Topic: Dragonfire88's Alphabet Marathon

[Najemikon]

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Pretty much.  So of course that portion of the movie is fiction...though I do think the evidence Sherlock discovered supports the theory.  But things were still...covered up, and there wasn't an arrest.
From Hell has a somewhat similar theory about the identity of the Ripper.  Though if I remember right, even though Depp's character figures out what is going on, the killer still gets away.

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Ah, a good way to stay true to the realilty yet satisfy the movie-goers need for closure.

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Yup. The cover up was used in From Hell too...for the same reason.  The conclusion is a bit different, but the same basic idea of the Ripper not being arrested for some reason.

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Another Alan Moore book needlessly pillaged! I believe it was the Royal Surgeon and while he technically "got away", they lobotomised him.

[Dragonfire]

(click to show/hide)

Pretty much.  So of course that portion of the movie is fiction...though I do think the evidence Sherlock discovered supports the theory.  But things were still...covered up, and there wasn't an arrest.
From Hell has a somewhat similar theory about the identity of the Ripper.  Though if I remember right, even though Depp's character figures out what is going on, the killer still gets away.

(click to show/hide)

Ah, a good way to stay true to the realilty yet satisfy the movie-goers need for closure.

(click to show/hide)

Yup. The cover up was used in From Hell too...for the same reason.  The conclusion is a bit different, but the same basic idea of the Ripper not being arrested for some reason.

(click to show/hide)

Another Alan Moore book needlessly pillaged! I believe it was the Royal Surgeon and while he technically "got away", they lobotomised him.

(click to show/hide)

In From Hell yes.  It is handled a little different in Murder by Decree..I think this movie came out before the graphic novel.  Anyway, the ...motivation for the murders is the same as in From Hell.  The movie took some of the plot from a book that came out in like..umm...1977 or so I think it was.  I can't remember exactly.  Anyway, one thing I read said that Alan Moore was inspired by the same book for From Hell.

[Dragonfire]

Superhero Movie Spider-Man, X-Men and the Fantastic Four will never be the same after this outrageously funny spoof of your favorite comic book movies! Drake Bell (Drake & Josh) stars as a nerdy high school student bitten by a genetically-altered dragonfly. He stumbles hilariously through the process of becoming a crime-fighter and as his powers grow, so do the laughs. Sara Paxton (Aquamarine) and Christopher McDonald (Spy Kids 2) costar as the clueless damsel in distress and the comically intense super villain, along with Pamela Anderson and Leslie Nielson. Going from superzero to superhero has never been this much fun! My Thoughts I'll just start by saying that I know some will probably doubt my sanity over this one.  But in my defense, this is loads better than Date Movie and Epic Movie.  That doesn't mean that this is a great movie, but it manages to be entertaining.  The spoof stuff works better in this one instead of just seeming like a bunch of random references thrown together in with a nonexistent plot.  This one sticks to superhero movies, and more specifically, Spider-Man.  The main plot is clearly pulled from Spider-Man, though there are also references to X-Men and Fantastic 4 as well as Batman.  I think a big reason why the movie is entertaining is because some restraint was shown instead of throwing in references to every superhero movie ever made into the movie.  Most of the humor is silly and not all of it works, but there are funny moments in the movie.  Some of the humor is a bit gross, but thankfully not that much of it.  There is a bit of action to what is going on which does help to make things interesting.  The violence is rather mild.  Some of the lines are very suggestive and had to have played a big part in the movie being rated PG-13.  The characters are all right without being anything special.  Uncle Arthur and Aunt Lucille are my favorites, though it is really odd to me to hear Marion Ross saying some of those lines.  I still think of her as Mrs. Cunningham. The plot isn't the most original since so much of it is pulled from Spider-Man.  Even with that basis, the plot is still a bit weak.  The characters are pretty flat, though a few of them are interesting.  Despite the flaws, the movie is entertaining. Superhero Movie

[Dragonfire]

Galaxy Quest For four years, the courageous crew of the NSEA Protector – "Commander Peter Quincy Taggart" (TIM ALLEN), "Lt. Tawny Madison" (SIGOURNEY WEAVER) and "Dr. Lazarus" (ALAN RICKMAN) – set off on thrilling and often dangerous missions in space...and then their series was canceled! Now, twenty years later, aliens under attack have mistaken the Galaxy Quest television transmissions for "historical documents" and beamed up the crew of has-been actors to save the universe. With no script, no director and no clue, the actors must turn in the performances of their lives in this hilarious adventure Jeffrey Lyons (NBC-TV) calls "The funniest, wittiest comedy of the year." My Thoughts I love this movie and was in the mood to see it again.  I have seen some of the Star Trek tv shows and movies, so I know a little about the characters, but I don't know everything.  I have heard of the conventions that fans have.  I thought that aspect of the movie, with how ...obsessed some of the fans were, is very realistic.  It is clear to me, even with my limited Trek knowledge, that Galaxy Quest is intended to be a show like Star Trek, except the show never got turned into a series of movies.  The cast is all stuck being associated with these roles and some of them, like Alexander, hate that.  The plot is like Three Amigos with the aliens believing that the episodes of the tv show are historical documents and the actors are a real crew of a space ship that has deal with all sort of bad aliens.  Even though the plot is similar to the earlier movie, there is enough different for the movie to be really fun and entertaining.  The story is developed enough to be interesting and entertaining.  So much that happens in really funny.   The characters really make the movie and the acting is wonderful.  I love Alan Rickman in his part of a classically trained actor who feels trapped by being associated with this role.  Tony Shalhoub is really good as Fred.  He is so calm when the others are freaking out, like after they have been transported onto the ship or after their first encounter with Seris when they are fleeing and the ship is in such bad shape..there's Fred all calm telling Jason that the ship can't take it.  There is just so much that I enjoy about this movie. I loved this one when I first saw it and I still feel the same way.  It is really fun and entertaining and the cast is great in their roles. I did post a review on Epinions a few years ago. Galaxy Quest

[Dragonfire]

30 Days of Night Josh Harnett crosses over to the dark side in this bone-chilling adaptation of the cult-hit graphic novel, brought to the screen in all its demonic glory. In a small Alaskan town, thirty days of night is a natural phenomenon. Very few outsiders visit, until a band of bloodthirsty, deathly pale vampires mark their arrival by savagely attacking sled dogs. But soon they find there are much more satisfying thirst-quenchers about – human beings. One by one, the townspeople succumb to a living nightmare, but a small group survives – at least for now. The vampires use the dark to their advantage, and surviving this cold hell is a game of cat and mouse... and screams. My Thoughts This one is based on a comic book that I haven't read.  Since I haven't read it, I have no clue how close to the source material the movie stays.  The idea of vampires attacking during 30 days of darkness is interesting and it seems like something they might do.  The plot really isn't that complicated since it is just about the vampires attacking and people trying to survive until daylight returns.  Much of what happens is predictable, though one major thing happens that I didn't expect.  Unfortunately, some of what happens doesn't make much sense.  Once the darkness sets in, the vampires move in and they kill almost everyone in what seems like minutes.  The vampires attack and kill everyone they find, leaving bodies everywhere.  A handful of people, including the sheriff, his estranged wife, and younger brother, manage to survive the attack and they find a somewhat decent hiding place.  All that happens fairly early in the movie.  After that, the rest of the movie is basically the survivors trying to stay hidden until the darkness ends.  The survivors are able to peek out and see that the vampires are systemically going through houses and buildings, seeming to be searching for anyone who may be hiding.  Yet someone the survivors manage to stay hidden, even as some fighting happens between them.  Huge chunks of time in the 30 days of night are skipped over, and then, very late in the movie, a few more survivors turn up without any explanations for how they have survived.  That doesn't work for me.  Too much time in the movie passes without much of anything happening, and that does make several scenes drag.  The movie is fairly violent and a lot of blood is shown, though it doesn't get really gory.  In several scenes, the violence happens off camera, and just the after math is seen.  That is gory enough most of the time.  These vampires are very savage and vicious with how they kill.  They basically rip out the throats of their victims instead of just sucking blood.  Blood is everywhere, even all over the vampires.  That was probably meant to make them look and seem scarier, but that effect doesn't last that long.  The vampires in this movie are a bit bizarre.  None of them are identified by name during the movie, though they have names in the credits.  Marlow seems to be in charge. He is the only one who talks and the others just screech and yell.  The screeching does sound creepy, but it is a bit weird.  When Marlow talks, it is in some other language and subtitles aren't provided.  The vampires have a mouth full of sharp pointy teeth that are almost shark like instead of just 2 fangs.  The face and eye shapes of a few of the vampires do make them look somewhat like a shark as well.  That is something else that is odd.  These differences do make the vampires more unique, but it also makes them a bit weird.  There isn't much character development for anyone, and basically none for the vampires.  Eben, the sheriff, does have a few issues to deal with and he probably has the most development.  Most of the characters seem nice enough, but I never felt that connected to any of them.  The cast all does fine with their parts. I did watch the extras on the making of the movie and they are interesting.  The extras mostly feature the crew and director talking.  A few cast members only briefly appear.  Overall, this is an entertaining vampire movie, though it isn't my favorite. I did get a review posted at Epinions. 30 Days of Night

[Dragonfire]

Bulletproof Monk Chow Yun-Fat (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and Seann William Scott (the American Pie films) star in this heart-pumping action-adventure that bristles with "acrobatic battles [and] solid visual effects" (The Hollywood Reporter)! For 60 years, a mysterious monk has protected an ancient scroll that holds the key to unlimited power. But when a streetwise punk named Kar saves him from capture, the monk thinks he's found a replacement protector for the scroll. Now Kar, under the tutelage of the monk, must unleash his potential as one gravity-defying, sword wielding, butt-kicking warrior to save the world from the scroll's most avid pursuer. My Thoughts I only just discovered that this movie was based on a comic book.  The Nameless Monk does sort of have some special powers, but it is tied to his being the protector of the scroll.  The explanation for that does make sense.  The plot is interesting and entertaining, though it could have been more developed.  There is more attention given to fights than other things.  A few surprises turn up, though more is predictable.  The action scenes are done well.  They mostly involve fights, some of which look pretty impressive.  Humor does turn up every so often.  Some of it is silly, but it does help to keep things entertaining.  The cast does well with their parts.  The DVD has a few extras, though I didn't take the time to watch them. Overall, this is an entertaining movie, though it isn't for everyone. I did get a review posted on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look. Bulletproof Monk

[Dragonfire]

Frank Miller's Sin City



If ever a movie was meant to be experienced in high definition, Frank Miller's Sin City is guilty on all counts! A groundbreaking masterpiece of mayhem, Sin City roars to life with both barrels blazing in this Blu-ray Disc™ set that includes the restored theatrical feature and the Recut, Extended, Unrated Release. This jam-packed 2-disc powerhouse explodes with all-new bonus including Kill 'Em Good Interactive Comic Book and Cine-Explore, a behind-the-scenes picture-within-a-picture commentary.

Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn), Frank Miller (The Spirit) and Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill 1 and 2, Pulp Fiction) direct an amazing cast of big-screen favorites (Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Brittany Murphy, Benicio Del Toro, Rosario Dawson and more!) in this acclaimed and visually stunning hit that's straight from the pages of Miller's hip series of "Sin City" graphic novels.

Strap yourself in as a staggering sensory onslaught hits you right where you live. From the stylized, razor-sharp clarity of the unique, high definition visuals to the throbbing, phenomenally intense sounds of bullets spraying and bones crunching, this awesome, mind-blowing excursion into a sexy, twisted funhouse of cops, killers, hookers and hit men will tease, tantalize and thrill you as never before in Blu-ray Disc™ High Definition.

My Thoughts

First of all, this isn't a movie for everyone.  It will be too violent and just plain too different for some people.  I do think it is entertaining and worth seeing.  I've never seen the original stories in the graphic novels, though from things I've read about the movie and seen in some of the extras, it does seem like the movie stays very true to the stories.  It definitely does have the look of a comic book with the unique coloring used.  Most of the movie is in black and white, with only selective use of colors in a piece of clothing or someone eyes..or blood.  The movie was filmed with green screens and just about all the locations were created digitally.  That does give the movie a very unique look that may turn off some viewers.

The movie is made up of four stories that slightly weave together with over lapping scenes.  I watched the extended version this time, which splits the stories into different parts, complete with their own credits.  Some things are shown in a slightly different order than they were in the theatrical version.  That could cause a little bit of confusion in a few spots since things are shown sort of out of order in a few cases.  The stories are mostly independent of each other with only a little overlap.  The stories are dark, disturbing, and twisted in some way, something else that may turn some viewers off.  A few things are a little harder to see.  The movie is entertaining overall even with the darker tone and subject matter.  Several scenes are very violent, though it does seem slightly less gory at times when the blood is a different color, like white. 

Pretty much all of the characters are twisted in some way and really none of them are purely good characters, though a few are presented as sort of hero characters.  Nancy is probably the only really good character, and she does seem a bit out of place.  She dances suggestively in some sort of club, but she doesn't strip.  That just seems a tad unbelievable.  From one of the extras, a panel from the graphic novel is shown and I think it is Nancy dancing topless, so that seems to have been changed for the movie..probably because of Jessica Alba being cast.

The Blu-ray has several extras that focus on some part of the making of the movie.  The extras that I've watched are interesting and worth checking out.

Overall the movie is entertaining and worth checking out, though it will turn some people off.



I did get a review posted on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

Sin City

[Dragonfire]

Zack and Miri Make a Porno



Get ready for the wild comedy that goes where no movie has dared go before! Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express) and Elizabeth Banks (Role Models) star as two cash-strapped roommates who try to get out of debt by making an adult film. Once the cameras start rolling, things quickly get complicated...and hilarious! Writer/Director Kevin Smith is at his funniest, backed by a motley cast, including Craig Robinson ("The Office"), Jason Mewes (Clerks films), Justin Long (Live Free or Die Hard), and Brandon Routh (Superman Returns). Critics promise, "If you liked The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad, you'll love Zack and Miri" (Shawn Edwards, Fox-TV).

My Thoughts

This is another one that won't appeal to some people because of the subject.  This isn't an actual porn movie..it is just a movie about some people who decide to make a porn.  There aren't a lot of sex scenes, though one of them is a bit more explicit.  It makes sense for that sort of scene, along with nudity, to be in the movie given what the plot is.  One other sex scene that is more important ends up without any nudity, which does seem slightly odd given that the characters are supposed to be making a porn movie to make money.  I don't know a lot about porn, but nudity seems to be a bit selling point.  Anyway, the sexual content isn't really that extreme and there is less nudity and fewer sex scenes than I expected considering what is going on.

There are a lot of funny moments throughout the movie.  Some of the humor is sexual in nature and other stuff is more crude or even gross.  The humor works well for the most part, though a few things were probably intended to be funny that weren't.  There is one really, really gross moment at one point that I could have done without seeing, though it is sort of funny in a very twisted way.  A lot of the humor is silly, which might disappoint some people.

The plot is fairly simple and straight forward.  A lot of people have money problems, especially lately in this country, so I think it makes sense that Zack and Miri would be willing to go to extreme measures in an attempt to pay their bills.  Time is taken to set up the problem and show how bad it is once their water and electric are turned off.  Miri does need to be convinced, but it isn't long before they start planning to make their movie.  Just about everything that happens is predictable, though there are a few minor surprises.  Even though the plot isn't that complicated, it is still interesting and entertaining.

The characters are nice enough, though they do have some issues.  Seth Rogen is fine as Zack, though the character does seem to be a lot like other characters he's played.  Miri is nice and likable and she does seem to be a bit more responsible than Zack.  Elizabeth Banks does well with the part. Stacy, Lester, Bubbles, and Barry are people hired to act in the movie and they all add something to it.  There isn't a lot of development for them, but they are interesting characters.

The two disc DVD has all sorts of extras.  There are at least an hour of deleted scenes - I lost track when watching them.  Some are slightly different versions of the ones in the movie.  Some of them didn't add a lot to the movie, so I can see why they were cut.  I do think the parts having Zack fight with the car door are really funny though.  The featurette on the making of the movie is really well done and interesting.  It is one of the more detailed making of featurettes that I've seen.  The webisodes are also entertaining and worth watching.  The extras are really interesting and entertaining and worth watching.

I really enjoyed this one overall.  Yes it is raunchy and crude at times, but it works as an entertaining movie.  I liked this one more than Knocked Up.  I'm getting a bit tired of Apatow's movies.  While they are some similarities in this one, something about it makes it better overall I think.



I did get a review posted on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

[lovemunkey187]

Two words for you - Dutch Rudder 

I really enjoyed this one overall.  Yes it is raunchy and crude at times, but it works as an entertaining movie.  I liked this one more than Knocked Up.  I'm getting a bit tired of Apatow's movies.  While they are some similarities in this one, something about it makes it better overall I think.

I think that it's the Kevin Smith influence.

[Dragonfire]

Two words for you - Dutch Rudder 

I really enjoyed this one overall.  Yes it is raunchy and crude at times, but it works as an entertaining movie.  I liked this one more than Knocked Up.  I'm getting a bit tired of Apatow's movies.  While they are some similarities in this one, something about it makes it better overall I think.

I think that it's the Kevin Smith influence.

 
That was different..and I can honestly say I'd never heard of that before.

It probably is Smith's influence.  I still haven't seen all his movies..I'll get to that sometime.  I do know that Rogen is use to doing a lot more improvisational stuff with Apatow...that isn't always better.  It seems like Rogen is a tad more controlled in this one, even though his character does end up being more like a lot of his others.

[Najemikon]

I much prefer Smith's films over Apatow. Both have this dirty but sweet style, and they fill they're DVDs with tons of extras. But there's nothing of substance on Knocked Up, just rubbish improv. I spoilt that film by watching all the bloody outtakes and most of them are pointless.

[Dragonfire]

I much prefer Smith's films over Apatow. Both have this dirty but sweet style, and they fill they're DVDs with tons of extras. But there's nothing of substance on Knocked Up, just rubbish improv. I spoilt that film by watching all the bloody outtakes and most of them are pointless.

I saw Knocked Up on HBO, so I haven't seen the extras on that one...though some of the alternate scenes or deleted scenes or whatever they called them on 40 Year Old Virgin were just all that improv stuff..over and over and over.  And well...I haven't been that impressed with the improv stuff the guys in Apatow's movies do.  They aren't as good at it as they think they are.  A little of that goes a long way at times.

[Najemikon]

I much prefer Smith's films over Apatow. Both have this dirty but sweet style, and they fill they're DVDs with tons of extras. But there's nothing of substance on Knocked Up, just rubbish improv. I spoilt that film by watching all the bloody outtakes and most of them are pointless.

I saw Knocked Up on HBO, so I haven't seen the extras on that one...though some of the alternate scenes or deleted scenes or whatever they called them on 40 Year Old Virgin were just all that improv stuff..over and over and over.  And well...I haven't been that impressed with the improv stuff the guys in Apatow's movies do.  They aren't as good at it as they think they are.  A little of that goes a long way at times.

You know Ken Jeong who plays the Doctor in Knocked Up? I thought he was great in the two minutes he is in it. Watching the extras though, I discover he is a novice. Fair enough. But he really thinks he is brilliant and so does everyone else! There must be 20 minutes of him doing one bloody scene, and everyone is falling about laughing at his improv genius. Really put me off him. He is in The Hangover too and it is hilarious when he jumps out the boot, but then they extend his role and I can see right through him. Useless, big headed "actor" who for some reason has been surrounded by "yes" men, clearly, or am I missing something?

[Dragonfire]

You know Ken Jeong who plays the Doctor in Knocked Up? I thought he was great in the two minutes he is in it. Watching the extras though, I discover he is a novice. Fair enough. But he really thinks he is brilliant and so does everyone else! There must be 20 minutes of him doing one bloody scene, and everyone is falling about laughing at his improv genius. Really put me off him. He is in The Hangover too and it is hilarious when he jumps out the boot, but then they extend his role and I can see right through him. Useless, big headed "actor" who for some reason has been surrounded by "yes" men, clearly, or am I missing something?

I didn't really like him in Knocked Up..I thought his character was a jerk.  I think I'm glad I didn't see those extras.  That would have turned me off the movie even more.  That improv stuff they do gets old really fast.  He was funny in The Hangover when he jumped out of the trunk...not so much when he turned up again later.  There is some extra that just has more of him doing basically the same thing over and over.  If I remember right, I turned it off pretty quick.  I think it was more of a fluke that 40 Year Old Virgin took off like it did.  Since then, he's just been doing more of the same stuff, with a lot of the same actors who are not as funny as they all think they are.

[Dragonfire]

I just remembered something that may explain a few things ...at least with Rogen.
He's admitted that he smokes pot a lot.  Maybe he's been stoned when he's done some of his stuff that he thinks is funny but isn't.