Looper, really enjoyed it.

Transylmania, was actually better than I expected...which wasn't much.

Dark Shadows, didnt like it at all, michelle pfeiffer is still incredibly hot though.

Serenity

I think this is about the best wrapup the series could have gotten, all things considered. Some elements were a little weird (what the hell was up with Shepard Book? He was like a completely different character, and everyone treated him like a completely different character), and the fact that it definitively "finalized" everything makes the series feel more truncated than it might have had it left all the loose ends hanging. Also, the whole universe ended up feeling a little less Firefly, and a little more typical Scifi. But it was still good. It managed to explain the big mystery such that it actually felt worthy of being a big mystery, and it at least gave some (bittersweet) closure. And it was a really enjoyable piece of scifi in its own right, with a few really awesome scenes and some typically snarky Whedon moments.

Frank and Robot, I thought it was really good.

Seven Psychopaths, it was okay I suppose. Kinda felt underwhelming most of the time.

Cloud Atlas

Let's be clear about one thing: Cloud Atlas is absolutely epic in scope. Perhaps one of the most ambitious films I've ever seen just in terms of how much it tries to do. 6 different self-contained plots set in wildly different times and places, and with wildly different themes and tones, all mashed together as one. It's an idea that is perhaps doomed to fail, which is why it's so impressive that Cloud Atlas makes it work. Makes it work marvelously, in fact. All the stories fit together nearly seamlessly, with the dramatic and emotional arcs aligning and diverging at just the right times. The overall impression can verge on being awe-inspiring. That said, the movie fares significantly less well if you examine the individual plots, which are all "been there done that" at best and downright patronizing at worst. It's a movie about the big picture, not the little details. And the big picture is quite nice, but perhaps not significantly nicer than a more traditionally focused movie (in other words, Looper is still my pick for "Best Film." Although I haven't seen Argo yet...).

It can be very emotional, in a sort of ethereal abstract way. It touches you, perhaps even deeply. But yet I left the theater feeling like something was missing. It was almost something truly beautiful. Almost, bu not quite. And I think the problem is that most of its effectiveness comes just from seeing the lives of these different people playing out together and aligning in different ways, and not from actually having anything thought provoking to say. It hints at deep truths, but never actually uncovers them. But then, I found The Matrix to be woefully full of itself as well, whereas everyone else seems to think it was some incredible philosophical achievement. So I know I'll probably be in a minority about Cloud Atlas. And that's perfectly fine.

I did like it. I liked it a lot, in fact. One of the best films I've seen this year. But it didn't come across as a work of confident artistic maturity. Rather, it was a combination of both clumsy mediocrity and stunning virtuosity, sometimes happening at once. And the result somehow manages to be something special.

EDIT: Wow. Just took a look at Metacritic, and its got a shockingly low critical score. 55/100. I would have expected them to be showering it with praise.

In honor of Halloween coming up I just popped in Monster Squad.

Looking beyond the pure awesomeness of learning that Wolfman's god nards, I have to say that this is one of those movies I loved as a kid, then remembered as an adult and watched and still loved. It was just fun and had some many fantastic one liners.

This week I had to write a midterm paper on a film noir of my choice , so spent a lot of time watching Sunset Boulevard. Great movie

I'm so deeply infatuated with this after watching so many of neo-noir stuff accidentally. Would you be able to suggest some good films to start off with to get into the noir genre? I don't mind black and white stuff and in fact prefer it :-)

Thanks.
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Watched Gattaca on 27/10. Profound, insightful, thoughtful and excellence in story and direction. I want to augment the score in my mind forever. I know that's a big thing if it is ever possible but I'd let the Gattaca score have the honour (al tough the honour would all be mine).

Neo Noir:
The Ice Harvest
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
The Salton Sea
The Lookout

Classic:
The Third Man
M
The Night of the Hunter
[url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049406/ ]The Killing [/url]

Heh, I've seen so much noir I could make pages.

<<<<<<< The one that has this guy. My favorite of all time. A sad drama. Taxi Driver - 1976

Not sure if it has been posted but my friend told me about one and it surprised me, Cube - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123755/

Killer Joe, very good movie.

$9.99

I actually liked it quite immensely.

Ahh, yes. Cube is great. Such a tight minimalist script. My only major complaint with the movie that the dialogue sometimes becomes a bit nonsensical when they start pushing the whole "cube as a metaphor for life" subtext.

Safe

A brutal urban action film with corruption and amorality as far as the eye can see. Some of the camera work was good (the first car shootout especially), and it kept a nice pace even as the plot deteriorated into confusion after about 45 minutes. Action was appropriately violent, and people you hated got killed in very decisive ways. For some reason, it did leave me feeling a bit icky inside. Statham's character doesn't always seem to care who he's killing or why, and isn't really concerned with showing mercy (at least twice he shoots someone who has already subdued). But then, isn't that often the case in action films? I doubt many other people will have a problem with it. Overall, it was an entertaining $2 at Redbox, but not really something I'd want to own.