the changeling ('80). what started as a haunted mansion story, gradually turned into a murder mystery. the accent is on 'gradually' ...the movie drags a bit. it could've been better with such a good script.
7.

SO i finally watched MIdnight Express. Generally pretty awesome. Riveting, thrilling, emotional, and what have you. But i can't help but think there were some poor directorial decisions. Certain scenes felt a bit fumbling, ending abruptly, not flowing or conveying ideas properly. There were parts that felt disjointed. Generally i quite enjoyed it. Watched it with a friend and he basically felt the same way i did. Hahaha, the rape scene. *spreads legs, fades out* hahaha.

The Farmer's Daughter: An old Hollywood flick based on a classic Finnish play. Aside from The Egyptian, the only Hollywood movie based on an originally Finnish script. The idea is much of the same as in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. A Republican congressman's (or was it senator's) servant girl takes a stance against another corrupt Republican politician and gets rushed in as a Democrat candidate. Of course, the master of the house is a straight shooter, backing her instead of his corrupt party members. And there's a romance between them. The usual stuff. Nothing spectacular.

Into the Wild: I don't much care for Corey Hirsch so I put off seeing this film even though a lot of people have said good things about it. Turns out it is a pretty good flick and Hirsch isn't as annoying as usual. He is a college graduate who finds out that the story of his family as put on by his parents is a complete sham. This shatters his belief in society so completely that he decides to move out to Alaska, into the wilderness, out of society's grasp. While traveling all around the US acquiring enough money and skills to survive in Alaska, he encounters a variety of people, all who live more or less outside the norm as set out by society. While they try to show him that not everything is bad and that his move to wilderness is a crazy and ludicrous idea, he keeps his head. In the end he discovers that the skills he has accumulated are not enough, that what he needs is the friends and people he has met, that what we are and what makes us most happy is the people around us.

Ladies in Lavender: Two old landed ladies in interwar Britain find a washed up stranger on their shore. As he wakes up and recuperates at their house, the spinster of the sisters develops feelings for him. It's an emotional rollercoaster for her as she imagines she can get together with him while he doesn't realize it and just pines after his lost chance of going to America. A fine description of interwar Britain with its class distinctions, troubles and lost lives.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie: Miss Jean Brodie is a teacher in an all-girl academy in interwar Britain. She claims that she never married because her soulmate - an artistic and musical soul - died in the war and since then she has devoted her to "her girls". She doesn't mean her class, even if she does teach them her own idea of the important thingse in life - art and passion, finding one's prime. She means a special cadre of girls from her classes, ones she sees potential in. Or rather ones that are malleable, ones she can instill with her ideals, her idolization of the fascism of Mussolini and Franco - the movie is careful not to mention Hitler or Germany. She is forty so past child-rearing age, but still claims to be in her prime. She is torn between two men, an art teacher and a music teacher. The former is passionate and handsome, yet married with a slew of kids while the latter is homely and dull yet available. The former is pining after her, hopelessly in love with her, going so far as to paint everyone as her, while the latter is just settling for her. She loses both in the end and all her dreams and ideals come crashing down - just like the fascist regimes she so admired.

Death on the Nile (1972): Classic Poirot who-dun-it from Agatha Christie. I've been watching David Suchet as Poirot since I was five so it is rather hard to accept anyone else as Poirot, even someone as good as Ustinov. All in all, it's a pretty entertaining romp even if nothing too amazing, even if the scene at the temple ruins is pretty great in its etherealness.

*Emile Hirsch

Yes, the actor, not the goalkeeper. My bad.

Saw my first 3D movie today, Hugo. I had heard about the image being blurry in 3D films, but it was more pronounced than I expected. It might be because I wear ordinary glasses at the cinema (really awkward with the 3D glasses as well), but sometimes an object split into multiple images. Still, it was very immersive. Very good movie too.

I've heard that Hugo was one of the very few movies to really nail the 3D aspect, so keep that in mind. A lot of movies that had it tacked on and hastily converted because of how well Avatar did really do look like shit because the process muddies up the picture, so unless it's filmed with 3D in mind it's going to look like ass.

Don't get me wrong it did enhance the film, it was never intrusive and it was clear they tried to make most of the action center-screen, which I don't think was the case with Avatar. I don't know what I expected, really. It's clear to me now you would have to thoroughly plan the 3D aspect for every scene, which they definitely did for Hugo. I was thinking while watching it how some scenes must have had immense work and planning put into them.

Hugo looks magnificent, fantastically well shot and directed movie. Like Avatar it's a 3D movie that really uses it well and intrinsic to the look of the whole thing, rather than a later tack on. And yeah, it's a good movie, certainly weird and unique enough to make up for it's typical family movie pacing and style. But added with the amazing 3D and CGI work it almost feels like something that would have been animated years ago brought to life.

After seeing one of the Pirates of the Caribbean flicks and a few kids' animations in 3D, I can personally promise that you won't find me in a theater with those silly glasses on. Nothing of value is added to a film with that particular gimmick, and no movie is worth a headache to me.

I saw Pirates in 2d and can tell you thats one of the worst movies to see in 3d, simply because most of the film is too dark(wearing the glasses makes it even darker). The others to avoid are the ones that are converted. The only one that was worth it, to me, was Immortals, since it was shot with 3d in mind.
In a few weeks, Im going to give the "fake imax" a try(which is still a big screen) and see underworld.

Warrior - 4.25/5

This is a great sports movie and a pretty good 'reuniting family' tale, and what I really liked was how bleak and shady the first couple of acts of the movie were, as they got pretty dark at times, for a movie that mostly just looked like Rocky with an extra brother added. The last act delved more into campy cliches, but not badly done ones. The characters, especially the two brothers who lead the show, are as opposite as can get. Tom Hardy is as cold and stark as a machine here, completely animalistic and brutal. Joel Edgerton is a family man, but still has remnants of the old street toughness. Watching both of them fight it out in the ring is as good as watching a real sports event on TV. This movie is dramatic, visceral and enjoyable.

Moneyball - 4/5

I had high hopes for this, and while it didn't really live up to those expectations, it was still a fine movie. Cerebral and restrained though it is, this movie manages to take something like baseball management, which wouldn't be very exciting to most people, and make a fine, serious movie out of it. Sometimes it gets a little too stilted, and it drags on at parts, but where it really shines is the parts where Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill get as excited about their jobs as the movie wants you to be. I think this is probably a very niche film, for a specific audience. But if you like baseball or business, well sure, check it on out.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes - 2.5/5

This was pretty silly. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a prequel to the 70s classic Planet of the Apes, and it mostly just lacks any of the things that made that movie so great...namely any kind of intellectual mystique. This is a stupid movie that amounts to nothing more than 'HUMANS SUCK, APES WILL TAKE OVER' with little subtlety or thought put into it. Where the original had a pretty provocative and forward-thinking concept that went along with the social concerns of the times, this one just seems to be trying to look cool for the kids. With the way the people in this movie act, it's no surprise they got taken over so quickly. Also James Franco plays the biggest douche in the world in this movie - fuck him. Most over the top moment has to be when the ape speaks for the first time...I mean, wow.

One Day - 4.25/5

I always like a good, serious romance if it can be pulled off without much kitsch, and this is one of them. Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess are set opposite each other on a 20-year time-frame, with the movie chronicling their whereabouts and evolving relationship on the same day each year. They go through different partners and even spouses, and each of them has their own ups and downs. I think one of the best things about this is how each of them has their ups and downs at different times, and how much detail and thought obviously went into plotting this out. We only see these characters one day out of each year, mind you. The writing here is very clever and snappy. It's not all roses, as later on the movie seems to rush through a few scenes, but the dark maw of the climax followed by a rather uplifting denouement will keep you hooked and thinking.

Contagion - 4/5

This is kind of like Rise of the Planet of the Apes except...well, good, and without any monkey business. I like Contagion for its serious undertone and steady pace. There isn't much in this movie that surpasses expectations, but it is a tight and well-put-together scientific thriller that stays pretty interesting for most of its duration, and the weight and darkness of the situation is palpable. There's a real atmosphere here, underlined by a big scope - the whole world is infected after all! At times it gets a little dull, but mostly this is a lethal, captivating thriller.

Girl, Interrupted - 3/5

Boring. This is pretty much One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with women...and not nearly as good. Mostly this was the search for something actually happening on screen.

#1 reason I'll never enjoy this movie, aside from the genre not being of my liking (all those ape movies never did it for me), is that the money is CG and it's painfully obvious. Though I guess the movie would be impossible to make if they took any Curious George and made him, I dunno, rip some guy's arm off.

Watched Source Code today. A friend of mine it compared to Inception, but I don't think they were very similar. Source Code was much better than Inception though. It was more intense and left more of an impact in about half the time of Inception. A bit of iffy dialogue here and there, but overall very engaging, with an interesting ending. 4.5/5

Hi all, I'm not sure if this thread is for movie identification too, but here goes anyway:

I'm hoping someone can help identify two rather obscure films I saw on late-night British TV in the late 90s.

The first was an African film that featured a tribe in the jungle, carrying out a ritual that involved encasing a man in a "womb" made of mud and ritually rebirthing him. A later scene showed a man (possibly the same man?) on a white horse, riding over sand dunes near an ocean.


The second film was from Switzerland. It was filmed using silhouettes/shadows (like the old picture-shows) and was sort of a dark fairy-tale/fable featuring two brothers, possibly with some sort of werewolf theme (though I may be confusing that with something else). The only other prominent detail I can remember is that one of the brothers seduces his own mother.

Any ideas on either of these? Thanks in advance...!

Damn, you've got sharp eyes... deep economic metaphor on the director's part. Maybe this film isn't as shallow as it looks.

..........

I hated the ending, I think it would have been much better if it cut to credits in that scene where time stops where they are together in front of the blast. Not as happy no, but still quite touching and internally consistant with the rest of the film.

Edit: That totally wasn't the ending haha. Brain fart. I meant that it should have cut to credits once the time ran out and they were together and he did everything right, instead of the magical whatever occurred

Last night I saw "The Debt", and I've got to say, I liked it. My only complaint was that it was a little hard to distinguish between two of the younger and older versions of the respective characters. They're easy to get confused. Like, young X, looks like old Y. But it was a good spy thriller, and not of the dumb sort either. It didn't talk down to the audience.

Los Cronocrimenes (Time Crimes)
Now that was a surprise to me! Excellent film. I won't get too much in details as it's essential for one's full enjoyment, but it's about a guy who accidentally travels back in time, causing some serious problems in the process. But seriously, just how it all gets started is hilarious in how it's a sequence of almost absurd, unexpected events. There are four actors and basically three sets, and with a puzzle-ish tightly woven plot that leaves no hole, it makes for a very satisfying movie. You can foresee several things, but it doesn't detract at all from the experience, in fact, it just helps you get more "active" in watching the film. Trying to figure out how the hell everything is unfolding, partly knowing what it's gonna be like and partly not knowing where the fuck it's heading. But there are still twists. And when some things are revealed and the film ends, it just makes you smile and think of how it's... uncommon. The film is made like... a "sci-fi" "horror" film, from the main character's perspective, but is more like a lighthearted thriller, it's a really unique watch. I came without any expectations and it was quite the adventure, highly recommended! P.S. Don't watch the trailer.

I fucking love time travel stuff and Los Cronocrímenes is one of the best examples brought to film I know of. Great movie. And the protagonist is such an idiot/asshole.


Good movie. I think that's the first flick with Sam Worthington I've seen that wasn't completely worthless. The casting for Helen Mirren's character's younger self was okay, I thought, but yeah, not much of an resemblance between the male leads, at least the way they chose it. But once you know who's supposed to be who (made clear pretty early in the film, I think) it's easy to keep up.

One scene had me laughing out loud; when the doctor observes that her (60s Mirren's) German has a "slight accent". Jessica Chastain's German was so thickly accented that this remark becomes a hilarious understatement. Okay, it's probably meant to be part of the doctor's subtle questioning or just simple politeness, but it doesn't help that his German isn't native either (though not that obviously).

Re: the ending of Source Code, I agree. Good as it is, but it leaves it hazy about who's who. Cutting it right as the time stopped would be much more straightforward.

Just watched The Adjustment Bureau, thinking it was an action movie. Turns out it was some sappy romance with dudes in magical hats with magical books running through magical doors. The idea had so much potential... 2/5

Thinking it was an action movie didn't help.

Not native? I seriously think he slipped into an Irish accent during the whole scene where she was talking to him in the house.

So recently I partook in my first movie by The Asylum, their 'version' of 11/11/11, which I fell for and thought it was actually the theatrical one...and it was just as bad as I expected. Maybe even worse. Anyone else familiar with these hack jobs around here?

Irish? Do you mean the scene where he
When he was first introduced his accent was not that obvious, but it became increasingly apparent with every word. The actor is Danish, I think. At least I know him from I Kina spiser de hunde.

Yeah I'm not getting the hype with this either.

Emp, their version of When A Stranger Calls is better than the original and remake, but that's dawning it with faint praise. Same with Paranormal Entity.

Yeah. My dad mentioned that he sounded Irish there, and I'm like "Ooh, his accent is slipping!" Maybe I'm crazy, or maybe I don't understand the large differences between Irish and Danish accents.

Sounds great. I'll look into this.

Gandahar:

Bizarre film from Renee Lalou, the man who brought us Fantastic Planet in the early 70s. This one is kind of like a trippy, animated, and french Doctor Who story or something. A planet exists in a sort of blissful state and do away with mechanical contrivances, harvesting specialised animals to take the place of machines, until they are beset by aggressive "metal men" who fire petrification rays from their hands and convert the bodies of their victims into other cybernetic creatures. It turns out that the metal invasion comes from the future and that the whole thing is being orchestrated by this hyper-evolved brain creature that was a result of one of the planet's genetic experiments. There's some crazy time manipulation and paradox stuff going on, with the contemporary manifestation of the brain creature not being aware of the specifics of its future plan but knowing that things would be better for it if it succeeded, and sending the protagonist into the future to kill itself...a bunch of really crazy mutant cast-offs, a gentle romance....and lots of sometimes near-incomprehensible visuals. The story is less simplistic than that of Fantastic planet and doesn't rely as much on spectacle to make you realise how cool it is. While I didn't always think I knew what was going on I enjoyed this bit of madness....

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion:

Wow, this movie is superb. While distrust of the police in Italy, particularly from the 70s and prior, shouldn't be news to anyone, I think this movie is equally relevant today, when we should all be questioning whether those who have power and authority are really well placed to be in such positions, and how easily we can be manipulated by the people who are ostensibly supposed to protect us. The Citizen of the title is an unnamed police captain, and head of the homicide division. He's also a obsessed with crime, statistics, murder...and is a murderer himself (no secret as we see him do away with a young lady as the movie opens after a bizarre sex roleplay session). We don't realise he's a policeman until the next day, when we find out he's about to be put in charge of the Political division, where he'll be tasked with keeping track of subversives and malcontents. Throughout the film he goes out of his way to aide in the investigation of the lady's murder, playing the ruthless authoritarian on the one hand but daring his fellow officers and people at large to put the finger on him and accuse him of the crime he obviously commited on the other. The actor who plays the inspector, Gian Maria Volante, mesmerised me with his voice alone. He's out to determine whether he really is a "citizen above suspicion" as he believes himself to be. or does he really want to be caught? Watching this movie, I thought of a Crime and Punishment for the modern age.

I think I saw one or two of them, but yeah, they just rip off big budget movies and give them a similar sounding name.

Any other time travel favourites you would recommend? Besides 12 Monkeys if it's among your favourites.

I liked this movie too. It seemed like there wasn't a lot of closure though with the whole all three Hectors are now in the present thing.

Agreed about The Girl With The Doggone Tattoo. The film(and book) amounts to absolutely nothing except a modern noir-ish Agatha Christie story.

Havent' seen or read it, but what's wrong with that? Christie certainly isn't "noirish" herself; the idea of transplanting some of her archetypes into a noire-like setting seems intriguing.

You guys are crazy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is awesome. Haven't seen the remake but the Swedish movie is great.

You might be right,I'll watch it a second time to find out. It's a fun movie. At some point they were planning an American version of it with Tom Cruise in the lead role,though I'm pretty sure that fell through. Thank God for that.

Saw a dangerous method. Keira Knightley overracts and Viggo Mortensen is badass. That basically sums it up. With that said,I did enjoy it.

Hm, the first thing that comes to mind is Triangle. Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel is alright, nothing great though. And I guess Primer, but I can't say anything about its quality. That one went way over my head, I didn't finish it. But to my knowledge the really interesting time loop/travel stuff tends to be dealt with by TV series, like Star Trek, The Outer Limits, Stargate, etc... I'm not just talking about "guy travels to the past and does stuff", but predestination paradoxes, mind-bending loops, ontological paradoxes and such.

I wish someone would make a movie version of The Man Who Folded Himself.