Siskull and Ebird MOVIE REVIEWS

[brammy]

Seen any good or bad movies lately?

[brammy]

I intentionally dont have commercial TV, but I do have a big flatscreen and a Blockbuster subscription.
The other day I rented "Right At Your Door" thinking it would be a good disaster movie.
What a disappointment.... It started out promising but it's basically its a straight Twilight Zone ripoff
stretched into two boring hours. Low budget, silly dialogue that goes nowhere fast. Avoid this clunker.

On the other hand "The Lost Room" (2 disks) was very interesting.

[jingle_jangle]

District 9...somewhere between Independence Day and Starship Troopers, with lots of bug guts and political humor and mayhem and a fuzzy ending.

In other words, something for nearly everyone over 14.

[jps]

This was superb!

[sloop_john_b]

This was superb!

+1! The action/suspense just never ceased.

[marc61]

I've seen Inglorious Basterds 3x since it came out last Friday. Guess it was ok

Going tonight to see midnight show if Taking Woodstock

[marc61]

Thumbs down on Taking Woodstock.

[wayang]

I saw a great movie last night (via Netflix) called "Resolved"...it's a documentary about two young black guys at Jordan High School in Long Beach, Ca., who joined their school debate team, won the California State debating championship and went on to the Nationals. Their success is notable for many reasons, but primarily because of their unique approach. They chose not to debate the nationally prescribed topic, but attacked the very establishment of school debating, focusing on the fact that the participants in this activity were not arguing from a point of personal experience, but were instead spouting culled 'evidence'. They were not simply the only African-Americans to reach the highest level of competition, they were the only public school kids in the country to do so. They successfully argued against this racist, class-driven apparatus that represents an open door to the finest universities in the country, exposing it for the sham that it is. Them little private prep-school boys got 'owned', as the kids would say...I highly recommend this movie. In 1972, as an 'underclass' kid from a public High School in Mesa, Arizona, I was asked by a good friend (a lovely, highly intelligent girl from an equally disadvantaged background) to be her debate partner at the State Championships. I had never debated before and never did again...we had one night of preparation and went up against every private school brat in the state. In particular, I remember the kids from Brophy Prep, the zillionaire private Catholic school in Phoenix...spoiled rotten little princes. We beat them boys like a gong. We wound up taking third place in the state...I feel a great kinship to those two kids from Long Beach.

See "Resolved" if you can.

[atomic_punk]

I took my girlfriend to see Julie and Julia. She was a big fan of Julia Child and enjoyed the movie very much. I did too, but definitely not a "guy" movie by ANY stretch. She deserved a night out on her terms, after all, she has gone with me to every band gig for 3 years now, we had a rare weekend night off, so I let her choose.

[mgauction]

I saw a great movie last night (via Netflix) called "Resolved"...it's a documentary about two young black guys at Jordan High School in Long Beach, Ca., who joined their school debate team, won the California State debating championship and went on to the Nationals. Their success is notable for many reasons, but primarily because of their unique approach. They chose not to debate the nationally prescribed topic, but attacked the very establishment of school debating, focusing on the fact that the participants in this activity were not arguing from a point of personal experience, but were instead spouting culled 'evidence'. They were not simply the only African-Americans to reach the highest level of competition, they were the only public school kids in the country to do so. They successfully argued against this racist, class-driven apparatus that represents an open door to the finest universities in the country, exposing it for the sham that it is. Them little private prep-school boys got 'owned', as the kids would say...I highly recommend this movie. In 1972, as an 'underclass' kid from a public High School in Mesa, Arizona, I was asked by a good friend (a lovely, highly intelligent girl from an equally disadvantaged background) to be her debate partner at the State Championships. I had never debated before and never did again...we had one night of preparation and went up against every private school brat in the state. In particular, I remember the kids from Brophy Prep, the zillionaire private Catholic school in Phoenix...spoiled rotten little princes. We beat them boys like a gong. We wound up taking third place in the state...I feel a great kinship to those two kids from Long Beach.

See "Resolved" if you can.

Wow, Dane! Both schools you mentioned I have a reference for: As a kid in the late 1960s I grew up in Long Beach and dated a girl from Jordan HS (a LOT of memories). I will have to see that film! Sounds hilarious. Also, as I live in Scottsdale -- I love your story about the Brophy spoon-fed princes. I hope you did a good harassing

[Tarrbot]

District 9...somewhere between Independence Day and Starship Troopers, with lots of bug guts and political humor and mayhem and a fuzzy ending.

In other words, something for nearly everyone over 14.

I want to second this movie.

Essentially, a man who had lost touch with his humanity and ends up literally losing his humanity (and no, that's not a spoiler at all). It was such a great show. There are subtle and not-so-subtle nuances with this film.

IMO, the best scifi film of the last decade. And I'm a huge critic of scifi, most of it I can't stand but I love em anyway.

[kenposurf]

You mean BESIDES Beach Blanket Bingo

Saw this one for the 4-5 time the other night....complete movie here...
Primer
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 5539675694

[brammy]

Thanks, District 9 is in my Blockbuster queue.

Speaking of BAD movies... AMERICAN SOLDIERS was a total dud. The acting was not good but I've seen worse. But WHO WROTE THE SCRIPT??? Jeezzzz, could he (or she) have been any more trite and transparent and cliche'd and just plain silly?

And speaking of BAD MONSTER MOVIES
http://www.jabootu.com/acolytes/bnotes/tmtb50.htm

Music by Frank Sinatra Jr !!!

[brammy]

What are your handful of top all-time movies?

A Hard Day's Night
2001: A Space Odyssey
Saving Pvt Ryan (except for the miscast Ted Danson)
Lord of the Flies (the original one directed by Peter Brook... the remake sucked)
Life is Beautiful

[jps]

Amadeus
Van Helsing
Taken
The Interpreter
First Contact