Cinemaniacs - Movie 3

[Relaxing Dragon]

I'm torn between the movies mentioned above and going for some super-obscure (if not quite as good, so to speak) title. Tough call.

But since this is a good chance to get people to actually watch Trick 'r Treat, I'm tempted to go for that one (and someone's gotta pick Primer at some point. If ever was there a movie that needs discussion, it's that one).

[ScottotD]

Yeah, Oldboy was my choice since the club was announced but after the reactions to the brief sex scene in the last movie I went with something a bit lighter (although this does have a sex scene too as was previously mentioned) but VERY happy for an excuse to re-watch Blood Simple, Primer, Trick 'r Treat, etc, etc

[Edward J Grug III]

I'm afraid I wasn't able to watch it before going away - I'll have to catch up when we get back, sorry.

We'll be back Friday, so please don't exclude me from the next name draw if it happens while I'm away (that's probably too soon for the next draw anyway)

[MontyServo]

I have a copy. but won't be able to watch it until tomorrow at the earliest.

I don't think we are excluding anyone yet for not participating, except for Doc Who who withdrew his name.

Have a nice holiday Ed!   

[THE QUEEN!!!]

Del Toro, eh? Sounds like you picked a good one.

I'm afraid it's R rated and I think you might find this one a bit much.

Yes, alas, I'll be sitting this one out. As soon as someone picks something under an R rating, or better yet, released before ratings existed, then I'll be there. Meanwhile I have 10,000 movies to choose from when it's my turn to pick. I don't know whether to go more obscure or just awesome, but I have positively decided to do something completely different than the movie preceding mine, whatever that might be.

[ScottotD]

Sorry, I guess I just assumed everyone was over 18.  Maybe you could access a copy some other way?... yarrr, if you get my meaning



Watching it........... NOW!

[Tripe]

OK watched it, not bad, beautiful to look at the story could have picked up the pace a little in places.

Vacas is still my favourite Spanish Civil War movie.

let's say 7.5/10

[mrbasehart]

Oh crud.  I was about to watch it when I realised that I lent my copy to my brother like, a year ago.  I'll be sure to have it back by the end of the week though.

I have seen it though, so I can discuss it without fear of spoilers.  My initial score taken from the imdb is 7, but as that place only allows integers, I'll amend it here to 7.5. 

[a pretty girl is like]

I've always liked this movie but what struck me with this recent watch was how this would probably work better as a written piece.  Del Toro definitely does a better job of marrying the fantastic with the real world with the parallel structure of  Pan's Labyrinth.   

Still a very ghost story though.

I'll go with the previous scores of 7-7.5.

[ScottotD]

A dark fairytale more than a horror, similar in theme to Jhorror than Western films and a definate companion peice to 'Pan's'  It's interesting to see Guillermo with less 'toys' at his disposal, his usual fantastic imagery has a more worn almost sepia tone to it in this.h

The adult characters are all very well but briefly drawn as the whole film is given a lot of room to breathe and pull you into it's tone.  I really like this movie, it's study on War by only showing humanity in wartime is such a great choice.

[Relaxing Dragon]

Finally got around to watching this, and I very much enjoyed it. While it seemed to have some pacing issues, and the clash of the horror ghost stuff and the searching-for-gold plotlines seemed a bit weird (a problem I also had with Pan's Labyrinth, but not as much), I thought it ended quite well. Del Toro seems to have a knack for making near-human monsters his villains (in this case he also has the added bonus of being a spitting image of Eli Roth. Come on, that can't just be me), and it's quite effective. It gets an 8/10 for me.

[a pretty girl is like]

Finally got around to watching this, and I very much enjoyed it. While it seemed to have some pacing issues, and the clash of the horror ghost stuff and the searching-for-gold plotlines seemed a bit weird (a problem I also had with Pan's Labyrinth, but not as much), I thought it ended quite well. Del Toro seems to have a knack for making near-human monsters his villains (in this case he also has the added bonus of being a spitting image of Eli Roth. Come on, that can't just be me), and it's quite effective. It gets an 8/10 for me.

I was thinking Zachary Quinto but now that you mention it, I gotta agree with you and it makes me want to punch the guy  square in his dumb Rothian mug.

[Relaxing Dragon]

Random ghost thoughts:

-The final bit with the doctor's ghost weirded me out. I guess I understood what was going on, but I still found it strange.

-The last shot of Santi on the water was a bit much. As was the girl's scream in one of his early appearances. The kid's not really supposed to be Alma, after all.

-I loved the rising blood effect on ghost Santi. Thought that was very cool.

-Locking yourself in a closest to hide from a ghost? Really?

[MontyServo]

Just watched this.

Creepy movie.  Something about dead kids as ghosts in movies always creeps me out.

And I find it refreshing that a modern movie can be scary and tense without loads of gratuitous gore and violence (although this one does have a bit of gory stuff near the end.)

Nice effects with the ghost boy looking like he is still floating in the water, even when he is walking around.

I went into this not knowing anything about it.  And I'm glad I didn't.  Although the film telegraphs where it is headed a bit, it was never boring.

Was it just me or did the main bad guy remind anyone else a lot of Eli Roth in Inglorious Basterds?  He could be his brother.  Maybe it was the way he was dressed?

And you could tell this movie is European, what with all the kids at the end getting blown up and what not.  You never really see that sort of thing in American films.

I enjoyed it.  It slowed down a bit in the middle, but that didn't really bother me much as I was very much into where the story was going.

And why the heck do they build their orphanage way the hell out in the middle of Bumf#@#, Spain?

8.5 out of 10.

Written right after watching the film, now I'll go back and read everyone's comments.

[MontyServo]

(in this case he also has the added bonus of being a spitting image of Eli Roth. Come on, that can't just be me),

Ha!  It wasn't just me then!