What Movie Have You Seen Lately? Good or Bad?

[Tee-Jay]

What movies have you all see recently? The last time I visited the theater, I saw this one:

Kinda controversial but still rather good. It has a positvie message within.

So what is good out there?

[emb021]

Due to the cost of going to the movies, I get a bit picky in deciding what, if anything, I'll go see. Is it a movie I *must* see in a theater, vs seeing it on tv, vs not wasting my time on.

The last movie I saw was "300".

It does have some themes I think do speak to us today. And, hey, if its success p*sses off Iran, so much the better. (if Iran thinks this movie is about them, frankly, it makes them look that much worse). People need to keep in mind that while, yes, the basic story IS based on history and much of the dialogue comes from the Greek historian Herodatus (so, no, they weren't funded by the US Government), much of the vision of the movie comes from the artist Frank Miller. And its clear that what we see is due to the telling and embellishment of Dilios.

Some great lines:

Xerxes (in the words of many tyrants): Cruel Leonidas demanded that you stand. I require only that you kneel.

Leonidas: A new age has come: an age of freedom. And all will know that 300 Spartans gave their last breath to defend it.

Dilios (after telling the story of the 300 to those preparing for the Battle of Palatea): This day we rescue a world from mysticism and tyranny, and usher in a future bright than anything we could imagine.

Also when I saw it, several people cheered and clapped when Queen Gorgo took care of Theron.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I moved this thread from the Living Room to here, but I left a link behind for now.

Michael

[Richard Uhler]

The last film I saw in a theater was 300. Yes, I loved it. I loved the visual texture of the film, and I have been moved by the story of Leonidas of since I was a teen.

The last film I watched on video was The Outlaw Josey Wales, which is an old favorite. "The few who stand against many;" I guess there's an obvious pattern in my tastes here...

[Victor Pross]

The Departed. It was a good film--not great.

[Robert Jones]

Black Snake Moan. Hmmm, looks interesting. Will see!

I saw 300, liked a lot. But most of` all LOVED Das Leben der Anderen. On video, just got Face in the Crowd, Rocky Balboa and Ran.

[John Dailey]

~ Kurosawa's RAN etc...not to be missed...nor to be watched/read only once (including his overly-long but quite seminal SEVEN SAMURAI.)

~ THE DEPARTED? Interesting and of course well-done, but...not worth a 2nd watch...ever. Costner's similar NO WAY OUT was more interesting, down similar (who'll find out about who, and who is really...?) lines.

~ A FACE IN THE CROWD? Super-'classic'. Griffith and Neal were great. Seen it 3x. 'Good ol' boy' he wasn't there!

~ As to BLACK SNAKE MOAN, hmmm...the poster looks like a cross 'twixt GONE WITH THE WIND and MANDINGO. Almost S&M-esque kinky. --- Since S. Jackson's in it, I'll check it out.

LLAP

J:D

[BaalChatzaf]

The last film I saw in a theater was 300. Yes, I loved it. I loved the visual texture of the film, and I have been moved by the story of Leonidas of since I was a teen.

That is the kind of Hero which Rand never addressed. I think she missed out on something. I don't think Rand was an admirer of military memes.

What I really wish someone would do is a motion picture based on Howard Fast's novel -April Morning-, the battle between the Minute Men and the Brits on Lexington Green. Every time I see Captain Parker's words (graven on stone), I get goose bumps: "Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it start here" Sigh! That is right up there with Molon Lahbe! (come and take them). But John Galt's -get out of my way!- wasn't bad either.

I now live in New Jersey (the bad-a-bing state) but my heart is in Massachusetts, the home of the American Revolution, before it was stolen by Washington and Hamilton.

Ba'al Chatzaff

Ὦ ξεῖν’, ἀγγέλλειν Λακεδαιμονίοις ὅτι τῇδε

κείμεθα, τοῖς κείνων ῥήμασι πειθόμενοι.

Go tell the Spartans....

Edited April 19, 2007 by BaalChatzaf

[Reidy]

Current and worth missing: Avenue Montaigne, Perfect Stranger. The latter probably won't be around much longer, so miss it now or you'll lose your chance.

[BaalChatzaf]

What movies have you all see recently? The last time I visited the theater, I saw this one:

So what is good out there?

The 1947 Looney-Tunes cartoon send up of Richard Wagner. Starring Elmer Fudd as Siegfreid and Bug Bunny as Brunhilde. This is pee in your pants funny. They do not make them like this any more.

Kill the waaahbit, kill the waaahbit (sung to to the tune of -The Ride of the Valkaries-).

Ba'al Chatzaf

[BaalChatzaf]

What movies have you all see recently? The last time I visited the theater, I saw this one:

Kinda controversial but still rather good. It has a positvie message within.

So what is good out there?

-Serenity-, the movie sequel to the short lived T.V. series -Firefly-.

The movie and t.v. series were created by Joss Whedon who created -Buffy the Vampire Slayer- for t.v.

The series is kickass libertarian disdain for a tyrannical superstate told from the point of view of those who fought a civil war against it and (alas) lost.

The main character is Malcolm (Mal) Reynolds, master of the freighter -Serenity- a firefly class space freighter. Think of Mal Reynolds as Ragnar Danesgold in a bad mood, but without the guns mounted on his ship. For the Objectivists here, note that Reynolds is totally upright and righteous man who is an atheist. One of his passengers is Shepherd Book, an itinerant preacher with a Very Interesting Past. When Shepherd Book starts to say grace at the table prior to the crew's meal Reynolds tells him that he is welcome aboard the ship but God isn't.

His crew and passengers are an interesting collection of characters to say the least.

Here is the IMDB page for the movie

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379786/

and here is the page for the t.v. series:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/

Here are the words to the opening song:

Take my love, take my land / Take me where I cannot stand / I don't care, I'm still free / You can't take the sky from me / Take me out to the black / Tell 'em I ain't comin' back / Burn the land and boil the sea / You can't take the sky from me / There's no place I can be / Since I found serenity / But you can't take the sky from me

This is kickass stuff and I am surprised it ever made it to either the theater or t.v..

Ba'al Chatzaf

Edited April 22, 2007 by BaalChatzaf

[emb021]

The 1947 Looney-Tunes cartoon send up of Richard Wagner. Starring Elmer Fudd as Siegfreid and Bug Bunny as Brunhilde. This is pee in your pants funny. They do not make them like this any more.

The classic "What's Opera, Doc?".

Its on one of the Looney Tunes Gold Collections. One of several sendups of classical works.

[Danneskjold]

Shooter, FREAKING AMAZING. I'm writing a movie review on it journalism right now. Everyone should see it. Just not if you don't like blood, lots of that.

[JanieJones]

the last movie I saw in the theatre was Grindhouse. I have never had so much fun at the movies. Just literally three hours of non stop entertainment. I preferred the second movie to the first but both were almost equal in quality. Quentin Tarantino has made two of my favourite movies, Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs.

I finally saw Elephant a few weeks ago. It was great but it disturbed me. As I am only 7 years removed from high school and 2 from university it really hit a nerve. Just thinking of it gives me the shivers.

Batman Begins as well. Not much to say, it was just boring and dull.

[BaalChatzaf]

the last movie I saw in the theatre was Grindhouse. I have never had so much fun at the movies. Just literally three hours of non stop entertainment. I preferred the second movie to the first but both were almost equal in quality. Quentin Tarantino has made two of my favourite movies, Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs.

I finally saw Elephant a few weeks ago. It was great but it disturbed me. As I am only 7 years removed from high school and 2 from university it really hit a nerve. Just thinking of it gives me the shivers.

Batman Begins as well. Not much to say, it was just boring and dull.

What is your opinion of Kill Bill (I and/or II)?

Ba'al Chatazaf

[JanieJones]

believe it or not I haven't seen either of them yet. I was really heavy into movies up until around 2001, then I sorta lost touch, I'm only starting to get back into them in the last 6 months.

Jackie Brown was terrible, though.

[Steve Gagne]

The Departed. It was a good film--not great.

Well, technically well-made, but talk about a malevolent universe!

I took my family. We all walked out depressed and disgusted. The only redeeming feature of the story was a conversation about it I had afterwards with one of my teenage sons (the lazy one who wants to quit school & work at McDonald's for the rest of his life...what a waste....).

"So, Arthur, what did you think about the movie?"

"I dunno. Kinda boring. Stupid, really."

"Do you understand what it was about?"

"No."

"What was the point of it?"

"Dunno."

"Well what happened to everyone?"

"They died."

"So what was the point of it?"

"Dunno."

"Well, the guy who made it seemed to say, 'Life sucks and then you die.'"

"Oh."

"How did I know that?"

"Dunno."

"Because I learned how to understand the "theme" and *plot* to a story. Where did I learn that?"

"Dunno."

"In english classes, when I read the stories and analyzed them, and took part in what the teacher was trying to teach!"

"Oh."

Now this kid, who had been trying for a "Failure of the Year" award, went back into his english classes after that, buckled down, and raised his grades from an F to a B. Not too shabby.

But I still thought the theme and plot of the story SUCKED.

Edited May 15, 2007 by Steve Gagne

[Barbara Branden]

I just saw "The Queen." Helen Mirren was, as always, spectacularly good, and the portrait of Elizabeth was complex and always interesting. But the movie as a whole was a disappointment. It was slow, and nothing in particular happened.

However, to interest me in an the Queen was an achievement. I was brought up by an Anglophile mother -- and every day in school we had to sing the deadly "God Save the King." Rebelling against my mother and bad music on principle -- I don't know quite what principle, but I'm sure there was one -- I thorougly detested the royals, and have not fully recovered from it.

Barbara

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I just saw "The Queen." Helen Mirren was, as always, spectacularly good, and the portrait of Elizabeth was complex and always interesting. But the movie as a whole was a disappointment. It was slow, and nothing in particular happened.

Barbara,

Kat and I just saw this on DVD. I kept joking with her about the earth-shattering plot: Will the Queen say something about Diane's death and go to her funeral or not?

(yawn...)

Michael

[James Heaps-Nelson]

The best movie I've seen lately is Fracture with Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins. A well-written script is worth its weight in gold. Anthony Hopkins plays a terrific baddie and I was actually surprised and could not guess the ending which is rare.

I also went to see Spiderman 3 because a classmate from college did the computer animation for this movie. It was a technology spectacle! The plot was so-so, but some of these movies are really becoming showcases for awe-inspiring technology.

Jim

[Jonathan]

My wife and I saw The Queen this past weekend as well, and we both thought that Mirren was very good.

The film got us to wondering when public recreational grieving began as a cultural phenomenon.

There are currently a couple of sites near our home where people died in car accidents at some point in the past, and their friends and relatives still leave mounds of flowers, cards, teddy bears and other assorted kewpies next to makeshift wooden crosses in the ditch. My wife commented that someone should come up with a safer and more dignified location where these people can go and pay tribute to their lost love ones. I mentioned that there used to be places like that called cemeteries and mausoleums.

Anyway, the first time I remember seeing masses of people making public displays of their grief by assembling heaps of baubles and trinkets in a place other than a cemetery was in front of the Dakota after John Lennon's death. Does anyone remember anything prior to that?

J

[emb021]

I recently saw Spider-Man 3. I had seen the first 2 in the theaters also. I love the work that Steve Ditko (Objectivist co-creator of SM) did when he worked on the character. I really never bothered to follow the character since then, tho I did get the stuff that JMS (B5 creator) did.

While I liked the movie, there were some problems.

* too many villians. Venom was added in as a 'fan service', and it might have been better had they left him out. Originally, it was going to focus on Sandman, a villian that is a bit more interesting, being more of a tragic figure.

* Gwen Stacy was wasted in this movie. For those who read the comic, Gwen was Peter big love after MJ. This was during the phase after Ditko left and John Romita was doing the art. Gwen was tragically killed when SM tried to save her from the Green Goblin. In the movie she served as nothing more then being 'the other woman'. I can only assume they were setting her up for use in a future SM movie (Sony is now speaking of doing another 3).

* Peter under the influence of the black symbiote exhibits a different personallity. More swave, more confident, more arrogant. However, the segment showing him strutting down the street ran a little too much.

* Peter takes off his mask way too much. In the comics, superheroes guard their identity very strongly. In the Spiderman movies, he's taking off the mask too much, and has let several people see him unmasked. Most likely to appease the needs of the actor being seen. Compare this to the Phantom movie, which did a better job of adhering to the 'rules' of the Phantom showing his face...

* Peter gets a bit too emotional at certain times. When I went to see the movie, this seems to turn off a lot of people. Guess they made them feel he was too wimpy.