Topic: The Movies from Within My Lifetime

[Achim]

My reviews.

Might not write them for all the films.

[Achim]

Bonnie and Clyde (1967/United States) Warner Home Video (United States) Director: Arthur Penn Writing: David Newman (1937) (Writer), Robert Benton (Writer) Length: 111 min. Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English, French, Korean, Spanish

Stars:
Warren Beatty as Clyde Barrow
Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker
Michael J. Pollard as C. W. Moss
Gene Hackman as Buck Barrow
Estelle Parsons as Blanche

Overview:
Depression-era drifters Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) and Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) embark on a life of crime. They crave adventure – and each other. We are unprepared for the cascading violence that follows; we learn they can be hurt – and dread they will be killed. The vivid title-role performance get superb support from Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman and Estelle Parsons, 1967 Best Supporting Actress Academy Award® winner, Bonnie and Clyde continually dazzles, thanks to director Arthur Penn, cinematographer Burnett Guffey (winner of the film's second Oscar®) and editor Dede Allen. Decades later, it's still a thunderous, thrilling ride.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

I had last seen this more than 20 years and I liked it even more today. The overview is correct in praising the actors; everyone portrayed their roles very well and I only found the mother to be exceptionally wooden in what was otherwise one of the best scenes of the film. Penn does a good job in having the viewer somewhat sympathize with the murdering couple (like the scene when Bonnie realizes that her mother just explained her that they will never meet again) yet always makes sure we understand just what these two are. Just as the police bringing them down at the end are clearly not portrayed as heroes.

At the time infamous for a few rather bloody scenes (this was still before The Wild Bunch!), those moments might have lost their impact on today's audience, but not their intensity.

Looking forward to see the documentary tomorrow, hoping they'll explain a little just how much artistic license was taken... (I wonder whether the poem was actually written and much the impotency was exaggerated either way).

Rating:

[Achim]

Death Dorm (Uncensored Director's Cut) (1982/United States) Synapse Films (United States) Director: Jeffrey Obrow, Stephen Carpenter Writing: Stephen Carpenter (Screenwriter), Jeffrey Obrow (Screenwriter), Stacey Giachino (Screenwriter) Length: 88 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.66:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: Mono, Commentary: DTS-HD Master Audio: 2-Channel Stereo, Music Only: DTS-HD Master Audio: Mono Subtitles:

Stars:
Laurie Lapinski as Joanne
Stephen Sachs as Craig
David Snow as Brian
Pamela Holland as Patti
Dennis Ely as Bobby Lee Tremble

Plot:
On the eve of Christmas vacation, a college dormitory stands condemned... the dark halls now vacant, and unsafe. Student Joanne Murray and her close friends volunteer to help close down the building, unaware a psychopathic lunatic is hiding in the shadows. As the students disappear one by one, Joanne discovers the horrifying reality that if she is to survive, she alone will have to find a way to slay the brutal murderer.

If you think you've seen this film totally uncut... think again! Synapse Films is proud to present THE DORM THAT DRIPPED BLOOD in a never-before-seen alternate version containing additional scenes, extended gore sequences, and a different sound mix. This transfer was created from the only existing 35mm answer print of the original "Director's Cut" entitled DEATH DORM, a version of the film thought to have been lost for thirty years.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Interviews
• Reversible Cover with Alternate Artwork

My Thoughts:

My rating went up a little bit after watching the special features. To fully appreciate the film it does help to understand that it is practically a student film, done with minimal funding (Christopher Young provided his first score here!). It does feel a little like Friday the 13th in an appartment block. There is a limited amount of kills, but also Friday had far less kills than you might think. Other than Friday though, there directors do a good job of keeping the audience guess who the killer is and the kills are done with a variety of weapons (the drill was a favorite of mine ). The acting is better than one might expect from a student film. There is a bunch of moments where you just want to smack the characters silly, somethig along the lines of "you go back, alone, first and I will, alone, check out the scary noise we just heard"

As a slasher film there are almost too few kills, but like I said above, all the classics of the genre came out with very few kills too. Otherwise it's a good film that kept me interested for the most part.

Rating:

[Jimmy]

Glad you liked it 

For me it's the end that made it even better... BTW the drill scene was re-inserted for this release (it was highly cut in the theatrical and video release).

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Were you surprised as I was to see the only known name died that fast in the beginning?

[Achim]

For me it's the end that made it even better... BTW the drill scene was re-inserted for this release (it was highly cut in the theatrical and video release).

The special features show the cut scene vs. the original...

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Were you surprised as I was to see the only known name died that fast in the beginning?

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Who was that...? Only person I have in other movies is Daphne Zuniga...

[Jimmy]

This is her

[Achim]

X-Men: First Class [2011]

Synopsis:
The film follows the origins of D. X and Magneto (and Mystique and Beast, if you will). Where they come from, how they meet and originally work together all the way to their split.

My Thoughts:
First off, I am not attached to the comics in any way, never even read a single one; I am only judging this film in relation to the other three films by Bryan Singer and Brett Ratner.

In my opinion this is a great prequel. While the film of course has it's own story arc (and some seem to argue even too much crammed into that) it gives us the backstory for Dr. X. and Magneto. While some other muitants from the other films appear we get a bunch of new ones to keep things fresh. It's been a while since I have seen the others, but it appeared as if everything fits together with them very well (I guess Bryan Singer producing was helpful here).

I don't think Kevin Bacon was a good choice for the villain. I am not exactly sure what it was, but it just didn't come together. Bacon does the best he can, but he is just not the man for the job In general acting is good, with especially the two leads (McAvoy and Fassbender) being a joy to watch.

Beast looks rather terrible. It seems they went with prostetics and simply did a shotty job on those. Other than that the mutants come across sufficently believable.

If they leave it alone here, the film ends so it can lead right into X-Men. However, I wouldn't mind if they would use this cast to have another go at the story, again with the setting in the 60s or 70s...

[Jimmy]

Can I say I'm shocked to see two good reviews for that here... Without being great the first two movies were entertaining (?) to watch and this prequel thingy is just a way to get rid of the high pay cast... Really I'm shocked to see you appreciated something that had no reason to exist except monetary one... Seriously what next? A Batman prequel. a Superman prequel, an Avenger prequel (ok it isn't done yet, but why not one just after), a Fantastic Four prequel, a Toxic Avenger prequel, a garbage pail kids' prequel, ... Really I'm shocked to see you fell for this, it's a new fad after the remake and the 3D... I guess it must suck big time to be a moviegoer those days, it isn't for nothing if the movies disapear fast from the theatre now.

[Kathy]

I'm looking forward to seeing X-Men: First Class. I don't think I'll watch it in the theater though, I'll be picking it up on DVD.

I like prequels, as long as they are entertaining, and this sounds like a good one.

[Achim]

Can I say I'm shocked to see two good reviews for that here... Without being great the first two movies were entertaining (?) to watch and this prequel thingy is just a way to get rid of the high pay cast... Really I'm shocked to see you appreciated something that had no reason to exist except monetary one... Seriously what next? A Batman prequel. a Superman prequel, an Avenger prequel (ok it isn't done yet, but why not one just after), a Fantastic Four prequel, a Toxic Avenger prequel, a garbage pail kids' prequel, ... Really I'm shocked to see you fell for this, it's a new fad after the remake and the 3D... I guess it must suck big time to be a moviegoer those days, it isn't for nothing if the movies disapear fast from the theatre now.

I agree with you, "original ideas" are always preferable. But they went there and since I liked the trailer I thought I check it out. Matthew Vaughn did a really terrific job here to keep things as fresh as possible; with support from the director of the first two films.

Well, sure, usually the go back to a prequel (or nowadays reboot) when they don't know how to go forward anymore. In the case of X-Man though, The Last Stand pretty much concluded the series, so going back to an earlier point was a necessity. In the 80s/90s the prequels were usually the ones that really sucked.

I'm looking forward to seeing X-Men: First Class. I don't think I'll watch it in the theater though, I'll be picking it up on DVD.

I will be picking up the Blu-ray as well.

[Jimmy]

In the case of X-Man though, The Last Stand pretty much concluded the series, so going back to an earlier point was a necessity.

I have never seen this one, like I said the first two were fun (at least tolerable for someone who usually despise Hollywood films like I do) but I never read anything positive on the third one (I wouldn't be surprised if Pete gave it a good review here... but he also like Superman 3 so ).

I have read a couple of reviews before reading yours (and the one from Marie) and they make it sounds really average (the trailer also didn't impress me). Certainly not a four or five stars movie from what I've read...

[Tom]

I also saw "X-Men: First Class" yesterday. I also enjoyed it. It is a solid 4-star movie. But I have to agree, that it is too much crammed into, especially at the end, considering they are planning it as a trilogy (what I have read). Some of the developments at the end I would have expected in a later movie.

The movie also had two short, but really fun, cameos from the previous movies. Nice touch. Both got applause from the audience.
Though in the beginning there was a lot of laughter when Kevin Bacon spoke German. I didn't find at that bad. But it sounded like he had a touch of Swiss German in it.

[Achim]

Though in the beginning there was a lot of laughter when Kevin Bacon spoke German. I didn't find at that bad. But it sounded like he had a touch of Swiss German in it.

It's good you point ghat out. Whole I appreciate the effort to speak German, it did sound rather fake. But I guess that is only a problem for native German speakers

What's the second cameo?

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Wolverine was of course bloody obvious, but I am not sure I remember the second one.

[Tom]

What's the second cameo?

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Wolverine was of course bloody obvious, but I am not sure I remember the second one.

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When Magneto tells Mystique to grow up first, she transforms for a few seconds into a more adult version. This adult version is played by Rebecca Romijn.

[Achim]

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When Magneto tells Mystique to grow up first, she transforms for a few seconds into a more adult version. This adult version is played by Rebecca Romijn.

Haha, now that's what I call subtle...