The 'Recently Watched Films' Thread

[miercuri]

Maybe Stewart will disagree, but I think we need a film topic which is not about our favourite films.
For instance, I want to tell you all how incredibly bad the most recent adaptation of Dorian Gray is. Avoid it at all costs. I've just watched it a bit earlier, it was awful. At the beginning I sensed it was not going to be a great movie, more like an average one, but then it kept getting worse and worse. And when I thought it couldn't possibly get any worse, it still did. Imagine a mix of cheesy horror effects, wooden acting and random super takcy montages of exotic, wild sex.

[Liam]

...and random... montages of exotic, wild sex.

Do you realize that you've just sold this film to about one half of us here??? (And the second half will watch it anyway).

It's interesting that at the bottom of the same IMDb page, they recommend a curious little film called Liam, set in Liverpool in the 1930s. Personally I've never even heard of it but now my curiosity is peaked.

I've rented Paris, Texas by Wim Wenders for tonight, but haven't watched it yet. The last movie I saw (on DVD) was the recently released Bright Star, for which we have its own thread, and I loved it beyond words (not at all disappointed, like some of you!).

Also, I saw a beautiful if slightly whimsical Swedish comedy last week called Du Levande (You, the Living), purportedly based on Goethe's poetry. I liked parts of it, but not (sadly) the whole thing. I posted some stills from the film here.



L.

[saliotthomas]

And just while is was typing that the wild sex surely would get Liam interested, i refresh, and bang he is here. I bet he has a special setting with WLF that email him each time the word sex is used.
Maybe "cute male nude" too.



Twilight III the portrait...

Now Miecuri what you expect when you go to films that use the same Twilight style board, the picture alone tell a lot of what comeing...

[miercuri]

Do you realize that you've just sold this film to about one half of us here??? (And the second half will watch it anyway).

I see you're willing to overlook the "super tacky" part. But I'm warning you, the entire film is tacky as in kitsch, not tacky as in campy.

Also, I saw a beautiful if slightly whimsical Swedish comedy last week called Du Levande (You, the Living), purportedly based on Goethe's poetry. I liked parts of it, but not (sadly) the whole thing. I posted some stills from the film here.

Some of my friends have recommended me this film. Those stills are intriguing.

[Liam]

I bet he has a special setting with WLF that email him each time the word sex is used.

I see you have me all figured out, . It's hard to keep your hormones under control in your 20s (if ever)--

Miercuri: Definitely do watch Du Levande. Although I only barely liked it, it still deserves to be seen. Perhaps you will end up loving it.

Speaking of sex, bang, and cute male nudes (quoting Thomas here, ) I saw this last weekend:

Perhaps I was expecting too much from it, but I was vastly disappointed. The gay cowboy was funny though--



L.

[saliotthomas]

I watched Frantic by Polansky which i liked back in the days, but it didn't make it.
Well,l unless you think a Grace Jones song can hold the all movie.
Like an old friend you meet who lost his hair, got a belly and is became fachist, you say hello but wish you never did..

[lenz]

Good idea, Miercuri, but do you mean "recently released films seen"? - or perhaps "reviews of new films"?

[Stewart]

I'm just back from seeing Une Proph?te, a French crime film, which was very good. At 2? hours it never dragged at all and, were it to be shorter, I wonder what would be cut as it seemed as every scene, clip, etc. counted and wasn't just tacked on fluff.

It follows the journey of a young Algerian French lad who comes into prison illiterate and alone, and builds his profile while there. It's very well done, entertaining, and gives a taste of social realism. Recommended.

[miercuri]

Good idea, Miercuri, but do you mean "recently released films seen"? - or perhaps "reviews of new films"?

No, I didn't mean that in particular. More like the last film you saw.

@Stewart - I'm glad you enjoyed Un prophete. I mentioned it in the other film thread, it was great!

[Loki]

I've just seen Rec2: I hoped it was a little better, considering the first one: Rec was quite good indeed.
If you like the horror genre, Rec is quite innovative I believe and you won't be disappointed. Then, if you're curious and you liked the first one, there's still Rec2.

There will be also Rec3: it was obvious, given the ending of Rec2.

[Igu Soni]

I was just thinking of starting something like this today when I found that I had posted this yesterday in the Favourite Films thread:

I just watched the Toy Stories (or the Toy Storys). Someone's gotta be kidding. Seriously. I don't see what's so brilliant about taking every hollywood cliche and putting it into digital animation form (even if it's well-made). It doesn't even have the gentle spoof tone adapted by the later Pixar. To me, it's depressing, because these movies are basically showing American kids what they are probably going to be watching the rest of their lives. Go watch Inu Yasha instead. Or Miyazaki. Almost any manga. DragonBallZ! Don't tell me that this is one of the greatest movie series ever made.

Way to go, Miercuri.

[Manuel76]

I was just thinking of starting something like this today when I found that I had posted this yesterday in the Favourite Films thread:


Way to go, Miercuri.

I love Toy Story, don't find hollywood cliches there, on the contrary I think it's very original. First of all because its sense of humour works for children and adults alike, the story es great, the characters unforgettable...I liked part I and part II, but the great one for me is the first part. For me this is best Pixar film.

I love Woody and Buzz, and their kind of Don Quijote-Sancho relationship.

[Igu Soni]

their kind of Don Quijote-Sancho relationship.

...a hollywood cliche called the buddy comedy. No offense, if you don't see the cliches they are brilliant movies but if you do they are horrible ones.

[lenz]

...a hollywood cliche called the buddy comedy. No offense, if you don't see the cliches they are brilliant movies but if you do they are horrible ones.

What an arrogant statement Igu Soni!! You can find clich?s, or archetypes, in the best of films (or books) - it's how they're used that makes the difference. If all buddy movies are just variations on a clich?, then Gilgamesh is a clich?. If Manuel76 sees Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in Toy Story, that's because of his literate memory.

I'm not a fan of new Hollywood animation generally; Pixar and CGI are ugly compared to the best hand-painted animations. But I found Toy Story amusing because of the parody of those old Hollywood clich?s. At least it was an honest parody and not one the recent proliferation of these so-called "children's movies" or "family movies" that do use clich?s because the producers can't be bothered waiting for an original script.
This glut of animation is a scam, for the most part. The studios can churn them out like sausages and be assured of big profits because they have little competition from film-makers who try to make original children's films in animation or live-action.

If you think every movie with a visible clich? in it is "horrible" you must have a very sad time at the cinema.

[Igu Soni]

What an arrogant statement Igu Soni!! You can find clich?s, or archetypes, in the best of films (or books) - it's how they're used that makes the difference. If all buddy movies are just variations on a clich?, then Gilgamesh is a clich?. If Manuel76 sees Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in Toy Story, that's because of his literate memory.

I'm not a fan of new Hollywood animation generally; Pixar and CGI are ugly compared to the best hand-painted animations. But I found Toy Story amusing because of the parody of those old Hollywood clich?s. At least it was an honest parody and not one the recent proliferation of these so-called "children's movies" or "family movies" that do use clich?s because the producers can't be bothered waiting for an original script.
This glut of animation is a scam, for the most part. The studios can churn them out like sausages and be assured of big profits because they have little competition from film-makers who try to make original children's films in animation or live-action.

If you think every movie with a visible clich? in it is "horrible" you must have a very sad time at the cinema.

You're right. I just said that in response to Manuel's assertion that there weren't any in this movie.
Before judging me further, I urge you to read this excerpt from my original critique:

Seriously. I don't see what's so brilliant about taking every hollywood cliche and putting it into digital animation form (even if it's well-made). It doesn't even have the gentle spoof tone adapted by the later Pixar.

So, my original problem was how those cliches were used.

Personally, I love lots of cliched crap like Shaolin Soccer and Speed Racer.

[SlowRain]

Julie & Julia

I knew nothing about it before starting, and didn't even plan on watching it. But, after a few minutes, I started to get into it. I think I enjoyed it mostly for the portrayal of two very tender marriages. A good movie with some good acting.

[lenz]

You're right. I just said that in response to Manuel's assertion that there weren't any in this movie.
Before judging me further, I urge you to read this excerpt from my original critique:

So, my original problem was how those cliches were used.

Personally, I love lots of cliched crap like Shaolin Soccer and Speed Racer.

OK. We disagree on how the c-words were used.

[Igu Soni]

OK. We disagree on how the c-words were used.

True.

Movies I think we'll agree on: Mononoke-hime and Sen to Chihiro na Kamikushi.
YouTube - Princess Mononoke original trailer (Best trailer ever!)
YouTube - Princess Mononoke Trailer

[lenz]

I love Toy Story, don't find hollywood cliches there, on the contrary I think it's very original. First of all because its sense of humour works for children and adults alike, the story es great, the characters unforgettable...I liked part I and part II, but the great one for me is the first part. For me this is best Pixar film.

I love Woody and Buzz, and their kind of Don Quijote-Sancho relationship.

I liked Toy Story, too. Perhaps you're very young and haven't seen many Hollywood movies so you don't recognise the clich?s when you see them. This film is all about those clich?s (I'm getting tired of typing that word!).

[saliotthomas]

Julie & Julia

I knew nothing about it before starting, and didn't even plan on watching it. But, after a few minutes, I started to get into it. I think I enjoyed it mostly for the portrayal of two very tender marriages. A good movie with some good acting.

I found something terribly wrong with it.
The film is not very good, not very bad, more bad than good alltogether and even as a big fan of Meryl Streep and French cooking(obviously) it's hard to like this film.
Past the first surprise of Meryl squilling like mad turkey and the very modern girls borded with her life(I think she was the young Nun in "Doute") the all idea of the thing is pathetique.
The girls write a blog for a year about Julia Child and her French cooking book,like she is a godess, doing all 524 recipies in 365 days, is quite successfull with it, but realize at the end the Julia, her mentor does not give a shite about her blog.More and under covered word thing it a pill of crap.
And what would be a major breakdown to any normal personne, is but a vague unoyance to the Julie girl.
Now Many of you have blogs and i can imagine if were to spend a year working on an authors then were called by the agent to tell you that your mentor though your work was worth a pigeon fart to him,your reaction would be more than a sleepless night, back to worship the next morning.

I though those nice familly christmassy stories had some sort of a moral at the end, and if this is the new genre that come out of them, i'm getting sterilized, because i'm not sure i want childreen to grow up in around.