What was the last movie you watched?

[Relaxing Dragon]

The Big Sleep. Whew... that's a lotta plot. I don't think I've ever encountered a movie that gets this dense and wrapped up since I watched Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Watch the 1945 version sometime, it fills in a lot of the plot holes, but has less Bacall.  They cut some of the exposition scenes to add more stuff with Bacall that was shot later.  They also axed quite a bit of the other lead actress because they thought she was overshadowing Bacall.  The extra exposition does slow things down a bit, so the theatrical release is a better movie I think, but they are both great.

Yes, I was reading about the changes made. I will get to the other one at some point, although it really does sound like I've already seen the best version, all things considered.

[Darth Geek]

I've also been going over my Favorite Movies Ever list (because I'm just the sort of person who keeps careful, obsessive track over such a thing. By which I mean I've got it printed out and laminated as a handy pocket card), rewatching a few movies to see what still makes the cut and what needs to be added on. Which has the added bonus of giving me a solid chance to rewatch movies I haven't seen in years (some back when I was just starting to really get really interested in movies), all to see if I still love them as much as I remember, or more/less so. To keep things brief: Big Fish, Dawn of the Dead, and Pan's Labyrinth stay on; F for Fake, Gone Baby Gone, Bad Taste, Howl's Moving Castle, and Burn After Reading are off; and Apollo 13, Spirited Away, Apocalypse Now, and Once Upon a Time in the West are added on as new additions. Up tonight on the chopping block: Hellboy II (it's got good odds to stay in my favor, especially since I'm in the mood for some solid fantasy action at the moment).

Bad Taste was on your Favorite Movies Ever List? That's just awesome.

[Relaxing Dragon]

I've also been going over my Favorite Movies Ever list (because I'm just the sort of person who keeps careful, obsessive track over such a thing. By which I mean I've got it printed out and laminated as a handy pocket card), rewatching a few movies to see what still makes the cut and what needs to be added on. Which has the added bonus of giving me a solid chance to rewatch movies I haven't seen in years (some back when I was just starting to really get really interested in movies), all to see if I still love them as much as I remember, or more/less so. To keep things brief: Big Fish, Dawn of the Dead, and Pan's Labyrinth stay on; F for Fake, Gone Baby Gone, Bad Taste, Howl's Moving Castle, and Burn After Reading are off; and Apollo 13, Spirited Away, Apocalypse Now, and Once Upon a Time in the West are added on as new additions. Up tonight on the chopping block: Hellboy II (it's got good odds to stay in my favor, especially since I'm in the mood for some solid fantasy action at the moment).

Bad Taste was on your Favorite Movies Ever List? That's just awesome.

Indeed. And though it slips out, Dead Alive and Meet the Feebles remain to keep the early Jackson spirit alive.

[Raven]

Indeed. And though it slips out, Dead Alive and Meet the Feebles remain to keep the early Jackson spirit alive.

How many movies are on your list?  I started putting a favorite movies list together but lost the list in a computer crash.  After I got a through a few hundred movies I actually bought the posters for my top ten.  I was changing it so often because I made a personal rule to not add it to my list unless I rewatched it, that I never printed out a hard copy.  I didn't have any re-writeable cds and flash drives weren't around so I didn't even back it up even. 

[Relaxing Dragon]

Indeed. And though it slips out, Dead Alive and Meet the Feebles remain to keep the early Jackson spirit alive.

How many movies are on your list?  I started putting a favorite movies list together but lost the list in a computer crash.  After I got a through a few hundred movies I actually bought the posters for my top ten.  I was changing it so often because I made a personal rule to not add it to my list unless I rewatched it, that I never printed out a hard copy.  I didn't have any re-writeable cds and flash drives weren't around so I didn't even back it up even.

I haven't done a new count, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 126 at the moment. I keep it simply: I track every single movie I've ever seen on imdb, so I just count anything I've given a 9 or higher as on of my All Time Favorites. Works pretty good, too.

[Raven]

I haven't done a new count, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 126 at the moment. I keep it simply: I track every single movie I've ever seen on imdb, so I just count anything I've given a 9 or higher as on of my All Time Favorites. Works pretty good, too.

I see.  I wasn't sure if you had super turnover with a top 10 or even top 50, but that makes sense. 

[Raven]

Watched Saving Private Ryan and Cloverfield Monday night, both with a commentary track by the FriendsInYourHead guys.  I enjoy their commentary tracks as they have knowledge of the film industry and how things are done but if there is something horrible about the movie they aren't shy about saying so, unlike any official commentary tracks you'd find on any actual dvd/blu-ray releases. 

It's nice to throw those on and you don't need to worry that much about drift as they aren't specifically timed jokes like a Rifftrax.  New movie every Sunday to.  Check them out as they are free, unless you feel like donating. 

[lassieface]

Just got back from a 10:00 showing of Elysium. While I don't think it was on the same level as District 9, it's still a thrilling watch. The plot is solid (a bit heavy handed with the moral message; District 9 was much subtler) and Matt Damon is great in the lead. Sharlto Copley is amazing. Where the movie really stands out is in its technical aspects. The production design is excellent. The world feels real. The VFX are stunning. There were only a couple times that it looked really fake. But honestly, the best part is those exo-suits. So awesome! It doesn't get much cooler than sword-wielding cyborgs.

[Charles Castle]

Indeed. And though it slips out, Dead Alive and Meet the Feebles remain to keep the early Jackson spirit alive.

How many movies are on your list?  I started putting a favorite movies list together but lost the list in a computer crash.  After I got a through a few hundred movies I actually bought the posters for my top ten.  I was changing it so often because I made a personal rule to not add it to my list unless I rewatched it, that I never printed out a hard copy.  I didn't have any re-writeable cds and flash drives weren't around so I didn't even back it up even.

I haven't done a new count, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 126 at the moment. I keep it simply: I track every single movie I've ever seen on imdb, so I just count anything I've given a 9 or higher as on of my All Time Favorites. Works pretty good, too.

As I wrote on the preface for my Top 71 Films of All Time List in an old IMDB message board incarnation of mine known as bobhoperocks:

These four and five star systems do little by way of true gradation. After long experimentation I have settled on a system of rating movies from zero to 256,000 stars, thus allowing for maximum distinction between various moving pictures. For example, I give the delightfully edgy "The Night They Raided Minsky's" 191,638 stars out of a possible 256,000, whereas The Tamarind Seed rates a mere 191,637. In ordinary film-buff lingo, both would be so-called "three star" movies, thus robbing the viewer of the subtle distinctions of taste that only a 256,000-star system may bring

[Relaxing Dragon]

Just got back from a 10:00 showing of Elysium. While I don't think it was on the same level as District 9, it's still a thrilling watch. The plot is solid (a bit heavy handed with the moral message; District 9 was much subtler) and Matt Damon is great in the lead. Sharlto Copley is amazing. Where the movie really stands out is in its technical aspects. The production design is excellent. The world feels real. The VFX are stunning. There were only a couple times that it looked really fake. But honestly, the best part is those exo-suits. So awesome! It doesn't get much cooler than sword-wielding cyborgs.

Felt the opposite here I'm afraid. The movie was a huge letdown for me. While I quite liked the visual aspects (it's so refreshing to see a legitimately lived-in future, with the grime and rust and we-slapped-this-together-hope-it-works), the rest had simply nothing to offer. The characters were flat, the plot and ideas were pretty shallow and it tried to do a whole lot with far too little, and the fight scenes were... well, I'm actually not sure what happened here. District 9 (one of my favorite movies ever) had several fantastic action sequences, all of them cleanly shot and put together. Whereas Elysium had a whole boatload of shaky cam and fast cutting, to the point where I had to guess sometimes what was happening onscreen. Honestly, I'm rather stunned the movie turned out as it did, if only because it got so many things wrong that District 9 got so right.

[lassieface]

Felt the opposite here I'm afraid. The movie was a huge letdown for me. While I quite liked the visual aspects (it's so refreshing to see a legitimately lived-in future, with the grime and rust and we-slapped-this-together-hope-it-works), the rest had simply nothing to offer. The characters were flat, the plot and ideas were pretty shallow and it tried to do a whole lot with far too little, and the fight scenes were... well, I'm actually not sure what happened here. District 9 (one of my favorite movies ever) had several fantastic action sequences, all of them cleanly shot and put together. Whereas Elysium had a whole boatload of shaky cam and fast cutting, to the point where I had to guess sometimes what was happening onscreen. Honestly, I'm rather stunned the movie turned out as it did, if only because it got so many things wrong that District 9 got so right.

While I'll agree that the action sequences weren't as spectacular, I had no problem telling what was happening. The worst performance might have actually been Jodie Foster. Not sure what she was going for.

[Zombie Monty]

Time for some high brow film-viewing.  Last night I watched:

Hot Dog The Movie

Sadly this was not about hot dogs.  But was instead your cookie cutter '80s R-rated "comedy" set at a ski competition.  Not one laugh, except for the unintended ones.  The score and soundtrack is rather silly, even for the time period.  And the whole thing has this retro vibe to it.  Even though the movie itself was a stinker, it did make me a bit nostalgic for the early '80s.

[RoninFox]

Repo:  The Genetic Opera.  Its the first time I've seen the movie in a few years.  My wife and I found out about a group called After Midnight at Space City Con, they do Shadowcasts (think Rocky Horror style acting in front of the movie).  They did one of Dr. Horrible at the con, and did Repo at Alamo Drafthouse last night.  Got reminded of a lot of the film that I had just forgotten about, whole scenes that were gone from my memory.  Still missed quite a bit since I was splitting my focus between the movie and the live performance, but I actually enjoyed the movie better than I remembered.  The live actors ranged from bleh to awesome.  They had a really good Nathan, a decent Rotti, and a downright perfect Pavi.  Blind Mag though was just a woman who stood in place waving her arms back and forth with zero emotion on her face.  I'll have to revisit this one again sometime soon on blu ray.

The music will be stuck in my head for a couple weeks as it is though.

[Zombie Monty]

Angel

This is the 1984 film about a teenage hooker on the streets of Hollywood where a serial killer is preying on prostitutes.  A real guilty pleasure film.  Way more entertaining than it has any right to be.  I can not remember if the sequel, Avenging Angel, is as entertaining.  I am on a bit of an '80s kick and found this one on YouTube.

[mrbasehart]

Angel

This is the 1984 film about a teenage hooker on the streets of Hollywood where a serial killer is preying on prostitutes.  A real guilty pleasure film.  Way more entertaining than it has any right to be.  I can not remember if the sequel, Avenging Angel, is as entertaining.  I am on a bit of an '80s kick and found this one on YouTube.

I've seen all three and the first one's the best.  The sequel does star the absolutely gorgeous Betsy Russell though, so that's something.