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DVD News
Harry's DVD Picks & Peeks - 1st wk of Feb 2011: Disney, LET ME IN, NEVER LET ME GO, MONSTERS and a ton of others!
Hey folks, Harry here… still in Rehab, maybe for another 2 weeks. Beginning to go a little stir crazy. The noise, interuptions, lack of sleep, substandard film watching ability… On the good side, the work is great. They're kicking my ass – and I've come very far, very quickly, but I've still so much further to go. I miss home though. Yoko, the dog, my desk… Can't wait to do the out-patient/Gym/AICN thing. There just seems like so much wasted time. I want to be busier, work harder… but I'm impatient. But hey… I had enough time to get through the column for all you good folks – so here it is. As usual, the images and links will take you to Amazon where you can purchase the item in question, or learn more about it. A small portion of that price goes to help keep this column coming. As you can imagine, it really does help – that's why I'm taking the time to do it in here. That… and it keeps me sane. Love all ya! Here ya go…
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
When I got my portable Blu Ray player in Rehab, my first BluRay I put in was ALICE IN WONDERLAND… I love this film. It is my favorite version of the tale. It's so vibrant and the colors and characters so perfectly designed and whimsical. As Disney does on all their classic animated films, the extras are great. It's wonderful to see Kathryn Beaumont, the voice of Alice and the visual model for her, talking about the film. This was exactly the kind of joy one needs in my situation to keep myself young, amongst the very old. Highest possible recommendation!!!
o Through the Keyhole: A Companion's Guide to Wonderland - View the movie in this special mode and discover references to the original Lewis Carroll classic - introduced by the voice of Alice, Kathryn Beaumont.
o Disney View - Watch the movie in this expanded viewing experience with new Disney art in the wings of the screen o Painting the Roses Red game - Help paint the roses red in the Queen's garden. Careful, or someone could lose their head
o Walt Disney color TV introduction (1959) - A never-before-seen color TV intro by Walt
o Reference Footage: Alice and the Doorknob - Kathryn Beaumont provides an introduction to this newly discovered reference footage of Alice talking to the doorknob
o Pencil Test: Alice Shrinks - Kathryn Beaumont introduces a newly discovered pencil test of Alice shrinking
• PLUS, Classic DVD Features:
o Reflections on Alice o Operation Wonderland (now in hi-def)
o "I'm Odd" newly discovered Cheshire Cat song and intro
o Thru the Mirror Mickey Mouse animated short (now in hi-def)
o One-hour in Wonderland
o An Alice Comedy: Alice's Wonderland
o Original theatrical trailers (1951 & 1974)
When I first saw the film, I called it E.T. with Teeth, and I stand by it. This is a very different film from LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. In some ways, it is more disturbing, more visceral – and more… friendly. Chloe Moretz has so much pure charm – that what lies beneath is all the more horrifying. Kodi Smit-McPhee plays the shy, odd boy perfectly. He's not a bad boy, just one that bullies target and that has trouble fitting in. His mother is an alcoholic going through a divorce and his whole world is upside down. It isn't as deliberately paced as Let THE RIGHT ONE IN, but frankly… I see this as a great missing 80's kids film. Yes, the horror is intense, but the kid that befriends the kid vampire is essentially safe. It is all realistically handled and I love the film. Love it.
It is a complete failure of the Academy Awards and their voting body, that NEVER LET ME GO was completely shut out of the Best Picture Top Ten. The performances, the emotion, the power of the story is so strong, so amazing, that this joins a long list of embarrassments for the Academy… that seems to need Box Office and forceful overpriced campaigns to even recognize a title. Mark Romanek's NEVER LET ME GO is life affirming, powerfully viscerally honest. Being in Rehab and thinking about this film. Thinking about some of the scenes – and knowing some of these people around me… this is just a chance at some dignity before they fall completely into shadow… it's this film that I think of, that reminds me how precious every moment we're given on this planet is. Just 2 weeks ago, I thought I would die in the midst of a complicated 5 ½ hour through the chest operation – and I felt at piece. I had some regrets, "I want more life, fucker" did cross my mind… but mostly I just felt good about my life. Felt strong about what it was I was doing and had done. Mainly I was concerned for my family and wife. But I felt it wasn't over – and luckily the whole thing became a miracle. Films like this are important films. So much more than a good 6 of the other Best Picture nominees. This film was never pushed at you strongly, other than by a few writers here and there – now that it is coming home, do not pass
The Giant Monster movie that Terrence Malick would've made. Low budget to an extreme… and now he's directing a giant GODZILLA movie and the mind boggles. Easily the most unique giant monster movie I've ever seen. And that is an exceptionally awesome thing.
One of the most awesomely bitchy comedies ever made – it owns a ton of Oscar gold – and is one of the greatest performances in Bette Davis' amazing career. This Blu Ray is filled with extras – which any fan of the film will love. In particular, I love the Vintage features on there. They make me smile! Here ya go:
Commentary by Actor Celeste Holm, Mankiewicz Biographer Ken Geist and Christopher Mankiewicz
Commentary by Author Sam Staggs
Joseph L. Mankiewicz: A Personal Journey
The Real Eve The Secret of Sarah Siddons
AMC Backstory®: All About Eve
Vintage Bette Davis Promotion
Vintage Anne Baxter Promotion
Fox Movietone News
Restoration Comparison
Theatrical Trailer
Almost immediately banned from theaters for reasons beyond my wildest notion. HATCHET II is not pornographic, it is bloody as hell, but never in a serious manner. The gore is never particularly realistic – and in no way the sort of thing that could possibly be emulated by any impressionable mentally disabled swampbilly vengeful ghost spirits that may watch the film. This is haunted house horror, but in a swamp – and it is blissfully silly – and relentlessly fun. The humorless fucks that gave it an NC-17… and then the prickish theater owners that pulled it from their theaters are… I don't even know. It just all seemed utterly absurd. NOW – nobody can get between you and your Victor Crowley. You get commentaries from the behind the camera crew as well as one with Green and Tony Todd and Kane Hodder. There's also a behind the scenes feature. If you love practical gore – you'll have a blast with this – and besides – you must see the most ridiculous chainsaw in film history.
A great film. Absolutely great. A film about the illusion of perfection, and how that is just an illusion after all. How the ideals of the past are exactly that – the ideals of the past. That wishing for them, and trying to roll back to them, well, it is impossible. Personally, I love the film. The movie is a perfect visual effects premise – and it is stunning. The contrast between Black & White and the stunning Color – and the photography, costumes design – and just the way it all works is just… amazing. The film is naughty, innocent and an absolute delight. It is my favorite work of Gary Ross'. It is a film that I want everyone to know as well as I know it. It is hard to believe this was 13 years ago – the film plays timelessly…
I'm a sucker for the Nora Ephron Romantic Comedies… especially if they have Meg Ryan in them. I don't know what it is about her. Maybe it is the way her eyes sparkle, or the way her cheeks get big with that silly wistful smile of hers. She just seems like she'd be a helluva nice woman to know. To spend time with . And Tom Hanks, he's that kinda guy. I've met – and gotten to spend a bit time with him, and he's as awesome a fella as he always seems – so instantly, I want these two to be together. Their chemistry just works. Never mind how much I loathe the actual "cinematic portrayal of EMAIL" which drives me insane. Or how much I prefer Ernst Lubitsch's original THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER. But this is a sweet enough film, and it happens to be one of the movies that Yoko loves. Actually, I've known a lot of ladies that love YOU'VE GOT MAIL – and I am on record as having enjoyed this from the date of release forward.
AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (Blu Ray)
Now here's a remake that I vastly prefer to the original, and that's just because… well nobody is quite as awesome as Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. I love this film. This is one of those movies I saw as a kid and it helped define romanticism to me. It inspired a romantic series of dates that I had once in the late 90's – where I met a girl in a video store, and neither of us had pens to write our numbers down, so we made a date at a location, and if we both meant it, we'd be there. We were there. She was a wonderful girl. We then made the next date, I was having to do some traveling for the site, but it was going to be two weeks - again, we both showed. Then she had to go to visit her grandparents up North in St Louis… I knew that DOCTOR ZHIVAGO was playing at the Paramount Theater in Austin, and I told her that I would attend all 3 showings of it, 3 days in a row – and if she came, we'd exchange numbers and continue. She didn't show – and I never found out what happened to her. It also killed just a hair of my romanticism. And from that point forward – I always secured the phone numbers. But that was all because of this wonderful silly movie, and those few dates we had were incredibly passion filled, no nets… no excuses… and when we hooked up, it was great. I know this has little to do with AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, but my attitude was totally because of this film, and most definitely not the Boyer or Beatty versions. But any movie that inspires romance is a wonderful film. This BluRay is loaded with extras, as it deserves:
Commentary by Singer Marnie Nixon and Film Historian Joseph McBride
Affairs to Remember: Deborah Kerr
Affairs to Remember: Cary Grant
A Producer to Remember: Jerry Wald
The Look of An Affair to Remember
AMC Backstory®: An Affair to Remember
Fox Movietone News: An Affair to Remember Shipboard Premiere Attracts Celebrities
Ok – here's an early fifties film noir starring a pair of my fave underappreciated actors… Van Heflin and Evelyn Keyes. But what makes this movie great, is the words and the story behind it and that was crafted by the future Blacklisted brilliant writer Dalton Trumbo. I saw this on 16mm years and years ago – it's a legitimate GREAT film – just greatly unknown by most. This is one of those black & white movies that's so great, that you will find yourself completely enthralled by every scene of the film. It is positively claustrophobic & tense. If you're a film noir junkie – and every good film geek should explore the genre deeply, this is one that in all likelihood, well… it's avoided your gaze till now. It's the first time on Home Video. And they've done a really great job on this DVD.
Documentary featurette "The Cost of Living: Creating The Prowler," with James Ellroy, Christopher Trumbo, Denise Hamilton and Alan K. Rode,
"Masterpiece in the Margins": Bertrand Tavernier on The Prowler,
On the Prowl: Restoring The Prowler.
The Film Noir Foundation and UCLA Film & Television Archive Partnership,
Photo Gallery,
Audio Commentary by Film Noir Expert Eddie Muller,
Original Theatrical Trailer
You know – I look at a film like HALL PASS, and then I think about "10" – I mean, in the real world – do people really get Free Pass to go have affairs – or is it, dangerous like in "10". Blake Edwards' film created a terminology for babes… and Bo Derek for a time in the Seventies defined a Perfect 10. Once you've seen this film, Bolero – becomes 20 times more sensual than you've ever known before – and the thing that's great about Dudley Moore is he's kind of the "every" man kind of guy. He's not a crazy handsome stud, but he's just a lucky schmuck. For him to go after Bo – it could ruin his life, but when the opportunity arises… how could he possibly pass it up… but there's always something going wrong, usually caused by his own nerves. The film is funny, seriously sexy & erotic… and it really makes you wish you were Dudley Moore. And yeah, BluRay? It was made to capture the laidback fuckability of Bo Derek… although 70mm 3D would be even better, but that shit will never exist.
TCM Greatest Classic Film Collection: Legends – Errol Flynn ( THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD / CAPTAIN BLOOD / THE SEA HAWK / ADVENTURES OF DON JUAN )
For $18, you get 4 of the absolute best swashbuckling romantic adventure films of all time. ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD is tied with KING KONG as my personal favorite film of all time. In fact today, where I've felt a little on the flat side here in this hospital, I asked Yoko to bring me my BluRay of THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD – because it reboots me. The film is a life philosophy bottled into a children's fairy tale. The score makes me soar, the action is thrilling, the costume design is perfection, the costumes are not the drab period ware of the day, but the dream of what it was, the classic Hollywood cinematic wow that the period was best known for. Reality and historical accuracy are overrated when dealing with fantasy – and Robin Hood is Childhood Fantasy at its best. The other three films are all wonderful. CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE SEA HAWK are still the best two pirate movies ever made, followed closely by BLACK SWAN (not the new one, silly wabbit) – and THE ADVENTURES OF DON JUAN – it shows Flynn as an older man, who can still swash and unbuckle. Flynn is just a man that defined action & romance. Nobody has ever done it better – and this is a great, cheap way to really get hooked and spoiled by Flynn!
History has distorted what the BLACK PANTHER movement was about in a very core way. Back in the 1960's – my father attended a screening of KING KONG (1933) that Huey Newton and the Black Panthers sponsored as a metaphor for the Black Slave experience. But more so, it was originally about protecting Black neighborhoods from a period of extreme racism and prejudice that was very real in that time within the law enforcement community. It's all nice to look back at it today and call it "terrorism" all you want, but until you really realize just how fucked up things were during that period of social change, and seeing that happen to the people you love and live with – I'm not really sure how anyone can blame them. This is a great film that is set within the Black Panther world in 1976. Anthony Mackie is incredible in the lead role. The story will grip you and challenge the way you think of that place and time. Rightfully so. The world has changed, but we're still so far from perfect. Really great film that deserves to be seen.
There's a romance to Rum Running… and in this particularly bizarre musical, comedy, sex & violence flick from STANLEY DONEN that happens to star Gene Hackman… Liza Minnelli… and BURT FUCKING REYNOLDS! Well… who is better than Burt Reynolds at moving alcohol where it doesn't belong? Maybe Robert Mitchum, but nobody does it with half the style of Burt. Now this is a Prohibition era tale – and the film is very much – one of those – bizarre awesome mix-genre jewels that lots of people dismissed out right because they didn't know whether to laugh or be in shock. God forbid a movie surprise you and allow you to discover a myriad of weird and awesome scenes. LUCKY LADY is one of those 70's oddballs that was actually just crazy ahead of its time. Donen wanted to throw in sex and the violence of the era, while still preserving the awesome fun of the era.
Everybody saw Sean Penn in FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH – but those lucky and adventurous filmmakers of the early 80's also saw that stoner turn into an incredibly awesome actor – that you would absolutely take seriously… in this, BAD BOYS. Don't expect any Bay-isms. Instead, be prepared… actually, you probably won't be prepared, this is raw genius Sean Penn firing on all cylinders. He's AMAZING in this film. If you feel like watching the birth of a really great actor – watch BAD BOYS and discover an amazng Penn performance – in this prison flick that also has the great Clancy Brown!
This is fucking awesome. Right off the bat, I'm not a big fan of Charles Grodin. He destroyed the KING KONG remake for me… Though I did like him opposite Muppets. But this – this is my favorite Charles Grodin film… hands down. This is a story about stealing $12 Billion Dollars in Uncut Diamonds. The cast is, kind of amazing. You have Trevor Howard as this arrogant fucking prick of a rich man, John Gielgud as a real prick in charge of this giant diamond holding fortress, that nobody knows about. Then there's James Mason… who just flat out rules. Then you have Charles Grodin as this diamond smuggler, who is hired by Trevor Howard to steal $12 Billion in Diamonds. Oh – and Grodin's girlfriend, who is rich and crazy damn awesome is Candice Bergen. That the plan requires the use of a cockroach is AMAZING – and thus requires everyone to see how you steal $12 Billion dollars in Diamonds – cuz… seriously, that's useful information. Now, it is on NetFlix instant, but ya know… Give it a look – personally, I am real glad I own it, because well, after it drops from the Instant world… how else will ya see it?
Heh. Trust me. Heh.
It's a bunch of the best Belushi moments on SNL. I've watched it all about twice here. Belushi was my hero as a kid, I was always pudgy and I loved how John moved. He was a large man that could move gracefully, he could seemingly do anything – and he was effortlessly hilarious. Pulling laughs from the ether. I once spent a weekend in the room he died in off of Sunset. It was one of the creepiest weekends of my life. The pipes made noise – and I didn't request the room, but when I was taken to my room, the man told me, "This was the place Belushi died." - Way to fuck with my head. Here though, you just see the early genius of Belushi. My fave was his pre-Blues Brothers – Blues Mozart – which just owned. That, and his Brando / GODFATHER. Just wow. So many more. So good.
Next week, I'll be back with the two I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE blu rays, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2, UNCLE BUCK on Blu, LEGENDS OF THE FALL Blu, THELMA & LOUISE Blu, ONG BAK 3, AMARCORD Criterion Blu, MY SOUL TO TAKE, SPACE JAM, STILL WALKING Criterion Blu, TAMARA DREWE, MIDDLE MEN, THE RIVER WILD, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, PRINCESS & THE FROG Blu, ENCHANTED Blu, BRINGING UP BABY, FIVE CORNERS Blu, WUSA, THE SINISTER EYES OF DR. ORLOFF and much more…
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Jan. 31, 2011, 9:30 p.m. CST
Not much out this week...
by LimemonkeyX3
Jan. 31, 2011, 9:31 p.m. CST
by LimemonkeyX3
Love The Shining animation at the top.
Jan. 31, 2011, 9:31 p.m. CST
i'm netflixing the fuck out of monsters
by stu_pickles
Jan. 31, 2011, 9:38 p.m. CST
Hatchet 2?
by Laguna_Nigel
This makes me so happy to get my dose of victor crawley. I never seen the film early or in theaters due to it being pulled. But This horror franchise is fun and I always have a blast watching adam greens work! Pleasant ville I remember seeing in the theaters and was fucking blown away! I was really affected by it.
Jan. 31, 2011, 9:41 p.m. CST
Hate Pleasantville's message
by frankenberry
As much as I want to like Pleasantville, I disagree with its message. The characters in the town had perfect lives. Plus, they were happy because perfect lives were the only options. Why give that up? Because some kids said they were boring? Yeah, I know the characters found freedom to make mistakes or whatever. But look at all the pain it caused.
Jan. 31, 2011, 9:51 p.m. CST
nice to see two very good movies given blu release...
by ufoclub1977
"10" and "Bad Boys" the cool one, not the 90's one.
Jan. 31, 2011, 10 p.m. CST
Are we forgetting "Almost Famous"?
by Drewsker
or are we avoiding a review of a Best Buy "exclusive? I know you need the Amazon link to score a little cash but, cmon...
Jan. 31, 2011, 10:04 p.m. CST
I had to kill the review column for making a mistake...
by Dick Jones
...in not reviewing VHS releases. Blu ray, DVD....where's muh VHS?
Jan. 31, 2011, 10:21 p.m. CST
You don't like Charles Grodin...
by Phloton
...because of King Kong? Dino killed Kong. Grodin is great, especially in 70's comedies like Heaven Can Wait.
Jan. 31, 2011, 10:42 p.m. CST
Two purchases for me
by Box_Bruceleitner
Will definitely be picking up Let Me In and Never Let Me Go. LMI was even one of my favorite movies of last year, I preferred it to the original which can be blasphemous around these parts but whatever, it's a great movie.
Jan. 31, 2011, 10:46 p.m. CST
I got my copy of Almost Famous
by Rob0729
$15 at Best Buy. Still one of my favorite movies of the last decade. Harry might not have reviewed it, but it was my #1 priority to own this week.
Jan. 31, 2011, 10:51 p.m. CST
Sean Penn's Bad Boys
by theycallmemrtibbs
Scared the shit out of me when I was a kid. <p> This movie made me not ever do anything stupid that would've put me in St Charles Juvenile facility (Where most of the movie was filmed). <p> Fearing that Clancy Brown would have been lurking in the cafeteria waiting to plant a booger on my peas!
Jan. 31, 2011, 10:53 p.m. CST
Never Let Me In Go
by Nasty In The Pasty
Jan. 31, 2011, 10:58 p.m. CST
Reese Witherspoon in Pleasantville...
by yourSTEPDADDY
"a hoe... fo sho"
Jan. 31, 2011, 11:25 p.m. CST
I'll get Alice because I have a coupon-
by Kamaji
-but over the years, I just never found it as enjoyable as some people have. There was one interview in 'The Art of Animation' where later on, Walt said he didn't really want to make 'Alice,' but a number of people said he should. In the interview, he said it was pretty much the same scenario, of her running into one idiot after another. Though 'Alice' has always been one of those 'filler' titles for Disney, like 'Robin Hood' and 'Sword in the Stone': what they've released in-between 'the big guns' of their Vault's collection. Personally, I was hoping to have 'Dumbo' by now. I haven't seen that film in years, and definitely want the 'Fab Five' of Disney's animated film legacy (Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Bambi, and Dumbo) on Blu-Ray asap.
Jan. 31, 2011, 11:34 p.m. CST
Monsters rocks
by obsequiousmelon
Slow week but let me in and monsters are going to find a way onto my blu ray shelf. http://filmstodatemysisterby.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-love-monster-films-and-monsters-is-as.html
Jan. 31, 2011, 11:35 p.m. CST
I tried to call my cousin
by maxjohnson1971
who is the CEO of Regal Entertainment and ask why Hatchet II got pulled. She never called me back. I should be in Tennessee in a couple of months. I'll ask her when I see her.
Jan. 31, 2011, 11:54 p.m. CST
Space Jam?
by cinemixtape.com
Not coming out on Blu-Ray, Harry. Not in the near future. "The Ultimate Jordan" is, however.
Feb. 1, 2011, 12:35 a.m. CST
Chloe in blu ray...
by MagicJesus
I'm as happy as a little girl... by the way, there's a clip of Lorna on 23narchy.com
Feb. 1, 2011, 12:38 a.m. CST
Harry, I'm not trying to be mean
by The Krypton Kid
But could you please take on a copy editor? I know you're going for the raw, stream of conciousness thing, but the frequent grammatical problems make for difficult reading in an otherwise enjoyable feature.
Feb. 1, 2011, 12:48 a.m. CST
by Lando Griffin
heard so many good things about this but when I finally saw it it just fell flat. I find all the stories about how it was made on a low budget/small scale more interesting than the movie itself. In the end it felt like more of an excercise than a film.
Feb. 1, 2011, 12:57 a.m. CST
Krypton Kid
by W.P.Mayhew
Really... The guy just had spinal surgery. Maybe you can give him a fucking break on the grammar.
Feb. 1, 2011, 1 a.m. CST
Never let Me Go
by ranma627
was indeed an incredibly tragic and emotionally powerful film. It's a shame something like the Fighter (A decent film with strong performances) gets nominated when movies like Animal Kingdom and Never Let Me Go have so much more to offer to film. A sham indeed. Shame on you, Academy.
Feb. 1, 2011, 1:03 a.m. CST
by The Krypton Kid
I just read the DVD reviews. I don't read his personal stuff, so I didn't know he went under the knife. I'm sorry for his situation and hope he recovers swiftly. But the grammar has been a problem for years. Nothing wrong with suggesting a copy editor.
Feb. 1, 2011, 1:10 a.m. CST
i felt at piece.
by vulturess
peace of cake.
Feb. 1, 2011, 3:15 a.m. CST
by can-D
Hope you dig the cover of Lorna the exorcist Harry I made it :) Get better soon!
Feb. 1, 2011, 4:09 a.m. CST
Kamaji - Dumbo
by Tomarru
Dude, Dumbo is already out on blu, or at least it is in the yuk, came out pretty early last year.
Feb. 1, 2011, 5:10 a.m. CST
Bad Boys
by macheesmo3
That movie was better than Scared Straight at scaring the crap out of me as a 10 year old when I saw it the first time on HBO in the 80's.... Just brutal as hell and ultra realistic IMO. Clancy Brown is great, Penn is great.... the hispanic actor who *SPOILER** rapes Penn's girlfriend so he can get locked up to get even .... it's a movie I always forget about when thinking of great films of the 80's and iMO, it was influential and important for me!
Feb. 1, 2011, 5:14 a.m. CST
yep, Dumbo is on Blu...
by billyhitchcock1
...I have it. Bambi out next week here in the UK and then we get Alice at the end of Feb. Can't wait!
Feb. 1, 2011, 5:53 a.m. CST
the life of harry
by DylanDenham
Eight lines to "review" all about eve, one of the great film films. Twenty odd lines about harrys date with some bird. Groan
Feb. 1, 2011, 6:04 a.m. CST
Dumbo bluray isn't out in north america yet
by Redhead_Redemption
It was supposed to last year but then got cancelled, It's planned to come out this year though I'll be getting alice this week, I've always though it's one of the underaprechiated disney films, Like Fox and the hound or Aristocats
Feb. 1, 2011, 6:47 a.m. CST
Is Monsters a movie best experienced on the big screen?
by Colonel_Blimp
It doesn't open here until April. Should I wait, or could I just as well pick up the DVD?
Feb. 1, 2011, 8:03 a.m. CST
can-d does not exist in this dojo
by Cobra--Kai
Lorna the cum-swapper.<p> Sorry I said it - but EVERYONE was thinking it... Nice cover dude!
Feb. 1, 2011, 8:11 a.m. CST
Monsters was good, but.....
by BobParr
the immigration message was laid on so heavy. I say KEEP OUT THE GIANT ALIEN SQUID AND THE MEXICANS!!
Feb. 1, 2011, 8:15 a.m. CST
Almost Famous was shit
by hst666
(Except for the scenes with PSH). That's why it is not included.
Feb. 1, 2011, 8:17 a.m. CST
Will Dumbo be unedited?
by hst666
Hope so.
Feb. 1, 2011, 8:23 a.m. CST
Was old SNL actually funny??
by BobParr
It really doesn't hold up very well. Especially Belushi and Chevy Chase. Dan Akroyd and Bill Murray did some good work but Samauri Hotel Clerk does not hold up at all. Everything Phil Hartman did 20 years ago is still funny and will be funny 20 years from now.
Feb. 1, 2011, 8:26 a.m. CST
Harry is the king of white liberal guilt
by BobParr
The Black Panthers were a swell bunch of fellas... and Crash was a great movie!!
Feb. 1, 2011, 8:37 a.m. CST
Good point about ALMOST FAMOUS
by BobParr
Is this a movie website or a "Movie's that line Harry's pockets" website. Almost Famous is too relevant a movie to be ignored over Nora Ephron and Lorna the Exorcist.
Feb. 1, 2011, 8:58 a.m. CST
Monsters Problem is ...
by Judge Briggs
The monsters don't seem very threatening. Unless you cross paths with them, they could careless about you. They come off more like a wild animal - if you leave it alone, they will leave you alone. It's a Netflix rent.
Feb. 1, 2011, 9:08 a.m. CST
Bob Parr
by HEADGEEK
CRASH was not a good movie.
Feb. 1, 2011, 9:09 a.m. CST
Best Buy exclusives
by HEADGEEK
I don't get a press release from Best Buy on their exclusives, so I don't know what they're releasing.
Feb. 1, 2011, 9:15 a.m. CST
Screw Pleasantville, Panthers and Penn
by gboybama
The three P's of left wing nonsense pushed by Harry in this column. Seriously, Pleasantville is a Baby Boomer hippie fantasy about how liberating it was to flush society's higher aspirations (restraint, self reliance, a moral code) down the toilet. Yeah, that's working out well.
Feb. 1, 2011, 9:31 a.m. CST
Uh-Oh Harry...
by BobParr
You just made Oprah your enemy by dissing Crash. Prepare to suffer the consequences!!!
Feb. 1, 2011, 9:35 a.m. CST
Pleasantville's Baby-Boomer Message
by BobParr
Yes, it was a left-wing fantasy message about spitting in the eye of all traditional values. But nobody was getting laid or even jackin' off so POWER TO THE HIPPIES!!!
Feb. 1, 2011, 9:50 a.m. CST
by AKA_Gern_Blanston
Almost Famous Heavy Metal The Manchurian Candidate (1962) Leaving Las Vegas The Cove Hotel Rwanda The Rules of Attraction Out of Sight Dead Man Walking The Thomas Crown Affair (unspecified version) Poltergeist 2 The Last House on the Left (1972) Robocop 2 Robocop 3 Still Waiting Hannibal The Long Kiss Goodnight The Killing Machine www.bestbuy.com/movieexclusives
Feb. 1, 2011, 9:55 a.m. CST
by redteeb
Oh, no, it's not just liberals that should be guilty. Cons too. And damn right they should all be ashamed. The clip for Family Guy sums it up perfectly, where the white lord releases the slaves because slavery's just been made illegal, then says "...but we're cool right?" and shrugs his shoulders. Family Guy's kinda shite but they hit the nail on head right there.
Feb. 1, 2011, 10:06 a.m. CST
I thought Crash was a good movie.
by lochkray
Cronnenberg pseudo porn, James Spader sodimizing some guy, graphic amputee sex, a guy taking a chick from behind while she talks about some other guy's asshole. What's not to like? Wait...am I thinking of the right movie? It didn't eleviate any of my white guilt.
Feb. 1, 2011, 10:33 a.m. CST
Best Grodin movie...
by lovesamuelfuller
That HAS to be MIDNIGHT RUN! How can it be anything other?
Feb. 1, 2011, 11:10 a.m. CST
I liked Penn's "Bad Boys" almost as much as "The Warriors".
by The Reluctant Austinite
Back in the early days of cable TV and various movie channels of the era, I devoured many films over and over, and "Bad Boys" was one of them. It was tough, dark and violent with dramatic weight and intense, sudden action. I always placed it in the same echelon with "The Warriors" and "Escape From New York". My friends and I also enjoyed the exploitive "Penitentiary" flicks. Penn gives a great juvenile delinquent performance with just the right amount of alienated toughness and guarded vunerability.
Feb. 1, 2011, 11:12 a.m. CST
Almost Famous - Includes Extended Version
by moroboshi_kun
Could one of you fine gentlemen who have the Almost Famous blu-ray please tell whether it has the extended/Untitled edition, or if it only has the theatrical edition? Thanks buckets!
Feb. 1, 2011, 11:24 a.m. CST
Going to have to see "Let Me In"
by WriteForTheEdit
Loved the original SO MUCH that I just couldn't imagine a remake being worthwhile... guess I'm wrong.
Feb. 1, 2011, 11:25 a.m. CST
Pleasantville's message was that traditional values
by Nerd Rage
were sexually and socially repressive. And they were. You don't need to be a hippie to realize how repressive it was. It wasn't just sex either. All forms of expression were censored. You right wingers want to believe it was some perfect Utopia but it was closer to Saudi Arabia or Iran where expression is strictly censored, porn is hardly existant, and women are subservient. The 1950's had the pretext of perfection but it was all an illusion where people couldn't do what they really wanted and weren't really free. Admit it. The 1950's were not only boring they were repressive socially, politically, and sexually. It was a type of prison, not an ideal Utopia.
Feb. 1, 2011, 11:30 a.m. CST
Almost Famous - Includes Extended Version - QUESTIONMARK
by moroboshi_kun
Sorry, that was meant to be a question not a statement....I'll get a a hang of this keyboardy thing someday
Feb. 1, 2011, 11:35 a.m. CST
DO NOT support Let the Right One In remake
by THE_CHOPPAH
Re-watch the excellent original instead. Subtitles On!
Feb. 1, 2011, 11:36 a.m. CST
Really nerd rage??
by BobParr
The 1950s were a prison comparable to an Islamic state?? You must have been there and not basing your hypothesis on Happy Days reruns.
Feb. 1, 2011, 11:38 a.m. CST
if you could go back in time and watch the remake brfore the original without knowing it was a remake
by stu_pickles
which would you like better? i feel like some people like originals strictly because they came first.
Feb. 1, 2011, 12:17 p.m. CST
Do I have to have lived during the Dark Ages
by Nerd Rage
to know that the time period had drawbacks? Maybe you should take your own advice and "shut the fuck up".
Feb. 1, 2011, 12:22 p.m. CST
Regarding my comments on Dumbo, and some musings on Almost Famous
by Kamaji
The UK got Dumbo already? UK seems to be a much better country when it comes to some releases. They seem to also get Studio Ghibli's releases before the US (at least, that was the case with Mononoke Hiime). Almost Famous- the Bootleg Cut is almost the same as the release back in 2001, except for the following differences: - no theatrical cut - no CD including Stillwater's music - no subtitles on the awesome commentary Someone on imdb said they bought the Blu-Ray as a backup due to their regular DVD of 'Untitled' having grown a bit worn. I'll still keep that original set for nostalgia (and with the hope that Crowe or any other members of the film may sign that one day).
Feb. 1, 2011, 12:39 p.m. CST
Let me in: Best Remake of 2010!
by Stalkeye
And yes although I have seen the Swedish original, the American version surpassed my expectations and skepticism especially when it comes to remaking a classic.Definately worth seeing again.
Feb. 1, 2011, 1:08 p.m. CST
stu_pickles, the original is one of the best horror films ever
by THE_CHOPPAH
it's right up there with the Exorcist in The Choppah's opinion. And Chop's is not alone. Many others, including most critics agree on its excellence. Not so with the remake which was largely critically panned and happily rejected by American audiences. If you haven't seen either this a no brainer. If you only saw the remake you owe it to yourself to watch the far superior original.
Feb. 1, 2011, 1:13 p.m. CST
Teabaggers hate Pleasantville...
by HarryKnowlesNonExistentInceptionReview
...because those numbskulls think that Hollywood family TV show version of the 1950's actually existed. It did not, just ask an older African American person.
Feb. 1, 2011, 1:23 p.m. CST
Re: "...right up there with the Exorcist..."
by WriteForTheEdit
Amen, Choppah. "Let The Right One In" is exhilarating. You sit through so many piece-of-shit horror movies to finally come across a real work of art like this one. One of the creepiest endings to any movie ever made. God, I love that movie to death.
Feb. 1, 2011, 1:37 p.m. CST
by MattmanReturns
Posting "Braindrain is a troll" on every talkback is getting a little... oh I dunno... trollish?
Feb. 1, 2011, 1:45 p.m. CST
nerd rage and harryknowlesnonexistentinceptionreview
by frankenberry
I'm not sure why you've decided to make it seem folks who disagree with Pleasantville's message support the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia or African Americans in the 1950s. I certainly don't. Maybe I've misinterpreted Pleasantville. But to me, the films argues that self-control should be avoided in favor of doing whatever feels good. I'm against 'being fake.' But self-control, in many cases, is necessary. I've seen so many families hurt because a parent decided to make a decision similar to Betty Parker's (Joan Allen). But according to the film, Betty was right in her actions, and her husband and children should just get over it.
Feb. 1, 2011, 1:46 p.m. CST
11 HARROWHOUSE - Holy Shit (and question)
by BGDAWES
First things first, 11 HARROWHOUSE is an OUTSTANDING movie (all of Aram Avakian movies are but they're kind of hard to find - seek them out if you can). Second, Harry, can you tell me if this version has the Grodin voiceover? There are some versions out there that don't and it really kills the movie. Also, glad to see that you are recovering well!
Feb. 1, 2011, 1:48 p.m. CST
Pleasentville was the hammiest movie I've ever seen
by MattmanReturns
I dunno about it's message, I was too busy trying to stay awake.
Feb. 1, 2011, 2:13 p.m. CST
It's a crime that Jeff Daniels was not nominated for an Oscar...
by rbatty024
for Pleasantville. He might be one of the most underrated actors of all time. Anyone who can go from playing Joshua Chamberlain in Gettysburg to an idiot in Dumb in Dumber has my respect.
Feb. 1, 2011, 2:29 p.m. CST
I fucking love Pleasantville for two reasons...
by Chewtoy
1) It seriously pisses off certain people, and that is awesome. I have never met anyone upset by this film that didn't seriously need to be pissed off. 2) I caught a showing of it on cable (TBS or TNT or something) and they blurred out the nudity of the *painting* of Joan Allen. That was maybe the most perfect thing that has ever happened in television censorship, and to this day I wonder how aware the censor who made that decision was about what they were doing.
Feb. 1, 2011, 2:33 p.m. CST
Almost Famous is the extended cut
by Rob0729
I haven't watched it yet and don't have it here so I don't know if the theatrical version is also on it. But I do know it is the extended cut which was release on DVD as Untitled.
Feb. 1, 2011, 2:56 p.m. CST
i've seen the original and not the remake
by stu_pickles
i was just thinking out loud on my keyboard about remakes in general. i fall into the "hate the new one and adore the old" camp most of the time. i was just humoring the opposite view point and i did like the original a helluva lot. except the cats. the hospital combustion scene made up for that though in like 100 fold
Feb. 1, 2011, 3:02 p.m. CST
stu_pickles: yeah, the cats...
by WriteForTheEdit
I think even the movie's most devoted admirers will admit the cats were kind of wack. But as you say, there's so much else that more than makes up for some poorly rendered kitties.
Feb. 1, 2011, 3:05 p.m. CST
geoff, yes, I boycotted it just like I will Girl With Dragon Tattoo
by THE_CHOPPAH
But, I have friends whose opinions I trust who saw it and said it was crap. I don't see why I need to watch a remake. I rarely watch most films more than once. Let the Right One In was one of those exceptions. And don't get me wrong, I'm not against remakes when the original can be improved upon or if it is a re-imagining. But some movies just don't need to be remade, like Exorcist, especially recent movies like LTROI. Americans need to learn how to read subtitles and Hollywood needs some originality instead of these lazy remakes they gear toward the teen demographic.
Feb. 1, 2011, 3:11 p.m. CST
Life's to short to watch unnecessary remakes; I'm not Harry
by THE_CHOPPAH
I don't have time to re-watch a movie 5 times in one week.
Feb. 1, 2011, 3:21 p.m. CST
i sort of agree with you choppah
by stu_pickles
in a perfect world everyone would see great movies regardless of subtitles or nation of origin. but since we don't i would rather us americans make an acceptable version of a great film for the masses to see then for them not to see it at all. at the very least it will peak their interests more into seeing the original like the The Ring for example. that movie scared the bejesus outta me, and there was no shot that i was gonna see the japanese original when i was 15 so im thrilled we remade that movie.
Harry wrote: "The Giant Monster movie that Terrence Malick would've made. Low budget to an extreme… and now he's directing a giant GODZILLA movie and the mind boggles." I went to IMDB to find out if I somehow missed that Malick was directing a Godzilla movie.
Feb. 1, 2011, 3:32 p.m. CST
I hear they're remaking The King's Speech
by THE_CHOPPAH
For Americans who have a hard time understanding those English accents.
Feb. 1, 2011, 3:38 p.m. CST
Terrence Malick's "Godzilla"
by WriteForTheEdit
If I was Bill Gates-rich, I'd finance that project, no matter what the cost.
Feb. 1, 2011, 3:47 p.m. CST
geoff, there's just too many remakes these days
by THE_CHOPPAH
I haven't seen True Grit yet, but if the Coens went back to the novel and did their own take on the book I don't have a problem with it. That movie came out over 40 years ago. What I do have a problem with is remakes of movies that were not from novels and were great films and not in need of remaking. I also have an issue with remaking movies that just came out like Let the Right One In and Girl With the Dragon Tattoo where the only reason they're being remade is to appeal to an American audience that won't watch movies with subtitles. And don't tell me that these kinds of people don't exist. They do. Let The Right One In is particularly grievous because it was an excellent movie, which is rare and an excellent horror film which is rarer still. And from what I've heard the director of Let Me In did not go to the book and start from scratch but lifted scenes whole cloth from the Swedish film and then MTVified it to appeal to the teenage demographic. No thanks, dude. It may be an ok movie if you were to remove it from a world where the original exists, but you can't so I have no interest. And I highly recommend that those who have not seen either film see the original first so that you can have the experience of discovering an excellent and magical film experience.
Feb. 1, 2011, 4:11 p.m. CST
Pleasantville is one of my favorite movies
by Dreamwriter
...and some of you are getting the message wrong. The main message is basically "Don't get stuck in a rut, doing the same, easy things day in and out, just because anything else could be uncomfortable." You have to take risks and do things that might make you and other people uncomfortable, to progress in life. Otherwise you are just limiting yourself. You may not see that you are being limited, you may think you have the perfect life, but if you don't take risks, you'll never know what possibilities could await you.
Feb. 1, 2011, 4:12 p.m. CST
i've gone ignored...
by stu_pickles
Feb. 1, 2011, 4:12 p.m. CST
Pleasantville is one of my favorite movies
by Dreamwriter
...and some of you are getting the message wrong. The main message is basically "Don't get stuck in a rut, doing the same, easy things day in and out, just because anything else could be uncomfortable." You have to take risks and do things that might make you and other people uncomfortable, to progress in life. Otherwise you are just limiting yourself. You may not see that you are being limited, you may think you have the perfect life, but if you don't take risks, you'll never know what possibilities could await you.
Feb. 1, 2011, 4:25 p.m. CST
Let Me In was Critically Panned?
by Nathan Bryant
I guess a 89% on Rotten Tomatos for critics and a 77% for audiences doesn't count? Can't you let someone have their opinions? I saw Let the Right One In when it was first released here in the States and I didn't think that much of it, but I found the remake to be better in every single way. It was one of my top 2 movies of the year. Sometimes remakes can have their values. It's fine if someone doesn't want to see it because they love the original, cool. But to say that everyone should boycott an amazing movie just because you don't think it should be made is plain dumb.
Feb. 1, 2011, 4:36 p.m. CST
Let Me In was hardly "MTVified"
by Nasty In The Pasty
It made virtually no use of Parkinson's Cam (odd, coming from the director of Cloverfield), and it had the same slow, deliberate pacing of the original film. The addition of CGI to ther attck scenes is noticable and distracting, but no moreso than the LAUGHABLE CGI kitty scene in the first one. There are even scenes which are staged much more viscerally (like the car crash shown from INSIDE THE FREAKING CAR). Both films are excellent.
Feb. 1, 2011, 4:59 p.m. CST
At least read this review of Let Me In
by Nathan Bryant
Feb. 1, 2011, 5 p.m. CST
I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE on Blu?
by Foucault
Why God why?
Feb. 1, 2011, 5:10 p.m. CST
Buncha shit. At least Heavy Metal came out today
by UltraTron
on blu at best buy only.
Feb. 1, 2011, 5:14 p.m. CST
Malick? Godzilla?
by DustinBones
Mailck is directing a Godzilla flick? SWEET! It'll be just like the opening to The Thin Red`Line, only, you know, bigger. Had to read that sentence twice. LOL!
Feb. 1, 2011, 5:16 p.m. CST
Bad Boys
by DustinBones
Best Buy had it for $5 in one of it's bins, damn I shoulda picked it up. When anyone mentions Bad Boys, I think of this movie, not the Bay-Bortion.
Feb. 1, 2011, 5:17 p.m. CST
damn. Now I'm having visions of a Malick Godzilla film.
by UltraTron
Sunlight through the trees, everything calm with a swooping musical score all hypnotic then- Skreeeeeeyooonnnkk!!!! Birds fluttering from the trees. We see a Godzilla caring for baby godzookie by regurgitating a few cows into his mouth along with a whale and some power transformers and buckets of nuclear waste.
Feb. 1, 2011, 5:23 p.m. CST
by DustinBones
I was gonna mention Godzookie, glad I didn't. I figured "Goodzookie" would've been directed by Fincher
Feb. 1, 2011, 6:47 p.m. CST
Bad Jewish Boy, watcha gonna do?
by BanditDarville
Whatcha gonna do when Clancy Brown comes for you? You blow his face off with the Little River Band!!!!!! Fuck yeah, great flick.
Feb. 1, 2011, 6:58 p.m. CST
Monsters was'nt that great
by MST3KPIMP
It was just more self-indulgent slow-burn that was proud of itself for "flipping the genre on it's ear" I'd rather watch Cloverfield again and that sucked. However for a good slow film Never Let Me Go is quite moving and makes you think.
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:02 p.m. CST
You've Got Mail = Black Sheep
by MST3KPIMP
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:10 p.m. CST
do you actually see monsters in monsters?
by stu_pickles
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:20 p.m. CST
Never Let Me Go was total shit
by Hawaiian Organ Donor
My new wish is to be able to go back in time and strangle everyone involved in the making of that garbage so that it never sees the light of day.
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:28 p.m. CST
Let the Right One In was sooo much better...
by johnthefilmaddict
Harry, you are dead wrong about this. However, it is an opinion. But in my opinion, I was bored during this film. I knew what was going to happen at every turn. Although they claim it wasn't a "remake", it was scene for scene. And just not as well done. I LOVE the original film, I mean love it! Let Me In falls way short!
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:28 p.m. CST
Let the Right One In was sooo much better...
by johnthefilmaddict
Harry, you are dead wrong about this. However, it is an opinion. But in my opinion, I was bored during this film. I knew what was going to happen at every turn. Although they claim it wasn't a "remake", it was scene for scene. And just not as well done. I LOVE the original film, I mean love it! Let Me In falls way short!
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:31 p.m. CST
Can't wait for Hollywood to wake up and do a proper
by UltraTron
Godzookie movie.
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:34 p.m. CST
Saw Night Catches Us @ the Lone Star Film Festival
by johnthefilmaddict
and thought it was really good. Mackie was awesome in the film, as was Washington. The film makes you "think". How hard was it to be black in America in the 60's....pretty hard. This wasn't a great film, but a very good one. I give it 7 out of 10.
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:34 p.m. CST
Harry if you're going to bash the Academy for not including "Never Let Me Go" as a Best Picture contender...
by D.Vader
You better be prepared to tell us which movie The Academy should have dumped in favor of your pick.
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:35 p.m. CST
Harry if you're going to bash the Academy for not including "Never Let Me Go" as a Best Picture contender...
by D.Vader
You better be prepared to tell us which movie The Academy should have dumped in favor of your pick.
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:35 p.m. CST
HOD! Good to see you!
by D.Vader
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:36 p.m. CST
Here Harry, I'll help. Fill in the blank: "It is a complete failure of the Academy Awards and their voting body..."
by D.Vader
"... that they picked _____ over 'Never Let Me Go' for a Best Picture nomination."
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:46 p.m. CST
"Reality and historical accuracy are overrated when dealing with fantasy "
by D.Vader
Here here! Wait, I mean, what?? Who puts reality or historical accuracy into fantasy? Two of the words you used in that sentence are polar opposites!
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:51 p.m. CST
Frankenberry, re: Pleasantville- dude, that's the whole point
by D.Vader
"Why give that up? Because some kids said they were boring? Yeah, I know the characters found freedom to make mistakes or whatever. But look at all the pain it caused." Yeah, that's what happens when you have free will. That was the whole point. You get the good, but you also have the bad. But in the end, its worth it.
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:53 p.m. CST
Sean Penn's always had a douche face.
by THE_CHOPPAH
Plus, he's a notorious sex tourist in Latin America. Why do you think he's so buddy-buddy with Chavez and all those extreme lefty despots down there? They have the connect on the best blow and underage whores this side of Macau. Next time I see Sean Penn I'm going to punch him so hard his "Bad Boys" self is gonna feel it.
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:53 p.m. CST
Hey Krypton Kid, re: bad writing
by D.Vader
"But could you please take on a copy editor? I know you're going for the raw, stream of conciousness thing, but the frequent grammatical problems make for difficult reading in an otherwise enjoyable feature." Its also making the rest of us stupider because we end up reading his mangled grammar and become more tolerant of it. The more tolerant we become and the more we surround ourselves with it, the less we remember how to use it correctly.
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:54 p.m. CST
Hey W.P. Mayhew
by D.Vader
"Really... The guy just had spinal surgery. Maybe you can give him a fucking break on the grammar." I'd give him a break if his grammar was better before the surgery. But since it never has been, what's your excuse now?
Feb. 1, 2011, 7:56 p.m. CST
I like your style, Vader.
by THE_CHOPPAH
You never let up. Never. CHOP these fools.
Feb. 1, 2011, 8:04 p.m. CST
My problem with remakes of recent flicks like "Let the Right One In" and "Girl With Dragon Tattoo"
by D.Vader
Can be summed up with one other foreign movie title from the last decade: "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon". That movie showed that audiences WILL go to see a foreign film with subtitles IF you give it the right push. My biggest problem with current remakes of foreign flicks is that the studios would probably end up saving money if they just devoted some time to an ad campaign to raise awareness for these critically acclaimed movies that happen to come from a country that doesn't speak English. But they don't They never do. And then they blame the people and say "Well, no one went and saw that movie! So we must make an American version for *them*!" Bullshit. Crouching Tiger.
Feb. 1, 2011, 8:12 p.m. CST
Ahthankyou Choppah
by D.Vader
A CHOP backactcha!
Feb. 1, 2011, 8:42 p.m. CST
by MattmanReturns
And don't forget Pan's Labyrinth, which earned a healthy $37 mil domestically from word of mouth alone (it certainly didn't have marketing). If the movie deserves to be remade (because the first one sucked or you've got a new take on it), then by all means remake it... but Let Me In did nothing to distinguish itself from the vastly superior original.
Feb. 1, 2011, 9:27 p.m. CST
If you ask me,
by Yelsaeb
Let Me In was the best movie of 2010. I didn't find myself in the theaters much last year, only a couple times, but Let Me In definitely took the cake.
Feb. 1, 2011, 9:29 p.m. CST
"do you actually see monsters in monsters?"
by MST3KPIMP
ya theyre there but almost as a backdrop with a couple exceptions which is what the director intended to showcase the aftermath of an invasion and concentrate on our two protagonists "and save money I imagine". The monsters themselves are squid-like and will remind you of virtually every invasion films of the last decade. I think the movie is getting too much credit but thats me.
Feb. 1, 2011, 9:33 p.m. CST
yelsaeb, then you missed a lot of good movies
by MattmanReturns
And Let Me In was almost a carbon copy of the movie it remade, so it really doesn't deserve ANY of the admittedly slight credit it has gotten.
Feb. 1, 2011, 9:34 p.m. CST
thanks bud. still netflixing it.
by stu_pickles
gotta do a monthly foreign sci-fi horror film. last one was the horde which i was disappointed in except for a few sweet scenes
Feb. 1, 2011, 10:02 p.m. CST
Just finished watching "Monsters"...WTF Legendary Pictures?
by Tristan
SO disappointed in this film. I know its low budget and I think the special effects were ok, but OMFG this movie was boorringg! What did the people at Legendary see in this film that made them think this is was gonna be their guy to reboot Godzilla? I'm really fucking worried. I hope, with a big budget, Edwards can make something spectacular, as well as write an entertaining script. "Godzilla" should NOT be approached the same way, as "Monsters". We need to see the creature and lots of destruction. In other words, fucking EPIC!
Feb. 1, 2011, 10:30 p.m. CST
Nerd Rage Re: Pleasantville
by spire_walk
You missed the whole point. It's not a rebellion against the 1950s, it's a rebellion against unreal societal norms that NEVER existed outside of TV shows. Do you think married couples slept in separate beds in real life? Blame the liberals in Hollywood for creating the dystopia of 50s programming.
Feb. 1, 2011, 10:48 p.m. CST
by MaxTheSilent
Not as funny as the first film. But some great klills and Danielle Harris being all super-hot and awesome.
Feb. 1, 2011, 11:28 p.m. CST
"Do you think married couples slept in separate beds in real life?"
by MST3KPIMP
my parents slept seperatley for yea.. oh wait
Feb. 2, 2011, 12:30 a.m. CST
Harry, review the HERO TOMORROW DVD already
by Daniel_S_Duvall
Feb. 2, 2011, 2:04 a.m. CST
by frank cotton
'gboybama' (WTF?) and 'bobparr' don't get it. about par for 'bob', no doubt. FRANKENBERRY kinda gets it, but even too much self-control is a bad thing. if interested, i've got lot's more bs here, just search for THE SLEEPER HAS AWOKEN first, if you want more, search my name. or, go to SUICIDEGIRLS.COM (where i'm going next), look for frank_cotton, or covering all my bases, goto OBSESSEDARTIST.COM, search for nil. all nice and tidy in one spot at those two places. NERDRAGE does get it. if you want to get it, and are willing to think hard enough to try to get it, go for it! what else ya got to do, anyways, right?
Feb. 2, 2011, 2:07 a.m. CST
by frank cotton
frank will, be back, with important, information, for you, yes, YOU, as soon, as he gets, it typed up! or don't! like i care, one way, or the other...
Feb. 2, 2011, 3:47 a.m. CST
I find all of this talk about PLEASANTVILLE interesting...
by Monroville
The conservatives see it (for the most part) as the ideal that everyone strives to achieve being stripped down by some for the ability for all to choose to make mistakes. <p> The liberals see it (for the most part) as prisoners being set free from a monotanous life of boring safety. <p> I think that is what is good about the movie, is that so many people can see different things within it. Both sides have good points: Toby and Reese are pretty selfish and egotistical to think that they can make the place better by essentially destroying what made Pleasantville "Pleasantville". At the same time, the whole point to evolution is change, and you can't do that in prison or in Eden (despite the fact that Eden is what everyone strives to recreate, despite the fact that once people achieve a great level of comfort, they almost seek out to destroy it for no other reason than out of the boredom safety provides.. then again, try to convince someone in the 3rd world that America's "boring safety" is something to abhor). <p> What I find perplexing from the libs is that their mission politically is essentially to do what Pleasantville achieved, but was destroyed/freed by tearing down the social(ist) policies that made the place what it was. What if instead of Pleasantville it was Hippyville, and the message was "you don't need to make yourself a whore to sex and drugs to free your mind"? Would those who made their points above be saying the polar opposite, based upon whose ideals were being destroyed in the name of freedom?
Feb. 2, 2011, 4:55 a.m. CST
never seen it, but
by frank cotton
i think the point of it was to not only show you the two opposite extremes, for the purpose of allowing you to figure out for yourself that both extremes are wrong, bad, or whatever, but also to show you that there are nevertheless good things to be gained from both points of view. what you do with this knowledge is, of course, up to you, but i believe it meant to imply that there is a third way, call it moderate if you will, available, and to point you towards it, altho maybe, too subtly?
Feb. 2, 2011, 7:46 a.m. CST
by Nerd Rage
I suppose you could have a movie where a city that used too much sex and drugs was blurred and when people used it in moderations the city became clearer. I'd support the message of moderation but not complete absitnence and narrow-minded sobriety. Not sure why you would expect people who liked Pleasantville to embrace a movie with a polar opposite message. And I disagree with your summary of what conservatives took from the movie. Based on this talkback most of them outright rejected it because it endorsed progressive values over traditional values.
Feb. 2, 2011, 7:51 a.m. CST
by Nerd Rage
If you think there was no social commentary in Pleasantville you're sadly mistaken.
Feb. 2, 2011, 8:02 a.m. CST
NEVER LET YOU GO was NOT that great, in any way
by BILLY
Yes I thought it was decent..and enjoyed the overall look of the film(and the whole sci-fi aspect in the past)...but it really was just..flat. It could've explored the notion of clones having souls MORE...instead it just felt flat at the end (to me.)And I appreciate Romanek , he seems to be getting closer to making his one great film...But Brother, this aint it.
Feb. 2, 2011, 9:47 a.m. CST
my only complaint about Let Me In
by vin_diggler
Is the awful cgi on Abby. When she is climbing the tree and attacking the man in the tunnel, it really looks goofy. Other than that, I enjoyed both this version and the original.
Feb. 2, 2011, 10:11 a.m. CST
George Lucas was supposed to direct Lucky Lady
by Benovite1
I think I read in somewhere, maybe the Skywalking biography on Lucas, that Fox wanted him to direct Lucky Lady but he passed so he could continue developing Star Wars. If that's indeed true think about that for a minute: a major studio offers you the chance to direct a major motion picture. But you're so involved in a little a film you're working on that you decide to pass on the easy money- and possible B.O. success(although we know Lucky Lady bombed).
Feb. 2, 2011, 11:15 a.m. CST
by th3480
Just finished watching it. An absolutely exceptional movie. I'm glad he went the cheap-o route and didn't reveal the "creatures," I think it would have ruined the movie for me.
Feb. 2, 2011, 11:19 a.m. CST
One of the best things about Bad Boys is Horowitz
by Orionsangels
Feb. 2, 2011, 11:33 a.m. CST
I believe it's the same as the UK release that has been available for some time.
by Drewsker
To be honest, I haven't finished watching the entire cut, but I'm pretty sure it's exactly the same as the "untitled" version. There is minimal packaging, with not even a title card inside. I think this is what Best Buy is doing with all their "exclusives". To be quite honest, I would rather pay a little for just the movie, than a lot for a bunch of crap I'll read once and then put away forever. I could be wrong, but there is a "making of" video, that I'm not sure was a part of the "Untitled" DVD release (at least, I don't remember finding it on my copy and I'm to lazy to look right now!). The menu system on the original "Untitled" was complex and meant to be explored (according to Cameron on the audio track). There is no theatrical version on the disc. I'm not sure if I would call this double dipping, since most people wouldn't go out of their way to buy a future version that included it (reverse dip?). I still wish that Zeppelin would let them use "Stairway" so that they could put the famous "cut" scene back in the movie (it's on YouTube for all those curious). Thanks for the reply Harry!
Feb. 2, 2011, 1:05 p.m. CST
by Rebeck2
Close but you got it wrong - it was SPIELBERG who almost directed LUCKY LADY. He swapped one troubled-movie-on-the-water for another...a small forgotten film called JAWS. Obviously the right choice. But LL has been unfairly maligned for decades, it's actually a fun little romp ala THE STING. It's not perfect, but it's a good time. I loved it at age 12. But not quite as much as the Spielberg indie that shot pure adrenaline into my eyeballs.
Feb. 2, 2011, 1:50 p.m. CST
Get well soon big man
by fpuk99
Feb. 2, 2011, 1:51 p.m. CST
And good luck
by fpuk99
Feb. 2, 2011, 1:54 p.m. CST
by AKA_Gern_Blanston
I may be a little late to your discussion but I have a few things to add, so here we go... First off, I'll give you that the Swedish Dragon Tattoo was an amazing movie and worth viewing. That said, I have been told by people who read the book that it didn't follow too closely, so a remake could go your True Grit route. Plus, it directed by David Fincher, who has given film audiences little reason to not trust his judgment. Second, as for Let the Right One In/Let Me In, while I do share your love of the original, the American version is still very well done, thanks in no small part to Matt Reeves and Chloe Moretz. It's worth a viewing. Finally, as to your remarks that remaking a foreign film for American audiences so they don't have to read is pointless, I offer these examples of that very notion and will let you be the judge: A Fistful of Dollars (remake of Kurosawa's Yojimbo) The Magnificent Seven (Kurosawa's Seven Samurai) Star Wars (loose remake of Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress) Three classic examples of American cinema that have not only stood the test of time, but in many cases outlasted the popularity of the originals with all but true film buff audiences. Yes, they are old examples, but they are each proof that remakes CAN have something to say that the outstanding originals didn't. Don't always be so quick to judge just because the word remake has become a stigma of sorts in Hollywood. (a fourth, more fringe example, as Harry mentioned above, would be the girls that have a love despite all logic for You've Got Mail, a remake of Lubitsch's The Shop Around The Corner, though that original was in English also) Food for thought...
Feb. 2, 2011, 2:08 p.m. CST
3rd Act Of "You've Got Mail"/"Don Juan" score!
by darthliquidator
The last chunk of "You've Got Mail" never worked for me....I don't care how nice a guy Tom Hanks is...he destroyed Meg Ryan's beloved bookstore and put her and the whole lovable supporting cast out of work. And she's gonna fall in love with him? "It's not personal...it's business", the film's mantra, is an idiotic line that only a privileged, wealthy hollywood writer-director could come up with (right up there with "Love means never having to say you're sorry')...so here's breaking news to Nora Ephron, who never had her life's work taken away from her by corporate slime...no, sweetie, it's NOT business...for the victims, it's goddamned personal. Speaking of third acts, always loved the way that the Korngold score for "Adventures Of Don Juan" pretty much plays non-stop through the last 15 minutes of "The Goonies" And I fully agree..."Let Me In"...one of the best films I saw last year...Chloe Moretz is most likely on her way to an eclectic, but critically celebrated Jodie Foster type of career. Now, if she could just do a movie more than three or four people go to see. I'm rooting for her to win that coveted role in "Hunger Games" but she'll probably lose it to Hailee Steinfeld, who's much higher up on the industry radar.....
Feb. 2, 2011, 3:08 p.m. CST
by AKA_Gern_Blanston
I think you're misplacing your rage and confusing me with someone else. The only mention I made of True Grit was in response to Choppah saying that a True Grit remake was okay as it adhered closer to the book. And I only brought it up as an example of how Dragon Tattoo could be an okay remake, as I've been told that the Swedish version, although good, didn't stick as closely to the book as some would have liked. I never made any statements about True Grit myself as I have not yet had an opportunity to see the remake. So, please, direct that anger elsewhere as I said nothing in my posts that has anything to do with what you're bitching about.
Feb. 2, 2011, 3:09 p.m. CST
and it's GERN, not gem
by AKA_Gern_Blanston
Steve Martin reference...look it up
Feb. 2, 2011, 3:49 p.m. CST
Nerd Rage!!
by Marisol
Looooves movies that have a message. That way he never has to think for himself too much.
Feb. 2, 2011, 4:50 p.m. CST
Does the Best Buy Heavy Metal Blu Ray...
by Yaroh_Meringue
...have the rough cut version that was on the old DVDs? If so, is it in HD?
Feb. 2, 2011, 4:55 p.m. CST
Once you have found her, never let her go...
by THE_CHOPPAH
Once you have found her... NEVER. LET. HER. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Feb. 2, 2011, 4:56 p.m. CST
BJ Harry is starting to get under my skin...
by THE_CHOPPAH
Mission accomplished, Harold.
Feb. 2, 2011, 4:57 p.m. CST
Remember SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE?
by THE_CHOPPAH
Remember FORREST GUMP? Christ, almighty. I don't like the SPECIFICS of Braindrain's last post, but--generally--he has a point.
Feb. 2, 2011, 5:07 p.m. CST
Heh. Trust Me. Heh.
by filegumbo
Thank you for the information on Lorna the Exorcist. I can now make an informed buying decision.
Feb. 2, 2011, 5:14 p.m. CST
monroville re: Pleasantville
by Chewtoy
"What if instead of Pleasantville it was Hippyville, and the message was "you don't need to make yourself a whore to sex and drugs to free your mind"?" That was, in fact, the point for Reese Witherspoon's character, who complained that even though she introduced sex to that world and had more of it than anybody there, she hadn't made the jump to color. She achieves her breakthrough by going the completely opposite direction, staying in to read rather than going out for sex with the boys, becoming buttoned-down and studious. "I've done the slut thing... it got old." In the end she stays behind in the still more-conservative television world. The point of it all is about embracing new ideas of what you could be and considering possibilities that you hadn't before. Most people across all political persuasions have no problem with that idea.
Feb. 2, 2011, 5:33 p.m. CST
by AKA_Gern_Blanston
jesus christ, did you wake up on the douchebag side of the bed or what? you're acting like a total prick. maybe you need a time out.
Feb. 2, 2011, 5:53 p.m. CST
i think NOBULES? said it best..when he said
by BILLY
"cocaine is a hell of a drug".
Feb. 2, 2011, 6:16 p.m. CST
Please don't allude to sex
by greedosolo
you monster
Feb. 2, 2011, 6:30 p.m. CST
Charles Grodin in The Heartbreak Kid
by bluebottle
Harry, are you kidding? You don't like Charles Grodin? Have you seen The Heartbreak Kid? It's a classic, and he's incredible in it... I'm going to assume you haven't seen it, because jesus, if you have and you didn't like it... A pox on you! (get well, buddy!)
Feb. 2, 2011, 6:30 p.m. CST
by maxjohnson1971
Disregard Geoff Formalie. He is just an asshole. He can't help it.
Feb. 2, 2011, 6:31 p.m. CST
by maxjohnson1971
What up? Man there were some dudes hating on you in some other TB but I can't remember which one. Fuck em. I got your back man.
Feb. 2, 2011, 7:01 p.m. CST
Midnight Run is hands down best Grodin role
by vin_diggler
he was on fire in that movie.
Feb. 2, 2011, 9:02 p.m. CST
Hey form a lie
by maxjohnson1971
Thank you for confirming what I said about the stereotyping that movies like Southern Comfort contribute to.
Feb. 2, 2011, 9:32 p.m. CST
by Rebeck2
Great call. THE HEARTBREAK KID is an amazing movie and without a doubt Grodin's personal best. The remake, on the other hand, is...like all remakes...complete shit.
Feb. 2, 2011, 10:41 p.m. CST
by maxjohnson1971
Where'd you live then? And where are you now?
Feb. 2, 2011, 10:44 p.m. CST
anyone see the Dark Horse comic for "Let Me In?"
by MST3KPIMP
Theres a mini reproduction inside the dvd and it is just weird as heck to look at the the way they draw Chloe.. Homegirl be looking like lil' Heath Ledger when he went to see Dent..
Feb. 3, 2011, 7:28 a.m. CST
"What I find perplexing from the libs is that their mission politically is essentially to do what Pleasantville achieved, but was destroyed/freed by tearing down the social(ist) policies that made the place what it was."
by rbatty024
This is a strange interpretation of liberal policies. Liberals are the ones who have supported personal freedom from day one. It was liberals who invoked the right of habeas corpus, stating that the government does not have the right to take away our personal liberty without due process. It was liberals who argue that people should be allowed to marry whomever they love, and that its none of the governments goddamn business. <p> Conservatives, on the other hand, only invoke personal liberties when it suits them, like when they don't want to pay taxes (schools, roads and national defense be damned). Most do not have an objective political framework. Rather, they look how they personally benefit and decide whether or not they like a policy. If it doesn't help them then they don't like it, even if it helps the nation. This is why conservatives aren't really all that patriotic. They always put themselves before the national good.
Feb. 3, 2011, 7:31 a.m. CST
Pleasantville - Industry changer
by TheJupiter
Will always remember Pleasantville not for the unique and incredible vision but for the camera operator who died on the way home from shooting, exhausted after several 19 hour days in a row. Screened it at the DGA theater. Someone from the film (don't recall the name) talked about the issue. We had a momnet of silence, then screened the camera operator's work. Rules for directors and producers changed as a result of that film to keep above the line from killing below the line.
Feb. 3, 2011, 11:14 a.m. CST
aka_gern_blanston, those are all great movies you've mentioned, but
by THE_CHOPPAH
I consider them more of re-imaginings than straight up remakes, which I don't have as much of an issue with. From what I hear, even from some Talkbackers here, Let Me in is almost scene for scene exactly like the original. This leads me to believe that the filmmakers knew that the original was great and that they didn't want to stray to far from it, but sought to cash in on its success. Fortunately, the American public wasn't buying into it.
Feb. 3, 2011, 11:15 a.m. CST
Thanx, Max!
by THE_CHOPPAH
You're in the running for Choplinghood.
Feb. 3, 2011, 11:33 a.m. CST
Almost Famous on Blu? Just creamed my pants.
by Dwide Shrewd
Aaaaand... ordered. Harry, extend an olive branch to Best Buy, and maybe they'll scratch you off a little green to review their exclusive titles. That way you'll avoid the embarrassment of missing out on a fucking masterpiece like AF in the future.
Feb. 3, 2011, 12:12 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
Feb. 3, 2011, 12:39 p.m. CST
What up, BSB?
by THE_CHOPPAH
I hear they're remaking 100 Days of Zooey with Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron.
Feb. 3, 2011, 12:45 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
Well, they kinda remade (500) Days with Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling and called it Blue Valentine. Damn but that movie kicked my ass. Have you seen it? Check it out, but definitely solo. This is not one you want to be sitting down with the wife/GF for.
Feb. 3, 2011, 1:28 p.m. CST
Never Let Me Go big disappointment
by Jymn
This is not nearly Oscar worthy. It is pedestrian, with a glacial pace. The invasive score is annoying. The performances are uniformly excellent but the characters tempt the limits of passivity. I keep losing my way because daydreaming sets in. I understand Harry's empathy with the flick considering his recent past but for the rest of us, be forewarned. It's a bit of a yawner.
Feb. 3, 2011, 1:33 p.m. CST
No, haven't seen Blue Valentine yet, but I'm glad Michelle Williams is getting mad props
by THE_CHOPPAH
I always thought she was just as cute as Holmes on Dawson's Creek and now it turns out she's a much better actress to boot.
Feb. 3, 2011, 1:40 p.m. CST
until we see what this Star Wars set contains
by mrbong
giving Blu Ray a big, wide miss. have no fucking interest in watching Avatar again, but they can have my money if the 30 hours George Lucas promises to spunk up on blu ray looks worth it.
Feb. 3, 2011, 1:56 p.m. CST
Re: Let Me In - like stated above not "Americanized"
by openthepodbaydoorshal
I saw the original quite a while ago, so although there are some scenes that are almost identically staged (climbing the hospital wall, for example), Reeves retained the feeling of the original, while added bits and pieces of his own. I don't recall the Romeo and Juliet subtext. The use of the perfectly named candy Now AND Later. Finding the photos of her "father" as a young boy. The earlier mentioned car attack scene and eventual crash. That scene alone reminded me of Hitchcock (sp. Frenzy), when the killer is cornered and trapped, and your sense of empathy is directed toward the killer. Of course, how could you go wrong with Richard Jenkins. And that brings up casting. The original Oskar, was cast by an actor who looked more like a punk bully, than someone picked on by bullies. I felt little sympathy for him. Kodi Smit-McPhee, so good in The Road, was perhaps a little too sweet faced, but you felt for his struggle at home and at school. And his slightly feminine features (big eyes, full lips - the bullies constant taunt, calling him a girl) helped blur the line between the sexuality of him and Abby (who also kept stating she was not a girl). It was never meant to be a sexual relationship, but two outcasts drawn together. That was depicted much subtler than the "crotch shot" in the original. Is one better than the other? Its like two different flavors of ice cream. One may prefer one to the other, but they both taste great.
Feb. 3, 2011, 2:25 p.m. CST
LTROI and LMI are not two flavors of ice cream
by THE_CHOPPAH
LTROI is the ice cream and LMI is the derivative shit that comes out the other end of Hollywood's digestive track.
Feb. 3, 2011, 3:32 p.m. CST
Let Me In was terrific
by Powers Boothe
Don't listen to the bitter assholes on here who try to tell you otherwise.
Feb. 3, 2011, 4:02 p.m. CST
by AsimovLives
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN has no weakness. You know why Harry praises LET ME IN so much? Because it was directed by Matt Reeves, who is one of the underlings of Jar Jar Abrams, who is Harry's real boss. Harry has to obey his master's voice absolutly. Woe Harry if he ever say anything less positive about any of the people from Team Abrams and their works.
Feb. 3, 2011, 4:05 p.m. CST
by AsimovLives
Tell them, man, tell them. And since you are so cool with LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, and i believe you do like horror movies, did you ever watched the norwegian slasher movie COLD PREY and it's sequel COLD PREY II? They are really good, two of the best slashers i ever seen, since ever. They ar enot very origina, but they are very well made by talented filmmakers, and it has one of the top best final girl ever in the genre. Since you are not aversed to foreign filmmaking, i can't recomend those movies enough. Check it out, man. Just, please, watch them in their original norwegain language with english subtitles, because the english dub is horrible!
Feb. 3, 2011, 4:07 p.m. CST
by AsimovLives
Rewatch the original and amend the error of your ways.
Feb. 3, 2011, 4:54 p.m. CST
asi - don't hate Let Me In just because Reeves once worked for your mortal enemy
by openthepodbaydoorshal
Reeves once directed a movie starring David Schwimmer..so should we all burn our Friends DVDs? Ok..granted. I don't know anyone who actually owns any Friends DVDs, but.. Have you seen Let Me In? If you have and you hate it..fine. I found I liked the remake better than the original..may the earth open up and swallow me whole.
Feb. 3, 2011, 6:04 p.m. CST
Rented resident evil latest. That
by UltraTron
fkn hammer/axe! That's the loudest and most intimidating thing ever. Like hulk smashing a wall that's made of something hulk resistant. Just loud folks. Sounds absolutely like it's happening. Worth a rental for sure.
Feb. 3, 2011, 8:30 p.m. CST
Geoffry Has-the-piles
by maxjohnson1971
Man, you don't like anyone on here do you?
Feb. 3, 2011, 8:32 p.m. CST
by maxjohnson1971
Just added Cold Prey to my Netflix instant. Gonna check that out. I dig foreign movies. But what is the deal on Netflix if anyone knows? I started watching Ip Man one night and it was dubbed. Resumed it later and it was NOT dubbed. What the hell?
Feb. 3, 2011, 8:34 p.m. CST
by maxjohnson1971
Honored. And I haven't seen Let Me In, but heard it was great, even improving on the original in a couple of aspects. I can't imagine it being better than the original, but I'll check it out. Hell, even if it's half as good as Let the Right One In, it'll be pretty good.
Feb. 3, 2011, 9:50 p.m. CST
Whoa, someone thought the original Oskar looked like a PUNK BULLY?
by D.Vader
Where did you grow up? That kid was a total dweeb. Sympathetic, yes, but NO kid that skinny is a bully, holy crap.
Feb. 4, 2011, 12:12 a.m. CST
Sure it's shit but it's the most fun zombie shit
by UltraTron
lately. Some good stuff here and there. Wesker boss fight is spot-on from 5. I like that everything is already destroyed in that world. There's no bullshit like we have to put up with. It's uplifting
Feb. 4, 2011, 3:49 a.m. CST
Let Me In kills all of the subtlety of the original
by MattmanReturns
I love that the only complaint people can conjure against Let The Right One In is CG cats (which honestly I barely noticed until talkbackers started whining endlessly about them). I did not find the vampire nearly as scary in Let Me In, because Reeves has no understanding that what you don't see is scarier than what you do. Reeves has her growling and acting like a ravenous animal. His answer to the original is to heighten everything, and in the process he forgot what made the original great. Or maybe he never knew. Let Me In is basically just a dumbed down version for people who don't like to think or read.
Feb. 4, 2011, 3:50 a.m. CST
Also, Best Buy's "Almost Famous" bootleg blu-ray kicks ass
by MattmanReturns
On sale this week for $15.
Feb. 4, 2011, 7:57 a.m. CST
Never Let Me Wake Up
by quantize
sorry, wanted so much to like it, but damn..its was absurdly snoozy. I could not find empathy for people acting like sheep from the first frame.
Feb. 4, 2011, 8:03 a.m. CST
by quantize
the waft of self important bullshit and the senseless loathing of a filmmaker who, ok..is not always brilliant, but is far from the worst working in sci-fi and genre films. AssholeLives continues to nauseatingly stroke his little intellectual sausage...wasting oxygen when Abrams is clearly able to make entertaining films and is obviously not concerned with presenting self indulgent intellectual masturbation to the level Asshole desires.
Feb. 4, 2011, 8:58 a.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
Nothing against BrainDrain, but that was some expert Choppage.
Feb. 4, 2011, 9:02 a.m. CST
Bought 3 blu rays after reading the reviews
by steve
I really look forward to Harry's reviews of the new movies coming out. Bought 'let me in', 'monsters' and 'never let me go' mainly due to Harry's reviews of them. And those negative folks complaining about Harry's stream of consciousness while he writes the reviews really need to go somewhere else. I personally like to know the guy persuading me to buy cool movies is actually a human being. Isn't that what makes this website, ya know, 'cool'?
Feb. 4, 2011, 9:34 a.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
Feb. 4, 2011, 9:44 a.m. CST
the chateau marmont tells everyone "this is the room Belushi died in"
by Professor_Monster
And tourist like you believe it. I'm willing to bet it wasn't the room.
Feb. 4, 2011, 9:45 a.m. CST
"At Piece"
by Moniker Jones
Isn't that the painting of you in front of a slice of key lime pie?
Feb. 4, 2011, 2:03 p.m. CST
If they wanted to MTV-ify "Let Me In"...
by zer0cool2k2
Firstly, is "MTV-ify" even a valid term any more? They don't show music videos, so what does that even mean? To add the cast of Jersey shore to a project? Anyway, back to my point: I'm sure they could have made the kids older, say Selena Gomez as "Abby" and Justin Bieber as "Owen", added a Goth-pop soundtrack, put in more sex and violence, and made a bundle on opening weekend.(While turning the film into total garbage). Instead, the studio allowed Reeves to make a lovely American version of a book that had already been turned into a very good Swedish film. Sadly, the general population that had never heard of the book/original film weren't drawn in since it wasn't "MTV-ized", and most people who knew how great the story was, turned their backs on the film before it was even released.
Feb. 4, 2011, 4:26 p.m. CST
geoffrey_fourmyle, LET ME IN a good movie? Perhaps!
by AsimovLives
The great movie that compares with the original as AICN wants us to believe? You got to be kidding me!
Feb. 4, 2011, 4:27 p.m. CST
by AsimovLives
Jar Jar Abrams is not my mortal enemy, he's my immortal ulcer. The enemy is Mickey Bay.
Feb. 4, 2011, 4:29 p.m. CST
by AsimovLives
I don't have Nexflix in my coutnry. and evne if i did, i wouldn't rent movies form it. I prefer to go to my local video rental shop and browse. I love to hold the movie's case in my hand before i rent them. Besides, the counter girls are hot.
Feb. 4, 2011, 4:34 p.m. CST
maxjohnson1971, about the Cold Prey movies
by AsimovLives
I do think you will like COLD PREY, both movies, 1 and 2. They are not orioginal movies per se. Everything you see in them, every plot turn, you ahve seen them many times before. but it's the presentation that makes the difference. And for once, the yougn victims are all likable people you feel sorry for their deaths. How many times have you see that in a slasher? Mostly, the slasher victims are asholes you can't wait to get a knife through their eye- sockets. Not so in this movies. Also, you will love the final girl. Sh'es everythign a final girl should be, and the actress plays the hell out of the role. they actually got a really talented (and mighty cute) actress for the final girl role. I found this movies to be good fun, and added to the "exoticism" of it being norwegian movies set in snowy winter, it all adds to it's enjoyment.
Feb. 4, 2011, 4:37 p.m. CST
by openthepodbaydoorshal
At a time when American made horror films consist of remakes of 80's slasher flicks starring the latest cast or castoff of the CW, or has to add 3D to lure in the fast first weekend buck, we should applaud Let Me In for being a patient, serious, well made horror film. BTW, the author, the AUTHOR, was impressed with Reeves adaptation and even liked Cloverfield because he felt it was an original take on an old genre. So LMI haters....take it up with the author, fuckwads.
Feb. 4, 2011, 4:41 p.m. CST
There's no way LET ME IN can improve on the original LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
by AsimovLives
Part of what makes LET THE RIGHT ONE IN so good is how un-hollywood it is. There is no way that a movie exactly like LET THE RIGHT ONE IN would be made in Holywood. They would get terribly scared by the freak outs from midwest america that it would eventually happen. Nobody in Holywood would even wanted to touch that movie. What makes LET THE RIGHT ON IN so good is that it is not afraid to mess about with taboos. It's not jsut what it shows but what it implies. And then there's the fact that the movie embraces it's own ambiguity. No explanations, no suddent reveals, no last minute redemptions to godliness, none of that crap. Can LET ME IN match that? Not in a thousand years. LET ME IN, will be, at best, the cliff notes of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN without the moral shock stuff. I'm not saying it will be a bad movie. I know it will be a well made movie, Matt Reeves showed his technical skills CLOVERFIELD quite well. But comparable and better then LET THE RIGHT ONE IN? That's a laugh!
Feb. 4, 2011, 4:42 p.m. CST
d.vader, in the original movie Oskar is the bullied, not the bully.
by AsimovLives
Oskar is the protagonist of the story, remember?
Feb. 4, 2011, 4:43 p.m. CST
How else do I know Let Me In was good?
by openthepodbaydoorshal
Because I watched it with my 18 year old daughter, and she was BORED TO TEARS.
Feb. 4, 2011, 4:50 p.m. CST
by AsimovLives
Jar Jar Abrams made a very stupid shitty movie whose flaws are beyond obvious. That's part one. Part two, he sold it as the second coming of christ. Part three it was the mindless cock sucking that people WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER did on him and the retard stupid movie he made. Part four was the insult he did with his movie on an already established franchise, which was known for it's intelligence, quality, and literary qualities, and turned it into a Michael Bay-type dumb ass stupid movie. Part five, and as it was not enough, Jar Jar Abrams turned it into another version of his own created FELICITY show, the egocentiral fuck. Any of this reasons is enough to despise the fucker for life. Imagine what those five together do. There is no way anybody who genuinaly loves cinema can endure and accept the bullshit Jar Jar Abrams. He's the second coming of Michael Bay.
Feb. 4, 2011, 4:52 p.m. CST
bringingsexyback, painting it too simplistic aren't we, friend?
by AsimovLives
Does it make it easy on you?
Feb. 4, 2011, 5:01 p.m. CST
So wait...one...minute....Asi, you've not seen Let Me In
by openthepodbaydoorshal
but you're ready to shit all over it? Simply based on the fact that its a product of Hollywood? Because as we all know Hollywood only produces shit, right? Many, MANY have said both LTROI and LMI can exist as fine examples of the same source material. Such lamebrain amateur hacks like Roger Ebert and Stephen King to name two. The idea of the same wine from different bottles...you've heard of it, no?
Feb. 4, 2011, 5:22 p.m. CST
by zer0cool2k2
I don't know if you are agreeing with me, or you missed my point. I love Let Me In for exactly the reasons you state. I have the Blu-Ray of both Let The right One In, and Let Me In. I also look forward to reading the original novel, as time permits. I'm glad they didn't got the typical route, (not that i mind a good old 80's style slasher flick now and again, but most of them are a dime a dozen). I just wish Let Me In would have gotten more support from the AICN community. (The same group that influenced me to seek out Let The Right One In).
Feb. 4, 2011, 6:47 p.m. CST
i think asimov is talkin about mission impossible 3
by stu_pickles
no? cause felicity was in that movie right
Feb. 4, 2011, 10:24 p.m. CST
"Monsters" ... My 2 cents
by Partyslammer
I agree with some others here that the film comes nowhere close to living up to the hype. There's basically about 5 minutes total worth of "monster" footage/action and the other 90 or so minutes is mediocre and utterly predictable drama between the two leads. And yeah, the immigration subtext is laid on with a heavy hand. Even with all that, I wasn't having a real problem with the movie 'til the end when after being threatened by the Octolobster or whatever it's called and watching two of them make out in what's meant to be an almost "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind" style rhapsodic moment, the chick exclaims teary-eyed that she don't wanna go home. The only thing that could have saved that ending was if one of those giant fuckers suddenly dropped in and bit her head off. If the director of this movie is going to have a heavy hand in the Godzilla remake, it's gonna suck badly.
Feb. 4, 2011, 11:18 p.m. CST
i literally just finished monsters like ten minutes ago
by stu_pickles
i liked it quite a bit despite some cheesy dialog. i love the feeling of something huge lingering nearby but pretty much unseen until it kind of creeps in, better shit occupying its mind then tiny humans. like in The Mist when you see the massive monster walk in front of the truck. i love shit like that. anyway i dug the look and vibe i got from the movie. and the monsters were simple and cool enough looking. worth a rent.
Feb. 5, 2011, 2:25 a.m. CST
Who claims J.J is the second coming?
by MandrakeRoot
I've never seen or heard anyone ever say J.J Abrams is the second coming or anything remotely close to that. In fact I didn't even think people really thought that highly of him. I personally didn't really like Star Trek very much but there's not really much to hate there either, so I can't possibly imagine how somehow could hold such an intense grudge about what's nothing more then just a light fluffy, but forgettable blockbuster movie. Also I agree Let The Right One In was a masterpiece but that's no reason to hate the remake. It's a great story and an American Filmmaker wanted to retell it for an American audience. Even if tons of people had seen the original I still don't see a problem. And with all of the awful dreck made here I would think people would applaud an all around well-done movie like Let Me In, remake or not. Or perhaps we can continue getting gems like "The Roomate".
Feb. 5, 2011, 10:50 a.m. CST
Asimov, did you read my post on Oskar?
by D.Vader
Here's what I said: "Whoa, someone thought the original Oskar looked like a PUNK BULLY? by d.vader Where did you grow up? That kid was a total dweeb. Sympathetic, yes, but NO kid that skinny is a bully, holy crap." It was a response to someone who thought Oskar LOOKED LIKE A BULLY and that the kid in the American remake was better suited for the part. Take some time to read everyone's posts before you jump to wrong conclusions.
Feb. 5, 2011, 2:50 p.m. CST
by openthepodbaydoorshal
I agree with you 100%.
Feb. 6, 2011, 11:03 a.m. CST
by AsimovLives
Obviosuly you have not read my posts completly.
Feb. 6, 2011, 11:11 a.m. CST
by AsimovLives
You claim that you are a long time trekkie and you loved Abrams's Trek? I find it hard to believe. I don't believe it. I don't. How can a trekkie, who knows his Star Trek inside out, could ever be cool with the bastardization and dumbification that Abrams and his two writing colaborators did? How can you have failed to noticed that? BNo, man, i don't believe in that long time trekkie thing. Unless you are one of those trekkies who think that if you get into the Abrams bangwagon you will score some manstream pussy. "Yeah, baby, i liked this new Star -Trek movie too? You mainstream girl you lçiked it too, yeah? Yeah! We have so much in common, don't we? Can i come with you to your house?" Well, dude, if that is your strategy, desist, the mainstream pussy will not come your way just because you decided to go with the Abrams Trek dreck. It will not work. You better keep on the trekkie trek, and hope that one day you will find some hot trekkie nerd chick Jolene Blalock. They exist, you just have to look it up. Otherwise, it's a complete betrayal of all that Star Trek upholds your love and enjoyment of Jar Jar Abrams' BETRAYAL TREK bullshit. One doesn't need to be a trekkie to udnerstand what a betrayal and mockery his so called Trek movie is.
Feb. 6, 2011, 11:12 a.m. CST
by AsimovLives
All of Jar Jar Abrams Tv shows and movies have been remakes of FELICITY in one way or another. He never changes, he only repeat himself and steals and rip offs other people better efforts.
Feb. 6, 2011, 11:17 a.m. CST
by AsimovLives
"Who claims J.J is the second coming?" Are you very new to AICN? Or to America? Because when Jar Jar Abrams's FRAUD TREK was release, everybody went on their knees and suck the cock and swallowed the cum of Jar Jar Abrams and hailed him as god and savior, the only THE ONE who was capable of bring Star Trek back to the starving millions. It was hardcore pornographic. I have never seen such disgusting mindless brainless blind devotion before outside of a TV evangelical congregation con show.
Feb. 6, 2011, 11:18 a.m. CST
by AsimovLives
I reread your post you recopied above and it still reads confusing and hard to understand your point.
Feb. 6, 2011, 1:39 p.m. CST
by maxjohnson1971
The first on is on instant, so I can check it out anytime. If I like it, I'll check out the second one. Thanks for the recommendation.
Feb. 6, 2011, 1:40 p.m. CST
by maxjohnson1971
You are right. I AM a nice guy (who also happens to be LEAVING Louisiana in about 5 weeks.) Peace man.
Feb. 6, 2011, 11:53 p.m. CST
When was the last time Star Trek was good?
by spire_walk
Feb. 7, 2011, 12:24 p.m. CST
the last time I watched some startrek it was great.
by UltraTron
I always enjoy it. I think it was the original motion picture. Love it. Think it was a couple weeks ago. So I guess I'd say startrek was good about 2 weeks ago.
Feb. 7, 2011, 12:40 p.m. CST
I just want to take this opportunity to
by UltraTron
bash woody Allen for never having bothered to even use sound design in any of his films. No surround on any movie. His insistence on a flat mono soundstage for each and every movie does absolutely nothing but diminish the experience. Hearing live dialogue at a play is much more involving than his flat, rangeless shit audio. Sorry Woody. You have an entire body of work with easily the go-to worst audio examples from any era you've made films in. Care to even try and defend these decisions? Seriously what could you say? Your intention was to strip people of every contrivance a movie can add to a narrative?
Feb. 7, 2011, 7:38 p.m. CST
The guy probably meant "This is the HOTEL where Belushi died".
by Missing Dink
Feb. 7, 2011, 8:08 p.m. CST
Ultratron, Re: Star Trek
by spire_walk
So the last time you think Trek was good was 1979? I think that's basically my feeling: it's been a long fucking time since Trek was good. I liked Wrath of Khan, Undiscovered Country, and DS9. Everything else was an episodic, reset button mashing, socialist pajama party with sterile action and acting, with characters that were more archetypes than "real" people. Social agendas from only one side of the social spectrum are preached, and the laws of physics are broken to make sure the plot upholds the social science. I think that mentality permeates certain fields of real science nowadays. Thanks Star Trek. Is this just a hatefest on the Left by me? I would be just as pissed off if it were a neocon shit fest also, I just can't prove it because there's never been a Neocon sci fi series. But I digress... here's what makes Trek a fucking wank fest for Left Coast socialists: Picard and the feds would rather see genocide than interfere with a species. God forbid. Why? Because the ideology behind the Prime Directive is more important than preserving intelligent life. Fuck that. And fuck the idea that giving people replicators or other valuable tech is evil because, "They aren't ready, and they aren't evolved yet like us." Yeah right. They base that whole fucking premise on human history, which has been a history of struggles over a scarcity of resources. With replicators there are no scarce resources. And the aliens. Fuck the aliens. Ferringi? Comes from the Arabic "faranj," meaning greedy western capitalists. They were intended to be the arch rival of the federation, but they were so one-dimensional and so unrealistically evil (in order to be defeated by the socialist ideology of Star Trek) that they sucked and no one liked them until DS9. Hence the Romulans and Borg had to be made the arch enemies. Then we have Klingons... Worf was always the close-minded primitive who was being house broken by his human betters. Once again DS9 had to come along and add depth the to Klingons. Now for J.J. Trek. I think so many people fucking hate it because it lacked all of this moral superiority socialist bullshit. Was it smart sci fi? No... but then again, it wasn't there to preach a failed 19th century doctrine of socio-economics.
Feb. 24, 2011, 9:09 a.m. CST
I liked both
by Raggles Wimpole
I liked "Let the Right One In" & "Let Me In." Why are people so bent out of shape about this remake? For all the shitty remakes & reboots we got one that was good & no one supported it. Even the writer of the novel on which both films were based said he loved the remake. I'm sorry but Richard Jenkins was 100 times better in the role of the "father" than Per Ragnar. I also thought that the bullying subplot in the remake was more horrifying than in the original. And you cannot tell me that in the realm of remakes that this was worse than Tim Burton's "Planet of the Apes," Gus Van Sant's "Psycho" or fucking "Swept Away."
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