Best Movies of 2011, So Far by SHINYGOODGUY

Hey guys,

Is it me or is 2011 going out with a whimper? I'm just putting it out there.
Here are some of the movies I personally saw, want to see and "no, you couldn't pay me" categories (with a few special mentions). Also included some of the good ones from the end of 2010. Just so you know, some of these I paid and some I didn't (if you get my meaning).

Here it goes:

Top of the World, Ma! Dept.

Tree of Life - Malick's Maddening Masterpiece
Hall Pass - I chuckled, belly-laughed, lol'd and generally had a good time. It was raunchy good fun.
Captain America
X-Men: First Class
Super 8 - Despite the ending
Horrible Bosses - (see Hall Pass; funny cast, Jennifer Aniston)
Rio - Good fun
The Guard
Kung Fu Panda 2
Source Code - good action thriller, yeah who knew?
Sucker Punch
Limitless - (see Source Code)

Want to See Dept.

Bridesmaid
Biutiful
Rango
Hangover 2
Paul

The Meh Dept.

Adjustment Bureau - (I love Emily Blunt, that's it)
Hanna - I wanted so much to love this movie
Green Hornet - Only 2 things interesting in this movie: The car and the guy who played Kato.
Lincoln Lawyer
Kill the Irishman
Bad Teacher - a disappointment!
Priest

Wait for the DVD and Then Not See It Dept.

Transformers: Dark Moon or Whatever
Sex & the City 2
The Dilemma

After the way 2010 ended I held out some hope for this year. Here are a handful that made moviegoing worthwhile.

2010 Gems Dept.

King's Speech
The Fighter
True Grit
Kids are Allright

Fair Game - Special Mention

What do you guys think? Create your own list. Tear mine apart. Whatever! Did I miss any? Talk about what made you happy, sad, pissed or kept you entertained. My fellow Browncoats, the floor is yours.

SGG

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Friday, August 19, 2011 5:03 AM

So far I can't think of any movies this year that have been worth going to the theater for.

Even the super hero blockbusters have been weak tea.

I didn't think Hall Pass was a very good comedy at all. None of it seemed even close to resembling reality. For me a comedy like that is only funny if it's like a window into things we don't normally talk about publicly just taken to the extreme.

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Friday, August 19, 2011 5:20 AM

Zeek - is there anything you like anymore? I can't remember the last time you said something positive.

Did you happen to see the most recent season final of South Park? A cautionary tale, my friend...

Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!

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Friday, August 19, 2011 5:27 AM

That wasn't a cautionary tale. They were hitting the nail on the head. Just look at the Adam Sandler movie preview where he plays his own twin sister. He's pretty much taking a dump in our eyes, ears and mouth.

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Friday, August 19, 2011 5:29 AM

For me, off the top of my head (which means I'll likely revise it as I think of other stuff):

Best:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Just really solid all the way around. I really appreciate a "popcorn movie" that doesn't require one to turn off their brain.

Captain America - A bit cheesy, and some dodgy FX near the end, but overall I loved it. It hit a lot of my personal geek buttons.

Super 8 - Just good ol' retro fun.

Limitless - A neat idea executed well.

Source Code - A fun thriller. Even knowing how it would resolve (read the script a year ago) I was kept in suspense. Oh, and I adore Michelle Monaghan.

Rango - Okay, I've only seen half, and then the DVD stopped working, but I really dug what I saw.

Hannah - A nice, simple art/action flick. Really liked it. Loved the single shot train station fight - excellent.

Hated:

Green Lantern - Hate might be a bit strong, but damn, what a wasted opprotunity.

Cowboys and Aliens - A movie built around a title someone thought was clever. It wasn't. Some good action, but the script logic was a joke.

Sucker Punch - Beautiful visuals, in the service of a moronic story.

Transformers 3 - I didn't actually see it, and I still feel confident including it here. I HATED the last one, and heard nothing to make me believe this one was much better.

Still a lot I have yet to see this year though.

Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!

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Friday, August 19, 2011 5:31 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:
That wasn't a cautionary tale. They were hitting the nail on the head. Just look at the Adam Sandler movie preview where he plays his own twin sister. He's pretty much taking a dump in our eyes, ears and mouth.

And I would hate that too.

But you're falling into the "cynical asshole" aspect they got into - hating EVERYTHING.

If you're just going to hate on everything... maybe there's a better way to spend your time.

Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!

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Friday, August 19, 2011 5:34 AM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.

Hey SGG, did you see Thor? I actually thoroughly enjoyed Thor. Granted my expectations weren't all that high, but it was way better than I expected. So was Captain America, for that matter, but maybe not to the same extent. I am super super stoked for Avengers now. More than I already was, I mean.

What reason had proved best ceased to look absurd to the eye, which shows how idle it is to think anything ridiculous except what is wrong.

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Friday, August 19, 2011 6:52 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
And I would hate that too.

But you're falling into the "cynical asshole" aspect they got into - hating EVERYTHING.

If you're just going to hate on everything... maybe there's a better way to spend your time.

I don't spend much time on movies. I can't think of too many I've seen this year. Thor, Captain America, Green Lantern, and Your Highness are all I can think of for in theaters. Rented Hall Pass and Sucker Punch. Beyond that I can't really think of much. I wouldn't say that's much time wasted.

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Friday, August 19, 2011 7:06 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:
Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
And I would hate that too.

But you're falling into the "cynical asshole" aspect they got into - hating EVERYTHING.

If you're just going to hate on everything... maybe there's a better way to spend your time.

I don't spend much time on movies. I can't think of too many I've seen this year. Thor, Captain America, Green Lantern, and Your Highness are all I can think of for in theaters. Rented Hall Pass and Sucker Punch. Beyond that I can't really think of much. I wouldn't say that's much time wasted.

I was referring to your posts here...

I don't like sports, by and large. Find them to be a waste of time. Thus, I don't waste time and energy going to sports-themed sites to complain about sports.

Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!

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Friday, August 19, 2011 7:24 AM

DREAMTROVE

If captain america was he winner, i'd hate to see what the losers look like.

I intend to see cowboys, hannah, apes.

Sucker punch was pretty weak. The worst so far was fast five, but i'll grant there were things i didn't see, lots of them.

The best was alice i think of the ones i've seen. Adjustment bureau was okay, except for the typical hollywood butchering of philip k dick, which seems to be a biennial event.

That's what a ship is, you know - it's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs.

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Friday, August 19, 2011 7:26 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
I was referring to your posts here...

I don't like sports, by and large. Find them to be a waste of time. Thus, I don't waste time and energy going to sports-themed sites to complain about sports.

I don't see that as a waste of time at all. If people are only discussing things they like there's no back and forth. What's the point?

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Friday, August 19, 2011 7:38 AM

You know something PhoenixRose, I did see Thor (for free) and it was ok. I thought that the Asgard part was well done and it had some overall good moments, but it didn't knock my socks off. I think they made a good choice in the casting for Thor though (I'm sure you agree - wink, wink). Hopkins was excellent as Odin (there are 2 actors I would pay to read the phone book - Hopkins and Denzel). I can't seem to quite put my finger as to why I felt so meh about Thor (he was one of my fav comic book heroes back when).

Thanks for reminding me.

SGG

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Friday, August 19, 2011 7:59 AM

Hey Zeek,

Even the super hero blockbusters have been weak tea.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I tend to agree with you, for the most part, regarding the weakness of most movies this year with the exception of The Tree of Life, which did manage to knock my socks off.

As to Hall Pass, yeah it was, what I call, Stupid Funny. But I look at it this way, some folks like Horror or Slasher movies. Not my cup of tea, although on ocassion I come across one that is well done and find it entertaining. Now that genre is truly based on unreal/extraodrinary elements, but I've enjoyed a handful in my lifetime (the original Fright Night comes to mind).

I remember once hearing Roger Ebert say to Gene Siskel that movies are made for different reasons; some to entertain and others to bring across a message, etc. Yes, it was silly and stupid, but I was entertained and laughing at the stupid shit they got into.

SGG

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Friday, August 19, 2011 8:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:
Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
I was referring to your posts here...

I don't like sports, by and large. Find them to be a waste of time. Thus, I don't waste time and energy going to sports-themed sites to complain about sports.

I don't see that as a waste of time at all. If people are only discussing things they like there's no back and forth. What's the point?

You're missing the point - I don't recall you ever liking anything (other than, one assumes, Firefly)... so there's still no back and forth. Just complaining.

Going back a bit, for the sake of back and forth...

Quote:
Even the super hero blockbusters have been weak tea.

Aren't they almost always? Just the nature of the genre? Superhero flicks are essentially the same story over and over, with different colored suits. Some are certainly higher quality than others, but I can't think of any that really do anything exceptional.

Arguably the biggest superhero flicks in recent years are Iron Man and Dark Knight - both of which I really enjoy, but Dark Knight is littered with plot holes and really poor logic, and Iron Man is about as paint-by-numbers as you can get, structurally.

"Everything sucks" isn't back and forth. It feels more like polite Trolling that engaging in conversation.

Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!

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Friday, August 19, 2011 8:14 AM

Hey Storymark,

I've heard good things about the new Apes movie. A co-worker raved about it and simply said "Go see it."

I was surprised somewhat by how good Source Code was. And yeah Michelle Monaghan, I want to have her babies ;-).
Same goes for Limitless: it was a pleasant surprise.

Sucker Punch - I was disappointed because I'm into Fantasy/Action/Adventure flicks, but only when their well done or
campy good fun (Sinbad sagas come to mind). Yep, beautiful visuals; a poorly told story, weekly directed. Still though there were elements that put a smile on my geek heart.

SGG

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Friday, August 19, 2011 8:36 AM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.

Quote:
Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:
I thought that the Asgard part was well done and it had some overall good moments, but it didn't knock my socks off.

It didn't knock my socks off, either, but I thought it was good. All the performances were at least solid, some were very good, the visuals were great (especially in Asgard) and the plot was standard superhero fare, but it didn't suck.

Quote:
I think they made a good choice in the casting for Thor though (I'm sure you agree - wink, wink).

Oh, he was certainly fun to look at. And listen to, for that matter. I won't deny that added to the film's appeal for me personally

What reason had proved best ceased to look absurd to the eye, which shows how idle it is to think anything ridiculous except what is wrong.

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Friday, August 19, 2011 8:44 AM

LILI

Doing it backwards. Walking up the downslide.

I don't see many films, though I did see X-men with a group of friends. I thought it was good. I also enjoyed Sucker Punch, but the concept was probably better than the execution. I avoided Green Hornet because I thought it looked bad. I avoided green Lantern because I thought it looked bad. I went to Captain America because I'd heard there was an exclusive Avengers trailer. It was an okay movie, but I was more excited about the trailer. I had faith in Joss, of course, but Avengers looks like it will be a lot of fun.

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:
Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
I was referring to your posts here...

I don't like sports, by and large. Find them to be a waste of time. Thus, I don't waste time and energy going to sports-themed sites to complain about sports.

I don't see that as a waste of time at all. If people are only discussing things they like there's no back and forth. What's the point?

You're missing the point - I don't recall you ever liking anything (other than, one assumes, Firefly)...

...I've never seen Zeek say anything all that positive about Firefly either, truth be told.

Zeek, you are a negative nancy. It's kind of unpleasant.

Facts are stubborn things.

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Friday, August 19, 2011 8:46 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:

Sucker Punch - I was disappointed because I'm into Fantasy/Action/Adventure flicks, but only when their well done or
campy good fun (Sinbad sagas come to mind). Yep, beautiful visuals; a poorly told story, weekly directed. Still though there were elements that put a smile on my geek heart.

I wanted to like it. And the visuals were often amazing. I described it to a friend as 5 of the most awesome music videos ever, wrapped around a 14 year old boy's version of female empowerment.

Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!

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Friday, August 19, 2011 8:48 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by LiLi:

...I've never seen Zeek say anything all that positive about Firefly either, truth be told.

Zeek, you are a negative nancy. It's kind of unpleasant.

Facts are stubborn things.

Me, either. But I figured... benefit of the doubt - he's here, so he probably likes it at least a bit.

Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!

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Friday, August 19, 2011 1:45 PM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

I haven't seen that many movies in the theater this year, although there are a few current ones I want to see, just not sure when or if I will actually do that. I'll list them at the end. As for what I have seen, I'll list them in order of preference and give a rating for them, five stars denoting as good as it gets.

The Tree of Life ****** - Yeah, I know that's six stars, but it deserves every one.
Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune ***** - great documentary on my favorite singer/songwriter.
Source Code ***1/2
Thor ***
Sucker Punch *** - liked it more the second time
Super 8 **
Adjustment Bureau **
Paul * - pains me to say it, since I love Pegg and Frost, but it just wasn't very funny

Late 2010
True Grit ****
The King's Speech ***
Black Swan ***

What I want to see, in descending order:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
X-Men First Class
Captain America
Cowboys and Aliens

Plus, I've already bought True Grit on Blu-Ray and the Phil Ochs film on DVD, and I will most definitely be picking up The Tree of Life Blu-Ray as soon as it is released. None of the others I've seen would be worth buying.

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Friday, August 19, 2011 5:43 PM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Quote:
Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:
Hey guys,
Is it me or is 2011 going out with a whimper? I'm just putting it out there.
Here are some of the movies I personally saw, want to see and "no, you couldn't pay me" categories (with a few special mentions). Also included some of the good ones from the end of 2010. Just so you know, some of these I paid and some I didn't (if you get my meaning).

Hey Shiny. Always good to get your opinion on the movies. I'll use your list as a benchmark with my opinions added.

Top of the World, Ma! Dept. (nice reference by the way :)

Tree of Life - Not seen it yet. Would like to but like a marathon I think I may have to go into training first.
Hall Pass - Hmmm. I can wait for this type of film to come to TV
Captain America - Yes. Refreshingly enjoyable as a good old fashioned blockbuster. Joe Johnston's best since Honey I shrank the Kids.
X-Men: 'Fraid I've given to much of my time to the X-men class of films and thus I avoided this.
Super 8 - Didn't mind the ending. Characters were excellent and I loved the film within a film. Reminded me of being 12 again!
Horrible Bosses - As with Hall pass.
Rio - Didn't have my nephew to take. But love the artwork I've seen from the artists involved.
The Guard - Yes. I want to see this. Looks typically gritty.
Kung Fu Panda 2 - As with Rio.
Source Code - Yeah was good. The science is messed up and I tried to understand the concept but I gave up and just enjoyed the Hijinx.
Sucker Punch - Missed this. I do wonder though if I have the ability to enjoy more than one Zack Snyder film though?
Limitless - Not seen it....

Want to See Dept.

Bridesmaid - OK I saw this and while it was interesting to see this type of flick from the woman's point of view, it really isn't worth seeing in the cinema. My girlfriend loved it though.
Biutiful - I know nothing about it?
Rango - Again would like to see this. Artwork looks original.
Hangover 2 - Seriously it's exactly like the first one but in Thailand.
Paul - Always like Simon Pegg. So looking forward to seeing this.
Senna -. Being a huge F1 one fan I want to see this. I have a feeling it'll be extremely kind of the man, the driver, the legend that was Senna, but I'm hoping they'll explore his ruthless naturea as a racer too.

The Meh Dept.

Adjustment Bureau - I actually enjoyed this. The bit with the doors shifting was a cool idea and yes Miss Blunt is extremely easy on the eyes.
Hanna - Wha?
Green Hornet - This has been previewed all year in the cinema's here and I'm tired of it. The design of it looks abysmal! There's a guy with a Pink face and a green suit!!!
Lincoln Lawyer - No idea?
Kill the Irishman - As Above
Bad Teacher - I was hoping it would be similar to Bad Santa?
Priest - I actually like the look of this. But I concede it looks ropey.

Wait for the DVD and Then Not See It Dept.

Transformers: Dark Moon or Whatever. Didn't see the second one and wasn't bothered by the this one but my girlfriends cousin's husband took me to see it. Noisy, confussing and mindless.
Sex & the City 2 - No thanks.
The Dilemma - Not for me.

After the way 2010 ended I held out some hope for this year. Here are a handful that made moviegoing worthwhile.

2010 Gems Dept.

King's Speech - Yes. Awesome film
The Fighter - Can't take Bale anymore, unless wrapped up in a Batsuit.
True Grit - Dang I missed it. So wanted to catth this to.
Kids are Allright - Not heard of this.

Thereafter I would also agree with the kind of year 2011 is regarding films, but I think this has been a pattern for some time. I personally attribute it to me just getting older and my sensibilities changing. I'm just not as engaged with films as I used to be.

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Saturday, August 20, 2011 12:43 AM

LWAVES

I'm reasonably happy with the year so far, a couple of mild surprises amidst the good stuff, the by-the-books stuff and the poor.
Using the previous lists as a base.

First Class Entertainment

Super 8 - A monster movie that's not about the monster. I really like it. Deliberately reminded me of Spielbergs heyday which is a good thing.

Paul - Excellent movie. Worth watching again and again to spot the multiple references to other movies. This doesn't detract from the actual film though but at times it could have been a bit funnier. Pegg and Frost are instantly likeable as always.

Rango - Finally an animation for adults (and not in a sex kind of way). Multiple references to westerns and stunning animation with a top notch voice cast.

Hanna - Nothing particularly special in the plot dept but the cast more than make up for it. Very enjoyable with enough action.

Source Code - Enjoyable hokum if you don't think about it too much. Not as good as Moon but better than most other similar films.

A Lot Better Than What I Expected Section

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes - Really didn't think this would be much of a film but the apes certainly did rise and stole the show from the humans. Excellent CGI and facial expressions. I'm actually looking forward to a sequel.

X-Men: First Class - After the poor X-Men 3 this was really good. Nicely cast with a decent enough plot. If it was guilty of anything it was cramming too much back story in.

The Nicely Entertaining Division

Thor + Captain America - Worthy additions to the Marvel/Avengers stable. Both entertaining although neither really broke the mold but what they did they did well.

Horrible Bosses - It was nothing special but seeing the bosses at work made it worth it. Kevin Spacey did remind me a lot of Swimming With Sharks but that's not a bad thing. If you want to see a truly horrible boss then see that film.

Sucker Punch - Was expecting it to be all about the visuals but there is a plot there (especially in the extended version). Deeper than it looks but not as deep as some fans suggest. It is mainly about the visuals though and they are great.

The Meh Dept

The Adjustment Bureau - Okay with some nice ideas and decent enough acting but far too predictable.

Limitless - Nothing particularly wrong with it but it just didn't seem to have any spark to it to make it stand out.

The Not Very Good To Really Bad Collection

The Green Hornet - Didn't know a great deal about the original but the acting in this was poor and the jokes weren't funny. Very disappointing.

The Green Lantern - Okay I haven't actually seen this but the trailers looked so bad and the reviews from non-fanboys didn't inspire me. May fit into the next category down.

Your Highness - The two reasons I started to watch this were because I was hoping for something like The Princess Bride and it had Natalie Portman in it. After about 20 mins it obviously wasn't going to be anything like TPB and even Miss Portman couldn't make me watch any further into this sad little film.

The Never Want To See And Hopefully Never Will See Selection

Hall Pass - I'm just not a fan of this type of comedy . Each to their own but this type of film just screams 'dumb'.

Hangover 2 - See Hall Pass above. In fact any dumb comedy can fit in here like Zookeeper, Adam Sandler movies etc.

Transformers 3 - I know this has it's fanboys but can they really think it's the best film ever? Sad, delusional people .

Sex And The City 2 - Four hags and hopefully a funeral.

"The greatest invention ever is not the wheel. It's the second wheel." - Rich Hall

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Saturday, August 20, 2011 3:33 AM

GWEK

My 2-year-old prevents us from getting to the theater as often as we used to, and when we do, it's usually comedies. Still, I try to see most other stuff when it it's DVD. So far:

TOP MOVIES

CAPTAIN AMERICA - a good, "classic" action movie. Nice basic story, hearkening back to an earlier age. Between this one and SUPER 8, I felt like I was 12 years old again this summer.

HORRIBLE BOSSES - definitely a "guy" comedy, this one is what I wanted HALL PASS to be (such a great cast on that one, so squandered). This was better scripted than BRIDESMAIDS and BAD TEACHER, and more orginal than HANGOVER 2, all of which I enjoyed, just not as much.

FAST FIVE - Some folk will hate this movie, but it's total over-the-top popcorn fun. Probably the best "bad movie" since ARMAGEDDON. I actually saw this was on the theater alone one afternoon when my wife and daughter were at a play-date, and the final car chase alone is worth the price of admission. It's like nothing I've ever seen before (and I see 5-10 movies a week).

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

SUCKER PUNCH - Not saying it's the worse movie of the year (also not saying it's NOT), but it was the biggest flub I've seen so far.

www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."

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Monday, August 22, 2011 5:24 AM

Why have two people put Sex and the City 2?

It came out last year, folks....

Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!

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Monday, August 22, 2011 5:32 AM

STEGASAURUS

We actually got a babysitter for our two year old for the first time in.... well... a LONG time. So I convinced my wife to go see RotPotA with me. She's not one for SciFi at all. She's actually NEVER seen any of the original PotA movies (I REALLY gotta fix that!) so she didn't catch any of the references (not even the Charlie Heston one - sadface). BUT, she absolutely LOVED this movie. I enjoyed it so much, I may sneak back to go see it again. I got chills at the two appropriate Caesar moments in the movie (even though you kinda knew the second one was coming). I HIGHLY recommend going to see this one. It was a must-see movie for me this year.

-Steg

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Monday, August 22, 2011 8:30 AM

Not one movie I've really wanted to see this year. I think the film industry is at an all time low. Comicbook characters, sequels, remakes, video game characters and 'lads' comedies. Tintin is the only film I'm looking forward to this year and that's because I still trust Speilberg to deliver some quality.

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Monday, August 22, 2011 9:59 AM

You realize that's a ....*gasP*.... comic book adaptation, right?

You sound like Zeek.

Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!

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Monday, August 22, 2011 11:05 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
You sound like Zeek.

Nothing wrong with someone else having good taste.

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Monday, August 22, 2011 11:15 AM

Lol yes.... I was also going to add that I'm looking forward to Judge Dredd next year- but stopped myself....

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Monday, August 22, 2011 2:25 PM

Hi "Sleepy"

Glad to hear from you too. What's up partner!? Here are some additional comments:

Tree of Life - just go into it with an open mind and let it wash over you, it'll help you survive.

Hall Pass/Horrible Bosses - guilty pleasure, mindless fun. Sometimes it's just good to lol.

Capt. America - You're right!

X-Men 1st Class - give it a chance; very different from the Bryan Singer movies. The standouts were Michael Fassbender as Magneto (riveting), James McAvoy as Professor X, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique and January Jones as Emma Frost. There were some minor flaws (like Kevin Bacon's cheesy over-the-top villian) but it was actually a not horrible prequel.

Super 8 - Characters were excellent and I loved the film within a film. Reminded me of being 12 again! Agreed.

Rio/Kung Fu Panda - entertaining for the kiddies, adults are not bored to tears.

Limitless/Source Code - suspend your belief and just go with it, better than most of the crap that's out there.

The Guard - a skewed take on the fish-out-of-water/cop buddy movie. I know you'll like it.

Sucker Punch - I was too hyped for this movie, slightly disappointed, but, to be fair, I'm a total geek for sci-fi/fantasy/adventure genre especially with girls kicking butt (big fan of Ghost in the Shell, Seikerei, Serenity).

End of Part 1 (gotta go to work)

SGG

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Monday, August 22, 2011 2:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:
Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
You sound like Zeek.

Nothing wrong with someone else having good taste.

Liking nothing demonstrates just as much taste as liking everything - it's just a lot less fun.

Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!

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Monday, August 22, 2011 6:33 PM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht

No one has mentioned Pirates 4 yet, I liked it, way better than no. 3 and a reasonable amount better than no. 2, they got into a weird tangent there, but are back on their feet with 4. I also liked X Men, even though it didn't have Patrick Stewart in it, :(, the problem is that there's a huge empty space between it and the first one, one wonders how Prof X spent all that time, I guess just running his school, but that's hard to believe, you'd think the others would want him around to help battle badguys, plus there has been no change regarding mutants between the end of the new one and the beginning of the first one, you'd think more would have happened in 40 years if there are already that many mutants running around. Oh well.

As for Zeke, I find his realistic outlook refreshing, I think he's a critical thinker, I guess that sort of thing isn't appreciated these days.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

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Monday, August 22, 2011 8:58 PM

I have to say, that although I enjoyed Mr Depps performance, I didn't like the first Pirates film enough to watch any if the others. Way too much cgi. I would have much preferred to have seen Depp do an old style pirate movie that didn't require cgi and the modern obsession with things having to explode to be 'spectacular'

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Monday, August 22, 2011 9:54 PM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Quote:
Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:
Hi "Sleepy"

Glad to hear from you too. What's up partner!? Here are some additional comments:

Tree of Life - just go into it with an open mind and let it wash over you, it'll help you survive.

Hall Pass/Horrible Bosses - guilty pleasure, mindless fun. Sometimes it's just good to lol.

Capt. America - You're right!

X-Men 1st Class - give it a chance; very different from the Bryan Singer movies. The standouts were Michael Fassbender as Magneto (riveting), James McAvoy as Professor X, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique and January Jones as Emma Frost. There were some minor flaws (like Kevin Bacon's cheesy over-the-top villian) but it was actually a not horrible prequel.

Super 8 - Characters were excellent and I loved the film within a film. Reminded me of being 12 again! Agreed.

Rio/Kung Fu Panda - entertaining for the kiddies, adults are not bored to tears.

Limitless/Source Code - suspend your belief and just go with it, better than most of the crap that's out there.

The Guard - a skewed take on the fish-out-of-water/cop buddy movie. I know you'll like it.

Sucker Punch - I was too hyped for this movie, slightly disappointed, but, to be fair, I'm a total geek for sci-fi/fantasy/adventure genre especially with girls kicking butt (big fan of Ghost in the Shell, Seikerei, Serenity).

End of Part 1 (gotta go to work)

SGG

Yep. Doing good thanks. you?

In reference to Sucker Punch. I have a feeling I'll enjoy this from a technical point of view, and perhaps that may have me watch it. But I'm not sure I'm into the narrative style of Snyder.

X-men. Hmm this is a tough one.... However if you're recommending it then OK I'll give it a whirl. I did like the idea of going back to the 60's and utilising history - so OK.

The Guard. OK now I'm really into seeing this. Thanks.

Oh and as Lwaves pointed out. THOR. Did you see it? I forgot about this I must admit, but I did like it. Took a tricky mythology and kept it coherent.

Look forward to part two.
Cheers

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Tuesday, August 23, 2011 6:27 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by RionaEire:

...I think he's a critical thinker, I guess that sort of thing isn't appreciated these days.

How is "everything sucks" critical thinking? It's critical, sure, but the second part....

As I said, liking noting is the same as liking everything - it requires no effort or deeper analysis either way. It's lazy. It's binary BS to default everything to one of two categories.

Fanboys who love everything are annoying, and so are cynical jerks who hate everything.

Real discourse, and critical thinking, is found in between the two extremes. Just about everyone in this thread but Zeek has been applying critical thinking - as, if you look, the others actually view a variety of films, and critique them on a number of different levels.

The one person you applaud for critical thinking has offered nothing but "movies suck, they're a waste of time". Kinda funny, that.

And to be clear - Im not trying to beat up on Zeek. I would just like to hear a more nuanced critique from him.

"Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!"

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Tuesday, August 23, 2011 8:56 AM

You probably need to read then. Go back and look at what I said about Iron Man and The Dark Knight. The only one saying all movies suck is you. Of course you're somehow attributing it to me, but I've never said that. I just said nothing has been worth going to the theater for this year.

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Tuesday, August 23, 2011 9:52 AM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:
I just said nothing has been worth going to the theater for this year.

The only one that would make me disagree with that statement is The Tree of Life. I've seen it three times, and would have paid triple the ticket price if I had to, it's that good. All the others could have waited for the DVD.

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Tuesday, August 23, 2011 10:52 AM

'nothing worth going to the theatre for' is how I feel too. I may well see some if this years films on DVD later but I'm not interested enough in whats on offer to pay more than the DVD price to drag me and the family into the cinema.

Last film I was actually excited to go see was the last Indiana Jones film - and we all know how that turned out!

Now, Im excited about the Hobbit films and the new Judge Dredd film - and Tintin... That's because I love the source material. When the source material is Marvel / DC comics, kids toys from the 80s-90s, crap 80s tv shows, etc- frankly I don't care!

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Tuesday, August 23, 2011 12:01 PM

OPPYH

Has anyone seen:

The Myth of the American Sleepover

or

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

2 of the best that I have seen in the past few years actually.

----------------------------------------------------------------

70's TV FOREVER

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Tuesday, August 23, 2011 1:02 PM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht

I just like Zeke's critical viewpoint on whether Firefly will be made into more shows, and how he, aside from myself, is the only one to whom it has occurred that the whole thing could get topsy turvy if new stuff comes out about our BDHs that is crapola. That has earned him respect in my book, that he considers something besides sunshine and rainbows. Just sayin.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

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Thursday, August 25, 2011 2:12 PM

That was somewhat my point, the year has been mediocre at best. With the economy such as it is, Hollywood doesn't want to take a chance on losing money (hell, when is that not true), but it is more evident than ever in the releases this year - with few exceptions.

Here is one strange one that comes to mind: Cowboys and Aliens - I was surprised somewhat at this venture. Hollywood rolled the dice (although they were partially loaded) when they chose to greenlight this movie. Ok, they had a director with a couple of hits on his hands (Iron Man 1 & 2) and thought, "why not?" "He knows this territory" "He's on a hot streak" sci-fi, Harrison Ford - Let's go for it.

XXX - (insert buzzer sound FX here).

You're probably right about Spielberg's Tin Tin.

Although the rest of the landscape is somewhat questionable, the Twilight Saga notwithstanding.

SGG

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Thursday, August 25, 2011 2:21 PM

I want to give you a BIG thanks Oppyh, for posting The Myth of the American Sleepover. That looks really good. I will put it on my list and reserve comment for after.

Thanks again.

Here I'll return the favor: The Kids Are Allright. Solid movie with solid perfs by everyone. I will not say more than that.

SGG

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Thursday, August 25, 2011 3:17 PM

Hey there Sleepy,

I wanted to finish up where I left off in Part 1.

Here's Part 2:

Biutiful - it's with Javier Bardem, whom I happen to like and that's all I know. I have some time for the next 2 weeks (work is slow and nothing of interest in the movies or TV) so I will try and catch it. I will let you know by posting here in Cinema.

Green Hornet - I agree with your take. I was not happy that Seth Rogan was chosen to do this, but I thought Jay Chou as Kato was perfect. The script was horrible and Rogan was horrible, he should stick to comedy (oh that was a comic take on the character). It was so wrong.

Adjustment Bureau - I liked elements of it (the doors was one), Emily Blunt (sigh!), and a couple of the character actors; but overall I wasn't loving it. Just ok, I guess.

Lincoln Lawyer - Matthew McConaghy, murder-suspense?, court room, attorney action - sort of. It didn't work for me.

Kill the Irishman - interesting title, took a chance; poor man's Goodfellas mob story. Meh.

Bad Teacher - Cameron Diaz played it raunchy, but didn't go far enough, neither did the film. They underutilized the hilarious Jason Segal. He was the love interest? Enough said.

Notice I've said nothing of Paul and Hangover 2. I'm waiting to catch it sometime to see what I think.

Preist - I had a bad copy of this, so here it goes: It was more style than substance for me. Some of the action sequences were well done, it felt somewhat like a spagetti western at times (not necessarily a bad thing). Paul Bethany was good. (Ropey!?)

Son of Best of 2010:

The Fighter - I resisted this film at first. A friend, who's into boxing, said he liked it but it surprizingly didn't have a bunch of boxing scenes in it. Bale was solid, and Amy Adams (Yum!) surprised me. Good solid cast, good solid movie. Based on a true story. But you're right about the Batman - I'm totally stoked about TDKR.

The Kids Are Allright - Is a small indy film. Good, solid acting, realistic without being boring. It was nominated for some Oscars (these days I don't know if thats good or bad). But there you have it.

True Grit - 2 words; Jeff Bridges.

END

"Thereafter I would also agree with the kind of year 2011 is regarding films, but I think this has been a pattern for some time. I personally attribute it to me just getting older and my sensibilities changing. I'm just not as engaged with films as I used to be."

I get your meaning. I too think that way from time to time, and then a film like Tree of Life comes along and restores my faith in the magic of movies. The word filmmaker and artist are flung about too easily in more recent times, Terence Malick earns that distinction and then some. Kubrick, Speilberg and Scorcese - even Eastwood; they are in rareified air.

SGG

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Friday, August 26, 2011 9:56 AM

OPPYH

Quote:
Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:
I want to give you a BIG thanks Oppyh, for posting The Myth of the American Sleepover. That looks really good. I will put it on my list and reserve comment for after.

Thanks again.

Sure. It has a lot of heart.

Strangely enough both films I mentioned are available through my cable provider(XINFINITY ON DEMAND in the 'Same Day as Theaters' category) for only $6.99! That is actually cheaper than going out to the movies. But there is a small theater in my town that plays foreign/independent features. I try to support them as much as possible.

----------------------------------------------------------------

70's TV FOREVER

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Friday, August 26, 2011 11:21 AM

DMI

Expired, forgotten, spoiled rotten.

Quote:
Originally posted by PhoenixRose:
Quote:
Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:
I thought that the Asgard part was well done and it had some overall good moments, but it didn't knock my socks off.

It didn't knock my socks off, either, but I thought it was good. All the performances were at least solid, some were very good, the visuals were great (especially in Asgard) and the plot was standard superhero fare, but it didn't suck.

I had about the same response. Didn't blow me away but I had a good time watching it. Curious: Am I the only one who thought of Mario Kart and Rainbow Road every time they showed that stupid bridge?

Can't believe no one else has mentioned Win Win but I guess few people could see it. Definitely worth it. It is not a sports movie!

And Zeek, don't let 'em bring you down man. What some people call cynical, others call having standards. Super 8 = lame. The only way that movie could have been worth seeing is if it had a surprise ending where it turned out to be a prequel to Cloverfield.

-----------------------------
I pray for one last landing,
on the globe that gave me birth.
Let me rest my eyes on the fleecy skies
and the cool, green hills of Earth.

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Friday, August 26, 2011 1:02 PM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.

Quote:
Originally posted by DMI:
Am I the only one who thought of Mario Kart and Rainbow Road every time they showed that stupid bridge?

No.

(PR *hearts* MarioKart)

What reason had proved best ceased to look absurd to the eye, which shows how idle it is to think anything ridiculous except what is wrong.

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Friday, August 26, 2011 6:18 PM

"But there is a small theater in my town that plays foreign/independent features. I try to support them as much as possible."

-------------------------------------------------

Good for you dude.

BTW thanks for the tip about Myth/Sleepover. I just checked my cable (I have Time Warner)there it is $6.99.

SGG

Tawabawho?

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Friday, August 26, 2011 6:25 PM