What is the best recent movie you’ve seen.
- Thread starter Doggywoggy
- Start date
I really enjoyed Frozen Ground with Nicolas Cage and John Cusak a true story about a serial killer hunting strippers in Alaska.
The great Gatsby with Dicaprio and Toby Mcguire and my fav by far is number 42 the story of Jackie Robinson !! Simply amazing
The great Gatsby with Dicaprio and Toby Mcguire and my fav by far is number 42 the story of Jackie Robinson !! Simply amazing
I tried to order Frozen Ground on Netflix but there is a "very long wait." Sweet Olivia did you get the movie on Netflix?
I think Nick Cage is a great actor, but he has had financial problems due to extreme spending habits and as a result he has chosen movies where he gets the biggest paycheck as opposed to the best script, in some cases. Hard to believe a top Hollywood actor can spend more money than he makes, but Cage apparently has a shopping addiction, and when you shop for 6 figure cars and 7 figure houses, it starts to add up on you.
I think Nick Cage is a great actor, but he has had financial problems due to extreme spending habits and as a result he has chosen movies where he gets the biggest paycheck as opposed to the best script, in some cases. Hard to believe a top Hollywood actor can spend more money than he makes, but Cage apparently has a shopping addiction, and when you shop for 6 figure cars and 7 figure houses, it starts to add up on you.
The only positive thing about this movie is that it gave us a long tour in the Googleplex. Besides, the story is stupid, I stopped watching by the middle of the movie. The biggest product placement in the history of the cinema as one of the critics put it:violin:
Gravity,
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gravity-2013
Stunningly shot. I saw it at the Cinéma Banque Scotia Montréal on Ste. Catherine and Metcalf yesterday in IMAX 3D when I had some time to kill. It was almost exactly as Roger Ebert described it.
excerpt:
But even if we grant that the movie doesn't have the philosophical ambition of "2001", the space adventure to which it's most often compared, fairness demands we recognize that it's trying for something else. "Gravity" is reminiscent of "2001" mainly because it feels like a feature-length expansion of the sequence in which astronaut Dave Bowman gets locked out of the Jupiter spacecraft without his helmet. Beyond that, it's its own thing, and its storytelling is as simple as its visuals are complex. A surprising number of scenes are theatrically spare: just people talking to each other, telling stories, painting mental pictures for us.
The scope of the storyline is impossible, yet the cinematography is so mind-blowing you probably won't notice that fault if you even cared to. The movie is an amazing visual experience regardless of thinking about any other details. It's one of those ultimate triumph of the human will stories in the most inhuman environment there is...space. It's a feast for the imagination as well as the eyes.
Still, though Sandra Bullock, who I've never seen as a first tier star, gave a very good performance, I don't see an Oscar for her. So much of the movie relies on amazing jaw-dropping effects that I think movie goers give her too much credit for good but not great acting, that the real voters will not.
One thing is certain. If you don't see it on the big screen in 3D...you'll never really see it.
:thumb:
Merlot
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gravity-2013
Stunningly shot. I saw it at the Cinéma Banque Scotia Montréal on Ste. Catherine and Metcalf yesterday in IMAX 3D when I had some time to kill. It was almost exactly as Roger Ebert described it.
excerpt:
But even if we grant that the movie doesn't have the philosophical ambition of "2001", the space adventure to which it's most often compared, fairness demands we recognize that it's trying for something else. "Gravity" is reminiscent of "2001" mainly because it feels like a feature-length expansion of the sequence in which astronaut Dave Bowman gets locked out of the Jupiter spacecraft without his helmet. Beyond that, it's its own thing, and its storytelling is as simple as its visuals are complex. A surprising number of scenes are theatrically spare: just people talking to each other, telling stories, painting mental pictures for us.
The scope of the storyline is impossible, yet the cinematography is so mind-blowing you probably won't notice that fault if you even cared to. The movie is an amazing visual experience regardless of thinking about any other details. It's one of those ultimate triumph of the human will stories in the most inhuman environment there is...space. It's a feast for the imagination as well as the eyes.
Still, though Sandra Bullock, who I've never seen as a first tier star, gave a very good performance, I don't see an Oscar for her. So much of the movie relies on amazing jaw-dropping effects that I think movie goers give her too much credit for good but not great acting, that the real voters will not.
One thing is certain. If you don't see it on the big screen in 3D...you'll never really see it.
:thumb:
Merlot
Captain Phillips
My friend and I arrived at the movie theater this afternoon with the intention of seeing "Machete Kills", the new Machete film, but I screwed up the movie times and we arrived too late for the early matinee. So the movie showtime that best fit with our dinner plans was the one for "Captain Phillips", and we decided to see that film instead.
Captain Phillips is certainly an entertaining film, but because it is historically based, you know the outcome in advance. So you also know exactly where the movie is heading. The problem I have in evaluating the movie is I just do not know how much of it is accurate. The movie portrays the Maersk Alabama crew members, 11 of whom are suing the shipping company for reckless operation of shipping exposing them to piracy, as lazy, coffee-guzzling union employees who are in denial over the dangers they signed up for. However, these same crew members have told the NY Post that the movie is a "big lie", something that they clearly have a financial interest in saying, as well as in taking shots at Captain Phillips, as they did in this article:
http://nypost.com/2013/10/13/crew-members-deny-captain-phillips-heroism/
The Somali pirates are portrayed as stupid, disorganized, whimsical, easily tricked, and not fully appreciative of all the dangers they were up against, most notably the U.S. Navy. They seem not to have had any plan, and attack the Maersk Alabama only because it is big, and it is alone.
Captain Phillips is portrayed by Tom Hanks as a by-the-book, dignified and heroic seaman, although he at times trash talks the pirates, and incurs their wrath with his reckless actions at different times during the movie.
We all know how it ends: pirate leader jailed in the US; pirate crew shot dead by Navy Seals snipers; Captain Phillips saved, injured and in shock, but alive to sail another day.
I give it a soft recommendation, based on entertainment value only.
My friend and I arrived at the movie theater this afternoon with the intention of seeing "Machete Kills", the new Machete film, but I screwed up the movie times and we arrived too late for the early matinee. So the movie showtime that best fit with our dinner plans was the one for "Captain Phillips", and we decided to see that film instead.
Captain Phillips is certainly an entertaining film, but because it is historically based, you know the outcome in advance. So you also know exactly where the movie is heading. The problem I have in evaluating the movie is I just do not know how much of it is accurate. The movie portrays the Maersk Alabama crew members, 11 of whom are suing the shipping company for reckless operation of shipping exposing them to piracy, as lazy, coffee-guzzling union employees who are in denial over the dangers they signed up for. However, these same crew members have told the NY Post that the movie is a "big lie", something that they clearly have a financial interest in saying, as well as in taking shots at Captain Phillips, as they did in this article:
http://nypost.com/2013/10/13/crew-members-deny-captain-phillips-heroism/
The Somali pirates are portrayed as stupid, disorganized, whimsical, easily tricked, and not fully appreciative of all the dangers they were up against, most notably the U.S. Navy. They seem not to have had any plan, and attack the Maersk Alabama only because it is big, and it is alone.
Captain Phillips is portrayed by Tom Hanks as a by-the-book, dignified and heroic seaman, although he at times trash talks the pirates, and incurs their wrath with his reckless actions at different times during the movie.
We all know how it ends: pirate leader jailed in the US; pirate crew shot dead by Navy Seals snipers; Captain Phillips saved, injured and in shock, but alive to sail another day.
I give it a soft recommendation, based on entertainment value only.
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It is a very light hearted date flick. Movie has its moments. Yes it is one big advertisement for Google but a very brilliant approach I might add. Remember back in the 80s/90s flicks were about getting a job at some stiff white shoe brokerage or law firm where everyone had their heads stuck up their asses. Now is about getting a job at some tech company with a cult like approach that tears down rigid societal walls.
If a flick has Vince Vaughn, Clive Owen and especially Will Farrell, you are either going to like it or you are going to hate it. I am not a fan of Will Farrell or Vince Vaughn since I don't find him funny but Clive Owen cracks me up.
Do you mean Owen Wilson, because Clive Owen is not listed as being in the film?
Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson were also in "Wedding Crashers", which is a very funny film.
Thank you EB! Yes Owen Wilson is the name. Got the names mixed up. I realized Clive Owen is the actor in Closer and Children of Men.
Owen Wilson has been in good and other so so movies. I loved watching him play in "Midnight in Paris" movie. Same applies to Will Farrel, I liked watching him in "Stranger Than Fiction". Even Adam Sandler performed well in "Click" movie. Bottom line, many actors play many movies for money, and then play once in a while a good one, when all the bills are paid.
The best TV movie of all time is "Spartacus, The War of the Damned". I watched this movie from 9PM until 8:30 AM the next morning.
For those who have been following Spartacus since the very beginning you are going to be either very pissed or over joyed. Well pissed if you are someone who collected all the DVDs. Why you may ask???? Here is why.....http://www.thewrap.com/spartacus-saga-revived-by-starz-with-uncut-run/
Also the DeKnight is working on and hopefully becoming a TV series.... Incursion. Plus the folks are making the movie Hercules which bare many similarities in film quality as Spartacus.
Also the DeKnight is working on and hopefully becoming a TV series.... Incursion. Plus the folks are making the movie Hercules which bare many similarities in film quality as Spartacus.
13 Assassins (2010), on Netflix. Possibly the best samurai movie I have seen.
The young brother of the Shogun is a psychopath who constantly kills and rape innocent people. Despite all the scandals, he remains the heir to the Shogun and the minister of Justice cannot do anything openly against him. He entrusts Shinzaemon, an old samurai, with the mission of assassinating the tyrant. In the first hour you get interesting character development as he gathers a small group of men who will join him for different reasons. There is a disturbing scene where they show one of the tyrant's victims, a young woman with severed arms and legs.
I like the character of Hanbei, the chief of the tyrant's guard. He knows his master is a monster that will lead to disaster, but his code of honour compels him to serve his lord and protect him with his life no matter what. The last hour is one long fight sequence. I especially like the final duel between Shinza and Hanbei (I always prefer one-on-one rather than group action
)
The young brother of the Shogun is a psychopath who constantly kills and rape innocent people. Despite all the scandals, he remains the heir to the Shogun and the minister of Justice cannot do anything openly against him. He entrusts Shinzaemon, an old samurai, with the mission of assassinating the tyrant. In the first hour you get interesting character development as he gathers a small group of men who will join him for different reasons. There is a disturbing scene where they show one of the tyrant's victims, a young woman with severed arms and legs.
I like the character of Hanbei, the chief of the tyrant's guard. He knows his master is a monster that will lead to disaster, but his code of honour compels him to serve his lord and protect him with his life no matter what. The last hour is one long fight sequence. I especially like the final duel between Shinza and Hanbei (I always prefer one-on-one rather than group action
)
I loved all of the 'Spartacus' installments. I especially loved the extreme violence & graphic sex scenes, especially scenes involving blood baths and sex orgies.
However, i wouldn't rank the 'Spartacus' series as the BEST tv series of all time.
For me, the best RECENT tv series of all time is none other than "Breaking Bad", followed by "24", "Lost", "ER", "The Walking Dead", "Mad Men" and "Dexter".
A few decades ago, i loved "Dallas", "The Twilight Zone" and "Star Trek". Later, i also loved "The X Files", among many others.
Last night, i watched all the episodes of the new series "The Blacklist" and "Hostages". Both of them are very good and i expect them to be renewed next season. However, i also expected the very good series "Awake" to be renewed last year, but sadly it was cancelled after only one season.
Machete 2010
This is an interesting camp style film which features Cheech Marin as a gun toting cigar smoking priest, Don Johnson as a rednecked border vigilante, Robert De Niro as a right wing redneck Texas senator obsessed with eliminating illegal aliens, Michelle Rodriguez as an illegal alien trafficker who operates a taco stand, and Stephen Segal in a comeback role as a Mexican drug lord. Jessica Alba plays an ICE agent and Lindsay Lohan plays a drug addict whose father is sexually obsessed with her. Danny Trejo play the lead role.
The movie is extremely violent and gory and includes a graphic crucifixion scene that is not for the weak of heart.
Basically if you are a fan of Robert Rodriguez and his artistic brother in arms Quentin Tarantino and are accepting of their violent tongue in cheek styles, you will like it. If you do not accept their cinematic styles then you probably won't. This movie is in the same mold as Grindhouse, the prior collaborative effort between Rodriguez and Tarantino which features a faux trailer for Machete.
This is an interesting camp style film which features Cheech Marin as a gun toting cigar smoking priest, Don Johnson as a rednecked border vigilante, Robert De Niro as a right wing redneck Texas senator obsessed with eliminating illegal aliens, Michelle Rodriguez as an illegal alien trafficker who operates a taco stand, and Stephen Segal in a comeback role as a Mexican drug lord. Jessica Alba plays an ICE agent and Lindsay Lohan plays a drug addict whose father is sexually obsessed with her. Danny Trejo play the lead role.
The movie is extremely violent and gory and includes a graphic crucifixion scene that is not for the weak of heart.
Basically if you are a fan of Robert Rodriguez and his artistic brother in arms Quentin Tarantino and are accepting of their violent tongue in cheek styles, you will like it. If you do not accept their cinematic styles then you probably won't. This movie is in the same mold as Grindhouse, the prior collaborative effort between Rodriguez and Tarantino which features a faux trailer for Machete.
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Outrage (2010) on Netflix. A Japanese gangster movie. The story is a spiral of revenge and betrayal as different Yakuza leaders are played against each other by the Chairman of their syndicate. It's interesting to see a different genre of gangster movie, with the very formal Yakuzas. It's slower and not an action movie, but it makes the violence more disturbing, including a gruesome scene at the dentist.
Hey all,
Spartacus by Starz! Overall...rating B+ (A for the first season)
It's clearly a revved up version of HBOs Rome, which was fantastic. The first season "Blood and Sand" was great. The acting was very good, the nudity and sex scenes were stimulating, the savage and extremely gory violence fit in with the story...and yes, the story was well written. It's truly brutal, like the real culture it's based on. I had no problems with the savage fighting and river-like flow of blood because I believe it's close to what was, and I don't think it should be sugar-coated. I convinced some doubting friends to see it and they were amazed.
I skipped the pre-quel "Gods of the Arena" after hearing of Andy Whitfield's terminal illness. The same friend who loved the first season of Spartacus didn't think much of this one.
Season 2, "Vengeance"
It picked up where "Blood and Sand" left off. I thought the writers did well to keep up with the pace and the feel of the first season but the storyline weakened, relying more and more on bloodletting.
Season 3, "War of the Damned".
I'm catching up on this one having seen 8 episodes so far. I have to say the first 4 episodes were very disappointing. "Vengeance" moved toward over emphasis on savagery with less and less story, and the beginning episodes of War of the Damned have practically given up on all but one-dimensional characters who are almost entirely manic bloodthirsty psychopaths swimming in gore while only taking a little time out to either have sex or screech about how bored they are and need to kill, kill, and kill some more. Only Spartacus himself and a few others have any real human character left, and the scenes seem dedicated to how many ways you can show how to split a head or a body like a spontaneous autopsy display. There's more blood and guts then there probably was after the Battle of Cannae in 216 BC between two amateur Roman political generals and Hannibal the master, when many of the Romans buried their own heads in the ground to suffocate instead of face the inevitable terror of brutal death.
I almost quit on "War of the Damned", but decided to gut out (pun intended) the series. The second 4 episodes slowly begin to bring back some real characters and actual story. Finally the writers allow Crixus to show an inner soul again in his relationship with Spartacus. Too bad it was so late.
I just finished watching the last two episodes of "War of the Damned". The writers definitely brought back much better quality to the story as the episodes move on toward the end. I didn't even mind that they tampered with history a little bit, in fact in this case I was rooting for it. :thumb: Great ending considering the inevitability of it. DAMN, the special effects really do a fabulous job of making he final punishments look real. If you know what to look for they also show how the men in the legion really worked by rotating troops from the front lines, instead of just throwing everyone into a Braveheart style melee. Congrats.
BEWARE-Historical note:
Crassus was a poor general in reality. In 53 BC he foolishly led at least 40,000 Romans and allies through a now Turkish-Syrian desert despite warnings of his officers. He had two sons. One son served with Caesar in Gaul, and another son's head ended up paraded by the enemy on a pole in front of him at the Battle of Carrhae, while his own head was taken later in the battle and allegedly used in a stage play by the Parthians. No son died in the campaign against Spartacus. Crassus' army was crushed at Carrhae, a full 75% of his men were killed or captured by a vastly inferior force of about 10,000 by better strategy and lack of water.
Machete...as much as I saw...C-.
I saw the quirky "From Dusk to Dawn", that vampire film Rodriguez and Tarentino made and Tarantino acted in, and found it entertaining. But when I tried to watch Machete I ended up laughing. If you get yourself in the mood for a spoof of a gory blood pouring theme movie sit back and enjoy it. Otherwise, OMG. I changed channels early.
I wouldn't be surprised if the film was intended to be one of those cheap quick fast food genre exploitations made only to finance much better projects. Watch it drunk.
Cheers,
Merlot
Spartacus by Starz! Overall...rating B+ (A for the first season)
It's clearly a revved up version of HBOs Rome, which was fantastic. The first season "Blood and Sand" was great. The acting was very good, the nudity and sex scenes were stimulating, the savage and extremely gory violence fit in with the story...and yes, the story was well written. It's truly brutal, like the real culture it's based on. I had no problems with the savage fighting and river-like flow of blood because I believe it's close to what was, and I don't think it should be sugar-coated. I convinced some doubting friends to see it and they were amazed.
I skipped the pre-quel "Gods of the Arena" after hearing of Andy Whitfield's terminal illness. The same friend who loved the first season of Spartacus didn't think much of this one.
Season 2, "Vengeance"
It picked up where "Blood and Sand" left off. I thought the writers did well to keep up with the pace and the feel of the first season but the storyline weakened, relying more and more on bloodletting.
Season 3, "War of the Damned".
I'm catching up on this one having seen 8 episodes so far. I have to say the first 4 episodes were very disappointing. "Vengeance" moved toward over emphasis on savagery with less and less story, and the beginning episodes of War of the Damned have practically given up on all but one-dimensional characters who are almost entirely manic bloodthirsty psychopaths swimming in gore while only taking a little time out to either have sex or screech about how bored they are and need to kill, kill, and kill some more. Only Spartacus himself and a few others have any real human character left, and the scenes seem dedicated to how many ways you can show how to split a head or a body like a spontaneous autopsy display. There's more blood and guts then there probably was after the Battle of Cannae in 216 BC between two amateur Roman political generals and Hannibal the master, when many of the Romans buried their own heads in the ground to suffocate instead of face the inevitable terror of brutal death.
I almost quit on "War of the Damned", but decided to gut out (pun intended) the series. The second 4 episodes slowly begin to bring back some real characters and actual story. Finally the writers allow Crixus to show an inner soul again in his relationship with Spartacus. Too bad it was so late.
I just finished watching the last two episodes of "War of the Damned". The writers definitely brought back much better quality to the story as the episodes move on toward the end. I didn't even mind that they tampered with history a little bit, in fact in this case I was rooting for it. :thumb: Great ending considering the inevitability of it. DAMN, the special effects really do a fabulous job of making he final punishments look real. If you know what to look for they also show how the men in the legion really worked by rotating troops from the front lines, instead of just throwing everyone into a Braveheart style melee. Congrats.
BEWARE-Historical note:
Crassus was a poor general in reality. In 53 BC he foolishly led at least 40,000 Romans and allies through a now Turkish-Syrian desert despite warnings of his officers. He had two sons. One son served with Caesar in Gaul, and another son's head ended up paraded by the enemy on a pole in front of him at the Battle of Carrhae, while his own head was taken later in the battle and allegedly used in a stage play by the Parthians. No son died in the campaign against Spartacus. Crassus' army was crushed at Carrhae, a full 75% of his men were killed or captured by a vastly inferior force of about 10,000 by better strategy and lack of water.
Machete...as much as I saw...C-.
I saw the quirky "From Dusk to Dawn", that vampire film Rodriguez and Tarentino made and Tarantino acted in, and found it entertaining. But when I tried to watch Machete I ended up laughing. If you get yourself in the mood for a spoof of a gory blood pouring theme movie sit back and enjoy it. Otherwise, OMG.
I changed channels early. I wouldn't be surprised if the film was intended to be one of those cheap quick fast food genre exploitations made only to finance much better projects. Watch it drunk.
Cheers,
Merlot
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