OT - New Movies

Frazod · 03-25-2001, 07:47 PM

Caught a couple of new flicks this weekend.

Enemy at the Gates - Great flick, IMO, about two snipers gunning for each other during the Battle of Stalingrad. I can't vouch for its historical accuracy, but as presented it was very well done. Presents interesting characters in a battle in which neither side is particularly good, and creates a hellish and very believable landscape in the ruined city. Jude Law is an effective hero, and Ed Harris is a great villian whose brutal methods can be understood, but not condoned. Even the love story aspect of the movie wasn't all that annoying. Anyone who likes good war movies should really enjoy it.

Hannibal - Didn't quit suck, but came very close. I now understand why Jodie Foster said "no thanks." None of the characters (not even Starling) were sympathetic, the film wasn't very well done, there were huge gaps of logic in the story, and overall it was just really dissapointing. This was, IMO, a sequel which shouldn't have been made, and if I hadn't caught a cheaper matinee I would have felt somewhat cheated. If you feel like you need more Hannibal, I recommend the original movie, Manhunter. It is ten times the movie Hannibal is.

Haven't seen anything else lately, although I do hope to catch 15 minutes and the Crouching Tiger? movie at some point.

Any opinions or recommendations?

KCWolfman · 03-25-2001, 07:48 PM

Tim - Traffic is the best I have seen by far in some time. Check it out.

Frazod · 03-25-2001, 07:56 PM

Russ, I've heard that Traffic is great from everyone, except Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes, who apparently disliked it because people cussed too much. I'm sure that wouldn't bother me, but I still think I'll skip it. I don't watch movies about drugs anymore - don't need to take any of the demons from my past out for a spin.

Have you seen Enemy at the Gates yet?

Herzig · 03-25-2001, 07:59 PM

Tim,

Hannibal- Too gory and not enough substance....guarnteed not to make you hungry

Castaway- Best movie I have seen recently..

Traffic- Great show, realistic, but depressing...this one needs to be shown to anyone thinking about using drugs..i.e. high school kids. etc..

Oh brother where art thou? Good movie....my date seemed to like it more than I did, but it was good

Vertical Limit- good action...bad acting..

PostalChief · 03-25-2001, 08:02 PM

Tim,

Did ' Enemy at the Gates' have anywhere near the visual effects that ' Saving Private Ryan' did? Just curious.

Frazod · 03-25-2001, 08:04 PM

Totally agree on Hannibal. That last scene made even me a bit queasy.

Castaway is another one I'd like to see, although I'll likely wait for the video. Same with O Brother and Vertical Limit.

I personally can't wait for Pearl Harbor - saw the trailer for it again yesterday. I'll do that one opening night, which is something I rarely do.

Frazod · 03-25-2001, 08:09 PM

PC, it was not quite as graphic as Private Ryan, but did have great special effects (the obviously computer-generated panoramic shot of Stalingrad at the beginning of the film was amazing). Like Ryan, it did have a very brutal opening - Russian soldiers being transported by ship across the river toward the battle while they were being bombed and strafed by Stuka divebombers. The terrified troops were being cut to pieces, and those who tried to jump off the boats were shot by the Russian officers. Very, very nasty.

I think I actually liked it a bit more than Private Ryan. I will instantly add this to my collection as soon as it is available on DVD.

keg in kc · 03-25-2001, 08:10 PM

Traffic I liked but it just seemed to be missing...something. That's the feeling I had walking out of the theater, at least.

I liked Enemy at the Gates, but I really grow weary of romance being forced into movies. I'm not sure of the historical accuracy, but I'd recommend it to anyone. Some of it was pretty graphic, PC, but not quite to the degree of Ryan, although the opening of the movie is pretty disturbing, IMO.

Those are the last two movies I've seen.

Being Oscar night, my pick is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I should say that I liked Traffic and loved Gladiator, but still think Ang Lee's film was the best of those three. I despise Julia Roberts, so I will never see Erin Brockovich, and I have not seen Chocolat.

Frazod · 03-25-2001, 08:15 PM

Kyle, I didn't mind the romance, mainly because the chick was a BABE. And while it did slow the movie down a bit, it wasn't horribly overdone. I thought it showed that people under monstrous circumstances still have human needs.

I do wonder how much of it was true. I'll have to do a little reading on the battle itself.

PostalChief · 03-25-2001, 08:16 PM

Appreciate the review, fellas. Think I'll go catch that one tomorrow. Good thing about working nights is that I can do whatever the hell I want during the day and not have to deal with any long lines.

1punkyQB · 03-25-2001, 08:44 PM

Loved Traffic and hope it wins Best Picture. 15 Minutes is pretty good, although the ending is cliche. Haven't seen Tiger yet. I too don't like the romance in Enemy at the Gates, but the rest is excellent. I can't wait for "Blow" to come out April 6. Penelope Cruz and a gangster movie. My idea of quality entertainment.

keg in kc · 03-25-2001, 08:49 PM

Go out and see Crouching Tiger a.s.a.p., it's a fan-d@mn-tastic film. Fun, great story/well-written, incredible visuals.

Oh, and a$$ kicking, too.

And a couple of hot asian chicks.

Gaz · 03-25-2001, 10:22 PM

Hannibal suffers from comparison to Silence of the Lambs because it was an inferior book to SotL. The film Hannibal is actually better than the book, IMO.

The problem as I see it is that in SotL, Starling was our moral center, our anchor. We saw the events through her eyes, filtered by her morality.

In Hannibal, we see events through Lector's eyes. There is no moral center. We are not watching Starling battling against evil, we are watching Starling savaged by her own tribe and trying to save evil from another evil.

Moving Lector from the sidelines into the spotlight was a bad idea. The author felt he had to try and explain or even justify Lector's unsavory appetites. That reduced him from a monster to just another sick puppy. In SotL, Lector was the Boogeyman, the inexplicable evil that lies just out of sight. In Hannibal, he is the "victim."

The best thing about Hannibal, the movie, is Ridley Scott. He has a wonderful eye and I enjoy his directing far more than that of Jonathan Demme. It is unfortunate that Scott was saddled with a clearly inferior product.

xoxo~
Gaz
knew there was trouble when the book was titled "Hannibal" instead of "Lector."

Frazod · 03-25-2001, 10:54 PM

Speaking of movies, I am very glad to see Gladiator win best picture. Every now and then, the one I would have picked gets it.

03-25-2001, 07:48 PM	#2
KCWolfman Fall down 7 times, get up 8 Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $10004900	Tim - Traffic is the best I have seen by far in some time. Check it out. __________________ How strangely will the Tools of a Tyrant pervert the plain Meaning of Words! Samuel Adams
Posts: 15,469

03-25-2001, 07:56 PM	#3
Frazod WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $3045085	Russ, I've heard that Traffic is great from everyone, except Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes, who apparently disliked it because people cussed too much. I'm sure that wouldn't bother me, but I still think I'll skip it. I don't watch movies about drugs anymore - don't need to take any of the demons from my past out for a spin. Have you seen Enemy at the Gates yet?
Posts: 119,511

03-25-2001, 07:59 PM	#4
Herzig Wooooooo Pig Soooooiiiie!!! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Northwest Arkansas Casino cash: $9984900	Tim, Hannibal- Too gory and not enough substance....guarnteed not to make you hungry Castaway- Best movie I have seen recently.. Traffic- Great show, realistic, but depressing...this one needs to be shown to anyone thinking about using drugs..i.e. high school kids. etc.. Oh brother where art thou? Good movie....my date seemed to like it more than I did, but it was good Vertical Limit- good action...bad acting.. __________________
Posts: 2,554

03-25-2001, 08:02 PM	#5
PostalChief Always Rings Twice Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Omaha Casino cash: $10004900	Tim, Did ' Enemy at the Gates' have anywhere near the visual effects that ' Saving Private Ryan' did? Just curious.
Posts: 361

03-25-2001, 08:04 PM	#6
Frazod WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $3045085	Totally agree on Hannibal. That last scene made even me a bit queasy. Castaway is another one I'd like to see, although I'll likely wait for the video. Same with O Brother and Vertical Limit. I personally can't wait for Pearl Harbor - saw the trailer for it again yesterday. I'll do that one opening night, which is something I rarely do.
Posts: 119,511

03-25-2001, 07:47 PM
Frazod WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $3045085	Caught a couple of new flicks this weekend. Enemy at the Gates - Great flick, IMO, about two snipers gunning for each other during the Battle of Stalingrad. I can't vouch for its historical accuracy, but as presented it was very well done. Presents interesting characters in a battle in which neither side is particularly good, and creates a hellish and very believable landscape in the ruined city. Jude Law is an effective hero, and Ed Harris is a great villian whose brutal methods can be understood, but not condoned. Even the love story aspect of the movie wasn't all that annoying. Anyone who likes good war movies should really enjoy it. Hannibal - Didn't quit suck, but came very close. I now understand why Jodie Foster said "no thanks." None of the characters (not even Starling) were sympathetic, the film wasn't very well done, there were huge gaps of logic in the story, and overall it was just really dissapointing. This was, IMO, a sequel which shouldn't have been made, and if I hadn't caught a cheaper matinee I would have felt somewhat cheated. If you feel like you need more Hannibal, I recommend the original movie, Manhunter. It is ten times the movie Hannibal is. Haven't seen anything else lately, although I do hope to catch 15 minutes and the Crouching Tiger? movie at some point. Any opinions or recommendations?
Posts: 119,511

03-25-2001, 08:09 PM	#7
Frazod WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $3045085	PC, it was not quite as graphic as Private Ryan, but did have great special effects (the obviously computer-generated panoramic shot of Stalingrad at the beginning of the film was amazing). Like Ryan, it did have a very brutal opening - Russian soldiers being transported by ship across the river toward the battle while they were being bombed and strafed by Stuka divebombers. The terrified troops were being cut to pieces, and those who tried to jump off the boats were shot by the Russian officers. Very, very nasty. I think I actually liked it a bit more than Private Ryan. I will instantly add this to my collection as soon as it is available on DVD.
Posts: 119,511

03-25-2001, 08:10 PM	#8
keg in kc oxymoron Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: OP/KC/Whatever Casino cash: $9556299	Traffic I liked but it just seemed to be missing...something. That's the feeling I had walking out of the theater, at least. I liked Enemy at the Gates, but I really grow weary of romance being forced into movies. I'm not sure of the historical accuracy, but I'd recommend it to anyone. Some of it was pretty graphic, PC, but not quite to the degree of Ryan, although the opening of the movie is pretty disturbing, IMO. Those are the last two movies I've seen. Being Oscar night, my pick is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I should say that I liked Traffic and loved Gladiator, but still think Ang Lee's film was the best of those three. I despise Julia Roberts, so I will never see Erin Brockovich, and I have not seen Chocolat.
Posts: 58,682

03-25-2001, 08:15 PM	#9
Frazod WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $3045085	Kyle, I didn't mind the romance, mainly because the chick was a BABE. And while it did slow the movie down a bit, it wasn't horribly overdone. I thought it showed that people under monstrous circumstances still have human needs. I do wonder how much of it was true. I'll have to do a little reading on the battle itself.
Posts: 119,511

03-25-2001, 08:16 PM	#10
PostalChief Always Rings Twice Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Omaha Casino cash: $10004900	Appreciate the review, fellas. Think I'll go catch that one tomorrow. Good thing about working nights is that I can do whatever the hell I want during the day and not have to deal with any long lines.
Posts: 361

03-25-2001, 08:44 PM	#11
1punkyQB Starter Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Virginia Casino cash: $10004900	Loved Traffic and hope it wins Best Picture. 15 Minutes is pretty good, although the ending is cliche. Haven't seen Tiger yet. I too don't like the romance in Enemy at the Gates, but the rest is excellent. I can't wait for "Blow" to come out April 6. Penelope Cruz and a gangster movie. My idea of quality entertainment.
Posts: 171

03-25-2001, 08:49 PM	#12
keg in kc oxymoron Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: OP/KC/Whatever Casino cash: $9556299	Go out and see Crouching Tiger a.s.a.p., it's a fan-d@mn-tastic film. Fun, great story/well-written, incredible visuals. Oh, and a$$ kicking, too. And a couple of hot asian chicks.
Posts: 58,682

03-25-2001, 10:22 PM	#13
Gaz Defense Homer Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Rancho Gaz Casino cash: $10010793	Hannibal suffers from comparison to Silence of the Lambs because it was an inferior book to SotL. The film Hannibal is actually better than the book, IMO. The problem as I see it is that in SotL, Starling was our moral center, our anchor. We saw the events through her eyes, filtered by her morality. In Hannibal, we see events through Lector's eyes. There is no moral center. We are not watching Starling battling against evil, we are watching Starling savaged by her own tribe and trying to save evil from another evil. Moving Lector from the sidelines into the spotlight was a bad idea. The author felt he had to try and explain or even justify Lector's unsavory appetites. That reduced him from a monster to just another sick puppy. In SotL, Lector was the Boogeyman, the inexplicable evil that lies just out of sight. In Hannibal, he is the "victim." The best thing about Hannibal, the movie, is Ridley Scott. He has a wonderful eye and I enjoy his directing far more than that of Jonathan Demme. It is unfortunate that Scott was saddled with a clearly inferior product. xoxo~ Gaz knew there was trouble when the book was titled "Hannibal" instead of "Lector."
Posts: 5,911

03-25-2001, 10:54 PM	#14
Frazod WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $3045085	Speaking of movies, I am very glad to see Gladiator win best picture. Every now and then, the one I would have picked gets it.
Posts: 119,511