I didn't even know if was interested in seeing this movie or dreading it, today I am reviewing Modern Times.
You see I have never seen a silent movies (I prefer talkies) so I had
no idea what to expect. I know my girlfriend did not want to see this
at all, but my mother was looking forward to it (I think its because she
is old).
Charlie Chaplin is a very popular, maybe the most popular, silent movie
star. He not only was loved world wide but I have heard how his comedic
styling has been an influence to many people. On the other side of
things he always seemed to be in political controversy by doing things
such as not joining the army during WWI and had some socialist and
communist friends. Well Charlie I have some friends too:
We are independent filmmakers in college. Here is our reel of our production from 2011 if you're interested. Check us our at
https://www.youtube.com/CQVFilms
Well we have come to another James (Jimmy) Stewart movie, today's review is no other then Rear Window. I was looking forward to this movie because, one my mom and girlfriend talked about how good it was, and two, I liked Disturbia.
Also this is Alfred Hitchcock and to my knowledge I have never seen a
Hitchcock movie all the way through. All this to say I was in good
positive spirits going into this review.
Rear Window is based off a short story and directed by
Hitchcock. Some even say it is one of Hitchcock's best works. This
film was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Director.
While the film making aspect of this film is not ground breaking the
story itself is one that has been referenced and redone many times:
One of the most recent adaptations slash remakes is Disturbia starring Shilabuff (sp?). Funny story about this though is that Distubia
got sued for plagiarizing the book. I guess they didn't ask for
permission of something. I was going to look more into it but I got
bored.
The internet tells me that Rear Window should be critiqued like this:
IMDB = 8.7 out of 10
Rotten Tomatoes (Critic Rating) = 100%
Rotten Tomatoes (Audience Rating) = 95%
These ratings are very, very, very, very, very high. Seems like the internet really likes this movie.
Now lets see what I think, because that's the opinion I trust most. The
characters in this film were decent. The women both Stella the Nurse
and Grace Kelly's character were both very amusing. Stella at moments
was down right hilarious and Grace Kelly was fun but mainly she was
there to be pretty. The cop friend of our main character was a flat
character as was the mysterious man they were watching. Nothing were
super special about either of these character but both were played well
and important to the story. Now our main star James (Jimmy) Stewart was
the same old James (Jimmy) Stewart he has always been. I still feel
that he is the same person in everything and all that changes is his
occupation and motive, but I don't care I think he is still awesome.
The story was very interesting and suspenseful. The tension of spying
on someone and not really knowing for sure what is happening is a great
idea though I am curious if this is where the Patriot Act came from.
Anyways, this movie was great from beginning to end, but for some reason
during the climax I kept thinking of this song:
The script was well written and there are some saying the use back then
that I wish we used today. Phrases like "hows your stomach?" "empty as a
football". I want to use this in the near future and see how people
react. As always there were lots of things an audience member could
learn from this movie. Things like:
#1: Don't count on cops
#2: Girls dance around in their underwear
#3: Women pretend to have dinner parties
#4: People eat fish heads and rice
#5: People don't use blinds or curtains often
#6: Dog don't use elevators they use baskets
Wow! What a wealth of knowledge I just laid on you. Also what the
frick is a rear window? This didn't take place in a car. Do people
call the windows in the back of their house a rear window? I need to
know because this whole time I just call them windows. I want to make
sure I use the proper name.
The cinematography in this movie was great. Combined with the silence
used in some scenes I really felt like I was spying on these different
people outside of the window. It really helped in building up the
suspense and drama in this film. While cinematography and sound may be a
strength to this movie special effect well...... look for your self:
Greetings TGWTG Community!
Tonight I take on my very first Stephen King adaptation, with a special vocal appearance from A Philosopher of Film & Nothingness fame.
This week's weeks review is High Noon. Now I actually was looking forward to watching this movie but that may be due to last week's movie (I mean anything compared to that will be better). I do not have much experience with Westerns, but that most likely stems from the fact that Westerns aren't as popular as they used to be and I hate old things, speaking of, despite this being made in 1952 it is still in black and white (ugh). Anyways given this wasn't The Philadelphia Story it was a lot easier to cowboy up and watch the film this week.
High Noon was one a the first movies to be set in real time. Meaning that movie time and real time move at the same rate. This caused me to think of this every time they looked at a clock:
Except instead of Jack Bauer kicking ass it is a sheriff. This film was also selected from preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". I have no idea what this really means but it makes this movie seem really important. Also feel free to look up what this means for me, I'm to lazy. Also John Wayne hated this movie because it was an allegory for blacklisting......Anyways! This film is also referenced in Die Hard:
...
I have just finished watching what may be the worst film I have ever seen. And that really is saying something. I’ve seen ‘The Room’, ‘Troll 2’, ‘Birdemic’, ‘Plan 9 From Outer Space’ and ‘Battlefield Earth’ but at least they had some redeeming features. They were all, in some way enjoyable. They fall into the category of film that can be described as being so bad that they are good. It is fun to watch them just because they are so bowel-shatteringly awful and the important thing to remember is that each film takes themselves completely and utterly seriously. Cheerleader Autopsy doesn’t fall into this category. It falls into the so bad, it’s bad category and one of the reasons for this is because it’s intentionally trying to be funny and as far as horror comedies go, it makes yesterday’s entry, ‘Horny House of Horror’ look like Shaun of the Dead.
So what makes Cheerleader Autopsy so painfully unfunny? Is it the crude, incredibly lowbrow humour that includes a close up of someone hacking of their own penis (is every film I review this week going to involve some form of genital mutilation?), pressing down just above a dead girls corpse to make a jet of water shoot from her vagina and a hillbilly mistakenly shooting himself in the head when he thinks there is something wrong with his gun? No, I generally consider myself to be quite immature but these jokes just weren’t hitting home. I think what it may have been was the constant stream of immature and gross out humour. I think back to the films that I love which have quite a high level of what could be considered juvenile humour, such as the films of Kevin Smith, and the reason I’ve enjoyed them is because whilst they do have that level of immaturity, they are well written and always have something else going on in them as well, something substantial that raises the level of the film as a whole. Cheerleader Autopsy is poorly written, cramming as many stupid jokes in as it can within it’s short (but seemingly excruciatingly long) 73 minute run time and it has nothing of substance to fall back on.
So what is the plot of Cheerleader Autopsy? Well, that’s kind of like asking what is the meaning of life. There could be many interpretations but the question itself is practically unanswerable. There’s a cheerleader team called the Stinkwater Beavers (oh, the hilarity!), they get killed, there is a mental mortician who also happens to be the sheriff of the town and his nephew who works as his assistant. The mortician has another assistant who’s a bit socially retarded because he has a small penis (he’s the guy who chops off his own in order to attach a larger member from a body that’s brought in) and now that I think about it, I think there’s only one actual autopsy… although I suppose the film isn‘t called Cheerleader Autopsies so far enough. Oh and there’s jokes and hints about necrophilia and eating the brains of foetuses littered throughout. Now that I think about it, maybe it is the crude humour that makes this suck. I mean, eating the brains of foetuses? I’m a man who regularly makes jokes about paedophilia and even I think that’s going a bit too far.
Of course, the humour can’t be completely held responsible here. There’s also the terrible acting, terrible editing, terrible sound, terrible camera work, terrible picture quality and terrible everything. If you’ve seen Birdemic, imagine all of these things being a fraction better than that and yet Birdemic still remains the far more enjoyable film. Look, I’m really sick of thinking about this film and I’ve got a pub quiz to get ready for. Time to get completely drunk. To sum up just imagine you had a really stupid friend with a camcorder and a worrying level of access to a number of Real Dolls. The result would be something like this film. To further sum up, just watch the damn trailer. 0 pints out of five. Laterz.
Besides the interview Apollo was kind enough to hang out with us during the recording of Episode 7. We are sorry for any audio issues but we did our best to make sure you could understand what everyone was saying.
So this week on The PutzCast we hit up topics we never thought we'd discuss and some may well wish we never did...Why don't you love me daddy?!
When you think of internet reviewers a few names come to mind.
And when you think of films makers other names come up like.
But 2 of these people are one and the same. The Mastermind behind "The Reviewaverse Saga" and I do mean mastermind. But more recently there was a bit of controversy about the mysterious leaving of Apollo from TGWTG.com. And so far his reasons for leaving have remained a mystery. There were rumors but there is always more to rumors than are apparent.
So here to give the full story on why he left is Matt "Apollo Z. Hack" Burkett.
Also Apollo said that this will be the last time he ever talks about this so for all who want to know direct them here. Also do you want us to interview anyone else? Apollo has extended the offer to get in contact with other reviewers and critics, so if you want us to then let us know!
I've been following this site for a very long time. Years even, and that's saying something given my short attention span and lack of human empathy. But following it has given me plenty of time to read lots of comments and watch lots of reviews and I've come to a brief realization about critics; they influence a man's thoughts. Regardless of whether or not you want it to, they influence your thoughts.
Let me be clear; I love the Nostalgia Critic. I find him funny, clever and entertaining on many levels. However, I have noticed something in the comment sections of not only his videos but many other reviewers on this site that sort of makes me scratch my head; the comment, 'I remember seeing this as a little kid...' That wouldn't be so bad, really if it stopped there, but this comment usually is followed by something like, 'Even then I thought this was stupid', or something along those lines and I have to stop and ask myself, 'Self, do you remember what you thought of [insert movie/game/comic here] when you first experienced this when you were five?'
My usual answer? 'It was a cartoon, of course I liked it.'
My point is simply that how many of us can honestly recall what we thought or felt the first time we watched a movie? I know when I was kid and Batman and Robin came out, I liked it. Now, yes, it's a terrible piece of trash, but when I was a kid, nothing mattered like a complex plot that made sense or deep character development. All that mattered was seeing Batman and Robin beat up the bad guys and save the day. And just to be clear, I REALLY hate Batman and Robin now. Another example, Three Ninjas with the same response. When I was a kid, I didn't care about plot or characters as a general rule--it was three kids beating up adults and it was easily imitable on the playground. What did I care if the plot was stupid or the characters shallow?
So, even if no one ever reads this, I want to ask the question: When you're watching these reviews, are they coloring your past? Are you allowing it to tint your memories to make you seem like you've been some intelligent cynic your whole life? Wouldn't it be nice to simply look at this movies, let the flaws be pointed out and then remember when they came out and be honest with ourselves? When you're a kid, unless you really did grow up in a house of snobbish intellectuals (in which case why the heck were you watching such tripe in the first place?) then I will say that I am doubtful that any of us really did look on any movie with disdain and and turn our noses up because of how 'stupid' it was. You can ask a kid and they'll tell you whether they like it or not. "Why, little Johnny/Susie, don't you like Three Ninjas?" And you have my solid oath that I will give you five Sealand dollars to you if that child replies with something along the lines of, "I found the movie shallow and pedantic' instead of, "I don't know.'
29: Princess Mononoke (1997) An excellent Anime on it's own, but also probably the single best English dub I've ever heard.
28: Pirates of the Caribbean Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) This is one those movies that I just assumed would suck until my Mom made me watch it, and now I own the SE DVD and have seen it multiple times and make fun of others for not having seen it.
27: Aladdin (1992) Disney in it's prime, great jokes, memorable songs, and unlike some movies that use the phrase "family film" as a marketing gimmick can truly be enjoyed by child and parent alike.
26: Aliens (1986) James Cameron, movies like this are why I can't bring myself to hate you as much as your egotistical attitude makes me want to.
25: Dune (1984) No, I did not put this here in the hopes of starting an argument with Lindsey, I really do like it, and have since I was a kid.
In this evening's tweets, Linkara defended Alien versus Predator, considered by many Alien/Predator fans to be a black sheep in the canon. (Assuming that it is canon; I don't really know.) Now, I honestly can't comment on the movie itself since I haven't seen it. It's one of the many movies I have (by virtue of an alien/predator collection pack) but never watched. But Linkara's main issue with the backlash appears to be (based on his tweets) the issue of the PG-13 rating. He stated that the downgrade from an "R" rating was no reason to hate on the movie.
At first I agreed with him. I didn't understand why anyone would hate on a movie based on its rating, particularly AVP, which, so I'm told, has so much more to hate on than just the fact that it's rated PG-13. But then I got to thinking...
When you think about it, the "R" rating is more than graphic gore, sex, and a multitude of "F"-bombs thrown in. The subtitle of an "R" rating is "Mature Audiences Only." As in, "sorry kids, but this is an adult movie for adult tastes. You want in? You have to sneak in. (Or be accompanied by a negligent adult.)" At the risk of sounding like a snob, there's an exclusivity in it. Granted, it's a logical fallacy to equate an "R" rating with quality, but consider this:
Alien was the original movie in the series. It was a suspense-filled, edge-of-your-seat horror with Oscar-winning visuals and great atmosphere. Next came Aliens, which reinvented the series by creating the quintessential sci-fi action film and managed to surpass its predecessor in almost every regard. Then came Predator, which is one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's most widely regarded films. (And quotable, too; I guess I'm contractually obligated to have to say "GO! GET TO DE CHOPPA!" since I mentioned the movie and/or Schwarzenegger.)
What did all of these movies have in common? They all had an "R" rating. Even stinkers like Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection had an "R" rating.
...
Jaron, Robert and Louie review Fast Five and Thor.
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Inspired by Doug Walker's 5 Second Movies.
At a recent film festival, I had the opportunity to watch three movies, Skeletons, Bird on a Wire and Mission London. As this is an RPG blog, I will discuss the lessons each offers in terms of gaming.
Check out my latest video where I look at some of the more popular science fiction and fantasy films to be released in 2011. I hope to make this a three part series. Be sure to check out all of my videos at http://adnauseamtoday.com!
The Quick and The Dead is a western released in 1995. It was directed by Sam Raimi. He is best known for the Evil Dead trilogy, the Spiderman trilogy, and Drag Me to Hell. This movie has a star studded cast which includes Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Blossom, Keith David, Gary Sinise, and Lance Henriksen.
Ladyhawke is a 1985 fantasy movie directed by Richard Donner, best known for The Omen and Superman. The movie stars Rutger Hauer who is best known for Blade Runner and The Hitcher, Matthew Broderick, and Michelle Pfeiffer.
The first of the ThoseFilms reviews is one of a film that despite having an exciting title, doesn't really do anything interesting...
An Introduction to a series of film reviews, coming soon...
Jessica Simpson, this was not a good idea. And fire your father.
A look at street artist's Banksy's documentary "Exit Through The Gift Shop".
In this review I take a look at the video "I Miss Movies From The 1980s".
A review show that tributes the Good, The Bad and the down right stupid of anything Cancelled.
In this blog I discuss Chess and its appearance in all different types of media.
My review of Mega Piranha. It is over 2500 words long. Yes, that is probably more than I've written on any other film. Yes, I wrote that much on an Asylum film. Yes, I don't sleep well at night and pray that the universe has mercy on whatever I have instead of a soul.
I talk about my favorite to least favorite A Nightmare on Elm Street films.
I review Smiley Face. By review I mean tell you everything that happens in the movie, play by play. lol. Coffee really kicked in that morning. XD
I introduce you to a short film I made about being trapped inside a bad Japanese horror film.
Who in their right mind would choose to review films? It’s a question I found myself asking whilst once again deciding that I should torture myself by sitting through another film from those comedic black holes Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Yes, they’re back with a brand new “parody” film! I know, just like me your nipples are tingling with anticipation. No wait, that’s not anticipation. That’s revulsion. Thanks movie, you’ve annoyed my nipples.
