Welcome to the Invelos forums. Please read the forum rules before posting.

Read access to our public forums is open to everyone. To post messages, a free registration is required.

If you have an Invelos account, sign in to post.

    Invelos Forums->General: General Discussion Page: 1 2  Previous   Next
Another alphabet marathon
Author Message
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorDanae Cassandra
Registered: Apr 11, 2004
Registered: May 26, 2007
Reputation: Great Rating
United States Posts: 2,878
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
High Spirits


Region 1

Released: 6/4/2002

Anamorphic 1.85:1





Year:  1988
Rating:  PG-13
Director:  Neil Jordan
Stars:  Peter O'Toole, Steve Guttenberg, Daryl Hannah, Beverly D'Angelo, Liam Neeson

Plot:  Impoverished Peter Plunkett hatches the perfect plan to save his debt-ridden Irish castle: lure American tourists by advertising his place as haunted. But when Peter and his staff don sheets and chains to go a-haunting, they scare up more than paying guests...they arouse the real ghosts of Castle Plunkett! And when American tourist Jack spies a gorgeous ghost named Mary, it's love at first sighting. Now all Jack has to worry about is Mary's murderous spook of a husband...and their 200-year ages difference!

My Thoughts:  This evening was movie night at my friend's house, and since she is ... well, what is the opposite of a film snob? ... I needed a fun movie, something funny, maybe a bit silly without a lot of serious drama, and without anyone you care about dying.  This fits the bill completely.  This is the kind of fun popcorn movie you pop in for a good laugh and don't worry about turning on your brain.  Plus it has Peter O'Toole, who is one of my very favorite actors, in a fantastic performance as the drunk Irishman. 

Overall:  2.5/5  (an entertaining waste of time)
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield
 Last edited: by Danae Cassandra
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorDanae Cassandra
Registered: Apr 11, 2004
Registered: May 26, 2007
Reputation: Great Rating
United States Posts: 2,878
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
In Bruges


Region 1

Released: 6/24/2008

Anamorphic 2.35:1





Year:  2008
Rating:  R for Strong Bloody Violence, Pervasive Language and Some Drug Use
Director:  Martin McDonagh
Stars:  Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes

Plot:  Hit men Ray and Ken have been ordered to cool their heels in the storybook city of Bruges (it's in Belgium) after finishing a big job. But since hit men make the worst tourists, they soon find themselves in a life-and-death struggle of comic proportions against one very angry crime boss!

My Thoughts:  I had heard good things about this film, so I have wanted to watch it for awhile, and the letter i gave me the perfect opportunity.  I enjoyed this film a lot, though it wasn't what I was expecting.  It's a bittersweet story of the wrongs that men can do, of guilt and grief and maybe redemption.  It's also a quintessentially anti-Hollywood film - the ending is ambiguous, and you'd never see that in a Hollywood film.  Recommended.

Overall:  3.5/5  (solidly entertaining with no flaws)
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributorbbbbb
on steroids
Registered: March 14, 2007
Posts: 5,734
Posted:
PM this userDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quote:
It's a bittersweet story of the wrongs that men can do, of guilt and grief and maybe redemption.  It's also a quintessentially anti-Hollywood film - the ending is ambiguous

The first things that come to mind when I think of In Bruges are the well-timed humour and Farrell's good acting.
Don't confuse while the film is playing with when the film is played. [Ken Cole, DVD Profiler Architect]
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorDanae Cassandra
Registered: Apr 11, 2004
Registered: May 26, 2007
Reputation: Great Rating
United States Posts: 2,878
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting bbbbb:
Quote:
Quote:
It's a bittersweet story of the wrongs that men can do, of guilt and grief and maybe redemption.  It's also a quintessentially anti-Hollywood film - the ending is ambiguous

The first things that come to mind when I think of In Bruges are the well-timed humour and Farrell's good acting.

I definitely agree with that.  The humor was very well-timed, and Colin Farrell - in fact, all the actors - did a great job.
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantShinyDiscGuy
Registered: March 10, 2009
Posts: 2,248
Posted:
PM this userDirect link to this postReply with quote
In Burges is a far more original and refreshing comedy compared to the tripe Hollywood has been putting out. I hate Jack Black i hate Adam Sandler i hate Steve Carell i hate Jonah Hill i hate Seth Rogen but i especial hate Michael Cera.

He plays the same boring little twerp in every film he is in.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorDanae Cassandra
Registered: Apr 11, 2004
Registered: May 26, 2007
Reputation: Great Rating
United States Posts: 2,878
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
I think you've just named several of my least favorite actors - except I don't know who Jonah Hill is, I liked one film Jack Black was in, and I haven't seen enough of Michael Cera to hate him.  For actors I dislike that you left out, there's Dane Cook, Will Farrell, Eddie Murphy (he used to be kinda funny, but he hasn't made anything good in ages... or even anything marginally tolerable in ages) and I especially hate Jim Carey.  I haven't been able to stand him in anything.
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantShinyDiscGuy
Registered: March 10, 2009
Posts: 2,248
Posted:
PM this userDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting Danae Cassandra:
Quote:
I think you've just named several of my least favorite actors - except I don't know who Jonah Hill is, I liked one film Jack Black was in, and I haven't seen enough of Michael Cera to hate him.  For actors I dislike that you left out, there's Dane Cook, Will Farrell, Eddie Murphy (he used to be kinda funny, but he hasn't made anything good in ages... or even anything marginally tolerable in ages) and I especially hate Jim Carey.  I haven't been able to stand him in anything.


I have a guilty pleasure for Murphy's version of Doctor Dolittle. It's plot is non existent but the talking
guinea pig and the conversation with the suicidal tiger where rather amusing.



Anchor Man had some moments but apart from that i hate everything by Will Farrell. Jim Carrey well i have grown out of the Ace Ventura films but i love The Truman Show and of course Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind
 Last edited: by ShinyDiscGuy
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorDanae Cassandra
Registered: Apr 11, 2004
Registered: May 26, 2007
Reputation: Great Rating
United States Posts: 2,878
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Jean-Michel Cousteau Ocean Adventures: Voyage to Kure


Region 1

Released: 4/4/2006

Widescreen 1.78:1





Year:  2005
Rating:  NR
Director:  unknown (not credited)
Stars:  Jean-Michel Cousteau, Holly Lohuis, the plants & animals of the Northern Hawaiian Islands

Plot:  In Voyage to Kure, Jean-Michel and his crew travel across the Pacific to reach Kure.  As one of the most remote places on Earth, Kure is part of the Hawaiian Islands, 1,200 miles from Kauai and the last remnant of wild coral in the Pacific.  The islands teem with life as, off-shore, young albatross try their wings while Tiger Sharks, the most efficient killers in the world, lie in wait.  Just beyond the shore, the crew explores 200 square miles of reef and its incredible biodiversity.

My Thoughts:  I wanted to watch Jaws, but my mom vetoed that so I told her to pick something starting with J and this is what she picked.  This is part of a documentary series originally aired on PBS.  Not as good as the fabulous BBC Earth documentaries (Planet Earth and it's ilk) this is still an excellent series with a lot of valuable information about the plants & animals of the sea, the difficulty of oceanic research, and our impact on the ocean and it's life.  Recommended, especially if you enjoy nature documentaries, but also just for your own education (the amount of plastic trash on the beaches of islands with no human settlement is frightening).

We also watched the episode "America's Underwater Treasures," which we have on VHS, and is about the US Marine Sanctuaries, and about which all of the above comments apply. 

Overall:  4/5  (an excellent documentary)
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield
 Last edited: by Danae Cassandra
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantMsPaula
Ms Paula
Registered: March 14, 2007
United States Posts: 168
Posted:
PM this userEmail this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting Danae Cassandra:
Quote:
I wanted to watch Jaws, but my mom vetoed that so I told her to pick something starting with J and this is what she picked. 


Nice of your Mom to pick out something that still managed to keep the oceanic element. 
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantCalebAndCo
Ralphie shot first.
Registered: October 6, 2008
United States Posts: 1,932
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting MtnMike:
Quote:
Quoting Danae Cassandra:
Quote:
I wanted to watch Jaws, but my mom vetoed that so I told her to pick something starting with J and this is what she picked. 


Nice of your Mom to pick out something that still managed to keep the oceanic element. 

"We're gonna need a bigger...lens."
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorDanae Cassandra
Registered: Apr 11, 2004
Registered: May 26, 2007
Reputation: Great Rating
United States Posts: 2,878
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote

Title: Kolya
Year: 1996
Rating: PG-13 for some sensuality
Director: Jan Sverák
Stars:  Zdenek Sverák, Andrej Chalimon, Libuse Safránková, Ondrej Vetchý

Plot:  A confirmed bachelor is in for the surprise of his life when a get-rich-quick scheme backfires...setting off a wild set of circumstances—and leaving him with a pint-sized new roommate! Now, with a mischievous five-year-old named Koyla suddenly in his care...life in this once carefree playboy's tiny apartment changes faster than he could ever imagine!

My Thoughts:  Mom has been wanting to watch this one for quite some time, and I had no attachment to anything in the K's, so...  This is less of a comedy than the package tends to make one think, it's more of a heartwarming family story.  Not that it lacks for comedy, mind you, parts of it are quite funny.  I enjoyed the film a lot and thought it was quite good.  I especially liked that they didn't make the little boy too grown up for his age, as you often see in movies.  He reminded me of my friend's youngest from a number of years ago.  Recommended.

My Rating:  3.5/5  (solidly entertaining with no flaws)
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield
 Last edited: by Danae Cassandra
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorDanae Cassandra
Registered: Apr 11, 2004
Registered: May 26, 2007
Reputation: Great Rating
United States Posts: 2,878
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting CalebAndCo:
Quote:
Quoting MtnMike:
Quote:
Quoting Danae Cassandra:
Quote:
I wanted to watch Jaws, but my mom vetoed that so I told her to pick something starting with J and this is what she picked. 


Nice of your Mom to pick out something that still managed to keep the oceanic element. 

"We're gonna need a bigger...lens."

It's amazing what they manage to capture with those lenses.  Just think it they were bigger! 
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorDanae Cassandra
Registered: Apr 11, 2004
Registered: May 26, 2007
Reputation: Great Rating
United States Posts: 2,878
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote

Title: L'année dernière à Marienbad (Last Year at Marienbad)
Year: 1961
Rating: NR
Director: Alain Resnais
Stars: Giorgio Albertazzi, Delphine Seyrig, Sacha Pitoëff

Plot:  Not just a defining work of the French New Wave but one of the great, lasting mysteries of modern art, Alain Resnais' epochal Last Year at Marienbad has been puzzling appreciative viewers for decades. Written by radical master of the New Novel Alain Robbe-Grillet, this surreal fever dream, or nightmare, gorgeously fuses the past with the present in telling its ambiguous tale of a man and a woman who may or may not have met a year ago, perhaps at the very same cathedral-like, mirror-filled château they now find themselves wandering. Unforgettable in both its confounding details (gilded ceilings, diabolical parlor games, a loaded gun) and haunting scope, Resnais' investigation into the nature of memory is disturbing, romantic, and maybe even a ghost story.

My Thoughts:  Not a film for everyone!  While my mom and I enjoyed it and thought it was a very interesting film, I can't think of any of my friends who would enjoy this film.  Marienbad is a slow, symbolic, circular poem, told through repeating motifs and repeating dialogue that are also altered motifs and altered dialogue.  It's definitely a movie I want to watch again - maybe next year - and I think I'll get more out of it on the second viewing.  The cinematography is spectacular and the print on Criterion's blu-ray is crystal clear and crisp.  This is an art film with a capital ART, and so recommended only to those who enjoy such films.

My Rating:  4/5 (an excellent film)
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield
 Last edited: by Danae Cassandra
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorDanae Cassandra
Registered: Apr 11, 2004
Registered: May 26, 2007
Reputation: Great Rating
United States Posts: 2,878
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote

Title: The Maltese Falcon
Year: 1941
Rating: NR
Director: John Huston
Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet

Plot:  A gallery of high-living lowlifes will stop at nothing to get their sweaty hands on a jewel-encrusted falcon. Detective Sam Spade wants to find out why—and who'll take the fall. This third screen version of Dashiell Hammett's novel is a film of firsts: John Huston's directorial debut, rotund Sidney Greenstreet's screen debut, film history's first film noir and Bogart's breakthrough role after years as a Warner contract player.

An all-star cast join Bogart in this crisply written sizzler that placed in the top quarter of the American Film Institute's 100 Greatest American Films list. Many say it's the best detective drama ever. Each time you see it, you'll find it hard to disagree.

My Thoughts:  Yet another classic movie that I had heard a lot about but had never actually sat down to watch.  A very fine film - I see why it has the reputation it does.  I enjoyed it immensely.  Bogie's character was fabulous, and he has more sex appeal and screen presence in one expression than most of the so-called sex symbols of today in their entire repertoire.  Between this and the few other Bogart films I have seen he has quickly become one of my favorite actors.  Mary Astor was good in her role, but she gets my only complaint for the film - I still don't understand what Spade saw in her.  That minor quibble aside, this is still highly recommended.

My Rating: 4.5/5 (just shy of a masterpiece)
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributordee1959jay
Registered: March 19, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
Netherlands Posts: 6,018
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
I agree, brilliant movie!
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorDanae Cassandra
Registered: Apr 11, 2004
Registered: May 26, 2007
Reputation: Great Rating
United States Posts: 2,878
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote

Title: A Night in Casablanca
Year: 1946
Rating: NR
Director: Archie L. Mayo

Stars:  Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Charles Drake, Lois Collier, Sig Ruman

Plot:  Groucho, Chico, Harpo...uh-oh! It's the Nazis vs. the nutsies when the legendary Marx Brothers foil Axis criminals during A Night In Casablanca. As the manager of a hotel swirling in intrigue, Groucho is up to his fake moustache in joyful if unfulfilled lechery. Chico – heywatzamatter – becomes Groucho's bodyguard by self decree. Harpo, pantomime's clown prince, says more in whistles and gestures than most comics say in pages of dialogue. When this 1946 film began production, Warner Brothers threatened suit, saying the title infringed upon the studio’s famed Casablanca. Groucho fired back: "You probably have the rights to use the name Warner, but what about Brothers? Professionally, we were brothers before you were."

My Thoughts:  I wanted a funny film this evening, something to sit back and laugh and not worry too much about.  I have heard about the Marx Brothers for years, and seen lots of clips but had never seen an entire film.  They live up to their reputation - they were very funny!  Especially the scene where they are continually rearranging the villain's clothes as he is trying to pack them.  I am rather picky about comedy, but I don't regret picking up the box set this is part of in the least and look forward to watching more of their films in the future sometime. 

My Rating:  3/5 (solidly entertaining - and very funny)
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield
    Invelos Forums->General: General Discussion Page: 1 2  Previous   Next