Recent viewings

[Shadow]

The Black Dahlia (2006)

And here I thought it was going to be a realistic look at the case. WRONG. I felt it tried too hard to be noir-ish and the made up ending was just bogus IMO.

2 out of 5

[the guyver]

Shadow, I think you are being to generous. I unfortunately saw it in theaters. Why-oh-why?!

[hellbilly]

Snoop Dogg's Hood Of Horror (2006) ***1/2 out of *****
What can I say, I was entertained. There are really worse movies out there.

The Last Round (1976) **** out of *****
Excellent crime/action from Italy. Some nice sleaze and bloodshed (at times).

The Heroin Busters (1977) ***1/2 out of *****
Well made action with music by The Goblin.

[HappyGilmore]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Decent adaption of the comic book.  Good costumes by Jim Henson.  Funny, action, etc.

The Rise and Fall of ECW- Not necessarily a 'movie', but a documentary type on ECW.  ECW is a now defunct wrestling organization based in Philly that pushed the envelope both with storylines and action never ever seen before in America.  Then they went out of business.  Long too, like 3 hours.

[Torgo]

The Black Dahlia (2006)

And here I thought it was going to be a realistic look at the case. WRONG. I felt it tried too hard to be noir-ish and the made up ending was just bogus IMO.

2 out of 5

That movie was easily my pick for worst film of 2006.

[HappyGilmore]

The Muppets Take Manhattan- Great flick.  Muppets rule.  Plus it had live-action Muppet Babies, as well as Big Bird and Bert and Ernie.   

[Torgo]

Bram Stoker's Dracula  (1992). *** out of ****.
Still ranks IMO as one of the most visually grand and gorgeous movies to ever be released by a major studio.  Too bad they didn't spend quite as much time on the script problems as they did on the look of the film.  Coppola's direction is very flashy but never overpowers the acting.  Keanu Reeves is painfully wooden but the rest of the cast is great with Gary Oldman making a great Dracula, Anthony Hopkins getting  a fun turn as Van Helsing and Winona Ryder looking so gorgeous and sexy at times that it almost takes my breath away during some of her big scenes.  One case in which style definitely triumphs over substance.

1408.  *** out of ****.
Based on a Stephen King short story of the same name, this could almost at times be viewed as a horror movie version of Cast Away as John Cusack for a good portion of the film is putting on an excellent one man show.   The film is visually spectacular and can get pretty creepy at times but it is hurt somewhat by a rushed and poor ending. The direction is really nice and avoids the problem of the way-too-quick-cutting type style that plauges many modern films, horror movies in particular.  If you get the 2 disc set the alternate ending on the extended director's cut is much better IMO.  Not the best that I've seen but it kind of works as a hodge podge of The Shining, Silent Hill and Jacob's Ladder. 

[Torgo]

TROY: director's cut .  *** out of ****.
Gladiator with brains.  While the extended director's cut still has some problems mainly in the narrative area, it is still a pretty big improvement over the shallow theatrical cut.  In particular, the battle scenes are much, much more gory and bloody in comparison to the rather bloodless theatrical cut.  I didn't really like Gladiator that much but Troy came across to me as that movie with actual brains behind it.

Kingdom of Heaven:  director's cut ***1/2 out of ****.
I never saw the truncated theatrical cut but the director's cut with nearly 50 minutes reinstated was quite good.  I can't recall a good movie being made about the crusades and this movie does the trick. While not always historically accurate, it does manage to paint a great picture of what those times were like.  Ridley Scott's direction is flawless and the movie suffers just slightly from Orlando's Bloom performance. While not bad per se, it pales in comparison  at times to the rest of the great cast.   

[asimpson2006]

My recent vieing over the last week

Ramob 3 7/10

At this point I think someone just decided to say f*** it and went out on a limb.  The idea of Rambo being in a monastary is just absurd.  I mean he was in prison in Rambo 2 so after he got done he decided not to go back to jail.  Action wise it was a good movie, and the script was pretty good, I just think that the monastary part could have been done away with.

Philadelphia 9/10

Now, I'm not a real emotional person, but this film nearly had me in tears.  One of Tom Hanks best roles that he has played.  Everyone did a good job in this film, and you couldn't help but feel sad for Tom Hank's character and what he was going to thru.

Tron 6/10

Cheesy at best.  A good idea, just I think with technology at the time, it wasn't a god time to make it.  I didn't like the whole concept of programs looking like people in the games.  Script was corny at times too.

Glengarry Glen Ross 8/10

Wow, Awesome movie.  While the profanity is way over the top it's a good story about trying to make it in a cut throat business. 

right now I'm working on Sixteen Candles and I might either go for Hoffa, The Naked Gun, or something else today.

[asimpson2006]

Glory was on AMC earlier so I watched that.   I think it's scientifically impossible for a movie to suck if Denzel Washington AND Morgan Freeman are in it.

It is shocking it is as good as it is with Matthew Broderick in it.

I though Glory was good, I just didn't think Matthew Broderick was the best choice for the Colonel.  I mean he did a good job, I  think someone else could have done a better job overall.

[Snivelly]

My latest viewings:

Matandos Cabos : funny and action-packed film from Mexico about a kidnapping gone wrong.  Includes a former lucha libre wrestler with some serious issues and a cannibal midget, what more does a film need?  Lots of fun, reminded me of films like Go and Snatch.

The Prestige : Michael Caine, Christian Bale, and Hugh Jackman in a film about rival stage magicians who turn on each other after a trick goes terribly wrong.  Started a bit slow, but made up for it when it started gaining momentum, with a great ending.

Blades of Glory : Not the movie I would have picked, but turned out to be funnier than I expected.  Figure skating is so over-the-top anyway that making fun of it is just too easy, but the film stayed funny the whole way through.

[Torgo]

The Shining.  (1980).  ***1/2 out of ****
One of the rare moments in which a movie based on a book actually improves on the book a bit.  One of my favorite Kubrick films and one that really gets under your skin no matter how many times you've seen it. Jack Nicholson is gloriously over the top in a career defining performance.

[indianasmith]

I watched FANTASTIC 4 - RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER  last night and really liked it.  Of the various superhero movies of recent years, both of the FF movies have worked well for me.  Not quite on par with BATMAN BEGINS or the SPIDER MAN trilogy, but light years ahead of the incredibly dull SUPERMAN RETURNS.  I love the guy who plays Ben Grimm.  I never can remember his last name.

[HappyGilmore]

Without A Paddle- Dax Shepard, Matthew Lillard and Seth Green are three guys stranded in the woods.  Then Burt Reynolds saves them.  Seth Green is hilarious in the movie.  He saves it.

[Snivelly]

Without A Paddle- Dax Shepard, Matthew Lillard and Seth Green are three guys stranded in the woods.  Then Burt Reynolds saves them.  Seth Green is hilarious in the movie.  He saves it.

I had planned to see this one but I keep forgetting the title, thanks for bringing this one up.  I like Seth Green, and this one did look funny.