What I've Been Watching: The Catch-All Film Thread

Rented District 9 the other night. Not bad, but I think I'm glad I didn't pay theatre prices. I probably would have enjoyed it a little more if I was more receptive to the not-so-subtle sermon.

We did RedBox for that ($1). It was entertaining, but not very good and absolutely falls apart under scrutiny.
 
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I saw Cronos a few weeks ago, wasn't too bad, bit different that your average vampire flick.

I am also looking for the names of some old classics (i think) so I can possibly watch them again, would be great if any horror film buffs could help me out. The first is an old 80's/maybe early 90's werewolf movie. Basically it involved a large mansion and had a gun with silver bullets if I recall correctly. The only scene I am certain about was the very end when they were climbing out of a window on the second floor and one of them didn't make it and got pulled back in by the werewolf and then they jumped in a car and started driving and the WW jumped on the roof only to be impaled by the gate in the driveway when they crash into it. Saw it when I was very young and it was possibly the very first horror film I ever saw so it holds fond memories for me.

The second is a little more recent, probably late 90's and involved a sci-fi setting were prisoners are on a spaceship going somewhere and they get plugged into these virtual reality machines where they can live out their fantasies only something goes wrong and they start getting murdered (in both RL and VR).

The 3rd is a sleazy horror from about the same time period which featured blood sucking bats and a creepy old guy (may have been a vampire/monster) which a basement with a furnace in it. It also featured a shower scene and many more gratuitous shots.

Sorry this isn't exactly on topic but i've been trying to track them down for years and even scanned most of the movies on imdb (at least a few 1000 which matched my search criteria) to no avail.
 
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Daybreakers
An OK flick that attempts to give the standard vampire story a twist, but never really takes off. Not sure whether it was the script or the cast, but the performances fall flat. Borderline rental fodder. A little gory and has some pointless autopsy-esque titty shots, so use caution before bringing the family.

Book of Eli
Reminded me a lot of the Mad Max series for setting and tone. Denzel does a nice job. There are some improbable sections that are rendered completely impossible by a revelation at the end, but it's not overly difficult to just "go with it". Might be good enough for matinee pricing, but since there's absolutely nothing that won't play well on a TV, I'm going to tag it as a worthy rental. Not for the kiddies, BTW.
 
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It's "cloudy with a chance of meatballs".

An imho very good movie, with some party of criticism and some sort of darkness as well.

Highly recommendable ! :)
 
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Watched The Zombie Diaries today on DVD. Reviews seemed to be sooooo mixed for this one. It was either the worst Zombie movie ever made or one of the best (mostly the former).

And when I found out from a few reviews that the cover/back cover photos (which give you the impression the film is an all out action Zombie flick of apocalyptic proportions (well close enough) are actually NOT from the film and that it was an ultra low budget flick with more dialogue than actual zombies, well I was not expecting much.

But it turns out it was actually worth watching. It had a few predictable moments but it was an overall original take on the zombie movie. It is somewhat comparable to The Blair Witch in it's documentary footage style but only with good acting and a much better sustained and higher sense of dread & tension throughout.
 
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I've re-watched the original Dracula by Todd Browning, starring Bela Lugosi. Lugosi is great, but unfortunately the movie itself didn't age well. The first 15 minutes are still worth watching for the incredible atmosphere Browning created out of virtually nothing. Really classy. But after that the movie collapsed. Weak story, no suspense, no real climax.

The Christopher Lee Dracula series by Hammer is much better. Those movies still work. Excellent British actors (especially the legendary Peter Cushing), elaborate costumes and lighting and some violence. A bit slow compared to today's standards, but definitely still worth watching.
 
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Rented Fargo for our weekend diversion since it came up in conversation and I'd never seen it. I am now officially O.D.'d on the word 'Yaaaa…." and the Sarah Palin-esque 'you betchas' were funny as hell. Good flick with some dark humor and under the hood social commentary that rings very true.
 
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Fargo is an interesting film with superb acting. My favourite Coen brothers movie is still The Big Lebowsky, though.
I found the Blood Simple DC good but overrated. My 2nd favourite is Miller's Crossing. Probably not because the movie is better than their others, but rather because I like classic gangster films.
 
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Fargo is an interesting film with superb acting. My favourite Coen brothers movie is still The Big Lebowsky, though.
I found the Blood Simple DC good but overrated. My 2nd favourite is Miller's Crossing. Probably not because the movie is better than their others, but rather because I like classic gangster films.

Big Lebowsky and Miller's Crossing are some of my faves too.

Actually, I think I found all the Coen Bros. movies I've seen to be quite good.

No Country For Old Men was excellent. Have never seen Blood Simple though, but another early film of theirs that was great was Raising Arizona.
 
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I'm another fan of the Coen brothers, and I'd have to say that No Country For Old Men is definitely their best movie. I'm a fan of The Big Lebowsky as well though.

Fargo was good, I'll never forget the scene where Frances McDormand discovers that guy stuffing Steve Buscemi into a woodchipper.
 
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I've re-watched the original Dracula by Todd Browning, starring Bela Lugosi. Lugosi is great, but unfortunately the movie itself didn't age well. The first 15 minutes are still worth watching for the incredible atmosphere Browning created out of virtually nothing. Really classy. But after that the movie collapsed. Weak story, no suspense, no real climax.

The Christopher Lee Dracula series by Hammer is much better. Those movies still work. Excellent British actors (especially the legendary Peter Cushing), elaborate costumes and lighting and some violence. A bit slow compared to today's standards, but definitely still worth watching.

I've watched some of the Lee/Cushing stuff in recent years and still love them, but it has probably been ~25 years since seeing Lugosi's version.

But last year we watched Nosferatu (Max Schrek) with the kids, and that remains *amazing*.

We decided to dump Netflix and just use Redbox recently ... and this weekend watched Slumdog Millionaire and Paranormal Activity. Both were really enjoyable and well done.
 
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Taken is good. Liam Neeson really pulls it off. Make sure to watch an uncut version. I think the normal uncut Euro version was sold as DC in NA.
 
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Just watched No Country for Old Men and Star Trek this last weekend. I felt theyre both pretty overrated. Star Drek was one unplausible action setpiece after another, I should have maybe seen it on the big screen instead. I was literally groaning as they rolled out each new incarnation of the old characters. Truthfully, I thought it was pretty awful.

I'm gettin old and crotchety like the sheriff in NCFOM or something, I should have had a good time w/ Star Drek.

What's the big hoo ra over NCFOM anyway?? I mean, guy finds money, crazy killer does crazy things, some crazy violence breaks out. Some old sheriff mumbles and grumbles a bit here and there. The movie ended and we both looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders.... that was it?

Sorry, that's all that I got from it. It was alright I suppose, but didnt think it deserves the near-universal praise i see it get as something I'd ever watch again.
 
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Just watched No Country for Old Men and Star Trek this last weekend. I felt theyre both pretty overrated. Star Drek was one unplausible action setpiece after another, I should have maybe seen it on the big screen instead. I was literally groaning as they rolled out each new incarnation of the old characters. Truthfully, I thought it was pretty awful.

I'm gettin old and crotchety like the sheriff in NCFOM or something, I should have had a good time w/ Star Drek.

What's the big hoo ra over NCFOM anyway?? I mean, guy finds money, crazy killer does crazy things, some crazy violence breaks out. Some old sheriff mumbles and grumbles a bit here and there. The movie ended and we both looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders…. that was it?

Sorry, that's all that I got from it. It was alright I suppose, but didnt think it deserves the near-universal praise i see it get as something I'd ever watch again.

I have to agree :)
 
The book for NCFOM was good, haven't seen the movie.

But was definitely let-down by Star Trek, which felt like an average episode stretched over 2 hours. Heck, doesn't even stand up to the better of the Shatner-based movies ...
 
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NCfOM was great, maybe in my top ten. Some people just don't "get it" though, kind of like Pulp Fiction, most people either love it or hate it.
 
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Rented Inglourious Basterds this weekend and glad to say, enjoyed it a whole lot more than the last contemporary nazi movie we rented (Valkyrie with the unspeakably wooden Tom Cruise) This is the first Tarentino flick I've actually seen from beginning to end, and despite the too-graphic violence aspects, makes me want to go back and revisit what I've missed. In many ways it's a film-maker's film, a pastiche of a subject usually seen as too serious and daunting for pastiches (well, other than The Producers) and a supremely competent film on all levels. And Brad Pitt showed me once again why I consider him an actor and not a 'celebrity.'

Valkyrie sure left a bad taste in my mouth, glorifying guys who often were nazis jumping a sinking ship while painting the genuine democrats as stalling, hysterical stereotypes of ineffective "politicians". Very disturbing and distorted message even though I can see the fit with both Hollywood and Cruise traditions:p
 
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NCfOM was great, maybe in my top ten. Some people just don't "get it" though, kind of like Pulp Fiction, most people either love it or hate it.

Ditto - only I'd say top 25 :)

Really, it was a great film and the "old sheriff mumbling and grumbling" was some great dialogue. Loved the ending, too.
 
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