Dell's Good, Bad & Ugly Movie Reviews

[DJ Rhude]

Dell have you seen Black Dynamite yet? I just watched that last weekend

 

[dell71]

Dell have you seen Black Dynamite yet? I just watched that last weekend

Yes, the review will be up sometime this week. As normal, my reviews are typically 4 or 5 movies behind what I've actually watched.

 

[DJ Rhude]

Drag Me to Hell


MY SCORE: 9/10

Dug back a bit in the thread, and stopped at this

I can't believe you gave this a 9.....but then I can't believe how the reviews for this movie were mostly good.....my review score was, "damn I'm glad I downloaded this shit and didn't pay to go see it!"

I hated the guy who played her boyfriend......like you said, he seem to just "be there" in the movie....woulda been better if the demon smacked his ass up a bit to wake him up lol....btw, is that the same dude who's in that mac vs PC commercial? looks like him a bit

In fairness though, I guess I'm jaded with horror flicks these days....I haven't been truly frightened by a movie since the Excorcist or Night of The Living Dead....

I thought Paranormal Activity had a chance....all I can say is BLAH about that movie...all the hype to be severly let down

 

[DJ Rhude]

Yes, the review will be up sometime this week. As normal, my reviews are typically 4 or 5 movies behind what I've actually watched.

Sweet.....I'm curious to see what you felt about it....I know from all the years of being on the forum, we typically share the same sentiments about topics (excluding DMTH lol)

 

[dell71]

Dell's Classics Presents:

Rear Window
1955. Not Rated, 112 minutes.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock.
Starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr, Thelma Ritter.
Jeff (Stewart) is a photographer confined to a wheelchair in his apartment thanks to a broken leg and passes time by spying on his neighbors as they live their lives. When suspicious events lead him to believe that the man across the courtyard has murdered his own wife he enlists the aid of his girlfriend Lisa (Kelly) and his buddy Det. Doyle (Wendell Corey) to help him get to the bottom of things. Did he or didn't he? That question drives the latter half of the movie. Our hero's logic and sanity come into question as does his near fetish for voyeurism. That last trait, along with Jeff's relationship with Lisa means that Hitchcock gets lots of mileage out of sexual tension and frustration, as usual. Sexual innuendo abounds, hanging over the movie and tempting the audience with thoughts of what they might see or hear next. If made today, such a movie would either water down their affair with goofiness and cute jokes...ahem...Disturbia...ahem...or include a somewhat explicit love scene. That scene might be a very sexy one but all sense of mystery would be lost and the movie would be less romantic for it. Yes, it is a murder mystery on the surface but the idea of what could be doesn't only pertain to the possible killing but to the love lives of the characters as well. This leads us to the real magic of Hitchcock, so eloquently demonstrated by this movie. Ostensibly, his films are about uncovering the horrors beneath our perversions. In this case, the perversion is that voyeurism, especially apt given that 50 plus years after this was made we're now, more than ever, a nation of watchers. James Stewart, with his All-American image and "aw shucks" demeanor is perfect for the role. He easily appears to be a utilitarian everyman. Hitchcock carefully peels back his layer of normalcy but keeps him relatable for us. If someone who's already creepy plays the role, say Vincent Price, the whole thing would feel overdone. We couldn't identify as easily with a guy who's mere voice symbolizes terror. Using a perceived nice guy like Stewart illuminates the lech in all of us.
MY SCORE: 10/10

 

[dell71]

Dug back a bit in the thread, and stopped at this

I can't believe you gave this a 9.....but then I can't believe how the reviews for this movie were mostly good.....my review score was, "damn I'm glad I downloaded this shit and didn't pay to go see it!"

I hated the guy who played her boyfriend......like you said, he seem to just "be there" in the movie....woulda been better if the demon smacked his ass up a bit to wake him up lol....btw, is that the same dude who's in that mac vs PC commercial? looks like him a bit

In fairness though, I guess I'm jaded with horror flicks these days....I haven't been truly frightened by a movie since the Excorcist or Night of The Living Dead....

I thought Paranormal Activity had a chance....all I can say is BLAH about that movie...all the hype to be severly let down

Yes. He's also in Live Free or Die Hard.

 

[DJ Rhude]

Dell's Classics Presents:

Rear Window

MY SCORE: 10/10

You nailed this one......classic movie, I can still watch it to this day

My parents had an extensive movie collection when I was growing up.....this was one of the first ones they put me on to...I remember I used to balk at watching old movies when I was a kid, thought they were too old school.....but I'm glad they made me aware of flicks like these

Did you ever review Bad Lieutenant with Harvey Kietel? I love that movie too

 

[DJ Rhude]

Yes. He's also in Live Free or Die Hard.

Hahaha I knew it!!!

My wife owes me some money, I told her that was him in LFDH....she told me I was wrong and bet me $100 bucks....haha!

 

[dell71]

Hahaha I knew it!!!

My wife owes me some money, I told her that was him in LFDH....she told me I was wrong and bet me $100 bucks....haha!

If she doesn't want to take my word for it, show her this:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0519043/bio

That's his bio from his imdb entry which explicitly mentions the commercials. Then click on his name above his pic & see all the stuff he's been in. I had no idea he'd done so much.

Sorry, never saw Bad Lieutenant.

 

[DJ Rhude]

If she doesn't want to take my word for it, show her this:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0519043/bio

That's his bio from his imdb entry which explicitly mentions the commercials. Then click on his name above his pic & see all the stuff he's been in. I had no idea he'd done so much.

Sorry, never saw Bad Lieutenant.

Thanks....

If you get a chance, watch the Bad Lieutenant....Kietel was some kind of sick mutha in that....I think you'll dig the movie since you have a deep appreciation for the classics

 

[nflman2033]

The Darjeeling Limited
2007. Rated R, 91 minutes.
Director: Wes Anderson.
Starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, Amara Karan.

Plot: Three brothers try to come to grips with their father's death, their mother's apathy and each other during a train ride across India.

The Good: This is a sufficiently odd comedy that's more about quirks than wackiness. The idiosyncracies of not only our three leads themselves, but of their relationships with each other drive the movie. Later, when their mom (played by Anjelica Huston) is thrown into the mix things get even more interesting. What helps is a script that rarely looks for the easy answer or even the easy laugh. Therefore, the performers never have to overexert themeselves to sell a joke. They can play it straight and laughs come from time to time organically, the way they do for most real people, not manufactured by unrealistic hijinks and shenanigans.

The Bad: For most comedy fans, its too slow and a bit repetitive. Like I said, it doesn't really go all out with any slapstick and the repetitiveness of how they interact with one another does add realism but will make some viewers groan. This will make the plot seem like its meandering and its point will be lost. Even for people completely into it, its point might seem overblown. That's because the reason for all the anymosity between them is a bit murky. We're shown what has happened but why it should cause such a rift among brothers isn't clear.

The Ugly: Could we not find even a 30 second scene for Bill Murray? He appears very briefly on screen at the beginning and end of the movie and says nothing.

Recommendation: It's one of those movies I like but don't feel real comfortable recommending. Its got that dry style that only plays well to certain people. By the way if you rent the DVD, select the option to view the movie with Hotel Chevalier. It's technically not part of the movie but a short billed as "Part 1." Essentially, its a 13 minute prequel. Watching it adds some context to the final scene. To convince you horndogs that its worth your time I'll divulge the following: Natalie Portman (who also has a two second non-speaking cameo in the actual film) gets naked. For my personal tastes, she could definitely use a meal but I know lots of you are into that sort of thing.

The Opposite View: Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide

What the Internet Says: 7.3/10 on imdb.com (11/16/09), 67% on rottentomatoes.com, 67/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 7/10

lol, when the page loaded up all i saw was this picture, and without having seen any previews i said to myself, that must be the new Wes Anderson movie, man his shit sticks out

 

[Tailback U]

Yes. He's also in Live Free or Die Hard.

Hahaha I knew it!!!

My wife owes me some money, I told her that was him in LFDH....she told me I was wrong and bet me $100 bucks....haha!

As far as "good" major motion pictures go, he's also in Waiting, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and He's Just Not That Into You.

He plays a gay porn star (along with the guy who plays Superman in Superman Returns) in Zack and Miri and is pretty hilarious. Guys a good actor, he got into the Mac stuff a good time after he started appearing in film.

 

[Buzzman]

Justin Long is so funny, love him in Strange Wilderness

 

[dell71]

Chocolate
2008. Rated R, 110 minutes.
Director: Prachya Pinkaew.
Starring JeeJa Yanin, Hiroshi Abe, Ammara Siripong, Taphon Phopwandee.

Plot: Zen (Yanin), an autistic girl (Yanin) who becomes an expert fighter by constantly watching martial arts movies, sets out to collect money owed to her cancer-stricken mother Zin (Siripong).

The Good: It's damn fun. Let's dispense with all notions of logic and just enjoy watching this teenage girl beat up hordes of grown men. The movies of Tony Jaa are obviously her biggest influence as clips of Ong-Bak are sprinkled throughout and she uses a number of moves he's known for. Older and/or more seasoned kung fu flick viewers will also recognize a few iconic moments from Bruce Lee movies and Kill Bill, Vol. 1 (see pic above). It's an insane experience. And you haven't lived until you've seen her fight a kid who apparently has Tourette Syndrome AND incorporates breakdancing and capoeira into his fighting style.

The Bad: You cannot analyze this movie for even one second. Once you do, it instantly makes no sense whatsoever and might be construed as offensive, to boot. The script is barely coherent enough to drag you through, don't try to ruin it with common sense. Now that we've established that there's one other troubling element. Too often, the fight choreography shows its seams. From time to time you can plainly see some random bad guy run quickly up to her, only to stand there and wait to be hit. This subtracts from what otherwise are fairly spectacular sequences. Oh, and no, I've no clue why the movie is titled Chocolate.

The Ugly: Hello!!! I said one of the highlights is an autistic girl fighting a boy with Tourette Syndrome!!!

Recommendation: This is strictly for martial arts fans. For anyone else, its just too ridiculous. The term "suspension of belief" was made for this movie. That said, it still falls into the must-see category for people who love kung fu flicks both because of and in spite of its massive shortcomings. That's the very definition of 'so bad its awesome.' So yeah, I love this crap. By the way, it is a Thai movie but when you pop in the DVD the English-dubbed version comes on, so subtitleophobes can breathe easy.

The Opposite View: N/A

What the Internet Says: 7.0/10 on imdb.com (11/17/09), 77% on rottentomatoes.com, no score on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: -10/10

 

[Mogriffjr]

I'd like to hear your thoughts on precious...just saw it...really liked it.

 

[dell71]

I'd like to hear your thoughts on precious...just saw it...really liked it.

Plan on seeing real soon. Lotta buzz around it plus my wife's dying to see it.

 

[Fox1994]

You guys are talking about Jake Long, correct? He's also the lead in Accepted and a point player in Dodgeball.

Btw, to the dude who made a bet with wifey - that's your wife, it's going right back to her anyway.

My uncle bought Chocolate because he thought it was like Ong Bak. As I understand, he was massively underwelmed.

Lastly, I saw Rear Window freshman year in Film Studies. We also watched North by Northwest. Those might have been the only Alfred Hitchcock movies, but there were some other Cary Grant movies (besides Rear Window) like Philadelphia Story.

Now watch Meet Bill already. Haha.

 

[dell71]

You guys are talking about Jake Long, correct? He's also the lead in Accepted and a point player in Dodgeball.

No, Justin Long but yes, the guy from those two movies. Jake Long plays for the Miami Dolphins.

Btw, to the dude who made a bet with wifey - that's your wife, it's going right back to her anyway.

True.

My uncle bought Chocolate because he thought it was like Ong Bak. As I understand, he was massively underwelmed.

He obviously thought way too much.

Lastly, I saw Rear Window freshman year in Film Studies. We also watched North by Northwest. Those might have been the only Alfred Hitchcock movies, but there were some other Cary Grant movies (besides Rear Window) like Philadelphia Story.

Now watch Meet Bill already. Haha.

Might be a couple weeks. I admit, I put it on the back burner as other stuff grabbed my attention.

 

[DJ Rhude]

Btw, to the dude who made a bet with wifey - that's your wife, it's going right back to her anyway.

LOL....perhaps, but only 40 bucks of it....COD MW2 just accounted for 60 of it lol

 

[Maynard]

i love rear window...one of the few classics that i loved.
ever see north by northwest? another Hitchcock classic