OT: Movie rental suggestions

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 4:42 pm

The rottentomatoes score is incredible.

It's a short film. 88 minutes, I believe. My wife and I watched it straight through twice in a row, the second time with the director's and cast's commentary on.

We hadn't meant to, but things were interesting enough to pull us entirely through a second viewing.

Jayhawker · Post by **Jayhawker** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 5:19 pm

sportdan30 wrote:Well, just in case anyone was wondering I did rent "Supersize Me" and "Meet the Fockers". "Supersize Me" truly had a profound impact on my diet and lifestyle. Even before I watched the documentary, I ceased ordering fries. It hasn't been easy, but I'm going to see how long I can go without them. Superb film. They really oughta make this mandatory to watch in high school. I'm just amazed at the cr*p all these kids eat at lunch.

You should check out the show, "30 Days" on FX. Morgan Spurlock is doing a weekly show where you someone spends 30 days living someone else's life. last week he and his fiance lived in Columbus, Ohio on minimum wage for 30 days. Great show.

http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/origina ... /main.html

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 5:58 pm

Considering I just finished reading James Ellroy's "American Tabloid," I recommend "L.A. Confidential," based on the Ellroy's book of the same title. Ellroy's books seemingly are impossible to convey on film due to the dense, twisting complex plot intersections, but the director of this flick really pulled it off.

Great flick if you're into period crime pictures. Late 40s, early 50s, L.A. Fantastic movie, with Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe and Kim Basinger at their best.

Take care,
PK

maddoc1979 · Post by **maddoc1979** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 6:12 pm

I think LA Confidential is better as a movie than as a book...which is the first time that's ever happened to me. Really good flick...

Doc

sfz_T-car · Post by **sfz_T-car** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 6:34 pm

As a movie, LA Confidential is a pretty skillful adaptation with excellent casting (except for Danny DeVito who acts like he's in a different film).

It's definitely different from the novel, with much of the violence, bigotry and moral ambiguity removed. Trashcan Jack Vincennes is a much more sympathetic character in the movie.

I still like the book better but the movie holds up really well without any foreknowledge of the book. Considering the complexity and length of the novel, that's a pretty amazing achievement.

Sportdan: Regarding Troy. Veni, Vidi, Ve forgot about it a half hour after leaving the theater. Overall it's really really average. The batte scenes are spectacular, the dialog less so. Saffron Burrows is one hot MILF as Mrs. Hector.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 7:39 pm

Momento...Not My favorite Movie but different and under manys radar.

Damn thing gives Me the creeps...There is one scene where My hair just stands on end.

Great movie...if ya have the time to think...better the second time.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 8:24 pm

If you have Direct TV, especially with one of the premiums, there are a lot of good choices, with IFC, Sundance along with something like HBO Signature.

Caught Barcelona the other day, a terrific movie if you don't mind long dialogues.

Then I saw Swingers playing Sunday afternoon. Could not help not watching for a little while. Still funny.

Instead of buying a DVD player, as cheap as they are, what about using a console for awhile? High definition disc players are due within the next year, supposedly, so don't spend too much on a DVD player.

Ultimately, PPV could be more interesting if they get titles the same time as they're released on DVDs. That is supposedly what Murdoch is trying but he has to go against Wal Mart.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 8:42 pm

I recommend "Hitch". Better than I thought and Kevin James stole the show. He was hilarious.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 10:25 pm

Excellent pick on "LA Confidential". I still remember it vividly. One of those movies I could watch more than once and I never watch movies more than one time. It was that good.

"Momento" is one f'd up movie, but in a spectacular way. I don't believe I've ever seen a movie quite like it. As soon as you thought you knew what was going on, it went in a completely different direction. Highly recommened for sure.

I rented "The Station Agent" this evening, but for whatever reason I watched the Jennifer Wilbanks special with Katie Couric. Still not buying this broad's story. If she gets rich off of this, she'll go down as one of the most selfish and ignorant individual's to ever grace this earth.

Back on topic. Got the movie until Sunday, so I'll definitely watch it before then. The reviews are phenomenal.

Btw, if anyone hasn't seen "October Sky", rent it. Be prepared to wipe a tear or two away.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 10:26 pm

Diablo25 wrote:I recommend "Hitch". Better than I thought and Kevin James stole the show. He was hilarious.

Kevin James from "King of Queens"? I love that guy! Is it out on DVD yet? That's a definite rental for me.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 10:28 pm

wco81 wrote:If you have Direct TV, especially with one of the premiums, there are a lot of good choices, with IFC, Sundance along with something like HBO Signature.

Caught Barcelona the other day, a terrific movie if you don't mind long dialogues.

Then I saw Swingers playing Sunday afternoon. Could not help not watching for a little while. Still funny.

Instead of buying a DVD player, as cheap as they are, what about using a console for awhile? High definition disc players are due within the next year, supposedly, so don't spend too much on a DVD player.

Ultimately, PPV could be more interesting if they get titles the same time as they're released on DVDs. That is supposedly what Murdoch is trying but he has to go against Wal Mart.

I have to go with WCO, if you have direct TV with the extra's you shouldn't have to rent a movie.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 10:38 pm

sportdan30 wrote:
Diablo25 wrote:I recommend "Hitch". Better than I thought and Kevin James stole the show. He was hilarious.
Kevin James from "King of Queens"? I love that guy! Is it out on DVD yet? That's a definite rental for me.

Came out on DVD last week.

TheTruth · Post by **TheTruth** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 11:35 pm

You won't be disappointed in Hitch. It surprised me as well when I watched it with the wife. It was pretty funny..Kevin James definitely fit the role well.

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 11:59 pm

Jayhawker wrote:
sportdan30 wrote:Well, just in case anyone was wondering I did rent "Supersize Me" and "Meet the Fockers". "Supersize Me" truly had a profound impact on my diet and lifestyle. Even before I watched the documentary, I ceased ordering fries. It hasn't been easy, but I'm going to see how long I can go without them. Superb film. They really oughta make this mandatory to watch in high school. I'm just amazed at the cr*p all these kids eat at lunch.

You should check out the show, "30 Days" on FX. Morgan Spurlock is doing a weekly show where you someone spends 30 days living someone else's life. last week he and his fiance lived in Columbus, Ohio on minimum wage for 30 days. Great show.

http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/origina ... /main.html

Yeah, I saw that show. Great show and even though you realize that he could have gotten cash at anytime, it really gave you some perspective of how some of the other people he interacted with were living. That one guy that said he was making less than his first job 30 years ago just blew me away. And they call this the land of opportunity. LOL!

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 12:03 am

Diablo25 wrote:I recommend "Hitch". Better than I thought and Kevin James stole the show. He was hilarious.

Yeah, Hitch was a really good movie. It was also one that my whole family could enjoy.

Another movie that I watched last week was The Machinist. A strange, but compelling movie that stars Christian Bale. The dude lost 63 pounds for this part and it is amazing to see a 6' 4" 12o lb man. It's kind of like Memento and The Sixth Sense in terms of there being a twist. Solid movie, though.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 4:29 pm

Thanks for the recommendation of Hitch. It was a movie that kept me entertained until the very end. The ending was a bit corny, but it didn't go too far to be not believeable. Quite entertaining.

The movie that took me by surprise that I recently watched was In Good Company. I was not expecting much as I rented it on a whim as there wasn't a great selection of new releases. What a better than average movie. Honestly, I enjoyed it more than Hitch. The acting was superb IMO. Dennis Quaid played his character great, and the young boss (don't know his name) put on a great performance.

Looking forward to renting Million Dollar Baby this weekend.

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:52 pm

webdanzer wrote:I just saw 'The Station Agent,' per Bill Harris's recommendation.

(There ya go Rob V; you're not the only one)

Great movie! And another NJ flick!

/biased

That was a really surprising movie -- great acting, good characters, and a movie I would have completely skipped had my wife not rented it.

A few other "under the radar" movies I've enjoyed in the last couple years:

Donnie Darko -- totally spooky and surreal flick set in the 80s, great ending.
Garden State -- some find it a bit too sweet, but I really liked this. Written and directed (and starring) Zack Braff from Scrubs.
Rushmore -- on my top 5. Best characters of any movie in the last 20 years.
Waiting for Guffman -- second that recommendation, especially if you like Best in Show
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart -- great documentary on Wilco.
Adaptation -- terrible ending doesn't ruin the best movie ever on the creative process. Especially awesome if you've ever fancied yourself a writer.
Three Kings -- a surprisingly deep update on Kelly's Heroes
Out of Sight -- best of the many Elmore Leonard movie adaptations. No I am not in love with George Clooney.
Heavenly Creatures -- great psychological thriller from Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson
Dead-Alive -- hard to believe this is the same Peter Jackson. Goriest movie ever, last hour is blood-splatteringly hilarious.

Jayhawker · Post by **Jayhawker** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 6:09 pm

Brando70 wrote:
A few other "under the radar" movies I've enjoyed in the last couple years:

Donnie Darko -- totally spooky and surreal flick set in the 80s, great ending.

Great movie. But I would recommend finding the original cut, and avoid the director's cut. He adds too much that spells out the plot. It's nice to watch afterward, as you try to put the pieces together, but the original just flows better.

TheMightyPuck · Post by **TheMightyPuck** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:40 pm

Made for TV but I'm enjoying the Hornblower series of films right now. Good clean fun on the high seas.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:42 pm

MOMENTO!

Rent now!

TheMightyPuck · Post by **TheMightyPuck** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:44 pm

Brando70 wrote:
webdanzer wrote:I just saw 'The Station Agent,' per Bill Harris's recommendation.

(There ya go Rob V; you're not the only one)

Great movie! And another NJ flick!

/biased
That was a really surprising movie -- great acting, good characters, and a movie I would have completely skipped had my wife not rented it.

A few other "under the radar" movies I've enjoyed in the last couple years:

Donnie Darko -- totally spooky and surreal flick set in the 80s, great ending.
Garden State -- some find it a bit too sweet, but I really liked this. Written and directed (and starring) Zack Braff from Scrubs.
Rushmore -- on my top 5. Best characters of any movie in the last 20 years.
Waiting for Guffman -- second that recommendation, especially if you like Best in Show
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart -- great documentary on Wilco.
Adaptation -- terrible ending doesn't ruin the best movie ever on the creative process. Especially awesome if you've ever fancied yourself a writer.
Three Kings -- a surprisingly deep update on Kelly's Heroes
Out of Sight -- best of the many Elmore Leonard movie adaptations. No I am not in love with George Clooney.
Heavenly Creatures -- great psychological thriller from Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson
Dead-Alive -- hard to believe this is the same Peter Jackson. Goriest movie ever, last hour is blood-splatteringly hilarious.

This is a man with outstanding taste in cinema.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:46 pm

TheMightyPuck wrote:
Brando70 wrote:
webdanzer wrote:I just saw 'The Station Agent,' per Bill Harris's recommendation.

(There ya go Rob V; you're not the only one)

Great movie! And another NJ flick!

/biased
That was a really surprising movie -- great acting, good characters, and a movie I would have completely skipped had my wife not rented it.

A few other "under the radar" movies I've enjoyed in the last couple years:

Donnie Darko -- totally spooky and surreal flick set in the 80s, great ending.
Garden State -- some find it a bit too sweet, but I really liked this. Written and directed (and starring) Zack Braff from Scrubs.
Rushmore -- on my top 5. Best characters of any movie in the last 20 years.
Waiting for Guffman -- second that recommendation, especially if you like Best in Show
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart -- great documentary on Wilco.
Adaptation -- terrible ending doesn't ruin the best movie ever on the creative process. Especially awesome if you've ever fancied yourself a writer.
Three Kings -- a surprisingly deep update on Kelly's Heroes
Out of Sight -- best of the many Elmore Leonard movie adaptations. No I am not in love with George Clooney.
Heavenly Creatures -- great psychological thriller from Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson
Dead-Alive -- hard to believe this is the same Peter Jackson. Goriest movie ever, last hour is blood-splatteringly hilarious.
This is a man with outstanding taste in cinema.

LOL

If you love George Clooney...it is da bomb!

F308GTB · Post by **F308GTB** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:07 pm

Well, just got done watching Laurel Canyon. Decent, but not great. My list of good/great rentals:

Lawrence of Arabia - a real classic
The Graduate - great tunes to match a great story
In America - wow. How old are those girls?
The Straight Story - straight out of mid-America. David Lynch's best
I am Trying to Break Your Heart - I'll give a nod to this one as well. Throwing out the back story, you still have some of the best music around
Cinema Paradiso - just incredible
Lost in Translation - whenever I want to go back to Japan, I can just throw that one in and soak it up. It nails the subtleties of the culture
For the Love of the Game - maybe a bit sappy in spots, but I find it a good baseball movie
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold - a classic spy flick from the 60s
Adaptation - another vote for this one
About Schmidt - dark Jack Nicholson comedy
Down With Love - witty, and a nice throwback to 50s/early 60s romance comedies
Suicide Kings - Christopher Walken, enough said

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:53 pm

How about naming some "I can't believe you haven't seen that movie!"....

Believe it or not, I've never seen The Graduate, The Godfather, or any of the Harry Potter movies, and Driving Miss Daisy to name a few. I know, I know....pathetic.

Would I still appreciate The Godfather in the year 2005?

F308GTB · Post by **F308GTB** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 6:06 am

sportdan30 wrote:How about naming some "I can't believe you haven't seen that movie!"....

Believe it or not, I've never seen The Graduate, The Godfather, or any of the Harry Potter movies, and Driving Miss Daisy to name a few. I know, I know....pathetic.

Would I still appreciate The Godfather in the year 2005?

Yes. Great cinema is great cinema no matter what year it was made. By all means watch the Godfather series.