Topic: The Movies from Within My Lifetime

[goodguy]

Too bad it's only September 2012...

Oops. 

[Achim]

Too bad it's only September 2012...

Oops. 

I was quite surprised to see that myself. Because there is an actual release date, not just the window "September"... Normally blockbusters get their dates set early on, but this is neither a postential blockbuster nor is September blockbuster season

[Najemikon]

While The Brothers Bloom wasn't on the same level as Brick, I enjoyed it a lot. Not sure what Jon is getting at by saying Johnson misunderstood something about those kind of movies, because the con/caper clearly is more of a pretext. Maybe that was too obvious? Pretentious?  Even so I can hardly think of any better ones (Remember that I'm the guy who thinks Ocean's 12 was the best of Soderbergh's three).

  No, not pretentious this time! I liked the characters and idea, but by misunderstood, I refer to the failure to engage the audience because of one too many twists that instead of making you think, undermine what has gone before, mainly because of a serious flaw in the narrative that leads to a final act tragedy that is impossible to find any emotion within. It's a while since I saw it, but I seem to remember clearly thinking that they had focused on the wrong brother; that Brody didn't change, yet Ruffalo had a huge arc to follow and the audience were not part of it. Also, you know how much I admire Rachel Weisz, but she was short-changed by that character.

It was basically too thin.

As for breezy caper comedies that work, look no further than The Italian Job, the original Ocean's 11 (bloated, but works), Catch Me If You Can, Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels or even Kelly's Heroes. I'm trying to think of something less action/thriller focused and I haven't seen How To Steal A Million, but it often gets mentioned. Ooh, The Thomas Crown Affair, remake, I've just remembered.

[Achim]

The Stunt Man (1980/United States) Severin Films (United States) Director: Richard Rush Writing: Lawrence B. Marcus (Screenwriter), Richard Rush (Writer), Paul Brodeur (Original Material By) Length: 131 min. Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles:

Stars:
Peter O'Toole as Eli Cross
Steve Railsback as Cameron
Barbara Hershey as Nina Franklin
Allan Goorwitz as Sam
Alex Rocco as Jake

Plot:
It defied all odds to become the most unexpected and acclaimed cult hit of the '80s, and it remains one of the most slyly subversive and thrillingly original action/comedy/drama motion pictures of all time. The legendary Peter O'Toole – in an iconic Oscar®-nominated performance – stars as director Eli Cross, a deliciously megalomaniacal madman commanding a film-set circus where a paranoid young veteran (Steve Railsback) finds himself maybe replacing a dead stunt man, possibly falling for the beautiful leading lady (Barbara Hershey), and discovering that love, death and the mayhem of moviemaking can definitely be the wildest illusions of all. THE STUNT MAN now features a stunning HD transfer supervised by Oscar® nominated producer/director Richard Rush, plus a revealing audio commentary, four exclusive new featurettes, a feature-length documentary and more, all in the ultimate edition of the classic that the Los Angeles Times calls "as innovative today as CITIZEN KANE was in its time!"

Extras:

• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Interviews

My Thoughts:

Not knowing why the young veteran is on the run (one of the funniest things in the movie when we find out later on) gives him a mysterious edge, as we don't know how dangerous he just might be. The director has his own agenda why he protects the young veteran from the police. The lead actress of the movie being filmed creates a triangle among those three, that will slowly but steadily get out of control. There is comedy, action and romance and the director balances all elements competently throughout; I only found one scene misjudged (when the young veteran tells the lady he loves why the police is after him). The ending lacks a bit of closure for some of the plot lines, but the open endedness is rather typical for the time the film was made in.

Good acting, Peter O'Toole gives a particularly great performance (hence the Oscar nomination) although Steve Railsback seems to struggle occasionally, an interesting story and occasionally inventive camera work make this a pleasant watch.

Rating:

[Jimmy]

That was fast... Glad you like it 

now I have to wait 11 more days to get mine...

[Achim]

I was in the right mood and since you had asked for my comments, I watched it straight away today

I was surprised to find that this film is actually rather mainstream compared to your usual selections (Oscar nominations and all...). And I was surprised that this had never crossed my path before, except maybe that I read about the difficulties making it. Looking forward to watch the 2 hour documentary tomorrow.

[Jimmy]

I was surprised to find that this film is actually rather mainstream compared to your usual selections (Oscar nominations and all...).

Hey Last Summer is on my list of the best movie ever made and it was nominated for an Oscar (Catherine Burns - Best Actress in a Supporting Role)

and sadly it will never be release on DVD as MGM offer this film on its MOD-DVDR program (wich is too much trouble when you aren't living in the US).

[Achim]

Elvis (1979/United States) Fremantle Home Entertainment (United Kingdom) Director: John Carpenter (1948) Writing: Anthony Lawrence (Writer) Length: 168 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: PCM: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English

Stars:
Kurt Russell as Elvis Presley
Shelley Winters as Gladys Presley
Bing Russell as Vernon Presley
Robert Gray as Red West
Season Hubley as Priscilla Presley

Plot:
Just two years after Elvis Presley died, Kurt Russell brought him back to life in the original biopic about the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Broadcast on ABC in 1979, Elvis marked the first time director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell would work together in what would become a legendary pairing in film history (Escape From New York, Big Trouble In Little China, The Thing and Escape From L.A.).

Tracing Presley's life from his impoverished childhood to his meteoric rise to stardom to his triumphant return to Las Vegas, Elvis features Shelley Winters (Gladys Presley), Season Hubley (Priscilla Presley), Bing Russell (Kurt's real-life father as Vernon Presley), Pat Hingle (Colonel Tom Parker), Joe Mantegna ("Memphis Mafia" member Joe Esposito) and Ed Begley Jr. (drummer D.J. Fontana) in an all-star supporting cast for an effort that garnered numerous Emmy® nominations including Outstanding Lead Actor for Russell.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Featurettes
• Gallery

My Thoughts:

After Halloween John Carpenter went on to make two TV movies, this is the second one (after Someone's Watching Me!). Carpenter puts in a strong effort with this one, mostly letting things unfold by themselves and just having the camera observe what is happening with the characters. The film mostly ignores the business side of things, we merely see a few songs during key performances or events so that the audience gets a frame of reference. Instead we get to know the man that shot to fame rather quickly and how he has to deal with the (at the time) unprecedented popularity. Maybe Carpenter was too much of a fan, maybe the Presley estate had a big hand in avoiding controversial material (this was only two years after Elvis' death and the film was apparently allowed to shoot a few scenes at Graceland), maybe there is actually not much to report, but there are only a few scenes showing Elvis' darker side, when he is struggling with the enormous popularity (he is very rich yet a prisoner in his own home), his artistic integrity (when a producer changes the song without consulting him) and the balance between his entourage and his private life with his wife. The film also puts strong emphasis on his relationship with his mother and how her death influenced his music towards religious themes.

I enjoyed this film very much. The rather interesting success story of Elvis, undoubtedly one of the main forefathers of modern rock music, is supported by a great performance by Kurt Russell and an his supporting cast (Pat Hingle, Charles Cyphers). There is a good selection of songs in this, although not original; Kurt Russell is doing good lip-syncing to Ronnie McDowell's cover versions. May the film be rose-tinted or maybe they cut off at the Las Vegas concert especially to avoid the troubled later years, even at three hours length it was a compelling story and I never found myself bored.

Rating:

[Achim]

Damnation Alley (1977/United States) Shout! Factory (United States) Director: Jack Smight Writing: Roger Zelazny (Original Material By), Alan Sharp (Screenwriter), Lukas Heller (Screenwriter) Length: 91 min. Video: Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: PCM: 7.1, English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 6.1 (Discrete), English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles:

Stars:
Jan-Michael Vincent as Tanner
George Peppard as Denton
Dominique Sanda as Janice
Paul Winfield as Keegan
Jackie Earle Haley as Billy

Plot:
The world is devastated by a nuclear holocaust, causing the Earth to tilt on its axis and bringing vast meteorological chaos. As the weather stabilizes, mutated insects start to emerge, preying on the survivors. Luckily, the remaining crew at a U.S. Air Force bomb shelter in the Mojave Desert picks up radio signals coming from Albany. The crew's commander, Major Eugene Dalton (George Peppard, TV's The A-Team), unveils two armored vehicles he has constructed and announces a plan to corss "Damnation Alley," the hundred-mile-wide strip between areas of radiation hazard, to join the other survivors. They set off, taking on two civilians — a novice singer they find in the ruins of Las Vegas and a wild teenager (Jackie Earle Haley, Watchmen) — along the way. The journey is also beset by giant mutated cockroaches, storms and crazed survivalists, making for some hair-raising encounters in this post-apocalyptic thriller.

Extras:

• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

I had wanted to see this film for 30 years, ever since I saw the pictures of the could tank they drive and the giant scorpions that threaten them. Seeing that this was a 20th Century Fox film, yet distributed by Shout Factory leveled my expectations, which was a good thing. This film is "forgotten" for a reason, it has aged incredibly bad. There are three interesting scenes in it (scorpions, cockroaches and hillbillies), otherwise the film outstays its welcome even at only 90min Too many scenes just have nothing happen in them. A post apocalyptic road movie that bores the hell out of us. They could have redeemed some if the badness with a proper ending, but instead went with something that even defies the film's own logic

Rating:

[Achim]

Død snø (2009/Norway) E1 Entertainment (United Kingdom) Director: Tommy Wirkola Writing: Tommy Wirkola (Writer), Stig Frode Henriksen (Writer) Length: 88 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: Norwegian: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English

Stars:
Vegar Hoel as Martin
Stig Frode Henriksen as Roy
Charlotte Frogner as Hanna
Lasse Valdal as Vegard
Evy Kasseth Røsten as Liv

Plot:
With a car packed full of ski equipment and enough beer to fuel their escape from everyday life eight medical students head out on their Easter vacation.

Isolated in the snowy hills the group begins to realize they came to the wrong resort, as deep in the hills lay an unthinkable evil.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

I had a lot of fun with this one. My friend and I were enjoying that this Norwegian film did not use the same patterns an American film would have used, which in whole made it feel fresh. my friend did however complain about the unrealistic use of the human anatomy, especially that of intestines (he is a surgeon...). There are a few laughs in this, as well as a sufficient amount of gore. So, while obviously not a masterpiece of a film, it is great fun for that Saturday night with some friends over.

Rating:

[Achim]

Los cronocrímenes (2007/Spain) Optimum Home Entertainment (United Kingdom) Director: Nacho Vigalondo Writing: Nacho Vigalondo (Writer) Length: 88 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English

Stars:
Karra Elejalde as Héctor
Candela Fernández as Clara
Bárbara Goenaga as La Chica en el Bosque
Nacho Vigalondo as El Joven
Ion Inciarte as Héctor Ocasional

Plot:
Lauded short-film director Nacho Vigalondo makes his feature debut with this tense, unstoppable vision of science and natural law gone awry.

Héctor (Karra Elejalde) is relaxing on a lawn chair outside of his new country home, surveying the nearby hillside through a pair of binoculars, when he catches sight of what appears to be a nude woman amidst the trees. Hiking up to investigate, he is attacked by a sinister figure whose head is wrapped in a grotesque, pink bandage. Fleeing in terror, his next actions set in motion a brain-twisting, horrifying chain of events.

Drawing from the best traditions of classic science fiction and crime fiction, TIMECRIMES plays games with the genres and the audience, giving the protagonist a Russian-doll like shell of identities that are shed so often that Héctor can be playing one of any number of whodunit archetypes at any given moment as he becomes increasingly more complicit in the complicated mess that he's trying to fix.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers

My Thoughts:

Where Primer did my head in with it's high-level approach this was a lot of fun to watch. Kept much simpler and more approachable than before mentioned film, Timecrimes is an interesting watch. It is unfortunately held back by a weird pacing, giving the audience lots of information too early, so we are left to merely observe how things unfold. This is especially true in the middle section and even in the "climax" little is done to keep us on the edge of the seat. That leaves the viewer ultimate with, as I said, interesting but mostly unengaging story.

Rating:

[Achim]

I totally forgot about this, thread, so all I can say is:

FAIL

Of course, I never said I will review every movie I watch for this marathon and therefore coulds just fill the list with what I watched last year but a) I am not sure that would complete the list for all years and B) I am too lazy to do that.

[goodguy]

...and therefore coulds just fill the list with what I watched last year but a) I am not sure that would complete the list for all years and B) I am too lazy to do that.

I just took a quick look at the movies I watched in 2011 and I came pretty close without even trying.