Movies

[Idun]

Just watched Chocolate, the Thai film of an autistic girl who fucks a lot of people up. I give it 5/5 for entertainment though I don't like some parts of the ending. Either way, Yanin Vismistananda is a fucking idol to me now. She is the female Tony Jaa, only 25, all her own stunts (I think there's a little wire fu or just weird speeding of the camera). Fucking awesome. You can stream it on Netflix if you have it. I strongly suggest watching that movie. I will watch her 2009 movie also.

Jeeja Yanin, her character, her emulation of Tony Jaa and Bruce Lee are GOLDEN. This is also a good movie that shows that autistic children can kick a butt load of ass too. New favorite movie and a new favorite actress to add to my bin of faves.

[DjinnAndTonic]

This is also a good movie that shows that autistic children can kick a butt load of ass too.

What? Like autistic children aren't already ascribed a ton of ridiculous powers in fiction as it is?

[Idun]

I don't know, I don't look up much on autistic literature or books or whatever. But this girl is a PHYSICAL powerhouse, whereas I would think some autistic characters may have 'supernatural'. Who knows, that's guess-timation.

[Shale]

Bondstravaganza!

Dr. No: Sadly underwhelming. Yeah, it's the first movie, made the franchise what it is, I understand that, but it just doesn't measure up watching it today. Connery's Connery, he rules, but the pacing's steadily declines from the start, where it's fairly tight, to the end, where we spend waaaaay too long watching Bond dicking around in the doctor's island (Which makes no sense at all, by the way. I mean, there's the usual mad science and shark tanks and what have you, and there's ventilation ducts that randomly flood with water. That's just weird.) Plus Dr. No himself follows the same arc, going from the genuinely good scene where he talks to the geologist to giving Bond an underground hotel room and having dinner with him for no other reason than that it's what Bond villains do.

License to Kill: There we go. That was awesome. Dalton's a good Bond, the script lets him play an actual character, the big scenes are well-done, and the requisite Bond ridiculousness manages to be hilarious (harpoon waterski!) without making the movie dumber. Q and Bouvier were great. Loved the cold open, too.

[Idun]

Just finished watching CJ7 by Stephen Chow. I did not know that Stephen Chow could make me cry. What a sweet story.

Still zany like Stephen Chow though. 5/5. I love kids movies.

[AndrewRogue]

Just watched Chocolate, the Thai film of an autistic girl who fucks a lot of people up. I give it 5/5 for entertainment though I don't like some parts of the ending. Either way, Yanin Vismistananda is a fucking idol to me now. She is the female Tony Jaa, only 25, all her own stunts (I think there's a little wire fu or just weird speeding of the camera). Fucking awesome. You can stream it on Netflix if you have it. I strongly suggest watching that movie. I will watch her 2009 movie also.

Jeeja Yanin, her character, her emulation of Tony Jaa and Bruce Lee are GOLDEN. This is also a good movie that shows that autistic children can kick a butt load of ass too. New favorite movie and a new favorite actress to add to my bin of faves.

If you watch the after movie stuff, what this movie really shows is that it sucks to do a martial arts film in Thailand. Dear lord at the injuries.

[Idun]

Haha, exactly. It makes me wonder how far it really goes to make a martial arts movie. That guy who fell down and his spine hit the edge of a box and he had to be hospitalized? Yeeeeah, not good.

[Scar]

Zombieland: Bill motherfucking Murray!

[Idun]

Green Street Hooligans 2 - 2/5
A Good Day to be Black and Sexy - 3/5
Wall-E - 5/5 (EEEEVAH)
1984 - 3/5 [even with having read the book]
Bang Rajan - 5/5 [6/5 if I include it being based on a true story as anything relevant. Very sad though]

[Captain K.]

Zombieland: Bill motherfucking Murray!

"GODDAMMIT!  BILL MURRAY!  Sorry, I just had to get that out."

Great movie, and would also make a great videogame.  Double Tap.

[Idun]

Just watched Machine Girl yesterday. 5/5 for heelarious. 5/5 for reminding me of a LA anime.
Romeo and Juliet - Sealed with a Kiss is ridunculous. 3/5 for cheese.
Re-Cycle was good until it became an anti-abortion statement to me. 3/5.
Death Trance - Tak Sakaguchi + film = 6/5.
Green Street Hooligans 2 -   1/5. Fail.

[Sierra]

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind: Surprisingly dull for a movie scripted by Charlie Kauffman. Persistently unsympathetic lead and the presence of Julia Roberts don't help any either.

Alphaville: Old dystopian sci-fi movie. Suffers badly from the futuristic dictatorship being horribly incompetent (they drag the hero into their HQ, he shoots everyone important because they didn't bother to search him for weapons; the malevolent AI is also talked to death with no significant amount of effort) and too many rambling monologues (it's French). None of this is really excusable by it being old, because they were clearly aiming for serious, 1984-style material rather than pulp. And man, that computer's voice was annoying. It sounded like the actor was belching his lines.

Dreary week for movies.

[Idun]

Midnight Express was good. The protagonist's choices were 100% what I didn't want him to do, but luckily he has three really great scenes with his insanity that makes me forget all of it.

[Meeplelard]

Finally got off my ass, and decided to catch up a bit on the Godzilla movies, namely some of the more modern ones I missed.  And by catch up, I mean "Fuck it, I'm just gonna watch Final Wars cause it looks and sounds bad ass!"

I...will sum up the plot of this movie...using FF7 Allegories.  Why?  Cause the movie feels like they ripped off of FF7 characters and such for plot, and well, it could actually work as a fanfic for FF7.  You'll see what I mean!

*Intro shows Bahamut Zero getting owned by missiles and shot down into an ice berg, shift to modern times*
Narrator: Humans have caused shit to the world due to Mako.  Because of this, mutants have appeared...they are SOLDIER.  But they've adapted, and joined with SOLDIER to make the Earth Defense Force!  However, monsters and shit exist, and need stopping.
Random Shinra Grunt: LEVIATHAN IS ATTACKING!
Barret: FIRE THE LASERS!!!
*Leviathan gets frozen, then drilled*
Random Grunt: Leviathan is beaten, but our ship is nearly destroyed!
Barret: There aint no getting off this train we're on!
Scarlet: *Appears on screen* Good work killing the guy, ubt you cost us millions! We'll have your ass back at base.
Barret: ^%*@, I just saved us all!
*shift to random training simulator, Cloud and Zack are fighting, Zack wins*
Zack: Man, Cloud, you can't keep holding back like that!
Cloud: Sorry, but I can't just get my fighting spirit up.
Zack: You'd be dead if this were a real fight, just let go once in a while!
*Angeal walks in*
Angeal: But Zack, know that there's no problem in holding back.  To some degree, Cloud is right!  Anyway, Cloud, you're needed in the director's room.
Zack: Catch ya later, Cloud!
*Director's room*
Scarlet: Aha, good, you're here!  I'm having you on body guard duty to protect this scientist!
Cloud: Not interested.
Scarlet: Shut up! You're doing it!
Cloud: Fine, where is this nerdy guy with glasses?
Tifa: I'm right here (Meeple Note: Yes, Tifa is a scientist here, and you can all shut up)
Cloud: ...she's a scientist? She looks more like a model! *Actual line of dialog from the character in question*
Tifa: I'll pretend I didn't hear that...
*Shift to movie scene*
Yuffie: So, Mr. Rufus, you say Shinra will keep the world safe from Monsters?
Rufus: Yes, that's right! Now if you excuse me, I have to go in my luxury Helicopter!  Oh yeah, tell Dark Nation, my dog, that I said hi, I haven't seen him in a while.
Yuffie: ...right....
*shift to lab*
Tifa: I have discovered that all SOLDIER recipients are so strong cause they have these J-Cells.
Cloud: What's that got to do with me?
Tifa: You're one of them, right?
Cloud: ...oh, yeah...
Cid: Ah, you're here, ^@^*^, ok, we found this ^*^@*&^@ monster and we need you to analyze it!
Tifa: ...it also has J-Cells, but what is it?
Cid: ^*^@ if I know!
Cloud: I don't see why I have to help...*starts going into a Cloud mental break down* Ah crap, not again with the crazy time...
Tifa: Its not just you Cloud, I'm seeing it tool
Cid: ^*@^ is this ^@*^@?
Aerith: That monster is Jenova!  If it awakens, it'll destroy the world again!
Cloud: O...k...
Aerith: And you have some of her in you!
Cloud: SO I'm evil?
Aerith: Technically...yes...but fear not! You have the power to choose which way you will go! Now take this Materia!
Cid: What the ^*^@( was that?
*shift to Helicopter*
Rufus: Man, being President is awesome!
*Ultimate WEAPON appears, blows up Helicopter*
Rufus: ...not again...
*Ultimate WEAPON attacks Junon, starts blowing shit up*
*Diamond WEAPON attacks Corel, blows more shit up*
*Emerald WEAPON attacks Wutai, shit gets blown up*
*Ruby WEAPON attacks Costa Del Sol, things die*
*Sapphire WEAPON attacks Kalm*
Angeal: OK, Troops! Your goal is to kick the shit out of Sapphire WEAPON! Got that? Good! I'm gonna sit on the side lines and watch.
Zack: Ok everyone, lets go beat some giant monster ass!
*they kick Sapphire WEAPON's ass*
Zack: Man I'm awesome!
Cloud's mind: I wish I was that good...
*The other WEAPONs spontaneously disappear, giant floating fortress appears*
Scarlet: What the hell is going on?
*Rufus appears*
Rufus: Hey, I'm alive! Oh yeah, these guys come in peace, here, you all come with me *points to Scarlet and Angeal*
Hojo: AH, yes, you've arrived! I'll keep things brief; we're aliens who are in no way associated with Jenova, right guys?
Tsviets: Hail Weiss!
Hojo: See?  Anyway, your planet is screwed by Meteor coming down in 489 days...but team up with us and we insure survival, right son?
Sephiroth: It'll bring you despair...
Hojo: Anyway, do we have a deal?
Scarlet: Clearly you have no alternative motives, lets go!
*shift*
Cloud: ...I don't trust these guys.
Tifa: You're paranoid, where's your proof?
Yuffie: I have proof! You know Rufus? He doesn't blink!
Tifa: That's a physical impossibility! Go tell Scarlet this now Cloud!
*Scarlet's office*
Cloud: Rufus is acting strange, he should be watched.
SCarlet: I know, now leave.
Cloud: Ok.
*Shift*
Cloud: Scarlet is clearly taken over by the aliens too.
Tifa: So...who can we trust here?
Cloud: I know one person!
*Cloud busts into Barret's jail cell*
Barret: What does your spikey haired ass want?
Cloud: How would you like to help expose Shinra for the liars they are, and blow up those Aliens?
Barret: Now you're speaking my language!
*shift to TV conference*
Scarlet: Oh, Tifa, you're acting suspicious...
Tifa: Screw this, guys come out!
*Cloud and Barret beat the shit out of Scarlet, expose her as being the fake thing*
Barret: ****, what is she?
Cloud: Well, this is all the proof we need, lets go.
Yuffie: So...Rufus...about this dog...
Rufus: ...I don't recognize it...
Yuffie: Really?
Rufus: ...wait, its my dog, isn't it!?
Yuffie: WHAT'S HIS NAME!?
Hojo: Oh, Rufus is stressed out, he forgot! Tell him his name for him!
Yuffie: ...Dark Nation...
Rufus; Ah! Dark Nation, good to see you!
Yuffie: I lied! Its name is actually Nanaki! This isn't your dog! YOU'RE NOT REALLY HIM!
Fake Rufus: It seems I have been found out, but what are you going to...
Barret: Die foo! *shoots Rufus in the face, he turns into an alien, everyone freaks*
Hojo: Wait !I can explain!
Sephiroth: ...you know, if you just unleashed all the monsters like I told you originally, we'd already take over this world and be gods *kills Hojo on the spot* Ok, now I'm taking over as leader! You guys stand no chance!
Barret: I wouldn't say that! *summons all of SOLDIER*
Sephiroth: Intriguing...come out Tsviets! *Tsviets appear*
Barret: Foo, you're outnumbered!
Sephiroth: Awaken, all of you!
*All of SOLDIER attacks the group...except Cloud and Angeal*
Cloud: SEPHIROTH!!! *charges, gets his ass kicked*
Angeal: All of you, run! Barret, take care of all of them! I'll hold them off, get going!
Barret: You heard the man!
Sephiroth: Lets bring them all despair.  Send down every freaking monster we got and destroy everything!
Tsviets: Hail Weiss!
Sephiroth: ...close enough...
*Monsters destroy pretty much entire world*
Cid: @^*@^ hell, what the ^*@^* we going to do *^(^ now?
Barret: We'll use the Highwind, its still around!  As is a few members of Avalanche! We'll take on everyone that way!
Yuffie: Yay!
Cloud: ...we're being followed *sees Zack chasing them on a motorcycle*  I'll handle this! *gets on motorcycle himself, big action Motorcycle fight ensues, Cloud beats Zack*
(Yes, a huge motorcycle fight actually happens...in a FREAKING GODZILLA MOVIE)
Zack: ...kill...me...Cloud...before...I do...more harm...
Cloud: No...you're a friend *grabs Zack and drags him off*
*They board the Highwind*
Barret: Ok, I got this crazy idea.  We'll SUMMON BAHAMUT ZERO!
Cid: ^*^(, that'll destroy us all!
Barret: *@^), Sephiroth will do that anyway!
Cid: ^*@^, but what if Bahamut Zero gets controlled?
Tifa: Well, see, Bahamut Zero is different cause he lacks the J-Cells like the other monsters do, so Sephiroth can't control him! Of course, once he kills everything, we're fucked.
Cid: So we release that ^*@^ freak, !&@% blows things up, and then we ^(^* rid of him somehow?
Barret: Yes.
Cid: ...lets do it!
Yuffie: Oh, I'm staying behind and taking pictures, just as souveneirs, later!
*they go to Northern Crater*
Reno: Man, the world's screwed.
Rude: Hmm...
Reno: ...say, is that the highwind?
Rude: Impossible, what would they want out here?
*Sephiroth's chamber*
Sephiroth: Mother...it seems the fools have a trick up their sleeve...go dispose of them!
*Jenova is released on the Highwind*
Barret: WAKE UP ^*@^! *They missile Bahamut Zero, he awakens*
*Jenova and Bahamut fight, Bahamut kicks the shit out of Jenova*
Sephiroth: WHAT!? HOW COULD MOTHER BE DEFEATED!?
Barret: You didn't know two things about us! One is me, the other is Bahamut! *Actual line of dialog, without obvious adjustments*
Barret: NOW GET US OUT OF HERE BEFORE HE KILLS US!
*Bahamut chases the Highwind to points where Emerald WEAPON is, Bahamut kicks his ass.  Then Materia Keeper appears...dies horribly.  Then Schizo appears...also gets his ass kicked*
Sephiroth: NO! How could he be that strong?
Tsviets: Hail Weiss!
Sephiroth: Shut up and send more monsters! RETURN THEM TO THE PROMISED LAND!
*Diamond, Ultimate and Ruby WEAPON all appear at once.  After a big fight, Bahamut comes out ahead*
Sephiroth: ...a worthy foe indeed.
*on the Highwind*
Barret: Alright, BLOW A HOLE INTO THAT SHIP! *laser blocks it* *^*@, what are we going to do?
Cloud: ...a fighter jet is leaving the hanger.
Zack: Hey, Sorry Cloud, but I gotta do this; I have faith in you, good luck! *Zack suicides on the things core, taking down the shield.*
Cloud: ...good bye...Zack...
*They bust in*
Cloud: Oh, Tifa, hold onto this Materia...just in case shit goes wrong.
*In Temple of the Ancients*
Aerith: Oh, mighty Phoenix, please arise! We need your help!
*Phoenix appears, flies off*
*Bahamut beats the shit out of Guard Scorpion and Sapphire WEAPON...even though Sapphire WEAPON was defeated earlier*
Sephiroth: No more games.  Go get them, Omega!!
*Omega appears on Bahamut, the two start fighting*
Sephiroth: Oh, yeah, Mother's not dead yet! *Sephiroth summons Jenova Synthesis*
*On highwind*
Cid: Alright, lets get those *^^@-...
*Tsviets appear*
Tsviets: Hail Weiss! *kill all the useless Avalanche members*
Tifa: ...should have seen that coming...
Cloud: SEPHIROTH! What do you want?
Sephiroth: I need you alive, for the sake of the Lifestream! Now come to my chambers!
*Sephiroth's chamber*
Sephiroth: In short, you are all nothing but puppets! We will take advantage of you, and all of SOLDIER were just descendants of Mother and myself! ...except you Cloud, you're a reject and thus completely useless...yet you have hidden potential...AWAKEN!!!
*back to the Monster brawl, Phoenix arrives on the scene, but Jenova Synthesis knocks it around some, then attacks Bahamut.  Bahamut fights off both Omega and Jenova Synthesis, starts losing, Phoenix then comes in, kamikaze's Jenova, both die*
Sephiroth: It's only a matter of time before Omega returns this planet to the lifestream, and I shall ascend!  Oh yeha, Cloud, kill them all.
Cloud: Yes, master...
Tifa: No! Cloud! What are you doing! Wait! *shoves Materia in his back* REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!
Cloud: ...I was controlled, wasn't I?
Tifa: YOu were.
Cloud: ...I'm kicking Sephiroth's ass.  All of you get out of here while you can!
Tsviets: Hail Weiss! *start shooting at everyone...only to get blasts deflected*
Rufus: Ok, Scarlet! Heiddegar, you know what to do!
Tifa: You mean you gusy are alive?
Rufus: Yeah, we all escaped cause I said so.  My political power is just THAT GOOD.
Barret: Well *^(^, lets get off this train before it crashes! (He actually has a line similar to that)
*Tsviets pursue, Barret kicks the shit out of two of them single handedly while the other 5 run into a bunch of SOLDIERS, which they barely hold off*
*Cloud gets his ass kicked by Sephiroth*
Sephiroth: A fool like you who wallows in despair could never defeat me...you are merely a puppet!
Cloud: No, NOT ANYMORE!!! *Cloud glows Limit Break style*
Sephiroth: ...oh poo poo
*Omnislash, everyone escapes due to various DEMs*
*Omega reveals his true form...TIAMAT! Tiamat beats the shit out of Bahamut some*
Tifa; Oh no! Tiamat is draining Bahamut's Lifeforce! We must feed him the lifestream!
Cloud: ...Lifestream...hmm....*Fires a huge fucking beam at Bahamut, Bahamut kicks the shit out of Tiamat, then attacks the Highwind*
Barret: ^*@), everyone get out of here!
*Bahamut is about to attack, but Bahamut Jr. appears and has him stop, the two leave*
Cloud: Well, we won, but at what cost?

I know this sounds ridiculous but...the FF7 allegories really do work this well.  In any event, movie is basically what happens when you take Kaiju battles at their finest, with quality special effects, and then add in Matrix style action scenes, with a Deathstar Run somewhere in the mix.  Its a fun movie, and the big advantage it has over other Godzilla movies?
The Human side was actually exciting for once.  Normally, the Human side of Godzilla movies is "useless subplot just so the movie has a fucking a script, and isn't just a bunch of monsters beating each other", which lets face it, only reason you watch Godzilla movies is for the mayhem.  The fact that they made the normally useless human filler actually interesting to watch was a plus, though it DID detract from the movie, as the entire first half has very little Giant Monsters (if the lAbridged wasn't indicative), and mostly plot build up but...well, once Godzilla finally appears, things get pretty bad ass.  You can tell they wanted to make the 50th anniversary go out with the bang, and the movie was clearly made in such a way that it COULD be the very last one, but this is Godzilla; there is never a true end <_<

[ThePiggyman]

Meeple = teh sex.

In any case, I finished watching three movies this weekend. MOVIE SPOILARS if you plan on watching any of these.

1) Blow (8.8/10)
This movie was pretty awesome, and Johnny Depp played it very well. There's a few parts where I thought the movie could have ended, but being a biopic and all, I guess it had to end when Charles Jung ACTUALLY went to jail. ;p

2) Lost in Translation (6.7/10)
Bill Murray being in this movie does NOT make it automatically great. Honestly, the movie drags on, and it actually does build up at some points, but god damn does it fail to deliver. Rotten Tomatoes calls it awesome, but I just didn't get that from this one.

3) The Butterfly Effect (9/10)
Just an excellent mindfuck of a movie. My jaw dropped a few times, and I actually got quite attached to the main character by the end. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't shed a tear when he changes the past for the last time, and says goodbye to Kayleigh. Oh, and this is proof that Ashton Kutcher is more than just a comic.

[Cotigo]

* Makkotah sees the score for Lost in Translation, then the one for The Butterfly Effect.

Piggyman, we can no longer be friends.

[ThePiggyman]

* Makkotah sees the score for Lost in Translation, then the one for The Butterfly Effect.

Piggyman, we can no longer be friends.

I don't know man, maybe I'm just a horrible person, but Lost in Translation really didn't connect with me. I know it's a highly acclaimed movie and all, but maybe I just raised my expectations too much for it, or something.

[Cotigo]

I'm less appalled by that (you still rated it above average after all) and more by the 9 for The Butterfly Effect.  That movie was shit.

[Grefter]

If you like your Rock/Metal a lot then it has a good soundtrack, but yeah Butterfly Effect 9 is a no.

[DjinnAndTonic]

Eh, Piggyman is 16. It makes sense he's more connected to a story about college-aged romance. When I watched Lost in Translation when I was younger, I enjoyed it, but for completely different reasons than most based on my experience of living in Japan as a student. Watching it again more recently allowed me to enjoy it on a different level for its ability to create a sense of isolation while surrounded by many people. Although I've never been that interested in the romance aspect of the movie, during my second watching I was impressed by the emotion they were trying to convey which I don't see portrayed often in other movies.

[ThePiggyman]

Yay, someone's defending me~!

That aside, I got in one last movie to cap off this weekend.

Into The Wild (9.6/10)
I don't know what to say. I'm actually stunned. This is one of the best movies I've ever seen. It ranks up there with Fight Club, Milk and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for me. It's a long movie, but it never felt like it dragged on. At the beginning, I didn't quite know where it was going, but the moment the movie starts explaining how the main character actually ends up going to Alaska, it all came together very nicely. It's even nicely split into five chapters, which is a minor thing, but just something that I enjoy. The narrations are excellent, too. The soundtrack is insanely good, all original compositions by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. The ending was actually kind of surprising- a good surprise, mind you. Everything just fits together so well. Jesus, I fucking love Sean Penn for creating this movie.

I don't normally suggest other people to watch movies, knowing people have varying opinions, but this is, in my opinion, a MUST SEE. Watch it some time.

EDIT: And by some time, I mean SOON.

[Hunter Sopko]

I liked Butterfly Effect. I wouldn't give it a 9, but it wasn't a total waste as a movie. Granted, I watched the Director's Cut where...

The movie ends with his solution being to go back to strangle himself in the womb and never be born.

I still can't believe the fat guy (Not Ethan Stuplee, the other one) was Fulton Reed in Mighty Ducks... reaaaally let himself go.

[DjinnAndTonic]

I liked Butterfly Effect. Granted, I wouldn't give it a 9, but it wasn't a total waste as a movie. Granted, I watched the Director's Cut where...

The movie ends with his solution being to go back to strangle himself in the womb and never be born.

I also liked Butterfly Effect (overall), but I still wish Ashton Kutcher would actually do this.

[Veryslightlymad]

Haven't posted a movie dump in months, so here's what I've been watching lately.

SPOILER ALERT FOR EVERY MOVIE I LIST HERE.

Superbad ~ Saw this over the summer with my younger cousin. It's just as funny as I remember it the first time--it takes a while to build up, but from the moments just before the police arrive until the end of the movie, it's pretty much a comedy goldmine. Best line in the movie? "'Oh shit! It's the cops!'"

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ~ As far as the Harry Potter movies go, this was a huge step backward from Order of the Phoenix. And this goes pretty much across the board. The writing felt worse. The special effects were MUCH worse. The acting was generally worse (Malfoy and Dumbledore excepted.) They didn't do justice to Sectum Sempra, but given the PG* rating, this is no surprise. I really didn't like the movie at all, except the scene where Harry was feeding Dumbledore the potion was PERFECT, and gave me chills. It's a shame everything SURROUNDING that scene felt completely off.
*The PG rating is asinine. The LAST movie was PG-13, and was the best movie they had made. They're sacrificing integrity to make a few extra bucks, and given how the actors are millionaires, and Ms. Rowling is a BILLIONaire, this is downright shameful.
Also, Harry, I totally share your love of the Interracial lovin'. First Cho Chang, now cute waitress girl. I dig it. M&Ms, bro. Different outside, same sweet candy that you crave on the inside.

Pineapple Express ~ HILARIOUS. A stoner movie that has basically raised the bar for all stoner movies, and in more ways than one. First off, it gets the whole "stoned people" act down perfectly. Second, it had an actual interesting plot and some really great moments. I love how all the drama was played off like average people in the drama. No one had any action-hero one liners, when the main character shoots a dude in the head, his response is to look down and say "EW!" The ending to this movie (which I won't spoil) is fantastic, and probably one of the funniest fucking scenes I have ever seen in my life.

Everything from this point on was a required film for one of my two classes this semester.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind ~ Interesting movie. There are certain things from this movie that, I feel, will be hard to replicate in the future, as so much of the plot could be rendered meaningless today with the development of the Internet. Not going to touch any of the symbolism with a ten foot pole, because my Prof completely turned me off to it with his discussion of it, and because I think Spielberg forces -way- too much in some of his movies.

The Great Escape ~ An excellent movie, as we all know. I want to be James Garner when I grow up. Kind of infuriating how this is known as a "James Dean" movie when it's such a huge ensemble piece. Also, Dean is nowhere NEAR as sexy as Garner, so what the fuck, Americans?
My biggest complaint to the movie was the portrayal of Ives the Scotsman. Make a note, and keep it near your heart: No Scotsman born has ever taken a sip of drink that two non-scots have and been unable to keep it down. That little fuck should have been able to drink the two Americans under the table, and that's the goddamn truth.
EDIT
I mean "Steve McQueen" How do I always mess that up!?

Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo (The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly) ~ Anyone who thinks the title is about the moral standing of the characters is an idiot, and I hate you. This is a really good movie, but again, we all pretty much knew that already. It's another one of those cases where the "Star" of the film pisses me off, because Eli Wallach has a more prominent part than Clint Eastwood does, taking up the majority of screentime and getting by far the most exposition of any of the characters, and also the biggest insight into what makes him tick.
Nevertheless, this set up a lot of things for Westerns and for film-making that changed the way they look. The lingering closeups of expression, sometimes expressionlessness, really sells it.
Also, "The Ecstasy of Gold" is one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, and it's choreographed into the one scene it's played in perfectly. I think I had an orgasm watching that ugly little pudgy Mexican prance around that graveyard in search of Arch Stanton. Also, I can't watch Wallach's performance of Tuko without thinking of Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow. Depp says he modeled his behavior off of Kieth Richards, but it's highly probable he was more than a little influenced by the lovable scoundrel in this film.
Oh, and Eastwood is OK too, I guess.

The Third Man ~ I did not expect Nudity in a movie from this time period. That said, the movie didn't do anything for me. I liked the little speech about humans being ants and about what war and peace do to civilization, which is a big part of why the movie is famous. Other than that, I just sort of found the whole thing boring.

The Silence of the Lambs ~ Not a lot to be said here, I think we've all seen it and all can tell you what's good about it. I had a harder time finding Hannibal Lector so scary, but thinking on it, it's because Hopkins' performance as Dr. Lector became a TEMPLATE for creepy-ass dudes everywhere. I've seen so many people crib his style that, watching it, I feel like he's cribbing someone else. No, I'm watching the thing that influenced everything else.
Because we analyzed the scene where Clarice meets Dr. Lector for the first time in depth, thus having to watch it at least ten times, I can honestly say I have never heard the word "Cunt" used more times in a scholarly setting.

Ringu ~ I like Japanese horror better, apparently. One thing I noticed (and loved) was there were no cheap scares. If I see another cat jump out in something, EVEN AS PARODY, I'm going to scream in sheer misery. Also, this was more psychologically interesting to me. It was more of what I'd call a "Thriller" than a "Horror" film, but whatever. Usually when I watch a Japanese movie, I notice just how different the storytelling style is, and this was no exception. Me, I appreciate the little things that you don't notice in the direction. Japanese movies tend to build up a scene slowly. They'll have a shot of several parts of the area and really establish setting and tone before anything. American movies tend to toss you right into the nitty gritty of the scene. Me, I like to be seduced a little. I think it's because I have such a strong feminine side.

Days of Heaven ~ A beautiful movie, it nonetheless sucked.
I really wanted that to be my entire review, but there was a GREAT moment. In possibly the most ironic thing I have ever seen, the lead female tells the lead male that she loves him because he still has the same hair. That leading actor? RICHARD GERE. I still crack up just thinking about it.

How to Steal a Million ~ Forget about James Garner. I want to be Peter O'Toole when I grow up. This was a really fun little movie with the aforementioned O'Toole and Audry Hepburn, whom is just too goddamn pretty for words, but we all knew that. I'd say go watch it because it really is a lot of fun and chances are you haven't seen it.
As for random commentary, I suddenly understand the whole Paris Hilton scandal. Hilton, I think, is trying to BE Audry Hepburn, or at least a character she'd play in a movie. She's got the whole "Fashionplate" thing going, and their faces are shockingly similar. Just the general attitude, the mixture of girlish feigned ignorance with a remarkably savvy underside.... mmn. I can definitely see it.
Imagine how big of a scandal it'd be if Audry Hepburn had leaked a sex tape. Now, instead of that, think the much happier thought over how much HOTTER the sex would be than in the Hilton tape. Oh, Paris, you can try all you like, but you'll never reach the height of sophistication and sensuality of Miss Hepburn.

The Conversation ~ This was another excellent movie. I say that because unlike many films, it made me genuinely uncomfortable throughout a large chunk of the film. I think Hackman did a great job of making his character have a believable anxiety disorder, because the uncomfortable way he tried telling people who were doing nice things for him to stay out of his life reminded me of how I sometimes act when I do something "weird" because things are outside my comfort zone. It looked like a compulsion for him, which is what it IS. So that was just tremendous acting there.
Furthermore, and this will sound weird, the kissing between Hackman and (Elizabeth MacRae?!) jibed VERY well with what little I know of the subject from personal experience, and felt much more genuine and realistic than kissing in movies normally does, so I was a little uncomfortable during that whole situation, and when he wakes up to see that he's been betrayed, with the tapes gone, that made everything even worse. When he simply said "Bitch", I really FELT it.
Also, I discovered the mystery of where the Bug was BEFORE the big "Hit you over the head" moment where it flashes back to the Conversation. So when Hackman is tearing up his entire apartment fruitlessly looking for it, I kept shaking my head. I honestly never knew how the movie ended, so him NOT discovering the bug made it even MORE uncomfortable.
I'm comfortable saying that Hackman's performance here was the best acting I have ever seen.

Citizen Kane ~ You know me, I love to hate on popular things. I'm not "counter culture" but I like to be contradictory, and sometimes, things just seem overhyped. So I went into this movie wholly expecting that I'd hate it. And I did, at the very opening.
Unfortunately for my worldview, Citizen Kane happens to be an excellent and compelling movie that kept me glued to the screen for the entire production.
Forget Peter O'Toole, I want to be a (not fat) Orson Welles when I grow up. Actually, I was so enamored with the character of Charles Foster Kane in the beginning, and I empathized with him so much throughout the film, that I began to have an existentialist crisis. I mean, he reminds me a lot of myself (albeit much more successful at.... everything.) And he's a total narcissist. Does that make ME a narcissist? I only want to give and receive love, but what if I'm like Mr. Kane and only want to receive love? Am I, too, damned to a life of unsatisfied unhappiness?

Also, that "There is a man---A CERTAIN MAN!" thing is gonna be stuck in my head for weeks.

[Veryslightlymad]

Yay, someone's defending me~!

That aside, I got in one last movie to cap off this weekend.

Into The Wild (9.6/10)
I don't know what to say. I'm actually stunned. This is one of the best movies I've ever seen. It ranks up there with Fight Club, Milk and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for me. It's a long movie, but it never felt like it dragged on. At the beginning, I didn't quite know where it was going, but the moment the movie starts explaining how the main character actually ends up going to Alaska, it all came together very nicely. It's even nicely split into five chapters, which is a minor thing, but just something that I enjoy. The narrations are excellent, too. The soundtrack is insanely good, all original compositions by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. The ending was actually kind of surprising- a good surprise, mind you. Everything just fits together so well. Jesus, I fucking love Sean Penn for creating this movie.

I don't normally suggest other people to watch movies, knowing people have varying opinions, but this is, in my opinion, a MUST SEE. Watch it some time.

EDIT: And by some time, I mean SOON.

This movie is a semi-documentary, if you didn't know.

Also, I HAAAAAAAAATED the main character. SO VERY MUCH. I just wanted to punch him in his hairy little dick every time he flashed that smile of his. You know which one.

But yeah, the movie itself was pretty decent.

EDIT
Post is now legible. And for posterity,  here is my original post on the topic.

19)Into the Wild
~Good movie. I say that because it held my attention for two and a half hours, and it wasn't about a subject I'd have found interesting. It had fantastic camerawork. Plus it had a decidedly (in my view) unlikable lead character, but I still watched it.
Into the Wild is based on the positively true adventures of some dipshit who got sick of his life in middle class bliss and being accepted to Harvard Law, and said "Fuck it, I'm going to Alaska."
He's such an unlikable, narcissistic FUCK who basically charms everyone he meets, and then destroys their lives by abandoning them and destroying himself, because, WHOAMG SPOILARS: HE DIES.
Who couldn't see that coming? A stupid assclown throws out all of his cash and travels to the harshest places in nature just to prove some kind of ass-backward point on the condition of society. He's clearly smart, but also clearly not near as smart as he thinks he is. He takes from every person that he meets, and rarely gives anything back. He cuts a swath of desperation and crushed dreams in his wake.
He is played by Emile Hersch, who, I swear to god, is like, this exact unlikable kid in every movie he's in. Only this time he does full-frontal. You know, on my list of celebrities I want to see full frontal nudity of, I'd have to say that Emile Hersch is probably not in the top ten. Anyhow, he seems to embody that sort of impotent, useless grunge "Fuck the man" mentality that was easily the worst part of the 90s. That is, until you remember Eddie Vedder does the soundtrack.
Naw, Vedder is -ok-. But only just. And the movie is, again, still pretty good. I feel horrible for his sister, the girl who was in love with him, the old man who wanted him as a grandson, and the hippy woman who thought he was like HER son. So pretty much everyone he met except for Vince Vaughn. (Also, more movies need a drunken Vince Vaughn. Drunken Vince Vaughn makes everything better.)
Anyhow, rest in peace you godawful narcissistic bastard. I hope whoever got into Harvard Law in your place made a few million dollars and boffs Australian supermodels.