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As for American Gangster....Ridley hasn't made a solid movie since "Gladiator" imho. He's just coasting on his past accolades at this point.

Gladiator is one of those generic Hollywood period productions that I just can't stand and will never be able to tolerate. On the other hand, I was very pleased and moved by Matchstick Men.

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I consider Hannibal and Black Hawk Down to be much stronger films than Gladiator. The only reason it works is because of Russell Crowe. Cast anyone else and it's just a lot of laughable dialogue and annoying editing, IMO.

Oh well excuse me your majesty if the dialogue wasn't upto par for you. Like you said, Russell Crowe makes the movie. :D That role works on pure charisma and coupled with Ridley's sumptuous visuals, it's a winner. I will concede that at it's core it's a hollywood fluff piece and the editing was an eye sore....but hey....it was still glorious entertainment.

I haven't seen Hannibal and Black Hawk Down since their theatrical run so....maybe you're right? I remember almost nothing from those films except Anthony Hopkins making soufle' out of some guy's brains.... :monkey:

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As for American Gangster....Ridley hasn't made a solid movie since "Gladiator" imho. He's just coasting on his past accolades at this point.

Gladiator is one of those generic Hollywood period productions that I just can't stand and will never be able to tolerate. On the other hand, I was very pleased and moved by Matchstick Men.

That's a shame you felt that way about Gladiator. I understand the criticism but feel it was made competently enough to transcend the period film cliche. It's certainly head and shoulders above stuff like Troy and Alexander (which isn't saying much I know...but still). To each their own I guess.

Matchstick Men was a Ridley movie? I forgot all about that one. That was quite good...actually. I probably should revise my statement to say that I haven't liked Ridley's last three films (Body of Lies, Kingdom of Heaven, and American Gangster). He's capable of much better work but seems intent on phoning it in. His new movie with Russell Crowe ,"Nottingham", doesn't sound very promising either. I am a huge fan of Crowe but he's about as wrong for Robin Hood as Kevin Costner was.

This might sound crazy but I actually find his brother Tony Scott's recent work more "interesting"....atleast he seems to be taking some risks with the material he's doing.

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I consider Hannibal and Black Hawk Down to be much stronger films than Gladiator. The only reason it works is because of Russell Crowe. Cast anyone else and it's just a lot of laughable dialogue and annoying editing, IMO.

Oh well excuse me your majesty if the dialogue wasn't upto par for you. Like you said, Russell Crowe makes the movie. :D That role works on pure charisma and coupled with Ridley's sumptuous visuals, it's a winner. I will concede that at it's core it's a hollywood fluff piece and the editing was an eye sore....but hey....it was still glorious entertainment.

I haven't seen Hannibal and Black Hawk Down since their theatrical run so....maybe you're right? I remember almost nothing from those films except Anthony Hopkins making soufle' out of some guy's brains.... :monkey:

:lol: Joaquin Phoenix is wonderful too. I'll freely admit to being blown away the first time I saw it. It's just upon repeat viewings and reflection that the fundamental weakness of it becomes more apparent. I think Black Hawk Down is seriously underrated. As long as you go in expecting a demented black comedy and not a proper sequel to SOtL (or a respectful rendering of the loathsome and ridiculous novel), Hannibal is absolute bliss.

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Hannibal is absolute bliss.

I'll have to revisit that one. I just remember being totally disturbed by the Mason Verger character, who I was astonished to find was performed by Gary Oldman years later. No fucking wonder. What a god.

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Hannibal is absolute bliss.

I'll have to revisit that one. I just remember being totally disturbed by the Mason Verger character, who I was astonished to find was performed by Gary Oldman years later. No fucking wonder. What a god.

1)Hannibal sucked, you know you're in trouble when Brett Ratner makes a better Lecter movie than you.

2)Gladiator was moving and kicked ass. When you got a character like Maximus the rest doesn't matter.

3)I personally like Miami Vice (movie) but Mann fucked it up. It could've been so much better imo. The look of it was great, but Mann intentionally made it too one note in an attempt to be "realistic." It was a mistake.

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I saw "Watchmen" a few hours a go and it was fairly good... Although it wasn't friendly to the chicks dragged along by their boyfriends.

The plot does suck towards the end too, longest ending sequence ever, we get it their is peace because all those people died, I needed a line not a thesis.

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Hannibal is absolute bliss.

I'll have to revisit that one. I just remember being totally disturbed by the Mason Verger character, who I was astonished to find was performed by Gary Oldman years later. No fucking wonder. What a god.

1)Hannibal sucked, you know you're in trouble when Brett Ratner makes a better Lecter movie than you.

2)Gladiator was moving and kicked ass. When you got a character like Maximus the rest doesn't matter.

3)I personally like Miami Vice (movie) but Mann fucked it up. It could've been so much better imo. The look of it was great, but Mann intentionally made it too one note in an attempt to be "realistic." It was a mistake.

I did not like the Miami Vice movie. It looked like a documentary, which is great in some cases, but not in Miami Vice. Just made it look shoddy.

I would've vastly prefered a true all out 80's Miami Vice.

Also, anyone saw Valkyrie?

valkyrie.jpg

Watched it yesterday and was genuinly surprised. Really solid film, Cruise is great in the lead role and the supporting actors were perfect for their roles.

It was not turned into a generic Hollywood-action movie but instead a more subdued drama which worked much better. Great photo and scenery too.

Edited by Demon Wolf
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I liked the speedboat ride in Miami Vice movie.

That was the best part of the movie. Beautifully realized. It perfectly captured the escapist spirit of Miami Vice.

As long as you go in expecting a demented black comedy and not a proper sequel to SOtL (or a respectful rendering of the loathsome and ridiculous novel), Hannibal is absolute bliss.

I'll have to rent that one again. I remember thinking "meh" the first time I saw it...which was a better reaction than I had for Ratboy's take on Manhunter.

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Hannibal is absolute bliss.

I'll have to revisit that one. I just remember being totally disturbed by the Mason Verger character, who I was astonished to find was performed by Gary Oldman years later. No fucking wonder. What a god.

1)Hannibal sucked, you know you're in trouble when Brett Ratner makes a better Lecter movie than you.

2)Gladiator was moving and kicked ass. When you got a character like Maximus the rest doesn't matter.

3)I personally like Miami Vice (movie) but Mann fucked it up. It could've been so much better imo. The look of it was great, but Mann intentionally made it too one note in an attempt to be "realistic." It was a mistake.

We're in agreement on #2 and 3....not sure about #1. Miami Vice was such a waste of a great concept. I went into the movie expecting "Heat" and came out feeling punked. It was like a half baked police procedural inspired by Joe Carnahan's "Narc". Where was the fun? The glamor? the excitement? The first 10 minutes and the boat ride to cuba are pure miami vice. The rest of it is just a dour gritty and ultimately boring snapshot of undercover cops. It's a solid if uninspired effort...I can't imagine what he was thinking setting half the movie in the back alleys of Miami. Apparently South Beach was "played out" according to Mann....and yet the movie is called Miami Vice. :monkey:

Edited by TheSpecialist
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Hannibal is absolute bliss.

I'll have to revisit that one. I just remember being totally disturbed by the Mason Verger character, who I was astonished to find was performed by Gary Oldman years later. No fucking wonder. What a god.

1)Hannibal sucked, you know you're in trouble when Brett Ratner makes a better Lecter movie than you.

2)Gladiator was moving and kicked ass. When you got a character like Maximus the rest doesn't matter.

3)I personally like Miami Vice (movie) but Mann fucked it up. It could've been so much better imo. The look of it was great, but Mann intentionally made it too one note in an attempt to be "realistic." It was a mistake.

We're in agreement on #2 and 3....not sure about #1. Miami Vice was such a waste of a great concept. I went into the movie expecting "Heat" and came out feeling punked. It was like a half baked police procedural inspired by Joe Carnahan's "Narc". Where was the fun? The glamor? the excitement? The first 10 minutes and the boat ride to cuba are pure miami vice. The rest of it is just a dour gritty and ultimately boring snapshot of undercover cops. It's a solid if uninspired effort...I can't imagine what he was thinking setting half the movie in the back alleys of Miami. Apparently South Beach was "played out" according to Mann....and yet the movie is called Miami Vice. :monkey:

Yep, totally agree. Here's a few other thoughts on the film:

1) Like you said, should've been more "Fun" and excitement mixed in with a serious undertone (like the show).

2) Sonny Crockett (Farrell) should've been smoking in this movie!!!! I know the Mann (Insider) no smoking thing, but still.

3) Tubbs should've been played by Gary Dourdan (CSI guy) who seems better in every way to play the part.

4) Couldn't Mann have found a beautiful lead actress who was actually Cuban (not chinese) and could actually fucking speak english?

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Watchmen did nothing for me, apart from incite me to repeatedly beat the person I was sitting next to on the head with a rolled up cinema journal after he dared proclaim affection for the altered, and significantly less tragic ending. :lol: The rest of the movie was much easier to appreciate, but what irked me throughout was that there was obviously very much love put into generating a similar visual atmosphere as in the graphic novel during specific scenes, but overall, when all those scenes were strung together, they didn't gel. There seemed to have been no underlying focus on the big picture, instead providing one with an arresting and superfically accurate series of small pictures. Which is entertaining enough if you've never read the source material, but when you have, you're far better off ignoring this adaptation.

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Even though I thought the movie was great, my biggest gripe with it was that....

SPOILERS

Right from the beginning, they might as well give away that Veidt was the "villain", mainly because of his attitude. He just seems like a dickhead from the beginning of the movie, and you just don't get that feel in the comic.

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Assassination (Charles Bronson)

Charles Bronson plays a secret service guy thats gotta keep the first lady from getting killed by this terrorist motherfucker hired by an unscrupulous senator whoose using his position to like...manipulate power. Tonsa plot-holes, some pretty shockingly corny action sequences but give him a break, he was prolly knockin' on 70 when they made this motherfucker...who cares, it Charlie Bronson :lol:

Edited by dirtylenny
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Anyone ever see Of Mice and Men? We're reading the play in school and my teacher said that next week we are going to watch the one with Malkovich and Sinise. I can't wait.

I hate to be 'that guy' but I prefer the original one with Burgess Meredith. Not that the new one is bad at all, though.

Speaking of Stienbeck film adaptations, The Grapes of Wrath is one of the best movies ever filmed, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys anything.

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