lauraxxxo
http://www.flixster.com/user/lauraxxxo
| Name | Laura Rodger |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| I'm From | Team Awesome |
| Member For | 777 days |
| Last Login | Fri. Jul 25 |
| Profile Views | 764 |
| MCT Score |
| Movie: | Little Miss Sunshine, The Heart Of The Game, Cruel Intentions, Orange County, Love & Basketball |
|---|---|
| Actor: | Evan Rachel Wood, Ellen Page, Ryan Gosling |
| Director: | n/a |
| Quote: | "I'm only here tonight because of you. You are the only reason I am... you are all my reaosns." -- A Beautiful Mind |
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Aiight.
Once summer ends, the number of movies I see decreases dramatically due to lack of time and lack of money. I love movies, though. I used to try to be a little bit selective, but I'll watch anything. If you look to cut up a movie, you can make every single one seem ridiculous. I try to buy in, and get an experience out of it. However, there are limits. Some movies are just THAT bad. Anyway, I pretty much enjoy everything normal. Movies (clearly), music, sports, money, being funny, etc. Plz do not add me if you are sketchy, kthx :) |
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Laura's Recent Reviews
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Rate Movies
Batman Begins
PG-13
Very good, very cinematic, has a personal touch and the action was riveting. Very cool stuff, almost made me want to read a comic book or something. I also love Christian Bale officially now.
Mamma Mia!
PG-13
I've seen the musical... 3 times, obviously I need to see the movie. I hope it's as great as Hairspray.
Hoop Dreams
PG-13
This movie presents some interesting social ideas, but indirectly, and I feel like some people may miss them.
Very well done, I didn't even realize it was basically three hours long.
Wanted
R
Despite some interesting effects and some ass kicking sequences, I still did not like this at all. It waded fully into the ridiculous far too often, and I felt like every movie cliche was thrown in predictably and poorly. I'm willing to let go and have a good time, some of the cinematics were impressive, stunts were impressive, but overall it just wasn't that entertaining.
Angelina is not lookin' too good, James McAvoy can do better, Morgan Freeman was disappointing and provided none of his usual stability and awesome-ness. So not worth the trip to the theatre.
Laura's Favorite Movies
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(43) | Create a MovieBoard
1.
O
R
One of the most incredible movies I have ever seen. I love basketball, but that's not what the movie is really about. It's about hate, love, betrayal and passion. An amazing story, it's SO GOOD AND I LOVE IT. (based on shakespeare's othello...)
2.
Thirteen
R
Implausible? Maybe a little, but it's hard to deny the power in this movie. It's so scary, because if you're a teen or if you remember being a teen you know that shit happens... The movie doesn't spare you anything, it doesn't sugarcoat, and it makes you hurt for Tracy. Despite her amazing performance, Evan Rachel Wood isn't even the star. Holly Hunter deserves so much credit it's not even funny. She was brilliant.
3.
American Beauty
R
Oh my god! This movie was amazing. It's an incredible story, and kept me well engaged throughout. It was nothing like I expected, but still managed to exceed expectations and completely overwhelm me. Awesome. I'm so glad I saw it.
4.
The Shawshank Redemption
R
Brilliant. That's all there is to it. There are no flaws in this movie, that I can think of. No, it's not too long. It's a perfect length. It's perfectly written, perfectly acted and perfectly edited. Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins are absolutely amazing. I flat-out love this movie. It's awesome.
5.
Closer
R
Lots of people can't get over the dialogue in the movie, and if that's the only reason they don't like the movie... fuck 'em. This is a really good movie. The leads are stellar, the soundtrack is absolutely amazing, and it's very entertaining.
6.
The Notebook
PG-13
Some people have written this off as a chick flick. I highly adivse them to give it a chance. Yeah, you've got to invest yourselves in the story (but that's not hard, because Rachel, Ryan, Gena and James do an amazing job at pulling you in immediately) but it is truly touching and I have never been in a room where there was more tears.
Laura's Movie Scrapbook
Laura's Talk
View All (347)
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I recommend you see...
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
by Duncanposted 4 days ago -
I recommend you see...
The Crow
by DuncanBrandon Lee was excellent (God rest his soul), and the cinematography was absolutely beautiful. The rest of the cast, on the other hand, were terrible, and the plot strayed too far from that of the comic for my liking. I wish I could like this movie as much as it's rabid fanbase does, but I'd rather just read J. O'Barr's brilliant graphic novel instead.
File this right next to There Will Be Blood in the folder labeled "Overrated". Then try to acquire a copy of the fantastic (and currently out-of-print) graphic novel that inspired it.
posted 6 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Quarantine (2008)
by DuncanI've seen enough horror remakes to recognize a bad one from a good one at first glance.
The trailer that played before Hellboy II makes this look like a bad one.Any of you guys see [Rec]? If so, what'd you think of it?
posted 9 days ago -
I recommend you see...
The Dark Knight
by DuncanSurpassed all of my expectations, and expectations were high. This is the only film I've seen worthy of both it's hype and it's praise.
It exceeds Batman Begins, and every other film based on a comic book, by leaps and bounds. This film knocks it out of the park in almost every aspect, from the jaw-dropping cinematography to Hans Zimmer's beautiful score to the richly written and developed characters.
And what a cast there is to fully realize these characters on screen! The best actors from Begins return for another round, and all were brilliant for the most part. Christian Bale's "Bat-voice" gets grating after a while, but that's a minor quibble.
The best performances in this film, however, were by the three newbies to the franchise. Maggie Gyllenhaal's performance as Rachel Dawes, the love interest of our protagonist, made us care for her even if she was more of a cardboard cutout than the male characters the film focuses more on. Aaron Eckhart was fantastic as Harvey Dent. He switched between charismatic and charming to tortured and menacing flawlessly. Sadly, but understandably, it's a brilliant performance that's overshadowed by another one in the same movie.
Heath Ledger immerses himself in the role of the Joker to the point where he's completely unrecognizable. His handsome face is hidden by hastily and violently applied clown makeup, and his deep voice and Aussie accent are transformed into a nasally, sleazy drawl. The Joker is a madman with nothing to lose or gain, and a terrifying one at that. It's a tour-de-force performance, and thankfully, for now, not the last performance from the late Ledger that we'll have the pleasure to see.
A comic book film that takes the source material seriously is a rare and beautiful thing. Even the best of them tend to either try and keep it fun and campy as well as insightful (the first two X-Men films, for instance) or greatly deviate from the source material's tone and/or plot (A History of Violence comes to mind).
Thankfully, The Dark Knight was handled very seriously by director Christopher Nolan, much more so than Burton and Schumacher, and it winds up being a powerful tale of what makes a hero a hero.
I'm going to see it in the cinema a second time, and the last time I did that was for the first Spider-Man film. This is the best movie of the summer, and it's going to be hard for another film like this to top it.This isn't a recommendation. This is a request.
I'm asking everyone on flixster to resist the urge to send me a recommendation for this when it comes out. I don't care how good it winds up being, or if (by some miraculous happenstance) it didn't live up to expectations and you wanted to warn me.
I'm as equally anticipating this movie as much as the great majority of you. I don't need any extra motivation to see it, nor will the most convincing argument against it prevent me from checking it out.
I assure you, my ass (or "arse", take your pick) WILL be in a cinema seat, but NOT on opening day. There are two simple reasons for that: I'm involved in a play that's requiring most of my time for the next three weeks, and I won't be able to afford a movie ticket until next week.
So please, don't flood the "My Talk" section of my profile with Dark Knight recommendations. I want to see it, and I'm going to see it.posted 11 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Hellboy 2)
by DuncanGuillermo Del Toro makes magic with Mike Mignola's cult comic yet again!
Full review coming soon...Hey, you should really see this! Don't let this fantastic sequel get lost in The Dark Knight's hype!
posted 14 days ago -
I recommend you see...
This recommendation is to wish all my fellow Americans a happy Independence Day and a safe 4th of July.
As for those of you living in Canada, the UK, Ireland, South Africa and Indonesia, this is only a recommendation if you like every single musical known to man. If not, there are other musicals that have translated from the stage to the screen a helluva lot better.posted 21 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Wanted
by Duncan
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.For those of you who've already seen it, I apologize for being a hypocrite.
For those of you who'll only enjoy it if it follows Mark Miller's comic to the letter, you'll need to leave the cinema after the first 20 minutes.
For the rest of you, this isn't the kind of movie you analyze, it's the kind of movie you sit down to have a good time at. If action movies aren't your idea of a good time, see something else. If you can't suspend your disbelief if the film's set in the real world in the name of having a good time, go see something else.
If none of this criteria above fits you, enjoy!posted 24 days ago -
Come see this movie with me...
Miracle at St. Anna
by DuncanI 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.Spike Lee's got a new film coming out. Not sure what it's gonna be about, because I haven't read the book it's based on, but the trailer has me intrigued.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXvxFNIcVX8
Anyone else as curious as I am?posted 26 days ago -
I recommend you see...
In Bruges
by SamFinally! The movie I've been waiting to see all year. One that is entirely satisfying. And In Bruges delivers!!!
This movie does not disappoint. There is a perfect amount of humor (and oh yeah it's very dark humor) to undercut the drama and action taking place in this movie. And the story has a good amount of suspense. The music is fantastic, and it gives this movie the feeling and power necessary to completely dazzle! The music makes the movie so much more emotionally resonant. There are great performances from Ralph Fiennes (absolutely perfect antagonist and absolutely hilarious at that), Brendan Gleeson (completely connected with his character), and have to save the best for last...COLIN FARRELL! I am officially a fan now, because up until now I have never been that impressed with any of his work...but...WOW! This guy is actually a damn good actor! He just needs to quit starring in bad movies.
It's just got so much working in its favor. I only wish I could've seen it when it was in theaters. And the ending...oh man...THE ENDING!! Without question my favorite movie of 2008 so far!Yeah I don't usually do much of this movie recommending thing...but this one you should really REALLY check out!
posted 33 days ago -
I recommend you see...
One of the best movies to have recently come out. Everyone who hasn't seen this (including all you people that "aren't interested") should at least watch it once.
posted 38 days ago -
Hey - try this quiz and see how we compare
Computer Animated Movie Quiz. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!!!posted 41 days ago -
I recommend you see...
The Good German
by DuncanIt seems like every director who makes a name for himself feels obligated to, once in his life, "pay homage" to the kind of movies he grew up on: Lucas with Star Wars, Spielberg with Indiana Jones, Rodriguez and Tarantino with Grindhouse, etc.
It seems like Stephen Soderbergh was watching a lot of TCM on T.V. one night, because The Good German is basically a throwback to movies of the '40s. It was filmed in black and white, on studio back lots and soundstages, and cars in motion were simulated by a moving backdrop. Another contributing factor to it's '40s vibe was Thomas Newman's excellent score, also inspired by the films of that period.
It's an interesting experiment, and the cast was good to boot. Unfortunately, the plot was so convoluted that I spent the duration of the movie very fucking confused. Oh, and speaking of the word "fuck", it was used quite a bit throughout the movie, most frequently by Tobey Maguire's character, and that sort of tarnished the overall '40s feel. That, and two sex scenes (one of which involved Tobey Maguire's character), which seem mild when compared to sex scenes in films today. But sex scenes of any kind were in violation of the Hays Code, which was still in effect during that period. So, if you're paying homage to that kind of movie, putting in stuff that would've been deemed too inappropriate for that kind of a film makes absolutely no sense, at least not to me.
Despite the mess of a plot that would normally be a problem, and little nit-pickerys that don't make this flick feel truly vintage, I feel that this is an instance where style beats out substance. I still kinda liked it, and if I find the DVD in a $5.00 bargain bin, I'll probably buy it.An interesting experiment. Sadly, it fails more than it succeeds.
posted 42 days ago -
I recommend you see...
El Orfanato (The Orphanage)
by DuncanAn entertaining Spanish spookshow, even if it doesn't necessarily fill me with dread...
...Full review coming soon.This is the kind of horror movie for people who don't usually go out of their way to see a horror movie, or people who like films such as Poltergeist and The Others.
Granted, you have to understand Spanish if you don't like reading subtitles. There's no English dub on the DVD, at least not over here in the good ol' U.S. of A.
But if you're like me (ie, reading subtitles to get around a language barrier isn't a problem for you), give 'er a shot.posted 49 days ago
by Duncan
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