Rate The Last Movie You Saw.

[fernandito]

East of Eden -

I'll start off by saying that the film is gorgeous. Kazan and his team effectively employ a mesmerizing combination of colors and lightning and sounds to properly convey the tone and mood he's going for. The score is also noteworthy, alternating between soothing and somber as the need arises.

The biggest blight for me is Dean himself. He's very hit or miss for me in this one. Maybe it's the acting approach that's endemic to that corner of time in cinema, but often times he's simply too over the top when a subtle gesture would have been exponentially more powerful; his mannerisms come of as forced. When he's on though, he's on - the heartbreaking scene between him and his father during the last birthday scene is amazing, you can actually feel his disappointment and anger and frustration as the realization of the rejection dawns on him.

Thematically, the film is as resounding as you could hope for. We can all identify with the struggle for acceptance (both self acceptance and that of our peers/loved ones), or our penchant for self destruction. All in all a very solid film.

7.5/10

[Heather19]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! But I am still shocked that you weren't able to appreciate Dean's acting in it. I think he really shines here. He definitely has a distinct style, and for me it's always made him appear that much more realistic. You really never know what you're going to get from him. And I agree that birthday scene is amazing. From the way it's shot, to the performances, it's just so powerful.

[fernandito]

I definitely appreciated the bits were he was brilliant, which makes the part where he was ... less than brilliant stand out more. It's like he wants to stand out so much in certain scenes that he throws everything and the kitchen sink at it when a reigned in approach would have been more appropriate, it's jarring.

On a side note, I definitely do think that he gets a pass on a lot of things simply because he's good looking, but that's a discussion for a different day

[Heather19]

Well I really can't argue that point

I'd highly recommend watching the film James Dean (2001) . It stars James Franco as Dean, who is absolutely amazing in the role. It also follows the filming of East of Eden a bit. Gives you some backstory on him and how he works. I think you'd enjoy it

[fernandito]

Oooh, that does sound interesting. Thanks for the heads up, I'll look into it !

[Ricky]

It stars James Franco as Dean

Your favorite!

[Heather19]

It stars James Franco as Dean

Your favorite!

Yes, playing my favorite actor! Win win for me!

[fernandito]

I wish he would have brought some of the charisma the time he hosted the Oscars because he was horrible.

I'm convinced that he smoked a J back stage before it started. No one can convince me otherwise ... the devil recognizes his own

[Ricky]

Feev, do NOT speak ill of Franco where Heather is apt to see. And DEFINITELY do not mention the Franco shrine she has in her bedroom closet. That's just likely to embarrass her.

Spoiler:

[Heather19]

Shhh! Ricky! You were the only one that was supposed to know about that!

[Xile]

War Horse: 6/10: Only rated this high because I fell asleep halfway through it. Might have missed something cool. I recall being distracted from the movie because watching my aloe plant grow was more exciting.

[DoctorDodge]

Suspiria
This is one I've been meaning to check out for a while, hearing that it's something of an essential horror film to watch. Having just watched it last night, while it was almost too much for me in some places, overall I really enjoyed it.

Good, I've got it on my lovefilm list but it'll stay or go depending on how grim you thought it was, speaking as one gore wuss to another

Grim? No, not exactly. Some moments were nasty, brutal and a little difficult to watch, but also well done, and also there aren't that many gorey moments to begin with (although the tension to the first death scene was a little unbearable). Also, the death scenes were - like most of the film - beautifully lit, with bright colours of blue, green and pink. In fact, the high use of colour in general was what attracted me to the film, especially when in an interview, the director said he was partially inspired by Snow White - there surely can't be a more unlikely inspiration for a horror film than a Disney movie! And yet oddly enough, it fits: the film comes across equally as both modern day fairytale as well as dark horror.

Like Deep Red, this was another horror that I really enjoyed and wouldn't mind watching again. I think I'll keep an eye out for Inferno next. 9/10

[Jean]

my only problem with Argento is soundrack. It is consistently atrocious, in all his films. I am afraid he is tone-deaf.

[DoctorDodge]

If I'm really being honest Jean, I kinda liked that, too, even if it does have all the subtlety of a heavy metal solo at a funeral. Funky stuff. But it doesn't work especially well as soundtrack, designed to match specific pieces of the film, just music. (To my strange tastes, anyway.)

[Jean]

even if it does have all the subtlety of a heavy metal solo at a funeral.

yes, exactly. I don't mind this time to time, but not continuously.

[DoctorDodge]

Actually, when it comes to how appropriate the music is, I'm suddenly reminded of this:


I think I'm long overdue for a re-watch of snuff box, actually!

[Darkthoughts]

By "difficult to watch" what do you mean exactly? Because if I watch it and it freaks me out, I won't stop thinking about it for months!

[DoctorDodge]

It's not up to Saw or Hostel levels of gore or torture, but there's a couple of really difficult to watch moments, namely:

Spoiler:

a close up of a woman's heart being stabbed, and another really close up shot of a throat cut by a razor. There's a scene with a woman in barb wire, but thankfully, nothing in real close up, although it is a bit prolonged.

[Jean]

By "difficult to watch" what do you mean exactly? Because if I watch it and it freaks me out, I won't stop thinking about it for months!

this, I am afraid, is likely

[Darkthoughts]

It's not up to Saw or Hostel levels of gore or torture, but there's a couple of really difficult to watch moments, namely:

Spoiler:

a close up of a woman's heart being stabbed, and another really close up shot of a throat cut by a razor. There's a scene with a woman in barb wire, but thankfully, nothing in real close up, although it is a bit prolonged.

Bloody hell, if Saw and Hostel are worse I'm glad I've never been tempted to watch them

By "difficult to watch" what do you mean exactly? Because if I watch it and it freaks me out, I won't stop thinking about it for months!

this, I am afraid, is likely

Eek. My imagination is seriously over active, it can be a real hazard as a horror fan. I'm much better dealing with the aftermath of books than movies which is why my overall horror movie list is pretty tame.

[DoctorDodge]

Yeah, I wasn't sure how much gore I could stomach, so I watched it over a couple of nights, myself. I do enjoy horror though, but I do suspect that's to do with me being a Who fan: like you, I have a highly active imagination, which is good, considering it was the only way those cheesy effects in Tom Baker stories could scare me! Really I'm looking for anything that can give me those kind of fears back - fear of the dark, of monsters, of body horror. Watching a particular kind of adult horror is for me the best way of getting those fears back.

[Heather19]

I think I'll keep an eye out for Inferno next. 9/10

Opera?

And I know I can stomach a lot of gore, but for some reason I don't recall this one having much at all? I remember thinking it was pretty tame

[Jean]

I'm much better dealing with the aftermath of books than movies.

bears are exactly the opposite

[DoctorDodge]

I think I'll keep an eye out for Inferno next. 9/10

Opera?

And I know I can stomach a lot of gore, but for some reason I don't recall this one having much at all? I remember thinking it was pretty tame

Was it the r-rated or uncut version you watched? Because, as noted in the spoilers above, it was a little above Tom Baker level of violence!

[Ricky]

Bloody hell, if Saw and Hostel are worse I'm glad I've never been tempted to watch them

Doooo itttt...dooo itttt...



Well, you can skip Hostel, but you must watch Saw!