Nasty Goes To The Movies

Nasty: Have you ever read "The Hobbit"? If you have, then you noticed how much different the movie was from the book! So many changes & why did Mr. Jackson leave out some good stuff from the book? The part with the spiders was different, Bilbo didn't sing his song to piss them off like in the book! Also, the part with Beorn was different, the barrel escape was different. Just about everything was! I liked this movie but I wish he would have stuck more to the book. That book is a masterpiece as is the LOTR trilogy. Tolkien was a genius & I wonder what he would think of these movies based on his wonderful books if he were still alive today?

Reply #141. Dec 16 13, 10:17 AM

nasty_liar

I read the book 13 years ago and I don't remember all of it too well. All my favourite bits happened in the first film (trolls, Gollum and the dwarves meeting at Bilbo's house). So I didn't remember how everything was supposed to happen exactly but after The Lord of the Rings trilogy I trust Peter Jackson to interpret the books in a satisfactory way.

My problem was with the pacing of the film. Too long, some of it too dull and the action scenes drag on (how many times do we really need to see Legolas killing Orcs). It gets boring pretty fast. I think trying to drag three movies out if this book was always going to be tough anyway. Should have been two films maximum... Maybe even one. But I guess the money has to be maximised.

Reply #142. Dec 16 13, 5:38 PM

callie_ross

Yes, I understand what you mean! Some of those scenes did drag on! That whole fight scene with the Elves & Orcs when the Dwarves were in the barrels wasn't even in the book! That female Elf wasn't even in the book! Jackson added her character. I know quite a few people are upset about all of the changes & stuff that was left out. Nothing anyone can do about it, though. :P

Reply #143. Dec 17 13, 10:13 PM

callie_ross

Just watched "The Butler" which was an excellent movie! So many great actors in this film & a personal favorite of mine, Terrence Howard. He is such a talented actor & deserves much more respect than he seems to receive. I also watched "Prisoners". Excellent, suspenseful film, except I wasn't crazy over the ending! I highly recommend these 2 films!

Reply #144. Jan 18 14, 12:42 PM

nasty_liar

No, I haven't disappeared just been busy trying to get the house tidied and decorated. So here is my first trip to the cinema in 2 months!

Nebraska (2013)

An aging, booze-addled father makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim a million-dollar Mega Sweepstakes Marketing prize.

Bruce Dern
Will Forte

What a charming film this is. I wanted to see it when I first saw it advertised last year but managed to catch it today as the local cinema always does showings of the Oscar candidates in the weeks before the awards.

Dern is spellbinding as the elderly man who thinks he's won a million. Understated and beautifully shot, this film draws you into the world of these characters and keeps your attention for the duration. Great performances all round, this one is a delight.

Reply #145. Feb 23 14, 6:26 PM

nasty_liar

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is himself diagnosed with the disease.

Starring
Matthew mcconaughey

This is one of those films that doesn't seem to know what it's trying to be. It has a great performance, it has a snappy script, it has interesting content that provokes thought, it is well put together... But somehow it doesn't really capture my imagination.

McConaughey is unrecognisable as Woodroof in an excellent performance. I really enjoyed watching him and the running time flew by. There were no real surprises though, no emotional connection with the characters. Worst of all I mustered little empathy for the main characters and that really surprised me a lot as I thought I would. This is why I say I'm not sure what the film was aiming for.

Regardless of all that it is a pretty good movie that I will probably watch again and would recommend.

Reply #146. Feb 26 14, 5:27 PM

nasty_liar

Last week I watched the following too on TV:

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her teenage son, John, from a more advanced cyborg, made out of liquid metal.

Stars
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Robert Patrick
Linda Hamilton

Director
James Cameron

This is nearly 20 years old and still looks like a modern film. The effects are some of the best ever produced, phenomenal. The part where the T-1000 pours himself through the screen of the helicopter is amazing because your can see the reflection if the pilot in the liquid metal as he forms up into human shape. The chase scenes, gunfight scenes with police, with T-1000. All so memorable.

Of course, a bunch of action sequences doesn't cut it. The back story created by the first instalment is worked on and added to here to create a superb backdrop to the events. As usual the time travel aspect gets a bit fuzzy but I'll forgive it as the film is so good. The way the young John Connor interacts, learns from and teaches the Terminator flows right through this film culminating in a great ending.

This film goes to show that with a strong script, great pacing, action, music and effects you don't have to have incredible performances from the lead. Annie does what is needed if him and Edward Furlong really sells it in a super turn (hats of to Linda Hamilton too).

This is the pinnacle of action movies, the best. Hats of James Cameron.

Reply #147. Feb 26 14, 5:46 PM

nasty_liar

12 Years A Slave (2013)

In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.

Starring
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Michael Fassbender
Also featuring Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch

Very good film . Manages to convey the helplessness of the main character as someone that cannot do anything about his circumstance. Ejiofor is excellent and puts across his plight beautifully. There are numerous uncomfortable scenes depicting the abuse of slaves and Fassbender is stunning in his role as the unhinged slave owner.

This film looks great too, from sets to locations to costumes and make up. The one disappointment was Han Zimmer's score. The usually reliable Zimmer's managed to produce something that at times just did not suit the scene... But then I suppose that's bad use of the music by the director. Even so, disappointing.

I enjoyed this movie, one of the best in the last 12 months but I doubt it will go down as a classic somehow.

Reply #148. Feb 28 14, 6:04 PM

nasty_liar

Escape From Alcatraz (1979)

A dramatization of the one possibly successful escape from the notorious prison.

Starring
Clint Eastwood

Had never seen this before until last night, what a great film I've been missing!

We see life at Alcatraz, effectively done. We follow Eastwood's character as he experiences the day to day events of the prison. The film gradually builds up to the expected climax. The tension is skilfully worked up so that by the time the convicts make their escape attempt I was on the edge of my seat. An edgy score only adds to the impressively created atmosphere of the film and perfectly compliments Eastwood's usual understated and quietly simmering performance.

Great film

Reply #149. Mar 21 14, 3:35 PM

Blackdresss

Nasty! Come back and go to more movies!

I had no idea Bruce Dern's character came from Montana on his way to Nebraska to pick up his "lottery win." Where in Montana, do you recall? One of my all-time favorite real-world games is "Six Degrees To Everyone You Know In Montana." Sometimes, it only takes one "connection" and the rest just falls into place. Montana is really just a small town, and everyone is either related, or knows almost everyone else.

I'll get caught up in here as soon as I can so I can comment on the movies you've seen, and maybe recommend more.

Reply #150. May 01 14, 12:10 AM

nasty_liar

Hi blackdress and all,

I haven't been to the movies in a couple of months and am unlikely to resume that particular activity any time soon due to the birth of my daughter ten days since!

I have seen a couple on TV though and will try to talk about those. In the later days of my wife's pregnancy we spent hours watching DVDs and in fact I have shown her my Star Trek film collection for the first time (it's only taken nearly 12 years to convince her to watch them). So I could do a Star Trek movie review series too.

Reply #151. May 11 14, 2:41 PM

nasty_liar

Calendar Girls (2003)

A Women's Institute chapter's fundraising effort for a local hospital by posing nude for a calendar becomes a media sensation.

Starring
Helen Mirren
Julie Walters

I saw this ten years ago and enjoyed it, then a couple of months ago I came across it on TV and thought I'd revisit it. Strangely it was not as funny as I remembered it being first time around but it was more profound and touching than I remembered it being.

This is a lovely film and nice to see Helen Mirren in a British film before The Queen launched her into Hollywood. It made me tear up (Again) and it made me think about things. It's also entertaining.

Reply #152. May 29 14, 4:44 PM

Anton

Have you seen Days Of Future Past yet?

Reply #153. May 29 14, 5:10 PM

nasty_liar

Not yet! My movie watching experience is going to be restricted to TV fir a while.

Is it any good?

Reply #154. May 30 14, 2:30 AM

Anton

I think it, by far, the best X-Men movie. I know that doesn't really say much since only X2 was good and the original and First Class were decent. No surprise they all had Singer involved.

Would I put DOFP up there with The Dark Knight and Avengers? Yes.

Reply #155. May 30 14, 6:13 AM

nasty_liar

I'd better make sure i see it then!

Reply #156. May 30 14, 9:38 AM

nasty_liar

Pride (2014)

U.K. gay activists work to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984.

Starring
Bill Nighy
Imelda Staunton

Seeing this British film marks the first time I've made it to the pictures in five and a half months, predictably looking after a baby takes most of my time.

I would say that this film is over political but just about gets away with it by managing to flesh out the characters so well so that you spend more time thinking about their plights and feeling sympathy for them as people. This is crucial as this film ploughs on with it's unapologetically political tone.

The dialogue is super, very little is wasted here. Everything adds to the characterisation or plot beautifully. Expect awesome 80's sounds blaring out at you at regular intervals as this film feels so delightfully period. Great performances by the lesser known actors too.

I enjoyed this, glad I picked this instead of the Equaliser now.

I have a copy of the Lego movie next to my DVD player, hoping to get a couple of hours to watch it sometime soon.

Reply #157. Oct 15 14, 1:28 PM

nasty_liar

Lego Movie (2014)

An ordinary Lego construction worker, thought to be the prophesied 'Special', is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the Lego universe into eternal stasis.

Really good fun, nicely done. I had loads of Lego as a kid and I loved seeing various bits and pieces that reminded me of it all!

Simplicity is order of the day in a movie like this in terms of plot and it gives it a strong base to work from. Many films for adult audiences could learn a lot. Protagonist battling against adversity in order to rise above their station to win the day. Simple. Everything else is icing on the cake to present a beautifully done spectacle.

Decent movie.

Reply #158. Oct 31 14, 3:47 PM

nasty_liar

Interstellar (2014)

A group of explorers make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.

Starring
Matthew mcconaughey
Anne Hathaway
Michael Caine

Directed by Christopher Nolan

This is brilliant. Nolan gives all modern directors a demonstration of how to construct a masterpiece that combines the spectacular with the beautiful whilst exploring human emotions and using a plot that makes sense despite glossing over a few holes (black holes?).

This movie has crests and troughs. Slow and thoughtful interspersed with action. Moments of despair and moment of elation. Mcconaughey is commanding in another super role for him (see Dallas buyers club) and all the others in support are good.

I thought that this is somewhat of a throwback to older movies in style even down to Zimmer's score that is something of a departure from his usual.

Now I know that if I went and read a load of comments in a review site then there might be all sorts of moaning about the science in this film. I say forget that, this film can enable you to suspend any disbelief and appreciate the science fiction.

Reply #159. Nov 08 14, 9:01 AM

nasty_liar

Fury (2014)

April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy commands a Sherman tank and his five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Out-numbered, out-gunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.

Starring
Brad Pitt
Shia labeouf
Michael Pena

Hmm. I'm torn with this film. You can find films that describe the grittiness of war elsewhere and done better too. You can find better examples of commentaries on the scale of war, it's effect on men (or women) and the morality involved. This is not worth watching if you want to think about all of that.

It is however an up close and personal look at life in a tank crew. Shot in
That same tight and closed in way that 'End of Watch' did by the same director David Ayer. There are nice performances from the big names but Logan Lerman shines as the rookie.

I'm not sure whether the director was going for realistic, but the film slowly descends into Hollywood battle scenes by the showdown at the films climax. That was particularly disappointing.

Reasonable movie, but sadly gets a bit mixed up with what it is trying to portray.

Reply #160. Nov 15 14, 10:56 AM

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