Seen any good movies lately?
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I had thought before of starting a movie discussion thread, and have had some recent requests for it so here we go.
In case you have not used these sources before, I find the Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) and Wikipedia are great resources for learning about movies. IMDB is great for quickly finding the movie rating, genre, actors, directors, etc., and cross-linking those folks to other movies they have starred in. Wikipedia provides some of the same information, but also contains full script synapses. You want to be careful when researching a movie on Wikipedia if you have not seen the movie yet. It can be helpful to scan the first paragraph where the overview is given, but most movie pages describe the entire plot and can be a spoiler.
Wikipedia pages are best after watching an intriguing movie, when you want to learn more about the subject. I learned from the wikipedia pages that Hostel caused controversy for depicting only decrepit parts of Europe, and Zodiac did not actually tell the end story of the suspected killer.
How do you watch movies? First run theaters, second run theaters, DVD, VHS, legal downloads, illegal downloads? We have had a poll on this topic, but it can be helpful to hear why or why you don’t use various distribution channels. Also, how often do you watch movies? I find I watch them in spurts, such as going weeks without watching any, then watching four or five in a week.
Do you subscribe to a DVD rental service, such as Netflix, Blockbuster, or Cleanflix? I have heard the cleanflix service is popular in southeast Idaho, but their editing can be heavy, removing entire scenes instead of just editing the worst parts.
So have you seen any good movies lately?
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Comments
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1 
0 We find our summers at the drive-ins and recently saw “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” The entire family enjoyed it, but I think the best part of the drive-in experience is the snacks and atmosphere.
I do however miss the corny countdown clip between the double features that has dancing food and snacks. What ever happened to that?
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0 0 We use Netfliz and love it! We have smallish kids (10 and 6) and it is much easier to get a movie in the mail than go to a video store. Plus we love documentaries and Netflix has tons of great docs and foreign films that can’t be found in this city. We also go to the movies, we did the Kids Movie Series at the Paramount this summer…12 kids movies for $8 and most of that money goes to your schools PTA if you buy from the school. So here is a CHEER for the Paramount.
Last movies we saw in the Theater:
Harry Potter OOP gotta love the boy wizard!
Owen Almighty..very funny
Some Favorite docs:
The Corporation….about out of control corporations.
The Future of Food…..about GMO’s and Monsanto
SuperSize Me…..what can happen if you eat McDonalds, how fast food is affecting our culture.
Fast Food Nation….a dramatization of a non-fiction book by the same name.
Born into Brothels….kids in India who are taught photography.
The 7-Up series, starting with 20 children from all social-eco backgrounds in England who were born in 1957. Filmmakers followed their lives from the time they were 7, every 7 years they would revisit the same people. So the first film 7-up is with the 7 year olds, each film after that is 7 years later, the last film was this past year when they all turned 50. Amazing stories.
Well that’s all for now, I like movies. 
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1 0 Regarding the Paramount and Centre Theaters, an extra kudos to them for giving free movie passes to local college students. Once a month ISU (and I imagine EITC) students can get 2 free movie passes to either theater, just go to the helpdesk in the Bennion student union building and show your bengal card.
Another great movie I saw this year was Lucky Number Slevin. It had Josh Hartnet, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Alex Kingsley, one of those movies you can’t believe how many A-list stars are in it. It was fairly violent, but the story was very rich and took some good turns. I loved “the kansas city shuffle”.
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1 0 Best movies I’ve seen in the last year are:
1) Serenity - Quite possibly my favorite movie of all time. This was a box office movie wrapping up the far too short lived TV sci fi series Firefly. But you don’t need to have seen the series to follow the movie (I hadn’t) but once you’ve finished the movie you’ll want to go back and watch the series as I did. Its a Sci-Fi movie disguised as a western or is it the other way around? Essentially its about a group of space pirates (for lack of a better description - think Han Solo) who just want to make a living shipping supplies to people. An insane girl who holds the key to massive government conspiracies comes into their care and now they are on the run to protect her. Its very well done and very enjoyable. The director was Joss Whedon who you might know as the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
2) The Prestige - stars Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. About rival magicians in the 1800’s who keep trying to one up the other. Its very well done and has a very surprising twist ending that in hindsight seems obvious but I didn’t see it coming. It was directed by Christopher Nolan who did other excellent films like Memento, Insomnia, and Batman Begins.
3) 300 - Worth seeing for the stunning visual effects if nothing else. Very violent and very gory if that bothers you.
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1 0 I heard about Serenity and Firefly, thanks for bringing them up.
The Prestige was very awesome, involves a little Tesla action for those that know of the Tesla-Edison conflicts.
What was the other big movie about magicians? With the mean royal guy married to the magician’s childhood girlfriend? Ahh on tip of my mind here, had Ed Norton in it…
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1 0 Joe Vandal, are you thinking of “The Illusionist”?
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1 0 There you go, I thought the illusionist was also really good.
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0 0 I saw Treasure planet on VHS and it was very good. I didn’t like all the updatings, but saw how it was made to appeal to a younger audience. I thought its portrayal of Jim’s fatherlessness and the relationship with Silver will speak to a lot of boys out there these days.
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0 0 Oh yeah both the Prestige and Illusionists were great. I didn’t know about the Tesla connection before I saw the Prestige that was great, Tesla was awesome. I haven’t ever seen the Philadelphia Experiment that was suppose to be based on his real experiment. I meant Evan Allmighty in my first post, I was thinking of my friend Owen when I wrote that, oh well.
I also liked V for Vendetta, the whole Guy Fawkes theme was a trip.
Remember, Remember the 5th of November.
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0 0 I forgot about V. That was an excellent film.
Many bash it saying it was a “hatchet job” against Bush and the war in Iraq. Fools they are though since the story was written in the 1980’s as a comic book and was adapted fairly faithfully to a movie just now.
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0 0 Probably won’t surprise many to know I really liked V for Vendetta. Perhaps a case of life imitating art. It raises important questions, especially the tense moments of how an army should react when civilians all rise up against the government.
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0 0 I don’t usually buy movies, but when I see the Illusionist on sale, I will be buying it. I saw it a couple of times in the theater. I liked Prestige, but disturbing is a word that comes to mind.
I usually rent movies from pay per view. It’s the same cost as renting and I don’t have to remember to take the thing back.
I don’t usually go to the Theater, because it’s rare that I come away thinking that my money was well spent.
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1 0 Just saw a couple of movies, thought I’d comment:
Good Sheppard - It was a bit of a jumble for a bit, but in all, a pretty decent spy movie. If you rent it, watch the deleted scenes - there are a few key plot-points left out in the theatrical version. Matt Damon is incredible in this movie!
Hot Fuzz! - I loved Shaun of the Dead, but didn’t even get through his movie. Boring, uninspired, not funny. Maybe I’ll change my mind if I ever get around to watching the ending. Probably not.
Transformers - Best. Movie. Ever. Megan Fox + Huge Intergalactic Robots = AWeSOMe!1!!
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1 0 Okay, “The Simpsons” really cracked me up; only one objectionable scene for those of us with kids (and how onjectionable can CARTOON full frontal nudity be???) I really got a kick out of it……
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1 0 I’m glad to see Joe finally made a post for movie reviews! (I was one of the many suggestees)
Some of my recent favs are:
Disturbia - Pretty decent movie with some definate twists and turns. Worth a rent if you haven’t seen it yet.
I Now Pronounce you Larry & Chuck - Simply hilarious! Excellent comedy, although the middle kind of dragged on rather slowly. If you like Adam Sandler and all of his buddies that he has in every one of his movies, than you’ll love this flick.
Knocked Up - Excellent comedy! Very funny moments, although I though it was too long of a movie. They could have cut out a number of scenes to shorten it up and it would have still been great.
Premonition - not impressed at all. Just didn’t do it for me and the ending was just ridiculous! Unless you’re really bored and have rented everything else in the store, don’t bother with this one.
300 - I wasn’t real impressed with this one either. The CGI and special effects were top notch, but I didn’t care for the rest. Plus, almost every one of the good scenes were shown in the trailers. Great action, but that’s about it.
Has anyone seen Grindhouse yet? I noticed it got mixed reviews, but I can understand that as you really have to like the genre’ and style of these two filmakers. Most either love em or hate em. I for one am a big fan of both Rodriguez and Tarantino, so I look forward to this coming out on DVD real soon.
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0 0 I saw The Number 23 with Jim Carrey. It was certainly different from his other movies, much darker. It was interesting to see how they kept arriving at the number 23 in so many walks of life, but some were quite a stretch.
It all wrapped up neatly by the end so some might like that. It was not very scary, but was suspenseful. I started it late at night intending only to watch a half hour, but ended up watching the entire thing at once.
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0 0 THE SIMPSONS….
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0 0 I want to see Superbad like, super bad.
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1 0 Rented “Hot Fuzz” over the weekend. Pretty funny movie.
And the “Contractor” with Wesley Snipes. Had some good action scenes, but wasn’t that great in the acting department.
Black Snake Moan - Was so-so. Samual Jackson pretty much made that movie, he’s good actor in pretty much everything he’s in.
The Last Mimzy - Pretty good movie for the family. Could have been better, but worth renting.
The Astronaut Farmer - Decent movie, good storyline.
Zodiac - great movie based on the real zodiac killer back in the day. Great acting all around, worth a rent. Had some gruesome scenes, but not too bad.
Hills Have Eyes 2 - If you like horror movies, worth a rent to watch late at night with the lights out and surround sound cranked. Pretty gruesome and a disturbing rape scene. I had the uncut version so that scene probably wasn’t in the theatrical version. Not as good as the first one, but not too bad. Definately not for the kids.
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1 0 forgot to mention….
if you’re looking for a good movie review site from all the top critics, http://www.rottentomatoes.com is a great site. Has trailers, and reviews on all past, present and future movies. Another great site to bookmark aside from the IMDB Joe suggested.
Another great movie for the kids and the whole family is Ratatouille. Very funny!
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1 0 Just an interesting tidbit…
You ever notice how whenever there’s a chase scene or a scene with alot of driving, the road is always wet? Their won’t be a cloud in the sky, yet the road will be wet like it just rained. I don’t know if they do this to make it look more dramatic or to make the road look cleaner, or easier to spin out and slide around when their doing chase scenes, but the next time you’re watching an action movie (or any movie with a chase scene), check out the road to see if it’s wet. 9 out of 10 times it will be.
Most recent movies I have rented are:
Next - Staring Nicholas Cage…Pretty decent movie, although unbelievable at times and the end could have been better. Good acting and story though.
1408 - John Cusak and Samual Jackson. Pretty decent suspenseful horror flick. Not a lot of blood and gore, but some scary moments. Pretty good storyline. Worth renting.
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0 0 1408 began life as a mere writing example in Stephen King’s On Writing. He thought it up to demonstrate good and better writing techniques. Then he took the mere example further into full storyline and movie. Amazing.
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1 0 3:10 to Yuma was really good. All the men were straight and there were lots of good old fashioned gunfights! 
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1 0 Er, I’ve seen 3:10 to Yuma and you have no clue about the sexuality of anyone except the two main characters played by Christian Bale and Russell Crowe. No one else in the movie even interacts with a female and sex never comes up outside of the one scene with Russell Crowe.
I actually thought the plot was downright silly at the end as the logic behind Russell Crowe going along with Christian Bale instead of escaping which he could have done easily at any time was very very weak.
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1 0 If you’re into oldies, check out “Ladykillers,” with Alec Guiness. Absolutely wonderufl dark comedy. I haven’t seen the Tom Hanks version. And I don’t plan on it, either.
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1 0 I haven’t seen the old version, but I did see the Tom Hanks version. Very very funny, excellent movie and great cast!
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1 0 Next with Nick Cage, Fracture with Anthony Hopkins, Ratatouille, and Meet the Robinsons were all very good.
Knocked up started funny but went lame fast and I couldn’t finish it. Reign over Me was another I could not finish. I’m sure Adam Sandler can do a serious role well, but this was not it.
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1 0 Joe, the Sandman was good in Punch Drunk Love, and in Spanglish…both relatively serious roles.
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1 0 Watched Confess, Hostel II, License to Wed, Mr. Brooks and SpiderMan 3 this weekend.
Confess: This came out in 2005, but I just noticed it on the shelf in Blockbuster. It’s about a computer hacker that uses hidden cameras to get back at his enemies. It’s got a great storyline and some decent acting. I wouldn’t say it’s great, but if you’ve seen everything else like I have, it’s definately worth renting.
Hostel II: If you like horror movies, this one won’t dissapoint. Better than the first, but that’s not saying much since the 1st one wasn’t that great. This one is so-so. It had a decent plot and definately some gory parts. It’s hard to find decent horror movies these days, but this one was pretty good. Plus Quentin Tarantino was the producer (which I happen to like his work), so it’s definately got his sick twist to it. Worth renting if you like this genre of movie.
SpiderMan 3: I’m never as impressed with sequels than I am with the original. (Hostel was the exception to this rule) The acting was ok and the special effects top notch, but they need to lay this one to rest already. The way the movie was hyped when it first came out, you’d think it was a great blockbuster. Not so much. It had it’s moments, but was nothing to brag about. Worth renting if you’ve got nothing else to watch
Mr Brooks: This was the best movie of the weekend, and one of Kevin Costner’s best, IMO. It’s a role he has never played before (serial killer) and he did an awesome job. The storyline was unique and different and I really enjoyed it. Very suspensful and great acting all around. The ending could have been a little better, but this movie is definately worth renting.
License to Wed: This was another favorite of mine over the weekend. I’m not a big fan of Robin Williams, but he did a great job on this one. Very funny movie and a must rent if you like a good comedy.
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1 0 I watched the first Saw movie. It is a horror movie but with some definite gore. However, it was riddled with puzzles and required the viewer to think throughout the movie. It definitely commands attention and thought. That is refreshing in a horror movie from the mindless hacker movies of the past.
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1 0 I agree with Mike’s statement. I’ve really enjoyed the “Saw” series. Imagine that….a horror movie with a plot, or one that makes you think….What a concept! And a very rare thing to find in the Horror genre. 
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1 0 I really enjoy the Saw franchise they have proven to be good and now with Saw IV it has managed to get even better. I have recently rented an old classic a little better than V for Vendetta, which stunk.. The title is “Moscow on the Hudson”.
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1 0 Really George? You didn’t like V for Vendetta? It wasn’t as good as I had hoped it would be, but I still thought it was worth a rent. Had a good storyline and a nice twist at the end. Of course it could have been better, but I personally didn’t think it “stunk”.
I’ll have to check out Moscow on the Hudson.
Thanks for you input!
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1 0 Went to the movies last night and saw “Dan in Real Life”.
Very funny movie with Steve Carell & Dane Cook. They’ll have you laughing out loud. It’s a romantic comedy and definately one that should be seen with your signifigant other. A great cast and a decent storyline. If you don’t catch it in the theatre, it is definately worth a rent.
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1 0 oh yes, that Dan movie was great… loved the story and the acting was so much fun to watch.
It is nice to watch a movie where you don’t have to cringe at the language or cover your eyes, I brought my senior mother and my 13 yr. old daughter and we all laughed out loud along with the rest of the audience.
There was a proper message as well, actually several good messages, and we came away with some great lines to use in fun conversations…
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1 0 That must have been a refreshing change to watch a movie and not have to cringe at the language. I’m not a prude, but I do get tired of hearing all the language and seeing the sex scenes in a lot of the films today.
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1 0 What bugs me the most is adult language and humor in kids’ movies. I never rent the cleanflicks-style movies, I enjoy Saw and Apocalypto and such, but when I’m showing a movie to my kid and they throw in adult stuff it makes me mad.
Cat in the Hat - Did Mike Meyers really need to do the cross-dressing bit? Would the movie really have failed without that moment?
Cars - “She just wants me for my body” Really? Sure it was funny for adults, but is that what we want in kids’ movies?
Surf’s Up - the main character called the antagonist a “pecker-face”. Really? Did the movie depend on that phrase?
Shrek 2 - the part about Pinochio wearing ladies clothing, really was that the only joke they could come up with?
Transformers - I’ll admit this was my fault for ASSUMING this would be a kids movie, I did not check that it was a PG-13. I fell asleep in the first few minutes and woke up when the mom asked the kid if he was masturbating in his room. I jumped up and shut off the movie and earned my seven year old’s scorn for the day.
I enjoy these things when they are included in adult movies. I cringe and want to burn down all of Hollywood when these come up in supposed kids movies.
Meet the Robinsons was a great movie and had no adult jokes in it at all. It is possible to make a successful kids movie without slipping adult jokes into the mix. Why must they go for the lowest-common denominator and ruin kids movies?
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1 0 I definately understand how you guys feel. The main reason they put the adult humour into the kids movies is so the adults can take their kids out to movie and not sit there for 90 minutes and be bored out of their skulls. And the majority of the time, the adult humour is so far over the childrens heads, that it doesn’t affect them anyways. Personally I like it. I take my kids to the movies all the time and if they didn’t interject adult humour into these most of these animated movies, I’d probably fall asleep during the movie.
I can only imagine how upset your 7y/o was that you shut off Transformers. That was the only rather risque part of the movie and even then it wasn’t that bad. I mean the comment his mother made fit in with what was going on with the storyline. And if you would have waited a few moments longer, it was all explained soon afterwards. That comment actually did have a place in that particular scene which turned about to be one of the funniest parts of the movie.
I do believe sometimes they go a little overboard in the kids movies. But with a PG13 movie like Transformers, things like that are to be expected. And personally I don’t even know why it got a PG13 to begin with. That was a plain PG movie at best.
When these types of issues come up in a movie that my kids are watching, it makes it that much easier for me to talk to them afterwards. It’s the perfect segway into speaking to your kids about sex, violence, bad language or whatever it may be.
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0 0 JoseCuervo: So….How does the conversation with your 7-year old about masturbation go?
I say if a movie is based on a cartoon or popular children’s toy, etc. then there should be some restraint with the adult themes. I’m with Joe on this one.
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0 0 When I was growing up, our dinner table conversations always had several “layers” going on at once (The age range of kids spanned 19 years.) So, as a child I didn’t get any of the “adult” talk that was going on. As I got older, I was able to understand more & more of what was being said & why it was funny, etc. It was nice to finally understand what my older brothers were talking about!
I think that you might be stressing about things that flew right over your 7 yr old’s head, Joe. Cross-dressing? Did it bother you when Bugs Bunny cross-dressed? You probably don’t remember Uncle Miltie (Milton Berle), but his cross-dressing was considered family entertainment back in the 50’s. Language & sexual situations I can undersand, but cross-dressing? C’mon.
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0 0 I’ve talked to my sons & my daughter about masturbation, sex, drugs, etc. If you’re not a responsible enough parent to do the same, then I feel sorry for your kids.
Obviously you didn’t check out the rating when took your child to see Transformers. It’s not a cartoon and its PG13 (& since you obviously don’t know) that means “parental guideance for kids under 13″. If your going to take a child UNDER 13 to a PG13 movie, than you should be responsible enough to explain certain things to them.
I think you only compound the problem when you get them all excited to see a movie and then you turn it off right in the middle of it because of something you don’t like or don’t agree with. Instead of being a responsible parent and explaining the particular issue to them. You end up making them more curious and without giving them the proper guidenance and knowledge or even a simple explanation, it merely compounds the problem.
btw…I talked to my children about masturbation well before the age of 7. If you would do a little research on child development, you’d know that children, especially girls, discover their bodies at a very young age and that girls will start exploring their genetialia as early as 2-3 years of age.
The problem is, too many parents are too embarrassed to talk to their child about such issues and that’s sad. They’d rather put it off until their 15 or 16 and by that time they have already heard about it, (usually mis-information I might add) from their friends and the media.
just a side note….I’m not accusing anybody of being a bad parent here, only explaining how it works in our family. Everyone raises their children differently and I don’t claim to do any better of a job than anyone else.
I just think its our responsibility as parents to be just that….parents.
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0 0 Good post Jose.
And Guest, if you have to ask somebody on the internet how to talk to your child, then you really shouldn’t be a parent. Talking to your children about such issues is part of being a parent. Unless of course you’d rather them learn about these things from their classmates in school.
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0 0 What a bunch of smart alecks! The previous two posters, that is.
Go ahead and feel sorry for my kids. ( I don’t have any).
I don’t have to ask anyone how to talk to my child. If you want to teach your 7 year old about masturbation that is your business.
By the way I didn’t see the Transformer movie.
So your comments like I “obviously didn’t look up the rating” and I “obviously don’t know” what PG-13 means are irrelevant.
If you “would do a little research” you would realize this is a blog for exchanging opinions.
So JoseCuervo, your method of explaining how things work in your family is to belittle others? I’m glad I’m not in your family.
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0 0 Guest: you were the one that came off as a “smart alecK” by asking Jose how he goes about discussing mastrubation with his 7 y/o.
For which he gave a very good reply, AND a sidenote at the end so as not to upset anyone.
So obviously you’re being a little overly sensitive regarding the issue. Especially since you don’t have children.
What I’d like to know is WHY you want to know how he approached his children regarding that topic, IF you have no children of your own? Seems to me you were the one stirring up trouble here by claiming posters are belitting you, when in fact no belitting was going on.
The way I see it is: don’t ask a question if you don’t want to hear the answer. Not to mention making a comment on a movie that you’ve never seen to begin with! Geez!
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0 0 Anyway……….
Being a parent, I understand fully the importance of teaching children about sensitive topics at age appropriate times. That being said, I would rather be bored at a kids movie we can all enjoy as family fun, without the awkwardness of too mature themes and later explanations. We complain the media is saturating our kids with images of sex, drugs, being pretty and thin, you name it, but can’t sit through a kids movie unless it has adult humor? Sound like a double standard.
How does a film maker justify a rated G movie having a jealous male character listening to another male and female moaning and groaning out of his sight? Pan into the other couple, who are oohing and aahing over a flower garden? Now is that really necessary? Can’t recall the title, - that rabbit movie over the summer.
Anyway, this is a good thread. Gives me ideas for date night. Is it me or are movies just not the caliber they were 10 years ago? I think consumers are settling for less. Either that or we don’t get out of the house enough…..
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0 0 I see it like comedy, you have some great comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Brian Regan who can deliver the best comedy without going into blue material. Most comedians go blue because it is the easy route.
Some movies are perfectly entertaining for adults without using adult humor, such as Meet the Robinsons. Movie makers insert adult humor into kids movies because they are too lazy to make the extra effort of creating a high quality show that also entertains adults without exposing kids to adult ideas.
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0 0 Obviously you havent seen Jerry Seinfeld’s Bee Movie. It stunk and was a waste of time, in my opinion. We took 4 kids to see it, aged 4 - 7 and none of them liked it.
I wouldn’t exactly use Jerry Seinfeld as your example. Even in his sitcom he touched on every topic from Masturbation to sex with multiple partners, to stealing, lieing, cheating and the list goes on and on. Definately not the best role model out there for young minds. But that’s just my opinion.
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0 0 What I’m trying to say is even though he didn’t use foul language, the innuendo and topics he discussed on his show wasn’t void of adult humour.
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0 0 Good point, I was thinking more of the stand up performances he gave than his sitcom.
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1 0 I’ve fallen way behind in my movie postings, so here are just a few of the better ones I seen lately.
The Bourne Ultimatum:
I’ve thorougly enjoyed this series and this 3rd installment doesn’t fail to deliver. Great action, decent storyline and a must rent. If you liked the first two, you’ll enjoy this one as well.
Live Free or Die Hard:
I was rather skeptical going into this one, but was pleasantly surprised. Bruce Willis still has what it takes to make a good action movie and this one won’t dissapoint. Sure, some of the scenes are a little over the top, but that’s the movies for ya. We go to be entertained and wow’d and this one won’t dissapoint you actions fans.
Shoot em up:
This one was a little out there as far as the believability factor. But nevertheless it’s full of action and is a great flick to watch if you don’t want to think about anything and just watch mindless shoot outs. Believe it or not it had some decent acting in it, considering the “cheese factor”.
Pirates of the Carribean, At Worlds End:
I thought this one was better than the 2nd one, but it’s still the same old pirate movie that’s been told over and over. There’s not much new here. Although the acting was decent, it may bore most people as it did me. Worth renting if you’ve got nothing better to do.
Waitress:
I can’t stand “chick flicks”, but if you’re married or have a steady girlfriend, most of you know there’s no escaping them. I was pleasantly surprised with Waitress and would highly recommend it. Kerri Russel did a find job acting in the lead role and it had some very funny moments. Definately worth a look.
Rescue Dawn:
Christian Bale made this movie. Definately one worth renting!
The Kingdom:
Jamie Foxx & Jennifer Garner in a decent movie with an important message at the end. Great acting, suspense & drama.
Eastern Promises:
Viggo Mortensen & Naomi Watts did a find job in this Russian mob movie. Good storyline and a great twist near the end. Worth a look.
The Heartbreak Kid:
If you like Ben Stiller, you’ll love this movie. Absolutely hilarious with a decent surprise ending. Check it out!
Rush Hour 3:
Not much different than the previous 2. Worth renting for a laugh or two if you’ve got nothing better to do.
Stardust:
I was pleasantly surprised with this one. An all star cast did a fine job in this fantasy/Sci-fi flick. A definate must see.
Balls of Fury:
Stupid movie, but it did have some pretty funny bits. Don’t bother unless you’ve got nothing better to watch.
Superbad:
Surprise hit! A very funny immature coming of age comedy. It was a tad bit long for my liking, but it definately kept me laughing throughout.
I Am Legend:
Completely different from the book, but a great popcorn flick nevertheless! Great suspense and great acting by Will Smith. The ending could have been better, but a good movie regardless.
No Country For Old Men:
Awesome action flick! Great acting all around. Again….I wasn’t happy with the ending, but all in all, worth a rent.
Into The Wild:
Pretty decent movie based on a true story. The scenery & visual effects were incredible.
Well I’ll stop there for now. I’ve got dozens more, but will write more when I have the time. As you have probably noticed, I’m not a big fan of tv, and when I do take the time to sit down in front of it, its to watch a movie.
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0 0 Wow! You have been watching some movies!
I took my kid and his friend to see Fred Claus last weekend. It was a cute premise about Santa Claus’ less successful brother. They geared it toward kids pretty well, with the exception of Santa’s assistant who wore a way-too-sexy outfit for a kid’s movie.
The problem was it was one of those where all the laughs are front-loaded, and the last half of the movie has no jokes and the audience is left wondering when it will end. I heard quite a few yawns. The siblings’ support group scene is a great time to visit the restroom.
I think Vince Vaughn is a great guy and a great actor, but I don’t think he’s such a funny guy. I’m going to avoid movies where he is cast as the funny guy.
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1 0 I have a few more to let you know about…
Dan In Real Life:
Since I work in an office type setting, “The Office” is one of my favorite shows on tv. And if you like Steve Carell, you love this movie. I think Steve is turning into quite the actor on the big screen lately. He’s turned in outstanding performances previously in Little Miss Sunshine, Bruce Almighty, 40 y/o Virgin and his performance in this movie really shines. It’s kind of “chick flickish”, but the comedy and the storyline are just incredible. It will have you laughing the whole movie. We really enjoyed it. And although we watched it in the theatre, I will most likely watch it again by renting it once it comes out on DVD. Don’t miss this one!
Big Nothing:
This movie stars David Schwimmer. Ok I admit it….I used to watch Friends when it was on tv. (just dont tell anyone!) And although I wasn’t really a big fan of David Schwimmer, his part in this dark comedy was very surprising and this movie is definately worth renting. I don’t recall hearing much about it when it was in theartres, but I came across it in Blockbuster and thought I’d give it a try. If you like dark comedies this one will not dissapoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie!
Resident Evil / Extinction:
To quote film critic Anton Bidel “If you are willing to leave your brains and good taste at the door, you may well find Resident Evil: Extinction to be a guilty pleasure of the purest genetic strain.”
If you like mindless zombie action flicks, this one was definately better than the first two. The actions scenes were pretty decent, but don’t bother renting if you’ve got something better to do.
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0 0 Anyone seen “Juno”?
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1 0 I liked Alien vs. Predator, the one where they are in Antarctica. I hated Alien vs. Predator 2: requiem. There was waaaay too much secondary character’s personal stories and way too little of the alien vs. predator stories and actions. Don’t bother with the second version even if you liked the first.
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0 0 Thanks for the comment on the second Alien VS Predator. I’ve been meaning to rent that one because I really enjoyed the first one as well. Now I’ll wait to rent that one until I’ve got nothing else to watch.
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0 0 I thought requiem was actually better than the first AVP! There was much more action and a lot more scenes where the predator is actually fighting aliens. Plus, the ending is more realistic and well thought-out. See it!
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1 0 I saw “Juno” and while it was a cute movie, I don’t know that it is necessarily one of the best movies of the year. It is a story about a young (16) girl, bored in her small Minnesota town, who has sex once and gets pregnant. She tells her parents (who are way too nice and way too understanding) and they all agree that she should give the baby up for adoption. The adoptive couple is very nice, almost “perfect”…but not quite what they seem at first.
I was troubled by how her pregnancy was portrayed: she was so “cutesy” and the only nod to her physical condition was one scene where she complains about having to go to the bathroom a lot. Also, abortion really is never presented as a realistic alternative. Everyone is so happy and nice; instead of a cautionary tale, it is a big lovefest: isn’t Juno unselfish and brave? Uh, why oh why didn’t streetsmart Juno use birth control???
But I realize with its rating, it seems to be meant for a slightly older crowd, so maybe it is not intended to provide any warning or advice to teens….still wraps everything up in “too pretty” of a package when you are talking about a teenage pregnancy.
Jennifer Garner was awesome as the potential adoptive mom……….
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1 0 Went to see the new Rambo over the weekend.
While not as good as the original (imo), this one won’t dissapoint in the action department. And while the acting left a little to be desired, the action itself was top notch and out of this world. It’s an extremely “hard R” rating, so I would not take any children or teenagers to this movie. The violence and war scenes are about as real as it gets.
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1 0 I saw Rambo over the weekend as well. I can’t decide what was more disturbing, The incredibly graphic violence or the fact that I found such entertainment in it. Although it will never be considered a great movie it was entertaining and thats why I go to movies. I came out of Rambo with an adrenaline rush that I had hoped to get from Cloverfield. For me Rambo lived up to the hype (if there was any) but Cloverfield was such a disappointment.
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1 0 I’ve got a few more reviews for you.
Saw IV: Can’t really decide if I liked it or not. If you’ve been following the Saw series you know the main pyscho character died in Saw III. This one gave you the story into what pushed him into doing what he did and what made him snap. Plus the story continued where it left off in the last movie, with them finding another tape inside his stomach while doing the autopsy on him. While not nearly as good as the previous three, if you like this type of genre and the Saw series, you may (I stress “may”) enjoy this film. I was rather disapointed myself, but like other series, they just aren’t as good as the originals.
The only series I was impressed with this past season, was Die Hard. They did an awesome job in this 4th installment and I was throughouly impressed. While a bit over the top, I still came out of the theatre cheering for the hero and finding myself completely entertained.
I only wish I could say the same about the Pirates of the Carribean, Rush Hour, Shrek 3, etc etc.
3:10 to Yuma: Incredible acting all around and a great movie. A lot of shooting and violence in this movie, so leave the young ones at home with the babysitter for this one. (although it was childs play compared to Rambo)
War: with Jet Li & Jason Statham. Great “popcorn flick” if you like martial arts movies. Lots of action, but the storyline could have been better. Did I mention lots of action?!
Mr. Woodcock: Had some funny moments, but didn’t do much for me. Don’t bother unless you’ve got nothing better to watch. Good for a few laughs.
27 Dresses: For a chick flick it wasn’t bad. Had some very funny moments and is a pretty decent date movie.
I’m really looking forward to seeing “Untraceable” this weekend. If anyone’s seen it, I love to hear what you thought. I was rather dissapointed that the critics didn’t give it very high marks.
Also, has anyone rented the Simpsons Movie? I used to be a fan of the Simpsons back in the day, but I just can’t imagine sitting through a 90 minute movie on it. It got pretty decent reviews but I’m still hesitant. If you’ve seen it, please let me know what you thought. It’s kind of like South Park. I used to really enjoy the tv series back in its heyday, but then when the movie came out, I was really dissapointed.
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1 0 I really liked the Simpsons Movie. It was funny but had its moments that seemed to drag. It was just like a lot of their episodes. I really love the first 5 minutes and then it goes down hill from there. It is worth a watch though. There is plenty of funny and spider pig is priceless.
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1 0 The first six or eight Simpsons seasons were the best, like Shakespeare. Then they lost some of their writing talent and switched to the less intellectual formula we see since and today. The movie seemed a lot like their episodes the past few years, so if you still like the Simpsons you’ll probably like the movie.
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1 0 Chaos: with Jason Statham & Wesley Snipes….pretty decent action flick with a great twist at the end. Definately worth a rent.
MeetMarket: Pretty funny movie about single adults meeting in a Supermarket. It’s rated R so it’s not for the kiddies, but it had some really funny parts.
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1 0 No Country for Old Men, a great movie with the worst ending. I still recommend watching it because of the suspense. Just be prepared for the last minute to be stupid.
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1 0 I have to agree with you there. They made this awesome action flick and then it’s like they just forgot to write an ending to it! I left feeling I was completely robbed. The ending is everything… and it seems more and more movies are having difficulties with a good ending. This one just gave up and said why have an ending at all….lets just stop it right here and roll the credits. What a waste of a good movie!
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1 0 Rendition: Decent movie that shows the racial discrimination that’s rampant in our govt today. The fact that they can take anyone they feel like away from their homes and familys, out of the country and torture them for information if they think their assosiated with any terrorist organizations. It makes me sick to me stomach to know that our govt performs these gestapo tactics in this day and age and there’s nothing we can do about it. Good movie.
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1 0 Vantage Point - “On February 22nd, see if you can solve the puzzle”. That’s the advertising line for this movie, for they make no attempt to hide the fact that things are not as seem. Better prepare yourself – you going to keep seeing the same twenty minute sequence of this movie over and over again. That’s because it will be shown from a different character’s “vantage point” each time. So-So movie.
Jumper - I’ve decided to call February “direct to DVD” month when it comes to movie releases.. This one has the story of a TV show. I say that because I’ve noticed so many shows on television have what I call a “finite” story that is dragged on for months, if not years. You could go all the way back to “The Fugitive” for an example, but just off the top of my head, there’s “Chuck” and that “Heros” show. It’s the same basic storyline – somebody’s after somebody and each week, comes oh so close, but not quite. That’s what came to mind watching “Jumper”. It has good special effects but not much better than a TV show.
Rambo - Lots of blood and guts but a pretty decent show,
Rendition - This title I had to look up – one of the definitions is “handing over prisoners to countries where torture is allowed”. Oh, goody – a movie about torture! They’ve been saying this is the season for “feel bad” movies, well, we can start with this one. It’s also becoming full open season on President Bush and whole “war on terrorism”, so here we go again.
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0 0 Try reading “No Country for Old Men.” I literally threw the book at the wall when I was done. Yowza.
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1 0 Last weekend we watched “Rescue Dawn” and “Cloverfield”, I liked both of them. I find I like movies better the less I know about them beforehand. It’s probably because of having zero expectations, so my opinion can only go upwards.
Rescue Dawn I had no clue what it was about, just popped it in and started watching, my wife said it was something about a war or a POW. It’s supposed to be based on a true story, and I thought it was good.
I don’t think it’s spoiling to say Cloverfield is a monster movie. It’s filmed in shaky cam, kind of the amateur-style like Blair Witch Project, just the shaky-cam style only in case you did not like BWP. The first twenty minutes of Cloverfield are a little annoying, showing a New York City party of friends, but it establishes the relationships and why the people act the way they do when the monster strikes.
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0 0 Babs……don’t even bother reading the book “I am legend”. What a complete waste that was! It was completely different from the movie for one. The first half of the book I got into, but then it suddendly changed to just complete chaos and utter nonsense that had nothing to do with the actual storyline. It just didn’t make any sense to me.
I threw that book against the wall!
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0 0 Hey, CR67, add this to our list of “Books to Throw Against a Wall”: “The Ruins”. AHHHHHH.
I won’t say anymore. I don’t want to (wait for it. . . ) ‘ruin’ it for anyone. (Sound of rimshot).
Seriously, though, I flew through the book, found it very engaging and fast-paced, much like his (Scott Smith’s) earlier classic, “A Simple Plan”. And then. . . and then.
Thanks for the warning about “I Am Legend.”
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1 0 Movies I’ve seen recently:
South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut. Its South Park so you probably either love it or don’t get it. If your one of the few who haven’t seen a South Park episode the movie is just basically a big episode with musical numbers. The show can be crude but its also one of the most intelligently written shows on TV because it almost always manages to see both sides of an issue and do so in ways that might surprise you. Take the mormon episode for instance - the episode is about a mormon kid who moves to town and meets the South Park kids. He tries to teach one of them about mormonism and the show goes on to relentlessly mock the history of mormonism. But throughout the episode the only nice and decent people are the mormon family. Everyone else is mean to each other and the families all hate one another. At the end, after being mocked by the South Park kid the mormon kid says something like “Even if I find out my religion is fake I don’t care since because of it I have a great family who loves me.” He then walks away leaving the South Park kid in stunned silence because he realizes the mormon kid is right.
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1 0 Yup, I’m a big fan of SouthPark, I own all the dvds and all their movies (okay, there’s one I didn’t buy, because it was so lame. It’s title would not probably pass the censor here, and it sounded like yet another great offering but it was LAME-O…)
I saw “Mr. Brooks” recently, had a hard time getting through the first half (wanted to see Kevin Costner as a good guy, which he isn’t) but it got pretty good after that.
Also, “Good Luck Chuck”. Ummm, not family fare in the least, the unrated version is a teenage boy’s dream movie. But it was funny.
“Frailty”. Now there was a thriller. (Old movie, I’m thinking this decade) and the ending was pretty intense.
Last night I broke down and watched both versions of “Hairspray”, in chrono order. Not deep, just light escapist fun.
Watching a lot of movies lately ‘cuz I’m laid up for a few weeks.
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1 0 Yeah I also saw Mr. Brooks, my wife picked it. I wasn’t too sure I would last more than five minutes but it did pick up and get interesting. I think they should have ended it about one scene earlier than they did, with the daughter instead of with the wife (if you’ve seen it).
Not sure if I mentioned “Fracture” before but that was really good, quite a thriller mystery with Anthony Hopkins.
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1 0 Oh, yeah, that daughter scene at the end caused me great grief. Quite the interesting movie. I’m a Costner fan, I even liked “WaterWorld”, and I really liked “The Postman”.
I’ve said I’m an apocalyptic afficionado, and “The Postman” was the first time I can truly say the movie was SO much better than the book.
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0 0 Thanks for the tip about Fracture. I’ll look for that.
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1 0 okay, I am a “b-movie” fan from way back; one of my favorites is “Race With the Devil” with Peter Fonda and Warren Oates, two guys on a road trip in the world’s largest RV, with their wives, when they encounter. . . devil worshippers!!! Some unintentionally hilarious scenes (wait for Warren Oates to say, “I don’t believe a school bus on a Sundee”. . . )
Tonight, TMC or some such channel is airing “The Blood on Satan’s Claw” and “The Brotherhood of Satan.” Same cheesy 70’s genre, I’m told (I haven’t see either one) but how fun to watch these old “drive in” pictures and be reminded of how fun it was to go to the movies and be truly scared, or at least, entertained, and not “gored” to death.
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0 0 One of my daughters was a fanatic of “Mystery Science Theatre 3000″ because of all the cheezo ‘b’ movies they aired and shredded.
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0 0 oh, I loved MST3000; it was awesome!! I also enjoyed JoeBob Briggs’ “Drive In” Movies; he would similarly “shred” these type of films…
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0 0 Anyone ever seen the movie filmed in southeast Idaho in the 60’s? I can’t recall the title, but one of the main actors was a major player like Peter Fonda? It had to do with a project at the INL, and they would time travel into the future, they used a lot of local people as actors and extras. It was an environmental film. Anyone remember this one?
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1 0 Joe, that movie was called “Idaho Transfer”. It was released in 1973. It was directed by Peter Fonda, and starred a bunch of not-so-famous folks, but Keith Carradine was in it.
You can look it up on IMDB. From that site:
“A crew of young researchers escape into the future to avoid the shutdown of their project. They find that some type of ‘eco-crisis’ disaster has de-populated the area around their lab (in rural Idaho) and, by implication, the nation or maybe the world. Stranded in the barren future, in their travels they encounter an abandoned freight train possibly full of corpses (maybe, it isn’t very clear). One of them travels further into the future and meets a family in a futuristic automobile, implying that that humankind has recovered from the disaster (or have they?)”
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1 0 Just got done watching ‘I Am Legend’ and all I can say is wow. It was a great movie and dang if it didn’t make me tear up in a scene a little past halfway (you know which one if you’ve seen it) and then again at the end. I didn’t expect a zombie movie to be emotionally moving too. Will Smith gives a great performance and the movie does a great job of showing how he is gradually going insane being the last man on earth.
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1 0 Here you go. Idaho Transfer on DVD. 12 copies avaiable:
http://www.amazon.com/Idaho-Transfer-Kelly-Bohanon/dp/B0000B0JIF
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1 0 I saw Mad Money last night with Diane Keaton, Ted Danson, Queen Latifah, and the “red-stapler” guy from Office Space. It was pretty good, this is probably nerdy but did anyone else who saw this notice the obvious problem in their money-stealing scheme?
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1 0 That’s funny, “the red stapler guy from Office Space”. That’s Stephen Root, and I adore him. He was also the station owner in “News Radio” sitcom, and he’s the voice of Bill in “King of the Hill”. In fact, if you check him out at IMDB you’ll find he’s been in about everything that matters, including voices in most of the cool kids’ cartoons, for the last 25 years.
He’s just incredibly funny.
As far as the problem in their money scheme, I spotted it from the promos, I thought. I figured there had to be more to it, but from what you’re writing there may not be.
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0 0 okay, I am dying here: leave a spoiler alert or something, but please tell us WHAT IS THE PROBLEM in Mad Money???? I need to know; I probably won’t get to see the movie……
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0 0 *****************************************
*** SPOILER ALERT FOR MAD MONEY MOVIE ***
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The characters work in a federal reserve building where they destroy money. Banks send them money which is tattered and torn and mutilated, which needs be taken out of the circulation. This facility has a bunch of procedures to track the money in lockdown mode, maneuvering the cash to a shredder where it gets shredded into worthless garbage. The characters come up with a plan to steal the money before it gets shredded.
However, banks record the serial numbers of all cash bills sent to be destroyed, and the Federal Reserve keeps track of these serial numbers to know what has been destroyed and spotlight counterfeiting. The fatal flaw in their plan is that the characters are spending money which has been marked removed from system and destroyed, and they spend this money for many months. The problem is that this money is tattered and undoubtedly would be sent again to be destroyed, where the Federal Reserve would notice all the money coming back which had already been recorded as being destroyed. They would have undoubtedly realized the money had been stolen from their own facility.
Agree or disagree on this fatal flaw? My wife and I spotted this problem early on and the movie never addressed it, never overcame it. It is still an entertaining movie in seeing how the people avoid getting busted and how the money changes them, etc.
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*** END SPOILER ALERT ***
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0 0 thanks Joe…
I was thinking it was something along the lines of that, like in “A Simple Plan” where a big part of the plot was whether or not the money at issue was ‘marked’ and if so, how to spend it. . .
could take it to another country and convert it…and never come back, of course
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0 0 Thanks for the clarification, Joe. My spouse had this one nailed from watching the promos, and was wondering how they would get around that issue. (We figured it was what would bring them down, eventually.)
I guess sometimes you have to suspend belief and go with the flow, and as you said, check out the rest of the story.
Didja ever see “Millions”? It’s a British film that one of my daughters has fallen in love with, and her whole family enjoys it. There are the same character issues evident when folks end up hanging around with large sums of money.
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0 0 Oh, yeah. There are two movies named “Millions”…one is quite the R rated version (which I liked also but it’s not inspirational nor is it family fare).
When my daughter told me to watch it, I got the wrong one. I was flabberghasted that she liked it because she doesn’t watch anything that is more than PG 13 (unlike me, I like all the bad stuff).
So if you are interested, be sure to get the one that is about little kids…you have been warned.
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1 0 I have to agree with ElDiablo’s comment regarding Will Smith’s performance in “I Am Legend”. He completely carried that movie and did and incredible job acting. If you think back to his “Fresh Prince” days….he’s come a looooong way. He’s really become a great actor and is right up there with Denzel in his recent performances.
I’m not big on “chick flicks”, but since I’ve seen pretty much everything else in the video store, I decided to rent “Atonement”. I was pleasantly surprised and would highley recommend this movie. And I must admit, this one made me well up at the end as well. Decent movie….check it out if you get a chance.
Regarding Mad Money…..is that out on DVD yet? I don’t recall seeing it in the video store. (I’ll have to check it out….I made a point to not read the “spoiler” posted above)
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1 0 Well I finally watched “Alien Vs Predator - Requiem” last night. While this movie didn’t get very good reviews, I really enjoyed it. What I really liked was the fact that it was recorded in DTS (Digital Theatre Systems) audio format, which made the audio in this movie absolutely incredible. Anyone with a decent home theatre set up will agree that the DTS is currently the best audio format available. While standard 5.1 - 7.1 surround sound is nothing to scoff at, I just feel that DTS is the ultimate in audio and I wish more studios would record their DVD’s using this format. Especially suspense and action flicks, as the sound really engulfs you and makes you feel like you’re right in the middle of the action. Back to the movie…..while I enjoyed Requiem, I have to say I liked the 2nd one better with them fighting in Antartica. The ending also made you believe they’ll continue with a fourth sequel.
I attempted to watch Sweeny Todd over the wknd but ended up turning it off about 35 minutes in. I didn’t realize this movie was a “musical” and while I’m a big Johnny Depp fan, I just couldn’t get into this movie. It got great reviews and won some awards, but it just wasn’t something I could bring myself to watch all the way through.
Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox story: Ehhh…I’m kinda mixed on this one. It had some funny moments, but I thought that overall it was rather boring.
Waterhorse: Pretty good “fairy-tale fantasy” type movie. Good story line and excellent CGI. While it’s rated PG, I don’t recall anything in this movie that is really too inappropriate for children, other than a few scary moments, but it’s a CGI dinasour type creature so it’s not too bad. Some parts may be a little too scary for kids under 5-6, but otherwise a good movie to watch with the whole family.
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1 0 I saw the movie 21 the other night, it was about an MIT student trying to get into Harvard but not having the cash so they decided to count cards on the weekends. It was such a good movie and shows how dangerous gambling can really be when addicted. Anyways, I’d see it again.
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1 0 DON’T SEE “THE MIST” Great book, horrible movie. Almost hilarious, unintentionally, especially a scene close to the end. The end is just horrible. Departs from the book/story by Stephen King in a terrible manner.
Just my opinion.
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1 0 I find that most of King’s stories/books don’t translate well to movies (look what they did to Cujo, for instance) unless he writes the screenplay himself.
I loved the Stand (was also my favorite book of his) but it was able to work probably because it was a long mini series with time to incorporate a lot of the book’s good parts.
Too bad about the Mist movie, because that was a good read, too.
***
I saw Walk Hard, I liked it as well as the Rutles and A Mighty Wind and This is Spinal Tap.
I saw Sweeney Todd, I was especially put off by the gruesome sfx when they got going with their little business. CR67, you need to put up with the 1st part of the movie to get to all the action and suspense in the 2nd part. It was worth it.
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1 0 I agree with the Mist comment. I thought most of the movie was ok, but the ending didn’t do it for me. But then again, I’m not a big fan of Steven King’s books or movies. I did like the Stand and their may be a couple others I thought were “ok”, but he’s just “too out there” for my taste.
Thanks for the info on Sweeny Todd Neme….I’ll have to give it another try. I turned it off once he went back to his apartment and started singing to his razors! lol I really enjoyed the visual effects of the movie, it was just all that singing that got to me!
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1 0 There are some storyline twists and turns and some drama that plays out. As I said, there were some special effects that got to me (not the blood, that was over-the-top and not realistic, imo) and I thought it was clever the way they tied together some of the story arcs.
Dark movie, artistically and cinematically dark. Not my usual kind of movie, I only got it because I’m a Johnny Depp fan (and to an extent, Tim Burton).
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1 0 I thought the end of The Mist was brilliant because it was so outside the norm of typical Hollywood endings. I’m shocked but pleased any had the guts to try it. Love it or hate it you can’t deny it was powerful and surprising. Stephen King by the way has said in interviews he wishes it was the ending he’d thought of for his story and he loudly applauded the filmmakers for doing it.
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1 0 That’s a good point ElDiablo….it was definately outside the norm. I didn’t expect it that’s for sure.
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1 0 fair enough, el diablo, but let me ask both you and CR67: I won’t spoil anything for anyone else: the scene in the car? where the thing is crawling on the windshield, over the top and down the back? Dude, why not just TAKE OFF? Why did they all just sit there, frozen, with silly looks on their faces? My husband and I were cracking up . . .just turn the windshield wipers on or, I don’t know DRIVE AWAY or SOMETHING…..
The other ending , el diablo, that I have seen that I considered “brave” was in a very, very old movie: “To Live and Die in L.A.” Yep, the same one that features the cheesy Wang Chung song of the same name. Worth a rental and so outside the box of “Hollywood endings.”
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1 0 lol….thats funny you said that because i remember thinking the same thing! Excellent point Babs!
But its a movie…whaddya expect?
Same situation in every scary movie…..somebody is being chased and suddenly people forget how to run. They end up tripping over something every single time and then they get up like they fractured their tibia or something and hobble along until whatever chases them finally catches up and well….you know the rest of the story!
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1 0 Oh absolutely; I once wrote a piece for “Drivl” about movie scenes that make no sense. My favorite is still the movie Darkness, which I really wanted to be great. Creepy old Spanish house, weird back story about dad’s mental illness, etc., etc. So blah blah blah, the young heroine is down in the bad guy’s basement; he has her tied to a chair and gagged and is holding up the world’s largest syringe and turns to the girl, with evil intent, raises the shot to inject her . . . and the doorbell rings. Sighing, he sets the syringe down and goes to answer. the. door. ???? Was he expecting a pizza or something??? What was so important that he had to interrupt his evil-doing?
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0 0 We tried watching “No Country for Old Men”. Now I understand it was an award winner, etc. etc. - but most of the movie I sat there thinking “how stupid is this guy, why doesn’t he take the money and do xxx with it?” Guess my common sense trait overrides cat and mouse movies like that - VERY disappointing. I did like “Gone Baby Gone” - not at first, but as the movie twisted and turned with the plot, I really got into it. The end was heartbreaking, first movie in a long time which caused me to shed a few tears. Ben Affleck isn’t much of an actor, but he directed well on this one. I also like how he cast a fair amount of unknowns other than the main characters.
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1 0 Gone Baby Gone was pretty good…
******************spoiler alert****************
******stop reading if you haven’t seen the movie*****
At first the movie made you cheer for the fact that he was busting the Morgan Freeman character in order to get the baby back and return it to the mother, and then it made you realize that being with the mother was the worst possible place for this baby and I think the Afleck character finally realized that in the end. It was definately pretty sad at the end. Another thing that bothered me was his girl leaving him because of his decision to give the baby back to the mother. He was just doing his job, whether it was the right thing to do or not. Poor guy ended up getting the shaft all the way around.
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1 0 ****SPOILER ALERT******** sorta
I read somewhere that the ending contained a little bit of remorse on the part of the main character….he realized, when the little girl corrected him about the name of her doll, that the mother really had no clue about her own child because the mother had been using the wrong name the whole time.
If you want to see a movie in the same vein, but with a happier resolution, rent “Losing Isaiah”. Oh my God, I cried so hard watching that movie, for both the “moms”. It really is a wonderful, often overlooked movie (despite featuring both Jessica Lange and Halle Berry.
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2 0 Cloverfield: Really good movie, although if you get sea sick easily and/or can’t handle watching a very shaky picture the whole movie, than this one may be a little much for you. The whole movie is filmed through a camcorder with the characters running around New York. I completely enjoyed it and although there were a few parts that just weren’t right, having been to NY numerous times, they really insignifigant and most people won’t know the difference.
Definately worth renting. I watched it twice before I took it back.
Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead: Definately not for the kids. But a really good movie with some great twists and turns throughout. Marisa Tomei has a few naked scenes, with the very first scene being pretty graphic even for an R rating. Excellent story though and if language and nudity don’t bother you, definately go rent this one.
Lions for Lambs: This one was surprising. it didnt do too well in the box office and there are like three storys going on simultaneously, but had some great acting.
Wristcutters: Funny, strange, odd dark comedy but definately worth renting.
What Love Is: Staring Cuba Gooding Jr, this movie was hilarious. I actually watched this one twice too. All the characters in this movie talk so fast, by the time you stop laughing at one scene another has you in stitches. The language is pretty strong throughout this whole movie, so I wouldn’t recommend it to the kids. Very very funny movie though.
In The Name of The King: Good Sci-Fi Fantasy action flick. A lot of good actors in this movie. I don’t think it got very good reviews, but I enjoyed it.
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1 0 It’s not a movie I’ve seen lately, but it’s good: The Passion of the Christ.
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1 0 That’s an old one….That’s the movie Mel Gibson made right? That was a good movie, although it’s been awhile since I’ve watched it. A lot of people said this movie would ruin his career. but it never did in the end….although he doesn’t star in as many movies as he used to. I think he’s more into directing now than acting.
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1 0 …..Purrrrr Mel Gibson….
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1 0 Charlie Wilsons War:
Great acting all around. Excellent movie.
Somebody mentioned the movie Orphenage…..I rented it but didnt get far as its got subtitles. I don’t like renting a movie and having to read throughout the whole thing. Someone else will have to review this one.
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1 0 Before I start with my latest movie reviews, there’s one thing I wanted to point out to see if anyone else has noticed this. (I thought I had written about it before but didn’t see it above so I guess not) Before moving to IF, Blockbuster was my video store of choice. They had great rates and were rarely out of the new release movies when they came out. Since moving here I found that Hollywood Video is much better on pricing and being able to keep the movie for 5 days instead of 2 made all the difference in the world. So now I frequent Hollywood Video for the most part, although I will still go into Blockbuster on occassion. The reason I do so is that often times the movie studios will not distribute certain new releases to any other video store besides Blockbuster. I’ve found this out regarding a number of movies over the past couple of years. I’ll go into HV expecting to rent a certain new release and it won’t be available. So I’ll end up driving over to BB where it will be.
I just find it odd that the studios would do that. You would think it would cut into their profits by only releasing the movie to Blockbuster, but I guess it doesn’t. Does anyone else find this annoying?
I used to rent through Netflix, but I got so tired of having to wait 2-3 weeks to get a new release, I cancelled my subscription. I’ve also tried the RedBox 1 dollar rentals places they have scattered around town, (I used the one in Smiths), but found that its hard to get a new release from them as well.
So for now I’ll stick with my MVP pass at Hollywood Video where for 29.99 a month,(automatically deducted from my acct each week) I can rent unlimted movies a month taking out 3 at a time for 5 days. And for as many movies as I rent each month, which is at least 4 or 5 a week, that seems to be the best deal for me.
One Missed Call: (only avail at BB)
I was kind of disapointed with this movie. I thought it would be much scarier. It wasn’t bad though and had a pretty good twist at the end. I just expected more.
Lars and The Real Girl: This movie was a waste of time. Ridiculous movie about a nerdy guy who can’t talk to girls, so he buys this doll off the internet and takes her everywhere and talks to her like she’s real. The whole town freaks out in the beginning but then started going along with it. Personally, I thought it was a waste of 90 minutes but that’s just me. It had a couple funny parts but not enough to make this movie worth renting.
Dead Fish: Pretty good movie, along the lines of “Lock,Stock & Two Smoking Barrels”. Mostly British actors, but at least you could understand them. I thought it was pretty good, and definately worth a rent. It is rated R though for some drug use and heavy language.
Resurrecting The Champ: Decent movie with a good storyline. Excellent acting by Samuel Jackson & Josh Hatnett. Worth a rent.
The Golden Compass: Great movie with excellent special effects, storyline and the CGI was awesome. Great family movie, although not for the younger kids (3-6 maybe) as it is PG13. Although I’m not sure why, perhaps for some of the fight scenes, I’m not entirely sure. It’s a very “light PG13″ if anything.
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1 0 I found the best time to visit Edwards theatre….Monday night! I was bored last night so I decided to go see a movie at Edwards. When I got there a little after 7 I noticed the parking lot was pretty empty, compared to the weekends where you’ll have to drive around for 10 minutes to find a spot. There were no lines at the ticket or snack counter and we were only 2 of 4 other people in the whole theatre so we got excellent seats and guess what…..no babies crying!! We were torn on whether to see Ironman or Harold & Kumar: Escape from Gitmo. We ended up seeing Harod & Kumar which was probably a mistake considering Ironman made over 100 million during it’s opening wknd last week. We had mixed feelings on this movie. Although it had some pretty halirious scenes, overall it was rather sophmoric and cheesy. And definately not a movie for the kids with it’s nudity, drug use and foul language. I still think its worth watching, just wait for it to come out on DVD.
We’re going to go see Ironman later on this week. With that huge an opening, it’s bound to be good. (I hope!)
Most people have “date nights” during the weekend, but I can tell you right now, I for one will be switching it up a bit and going during the week, at least for those times when I want to check out a flick at Edwards. The crowds are non-existant and it’s a much more enjoyable experience. I had pretty much given up on Edwards with all the crowds, the crying babies, and rude people….but since going last night and finding out during the week is definetly the time to go, I’ll frequent Edwards a little more now.
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1 0 Over My Dead Body: Pretty funny movie. Had some corny parts, but all in all, pretty good.
First Sunday: I was disappointed with this one. I thought it would be more like Friday and Next Friday, but it only had a few funny bits. Not very good in my opinion.
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1 0 We just watched Lucky Number Slevin. I ended up guessing most of it because it was so bizarre that it didn’t make sense, as it was played out.
However, if you can stand the violence, (classic man’s movie kind of stuff) then it’s a great movie for all the twists and turns.
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1 0 I liked Lucky Number Slevin, lots of great actors and I liked the plot twists.
Watched I Am Legend last night. I found it heart-pounding scary, and had trouble getting to sleep after.
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1 0 We just watched “No Country for Old Men”. I’m not a fan of movie violence but I adore the Coen brothers. This was classic Coen.
And, when the credits hit, my husband almost yelled, he was so startled. He blurted out in disbelief, “What???!!!”
I had read the comments above so I knew the consensus was that the ending WASN’T really an ending…so I was slightly more prepared. But I was still a little disappointed.
Babs, you said you read the story and threw the book against the wall when you were done. I’m curious…was it for the same reason?? Interesting that both genres of the same material evoked similar responses…
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1 0 IRONMAN
Hollywood blockbuster-special effects- take the kids- it was fun.
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1 0 Nemesis,
I was atually talking about another book for me and CR67 to “throw” because of a cruddy ending: “The Ruins”.
Believe me, having read the book, I was well prepared for the end of “No Country”….
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0 0 I love saw… i can finally now eat while watching those movies now
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1 0 Hey, Frank Wilson…you and my husband, both. But the Saw movies have zero appeal for me (I prefer sci-fi and whodunits, etc that has as little violence as possible).
Apparently your/his kind of movies are very popular, just don’t get too fat while watching them!
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1 0 Mad Money:
Great movie that kept me laughing throughout.
It amazes me that they can make a movie these days without all the violence, language and nudity. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t all the language, violence or nudity, but it was a nice change to see a movie that had none of these things! Amazing!
Good movie though.
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1 0 saw “Untraceable” last week; I need someone who has seen it to answer a question for me…..
not a bad movie but certainly too low for Diane Lane….what was she thinking??
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0 0 I watched it last wknd….whats your question Babs?
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0 0 Hi CR67…
Actually three questions:
one: SPOILER ALERT: how could the guy in the tank of acid be sitting on a chair and remain tied up?? wouldn’t the acid eat through everything, including the rope and the chair?
two: SPOILER!!!!!!!!why was she showing everyone her badge at the end?????
three: SPOILER ALERT: do you think the ending was (unintentionally) hilarious?? was that a rototiller??
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0 0 Good questions!
**********spoiler alert***********
Regarding the acid eating through the ropes…..I think because the tank was full of water and the acid was added in slowly, could explain that one.
I wondered the same thing about her showing everyone her badge. Didn’t make much sense to me!
And the ending definately could have been better.
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1 0 PS I Love You:
pretty good movie for a “chick flick”.
I Am Legend:
I watched this movie about a month ago, but re-rented it in BluRay format. All I can say is “Wow”! Even better than the first time I watched it.
Did anyone see the “Orphanage” yet? I heard it got great reviews, but I couldn’t get into it since it’s got subtitles. Just wondering if it was worth re-renting.
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1 0 Recently watched ‘Before The Devil Knows Your Dead’. I thought it was pretty good, and so did my friend. Actually, we both thought it should have been nominated for a Oscar. Definetly a must see.
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1 0 I agree Nunya….great movie!
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1 0 Indiana Jones 4 was okay. It had some good stunts but several of the skits were unbelieveable: surviving a nuke attack in a refrigerator, going over 3 large waterfalls, or surviving the aliens at the end…..it was a bit of a disappointment and seemed like Spielberg stole from “ET”, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, and “American Graffiti” because he ran out of ideas.
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1 0 I heard Harrison Ford’s character was funny because they appropriately “aged” him, in a funny way. Kind of like those of us who grew up with the original movies of that era are aging too!
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1 0 I watched “The Flock” last night. It had Richard Gere and Claire Danes in it, pretty decent flick. Worth a rent!
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1 0 Watched “Cleaner” this evening. Stars Samuel L Jackson, Ed Harris, Eva Mendes. Great movie about a person that cleans up crime scenes, Samuel Jackson. Good story, great acting all around. There weren’t very many copies of this DVD on the shelf and that usually bothers me, since more often than not that means its not very good, but I was pleasantly surprised. Definately worth a rent!
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1 0 my favorite “cleaner” reference was in the movie “Cats and Dogs” when they send in the “cleaners” (dogs) to clean up the house after a cat and dog fight. Very cute.
But I also loved Harvey Keitel as the cleaner in two movies……
can anyone name them?? Both, I believe, 90’s vintage………..
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0 0 Why, yes! 1993’s Point of No Return (”Victor”) and 1994’s Pulp Fiction (”The Wolf”).
But I was more a fan of “The Piano”. I got to see much more of Harvey in that one…
Well, what can I say? That creamed corn and lima bean concoction you served up online is keeping me awake…
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0 0 Wow, Nemesis, you do know your movies!! Wasn’t he creepily great??
I chose not to see the Piano; didn’t want to ruin it by seeing “Little Harvey” ha ha ha ha
imagine if you’d actually EATEN the cc/lima bean duo……
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1 0 The Air I Breathe: This movie had a lot of great actors in it. Good story and great acting all around. It had a type of “Crash” feel to it where all the characters ended up being linked to one another at the end. Very suspenseful with some great twists.
The 13th Floor: This movie came out late 1999/early 2000, but I just recently heard about it, so I watched it this wknd. Pretty good story with a kind of “Matrix” feel to it where the main characters would tap into a computer program to explore another world. Until the characters inside this program found out and realized their world wasn’t real. Pretty good story.
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1 0 Watched “The Eye” with Jessica Alba last night. Well….not “with” her per se’, rather starring her. Excellent movie. Lost of suspense. No blood/gore or bad language, just some scary images at times. Good story though.
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1 0 American Crude: A rather strange but interesting movie, I liked it. worth a rent if you want something other than that standard “cookie cutter” hollywood ending.
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0 0 ok one harry potter is suck not hating im just sick of movies that suck watch a real movie like eternal sunshine of the spotless mind and youll understand why harry potter sucks 300 was brilliant but i wouldnt watch it more than 3 times i mean has the world got to the point where we settle for movies that are okay? and not movies that inspire us and fill us with hope and dreams thats what movies are about to begin with there works of art i just saw the movie the air i breath i do highly recommend this one
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0 0 and CR67 ur brilliant im sick of going to movie theaters and watching a movie like the new Indiana Jones which i give a 1/10 cause for one thing it doesnt contenue the true story of Indiana Jones im not hating on the series i loved the first three the last one almost made me cry cause i was soo happy they came out with a new one it just goes to show u that the industry is more worried about money and getting things done quicker than true entertainment
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2 0 The Bucket List: Great movie with Jack Nicholson & Morgan Freeman. (absolutely incredible on BluRay) Great story and kind of a tear jerker at the end but an excellent plot and it’ll make you want to call your parents when it’s over.
Jumper: Excellent “popcorn flick”. Could have had a better story to it and the ending was kind of abrupt, but I really enjoyed it. Worth renting.
National Treasure 2: I thought it was just as good as the first one, although a tad bit unrealitic at times. Not bad.
Semi Pro: I don’t know why I bothered renting this because I can’t stand Will Ferrell. Unless you really have nothing better to do, don’t bother will this one!
Get Smart: If you were a fan of the original tv series you’ll like this movie. Although I thought it was going to be a lot better than it was. It was ok, but I would wait and rent it instead of spend the money at the theatre.
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2 0 Okay, you all must rent “My Kid Could Paint That”, a documentary that, on its surface, is about a child “art” prodigy…a 4 year old creating masterpieces that sell for 10’s of 1,000’s of dollars….but then, questions arise as to who is really painting these works of art? Very well done movie……I loved it.
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2 0 CR, I mildly enjoyed “Jumper” I saw it on an airplane. What bothered me about it and wondered if you thought the same thing. The guys that chased the Jumpers, there only real reason for chasing them is because they are pissed that the Jumpers can “jump”. I thought a bit more effort could of gone into why these jumpers were such a menice to society, other than “we just don’t like it”. Or did I miss something during the dinner service?
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2 0 You nailed it Herb! I completely agree and wondered the same thing. They had a great concept with this movie and it could have been so much better had they taken the time to delve into why “the chasers” (or whatever they called themselves) do what they do.
Thanks for the input, my thoughts exactly!
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2 0 We just saw an unrated version of “Bound” from 1996 by the Wachowski brothers (who went on to do the Matrix trilogy).
I really liked it, there were a lot of twists and turns and it reminded me of Coen Brothers films…and I really enjoy their stuff.
Not family fare in any way.
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3 0 Yesterday we also saw “Death at a Funeral” which was directed by Frank Oz. It was a hoot, a huge farce, although I enjoyed it more than my husband (he’s not so much into the British humor as I am).
The gag reel left MUCH to be desired, it was mostly repetitive takes of the same scenes where the actors couldn’t function because they giggled incessantly.
But the movie itself left ME giggling even today as I recalled various scenes.
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2 0 you all really should rent “My Kid Could Paint That” as mentioned and also “American Movie”…both documentaries, both in turns funny, heartbreaking and thought-provoking.
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0 0 The Post Register ran a story today about the two local drive in’s and how they are not open this summer. The statement from the owner of the drive in was curious as it sounds like she got defensive and refused to give a reason why they weren’t open saying its “personal.” I can’t help but wonder if she’s had a lien or something put on her and her equipment was seized. I can’t think of any other reason someone would dodge the question with a “its personal” comment. If she wasn’t making enough money to stay in business she would just say so. Plus earlier this summer there were signs on the windows saying they were closed due to equipment problems. Not having the equipment would be a problem.
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0 0 I was curious about that drive in situation myself. I hardly ever go to the movies, I usually buy them when they come out on DVD.
But I’ve gone to the drive in at least once per season, so I will miss them being open. Hopefully that “personal” problem gets resolved.
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0 0 owner died. the she they speak of is daughter who does not live here,and cannot run theater.info at garagesale north of motorview.
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0 0 Ah, and probably can’t put up the businesses for sale until the estate is probated…?
Thanks, anon #151, for the tip.
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2 0 Stop Loss is a great movie about our soldiers after the do a tour of duty and are supposed to go home or get out of the military and the govt turns them right around and sends them back to do another tour. Very compelling movie and I highly recommend it. Rated R though so it’s not for children or the faint of heart.
There’s a documentary I look forward to seeing (although I can’t remember the name right now) about the killings, torture and inhumane treatment our govt has been inflicting upon prisoners at Gitmo and other secret prisons outside the US.
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3 0 Time to catch up on my movie reviews:
Vantage Point - I was rather disappointed with this movie. While it had some great actors in it, it just didn’t work for me. The premise of the movie is in the title where the story of an assisination attempt on the President is told through something like 5 different vantage points. You watch the assisination from one view point, than the story rewinds and you watch it from another and another and so on. While there are little variations and different clues to look for between each vantage point, you basically watch the same few minutes over and over again, which gets real old by the 3rd vantage point. The last 15-20 minutes were really good, but overall a lame movie.
Drillbit Taylor - Had some funny parts but overall not a very good movie at all.
College Road Trip - Another extremely boring and not very funny movie.
The Bank Job - Pretty good movie inspired by a true story. Not enough action for my liking, but overall a pretty decent movie. Worth a rent. (rated R so definitely not for the younguns or those easily offended by sex, violence or language)
10,000 BC - Excellent movie visually, especially if you have Blu-Ray, but the storyline itself was lacking. I was hoping for much more.
Spiderwick Chronicles - Not so much for the adults of the house, but the kids will more than likely enjoy it. Not for those under 6-7 though as it had a few scenes that may be too scary for them.
The Ruins - Not a bad horror flick imo. It was original and gruesome, everything you look for in a horror film. Boring at times, but overall not bad. Worth a rent if you like this genre.
Fools Gold - Another excellent movie to watch on Blu-Ray. The acting left a little to be desired but I thought it was a decent popcorn flick and it had some funny parts. It got terrible reviews and I’m sure I probably liked it a little more than most because of where the movie was filmed and knowing many of the locations.
Definitely, Maybe - Excellent movie. I highly recommend watching this one with the “better half”. Great acting and some very funny parts. (bit of a tear jerker as well)
In Bruges - Pretty decent dark comedy. A little slow at times, but worth a rent. Strong R rating though so be advised.
I have a few more but I’ll save them for later.
Rented 21 last night but haven’t watched it yet.
Has anyone seen The Dark Knight ? Looking forward to that one.
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2 0 I didnt like No Country For Old Men I thought it was horrible and gimmicky.
That movie is all hype if you ask me.
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5 0 Here’s a few of my latest:
Prom Night: an absolute horrible horror flick that will make you scratch your head and say “are you kidding me”? Don’t waste your time.
Smart People: This movie as funny and serious at the same time. I think we all know or have known a few of these people: high IQ’s, but not so bright in social settings. Pretty good movie, worth a rent.
Street Kings: An “ok” action flick that have a few obvious twists at the end, but all in all not bad. Both Keanu Reeves and Forrest Witaker held this movie together and kept it interesting..
21: Pretty good movie about the MIT students who learned to count cards and take Vegas for a ride. The only problem I found is they left out quite a bit from the actual documentary and the book. Still, pretty good movie.
Doomsday: A futuristic end of the world horror flick. Much much better than prom night. If a little gore doesn’t bother you, you’ll like this movie.
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5 0 Forgot a couple…
Quid Pro Quo:
Interesting movie in which a wheelchair bound radio talk show host investigates a certain group of perverse individuals (who are otherwise healthy) that have a desire to be disabled. Some even going as far as having healthy limbs amputated. It’s hard to label this movie as a thriller or a suspense, I guess it’s just an odd drama. It’s not gory or gruesome at all and has a type of modern Hitchcock flair to it. I think it’s a very interesting film and I highly recommend it.
The Life Before Her Eyes:
This is a story about a young girl who witnesses or rather is a part of, a school shooting and how she relives this day as an adult. She encounters the shooter who ends up shooting her and then turns the gun on himself. It then shows her life as an adult and how much it’s crippled her emotionally. (although she healed fine on the outside) It’s stars Uma Thurman who did a great job acting. I also recommend this one although it does show the aftermath of the shooting so it has a few bloody scenes. Nothing too gruesome though.
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4 1 CR67….that first one sounds similar to a movie out years ago, something like “Crash” but not the recent award-winning crash, about a bunch of adreneline junkies…deliberately getting into auto accidents, etc., for the “high” of it. . . gruesome.
I saw “Shutter” the other night, on DVD. . . very atmospheric with a bit of a twist at the end. . . young couple in Japan, which seems to be sorta formulaic these days, but worth a rental if you like creepy. I do!
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1 2 I spelled adrenaline wrong above. . . .
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4 0 I saw Shutter. I liked it as well. I watch so many movies during the week, I sometimes forget to post reviews of them all. And I try to just post the ones that I think are worth watching. But will occasionally try to post some that I think are terrible as well, so nobody wastes their time/money. But then again what one person likes is not necessarily what someone else will like so it’s all a matter of opinion.
I really liked Crash, that’s one of my favorites. Very good storyline.
Thanks for your input Easterner!
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3 1 ….any other Japanese remakes you can recommend??? I have seen Ringu and The Ring (I and II); thought they were all excellent; saw “The Grudge” and Ju-On….not sure how much I liked the original, to be honest. . .
would like to see the original “Shutter”, a Thai movie, not Japanese, I’m told. . .
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5 0 Sorry, I really can’t recommend many Japanese remakes. I’ve watched Ring 1&2 and the Grudge 1&2 and that’s about it. I wasn’t too impressed with the Ring or Grudge 2, but I thought both originals were good. I’ve always wanted to rent Ringu as I hear thats a great movie. Haven’t seen Ju-on. I’m not really into movies with subtitles. There’s just something about having to read what the actors are saying while trying to watch the movie. You end up missing most of the action because you’re too busy reading. Or watch as the words don’t match whats coming out of their mouth. But that’s just me. I’m sure I’m probably missing out on some really good movies because of it.
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4 0 I’m partial to odd movies that aren’t really mainstream. If you like family friendly zombies, rent Fido.
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5 0 Fido was a funny odd movie.
I liked Smart People that was also an odd but funny movie.
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1 0 That;s a newer one, isn’t it? I’ll definitely check it out.
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1 0 Yeah Alice, I believe it just came out last week.
I think you’ll like it if you like “odd” movies.
I rented “What Happens In Vegas” tonight so I’ll let you all know what I think.
Have a great evening everyone!
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8 0 Hey CR - just wanted to thank you for the movie reviews you provide. When I get the little time I do to rent movies nowadays, I sometimes recall what you’ve written. You write pretty level headed, forthright reviews and it’s helpful coming from a “common Joe” rather than those paid big bucks on TV or via the paper to voice their opinion. Nice job.
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6 0 Thanks reader, I appreciate your comments! I like all different genre of movies and I know everyone has different tastes so I try to keep it simple and to the point. I often check out a few movie sites before I rent to get an idea of what the “professional” critics like or dislike, but sometimes they don’t always match up with how I feel about a movie, so I try to take that into consideration when writing a review. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read a review that got great reviews from the “professinoals”, only to rent it and end up having a completely different opinion, and visa versa with some of those movies that were given bad reviews.
As you can from tell from the dozens of comments I’ve left that I’m a huge movie buff so it’s my pleasure to offer you guys my opinion.
Thanks again!
btw….I watched “What Happens In Vegas” tonight and it was hilarious. It stars Ashton Kutcher & Cameron Diaz and is one of the funniest romantic comedies I’ve seen in a long time. He lost his job and she got dumped by her fiance and to drown their sorrows they decide to go to Vegas where they meet. After a night of partying they wake up married. The next morning after agreeing it was a mistake and decide to break up with each other he puts HER last quarter in a slot machine and hits the jackpot worth 3 million dollars. The judge sentences them to 6 months of living as husband & wife before they can divorce and that’s when the hijinks ensue. This is a must rent that I think everyone will enjoy. It’s PG13 so it has a little foul language, but nothing too bad.
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0 0 Oh come on CR, you loved it b/c Cameron Diaz was sashaying around in her underwear!
Haven’t seen any reviews from you lately, are you on a movie rental vacation?
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4 1 You’re funny reader. (you got me!)
I’ve got lots of reviews for ya, just took a break from the net for a couple weeks but I’m back.
Here’s a few of my most recent viewings:
How To Rob A Bank:
I was pleasantly surprised with this one even though it got horrible reviews. Evidently was written & directed by a first timer and personally I thought he did a pretty good job. it’s about a guy who goes to withdraw his last 20 bucks from his acct, but because of the 1.50 fee his bank charges him he ends up with insufficient funds. So he goes to the bank to talk to someone about this and walks in on a bank robbery. He ends up getting locked in the vault with one of the bank robbers, who just happens to be a cute girl. It’s a lighthearted comedy crime caper. I thought it was a pretty funny movie and worth a rent. I think it’s rated PG.
Baby Mama:
I didn’t expect this movie to be very funny but I found myself laughing out loud throughout the majority of it. Steve Martin also plays a role in this movie as a aging hippy owner of a health food corporation. Surprisingly good movie. PG13
The Forbidden Kingdom:
If you like old martial arts movies like Enter The Dragon or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, you’ll may like this one. I wasn’t very impressed with the storyline, but the action and special effects were excellent. The best scene in the movie was watching Jackie Chan & Jet Li go up against each other. That scene alone was worth the price of the rental imo. But if you don’t like this genre, don’t bother as the movie itself was rather lame. PG13
The Last Winter:
If you like the horror genre you’ll probably like this one. It’s about a crew 6 or 7 that are a part of a big oil company in the Alaska wilderness when their team starts dying off mysteriously one by one. Not a bad movie, but not that great either. It definitely had some scary moments though. rated R
That’s all for now. I have a few more which I’ll post later.
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4 1 Heckler:
This is a documentary by actor/comedian Jamie Kennedy. I’m not a big fan of his at all, but I highly recommend this movie. Jamie interviews hecklers and critics in this movie as well as other comedians and actors. They talk about online critics and bullies as well and it’s really an interesting documentary.
Growing up in a large metropolitan area I had the opportunity to frequent the local comedy clubs on a regular basis. It really is amazing how rude people get in these establishments after they’ve had a few drinks. It was also interesting to see how alot of comedians deal with hecklers during and after their show.. I think Joe Rogan put it best though, whether in life or online, people are and will critcize you for whatever they can. But it’s what you do about it that defines you. It’s how you let it affect you that makes all the difference in the world. It goes back to the “thick skin” issue we’ve discussed on this site on a number of occasions. It was interesting to see how upset some comedians got and how cool and collected others were. Jamie Kennedy was the worse. He let the critical comments really get to him and it shows him confronting a number of critics and hecklers from the crowd and almost breaking down in tears a couple of times.
Be aware that this movie is rated R and has some very strong language in it. But aside from that, it’s a definite must see.
Looking forward to watching Al Pacino in 88 Minutes tonight!
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4 1 88 Minutes:
This movie got terrible reviews but I didn’t think it was all that bad. But I’m also a big Al Pacino fan, so perhaps that swayed my opinion just a tad.
Anyway, this movie was about a college professer (Pacino) who also works with the FBI and who put away this serial rapist/murder 9 years earlier. The psycho was due to be executed but before that was to happen he set out to murder the professor from his jail cell. It all starts with a phone call he received telling him he’s got 88 minutes to live. The movie is all over the place for most of this time so you really have to pay attention to what’s happening. He attempts to teach his class, find out who’s after him and keep from getting killed all while trying to help solve the murders of a couple of his students in the process. Aside from Al Pacino its got a few other decent actors which everyone should recognize. I hoped for a much better flick but at the same time it really wasn’t that bad. As always Pacino did an awesome job in his role.
It’s rated R for language and a couple of bloody scenes but it wasn’t that gruesome. They probably could have gotten away with a PG13 rating IMO.
It’s Speed Racer tonight so I’ll let you know what I think of this one tomorrow. From what I’ve read people either love it or hate it. I’m hoping I enjoy it since I like most everything the Wachowski brothers have put out. We’ll see how they manage to merge live action with animation. Looks like a Roger Rabbit type movie to me.
Have a great day everyone!
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4 1 Speed Racer - colorful but dull
When I was a youngster speed racer used to be my favorite cartoon. This movie just didn’t live up to all the hype. It looked great on BluRay in High Defintion and was the most colorful movies I’ve ever watched, but as for the storyline itself, not my cup of tea. I think they ruined it by trying to do a live action cartoon. They should have either made it live action or an animation, not a combination of both.
I think kids ages 5 through 14 will probably like this movie, but everyone else shouldn’t bother unless they’ve got nothing better to watch.
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2 1 I still need to rent 88 Minutes….
Thanks for the info about Speedracer….
You all must rent John Carpenter’s “The Thing”…talk about a cheeseball-fest!! but funny! You can actually buy it on line for the price of a rental……good Halloween movie. Watch closely for appearances by Wilford Brimley (!!!) and for an appearance by Kurt Russell’s unusually large hat.
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4 1 Made of Honor:
Very funny romantic comedy. Patrick Dempsey is “Tom” who is a self made millionare and a womanizer. His best friend “Hannah” who happens to be a woman and his complete opposite, but they get along great as friends. One day her work takes her to Scotland for 6 weeks and when she returns she’s engaged to be married. She asks Tom to be her maid of honor which he relunctantly agrees to since, well because he’s a man. He takes on the job with gusto and during this time he realizes he’s actually in love with her.
It’s a pretty good movie with lots of laughs. The PG13 rating is for some foul language and mild sexual content.
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1 1 “The Invasion”, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig: LOVED it and I wanted to hate it!!!!!! Thought she would be terrible and she was amazing (kinda like in “The Others”….another wonderful, creepy movie featuring N.K.)………….very good sorta remake of “Invasion of the Body Snatcher” only you don’t have to look at Donald Sutherland naked……
hmm, I just thought of three movies, including this one, in which Donald Sutherland appears naked in whole or in part……that is three too many but can anyone name the other two????
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1 0 I think I saw his butt in Animal House
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1 0 oops and the other one was Space Cowboys. Do I win anything! lol
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0 0 kudos to you both…..Herb, I did not see Space Cowboys and now I am glad I did not; that makes 4 naked Donald Sutherland movies and, again, that is 4 too many, IMO……..
I was thinking of the old horror classic, the title of which is pretty funny, given our segueway here: it is called……….”Don’t Look Now”. ha ha ha….
you both win a case of squawky….
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1 0 A case of squawky!! I knew I should have taken the time and googled him! sigh….. oh well, maybe next time.
I think subconscieously (sp?) I didn’t want to see his nekkid butt!
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0 0 OR consciously…..ewwwwww……
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3 0 Noise:
This movie starred Tim Robbins who’s annoyed with car alarms that go off needlessly throughout the day and night and nobody pays any attention to them. H decides to do something about it. This movie has a great ending. Having lived in a number of large cities the premise behind this movie really hit home. This was a great movie imo but definitely not for the youngsters due to foul language and nudity. Rated R
Ironman:
Lots of action and a great storyline. It looks great on BluRay in HiDef and leaves you thinking there will more than likely be a sequel.
PG13 for some language and brief suggestive content
Forgetting Sarah Marshall:
Kind of a stupid movie but had some really funny parts. Glad I didnt spend the money at the theatre to watch this one, but it was worth renting. Anyone who’s had their heart broken can really relate to this flick. Rated R for nudity and language.
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1 0 Does it seem like some movies come out on DVD quicker than others? Maybe it’s just me.
How and who determines when a movie is released to DVD? Do the different studios determine this or is there a standard time frame on all movies and I’m just imagining this?
My children have been waiting patiently for Kung Fu Panda to come out and it seems like that movie was in theaters back in January/Feb, so why isn’t it on DVD yet? I did a search online and it won’t be out until November 9th.
Great reviews by the way, I really enjoy reading them. I wish the studios would make more G rated movies though. Why is it all G rated movies have to be animated these days? Whatever happened to the G rated movies of my day, like Herbie the love bug or Apple dumpling gang. There aren’t many regular PG movies either. Most are PG13 or R these days and it’s ashame. Our family loves to watch movies, but we kind of get burnt out watching nothing but animation. Has anyone tried “Clean Flix” located off of Woodruff and 17th? Do they cut out too much of the movie to make it worth watching?
Sorry for all the questions. I just thought this would be a great place to ask them.
Thanks in advance for your help.
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1 0 I’ve noticed that too Bewildered. It seems like Ironman & Indiana Jones came out really soon after they were in theaters. Although maybe it just seems that way because they were in the theater for so long. Interesting question regardless.
Well, here are my latest viewings:
You Don’t Mess With The Zohan:
If you like Adam Sandler’s type of humor you’ll love this movie. It’s definitely not for the young ones in your family as there’s a lot of crude humor and swearing. I enjoyed it though and think it’s worth a rent if you don’t mind foul language. Although it’s a “stupid funny” type of movie, it had me laughing throughout much of the movie. The theatrical release is PG13 and they have an unrated version.
Run Fat Boy Run:
Another “stupid funny” kind of flick. It’s about a guy who left his pregnant fiance’ at the alter. The story takes up 6-7 years later. He’s got a lousy life, he’s out of shape and miserable and realizes he will never find another woman like the one he left. The only thing he has to live for is his son who he gets to see every other weekend. After meeting his ex’s new boyfriend and finds out he’s rich, good looking, in great shape and runs marathons for charity, he decides he’s going to run a 27 mile charity in an attempt to win his ex back. While it’s got some cheesy parts, overall it’s a pretty funny movie with a good storyline. I think it’s rated PG13
Leatherheads:
Pretty good movie with George Clooney and Renee Zelleweger. it’s set back in the mid 1920’s with George Clooney attempting to get professional football popular by hiring a college football star to bring in fans. It’s called “leatherheads” because back then the helmets they wore were made of padded leather. If you’re a football fan or a George Clooney fan you’ll probably enjoy this movie.
Rated PG13 for some strong language
The Happening:
This horror suspense by M. Night Shyamalan stars Mark Walberg and Zooey Dashanel. I’m a huge M.Night Shyamalan fan but this one just didn’t do it for me. it’s an end of the world type flick where something “in the air” effects people and makes them kill themselves. Nobody can figure out what it is or how it started, only that it’s spread by the wind and people are dropping dead left and right. It really doesn’t make much sense and the ending was pretty bad as well. Whatever was making these people kill each other just stops and people go on about there lives. I would have to say don’t waste you time, but I know fans of M. Night will end up watching it anyways. Rated R for violence
Will be watching War, Inc this evening.
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1 0 I forgot to list Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull:
This was a pretty good movie although the end was a little “out there”. Lots of action and great CGI moments. Like Ironman, this one is a must rent.
Rated PG13 for some violence
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0 0 thanks for the tips CR67….I still want to see the Happening……I so loved Signs but I know this one isn’t nearly as good…..
always a fun time of year to watch cheesy horror flicks…I am working my way through all the Halloweens……Resurrection actually had a few spooky moments…….
anyone know a really, really good, scary horror movie???
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0 0 Didn’t you mention to me in the CB a couple weeks ago that you haven’t seen Saw? Saw 1 & 2 were really good so check those out. Descent was good and so was The Hills Have Eyes. I’ll try and think of some more good ones I’ve seen. I’ve pretty much seen them all. I like a good horror suspense as opposed to just all blood and guts with no storyline.
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1 0 The Devil’s Chair
Not so typical B horror flick, has a bit of a humorous side. I’d suggest it to anybody that digs blood, gore and crassness in a British dialect. Decent movie, and should be available at Hollywood Video. It’s an import, so I’m not entirely sure what the availability around here is.
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0 0 thanks guys! will check those out this weekend…..
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1 0 I rented The Devils Chair last wknd from Hollywood video. It was kind of cheesy but at the same time had a different twist to it. I guess it wasn’t bad for a B movie. That monster though was what really had me laughing. Definitely a low budget flick. I think it could have been a much better picture with a larger budget and the right studio behind it. Lots of gore for sure!
Hollywood video rents alot of low budget B movies. While I rent most of my movies from them I still keep my Blockbuster membership because there are a lot of new releases that come out that are only exclusive to Blockbuster and the studios won’t let any other video store carry them. Plus they offer more copies of BluRay per title compared to Hollywood Video. But the girl behind the counter said they were going to start stocking alot more come the first of the year. As well as older movies in BluRay format, so that’s good news.
One thing I don’t like about Blockbuster is they charge more money to rent a BluRay disc then they do a regular DVD whereas it’s the same price either format at HV.
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0 0 I have a hard time with opening up my wallet for a video rental. I usually borrow from friends and such.
And on the topic of wallet…I’m too cheap for BluRay or an HD TV ;). I’m really starting to get sick of youth - I’d like to skip the next 10 years and just fast forward to financial stability and overall success, LOL.
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1 0 I hear ya Marcus, but don’t rush it. Once you hit 30 time really fly’s and you start missing your younger years.
There are only a few shows on tv that I like so I end up watching a lot of movies. On average 4-6 a week. Hollywood Video has a really good deal going with their MVP (movie value pass). For 24.99 a month you can rent up to 2 movies at a time (any movie in the store) and keep them as long as you want. Watch them and bring them back and get 2 more. At 6 movies a week, 4 bucks a movie, I would easily spend that much in a week, so it’s a good deal for me. They also have a 14.99 montly plan for 2 movies, keep up to 5 days which includes “most” new releases & all of their older titles.
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4 0 My latest viewings…..
Journey To The Center of The Earth: 3D
Unfortunately it doesn’t come close to being as good as the book was, however, it’s a wonderful family film that the whole family will enjoy. If you have a BluRay player you’ll absolutely love the 3D version of this movie. Incredible eye popping scenes with some parts that will have you jumping out of your seat. Great family fun! I also watched the 2D version and it’s just as good. This film got a PG rating although I’m not quite sure why. After looking it up online, it noted the rating was for “intense adventure action and some scary moments”. Definitely worth a rent!
The Incredible Hulk:
I was pleasantly surprised with this one. While I thoroughly enjoyed Ironman, I didn’t expect the Hulk to be anything to brag about. Boy was I wrong. Great story, great acting by Edward Norton as the Hulk, and great special effects. It’s a must rent in my opinion and pay attention to the very end of the movie for an interesting reference to Ironman and the future of both of these characters. Rated PG13 for “intense action violence & frigtening sci-fi images”.
The Strangers:
I actually fell asleep during this movie the first time I watched it. I watched it again the next night and it was definitely creepy. The beginning is extremely boring but stick with it. It takes a little while to understand what’s going on and to really get into the movie. The ending was creep and I think what scares you the most is knowing that this movie was based on actual events. Check it out if enjoy the horror genre. Rated R
War Inc.
This movie stars John & Joan Cusak & Marisa Tomei. I was rather disappointed with this one. I like all 3 actors but the storyline just didn’t do it for me. It did have a couple of decent action scenes, but don’t bother unless you’ve got nothing better to watch. If you want a good John Cusak movie, rent Grosse Point Blank. Rated R
Get Smart:
If you like Steve Carrell you love this movie. This movie has a whole host of other decent actors including Adam Arkin, Bill Murray, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne “the rock” Johnson, James Caan, Kevin Nealon. I grew up watching re-runs of the tv show Get Smart so I enjoyed how much of the show they incorporated into the movie. Get family movie although I wouldn’t suggest it for the little ones. It got a PG13 for language and some violence. This is a must rent!
Zombie Strippers:
The beginning of this movie started out pretty good, but 30 minutes in, turned into basically an hour of a visual description of the title. I turned it off about half-way through. It was just too stupid and pointless to waste anymore of my time on. Don’t waste your time on this one either!
Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull:
Harrison Ford is back after almost 20 years for this 3rd installment of the Indiana Jones series. He did an awesome job in this movie which had a number of other great actors. Great storyline and great special effects. The ending left a little to be desired….not what I expected, but it’s worth a rent regardless. PG13 for adventure violence and scary images. Not for the little ones, but certainly fine for the teens. No foul language or nudity here.
I have a few more but nothing really worth mentioning.
Have a great weekend everyone!
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0 0 We bought Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D in regular DVD, not blue ray. The 3D was a bit disappointing, but we figured that it was because it was on a tv instead of a huge screen. Did the blue ray make the 3D turn out better?
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2 0 “The Strangers” creeped me out…..talk about a creepy, intense movie……very disturbing…….
thanks for the pics CR67
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3 0 Hi Alice,
I’m not sure how it looks on standard tv, but it didn’t turn out well for you huh? Was it in 3D at all or did it just not look as well as you expected it to look? It’s been awhile, but I’ve seen a 3D movie on a standard set before, so I know that it can look good whether or not it’s standard or high definition. All I know is that it was pretty amazing when I watched it. And really my plasma set isn’t very big (especially considering whats out there these days) mines just a 42 inch set.
Thats a real bummer thought that it didn’t turn out well for you. I don’t want to spoil the movie for those that haven’t seen it, but you recall that part with them on the raft and those fish jumping out of the water right? I was so into the movie at that point, when that part came on I literally jumped to the side because it looked like those fish were jumping right at me. It was pretty wild. Most of the movie was like that…like you could just reach out and touch the characters and what not.
Well, hopefully we can get some others to give us their input and see if anyone else watched the 3D version on a standard definition set. Maybe you got a bad disc or perhaps something wasn’t set up correctly? I can understand how disappointing it can be though…you purchase a movie expecting 3D and for it not to turn out right or the way you expect it should must be frustrating. We’ll have to keep checking back on input from others.
Hey Easterner….Strangers WAS creepy wasn’t it? (shiver!) Disturbing for sure!
Have a good wknd guys!
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2 0 Okay, you all should rent “Trans-Siberian”……..OMG, what a great, great movie; other than one (almost unnecessarily) violent scene, there is almost no blood or gore…….just lots of suspense, Hitchcock-style, with some incredible camera work……..not sure where it was shot but it looked like what I would picture to be Siberia………
really good film; definitely worth a rental and also features Woody Harrelson in a very understated role: kind of a hapless doofus, but maybe not? Hmmmm……
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3 0 That’s funny you would give a good review on this movie Easterner. I just logged on and was going to suggest this movie as well when I noticed you beat me to it. TransSiberian was a great movie and I was very impressed. While there weren’t very many copies of this movie on the shelf, I have found in the past that that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not a good movie. I don’t recall it being in the theatres but I did see the trailer on a DVD I rented last week and it looked really good. As Easterner noted, very “Hitchcock-ian style movie starring Woody Harrelson & Ben Kingsley. Definitely a role I’ve never seen Woody Harrelson play before.
It is rated R though for some languange, and just a couple violent/bloody scenes, but it all went well with the movie. It really looked like it was filmed in Siberia.
Definately worth a rent!
For a great family film, check out Kung Fu Panda. Very funny animated movie starring Jack Black as the panda and at least a half a dozen other big name actors doing the voice over work for the other characters. (Dustin Hoffman, Lucy Lui, Jackie Chan just to name a few) Not sure what the PG rating was for….animated kungfu violence I guess. Very funny movie with a great storyline.
Sukiyaki Western Django: I wasn’t very impressed with this movie and only rented it because it had Quentin Tarantino in it. I thought it looked good when I watched the trailer, but basically the trailer shows all the half-way decent parts of the movie. Not worth renting unless you’ve got nothing better to watch.
Rated R
Hellboy II : If you liked the first Hellboy, you’ll like this one. Lots of great action and special effects.
Rated PG13
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1 0 Hey, what can I say? Great minds think alike!
What did you think about the truly gory scene: do you think it was necessary? To show what and who everyone really “was” ?? Still not sure about that……and Woody was a hoot to watch! “Honey, was your hotel room that bad? Honey?” Hilarious! But, yet, was he as clueless as he seemed???
I assume you all saw “Wall E”……..great film for all. You may never eat a Twinkie again.
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1 0 They probably could have done without that scene, but I kinda think it was necessary in “getting them to talk”.
I haven’t seen Wall E yet. I didn’t even realize it was out. I’ll have to check Blockbuster. Often times there are certain movies that come out that are only exclusive to Blockbuster. I usually rent from Hollywood Video because they’re much cheaper and you can keep the movies longer, plus their BluRay selection is second to none. (compared to BB at least)
I end up having to visit Blockbuster every couple of weeks to rent the movies that are exclusive to them only.
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1 0 Wall-e comes out tomorrow (Tuesday), and if you haven’t seen it, you definitely should!
I saw it and I will be at the store tomorrow to buy it ; )
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1 0 Thanks Alice!
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3 0 I have to say, I was impressed with “Ironman” starring Robert Downey Jr. (among others). I’m not generally into all that robot-sci-fi-future- etc. type of movies, but this one had a really decent plot, good characters and it actually held my interest. Not to mention the really sweet cars featured in some scenes.
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4 0 I agree Reader, I was also very impressed with his performance in Ironman. If you thought that was good, you have to see his performance in Tropic Thunder: I have to start off by letting everyone know, this movie is extremely vulgar, riddled with profanity and has a few pretty nasty bloody scenes in it which give it a strong R rating. With that being said, if that kind of stuff doesn’t bother you, you’re going to love this movie. I thought it was absolutely hilarious and I laughed pretty much throughout the whole movie. Robert Downey Jr.s role playing a black man is priceless. Tom Cruise also has a pretty substantial role in this movie although you won’t recognize him at first, but as soon as you figure it out you’ll laugh out loud at every scene he’s in. Nick Nolte also plays a pretty decent role as does Matthew McConaughey. When this movie first came out everyone was up in arms over the whole “retarded scene”, but personally I thought that was blown out of proportion. (who knows, maybe it was a ploy by the studios in order to sell more tickets) While I’m sure this movie may be offensive to some, if you go into this movie just looking to have a good time for 2 hours, it will certainly deliver. Sure, they could have made this movie without all the profanity and ranchiness, but it is what it is and if you look beyond all of that, you’ll see some incredible acting done by everyone in this movie and you’ll come away from it being completely entertained. It was one of the funniest movies I’ve seen all year. Rated R - definitely not for the kids
For those of you looking for something a little more tame and family oriented, check out Wall-E. Great animated movie the whole family can enjoy. It’s got a good storyline and was very funny. While it was a little more “cutesy” than what I prefer, it was still very entertaining. Personally, I thought Kung Fu Panda was a better animated movie, but I think that’s only because it had a lot of big name actors doing the voice over work. Wall-E doesn’t have any known actors doing any of the voice over work, but at the same time it’s about a couple of robots and human interaction doesn’t come until about half way through the movie. There really isn’t much dialogue going on during the first half of this movie but it still managed to keep your attention and keep you entertained.
It’s worth a rent, but KFPanda was better. (just my opinion of course)
Rated G
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2 0 Thanks for the input. Guess I’d best put Kung Fu Panda on my buy list.
I can’t pass up a good cartoon… er, animated movie ; )
Love em.
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1 0 Hey CR67, saw “88 MInutes”, finally, and you were right: it was watchable but not great; but the scene that made me laugh out loud (no spoiler here) was where Al Pacino is running across campus and his hair is bouncing as he runs…..OMG, I laughed so hard….not meant to be a funny scene but he looked ridiculous….
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2 1 Watched the new Bond movie Quantum of Solace over Thanksgiving wknd and it was really good. Non-stop action from the very first scene to the last. Great action flick but it felt more like a Jason Bourne movie than Bond. I like action movies so I didn’t mind, but I miss all the “spy stuff” that used to be such a huge part of the Bond series. I do think this new Bond guy (Daniel Craig, I think his name is) is the best one since Sean Connery as far as the “coolness factor” goes.
What I do miss in the previous 2 Bond movies is “Q” with all his gadgets. Just because there is no more Q, shouldn’t mean the end of cool gadgets imo.
Regardless, if you like Bond you’ll love Quantum of Solace. Rated PG13 for action violence and some swearing. No sex scenes like in previous Bond movies which was different. Usually Bond always beds a woman or two during his missions, but not so in this one. There was an “assumed sex scene” but that was about it.
Fred Claus: A funny family movie about Santa Clause’s brother Fred. I think this was rated PG for some language, but it wasn’t bad and I think the whole family will enjoy this movie. Worth a rent for the holiday season! I don’t want to give anything away, but there’s a classic scene in this movie; “siblings anonymous” where you’ll see a bunch of real life brothers of famous people like Bill Clintons brother and a few others which I don’t want to give away. Very funny stuff though!
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2 1 Watched Hancock this evening. Very good movie. I heard mixed reviews about this flick when it first came out and after seeing it I’m really not sure why. I suppose it could have been because of the swearing, but IMO it was a great movie with an original storyline. I’m not sure what this movie was rated normally without looking it up as I didn’t realize I picked up the un-rated version so the regular DVD may have a little less swearing. I really don’t understand why studios come out with movies like this geared towards teens and young adults and than fill it with unnecessary swearing. Aside from that it was a great movie with a really cool twist about mid-way through. It had a bit of action-related violence but other than that, it’s a must rent.
Have a great week folks and keep those reviews coming in! (I’m really looking foward to Dark Knight coming out next Tuesday)
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2 0 We watched two interesting movies over the weekend.
The first was Perfume: Story of a Murderer. This is about a man that was born with the most advanced sense of smell ever, and his whole life revolves around scents. He eventually works as a perfumer with a master perfumer, I guess (Dustin Hoffman) and that’s when it gets really weird. There is considerable nudity, and a hugy orgy scene that really doesn’t make much sense, just a warning. This is a very gritty movie placed in Paris in the late 1700’s. If you like weird for the sake of weird, and dont’ mind the nudity, it’s definitely worth a try.
The second movie was Wristcutters: A love story. This is about a purgatory-type place where suicides go. The story wasn’t bad, but it was quite low budget. Once again, this was a really weird movie, but if you like weird (as you can see, I do) it’s an interesting diversion, if not a really enthralling one.
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1 0 Excellent comments & movie choices Alice. I like weird off the wall movies myself, as opposed to the standard cookie cutter junk that all too often comes out these days. I was very impressed with Perfume. A very interesting story, but you’re right, definitely weird at times.
Wristcutters sounds familiar, but it must not have left much of an impression on me as I don’t really recall what that one was about. I’ll have to go to IMDB to watch the trailer and refresh my memory.
Tonights movie for me is Wanted. I watched this one in the theatre when it came out but just have to check it out on bluray. It’s a great movie with lots of action and a pretty original storyline. Check it out if you get a chance. (Rated R I believe for some nudity, language and violence)
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3 0 Wanted:
Starring Morgan Freeman & Angelina Jolie
Absolute awesome movie on BluRay! (or any format for that matter) Great storyline, tons of action and incredible special effects. Please keep in mind though it’s a strong R rating. Lots of violence & swearing. No real nudity other than a few seconds of Jolie’s naked backside. I know a few people that rent from “Clean Flicks”, but I doubt Clean Flicks would be able to clean this one up. You’d end up with maybe 15-20 minutes of watchable movie. 
But if flying bullets, blood and swearing don’t bother you, rent this movie tonight!
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2 0 My latest viewings:
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Not a bad movie, although geared more towards teens. Pretty good story, but I think I liked the first one better. PG
Hancock:
I really enjoyed this movie. It had a real nice twist in the middle. Lots of laughs and action.
PG13 for some violence and language
Step Brothers:
Kinda stupid but had some real funny scenes. Overall I think it’s worth a rent. Rated R though for lots of language & sexual content
Meet Dave:
Eddie Murphy has been slacking lately and this one doesn’t help his career much. It had a few funny scenes and the kids may like it, but it wasn’t that good. PG for some mild language
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Third installment of the Mummy series and I think their worst yet. Lots of action and special effects, but was a little over the top for my liking. Had a couple funny scenes but nothing to make you run out and rent it. The teenagers in your house may like this one.
PG13 adventure action violence
The Traitor:
My favorite movie of the bunch. Starring Don Cheadle & Guy Pearce. Excellent storyline with a few very good and surprising twists. If you rent anything this weekend, rent this one. PG13 for some intense violense sequences and some language
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
If you were a fan of the tv show you’ll really enjoy this one. Mulder & Scully are back to solve one more crime. Decent storyline & worth a rent imo.
PG13 for some violent scenes
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2 0 Couple of new releases came out yesterday as opposed to the normal Tuesday release.
Death Race: Excellent action flick. The critics didn’t give it very good reviews, but I thought it was pretty decent. Not a movie you have to think about, just lots of action.
Rated R for some extreme violence & language
Burn After Reading:
This was a pretty decent movie although I thought the ending could have been a bit better. Lots of big name actors in this one. Very funny, worth a rent.
Rated R for some suggestive themes and foul language.
Looks like the next batch of new releases including Eagle Eye will be out this Saturday 27th.
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1 0 Saw Ghost Town today. What a funny, well written movie. Ricky Gervais was so funny, has perfect timing. Greg Kinnear was also very good as always, I will have to buy this one for my vast collection. Also saw Traitor, a well written and acted movie. Not a lot of action,and moves slowly, but has a tremendous message about the Islamic religion, and a cleaver build up at the end of the movie. Don Cheadle is very good in this one.
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0 0 Thanks for the review Herb! I rented Ghost Town to watch tonight. And I agree with your thoughts on Traitor. Excellent movie with a great message.
Have a great weekend everyone!
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0 0 We usually wait for videos, but I strongly recommend “Gran Torino”, Clint Eastwood’s new movie. Superb acting, great storyline, unexpected ending. You’ll recognize a few of his old characters all rolled up into this one.
I about crapped when I saw movies were now $9.50 - eeks! And $7.00 for a matinee? That’s crazy! Have costs gone up that much? They seem to make plenty on overpriced food too. I fondly recalled $6.00 movie nights of years ago…
Anyway guys, see the movie, don’t wait for the video!
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1 0 I’ve been wanting to see Gran Torino, everyone has given it great reviews. I feel the same way Reader….the cost to go out to see a movie these days is outta control, especially if you want some popcorn & soda.
Here are a few of the ones I’ve rented recently.
Mirrors: Great horror flick starring Keifer Sutherland. Had some pretty gruesome scenes, but overall very creepy. I liked it, just be warned this one is not for the kids or those with weak stomachs. Strong R rating
Appaloosa: This is a western starring Ed Harris & Viggo Mortensen. I’m a big western fan so I really enjoyed this one. Good story and great acting all around. Rated R for violence and language
Max Payne: The visuals were awesome but the storyline left a little to be desired. Lots of action but it wasn’t one of marky marks best. It was just “ok”, I thought it could have been much better. PG13 for lots of violence.
Saw V:
I went into this one not expecting much and was pleasantly surprised. I thought it was much better than Saw IV, but this series needs to die already. It’s the same old movie being recycled over and over. But it was ok for a decent scare. Rated R for lots of gore
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0 0 Sometimes the same old movie is exactly what the doctor ordered ;). Look at Texas Chainsaw Masscre.
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1 0 ..or “Airplane”………watched that with friends this weekend and it was hilarious! And cheap…we made pizza and watched an old movie I bought for 2 dollars at Blockbuster years ago…….
“Mirrors” is worth a rental to see Keifer Sutherland shedding Jack Bauer and returning to his B movie roots…..classic and a bit creepy (although there are some unintentionally hilarious bits, like where his wife, in a dramatic scene, rips her shirt off……..for no particular reason……relax, she has a tank on underneath but the scene was so stupid…) I digress…..
Can’t wait to see “Frozen River” when it is released on 2/10……..
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0 1 Burn after Reading ….it was great, if you love the cohen brothers movies, you’ll love this. A pretty dumb storyline, but made into a brillant movie, made me laugh out loud. It’s a refreshing movie, not everyone’s cup of tea, definitely original. Brad Pitt is definitely no hearthrob in this movie, nor would i say George Clooney is either, and that just makes it stand out more, the unexpected.
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1 1 I would have to disagree on Burn After Reading, I felt it was stupid, the writing consisted of one character using only one word (F**ck) during the entire movie. Not hard to memorize his part. It had a lame ending and was a total waste of time.
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0 0 I liked “Burn After Reading”. It was strange and random, just like I like em’, but I do agree that the ending kind of left me flat.
We went to edwards (holy expensive, batman!) over the weekend and saw “Inkheart”. That was great, I will probably be buying that one when it comes out in DVD.
Also, I was told a month or so ago, by an edwards employee, that they were getting new projectors sometime in February that would allow 3D. Has anyone heard any more about that?
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0 0 I enjoyed Burn After Reading as well. The storyline could have been a bit better, but the acting all the way around was excellent.
Watched “Lakeview Terrace” last night and I highly recommend this one. Excellent movie starring Samuel L Jackson. I’ve had some bad neighbors over the years, but this guy took the cake! Rated R for violence & language
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1 0 Hey CR and everyone - I dragged the kids to the video store today, and as I walked the endless aisles of movies (most of which I hadn’t heard of), I really wished I had a copy of this column with me. It would have been so helpful! From now on I’ll review it before setting out to the great unknown! Thanks again!
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1 0 Happy to help Reader! I’m usually at the video store every Tuesday to get first dibs on the new releases and usually only post my opinion on those here, but I like everything from documentaries to animations. If you need an opinion right away before hitting the video store, check imdb.com (internet movie database) or rottentomatoes.com Both sites offer in depth reviews from all the top critics on pretty much every movie out there. Good luck & happy viewing.
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1 0 We watched Repo: The Genetic Opera last night, and I loved it! Be warned, it is chock full of swearing and violence, but if you’re a fan of Heavy Metal and Rocky Horror, you really should check it out. It is a musical, and it is a very visual movie, very beautiful, if you’re into the more dark and goth-vampire sort of thing.
I’ll definitely be buying it.
This weekend we’ll be watching Cannibal, the Musical (again). Brought to you by the same tasteful duo that create South Park. Gotta love it.
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0 0 Cool….thanks Alice. I’ve been putting off renting that one until I heard if it was any good or not.
I’ll check it out this wknd!
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0 0 Watched Guy Ritchies new flick RockNRolla last night. Couldn’t decide if I liked it or not. It was ok I guess, but it was a little hard to follow at times. I’ll probably watch it again before I return it.
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0 0 i just watched rocknrolla last night, pretty good movie. Pretty gritty movie,British humor and violence and swearing, so if youre not into that i’d give it a miss. Good story, but yes a little confusing at times.
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0 0 I finally watched “Rendition”. It was a good show. They of course made the US look like the bad guy, but I’m glad Clinton started this program. Contrary to the movie, it has been a very effective program to fight terrorism.
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1 0 Watched Open Season 2 tonight. Excellent family movie. The adults will love it just as much as the kids will. All the old characters are back as well as some really funny new ones. The only voice missing was Martin Lawrence. He played the bear Boog in the original Open Season and Mike Epps replaced him in OS2. He did a pretty good job, but not nearly as funny as Martin Lawerence was. Keep an eye out for Roger the cat…..absolutely hilarious!
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0 0 Nick & Norah’s Infinate Playlist:
More of a sophmoric teen comedy. The teens will like it, but that’s about it. It had some funny moments, like the drunk blonde chick. It’s worth a rent just to watch the things she does throughout this movie. Makes me remember why I don’t like to get drunk. lol PG-13 for language and brief sexual encounter.
If you only had two movies to pick from for the evening & they were between this one and Open Season 2, definitely go with Open Season 2!
City of Ember: This was a pretty decent family movie. Fun for all ages. I don’t know why this one was rated PG instead of G so I looked it up. It notes “rated PG for mild peril and thematic elements. hmm…. interesting.
Babylon AD: Cheesy Vin Diesel flick. Pretty decent action and looks great on BluRay, but the story was a little weak. Worth a rent if you want some mindless action with a dull plot. PG 13 for violence, language and sexual situation.
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0 0 oops…sorry, should have been “Infinite”. DOH~!
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0 0 We saw Underworld 3 over the weekend. I really liked it. We also bought Igor, but I knew I’d love that one because I had seen it already at the theater.
Sounds like I’d better rent Nick and Norah, I’m up for some mindless entertainment LOL.
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0 0 Igor was good, I liked it too.
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1 0 Madagascar 2; Escape 2 Africa
Absolutely hilarious. I’m going to have to add this one to my collection. Great fun for the whole family and personally I thought it was way funnier than the first one. It’s a must rent!
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1 0 oops….I should mention it’s rated PG. Probably for the “adult humor”, which there was quite a bit of. It’s a judgement call, but I don’t think the little ones would get most of it and I think it’d be ok for all ages.
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0 0 We went and saw Coraline in 3D last night, and it was great! I had read the book, so I knew what to expect, and it was still awesome. For a kids movie, it’s kind of intense, but there were lots of kids there, and they sounde
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Some of my favorite movies in the past year have been 300, Apocalypto, Babel, and Zodiac.
A buddy rented Apocalypto via cleanflix, and when we talked after discovered some major entire scenes had been deleted. He said even the cleanflix version was disturbing enough though.
I have heard that “torture porn” styled movies might be waning now. These are movies like Saw I/II/III, or Hostel.