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Posted: |
Sep 18, 2010 - 11:18 PM
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By: |
DeputyRiley
(Member)
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Love Happens (2009) -- 10/10 I loved the show Friends but aside from The Breakup I am surprised Jennifer Aniston's still making movies so regularly. To me, they're all pretty much the same, her acting is pretty much the same, nothing new...but now I'm reminded of what she's capable of. Having said that, Love Happens isn't even her movie -- Aaron Eckhart shoulders the load, and his strong star presence and nuanced acting pull this movie off without a hitch. He, too, has done his share of disappointing romantic dramas (specifically No Reservations) but this was the perfect vehicle for both him and Aniston. I'm not sure if it was the movie itself, or a specific aspect of production, or if I was just in the right place to receive this movie, but emotionally it knocked my socks off. Anyone that delights in a film tapping into very true and resonant emotions would do well to check this one out. Eckhart really is a charming, engaging, and magnetic personality, and he invests a lot in this role, making brave choices emotionally and trusting us with his vulnerability. In addition to all that, I saw a performance by an actor I'd never seen before (or heard of) and I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for him in the future -- Dan Fogler: Additionally, I've always seen the character actor John Carroll Lynch in dozens of movies, but I had no idea he was capable of such powerful and devastating acting -- I assure you, if you watch this film he will break your heart (on the left): I *highly* recommend this film!
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Tonight's was DON'T GO NEAR THE PARK, a dull and silly horror movie that was originally banned in the UK as a video nasty. Not terribly good; it might go on my blog tomorrow.
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Posted: |
Sep 19, 2010 - 7:18 PM
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Michael24
(Member)
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Behind Enemy Lines (2001) - 4/5 This has been one of my brother's favorites since it came out, but I just got around to watching it last night. This is easily Owen Wilson's best movie. I wasn't sure I'd buy him as a soldier (or in this case, a Navy pilot), but I did and thought he was really good. Some of the scenes, from the mine-riddled abandoned factory to the mass grave sequence, were suspenseful, as was the rescue finale. My only complaints, keeping this from a 5/5 rating, are two things: the rather letdown of a final confrontation between Owen's Chris Burnett and the assassin/tracker who pursued him throughout the film, and never seeing Burnett's dad receive word that his son was okay. I was hoping for maybe a reunion scene of sorts since they had been looking forward to seeing each other after Burnett's tour was over. But those quibbles aside, I thought it was a solid action movie. Drag Me To Hell (2009) -- 5/10 Great opening, spectacular closing, but in between...not so much. Oh boy, did that movie frustrate me. I was loving it so much, right up until the very end. I was totally set to give it a full 5/5 and proclaim it one of the best horror movies of the decade. But then the twist ending happened and completely ruined the entire film for me. I spent the whole movie rooting and pulling for this poor girl, only to have Raimi tell me at the very end, "Nah, we're going to do her in because she deserved everything that happened," and she really didn't. I can't remember the last time I felt so disappointed (and frankly, pissed off) by a film.
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Posted: |
Sep 19, 2010 - 9:06 PM
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By: |
DeputyRiley
(Member)
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Behind Enemy Lines (2001) - 4/5 This has been one of my brother's favorites since it came out, but I just got around to watching it last night. This is easily Owen Wilson's best movie. I wasn't sure I'd buy him as a soldier (or in this case, a Navy pilot), but I did and thought he was really good. Some of the scenes, from the mine-riddled abandoned factory to the mass grave sequence, were suspenseful, as was the rescue finale. Goldsmithfan, did you by any chance see, I think it's a deleted or alternate scene from Behind Enemy Lines from the DVD, it's footage of the mass gravesite set to a really great Moby song...I don't think it was in the final cut and if I remember correctly it was one of the extras on the DVD. I would never think that a Moby song would work in that context, but that song coupled with the devastating imagery was very, very powerful. If you still have the DVD, see if you can find it. Also, if you (or anybody else) knows, what is the name of that Moby song? I also seem to recall really liking Don Davis' very electronically-enhanced score, but it's been a very long time since I've seen the film and I've never sought the score. Did you notice it at all? Finally, if you're willing to accept Wilson as a Navy pilot, give him a chance as a quirky serial killer in The Minus Man. I think that's his best film, highly recommended. Slowly paced and very contemplative, nothing showy or theatrical, but that's exactly how it's supposed to be, and how the novel was. Cheers!
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Posted: |
Sep 19, 2010 - 9:11 PM
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By: |
Michael24
(Member)
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Goldsmithfan, did you by any chance see, I think it's a deleted or alternate scene from Behind Enemy Lines from the DVD, it's footage of the mass gravesite set to a really great Moby song...I don't think it was in the final cut and if I remember correctly it was one of the extras on the DVD. I would never think that a Moby song would work in that context, but that song coupled with the devastating imagery was very, very powerful. If you still have the DVD, see if you can find it. Also, if you (or anybody else) knows, what is the name of that Moby song? That must be a bonus feature, because there was no song that I heard during that sequence in the film itself. My brother has the DVD, so I'll be able to see if it's on there sometime. EDIT: According to IMDb, the Moby song "My Weakness" is used in the 'alternate title' sequence, as the Bosnians plant trees over the mass graves. I also seem to recall really liking Don Davis' very electronically-enhanced score, but it's been a very long time since I've seen the film and I've never sought the score. Did you notice it at all? The score stood out for me in several scenes. I don't know that it's necessarily something I would be quick to start searching for, but it was certainly worked well within the film to heighten the suspense and the action.
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Posted: |
Sep 20, 2010 - 8:34 AM
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By: |
DeputyRiley
(Member)
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I think Dazed and Confused is a much better school flick with more interesting situations, and would give it an 8.5 Hey buddy...yes, Dazed and Confused is infinitely better...I give it a 10/10 and it's easily in my Top 20 movies of all time. Also, Clueless was Heckerling's finest film...when you compare this with her film Fast Times at Ridgemont High you can see how much Fast Times failed. They are extraordinarily similar, only one succeeds at storytelling, balancing characters, establishing credible emotionality, a unique sense of identity that holds up over time, and being just flat-out hilarious. It's very difficult for me to think of Fast Times without considering Clueless, but even when I can judge Fast Times on its own, it still disappoints...didn't make me laugh, didn't involve me emotionally, didn't impress me storywise, and wasn't particularly unique. I did enjoy the Cates/Leigh aspect, and had some Judge Reinhold nostalgia, but otherwise I even think a 4/10 is possibly too high. Plus, for a character as iconic as Jeff Spicoli, one that I'd been hearing about all of my life and finally saw in the film, he wasn't funny! He was just a caricature...maybe, like The Breakfast Club, if I saw this film when it first came out I'd appreciate it more, but after seeing both for the first time recently, I was very disappointed. Clueless, Dazed and Confused, 10 Things I Hate About You...those are my ideas of great high school comedies.
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