Topic: KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2012

[Dragonfire]

I'm ok with watching it... I know they aren't really dying or being hurt... it just seems so much more sad than when a human kicks the bucket... sounds weird but most people will say the same thing.

Even knowing it is just a movie and they aren't really being hurt, it just really upsets me.  And that is why I hate Eight Below so much.  I spent almost that entire movie crying..and I had bad dreams about the poor dogs that night too.  I didn't want to see it to begin with, but I got talked into it.  Never again.

[Najemikon]

But Eight Below is based on a true story (loosely) and is a tribute to what animals can achieve. Even better is the original The Incredible Journey (remade as Homeward Bound with awful voices) which has some stunning scenes.

[samuelrichardscott]

Thats a couple of times you've mentioned The Incredible Journey recently. Just ordered it.

[KinkyCyborg]

Barefoot In The Park



Title:Barefoot In The Park
Year: 1967
Director: Gene Saks
Rating: G
Length: 106 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono, French: Dolby Digital: Mono
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Robert Redford
Jane Fonda
Charles Boyer
Mildred Natwick
Herb Edelman

Plot:
Master of Broadway comedy Neil Simon adapted his hit play about a conservative young lawyer and his off-the-wall bride for this warm film classic.

Robert Redford is Mister Straight. Jane Fonda is his new wife, who dedicates her life to the pursuit of fun. As the ecstasy of the honeymoon gives way to the reality of setting up housekeeping in a five-flight walk-up, the harmony of marriage turns to comical discord. The mother-in-law complains meekly. The middle-aged Lothario upstairs flirts. Joy turns to anguish. There is little doubt that the young people will kiss and make up by the end of the picture, just as there’s little doubt that the mother and the neighbor will find each other. Fonda and Redford make a wonderfully successful comedy team.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

After about the first 10 minutes of this I started to role my eyes and was ready to write it off as another of those carbon copy, young lover movies from the 60s & 70s that wallow in an over exuberance of silliness. What saves this one was the sexy vision that was Jane Fonda, in spite of her own excessive silliness, and some very glib humor, particularly by Mildred Natwick who played Fonda's mother, Ethel. She cracked me up! 

Robert Redford was rather drab as the young, reserved lawyer who can barely keep up with his wild newlywed of just one week. Given that was what he was supposed to portray I guess you could argue that he nailed the part but I just felt it was a forgettable role for him.

I am developing an increased appreciation for Fonda as a bonafide sex symbol in her heyday. Up until recently most of the movies I had watched with her started at around On Golden Pond and later which is why I am just now discovering this credible vixen of yesteryear.

This movie would be considered mundane by most but some uproarious scenes still make it worth a watch.

KC

Rating:

[Jimmy]

I am developing an increased appreciation for Fonda as a bonafide sex symbol in her heyday.

Of course the best way to know it is to watch Barbarella

[KinkyCyborg]

I am developing an increased appreciation for Fonda as a bonafide sex symbol in her heyday.

Of course the best way to know it is to watch Barbarella

I've been told that repeatedly. It's been moved up closer to the top of my to-watch pile.

[KinkyCyborg]

Shutter Island



Title:Shutter Island
Year: 2010
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: 14A
Length: 138 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Leonardo DiCaprio
Mark Ruffalo
Ben Kingsley
Max von Sydow
Michelle Williams

Plot:
Academy Award® winning† director MARTIN SCORSESE once again teams up with LEONARDO DICAPRIO in this spine-chilling thriller that critics say "sizzles with so much suspense that it's hot to the touch."* When U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) arrives at the asylum for the criminally insane on Shutter Island, what starts as a routine investigation quickly takes a sinister turn. As the investigation unfolds and Teddy uncovers more shocking and terrifying truths about the island, he learns there are some places that never let you go.

*Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE. †Winner: Best Directing, The Departed, 2006.

Extras:
Scene Access
Bonus Trailers
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

I thought Scorcese would be much more clever with this. I mean it was good but it was at least one adroit twist away from being great.

Most people by mid movie will have guessed at the ending and most of those people will have been correct with their guess. When I had theorized for myself how it would end I then thought hmmm... it was too easy to come to this conclusion. Marty has a trick up his sleeve and I'm gonna be thrown for a loop at the end! That built up the intrigue and suspense in me and then.... NOTHING! My original guess was correct, save for a few minute details. Don't get me wrong, I was shocked by the ending but not by some unexpected twist or huge revelation rather by the absence of those potential show stoppers.

DiCaprio is front and center in Shutter Island, surrounded by huge stars in their own right including Ben Kingsley, Max Von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Mark Ruffalo, Patricia Clarkson and others who were never meant to be anything more than supporting characters to Leo. Leo was great but this would have been more of a memorable performance for him had Scorcese taken this story to the next level.

Jackie Earle Haley gave a brief but intense scene but when Ted Levine made his own appearance as the warden I got goosebumps as images from Silence Of The Lambs came flooding back to me. When he delivered this line to Teddy... "If I was to sink my teeth into your eye right now would you be able to stop me before I blinded you?" Terrifying! I got chills at that moment! 

Some more of the positives. Great ambiance, beautiful cinematography and set production and consuming music which expertly railroads your senses and emotions into the perfect state of mind to receive that particular scene.

Everyone should watch this but be warned not to buy into the whole Scorsese/Leo/Blockbuster hype, which is not easy to do given some of the past successes with that combination. If you do... be prepared to be somewhat deflated at the end.

KC

Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

Untamed Heart



Title:Untamed Heart
Year: 1993
Director: Tony Bill
Rating: PG-13
Length: 102 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: French, Spanish

Stars:
Christian Slater
Marisa Tomei
Rosie Perez
Kyle Secor
Willie Garson

Plot:
Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny) and Christian Slater (Murder in the First) deliver brilliant performances in this touchingly honest and beautifully crafted modern-day romance. Co-starring Rosie Perez (White Men Can't Jump) who lends her own unique brand of energy and talent, Untamed Heart's "heart is in the right place" (Roger Ebert, "Siskel & Ebert")

Tomei portrays Caroline, a diner waitress who is consistently (and miserably) unlucky in love. Slater is Adam, the diner's reclusive busboy who harbors a secret crush on Caroline, yet is too shy to speak to her. But all that changes one cold night, when Caroline finds herself in a life-threatening situation on her walk home and Adam appears out of the shadows to rescue her. Intrigued by her unlikely knight in shining armor, Caroline tenderly breaks through to his lonely world. Together, the two forge a bond of trust and understanding that ultimately blossoms into one of cinema's most unforgettable love stories.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

Likable romance with a mismatched couple consisting of Marisa Tomei as Caroline, a beautiful but naive young woman who is a bum magnet, never having luck with men who eventually hooks up with Christian Slater as Adam, who is odd, a near mute and has never been with a woman. Despite many a raised eyebrow they make it work and it's great, gushy entertainment.

I either love Tomei's performances or I hate them and this time I love it as she presents us with a real, personable character who you can't help but like. This may be in my opinion Slater's best performance as his limited dialogue forces him to act, and gone is his often present Jack Nicholson posturing. He conveys a lot of his characters makeup to the viewer through a great combination of body language and meaningful looks which he delivered superbly.

This movie's biggest drawback is the annoying presence of Rosie Perez whose hideous voice and superior attitude is identical in every movie I've ever watched her in. She is one of those actors/actresses who gets roles only when those types of irritating characters are required for the script.

Great date movie with an ending you'll not soon forget.

KC

Rating: and a half

[KinkyCyborg]

The Ballad Of Jack & Rose



Title:The Ballad of Jack & Rose
Year: 2005
Director: Rebecca Miller
Rating: 14A
Length: 112 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Daniel Day-Lewis
Camilla Belle
Catherine Keener
Paul Dano
Ryan McDonald

Plot:
Jack (Day-Lewis) and his 16-year-old daughter Rose (Belle) live in relative isolation on a beautiful island off the East Coast. When he invites his mainland girlfriend (Keener) and her two teenage sons to come live with them, is is Rose's first exposure to society - and sexuality. As worlds collide, the consequences will threaten not only Jack and Rose's way of life but also their unusually close bond.

Extras:
Scene Access

My Thoughts:

This movie is kind of a Mosquito Coast Lite as the quest to live a simple life off the land free of the influences of society are explored. The story focuses on a man (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his daughter (Camilla Belle) as they live a Utopian lifestyle on a small island off the East Coast of the U.S. which is now threatened by both advancing development on the island and a failing heart of the father. Fearing her innocent, sheltered upbringing will leave her vulnerable should he die he brings in a lady friend (Catherine Keener) and her two sons (Paul Dano & Ryan McDonald) to live with them on the island and the results are disastrous.

This was good and Daniel Day-Lewis was as strong as ever but I was a little worried about the direction this was heading in a few times as the closeness and intimacy between father and daughter led me to believe that there was an unspoken, inappropriate element to their relationship of this small, secluded family unit. Thankfully I was wrong.

In The Mosquito Coast Harrison Ford took his family and fled from society as fast as they could looking far a primitive setting to begin anew. Here Jack & Rose already had their safe place and society snuck up on them while they weren't looking and Jack finally realizes that he did his daughter no favors by raising her in his bohemian lifestyle that will be of no use to her once the outside world inevitably envelopes her.

I knew soon in that this was filmed in Canada as an early trip to the mainland by the two revealed a Bank Of Montreal and a Canadian Tire on the road they were traveling. IMDB confirmed that beautiful Prince Edward Island provided the setting.

Very thought provoking with a melancholy ending that will leaving you holding your breath for a time.

KC


Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

Body Parts



Title:Body Parts
Year: 1991
Director: Eric Red
Rating: R
Length: 88 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Jeff Fahey
Paul Ben-Victor [Paul Benvictor]
Kim Delaney
Nathaniel Moreau
Sarah Campbell

Plot:
From Eric Red, the writer of Near Dark and The Hitcher, comes this bone-chilling tale of a medical experiment gone murderously wrong.

Bill Chrushank (Jeff Fahey) is a criminal psychologist who loses his arm and nearly his life in a grisly car accident. A daring medical operation follows in which a donor's arm is successfully grafted onto Bill's body. But after the operation, the arm starts to take on a violent life of its own, striking out against Bill's wife and children. Consumed by fears about his dangerous behavior, Bill is driven to learn the donor's identity–a horrifying dicovery that delivers him into a world of unimaginable terror. Co-starring Brad Dourif (Graveyard Shift).

Extras:
Scene Access

My Thoughts:

The first time I watched this I thought it was the coolest movie and now years later it still holds up as quite entertaining despite the absurdity of the subject matter. 

A man loses his arm in a car accident receives a radical, pioneering transplant but discovers later that the unwilling donor was a serial killer on death row whose other appendages went to other recipients. Eventually these limbs take on a life of their own as the essence of the serial killer begins to manifest itself in them.

This movie probably breaks every medical and anatomical rule in the book but who cares... leave your brain out of it and it's great silly fun. Jeff Fahey has had some memorable roles in his career including Tyree in Silverado and Jobe in The Lawnmower Man and this movie but beyond these his career has been built on mostly STV flicks and numerous TV appearances. His recent roles in the Grindhouse movies and Machete are the latest feathers in his cap but despite his modest success as an actor I've always liked him.

I know there are more closet Body Parts fans out there. C'mon boys and girls... show yourselves!!

KC

Rating:

[samuelrichardscott]

Did you ever finish The Shield? If you did what are your thoughts on the ending?

[KinkyCyborg]

Three episodes to go!  Probably be done by tomorrow. We had some home renovations that got in the way for a while. It will be interesting to see where all the many balls that Vic is juggling land when it is all said and done. I'm fully expecting an epic ending that I feel is going to end up being bittersweet for Vic & Ronnie.... at this point it can only end bad for Shane & Mara. Can't wait! 

I plan on reviewing the entire series as a whole...

[Achim]

I know there are more closet Body Parts fans out there. C'mon boys and girls... show yourselves!!

I think it also has to do with Eric Red's writing. He had a streak in those year and several good movies came out of it. The Hitcher, Near Dark and Blue Steel werte other favorites of mine.

[KinkyCyborg]

That's true. The original of The Hitcher is a favorite of mine and I forgot about his collaborations with Kathryn Bigelow in those days.  I think you're right in that he was riding a hot streak for a while.

[KinkyCyborg]

The Social Network



Title:The Social Network
Year: 2010
Director: David Fincher
Rating: PG-13
Length: 120 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Audio Descriptive: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Jesse Eisenberg
Rooney Mara
Bryan Barter
Dustin Fitzsimons
Joseph Mazzello

Plot:
David Fincher's The Social Network is the stunning tale of a new breed of cultural insurgent: a punk genius who sparked a revolution and changed the face of human interaction for a generation, and perhaps forever. Shot through with emotional brutality and unexpected humor, this superbly crafted film chronicles the formation of Facebook and the battles over ownership that followed upon the website's unfathomable success. With a complex, incisive screenplay by Aaron Sorkin and a brilliant cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake, The Social Network bears witness to the birth of an idea that rewove the fabric of society even as it unraveled the friendship of its creators.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Featurettes

My Thoughts:

The utterly spell binding story of the origins of Facebook. While it is fascinating how Facebook evolved from a simple social network at the Harvard campus into the behemoth, end all be all of websites it is today, it's also for me somewhat sickening. There is no questioning the brilliance of this small group of young minds but that they were also socially inept geeks who often defied authority, infringed on others privacy and were either drunk, stoned or both a large amount of the time and still managed, with very little effort that I could see, create one of life's greatest addictions worth billions of dollars is offensive. Such unrivaled intelligence wielded so recklessly and yet so handsomely rewarded... I'm so jealous!

I've never seen the real Mark Zuckerburg speak so I don't know how true to character Jesse Eisenberg's performance was but I do know that he was the quintessential choice to play this part. He made this role his own and absolutely nailed it. The piercing intellect, the precise, rapid fire dialogue and the nonchalant arrogance was conveyed in such a way that only a prodigy who has the world by the balls can deliver. His best actor nom was deserved and only after I've seen Firth in The King's Speech can I determine if perhaps Jesse was robbed.

I was impressed with Andrew Garfield as the betrayed co-founder of Facebook. He commanded a certain amount of presence on screen as well. Sean Parker, if accurately portrayed by Justin Timberlake, is a calculating shark who invites disdain. While his own successes are impressive the way he sought to splinter the friendship between the Facebook co-founders leaves you with the impression that he is just a highly intellectual thug and con man.

Much of this film focuses on the lawsuits launched by various parties whom claimed owing for theft of intellectual property, fraud and other forms of bamboozlement and in the end, everyone got a shit load of money which when all added up equaled the equivalent of Zuckerberg's lunch money when compared to his net worth today.  

Facebook has changed the world which makes this a historically important film that should be watched by one and all whether you have a Facebook account or not.

KC

Rating: