| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Recently Watched DVDs/ DVD recommendations
|
|
|
Member |
Comment |
Date |
|
|
|
SNIPER: RELOADED
As a big fan of the series, I was pumped about this one. I like how they tie them all together with the family connection. Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger) isn't in this one, but is son is one of the main characters. I thought that was a cool spin in the series. Overall, it's a great, suspenseful action flick. The whole Sniper concept is such a badass route for an action protagonist.
I recommend "Sniper: Reloaded" if you're a fan of the series or if you're simply a fan of action films.
|
05/10/2011
12:02 pm CT
reply +
report spam + |
|
|
|
|
|
THE HIT LIST. Cuba Gooding Jr. was awesome in this film! He plays a hitman, Jonas, who starts taking out Cole Hauser's coworkers/family at Hauser's (joking/accidental) request. The plot really begins when Hauser figures it out and tries to stop Jonas. Very suspenseful. I'd definitely categorize it as a "psychological thriller"
_________________________ ____________________
THE ILLUSIONIST. Created by a French mime, director & actor Jacques Tati in 1956. It was written as a personal letter to his estranged eldest daughter. It's interesting to note that before watching the film. Also that the main character is an animated version of Tati. Very cool film, it received Oscar recognition for good reason!
_________________________ ____________________
DROP DEAD DIVA. This was my gf's call. She's kind of insane about this show. That said, I have to admit that it's actually an entertaining show. Margaret Cho was my fav character on the show. Always got a kick out of her.
_________________________ ____________________ |
05/17/2011
3:46 am CT
reply +
report spam + |
|
|
|
|
|
The Green Hornet
Really enjoyed Green Hornet. I'm a big Seth Rogen fan, so I naturally enjoyed his performance. Christoph Waltz was also great; after watching him in Inglorious Basterds, I am convinced that he is the perfect villain. The one who really impressed me is Jay Chou, who plays Kato. He was hilarious! He and Seth Rogen made such a great comedic team.
The Mechanic
Jason Statham has said that The Mechanic is more grown up than his other work. I thought exactly that when I was watching the film. And I thought he played the role of Arthur Bishop perfectly. Likewise, I thought Ben Foster played the role of Steve very well. And the action - amazing stuff! I can't even imagine the amount of work and money that went into stunts and special effects. Great film!
|
05/24/2011
4:01 pm CT
reply +
report spam + |
|
|
|
|
|
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans - While Nicolas Cage is still Nicolas Cage, he actually turns in a rather good performance here going from drug-fueled delusion to concerned cop in the blink of an eye. It's still flawed but worth a watch.
House of the Devil - Not impressed by this throwback horror film. It moved much too slow for me and the payoff wasn't nearly worth the price of sitting through a boring first 3/4 to get to. |
05/28/2011
9:30 am CT
reply +
report spam + |
|
|
|
|
|
13 Assassins
Takashi Mikke's rare foray into the mainstream is full of reverence for the genre, and not just the original on which this is based. The ghost of Kurosawa and his Seven Samurai floats lightly over this, and the final battle would grace any of Akira's films. It's beautifully shot and the period perfectly rendered. One of the truly great films of 2011. |
06/01/2011
12:19 pm CT
reply +
report spam + |
|
|
|
|
|
Another Year
The more I watch Mike Leigh's films, the more I love his work. He is an absolute genius behind the camera. The first film I saw of his was Happy-Go-Lucky, another comedy, which I thought was brilliant. This film is a little more subtle in its brand of humor, but I thought that's what made it so great. Leigh has a way of making an otherwise mundane situation seem very interesting (if that makes sense). The character interaction is so interesting to watch. And further, each character has great depth. The viewer is able to infer a great deal about each character without explicitly being told his or her history. It's no wonder Leigh's script got an oscar nod (nomination).
Awesome film! I highly recommend. Just released on DVD in the US. Not sure about UK, though I imagine it's already out over there, as Leigh is a brit.
|
06/15/2011
8:58 am CT
reply +
report spam + |
|
|
|
|
|
I've been buying boxes & padded envelopes full of DVDs from eBay because I've gotten thoroughly sick of Blockbuster's excruciatingly slow exchange program and the fact that they don't have a lot of titles that they should have to mail out... and the local B-Busters don't have enough copies of the new stuff -- or much good stuff -- to exchange for the mailed DVDs.
So I just decided to buy them where it's easier to get what I want and pay the same or less than I would to rent.
I've been watching 2 or 3 DVDs a day to catch up a little bit...
Sometimes, though, I have to say, one should be careful what he or she wishes for...
I was so hot to see RABBIT HOLE: because of the way it had been advertised... and it's not a bad movie, but... It's a difficult movie, and enjoyment is not what comes from it.
Nicole Kidman is wonderful in it, of course... but it's a sad movie about a difficult topic... and I honestly believe that every bereavement support group should have a copy of it to watch and examine and understand, because there is at least one singular beautiful message in it... having to do with forgiveness...
But it was hard to watch and a bit grueling at times.
But there have been some wonderful movies / films, some a little weird and surprising...
This morning, for example, I watched a 1992 movie called The Harvest with Miguel Ferrer -- it was a funny & actually very sexy movie in parts. Miguel was only 36 years old at that time and he was the original sexiest man in his family at the time. Though he was looking out for his little cousin George (Clooney) even then as Clooney got about a 5 second part in the flick as a lip-synching transvestite dancing in a gold lame bikini... now THAT's a must see right there!
I've always loved Miguel Ferrer -- he looks like he stepped right out of Jack Webb's forehead and I think someone missed the boat by not putting him in the role of Joe Friday in a remake of Dragnet...
In any case, The Harvest is an actually engaging expansion of an Urban myth with the addition of a little mescaline, erotica, Steven King and Alice and Wonderland...
I liked it. In fact, I liked it a lot. |
06/15/2011
11:59 am CT
reply +
report spam + |
|
|
|
|
|
True Grit - Yes I saw this in theaters, but if you haven't seen it yet, this is one of the best westerns to come out in quite awhile. The Coen Brothers know their craft, and the casting is pretty much as perfect as you can get. All I can say is see this one now. |
06/15/2011
12:09 pm CT
reply +
report spam + |
|
|
|
|
|
Hawthorne Season 2. Jada Pinkett Smith plays Christine Hawthorne, chief nursing officer at Trinity Hospital in Richmond, VA. Hawthorne essentially runs the ER, so most of the department's problems, big or small, fall under the scope of her radar. Her personality is a big part of the plot, so the show itself is fierce just like her. This role suits her perfectly. I've always appreciated Jada Pinkett Smith for being such a tough babe. Mostly a serious hospital drama, but also with hints of humor. Overall, an entertaining and inspiring show. I have been watching Season 2, which just came out on DVD and Season 3, which just started on TNT. I recommend giving it a watch!
Breaking Bad Season 3. One of the best shows on TV. Season 4 is about to get underway, with Season 3 having just been released on DVD & Blu-ray. If you have seen the show, then you know how awesome it is. The plot follows Walt, a high school chemistry teacher, who is forced to use his chemistry genius to cook Meth after he finds out he is (potentially) terminally ill. He partners up with a former student of his and business ultimately booms for them. I won't reveal too much more because I don't want to spoil things for potential watchers. Season 3 was great and I'm really looking forward to Season 4.
|
06/22/2011
2:43 pm CT
reply +
report spam + |
|
|
|
|
|
Three of the many, many movies on DVD I've been buying and watching lately are The Way Back with Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell and Saoirse Ronan & others -- a fantastic film and I wrote and posted a review of it in here. I've watched it 3 times and have yet to tire of it. Really a great movie.
And there's The Other Man (see my review of it in here, too, if you like). I loved the movie and thought it had a lot more to it than I would have guessed before seeing it.
With Liam Neeseon & Antonio Banderas, a girl has just got to love it.
And I have such a good wise-crack about my ovaries wearing themselves out trying to spit eggs... but I'd best not use it.
Seriously, though, there is a lot more to the movie than a pile of farcical fluff. It actually has meaning to it and a mystery to be solved as it plays out.
The other one for which I put in a review was The Muse, with Sharon Stone & a cast of several other well-knowns, but I don't really know why I bothered... because it's 12 years old, and I'm wondering who cares about a decade + old movie, but it's kind of a light, cute & amusing look at the way things seem to work in Hollywood...
|
06/27/2011
5:26 pm CT
reply +
report spam + |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
