Movies

[Azzor1911]

^ what (s)he said

 

[plintus]

Heh, I haven't seen a single episode of Prison Break, but a friend of mine who watched the first season told me something like: "It is a cleaned up version of Oz: less intense, less intelligent and less interesting, aimed at people who prefer not to think." As I usually trust his reviews I never bothered to watch any of it, but until now I was kind of interested in it anyway. Not anymore.

This show truly got everything I like in motion picture chewing gum: plot's twists and turns - OZ is nowhere near, it's far more exceeding by graphic violence, but that's it. OZ happens to be more schematic - I'm SO tired of Beecher and Schillinger, Karim and Co, and O'Reilly... man, they got so annoying even before the Season 3, but then it was it, I've been sitting around and watching just waiting when some of them gona be whacked (I've seen all seasons of OZ except final).

Prison Break Season I is much better so far - it's still a TV show and raises some questions while story develops, but it's fun.

@rahvin: in the context of the story they clarify why the guy is a tad "wandering", and there at least couple reasons to that, so he's living up to the character so far.

 

[Villain]

I watched quite a few movies last week. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance was certainly the best of them, but I probably still prefer Oldboy. I can't really say much about Mr. Vengeance yet, I'll need to gather my thoughts and probably watch it again before I can write any sort of an analysis, but in short: it was very good, yet somewhat uneven - some scenes worked much better than others and many times I felt like the mood was "missing" something. Still, the cinematography was occasionally unbelievably good and certain dramatic scenes were incredible. The acting was very good as well, even though not quite as great as on Oldboy.

Of the other movies I saw, Dead Man is the only one worth mentioning. It's an "artistic" western with a meaningless plot and some nice visuals, but it relied a bit too much on the actors, who weren't all that great - Johnny Depp is a decent actor (at his best in Sleepy Hollow), but here he's barely mediocre. Overall, the movie is like a distant cousing of the mesmerizing The Proposition (which I saw last year), both being violent and "ethnic" with American Indians on Dead Man and Australian Aborigines on The Proposition showcased. Both use music to a great effect (Neil Young's in Dead Man, Nick Cave's in The Proposition). Dead Man is a much weaker movie, though.

This show truly got everything I like in motion picture chewing gum: plot's twists and turns - OZ is nowhere near, it's far more exceeding by graphic violence, but that's it. OZ happens to be more schematic - I'm SO tired of Beecher and Schillinger, Karim and Co, and O'Reilly... man, they got so annoying even before the Season 3, but then it was it, I've been sitting around and watching just waiting when some of them gona be whacked (I've seen all seasons of OZ except final).

I admit Oz got weaker as it progressed, especially storywise, but the accurately depicted psychological, sociological (and socio-psychological) elements were very strongly present almost to the end (the last season is crap, don't bother with it). I mean, there's rarely a show that tackles topics like racism, fascism, (homo)sexuality, rape, religion, politics, Foucaultian dilemmas of punishment and re-integration to the society, etc. Those short, intentionally one-sided "lectures" of the wheelchair-dude alone made Oz worth watching for me. The characters I didn't care so much about - I work with people like them (albeit slightly younger) every day. :Smug:

Oz is still the best American TV-series I've ever seen. Only The Prisoner (UK) and a select few (very few!) Japanese anime-series are better than it.

-Villain

 

[plintus]

I admit Oz got weaker as it progressed, especially storywise, but the accurately depicted psychological, sociological (and socio-psychological) elements were very strongly present almost to the end (the last season is crap, don't bother with it). I mean, there's rarely a show that tackles topics like racism, fascism, (homo)sexuality, rape, religion, politics, Foucaultian dilemmas of punishment and re-integration to the society, etc. Those short, intentionally one-sided "lectures" of the wheelchair-dude alone made Oz worth watching for me. The characters I didn't care so much about - I work with people like them (albeit slightly younger) every day. :Smug:

Oz is still the best American TV-series I've ever seen. Only The Prisoner (UK) and a select few (very few!) Japanese anime-series are better than it.

Yep, those "lectures" were the strongest point in OZ all 6 seasons through, and, as a matter of fact, made me think too on subjects I succesfully block out till this day (humanity overall and US correctional system in particular, as that was the subject on the series). Can't believe some facts to this day - can't recall specifically, but the statistics which were brought up some time in the earlier seasons - it was kinda shocking at the moment. Some interesting a-la philosophy passages, too.

But when I chew gum, I don't think over every moment my jaws move, I tend to enjoy the flavor (oh this green apple in my mouth now, hmmm-mmmm!) Not everything gets to entertain me these days, I'm glad I found something when I just can kick back and watch. May be I don't work WAY too much, but enough to the point, where thinking over 90 minutes of moving pictures would be the end of me. I mean: emotions - yes, but catching those "messages" in the frame each and every time, processing them... I need a peace of mind and order of things to watch something like Mr. Vengeance (I turned it off 20 minutes into), I'd say it's not disliking this or that movie due to this and those reasons, but more state of affairs which drives my personal tastes at each given point in time.

BTW, seen collector's edition of OldBoy, man, they packed it with extras... nice heavy metal box.

 

[Kovenant84]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUbW527Xh1Q

My brother just introduced me to this show. Looks friggin hysterical.

~kov.

 

[Wolfman Von Jones]

If anyone gets a chance watch Rome on HBO. HBO certainly does have some excellent programs (including Entourage).

Nick

 

[plintus]

Second season is kinda meh, still good, but nothing I would change my schedule to watch - I still have a bunch of episodes I need to.

 

[GONE Ridin' Hood]

Saw "The Queen" last Friday with Mrs.Gigi, great movie! IMO Hellen Mirren totally desrves that Oscar .

It's funny to see how Blair started his "reign" being a good Prime Minister hehe .

 

[Kovenant84]

I'm a little scared by the fact that Adam Sandler doesn't look like he'll be awful in Reign Over Me. It could be a sign of the apocalypse.

Also, I'm thoroughly hooked on the Black Donnellys now. Good show. Very interesting, and damn hilarious too. Although between it and last night's Heroes, it's only reinforced her claim that every show on TV has someone who's been in Star Trek at some point.

Oh, and no love for the Dethklok link above? I'm a bit disturbed that I find "Sewn Back Together Wrong" to be a pretty catchy song.

And I'm definitely gonna watch Rome now. Catch-up begins tonight.

~kov.

 

[plintus]

Believe it or not - I never got to those Irish guys even over the weekend (th estopping pioint was when iTunes asked for my card, and I was too lazy to punch it in, so I got back to work instead =)

Read as short article about the series in the new Rolling Stone - surprisingly, it comes from the guy who wrote Million Dollar Baby and Crash (seen neither).

dON'T CARE ABOUT mETALOCALYPSE. Lame.

 

[Kovenant84]

Odd that it asked for your card when it was free. Oh well. It was still an excellent opener. And I didn't realize the connection to those movies. I'd say it's much better than both of them. Then again, I saw Crash, but never MDB, mostly because I heard it was total trash.

And yeah, upon further viewing, Metalocalypse isn't that great, but there were a few choice moments that I found funny.

~kov.

 

[plintus]

I had to input my CC info while creating an account, not just watching Donnelys - they pilot is free, indeed.

 

[Kovenant84]

Ah, ok. It's been a while since I set it up. I thought maybe they'd started charging.

~kov.

 

[Siren]

I recently watched The Illusionist and The Prestige. My vote goes to The Illusionist, i found it way more emotional, dark and intriguing. The Prestige didn't manage to move me or leave me wondering, like The Illusionist did.
Going to 300 tonight.

 

[plintus]

You greeks...

The only place I'll watch 300 in tehatres will be local IMAX< but, alas, it's still not there...

 

[La Rocque]

300

This is not the type of movie I usually like
but went to check it out as its a Frank Miller project
Recommended -

 

[Siren]

300 slay(s).

@plinny: what's special about the IMAX?

 

[plintus]

300 slay(s).

@plinny: what's special about the IMAX?

The difference between regular cinema and IMAX is the same as to compare watching a pirated movie (screen copy) on 14" monitor against watching it at regular movies.

IMAX = 7 stories high screen, and it' spherical, you got to turn your head sometime to catch action on the sides, and some IMAX is 3D, which means you are like totally in the action.

Local isn't 3D, but it's spectacular.

Just found out they are showing 300 in the theatre next door (like 1 minute away)... maybeeeeeee...

 

[DisplayofCharacter]

300 slay(s).

I couldn't agree more. It was a fantastic movie... The only problem was the group two seats down would not shut up for the entire movie. Still couldn't ruin it for me. Definitely recommended.

 

[plintus]

Borat

Genuinely scary (no, not the naked fight part =)