace.com/comicbookthespien), and I have a facebook (http://www.facebook.com/people/Duncan_Ryan-Ross/630579507), so if you wanna discuss things other than movies, send me cute little widgets, or just chat, feel free to add me on those other sites. Preferably facebook, since that's the one I use the most. One thing I like about facebook is that there's a feature in which you can make comments about my Flixter reviews, like "omg house of 1000 corpses iz the best movie evah u dont no whut ur talkin bout". That'll be nice for a good laugh. Keep this in mind before you decide to add me. Thank you. Oh, by the way, I'll be adding a video player on my profile sometime in the near future, so I apologize if it slows anyone's browser to a crawl... |
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Duncan's Recent Reviews
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Wanted
R
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and gals, the summer movie season has officially kicked into overdrive! A couple theatre pals and I went to a matinee of this, and all in the party thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
First things first, lets talk about the cast. It's an impressive lineup, and all involved were great. James McAvoy plays Wes Gibson, the lead character (don't let the poster mislead you), and he makes him a character the audience can relate to, which is hard to do in films like this.** Angelina Jolie is also wonderful as Fox, Wes's mentor in the art of assassination. She plays her like a stern motherly figure, and doesn't overstay her welcome. And for the handful of you who haven't seen A Mighty Heart and doubt her acting chops, she conveys with only expressions in this film what lesser actors and actresses can only convincingly convey through words. As for Morgan Freeman...well, without giving anything away, let's just say you've never seen him like this before.
And when I say "give anything away", I say that with a tad bit of sarcasm. There is a plot here, and while it's not thrown in as an afterthought like the occasional Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle, it's still fairly predictable. The plot does present a moral quandary halfway through, which I like, but it's thrown out the window thanks to a gimmicky ending that sends mixed messages.
But to make up for the kind of plot we've seen before, director Timur Bekmambetov (try saying THAT five times fast!) serves up some tasty action scenes that we most definitely haven't. They have to be taken with a grain of salt (which is the reason why I didn't take my father to see it), but if one can suspend their disbelief enough to believe that bullets can curve and people can cascade through two windows at a high velocity and remain unscathed, then they'll be treated to a dazzling ballet that makes all the shootouts in every action film they've seen before look amateurish by comparison.
This, ladies and gents, is an action movie with a capital 'A', and if you're looking for perfect counter-programming to lighter fare like Wall-E, you couldn't ask for a better movie.
**On a side note, one of my friends didn't like James McAvoy in the role he played. Said friend thought he gave a good performance, but would've preferred either Ewan McGregor or Ben Barnes in the role instead.
The Incredible Hulk
PG-13
There are three reasons why I went against my "better judgment" and bothered spending money to catch a matinee of this re-hash about Marvel's not-so-jolly Jade Giant: I got three recommendations on Flixster (two of which were positive reviews), a YouTube movie guru said "see it if you're still on the fence about checking it out" (or something like that), and I was in the mood to turn my brain off and go see a "guy movie".
It was okay, but 'tweren't anything special.
The digital effects were fantastic, especially a Harryhausen-esque fight between the titular character and his nemesis, the Abomination, towards the end. The cast is pretty good, especially Ed Norton as the slightly tormented Bruce Banner (Hulk's alter-ego) and Tim Roth as the sadistic super-soldier Emile Blonski (if you haven't seen the movie or the trailer yet, or you're just very bad at guessing, I'm not gonna tell you why he's important).
Fights and performances aside, the plot itself didn't really appeal to me. Norton's take on Bruce Banner is a more accessible one than Eric Bana's in Ang Lee's botch of a first attempt, but none of the other characters were all that interesting. Not the actors' fault, in that case.
I guess this was made for fans of the Hulk T.V. show and the original Marvel comics, (neither of which I'm a fan of, I might add),so the screenwriter(s) was confident enough that the audience knew who these characters were. Therefore, why bother developing them further than a cardboard cutout love interest and an archetype of a villain?
Well, for those of us who didn't really care for the original comics or the T.V. show, this "reboot" felt like a sequel to the gamma-irradiated soap-opera Marvel wants us to forget about. Then again, I may just be on a hypocritical high-horse, seeing as how I love 300 so much, but I don't care.
Hopefully, when the inevitable Avengers movie comes out, they'll throw this version of the Hulk in the wastebasket and go with the Mark Millar Ultimates angle. Now THAT's a Hulk I'd LOVE to see on celluloid! What could be better than hearing Lou Ferrigno scream "HULK STRAIT!!!"? After seeing his dad oil him up in Pumping Iron, irony dictates that the answer to that question is "nothing".
(Just kidding, Lou. I love you, Lou. Please don't kick my ass, Lou!)
Death Race
R
Paul W.S. Anderson's not exactly known for making high-brow art (that's another Paul Anderson, if you consider movies about porn stars and oil tycoons high brow art), but I enjoyed Alien Vs Predator, which I still feel is an underrated little popcorn slugfest.
Maybe I'll enjoy his latest offering, if I ignore the fact that it has the same title, but absolutely no other resemblance, to a certain other movie starring Sylvester Stallone.
Miracle at St. Anna
R
I saw the trailer when I went to go see Wanted. It looks beautiful, the only member of the cast I don't like is Naomi Campbell, and Spike Lee is a director that even I (someone who's as white as they come) have a profound respect and admiration for.
Basically, I wanna see it, and I want to see it at a cinema.
A Clockwork Orange
R
I'm struggling though the book right now (the edition that I have doesn't have a glossary for all that fancy mod lingo, and I'm not a hip Brit teen and this ain't the '60s). After I'm done, I'll compare the two.
Duncan's Favorite Movies
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1.
The Princess Bride
PG
A big heaping load of fun. There's giants! There's monsters! There's swashbuckling! Even a little fairy tale romance to top it all off. What's not to love?
2.
Sin City
R
This wasn't just an adaptation of Frank Miller's groundbreaking graphic novel series. It was a panel-by-panel translation. And that alone makes it worth seeing. Splashes of color add a creative, if not wholly original, touch to this already stylish black and white crime thriller. If you're a fan of comic books or film noir, it's imperative that you see this movie. It flat out rocks.
3.
Blade Runner
R
The best science-fiction movie ever made. Nothing more, nothing less. I can't wait for "The Final Cut", but whatever changes or additions are made to the film are unnecessary. It's good enough the way it is.
4.
The Matrix
R
Groundbreaking upon it's release, it still an exceptional cyberpunk sci-fi today. The action scenes are spectacular, and the concept of the human race being ruled by these machines is enough to make you ponder your own existence. And like "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and "The Princess Bride", this movie is one of the most quotable ever made.
5.
300
R
there's only one word to describe this epic film adaptation of Frank Miller's equally epic graphic novel: Epic. The blood-soaked battles are a spectacle that makes even the hardest man weak in the knees, while simultaneously making him want to stand up for what he believes in and kick some major ass. King Leonidas may be Gerard Butler's most iconic role on the silver screen, and he makes the most of every second. Plus, the music is killer, taking a beautiful traditional orchestral score and punctuating it with some balls-to-the-wall metal guitars where appropriate.
6.
The Man with the Golden Arm
Unrated
Back in ye olden tymes, filmmakers didn't need flashy special effects or fancy-nancy camera moves in order to make a good movie. All they needed was a compelling script, actors with enough talent to make an audience connect with it, and a camera with film to capture it all. Such is The Man with the Golden Arm, a slow-paced yet riveting account of an extreme form of the human experience. In the lead role, we have Frank Sinatra, giving possibly the best performance of his career as a recovering smack-addict struggling to get away from the lifestyle that almost destroyed him. We root for him in this attempt, especially when that lifestyle threatens to engulf him yet again. This is about Sinatra's character, but thankfully, it manages to never be "The Frank Sinatra Show". Part of this is because of Sinatra's genuine and realistic performance, and the other is because the film feels like an ensemble piece, despite it's centering around one character. All the supporting members of the cast are on-par with the leading man. My personal favorite being Darren McGavin as the manipulative snake of a dealer, calling Sinatra's character back to his former drug of choice like the serpent drawing Eve to the forbidden fruit. Elenor Parker also gets props as his psychotic wife, as does Kim Novak as the female friend who stands by him and helps him when he needs it the most. All in all, this movie is excellent, and is sure to tug on the heartstrings of people patient enough to sit through it.
Duncan's Movie Scrapbook
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Come see this movie with me...
Jiminy Glick in La La Wood
by Robertposted 3 minutes ago -
I recommend you see...
They Call Me Trinity
by Iris'This was a quiet town before you came in. Disgusting, but quiet.'
A typical Bud Spencer/Terence Hill flick, relying on comic action rather than the gunshots and tension some Westerns prefer. Not sure what I should call it, really.
Though not actually a fan of the genre (Westerns, I mean) I actually enjoyed this one. It's not what you'd deem an intellectual movie, but
both the mains have experience in this type of film. There is something highly amusing about the fact that Bud Spencer's facial expression rarely changes.
And taking the piss out of Mormon fanatics (any religious fanatics, come to think of it) scores with me.
P.S. I finally found the term. It's called a 'Spaghetti Western'.Take a look if you're into Westerns or either of the mains.
posted 3 hours ago -
I recommend you see...
Australia
by ♥inezAustralia will conclude with its major set-piece, the Japanese bombings of Darwin, and the subsequent exodus south, known as the ?Adelaide River Stakes?. Many people will understandably be unfamiliar with these historical events. Indeed, it would seem that a lot information about the attacks on Darwin has been censored for decades. Director Baz Luhrmann has himself stated, ?Darwin was attacked 64 times in six months ? The government (disguised) the truth: 2000 whites were killed and non-whites were not counted, so the toll was far greater.?
Luhrmann has made it clear that he hopes to bring to light the events surrounding the bombings of Darwin, although as this is a Baz Luhrmann film, it will not be in a purely factual sense. Instead, he has said, ?Everything in the film will be in service to a great romance ? Facts will be moved around but not in a way that fundamentally disturbs the truth.?
Australia is the story of Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman), an English, aristocratic woman who leaves England to follow her husband to Australia. He is in Australia with the intention of selling his cattle station the size of Belgium. However, Lady Ashley believes he is having an affair and travels out there to confront him. The property is in the north of Australia, and she embarks on an African Queen type journey, accompanied by a rough, hewn cattle drover (Hugh Jackman). Ultimately, Lady Ashley finds herself inheriting the cattle station and, in order to save it, she and the drover must undertake an epic cattle drive to Darwin. In the course of that journey, she falls in love with the drover, and the Australian landscape, and realises that her life is not over, and there's always a new life to be had. The title Australia is intended to sum up the story of her life - her journey, the landscape, and the people she meets - all of which transform her life forever.
This link below goes to the official website.
Stills:
Check out these previews from the November release Baz Luhrmann's Australia.
Have a nice day!posted 9 hours ago -
Hey - take this poll that I created, it's fun!
Best Michael Crichton adaptation?posted 9 hours ago -
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I recommend you see...
Get Smart
by LucianaI have never seen the television show for which this is based, so I had no real preconceptions besides what I saw in the trailers. So, for me, Get Smart was a pleasant surprise :D
It was full of laughs and Steve Carell played a really funny Agent 86...Highly recommended.Hey, you should really see this!
posted 10 hours ago -
Come see this movie with me...Actual tag line: "She gives villains tit for tat!"
posted 11 hours ago -
I recommend you see...
Batman Gotham Knight
by wesley I bought this, and I'm glad I did because as a batman fan I would feel bad if I didn't. However it was a little bit disappointing. I would have liked to see more from this. It had incredible potential but just didn't quite get there. Don't get me wrong, it was really good just not what I was hoping for. I believe to do this justice I need to talk about the best parts/sectins of the movie.
First is "Have I got a story for you." This was a great batman story. It really shows how at that point in Gotham people really don't know what to think of the Batman. They see him as something to be feared. So when three kids all see him fighting the same guy, they all have different views of him. Seing tree parts of the same fight from three different points of view with three different versions of the Batman was really fun. Not to mention the ending was pretty cool in my opinion. I also feel that I need to mention the actual artwork on the City. It's really good. It was so perfect. The people looked a little odd but I still thought it was great.
"In Darkness Dwells" Is the one I was most looking forward to. It was good. I liked the look of it and the story while jumping in very fast was good and worked well. I have to say that the only downfall to this was the very short amount of time that you actually get to see the Scarecrow and Killer Croc. Croc is huge he's a beast any fight with him should last longer than half a minute. Sadly he didn't get much time at all. And Scarecrow being my favorite villain was soo cool. I liked the costume. But again there just wasn't enough of him.
"Working through pain" is the short that I really think has a great story. It was a little hard to follow because the real story is all in a flash back whil batman is struggling to get out of the sewers. I love this story though because it deals with the darkness in pain withing Bruce Wayne. It adds some depth to the character. Not to mention that I liked the fight and the style.
What can I say about "Deadshot?" Well, this was one great short. It was perfect for the character being portrayed. Deadshot was so well done and i like the way they did his costume. One thing I truely love about this one is how we see that Bruce actually has to control himself, because like his enemies he feels the power of a gun. he understand why they use them and I think that was really cool. This was so fun because deadshot really is like batmans opposite. He is like a living embodiement of a gun. This was one of my favorites.
Overall I really liked this movie. It was perfectly dark and the music was good. I also liked that once again Kevin Conroy came in as Batman. He has the perfect voice for the job and I love that he was on this one. I also like how by the end a bunch of other things from the other shorts all tie in by the time you see the ending. In my opinion this is worth watching but you be the judge on if you want to buy it because you may not like batman as much as I do.Hey, you should really see this!
posted 12 hours ago -
I recommend you see...
Persepolis
by Alexander''In this life you'll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it's their own stupidity that makes them act that way. That will keep you from responding to their meanness. There's nothing worse in this world than bitterness and revenge. Hold your head up and stay true to yourself.''
Poignant coming-of-age story of a precocious and outspoken young Iranian girl that begins during the Islamic Revolution.
Chiara Mastroianni: Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi, as a teenager and a woman (voice)
Gabrielle Lopes: Marjane as a child (voice)
Persepolis is not only just an animated film or indeed a comic but one that captures one girl growing up. In the same vein as Grave of the Fireflies this film is not for children like it's cartoony looks would suggest.
What we get from Persepolis is Marjana Satrapi's vision of a life consisting of struggle, control and the freedom for women to do anything scarily non existent. Captivating that the 80s and 90s are depicted in Iran in such a way of death, of war and of propaganda and ideology that I felt that this world was so backward. Marjane's way of life felt like it was stuck in a bygone era like the early 1920s to 1940s. Her imagination and creativity are brought to life and cleverly Persepolis uses black and white to convey the immense desperation, the depressed state of society in Iran and the lack of free rights of suppressed, controlled women.
Animation has the advantage of permitting a pace that allows a lot to be included into a simply and honestly told story, particularly in early childhood and adolescence. Very thought inducing in seeing how atrocities and cruelties are perceived through little childrens eyes, particularly little kids growing up in an environment where these acts are a normal way of life.
As a teenager looking for punk music in the black market, Marjane walks through a throng of peddlers trying to sell her an assortment of trendy videos, including disguising Micheal Jackson as Jichael Mackson is genius.
Communism is crushed, propaganda cast away and bloody fighting and martyrs frequently being produced. Marjane's life growing up as Persepolis shows us is a hard one full of strife. Yet for all its seriousness there is humour there also.
Throughout the movie a sense of humour that is at times very sarcastic, yet very amusing.
Be it sequences where she talks to God in his cloud or as a girl pestering her Uncle about his ideals and Communist past and life. Be it her making the transition from girl to woman in a very amusing sequence that shows all the joys of getting older. Sarcasm of my own there in case you failed to notice.
Persepolis ends with a beautiful rendition of her grandmother and her smelling of luscious flowers put into her bra area. This for me really does show a sense of how great life can be whatever trouble there is, good is always lurking somewhere, waiting to break free.
Whether it be Marjane's ill fated relationships or defiance of a teacher, or even men telling the women to cover up more and Marjane standing up to them, there are so many sides to this story Persepolis has to offer.
Thus becoming in my eyes a definite masterpiece of emotion, feeling and capturing the plight and suffering not just of one woman but also of a whole nation.
Simply breathtaking, Persepolis is nothing short of greatness and told in a medium bordering on simplicity yet emerging as genius.--May contain some spoilers in review but nothing too major--
Persepolis is another form of freedom of speech and life being birthed from a very intriguing woman, Marjana Satrapi. Who has shown me a nightmarish country Iran where freedom doesn't exist and control is put in effect. Where western culture is frowned upon.
Genius and mesmerizing.
Should win an Award not just for it's animation but for it's subject matter also.
posted 14 hours ago -
I recommend you see...
The X-Files - Fight the Future
by DanielleIt starts off with a boy falling into a pit and being attacked by hundreds of small, slug-like creatures that crawl into his eye sockets and over his eyes. More people enter into the pit in an ill-fated attempt to rescue the boy, and they wind up being knocked unconscious (or put into a deep sleep) like the boy. The bodies are all transported to a hospital, and that same hospital later blows up after Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Mulder (David Duchovny) are unable to stop an implanted terrorist bomb from detonating inside a coke maching. But then Mulder is told by a mysterious man outside a bar (Martin Landau) that the bomb was never attempted to be defused. It was all an elaborate cover-up to hide the bodies of the pit victims. Mulder shrugs off the old man at first before he realizes that the man used to be a friend of his father's, and that he has some interesting true stories to tell. As with the series, the acting is first-rate. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson know their roles so well, they probably don't have to work very hard at being in character. Much the same can be said of the stellar supporting cast. If you?re a fan then you have probably no doubt already seen the movie.
Hey, you should really see this!
posted 16 hours ago -
I recommend you see...
Solaris
by DanielleSnow: "How much sleep ya need, Kelvin?
Chris Kelvin: How much sleep?
Snow: Yeah. Um, how long ya think you can go without sleep?
Chris Kelvin: Depends.
Snow: Well, when you do go to sleep... I find I sleep much better with the door locked."
Chris Kelvin (George Clooney) has come to Solaris for answers. Still broken and disconnected from the death of his wife, Kelvin is going through the motions, investigating the puzzle of what happened to the crew of the Prometheus, what drove one man to suicide and the survivors to the edge of madness. But when Kelvin's dead wife Rheya (Natascha McElhone) awakens beside him, he will discover that the greatest mysteries of all lie within our own memories and desires. In Solaris, Clooney is forced to stretch as he never has before, and without much expository dialogue to cover him. Facial expressions, gestures, even body positions allow Clooney to carry much of the film's emotional weight in fairly subtle fashion. The film's second act is strong, driven by the characters and their jumbled memories of Rheya's earlier, tragic demise on Earth. Jeremy Davies delivers a solid performance as Snow, one of the demented crew members who clearly is troubled and is hiding a secret from the others. What makes this a great movie is that it stayed true from the beginning. There were no monsters, cheap thrill scenes or excessive sub-plot points so typical of the sci-fi genre. The camerawork was well done and the music was consistent with the tone of the film.Hey, you should really see this!
posted 16 hours ago -
I recommend you see...
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
by LisaAdam Sandler has finally achieved his apparent goal of worst film he has ever made. Slowly but surely his films have gotten worse. This one really does hit the bottom. I was really shocked when I started watching it, at just how terrible and unfunny the whole thing was. The plot was obviously predictable right from the very beginning. Sandler's performance just seemed forced and very over the top in parts. The rest of the cast were annoying. The only part of the whole film that actually made me laugh was when he was banging the old women in the next room and the bottles were falling off the selves behind behind Alec Mapa's character but it was more the reaction on his face that made the scene funny rather than anything else. Not a film I would recommend. A complete mess that should be avoided at all costs.
A warning, not a recommendation.
posted 16 hours ago -
I recommend you see...Hey, you should really see this!
posted 19 hours ago -
I recommend you see...
Ocean's Thirteen
by mrvnDirected by : Steven Soderbergh
Casts : TooMuchTooHandle!
In-One-Sentence : The gang's all here,and strike back for sweet revenge.
The Review:
Danny Ocean and the gang is back!Ocean's gang is back,and as striking as they normally sound.Now,their target,is a ruthless casino owner,Willy Bank,when he double-crossed Danny Ocean's friend and mentor Reuben Tishkoff, putting the distraught Reuben in a hospital bed in critical condition. But Bank miscalculated... badly.You know you don't mess with Danny Ocean!
George Clooney,and his old gang,this time against Willy Bank,was a pure-entertainment,with the exact same flair,like they put us in the other 2 movies,heart-pacing execution,smart preparation and genious swing.Every execution swang one by one,fast and hit.And left us wondering,"how they did it?".Well,that is pretty much what Ocean & co.did?
Steven Soderbergh - who makes us laugh harder in this installment - is building a dazzling and sophisticated world of his Las Vegas,a pretty much a hard-work.He made a smooth and tender Vegas,as glamorous and as seductive as it can be.
The acting department,George Clooney,Brad Pitt,Matt Damon,and everybody is back with no less appeal,as they do it just for fun,and their fun,translated to 2 hours,one-hour for prep,and one-hour for outstanding execution.Ocean's Thirteen also replaced Zeta-Jones and Julia Roberts,for Al Pacino,which is a dream cast for every movie-maker in this earth,a living legend.He - seems hard to find way to dazzle - is certainly solid as the villain,but unexpectedly,the main problem here,is the screenwriter,is - in a sort of - limiting his performance,putting Pacino in tight-space,please give him air to breath!
To be sure,maybe all 100% of the movie-goers who invested their money to watch it,found it all worth-it,including myself.Ocean's Thirteen is a movie where we can find a lot of exhilarating moments,and some fun.They made us laugh hard,with sufficient dialogue,and stars persona,that we almost can't bear.Ocean's Thirteen is like a time-bomb,first half,boring,and the next half,a dazzling explotion.
The 360 Spin : Masterclass directing by Steven Soderbergh,smooth and dazzling,really capturing the essence of what Hollywood can offer,masterclass!Hey, you should really see this!
posted 21 hours ago -
I recommend you see...
In the Name of the Father
by ElviraThis is a very strong film, very harsh. Jim Sheridan is really a director who doesn't get in the way of his story: he tells it like it is, with no free interpretations, and just the right amount of insights from the characters. Thanks to that very inobtrusive philosophy, the story of Gerry Conlon and his father comes through with great credibility and clarity, which makes it all the more easy to be enraged at the unbelievable injustices committed against them. Above all, it's a film that left me with a need to reflect and, somehow, appreciate what that real-life tragedy left as lesson to people in countries across the world.
The film, often narrated in first person, is sober, collected, and precise, but not cold: Daniel Day-Lewis's flawless performance, as well as Pete Postlethwaite's and Emma Thompson's, is tridimensional, human enough to cause an immediate empathy, if not sympathy, for his character. None of the individuals depicted were perfect, and it would be challenging to relate to them if they were being described on a piece of paper, but the actors and actresses do such an amazing job that it's impossible not to. Daniel Day-Lewis inhabits his character and seems to follow him through his transgressions. He alone is worth the watch (as usual).
In the Name of the Father is not only a very successful cry against injustice, but also one of the rare films that can approach the subject of the judicial system without having a lawyer with a coreography walking around the room or displaying an inaccessible latin vocabulary in front of the camera. In that sense, the film is not commonplace: it doesn't focus too long on the part of the tribunals, and when it does it is effective. That skillful narration and the poweful soundtrack, plus the amazing performances, make this film a worthy watch, and an obvious choice for anyone interested in Daniel Day-Lewis's not-very-extensive but excellent work.Hey, you should really see this!
posted 22 hours ago -
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I recommend you see...
Hancock
by CraigDirected by: Peter Berg.
Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Eddie Marsan, Jae Head.
<< "Call me an asshole, one more time..." >>
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
The story follows a drunk superhero known as Hancock. The entire city knows who he is and although he really is the only savior they have against crime, they don't trust him, seeing as he is careless, drunk and carries an attitude for all to see. But when the city really needs him the most, the closest people he has met along the way must help him to clean himself up and take on what he is asked of.
Yeah the plot sounds predictable and it is...but god the twisted take sounds like it really could be great and when I first heard it I thought 'wow, its great to finally see a twist on the superhero genre that doesn't sound like another parody'...the plot still sounds great to me, but it isn't fulfilled to it potential here.
I shouldn't really be 'spoiling' the opening scene, but I really have to here, because it shows you why I nearly felt like walking out. Without going into to much detail, a car chase/shootout is happening on the highway, Hancock is drunk and asleep, someone calls upon him to help and he flies to help in a drunk state...this sounds decent and funny, but that isn't the case as it is horribly executed here. The CGI is appalling, I get the idea that they are trying to do him flying drunk through the air but it looks very iffy...and THEN he smashes into a sign on the highway that causes a 20 second sequence of blatant CGI bits smashing into countless cop cars that flip and crash in every direction...a very 'Michael Bay' moment made worse playing to the song 'Move Bitch'.
But to be fair, the movie did step up for the next hour. Peter Berg does go to far into the familiar hand-held style that he did in The Kingdom and it does become a little distracting for where the story goes, but he manages to keep the pacing right and really helps to deliver the humor. That is definitely the strong point of the film, its humor. From such a character created (which is actually standard and goes through the basic motions throughout the film...nothing great), its cheeky, witty, a little dirty and very 'in your face'...I definitely found myself having a great time.
The performances were rather acceptable. Will Smith is obviously the right man for such a role. Although getting greedy with the 'celebrity status' he now has, he can still entertain and can act...and his sly attitude and humor really adds presence to the film. Charlize Theron works well with Will and they have unexpected chemistry together...and shes so damn hot throughout. Jason Bateman is...well, Jason Bateman.
Then the film goes downhill from what was actually a rather decent and acceptable 1st and 2nd act. The final act, while watching it, is done well, remained gripped and the visual style was amazing (underneath the mediocre CGI), but by the time the credits rolled, I felt horribly cheated...the film simply changed note harshly and what was for a while a decent, cheeky, witty piece turned into a overly dramatic film that took itself way to seriously.
The film is really problematic. The characters are stock, theres no strong villain presence and the ending really pulls the film down, especially after what I saw as a rather acceptable, funny and witty twist on the superhero genre with a strong performance from Will Smith...pity.Watch on DVD maybe.
posted 1 day ago -
I recommend you see...
Rambo (Rambo IV)
by justinIts attack of the old action hero's. Bruce Willis did Die Hard 4. Harry just finished off Indy 4, And Stallone has dragged out Rocky and Rambo. Now I've not seen Rocky, and really enjoyed Indy 4 and Die Hard 4, because while they still had violence and mayhem, they were fun and, in a weird way, charming. Enter Rambo.
This movie is so over the top and so ridiculous because it really doesent need any explenation. Its Rambo for gods sake so the creators knew they didnt need to waste any time gum flapping about the protagonists history and past. Whats here is exacrtly what is required. Rambo killing people. And holy hell, knock me down with a sock full of sand if he doesent beat seven shades of shit out of his opposition.
If this was anyone else than Rambo, there would be no excuse for the insane amounts of violence and would be probably outlawed, but its somehow slipped past cencorship. Bodies fly apart, people get blown up, legs arms heads gone, throats ripped out by hand, arrows nailing people. Theres even scenes of kids being shot, stabbed and burned while they cry helplessly. Its ri-goddamn-diculous. Sad thing is, that sort of shit really does happen.
The plot is paper thin and stereotypically stupid. Good christian missionaries kidnapped by Burmese army pshyco's anyone? Its caused alot of greif for the people it portrays as the bad guys. And when I say cause grief I mean hurt their feelings. Boo frickety hoo. Athough it does take itself way too seriously, and doesent do any favors for anyone.
Its biggest downfall by far is not the controversial violence or anything, its the fact that it has a beginning part, a middle scene, and no goddamn end scene. It completely lacks of any sort of ending scene. Well, ok it does have one, but the way the movie has played out up until then, you think your only halfway through, and then it gives you this stupid, wordless cutscene that those who havent been glued to the trilogy will not have a freaking clue about. It really, truly irritated me.
On top of that, the acting and script was not up to entertainment standards as far as I'm concerned. All this movie is, is one big loud dumb-fest. And if you cannot stand to sit through that, then dont bother to watch. I enjoyed parts of it, like the hardcore action (to an extent) but picked out plenty of problems. Its dumb. But its Rambo. So that makes it okay.
Justins Best Bit: When you get pissed off theres only one thing left to do, get on a massive machine gun and endlessly blast away at villiage burning, child killing rapist Burmese sociopath soldiers. Their leader is a paedophile. He gets his guts ripped out. Almost a fair punishment.Ive not seen the other Rambo movies, but I imagine they operate on similar levels of stupidity. But more fun, laughable stupidity. This took itself too seriously, and was a bit unnessacary at times. And thats coming from me. Me, who cried at the awesomeness of Planet Terror. Sad thing is, the sort of thing shown here is exactly the sort of shit that happens in the worlds awful places. So maybe unleashing Rambo on the offenders isnt so bad after all. Maybe.
posted 1 day ago -
I recommend you see...
American History X
by RebeccaThis movie is incredibly powerful. The score was moving, lead performances astounding, and the mood set by the filming and directing was perfect. I wish I could say more but I am somewhat in awe.
Hey, you should really see this! I didnt want to see this until recently when I realized there arent enough good new movies coming out, so I started to go back and watch all the old movies I havent seen yet that I heard good things about. If you dont think you're interested, give it a chance. If you are concerned about the violence, you can look away. There is only one scene and its easy to know when it is coming. I skipped it. There is also a short rape scene that might bother some but that is also obvious.
posted 1 day ago -
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