Worf101
09-11-2009, 04:57 AM
Playing "catch up" due to lots of work done on new album which was finally released (whew). Finally had a chance to watch some flickers.
1. "Inglorious Basterds" - A-minus - I reviewed this film in another thread and my choice of words started the "mother of all flame wars". Bottom line is I love it, best Tarrantio in years and would watch it again.
2. "The Changling" - B-minus - Good film, not a great film. Despite her Oscar win in the past I'm NOT sold on Angelina Joile as a dramatic actress. Intriguing story that somehow failed to engage me until the execution scene at the end. I never rooted for someone to hang before or since.
3. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" - B-minus - Comparisons to this film and "Forest Gump" are spot on and inevitable. Same sort of "sing song" narration over the most improbable and unbelievable stories. B.B. is only slightly less sacchirine than F.G., but only slightly...
4. "Advendtureland" - B-minus - Good "indie" film, unknown cast, good direction, decent story, resonates better with some than it did with me, but enjoyable "coming of age" movie for folks a little younger than me.
5. "Doubt" - A-minus - This was like Ali vs. Forman, Hagler vs. Hearns. Streep vs. Hoffman was a tour de force. Great acting, interesting story and something that made you think. Best performance of the film however was that of Viola Davis as the mother of the first Black student at school. Her performance had me in tears.
6. "Quarentine" - C+ - Better than average popcorn muncher. Soft spot for fast zombies, or infecteds or whatever...
7. "Go Tell the Spartans" - C - Been meaning to see this 1978 potboiler since I was in the Army. Decent story brought down by miniscule budget and no production values. The idea of a firebase with 20 men is ludicrous. You could see Golan, Globus developing their trade mark skills that would carry them onto many more trips back to "da nam".
8. "Miracle at St. Anna" - C - Worst Spike Lee effort in decades. He was a hired gun on this one but the problem wasn't his direction but the schizophrenic script. I read the book, the book is a mysitcal allegory about miracles and faith that defies translation to the screen and this is proved in sad detail. What should never have been tried.
9. "Defiance" - B - Had this film proceeded "Schindlers List" or a million other recent WWII flicks it might have had a chance. I personally was glad to see a film about Jews not taking it in the neck like lambs to the slaughter. In the end Schindler and the Belsky Brothers saved about the same number from the gas chambers, but the Belsky had a lot more fun doing it. What you learned, and what I suspected, was that there was quite a difference of attitude between rurual, working class Jews and the citied intelligensia concerning fighting to stay alive.
10. "Taken" - B-minus - An interesting and enjoyable film with a great job of acting by Liam Neeson who rarely disapponts. While the search for his daughter was riveting how he got out of France after 3 days or rampage, murder and ruin would've made for a much more interesting movie!!!!
Sorry so many at once.
Da Worfster
1. "Inglorious Basterds" - A-minus - I reviewed this film in another thread and my choice of words started the "mother of all flame wars". Bottom line is I love it, best Tarrantio in years and would watch it again.
2. "The Changling" - B-minus - Good film, not a great film. Despite her Oscar win in the past I'm NOT sold on Angelina Joile as a dramatic actress. Intriguing story that somehow failed to engage me until the execution scene at the end. I never rooted for someone to hang before or since.
3. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" - B-minus - Comparisons to this film and "Forest Gump" are spot on and inevitable. Same sort of "sing song" narration over the most improbable and unbelievable stories. B.B. is only slightly less sacchirine than F.G., but only slightly...
4. "Advendtureland" - B-minus - Good "indie" film, unknown cast, good direction, decent story, resonates better with some than it did with me, but enjoyable "coming of age" movie for folks a little younger than me.
5. "Doubt" - A-minus - This was like Ali vs. Forman, Hagler vs. Hearns. Streep vs. Hoffman was a tour de force. Great acting, interesting story and something that made you think. Best performance of the film however was that of Viola Davis as the mother of the first Black student at school. Her performance had me in tears.
6. "Quarentine" - C+ - Better than average popcorn muncher. Soft spot for fast zombies, or infecteds or whatever...
7. "Go Tell the Spartans" - C - Been meaning to see this 1978 potboiler since I was in the Army. Decent story brought down by miniscule budget and no production values. The idea of a firebase with 20 men is ludicrous. You could see Golan, Globus developing their trade mark skills that would carry them onto many more trips back to "da nam".
8. "Miracle at St. Anna" - C - Worst Spike Lee effort in decades. He was a hired gun on this one but the problem wasn't his direction but the schizophrenic script. I read the book, the book is a mysitcal allegory about miracles and faith that defies translation to the screen and this is proved in sad detail. What should never have been tried.
9. "Defiance" - B - Had this film proceeded "Schindlers List" or a million other recent WWII flicks it might have had a chance. I personally was glad to see a film about Jews not taking it in the neck like lambs to the slaughter. In the end Schindler and the Belsky Brothers saved about the same number from the gas chambers, but the Belsky had a lot more fun doing it. What you learned, and what I suspected, was that there was quite a difference of attitude between rurual, working class Jews and the citied intelligensia concerning fighting to stay alive.
10. "Taken" - B-minus - An interesting and enjoyable film with a great job of acting by Liam Neeson who rarely disapponts. While the search for his daughter was riveting how he got out of France after 3 days or rampage, murder and ruin would've made for a much more interesting movie!!!!
Sorry so many at once.
Da Worfster