help a brother out. recommend a movie.

[iratasan]

as for ils/them, it was brilliant. ils was finished way before "the strangers", but the scipt for "the strangers" was finished two years earlier. after i watched ils i would be ashamed of even starting to direct "the strangers". what a waste of time.

oh, and i wrote an IMDB review of that as well:

2 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
a horror film for people that don't actually enjoy horror films, 20 August 2008
1/10
Author: Iratasan

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

inspired by the high IMDb rating and being a huge horror film fan i went out to watch this yesterday and i was surprised beyond belief about the actual film.

the plot synopsis sounded rather fair and the cast was interesting as well. also i found the masks of the attackers compelling so i thought there could not go much wrong with a little bit off directors passion and an at least mediocre script. well, there i was wrong.

what bothered me first was that they started off with a side-plot that at a certain point into the movie stops. i guess it was meant to gather some sympathy for the main characters AKA victims, but for me this attempt failed. after 30 minutes into the movie i still did not care for the couple and i was slowly beginning to get bored as none to nothing happens in this film. approximately 60 minutes into the film still not much happened except for some panic and some b-movie typical screaming from liv tyler.

also, at this point the whole thing started to remind me of the movie them (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465203/) which at this point (60 minutes) already had me totally in its fangs, a total opposite of this movie. the main differences are that this movie plays in a much safer environment and that the victims in "them" seem to fight for their life the victims in "the strangers" just run and scream around in panic.

another reference that is obvious i michael hanekes's film funny games and if "the strangers" would have been released before "funny games" then one could have the impression that this was the actual movie haneke was criticizing as an example what is wrong with the Hollywood industry.

anyway, 60 minutes is still not the end and an amazing conclusion can safe nearly every movie, so stayed.

unfortunately there wasn't much coming after that. ultra-simple conclusion,no twist, no surprise, no whatsoever.

basically the conclusion was the same as with "them" which was written after this movies script, but directed and released long before this movie was even in production so basically, this is one of those typical bad Hollywood remakes of a great European movie.

basically there is 90 minutes of nothing happening at all.

as an art-house film fan i am missing the plot here. as a horror film fan i am missing suspense, storyline, basically everything. in general as a movie fan i am missing the sense here. why would anybody enjoy watching this? the rating to me is an absolutely wonder and kinda sad actually.

[j_pawlish1476]

I know we've been talking about horror movies, but can anyone recommend a good drama or mystery for tonight. I've seen sooo many movies that I'm starting to run out of things to watch.

[andruw000]

I know we've been talking about horror movies, but can anyone recommend a good drama or mystery for tonight. I've seen sooo many movies that I'm starting to run out of things to watch.

le samourai if you're in the mood for an older, slower masterpiece.

dead ringers is a personal favorite. jeremy irons is pretty incredible in it playing identical twin brothers. plus, it's a cronenberg movie so you know it will be interesting. if you're up for a little more violence, videodrome is an excellent mystery/drama/horror movie.

sticking with james woods, salvador is excellent as well. i think it's oliver stone's best film.

hope that helps.

[MattTheCraw]

I know we've been talking about horror movies, but can anyone recommend a good drama or mystery for tonight. I've seen sooo many movies that I'm starting to run out of things to watch.

Go back to the start of this thread and the "worth Watching" thread

Should give you a big list by the time you're finished (and a big list of what to avoid)

[fredo]

**SPOILERS**
Saw Up in the Air last night.
Someone explain to me why this is up for best picture. Nothing happens. No drama, no humor, no nothing. It's like if someone in the movie says something is dramatic- it is.
No, it isn't. (cut to man crying because he lost his job: yes that is dramatic, but not in the context of the movie- just in the guy's life, about which we know nothing. the movie is just exploiting it.) UitA may be touching or mildly funny, but there is no real story, just a bunch of events. Such as:
The guy loves to travel, he meets a woman, the new business model takes him off the road so he decides not to travel and be with woman, she turns out to be a fraud, business puts him back on the road, guy starts to travel again. No one overcomes anything- everything just kind of works out. Even the people he fired get a shot at the end to say how everything kinda is OK because of their family, etc. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
All in all it was like a 2-hour flight in first class. Nice, highly scripted, but fluffy and really overpriced.

[entropy]

**SPOILERS**
Saw Up in the Air last night.
Someone explain to me why this is up for best picture. Nothing happens. No drama, no humor, no nothing. .

I agree. I saw it and thought it wasn't bad. It's just a glorified chick flick. Not Best Picture worthy. I'd highly recommend (500) Days of Summer over this film if you're looking for a chick flick.

BTW, liked the article on Stanley Kubrick and the moon landings and interpretation of The Shining. That is insane. I recommend this film for similar fun:

Capricorn One (1978). Grade: B
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhLHAKoK35w

[fredo]

Capricorn One (1978). Grade: B
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhLHAKoK35w

Saw that as a kid- I gotta check it again. Conspiracy stuff is a blast. Check out "Bloodline". It's a Dan Brown production about the Jesus-in-France stuff-
goofy as hell, but fun fun fun. I could not bear one minute of 500 Days of Summer, though.
To each they own.

[Codeblue]

**SPOILERS**
Saw Up in the Air last night.
Someone explain to me why this is up for best picture. Nothing happens. No drama, no humor, no nothing. .

I agree. I saw it and thought it wasn't bad. It's just a glorified chick flick. Not Best Picture worthy. I'd highly recommend (500) Days of Summer over this film if you're looking for a chick flick.

Wow, I couldn't disagree more. I think it's the ultimate independent male movie. This free-spirited, fun loving guy gets pushed into compromising all of his values and trying out "true love" by familial and societal pressure only to realize that it's usually a sham and we truly do "die alone". My feeling on the whole "firing" subplot is that it is just there to give the movie more contemporary relevance, and didn't have much of an impact on the movie for me. One of the great things about it is how each person can come out with a different interpretation and appreciation (or lackthereof) for the proceedings.

P.S. 500 Days of Summer IS the ultimate chick flick, therefore, I hated it.

[fredo]

Wow, I couldn't disagree more. I think it's the ultimate independent male movie. This free-spirited, fun loving guy gets pushed into compromising all of his values and trying out "true love" by familial and societal pressure only to realize that it's usually a sham and we truly do "die alone". My feeling on the whole "firing" subplot is that it is just there to give the movie more contemporary relevance, and didn't have much of an impact on the movie for me. One of the great things about it is how each person can come out with a different interpretation and appreciation (or lackthereof) for the proceedings.

P.S. 500 Days of Summer IS the ultimate chick flick, therefore, I hated it.

Good points- it definitely was not a chick flick, and the firing was not central (although they tried to have it both ways by making it seem central). The independent male stuff was
good fodder for a flick, but by itself didn't carry this one for me. As we say, to each their own ass, but I don't see how this is near the best movie of the year.

[Codeblue]

What are the best movies of the year for you?

[fredo]

Hurt Locker
Thirst
...and...ummm...Drag Me to Hell?

Pretty thin year now that you mention it.
I'll have to give A Serious Man another look- might have shortchanged that one.

[Codeblue]

Haven't seen Thirst or Drag Me to Hell, but I thought Hurt Locker was very overrated. There were a couple of suspenseful scenes, but talk about "nothing happening". I didn't really care for any of the characters, especially the main character who basically comes off as a typical military douchebag. The scene where they try to "hunt down" the terrorist by themselves at night also seems far fetched, and the movie goes on for about 30 minutes too long.

[fredo]

None are really classics to me. Hurt Locker was definitely a day in the life type of flick. The plot being centered around a guy who loves war is not much different than one revolving around a guy who loves travel, but the action was good enough to serve as dramatic roadblocks for the main charcters. And I thought the exploration of the guy's psyche/mentality was well done. Solid acting, too.

[MattTheCraw]

What are the best movies of the year for you?

It's only February man!

[pearlybaker]

saw Shutter Island yesterday - thought it was one of the better movies I've seen in a while.