[QuickTidal]

Well it WAS meant to be based on the Scarlet Letter...which was written about a time when such things WOULD have been taboo...the intent was to modernize it while maintaining the story of the Scarlet Letter.

[polishgenius]

worrywort, on 23 August 2012 - 05:52 AM, said:

It's kinda like Mean Girls Light, which is still pretty decent IMO.

Pfft, it was way better than Mean Girls (and I liked Mean Girls). Much wittier imo.

It was all ace, but Stanley Tucci was the best thing.

[Macros]

QuickTidal, on 23 August 2012 - 02:40 PM, said:

Well it WAS meant to be based on the Scarlet Letter...which was written about a time when such things WOULD have been taboo...the intent was to modernize it while maintaining the story of the Scarlet Letter.

Therein lies the problem, they didn't modernise the story. The reactions fitted closer to the scarlet letters time than modern day, a more fuller alteration of the tale would be required to make it a modern adaptation

[McLovin]

Saw THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY. Studio Ghibli performs as always.

Then saw ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT. Tyrion Lannister as Cap'n Gutt FTW, but kinda meh otherwise.

[McLovin]

Finally saw TAKEN.

I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. But if you don't let my daughter go, I am going to throat-punch the entire city of Paris.

[QuickTidal]

McLovin, on 27 August 2012 - 12:59 PM, said:

Finally saw TAKEN.

I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. But if you don't let my daughter go, I am going to throat-punch the entire city of Paris.

I could watch a whole slew of movies about Liam Neeson throat punching his way across cities.

and that's why I can't wait for the sequel!

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 27 August 2012 - 03:20 PM, said:

McLovin, on 27 August 2012 - 12:59 PM, said:

Finally saw TAKEN.

I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. But if you don't let my daughter go, I am going to throat-punch the entire city of Paris.

I could watch a whole slew of movies about Liam Neeson throat punching his way across cities.

and that's why I can't wait for the sequel!

THROAT-PUNCH. Coming soon to a theater near you.

Taken had brilliant action in what was otherwise a fairly lame movie. Neeson deadpanning his way thru was gravy.

[worry]

Just watched Paranorman. Coraline is one of my favorite movies of recent years, and while this didn't quite hit that level, it was still quite good. Some of the dialogue was a bit too on the nose and explainy, but in terms of plot, visuals, and atmosphere it was really excellent. And it was actually genuinely scary in several parts (which made the explainy parts stand out a little more, because the age level for the movie is probably higher than one would expect).

I'd give it about 180 bones out of 206.

[Macros]

Tried to watch Beowulf.
Lasted maybe 5 minutes then turned it off
How can the animation be so poor? The final fantasy movie was wick story wise but it was beautful to watch
The DoW intro looks awesome.
This looked clunky and disjointed. Blegh, such potential wasted, should have been live action

[QuickTidal]

Macros, on 28 August 2012 - 01:14 AM, said:

Tried to watch Beowulf.
Lasted maybe 5 minutes then turned it off
How can the animation be so poor? The final fantasy movie was wick story wise but it was beautful to watch
The DoW intro looks awesome.
This looked clunky and disjointed. Blegh, such potential wasted, should have been live action

It was the most recent version of the mo-capped animation they pioneered for THE POLAR EXPRESS...so you get that kind of uncanny valley in between live action and CG animated. Which you are right, was a huge mistake on their part. Instead they should have gone for full on animation or live action....these in between films are NOT good. The only one that gets a pass is the most recent A CHRISTMAS CAROL...but even that is mostly due to Dickens and not Robert Zemeckis and Co.

However, the reason to watch ALL of Beowulf...is that Neil Gaiman wrote the script...which IS quality....you just have to get past the cruddy animation.

[McLovin]

QuickTidal, on 28 August 2012 - 01:06 PM, said:

However, the reason to watch ALL of Beowulf...is that Neil Gaiman wrote the script...which IS quality....you just have to get past the cruddy animation.

The second half of the movie is better, you just gotta get through the awful first half.

Also, Ray Winstone as Beowulf = fail. Crispin Glover as Grendel = epic fail.

[Macros]

Its too off putting for me, don't think I could manage a half a movie of that crap to get to a good bit.

[McLovin]

Netflixed that classic of Indian cinema, SHOLAY.

Pretty good for 70s Bollywood, except the final fight scene, which veers into unintentional comedy.

Also caught part of THUNDERBIRD 6 on TV yesterday. Surprising how well done the effects in that movie were. Hard to get past the puppets without thinking TEAM AMERICA though.

This post has been edited by McLovin: 09 September 2012 - 12:29 PM

[amphibian]

McLovin, on 09 September 2012 - 12:27 PM, said:

Netflixed that classic of Indian cinema, SHOLAY.

Pretty good for 70s Bollywood, except the final fight scene, which veers into unintentional comedy.

Also caught part of THUNDERBIRD 6 on TV yesterday. Surprising how well done the effects in that movie were. Hard to get past the puppets without thinking TEAM AMERICA though.

The best Hindi movies to watch (if you can get subtitled versions) are Dil Se, Dil Chatha Hai, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas and Virasat. My absolute favorite is Dil Se, but the others really could stand amongst the top level Hollywood movies and not suffer in the comparison.

If you want to go back further into the history, the very best examples of the "silly/contrived love story that somehow works well enough you don't mind it" are Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Hum Aapke Hain Koun.

[Morgoth]

Watched Ip Man this week-end. If you can ignore the shamelessly blatant Chinese propaganda/nationalism you'll get to enjoy some fantastic fight scenes that practically sizzle with energy.

[Coco with marshmallows]

Morgoth, on 09 September 2012 - 07:34 PM, said:

Watched Ip Man this week-end. If you can ignore the shamelessly blatant Chinese propaganda/nationalism you'll get to enjoy some fantastic fight scenes that practically sizzle with energy.

Do yourself a favour and skip the sequel.

More shamelessly blatant propaganda, fewer good fights had such high hopes for it since Sammo was in it too.

(love how the first film glosses over the fact that the reason Ip Man moved to Hong Kong was to escape the communist party......)

[polishgenius]

I liked Ip Man okay (and the sequel) but both suffered badly from the fact that Donnie Yen clearly has an ego problem and therefore is at no point in even the slightest bit of danger of losing a fight.
I thought Jet Li's Fearless, which tells quite a similar story of martial arts as an inspiration against the invaders, was much better, except for a dreadfully boring part in the middle involving rice paddies and a blind girl.

[amphibian]

polishgenius, on 09 September 2012 - 10:13 PM, said:

I liked Ip Man okay (and the sequel) but both suffered badly from the fact that Donnie Yen clearly has an ego problem and therefore is at no point in even the slightest bit of danger of losing a fight.

From the Ip Man fight scenes I've watched that feature some BJJ/submission grappling, there are moments of danger for Donnie within the fights. I can't speak for every fight or the whole movie (or its sequels), but perhaps a closer watch might change your views.

[Morgoth]

To be honest I found it quite refreshing that he was a head and shoulder above everyone else. It's pleasant to find a martial arts movie that doesn't follow the standard formula of tougher and tougher fights followed by a last boss fight that the hero barely lives through.

I certainly don't think it had anything to do with the actors ego. The whole film was written as a glorification of Chinese superiority, so Ip Man had to be superior. Amphibian may be right though, I don't have the knowledge to judge if he was closer to defeat than it seemed.

[drinksinbars]

Morgoth, on 09 September 2012 - 07:34 PM, said:

Watched Ip Man this week-end. If you can ignore the shamelessly blatant Chinese propaganda/nationalism you'll get to enjoy some fantastic fight scenes that practically sizzle with energy.

the scene where he takes on 12 boyos is one of the best fight scenes on film.