rate the last movie you saw

[Eric Paddon]

I decided to give "Cloverfield" a look since I got a 50% discounted DVD at Borders as part of their clearance which meant it cost only $4 above the price of a rental. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The beginning was a little too slow for my tastes in terms of taking about 3-4 minutes too long for the first sign of trouble (when the camera guy spends a solid minute talking to others going "Rob and Beth had sex!" that was when I was screaming, "GET TO THE POINT!") and I also have to confess I got a little confused at first, not realizing that when we jumped from April to May it was a different couple filming. I think one of the main actresess should have been a blonde to provide a little more visual contrast for the uninitiated viewer to make it clear who was who etc.

These technical matters aside,the rest of the film was refreshingly different from the late 90s crap like the Broderick Godzilla. Even the set pieces that recycle in part things from that film (going through the subway tunnel) seemed fresh simply because you knew there wasn't going to be some ridiculously implausible bits of heroism. I think where I might have drawn the line though was having them go from one building to the other that was leaning over, where that was the only time the aura of realism I think was succumbing to late 90s mindlessness. Plus, I have to admit that in the post-9/11 period there is still some instinctive distaste for the idea of NY having to suffer this kind of destruction (especially when I noticed how the scene of them taking refuge inside a pharmacy I think it was as the debris clouds came past is *identical* to a 9/11 video of a newscrew taking refuge in a deli just as the debris cloud from Tower Two's collapse came roaring down the street) and that maybe for a change could they do it to Philly or Boston or even DC??? But I did get over that as the film progressed and in the end, I rate it a solid 7.5 to 8 of 10. I need not ever revisit the stupidity of a 90s Godzilla, Armageddon etc. again when this kind of film manages to conjure memories of why "Jaws" and the original "Godzilla" was so effective.

One other quibble I'll mention has to do with the fact that I miss the days of short end credits or a simple "The End." When 12 minutes of an 84 minute running time is credits, there's something just a little strange about that to me.

[The Pessimist]

A Very Brady Sequel - if you get the chance, rent this. The main flaw is there isn't much of a story, but the character interpretations are quite funny.

I thought this sequel was terrific. Whereas the first film had a little too much of an edge and is actually as dated now for its '90s grunge "modern setting" as it is parodying the '70s, VERY BRADY SEQUEL just riffed the original series, and was a much more confident -- and funny -- film as a result.

Loved Gary Cole, and most of the performances were spot-on too.

Is the first Brady film worth looking at for the acting performances?

[AndyDursin]

A Very Brady Sequel - if you get the chance, rent this. The main flaw is there isn't much of a story, but the character interpretations are quite funny.

I thought this sequel was terrific. Whereas the first film had a little too much of an edge and is actually as dated now for its '90s grunge "modern setting" as it is parodying the '70s, VERY BRADY SEQUEL just riffed the original series, and was a much more confident -- and funny -- film as a result.

Loved Gary Cole, and most of the performances were spot-on too.

Is the first Brady film worth looking at for the acting performances?

Sure, everyone in the cast is quite amusing. I just prefer the second movie over the first one.

[Monterey Jack]

One other quibble I'll mention has to do with the fact that I miss the days of short end credits or a simple "The End." When 12 minutes of an 84 minute running time is credits, there's something just a little strange about that to me.

I can forgive the end(less) title sequence in this case because we at least got that wonderful Akira Ifukube pastiche "ROAR!" overture from Michael Giacchino to listen to. Say what you will about Giacchino...he's one of the only composers these days allowed to write an honest-to-God end credits piece for his movies that A.) isn't a cut-and-paste job from the score proper and B.) isn't removed to shove half-a-dozen techno songs in. The Incredibles, Ratatoullie, Coverfield...all wonderful reminders of the days when a composer was allowed to use the end titles as a rousing summation of the entire score.

[AndyDursin]

One other quibble I'll mention has to do with the fact that I miss the days of short end credits or a simple "The End." When 12 minutes of an 84 minute running time is credits, there's something just a little strange about that to me.

I can forgive the end(less) title sequence in this case because we at least got that wonderful Akira Ifukube pastiche "ROAR!" overture from Michael Giacchino to listen to. Say what you will about Giacchino...he's one of the only composers these days allowed to write an honest-to-God end credits piece for his movies that A.) isn't a cut-and-paste job from the score proper and B.) isn't removed to shove half-a-dozen techno songs in. The Incredibles, Ratatoullie, Coverfield...all wonderful reminders of the days when a composer was allowed to use the end titles as a rousing summation of the entire score.

If only there was more substance to his scores. STAR TREK has a few terrific tracks but that main theme does nothing for the movie. It could've been written for Batman, it's so generic. It's surprising because he's got the tools, it just doesn't come together, sadly.

[JSWalsh]

AMERICAN MOVIE

I've been meaning to see this documentary about an amateur (clueless?) filmmaker for a long time, and I'm so glad I finally watched it. Forget that this guy doesn't know what he's doing, or that the final product is boring and too amateurish for MST3K. This is a great story about how even that most easily-bashed person--the dumb white guy--can follow a dream. Even if he's more Colman Francis than Orson Welles.

The stoned best friend steals the movie.

I may or may not see that spaceship movie, but this thing gave me more entertainment than any number of recent Hollywood (or even indie) productions, and has more human drama than the umpteenth regurgitation of that thing which was only mildly diverting when I was nine.

[mkaroly]

THE SWARM (1978) - 2/10. UGH! I was laughing through most of it. What really made me laugh is that the film had an environmentally conscious message that was kind of undermined by their solution at the end. Goldsmith's score good, some of the special effects were pretty good. One question though- how does Michael Caine manage to move through a swarm in a building and get out unscathed while everyone else gets stung to death? This movie is a turkey, but glad I saw it.

PRINCESS MONONOKE (1998) - 9/10. Gorgeous movie that held my attention and was very unique (to me). I turned off the English voices so I could hear it in Japanese (since English voices tend to ruin these movies for me). Miyazaki has a lot of talent and I was most entertained.

PAN'S LABRYNTH (2006) - 8/10. Better than I thought it would be. Kind of gory at times, but interesting. I did get annoyed when Ofelia ate the grapes when she was told not to (stuid kid!). I liked the character of Mercedes, and I enjoyed watching how the fairy tale played out in the reality of 1944 Spain and the situation Ofelia found herself in. Definitely lots going on in the film symbolically and visually.

SHINOBI NO MONO 3:RESURRECTION (1963) - 6/10. Only saw it once- have to say that I was slightly disappointed after the powerhouse performances in the first two films. I guess there are eight films in the series, so I have a long way to go...lol...still, there are some good sequences and I like the final confrontation between Goemon and Hideyoshi.

BARRY MANILOW IN CONCERT:THE LEGENDARY 1978 CONCERT AT THE GREEK THEATER (1978) - 9/10. Filmed during his tour to support the album Even Now, this concert is very interesting (and fun) to watch. Barry seems to be a bit uncomfy on stage (as his banter with the audience seems to support), but the music is pretty decent. Is is also interesting to see how he performs all his hits before they became the legendary hits they would become. He does milk some songs for all they're worth, and if you see him in concert now you will recognize many of Manilow's trademark glances, movements, etc. as he communicates the passion and longing in some of the songs he sings. It's also fun seeing Lady Flash (with a young Debra Byrd) do their thing on stage. Rock on!

[JSWalsh]

You can be arrested for including the term "Rock on!" in a review of a Barry Manilow performance. You have been warned.

[mkaroly]

You can be arrested for including the term "Rock on!" in a review of a Barry Manilow performance. You have been warned.

Lol...

[JSWalsh]

ALICE'S RESTAURANT B

Definitely a souvenir of its time, this was a real pleasure for me, as I'm in a sixties phase right now--The Trip, Psych-Out and now this, about commies trying to form a commune. Arthur Penn's follow-up to Bonnie and Clyde is a one-of-a-kind flick that would make a good companion piece to his later Four Friends. Arlo Guthrie hangs out with some groovy people in Stockbridge, MA--I have been to some of these places!--and, well, people hang out with him. (I recognized the dad from the Family TV show, and the beautiful Asian woman from Three Days of the Condor.)

This is really a snapshot of a mindset, really. Guthrie watches his pals try to form a commune, but jealousy and people being people mean it can't work.

I'll buy a copy of this for my "Late Saturday Night" collection.

[JSWalsh]

DOOMSDAY F (I'd give it a Z if I could)

While watching this, I actually thought "Maybe I shouldn't watch movies anymore." The director seemed to want to re-do scenes from Aliens, Road Warrior and Escape from New York with more money and the dreary, DREARY automatic cynicism that's everywhere today.

Awful, depressing piece of garbage with one of those totally anonymous and completely laughable girl power leads.

[mkaroly]

THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL (1978) - 8.5/10. I actually liked this. Olivier gives a stellar performance and Peck is truly sinister as Mengele. The film has that creepy 70s feel to it that I've alluded to in other reviews, adn I like Goldsmith's score. I was reminded of THE OMEN at several points in the film, especially the ending. Good and creepy.

SUPERGIRL (1984) - 1/10. I gave it one out of ten just because Helen Slater is HOT and distracted me from how poorly written, conceived, and directed the film is. Faye Dunaway goes into a realm of camp that insults campy performances. Truly painful to watch. GREAT score by Goldsmith- I was humming along from start to finish.

[JSWalsh]

Just before I came to work, I was continuing my never-ending chore of loading CDs onto my hard drive, and the last one I did was SUPERGIRL. It had never been a favorite, but when I just randomly clicked a track and tried to imagine something to go with it, it was a lot better than when I associate it with the movie.

[AndyDursin]

Just to follow up on the Universal issue from before -- I have worked it out so Universal will again be providing The Aisle Seat with review product. I won't be getting everything, but thankfully the major titles will be covered (of my choosing).

That negotiation only took 60 days and my best persuasive writing skills, but looks like it worked out

[Eric Paddon]

I think "Supergirl" is a film that gets too much of a bum rap IMO. It is MUCH better than "Superman III" or "Superman IV" chiefly because Slater is so dead-on perfect in the role and transcends the material. The film's biggest weakness IMO are (1) not enough clarity on the origins of Argo City, and how it survived the original explosion of Krypton (2) Reeve's backing out of a cameo because of his feud with the Salkinds. Add both of those things and the film becomes much better even with its other drawbacks.

Last film I watched:

"Death On The Nile" (1978) (6 of 10). This is the weakest of the three big-screen Poirot films done by the producers who also did "Murder On The Orient Express" and "Evil Under The Sun." I do have to admit, there's something really funny about seeing Angela Lansbury getting bumped off just as she's about to reveal to Poirot who the killer is, because how many times have we wondered what it would be like if Jessica Fletcher suffered a similar fate? (and jeers for casting Jack Warden with the worst fake accent you'll ever hear as a German doctor).