James Bond Series Post 10: The Spy Who Loved Me

Nobody does it better than Roger Moore (except Sean Connery... and Daniel Craig... and Pierce Brosnan... he's actually one of the worst Bonds, never mind).  A great pre-title and title sequence start this tenth entry in the James Bond series, and this is another winner.  This movie is, in fact very funny.  The villain's main goal is to build a city beneath the sea (I'm cracking up just thinking about it).  One of the coolest gadgets to come out of Q's lab so far is the submarine car (I have to have one).  This also marks the first appearance of the greatest Bond villain of all time, JAWS.  Jaws has teeth made of metal (awesome).  On the whole The Spy Who Loved Me is the best Moore Bond film so far.  Can't wait for the cheesiest Bond film so far in the series, Moonraker.

The Spy Who Loved Me - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Who Wants to Be a Slumdog Millionaire?

Slumdog Millionaire was loved by critics from the day it premiered at the Telluride Film Festival.  The huge amount of buzz started during the Toronto Film Festival where it was also shown.  Now, with four Golden Globe nominations, including best picture Slumdog Millionaire will surly be generating some major Oscar buzz.  Now that I've seen Slumdog Millionaire I can confirm that all the buzz is extremely justified.  Slumdog Millionaire is just short of perfect (perfect=Benjamin Button).  The emotional journey that awaits Jamal on his quest for a good life.  He is faced with trouble every step of his way.  The character arches of every character are fully fleshed out and magnificent.  Danny Boyle (director of Sunshine and 28 Days Later) does a great job directing this movie.  This proves he has tons of range(28 Days Later- Zombie Movie, Sunshine-Science Fiction, Slumdog Millionaire- Romance/Adventure).  Every performance is perfect.  Something to notice is that the movie is not about the game show, the game show is just a device to tell the story of Jamal's life.  Take time to check out this great independent movie instead of horrible blockbusters (The Day the Earth Stood Still), but don't forget to see Benjamin Button first.

Slumdog Millionaire - 4 out of 4 (that's my final answer)

-Zach

The Curious Case of Benjamin Valkyrie (wow what a creative title)

Merry Christmas one and all.  As my Christmas present to you dear readers I have decided to lament the meaning of life and death with Benjamin Button, and to conspire to kill Adolf Hitler with Count Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg (that is his full name).  Let's start with Benjamin Button.  I sat through 2 hours and 48 minutes, or shall I say mesmerised for 2 hours and 48 minutes of beautiful yet epic film making by David Fincher (the director of Fight Club and Seven).  By the time it was over I truly feel I learned something about my own life.  Not many movies released this year moved me in the way Benjamin Button had.  This is defiantly the saddest movie I saw this year.  The decision Benjamin makes toward the end of the movie is one of the hardest decisions I think a person could make.  He had to face the fact that he was going to continue growing younger while the love of his life grew younger.  It is a choice you can see coming from early on in the film, yet still when the time comes for Benjamin to make that decision you realise how terrible his situation is.  All this is told beautifully in the screenplay by Eric Roth (the writer of Forrest Gump, yet this movie is better).  Benjamin Button is one of the best movies I've scene this year.  Valkyrie is a very serious tale about one of 15 plots to kill Hitler.  The cinematography of this movie is phenomenal.  The acting is alright, but the standout performance was by David Bamber who very subtly plays Hitler.  Also, Terence Stamp who was in a million movies this year (Yes Man, Get Smart, and Wanted, I lied he was only in 4 but that still is alot).  I haven't much more to say about this movie except that it was very averagely executed and seemed rather depressing.

Benjamin Button - 4 out of 4

Valkyrie - 3 out of 4

-Zach

Moviequest's New Feature: Readers' Reactions

It is now time for you, the reader, to tell us what you thought about the movies we review.  Here's how.  Notice on the bottom of every post there are a few checkboxes.  See the movie we reviewed and check what you think of it.  It's that simple!  Also, don't forget to check out the Moviequest archives to see our past posts.

-Zach

Did You See Yes Man... Yes, Man

I don't have too much time to talk about Yes Man, but I still want to let all 5 of our readers know I saw it and what I thought about it.  I felt this is one of the few recent Jim Carrey movies that actually made me laugh.  The main reasons for the hilarity are two things, first Jim Carrey's boss named Norm, who is brilliantly played by Rhys Darby.  The second thing is a scene toward the end of the movie when two government agents arrest Carrey's character, the scene plays on the tension the nation is expressing at this time about terrorists.  The agents suspect Carrey's character of being a terrorist and the scene is so absurd yet it is played out brilliantly.  Much better than the scene in Harold and Kumar, which runs on too long.  For those reasons I'm recommending Yes Man.

Yes Man - 3 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 9: The Man With The Golden Gun

Wow... The Man With The Golden Gun was actually amazing, or at least great fun.  Any movie that has a car chase resulting in a flip turning the car upside-down and right-side-up again wins my vote.  Also, Christopher Lee, who plays the man with the golden gun is an awesome actor.  The opening song sung by Lulu is totally awesome.  There are so many cool things in this movie, a car that flies, a magical third nipple, a fake magical third nipple worn by Bond to pretend to be someone else, a golden gun made out of household objects such as a pen, a trippie light room with cowboy animatronics, a freakin' laser beam, the list goes on and on.  Also, the man with the golden gun has a cool name, Mr. Scaramanga.

The Man With The Golden Gun - 3.5 out of 4

-Zach

War Movies Series Post 3: Full Metal Jacket

Stanley Kubrick is a fantastic filmmaker.  Although I have not seen A Clockwork Orange, I have seen Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Shining, all of which I loved.  I am not, however, a big fan of Full Metal Jacket.  Like From Here to Eternity, I find it vastly overrated. The first half of the movie I do love.  The first half is the fabulous training camp sequence.  It also includes some of the most terrifying, most affective performances of all time: Vincent D'Onofrio as Pvt. Pyle and R. Lee Ermey as Sgt. Hartman.  Pyle is a disturbed man, teased and mocked by all of the other soldiers at the camp.  Hartman is the terrible drill sergeant who takes no prisoners when it comes to verbally abusing his trainees.  I honestly believe that one of them should have been given an Oscar.  Unfortunately, the two both end up dead by the end of the first act.  Then the film goes downhill.  

All characters other than Pyle and Hartman are completely 2 dimensional, and not

 the least bit likable or relatable.  I understand that the characters are supposed to be depicted as heartless killing machines, but I don't even get the least bit of an impression left on me from their characters, and, more importantly, I didn't care.

The battle scenes are not very good.  I mean, the camerawork is okay and you can understand what is going on, but that's about it.  The battle scenes are not groundbreaking like many people say they are, and even if they are, they don't hold up today.

The only scene after the first act that I enjoy is the last scene.  It consists of the "mindless killing machines" walking into the sunset singing the Mickey Mouse club song.

So, that's about it.  I liked about a third of the movie total.

Full Metal Jacket - 2.5 out of 4

-Ben

I Finally Saw Role Models

Yes... I finally saw Role Models.  After all it stars two great comedic actors... Paul Rudd and Seann (yes with two "n"s)William Scott (aka Stiffler).  Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who plays Fogell (aka McLovin) in one of my favorite comedies from 2007, Superbad, is great as Augie.  This movie is very funny don't get me wrong, but I think it is less funny than Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  I still think it is more funny than other comedies that came out this year, such as Step Brothers.  This movie also is very sweet.  I really loved it.

Role Models - 4 out of 4

-Zach

War Movies Series Post 2: From Here To Eternity

From Here to Eternity falls (for me anyway) into the category of "Good, Not Great."  Don't get me wrong, I like this movie a lot, but I think it is pretty overrated.  I don't think it was anywhere near good enough to receive the eight Oscars that it did.  But let's talk about what I do like about the film, shall we?

Let's get this across: Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed both deserved the Academy Awards for their roles, so it was good that they won.  Also, the emotional impact of this film is fantastic.  I won't give anything away, but at one point, a character is thought to be the enemy, when in fact he was just trying to defeat the enemy himself.  That event results in his death.  I think the war scenes of this movie (there are only a few) are pretty good, but not fantastic.  I do, however, believe that this is the best film ever to be made about the attack on Pearl Harbor and should be watched by any war movie fan.

From Here to Eternity - 3 out of 4

-Ben

War Movies Series Post 1: Platoon

Hey, it's Ben.  Guess What!  I'm starting a new review series.  Don't worry, Zach is still going to be doing his James Bond reviews, but I thought I'd start a new series.  I have always been a big war movie buff, so I thought I'd do a series devoted to all war movies.  I'm going to start with...

Platoon (1986)

Out of all the great war films out there, I think that this is my favorite of them all.  I have seen this movie maybe ten times.  Even though that doesn't seem like a lot, I only saw this movie for the first time a few months ago, so that shows even more how much I love this film.   It is directed by Oliver Stone, and I personally believe that this is his best film, just barely ahead of JFK.  The film features some of the best performances I've ever seen, by Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Willem Dafoe.  Tom Berenger as Sgt. Barnes is one of the best screen villains of all time.  One of the reasons that he is so affective is because he is not playing a usual villain.  He isn't playing the leader of the enemies or the man out to sabotage the platoon from the inside.  He is just a sergeant who thinks he is just doing his duty.

However, I believe that the best and most effective performance in the film is by Willem Dafoe as Elias Grodin.  When he is betrayed and left to die towards the middle of the film (I'm not spoiling anything, his death is depicted on the poster for the movie), it is one of the most powerful deaths of all time.

Whenever this movie comes on TV, I always say to myself, "I'm not going to watch this, I've seen it too many times."  But I always end up watching the entire film.

From the opening scene of Chris Taylor (played by Charlie Sheen) getting off the transport in Vietnam to the closing moments, this is, quite simply, the best war movie of all time.

Platoon - 4 out of 4

-Ben

Stand Still and Read This Post

I just got back from seeing the Day the Earth Stood Still.  PLEASE DO NOT FOLLOW IN MY FOOTSTEPS.

I love the 1951 version of the Day the Earth Stood Still.  Love it.  That's why I was so disappointed in this film.  You're probably thinking, "Why did Ben even have high expectations for this movie?  All remakes suck."  Well everybody, I didn't really have such high expectations, considering the recent lackluster science fiction remakes of The War of the Worlds and Planet of the Apes.  I just expected it to be okay.  But it didn't even meet those expectations.  There are countless flaws in this movie.  So many that I need to bullet them.

• This is a terrible remake.  However, I didn't mind that it was nothing like the original.  What bothered me was that it didn't even have to be the Day the Earth stood still.  It could have been any movie.
• The characters that are actually in this that were in the original do not cross over well.  The character of GORT was given muscles so that he would look modern, but it really just made me roll my eyes.
• There are far to many environmentalist undertones in this film.  I'm all for stopping global warming, but this is overkill.  There are more environmentalist undertones in this movie than in Happy Feet, the Mist, and Wall-E combined.
• There is a lot, a lot, A LOT of product placement, including one scene in which two otherworldly beings have a meeting in a McDonald's.  I think Microsft, LG, and McDonald's covered the entire budget on this movie.
• Jaden Smith(Will Smith's son)'s character is extremely annoying.
• 2 great actors are put to waste in this film (Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly)
• The ending is not good.  It's just another hollywood ending that makes you, once again, roll your eyes.
• Last but not least, IT'S TERRIBLY WRITTEN.  This is some of the worst dialogue I've heard.

The only thing I liked about this movie at all was the fun appearances by a bunch of great actors, including John Cleese, Kathy Bates, and, my personal favorite, James Hong.  Who is that you ask?  Well, among other things, the Chinese Restaurant manager in the classic Seinfeld episode in which he yells one of my favorite Seinfeld lines: "CARTWRIGHT!"

Even James Hong doesn't save this picture.  It's a fun time if you like to make sarcastic remarks at the screen, but that's about it.

The Day the Earth Stood Still - 1.5 out of 4

-Ben

James Bond Series Post 8: Live and Let DIE

Roger Moore... James Bond?   I couldn't think of a more different approach to the character.  Live and Let Dies is Moores's first time as bond and he's still getting used to it... it shows.  To tell you the truth I felt this movie was just creepy.  A bunch of mourning people are walking down the street.  A man walks up to an agent.  "Who died?" asked the agent.  The man kills him as the people with the coffin walk by.  They bend down so the coffin goes on top of him and it engulfs him so his body is in the coffin (don't ask me).  Then all the mourning people start dancing... that's just the opening scene.  Then comes the incredibly creepy scene when you realize everyone in the ghetto is working to bring Bond down and they all have walkie-talkies to tell the head villain where Bond is (Did I mention this movie is racist?).  Then there is the man who can't die... this guy is so creepy.  Another creepy part is when all these voodoo idols are watching Bond through the forest.  Then there is Rosie... the worst performance in any Bond film so far.  Did I mention she is the first African-American Bond girl, and she is a spy.  Finally an African-American, that is positively looked upon, with a good job.  Oh wait she is not a very skillful spy, and later you find out she is not a spy at all she works for the villain.  So much for a positively looked upon African American with a good job.  That is how racist this movie is.  The only African-American that is not a villain in this movie is a blue-collar worker.  In all this is a very creepy racist Bond movie.

Live and Let Die - 2 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 7: Diamonds are Forever

Once a diamond always a diamond, FOREVER! Yes, it is true Diamonds are Forever. The theme to Diamonds are Forever is very promising. Unfortunately the promise is unfulfilled. This movie is too over the top. It needs to hold its horses and wait for Moore to step in. If there was a moon-buggy chase in Moonraker I might have not had a problem with it. This film takes itself seriously, meanwhile it has a moon-buggy chase, the villain dresses up as a woman, and a car gets through a tight alley-way by driving on two wheels. Some of the action scenes work well but others are like the moon-buggy chase. On the whole this movie seemed very strange and Connery seemed tired of playing Bond.

Diamonds are Forever - 2.5 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 6: On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Lazenby, George Lazenby is the new Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service a rather decent title in the series. The best line of the film happens in the pre-title sequence. After Bond escapes from a ridiculous situation he says, "This never happened to the other fellow!" I totally cracked up at that part. There is a ski chase scene in the middle of the movie that is very fantastic. The guy who plays Blofeld is okay but not as good as the guy in You Only Live Twice. I don't have too much time to write any more, mainly because it is a Tuesday night and also because I'm trying to watch A View To A Kill (Yes I am that far ahead of my blog posts). On the whole this movie is better than Thunderball but not as good as You Only Live Twice.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service - 3 out of 4

-Zach

Bolt SUCKS

I saw Bolt and believe-it-or-not this is the single WORST movie of the year. This is also the most predictable movie of the year. The makers on this movie (some of whom are responsible for the disaster, Cars) should have spent more time and money writing a good screenplay and less hiring A-list stars some of whom are horrible (Miley Cyrus), some have no screen time (Malcolm Mcdowell), and some of whom are too old for the part and should be working on Pulp Fiction 2 (John Travolta). The most annoying character of the year is also in this movie, Rhino the Hamster. Rhino's 6 scenes are too much screen time. Mcdowell's character has only 3 lines. Miley's character is in 4 scenes. There was no passion in the making of this movie just money making gimmicks (3D, Miley Cyrus, John Travolta, Talking Dogs). All this movie is, is a non-creative rip-off of every creative movie ever made. Skip this movie and check out Homeward Bound a good movie that Bolt completely stole almost every "creative idea" it had from. Bolt could almost be considered a remake of Homeward Bound. Except Bolt has no stakes unlike Homeward Bound which features life-or-death situations. The only stakes in Bolt occur in the last 10 minutes. In fact I'm going to ruin the ending of this movie so you don't see it. Penny is trapped in a fire and Bolt tries, but fails to save her so he uses his super bark (think the end of Titanic when Rose blows the whistle) to get attention. The animation in this movie isn't nearly as good as Kung-Fu Panda or Wall-E (both highly superior movies). Instead of wasting your ten bucks on this piece of crap, rent Kung-Fu Panda, Wall-E, and Homeward Bound.

Bolt - 0 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 5: You Only Live Twice

You Only Live Twice gave Bond another life. I thought Thunderball ended it but You Only Live Twice revived it (what irony). First of all the title song blew me away. Add to that you finally get to see the face of Bond's nemeses Blofeld. It takes place in Japan, another plus. Also the final action sequence blew me away (unlike the never-ending underwater battle in Thunderball).

Sceptic: Great title song, villain, and action sequence, it can't possibly get any better!

Zach: But it can!

Connery is fantastic as always. but the best character besides Bond in this movie is Aki the Asian girl. She loves Bond and Bond loves her back. But, when Bond is forced to get married he is not allowed to marry her (heartbreaking). It all sums up to a pretty fantastic Bond movie.

You Only Live Twice - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Bolt is a SUPER movie

Last night I saw Bolt, the newest Disney animated movie. It's about a dog who thinks he's super because he stars in a TV show where he plays a superdog. One episode finishes filming with a cliffhanger, in which the Bolt's "person" Penny (played by the very annoying Miley Cyrus, who is actually very good here) is kidnapped by the green-eyed man, Dr. Calico. Bolt (voiced by John Travolta), of course, thinks the kidnapping is all real, so he escapes from the set and travels across the country to find Penny with the help of a stray cat named Mittens and a hamster named Rhino. Unlike most animated movies, Bolt is NOT predictable and is very heartwarming and entertaining. This film is great for kids, adults, and, yes, even dogs. This film is the second best animated movie made this year. It is not as good as Wall-E, but it comes very close.

Bolt - 4 out of 4

PS - A fun little tidbit of information: the green-eyed man, Dr. Calico, is voiced Malcolm McDowell, Alex from A Clockwork Orange!

-Ben

James Bond Series Post 4: Thunderball

Unfortunately Thunderball lost the gold streak of James Bond excellence. I thought Thunderball was rather a weak entry in the James Bond franchise. The main problem is the villain. Mr. Largo, a one-eyed "mastermind" is unskillfully played by Adolfo Celi. The action sequences were fine. The final one was okay but it lasted too long. There are two fantastic scenes, one takes place in a shark tank, and the other one is a street chase ending in an encounter in an outdoor bar reminiscent of a bar in Dr. No. There are other small gems including the pre-title sequence, but I stress the word small. This is by far the least strong Bond so far, but it could have been worse.

Thunderball - 2.5 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 3: Goldfinger

Wow! I have never seen a movie like Goldfinger. The action, the villain, the opening theme, the girl... all perfect. I can't think of an aspect of this movie that I didn't like. The pre-title sequence is fast-paced and ends with a great one-liner (if you've seen this you know what I am talking about). The title sequence is one of the best songs in a movie I have ever heard. Goldfinger is a fantastic villain. The girl's name is Pussy Galore (no joke)! Goldfinger has so many memorable scenes in it. When it sums up, not only is Goldfinger the best Bond movie so far, it is one of my favorite movies of all time.

Goldfinger - 4 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 2: From Russia With Love

Happy Thanksgiving! In honor of Turkey Day I have decided to write this post and any other posts I write, in orange until Black Friday when I will once again write in black! From Russia With Love is the second Bond flick. To get down to the point it is not nearly as good as Dr. No. So by default this is my least favorite Bond film so far. I felt this movie was a little bit boring, yet the final 30 minutes are fantastic. The Bond girl in this movie is not nearly as good as the one from Dr. No. The production values are significantly better in this movie than Dr. No. Connery is still fantastic as 007 as he was in Dr. No. From Russia With Love is not as strong as Dr. No but still can earn itself a recommendation.

From Russia With Love - 3 out of 4

-Zach

Happy-Go See This Movie-Lucky

When I review independent films, I feel like I'm helping a cause. Independent films are often overlooked by the general public. I urge people to venture out to their local art-house cinema and see films off the beaten path. I had a 30 minute car ride to get to my art-house cinema to see Happy-Go-Lucky, a British film Directed by Mike Leigh. This movie made me feel happier than maybe any other movie ever has. This movie made me look at the world in a different way. It is one of the most beautiful movies I've seen a very long time. I urge whoever is reading this to go and see this movie right now, no need to read the rest of this review. Check your local times, pre-order the DVD, whatever you have to do, just go see this movie. The movie is about probably the most optimistic person who ever lived. She is charming and Sally Hawkins plays her wonderfully. This movie is inspiring and lovely, it will change the way you feel about your life. This is one of the top 5 movies I've seen this year, so far and every person alive should go see this movie, it will bring a smile to your face.

Happy-Go-Lucky - 4 out of 4

Also, I've decided to wait to finish my Hitchcock series after I'm done with the James Bond series. My From Russia With Love review should be up soon.

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 1: Dr. No

The photo you see here is the first time the world saw the amazing Sean Connery as super-spy, James Bond in the film, Dr. No. You hear him say, "Bond, James Bond." Thus begins the legacy of one of the most iconic characters in film history. You can watch Dr. No and think, this is where it all began. I believe, everything was right about this film, the tone, the actors, the direction. This is truly an iconic piece of film making. Dr No, the main villain (played wonderfully by Joseph Wiseman) doesn't appear until far into this film. It is fun to try to figure out who is working for him, who isn't. Dr. No is truly an unique film experience, not regularly seen in today's cinema.

Dr. No - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Hitchcock Series Post 1: Saboteur

Saboteur is not one of Hitchcock's most iconic films, but it is somewhat well known. I was very hyped when I sat down to watch Saboteur, this would be the oldest Hitchcock movie I had seen so far. The performances were average, the plot was confusing. It didn't have that visual complexity I was used to from Hitchcock. Yet, if this was the first Hitchcock film I'd seen and if Hitchcock wasn't so famous, I might have been more satisfied with the film as a whole. Yet, Hitchcock's directorial magic was still developing at this time so I'll give Saboteur the benefit of the doubt.

Saboteur - 2.5 out of 4

-Zach

I WANT MY BLOG POST BACK!

Hey. Ben here. Last night I saw Changeling, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Angelina Jolie as a woman whose son has ............... VANISHED! I expected that to be the entire story, but I was dead wrong. There is a very disturbing, very affective subplot, but I don't want to tell you what it is about because that might give some things away.

I have always loved Clint Eastwood's films (my favorite is probably Mystic River), and he certainly does not disappoint. I think this is, other than Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby, Eastwood's best film. Not only that, I think this movie is one of the best movies of the year, and should get serious consideration when it comes to the oscars.

Changeling - A very strong 4 out of 4.

- Ben

Announcing Series Reviews!

Very soon I hope to begin a new type of movie review! I call them series reviews. They are not current release movie reviews but older movies all connected, whether it is by a single director, writer, actor, or maybe it is a movie series. I will have to consult with Ben to see if he wants to take part in this idea. I have two topics so far that are very possible for me to do very soon. Any suggestions of topics will be greatly appreciated.
Future Series
Hitchcock - I have a box set of 14 of his movies and I have seen others so far I've seen 10 of his movies
James Bond - I am receiving the set with all the official bond films as a gift for the holidays
-Zach

Bond, James Bo... Do I Really Need to Continue?

Quantum of Solace is the 22nd official film starring Bond, James Bond. It is a revenge movie, unfortunately it doesn't involve Uma Thurman and a samurai sword. Nor is there anyone named Bill in it. Oh, this is not a Tarantino revenge movie this is a 007 revenge movie. Though not as strong as Casino Royale "QOS" is still a pretty solid action film. The action sequences are fantastic yet there are not enough of them. It is too short and Daniel Craig is pretty good. In all it is not one of the best films of the year but it may be in the top 20.

Quantum of Solace - 3 out of 4

-Zach

Zach and Kevin Smith Make a Blog Post

Zack and Miri Make A Porno is one of the single most hilarious movie-going experiences in my life. This movie is touching, gross, hilarious, profane, and amazing. I think this movie may be just as good if not better than Clerks II, one of my favorite comedies. This movie is not only about sex and toilet humor, this movie is about love. It is also about making movies about love-making, but mostly it is about love. This movie has more heart than any of Judd Apatow's movies. Seth Rogan is absolutely fantastic in this movie, Elizabeth Banks is great, and every supporting performance is amazing. This is not only my favorite comedy of the year, but one of my favorite movies of the year, period. Kevin Smith is one of my favorite filmmakers and this may be his best film to date.

Zack and Miri Make A Porno - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Recent movies I've seen in theaters

Hey it's Ben. No one's made a post like this in a while, so I decided to make one. I put the last few movies I've seen and the movies I'm most looking forward to for the rest of the year. (By the way, I did not see High School Musical 3, and I am not planning to. Sorry to disappoint anyone.)

Recent Films (alphabetical):

Appaloosa - 3 1/2 out of 4

Body of Lies - 3 out of 4

Eagle Eye - 3 out of 4

Miracle at St. Anna - 4 out of 4

The Secret Life of Bees - 4 out of 4

Transsiberian - 4 out of 4

Vicky Cristina Barcelona - 4 out of 4

W. - 3 1/2 out of 4

Movies I really want to see (no particular order):

Frost/Nixon

Changeling

The Road

Quantum of Solace

Curious Case of Benjamin Button

(Plus, I really wanted to see The Soloist, but they changed the release date and now it isn't coming out until March)

-Ben

Most Touching Movies

Most touching movies. Touching lines/moments

5. ET - "I'll be right here,"

4. Schindler's List - then end when he has to run away

3. West Side Story - the end

2. Life is Beautiful/Cinima Paridiso - the ends

1. Harold and Maude - "Harold: I love you, Maude: That's wonderful, go love some more."

Ever want to cry, watch Harold and Maude.

-Zach

Ben's favorite scenes

Hey. Ben here. I made a comment on Zach's favorite scenes post, but I didn't think anyone would read it so I decided to make my own post. So here they are:

Shawshank Redemption - opera in prison yard scene

Fargo - the scene where Marge is investigating at the crime scene for the first time ("So we got a cop pulls a guy over....")

Crash - Final Montage of what happens to everyone with "In the Deep" playing in the background.

The Shining - Hedge Maze Chase scene

The Searchers - shot at the end where Ethan walks off the porch

LA Confidential - Diner scene ("a hooker cut to look like......")

Witness - corn silo death scene

Terminator - ending gas station scene ("There's a storm coming" "I know")

Goodfellas - Copacobana scene with the long, uncut, 3 minute shot following Henry and Karen through the back entrance

Godfather Part 2 - "was it a boy" scene

The Untouchables - train station staircase scene

Philadelphia - silent ending scene with Andrew's family watching his old home movies

12 Angry Men - "He didn't change his vote - I DID!"

and my favorite scene of all time.............................................................

Field of Dreams - "Hey dad, you want to have a catch?" "I'd like that." *cue inspiring music*

BEST. SCENE. EVER.

-Ben

I Saw V

Dirty walls, static surveillance screens, and stupid cliches, it must be Saw V. I kind of liked the first three, but the plots of these new ones are just too stupid. "Oh, Jigsaw's dead but he figured out, before he died this cop was going to be assigned to his case and he is going to be at this building at this exact time." The plot twists don't really work unlike the other four installments. Also, everyone in all these movies is too dumb just to do what the dude says and live, they all die of stupidity. That doesn't mean this film isn't extremely entertaining and I won't return for the inevitable Saw VI.

Saw V - 2 1/2 out of 4

-Zach

Rachel Getting Inaugurated

This weekend I saw Rachel Getting Married and W.

Rachel Getting Married - Kim , a recovering drug addict with a past haunted by an incident she can't forget. Anne Hathaway is not a princess anymore. All the performances are amazing. The great thing about this movie is how Kim, even on her sister's wedding day, can only think about herself. This a movie that will keep you thinking a long time.

W - Josh Brolin is one of my favorite actors working at this time. His performance is so amazing as George W. Bush is so amazing he might just win best actor. Of course Oliver Stone did a great job at directing, and the funny thing is, that this movie can't seem to make up its mind weather is supports Bush, or not.

Rachel Getting Married - 4 out of 4

W. - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Some of My Favorite Movie Scenes

Kill Bill - Any violent scene, opening & closing scene from vol 2, closing line vol 1

Pulp Fiction - Any scene with Jules, the opening scene

Gone with the wind - 3 famous lines, I dont giva a damn, i'll never be hungry again, tommorow is another day

2001 - when Hal throws the guy into space, the star child

ET - the final scene, the bike scene

Big Lebowski - the scene when we first meet the rich Lebowski

Fargo - any scene with Marge or Jerry, the woodchipper

Death Proof - End chase
Clockwork Orange - the final scene

T2 - final chase/action sequence

Sin City - the yellow bastard car chase

Halloween - the final scene

Jaws - anything with the shark

There will be blood - the final scene, the confession scene

Willy Wonka - the final scene

Ratatouille - the anton ego judgment scene

Titanic - when the ship breaks in half, when Fabrizio gets crushed
-Zach

Body of Lies

BODY OF LIES! Trust me, this film is not what the title suggests; it is not about a cross dressing Leonardo DiCaprio falling in love with Russell Crowe while lying to him about being a woman. Body of Lies is a CIA movie about Iraq, that is entertaining wonderfully written and directed. The performances are also both great. I don't have too much time so ill keep it short, YOU MUST SEE THIS MOVIE IT IS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! This is one of my favorite movies of 2008.

Body of Lies - 4 out of 4

-Zach

What People Don't Get About High School Movies

People don't get high school movies. Entertainment Weekly and Ben recently made a list of their favorite high school movies. What people don't get is that a high school movie actually has to take place primarily in a high school. The protagonist being in high school or being a high school teacher doesn't make it a high school movie. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is not a high school movie, the entire movie is about not being in school. Also in EW's list it mentions Back to the Future as a high school movie, the movie is not slightly about high school. At least a major topic in Ferris Bueller is high school. One of my favorite movies is Election. Election is about the student body president election, it is a high school movie. Ugh, people just don't get it.

-Zach

Favorites in Various Categories

In this post, I am going to tell you guys about my favorite films in various genres and categories. On our next podcast (which is coming, I promise!) Zach and I will talk about this, but for now, I'll give you a taste of what my favorites are, plus some honorable mentions for each. My favorites are in capital letters followed by my honorable mentions in lowercase.

Western: THE SEARCHERS. The Good the Bad and the Ugly.

Superhero Movies: THE DARK KNIGHT. Spiderman 2. Superman (1978, with Christopher Reeve).

High School Movies: FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH. The Breakfast Club. Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Sixteen Candles.

Gangster: THE GODFATHER. Goodfellas. The Untouchables. The Public Enemy.

Horror: THE SHINING. Halloween (original). Scream. (PS, I do not consider Psycho a horror film. If I did, that would be my favorite)

Animated: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. The Lion King. Finding Nemo. Snow White. Bambi.

Sports: FIELD OF DREAMS. Rocky. Raging Bull.

Sci-Fi:

ET: THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL. Star Wars Episode IV. Star Wars Episode V. Blade Runner. Back to the Future.

Romance: ANNIE HALL. Breakfast At Tiffany's.

Musical: THE MUSIC MAN.  GUYS AND DOLLS.  Singin' In the Rain. Oklahoma.  West Side Story. The Wizard of Oz.

War: PLATOON.  Saving Private Ryan.  Glory. Schindler's List.

Best of the New Millennium: CRASH. The Departed. Memento. No Country for Old Men. Million Dollar Baby. The Visitor. The Dark Knight.

-Ben

There was no Miracle at Zach's Theater

I won't write that much because Mr. Lee let me down during what I had high expectations for. Ben enjoyed this Miracle at St. Anna, I don't blame him or anyone else who liked this movie, it is rather well made, except the battle sequences which are lame and poorly directed. When I think about this film I think Spike Lee let himself down more than he let me down because when Spike Lee made this film he set out to tell a realistic account of an African-American squad in World War 2, he failed to reach this objective because of the amount of supernatural content and the high amount of coincidences and thing he just expects his audience to go along with it. If he wanted to make this film realistic he should have found a true exciting thing that happened to African-American troops in the war. If nothing exciting did happen, it is impossible to make a realistic film about it. Wow, I actually ended up writing a lot. What do you know?

Miracle at St. Anna - 2.5 out of 4

- Zach

Ghost, Do I Have to Come up With Another Stupid Play-On-Words? Town

I don't feel like talking about Ghost Town that much, (mostly because I'm watching Heroes right now) that dosn't mean it isn't good. Let's just say Ricky Gervais is funny and the story is cute, but what I really feel like talking about is Heroes. All I can think about how hot Hayden Panettiere is.

Ghost Town - 3 out of 4

Heroes - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Eagle, Eye Want You To Comment on This Post or the FBI Will Come and Arrest You

Eagle Eye is a fast-paced government conspiracy/thriller thing. Yes, this movie is a thing, the only inspiration that came in the making of this movie was the inspiration to make some money. When you see a movie you want real inspiration behind it. Disturbia, D.J. Caruso and Shia LaBeouf's last collaboration had real inspiration behind it. The best thing about Eagle Eye is Billy Bob Thornton who is fantastic. The action sequences are also quite good.  I feel this movie kills The Dark Knight's chances to be the highest grossing movie of all time because they both attract a similar crowd.  So, in 2005 D.J. Caruso released a movie called Two for the Money, that should have been the title of this movie because Shia and D.J. are only doing this for the cash.

Eagle Eye - 2.5 out of 4

-Zach

Lakeview, Terrible?

No, Lakeview Terrace is not terrible, it's actually pretty good. It has some significant to say about race relations. Sam L. Jackson is awesome, as always. In fact almost every performance is spot on. The only real problem with it is that the script is kind of stupid at some points. Over all it sums up to be a very solid, very suspenseful movie.

Lakeview Terrace - 3.5 out of 4

-Zach

What Is An Achiever?

An achiever is a fan of the Big Lebowski. Term used mostly at the Lebowskifest, look it up in urban dictionary.
-Zach

O Brother, Coen Brothers

Another post directed towards a Coen Brothers movie. What next, the Ladykillers? Anyway, O Brother Where Art Thou is a very strange comedy involving KKK and George Clooney singing old western songs with a fake beard. It also involves a one-eyed bad-tempered Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) at a picnic. It all sums up to be a pretty solid comedy.

O Brother- 3 out of 4

-Zach

Coming Soon 9/17/08

Coming soon... an explanation of the term achiever also a review of the (in my opinion (I'll explain why)) Dark Knight killer, Eagle Eye.
-Zach

COMMENTS!!!

PEOPLE!!! please comment. Comments are like tipping your server at a resturant except I don't get any money.
-Zach

Burn Your Computer After Reading This Post!

Burn After Reading, by the Coen Brothers (who made The Big Lebowski, Fargo, and No Country for Old Men). It is a confusing government spy comedy. I really thought this movie was hilarious, though not as funny or good as Lebowski. Brad Pitt gives the most comedic performance as a complete idiot who thinks he has important files (that are actually worthless). There were many funny parts so I can recommend it.

Burn After Reading - 4 out of 4

-Zach (a.k.a his dudeness)

Happy Birthday, Dude!

Happy 10th anniversary to The Big Lebowski. To celebrate this tremendous event I purchsed the 10th anniversary limited edition dvd. It comes in a bowling ball package and a unique number, (my number is 27212). I have to admit, the Dude is one of my all time favorite characters. So, the special features are great and the packaging is worth the entire price!

-Zach (a.k.a "the dude")

RECOUNT

Yesterday I saw the film Recount starring Kevin Spacey, Tom Wilkinson, Ed Begley Jr., and Laura Dern. Not only is it one of the best films of the year, but it is one of the best films I've seen about politics. The film is about the now infamous 2000 election between Al Gore and George W. Bush. The film barely features the candidates, but rather shows the story of the two candidates' campaign workers. It's a fantastic film because even though you know exactly how the movie is going to end, there is still suspense. Although the movie is mostly told from the perspective of the Democrats, it is far less biased than I predicted. Surprisingly, the film, which is not at all a comedy, was directed by Jay Roach, who made the Austin Powers films! I'm frustrated that it was a TV movie made just for HBO, not released in the theaters, probably because they didn't think it would make enough money. However, it just came out on DVD recently so hopefully more people will go and see it. I think it deserves to be compared to legal thrillers such as All The President's Men.

Recount - 4 out of 4

-Ben

Rock Me Sexy Jesus!

The song "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" is still stuck in my head after seeing Hamlet 2. I don't have time to write much so I'll keep it short. Hamlet 2 is hilarious end of story. Steve Coogan is a genius, also I'd like to mention that "I really think it's sexy when he kicks Satan's ass"

Hamlet 2- 4 out of 4

-Zach

Tricky Cristina Barcelunder

Yes... I saw Tropic Thunder (FINALLY) and Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Let's start with Vicky Cristina Barcelona. This is one of the best Woody Allen films I've seen in a while. The best thing about it is the performance by the amazing Penélope Cruz who is so funny and crazy. The plot is completely absurd and ridiculous. To sum up the plot, everyone loves the fantastic Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson are also in love. Rebecca Hall is married to this guy but she really loves Javier Bardem. It pretty much sums up to a very funny and moving film. Also, I saw Tropic Thunder, I don't want to say too much about this movie because I don't want to give away the sheer hilarity of it. This is one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long long time, it also features some great suprise cameos and as you know Robert Downey Jr. playing a guy acting like a black guy.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona- 4 out of 4

Tropic Thunder- 4 out of 4

-Zach