Good for you then.
In the Valley of Elah - 5/10
Meh, not bad but not exactly good.
I wouldn’t expect In the Valley of Elah to be that good. Paul Haggis really sucks in my opinion. Crash was good and the writing on Casino Royale wasn’t bad, but all in all, I really think he sucks. Its just my personal opinion. For some reason he rubs be the wrong way.
Nighthawks 6/10
Daylight 2/10
Praxis Dr. Hasenbein! 7/10
Raw Deal 7/10
Judge Dredd 6,5/10
Rocky III 7/10 (III and IV are the best Rockys)
The Assassination of Jesse James 8/10
Gone Baby Gone 8/10
Michael Clayton 8.5/10
Rambo - 4/10
Brilliantly, predictably bad! ;D Watch it just for the ridiculous violence. We just laughed throughout the film, and that’s what we went for.
Drunken Angel - 7/10 - I enjoyed this movie, but definitely not as much as some of Kurosawa’s other films I have seen. It definitely had some amazing elements and the composition of many of the scenes were beautiful, but it just wasn’t as filling as watching some of his other films.
Bad Education - 9/10 - I LOVED it. I know a lot of Almodovar fans would think I’m crazy, but its my favorite film of his so far (BUT, I’ve only seen Talk to Her and Volver. I’m on my school break, so I’m going to rent his box set from a local video store that specializes in indie movies and foreign films.) ANYWAY. First of all, I LOVED the cinematography. It was absolutely amazing, but I expected that. More so, I loved the overlay of stories within the film, as well as the basic plot in general, and the acting. I never felt bored at all (which usually happens to me for a little bit in most movies) and it’s the type of movie I want to watch again right away. Good stuff!
P.S.!
Toshiro Mifune in Drunken Angel…so sexy ;D
[quote=“plunderbunnie”]
Drunken Angel - 7/10 - I enjoyed this movie, but definitely not as much as some of Kurosawa’s other films I have seen. It definitely had some amazing elements and the composition of many of the scenes were beautiful, but it just wasn’t as filling as watching some of his other films.
Bad Education - 9/10 - I LOVED it. I know a lot of Almodovar fans would think I’m crazy, but its my favorite film of his so far (BUT, I’ve only seen Talk to Her and Volver. I’m on my school break, so I’m going to rent his box set from a local video store that specializes in indie movies and foreign films.) ANYWAY. First of all, I LOVED the cinematography. It was absolutely amazing, but I expected that. More so, I loved the overlay of stories within the film, as well as the basic plot in general, and the acting. I never felt bored at all (which usually happens to me for a little bit in most movies) and it’s the type of movie I want to watch again right away. Good stuff!
[/quote]
No, you’re not crazy. Bad Education may not be typical Almodovar, but it’s a brilliant film nonetheless. ;D
And I understand your opinion of Drunken Angel. It’s interesting because it’s the first film where Kurosawa found himself and developed his own style, but at the same time he went on to far better things in his later career.
Escape from New York was on tv today… i own it… but since it was on i couldn’t help but watch it again… great film…Kurt Russell… Lee Van Cleef, Harry Dean Stanton, Isaac Hayes… great cast… great acting from Russell… One of the things i love most about John Carpenters films are the synthesized scores… 7/10
There Will Be Blood - 10/10
To me,the whole movie was like a Oil-driller version of Dracula directed by Kurosawa with Leone and Kubrick-esque moments in it (Maybe even some Bergman). I fucking loved it. Day-Lewis is so fucking scary yet, you kinda like him.
Great ending, perfect direction by PTA, Probably in my top 5 list of all time. SEE IT.
Stray Dog - 8/10 - I want to give this one 9 out of 10, but I’m unsure. Overall I really enjoyed it, and I think I’m starting to like Kurosawa’s more contemporary work more so than his period pieces (but to be honest I think it’s partly because Mifune is very handsome clean shaven) but there were some moments that lulled for me. The most obvious being the excessive baseball footage. Even though by the end I LOVED it, I feel like I need to take the earlier boring parts into consideration as a whole. Regardless, it was great and I enjoyed it.
[quote=“Angel”]
No, you’re not crazy. Bad Education may not be typical Almodovar, but it’s a brilliant film nonetheless. ;D
[/quote]
Yay! I re watched half of it last night. The cinematography in some scenes is just ridiculous. I love it.
Also, I only remembering seeing Gael Garcia Bernal in a few English language movies (Babel, although that was only partly English & Science of Sleep) and I never really realized how good of an actor he was until this movie.
Actually, I’ve also seen him in Y tu mama tambien, but that was on television quite a few years ago, so I’ll have to rewatch it. I remember thinking it was really interesting.
I actually worry that a lot of straight (mostly straight male maybe too) Almodovar fans won’t give Bad Education as much as a chance because they are turned off or uncomfortable with the sexual scenes, since they are between two men. I’ve been reading over the IMDB postings, and some of them are definitely like that, which is unfortunate although I understand, I guess, although many others say it doesn’t matter.
BUT, I also think it is fair to find a movie more watchable because of characters you find attractive. You can’t really call a movie good if thats the only reason you watch it, but if it’s a solid movie, that happens to have beautiful characters (like Cruz in Volver, GORGEOUS) then I think they’re is nothing wrong with appreciating that male or female or trans beauty. So, if you’re a heterosexual man, you may find a movie like Volver more watchable, because of Penelope Cruz AND the fact thats it’s also a great movie.
Anyways, that was enough! I could talk about this all day, but I have a potluck to get ready for!!
[quote=“Bad Max”]
There Will Be Blood - 10/10
To me,the whole movie was like a Oil-driller version of Dracula directed by Kurosawa with Leone and Kubrick-esque moments in it (Maybe even some Bergman). I fucking loved it. Day-Lewis is so fucking scary yet, you kinda like him.
Great ending, perfect direction by PTA, Probably in my top 5 list of all time. SEE IT.
[/quote]
Jonny Greenwood’s score was so bad ass, it was like another character in the film.
Sweeney Todd 8/10
Great film.
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (USA, 1973) – 7/10
Interesting and well acted western. I liked how both main characters seemed be acknowledge their fate.
- TV (2005 SE)
In the Line of Fire (USA, 1993) - 6/10
Good thriller. I used to have a crush on Rene Russo when I was a kid.
- TV
Rambo (USA, 2008) - 9/10
Comments in the Rambo thread.
Cinema
2-Minute Warning 2/10
snore…
The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford - 8/10. First, I want to say (since it’s been a topic here) that I enjoyed the narration, personally. BUT, I emphasize personally here, because the narration seemed natural to me because it reminded me of my childhood. Every night before my parents divorced, my dad would come into my room and tell me a bed time story. Not a book, but a story from his childhood. Sometimes, if he couldn’t think of a story about himself that I hadn’t heard, he’d tell me one about other stories, and often these were based on American gun fighters, and men of the like, and one of these men was Jesse James. So, for me, the narration felt 100% normal, and I loved it, but this is unique to my experiences, so I understand why others didn’t like it.
Also, the cinematography was stunning (especially the train coming through the darkness, gorgeous!). Some people I was with complained about the overuse of lenses, but to me this simply facilitated the almost dreamy story telling atmosphere.
Also, the acting was amazing. I was worried that physically Pitt couldn’t pull it off, but he did so convincingly, especially as the movie progressed. Also, this is only the second movie I remember seeing Casey in (the other being Lonesome Jim), and I think I need to see one more to really know, but he seems like a very good actor (and he doesn’t have his brothers horse-face…sorry, it had to be said).
ANYWAY, I really like it, I enjoyed it’s relaxed slowness, which I tend to like in movies anyways. I’d actually like to rewatch it tommorow if I didn’t have a paper to write.
No Country for Old Men - 9/10
I’ve finally watched it!! 
The Cars That Ate Paris 1/10
omg what a waste of time.
Death Sentence 7/10
Well made revenge movie.
edit: Prime Cut 7/10
No Country For Old Men - 9,5/10
Fuckin’ great film.
The Gauntlet 6/10
Carrie (re-watch) 9/10
Such a great, great movie.