Good luck, jack! Hurr, the hero of the movie’s named Jack, too…
Out of all the movies DocKenobi listed, I’ve only watched one:
I’m telling ya, Mr. Roundtree was one cool cat in this one! Like a black James Bond. I’m curious to see the other sequels and the Samuel L. Jackson remake, though I doubt it’ll top this classic of blaxploitation.
“Right on!” 
I couldn’t take Shaft seriously, mainly becasue of the amount of times I have seen it parodied, especially in cartoons. I almost laughed pretty much every time I heard the music. I couldn’t get the parodies out of my head.
I would highly recommned at least seeing the films I said I really liked. They’re all great examlples of the true “movie magic”.
I’m pretty hyped for Saw VI. I know, it’s a torture film and the story’s bad, and the plot’s the same, and I’m a sick, twisted individual for watching it, and poor people could do better things with the money that I’ll spend for the tickets to see it, blah, blah, blah…or that’s what most people tell me. But I just watch it for the shock factor, the traps, and I guess the Saw maze at Universal Hollywood was just one big interactive advertisement. Anyone seen the trailer for the carousel trap?
It was pretty intense. Some people don’t like it since it’s “lacking” in gore. And the [spoil]blood that comes out when the shotgun goes off looks pretty fake[/spoil]. I found it kinda lame that [spoil]four of the associates didn’t have a chance at “playing” the game[/spoil], but that was at first. Then I realized it was more of a mental game and everyone would have to turn into beastls if they had a chance at “winning”. They’d basically start crying, begging, and lying in order to persuade William to [spoil]save them[/spoil]. It’s interesting to see what someone’s willing to do in order to stay alive.This one part I found funny, when the lady lies by yelling [spoil]“Uh…uhm…I’m pregnant![/spoil] and a guy yells out,”[spoil]Don’t listen to her, she’s f’ing lying.[/spoil]. while the carousel is still going around. It’s Russian Roulette on a bigger scale, and the best sophists and liars win. 
And why do I get the feeling that this trap is an advertisement for certain healthcare beliefs? Jigsaw+Healthcare+Hot potatoe shotgun=Saw supports our current President?
Haha, I think you’re not to meant to, anyway. It still is a pretty landmark film, featuring one of the first few black protagonists in what will be a long-line of African-American themed cheesefests in the 70s. I just love the soundtrack; quintessential 70s-themed Jazz and R&B numbers, and the theme song with the flute and wah-wah guitar, oh man, groovy, baby!
Oh, and what constitutes ‘movie magic’ may differ depending on people’s tastes, but what is undeniable is that those you listed can be considered ‘classics’. I’ll have a look-see, they’re the films I always wanted to watch but never got round to. 
FounderofAzn: I don’t watch a lot of horror movies to begin with, but the first Saw has got to be my one of my faves of all-time. The only other Saw film I watched was IV, but the twist was not as ‘shocking’ as the first (and a little too similar). But man, watching those torture scenes are lip-biting, finger-clenching, wince-inducingly excruciating! Some of my more wimpy friends who watched Saw IV with me did so through their fingers. Scaredy-cats. 
But yeah, the trailer is pretty good. Jigsaw brings his usual brand of morality-plays to the game again. I had to watch the trailer several times to get the sequence of events, because the editing was so choppy and frenetic (as is the staple of the series) but I found the Russian Roulette on a grand scale interesting. I haven’t watched the other installments, so I’ve lost the ‘plot’ by now, but I guess some don’t come for the story. More like just to watch people die in gruesome ways (much like the Final Destination series). 
Oh, and the song ‘Hello Zepp’ is one of my favourite film themes of all-time.
Dundundun! Dundundun… Dundun, Dundundun! 
Watched Cats Don’t Dance for the first time. Amazing. Listening to the soundtrack currently. 
Cats Don’t Dance is an awesome, awesome movie. One of the last traditionally-animated movies of the 90s, and the only one produced by Turner Entertainment before the merger. It’s also one of the few non-Disney/Pixar/DreamWorks/Blue Sky animated films I like.
The characters are fully-fleshed, some nice film parodies and swipes at Hollywood backlot politics, and a cleverly-disguised commentary on workplace discrimination in the entertainment industry. The song-and-dance numbers are incredibly catchy too, I remember taping the songs on casette tapes and listening to them over and over again. My favourites are the opening “Our Time Has Come” and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”
There I go on another ramble. If I have any criticisms, is that the villianess Darly Dimple is incredibly annoying and bratty. But maybe that was the whole point. A character you’d love to hate.
Seriously guys, if you haven’t watched it, go and rent it (if you can find it in video stores). Another underrated classic, pity about its poor box-office reception back in its release.
The only reason I decided to watch it was because someone posted this gif on a board. Especially Sawyer’s expression at the end. It’s been so very long since I watched a traditionally animated movie, too.
There… now hopefully that’ll make someone else want to watch it.
I went on a ‘Marathon of Speed’ on Free-To-Air, starting with the Pixar film Cars followed by the 90s blockbuster and action classic Speed.
Well, Cars is one of my top Pixar movies not because it’s particularly thought-provoking or life-changing (although it does have its moments), but because it is the cinematic equivalent of catnip for me. The characters are extremely endearing (and even the ‘bad guy’ is funny in a way), and their story of a country town that had time pass it by is heartwarming and touching. I have absolutely no experience of true Americana besides a brief trip to L.A. and Las Vegas, but the fact that the film has managed to appeal to my inner-automotive geekiness and emotionally-connect with me speaks volumes about the universality of Pixar’s productions. Each one of us will have at one point encountered a small-town left untouched by the cruel effects of modern-day living (for me it’s my parents’ hometown in Penang), and the fact that Pixar pays tribute to these early pioneers who made this nation what it is today is sweet and heartfelt. There’s much more I can gush about this film, but that’s better left to the Cars review thread and a lengthier post (Cars and WALL-E are one of the few films I find hard to summarise in a single review).
Speed is also another ‘hard-to-review’ movie for me, but I’ll try my best. It is, in a nutshell, simply the best action film of all time in my opinion, purely for its sheer straightforwardness and bold premise.
Here’s the plot in four sentences: A fearless LAPD police officer. An innocent female bystander. A mad bomber with a grudge, and a bus-load of passengers set to explode if its speed drops below fifty miles per hour. All set in the urban sprawl and congested highways of Los Angeles.
It’s deceptively simple, but brilliantly executed, with as many twists and turns as the path the city bus cuts through the traffic-lined city streets. Each of the characters (even the hapless hostages on the bus) come with their own agendas, motives, and histories. Keanu delivers his breakout role as the cop forced to play a game of wits with Hopper’s raving psychotic villain. But it is the adorable Bullock who steals the show as Keanu’s love interest Annie, an ordinary civilian whose lives of the people on board she must steer, quite literally, with her hands as she takes the wheel.
This film shares the ‘it’s-not-over-yet?’ syndrome with The Dark Knight and Casino Royale with its additional third act, but when you’re busy having this much fun, you couldn’t care less! And the stunts… good ol’ fashioned driving and leaping and explosions without the CGI BS. Even the infamous ‘bus jump’ was done with a real bus that was composited onto the gap shot.
Mark Mancina’s tense and sweat-inducing electro-synth soundtrack is one of the best I’ve heard for an action flick, and has gone through many playbacks on my iTunes. It manages to evoke the same sensation of being a captive passenger on a runaway bus, along with the thrills and emotional drama of the movie.
This is the epitome of cinema, a film which has it all: Charming characters you care about, relentless, breathtaking action that never lets up, sharp and character-revealing dialogue and performances from all involved, a tender romance between the two leads who display incredible chemistry together (Sandy and Keanu are close friends in real-life), and an audacious and entertaining plot that will keep you in suspense till the stunning jaw-dropping finale.
The fact that this movie was made 15 years ago and can still thrill me as much as my first time even after multiple viewings is proof enough this is the perfect action movie. I honestly can’t sing this movie praises enough (like I said, it’s unreviewable for me), so my advice to you is don’t take my word for it. Just go rent it and buckle up for a cracking thrill-ride that lives up to its name. Shame they don’t make action films like this anymore…
I just saw Paranormal Activity yesterday. It was a pretty darn creepy film. A lot of people say it’s the scariest film they’ve ever seen. I gotta admit, though, when I went to bed last night, I was pretty creeped out about the film thinking something scary would happen.
Have any of you guys ever heard of it or plan on seeing it?
The other night I finally saw all of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Really good movie. I especially love the mild twists of humor involving the T800’s (aka Arnold’s) trying to adapt to human culture. I also found it sad that I heard a lot of good music didn’t make it into the soundtrack, such as the first chase scene starting in the mall.
As for Paranormal Activity, I haven’t seen it. I’m honestly not into horror/extreme-thriller movies, the only exceptions being the first two Terminator movies (at least, from what I heard of the first) and, if it counts, Mel Brooks’ High Anxiety, which is really a dramatic comedy.
That movie looks SO scary. I saw the trailer, and I didn’t wanna go to do bed even by watching the trailer. I think they should’ve released a trailer of the movie without showing the people screaming. I read this review, and it said they showed the trailer before the movie and 1/3 of the people left. 
I saw Where the Wild Things Are last Friday. I thought it was a strange and surprisingly dark film, but beautiful at the same time.
The film is really something else. It really goes down to what it’s like for being a kid. Not everything is always so happy. [spoil]Max, the main character, is a pretty angry child because he’s stuck living in a pretty dysfunctional family who doesn’t give him any attention anymore. As a result, Max runs away from home and eventually ends up at this fantastical island full of strange creatures. Carol is most like Max, and they get along the most out of the group. Around the climax of the film, things get really dark, and Carol turns on Max and it really frightens him. I think, in a way, that basically mirrored Max’s attitude in the real world and it really made him realize how he’s been treating his family. So he decides to go home, and that’s pretty much where it ends with a pretty dialogue-free last few minutes. [/spoil]
A lot of people might look at this film and feel that there isn’t really much of anything going on, and much of the events are just random. I can understand that, but I think that’s where the narrative is different from most films. This film doesn’t talk down to anyone. In a way, it understands what a kid can go through and the messages are pretty deep as a result.
I think there’s definitely going to be a lot of controversy behind the quality of this film, just like how the book was when it was first published, but I definitely think down the road Where the Wild Things Are will come off as a classic. 9/10
Last weekend, I caught A Bug’s Life and Deja Vu on Free-To-Air.
It’s been years since I’ve seen Pixar’s sophomore classic, so to see this with adult eyes and in the knowledge that this was made in the infancy of feature-length computer-animated films is nothing short of refreshing! Reliving Flik’s adventures and hearing Bonnie Hunt as Rosie was a blast, and rediscovering Kevin Spacey as the nasty bully Hopper made me realise he is the best Pixar villain in existence! His thinly-veiled threats and brutal treatment of his subjects and followers is the very definition of ‘tyrant’. The scene in the Sombrero Bar where Hopper basically murders his dissenters in cold blood is especially chilling. But there is wonder and beauty in Pixar’s depiction of a world from a bug’s POV, and one memorable scene is Flik’s flight from Ant Island on the dandelion seed. It’s “Infinity and Beyond” level of epicness. And the Randy Newman soundtrack, it’s nostalgic awesomeness. I think ABL is Pixar’s most underappreciated work, and a brilliant twist on the ‘Grasshopper and the Ant’ fable.
I then watched Deja Vu. Denzel is my favourite African-American actor next to Will Smith and possibly Eddie Murphy (back in his Beverly Hills Cop days). He just oozes charisma, but there’s a hint of inner torment beneath his wisecracking characters’ eyes. He plays an ATF agent tasked to investigate a ferry bombing in New Orleans, and when he falls in love with one of the victims, he travels back in time to save her before the catastrophe occurs. In a way, it’s more of a love story across time than a standard police procedural. There are some creative action sequences. I nominated the Hummer car chase on a car chase website and it won the award for ‘Most Inventive Chase’ that year. Seriously, if there’s one scene you must watch from this movie, it’s this one. Sheer mind-screwery. The rest of the movie is equally baffling too, but you’ll work out the sequence of events from repeat viewings. This is the second time I’ve watched it, and I was able to appreciate the subtle clues and foreshadowing they dropped in the lead-up to the powerful conclusion. Again, this deserves more attention that it did back in release, and I think it’s a thought-provoking, thrilling movie. You can appreciate it as a cop drama, a romantic tale, or a science-fiction adventure, it has something for everyone. But you have to have the patience and the determination to work the plot out. It’s like the tagline says: “If you think it’s just a feeling, go back… and look again.”
Well, by now I’ve seen all the original cast Star Trek movies except for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. I hear V is kind of a bad movie, but I still would like to see it anyway. I enjoyed them all, with The Search for Spock being my favorite out of them.
Recently saw: Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Oh, man, I haven’t seen this classic Disney film in years. It’s a bit long, but it’s really good. One of my favorite songs, “The Age of Not Believing”, is in there. It’s a simply beautiful song describing how when a child begins to outgrow imagination, he or she also leaves behind self-confidence with it. It also has a verse about how “you must face the Age of Not Believing doubting everything you ever knew, until at last you start believing there’s something wonderful in you.” A lovely song that can impact anyone.
The film reminds me a bit of Mary Poppins, and I later found out why (it was originally a back-up movie in case Mary Poppins failed. In fact, many elements of Bedknobs and Broomsticks came from deleted parts of Mary Poppins).
The effects are pretty good, too. It’s a delightful, enjoyable film, especially the part with the animation/live-action mix in the Island of Naboombu, sailing through the air on a bed with the magic bedknob. (I want to transport on my bed!) The “Portobello Road” song/dance sequence was enjoyable at first, but I felt that it kinda dragged too long. The song “Nobody’s Problems For Me” is rather sad, and it gave the audience a lonely feeling perfectly. It uses reverse psycology, I think. Ms. Price sings about how things will go back to the way they were and that’s how she wanted it, but deep down she is unsure about going back to her old, single, lonely witch life.
I found the ending rather disappointing. Ms. Price had done her deed, but after a fall from her broom again, she decided that her days with magic were over…I understand how that was key to the movie’s idea of her studying magic just so she can make a difference and once she’s done it, she wouldn’t need it anymore. But, I don’t know, she was like an older Mary Poppins, and I wanted her to stay that way. Luckily, the children still have the magic bedknob…
It’s an overall excellent Disney Classic that I find a little underrated.
And - The Black Cauldron
Ah, Disney’s most underrated Classic. Well, I didnt’ enjoy it as much as other Classics, to tell the truth, but it still was an overall great film to watch. Gurgi is an adorable character - up there with Stitch and Morph on my list! When he said to Taran [spoil]“No, Gurgi not let his friend die! Taran has many friends. Gurgi has no friends.” and sacrifices himself to the Black Cauldron [/spoil], it was so sad!
Taran was who I found to be an interesting, determined character who is like Arthur (“Wart”) from The Sword in the Stone except without the shyness and with more pride. Taran is willing to take dangerous risks for the sake of others, though sometimes he did let it go to his head that he was a fearless warrior with the power of handling a magic sword. Then again, anyone can dream, right? Besides, in the end, he [spoil]admits that he values something more than having a magic sword - his friend’s life[/spoil]. His character change was pretty good.
I love the rule of the Black Cauldron - [spoil]“It cannot be destroyed. Only its evil powers can be stopped. A living being must crawl into it out of its own free will. However, the poor duckling will never come out alive.”[/spoil]. I mean, I’d hate if I had to make that decision, but it’s a creepy concept, which is growing on me. Plus, it shows a theme of sacrifice in there, which gives it even more meaning.
It’s also a bit like Hercules, now thatI think about it. Taran, like Hercules, wishes to be a true hero, and later shows his bravery and quick-learning skills. However, it isn’t until he has to make a sacrifice that he becomes a true hero. And later, just like Hercules, [spoil]Taran gets his reward, in a way, but trades it for the life of Gurgi back[/spoil]. Not exactly a ripoff - I like how I can make that connection.
Oh, yes, and Princess Eilonwy - I like her character. She is usually happy and cheerful but if someone underestimates her she won’t stand for it. Not to mention that she is a little on the stronger, braver animated females’ side. Sure she’s had help, but who hasn’t? And at least she’s not completely damsel in distress- she and Taran help each other out.
The Black Cauldron is probably underrated because it’s only loosely based on a fantasy book series (which I have yet to read) and, I admit, it’s a little scary for little children, and sort of simple for adults. It does not rate as high as other Disney Classics, but besides that the thrill of its adventure and themes of working together, true heroism, decisions, sacrifice, and true friends found in unexpected creatures appealed to me, and I must say that I am glad to have not missed out on this Disney Classic on my quest.
That, and on a side note, apparently Tinker Bell has a cameo in here. I didn’t see her, unfortunately, but it’s only a matter of seeing it again. Keep your eye out for her if you plan to watch it!
bright dot-dasher: Have you heard of the documentary The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story? It’s about the songwriters, Richard and Robert Sherman, who wrote a ton of the classic Disney songs, including songs for Winnie the Pooh, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book, among many others.
It’s an excellent and very informative documentary. It adds deeper meaning to a lot of their songs. Just be warned, it packs quite an emotional punch. It’s highly recommended viewing for anyone who loves classic Disney.
Sorry for the late notice.
R2-D2 - Never heard of that. Sounds intriguing (I’m the only one in my family who finds Disney documentaries anything but boring, heheh). I should really look that up. Thanks for letting me know!
Recently saw Shorts on Veteran’s Day, for the movie day out with friends.
I really enjoyed it more than I would’ve expected. It didn’t get that high of a rating by critics because of it being kind of silly and childish in parts here and there, but I don’t care. Being a kid-at-heart, I seriously found this hilarious and very imaginative. One scene was, well, rather questionable (as in gross), but ignorning that, it was a fun film full of ingenious ways to put the stories together (it was formatted in a way comparable to Hoodwinked or The Tale of Desperaux, you know, with the different stories colliding style.) I really enjoy stories that way, they don’t give full answers until the end when you put it all together at the climax (or rather, the last story). I was even inspired by this movie. Not in a strong, emotional way or a shocking, impacting way (after all, be careful what you wish for isn’t that new of a topic), but in an imaginative way. I recommend this to anyone looking for a light-hearted film to laugh at and stretch the imagination a little furthur.
Since my last post about Shaft, I’ve watched the other movies on Free-To-Air (they were showing the trilogy in three consecutive weeks), and I can rank them as such (with ratings):
Although Shaft’s Big Score probably had the most impressive stunts action-wise, it suffers because it didn’t have as much of the cheekiness of the first film or the debonair good-with-the-ladies charm of the third, and because that, was probably the most boring. Shaft in Africa was second because it had a unique setting (there has not been many movies shot on the African continent, so the change of place was refreshing) and had a James Bond-quality to it with the gadgets and the international focus (Shaft at one point quips he doesn’t do “the James Bond thing”). But the first is usually the best, and it holds true for this trilogy. Roundtree was at his most wisecracking best in the original and the way how he opposes authority and pretty much anyone that stands in his way rings most honest and true in the original. I’m very tempted to watch the Samuel L. Jackson remake for comparisons…
I also watched the direct-to-DVD sequel The Fox and the Hound 2 on Free-To-Air this morning. I must say, it exceeded my expectations! Well, actually, it’s more of a midquel, since it’s set when Todd and Copper were still kids. While the first was more of a serious drama on the facts of life with occassional stabs at humour to keep the young ones happy, this is the exact opposite; absolutely laugh-out-loud hilarious at parts, with the morality lesson equivalent of a Saturday morning cartoon. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its moments of pathos, the standout scene is the ‘Blue Beyond’ number which comes pretty close to ‘eye-watering’ territory. The plot in a nutshell is that the titular fox and hound’s friendship will put to the test when the pooch gets head-hunted by Cash, the leader for a singing dog troupe at the country fair. Dixie, the dog he replaces, hatches a scheme with Todd to get his friend back, but the whole plan turns ugly in a brilliant display of ‘Murphy’s Law’. Will the canine choir be able to impress the visiting talent scout? Will Cash welcome Dixie back in his life after her betrayal? Will Todd ever get rid of the static buildup he collects every time he high-fives Copper? (“Shake on It!” Laugh out loud! )
Well, you probably guessed the answers, since the plot is quite predictable after all. But the film is so charming and sweet in its own way, it’s easy to overlook the faults and just sit back and be entertained for a little more than an hour (Yeah, the runtime ain’t impressive either). Dixie was my favourite character because of her ‘sassy-tude’ (kinda like a cross of Rita from Oliver & Company and Sasha from All Dogs Go to Heaven 2) and her catchy ditty about the cruel world of showbiz. I love the running jokes like when Dixie gets catapulted by a floorboard, or when Cash barks at his crew to shut up and they obediently obey. Overall, TFATH2 isn’t particularly narratively-daring (it’s not like there are any life-or-death situations or anything), and it greatly suffers from the absence of those supporting bird characters and the caterpillar (which has been replaced by a cricket), but it is a pleasant diversion on a lazy Saturday morning, with its outrageous “What-The-Heck” humour (I never laughed this much for a Disney movie in a long time, I don’t know why!), amiable characters (the Cash/Dixie love-hate relationship was well done) and feel-good musical numbers. It’s one of the better Disney sequels. 
Rating: 3.5/5
I’ve posted my review of the movie to end all disaster movies, 2012, under its respective thread. You wouldn’t want to miss it for the end of the world.
I just got done watching Forrest Gump. LORD, I hadn’t cried so much over a movie in a long time. It was a happy one, though.