I purchased Saw last night on DVD, because everyone I talked to said it was "soooooo scary." I watched it, and to be honest, I thought it was a good movie. For a film that was shot in only 18 days, I liked it a lot. Now as for it being scary? I think the people who say it's scary really don't have a firm grasp on the definitions of the words "scary" and "disturbing." It's not scary by any means, but it was rather disturbing. Horror film makers have lost touch on what really scares people, in my opinion. Gallons of blood, guts, brains, etc. is not scary. You gotta be able to get inside the viewer's head, and f*ck with their minds. Sadly, that hasn't been done in a horror film since the 80s. But overall, Saw was a good film, that was disturbing, but not frightening.

This is one of my favorite movies ever, although I think it's the saddest

One of my friends made me watch "The Big Lebowski" last night. That was one of the craziest movies ever! Very funny!

I agree, disturbing but not scary. I got scared a couple of times when the camera sped up and that guy jumped out of the closet, but that's really it. A good movie though, and as you said, being shot in 18 days with a $1.2 million budget, it was pretty d*mn good

Gotti one of the if not the best made for tv
movie every it almost made me cry for him at the end of it. 8/10

American History X - (Kaye;1998;USA) - ***1/2
A former Neo-Nazi released from prison tries to save his brother from following in his footprints.
A powerful film every time I watch it. Edward Norton's performance from what I've seen. The direction is very good with a well structured B/W and color narrative. Great supporting performances from Edward Furlong, Avery Brooks, Stacy Keach, and more. Definitely in my honorable mentions of the best of the 90's.
Among favorites

I'm gonna give Chinatown another view tomorrow.

I just finished watching "The Gambler" from 1974, starring James Caan. I'm a little dissapointed...this movie was so depressing. He plays a college professor who has a serious gambling addiction; he's $44,000 in the hole, to the mob. He goes through alot to solve his problem, but he keeps gambling everything away. And then the end of the movie, things just gets really weird...I got confused and my roommates were yelling at me for making them watch it

I don't know why but I didn't enjoy Man On Fire as much tonight as I did the first 2 times I saw it. I was kinda in the mood to watch it, but it just didn't do it for me tonight. Still a GREAT movie, but it didn't have the same entertainment quality to me as JFK did for me yesterday. BTW, does anyone know if Man On Fire was based on a true story because of the end?

Considering it's a remake AND based on a novel, I doubt it although I could be wrong.

Wow, I had no idea it was a remake. Grazie DV. But if it wasn't real, then why did they show his date of birth & death?

Add more to the story. But still, I haven't seen it nor do I know if it's real, so I dunno.

No. It's based on a novel, by AJ Quinnell. And Creasy is actually the main character in a bunch of his books. I think he has about ten books, and Creasy is in about half of them. And Quinnell's name is actually a pseudonymn. I heard somewhere that the inspiration for Creasy came from some of his experiences, so it sounds like he was a former Special Forces-type, and that he lives in seclusion somewhere on the Mediterranean. I also think I read he is writing a prequel to Man on Fire with the plan of it being a movie as well.

--IMDB Board

Add more to the story. But still, I haven't seen it nor do I know if it's real, so I dunno. [/b][/quote]Oh man, my bad. I hope I didn't spoil/ruin anything for you

Team America World Police *** (1st Time)
2004, Parker, Ger/US
An anti-terrorist team recruit a famous actor to infiltrate an Arabic group in order to find the location of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
A puppet show presented in a deliberately crude way so that it is actually a technical triumph; the jokes are spread on so thick that nobody is safe, and it is all too knowing throughout of its own hilarious use of one cliché after another.

The Purple Rose of Cairo * (1st Time)
1984, Allen, US
In the thirties, an unhappily married woman falls in love with a film character, and then he ventures into the real world.
Patchy comedy, full of the director's typical nostalgia and embrace of filmgoing; but while Allen the director has never faltered, and Allen the writer may keep this going, Allen the actor isn't here, which fails to make it all that interesting.

I just watched Freeway, with Reese Witherspoon and Kiefer Sutherland. I got interested when I saw Oliver Stone's name in the opening credits and then I was really surprised when I started to like the movie. anyone here has watched it? I really liked the Scorsese-like violence in this movie.

I watched The Fellowship of the Ring tonight. I had been looking forward to watching it all week but again, like Man On Fire, it didn't do it for me and I don't know why. Even when it started I wasn't into it. Plus add in the fact that it's almost 4 hours, I was waiting for it to end. I was watching it with a friend of mine who's never seen it, but he fell asleep during it.

Just watched I Heart Huckabees. Yeah, I havne't been this confused about a movie since Vanilla Sky. So in case you're wondering, no, I didn't like it.

Chinatown - (Polanski;1974;USA) - ****
A private detective investigates a case that becomes much deeper and horrible then it seems.
Arguably the greatest Neo-Noir ever and a film that rivals most films of the Film-Noir generation. This complex film works in all directions with a great performance by Jack Nicholson. Definately in the Top 10 of the 70's and one of the best films ever. Everything from the direction to the cinematography is top notch.
#8

New York Stories (1st Time)
1989, Scorsese/Coppola/Allen, US
Three featurettes which have little relevance to the supposed setting: Life Lessons, in which a painter tries to live with a younger woman; Life Without Zoe, which deals with a 12-year-old rich girl's attempt to reunite her parents; and Oedipus Wrecks, wherein a Jew deals with his overbearing mother.
Scorsese experiments and fails with a sour romance story; Allen's featurette is merely an elongated sketch of a Jewish mother joke; and inbetween them, Coppola's short is a dreadful mess full of crass acting and a Godawful script.

Mick

man, Chinatown is really a wonderful movie. I watched it a looong time ago, and reading this review got me dying to see it again.

now, I just watched Hard Ball, with Keanu Reeves and Diane Lane. kind of a good movie, although it is a bit cheesy in the end. anyway, it's pretty entertaining. the funny thing is that I'm dying to watch a dozen of films that I'm sure I'll love but I always end up watching these ones that go on TV and that I never thought of.

I12, I finally purchased JFK (Director's cut) yesterday. Went to three different places and finally found one left at the Wherehouse. Can't wait to see it. It's been a while.

I guess I'm more picky of movies I want to own. I'm not one to buy a movie because it was good, but more because I think it was great. Another I want to get is James Deans 3 movies.

TIS

After you watch it TIS, pop in disk #2 and watch the deleted scene of Oswald (Gary Oldman) in the courtroom apologizing for things, etc. No historical grounds for how he felt before he died, but it's a GREAT improvised scene by Oldman.

I was trying to decide which to watch first, the movie itself, and then the bonus disc??? I assume you recommend the movie first??? How long is the bonus disc btw?


TIS

Movie first. I really don't know how long the extras are. I remember there is a documentory on it and it's great. They go further into it and even show the real video of Oswald's murder, which oddly wasn't used in the film to my knowledge.

http://www.dvdfile.com/software/review/dvd-video_7/jfk_se.html

45 minutes of deleted scenes sound good enough? I'm sure there's others too but I'm too lazy.

I finally watched Rear Window! It was on TCM which has no commercials; that can be nice for the entertainment effect, but not when nature calls... It's amazing what Hitchcock did with just that one location, and it had me literally on the edge of my seat at the end!

A bought The Deer Hunter this afternoon. I'll be watching it shortly.

That's GREAT news TIS! I really hope you enjoy it. As DV said, I'd watch the movie first then the bonus material. I wanna watch the movie with the commentary, but I've got so much stuff to watch and not enough time. Let me know how you enjoy it. How long has it been since you've seen it?

Clerks - (Smith;1994;USA) - ****
Two convenience store clerks go through problems throughout one day they aren't even supposed to be working on.
This and Animal House are the two highest rated comedies for me. Clerks never gets old. Its raunchy yet hilarious dialogue plays out perfectly and pretty much everything about this film is top notch. The only real problem with it is it's acting, considering it was just his friends in roles although their parts didn't demand a lot, improvement could've helped a lot. It's structure is great.
Among favorites

1. Clerks - ****
2. Chasing Amy - ***1/2
3. Mallrats - ***
4. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back - **1/2 - (the closest to mainstream) :-/

Gina, coincidentally I also watched Rear Window[ tonight, for the second time...

Rear Window ****
1954, Hitchcock, US
A photographer recovers in his apartment from a broken leg, and suspects a neighbour of murder.
Fantastically structured suspense piece--masterfully maintaining its building suspicion due to the beautiful handling of its restricted setting.

Mick

Mick, do you get TCM over there, too? Or did you see Rear Window elsewhere? TCM's having a "31 Days of Oscar," and they're showing movies that won Oscars over the years for various categories. They were doing the nominations for Best Director today. They had a commentary before and after the show, and it was mentioned that Hitchcock was nominated, I believe, six times and never won; they referred to him as going "0 for 6." However, I just looked some of this up, and it appears he was only nominated five times. Nevertheless, it was all very interesting. I think I previously read a review by either you or DV perhaps, and that further influenced me to watch it.

I own the film, Gina, and had recommended it to my dad, who loved Rope (1948). I also recommend that: one setting, James Stewart, a murder, a masterpiece.

Mick