Thanks for saving me the trouble

"The Green Hornet" (2011)
-Seth Rogan

Plot: IMDB
Following the death of his father, Britt Reid, heir to his father's large company, teams up with his late dad's assistant Kato to become a masked crime fighting team.

Phantom's Review: I've never been a fan of Rogan's , so my expectations were very, very low, but much to my surprise, this film was lots of fun. Plenty of good action and humor. I suppose if I was a die hard "Green Hornet" fanatic I might think different, but I'm not so I liked it a lot.
--

Yeah that's basically how I felt about The Green Hornet. Entertaining stuff. Wouldn't run out and buy it or anything but well worth a watch.

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The Goonies and the E.T. kids meet Cloverfield!

Seriously though, this is indeed a supremely fun film. I can't remember the last time I have enjoyed a film this much in the theater.

JJ Abrams has taken a simple-sounding plot and made it into a remarkably well-fleshed film, with plenty of throwbacks to older Spielberg classics such as E.T. and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. The kids do wonderfully well in their characters, and the "special guest star" has a lot of loaded effects to it's credit, aided supremely by the stupendous cinematography.

THE movie of the summer, by far. Watch it in theaters with full Sorround Sound effects, and you will be blown away, specially in the second half.


* * * *

Cropsey - 7/10

I watched this based on the good previous reviews from you guys and wasn't disappointed. Part Blayr Witch Project part 'true crime' documentary, this is fascinating viewing, particularly as it is set to the back drop of a real trial.

I don't want to say much more because I feel I might spoil key aspects but what I can say is, this is head and shoulders above your 'made for tv' docs, in the same way that Michael Moore's and Morgan Spurlock's works are. A very recommendable, harrowing viewing experience.

Troll Hunter - 7.5/10

The premise for this movie (trolls are real and live in the wilds of remote, northern Norway) is excellent but the delivery didn't quite do it justice. It's a pretty good watch for fans of folklore/faerie tales but really lacked the sort of claustrophobic lurking menace that these mocumentaries are noted for.

I can't really say much negative about this movie, it just wasn't excellent. The FX weren't bad, the acting wasn't bad, the locations were beautiful and the delicate lacing of dark humour was expertly added. Definitely worth seeing!

Paul - 6.5/10

Another director/writer that can't quite replicate an early, critically acclaimed success. Pegg and Frost have produced another movie that is solid, entertaining, highly enjoyable but ultimately not quite Shaun...

The FX were first rate, the gags were thick, fast and laugh out loud on occasion but the story (alien yearning to get home) was completely predictable. Maybe I'm being too harsh and maybe story doesn't matter in comedy but I just felt it lacked a little substance. If it's comedy movie night, you could do a lot worse.

loved cropsey really creepy. tried to visit the place but apparently it doesnt exist anymore.

Sauna


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Surprisingly engaging period horror - The movie takes place in the 1500s, when Sweden and Russia are defining borders after the war. They come across a strange village in the middle of a swamp, where they are forced to face their sins.

As a period piece, this film was incredibly well-done as well as well-acted. Reminded me a bit of Black Death in that regard - Definitely built atmosphere well and had some sufficiently creepy moments. However, I feel that some was lost in translation and odd editing choices - There were some parts that seemed a bit random to me and the end, while powerful, made me feel as though I missed something.

I think it's worth a watch - I think that there are a lot of people on this forum who would enjoy this film. It's definitely interesting, and you don't see a whole lot of good period piece horror out there.

3.5/5.


...


Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides


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A ton of fun, from start to finish. My only complaint is that I don't think it needed to be in 3D - I don't really think that they made good use of the technology.

Regardless, Depp is a joy as Jack Sparrow, and Penelope Cruz is fantastic.

Highly recommended if you're looking for a good, fun, night out at the theater.

3/5.

Seen Sauna lately...totally agree with Chrono. Very atmospheric period horror piece with a good story. Loved it too.

I haven't seen Geraldo's doc and I think I'll give it a miss. It was the most unpleasant sequence. I wouldn't fancy a trip to the site either. A little too creepy.

Thanks for the write-up Chrono. I think I'll add this one to the list. Would you rec Black Death?

The Way Back (2010)

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>>: B+

The Uninvited Guest (2004)

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A beautifully crafted & twisted Spanish thriller that revolves around Felix, an architect who has just split up with his girl-friend and finds himself alone in his huge mansion. One day a stranger rings the door bell and asks to use the phone. Felix reluctantly lets the man in & permits his request. He leaves the man to have some privacy. When he goes back into that room he finds the room empty and he can't understand how the man left without making a noise? It seems he just vanishes! Or is he hiding somewhere in the mansion? But Is it possible to live in somebody's house hiding all the time where you can feel his presence but can't see him anywhere?
Although it started like an interesting Hitchcockian thriller but at the end it turned out more than that or any other recent psycho-thriller movie. Highly Recommended.

Thanks a lot to V for adding this exceptional entry & also whoever recommended it to HDC's Top 200 of the 2000s. It surely deserves its place not in the honorable mentions but straight into the top list.

>>: A

Black Death was incredibly well-done, well-acted and really powerful. The only reason why I haven't been on here recommending it like crazy is that it's also incredibly bleak. Of course, that's the aim of the film, but I felt a little beat-over-the-head with its anti-religious sentiment (as someone who is an Atheist, they were preaching to the choir).

Anyway - It's a very well-done film that is incredibly INCREDIBLY bleak - It's hard to recommend a film that made me feel incredibly depressed, you know? :p I can't say, "Yeah, Tony, you'd enjoy it." ;)

But, yes, in a sense, I'd recommend Black Death - Powerful and epic little film. Definitely worth seeing. Would love to hear your feedback on both that and Sauna.

Glad you enjoyed Sauna too, Roshiq - It was such a surprise; rented it randomly after Rue Morgue Magazine gave it a positive review... I didn't realize that it was going to be such a period piece... And I really liked that aspect of it. The acting was incredible too.

Cheer! I'll get back to you.:)

I Saw The Devil

Gonna put my review in the thread for it

yeah you know you liked it.....good shit fer sure:D

"Young Guns" (1988)
"Young Guns II" (1990)

Hollywood, again, tells the story of Billy The Kid and The Lincoln County Wars

Phantom's Review: While, hardly a couple of western classics, these films are still extremely entertaining. Plenty of action and adventure and fun. I thoroughly enjoy them.
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I am glad you liked it as much as I did. The Uncertain Guest is one of the few in the Top 200 which I added as my own personal recommendation while overhauling the Sticky a few weeks back.

More people need to see it. Like Sauna and Calvaire.

Sucker Punch: Damn I loved this movie. I honestly can't understand all the hate for it. Sure, it's not a movie that is ever going to sweep the Oscars, but that's not the point of the movie is it? I mean you have a movie that combines hot chicks, giant samurai, zombie Nazis, and fire-breathing dragons. This is not exactly meant to be the next Titanic. It's all about fun and it brings that to say the very least. I guess some people couldn't wrap their head around the plot's twists and weirdness, but honestly I don't see it being any more convoluted than Inception.

But it's NOT a fun movie. It's not a fun story. It's quite the opposit.

Also the long-drawn action as well as the story was very repetitive to the point where it just became dull to watch. I don't care how good the bimbos were looking. It was still dull.

the long kiss goodnight
skyline
cry of the banshee
red
22 bullets
romasanta
legion
law abiding citizen
trackman
the beyond
enter the ninja
revenge of the ninja
the mechanic
phenomena
sweatshop
patrol men
hell's ground

Yeah, Sucker Punch was the biggest disappointment of the year. The story was really stupid - I felt like they actually pulled punches where this could have been a disturbing and powerful film. Big waste of some great visuals. The writing and acting were just God awful. Really wish that Gilliam had done this one.

I agree. Really hated this movie.

Paul -

Pegg & Frost's love of the genre is clear as they cram in more inside jokes and loving nods than you can shake a stick at.I found the film to be thoroughly entertaining and funny,it didn't quite tickle me in the same way as SOTD or Hot Fuzz but it was still very enjoyable.7/10

Sucker Punch (2011)

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Totally agree with Angra & Chrono. It was like a premature plot that somehow "luckily" got a big celluloid treatment.

>>: C

Paul (2011)

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>>: B-

The Next Three Days - 8/10

Every aspect of this excellent crime/whodunnit thriller was delivered with supreme skill. From Crowe's portayal of the care free, easy going, professional family man's subtle descent into a manic but calculated desperado to the rich distribution of top notch, well known, accomplished actors throughout the supporting cast, this was a work of real substance.

For all those who dismiss Holywood's ability to produce real class, and I admit I sometimes fall into this trap, this movie does much to undermine that all-to-easy to make allegation. There were real unpredictable twists and turn, a constant building of tension and a very intelligent narrative that made this utterly gripping.

In short, Hitchcock would be proud of Paul Haggis' body of work including this latest offering (yeah, I said it!). Just watch it. Immediately.

Thats a great movie, so smart and exciting. Kept you guessing right up until the end and in my opinion was never boring.

Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus

Bad writing, terrible dialogue, poor visuals. You barely see the shark and octopus and they dont even fight until the very end. Nothing like the Godzilla movies where the giant creative monsters fought for a large amount of time.

Also the monsters in the Godzilla movies were creative, these are just giant versions of animals which are kinda boring. I'd just like to add that im not comparing this movie to the Godzilla movies, just using them for a basis.

Luckily i wasn't expecting much to begin with so i wasnt disappointed. It was just okay.

Each to their own I guess. I would put Sucker Punch in the same league as Inception. Fun to watch, with a fairly weak/simple storyline combined with great special effects. Funnily enough they also both use the multiple levels of reality plot mechanic to screw with the viewers. Yes, the acting in Inception was better for the most part (Ellen Page sucked pretty hardcore), but honestly I went into neither movie expecting great acting.

Yeah but the story in Inception was interesting at least. Sucker Punch was just stupid. A girl dances to distract people so the other girls can steal stuff and while she dances her mind takes into a over the top ridiculous world for absolutely no reason at all? Yeah that sounds great.

At least with Inception they were actually in the dream's and it made sense for the story since being in the dreams was the whole point. But there was no reason for her to go into those video game esque worlds when all she was doing was dancing. When you really think about it, the story is really stupid.

You know, Sucker Punch WAS supposed to be a dance movie. Then the director found out the lead actress couldn't dance. So...

And the HDC Award for the Funniest Member goes to...


@the movie in question - a 'sucker punch' to the brains.

Big effects + weak story + ridiculous premise (don't equal to) entertainment.

Well that explains everything.

Seriously Angra, you never fail to make me laugh. :D

ABOUT FUCKING TIME!! :mad:

I guess the fact that the whole thing was actually taking place in an insane asylum and not a brothel where the girls were dancers/whores just zipped right past you then? We only see actual reality at the beginning and the end. Of course the action sequences of the girls finding the fire, key etc are not real. But so is the whole brothel setting as well. You really thought there was "no reason at all" for the over the top ridiculous world? Seriously? She's insane.

I guess they should have made it a bit more obvious what what happening like in Inception. Although even that overly simplistic plot mechanic (Oh no! A dream within a dream within a dream! So confusing!) still went over people's ability to comprehend so it probably wouldn't even matter.

Okay first of all you shouldnt ruin the ending to movies for people without at least a warning, even a movie as terrible as Sucker Punch.

Second of all i got the "twist" ending. I dont think you did though. She wasnt crazy at all, she was thrown in there because of what happened in the beginning which you even said yourself was real. She wasnt crazy until the one orderly gave her the lobotomy and he did that as punishment to what she had been doing to him, he even forged the one woman's name which showed that the girl wasnt crazy at all. But they even said that she did start a fire and do a lot of other things that were shown in the movie and thats how the one girl got away. That was real. Now that doesnt mean that she distracted people by dancing and of course she didnt actually go into those dumb worlds. But did she create it in her head right before getting the lobotomy? Afterwards? What would the point be in that? How does that help her?

Either way, the twist doesnt change how stupid it was up until that point and the twist doesnt make anything better anyway. In fact it just gave the movie a boring cop out-the whole it was just a dream scenario. Plus its just so damn confusing, theres the real world where shes in an insane asylum and she created a fake world where its actually a brothel and while in that world she travels into other fakes worlds. Thats the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard. At least in Inception, they actually did go into dreams and more dreams and so on and so on. Its not like at the end of the movie you found out that Cobb was crazy or something. That would have sucked, you know like Sucker Punch.

It also made no sense that the bus driver would be in the fake reality within a fake reality. When did she see the bus driver? Why is he the face of the spiritual guide/mentor whatever?

Also i cant stand movies that have crazy visuals just for the sake of having cool visuals. If it adds nothing to the plot, then its just pointless mindless crap geared towards the dumbest audience possible in an effort to make money.

But most of all, Siorai. Don't talk down to us. That's just downright insulting.

Yes that too. Thank you Angra

You're right, I probably should have hidden what I said, but honestly it looks like nobody cares at all about this movie so why bother?

Spoilers ahead, but then again I obviously have missed the point of the movie according to most so this is just going to be my fantasyland version anyway.

Firstly, she wasn't lobotomized as punishment. That was set up as soon as she was brought it. That's why there was a timeframe as to when the "Big Roller" was coming to get her. Of course the signature was forged for the lobotomy because the orderly got paid off to have it done. The stepfather knew he was screwed and would get no money ever so the best solution was a lobotomy so Baby Doll could never tell the truth. As for her being insane, yes I believe she was or at least in such a depression to be effectively not of this reality anymore. She just went through her mother dying in the next room, presumably after a long illness? Then her stepfather proceeds to attempt to molest her and her sister. Then to top it all off, in the attempt to save her sister, she inadvertently kills her. Maybe that wouldn't drive you completely insane, but I feel that she definitely had some serious issues at that point. Plus she did get drugged which would just add to the whole scenario. Of course she set the fire and whatnot. The brothel and action-packed worlds were her brain's way of dealing with it. The brothel reality wasn't deep enough for her mind so it retreated further. As for when it was all created in her head, it was in the days before the lobotomy. Again, it was just her fragile mind's way of dealing with the situation.

How is having an imaginary world within an imaginary world any different from Inception? Seriously I would like to know because as far as I can see it it's the same exact scenario. As for it being confusing, how so? I thought it was pretty obvious. Real world = dark, grungy, they're all in an asylum. Brothel (not real) = bright, kinda grungy, they're all whores. Fantasyland (definitely not real) = complete non-reality, they're all super-duper kickass. I find that to be far more in your face than Inception was since every level of dream pretty much looks like real life where the characters started.

I do agree about the bus driver though. That made no sense at all really.