Irishman, I always thought of you as the LOTR buff, now I found this quote in last year's Oscar thread.

:p

The LOTR "buff?" Well, thank you. I assure you that I am NOT a "buff" on the LOTR movies (see the LOTR Question thread that I started). I'd say SC or someone else should get that title, but thanks. I do remember last year's Oscar talks and I stick by what I said then. However, I do like the LOTR movies (in fact I own all 3 Extended Editions). So, yes I AM the hypocrite. I have read the first 2 books and plan to read The Return of the King during Spring Break if time allows me to. But I am very much looking forward to reading and watching The Hobbit movie if it ever gets mad!

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1st time)

How was the movie Freddie C? Never seen it myself.

TIS, I just want to thank you for talking about waching JFK with the commentary on. It aroused my curiousity so much that I'm going to watch it with the commentary on on Wednesday, and then Thursday I'm gonna watch the special features (the documentary, deleted scenes, trailer, etc). I'll let you know how I liked it after I watch it of course. I kinda teased myself this weekend and only watched the first 2 minutes or so of the movie with the commentary on, but I liked what I heard so far (with how he decided to open up the movie with Eishenhower and all).

The Birds *** (1st Time)
1963, Hitchcock, US
A small town near San Fransisco is terrorised by birds.
Hitchcock at his most cynical. Patchily effective shock treatment with moments of excellence, though the special effects are now drastically dated.

Mick

Collateral - (Mann;2004;USA) - ***1/2
A relentless hitman uses a procrastinating taxi driver to drive him, while through the night, both are forever changed.
Mann always provides good visuals and dialogue that can take plots to a higher level. He and other's took the original script, and revised it into a very great movie. Many of the best stuff added by Mann. Tom Cruise is in his second best performance as the cold-blooded, but flawed killer, and Jamie Foxx in a very good performance as the cabbie who is going nowhere in life. Mann blends realistic action with drama that fails to be corny, along with good visuals and music to create the best thriller/action/drama of the year. It's flaw comes late in the film when it turns mainstream (office, not club). It ends on a good note in a poignant scene, but the few minutes that proceeded it damages it.
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The French Connection (1st time)

I liked The Bridge on the River Kwai. Now that level in "Medal of Honor: Rising Sun" makes more sense.

I watched Dog Day Afternoon on AMC Saturday night. It's now become my favorite Pacino film.

Better than Scarface or The Godfather? BLASPHEMOUS!

I've just watched And justice for all. Cant help feeling that Al was rather hysterical in his acting occasionally.

Not necessarily better, just my favorite Pacino role. GF is my favorite Brando movie, and Scarface....eh.

Oh man, Scarface is my favorite Pacino role and movie. Just his authenticity was OUTSTANDING in that movie IMO

I liked Scarface a lot, I found it entertaining, but I don't think it should be placed next to the Godfather as far as it being a classic is concerned. Good, but not great.

Dog Day Afternoon is better then Scarface. Sidney Lumet is a much better director then De Palma.

Exactly, Scarface's entertainment factor for me is ****. The film itself however is only a *** good movie.

I agree, I don't think the movie itself is as good as The Godfather in terms of being classics. Scarface could be considered maybe a "cult classic" but I was saying that Pacino's performance in both was better than his performance in Dog Day Afternoon

Just got done watching the movie "Saw". The plot wasn't at all what I'd thought it would be but I must say my jaw dropped to the floor at the end when the true mastermind of "the games" was revealed.

I must say the unexpected suprising ending rates with another....."Usual Suspects".

Yeah the ending was pretty sweet. I wouldn't put it up there with The Usual Suspects but definitely a nice ending and a good movie for the amount of money and time they had to shoot it. (18 days for $1.2 million)

I agree, I think Dog Day Afternoon was Pacino's greatest acting role, with the Godfather a very, very, very close second. I would put Scarface up there too, but not as close. I thought he was a little over the top, but of course, that's what makes Scarface such a good movie. It would have been boring if he hadn't been

I agree, I think Dog Day Afternoon was Pacino's greatest acting role, with the Godfather a very, very, very close second. I would put Scarface up there too, but not as close. I thought he was a little over the top, but of course, that's what makes Scarface such a good movie. It would have been boring if he hadn't been [/quote]I agree with them being superior to Scarface but The Godfather part 2 is Pacino's best acting. His most icy role that could not have been done better.

Last night I watched the film Turner and Hooch with Tom Hanks lol it was an easy watch :p hehe

Hearts and Minds (1974/Davis) 1st time

8.5/10

A heart breaking and teary eyed documentary about the harsh things that our government and troops did to the soutnern and northern Vietnamese in the Vietnam War. -Pat

The Battle of Algiers **** (1st Time)
1965, Pontecorvo, Algeria/It
In 1954 Algiers, terrorists revolt against the French Government.
Politically complex and masterly done film, an aesthetic barrage of visual realism and percussion soundtrack; it must be admired not only for capturing a sense of social upheaval, but for managing not to judge either of the sides it depicts.

Mick

Watched The Return of the King tonight. Missed about 20 minutes of it but still good. I don't know, the movies are good but I don't think they're great (like Godfather). But 1 of my roomates was saying how they should make a LOTR 2 as opposed to making The Hobbit. He was going to title it something like Lord of the Rings 2: The Lost Ring He said it would involve Sam b/c at the end of ROTK Frodo says that Sam's story will continue or something like that. I thought it was pretty funny myself.

I love Scarface. I think its a terrific film. But I find it harder and harder to watch each time I actually sit down to watch it. I don't know what it is. Pacino was excellent in it, and the end ranks among my favorite "action" endings. But something about it just doesn't do it for me anymore (Maybe its the fact I accidently bought the FF version instead of the WS version). It's still a great film though.

The Conversation - (Coppola;1974;USA) - ****
A paranoid surveillance expert suspects a couple he is spying on will be murdered.
One of Coppola's early masterworks. The story unfolds in a very easy fasioned but has much more depth with it. Hackman gives his best performance here as the paranoid surveillance expert. The story blends scenes that show the protagonist's flaws and go with the murder side of the story very well. John Cazale also does a good job in the supporting role. Sometimes it gives off a taxi driver feeling to the gritty feeling of the movie with the emotions of Harry.
Among favorites

Yeah, you should have DEFINITELY gotten the WS format if you're as big of a FREAK as I am about it. Literally, if a friend of mine has a movie in FF and we have it at work in WS, I'll rent it from work instead of borrowing it from my friend just to see it in WS (I did that with both Dazed and Confused & Fast Times At Ridgemont High). Are you a WS fan or no? Me, I LOVE the 2.35 ratio for the WS as opposed to the 1.85 crap. Scarface is 2.35 and I LOVE it so much! Still the best time watching it was in the theaters

I loathe FF. It trips me out when people want the FF DVD because "that damn widescreen cuts off half the screen." If they'd sit down and think, and analyze what they're saying, they'd realize widescreen gives you a "wider" view of the damn movie. I found a website to show one of my friends the errors of his ways, comparing the same screen on a WS DVD, as opposed to that same screen in FF. He still didn't buy it. I called him a moron. He thought I was playing. I meant it.

Exactly. The people I live with hate WS and all of their movies for the most part are in FF, while I on the other hand hate FF and all of my movies are in WS. At work some people say "Do you have this in FF or only WS" and when I tell them only WS they say "well that's a shame" or "that's dumb". I've tried explaning it over and over and I'm just to the point now where I say screw it. You've got your taste (no matter how ridiculous it looks) and I have mine

I really enjoy watching the "Back to the future" trilogy.Hours of fun on 3 disks

Body Heat ** (1st Time)
1981, Kasdan, US
During a particularly hot Florida summer, a lawyer begnis an affair with a married woman, and they plot to kill her husband.
Tense, knowing update of film noir and Double Indemnity in particular, with a certain steaminess accentuated by an abundance of sweat in almost every scene.

Mick