WHAT YOU WATCHED THIS WEEK

[dalmatianjaws]

Captain E.O.: This is a 3-D short film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Michael Jackson and Angelica Huston. They played it at Disneyland from 1986 - 1996. It was the first 3-D I ever saw. It's the most ridiculous, bizarre movie ever made. Captain E.O. travels through space with a bunch of Lucasfilm creatures that also double as his band. When he confronts Huston as sort-of Borg Queen, he defeats her with the power of music and dancing. It's impossible to find, but my friends rich father tracked it down and found a copy.

Supernatural Season 2 and Mad Men Season 2: If you don't watch these shows, you should.

The Fall: seriously. Whatever is at the top of your Netflix cue, put this in front of it.

[Sheridan Passell]

What is The Fall? Is it about the elderly?

[Tyler Lovemark]

Are they able to get up?

[dalmatianjaws]

Yes.

I mean no.

Tarsem directed it on his own dime, in 18 countries, over the course of 4 years. Then he was done and no one wanted it, so he went to Fincher and Spike jonze and showed it to them. They put their names on the front to help get it distributed.

It's amazing.

Also:

Step Brothers: it makes me sad that Will Ferrel has overstaid his welcome, cause this is such a sick, twisted, darker comedy. Same banter style, but this time they acknowledge the weird man-child thing and reference it in the script. And the supporting case is phenomenal.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno: it's shit. Quite literally at the end when the tentpole gage is a man filming anal sex only to have the guy pull his dick out too quick and shower his face in shit. I'm not joking. It's horrible. But the first half hour is hilarious and worth watching for Justin "Mac" Long and Brandon "Superman" Routh playing a gay couple.

[Sheridan Passell]

That's how I read Zack And Miri and why I avoided it - the clip with Justin Long was brilliant, but I've heard Kevin Smith's podcast where basically all he talks about is sex and it's so revolting and unamusing. Don't get me wrong, I'm no prude (Orgazmo is one of my favoruite comedies), but Smith just goes too far, like a teenage boy who's never done it, trying to impress his friends. I couldn't handle a whole movie of that. And Star Wars jokes are dated, I wish he'd stop going there.

[dalmatianjaws]

Yep, that's pretty much it.  Like, not clever, just gross. And in the hands of another filmmaker, it would actualyl have been subtle and hilarious. The dynamic of two best friends screwing for money and then having a real connection could be done brilliantly. As it stands, it's just a run of the mill romantic comedy with porn scenes. And while they don't show penetration, they really are porn scenes. So it's like all the worst parts of porn mixed with the worst parts of generic romantic comedy. Lame and pathetic.

I've heard Orgazmo is great. If you havn't seen it, snag a copy of Cannibal the Musical. It's the one they did in college that got them SouthPark and was bought by Troma. It's hilarious.

[T.ROSS]

I think Zach and Miri was better than Clerks 2. I am glad that Sheridan watched Halloween (remake).  I think it would be funny to watch the movie with Sheridan's commentary on whats wrong with every scene.

[Sheridan Passell]

I know you quite like the Halloween remake Mr.Ross and normally I'd see the other point of view, but this is just too awful. I keep wanting to list what's wrong with it, but if I start I'll never end. It actually depressed me. I literally had to watch the last ten minutes in 30 seconds bursts to get through it, I was getting so irritated by the characters, ideas, humour, direction, and everything else.

[T.ROSS]

Now you to start the thread! Do it!

[dalmatianjaws]

The Foot Fist Way:  Very dark and twisted, I was pleasantly surprised. Danny McBride seems to be a one trick pony, but it's a fun trick to watch. At least for a while. Good directing with a great indie feel.

[T.ROSS]

The Foot Fist Way:  Very dark and twisted, I was pleasantly surprised. Danny McBride seems to be a one trick pony, but it's a fun trick to watch. At least for a while. Good directing with a great indie feel.

yeah that was pretty good, you described it perfect. The guy's next film has such a bigger budget, it looks so good. It is that new Seth Rogen flick, Observe and report.

I freakin forgot about this thread, I have so many movies I have seen lately!

[Tyler Lovemark]

Robocop  Been meaning to watch it, finally got it in on my Netflix list.  Ridiculous from start to finish, Verhoeven showing his usual sense of restraint.  For anyone who's a fan of Verhoeven movies or 80s action in general, this movie is definitely for them.  Best moment being the toxic waste roadkill.  Now I'm just really confused over how Aronofsky will handle the remake.

Mirrors  Saw this at a friends.  The beginning half was good.  Not anything great, but definitely had our attention and we were hooked by the whole mystery of the thing.  But once Jack Bauer started to unravel the story behind the mirrors, it just got incredibly far-fetched and way out of left field (yes, even for a movie about killer mirrors).  Basically, be intrigued by the first part, and amused by the second.

[Sheridan Passell]

I haven't seen it, but my brother did single out the last scene of Mirrors as being particularly ridiculous.

From what I've read, it sounds like Aronofsky is cooling to the idea of Robocop. The success of The Wrestler must have brought in new offers. I bet it'll happen, but not with him at the helm.

[dalmatianjaws]

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Wow. Just, wow. Visually stunning, incredible action, brilliant monsters and universe concept. Absolutely adored it, so creepy and cool.

Chocolate
Not the American made French film that's a remake of Babette's Feast.  No, this was supposed to be an awesome and ridiculous Thai action film. Didn't make it through a half hour, it was so boring.

[Frank Perrotto]

The Incredible Hulk - I liked it a lot. Not as much as Iron Man, but it was definitely enjoyable and well done. I also think it was incredibly well shot, even moreso than Iron Man. The opening sequence in Rio has a really saturated look to it, with very deep blacks, and the chase through the narrow, almost vertical streets and alleys, followed by the initial reveal of the Hulk (barely revealed, that's the good part) was probably the best of the movie. It seems to slow down considerably after that and then even moreso after the second Hulk-out, but I think that's more because of what's been taken out than what's there. I watched all of the deleted scenes on the disc, and a lot of what is there is better than stuff that's actually in the film. William Hurt and the Liv Tyler's psychiatrist/boyfriend were particularly hurt by the scenes that were taken out. Maybe Ed Norton really did have something to bitch about!

Films that I just got in the mail: Inside (dying to check that one out), The Wicker Man (original), and Heaven's Gate. Will write more after I check one or two of these out!

[dalmatianjaws]

Yeah, The Incredible Hulk was very underrated and overshadowed by Iron Man. I think it's a much better film, overall, and much harder material to handle. Love them both, for sure, but Hulk really stood out to me. I'd love to see an extended cut!

[Sheridan Passell]

I enjoyed the Incredible Hulk as well. For some reason I really liked the scenes with Mr Blue, I guess knowing he would become 'The Leader' in later movies. I thought it was a nice characterisation, how his enthusiasm gradually becomes more unhinged.

[Frank Perrotto]

Definitely check out the deleted scenes. I rented the blu-ray, but I'm pretty sure they're on the dvd as well. There's one great scene between Banner and the psychiatrist by the fire that I think they used a bit of in the trailer. Don't know why they cut it... well, I do, but I'll pretend that I don't.

I also wish that they had made it an option to watch an alternate cut with those scenes. I'm not sure which I like more, Iron Man or Hulk, but I think Iron Man edges out Hulk just a little bit because I think some of the effects were done better. I like the ending of the Hulk a lot more, though... just a big, badass brawl between two monsters. I think if they made that alternate cut, I WOULD like it better than Iron Man. What's great now is that they've finally gotten past Hulk's history and back-story in a satisfying way and now they can make a Hulk movie that's more in line with other comic book films. Because until Hulk fights Abomination, it's not really a super-hero movie, nor was Ang Lee's Hulk.

Also, AWESOME casting on the part of The Leader. The way the camera tilts down to his smiling face as his brain begins to swell is just fantastic. I only hope they all come back for a sequel. I read somewhere recently (might have even been here?) that Ed Norton said he hasn't heard anything but that he is, indeed, signed on for at least one sequel. Didn't sound like he had any ill will toward doing it either, so I do hope he comes back.

[dalmatianjaws]

JCVD
What happens when the French make an action film. Jean Claude Van Damme plays himself. It's artsy-fartsy, darkly twisted, emotionally valid, and really kick-ass. Self aware? Yes. But hell, it's from the country that invented breaking the fourth wall, so give it a break.

[Sheridan Passell]

JCVD is definitely on the list.

I saw Incredible Hulk on R2 dvd, just before I got a blu-ray player, and it didn't have any of the deleted scenes (I've heard there are 40 minutes worth or so knocking around). Here's the alternative opening:



Yeah it is great casting on The Leader. I wish the film had done slightly better at the box office so there was more momentum toward making the next film (Iron Man 2 is already shooting, while there isn't any news at all on Hulk 3).

I was a bit luke-warm on the fight at the end. I think we're still a few years away from having two cgi brutes really convincingly going at each other. It felt a bit Playstation 3 at times, but that might have been watching it on dvd on the laptop.