Topic: Eric's DVD watching.

[Dragonfire]

Oh I understand that.  I've ended up liking a lot of movies that others have thought were bad....I've gotten flack for some of them before too.  But like you said, I like what I like.

My step dad liked 2012.  He tends to like any disaster movie.

[Touti]

I know what you mean Marie.

I think maybe it is my problem though in another thread about anime Emma remarked about some anime fans liking anything anime whereas she tended to be more selective and I replied that I had managed to like much of what I had seen. Maybe my expectations are too low and I do end up liking a lot of dross. But what the hey that is me and I continue to like what I like and dislike that that I don't like.

Dave

You don't have low expectations Dave, you're just easy public.  I am too and I usually like movies that some (if not most) here didn't find that good.  I also often dislike stuff that many find great.  There's nothing wrong with liking stuff that others didn't like.  I've seen a few movies that aren't that much better than 2012 and I liked them.  In the case of 2012 there's just too much "kid stuff" for me, that took me out of the movie a few times.

What really puts me off is when characters become too caricatural, like the crazy guy in Yellowstone park, that is just too much, crazy characters don't have to be turned into caricature all the time.  Same was done with the weird scientist in Independance Day.



They turned him into a caricature, so much that it wasn't even funny.

[Jimmy]

2012

Can 2012 be summarized in one word ?  Yes........................crap !

Eric I don't know if it's an official review, but I add it to the list anyway. I like the fact that you place all my impression of the trailer in 2 words

[Achim]

Emmerich (and Petersen for that matter) have become worse with every year they make films in the US. Emmerich started out as a popcorn-movie maker, where Petersen tried to implant some ambition into his films.

The fact that they are so successful (same as Bay) with the crap they produce these days shows us the sad state of affairs Hollywood is in.

[RossRoy]

Emmerich (and Petersen for that matter) have become worse with every year they make films in the US. Emmerich started out as a popcorn-movie maker, where Petersen tried to implant some ambition into his films.

The fact that they are so successful (same as Bay) with the crap they produce these days shows us the sad state of affairs Hollywood is in.

I don't think Hollywood itself is the problem. I think the average movie going people are the problem.
Case in point
(wait until you've watch a few "genuine" ones before watching the one by the collegehumor guys)

[Achim]

I don't think Hollywood itself is the problem. I think the average movie going people are the problem.

Ofr course you are right. In that respect I apologize for having seen 2012 (and Transformers 2) at all, as I have contributed to that sad state affair

[RossRoy]

I don't think Hollywood itself is the problem. I think the average movie going people are the problem.

Ofr course you are right. In that respect I apologize for having seen 2012 (and Transformers 2) at all, as I have contributed to that sad state affair

 

[Najemikon]

After Kermode's rant about Sex And The City 2, which we spoke about in another thread, he got a couple of letters telling him to consider that SATC2 was the only blockbuster film made for women and starring women. He conceded the writer had a point and that cinema was once more for adults and there were plenty of such film, like melodramas in the 50s. But now, he said, "cinema is marketed for 14 year old boys".

Hence, we get 2012. 

[Touti]

The worst thing about 2012 is that it would have been a reasonably good movie if they had not fallen into easy no brain jokes.  The special effects were entertaining and when we watch that kind of movie we don't expect anything profound but turning it into a series of teen jokes made it uninteresting for adults.

But then, it's often the case in action/sci-fi movies, Armageddon and Independance Day had their share of it too.

[Najemikon]

There's always been big and dumb, especially in the 50s when the studios were trying to ward off the threat of TV, but there was always a healthy run of more worthwhile films too. Now big and dumb muscle in on everything.

[goodguy]

Eric I don't know if it's an official review, but I add it to the list anyway. I like the fact that you place all my impression of the trailer in 2 words

In case someone doesn't know the Four Word Film Review site yet: http://www.fwfr.com/
For 2012, I especially like:
Grosse Pointe Sank.
Maya happen, Maya not.

[Touti]

5150, Rue des Ormes

I've spoilerized part of the back cover blurb because they go too far. They almost spoil the whole movie right there (good thing I hadn't read it before watching the movie!) Part of the power of the movie is not knowing what's going on and having it be revealed as the movie moves along, and that back cover blurb above spoils most of it 

I'm gonna watch this tonight and I read your review Seb.  Thanks for "spoilerizing".  Your comment above worries me though, I read the book only 2 weeks ago so I do know what's going to happen.  I hope I haven't spoiled the movie by reading the book.

[RossRoy]

I'm gonna watch this tonight and I read your review Seb.  Thanks for "spoilerizing".  Your comment above worries me though, I read the book only 2 weeks ago so I do know what's going to happen.  I hope I haven't spoiled the movie by reading the book.

Well my sister is a big fan of Patrick Senecal so she had read the book. She enjoyed the movie too, but as is often the case, she thought the movie paled a bit to the book. In a sense, she thought I was lucky to see the movie without having read the book.

[Touti]

5150, Rue des Ormes



I finished watching it last night, Wednesday I had to stop because my living room was just getting too hot with the plasma TV running, I was dying in there.

"5150 Rue des Ormes" is definitely not the greatest movie of all times.  The acting is good but not great, the set is nice but nothing extraordinary and the very little special effects they use is a tad "cheap" which I guess comes with making movies without having Hollywood's insane budgets.  That however doesn't make it a bad movie and I think that those who like the genre will enjoy it if they don't know the story because what's interesting in this movie isn't the movie itself but how the story unfolds and, as Seb already said, the suspense of waiting to see what's gonna happen and how it's gonna end.

Unfortunately much of it is taken away if you already know the story from the book and since the movie itself isn't that great the only interest becomes the comparison between them and on that there's a lot to say.  I wouldn't say it's completely different than the book as some of it is pretty much the same but some liberties were taken in adapting certain scenes while others have been completely changed.  They also added a thread which is followed throughout the movie that didn't exist at all in the book.

I also felt that the wife character wasn't as submissive as I had pictured her in the book but that's obviously only my interpretation.

** Warning: The spoilers contains stuff about the book so if you plan on reading it then stop reading here.

(click to show/hide)

There's a few major differences between the film and the book.

All the stuff about the camera and the tape.  There's nothing about a camera in the book, the hostage asks for paper and pens and he writes his thoughts.

Toward the end of the book, Michelle does become a killer but her victim is the school's director after he told her that she was being transferred to a school for teens with behavioral problems.

The way Yanick (the hostage) escapes from the house is also completely different.  In the book the family goes out to dinner, when they're getting in the car the wife says she forgot something, goes back inside and unlocks the door where he's held but she doesn't open it, he just hears the noise from the key and knows she's letting him out. Then he discovers the basement, leaves the house and walks in town.  He ask people where is the police station and goes there but before entering he changes his mind and leaves.  When he walks by the chess club he walks in and says he's gonna wait to play against they're champion.  He won't show up because he only plays on Mondays and after Berube refuses to leave he gets kicked out.  He then goes back to the house to play the final chess game with Beaulieu.

There's many other differences but I don't think they're worth mentioning.

Althoug there's a differences between the book and the movie they are definitely spoilers for each other and it really wouldn't be a good idea for anyone to watch the movie before reading the book.

[Jimmy]

Eric can I ask you to place the movie title in the upper part of your review? It will be better if the review appear on the welcome page.