Alien
Scott; 1979

I really really liked this movie. I'm starting more and more to respect the science-fiction genre, which I had previously written off for the most part. Sigourney Weaver was great, as was the rest of the supporting cast, especially Yaphet Kotto. Great storyline, amazing camera work by Scott, as well as exceptional lighting, cinematography, and music, etc. Ridley Scott's direction and his creative vision really shine through. I actually liked this much better than Blade Runner, which seems to be more widely acclaimed.

All in all, Alien made a great package. I'm kind of surprised to see that the sequel is ranked as slightly better by most, especially considering it's directed by James Cameron who I consider a wannaba-Spielberg for the most part, but we'll see. I'm about to go watch that now.

But anyway, as for Alien . . .

4.5/5 Stars

Has anyone seen "11:14"??

It recounts a few events in a small town that all happened at the same time (11:14 p.m.) and are all intertwined. Its a (very) dark comedy that'll have you peeing in your pants, but yet amazed at how it all comes together.

Stars Patrick Swayze, Hillary Swank and Henry Thomas. Check it out!

Aliens
1986; Cameron

Well, my suspicions were confirmed. Aside from the opening 20 minutes, in which we are brought up to date from the first film, I hated this movie. I just really don't go for that brand of Spielbergian, summer action blockbuster type bullshit. It just doesn't interest me. Cameron effectively makes a different film with very little connection to the original. A big dissappointment.

1/5 Stars

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe ***

You'd think with recent successes of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Harry Potter franchise, and King Kong that the CGI would be better in this film. That was probably my biggest complaint with it

Budget difference?

Does anybody like the film "WHITE CHICKS"?

I just Watched Raging Bull. One of the best movies I have ever seen only movies in the same league are Taxi Driver, Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, and Goodfellas

i recently watch Mean Streets, And Munich Both were Great.

Budget difference? [/b][/quote]Yes, the Chronicles of Naria actually had a budget of $180 million while the last Harry Potter film (The Goblet of Fire) only had a budget of $140 million

Glory - (Edward Zwick;1989;USA)
Col. Robert Shaw is put in charge of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first to be made up of black men.
While this tends to be a good film, this film suffers from the overplayed musical score which has been used endlessly since this came out. This was my first viewing and at times it felt corny due to the overplayed music, which is otherwise very beautiful. The performances are very good in supporting the film, but I need to see this again on Widescreen so I can really soak it in.

Who the hell put up 180 million for Lion Witch and Wardobe? I was surprised it did as well as it did.

i was excited about that movie big i was disapointed. King Kong was o whole lot bettern then that medicore flim

Who the hell put up 180 million for Lion Witch and Wardobe? I was surprised it did as well as it did. [/b][/quote]Don't know. That's what IMDB says the estimated budget was. It made almost $300 million in the US alone, not to mention DVD sales/rentals

Thank You For Smoking ***

Probably the funniest movie I've seen in theaters since The Wedding Crashers or The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Another DVD to add to my collection in August.

A Clockwork Orange ****

Another film that I was lucky enough to watch on the big screen. Seriously, this is why I love going to the movies. To see it on a big screen and to get that "theater atmosphere" where people laugh at different parts, etc. Malcolm McDowell turned in the performance of a lifetime.

Manderlay
Lars von Trier 2005 Denmark / Sweden / Netherlands / France / Germany / UK (1st time; big screen)
Grace and her father arrive in Manderlay, which, 70 years after the abolishment of slavery, blacks are still kept as slaves…
The novelty of Dogville's minimalistic sets has worn off, it would seem, though von Trier is still able to accumulate and emotional and dramatic undercurrent as the film goes on. America is still his easy target, but this is a complex film, full of effortless shots and edits which evoke the rarest of emotions. It is at its best when confronting the complexities of its characters, such as when Grace masturbates over the black men we can see but she can only desire, or when she finally gives into her sexual urges and finds it as painful as it is pleasurable.

I'm glad you love this movie, it's one of my favorites.

It's easily my favorite Kubrick film, then probably The Shining and finally 2001: A Space Odyssey

Mission: Impossible ** 1/2

My first time viewing the original, gearing up towards watching the final installment probably early next week. Some good action/suspensful sequences. Not a bad way to start off the trilogy.

Clockwork is my favorite Kubrick film, with 2001 closely following it. Barry Lyndon is third.

recently they had the godfather playing at our movie theartre. i went to see it i like it better on the big screen.

Hey Hagen, how the fuck is ALIENS "Spielbergian"?

Well . . . .

I guess that maybe I don't really have any sort of license to call something Spielbergian considering I conciously avoid watching most Spielberg movies so I don't exactly have a lot to compare to, but . . .

When I used that word, I was implying that I was disgusted with this film's use of the mass-audience-appealing mixture of drama and comedy, and Bill Paxton doing a surfer accent and acting like a Keanu Reeves idiot, and people making jokes about a butch puerto rican lesbian, and all this stereotypical, action movie, summer blockbuster bullshit that is so against everything I find attractive or interesting about a movie. I was also disgusted by how much of a variance it was from the first film, which I loved. I thought they took something dramatic and thought-provoking and beautiful and turned it into pure shit.

So that's why I referred to it as Spielbergian.

What are your opinions?

I disagree. I love Spielberg.

Mission: Impossible II **

More and better action sequences with also a few more surprises. However, for some of the movie I felt kinda bored but the last 20-30 minutes or so were good

Paradise Now
Hany Abu-Assad 2005 Netherlands/Israel/Germany/France (1st time; big screen)
Two Palestinian male friends are chosen for a suicide mission in Israel the following day…
A rather lyrical and often tense film devoid of music, so it is presented rather coolly, and ultimately, to striking effect; the kind of film one could imagine Alain Delon in at his prime, though here, Kais Nashef, in the would-be Delon role, holds a complex, underplayed presence as the imprisoned male driven by his own determination to accept Fate. Its most poetic moments are when the camera lingers in silence on ambiguous faces, and tracks from a car a landscape scarred by politics and globalisation.

edit.

16 blocks *
I had absolutely zero expectation from the movie and watched it because the ticket was just 50 cents :p It was pretty decent in fact, though not exceesively loaded with action or twists, as one expects the movies of this type to be. Bruce willis is good as the honest cop, but Mos Def really acts well.

Hagen, I love the spirit, but I wish you would share this venom on more deserving pricks.

A good target would be the self-appointed Cameron-heir in Hollywood....MICHAEL BAY.

If anything, the shit you despised in ALIENS, Bay actually makes much much poorer use of it in his movies.

So yes, I like the hate, but Cameron isn't quite a right match for your venom.

Yeah I was reluctant to watch a Cameron film but I really would never even consider wasting my time on a Bay film.

May I ask how the ticket was only 50 cents!?