Rate Any Movie You Saw Today << spoiler alert >>

[BrooklynRider]

This past summer was one of the worst for me in movie viewing. It seemed everything truly sucked. I'm hoping we can use this thread to give the forum a "head's up" or a "stay clear" warning on what is playing about town.


I saw "Into The Wild" yesterday, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I read the book and loved it. The movie was filmed in the actual locations of he book, so the scenery was great. The movie offered lots of existential philosophy. I'd recommend it. (Adventure/Drama)


I saw "Before The Devil Knows Your Dead" today. Top-notch acting from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei, Brian O'Byrne, and Rosemary Harris. Suspenseful, driving drama. Directed by Sidney Lumet (who is 83!!.) Set in New York. Powerful stuff. (Suspense/Drama)

Two highly recommended films.

[Alonzo-ny]

American Gangster, averagely ok i suppose, action shots were really good although they were a little sparse. feel let down after i found out it was not very accurate to real life.

[lofter1]

American Gangster : a big disappointment -- hardly any moral weight at all.

Plus with AG NYC theaters have now upped the admission price to $11.25 http://wirednewyork.com/forum/images/icons/icon13.gif http://wirednewyork.com/forum/images/icons/icon13.gif http://wirednewyork.com/forum/images/icons/icon13.gif

[Front_Porch]

I liked Michael Clayton.

[WebErr]

Bourne Ultimatum - it was great! :)
Tristan and Isolde - very nice! :rolleyes:
Code of Apocalypse - it was better than expected. :D

[Zerlina]

Yesterday I saw a cartoon:) "Ratatouille"... wonderful!:) And last week... "Stardust"... it's a fantasy and I just don't like this kind of movie but... there was Robert De Niro, my favourite actor and I couldn't lose it!:D

[brianac]

Mr. and Mrs. Smith. A complete wast of time. Lots of money spent to achieve nothing.

[lofter1]

"No Country For Old Men" -- the new one from Joel & Ethan Coen

Bleak, Funny, Sad, Terrifying.

The theater was nearly full -- and there were sequences when the tension was almost unbearable, the silence deafening.

Movie-goer heaven.

95% Fantastically Good (a few mis-steps keep it from getting a Perfect 100)

[Alonzo-ny]

Whats the premise?

[lofter1]

Texas -- 1980

Big Drug Deal Goes Bad

Money Guns Greed

Changing Times

and one real mean guy running amok

[ablarc]

Darjeeling Limited: a collection of pretty good shticks in search of a movie. Like jello that never set.

[kz1000ps]

Last night I saw Return of the Jedi (aka Star Wars episode 6) for the first time in nearly a decade, and I was very quickly reminded of why The Empire Strikes Back is (still) my favorite of the lot. Two words for ROTJ: extravagant and silly.

[Zerlina]

I'm at home and I've just been to the cinema: tha movie was "Elizabeth - the golden age". Very very nice. Good caracters, wonderful costumes... "almost" true history...:):)

[MidtownGuy]

Paolo Pasolini's version of Medea, 1969.

I completely didn't know what to expect, so at first I was confused by this version which deviates considerably from Euripides. However, the weird soundtrack and visuals soon won me over. This film has hardly any dialogue,
you have to be in a certain mood but I recommend it to anyone with an appreciation for the bizarre.

[Hof]

...extistential as hell.
Probably the best role Kevin Spacey will ever play...
Who the hell is Kaiser Sosa???...
A friend rented it and invited me to watch it with him last weekend,not knowing it was already one of my favorite recent movies.
If you have never seen it,rent it,roll up a couple of bones and be ready to see a movie that will convince you that great flicks are still being made...

[Joelio]

I haven't really watched any movies today. Got home from school and just watched TV lol. So I'll rate the last movie I watched.. which was yesterday. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Damn fine movie. Love the bit at the end when Voldemort has that ball of light, and then there's a split second of silence before it explodes... ;)

I also watched the Rocky Horror Picture Show yesterday (haha! Aren't I like, not even a teenager yet?? :D). I actually love that film! The plot is just so crazy and.. outside the box. And the songs are actually pretty catchy. I'm not a fan of musicals (EEEEEWWWWW HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL!! :eek:) but RHPS is actually quite good. And Hairspray wasn't bad either.

But don't take my word for it.. I'm not even allowed to drive yet. :p

[lofter1]

I walked out of "Redacted" (the new Iraq film from Brian De Palma) after about 30 minutes -- I hardly ever do that but I felt so manipulated in such a strange way and knew they were trying to suck me in with "character" stuff before they let loose with some terrible violent sequence.

There was hardly a moment in that first 30 minutes that seemed truthful in regard to how human beings behave. I think it is mostly a case of some awkward writing (lots of warrior posturing) and unfortunate / bad direction of the actors.

[GQ_Homme]

21 Grams...

I am a huge Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu fan and finally got around to watching 21 Grams, the only feature film of his that I had yet to see. Loved every minute of it, with an all-star cast (Sean Penn-- AMAZING) and his signature plot techniques and interwoven story lines, I was glued from start to finish. Although my favorite is still Amores Perros, this movie is going to become a part of my DVD collection

[BrooklynRider]

I watched "300" this morning and was pleasantly surprised. I thought it was going to be a movie of homoerotic imagery, ceaseless gore, and no plot. It was very stylish and the plot actually offered some interesting moments of dialogue that were very well-suited toward current world events. The physiques were obviously great, but not distracting, and the acting was rather fine.

[pianoman11686]

Saw "No Country for Old Men" today. Fantastic, classic-style thriller. Grade A stuff from the Coen Brothers.

[BrooklynRider]

I saw "Enchanted" last night. Movie tickets are up to $12 for adults and that seems to be the tipping point for me. The theater was packed. People chatted without thought to the fact that there were 400 other people around. The heat was on too high. Concessions folks are rude. Ushers congregate and do nothing. We the auditorium exited to the lobby to find cops everywhere due to an "incident."A fight broke out and the cops were called. I'm done with these theaters.

Anyway, "Enchanted" was a romantic comedy. It was good - Amy Adams was incredible. Not a movie for "the guys" to go see on a night out after a beer or two, but good. There were some funny scenes, but I went in expecting more.

I watched "Chicken Little" and "The 39 Steps" today.

"Chicken Little" was very entertaining and had some great sight gags. One of the better animated features of late. It also featured contemporary rock & pop music. A good family film and a great film to watch after you smoke a joint.

"The 39 Steps" is better appreciated by people who are or want to be versed in the history of movie making. It is an early Hitchcock and only 80 minutes long. However, the shots and lighting set the stage for films to come. The book is considered one of the best mystery thrillers ever. The movie was, uh, not so best ever.

[lofter1]

Was that viewing in preparation for the new stage version of "The 39 Steps (http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/aa2.htm)" :confused: (opening in January at the Roundabout on W. 42nd -- in the great old theater now clumsily named after a corporate sponsor :( ).

http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/images/39steps_art.jpg

[BrooklynRider]

^I didn't know about that. Thanks.

I saw "Rescue Dawn." Good movie. Will someone please give Christian Bale an Oscar already. He is one of the best actors working today.

[BrooklynRider]

I saw "The Diary of Anne Frank." It was interesting, especially after visiting the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam. The story was constructed well, the acting was uneven at best. Still it is one of the storoes most people should know.

[ZippyTheChimp]

The 1959 film?

[BrooklynRider]

That's the one. Shelly Winters won an Academy Award for her role.

I never read the book. It seemed a straight cut and paste of the play.

I imagine I should just put the book on my reading list and see what Anne had to say in her own words.

[Front_Porch]

Speaking of Christian Bale, he was great in the Dylan movie I'm Not There (which is still at Film Forum) as was just about everyone.

Also just saw 49 Up, which had been sitting on the DVR for a long time. After 35 Up -- which was really depressing, because all the subjects seemed to be divorcing and the lower-class ones seemed really bitter -- this was great, because almost everyone seemed to be at peace with themselves.

ali r.

[NYjetsfan]

5318

Gotta watch this classic for the holidays. And go buy Superbad right now.

[rockrlite]

Saw "No Country for Old Men" today. Fantastic, classic-style thriller. Grade A stuff from the Coen Brothers.

I just saw this too, phenomenal.

Just won the NY Critics' Circle awards for direction, writing, and supporting actor, too!

[rockrlite]

Was that viewing in preparation for the new stage version of "The 39 Steps (http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/aa2.htm)" :confused: (opening in January at the Roundabout on W. 42nd -- in the great old theater now clumsily named after a corporate sponsor :( ).

http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/images/39steps_art.jpg

Is it just me or does the guy in the poster look like Conan Obrien?

[Front_Porch]

I Am Legend -- the Will Smith vs. the zombies movie -- has some absolutely incredible shots of New York.

[Alonzo-ny]

i am going to see it tomorrow cant wait!!

[Encideyamind]

I am Legend was a pretty decent flick. Chilling looking at the city like that.

[Alonzo-ny]

Yeah i really liked it also, most reviews ive read pick issues with 'unrealistic' effects but in my mind i had no ill effect. I would have liked it too have lasted a little longer also, i expected a little more distance from the storyline.

[Zerlina]

Last Monday I went to the cinema: I saw "Across the universe". It's an original musical film. Good dancers, nice soundtrack (all the most famous Beatles' songs). There was also my favourite singer (Bono Vox - U2). That's the history: a dock worker goes to America from Liverpool in the 1960s to know his father. There he falls in love with an american teenager. When her brother is drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, they become involved in peace activism.

[lofter1]

Bono is awesome as Dr. Robert (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGGXPc1sf2w&feature=related) in Across the Universe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ6d3m-GFyw) (and Eddie Izzard is totally sick as Mr. Kite (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P35WWj0DSKY)).

It has ome good imagery and of course the songs are great, but the plotting is rather stilted and ridiculous.

If you have a really big screen TV then I'd say watch it at home (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=689-0XiM32s&feature=related).

[Edward]

Beowulf! I saw this movie in 3D, which introduces entirely different dimension to viewing experience; very appropriate for the fairy tale. I also liked that the movie had the feeling of Greek mythology, and not the common strict division between good and bad characters.

[NoyokA]

Yeah i really liked it also, most reviews ive read pick issues with 'unrealistic' effects but in my mind i had no ill effect. I would have liked it too have lasted a little longer also, i expected a little more distance from the storyline.

I agree it could've been longer, I felt the ending was kind of a let down. The shots of NY is what I really enjoyed though, I would love to walk around an empty city, but only for a day as its the people that make NY. I thought it was interesting that the shot of the UN had the UN in its reflection.

[Alonzo-ny]

I felt let down by the ending also. The imagery was rather haunting and extremely impactive because of this, quite something.

[Encideyamind]

. I would have liked it too have lasted a little longer also, i expected a little more distance from the storyline.

I just said this in a pm to a member here. I think this movie could have been a lot "grander" in scale and depth. So much potential. Especially since it's really only over a couple day's time.

[JCMAN320]

I saw it this afternoon with my father for his b-day. I really enjoyed the psychology aspect of it.

The fact that when he had to put his dog down I felt terrible for him because he was so broken up because that was the last living thing he could truly interact with on a personal level it was the last friend he had. It shows that depserate need for basic human contact when he talks to the manquin woman and keeps begging it to please say hello. Also how heset up the maniquins and talked to them like they were neighbors he would see going to the video store. Also he returned the videos on a daily basis when he could have easily just taken them. It was him creating a sense of order where there was none just to keep his sanity.

All in all in a very visual, emotional, and psychological film. Made a very large impact on me. I mean think about it, maybe we aren't on top of the food chain and the viruses and bacteria are. It is a very humbling thought .

[pianoman11686]

Saw I Am Legend today, and liked it very much. I only wish I hadn't read any reviews beforehand, because I think it spoiled some of the movie. In general, I was pleasantly surprised by how it was done, and Will Smith was pretty spot-on.

Note of interest: the length of the entire movie, you see screenshots of Manhattan streets with weeds and other plants growing out of the concrete. There's one scene that pans over the Highline, which - curiously - remains bare. Just thought it was ironic that the one spot where wildlife flourished in reality remained lifeless in the movie.

[pianoman11686]

BTW, JCMan: you may want to put a "spoiler" warning before your post.

[lofter1]

Now that it has earned a half a gazillion dollars it seems OK to ask some questions:

How did Anna / Alice Braga and her kid get their car into Manhattan?

All bridges & tunnels were blown up, right? And they are on an ISLAND ...

And how does Anna get OFF the island to get to Vermont (which is a rather obvious choice for the destination: Vermont = hippy colony / paradise)?

For me once Anna & the kid appeared on the scene the movie turned to total BS. Adding the boy was the obvious "there is hope" (he shall lead the next generation!). The 3rd act would have been far more interesting if she had been alone and Will's character (knowing the fate of his wife and kid) is compelled (perhaps to his own surprise) to increase & multiply (echoes of Children of Men (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/children_of_men/) from last year). She too knows that for the sake of mankind that propagation is the #1 concern.

Passion ensues. Animalistic. Savage. But very human. And Beautiful. And ends with the mystery of successful conception -- or no?

Instead we get these really bad passages of dialog about Rasta Bob (who deserves far better).

Finally, the most important of questions:

How do these folks keep their cars so clearn?

That red Mustang was detailed within an inch of it's life :cool:

[Alonzo-ny]

I agree with everything you just said L1. There was alot more potential in there.

[Encideyamind]

Now that it has earned a half a gazillion dollars it seems OK to ask some questions:

How did Anna / Alice Braga and her kid get their car into Manhattan?

All bridges & tunnels were blown up, right? And they are on an ISLAND ...

And how does Anna get OFF the island to get to Vermont (which is a rather obvious choice for the destination: Vermont = hippy colony / paradise)?

For me once Anna & the kid appeared on the scene the movie turned to total BS. Adding the boy was the obvious "there is hope" (he shall lead the next generation!). The 3rd act would have been far more interesting if she had been alone and Will's character (knowing the fate of his wife and kid) is compelled (perhaps to his own surprise) to increase & multiply (echoes of Children of Men (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/children_of_men/) from last year). She too knows that for the sake of mankind that propagation is the #1 concern.



Instead we get these really bad passages of dialog about Rasta Bob (who deserves far better).


Like I said before we agree on a lot. And I thought I was the only one who thought the bob soliloquy was a tad contrived. Didn't seem natural for someone describing or speaking on that topic.

[JCexpert558]

I saw I am Legend today and Ifound it to be really good. It was also sad to because Will Smith dies, and the dog.:(

[NoyokA]

All bridges & tunnels were blown up, right? And they are on an ISLAND ...

And how does Anna get OFF the island to get to Vermont (which is a rather obvious choice for the destination: Vermont = hippy colony / paradise)?

Excellent point.

[lofter1]

That whole espect of the story clearly seems to have been added on at some point after the initial idea for "I am Legend" had been proposed.

Does anyone know how the 3rd Act plays out in the book?

[pianoman11686]

The book's story is altogether different. For one, it takes place in Los Angeles.

From what I've gathered, Neville doesn't work toward a cure in the book, but instead kills the infected survivors: both the ones exhibiting vampire-like symptoms, and the ones that do not. He's captured towards the end, and, just before being executed, poisons himself.

The movie version is undoubtedly more a story of hope, although I find myself wondering if the crew considered the accessibility of Manhattan at all before writing a new ending. That annoys me.

[lofter1]

For me it's beyond annoying -- when pieces of a story don't make sense then I begin to think the storyteller has no respect for the listener ...

Reminds me of another bit of bad story telling (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=205233&postcount=211) :cool:

[JCMAN320]

Lofter I can answer one of your questions. The women and the boy came up from South America by boat. She told Will that when they were in the kitchen and they had a portable radio and generator in the boat. That's how they got there. The rest I agree with you on. For me though I still enjoyed the movie.

[lofter1]

Still makes me crazy, despite the filmmakers' pitiful attempt to inject hope into a story which doesn't need it.

But let's play along .... they arrived in Manhattan by boat, eh? All by themselves? Maybe the boy piloted the boat thousands of miles up the Eastern Seaboard. And did their laundry at the same time (note how crisp and clean they look). And then upon arrival in NYC they just happened to find a nearly brand new spanking clean vehicle that they hot-wired to drive across the Harlem River on their way to Vermont. Or perhaps the car was alrady on the boat from South America and then they just rolled it off the boat down at South Ferry --

All preposterous -- and in terms of playwrighting / storytelling an example of laziness.

[NYatKNIGHT]

We should have a spoiler alert on this thread.

[lofter1]

My first "Legend" post had an ALERT, but you're right ... and I'll do so henceforth.

[NYatKNIGHT]

^It was JCexpert's post that prompted me to write that.

And it's okay to discuss movies and their endings, but we should have an overall spoiler alert, which I will do right now.

[Alonzo-ny]

One bonus from the disappointing ending is that will smith and the chick dont fall in love and get it on like every other movie in history.

[lofter1]

But that ^ is what I was awaiting for :cool:

[Alonzo-ny]

I hate happy ending movies, id like more bad endings. If anyone has seen arlington road thats what Im talking about.

[MidtownGuy]

Yes I saw Arlington Road.

[Alonzo-ny]

Wasnt it refreshing when he didnt save everyone or miraculously pull the right wire out of the bomb and kick the guys ass?

[Bob]

Saw this last night on widescreen DVD. Very good film; in fact, excellent at times. Thumbs up. Excellent cinematography...the color stock was superb and the director's choice of shots (screen composition) was at times remarkable. New York City never looked better. One clever shot shows all the traffic lights on Park Avenue changing at the same time, from green to yellow to red...there is a very subtle musical accompaniment. Goes fast...you have to watch carefully for it.

Now, to the cast: Adam Sandler...who knew he was such an excellent actor? Wow -- I was big-time impressed. Quite a performance, probably should be nominated for an Academy Award. Donald Sutherland -- excellent, albeit he gets only a cameo in this film. Melinda Dillon -- fine actress but, whoaaa -- what the heck happened to her? She was the female lead in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and all I will say is -- what a difference 30 years had made.

My only gripes about this movie:

1. The DVD starts with a pre-movie disclaimer, which says something along the lines of "the opinions and views expressed in this film are that of the director and do not reflect the views of Sony pictures" or some such thing. OK, great, I guess Sony Pictures doesn't agree that the terrorists who flew airplanes full of living people into the Twin Towers don't qualify as "thugs." The disclaimer is a disgrace. And, it's shown in three separate languages. I'm surprised Sony Pictures didn't also put the disclaimer in Arabic.

2. A scene between two characters. The Don Cheadle character is talking to a therapist about his friend, the Adam Sandler character. The therapist says, "What's his problem?" He responds, "He lost his family a few years ago in an airline crash." Totally unbelievable dialogue. Totally ridiculous! Two New Yorkers standing on Park Avenue would never have a conversation on this topic such as shown in this film. The conversation would have been more like this:

"What happened to him?

"He lost his entire family on 9/11. They were on the first plane that hit the Trade Center. His wife and three girls. Can you imagine?!"

3. End credits: font type is too small. Instead of playing The Who's "Reign O'er Me," the song is performed by a different band.

[Fahzee]

Moderators - would it be possible to switch the <spoiler alert> tag to the front of the thread title?

When this thread is feature on the main community page, the spoiler alert is cut off....

[MidtownGuy]

I'm going to watch Legend tonight (in the comfort of my own home).
Thank you Pirate Bay.

[MidtownGuy]

Excellent movie.

[lofter1]

Pirate Bay

Is that free?

[MidtownGuy]

Yes. It is awesome.
When the film industry scumbags stop trying to force me to watch 15 minutes of commercials AFTER I've just paid 12 dollars to get in the door, THAT'S when I'll start paying those greedy bastards some money again.
I remember a time that movie theaters didn't have commercials except the one for popcorn.
Now I watch all new movies for free, often 1 week within being released. No commercials, thank you.
thepiratebay.org
download azureus and you are off and running.
It isn't just movies either.:)

[MidtownGuy]

Tonight I watched "Music of the Heart" starring Merryl Streep. It's about Roberta Guaspari who teaches violin to students in East Harlem. What a beautiful story. I cried it was so inspiring.:o

[The Benniest]

Went and saw National Treasure: Book of Secrets tonight with some friends. Awesome movie, very thrilling, with an action packed ending!

Very well done,
Ben

[BrooklynRider]

I saw "Superbad." Does a good job capturing that awkward high school period. It got a couple of laughs out of me.

[lofter1]

"Charlie Wilson's War"

Afghanistan, Beautiful Girls, Russian Imperialism ... Politics, Partying, Pakistan.

Smart + funny, which is not surprising since it was directed by Mike Nichols.

Terrific writing by Aaron Sorkin and good acting all around -- Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Ned Beatty, Amy Adams and more.

Seeing it the day after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto the historical incidents in the film (behind the scenes negotiations between the US and Pakistan, inept US follow up in Afghanistan) take on a deep resonance.

[BrooklynRider]

I watched "Zodiac" tonight. Excellent movie with an excellent cast.

[Bob]

A fair film, at best. With proper editing of the script, this could have been excellent. A similar but far superior film in all respects is "A Very Long Engagement," which came out several years ago. Better still, "The English Patient." See those two films and skip "Atonement."

[MidtownGuy]

"Drowning Mona"
Hilarious. All star cast: Danny Devito, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bette Midler, Neve Campell..this movie made me laugh like no recent comedies have in a while.

[The Benniest]

I saw "Superbad." Does a good job capturing that awkward high school period. It got a couple of laughs out of me.

Loved that movie. Since I am still in high school, and a senior like some of the characters, it really showed a high school "profile" I'm used. :p I love the character of McLovin and people say that I actually look him.. :confused:

***

I saw National Treasure: Book of Secrets the other night with a couple of friends and it was, in my opinion, one of this year's best. It's suspenseful and just an all-around good movie. Two thumbs up!

-Ben

[BrooklynRider]

Can't say I'm very nostalgic for my high school days. I hated high school and that whole period of my life. Anyway....

I saw "Sweeney Todd" today. I thought it was great. It's hard to go wrong with the Tim Burton-Johnny Depp-Helena Bonham Carter trio.

It was done so well. Excellent movie - excellent story telling. I don't think I've seen a musical ever done quite so well as pure drama.

[BrooklynRider]

I saw "There Will Be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men" today.

"There Will Be Blood" was another incredible performance by Daniel Day Lewis. The movie was mesmerizing. Top notch drama.

"No Country for Old Men" is getting the nod for top spot on year end lists everywhere. The violence is very graphic and, for me, it’s disturbing to watch. It was certainly a very good movie. Javier Bardem's character can easily go into the psychopath pantheon alongside Norman Bates and Hannibal Lechter. However, seeing it immediately after "There Will Be Blood," it was the lesser of the two films.

[BrooklynRider]

I caught "Juno" and "I Am Legend" today.

I thought "Juno" was very good and on par with last year's "Little Miss Sunshine." It was funny, but intelligently written and very well acted.:)

I echo the other sentiments regarding "I Am Legend." It had a great first half and just seemed to fall apart in the second half. :(

[Mohamed]

"I Am Legend"
good but I thing it should be longer !
Very bad end
I didn't belive that it finished
my rate 7/10

[The Benniest]

I caught "Juno" and "I Am Legend" today.

I thought "Juno" was very good and on par with last year's "Little Miss Sunshine." It was funny, but intelligently written and very well acted.:)


I agree with your comments about Juno. Saw it in Sioux City, IA a a couple days ago and it was awesome. I loved the acting. Very professional. :cool:

[MidtownGuy]

I saw "No Country For Old Men" last night.
Not sure what all the fuss is about, aside from Bardem playing his scary role very well (his hairstyle was scariest of all).

[ablarc]

Atonement: A+

Keira Knightley: A++

Scene on the beach at Dunkerque: hallucinatory, phantasmagorical, a triumph of film-making.

Be warned: this movie is sad.

Trick ending.

[lofter1]

That Dunkirk tracking shot in Atonement is an amazing piece of cinematic choreography -- and seemingly every little detail that was in director Joe Wright's imagination made it onto the screen ...

<< SPOILER ALERT >> Apparently the shot (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071226/film-atonement-tracking-shots/) continues uncut for 5-1/2 minutes

I liked the film, but the actress who plays Briony as a young woman didn't cut the mustard (especially compared to the younger actress, Saoirse Ronan (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1519680/), who played Briony as a young teen) and IMO thereby left the ending without much power or punch.

[ablarc]

the actress who plays Briony as a young woman didn't cut the mustard (especially compared to the younger actress, Saoirse Ronan (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1519680/), who played Briony as a young teen)
Agreed.

and IMO thereby left the ending without much power or punch.
Vanessa Redgrave more than made up for it in the finale. That television interview is even better than Helen Mirren's stag scene in The Queen, and matches any of the best efforts of Meryl Streep.

So real, so moving, such a romantic idea. What an ending...

[pianoman11686]

I saw "There Will Be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men" today.

"There Will Be Blood" was another incredible performance by Daniel Day Lewis. The movie was mesmerizing. Top notch drama.

Couldn't agree more. Saw it tonight, and was pretty blown away. Didn't like the music too much, but I don't think it took anything away from the movie.

I've got to watch some more Day-Lewis movies.

[ZippyTheChimp]

^
Early Daniel Day Lewis: My Left Foot
Last of the Mohicans. Good cinematography, a lot more 'readable' than than the awful Cooper.

Recent: Gangs of New York

[ablarc]

Daniel Day Lewis ... Recent: Gangs of New York
Edward's avatar.

[Front_Porch]

you movie buffs might get a kick:

www.thefelixes.com

best,

ali r.

[Joelio]

Today I saw Cloverfield for the fourth time, and it deserves a solid 5/5, 10/10, 100/100 or whatever number combination you can think of like those. hmm... 18296362984729473640284/18296362984729473640284 seems about right.

[Mohamed]

Gangs Of NewYork is one of my favourites .

[pianoman11686]

Watched Gangs of New York yesterday, and Last of the Mohicans today. Both were excellent, although Gangs trailed on a little too long, in classic Scorsese style, and Mohicans was a little dry at times.

Still, I think I've found a new favorite actor.

[lofter1]

If you've never seen "My Beautiful Laundrette" you're in for a treat -- another terrific DDL performance.

And if you want to see him do historical suffering then check out "The Crucible".

[BrooklynRider]

Now go see "There Will Be Blood." Incredible performance.

[Front_Porch]

On which subject, Paul Dano was robbed by not getting a best supporting actor nom.

[Matysiak]

Zeitgeist

Just watch this movie.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

[MidtownGuy]

Persepolis
This animated movie tracing the memories of a 'Westernized' Iranian girl was wonderful.

[eddhead]

^
Early Daniel Day Lewis: My Left Foot
Last of the Mohicans. Good cinematography, a lot more 'readable' than than the awful Cooper.

Recent: Gangs of New York

Little late with this, but RE: DDL, how about the Boxer with Emily Watson. Great flick

[ablarc]

The Age of Innocence, another Day-Lewis/Scorsese collaboration. Oddly enough, a chick flick based on a novel by Edith Wharton.

Top notch.

[Encideyamind]

Zeitgeist

Just watch this movie.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

Seen and love things like this.



I just can't wait for Choke.

[BrooklynRider]

I saw John Huston's "Night of the Iguana" with Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, and Deborah Kerr. I'm surprised it never received a best picture Oscar nomination. I highly recommend it.

[Zerlina]

Last week I saw CousCous by Abdel Latif (prize in Venice movie festival): the history of a muslim family in France, moving!

[Matysiak]

American Gangster - Good, solid cinema. Before I watched this I was afraid it will be nothing new but just schematic gangster movie and if you saw goodfellas then you saw each mob movie.But I am nicely disappointed.
Just Ridley Scott + Russel and Denzel.

Michael Clayton - Great climate.

[voodoochild]

I watched Sixteen Candles last night
*sigh* I heart Jake Ryan..LOL

As for the theaters, I went to go see P.S. I lLove You a few weeks back. I NEVER go and see romantic films anymore but I was asked to go and let me tell you....my eyes were swollen for 2 days. There was not a dry eye in the entire theater AND the tear started rolling 5 min into the movie and lasted up until the ending credits. Sad..sad..sad.:(

[Matysiak]

I am a Legend in four words: Plagiarism, Computer game, Populism.

(28 days later opposite to this one is a gem!!!)

[ablarc]

Michael Clayton with George Clooney and Sidney Pollack. First-rate psychological thriller that ploughs through the grey areas of good and evil. Sequences in Chinatown, SoHo, Midtown. As good as Atonement; may remind you in some ways of Mystic River (leisurely plot exposition, gritty photography). Clooney is terrific.

[The Benniest]

Hmm. I've been excited to see Michael Clayton since I missed it in theaters. :( From the previews, George Clooney and Sidney Pollack both play very nice performances. Didn't know it takes place in New York. Another reason to see it! :D

-ben

[The Benniest]

Rented and watched Notes on a Scandal this afternoon. Amazing movie and brilliant performances by both Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett.

Anyone seen it?

[pianoman11686]

Yes, actually - I caught it on HBO the other day. Pretty disturbing, and it definitely grabs your attention. Only furthered my belief that most of the world's best actors are British.

Saw Shawshank Redemption today, for the umpteenth time. Timeless classic. The best of filmmaking.

Rented We Own the Night and Ratatouille a few days ago. We Own the Night sucked; don't waste your time on this movie. Personally, I found its previews/advertisements/DVD synopsis to be the grossest misrepresentation of the plot of any movie I've ever seen. Very disappointing.

Ratatouille was fun, if at times labored. The advances in animation technology are just amazing.

[The Benniest]

Yes, actually - I caught it on HBO the other day. Pretty disturbing, and it definitely grabs your attention. Only furthered my belief that most of the world's best actors are British.
I completely agree! :D

[MidtownGuy]

I loved that movie! Amazing acting, definitely.

[BrooklynRider]

That movie was excellent. Two top actors in great form. It sizzled.

[The Benniest]

...then again, I'll watch any movie with Judi Dench (http://imdb.com/name/nm0001132/). Love her acting, and she has definitely been around for a while. ;)

[lofter1]

Judi Dench is a great actress of varied accomplishments. She originated the lead role of Sally Bowles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judi_Dench) in the 1968 London Premiere of the musical "Cabaret".

[The Benniest]

Wow. Didn't know Dench has performed on stage. Very cool. Of course, 1968 was a good 40 years before I was even born. :p

[Alonzo-ny]

I believe the majority of British actors begin on stage, not sure how many Americans start this way?

[BrooklynRider]

Not sure if I mentioned that I saw "In Bruges" with Colin Farrell and Ralph Fiennes. Not bad - certainly entertaining.

[The Benniest]

Looks like a great movie from the trailer I watched on YouTube BrooklynRider. Definitely a must-see.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uUE0x5VCeFg

[pianoman11686]

Wow. Didn't know Dench has performed on stage. Very cool.

I'm not sure about current trends, but I know most of the old guard British acting community received training in theatre.

Of course, 1968 was a good 40 years before I was even born. :p

Judging by your "Join Date," this must mean you've been on the forum since you were only a fetus. Very impressive! :D

[The Benniest]

I don't know what you mean pianoman. :p I joined in 2007 and was born in 1990. This must be a joke. I'm very gullible, so be careful. :rolleyes:

[brianac]

"City Hall"

A New York film.

I enjoyed this movie, again.

Frightening what goes on in local government.

Good performances by, Al Pacino, John Cusack and Danny Aiello.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=arNYCyTJ-DM

[The Benniest]

Watched No Reservations this afternoon after I came home sick from school. I really liked the movie, and it made it more meaningful to me because of the loss of my dad a few years ago. I liked how they tied in the comedy/romance part of it too.

-ben

[voodoochild]

Went to go see There Will Be Blood last night...AMAZING!!!! Daniel Day Louis was phenominal. I was at the edge of my seat the entire time. Well written, great plot, superb acting. If he doesn't win an Oscar I will be shocked.
BRAVO!

[pianoman11686]

^It was an amazing performance, wasn't it?

Watched Gone Baby Gone last night. It was interesting and emotional, but I was left feeling ambiguous about the ending. I guess that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I also enjoyed Ben Affleck's directing. It felt very classical to me.

[BrooklynRider]

I attempted to watch Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor and Rex Harrison. After an hour, I gave up. Pure drivel.

A classic it is not.

[The Benniest]

Just got back from a day trip to Sioux City, IA. While there we all stopped at the Riviera Theater (http://www.rivieramovies.com/) to go see No Country for Old Men.

Brilliant movie. Brilliant acting. This better win the Acadamy Award tomorrow night. The part that Javier Bardem (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000849/)
Javier Bardem (Anton Chigurh) plays is very eerie and very well played. I think almost every gunshot and the shots from the air-gun thing made me jump in my seat. Wasn't expecting it!

Also, very, Very violent, which if done right can make for a really good movie ... like this one.

9.75/10 <-- easily

[pianoman11686]

Watched Michael Clayton today. Overall very good. Not worthy of the Oscar for best film, though.

[BrooklynRider]

Okay... That's an Oscar prediction.

We will see.

[The Benniest]

Very glad No Country for Old Men won Best Picture. And Best Director?! What a night...

- Ben

[The Benniest]

Anyone seen the movie Vantage Point? Going to see it tonight with some friends.

-Ben

[The Benniest]

Anyone seen the movie Vantage Point? Going to see it tonight with some friends.

-Ben
I guess I'll answer my own question...

The movie was alright. **MAJOR SPOILER BELOW**






The movie shoots the perspectives of 8 different people throughout the movie and continues to rewind to a specific time for each. That gets kind of annoying after like, the first 3.

Other than that, the movie was good and I know she was a little part, but Sigourney Weaver's part as Rex Brooks (the television lady) was pretty good and hilarious. :p

Definitely a movie you must pay attention to to get. Go see it!

[Ninjahedge]

Saw a few.

No country for Old Men was really good, and has no real ending.

Stardust was dippy and mildly entertaining. Some good performances, some BAD!

I Am Legend was interesting, but too much focusted on CGI/Special effects. Some things were classically unbelievable (such as why a bunch of sick psycho people would attack anything but another sick person, same thing in Firefly, 28 Days, etc etc).

The Time Machine (2002) was meh. Great scenery, costumes and other effects, but not convincing, and not palpable. Too many little impossibilities and confusing interludes clouded the social message of the book. Teh director, HG Well's Great Grandson, had mostly done storyboards before this, and it shows with a beautiful backdrop and altogether flat acting and plot.

More movies when I see them!

BTW, sci-fi comic fans, Iron Man has a new trailer out. Geeks everywhere are starting to drool. I hope they get it right! ;)

[The Benniest]

I'm going to have to agree with you about the ending of No Country for Old Men. It really had, well, like you said: no ending. :P

Really good movie though. :)

[BrooklynRider]

I just watched 28 Days Later. It was quite good.

[BrooklynRider]

I watched Stephen King's "The Mist". It was actually an excellent horror film. It little too bloody for me, but it held my interest.

[Mohamed]

I New Who Kill Me
wastes for time and money ,very boring !!!!!!!!!

[MidtownGuy]

It isn't a movie but please excuse this one lil' exception...
THE SEASON PREMIER OF BATTLESTAR GALACTICA!!

I was waiting so long, with plenty of other science fiction fans, and finally
it arrived. I wasn't disappointed, and of course it ended with a nail biting
cliffhanger.

The Sci-Fi channel brings movie-quality scripts and production to television with each episode. These are classics in the making.
I can't wait until the next installment to see if K Thrace assasinates iron lady President Roslyn. Is Thrace a cylon? God I hope not, she's my girl!!

[TREPYE]

This past weekend I saw Into the Wild (directed by Sean Penn). I though it was an exciting, beautiful, profound yet melancholy movie. For those of us who enjoy stories of the real world complexities of life I resoundingly recommend it.

Best put by the NYTimes critic:

"It is infused with an expansive, almost giddy sense of possibility, and it communicates a pure, unaffected delight in open spaces, fresh air and bright sunshine."

One of the best movie I have ever seen. The review in the NYTimes is so good that if you plan on seeing it I highly recommend watching it before you read the review to preserve your own unabated personal reaction to the movie.

[lofter1]

Not sure what this one is about (the trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVkQCDfIe38) is somewhat confusing) but the girl looks familiar ...

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTI5MTM4NTA5MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzc0MTU2MQ@@._ V1._SY400_SX600_.jpg

[NYatKNIGHT]

I saw Into the Wild last weekend too, Trepye, and wholeheartedly agree. It really stuck with me. Good idea, I need to read that review.

[Alonzo-ny]

Finally saw There Will Be Blood, I enjoyed DDL's acting but I thought the actually story line was a little flat, I expected a little more from all the hype. I enjoyed it though.

[brianac]

I saw a repeat of "The Girl In The Red Velvet Swing" today.

I thought, how different, watching it now, when I have a small amount of knowledge about New York.

Watching it years ago I would not have known who Stanford White was. I would not have known about Delmonico's Restaurant, or Lord and Taylor's store, or that there had been more than one Madison Square Garden.

It's a much more enjoyable film seeing it now.

[Encideyamind]

This past weekend I saw Into the Wild (directed by Sean Penn). I though it was an exiting, beautiful, profound yet melancholy movie. For those of us who enjoy the real world complexities of life I resoundingly recommend it.

Best put by the NYTimes critic:

"It is infused with an expansive, almost giddy sense of possibility, and it communicates a pure, unaffected delight in open spaces, fresh air and bright sunshine."

One of the best movie I have ever seen. The review in the NYTimes is so good that if you plan on seeing it I highly recommend watching it before you read the review to preserve your own unabated personal reaction to the movie.

One of the best stories I've seen on screen.

[The Benniest]

Started to watch The Brave One, with Jodie Foster last night. Didn't finish it because I woke up at 3 AM this morning in my living room with the movie on its title page.

:D

...will finish it tonight and give my 'review' then. :)

[britt7]

Okay, so I watched Prom Night on Friday. It was amazing, partly because it was about prom, which their setting was really cool. Some of the parts in the movie was kind of a drag, but others were pretty cool. I would defently watch it again. The movie is probably generated for teens, because my mom didn't really like it.

If you had an opinion on Prom Night, please let me know. :)

[lofter1]

Jamie Lee Curtis is great in that ^

She's the best screamer ever.

[britt7]

Well i was refering to the new Prom Night that just came out on April 11th. I've never seen the '80's Prom Night.

[lofter1]

I knew that ... just playing ;)

[The Benniest]

Finally finished The Brave One tonight after work. It was alright. :)

Plan on renting Juno tomorrow night and seeing Cloverfield again when it comes out on DVD on the 22nd.

[Zerlina]

Yesterday evening I saw The Kite Runner: you have to see it! The plot of the movie follows that of the novel in a perfect way!:)

[The Benniest]

Saw the movie 21 tonight with some friends.

It was alright. I give it an 8/10 rating. :)

[lofter1]

TB: Don't know if you went to the movies while you were in NYC recently, but, if not, then it might come as a shock to know that it conts ~ $12 to see a movie here these days -- and no discount matinees!

What's the price in Iowa?

[The Benniest]

Wow. :eek:

I had no idea it was that much in NYC. Here, it's $6.50 to see a movie, WITH discount matinées. :o

[lofter1]

Wow is right.

At $12 / movie I now think 3 times before heading into a theater -- plus the fact that, come Firday, these days it's rare when the studios offer something I really want to see.

It's a sad state of affairs for a former movie addict who doesn't doesn't take much delight in watching stuff on a small screen at home.

Norma Desmond was right.

[lofter1]

While we're on that ^ subject and without straying too far afield ...

HERE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkC_NVwAmYQ&feature=related) is one heckuva menage a trois ;)

[The Benniest]

I agree.

I'm a current movie addict (:p), but ironically, $6.50 is a lot to see a movie here, and sadly, it takes a few weeks after the movie comes out for us to just get it (which sucks!). For example, the theater where I live got Cloverfield 3 weeks after it opened in theaters like NYC ... and that happens for any movie!

And ... I can get the same "pleasure" from just staying home and watching a movie on my own TV. I guess it depends on the person..

[lofter1]

And for anyone who has ever considered pursuing the life of an actor,
some insight from one of the GIANTS (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOMBTwYOal4&feature=related) (never mind the silly title).

[The Benniest]

Haha! I may have to take a look at that when I get home.

But ... I'm at my high school right now so I better get off. :o

[Ninjahedge]

Always shocks me that when movies were $11 in NYC, they were $7.50 in Jersey City (and $8-$9 in Wayne NJ, Yuppie Mall Suburb).

JC was such a small mass transit ride over, and cost so much less!

Movies are rediculously priced now, and it really hurts everyone.

Add to that, I woud really like to see the actual numbers of people seeing these fliks rather than "$20M grossed over opening day weekend!!!".


Anywhoo....

Just saw Night Watch. Flik by that russian dude that is directing that new Angelina, Morgan Freeman, super-assasin flik.

It was OK, some interesting effects, but weak plot and sketchy plotline (was not very continuous). I don't know if I want to see the sequel, Day Watch, but it MIGHt be better, yuo never know.

Lots of special effects, interesting camera angles, but not very convincing overall.....

[voodoochild]

I watched The Painted Veil last night w/ Ed Norton..I LOVED it, the biyfriend..hated it. Anyone see it?

[Zephyr]

Wow is right.

At $12 / movie I now think 3 times before heading into a theater ...

On the 4th time you might consider HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival at 42nd Street and 6th Avenue. Free, outdoors and begins on Monday, the 16th of June this year, and occurs every Monday thereafter until it concludes on Monday, the 18th of August.

[lofter1]

I was a big fan of the Bryant Park films from day one.

But it's become too popular for my tastes.

crabby, ain't I :cool:

(all the more reason to get away)

[The Benniest]

Lofter, when do the Bryant Park films start? Do they run through the summer (July 17-31 area?), because I think it'd be cool go either walk by or go to one of these while there.

Thanks,
tB

[brianac]

Read the thread (http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=226800&postcount=160)

[The Benniest]

Thank you.

:o :o :o :o

[brianac]

You're welcome Ben.

[The Benniest]

I guess it just takes a little of research, because a small google search showed results in the times, place, and dates of the Bryant Park Film Festival. (dates/times below)

:o

June 16 - 5:00 pm - The Lawn
June 23 - 5:00 pm - The Lawn
June 30 - 5:00 pm - The Lawn

July 7 - 5:00 pm - The Lawn
July 14 - 5:00 pm - The Lawn
July 21 - 5:00 pm - The Lawn
July 28 - 5:00 pm - The Lawn

August 4 - 5:00 pm - The Lawn
August 11 - 5:00 pm - The Lawn
August 18 - 5:00 pm - The Lawn

All movies to be premeired at the festival have not been released yet. I'll update this post as they start to appear on the Bryant Park website. Also, according to the website, the movies will usually start between 8:00 and 9:00 (dusk), where The Lawn will open at 5:00 (as shown above) for blankets and visitors to enter.

-ben

[Joelio]

Lol well I watched Titanic last night. I'd seen it before, though. At three hours, I made the stupid mistake of starting at 11 o'clock, so it finished by 2am and I got into bed at 2:30. It was pretty good, though. Maybe a teensy bit of a weak plot, but not bad.

lol

[zupermaus]

best trailer ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0H5jekD61k&feature=related

[kliq6]

Saw 88 Minutes last night, not much to talk about. Fast paced but a weak plot. Not one of Pacino's greats

[The Benniest]

I rented the first season DVD of 30 Rock (http://www.nbc.com/30_Rock/) tonight that I will try to watch throughout the weekend. I've seen 2 episodes of the show so far and I'm already hooked.

Anyone watch it?

[pianoman11686]

A few movies that I've seen in recent weeks:

25th Hour: picked it up randomly at Best Buy because it was on sale. A little weird at times, but overall another great Spike Lee joint. Few people know how to capture the atmosphere of New York as well as he does. Intense and suspenseful, despite a lack of action.

Mr. Brooks: watched it for the second time a few days ago. By far Costner's best movie since his heyday in the early 90s. A must-see for anyone who loves psychological thrillers.

Grandma's Boy: one of the funniest movies ever made. (And you don't have to be high to laugh your ass off.)

Scent of a Woman: can't believe I hadn't seen this one yet until last week. A little cheesy, especially towards the end, but Al Pacino's just too good to pass this one up. Also has a lot of great NY scenes. Hilarious, depressing, and suspenseful all at once.

The Talented Mr. Ripley: again, one I can't believe I hadn't seen until last week. Matt Damon is great as usual, but the overall movie is incredibly weird. Be prepared to feel confused by most of the characters' behavior. To say they're eccentric is an understatement. But, guess what: for Italy-lovers, it has amazing scenery of the Amalfi coast, Rome, and Venice. Even though it was weird, I still found it incredibly entertaining. There was something very naughty and "play"-ful about it.

American Psycho: this is from a while ago, and another weird one. Christian Bale is great in it, though. You can really tell this is a "novel" movie. The best thing about it (besides the fact that it pretty much nails the Wall Street-yuppie lifestyle of the late 80s) is that you never really know what's reality and what's a product of Bale's character's seriously disturbed psyche. More great NY scenery, but I found several errors (as far as where the action was "supposed" to be taking place, and where it actually looked like it was filmed.)

Into the Wild: a very sad, and very moving, film. I questioned Sean Penn's directorial choices at times, but I think he did a good job overall of presenting the story. Emile Hirsch was great in it; he seems to be on track to become on of the better young actors in Hollywood who don't only do fluff. Great acting overall, especially from Catherine Keener and Hal Holbrook. Amazing scenery. A memorable journey is probably how I'd best describe it.

Disturbia: better than I expected. Scary, amusing, and sexy all in one. The main girl in it is gorgeous and probably the main reason why I liked this as much as I did. Then again, Shia was not bad - much more bearable than he was in Transformers. Morse was very believable as a serial killer - great work as usual. See this movie if you don't really have much else to do and need a distraction for a couple hours.

[The Benniest]

I saw a midnight showing of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian last night.

I thought it was really good with amazing effects and graphics, just like the first movie. :cool:

[eddhead]

Just saw Dan In Real Life on MOD. I don't normally do chick flicks but this was a terrific movie, very sweet and touching. Big leap for Carrell who is really beginning to impress me in terms of his range. Dana Cook was serviceable as the jilted brother, no doubt the best thing I have seen from him. Juliette Binoche was also wonderful but that is not surprise. The girls who played is daughters were excellent as well.

Rounding out the supporting cast was John Mahoney and Dianne Wiest as Father and Mother respectively. Both turned in their usual solid performances.

Heartily recommended.

[Alonzo-ny]

Iron man is very good, very funny in addition to the action.

[NYatKNIGHT]

I thought so too - very entertaining.

[The Benniest]

I saw Baby Mama on Monday. It was very entertaining, although how can it not be with both Amy Poehler and Tina Fey in it?

I'm a huge SNL fan so I had to see this.. and I'm glad I did! :D

[The Benniest]

Just finished watching Untraceable with Diane Lane. It was suspenseful throughout the whole movie and I now find myself looking over my shoulder wherever I go. :p Anyone else seen it?

Just out of curiousity, did anyone see the movie Vantage Point when it was in theaters?

[JCMAN320]

I saw it. I liked it. It repeats the scenarios from every vantage point of the involved parties. You really have to follow it but I enjoyed it.

[The Benniest]

I agree. I had to keep reminding myself that there were only eight "scenarios" and by the seventh, I found myself saying, "When does it end?" :p

Other than that, it was a good movie.

For those who haven't seen it ... Vantage Point movie trailer. (http://youtube.com/watch?v=H_oLgAmTgBs) The trailer is full of action and gives a good "description" of what the movie is about.

[lofter1]

After what seems like months away from the movies I finally have some reasons to give up $12.00 ...

I finally saw Iron Man today -- heads above many of the "super hero' action films. Robert Downey Jr. is great and just might have a franchise on his hands. And a big hand to both Gyneth Paltrow & Jeff Bridges. B+

Yesterday I saw the new Indiana Jones movie and had a ball. Harrison Ford is the Man. Karen Allen is much better in this one than she was way back in number one. The whole movie is full of good surprises and terrific chase & action sequences (of course). Cate Blanchett is both hot & a hoot. Plus I liked the out-of-this worldness of the plot. A-

Summer has definitely begun :)

[The Benniest]

I agree. Iron Man was very good. Lots of action, and Downey Jr. plays an excellent role. I enjoyed it a lot. http://wirednewyork.com/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif

I still have to see the new Indiana Jones movie. Although, it might help if I saw the first movie so I know what the movie(s) are about. :p :rolleyes:

Here are some of movies I definitely will be seeing this summer. But...I'll have to spare them since I will be saving for New York. :( The Dark Knight, with Heath Ledger looks excellent. Get Smart with Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway looks hilarious. But then again, what movie isn't with Steve? Mama Mia! with Meryl Streep looks really good. And many more!

Summer movies here. (http://movies.aol.com/feature/summer_movies)

[lofter1]

I'd think that if you hadn't seen the first one that this new one will leave you scratching your head.

[Alonzo-ny]

The Dark Knight Im looking forward to seeing in Paris of all places.

[brianac]

I watched a replay of the 1991 film "The Hard Way".

James Woods and Michael J Fox.

A comedy/police film. Sort of average film but some great shots of New York, including the Upper West Side, and also at McSoreley's Ale House.

For me, the locations made it watchable.

[eddhead]

I saw Ironman this weekend, and would like to reiterate the praises offered previously on this board. Fantastic movie, great performances all around. I was especially impressed with Jeff Bridges who was fantastic.

[The Benniest]

I was supposed to see "What Happens in Vegas..." tonight with a few friends but since the forecast seems to be heavy, heavy rain and chance of hail tonight, I'm staying in. :confused:

Has anyone seen it?

[Encideyamind]

Am I the only one who didn't enjoy Ironman?

[lofter1]

I didn't go to see SATC, but can't imagine that it's nearly as entertaining as this scathing review ...

Carrie

“Sex and the City.”

http://www.newyorker.com/images/2008/06/09/p233/080609_r17474_p233.jpg
ILLUSTRATION: DAVID HUGHES (http://www.davidhughesillustration.co.uk/index.php)
Superannuated fantasy posing
as a slice of modern life:
Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker,
Cynthia Nixon, and Kim Cattrall.

The NEW YORKER (http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2008/06/09/080609crci_cinema_lane/?yrail)
by Anthony Lane
June 9, 2008

The Current Cinema

Secrecy has clouded “Sex and the City” since it was first announced. When would the film appear? Who would find a husband? Would one of the main characters die? If so, would she commit suicide by self-pity (a constant threat), or would a crocodile escape from the Bronx Zoo and wreak a flesh-ripping revenge for all those handbags? As the release date neared, the paranoia thickened; at the screening I attended, we were asked not only to surrender our cell phones but to march through a beeping security gate, as if boarding a plane to Tel Aviv. There was even a full-body pat-down, by far the biggest turn-on of the night. Not a drop of the forthcoming plot had been leaked in advance, but I took a wild guess. “Apparently,” I said to the woman behind me in line, “some of the girls have problems with their men, break up for a while, and then get back together again.” “Oh, my God!” she cried. “How do you know?”

What followed was not strictly a movie. It was more like a TV show on steroids. The televised episodes, which ran from 1998 to 2004, lasted for no more than half an hour each. So, spare a thought for the director of the film, Michael Patrick King, who also wrote the screenplay. Faced with the flimsiest of concepts, he had to take it by both ends and pull until he stretched it out to two and a quarter hours. Two and a quarter! When Garbo made “Anna Karenina,” in 1935, she got happy, unhappy, loved, left, and under the train in less than a hundred minutes, so how the hell are her successors supposed to fill the time?

To be fair, there are four of them—banded together, like hormonal hobbits, and all obsessed with a ring. As the story begins, two are married already. First, there is Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), who has a job, a child, and not enough sex with her husband, Steve (David Eigenberg), perhaps because he reminds her of Radar, from “M*A*S*H.” Then comes Charlotte (Kristin Davis), who is blissfully wedded to—well, what is she wedded to, exactly? He goes by the name of Harry (Evan Handler), but he’s a ringer for Dr. Evil, from the “Austin Powers” franchise, with all the evil sucked away; what remains is fey and shiny-headed, smiling sweetly about something known only to himself. For a movie about the need for real men—lusty, loyal, and loaded—this unusual earthling is truly a most peculiar advertisement for the gender.

Next, we have Samantha (Kim Cattrall). Everyone has Samantha, or had her at some point; so she would like us to believe, and this is where the film of “Sex and the City” begins to part company with the original. The TV show was smart enough to trade on both the sentimentality and the shockability of its viewers, encouraging them to sigh at romantic satisfaction while snickering at the dirty talk that gave it spice. Behind it all, one caught a whiff of stale Puritanism: despite the women’s knowing bid for urbanity, there was an old-school, anti-sophisticated wish to put desire in its proper place, or, better still, to disperse it in a shared public giggle, for fear of where it might lead. Now the whiff has become a blast, and Samantha’s efforts to signal her appeal, which might have seemed languorous on the small screen, are blown up here into an embarrassing semaphore: thudding closeups of her slurping through a cocktail straw or swallowing a mouthful of guacamole. No self-respecting maker of soft erotica would countenance such shots, and, as for the matching dialogue (“Something just came up,” Samantha murmurs over the phone, as her boyfriend stands beside her in bulging briefs), it’s a straight lift from flaccid, mid-period James Bond. In a daring plot development, she buys a dog the size of a child’s slipper; the camera keeps cutting away to it, and guess what—the pooch screws, too! Mirth is unconfined.

I was never sure how funny the TV series was meant to be. It kept lapsing into a straight face, even a weepy one, as the characters’ contentment came under serious threat. This uncertainty survives into the movie, which made me laugh precisely once, as a magazine editor let fly with a Diane Arbus gag. It is no coincidence that she is played by Candice Bergen, who gets just the one scene, but who is nonetheless the only bona-fide movie star on show. You cannot simply shift a load of television actors onto a movie screen and expect them to command its greater expanse; only one in a thousand will be able to summon that mysterious confluence of presence and reserve on which stardom relies—the will both to offer oneself to the camera and yet to keep back the hidden, unguessable sources of that self. We should not be surprised, therefore, that Kim Cattrall’s come-ons wilt in the transition; but who would have guessed that Sarah Jessica Parker, a nimble performer who has had a career in movies aside from the TV show, should also seem diminished and ill at ease?

She plays Carrie, the writer whose voice-overs keep us up to speed with the doings of her friends, and with the reckless amassing of what she calls “the two Ls: labels and love.” Whether Carrie is able to acknowledge how tightly the two Ls lock together in her mind is another matter. Early in the film, she receives a proposal of marriage from her long-term boyfriend, Mr. Big (Chris Noth), and this triggers a Babylonian orgy of spending. In a montage of wedding-dress fittings, she honors “new friends like Vera Wang and Carolina Herrera and Christian Lacroix, Lanvin and Dior,” and so on; what I object to is not the name-dropping—think of it as a chick response to “American Psycho”—but the montage itself, which is shot in lazy veils of schmaltz. Compare the quick-change sequence in “Funny Face,” with Audrey Hepburn robed in one Givenchy masterpiece after another, and you sense not merely the greater snap in Stanley Donen’s direction (with more than a hand from Richard Avedon), and the hotter bloom of the coloring, but the way in which Hepburn herself outglows the frocks, with her smile and her imperious shout—“Take the picture, take the picture!” No thoroughbred was ever just a clotheshorse.

The women in “Sex and the City,” by that standard, are little better than also-rans, and their gallops of conspicuous consumption seem oddly joyless, as displacement activities tend to be. “When Samantha couldn’t get off, she got things,” Carrie says. Look at the beam in your own eye, sister. Mr. Big not only buys her a penthouse apartment (“I got it”), he offers to customize the space for her shoes and other fetishes. “I can build you a better closet,” he says, as if that were a binding condition of their sexual harmony: if he builds it, she will come. The creepiest aspect of this sequence was the sound that rose from the audience as he displayed the finished closet: gasps, fluttering moans, and, beside me, two women applauding. The tactic here is basically pornographic—arouse the viewer with image upon image of what lies just beyond her reach—and the film makes feeble attempts to rein it in. When the wedding hits a bump (look out for Kristin Davis screaming “No! No!” at Chris Noth like a ninth grader auditioning for “The Crucible”), and the bridegroom veers away, our heroine’s reaction to the split is typical: “How am I going to get my clothes?” What, honey, even the puffball skirt that you wear to the catwalk show—the one that makes you look like a giant inverted mushroom? That plea gets second prize for the most revealing line in the film, the winner being Miranda’s outburst as she hunts for an apartment in a mainly Chinese district: “White guy with a baby! Let’s follow him.” So that’s what drives these people: Aryan real estate.

At least, you could argue, Miranda has a job, as a lawyer. But the film pays it zero attention, and the other women expect her to drop it and fly to Mexico without demur. (And she does.) Worse still is the sneering cut as the scene shifts from Carrie, carefree and childless in the New York Public Library, to the face of Miranda’s young son, smeared with spaghetti sauce. In short, to anyone facing the quandaries of being a working mother, the movie sends a vicious memo: Don’t be a mother. And don’t work. Is this really where we have ended up—with this superannuated fantasy posing as a slice of modern life? On TV, “Sex and the City” was never as insulting as “Desperate Housewives,” which strikes me as catastrophically retrograde, but, almost sixty years after “All About Eve,” which also featured four major female roles, there is a deep sadness in the sight of Carrie and friends defining themselves not as Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Celeste Holm, and Thelma Ritter did—by their talents, their hats, and the swordplay of their wits—but purely by their ability to snare and keep a man. Believe me, ladies, we’re not worth it. It’s true that Samantha finally disposes of one paramour, but only with a view to landing another, and her parting shot is a beauty: “I love you, but I love me more.” I have a terrible feeling that “Sex and the City” expects us not to disapprove of that line, or even to laugh at it, but to exclaim in unison, “You go, girl.” I walked into the theatre hoping for a nice evening and came out as a hard-line Marxist, my head a whirl of closets, delusions, and blunt-clawed cattiness. All the film lacks is a subtitle: “The Lying, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe.” ♦

Copyright © 2008 CondéNet.

[MidtownGuy]

I suspect I'd agree with much of that if I saw it. Is it just because I'm a guy? I liked the show in the beginning but then I think it became played out and overly materialistic, just non-stop product placement at times.
I guess a lot of women will dig it, the "you go girl" demographic.

[kz1000ps]

The only time I've seen SATC the TV show was with a girl(friend), and although it could be well written I never cared for it. Luckily, the one I'm pursuing right now decided for us to see Iron Man last week, and all I'll say is it's a great movie :D

[Ninjahedge]

Point 1:

The NEW YORKER (http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2008/06/09/080609crci_cinema_lane/?yrail)
by Anthony Lane
June 9, 2008

??

Oh, as for SatC? I thought the first 3-4 seasons were cute, obnoxious, and far FAR from "reality" (how many columnists do you know could afford THAT many expensive shoes, live where she did, eat out as often, and date so many successful handsome men? REALITY CHECK!). They were funny enough to watch with my now-wife, but they were undoubtedly silly.

And after 4, they just got sillier and sillier. Now they make a 2+ HOUR movie off of a TV show whose bread and butter was the quick jab-and-run?

The sad thing is you really cannot get any honest opinions on this. Go over to IMDB to get a clue. You have over 2000 "10" reviews saying that this movie, in no uncertain terms, is better than Ghandi, Gone with the wind, and even ET.

Then you get 2500 saying it is the antichrist with a "1".

Neither are true, but the few hundred that actually give it a realistic rating (probably 3-7 depending on personal preferences) are ignored by the gaggle of fans versus flamers (and no, I do not mean Chelsea) that want to call the other idiots.

Sad thing is, they all are.

Sadder thing is? the money speaks louder than reason. Be prepared for copycats and sequels.

Or go see Ed Norton as The Hulk. :confused:

I wonder if they had the sense to put in a Smoochy reference... ;)

[pianoman11686]

Didn't they already try doing the Hulk? And wasn't it terrible?

[Alonzo-ny]

Thats what I kept saying, Apparently it was so bad they are pretending it didnt exist and are making another.

[lofter1]

That HULK (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286716/) was released back in '03.

metacritic (http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/hulk?q=hulk) gave that one a 5.2 (out of 10)

Lou Ferrigno had a cameo :cool:

[Alonzo-ny]

I saw it and i really hated it. I frankly cant believe they seem to be using the same CGI Hulk as the first.

[Alonzo-ny]

Saw the Zohan, its pretty good childish comedy if ur into constant sex jokes and so forth. The fake bad accents really took its toll.

[The Benniest]

The "new" Hulkster movie doesn't seem to be getting the best reviews. :confused:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2008/06/13/2008-06-13_incredible_hulk_is_not_so_smashing.html

[brianac]

Just watched "The Bone Collector" again.

A good New York movie with some great shots of the Battery Maritime Building towards the end of the film.

[The Benniest]

Saw "Get Smart" yesterday with the family. Steve Carell is quite funny in it, with Anne Hathaway as "back-up." Both were good performances.

Although ... 6.5/10

[Bob]

Easily the best film I've seen in years. Phenomenal. Check out the website, then go see the movie.

UPDATE, 7/21/08: I have now seen this movie 3 times, and may check it out one more time before it leaves the movie theater circuit, never again to be seen on the big screen. This film is a masterpiece...and yes I know that term is used far too often. In the instant case, it fits. If this film doesn't garner the honors it so richly deserves, it will be a crime. The direction is stunning. The cinematography is stunning. The story is brilliant. This is one of those films that comes along, from time to time, that leaves you in your seat, watching every piece of credit. An absolutely phenomenal film. If you miss this one, you'll be sorry.

[BrooklynRider]

I saw "Children of Men" last night. I thought it was very good. I thought the special feature documentary was excellent.

[NYCWishing]

The last movie that Ive seen was the Happening. In the beginning it was good, but once the movie got underway I was wishing that I waited to rent it on video. And who really sees wahlberg (sp) as a science teacher?

4 outta 10.

[lofter1]

Anthony Lane in the laatest issue of The New Yorker ponders "The Happening" and what has happened to director M. Night Shyamalan (http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2008/06/30/080630crci_cinema_lane) in the years since the release of his one and only good film ("The Sixth Sense"). When I first saw the previews for "The Happening" I almost gave Shyamalan another chance (after hatng "Signs" and his other piles of stuff), but seeing the really low rating (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10007985-happening/) it received at Rotten Tomatoes I decided to save myself $12.00 ...


Halfway through “The Happening,”as the movie began to splutter, I realized what M. Night Shyamalan needs more than anything else. He needs Val Lewton. To anyone toiling in genre movies during the Second World War, Lewton was a godsend: a fixer, a fabled storyteller, and the kind of guy who gives producers a good name and stops directors from getting a bad one ...

If Shyamalan’s need for such guidance seems more urgent than ever, it may be because “The Happening” is an eco-drama, and that, I regret to say, is a contradiction in terms ...

The response to Shyamalan’s film has been almost shrublike in its venom, and there is no denying that his ear for dialogue appears to be overgrown with moss. The performances, too, are weirdly stunted: normally reliable actors like Mark Wahlberg, John Leguizamo, and Zooey Deschanel — playing, respectively, a science teacher, a math teacher, and a worried wife, all fleeing the leafy threat — stalk through the action with a mixture of grimaces, goofiness, and what I charitably read as indigestion rather than catatonia. To be honest, I would be perfectly happy to walk with a zombie after ninety minutes of this; it would feel like light relief ...

Lane also canonizes someone who goes by the name of Angelina Jolie (and who just might be the proof of God's existence) in his review of "WANTED" ...


Ms. Jolie is, I am pleased to report, in splendid form. Watch her as she runs along the top of a speeding train and, approaching a tunnel, lies back like a sunbather and lets the roof of it swoosh over her, basking in the satisfaction of a near-miss and, by extension, in the world’s unflagging worship of her cool. “Get away from me,” McAvoy shouts to her at one point, and she gives an ineffable smile, charmed by the absurdity of the request. You don’t tell Angelina Jolie to go away; she tells you.


She just might be the biggest stud on the planet.

I know where I'll be tomorrow afternoon :cool:

http://www.newyorker.com/images/2008/06/30/p465/080630_r17523_p465.jpg
ILLUSTRATION: JOHN RITTER
Angelina Jolie as Fox, a member of an ancient order of assassins.

Copyright © 2008 CondéNet.

[NYCWishing]

^ likewise, i cant wait to see it. Not to mention the tattoos on jolie are sexy as hell.

[BrooklynRider]

I saw "The Great Ziegfeld" last night. Winner of the oscar for Best Picture (1936).

Two thumbs up. Some good NYC Theater history in this movie.

I saw "The Hulk" with Edward Norton on Friday. What the hell was he thinking? I thought it pretty much sucked ass.

[Zerlina]

Sex and the City - the movie, obviously:) funny!

[kliq6]

Hancock, first 30 minutes was good, then a twist that they didnt explain or go into well and the movie bombed in my opinion

[lofter1]

Thanks ^ You just saved me $12 ;)

But now that it's going up into the 90s for the foreseeable weeks, $12 for two hours of blasting AC might be OK :cool:

[Meerkat]

Has anyone seen 'Wall-E'? Its got very good reviews and was thinking of seeing it at the cinema this week.

[lofter1]

Yes ^ http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif

Not great, but good -- with some greatness ...

Parts of it are very clever.

Won't go into any more detail for fear of spoiling it for you.

[Ninjahedge]

I saw "The Hulk" with Edward Norton on Friday. What the hell was he thinking? I thought it pretty much sucked ass.

Is that a compliment? ;)


Yeah, avoided Hulk but went to see Wanted.

Pulpy. Not bad but not great. Get in on a matinee, ignore impossible physics and a few plot holes (looks like it was condensed) and enjoy.

I would give it about a 7/10 for action film/ special effect lovers.

[lofter1]

if a pitcher can throw a curve ball ...

[BrooklynRider]

I saw Hellboy II. I thought it was pretty good. I'd recommend it.

I bought advance tickets for Batman on Friday. Woohoo!

[The Benniest]

That's funny, I'm going to see Batman on Friday as well.

;)

[Ninjahedge]

HAHAHAHAHAAHAH!!!!!


Oh... You mean funny/coincidental not "ha-ha"...... :crosseyed:


Ah well!

HB2 looks interesting. I liked #1, although it was definitely a bit silly and overdone in some spots (reality is sometimes more easily and believably warped when you are doing it on paper, whether it be in text or frame by frame, than it is in a full motion picture).

I still want to see Wall-E though. Heard it was not quite as good as the Incredibles though.. I will have to see if that was from here! ;)

Batman looks fun, but I am dissapointed what's-his-face had to do a depressed daddy OD. We will see if he did as well as Jack.

I don't think so, but it looks like he took it in a slightly different direction than Jack and Burton..... We will see!

[alanbarcelona]

This evening I saw Charlie Wilson's War. Simply FANTASTIC. Great black humour with an oustanding performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman. I only can say this man is by far one of the best american actors of the last years...

[The Benniest]

Seeing "The Dark Knight" with BrooklynRider tomorrow night.

It should be a lot of fun ... and ppaacckkeedd!!

Air conditioning. :rolleyes:

[Alonzo-ny]

Go to the theatre in battery park, always the quietest!

[The Benniest]

That's the one! :D

[OmegaNYC]

I saw Dark Knight this morning at midnight. I was at the movie theater at Garden State Plaza. It was PACKED! I waited on line for at least an hour before they let us in the theater. Then, it was an hour and a half wait before the movie even played. But I'll tell ya, it was WORTH IT!!! Best movie this year by far. 10/10.

[lofter1]

On a wall downtown ...

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p242/Lofter1/Greenwich%20Village/Batman_01a4.jpg

:cool:

[scumonkey]

Did anybody see this on the side of good 'ole Wooly?!
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/070908darkknight.jpg

[lofter1]

^ tonight?

[scumonkey]

yesterday-last knight

[BrooklynRider]

Saw The Dark Knight tonight. It was excellent a real crime thriller. The comic aspect was played down.

Heath Ledger deserves the hype. He was brilliant. A master performance. Very sad that he won't be here to receive the accolades.

[NewYorkDoc]

Isn't Gotham supposed to be NYC?

It was clearly Chicago is this picture. Gotham, Illinois.

[The Benniest]

I saw 'The Dark Knight' as well and like Doc said, it was CLEARLY Chicago in this! Other than the fact that it wasn't shot in New York City, it was brilliantly done and Ledger's performance was unforgettable!

He will be missed.

[kliq6]

They filmed it in Chicago and Gotham has never truly been idetified as far as I know

[NYC4Life]

Parts of the film were also shot in Hong Kong, but Gotham itself was based off Chicago.

[Bob]

Had some of the exterior shots in The Dark Knight been filmed at 20 Exchange Place, we'd really have something to talk about.

[pfierro]

I always thought of Gotham City as Chicago.

[kliq6]

Saw Batman last night, a outstanding performace by Ledger taht made you think the Joker was in the room with you. However like the first when I still dont care much for Bale, Keaton was a great batman by far.

[NYatKNIGHT]

I saw it too, and I have to agree with all the hype, it's my favorite of all the Batman movies largely because Ledger was the best villain.
I always thought of Gotham City as Chicago.Why? "Gotham" has been a nickname for New York City since Washington Irving used it in his fictional history of the city. Gotham City, obvioulsy fictional, was long assumed to be a sort of alter-New York since the word "Gotham" is in it, and its fictional history and geography parallels New York. Gotham City has morphed in these films from gritty and dark to shiny and modern. Obviously the movie was filmed in Chicago, and it worked well as a modern day Gotham City.

I like this quote I found in wikipedia: In terms of atmosphere, Batman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_%28comic_book%29) [comic book] writer and editor Dennis O'Neil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_O%27Neil) has said that, figuratively, "Batman's Gotham City is Manhattan below Fourteenth Street at eleven minutes past midnight on the coldest night in November."

[Ninjahedge]

Gotham was NYC in the "dark days" that Batman started. His parents were killed walking home from a Broadway show!

Why is it that people question this now?

NY cleaned up.

We do not have nearly as many dark alleys, elevated trains, gangs, drug dens and other "tourist attractions".

Chicago has been lagging behind a bit. But I also think that it is large enough and old enough to give the same image. It also might be cheaper and more convenient (easier to close a street off for filming)...

For better or worse, NY never sleeps.

[OmegaNYC]

Gotham City is NY at night.
Metropolis is NY by the day.

Every comic book fan knows that.

[Ninjahedge]

Gotham City is NY at night.
Metropolis is NY by the day.

Every comic book fan knows that.


YES!


I mean, I have heard of that, yes..... :rolleyes:

[pfierro]

I wouldn't say that I am all too familiar with the creation of Batman. Not a comic book fan, but after seeing the film series I tend to get into the original creation.

Now I realize why Gotham is NYC, but Christopher Nolan is making GC look more and more like Chicago.

[OmegaNYC]

^^^ IF you were to watch the old Batman movies " Batman, Batman Returns, Batman and Robin, etc." you can tell they based the city off of NY. However, this new movie is shot in Chicago. This is the way I see it, this is techinically the "begining" of Batman. If I'm not mistaken, this precedes the older Batman movies, or at the very least is an seperate series all together ( IE, is isn't part of of the old Batman saga, but a whole new saga all together.) Either Gotham evolve from the Chicago inspired Gotham into the more familiar NY based city, or this Gotham is a totally diffrent from the Gotham City that is featured in the older movies.

[kliq6]

its really a hole new take on Batman if you think about it, The Joker is not funny at all in this one and is not even close to the Nicholsen take on it and forget about the old Ceser Romero version

[lofter1]

Not funny?

Totally hilarious in certain moments.

The hospital scene for one ...

Whatever, the man behind the smile definitely has a purpose in mind.

(ps: it's cheaper to film in Chicago than in NYC)

[The Benniest]

I agree. I laughed histarically when he came "dancing" and trotting out the hospital door as it was blowing up. It was pretty funny when it didn't blow up at first either. :cool:

[kliq6]

I mispoke, not funny in terms of how the earlier did their gags, but it was funny in its own way.

To me the funniest part was the pencil magic trick

[pfierro]

The Joker was incredibly funny.

I caught the 3:55 showing today. I absolutely loved Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker but while it was a great movie (no doubt), I give the slight edge to Batman Begins.

[Gregory Tenenbaum]

Ledger (http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehollywoodchef/2695907870/)was good from all accounts, but whats up with the kind of sick retarded push to get him an Academy Award?

[lofter1]

The performance is deserving of a nomination.

[kliq6]

it sure is and I wouldnt say supporting, he stole the show and was more of a lead

[lofter1]

This is a definite must see:

http://www.manonwire.com/

An amazing film. An amazing story.

So well done you really wonder if Petit make it.

Plus: Great shots of the WTC being built and NYC in the early '70s.

Magical. Go.

http://www.discoverystudios.com/media/news/1206744942-420x236_man_on_wire.jpg

[Zephyr]

Chicago has been lagging behind a bit. But I also think that it is large enough and old enough to give the same image. It also might be cheaper and more convenient (easier to close a street off for filming)...

For better or worse, NY never sleeps.



... IF you were to watch the old Batman movies " Batman, Batman Returns, Batman and Robin, etc." you can tell they based the city off of NY. However, this new movie is shot in Chicago.

This is the way I see it, this is techinically the "begining" of Batman. If I'm not mistaken, this precedes the older Batman movies, or at the very least is an seperate series all together ( IE, is isn't part of of the old Batman saga, but a whole new saga all together.) Either Gotham evolve from the Chicago inspired Gotham into the more familiar NY based city, or this Gotham is a totally diffrent from the Gotham City that is featured in the older movies.



I always thought of Gotham City as Chicago.


I shall try to tell this story the best I can because I cannot find enough of it together in one place to just post it. There may be errors that I need to correct or you will correct at a later date.

Strange as it may seem, there is a connection to the Chicago area for the two brothers who created this film: Chris Nolan (Co-Screenwriter and Director) and younger brother Jonah Nolan (Co-Screenwriter). Their family once re-located to the Chicago area, from London, when they were both young. (There is at least another brother, older than these two, named Matt, but details are lacking.)

Jonah - whose birth name is Jonathan (but no one calls him that) - actually remained in the states, and lived and went to school in a well heeled North Shore suburb of Chicago, known as Wilmette, until he graduated from an elite secondary school there. He then went on to Georgetown University in Washington DC.

While Chris - who has a middle name of Johnathan (and that is the way they spell it) - only lived in the Chicago area for three years, he nonetheless managed to get a film-related job with a local Chicago crew, although he was only a pre-teen at the time (tempted to cf. S. Spielberg). The rest of Chris' education appears to have been in the UK, and certainly that is the case when he went to college ... two colleges, as a matter of fact.

Their mother was an American - but I still don't know if she had any Chicago ties that explain the re-location - and their father was British. To this day, these two brothers have always had dual citizenship in UK and US, with Chris commuting back to the Chicago area to visit his brother throughout their youth.

As I recall, they both acknowledged they conspired to work into Dark Knight, personal references to their youth - specifically what, I don't know.

As for that look, it is true that the lion's share was filmed in Chicago, but there were also other places filmed and worked into the images of Gotham - see the list ahead.




Derived from IMDB:


Battersea Power Station, Battersea, London, England, UK

Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK

Cardington, Bedfordshire, England, UK

Chertsey, Surrey, England, UK

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Criterion Theatre, Jermyn Street, St James's, London, England, UK

Hong Kong, China

Hotel 71 - 71 E. Wacker Drive, Downtown, Chicago, Illinois, USA

IBM Building - 330 N Wabash, Chicago, Illinois, USA (interiors)

International Finance Centre, Central, Hong Kong, China

Leavesden Studios, Leavesden, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK

London, England, UK

Longcross, Surrey, England, UK

Los Angeles, California, USA

McCormick Place - 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Near South Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA (Fox's meeting with Lau)

Millennium Station, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Navy Pier - 600 E. Grand Avenue, Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Old Post Office, Chicago, Illinois, USA (bank heist)

Old Town, Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Piccadilly Circus, Piccadilly, London, England, UK

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong, China

Richard J. Daley Center - 55 W. Randolph Street, The Loop, Downtown, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Senate House, University College London, Malet Street, Bloomsbury, London, England, UK

St John Street, Clerkenwell, London, England, UK

The Center, Central, Hong Kong, China

The Peninsula Hong Kong Hotel, Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

Trump International Hotel & Tower - 401 N Wabash, Chicago, Illinois, USA (skyscraper under construction in finale)

Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK

Twin Anchors Restaurant & Tavern - 1655 N. Sedgwick Street, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA

University of Westminster, London, England, UK

Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, China

[BrooklynRider]

I saw Man On A Wire. It was quite thrilling. So interesting to see the story behind a big event etched in my memory.

[KenNYC]

Saw The Dark Knight today and can't say I was impressed at all. I can't help but feel like a good part of the hype is due to Ledger's death. I found Batman Begins to be better by quite a margin.