RobertR

I don't blame Marcum as much as I blame Roenicke.

^Yeah, I'm working my way through all 30 films Kurosawa directed at Matt's website, latest is going up Monday, and I'll post reviews of more recent releases at Al's site. I tend to try to work the reviews at Al's site around the Brewers, so maybe I'll post some thoughts Wednesday on what I saw at the Milwaukee Film Festival. FYI, Close Encounters still rocks on the big screen. Robert

They lost one SWAT guy right away and another by about the mid-point, albeit the mid-point in the movie with this short a running time isn't too long. Overall though, I felt that the SWAT guys were indistinct and a page out of Cameron would have been in order. Even though the Colonial Marines of Aliens are all types, even the cannon fodder were different types. I kind of felt that the "room you can only find in the dark" was simply the workaround they needed to get to another set after they exhausted the layout of the building. I'm still not sure how that fits with the supposed backstory of the researcher and how he managed to utilize/create(?) it. Or why the researcher would bother to put a refrigerator to store an important sample in an air duct?!? But, the execution of both those concepts were so well done that I'm willing to let them slide and put them in the category of nitpicks. That said, I think there's much more to nitpick about the second film than the first. The first is tight. The second is more ambitious but also a bit sloppier. Still, overall I think the [Rec] films are among the most creative, fun, and scary horror movies of the last decade, minor nitpicks aside. They essentially are thrill rides/haunted house movies, but they do it very well. And, they make the found footage conceit work. That's one thing I like about low budget horror, there's room for trying new things. When's the last time anyone saw a first person, found footage bio-pic? Robert

I'm actually looking forward to them turning off the p.o.v. rules a bit. And I find the zombie angle they're taking extremely fun. OTOH, I'm not sure how much I buy the "you can only find the room in the dark" angle, the "why set up in an apartment building instead of a research facility" seems sketchy to me the more they go into it, and there seems to be some inconsistency in what kills these zombies (minus blowing their heads completely off which seems to work everytime). And how smart they are which seems to come and go. Plus I think that having every SWAT guy essentially go Pvt. Hudson was a little much and I found the characters overall in the first one more likable, diverse, and interesting. That said, I had a lot of genuine fun with the second and I'm all for seeing more badass priests in action. That's a trope that doesn't get old for me. Robert

I'm looking forward to [Rec]3, although I have to say that I liked [Rec]2 less than the first one. The angle they took for the outbreak is an interesting one, but it also seems like one where they get to turn off any and all rules. The subplot with the teens didn't go anywhere interesting. And they seemed to be repeating themselves to an extent. Not to mention the "we need some blood" macguffin seemed to be nonsensical at one point when there was blood all over the room. They really need to up their game for the third one, or diminishing returns is going to set in hard. Robert

Source Code A nice twisty, Quantum Leap influenced, sci-fi thriller. It's not in the same class as Moon, but it's fun, the characters are likable, and it has some clever twists. I never quite bought the premise, but in the end I didn't find that a problem. 24 Hour Party People Michael Winterbottom's look at Manchester in the 70s/80s, Tony Wilson, and the development of bands like Joy Division through to the rave culture centered around Factory Records. It's a good look at the era and Steve Coogan is great, albeit tough to understand at times. Unstoppable A "lets see what's on HBO" decision. Runaway Train is one of my favorite films of the '80s, so I'm good with the premise, although this movie isn't remotely in the same ballpark. The well staged action, Denzel Washington, and Chris Pine are the saving graces of a movie that plays like a "movie of the week" with a bigger name supporting cast. There's a lot of really annoying exposition with news reports to tell us things we already know, and not in a clever Greek chorus way. It's ok for what it is, but aims pretty low. An American Werewolf in London Somehow I've missed this over the years. Rectified that this year and it's a very entertaining, funny, self aware movie with a solid understanding of horror at its core. It helps that the first attack is setup in such a way that you're not sure over who the victim is going to be. The special effects were ground breaking and still look good. It's a horror classic for a reason. Don't Look Now They don't make horror movies like this anymore and that's disappointing. This is a great film, dripping with atmosphere, it looks great, is well acted, it's intelligent, and it has one heck of a wicked twist at the end. The editing of this is a thing of beauty as well. [Rec] and [Rec]2 I think I've mentioned [Rec] in this thread before. It's worth mentioning again, because both these films are fun, effective horror affairs. They're both essentially haunted house pictures where something scary leaps out and rushes at the camera, or does something else scary, again and again. But, once these movies get going they're relentless, fast paced affairs with some clever variations on their formula. And there are very few false jump scares. When something happens, they don't generally take the cheap, easy way out, but go all out. I'd like to see both with an audience. Drunken Angel Working my way through Kurosawa's movies from beginning to end. This is a minor masterpiece. Robert

Considering I spent the better parts of two decades hunting for Chimes at Midnight, I have to say we've all become spoiled. Granted, we're not at streaming nirvana yet, but I've seen many movies I've only vaguely read about in the last decade thanks to the digital revolution. Robert

Somebody have a trademark on something like Cinemail Plus? If not, you really have to think that Netflix is making the demise of their DVD service a self fulfilling prophecy. Robert

Yeah, it really seems all slapped together without a plan. I understand that streaming is likely the future of video instead of physical media. But, it certainly seems like Netflix is putting their future business model ahead of their current customers. Considering somewhere around 14 million households use the DVD service and the streaming service is still years away from replacing the current status quo, it seems premature to me. I expect I will replace my DVD plan with a streaming plan at some point, but considering bandwidth limitations, catalog availability, and streaming quality, I don't see that happening for at least several years. I suspect that I'm not alone. Especially since recent releases are where I expect most of the business is at. And, frankly, I've never seen someone successfully implement the model of "we'll make service for customers worse now, so we'll be able to make it better in the future". Netflix's CEO has made it loud and clear that customer service is not their first priority at present, and the customers have shown they weren't just talk when they threatened to walk away. Now, Netflix hasn't done anything so awful that they can't recover, but it certainly seems to me that announcing price hikes and splitting off DVD service without any announcements of improved service and added streaming titles is asking for consumer pushback. Who would think that increasing the cost of a luxury item would cause demand to shrink? Admittedly, I'll never give Blockbuster another cent. And I'm still giving Netflix/Qwikster my DVD money for now, their DVD catalog is still terrific, but the bloom is off the rose. And, perhaps we're going to look at the last few years as a golden age for media availability and value. Robert

I've thought about Hulu+ due to the Criterion titles, but haven't made the leap yet. I think Netflix is screwing up, around 13 million of their subscribers have both DVD and Streaming plans and they like it because of the convenience (and pricing). Netflix has around 100,000 DVD titles and around 20,000 streaming titles and I think the combination of a deep library, quick access, and one stop shopping provided a good customer experience. Netflix is messing with it for a dream of streaming. While I agree that streaming is the future, I think the future Netflix envisions is a pipe dream. I don't see Warner Bros. bumping the ability to stream newer movies above HBO and VOD anytime soon. And, if they decide to do so, I don't see why Warner Bros. needs a middle man. At best, I see Netflix being a glorified TCM, lots of old (and great) content available for streaming, but not much of the big name newer stuff. In the meantime, unlike Amazon, Walmart, etc., Netflix is messing with customer loyalty and making it less convenient for customers. Frankly, I think the fact that Netflix has a lot of customers using both services points out that they've forgotten what business they're in. They're in the movie and television show delivery service, not the streaming or DVD by mail service. And, frankly, the news hasn't been good on the streaming front for content delivery lately, especially with Netflix failing to cut a deal with Starz and looking like they'll lose a lot of content in February. I suspect that the latest news would have gone down better if Netflix had coupled it with announcements that they were adding and keeping content through new and extended deals, instead it's the opposite. I don't know if there are great alternatives yet. And, if you use Netflix's streaming services on a regular basis, I can't recommend you switch to another service yet. However, apparently Dish Network/Blockbuster has some big announcement for streaming coming Friday. That will be interesting to see. Can we all agree though that Qwikster is a terrible name? Did they pull it out of a hat? Robert

Tree of Life is a visual masterpiece as impressive as anything Lean or Malick has done previously. It's also full of pretentious tangents and breathlessly whispered voice overs along the lines of "Mother. Father. Constantly you war within me." It's a tough film to recommend in the "Go. You'll have a good time." way as it requires your attention and analysis. And, frankly, even though it honestly tries at being a masterpiece, it's not quite at that level which may not make the effort worth it for many people. However, if you're open to it at all, the big screen is well worth going out of your way for. That's where it will have the most impact and I can't stress enough how much Malick takes advantage of the big screen. Even among Malick films, this is a visual standout. On a lighter note, I also watched the German film Die Farbe which is a low budget adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's The Colour Out of Space. IMO, Colour is Lovecraft's best story and a relatively faithful adaptation is going to hit many genuinely creepy points to begin with. (Stephen King did his own take on the material in Creepshow btw.) It's a low budget, black and white affair, and a quiet (hardly any music), slow burn of a movie. A slow burn depends on mood and the payoff and it's pretty good at both those points. OTOH, there's a framing story and an added twist to the story which I don't think work and the acting is variable. Worth a look if you're a fan of Lovecraft. Robert

I'm working my way through Twin Peaks with my wife who's never seen the whole series. At its best, it both delivers on and sends up the soap opera format while delivering moments of genuine eeriness and/or beauty. Kyle MacLachlan is particularly great in almost every scene. At its worst, it's a subpar, self aware soap opera that threatens to drown in its own quirk. The James/Donna stuff in particular. Overall, the good stuff way outweighs the missteps for me, although we haven't gotten to the post-Laura Palmer/pre-Wyndham Earle patch yet that really sank the show. Revisiting it later, I'm kicking myself for missing stuff like a blatant Vertigo reference for Sheryl Lee's doppelganger. Swamp Thing was a fun revisit for me. It's totally a B-movie. And one where the budget limitations show. But, the primary cast is game, the dialogue has moments that really pop, it has some genuine energy, and the swamp is filmed beautifully. I got to Smiles of a Summer Night by notable comedy director Ingmar Bergman. Seriously, Bergman is known for his ultra serious works mostly, but this is a charming, delightful, funny romantic partners roundelay with some great cinematography. You can definitely see its influence on Woody Allen, particularly A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy. I rented The Illusionist, the animated one based on an old script by Jacques Tati. I enjoyed the movie, and the animation is great, but the script is a little underwhelming being something of a bittersweet rumination on the end of personal, vaudeville type entertainers as they're replaced by flashier modern entertainments and the relationship between the title character and a young woman that tags along with him and who he helps blossom as a woman while never quite developing a connection with her. Finally, I watched Rango. I'm sorry I missed it in theaters as the animation is awesome and its one of the best looking films of the year, maybe only behind Tree of Life. I think it's kind of a ballsy decision to go with a Chinatown riff for a kids cartoon as well. There's a lot of riffing off of other movies too, mostly the Sergio Leone westerns, but there are pretty clear references to John Ford's movies, particularly Stagecoach, Cat Ballou, and even The Road Warrior. The animation is amazing and I think Gore Verbinski's eye really helps frame the images in a memorable way. I do wish there was a lot less riffing on other films though and Rango had developed more into its own thing, but it's a very fun time. FWIW, my summer movie scorecard: Tree of Life - A- Midnight in Paris - B+ Bridesmaids - B Thor - B Captain America: The First Avenger - B- Green Lantern - C I expect I'll see the final Harry Potter film in theaters and I did want to see Super 8, but Tree of Life was the only must-see theatrical experience of the summer, IMO. Robert

The question is what movies were best picture caliber movies? Inglorious Bastard, Precious, Blind Side, Up, Avatar? I just dont see a best picture caliber movie in that group. This years crop with The King's Speech, Inception, Social Network, 127 Hours,The Fighter and True Grit (although I did not love it) were all better movies than either of those two in my mind. I have not seen Black Swan, the Winter's Bone, Toy Story 3 and the Kids are Alright to know if they were better The biggest "grower" in estimation for me from 2009 is A Serious Man. If nothing else it has, bar none, the best final shot of the year. I also loved Moon. I liked The Hurt Locker, but I'll agree that it seems more of a compromise choice than a true classic. I'll take it over Avatar any day though. Robert

Oh, let me encourage anyone with interest in Tree of Life to go see it in a theater, not wait until DVD. Visually it's fantastic and genuinely one of the best looking films ever made. If you can, avoid spoiling yourself on Midnight in Paris. Robert

The Third Man is streaming. Robert

Some new ones. No Regrets for Our Youth One Wonderful Sunday Two of Kurosawa's early ones. I'm trying to decide if No Regrets is a masterpiece or just an excellent film. Either way, Setsuko Hara turns in a stunning performance. One Wonderful Sunday has some stuff in it that just doesn't work and the leads are merely good, but the parts that work really work. The Town As far as I'm concerned, Affleck is two for two as a director, although I prefer Gone Baby Gone. He roots the story in character and place, which gives the action sequences bite. Although probably not quite the right ending, it's a very satisfying movie. 127 Hours It's intense, well acted, and Danny Boyle knows how to make a movie non-static. Even with a guy trapped under a boulder. James Franco is excellent and the climax is excruciating. Not an easy watch, but a very good film. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I Money grab. A series of incidents isn't a story. Apparently no effort was made to shape the incidents into any type of story where the movie could stand on its own. They could have shortened it and ended it with Ron and Harry reunited. They could have extended it and ended with Harry declaring that he's no longer running. Those at least would be stories. Instead they stop in no man's land. Robert

Sherlock was excellent. The only problem with it was that there were too few episodes. (And the second episode really isn't as strong as the bookends.) Plus it ends on a great cliffhanger. I really like Moffat's Doctor Who, but I think his Sherlock is better. Benedict Cumberbatch is going to be a star very soon. I started watching Twin Peaks again for the summer. It holds up great. Robert

I'm more concerned that Roenicke has apparently run Loe into the ground. In mid-May. That's a problem that could persist for a long time, while a game too many of Kotsay in CF isn't likely to rear its head again. Robert

A few new ones. How to Train Your Dragon Some light entertainment, but some good stuff. Nice art direction, a good story, and they went the extra mile so that it didn't feel weightless with no consequences. Get Low Duvall's one of the finest actors of his generation and he's still doing good work. Bill Murray is also very good. Sissy Spacek is always a welcome sight. The story is fairly minor and low key, but it's an actor's showcase and they deliver. Viridiana My first Bunuel film and it's a terrific one, although it took a while to fully process. The camera is fluid, the story is good, the satire is spot on but subtle enough to fit in. Not for the easily offended in that it takes some strong swipes at the Catholic Church, but the story is a blanket condemnation either. Sanshiro Sugata The Most Beautiful Sanshiro Sugata Part 2 The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail Kurosawa's first four. Sanshiro Sugata is probably the most accessible, but three of the four are really fine films. The sequel is a real mixed bag. I'll have a lot more to say about them at Katuluu's website soon. Robert

I just watched the original Tron this week and that was pretty much my reaction. The effects are groundbreaking and the art direction is interesting, but it never gathers much momentum or meaning and the plot is as arbitrary as can be. Robert

Is it time to call out the small sample size police? You take any 11 game stretch and there will be guys hitting and guys not hitting. McGehee will be fine. And Gomez shouldn't be hitting #2 in the first place. It was always obvious that the Brewers lineup had some blackholes in it, so no real reason to be surprised. Nor is there reason to be surprised that the Brewers are dependent on two MVP caliber hitters having to hit like MVP caliber hitters. Robert

Yeah, silly me. Unfortunately(!), Death Bed is not available via Netflix, but I'll keep an eye out for it. I expect Rubber will be available before too long though. Robert

Yup. That helps. Although I should mention that Hausu has a ghost cat and a portrait of said cat that vomits forth enough blood to make Sam Raimi jealous. Robert

There's an article on the most cinematic of weapons, the flamethrower, at http://moviemorlocks.com/...4/01/burn-it/#more-34304 which put a big smile on my face. Especially this line: "For my money, though, the ne plus ultra of flameplay belongs to Gordon Douglas’ THEM! (1954), ..." "ne plus ultra of flameplay" is a turn of phrase I wished I coined. Robert

I have. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Try out Deathbed: The Bed that Eats next. You can thank me later. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif Honestly, after seeing a girl named Melody get eaten by a piano and a kung fu fight between another girl and a killer lamp, a bed that eats just doesn't sound strange enough. I know, I never thought I'd write that sentence either. Robert