Rate The Last Movie You Saw.

[DoctorDodge]

Says the one who's still yet to watch Withnail & I! (Not to mention some more eps of one of the best shows ever!)

[Jean]

I have a terrible, dark confession to make. If I had to choose between the two... for example, I could go back in time to when I hadn't seen either, but had to make my choice before... or if someone asked me to choose for them, but only ONE of the two, not both...

...much as I loved Dogtooth, it would lose to W&I

and the moral, feverish, is that you should do the right thing. At last.

[fernandito]

No worries, brother bear, we all have our preferences. I'll get to Withnail & I soon enough, as soon as I have internet at home.

[Jean]

ursine preferences are quirky, bizarre and unsettling... it's a miracle that there are actually some people who share them... always assuming that DD is a human being, of course

[DoctorDodge]

ursine preferences are quirky, bizarre and unsettling... it's a miracle that there are actually some people who share them... always assuming that DD is a human being, of course

Now what the hell gave you that idea, Jean?

[Jean]

yeah, right... what was I thinking...

[Yaksha]

Just watched Saw 3D. And quite frankly IMO it wasn't that bad of a movie. It was actually good. It was better than the last 2 movies that's for damn sure.

[Ricky]

Saw VII (refuse to call it Saw 3D) was definitely the worst in the series, in my opinion. I was pretty disappointed leaving the theater.

[Yaksha]

I didn't say it was a great movie just that i liked it. I enjoyed it mostly because of the ending. Personally i thought that was one of the better endings since the fourth one (which afterwards the series declined)

[DoctorDodge]

Dogtooth

Currently have no idea what to make of this one. Surreal, demented, twisted and surprisingly funny spring to mind, but that is putting it simply. I found it incredibly difficult to watch at times, which I suppose was the whole point: showing how dangerous/ridiculous the lives of children can get if you protect them too much. Looking at it that way, I suppose the best label for it would be 'satire', albeit a rather extreme and unusual case of it. I liked the way it was shot: the lack of movement of the camera not only gave the feeling of watching mere snapshots at this odd family's life but also captured the pure static of the "children's" existence. Also, the ignorance of the children was a great source of humour a lot of the time. I'd give it a 7/10. Not a film I'll be watching again anytime soon, but a very well made film nonetheless.

[Garrell]

Went and saw "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". Loved it. My opinion is biased though, big "Apes" fan since I was little.

[Still Servant]

Went and saw "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". Loved it. My opinion is biased though, big "Apes" fan since I was little.

I really enjoyed Rise of the Planet of the Apes too. I've been a fan of the series for a little while and I thought they really tied the film into the rest of the franchise really well. I especially enjoyed finding all the references from the previous films.

Rise really does touch on a lot of themes as well. Themes such as animals in captivity, animal testing, human/animal relationship. There is a documentary out called Project Nim that is supposed to be really good and deals with a family trying to integrate an ape into their family. Something I took from Rise that I'm sure is the point of Project Nim as well is that maybe humans aren't meant to be one with animals. No matter how smart an ape is, they are still animals. You can dress them up in human clothing, but they are not human.

I guess that can't be said for the Apes franchise because, as we know, the Apes evolve to the point where they are our equal or maybe even more.

[Garrell]

Went and saw "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". Loved it. My opinion is biased though, big "Apes" fan since I was little.

I really enjoyed Rise of the Planet of the Apes too. I've been a fan of the series for a little while and I thought they really tied the film into the rest of the franchise really well. I especially enjoyed finding all the references from the previous films.

Rise really does touch on a lot of themes as well. Themes such as animals in captivity, animal testing, human/animal relationship. There is a documentary out called Project Nim that is supposed to be really good and deals with a family trying to integrate an ape into their family. Something I took from Rise that I'm sure is the point of Project Nim as well is that maybe humans aren't meant to be one with animals. No matter how smart an ape is, they are still animals. You can dress them up in human clothing, but they are not human.

I guess that can't be said for the Apes franchise because, as we know, the Apes evolve to the point where they are our equal or maybe even more.

My take, as it has been in the early 70's as a youngster, we weren't first and may not be last. My only complaint about the movie was the use of the famous Charles Heston line, "Let go of me, you damn dirty ape". I know it is almost a most, but at least use it with a better character. I think it may have been the best "ape" movie yet, just wish that they could have budgeted another hour so that the end didn't feel rushed. Ack, another complaint. Go see it . It is worth the entertainment and the reasons /conversation that Still Servant mentions. Lotta messages to be found in it and the fun.

[Jean]

Dogtooth

Currently have no idea what to make of this one. Surreal, demented, twisted and surprisingly funny spring to mind, but that is putting it simply. I found it incredibly difficult to watch at times, which I suppose was the whole point: showing how dangerous/ridiculous the lives of children can get if you protect them too much. Looking at it that way, I suppose the best label for it would be 'satire', albeit a rather extreme and unusual case of it. I liked the way it was shot: the lack of movement of the camera not only gave the feeling of watching mere snapshots at this odd family's life but also captured the pure static of the "children's" existence. Also, the ignorance of the children was a great source of humour a lot of the time. I'd give it a 7/10. Not a film I'll be watching again anytime soon, but a very well made film nonetheless.

why only 7? I know why I would give it a 7 if I ever rated films, but what did you find lacking? bears are interested

[DoctorDodge]

I think it was just a little too much for me, a little too raw. Perhaps on rewatch I'd give it a higher rating, but as far as I could see there was very little subtlety in it. That was the whole point, I know, and I enjoyed it, but it's total lack of subtlety and narrative made it hard to get into at times.

[Jean]

: nods :

interesting how often we think alike... must be for the proverbial reason

[Seymour_Glass]

Finally watching X-Men: First Class. And I am enjoying the poop out of it.

[Mattrick]

I didn't say it was a great movie just that i liked it. I enjoyed it mostly because of the ending. Personally i thought that was one of the better endings since the fourth one (which afterwards the series declined)

The end of Saw 4 was terrible, just like the movie. Swore the series off after that one and I didn't even want to see it. The 'twist' ending left me thinking 'who gives a fuck?'

[DoctorDodge]

Went and saw "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". Loved it. My opinion is biased though, big "Apes" fan since I was little.

Same here. It was a little predictable in some parts, and the boss of GenSys was another stereotypical posh British villain (but this time, instead of pale white and old, he's young and black, so it's not too much of a stereotype!), but still, I enjoyed it. Certainly, it was interesting to see a CGI fest that relied more on build up and characters than pointless destruction and the same battle repeated every five minutes, although the last half hour or so really was epic. Didn't enjoy it as much as, say, X-Men: First Class, but I liked it, especially as an Apes fan, and I was glad to see that all the CGI really was necessary to making the film a tad more believeable.

[divemaster]

A Chinese Tall Story (2005)
Directed by Jeffrey Lau
Starring Nicholas Tse, Charlene Choi, and Bingbing Fan
In Cantonese or Mandarin with English subtitles
Film: 1 star (out of 5)

Oh Lord, what a mess. It’s like someone took a fantasy-type video game and put it in a blender, and the resulting scene mishmash is what we have to sit through. This very well could be the worst Hong Kong movie I’ve even seen.

Now let me go on record by saying how much I love Chinese fantasy films. From the fun and silly, to those focusing on martial arts, to the more dramatic and romantic types—it’s a genre I very much enjoy. Films like A Chinese Odyssey: Pandora’s Box and A Chinese Odyssey: Cinderella (both of which were written and/or directed by Jeffrey Lau); The Bride with White Hair; Butterfly & Sword; Green Snake; A Chinese Ghost Story; Swordman II; Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; and others. Which is why I was looking forward to A Chinese Tall Story.

One of the film’s characters is the “Monkey King” (aka Sun Wukong), an extremely well-known character in Chinese mythology, first told in the stories of the Journey to the West, the epic adventure written about 500 years ago. (The story of the Monkey King and his disciples is also the focus of the Chinese Odyssey films, amongst many others). Other familiar characters that appear in the film are Zhu Wuneng (the pig character) and Sha Wujing.

So how does it all go wrong? Well, let’s take an example familiar to Western audiences. How about the Robin Hood mythology? A well known story from ye olden days. Let’s say that our Robin Hood film starred Wesley Snipes as Robin Hood, and Haley Joel Osment as Friar Tuck. Maid Marian is none other than Rosie Perez. Let’s give Sir Robin an Uzi as well, because you never know when you might have to waste the Sheriff of Nottingham. They might need rocket packs also, and while we’re at it, give them a tactical nuclear weapon because that sure could come in handy. If you think this sounds like a really neat retelling of the Robin Hood tale, then A Chinese Tall Story is the movie for you!

As I indicated above, this movie is a jumbled mess. In the first 30 minutes, we are introduced not only to Sun Wukong, Zhu Wuneng, and Sha Wujing, but also to the monk Tripitaka (who is actually the main protagonist), kidnapped children, a “millennium bug demon” (which shoots laser beams), an underground Tree God, a lizard imp tribe, an angelic girl in an intergalactic egg, the Lord Chancellor Tortoise, a Sea Dragon King, a ever-morphing magic golden staff, a chatterbox imp girl, wormholes in space, and the Four Heavenly Knights.

All this wouldn’t be too bad--the tales and myths passed down over the years certainly do have all sorts of fantastical elements. But I guarantee you the Chinese mythology does not include much of the crap we get subjected to in the last half of the film. (Helpful advice to the filmmakers: Just because your computer effects guys CAN come up with cool looking spaceships and depictions of intergalactic war, does not mean they SHOULD).

You know your Chinese mythology movie is on the wrong track when the director asks (and I am not making this up—it’s a direct quote from the commentary) “I asked the composer whether or not we can have a more rock-and-roll type music when she transforms into some kind of android-like thing.”

Is there a story hidden in here somewhere? Yes. Yes, there is. Most of the adventure follows Tripitaka (played by Nicholas Tse) and Meiyan, the lizard imp girl (played by Charlene Choi and a computer). Choi is the best thing going in this film. You may know her as half of the Canto-pop group “Twins” and from other films such as The Twins Effect (a fun flick) and Just One Look (a surprisingly good drama/romance/comedy). Poor Choi, being a lizard imp and all, is hardly recognizable with her warts, snagged out teeth, doughy nose, and hunched back. That is until the computers get a hold of her, which somehow makes it worse. Tse is passable, but all of the supporting actors were abysmal. A couple of recognizable faces in bit parts are wasted.

At one point I was debating with myself if A Chinese Tall Story was a spoof. I was almost able to convince myself that it was when the intergalactic egg girl (played by a very pretty Fan Bing-Bing) got out and lit up a Marlboro (!) while talking with Tripitaka who was practicing martial arts dressed in a Spider-Man costume (!!). But it is not a spoof. Of course there is the typical Hong Kong silliness, but the movie takes itself seriously enough, with enough scenes of romance and pathos (scored with a sledghammering of violins and evocative cellos) and rousing action and adventure.

You might think that you could watch this on a Netflix rental and it wouldn't cost you anything. (Oh, but it'll cost you, all right).

Is there anything good to say? Sure. The colors are vibrant (they are the best thing about this movie). And the filmmakers certainly were trying very hard. Too bad all that effort went into a movie that is not much more than a bad video game.

1 (very generous) star out of 5.

[pathoftheturtle]

Went and saw "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". Loved it. My opinion is biased though, big "Apes" fan since I was little.

I really enjoyed Rise of the Planet of the Apes too. I've been a fan of the series for a little while and I thought they really tied the film into the rest of the franchise really well. I especially enjoyed finding all the references from the previous films.

Rise really does touch on a lot of themes as well. Themes such as animals in captivity, animal testing, human/animal relationship. There is a documentary out called Project Nim that is supposed to be really good and deals with a family trying to integrate an ape into their family. Something I took from Rise that I'm sure is the point of Project Nim as well is that maybe humans aren't meant to be one with animals. No matter how smart an ape is, they are still animals. You can dress them up in human clothing, but they are not human.

I guess that can't be said for the Apes franchise because, as we know, the Apes evolve to the point where they are our equal or maybe even more.

My take, as it has been in the early 70's as a youngster, we weren't first and may not be last. My only complaint about the movie was the use of the famous Charles Heston line, "Let go of me, you damn dirty ape". I know it is almost a most, but at least use it with a better character. I think it may have been the best "ape" movie yet, just wish that they could have budgeted another hour so that the end didn't feel rushed. Ack, another complaint. Go see it . It is worth the entertainment and the reasons /conversation that Still Servant mentions. Lotta messages to be found in it and the fun.

Okay, we may need another thread; this sounds like an interesting discussion, but I'm not sure that I catch your meaning. I think the real point of Planet of the Apes always was that we humans are actually less than what we think of ourselves as.

[fernandito]

Finally watching X-Men: First Class. And I am enjoying the poop out of it.

Loved that film, one of my favorite blockbusters of the past few years.

[Seymour_Glass]

Yeah. I really hope it gets sequeled.

[fernandito]

I'd be very, very surprised if it didn't.

[Still Servant]

Went and saw "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". Loved it. My opinion is biased though, big "Apes" fan since I was little.

I really enjoyed Rise of the Planet of the Apes too. I've been a fan of the series for a little while and I thought they really tied the film into the rest of the franchise really well. I especially enjoyed finding all the references from the previous films.

Rise really does touch on a lot of themes as well. Themes such as animals in captivity, animal testing, human/animal relationship. There is a documentary out called Project Nim that is supposed to be really good and deals with a family trying to integrate an ape into their family. Something I took from Rise that I'm sure is the point of Project Nim as well is that maybe humans aren't meant to be one with animals. No matter how smart an ape is, they are still animals. You can dress them up in human clothing, but they are not human.

I guess that can't be said for the Apes franchise because, as we know, the Apes evolve to the point where they are our equal or maybe even more.

My take, as it has been in the early 70's as a youngster, we weren't first and may not be last. My only complaint about the movie was the use of the famous Charles Heston line, "Let go of me, you damn dirty ape". I know it is almost a most, but at least use it with a better character. I think it may have been the best "ape" movie yet, just wish that they could have budgeted another hour so that the end didn't feel rushed. Ack, another complaint. Go see it . It is worth the entertainment and the reasons /conversation that Still Servant mentions. Lotta messages to be found in it and the fun.

Okay, we may need another thread; this sounds like an interesting discussion, but I'm not sure that I catch your meaning. I think the real point of Planet of the Apes always was that we humans are actually less than what we think of ourselves as.

Oh yeah, that message is certainly still present in the newest Apes film.

Another theme I didn't mention is the whole debate about gene/cloning/stem cell research. I just think the film did a nice job of handling some of the topics that you see in the news all the time.