Topic: KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2011

[Dragonfire]

I liked The Men Who Stare at Goats when I saw it.  I saw it in the theater..maybe I'll get the Blu-ray some day.

[KinkyCyborg]

I thought of getting The Men Who Stare At Goats recently.  There were several copies at my local Blockbuster which is going out of business...but I didn't and I think that store may have finally closed it's doors by now.  Is this something like a Coen Brothers film?  I always had that idea...but perhaps I was wrong.

I think you could easily get the impression this is a Coen film given it's offbeat nature, and it's inclusion of Clooney.

Kevin, did you see the deleted scenes? There's another Spacey clip in there I thought was great, where he attacks Clooney during a self-defence class. I understand why they cut these things, but such a shame to lose Bridges' line! 

I just popped the dvd in and checked out the deleted scenes. It was a shame to see that cut. The flying chair was a nice touch too! 

KC

[KinkyCyborg]

The Hurt Locker




Title:The Hurt Locker
Year: 2008
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Rating: R
Length: 131 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Jeremy Renner
Anthony Mackie
Brian Geraghty
Guy Pearce
Ralph Fiennes

Plot:
War is a drug. Nobody knows that better than Staff Sergeant James, head of an elite squad of soldiers tasked with disarming bombs in the heat of combat. To do this nerve-shredding job, it's not enough to be the best: you have to thrive in a zone where the margin of error is zero, think as diabolically as a bomb-maker, and somehow survive with your body and soul intact. Powerfully realistic, action-packed, unrelenting and intense. The Hurt Locker has been hailed by critics as "an adrenalin-soaked tour de force" (A.O. Scott, The New York Times) and "one of the great war movies." (Richard Corliss, Time )

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Featurettes
Gallery

My Thoughts:

So here it is... the movie that went up against the behemoth Avatar at the Oscars and came out on top. I think both movies are great and equally deserving of the Best Picture nod but they are obviously geared towards different audiences. I don't think Cameron was too upset about losing out on the Oscar... he already has one for Best Picture and he can console himself with the booby prize, that being a $2.6 billion worldwide box office...   

The Hurt Locker is about as gritty and intense as a movie can get. Every day of this unit's rotation and every insane, deadly scenario they are thrust into is breathtaking and hypnotic. It was as if my entire body was clenched throughout the movie. Jeremy Renner was simply awesome as the bomb disposal expert who gives new meaning to the expression 'adrenaline rush'. Even when he wasn't playing beat the clock with killer ordinance he was off rushing blindly into dangerous situations, many times putting his other unit members in harm's way.

A few telling moments for me in this film. When James's (Renner) tour is up and he goes home to his wife and son you can see it in his eyes and body language. He hates it, just loathes that ordinary existence. He has a complete indifference to his home and family. If anything, that life scares him more than the bombs do.

The on screen countdown that pops up day to day to show how many days remain of their tour was so meaningful for as that number got smaller the missions and the threats became all the more terrifying and suspenseful. Then when in the final scene,

(click to show/hide)

upon returning to Iraq, James marches up the street in his full body armor towards another killer bomb... and then that statistic flashes on the screen...

BRAVO Company Tour, Days Remaining : 365.

Cinematic brilliance! 

I think why this film didn't receive the accolades it should have prior to it's Oscar win is that the subject of IEDs and suicide bombers was for too real for many of the viewers in North America. Americans and Canadians alike have seen and heard far too many times about good men and women losing their lives to these cowardly devices in Iraq & Afghanistan. A movie like this would be like rubbing salt in an open, raw wound. It's because of exactly that reaction why I applaud Kathryn Bigelow for bringing that menacing world and shoving it in our faces.

Everyone casually says they support our troops. Watch this movie and you will have a new born appreciation for what these men and women do for us in these miserable countries abroad.

KC

Rating:

[Achim]

I also think Hurt Locker was a great film. That opening scene sets the mood very well and is a very intense start.

Bigelow is back in form and puts her action experience to good use here.

[KinkyCyborg]

The Desert Rats




Title:The Desert Rats
Year: 1953
Director: Robert Wise
Rating: NR
Length: 88 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, English: Dolby Digital: Mono, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Mono, French: Dolby Digital: Mono
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Richard Burton (1925)
Robert Newton
Robert Douglas
Torin Thatcher
Chips Rafferty

Plot:
The story of the men who stopped Rommel!

RICHARD BURTON stars in this exciting film about the courageous men who held off notorious German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, despite being hopelessly outnumbered. The year is 1941, and all that stands between Rommel and the Suez Canal is the fortress of Tobruk, which is manned only by a small Australian battalion whom Captain MacRoberts (BURTON) must whip them in to shape - fast! JAMES MASON co-stars in a stunning portrayal as Rommel in this stirring, action-packed story of the World War II heroes known as THE DESERT RATS.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Closed Captioned
B&W

My Thoughts:

Everyone knows I love my war movies, especially ones that recount actual events. This one tells the story of the Australian 9th Division Infantry unit that was asked to hold the city of Tobruk, Libya in Northern Africa against German Field Marshall Rommel's forces for two months! In fact they held it for 8 months, never giving up the position.

While the story was great and the acting credible, this has to be one of the most poorly shot war movies I have ever watched. Dark grainy footage throughout, it was difficult at times to figure out what exactly was transpiring. Even by 1953 standards this could and should have had a better quality of picture. Another major gaffe was the exclusion of subtitles during the German speaking parts which just added to the puzzlement of what was going on.

Richard Burton played the English Captain in charge of the Aussies who is duty bound to perform but morally conflicted which is a rather standard, cliched premise in war movies. He was good as was James Mason playing Rommell although he didn't get nearly enough screen time. The rest of the cast was fleshed out with mostly unknowns.

I didn't mind this movie but Fox War Classics has put out much better.

KC

Rating:

[Antares]

If you want to see another film that deals with North Africa, you should check out Ice Cold in Alex.

[KinkyCyborg]

Never heard of that one but I'll keep my eyes peeled for it. One I wish I could get is called Tobruk (1967), with Rock Hudson and George Peppard. It never got a dvd release. 

[Najemikon]

Well, it did... sort of...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tobruk-German-DVD-CategoryArthouse/dp/B001L284J0

[KinkyCyborg]

Unfortunately that sort of doesn't quite work for me. Why is it that the dvds that I want the most and never got an NTSC dvd release always get a UK release? Same thing for Tough Guys with Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster. I can get an R2 of it but Touchstone doesn't see fit to give it a North American release....  

[m.cellophane]

Unfortunately that sort of doesn't quite work for me. Why is it that the dvds that I want the most and never got an NTSC dvd release always get a UK release? Same thing for Tough Guys with Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster. I can get an R2 of it but Touchstone doesn't see fit to give it a North American release....  

$50 USD can buy you a multi-region NTSC/PAL progressive scan DVD player. I have an earlier version of this player and it's helped me enjoy some DVDs that haven't made it yet to R1.

[KinkyCyborg]

Unfortunately that sort of doesn't quite work for me. Why is it that the dvds that I want the most and never got an NTSC dvd release always get a UK release? Same thing for Tough Guys with Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster. I can get an R2 of it but Touchstone doesn't see fit to give it a North American release.... 

$50 USD can buy you a multi-region NTSC/PAL progressive scan DVD player. I have an earlier version of this player and it's helped me enjoy some DVDs that haven't made it yet to R1.

I have been leaning towards making such a purchase as me just holding out until these movie studios come to their senses is apparently not working...     Thanks for the link James.

[m.cellophane]

I have been leaning towards making such a purchase as me just holding out until these movie studios come to their senses is apparently not working...     Thanks for the link James.

I went through the same frustration. I don't have a large collection of non-R1 titles, but just enough to satisfy my desires while I wait. If it's any consolation, it seems that as I give up and buy non-R1 titles, they are soon released in R1.  It's happened at least half a dozen times so far.

[Najemikon]

Same thing has happened to me regards importing r1. Apart from Criterion. I buy less since upgrading to blu which isn't feasible as multi region, which annoys me because I can't get the new Criterions.

Still since the advent of Blu-Ray, a couple of other high quality labels have appeared like Bfi.

[KinkyCyborg]

Same thing has happened to me regards importing r1. Apart from Criterion. I buy less since upgrading to blu which isn't feasible as multi region, which annoys me because I can't get the new Criterions.

Still since the advent of Blu-Ray, a couple of other high quality labels have appeared like Bfi.

I'm sure multi-region bluray players are just around the corner.     Enough people start squawking about the inability to get their hands on movies, particularly Criterion titles, it should happen sooner rather than later.

[Antares]

Same thing has happened to me regards importing r1. Apart from Criterion. I buy less since upgrading to blu which isn't feasible as multi region, which annoys me because I can't get the new Criterions.

Still since the advent of Blu-Ray, a couple of other high quality labels have appeared like Bfi.

I'm sure multi-region bluray players are just around the corner.     Enough people start squawking about the inability to get their hands on movies, particularly Criterion titles, it should happen sooner rather than later.

I've said this before, Oppo's Blu-Ray player can be made region free through the use of a kit. Go to the AVForum and search for OPPO Blu-Ray Multi-Region.