Movie/film thread: resurrected

Watched 127 Hours last night. Not only a brilliant performance by James Franco, but a great job by Danny Boyle. Not many people could make a great movie about a guy stuck under a rock for 5 days.

 The finale is grusome and disturbing, though. Up there with the "hobbling" scene in Misery and the curb stomping scene in American History X.

"Boardwalk Empire" hit the streets here in Dalian recently.  It's not quite "Deadwood" or "The WIre", but very good.  I could do without the Special Agent Auden character, but the Buscemi is great, as always, and the visuals are great.

I downloaded the entire season 1 of "Boardwalk Empire"...I couldn't turn it off, just sat there and had an all-night "Boardwalk Empire" party...I like watching shows where it comes in handy having read a history book...like the old lady, Mrs. Sanger who gives Steve Buscemi's future mistress a pamphlet, it says on the cover of the pamphlet "By Margaret Sanger"...she was a real person who had to flee the US and live in exile for 7 years for writing that pamphlet informing immigrant women of how not to get pregnant...I think it is a dashed good show

ETR~I agree.  They may be heavy-handed name dropping, but it adds to the episodes greatly.  Rothstein and the "Black Sox" World Series scandal was real.  Spoiler alert: when Chalky had the three guys on their knees and guns to their heads, I knew the Maier Lansky(sp) character could not be killed because he became a very infamous, household name in U.S. history.  I'm still wondering who Jimmy will turn out to be?  Diamond Jim Brady?  And, of course, Lucky Luciano didn't die until he was an old man.

Is a name like "Al Capone" well known in your country?  If so, why?

Al Capone?? Are you kidding? The Crime-Lord Extraordinaire of Chicago? I think everyone knows Al Capone. I know because of an...hmm...unhealthy obsession with the history of organized crime, but most people know him as played by Robert De Niro in "The Untouchables", I think.

Watched Men who Stare at Goats a few nights ago.  I thought it was a great commentary on American culture across several decades and found it to be pretty funny.  My fiancee sat there wondering why I was enjoying it at all.

Just started watching Fringe.  So far, it looks like someone needs to tell Mulder and Scully that they've been copied again.  So, anyone know if this remain a moderately watchable X Files ripoff, gets better, or just ends up jumping the shark before episode 6?

Just started watching Fringe.  So far, it looks like someone needs to tell Mulder and Scully that they've been copied again.  So, anyone know if this remain a moderately watchable X Files ripoff, gets better, or just ends up jumping the shark before episode 6?

I gave up on Fringe pretty early on, but I know there is a larger story which comes more to the fore by the end of the first season. If you are enjoying the freak of the week plotlines, it may be worth sticking with, as most people seem to think it gets better.

Just watched the first episode of The Cape, which is silly, but in a fun and fast manner.

Al Capone?? Are you kidding? The Crime-Lord Extraordinaire of Chicago? I think everyone knows Al Capone. I know because of an...hmm...unhealthy obsession with the history of organized crime, but most people know him as played by Robert De Niro in "The Untouchables", I think.

Well, I wouldn't have presumed.  It's not like he was a President; far more effective.  Your "unhealthy" obsession with the history of organized crime must have led you to watch "Public Enemies".  Much of it occured and was filmed in my home state; although with some glaring inaccuracies. 

I recently visited the theatre where John Dillinger was gunned down by the FBI.  It's restored to what it used to look like.  However, I talked to the owner and he said the city would not allow him to advertise the history of the theatre because they were trying to extinguish the association of gangsters with the city of Chicago.  Crazy that, even today, that era hangs on to that extent.

Watched "Public Enemies"?? Yep, read the book it is based on way before it was considered silver screen material...I think my obsession stems from watching "Bugsy Malone" way too often as a child...small children dressing up as gangsters, singing and killing each other with cream pies and Tommy Guns that fire crem pies, now that is a good flick too

I have a recent snapshot of Bugsy Siegel's tomb.  Took it when visiting my son in L.A.  Apparently too big, (at 1MG) to post here.
I know it's the wrong Bugsy, but, what the f@ck!

"Winter's Bone".  One of the best movies of the year.  If you want to give your class a taste of "hillbilly" country in the U.S., this could be the one.  I'm always surprised at how many people all over the world that are shocked to find out about this little, uneducated, dirt-poor subculture.  If they think America has its streets "paved with gold", this movie will disabuse them of that idea.

"Winter's Bone".  One of the best movies of the year.  If you want to give your class a taste of "hillbilly" country in the U.S., this could be the one.  I'm always surprised at how many people all over the world that are shocked to find out about this little, uneducated, dirt-poor subculture.  If they think America has its streets "paved with gold", this movie will disabuse them of that idea.

I really liked this one.

Had the guilty pleasure of watching KickAss.

Although it was a fairly straightforward plot and the screenwriters won't be getting any Oscars, it was still amazingly funny and disturbingly sick.  The massacre to the Banana Splits theme song was priceless.

 Thanks for the tip! Ac amp classic! 

 On that note, I'd also recomend Eric Pilgrim vs. The World. It starts as a fairly quirky, but not too too terribly abnormal movie about a 22 year old unemployed musician  in Toronto who is dating a 17 year year old Chinese girl named "Knives Lau". Halfway through it takes this bizarre twist where he falls for a cool goth chick from New York, but has to duel her "7 Deadly exes" in a series of outrageous video game style fight scenes.


 Too weird for most people I imagine, but I liked it. 

It is actually "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" and it is a dashed good flick

Grumblegrumble...I wish I could find a good version of "Due Date" to download as it is, I have heard, rather funny...

Bought a copy of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, both to show my fiance and to reassure myself that wedding plans could always be more challenging than the ones we're making.