Good (or bad) Movies

[LennG]

Des

 I never read the comics so I have no knowledge of any of the characters that you mentioned. Maybe it was just me and the way I viewed it, but if you enjoyed Bane a bit more than I, good for you. Again, he wasn't bad, I just never bought into his character. maybe I needed that comic book background??

[weeze]

just for a bit of trivia , "best years of our lives" Frederick march has a "25Th lightning" division patch on his uniform. now if i remember this correctly they were a "unified" unit made up of combining some other units to get ready for deployment. he gives his son a Japanese sword and flag which would be factual since the 25Th was one of the army units at Guadalcanal. don't know why
 just a thought as I'm watching the movie. i have a list of unit patches in a book so that's how i I'd the patch.
oh and Dana Andrews has a 8Th air force. bet i dint have to say a thing about what they did. we know homer was on a aircraft carrier that was sunk and he was in the Philippines but I'm not sure if we lost more then one carrier in that area. we probably did.

[LennG]

 

Watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics set back our usual Friday nite movie till Saturday nite. This week we decided to try a light comedy, 'Friends With Kids'.

This movie is about 3 group of friends, 2 married and one couple just good friends. When the married two start having kids, the couple who are friends decide that having a kid would benefit both of them in the future, so they have a child, but always promise to just remain friends and raise the kid with both as parents. Of course this arrangement does get a bit complicated when both start dating other people. You can predict the outcome of this entire relationship right from the get go, as it is Hollywood, remember.

Overall, it was a cute movie. The cast tried hard, and there were some decent laughs. This movie is not for kids as the language is harsh thru out. Some likable people in the movie. I would never pay to see this movie, but on DVD for free it wasn't bad.
 

[LennG]

 Since today was Tuesday, we are able to use our Optimum card and go to a movie for free. Since there wasn't any spectacles to see this week, we decided to try a bit older release that got very good ratings.
 the movie was "Moonlight Kingdom" and it was great. It is low budget movie about 2 kids, who run away together. It is really hard to explain this movie. it was cute in spots, but you just got involved in these kids 'thing' and you get caught up in the entire process. It has a marvelous cast, with Bruce Willis, Bill Murray and many others, but the two kids steal the entire movie.

Here is the trailer

Moonrise Kingdom - Official Trailer

If you can see this movie, DO SO. It is really terrific. It is really a family movie also,a s any kids will relate to the ones in the movie. Take your children or go by yourself, you will not be sorry.

[vette]

Since today was Tuesday, we are able to use our Optimum card and go to a movie for free. Since there wasn't any spectacles to see this week, we decided to try a bit older release that got very good ratings.
 the movie was "Moonlight Kingdom" and it was great. It is low budget movie about 2 kids, who run away together. It is really hard to explain this movie. it was cute in spots, but you just got involved in these kids 'thing' and you get caught up in the entire process. It has a marvelous cast, with Bruce Willis, Bill Murray and many others, but the two kids steal the entire movie.

Here is the trailer
Moonrise Kingdom - Official Trailer

If you can see this movie, DO SO. It is really terrific. It is really a family movie also,a s any kids will relate to the ones in the movie. Take your children or go by yourself, you will not be sorry.

I picked it up and then decided against it. Now, after your review, I'm going to rent it.

[LennG]

 Let me know what you think Ed. If you love kids, you will just love this movie. (I hope)

[LennG]

 another Tuesday and another movie under our belts. Today we saw "Brave" the newest animated feature from PIXAR.
 This movie has been out a while already and there was really nothing else we wanted to see (We are waiting for next week and the Bourne Legacy), so we heard great things about Brave so it was our movie of choice.

 Over all, IMVHO no one does animation as well as Pixar. And this movie was just as good as all the others. We did not see it in 3-D, so I cannot comment on that, but we enjoyed the movie. I would not say it is one of the best out of PIXAR, but just the same, enjoyable. Too bad we had to share the theater with a mass of very young children, but alas, we are still children at heart.
 Personally, I felt the story a bit weak (it certainly wasn't Toy Story) but even a weaker PIXAR pix is better than many of the other animated studios works.
 Definitely a recommendation for all, though there are a couple of sort of scary scenes which might bother any child under 8. Other than that, good, clean fun and simply outstanding animation.

[vette]

 Let me know what you think Ed. If you love kids, you will just love this movie. (I hope)

Great recommendation. I think a lot of viewers will miss a lot of the symbolism and metaphor and loss a lot of the message that was being presented.

I saw a Newsday review and that writer clearly missed it too.

From the girls suitcase of childhood impressions to her reading it to the boys looking to learn the heart of a woman. To the fishing hook earrings with the blood dripping down the girls ear, symbolizing the loss of her virginity and as her mother wonders, "How will we ever get them out", as she is now changed for life.

The pending storm and the bursting of the dam with the flood of passion and my favorite was the comment about how the storm produced a good crop, referring to how this experience enriched the lives of the children and changed the adults for the better.

I'm sure I missed so much more as I wasn't expecting this type of a movie and was beginning to be disappointed the first 10 minutes of the film. I need to rent it when it's released to video.

Thanks again!

[LennG]

 I also missed a lot of the symbolism. What did you think the lightening strike was meant to be without giving away too much of the movie?

[vette]

I also missed a lot of the symbolism. What did you think the lightening strike was meant to be without giving away too much of the movie?

An awakening to a change in thinking, I thought. There was nobody there to witness this yet, the troop leader commented on it.

My other thought was that every Scout was a different aspect of this Child's personality. On a grander scale it was an internal struggle of his psyche. These personalities were deeply buried. The relationship with the girl and her sharing her personal deepness through the reading of her books with the boys as he allowed her to know his secrets was a poignant moment of the movie for me.

What do you think of that? Why didn't the critics see any of this. Am I reading too much into this?

[LennG]

 I don't know Ed. Again, I really wasn't looking for all this symbolism, I just enjoyed the movie. but
 you bring up good points, the part with the fish hook earring and the trickle of blood. I see that now.  I will definitely re watch it when it comes to DVD.
 The director is known for his offbeat humor. He directed Bill Murry in Rushmore, a movie I completely hated. Couldn't get past the first 1/2 hour.

However you view this particular movie, it still was a very good watch.

[vette]

Did you ask my Facebook friend, the lovely Doris? I'm interested in her opinion too.

[LennG]

 Doris doesn't watch movies for symbolism, she watches just for the enjoyment of the movie in front of her. She also, loved this movie, maybe more than I did. Her term for it, just a sweet love story with some assorted cooks added for every one's enjoyment.

 Just an aside Ed, Doris and I (and some of the others here) love the old time movies because it was escapism, into the world of Hollywood, where you didn't have to worry about hidden meanings, didn't have to try to hard to figure out the plot and surprise endings. A movie like Moonrise Landing probably did have many inner meanings that one might just miss, we watched it and were utterly surprised by the great characters in this movie, and the enjoyment they seem to give to us, by making the movie.
(Plus, Doris is a sucker for any movie about kids and love)

[vette]

When a movie can capture you at face value and have an allagorical level to it also, yet the story line stands on it's own, that's a great book or movie.

You reminded me of a question I wanted to ask of you and Jim about oldtime movies. How powerful was the music score that set the mood and being in a black and white dream like setting to the both of you.

Movies like It's A Wondeful Life, with the closeup shot of his expression with the orchestra expressing the feeling of the character. "But George, they'll vote for Potter if you leave!"

Or the Frankenstein movies, the first three with Karlov and how the music's ominous melody brought you right into the scene as if you were there.

[jimv]

Great question, Ed.  Before I answer it, I just want to say that I don't look for hidden messages in a movie.  Not many of them have hidden messages; e.g., I've read many books about hidden meanings in John Ford's movies.  But, one time, he simply described himself this way, "I make Westerns."  The name of this form of entertainment is "Movies."  So, they should MOVE!  I'm looking for entertainment.

Background music in the movies!  Ah, now you're talking!  They desribe the movie.  Without that music, many movies would be just plain blaaaaah.   You couldn't get the thrill out of Errol Flynn's heroics in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" or "Captain Blood"  without the glorious music of Erich Wolfgang Korngold or many WB westerns without the music of Max Steiner.  Or, IMHO, the greatest of them all, Miklos Rozsa who did "Ben Hur" among may others.  Or finally, how could you enjoy "The Magnificent Seven" without the wonderful score by Elmer Bernstein?  No, it isn't just "background;" without it, we wouldn't enjoy the films ha;f as much as we do.