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

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 27 May 2008, 23:29

The American version of The Descent has a different ending.

It ends after the Eurasian girl scares the Scottish girl in the car. The US distributors didn't like the final back to the cave coda with the little girl and her cake which ends the UK dir's cut. Can't say I liked it either, mind.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 28 May 2008, 01:01

Did you watch the UK (Unrated) or American (R Rated) cut Salty? I hear the USA one is poorer. According to Rewind the BD has both cuts.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 28 May 2008, 11:15

i watched the unrated version.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 28 May 2008, 12:35

The only diff is the ending, no?

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 28 May 2008, 13:28

just the ending,yes.not sure what gore the r rated version cut though.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 28 May 2008, 14:32

Don't think the R-rated cut was missing any gore was it?

All they did was abridge the ending because they didn't like it.

Nothing to do with the MPAA.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 28 May 2008, 16:53

Fair enough.i've only ever watched the uk version,once on dvd and now on BD.i just assumed they had toned down the gore.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 28 May 2008, 18:11

Which ending is better? I bet the original and the execs again don't have a Scooby doo.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 28 May 2008, 19:20

Depends what you like, silly confusing mess, or sillyer confusing mess.

I adore the Descent every damn second (until them last few secs), but any of the endings suck a bit for such a film. They may only be like 30 seconds on the end, but still gets on my tits when directors go all stupid.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 28 May 2008, 19:53

Jumper 2.5/5 (blu-ray)

Disappointing sci-fi actioner ,bland performances and pretty unlikeable characters.i expected an exciting fast -paced 88 minute romp but didn't get it.had a bad day in work though which may have affected my mood when watching. picked up towards the end.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 28 May 2008, 19:56

saltysam wrote:Jumper 2.5/5 (blu-ray)

Disappointing sci-fi actioner ,bland performances and pretty unlikeable characters.i expected an exciting fast -paced 88 minute romp but didn't get it.had a bad day in work though which may have affected my mood watch

They really gutted the film

reading about what went wrong in production, well it never had a chance in hell. Was suposed to be 45 minutes longer, and the fact the changed BOTH leads during filming! well it shows you how much of a mess it could have been. Far from worst film of all time like some people are saying mind you

Would be good to see an alternate version with different leads

re filming the action scenes agian would not have been cheap, even if they were replaced fairly swiftly they ussually film special effects scenes first in production.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 28 May 2008, 19:58

oh it's not awful,just deeply disappointing.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 28 May 2008, 20:04

Ohh I never expect much to start with, so I was kind of pleased with it I guess

not something I want to see soon again mind you.

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 28 May 2008, 21:12

"Minna no ie" - 2.5/5
Typical Japanese comedy but Mitani has this tendency to depend upon OTT performances from a strange looking cast more than the actual script. I'd say this was below the average for these kinds of films but I shall drop it in on my family sometime to see what they reckon.

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 29 May 2008, 00:24

Mitani's films are heavily scripted, he's one of the best screenwriters in Japan.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 29 May 2008, 01:36

bradavon wrote:Which ending is better? I bet the original and the execs again don't have a Scooby doo.

Frankly, the US ending is better. It's a bit Carrie-like in its cheesy desperation for a last-second scare, but I prefer that the to the UK/DC which then cuts back to the cave, the scare having been a nightmare, where the Scots girl is trapped and deranged, having fantasies about her daughter. That didn't work for me.

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 29 May 2008, 02:22

Shingster wrote:Mitani's films are heavily scripted, he's one of the best screenwriters in Japan.

His films are heavily scripted yes, hence why they're played out in so awkward and unnatural a manner. There isn't a single piece of originality in anything he has written, at least so far as what I've seen has led me to believe, this being the above, Rajio, Uchoten and Warai; he doesn't even seem to change much betwen scripts. I could not think of Japanese comedy that is more typical than his, this from a country of nothing but typical comedy; and as far as I'm concerned that just makes him really boring.
I still hope to find that I like Rajio, it was the first I saw and I like the single setting, but in truth I know that it's only distinguished amongst it's fellows as the template for every other film Mitani has penned.
I have to believe the actors, whether they're putting on a fantastic performance or playing a character brilliantly. In Mitani's films you have a collection of oddities trying to seriously perform a slapstick pantomine.

Oh and you watch doramas.

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 29 May 2008, 03:03

Waking Life: 4/5

One of the most thought-provoking films I've seen, and relates to things I often think about so it was easy for me to go with the flow. The different art styles throughout were fantastic. I want to check out some of Linklater's older films now.

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 29 May 2008, 10:45

Mitani's a stage writer/director so his films are very theatrical, and yes he does owe a lot to the Hollywood screwball comedies of the 50s, but then how many comedy writers these days can really lay claim to complete originality. To say he is an atypical or average writer is complete and utter bollocks - imo. Still, I'm not surprised you dislike him and Japanese comedy in general, seeing as you have a minute sense of humour!

I wonder if one day you'll actually review a film or filmmaker and offer more insight than making blasé comments like "it was crap, turned off after 20secs", "there is no originality", "Jdorama rubbish" and then snobbishly mocking the tastes of anyone who dares to disagree with you!

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 29 May 2008, 19:47

Frontier(s) 2.5/5

French horror hybrid taking elements of Hostel/TCM/Hills and mixing them into one not entirely successful feature. dark and grungy and pretty violent but the victims are a pretty unlikeable bunch leaving no-one to root for.Worth seeing only if you like this type of horror genre.

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 29 May 2008, 22:41

Shingster wrote:Mitani's a stage writer/director so his films are very theatrical, and yes he does owe a lot to the Hollywood screwball comedies of the 50s, but then how many comedy writers these days can really lay claim to complete originality. To say he is an atypical or average writer is complete and utter bollocks - imo. Still, I'm not surprised you dislike him and Japanese comedy in general, seeing as you have a minute sense of humour!

I wonder if one day you'll actually review a film or filmmaker and offer more insight than making blasé comments like "it was crap, turned off after 20secs", "there is no originality", "Jdorama rubbish" and then snobbishly mocking the tastes of anyone who dares to disagree with you!

I don't dislike Japanese comedy in general, I like plenty, but I do I dislike general Japanese comedy. I don't think there's a thing wrong with a man in a skintight silver costume and overacting failing to amuse me. I may very well have loved that as a child, I definitely found Punch and Judy and other basic slapstick sillienss amusing then. Now I find that I have rather grown out of it. Furthermore I'm hardly going to be impressed by a writer who doesn't come up with anything original.
Minna no ie doesn't have the central thread that makes Rajio good, nor does it have the wordplay of Warai, it's just pure unadultured genericness with silly acting, in shameless imitation of Yamada and Itami.

I have a very strong sense of what I like and it all comes down to good performance. I can't see past a lack of any acting talent in a SMAM member or a really lame bit of comedic acting (the couple in Minna...), and I certainly wouldn't want to since the people in a film are a fairly key part in my view..... Because of this I don't have to sit and watch everything right through, I often don't even need to watch a bit of it if I can see the IMDb entry.

Do I have to sit through every shitty dorama type film then write a pompous midnighteye review before I can dismiss it?
If I actually reviewed everything thoroughly and sullied the boy band members and idols you seem to be so interested in then I am quite sure that you would get more uppity.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 29 May 2008, 23:04

And back on topic:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

5 out of 10

It started off well, even if the first 15 minutes have absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the story. I was pleased they set it in the 1950s but as it goes along it just gets poorer and poorer and dumber and dumber.

Clearly Lucas had a big hand in making this as there is SO much CGI it's ridiculous. None of the action sequences feel real as you just know it's all green screen and therefore none of it is exciting. If that wasn't bad enough the central story is so utterly fucking dumb. Spaceships and Aliens - WHAT were they thinking?

:twisted:

.

Maybe I'm too old for today's summer blockbusters, surely this isn't what young kids of today find exciting? I guess they must do. It's scary to think there are people out there who've grown up not knowing anything other than unrealistic CGI crap. Bring back the 80s, wait just employ Stallone to film every 80s follow up.

There must've been nearly half a dozen different plot points going on, most of them quickly discarded as soon as they've been introduced.

Shia LaBeouf gives his usual 2D performance. Cate Blanchett was good though. Harrison Ford did look a bit old too, unlike Stallone who looked fine. Dvdvision is right Karen Allen has had some major plastic surgery, yuck. She was a attractive woman back in the day.

I was literally bored about 15 minutes before the end and couldn't wait for it to be over. This is definitely Indiana Jones for the Die Hard 4 generation, it felt very similar indeed.

About the best thing I can say about it is "it's not a complete disaster", but it's not far off it!

The Marlon Brando gag was pretty cool though.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 29 May 2008, 23:16

I never said anything about Allen's face.

The Aliens stuff actually isn't as far out as it may first feel. Remember the 50's was the time of Hollywood sci-fi classics. But yeah, I wish they had sticked to the religious mythology of the previous films.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 29 May 2008, 23:21

Oops it was Dvdvision:

https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/ ... 2&start=63

HungFist wrote:The Aliens stuff actually isn't as far out as it may first feel. Remember the 50's was the time of Hollywood sci-fi classics.

True but it doesn't stop the ending from being so utterly dumb. Religious mythology is also far fetched but at least it has an element of reality to it.

HungFist wrote:But yeah, I wish they had sticked to the religious mythology of the previous films.

Agreed.

I've not seen the first three films for years. I can barely remember which is which but I just cannot believe this is remotely as good, let alone better. I should check them out again. I remember them being good.

The music wasn't used enough too!

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 29 May 2008, 23:50

Lourdes wrote:If I actually reviewed everything thoroughly and sullied the boy band members and idols you seem to be so interested in then I am quite sure that you would get more uppity.

I'm completely baffled by your accusation that I'm some sort of fanatic of boy band members and idols? Just because I recognise many of the "boyband" actors and state that Kimura Takuya is the most popular actor in Japan in the DVDMystere thread, then that means I must be a fan? Utter lunacy!

Don't get me wrong about Minna no Ie, I know its nothing special and I certainly won't argue with your opnion on that film, but Radio Jikan, Warai no Daigaku and Uchouten Hotel are much better films & I think it is extremely unfair to compare Kouki's brand of comedy to Yoji Yamada. Yamada never had the skill with developing escalating farce that Kouki demonstrates in Uchouten (and comedy shows like Ohsama no restaurant and Farewell Mr. Premier), neither was he that much of a wordsmith. Melodrama is Yoji's main overarching influence on Kouki, but then pretty much all mainstream Japanese directors since the Tora-san films have been robbing Yamada's brand of sappy melodrama off left right and centre.

Juzo Itami has probably played some influence on Kouki's work, but again you're selling Kouki short by suggesting he's some cheap knock off, Kouki's comedy is much more situational and less political than Itami's, and then there's also the fact that Kouki is predominantly a theatre writer. He has clearly been influenced by far more people than Yamada and Itami as well, for instance you've completely ignored the massive influence of American writers on his work, particularly the likes of Billy Wilder and Neil Simon.

Do I have to sit through every shitty dorama type film then write a pompous midnighteye review before I can dismiss it?

No, but a good start would be to stop using "dorama" films to insult the tastes of other people. Now that is acting uppity!