And I agree with the Bond title sequences. They are becoming longer and more magnificent with each film, often with two settings instead of the usual one. Alas, the rest of the film cannot sustain the excitement they have to offer. A grittier outing is needed, I feel. That could have to do with who they cast as the new Bond.

Mick [/b][/quote]My favorite so far is Tina Turner's "Goldeneye." I really need to explore the older Bond movies. I remember seeing Live and Let Die but all I remember is a gun that injected air into things.

Vanilla Sky (2001) - ***1/2
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
A young business-man jumps to conspiracy theories when an accident leaves him deformed, and later arrested on murder charges.

I feel this film is often under-rated, and over-looked. The performances may not be the best from its cast, but are none-the-less great. The story itself pulls you in, and is hard to break interest from. Cameron Crowe puts together a great film with a superb cast, an interesting style, and some pretty cool visuals; Not to mention the great soundtrack, compiled of modern rock which he opens up with Radiohead--my personal favorite, who were even later credited as composers--an original by Paul McCartney, and a beautiful finale with Sigur Ros. A very entertaining, and well put together film.

LLC, I too thought it was a great, new, original film, until I saw it was just a remake for American audiences.

Cruz plays the same character in the original. I have yet to see it.

Damn... That just kind of ruined it for me too. :p

I'll have to check the original out...

Sorry. It was ruined for me as well, but I still enjoy the goddamn movie. I like the final montage.

Yes. Sigur Ros's "The Nothing Song" fit perfectly, I felt.

I haven't seen Vanilla Sky, and hear it's horrible. I've seen Open Your Eyes, and it's great.

Mick

I thought you said a while back you thought you'd never forgive Cruise for Vanilla Sky, when you were referring to Collateral, I think.

Philadelphia

I had never seen this movie before and I was very excited to see it. It was good and very sad at the end but as a whole the movie wasn't as good as I was hoping for. Good performances by Tom Hanks & Denzel Washington as usual

I just got finished watching 2001: A Space Odyssey for the first time. It is quite simply the most beautiful movie I have ever seen. Definitely Kubrick's best.

Yeah 2001 is a great film,did you understand the ending ok,it dazzled me at first

Yesterday I watched six films. The first three I started at midnight and watched back-to-back-to-back; the other three I watched during the course of the day...

The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring *** (3rd time)
2001, Jackson NZ/US
Frodo Baggins, a hobbit from the Shire, must journey across Middle Earth with the help of an elite set of creatures to destroy an evil ring.
A terrific epic of a movie that fantastically ignites Tolkein's work into a whole believable world, with rich use of CGI and a compelling narrative.

The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers *** (2nd time)
2002, Jackson NZ/US
The Fellowship splits up to go its separate ways in order to give Frodo and Sam the best chance at destroying the ring.
The narrative is more segmented, and a mammoth battle substitutes for the smaller set-pieces of the first, but the directing is energetic enough to create the perfect atmosphere of a world in peril.

The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King *** (2nd time)
2003, Jackson NZ/US/Ger
As Frodo and Sam continue their increasingly perilous mission along with Gollum, Aragorn realises he must take his position as king.
Fantastically suitable and satisfactory ending, with dazzling special effects and masterful set-pieces making the experience as sprawling as any other epic before it. Direction, photography, costumes and sheer production scale totally transcend the genre.

Dear Wendy *** (1st time; big screen)
2005, Vinterberg, Den/Fr/Ger/GB
In a small American mining town, teens find comfort in old firearms, and form a Pacifist cult.
A serious film told with deliberate, matter-of-fact silliness; it is an indictment of guns in society, using America as the epitome of such cultures, and gains considerable, and surprising weight from its young cast.
My film of 2005, so far!

Brighton Rock *** (1st time)
1947, Boulting, GB
A vicious teen racetrack gangster marries the only witness to a crime he committed, in order to shut her up.
Wonderfully done, atmospheric thriller with moments of nastiness, and a clever final moment which was demanded by the studio when the original was deemed too dark.

His Girl Friday *** (1st time)
1940, Hawks, US
A newspaper editor tries to win back his ex-wife, who is re-marrying in twenty four hours, and get the new hottest story in town.
Fast-playing stage play adapted to the screen with wonderful wit and acting to match; the final half hour is a delight.

Mick

I thought you said a while back you thought you'd never forgive Cruise for Vanilla Sky, when you were referring to Collateral, I think. [/b][/quote]I would never have said that, Don V. I love Cruise.

Mick

I found it Capo, and I misread it. You were making a point against someone who voted against Cruise on the Movie Board because of his past roles.

Well, I was gonna vote for Cruise, but can't forgive him for Vanilla Sky.

To choose against an actor because of his previous roles is ludicrous. If we were to do the same for actors, how the Hell would DiCaprio make it?

Shane #69 on the AFI Top 100 List **

A pretty good movie but I was bored in parts. I think George Stevens did a better job with Giant

The Manchurian Candidate #67 on the AFI Top 100 List **

I didn't follow this story too much as I was very tired when watching it plus I was talking to a friend of mine during the movie so I didn't understand about half of the movie but from what I saw and understood I did enjoy it more so than I thought I would at the beginning and I'd definitely see it again

Citizen Kane

First off it is in black and white so I did,nt like that. In the begining of the movie I was cooking dinner for my kids and they were acting up so I did,nt pay attention. After dinner they went to play, so I started paying attention, but i got a phone call and forgot to pause.
I really did'nt understand what was going on after the phone call so I shut if off

This movie was not good

This has to be the worst post of all time.

basically you didn't see the movie you're reviewing and still say it is not good

Silence of the Lambs #65 on the AFI Top 100 List ****

A great movie with fantastic performances by Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins!

Broken Flowers - (Jim Jarmusch;2005;USA/France) - ****
After his latest girlfriend leaves him, a single man receives a pink letter claiming that he has a son looking for him. With the help of his neighbor, he goes on a road trip visiting past girlfriends to find out who wrote it.
A film that proves to be an excellent drama, with some nice humor in many scenes. Bill Murray is great, and makes me wanna see Lost in Translation even more now. The supporting cast is also very good. Jarmusch writes and directs a wonderful film that is constructed as good as it can be, from the great soundtrack to the ending, which avoids the average cliches of Hollywood. I wasn't expecting it to end the way it did, but it was perfect for the film. The best of 2005 so far.
#53

XXX: STATE OF THE UNION

Silly absurd ridiculous action sequel to an even more retarded movie. Its bad when a movie that has Ice Cube playing quite a lame action hero, both Willhem Dafoe and Sam Jackson are awful, and many plot holes that just defy the odds......its actually slightly better than the first movie. Yikes! Avoid it neverless!

Final Film Rating - *1/2 out of 5

THE BROTHERS GRIMM

Terry Gilliam is quite a talented filmmaker with many remarkables movies in his resume: BRAZIL, FEAR & LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, FISHER KING, etc.

However, the online reviewers are right: Gilliam's latest and so-called "studio job" isn't an awful movie...its just as mediocre and flat as a young girl's chest.

Nice visuals, but after the boring terribly paced 1st half, I was horribly bored. I mean, I dig Gilliam to hell and I was having to deal with one mighty "meh" of a movie. Ouch!

The movie does kinda pick up steam by the 2nd half, but by then its way too late. Still, Its not a terrible movie, just the sort of movie that after you've seen it, you can only say one word: "MEH!"

Final Film Rating - **/5

Citizen Kane is a masterpiece of trashy cinema. Orson who?

Jian gui/The Eye (1st time)
2002, Pang, HK
A blind woman gets a cornea transplant, and starts to see the dead with her new eyesight.
Glossy horror, nice to look at and not all that nice to watch; the characters are dull, and the visuals fail to sustain interest when the narrative is so lacking.

Mick

One of the greatest film there is

This calls for a little trivia question :

Can u find a connection between Citizen Kane and The Shawshank Redemption ?

(Not like the Kevin Bacon thingy where you connect the movies thru actors---try and find a different kind of connection)

Winner gets an orange

Havn't got a clue mate

Rita Hayworth (the actress from the movie Gilda the prisoners were watching, and first poster Andy gets) was Orson Welles' wife, who starred in his film The Lady from Shanghai

Interesting