Testy Area 51 (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

All taken care of, Steve. Mentioned your name however. He may still have flashbacks!

 

[Steve Christou]

Thanks Mike, I remember the headache I gave RAH with my review of Predator. I sent him a PM later apologising, I invited him over to Testy and he told me the bearded guy scared him. The bearded guy was Russells avatar picture of himself. Have you still got that picture Russ?

Originally Posted by Russell G /t/81187/testy-area-51/28380#post_3946550
Wonderland would be a better fit with Boogie Nights Steve, maybe make it a triple feature

I'm waiting for a sale on To Kill a Mockingbird. I'll grab Total Recall on sale as well. I saw the trailer for the remake, it looks a bit goofy. Not Expendables 2 amazingly awesome goofy, but just goofy.

I believe tomorrow is the start of a Barnes & Noble Criterion collection sale so I'll be dropping a massive amount sadly. I think I have at least 6 titles I want! Godzilla, Anatomy Of A Murder, Shallow Grave, The Gold Rush, Up All Night, Traffic, Being John Malcovich, Harold and Maude, David Lean Directs Noel Coward, A Night To Remember... I HAVE ELEVEN TITLES I WANT!

I'm going to have to start a Kickstarter to afford all this...

Steve, the Masters Of Cinema, or whatever it is over there, announced Island Of Lost Souls for UK release. so start saving, the Criterion was fucking amazing. I can't remember if you got it or not.

I don't think I've seen Wonderland Russ, is that the one with Val Kilmer? You're still buying tons of films I notice. I saw Island of Lost Souls at the HMV but it cost £20 and I skipped it for Mockingbird which was £5 cheaper. I'm sure Lost Souls will drop in price by xmas.

 

[Ruz-El]

Originally Posted by Steve Christou /t/81187/testy-area-51/28410#post_3946574The bearded guy was Russells avatar picture of himself. Have you still got that picture Russ?

The one with the sun glasses? I still have it. I'm going to switch back to it and troll his threads!


I thought I wasn't buying as many films as I used to but you're right sadly. I ordered a stupid Warner Archives release last week featuring all of the Crime Does Not Pay shorts. It's stupid because I can't get it in Canada and have to import it at inflated costs

 

[Steve Christou]

I've cut down on buying blu-rays, probably because I've got all the ones I wanted. But looking ahead there's the Indiana Jones pack coming up and the 22 disc Bond blu-ray box set. I hope they've fixed the problems that were on the last Bond DVD release, missing subtitles, colour correction, boxed credits etc

Plus ET, Jaws, Lawrence of Arabia...

Can't remember which avatar Russ, maybe you should post them all and we can get RAH to choose the scariest?

 

[Mike Frezon]

I guess I screwed up. I posted it in the "digital projection" thread and immediate reaction is that IMAX screenings are still on film.

Oooops. My bad.

 

[Steve Christou]

I don't think RAH would mind Mike. Especially if a moderator posted it. If I had posted it he would have screamed "By David Lean's ghost it's him again! Sabotaging my thread. Why? Why? Why? I'll bet he's got that bearded guy with him ready to post a reply. Noooo!"

 

[Ruz-El]

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon /t/81187/testy-area-51/28410#post_3946591
I guess I screwed up. I posted it in the "digital projection" thread and immediate reaction is that IMAX screenings are still on film.

Oooops. My bad.

Does this mean I get to be moderator?

Steve, I want some of those too, I'm going to wait for sales. Especially on Bond. I want to know it's perfect. I'm tempted to upgrade the Hitchcock Masterpiece set, but it's going to have to be an amazing price. I got my eye on the Universal Monsters and the Marylin Monroe set. I never did by the Monroe movies on DVD. I'm torn with getting the 9 film bluray or the 17 film DVD version that's half the price...

 

[Steve Christou]

That Universal Monster set is very tempting I just wished they included all the Frankensteins, there are only 7. Son of Frankenstein is underrated and should be on Blu-ray too.

I've got two box sets of Marilyn Monroe films on DVD not sure if I'll upgrade. Some Like it Hot is my favourite.

Hitchcocks movies I've got North by Northwest and Psycho on Blu-ray. The others aren't out yet are they? Not here in the UK.

 

[Ruz-El]

Originally Posted by Steve Christou /t/81187/testy-area-51/28410#post_3946611
That Universal Monster set is very tempting I just wished they included all the Frankensteins, there are only 7. Son of Frankenstein is underrated and should be on Blu-ray too.

I agree completely . They should of bit the bullet and put out a mega set with all the sequels. They could easily fit 2-3 films per disc. I think those dumb Mummy sequels are only about 60-70 mins each despite feeling 5 hours long. I don't trust Uni to do them right either so I'm waiting for reviews. I'lll wait for a deal.

For Hitchcock I only have The Lady Vanishes on Blu from Criterion, which reminds me that I want to get The 39 Steps on that sale. OOF! I think that Masterpiece Blu set releases all the Hitch film at once Steve. The US version includes North By Northwest. If it gets great reviews I'll bite on a sale. I've had no urge to re-watch any of the films from the boxset I already own (short of the handful of faves of course, Psycho, The Birds, Vertigo, Rope, Man Who Knew Too Much). Some I doubt I'll ever watch again, but I'll upgrade if the price is right ha ha. I'm a sucker.

 

[TonyD]

I guess I screwed up.  I posted it in the "digital projection" thread and immediate reaction is that IMAX screenings are still on film.
Oooops.  My bad. 

Who says IMAX screening s are still film? That's incorrect.
Most IMAX theaters have converted to digital and taken out the projectors.
Luckily the IMAX screen near me still has he projector and will be showing the next Batman movie on film.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Does this mean I get to be moderator?

Absolutely! But just for a limited time.




















Time's up! Did you enjoy it?!?

 

[Ruz-El]

Off to see The AAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAZZZZZZZZING Spider-Man tonight. In 2D because I'm old school/half blind. I'm expecting the worst so I'll probably enjoy it? that's how it works right?

I killed it on the Criterion sale by jumping in early and getting "buy 2 get 1 free" on top of the 50% off. 12 movies for the price of 8. My GST cheque arrived just in time! I need the movies to arrive now. RIGHT NOW!!!

 

[Steve Christou]

Russ I saw The Amazing Spider-Man a few hours ago in 2-D. Shall I let you see it before I review it? hmmm

Okay just a quickie review - I liked it. Slower paced than the Sam Raimi films but its not boring, its well over an hour before we get to the comic book stuff with the lizard. The director Marc Webb has only directed one other film and thats 500 Days of Summer, so imagine that film except Joseph Gordon Levitt gets bit by a radioactive spider and you have The Amazing Spider-Man! Okay I exaggerate but the film is basically a story of young love interrupted by bouts of comic book action.

Andrew Garfield is good as Peter Parker and Spiderman and he cries just as much as Tobey Maguire does in his Spiderman series. Emma Stone is good too as Gwen Stacy, her big eyes makes her look like a live action manga girl. I would say the films weakest point is the villain, the Lizard, played by Rhys Ifans just isn't scary, the handsomest lizard man on screen, maybe they didn't want to scare the kiddies?

The music is good but I missed Danny Elfmans majestic Spidey theme. Stan Lee has a funny cameo and mercifully no one says "with great power comes great responsibility" unless i missed it. 3.5 out of 5.

 

[Ruz-El]

I never did see 500 Days Of Summer. Am I going to be lost now?

Most reviews have been positive, I'll post my feelings when I see it ha ha. The Lizard would of been cool in the Raimi films since they were setting him up over three films. Pity that all fell apart. One day we'll get a superhero movie with a superhero doing superhero things without an origin story or relationship woes or whatever. Oof!

Poor Betty Brant, get's no movie love, she was Parkers first crush.

 

[Steve Christou]

Yes we get the origin of Spider-man all over again, the death of Uncle Ben too though different circumstances, the film wasn't as flashy or as colorful as Raimis film he had more of a comic book sensibility but that works in the new films favour giving it a more gritty vibe, in Raimis version Spideys web is organic here it's a gizmo created by Parker and attached to his wrist.

Two more Spiderman films are being planned, the new one grossed $140m in 6 days, I hope Gwen Stacy's fate isn't the same as the comic book.

 

[Elizabeth S]

I killed it on the Criterion sale by jumping in early and getting "buy 2 get 1 free" on top of the 50% off. 12 movies for the price of 8. My GST cheque arrived just in time! I need the movies to arrive now. RIGHT NOW!!!

I also took advantage of that brief overlap of sales for 6 Criterions: Shallow Grave, The 39 Steps, Gold Rush, Certified Copy, Double Life of Veronique and 1 more I forgot right now. I had a rather middling response to "Certified Copy" when I saw it at HIFF, but it will be an interesting one to see again because of the totally different ways people interpret that film. Wish the Whit Stillman's were out already.
Watched on Blu-Ray recently:
"Point Blank" - pretty good French thriller. Even watched the 50-minute "Behind-the-scenes" feature which is something I rarely do.
"Cargo" - A Swiss sci-fi film in German. I thought the visuals and detailing were wonderful, but the story was rather muddled.

 

[Ruz-El]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth S /t/81187/testy-area-51/28410#post_3947620
I also took advantage of that brief overlap of sales for 6 Criterions: Shallow Grave, The 39 Steps, Gold Rush, Certified Copy, Double Life of Veronique and 1 more I forgot right now. I had a rather middling response to "Certified Copy" when I saw it at HIFF, but it will be an interesting one to see again because of the totally different ways people interpret that film. Wish the Whit Stillman's were out already.

Nice! I have the first three of those on their way to me. I debated Double Life of Veronique. I never saw it but loved the Three Colors Tril by the same director. I might actually buy it and a couple more. I want the Stillman films too. They are part of the sale despite being pre-orders. I was going to bite on them but they wouldn't flag another free title so I skipped it.Too bad the royal tenenbaums isn't part of it yet. I'm quite happy upgrading all my Anderson films to Criterion blus


The Amazing Spider-Man! I sawed it I did! I liked it! I didn't love it. I agree with Steve, Lizard was a bit dull as a villain. The movie though was an odd mix of surprisingly well done (the family bits) and really stupid if you think about it (everything else). I don't mean stupid in a "movie vs. comic books" sense or stupid in a "it's a comic book movie, of course it can't happen is real life" type of stupid. I mean stupid in a story sense. Avengers was just fine, as was most of the recent pictures, this one though just came off dumb story wise. And Emma Stone is just kind of creepy. My favourite Spider-Man film continues to be Spider-Man 2, but this one is just as good as the others and a nice take on the character. Hopefully in the sequel "The More-Amazing Spider-Man" they'll have a better villain and handle them better. 3.5/5

 

[Elizabeth S]

The other Criterion I got which I couldn't remember was "Kuroneko". B&N is really good with shipping and I received them all already.

 

[TonyD]

I was able to get 6 CC blus for a little under $75 and another yesterday for $14.39.
Also the more I think about the ASM movie the more I don't like it.

 

[TonyD]

Unfortunately when we saw it the theater couldn't get the movie to be focused properly for the 3-D showing we went to.
I tried three times to get them to fix it but they couldn't or didn't know how. So we watched the movie out of focus.
Actually it looked more like a double image just slightly off alignment. So I think the projector wasnt calibrated properly or at all.
They offered to let us go I to a different room but we wouldn't have had time to stay.
Anyway I still have coupons for this movie to see it free but I don't know if I want to.
Just to qualify, I love all thing's Spider-man, even the crappy old tv show.
But after this movie I felt like I didn't even see A spider-man movie. it felt so generic and could have been any character in a mask movie.
Well half the movie in a mask.
I didnt feel any flow from scene to scene. It felt more like a bunch of barely connected scenes that just came one after the other.
It was un-eventful.
How did he get in that car to stop the car thief? The goofy "I'm swinging here" in the bad Brooklyn accent was almost as bad to me as emo Peter in Three.
The dialog was changed in the car thief scene from the trailer. I think he used the same line but said it with a different tone or reworded it a little.
Nothing about the movie felt like Spider-man to me at all.
I know it's cheesy to some but the Great power Uncle Ben line needs to be there.
I don't think the death of Ben in the first one was great but was close enough, this one was awful. The store guy won't let him take a penny? It's leave a penny/take a penny. Stupid.
Why not just do it close to the comic. He is out, doesn't trip a crook. The crook kills Ben. Later Peter finds out and goes out to find the guy and accidentally causes his death.
Plus what the bleep were they thinking with the look of the Lizard. Could that be any more cheesy looking with that big giant stupid grin he had the whole time.
It was worse then the power ranger GG mask from Soider-man 1.
What was his web? Some scenes it was holding up cars and in another it disappeared immediately after being shot out like when he shot Gwen in the butt within.
For a movie that was over twho hours it sure seemed like there was a ton left on the floor.
I just didn't have fun with it. It was over and my feeling was, "hmm so that was it eh?"
With the first one I had chills during much of the movie because I enjoyed it so much.
I think my favorite 2 scenes in he first was when the GG is tossing pumpkin bombs at him in the burning house and he is using his
Spidey sense to dodge them.
And the first times saw the movie I wanted to stand up and yell, "It's the Green Goblin" when he shows up at the fair flying in from out of the distance and you,can see the smoke from the goblin glider and then he finally comes fully into view.
I loved that scene. LOVED it. Goose bumps.