Spoilers What Movie Are You Watching?

[Shrink]

Just saw "The Black Knight Rises" Really, really boring!

The script was a joke, with great pretensions to profundity...and was just prolix and unimpressive.

The plot, such as it is, was all over the place, frequently disjointed, and, for me, confusing at times...with 23 uninteresting subplots.

The acting was...well, to call it stiff would be an insult to stiff. There was absolutely no chemistry in any of the relationships, and, in a few words...there really was no acting at all.

Even the fight sequences were weak, especially the hand-to-hand sequences. The huge fight scene with a bazillion police and a bazillion bad guys was so poorly shot, you could see people barely doing anything if you looked into the background. The camera work on the fight sequences was really... not good.

Some of the explosions were OK, and the vehicle chases were fair to poor. As has been said before, if you have all the money in the world to throw up on the screen, the visuals will be OK.

So, now that I have made bunches of friends with this review p)...the film was WAY overlong, with no acting, a ridiculous and pretentious script, awful direction, bad cinematography, a mess of a plot, and some OK CGI stuff.

Definitely well worth missing.

The above is just one man's opinion written in a pique of annoyance after forcing himself to sit through the whole thing.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Just saw "The Black Knight Rises" Really, really boring!

The script was a joke, with great pretensions to profundity...and was just prolix and unimpressive.

The plot, such as it is, was all over the place, frequently disjointed, and, for me, confusing at times...with 23 uninteresting subplots.

The acting was...well, to call it stiff would be an insult to stiff. There was absolutely no chemistry in any of the relationships, and, in a few words...there really was no acting at all.

Even the fight sequences were weak, especially the hand-to-hand sequences. The huge fight scene with a bazillion police and a bazillion bad guys was so poorly shot, you could see people barely doing anything if you looked into the background. The camera work on the fight sequences was really... not good.

Some of the explosions were OK, and the vehicle chases were fair to poor. As has been said before, if you have all the money in the world to throw up on the screen, the visuals will be OK.

So, now that I have made bunches of friends with this review p)...the film was WAY overlong, with no acting, a ridiculous and pretentious script, awful direction, bad cinematography, a mess of a plot, and some OK CGI stuff.

Definitely well worth missing.

The above is just one man's opinion written in a pique of annoyance after forcing himself to sit through the whole thing.

Shrink, it is on days like this that I realise just quite why I like you so much. Thank you for a review which I suspect may very well be rather close to the truth. And well done.....

I have a rule of thumb with most modern movies, which is to ignore or avoid any movie which comes bedecked with or trailing a lot of hype, boasts an - apparently adoring public - and publishes vast cinema takings - the 'Titanic' broke all box office returns type of thing. Indeed, sad experience has taught me that the more 'popular' a movie (or 'hyped') is movie is, then the greater the likelihood that I will not like it. At all.

If reviewers I respect (or people whom I know, whose opinions I rate) regard a new movie highly, I'll give it a thought, and will make a point of watching it when an occasion to do so arises.

 

[S.B.G]

Just saw "The Black Knight Rises" Really, really boring!

Thanks for sharing! It doesn't sound like a flick I'd want to spend my money on to see. Perhaps I'll put it on someday as background noise when it makes its way to Netflix.

I, on the other hand, finished watching Side Effects (2013) with Jude Law and Catherine Zeta-Jones. I found this movie on iTunes recently while searching around for something to watch and added it to my wish list. I've liked Jude Law since I first saw him in Closer and I've always had an affinity for Catherine Zeta-Jones. With those two starring in this film I figured it would be a worthwhile one to watch.

It was a good film, with great acting and wonderful settings and a subtle score of music that wasn't overbearing, but just right. The execution of the plot was excellent in that by the end there were several plot twists that I did not anticipate but wraps up the film in a good way.

Spolier alert:
Side Effects was a psychological drama where a young couple, successful in business has their world torn apart due to a white collar crime of insider trading by the husband, Martin Taylor, who was arrested and convicted of his crime. His wife, Emily Taylor had resented him for his crimes and the subsequent consequences that followed. Her fairy tale life had fallen apart and she began to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Victoria Seibert (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Emily and Dr. Seibert develop a secret, sensual relationship that lasts the duration of Martin's incarceration.

Upon Martin's release a plot to get rid of him for his sins ensues. Emily learned all the tricks to make herself appear depressed and used them against him by crashing her car into a wall, having a breakdown at a formal party. Then she sought out a new psychiatrist to see under the guise that Dr. Seibert was no longer available to treat her. The plot needed a patsy to use and Dr. Banks (Jude Law) just happened to be the one to fall prey - it could have been anyone though; he wasn't personally singled out.

The plan was to get Dr. Banks to prescribe a new drug for depression which had the side effect of sleepwalking. After several rounds of treatment with other brands, the new drug was prescribed and soon led to Emily stabbing Martin in their home until he died. She practiced her call to 9-1-1 to make it sound as if she didn't do it and happened to wake up and find him dead. A court trial ensued and she was found not guilty due to insanity and sent to a hospital for treatment and observation. The case had a very negative side effect on Dr. Banks' career and personal life.

Through the plot and a research study on this new drug, Dr. Banks had received $50,000 to participate and was encouraged by Dr. Seibert to do so and prescribe it to Emily. After the court case, public scrutiny caused Dr. banks to lose his research study, his practice and his family after supposed compromising photos were anonymously mailed to his wife - by Dr. Seibert.

Dr. Banks obsession as I initially thought was the cause for his family problems, which in a way was the truth, but by the end it wasn't obsession, but perseverance toward knowing why Emily killed her husband that drove him. Dr. Banks finally suspected Dr. Seibert had ulterior motives when he kept asking her questions about Emily and the drug and saw how she reacted and became evasive.

Through his personal investigations and assistance from state law enforcement he uncovered their romantic plot of murder, conspiracy and fraud. Dr. Seibert gets arrested and Emily is arrested [again] and is sent back to a psychiatric hospital.

Dr. Banks gets his name cleared, his practice back and his family back as well.

 

[Huntn]

Shouldn't that read 'genre', or are you watching the x-rated version...

You are correct sir (genre, not porn)

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Saw Man of Steel this morning with my dad.

Overall it was alright, but not nearly as good as I had been expecting. It just lacked that spark that made Nolans Batman trilogy so great.

I'll rent this because I'm afraid it's been there done that. Can I ask- did they cover the origin thing, briefly mention it, or assume everyone knows where he came from?

 

[ritmomundo]

I'll rent this because I'm afraid it's been there done that. Can I ask- did they cover the origin thing, briefly mention it, or assume everyone knows where he came from?

It is more of the same old, and at the same time, there's something fresh about it.

It covers the origins pretty thoroughly (life on Krypton -more in depth about his birth parents, which was nice to see- and growing up in Smallville, which is familiar to most of us).

 

[twietee]

Just saw "The Dark Knight Rises" Really, really boring!

The script was a joke, with great pretensions to profundity...and was just prolix and unimpressive.

I think that's the case with almost every Nolan movie I've seen - highly pretentious stuff imho. Makes your average popcorn hollywood blockbuster seem as if you just finished Thus Spoke Zarathustra. I have to admit though that I get caught by some hype myself at times - leaving the cinema even more depressed after shelling out money for Inception (14/250 - IMDb Top250) for example. But to each their own. I just saw that he wrote the script for The Man of Steel...which I'm nevertheless going to watch...

But it's a funny coincidence that you've mentioned Batman, since I was quite close to watch the first Keaton one with Basinger and Nicholson this week-end. One of my all-time favorites (must admit that I'm quite biased with this era in general though). Catches the dark and oppressive gothic atmosphere so perfectly that I never understood why Nolan got praised so much for making the installments dark and gritty. It was also the high time of Tim Burton.

 

[S.B.G]

But it's a funny coincidence that you've mentioned Batman, since I was quite close to watch the first Keaton one with Basinger and Nicholson this week-end. One of my all-time favorites (must admit that I'm quite biased with this era in general though). Catches the dark and oppressive gothic atmosphere so perfectly that I never understood why Nolan got praised so much for making the installments dark and gritty. It was also the high time of Tim Burton.

I recall seeing Batman Begins (2005) and wasn't very impressed with it and the direction they took the character at all. I really preferred the style that Tim Burton directed in the 90's with Michael Keaton. Keaton is by far my favorite Batman actor, and had the coolest looking Batmobile.

After Batman Begins, I never watched it a second time, not watched any of the follow on movies.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I think that's the case with almost every Nolan movie I've seen - highly pretentious stuff imho. Makes your average popcorn hollywood blockbuster seem as if you just finished Thus Spoke Zarathustra. I have to admit though that I get caught by some hype myself at times - leaving the cinema even more depressed after shelling out money for Inception (14/250 - IMDb Top250) for example. But to each their own. I just saw that he wrote the script for The Man of Steel...which I'm nevertheless going to watch...

But it's a funny coincidence that you've mentioned Batman, since I was quite close to watch the first Keaton one with Basinger and Nicholson this week-end. One of my all-time favorites (must admit that I'm quite biased with this era in general though). Catches the dark and oppressive gothic atmosphere so perfectly that I never understood why Nolan got praised so much for making the installments dark and gritty. It was also the high time of Tim Burton.

I recall seeing Batman Begins (2005) and wasn't very impressed with it and the direction they took the character at all. I really preferred the style that Tim Burton directed in the 90's with Michael Keaton. Keaton is by far my favorite Batman actor, and had the coolest looking Batmobile.

After Batman Begins, I never watched it a second time, not watched any of the follow on movies.

I agree with both of you about the first of the Batman movies, with Kim Basinger, Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton; Tim Burton did a very good job, and the sets by Anton Furst were stunning and conveyed a wonderful atmosphere of urban decay, and dark menace, yet with a backdrop of vanished Gothic grandeur. The Cathedral was a tour de force, - wonderfully atmospheric - and I liked Keaton's take on Batman. And yes, the Batmobile was just terrific....

 

[Huntn]

Regarding the discussion of Batman, the latest iteration is hands down the best imo. Yes it comes from a comic, but this series takes it away from a comic feel and cartoonish characters like Jack Nicholson's Joker and Jim Carrey's Riddler into a harder, colder reality but not nearly as figuratively dark as Tim Burton's 1989 version. I think there is some personal taste at play here on my part.

That said, in a different time I enjoyed the original tongue-in-cheek Batman TV show and one of my favorite characters was a very cartoonish Burgess Meridith as the Penguin. No accounting for taste and likes.

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It is more of the same old, and at the same time, there's something fresh about it.

It covers the origins pretty thoroughly (life on Krypton -more in depth about his birth parents, which was nice to see- and growing up in Smallville, which is familiar to most of us).

Rental it is!

 

[james1758]

Just re-watched Tarantinos Jackie Brown

 

[S.B.G]

Regarding the discussion of Batman, the latest iteration is hands down the best imo. Yes it comes from a comic, but this series takes it away from a comic feel and cartoonish characters like Jack Nicholson's Joker and Jim Carrey's Riddler into a harder, colder reality but not nearly as figuratively dark as Tim Burton's 1989 version. I think there is some personal taste at play here on my part.

That's perfectly cool too. We each have our own tastes in movies. As I mentioned I prefer the more comic-style, cartoonish characters and mood of the Batman's done by Tim Burton.

I just felt that the new series of Batman took away and departed from a long history of style associated with Batman and I didn't really care for it.

 

[twietee]

That said, in a different time I enjoyed the original tongue-in-cheek Batman TV show and one of my favorite characters was a very cartoonish Burgess Meridith as the Penguin. No accounting for taste and likes.

POW! WHAM! POK!

Those were awesome times! Back then at least...

And who can resist Vincent Price as Eggman?!!? OUCH!

And the proud Cesar Romero with his mustache painted white?

 

[Huntn]

That's perfectly cool too. We each have our own tastes in movies. As I mentioned I prefer the more comic-style, cartoonish characters and mood of the Batman's done by Tim Burton.

I just felt that the new series of Batman took away and departed from a long history of style associated with Batman and I didn't really care for it.

For me, it's not a hard and fast rule. I really enjoyed The Punisher and Hellboy which felt very much like live comics at times, although I never read them. Hellboy is one of my favorite comic based movies.

----------

POW! WHAM! POK!

Those were awesome times! Back then at least...

And who can resist Vincent Price as Eggman?!!? OUCH!

Image

And the proud Cesar Romero with his mustache painted white?

That's Egghead! Cesar Romero made a much better Joker than Nicholson in a comic sense. I never realized he insisted on keeping his mustache while playing the part, until now!

 

[twietee]

That's Egghead! Cesar Romero made a much better Joker than Nicholson in a comic sense. I never realized he insisted on keeping his mustache while playing the part, until now!

Yea, he was pretty scary. And have a look at his upper teeth and then at the lower row! Wicked.

 

[Plutonius]

I saw Django Unleashed over the weekend. I thought it was pretty mediocre.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Just re-watched Tarantinos Jackie Brown

I loved that movie - it is probably my favourite Tarantino movie, and Pam Grier was brilliant; as a more mature woman myself, I am a huge fan of the all too rare idea of a strong female (middle-aged) lead. And I loved the relationship between Pam Grier and Robert Forster, a lovely, understated treatment. Great cast, too. And a first rate soundtrack.

I saw Django Unleashed over the weekend. I thought it was pretty mediocre.

Image

Interesting; why do you think that? Actually, I have not seen the movie yet, although I have heard quite good reports of it.

Re Batman, and Huntn's observations, I agree that it is probably a matter of taste, and personal preference. In any case, I remember the original series......a long time ago, and loved it (as a small kid). Indeed, an early Christmas present, that I recall, was a small, perfect replica (cast iron, as toy cars were in those days) of the Batmobile, which I had for years (the small cannon at the rear of the car actually worked, to my inexplicable delight).....

However, I like the cartoonish quality merged with the nightmare of gothic grandeur gone to seed of the first Batman movie. Indeed, while others have written about Bladerunner, as an excellent example of a modern take on film noir, for brooding dark atmosphere, Anton Furst's Gotham City - for which he deservedly won an Oscar - (and his exemplary cathedral - for, I must admit that I love Gothic cathedrals) really did it for me.

 

[twietee]

I saw Django Unleashed over the weekend. I thought it was pretty mediocre.

Pretty controversial stuff going on here the last days.

 

[Huntn]

Jack the Giant Slayer- surprisingly good! We enjoyed it.

 

[ritmomundo]

Did anyone else see The Purge? Throughout the entire movie, I was thinking "Why?!?" The concept was good, and the trailer actually looked really good, but in the end there were just so many gaping plot holes.

Spoilers >>> (Highlight to view)
The movie was only 86 minutes long, so it makes absolutely no sense to me why 10 minutes couldnt be added to answer these questions:
1- Why did Henry do what he did? What was he hoping to achieve?
2- What was the deal with the kid's heart rate? It was mentioned once at the beginning, and then showed it elevating once later on, as if something was going to happen to him (medical condition or something), but nothing ever happened, and they never mentioned it again.
3- Why are the "rich kids" obsessed with that particular homeless man? Why not simply find another one?
4- Why do the neighbors hate them? Jealousy? This wasn't explained fully, if at all. If someone made money by selling me something that keeps me safe or makes my life better, and I can afford buying it, then why would I harbor any anger towards him for it? (Did I hate Steve Jobs because he's richer for making the iPhone, and me buying one? No.) Whatever the reason was, they didn't explain it.
5- Unemployment is at 1% because the poor/homeless/unemployed are killed off during the Purge. Why would the govt allow this? And why would people be so naive to not see that?
6- Why would seemingly normal people have to become killers during the Purge? Just because its legal, suddenly people lose all sense of morality?
7- There's no emergency services at all, all night? So what if there is a non-Purge related emergency?
8- The ending. WTF?? They just go back to normal? As if nothing happened?
<<< End spoilers
What potentially could have been a good horror flick ended up giving me a headache. Maybe I'm overthinking it? I don't know...

If you quote this post, please remove the spoilers from the quoted text.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Like many others just got back from seeing Man of Steel. My friend wanted to see it more than me, but I liked it more than I thought I would. Great supporting cast. Costner and Crowe as the two dads (all be it cameo rolls) were an inspired choice.

 

[twietee]

Just because it was talked about some days ago (and I think the anecdote is kind of odd):

Got curious and ordered the 30th ann. Blade Runner edition (US import), containing all available versions of the movie. Saw the rare workprint cut yesterday - it is the exact same thing SanboxGeneral saw under the name of '82 Directors Cut.

Anyway, I ordered at Amazon marketplace and when it finally arrived, the package got a small note on top, saying that I should greet my boss and so, they studied together, etc pp..(I usually have my orders send to the office). Man, how often does that happen? The story is even more twisted, but I keep it short.

Oh, and I still love the film!



Edit: some remarks, though:

1) Although I really like this rough version, it doesn't include Deckard's dream sequence of the unicorn! , so the ending loses a lot of its richness, imho - implying he's a replicant,too - and soon to die as well(that's why it makes sense to omit the voice over narration, imho.

2) how can the final confrontation be considered foreseeable? I have yet to find a movie that has this griping hunt at the end, where, when everybody expects the big bad ass to assault the main protagonist, s/he turns around, pauses, says something quite beautiful and dies..? I mean even 3:10 to Yuma is so much more conventional regarding the final twist.

3) workprint doesn't have the Vangelis soundtrack

 

[ValtermcPires]

The Purge (2013) - 8/10

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2184339/

Well here's a movie that surprised me, since the trailer I was excited to see how it would develop and this here one idea/concept interesting! Now one night where you can unleash all the rage, frustration without getting hurt is a great idea, but when it starts getting good when it ends them seems to speed things up.Now the acts were very decent apart from the kid, he was very annoying and she too.

A slew of the film's details go unexplained. Why do the criminals need masks when it doesn't make a difference if they're discovered or not since the crime goes unpunished anyway? If James' security system is so damn fool-proof why doesn't it have a child safety lock so little impulsive children don't put their entire family at risk by setting off the alarm?

Now was a great movie actually, i enjoy see it and i hope the sequel can be 10x better.

Go see this!

 

[ritmomundo]

Men in Black 3 - It suffers from the same continuity issues that so many time-travel movies have. But the movie itself is so silly and stupidly comedic from the get-go, that it becomes easy to overlook the plot holes (not necessarily a compliment...). The second half of MIB3 gets much better (still ridiculous though), and I ended up actually enjoying it.

 

[mscriv]

Just got back from seeing Monsters University with the family. It was really fun and, of course, the kids enjoyed it.

 

[Beeplance]

Just watched Man of Steel yesterday. Wonderful movie, really exceeded my expectations.