Rate The Last Movie You Saw.

**ur2ndbiggestfan** · 12-30-2011 04:45 AM

I hardly ever look at or post in this thread because opinions are so divergent, but I looked today out of curiosity and only have three things to say:

1. I loved the MUPPETS movie.

2. The best movie I've seen so far this year is HUGO in 3D (followed by LIMITLESS).

3. I will always regret renting THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE, which was by FAR the vilest, sickest film I have ever seen in my life, and I have seen some pretty sickening movies. I literally couldn't sleep that night and had a hard time getting it out of my mind. On that level as a film, it worked perfectly. It was well made, good acting and production values, but the idea and the payoff just made the bile rise in my stomach. Or to put it in more critcal terms - I hated it.

**Shannon** · 12-30-2011 05:49 AM

Ur2nd, I thought of The Human Centipede as pretty tame. If you really want to be "disturbed", check out A Serbian Film. Easily at the top of the list for me in movies that are like "Oh my God, no ... no ..."

**DoctorDodge** · 12-30-2011 06:41 AM

Ok, A Serbian Film definitely sounds like one for me to avoid. (I have a certain limit when it comes to gore in movies. Over the top stuff like in Planet Terror and the Final Destination movies I can handle, but torture stuff and drawn out deaths might be pushing it a bit. It's one of the reasons why I really haven't been able to decide if I should watch an Argento movie in full yet.)

**Shannon** · 12-30-2011 06:55 AM

No, this is over the top as in ... a disgusting overweight man raping a newborn baby.

**DoctorDodge** · 12-30-2011 07:07 AM

...

So, clearly a film that's not to Serbia what This Is England was to England. Ok, so that's definitely a film for me to avoid. Well, good to know what kind of wrong moments there are to expect from that film, then!

**fernandito** · 12-30-2011 07:11 AM

A few weeks ago I made a thread on the IGN forums and I asked users to post their top 5 most sickening, depraved movies, and these are the five that came up the most

1. A Serbian Film
2. The Human Centipede
3. Visitor Q
4. Salo - 120 Days of Sodom
5. Cannibal Holocaust

**Jean** · 12-30-2011 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by ur2ndbiggestfan

I hardly ever look at or post in this thread because opinions are so divergent, but I looked today out of curiosity and only have three things to say:

1. I loved the MUPPETS movie.

2. The best movie I've seen so far this year is HUGO in 3D (followed by LIMITLESS).

3. I will always regret renting THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE, which was by FAR the vilest, sickest film I have ever seen in my life, and I have seen some pretty sickening movies. I literally couldn't sleep that night and had a hard time getting it out of my mind. On that level as a film, it worked perfectly. It was well made, good acting and production values, but the idea and the payoff just made the bile rise in my stomach. Or to put it in more critcal terms - I hated it.

Originally Posted by Shannon

Ur2nd, I thought of The Human Centipede as pretty tame.

So did bears. I actually forgot all about it as soon as the final credits rolled. Lame, as has been said, amateurish, pointless. Much as bears love it sick, it was just - meh, and a waste of time.

**Heather19** · 12-30-2011 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by DoctorDodge

Ok, A Serbian Film definitely sounds like one for me to avoid. (I have a certain limit when it comes to gore in movies. Over the top stuff like in Planet Terror and the Final Destination movies I can handle, but torture stuff and drawn out deaths might be pushing it a bit. It's one of the reasons why I really haven't been able to decide if I should watch an Argento movie in full yet.)

Yes, you need to

I still recommend Opera, but if you're worried it's going to be too much then go for one of the tamer ones like Suspiria. Where it's more atmosphere.

**DoctorDodge** · 12-30-2011 08:31 AM

Once I'm done with Carnivale, maybe. I'll let you know when I do watch one of his films, anyway.

**fernandito** · 12-30-2011 10:48 AM

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

David Fincher continues his winning streak with this diabolically clever and stylish crime thriller, based on the best selling novel of the same name.

The film is, at it's core, a who dunnit set against a frosty and dark Swedish backdrop. It is anchored by it's two leads - Michael Blomkvist, a disgraced journalist who is hired to investigate a murder mystery which is the films central conundrum, bidding his time until the mediatic-backlash of his lost libel case glazes over. The second is Lisbeth Salander - played to perfection by Rooney Mara in what's sure to be the years biggest breakthrough performance - a disturbed, enigmatic, and very bright introvert who works as a surveillance agent. She is socially tone deaf but has near genius intellect in the realm of computers and hacking procedures. Her character is the series's biggest draw for me, personally.

Craig and Mara have great on screen chemistry. It's fascinating to see such visually polar opposite individuals work together to complete the task at hand, they play off each other perfectly : Blomkvist is the calm and collected sleuth, Salander the sporadic and unpredictable detective. Re teaming with Fincher are Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, providing a truly foreboding and haunting sound track that underline some of the films more brooding moments. The tunes mostly work to the films advantage, but there are a few misfires which I will get to shortly. The cinematography is top shelf, with the tenebrous Swedish winter serving as a visually appealing canvas for the characters to traverse. This same canvas is the fulcrum to a series of striking paroxysms that catch the audience off guard. One such violent outburst is a very, very graphic rape scene that takes place during the first hour of the movie. I have to warn those of you that are planning to watch it that the scene is a few minutes long and played very convincingly by the two actors sharing the screen, I could feel the audience (and myself) tensing up once the realization of what was about to happen dawned on me. Mercifully, the scene is over before too long and the film resumes.

There are only two cons that irked me. One was an element of something I praised earlier - the score. As mentioned, the films music largely serves to enhance the atmosphere, but every so often there is a dialogue heavy scene with very loud and obnoxious ruckus that distract the viewer from what's really going on. The intention was to hypnotize you with what's being presented at any given time, but the effect is jarring and makes it difficult to concentrate on what's being said. The 'less is more' approach is definitely something that Fincher needs to work on. The second is a byproduct of the rocky transition from novel to film - there are so many characters to keep track of that at times the viewer is left scratching their heads as to who is being referred to and why. I read the novel and even I didn't know what was going on at times, it took me a while to pick up the thread. I realize that no 2-3 hour movie could ever fully encompass the contents of a 600 page book, but I felt that the addition of a few brief bits of exposition could have gone a long way.

Still, these are only minor complaints in the face of the overwhelming amount of things that this film got right. It's a high point in Fincher's career and definitely one of the best he's ever crafted. One of my favorite films of 2011.

P.S - I don't know if such an award exists, but if it doesn't, one needs to be created solely for this films truly mesmerizing opening credits. Watch it and you'll see what I mean.

8.5/10

**DoctorDodge** · 12-30-2011 10:53 AM

Cheers for the review, Fernando. I was cautiously optimistic about this, and a review as great as this for someone who's seen the first adaptation and read the book has got me really interested in seeing this now.

**fernandito** · 12-30-2011 11:35 AM

No worries sir ! Yes, I have seen the original, and while it is a good film in it's own right, I absolutely LOVE this version.

It's a bit difficult for me to put biased aside because I'm a huge admirer of Fincher and his work, but I think in this case the praise is justified. He is a master of his craft and it's a joy to watch him employ everything he's learned as film maker in the work he does. I'm pretty sure you'll end up loving it too.

**Ricky** · 12-30-2011 03:20 PM

I got the book for Christmas, so I plan on seeing it once I am finished with the book. I'm excited to see what all the hype's about.

**Ricky** · 12-30-2011 07:44 PM

Melancholia

I had been waiting to see this film since it was first announced awhile back. It sounded like something I’d enjoy, and I definitely did. Unfortunately, it wasn’t playing in any theaters around me, so luckily, I was able to catch it on Video On Demand.

The premise centers around Justine (Kirsten Dunst) suffering from major depression on her wedding day. Meanwhile, a rogue planet, Melancholia, is slowly (and safely, scientists assure) plummeting closer towards Earth.

I’ll say this: the film isn’t for everybody. From it’s incredibly slow (but expertly done) opening sequence, you can comprehend immediately that it’s going to be a very slow paced, deep, emotional journey. And that’s just what makes the film excellent. Von Trier’s choice of exchanging flashy and extravagant set pieces for the subtlety and beauty of nature gives the film a focus and parallel that we see with Justine herself.

And in playing Justine, Kirsten Dunst gives the performance of a lifetime. She not only plays Justine, but becomes her, dominating the screen with her mopey, mentally damaged character. She captivates with her facial expressions, conveying more with actions than any amount of dialogue could, her immense talent for doing so making the audience feel connected to Justine in an incredibly personal way. She not only shows an incredibly heart-breaking accurate portrayal of depression, but shows us that even the most damaged people may be the most calm and reasonable in the face of disaster.

Unlike most films with a similar premise, Melancholia isn’t a disaster movie (though it wouldn’t have hurt the film to give us more information about the planet). There are no natural disasters, collapsing bridges, or elongated scenes of destruction or harrowing escapes; it’s used more as a background piece, serving as a means to show peoples’ differentiating mental states and how they change while under the threat of impending doom. Will Melancholia strike Earth? Before long, you’ll be so swept up in Dunst’s performance and the film's character-driven narrative that you won’t care.

Filling the background is the film’s incredible score, the prelude to Tristan und Isolde, both hauntingly beautiful and foreboding, providing a perfect complement to the film. Unlike many films, the score isn’t played only at times of importance, but throughout the film, as if to remind the audience that in Melancholia, everything is important. Whether it’s Justine’s horrifyingly depressed state, the lush and secluded setting, or Melancholia itself, Von Trier reinforces that everything goes together and has an effect on each other.

However, the film isn’t without its flaws. While it does benefit from its slow pace, there are times where it feels incredibly drawn out for the sake of being drawn out. A shorter runtime eliminating these parts would’ve improved its fluidity and the film as a whole.

There was also a ton of hand-held camera work that, at times, felt incredibly amateurish and useless. Thankfully, Von Trier quits that about halfway through, but it could’ve (and should’ve) been eliminated altogether.

Though these few flaws aren’t nearly enough to outweigh the brilliance of the film as a whole. It’s a cinematic experience that I haven’t had in quite some time. I doubt it’ll be recognized come Oscar season, but do yourself a favor: find some free time, crank the volume, and watch it.

7.5/10

**Mattrick** · 12-31-2011 05:14 PM

Bruno -

Words cannot describe a few of the things you see in this movie. If you haven't seen it 'dildo bicycle' should provide enough of an image. Apparently this movie made plenty of males leave the theatres and I can see why. It's obvious Cohen did that on purpose as the movie after the first five minutes is relatively tame when it comes to displaying graphic homosexuality. It's not quite as good as Borat but I still found it absolutely hilarious. He's incredibly good at becoming these characters and using them in the real world. While the movies are similar to a SNL character getting their own movie, those characters don't go beyond their show counterpart. Cohen finds a way to breathe humanity into these ridiculous and oddball characters and while their strange ways shock us and and can disgust us, we're able to connect with their strangeness because they come across as human.

3.5/5

Chasing Amy -

I haven't seen this movie in a decade and it was very good the second time around. What I noticed about this movie is how many monologues there are. Many scenes consist of one character pouring their heart and soul out while the other person absorbs and reacts to it. It works extremely well and I wish more movies took an approach like this. Where monologues weren't there was delightful banter, my favourite being the conversation about Archie comics and the underlying homosexuality in it. "You're crazy! Mr. Weatherbee is not fucking Archie! He just wants to help him with his homework!" "Read between the lines." Funny stuff. The characters in the movie are fun and go beyond the possible cookie cutters they could have been and become very three dimensional with character flaws, underlying conflicts and plausible motivations behid their characters. I'm sure this was one of the first movies to really explore homosexuality in society and do it with tact, compassion and some humour. This is my favourite Kevin Smith movie. Jay and Silent Bob is his funniest but this is his best. Highly recommend to anyone who hasn't seen.

4/5

[REC]2 -

This movie was AWESOME. I enjoyed both [REC] and Quarantine and this movie takes it to an all other level. The characters in this movie are fairly bland but it's presented and made in such a way it doesn't matter. It's a thrill ride from start to finish. The 'twist' of the movie is what is the behind the 'zombies' of the movie and it is pretty brilliant. I'm a fan of first person movies if they are done right and [REC] along with Cloverfield and The Last Exorcism have gotten it right. Movies like Paranormal Activity do not compared in this genre. It's a very fun, tension filled, action packed horror movie and if that sounds good to you I say look it up. If you haven't seen the first one I personally recommend Quarantine as both movies are basically identical, Quarantine does add some to the movie though but both are pretty much equal. Highly recommend this one.

**Garrell** · 12-31-2011 07:04 PM

Warrior - Was actually one of the best sport films made, was better than Rudy.

**Heather19** · 12-31-2011 07:19 PM

I'll have to check out Rec 2. Usually the sequels are never as good so I've stayed away from it, but you have me intrigued.

**Mattrick** · 12-31-2011 07:55 PM

You'll like it Heather, it's a very intriguing and crazy movie. It's not like the original that eases into the crazy stuff you're in the thick of it five mins in. I recommend watching it with the sound turned wwaaayyyy up.

And the trailer for [REC]3 looks positively awesome, I am very much looking foward to that one. Explaining the plot of that one spoils the awesome plot of the sequel. I think I've used the word awesome a half dozen times for these movies simply because they reek of awesomeness.

**fernandito** · 01-02-2012 10:12 AM

Rick - I plan on watching Melancholia as soon as I can get my hands on it. I wonder if it's avaiable for blu ray yet. Must investigate.

Heather / Mattrick - I too am cautious when it comes to certain sequels, and I too am curious as to what this sequel is like. Will add to my queue.

**Mattrick** · 01-02-2012 02:16 PM

Will be watching Drive and Moneyball this week, looking forward to it.

[REC]2 is great, you'll all like it. [rec]3 looks awesome as well.

**fernandito** · 01-03-2012 09:09 AM

Tree of Life -

Let me preface this by saying that I will not be assigning a numbered value to this review. This film is above and beyond that. Even if I wanted to I'd probably find it impossible to do so.

The films plot is bare bones - a man (Sean Penn) is reflecting on his childhood and his rather troubled and tumultuous upbringing. That's it. However, to judge the film solely on the complexity (or lack thereof) of it's plot is to sell it short. The films bread and butter is very poignant and very striking imagery meant to evoke powerful emotion within each viewer. And in this the film succeeds admirably.

Our avatar in this existential background is Penn's character - Jack. Through him we experience a sundry of emotions : the despair of losing a loved one, our sometimes difficult relationship with our parents, our insecurities, our doubts, our moments of greatest triumph, our internal struggle with faith, our moral compass. Each viewer will take something different from watching it, the amount of themes explored will resonate more strongly with some than others. It's really quite astounding how much sentiment Malick has been able to extract from us with the simplest of notions and images. A shot of a soft hand caressing a flower might as well be a love poem. It's just so powerful and the images burn in the retina of your minds eye long after the film is finished.

Admittedly, this film won't be for everyone. It's extensive running time and aforementioned lack of a tangible plot might put many off. If, however, you're a patient viewer willing to enter the world that Malick crafted with no expectations and no preconceived notions, you'll be well on your way to having one of the greatest cinematic experiences you could ever hope to have.

**rolandesch** · 01-03-2012 11:25 AM

The last film I was was Super 8, I believe. I give it a 8/10.

**pathoftheturtle** · 01-03-2012 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by ur2ndbiggestfan

I hardly ever look at or post in this thread because opinions are so divergent...

You mean that no one else's rating can help you decide whether you'd like to see a film yourself or not? I guess that's true, but when I look at this thread, that's never really the reason why.

Originally Posted by mystima

Just watched Super 8. I will give it 4/5. I liked the way it was done. The story was kinda off a little at times, the dynamic of the loss of a parent didn't work for me because it didn't show to much of it and could have been added to the story a bit more. That is why it gets a 4. The rest of the movie was good.

Spoiler:

I liked the way they didn't show the creature till the end of the movie, gives you a lot to think about and what its motivation is the whole time. The kids filming the zombie movie during the whole thing is funny and at the end during the credits they actually show you what the whole short movie is.

Meh. The making-a-zombie-movie part was good, very entertaining, but, well, I kind of wish it had been just more of that instead of trying to bring to life around them the other kinds of movies that characters that age would have been watching during that time period. The creature's story was

Spoiler:

wasn't it?

**Emily** · 01-03-2012 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by feverishparade

Tree of Life -

Let me preface this by saying that I will not be assigning a numbered value to this review. This film is above and beyond that. Even if I wanted to I'd probably find it impossible to do so.

The films plot is bare bones - a man (Sean Penn) is reflecting on his childhood and his rather troubled and tumultuous upbringing. That's it. However, to judge the film solely on the complexity (or lack thereof) of it's plot is to sell it short. The films bread and butter is very poignant and very striking imagery meant to evoke powerful emotion within each viewer. And in this the film succeeds admirably.

Our avatar in this existential background is Penn's character - Jack. Through him we experience a sundry of emotions : the despair of losing a loved one, our sometimes difficult relationship with our parents, our insecurities, our doubts, our moments of greatest triumph, our internal struggle with faith, our moral compass. Each viewer will take something different from watching it, the amount of themes explored will resonate more strongly with some than others. It's really quite astounding how much sentiment Malick has been able to extract from us with the simplest of notions and images. A shot of a soft hand caressing a flower might as well be a love poem. It's just so powerful and the images burn in the retina of your minds eye long after the film is finished.

Admittedly, this film won't be for everyone. It's extensive running time and aforementioned lack of a tangible plot might put many off. If, however, you're a patient viewer willing to enter the world that Malick crafted with no expectations and no preconceived notions, you'll be well on your way to having one of the greatest cinematic experiences you could ever hope to have.

I really loved this film. I posted this somewhere on your facebook, but I seriously couldn't fall asleep lastnight after watching it. I was absolutely blown away, I think I might even watch it again tonight. I have a question for you, though.

Spoiler:

**fernandito** · 01-03-2012 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by Tempus Frangit

I really loved this film. I posted this somewhere on your facebook, but I seriously couldn't fall asleep lastnight after watching it. I was absolutely blown away, I think I might even watch it again tonight. I have a question for you, though.

I did see that; did you mean that you couldn't fall asleep because you kept thinking about all of the imagery ? It's quite astounding, isn't it ? Really powerful stuff. I've thinking about it all day, I wish I was at home watching it again.

Spoiler:

I do remember hearing him say that but I can't for the life of me remember where and how it was used. I plan on watching it again very soon so I'll be sure to look out for that part and let you know how I interpreted it.

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