Movies, Movies, Movies.....

[Garet]

It's not a recent movie but I randomly caught In Bruges on late night korean tv, I'd seen it advertised a long time ago at UK cinemas and the synopsis about assassins hiding out after a botched job didn't appeal to me, I was quite surprised to find out it was a dark comedy and how much I laughed at some of the things in it.

[alilstronger]

When I walked into Frozen, I wasn’t expecting to be as emotionally attached to the characters as I was. It was amazing and it took me by surprise. None of it felt “forced” to me. But during Mr. Banks, it was like some guy tapping me on the shoulder the whole time “Isn’t this really sad? Isn’t it? Well? You’re sad now right? What about this part? It’s sad too!”)

 

I really think this is what made Frozen so good. Going in I thought it would be a story of prince finds princess and they fall in love (I do not read reviews). The twist on the love being a side story made it that much better. This way I believe more people could relate to it.

[azza29]

Good to see Frozen get a nod for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, definitely deserves to win.

 

But lack of a nomination for Monsters University is a big middle finger to Pixar, especially when the truly awful Croods got one.

[Joe Cool]

Saw The Wolf of Wall Street. What an epic movie, didn't want it to end!!

[Nrthwnd]

Saw Saving Mr. Banks this afternoon.

 

Very wierd feeling some times, when you've known the movie Mary Poppins

for so many years, and all the lines and songs with it, to see how things

sort of 'happened' and referring to past and present, connect the dots to the

eventual movie we know today.

 

I thought both Hanks and Thompson were great, and Thompson as Travers

(that's Mrs. Travers!) made me giggle through a lot of the scenes, at how

(most of the time) she was just possessive and critical of everything

everybody was doing for Mary Poppins. But of course, she came around.

 

We enjoyed it, and even got a bit teary eyed near the end.

And Disneyland in the 1960s was so cool to see! My first visit

there was actually in 1963, so this was a great park flashback to watch.

[cfc]

Good to see Frozen get a nod for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, definitely deserves to win.

 

But lack of a nomination for Monsters University is a big middle finger to Pixar, especially when the truly awful Croods got one.

 

Yes, The Croods received terrible reviews. Monsters University, while not the best flick Pixar's made, was good.

[jray21]

Good to see Frozen get a nod for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, definitely deserves to win.

 

But lack of a nomination for Monsters University is a big middle finger to Pixar, especially when the truly awful Croods got one.

 

Yes, The Croods received terrible reviews. Monsters University, while not the best flick Pixar's made, was good.

 

I was very surprised by this as well. I saw croods, and it really was terrible. I saw Monsters University, and while it's not the best Pixar film, I thought it was pretty good. Definitely loads better than Croods.

[Garet]

Good to see Frozen get a nod for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, definitely deserves to win.

 

But lack of a nomination for Monsters University is a big middle finger to Pixar, especially when the truly awful Croods got one.

 

Yes, The Croods received terrible reviews. Monsters University, while not the best flick Pixar's made, was good.

 

I was very surprised by this as well. I saw croods, and it really was terrible. I saw Monsters University, and while it's not the best Pixar film, I thought it was pretty good. Definitely loads better than Croods.

 

I liked monsters university far more than cars 2, did cars 2 ever get a nomination?

[alilstronger]

^ I could not even make it through Cars 1.

[onewheeled999]

I finished watching Apocalypse Now for the first time a moment ago. I'm gonna need a few hours to process what I just saw, but God knows I'll never forget it.

[tarheel1231]

I saw "Ride Along" today and it wasn't too bad. Not as good as Anchorman 2, but not bad.

[bert425]

Saw "Devil's Due" today, and enjoyed it for what it is.

 

I was very surprised that it's a "found footage" film -- something they seem to have hidden in all the trailers.

 

Think of it as "Rosemary's Baby" crossed with "Paranormal Activity"

 

everything is filmed from either camcorder (the main character holds), security tapes, or cameras that have been placed thru-out their home (tho no explanation is ever given how that footage could be used to show us the film we are watching.

 

 

the film has some pretty LARGE plot holes, but if you go into it just wanting a fun "devil cult impregnates woman with the Antichrist" film, this one does fit the bill.

 

the actors (and therefore the characters) are all very likeable, and the blood is kept to a minimum for the most part -- except towards the end of the film. (I believe the segment that caused them to release Unrated instead of rated is the "birth" scene, but that's a key part of the story, so I can see how the Producers would balk at trimming their one true "gory" element. . . so yeah, don't be fooled by that "NR". . it's really not that gory).

 

it IS full of creeping dread that slowly builds, so it's a good spooky film, and I did enjoy it.

[rcjp]

Just finished watching American Hustle 5 minutes ago. Pretty good, now I understand all of its Oscar nominations.

[azza29]

I love Mary Poppins, love the music, the film, the Broadway show, I even spent time in my life working on a project with the Sherman Brothers, so I can totally connect with the subject matter. But the emotional part of the movie just didn’t work on me. I felt like the movie was trying too hard to make me tear up, and every step of the way it just seemed overly predictable. Part of me wanted the movie to be more like the “Social Network” of Hollywood films telling more of the story about how the film came to be, and while I cared about the back-story with the father, I didn’t care that much as I needed to follow it the entire movie.

 

Saw the movie today, and I enjoyed it overall but basically agree with this. It's definitely P.L. Travers' story, much more than "the making of Mary Poppins". Travers was such an unlikable character on film (and apparently even more so in real life) that I spent the whole time just wanting her to sign the rights over and then go away so they could get on with making the movie. But Emma Thompson certainly played the role well, and definitely had some good lines in there.

 

I thought the production designers did a great job of making California look like rural Queensland and, a minor concern, but the accents were pretty believable across the board too. I also liked that Disneyland was used an incidental setting, without going over the top to turn the film into an ad for the park.

[bert425]

I love Mary Poppins, love the music, the film, the Broadway show, I even spent time in my life working on a project with the Sherman Brothers, so I can totally connect with the subject matter. But the emotional part of the movie just didn’t work on me. I felt like the movie was trying too hard to make me tear up, and every step of the way it just seemed overly predictable. Part of me wanted the movie to be more like the “Social Network” of Hollywood films telling more of the story about how the film came to be, and while I cared about the back-story with the father, I didn’t care that much as I needed to follow it the entire movie.

 

Saw the movie today, and I enjoyed it overall but basically agree with this. It's definitely P.L. Travers' story, much more than "the making of Mary Poppins". Travers was such an unlikable character on film (and apparently even more so in real life) that I spent the whole time just wanting her to sign the rights over and then go away so they could get on with making the movie. But Emma Thompson certainly played the role well, and definitely had some good lines in there.

 

Now, keep in mind, I LIKED this film, very much so. (and am shocked Thompson didn't get an Oscar nod)

 

 

It's not even Travers' story tho -- they omitted quite a bit of her personal story (as an adult).

 

the Filmmakers claimed that this was a certain time-period in her life, and therefore they didn't NEED to put in anything about her sexuality (she was single at the time), nor about her adopted child (whom she basically adopted with her partner, and then immediately sent off to boarding school).

 

yes, there was a throw-away line about her having a kid (when Disney asked her), and I DO think Thompson played Travers as a Lesbian -- it's there in the performance (Travers was actually bi-sexual, tho seemed to have preferred women). . but would have been nice if they *had* done a true bio-pic.

 

and from what I understand (based on the books this film is based on, the trip Travers took to meet with Disney was after she had already signed the rights, and she came to the States (insisted to come), so she could make sure they did it correct. So yeah, Holywood-ized to create the conflict of "she doesn't want to go" and "will she, or won't she sign the rights over?"

 

but regardless, it's a VERY good film.

 

I just think of it as something like "Titanic" -- based on truth, but with some Hollywood mixed in to make it a better film.

[SuperShawn]

It's been. A bit of a movie marathon Catch up weekend:

 

Kick Ass 2 - didn't like it as much as the first. Felt like the jokes and writing were a bit forced and too many things relied on rehashing jokes from the first film.

 

Monsters University - another solid Pixar film, not my favorite but did enjoy the story line and he it set up the original. Plus it had the best line ever "You should wake up embarrassed"

 

Frozen - beautifully animated with more broadway esq songs. Liked that Olaf wasn't an obnoxious side kick character. Just all around one of the more solid Disney films of all time, and in my option the best they've put out in recent years.

[cfc]

I caught 12 Years a Slave yesterday, and it is one damn powerful movie.

[alilstronger]

^ I want to see that!!

 

I finally watched Struck By Lightning this past weekend. I actually liked it a lot. I can see why it did not do well at the theaters but the story line really hit home for me. Rebel Wilson was funny as usual in it and I love her very short but strong message towards the end of the movie.

[onewheeled999]

I don't think I can do any better than the Netflix description for Sound of Noise:

 

In this absurdist comedy, only a tone-deaf cop can stop six renegade percussionists who use their surroundings as instruments to create sonic chaos.

 

It was... odd. I LOVED the music throughout the movie, and it ignited an interest in trash drumming/stomp music, but everything else was kind of janky. I'm not sure if I liked it or not.

[Nrthwnd]

^ janky?

 

That's a new word, for me.

[onewheeled999]

^ janky?

 

That's a new word, for me.

 

Heh, I couldn't think of a better word. It wasn't a bad movie, just bizarre. Some elements of the story were inconsistent or under-explained, and the pacing was a little odd, but watching it was just too much fun for me to care.

[805Andrew]

I finally saw Frozen today and I really enjoyed it. The animation was really good (and I saw it in 2D because no theatre by me was still showing it in 3D) as well as the story. Being that Frozen is Disney's biggest animated success in several years, I could foresee a Frozen attraction at a Disney park in the future, perhaps at the Fantasyland section of the Disneyland/Magic Kingdoms. I didn't realize that Frozen came out at Thanksgiving, and it's still going strong.

 

Saving Mr. Banks is a movie I'm curious about, but I would wait until it is available on Netflix streaming. Next movie I want to see is Wolf of Wall Street.

[Nrthwnd]

^^ Noted.

[robbalvey]

I finally saw Frozen today and I really enjoyed it. The animation was really good (and I saw it in 2D because no theatre by me was still showing it in 3D) as well as the story. Being that Frozen is Disney's biggest animated success in several years, I could foresee a Frozen attraction at a Disney park in the future, perhaps at the Fantasyland section of the Disneyland/Magic Kingdoms. I didn't realize that Frozen came out at Thanksgiving, and it's still going strong.

I saw it in 2D also even though we had the choice to see it in 3D. I personally just never "got" the whole 3D thing and it sort of hurts my eyes after a while. I thought the movie loved AMAZING in 2D and I just honestly don't even see the need for 3D, but that's just me...

 

--Robb "Frozen is a movie that didn't need a 3D gimmick" Alvey

[azza29]

Outside of theme parks, I'm not a big fan of 3D either, and I can't think of a movie I've seen where it's actually made the film "better". It's a gimmick, and is fine for something like Transformers or Muppet-Vision, but anything longer than 20 minutes and I'd prefer a 2D version.