Now Showing - What We Watched - Page 219

The flyover was impressive early ...
Last night my watch was Apollo 18, 4 out of 5, low budget thriller... first movie that actually made my jump in awhile...

This is good to know! Apollo 18 is also on my rent list - maybe tonight

Watched some old John Frankenheimer (director) movies. He was approached by Albert R. Broccoli to screen test for the role of James Bond in Dr. No (1962).

Reindeer Games 2000
Ronin 1998
Black Sunday 1977
French Connection II 1975
Grand Prix 1966
The Train 1964
Seven Days in May 1962
The Manchurian Candidate 1962

and this one:
The Man Who Never Was 1956

I think this is a fair description. Saoirse Ronan steals the show, though Eric Bana is solid and Cate Blanchett extraordinary, as usual. Check Ronan out in Atonement if you haven't; and I just saw she's in preproduction for a movie version of The Host. My wife has enjoyed that book (two or three times) and this will be a strong and interesting character. Hopefully Andrew Niccol (Gattaca) does a better job directing The Host than Joe Wright did with Hanna. I left Hanna thinking the story telling was reaching for too much, and was a little heavy-handed.

I hope you see Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy, becuase I'd love to read your opinion. I'm very hopeful for Gary Oldman that this will finally get him the Oscar recognition he deserves.

Fred

Watched The Guard (2011)
2.8/5 (amazon 4.9/5, imdb 7.4/10, rotten tomatoes 95%)

An unorthodox Irish policeman with a confrontational personality is teamed up with an uptight FBI agent to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring. Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) is not your typical Irish Garda Guard. He is brash, uncaring but also may be a genius. When a murder and drug ring are shown to be connected the FBI send in agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) to help investigate.

Lots of swearing, which didn't bother me. Accents are a bit thick.
Crime drama, fish-out-of-water story, odd couple forced to work together buddy flick.
I just didn't feel it had enough of a plot to really pull it off. It's not as good as some television detective shows, although you couldn't do these sorts of things on series television every week either. Reminded me a bit of Fargo, but not as well done.

The Guard, has become the highest grossing Irish made movie ever at the Irish box office grossing 4.3 million Euros, beating the previous best, The wind That Shakes The Barley, starring Cillian Murphy. To put this this in an American context, it's about $1.50 for every man, woman and child in the country.

I'm a space nut and followed the space program devoutly in the 60's plus my Mom subbed to Life which had amazing shots from the moon landings... HiDef critic pretty much slammed it, not sure if Ralph or Lee have reviewed or will here ...

Watched
- The Public Enemy (1931) 2/5
- The 39 Steps (1935) 2.3/5 Hitchcock
- Guns at Batasi (1964) 2.9/5
- The Wind and the Lion (1975) 3.3/5
- Sorcerer (1977) 2.6/5
- Judge Dredd (1995), in anticipation of the new one 2.8/5
- Speed of Thought (2011) 2/5
- Justified Season 2

The Public Enemy
James Cagney, story set 1909 to about 1930
Tom Powers and Matt Doyle are best friends and fellow gangsters, their lives frowned upon by Tom's straight laced brother, Mike, and Matt's straight laced sister, Molly. From their teen-aged years into young adulthood, Tom and Matt have an increasingly lucrative life, bootlegging during the Prohibition era. But Tom in particular becomes more and more brazen in what he is willing to do, and becomes more obstinate and violent against those who either disagree with him or cross him. When one of their colleagues dies in a freak accident, a rival bootlegging faction senses weakness among Tom and Matt's gang, which is led by Paddy Ryan. A gang war ensues, resulting in Paddy suggesting that Tom and Matt lay low. But because of Tom's basic nature, he decides instead to take matters into his own hands.

The 39 Steps
A man in London tries to help a counterespionage agent. But when the agent is killed and he stands accused, he must go on the run to both save himself and also stop a spy ring trying to steal top secret information.

Guns at Batasi
Regimental Sergeant-Major Lauderdale (Richard Attenborough) is a spit-and-polish, by-the-book disciplinarian, who seems like a 19th Century anachronism in a sleepy peacetime African outpost of the modern British Commonwealth. He is ridiculed behind his back by his subordinate NCO's and must play host to a liberal female MP making a tour of the base. However, when an ambitious African officer, who happens to be a protege of the MP's, initiates a coup d'etat against Captain Abraham, the lawful African commandant, the resourceful RSM uses all his military training to arm his men despite being under house arrest and rescue the wounded commandant from a certain firing squad. When Lt. Boniface, the leader of the mutiny surrounds the sergeants mess with two Bofors guns, it looks like Lauderdale will have to surrender unless he again disobeys orders and takes the initiative.

The Wind and the Lion
At the beginning of the 20th century an American woman is abducted in Morocco by Berbers. The attempts to free her range from diplomatic pressure to military intervention.
I saw a picture of Theodore Roosevelt awhile back and thought -- you know who'd be good to play Theodore Roosevelt, Brian Keith. Also has Sean Connery and Candice Bergen.
And the rifle range on the white house lawn was interesting.
A few interesting quotes that seem almost prophetic.

Theodore Roosevelt: What do I want? I want respect! Respect for human life and respect for American property! And I'm going to send the Atlantic Squadron to Morocco to get that respect.
John Hay: That's illegal.
Theodore Roosevelt: Why spoil the beauty of the thing with legality?

Theodore Roosevelt: The American grizzly is a symbol of the American character: strength, intelligence, ferocity. Maybe a little blind and reckless at times... but courageous beyond all doubt. And one other trait that goes with all previous.
2nd Reporter: And that, Mr. President?
Theodore Roosevelt: Loneliness. The American grizzly lives out his life alone. Indomitable, unconquered - but always alone. He has no real allies, only enemies, but none of them as great as he.
2nd Reporter: And you feel this might be an American trait?
Theodore Roosevelt: Certainly. The world will never love us. They respect us - they might even grow to fear us. But they will never love us, for we have too much audacity! And, we're a bit blind and reckless at times too.
2nd Reporter: Are you perhaps referring to the situation in Morocco and the Panama Canal.
Theodore Roosevelt: If you say so... The American grizzly embodies the spirit of America. He should be our symbol! Not that ridiculous eagle - he's nothing more than a dandified vulture.



Sorcerer
A group of outcasts from different backgrounds/nationalities are forced by misfortune to work in a remote oil drilling operation in South America. When fire breaks out of control, four of the outcasts are given the opportunity to earn enough money to get out by transporting six crates of unstable dynamite through miles of jungle in two ancient trucks. Will they succeed and regain their honor and citizenship, or get blown up for their efforts? Roy Scheider.
If you like Ice Road Truckers, the bridge scene in this might be a must see.

Speed of Thought
Joshua Lazarus (Nick Stahl) possesses a special gift that enables him to read people's minds, and the government has trained him to use his ability for deadly missions involving national defense, all while telling him that it will ultimately destroy him --- but will it? When Joshua falls in love with Anna (MÃ*a Maestro), another telepathic "scoper," he and his friend, Kira (Taryn Manning), must find a cure for their gift and expose the lies.

Justified
U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens is a modern day 19th century-style lawman, enforcing his brand of justice in a way that puts a target on his back with criminals and places him at odds with his bosses in the Marshal service. That conflict results in a reassignment for Givens to the U.S. District covering the town where he grew up. He is an anachronism - a tough, soft spoken gentleman who finds his quarry fascinating, but never gives an inch. Dig under his placid skin and you'll find an angry man who grew up hard in rural Kentucky, with an outlaw father, who knows a lot more about who he doesn't want to be than who he really is.

apollo 18... not a fan... while i jumped a bit twice.. wasn't very good
also, you dont need the blu ray, it's all 60s style cameras, very grainy, nothing hi def related.

BB - You have peaked my interest with "Wind and the Lion". Have always been curious about the era of Teddy Roosevelt and the great White Fleet.

Riveninside - You are the second person to mention Apollo 18 and "jumping". Because of your disappointment, I will restrict this one to a rental

Watched Contagion (2011)
3/5 (amazon 3.6/5, imdb 6.9/10, rotten tomatoes 84%)
Somewhat between an Irwin Allen diaster flick, and a Michael Crichton science thriller. Some technical realism around CDC protocols & equipment and virus microbiology.
Tense, a little scary, tightly scripted, and a good cast having a good acting day. I think it helped that I have a little cough today.
Not much actually happens though, so it's predictable given the premise that a significant chunk of the population is going to die of a pandemic. Hardware stores get robbed. Homes get robbed. Curfews are declared, movement is limited. Government conspiracies involving big pharma, internet scare stories about inoculation side effects, and patenting cures years before the epidemic breaks out and the cure is 'discovered'. That the ending actually worked in the film is a bit of a rehashed hollywood ending (reality is too harsh for most of us to accept?).
The message seems to be: buy your MREs, N95 face masks, bottled water, and hand sanitizer; and get your shots like everybody else.

Watched Killer Elite (2011)
2.4/5 (amazon 3.2/5, imdb 6.6/10, rotten tomatoes 25%)

Your basic B-movie action flick. "The Wild Geese" and "Dogs of War" are better. So are "Hanna" and "Colombiana", even "Shoot 'Em Up"

Robert De Niro's role is kind of dull, and Jason Statham and Clive Owen merely leverage their type cast from previous films.

Possibly a remake of the 1975 film by the same name staring James Caan and Robert Duvall, or the 1991 book "The Feather Men" by Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

My wife and I watched Crazy, Stupid, Lovelast night as the reviews here on this thread were good. I really enjoyed this movie. I didnt try to break it down as the movie unfolded. I just let it tell its story and i took it all in. steve Carrell does a great job in his roll as do everyone else. I am not sure if I really like Emma Stone though as There is just something that bothers meabout her. but I digress (although she has me wanting to see more of her...weird).

The audio was doneextremely well. I could HEAR all spoken dialogue while not having to reach for the remote ONCE. Wish all movies were like this.

Thr PQ was sharp as well.


Oh and thanks to all who continously post on this thread as i often see movies recommended here that I neverwould have seen otherwise.

Cowboys & Aliens - Netflix DVD - Well I was actually looking forward to this movie. As many of you I like westerns and aliens, but have not actually thought about how the two would mesh together. In some regards this film really works for me, in others I thought it was a cobbled together mess of things. Overall I have to say I liked it, but not enough to go out and buy it (unless I can get it really cheap) which is kind of the litmus test for me. 3.25/5

Regards,

RTROSE

Went to the local Cinema to see Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. If you are looking for action James Bond Style - this is NOT for you! However; if you like the cold war spy genre, with some very good acting, and a plot that has you constantly thinking you will probably really like this one. Most of this takes places in Budapest and England in the early 70s. The filming does a nice job of showing old gritty scenes, lots of grain, dark drab scenes and a cigarette smoke graininess of another era. A decent movie - for me a 3.75/5.0

Cowboys and Aliens- I agree with RT's comment that it was a mess of a story. 2 of 5 for me. Okay, 2.5.

Have you seen "Smiley's People"?

No I haven't - perhaps it's an earlier version .. ?

Perhaps you were talking of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011, Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Mark Strong)"


I was thinking of these:

"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (1979) (TV mini-series, staring Alec Guinness)

"Smiley's People" (1982) (TV mini-series, staring Alec Guinness)

I know it is a little off topic as we usually post about movies we have seen, but I know every once in a while a movie creates a little buzz or interest here (Avatar comes to mind) but I have seen the trailers for Red Tails and I am very excited to see this one. Looks like it is going to be pretty good. Or at least I hope it is.

Regards,

RTROSE

That's the first I see of Red Tails. Thanks. Looks really, really promising!

While you're waiting, you can watch on DVD The Tuskegee Airmen (1995), staring Cuba Gooding Jr..

(Be careful not to confuse it with "The Tuskegee Airmen (2002)" which is a PBS special also on DVD)

RT,
Saw the preview at the local cinema. Has the potential to be great BR - I hope they don't take too many liberties with the underlying history.

Moneyball- Really enjoyed it! I'm not a baseball fan, but it still sucked me in. I'd like to continue to see Johah Hill in classier roles. He's typically the foul mouthed punk. Hope his agent sees the promise in this direction for him. I'll give it a 4 of 5.

Midnight in Paris- Interesting concept, but a real snooze fest. 2 of 5. Barely.

Added Moneyball to my queue! You'd better be right Tony!

Hey isn't that like three or four positive movies here lately? Some kind of run for you heh Tony?

Glad to see that you are finally hitting on some good ones.

Regards,

RTROSE

Tony is right about Moneyball, but I'm not so optimistic about Jonah Hill. His performance was adequate, but he doesn't pull off subtlety as nicely as I would like in a dramatic role. Still, quite enjoyable.

Kung Fu Panda 2 - Netflix DVD - Well I know that I'm a grown adult (though Mrs RTROSE would beg to differ at times) but I still enjoy a good animated tail once in a while. Cars, Toy Story 1,2,3, Mega Mind, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, among others. Well as good as the original Kung Fu Panda is, Kung Fu Panda 2 is not. For me the sequel just did not have the magic that the first one did.

This film seemed to me more geared to selling happy meal toys and merchandise at the big box stores than a "movie experience". I know I'm being harsh but with as much potential as this franchise has, it was completely wasted on the second effort. Even the voice overs seemed lackluster and that "spark" they all had with the original. 2.5/5

Regards,

RTROSE

Well, I guess it's what they say... Your milage may vary. I watched Kung Fu panda 2 last night and again today with my 4 yo and we both really enjoyed it. For me, it had plenty of heart, and touched on a number of themes which kept my interest as a 'somewhat' adult. There was plenty of action, the surround (7.1) was unbelievable and the visuals were reference quality. Then again, I really enjoyed Cars 2 which received a bollocking by the critics. For what they are, I really enjoy them. Cheers all

RT, I stand by Moneyball. And I'm with you on KFP2. I loved the first. This one was done just because they could.

No other movie in history felt like a campaign to sell toys more than Cars2. The first one has reached the pinnacle of movies in our house, but the second was junk. Sorry Greg. We're more particular on this thread. No "casual" viewing around here. LOL

w/o giving the plot away, is Red Tails about the Tuskegee Airmen? I assume it's a play on the color of the tails of their planes.

Watched Moneyball
3/5 [amazon 3.9/5 mostly favourable the 1stars are about ultraviolet, 7.8/10 imdb, rotten tomatoes 95%, Decent Films: A)

Aaron Sorkin wrote it, so the script is good, and the plot is tight, has a strong story arc, and it's quite watchable. The general manager's creative use of his limited powers was interesting in at least two different events. The film has an abundance of crass language, but generally showable to the relatives. The acting is pretty good as well.

But I wasn't rooting for the team, or the management, nearly as much as I was with The Replacements (2000, Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman). The person I was watching it with didn't notice the young all star had the same name as the general manager -- so I ended up explaining the film we just watched.

The statistical bit wasn't as interestingly portrayed as I was expecting.
From the advertisements, I thought it was also a illegal gambling to raise money for the team, which was subsequently invested in less famous players using the same actuality tables the gamblers were using resulting in an aggregate team rather than an few star team -- but there's no gambling, at least not in the Los Vegas sense.