If we have book recommendations, why not movie recommndations? This is more for me than anyone else. I need a place to look before I go to the video store; otherwise, I'll just wander around and end up renting something disappointing.
If you're so inclined, use the following format. If you hate formats, just give us a title and anything else you feel like adding.
FORMAT
Title:
Class:
Grade:
Formula:
Means:
Commentary:
Title is what the movie is called. If the movie is a remake, inclusion of the year it was made would be appreciated
Class is the same as Genre. But some movies are hard to classify in a neat word. I'd call Buffy the Vampire Slayer a Humor/Horror/Drama.
Next, all things considered, what grade would you give the movie? A? D+? C-. B- - ("bee minus minus")? Remember, a movie might get an F+ but still be hella fun to watch, thereby deserving a recommendation. Need I say Plan 9 From Outter Space?
A Outstanding
B Good
C Average
D Poor
F Phh!
The formula is a quick arbitration of what makes up the movie. Perhaps Jaws is Duel + Jacques Cousteau. Perhaps Fight Club is The Graduate + Heathers + (A Beautiful Mind / 2).
Yeah. I've got too much time on my hands. I don't sleep.
Anyway, next:
Suggest a means of seeing the movie. Possibilities:
See it big screen opening night
See it big screen
See it big screen matinee
See it big screen 99 cent discount movie / double feature
Rent it New
Rent it Old
See it on HBO/Showtime/etc
See it as the movie of the week
Watch it on a fuzzy, local channel when you're strung out at 3 AM
Don't see it (in which case, this isn't a recommendation...it's a warning)
Commentary: thoughts on the movie?
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EXAMPLE
Title: Changing Lanes
Class: Suspense
Grade: C
Formula: Tin Men + Falling Down - rewatchability
Means: Rent it new or old
Commentary: I enjoyed it. Not full of surprises, but it didn't strike me as mindless. The acting was adequate.
So LET'S HEAR THEM, PEOPLE. I'VE GOT MOVIES TO RENT.
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Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
I agree with you there, Lou. I wish you hadn't told me that.
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I just got back from Constantine, correctly pronounced ConstanTEEN, but the makers of this movie probably didn't read the comic.
Keanu, Keanu. What can I say? He's an extremely mediocre actor. . .which makes him an oxymoron, I guess, huh? As Constantine he was. . .mediocre. Keanu is Keanu in every movie. Except in Bill & Ted, when he actually showed potential.
For those of you who will see this movie, know that the character you are about to see IS NOT John Constantine. The guy is supposed to be blond and British, but that's a minor point. In this movie, Constantine is trying to get in God's good graces, which is total bull. The Constantine of the comic was completely irreverent, and he NEVER would have been trying to get into Heaven. And the shootout scene was a vain attempt at getting action buffs into the flick. J.C. is not a gun-toting dynamo.
Still, the movie wasn't too bad. I gave it a B- as a comic adaptation, and a B or B+ as a movie in and of itself. I wouldn't necessarily say, "Don't go see it." You might like it. It had some good things. I won't give any spoilers here.
I just had to raise my nerdy hand high and let everyone know that, once again, Hollywood has made a movie without doing adequate research. Thankfully, it wasn't the worst comic book movie every made.
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
You have to be kidding me 8O He acted through his ass in that flick (though I do love that flick :) ).
Anywho, I rented "Memories" from Blockbuster today. Talk about a mind fuck. It's three seperate stories: the first taking place in the future about these garbage men of space who go to answer an S.O.S and find an abandoned ship owned by a former opera singer who fills the ship with holograms of her memories. Some crazy shit goes on, blah blah blah... yeah.
Second one was about this guy who works at a medical testing facility and takes these experimental pills, thinking they're to treat colds. In actuality, it causes a chemical inbalance, causing his body to produce a sort of knock out gas when ever he pirsperates. And... some more shit happens, yada yada yada...
Third (and final one) is about this weird country in which everyone's sole purpose is winning this war that no one doesn't really know much about.
The first story, "Metallic Rose" or something, was the best of the three. That one I highly recommend. The second one, "Stink Bomb", is an "eh"; it was pretty good, but it was kinda weird. The third one, the name I don't even remember, was pretty damn stupid and pointless. You can skip that one (if it had lasted any longer, I would have exited out and checked out the trailer--which, by the way, they have the "Cowboy Bebop" movie on, which I love :D ).
So... yup.
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
I just don't see the appeal of this actor, other than sexual. I must constantly remind myself that my opinion isn't law. Okay, you're opinion has been duly noted, Adriana. You can't help being wrong. 8) (j/k)
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
Inspired by Adam's perhaps misplaced optimism I though I'd post this article from the BBC News website (reading what I have, I think I'll wait for Baz Luhrmann's version.)
I have to say it's kinda sad that so soon after winning an acadamy award, Halle Berry could have such bad judgement in choosing to do Catwoman.
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
hehe.
To be fair, my optimism extends to two things: (1) Angelina Jolie ;), (2) the portrayl of ancient warfare. When it comes to accuracy, I tend to go by what the people with PhDs who do the research for a living tell me. As far as what ancient warfare is like, it's supposed to be good. But that's all the good stuff we've had said about it.
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
Ok, so I've seen both the movies (ew i know, i actually sat through Catwoman)
Catwoman: By far, bar none, up there for the WORST movie ever to be made in the history of movie making (an that includes the ninja movie my friends and I made way back in the day ;)
it is just SO ridiculous. LIke its SO bad, that as I write this, Iwouldnt even know where to start critisizing it. Picture this: Its was SO bad, that it makes Dungeons and Dragons look like an Oscar winning piece of Cinema.
As for Alexander: well it was not nearly as bad as Catwoman, but like it wasnt very good. Its REALLY overly long, and like alot of scenes are completely pointless. On the plus side, they did have Alexander's boyfriend in hte movie (as his boyfriend, so props to that). But even with the homo-proness of it, i cant bring myself to recommend it.
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
Maybe flops can have a positive effect after all...
*Does mini dance of joy!* I've loved Baz Luhrman films ever since I saw 'Strictly Ballroom' I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for this one.
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
Yay for Down-Under directors. :D
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
8) i have no idea but i suddley just pictures agenst smith singing the supreams in a nice big dress aw i love precilla queen of teh desert i actuley cannot take guy perce serouly as a action star
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
For any sequel developers out there read this:
http://stuffo.howstuffworks.com/constantine.htm
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
Neat find. Those were nostalgic comic covers. Swamp Thing (after issue #20, when Alan Moore took over) was a wonderful, wonderful comic. It UNDERSTOOD horror. John Constantine was born in that comic. I loved him. I wore a trench coat for ten years because of that guy. I might wear it to Vegas--er, except for the heat.
Again, the movie Constantine wasn't terrible. It just irked me as an adaptation.
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
Well, I finally saw "Phantom of the Opera". Having seen the play and am currently reading the novel by Gaston Leroux, I'll try to give a good opinion.
Personally, I loved it. It's basically the same as the stage version but with a few added scenes, most notibly the graveyard scene. Emmy Rossum was an excellent Christine, though she can't lip synch if her life depended on it. Patrick Wilson as Raoul was practically flawless; hell, he blows away the Raoul that I saw.
As for the Phantom, played by Gerard Butler... I thought he did a good job. He's no Michael Crawford (the original Phantom), but he was pretty damn good for a guy who never had an formal music training. I do wish, though, that they would have taught him to hold a note better. He acting was excellent, no question about that.
However, here comes the inevitable note: he was too handsome to be the phantom. In the original novel, the phantom was truely frightening and in his mid 50's. Butler, however, is in his 30's and is, for lack of a better word, orgasmic. And the deformed part of his face? It just looks like he has 3rd degree sunburn.
Yet, overall, I loved it. I reccomend to all who loved the original play.
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
I just saw Mulholland Drive earlier today, and, well, it was a David Lynch movie. I wouldn't suggest it to those who don't want to go "what the heck?" at least once before the end. Also, if you're expecting dancing midgets, you'll be sorely disappointed. This is more in Eraserhead territory. However, if you're fine with incredible amounts of weirdness, go ahead and watch. It's worth seeing at least once, if not any more because it's too strange.
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
It's been a while since I posted a review here. So for right now, I'll say if you haven't seen Kinsey yet, go out and rent it now. For those of you unfamiliar: Kinsey is probably the most well known sex researcher in contemporary history, with his two principle studies (1948 and 1953) still widely cited and easily still controvertial (based on my own research, mainly because the results make people a little uncomfortable).
Not just for the subject matter, Kinsey is well-written, well-acted film.
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
Well I went to see War of the Worlds last night and I thought it was awesome! This is a great movie to watch at the cinema especially if you're an action junkie, there were more explosions and wrecks than you could shake a stick at - what's more the special FX were amazing, totally seamless and realistic that it wasn't even something you could pick out at the time. Also the acting was fantastic, the little girl who played Tom Cruise's daughter was so increadibly talented. The only downside was that the story wasn't particularly in-depth, more a tale of survival and family.
But anyway, if you're in the mood for high octane action and plenty 'edge of your seat' moments, then go see this film.
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
To be perfectly honest, I thought Morgan Freeman walked away with the movie. No offense.
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
Pah! All he did was read a script! He didn't even have to act!
Constantine, Oliver Stone, and those freaky Taiwanese
Addressing a few issues brought up in the thread.
I've got to disagree with the whole Constatine wasn't a horrible movie bit. I gave up on this film being anything other than a waste of liscence from the first trailer with that whole golden cruciform shotgun thingy, so I completely wrote off the film's having anything to do with Hellblazer. Fifteen minutes in, I was bored out of my mind. The pacing was like a stuttering Tourettic two year old reading some hack treatment of an abandoned Charloton Heston engine. The whole thing felt like Keannu Reeves' acting, actually-- wooden, forced, and far too slow.
I skipped out on Alexander. While I enjoy Oliver Stone's movies for the most part, I've gotten rather annoyed with his attempts at historicity. I love Natural Born Killers, Platoon, Talk Radio, and I even enjoyed The Doors and JFK, but any of his so-called historical films are chock-full of blatantly inaccurate nuts. Keep to hard fiction, Ollie.
On the up side, a Taiwanese horror film by the name of Shutter last night. One of the most frightening films I've seen in recent memory. It's in the ever-so-popular long haired asian she-ghost seeking horrible, bloody revenge, but it so kicks Ringu's ass. Some very effective scenes here, and a surprisingly well done twist.
Movie Recommendations (or warnings)
Here's one to stay away from: They Saved Hitler's Brain. It should be self-explanatory. As fr other sucky hitler movies, there's Flesh Feast, where a female mad scientist resurrects Hitler just to torture him, both physically and with incredibly sucky and unbelievable dialogue.
As for keepers, I can't help but suggest Dead-Alive. It's the only movie that brings shouts of joy to me just for a scene with a lawnmower, not to mention all the strange dialogue. ("I'm kickin' arse for the lord!" "That's my mum you're pissing on!" "Your mother ate my dog!"). Not for the squeamish, but definitely worth it. And it's by Peter Jackson, who also did the best ghost movie I've seen so far, The Frighteners. I think they used the house from Dead-Alive in The Frighteners, too.