Why So Blu?

The Butler - I enjoyed the film very much. I don't give a shit if certain events scenarios were embellished a bit, because what I saw onscreen was pretty damn cool. The cast (and they got everybody to be in this thing) was also pretty phenomenal as well.

iNCREDiPiNOY

One Direction: This is Us - 1/5 - Worst boyband ever!

White House Down - 3.5/5 - Get off my Jordans lol!

hanshotfirst1138

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen- Sadly disappointing martial arts action flick starring the great Donnie Yen Ji-Dan, who also served as action director. Glossy direction by Andrew Lau Wai-Keung who's a good empty stylist-the film is full of rain-drenched atmosphere, cool period details left over from an expensive set from a much larger production, and lots of kinetic camera work. I know no one watches martial arts movies for the plot, but the "Curse of China co-production" jingoism that has infected almost all post-handover Hong Kong action films is becoming unbearable, the propagandist whitewashing is really growing tiresome. The character was originally played by Bruce Lee Siu-Lung and Jet Li Lian-jie in the classics Fist of Fury and Fist of Legend, and this is supposed to be a sequel. Maybe there's an interesting political drama buried somewhere in this film, but it's lost among the jingoistic story and glossy colors. Lau needs someone like Alan Mak Siu-Fai on Infernal Affairs to bring together some characterization and narrative depth. Even the action is kind of disappointing, Yen alternating between stealing from Bruce Lee and from himself, and completely bungles the should've-been-epic final showdown with the Big Bad. Streamed from Netflix in "Super HD," which never buffered above 480 SD. Way to go, Netflix.

I'm curious about this movie, but not sure if I could stomach it. On the del Toro connection, however, composer Javier Navarrete scored del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone.

I disagree completely, I think it actually holds up really well. I think it's alchemical-the script had all of Woo's pet obsessions and everything works together perfectly, I think time has been pretty kind to it, Woo came up at the right time in the 90s action when the action film was at its peak and the movie fires on all cylinders.

What is the international cut? I though that the workprint version never got released outside of bootlegs?

Trevor

Used this week free Redbox rental on Pacific Rim and think I overpaid.

TimeandTide

Lone Survivor

d2cheer

The Colony. Stunned it wasn't horrible.

Giles

in spoiler form due to large image:
'Child Bride'

inri222

Bad Lieutenant - 4.5/5

Abel Ferrara's gritty film about a New York City cop who is addicted to just about every bad thing there is. When a nun is brutally raped he feels that he can spiritually redeem himself by finding the culprits. Excellent film made even better by Harvey Keitel who lets it all out in a soul bearing performance.

Fist of Doom

Basic Instinct

Loved it. Great mix of suspense, mystery and sex. Sharon Stone was perfect. High-gloss trash at its finest.

Why So Blu?

Riddick - solid everything. The first 40 minutes play almost like a western and the added voiceover reminded me of noir film. There were one or two FX shots that looked iffy but I was never taken out of the flick. Also, glad that the film didn't go the re-make route that was implied in the trailers. I watched the UNRATED cut.

iNCREDiPiNOY

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (yesterday)

hanshotfirst1138

The Far Country- Rugged James Stewart western from the ever-underrated Anthony Mann. Morally grey, good performances, beautiful scenery (some shot on location in Canada, some obviously soundstages), and Mann's customary visceral action. Themes of the needs of the individual vs. the collective are handled well, and the anti-hero character played by and atypical Stewart is excellent. Good stuff.

Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007- Documentary about the Bond series up to Skyfall. Not bad, and lots of interviews with very key personnel, but little with the directors. Told mostly from the poor producers' multimilliondollar point of view, and the self-congratulatory nature of the doc gets tiresome. Basically a glorified DVD extra.

Meet Me in St. Louis- Glossy MGM musical by the great Vincente Minnelli. Shot in rich Technicolor, it's a loosely structured series of anecdotes of a mythic Americana that I don't think ever existed, but Minnelli sells its. Color is beautiful, and Minnelli's usual handling of the tone of the overripe melodrama is done in his inimitable style. The loose structure means that the film doesn't feel entirely complete to me, so the movie feels a bit disjointed, but certainly amicable and fun. Would probably look great in 35mm, Quentin Tarantino cites it as a favorite to see on the big screen. Alas, probably not an opportunity which will present itself again now.

Despicable Me 2- The cuteness continues with Universal's blockbuster sequel. Certainly not in the same league as the Pixar stuff, but if it doesn't have quite the intelligence, longevity, or wit that that they do, it's way too much fun to resist. Still, characters are really likable and the movie is exuberantly fun. The Minions are so effing cute.

You're Next- Stylish horror flick about home invaders throwing down with a resourceful Final Girl. A nice satirical edge of black humor runs though it, and the bloody set pieces are fun, the movie is lean and mean. A bit schematic and slight, and the digital gloss doesn't quite work, this was the kind of thing that would've been shot in ragged 16mm back in the day, but for a film by horror fans for horror fans, it's pretty fun.

inri222

12 Monkeys - 4/5

In order to be pardoned, a prisoner living in an underground society is sent back in time from the year 2035 to 1996.
His mission is to find the cause of a plague that wiped out 5 billion humans and has contaminated the surface of the earth.
Terry Gilliam shows us that even as a director for hire on a Hollywood film he can come up with something that is totally Gilliamesque.
A nice combination of commercial and art filmmaking.

EddieMoney

That's one of the most intense performances I've ever seen.

Giles

Legend (US cut) DCP - Angelika Mosaic

the DCP looked gorgeous and to hear Tangerine Dream's score on the big screen - nice !

next weekend: The Dark Crystal hooray!

TimeandTide

Breakdown

Still one of the most intense movies I've ever seen.

johnnysd

Admission

Formulaic, predictable romantic comedy, but I kind of have a thing for Tina Fey and I liked the characters so I ultimately enjoyed it quite a bit. A movie better than the sum of its well trod parts.

johnnysd

Soon to be a weekly TV show. 18 months ago I would have said that it would definitely be dreadful, but Hannibal and Bates Motel have shown that even classic movies can become terrific TV shows if handled well.

JimRochester

Kurt Russell really plays the everyman with very little superman shit. Most of the stuff you could see someone trying to do if his wife was in danger.

Surrogates A little confusing and a little blasé but not a bad $1 rental

asianxcore

The Dead (2010)

The film had some pretty stiff acting when it's characters were asked to pull of more subtle emotions.

Outside of that, I really enjoyed this film. The setting (West Africa) was absolutely beautiful and was a refreshing change from metropolitan cities and ghost towns. The gore was also surprisingly good for the film's budget and I appreciated the Social/Political undertones (even if they weren't fully realized).

Why So Blu?

Charlie Countryman - an unconventional love story filled with some very brutal violence. Mads Mikkelsen is awesome in this and so is Til Schweiger. Hell, even LeBeouf is pretty good, too.

hanshotfirst1138

The Seven Percent Solution- The brainchild of screenwriter and novelist Nicholas Meyer, the writer and director of the best Star Trek films, and directed by the evidently eclectic Herbert Ross, this wonderful deconstruction of one of literature's most enduring icons is witty, exciting, and immensely satisfying. Sherlock Holmes meet Freud, and cures his cocaine addiction against the backdrop of Ken Adam's fantastic production design. Great performances, solid storytelling, and all-around good fun, anchored by Meyer's quietly intelligent screenplay. If you're looking for a great alternative Holmes tales, it's highly recommended, or if you just want a plain great film.

JimRochester

Lone Survivor HOLY FUCK! Calling that movie intense is an understatement. It's like the first 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan but it goes on for an hour. It's a monument to the flawed rules of engagement that allow soldiers to die while trying to keep zero collateral damage.

Why So Blu?

Rush - Great Formula 1 racing film directed by Ron Howard, who is very hit and miss, but HITS it out of the park with this intense film chronicling the 70's rivalry between James Hunt and Nikki Lauda. Great performances all around. The Blu-ray is pretty spectacular, too.

inri222

Almost Famous - 2/5

Overrated & clichéd coming-of-age story about a 15-year-old boy who dreams of being a rock journalist following a rock band on tour in the 1970's. Who would have ever thought that a movie about a 70's touring rock band could be so sanitized that it feels like it was made for TV. Even the ending wraps everything up all tidy and neat. The two stars are for the best things in this movie : Philip Seymour Hoffman & Frances McDormand.