On Video

[Susan]

None of the recent rentals have been really worthwhile. I was pretty dissapointed overall with "Equilibrium", even tho i was pretty excited about it since I love those story concepts of futuristic societies of total government control. ;-)  I thought it was quite ironic how it showed characters who had emotions controlled, and when he finally started to feel and have emotions about those around him and the world as he knew it - i myself felt emotionanless and unempathetic towards him and the characters.

However, "Das Experiment" (the experiment) was a pleasant suprise. A real psychological examination of human behavior, it's flaw mainly being the girl he met on the outside world. I guess they needed her for later reasons but her presense in certain scenes was very distracting and unecessary for the story. The store only carried one copy and on a Friday nite it was in - so I guess most renters assume that means this kind of movie must suck and in order for a film to be worthwhile there must be 30 copies of it on the shelf. No that's a marketing trick.

And with all the hype of "Manhunter" i rented it and was dissapointed. I love the book, and this movie follows it pretty well, "red dragon' suprisingly was the better version - except I think the main character (the killer/red dragon) in "Manhunter" felt more like how he should have been and looked vs. the Ralph Fiennes interpretation. Plus the score drowned out the film and felt like a 3am showtime movie.


These days I seem to be buying more older dvd's based on the fact that no recent films in video stores or theaters is really drawing me in. I'm probably going to see "28 days later" and maybe the pirates movie. Overall i'm bored iwth the selection. T3 is just not my thing, i love the original and don't want these bad sequels to tarnish my love for it..and the extraordinary gentlemen looks really bad. I'm kind of dissapointed with teh films coming out in the next couple of months. ;-/

[Evan3]

Check out Daredevil and The Score. Both are very entertaining,

Prepare to leave your mind out for Daredevil, if you go with the flow you will like it.

The Score has Robert DeNiro, Ed Norton, and Marlon Brando

Great acting

[Steven Millan]

            Definitely,definitely see "28 Days Later",Susan,for it's one of the year's very best ("House Of 1000 Hambones" does not count),and even though it borrows a bit from "Day Of The Dead",the film is still believably scary,and convincingly creepy,and must be seen in a theater to be fully appreciated.
             And,I also buy truckloads of older titles on DVD myself,since everything out there these days doesn't get my jollies going(I loved "the HUlk" and "T3",though).

[Susan]

>>Check out Daredevil and The Score. Both are very entertaining,<<

I saw "The score" and really liked it, not so much the other heist movies in it's wake but a great cast and ending. I haven't seen "Daredevil", kind of mixed on it since overall I am not a fan of Affleck and most of his films bite the big one. But i saw it was coming out on dvd soon so I may as well check it out..it mightr be one of those movies that's good for a rental but not a theater trip.

>>Definitely,definitely see "28 Days Later",Susan,for it's one of the year's very best <

I finally did see it and mixed feelings. I shouldn't have eaten before the film, firstly. The camerawork reminded me of Saving Private Ryan style, so jerky where some scenes that it was difficult to comprehend how the action was taking place. Some camera shots were pretty cool - like the blood being followed down from the body into that guys eye. It wasn't scary so much as gut wrenching...lol. Plus I had an odd experience watching it, a man approached me and asked if I wanted company. I guess he was hitting on me (he even announced it), I let him sit next to me.

It was akward watching this film with a total stranger, particularly since his 15 year old son and his girlfriend put him up to it. I'm only 29, (he was 35) am I ready to date someone with a son that old? :)  That's probably one of the more unique theater experiences i've had, except when the star of "whats eating gilbert grape" (the mother) arrived to view it with the audience..heh. I have to admit he had nerve. But I guess one of my biggest pet peeves is people who talk during movies, and since this was his chance to get my number he did alot of talking.

[[Scene cuts to zombie vomiting blood]]
"So it looks like we like the same kind of movies, what kind of things do you like to do when you aren't at work?"

[Mofo Rising]

I was disappointed with EQUILIBRIUM as well.  It's like they took 1984 and turned it into THE MATRIX for some reason.

But I really liked MANHUNTER.  It is very, very 80's though.

I can't beat you 28 DAYS LATER story.  But when I watched it there was a very young girl seated some seats down from me.  When the full frontal male nudity came up she exclaimed "Uh oh!"  Most of the theater laughed at that.

Speaking of which, what was up with the male nudity in 28DL?  I figure it's a screwed up homage to THE QUIET EARTH.

[Susan]

>>I was disappointed with EQUILIBRIUM as well. It's like they took 1984 and turned it into THE MATRIX for some reason.<<

I agree, I mean I like the concept I just couldn't get into the characters...it was trying too hard to look cool.

 >> can't beat you 28 DAYS LATER story. But when I watched it there was a very young girl seated some seats down from me. When the full frontal male nudity came up she exclaimed "Uh oh!" Most of the theater laughed at that.<<

I think american audiences are pretty shocked by male full frontal - but it's not uncommon in most European films. Sometimes there seems to be a bluntness of "in your face" of it that I'm not sure i understand, where the camera lingers so long I wonder what the point of the scene is. "happenstance" seems one in particular that comes to mind. I guess i rent so many of them that I'm used to it (nothing i haven't seen before).

Maybe it was metaphoric - stripped of the world he knew, our clothes are an identity of who we are. ("das experiment" shows that, except with them putting on their gowns they lose their identity of who they were and become simply part of a group)  We come into the world naked so maybe it was showing a rebirth of a new world. There was alot of quietness in the film, emptiness.

Yeah, i kept wondering why they didn't issue him a hospital gown. ;-)