[Rec] 3: Genesis

I thought this would be terrible, ended up really liking it. Loved how they ditched the found footage angle early on. The film is full of great atmosphere and lighting, with great gore gags and plenty of black humor.

Seven Samurai

Finally! I've owned it for years, just decided to take an afternoon to watch it. Epic, wonderfully acted, great score... but I felt that for a film with such a long running time, they didn't devote much of it to fleshing out the bandit characters or at least their leader. We get to know so much about "the seven", but setting up an equally-opposing villain would have made the victory more meaningful, or triumphant. Mifune seriously owns every frame he's in.

glad you dug this one...i thought i was the only one.

Hudsucker Proxy on Blu-ray. Still as good as the first time I saw it years ago.

Centurion

Good effort by Marshall, though not much to it. Great cast - Magneto, McNulty, Davos, The Governor, Quantum 007 chick... really solid. Bloody as hell, too.

Side By Side

Very interesting look at the rise of digital filmmaking, hosted and narrated by Keanu Reeves. He gets the big names to talk - Cameron, Nolan, Lynch, Scorsese, and many more - and I have to say, it really opened my eyes to why some filmmakers choose to go digital. It didn't make me any less of a film purist, but I did gain a new appreciation for digital as a "new" tool for this medium. Highly recommended.

I'm itching to get the Canadian Blu now.

Damn. Thanks for the heads-up KC.

Sounds like my kind of thing, I'm on this.

[Rec] 3: Genesis

The first two were fantastic genre films...added this to my list. I'm falling behind. Kudos riotinmyskull, if this is anywhere close to the first two entries.

Bronson on Netflix. Nicholas Winding Refn really loves his electronica during fight scenes. God movie despite not having much of an ending.

The Gatekeepers - 4/5

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the eyes of 6 former Israeli heads of security. Interesting & disturbing. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.

Blue Collar on Netflix - great film that I remember not being available on DVD (not sure if this is true or not). Hard hitting, truthful take on racial politics in America that is a perfect example of why the 70s was the best period in American film history. This film simply could/would not get made today.

It exists but is OOP. I finally bought one last year for around $45. Love this flick. Pryor is outstanding.

Please, somebody put this out on Blu-ray.

Checked Amazon and it's available via Universal's manufacture on demand service, so I doubt a Blu-ray (which it deserves) is imminent...maybe Criterion someday?

Dawn of the Dead '04 - 3/5: Definitely one of the best horror remakes out there. They did a lot with the premise but I feel that the film falls apart at the halfway point. The stuff before the mall and the early mall stuff is really good. The gore is great and so are some of the characters (C.J. being my favorite). It's well made but the script left something to be desired. I blame this movie for the resurgence and over-saturation of the zombie craze.

Yeah, I couldn't bring myself to pay for a burned DVD so I waited until I decided to take the plunge for a real one.

I've hoped, and mentioned on this site multiple times, for a Criterion release.

End of Watch

'Flawless' - Caine is excellent in a pretty solid film. It has some issues, but I enjoyed it. Been meaning to catch this for years.

'Each Dawn I Die' - I like Raft and Cagney so much it makes an otherwise mediocre film worth watching.

'Man Push Cart' - Excellent Bahrani effort is better with each re-viewing.

'The Rum Diary' - Somehow the ingredients didn't come together. Enjoyed the great cast doing their thing, but a flawed film overall.

All I remember about Rum Diary is how amazingly hot Amber Heard was.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Premiere @ Chinese Theater

I hope so too. Paul Schrader's Blue Collar is one of the best American films. Pryor, Keitel & Kotto are all great in it.

Even that couldn't save that movie from being boring.

THE SESSIONS

really enjoyed this one. didn't really know what to expect going in considering the odd subject matter but john hawkes sold me on it. enjoyed the tone of the film as it was a good blend of awkward and lighthearted...never felt melodramatic. great performances all around. suprised hawkes didn't receive the oscar attention that hunt did.

ps. if you're curious as to what helen hunt looks like naked, see this film. (she looks great for turning 50 in a couple months)

The Italian Connection and The Boss

These were both really good. I definitely see some influence to Tarantino's movies in both of these. I think I preferred The Boss but The Italian Connection has an awesome chase scene. It starts off simple enough but when a man jumps on the side of a van and bashes his head thru the windshield in order to get at the man driving, you've got my attention.

Zero Dark Thirty....Solid thriller. I would give it an A-

Les Miserables....Good musical with good songs and acting. Really long though. I would give it a B+