Article ITT I attempt to review every movie I've seen.

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Title: Jarhead
Year: 2005
Country of Origin: US
Director: Sam Mendes

Story: This is a tale of a Marine sniper, who is trained to be a lean mean killing machine for a war that is more about boredom than action.

Review: Jarhead was one of those movies that the advertising executives had no idea how to sell. They filled the trailer with action and explosion, billing it as another war film about bravado and killing the enemy. Jarhead is the exact opposite of this and is a better film for it.

This film takes place during the First Gulf War, a war which involved several months of US troops camping out in Saudi Arabia and a couple of weeks of actual war. Most of the war involved the US Air Force obliterating Iraqi force with very little fighting done by ground troops. Our protagonist is one of those troops who missed out on the fighting and the frustration that he and his comrades feel during the whole campaign. This is an amazing take on the Gulf War and tells the stark reality of what it was like in the Gulf War. There were no guts or glory, just troops who wandered around Kuwait occasionally stumbling across Iraqi casualties who were killed in an air strike.

Outside of the story and setting, the film is well shot with some amazing cinematography, there is just something awe inspiring about burning oil fields. The acting is done well enough, Gyllenhaal does a great job as the protagonist. Overall this is a pretty good film, that probably not for everyone. The action, by nature is limited, and the film moves at a pretty slow pace. If you get a chance, you should at least give it a watch.

[8/10]
 
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Title: The X-Files: I Want to Believe
Year: 2008
Country of Origin: Canada/US
Director: Chris Carter

Story: I really wish I could Believe.

Review: This is a perfect example of how not to reboot a franchise. This film was suppose to follow the 9th, and final season, of the X-Files. But the project was caught up in development hell for six years before the film entered production. I'm going to guess that it was these six years that ruined the film. Because when it was released it was a day late and a dollar shot of what it should have been.

For those who don't know the X-Files, the show has two different types of episodes; "Monster of the Week" and "Mythology" episodes. The Mythology episodes build on the overall back story of the show, while the former tends to have nothing to do with the back story or at the most very little. This movie should have been a Mythology story, but we got a Monster of the Week instead...yeah, I don't know if I'm making sense.

So instead of a film that could have breathed new life into the franchise, we got a mediocre horror movie instead. A film that if it weren't under the X-Files brand would have gone unnoticed. The acting, outside of the still likable David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, is pretty poor. The direction is dull and the cinematography is just alright at best given the beautiful landscape where the film was shot. Overall the film is a disappointment and was probably enough to kill off the Franchise indefinitely.

[4/10]
 
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Title: The A-Team
Year: 2010
Country of Origin: US
Director: Joe Carnahan

Story: More like B-Team, oh snap!

Review: Honestly, this isn't a bad movie. It's not a great movie, but it's not that bad. Sure, it could have been better and the plot is a little on the convoluted and clich? side, but it's still a fun film. The plot revolved around the rag-tag group of soldiers who, for some reason or another, are on the wrong side of the law. They are left to clear their name in the face of a large conspiracy to do something or another. There was a lot of buzz for this movie from the ridicules action in the film's trailers and yes the action is about as crazy as the trailer portrays. Unfortunately the action is borderline cartoonish in it's execution and the amount you need to suspend your disbelief is at time to much. The acting is alright, about what you'd expect from this kind of summer film. The direction is on par too with this type of film. Overall, it's the kind of film that is perfect for those time when your coming home from a night of drinking and can't get to sleep and need something to watch.

[6/10]
 
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This list lacks Stargate. Granted, the TV series was what I enjoyed more, but it was all originally based on a movie.
 
Lukeirish said:
Have you done "Oh brother where art thou?"
Click to expand...

Yep, a list of reviews and the pages they are located on are in the first post. O' Brother were Art Thou is on page 127.


Ranthus said:
This list lacks Stargate. Granted, the TV series was what I enjoyed more, but it was all originally based on a movie.
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I think I've tried to watch that movie two or three times. Each time I had to turn it off...the film is just to boring.
 
Well, Dating a new chick who digs movies :D

So I really don't see to many chick/ love story type movies too much but for her I picked out one from my favorite director... Chan Wook Park

I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK was probable one of the few if only chick/love story type of movie I ever liked.
Worth cheeking out if you have not seen it.
 
ChocolateVillain said:
Well, Dating a new chick who digs movies :D

So I really don't see to many chick/ love story type movies too much but for her I picked out one from my favorite director... Chan Wook Park

I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK was probable one of the few if only chick/love story type of movie I ever liked.
Worth cheeking out if you have not seen it.
Click to expand...

I've seen the first 15 min or so of that, I haven't picked it back up yet.

Also grats on having a movie loving girlfriend.
 
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Title: 50/50
Year: 2011
Country of Origin: US
Director: Jonathan Levine

Story: It's a film about a guy who get a cancer. Yeah. Oh, and it's sort of a comedy.

Review: I smoke like a chimney, so I'm nearly 100% certain that at some point in my life I will be diagnosed with cancer. Well that or medical science cures cancer. So, for me at least, this film puts my carcinogenic hobby into perspective. Well so did Breaking Bad, but whatever.

Anyway, this is a film about a guy who gets cancer and how it effects him and those in his life. The film is pretty well written and has a razor sharp sense of humor to go along with the personal drama. The direction is competent enough for this type of film, it doesn't try to hard and is on the mark most of the time. Acting wise, everyone does a pretty good job. There really aren't any stand outs in the cast, since everyone is great, though Joseph Gordon-Levitt pulls off a believable role. Seth Rogen does a pretty good job at playing Seth Rogen, a role he has gotten pretty good at over the years. Comically enough, the screenwriter, whose life this story is partially based on, is also best friends with Seth Rogen. So technically Rogen is really playing himself in the film.

Overall this is a great, low key, dramedy. Perfect date film or not date film...ehh...it's worth watching.

[8.5/10]
 
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Title: Altered States
Year: 1980
Country of Origin: US
Director: Ken Russell

Story: It's like 2001: A Space Odyssey, but with psychoactive drugs instead of space travel.

Review: This one is a weird one. Essentially, the plot follows a Harvard Professor who begins to experiment with psychoactive drugs in an attempt to reconnect with his innate primal being. Things start to spiral out of control in the weirdest possible way.

The film is a cult classic, and deservedly so. The plot is well told and some scenes in this film are amazing in their insanity. Unfortunately the film is a little dated and can come off as a little campy at times. The acting is alright; William Hurt isn't my favorite actor, but he does a decent enough job in his role. It's a film that isn't for everyone, but if you're feeling adventurous give this one a shot...it's worth it.

[8.5/10]
 
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Title: There Will Be Blood
Year: 2007
Country of Origin: US
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Story: There's a whole ocean of oil under our feet! No one can get at it except for me!

Review: So I had a much larger review written for this film, but it turns out that I am a terrible writer and I have decided to deleted the entirety of the original review. In its place allow me to say; There Will be Blood is a fantastic film and you should see it at least once in your life. You might not like it as much as I do, but this is one of those films that just demands to be seen.

[10/10]
 
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Sexy Beast said:
I think I've tried to watch that movie two or three times. Each time I had to turn it off...the film is just to boring.
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It is rather slow, isn't it?
That would be one reason why I enjoyed the TV series more.

Although, I didn't feel bored watching it. Probably due to my odd fascination with the actual universes created by fiction.
 
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Title: The Human Centipede (First Sequence)
Year: 2010
Country of Origin: Netherlands
Director: Tom Six

Story: You know what it's about. I know you know. But if you don't. It's the tale of a world class surgion who specialized in separating conjoined twins...and now he is more interested in doing the opposite.

Review: This just might be one of the most retareded films I've ever seen. But it's that sepcial kind of retarded, the kind that if it were to compete in the special olympics it would win all the gold medals and we'd all be cheering for him.

I'm pretty sure the above analogy is a little offensive, but when dealing with a film like this one it's hard to care who gets offended. So lets get down to the nitty gritty, The Human Centepede is a shocker horror film. The type of horror movie that designed to shock and offend and for the most part the film suceeds. Interestingly enough though, the film isn't overtly gory. Sure there is a scene or tow that's pretty gory, but over all it's pretty tame when it comes to it's gore. What's also pretty suprising, is just how funny this winds up being. Now I don't know whether or not it's intentional, but there are a few scenes that are just brilliantly funny.

The camera work is decent enough for this type of film. As goes the cinematography. The pacing is a little off at the start of the film where there is just a massive lull that seems to go on forever, but once the film gets past it there really isn't any problem. The acting is pretty mediocre except for Dieter Laser, who plays the mad doctor. Laser manages to pull off one of the best villians in recent memory, it is almost as if the man was born for the roll. Seriously, Laser's roll alone is enough to recommend this one. There is another actor that is pretty awesome as well, but it would ruin the movie if I explained who it was and what he did.

Truth be told, this isn't a very good movie. There is a lot wrong with this production, but the film's concept and execuation is almost enough to forgive its shortcommings. So if you want to see a horror movie that is not particularaly scary, but dispite that is still a crazy film...then this one is kind of worth a shot.

[6/10]
 
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Title: The Thing
Year: 1982
Country of Origin: US
Director: John Carpenter

Story: A team of researchers in Antartica find themselves under seige from an alien life form that can take any form.

Review: The Thing is pretty much the most famous gross out horror film. This is thanks to some of the most brilliant make up effects and special effects that the 80s had to offer. Seriously, this movie proves that actual effects are always better than CGI.

Anyway, lets not beat around the bush. The Thing is a horror classic. Whatever issues the film has in either the acting or film making department are irrelevant because of the films cultural merrit. Though this is not to say that the film has many problems. If you haven't seen this one yet and you like horror films...then you probably should see it as soon as you can. It's as simple as that.

[8/10]
 
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