Movies, Movies, Movies.....

[Double0Kevin]

Saw Oz today. It was ok. I don't think James Franco was a good choice for the roll. He was cheesy and unbelievable (even in a fantasy movie). Also, as much as this pains me to say, Mila Kunis was a major weak point in the film. She was very robotic in her delivery and her storyline was seriously forced. She went from one end of the spectrum to the other with little reason behind it. And *spoiler alert* her whole falling in love with James Franco over the course of one night and then getting so upset she allows herself to become the iconic Wicked Witch of the West just seems like such a weak back story. They should have played out the her falling in love throughout the movie and save her becoming the Wicked Witch for the big finale. It would have made for a better overall film.

 

That said, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weiss were awesome, as well as the China Girl and the monkey (forget the name). The finale that did happen was pretty satisfying. 3D was pretty good too, it's one of the films worth seeing in it; especially for the beginning when the frame was smaller than the screen so the effect was allowed to come out of the frame. It looked cool. I would see it again, but not in theaters.

[onewheeled999]

Just finished A Perfect Witness after it was recommended by someone on Reddit.

 

I'm... not sure what I just watched. Was it a psychological thriller? Was it a black comedy? Was it a crime drama? Was it a dance flick? I don't even know. All I'm sure of is that it was engrossing as all get out for the first hour, until it fell flat on its face and just sort of dragged along with sparks of hope for the remaining 30 minutes. Climax? Proper ending? This movie doesn't even care. It does its own thing.

 

I will say, though, the performances from the two leads were sublime, especially the unpredictable David Hyde Pierce. As well, the music and camerawork, while simple, were really effective considering the ever-shifting tone of the film.

 

I'll give this one a day to settle in before I make my final opinion.

[jray21]

Saw a few movies this past week.

 

Dark Skies - I was surprised, and really enjoyed it. It's Paranormal Activity/Amityville Horror with aliens. It was a pretty good mix of scary house and scary aliens.

 

Jack The Giant Slayer - Pretty corny, but not bad. I didn't like Davy Jones (from Pirates) as one of the voices. I couldn't help but constantly think of Pirates while watching it. I think they did a good job adapting the fairytale to an action movie. It could have been a lot worse!

 

Oz, The Great and Powerful - I liked it and thought it was a fun movie, but not amazing. I liked Mila Kunis before her 'transformation,' but she was terrible afterwards. I do think the acting could have been better, but it wasn't too bad. I liked the scenery (I liked Alice), and thought they did a good job with the story.

[cfc]

^I think the biggest problem for Kunis (or any other actress) is having to follow Margaret Hamilton--no one could play a witch like she could.

 

[Double0Kevin]

^ Very true, but for me it was that her transformation wasn't believable at all. One second she's this naive girl that falls in love with James Franco over the course of 5 minutes (which is tough because James Franco played a very unlikable character, I'm sorry, but I hated him) and then suddenly she is heartbroken because he left the palace for a day. And she just didn't give off a believable level of wickedness since you never really believed she had a reason to be wicked. I think had Mila Kunis and Rachel Weiss swapped roles, it would have been MUCH better. I can see Mila being great as a manipulative and seductive witch and Rachel would have done much better as the Wicked Witch of the West.

[cfc]

^The whole witch's backstory had a sort of "good side/dark side of the Force" thing going on. They really lifted from a lot of different movies to make this one.

[azza29]

So a combination of long weekend + heatwave + almost-expired movie vouchers saw me heading to no fewer than five films this weekend - a real mixed bag too!

 

21 and Over - I liked this, typical trashy boys night out flick but it was fun, and less of a Hangover ripoff than you might expect.

 

Broken City - loved it. Great cast, script and plot - Russell Crowe can't sing but he makes a good villain, and good to see Catherine Zeta-Jones get a role that's more than just window-dressing.

 

Oz the Great and Powerful - really wanted to like this but something just didn't click. As others have mentioned, Mila Kunis' character makes no sense - she's with the guy for what, a day? Then she's heartbroken when he sort of leaves her and without even asking him what's going on she bites the apple and suddenly is evil incarnate. But I guess... women... right?

 

There was a lot to like about it apart from that, I thought James Franco made a great Oz and the visuals were stunning. Still worth a look but not the blockbuster Disney was hoping for.

 

I Give it a Year - meh. The worst kind of date movie, one that might leave your girlfriend wondering if she should dump you for some old flame. Funny in parts, but I'd give it a miss.

 

Cloud Atlas - I know, a little late to the party on this one but it only just came out locally. There were some great sequences but the story was largely lacking, and the idea that all these events across different time periods tied into each other wasn't as fully realised as it should have been. The story keeps you guessing about how all these stories intertwine, and doesn't resolve it - so basically for a 3 hour film the payoff wasn't quite there. Still Hugo Weaving as a nursing home matron is worth the price of admission.

[sfgam#1]

My sister got me tickets for an Evil Dead Screening tonight. I'll post my review sometime later.

[Homer]

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

 

So the other night I was at my friend's place and he raved that it was Netflix's best hidden gem... he wasn't kidding. This movie is honestly how you would do a horror movie parody. While it can be dark at times, the first half of the movie doesn't take itself too seriously when it comes to riffing at familiar horror movie cliches. The only bad thing I could say about the movie is that the second half takes itself too seriously and turns into "yet another horror film." But it's honestly well worth a watch, but your mileage may vary.

[sfgam#1]

I forgot to post my review here, sorry about that. So I got to the Icon theater and it was packed I wasn't sure I was going to get in, but no worry's I did. Now I was never really a big fan of the original, I just thought it was a pretty good movie. Now hearing about the remake a few weeks ago I didn't know what to think, the trailer was good but most remakes are god awful. Shockingly this is one of the best remakes I've ever seen. ( I'm going to try and keep this review spoiler free if you want to know anything about the movie just PM me)

 

Now the opening scene started with a huge bang and VERY cringe worthy, I was hoping it would stay like that through the entire movie and it sure did. Now after the opening scene you meet the characters get some dialog. Then once the Demon is released all hell breaks loose and it doesn't slow down. It just get's crazier and more bloodier. ( A total of 7 people walked out calming the couldn't take anymore) This movie is defiantly not for the people with weak a stomach.

 

Also, don't compare it to the original cause it's kind of like it's own movie but they're references EVERYWHERE to Evil dead 1 and 2. (you can even here the voices of some of the original characters) Actually I don't even think remake is the proper thing to call this movie. I think the proper term to call this movie is a re-Imagining. Also one thing people may complain about is the plot. It's NOT a smart plot it's a simple plot some friends to go a cabin, release something evil, all hell brakes loose, it's simple. Something else I liked was the score. Whoever composed that did a great job.

 

So yes it's an fantastic horror movie bloody, creepy, intense, and it has some of the best cinematography I've ever seen in a horror movie. I might even go see it again April 5th. I give it a 9.5 only because the creepy "We're gonna get you" Line is not in the movie. Don't forget ask me anything if you want to know.

 

EDIT: Oh yeah fans of the original make sure you stay after the credits.

Edited March 23, 2013 by sfgam#1

[jray21]

Good to know! I definitely will have to catch it when it's here.

[cfc]

Also one thing people may complain about is the plot. It's NOT a smart plot it's a simple plot some friends to go a cabin, release something evil, all hell brakes loose, it's simple. Something else I liked was the score. Whoever composed that did a great job.

 

 

As Joe Bob Briggs, the drive-in movie critic, used to say, it's classic "spam in a cabin."

 

Here's Joe Bob on the original Evil Dead. There are spoilers in this video about the old movie, once you get past the intro, by the way.

 

Edited March 23, 2013 by cfc

[sfgam#1]

^Lol, they're defiantly a lot of scenes that will stick with you for a while... I can never look at a crowbar the same again

[Simipour'sTrainer]

So this past week for Spring Break, I decided to give Rise of the Guardians and Frankenweenie a watch.

 

Let me just say, Rise of the Guardians is one of the best animated movies I have ever seen! The animation is incredible, the acting is great, and the writing is just superb! People have told me that this movie will make you feel like there's no tomorrow. And it definitely delivered. It has its laughs too, but this movie did an amazing job with making you connect with these characters and capturing those memories of when you were young and believed in Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, etc. In short, those heartwarming moments really tug at your heart strings. Highly recommend it to everyone!

 

As for Frankenweenie, I was surprised by how much I liked this movie. The last Tim Burton movie I saw was "Alice in Wonderland" and I didn't like it. But Frankenweenie was a lot of fun to watch. I love all the references and homages to the classic black-and-white horror movies. It's definitely a style-over-substance movie, but still enjoyable.

[Philrad71]

Being that I have beeb battling a cold I picked up last week and there is still close to a foot of snow on the ground, this was a great weekend to watch movies.

 

Went and finally saw 'Oz' today in 3D. Partner and I both enjoyed it very much despite the fact that the Wicked Witch of the West was nowhere nearly as well played as Margaret Hamilton - not that we were expecting her to be. You could see where Kunis was trying to hit some of MH's signature shrieks and gutteral growls, but she was no where near as sinister. Overall though, a very enjoyable movie with some very good special effects - especially in 3D.

 

Also watched 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' last night on Netflix. Very good murder mystery type of movie where you didn't have to ask too many questions when all was said and done. My partner and I both like these types of movies where the plot doesn't get so convoluted to the point where you are second guessing as to whether you may have missed a hidden clue earlier in the film!

[cfc]

^^I particularly liked Martin Landau's voice work as the "Bela Lugosi type" science teacher in Frankenweenie.

[Sir Clinksalot]

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

 

So the other night I was at my friend's place and he raved that it was Netflix's best hidden gem... he wasn't kidding. This movie is honestly how you would do a horror movie parody. While it can be dark at times, the first half of the movie doesn't take itself too seriously when it comes to riffing at familiar horror movie cliches. The only bad thing I could say about the movie is that the second half takes itself too seriously and turns into "yet another horror film." But it's honestly well worth a watch, but your mileage may vary.

 

So great. Glad you liked it.

[jray21]

Saw "Olympus Has Fallen" last night. It was like an updated Jack Ryan Tom Clancy style movie. Nothing amazing, but a really good action movie. Also makes you think if an attack like that could actually happen.

[_IntaMAN_]

Got a few movies at the library yesterday, gonna post a review:

 

FRANKENWEENIE:

I really liked this movie, very nice and it's one of Tim Burton's "funner" movies I guess you could say, I expected the cheesy Hollywood happy ending but eh, I really thought it was good.

Overall Grade: B

 

THE AMAZING SPIDER MAN:

Ok I really thought I would hate this movie, but I ended up loving it! The storyline ah least, Andrew Garfeild (or however you spell it) did a horrible job as being a nerd, which was the only thing I didn't like, but pretty good job as Spider Man. I think Toby Mguire did a much better role as a nerd. Other than that, i liked it.

Overall Grade: A-

[cfc]

Finally saw Wreck-It Ralph tonight, and the while the plot was pretty predictable (essentially "Toy Story Meets Tron"), it's easily the best animated flick Disney has produced in some time (and much more entertaining than the Oscar-winning Brave).

[azza29]

So I liked Les Miserables, but really only because I'm fond of the stage show.

 

Anyway I found this and thought it was pretty funny:

[Double0Kevin]

^ I love watching those. They are usually hilarious.

 

Saw G.I. Joe the other day. It was a big improvement over the first one, however still pretty far fetched. The interactions between Bruce Willis and the female character were hilarious. Not sure I'de ever see it again, but fun none the less.

Edited April 8, 2013 by Double0Kevin

[jray21]

^^That was pretty good, but I do love that movie.

 

Saw Jurassic Park 3D this past Thursday. The 3D was decent, but it was the 3D that goes in towards the screen, not out towards the audience. It still looked really really good in digital projection though. It really is such a great movie!

[rcjp]

^^Saw GI joe last week. Much better than the first one (in my opinion) and, overall, although it is not a movie with great reviews it does what it is supposed to: entertain people and I had a good time watching it. And yes, Bruce will has some funny lines.

[Double0Kevin]

^^That was pretty good, but I do love that movie.

 

Saw Jurassic Park 3D this past Thursday. The 3D was decent, but it was the 3D that goes in towards the screen, not out towards the audience. It still looked really really good in digital projection though. It really is such a great movie!

 

Are you saying you don't like that? I think the "pop-out" 3D is so gimmicky and should be saved for theme park attractions. The depth kind of 3D is awesome and add to the experience.

 

Saw JP in IMAX 3D today, it was cool... but I know why I don't usually see re-releases. It's just not the same seeing a movie you know word for word.