Films Thread

[T R U]

When John Connor was heading out on his lonesome to Skynet SF. He needed a motorcycle (throwback to the dirtbike I presume in T2). He blasted that song (I presume still a personal favorite) to attract one of those bike terminators and that's the wonderful song he chose.

 

Oh, geez

 

I remember that, for some reason I was just drawing a blank on it

[SleepyWhiteSox]

I got around to watching Frost/Nixon this weekend. It's an intriguing story with some great acting. Ron Howard is a terrific director, by the way. It's perfect for those of you who hadn't quite had enough political corruption lately.

 

I got bored within the first few minutes of it.

 

 

I saw The Wrestler last week. Luved it, and I haven't really watched wrestling since Undertaker vs. Undertaker. I've had the biggest crush on Marisa Tomei since the cinematic masterpiece Oscar (yes, I really do like that movie), and her body continues to be phenomenal. Maybe not as big of a crush as Summer Sanders since she was on Figure It Out (maybe), but definitely a lot bigger than my one-time crushes on Meg Ryan in IQ (pinnacle of her attractiveness, wayy pre-cosmetic procedures) and Reece Witherspoon in Overnight Delivery.

 

The Wrestler >>>>>>>>>>>> slumdog millionnaire

 

[Brian]

The Wrestler >>>>>>>>>>>> slumdog millionnaire

 

Easily.

[TheBlackSox8]

Terminator Salvation Review, by an actual fan of the franchise.

 

Hi, my name is Steve. I grew up with the Terminator... Terminator 2: Judgement Day was one of the films that defined my youth. It was excellent. From this, I went back and watched the original Terminator, and enjoyed it. However, Judgement Day was numero uno.

 

Then came Terminator 3. It was just a movie... a disappointment, but it was Arnold, and it had some nice moments of cinematography.

 

Enter: Terminator Salvation

 

Having heard the negative reviews and going in with expectations moderately tempered, I sat in awe as the opening sequence blew me away. However, I expected this, having heard that this is the best moment of the film.

 

Quick aside... Christian Bale used his Batman voice in this movie.

 

Anyway, some of the holes that folks have pointed to, such as

Skynet not killing Kyle Reese when they had the chance

were unfounded as the plotline delivered perfect explanations. Beyond that, they wonderfully paid homage to the past films (

several key one-liners, "You Could Be Mine" by Guns N Roses, a beautifully done CGI Arnold.

)

 

Anyone who is a fan of the franchise is going to come away quite happy with this movie. I thought it was downright awesome, and when it comes to films, I can be pretty picky. I kept waiting for this movie to start being less awesome, and it didn't. Sam Worthington definitely showed up Bale in this film... his role was awesome. However, Bale fit the role perfectly.

 

**** out of *****

 

Yeah, seriously, it was that good. Don't listen to some critics who don't know a damn thing about the franchise. Listen to me.

i'm agreeing with you totally. There are some reviews that totally bashed the movie. When I watched it, i'd wondered if they saw the same movie i did.

Edited May 25, 2009 by onedude

[Buehrle>Wood]

Just got back from Terminator. I'm lost at the hate. Loved the characters of Kyle Reese and Marcus, much more so than Bale's. Box office numbers aren't looking so hot though, hopefully it's enough for T5.

 

And agreed on The Wrestler. It was the best film of 2008. But I still think that and Slumdog are the two best I've seen in a long while.

[caulfield12]

Saw The Girlfriend Experience last night, latest Stephen Soderbergh project, along the lines of Full Frontal and Bubble.

 

First of all, it's very topical. A lot of it was apparently shot in September/October last year when the economy was starting to crash and the election debate season was on at full-steam...there were also references to bailouts, etc.

 

Sasha Grey is the star. For those who don't know her, Ms. Grey has made herself a "celebrity" through the XXX industry, but this was her first big mainstream project and might have been her last.

 

At the heart of this movie, I guess, is the idea of men paying money to a hooker to have the experience of a girlfriend, except hotter than most men would be able to get on their own. Some of the reviews have criticized her for being such a one-dimensional character, but that's kind of the point of the movie...that men have the illusion of getting a g/f when really what they're actually receiving are the ideas and images that they project on her, not what she really is or might be behind the "stone wall" she puts up around herself, allowing her to handle her job.

 

I guess the character's kind of modeled on the idea of someone like Ashley Dupree, the call girl that Eliot Spitzer got busted with...mixed in with vestiges of Demi Moore and a younger Jennifer Connelly without the huge chest.

 

Entertainment Weekly gave this an A, but a lot of reviews have been really harsh.

 

Another interesting element of this film was the relationship between Sasha Grey and her "real" boyfriend in the film, who works as one of those personal trainers who's always trying to get you to upgrade your comprehensive fitness and training package with him. This was the other side of the film...it's kind of a recounting of her different meetings with men (there's no sex and maybe 15 seconds of her body in shadows, titillation isn't the purpose here) juxtaposed against her attempts to have a normal relationship with her boyfriend, who's not really getting the "real" girlfriend experience either because he's so terribly jealous and inquisitive about his "competition."

 

It's definitely worth seeing...it was good enough that I was disappointed when it ended and wanted to continue following the storyline and the two main characters.

Edited May 26, 2009 by caulfield12

[Chisoxfn]

Terminator Salvation Review, by an actual fan of the franchise.

 

Hi, my name is Steve. I grew up with the Terminator... Terminator 2: Judgement Day was one of the films that defined my youth. It was excellent. From this, I went back and watched the original Terminator, and enjoyed it. However, Judgement Day was numero uno.

 

Then came Terminator 3. It was just a movie... a disappointment, but it was Arnold, and it had some nice moments of cinematography.

 

Enter: Terminator Salvation

 

Having heard the negative reviews and going in with expectations moderately tempered, I sat in awe as the opening sequence blew me away. However, I expected this, having heard that this is the best moment of the film.

 

Quick aside... Christian Bale used his Batman voice in this movie.

 

Anyway, some of the holes that folks have pointed to, such as

Skynet not killing Kyle Reese when they had the chance

were unfounded as the plotline delivered perfect explanations. Beyond that, they wonderfully paid homage to the past films (

several key one-liners, "You Could Be Mine" by Guns N Roses, a beautifully done CGI Arnold.

)

 

Anyone who is a fan of the franchise is going to come away quite happy with this movie. I thought it was downright awesome, and when it comes to films, I can be pretty picky. I kept waiting for this movie to start being less awesome, and it didn't. Sam Worthington definitely showed up Bale in this film... his role was awesome. However, Bale fit the role perfectly.

 

**** out of *****

 

Yeah, seriously, it was that good. Don't listen to some critics who don't know a damn thing about the franchise. Listen to me.

I ended up seeing it this weekend with some seriously tempered expectations because of Soxtalk and left the theatre with a smile on the face. The movie was flat out enjoyable. What I expected, decent story, cool action.

[BigSqwert]

Finally saw Star Trek and although it isn't perfect I like it better than at least 4 of the 6 Star Wars flicks.

[GoSox05]

Finally saw Star Trek and although it isn't perfect I like it better than at least 4 of the 6 Star Wars flicks.

 

 

Did you just start a Star Wars vs. Star Trak battle? You don't wanna travel down that road.

[Steve9347]

Finally saw Star Trek and although it isn't perfect I like it better than at least 4 of the 6 Star Wars flicks.

It had no where near the depth of those films. Aside from Episode 2, I'd be hard-pressed to say it was better than any of the others.

[NorthSideSox72]

It had no where near the depth of those films. Aside from Episode 2, I'd be hard-pressed to say it was better than any of the others.

Any of the newer pieces of crap they rolled out there - Episodes 1, 2 and 3 - are just lousy, laughably bad films, with only a few redeeming qualities. All Star Trek had to do was be something other than abysmal to surpass those three.

 

Now, as for the original 3 (Episodes 4-6), I think it would be tough to put Star Trek above them, except maybe Return of the Ewoks.

 

[FlaSoxxJim]

Did you just start a Star Wars vs. Star Trak battle? You don't wanna travel down that road.

 

What the hell is Star Trak?

 

[Kyyle23]

What the hell is Star Trak?

 

 

Star Trak is the next home gym developed by Soloflex that relies on two independently moving tracks that you stack weights on

 

 

Yeah I totally just made that up

[GoSox05]

What the hell is Star Trak?

 

 

 

Its kinda like Star Trek, but with more trak. What that is I don't know.

[bigruss]

I dont know if its been talked about at all but its a smaller film, but has anybody seen The Merry Gentlemen?

 

Its a good movie, that with a bit of tweaking couldve been better. One of my best friend's dad wrote it and produced it and was supposed to be the director but fell sick so Michael Keaton who was starring in it decided to direct it. Pretty cool to see one of his products on the big screen. He (my friend's dad) has done a lot of short films and commercials, including some antidrug ones and the Coors Light Coaches ones (not great but nationally known).

[Buehrle>Wood]

- Episodes 3 - are just lousy,

No. It was easily up there with any of the original 3.

[Kyyle23]

No. It was easily up there with any of the original 3.

 

No. You are wrong

[NorthSideSox72]

No. You are wrong

Thank you.

 

Any of those Episodes 1-3 were utter garbage. Writing, story, acting, visual effects, almost everything was a disaster. I spent most of my time during the first one (which I waited in a long line to see) alternately laughing and feeling depressed.

 

I can count on one hand the number of things that actually worked in those three:

 

--The light sabre fights involving Darth Maul, particularly the one with the weird red laser doors or whatever, were spectacularly done.

--The music was decent, though pretty typical John Williams fare.

--Liam Neeson and Ewen McGregor were both very good casting choices.

--Natalie Portman is pleasant to look at.

 

Other than that, I cannot think of another redeeming quality in those films. Some parts, like the obviously Jamaican Jar Jar (shiver) and the obviously Arab shopkeeper and the obviously Japanese Trade Federation goons were borderline racist.

 

[bigruss]

Looks like I chose a bad time to bring up an unknown movie

 

Well, you should all make peace and support a local Chicago guy and go see The Merry Gentlemen, which by the way has gotten really good reviews from many critics.

[Kyyle23]

The ONE thing I was looking forward to in Episode 3 was Anakin becoming Darth Vader, and it was reduced to a crappy soap opera style vengeance scene that completely ruined the entire movie, since the previous 100 or so minutes were nonredeemable due to Hayden Christiansens inclusion.

 

I dont think i have ever seen an actor with such an ability to drag down the acting ability of the people around him/her as much as Christiansen in Episodes 2 and 3.

[BigSqwert]

Any of the newer pieces of crap they rolled out there - Episodes 1, 2 and 3 - are just lousy, laughably bad films, with only a few redeeming qualities. All Star Trek had to do was be something other than abysmal to surpass those three.

 

Now, as for the original 3 (Episodes 4-6), I think it would be tough to put Star Trek above them, except maybe Return of the Ewoks.

That's what I meant by better than 4 of the 6 Star Wars. The newer 3 plus Jim Henson's Land of Ewoks™.

[Buehrle>Wood]

No. You are wrong

 

No I am not.

[NorthSideSox72]

No I am not.

Yeah huh you are!!!

 

[Milkman delivers]

Thank you.

 

Any of those Episodes 1-3 were utter garbage. Writing, story, acting, visual effects, almost everything was a disaster. I spent most of my time during the first one (which I waited in a long line to see) alternately laughing and feeling depressed.

 

I can count on one hand the number of things that actually worked in those three:

 

--The light sabre fights involving Darth Maul, particularly the one with the weird red laser doors or whatever, were spectacularly done.

--The music was decent, though pretty typical John Williams fare.

--Liam Neeson and Ewen McGregor were both very good casting choices.

--Natalie Portman is pleasant to look at.

 

Other than that, I cannot think of another redeeming quality in those films. Some parts, like the obviously Jamaican Jar Jar (shiver) and the obviously Arab shopkeeper and the obviously Japanese Trade Federation goons were borderline racist.

 

I was going to be upset if that wasn't one of your redeeming factors.

[Steve9347]

Fan-made Green Lantern trailer.

 

Pretty well done!