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Post by blondeambassador on Mar 9, 2010 10:17:31 GMT
Alice in Wonderland... saw it last night at the IMAX, anyone else seen it? I don't think Burton pushed the boat out enough of the weird and wonderful... Enjoyable but not worth the months of anticipation! However, I think that might be part of the problem- everyone's expectations were so high! It was my first 3D film though...kind of weird. It was fun but I don't think I'd rush out to see everything in 3D, it felt a little arbitrary.
So, while I'm here...any of you film-y people out there...Oscars/Baftas opinions? I was pleased to see Colin Firth and Carey Mulligan win at the BAFTAS- An Education was without doubt my favourite film last year. A Single Man, on the other hand, isn't all that...a lot of style, little substance, though Firth's performance was fantastic, without it, the film would have been in big trouble.
Haven't seen Hurt Locker or Avatar personally, so can't comment on that whole rivalry!
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Post by ryan on Mar 9, 2010 12:23:51 GMT
The best 3D I've seen in Pixar stuff. It's just enhances the depth of the film, makes it more immersive and it's not done in a gimmicky way. Speaking of, it was nice to see them get gongs for Up, although it was a given that they'd get them really. Coraline was very good though and without pixars competition it'd be a sure fire winner. I don't really watch that many films, despite being a Film Studies graduate so can't comment on many of the others at all!
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Post by Lawrie on Mar 9, 2010 13:00:42 GMT
Haven't seen Alice yet. Will go and see it on an Orange Wednesday, but this Wednesday I'm off to see French prison drama A Prophet (which got great reviews, hope it lives up to them) at a lovely independent cinema near me, so won't catch it until next week... or maybe the week after, depending on the showing times of the film adaptation of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
Regards the Oscars, haven't seen many of the films that won the gongs, but I have seen Avatar and was DELIGHTED that it didn't win Best Film. To say I hated it would be an understatement of epic proportions: the only movie that I have felt more like walking out of a cinema for was Guy Ritchie's Revolver. But Avatar came close for me: looked absolutely spectacular, was pretty much hateful in every other respect. Haven't seen The Hurt Locker and can't say whether it was any good or not, but justice was done when it beat Avatar!
My favourite films of 2009 were, in a rough order:
Inglourious Basterds - easily my favourite film of last year, by absolutely miles. Loved every second of it, and didn't feel it sagged at all at any point whatsoever, which was the main reason most critics gave for generally rating it as a good-but-not-great movie. Christoph Waltz's performance as Col. Hans Landa was by far and away the best reason to go to a cinema last year.
In The Loop Triangle Moon The Road Thirst
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Post by blondeambassador on Mar 9, 2010 13:17:07 GMT
The best 3D I've seen in Pixar stuff. It's just enhances the depth of the film, makes it more immersive and it's not done in a gimmicky way. Speaking of, it was nice to see them get gongs for Up, although it was a given that they'd get them really. Coraline was very good though and without pixars competition it'd be a sure fire winner. I don't really watch that many films, despite being a Film Studies graduate so can't comment on many of the others at all! Really wish I'd seen Up in the cinema...did the typical thing of writing it off as a kids film until every single person said it was brilliant, by which time I was too late! Waiting for the price on DVD to go down now, looking forward to seeing it. Lawrie- I'm with you on Girl with A Dragon Tattoo, can't wait for it! Thinking of seeing it on Friday...only problem is cinema is silly expensive in London...go anywhere central London and you're looking at £15 a ticket!
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Post by ryan on Mar 9, 2010 14:08:58 GMT
It's such a brilliant film. I am a totally unashamed Pixar fanboy though. That's the other reason I don't go to the cinema much, even in North London you're looking at about £8. One of the cinemas near me used to be an independent and a bit cheaper, but it's a Vue now 
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Post by blondeambassador on Mar 15, 2010 11:45:34 GMT
Saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, thought it was really brilliant. Very well adapted, only one change where I thought 'hmm, I don't like that decision.' But it really worked well as a film- I just hope Hollywood doesn't decide to re-do and destroy it as I don't think it could have been done much better. All of the cast put in really good performances, particularly the girl who plays Lisbeth Salander- it's a real shame she won't get the recognition she deserves because it's a Swedish language film.
It should come with a couple of warnings though...firstly, it's nearly 3 hours long. (But I have to say, as someone who tends to shuffle after 60 minutes, I barely noticed, which has got to be a good sign!) Also, it is VERY graphic in some scenes and certainly not for the faint hearted...as Kermode said, it goes as far as you want it go and sometimes that little bit further.
Overall, highly reccomended though.
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Post by blondeambassador on Mar 15, 2010 11:47:53 GMT
That's the other reason I don't go to the cinema much, even in North London you're looking at about £8. One of the cinemas near me used to be an independent and a bit cheaper, but it's a Vue now  Have to say, doesn't always work that way in the indie vs chain cinema choice. I work in Clapham and the Clapham Picture House is seriously expensive. Works out considerably cheaper to go to Cineworld than support it, which irritates me.
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Post by ryan on Mar 15, 2010 14:38:12 GMT
Oh no, not always.
The thing is, cinemas don't actually make a lot of money really. They certainly don't make it on tickets. Chains manage cheaper tickets because they mark up food and drink so much.
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Post by Lawrie on Mar 15, 2010 18:19:00 GMT
Saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, thought it was really brilliant. Very well adapted, only one change where I thought 'hmm, I don't like that decision.' But it really worked well as a film- I just hope Hollywood doesn't decide to re-do and destroy it as I don't think it could have been done much better. All of the cast put in really good performances, particularly the girl who plays Lisbeth Salander- it's a real shame she won't get the recognition she deserves because it's a Swedish language film. It should come with a couple of warnings though...firstly, it's nearly 3 hours long. (But I have to say, as someone who tends to shuffle after 60 minutes, I barely noticed, which has got to be a good sign!) Also, it is VERY graphic in some scenes and certainly not for the faint hearted...as Kermode said, it goes as far as you want it go and sometimes that little bit further. Overall, highly reccomended though. Listened to the same Mark Kermode [a.k.a. God] podcast, and looking forward to it immensely. Hope it's every bit as good as you and the Good Doctor say, BA!
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Post by ryan on Mar 15, 2010 19:43:37 GMT
God?!
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Post by Lawrie on Mar 15, 2010 21:30:58 GMT
Don't always agree with all of his opinions on films (though in broad terms I do, probably end up thinking ~70% of his reviews are absolutely spot on), but always find him very entertaining and engaging, light years beyond any other film critic that I've heard. Listening to the Kermode/Mayo podcast every Friday is one of the highlights of my week, the combination of the two (I also think Simon Mayo is the best broadcaster on any radio station) is pretty much unbeatable.
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Post by ryan on Mar 15, 2010 22:08:51 GMT
he annoys me.
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Post by blondeambassador on Mar 16, 2010 12:57:33 GMT
Don't always agree with all of his opinions on films (though in broad terms I do, probably end up thinking ~70% of his reviews are absolutely spot on), but always find him very entertaining and engaging, light years beyond any other film critic that I've heard. Listening to the Kermode/Mayo podcast every Friday is one of the highlights of my week, the combination of the two (I also think Simon Mayo is the best broadcaster on any radio station) is pretty much unbeatable. I'm with Lawrie on that one, it's the main way I follow the film industry because I find it an easy, entertaining listen if nothing else. I've never been a film person (as I think I might have mentioned in here before) really but much more since I started listening regularly. Having said that, I can totally see how he'd be annoying if he wasn't your thing. I nearly always quite enjoy a bit of opinionated ranting and I think he falls into that category!
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Post by hyperborean on Oct 31, 2010 22:31:55 GMT
Cowboy Bebop fans? I'm about to start watching my favorite haunting Halloween movie ever, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. It's about to get epic.
Spike = zen master.
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