Now Showing - What We Watched [Text View] - Page 19

Ktulu_1

03-10-09, 09:13 AM

On BasementBob's recommendation I watched Alien Raiders (2008) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0996979/) last night. The "Alien Raiders" are a small para-military group of ex JPL employees led by Carlos Bernard who plays Tony Almeida on TV's 24 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285331/). The hand held video cam footage in the beginning is not indicative of the entire film. Thankfully, this is not another The Blair Witch Project (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185937/) or Cloverfield (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1060277/). That genre, if you can call it that, is plaid out.

The acting is so-so, the production value is low, and Alien Raiders will probably be forgotten in a year or so, but I liked it. It's got a simple story that's compelling if somewhat predictable and stereotypical. The movie builds good suspense that kept me interested and a bit tense at times even though the outcome was never really in question.

Alien Raiders is what I would call a Saturday afternoon monster movie. Not quite the cult classics like the Hammer Film Productions movies I used to watch as a kid but good enough. BasementBob's short review sums it up pretty well, "Surprisingly good. A sleeper." I give it a 3 out of 5.

Over the weekend I watched Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1007028/). This is yet another film written and directed by Kevin Smith that I've really enjoyed. I'd like to see something else from Smith some day. To my layman's eyes he seems like a very competent film maker. He makes movies that are about "dick and fart jokes" very well, but I'd like to see an action film or something. I think he could do great things if he would branch out a little more. While many great directors have been pigeon holed into one genre, there are others that make all kinds of movies. Until then, I'll keep watching the stuff like Zack and Miri. 3.5 out of 5.

Boston Litigator

03-10-09, 11:14 PM

Wacthed Transporter 3 on Bluray. Not as good as the first two in the series. However, it looks and sounds great.

BasementBob

03-11-09, 02:41 AM

Watched Punisher 2: War Zone (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QB9H2E)
If you thought the original had too much plot and not enough bullets and Rambo 3's heads blown up was insufficient, then this is the film for you.
Amazon gives it an alarmingly high rating of 4 out of 5.
IMDB's 6 out of 10 is probably closer to reality.
I think it's a 2.5 out of 5 tops -- not a lot of redeming qualities.
Rumor has it that it's closer to the comic than the original film was.
Initially I too was perturbed that they changed Frank Castle actors, but the new guy's approach is fine.
Special Feature. During the training with airsoft guns, the director (a miss Lexi Alexander) announced "I'm wearing a white mask. Nobody shoot the nice lady wearing the white mask."

smakovits

03-11-09, 09:19 AM

Watched "Taken" on Saturday night, it was a pretty good movie. I enjoyed it and the wife just said this is why it is a good thing we are having a son...

dc_pilgrim

03-11-09, 05:57 PM

Saw "The International" in a rare trip to the theater. I didn't know much about it going in, but I was hoping for "Shoot Em Up" - I got "Snooze It Up" (the one and only gunfight excepted).

1.5 stars out of 5.

Beta Man

03-13-09, 09:25 AM

Watched Rambo 1st Blood on Blu-ray, and it was better than I thought given the poor reviews for the transfer..... the audio was pretty solid, and although the PQ wasn't great, it was certainly an improvement over my DVD. Of course the movie itself is 5/5 as it's one of my old favorites..... "Why you pushing me?"

Also, watched "In Bruges" on DVD. Was "entertaining" and not the hollywood standard of "Happy endings" so that was pleasant..... but it just didn't all flow together very well for me... 3/5 I'd say

antwon412

03-13-09, 11:38 AM

I too watched taken the yother day. pretty decent flick. better then i thought it would be.

liam was a bad***

Karp

03-14-09, 09:50 AM

Watched "Shoot 'em UP" on SD-DVD last night.
Stars Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Monica Bellucci.

Real over the top ultra-violence. Giamatti played a great bad guy. I just watched his portrayal of John Adams in the HBO series so this was quite a change of roles to see him in.

If you like guns, lots of shooting and lactating hookers, you'll love this. :D
Suspend the believability meter for this one.

-t

This movie is a work of art for the action movie genre! Nonstop.. and I MEAN nonstop action - no time for a plot. Yes, you have to suspend reality, but each scene is physically possible - they did not defy the laws of physics like a lot of action movies. No unlimited bullets (I think Clive used 50 or more different guns in this film - picking them off of bad guys as he was going). When the movie was over I felt almost physically drained and was amazed at the choreography.

Karp

03-14-09, 10:05 AM

Perhaps you weren't sufficiently medicated. :)

2nd: best viewed without trying to understand - just watch.

And if you're curious, check this out - 2001 Explained (http://www.kubrick2001.com/)

Randy

I remember first watching this movie the day before Christmas break at my Highschool.. around '82 or '83. I spent a long time explaining the movie to my classmates. Of course, I had read the book (I was and still am a sci-fi nerd).

warrenP

03-14-09, 12:27 PM

Watched The Rocker (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1031969/), with Rainn Wilson. My wife and I both enjoyed that more than we thought.... A good fun time. :)

gryhnd

03-16-09, 02:45 PM

College basketball until later when friends and their kids came over. They hadn't seen, let alone "experienced", Kung Fu Panda. They were stunned. Literally and figuratively.

Continuing 'Rerun Weekend', I had a hankering for Planet Terror. I just smile like a kid in a candy store when I watch it :)

Tnilsson

03-17-09, 11:34 PM

We watched "Let the Right One In". Though I am not a horror fan, I'd recommend it as it was an interesting take on vampire stories. Sort of an art-house horror movie that deals with relationships more than shocks.

mtkevin

03-18-09, 11:52 AM

I too liked Taken-acting wasn't the best though. Action scenes were good. for me 2.75/5

BIGmouthinDC

03-21-09, 03:54 PM

This was just too funny not to share:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8p8by_robot-girl-from-another-dimesion-bf_shortfilms?from=feedblitz_523284_1315385

this was also entertaining:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8o57c_ida-maria-i-like-you-so-much-better_music?from=feedblitz_523284_1315385

antwon412

03-21-09, 10:19 PM

Jaws last night off cinemax. Havent seen it in a long time. Good movie.

The mayor had the best suits lol. White with multi-colored pinstripes, with a pink shirt and green tie, then a couple jackets with anchors all over them.

man Im glad i didnt have to be a teen in the 70's and wear that stuff!

kezug

03-21-09, 11:06 PM

My wife and I watched Vicky Cristina Barcelona last night....it was enjoyable.

RTROSE

03-22-09, 04:02 AM

The wife, kids and I went to the "big show" a couple of days ago and watched Race to Witch Mountain. I had set my expectations really low for this movie and was actually pleasantly surprised. Not a blockbuster in my book but a pretty good movie.

Today the wife and I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for about the hundredth time. Still really enjoy the Harry Potter series.

Regards,

RTROSE

CptnRandy

03-22-09, 09:31 AM

Friday night, the first night back in production since the disaster (see the separate threadDisaster at Cinema Murray (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1129853)) we watched "Two Weeks Notice". Needed something light and that filled the bill.

Saturday I watched the final episode of Battlestar Galactica.

Have to admit I got choked up when Adama said goodbye. And goosebumps when Galactica and the fleet sailed into the sun to the original BSG theme.

Last night, watched Ricochet (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102789/) - fun and completely over the top performance by John Lithgow.

Randy

scaesare

03-22-09, 10:43 AM

Lukedog17

03-23-09, 02:51 PM

Last night, watched Ricochet (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102789/) - fun and completely over the top performance by John Lithgow.

Randy[/QUOTE]

I love that movie!!! Haven't seen it in a very long time. Probably has something to do with the "torture" seen.... haha.

Fragster

03-23-09, 09:26 PM

"Australia" on BR.

7/10 ...The movie dragged a lot though the story picked up later. Both Nicole and Hugh were alright ....what I loved was the hi-def visuals on the landscape and for me, that cattle chase on the cliff was the highlight of the movie.

"Twilight" ....7/10 ....An average movie ..I liked 'Jumper" more than this.

And for the records, the 4 air tickets to Australia that I booked on Sat night had nothing to do with the movie either :D:cool:

queendvd2

03-23-09, 10:20 PM

gryhnd

03-25-09, 11:18 AM

My kid had a Scouts meeting at the library last night, so I browsed through their DVD offerings. Came back with "White Noise" and "Rodan".

Watched White Noise on the laptop last night. Not a bad movie as far as a freebie rental goes. I did find the atmosphere and sets quite effective, and it did raise the blood pressure a couple of notches. The ending though was a bit of a disappointment...could have been wrapped up better I thought.

mtkevin

03-26-09, 11:30 AM

watched unforgiven for the first time last nite. PQ was terrible, but good movie.I do like Morgan Freeman in most of his movies.

Ktulu_1

03-26-09, 02:23 PM

We watched a few movies on Blu-Ray over the last week or so but I haven't had much time to post about them.

Pineapple Express (2008) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910936/) - While I can certainly see why this movie isn't for everyone, I found it to be well made and very funny. James Franco is great in this. There's something I never thought I'd say. 3.5 out of 5.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102926/) - I find it difficult to temper my feelings about this movie. Typically, I try not to be too over the top about my thoughts on a film. There is no value in saying every movie is "amazing" or "awesome," but Silence of the Lambs is truly amazing and awesome. It's simply one of the greatest movies ever made and one of my personal favorites. 4 out of 5.

Wanted (2008) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493464/) - Movies are not reality. Even some movies that try and be realistic are very far from the real world. Almost everything in movies is BS. You accept that going in. You have to fully understand that simple fact or you could end up being a danger to yourself and others.

Sitting in my real world watching Wanted, the film required me to accept certain things that are so utterly ridicules and unrealistic that the story had to be exceptional or clever in some special way. It needed to captivate and compel me to accept the unacceptable. It needed to make me willing to suspend my disbelief for a little while. It didn't. It's just ridicules action scene after ridicules plot device after ridicules action scene.

There is some redeeming value in the story line regarding a mouse of a guy who finds out he's the son of a superhuman assassin. Also, the special effects are interesting in a demo material kind of way. Other than that, this movie is not very good. It's over the top action with very little substance. 2 out 5.

Shoot 'Em Up (2008) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465602/) - Shoot 'Em Up takes "utterly ridicules" to a whole new level. It's one of those movies that are so bad they're good, except it's not. Shoot 'Em Up is not good in any way. I can't think of one good thing about this movie.

Shoot 'Em Up is a bad a joke on the viewer. It's a giant insult to the audience. .5 out of 5

Casino Royale (2007) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381061/) - I hadn't seen this movie in a couple of years and wanted to refresh my memory before I watched Quantum of Solace. This is a great action movie. The action and effects are excellent without being too over the top. There's not many "O'Brother!" moments and the ones there are are easily excused by the great story telling and suspense. The character of Bond is well developed. He's portrayed as a charming but flawed hero. He's a ruthless killer with a heart, so to speak. This is arguably one of the best of the Bond films. 3.5 out of 5.

Quatum of Solace (2008) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0830515/) - The greatest stories (movies, books, etc.) have always been about people. Action movies that forget this and concentrate on action and effects are often hollow and empty. Quantum of Solace is not about evil organizations or maniacal super villains. It's about Jame Bond. That important part of the story does get a little lost from time to time in all the fighting, shooting, and explosions but it's there. It's the underlying foundation and Quantum of Solace is a good film because of it. Not quite as good as Casino Royale but still one of the best of breed. 3.5 out of 5.

miltimj

03-26-09, 05:33 PM

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102926/) - I find it difficult to temper my feelings about this movie. Typically, I try not to be too over the top about my thoughts on a film. There is no value in saying every movie is "amazing" or "awesome," but Silence of the Lambs is truly amazing and awesome. It's simply one of the greatest movies ever made and one of my personal favorites. 4 out of 5.
Wow! :eek: So what gets 5 stars? Or even 4.5?... :confused:

dc_pilgrim

03-26-09, 05:41 PM

Wow! :eek: So what gets 5 stars? Or even 4.5?... :confused:

I think he has posted in the past that he won't give anything 5 stars, something to do with representing perfection if memory serves.

Ktulu_1

03-27-09, 08:47 AM

Wow! :eek: So what gets 5 stars? Or even 4.5?... :confused:

No 5.0s. There has yet to be a perfect movie. Hopefully one day, but not yet.

Movies that rate a 4.5 are extremely rare. A couple of examples I would rate 4.5 are Casablanca and The Godfather.

natrone06

03-27-09, 11:26 AM

Watched JCVD on Blu last night. As I read in another review of the movie "Who knew JCVD could act". A very cool and unique premise which resulted in a very enjoyable Thursday movie night.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51c4uuniczL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

chinaclipper

03-27-09, 01:02 PM

I saw both recently.

"Quantum of Solace" released Tuesday. I have the DVD 2 disc version.
A little hard to follow, from a movie plot point of view, but a good, thrilling journey through yet another James Bond chapter. Lots of action, explosions, and beautiful scenes. Incredibly brilliant in a standard dvd format, I can only wonder what the "blu-ray" version looks like...
Not many of those neat Bond gadgets this time... A bit disappointing.
Overall, I'd rate it a 3 out of 5 stars.

"Horton Hears a Who". One of my kids brought it over to watch with her BF. They sat in one chair. The center chair.. MY chair....Hmmm ...cute... Oh well,

GREAT colors, detail is fantastic on the DVD version (See above review), and the usual funny stuff from Jim Carrey as Horton.
A good family fun film. The LFE in this film were totally unexpected, but appreciated by all parties. One thing, I would have like to have seen the movie a bit more closer to the "Dr Suess" version, but such is the movie business these days....
This one I'd give a 2 out of 5, a bit of a letdown, but still worth the rental, IMHO.
Best,
Chinaclipper

Ktulu_1

03-27-09, 01:39 PM

CptnRandy

03-28-09, 02:39 PM

Last night the wife and I finally got around to watching L.A. Confidential (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119488/).

Wow. Terrific movie!

Randy

W00lly

03-28-09, 03:49 PM

Me and a buddy watched deathrace the other night we liked it alot the soundtrack was awesome :)

http://trailerunleashed.com/?s=death+race

Beta Man

03-28-09, 04:32 PM

RECENTLY:

Hell Ride on Blu-ray..... NOT Tarrentino's finest work.... that's for sure. I'd say 2.5/5

Pinocchio on Blu-ray.... It's Pinocchio.... 5/5

The 400 Blows on Blu-ray Another of my old favorites. 4.5/5

This is Spinal Tap, Criterion DVD. Another old favorite...... 11/5 :D

The Terminal on DVD.... 3.5/5 My wife enjoys it though...... it's a good film to view if you haven't seen it.

CptnRandy

03-29-09, 11:36 AM

Last night was girls pick. We watched the 1995 Sense and Sensibility (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114388/). An excellent version and top notch cast.

Randy

pennektj

03-29-09, 11:38 AM

Watched Rockn Rolla last night... great movie. Had to watch it upstairs becasue the theater is still not finished. I am jealous of all of you already enjoying your theaters!

gryhnd

03-29-09, 04:41 PM

11/5 :d

+1!

BasementBob

03-30-09, 04:11 AM

scaesare

03-30-09, 12:17 PM

Another Quantum of Solace viewing here... actually we had our second Bond Movei & Martini party over the weekend.

Ratings:

Quantum of Solace: 3.5/5 stars
Vesper Martini: 5/5 stars

;-)

Lukedog17

03-30-09, 12:57 PM

Another Quantum of Solace viewing here... actually we had our second Bond Movei & Martini party over the weekend.

Ratings:

Quantum of Solace: 3.5/5 stars
Vesper Martini: 5/5 stars

;-)

LOL... Nice.

Gotta try one of those Martinis.

Also watched Quantum last night. I thought its was a very GOOD movie. GREAT action but a lot less plot for a bond movie. Looked incredible on BD!!!

Tom.F.1

03-30-09, 02:36 PM

We watched Transporter 3, lots of overdone effects and overdone acting. weak story.
DTS 7.1 made the sound good, video ok.

Also watched Twilight. It was OK but it seems there is a whole story missing or untold.

Got QoS at home for tonight, but i've heard it has a problem on some players so I hope it works.

RTROSE

03-30-09, 08:53 PM

Dina Meyer (http://douglas.nerad.org/journal/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/dinameyer.jpg) week:

- Johnny Mnemonic
- Dragonheart
- Starship Troopers
- Bats
- Star Trek: Nemesis
- Deception
- Saw
- Decoys 2: Alien Seduction

and her sort of look-a-like, Izabella Scorupco (http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTYxNTg3NzE4OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMjE2ODU3._V1._SX485_SY35 1_.jpg)
- Reign of Fire
- Vertical Limit

I too just watched Dragonheart on HD-DVD. Starship Troopers is definitely one of those "cult classics" not everyone appreciates and I have watched it too many times to count love it. Denice Richards also looks pretty good in the film. Both she and Dina Meyer are very easy on the eyes.

Regards,

RTROSE

antwon412

03-31-09, 03:18 PM

gryhnd

03-31-09, 09:30 PM

Father in law was in town for a visit. I was distractedly watching Rodan when he came down to the theater. He sat through the entire thing. Then, for reasons my wine dulled mind (at the time) can't recall, he started talking about global warming, etc. To which I asked "Have you seen 'The Day After Tomorrow'?"

He sat all through that too.

scaesare

04-01-09, 11:06 AM

Curse you caesare!

i havent had a chance to watch it yet :(

You know you have a standing invite to the movie parties.

If you are nice (for a change), I'll forward the Vesper Martini recipe.

Lukedog17

04-02-09, 12:35 PM

If you are nice (for a change), I'll forward the Vesper Martini recipe.

Could you PM it to me, please??? I lent out my copy of CR to my brother who just got a PS# and has not seen it. I would greatly appreciate it as I would love to try one, or three.

Thanks.

BasementBob

04-02-09, 10:49 PM

Watched The Day the Earth Stood Still (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001SMC9IK)
Interesting, but hard to recommend. 2.5/5
Plot and delivery are unsatisfying.
Lots of things were on the verge of being great, but they were drowned by mistakes.
Lots of subwoofer.
The special features weren't thrilling either.

I assume that most people will watch this film because they must. The original was just that good, and there isn't much else out new this month.

EDIT: I just noticed that the 3 disk bluray set comes with the 1951 version as the 3rd disk.

Beta Man

04-03-09, 02:01 PM

Friend from out of town stayed with us a couple of days....... so had to show him Pan's Labyrinth on Blu-ray...... he gave it a 5/5 :D

Watched "Jungle Book" on DVD.... my son is still too young to really have the attention span to watch an entire movie..... but it's a very strong member of the Disney Family in my opinion 4/5

Side Note.... I love the Original "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and can't bring myself to watch the remake..... Will Smith MUST BE STOPPED!

teknoguy

04-03-09, 05:12 PM

BasementBob

04-04-09, 03:34 AM

Watched Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001M5UDGS)

A supervillain musical, of which, as we all know, there are far too few.

Written and released for free download (http://drhorrible.com/) during the 2008 writers' strike, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a 42-minute musical romp that bears the distinctive stamp of Joss Whedon. Neil Patrick Harris plays the title character, who video-blogs about his twin goals to join the Evil League of Evil and to woo the fair Penny -- however, there is his arch-nemesis, the self-absorbed superhero Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion).

"Commentary! The Musical" - was fair.

I really like Felicia Day's singing voice. (01358/01435/01550, 02135, 02515)

The FBI warning at the beginning was great!

amazon.com rating: 4.5/5
My rating: 2.5+/5

EDIT: This darn DVD has been playing now for 4 hours. :) I'm enjoying it, but I can't raise the rating. :eek: Oh my goodness, I'm singing along...

Once upon a time, all the writers in the forest got very mad with the Forest Kings and declared a work-stoppage. The forest creatures were all sad; the mushrooms did not dance, the elderberries gave no juice for the festival wines, and the Teamsters were kinda pissed. (They were very polite about it, though.) During this work-stoppage, many writers tried to form partnerships for outside funding to create new work that circumvented the Forest King system.

Frustrated with the lack of movement on that front, I finally decided to do something very ambitious, very exciting, very mid-life-crisisy. Aided only by everyone I had worked with, was related to or had ever met, I single-handedly created this unique little epic. A supervillain musical, of which, as we all know, there are far too few.

The idea was to make it on the fly, on the cheap – but to make it. To turn out a really thrilling, professionalish piece of entertainment specifically for the internet. To show how much could be done with very little. To show the world there is another way. To give the public (and in particular you guys) something for all your support and patience. And to make a lot of silly jokes. Actually, that sentence probably should have come first.

BasementBob

04-04-09, 03:46 AM

Downloaded, burned to DVD-R, and watched Star Trek New Voyages (http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/)

Paramount's rule for Star Trek is basically "if you make any money from it, we want it all. But if you don't make any money, have a blast with our Star Trek characters."

Well, here's a bunch of people who took that to extreme, and well, what they ended up with is an episode a year since 2003, and they're surprisingly good, delivering a deja vous of TOS (the original series). They stole sound effects from everywhere, blue screened actors over old film, added their own CGI (including surprisingly good ship designs that were in the tech books of the 1970s), built their own bridge from original blueprints. D. C. Fontana may have written one of these episodes. Actors from the original series make appearances: Majal Roddenberry as the voice of the computer, and Walter Koenig, George Takei, Barbara Luna, Malachi Throne, William Windom, Mary Linda Rapelye.

EPISODE Pilot - "COME WHAT MAY"
EPISODE 1 - "IN HARM'S WAY"
EPISODE 2 - "TO SERVE ALL MY DAYS"
EPISODE 3 - "WORLD ENOUGH AND TIME"
EPISODE 4 - "BLOOD AND FIRE" Pt. 1
VIGNETTE 1 - "CENTER SEAT"

My rating: 3/5 (worth the effort, worth the price, even if you see only one)

BasementBob

04-04-09, 05:00 PM

Will Smith??? !!!!
Keanu Reeves is the male lead...

Jaden Smith plays the boy (character Jacob Benson), and is the son of Will Smith.

CptnRandy

04-04-09, 08:11 PM

Last night watched "John Q". Pretty much proves my rule of "if Denzel's in it, it's OK".

Randy

tony123

04-05-09, 10:52 AM

It was a dog themed week for us! And a good one at that!

Watched "BOLT" first. Much better than expected, but have to question Mr. Bott giving his review a full 100 (with all due respect). :)

Last night we watched "Marley and Me". IMO this movie has earned all the attention its gotten and more. From laughing to crying it covered it all. This movie was bigger than just a "dog movie", covering some big as life topics that we all go through. My family has "lived" this script nearly to a T.

Beta Man

04-05-09, 01:11 PM

Will Smith??? !!!!

Keanu Reeves is the male lead...

-t

Jaden Smith plays the boy (character Jacob Benson), and is the son of Will Smith.

Yep.... I still like to blame Will Smith for the destruction of current cinema :D

So.

Last night the wife and I watched "Australia" on Blu-ray. It was not what I was expecting..... I thought it was going to be much more serious, and they tried to make it more touchy-feely and I didn't care for that much. The wife loved it however.... I'll say 3/5

My wife and I kept thinking the movie was ending...... it seemed to be two or three "Stories" albeit with the same characters, pieced together...... Interesting though.....

CptnRandy

04-05-09, 02:11 PM

Last night watched "Eagle Eye". Passible.

Randy

BasementBob

04-05-09, 11:08 PM

RTROSE

04-06-09, 12:29 AM

Watched Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969) (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016B6ZJW)

Two astronauts are sent to uncover the secrets of a "duplicate" Earth on the other side of the Sun.

The models are incredible. Done by Gerry Anderson of UFO (http://ufoseries.com/) and Thunderbirds (http://thunderbirds.sfdaydreams.com/) and Space 1999 (http://www.space1999.net/~simy1/), Fireball XL5, Stringray, Captian Scarlet and the Mysterons, etc, fame.

My rating: 3.5/5 (a lot of which is nostalgia)

I'll have to check Journey out as I was a big fan of UFO, Thunderbirds, and Space 1999 when I was growing up.

This weekend was a PoTC Curse of the Black Pearl, Spiderman 3, and U-571 viewing extravaganza.

I reaffirmed that I still love PoTC 1, still think that while good and entertaining Spidy 3 is not the best of the trilogy, and U-571 is flat out an excellent war movie with a good plot/story, neat visuals.

Regards,

RTROSE

WillyGib

04-06-09, 02:33 PM

JGFreeh

04-06-09, 05:24 PM

Watched Bolt with some younger cousins. It was hilarious, and looked amazing. Very enjoyable.

DKaps

04-06-09, 06:49 PM

Watched Bolt with some younger cousins. It was hilarious, and looked amazing. Very enjoyable.

I just watched it with my kids today. I laughed a good number of times as well. 3.5 out of 5

I've also got Marley and Me to watch but I'm kinda hesitant as we have a family member (yellow lab) who's getting up there in age and I'm sure this one will hit really close to home. My wife doesn't want to watch it because of that, even though she read the book.

W00lly

04-06-09, 07:15 PM

The kids and I also watched Bolt over the week end the Hamster char is funny

Can"t wait for Monsters Inc on blu-ray

I watched Traitor (http://trailerunleashed.com/?s=traitor) Friday night it was pretty decent movie as I like Don Cheadle

tony123

04-06-09, 11:09 PM

Same for us. We lost our yellow lab Riley this past summer. I'm glad I decided to watch it though. It was tough but brought so many tears of joy as well.

I just watched it with my kids today. I laughed a good number of times as well. 3.5 out of 5

I've also got Marley and Me to watch but I'm kinda hesitant as we have a family member (yellow lab) who's getting up there in age and I'm sure this one will hit really close to home. My wife doesn't want to watch it because of that, even though she read the book.

Boston Litigator

04-07-09, 09:50 AM

Watched The Heart Break Kid (BR). it is ok.

gryhnd

04-07-09, 10:45 AM

A house guest brought "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0422093/) with them. I had never heard of it. Definitely a chick flick, but with enough humor and dramatic moments to not make it a total snoozer for the XY crowd that may coerced in to watching it.

Also watched the DVRd "Batman" (1966) movie. Classic camp. Loved it.

Guess which movie the wife didn't watch?

http://www.ozoux.com/eclectic/archive/2006/06/13/images/batman.jpg

scaesare

04-07-09, 12:26 PM

Over the last few days:

Get Shorty: 2.5/5 stars. More a whimisical story than anything else. Travolta was only OK.

Be Cool: 2/5 stars. The squel wasn't as good as the original, which ain't saying much.

gryhnd

04-07-09, 07:44 PM

Get Shorty: 2.5/5 stars. More a whimisical story than anything else. Travolta was only OK.

You are more generous with your stars than me. I was watching G.S. on the way back from LA once and I found it so very boring. I dozed off more than once and it wasn't even the red eye.

Ktulu_1

04-08-09, 09:09 AM

I liked Get Shorty. It's at least a 3 for me. Be Cool is more of a 2.5.

scaesare

04-08-09, 09:29 AM

You are more generous with your stars than me. I was watching G.S. on the way back from LA once and I found it so very boring. I dozed off more than once and it wasn't even the red eye.

I'm inclined to agree with you... I may have been a little too generous...

Beta Man

04-09-09, 12:29 PM

Wife and I watched "Changeling" on Blu-ray last night..... Solid film.... really enjoyed it 4/5

gryhnd

04-11-09, 09:39 AM

Another library find (I browse titles while waiting for the kid): "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071565/). Real highfalutin stuff I've been watching as of late :rolleyes:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=139444&d=1239456972

RABBITFISH

04-11-09, 04:18 PM

Watched my favorite, Serenity, again, can't seem to ever get tired of it, also found a complete set of Torchwood, season 1, Went on a marathon to watch them all, my wife would not let me watch without her, she got hooked on it too....

natrone06

04-13-09, 12:35 AM

BasementBob

04-13-09, 03:00 AM

Watched "2010 The Year We Make Contact BluRay"
I was hoping that it would be an improvement over the DVD version of this that I have, which is dark in several spots, and has a variety of camera flair and special effects errors. In otherwords I was hoping for a 'restored' edition. No such luck. The BluRay video might even be worse.

spectramr2

04-13-09, 12:01 PM

If anyone is a fan of martial arts movies...i highly recommend watching "IP MAN". This is not the typical no plot movie, rather a very well, with very well cheroagrphed fighting scenes. It is actually the story of Bruce Lee's master going through times in China when Japan took over.

The fighting scenes in this movie are out of this world and throughout the entire movie, it will keep you glued to your seat. Please post if you have seen this.

Ktulu_1

04-13-09, 12:13 PM

GAH! I can't find it on Netflix.

spectramr2

04-13-09, 12:43 PM

GAH! I can't find it on Netflix.

You probably need to find it on a torrent or purchase it directly....it is well worth it though. Im sure some people who have seen it on here can chime in.

BasementBob

04-14-09, 01:10 AM

Ip Man [Blu-ray] (2008) (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001SO6KNS)
Will be available on May 5th.

tony123

04-14-09, 07:52 AM

"Bedtime Stories" with 5 kids. Had alot of fun, but thought the movie was weak. Lots more potential in the plot but they made it gimmicky.

Marley and Me three times in the last week or so. It hits a real cord with me and I enjoy it on many levels.

Ktulu_1

04-16-09, 07:36 AM

Ip Man [Blu-ray] (2008) (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001SO6KNS)
Will be available on May 5th.

Thanks for posting the link but the price makes me... :mad:

Boston Litigator

04-16-09, 11:43 AM

Watched Donkey Punch. Not overly impressed.

spectramr2

04-16-09, 04:03 PM

Thanks for posting the link but the price makes me... :mad:

Get it on fleabay...much cheaper.

tony123

04-16-09, 05:24 PM

Australia on BR. The first hour was okay....it then hit a dry period for a half hour and I fell asleep on it. Woke up to the credits.

BasementBob

04-17-09, 04:08 AM

Thanks for posting the link but the price makes me... :mad:

I didn't notice the price being that high the last time I was there.
Anyway, skip the bluray, then it's available today and at less than a third the price:
Ip Man DVD (2008) (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TOVZYQ)
and there are other versions, used, that are half that price.

Ktulu_1

04-17-09, 07:41 AM

The Spirit (2008) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0831887/?c=1) - I loved Sin City and was looking forward to The Spirit, but unfortunately this movie is sub par. All style and no substance. The dialog is, at times, laughable and the story is boring. While Sam Jackson tries very hard to bring life to his character, the main character played by Gabriel Macht is somewhat flat and uninteresting. The Spirit seems to be written that way. Even the stylish visuals and bevy of gorgeous babes can't make flat and uninteresting work. 2 out of 5.

jandawil

04-17-09, 10:36 AM

With work being crazy I've been neglecting my movie watching, however we did enjoy Bolt the other night on BR with the kids. It was a very fun movie. The cool thing about Bolt was the disk set came with the BR copy, digital copy, and the DVD all in one package. I really hope this catches on.

Beta Man

04-17-09, 09:28 PM

Watched "Tell No One" tonight. Really good movie IMO. If you liked Michael Clayton you will like this. Not a movie to doze off to, its a little over 2 hours and you need to pay attention.
http://cdn.overstock.com/images/products/P11769595.jpg

I have this, as well as the First Pirates of the Carribean movie from Netflix right now..... When the wife gets here, we're watching one of them..... I'm pretty worn out, but I think I'll take a stab at "Tell No One" anyways.... it looks like something I'd enjoy a lot.

I most recently watched "The Thing" on blu-ray again....... 3rd time since buying it on Blu.... Highly recommend it for you Carpenter fans.

westgate

04-18-09, 01:06 PM

fired up pj to watch 'clear and present danger, on blu ray but the netflix rental disc wouldn't load.

so watched 'the last drop', on dvd, a story about recovering art and treasure stolen by the nazis in WW2.

Wills

04-18-09, 09:24 PM

Wife and I just bought Band of Brothers Bluray so we fired it up tonight, just getting through Episode 2 and man is it riveting.

Ktulu_1

04-20-09, 09:12 AM

I watched the unrated version of Role Models (2008) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430922/) over the weekend. Role Models takes a well worn plot template that we've all seen before and plugs some new stuff into the blank lines. There is nothing new here. Troubled adults are forced to help troubled kids and in the process find some help for themselves. Role Models takes that formula and with a nice dose of raunch makes a nice little comedy. Paul Rudd and Stiffler are great together, the kids are exceptional, and the crazy supporting characters are wonderful. I liked it quite a bit. 3.5 out of 5.

antwon412

04-20-09, 10:34 AM

Eagle Eye

Highly improbable, yet I enjoyed it. I'm easily pleased.

but I made sure to take the battery out of my phone when I had a private conversation yesterday. [face_paranoia]

Beta Man

04-20-09, 07:14 PM

so we watched "Tell No One" on Blu-ray and I give it a 4/5

Some parts were kinda stretching it... either way, excellent movie..... I like the fact that it can have SOME nudity... SOME language, and SOME violence.... and not be over the top with any of them....

The way I see it, if it were a U.S. film, it'd be rated "R" for the reasons above.... but since there wasn't much of the above mentioned, they'd probably edit it down to get a PG-13 rating to get more exposure.... OR they would go over the top and add sex scenes etc.. to give it more shock value..... I think the fact that it didn't have to do either of these things, made it a more "true to life" movie. Sure the guy dropped the "F-Bomb" when he was frantic.... but he didn't use it a lot in his daily life.... sure there was some nudity... but it was used to explain the transition from young-kids-in-love, to a young husband/wife...

and yes the gun-shots left gruesome wounds... but they show the aftermath, and recoil from the images....

Good film... Check it out people!

We have "Slumdog Millionaire" on DVD.... I'll have to check it out next.

RTROSE

04-20-09, 10:10 PM

RTROSE

04-20-09, 10:16 PM

Watched Black Hawk Down over the weekend. I had lost my copy (case of unauthorized borrowing and no one has fessed up) of the movie and took the opportunity to purchase the three disc special edition. I had forgotten how much I get into the movie and how I feel emotionally after watching it. Very good character development excellent cinematography an over all excellent film.

Regards,

RTROSE

scaesare

04-21-09, 10:57 AM

Eagle Eye

Highly improbable, yet I enjoyed it. I'm easily pleased.

but I made sure to take the battery out of my phone when I had a private conversation yesterday. [face_paranoia]

You are officially un-invited to my house.

scaesare

04-21-09, 11:03 AM

RTROSE

04-21-09, 11:49 PM

In anticiaption of the JJ Abrams "prequel", my kids wanted to see the original Star Trek movies.

Star Trek (I) - The Motion Picture: 2.5/5 stars. This film caters to the die-hard Trekkie (which I am not) who would be pumped up at seeing the old gang reunited. And who would also enjoy 15-minute fly-bys of the enterprise docked in space. My kids fell asleep half way thru it.

Star Trek (II) - The Wrath of Kahn: 3.5/5 stars. This was a much faster paced film, and had a good story line that held interest. Bonus points for still (after all these years) not being able to figure out if Montelban's pecs were a prosthetic from the makeup dept.

I agree with your assessment. Star Trek II The Wrath of Kahn is my favorite of the movies and Star Trek IV The Voyage Home a close second. IMO the others fell a little (ok a lot) flat. I was never into The Next Generation so I really did not get into those movies either. I am looking forward to the prequel and it looks to be pretty good.

The Voyage Home would be worth you checking out as the crew travels back in time and encounters late 1980's San Francisco. My kids enjoyed it when they watched it anyway. Might be worth a shot.

Regards,

RTROSE

scaesare

04-22-09, 03:40 PM

I agree with your assessment. Star Trek II The Wrath of Kahn is my favorite of the movies and Star Trek IV The Voyage Home a close second. IMO the others fell a little (ok a lot) flat. I was never into The Next Generation so I really did not get into those movies either. I am looking forward to the prequel and it looks to be pretty good.

The Voyage Home would be worth you checking out as the crew travels back in time and encounters late 1980's San Francisco. My kids enjoyed it when they watched it anyway. Might be worth a shot.

Regards,

RTROSE

Agreed... I'm trying to get the rest of the set watched with the kiddies over the next couple of weeks. I'm not sure I saw any after IV.

antwon412

04-22-09, 04:48 PM

no one cares caesare

;)

antwon412

04-23-09, 11:18 AM

Watched "Bedtime Stories" with the kids last night. Not bad, the kids and wife enjoyed it. I would have enjoyed it better if i hadn't had to skip out on same Halo3 action to watch it though.

scaesare

04-23-09, 11:32 AM

Watched "Bedtime Stories" with the kids last night. Not bad, the kids and wife enjoyed it. I would have enjoyed it better if i hadn't had to skip out on same Halo3 action to watch it though.

(sorry excuse... you were scurred...)

Latest viewing:

Star Trek III-The Search for Spock: 3/5 stars. Better than the first, not as good as Wrath of Khan. My boy was entertained, but agreed it was only OK.

antwon412

04-23-09, 02:09 PM

^^^You plan on watching IV soon? i love the part when scotty tries talking into the old school mac mouse!

Gary*w*

04-23-09, 05:02 PM

^^^You plan on watching IV soon? i love the part when scotty tries talking into the old school mac mouse!

Or Checkov's line "Where do they keep the Nuclear Wessels" :)

RTROSE

04-24-09, 12:32 AM

Yup! There are a lot of classic "one liners" in Star Trek IV. I also like the part were Kirk and Spock are riding on the bus and they discuss "colorful metaphors".

Regards,

RTROSE

scaesare

04-24-09, 12:35 PM

^^^You plan on watching IV soon? i love the part when scotty tries talking into the old school mac mouse!

I had forgetten about that! Heck yes... that one's next...

RTROSE

04-24-09, 08:27 PM

Watched Wanted last night. I had been really looking forward to getting this movie and watching it.

Basically to the point I did not like this movie. I can really say I was disappointed in this movie, I think just about everything was sub par IMO and I am the first to tell someone to disconnect the reality meter, but Wanted was just over the top (in a bad way) so much so that I just kept shaking my head throughout the majority of the movie. I was really hoping for a home run, but got fouled out.

1.5/5
Regards,

RTROSE

mtkevin

04-27-09, 11:31 AM

I actually fell asleep in the movie theater at Wanted. I think that says a lot about how much I liked it. :)

spectramr2

04-27-09, 11:50 AM

When Taken gets released on blu-ray, that is a must watch for all you action flick fans. I was fortunate enough to obtain the 'screener' before it was released in the US and man, that is one dark, disturbing, but really, really entertaining flick!

scaesare

04-29-09, 10:55 AM

Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home: - 3.5/5 stars. Didn't take it self too seriously, story didn't drag, some great one liners. Eleven yr old son Spence and I rate it as tied with II as best in the series thus far.

Epyx

04-29-09, 07:53 PM

Montelbans pecs were in fact real...not prosthetic fyi :)

scaesare

04-30-09, 11:48 AM

If so, it gives hope to AARP members everywhere!

teknoguy

04-30-09, 07:01 PM

If so, it gives hope to AARP members everywhere!

Speaking of AARP....I was shocked...:eek:

My Buddy just got an invite to become a member of AARP on his birthday. He just turned 50!! So now at 50 you're old and considered retired???:(

-t

RTROSE

04-30-09, 07:40 PM

Speaking of AARP....I was shocked...:eek:

My Buddy just got an invite to become a member of AARP on his birthday. He just turned 50!! So now at 50 you're old and considered retired???:(

-t

Well that mailer was designed before the economy tanked. The new mailers come close to your 70th b-day:D

Regards,

RTROSE

scaesare

05-01-09, 11:35 AM

Well that mailer was designed before the economy tanked. The new mailers come close to your 70th b-day:D

Regards,

RTROSE

I've gotten them for a while. I'm 38.

(Shut up, Antwon)

antwon412

05-01-09, 02:49 PM

lol What? [face_inncent]

I bought sneakers on HD-DVD a while back for my wife. Watched the first half the other night. I forgot most of the movie, been years since ive seen it. its pretty good, Dan Akroyd and Robert Redford have some great one liners.

oh and...OLD! haha

scaesare

05-02-09, 10:34 AM

antwon412

05-03-09, 08:22 PM

360 add on. memory failing you old man?

CptnRandy

05-04-09, 12:36 PM

Friday night the wife and I watched "Tropic Thunder". Some very funny moments.

I've been spending the weekend gearing up for my traditional Star Trek movie premiere event. I'll have a dedicate few over starting at 11 am on Friday. We'll watch a few select Star Trek Movies (we use to watch them all!), before heading out to the new movie.

Randy

scaesare

05-04-09, 01:28 PM

Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang: 3/5 stars - I likes me some Robert Downey Jr. and this tongue-in-cheek murder mystery was entertaining, if not a little hard to follow. Bonus point for Honest Abe and Elvis at the end.

scaesare

05-05-09, 12:04 PM

The Andromeda Strain (1971): 2.5/5 stars - Amazing how your perspective changes after not having seen a movie for 25+ years. Good premise from Michael Crichton for it's day, but it seemed slow and antiquated now. Decent nostolgia factor nonetheless.

RTROSE

05-05-09, 08:54 PM

Going to be watching the Terminator trilogy in the next several days to gear up for the newest entry making its debut shortly.

I also watched Star Trek II The Wrath of Kahn 3/5, Chronicles of Narnia (Wardrobe) 4.5/5 and iRobot 4/5 the past several days (all of them again for the umpteenth time).

Regards,

RTROSE

scaesare

05-06-09, 10:22 AM

Star Trek V - The Final Frontier: 2/5 stars - This fifth installment of the series was directed by Shattner (rather than Nimoy as with the previous movies) and is what I would call the "Wizard of Oz" of the Star Trek movies for it's ending. I struggled to keep interest with it's campy dialog and plot devices. Spence fell asleep 90 minutes in, and upon waking pronounced it "weird". I agree.

I had thought this was the last of the original cast movies... but a quick glance at IMDB suggests I have at least one more to go...

westgate

05-08-09, 11:52 PM

just watched
http://hddb.net/ecs_covers/21-blu-ray-842865-medium.jpg
pretty good, i liked it a lot.
kevin spacey, l. fishbourne.

CptnRandy

05-09-09, 10:27 AM

PamW

05-09-09, 09:18 PM

Yesterday we held our traditional Star Trek run up event.

A hardy group of 5 guests watched "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan", "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," and one of my favorite Star Trek movies, "GalaxyQuest"!

We then went to see the new Star Trek movie - terrific!

Randy

I agree - "Star Trek" was fabulous!!!
BTW, "GalaxyQuest" is one of my family's all time favorite movies - we catch ourselves quoting lines from it.

Gary*w*

05-09-09, 09:40 PM

Yeah I saw Star Trek this afternoon and it was GREAT!

tony123

05-11-09, 11:37 AM

"The Reader" and "Benjamin Button". Both Fantastic!

Ktulu_1

05-11-09, 12:03 PM

We took the family to see Star Trek (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0796366/) this weekend. Everyone enjoyed it very much. It has some flaws but generally I loved it. 4 out of 5.

I watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421715/) on Blu-Ray. It's very good but it's not a movie I'm very excited about seeing again any time soon. 3.5 out of 5.

I also watched The Rocker (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1031969/) on Blu-Ray. The Rocker isn't in the same class as these other movies but I found it entertaining. 3 out of 5.

JustSayKB

05-11-09, 01:07 PM

scaesare

05-13-09, 04:26 PM

Also saw the new ST flick at the commercal cinema, pretty good stuff as ST movies go.

At the home cinema:

Ocean's 11: 4/5 stars - Old school feel "crew" movie. Good lot, good pace, and I think Pitt and Clooney make a great on-screen pair.

Prizzi's Honor: 1/5 stars - I can't believe Dish Network rated this tripe 4 stars. One of Nicholson's worst performances, and the godfather character was atrocious. A sappy soap opera more than a good mafia movie. Yuck.

kaiservt

05-13-09, 10:47 PM

Just watched Bolt (I'm a 25 year old male)! GREAT MOVIE! A++ Great story, picture and sound are awesome!

RTROSE

05-13-09, 10:47 PM

Took the boy child to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine this weekend. Meh.

About to fire up The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. And like RTROSE I will be watching the Terminator movies before seeing Terminator: Salvation.

Took the family to see X-Men and like you JustSayKB Meh. 3/5 I was entertained but it seemed too predictable and to me just did not flow very well sort of choppy.

I have in the past few days watched all of the Terminator movies. Terminator 4/5 T2 Judgment Day 4/5 T3 Rise of the Machines 3.5/5 and my least favorite of the three. My favorite of the three is T2. We will see how Salvation stacks up against the first three.

Regards,

RTROSE

Beta Man

05-14-09, 09:26 AM

Been awhile since I updated.... so here are my most recent Blu-ray Purchases that I've watched.....

Last night the Wife and I watched "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" 4.5/5 I thought it was FANTASTIC.

Before that was Phillip Seymore Hoffman's "Doubt" 4/5 This was a VERY good movie... despite very high marks, I don't think it's as re-watchable as Benny Button.

Truffaut's "The Last Metro" 4.5/5 Great film.... an old favorite.

Clouzout's "Wages of Fear" was before that.... Such a powerful movie..... 5/5 the Blu-ray transfer is phenomenal on this one.

Also viewed "In the Realm of the Senses" which was a huge leap from my standard DVD.... (original release... nonetheless) Touchy subject material, but I find it a good character study..... 4/5

That's all that I really remember.... I've watched many others though.... (including Bottle Rocket with the Owen Wilson/Wes Anderson commentary track on)

I have a mild "Criterion Collection" addiction, so as of now, I have all of the currently released Criterion Collection Blu-rays released in my possession, as well as all of the announced titles pre-ordered (with the exception of "Repulsion" which I haven't gotten around to ordering yet..... waiting for "Gold Box" on it)

JustSayKB

05-16-09, 03:36 PM

Me and a bud went to see Star Trek the other night. FANTASTIC! All I could think of while watching it was "I want to see this again in IMAX" and "I can't wait until this comes out on Blu-ray!" 6/5!

At home I've been trying to get into Antonioni. I watched L'avventura but really didn't get into it. I guess I'm just a Fellini dude. I'm also having a hard time finding the second part of the trilogy. Can't believe it's not a Criterion like the other two. Oh well. 3/5

Last night was Family Friday Movie Night. With the youngest out of the house we watched a PG-13 movie, a fun, campy martial arts movie called The Forbidden Kingdom. It was something to do. 3/5

BasementBob

05-17-09, 04:33 PM

June 1909, Scientific American

"Moving pictures are exhibited in about ten thousand theatres and halls in the United States. With the rapid spread of this new amusement has also come a marked change in the public taste. Spectators were once quite content with a view of factory employees going to and from their work, the arrival and departure of railway trains, and similar scenes. Nowadays, a more or less coherent story must be unfolded, for which reason the makers of moving pictures have been compelled to write plays (or at least to conceive them) and to have them acted before the camera."

BasementBob

05-17-09, 07:00 PM

Watched Valkyrie (BluRay) (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KZIRKY)
Good film. 4/5

I doubt that in twenty years we'll look back to this as one of the WWII classic films, but it's a quite a good film for now.

YOU DID NOT BEAR THE SHAME
YOU RESISTED
SACRIFICING YOUR LIFE
FOR FREEDOM, JUSTICE AND HONOR
-- from the german resistance memorial, Berlin

antwon412

05-18-09, 09:51 AM

Watched "The Spirit" with some friends.

Not real good. I dont think I would ever watch it again. The style it was shot in was pretty cool, but the story and dialogue was pretty week.

Good eye candy tho! :D

scaesare

05-18-09, 12:25 PM

Star Trek 6: Undiscovered Country: 2.5/5 stars - We finally wathced the final of the "original cast" ST movies. It was entertaining, but not as good as Khan or Voyage home.

12 Monkeys: 3.5/5 stars - Interesting sci-fi flick with Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt. The ending wasn't as good as the beginning, but it held my attention. Pitt did an excellent job playing a convincing head-case.

westgate

05-18-09, 11:48 PM

tonite, did the projector thing with 'the wrath of khan', blu ray. fun!

since i saw it in the theater, what, almost 30 years ago, i saw it one other time via VHS maybe 15 years ago, ? so seeing it via blu ray on my 84" screen was pretty impressive.

watched 'TMP', blu ray last week, didn't look as good as 'wrath...' but was fun anyway. i enjoyed it.

BasementBob

05-19-09, 07:07 PM

Watched Taken (BluRay) (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GCUNYO)
3.5/5 - lots of strong action, no other point in watching it.
Although I'd seen 98% of this in theatres six months ago, this time I watched the Extended Cut, which gave another 2 minutes of bits edited out of the North American theatrical release for the PG-13 rating. No change in plot details, but the fight scenes are a little longer.

Watched Timecrimes 2007 (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001FOPOD8)
2.8/5. (2.5 would have been robbing the film of credit it deserves, but can I give it a 3?)
If you liked Primer (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007N1JC8), you may as well watch this one too. Hollywood is doing a remake for next year, so why wait for the awful one when you can watch the good one now.
It's regarded as one of the top twenty time travel movies. Low budget (although probably much bigger budget than Primer's $7000 budget, relatively speaking) -- even before the tornado wiped out the sets on Timecrimes. It's originally shot in Spanish, and dubed to English. Some female nudity.

Ktulu_1

05-20-09, 08:57 AM

Over the weekend I watched Taken (2008) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/) on Blu-Ray. I liked it very much. Action wasn't too over the top and the story was compelling even if it is a little hard to swallow. 3.5 out of 5

Since I had Tuesday off I stayed up late Monday night and watched Miller's Crossing (1990) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100150/) on DVD. I'm a fan of many Coen brother's movies but never got around to watching this one. It's not quite as good as some of the other Coen brother's movies but it's still very good on it's own. 3.5 out of 5.

BasementBob

05-20-09, 11:27 AM

For those of you who have seen Taken 2008

In the final action minutes, any idea what happened to the other two girls of the three girls that went into the sheik's boat cabin? Any idea how he knew which girl was the hero's daughter?

Ktulu_1

05-20-09, 12:45 PM

Bob...

Liam made the sheik's guy buy her at the auction before they caught him. I assume the girl's origin was explained to the buyer. That's not too much of a stretch after all that happened at the auction.

If I remember correctly the movie cuts to the airport or something after he rescues his daughter without any explanation of how they got out of the country. I vaguely remember the daughter being concerned about the other girls, but I think you're right I don't remember any obvious explanation as to what happened to the other girls.

I certainly wanted him to save all the girls on the boat and earlier at the construction site but he might have seen that as a liability. He needed to get in and out of the construction site quickly. A gaggle of drugged out chicks would have definitely slowed him down. He almost didn't make it with one. After the boat he needed to get out of the country ASAP and as quietly as possible. I sure there would be many people, for a whole host of reasons, interested in keeping him from leaving.

BasementBob

05-20-09, 03:58 PM

Ktulu_1:

Thank you, but you misunderstood me. I didn't mean how did the other girls (2 or 100s) get out of the country. Given the number of men supposidly in that gang, I assume that the remaining girls are still there, except perhaps those on the boat. I meant on the boat, in the sheik's room, where did the other 2 girls go? There are 3 girls led into the shiek's room, but only 1 is there, the important one, for the climatic scene.

The shiek didn't buy the girls, the younger guy bought her. And the younger guy never had time to explain which girl was which to the shiek. If he were going to, surely he would have done so when the 3 girls were presented, but he didn't have time as hero father arrived. Yet the shiek 'hid' the other two, and grabbed the correct one. Why, how?

I don't really expect an answer from anyone. But to me that was a glairing unexplained plot hole. I don't mind incredible abilities, or insanely good luck to the point of magic in a movie. I didn't mind that the boats bridge crew didn't interfere either. But how people get information is important in a story.

I assume, that with the French internal security looking for him, that he didn't take a charter flight home. More likely he and his daughter flew home on daddy's subsiduary company plane.

warrenP

05-20-09, 05:39 PM

The buyer does tell the shiek quickly that the guy on the boat is her father, as he is leaving to confront Liam. It is fast, but it is spoken, so the shiek did know who Liam's daughter was and that Liam was on the boat for her. For the other two girls, I wondered the same thing...

BasementBob

05-20-09, 06:52 PM

warrenP

That's right, make me replay a scene I didn't enjoy. :)
just a sec ...
Here's the scoop: The junior evil do-er never pointed to, indicated either by hand or by eye glance, named, or described in any way, the daughter. The three girls were delivered without junior being present, as he and other henchman went away just before delivery by remaining henchman. Junior did eventually enter the shiekh's room and say, while holding a handgun in both hands which was pointed at the door and keeping his eyes either on the shiekh or on the door, said "The girl's father. He wants her back. I'll get the dog." and then he left, never having glanced back. The sheikh glanced at the girls, but junior never looked in the girl's direction, his back was to them. The shiekh could not have known which girl was liem's daughter. As hero father enters the room, you can see the heads of both the other remaining two girls sitting on the floor near the nightstand table, so all three girls are still in the room. Although in the hallway all three girls appear brunette and one asian, beside the nightstand there is one brunette and one blond. The sheikh's doors were opaque (no portals either), so he couldn't have seen liem to make a guess. After the shiekh is shot, the camera pulls back, and the other two girls are not in the room.

Todd Lee

05-20-09, 11:30 PM

Just finished watching Transformers with the kids. (5 year old and 18 month old) I clearplayed it to clean it up for the kids. I just love the final battle scene!

dc_pilgrim

05-21-09, 10:12 AM

Saw Terminator Salvation at a midnight show. I am beat. It is visually and audio-wise a heck of a piece. The plot is only so-so. I recommend it as a popcorn flick and as future blu-ray demo material. The action is about as close to non-stop as you can get.

Boston Litigator

05-21-09, 10:20 AM

watched Taken (BR)...thought it was great and Frost/Nixon (BR)...enjoyed it but was not blown away

cabbageheat

05-21-09, 11:37 AM

Just finished watching Transformers with the kids. (5 year old and 18 month old) I clearplayed it to clean it up for the kids. I just love the final battle scene!

How do you clearplay it? Is that a special dvd player??

RTROSE

05-21-09, 08:38 PM

How do you clearplay it? Is that a special dvd player??

ClearPlay (http://http://www.clearplay.com/) pretty neat for families with small kids or if you just want to watch a movie without all of the junk. I don't have one but I have seen a demo of it an it looks pretty slick.

Regards,

RTROSE

cabbageheat

05-21-09, 08:51 PM

interesting. I'll check it out, thanks for the link. I've always just skipped sections, or simply didn't show movies at all that weren't appropriate, may have to dig a little deeper in this.

thanks!

ArtieR

05-24-09, 04:09 PM

Took a break from the usual "Friday/Saturday Home Movie Night" and had some fellow "jazzaholic" friends over last PM for dinner & drinks. We watched "Return To Forever Returns - Live at Montreux 2008," and the Pat Metheny Group "The Way Up - Live" TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY!!!

Amazing video (both in 1080i Blu-ray, on the 135" 2.40:1 screen), incredible sound (DTS HD-MA 5.1 mix), and virtuoso performances by two of the best ensembles EVER in Jazz Fusion. (any "Weather Report" out on Blu-ray soon??)

It was actually better than "being there" (no parking, more comfty seats, better food -- yes, we still did the popcorn -- and more relaxed).

If you love awesome music (especially guitar riffs -- Metheny & Al DiMeola are considered 2 of the world's greatest) --- HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION !!!!

bennyjammin

05-24-09, 08:41 PM

Ok, so I don't feel like clicking through 156 pages on this thread. Can someone please tell me what page the finished product is?

dc_pilgrim

05-24-09, 09:02 PM

Ok, so I don't feel like clicking through 156 pages on this thread. Can someone please tell me what page the finished product is?

There is no destination in this thread, only the journey. This thread is for people to talk about what they have seen lately, and give advice to other members as to whether it was worthwhile.

RTROSE

05-24-09, 09:57 PM

Well I finally got around to "permanently" mounting/installing my HD-DVD player and as a "treat" I watched the second installment of Harry Potter on HD-DVD 3.5/5 and Dragon Heart 3.5/5 also on HD-DVD.

For good measure and a trip down memory lane I also watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off. A great "classic" from my teenage years 4/5.

Regards,

RTROSE

Beta Man

05-25-09, 09:20 AM

Watched "Bride Wars" on BD with the wife...... if you can avoid this one.... I'd recommend it!!!!!!

RTROSE

05-25-09, 10:24 AM

Watched "Bride Wars" on BD with the wife...... if you can avoid this one.... I'd recommend it!!!!!!

Not watched this one......but I have heard comments such as yours from others as well. The wife has not mentioned watching this movie yet and far be it from me to mention it to her now. Will avoid if I can.

Regards,

RTROSE

RMK!

05-25-09, 02:13 PM

This bluray film was much better than I thought it would be. They tried for historical accuracy and did a commendable job (filmed in Germany). The North Africa battle scenes contained some of the most impactfull sound/LFE (DTS HDMA) that I have heard. When the first anti-aircraft gun goes off it is startling, and it only gets better. Well acted and interesting throughout.

CptnRandy

05-26-09, 08:08 AM

Ok, so I don't feel like clicking through 156 pages on this thread. Can someone please tell me what page the finished product is?

Sure.

Lots of movies watched. Many enjoyed - a few stinkers.

That is all.

BTW - daughter home from college with a friend. We watched "Babel" with them. A very well made, very depressing movie.

Randy

mtkevin

05-26-09, 10:14 AM

Watched a few movies over the weekend.

Australia-Pretty long, but better than I thought it would be. Nostalgic factor as I lived there a few years ago. 3.5/5

21-Not bad. Kevin Spacey is kind of annoying 3/5

Ktulu_1

05-27-09, 11:24 AM

scaesare

05-27-09, 02:00 PM

Ronin: 3.5/5 stars. Good intrigue/action flick with perhaps one of the best car chase sequences ever filmed. great perfomance by DeNiro doing roles he should primarly do.

A Simple Plan: 3/5 stars - Good story that makes you really want to figure out how it will all end, and decent performances by Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thorton. Thorton seems to play a dullard well.

The Fountain: 05/5 stars - This was from the wife's NetFlix queue... it go so weird and mystical that 10 minutes in we shut it down. Hugh Jackman, fwiw.

(Oh, and I happen to like Kevin Spacey)

Beta Man

05-28-09, 02:10 PM

The Adventures of Robin Hood on BD

3/5 good old fun.... in retrospect, I should have just stuck to my old DVD copy... I doubt I'll watch it that many more times.

Boston Litigator

05-29-09, 11:10 AM

watched Tell No One (BR) last night, really enjoyed it..would recommend it to all

Billbofet

05-29-09, 11:33 AM

Wife and I watched The Wrestler (bd). I would give it a 3.5/5.

Worth seeing, but not a multiple-viewer.

DKaps

05-30-09, 09:55 AM

I recently went through a number of pretty good ones:

Slumdog Millionaire - Pretty good. I liked the premise. 3.5 out of 5

Benjamin Button - Just OK. I was more interested in the make-up effects than the thin story. 3 out of 5

The Wrestler - I really liked this one. Mickey Rourke was absolutely perfect as a broken down former "star". 4 out of 5

Boston Litigator

05-31-09, 06:02 PM

watched Valkeryie; did not do much for me

RTROSE

05-31-09, 08:56 PM

Watched U2 Rattle and Hum on HD-DVD. This is my first concert DVD and I'm pretty impressed with it overall. Very enjoyable to watch and very interesting to see some of the background to the music. 4/5. If you like the band it should be a definite watch if you are a music fan I think you would also find it very interesting.

Regards,

RTROSE

antwon412

05-31-09, 10:48 PM

Watched Goldfinger the other night. PQ and AQ were really great. These old james Bond movies amaze me at how good they look. 50 years old and look better then some BR transfers of new movies!

I love this movie. My second fav of the classic bond movies, right behind From Russia with Love.

my score? out of 5....11 :D

ronaldo1

06-01-09, 01:22 AM

I agree with all of Zero Effect fans,
Zero Effect is a great movie.

teknoguy

06-01-09, 07:11 AM

watched Valkeryie; did not do much for me

Yeah...watched this Saturday night and wasn't too impressed either. Wife fell asleep about 20 minutes to the end. Guess I knew the story line anyway. Still, I was hoping Adolph got blasted to pieces!!

-t

gryhnd

06-01-09, 02:54 PM

Guests were in town, and one is addicted to Transformers so we watched it again. We totally blew them away with the experience of an HT. I love seeing the eyes go big, mouths fall open, and a little drool starting ;-)

After they left yesterday, we watched Bolt which my son had received as a birthday gift. I thought it was pretty darn funny. We enjoyed it quite a bit. Love that Rhino.

JustSayKB

06-01-09, 03:08 PM

Finally gained the audacity to watch Twilight. After spending the day reading Roger Ebert's The Great Movies II I feel like I owe all true movie watchers an apology.

scaesare

06-01-09, 03:10 PM

Up: 3/5 stars - Saw it at the theatre becasue the kiddies wanted to see it, and had hears several reviews stating it was one of Pixar's best ever. I disagree... it was middle of the pack. Having a couple of rather depressing themes early on in the movie didn't help much... my 14 yr old daughter actually cried.

Memphis Belle: 2.5/5 stars - Caught it in HD on teevee. Not the most dramatically directed/acted movie, but I understand it was relatively accurate. Starred Matthew Modine.

mtkevin

06-01-09, 05:45 PM

Watched 28 days later (4/5 for me, pretty good) and 28 weeks later (3/5) weaker plot, annoying father

gryhnd

06-01-09, 07:16 PM

Watched 28 days later (4/5 for me, pretty good) and 28 weeks later (3/5) weaker plot, annoying father

As a horror fan, I surprisingly haven't seen the former, but have seen the latter. I agree with your assessment of the father. I don't find that as a flaw with the movie though (not sure if you did, just sayin').

I might burn in hell for mentioning it, but that older sister was pretty damn good looking. "Imogen Poots"...a WTF name for a fine looking actress. :D

CptnRandy

06-02-09, 08:00 PM

typing with one hand - busted up the left, surgery, pins . . .

Watched, Blue (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108394/). Been on my to watch list since we built the theater.

Randy

CptnRandy

06-02-09, 08:45 PM

Saturday night the wife and I watched, "Man on Fire."

I stand by my assertion that anything with Denzel is worth watching.

Randy

RTROSE

06-02-09, 09:49 PM

typing with one hand - busted up the left, surgery, pins . . .

Randy

Ouch, sounds painful. Here's to you Randy hoping you have a speedy recovery.

Regards,

RTROSE

scaesare

06-03-09, 11:42 AM

Beta Man

06-03-09, 02:31 PM

National Geographic Channel "Inside 9/11": 5/5 stars - A very well done documentary on events presented chronologically as they unfolded. A number of details I had not known previously. That event still amazes me.

Can't watch that for personal reasons :(

Watched "The Searchers" on Blu-ray Much better than my DVD 4/5

Got a replacement copy of "The Incredible Hulk" on Blu-ray..... gotta see if the technical merits can get me through my preconceived notions of the film itself...... we'll see.

BasementBob

06-04-09, 01:42 AM

Watched The International (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001YXXR3E)
2/5
Boring. Much to much use of "The Stare". I don't know off hand how long this film was, but it should have been a half hour shorter.

Watched Gran Torino (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KVZ6ES)
A really good film in my opinion.
4.5/5 (It's probably a 3.5/5 film, that got another star from me due to several parts that were personally familiar -- although the amazon rating is also 4.5/5)
It starts off slow like several of Eastwood directed films are, and the acting is kind of so-so from the faces you don't know, but eventually I found myself hoping the downtroden would be defended.

Ktulu_1

06-04-09, 08:20 AM

I watched Slumdog Millionaire (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/) last night. Great movie. 4 out of 5.

Suzuki201

06-04-09, 01:50 PM

Watched:

Casino Royale (Saturday)
Slumdog Millionaire (Sunday)
Bolt (Sunday)

I watched Slumdog Millionaire (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/) last night. Great movie. 4 out of 5.http://www.**********************/track/img/3358/s09v0317fvxp/00.gif

dc_pilgrim

06-04-09, 02:46 PM

BasementBob

06-06-09, 03:59 AM

Watched Defiance (2008) (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001FB55JO)
3/5
An ok film if you want to see something new.
Flows well. No complaints about plot, or acting.
Just no surprises.

Watched Juggernaut (1974) (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000092Q5E)
3.8/5
Obviously an older film, but I've always enjoyed it.
"Fallon is the champion."

Watched Babylon 5 - the complete series (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001M3MXY)
4/5 first 4 seasons
3/5 last season
Obviously this took a few hours, over a week and a bit.
I enjoyed every episode of it.

Watched Firefly (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AQS0F)
4.8/5
When I first saw this back in 2005, I watched it over-and-over-and-over (that's three times). The third time through I didn't see anything I hadn't seen before, so I put it away for a year. When I watched it again, it wasn't as good. Well, it's been a few years, and there is dialog and the occasional scene that I've forgotten, and I'm enjoying it again!
Generally speaking, any DVD on amazon.com with over 100 comments is worth having a look at. It's rare to see anything with over 300 comments, and there are lots of films with under 40 comments. This one has over 2840. How good does something have to be, that after 2830 positive comments are extolled in public, that another 20 people feel compelled to voice their own appreciation to the chorus. When FOX cancelled Firefly, fans were left with a little spaceship-shaped hole in their hearts.

Mel: No officer, just an honest brawl between folk.

Zoe: I know something's not right.
Wash: Sweetie, we're crooks. If everything was right, we'd be in jail.

Mel: Don't you ever stand for that sort of thing. People try to kill you, you try to kill them right back.

Billbofet

06-07-09, 11:50 AM

Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 3.5/5

Felt like Forrest Gump lite. Very heartwarming and not as depressing as I thought it would be. Overall, a nice, enjoyable movie worth the almost three hour investment.

mtkevin

06-08-09, 10:07 AM

I went and watched the Hangover yesterday with the wife. I'd give it a 3.75/5. Really, quite a funny movie. A bit raunchy, and not something I would recommend for kids or the elderly, but there were some really funny parts.

scaesare

06-09-09, 12:30 PM

{cheat_mode_on}

I've been readingThe Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345494768/ref=s9_simz_gw_s5_p14_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0T7VFZNDRPGNZP0F5G3Z&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846).

It's an amazing story, with a huge amount of detail about the huge logisitcal effort it takes to make such a movie in the climate Lucas was in. I'm about a 3rd of the way thru (and haven't even gotten to the point where they've begun shooting yet), and so far I have to say it's a great read for either Star Wars fans or movie-making aficionados.

Preliminary rating: 5/5 stars.

(I'll be good and stop this reading nonsense and get back to movie watching soon, I promise)

antwon412

06-09-09, 03:09 PM

whats "reading"?

oh i get it....you mean you were looking at subtitles?

scaesare

06-09-09, 03:16 PM

It's where you decipher the stuff around the pictures in books. Or those weird symbols that scroll up the screen at the end of movies. Kind of like a puzzle.

antwon412

06-09-09, 03:38 PM

Ahhhh. Thanks.

Ive seen a couple documentarys on the making of SW and its pretty cool. Obviously the movie came out before my time, but its interesting to hear about how really, when people heard about his Sci-Fi saga it pretty much was looked upon as a future failing.

They mention that originally were looking to cast Christopher Walken and Kurt Russel.

Walken (as Solo): "Tell...JABba...he'll... GET his money"

scaesare

06-09-09, 03:44 PM

walken (as solo): "tell...jabba...he'll... Get his money"

lol!

vespaguy

06-11-09, 11:07 PM

With my home theater done, I can finally contribute to this thread! My wife and I watched our first movie together a few nights ago:

MirrorMask: 2 out of 5.
Not what I expected at all. Great visuals, but the story is just so-so. Not sure who the intended audience was; Too hokey/childish for adults, too boring for kids. I'm sorry I held out on this one until my theater was done.

Gran Torino: 4 out of 5.
I enjoyed it a lot. Great film. Eastwood's character was fantastic, if maybe a wee bit over the top (He's an old angry guy watching the world change around him. We get it. Does he really need to growl? Or voice how much he hates other people to no one in particular?).

Tomorrow night is the official "grand opening" of my home theater. Feature presentation is "The Dark Knight"

RTROSE

06-14-09, 09:00 AM

Went to see Star Trek on the "Big Screen" really enjoyable movie. 4/5 stars. I have only one wish though and I thought I would not ever say this but I'm getting tired of the whole time travel thing being used to explain or be the story line for sci-fi movies. The movie did seem to jump around a lot but overall pretty good.

Did anyone who had seen Star Trek notice the .1 "sound track"? In my local theater it was pretty active and I noticed it more in this movie than some others I have been to recently. Maybe the sub was running "hot".

Regards,

RTROSE

CptnRandy

06-14-09, 09:49 AM

The wife and I watched "Changling" last night. A well made move.

Randy

BasementBob

06-14-09, 04:42 PM

Directed by Ridley Scott (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000631/) week:

Alien
Blade Runner
Black Rain
White Squall
Gladiator
Black Hawk Down
Kingdom of Heaven

(He's directed some other noteworthy films, like Thelma and Louise etc, but the above are my favourites)

Boston Litigator

06-15-09, 10:58 AM

Watched Gran Torino (BR) like it very much.

Ktulu_1

06-15-09, 12:45 PM

I watched Gran Torino (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1205489/) last night. GREAT movie... 4 out of 5.

TomsHT

06-15-09, 01:19 PM

Hmmm over the weekend we watched the following:

01) Gran Torino : On-Demand
I wouldnt mind seeing it again in the future but I dont know if I actually purchase it.

02) Along Came A Spider : On-Demand
Weve seen this before but the wifey was in the mood to watch it again so we rented it from the cable box

03) Against the Dark : DVD Video Store Rental
Searching for movies in the rental store that we havent already seen we came across this one which we never heard of, now I know why...

04)The Island : HD DVD (import) own
Re-watching some of our purchased movies.

05)Dukes of Hazzard : HD DVD own
Same as #4

06)CSI Season One : Blu-ray own (a few episodes)
Were enjoying it & watching a few episodes at a time but I can see that we went thru the Tru-blood series at a much faster pace.

07) GIA : DVD own
Purchased an older dvd. Wife enjoyed the movie, I enjoyed seeing Angelina Jolie naked :)

Wow I wouldnt have guessed I watched that many movies this weekend until I just made that list... At this rate, no wonder Im always searching for new movies to watch

scaesare

06-15-09, 01:39 PM

scaesare

06-15-09, 01:41 PM

The Money Pit; 3.5/5 stars - Good older Tom Hanks flick. If you are a homeowner, you could feel his pain. The kids have become fans of Hanks' comedy movies. I didn't realize Spielberg was involved with this one.

antwon412

06-15-09, 03:17 PM

had friends over to watch superbike races. had some new folks over so I tossed in Speed racer and TDK to show off a bit.

I did find out that now matter how much power i throw at my speakers, I cannot get them louder that a kitchen full of cackleing wives.

jcavner

06-15-09, 03:32 PM

I did find out that now matter how much power i throw at my speakers, I cannot get them louder that a kitchen full of cackleing wives.

Sounds like an excuse to upgrade if I've ever heard one! :eek:

mtkevin

06-15-09, 04:29 PM

I watched UP, and actually really enjoyed it. Pretty sad first scenes, but it was a really good move, much better than WallE imho. 4/5

antwon412

06-15-09, 05:01 PM

Sounds like an excuse to upgrade if I've ever heard one! :eek:

Unfortunatly, I think the female human voice has more headroom then anything known in the A/V world.

And it can get louder quicker then UPS could deliver my stuff.

However, the meal i prepared of bacon wrapped hotlinks on french rolls slathered in a pureed mayonaise, mustard, garlic, chipotle, bacon and other stuff spread was so good, I could easily half watch the races and be more then content.

The whiskey sours helped as well.

vespaguy

06-18-09, 09:09 AM

LOST (Season 1) (BD): 4.5 out of 5 - As a fan of the show, this was the first time rewatching the first season again. The storyline and characters are top notch, and the picture and sound on the BD disc are wonderful.
After the very first episode mny wife (who's only watched from the 3rd season on) and I were already hooked again. We will most likely spend the next several months watching the entire series over again in anticipation of the final season.

Pixar Short Films Collection (BD): 3 out of 5 -Interesting for what it is, but the older shorts already seem very dated. And, of course, just about all of the content can be found on other Pixar discs. This won't be a disc that I rewatch, but a few of the newer shorts are nice for showing off the home theater with a 'full' movie.

BasementBob

06-19-09, 05:45 AM

Watched House Bunny.
Oh my
1.5 / 5 (somehow I just couldn't give it a 2)
Vacuous and vapid.
Perhaps the worst directed film of 2008.

There are days when I see playboy playmates with average figures. None of them are in this. There are a couple score of playmates with great figures in this. I'm sure Hugh Hefner frequently promises gals that they'll be on the big screen, and here they are. If not all of them then certainly a goodly number.

Hugh Hefner was better in Beverly Hills Cop II. "I happen to be a major contributor" "We appreciate it. Goodbye."

At the end of the movie, the sorority girl Harmony sings like she should be on American Idol. A quick check of IMDB and low and behold yes, she was on American Idol.

Ktulu_1

06-19-09, 08:41 AM

Dang it! I had such high hopes for that movie.

antwon412

06-19-09, 10:11 AM

What if you watch it on mute?

scaesare

06-19-09, 03:13 PM

The Hurricane: 3.5/5 stars - Dezel Washington portrays Rubin Carter in this movie based on the real-life story of a prize-fighter wrongly imprisoned for 20 years. Good acting my Denzel, although the story line left at least a couple of major questions unanswered.

starscomeout

06-19-09, 05:08 PM

Watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button about a man who ages backwards. Starring Brad Pitt who does an excellent job of acting. Rate: 4 out of 5 stars

Don
The Alien Seeker News
www.alienseeklernews.com

smakovits

06-19-09, 06:53 PM

Batman Begins. Watched it after Dark Knight...it was good, I enjoyed it, put some pieces in place so I now understand the Dark Knight better.

jpdeuce

06-19-09, 07:00 PM

Batman Begins. Watched it after Dark Knight...it was good, I enjoyed it, put some pieces in place so I now understand the Dark Knight better.

Would have been better to see them in order, but I could watch either of those movies any time. I love what they did with Batman in those. Begins is great.

BasementBob

06-20-09, 04:39 AM

Watched:
a) The Guild - Season 1 (10 webepisodes) on YouTube
b) The Guild - Season 2 (12 webepisodes) on video.msn.com

2.5/5. Worth every cent if watched as described above.
Good for a few laughs here and there that's for sure.
Each webepisode is about 4 minutes long.

Written by and staring Felicia Day (http://blog.seattlepi.com/swminsea/library/Felicia_Day.jpg) as Codex. Her expressions and reactions are really a joy.

There's a pointless website: watchtheguild.com
You can get both seasons as DVDs on amazon.com

Season 1: Cyd Serman (a.k.a. Codex) has hit bottom. Dumped by her boyfriend, her employer, and her therapist, she drowns her sorrows the way any modern girl would--in the world of online gaming. But after a fellow player mistakes their in game rapport for real-world romance and shows up on her doorstep, Codex brings all of the members of her online guild face-to-face...with very awkward results.

Season 2: Picking up where season 1 left off, Codex finds herself evicted at the hands of Zaboo's jilted mother...and Zaboo shows no signs of giving up on their perceived romance. As Codex tries to deal with her own issues while simultaneously advising her Guild-mates on their own lives, a mysterious neighbor begins to show interest in Codex, further sending her life into turmoil. And this is all before the game's server is unexpectedly shut down...

CptnRandy

06-20-09, 10:09 AM

Last night the wife and I watched Vantage Point (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443274/). Not bad. Ready for something "explodie" after Changling (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0824747/).

Randy

caledonia1

06-20-09, 01:04 PM

I like vantage point. http://www.*****************/trafficreport/img/3721/k08t1221bbuq/gdsmile.gif

Anyways, I watch the Lost season 2, but I like season 1 better.

BasementBob

06-20-09, 03:20 PM

Ready for something "explodie" after Changling (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0824747/).

One of the nice things about this thread is every once in a while someone points out a film that's completely off my radar.

I haven't seen this yet, but I just ordered a copy.

I remember watching the television trailers for this, and somehow I thought she'd found the boy and was trying to pass him off as her son; rather than this was about LAPD corruption and that the LAPD had found the wrong boy.

That a film stars Angelina Jolie isn't enough for me to watch it. But throw in John Malkovich, Clint Eastwood (director), J. Michael Straczynski (writer), a decent amazon.com and newspaper review ratings, although it still doesn't fall into the 'I've got ta see this' category, but it's in the teeter totter range during dry DVD movie weeks.

a shocking but all-too-true story about child abduction and police corruption in 1920s Los Angeles. Single mother Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie, excellent in a role with somewhat limited parameters) finds her 9-year-old son, Walter, missing when she returns home from work one day. She files a report with the Los Angeles Police Department, an outfit that was wildly unpopular at the time (in his regular radio broadcast, a crusading pastor played by John Malkovich decries the force as "violent and corrupt," adding that "our protectors are our brutalizers"). When a child roughly matching Walter’s description turns up in Illinois five months later, the LAPD, intent on salvaging its tattered reputation, is only too eager to claim that he is Collins’ missing child. Little matters that he’s three inches shorter, is circumcised (Walter wasn’t), and fails to pass muster with Walter’s dentist, schoolteacher, and others; the cops, in particular the odious Captain J.J. Jones (Jeffrey Donovan), insist that the mistake is Christine’s, not theirs. What follows is almost too nightmarish to believe--except that it actually happened. Exasperated by Collins’ continued claim that "Walter" is a fraud, they trot out a doctor to reinforce the bogus ID, declare her unfit as a mother, and finally have her committed to a local psychopathic ward. Through it all, Collins, bolstered by the pastor and thousands of outraged Angelenos, refuses to sign a document that would exonerate the police for their egregious error. As for Walter, it’s only when the LAPD’s seemingly only honest detective (Michael Kelly) takes matters into his own hands that the grisly mystery of the child’s fate begins to be solved. That would have been a good place for the film to conclude, too. Unfortunately, it goes on for more than another half hour, with innumerable false endings that add nothing to the story and could just as easily have been summarized with a few sentences before the final credits. That flaw aside (and it’s a major one), Changeling is a powerful film, with a realistic period feel, a wonderfully muted vibe and color palette, and an understated score by Eastwood himself.
-- Amazon.com Editorial Review

juda

06-20-09, 04:08 PM

http://www.****************/img/i/P.jpgLast night the wife and I watched Vantage Point (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443274/). Not bad. Ready for something "explodie" after Changling (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0824747/).

Randyhttp://***************/9/P/i.jpg

I watched Vantage point recently too..Thought it was okay, little strange but a good premise/concept

antwon412

06-21-09, 01:24 AM

The boy wanted to watch Iron Man again. Who am I to argue? Haven't watched in a while, good flick. Would've preferred some more LFE (im a bass whore) but its still a great popcorn flick.

CptnRandy

06-21-09, 12:21 PM

One of the nice things about this thread is every once in a while someone points out a film that's completely off my radar.

Yah - me too. I often give movies a chance I wouldn't have considered. And at this writing: 4,725 posts and 283,795 views! Not bad!

Last the wife, daughter and I watched Ghost Town. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0995039/) Freak'n hilarious.

Randy

vespaguy

06-21-09, 10:47 PM

smakovits

06-21-09, 10:54 PM

Would have been better to see them in order, but I could watch either of those movies any time. I love what they did with Batman in those. Begins is great.

Oh yeah they were both great for sure.

Tonight the wife and I watched Quantum Solace. I love Bond flicks and this one was great as well. I must say all previous critics are right. The action is scene after scene. It is pretty crazy, the story line is pretty limited and I had to piece things together as I went along, but by the end you understand what is going on. I loved it and with all the crazy action it looks really good the way they did it all. I was very impressed.

jpdeuce

06-22-09, 07:25 AM

Oh yeah they were both great for sure.

Tonight the wife and I watched Quantum Solace. I love Bond flicks and this one was great as well. I must say all previous critics are right. The action is scene after scene. It is pretty crazy, the story line is pretty limited and I had to piece things together as I went along, but by the end you understand what is going on. I loved it and with all the crazy action it looks really good the way they did it all. I was very impressed.

Meh...

I thought QoS was a good "action" movie...but not a Bond movie. No Q. No special Bond music. No real Bond girl. No real special gadgets. I thought it was more in line with a "Bourne" movie. I like those movies too, but just expected more from a Bond movie.

Ktulu_1

06-22-09, 08:05 AM

Watched Jesse Stone: Thin Ice (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1064884/) on DVD this weekend. I'm a fan of the Jesse Stone movies and this one did not disappoint. These are some of the best "made for TV" movies I've seen. Great stuff. 3.5 out of 5.

WillyGib

06-22-09, 08:29 AM

The wife and I watched "Burn after reading". They need to change the title to "Burn before Watching. What a piece of crap!

John Martin

06-22-09, 10:04 AM

Watched Phantom of the Opera on Friday and CATS on Saturday. Excellent shows. My daughter loved CATS especially. One of my all time favorites musicals.

John

Brown Radagast

06-22-09, 12:16 PM

My daughter picked Year One for our Father's Day outing. I lost some IQ points and two hours of my life on that one. I feel I am losing more IQ just typing and thinking about that movie.

I wish I could get back that two hours - I'd at least use them for some sleep time - no wait, I did fall asleep during the movie for about a half hour or so, and prior to that I was nodding off for a good 15 to 20 minutes...

I'm certainly not the most Puritanically-devout person when it comes to visual media, but my whole family agreed that a lot of the subject matter in that "movie" was a little too crude for us. We've learned our lesson though - we will henceforth only watch a movie that has favorable reviews!

Got home afterwards and was looking forward to Hancock which had arrived from Netflix. A little more watchable, but predictable. Maybe I need to switch to inspirational films for a while...

TomsHT

06-22-09, 12:36 PM

scaesare

06-22-09, 03:08 PM

21 (BD) 2.5 out of 5 - I had my parents and in-laws over for the first time in the new home theater and needed a movie that was suitable for everyone. This fit the bill. Not a great film, but not horrible.
The movie did make me curious to know what really happened, since it is based on real events, but the movie and the book it was based on are both reportedly highly fictionalized.

In my opinion, the Dicovery Channel(?) documentary on thie was much more interesting than thte hollywood movie. While not as "sensational" as the movie, i found the facts regarding what they did accomplish pretty amazing.

I think with a little searching (and perhaps some bit-torrent hunting), you can find it on the interweb.

scaesare

06-22-09, 03:15 PM

Cape Fear: 4/5 stars - Older Coresese flick starring Robert DeNero, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange and Juliet Lewis. Great performance by DeNiro, and, IMO Lewis. Edge of your seat thiller. It was on TV and a good watch if you haven't seen it for a few years.

scaesare

06-22-09, 03:16 PM

The boy wanted to watch Iron Man again. Who am I to argue? Haven't watched in a while, good flick. Would've preferred some more LFE (im a bass whore) but its still a great popcorn flick.

What's that "bass" doing in there?

Ktulu_1

06-22-09, 03:22 PM

In my opinion, the Dicovery Channel(?) documentary on thie was much more interesting than thte hollywood movie. While not as "sensational" as the movie, i found the facts regarding what they did accomplish pretty amazing.

I think with a little searching (and perhaps some bit-torrent hunting), you can find it on the interweb.

The History Channel had a show on it as well. Part of their "Beating Vegas," or something like that, series.

BasementBob

06-22-09, 11:38 PM

21 (BD) 2.5 out of 5 - I had my parents and in-laws over for the first time in the new home theater and needed a movie that was suitable for everyone. This fit the bill. Not a great film, but not horrible.
The movie did make me curious to know what really happened, since it is based on real events, but the movie and the book it was based on are both reportedly highly fictionalized.

I prefer the 2004 film version The Last Casino (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FFJ8SA) over 21. The Last Casino had 1/7th the budget, and 3 times the writing talent and energy.

They're both based on the book Bringing Down The House (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bringing_Down_the_House_(book)). This link lists the historical inaccuracies of the book.

jpdeuce

06-23-09, 12:42 AM

They're both based on the book Bringing Down The House (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bringing_Down_the_House_(book)). This link lists the historical inaccuracies of the book.

If you enjoyed the movies even a little bit, read the book. It's great. One of those you can eat up in a couple days.

scaesare

06-23-09, 08:16 PM

Nacho Libre: 2/5 Stars - I'm not a big Jack Black fan, but the family had recorded this one and wanted me to watch it with them. It got a few chuckles out of me, hence the 2 stars.

scaesare

06-24-09, 11:33 AM

RTROSE

06-24-09, 06:14 PM

Transformers 2- Revenge of the Fallen: 2/5 stars - I took my kids to the midnite showing of this Michael Bay abomination. The first one actually was pretty well done given the implausible premise of life-forms from outer space that fold from automobiles to big robots.... and the FX were second to none. In this sequel, Bay just took equal helpings of explosions, miltary gear, sappy acting, and robot fights, added a pinch of racial sterotype, a dash of scantily clad chicks, and blended it all together in this 2.5 hour concoction of mediocrity.

I'm tired.

Well I can say that I'm disappointed, but not surprised, to hear this. I really had high hopes for the sequel and will go see it myself but was concerned it would be just more of the same ole same ole from the first film. Here's hoping for the best.

Regards,

RTROSE

jcavner

06-24-09, 06:44 PM

Transformers 2- Revenge of the Fallen: 3.5/5 stars

Went to a midnight showing myself, and it definitely is not up to par with the first movie, but I think it was the fact that this movie was so much more robot-centric, (46 robots compared to the previous movie's 16) than human-centric and it's hard to evoke a ton of emotion or anything with a bunch of metal, especially when there are so many of them its hard to keep track. That's why I think Bay went with such an overtly emotion-driven subplot for some of the human characters.

The humor is alright, and the effects are what you would expect. I went to an IMAX showing and the 4 scenes shot in IMAX are really impressive.

That being said, it's definitely an unplug your brain, summer popcorn movie. For some, it may not be worth the cost of admission for an evening show, but for the cost of an afternoon matinee, I say it's worth the price, just sneak in your own candy.