What have you seen lately?

[zappakub]

For those of us who don't feel comfortable writing long reviews...

Singin' In The Rain - For the first time! I totally loved it! The movie hardly shows its age and I was surprised at how clever the script was. The movie's joy is contagious and the dance numbers featuring Kelly and 'O'Connor are mind-blowing!

Speaking of O'Connor I think his cartoonish turn in ''Make 'em Laugh'' is my favorite number after the title song.

The Wizard Of Oz - Also for the first time! I liked it but didn't fall in love with it. The best thing about it IMHO are the actors and the wonderful Technicolor sets. Maybe I'd have liked it more if I'd seen it when I was a kid.

[Al]

I just watched Dirty Harry for the first time and enjoyed it quite a bit. I didn't realize there were 5 of them until the new DVDs came out, and that, for some reason, spurred me to stick them all on my Netflix queue.

There's something warm and fuzzy about hearing someone say "Do ya feel lucky? Well, do ya?" and really mean it.

[aargmematey]

Kung Fu Panda. I totally loved it, and got teared up multiple times through it. I was especially pleased that it was a Dreamworks CGI movie that (*gasp*) didn't rely on quickly dated pop culture references to be amusing! The action sequences were pretty darn awesome as well.

[sarahbot]

The Red Shoes - artsy, sappy, slightly pretentious (yet oddly like Centre Stage). If you couldn't tell, I loved it.

[eatmyshorts]

I watched a movie called Control, about the suicide of Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division. Very awesome movie.

[zappakub]

Society (1989) - Interesting horror movie that doesn't quite work - the script is repetitive and IMHO social commentary works better when it's not spelled out. Still a nice sense of paranoia permeates the film and it's worth seeing if only for the weirdo finale which could have come from one of Clive Barker's early works.

[blinkfan]

The Orphanage. Incredible.

[StarOpal]

After having been hounded by my whole family for years, I saw The Outsiders for the first time the other day.

Wow, everyone is so young in that! (I don't know why this always amazes me. I mean, everyone, even actors, were young once) And, at least to me, Diane Lane looked like Julia Stiles in... *checks* 1983.

[blinkfan]

The Outsiders is fantastic, I always loved the book, hated the movie but I grew to love it after I was in the school production of it.

[DarthShady]

Just saw the Virgin Suicides for the first time last night. It was depressing, but beautiful & haunting. I need a little more time to digest it, but I think I really liked it.

[wdm0744]

My brother-in-law and I just did the Ginger Snaps trilogy. It's nice for us to have some inside jokes to share at Christmas now.

The first is so unique, darkly funny, and arresting that it will always have a twisted place in my heart. Unfortunately, I think my experience was clouded by watching the no frills and poor quality DVD.

Overall, I think GS 2 is the best of the 3, but each has its merits. GS2: Unleashed does what the best sequels do. Rather than attempting to recreate the first film, it simply continues the story in a logical and original way. No spoilers, but the ending is truly great.

The 3rd film is the weakest, despite its superior camera work, makeup, music, and the return of the hotness-that-is-Ginger, who was sorely missed in GS2 despite her momentary appearances. The idea of a prequel and even the inclusion of exactly the same characters in a story that takes place 200 years before the first movie is okay, but GS3 really needed a story of its own. As it is, it is simply a rehash of the first film.

Overall, a very worthwhile horror trilogy. Give them a shot over a long weekend.

[sarahbot]

Black Sheep, about zombie sheep in NZ. Hilarious. I don't know if I would like the acting as much if the actors didn't all have such adorable Kiwi accents, but still above what I'd expect from a horror. It's barely over 90 minutes and practically takes place in real time, so tightly plotted and works better for it. Not as gory as the DVD box suggested.

[BlackCatWhiteCat]

Not that I don't feel comfortable writing long reviews, in general (I'm a notorious rambler), but I sometimes don't quite know what to say about a certain movie, or how to make a good review out of it at first.

That being the case, a movie I saw recently and LOVED was Fracture. Anthony Hopkins playing his usual Psycho killer guy and Ryan Gosling playing the lawyer hired to put him away. The case turns out to be completely different from what he expected because, although there's a signed confession and a murder weapon in hand, Hopkins is getting away with it. Will Gosling figure out how in time to put him away? Good stuff.

[wdm0744]

I agree, Cat. "Fracture" is an excellent film. I love it when I go into a movie with little or no expectations and am pleasantly surprised.

I actually saw "Fracture" while I was still in law school. (I've since dropped out; not my thing.) But the excitement of this movie kept me going a few weeks longer until the unrelenting stress crushed my soul.

[BlackCatWhiteCat]

Jul 16, 2008 7:54:55 GMT -5 wdm0744 said:

I agree, Cat. "Fracture" is an excellent film. I love it when I go into a movie with little or no expectations and am pleasantly surprised.

I actually saw "Fracture" while I was still in law school. (I've since dropped out; not my thing.) But the excitement of this movie kept me going a few weeks longer until the unrelenting stress crushed my soul.

I can't remember the last time the end of a film actually made me smile. This one had one of those..."wow, that was great" endings.