Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

Just finished The Muppets, I've chosen this based on recommendations. I loved the Muppets as a kid ( even had a leather schoolbag with Fozzie on it), but later when I've seen any of it, it was always a huge letdown.

The movie - for an adult - is mildly amusing, its funnyish. (I didnt smile during the film, but didnt annoy me at all) It's obviously a labor of love and for kids its perfect entertainment. There were a few cacthy original song and the Mahnamahna bit during the end credits was great.

As a film, its 4.5/10 at most.
For kids, its 7.5/10.
 
R.Nilsson7 said:
By the way, has there ever been a case of an author actually liking a film adaption of his or hers book?
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Of course. Chuck Palahniuk springs to mind, he thought Fight Club was an improvement on his novel.

Now that I see the movie, especially when I sat down with Jim Uhls and record a commentary track for the DVD, I was sort of embarrassed of the book, because the movie had streamlined the plot and made it so much more effective and made connections that I had never thought to make.
 
EricaNo7 said:
Ben Hur 8/10

Made in 1959, this is still an epic film.
Charlton Heston is marvellous in the lead role . Too long a film to summarise really but if you like biblical epics, you will love this
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It is. If you like this, try and watch Spartacus with Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jeanne Simons, Peter Ustinov, directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Its not a Kubrick film, this was the only one time when he didnt have full control over a film, but its still amazing.

Russell Metty, the cameraman who was fired shortly after Kubrick took over the film, stayed on the credits for legal reasons, and in the end recieved an Oscar for Kubrick's cinematography.
 
cinc said:
It is. If you like this, try and watch Spartacus with Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jeanne Simons, Peter Ustinov, directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Its not a Kubrick film, this was the only one time when he didnt have full control over a film, but its still amazing.

Russell Metty, the cameraman who was fired shortly after Kubrick took over the film, stayed on the credits for legal reasons, and in the end recieved an Oscar for Kubrick's cinematography.
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I've seen Spartacus, cinc, another wonderful film.
Rebecca is up next - although it's a while since I last saw it, I'm looking forward to it.
 
There's a beauty to Hollywood biblical epics, somehow, for all of Hollywood's faults.
 
R.Nilsson7 said:
...By the way, has there ever been a case of an author actually liking a film adaption of his or hers book? Stanislaw Lem was very critical of Tarkovsky for not focusing on the alien aspect more and I could only imagine what he felt about Soderbergh's version. Tarkovsky did it in his own spiritual, artistic way and suceeded with a great standalone adaptation.
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As long as that means "has nothing to do with the original work whatsoever".
 
hungrywing said:
As long as that means "has nothing to do with the original work whatsoever".
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Thats not true. Lem worked with Tarkovsky and Gorenstein on the script initially, but he didnt understand how cinema works. His book was a foundation for the film, but simply recreating it would not add anything to it.

Tarkovsky made a masterpiece out of an interesting novel.
 
Count Dracula, a 1977 BBC production. Very good too. 8/10.


 
I'll have to watch it, mate, as I've only seen clips (years ago too). The poster's brilliant though. :D

nosferatu_1979_poster.jpg
 
EricaNo7 said:
I've seen Spartacus, cinc, another wonderful film.
Rebecca is up next - although it's a while since I last saw it, I'm looking forward to it.
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Rebecca is a great film.

Can't believe Joan Fontaine is still around, as well as her equaly famous sister and another great actress, Olivia De Havilland. I wonder if their feud, that spanned decades, will come to an end before either of them dies.
 
A Lonely Place to Die

It was alright. More importantly, Melissa George was born on the same day as me. And I used to live in Perth. It's meant to be.
 
cinc said:
Thats not true. Lem worked with Tarkovsky and Gorenstein on the script initially, but he didnt understand how cinema works. His book was a foundation for the film, but simply recreating it would not add anything to it.

Tarkovsky made a masterpiece out of an interesting novel.
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I think we're talking about different things. As R7 and you said, great film on its own merits.

Also, I think it's likely that 'working on the script together' meant that Tarkovsky sent him a draft to look over when he was finished. There's a fellow/fellowette on IMDB - Oh, yon vaunted bastion of unassailable truth - claiming that Tarkovsky's own authorized biographies say this was the case.
 
Intolerable Cruelty 5/10'( two points for George )

Too daft to laugh at really, Catherine Zeta Jones portrays a money grabbing b'tch, ( funnily enough how I imagine her in real life,,undeniably beautiful,but cold as Christmas )
Not to be recommended unless you're secretly in love with G Clooney
 
Of Gods and Men, (French Algerian) 8 Trappist monks stationed with an impoverished Algerian, Muslim community must decide whether to leave or stay. Living side by side for a number of years and having formed deep roots with the local community. They face a moral dilemma when it becomes clear that a band of Islamic fundamentalists pose a threat to their very existence - leave and live, stay and probably die

Most of the movie centers on the various characters grappling with what they should do and provides a non stop philosophical monologue analyzing each individuals thought process.

Very thoughtful, well made and based on true events

9/10
 
Flying sword of Dragon inn 8/10

A nostalgic moment back to fantasy wuxia from the master Tsui Hark, don't expect anything grand but pure entertainment for the fans of the genre.

It's the first fantasy wuxia in 3D.
 
Zen said:
As I got the complete set for Christmas and not just the originals, I decided for my sins, to re-watch the prequels for the first time ever since I saw them in the cinema. I dunno where to go with the criticism, it's all been heard. I'm just stunned that so many seem to happily write off the first two, then claim that Revenge of the Sith holds it own with the original, it clearly doesn't, .....

I think I could go on just about Revenge of the Sith, but feck this, feck George Lucas, you ain't Stanley Kubrick bro, hire some ghost writers, editors, and directors to turn your stories into good films like you did first time around while you take all the credit.
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Cinc thinks it's as good as the Godfather.
 
MI4: Average over-the-top action fest. If you switch off your brain and enjoy the ride, it's quite entertaining. I saw it on IMAX which probably made it seem better than it is.
 
Slightly offtopic, I'm looking for a TV-movie by Michael Winterbottom, from 1990 (Forget about Me). Its about two scottish blokes, but thats not the point: there's a segment when the protagonists visit a club during a concert. Now, even at 13-14, me an the mrs. were regulars at this place and we were both there at that concert when the filming took place. We didnt know each other for almost 10 years after that point so I figured this would be a great gift for the anniversary. I'm not looking for a torrent, but a DVD. Can anyone help?



(The missus is shown in the video, but I wont point her out)
 
Real Steel This is little more than Rocky with robots with an endearing Hollywood type kid thrown in for good measure but if you can suspend your disbelief in general and specific then' like me, you can have more fun watching a film than you have done in a long time. So if you expect Rocky with robots 9/10 and of you expected a black and white subtitled Kurosawa epic with nods to Bergman then 1/10 with the 1/10 being because even Bergman and Kurosawa must have at least a sneaking love of boxing robots.
 
cinc said:
Slightly offtopic, I'm looking for a TV-movie by Michael Winterbottom, from 1990 (Forget about Me). Its about two scottish blokes, but thats not the point: there's a segment when the protagonists visit a club during a concert. Now, even at 13-14, me an the mrs. were regulars at this place and we were both there at that concert when the filming took place. We didnt know each other for almost 10 years after that point so I figured this would be a great gift for the anniversary. I'm not looking for a torrent, but a DVD. Can anyone help?
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try here Stojo - Forget About Me (1990)
 
Cowboys and Aliens

What a strange film, was it a Western trying to be a Scfi Fi film or a Scfi-Fi trying to be a Western.
It had all the things you want in a Western , a bunch of dirty scruffy coach robbers a feud and Boss man who everybody is scared of and thinks he is above the law and then you get space ships and aliens , that take people and hold them hostage and they want Gold , why the hell would Aliens that build space ships want Gold?

I like Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig but what made them do this disaster of a film.

4/10
 
They've both done worse....for less pay....so theres a clear reason why they did that one.
 
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