The last film you watched....

[Caius Fabius]

Sukiyaki Western Django :twisted:

And what did you think of this film, not only in terms of plot but production design and acting? Could you follow the story?

Did you catch the references to the Gempei Wars of 1180-85...?

:?

Narukami

I lived in Japan for 3 years, so I didn't have as much problem with the film. Some of the acting was over the top, in the typical Japanese Samurai style that I grew up with, but production design was good quality, and costuming was interesting, almost Manga. I am not much for older Japaese history, but all in all it wasn't a total waste of time, unlike other films I have seen and not mentioned... I was at a 'closing' of a BlockBuster video store and bought 200+ DVDs at a very reasonable price. Many in foreign languages, (Russian, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Austrailian... :lol: )

[Narukami]

Indeed, after living in Japan this film must have seemed familiar.

It does show Manga and Anime influences (good call) while following the story line of Yojimbo (kind of) with the Heike and the Genji clans filling in for the rival gangsters in the Kurosawa film. No, not a total waste of time at all, but not exactly my favorite re-telling of the Hekei Monogatari. Even so I do give them points for their audacious sense of style.

200+ DVD's -- sounds like a great deal. Even if you are a diligent film watcher that should keep you busy for the year. Did much the same when Tower closed out their Betamax collection -- picked up a few gems then, but that was many years and several video formats ago... :?

:wink:

Narukami

[M. Demetrius]

Betamax. Wow, there's a nostalgic thought.

[Narukami]

Betamax. Wow, there's a nostalgic thought.

And it still works! hock:

"Sony -- The One and Only, No Baloney that's Sony." :roll:

Narukami

[Astiryu1]

I have seen The Last of the Mohicans, Justin have you seen "Gangs of New York" when I was staying in N.Y. ( Watkins Glen and Long Island ) I worked for a mechanic that became a friend that remembered places on that movie. I do recall some places from upstate that could have been in LOTM.

[Jona Lendering]

Pasolini's Medea. Of the many adaptations of Euripides' play, this was one of the less convincing. I always thought that Pasolini was a good director, and perhaps he was, but I will never forgive him that he started this movie with a rising sun. Such a cliché.

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

District-9

Great movie !!

M.VIB.M.

[M. Demetrius]

The Nativity Story. Pretty good dramatization, though (naturally) the Roman armor was totally wrong :roll: . Nice rendering of the Israeli costume, though again, some were more in keeping with the modern mindset. Looked like hand woven cloth for the most part. Some very good sets and a reasonable representation of the "traditional" story, though somewhat removed from the Source Document. Glad to see that Gabriel didn't have wings. :wink:

[Narukami]

At the Cinema: Avatar

... But not in 3D

My grandson & I braved the crowds to see Avatar, and I was pleasantly surprised -- it was better than expected. This is not to say that this is a great film, or paragon of story telling, for it is not. The story is very derivative of several other films and is filled with the expected stock characters (Nobel Savages, Bad Ass Colonel, Sympathetic Scientists, etc. etc. etc.) Indeed, the film bears more than a passing resemblance to an old Outer Limits episode written by Robert Town (China Town) and starring Robert Duvall. Chameleon is a lot of fun, well done for a low budget 1960's B&W TV series, and in fact a more sophisticated story than that being told in Avatar.

However...

Avatar is a milestone in cinema history if only for the technical skill on display (thanks to Weta and ILM) and for the imaginative world Cameron has envisioned. The CGI is very impressive, but often it is very obvious that this is animation and it looks like animation. Perhaps I will return to watch it in 3D and see for myself if that hype (and the $500 Million spent) are well deserved/used. I do not think 3D in and of itself, is critical to story telling. Just another tool that might help tell the story but can not make a non-story into something it is not.

Suffice it to say it was an enjoyable 2.5 hours, the grandson had a great time, and that does count for something. This film will not "change" Hollywood in the same way that say Star Wars and George Lucas have, but that's OK.

:wink:

Narukami

[Virilis]

Just watched "The North Face", a german movie about the conquering of the ominous Eiger. VERY good movie with some haunting scenes and good acting and with no "Hollywood" ending. I like that because we all know that in the end "resistance is futile" (J.L. Picard) :wink: ...

Btw, thanks for the review of the Avatar, Narukami. I think I will go and see it despite the hype after all...

[Astiryu1]

Picard smacked down the Borg!!! Vive le Resistance!!!

[Paullus Scipio]

Re: Avatar

I would concur with Narukami's review. Because of time constraints, I and my two sons had to go to a 3 D session, expecting it not to be good, but in fact since the best thing about the movie is its stunning visual effects, these were enhanced by the "3D", though taking the glasses off after nearly 3 hours plays havoc with your depth perception for a few minutes! The 3D was better than I had expected

Aside from the cliched 'stock characters', the worst aspect of the movie is the plot ! Clearly borrowed from various Classic sci-fi stories, ( alas, I had it figured out in minutes, which spoilt the enjoyment a little) and with the usual standard 'sacharine' Hollywood ending with a few of the minor characters and the villains killed off, the main progenitors live Happily Ever After.

But as a Visual Experience, it is well worth the entrance price ( even the hiked 3D version! ).....I'd recommend it - but do see it on a big screen - an Imax is even better !!! D

[Lýsandros]

I have seen a german movie called The Wave (Die Welle). I have to say that it is brilliant! Long story short, it is about a high school experiment with autocracy gone terribly wrong. It was very refreshing to see an european made movie, the feeling of the whole thing and the views presented to the audience are so much different.

[M. Demetrius]

Add my vote to the double-plus-good column for Avatar 3D. The plot is almost the same as a movie called Emerald Forest, with some variations. I think the visuals would be not nearly so great in normal, and this is partly from the 3D not aiming so much at being sensational as having it draw me into the scene. Big screen, yes! Go see it just to set the curiosity at rest. It's going to be a blockbuster, I think.

Heck, they even invented a Na'vi language that sounds as developed as Klingon or maybe reminiscent of US Plains Indian languages. Good work on that, and astonishing work on the CGI. Way to go, guys. Well worth the ticket price as long as you aren't expecting a Hemingway plot.

[Narukami]

At the Cinema: Sherlock Holmes

Now, I am no expert on Sherlock and was raised on the Basil Rathbone school of Holmes, so to the true aficionado I am probably a heathen.

However...

As a piece of light winter entertainment this film was A-OK. Not a great film nor a perfect one by any stretch, but fun none the less.

:wink:

Narukami