Released 20111216.
Watched 20111227 Theaters.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) Guy Ritchie. 129 min
Relevant Links:
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (IMDb.com)
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (RottenTomatoes.com)
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Wikipedia.org)
HISHE (How It Should Have Ended):
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
Plot Summary: The movie quickly establishes in the opening credits that Tintin is a famous reporter and has gone on many adventures. After the credits, the plot begins in a city square where Tintin purchases a model ship. Immediately after he purchases the ship, two men come with interest in the ship. Tintin refuses to sell the ship and brings it home. Curious as to why the ship is sought after, Tintin looks to examine the ship closely. His dog Snowy however chases a cat around the room and breaks the mast of the ship. From here on out, the mystery begins to unravel and plenty of action ensues. Eventually Tintin is captured and locked up, but he manages to escape and meets Captain Haddock. Together, the two flee, but not before Tintin gains additional information. Through a series of fortunate events, Tintin and Haddock make their way to Bagghar, their antagonist's next destination. Along the way, Haddock finally recalls the story of his ancestor, bringing together the antagonist's motives. Filled with action, this movie isn't one to miss.
20111225:
We got to the theater and into our seats at about 2:20, but the movie hadn't started yet. The aisle lights were still on and the previews hadn't started yet. I guess they were a little behind schedule. The theater was also fairly empty. I suppose there was a low demand for movie watching at 2 in the afternoon. In any case, I watched the movie with my sister and my parents. This was significant, because the last time all four of us saw a movie in theaters together was The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).
I enjoyed this movie. In particular, I enjoyed the 3D. The movie was action-packed and fast-paced. I loved it. I liked it a lot better than Hugo (2011). Of course, I generally favor more action-oriented movies. I look forward to watching the sequels.
Trailers: ParaNorman (2012), Dr. Seuss's The Lorax (2012), Titanic 3D (2012)
3D Trailers: Brave (2012), Men in Black III (2012), Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, The Hobbit (2012)
[20111229][20171224 Edit]
20130701:
As I mentioned in the instant comments, this movie was just gorgeous to watch. I especially liked the way the camera moved around through the action sequences, of which there are many.
I also enjoyed many of the scene transitions. For example, there was a scene where Tintin and Haddock shake hands, and then their hands become the desert horizon in the next scene. Another fun transition was when Haddock begins telling the story of his ancestor and some of the desert sands transitioned into ocean waves.
[20171224 Edit]
Instant Comments:
2, 3: "I do believe I've captured something of your likeness."
3: The butler tips of Tin Tin, "some things are easily lost."
2: "Call an ambulance. A man's been shot on our doorstep." + "Not again."
2: There's a lot of action going on and the movie is fun to watch.
2: It's amazing how lifelike everything looks. The motion capture technology is amazing.
2: Haha, alcoholic breathe.
2, 3: Ha! The birds swirl around, but instead of being fictional, they're actually from the pet store.
3: My dad comments that it's a French story, but so instead they're speaking with British accents.
2: Fumes!?!
3: Ha. Upgraded to three stars.
2: The movie is gorgeous.
2: The glass breaking is awesome.
2=20130701, 3=20171224
As of 20171214, Netflix determined the movie for me as a 97% match.
Released 20111221.
Watched 20111225 Theater. Garden Grove [TINTIN 3D] 2:20PM $9.50
Watched 20130701 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20171224 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
The Adventures of Tintin (2011) Steven Spielberg. 107 min [bot comic book series otsn (1929-1976) by Georges Remi]
Relevant Links:
The Adventures of Tintin (IMDb.com)
The Adventures of Tintin (film) (Wikipedia.org)
 |
| Tintin (left, Jamie Bell) |
20111225:
We got to the theater and into our seats at about 2:20, but the movie hadn't started yet. The aisle lights were still on and the previews hadn't started yet. I guess they were a little behind schedule. The theater was also fairly empty. I suppose there was a low demand for movie watching at 2 in the afternoon. In any case, I watched the movie with my sister and my parents. This was significant, because the last time all four of us saw a movie in theaters together was The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).
I enjoyed this movie. In particular, I enjoyed the 3D. The movie was action-packed and fast-paced. I loved it. I liked it a lot better than Hugo (2011). Of course, I generally favor more action-oriented movies. I look forward to watching the sequels.
 |
| Thomson (Nick Frost) and Thompson (Simon Pegg) |
Trailers: ParaNorman (2012), Dr. Seuss's The Lorax (2012), Titanic 3D (2012)
3D Trailers: Brave (2012), Men in Black III (2012), Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, The Hobbit (2012)
[20111229][20171224 Edit]
20130701:
As I mentioned in the instant comments, this movie was just gorgeous to watch. I especially liked the way the camera moved around through the action sequences, of which there are many.
 |
| Captain Haddock (top, Andy Serkis) |
I also enjoyed many of the scene transitions. For example, there was a scene where Tintin and Haddock shake hands, and then their hands become the desert horizon in the next scene. Another fun transition was when Haddock begins telling the story of his ancestor and some of the desert sands transitioned into ocean waves.
[20171224 Edit]
Instant Comments:
2, 3: "I do believe I've captured something of your likeness."
3: The butler tips of Tin Tin, "some things are easily lost."
2: "Call an ambulance. A man's been shot on our doorstep." + "Not again."
 |
| "I do believe I've captured something of your likeness." "Not bad. Snowy, what do you think?" |
2: There's a lot of action going on and the movie is fun to watch.
2: It's amazing how lifelike everything looks. The motion capture technology is amazing.
2: Haha, alcoholic breathe.
2, 3: Ha! The birds swirl around, but instead of being fictional, they're actually from the pet store.
3: My dad comments that it's a French story, but so instead they're speaking with British accents.
2: Fumes!?!
3: Ha. Upgraded to three stars.
2: The movie is gorgeous.
 |
| Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine (Danie Craig) |
2: The glass breaking is awesome.
2=20130701, 3=20171224
As of 20171214, Netflix determined the movie for me as a 97% match.
Released 20111221.
Watched 20111225 Theater. Garden Grove [TINTIN 3D] 2:20PM $9.50
Watched 20130701 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20171224 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
The Adventures of Tintin (2011) Steven Spielberg. 107 min [bot comic book series otsn (1929-1976) by Georges Remi]
 |
| Movie Ticket |
Relevant Links:
The Adventures of Tintin (IMDb.com)
The Adventures of Tintin (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Friday, December 23, 2011
Weekend at Bernie's (1989)
20111223:
This movie has a lot of good laughs. Many scenes are funny. Some because the situation is just plain silly. The movie does dumb well. In my opinion, an example of dumb not done well is Year One (2009).
JK said he's seen this movie many times. MT, KH, and I have not seen this movie. MT seemed to enjoyed it to a greater degree than I did, but I definitely enjoyed it. Perhaps the laughter was just contagious. At some point, after the movie concluded, someone said something, and JK, MT, and I just couldn't stop laughing.
I had a great time watching this movie.
Special Features:
Trailer. I love watching the trailer to a movie after watching a movie instead of before watching a movie.
Production Notes. Skimmed through the production notes.
Watched 20111223 (DVD)
Weekend at Bernie's (1989) Ted Kotcheff. 97 min
Relevant Links:
Weekend at Bernie's (IMDb.com)
This movie has a lot of good laughs. Many scenes are funny. Some because the situation is just plain silly. The movie does dumb well. In my opinion, an example of dumb not done well is Year One (2009).
JK said he's seen this movie many times. MT, KH, and I have not seen this movie. MT seemed to enjoyed it to a greater degree than I did, but I definitely enjoyed it. Perhaps the laughter was just contagious. At some point, after the movie concluded, someone said something, and JK, MT, and I just couldn't stop laughing.
I had a great time watching this movie.
Special Features:
Trailer. I love watching the trailer to a movie after watching a movie instead of before watching a movie.
Production Notes. Skimmed through the production notes.
Watched 20111223 (DVD)
Weekend at Bernie's (1989) Ted Kotcheff. 97 min
Relevant Links:
Weekend at Bernie's (IMDb.com)
Almost Heroes (1998)
20111223:
This movie was decently funny. I can only pick out two absolutely funny scenes. Both involve poop. I suppose Farley's encounter with the eagle eggs was pretty good too. Overall, it's not terrible to watch it once. I guess something like Weekend at Bernie's (1989) worthy. Who knows, it might end up being a personal favorite.
[20111228]
Watched 20111223 (Netflix, Instant) 90 min
Almost Heroes (1998) Christopher Guest. 90 min
Relevant Links:
Almost Heroes (IMDb.com)
Film Clips:
This movie was decently funny. I can only pick out two absolutely funny scenes. Both involve poop. I suppose Farley's encounter with the eagle eggs was pretty good too. Overall, it's not terrible to watch it once. I guess something like Weekend at Bernie's (1989) worthy. Who knows, it might end up being a personal favorite.
[20111228]
Watched 20111223 (Netflix, Instant) 90 min
Almost Heroes (1998) Christopher Guest. 90 min
Relevant Links:
Almost Heroes (IMDb.com)
Film Clips:
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Little Big Soldier (2010)
20111222:
Jackie Chan! Great seeing Jackie Chan running around and doing what he does best.
The movie is full of surprises. Great movie.
[20111223]
Watched 20111222 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles included)
Little Big Soldier (2010) Sheng Ding. 96 min
a.k.a. Da bing xiao jiang (original title)
Relevant Links:
Little Big Soldier (IMDb.com)
Jackie Chan! Great seeing Jackie Chan running around and doing what he does best.
The movie is full of surprises. Great movie.
[20111223]
Watched 20111222 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles included)
Little Big Soldier (2010) Sheng Ding. 96 min
a.k.a. Da bing xiao jiang (original title)
Relevant Links:
Little Big Soldier (IMDb.com)
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
20120812:
I saw most of the movie today, but I fell asleep near the end.
The female agent was still annoying, but less than when I watched it the first time.
The window scaling was perhaps the best scene out of the scenes I saw today.
Actually, Jeremy Renner was cool and I especially enjoyed the scene where his character enters and leaves the wind tunnel. Another scene I liked showed Renner's character reacting to Ethan pulling his gun. 20120813 3:43PM
Actually, perhaps the word "cheesy" is more appropriate than the word "annoying."
Remark: "Movies shown during the [bus] trip, in order: Mrs. Doubtfire, Vertical Limit, 2012 (a documentary on wolves and bears), Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and Airforce One." 20120813 3:52PM
[20130118][20181222 Edit]
Instant Comments:
A: I was skimming the movie on Netflix to take some screenshots and while watching the opening credits, I realized that the opening credits almost act as a trailer for the film!
A: Ha: "Just remember, blue is glue." "And when it's red?" "Dead."
A: Annoying: "Where's Ethan." Benji points. "You gotta be kidding me."
A: Ha: "You're line's not long enough!" "No shit!"
A: Ha: Benji comes in. "Haha. Whew! That was not easy. But uh... [inhales] I did it."
A=20130129 (screenshot viewing)
Released 20111221.
Watched 20111229 Theater. Triangle Square [Mission: Impossible] 07:50P $4.00
Watched 20120812 In-Bus Entertainment
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) Brad Bird. 133 min
Relevant Links:
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (IMDb.com)
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (Wikipedia.org)
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (RottenTomatoes.com)
I saw most of the movie today, but I fell asleep near the end.
The female agent was still annoying, but less than when I watched it the first time.
The window scaling was perhaps the best scene out of the scenes I saw today.
Actually, Jeremy Renner was cool and I especially enjoyed the scene where his character enters and leaves the wind tunnel. Another scene I liked showed Renner's character reacting to Ethan pulling his gun. 20120813 3:43PM
Actually, perhaps the word "cheesy" is more appropriate than the word "annoying."
Remark: "Movies shown during the [bus] trip, in order: Mrs. Doubtfire, Vertical Limit, 2012 (a documentary on wolves and bears), Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and Airforce One." 20120813 3:52PM
[20130118][20181222 Edit]
Instant Comments:
A: I was skimming the movie on Netflix to take some screenshots and while watching the opening credits, I realized that the opening credits almost act as a trailer for the film!
A: Ha: "Just remember, blue is glue." "And when it's red?" "Dead."
A: Annoying: "Where's Ethan." Benji points. "You gotta be kidding me."
A: Ha: "You're line's not long enough!" "No shit!"
A: Ha: Benji comes in. "Haha. Whew! That was not easy. But uh... [inhales] I did it."
A=20130129 (screenshot viewing)
Released 20111221.
Watched 20111229 Theater. Triangle Square [Mission: Impossible] 07:50P $4.00
Watched 20120812 In-Bus Entertainment
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) Brad Bird. 133 min
Relevant Links:
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (IMDb.com)
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (Wikipedia.org)
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (RottenTomatoes.com)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
20111221:
This is possibly the first time I watched the movie in full.
I love the scene where Kris Kringle starts speaking Dutch.
It's a great classic (holiday) movie.
Quotes:
[20111222][20181222 Edit]
Watched 20111221 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) George Seaton. 96 min [botnotsn (1947) by Valentine Davies]
Relevant Links:
Miracle on 34th Street (IMDb.com)
Miracle on 34th Street (Wikipedia.org)
Miracle on 34th Street script (Script-O-Rama.com)
This is possibly the first time I watched the movie in full.
I love the scene where Kris Kringle starts speaking Dutch.
It's a great classic (holiday) movie.
Quotes:
Fred Gailey: All my life I've wondered something, and now's my chance to find out. I'm going to find the answer to a question that's puzzled the world for centuries. Does Santa Claus sleep with his whiskers outside or in?
Kris Kringle: Always sleep with them out. Cold air makes them grow.
SUZIE: Mother, I was thinking... we've got such a big turkey for dinner... and there are only two of us. Couldn't we invite Mr. Gailey?
GAILEY: Oh, don't even think about it. I'll have a sandwich or something.
SUZIE: It's an awful big turkey.
DORIS: That's not it, dear... but I'm sure Mr. Gailey has other plans.
SUZIE: No, he hasn't. Have you?
GAILEY: To be quite honest and truthful with the child... I must admit I haven't any other plans.
SUZIE: Please, Mother! Did I ask all right?
GAILEY: Hmm?
SUZIE: Didn't I ask all right, Mr. Gailey?
GAILEY: That all depends.
DORIS: Dinner's at : .
GAILEY: Thanks. Suzie, honey, you asked just right. I'll see you at : .
SUZIE: It worked.
GAILEY: Yes.
[20111222][20181222 Edit]
Watched 20111221 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) George Seaton. 96 min [botnotsn (1947) by Valentine Davies]
Relevant Links:
Miracle on 34th Street (IMDb.com)
Miracle on 34th Street (Wikipedia.org)
Miracle on 34th Street script (Script-O-Rama.com)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
20111221:
This is possibly the first time I watched the movie in full.
I love the scene where Kris Kringle starts speaking Dutch.
It's a great classic (holiday) movie.
Quotes:
[20111222]
Watched 20111221 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) George Seaton. 96 min [botnotsn (1947) by Valentine Davies]
Relevant Links:
Miracle on 34th Street (IMDb.com)
Miracle on 34th Street (Wikipedia.org)
Miracle on 34th Street script (Script-O-Rama.com)
This is possibly the first time I watched the movie in full.
I love the scene where Kris Kringle starts speaking Dutch.
It's a great classic (holiday) movie.
Quotes:
Fred Gailey: All my life I've wondered something, and now's my chance to find out. I'm going to find the answer to a question that's puzzled the world for centuries. Does Santa Claus sleep with his whiskers outside or in?
Kris Kringle: Always sleep with them out. Cold air makes them grow.
SUZIE: Mother, I was thinking... we've got such a big turkey for dinner... and there are only two of us. Couldn't we invite Mr. Gailey?
GAILEY: Oh, don't even think about it. I'll have a sandwich or something.
SUZIE: It's an awful big turkey.
DORIS: That's not it, dear... but I'm sure Mr. Gailey has other plans.
SUZIE: No, he hasn't. Have you?
GAILEY: To be quite honest and truthful with the child... I must admit I haven't any other plans.
SUZIE: Please, Mother! Did I ask all right?
GAILEY: Hmm?
SUZIE: Didn't I ask all right, Mr. Gailey?
GAILEY: That all depends.
DORIS: Dinner's at : .
GAILEY: Thanks. Suzie, honey, you asked just right. I'll see you at : .
SUZIE: It worked.
GAILEY: Yes.
[20111222]
Watched 20111221 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) George Seaton. 96 min [botnotsn (1947) by Valentine Davies]
Relevant Links:
Miracle on 34th Street (IMDb.com)
Miracle on 34th Street (Wikipedia.org)
Miracle on 34th Street script (Script-O-Rama.com)
Sunday, December 18, 2011
A Soldier's Story (1984)
20111218:
I decided to watch this movie today, because it was the earliest film available on Netflix streaming with actor Denzel Washington.
It has an interesting story. The ending was alright. Overall, the movie was better than I expected from the impression I built within the first ten minutes.
[20111218 Assumed Post Date][20181222]
Watched 20111218 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
A Soldier's Story (1984) Norman Jewison. 101 min.
Relevant Links:
A Soldier's Story (IMDb.com)
I decided to watch this movie today, because it was the earliest film available on Netflix streaming with actor Denzel Washington.
It has an interesting story. The ending was alright. Overall, the movie was better than I expected from the impression I built within the first ten minutes.
[20111218 Assumed Post Date][20181222]
Watched 20111218 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
A Soldier's Story (1984) Norman Jewison. 101 min.
Relevant Links:
A Soldier's Story (IMDb.com)
Friday, December 16, 2011
Super Troopers (2002)
 |
| Thorny (Jay Chandrasekhar) and Rabbit (Erik Stolhanske) have a maple syrup chugging contest while Mac (Steve Lemme) spectates. |
Overview: The Vermont state troopers are in competition with the local police. While the state troopers enjoy joking around, things begin to get serious when they're looking to be shut down. Matters escalate between the troopers and local police over an impeding drug bust.
 |
| Foster (Paul Soter) and Ursula (Marisa Coughlan) |
 |
| Grady: I'm sorry about that delousing. Just standard procedure. Farva: It's powdered sugar. Grady: The lice hate the sugar. Farva: It's delicious. |
20111216:
The first time I watched this movie, the first ten or fifteen minutes were quite strange and I think it's important to note that the remainder of the movie is more grounded, though just as funny.
Overall, this movie has some good laughs and was enjoying to watch.
 |
| Ursula and Foster meet in secret as "bikers." |
[20140105]
Instant Comments:
Credits:
There are several scenes of the troopers partying with the stoners that play during the credits.
There's also footage showing Farva's incident with a school bus.
After the credits end, Farva is shown vomiting into a toilet.
 |
| The boys test out some new equipment. |
Seen parts of this film once before.
Watched 20111216 (Netflix, Instant) 100 min
Super Troopers (2002) Jay Chandrasekhar. 100 min
Relevant Links:
Super Troopers (IMDb.com)
Super Troopers (Wikipedia.org)
Super Troopers (RottenTomatoes.com)
 |
| The stoners get busted for possession of drugs. (Geoffrey Arend, Andre Vippolis, and Joey Kern) |
Billy Elliot (2000)
20111216:
What a great movie! Lots of emotion going on. Great characters. Great story. Maybe part of why I like it is because the plot revolves around dancing.
I didn't realize that the actress playing Mrs. Wilkinson is Julie Walters, the actress who plays Mrs. Wesley in Harry Potter, until the the dad sees his son perform and goes to thank her.
Watched 20111216 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Billy Elliot (2000) Stephen Daldry. 110 min
Relevant Links:
Billy Elliot (IMDb.com)
What a great movie! Lots of emotion going on. Great characters. Great story. Maybe part of why I like it is because the plot revolves around dancing.
I didn't realize that the actress playing Mrs. Wilkinson is Julie Walters, the actress who plays Mrs. Wesley in Harry Potter, until the the dad sees his son perform and goes to thank her.
Watched 20111216 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Billy Elliot (2000) Stephen Daldry. 110 min
Relevant Links:
Billy Elliot (IMDb.com)
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
20111214:
Great action movie. This sequel adds some serious and dark elements, making it closer to the first film, while retaining some of the over-the-top elements of the second film.
I like the addition of the character Lorna Cole to this movie. Overall, I think I like Lethal Weapon 2 more than Lethal Weapon 3, and Lethal Weapon 3 more than Lethal Weapon. Of course, they're all worth watching if you're into action films.
[20111216]
Instant Comments:
Lol. Great start to the movie.
"Semantics" I'm always up for some antics.
Lol the scene with Riggs and the dog is ridiculous.
In the last film they picked up his gun. Did he lose it in this film in the warehouse?
Lol sound effects: wah wah wah
Lol, hold that.
Lol after end credits. Building and "I'm too old for this shit."
As of 20180121, Netflix determined the movie for me as a 95% match. I decided to give the movie neither a thumbs up nor a thumbs down, even though I gave Lethal Weapon a thumbs up.
Watched 20111214 (DVD) (Director's Cut)
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) Richard Donner. 118 min.
Relevant Links:
Lethal Weapon 3 (IMDb.com)
Great action movie. This sequel adds some serious and dark elements, making it closer to the first film, while retaining some of the over-the-top elements of the second film.
 |
| Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) |
I like the addition of the character Lorna Cole to this movie. Overall, I think I like Lethal Weapon 2 more than Lethal Weapon 3, and Lethal Weapon 3 more than Lethal Weapon. Of course, they're all worth watching if you're into action films.
[20111216]
Instant Comments:
Lol. Great start to the movie.
"Semantics" I'm always up for some antics.
 |
| Lorna Cole (Rene Russo) |
Lol the scene with Riggs and the dog is ridiculous.
In the last film they picked up his gun. Did he lose it in this film in the warehouse?
Lol sound effects: wah wah wah
Lol, hold that.
Lol after end credits. Building and "I'm too old for this shit."
 |
| Leo Getz (Joe Pesci) |
As of 20180121, Netflix determined the movie for me as a 95% match. I decided to give the movie neither a thumbs up nor a thumbs down, even though I gave Lethal Weapon a thumbs up.
Watched 20111214 (DVD) (Director's Cut)
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) Richard Donner. 118 min.
 |
| Riggs and Murtaugh watch Lorna kicking butt. |
Relevant Links:
Lethal Weapon 3 (IMDb.com)
Monday, December 12, 2011
Horrible Bosses (2011)
20111212:
Pretty funny movie. It sort of had the vibe of The Hangover (2009). I remember finding the scenes with Jamie Foxx's character especially entertaining, though they only make up a small portion of the movie as a whole.
[20111214]
Watched 20111212 (Extended Cut) (Blu-ray) 106 min.
Horrible Bosses (2011) Seth Gordon. 98 min.
Relevant Links:
Horrible Bosses (IMDb.com)
Pretty funny movie. It sort of had the vibe of The Hangover (2009). I remember finding the scenes with Jamie Foxx's character especially entertaining, though they only make up a small portion of the movie as a whole.
[20111214]
Watched 20111212 (Extended Cut) (Blu-ray) 106 min.
Horrible Bosses (2011) Seth Gordon. 98 min.
Relevant Links:
Horrible Bosses (IMDb.com)
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Hugo (2011)
20111211:
I wanted to watch this movie simply because it was directed by Martin Scorsese. In fact, I didn't know anything else about this movie prior to watching it. The beginning of the movie is a little slow. I recall being in jeopardy of nodding off to sleep, on account of being tired combined with the initial pacing.
My friend pointed out that the movie is set in Paris and yet the characters are speaking with English accents. I don't mind this difference at all, since for me it's all or nothing. Either all the actors speak in the language their characters are supposed to speak or they can speak in any other language and with any other accent (as long as the intended language is clear). In application to this movie, I don't think speaking English with a French accent would have made it more authentic than speaking English with an English accent. I'm fine with knowing the movie is set in Paris and therefore the characters are actually speaking French.
There was only one other person in the theater besides my friend Josh and I.
I recognized the main film in the movie when the movie got to the plot point where it actually showed the film being mentioned earlier in the movie. That's a mouthful, but if you've seen the movie, then you'll understand. If you haven't seen the movie, you should.
Credits:
Johnny Depp was a producer.
Howard Shore did the music.
The credits are done screen by screen (instead of rolling).
They move pretty quickly.
Trailers: Mirror Mirror | The Lorax (2012) | The Pirates! Band of Misfits | 3D: Beauty and the Beast 3D: The Adventures of Tintin (2011) | 3D: Titanic (1997)
[20111212]
20130128:
This is such a wonderful film. It has a certain charm to it. If you're looking for a family film or something heartwarming, then this film is sure to hit the spot. I should note, however, that the first time I saw the film, I found the automaton a bit frightening. I'd like to add that the film is also worth watching, because it includes a bit on the history of film itself.
Instant Comments:
I love how the audience got surprised by the train coming at them. I remember having a similar feeling when I watched one of those gimmicky 3D movies at Disneyland as a child.
I love the raw emotion found throughout this movie.
One of my favorite scenes is when all the pictures came flying up out of the box.
Papa Georges's story is such a sad one.
Ha. "Playing" is mentioned in jest as one of the offenses.
The scene that followed after "You should understand" brought half a tear to my eye.
Another half as Papa Georges walks down the steps.
Released 20111123.
Watched 20111211 Theatre. Garden Grove [HUGO 3D] 10:05PM $9.50
Watched 20130128 (Netflix, Instant)
Hugo (2011) Martin Scorsese. 126 min [botn The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007) by Brian Selznick]
Relevant Links:
Hugo (IMDb.com)
Hugo (film) (Wikipedia.org)
The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Wikipedia.org)
I wanted to watch this movie simply because it was directed by Martin Scorsese. In fact, I didn't know anything else about this movie prior to watching it. The beginning of the movie is a little slow. I recall being in jeopardy of nodding off to sleep, on account of being tired combined with the initial pacing.
 |
| Hugo (Asa Butterfield) |
My friend pointed out that the movie is set in Paris and yet the characters are speaking with English accents. I don't mind this difference at all, since for me it's all or nothing. Either all the actors speak in the language their characters are supposed to speak or they can speak in any other language and with any other accent (as long as the intended language is clear). In application to this movie, I don't think speaking English with a French accent would have made it more authentic than speaking English with an English accent. I'm fine with knowing the movie is set in Paris and therefore the characters are actually speaking French.
There was only one other person in the theater besides my friend Josh and I.
 |
| Papa Georges (Ben Kingsley) |
I recognized the main film in the movie when the movie got to the plot point where it actually showed the film being mentioned earlier in the movie. That's a mouthful, but if you've seen the movie, then you'll understand. If you haven't seen the movie, you should.
Credits:
Johnny Depp was a producer.
Howard Shore did the music.
The credits are done screen by screen (instead of rolling).
They move pretty quickly.
 |
| Hugo and Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz) |
Trailers: Mirror Mirror | The Lorax (2012) | The Pirates! Band of Misfits | 3D: Beauty and the Beast 3D: The Adventures of Tintin (2011) | 3D: Titanic (1997)
[20111212]
 |
| Hugo evades Inspector Gustave (Sacha Baron Cohen) |
20130128:
This is such a wonderful film. It has a certain charm to it. If you're looking for a family film or something heartwarming, then this film is sure to hit the spot. I should note, however, that the first time I saw the film, I found the automaton a bit frightening. I'd like to add that the film is also worth watching, because it includes a bit on the history of film itself.
Instant Comments:
I love how the audience got surprised by the train coming at them. I remember having a similar feeling when I watched one of those gimmicky 3D movies at Disneyland as a child.
I love the raw emotion found throughout this movie.
One of my favorite scenes is when all the pictures came flying up out of the box.
 |
| Automaton. |
Papa Georges's story is such a sad one.
Ha. "Playing" is mentioned in jest as one of the offenses.
The scene that followed after "You should understand" brought half a tear to my eye.
Another half as Papa Georges walks down the steps.
Released 20111123.
Watched 20111211 Theatre. Garden Grove [HUGO 3D] 10:05PM $9.50
Watched 20130128 (Netflix, Instant)
Hugo (2011) Martin Scorsese. 126 min [botn The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007) by Brian Selznick]
Relevant Links:
Hugo (IMDb.com)
Hugo (film) (Wikipedia.org)
The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Wikipedia.org)
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
20111210:
Lethal Weapon 2 has better pacing than Lethal Weapon (1987), but I didn't like all of the scenes. While it lacks the relationship building dynamic of the first movie, it still retains great moments between the two main characters. Overall, I liked it better than the first.
The funniest scene in the movie is his daughter's commercial.
[20111211]
Instant Comments:
Lol. Thank you for not smoking placard and on the door. I noticed before the dialogue. Of course the camera angle is intended to draw your attention to them.
Lol. "What are you doing?" "I'm checking if I'm standing on plastic."
"Okay okay okay." Hahaha.
Diplomatic immunity...
As of 20180121, Netflix determined the movie for me as a 96% match. I decided to give the movie neither a thumbs up nor a thumbs down, even though I gave Lethal Weapon a thumbs up and stated above that I liked Lethal Weapon 2 better.
Watched 20111210 (DVD) (Director's Cut)
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) Richard Donner. 114 min.
Relevant Links:
Lethal Weapon 2 (IMDb.com)
Lethal Weapon 2 has better pacing than Lethal Weapon (1987), but I didn't like all of the scenes. While it lacks the relationship building dynamic of the first movie, it still retains great moments between the two main characters. Overall, I liked it better than the first.
 |
| Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) |
The funniest scene in the movie is his daughter's commercial.
[20111211]
Instant Comments:
Lol. Thank you for not smoking placard and on the door. I noticed before the dialogue. Of course the camera angle is intended to draw your attention to them.
 |
| Leo Getz (Joe Pesci) |
Lol. "What are you doing?" "I'm checking if I'm standing on plastic."
"Okay okay okay." Hahaha.
Diplomatic immunity...
 |
| Arjen Rudd (front, Joss Ackland) and Pieter Vorstedt (back, Derrick O'Connor) |
As of 20180121, Netflix determined the movie for me as a 96% match. I decided to give the movie neither a thumbs up nor a thumbs down, even though I gave Lethal Weapon a thumbs up and stated above that I liked Lethal Weapon 2 better.
Watched 20111210 (DVD) (Director's Cut)
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) Richard Donner. 114 min.
Relevant Links:
Lethal Weapon 2 (IMDb.com)
Friday, December 9, 2011
How Beer Saved the World (2011)
20111209:
This was a cool documentary. There were many interesting stories regarding beer's effect on the world. While some of the connections were a stretch, the documentary still served as informational. Even if you might not like it, for only 43 minutes running time, consider it a documentary worth watching.
As a side remark, the documentary mentions that the way the beer the Egyptians drank was actually quite nutritious and good for their health. It left me wondering, does that imply the beer they were drinking wasn't tasty? Otherwise, why don't we drink this healthier and nutritious beer?
[20111216][20181222 Edit]
Watched 20111209 (Netflix, Instant)
How Beer Saved the World (2011) 43 min
Relevant Links:
How Beer Saved the World (IMDb.com)
This was a cool documentary. There were many interesting stories regarding beer's effect on the world. While some of the connections were a stretch, the documentary still served as informational. Even if you might not like it, for only 43 minutes running time, consider it a documentary worth watching.
As a side remark, the documentary mentions that the way the beer the Egyptians drank was actually quite nutritious and good for their health. It left me wondering, does that imply the beer they were drinking wasn't tasty? Otherwise, why don't we drink this healthier and nutritious beer?
[20111216][20181222 Edit]
Watched 20111209 (Netflix, Instant)
How Beer Saved the World (2011) 43 min
Relevant Links:
How Beer Saved the World (IMDb.com)
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Lethal Weapon (1987)
20111207:
What a great action movie. Right up there near Die Hard (1988). What a great ending. Now I have three franchises with a bunch of sequels on my list of movies to watch: Die Hard, Dirty Harry, and Lethal Weapon.
Instant Comments:
First scene with Gibson, I hardly recognized him. So young.
Awesome scene with Gibson.
Lol, shaved the beard.
Haha, guess we'll have to register you a lethal weapon.
Haha, everyone in this movie is crazy.
Lol the jump reminds me of The Other Guys (2010). Except... hahaha...
As of 20180121, Netflix determined the movie for me as a 97% match. I decided to give the movie a thumbs up.
Watched 20111207 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Lethal Weapon (1987) Richard Donner. 110 min.
Relevant Links:
Lethal Weapon (IMDb.com)
What a great action movie. Right up there near Die Hard (1988). What a great ending. Now I have three franchises with a bunch of sequels on my list of movies to watch: Die Hard, Dirty Harry, and Lethal Weapon.
 |
| Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) |
Instant Comments:
First scene with Gibson, I hardly recognized him. So young.
Awesome scene with Gibson.
Lol, shaved the beard.
 |
| They're both crazy... |
Haha, guess we'll have to register you a lethal weapon.
Haha, everyone in this movie is crazy.
Lol the jump reminds me of The Other Guys (2010). Except... hahaha...
 |
| At the shooting range. |
As of 20180121, Netflix determined the movie for me as a 97% match. I decided to give the movie a thumbs up.
Watched 20111207 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Lethal Weapon (1987) Richard Donner. 110 min.
 |
| Riggs tests some cocaine. |
Relevant Links:
Lethal Weapon (IMDb.com)
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996)
Overview: Dr. Clayton Forrester forces Mike Nelson, Crow T. Robot, and Tom Servo to watch This Island Earth. As with the show, the crew riff the movie as they watch it.
20111201:
This movie didn't keep my interest. I didn't find the "bad" movie worth the commentary and I only found some of the commentary interesting. I couldn't watch more than half.
20130921:
Possibly interesting during its time, I found the movie "This Island Earth" boring to watch, even with the commentary. I could see why I didn't choose to finish the film the first time.
Instant Comments:
Dr. Carlson in This Island Earth is played by Russell Johnson, the actor known for his role as the Professor on Gilligan's Island. How I remember watching Gilligan's Island as a kid.
[I fell asleep and woke up to resume the film at 53 minutes, even though I considered not finishing it]
"I don't know why people leave during the credits, I always stay during the credits."
Watched 1st half 20111201 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20130921 (Netflix, Instant, HD) (Streaming until 20131001)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996) Jim Mallon. 73 min
Relevant Links:
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (Wikipedia.org)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (IMDb.com)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (RomanTomatoes.com)
This Island Earth (film) (Wikipedia.org)
This Island Earth (novel) (Wikipedia.org)
This Island Earth (IMDb.com)
This Island Earth (RottenTomatoes.com)
 |
| Left to right: Exeter, Dr. Cal Meacham, and Dr. Ruth Adams |
20111201:
This movie didn't keep my interest. I didn't find the "bad" movie worth the commentary and I only found some of the commentary interesting. I couldn't watch more than half.
20130921:
Possibly interesting during its time, I found the movie "This Island Earth" boring to watch, even with the commentary. I could see why I didn't choose to finish the film the first time.
 |
| Mike Nelson (protagonist of Mystery Science Theater 3000) |
Instant Comments:
Dr. Carlson in This Island Earth is played by Russell Johnson, the actor known for his role as the Professor on Gilligan's Island. How I remember watching Gilligan's Island as a kid.
[I fell asleep and woke up to resume the film at 53 minutes, even though I considered not finishing it]
"I don't know why people leave during the credits, I always stay during the credits."
 |
| Exeter. |
Watched 1st half 20111201 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20130921 (Netflix, Instant, HD) (Streaming until 20131001)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996) Jim Mallon. 73 min
 |
| Dr. Clayton Forrester (antagonist of Mystery Science Theater 3000) |
Relevant Links:
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (Wikipedia.org)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (IMDb.com)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (RomanTomatoes.com)
This Island Earth (film) (Wikipedia.org)
This Island Earth (novel) (Wikipedia.org)
This Island Earth (IMDb.com)
This Island Earth (RottenTomatoes.com)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Winchester '73 (1950)
20111130:
So I've really been in a mood for westerns lately. When browsing through movies to watch, I just end up choosing a western. In any case, Winchester '73 was pretty good. It has more action and feels more real to me than some of the other westerns I've seen lately. Of course, appearing realistic is different from being realistic. But when it comes to liking a non-fiction movie, I'd rather have it appear and feel realistic rather than be realistic. Achieving something real without needing to be real. For example, you can create antique furniture (from new furniture) that appears worn and old instead of buying real antique furniture that looks new.
Moving on, I really like the final duel.
I read part of the overview on Netflix prior to watching the movie and I feel it was incorrect. After watching the film I read the entire overview and not only is part of it incorrect, but another part contains a minor spoiler. I offer the following overview: Lin McAdam (James Stewart) has some beef with a man who goes by the name of Dutch Henry Adams. The two compete in a shooting contest in Dodge City, Kansas for a special Winchester rifle. Lin wins, but the rifle is take from him. The remainder of the movie follows Lin on his quest for Dutch and the rifle as it journeys through different hands.
This might be the first western I've seen with Indians attacking. It certainly wouldn't be the first movie I've seen with Indians. The Last of the Mohicans (1920), Dances with Wolves (1990), Pocahontas (1995), and Avatar (2009) (I felt like I had to poke a little fun at Avatar).
Overall, great film. I liked it better than The Left Handed Gun (1958) and High Noon (1952).
Note: Harvey (1950), another movie starring James Stewart, was also released in 1950.
Watched 20111130 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Winchester '73 (1950) Anthony Mann. 92 min
Relevant Links:
Winchester '73 (IMDb.com)
Winchester '73 (Wikipedia.org)
Winchester rifle (Wikipedia.org)
So I've really been in a mood for westerns lately. When browsing through movies to watch, I just end up choosing a western. In any case, Winchester '73 was pretty good. It has more action and feels more real to me than some of the other westerns I've seen lately. Of course, appearing realistic is different from being realistic. But when it comes to liking a non-fiction movie, I'd rather have it appear and feel realistic rather than be realistic. Achieving something real without needing to be real. For example, you can create antique furniture (from new furniture) that appears worn and old instead of buying real antique furniture that looks new.
Moving on, I really like the final duel.
I read part of the overview on Netflix prior to watching the movie and I feel it was incorrect. After watching the film I read the entire overview and not only is part of it incorrect, but another part contains a minor spoiler. I offer the following overview: Lin McAdam (James Stewart) has some beef with a man who goes by the name of Dutch Henry Adams. The two compete in a shooting contest in Dodge City, Kansas for a special Winchester rifle. Lin wins, but the rifle is take from him. The remainder of the movie follows Lin on his quest for Dutch and the rifle as it journeys through different hands.
This might be the first western I've seen with Indians attacking. It certainly wouldn't be the first movie I've seen with Indians. The Last of the Mohicans (1920), Dances with Wolves (1990), Pocahontas (1995), and Avatar (2009) (I felt like I had to poke a little fun at Avatar).
Overall, great film. I liked it better than The Left Handed Gun (1958) and High Noon (1952).
Note: Harvey (1950), another movie starring James Stewart, was also released in 1950.
Watched 20111130 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Winchester '73 (1950) Anthony Mann. 92 min
Relevant Links:
Winchester '73 (IMDb.com)
Winchester '73 (Wikipedia.org)
Winchester rifle (Wikipedia.org)
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The Left Handed Gun (1958)
20111129:
This movie is about Billy the Kid. According to the Wikipedia article, Billy the Kid is actually right handed. Anyways, I didn't like the movie. I think it displays too many angles of Billy the Kid. He's kind of a good guy, and yet he's kind of a bad guy. A couple switches spread throughout the movie would be alright, but several switches and sometimes in short periods of movie time made it hard for me to keep up with the character. I was hoping the movie would be more like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), but the two movies are more different than alike.
I don't know what else to mention. I guess the ambiguity of the movie has clouded my opinion of the movie itself. Overall, you might decide to check this out if you like Paul Newman's acting. That's why I decided to watch this movie in the first place. I'd say the majority of his performance is solid.
Actually, I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of the movie up until and including the scene where Billy shots the two men on horseback. I only enjoyed parts of the movie after that scene. I like the last western I watched, High Noon (1952) better, because the protagonist had a clear goal and purpose.
Watched 20111129 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
The Left Handed Gun (1958) Arthur Penn. 102 min.
Relevant Links:
The Left Handed Gun (IMDb.com)
The Left Handed Gun (Wikipedia.org)
Billy the Kid (Wikipedia.org)
This movie is about Billy the Kid. According to the Wikipedia article, Billy the Kid is actually right handed. Anyways, I didn't like the movie. I think it displays too many angles of Billy the Kid. He's kind of a good guy, and yet he's kind of a bad guy. A couple switches spread throughout the movie would be alright, but several switches and sometimes in short periods of movie time made it hard for me to keep up with the character. I was hoping the movie would be more like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), but the two movies are more different than alike.
I don't know what else to mention. I guess the ambiguity of the movie has clouded my opinion of the movie itself. Overall, you might decide to check this out if you like Paul Newman's acting. That's why I decided to watch this movie in the first place. I'd say the majority of his performance is solid.
Actually, I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of the movie up until and including the scene where Billy shots the two men on horseback. I only enjoyed parts of the movie after that scene. I like the last western I watched, High Noon (1952) better, because the protagonist had a clear goal and purpose.
Watched 20111129 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
The Left Handed Gun (1958) Arthur Penn. 102 min.
Relevant Links:
The Left Handed Gun (IMDb.com)
The Left Handed Gun (Wikipedia.org)
Billy the Kid (Wikipedia.org)
Saturday, November 26, 2011
High Noon (1952)
20111126:
I think this movie has a lot of fluff in it and I don't think it does a good job of showing me why I should care for the protagonist.
I guess the audience is suppose to pity the fact that the protagonist is alone, but the movie itself presents the question of why he just doesn't leave for the sake of the town. Some people in the town welcome the gang and some don't. As a viewer, why then should I maintain pity for the protagonist?
After the antagonist Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald) arrives in town, the resolution is quick, simple, and uninteresting.
On a different note, Grace Kelly is gorgeous.
I'd also like to add I like the main theme song.
In any case, you might find something worth watching in this classic western, but aside from Grace Kelly, the best thing I can say at the moment is it's one less western I haven't seen.
20140125:
Watching this movie again, I don't think I understood it anymore than I did the last time I saw it.
As I mentioned in my previous entry, the movie has all these little scenes that take place and I found they didn't add anything to the story.
Unless I'm missing something truly deep and profound, I think this movie does more wrong than right. In particular, even the ending is a bit unsatisfying.
It should be noted, however, that this movie won four Oscars ("best actor in a leading role," "best film editing," "best music, original song," and "best music, scoring of a dramatic or comedy picture") and well-liked.
Instant Comments:
So initially I wondered, like in my previous entry, why Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) comes back.
He does, however, explain his own reasons for coming back.
In the next scene, we get the judge's take on things. He himself is packing up to leave and, in his opinion, thought Kane shouldn't have come back.
Burn. She tells Harvey that the difference between Kane and Harvey is that Kane is a man.
In the big meeting that interrupts the church service (about the 46 minute mark), a lot of discussion goes on. One of the bigger solutions is that Kane should leave and that would avoid the entire situation between him and Miller altogether.
Watched 20111126 (Netflix, Instant) 84 min
Watched 20140125 (Netflix, Instant) 84 min (Streaming until 20140201)
High Noon (1952) Fred Zinnemann. 85 min
Relevant Links:
High Noon (IMDb.com)
High Noon (Wikipedia.org)
I think this movie has a lot of fluff in it and I don't think it does a good job of showing me why I should care for the protagonist.
 |
| Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) and Amy Fowler Kane (Grace Kelly) |
I guess the audience is suppose to pity the fact that the protagonist is alone, but the movie itself presents the question of why he just doesn't leave for the sake of the town. Some people in the town welcome the gang and some don't. As a viewer, why then should I maintain pity for the protagonist?
After the antagonist Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald) arrives in town, the resolution is quick, simple, and uninteresting.
 |
| From left to right: Jim Pierce (Robert J. Wilke), Jack Colby (Lee Van Cleef), and Ben Miller (Sheb Wooley), |
On a different note, Grace Kelly is gorgeous.
I'd also like to add I like the main theme song.
In any case, you might find something worth watching in this classic western, but aside from Grace Kelly, the best thing I can say at the moment is it's one less western I haven't seen.
 |
| Helen RamÃrez (Katy Jurado) and Deputy Marshal Harvel Pell (Lloyd Bridges) |
20140125:
Watching this movie again, I don't think I understood it anymore than I did the last time I saw it.
As I mentioned in my previous entry, the movie has all these little scenes that take place and I found they didn't add anything to the story.
 |
| Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald) |
Unless I'm missing something truly deep and profound, I think this movie does more wrong than right. In particular, even the ending is a bit unsatisfying.
It should be noted, however, that this movie won four Oscars ("best actor in a leading role," "best film editing," "best music, original song," and "best music, scoring of a dramatic or comedy picture") and well-liked.
 |
| Helen boards the noon train. |
Instant Comments:
So initially I wondered, like in my previous entry, why Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) comes back.
He does, however, explain his own reasons for coming back.
In the next scene, we get the judge's take on things. He himself is packing up to leave and, in his opinion, thought Kane shouldn't have come back.
 |
| Frank finds Amy. |
Burn. She tells Harvey that the difference between Kane and Harvey is that Kane is a man.
In the big meeting that interrupts the church service (about the 46 minute mark), a lot of discussion goes on. One of the bigger solutions is that Kane should leave and that would avoid the entire situation between him and Miller altogether.
Watched 20111126 (Netflix, Instant) 84 min
Watched 20140125 (Netflix, Instant) 84 min (Streaming until 20140201)
High Noon (1952) Fred Zinnemann. 85 min
 |
| Marshal Will Kane runs into Ben Miller. |
Relevant Links:
High Noon (IMDb.com)
High Noon (Wikipedia.org)
Dirty Harry (1971)
20111126:
Great movie. I love the line at the end of the bank scene and the scene where he's standing on the bridge and jumps on the bus. Great ending also. Clint Eastwood rocks. I though of Gran Torino (2008) when I saw the end of this movie.
The antagonist is so evil, and that definitely helps drive the story. I just couldn't wait to see Harry catch him once and for all.
Watched 20111126 (Netflix, Instant)
Dirty Harry (1971) Don Siegel. 102 min
Relevant Links:
Dirty Harry (IMDb.com)
Great movie. I love the line at the end of the bank scene and the scene where he's standing on the bridge and jumps on the bus. Great ending also. Clint Eastwood rocks. I though of Gran Torino (2008) when I saw the end of this movie.
The antagonist is so evil, and that definitely helps drive the story. I just couldn't wait to see Harry catch him once and for all.
Watched 20111126 (Netflix, Instant)
Dirty Harry (1971) Don Siegel. 102 min
Relevant Links:
Dirty Harry (IMDb.com)
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Yojimbo (1961)
20111117:
I've been meaning to watch this movie for quite some time now, but never got around to it. Luckily, today's modern dance class was simplified and that gave me an opportunity to go to watch Yojimbo on 35mm! Class would have been an hour long starting at 7 and the movie's planned start time was at 7:30. Of course it started ten minutes late, but that's fine.
Verdict? What a great movie! I love the music and the story is great. The protagonist is such an interesting character. The movie did a great job of developing a strong emotional bond with him.
While I like Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) better, this film is still awesome and I would recommend it to most people.
Remark: Not all the opening credits subtitled in the version we saw. I got the following from the U.S. Theatrical Version Title Sequence: "The time is 1860... the emergence of a middle class has brought about the end to power of the Tokugawa Dynasty...//A samurai, once a dedicated warrior in the emply of Royalty, now finds himself with no master to serve other than his own will to survive...//...and no devices other than his wit and sword."
Watched 20111117 35mm Shriver Hall. Japanese audio with English subtitles.
Yojimbo (1961) Akira Kurosawa. 110 min
Relevant Links:
Yojimbo (IMDb.com)
Yojimbo (film) (Wikipedia.org)
I've been meaning to watch this movie for quite some time now, but never got around to it. Luckily, today's modern dance class was simplified and that gave me an opportunity to go to watch Yojimbo on 35mm! Class would have been an hour long starting at 7 and the movie's planned start time was at 7:30. Of course it started ten minutes late, but that's fine.
Verdict? What a great movie! I love the music and the story is great. The protagonist is such an interesting character. The movie did a great job of developing a strong emotional bond with him.
While I like Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) better, this film is still awesome and I would recommend it to most people.
Remark: Not all the opening credits subtitled in the version we saw. I got the following from the U.S. Theatrical Version Title Sequence: "The time is 1860... the emergence of a middle class has brought about the end to power of the Tokugawa Dynasty...//A samurai, once a dedicated warrior in the emply of Royalty, now finds himself with no master to serve other than his own will to survive...//...and no devices other than his wit and sword."
Watched 20111117 35mm Shriver Hall. Japanese audio with English subtitles.
Yojimbo (1961) Akira Kurosawa. 110 min
Relevant Links:
Yojimbo (IMDb.com)
Yojimbo (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Commando (1985)
Partial Plot Summary:
John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a former soldier of some sort, lives alone in the mountains with his daughter Jenny. Then one day Major General Franklin Kirby, a former superior of Matrix, comes to inform him that some of Matrix's men have been killed and Matrix might be next. Kirby leaves two men with Matrix and leaves. Soon after leaving, a group of men ambush the house.
The men take Jenny hostage and Matrix follows in pursuit. However, he's outnumbered and tranquilized. Before being knocked out by the tranquilizer, he sees that Bennett, one of the former soldiers supposedly killed, is alive and allied with the enemy. When Matrix wakes, he's told he has to kill a man or else his daughter will die. Desperate to help his daughter, Matrix gives in to their demand.
The job requires taking a plane trip 11 hours away and Matrix is escorted by two men to the airport, one who gets onto the plane with Matrix and another that stays around to make sure Matrix got onto the plane. Matrix, however, doesn't leave on the plane and manages to escape. He follows the guy who stayed behind, forcing a girl named Cindy to help. Following a trail of evidence, the two make their way to the island where Matrix's daughter is being held.
You'll have to watch the movie to really feel the action though. No words can describe the great brawling and action.
20111115:
Great action movie. It doesn't compare to Die Hard (1988), which is my current favorite action movie. I think one reason I don't like this movie as much is because it can be unreasonably over the top. A particular example is the scene where Matrix, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, runs a bulldozer into a closed army surplus shop.
The constant music definitely helps the mood of film. I'd say it's around the quality of Conan the Barbarian (1982). Conan had scenes I didn't like, but also had great scenes. This movie in contrast was consistently good, but didn't have epic moments the way Conan did. My favorite scene was when the girl, Cindy, fires the rocket launcher.
I like it.
Instant Comments:
1: Whoa, this action movie has a great pace. The music is particularly exciting. The horns.
1: Lol. The lady sort of skews the story a bit. She was partially the cause of all the ruckus. Though I suppose I would have initially been worried and told the cops too.
1: Great one liners.
1: When he (John Matrix) goes into the warehouse and sneaks around, I suddenly wanted to play Splinter Cell. That was a great game. Lol, I made that comment before he knocked the guy out and carried him into the closet. But he did it with much greater ease than Sam Fisher (the game character).
1: Well, actually some bad one liners too.
1: The silliest part of the movie was why his daughter would reveal herself before she saw him. Stupid. And then she watches the whole fight and hardly reacting.
1=20111115
20130717:
This movie is pure action. Arnold just runs around using his muscles to do all sorts of crazy feats of strength. Some of these include pulling a car seat out of a car, lifting a telephone booth up and over his head, and pushing a car on its side back onto its wheels. Then at the end of the movie, there's a scene where he just shoots every person in sight, stabs a soldier with a pitchfork, throws some saw blades like ninja stars, throws some hatchets, and resumes shooting every person in sight.
Reading my previous entry, I feel like I enjoyed the movie more this time than last time.
Instant Comments:
2: "Right?" "Wrong."
2: "I'll be back, Bennett."
2: "That's why I'm gonna kill you last."
2: "Do me a favor and don't disturb my friend. He's *dead* tired."
2: Part of the music, I believe, is steel drums. Or maybe it's a xylophone.
2: "What important is gravity."
2: "I lied."
2: "What'd you do with Sully?" "I let him go."
2: "Fuck YOU asshole."
2: "These guys eat too much red meat."
2: Where did he get the keys to the bulldozer? Did he hot wire it? Actually, with his skills, I'm surprised he didn't know how to pick a lock.
2: Ha, when Matrix blows up the barracks, you can clearly see that the men being blown up right next to the buildings are mannequins.
2=20130717
Watched 20111115 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20130717 (Netflix, Instant)
Commando (1985) Mark L. Lester. 90 min.
Relevant Links:
Commando (IMDb.com)
Commando (RottenTomatoes.com)
Commando (film) (Wikipedia.org)
John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a former soldier of some sort, lives alone in the mountains with his daughter Jenny. Then one day Major General Franklin Kirby, a former superior of Matrix, comes to inform him that some of Matrix's men have been killed and Matrix might be next. Kirby leaves two men with Matrix and leaves. Soon after leaving, a group of men ambush the house.
The men take Jenny hostage and Matrix follows in pursuit. However, he's outnumbered and tranquilized. Before being knocked out by the tranquilizer, he sees that Bennett, one of the former soldiers supposedly killed, is alive and allied with the enemy. When Matrix wakes, he's told he has to kill a man or else his daughter will die. Desperate to help his daughter, Matrix gives in to their demand.
The job requires taking a plane trip 11 hours away and Matrix is escorted by two men to the airport, one who gets onto the plane with Matrix and another that stays around to make sure Matrix got onto the plane. Matrix, however, doesn't leave on the plane and manages to escape. He follows the guy who stayed behind, forcing a girl named Cindy to help. Following a trail of evidence, the two make their way to the island where Matrix's daughter is being held.
You'll have to watch the movie to really feel the action though. No words can describe the great brawling and action.
20111115:
Great action movie. It doesn't compare to Die Hard (1988), which is my current favorite action movie. I think one reason I don't like this movie as much is because it can be unreasonably over the top. A particular example is the scene where Matrix, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, runs a bulldozer into a closed army surplus shop.
The constant music definitely helps the mood of film. I'd say it's around the quality of Conan the Barbarian (1982). Conan had scenes I didn't like, but also had great scenes. This movie in contrast was consistently good, but didn't have epic moments the way Conan did. My favorite scene was when the girl, Cindy, fires the rocket launcher.
I like it.
Instant Comments:
1: Whoa, this action movie has a great pace. The music is particularly exciting. The horns.
1: Lol. The lady sort of skews the story a bit. She was partially the cause of all the ruckus. Though I suppose I would have initially been worried and told the cops too.
1: Great one liners.
1: When he (John Matrix) goes into the warehouse and sneaks around, I suddenly wanted to play Splinter Cell. That was a great game. Lol, I made that comment before he knocked the guy out and carried him into the closet. But he did it with much greater ease than Sam Fisher (the game character).
1: Well, actually some bad one liners too.
1: The silliest part of the movie was why his daughter would reveal herself before she saw him. Stupid. And then she watches the whole fight and hardly reacting.
1=20111115
20130717:
This movie is pure action. Arnold just runs around using his muscles to do all sorts of crazy feats of strength. Some of these include pulling a car seat out of a car, lifting a telephone booth up and over his head, and pushing a car on its side back onto its wheels. Then at the end of the movie, there's a scene where he just shoots every person in sight, stabs a soldier with a pitchfork, throws some saw blades like ninja stars, throws some hatchets, and resumes shooting every person in sight.
Reading my previous entry, I feel like I enjoyed the movie more this time than last time.
Instant Comments:
2: "Right?" "Wrong."
2: "I'll be back, Bennett."
2: "That's why I'm gonna kill you last."
2: "Do me a favor and don't disturb my friend. He's *dead* tired."
2: Part of the music, I believe, is steel drums. Or maybe it's a xylophone.
2: "What important is gravity."
2: "I lied."
2: "What'd you do with Sully?" "I let him go."
2: "Fuck YOU asshole."
2: "These guys eat too much red meat."
2: Where did he get the keys to the bulldozer? Did he hot wire it? Actually, with his skills, I'm surprised he didn't know how to pick a lock.
2: Ha, when Matrix blows up the barracks, you can clearly see that the men being blown up right next to the buildings are mannequins.
2=20130717
Watched 20111115 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20130717 (Netflix, Instant)
Commando (1985) Mark L. Lester. 90 min.
Relevant Links:
Commando (IMDb.com)
Commando (RottenTomatoes.com)
Commando (film) (Wikipedia.org)