Movies

[SoCalJoe]

Why start a movies thread you might ask?? Well it's almost twelve o'clock out here on the left coast and for some unknown reason (my wife would say it's because I'm a pushover) I agreed to pick up my daughter and her friends from the midnight show of the Hunger Games. The hype for this movie is huge and it's supposed to be really good, but not 2:30 AM good.

[DCHeather]

What a guy! Hope you get to sleep in today.

[SoCalJoe]

:handgestures-salute: What a guy! Hope you get to sleep in today.

Sadly that would be a no.

Samantha (my girl) gives it a big thumbs up. The midnight shows around town were packed last night. Sounds like it's going to be a megahit. Hunger Games over saturation coming to a town near you.

[HatterDon]

Heard a review on this movie from the guy on NPR whose opinion I value the most. He likes the look and the acting, but he had a LOT of quibbles -- too much jump cutting [a good thing on this site, but not in narrative movies], Lenny Kravitz in a role that would have been better suited to an actual actor, and the sanitation of the violence in the book. He said that the latter was probably to keep a PG13 rating, but that the effect was to reinforce to its teenaged audience that violence and death aren't messy and there aren't any consequences.

I'd be interested to see what grown ups think of the flick.

Oh, and it's ALWAYS a good time to have a movie thread.

[SoCalJoe]

We'll probably go see it w/our daughter (she wants to see it again) when they hype dies down a bit, and will give it a review.

As for the Hunger Games' star Jennifer Lawrence, I highly recommend people renting the movie WInter's Bone (she and the movie was nominated for a best actress/best movie Oscar). A movie set in the Ozarks that can be bleak and depressing at times, but is really redeeming because of her and the actor that plays her uncle's character.

[VegasJustin]

The last series to get this much hype was Twilight. I watched most of the latest Twilight and it was one of the worst movies ever! Oh man, was it bad. I am going to guess this movie will be no different.


I really can't wait for Prometheus. That movie looks like the awesome. Anything that is sci fi gets my attention. Can't wait for the new Star Trek either.

[SoCalJoe]

Went and saw an old fashioned 'double feature' aka snuck into the 2nd movie

I'm married to a horror movie connoisseur so I've watched far too many of them (95% of them suck), but Cabin in the Woods didn't. It's pure camp, gore, and makes fun of itself. Could of done w/more scares, but worth a rental if it's your bag,

Snuck into Hunger Games (and the theatre was still pretty crowded for it being out this long) w/my girls and had pretty low expectations. They were surpassed by an entertaining flick. It reminded me of a cross between Logan's Run and Running Man. It was far better than any of the Twilight movies (I know that's not saying much). Didn't find the violence made to be sanitized, they just didn't show blood splatter and heads rolling, but rather set in a world where killing is just part of the game. Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, and Stanley Tucci are all good, and Jennifer Lawrence is excellent. Watch it w/out expecting it to be ground breaking.

Just rented the latest Mission Impossible. I know Cruise ruined his career by actually expressing his opinions (you have every right to do it, but you also have to deal with the ramifications), but as action flicks go it was worth the rental.

[pettyfog]

I'll wait, as usual for the hype to quiet.. That means till I can watch it free and, as coincidence, remain free of expectations of any kind.

Good case in point as I write this....and here's why... Sandra Bullock had two movies out at same time time in 2009.
For one of them she won an Oscar and it was indeed deserved, in context.

For the other one.. she wont the Rotten Tomatoes Worst Actress award.. Which by the way, she had the good grace and humor to accept personally... and that tells you a lot. Some about her, more about the people who actually comment on movies; read the comments in the link!

- Which of those two movies will you watch more than once? That's easy.. It was labeled as romantic comedy and not one reference to 'farce' which is another name for life-parody. But it carried a whole bagload of 'messages' about the human condition. And why we shouldnt take anything all that seriously. It's how we survive.

Why all the pans?!!! I think..because those commenters recognized either themselves or someone they respected and it bothers them to have to think about how shallow and obsessed they are in their thinking, and how stupid they might look if they just were themselves.

I love and would like to spend some party or happy hour time with every character in 'All About Steve'
I dont want to be around those pretentious quasi intellectual mush for brains idiots who wrote those comments.

I would have to be careful of any small talk I made to avoid offending them. With the movie characters.. and PROABLY the actors who played them.., I could say what I think. Like I do here.. cuz really I dont give a shit what you think about my opinions and if you're offended, I just want you to consider them.
And that's why I love Sandra Bullock.. her infatuation with that narcissist punk Jesse James, notwithstanding. She really doesn't care.. she knows whats good and what isnt. Serendipity sez.. an Adam Sandler movie follows 'all about steve. Another guy I would love to be around.


Here's a hint to my thinking process about these lay cinematic experts as well as those who make 'message movies': What single subtextual message do Lawrence of Arabia, The Last Samurai, Dances With Wolves and Avatar have in common?
- What do you think those RT commenters would answer? My thought is most couldnt get deeper into it than the top layer.

[VegasJustin]

I am going to see the Avengers this week. I have had to wait because nobody wanted to see it and I hate going to the movies by myself.

My next movie after Prometheus will be Dark Knight Rises. The last movie was one of my favorites of all time. The bad thing is that Heath Ledger made that movie, but it's Batman and those movies are never horrible.

[VegasJustin]

I saw Dark Knight Rises last week. Great movie, but Cotillard was pretty bad in it. She plays Tate and does well early on, but she is bad at the end. Bane was a great bad guy and didn't make me miss the Joker nearly as much as I thought I would.

I want to see the Bourne Legacy. I love those movies and Renner has practiced Muay Thai so he should pull off most of the action sequences.

[jumpkutz]

Don't waste your time and money on the Total Recall reboot. Saw a sneak preview Thursday night and all I can say is...I'm glad it was FREE! Do yourself a favor and go rent the original with Ah-nold from 1990...you can't go wrong with Johnny Cab on Mars!

[MisterF]

Finally saw Dark Knight Rises. Was even better than I expected! Bane was incredible although I'm not surprised because Tom Hardy is a really great actor. Very impressed with Catwoman too. I went in kind of nervous about that.

Also, it appears Bane is a fellow Browns fan. Great scene.

[SoCalJoe]

Sometimes when you rent a movie with really low expectations you'll get pleasantly surprised. Snow White and the Huntsman was not one of those. Big Cherize Theron fan and she does her best to save this disaster, but it looked like the director was more worried about making out with Kristen Stewart off the set than what was happening on it. Stay away unless you are the type that enjoys bad movies to watch and make fun of.

Want to go see Looper, anyone seen it?

[tim]

Want to go see Looper, anyone seen it?

I really liked Looper; I avoided reading too much about it beforehand (try to do the same if you can) and thoroughly enjoyed the way the story developed. Solid acting, plenty of style, and suprisingly, some well-timed humor. I'm pretty harsh on movies, but this one I liked.

[MisterF]

Want to go see Looper, anyone seen it?

I really liked Looper; I avoided reading too much about it beforehand (try to do the same if you can) and thoroughly enjoyed the way the story developed. Solid acting, plenty of style, and suprisingly, some well-timed humor. I'm pretty harsh on movies, but this one I liked.

Glad to hear it! Been really excited to see this one as well.


I was several years behind, but finally saw Taken. Great action flick and it really makes me want to see Taken 2.