Down by the River Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Foxcatcher: 9/10 Lost a point because I didn't like the lack of development of the underlying issues surrounding Du Pont's character. There were some reports suggesting paranoid schizophrenia. Would have helped clarify why he killed Dave Schultz I really liked the acting. Very subtle, especially Ruffalo. Tough to tell how a character is feeling when they don't show much surface emotion. Carrel, Tatum, and Ruffalo's characters all had a great deal of emotion, but it was almost all below the surface. The actors did a great job giving you the sense of the emotion they felt without being able to overtly show it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLASSJAW Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) Foxcatcher: 9/10 Lost a point because I didn't like the lack of development of the underlying issues surrounding Du Pont's character. There were some reports suggesting paranoid schizophrenia. Would have helped clarify why he killed Dave Schultz I really liked the acting. Very subtle, especially Ruffalo. Tough to tell how a character is feeling when they don't show much surface emotion. Carrel, Tatum, and Ruffalo's characters all had a great deal of emotion, but it was almost all below the surface. The actors did a great job giving you the sense of the emotion they felt without being able to overtly show it. one thing i didn't care for is how it ended -- while the guy DID move on to the UFC, it was really only for one fight. i'm pretty sure he toiled away in obscurity until fairly recently. the end sort of suggested he continued fighting or was successful or something, since earlier in the movie they talk about how UFC fighters take a beating but probably get paid a lot and here's that video he was shooting throughout... Edited December 30, 2014 by GLASSJAW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bookie Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 while we're on foxcatcher spoiler questions: Did he actually lose 12 lbs. in 90 minutes? I know it's all based on the true story, but just seems flat out impossible to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLASSJAW Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) while we're on foxcatcher spoiler questions: Did he actually lose 12 lbs. in 90 minutes? I know it's all based on the true story, but just seems flat out impossible to me according to Mark, yes that is accurate -- so it says here; http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/11/17/foxcatcher_true_story_fact_and_fiction_in_the_steve_carell_movie_about_dave.html -- in fact, lots of weird little tidbits and added information there. I watched an interview with Mark last night, and he says the movie is extremely accurate but details are either left out or somewhat vague. there's another interesting interview on YouTube with the WWE/WWF wrestler Kurt Angle/Engle (whatever), who won a gold medal. he was a member of Foxcatcher too. he has some interesting stories about du Pont Edited December 30, 2014 by GLASSJAW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bookie Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) whoa they should have put this stuff in the movie In the book, Schultz describes many bizarre stories he heard from Dave and others about du Pont’s increasingly erratic behavior. Du Pont believed there were spirits and spies in the mansion, he “ordered treadmills removed from the training center because he believed their clocks were transporting him back in time,” he communicated with rocks. Schultz also mentions stories from earlier in du Pont’s life, including a time when du Pont drunkenly drove a tank he owned (like the one we see John purchase in the film) onto a police officer’s property. “His behavior was usually dismissed with ‘That’s just John,’ or attributed to alcohol and cocaine use,” Schultz writes. also I was a little surprised to learn so much time passed before the climax of the film - as they say in that Slate article I assumed it was a few months, not seven years looking back guess I should hide that, though it's more of an anti-spoiler Edited December 30, 2014 by The Bookie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Money Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) The Hundred-Foot Journey - 7/10 Good movie about an Indian family setting up a restaurant in France across the street from a renowned Michelin-star French restaurant. Culture clashes ensue. The last 1/3 isn't as strong, but still entertaining. Of course, brown guys get the white girls, much like... Dr. Cabbie - 2/10 Tries to be an Indian movie, a Canadian movie, and some awkward form of sex comedy - but fails on all accounts. The jokes are almost all awkwardly terrible. The plot is all over the place, and actually uses voice-over dialogue in scene changes to try to tie it together. As Seattle's metalhead community would put it: LAME! LAME! LAME! Here every brown guy gets a white girl. There is one brown girl who got a white guy, but it is unseen, her family is shamed, and she attempts suicide. And this is a light-hearted comedy!!! Edited December 30, 2014 by D-Money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Money Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Muppets Most Wanted - 5/10 Like Monty said, 2011's The Muppets was great. But this one was missing all of the magic. It had a few chuckles, but no gut-busters (maniacal laugh!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Muppets Most Wanted - 5/10 Like Monty said, 2011's The Muppets was great. But this one was missing all of the magic. It had a few chuckles, but no gut-busters (maniacal laugh!). Chris Cooper absolutely stole the film with his "maniacal laugh" bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'm Your Huckleberry Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Muppets Most Wanted - 5/10 Like Monty said, 2011's The Muppets was great. But this one was missing all of the magic. It had a few chuckles, but no gut-busters (maniacal laugh!). I absolutely loved Muppets Most Wanted but have not seen The Muppets so maybe I'll check that one. As for gut-busters, one memorable shot had me dying when Ricky Gervais was finally shown in his Lemur costume Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madness Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 The Interview - 6/10 Had some funny parts. Started off okay and went down. Gone Girl - 8.5/10 Enjoyed this one. good movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babych Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 The Imitation Game - 9.5/10 This is a beautifully crafted movie and well acted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLASSJAW Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 grizzly man: 10/10 seen it before, but this is a text book example on how to make a great documentary, IMO. a man's undoing mixed with herzog's soliloquies on how such undoings are basically just a microcosm for life itself -- perfect blend of solipsism and cynicism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 (edited) I've seen quite a few movies lately, so I'll briefly review what I can remember watching. Christmas Vacation: 9.5/10 Long story short, one of my favourite Christmas films. Classic Chevy Chase. ------------------------- 22 Jump Street - 6/10 Funny, but forgettable. Don't regret watching it and, as far as comedies go, it's passable. But certainly far from the best comedy I've seen. ------------------------- Neighbors - 3/10 Chuckled a few times, and not as dirty as I thought it was going to be, which was a welcomed change. Rose Byrne was solid, as usual. That said, forgettable and would not watch again. ------------------------- Maleficent - 7/10 Surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Not much to say, really. Good kids movie with a good twist on the well known story. Edited January 2, 2015 by Monty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangelos Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 The interview 10/10 Comedic masterpiece Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoderman Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 The Interview (2014): After hearing all the controversy, I caved and decided to watch it. The first twenty or so minutes had me cackling quite a bit. Franco and Rogen feed off of each other really well in these scenes, especially in the “ain’ters” segment. As some have mentioned already, it really starts to slow down when the two reach North Korea. There were a few giggles here and there, but it really isn’t enough to garner a strong recommendation. Really wanted more Rogen and Franco back and forth and I wish it was a bit more… offensive, I guess. I’ll give it a “borderline fresh” rating, but you’ll be better off catching it on cable on a boring afternoon. 6/10 C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toni Zamboni Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 (edited) the interview - not even worth rating...im glad i didnt pay to see it. The Godfather - 9.5/10 The Godfather part 2 - 8/10 The Godfather part 3 - 6.5/10 - not nearly as good as the first 2 but still decent. Edited January 5, 2015 by Toni Zamboni Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bookie Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 The Drop 6.5/10 A light-hearted tale of a scrappy puppy who overcomes his trashcan roots and the colourful cast of characters he meets along the way. Droppin poops all over Brooklyn. I didn't realize until the end credits it was a short story adaptation. I guess it was stretched a bit thin. Still - It did a good job of not over-explaining the backstory, yet leaving me with enough to puzzle it out afterwards which I like. RIP Gandolfini Tom Hardy's a really good actor but I want to see him bring the noise again like in Bronson. He's all restrained and oddly accented these days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bookie Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 The Ides of March - 5.5 Alright I guess. One of those slow tense political dramas that seems really well-made/written while watching and 5 min later I can barely remember anything about it. Kind of bleeds and blends with similar movies. I guess it's not really my genre. Giamatti and Hoffman were excellent as usual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Money Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Million Dollar Arm - 6.5/10 Enjoyable family film based on the true story of a contest to try to find people in India who could potentially be baseball pitchers. Light-hearted and Disney-ized, but still well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Money Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 The Good Lie - 8/10 Excellent movie about the challenges Sudanese child refugees faced getting out of Sudan, and then adapting to a new life and culture in America. The first half hour is as unsettling as a PG movie can be. Once they get to the US, all of Americans in the movie seem strangely aloof and unaware, but it's an accurate portrayal of how completely oblivious to the situation over there most people are (and were even more so 14 years ago). The trailers/etc. don't really represent it well. Reese Witherspoon plays only a supporting role, and doesn't even appear in the movie until the 36-minute mark. It's all about the main characters' struggles, who were played by actual Sudanese refugees (one was the son of a refugee). Two of them were former child soldiers, and they were probably the two most charismatic and likeable guys in the film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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