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I watched Killer Joe. It was pretty good.

I'm thinking of buying Iron Man on DVD tomorrow.

I watched David Fincher's adaptation of the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. It was good. A few things were different from the Swedish movie, but I never read the book. I think I prefer the Swedish one, but this one was good.

I think my favourite of the B-movies I've seen recently has to be The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms. It radiates a classic monster-movie feel and doesn't try to retread King Kong territory with a sympathetic monster. The climax in the city was the most memorable part, although I liked the lighthouse sequence too.

I really need to check out Looper, but I think tonight I'll watch The Dark Crystal instead. I really like Labyrinth and hope it's of a similar standard.

At 1/31/13 12:46 PM, Sense-Offender wrote: I watched David Fincher's adaptation of the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. It was good. A few things were different from the Swedish movie, but I never read the book. I think I prefer the Swedish one, but this one was good.

Also, a song by one of my favorite bands can be heard in the background during the scene where Lisbeth Salander gets a new tattoo at the parlor.

I watched Event Horizon earlier this morning, which was interesting. I kinda liked it.

And I just got Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning from Netflix. I haven't seen the one before it, and I heard mostly bad things. But this one has Scott Adkins in it and he kicks ass, so I thought I'd give it a chance.

I finally had time to check out Django Unchained.

I really had a good time watching it and I think every Tarantino fan will too. Christopher Waltz is a delight to watch, the dialogues are good (though frankly, Tarantino didn't really seem in top shape here), the hidden cultural references are nice and the violence really delivers.

I don't agree with the commonly heard statement that Django Unchained is Tarantino's best though. I still prefer Inglorious Basterds to be honest, but it's definitely top 3 for me. It's also top 3 for my favourite 2012 films.

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning didn't have enough fight scenes. The ones that it did have were pretty good, though.

I'm wondering when the hell Re-Kill is coming out in America.

Today I went to see Flight, starring Denzel Washington.

It's a pretty good film, although it's not much special really. Denzel Washington is good as a pilot with an alcohol problem and I kinda liked John Goodman. The film felt needlessly long though. They took a lot of time to emphasize on the pilot's drinking problem, while I think everything could've easily been established in a 90-100 minutes films too.

Anyway, this might be a good watch for a boring evening, but I don't recommend going to the theatre for it.

My favourites. (Not in order.)
- Avatar
- Transformers 1, 2, 3
- King Kong
- Scary Movie
- Alien

I'm REALLY looking forward to when Pacific Rim comes out, and same with Warm Bodies.
Warm Bodies Trailer
Pacific Rim Trailer

I got to see Silver Linings Playbook yesterday. I really enjoyed it. It's probably one of my favourite movies of last year actually. Still haven't seen Looper yet but I really fell for the characters and humour in this movie. At times it feels pretty tragicomic, but I think the ending was warm enough that it doesn't really deserve that label.

Watching a movie a day is really hard to keep up with; I chose Frankenstein this morning purely because it's runtime fit with my schedule. I did like it, though. I haven't seen any classic horror movies and it felt like a good opener.

Finally broke my TV show cycle and watched a few films yesterday.

Started with Wrath Of The Titans which was ok. The fight scenes and action sequences were impressive and Toby Kebbell was fantastic throughout. All in all the film felt like a bit of a letdown through. It all seemed too easy for our rag-tag band of heroes who pretty much walked into the underworld and then back out again. The final fight should have been an epic encounter but was short, sharp and over all too quickly. I remember Clash Of The Titans having much more suspense and being a much more enjoyable film.

Next up, From Dusk Till Dawn. Tarantino and Rodriguez are two of my favourite directors so I was sure I'd enjoy this. As expected, an hour in and the dialogue has kept me suitably entertained with what looks to be turning into an enjoyable crime film. Sixty minutes in though and the zombies start to emerge. Cue some decent comedy, enjoyable fight scenes and more top quality script. Definitely a real change in pace and content from the first hour of the film, but a nice change-up that kept things fresh. Clooney puts in a great performance and Tarantino had me convinced he was a psychotic rapists through and through. All the actors in fact (Danny Trejo, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis), put in really great performances.

Finally I checked out The Cabin In The Woods. Definitely a twist on the usual slasher film formulae, but not exactly what I was expecting. The movie has received almost universal acclaim and while it was a good film, I'm not sure I'd class it as one of the best films of the year (as plenty of critics did). Maybe I had my hopes built up too high before seeing it, but I thought the "big twist" was pretty pathetic and the ending, extremely dull. I spent most of the film trying to figure out exactly what the purpose of the men in suits controlling things was and not to sound big headed, but half of my ideas were much better than the actual scenario. Also, it was nice to see Fran Kranz with a leading role in a Hollywood film - the guys a really great actor.

From Dusk Till Dawn was my favourite film from my trilogy of viewing yesterday, Wrath Of The Titans is probably one to avoid, while The Cabin In The Woods is still worth watching, even if it doesn't quite live up to all of the hype.

Recently watched all 5 Alien films. Aliens was definitely the peak of that series.

Also saw Super Mario Bros. Good shit.

I watched The Master today.

The film contains stunning performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The acting is really top notch in my opinion. I also loved the style, the cinematography and the fact that the film is very unpredictable.

I do have one complaint though and that is that the plot kind of misses that punch I was expecting. It just kind of drivels on and there doesn't seem to be that much structure nor development in it. I left the theatre wondering what the point really was and now that I read some reviews, I don't think the film really tried to make much of a point. Too bad, because there is plenty of potential in a plot where a traumatized alcoholic seeks refuge in a sect led by a charismatic charlatan.

So technically the film is excellent, but I don't like how it left me so unsatisfied.

At 2/9/13 04:39 PM, Auz wrote: So technically the film is excellent, but I don't like how it left me so unsatisfied.

I also felt it needed a bit more of a narrative thrust to keep my attention. Each individual scene is fantastic, and the performances are phenomenal, but it lacks any sort of urgency or purpose and just ends up meandering from scene to scene which makes it really difficult to be pulled in.

It's also worth noting that the film is absolutely gorgeous to look at, but that's pretty much par for the course for things shot on 70mm.

I'm having a Pixar Marathon right now. I have two Pixar Shorts Collection DVD's too so I'm trying to include them as well as the feature length film in chronological order. Pixar is so magnificent and creates so many childhood experiences for me, it's one of my favourite things in life. I'm on Monster's Inc. now however I'll probably start if tomorrow.

I just scanned the Wikipedia page for 2013 In Film and the only film I'm genuinely excited about is Edgar Wright's The World's End. I'm sure there'll be more that I'll enjoy, but that's the only one I'm avidly awaiting.

I guess the plus-side is my expectations can only be exceeded this year.

watched Frailty. was alright.

At 2/9/13 12:30 PM, Jackho wrote: Recently watched all 5 Alien films. Aliens was definitely the peak of that series.

I think the first two are the only ones worth watching. And I know a lot of people prefer Aliens, but I really think as great as it was, Alien was better.

Also saw Super Mario Bros. Good shit.

terrible

At 2/15/13 11:38 PM, Sense-Offender wrote: I think the first two are the only ones worth watching. And I know a lot of people prefer Aliens, but I really think as great as it was, Alien was better.

Alien is definitely the most influential, but I find Aliens has greater rewatch value because it's not dependant on suspense.

Saw Life of Pi.

It was fine. Nothing special, definitely not best picture material. Incredible effects, mind.

I watched Rock and Rule last night, which was pretty neat.

COMING TO AMERICA, a film theory.
For a long time, I always assumed that Semi was the servant of Akeem. However, I've been watching this movie a lot this week, and I've come up with a new theory, and that is, Semi is not the servant of Akeem. Semi is the brother of Akeem.
There are two main reason I always assumed that Semi was the servant Akeem. First, when Akeem walks in on Semi and Patrice making out, Akeem asks, "If you are the prince, then who am I?" and Semi says, "My servant." One would naturally be taken for a reversal of the relationship, that is, Akeem is the prince, and Semi is the servant. However, it does not necessarily have to mean this. Through out the movie, it is obvious that Semi is the more lustful. He says, "This trip is an excellent idea! Forty days of fornication!" And, "do you realize that I have not had sex since we got to America?!" This drives Semi much more than Akeem, so he wants to exalt himself up as much as possible to Patrice to make her want him more. Add to this, that before they made out Patrice was interested in Akeem, so not only does Semi exalt himself in saying he's a prince, but also downplays Akeem by saying he's just a servant, which would give her all the more reason to forget about Akeem.

The second reason I always assumed Semi was the servant of Akeem was because of his seeming insignificance in the eyes of the king and queen. They always treat him as a nuisance. But my theory I think accounts for this better.

The reasons I believe Semi is the younger brother of Akeem are these.
First, in the beginning of the movie, look at Akeem and Semi's clothing. The first time we see them both is at the breakfast table. Akeem and Semi are both wearing something that looks like a sports uniform. Notice the numbers on their shirts. Akeem's number is 1. This is not a coincidence, it denotes Akeem's rank as the firstborn son of the king. Semi's number is 4, which denotes his rank as fourth born. Fourth borns are never granted any special significance. The king is a hard, traditional man, and only cares for his firstborn who will continue the kingdom.

The similar clothing continues through out the film. It is most significant in the beginning of the film, because there they are both still in the kingdom. At Akeem's courtship, where he first meets his supposed bride-to-be, notice that he and Semi both wear some kind of wreath on their head, a black sparkly thing. Only royalty would have this kind of headpiece, no one in the audience does. (Some of the men in the audience have hats, but nothing like those wreaths.) Also, in this same scene, notice that Akeem is wearing a leopard around his shoulder, like the king wears a lion around his later in the movie. Akeem wears the leopard to show his status as the prince, and the one who will one day wear the lion. Semi also wears something around his shoulder, a gold chain of some kind. He does not wear an animal because he will not succeed the king, but his strap does denote his royalty, just his lower rank.

Second, Semi has a much closer relationship to Akeem than a servant would have. At the courtship scene, Semi is standing right next to Akeem, in almost the same clothing as already noted. All the other servants are standing back out of the way, because being so close to the royal family at this moment was not permitted.

When we first see Semi at the breakfast table, Semi calls Akeem "the birthday boy." This would be highly inappropriate for a servant to call a prince in front of the king and queen, but he is not rebuked for it. Not to mention the profanity Semi spews at Akeem when they go to work out. It seems impossible that a servant would ever be able to speak to a prince in such a manner, even in the gym.

Third, it is implied in the film that Semi is just as used to being treated as royalty as Akeem. After the breakfast scene, when Akeem and Semi are walking off, Semi says, "Akeem, what happened to the rose bearers?" Clearly, he is used to walking on the rose pedals, which means he is a son of the king. Also, in the scene where Akeem and Semi are applying to work at McDowell's, Mr. McDowell hands Akeem a mop in the water. Akeem of course does not know how to use it and leaves in the bucket of water when trying to mop. Look at the faces that Akeem and Semi make when they look back up at Mr. McDowell. They both akwardly smile and nod. This shows that Semi does not know how to use a mop either, which means Semi does not know how to do the most miniscule of tasks. This would be expected of royalty, but certainly not of a servant.

Fourth, Akeem, while clearly aware of his higher rank as the firstborn, to some degree still acknowledges their brotherly relationship. When he and Semi see the people wearing the clothes they stole, Akeem cries, "Let them wear our princely robes!"

Finally, and ironically, the most striking objection to my theory is from Semi himself. In the breakfast scene, Semi says to the queen, "I was just remarking to my mother the other day what beautiful skin the queen has!" This obviously means that the queen is not his mother. However, we do not have to therefore conclude that Semi is not royalty. Consider the character of the king. It is not a stretch to say that he is lecherous. We know he is not faithful to his wife, since he said to Akeem, "I always assumed you had sex with your bathers, I know I do!" Note the present tense, "I know I do," not, "I know I did." So it is reasonable to conclude that the king has concubines. And since he and Semi are the only two who are so lustful, it would make since that Semi inherited this from his father. So Semi is the fourth born son of the king, born of a concubine, and half-brother to Akeem. This would also explain why the queen detests Semi so much, and why the king does not treat him with near the respect that he does his firstborn.

So this is my theory, go watch Coming to America with this in mind, and see if it doesn't make sense!

anybody else see this?

Anyway, I'm pretty excited to know that Sin City 2 is official.

Had a film night with some friends. We watched Gamer and Moon.

Gamer was bad in my opinion. It's horribly shot, horribly edited, the acting is mediocre and I think it really fails to appeal to video game lovers (if that was ever the intention). The gaming world was represented poorly and I doubt this film was made by people who actually know much about video game culture. If it wasn't supposed to appeal to gamers then I don't know who it was for. I can't imagine anyone else who would want to see this. Anyway, don't ever bother watching this.

Moon is a film about an astronaut (Sam Rockwell) who's alone on the moon for a few years to maintain some energy program that some company set up there. The film has a very interesting first 30 minutes, but I disliked how it pretty much gave away all of its plot twists early on. After those twists the film plays out exactly as you expect it to, making the last hour kind of boring to watch really. Even Sam Rockwell doesn't really manage to make it entertaining, despite his good acting.

In short, I didn't like neither film although Moon had good moments in the beginning.

I thought Moon was great.

Anyway, I watched Dredd last night, which was pretty cool. definitely better than the Stallone movie.

At 2/17/13 01:35 PM, Sense-Offender wrote: I thought Moon was great.

Anyway, I watched Dredd last night, which was pretty cool. definitely better than the Stallone movie.

Okay, I rewatched it and I think I was a bit unfair. As far as action movies go, it's more than just "pretty cool". I'd actually say that it was freakin' awesome. It would be cool if they made a sequel.

I'd love it if there were a series of animated movies based on Judge Dredd. like straight-to-video one hour animated movies. maybe like 5 or 6. kinda like how they do those so-called "OVAs" in Japan. know what I mean.

Am I alone here? I think it would be unspeakably amazing if a bunch of comics had their own series of straight-to-video movies for "mature audiences". Youngblood, Shadow Man, the Darkness, Pitt, Turok, etc. Oh, man, I'd flip out if that happened.

At 2/16/13 07:11 PM, Sense-Offender wrote: anybody else see this?

Anyway, I'm pretty excited to know that Sin City 2 is official.

Sin City is a masterpiece! I'm waiting for the sequel
It's a good news :3

At 2/18/13 05:10 PM, Sense-Offender wrote: Okay, I rewatched it and I think I was a bit unfair. As far as action movies go, it's more than just "pretty cool". I'd actually say that it was freakin' awesome. It would be cool if they made a sequel.

I was also very impressed by Dredd. Felt extremely old school. You never see blood in action films any more, that alone made it stand out. Reminded me most of Robocop, which is always a good thing.

Am I alone here? I think it would be unspeakably amazing if a bunch of comics had their own series of straight-to-video movies for "mature audiences". Youngblood, Shadow Man, the Darkness, Pitt, Turok, etc. Oh, man, I'd flip out if that happened.

DC has sort of been doing that for the last few years. They won't do really hard stuff, but they've done TDKR, which has naked nazi boobs. But yeah, show me some Swamp Thing, Animal Man or Hellblazer, and I'm sold.