What Have You Just Seen... Marks Out of 5

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 03 Sep 2006, 09:55

Apocalypse Now: '79 TC - 4.5/5
The original cut is a revelation. The pacing is now perfect; free of the dead-weight of such useless sequences like the French plantation and the 2nd Playmate encounter which slowed the film to a crawl and destroyed Willard's (Martin Sheen) character motivation.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 03 Sep 2006, 10:20

Eureka - 4,5/5
It takes skill to make a 3½ hour movie that never gets boring. Eureka only gets better scene by scene. Around three hours mark I started feeling sad because I knew there was on 37 minutes left. I didn't want to let these characters go. Last time I had this feeling was a few years ago when I was sitting in a theatre watching Seven Samurai.

Hable con ella - 3,5/5
My least favourite of the three Almodovar films I've seen so far. Mostly only good, but the last 15 min is perfect. Therefore an additional ½ a star.

Before Sunrise - 4/5
This is a bit problematic. A very entertaining and good movie despite the needlessly rushed storytelling. It felt like it was directed by someone who was definitely on the right track but didn't completely understand how to handle a subject like this. Loved it anyway.

Keung · Post by **Keung** » 03 Sep 2006, 14:59

We Are No Bad Guys
3.5/5

Thought this was cool flick. Jordan Chan cracks me up.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 04 Sep 2006, 04:20

Phantom of the Paradise - 3.5/5
Skillfully-made and fun rock opera from Brian De Palma, before he made all his marvellous thrillers (Sisters was made just prior to this, but I haven't seen it yet).

dragonhero005 · Post by **dragonhero005** » 04 Sep 2006, 10:45

Sin City

Great! A movie one could watch a hundred times.

5/5

Gorgeous

When I watched this for the first time, i was pretty annoyed by the long romantic and comedic sequences between the fighting scenes, but this time I wasn't annoyed by them at all. I have to admit that they work pretty well and that I like the idea of Jackie being part of such kind of movie. It would have been interesting to see a movie completely without action scenes. But I think in this movie they are important, because the very light-hearted story wouldn't keep the viewers watching.

3/5

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 06 Sep 2006, 08:53

King of Beggars - 3.5/5

In places very funny

I definitely enjoyed it. This film works for both fight and Chow fans because the quality of the fights (done by Yuen Chang Yan - sp? I think) aren't sacrificed in order to get laughs from nonsense comedy or whatever. Yeah, I read Bey Logan's book

The fights when Chow is competing to become a scholar are good stuff

brooce-leroy · Post by **brooce-leroy** » 06 Sep 2006, 14:33

Collateral 4/5

Very close to being as good as Heat.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 06 Sep 2006, 14:55

KoB is maybe even worth a 4/5 IMO, great fun

dragonhero005 · Post by **dragonhero005** » 06 Sep 2006, 15:21

Memoires of a Geisha

I quite liked the movie. Okay... I don't have the possibility to compare it with the book, as I couldn't find time to read it yet, but still, I liked it. Although it's strange, that Japanese people are being played by Chinese people and that they speak English instead of Japanese (it was the first time I heard Zhang Ziyi speaking English... not bad at all...) - this somehow was the reason I wanted to watch it. - Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li.

But in my eyes, the little girl, who plays the young Zhang Ziyi, steals everyone else the show. Her acting seems always very natural, whether she has to cry or to smile (that smile she gives to Ken Watanabe on the bridge is awesome!)
A good movie. A bit "shmalzy" in the end, but that's okay.

3.5/5

Millionaires Express

Finally I also watched this Sammo Hung movie, and I'm happy that I have been waiting for so long. Because, although this movie features a lot of highly entertaining fighting scenes and some nice humour (Eric Tsang

), the story is quite thin. So if you know (almost) all of the actors (which I didn't, a year ago, or so) it's even more entertaining. (what an all-star-cast, almost everyone is there, besides Jackie. Great to see Wang Yu again, btw.)
Nice, very entertaining movie.

4/5

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 06 Sep 2006, 18:11

The Office Series 2 5/5
So funny.

The Office Christmas Special 5/5
Awesome conclusion.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 08 Sep 2006, 07:49

Clerks 2 - 3.5/5
I saw this in the cinema today. I went it in with low expectations (since I'm a fan of the original) and found it surprisingly good. Very funny IMO.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 08 Sep 2006, 18:08

I thought it was better than the first (and like you I also had low expectations).

You Me and Dupree 1/5

Laaaaaaaaame.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 08 Sep 2006, 22:35

Basic Instinct 2 - 2/5

Not *too* bad but felt mostly like a DTV version, almost a re-tread, of the first film. David Morrissey (who?) is no Mick Douglas and the film lacked the slickness and performances of the first movie and its further dumbed down by having the Sharon Stone character read passages from her novels in voiceover, so basically you know what will happen and where the twists are.
There are even little touches to remind you of the first movie, Jerry Goldsmith's famous main theme, mentions of previous characters names. That said Stone's character is still the most interesting in the film, but only compared to everyone else.
Oh, and Shazza looks amazing for 46/47 in the movie 8)

Keung · Post by **Keung** » 08 Sep 2006, 22:48

Holy Virgin VS The Evil Dead
2/5

What the fuck?

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 08 Sep 2006, 22:57

hey,

it is too good of a title considering the movie we got but we do get some thrash to go along with it so...

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 09 Sep 2006, 12:45

Mark/Sam have you seen BI 2 yet?
In short: The film was trashily entertaining but not a patch on the first IMO

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 09 Sep 2006, 15:30

yeah i've seen basic instinct 2. not as bad as the reviews made out, not particularly good though entertaining enough. bad mistake having morrisey as the lead male because he's a charisma free-zone, but stone still looks fit even at nearly 50. the sex scenes were pretty tame though,even in the unrated version

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 09 Sep 2006, 15:34

I think I saw the cut version on UK rental DVD, don't know

You're right about Morrissey, thought he was as dull as ditchwater

Don't like it enough to get the R1 Unrated however.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 09 Sep 2006, 15:45

No, I've not seen BI2 yet.

I own the first film, but I know the sequel will be arse... so why bother?

Might check it out if it's on TV sometime.

From what I've heard it's tamer than the original, rendering the whole enterprise pointless. Yes, Sharon looks great in the buff at 47-48, but that's not enough to sustain a feature film.

They probably should've went extreme: as close to hardcore as they could go. At least that would've got people curious enough to go see it.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 09 Sep 2006, 16:28

hey,

Election 2 - 4/5

Dangerously close to being a simple re-thread of the first film but Johnnie To amps a lot of things both in terms of violence and thematically to fine effect by the time we reach the end. Simple attention seeking I know the film is gonna be critizised for but I'm not of that opinion. Not a Milkyway classic, despite 2 films to the saga, but damn fine nonetheless. Few does style better than Johnnie To.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 10 Sep 2006, 16:10

Titan A.E. 3/5
Nice visuals but the story is far too weak. It didn't have that space epic feel. The dialogue wasn't that great either and was actually kind of embarassing at times.

Entertaining enough for 90 mins though.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 11 Sep 2006, 18:54

hey,

Deadly Darling 2.5/5

A 70s rape/revenge thriller released by IFD in 1985 and probably one of their famed cut & paste jobs. Poor movie but it delivers the exploitation goods at points, including an eerie, lengthy rape scene and some gory murder mayhem.

dragonhero005 · Post by **dragonhero005** » 12 Sep 2006, 15:02

A Hero never Dies

After I got used to Lau Ching-wan's "new" look I still couldn't really enjoy this movie. I think I expected something different. Don't get me wrong. The bloodshed scenes as well as some moments were really good, but there were way too many "great moments" to my mind. It's just way over the top... too heroic and too stylized for my taste.

3/5

From Bejing with Love

Great! Although the effects during the opening credids are lousy (are they ment to be?) and some of the jokes don't work for me, I couldn't stop laughing - especially the scene with all those shavers and hair dryers, were so damn stupid... great stuff.

4/5

The Fan

Very intense movie. Great acting, especially by Robert De Niro.
I think his character might have been partly inspired by the character of Willy Loman (from Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman")

5/5

The Longest Night

That was a movie of my taste. Great. Although the ending wasn't very satisfying.
Great to see, both, Lau Ching-wan and Leung Chiu-wai, playing such unlikable charakters.

4/5

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 12 Sep 2006, 16:20

The Tit and The Moon - 3.5/5

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 13 Sep 2006, 19:52

hey,

No Way Back 3/5

Certainly a standard undercover story a la City On Fire but the serious tone helps as well as the gory, non-stylized heroic bloodshed. There's even expected poignancy towards the end put forth by director Lee King-chue.