What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

Status
Not open for further replies.
Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

With Halloween coming up at the end of the month, I'm sure we'll get plenty of theme-related movie news items (saw one today, a list of famous movie stars who got their start in a "horror" movie).

I have more fun talking about movies when thinking about various genres than "just" talking about movies overall. One genre I never liked very much is "horror" movie, since most of what passes for "horror" these days seems more to be "gross-out with gore and blood" than any actual "horror."

However, there is one movie that fits the horror genre that I really like, enough to have seen it three times now (with appropriate spacing between each one).

The premise of The Serpent and the Rainbow is actually based on a true-life story. Pharmaceutical company hires anthropologist to gain the trust and confidence of indigenous tribes, so that they will share their herbal medicines with him. He then brings back samples and the chemists extract the active ingredients and turn them into commercial medicines. Wes Craven is the director, but the drama, character development, etc. is first-rate. Very well made film.

After another successful return trip, they ask him to go to Haiti and get the drug used to turn people into zombies, thinking it might make a good anesthetic. Well, you can guess what happens there.

Bill Pullman is really good as the intrepid anthropologist, and Zakes Mokae is absolutely fantastic as the ....

Very little gore, actual horror due to a well-told story.


The other horror movie that really creeped me out big-time without any overt violence at all was the original Cape Fear with Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck. I doubt it is even classified as "horror" but that is a really unsettling movie. :eek:
 
Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

Handyman said:
The original is brilliant :)
Click to expand...

I didn't mind the remake, but I do agree that the original kicks so much arse it's ridiculous. I can't remember how many times I saw that on tv at my grandparents' house during the holidays.
 
Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

127 Hours

Solid movie, but did not like the editing/presentation. Too "MTV" style for me with the cuts and such. However, Franco was great in this. And, as a claustrophobic and a person who cannot watch medical stuff (double whammy for this movie), this movie really was captivating. Definitely recommend.
 
Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

Conversely: good thing that Gone Girl has some jokes in it, otherwise there wouldn't be much for smiling in that one.

It... well... it goes places.
 
Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

Planning on seeing Fury at the Ultra Screen with the recliners tomorrow.

Looking forward to it.
 
Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

Saw Fury last night on the ultra screen.

Gotta say that the battle scenes were intense on such a large screen and with their newer sound system.

Good war movie. Was interesting to see the war from a tank crew's perspective.

To me, Band of Brothers is the best ever WW2 depiction. If BOB is a 10, I'd give this a 7 to 8.


Both my wife and I came up with the same thought - it fit well with Band of Brothers and could be another vignette from that series.


Yes, I realize that BOB is a series and this is a movie, but I can no longer see WW2 movies (European theater) without comparing them to and fitting them into that "universe" or portrayal of the war.
 
Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

FadeToBlack&Gold said:
I'll give you The Lion King, but Jim Carrey doesn't hold a candle to any of the other three movies Gurt mentioned. He has one shtick in every movie he's been in, and it gets old and sophomoric very fast.
Click to expand...


I was thinking that he was kidding, but Daniels was the good part in D & D anyway.
 
Gurtholfin said:
Shawshank, 20 years on...

http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/2014/09/shawshank-redemption-anniversary-story


Still remember leaving the theater and the wife and I saying that we liked it better than Gump.

What a year for movies... Shawshank, Gump and Pulp.
Click to expand...

And Quiz Show, which was a fantastic flick in its own right. Saw it on tv a few months back, and it holds up really well.

That was an absolutely loaded field for best picture (4 weddings and a funeral was the 5th nominee). Any one of those four probably win most other years.
 
Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

Gurtholfin said:
Yes, I realize that BOB is a series and this is a movie, but I can no longer see WW2 movies (European theater) without comparing them to and fitting them into that "universe" or portrayal of the war.
Click to expand...
The whole reason BoB came about was because of Saving Private Ryan piquing the interests of both Tom Hanks and Spielberg. It's not inconceivable that Fury could launch another HBO series.
 
Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

Hey, Carrey was brilliant in KickAss 2.
 
Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

I thought he was surprisingly good in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but that wasn't his typical role.
 
Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

Gurtholfin said:
I thought he was surprisingly good in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but that wasn't his typical role.
Click to expand...

Jim Carrey puts in solid performances in a lot of his non-comedic roles, but people like his slapstick so much that it's all they remember about him. It's what makes him his money.

I also liked him in The Truman Show and The Majestic.
 
Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

St. Clown said:
Jim Carrey puts in solid performances in a lot of his non-comedic roles, but people like his slapstick so much that it's all they remember about him. It's what makes him his money.

I also liked him in The Truman Show and The Majestic.
Click to expand...

Seems like the classic example of a guy who is willing to cash a paycheck. When he's bad he's unbelievably, Rob Schneiderly, Adam Sandlerly bad. But then he does "Man on the Moon" and you think, "JFC, that was perfect!"

Closest I can really come to a comparison is Jerry Lewis. His bad stuff is legendary, but other than jokes about the French very few people remember that when he had the right vehicle he was balls to the wall brilliant.

In slightly related news: OMG, Jerry Lewis is still alive. Dean Martin died 20 years ago.
 
Last edited:
Re: The Movie Thread: New, Rented, Whatever....I don't care

Kepler said:
Seems like the classic example of a guy who is willing to cash a paycheck. When he's bad he's unbelievably, Rob Schneiderly, Adam Sandlerly bad. But then he does "Man on the Moon" and you think, "JFC, that was perfect!"

Closest I can really come to a comparison is Jerry Lewis.
Click to expand...

Robin Williams would be another great example of a guy who could alternate between brilliance and dreck.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top