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Flight is a great film. I always liked Denzel Washington but my respect for him as an actor just rose a few notches after seeing this film. Seen it a couple of times.
I saw this film for the first time when taking a few teaching courses. Group dynamics, peer pressure, humiliation, ... certain folks felt it was a good thing to have us consider those topics before throwing us at the mercy of a classroom full of youngsters. :D But, I'm going to be honest: they were right. It helps a lot to understand how differently people can behave in a certain social context. I think parents should contemplate these things too since I constantly need to remind them that nice little Billy has no compunction about bullying other kids when among his friends.
Anyway, Das Experiment continues to amaze and frankly shock me. One voice in my head keeps repeating "It's only a movie" but I have seen my share of anger and I can perfectly see things happen exactly this way. The infamous 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment inspired Oliver Hirschbiegel to make this film. He assembled an impressive cast of very talented German actors including Oliver Stokowski (U-571), Christian Berkel (Valkyrie) and Moritz Bleibtreu (World War Z). They deliver a performance so realistic it's spine chilling. Not a single moment am I pulled out of this film.
As a viewer you must labour too for the film never ceases to impose introspective questions on you: how would you behave in this situation, and in this, and in this? Would you chicken out? Would you follow the leader? Extrapolate that to fascism, terrorism, religious fanaticism,... and you have very relevant issues indirectly addressed in this film. Luckily, the conclusion of the film is exactly as I had hoped it would be. I'm not going to spoil it of course. ;-)
Please do not see the American remake that had absolutely no reason to come into existence. Furthermore, most of us will find many more familiar faces in the American film compared to the German original. That alone might be enough to not get absorbed quite as much as when you watch the superior original.
Huge recommend from me. Watch Das Experiment if you haven't.
You have intrigued me, my good sir. I will forget about the American version when I see this, some day. I agree that one of the great things about foreign films is that since you probably don't recognize the cast you have a greater chance to become immersed into the film more than if you knew the actors by heart. This is definitely added to my watch-list, so thank you. :)
Weakest of the trilogy but still pretty funny with a great cast.
There might be no Dalton this time but there's a cameo Bond fans will enjoy.
One of my very favourite movies. Still need to get it and Alien on Blu-Ray though.
Just bought the anthology today for £13, always felt it was Camerons best film, one of my favourite movies. Very different to the brilliant Alien, highly recommend you get Aliens on Bluray elevates the movie further. Alien on bluray is one of the best films you will see on the format, looks incredible.
Ben (Aaron Johnson), a peaceful and charitable Buddhist, and his closest friend Chon (Taylor Kitsch), a former Navy SEAL and ex-mercenary, run a lucrative, home grown industry raising some of the best marijuana ever produced.. They also share Ophelia (Blake Lively). They seem to be living the perfect lifestyle until Mexican Baja Cartel get wind of their success and demand to partner with Ben and Chon. When the merciless head of the cartel, Elena (Salma Hayek), and her brutal enforcer, Lado (Benicio Del Toro) kidnap Ophelia she underestimates what the two will do to get her back and with the assistance of a slippery corrupt DEA agent (John Travolta) who has been a silent partner within in their drug business decides to turn the tables on the cartel.
While this displays many of the characteristics of an Oliver Stone film, macho posturing, self indulgence, and extreme violence it seems he is loosing his identity has he gets older. The directors stock has been diminishing considerably since the travesty that is Alexander, a project that Stone refuses to let go of, another cut is due to be released which he promises is the last, that will have it at four versions. Though at least for that project Olly still had his own look, this film more resembles something by the late Tony Scott on a bad day. Savages shares some similarities with Scott's True Romance but it lacks it's charm, intelligence and you have no sympathy for one character on the screen.
I have know form of reference concerning the source material as I haven't read Don Winslow's novel of the same name but it seems some love it and some think it utter childish drivel. If the source material is like this then I consider the author must have just been putting one of his wet dreams on the page. The cheese factor is set to maximum, the opening with Blake's Lively's Ophelia narration which continues through the film is the worst sort of hippy nonsense you could be subjected to. The conceit that the two guys share her bed and affections is dealt with in such a juvenile way that you'd have thought a fourteen year old and penned the script. Lively's not the best actress at the best of times but here with the dialogue she has to deliver she's downright dreadful. Johnson who made such a mark in Kick Ass is barely recognisable as a so called Buddhist and Kitsch is just the usual cliched military hot head. As for Hayek as the main villain she's serviceable and not particularly frightening, Del Toro might well have been a terrifying presence but the film is so preposterous and the dialogue he's given is woeful that it's hard to take anything he says seriously.
The words John Travolta have for a long time filled me with dread, completely squandering the opportunity that Tarantino gave him with Pulp Fiction to dial in cliched hammy turns in I'm just looking for my pay cheque fashion, his work here is no exception. Stone even tries to inject some depth into this with having Travolta at his dying Wife's bed, in a subplot that his Wife is dying of cancer and are heroes are providing her with their drugs to ease her pain, (what lovely guys), are we supposed to care about him and his predicament? especially when you consider his outcome at the end of the film, he's a scumbag with no redeeming features. This film is such a woeful mess which doesn't know what kind of tone it's trying to strike maybe if Stone had just made a stand up Action thriller and not tried to make it anything else but good dumb fun with it's tongue placed firmly in cheek but this film is entirely lacking humour and takes itself seriously, you should at all cost avoid this rubbish.
* / * * * * *
Although it was a bad English dub...wow. What a tremendous film from start to finish. I was a little skeptical at first, but as soon as the main plot picked up, I was anticipating every moment, all the way up until that mind-blowing ending. I think the twist is in the top three greatest twists I've ever seen in cinema. If you haven't seen this and you have a penchant for foreign films, you must watch this movie. Wow.
I've only seen it once but that ending lingers with you long after, even now I can' think of a bleaker twist certainly put the likes of Sixth Sense overrated conclusion in the shade.
I'm curious to see what Spike Lee will do with the remake but I can't see him going as balls out as Chan Wook Park did with this and will no doubt be another U.S remake that pales compared to the original version.
I get what your saying I generally don't like the English language remakes of films but there are exceptions, I've never understood why the original Insomnia is held in such high regard the only thing it has over Nolan's is the ending as his is just too Hollywood.
Apart from that everything in CN's aces the Norwegian version for me, Pacino and Williams are riveting in there roles and the pursuit sequence with inventive log sequence is hugely suspenseful and inventive.
Of course Fincher's GWTDT, yes Rapace is the better Lisbeth Salander but it's close. As someone who's read the books I thought Mara was closer to the literary character though Noomi's is more dynamic performance but Craig nails Blomvist so much better than Michael Nyqvist does. Also lets face it the Swedish director Niels Arden Oplev was riffing on Fincher with his version so obviously taking influence from both Se7en and Zodiac. Fincher concentrates on the characters and gets 2 excellent performances from his leads with great chemistry throughout and delivers in my view a better film.
I guess these views will not be held by everyone but these are probably the only 2 examples where I see the U.S version bettering the original language version.
Watched this last night on Blu-Ray. One of my favorite fantasy adventure movies (next to Legend). Also came out the year I was born.
I'm ashamed to say I didn't even know there was an original 'Insomnia.' I may have to see it someday, as I really didn't care for Nolan's ending.
A pretty dire experience and I one I gave up on after about 50 minutes. There's one sketch involving farting I admit I chuckled a bit at but other than that its simply not funny. Just because a film is in on its own offensivness and is trying as hard as it can to "push the boundaries" that doesn't make it any funnier. Movie 43 reminded me of Frankie Boyle's Tramadol Nights on channel 4 - smutty for the sake of it.
2/10
I think the Swedish film is fine and does a good job of adapting the book but for me personally I felt more engaged by Fincher's take and making it more about Salander and Blomvist rather than a serial killer film played to it's strength, Fincher's already given us Se7en and Zodiac he doesn't need to attempt to go there again.
Cabin In The Woods 2012
I'm not having a good week for films first the utter garbage that is Savages at the weekend and now this utter guff. I know quite a few reviews said your feelings on CITW will no doubt depend on you not minding the film becoming something completely different to what you went into. I was quite willing accept that and kind of like films turning on their head and delivering something to the expected like Shutter Island does .
I actually expected something a bit sharper and a comment on this particular type of horror film and it does give the impression it might have something to say but I had no idea it would go the way it did, seriously why this was green lighted who Knows? I'm aware it sat on the shelf for a number of years in light of the MGM incident but after being subjected to it I feel that I would be quite happy if it was still gathering dust and never saw the light of day.
Of course it was released due to it being co authored by Joss Whedon and to capitalise on the then upcoming Avengers ( I didn't like that film much) but really did we need to see this abortion of a film?
* / * * * * *
Last night I watched Oblivion
As always, the trailer is full of explosions and set pieces. Oblivion the movie is an entirely different beast that values a human story and characters that are driven by common purpose. While the cast is tiny, I found much to enjoy from Cruise, Riseborough, Freeman and that Nordic guy from Headhunters who is showing up more frequently in Hollywood blockbusters
Alright, so there goes another pile of SFX done by people who do not know ANYTHING. Yeah, you get to see outposts/giant ships in the sky. You get to see flying things. You get to deal with another relationships drama. Yeah, you get to see another non-Russian looking actress who pretends to be a Russian. But this is where the good things end. Hollywood! STOP RECYCLING THE SAME IDIOTIC GARBAGE! MOST OF THE MOVIE VIEWERS ARE NOT AS STUPID AS YOU ARE!
I have this pre-ordered on blu-ray. Excellent film, can't wait to see it again. Scheider was excellent in this movie.
Every time I go to the dentist I fear he is going to ask me "Is it safe?" ;-)
:-bd
Roy Scheider's a bit like Bond in this film, too.
An FBI agent (Don Cheadle) is forced to team up with an Irish policeman (Brendan Gleeson) to catch some drug dealers.
I really like this film. The bloke who directed it (I forget his name) is even more talented than his brother (who made In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths), imo. Stylish, well directed, funny, thrilling, emotional and it has a great cast that are all brilliant throughout; but Brendan Gleeson deserves a special mention.
9, no sod it, 10/10.
Seeing the Alan Partridge movie tonight. Really looking forward to it.
@Bertha_widehips420,
Firstly, are you referring to Olga, for she was born in the Soviet Union. Perhaps she doesn't look Russian (to you at least, ;-)) but she really is Russian. :-)
I disagree with most of your post. I agree it's not the type of film you might expect, depending on which trailer you saw, but it's actually a pretty smart sci-fi film. Sure, there's some recycling of things we have seen before, but nowadays it's hard to find a film that doesn't do that. Calling it idiotic garbage, however, is a stretch too far for me. There are some Philip K. Dick flavours in the film and that stuff is almost never idiotic or garbage. Oblivion is 'hard' science fiction, and that genre isn't for everyone. I think it's beautifully shot and well acted too.
I just bought a copy...no, it was no 'Blade Runner' or 'Serenity' but it was gorram CLOSE! Wow. Y'all need to see it. Reviewing on specifics would spoil it too much, just buy it (like I did) or rent it when available.
I wish I would have seen in it in the theatre.... :-<
Minor 1947 film noir with an intriguing, "Twilight Zone"-type premise. A beautiful actress kills her husband on New Year's Eve 1946 but then gets the chance to relive the entire year over again. She tries to prevent the events that build up to the tragedy from reoccuring but with little success. Neat twist at the end(which I won't reveal for those who haven't seen it).