Super 8

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Michael

Write up here and here.

I need to calibrate my TV better, watching this again, the whole picture was far too dark, could barley see anything for the last 15 minutes. Looks much better on the projector.

Bad Ass

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

Danny Trejo is Bad Ass. Heheh.

The Big Year

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

Advertised as a comedy, ehh, it's far more of a dramedy. Again, a sweet little movie, great cast and a subculture I've never heard of before that was kind of fascinating.

David Frankel made this one before Hope Springs but I didn't get around to watching it just now. Kinda got dumped here, but it's not that bad at all. Just not the big comedy it seems to be advertised as.

Goon

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

Surprisingly sweet sports movie. It hits all the beats you want and does it well. Seann William Scott is wonderful. Enjoyed it muchly.

Frankenweenie

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler, Alex

Just delightful. The first Tim Burton film I've really liked for a while. Managed to squeeze in a last minute viewing of his original short before popping off to see this one. The way they've extrapolated the story out for feature length to include a whole host of other classic monster references was great.

And what a novelty to have a black and white kids film. But it's just perfectly suited to it. I'm very glad I got that Universal Monsters bluray box set I can't wait to delve into that now. I hope this film will give others the same passion for them as well.

Prometheus

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

Write Up.

Spent the day watching the 2 discs of extras on the Bluray and then Ridley Scott's Commentary. There wasn't much in it though. I think I should have started with the two writer's commentary they might have had something more interesting to say.

It took me a few days to get through all the extras and if anything it only confirms my feelings. The artistry is absolutely immpeccable. Stunning, beautiful and horrifying. But seeing the way the story was thrown together in service of a few disparate ideas and a release date explains more than anything in the actual film does.

Diamonds Are Forever

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No
Watched With: Tyler

Back to the Bond Marathon. First time viewing. All I knew about this one was the theme song. I don't like the theme song. And as it turned out, I didn't like the film either. Yikes.

Safe

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No
Watched With: Paul, Tyler

The film that took 10 years to get a release here. What a strange a mesmerising film. It's pacing is not conductive to late night viewing but it is absolutely fascinating.

Plus Julianne Moore in 80's jazzercise outfits.

This one has left me thinking long after viewing. It's a tough one to describe but if by some miracle you can get a hold of the very illusive film, it's worth a look.

Killer Joe

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Paul, Tyler

I am a massive fan of Bug so seeing William Friedkin and Tracy Letts team up again was exciting. The cast deliver hilarious performances. There's something oddly satisfying seeing really horrible stuff happen to really stupid people.

And Matthew McConaughey is just all over this. Never seen anything like it from him. But it's truly something to behold. Some dark dark humour.

And the ending just kept me giggling all night and the following day. Just wonderful.

Dredd

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Paul

This was a lot of fun, really enjoyed it. The basic set-up is similar to The Raid from earlier in the year but with the sci-fi bent and re-introducing us to a cool comic book property. Hopefully the grounding for more films.

The 3D in this one is all over the place. They've graded the hell out of the image and coupled with a lot of low light, the grain is all over the place. Some of the 3D looks like post convert and strains the eyes, other times it's beautiful. The slow mo stuff on the Phantom is pretty fun though. And they use it to highlight some nice gore moments. They also use the 3d over fake letterboxing trick.

I love the world they set up. The mega structures look great. Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby and Lena Headey all look like they are having fun. Some corny 80's action style one liners were both terrible and hilarious.

Savages

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

Oliver Stone's latest is a return to the gritty crime saga and an enjoyable one. I don't know where I sit on the ending, it feels like a bit of a cheat but it isn't, it's just oddly handled. Nice to see he still like mixing his film stocks. It's a little odd when a two shot has noticeable grain and the reverse doesn't. I wonder if he's mixing film and digital now. But it makes for an interesting comparison in the cinema. 

So it's a great cast and I especially enjoyed Benicio Del Toro and Salma Hayek. 

It's odd but this feels like the kind of story that should have been told in the mid 90's. It's not exactly my thing but still nice to see one of these pulpy crime stories again. 

To Rome with Love

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

This was alright I guess. It felt like it was meant to be an anthology movie but at the last minute they decided to intercut all the short films together. Because they have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

This is the more broad Woody Allen. Theres some good ideas and a laugh or two. The oldies enjoyed it. I love the cast but didn't get much from it.

The Cabin in the Woods

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Kate, Xoe, Nat, Tara

Non-Spoiler write up here.

Slightly more in-depth write up here.

Bluray is out! Commentary is great fun. The best part for me was the clarification of the angry molesting tree. Gonna delve into the rest of the extras soon!

Safety Not Guaranteed

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler, Paul

Such a Sundance film. Very indie vibe. It's sweet enough though, although I'd be lying if I said I was satisfied with the time travel. Of course that's not at all what the film is about, but it still left me wanting more.

But it's pretty fun they way it plays with that. And Mark Duplass is just great.

Paranormal Activity 4

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler

Well it's good to have a likeable protagonist. But this adds nothing new to the proceedings and the scares didn't work this time around. I actually quite liked the 3rd one too, but this one didn't have the build up or an interesting enough payoff.

I think the kinect thing was a nice idea. And it's odd to think that from the modest beginning of the first film, they now have the overkill of visual effects from Industrial Light and Magic.

They better change things up drastically or get back to what was working. Right at the end of the credits they have the tease for their Mexican spinoff and with the Japanese sequel already out, it looks like they're franchising internationally. Don't know of many franchises that can claim the same. Just hope they are better than this one.

Stargate

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Tyler

A favourite of mine. I still feel this is Roland Emmerich's masterpiece. For all the spectacle of his disaster films nothing beats the heart of this one. It's still pretty epic in scope but I think James Spader is the winning factor. Kurt Russell is pretty cool too. And I've always had a love for all ancient egypt mythologies, so to combine that with aliens was just the best thing ever.

I've watch some of the series that followed but really I try not to think about that, the film has always been the only Stargate for me.

Oh and David Arnold's score is the greatest adventure score from my lifetime. Love it to death.

I watched the extended cut on bluray. I still prefer the theatrical, I think the extended shows its hand too early but some interesting additions. Such a great piece of entertainment.