[samIamsad]

There's something moving...... and it ain't us! Eek, eek, eeeeeek.

[Spiwak]

Danny Boyle's A Life Less Ordinary. Wierd.... but I actually thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Jelena]

Looked for Lollilove at the videorental I usually go to. They had never heard of it so I picked Flightplan instead.
I liked it a lot. Jodie Foster is an actor I´ve admired for a long time. I haven´t seen everything she´s done. But she´s been around for so long (Taxi Driver -76) and is so talented. She also doesn´t mind aging by her looks. That´s good. Each age has its beauty.
I noticed Greta Scacchi in small part. I remember seeing her first time in Coca-Cola Kid from mid -80th I think.

[Kolzig]

I just watched Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and I loved it. Very funny movie.

I should read the book(s) again, it's been about four years since my first and last time I read the whole 1000 page epic..

[Jelena]

Originally Posted by Kolzig

I just watched Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and I loved it. Very funny movie.

I should read the book(s) again, it's been about four years since my first and last time I read the whole 1000 page epic..

I read the books (they were put together into one thick one) last summer. I loved the beginning and laughed a lot when the answer to the question of why we´re here and everything was revealed. But the rest was a little too much. Perhaps it´s better to read one book at a time and pause in between them.

[SamandMax]

I watched the Ice Harvest last night. Brilliant.

[Huz]

Originally Posted by LenaJ

I read the books (they were put together into one thick one) last summer. I loved the beginning and laughed a lot when the answer to the question of why we´re here and everything was revealed. But the rest was a little too much. Perhaps it´s better to read one book at a time and pause in between them.

I found that the books get progressively worse and worse. The absolute best bits are those which make up the original radio series (the first two, maybe three, books). The others are a bit... bleah. The fifth is terrible.

I didn't like the Hitchhiker's movie. It just doesn't work. Most of the humour from the radio series and the novels comes from the narration, and what makes the humour work is the complex language to reach the punchline. Adams was a master of subtle wit and outright absurdity. None of this was ever going to work in a two-hour movie, especially one that was evidently afraid to replicate the Hitchhiker's style, replacing most of the subtle humour with slapstick.

Everyone should watch the BBC TV version of Hitchhiker's. It's ace*

* Better than the film.

[MoriartyL]

Originally Posted by Huz

I found that the books get progressively worse and worse. The absolute best bits are those which make up the original radio series (the first two, maybe three, books). The others are a bit... bleah. The fifth is terrible.

Odd, "Mostly Harmless" is my favorite book by any author. The Great Sandwich Maker! The malfunctioning ship's computer! The conflict between science and religion! The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Mk. 2! And oh, what a brilliant ending! How can you not love it? It's just overflowing with brilliant ideas.

And yeah, the movie was only good for hollywood. But I'll disagree about the BBC show- it wasn't very good. Those actors were wonderful on the radio show (which is brilliant, of course), but they weren't very good at giving physical performances.

[Kolzig]

One of the best parts of the new movie was Stephen Fry as the voice of the Hitchhiker's Guide. That was absolutely brilliant casting.

[seebaruk]

Stephen Fry was perfect as the book, but I agree that the film shouldn't have been made, not with such an excellent TV version of it. I'm even a big fan of Sam Rockwell, but I still preferred the original Zaphod.

[Huz]

You hoopy frood, etc.

I can't even remember that much about Mostly Harmless - my brain seems to have blocked it out. Whoops.

Have you ever read any of the Dirk Gently series by Douglas Adams? I can't remember which one I read - it had lots of strange Viking mythology going on - but it was so bad I nearly cried. I'd be interested to know if the others are any good!

[RLacey]

The second Dirk Gently book simply fails to make any sense (The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, which I reached the end of and found myself still wondering what the hell had happened), but I rate the original (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency) very highly. I believe you've read Long Dark Tea-Time if you're on about vikings, but I recommend giving the other one a try.

[MoriartyL]

Originally Posted by RLacey

The second Dirk Gently book simply fails to make any sense (The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, which I reached the end of and found myself still wondering what the hell had happened), but I rate the original (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency) very highly. I believe you've read Long Dark Tea-Time if you're on about vikings, but I recommend giving the other one a try.

Hey, that's exactly what I was going to say! Yeah, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is brilliant, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul is, um, something. By the end of the first, all these different plotlines going on simultaneously, from different genres of storytelling, all tie together so well that with just a tiny little bit toward the end you suddenly understand the entire book and how it all fits together. At the end of the second, not only were the small questions I had not answered, but I was absolutely certain that I had not understood a single plot point in the entire book. Seriously, up to that point it all seemed to almost make sense, but then it just went to Loonyville.

[seebaruk]

Anyone seen Exorcism of Emily Rose? Crazy shit keeps happening in that at 3am cos it's the Witching Hour. I saw it last night, decent film. And during the night I'm woken up by some random noise and look over at my clock, and surprise surprise, it's just gone 3. I had to laugh though. The noise was probably just some pissed guy walking past my window.

[jjacob]

Originally Posted by seebaruk

Anyone seen Exorcism of Emily Rose? Crazy shit keeps happening in that at 3am cos it's the Witching Hour. I saw it last night, decent film. And during the night I'm woken up by some random noise and look over at my clock, and surprise surprise, it's just gone 3. I had to laugh though. The noise was probably just some pissed guy walking past my window.

Yeah, I was pretty disappointed with it, then again, I was expecting more "The Exorcist" and less courtroom drama, so that may just be my own fault I didn't find it scary though, and I thought that was a missed opportunity - aside from the two or three cheap scares with sudden sounds and skull-clouds and such there was nothing that made my heart beat any faster. I did like the sceptical approach though, and seeing the movie really made me question whether all of this was just a very disturbed (schizo?) young girl. I blame the hype machine though, the trailers really made it look like a horror movie (and used the few scares shown in the movie). Really though, there's no way in hell that was an actual exorcism - psychologists explain exorcism as glorified make-belief, and potentially *very* damaging, I'm concerned whether this flick will create a whole new wave of religious people going to exorcists (i.e.; money-grubbing "priests" with an arsenal of $50 self-help exorcism audio tapes) to solve their potentially psychological problems.

[Kolzig]

Tonight's movie was Oldboy. I guess now I know why it's ranked #111 on IMDB top charts.

[jjacob]

Originally Posted by Kolzig

Tonight's movie was Oldboy. I guess now I know why it's ranked #111 on IMDB top charts.

Uh-huh Some of what's in IMDB top250 doesn't make much sense, but this one totally deserves the high praise it's gotten.

[Huz]

Originally Posted by seebaruk

Anyone seen Exorcism of Emily Rose? Crazy shit keeps happening in that at 3am cos it's the Witching Hour. I saw it last night, decent film. And during the night I'm woken up by some random noise and look over at my clock, and surprise surprise, it's just gone 3. I had to laugh though. The noise was probably just some pissed guy walking past my window.

I saw it a few months ago - I probably posted about it in this thread. I enjoyed it a lot, because I enjoy a good courtroom drama regardless of subject matter. Its strength (as jjcaob said) was in its skeptical approach, and I think the restraint in using cheap scares also worked to its advantage. It's easy to make people jump, after all, but making an unnerving film is that much harder.

That's why I love The Wicker Man.

[42yoMan]

Easily the best two movies I've seen recently are:

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang: Had to travel to the nearest capital city due to fact that my local cinema refuses to play good movies with smaller budgets. Quite simply one of the smartest, wittiest and fast paced action comedies I've ever seen. Supurb action, hilarious comedy moments (One of the best gags I've ever seen, had the whole audience laughing a whole two minutes after it happened) and great acting, it's such a pity that it didn't get a wide release.

[RANT] It could have been the film reviving both Robert Downie Jnr. and Val Kilmer's carrer as well as establishing Shane Black as not only an extremely talented screenwriter, but also a very stylish director. But for some reason Warner Bros. didn't see the film as worthy of a wide release and it consequently commercially flopped. Hopefully the DVD sales will be more successful (Though from the one released here in Australia, there will be absolutely NO special features)... [/RANT]

The Proposition Easily one of the best movies to come out of Australia in years. Stunningly photographed, poetically written and brutally violent, it gives a completely different view to the early Australian outback which has so often been romanticized in poetry and other forms of literature. Also features top-notch acting from some of Australia's most talented stars.

[Huz]

Originally Posted by 42yoMan

Easily the best two movies I've seen recently are:

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang: Had to travel to the nearest capital city due to fact that my local cinema refuses to play good movies with smaller budgets. Quite simply one of the smartest, wittiest and fast paced action comedies I've ever seen. Supurb action, hilarious comedy moments (One of the best gags I've ever seen, had the whole audience laughing a whole two minutes after it happened) and great acting, it's such a pity that it didn't get a wide release.

What was the comedy moment? I had the misfortune of seeing the film in a cinema packed with about three other people (I think it must have been the late screening), which kind of defeated the object of seeing it at the cinema. There wasn't much general laughter, as laughting in an auditorium that empty is generally fairly embarrassing...