Topic: Marie's Random Movie Viewing

[Dragonfire]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Harry, Ron and Hermione set out to track down and destroy the secret to Voldemort's power – the Horcruxes. On their own and on the run, the three friends must now rely on one another more than ever...but Dark Forces threaten to tear them apart.

I saw this one twice in the theater and I've watched it 3 or 4 times since I got the Blu-ray.  The movie has a slower pace, but that is needed for what is going on.  The search for the horcruxes and how to destroy the one they find is very important to what is going on.  It causes strains in the friendships between Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they face increasing danger while not being sure what they are doing or where they are going.  Some things have been changed again..I really would have liked there to been something about Harry's birthday while still at the Burrow..I really wanted to see him get his present from Molly and Arthur.  I'm not that bothered by the changes.  I do feel that the set up for the movie was mishandled.  I do think it was a good idea to split the final book into two movies because so much happens.  If it was all in one movie, too much would have been cut and it would have been a giant mess.  The effects are done well, though Harry's partronus still isn't shown right.  It is a stag, not a floating ball of light.  Some of the characters are used very little, like Snape, or left out altogether.  I knew that would happen since everything is taking place away from Hogwarts.  The movie looks good on Blu-ray and the effects are very well done.  I absolutely hate seeing Voldemort's snake.

This movie does have the scene that has hit me the hardest emotionally in all the movies.  Possibly in the books too.

(click to show/hide)

Dumbledore's death in the sixth book had me crying so hard I had to stop reading for a while.  His death in the movie didn't have the same emotional impact..I think mostly because his funeral was cut out.  Dumbledore deserved his funeral.  With Doby, what got to me was how Harry reacted to his death..the care he shows and how he insists on digging his grave.  I've seen this one several times now, and it makes me cry every time.  Since Doby has been missing since the second book, people who haven't read the books don't know how he continued to pop up and help Harry.  Doby's story was so screwed up...His death probably doesn't have the same impact to people who haven't read the books..those people don't realize how important he is.  And that makes me mad.

Overall, this is a very strong movie and a good adaptation even with the issues I have with it.  The movie is darker and a bit more violent.  This one is not for younger children.

I did post about this one here after I first saw the movie in the theater.  I'll share the link to my review at Epinions again.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

[Dragonfire]

Police Academy The call went out. The recruits came in. No longer would police cadets have to meet standards of height, weight and other requirements. Brains were optional too. Can't spell IQ? Don't know the number 911? No matter. Police Academy grads are ready to uphold law and disorder. Building on a nightsticks-and-slapstick tradition going back to the Keystone Cops, Police Academy spawned 6 sequels plus 2 TV series (one animated, one live-action). Now the popular debut film calls for backup, adding arresting 20th-anniversary DVD extras. Join Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg), Thompson (Kim Cattrall), Harris (G.W. Bailey), Hightower (Bubba Smith), Jones (Michael Winslow), Lassard (George Gaynes) and more. They're not the Five-O. They're the Five Uh-Oh. They make the world a funnier place.

I decided to watch this one again.  Yes it is silly, but it is entertaining.  This one is a decent choice when in the mood for something silly.  The characters are likable for the most part, and very entertaining.  Harris isn't exactly a nice guy, but he always cracks me up, especially when Mahoney plays some tricks on him.  The acting isn't the greatest, but it isn't horrible either.  The DVD I have has a few interesting extras.  Some things in the movie are a bit dated, but it is still funny and entertaining. 



I did get a review posted on Epinions a few years ago.

Police Academy

[Dragonfire]

Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment An anti-social nut job and his leathered band of pranksters are on the prowl, spray-painting the town red and emptying the pockets of anyone sharing the sidewalk. In the wake of this crime wave, you might wonder where the educational system went wrong. But then again, consider the Police Academy. For when the newly graduated misfits in blue tangle with these pinheaded punkers in 'Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment', the result is an open-and-shut case of nonstop hilarity. Steve Guttenberg, George Gaynes and other 'Police Academy' originals return to the roll call, facing the formidable Bobcat Goldthwait in the tailor-made role of the wacked-out gangleader. It's a riot – a laugh-riot – in the streets!

I decided to watch this one again since I watched the first one.  This one, like the first, is very silly at times, but it is entertaining.  I've seen it several times now and I do still enjoy it overall.  The plot is not that complicated, but it does manage to entertain.  I really don't like the new character of Zed.  His voice annoys me.  I don't care much for Babcat Goldthwait in general because of his voice.  It just grates on my nerves.

Anyway, the movie is fun and entertaining, though it won't appeal to everyone.



I did post a review on Epinions a few years ago.

Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment

[Achim]

I saw the first two when they were released at the cinema. I doubt they'd hold up too well for me, but I thought they were quite funny at the time. I never bothered with them sgain after those first two.

[addicted2dvd]

I have had the urge to watch them again myself... but unfortunately I don't own any of them. I remember at the time they were released on VHS that I really enjoyed the first 2 or 3... and still pretty much enjoyed some after it... but do remember them going downhill. I just can't remember how far into the series I actually enjoyed. I would be willing to get them all (in the 2 four movie sets) if I could get them cheap enough at some point.

[Dragonfire]

Amazon has the prices lower right now..

http://www.amazon.com/Police-Academy-1-4-Collection-Favorites/dp/B002GSXKPG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313014556&sr=8-1  http://www.amazon.com/Film-Favorites-Collection-Assignment-National/dp/B002GSXKOC/ref=pd_bxgy_mov_text_b

I agree they go downhill...but I still enjoyed most of them at least a little.  I've never seen all of the Mission to Moscow one..saw a few minutes on tv once and then turned it off. 

[addicted2dvd]

Thanks... but I will have to hold off for a bit anyway... I already spent too much money this week! 

[Dragonfire]

At least now you know they do go on sale fairly reasonable at Amazon..so you can keep an eye on them.

[Dragonfire]

The Apple Dumpling Gang Head for cover! Don Knotts and Tim Conway are Wild West outlaws who can't hit the broad side of a barn – but never miss when it comes to rounding up laughs! The hilarity begins when a roving bachelor (Bill Bixby) inherits three young orphans and a wealth of problems. When the youngsters stumble upon a huge golden nugget, they must fend off the greedy townspeople. So the kids join forces with the bumbling outlaws to stage a robbery of the gold. Little do they know a surly gang of sharpshooters plans to beat them to the draw! If you're aiming for fun, saddle up and head out with The Apple Dumpling Gang!

I remember seeing this one several times when I was growing up.  It had been years since the last time I saw it and I had forgotten a few things about the movie.  I still really enjoyed it.  It is a little silly in some scenes, but the silliness works really well with what is happening.  Amos and Theodore are extremely funny and they add the most humor to what is going on.  I really like them.  The plot isn't that complicated, but enough is going on to keep things interesting. 

Some things look a little dated in the movie now, but it is still very entertaining and fun.  It is definitely worth watching.



I did get a review posted on Epinions a few months ago after watching the movie.  I've been intending for this one to start my Movies Within My Lifetime marathon...I've just been forgetting to post about it.

The Apple Dumpling Gang

[Dragonfire]

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory What wonders await you in Willy Wonka's factory? Explore fields of soft minty sugar grass in the Chocolate Room...Sail along the Chocolate River in a pink sugar boat...Experiment with Everlasting Gobstoppers in the Inventing Room...Observe talented squirrels in the Nut Room and travel to the Television Room by a glass elevator. You'll find a lot that's funny, a little that's mysterious...and an adventure as sweet as a satisfying as a Wonka Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight bar. This dazzling film adapted from Roald Dahl's classic children's novel, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Freddie Highmore, is your Golden Ticket to a world so inventive, so imaginative, you won't want to miss a delicious moment!

I was in the mood to watch this one again recently.  I know some people don't care for this version or how Johnny Depp played Willie Wonka, but I really liked it.  I just find the movie fun and entertaining even after seeing it several times.  I only saw the original for the first time after seeing this one.  The versions are a little different.

I really enjoy the movie and think it is very well done.



I am pretty sure I posted about this one here before.  I also posted a longer review on Epinions after seeing the movie in the theater originally.  I'll share the link to that review again.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

[Dragonfire]

Live Free or Die Hard The action explodes as never before in this 2-Disc Collector's Edition of Live Free or Die Hard! Start with the unrated version, packed with more thrills, more attitude...more John McClane! Then add a spectacular 10-part documentary that takes you where no Die Hard fan has gone before, plus an uncensored interview with Bruce Willis on the studio backlot and more. With over two and a half hours of special features, this is the ultimate Die Hard experience. Yippee ki yay!

Even though a lot of time had passed since the release of the third movie and some people probably figured there was no point in another Die Hard movie, I really enjoyed this one and think it fits in well with the previous movies.

John is a bit older, but he is still a bad ass.  He is once again in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he still steps up and does what has to be done.  That's the kind of guy he is.  If that aspect of the movie had been changed, the movie wouldn't have worked as well I don't think.  What made the first two movies so great - while I still like the third movie, I don't think it is as good as the first two - was that John was just a normal guy thrown into the middle of a huge, dangerous mess.  He gets hurt and makes some mistakes along the way, but he gets done what needs to be done.  He's not some unstoppable guy who dodges bullets and is never hurt in any way.  Even though he does some crazy, wild things, it seems more believable because of how the character is set up.

I like the plot and the fact that the bad guy is using technology.  Thomas is a decent bad guy and I like him overall, but he's no Hans Grubber. 

I like the character of Matt and how he interacts with John.  I mostly like Lucy as well, though she is slighting annoying a few times.  John is a lot like he was in the first movie, but he's changed from how he was in the third movie.  In that movie, things were really bad for him.  I'm glad that the movie has the character more stable even though there are issues with his relationship with his daughter.

It does seem wrong that the studio pushed for and got the PG-13 rating.  A Die Hard movie having that rating is just wrong...and then they go and cut off John's signature line.  At least there is an unrated version on the DVD - which is what I always watch.  It's not that I particularly like hearing lots of swearing, but John is a character that uses colorful language...that was clearly established in the first movies, and changing it now is wrong.  I think most of the differences are in adding in more swearing.  I'm not sure if the unrated version is more violent or not.

People who liked the previous Die Hard movies should give this one a chance. 



I did get a review posted at Epinions after seeing the movie in the theater.

Live Free or Die Hard

[Dragonfire]

Laverne & Shirley: The Second Season Laverne & Shirley, the hilarious female duo, returns to DVD with the Second Season. Reminisce with the tough-talking, street-smart Laverne De Fazio (Penny Marshall), the bright-eyed, naive Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams), and their eccentric but loveable neighbors, Lenny (Michael McKean) & Squiggy (David L. Lander). Relive each laugh-filled moment from the second season of this wildly popular, best-loved sitcom that includes all 23 second-season episodes in a 4-disc set. Give them a chance to "schlemiel-schlimazel" their way into your hearts again.

I watched Laverne & Shirley a lot when I was younger and I really enjoyed the show.  I've still enjoyed it when watching it again on the two DVD sets I have.  I want to get the other DVD sets that are out..and hopefully the rest the seasons will come out eventually.  Most of the time, things that happen in the show are a bit silly, but that works.  I find the silliness entertaining, but it could turn off some viewers.  Every so often something a little more serious is dealt with. 

The characters are likable and entertaining.  Lenny and Squiggy crack me up. 

The show is just fun and entertaining.



I did get a review posted on Epinions.

Laverne & Shirley: The Complete Second Season

[Dragonfire]

Spaceballs May the farce be with you in this hysterically funny space oddity, created by comic genius Mel Brooks, that will send you into hyperspace with fits of laughter! Lampooning everything from Star Wars to Star Trek, this outrageous send-up of epic sci-fi movies is full of cosmic crazies who score "eight trillion on the laugh-meter" (Gene Shalit, NBC-TV)! Fearless – and clueless – space heroes Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his half man/half dog sidekick Barf (John Candy) wage interstellar warfare to free Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) from the evil clutches of Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis). On the way to the rescue – in their Winnebago – they confront the huge, gooey Pizza The Hutt (voice of Dom De Luise), sassy robot Dot Matrix (voice of Joan Rivers) and a wise little creature named Yogurt (Mel Brooks), who teaches them the mystical power of "The Schwartz" in order to bring peace – and merchandising rights – to the entire galaxy!

I first saw this movie years ago..probably within a few years of it coming out.  I really liked the movie then and I still like it.  I know a lot of people think it is stupid, but I like it.  Yes it is silly, but it is entertaining.  I like how it pokes fun at Star Wars.  The cast is decent and I just really enjoy the movie.  It is probably too stupid for some people.  I think it is worth checking out, though many don't consider it as good as other Mel Brooks movies.



I did get a review posted on Epinions a few years ago.

Spaceballs

[Achim]

The scene with the4 video tape is one of the funniest scenes I have scene in any movie

[Dragonfire]

Yes it is.   

I always liked how the referred to Spaceballs the ..whatever throughout the movie.  The sheet...the toilet paper..all that.