This is the movie review item.  Have you been to a movie lately? Rented 
a movie lately? Bought a movie on video or DVD? Caught a cool movie 
late night on cable?

This is the place to discuss cinematic arts...to trash the horrible 
movies and glorify the great ones.  

189 responses total.

While I admit that there are horrible movies and great movies, my ability
to trash the one and glorify the other is damped by the fact that I love
them all.

And to start off the fall movie item, what better than...

CITIZEN KANE--  Its finally out on DVD!  To celebrate the 60th 
anniversary of what is widely regarded as the greatest american film 
ever made, today was the release date of the deluxe DVD edition.  Its a 
two-DVD set loaded with extras, including alternate commentary tracks 
by director Peter Bogdanovich and film critic Roger Ebert, as well as 
newsreel footage, storyboards, studio correspondence, trailers .etc  
And on the second DVD is the wonderful 1995 full length 
documentary, "The Battle over Citizen Kane", depicting the battle 
between Orson Welles and the film's presumed subject, publishing tycoon 
William Randolph Hearst.

All of that is great, but the best thing is the film itself, in a new 
beautiful new digital/digital audio transfer.  The story is the tragedy 
of a man who wants only to be loved and yet never finds love.  Its a 
part of americana.  When I started collecting DVD's, I most of all 
wanted four movies...Chaplin's City Lights, Renoir's Grand Illusion, 
Casablanca, and Citizen Kane.   If I only owned really good DVDs of 
those four movies, I'd have been happy.  

Citizen Kane on DVD-- dont rent it, buy it.  This is one you want to 
own.  ***** (five stars)

  Welles made another movie that is perhaps just as great as Kane, but 
lesser known, called "Touch of Evil". I recently saw this on TCM and 
thought it to be every bit as good as Kane was.

I  watched Stalker the other night. In Russian but with English subtitles.
I was enrapt, but I didn't understand much of what it was "about". However
locales were areas of ruined buildings and war machines, with some sort
of metaphorical journey occurring. 

  I never could figure out what all of my film-major friends found so
  fascinating about Tarkofsky.  I didn't think much of "Stalker" or "Solaris"

  As far as "Touch of Evil" is concerned, I think it's significantly-better-
  than-average film noir but not really in the running for "greatest American
  film ever.."

Speaking of stalking, I saw "The Watcher" not too long ago, and was surprised
(pleasantly) that it wasn't nearly so bad as the trailers made it look. It
had actual tension, and the plot was more involved than the trailer suggested.
A thumbs-up, albeit tentatively (Keanu will have to do better than that to
get a full thumbs-up from me, Bill & Ted's notwithstanding).

I saw Shrek at the Clinton Theater on Sunday, and thought it was really
good.

Agora 25 <-> cinema 45

The Clinton theater is still up and running?  I LOVE that theater!!

Okay, I saw Shrek and liked it (not perfect, mind you, three stars). I also
saw (hangs head in shame) Charlie's Angels and loved it. It was so campy!

About a month ago I had the pleasure of seeing Rebel Without a Cause at 
the Ohio theatre on LaGrange st. The Ohio is a wonderful old movie 
palace from the 1920s complete with a restored theatre organ. I hope to 
get back there for a few organ recitals. 

   The movie itself still stood up, and possibly was a tad better since 
it was on the big screen instead of on TV. Great performances by James 
Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo and Jim Backus who does a pretty decent 
job of being serious. I will never look at him the same again.

I've seen most of the major movies of the summer 2001, and the best movie by
far that I've seen was swordfish, if you haven't seen it yet go see it. Also
American Outlaws wasn't too bad of a movie either

The owners of the Clinton Theater over the last 25 years shut it down.
Then they sold it, and after some renovation, it has been re-opened for
business.  Shrek was the first show since it re-opened.  This weekend is
Fall Festival; the Clinton Theater is showing a Three Stooges film for
free over the weekend.

I myself have been tickled by the all-scathing reviews for 'Glitter'... 
Mariah Carey's movie. I've heard it has complete camp classic 
potential, a la 'Showgirls'.

rat race is an over-the-top belly laugh from first fram to last.
  
just see it/.

Saw "Silent Jay and Bob Strike Back" last night. If you're a fan of Kevin
Smith flicks, you'll probably enjoy this flick, with its references to his
previous movies. The critics' complaints that it's too full of Kevin Smith
"in-jokes" to be entertaining to someone who's never seen any of the others
(Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma) is possibly true, although there did
seem to be plenty of laughs that just had to do with how stupid Jay and Silent
Bob are, as well as a tolerably idiotic Ranger played by the usually much more
annoying Will Farrell. I'll see it again, but then, I'm also a Kevin Smith
fan (Dogma being the only flick I own on both VHS and DVD, so far).

I've seen Mallrats and Dogma. While I thought some of the humor was clever
(especially in Dogma) I just wasn't satisfied by the experience. Maybe I'm
too old! 44!

Viewed _Eat,Drink,Man,Woman_ by Ang Lee.  Given the times I wanted to
view something light, something appropriate, such as _Tora,Tora,Tora_
but I was outvoted.  Its a definite 'girl flick' and I was captivated,
enjoyed it from beginning to end.  I don't know why I found some excuse
not to see it in the local 'art' theater (other than I seem to
philosophically avoid 'art' films - and then completely enjoy those I do
get roped into doing).

Its the story of a cook at a chinese restaurant and his three daughters.
Nothing more, nothing less.  No cook's daughter meets the president of
the USA and he falls for her.  No gook's daughter saves the world story.
About the closest thing to a 'miracle' which I won't tell involved the
father having a critical comment about the daughter.

I saw "The Musketeer" the other day.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that
some real acting did take place in it from time to time (Tim Roth as the Evil
Psycho Bad Guy was a treat).  The fight scenes were, um....  interesting? 
Imagine a Jackie Chan movie (ultrafast high-energy fight choreography with 
lots of props) with lots of CTHD-style hidden wires, set in Dumas' France.  
Weird.  Entertaining, so long as you can enjoy a fight scene while laughing
at it.  :)

Re 18, sounds dull, but the "c" and the "g" aren't *that* close 
together on the keyboard.

Re Charlie's Angels, I read somewhere recently that the scene of Drew 
Barrymore rolling naked down a hill is actually Drew Barrymore rolling 
naked down a hill.

Immediately after reading that response I asked John if he'd like
to watch Drew Barrymore rolling down a hill, naked, tonight, and
he said, "Sure".  So in about five minutes I'm zipping to the
video store.  

Grex is like that.

Unfortunately, you can't really tell it's Drew, but I read in the 
latest Esquire that she did indeed do that scene instead of a stunt 
double.

Saw Jay&Silent Bob last night--*highly* amused.  :)  I don't think I've seen
so many outside references/self-derogatory moments in a movie since Space
Balls.  

#17> Or maybe Kevin Smith just isn't your cup-o-tea. *shrug*
I'm not a big fan of chasing Amy, myself.

All a matter of personal taste.  Chasing Amy is one of my favorite movies--one
of about 4 that I actually own rather than renting.

I saw Memento last night. It was seriously weird. The movie starts at 
the end and works backwards. You wouldnt think that would work but it 
actually does. It was hard to follow for me at times but once I got used 
to it, it was kind of neat. 

Re: 26 - Memento "starts at the end and works backwards." What other films
do that? I remember that Pulp Fiction was all over the place (non-linear, I
believe it is called ;-)

There was an episode of Seinfeld that went backwards.

I just saw swordfish yesterday ... very cool movie
finally a stroy that doens't make me sleep after the first 10 minutes ... (for
example planet of the crap .. i mean apes ..)
I love divx .. it's kind of avant-premiere in the privacy of your own home..

Hahahaha!

That's got to be a pseudo.  :)

I am presently enjoying the DVD box set of The Godfather movies (which I
got last night). It is
all three Godfather movies, all previously unavailable on DVD, as well as
another DVD loaded with extras (documentaries, deleted scenes, soundtrack,
academy award acceptance speeches .etc)  Each movie comes in widescreen
and with alternate commentary tracks by Francis Ford Coppola.  The movies
look and sound great.  They've been shown on tv so often in various chopped
up forms, that its really nice to have digitally restored uncut versions
with new stereo soundtracks.  

The Godfather saga is a seminal part of the american cinema history.  This
set is an excellent keepsake.  

Yay!  I am getting it for Christmas.  Something to look forward to.  I think
the Godfather is probably the best movie ever made.

Last night my sister, Bhelliom and I saw "Legally Blonde" at the 
Village Theater. I was highly amused. For a good, rather silly, not-
highly-intellectual laugh I recommend this movie.

Carol and I saw the same movie on Friday night.  I thought it was fun.

<nods> Yeah, not real intellectual... Though I did like the scene in 
the beginning at the boutique...

The first Godfather movie, which I watched in its original form a few 
years ago, left me with a strong desire NOT to see Godfather 2, or the 
recut saga, or anything else relating to it.  Not a landmark I'd drive 
out of my way to visit again.

Saw "Apocalypse Now Redux" last week.  This is the restored & longer version.
I'd never actually seen the original, soI had no pre-conceived opinions.  It
was a pretty cool movie, and despite being 3+ hours long felt more like 2.

Interesting.  I had almost the opposite reaction to the original -- I loved
it, but I thought it felt far longer than it was on account of the deadly-slow
(and very cool) pacing at the end -- and I haven't seen Redux yet.  

If the extra footage is really good, of course, it could well make the whole
thing seem shorter by making it more engaging.  I guess I'll have to see what
they've added.

For that matter: Scott -- how have you managed not to see the original?

I never saw the original "Apocalypse Now" until 4 or 5 years ago.
Just one of those things.  Hopefully I'll catcht eh revised version
while it's still playing.

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