[UPtimist]

Synecdoche New York

Written and directed by Charlie Kaufman, it's a really weird movie. First of all, while the general tone is very serious, even depressing, it has moments where I at least laughed out loud. A very peculiar movie. I'm finding it really hard to find something to describe it with. The main character, a theatrical director, gets a grant, buys a huge warehouse where he wants to make a play and starts an eternity project where he projects everything that happens to him (and it's not at all roses (which is an understatement)). Eventually it's like a mirror in a mirror in a mirror in a... And the border between reality and imagination isn't thin, it's not there... Let's just say that it's at least as weird as Lynch's weirdest movies. Something that you want to see until the end, but at the same time it's really not easy to watch.

My description is weak though

[TiAgUh]

Kaufman just lost control there. Dude just gave the word complex a new meaning. He needs someone like Jonze or Gondry to calm him, and his ideas, down.

[TiAgUh]

Deadman
It was alright i guess, the electric guitar was starting to get annoying tho. "Sally" Iggy rocks . 10times better than Ghostdog thats for sure.

[DustyShinigami]

Dead Space: Downfall

The prequel to the hit game Dead Space.

The animated movie wasn't anything particularly special. It does show how and what happens to some of the characters and situations that weren't explained/shown in the game. Apart from that, there's not really much of a story and it's full of typical sci-fi/horror cliches. The characters aren't interesting nor likeable (especially the main character - I didn't care either way what would happen to her in the end) and are the stereotypical 'bad-ass' marines who get picked off one by one.

Animation felt a bit choppy and the lip-syncing was off too.

Although the game took inspiration from classics such as Aliens and The Thing, this movie felt like a complete rip-off. At least the game had the entertaining gameplay in its favour and much more suspense.

I had considered watching this around the time it came out; now I have. But it's not one I'll be buying on DVD or rewatching. I'm glad I watched it online instead.

The only plus point (to me, at least) is that it's nice and juicy - very violent and gorey.

One thing I did smirk at and guessed correctly was a voice actor who sounded very familiar. It was none other than Jim Cummings - the voice of the Desk Sergeant Frick from Gabriel Knight 1. It looks like he's been keeping himself quite busy doing voice overs in cartoon series and video games.

[TiAgUh]

American Movie
Sad and funny at the same time. Everything Uncle Bill says is pure gold.

Be Kind Rewind
The premise was perfect for it to be funny but as much as I like Mos Def and Glover, they simply aren't funny. And Jack Black kinda looks out of place there; he's playing himself as always, also failing to bring the funny.
Gondry's visual style is awesome as always and we get to see some of his imagination working, which makes this movie worth seeing.

(And why is it so bad when a white dude paints his face black? Why is it still wrong nowadays? Are people still that sensitive about that? whites can't make fun of blacks but it's alright the other way around? Thank god things are different in my country, everyone makes fun of everyone without all this BS.)

MST3K - Squirm!
A 70s Horror movie about killer worms in a stereotypically southern town + a short film about a man and an evil... spring.
What more do you need? Hilarious riffin'!

[Lucien21]

Predators

More or less a modern updating of the original Predators movie.

It was ok. Plenty of action, most of the SFX are fine and it didn't suck as bad as the AvP movies.

Fun if you liked the Arnie original.

[UPtimist]

The Yes Men Fix the World

Like a self-documentary about their brilliant, eh, ventures of fooling evil corporates and whatnot for the greater good. Seriously, it was really funny (and all real), thought-provoking and just so on the right cause. I'm sure those who don't agree with them won't agree with them, but they're just so right.

It's hilarious to watch what they get away with and what effects their doings have. Really recommended.

You can search for a better understanding of what they do if you don't know. There's surely a lot info on them.

[TiAgUh]

Pi
The meaning of the numbers was pretty obvious (and lame) but it was an interesting movie nonetheless.

Clerks
Meh.

[Lucien21]

Inception

Superb film from Christopher Nolan.

It's a heist movie, but not one you will have ever seen before. Cobb is a extractor, someone who steals corporate secrets from the dreams of their rivals. But when one scam goes wrong he is forced to pull of the mother of all jobs, An Inception.

When you are inside a dream within a dream, how do you know what is real?

Amazing SFX, an intelligent script and a decent cast all fire on all cylinders in this mind bending movie.

Film of the year so far.

[D.C.]

Inception doesn't open until Thursday in Australia. It looks exceptional, though. I can't wait to see it!

[SamandMax]

I loved Inception. Not only does it work as an ingeniously twisty mindbender that puts your brain to work but it also manages to be a really fun Summer action movie blockbuster at the same time. Definitely the highlight of a pretty weak year so far.

[DustyShinigami]

The Girl Who Played with Fire

I was a little bit disappointed with this adaption; the second book is soooo much better in comparison. In some cases I found the story to be slightly better than the first (the novel, that is), but then on the other hand... not so. The first is great as it's an engrossing who-dunnit/murder mystery. The second one is as well, but its focus is mostly on Lisbeth, her past and organized crime.

The second novel is bigger and covers more ground compared to the first book, and that's where the movie adaption also slips. There's a lot of content missing and alterations that've been made. The story just doesn't feel as tightly knitted together like the first movie.

I dunno, I just didn't enjoy it as much as the first movie. The change of director is partially to blame as well, I think. And because the third in the trilogy is even bigger, I fear there'll be even more cut/missing from the movie.

[Fantasysci5]

I just saw "Ten Little Indians", also known as "And then there were none" by Agatha Christie, and I was so surprised how much the movies "Saw" copied off of it! From the killer

Spoiler:

pretending to be dead, to how he was supposed to die,

I saw a whole bunch of similarities that really just made me sit there and say, "They really copied!"

[stepurhan]

Paranormal Activity

It's a 15-rated film. This reflects the fact that very little that you could actually call horrific happens in it. Despite that, this is one of the scariest films I've seen in a while.

The basic story is of a couple that have lived together for a while and are starting to experience odd events (the Paranormal Activity of the title) The boyfriend, who is extremely sceptical, has bought a camera to film these events. The film entirely consists of film made with this camera. As well as the night-time filming (the camera is set up in the corner of the bed-room with a wide shot of the bed and view down the hall) there are day-time scenes talking about it.

Sounds a lot like the Blair Witch Project, and comparisons are inevitable, but there are important differences. Firstly, everything takes place in an ordinary house. If Blair Witch scared you then you simply didn't go into any remote woods and you were fine. This film could happen where you live. Secondly, and more importantly, Blair Witch always involved an active cameraman. A lot of the filming in this is when the camera is set up at night and thus filming the leads sleeping. Weird events when the characters are so vulnerable heighten the tension.

So why is it scary? The answer is that most of the time it tricks the viewer into winding themselves up. There's no soundtrack so you get long silences when you anticipate something happening. Often the happening is eerie but mundane (a light flicks on with no-one near it, the covers remove themselves from the bed) but that just makes it worse. You very much get the impression of something playing with them that could do worse and, as the film progresses, the eerie happenings get more overt and dramatic. The cumulative effect is that, by the final night, I was wound so high that the grand finale made me jump out of my skin, even though I was anticipating. This is all enhanced by the film having no proper opening and closing credits, never really acknowledging it is a work of fiction. Never before have I been so glad for a DVD extra (alternate ending) to provide proof of that.

If you're a fan of cerebral horror that doesn't just consists of gore and hideous creatures leaping about then watch this film. Just don't watch it alone, or at night.

[DustyShinigami]

I've been a bit unsure of Paranormal Activity. One minute I was interested, the next I wasn't that fussed. A friend at work did me a copy not long ago, but I've chucked it. So, I'm still not sure. If it comes on TV (inevitable) I'll most likely check it out.

I had/have mixed feelings about The Blair Witch Project. On the one hand - pffft, but a lot of the events I found quite eerie and creepy and played on my mind for days. The good thing about that film is it plays on your imagination.

[D.C.]

I watched "The Mist" again last night and loved it. Frank Darabont and Stephen King go together awesomely like always. It's such an amazingly bleak and scary story. So much atmosphere here. I've got "1408" ready to watch tonight, another adaption I was happily surprised about when I saw it last year for the first time.

[TiAgUh]

Originally Posted by stepurhan

Paranormal Activity
(...)
If you're a fan of cerebral horror that doesn't just consists of gore and hideous creatures leaping about then watch this film. Just don't watch it alone, or at night.

Cause if you do you'll just fall asleep. Watch it with friends and laugh your @ss off with this POS movie, just turn the volume a bit down cause there's alot of doors being slammed -- they're the true enemy.

Naked Lunch
ew and... awesome! gotta find the book.

[stepurhan]

Originally Posted by TiAgUh

Cause if you do you'll just fall asleep. Watch it with friends and laugh your @ss off with this POS movie, just turn the volume a bit down cause there's alot of doors being slammed -- they're the true enemy.

If the slamming doors are your main impression then I guess you didn't make it to the end. Just proved my point that it's not for those that prefer splashy action horror movies though. I like those from time to time as well but they Just get boring after a while.

Naked Lunch
ew and... awesome! gotta find the book.

Any chance of a bit more detail on that?

[TiAgUh]

Originally Posted by stepurhan

Just proved my point that it's not for those that prefer splashy action horror movies though. I like those from time to time as well but they Just get boring after a while.

I don't have a preference in the horror genre, if it's supposed to be scary then I want it to scare me, that's why I called a friend, picked her up and when to the theater. Now, if that movie fails to scare me and the girl I'm with like this movie did then it's crap. Simple as that. That's why I've also disliked games like RE4, Dead Space and such. I paid for one thing and got another.

Originally Posted by stepurhan

Any chance of a bit more detail on that?

No sorry, I'm the anti-JemyM.

[DustyShinigami]

Toy Story 3

Once again, Pixar haven't failed to disappoint; they seem to keep getting better and better. They're the only company/part of Disney that I like. All these so-called 'Disney' movies and shows that come out today are complete trash as far as I'm concerned. I can't believe some of them are even considered 'Disney'. I bet Walt Disney himself is spinning in his grave.

Anyway...

This film managed to tick all the right boxes for me. The story was fun, entertaining, sad, dark, touching and had some really clever ideas and twists. The characters - new and old - were funny, likeable and memorable. The animation was fantastic, the voice acting solid and believeable, it was action-packed, and the ending was moving - fitting for the end of the trilogy. And because of its ending, I hope Pixar don't decide to do a forth one. I'm confident they'd pull it off successfully, but it would be completely unnecessary.

Overall:



Fantastic