28 Film Discussion Threads Later

**Rowland** · 03-09-2009, 09:42 PM

Quoting Raiders (view post)

Ocean's Thirteen (2007) *½

YES. A serious downgrade from the first two.

**D_Davis** · 03-09-2009, 09:50 PM

Quoting Dead & Messed Up (view post)

So Stuck was disgustingly good. Nice to see that Gordon hasn't lost his skill at gallows humor.

Yeah, it's awesome.

I need to check it out again.

**Raiders** · 03-09-2009, 09:51 PM

Quoting Rowland (view post)

YES. A serious downgrade from the first two.

Especially the second one which upon another viewing some time ago revealed itself as an enormously entertaining film. It was nonsense, but done so in as knowing and playful manner as possible. This one was just nonsense and almost no fun at all. It felt like work this time for the actors and filmmakers. It didn't flow naturally in any way.

It ain't even a heist film (well, there is a heist with the diamonds--but it feels like an afterthought and is given no care or set-up); it's a revenge-flick. Yuck.

**Rowland** · 03-09-2009, 09:55 PM

Quoting Dead & Messed Up (view post)

So Stuck was disgustingly good. Nice to see that Gordon hasn't lost his skill at gallows humor.

Yes. Gordon is really a master at mixing the blackest humor with unusually visceral, ugly violence and a human empathy for which he isn't often credited. Stuck was one of my favorites from last year, and possibly the best of his I've seen.

**Rowland** · 03-09-2009, 10:02 PM

Quoting Raiders (view post)

Especially the second one which upon another viewing some time ago revealed itself as an enormously entertaining film. It was nonsense, but done so in as knowing and playful manner as possible. This one was just nonsense and almost no fun at all. It felt like work this time for the actors and filmmakers. It didn't flow naturally in any way..

Absolutely, I remain bewildered by how underrated the second was. I only wish more mainstream entertainments were as loose, playful, and dare I say experimental as it was. I remember sitting in the theater for the third, watching an early scene in which Eddie Izzard just sits there for what felt like 10 minutes regurgitating endless exposition, thinking "is this what people wanted?"

**Rowland** · 03-09-2009, 10:04 PM

Quoting megladon8 (view post)

And it's a bit disappointing to learn that Red isn't too great. Jen has it coming in from the library tomorrow, so we'll see it at some point this week.

Be sure to share your thoughts, I'd like to read another perspective. I know Derek liked it a little less than I, but was somewhere in the same ballpark.

Quoting megladon8 (view post)

Oh and to whoever it was who was asking (checking...OK, dreamdead) [REC] was...fucking terrifying. Seriously, that was a very, very scary movie. The entire last 10 minutes I think I almost drew blood from my hands I was clenching them so hard.

And, like most great horror films, the social commentary was quite poignant, this time looking at the selfishness and irrational behaviour exhibited by people in stressful situations.

I'll probably be watching this within the week.

**Dead & Messed Up** · 03-09-2009, 11:18 PM

Quoting Rowland (view post)

Yes. Gordon is really a master at mixing the blackest humor with unusually visceral, ugly violence and a human empathy for which he isn't often credited. Stuck was one of my favorites from last year, and possibly the best of his I've seen.

From a character perspective, it's probably his best. Russell Hornsby as Rashid was a surprise standout.

**Pop Trash** · 03-09-2009, 11:23 PM

Quoting megladon8 (view post)

I must see this one. I love Stuart Gordon, and between you, Rowland and Raiders all loving it, I am dying to see it!

I liked it a lot as well. It's still in my top ten of 2008 and the more I think about it, the more I think it's the perfect movie for these economic times.

**megladon8** · 03-09-2009, 11:40 PM

Holy shee-it, The Midnight Meat Train was a mess. All I can say is that, as a fan of Barker's short story, this one not only missed the mark, but wasn't even aiming in the right direction.

It seemed to focus on all the most uninteresting parts of the story, and what I wanted to know more about, or what thematics I wanted it to more deeply explore, it treated as after-thoughts.

Just about the only good thing I have to say about the movie is that it was occasionally nice to look at. But the well-composed shots were so poorly edited together that it's frequently incoherent.

The gore was pathetically rendered CGI crap, the characters were some of the most inept I've seen recently, the script and acting were piss-poor (and really, Leslie Bibb is awful...when Brooke Shields is out-acting you, you need to quit).

What a waste. It could have been so great.

**lovejuice** · 03-09-2009, 11:59 PM

this news aggravates me. am i just getting older and grumpier or hollywood now really sucks?

**megladon8** · 03-10-2009, 12:02 AM

Quoting lovejuice (view post)

this news aggravates me. am i just getting older and grumpier or hollywood now really sucks?

Ugh.

However, I'm all for the "Daredevil" reboot. Doesn't need to be a franchise, I just want one good movie because the character deserves it.

**lovejuice** · 03-10-2009, 12:14 AM

Quoting megladon8 (view post)

Ugh.

However, I'm all for the "Daredevil" reboot. Doesn't need to be a franchise, I just want one good movie because the character deserves it.

don't know much about the character, but a fan can say the same about almost anything, i think. star war deserves a better phantom menace, and indiana jone a better fourth installment.

**Arthur Seaton** · 03-10-2009, 12:36 AM

Quoting dreamdead (view post)

James Foley's Fear is so thoroughly grounded in mid-'90s aesthetics, overwrought and materialistic, that it acquires an odd Marxist quality that's likely fully unintentional...

Wow, a Marxist reading on Fear. I just thought it freaking sucked donkey balls.

Oh, I found this story amusing:
http://torontoist.com/2009/03/one_weak_ad.php

YouTube commenters "reviewing" a movie based on its trailer? Canadians make me LOL.

**number8** · 03-10-2009, 12:37 AM

Yeah, I wouldn't reboot Daredevil. Why bother? Just make a good sequel. Affleck isn't even a bad choice.

**Sycophant** · 03-10-2009, 12:56 AM

ritch: ~HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD!~

ritch:

**MadMan** · 03-10-2009, 12:59 AM

I kind of liked the first Daredevil, and Ben Affleck was fine in the role.

Also I like Ocean's Thirteen more than Ocean's 12. The first is certainly better than both, but I enjoy the series as a whole. All of them are very entertaining, decently crafted heist films, although I think only the first one sort of highly elevates its material successfully. The others get points for trying, though.

**EyesWideOpen** · 03-10-2009, 01:22 AM

Quoting number8 (view post)

Yeah, I wouldn't reboot Daredevil. Why bother? Just make a good sequel. Affleck isn't even a bad choice.

Agreed. Hell the Director's Cut even made the original watchable. It's leagues better then the Fantastic Four films.

**MadMan** · 03-10-2009, 01:24 AM

Quoting EyesWideOpen (view post)

Agreed. Hell the Director's Cut even made the original watchable. It's leagues better then the Fantastic Four films.

I forgot there was a DC. I now want to see it.

PS: Daredevil was also better than the rather mediocre Spiderman(2002).

**Qrazy** · 03-10-2009, 04:47 AM

Quoting MadMan (view post)

I forgot there was a DC. I now want to see it.

PS: Daredevil was also better than the rather mediocre Spiderman(2002).

PPS: False.

**transmogrifier** · 03-10-2009, 11:09 AM

Quoting MadMan (view post)

I kind of liked the first Daredevil, and Ben Affleck was fine in the role.

Also I like Ocean's Thirteen more than Ocean's 12. The first is certainly better than both, but I enjoy the series as a whole. All of them are very entertaining, decently crafted heist films, although I think only the first one sort of highly elevates its material successfully. The others get points for trying, though.

THIS is what you are doing instead of making a Top 100 list? Really???

**Ezee E** · 03-10-2009, 12:27 PM

I'm one of the few that thinks Ocean's Twelve is the best of the three.

And Daredevil is among the worst Marvel movies. Elektra being the worst by far.

**megladon8** · 03-10-2009, 01:45 PM

Quoting Ezee E (view post)

I'm one of the few that thinks Ocean's Twelve is the best of the three.

And Daredevil is among the worst Marvel movies. Elektra being the worst by far.

At least Elektra and Daredevil had some idea of how a story is told.

Punisher: War Zone shouldn't have even been released. It would look bad next to STV movies.

**megladon8** · 03-10-2009, 03:30 PM

I'm having trouble finding online listings for movies in NYC that aren't just the usual big releases.

I want to see what kind of classic/foreign stuff is playing around town.

Does anyone know a good site that shows where/when this stuff is playing?

**NickGlass** · 03-10-2009, 03:55 PM

Quoting megladon8 (view post)

I'm having trouble finding online listings for movies in NYC that aren't just the usual big releases.

I want to see what kind of classic/foreign stuff is playing around town.

Does anyone know a good site that shows where/when this stuff is playing?

I have a list I sent to Sven when he first moved here; I'll send it along in a PM. For now, here is a sampling of arthouses/retrospective theaters off the top of my head.

www.filmforum.org
www.quadcinema.com
www.cinemavillage.com
www.angelikafilmcenter.com
www.ifccenter.com
www.filmlinc.com
www.bam.org
www.anthologyfilmarchives.org
www.moma.org (check under Film Screenings)

**EvilShoe** · 03-10-2009, 04:16 PM

Daredevil is so awful. I don't see how a Director's Cut could fix it.

I'm all for a reboot. Hope they give Damian Lewis a call.

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