I finally saw it last night on DVD and I agree with this synopsis.

Lilo, if you thought the theatrical version was too long, you should know that Affleck's original cut was almost 4 hours, and an almost 3 hour "Director's Cut" is available on the DVD.

I was a bit disapponted in the ending, though. I made sure I read the book first ("Prince of Thieves," by Chuck Hogan), and would have been happier with Hogan's grittier, more realistic denouement. By the way, I recommend the book wholeheartedly. Back in 2005, Stephen King called it one of the top ten books of the year, while writing for "Entertainment Weekly." I'm not sure if I agree it was one of the year's ten best, but it was definitely up there.

I'll check for the book, PB.
4 HOURS?
I'm lucky Affleck didn't have final cut option on the movie or if he did he came to his senses.

The Town was one of the newer movies that did sound good to me. I hope to check it out too.



TIS

Has anyone seen Hawthorne with Will Smith? I have a question about it

He's not in the show, Oli. "Hawthorne" stars his wife, Jada Pinkett. Will Smith is co-producer, and a colossal pain in the ass, if you can believe the folks at TNT.

I also just read that he's holding up "Men in Black 3" because he's currently under the impression that he's a more gifted screenwriter than the professionals. Tommy Lee Jones has threatened to quit. And Tommy Lee's resume speaks for itself. He certainly doesn't need Will Smith telling him what to do.

I always liked Smith. A lot. So I'm kind of disappointed that in middle-age he's become a bit of a bully.

Will Smith left Philly and never looked back. So fuck Will Smith.

Since this is my first post I want to say hello and thanks for having me here at these forums, I wasn't sure wether it was appropriate for a new member to post in this thread or not but I thought I'd share my thoughts on a movie I saw recently.

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

This is the first time I've seen this film, I've seen just about all the other big names in the genre but this film is one I never got around to seeing. I can't say this film is quite up there with The Godfather Trilogy or Goodfellas but it was a good enough film. Robert De Niro and James Woods were great in their roles as well as a small part with Danny Aiello, it's also nice to see Richard Bright in other films beside The Godfather and The Getaway, the one major flaw I can find is that while even though the cut of the film was the longest availible, it seemed like it was a film meant to be much longer than the four hours and something this version was, still it's definitely not a bad film and it was nice to see what Sergio Leone can do in the gangster genre.

In ranking I'd give the film 3 stars out of 4, although if they ever released a longer cut it would probably rank higher.

Ok, so this past weekend was a layback one for me. I watched two movies that I doubt I would have watched if I wasn't kind of bored BUT both ended up NOT being too bad, although both extremely odd. I never heard of either.

1. Roadkill (Chill channel)- Yea, I know. I though ok, one of these common themes on that channel were kids get stuck in some West Virgina backwoods and fight off cannibals. No, not quite. 5 kids in Ireland accidentally run over a witch who then curses them in the form of a huge bird that chases them down this deserted Irish road. LMAO. Yea, kind of dumb but not quite as bad as one might think.

2. Stuck (SciFI channel) Again, never heard of it. The guy from "The Crying Game" (Stephen Rea) was in it. This one is really really weird. In brief, a nurse hits this guy with her car. He's stuck in her windshield and she keeps him there without helping him for a few days, kind of denying it happened. The bulk of the movie she has the car parked in the garage with his body half in her windshield. Very creepy creepy movie.

Both odd films, but I finished watching both. I must have been bored. I kind of found both amusing in an odd way

TIS

I'VE GOTTA SEE THIS!

Vinny,

All the laughing icons is exactly how I saw this, although I followed the story, I kept chuckling and thinking to myself, "how weird is this."

This won't give anything away, but the movies starts with this guy getting kicked out of his apartment because he couldn't pay the rent; he had a job interview the same day and waited 3 or 4 hours and then they told him that his name wasn't in the computer and he had to redo the paperwork and come back. He had a grocery cart for the few things he grabbed from his apartment when he got kicked out and THAT'S when this woman hit him. Talk about a horrible day.

I'd like to know who thought up the storyline.


TIS

Ok, I found the trailer and it appears it's based on a true story??? WTF??

Re-watched "Plein Soleil" ("Purple Noon"), the original French version from 1960. Based on "The Talented Mr. Ripley," with Alain Delon playing Ripley. Georgeously photographed in Rome and southern Italy. Delon, impossibly pretty at 27, turns in a creditable performance. Good film, though Delon was better in "Rocco e Sui Fratelli."

When he begs to go to the hospital she tells him to go to sleep . I'd hate to be run over by Mena Suvari..or Mean Suvari.

How the hell could she drive with him stuck in there? Was she that shocked? This is wrong on so many levels .

With all this Rapture talk lately, I was reminded about a movie I watched a couple weeks ago (the first part of a trilogy), and saw the last two tonight:

Left Behind (2001)
Left Behind II: Tribulation Force (2002)
Left Behind: World at War (2005)

These are Christian-centric movies, but yet, they're made as mainstream features. If you want to get what the Rapture is (can be) all about in modern times, then take a look. I'm Christian (Catholic), so didn't take any offense at the scripture embedded within. These aren't the best movies ever made (nor the worst), but the subject matter is interesting, timely, and a bit inspirational. Sadly, Part III ended on a cliff-hanger, and IV has yet to be made as far as I know....

Watched "Easy A" last night. Although premise of the movie was a bit silly, it had very witty dialogue and some excellent actors. Some very funny scenes.

It's about a girl who lies about losing her virginity and soon finds herself labeled the school slut. To mirror the book she's reading in English class, she starts to wear a red A on her clothes. She finds out how hard it is to stop the rumor mill once it gets started.

Stanley Tucci, one of my favorite actors, played the dad and Thomas Hayden Church is the girl's English teacher. The movie was light and entertaining, sort of perfect for sitting around the family room on a Sunday night after a gloomy day.

just watched 'black swan', and wow that was a great movie. very entertaining, and messed up at the same time. the character's were good, even though i couldn't stand the mother.

I've spent the last few days watching "Benny Hill: The Complete Megaset 1969-1989".

Sometimes things you get a glimpse of as kids don't really hold your attention as adults. Thankfully this was not the case with Benny Hill. Although his show did include a lot of stockings and cleavage it was also more than that. There was quite a lot of wordplay, puns, satire and so on. Hill also had a huge debt to silent film and to Charlie Chaplin.

I liked the early years best. In the later years he just got sort of lazy and turned over huge swaths of the show to the Hills Angels dancers. Even so Hill and his team did a great job with humorous adaptations of "Carmen" and "Cabaret". Good stuff.

I watched Benny Hill in like 7th/8th grade, and thought it was hilarious. Now, when I flip channels and see him on, I watch for a few minutes, then keep going -- I just don't find it that funny any more. But I agree he was a true talent (especially for English humor, which is often lost on me ;))

I kinda wanted to see, but wasn't really thrilled about actually getting, 1776 (1972) in the mail from Netflix. For once in a week I had a night to myself so plopped it in -- all 142 minutes of it, assuming it'd be some corny, gay (merry) musical adapted from Broadway.



Don't get me wrong, I don't mind musicals -- Grease is one of my favorite movies -- but I underestimated this. I quite enjoyed it, actually! William Daniels (Knight Rider's KITT, Boy Meets World's Mr. Feeny (I was waiting for him to say "Mr Matthews" lol)) as John Adams and Howard Da Silva as Ben Franklin were terrific. And on top if it, I learned quite a bit -- those other signatures besides Adams', Franklin's and John Hancock's really came to life. Highly recommended!

One of the cable stations is always running "A Time To Kill" (1996)and it seems like it's always late in the evening that I end up watching part of it and falling asleep. Yesterday I caught it in the afternoon and I really thought it was a good movie. It stars Matthew McConaughey and Samuel L. Jackson and co-stars Donald Sutherland, Kevin Spacey and Sandra Bullock.

It's based on a John Grisham novel by the same name and is about A young lawyer defends a black man accused of murdering two men who raped his 10-year-old daughter, sparking a rebirth of the KKK. I was impressed with McConaughey's performance. I can't say I have seen many of his films but he always struck me as an party boy actor who took oddball roles. He was very good in this movie and the story was very good as well. I would recommend it for those who have not seen it.



TIS



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117913/

TIS, read the book if you haven't. IMO, it's Grisham's best. The movie was decent, especially Sutherland. But then, when isn't he??

Hi SB,

Yea, I might just do that. From what I know of his books that were made to movies, I like his stories. There was another film (the name escapes me right now) with Susan Sarandon who was a lawyer defending a young boy who witnessed a murder???? I liked that one too.


TIS

That was The Client. It's a good one, too. I believe the actor that played the boy died a couple of years ago. One of my favorite actors plays the bad guy in that one - Anthony LaPaglia. He's so young and thin that you almost can't recognize him!

Good film that babe.

Finally got round to watching THE BOY IN STRIPED PAJAMAS.

Very profound and very, very sad.......

That movie KILLED me, Yogi. I cried my eyes out. It's a well-known fact that I'm easily manipulated to tears by movies and TV shows, but that one was just too, too much.

The mother was very, very good. She was also in "Up in the
Air" with George Clooney, quite a different role. I almost didn't recognize her!

There may have been a bit leakage in my eye as well but i think i had something in it or something......

A speck of dust or something, I'm sure.

Me & Mrs. Mark just watched "The King's Speech". Great movie - very funny as well. I enjoyed the parts when he would launch into an almost tourettes like cursing verbal exercise! Very funny.

I couldn't sleep last night and turned on the tv to an old Joan Crawford (aka Mommie Dearest) movie called "Queen Bee." I loved the description of the film:

"Joan Crawford practically patented this role, where she plays a domineering woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants."

I wish I could have stayed awake to watch the entire film which also starred Fay Wray (from the original King Kong)

Anyone remember Mommie Dearest? And, what ever happened to Christina Crawford?

TIS

FX is showing "The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3 remake with Denzel Washington & John Travolta. So far it's pretty good. Anyone else see it? I've never seen the original so can't compare.


TIS