What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 18 Apr 2008, 09:37

I guess it's the usual rating scale difference (now expanding from numbers to words) between me and Brad here. A lot of films I give 1/5 have something positive about them. I never saw the point in analyzing crap with exact ratings... Awful, totally awful, almost fully awful... they can all go to the same category all I care. To get 1,5/5 I actually have to be not sorry I watched the movie. 2 would be already a watchable movie, although not really a good one. But certainly not mostly awful.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 18 Apr 2008, 09:48

Fight Club: 5/5

Excellent film

I'd seen it before but the twist still felt surprising. I think it is that Tyler and Ed Norton are the same person (sort of) - Tyler is his "dark side", thats why everyone thinks Ed Norton's character is actually Tyler.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 18 Apr 2008, 10:02

I never saw the point in analyzing crap with exact ratings

Me either. Virtually all films have something positive, even 1 out of 5 utter trash.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 18 Apr 2008, 10:22

hey,

do read the novel grim if you're a fan of the flick as it has some alternate stuff (like how Tyler and Norton character meets which is on a beach and Tyler is building a sundial of sorts) and even an extended ending that I quite enjoyed. Easy read too, only 200 pages or so.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 18 Apr 2008, 10:32

Thanks Ken, sounds interesting

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 18 Apr 2008, 10:54

An amusing exercise whilst reading the book:-
Mentally replace every occurrence of the word "fight" with "wank".

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 18 Apr 2008, 14:12

bradavon wrote:
]
Virtually all films have something positive, even 1 out of 5 utter trash.

i'd love to hear the positive points from Driller Killer.

anyway Brad it's hard to argue with someone whose unique rating system includes labelling stuff they've read about but not seen as "shit"

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 18 Apr 2008, 17:34

Touché

Specifically in the case of Hollywood remakes of Asian Horror flicks I bet I'm right though. Asians just do the specific section of the genre so much better.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 18 Apr 2008, 17:42

bradavon wrote:Asians just do the specific section of the genre so much better.

Yes, that's why the Hollywood horror remakes directed by Asian filmmakers who are experienced in that genre still suck arse.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 18 Apr 2008, 18:08

Hollywood interference. Ring 2 is much better than it could've been.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 18 Apr 2008, 18:11

I'd also chalk it up to the directors likely knowing barely any English, those their intentions getting lost in the translation.

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 19 Apr 2008, 03:23

The Rules of Attraction: 4/5

That was ace, I wish my life was slightly more like that.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 19 Apr 2008, 12:56

Bad Boys II (USA, 2003) – 2/5
No movie with Peter Stormare as a russian gangster is all bad. Additionally, Smith and Lawrence also have a good chemistery, and Pantoliano is mostly fun. The comedy side works nicely, in other words. The rest doesn’t. First of all the movie is visually ugly as fuck. That’s of course a vital part of Bay’s music video directing. As is the 17 000 cuts per minute editing style. The action scenes have some great stunts but the technical execution is often frustrating. The teens love it, certainly, so in a way Bay achieves his goal.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 19 Apr 2008, 13:26

HungFist wrote:Bad Boys II (USA, 2003) – 2/5.

Let's not forget that the "run over shanty towns in Cuba" sequence is a rip off of Police Story.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 19 Apr 2008, 13:55

EvaUnit02 wrote:
HungFist wrote:Bad Boys II (USA, 2003) – 2/5.
Let's not forget that the "run over shanty towns in Cuba" sequence is rip off of Police Story.

I have nothing against ripping off when it's done well. I didn't find the lack of originality to be a problem in that scene.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 19 Apr 2008, 17:54

I don't believe Jackie got any mention in the credits.

Did you like Bad Boys Hung? I think it's excellent. BB2 would've been fun if it wasn't so absurdly long, 150 minutes for an action film WTF! It should've stopped before they went to South/Central America, that entire section should've been cut.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 19 Apr 2008, 18:20

I didn't find the film to be too long, really. The length gave it a tiny bit of personality.

My problem with the film was the execution, not the content.

I've seen Bad Boys but it's been something like 10 years so I can't really comment on it.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 19 Apr 2008, 18:34

Agreed the execution is poor too, which is odd when the ingredients are the same as the much superior Bad Boys.

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 19 Apr 2008, 19:10

EvaUnit02 wrote:
HungFist wrote:Bad Boys II (USA, 2003) – 2/5.
Let's not forget that the "run over shanty towns in Cuba" sequence is rip off of Police Story.

Funnily enough, yesterday I told my mate about that and showed him the Police Story version of it.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 20 Apr 2008, 00:17

Chinatown

6.5 out of 10

Overall this is very good, the film noir look and feel is first-rate, both Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway are on fantastic form.

I've now seen it twice and both times I think it meanders too much in the first hour, when the crux of the story starts to unveil itself it becomes much better. The last 20 minutes is brilliant though!

The Orphange

8 out of 10

Firstly let me say Salty is wrong, wrong, wrong

I thought this was bloody fantastic, yet another fine Spanish film, from a long line of excellent films. I thought it was bloody scary in places. Belén Rueda was excellent (the lead), as was Roger Príncep (the kid). It did feel a lot like "The Others" at times, but that's okay, that's excellent too.

When that old woman was run over by a bus, that was shocking.

I think I've worked it out: The old woman badly treated the orphans and ended up throwing the deformed boy down the stairs. Laura was transported back a few decades (maybe a hundred years) and then died, but the closing shot also implied she had managed to get back to the present time.

Juan Antonio Bayona is a director to watch out for, hopefully he won't be tempted by Hollywood.

It's ironic at the same time yet another shite attempt at America Horror is released (The Eye), Spain have given us another excellent film in the genre. But no it's no Pan's Labyrinth or Open Your Eyes, those are super special though.

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 23 Apr 2008, 17:54

Forgetting Sarah Marshall: 3.5/5

Enjoyable, and I will be purchasing it when it comes out.

Godzooki · Post by **Godzooki** » 23 Apr 2008, 18:59

bradavon wrote:
The Orphange

8 out of 10

Firstly let me say Salty is wrong, wrong, wrong

I thought this was bloody fantastic, yet another fine Spanish film, from a long line of excellent films. I thought it was bloody scary in places. Belén Rueda was excellent (the lead), as was Roger Príncep (the kid). It did feel a lot like "The Others" at times, but that's okay, that's excellent too.

When that old woman was run over by a bus, that was shocking.

I think I've worked it out: The old woman badly treated the orphans and ended up throwing the deformed boy down the stairs. Laura was transported back a few decades (maybe a hundred years) and then died, but the closing shot also implied she had managed to get back to the present time.

WTF did you watch? The Orphanage is my film of 2008 so i have watched it a few times. Based on what you have put in spoilers you either only watched the trailer, fell asleep throughout various sections of the film or had serious trouble following the subtitles...WTF!

Godzooki · Post by **Godzooki** » 23 Apr 2008, 19:12

bradavon wrote:, Spain have given us another excellent film in the genre. But no it's no Pan's Labyrinth or Open Your Eyes, those are super special though.

Might wanna check out Rec, a pretty decent spanish horror out in cinema's in the UK now! Nothing like El Laberinto Del Fauno or El Orphanto though!

Also speaking of fab european horror/drama might wanna check out frontier(s) too. I watched a screener the other week and was completely grossed out. Its gory as anything i have seen....cool though! :twisted:

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 23 Apr 2008, 20:03

Forbidden Kingdom (2008 - USA - Jackie Chan & Jet Li): 4 / 5

An Iron Monkey-type fight between Jackie and Jet choregraphed by Yuen Woo-Ping, an american movie that doesn't make fun of chinese culture and tradition, traditional kung-fu training sequences straight from Drunken Master...
Am I dead? Is this heaven? Cause it sure looks like it.

Although it is loosely based on the Monkey King stories, This film seems to be a remake of the US cut of Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain.
All my favourite films are referenced in The Forbidden Kingdom in one form or another: Twins Effect 2, The Bride with White Hair, Legend of Zu, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, Iron Monkey, Drunken Master, a Chinese Odyssey, Shadow Whip, Golden Swallow, New Dragon Gate Inn, WuJi, Shinobi, Swordsman and many many more.

It's true that there is no originality in this film.
But who gives a fuck?
Shadowless Sword and The Restless had nothing new to bring to the table either, and they weren't bad films.
Jackie, Jet and Woo-Ping look like they're having fun and the american kid isn't as annoying as I thought he'd be.

I'm very proud to say that Around the World in 80 Days isn't Jackie's best US film any more.
Loved it.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 23 Apr 2008, 23:55

tom2681 wrote:I'm very proud to say that Around the World in 80 Days isn't Jackie's best US film any more.

WTF!

The way you describe it, "Forbidden Kingdom" sounds awful

Tigercage wrote:Based on what you have put in spoilers you either only watched the trailer, fell asleep throughout various sections of the film or had serious trouble following the subtitles...WTF!

None of the above, please explain what you watched? Use spoiler tags obviously.

Tigercage wrote:Might wanna check out Rec, a pretty decent spanish horror out in cinema's in the UK now! Nothing like El Laberinto Del Fauno or El Orphanto though!

Thanks. I'll keep an eye out for it.