Wife and I rented Inglorious Basterds with Brad Pitt. Hilarious film. I especially liked the scene where they're at the theatre posing as an Italian film crew. Each is introduced to this German Gestapo guy and Brad Pitts character (who has a thick hillbilly drawl) states his fake Italian name with the same thick hillbilly drawl. It was great.

Cool, so what was it like hanging with Brad Pitt? Was he a regular guy or all stuck up? I'm surprised he wanted to watch it again after having starred in it and all. Did he try to put the moves on Mrs. Madman? I heard he can be like that.

I know. What does it say about me that I liked pulp fiction?

I watched Let the Right One In over Christmas. I can't find that I've posted a review, so excuse me if I have. I'm going to say the same thing anyway I expect!

I saw very few films in 2009, so it doesn't seem much to make it my Film of the Year. But it is probably the best film I've seen in the last five years at least.

It's a Swedish film and it's set in the winter - the cold and the heavy snow add another dimension to the story, making everything isolated and yet more intense. It's nominally a horror film - certainly a vampire film, and there is blood - but more a story of the ties between people.

It's a wonderful take on the over-filmed genre and a great antidote to the teen-aimed handsome vampires which are being touted around at present. I know it was originally a book, and I have to try to get hold of it - I'm sure it goes into the back stories in more depth and would be a cracking read.

I watched "Outsourced" Sun. night on Netflix. Kind of a cute story about a guy who has to travel to India to train his successor as call-center manager. Worth streaming online, when you can't sleep, I guess. :)

Sundae: you seen Hamlet yet?

Capnhowdy and I watched Paranormal Activity last night and honestly I have seen better evidence of the paranormal in the drain of my bathtub!!

This movie has been compared a lot to Blair Witch. I guess that makes sense as Blair Witch just wasn't that scary.

I hated Blair Witch Project.
I couldn't hear what they were saying, I couldn't see what they were seeing.
The characters were whiny and irritating.
Walking out of the cinema, I heard at least three different interpretations about what was in the handkerchief for example. That's not scary, that's, "What IS it? What IS it?" Breaks the suspension of disbelief.

I was able to believe in PA. It was well lit, I could hear everything. And of course it was set in one of the scariest places in the world (to me) - someone's home. Home is where you should feel safest. Home is where you run to and lock the doors and the vampires can't come in and if you've got good enough security neither can the zombies or werewolves or bailiffs.

I am so used to horror films that make me jump. That's fun. But for a slow building atmosphere of unease and tension, I'd go with PA every time.

I'm not trying to change the mind of those who didn't enjoy it - I know perfectly well that you either like something or you don't. But to those who haven't yet given it a try, do. Just approach it as a film that many people have been spooked by. And don't expect Freddy Kreuger to be jumping out from the cupboard at any point.

Dana - no I haven't yet. Was intending to get round to it though. I'm pretty sure we Sky-plused it.

I saw The Reckoning last night. We rented it from Blockbuster (yes, we still do that) on a whim. She thought it looked good but as I am cynical, I doubted it. Now I liked it enough to look for it to add to my collection. Kind of like a medieval CSI. Worth a look, if you see it on a shelf.

rented "Nine" with the qicelets last night... what a waste of an evening. bleh

I saw Daybreakers. I loved the premise, and the movie was OK, but nothing special. Sometimes cliches are alright (they're cliche for a reason), but this had a few too many action movie cliches for me.

I agree, except I thought it was worse than OK.

I saw "Up in the Air" today. Good movie.

But before it was a preview for "Death at a Funeral". Starring Chris Rock.

What the? Remaking a three year old film? With Peter Dinklage repeating his role? Weird.

I asked him if Angelina will ever do a nude scene or pose for Hustler. All he could say was "yes, yes, yes, yes, yes."

I think he was still in character... damn actors.

I had a hell of a time keeping my wife off him. Women... :headshake

Rented "The Hangover" a couple days ago - it was hilarious. I especially liked the end scene when they looked through the photos on the camera... awesome! Brought back more than a few memories...

Crazy Heart

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - fun and strange

The Invention of Lying - They should have covered the "no suicide" corrolary to the "heaven" concept.

the Lovely Bones - I liked it, the 19 year old boy did not.

I cannot wait for the Runaways movie to come out! I always wanted to be Cherie Currie - or Jackie Fox. :bass:

Almost-14 year old daughter wants to see Lovely Bones. Bri, do you think it's appropriate?

She and a friend were going to see it Sat. night, but chose Leap Year instead. They enjoyed it.

Me, I'm still on my PBS Masterpiece Theatre kick. "Cranford" on PBS (from Elizabeth Gaskell novel -- ha ha, Bri can laugh about that, but it was better than Mary Barton), and now the umptyzillionth re-make of Emma is on PBS. I'm not enjoying it all that much though; I really don't care for the way Emma is being portrayed (she's not supposed to be that much of a bitch!) and Emma's dad, portrayed by Michael Gambon (Dumbledore #2) is much too whiny.

Love, love, love, Netflix. Also just finished watching "The Way We Live Today," from the Edith Wharton novel. Not one of my favorites, but pretty good.

It's fun seeing the same actors recycled over and over in different roles!

Imelda Staunton, who played Umbridge in Harry Potter, is a marvelous actress. Ooooh, and "The Way We Live Now" has a main character played by "Moaning Myrtle!" Loved it. :D

Imelda Staunton is a wonderful actress. She conveys so much even before she opens her mouth.


Most recent movie I watched was the BBC production of Hamlet with David Tennant in the lead and Patrick Stewart as the King and the Ghost of old Hamlet. I may have written about this elsewhere, but I can't remember ( early onset senility? :P)

Loved it. I was a little concerned that he'd be too Doctor Who about it...though was still very excited. I knew I'd enjoy it regardless. It's my favourite Shakespeare play; the one that got me into the Bard when I was a kid. And obviously, I love all things Tennant :P So I fully expected to enjoy it, 'despite' those concerns. As it turned out, I'd say it was the best Hamlet I have seen performed, possibly ever. I've seen many versions, on stage and on screen. They've all had somethng good about them and most have also had something bad. Of all of them, only one had hit me right in the solar plexus, before now: the old black and white Olivier version, which was the first one I saw, as a youngster. I sw that with no real expectations. Our Kid was into Shakespeare for his exams, and I was basically copying him :P But it came on tv, and I watched it in my bedroom, on an old black and white portable telly, with a shaky picture and it completely transported me. Even now, if I think back to that time, I can feel a catch in my throat and feeling of soaring excitement, tragedy and wonder. Hamlet: the ultimate antihero; a Yossarian for the Elizabethan age. Olivier was so breathtakingly beautiful, and his feigned madness so scarily edging into real insanity. It affected me deeply.

I've loved many Hamlets (Derek Jacobi was marvellous), but none of them has got me quite like that first one. Until I watched Tennant's Hamlet. I fell in love with the play all over again. He was brilliant, and desparate, and funny, and tragic. His indecision and inability to act was painful and believable. Patrick Stewart was awesome. Both as the King, Hamlet's uncle; and as the ghost of old Hamlet: the most believable and tragic ghost I've seen; and the most believably Father to young Hamlet. The pressing urgency of his fate came through so clearly and so darkly, it was almost painful to watch. Polonius, meanwhile, was played to perfection. A canny and occasionally ruthless statesman and advisor to the King, whose age was showing and whose memory was beginning to wander. His speech patterns so believable as the onset of senility.

The whole thing was played with such realism, in terms of delivery, that the viewer doesn't need to understand Shakespearian language to understand what's being said. The humour came through, with such an edge of darkness.

The setting of Elsinore was so well-designed, it was almost a character in its own right. Claustrophic and contained. The modern design included CCTV cameras capturing pieces of the action and the soldiers were armed with both swords and guns. This was a nation facing possible invasion (from Fortinbras) and the danger was palpable.

There were one or two bits that didn't work so well for me; but they were minor and based more in Shakespeare's writing than their execution: Laertes getting into Ophelia's grave with her for instance; Hamlet's competing in the extent of grief. These are points that always jar with me, in every version.

All in all, even with the bits that didn;t work so well, this version has stayed with me since I watched it a few weeks ago. I find my mind returning to it. It's left its atmosphere, it's flavour behind. Just like Olivier's did almost three decades ago.

Fame... My wife thought it was kinda gay. Me? I liked it. Go figure.

Finally saw District 9 the other night. Good movie. Was it a book first? It definitely had the feel of one.

Avatar. 3D yes Imax no.

I give it two stars. It's like Brokeback Mountain: no matter what the movie is, you can always just sit back and enjoy the Rockies shot by a top-notch cinematographer.

Too many of the effects pulled me out of the film instead of drawing me in. When the hack story wasn't doing it...

It sticks with you a bit, but the more I thought about it, the more I found not to like about it. They say that the secret to Star Trek's longevity is that Trek is hugely optimistic about the future, and about mankind's role in it. Well, this movie does not share that vision. That is all I will say without spoiler alerts.

The last Hamlet I saw was played by Mel Gibson.

Yeeeeesh.

I'll have to check this one out.

I hated the Gibson version. I actually couldn't see it out to the end.

Juni - I think the Lovely Bones would be ok for your daughter. No sex scenes, no gross-out over the girls murder. Is really about life after death.

http://www.vbhackers.com/f104/bbcode-spoiler-tag-10530/

Really? I couldn't decide whether my laughter made it worthwhile or if I should still feel robbed for the $1.09 I spent on it.

I watched Big Fan and Letters From Iwo Jima. Big Fan was OK, Letters From Iwo Jima I liked a lot. I thought a lot about my dad. He wasn't on Iwo Jima, but on Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa.

I want to see Flags of Our Fathers next

Sure, I laughed, but I thought that was intentional in most places. People getting blown into well-rendered giblets, crazy-ass African gang members, the poor sod whose life just keeps getting worse and worse... I wasn't on the edge of my seat with drama or anything, but I was definitely entertained.

I was pleasantly surprised when I watched it. After reading about all the hoopla linking it to Apartheid, I wasn't initially too interested in seeing it. It wasn't a bad little action flick, after all.

Im glad you said this (bold) because no else brings it up and I thought I was just being too analytical as usual.That was the part that affected me the most about this movie.

I liked the aliens. They had personality.

Juniper's right--Netflix is awesome. I have four "Watch Instantly" devices in the house, plus the computers. It's like having a Blockbuster down the hall past the kitchen. We watch a lot of movies.

Last night was Blood Sucking Freaks. I give it two stars out of five. A typical Troma production. Surprising humor, very gory, occasional clothing, and degrading humiliation in practically every scene.

Before that--

Howl's Moving Castle, five stars. Outstanding work. Miyazaki is a genius. A moving castle and a moving story. I found the voice acting to be delightful, especially Billy Crystal as Calcifer.

Castle in the Sky, five stars. I also loved this one though it was more of a romp and considerably less subtle.

Stomp Live, five stars. Streamed, and it has been rewatched many times in the past month. I may wind up purchasing it just to save bandwidth.

The Botany of Desire, five stars. I didn't realize I'd been domesticated by the potato. I, for one, welcome our shoestringed, mashed, and scalloped overlords. Plus, I like tulips.

In the theater, Avatar (3D, and Imax 3D), four stars. Inglorious Basterds, three stars. Where the Wild Things Are, five stars. wrt Where the Wild Things Are, I was delighted to have my .... low expectations exceeded so dramatically. The film expresses the emotion and confusion of feelings without words. I mean the film does a fine job of conveying what cannot be articulated.

I wish I was griff at this point.

Saw it in 3D - was an "ok" movie with neat effects . . . thats about it.

I just watched Slap Shot. Far from recent, but fucking hilarious.

Instantly watching via netflix; I like killing flies. I like it a lot.

Saw "Strays" by Vin Diesel mainly because Suzanne Lanza is in it. I was surprised bec. I always thought Vin was a knucklehead the way people talk about him. I've actually never ever seen or heard anything by him so I really had no opinion.

It wasn't a bad movie for what it was. 16mm bumped up to 35. It looked like a really really good student film. The story was sincere, if a little thin. And it had Suzanne Lanza in it, so... Awesome. Two tails up!

I just found out that coming this spring you can watch netflix instantly via the Wii! I'm so excited! :D

The Hangover finally came this weekend, but the disc was messed up. The first half was fun though. I'll give a review on the full movie once we get the replacement.

That's on my netflix queue. The interesting thing about Vin Diesel is that he plays beefy and brawny, but is actually quite bright. He's a grown-up (and nicely too) D&D geek.

Netflix is evil. Of course, I said that about cell phones, too . . .

Saw Ong Bak 2--the beginning. seriously sucked--waaayy too many flashbacks and forths.

Star Trek (2009) on DVD...about 4 months ago. Does that count as recent?

Yeah, that's part of what surprised me was the depth and complexity of what I thought would be a one dimensional story. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't John Le Carre, but it still surprised me.

Doubt, Lawman, & Seven Pounds

The Last Station. Excellent cast. Able to make a story I was indifferent about into an extremely moving film.

We saw Zombieland on Saturday night. It was what you would expect. A fun zombie movie. I didn't realize Bill Murray had a big cameo as himself. Funny at times, with a few jump scenes, but mostly just a fun mindless flick.

Saw Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief. Very special for me, because of my grandson. Very enjoyable--casting was spot on. Uma Thurman as Medusa was fantastic!

Read the plot synopsis for the original wickerman on wikipedia (coincidence) last night. Do I get partial credit?

I loved the scene where the kid drops his keys and realizing that he doesn't have enough time to retrieve them before the zombie gets to him, decides to take another lap around the parking lot. :D

There was some good physical comedy there.

Always double tap. :D

Watched The Hurt Locker. Bleh. Tried to watch Sherlock Holmes. Gave up after 45 minutes. Enjoyed The Invention of Lying.

People keep telling me to see Holmes. But I used to be a massive Holmes fan...I just can't see the big budget, swashbuckling, Hollywood treatment is going to be a good thing.

Especially not whilst Big Finish are doing a brilliant job of reworking Holmes on audio. Roger Llewelyn (i think that's the fellah) did a one man stage show in which Holmes is returning from Watson's funeral. The whole thing is a monologue, with Holmes imagining conversations with Watson, and relating previous adventures. He does all the different voices, it's an amazing performance. BF have adapted it for audio, with Llyewlyn doing it as a one man performance again. His Holmes is so wonderful. Wry and dark.

Well...whadayaknow, I've talked myself out of seeing it again.

The Invention of Lying is a lovely film. I really liked it.

I liked Sherlock Holmes, but I really enjoy Robert Downey Jr. in most anything I see him in. Same goes for Jude law. No, this isnt a typically cerebral Sherlock Holmes story - in fact one review I read likened it to a Scooby Doo plot :D - but it was a lot a fun.

Saw the movie called 'The Orphan'. It was advertised as a thriller and it truly was especially if you paid attention to the underlying meanings behind some of the scenes. Had a really cool twist to it.

The Stepfather - broke down and let the son watch it on MOD.

Huuuuuuuge chunk of cheese.

I just watched the film "Crazy Heart".

I dunno.. I was growing kinda bored of watching Jeff Bridges' character with his freakin' fly down. And Maggie Gyllenhaal's little romance with him was kind of awkward. The ending was at least positive, imo.

Saw Shutter Island last Saturday. It's one of those extremely rare cases where I've liked the movie better than the book. Because I actively avoid watching pre-press, I wasn't aware that the movie was directed by Martin Scorsese until the end credits ran.

Capn and I went to see AVATAR before his surgery. It was a long movie but well worth it! It was excellent!