What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

[bradavon]

The Shawshank Redemption is very good but boy it's overrated. I'd never put it anywhere near a top 10.

[Yi-Long]

I never cared much for Pulp Fiction.

[grim_tales]

The Mummy (Karloff): 3.5/5

Good atmosphere but a bit slow TBH. The Universal Legacy (R1) is probably the best it will look.

[saltysam]

Paranormal Activity 2.5/5

Much hyped no-budget box office hit is rather disappointing. filmed allegedly for $11,000 it's about a couple, bothered by increasing phenomena occurring in their home deciding to film themselves at night to see what they can find out. the male lead has to be one of the most annoying,unlikeable prats to hit the screen in a long time.Admittedly there are one or two jolts and it's probably worth watching. I Watched it with the alternate ending which i thought worked better than the "boo" jump scare the theatrical ended with. Still i hear there's a third ending out there somewhere!

[Markgway]

the male lead has to be one of the most annoying,unlikeable prats to hit the screen in a long time

They put Brad in a movie??

[bradavon]

They couldn't afford me.

[romerojpg]

You cost 17p a BumBuck, you must charge more to film you

[saltysam]

You cost 17p a BumBuck, you must charge more to film you

Doubt he'd charge for something he enjoyed

[Yi-Long]

Just watched Burn after Reading, and let's just say the Coen's would be a good reason to become an anti-semite.

1/5.

[gasteropod]

Just watched Burn after Reading, and let's just say the Coen's would be a good reason to become an anti-semite.

1/5.

Crazy, I enjoyed it at the cinema, and enjoyed it again on Blu-ray the other day. It's funny!

[Markgway]

Burn After Reading was one of the poorer, lazier Coen efforts I've seen. Smug with nothing to be smug about. "Ooh, look we've got an A-list cast acting like tits".

[luckystars]

Burn After Reading = excellent

[romerojpg]

Burn After Reading = Pants


Mind you, A Serious Man their new film, well that sucks, like a slut at a gangbang.

[Shingster]

It's as welcome as a slut at a gangbang. Better than Burn After Reading imo, the Coen brothers are my favourite filmmakers and I was a little underwhelmed by that.

[Yi-Long]

It's pretty strange that Burn after Reading is getting such a mixed reception. Half the people seem to thing it's great, and the other half REALLY dislikes it (including me).

Personally, I just didnt care for any of the characters, I thought the story was 'useless' and uninteresting, I thought the comedy was severely lacking, and there wasn't anything remarkable or good in it that's really worth mentioning.

Very very mediocre.

[thelostdragon]

I couldn't finish watching "Burn After Reading". Don't know if I kept falling asleep because it was too boring or because I was tired.
One scene was funny though, when the Russian guy at the embassy asks them if the CD was for PC or MAC.

[romerojpg]

It's as welcome as a slut at a gangbang. Better than Burn After Reading imo, the Coen brothers are my favourite filmmakers and I was a little underwhelmed by that.

I have no clue what to think of A Serious Man, not sure if it was better than BAR or not, mind you BAR was stunning looking, made and odd, something just neevr clicked at all with me by the end.
I do love the Coens, but damn some of their blips on the radar do my head in still at least we know they will make a god one soon to make up for any we do not like so much.

Still I do hate it when I walk out of the cinema from a Coen film and go mmmmm not the best.

[Shingster]

I think you're supposed to come out of both films not knowing what to think about them really, both are about esoteric subjects, the intelligence business in one and religion/faith in the other. I thought Serious Man at least had the feel of a classical Coens film about it though, and thus was slightly more accessible to me as a hardcore Coens fan.

[romerojpg]

I thought Serious Man at least had the feel of a classical Coens film about it though, and thus was slightly more accessible to me as a hardcore Coens fan.

Ohh it worked as a Coen film, it felt great and really worked as it picked up the slow pace towards some sort of finish. It just kind of left me cold when it ended. Mind you the beginning is mental I was going to wait for something to happen at the very end, after the credits. To wrap up the crackers black and white, full screen beginning bit, but could not be bothered to sit thru the credits. I hope i did not miss anything like was the old man a Deamon (I forget the word now haha) devil thingie)

I was acctually blown away at how it looked myself, as I had an amazing digital presentation that really looked pixel perfect. May not be their best film, but damn it looked good.

[Markgway]

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 (2009)

I haven't seen the original film (shame on me) but found this remake to be poor and predictible Hollywood product. What happened to the once unmissible Tony Scott? The script was lame with an almost comical use of gratuitous swearing ("I fucking love you!" "I fucking love you too!") The editing and camerawork was marginally less hyper than I expected, which I suppose is a compliment. Lol at the most gratuitous (that word again) car chase/vehicular stunts ever in a movie. This film has real contempt for its audience. Denzel is OK, giving his usual performance, but Travolta hams terribly. If Scott had been on his game he would've reigned Travolta in - the potential for a menacing performance was there. The finale is hoplessly obvious and lacking in credibility.

The film was passed with a '15' (which is apt, though it sails close to an '18'). I find the BBFC's justifications though continually odd: "The strongest violence occurs in two incidents. A gunman fires repeatedly at a man's chest, causing several bloody bullet impact wounds to appear on the victim's body. Two gunmen are shot at repeatedly, causing a succession of bloody bullet impact wounds to appear on the gunmen's bodies. Both instances fall well within the limits of '15' guidelines on violence which say that 'violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury'." Now I'm not necessarily saying that the film should've been a '18' but why do the BBFC constantly break their own guidelines then pretend they haven't? "May not dwell on... injury" If shooting two guys about a dozen times in slow-motion with bloody squibs bursting upon impact isn't dwelling on detailed injury - what is?

[Shingster]

I was going to wait for something to happen at the very end, after the credits. To wrap up the crackers black and white, full screen beginning bit, but could not be bothered to sit thru the credits. I hope i did not miss anything like was the old man a Deamon (I forget the word now haha) devil thingie)

I didn't sit through the end credits either so I don't know for certain if there was a scene at the end, I don't think there is one though. The opening sequence is deliberately ambiguous, which is in keeping with the whole religious angle. You don't know for certain if the old man is a dybbuk or not, or why we have this prologue - is it to suggest that sins of the past are visiting themselves on Gopnik, are the Coens merely drawing parallels between the husband and Gopnik? Who knows.

I was acctually blown away at how it looked myself, as I had an amazing digital presentation that really looked pixel perfect. May not be their best film, but damn it looked good.

Roger Deakins, 'nuff said! How he hasn't won an oscar yet I'll never know!

[saltysam]

Orphan 3/5

Decent if a little overlong thriller,another in the "evil child from hell" genre.This one has a neat twist that's obvious when you think about it but it's not been done in this genre before.

[gasteropod]

When did you realise the twist, Sam? I did when she wouldn't have her teeth inspected, that made me realise that they'd give away her age.

[saltysam]

When did you realise the twist, Sam? I did when she wouldn't have her teeth inspected, that made me realise that they'd give away her age.

i took longer...i'm getting old

[oldeschool17]

Forrest Gump is excellent. Pulp Fiction should won but it's still very good.

Forrest Gump is arse and good though Pulp Fiction is The Shawshank Redemption should've won Best Picture.

I had a chance when I was younger to be an extra in Forrest Gump. Driving an hour and a half out of the way to do so was not enticing enough though.