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

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 13 Nov 2006, 05:57

Cowboy Bebop - 5/5
The greatest anime series ever, no contest. It does everything and it does it impeccably. Nuff said.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 13 Nov 2006, 08:41

"OK, 3, 2, 1, let's jam!"

brooce-leroy · Post by **brooce-leroy** » 13 Nov 2006, 10:28

The Banquet 3/5

Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I was actually quite engrossed all the way through to the end, when I expected to be falling asleep (I started watching it at 10:30pm and it is over 2 hours long). Just don't expect another Hero or House of Flying daggers. There is some action (albeit rather brief), but it is absolutely integral to the story, rather than just there for the sake of it. However, it is similar to what we have seen in the aforementioned films.

I haven't read it myself, but I believe it is loosely based on Hamlet? Probably would have been even better if it starred stronger actors than Zhang Zi Yi (who struggled a little bit in the lead) and Daniel Wu, although they do an adequate job. Lovely visuals and fantastic set design, costumes etc. - as you'd expect from a sumptuously budgeted period piece.

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 13 Nov 2006, 10:29

Kurgan wrote:"OK, 3, 2, 1, let's jam!"

I've had that track as an alarm for ages, nothing wakes me up as effecively as that wonderful racket.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 13 Nov 2006, 10:32

Yeah, "The Banquet" is based on Hamlet, Bruce. I havent seen the movie yet, but I'm sure I'll give it about the same rating as you

I do like these sorts of movies though.

Reportedly Zhang Zi Yi didnt bother to read the original Shakespeare play "Hamlet".

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 13 Nov 2006, 19:43

hey,

The Romance Of the Vampires 2/5

Well, nice try by Ricky Lau but the film is really not anything more than some conflicted Category III insanity and sappy melodrama.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 14 Nov 2006, 00:36

Children of Men - 4.5/5
I think it is the best film I have seen at the theater this year. All these long takes without cutting away are just breathtaking.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 14 Nov 2006, 00:41

Pity it was completely devoid of tension and therefore vapid to say the least. Good otherwise:

http://www.alexmccaffrey.com/Reviews/Ch ... %20Men.htm

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 14 Nov 2006, 01:06

Devoid of tension? I don't know which film exactly you have watched, but I watched the one where Clive Owen is getting into a house that is being bombarded. The one where Clive Owen is escaping barefooted from that farm with a car that is not working.

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 14 Nov 2006, 01:10

@Brad:
That's discouraging, but...
Being a huge Cuarón fan (and having loved Harry Potter 3), I'm feeling quite confident.

*Downloading screener*

Thanks for the review.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 14 Nov 2006, 01:17

Tom, go fuckin' see it at the theatre!

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 14 Nov 2006, 01:29

Dubbed in french ?!
NEIN !!

It's not available in english over here.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 14 Nov 2006, 18:17

Jack Dee: Live and Uncut - 4.5/5

Would have been a 5/5 but repeats a lot of jokes from the Live in London show a year earlier. But still very, very funny

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 14 Nov 2006, 18:46

Tom, I never knew you were a Cuaron fan. Good to know.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 14 Nov 2006, 21:34

Saw Children Of Men a little while ago, and have to say that it's probably been my film of the year so far. I agree with LD about those long takes; they just left me stunned.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 14 Nov 2006, 21:41

hey,

Bloody Beast 2/5

More Cat III nastiness from 1994, employing the famed flashback structure and offending sufficiently. The way I like it then. Lacks any kind of atmospheric impact like the best of them however.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 15 Nov 2006, 00:28

Ken, I can't believe you are actually paying money to torture yourself like this.

brooce-leroy · Post by **brooce-leroy** » 15 Nov 2006, 00:34

One day Ken will want all those wasted hours of his life back

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 15 Nov 2006, 00:45

tom2681 wrote:@Brad:
That's discouraging, but...
Being a huge Cuarón fan (and having loved Harry Potter 3), I'm feeling quite confident.

I generally am too. Y Tu Mama Tambien is excellent.

tom2681 wrote:Thanks for the review.

I'm glad you liked it.

thelostdragon wrote:Devoid of tension? I don't know which film exactly you have watched, but I watched the one where Clive Owen is getting into a house that is being bombarded. The one where Clive Owen is escaping barefooted from that farm with a car that is not working.

Me too and like I said in my review the script should've allowed for tension sky high but it simply wasn't there IMO.

It should be said of course I'm very much in the minority of my opinion of this film, pretty much everyone else loves it.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 15 Nov 2006, 00:55

Anyone who has sat thru the likes of Horrible High Heels and Lady Punisher is beyond hope... shit, that's me. :x :drunken:

I think the difference between us is Ken actually likes them.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 15 Nov 2006, 01:18

Markgway wrote:I think the difference between us is Ken actually likes them.

And pretends not to by giving them 1/5 or 2/5. I wonder what the ratings of these films look like in his DVD Profiler.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 15 Nov 2006, 05:08

hey,

Ken, I can't believe you are actually paying money to torture yourself like this.

Who says I'm paying for it?

MUCH of my latest viewings have been obtained on dvd-r media as it's mostly OOP titles. And those grades reflect the obvious thing but also another. The another is a description of me not minding sitting through the likes of Bloody Beast. Hong Kong cinema kind of works that way. For 90 minutes you can get subjected to crap but tasty elements in between make it an easy ride to take.

Horrible High Heels and Lady Punisher you should extract the words "horrible" and "punisher" from and take it literally. Not good stuff on any level.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 15 Nov 2006, 12:16

OK, let me put it this way... I can't believe you are wasting precious DVD-Rs on such crap films.

Keung · Post by **Keung** » 15 Nov 2006, 13:16

Boys Don't Cry
5/5

Swank is amazing! Very powerful film indeed.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 15 Nov 2006, 15:10

The Banquet - 4/5
I am not familiar with the play "Hamlet"-play, but this film was really good.

Who throws the sword into Wan's back at the end.

Daniel Wu being dubbed was a bit irritating.