New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

[ScottM]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

I agree Appaloosa was a pretty dull movie, especially considering the presence of Harris, Mortenson, Irons, etc. It could have done without Renee Zellweger and not missed a beat. History of Violence was a movie that kind of grew on me, and it set my expectations for Mortenson when he did Eastern Promises.

 

[French Rage]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

Still using up my credits as the rental place near me is going out of business.

Watched Marley & Me. I read the book a few weeks ago and mostly wanted to see the movie for the cute puppy. I'm a chick, so that's totally allowed. The movie was ok. Jennifer Aniston's character was much more likable in the book. There were allusions to things in the book that made me laugh, but weren't explained in the movie. So, like most movies based on books...the book is a hundred times better. The guy friend that watched the movie with me cried buckets at the end. I had never seen him like that.

Oh yeah, everyone who I know who saw it cried, regardless of gender, myself included. I actually think that the non-dog characters were well-rounded and well-acted, given what effort one would have expected for such a movie.

 

[Kepler]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

it set my expectations for Mortenson when he did Eastern Promises.

Eastern Promises showed a good actor can save a bad movie. History of Violence showed a good actor doesn't necessarily save a bad movie.

 

[ScottM]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

Eastern Promises showed a good actor can save a bad movie. History of Violence showed a good actor doesn't necessarily save a bad movie.

I learned to like History of Violence, if anything for William Hurt's role, even though it has some holes in the script. I loved the line where he asks his dying henchman "How do you f* that up?!".

 

[Handyman]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

I learned to like History of Violence, if anything for William Hurt's role, even though it has some holes in the script. I loved the line where he asks his dying henchman "How do you f* that up?!".

That was pretty awesome

Kepler, I totally agree with everything you said about the two movies.

 

[The Rube]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

I agree Appaloosa was a pretty dull movie, especially considering the presence of Harris, Mortenson, Irons, etc. It could have done without Renee Zellweger and not missed a beat. History of Violence was a movie that kind of grew on me, and it set my expectations for Mortenson when he did Eastern Promises.

See, I really liked Appaloosa (minus Renee, of course, I wish she died a horrible death in that movie, over and over again). Eastern Promises was the best, IMO, of the three Viggo movies mentioned.

Finally saw Glengarry Glen Ross. It was okay. Great acting, but that's about it. I wasn't into the story, I didn't care what happened with the characters, etc. You saw hints of depth of the characters, and I think with an additional 20 minutes or so (making the movie around 2 hours, instead of 1:40), you really could have fleshed them out a bit more, and gotten the viewer more interested in them.

Of course, my saleman buddy loves the movie like no other. Maybe it's that sort of commonality that explains some things, I dunno.

 

[Handyman]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

Once again I thought Eastern Promises was boring until the end. It was like they took a 1 hour plot and felt the need to extend it into a full length movie. The performances are good but the movie itself was blah.

 

[The Rube]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

Once again I thought Eastern Promises was boring until the end. It was like they took a 1 hour plot and felt the need to extend it into a full length movie. The performances are good but the movie itself was blah.

To me, it was a slow movie for the most part, but slow doesn't mean "boring," IMO. It could be different for you, sure. And I can see your point. I don't think it was "stretched for time" though.

 

[Handyman]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

I dont mind slow, but that movie was like being stuck in a math lecture with a monotone teacher...there is a line where there is too much character development and it crossed it for me.

 

[The Rube]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

I dont mind slow, but that movie was like being stuck in a math lecture with a monotone teacher...there is a line where there is too much character development and it crossed it for me.

I take it you haven't seen "Bringing Out The Dead" with Nic Cage.

THAT is unbelievably character-based, and I loved it.

 

[Foxton]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

I take it you haven't seen "Bringing Out The Dead" with Nic Cage.

THAT is unbelievably character-based, and I loved it.

One of the small number of Nic Cage movies I like.
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[The Rube]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

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[Handyman]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

I take it you haven't seen "Bringing Out The Dead" with Nic Cage.

THAT is unbelievably character-based, and I loved it.

No I havent and I have no interest the previews were enough.

And there is nothing wrong with being character driven...but when a movie is 95% character development and 5% plot you don't have a movie, you have a prologue

 

[Kepler]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

Finally saw Glengarry Glen Ross. It was okay. Great acting, but that's about it. I wasn't into the story, I didn't care what happened with the characters, etc. You saw hints of depth of the characters, and I think with an additional 20 minutes or so (making the movie around 2 hours, instead of 1:40), you really could have fleshed them out a bit more, and gotten the viewer more interested in them.

I loved it, but I had seen it on stage first. Stage characters can usually be developed faster because there are fewer distractions and much tighter situations than in a movie. (Also, the quality of acting is usually about 30x better, but that's not a problem in this movie.)

 

[ScottM]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

Once again I thought Eastern Promises was boring until the end. It was like they took a 1 hour plot and felt the need to extend it into a full length movie. The performances are good but the movie itself was blah.

I liked the fact it was a "gangster movie", but you never saw a gun, and the violence wasn't gratuitous. The cast was from a number of backgrounds and countries, which added some texture. I also liked the fact that Mortenson spent time in Siberia and other parts of Russia meeting real "Vors" and getting into character. I read that he went into a bar after shooting in London, with his tattoos showing, and scared some of the Russian patrons shiatless.

 

[The Rube]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

I liked the fact it was a "gangster movie", but you never saw a gun, and the violence wasn't gratuitous. The cast was from a number of backgrounds and countries, which added some texture. I also liked the fact that Mortenson spent time in Siberia and other parts of Russia meeting real "Vors" and getting into character. I read that he went into a bar after shooting in London, with his tattoos showing, and scared some of the Russian patrons shiatless.

Yep. They took the tattoos from a Russian documentary "The Mark Of Cain" which explained some of the tattoos in Russian prisons. The documentary itself focuses more on the conditions of the prisons, but yeah, those tatts are something else.

 

[gotice]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

I take it you haven't seen "Bringing Out The Dead" with Nic Cage.

THAT is unbelievably character-based, and I loved it.

at first, I thought this was a spoof on the Monty Python movie, "The Holy Grail"

 

[Kepler]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

Yep. They took the tattoos from a Russian documentary "The Mark Of Cain" which explained some of the tattoos in Russian prisons. The documentary itself focuses more on the conditions of the prisons, but yeah, those tatts are something else.

One of those (weirdly addictive) "real crime" documentaries on the History channel did a story on those tats and the Russians who wear them. Suffice to say, 30 of those guys could take down an entire western army. Where sociopaths fear to tread, they brunch.

 

[The Rube]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

One of those (weirdly addictive) "real crime" documentaries on the History channel did a story on those tats and the Russians who wear them. Suffice to say, 30 of those guys could take down an entire western army. Where sociopaths fear to tread, they brunch.

If there ever is an organized crime war, I want to see the vors vs the Yakuza.

 

[French Rage]

Re: New/Rented movies: Here comes the movie to change all movies

If there ever is an organized crime war, I want to see the vors vs the Yakuza.

Amateurs. The Italians would kick their ***. The secret is to get others to do your fighting for you.