Movie Thread -- Happy Stuff (Non-Wizards)

lupin · Post #61 » by **lupin** » Fri Dec 4, 2009 1:32 pm

anyone looking forward to Avatar? the previews just do nothing for me at all. doesn't really look that spectacular; however, i will probably give in to the hype and see it for something to do (unless the reviews are really bad).

Post #62 » by **nate33** » Fri Dec 4, 2009 2:43 pm

Avatar looks too preachy to me. I'm so tired of movies where the governing authorities are evil and it requires a virtuous hero to rebel against the system.

By the way, I saw 2012 over Thanksgiving weekend. The special effects were incredible but the movie was just awful. The underlying science was a joke, the plot was non-existant, and the characters were as deep as tissue paper. It made Independence Day seem like Oscar material.

It was like the special effects geeks got together in a room and made a bunch of random earthquake clips for fun of it; and then some producer walked in on them, saw the clips, and decided to combine them into one full length movie. He just added a few dialogue scenes to link the clips together.

Chocolate City Jordanaire · Post #63 » by **Chocolate City Jordanaire** » Fri Dec 4, 2009 3:27 pm

The whole family went to see The Blind Side over the past weekend.

Aside from being inspirational, heartwarming, funny, a great sports movie, appropriate for everyone, and a very authentic, true story; I like it because it got one of my sons to enjoy playing football.

I have a miniature version of Big Mike in one of my sons. Had no interest in mauling people at the line of scrimmage, and seemingly no idea about holding a block or blocking down field. I have been a flabbergasted little league parent watching my "nice" child worry about not hurting other children. (While dad's been requesting just one pancake block from him.) Anyhow, after seeing Big Mike, my one son "loves football" now. At his practices this week he has looked like a mini battering ram. What I couldn't lecture or work on at the field with him after practice has been driven home by Hollywood!

I think from now on I'm not going to talk to my kids about anything. I'm just gonna check out the movies or get a DVD from NetFlix when it comes to all life's important lessons.

Post #64 » by **miller31time** » Fri Dec 4, 2009 3:30 pm

nate33 wrote:Avatar looks too preachy to me. I'm so tired of movies where the governing authorities are evil and it requires a virtuous hero to rebel against the system.

Then you'd love Transformers.

Post #65 » by **LyricalRico** » Fri Dec 4, 2009 3:34 pm

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:I think from now on I'm not going to talk to my kids about anything. I'm just check out the movies or NetFlix when it comes to all life's important lessons.

CCJ's son: "Dad, I have questions about sex."

CCJ: "Sure, let's talk in a couple days."

* Orders 9 1/2 Weeks from Netflix *

CCJ: "Okay son, here's all you need to know. Watch this."

:lol:

DallasShalDune · Post #66 » by **DallasShalDune** » Fri Dec 4, 2009 3:43 pm

I was uber pissed when I found out that The Road wasn't playing in a theater near me here in KC. I loved the book and I have been patiently waiting for the movie to come out. I guess it was a limited released that got usurped by that alien Dreamworks movie, Twilight 2, and the Fantastic Mr. Fox. This Thanksgiving must have been all about family entertainment instead of movies about death and destruction.

Oddly, having read the book, I guarantee that The Road is more about family than any of those kid movies

GoneShammGone · Post #67 » by **GoneShammGone** » Fri Dec 4, 2009 4:26 pm

DallasShalDune wrote:Oddly, having read the book, I guarantee that The Road is more about family than any of those kid movies

The Road was an amazing book, but I'm not really looking forward to the movie. A story like that which is so intensely dark is ok in book form cause you can put the book down and take a break for a while. For a movie you are trapped in the theater for two straight hours of gloom. I might see it anyway, but I'll wait for DVD...

DallasShalDune · Post #68 » by **DallasShalDune** » Fri Dec 4, 2009 5:36 pm

GilShammGil wrote:
DallasShalDune wrote:Oddly, having read the book, I guarantee that The Road is more about family than any of those kid movies

The Road was an amazing book, but I'm not really looking forward to the movie. A story like that which is so intensely dark is ok in book form cause you can put the book down and take a break for a while. For a movie you are trapped in the theater for two straight hours of gloom. I might see it anyway, but I'll wait for DVD...

I can understand that. It makes sense. Is still have that desire to see it, both because the book was so good and this might be Viggo's last movie (save if there is an Eastern Promises 2 and/or if he is invited for The Hobbit)

dandridge 10 · Post #69 » by **dandridge 10** » Fri Dec 4, 2009 11:11 pm

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:The whole family went to see The Blind Side over the past weekend.

Aside from being inspirational, heartwarming, funny, a great sports movie, appropriate for everyone, and a very authentic, true story; I like it because it got one of my sons to enjoy playing football.

I have a miniature version of Big Mike in one of my sons. Had no interest in mauling people at the line of scrimmage, and seemingly no idea about holding a block or blocking down field. I have been a flabbergasted little league parent watching my "nice" child worry about not hurting other children. (While dad's been requesting just one pancake block from him.) Anyhow, after seeing Big Mike, my one son "loves football" now. At his practices this week he has looked like a mini battering ram. What I couldn't lecture or work on at the field with him after practice has been driven home by Hollywood!

I think from now on I'm not going to talk to my kids about anything. I'm just gonna check out the movies or get a DVD from NetFlix when it comes to all life's important lessons.

Dang, I'm going to start making my son watch Hoosiers every night before bed. He's only 2 1/2, but might as well start pounding b-ball in his head now!

dnk · Post #70 » by **dnk** » Fri Dec 4, 2009 11:26 pm

P. T. Anderson working on a new script for a movie called The Master! Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and ostensibly Anderson's take on Scientology, religion, faith, God, etc,. Can't wait.

lupin · Post #71 » by **lupin** » Sat Dec 5, 2009 1:16 pm

did anyone see Where the Wild Things Are? Was it any good?

closg00 · Post #72 » by **closg00** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:27 pm

Ok Dexter fans, what did you think of the finale? WOW, best season since the 1st but over-the-top with "the surprise".

bulletproof_32 · Post #73 » by **bulletproof_32** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 4:55 pm

Yeah, don't want to give it away for those that haven't seen it yet, but the ending was pretty shocking. I knew there was going to a surprise ending but I didn’t think it was going to go down like that.

It’ll be interesting to see which direction the writers go with Dexter next season. There are a number of ways this could play out for him.

Post #74 » by **nate33** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:03 pm

Dexter is the best show on TV right now. I'm a bit behind this season so don't tell me anymore. (I just finished Episode 7. Thank goodness for BitTorrent.)

MJG · Post #75 » by **MJG** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:21 pm

I thought most of the season was up and down (relative to itself; compared to 95% of other shows, Dexter is very much up each and every week), but that finale was something else. It was a bit cramped - there was probably three episodes' worth of content crammed into this final hour - but really, that just added to it, since your heart never stopped pounding and you couldn't look away for a minute. Can't wait to see just how they handle the little surprise at the end next season.

Post #76 » by **Ruzious** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:24 pm

nate33 wrote:By the way, I saw 2012 over Thanksgiving weekend. The special effects were incredible but the movie was just awful. The underlying science was a joke, the plot was non-existant, and the characters were as deep as tissue paper. It made Independence Day seem like Oscar material.

It was like the special effects geeks got together in a room and made a bunch of random earthquake clips for fun of it; and then some producer walked in on them, saw the clips, and decided to combine them into one full length movie. He just added a few dialogue scenes to link the clips together.

True, but if you're going to it, you're not going for the science; you just want to be entertained - and it delivered on that. And there aren't many sci fi movies you can take women friends to, so I liked it.

Pirate Radio - good movie for those who like rock music from the early to mid 60's. Like 1012, it started out slowly and finished very well. At the end of both movies there was mild clapping at the theater I went to. Neither was great, but they both left me feeling good.

Post #77 » by **nate33** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:08 pm

2012 would have been much better if they ended it much sooner. The whole crisis with the boarding of the ships was really poorly done. Prior to that, the movie was typical "summer blockbuster" fare with shallow characters and lots of explosions. I can live with that. But that last 45 minutes was so cheesy and poorly done that it really destroyed the movie for me. It seemed more like a glorified "made for TV movie". I mean c'mon! The stupid dog had to save himself by running across the rope? Give me a break!

daSwami · Post #78 » by **daSwami** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:11 pm

I saw A Christmas Carol this past weekend with my nieces and really enjoyed it. The detail was meticulous.

I hadn't ever seen a 3-D film in the theater, and was amazed by how cool it was. Even the trailer for "Avatar" was in 3-D and boy does that look like its going to be an amazing film.

Post #79 » by **Ruzious** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:29 pm

nate33 wrote:2012 would have been much better if they ended it much sooner. The whole crisis with the boarding of the ships was really poorly done. Prior to that, the movie was typical "summer blockbuster" fare with shallow characters and lots of explosions. I can live with that. But that last 45 minutes was so cheesy and poorly done that it really destroyed the movie for me. It seemed more like a glorified "made for TV movie". I mean c'mon! The stupid dog had to save himself by running across the rope? Give me a break!

I thought it was just the opposite. The first 30 minutes or so was boaring, then the great special effects came, and then you had a nice story that made you care about the characters (even the rich Russian and his hateful kids). Ah well, it must be a Dems vs Repubs thing. :wink:

dnk · Post #80 » by **dnk** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 12:17 am

nate33 wrote:Dexter is the best show on TV right now. I'm a bit behind this season so don't tell me anymore. (I just finished Episode 7. Thank goodness for BitTorrent.)

Do you mean of all shows that are not completed/cancelled/on hiatus or do you mean that is on this television season (so excluding summer shows and shows starting midseason)? Because if you mean the former, I'd take MAD MEN, BREAKING BAD, LOST, and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (the only one on right now) over DEXTER every day of the week and with no absolutely hesitation. Especially if you're just comparing the most recent seasons of everything.

I think all of these have more to say, have better scripts to bring out those ideas, and are, in general, better acted. And aside from maybe BREAKING BAD (although that has its fair share of great visual moments, too) are all more beautifully shot and directed.

And to be perfectly honest, DOLLHOUSE has been killing it since the end of last season, and if we're comparing just DEXTER Season 4 and DOLLHOUSE Season 2, I'd pick DOLLHOUSE.

And then if we're just talking favorite shows overall, not just dramas, I'd go with PARKS AND RECREATION over DEXTER, too.

It's not that I don't love DEXTER, it's just that there are so many great shows on TV right now.

NOTE: I still haven't seen the season finale of Dexter yet.