Rate The Last Movie You Watched - Page 77

ISiddiqui · 01-25-2010, 05:33 PM

2012 - 5/10: It was just as ridiculously bad as I thought it would be. Even the CGI at times was laughable. But it had good hilariously bad moments, and the idea of how they'd respond to the crisis was actually decently thought out (well, for a disaster movie).

It gets a 5 because it met my expectations of craptastic hilarity.

rowech · 01-27-2010, 02:26 PM

In the Loop (10/10) -- Very likely you haven't heard of this one. I only heard of James Gandolfini's performance as a general being great. This movie is hysterical. I'd say it's a modern day Dr. Strangelove satire look at how an invasion into a Middle Eastern nation might happen. British and American characters, and some of the Brits are tough to understand but this movie is just a must watch if you go for that type of movie.

Ronnie Dobbs2 · 01-27-2010, 02:30 PM

If you liked the movie you should check out the series it was based on, The Thick of It. Some overlap (same characters in fact) but it was hilarious.

molson · 01-30-2010, 11:31 PM

Off the top of my head for the last few weeks/months:

Precious:
9.5/10
-I was blown away by the acting/writing. I'm not sure that my actual enjoyment of the movie warrants a 9.5, but I was just so impressed with those aspects. This is the kind of movie that almost feels like a documentary at times - these characters feel real. I think there's a handful of "perfect" movies a year, in the sense that they did exactly what they wanted to do, and couldn't have done it better, and this was one of those films. The last movie I saw that gave me that feeling was Milk.

Paranormal Activity
6/10
Slightly disappointed. By about 3/4 of the way through, I was getting a little bored of doors moving/noises. Another layer here would have helped - either more interactions with the psychic/demonologist, or more backstory, or something. I think the "found footage" format is really hard to pull off, and this movie needed to be a little more creative in utilizing that tool.

Observe and Report
3/10
Boring. And I like Seth Rogan. Needed to be darker.

Extract
5/10
Perfectly average.

The Hangover
8/10
Finally got around to this. I think Ed Helms described it perfectly - it's not like other comedies where the humor revolves around clever quips. Here, the dialogue really isn't funny, the situations are. That creates a more satisfying comedy.

Valkyrie
7/10
I was worried this would be too Hollywood but I think they did a great job. Decent historical accuracy. Cruise holds it back a little - this was a role someone could have hit a home run with, but Cruise is just too pretty and slick to pull that off here.

Sherlock Holmes
8.5/10
Very entertaining summer-style blockbuster. Downey Jr. has reached that level where he can't possibly be in a bad movie, because he's just too entertaining. I would have preferred a more traditional crime-solving kind of plot, without the pretense of magic/the occult. But I'm sure there'll be at least two more of these.

Up In The Air
6.5/10
Slightly disappointed. Clooney and the female leads were great, it was all just a little flat to me. Some of the dialogue took me out the movie in the "nobody would say that" sense (too lazy to post spoilers). I'd say great acting, decent story, poor screenplay.

Avatar
9/10
6/10
I actually saw this twice so I gave it two ratings. The first time I saw it was in Las Vegas, regular screen 3-D. I was blown away and entertained. I saw it again because my girlfriend hadn't - for that we went to the 3-D I-max. Maybe it was just because we had to sit a little closer to the screen than we would of liked, or maybe it was because the 3-d glasses were noticeably cheaper than what I had in Vegas, but it just seemed off. The 3-D was so intense as to be a little distracting - where I had remembered being blown away the first time, at the I-Max I was just getting dizzy from the blur of the action sequences. It's kind of interesting though - there's probably dozens of versions of this movie out there when you consider the differences from theater to theater. I don't get the criticism about the lack of creativity in the story. Yes, this is Dances With Wolves, but that was 20 years ago, there's no such thing as an original story, and Avatar told it's story very well. It's a simple story, no doubt, but it's still one that resonates.

JS19 · 01-31-2010, 04:23 AM

Public Enemies (7/10) - Being a bit harsh with my rating here, as I did enjoy the movie and found it entertaining and would recommend it to others, but it didn't live up to the lofty expectations I had. I've always been fascinated with guys like Dillinger and mob type guys. Years ago I remember doing a decent amount of research about him, and granted it has been a while, but I don't feel the movie gave the audience the appreciation, if you will, the public had for Dillinger. There is a scene where he is being taken in by the FBI, and the streets are lined with people cheering for him. For the casual viewer, they probably had no idea why. That's not a big deal, but I thought they should have expanded on that a bit.

DataKing · 02-03-2010, 10:41 AM

Angels & Demons (5 / 10): The scenery and imagery was gorgeous, and some of the camera work was quite brilliant. However there were some horribly contrived plot devices used to get the main characters alone in dangerous situations, even though they spend the entire time working with the police. I don't know if these plot devices were a part of the story itself (I have not read the book), but they were still very annoying nonetheless. I'm going to assume that they were a function of the book itself, because I have a lot of respect for Ron Howard as a director.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (3 / 10): Take every action movie stereotype you've ever seen, wrap it up in a bunch of gung-ho bullshit and some spiffy special effects and a couple of hot chicks, and you have this movie. The roll-eyes-quotient in this thing was far beyond acceptable levels.

Public Enemies (7 / 10): I largely agree with JS19's assessment here. It was a pretty good movie overall, and Depp was his usually brilliant self (and well-overshadowed Bale IMO), but it seemed to drag and there was something missing. JS19 nailed what was missing; the movie never really gave you a sense as to why the public admired his as much as they did. Was it for the same reason they admired gangsters of the era? Perhaps, but if that's the reason it is only implied and not displayed.

Zombieland: I'm not rating this again, since I did when it was in theaters, but I picked up the DVD last night and watched it again. It definitely has good replay value.

JS19 · 02-15-2010, 01:14 AM

Wolfman (?) - So, the lady friend and I decided to check out the Wolfman tonight, I know, a wonderful Valentine's Day movie. Just as the movie reaches its climax and shit is about to hit the fan... BAM, screen goes blank. So I really have no assessment, actually hoping that if anyone has seen this they can fill me in on how the hell it ends. From the majority of the movie we did get to see, it was fairly entertaining but nothing special, I suppose seeing how it ends would alter my opinion greatly.

Dodgerchick · 02-15-2010, 02:24 AM

Returner - 8.5/10

I'm surprised this was given a 35% at Rotten Tomatoes, I really enjoyed it. Good visual/special effects and I actually liked the story. Some reviews call it a "Xerox copy of a bunch of movies" but I didn't see it that way. Or maybe I haven't seen the movies these critics are talking about. Story of a girl that comes back to prevent a war with aliens. Antmeister just told me that this movie can be seen on hulu, check it out - Returner - Hulu

Crazy Heart - 9/10

Jeff Bridges was awesome as was Maggie Gyllenhaal (I'm not a fan but she was great). The movie reminded me a lot of The Wrestler.

Street Fight - 9/10

Documentary about the Newark, NJ mayoral race in 2002. Some questionable tactics used by the incumbent that really ticked me off, but that's politics, I guess.

Grammaticus · 02-15-2010, 06:18 AM

The Hurt Locker - 9/10

Gritty story about a bomb tech and fire team in Iraq. There are some great bomb defusing scenes and some really good general war scenarios. At some points it feels like they just walked around filming real people (they didn't). The major roles are played by little known actors. There are a few small roles by more well known actors.

ISiddiqui · 02-16-2010, 12:17 AM

The Princess and the Frog - 9/10: Another Disney 2D classic. Lost in the discussion of "Up" and its Oscar chances, I think a real gem has slipped by. Absolutely wonderful animation and a great story through the swamps of Louisiana, punctuated by well done musical numbers. The characters of Naveen, Tiana, Louis, and Ray are highly memorable, and there is a truly scary villain, in the form of Dr. Facilier. Belongs in the company of "Beauty and the Beast", "Little Mermaid", etc.

TheOhioStateUniversity · 02-16-2010, 01:42 AM

Considering that her (step)father seemed to have a stronghold on the personal care and cosmetic items in the area this aspect wasn't particularly bothersome for me. Its conceivable that he sent his goons out to collect such things for her and her mother over the years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dodgerchick

The Book of Eli - 8/10

Denzel kicking ass, what more can you ask for? My only problem with the movie was...

Spoiler

But even with this, I thought it was great.

Nice Guy Eddie · 02-16-2010, 03:14 AM

Crazy Heart...very good

larrymcg421 · 02-16-2010, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by molson

Observe and Report
3/10
Boring. And I like Seth Rogan. Needed to be darker.

Not sure how much darker you can get than the main character date raping his dream girl.

Honolulu_Blue · 02-16-2010, 10:05 AM

In The Loop - 8/10

It's a great comedy. It's a take on the lead up to the Iraq war, without ever identifying the Iraq war and using completely ficticious characters. It's more about the people and hijinks involved than the politics. The cast is about 60% British and 40% American, since it deals with portions of both governments working together to justify the war. It's really very funny and profanity-laced, but profanity just seems funnier when said with an English or Scottish accent. The biggest "name" in the film is probably James Gandolfini, who is excellent in a non-Tony Soprano role. The girl from "My Girl" is in it and all grown's up. The guy who played "Sledgehammer" in that old TV show is great as a Donald Rumsfeld clone. Some of the British actors may be famous, but I wasn't very familiar with any of them.

A smart, hillarious comedy. Definitely worth checking out.

Mustang · 02-16-2010, 10:51 AM

Eastern Promises : 5/10 - Overall I found myself pretty bored with the entire movie. The movie just didn't seem to focus on one particular story and seemed to wander. Good acting and a few good scenes, but the overall story line left something to be desired for me.

Fidatelo · 02-16-2010, 10:59 AM

Couples Retreat - 6/10

I'm a big fan of Vaughn and Favreau, but this movie was pretty weak. It wasn't the worst movie ever, but I expected more from those guys.

Scoobz0202 · 02-18-2010, 06:30 PM

Black Dynamite - 9/10

I can't recall the last time I have laughed this hard at a movie. I also don't know if I have ever seen a more quotable movie. Just pure win.

Groundhog · 02-18-2010, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

Black Dynamite - 9/10

I can't recall the last time I have laughed this hard at a movie. I also don't know if I have ever seen a more quotable movie. Just pure win.

I'd forgotten all about this movie. Awesome, can't wait to see it.

Scoobz0202 · 02-18-2010, 06:48 PM

Came out on DVD this past Tuesday. I had forgotten all about it till I saw it on the wall at the local rental place. After watching it I have no idea how it did not get a wide release.

Chief Rum · 02-18-2010, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustang

Eastern Promises : 5/10 - Overall I found myself pretty bored with the entire movie. The movie just didn't seem to focus on one particular story and seemed to wander. Good acting and a few good scenes, but the overall story line left something to be desired for me.

Come on dude!...

Spoiler

JetsIn06 · 02-20-2010, 03:53 AM

Shutter Island: 8/10

I'm horrible at writing reviews, so I'll just say that it was a solid movie. Excellent music, great pacing, and pretty creepy.

rowech · 02-21-2010, 07:59 AM

Anvil: The Story of Anvil (8/10) -- Just a good story that I wasn't aware of. Band is extremely successful 25 years ago and then over the years somehow just falls off the map. Band continues to work trying to make it back as 50 year olds. Showing a little of what happened, what didn't happen, and what is happening. Part of you will wonder why in the heck they never held onto the success. Part of you will see why pretty clearly. Part of you will look at them and say, good for them to keep going. Part of you will look at them sand say, just give up on it. Really just a cool little movie about a story that is probably all too common.

RainMaker · 02-22-2010, 06:12 AM

Once (10 out of 10) - I'm not sure if this can fall under the category of a musical, but it's close. I've never seen a movie where the songs match the emotions and storyline as well as this. I guess what I like most about this movie is that it's simple. Just so raw and realistic. There aren't any overly dramatic moments yet you still know how each character feels (although you never know their names). It's a short movie too and I just think it does so many things well. Everything screams low budget which is what makes this movie so special. Highly recommend this movie to anyone, it's a great experience.

500 Days of Summer (7.5 out of 10) - Someone here highly recommended it and I have to say that it was really good. Well acted, a bit funny, and kind of quirky. I thought the initial way they ended the movie was brilliant but really hated that last Minka Kelly scene. Just didn't think it was necessary to do that. Nonetheless, a good movie that is a bit different than most romantic films you see.

JetsIn06 · 02-22-2010, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowech

Anvil: The Story of Anvil (8/10) -- Just a good story that I wasn't aware of. Band is extremely successful 25 years ago and then over the years somehow just falls off the map. Band continues to work trying to make it back as 50 year olds. Showing a little of what happened, what didn't happen, and what is happening. Part of you will wonder why in the heck they never held onto the success. Part of you will see why pretty clearly. Part of you will look at them and say, good for them to keep going. Part of you will look at them sand say, just give up on it. Really just a cool little movie about a story that is probably all too common.

One of my favorites. I love this movie.

rowech · 02-26-2010, 08:50 PM

Damned United (10/10) -- Loved this movie. Not sure if you can get into it if you're not a soccer person though. Not 100% sure how accurate it is given what I've read but I thought it more than likely painted a fair portrait of how the entire situation happened.

CrimsonFox · 02-26-2010, 09:22 PM

Star Trek (9/10) (on DVD) - I'm not a supertrekkie. I liked the original ST and TNG, a little Voyager and the 9th movie. That said I'm pretty sick of the whole fanchise, RIck Berman, Gene Roddenberry, trekkies as a whole and the lot. That said I LOVED this movie. The casting was spot on. EXCELLENT! They stayed faithful enough to the whole history while playing with it just enough to make a GOOD plot (Lucas take note). Quinto, Urban, Pine, Saldana, and Pegg all brought a wonderful intensity to their roles adding in the old style with their own great acting abilities. I expected to really hate this. And am glad I did not.

Avatar (2/10) - I should stop going to the movies when I'm really really bored. It makes me follow the expected awful hype. Pretty movie. Would have been much better with the sound turned off of just a music soundtrack without speech. All the dialogue was stiff, pointless and forgettable. Reminded me of those computer games of the 90s that started employing CGI sets with real live-action actors (Wing Commander III, Phantasmagoria, 7th Guest, etc). Just generic macho dialogue and putting all their eggs into the effects.

BYU 14 · 02-26-2010, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowech

Anvil: The Story of Anvil (8/10) -- Just a good story that I wasn't aware of. Band is extremely successful 25 years ago and then over the years somehow just falls off the map. Band continues to work trying to make it back as 50 year olds. Showing a little of what happened, what didn't happen, and what is happening. Part of you will wonder why in the heck they never held onto the success. Part of you will see why pretty clearly. Part of you will look at them and say, good for them to keep going. Part of you will look at them sand say, just give up on it. Really just a cool little movie about a story that is probably all too common.

Great summary, real life Spinal Tap.

Dodgerchick · 02-27-2010, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

Black Dynamite - 9/10

I can't recall the last time I have laughed this hard at a movie. I also don't know if I have ever seen a more quotable movie. Just pure win.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Groundhog

I'd forgotten all about this movie. Awesome, can't wait to see it.

Antmeister went to get it, can't wait to see it later today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Year One - 5/10

No story, just a bunch of funny lines. Michael Cera was the real star here, his delivery made me lol several times.

rowech · 02-27-2010, 06:33 PM

GI Joe (7/10) -- Cheese factor is unbelievably high but there was a sick part of me that really liked it. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Young Drachma · 02-28-2010, 01:59 AM

Caught up on a bunch of Netflix things I'd missed:

Life and Debt A documentary about the IMF and Jamaica. Really well done. 7/10

The Fall of Fujimori A documentary about former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori. Discusses his policies and the strife in the country before and after his tenure and the methods employed to try to improve the nation, first through populism and then through autocratic rule. Excellent. 8.5/10

Tyson I hadn't seen it until now. Interesting and not what I'd expected at all. In a good way. 7/10

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 I thought it'd be a lot worse than it was, but I never saw the original. It was fine to kill a few hours. 5.5/10

Broken Flowers Strange. I dunno if it had closure, really. It was strange, but the soundtrack was worth it. 3/10

CSA: Confederate States of America A satirical mockumentary by some Brits who posit the idea "what if the South won the Civil War?" I dunno what to say about it. Gets kind of tired after a while, but interesting in terms of concept, not really all that great in execution though. 4/10

RainMaker · 02-28-2010, 04:59 AM

Law Abiding Citizen (8 out of 10) - This movie is not award-winning and by most reviewers accounts, probably bad. It's an action thriller that has gruesome violence and a completely unrealistic plot. With that said, I found it mindlessly fun. One of those movies you watch with a few beers and when you're not really looking to have to think hard. I'd say the same kind of feeling you get watching a Rambo movie. Not cinematic greatness, but just violent fun.

Groundhog · 02-28-2010, 04:30 PM

Valentine's Day - 5/10
Completely harmless romantic comedy with a pretty A-list cast, but far too many main characters. Out of all the relationships in the movie, there are only really 2 or 3 that aren't entirely pointless. Wouldn't watch again, but for a "being forced to watch by the GF" type of movie, it could've been worse.

Dodgerchick · 02-28-2010, 09:08 PM

Mr. Bean's Holiday - 7/10

Mr. Bean wins a trip to Cannes and encounters some silly, outrageous situations. It's Mr. Bean, whadya expect?

Black Dynamite - 8.5/10

OMG WTF? This has serious potential for a close to perfect score. I got the Dolamite scenes but I'm seriously considering watching the other movies it spoofed.

So many ROFL moments. Definitely has the watchability factor. Hadn't laughed that hard in a long time.

Honolulu_Blue · 02-28-2010, 09:22 PM

The Matrix: Reloaded - 3/10

Lady H_B and I watched the first "The Matrix" movie about a month ago. It still holds up. A fantastic movie in every respect. So, that git us to thinking that maybe, just maybe we were too harsh on the sequel. Neither of us had seen it since it's opening weekend and each just saw it the once. So, we decided to give it another chance...

And, well, yeah. It really, really is that bad. It's an awful movie. The action scenes while well executed at times just lack any sense of excitement or feeling. Most of the time its Neo - the invulnerable guy - against a host of faceless villains. The "action" sequences also feel sort of tacked on as opposed to being part of the flow of the film. Everything about Zion and the people there is terribly irritating. The pseudo-philosophical stuff is lame. We actually never made it to the end. We decided to shut it down right during that fight with those ghost brothers before the highway scene.

Overall the film probably deserves higher than a "3", but because it's a sequel it must be compared to the original and the expectations around it. It failed miserably.

I remember thinking the third one was even worse, so we're not even going there again. I will just be happy with the original.

larrymcg421 · 02-28-2010, 10:16 PM

Saw 5 films Saturday for the AMC Best Picture showcase (and will be seeing the other 5 nominees next Saturday)...

Avatar (7/10) - This is certainly an impressive visual achievement and the outlying story is imaginative and appealing. The problem the film runs into is a lack of interesting characters. Only Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver really stand out, but the hero is really bland. It's a good thing they made him an amputee, because otherwise there would be nothing interesting or distinctive about him. And Stephen Lang as the evil Army Colonel was an incredibly weak villain. This hampered the action scenes a bit because it was hard to care about what was going on, but thankfully Zoe's really strong performance helped make it work. I do wish Cameron would work with another screenwriter who could help draw out the characters more and punch up the dialogue.

Up in the Air (10/10) - I had already seen this one beforehand, and I liked it even more this time around. The three leads give superb performances and I found it to be a quite moving film. My only complaint is the recommendation of Fat Matt's Rib Shack for an Atlanta rib joint. it's not even close to the best!

Precious (8/10) - Brutal, uncompromising film about a teenage girl suffering terrible abuse at the hands of her mother. Really courageous performance from Gabourey Sidibe in the lead and Monique is fantastic as her mother. Even Mariah Carey has a really strong performance as a social worker. Actually has some lighter moments mixed in and manages to capture a hopeful tone amidst all the horror.

The Blindside (3/10) - And now we get to pure Hollywood contrived bullshit. Oher's story is a good one, but this is just so horribly written and directed. All the antagonists are one dimensional stock villains carbon copied from other screenplays. The first football game is an embarassing joke, with the over the top redneck football team (wearing red and white, very subtle!) and the one crazy parent who looks like Charlie Daniels. Bullock will probably win the Oscar for scenes like the one where she threatens inner city kids with her NRA membership, because that's supposed to be good acting.

Inglourious Basterds (10/10) - Thankfully, Quentin comes to the rescue with a fun, hilarious, exciting film that tells a a great interwoven story at a hypnotic pace. I had also already seen this one, but it was a blast to see it again and appreciate the brilliance of Christoph Waltz's performance. I also have even more appreciation for Pitt's hilarious performance this time around. This is my favorite film from last year (so far).

Mustang · 03-01-2010, 12:35 PM

Year One 1/10 : I'm not really sure why I watched this. I don't think I laughed at all even though I assume this was a comedy?

Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 7/10 : I like all the actors they assembled to do the film so, that was worthwhile. Easy light viewing.. I should go back to watch the original.

Doug5984 · 03-01-2010, 12:38 PM

Star Trek 7/10 - I had never seen a Star Trek before, but the movie was good- not great, but I was entertained for a few hours.

Shutter Island 8/10 - I really liked it, don't want to put to much and give anything away...but it was good, again I was very entertained for a few hours.

Karlifornia · 03-01-2010, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

The Blindside (3/10) - And now we get to pure Hollywood contrived bullshit. Oher's story is a good one, but this is just so horribly written and directed. All the antagonists are one dimensional stock villains carbon copied from other screenplays. The first football game is an embarassing joke, with the over the top redneck football team (wearing red and white, very subtle!) and the one crazy parent who looks like Charlie Daniels. Bullock will probably win the Oscar for scenes like the one where she threatens inner city kids with her NRA membership, because that's supposed to be good acting.

Ugh...I'm afraid if I see this I'll lose any respect I still had for the Academy Awards. At least Avatar will sweep everything, and I'll die a quick death.

Young Drachma · 03-02-2010, 03:47 PM

Inglourious Basterds - I forgot I saw this. But I did. I'm not a Taratino partisan by any stretch, but this was pretty much well executed, imaginative and well...I dunno. Ridiculous, but well worth the watch and I don't know that I can describe it, other than to say that I thought it was just a well done movie. 9/10

Jump Tomorrow - Instead of sleeping last night, I caught this 2001 low budget indie rom-com featuring the lead singer of TV On The Radio as an American-born guy of Nigerian descent who is set to marry a Nigerian childhood friend in an arranged marriage, but meets a girl three days before that. He's cardboard stiff, but the whole thing is cute, paced well I think and dorky, but hilarious in a good way. I loved it more than any of the drivel I've seen from a major studio. I hate most romantic comedies these days, because it's just massive variations of "nerdy or tubby white girl meets girl who'd never let him polish her shoes in real life and charms the pants off of her. This is the opposite of that and so, it was something I wish wasn't so rare. [/endrant] 10/10

Honolulu_Blue · 03-02-2010, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

I hate most romantic comedies these days, because it's just massive variations of "nerdy or tubby white girl meets girl who'd never let him polish her shoes in real life and charms the pants off of her.

You have seen very different rom-coms than I have, but, I must admit, I don't see too many of these.

Young Drachma · 03-02-2010, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

You have seen very different rom-coms than I have, but, I must admit, I don't see too many of these.

I'm speaking mostly of these Judd Aptow comedies that have been coming out over the past few years. I don't see any of them, but I do see ads for them or buzz about them online. It's not a new criticism for me, I mean, even before those started coming out I had problems with movies..but that's a Hollywood issue.

It doesn't affect my ability to enjoy a good flick regardless, it's just a recent criticism of a certain ilk of recent flicks...it's not a particularly scientific argument though.

Ronnie Dobbs2 · 03-02-2010, 03:56 PM

I think he was joking about the lesbian angle.

Neuqua · 03-02-2010, 03:57 PM

Been some time since I've seen a lesbo romantic comedy.

Honolulu_Blue · 03-02-2010, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

I'm speaking mostly of these Judd Aptow comedies that have been coming out over the past few years. I don't see any of them, but I do see ads for them or buzz about them online. It's not a new criticism for me, I mean, even before those started coming out I had problems with movies..but that's a Hollywood issue.

It doesn't affect my ability to enjoy a good flick regardless, it's just a recent criticism of a certain ilk of recent flicks...it's not a particularly scientific argument though.

I was really more referring to your description of romantic comedies involving "nerdy or tubby white girl meets girl" story line.

That said, as for the "nerdy or tubby white guy meets girl" thing. Yeah, that's been mentioned numerous times as a criticism of the Apatow "rom coms". I haven't seen that many.

I didn't think the Steve Carrel/Catherine Keener pairing was like that in "40 Year Old Virgin", but the Seth Rogen/Heigl thing in "Knocked Up" and the hook-ups in "Superbad" meet that criteria. I don't know about the rest, because I haven't seen them. Though I don't know if I'd even consider "Superbad" a rom com. A comedy, yes. A romantic comedy? Not so much.

Still, I think the majority of "rom coms" out there still have suitably handsome men going after suitably attractive women. Again, that's only based on trailers, commercials, posters and the like.

ISiddiqui · 03-02-2010, 04:11 PM

I don't know how much the "Superbad" pairing is that bad. While Cera is portrayed as somewhat nerdy, its more because he's socially awkward. And it isn't like he's Jonah Hill bad looking.

"Knocked Up" was a mismatched pairing, but somewhat explained by the whole drunk people hooking up thing (without the getting pregnant thing, Heigl character would have been complete ashamed of the encounter and never spoken to the Rogan character again).

DataKing · 03-02-2010, 04:16 PM

Dead Snow (8 / 10): Now first let me quantify that rating. This is an 8/10 on the "cheesy low-budget zombie movie" scale, not the conventional one. I've been looking forward to seeing this since I first heard about it last year, and I finally got a chance last night now that it's available via Netflix. Overall it's an enjoyable addition to the genre. What could be better than zombies, you ask? Why, Nazi Zombies of course! It borrows heavily from other horror movie staples (a group of young people in a secluded area with no means of communicating with the outside world, a mysterious elder stranger who warns them and is promptly ignored, etc), but does so in a way that pays homage to the classics it is emulating, not ripping them off. The violence level is downright cartoonish in spots, and there is some bits of very creative camera work along the way. I only have two real criticisms; first, it's a little slow starting out for my tastes, and second, in spots the music overpowers what is happening on screen. Not that it's so good or so bad that it is distracting, but the volume is disproportionately loud compared to the dialogue.

Overall, if you like zombies movies, I'd highly recommend checking this out. If you don't like the genre, stay far, far away.

Ronnie Dobbs2 · 03-02-2010, 04:45 PM

The schlub angle was the whole point of Knocked Up. Agree that 40 YOV doesn't really count, the Keener character was not exactly a catch either, she was a grandmother.

ISiddiqui · 03-05-2010, 07:40 PM

I Heart Huckabees - 7/10: One of the strangest, yet original and interesting movies I've ever seen. Jason Swartzmann is a guy, going to an existentialist detective firm (Dustin Hoffman, who is absolutely excellent, and Lily Tomlin) to try to find the reason for a coincidence in his life. It starts off there and gets into the entirety of the guy's life (he did go to an existentialist detective, after all) mostly including his job. On the way we get to talk about the meaning of life and whether everything is connected or everything is nothing, but done in a very funny, amusing manner. Great cast (Donnie Wahlburg, Jude Law, and Naomi Watts also do great jobs in their roles), interesting premise, and witty dialogue. I liked it very much, but found the middle a bit too slow moving, so it only gets a 7.

rowech · 03-05-2010, 08:01 PM

Family Guy: Something, Something Dark Side (10/10) -- Must watch viewing if you're a fan of Family Guy as they take on Empire Strikes Back.

The Goods (3/10) -- Funny for a half hour. Had a decent plot started too. Then it just fell to absolute crap.

judicial clerk · 03-10-2010, 03:35 AM

So I was just about to hit the sack two hours ago when I decided to update my netflix queue. I noticed that Dear Zachary is currently in the netflix instant movie section.

So I got sucked in and watched the whole thing. I give it a 10 out of 10 but I don't wholeheartedly recommend it. If you want to experience something real and feel some genuine emotion this documentary will not let you down. On the other hand, there is a part of me that says life is too short to spend it experiencing this story.

01-25-2010, 05:33 PM	#3801
ISiddiqui Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Decatur, GA	2012 - 5/10: It was just as ridiculously bad as I thought it would be. Even the CGI at times was laughable. But it had good hilariously bad moments, and the idea of how they'd respond to the crisis was actually decently thought out (well, for a disaster movie). It gets a 5 because it met my expectations of craptastic hilarity. __________________ "A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages" -Tennessee Williams Last edited by ISiddiqui : 01-25-2010 at 05:33 PM.

01-27-2010, 02:30 PM	#3803
Ronnie Dobbs2 Pro Rookie Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Bahston Mass	If you liked the movie you should check out the series it was based on, The Thick of It. Some overlap (same characters in fact) but it was hilarious. __________________ There's no I in Teamocil, at least not where you'd think

01-30-2010, 11:31 PM	#3804
molson General Manager Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: The Mountains	Off the top of my head for the last few weeks/months: Precious: 9.5/10 -I was blown away by the acting/writing. I'm not sure that my actual enjoyment of the movie warrants a 9.5, but I was just so impressed with those aspects. This is the kind of movie that almost feels like a documentary at times - these characters feel real. I think there's a handful of "perfect" movies a year, in the sense that they did exactly what they wanted to do, and couldn't have done it better, and this was one of those films. The last movie I saw that gave me that feeling was Milk. Paranormal Activity 6/10 Slightly disappointed. By about 3/4 of the way through, I was getting a little bored of doors moving/noises. Another layer here would have helped - either more interactions with the psychic/demonologist, or more backstory, or something. I think the "found footage" format is really hard to pull off, and this movie needed to be a little more creative in utilizing that tool. Observe and Report 3/10 Boring. And I like Seth Rogan. Needed to be darker. Extract 5/10 Perfectly average. The Hangover 8/10 Finally got around to this. I think Ed Helms described it perfectly - it's not like other comedies where the humor revolves around clever quips. Here, the dialogue really isn't funny, the situations are. That creates a more satisfying comedy. Valkyrie 7/10 I was worried this would be too Hollywood but I think they did a great job. Decent historical accuracy. Cruise holds it back a little - this was a role someone could have hit a home run with, but Cruise is just too pretty and slick to pull that off here. Sherlock Holmes 8.5/10 Very entertaining summer-style blockbuster. Downey Jr. has reached that level where he can't possibly be in a bad movie, because he's just too entertaining. I would have preferred a more traditional crime-solving kind of plot, without the pretense of magic/the occult. But I'm sure there'll be at least two more of these. Up In The Air 6.5/10 Slightly disappointed. Clooney and the female leads were great, it was all just a little flat to me. Some of the dialogue took me out the movie in the "nobody would say that" sense (too lazy to post spoilers). I'd say great acting, decent story, poor screenplay. Avatar 9/10 6/10 I actually saw this twice so I gave it two ratings. The first time I saw it was in Las Vegas, regular screen 3-D. I was blown away and entertained. I saw it again because my girlfriend hadn't - for that we went to the 3-D I-max. Maybe it was just because we had to sit a little closer to the screen than we would of liked, or maybe it was because the 3-d glasses were noticeably cheaper than what I had in Vegas, but it just seemed off. The 3-D was so intense as to be a little distracting - where I had remembered being blown away the first time, at the I-Max I was just getting dizzy from the blur of the action sequences. It's kind of interesting though - there's probably dozens of versions of this movie out there when you consider the differences from theater to theater. I don't get the criticism about the lack of creativity in the story. Yes, this is Dances With Wolves, but that was 20 years ago, there's no such thing as an original story, and Avatar told it's story very well. It's a simple story, no doubt, but it's still one that resonates. Last edited by molson : 01-30-2010 at 11:44 PM.

02-03-2010, 10:41 AM	#3806
DataKing Pro Rookie Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Chicago	Angels & Demons (5 / 10): The scenery and imagery was gorgeous, and some of the camera work was quite brilliant. However there were some horribly contrived plot devices used to get the main characters alone in dangerous situations, even though they spend the entire time working with the police. I don't know if these plot devices were a part of the story itself (I have not read the book), but they were still very annoying nonetheless. I'm going to assume that they were a function of the book itself, because I have a lot of respect for Ron Howard as a director. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (3 / 10): Take every action movie stereotype you've ever seen, wrap it up in a bunch of gung-ho bullshit and some spiffy special effects and a couple of hot chicks, and you have this movie. The roll-eyes-quotient in this thing was far beyond acceptable levels. Public Enemies (7 / 10): I largely agree with JS19's assessment here. It was a pretty good movie overall, and Depp was his usually brilliant self (and well-overshadowed Bale IMO), but it seemed to drag and there was something missing. JS19 nailed what was missing; the movie never really gave you a sense as to why the public admired his as much as they did. Was it for the same reason they admired gangsters of the era? Perhaps, but if that's the reason it is only implied and not displayed. Zombieland: I'm not rating this again, since I did when it was in theaters, but I picked up the DVD last night and watched it again. It definitely has good replay value. __________________ Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty)

02-15-2010, 02:24 AM	#3808
Dodgerchick College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Austin, TX	Returner - 8.5/10 I'm surprised this was given a 35% at Rotten Tomatoes, I really enjoyed it. Good visual/special effects and I actually liked the story. Some reviews call it a "Xerox copy of a bunch of movies" but I didn't see it that way. Or maybe I haven't seen the movies these critics are talking about. Story of a girl that comes back to prevent a war with aliens. Antmeister just told me that this movie can be seen on hulu, check it out - Returner - Hulu Crazy Heart - 9/10 Jeff Bridges was awesome as was Maggie Gyllenhaal (I'm not a fan but she was great). The movie reminded me a lot of The Wrestler. Street Fight - 9/10 Documentary about the Newark, NJ mayoral race in 2002. Some questionable tactics used by the incumbent that really ticked me off, but that's politics, I guess. __________________ DON'T ITCH THAT NOSE! A Meditation Dynasty

01-27-2010, 02:26 PM	#3802
rowech Pro Starter Join Date: Feb 2006	In the Loop (10/10) -- Very likely you haven't heard of this one. I only heard of James Gandolfini's performance as a general being great. This movie is hysterical. I'd say it's a modern day Dr. Strangelove satire look at how an invasion into a Middle Eastern nation might happen. British and American characters, and some of the Brits are tough to understand but this movie is just a must watch if you go for that type of movie.

01-31-2010, 04:23 AM	#3805
JS19 College Prospect Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NY	Public Enemies (7/10) - Being a bit harsh with my rating here, as I did enjoy the movie and found it entertaining and would recommend it to others, but it didn't live up to the lofty expectations I had. I've always been fascinated with guys like Dillinger and mob type guys. Years ago I remember doing a decent amount of research about him, and granted it has been a while, but I don't feel the movie gave the audience the appreciation, if you will, the public had for Dillinger. There is a scene where he is being taken in by the FBI, and the streets are lined with people cheering for him. For the casual viewer, they probably had no idea why. That's not a big deal, but I thought they should have expanded on that a bit.

02-15-2010, 01:14 AM	#3807
JS19 College Prospect Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NY	Wolfman (?) - So, the lady friend and I decided to check out the Wolfman tonight, I know, a wonderful Valentine's Day movie. Just as the movie reaches its climax and shit is about to hit the fan... BAM, screen goes blank. So I really have no assessment, actually hoping that if anyone has seen this they can fill me in on how the hell it ends. From the majority of the movie we did get to see, it was fairly entertaining but nothing special, I suppose seeing how it ends would alter my opinion greatly.

02-15-2010, 06:18 AM	#3809
Grammaticus Pro Rookie Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Tennessee	The Hurt Locker - 9/10 Gritty story about a bomb tech and fire team in Iraq. There are some great bomb defusing scenes and some really good general war scenarios. At some points it feels like they just walked around filming real people (they didn't). The major roles are played by little known actors. There are a few small roles by more well known actors.

02-16-2010, 12:17 AM	#3810
ISiddiqui Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Decatur, GA	The Princess and the Frog - 9/10: Another Disney 2D classic. Lost in the discussion of "Up" and its Oscar chances, I think a real gem has slipped by. Absolutely wonderful animation and a great story through the swamps of Louisiana, punctuated by well done musical numbers. The characters of Naveen, Tiana, Louis, and Ray are highly memorable, and there is a truly scary villain, in the form of Dr. Facilier. Belongs in the company of "Beauty and the Beast", "Little Mermaid", etc. __________________ "A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages" -Tennessee Williams

02-16-2010, 03:14 AM	#3812
Nice Guy Eddie Banned Join Date: Mar 2008	Crazy Heart...very good

02-16-2010, 10:05 AM	#3814
Honolulu_Blue Hockey Boy Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Royal Oak, MI	In The Loop - 8/10 It's a great comedy. It's a take on the lead up to the Iraq war, without ever identifying the Iraq war and using completely ficticious characters. It's more about the people and hijinks involved than the politics. The cast is about 60% British and 40% American, since it deals with portions of both governments working together to justify the war. It's really very funny and profanity-laced, but profanity just seems funnier when said with an English or Scottish accent. The biggest "name" in the film is probably James Gandolfini, who is excellent in a non-Tony Soprano role. The girl from "My Girl" is in it and all grown's up. The guy who played "Sledgehammer" in that old TV show is great as a Donald Rumsfeld clone. Some of the British actors may be famous, but I wasn't very familiar with any of them. A smart, hillarious comedy. Definitely worth checking out. __________________ *Steve Yzerman*: 1,755 points in 1,514 regular season games. 185 points in 196 postseason games. A First-Team All-Star, Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Selke Trophy winner, Masterton Trophy winner, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Olympic gold medallist, and a three-time Stanley Cup Champion. Longest serving captain of one team in the history of the NHL (19 seasons).

02-16-2010, 10:51 AM	#3815
Mustang Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Wisconsin	Eastern Promises : 5/10 - Overall I found myself pretty bored with the entire movie. The movie just didn't seem to focus on one particular story and seemed to wander. Good acting and a few good scenes, but the overall story line left something to be desired for me. __________________ You, you will regret what you have done this day. I will make you regret ever being born. Your going to wish you never left your mothers womb, where it was warm and safe... and wet. i am going to show you pain you never knew existed, you are going to see a whole new spectrum of pain, like a Rainboooow. But! This rainbow is not just like any other rainbow, its... Last edited by Mustang : 02-16-2010 at 10:51 AM.

02-16-2010, 10:59 AM	#3816
Fidatelo Pro Starter Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Winnipeg, MB	Couples Retreat - 6/10 I'm a big fan of Vaughn and Favreau, but this movie was pretty weak. It wasn't the worst movie ever, but I expected more from those guys. __________________ "Breakfast? Breakfast schmekfast, look at the score for God's sake. It's only the second period and I'm winning 12-2. Breakfasts come and go, Rene, but Hartford, the Whale, they only beat Vancouver maybe once or twice in a lifetime." Last edited by Fidatelo : 02-16-2010 at 10:59 AM.

02-18-2010, 06:30 PM	#3817
Scoobz0202 Pro Rookie Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio	Black Dynamite - 9/10 I can't recall the last time I have laughed this hard at a movie. I also don't know if I have ever seen a more quotable movie. Just pure win.

02-18-2010, 06:48 PM	#3819
Scoobz0202 Pro Rookie Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio	Came out on DVD this past Tuesday. I had forgotten all about it till I saw it on the wall at the local rental place. After watching it I have no idea how it did not get a wide release.

02-20-2010, 03:53 AM	#3821
JetsIn06 Pro Rookie Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Rahway, NJ	Shutter Island: 8/10 I'm horrible at writing reviews, so I'll just say that it was a solid movie. Excellent music, great pacing, and pretty creepy.

02-21-2010, 07:59 AM	#3822
rowech Pro Starter Join Date: Feb 2006	Anvil: The Story of Anvil (8/10) -- Just a good story that I wasn't aware of. Band is extremely successful 25 years ago and then over the years somehow just falls off the map. Band continues to work trying to make it back as 50 year olds. Showing a little of what happened, what didn't happen, and what is happening. Part of you will wonder why in the heck they never held onto the success. Part of you will see why pretty clearly. Part of you will look at them and say, good for them to keep going. Part of you will look at them sand say, just give up on it. Really just a cool little movie about a story that is probably all too common.

02-22-2010, 06:12 AM	#3823
RainMaker Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Chicago, IL	Once (10 out of 10) - I'm not sure if this can fall under the category of a musical, but it's close. I've never seen a movie where the songs match the emotions and storyline as well as this. I guess what I like most about this movie is that it's simple. Just so raw and realistic. There aren't any overly dramatic moments yet you still know how each character feels (although you never know their names). It's a short movie too and I just think it does so many things well. Everything screams low budget which is what makes this movie so special. Highly recommend this movie to anyone, it's a great experience. 500 Days of Summer (7.5 out of 10) - Someone here highly recommended it and I have to say that it was really good. Well acted, a bit funny, and kind of quirky. I thought the initial way they ended the movie was brilliant but really hated that last Minka Kelly scene. Just didn't think it was necessary to do that. Nonetheless, a good movie that is a bit different than most romantic films you see.

02-26-2010, 08:50 PM	#3825
rowech Pro Starter Join Date: Feb 2006	Damned United (10/10) -- Loved this movie. Not sure if you can get into it if you're not a soccer person though. Not 100% sure how accurate it is given what I've read but I thought it more than likely painted a fair portrait of how the entire situation happened.

02-26-2010, 09:22 PM	#3826
CrimsonFox Head Coach Join Date: Dec 2009	Star Trek (9/10) (on DVD) - I'm not a supertrekkie. I liked the original ST and TNG, a little Voyager and the 9th movie. That said I'm pretty sick of the whole fanchise, RIck Berman, Gene Roddenberry, trekkies as a whole and the lot. That said I LOVED this movie. The casting was spot on. EXCELLENT! They stayed faithful enough to the whole history while playing with it just enough to make a GOOD plot (Lucas take note). Quinto, Urban, Pine, Saldana, and Pegg all brought a wonderful intensity to their roles adding in the old style with their own great acting abilities. I expected to really hate this. And am glad I did not. Avatar (2/10) - I should stop going to the movies when I'm really really bored. It makes me follow the expected awful hype. Pretty movie. Would have been much better with the sound turned off of just a music soundtrack without speech. All the dialogue was stiff, pointless and forgettable. Reminded me of those computer games of the 90s that started employing CGI sets with real live-action actors (Wing Commander III, Phantasmagoria, 7th Guest, etc). Just generic macho dialogue and putting all their eggs into the effects.

02-27-2010, 06:33 PM	#3829
rowech Pro Starter Join Date: Feb 2006	GI Joe (7/10) -- Cheese factor is unbelievably high but there was a sick part of me that really liked it. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.

02-28-2010, 01:59 AM	#3830
Young Drachma Dark Cloud Join Date: Apr 2001	Caught up on a bunch of Netflix things I'd missed: Life and Debt A documentary about the IMF and Jamaica. Really well done. 7/10 The Fall of Fujimori A documentary about former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori. Discusses his policies and the strife in the country before and after his tenure and the methods employed to try to improve the nation, first through populism and then through autocratic rule. Excellent. 8.5/10 Tyson I hadn't seen it until now. Interesting and not what I'd expected at all. In a good way. 7/10 The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 I thought it'd be a lot worse than it was, but I never saw the original. It was fine to kill a few hours. 5.5/10 Broken Flowers Strange. I dunno if it had closure, really. It was strange, but the soundtrack was worth it. 3/10 CSA: Confederate States of America A satirical mockumentary by some Brits who posit the idea "what if the South won the Civil War?" I dunno what to say about it. Gets kind of tired after a while, but interesting in terms of concept, not really all that great in execution though. 4/10

02-28-2010, 04:59 AM	#3831
RainMaker Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Chicago, IL	Law Abiding Citizen (8 out of 10) - This movie is not award-winning and by most reviewers accounts, probably bad. It's an action thriller that has gruesome violence and a completely unrealistic plot. With that said, I found it mindlessly fun. One of those movies you watch with a few beers and when you're not really looking to have to think hard. I'd say the same kind of feeling you get watching a Rambo movie. Not cinematic greatness, but just violent fun.

02-28-2010, 04:30 PM	#3832
Groundhog Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Sydney, Australia	Valentine's Day - 5/10 Completely harmless romantic comedy with a pretty A-list cast, but far too many main characters. Out of all the relationships in the movie, there are only really 2 or 3 that aren't entirely pointless. Wouldn't watch again, but for a "being forced to watch by the GF" type of movie, it could've been worse. __________________ Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. --Ambrose Bierce

02-28-2010, 09:08 PM	#3833
Dodgerchick College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Austin, TX	Mr. Bean's Holiday - 7/10 Mr. Bean wins a trip to Cannes and encounters some silly, outrageous situations. It's Mr. Bean, whadya expect? Black Dynamite - 8.5/10 OMG WTF? This has serious potential for a close to perfect score. I got the Dolamite scenes but I'm seriously considering watching the other movies it spoofed. So many ROFL moments. Definitely has the watchability factor. Hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. __________________ DON'T ITCH THAT NOSE! A Meditation Dynasty Last edited by Dodgerchick : 03-01-2010 at 12:15 AM.

02-28-2010, 09:22 PM	#3834
Honolulu_Blue Hockey Boy Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Royal Oak, MI	The Matrix: Reloaded - 3/10 Lady H_B and I watched the first "The Matrix" movie about a month ago. It still holds up. A fantastic movie in every respect. So, that git us to thinking that maybe, just maybe we were too harsh on the sequel. Neither of us had seen it since it's opening weekend and each just saw it the once. So, we decided to give it another chance... And, well, yeah. It really, really is that bad. It's an awful movie. The action scenes while well executed at times just lack any sense of excitement or feeling. Most of the time its Neo - the invulnerable guy - against a host of faceless villains. The "action" sequences also feel sort of tacked on as opposed to being part of the flow of the film. Everything about Zion and the people there is terribly irritating. The pseudo-philosophical stuff is lame. We actually never made it to the end. We decided to shut it down right during that fight with those ghost brothers before the highway scene. Overall the film probably deserves higher than a "3", but because it's a sequel it must be compared to the original and the expectations around it. It failed miserably. I remember thinking the third one was even worse, so we're not even going there again. I will just be happy with the original. __________________ *Steve Yzerman*: 1,755 points in 1,514 regular season games. 185 points in 196 postseason games. A First-Team All-Star, Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Selke Trophy winner, Masterton Trophy winner, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Olympic gold medallist, and a three-time Stanley Cup Champion. Longest serving captain of one team in the history of the NHL (19 seasons).

02-28-2010, 10:16 PM	#3835
larrymcg421 Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Georgia	Saw 5 films Saturday for the AMC Best Picture showcase (and will be seeing the other 5 nominees next Saturday)... Avatar (7/10) - This is certainly an impressive visual achievement and the outlying story is imaginative and appealing. The problem the film runs into is a lack of interesting characters. Only Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver really stand out, but the hero is really bland. It's a good thing they made him an amputee, because otherwise there would be nothing interesting or distinctive about him. And Stephen Lang as the evil Army Colonel was an incredibly weak villain. This hampered the action scenes a bit because it was hard to care about what was going on, but thankfully Zoe's really strong performance helped make it work. I do wish Cameron would work with another screenwriter who could help draw out the characters more and punch up the dialogue. Up in the Air (10/10) - I had already seen this one beforehand, and I liked it even more this time around. The three leads give superb performances and I found it to be a quite moving film. My only complaint is the recommendation of Fat Matt's Rib Shack for an Atlanta rib joint. it's not even close to the best! Precious (8/10) - Brutal, uncompromising film about a teenage girl suffering terrible abuse at the hands of her mother. Really courageous performance from Gabourey Sidibe in the lead and Monique is fantastic as her mother. Even Mariah Carey has a really strong performance as a social worker. Actually has some lighter moments mixed in and manages to capture a hopeful tone amidst all the horror. The Blindside (3/10) - And now we get to pure Hollywood contrived bullshit. Oher's story is a good one, but this is just so horribly written and directed. All the antagonists are one dimensional stock villains carbon copied from other screenplays. The first football game is an embarassing joke, with the over the top redneck football team (wearing red and white, very subtle!) and the one crazy parent who looks like Charlie Daniels. Bullock will probably win the Oscar for scenes like the one where she threatens inner city kids with her NRA membership, because that's supposed to be good acting. Inglourious Basterds (10/10) - Thankfully, Quentin comes to the rescue with a fun, hilarious, exciting film that tells a a great interwoven story at a hypnotic pace. I had also already seen this one, but it was a blast to see it again and appreciate the brilliance of Christoph Waltz's performance. I also have even more appreciation for Pitt's hilarious performance this time around. This is my favorite film from last year (so far). __________________ Top 10 Songs of the Year 1955-Present (1976 Added) Franchise Portfolio Draft Winner Fictional Character Draft Winner Television Family Draft Winner Build Your Own Hollywood Studio Draft Winner

03-01-2010, 12:35 PM	#3836
Mustang Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Wisconsin	Year One 1/10 : I'm not really sure why I watched this. I don't think I laughed at all even though I assume this was a comedy? Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 7/10 : I like all the actors they assembled to do the film so, that was worthwhile. Easy light viewing.. I should go back to watch the original. __________________ You, you will regret what you have done this day. I will make you regret ever being born. Your going to wish you never left your mothers womb, where it was warm and safe... and wet. i am going to show you pain you never knew existed, you are going to see a whole new spectrum of pain, like a Rainboooow. But! This rainbow is not just like any other rainbow, its...

03-01-2010, 12:38 PM	#3837
Doug5984 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Louisiana	Star Trek 7/10 - I had never seen a Star Trek before, but the movie was good- not great, but I was entertained for a few hours. Shutter Island 8/10 - I really liked it, don't want to put to much and give anything away...but it was good, again I was very entertained for a few hours.

03-02-2010, 03:47 PM	#3839
Young Drachma Dark Cloud Join Date: Apr 2001	Inglourious Basterds - I forgot I saw this. But I did. I'm not a Taratino partisan by any stretch, but this was pretty much well executed, imaginative and well...I dunno. Ridiculous, but well worth the watch and I don't know that I can describe it, other than to say that I thought it was just a well done movie. 9/10 Jump Tomorrow - Instead of sleeping last night, I caught this 2001 low budget indie rom-com featuring the lead singer of TV On The Radio as an American-born guy of Nigerian descent who is set to marry a Nigerian childhood friend in an arranged marriage, but meets a girl three days before that. He's cardboard stiff, but the whole thing is cute, paced well I think and dorky, but hilarious in a good way. I loved it more than any of the drivel I've seen from a major studio. I hate most romantic comedies these days, because it's just massive variations of "nerdy or tubby white girl meets girl who'd never let him polish her shoes in real life and charms the pants off of her. This is the opposite of that and so, it was something I wish wasn't so rare. [/endrant] 10/10

03-02-2010, 03:56 PM	#3842
Ronnie Dobbs2 Pro Rookie Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Bahston Mass	I think he was joking about the lesbian angle. __________________ There's no I in Teamocil, at least not where you'd think

03-02-2010, 03:57 PM	#3843
Neuqua Pro Rookie Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Chicago, Ill	Been some time since I've seen a lesbo romantic comedy. __________________ Our Deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be?

03-02-2010, 04:11 PM	#3845
ISiddiqui Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Decatur, GA	I don't know how much the "Superbad" pairing is that bad. While Cera is portrayed as somewhat nerdy, its more because he's socially awkward. And it isn't like he's Jonah Hill bad looking. "Knocked Up" was a mismatched pairing, but somewhat explained by the whole drunk people hooking up thing (without the getting pregnant thing, Heigl character would have been complete ashamed of the encounter and never spoken to the Rogan character again). __________________ "A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages" -Tennessee Williams

03-02-2010, 04:16 PM	#3846
DataKing Pro Rookie Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Chicago	Dead Snow (8 / 10): Now first let me quantify that rating. This is an 8/10 on the "cheesy low-budget zombie movie" scale, not the conventional one. I've been looking forward to seeing this since I first heard about it last year, and I finally got a chance last night now that it's available via Netflix. Overall it's an enjoyable addition to the genre. What could be better than zombies, you ask? Why, Nazi Zombies of course! It borrows heavily from other horror movie staples (a group of young people in a secluded area with no means of communicating with the outside world, a mysterious elder stranger who warns them and is promptly ignored, etc), but does so in a way that pays homage to the classics it is emulating, not ripping them off. The violence level is downright cartoonish in spots, and there is some bits of very creative camera work along the way. I only have two real criticisms; first, it's a little slow starting out for my tastes, and second, in spots the music overpowers what is happening on screen. Not that it's so good or so bad that it is distracting, but the volume is disproportionately loud compared to the dialogue. Overall, if you like zombies movies, I'd highly recommend checking this out. If you don't like the genre, stay far, far away. __________________ Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty)