Movies reviews by yourself

A film that I am dying to see is "Stoker". I'll probably be seeing it tomorrow. I'll let you all know what I thought as soon as I do!

i like that movie Momento! a very innovative script.

I know, right?! Some people cannot stand the repetition, but I love it! It's like a giant puzzle falling into place before your eyes.

in a way it's almost funny, but sad... i can't describe this. whoever wrote the script is a genius.

As hardly ever I came here, I didn't know you were commenting Pitch Perfect (and Memento as well), because I saw it in January and I really liked it. For me all the characters were perfect in their role, though I won't deny my favorite was Rebel, because that girl have such a natural talent for comedy. She's good at it. But as I was saying, everybody was perfect, and you know, I've been a fan of Anna Kendrick since "Up to the air", it was the moment when I noticed she wasn't only a background character as she was in "Twilight", which was the first time I met her and currently I believe she's better than Kristen Stewart and I'm just happy she's getting bigger roles. Sorry I'm being biased. But also I was surprised by those girls who aren't as known as Rebel, Anna, Brittany and Anna Camp, especially the asian girl. She was like those girls from asian horror movies, who seems to be innofensive by outside, but then you realize they're the creepiest one. Still I remember she said something like she ate his twin womb. Weird.

And the music was well chosen, because though most of them are Top 40, anyone from any age were able to recognize them. And when it was the last performance, I'd have loved to be there, because my friend and I were practically dancing in my room. That's something embarrasing to say.

fantastica wrote:in a way it's almost funny, but sad... i can't describe this. whoever wrote the script is a genius.

For Memento? Christopher Nolan directed and wrote the screenplay.

Brisallie, I adore Anna Kendrick. She is one of the most talented newcomers to arrive in a while. Have you seen "50/50"? She was adorable in that movie.

MoviesAreLife wrote:

fantastica wrote:in a way it's almost funny, but sad... i can't describe this. whoever wrote the script is a genius.

For Memento? Christopher Nolan directed and wrote the screenplay.

Brisallie, I adore Anna Kendrick. She is one of the most talented newcomers to arrive in a while. Have you seen "50/50"? She was adorable in that movie.

I haven't seen 50/50. But it seems I have to download it

Speaking of Memento, I saw it many years ago at school, so some moments are blurry in my mind, but the impression I had of... what was the name of the male lead? Well the impression I had of him was that he was an idiot. I mean, he had a distorted memory in his mind, as a way to have a purpose in his life, which in this case it was her wife's murder, which he had already solved but despite of it, he keeps the investigation. Instead of that, he shoud have seen a psychiatrist.

MoviesAreLife wrote:

fantastica wrote:in a way it's almost funny, but sad... i can't describe this. whoever wrote the script is a genius.

For Memento? Christopher Nolan directed and wrote the screenplay.

oh, no wonder.

brisallie wrote:

MoviesAreLife wrote:

fantastica wrote:in a way it's almost funny, but sad... i can't describe this. whoever wrote the script is a genius.

For Memento? Christopher Nolan directed and wrote the screenplay.

Brisallie, I adore Anna Kendrick. She is one of the most talented newcomers to arrive in a while. Have you seen "50/50"? She was adorable in that movie.

I haven't seen 50/50. But it seems I have to download it

Speaking of Memento, I saw it many years ago at school, so some moments are blurry in my mind, but the impression I had of... what was the name of the male lead? Well the impression I had of him was that he was an idiot. I mean, he had a distorted memory in his mind, as a way to have a purpose in his life, which in this case it was her wife's murder, which he had already solved but despite of it, he keeps the investigation. Instead of that, he shoud have seen a psychiatrist.

His name was Leonard. And yes, he set himself up to kill Teddy and to go on killing in order to have some sort of purpose in his life, because the reality (the fact that his own wife set him up in order to kill her) was just too ugly to handle. He lied to himself in order to be happy, he even said so himself. Boy had issues.

This is a clip from "50/50" in which Adam shows up for his first therapy appointment. Anna Kendrick plays the young, 24 year old therapist-in-training. Remember, Adam is 27 himself, so it's a little weird to have a therapist that is so young. She is soooo adorable and awkward! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZEJTJSZQQs

I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt since "50 days of Summer", because is unusual to see the guy being the romantic one in these chick films. Well going back to "50/50", I'm agree that it must be weird to have a therapist younger than you. So is there a romance between them?

Btw thanks for telling me the name of Leonard. I confused him with Teddy , because is the only name that remained in my memory all of these years. lol

fantastica wrote:

MoviesAreLife wrote:

fantastica wrote:in a way it's almost funny, but sad... i can't describe this. whoever wrote the script is a genius.

For Memento? Christopher Nolan directed and wrote the screenplay.

oh, no wonder.

Are you a fan of Christopher Nolan's movies, fantastica?

I haven't watched Memento, but I did enjoy his other movies such as 'Inception' and the three 'Dark Knight' movies.

Just watched 'The Hobbit: An unexpected Journey' recently. I thought Martin Freeman made a good Bilbo Baggins (his facial expressions could convey so much of what Bilbo is thinking and feeling at a given moment), and Richard Armitage has good screen presence in his role as the dwarf king.

However, I don't know whether it's because the movie was filmed at 48fps or what, but most of the other characters (dwarves, orcs, goblins, trolls) appear quite 'plastic' in their appearance; almost as if they're characters in a video game. Gollum is still pretty impressive though.

gollum was the best part of the film to be honest. those 20 or so minuets of *riddles in the dark* and the scenes in rivendale with elrond, galadriel and saruman are worth the rest of the movie, which i found kind of over long and a bit tedious. but yes, the dwarf prince does have great screen presence. i don't know the actor, but that was great casting. and i did love all the little callbacks to lotr.

A lot of people think that the film “Stoker” resembles a 1943 Alfred Hitchcock movie called “Shadow of a Doubt”...a film in which a charming Uncle Charlie comes to visit/live with his favorite and adoring niece and her mother. Little does the teenaged niece know that her favorite Uncle is a serial killer. Well, other than the suspense factor, an uncle named Charlie who comes to visit/live with his niece and her mom, and the uncle being a killer...there is little comparison, I think. “Stoker” has much darker themes. First of all, the girl doesn't even know he existed until he shows up at the funeral of her father. The girl herself is extremely fucked up, and there is sexual tension between her and her uncle. As it turns out, her murderous uncle, who has been obsessed with her for years, has come to claim her as his bride shortly after her 18th birthday. Now that wasn't in the 1943 movie!

I do not consider this a horror movie at all, but merely a psychological thriller/suspense film about a very dysfunctional family. I just LOVE dysfunctional family films! They are so interesting! Keep in mind that a film like this is not everyone's cup of tea with themes about murder and incest, and we even had one person walk out in the theater I was in. It was strange, weird, dark but very well done.

What piqued my interest for this film were the chilling, misleading first 35 seconds of the trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNpDG4WR_74) but actually, Nicole Kidman's pathetic, fragile, cold and alcoholic mother character is the most normal one in the bunch. (Luckily, the film has a very small cast of three main characters who get almost all of the focus.) The charming uncle character is believable as an unhinged, menacing killer, and the daughter (named India) is....very strange and weird. It's been said that the director made her autistic. Not sure how I feel about that. She is a murderess-to-be, and Uncle Charlie releases all of her darkest impulses as the film goes on. Like uncle, like niece.

By the way, Dermot Mulroney plays the deceased father of India. Yes, yes....he played Carson's dad in “Struck By Lightning”. His screentime is minimal and he gets about 10 minutes at the most towards the end of the film in important flashback sequences.

Mia plays India, the strange girl of the alcoholic mother and recently killed father and the apple of her murderous, incestous uncle's eye. Her father dies on her 18th birthday and that is how the film opens. Tough break. Honestly, I thought she was so amaturish and green as Alice in “Alice in Wonderland”...I suppose because she just got lost in the famous story and special effects and she was lost in the crowd of far better actors playing roles far more interesting than hers (Anne, Johnny and Helena). I liked her far more in the more natural, down to earth film “The Kids Are All Right” as an American daughter of two lesbian women (and she does a really good American accent). I liked her here as well. She wasn't perfect, but she was pretty solid and only got better as the film went on. She really took a risk with this role and I admire actors who step outside of their comfort zone. Her role here reminds me of an all grown up Wednesday Adams. I hope she continues to do more mature work in the future.

So, to recap: When a man recently dies (is murdered by guess who?) on his daughter's 18th birthday, the brother of the deceased man tracks down his family: his very strange niece (whom he plans to seduce) and her alcoholic mother. Oh, and he kills anyone who gets in his way. Little does he know that his bride-to-be is much more like him than he originally thought. The film does not strike me as a horror film, just a dark, twisted movie about a dysfunctional family and about the darker impulses of human nature (sexual and violent) and how they can sometimes run in certain family bloodlines...the whole “nature vs. nurture” debate. I also have a feeling that Nicole Kidman's pathetic, alcoholic character knows there is something wrong with her husband's side of the family, and that is why she's turned to drinking to cope.

My favorite scene was when India imagines that Uncle Charlie is playing a duet with her on the piano. It's so raw and very sensual, but in the classiest way possible. The piano score is...invigorating and exciting. That scene is so sexy (I feel wrong for saying that), dynamic and breathtaking. It is mental and musical sex, I don't know how else to describe it. Damn, I needed a cigarette after that scene!

The best part of the movie was the strong syle of directing, editing and cinematography. It was truly artistically, masterfully and beautifully done. Such intelligence and artistic ability went into these three aspects of the film and into telling the story, so if you are a fan of brilliantly done editing, directing or cinematography, this film is for you. Also, if you like darker subject matter such as incest and murder, this film is also for you. (No judgement here!) The film was really so stylish and everything meant something: there was not a pointless or throwaway shot anywhere. It was a beautifully shot, visually stunning masterpeice for the eyeball. A puzzle before your eyes. No CGI anywhere...this was all done in the camera!!! Gore in minimal and sex is almost non existant. Finally a film that relies on storytelling, a smart script, good acting, interesting characters and strong filmmaking technique!!!! YAY! Oh, and the score was dark and brooding...perfect for the main character (India) and the film's overall tone. This is a classy one, folks.

The attention to detail is stunning in this movie. I've never seen such a strong sense of uniqueness in a film in a while. This was a truly offbeat “auteur film” for sure. Such technique and style in a film is admirable in this day in age of “Scary Movie 23254874”. There is so much symbolism in the film, that I have to go back and watch it again just to catch it all and figure out what it all means. It is fascinating.

^^^
ok, i stopped reading your review because i didn't want to get spoiled, but i'm definatly going to see this one. i have wanted since i saw the trailer and i love my twisted movies. then again, what can you expect from someone who's no.1 movie ever is "psycho".

is the Hobbit out on DVD yet? i didn't see the theatrical version, but will rent a disc to watch w/ my mom.

well, there is a dvdrip/brrip version online already

tanita_mors wrote:^^^
ok, i stopped reading your review because i didn't want to get spoiled, but i'm definatly going to see this one. i have wanted since i saw the trailer and i love my twisted movies. then again, what can you expect from someone who's no.1 movie ever is "psycho".

I think you will love it! I adore "Psycho" as well, and this was definately up my alley. And the general plot does make one think of "Shadow of a Doubt", but it takes that plot in an entirely different direction.

Brisallie, there is a certain tension, romantic and otherwise, between the two characters. That being said, this is not a romcom and their "romance" (or lack of one) does not take center stage. It's barely even a subplot. This movie is really about this true account of this young man and his battle to survive.

tanita_mors wrote:well, there is a dvdrip/brrip version online already

Question: Are there ways for government bodies to track people who download copyrighted material via torrent? Surely the filmmakers can't be unaware as to how their movies/TV shows get shared around online?

Delight wrote:

tanita_mors wrote:well, there is a dvdrip/brrip version online already

Question: Are there ways for government bodies to track people who download copyrighted material via torrent? Surely the filmmakers can't be unaware as to how their movies/TV shows get shared around online?

I would just shortly say: yes they can. I know people who have gotten massive bills from the music rights holders for downloading music albums via torrents. Itn order to be singled out so far, however needs s*itloads of downloads and police involvement since they need some kind of warrant? to monitor the digital traffic. They can question the rightness of the evaluated payments but then it becomes a court case and they obviously have to prove that the downloads are truly "friend shared" or that they own the album. I'm sure some just pay the bills, one I know about was around 800 euros.

Stay small, erratic, is my advice.

depends where you live. in the usa, i hear that you can be found and billed. people get warnings from their internet providers. it's probably the same in other first world countries. as for serbia, NO. we sell piracy on the streets here people. there are attempts to stop it, but it's all rather meek and the fact is, while piracy may be sold easily here, we aren't the source of it. for tv shows, it's americans and canadians - they record them and put them online in a matter of minutes. movies - early cinema copies come from either usa or russia and the far east, while r5 copies are russian and come out before dvd's and blueray's that come from the usa. i say, download torrents if/untill you get warned. after that use direct links, like file factory, mega, uploaded.net,... i think those can't be traced.

as for filmakers and creators, they know it, but this is so wide spread now that it can't be stopped and you guys saw how attempts to stop it were met with the wrath of organizations such as anonymous. the big losers are i guess blockbusters, but honestly every major movie i want to watch i go to the cinema first. i saw oz in the cinema and i'm still gona download it when a dvd rip shows up on line, i'm gonna see the new star trek and superman movies when they come out to. just like i saw every harry potter movie and countless others.

as for tv shows, it's really the american audience that decides their fate. we who live outside really have no say it and honestly in their case piracy only helps because this way millions can become fans of the show in countries they don't air in. that is why people are slowly realizing that that archaic system of ratings is no longer relevant, because with so many shows at the same time, people record and watch shows a day or two latter or via hulu, netflix, amazon, itunes or sites that belong to the broadcasting companies (abc, fox, cbs, nbc, hbo,..)

I'm relieved that I don't live in the USA, but I probably should try and find out if anti-piracy laws are as strict in Australia. I do use torrent a fair bit, especially when it comes to getting hold of the most recent Glee episodes.

It would suck if I get fined for downloading something I don't even like to watch half the time

tanita_mors wrote:movies - early cinema copies come from either usa or russia and the far east, while r5 copies are russian and come out before dvd's and blueray's that come from the usa.

Most memorable incident I noted was that the second Transformers movie came out on DVD in China (sold in shady roadside stores in the night market) before the movie was officially released in the cinemas there. I bought one copy and found that I had wasted my money on a cinema-quality movie that was dubbed in Russian. It had Chinese subtitles but it was still quite un-watchable.

tanita_mors wrote:i saw oz in the cinema and i'm still gona download it when a dvd rip shows up on line, i'm gonna see

Oh! Is 'Oz- The great and powerful' good? I'm curious about the movie. It didn't score very well on the tomatometer though.

honestly, i found it more juvenile then i though it would be. the character of the wicked with of the west was always my favorite, but here, theodora was a young woman who fell in love hard and wanted to get married to the wizard and be his queen (like right after they met ) and when she was betrayed by him and folled by her sister the actual wicked witch of this movie (evanora) she thougtlessly hardened her heart and because she was so full of rage and power she become green and evil. it was all about revenge against the wizard. i thought michell williams who played glinda was excellent as was rachel wisse (evanora), while franco was just there and while mila cunis was ok, her character was so one dimensional i couldn't really enjoy it. she was badass as the wicked witch of the west though. i liked the little references to the wizard of oz and the effects are great. the little china girl and monkey are fantastic. all in all, it's a good film to pass the time and it sure is fun, but don't expect to be wowed by some deep and emotional writing. it's weak on that front. to me at least.

that's nothing. during the 1999 bombing, one of our tv stations played movies 24/7, which was great as i watched 4 star trek movies (the next generation ones) in a row for the first time. but they also aired a few new movies including a copy of the "matrix" 2 weeks before it started playing in our cinemas. there was an uproar of unbelievable proportions and they were sued till they were practically bankrupted.