Brook K

Added In America - at times painfully emotional, at times magical and heartwarming but at others is surprisingly flat and could have used stronger and more judicious editing. I enjoyed it, and shed a tear or two, but it falls short of being a movie I can completely embrace. B+

Next Up: Barbarian Invasions, Morvern Callar, and perhaps someday, ROTK.

Yes, Captain Hammer's here, hair blowing in the breeze. The day needs my saving expertise! - Captain Hammer, Corporate Tool

2002 Sight & Sound Challenge: 314 Last Watched: An Autumn Afternoon

Last 10 Films Watched:
Mon Oncle Antoine - B / Late Autumn - A-
Paranoid Park - B / An Autumn Afternoon - A
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - B / Run, Fatboy, Run - B
Get Smart - C- / Rendition - B-
Springtime in a Small Town - B+ / Evan Almighty - C

DVD BEAVER My Collection

Brook K

American Wedding - Aside from the opening scene and the 4-5m of quality Eugene Levy humor, this was a complete waste of my time. I regreted the very energy wasted on my finger clicking the mouse to add this to my Netflix queue. I began to question why I even watch movies as my lifeforce continued to slowly ebb away as the seconds ever so slowly clicked off the runtime counter. Da Vinci probably invented tanks or flying machines, Mozart probably composed concertos in the time I spent watching American Wedding. And did I mention this director couldn't shoot a scene with John Ford standing on his neck and it looks as if it was lit by a guy who won a contest?D

The Barbarian Invasions is one of the finest films of the year. A tribute to the cycle of life and parenthood, it is funny, intelligent, and emotional. It is both the story of a man dying from cancer coming to terms with his life, finding value in it and reconciling with family and friends. And it is also the story of a son learning the value of relationships over career ambitions and learning to care for his father, maybe in a way his father was never quite able to care for him. And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love...you make A

Next up: I Capture The Castle and hopefully something in theaters

Yes, Captain Hammer's here, hair blowing in the breeze. The day needs my saving expertise! - Captain Hammer, Corporate Tool

2002 Sight & Sound Challenge: 314 Last Watched: An Autumn Afternoon

Last 10 Films Watched:
Mon Oncle Antoine - B / Late Autumn - A-
Paranoid Park - B / An Autumn Afternoon - A
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - B / Run, Fatboy, Run - B
Get Smart - C- / Rendition - B-
Springtime in a Small Town - B+ / Evan Almighty - C

DVD BEAVER My Collection

SteveGon

No you're not. :b

BTW, I Capture the Capture is a fine movie with a terrific performance by Romola Garai - I look forward to seeing her again (just not in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights).

Recently viewed films:

Onechanbara **
Night of the Living Jews **
White Heat ****
Dead Set ***
Working Stiffs ***

Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Edwin Pereyra

Jim Sheridan's In America


At Bat: Big Fish

~Edwin

DVD Unwind: Paradise Now (Coming) • King Kong - - • Keane • The Squid And The Whale • A History Of Violence • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire • The Best Of Youth (Italy) • Good Night And Good Luck • Howl\'s Moving Castle • Walk The Line - - • Zathura • North Country - -


= Standouts
= Recommended
- - = Indifferent


Quality matters more than quantity.

Film Lists: 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 • Best Films of 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001 • Foreign & Independent Films: 2005, 2004, 2003

Edwin Pereyra

Tim Burton's Big Fish


At Bat: Mondays In The Sun

~Edwin

DVD Unwind: Paradise Now (Coming) • King Kong - - • Keane • The Squid And The Whale • A History Of Violence • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire • The Best Of Youth (Italy) • Good Night And Good Luck • Howl\'s Moving Castle • Walk The Line - - • Zathura • North Country - -


= Standouts
= Recommended
- - = Indifferent


Quality matters more than quantity.

Film Lists: 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 • Best Films of 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001 • Foreign & Independent Films: 2005, 2004, 2003

Mark Palermo

Ordered list of 2003 films seen:

A ratings

1) In America
2) Lilya 4-Ever
3) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
4) Finding Nemo
5) Elephant

A- ratings

6) City of God
7) Together
8) American Splendor
9) Lost In Translation
10) Capturing the Friedmans
11) Winged Migration

B+ ratings

12) Big Fish
13) Kill Bill - Volume 1
14) Intolerable Cruelty
15) Tupac: Resurrection
16) The Animatrix
17) Looney Tunes: Back in Action
18) Standing in the Shadows of Motown
19) The Matrix Reloaded
20) The Hunted
21) Stuck On You

B ratings

22) Spellbound
23) Peter Pan
24) Better Luck Tomorrow
25) Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
26) The Station Agent
27) The Matrix Revolutions
28) Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
29) Wrong Turn
30) Matchstick Men
31) Open Range
32) Once Upon a Time in Mexico
33) Dark Blue
34) Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
35) House of Sand and Fog
36) 21 Grams
37) Brother Bear
38) 28 Days Later
39) All the Real Girls
40) Blue Car
41) The Missing
42) Out of Time
43) Holes
44) Lost in La Mancha
45) Anything Else

B- ratings

46) Bend It Like Beckham
47) The Barbarian Invasions
48) Gigli
49) Jeepers Creepers 2
50) The Good Thief
51) Whale Rider
52) Elf
53) Cold Mountain
54) Russian Ark
55) Millennium Actress
56) Ghosts of the Abyss
57) Freddy Vs. Jason
58) The Human Stain
59) Luck
60) Dirty Pretty Things
61) The Rundown
62) Old School
63) Cradle 2 the Grave
64) Narc
65) The Event
66) House of 1000 Corpses
67) The Young Black Stallion
68) It Runs In the Family

C+ ratings

69) The Last Samurai
70) The Magdalene Sisters
71) Mystic River
72) X2: X-Men United
73) Seabiscuit
74) Monster
75) Willard
76) A Mighty Wind
77) Cowboy Bebop The Movie
78) Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
79) School of Rock
80) Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
81) Irreversible
82) Swimming Pool
83) Gothika
84) Bad Santa
85) The Real Cancun
86) Hollywood Homicide
87) May
88) Marion Bridge
89) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
90) Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
91) Cheaper By the Dozen
92) Phone Booth
93) Something’s Gotta Give
94) Alex and Emma

C ratings

95) The Statement
96) Daredevil
97) The Italian Job
98) American Wedding
99) Laurel Canyon
100) Love Don’t Cost a Thing
101) Pure
102) Thirteen
103) Hulk
104) SWAT
105) Shanghai Knights
106) Dreamcatcher
107) Basic
108) The Shape of Things
109) Cabin Fever
110) Down With Love
111) How to Deal
112) Bruce Almighty
113) Sylvia
114) The Recruit
115) Johnny English
116) Beyond Borders
117) Scary Movie 3
118) In the Cut
119) Foolproof
120) Timeline
121) The Medallion
122) The Order
123) Malibu’s Most Wanted
124) The Core
125) A Guy Thing
126) Darkness Falls

C- ratings

127) Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star
128) Identity
129) Paycheck
130) Love Actually
131) Underworld
132) Spliced
133) The Haunted Mansion
134) Bringing Down the House
135) The Jungle Book 2

D+ ratings

136) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
137) The Life of David Gale
138) Pray for Rock ‘N’ Roll
139) The Cat in the Hat
140) 2 Fast 2 Furious
141) A Man Apart
142) Boat Trip

D ratings

143) Daddy Day Care
144) Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle
145) Honey
146) House of the Dead

D- ratings

147) Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde
148) Final Destination 2
149) Spun
150) My Boss’s Daughter

F ratings

151) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
152) Bad Boys II

My art imitates crime.

Brook K

Finally saw Return of the King and have to say it was a bit of a let down. Jackson gets some things so perfectly right (Faramir, Eowyn, Ride of the Rohirrim, humans bowing before the hobbits) but at other times he doesn't (I know why, but it wouldn't hurt to explain why Denethor is a callous, murderous, sloppy-eating, savage and other things that I would have to spoiler tag and don't feel like doing so)and, while maybe its expecting too much, its frustrating when certain scenes don't come off as well as they should. I also didn't care for some of the cuts and again after watching the improvements the Extended Version makes in The Two Towers, its irksome to know that a better version of this movie exists that we aren't allowed to see yet because of business considerations. A- (maybe too high, but when this movie is right, its REALLY right)

Two Towers Extended Cut: Still doesn't make up for the two terrible additions (Aragorn's fake death, Frodo revealing the ring to a Nazgul) but the Faramir scenes alone are a big improvement. A-

Fellowship Extended Cut is my favorite of the 3 by a pretty wide margin.

Next Up: I Capture The Castle

Yes, Captain Hammer's here, hair blowing in the breeze. The day needs my saving expertise! - Captain Hammer, Corporate Tool

2002 Sight & Sound Challenge: 314 Last Watched: An Autumn Afternoon

Last 10 Films Watched:
Mon Oncle Antoine - B / Late Autumn - A-
Paranoid Park - B / An Autumn Afternoon - A
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - B / Run, Fatboy, Run - B
Get Smart - C- / Rendition - B-
Springtime in a Small Town - B+ / Evan Almighty - C

DVD BEAVER My Collection

Brook K

I Capture The Castle is a well-crafted romantic film set in the 1930's about a quirky family struggling to survive financial hardships, the father trying to overcome old demons and the daughters learning about love. Using equal helpings of humor and pathos it moves in ways both familiar and unexpected. And as Steve previously mentioned, a very fine performance by the very attractive Romola Garai. B+

Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World Wonderfully realized war film that captures the thrills of the sea and the camaraderie of men who must rely on each other for survival. Impressive period detail and language enhances the experience. And an intelligently written script and multiple winning performances make this one of the better films of the year. It is only marred by the rather tiresome and drawn out "naturalism" subplot. A-

Next Up: Anything Else

Yes, Captain Hammer's here, hair blowing in the breeze. The day needs my saving expertise! - Captain Hammer, Corporate Tool

2002 Sight & Sound Challenge: 314 Last Watched: An Autumn Afternoon

Last 10 Films Watched:
Mon Oncle Antoine - B / Late Autumn - A-
Paranoid Park - B / An Autumn Afternoon - A
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - B / Run, Fatboy, Run - B
Get Smart - C- / Rendition - B-
Springtime in a Small Town - B+ / Evan Almighty - C

DVD BEAVER My Collection

Lowell_B

Updated my list with another batch of absolutely terrific movies:



Big Fish (**** / ****)
Despite it's flaws, I came away absolutely loving Tim Burton's latest. Just a fantastic film that I can't wait to see a second viewing of.

Bend it Like Beckham (***1/2 / ****)

Better Luck Tomorrow (***1/2 / ****)

Whale Rider (***1/2 / ****)

I also added the very disappointing (considering how much some people loved it),

Spider (** / ****)

Now to wade through the Jan/Feb theatrical wasteland and hope that we get some pleasant surprises in there somewhere.

Lowell