Movie review thread...
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[quote name='Tim']Ebert's most notorious review was of [I]Blue Velvet[/I] (which he hated and didn't get at all). It was reprinted in the DVD reissue.[/QUOTE]<br />
Didn't Ebert write a bad review for the Godfather and then recant it not long after? Or was that the other guy? I know one famous reviewer did.<br />
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I like the Expendables but I just took the whole thing as very tongue and cheek. -
Don't know about the [I]Godfather[/I], Nepia. Ebert was younger and hipper back then (and co-wrote [I]Beyond the Valley of the Dolls[/I]). Perhaps it was a[I] New York Times[/I] critic you are thinking of?<br />
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On a topical note, check out his reviews of Chabrol's excellent film [I]Une affaire de femmes[/I], if you want to see a critic completely miss the point. -
[quote name='Tim']Don't know about the [I]Godfather[/I], Nepia. Ebert was younger and hipper back then (and co-wrote [I]Beyond the Valley of the Dolls[/I]). Perhaps it was a[I] New York Times[/I] critic you are thinking of?<br />
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On a topical note, check out his reviews of Chabrol's excellent film [I]Une affaire de femmes[/I], if you want to see a critic completely miss the point.[/QUOTE]<br />
I'm thinking it may have been that years Vanity Fair review. Edit: I'm sure it was Pauline Kael but I can't find anything about it on her Wiki page.<br />
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I don't know who was the reviewer in the Times in the UK, but when I was living there (circa 1998 - 2001) I used to pretty much do the opposite of his review. He was just a pompous arse and missed the 'entertainment' part of movies point completely. -
watched Robin Hood...after which I had to go and read up about the legend as this was a different version than I'd heard before.<br />
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I did like it, just was very different tale from the other versions -
[quote name='Tim']Ebert was younger and hipper back then (and co-wrote [I]Beyond the Valley of the Dolls[/I]). [/QUOTE]<br />
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From what I recollect, Ebert wrote the script, then was embarrassed by the result and kinda disowned it and blamed it on director & co-writer Russ Meyer, then years later when it became a beloved cult classic, he learned to love his movie (which, truth be told, is awesome - I once watched it three times in a row on a Saturday night, then woke up Sunday morning and watched it again.).<br />
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BTW it was announced a couple days ago that Ebert will be producing (and starring?) in a new TV show about movie reviews and bringing the "thumbs" back. Curious how that will go, 'cos with that cancer that took away his lower-jaw I don't even think he can talk right now. (Maybe he has one of those Stephen Hawking-type voice thingies??) -
in an effort to keep this thread fresh 'n alive and to report back on a little movie theme I've had running lately.... I've been trying follow up on viewing BAFTA winning movies. I found that it put me onto movies that were not necessarily mainstream but were good none the less.<br />
Some that have appealed are:<br />
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Up in the Air - George Clooney doing his thing<br />
Fish Tank- gritty British Council housing thingee<br />
Man on Wire - cool docu movie on high wire adventurer<br />
The Lives of Others - Cold war East Germany -
[quote name='papamoan']Man on Wire - cool docu movie on high wire adventurer<br />
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My fave movie of 2008. One of the most suspenseful, amazing and superhuman athletic achievements of all time. -
Watched "Eagle Eye" last night, and i didn't mind it, it was entertaining. The first half was excellent, trying to work out what the hell was going on, it lost a bit when it was revealed who the "bad guy" was, and the hollywood ending was a bit disappointing to me (but the wife was happy), but overall another mindlessly entertaining action/thriller.
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Watched Exit Through the Gift Shop on the plane the other day. It's a bloody good documentary about the main players in the 'street art' movement and one quirky French guy who follows them. There are rumours that the whole thing was a hoax but either way it's a damn good behind the scenes look at the lives of Banksy and other street artists and it has a nice twist at the end. You'll like this film even if you're not in to art. 9.5 out of 10 for me.
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finally saw Girl with the dragon tattoo last night, pretty good film!<br />
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First half hour I was struggling with the sub titles but as the film picked up pace they werent much of an issue, even at 2.5 hours, kept your attention! -
Was in an apocalyptic mood so watched two apocalyptic movies.<br />
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The Road is one of the most tense, grim movies I have seen in a while. Dark and gritty from start to finish. Fucking brill. 9/10<br />
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Book of Eli follows the traditional apocalyptic movie plot but has "The Road" moments. A few product placements in this film. Fun and packed with action - but not as good as The Road. 6.5/10 -
watched another movie in the tale of Val Kilmers decline...The Traveler...described as a thriller/horror, biggest pile of sh!te ever, DO NOT, I repeat, [B][U]DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!! [/U][/B]<br />
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I thought his last movie (cant recall the name) was scraping the bottom of the barrel...clearly not! -
[quote name='taniwharugby']watched another movie in the tale of Val Kilmers decline...The Traveler...described as a thriller/horror, biggest pile of sh!te ever, DO NOT, I repeat, [B][U]DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!! [/U][/B]<br />
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I thought his last movie (cant recall the name) was scraping the bottom of the barrel...clearly not![/QUOTE]<br />
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Can't comment - haven't seen the movie - and I'm not a fan of Kilmer. But he was in the stoopid "MacGruber" which was just released on dvd, and that's a worthwhile waste of time, some good laughs. And last years' "Bad Lieutenant" Port o' Call New Orleans" was excellent, even if many of you here hate Nic Cage. (It was directed by Werner Herzog.)<br />
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Last week I watched for the first time "Wonderland" (2003) starring Kilmer and thought it was very good. I had avoided it for years, having no interest in a life story about porn star John Holmes, (I was expecting some sort of biopic like a serious version of Boogie Nights), but in fact it had very little to do with his porn career, and everything to do with his disturbing involvement in a real life mass-murder, told in a kinda "Rashoman" multiple perspectives way. 7.5/10 -
When we were kings. One sided fan love for Ali but completely justified. One of my all time favourites, brilliant doco. <br />
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The other guys. Pretty good. Not Anchorman good, but solid. Marky Mark is pretty good at being the funny guy with small mans syndrome. Cameo from the Rock and Sam L Jackson steals the show a wee bit. -
[quote name='dK']Just watched "Chasing Ghosts. Beyond the Arcade". A documentary of a few world champion Space Invader players, well worth watching just to see the some of your old favorite spacies.[/QUOTE]<br />
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Hmmm, sounds suspiciously like "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" (which was absurdly great):<br />
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[URL]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0923752/[/URL]<br />
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(Just did an IMDB search and discovered some of the same people are in both; sounds like "Chasing Ghosts" is some sort of sequel or companion piece...)
