DVD Rental Day (2004 - 2010)

[DuWayne Steurer]

I saw a couple movies tonight that I've meant to see for a while, but for one reason or another never managed to get it done.

 

Walk the Line

 

Pretty standard bio-type movie. Phoenix does a good job with the role. A lot of fabrication, but so be it, it's a movie, and the point is to entertain. 7/10

 

No Country For Old Men

 

I'm kinda puzzled here, it wasn't a bad movie, I guess I just don't 'get it'. I know there was more to it than just the story we see on the surface, and I was admittedly distracted throughout, maybe I wasn't paying attention close enough to get the deeper meaning of what was going on here. Even so, I certainly can't complain, taken on the surface, it was a pretty good (if not overly violent) thriller. 7/10

[Katuluu]

Moon comes out on DVD tomorrow. If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to give it a chance. Its a terrific film with a couple of great performances.

 

Also, Land of the Lost was awesome. 90 minutes of non sequitor humor. It didn't care about plot, just simply went for humor, and time and again I found it ridiculously funny.

[RobertR]

It's strange how things coincide sometimes.

 

Last week, I rewatched THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT (1955), which despite a rough first act with some real howlers of lines, really stands up in the later stages. You can see some of the earliest influences on films like THE THING and THE FLY with body horror, transformation, and an almost Lovecraftian creature at the end. There's a remarkable zoo sequence in particular. And it's obvious that John Carpenter has seen it, especially since a good chunk of the characters in PRINCE OF DARKNESS share the same character names.

 

This week, DISTRICT 9 which I found really impressive. I don't believe the $30 million budget, but it certainly didn't cost that much and it's a top notch sci-fi film with action, horror, and some racial/class themes. And a similar central conceit. And central image.

 

Robert

[homer]

I agree on District 9. I really enjoyed it. I have friends that absolutely hated it and I really don't know why.

 

Kat, I agree on Moon - I have it top three in my netflix queue. Can't wait to see it.

[homer]

The Hurt Locker

Terrific film. This is what ticks me off about big studios/distribution/corporate Hollywood. This film should have been in every theater complex in every city yet it was limited in release and only in major markets (to my knowledge). The only thing missing from this movie is a big name cast (despite four cameos from very well known actors). This is almost non stop white knuckle action from start to finish (and it's two hours long). It follows an elite explosives ordinance disposal team (i.e. they defuse bombs) on their last few weeks on tour in Iraq. Great performance from the main character and solid assistance from his second in command. Really puts you right in the action and gives what I imagine is as close an approximation to what soldiers go through in war (both on and off the battlefield) as any film could. It wouldn't surprise me if this becomes the standard by which all other Iraq War films are judged. Big thumbs up.

[RobertR]

Catching up.

 

Finally got around to watching The Reader. I'm pretty ambivalent about the whole thing, although I think it picks up quite a bit once Ralph Fiennes becomes the focus. Kate Winslet is very good, but the whole thing seems to be trying to do too much with ideas on the shame of illiteracy, illicit sex, Germany's guilt, how one relationship, however brief, can overshadow one's life, etc. without ever being able to come to one conclusion about anything. Maybe there's a better movie buried in the editing suite, but what made it out is much less than the sum of its parts.

 

A similar reaction to Julie & Julia. I can watch Meryl Streep all day as Julia Child. She and Stanley Tucci have great chemistry together. The film is handsomely shot. Amy Adams does what she can, but Julie Powell is without a doubt one of the least interesting main characters I've ever seen as a subject of a film. What the heck is supposed to be interesting about her? She seems to want to be a famous writer as some sort of affirmation or because of the celebrity status, not because she has anything to say. Or can say it in an interesting manner. There are great movies about food like Tampopo. There are great films about writing. And cooking. This isn't one of them.

 

I've also been rewatching the BBC 50s serials, Quatermass 2 and Quatermass and the Pit. The former is an Invasion of the Body Snatcher's take combined with some good conspiracy theory fodder, aliens are controlling our government!, and is still pretty topical as the issue of "state security" is questioned as the be all and end all. The last episode doesn't hold up very well though. Quatermass and the Pit is the best of the Quatermass stories and holds interest all the way through. Both sci-fi classics.

 

I also watched North Face which is a very solid mountain climbing suspense film. That will be hitting the art theaters soon and likely will be out on DVD this Summer. More on that elsewhere.

 

Robert

[Principessa21]

I'm working my way through the 1967 show "The Prisoner." It was remade recently into a miniseries but I haven't seen that. I really like the show. Definitely quirky and the writing is great. It looks mod, but still holds up today.

[Godspeed]

Taking advantage of Netflix streaming, I put on Hoop Dreams tonight. A very good documentary that somehow wasn't even nominated for an Academy Award, it follows the tales of two inner-city Chicago kids from 14-year-old phenoms to their divergent paths to the next level.

[princeginterhallhelms04]

Somehow started watching "Everwood" it's an old WB show. Thought it was giong to be bad but it's turning out to be a pretty good watch..

[homer]

To quote Robert, it's been awhile....

 

The Man Who Wasn't There

This is a Coen Bros. movie starring Billy Bob Thornton and Francis McDormand. Some smaller roles filled by Tony Shalhoub, Scarlett Johansson, and James Gandolfini (along with some Coen Bros regulars). It was shot in black in white and mimics many of the noir classics of the 40s. It's about an everyman (Thornton) who gets more than he bargains for when he blackmails his wife's lover to invest in a dry cleaning business. I thought the cinematography was incredible. Terrific lighting and framing. I wasn't too keen on having Thornton play the main role but it might have been the slight southern twang he brings that didn't really fit the mood of the picture, IMO. All in all, the story was so so, but if you're a film geek you'll appreciate the photography.

[homer]

Triangle

 

A solid psychological thriller from British writer/director Christopher Smith. It's about a single mother, Jess, who is invited to go on a sailing trip with some friends. Once they get out to sea, their boat capsizes in a sudden squall. Shortly thereafter an old cruiseliner comes by and they hop aboard. The ship is apparently deserted but soon strange things start happening and people begin to blame Jess for all sorts of things she doesn't remember doing. There's not too many jump out of your seat moments but it's an interesting screenplay that leaves you guessing most of the way through. The ending ties things up well but not too tightly which leaves some things open to interpretation. There are a number of logical inconsistencies which keeps this from being an all timer, IMO, but it's still an intelligent and entertaining film. Worth a rental for sure.

[RobertR]

Been much too long for me. Catching up.

 

A Serious Man

Loved it. My wife is Jewish and explained some of the finer points, which made it all the better. The Coens are a national treasure.

 

Moon

2009 is going to go down as a great year for science fiction movies. This might be the best of the bunch. A fairly simple idea carried out with tremendous skill.

 

Paranormal Activity

The stuff going bump in the night was effective. The characters, especially the macho D.I.Y. male lead, weren't especially sympathetic though. It's a nice change of pace for the usual horror stuff, but nothing really memorable, IMO.

 

Sin Nombre

Terrific. A tale of hope and redemption, against long odds. Well shot and acted.

 

Fantastic Mr. Fox

It's nice to see animation with character. Heck, it's nice to see any movie with character. Every bit as quirky as Wes Anderson's live action stuff. I enjoyed it a lot.

 

An Education

Well acted. Carey Mulligan is terrific and was well deserving of her best actress nomination. Alfred Molina is very good as well. The period details are very nice to look at. At the same time, it's a very slight movie which goes in some fairly obvious directions. I'm kind of surprised it was a Best Picture nominee.

 

Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown

Good, but fairly routine and surficial look at H.P. Lovecraft and his writing. Skips over his Dreamlands stuff in favor of his more horrific material, which is certainly understandable but is a significant omission. Some nice art and some A-list talking heads, John Carpenter, Guillermo Del Toro, Peter Straub, and Neil Gaiman, among others, helps a lot.

 

My Dinner With Andre

An experiment in minimalism. Visually. The dialogue is as ambitious as any movie has attempted full of big philosophical ideas. And a bit of pomposity on the part of Andre to boot. Well worth checking out though if you're in an experimental mood.

 

The Informant!

I enjoyed it, primarily for Matt Damon's atypical turn. I don't know if it really brings home its themes and ideas about the lies we tell others and ourselves, but its generally fun.

 

Next up: The White Hell of Pitz Palu

 

Robert

[paul253]

Has anyone seen the movie Green Zone? Any comments on it?

[homer]

Robert,

Question on A Serious Man.....

 

Was one of the themes in the movie that if something good happens to someone, something bad will immediately follow? Just curious if anyone else picked up on that.

[RobertR]

While I can see that, I think what the Coen's are getting at is summarized with the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. While the questions may matter, don't expect a concrete answer to really know where you stand. As well as the idea that things are a matter of perspective, with the contrast of the two brothers lives.

 

I also think there's a case of cosmic irony at play. Most significantly in the line of dialogue, paraphrased "In this office, actions have consequences. Always."

 

Robert

[RobertR]

One I forgot to include:

 

Shutter Island

Most of the faults in this one I think are in the source material, although the final line from DiCaprio is an addition that I think elevates the ending. But, it's basically Scorsese channeling Hitchcock's Vertigo and Fuller's Shock Corridor into his own concoction. Well acted. Gorgeous to look at. And heavy on atmosphere. It's basically just a fun, gothic entertainment, with some ideas but nothing that's going to have you debating long into the night.

 

Robert

[RobertR]

The White Hell of Pitz Palu

Quentin Tarantino referencing this in Inglourious Basterds is the reason for this rental. Well, combined with Northface and an interest in seeing an historical "berg" picture. The first thing that needs to be said is that much of the cinematography is flat out spectacular. The mountain images are great. Like Kurosawa, they knew the trick to making a potentially static shot dynamic is to film it with wind, shadows, clouds, etc. And if you happen to catch an avalanche in action, all the better. The second thing that needs to be said is that it's easy to see why Leni Riefenstahl was a star before becoming an infamous director. She's a good actress, albeit the style is very melodramatic, she's very attractive, and she's very athletic. Sigourney Weaver is probably a good comparison.

 

The story though is really melodramatic. And the pacing is quite slow at times. The majestic mountain shots are a mixed blessing as the movie is peppered with them to the extent that it hurts the story. A skilled editor probably could shave off a good 20 minutes or more and help the movie. Certainly worth a watch as a good example of the genre, but there are definitely some caveats here.

 

Robert

[homer]

Question for you Robert (or anyone else),

Have there ever been any original American movies that were then remade overseas? Reason I ask is that I just watched The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (which is wonderful) and saw that David Fincher is remaking it for an American audience (which to me is pointless unless you hate subtitles since the original is so good, but Fincher is one of my favorites so......) and it got me wondering if it's ever been done the other way. There are countless European and Asian films which are redone in America ([REC] became Quarantine, Internal Affairs became The Departed, etc. etc.) but has anyone taken on an American film in a foreign market?

[gbpacker40]

Book of Eli - Worth watching if your into the Mad Max post apocalyptic actions, the premise of this one was pretty interesting and kept me interested for most of the movie. Worth a rent.

[RobertR]

Question for you Robert (or anyone else),

Have there ever been any original American movies that were then remade overseas? Reason I ask is that I just watched The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (which is wonderful) and saw that David Fincher is remaking it for an American audience (which to me is pointless unless you hate subtitles since the original is so good, but Fincher is one of my favorites so......) and it got me wondering if it's ever been done the other way. There are countless European and Asian films which are redone in America ([REC] became Quarantine, Internal Affairs became The Departed, etc. etc.) but has anyone taken on an American film in a foreign market?

There are rumors of a lost, Japanese King Kong. There's also the Spanish language Dracula made by Universal, which isn't quite the same as a remake.

 

The Japanese are currently remaking Ghost.

 

And, while not a remake, there have been plenty of foreign movies based on source material that also has English versions. Kurosawa's Shakespeare movies, for instance. Not remakes, per se, but obviously similar.

 

And, to be a completist, Turkish Star Wars.

 

Robert

 

 

[ILuvDaBush]

Wasn't "The Departed" called "Infernal Affairs"? Also, has anyone seen "Ghost Writer" yet? I hear great things.

[BrewCrewForever]

If you like simple comedies "She's Out of My League" is pretty good. Quite a few laugh out loud moments.

[greeg35]

"Legion" was hilarious. I laughed out loud several times. Other than that, bad movie.

[Godspeed]

Watched the steaming pile of mediocrity that was It's Complicated last night. Yuck.

[thebruce44]

Hot Tub Time Machine is ridiculously funny if its your type of humor. A few gross out gags, lots of swearing, but just funny funny stuff all around. The premise is stupid, but its worth a rental at the very least. Rob Corddry absolutely steals the show.