HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (2007) - 4/10. I haven't read the books, but I have it on good authority that they cut a lot out of the book for this movie...which would make sense since the story seemed kind of bare without some sub-plot expansion (Cho anyone?). I think these films are getting worse, and part of that is due to a couple of lackluster, lifeless scores that I just didn't like (Doyle's and Hooper's). Dialogue is silly and repetitive in each film (Why didn't you tell me? I didn't tell you because.../So-and-so didn't want you to know, but...). I have HALF-BLOOD PRINCE to watch as well, but for me at least the series has been nose-diving since AZKABAN.

Please bring John Williams back for the last films....please????

mkaroly wrote:HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (2007) - 4/10. I haven't read the books, but I have it on good authority that they cut a lot out of the book for this movie...which would make sense since the story seemed kind of bare without some sub-plot expansion (Cho anyone?).

There is a lot more of Cho in the book. Harry and she are involved for a fair amount of the story but he becomes exasperated by her generally fickle nature, and the way she continues to brood over Cedric Diggory's death (her relationship with Cedric was also more developed in Goblet of Fire). Its been a while since I've read Order of the Phoenix but I recall her betrayal of the order was a little different (and more complex) than shown in the film.

In the book after Professor Trelawny is sacked, she is replaced a centaur -- in fact it is the same centaur who rescued Harry in the dark forest in Sorcerer's Stone And there is a really cool scene in which he transforms the classroom and causes stars and constellations to appear overhead and teaches them about the signs of the zodiac. I think its a crime that this was not included in the film.

Please bring John Williams back for the last films....please????

That was my wish...before all hope was dashed this morning.

mkaroly wrote:HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (2007) - 4/10. I haven't read the books, but I have it on good authority that they cut a lot out of the book for this movie...which would make sense since the story seemed kind of bare without some sub-plot expansion (Cho anyone?). I think these films are getting worse, and part of that is due to a couple of lackluster, lifeless scores that I just didn't like (Doyle's and Hooper's). Dialogue is silly and repetitive in each film (Why didn't you tell me? I didn't tell you because.../So-and-so didn't want you to know, but...). I have HALF-BLOOD PRINCE to watch as well, but for me at least the series has been nose-diving since AZKABAN.

Agreed completely Michael.

I actually found HALF-BLOOD PRINCE to be the worst of the series -- it's certainly the dullest -- and a comedown from even the fairly mediocre ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, as you say.

I just watched THE HURT LOCKER. I liked it on balance, though I confess I felt it was somewhat overpraised.

The movie is essentially a collection of set-pieces without a lot of character introspection or development. Only in the last few minutes was there an attempt to "say something," but it felt forced and recycled out of other military movies I've seen in the past. I felt Bigelow would've been better off not even having those scenes towards the conclusion -- as well as the quote that opens the film, because they all felt like a desperate attempt at adding some fleeting dramatic substance to a movie that is otherwise all about the moment -- not about its characters.

I also confess that I found the film consistently unauthentic. Having several friends who have served overseas and in Iraq specifically, there were all kinds of "little" things that bothered me -- from soldiers not in uniform shooting off guns on the top of the humvees to locals selling DVDs INSIDE the US compound. That, apparently, would never, ever happen. The lack of a relationship between the men also didn't feel real. Guys over there rely on each other, know each other and how they think a lot more than they're portrayed in this film. To have a character as "loose cannoned" as the lead in this movie isn't believable either -- guys like that are shuttled out of there fast and relieved of their command. (So are soldiers drinking whiskey and carousing -- good luck seeing that on a regular basis). They might seem like little things but they took me out of the moment more than a few times -- particularly because the movie strains to be "realistic."

Beyond that -- and the fact that the "name actors" show up in cameos for one primary purpose (I just knew what was going to happen Ralph Fiennes the second he appeared on screen) -- I felt the movie was suspenseful and well done. It's worth seeing overall. I just wanted a bit more substance, and reality, mixed in with it.

^^ Thanks for that review.

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985): 9.5/10

Wow, primary colors in a Tim Burton movie.

Still one of my favorite comedies, from Paul Reuben's endlessly amusing chortle ("I pity the fool who don't eat mah cereal...!") to Danny Elfman's delightful score, which amazingly hasn't lost its initial sparkle despite the countless temp-track ripoffs ever since. With Alice In Wonderland opening in a month, I figured it was time to watch every Burton movie in release order. Fun!

I loved PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE...one of Elfman's best scores (I even love the Varese re-recording suite), loads of laughs and energy. Great stuff

"Shhh, I'm listening to reason!"

AndyDursin wrote:one of Elfman's best scores (I even love the Varese re-recording suite)

We really need a CD of the complete original film tracks. It's the film's 25th anniversary this year ( ), so it's the perfect time. There'd probably even be enough room to include the re-recording as well.

AndyDursin wrote:

mkaroly wrote:HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (2007) - 4/10. I haven't read the books, but I have it on good authority that they cut a lot out of the book for this movie...which would make sense since the story seemed kind of bare without some sub-plot expansion (Cho anyone?). I think these films are getting worse, and part of that is due to a couple of lackluster, lifeless scores that I just didn't like (Doyle's and Hooper's). Dialogue is silly and repetitive in each film (Why didn't you tell me? I didn't tell you because.../So-and-so didn't want you to know, but...). I have HALF-BLOOD PRINCE to watch as well, but for me at least the series has been nose-diving since AZKABAN.

Agreed completely Michael.

I actually found HALF-BLOOD PRINCE to be the worst of the series -- it's certainly the dullest -- and a comedown from even the fairly mediocre ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, as you say.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (2008) - 3/10. Boring movie that has the same formulaic problems as the other films. Again, the music is terrible and adds nothing to the film. The movie seems to be a series of vignettes pasted together in an attempt to make something cohesive out of a film that probably left a ton of stuff out of the book. And frankly, by the time we find out who the Half-Blood prince is, I didn't care. It wasn't the "ooo" and "aaahhh" moment it should have been (for those of us who didn't read the book). Honestly, my expectations fort he last films are nil....this series has lost a lot of the "magic" and fun of the first three (despite the "darker" subject matter) and I'm not convinced they'll finish the series well. Desplat can't possibly do worse that Hooper!

HOW TO MURDER YOUR WIFE (1964) - 1.5/10. I'm not a big fan of these types of comedies because they just come across as hostile. I found the movie annoying throughout, but the woman who plays Jack Lemmon's wife did a better job than I thought, and she was actually better than Lemmon in my opinion. Neal Hefti's score was cool, but overall this was a dumb movie. The courtroom scene was just beneath contempt...I know it's 60s humor, but I didn't find it funny at all, even with the stereotyped characters.

LOVE AND HONOR (2006) - 7/10. Yamada's third film in his "samurai trilogy" was my least favorite of the bunch but still a decent film. It is a deep character study with heightened melodrama that was predictable (especially the ending) but nonetheless entertaining. The first two films (THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI and THE HIDDEN BLADE) were more emotionally moving to me, but if you like this type of film then it's worth watching.

mkaroly wrote:HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (2008) - 3/10. Boring movie that has the same formulaic problems as the other films. Again, the music is terrible and adds nothing to the film. The movie seems to be a series of vignettes pasted together in an attempt to make something cohesive out of a film that probably left a ton of stuff out of the book. And frankly, by the time we find out who the Half-Blood prince is, I didn't care. It wasn't the "ooo" and "aaahhh" moment it should have been (for those of us who didn't read the book). Honestly, my expectations fort he last films are nil....this series has lost a lot of the "magic" and fun of the first three (despite the "darker" subject matter) and I'm not convinced they'll finish the series well. Desplat can't possibly do worse that Hooper!

Couldn't possibly agree more Michael.

They stuck with Hooper, they're not going with Williams -- the "expensive Sci-Fi Channel Movie" look and feel is going to continue.

I confess that I have basically lost interest in this series. I liked the first two movies a great deal, enjoyed the third (but didn't love it), but after that it's been a steady and steep decline -- from merely ok (the 4th and 5th movies) to outright tedium (this film).

I'd say HALF BLOOD PRINCE is a film only HP fans can really enjoy -- it's talky and dull, not particularly well made, and goes on forever. I think perhaps if you had read the book you'd probably get more enjoyment out of it, but I didn't and was simply bored to tears watching it.

My problem with this series is that they have not sustained my interest in terms of the core story. It's probably because the last couple of installments have just become more slavish to the books and more workmanlike in execution, whereas the early films seemed to strike a good balance between being faithful to the books and also being well-made, well-crafted pieces of cinema. You didn't need to have read the books to enjoy them.

David Yates is not a particularly capable filmmaker. His background is in British TV, not features, and it shows. There has been no cinematic inspiration from his approach in either one of his installments and I agree Michael, I'm not going to be expecting to see one now.

But more over, I just could care less about where it's going. Is Harry going to fulfill his destiny? I'm more excited to see THE WOLFMAN this week than see where Potter finishes up, but that's just me.

For the first time in years, I reacquainted myself with "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (the LD cut). This time I made sure someone was watching with me, and my mother had never seen it. Her natural reaction enhanced the viewing experience for me and made me appreciate the film a lot more than I had previously.

I also got a reminder that the LD cut is the only version one should watch at this point because the scenes restored in that version are absolutely critical to understanding why Tracy cracks and decides to go after the money himself (even though the critical scene with Buster Keaton explaining where Tracy was going after he made his break with the money remains lost).

Then last night I watched "Niagara" a movie that works only because of its terrific location footage. This is the best Monroe movie I've seen, but I still am among those who have never quite gotten the matter of her allure because she is overly made-up (the good quality print Fox used really shows an overabundance of lipstick on her while she's in bed). Jean Peters by contrast, seems like a breath of fresh air.

DISTRICT 9 (2009) - 9.5/10. I was really impressed with this film; it was nothing like what I was expecting. It was well acted and well shot, though it did get a bit formulaic at times (if you want to kill someone, dispense with the yapping and pull the trigger!). I thought the ending was touching in a good way and it does owe a debt to Cronenberg's THE FLY and Verhoven films (Robocop, Starship Troopers, etc.) in some ways. Overall, I was totally engaged from start to finish. Honestly, this and THE HURT LOCKER were the two most entertaining films of the year for me...which means they'll win squat at the Oscars...lol...excellent film and highly entertaining.