been watching old Beavis & Butthead eps on youtube

"Generation Kill" (2008) S01E01-07

War. Actually, well done. I did not like this series until E03, when 'familiarity' set in. Its the contrast between art and reality. In a previous life, I spent a lot of time around sailors, airmen, soldiers, and marines. This film is very realistic from what I've been told first-hand and otherwise read. However, I think the story may still be ill told. Now, I must read the book.

I recommend this film. Its not for the faint of heart. It fails in some ways, but succeeds in other. However, it does give insight into the military culture within US society.

Filming was well done. Props were also excellent. I believe I only saw one technical gaff (UH-1 usage). Excellent wound make-up and fake blood.

This is a 'man's film'. That is there are no female characters, except as extras. This is odd in modern films. (It was very common in early films.) Skarsgård is good. So is Tergesen. Watch this cast for some future stars.

"Sanctuary" (2007) S01E01-E08

Skiffy. Annoying short episodes. I'm not sure what Season II can bring?

Filming is cable premium. Fake blood and wounds are good. However, trauma seems to have a minimal effect on the main characters. CGI is lavish in places, but the the background artistry is appallingly bad.

Cast is adequate. Tapping is interesting enough as a Brit playing a Brit. Dunne is a poge. Ullerup needs to get naked and do the Zimmerman character.

Death Race (2008)

Skiffy. Re-make of Death Race 2000 (1975). More of the same, vehicular carnage abetted by heavy weaponry. No T&A. An American wet-dream.

Filming was Hollywood premium. Blood was good quality, wounding was absent.

Stratham has very few characters he can play, like one. Allen should be in more films, although she's old enough to be my mother. McShane is a fine actor. He came to my attention in "Deadwood" (2004). He's head and shoulders above anyone else in the cast. Martinez is just non-T&A.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
very cute, sweet like a handful of gummy worms. Kat Denning (Norah) has the potential to be the next Scarlett, if you've seen The Perfect Score you'll understand my comparison.
or maybe she's the next Molly Ringwald, as the last movie i saw her in was Charlie Barlett.
sort of the John Hughes genre of teen movies for the Millenium Generation.
maybe.
or maybe it was just a cute, sugary, teen rom-com set one night in New York City where the main characters roam the streets in a way that reminded me of the first day Minobot was together in Vancouver, in the quest to find the Sylvia Hotel.
either way, i enjoyed it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GreenRobot,

quote:

Originally posted by Black Jacque:I believe I only saw one technical gaff (UH-1 usage).

You know that's because there're no civilian operators of any of the Black Hawk series, right?

The only way Black Hawk Down got away with it was because the Pentagon thought it would be a positive movie about the US military and leant Ridley some choppers (note: I actually think that BHD was improved by the fact that the Pentagon was involved. God knows what it would've turned out like if Bruckheimer was left to his own devices. They probably would've ended up doing the mission Porsche Boxsters or something, all of which explode spectacularly as if they're made from ammonium nitrate and diesel.)

Burn After Reading - OK, this one was a bit weird. Well, it's Coen Bro's, so that's to be expected but still, I see what some critics are talking about when they say that it's hard to find someone to care about in the film.

In the end, I liked it quite a bit but it is going to be down to personal taste on this one, so your mileage may vary. I will say that due to some rather unexpected (to me) plot twists in the second half, the film turns in a darker direction than it originally started off in.

Pepe le Moko - A good old film of desperate characters. Getting into the Casbah is easy.

oh yeah... EDIT:
Total Recall 2070 - watched the pilot episode on Hulu. Count the number of overt references to Blade Runner...homicidal service androids seeking answers from their creator; musical score a little too close to the Vangelis compositions; the city streets, markets, and sounds; a rooftop confrontation. I was a little annoyed but I liked it anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by lithos:
You know that's because there're no civilian operators of any of the Black Hawk series, right?

I don't think there are any civilian operators of the M1A1 Abrams either?

Castle In the Sky - Another wonderful Miyazaki film. I'm gradually working my way through all the ones I never saw.

Masters of Horror: Cigarette Burns



THE SHIELD S07E05 - lovin the last season!

quote:

Originally posted by lithos:

quote:

Originally posted by Black Jacque:I believe I only saw one technical gaff (UH-1 usage).

You know that's because there're no civilian operators of any of the Black Hawk series, right?

They are rare. I know I have seen them. Wiki says Blackwater and few other companies have a them. Not companies likely to lease them out to a film crew though. For a character driven drama like GK though I don't think it is worth the trouble to worry about.

quote:

For a character driven drama like GK though I don't think it is worth the trouble to worry about.

Geez edit, fire-up the wiki again. GK was a Road Movie.

That is my kind of road trip, the kind with automatic grenade launchers!

Lucky You (2007)

Eric Bana and Robert Duvall do there best with this Curtis Hansen script about a father and son gambler in Vegas. Drew Barrymore was horribly miscast though. Her breathless innocence routine looks stupid against Bana's intense addiction to gambling.

The Departed again, I haven't sen it since it came out in theaters.

I have a new appreciation for Vera Farmiga the shrink. Something about her tense relationship with both men is fascinating. She is living with one man but drawn to the other even though it will do nothing but fuck things up for her and she knows it.

I can't watch that film enough. I think I have viewed it seven times.

S.W.A.T. - I always had a curiosity about this film and now I've finally satisfied it. Mostly a stupid buddy-action film, but with occasional moments that rise above that. Not many, but they are there.

quote:

Originally posted by Black Jacque:
Death Race (2008)

Skiffy. Re-make of Death Race 2000 (1975). More of the same, vehicular carnage abetted by heavy weaponry. No T&A. An American wet-dream.

Filming was Hollywood premium. Blood was good quality, wounding was absent.

Stratham has very few characters he can play, like one. Allen should be in more films, although she's old enough to be my mother. McShane is a fine actor. He came to my attention in "Deadwood" (2004). He's head and shoulders above anyone else in the cast. Martinez is just non-T&A.

Hah, they filmed that near where my parents live. My mom kept complaining that she was woken in the middle of the night by machinegun fire and explosions.

Still haven't seen it.

I only watched SWAT because I watched the show when I was a kid with Robert Urich.

The movie was a pile of stink but that is what I expected.

Death Race huh... Joan Allen? Nice.

quote:

Originally posted by editengine:
Posted August 10, 2007
I saw the latest Bourne flick this week.

I thought it was a lot of fun but I am a sucker for the spy/action genre.

They tried to replace Franka Potente with Julia Stiles as a love interest but it didn't really work for me.

Joan Allen is still hot though!

Babylon AD last night - enjoyed it. Nice and unpolished, I felt. Anyone else think parkour in action movies will look dated in a few years, though?

On Death Race, I think it's interesting sociologically speaking. 'Death Race 2000' was about taking out citizens on the streets. 'Death Race' is crim vs. crim. Much less transgressive, and playing into the psychosis that crims are disposable people.