http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV...0,214,317_.jpg

Watched The Front for the first time last night. Woody Allen as a cashier who fronts for blacklisted tv writers. Several people involved with the movie including the director had been blacklisted during the '50s. Also blacklisted was actor Zero Mostel who I wish had at least been nominated for an Oscar for his role in the film.

Saw Spring Breakers...what a time that was.

I want to see that pretty soon.




Zombies of Mass Destruction
http://imagethumbnails.milo.com/002/...87_trimmed.jpg

The social commentary on this zombie spoof film is well worth the watch.

There is a lovely torture scene that is just all kinds of funny. On one of the movie posters they call it a Political Zomedy and that's pretty damn accurate.

I haven't seen it but I saw a commercial for a 3D rerelease of the original Jurassic Park in theaters. I don't know if I give a **** about the 3D, but a chance to see Jurassic Park in theaters again has me wetting my panties.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...FL._SY300_.jpg

I don't own the Criterion Collection edition pictures, I taped the film on Turner Classics. Not much of a plot but I liked the cow-punk atmosphere. Stars Chris D. as a musician on the run from a local gang. Green On Red has a too quick cameo playing in a bar. Wouldn't mind renting the Criterion dvd to see the extras.

I finally got around to seeing it myself and I love the fact that the audience hated it also. Some huge sighs at the end.

The specific scene could have been slightly better. I envisioned it a bit different. There were events I wanted to happen that didn't and the slow motion shot would have made it look more awesome.

I ended up rolling my eyes everytime Gucci Mane opened his mouth.

http://geektyrant.com/storage/0999-p...=1358758027287

Really awesome. The cinematography was astounding and the plot was enticing. Starts slow but pays off.

9/10

Chan Wook Park's first english film. I can't wait to see it but I might have to venture to the city to see it.

I watched Oz. It was so good, I want to see it in theatre a second and maybe third time.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6...r54xo1_400.jpg

La Haine

Shame that Mathieu Kassovitz has made nothing but crap since this but at least we have a great little film like La Haine. I think this film is over-hyped a bit but in now way is a bad movie. It was interesting seeing Vincent Cassel in an early role and the ending was definitely worth the watch.

3.5/5

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pu...erros_3484.jpg

Amores Perros

Spanish for "Life's a Bitch", Amores Perros is a film from three points of view that intersect a bit but all have to do in some fashion with dogs. The director also made Biutiful, Babel, and 21 Grams and while I didn't feel this was as heavy as those films it's still a very tough watch in some points as you're going through some very serious situations with these characters. Definitely worth the watch because it's one of the better debuts from a foreign director.

4/5

http://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/wp-co...e-magazine.jpg

Skyfall

Oh my god what a gorgeous movie. Sam Mendes filmed a masterpiece of light and shadow and oh my god the color in this things. I'm going to show you a screenshot...

http://turntherightcorner.files.word...t-13.jpg?w=800

LOOK AT THAT SH*T. Gorgeous! And the whole movie is full of shots like that. As a person who has never explored the back catalog of Bond and never been really into the ones I've watched...all I can say is that this is a great action movie with fantastic acting from Dench and Bardem but lacking an interesting plot. Still, it was a great watch and may be a future blu-ray purchase due to it being one of the prettiest movies I've ever seen.

4/5

Yeah, we can thank Roger Deakins for that. It's a real crime that he hasn't won an Oscar for best cinematography.

Colour me intrigued, I had just kind of written it off as another Bond movie, but I love light/dark imagery and if the entire movie is full of shots like that then it may be worth a look.

Anyways I felt like watching an '80's horror movie last night, and luckily Netflix is full of them so here's what I watched.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

C.H.U.D.

Yeah the effects are pretty atrocious, even for the time (I mean The Thing predates it by two years and that is one of the best monster movies of all time) and the acting can be a little hashed out, but I have to commend the movie for taking a progressive stance and sticking to it. I love cult '80's movies because they are usually very critical of the practices and results of the Reagan era. C.H.U.D takes a very critical look at two topics many follows of Reagan liked to downplay, chiefly environmental degradation and urban decay, both topics I follow closely.

I can't say C.H.U.D. will change your life, but if you're into monster movies and cheesy '80's movies in general then it's worth a look.

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/8yS...ress-630w.jpeg

The Hunger Games
Netflix Instant

I finally sat down to see what the hype was about and since it just got released on Netflix Instant it came easy. This is a bit overrated. It wasn't a bad movie by any sense and I really should applaud it for actually breaking the mold that the Twilight series and other young adult adaptions formed by actually being a film instead of a piece of trash. The frantic camera work got annoying fast and I really didn't dig the story that much but Jennifer Lawrence was fantastic and the movie was entertaining enough to keep me interested in how it ended although it was quite obvious. I don't understand the hype but appreciate it for actually trying unlike Twilight.

2.5/5

http://agcrump.files.wordpress.com/2...pg?w=351&h=495

The Naked City
Hulu Plus

Classic film noir right here. The film is also a semi documentary in the way it acknowledges and explains how the film uses real shots of New York City and no sound stages. Having grown up in the suburbs of the big apple all my life, I appreciated seeing old New York through the eyes of an Oscar winning cinematographer. The story was not bad but definitely a basic "who did it?" mystery but with a great conclusion. Definitely worth the watch.

3.5/5

http://blueprintreview.co.uk/wp-cont...t-and-Bone.jpg

Rust and Bone
DVD

Very good film from the director of "A Prophet". The film might work better given no information about the plot. It certainly isn't a mind f*ck movie but more of an emotional ride that seems would hit harder with no back story. I will say that both leads were fantastic. Mathias Shoenaerts was just as good as he was in "Bullhead" which was one of my favorite films last year. Cotilard was also fantastic as always. I haven't seen El Vi En Rose but this is her best role I've seen. Definitely worth checking out if you can find a rental of it.

4/5

http://moneyteachers.org/images/V.jpg

V for Vendetta
Blu-Ray

One of the good number of films I've had on backlog for f*cking ever because I'm never in the mood to watch it. I was in a blu ray mood today and instead of re-watching something from my collection I decided to borrow this from a friend and give it a go. I was half entertained and half disappointed. This thing is on IMDB's top 250. Did you know that? Then again, so is The Hobbit but this film remains one of those mysteries as to why it's given so much praise. I think it's just a fan favorite. I can see why. Portman was great and Hugo Weaving as V was a perfect cast. His voice and personality was perfect. The story however just didn't grab me and I read that the original graphic novel was more focused on chaos rather than freedom. I feel that a movie about chaos would have been much better.

3/5

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DZfZFU43iC...net-poster.jpg

The Loneliest Planet
Netflix Instant

This film should be renamed "Hey, let's go for a walk. Oh look! Trees! I'm sad."

This is in no way a bad film because I like watching films that do something different but my god nothing happens in this movie. If I were to write down what happens it would fit on a page of marble notebook paper that 1st graders use to practice writing letters. It was however filmed in gorgeous locations which provided eye candy for people who like nature which should be everybody. I'm also a big Gael Garcia Bernal fan as this is the second film I've seen with him this week and is why I watched the movie in the first place. Only watch this if you like art films and slow slow SLOW SSSSLLLLOOOWWW burns.

2.5/5

IMDB also collectively thinks that The Shawshank Redemption is the greatest film of all time and that Fight Club, Inception, The Matrix, Se7en, Memento, and American History X are better films than Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Bridge On The River Kwai, Blade Runner, and Days Of Heaven, among countless other great films. It's a website populated mostly by people who know jack shit about cinema.

I agree with you but there are also some classic films on there that certainly aren't on there for being "popular". Most of them are older films but some great foreign films of the last ten years are on there. It's a flawed list that gets a few things right but wrong things VERY WRONG. Is every Nolan movie on that list? I love his work but really? Dark Knight and Memento and that should be all.

Honestly, I agree with several of the rankings that you just mentioned. The Shawshank Redemption and Memento specifically are great movies and literally every single film you listed is far superior to American History X, which I've always considered to be a great Ed Norton performance wrapped in a black and white Lifetime original movie.

Yeah, I give the list credit for at least having some classic art films on it (probably films that the Nolan crowd hasn't seen). There are some people who do know their stuff, but a majority seem to be people who have never seen a foreign film or one from before 1970.

And yeah, I'm pretty sure all Nolan's films are in the top 250 except for Following and Insomnia.

I like The Shawshank Redemption and Memento, but I wouldn't put either of them anywhere near my top 25 favourite movies of all time. Shawshank is too sentimental for me to appreciate as anything other than a very good Hollywood film, and Memento is just an interestingly-written, satisfying thriller. I'd give them both 8/10, but I think are vastly overrated.

I 100% agree with you about American History X.

Shawshank suffers from being on AMC every other day but it's one of the more perfect screenplays you'll see and Memento just changed the game on how to film a movie. I agree. They deserve their place.

It's funny how Shawshank's fortunes have changed. I remember when it came out I wanted to see it but missed it because it didn't do well and disappeared from theaters quickly. I eventually caught it a couple years later and loved it, then watched over time as it very slowly transformed from being this incredibly underrated and ignored movie into being a movie that everybody loved. It's kind of amazing that it's now topping lists and being played to death on cable.

As far as Nolan, I'd also say that Inception kind of earned its place. It was a blockbuster, but there was certainly a great deal more going on than your run of the mill blockbuster action-packed flick. It managed to be extremely popular, and make the average movie patron think at the same time. I think that it was important in that way, even if there are way better movies that are underlauded. Dark Knight and Memento also deserve to be on the list, but Dark Knight should not be as high as it is. It's just not top 10 material.

And, although I actually preferred the characters and story of Dark Knight Rises to its predecessors, I don't think it was the superior film, or as important in the grand scheme of things. Its being above American Beauty, Vertigo, Taxi Driver, A Clockwork Orange, and Amelie just doesn't sit right with me.

And All About Eve barely being in the top 100 with all of the other fluff on the list makes me pretty ****ing irritated with other peoples' inability to watch much of anything that came out after 1980 or so unless it's played to death on TV.

Amelie should probably be in the top 10 imo.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...one-Poster.jpg

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)

Wasn't my ideal choice for a movie, but I was outvoted, and one of my friends didn't want to see The Evil Dead. It was pretty pedestrian and I managed to figure out most of the jokes and plot points before they happened, but it was still entertaining in one of those mundane kind of way. Jim Carrey was pretty funny though, I have to admit.

Definitely. I watched it on a whim, and was completely awestruck. I spent months after recommending it to every single person I knew, if they so much as uttered the word, "movie."

"Movie?! Movie, eh?! Have you seen Amelie? Watch it. Right now."

Everyone says this but I completely disagree. The movie wasn't difficult to understand if you just pay attention to the dialogue, the characters literally spell everything out to you. I don't think I've ever seen a movie with that much exposition before.

All I had to do was type in Inception exposition on Youtube, and it comes up with a video that just shows Ariadne asking questions about the logic of Inception and the heist plan.

expoCEPTION - YouTube

It's a good movie, but it really isn't that difficult to understand if you can pay attention. People just say it is because they've never watched a difficult film before.

No, it's really not difficult, but there's seriously more depth and thought than your run-of-the-mill high-grossing film. It requires attention be paid, whereas I could comfortably chat through and barely pay attention to just about any other high grossing film without losing or missing anything.

I guess, but it didn't require a whole lot of mental involvement from me in terms of piecing the plot together. The only really confusing part was the very beginning, trying to figure out what's going on.

No, but I'm just saying. Your average movie-goer, who could be perfectly contented with "The Wedding Planner," "Avatar," "Titanic," - for them to actually pay money for and watch a film that actually asks them to pay attention is a feat.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...yL._SX500_.jpg

One of my favorite films from 2012 even if it's not Wes Anderson's best movie.

http://media-cache-ec2.pinterest.com...reek-3_600.jpg

Kudos for this splendid attempt! The book (by the same title) is indeed a daunting task to translate into another medium. Positively enchanting :)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...QL._SY300_.jpg

Million Dollar Baby
DVD

Finally got around to giving this the watch that it deserved. Every time it was on I couldn't pay strict attention to it. Wonderful film. 2005 was a weird year for film where there were plenty of good films but nothing absolutely spectacular. This is a deserving Best Picture of that year that could have also gone to The Aviator or in my opinion Kill Bill Vol. II. The three leads were all deserving of their wins/nominations and in typical Eastwood fashion the film was heartfelt, sad, and powerful. That man is going to make me weep a man tear when he finally goes.

4/5

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...eyeBm6eKdXKZjn
I was already aware that Ryan Reynolds could act outside of his Van Wilder and Blade:Trinity abominations after watching the superlative film The Nines which is an absolute gem and highly original and he is superb in this.

Apart from the obvious gimmick of the film just being one man buried alive in a coffin, I really wanted it to satisfy on an emotional and cerebral level and it didn't disappoint. The first 10 - 15 mins may be a little lackluster but the rest of the film delivers in spades, taking in everything from corporate company tactics to international politics with assuredness and believability. Anyone interested in films that work on a narrative level first and visuals second should see this. I was blown away.

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...h0vY-1N_FMS25g
A cheeseburger of the highest order. We lapped these underdog films up in the 80's so despite the awful soundtrack, billboard poster bodies on display and an utterly cliched storyline it still works a treat when you need to turn your brain off and watch a Karate Kid rip off.

Had a great weekend, and finally saw:

American Beauty
Scott Pilgrim VS The World

Thoroughly enjoyed both. It's about time I picked some good ones, since I have a tendency to recommend boring movies to my roommate, who mocks me relentlessly every time I want to watch something.

Maybe they just have really bad taste? What are some movies you've watched with them that they thought were boring?

American Beauty is just about my absolute favorite film of the past 20 years. I can think of a few that are pretty close, though, but as far as story, character, composition, dialogue...it's fabulous.

And Scott Pilgrim was interesting, well-done, and a great deal of fun to watch.

On the topic of Inception, I'm a massive fan. I think the level of complexity of the film is broader than being able to follow along the various levels and strategies of the heist. I love the details of it. Some examples that come to mind: Cobb's wedding ring being his real totem. The lightning storm in Limbo being the impact of Fischer getting defibrillated one level up. The heist being the subplot of the film. The idea that the antagonist and the protagonist are the same character.

I think a lot of its qualities go overlooked by people who scoff at it being a complex film. Complex films don't have to be difficult to follow.

EDIT: And going back a page, Amelie is one of my favourite films as well. Just beautiful.

Thank you; I think you get my point. It's not hard for someone to follow, definitely not difficult for a movie buff to follow, but its' being one of the top grossing films of all time and not complete fluff is goddamned admirable.

And I think there's a good chance I could watch Amelie every day of my life for a hundred years, and would never get tired of it.

Just watched Sucker Punch. Such a bummer when a film squanders a good idea by executing it poorly. What it attempted just doesn't compare to similar concepts executed by better films around the same time.

Finally got to see the "Athens, GA: Inside Out" documentary last night. Some good performances from the Flat Duo Jets and Pylon. Loved the interviews with the locals and Rev. Howard Finster.

http://cellsoftnet.com/MyShop3D/imag...0It%20Gets.jpg
I've seen it twice before, but I'm during an in-depth analysis of Jack Nicholson's OCD in this movie. I'm only ten minutes in and I already have over a page of notes on it. :laughing:
I'm so glad I'm able to do this movie, it really is a "laugh until you cry, cry until you laugh" kind of flick. Nicholson's character is the best/worst person I've ever seen.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...HL._AA160_.jpg

Might have been better without Keira Knightley's character or maybe based solely on her character. I thought it turned out too cluttered.